DISCLAIMER:Don't own it... No money made... Just for fun and enjoyment.
SUMMARY: Sequel to Displacement. The CSI team and their recently hired coroner Stephanie are back to work solving cases, sharing companionship and generally making their way through the dire world of criminal investigation with humor and friendship... This one will show the development of the relationship between Grissom and Sara and there should be some other surprises down the road as well. Romance/Drama/Angst/Mature Situations
RATING: M for Mature - I'm starting this one out at "M", since we won't be waiting quite so long for the smut this time out ;) Also, there is a sprinkling of language throughout the story.
A/N: Okay, I realized last weekend that this fic took on a life of its own as I wrote it. When I went into it, I had no idea it was going to become THIS huge :O But, I am seriously winding it down now, because I have some other story ideas I want to explore. And as much as I know everyone loves GSR, my next (and last in this little universe) fic will be Nick-centric jaunt. The same characters and storyline will be in play, but no hot GSR smut (though there may be a few fluffy moments, because I am only human). It's also likely to be a little darker than the previous ones. I hope to see everyone in that one, but I will totally understand if it's not your cup of tea. It's just that this particular story is driving me nuts and I have to write it :p I'll be taking a little break from posting CSI fics while I get it going, and so I can put some time into my NCIS fic (which has felt a little like the red-headed step-child - and no, I don't mean McGee ;) ).
And now we return you to our regularly scheduled CSI programming!
REVIEWS: I am always looking for ways to improve my writing, and your reviews let me know if I am hitting my mark. Thank you in advance for the time you take to read & review this story.
Chapter 59
As Warrick opened the door to Grissom's townhouse his senses were assaulted with all the aromas wafting out. He wanted to stand there and try to identify each smell, but he needed to get out of Thomas and Grissom's way as they struggled with the large containers of meat and roasted corn on the cob. The men worked their way passed him with their heavy burdens and he chuckled at their difficulty. As Thomas passed him, he could not resist the temptation to taunt his friend, "Ya need some help with that, man?"
"Nah, I wouldn't want you to break a sweat, or nothing."
Warrick laughed at his friend's joke, but he felt comfortable enough to add his own comment and said, "Yeah, I usually save that for the ladies, anyway."
Thomas broke out laughing and it gained the attention of the other people in the house. Lindsey rounded the corner to see what the commotion was about and immediately caught sight of Warrick. "'Rick!"
The girl carefully made her way around Thomas and moved in to hug her friend. "Hey, girl!" He held her back and noticed that she was wearing an apron, "What… Did they put you to work, Linds?"
Lindsey stood back and put her hand on her hip (which instantly made him think of her mother) as she said, "Buncha slave drivers!" However, the attitude did not last long, as her face cracked into a giant playful smile, which quickly turned into a delighted giggle when Warrick smiled back at her.
"Riiiight…" He turned her back towards the kitchen and asked, "Well, why don't you show me what you've been up to… So I can make sure nobody's gonna get sick."
She shoved him with his crack and shouted into the kitchen, "Steph! 'Rick thinks we're gonna make people sick with our cooking."
As they rounded the corner, Warrick found Stephanie on a chair at the table looking slightly tired, but not tired enough to miss ribbing him for his comment. "Oh yeah? Well, maybe you should ask him about that spare tire he's got building over there."
Warrick reeled back, as though he had been hurt by the comment, "Ouch… That hurts, yo."
Thomas came up beside him and put his hand on the man's belly and rubbed it, "Wow, you ain't kidding, hun… What've we been feeding him?"
Warrick slapped his hand away and said, "Hands off, man… That ain't for you." They all laughed at the exchange and Warrick glanced around the room, but he felt something was missing.
He checked behind him and looked into the other room, but it still was not there. His looks had not gone unnoticed. "Looking for something?" Sara's voice caught his attention and he shyly looked back into the kitchen at his friend.
Before he could figure a way out of answering her question, Lindsey flipped around and started down the hall saying, "Oh crap! I gotta tell Mom to hurry up!"
Warrick felt his cheeks warming a bit, and tried not to think the girl had connected who he was looking for when she had taken off, but when he looked at Sara, she confirmed that she had made the connection. "Cath was pissed at us for making her get that stuff. So, I let her get cleaned up in my bathroom before the party."
"Oh… Yeah." Sara could tell he was not really paying attention, so she let him off the hook when Lindsey came back down the hall.
"Hey, Linds… How much longer on the dessert?" Stephanie broke the stalemate in the conversation.
Lindsey looked down at her watch and declared, "Another five minutes and it's golden."
Thomas was not willing to let the pun go unnoticed. "Oh man, Linds… You've been hanging around Gil way too long, kiddo."
Grissom gave Thomas an odd expression, "What's that supposed to mean?"
