Disclaimer: I still own nothing even remotely related to these characters. Please don't sue me.


"What the hell is all that stuff?" Catherine asked as she glanced down the stairs that led off the kitchen. "I've never seen this door open before, and you have a giant cage, antique furniture, and women's toiletries? Wow Griss, I always knew you were a bit eccentric, but this is just plain weird…"

Grissom quickly reached around her to close the door. "It's none of your concern Catherine," he started before she cut him off, effectively halting his actions.

"Oh really, like when has that ever stopped me? And when did you buy a straightening iron? You don't straighten your hair, actually, Sara is the only person I can think of off the top of my head that straightens her hair." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Oh my God Gil, you didn't?"

"Catherine, what I do or do not do in my home is none of your concern" he said testily as he noticed her pulling out her cell and dialing. He moved to swipe the phone from her hands, but only succeeded in knocking her off balance, causing her to tumble down the steps. She landed with a loud thump and a crack.

"Oh shit." He wondered what he should do now; this is where the mistakes are always made. Things don't go completely according to plan; you cannot count on the variables inherent in human interaction. He ran down the stairs after her, reaching his arm out and feeling along the side of her neck for a pulse. She was still breathing, but that left him with a different set of problems.

He knew that if he called 911, they would all be tromping through his house to come get her, and it would be difficult at best to explain a large kennel and chain just set up in his basement. He didn't have enough time to dismantle everything if he was going to go that route. Not to mention the highly sedated unwilling occupant of his bathtub upstairs, and that would really be hard to explain. At the same time, he couldn't really just leave her laying down there like a broken rag doll forever either.

"Dammit Catherine, you always come around sticking your nose in my business and messing things up. Why did you have to come over here anyway?"


Upstairs Sara had heard Catherine come into the house, and though her limbs felt like lead and her mind was blurry, she tried to roll out of the tub. After a couple of tries, she was able to get her arms over the side. It took all of her strength, but she was able to pull herself over the edge. After the top half was out, it didn't take much more effort to get the lower half of her body out.

She didn't pause to wrap a towel around her body, there were far worse fates than Catherine seeing her naked, and crawled her way to the door. She reached up and opened the door, and called out as loud as she could for Catherine.

"Catherine really can't help you now honey," said Grissom as he climbed up the stairs a few moments later. He pulled her soggy form from the floor before wrapping her in a bathrobe.

"We can't have you catching a chill," was the last thing she heard him say.


"Brown," Warrick answered as his cell phone rang. He heard no response, and had almost hung up when he could have sworn he heard Grissom saying something that sounded like swearing and some crashing noises. He knew the call was from Catherine from the Caller ID, and it wasn't like her to be so silent when she phoned.

"Catherine?" Warrick waited, while Greg and Nick looked at him, easily seeing the concern on their friend's face. It was then that he heard it, another person, a woman, yelling 'Catherine' as well, and it kind of sounded like Sara. Then he heard Grissom swearing and muttering again. But still no Catherine.

"Uhm, guys, I think something might be a bit off over there at the Grissom house. It's a call from Catherine, but all I hear is Grissom cussing and I could have sworn I heard Sara calling Catherine's name in the background."

"Here, let me see that" Nick said as he grabbed the phone and put it up to his ear. Immediately he heard Grissom telling someone that Catherine wouldn't be able to help them. "This doesn't sound good; I think he just said Catherine can't help you anymore?"

"What are we sitting around here discussing this for? Let's get the hell out of here and see what's going on!" Greg grabbed the keys from the table and started heading out the door, not waiting for Warrick and Nick to follow.

They all tumbled into the Tahoe, with Warrick behind the wheel. The connection on the phone was kept open and on speakerphone, listening to see if they heard any additional dialogue that might help prepare them for what exactly was going on. None of them said a word through the trip for fear that they would miss something on the line, though it was now eerily silent, save for the occasional sound of movement and quietly indecipherable mumblings.

Making record time, they pulled into the drive at Grissom's townhouse and parked beside Catherine's car, with neither Nick nor Greg waiting for Warrick to put the car in park before jumping out and running to the front door. Nick arrived first, pulling open the door forcefully and allowing Greg to run in as he did so, with Warrick close behind. The trio was quite shocked at the sight that greeted them.