Well, I'll Be Damned
Disclaimer: You know the drill; don't own them- just taking them for a spin. Blah, Blah, Blah...ad nauseum.
Summary: Grissom has an interesting request for Catherine. GS implied.
A/N: My gratitude goes to Hazeleyes for being my beta and for her, uhm... encouragement. If not for her threats of dire bodily harm, I never would have posted this! Thank her or blame her, as you will. Hazeleyes, I've said it before- you rock, girl!!
Rating: PG
This is my first posting here so feel free to give pointers. No flames please- I'm sensitive!!
'My office. No rush. Gil.' read the message.
'Hmm, what's this about?' She asked herself, brow furrowed.
Fifteen minutes later Catherine entered Gil Grissom's office with all the confidence of someone who didn't wait for permission.
"What's up?"
Startled, Grissom looked up from the file on his desk and plunked down the mug of coffee he'd been holding. Recovering, he took a moment to calmly readjust his glasses.
"Good. You're here."
Discreetly closing the folder in front of him, he waved a hand in the direction of the entrance.
"Shut the door please."
'Crap,' she thought. 'This can't be good. What's going on here?'
Closing the door, she wracked her brains for something she'd done. Coming up blank, Catherine turned to face Grissom and tried for a little levity.
"What I do now? Blow up the lab again, or somethin'?"
Gil smiled in return and shook his head slightly.
"No, nothing like that."
"Have a seat," he instructed mildly, indicating the chair opposite his desk.
"Sure."
Catherine could feel her discomfort rising with each passing moment.
'This just keeps getting better and better!' she groused. 'What the hell did I do?'
Once Catherine was seated, Grissom absently fingered the folder in front of him while pinning her with a look that could only be described as 'speculative'.
Beginning to squirm under his scrutiny, she threw up her hands in surrender.
"Okay, Gil, -you win! I'm officially scared now! What the hell's this about?"
"Huh? What?"
Catherine's outburst brought Grissom out of his thoughts and he sighed heavily.
"Sorry, I don't mean to seem so dramatic. I'm just trying to come to a decision here."
Looking down at his desk, he seemed to be concentrating on his next words. A full minute ticked by as he continued to toy with the file.
'Hell's bells! This man could give the Marquis De Sade lessons in torture!' Catherine fumed.
Her patience ebbing, she gave the offending document a wary glance. After re-crossing her legs for the third time, she felt a nudge was definitely in order.
"A decision about what, exactly?"
At her sharp tone, Grissom glanced up. Noting Catherine's pointed look at the folder under his fingertips, he hesitated but then finally slid it across the desk towards her.
"I have a favor to ask. An administrative duty I'd like to pass on to you."
Trying to mask her more than obvious relief, she leaned forward to grab the file and grunted suspiciously as she flicked the document open.
"Uh huh?"
After reading the first few lines, Catherine raised startled eyes to meet Gil's watchful stare.
"Gil? This is Sara's evaluation form!"
"I'm aware of that, Catherine." He responded softly.
Cocking her head, she tried valiantly to control her exasperation.
"Well, what do you want me to do with it?"
"I'd like you to fill it out- that's the favor." Grissom answered with a small half-grin.
Catherine laughed in confusion.
"Why me? Why don't you do it? Isn't that why the 'higher-ups' pay you the big bucks?"
Grissom slipped off his glasses and winced somewhat before allowing the tip of his tongue to appear between his lips.
As her 'radar' went on high alert, Catherine relaxed for the first time since she entered the office. And while Grissom continued with his struggle to articulate, she took a moment enjoy her view from the catbird's seat.
'Classic signs of a discomfited Gil! Ooh, this could be fun! What's Sara done now to get him so rattled?'
