Disclaimer: CSI not mine
Spoilers: none
A/N: thanks for the reviews! I'm having a little too much angst on my other fic, so I decided on writing on this one for a change. hope you'll enjoy! tell me what you think, okay?
Chapter one: Time allocation
"Hey Cath! I have the results for your case" Greg announced as he ran through Catherine.
"My case? I don't have a case"
"Isn't it that you and Griss are the ones working on the 419 that got in last night, or rather this morning"
"I'm out of the case, it's Grissom and Sara's now"
"Oh, I see. Okay! See ya later Cath!"
Catherine and Grissom both decided that if they were to have space working together on the same case wouldn't be of much help.
An hour later the night shift gathered to the break room to have their assignments.
"Sara and I would be working at the 419, you three, well you have unidentified DBs."
"DBs?" Catherine repeated as if trying to make sure she heard right, "Yep. DBs, a pile of dead people found in a public trash can"
Nick and Warrick shared a look, which would indicate how much interest they have with the case.
"Pile of unidentified DB... so not fair!" Sara said with a jealous tone but her meaning was contradicted with the smile that followed it.
"Well, we better get going" Catherine announced as she stood up
"Well, Sara, we're gonna go and identify and examine a crime scene and dead people, while you, uh.... What will you be doing? Oh yea! Observe some bugs!" Nick mocked which earned him a glare from Sara and a warning look from Catherine.
"See you two later, Nick, Warrick let's go" said Catherine as she headed out the door, Warrick glanced from Catherine's disappearing figure and to Grissom, while Nick grabbed an apple, "Hey War you coming or what?" said Nick which brought Warrick out of his reverie. "See you two later!" said Warrick as he and Nick waved good-bye to Grissom and Sara.
While in the car, Warrick wanted to ask Catherine if anything was up. His suspicion began when Catherine didn't even gave any flirtatious comment, a wink or even a kiss or good-bye to Grissom, and of course the fact that this case they are to be working on seems like a big one, he would've thought Grissom would be handling the case with them.
While driving Catherine opened the radio and started humming to herself, Warrick glanced at Catherine then at the rear mirror so that he and Nick shared a puzzled gaze.
"We're here" Catherine announced as she pulled the car into a halt.
Nick did the interview while Catherine and Warrick took photos of the dead bodies and of the crime scene.
Catherine's phone rang, "Willows. Hi, yea. Okay. Okay. Bye"
"Who was that?" Warrick asked.
"Grissom" Catherine replied plainly and got back into taking pictures, she could feel Warrick's gaze on her and she couldn't stand it, she stood straight and turned to him with an irritated look on her face. "What?!"
"Are you and the boss in a fight?"
"Fight? No!"
"I know it's none of my business but, are you sure?"
"yes I'm sure, whatever got you that idea"
"You seem a little cold"
"Oh. Well..." Catherine trailed off and got back into taking more photos, Warrick to got back to work when Catherine spoke again, "We decided to have a time out". This got Warrick's attention. He stopped taking pictures and glanced to Catherine, Catherine on the other hand just continued on her work. "Who wanted a time out? You or him?"
"Both of us." Catherine stopped taking photos and faced Warrick, "It's just, Well, I'm not so sure of his reason but for me it's getting a little suffocating"
"Suffocating?"
"We're always together, every minute and every second of the day!"
"And that's a bad thing?"
"It's too much. It's like having to eat chocolate cake every single day. It's great at first but as time goes by you get sick of it"
"You're sick of him?"
"Warrick, don't take my statement too literal"
With that Catherine packed the camera back to its case, she grabbed the evidences they've bagged.
"I'm really sorry Cath"
"For what?"
"You and Griss, not working out. I really thought you guys were a perfect couple"
"There's no such thing as a perfect couple, and it's not that we're not working out we just needed some space"
"Time-out, cool-off, break-up, all the same thing!"
"What!?!"
"Come on, we both know that time-out and cool-off all ends up to one thing."
Just before Catherine could reply, Nick walked in, "You guys ready? I'm done with the interviews"
"Yea, we've bagged and photographed all the items" Warrick replied, "Cath you okay?"
Nick asked seeing the look of disbelief in Catherine's face. "Yea I'm fine"
"What were you guys talking about?" Nick asked as the three of them started walking back to the car.
"Time-out, and cool-off"
"Ah! The merciful way of breaking up!"
"It does not have the same meaning of breaking up! That's different" Catherine replied defensively.
"Well, to my perspective those terms are used to make breaking up easier to bear and do. It's a lot easier to say, 'we need space' or 'we need a time out' instead of 'I'm sorry but I'm breaking up with you', right?"
"I'm with you bro!" Warrick agreed. As Nick climbed back in the car. Catherine called Warrick just before he could open his door, "Warrick, you really think so?"
"What's your time allocation?"
"My what?"
"I mean, how long will you guys have a time out?"
"We didn't really talked about how long"
"So what, you guys would be on time-out ... indefinitely?"
TBC