Feasibility Study
Chapter 6: The Patter of Little Feet – Part 1
Written by: Ms Maggs / Edited by: KJT
July 21, 2005 (Day 90)
Grissom's Office
2:04 a.m.
Proud as a peacock Greg strutted into Grissom's office. When he reached his boss's desk he cryptically said, "Guess what I have?"
Grissom rolled away in his chair. "Is it contagious?"
"No it's outrageous!" Pulling his firearm certification from his shirt pocket, he slapped it on Grissom's desk. "I not only passed, I passed with flying colors."
Grinning, Grissom picked up the certificate. "As far as I'm concerned you passed the test on Dales Trail nine days ago but it's good to have it in writing."
"You're counting the days since…"
"Celebrating them actually." Grissom moved out from behind his desk. "And we should celebrate your certification. Let's go."
"Cool!" Greg rubbed his hands together and followed Grissom out the door. "When I got my driver's license my dad took me out for steak and gave me a box of condoms. You know…a right of passage thing."
"I'm taking you to a strip club." He replied matter of factly.
"Really?" Greg nervously glanced up and down the hallway. "Will uh…Sara have a problem with this? Should I keep it hush-hush? Or uh…are you guys like into the lifestyle?"
Grissom paused in the hallway. "We're going to the strip club to work a case, Greg. A tourist was found dead in his hotel room with a matchbook from the club in his pocket. We need to check it out."
"Oh." He nodded. "That makes more sense."
"Yeah." Grissom laughed as he restarted down the hall. "However, I could have taken anybody but I chose you and I promise you'll get to do all the DNA swabbing."
Grinning, Greg hurried to catch up. "So you are taking me out for a treat!"
July 21, 2005 (Day 90)
Break Room
2:16 a.m.
Alone in the room with Sara, Catherine curiously watched her fill a mug with coffee. "Gave up on your new health regiment, huh?"
"For a little while." She blandly replied while pouring in two packets of sugar. Although she was starting to think it might be permanent. In the past nine days the only remotely baby-related discussion was in bed earlier this evening when Grissom said, uh-oh last one in the box, I'll have to go shopping again.
"Did you have a false alarm?"
Glancing over at Catherine, Sara knew there was no point in hiding it. "Yeah."
"Lighten up." She patted Sara on the back. "It only works the first time when you're sixteen and in the back seat of a car."
Sara laughed to herself…apparently it doesn't work if you're in the back seat of a car pretending to be sixteen. Actually it was simple biology that didn't allow it to happen. As Grissom had predicted in San Francisco, after taking the pill for so long, her cycle hadn't jump started yet. All that moodiness in the week preceding the attack on Dales Trail was PMS not pregnancy hormones and a day after the negative pregnancy test result Aunt Flo dropped by for a quick visit for the first time in six months.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Catherine pried, "I thought you were still in the reconnaissance stage and weren't even trying." Once again she read Sara's eyes. "Ah…you weren't trying." A smile exploded on her face. "It was the scarlet dress. Things got out of hand. Good girl!"
Taking her caffeinated beverage with her to the couch, Sara asked, "Have you ever considered opening a booth on the strip and charging money for your psychic ability?"
Catherine joined her. "So what happened? Did the pregnancy scare frighten him a little too much?"
"That's not what scared him." Knowing the sister rule was in effect and Catherine wouldn't say anything to Grissom, she unloaded her burden. "It was the attack in the desert. He's afraid if I get pregnant, something will happen to me and he'll lose twice and loss isn't something he handles well. The irony is, until the attack in the desert I was the one who wasn't sure. But after fighting to protect the baby I thought I was carrying, a near-death experience and seeing how much Grissom loves me…I want it so much."
"This is an easy thing to solve."
Eyeing her suspiciously, Sara informed Catherine. "I'm not going to put on a dress and seduce him if that's what you have in mind. It has to be mutual, not a trick."
"No tricks." She chuckled. "Well not that kind of trick anyway…a mind trick."
"Go on."