Ever since Sara's brush with the law several months back, things had been different between those two. Not better, exactly- just different. The cold war was over and in its place a viable working relationship had formed. Close, but not too close. Of course, they still worked freakishly well together, with what seemed like one shared super-brain between them! They didn't seem any friendlier, but the air around them no longer crackled with animosity and mistrust. Though, every once in a while, it crackled with something else. Something indefinable. Something that Catherine had been unable to put her finger on. It happened so infrequently; she couldn't quite get a bead on it. Sometimes, she wasn't sure she hadn't imagined it altogether. And yet, if Grissom was flustered, you could bet Sara was the source. Easy money. Catherine was the first to admit she hated a mystery. Drove her nuts. Now it seemed she was about to get some answers. She leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms and happily waited for Grissom to spill.
Looking back later, Catherine would certainly question her investigative skills. Safe to say- she was wholly unprepared for what came next.
"I," Grissom paused, rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged slightly. "I could no longer be considered...unbiased." He admitted finally, exhaling uneasily.
'Oh, gimme a freakin' break! Like that's news?!' She thought sarcastically.
Concealing her snort of derision, Catherine wisely decided to keep that thought to herself. She had no intention of working every 'decomp' the lab received until Gil got his nose back into joint! Instead, she went fishing.
"What do you mean-'no longer unbiased'? Why not? What's-?"
At his raised eyebrow, she stopped mid-sentence and looked at him inquisitively. His expression was an odd mixture of expectation and patience. Clearly, he wanted her to clue into something here and she had a sneaking suspicion what it was.
Tossing the evaluation form back on the desk, Catherine moaned and rolled her eyes.
"Oh, don't tell me you guys are fighting again?! Jeez! Can't you two just get along?"
"Catherine," Gil held up his hand to get her attention. When he had it, he interlaced his fingers and leaned forward on his desk.
"Sara and I are not fighting," he stated evenly.
Then, pausing ever so slightly, Grissom dropped the bomb.
"We're dating."
If her life depended on it, Catherine Willows would never be able to say just how long she sat and gaped at Gil Grissom.
"You're ...you're- what... What did you say?" she managed to sputter finally.
"Dating. You know...seeing each other? A relationship? Surely you've heard of it?" He deadpanned.
From his barely contained smirk, it wasn't difficult to tell Grissom found a flummoxed Catherine highly amusing.
Flopping back in her seat, Catherine let her arms drape over the rests and blew out a breath as her eyes danced around the office as if expecting to find an explanation written somewhere on the walls. Finding none, she shook her head and tried to form a coherent thought. She opened, then closed her mouth several times before realizing she probably resembled the 'Billy the Bass' above Grissom's door! Catherine knew she had to say something soon but only two words repeatedly popped to mind- 'Holy' and 'Shit'.
Meanwhile, Grissom shifted in chair to comfortably await the inevitable onslaught of questions. His wait was short.
"Dating?"
"Yes."
"You and Sara?"
"Yes."
"For how long?" she gasped in disbelief. "What- one week? Two?"
Looking faintly smug, Grissom pursed his lips in thought.
"Going on four months now."
Catherine could hold them in no longer.
"HOLY SHIT!!" She yelled loudly as she lunged forward.
"Catherine!!! Keep your voice down!!" Gil laughed through his rebuke.
"Sorry! Sorry," she held up her hands in supplication and grinned guiltily. "But this can't be right! We would've noticed something- anything!"
Catherine wildly searched her memory for some overlooked clue. Her moment of epiphany wasn't long in coming; she almost slapped her forehead and shrieked 'Eureka'!
"Wait a second! You mean to tell me, that time Sara came to the crime scene wearing a dress...you and she were-?"
"Together? Yes, we were." He finished for her, smiling wistfully at the memory.
"And when you showed up to work looking like you hadn't-?"
"Then too, Catherine." He interjected dryly.
"God! What kind of an investigator am I?" She exclaimed in mock despair. "How could I miss this?!"
Groaning with dismay, she placed her elbows on her knees and covered her eyes.
"Don't beat yourself up over it, Cath. Sara and I went to great lengths to ensure there was nothing TO miss. Look- our explanations were believable, correct?"
