Catherine thinks she has to compete with Sara for Nick's attention. She doesn't realize that she never had to.
Post Mea-Culpa
Spoilers: Boom (others to be mentioned in future chapters if it goes that far)
Disclaimer: I regret I cannot record any portion of CSI or its characters as intangible assets on my balance sheet. I only own a knife like the one in the story.
Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter 1. You all are very kind. I hope you enjoy Chapter 2.
CHAPTER 2
"Warrick," Catherine called and sprinted into a half jog to catch up to him as he left the break room with a fresh cup of coffee held to his lips.
He turned, slightly startled, and sloshed more than a mouthful down his chin and on to the new suit he wore to court earlier. "Ah dammit!" He wiped his chin with his free hand and clenched his jaw as he glared at her.
She slowed her pace to a near halt, seeing the irritation emanating from his face. Her mouth formed a big "O" that narrowed into an open pucker then formed a mischievous smile. "You gotta watch out for that coffee-it's usually hot enough to cause a lawsuit!"
Warrick stared at her for a moment as he silently debated being angry with her or laughing at her deflection. Before his decision was made, he chuckled and shook his head. Catherine had the gift of humor, albeit acerbic at times, to diffuse tension; and he was tense. "Or deadly enough" he added, "Who brewed this crap anyway?" He blew on it, took another sip and screwed up his face in transparent disgust.
"Uh, that would be me" she straightened and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Sorry, boss, it's still crap." He held up the mug in a mock toast.
"Alright, alright" she held up her hands "At least it's hot. Speaking of which, how was court. How did you do in the 'hot seat'?"
"Man, it's gonna be an all day event." He groaned with disgust. "We're adjourned for a 3 hour lunch recess while defense gets its witness cleaned up and presentable for court".
"Presentable?"
"The guy works for Sanitation. He came straight from work to appear." Warrick took another sip of coffee "Some people, man. Clueless." The corner of his mouth curved up in a smile "I'm gonna tear his testimony apart."
"I know you will" she exchanged the same conspiratorial smile then looked down toward the lab already thinking of something else. "Hey, I've been thinking about that homicide on Sahara."
"I thought we passed that to graveyard?"
"They were slammed last night-didn't get to it. Grissom handed it back to me himself. Anyway, I couldn't sleep last night thinking about it. Something's missing."
Warrick shifted his weight and tipped his head to one side, giving her his full attention. He knew Catherine's intuition was talking now, and respected that voice. "You think we missed something?"
"I don't know what it is… I recall seeing tire tracks about half a block down. Did we check the garage; maybe there is a link?"
"Are you going back right now?"
She absently nodded her head and bit her bottom lip while staring right through him, as if visualizing the crime scene was just his shoulder. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna take another look-see."
"Want some company? I've got another" he extended his arm out of his suit to glance at his watch "…ohhh 2 ½ hours to kill" he smirked.
She laughed dryly and pat his forearm. "Nah, that's okay. Eat something so you have enough energy to rip your boy's testimony apart."
"Where's Nick?"
"Trick roll at the Tropicana" She pressed her lips together and looked away, trying to suppress an amused smile. He had not been too pleased to have that assignment handed to him.
"Are you pissed off at me or something?" Nick had asked when she passed out the newest case.
"No," she narrowed her eyes at him "Should I be?"
"A trick roll? Come on, Cath" he eyed her pleadingly.
"You're all I have left. Warrick's in court, so you're the man." She shrugged unsympathetically or apologetically and turned away, Grissom style...
"Warrick's hot this week. He goes to court and I get the trick roll" Nick complained as he followed her and scanned the sheet. "Hey" he whipped around in front of her to stop her, eyes wide. "Wanna trade? Your case review for this?" He grinned his most charming grin, his 'Hook', the one that always reels 'em in. He took step closer, encroaching on her comfort zone, peering down at her. "What do you say?"
"This isn't peanut butter sandwiches for tuna, Nick" she had tried to look reproachfully at him, but that boyish grin and that devastating body heat of his nearly brought her to her knees. That warmth compounded with his natural masculine scent enveloped her in an invisible embrace almost real enough to feel. She felt light-headed. He had pulled out his cache of secret weapons, all which she was well acquainted with.
"Come on" he playfully persisted.
"Nice try, but…" she paused to stop herself from stammering and backed away "I don't like tuna." She spun around and walked back to her office for a dramatic exit.
She glanced back half way down the hall and saw him standing there, arms crossed, smiling broadly at her. She thought she could feel his gaze all over her. She had stopped mid-step but didn't tear her eyes from him. They stood there, at opposite ends of the hall, for what seemed like eternity in her mind. She couldn't look away. His smile diminished from playful to…what was that? It was unfamiliar to her, and she thought knew all of his smiles. It looked like…longing? Good grief, Catherine. Now she was blushing. A slow, burning blush. That romance novel her sister gave her was not only clouding her judgment but inducing romantic hallucinations of her co-worker, her subordinate, even!