"You see, it's the same pattern he was in with you. All he saw was the potential for disaster and it blocked him from taking a risk. You need to show him the positives and encourage him that the risk is worth it."
Sighing, she reminded Catherine of the cold hard facts. "It took almost five years to get him to take that risk. His forty-ninth birthday is less than a month away. We don't have that kind of time."
Rolling her eyes she scolded, "Then don't pussyfoot around like you did for years when you were trying to get him to commit. This time, bombard him with a full-scale assault. Create opportunities and make sure you work in some visuals because remember…."
"I know I know…men are visual creatures."
Catherine groaned. "If you had worn that scarlet dress five years ago you'd have a kid in preschool by now."
Tweeters Lounge
2:29 a.m.
"Tweeters?" Grissom questioned as they entered the newest strip club in town.
"I think it's supposed to be a take-off on Hooters." Greg replied as he got his first glimpse of a topless dancer. "Oh yeah…it's a take-off for sure." Enjoying the eye candy he sighed. "Have I told you how happy I am that I got to keep my CSI job? You don't see this kind of action in the DNA lab."
Still baffled by the club's name, Grissom shook his head. "A tweet is the delicate song of a dainty bird. Other than some creative uses of feathers I don't get the correlation."
"Oh…I do. They're singing to me." Greg's pupils expanded as he surveyed the lush environment…the girls swinging on forest branches and dancing around poles disguised as tree trunks…all of them shaking their tail feathers to the tune of Don't You Want Me Greggy? "I know you're an Entomologist and not an Ornithologist but come on…tell me you hear their sweet little birdsong."
"I hear it." He retorted. "It's just not ruffling my feathers." Amused by Greg's trance-like expression, he asked, "You ever read The Odyssey, Greg?"
"I know where you're going with this so I'll cut to the chase." His salacious smile spread. "I'm willing to let any one of these sirens turn me into swine." Having a problem keeping his feather in an unruffled state, Greg untucked his pink dress shirt and looked to his mentor for advice. "Why is it that you can stand here and be unaffected while I'm twisting in this woodland wind? Wait…I know…consummate professionalism."
"Could be." Grissom continued to stroll through the club toward the manager's office. "Or maybe, unlike you, I didn't show up for work pent up."
"Ah ha! So it's not professionalism." Greg snickered. "The boss got some pre-shift action."
Grinning, Grissom didn't cop to anything.
Feeling the need to defend his horny state, Greg explained. "Well you have to remember, I was injured. I've been grounded from flight for over a week! We're talking serious DSB."
Grissom kept walking…until a bouncy bird swooped in blocking his path.
"Look who's here." The bare-chested buxom blonde, wearing only sparkly stilettos and a thong made out of glittery gold feathers, exclaimed as she seductively leaned against the bar. "Gil Grissom, I remember you…platinum credit card…very generous tipper. How long has it been? A month?" As she giggled gold glitter flew off her body. "Watch any new movies lately?"
"Tawny?" Grissom guessed, although she looked quitea bit different out of her Cheesecake Factory uniform. "I thought you said you dance at Club Paradise?"
Certain he stepped into the Twilight Zone, Greg watched the intriguing interaction.
"Don't play coy." Her bronzed lips curved upward. "You went to Club Paradise looking for me and one of the girls told you I started working here. What's it gonna be? Big spender like you I'm thinking VIP room."
Grissom found the misunderstanding amusing. "Uh…"
Lunging forward she pressed up against him, whispering, "Or do you want to meet off site later for something a little more? I remember that Bvlgari jewelry bag. You want to be my Sugar Daddy? I'll be your Pretty Woman. I'm sure I'll be sweeter than that scrawny strawberry blonde you were with the last time I saw you."
"Um…" Greg wasn't sure if he should if he should negotiate a pay raise or pop Grissom square in the jaw for disrespecting Sara. "I really wish I didn't hear that."
Grissom grabbed Tawny's hands. "I'm afraid you really have the wrong idea."
"Hey!" The brawny bouncer snapped. "Hands to yourself! If I have to tell you again you'll be waking up on the sidewalk."
