Title: Wishes
Author: Angie
Email: hill@grics.net
Disclaimers: CSI Crime Scene Investigation does not belong to me, they are the property of CBS, Alliance Atlantis, Jerry Bruckheimer and the wonderful actors who portray them.
Author's Notes: First I can't believe I forgot to mention the song in the last chapter. That song was "Wonderful Tonight" by the brilliant Eric Clapton, if you haven't heard the song run out and buy it, it's amazing. Thanks to the graveshiftCSI group. This is actually the first fanfic I started writing, the second to be posted and still not complete, so I never know when the next chapter will be posted. Thanks to Lauri for beta-ing this for me, and convincing me that it was okay to post, I've had tons of doubts about this chapter. Also thanks to Nic for bugging me until I actually posted it.
Spoilers: nothing really
Distribution: The GraveshiftCSI Homepage, ShipperWorldCSI… all others please ask.
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From chapter 3.…
'It's almost as if this song was written for us.' Gil thought. 'I know she doesn't know how much I care for her. Maybe it is time to start taking that next step, maybe it's time to progress this relationship into something more then friendship. But does she want to start down that road?' Gil stopped at that thought. Not knowing what Catherine felt, the unknown, is what has always stopped him from revealing his own feelings.
~~~~~~~
It's time to go home now
And I've got an aching head
So I give her the car keys
She helps me to bed
And then I tell her
As I turn out the light
I say my darling, you were wonderful tonight
Oh my darling, you were wonderful tonight
~~~~~~~
As the song ended Catherine slowly pulled her head off of Gil's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "Gil?"
"Cath…" Grissom trailed off, was it his imagination or was Catherine face moving closer to his. No it definitely was not his imagination, she was going to kiss him.
And now chapter 4 of "Wishes"
* * * *
Grissom closed his eyes as their bodies moved closer to each other. Their lips softly made contact when suddenly Catherine pulled back.
"Is that…" Catherine asked, feeling something hard moving against her waist.
"My beeper. Yeah." Grissom sighed as he reached down to his waist for his beeper and looked at the number. "It's the lab… I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, it's not your fault. And if they are calling you on your night off… my beeper is probably vibrating too." Catherine rationalized as the two made their way across the busy restaurant and back to their table.
Once they reached their table, Catherine checked the beeper in her purse. It was vibrating as well.
"They're calling me too."
They got out their cell phones to call the numbers on their beepers. They both looked at each other trying to decide how to work this out.
"Does anyone know we're here?" Grissom asked suddenly.
"I had to tell Warrick to get him to agree to take shift, but he's the only one, and he swore he wouldn't tell."
"Maybe we should…" He paused not sure how to complete his thoughts.
"We can keep it a secret if you want, Gris." Catherine finished for him. She knew he was uncomfortable about the thought of the entire lab knowing about his personal life, and she didn't want this evening to be the cause of any discomfort.
The two looked at each other and silently agreed that it would be best to remain quiet about the evening they had spent together.
Grissom dialed the number on his cell and waited for an answer. "Grissom. What? We'll be there in about an hour. … Okay. Hey Warrick? Can you do us a favor and not mention… Thanks."
Catherine waited until Grissom finished before making her call. "Hi. This is Catherine, I was beeped. Okay Brass… I'll meet you at the scene in about an hour…"
Grissom and Catherine both looked at each other as they realized what they had both revealed.
"I'm sorry Gil. I …"
"It's all right Cath. We had to give them an ETA. And if they are any good they're going to figure it out when we get to the crime scene. It's not often I show up at a scene in a suit, and you…. Well, let's just say that dress is something that most of us have only dreamed of seeing you in…" Gil stopped when he realized what he had just said. He couldn't help the embarrassment he felt, and he knew his ears would be turning red.
Catherine saw the discomfort in his face, and couldn't help the feelings it caused in herself. She had wished this evening would allow him to open up a bit more to her, but was saddened to see the mask appear back over Gil's face.
Gil placed enough money on the table to cover their bill and leave a nice tip, over Catherine's protests, and the two quickly left the restaurant to get to the job at hand.
* * * *
Roughly an hour later the two senior investigators pulled up to the crime scene.
"Gil, wait a second…" Catherine paused, placing a hand on Grissom's wrist, and waiting for his attention. "Are you sure your ready for this? I mean, showing up together… dressed like this."
"Cath… I'm fine with it."
"Are you sure? You know what people are going to think, what they're going to say."
"I can handle it, if you can. Besides it was just dinner."
"Dinner. Sure, it was just dinner." Catherine muttered under her breath.
The two got out of the car and made their way to the small group of police officers that were near Captain Brass.
"Hey guys… lookin' good."
"Yeah, so what were you two doin' huh."