A niggling in the back of her mind whispered for her to turn around and retreat, before the eyes in the hall, walls, and lab picked up on vibes or something. Before HE picked up on something. Turn around Catherine. Go, girl. Don't stand here another second. Warning bells rang in her mind. Go Catherine-
"Catherine?" Warrick was looking at her with puzzled that look when someone catches you lost in thought, miles away.
"Oh" she gasped "Yeah, right. Um" she stammered and felt the heat rise from her neck to her cheeks. "Well, good luck in court and better change that suit." She abruptly turned to seek the refuge of her office, leaving a dumbfounded Warrick in a cloud of proverbial dust. He watched after her hasty departure then looked down at the coffee stain that was beginning to set in his suit. He shook his head, mumbling about having to go home and change and maybe he could charge the dry cleaning to the department. It was their lousy coffee anyway…
"Hey Catherine" Sara sauntered innocently into Catherine's office later that morning.
Catherine looked up, surprised the second time that week to see Sara at the lab at an unusual hour. "Sara" she regarded her with a smile.
"Hey, I was looking for Nick-is he on a case?" she had been holding something behind her back and now brought it around to the front, a small gift bag. Catherine recognized the pink-on-pink striped foil bag from a trendy lingerie store found in every mall in America.
"He's on a case" she answered, clasping her hands together and setting the fist on her desk. "Can I help you with anything?"
"Oh, he had left some stuff at my place; I'm just bringing it back." She raised the bag up.
Not a very big bag, Catherine noted to herself. Just big enough for freshly laundered boxers, maybe? She gritted her teeth fleetingly then broke a smile. Keep it together. Cool, composed Catherine, that's who she was. Never let'em see you sweat. "Well, he should be back soon," she spoke with a knowing, maternal tone. "If it contains valuables, you can leave it here-just put it…" her voice trailed off as she perused her office for an out of the way storage place where she wouldn't have to look on that bag of Sara's, containing Nick's stuff. Stuff he left at Sara's place. Her stomach churned as she waved her hand in the air and redirected her attention back to whatever task lay before her, the one she completely forgot about at that moment.
"That's okay" Sara shrugged and grinned that gap-toothed grin. "I'll see him later, just thought I'd save him a trip since I was in the area. I'll just hang around until he comes back." she turned to leave.
"You've been hanging around a lot, lately" Catherine muttered to herself as Sara turned out of her office, swinging her foil bag like a child would a doll.
"What's that?" Sara halted and spun around.
Catherine looked up, "What's what?"
"I thought I heard you say something?" She challenged Catherine.
"You did." Catherine retained her composure. This wasn't high school. They were adults, professionals. She wouldn't hide behind back stabbing comments. "I said I noticed you have been hanging around a lot lately."
Sara was a little taken aback. She hadn't expected an upfront response. Then again, this was Catherine. She should have known to expect nothing less than a direct response from her. This was why she respected her so highly, even though there was a bit of a personality clash. Maybe a little envy, too. Catherine seemed to have it all, especially since Ecklie split them up. "Yes" she admitted rather shyly "I guess I have. Kind of miss the way things used to be-our team."
Catherine only nodded in sympathetic agreement. She did miss working with all of them. They were rock solid, knew each other's strengths and weaknesses. They complimented one another not only a professional level, but personally as well. She couldn't offer a response to Sara so they exchanged an awkward glance.
"Okay then, Cath. I'll just …do this later" Sara tried to smile but knew it didn't come across that way. Perhaps more a sad sort of pity smirk before she swiftly left.
Catherine watched after her and couldn't help but wonder what was in that bag. Why did she need to bring it to the lab off-shift? She pitifully thought of them together, Nick holding Sara. Envy enveloped her at the thought. Stop it. She forced the jealousy out, veiled in cleansing exhale. That's it, let it out and let it go. Good for them if they found each other. Everyone deserves to share a life with another. Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Cath, you'll get over this.
At this time of day cross-town traffic starts backing up. Catherine figured she could save a few minutes time by taking I-15 down to Sahara. Even a few minutes saved from this God forsaken heat would be a heavenly respite. She could feel beads of perspiration form on her brow during the short walk from LVPD to her department issued Denali. Every year at this time she questioned her reasons for staying in Vegas. "So bloody hot" she muttered as she climbed in the truck. She hoped the A/C wouldn't cut out on her as it had been lately. She really needed to get that checked "…only May…just wait for July" she spoke her thoughts aloud as she turned to back out.
She heard a loud blast from a car horn behind her and hit the brakes. She turned to see another department issue pull around hers…Nick. She smirked and rolled the window down at the same time he rolled down his passenger window.
"Crazy woman driver!" He called out to her, half turned with one arm resting over the wheel and a dazzling smile plastered to his face.
Catherine took a deep breath and decided to ignore his bait. "Did you put that trick roll to bed?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" He wiggled his eyebrows with a lascivious smile.
She took a deep breath and tried her best to look annoyed with his adolescent comments. On the surface, she was annoyed… and frustrated about her inability to get her mind out of the gutter about him.