The younger man laughed, as did everyone else, and then Thomas asked Lindsey a question, "So, what're you making, Linds?"
"Golden Apple Bake," she said with a lopsided grin on her face and Grissom smirked at the joke.
"And it better be worth all the trouble." Catherine's voice came from behind Warrick and he was unable to stop himself from spinning toward to the sound of it. She had not noticed him yet, because she was calling into the kitchen at Sara. "All's I can say is, it's a good thing you're so tiny, Sara."
Sara looked over the other people gathered around the kitchen and stopped to admire the top that Catherine had picked out. "Hey!" Sara smiled when she recognized the blouse. "You might as well keep that one… I can't even remember the last time I wore it."
Warrick was instantly intrigued by the garment, as it was one of those wrap-around tops that tied in the front. But he was more drawn to the fact that it also showed her bare midriff. When she spoke, he had trouble focusing on the words. "Are you kidding? Why the hell not?"
Sara thought about for a moment and then it was obvious that she had just remembered something. "I don't have Spring Break anymore, so the need just hasn't come up."
Grissom's brow turned up and he asked, "Spring Break?" Sara blushed at his question, and she knew he remembered their conversation from years earlier.
Catherine was the one to break the stalemate that time, "Soooo… What else do we need to do?"
Stephanie answered her with a loaded question, "You mean other than the guys setting up the chairs?"
Thomas leaned over and kissed his wife as he responded, "Yeah, yeah, yeah… We get the point. C'mon guys." He moved back out of the kitchen area to slap his buddy on the back, "We got men's work to do."
Stephanie was laughing at their reluctance and she slowly worked to stand up, but when she faltered a little, Catherine was right at her side and holding onto her arm at the elbow. "Hey, are you okay?"
She took a ragged breath and Sara turned from her work in the kitchen at the sound of it, "Catherine, why don't you take her into the bedroom and let her rest a little before the party gets going." Catherine nodded and tried to maneuver the younger woman away from the table.
"I'm fine guys… Reall-…" Before she could convince them, she had gotten a little woozy and faltered again.
Sara put her hand on her hip and said, "Yeah, sure…" She and Catherine exchanged knowing nods and Sara moved to put a hand on Lindsey's shoulder. "Go help your Mom, okay?" Lindsey nodded her head and moved stand on the other side of Stephanie from her mother.
"C'mon, Steph… There's no way to fight both of 'em." Stephanie smiled at the girl's joke and nodded her head as she finally allowed them to direct her toward the bedroom.
Once they were inside the bedroom, Stephanie turned to Lindsey and asked, "Hey, kid, check on the dessert, and make sure those guys don't get distracted, huh?"
"Don't worry, Steph… I'll keep 'em in line." The girl winked at her friend and then shouted out at her mother as she left the two in the room. "Otherwise Thomas'll have Warrick playing football with the rolls in five minutes."
The two women were laughing at the girl's wisecrack, as they watched her head down the hall. Once she was out of ear shot Catherine turned to her friend and asked, "Are you sure you're okay, kid?"
"Yeah, I'm fine really." Catherine bent over and stacked the pillows up for her and gave her a look of non-belief. "Seriously… I just needed to get out of that heat for a little bit."
When Catherine watched her rub at the back of her neck, she realized that Stephanie really did look overheated. With her maternal instincts kicking in she immediately put the back of her hand up to Stephanie's forehead, and was instantly relieved when she discovered she was not running a fever, "Okay, but you still need to stay in here and rest for a bit… And I'll get Sara to turn up the AC." She pointed at the pillows and motioned for the younger woman to actually lie down. "I'm serious, Steph. We'll get the rest of it done. You just sit back and relax for a bit, okay?"
Stephanie finally acquiesced and swung her legs up onto the bed and lay back onto the stacked pillows. Before Catherine turned to leave, she saw Stephanie take the inhaler out of her pocket and painfully draw in a deep breath to take in the medication. She watched with concern as Stephanie finished with the inhaler and asked her, "So, just the heat, huh?"
"Yeah, that and I think I got a lungful of the flour mixture when I took a towel in the face." Catherine looked at her in horror and Stephanie held up her hand, "No, it was totally my fault. I started it." Catherine shook her head and was still worried, "Cath, don't, I threw it first… Linds was just playing and I don't want her to feel guilty or anything."
"She should kno-…"
"No, Cath… It really was my fault, and it's not a big deal. I've got my meds, so I just need to sit here a bit, and I'll be just fine." Stephanie put her hand on Catherine's forearm and pleaded with her again, "Please, it's fine." Catherine nodded and sat down beside her on the bed. "What about you?"
Catherine shook her head and asked with her face scrunched up, "What about me?"