"If you guys really must know, today is Gris's birthday so we went out to dinner." Catherine replied to the two police officers, she knew they would soon be spreading rumors about the two criminalists.
"And then we get called to a crime scene." Grissom pitched in. "I didn't get all the details on the phone, so tell me what we've got here?"
Brass walked up to the group while Gil was talking and heard the last part of Gil's question. "It's all right guys I'll fill them in from here." Brass dismissed the officers and waited for them to walk away before he continued. "Grissom, Catherine…. You two are looking pretty good tonight. Anything you care to share with me?"
"Brass it was just dinner. You want to tell us what we've got?" Grissom replied testily. He was beginning to think that this whole evening may have been a mistake. Sure he was having a great time earlier, but perhaps it was going to be at too high a price.
The shock on Catherine's face was apparent at the tone in Grissom's voice. She knew he was a private person, but he usually just ignored personal questions. Catherine quickly brought her emotions back under control and smiled at Brass as she waited for him to fill them in on the case.
"What we have is apparently a multiple homicide. There are 5 bodies in there, and we haven't found a single person who heard a thing."
"I'm sure the rest of the team will do fine without us…" Grissom paused when he saw the looks on Catherine and Brass's face. "Catherine and I had some wine with dinner and we…"
"Grissom, I'm fine. And I know you are…" She quickly interrupted.
"We can't compromise the evidence, Catherine. I'll stay here and supervise and you can supervise at the lab."
"What!" It was bad enough that they got interrupted on their date, no it was 'just dinner' Catherine thought bitterly. But she was not going to be stuck in the lab watching over everyone else while Grissom was here at the scene.
"Grissom's right, Catherine. If you two have been drinking you can't be collecting evidence." Brass chimed in.
"I know that Brass, but it was just a little wine, it's no big deal."
"It wasn't a little Catherine," Gil continued, turning to face Catherine. "It was two bottles and I believe you had some tequila before dinner too. And I don't think either of us should be collecting evidence."
"First it was Baja Luna, close to tequila but not quite. And don't act like I'm the only one that had a drink before dinner, at least mine was a single shot, you're the one who ordered the double bourbon. And secondly, it was not two bottles Grissom, we didn't finish the second bottle."
"Two Bottles?" Brass questioned, interrupting the two before they could argue any more. "Maybe you should both go back to the lab. And you aren't driving either, I'll call Nick out to bring you and some evidence back to the lab."
Grissom was stunned at this remark. "Brass, I am fine. I'll supervise here, Catherine can supervise at the lab and help Greg set up the tests."
"You've both been drinking, Grissom. Catherine's right, if she has to go back to the lab, you should too." He shot a warning look at Catherine when he saw the smirk on her face. "I'm calling Nick out, he can drive you two back to the lab." Brass said as he walked away and got on his phone to page Nick.
"I can't believe you Grissom! Why did you have to tell him about the wine? We are both fine, and if you were that worried about it, then why the hell did you drive back? And…. Shit! Did Brass say he was calling out Nick? Warrick is the only one who know where we were." Catherine turned from Grissom and started walking after Brass leaving Grissom watching the red haired beauty in wonder. "Brass!" She called hoping to catch him before he got a hold of Nick.
Brass was just hanging up the phone when he heard Catherine calling him. He turned around to face her. "Nick will be out in a minute, Cath."
Damn…. "OK Brass. We'll be waiting over by the Tahoe." Catherine said dejectedly and turned to return to Grissom.
"Nick's coming out. He'll be driving us back to the lab in a few minutes." Catherine informed Grissom once she got back to the Tahoe. "So, um. How do you want to explain our attire to him?"
"What's there to explain Cath? We went to dinner."
"I guess there isn't anything else to explain is there Grissom." Catherine stated, and then turned and opened the back door to the Tahoe not wanting to continue this conversation anymore.
'Damn, that was not the right thing to say.' Grissom thought. He wasn't sure what to say to Catherine to make up for his inadequate words.
"Hey Grissom! What's going on? Why is Brass having me drive you back to the lab?" Nick said coming up behind him.
He turned to face Nick, hoping the opportunity to talk to Catherine wouldn't be too far away, he needed to apologize for his comments, even if he wasn't exactly sure what he said that was so wrong.
"Wow Gris. What's with the suit? Were you out on a hot date or something?" Nick teased.
"It was dinner, all right. Why can't people understand that sometimes I do get out of the house. You know I don't just sit around in my office all of the time." Grissom was irritated now.
"Sorry Gris." Nick said and then got in the Tahoe. He settled into the drivers seat and adjusted the review mirror. That's when he caught a glance of Catherine in the back seat, looking even more stunning then usual. He was just about to comment when Grissom opened the door and climbed in. The tension increased tenfold, and Nick decided to remain quiet, for now.
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To be continued…