"I would as a matter of fact" she spoke as coolly as she could muster "In report form, on my desk. If…you finished the job that is…"
"Oh I always finish the job" he nodded "With a bang, I might add." The innuendo was painfully obvious.
She had to chuckle. His flirting was shameless. He had always been that way. He earned a reputation as a ladies man because of it. Catherine knew the truth, he wasn't that way. Once in a relationship, he was monogamous to a fault. He even minimized the flirting when was dating someone. Which was why she was a little surprised that he was blatantly flirting with her, especially with his little …fling with Sara. She put her Boss face back on. "It's not finished until it's on my desk" she peered at him over the rims of her sunglasses before lifting up her head, rather haughtily. She shifted the truck back into reverse and proceeded to back up.
His smile deflated and he dropped his head "Yes, ma'am". Jeez-she really knew how to put the squeeze on his balls. "Yeah…she wants you, Nicky," he reassured himself sarcastically. He shook his head disappointedly and pulled in his slot as Catherine turned out of the parking lot and turned south toward I-15.
"What in the hell am I doing on this highway?" Catherine muttered to herself as she sat in bumper to bumper traffic at high noon. The truck had been sluggish enough so why on earth would she push her luck even further on a record setting temperature day like today? She puffed at her bangs as she checked the rearview mirror, looking for any opportunity to get off this damn thing.
The A/C began to make a whining sound-a grinding maybe? What the hell was that? She fiddled with the thermostat, perhaps reduce it from "Max" to "Min". It didn't matter anyway, it was faltering. The cool air had been reduced to a slightly humidified breeze. The engine shuddered. She sat very still, watching the vents as if waiting for something dramatic to happen. The engine shuddered again. "Oh no" she groaned. The air being blown out smelled sickly sweet, the distinct smell of coolant.
The engine shuddered again.
She knew the truck was going to die. A small plume of white vapor spewed from the hood. She shook her head in disgust and laid on the horn. She knew she had to get off this highway before her soon-to-be disabled vehicle augmented the backup. She edged and forced her way through a sea of cars containing irate drivers and across two lanes of traffic to the shoulder of I-15. She forced the faltering truck a mile and a half to the next exit. Steam now billowed from the hood as she steered the truck to a gas station just off the highway.
She got out, relieved to have made it off the highway. She popped the hood and billows of steam plumed from the hood. It was smoking alright. "Aw shi-" she stopped herself from issuing the expletive and whipped out her cell phone to call Motor Pool for a tow and another car. Unfortunately they were backed up and couldn't send anyone for at least an hour. Her vehicle wasn't the only victim in the brutal Vegas heat. Maybe Ecklie could be useful for a change, she thought as she dialed his cell.
"You have reached Conrad Ecklie, director of the Las Vegas—" Catherine tensed with increasing anger and held the phone in front of her. Voicemail. Great. Always around when you don't need him, gone when you do.
"Hey, it's Catherine. My truck broke down, overheated, I need you send another car and call a tow. I'm at the Amoco at Bonanza & I-15." She marked the message urgent before snapping the phone shut with a huff and going inside to seek refuge from the heat. She politely refused from two different men offering help, obviously disguising attempts to pick her up. She redialed Ecklie after 10 minutes only to reach his voicemail again. She tried his desk phone, same. She bit at her bottom lip, feeling the temperature rise inside the adequately cooled convenience sstore. At this rate she would be here all afternoon. Time to call in the calvary, she thought as she dialed another number.
"Stokes" answered an an abrupt but always chipper voice.
"Nick, it's Catherine-"
"You're not checkin' up on me are you? I'm working on that report as we speak" he interrupted.
"No, hey, I'm trying to reach Ecklie-have you seen him?"
"Not since I came back, thank God."
"The one time I need him and he's disappeared" she muttered.
"What's up, Cath?"
"My truck overheated. I'm waiting on a tow-"
"Where are you at" his voice sounded concerned.
"Bonanza off the 15. Amoco"
"I'm on my way".
Sure enough, just 20 minutes later, she saw his black Denali pull into the parking lot and walked out to meet him.
"Fear not, fair maiden!" he cried as he exited his vehicle, a gloating grin plastered on his face. "Your knight in shining armor has come to rescue you from distress wherein you suffer"
She rolled her eyes. "Thanks Prince Charming, but what I really need is a replacement steed." As soon as she said, she regretted it. She could practically hear the innuendos forming in his head before he even spoke.
"I'll be happy to serve m'lady in whatever manner she desires" he bowed waving an arm in wide circles before him.
"Thanks, Sir Lancelot, but I think I'll wait for Motor Pool" she laughed shaking her and giving up. This really was too priceless.
"Alas, there is a delay as all of the stable help are busy. Your only hope for rescue 'tis I."
She held his gaze then looked away. "Alright, in that case, how about a ride to a crime scene?"
"Your carriage awaits" he opened the passenger side door and held out a helping hand. She played along and took his hand, warm and strong, and climbed out of the heat and into the fire. Alone, with Nick in his truck….
TBC