Stephanie tilted her head to the side as she laid it down the pillow, "You were looking pretty upset when you got back from my place… What's up?"
Catherine thought back to the incident in the house and the images assaulted her again to the point she had to shake her head to focus on the conversation with Stephanie. "Ah, nothing really… Just a frustrating day, is all."
Stephanie nodded her head and closed her eyes, so Catherine got ready to leave her to her nap when she was stopped cold by the woman's next question. "Anyone I know?"
"A-I-a-a… What?" Catherine was practically speechless from the question.
Stephanie opened her eyes and stared into Catherine's astonished eyes, "It's an honest question."
"I-I-I just can't believe you asked it." Catherine was still in shock at Stephanie possibly knowing why she had been so distraught when she got back from her place. "Why would you say that?"
Stephanie shrugged and said, "Well, Sara and I were talkin-…"
"Sara? What did she say?" Catherine had become deeply concerned that her confidence had been broken by her friend.
"Nothing, just that, I guess, she and Nick had well… Ya know, noticed the tension there." Stephanie was playing her part perfectly.
"Nick?" Catherine was railing at the sudden knowledge that she had been the topic of conversation.
"Obviously they must have been right… Since I didn't even use his name." Stephanie's simple statement made Catherine immediately switch from shocked to thoroughly embarrassed, because the girl had a point. She had not mentioned anyone in particular, and yet Catherine had responded without question. "So, what're you gonna do about it?"
She was struck utterly speechless by the question, but not from shock. Instead, it was from the other questions that it brought into her mind, but most importantly the question she had been asked plagued her mind. What AM I gonna do about it?
CSI GSR CSI GSR CSI GSR CSI GSR CSI GSR CSI
When Lindsey made her way back down the hallway, the guys had just about finished setting up all the extra chairs and they all looked at her as she entered the living room. The girl smirked as she registered all the concerned looks, "She's fine guys."
Warrick was the first to speak and he asked, "Hey… When did you get so smart?"
Lindsey smiled at the man, as he winked at her with his question, but as much as she hated to admit it, she was her mother's daughter and she could not let the question go unanswered. "I was born that way… What happened to you?" Everyone howled at her response, and that was when Lindsey realized there were more people than when she had gone down the hall.
Nick walked up beside her and put his hand on her head, "From the mouths of babes, man."
He was laughing at Warrick's plight. That was, until Lindsey turned her wit on Nick, "Nick… I didn't know you cared." The howls returned, and that time Nick was blushing, as he lifted his hand from her head, and shook his own in embarrassment.
Greg walked up to the young girl and held up his hand looking for a high five, which Lindsey was all too happy to provide. "Nice one, Linds!" Greg shoved Nick from behind and decided to join in the fun, "Dude… I knew you were hard up, but fifteen'll get you five to ten." Lindsey returned the favor and she and Greg shared another high five before the girl turned and headed for the kitchen.
Once the girl was in the safety of the kitchen, the guys took the opportunity to rib Warrick a little more. Thomas decided to try the high ground, "You know, there are easier ways."
Warrick shot him a look of confusion, but the others seemed to understand what he meant and laughed. "What're you talkin' about, man?" The others laughed again at the man's disbelief.
"Whatever, man…" Nick played off the whole thing, and then turned his attention to Grissom, "So, who all's gonna be here, Gris?"
Grissom reeled a bit, as his mind tried to play back the guest list, "Ah, well… I think Brass is coming… Doc and his wife should be by later… Probably Stephan, as long as he doesn't have anything better." Grissom's humor was not lost on the men. Stephan's reputation as a ladies man was far from unknown to them. He was interrupted from his list by the arrival of another.
"Hey, Sara! Where can I help?"
"Obviously, Wendy." The men chuckled at the conspicuous arrival of the lab's newest forensic technician. But Grissom then continued, "I believe David mentioned he would be making an appearance."
Wendy keyed into the conversation and provided her own answer, "Yeah, I ran into them on my way here… Sandi said they'd be by after she dropped some stuff off for her professor."
The men looked at each other, trying to figure out who Sandi was when Thomas laughed, and gave them the answer, "C'mon, guys… David's fiancé?" They all reared back as the information clicked in their heads.
Nick, however, could not resist making a comment, "Wow… I guess Archie and Hodges both lose." They all gave him a questioning look, and he answered, "They had a bet going about her being either his imaginary friend, or a blowup girlfriend." They were laughing out loud with his revelation
Sara called out from the kitchen, "You guys suck… That is so not funny!"
"Yeah, guys… David's a sweet guy." Wendy added her two cents to the reprimand.
Nick felt as though he had to defend himself, "Hey, I like the guy… Besides, I wasn't in on the bet."
They all turned and looked at Warrick for his answer, "Hey! I don't play that anymore, so don't even look at me."
