Budding
Chapter Four
Catherine was busy making Lindsay an afternoon snack when the phone rang.
"Hello?" She answered.
"Hey," Warrick greeted her.
"Hey," she said with a widening smile. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing, actually," he said. "You?"
"I'm making Lindsay a snack," she said.
"What are you wearing?" He asked in a lusty tone.
"Can't you keep your hormones in check?" She whispered, not wanting Lindsay to hear their conversation.
"Not that much longer," he said.
Catherine bit her lower lip. "We're still taking this slowly right?"
"Yeah," he said. "But I can't deny that I want you right now."
"Imagine how bad it's been for me," she groaned as she put the plate in front of Lindsay. "I feel like I'm a virgin all over again."
Warrick chuckled. "Hmm…sounds-"
"Don't even go there Warrick Brown," Catherine warned. "Tell me you love me and hang up before this conversation goes further."
"I love you," he said.
"I love you too," Catherine chuckled. "Now find something productive to do."
"Now you just opened up a can of worms," Warrick said.
"GOODBYE, Warrick," Catherine said before hanging up.
Catherine began to ask herself the infernal question of the ages: why are men so horny all the time? Not that Catherine wasn't for Warrick, it was just that he was blatantly obvious about it, leaving much to her imagination of how good it was going to be the longer they waited.
Aside from their Bonnie and Clyde alter egos, they were an okay couple. Catherine wanted to cherish the relationship and see what Warrick was all about instead of jumping his bones and sleeping with him. She never liked doing that, but that's what she thought men wanted was a sexual relationship.
The night they spent together, that's what she tried on him; they were half naked in her bed, kissing madly, wild with heat, until Warrick stopped her. He told her that they should slow down because he wanted their relationship to be something special. She found out that was what he wanted from her. Her commitment to a special relationship.
His confession made her cry, and she suddenly felt dirty and embarrassed. Covering her breasts with one arm and wiping her tears with her other hand, she was bawling, confessing everything she truly wanted to him, and like the good man that he was, he listened patiently.
Catherine just couldn't quite explain what happened to them in New Orleans; it seemed impossible. She wondered where they would go after the whole ordeal down in New Orleans blew over.
She admitted, what they were doing was unethical, there for illegal and they risked going to jail for it; the flipside was that if they didn't do, justice would not be served, and the same thing would happen in another murder trial and another and another. The south wasn't exactly known for its spectacular legal system, and this current conspiracy was no surprise.
They weren't headed into a life of crime, but they felt obligated to break the law just this once to break the cycle of injustice.
The only thing that Catherine was fearful of was of the gossip floating around her and Warrick. Even Nick was spreading gossip, and it was annoying. She just happened to hear that one of the tech's cousins worked at the hotel they were staying at.
That meant the next time they went back to New Orleans, they would have to use a motel.
***
Grissom sat in his office looking over some paperwork. He heard a light knock on the door.
"Come in," he said.
He looked up and it was Sara. She had her arms crossed over her chest, her hair was framing her face in soft waves, and she had a look of frustration, anger, and misunderstanding in her brown eyes.
"Yes?" He asked softly.
"I was just wondering when you were going to help me solve our case," she said, her voice full of venom.
Her naturally pouting lips frowned even more as he didn't answer her right away. He didn't know what to tell her. He had think of some excuse so that she wouldn't blow up at him. When she got emotional, everyone could see it, even though she didn't outright show it.
Sara rolled her eyes and huffed. "You don't even have to say anything."
"Wait Sara," Grissom said, taking off his glasses.
"That's all I've been doing is waiting," she said. "You know, for an incredibly smart man, you can be so stupid sometimes."
With that, she turned and left the office, leaving Grissom to his thoughts.
He distanced himself from Sara because he knew that he loved the thirty something woman. She was beautiful, and he never got the image of when he first saw her out of his mind. Like the cliché went, she was a pretty young thing, bouncy, and enthusiastic. Her stoic nature came over time; as for the shield around her heart, that took time as well, and he was beginning to think that he was running out of time to reverse that.
Every time he thought about admitting his feelings for Sara, he thought about their careers first. She was still young, and she loved her job. If they ever got into a relationship, that would be a problem. Interoffice romance wasn't exactly encouraged by the state, but it wasn't against any policies, it was just discouraged. Grissom always had that concern, and he was concerned about Catherine and Warrick. What ever was going on between them, they were in deep, and the rumors became more outrageous every shift. If they were seeing each other outside of work, that was one thing, but a rumor that they had sex while on an assignment was floating around now, and Grissom didn't know what to do about that. He knew that Ecklie would jump all over it like a trampoline.
"Grissom," Ecklie said, knocking at the door.
"Speak of the devil," Grissom mumbled to himself. "Come in."
Ecklie entered his office, looking around at the oddities.
"Hmm, I have pictures of my wife and kids in mine," he said with that smirk that Grissom never liked.
"EX-wife and kids," Grissom pointed out.
Ecklie glared at him. "So Grissom," he started. "I trust that you've heard the…talk around this place about two of your most infamous CSIs."
"And that's exactly what it is," Grissom said defensively. "Talk."
"Well, I have it on good authority that-"
"Conrad, when I want your good authority, I'll ask for it," Grissom said with a glare.
"You can't keep this under wraps for long," Ecklie said. "Catherine and Warrick are up to their asses in something and you know it."
"What they do outside of work is their business," Grissom argued.
"Well, from what I hear, they were screwing each other down in New Orleans, while on assignment," Ecklie said.
The man was out to get them.
"Why don't you spend more time looking out for your guys?" Grissom suggested. "I trust my CSIs."
"That's your problem," Ecklie said on his way out. "You put too much trust in them when they do something wrong and then they take your trust and run away with it."
Grissom threw his pen down and rubbed his temples.
***
Nick, Catherine, and Sara were in the break room having a cup of tepid coffee. The tension in the room for Sara and Nick was very thick because they were curious about Catherine. She was calm as could be, even as the rumors about her became more serious.
"Catherine," Nick started.
"Yeah?" She inquired.
"Is there any truth to the rumors flying around here?" Nick asked.
"What rumors, Nicky?" She asked as she sipped at her coffee.
"You know what rumors," he said.
"No," she said, looking up at the ceiling in thought. "I don't."
"You know," he insisted. "The ones about…you know, and Warrick?"
"Could you be more specific Nicky?" Catherine asked innocently. "There are a lot of rumors, you know."
"So you DO know about them then?" Nick asked, trying to corner her.
"About who?" She asked.
"Quit playing with my mind Cath!" Nick said, now irritated. "You know what I'm talking about."
"No I don't Nicky," she said as she got up to leave.
Nick was left in a frustrated ruin.
"That was fruitful," Sara drawled sarcastically.