Rating: still K
Disclaimer: I still do not own anything to do with CSI, nor do I own any song lyrics used.
A/N: I'm not particularly pleased with this chapter, but I need it to get where I'm going. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up in less time than it took me for this one – so that gives me at least six months ;-)
Chapter Three
"This place is great," Catherine commented as she slid into the booth, at Horizon, after Greg.
Nick, Warrick, Sara and Brass had chosen some seats, and got in the first round, while Catherine and Grissom had been delayed by swinging by to pick up Greg whose car had refused to start.
"I love it here," Greg said. "I'm becoming quite a singing sensation."
Catherine joined the rest of the group in laughing then realised that Grissom wasn't sitting down beside her. Glancing up at him, she saw that he was looking around the room.
"Gil?" she asked. "Are you okay?"
He turned to her and smiled. "I'm fine… I just need to speak to… someone." He kissed her softly on her lips once, then left in the direction of the bar.
Frowning, Catherine readjusted to be facing the others again. "What's he up to?" she asked, intending for it to be rhetorical.
When she was met by a chorus of "Nothing," she eyed her friends suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.
Knowing that they had a tendency to tell her whatever she wanted to know when faced with that look, each of them quickly averted their gazes to fall elsewhere.
Several rounds later, Sara was vehemently criticising the current karaoke act, waving her latest cocktail in the air for emphasis.
"Think you can do better?" Warrick challenged.
"Of course I can!" she exclaimed. "Nick knows I have a great voice… He told me so!"
Nick ducked his head to avoid being dragged into the conversation.
"Oh did he?…" Warrick said, smirking at the top of Nick's head. "Well, why don't you get up there and give us a song?" he asked her.
Greg cut in, frowning. "I thought Grissom and Catherine were supposed to be singing?"
"I'm not going first!" Catherine insisted.
"And we've got half an hour before I'm on," Grissom said.
Catherine turned to him, eyes wide. "You have a scheduled time?" she asked, in disbelief.
He simply smirked in response, and gently placed a kiss to the palm of her hand that he held in his.
"Gil!" she warned, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Yes?" he said, smiling innocently.
"What are you up to?"
He smirked again, and this time leaned in to kiss her lips. "You'll have to wait and see."
She was going to question him further, but they were distracted by a clattering of bottles and glasses, on the opposite side of the table.
Sara had been trying to slide past Nick to leave the booth, but had lost her footing and was now sitting across his lap.
"You could have stood up to let her pass, Nick!" Greg muttered, with a hint of a glare in both his face and tone.
Momentarily, everyone glanced, puzzled, at Greg, then the focus returned to Sara.
"Where were you going?" Catherine asked.
"To the stage," Sara announced with a grin. "I'm gonna show them how it's done."
It was as if she had forgotten that's what she was about to do, because as soon as she said it, she stood up from Nick's knee. Prior to that, she wasn't making much attempt to move.
She didn't wait to see if anyone had anything else to say, and disappeared into the crowd.
"This could be interesting," Brass commented.
"She does really have a good voice," Nick offered in response, and he didn't seem to notice the eye roll from Greg.
"But will it have survived the alcohol?" Catherine said, her expression not one of optimism.
"It'll be more fun for us if it hasn't," Warrick grinned evilly.
The sudden withdrawal of Grissom's hand from hers, snapped Catherine out of the laughter she was sharing with the guys.
"Where are you going?" she asked him as he stood up.
"I'll be back in a minute," he smiled, a mysterious sparkle in his eyes. "Carry on."
She watched him walk away and then tried to stand to follow him.
"Oh no you don't!" Greg said, snatching her back. "Nosey!"
"Not nosey, concerned," she countered.
"Nosey!" Warrick and Greg repeated.
"Intrigued?" she tried.
"You'll spoil it if you start noseying," Nick warned her.
"Spoil what?" she smirked.
"Not going to work," Warrick stated. "You're just going to have to be patient."
She fell back heavily into her seat with a sigh. "Patience is a virtue I don't possess… Particularly when I'm feeling nosey!"
Grissom had returned, all innocent smiles and kisses, as always, and despite Catherine's many attempts to keep the conversation on what he had planned for his 'number', the men had managed to introduce the topic of what had happened to Sara.
It had been over ten minutes since she left them, and, as yet, she hadn't appeared on the stage. They just hoped she hadn't come face to face with the 'singer' she had been so heatedly opposed to.
They need not have worried.
Almost a minute after they had started to talk about her, her name was announced, and she stepped up to the microphone.
The group exchanged curious, excited, or amused glances and then set their attentions on their colleague, awaiting the start of her performance.
She cleared her throat, and after a few notes of music, she began to sing.
"Where have all the good men gone?
And where are all the gods?"
When someone across the room, yelled, "Right here, baby!" she gave him first a sharp glare, and then a playful wink, before directing the next lines to the other side of the room, completely turning her back on him.
Catherine giggled at her treatment of him, proud to recognise elements of her own attitude in what Sara had just done.
For the most part, Sara's voice was holding up, despite the alcohol, and the 'audience' seemed to like her. She hit the "I need a hero," with enthusiasm, and even started to dance a little as the beat picked up.
"She's good," Catherine said to Greg.
"Yes she is," he replied, his eyes transfixed, gazing at Sara admiringly.
Catherine glanced at him and laughed to herself, then she snuck a peek at Nick, finding him to be pretty much mesmerized in the same way. She shook her head a little, and wondered if Sara even realised how the two men felt about her. Part of her hoped that she didn't, for her choosing one over the other could prove harmful to the close friendships they all shared. But another part of her wanted her friends to be as happy as she was to be marrying Gil.
Speaking of Gil…
She snuggled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder, simply smiling contentedly when he looked at her, questioning the sudden closeness. He smiled back and rested his head on hers, and they both watched as Sara aimed for – but missed – a high note, earning her a standing ovation.
It was five minutes later when Sara rejoined the group, who gave her another round of applause as she nudged Nick to move along the bench so she could sit down.
"Thank you very much," she said, grinning.
"What took you so long getting back?" Warrick asked.
Sara gave a sly smirk, and produced a handful of business cards, and pieces of paper. "I had to fight through my fan club," she said, fanning them out on the table.
The group eyed the collection of phone numbers, some amazed, some laughing.
"Wow!" Catherine exclaimed.
"Yep," Sara smiled. "But, it's astounding how many men in this room think they are God's gift to women," she said, rolling her eyes.
"I feel sorry for those men," Warrick said. "Because I know I am God's gift to women."
Both Catherine and Sara glared at him playfully, and the other men kindly thumped him in whichever arm they had easiest access to.
While he protested the attack, Sara turned to Catherine. "Where's Grissom?"
Catherine shrugged. "He's disappeared again."
Sara couldn't fight her small smile, so she raised her drink to her lips to hide it.
"Sara?" Catherine questioned. "Could you –"
Sara shook her head forcefully. "Not a chance," she replied to the unasked question.
"But – "
"Catherine, be patient… Just wait a little longer, and all your questions will be answered."
TBC…
A/N: The song Sara sang is "Holding Out For a Hero" by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford, once sung by Bonnie Tyler (although in my mind I always hear the Jennifer Saunders version from 'Shrek 2' :-) )