She peeked out from behind splayed fingers and nodded hesitantly.
"You never suspected, because we never gave you any reason to."
Catherine dropped her hands and let out an inelegant snort. "I'll say!" Chuckling, she added, "Damn.You guys are good!"
"You have no idea." Grissom agreed with a hint of satire.
His double meaning wasn't lost on Catherine.
"THAT good, huh?" she teased salaciously.
Grissom merely regarded her steadily and remained silent.
"You're right- don't answer that," she concurred, shaking her head and shivering for effect. "I don't need the mental picture- it would take me hours to get it outta my head!"
Seeing Grissom's indulgent smile, she gave a half-grin of her own and sighed softly.
"Ya got me. I'll give you that," she conceded in defeat. "I bow to your superior skills in subterfuge!"
"Why- thank you, Ms Willows." Gil inclined his head theatrically, accepting the compliment.
They sat grinning at one another for a moment before Grissom's expression turned serious once again. He picked up the folder and the assessing gleam returned to his eyes as he regarded his long time friend.
"Can you be impartial, Catherine? If not, tell me now and I'll make other arrangements."
Picking up on the apprehension in his tone, Catherine narrowed her eyes. She felt an insult coming.
"Why are you asking me this, Gil?"
The older man before her paused, choosing his words carefully.
"Sara has some ...concerns. And frankly, so do I."
When she opened her mouth to interrupt, he forestalled her with an uplifted hand.
"It's no secret you two have had issues in the past, Catherine."
She flushed slightly under his penetrating gaze but refused to give ground as she stubbornly maintained eye contact. Satisfied at having brought his point home, Grissom carried on.
"I promised Sara I wouldn't ask you to do it unless I was absolutely convinced you could be objective. It's imperative to me that Sara's career not be adversely affected by this," he stressed. "Or, at least- anymore than it already has."
"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Catherine bristled.
Meeting her hostile gaze, he answered wearily, "Not by you, Catherine...by me."
As she lifted an inquiring eyebrow, Grissom ran an agitated hand through his hair and let out a shuddering breath.
"I'm not altogether comfortable with my reasons for recommending Nick over Sara for the promotion. Lucky for me, Sara's not holding a grudge but there've been other incidents as well, where my... personal feelings for her may have come into play," Grissom acknowledged, shame tingeing his tone. "I don't want them to interfere again- mine or yours."
She allowed a beat to go by before asking flippantly, "Are you done?"
When he gave a brief nod, Catherine craned forward with a crooked smile and took the document from his hand. "Just gimme the damn thing, will you?"
Sitting back, she plopped it unceremoniously in her lap.
"Relax Gil, I'll do it," she reassured. "And I promise to be fair and 'unbiased'." She teasingly put emphasis on his word from earlier. "Listen, I know she's one of the best CSI's we've got- smart, dedicated. We may not have been the best of friends over the years, but for God's sake, I'm not out to screw the girl!"
"Besides," she added innocently, as she watched him raise his coffee mug to his lips. "Isn't that your job now?"
Catherine jerked back just in time as luke-warm liquid was sprayed in her direction from across the desk.
"Easy there, big fella!"
"Catherine!!" Grissom barked hoarsely between painful coughs, throwing her a baleful glare.
"Oh, don't be such a grouch!" she moved her hand dismissively, in a 'you don't scare me' gesture.
Grissom couldn't help but laugh at her audacity. As the warm, rich tone reverberated in the small room, Catherine realized how frequently she'd heard that sound recently.
'Another overlooked clue.' She grimaced wryly.
Mopping up his desk's surface, Grissom broached a new subject.
"You realize this conversation can't leave this office."
It came out as rather more of a statement than a question, and looking up to see Catherine's incredulous 'Ya think??' expression, he shrugged ruefully.
"Then you understand, should word of our 'situation' leak out under the wrong circumstances, the repercussions could prove.... difficult?"
"What's this then, a pre-emptive strike?" she asked, indicating the folder on her lap.