That's when Grissom realized his ID was still hidden under his jacket. Pulling it out, he showed it to the bouncer. "Actually we're here on behalf of the LVPD crime lab. We have an appointment with Mr. Nolan, the club manager."
Arizona Charlie's Hotel Casino
Sourdough Café
4:59 a.m.
Greg polished off his last piece of steak and relaxed in his seat. "That was great."
On the way back from Tweeters, since they didn't have a break yet, Grissom suggested they stop to eat something before they continued to their next investigation destination. Playing off Greg's comment about his dad taking him out for steak after receiving his driver's license, Grissom suggested this place.
"Best three dollar steak and eggs in town." Grissom announced as he finished his orange juice.
Setting his fork down, Greg said, "So Gris…oh…is it okay if I call you Gris like Nick and Warrick do?"
Smiling, Grissom replied, "You saved Sara's life…there are very few things I won't let you call me."
Pleased with the response, Greg forged on with his question. "So Gris…how did you know those lines would work with Tawny?"
At Tweeters, when they were alone in the manager's office, Grissom told Greg that he met when out to lunch with Catherine. Clarifying it was a completely innocent meeting and Tawny was his waitress nothing more. Then, considering Greg's attraction to the stripper and his dire need for company, Grissom advised that once their business was done, if Greg wanted to strike up a conversation with her he could as long as made it quick, didn't touch her or give her money. Lastly he advised that if he wanted to get lucky he should say…My ex-girlfriend was a stripper. I loved her something awful but she dumped me because I liked watching romantic movies. I thought my generous trust fund would have been enough to keep her around but I guess money doesn't matter to some women. Gosh, I'm so lonely.
"How did I know those lines would work? Cosi fan tutte…they're all the same, Greg." He chuckled. "Except for the special ones of course. But I don't think you're in the market for a special one just yet."
Greg couldn't have agreed more. "The best thing about dating a stripper is she keeps the same hours as me. Well…it's not the best thing," He snickered. "But it's convenient."
The waitress approached the table. "Anything else I can get for you?" She shifted on her feet caressing her bulging belly. "I hope the service was good enough for you this morning. This baby is starting to slow me down."
"It was fine." Grissom sweetly replied while handing her a twenty. "Keep the change."
Warmly she smiled while accepting the generous tip. "Thanks."
Looking at the waitress's stomach as she walked away, Grissom remembered he needed to do some shopping. "I need to run into that Walgreens on the corner real quick."
"Me too actually." Greg followed Grissom out of the restaurant.
Once inside the store, Greg paused to check out his hair in the cosmetic section. "Do you think my hair looks odd with that bald patch in the back from my stitches?"
"I always think you hair looks odd, Greg. Not to mention your clothes. You're going to have to tone it down if you ever have to testify in court for a case." As they walked through the store Grissom said, "Today for example…a pink shirt and a purple jacket?"
"My jacket is eggplant." Greg corrected as he walked down the aisle with Grissom.
"Are you following me?"
"No. You're just going in the same direction I'm going."
"What are you here to buy?" Grissom asked as he stopped in front of the prophylactic section. The last thing he wanted was an audience.
"Military supplies."
"Military supplies?" Grissom reminded Greg of their locale. "This is Walgreens I think you'll have better luck at the army surplus store on Industrial."
"You know…military supplies." Greg saluted. "Always wear a helmet soldier." He pointed to a box that had that saying plastered across it. "I have a date with a stripper. I need to stock up." Smiling he asked, "What are you here to buy?"
Ignoring the question, he snipped, "Just get what you need and wait in the truck. I'll be right behind you."
"Okay." Reaching over Greg confidently pulled a box of Magnum XXL from the shelf.
"You wish."
Laughing, Greg returned the box to the shelf. "I certainly hope that was a guess and not because you've checked me out at the urinal. Anyway…I'm not selfish…I prefer to pick based on what I think the lady would like…different strokes for different folks."
"Oh really." Grissom folded his arms waiting for Greg to get on with it.