Greg made a move for the stereo and gestured for Grissom's permission to touch. "Just try to keep it at a low roar, please, Greg?"
Greg laughed and shot back, "No sweat, boss… I'm just trying to relieve some of the tension around here… Music is always good to stop people from feeling like they gotta talk too much."
Wendy could not leave that comment unanswered, "Is that your secret for keeping your foot out of your mouth twenty-four seven?" Greg shot her a look, but immediately returned his attention to the discs already set up in the player.
He was actually impressed with the music he found there, but then he dismissed it as something Sara must have set up ahead of time. Greg could not imagine Grissom being a big fan of The Fray or Shelby Lynne. And he certainly did not see the man as a Rage Against the Machine kind of guy. He also thought that the crowd assembling for the get-together would probably be adverse to that last one, so he searched the rack for a suitable replacement. When he spotted the Diana Krall CD's, he made his choice and replaced the offending party. Before he turned back, he hit the player for random and set the volume to a conversational level.
The first track to play was a piece of classic Sinatra and it warmed Greg's soul, but before he had a chance to make a comment, he heard Lindsey's delighted squeal. "Hey! That's the stuff that Nana and Sam dance to!"
Beaming at her joy, Greg took it as a cue and reached for the girl's hand, "Well, then get over here, doll face, and we'll show these stuffed shirts how it's done." Lindsey obliged, as she giggled from the expression on Greg's face, and the comical pose he struck when he took her hand.
The others looked on as Greg's noble gesture turned into a comedy of errors, since it appeared that he was not the smoothest dancer in the world. And he was obviously not capable of teaching the young girl the steps either. Warrick and Nick bent over laughing at the scene before them, but Lindsey was not about to let them get away with it. She turned to them, full of attitude, and said, "You think you can do better?"
Nick shoved Warrick to the side and said, "I think she's callin' you out, bro."
Warrick nodded his head and walked over to the girl, before giving Greg a pointed tap on the shoulder, "Cuttin' in, twinkle toes." Greg bowed a little more deeply than necessary, and stepped aside. He held out his hand and Lindsey put hers into the center of Warrick's expansive palm. As he closed his fingers, her hand nearly disappeared in his grip, but she let loose a tiny yelp when he pulled her arm to send her spinning into the crook of his arm, and against his side. "That's the way to do it, little man." He gave Greg a sly grin, and the younger man acquiesced to the master.
Warrick and Lindsey glided around the room, and it seemed like the girl had magically learned to dance in an instant, but as Catherine watched from the hall, she knew from experience that the right partner made all the difference. She smiled as her daughter's delighted giggles made their way into her ears and her heart. Her eyes had become glassy, when her emotions got the better of her, as she watched her little girl growing up before her eyes. So caught up in the pure joy of watching Lindsey, Catherine failed to notice when Gil had come to stand beside her, until his voice broke through her mind. "Hard to believe that's the same little girl who didn't want a birthday party, huh?"
Catherine leaned into her friend and wiped at her eyes, just to make sure the tears had not escaped. "Yeah, and it's days like this that keep me from strangling her all the other days." Catherine had hoped she would remain unnoticed by her daughter, because she wanted the moment to last a little while longer, but that was short lived, as the song drew to a close and Lindsey glanced around the room to find her mother's gaze.
"Hey, Mom!" Lindsey made a beeline for her mother in the hall. "Warrick's even better than Sam." She grabbed her mother by the hands and started dragging her out into the living room, "You gotta try this!"
Catherine fought the pull of her daughter's arms and her pleading, but her refusals went unheard. And by the time they made it to the center of the room, Catherine noticed that Gil had already moved to take Sara's hand, and they were joining in on the fun. So, when she was pushed to stand directly in front of Warrick, it seemed she was not going to escape the inevitable. Ever the gentleman, Warrick smiled and said, "Don't worry… I'll try to keep my toes to myself."
She was tense, at first, but when she found that they were not the only ones dancing, she relaxed a bit and let herself fall into the music. Before long, she forgot about everything else and was aware only of the smooth sounds of the female singer and the man whose hands were guiding her in the dance. Time passed slowly and she memorized every touch, every glance, and every sensation that passed between them. She might have gone on like that forever, but the music began to fade and then they were snapped back into reality by the intrusive sound of the doorbell throughout the house.
Reluctantly, they stepped away from each other, and the awkwardness was nearly unbearable. However, once again Lindsey intervened when she came up and took both their hands and said, "Isn't he great, Mom?" Warrick blushed as Lindsey beamed up at them both, and Catherine realized that she could no longer ignore whatever it was that she had been holding in for so long. She needed to sort it all out, and finally come clean about what she had been feeling. "He sure is."