"Something like that, yes," he agreed solemnly. "I'm not so worried about myself- forensic entomologists are hard to come by. But Sara might be vulnerable, and I won't let that happen!"
"He's gonna want to know why I filled this out, Gil." She cautioned.
"Cavello?" He spat with distaste, before ordering harshly, "Tell him the truth- tell him I'm assigning you new administrative duties on a trial basis. Tell him anything you like, so long as Sara is protected!"
"Okay, boss! I'll take care of it!" Catherine let out a low whistle as an oppressive silence followed her defensive retort.
After fiddling with his glasses for a moment, he sighed deeply. "I'm sorry. ... It's just- this can't get out, Catherine. Not yet." Grissom said quietly.
Perceiving the tense set of his shoulders, Catherine began to get a sense of just how high the price had been for both Sara and Gil. The need for secrecy and constant fear for their livelihoods had to be an almost crushing burden. For their sakes, she prayed it would be worth it.
'Christ! What a mess!' She thought as a wave of empathy washed over her.
"Well, they won't hear it from me." She promised tenderly, holding up the universal 'Scout's Honor' symbol.
"I know." Smiling wanly, he whispered "Thanks."
She watched with affection as Gil closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair to massage his temples His relief was an almost palpable thing.
"You love her, don't you?" The gentle question seemed to echo along the four walls.
With calculated slowness, Grissom sat up and pinioned her from across the room with a pair of impossibly blue eyes. Using his best poker face, he challenged softly. "What do you think?"
Recognizing it, she laughed. "I think you're not going to tell me!"
"I think you're right." He rejoined with a mild chuckle.
Catherine took a moment to observe her friend and mentor, and for the first time in months- really saw him. Despite everything, he looked...happy, - a feat unto itself for Gil Grissom- and since Sara seemed responsible for this momentous event, she decided then and there to do everything in her power to ensure nothing destroyed their chance for a life together. After everything Gil had done for her over the years, it was the least she could do for him.
'If it was Sara he wanted, then dammit! - Sara he would have!' She thought with fierce protectiveness, then gleefully added, 'Of course, nothing says I can't bust his chops a little first!'
"So, you've finally grabbed the brass ring, huh? Well, pal o'mine, you'd better hold onto it with both hands! And for Christ's sake, whatever you do- make sure you pull your head outta your ass and don't screw this up!" she scolded.
Grissom gave a wry grin as he rubbed his beard. "I'm doing my best, Catherine." He confided. "I'm doing my best."
"That's what scares me." The blonde chided mischievously.
"Catherine?"
"Yes, Gil."
Smiling sweetly, he jerked his head in the direction of the door.
"Get out."
"I'm going! I'm going," Catherine griped jokingly as she stood to leave. "I gotta get back anyway. The boss around here is a real slave driver!"
"So I've heard." Grissom replied drolly as he reached for a handful of paperwork.
Reaching the door and pulling it ajar, she turned. "You want this left open?"
"Hmm? Uh huh."
Aware that he hadn't even lifted his head from the case file already engrossing him, the woman in front of him smiled knowingly. 'Whatever else happened,' she mused, 'Some things would never change.' She found the thought strangely comforting.
Strolling out of the office, Catherine came to a standstill as she caught sight of Sara heading down the hallway in her direction. When the women's eyes met and locked from across the corridor, there was no mistaking the challenge carried in Sara's questioning stare.
'Ya gotta admit- the girl's got stones!' she admired with a smirk before starting forward once again.
Giving the file a barely perceptible wave, Catherine winked cheekily at the younger women and grinned as a slightly stunned Sara warily nodded her thanks. As they passed one another, she playfully bumped shoulders with the tall brunette and turned back to receive a full on, 'Sara Sidle Smile'. Returning it, she watched as Sara entered Grissom's office and silently shut the door.
Sauntering on her way, Catherine shook her head in amazement. They'd all been had! She felt her bemused frown slip away as a slow grin took its place.
"Well, I'll be damned!"
END.