"Like I was dating this girl who painted murals for a living…very artistic." He pointed to a box. "Durex Colors and Scents was the way to go." Continuing his trip down memory lane he said, "And then there was the court reporter I met during the Rodgers trial…she was very serious so Lifestyles Classic collection."
"How very enlightening but why do you think I care?"
Enjoying the buddy moment, Greg said, "You don't only think of yourself, do you? You have to think of her too. When I was hot for Sara I always imagined using…" He was certain that the words had stayed in his head then he saw Grissom's stunned expression and realized they must have actually come out of his mouth. "I…uh…" A nervous laugh followed. "Hey…that was a long time ago and you knew that…everybody did. It's kind of funny isn't it? Although you're not laughing so…hey…now though…now I think of her as a sister…actually…it's almost a motherly vibe I get from her now."
Grissom continued staring. "You ever read Oedipus Rex, Greg?"
The sound of light footsteps approaching halted the conversation.
Grissom and Greg turned and saw two impeccably dressed men, obviously winding down from a long night out on the town, staring at them.
The older of the two, wearing a fitted black Gucci suit and lilac silk shirt remarked, "We noticed the two of you in a heated discussion." Focusing on Grissom he smiled. "Why not let the boy choose for once or better yet, get the variety pack. It works for us."
The much younger man in a sheer Versace t-shirt smiled. "Is variety something that interests you or are you an exclusive couple? Because if you're interested…"
"Excuse me?" Grissom asked in a lost tone.
The younger man reached out and felt Greg's pink satin shirt. "I love this. Where did you get it? Or did he buy it for you?"
Greg, having gone to school in San Francisco, kindly filled in the blanks for his befuddled boss. "They want to know if we're interested in partying. They uh…they think I'm your boy toy and you're my Sugar Daddy."
Staring at him, Grissom said, "Sugar Daddy is definitely one of the things I won't let you call me, Greg." Then he turned to the men to politely decline. "Thanks but we're not interested. I live with a woman and he's dating a female stripper. We're not together."
The older gentleman smiled. "Honest mistake. You two make a fabulous couple."
Crime Lab
7:59 a.m.
In the locker room grabbing her purse, Sara heard her cell phone ring and pulled it out of her pocket. "Hey Carrie." The noise coming through the receiver startled her. "What's going on? Where are you?"
"I'm at my sister's. Wendy and Paul went to Monterey to celebrate their wedding anniversary and I'm watching the kids for three days."
"You sound frazzled." Shutting her locker, she walked out of the room.
"I'm losing my mind! And to make things worse I just landed this huge case and I'm trying to prep. Nick is swamped at work so he's no help. That's why I called. I'm not able to meet for lunch like we planned. I forgot I was babysitting when I asked you the other day."
Walking out of the building, Sara said, "No problem. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."
"How about taking a couple of these kids off my hands!"
While laughing at Carrie's comment, Sara recalled Catherine's words…you need to show him the positives…create opportunities…work in some visuals. "Hey if you need help I wouldn't mind taking Sean. I'm sure he'd love hanging out with Grissom. Oh and since I know how much you hate smells…I'll take Ashley too. Grissom and I have the night off so we don't have to worry about catching sleep and our schedules are clear. I'm on my way home right now."
"Really! Would you! That would be fantastic!"
"I'd love too." Sara grinned wildly. "It's no problem."
"I'll bring them by around ten that way you have time to unwind after work. If you could keep them until eight then Nick will be home from work and I'll be able to manage."
"Great. See you then."
Sidle-Grissom House
9:15 a.m.
Sara fresh out of the shower wearing her favorite pink cashmere robe, was drying her hair and didn't hear Grissom enter the bathroom.
"I'm home," He said over the noise of the blow dryer, hoping not to startle her. Since the attack in the desert she was a little jumpy.
"Hi!" Shutting off the blow dryer she grinned. "How was your shift? I never saw you after the first ten minutes."
