Author: Joyce

Title: The Consequences of Flirting

Disclaimer: Even in 2006 they're not mine.

Note: This is my new years gift to you guys. I had this chapter stored in my computer and I decided to upload it today so I could wish you all a happy new year to go along with it. It's not a very long chapter but I promise to make up for that in the next one. As always, thank you to everyone who reviewed, you guys are the best! And please continue to review, it makes my muse write faster.

We have a problem

The next day Grissom walked into the break room, ready to give assignments to his crew. He walked into a tense atmosphere. Warrick was leaning in a corner, his arms crossed over his chest while Sara was sitting in a chair, her back to Warrick, an angry scowl on her face. Catherine sat beside her, studying her nails, casting a glance at Warrick every so often. Nick and Greg were standing next to each other, talking softly about some show they both saw on TV that day. He cleared his throat and they all looked up.

"We have a busy night," Grissom announced. "Cath, you and Warrick have a homicide in the Tangiers."

Catherine raised her hand.

"Could I team up with someone else? My and Warrick have some...we have some problems right now."

Her boss frowned.

"Some problems?" he asked and she just nodded, a pleading look in her eyes. He relented, making a mental note to ask her about it later.

"Fine," he continued. "You work the case with Nick. Greg, you're with me, I'll fill you in on the case later. Sara, you and Warrick have a robbery."

"I'm not working with that man," Sara said stubbornly. Grissom turned to his protege, a questioning look on his face but Warrick just raised both his hands in defense.

"Don't ask, Griss," he commented sarcastically. "You know I have a way with the ladies."

Sara rolled her eyes and huffed and Warrick narrowed his eyes in response, trying to stare a whole in her back.

"And what is the problem between you guys?" Grissom asked, getting a bit annoyed.

"Warrick made the eggs fall," Nick provided helpfully and this was the point where Grissom was getting confused and had enough.

"I don't care who made whose eggs fall," he said somewhat harshly. "You guys are working together, you are both adults and this is not a playground. Do I make myself clear?"

They both nodded reluctantly.

"Good," Grissom said, wondering what the hell was wrong with his co-workers. "Now get to work."

He watched them all leave the room, Sara and Warrick barely looking at each other.

"And behave yourself," he warned them both.

Outside, Sara slammed the door of the car while getting in but Warrick didn't even flinch.

"Why are you driving?" she asked him.

"We both know you can't handle stick very well," he said dryly, challenging her.

"You're a pig, Brown," she told him with a disgusted look on her face.

He just drove off, silence in the car. A couple of hours later they had managed to work the case professionally. Only talking to each other when necessary but doing their job like they always did. They were now on their way to the interrogation room where the victim of the robbery was waiting for them. Warrick was the first to walk in, Sara right behind him.

"I'm Warrick Brown," he told the woman while giving a nod in the direction of Sara. "And this is Sara Sidle, we're from the crime lab."

"Warrick, huh?" the woman said, her eyes traveling over his body. "That's an unusual name but it suits you. It sounds strong, sexy even."

He said down, ignoring the woman while Sara mumbled something under her breath.

"Always with the flirting," he heard her whisper.

"Thank you," he told the woman politely, not even looking at Sara. "So, you claim you came back in your suite and the door was open. It was then you discovered your safe had been broken into?"

"Yes," the blonde woman said. "They took my diamond collier and I just got it. My husband bought it for me."

"Right," Sara took over. "And the collier was worth what? A million dollars?"

"Yes," she confirmed, smiling at Warrick. "You know what they say; diamonds are a girls best friend. Have you ever bought diamonds for your girlfriend, mister Brown?"

"No," he said shortly wanting to continue the interrogation but she interrupted him. "That's ok," she half whispered to him, leaning forward to show much of her cleavage. "I'm sure you more then make up for it."

"Getting back to the topic at hand," Sara said, half grumbling. "Do you know this man?"

She showed her a picture of a man standing in an elevator.

"No," the woman said, still not taking her eyes of Warrick. "Why? Is that the jerk that stole it?"

"Maybe," Sara just said and the woman stood up. "If you guys excuse me, I need to make a phone call to my insurance company. Can I go?"

Sara and Warrick both nodded.

"I was nice meeting you, mister Warrick Brown," she said before she left the room, casting one last glance over her shoulder, giving him a smile.

"Great," Sara half shouted. "We know she made her boyfriend steel those diamonds but thanks to you she walks."

"Thanks to me?" he questioned, raising both his eyebrows.

"Yes. You," she clarified again. "You and your flirting." She imitated him, bashing her eyelashes while speaking in a deep tone. "Hi, I'm Warrick Brown and I'm here to dazzle you with my good looks. Please, be smitten."

"Have you gone completely crazy?" he wanted to know from her, getting up. "The woman was flirting with me and she was doing it because she knows we have no prove she did it."

"Right," Sara mumbled. "Everybody always flirts with you. It's never your fault, you're just an innocent bystander."

"Do you really want to start this discussion again?" he asked her somewhat weary.

"Yes," she told him. " I really want that, because you know what? You were flirting with me yesterday."

He sighed.

"You really need to see a shrink," he then advised her. "Because crazy and delusional, not a good combination."

"You were," she persisted, deliberately taking a step towards him.

"I was not," he said again, with emphasis on the last word.

"You were," came the reply and she took another step closer.

"I was not flirting with you!" he replied but his voice became a little husky when he suddenly saw the little distance between them and she saw the familiar look appear in his eyes. That look. The one that had been haunting her for days now, the first thing she saw when she closed her eyes. His hand reached up and he brushed some hair out of her face and her eyes closed, relishing in his touch before she remembered what her mission was.

"There," she shouted, startling him and she stepped away from him. "This is my prove, you are flirting with me."

She had a triumphant grin on her face but his voice was calm when he replied;

" Maybe, but it took you an awful long time to step away and yell."

She blinked, the grin somewhat disappearing.

"You don't get it, Sidle," Warrick told her. "We have a problem and it's not you flirting with me or me flirting with you. We are flirting with each other."

The grin was completely gone now and when he walked away from her she had a frown on her face, looking lost and confused.

"That's the problem," he reminded her again, leaving the room, his last words surrounding her. "And we need to find a way to fix that."

Tbc...