DISCLAIMER : I don't own CSI nor it's characters. Everything belongs to the brains behind this wonderful show. Props go out to them. :D
AUTHOR'S NOTE : I've finally come up with a title for the fic. It's called 'It was Beautiful'. The title is off a song that I will be using within the next chapters. It's all about Sara and Grissom here. :D
Another short one. But don't worry, I'm adding the next chapter with this update as well! ;D
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CHAPTER V
"What were you and Warrick whispering about back at the locker room?" Grissom broke through Catherine's thoughts.
"Wha.." Catherine looked at Grissom. "Oh, you mean that back there? We were just agreeing on some plans for Friday before shift." Catherine explained and added "Well, that's mostly the truth anyway", to herself.
"Are you two..." Grissom looked at Catherine for a second and seeing Catherine's innocent look added, "involved?"
"Hmm... involved..." Catherine let the word roll over her tongue. She looked at Grissom to find half a frown on his brow. "If we were, have you got anything against it?"
Grissom whipped his head to stare at Catherine's raised eyebrow. "No... I'm not. If you two are involved... I would be happy for both of you."
"Really," Catherine affected a shocked look. "Well, I'd say I'm surprised. Warrick and I aren't involved, by the way... Well, not yet anyway," Catherine added with a smile.
Grissom shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. "Cath, you never cease to amaze me, you know that?"
"Yeah, well, I'm irresistible that way," Catherine came back, paused and then added in a more serious voice, "So, what about you? Have you done anything about the whole 'Sara' thing?"
"I... don't know what you mean," Grissom said, confused.
"God, Gil!" she said in exasperation. "Sometimes, you try me too hard!"
"What?" Grissom slowed the vehicle for a second to look at her, "What do you mean?"
"S-A-R-A" Catherine was short of hand spelling it out to him. "You know, that brunette who works with you. The one who's walking like a zombie these days? The one who suddenly shuts down everytime you walk within 20 feet of her?"
"What about Sara, Catherine?" Grissom's voice contained a hint of irritation. "You know how she is! She never talks about what the hell is happening with her. And... she doesn't shut down when I am around."
"Boy! You pride yourself for seeing the smallest evidence of a crime," Catherine shook her head, "yet you don't see what's really happening with her, do you?"
"Why is it that I always get these talks whenever Sara's in one of her moods?"
"She isn't in one of her moods, Griss! She's been like this for weeks!" Catherine couldn't keep her voice from rising slightly. She couldn't, for the life of her, understand why Grissom is still in denial about the way he felt for Sara. "Don't tell me you have not seen how pale she has become?"
Grissom tried to answer her question, but Catherine just went on saying, "Or the fact that she doesn't spend breakfast with us no more? Have you not noticed how much time she spends looking off to space in the locker room? How long has it been since she laughed... or ... or smiled at a joke?"
"Well, she seemed okay enough this morning with Greg?" Grissom's voice hasn't lost the irritation in it, but it seemed to have been tinted with a bit of jealousy to Catherine's ears.
"Well, well, do I detect jealousy there?"
"Wha...?" scoffed Grissom, "you're kidding right? Why would I be jealous of Greg or be jealous in the first place?"
"Riiigggghhttt..." dragged Catherine. "You know, someone once said 'Denial ain't just a river in Egypt'."
"Funny, Cath. You're really funny."
"C'mon!" Catherine let out a small laugh. "You know you're jealous," she pointed a finger at Grissom, "and stop denying it!" After receiving a grunt from Grissom, Catherine just continued on saying, "I'll have you know that she actually said yes to spending break time with Greg."
"Well, isn't food better eaten with a friend?" Grissom shrugged.
"Yeah, I guess. I... I was just surprised. Y'know, she never said yes to his other invitations before. I'm starting to think she's given up." Catherine's voice was now very serious.
"Given up? Given up what?"
"You know, one of these days, you'll realize that you are taking forever. Sometimes, I don't know what's going on in that bug-infested mind of yours."
"Taking me forever...?" Grissom slowed down again to stare at her for a short while. "Cath, what the hell are you going on about?"
Catherine took a deep breath. "Gil, we know about the dinner invitation. I think the walls in the lab have ears. Why couldn't you just say 'yes' to a dinner? The world is not going to end if you, for once, dropped the 'supervisor' facade and have dinner with Sara."
"Cath," Grissom exhaled deeply, "this conversation stops now."
"No, this is not over Gil. You can't just drop it like that..."
"No! I meant it. We can't talk about this right now," before Catherine could protest, he brought her attention to what was in front of them. "We are at our crime scene."