The encounter at Walgreens still on his always curious mind, he casually asked, "Would Greg and I be a fabulous gay couple? Have you ever thought that?"
"Um…" Setting the blow dryer on the bathroom counter she warily replied, "I can um…honestly say the thought never crossed my mind. Is there um…something you want to tell me, honey?"
The look on her face told him the phrasing and content of the question threw her. "It wasn't me who thought it!"
"Greg did!" Her shock continued to grow.
"No!" Grissom shook his head. "Let me contextualize for you. Greg and I went to Walgreens to buy condoms and while we were standing there talking, these two guys came over and assumed we were a couple and propositioned us."
"Okay now it makes sense." As she pictured the scene in her head her body shook with laughter. "The part about the two guys assuming you were a gay couple because you were standing in front of the condoms talking with Greg wearing that ridiculous shiny pink shirt, not the part about you shopping for condoms with Greg…that seems a little out of character."
"He followed me into the store!"
Near hysterics, she squeaked, "I really wish I didn't have this idea of you and Greg as a couple in my head."
Taking Sara's hand he guided her out of the bathroom towards the bed. "Then I'll have to make you forget it."
"I think it's going to take a lot of effort." She slyly countered.
When Grissom landed on top of her on the bed specks of gold glitter showered down on Sara. "Why do you have glitter on your jacket?"
"Oh…it's from a stripper," He answered factually while kissing Sara's neck.
"You didn't mention there was a stripper at Walgreens." Tossing him off her she stared gape mouthed. "Exactly what kind of night did you and Greg have together? I know you told me you wanted to thank him for saving my life but…condom shopping and strippers?"
Chuckling he explained, "We went to the strip club following a lead from the 419 suspicious circs at the Flamingo. I didn't have my ID out and one of the strippers thought I was looking for a lap dance."
Sara grinned. "So in one night you got propositioned by a gay man and a stripper."
Throwing up his hands, he exclaimed, "Viva Las Vegas, baby."
Back in the mood, she unzipped his jacket. "I don't think you should go out with Greg anymore."
"Greg's going out with the stripper." He informed her while tossing his jacket to the floor. "Well…going out is probably an incorrect assumption."
"Now things are starting to sound normal again." Popping open his shirt buttons she asked, "Honey, you threw your jacket on the floor without removing your Walgreens purchase."
"Oh." Falling back on the bed he sighed. "After the proposition, we left the store without buying anything."
"Oh."
Next to each other they stared at the ceiling.
After a minute Sara said, "You want to talk about it? We haven't talked about it since…" When she didn't get a response she prattled on optimistically. "Did you know statistics show the odds of a CSI getting attacked at a crime scene twice in her lifetime are very, very low. It's very unlikely. And the odds of something like that happening in a specific nine month window…not that I would even be in the field for the whole time…"
"Sara." Sitting up he said, "I can't talk about it yet."
Sitting up next to him, she kissed his cheek. "Conversation over." Of course she knew 'yet' could mean years just like 'I don't know what to do about this' took years when she asked him once. Standing up she smiled. "Anyway…we don't have time to stay in bed. I just remembered…we have company coming in a half hour. So why don't you hit the shower and get ready."
"Company?" They never had people over. "Who?" He couldn't imagine.
"Wendy and Paul Blake are away on an anniversary trip and Carrie is watching the four kids. She called earlier completely frazzled because she has to prep for a big case and it's impossible with all the kids so I offered to help her out by watching Ashley and Sean over here." Smiling sweeter she said, "I hope you don't mind. We didn't have anything planned and I thought Sean would get a kick out of your bugs and books. I thought you could keep him busy while I'll take care of Ashley."
"Uh…I wasn't expecting…" It was highly odd it was nice to see Sara and Carrie becoming close friends. "I don't mind. I'm sure I can keep Sean occupied." Remembering the eye-poke incident he teased, "Did you bring home protective eyewear from the lab so you don't get another scratch on the cornea?"
"I'll know what to expect this time so I be on the defensive." Returning to the bathroom to finish getting ready, she smirked. The plan was in motion….