Disclaimer: (looks around and sighs) yeah...I don't see any newbies...so...we all pretty much know that I don't own them...and ya know who I DO own...
A/N: Alright, this chapter has mentions of CSI Miami, which I also don't own. I also don't watch the show (they repulse me, no offense) so if I get their characteristics wrong...it isn't my fault –waves hands in surrender- put the shot guns down people...GET READY FOR DRAMA! Props to spacecoastbabe15 who beta'd this for me... (MootheQuackingCow normally does it, but I decided to give her a break! ;D She's workin double time on one of my other stories for me...)
Chapter 12: Nipping the Rumor Rose in the Bud...Déjà vu!
Monday December 19, 2004
CSI HQ
Break Room
6:18 p.m.
Catherine sighed and looked at the paper underneath her pen that she was tapping nervously. What was she supposed to say? This was an amazing offer. Any CSI would be honored to the most supreme amount to even be acknowledged for the promotion. Especially since it was exactly what she had put in for last year...but last year had been different...she hadn't been with Warrick then. And in reality, she wasn't with him now...so what was holding her back?
The position was to be head CSI of Days...in Miami. That was a long way away from Vegas. She had met Horatio Cane and his Nightshift team a year or so ago when their rapist/serial killer had 'gone on tour' from Vegas to Miami. Horatio and his team had been friendly enough, but not really Catherine's style.
She loved Vegas. She loved her job. She loved her friends. But she also needed a change of pace. And she had to think about her daughter. Maybe a move would be good for her. Plus, it would take off the stress of explaining the fall out between her and Warrick to the young teenager. Lindsey was having a hard time in Vegas...that would be a good reason to move. Suddenly, Warrick's words from their fight came flooding back to her.
"You're in denial of your own problems, so you're pushing Lindsey's on her, and using that as a front for everything! You think that by doing that no one can see the real you! But you're wrong!"
Catherine sighed and rubbed her forehead tiredly. He had been right about that...she was using Lindsey as a diversion from her own problems...and really, would up-rooting her daughter and dragging her across the country be good for her in this state? She had friends, family, school, a life here...she'd be furious if she had to leave. Catherine had to think about what was best for her family...including her co-workers. They had all become a tight knit bunch, one even Kris had quickly been accepted into, and she'd miss them all terribly if she left. Could she do that to them? Could she just up-and-leave because she had a fight with Warrick, because they had said hurtful, incorrigible things, and broken each other's hearts?
She sighed and looked back down at the paper asking her to commit a possibly unfeasible task...what was she to do?
Suddenly familiar voices jarred down the hallway signaling more CSIs were arriving for shift. She quickly folded the paper and slid it back into the envelope it arrived in, and then slid it imperceptibly into her purse. No way was she going to let anyone see this and give them the opportunity to spread wicked rumors throughout the entire lab. She fluffed her hair and checked her appearance in her compact, then turned to smile at whoever was walking down the hall.
Sara and Kris were walking side by side, with Greg tagging along beside Kris, all of them discussing a light topic and occasionally laughing at whatever jokes Greg was making. Catherine watched them, her friends, and her family, from a distance and felt the smile become less forced, and more genuine for the people she considered her children.
Sara rolled her eyes and shoved Greg as the trio filed into the break room and waved to Catherine. "Ah, the lovely Ms. Catherine Willows, may I ask how you are doing this fine morning?" Greg requested playfully, causing Sara and Kris to laugh and Catherine to roll her eyes and smile.
"I'm doing fine Greg..."
"Ah, yes, how could you not? Being as radiantly gorgeous, confidently feminine, and indisputably supreme as you are?" Greg asked dreamily as all three women laughed.
"Seriously Sanders, you need to quit it with the big words 'fore you choke on one." Nick warned as he walked into the room and joined the foursome. Greg rolled his eyes and jabbed Nick in the side playfully.
"You're just jealous because I can smooth talk the ladies with about as much charisma as Richard Gere on his best day." Greg ribbed.
Kris smirked. "Yeah, which is exactly why you won Sara's affection...oh wait...?" Kris replied as if she hadn't known that he had in fact given up on her, and then grinned wickedly.
Sara pursed her lips and ducked her head to blush while everyone besides Greg laughed. He rolled his eyes and smiled. "Hey, I got you didn't I?"
"You didn't 'get me'...I caved into your mediocre tactics and gave you a pity date, which technically wasn't even a date." Kris replied causing everyone to laugh and Greg to put his hand over his heart and feign heart break.
"Oh! You've wounded my dear smitten heart!" Greg replied dramatically causing Kris to shake her head and ruffle his hair. "Ah! My hair!" She chuckled and walked out of the room, Sara and Greg trailing after her. Catherine sighed softly and slowly turned to face Nick. He was watching her with a partially skeptical, but somewhat understanding eye.
She stared at him for a minute before sighing again. "I assume you spoke to Warrick?" Nick shifted his gaze to the floor and pursed his lips as he nodded. Catherine nodded along with him and looked out the window of the break room and sighed. "Are things going to be weird between us?"
Not that it really matters because I'm probably moving across the country.
Nick shook his head. "Nah...no." He replied and gave a soft smile. She nodded and dropped her head.
"Good." She said softly and walked quickly from the room and made a bee line for Grissom's office, bumping into Kris as she did so. Kris watched her go before turning to Nick.
"Is she alright?" Kris questioned half accusingly. Nick shrugged.
"I think so." He went to pour himself a cup of coffee and exit the room as Kris poured herself a cup also and dialed the number she knew by heart. A few rings sounded before the voice on the other end picked up.
"Hannah."
"Montana ." Kris replied and her friend laughed at the greeting. "Happy birthday to you," Kris sang in a horrible, off-key, fake singing voice causing her friend to laugh. Kris never sang as well as she actually could, it always caused her unwanted attention.
"No! No singing!"
"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Hannah, happy birthday to you!"
"Alright, alright! I get the point! Happy birthday to me, thank you. I'm very thankful."
"How old are you now?" Kris continued making her friend groan in playfully annoyance. "How old are you now? How ooooold are you now? How old are you now?"
Hannah laughed. "22..."
"Liar!" Kris accused while laughing and sipping her coffee. "Silly Goose, you can't fool me, you're only two days older than me."
"Fine, 25...you call me the liar about my age! Does anyone there even know your actual age...?"
Kris chuckled and shrugged. "They're knowledge is close enough to the actual fact."
"Uh huh..."
"So, what's on your agenda today?" Kris asked while flipping absently through a magazine and sipping her coffee.
"Well...Andy's taking me out to lunch, Becca's taking me shopping, and Rowdy is taking me to dinner, then a movie."
"I'm guessing there's a 'surprise' party in there somewhere?"
"There better not be or I'll kick all their asses!" Hannah threatened and Kris laughed.
"Well, party or not, you're mailing me a piece of Andy's delicious homemade chocolate cake." Kris ordered and Hannah scoffed playfully.
"Like Hell I will, no cake for you till I get my present!" Hannah joked.
"It's in the mail."
"Well good."
"Hey Hannah...don't actually mail me the cake...I don't wanna piss off another Fed-Ex guy with a messy delivery."
"The last one wasn't messy..."
"True, but it was like a hundred pounds."
"But for a good cause." Hannah replied and Kris nodded vigorously even though her friend couldn't see her.
"Hell yeah, shoes are one of the most important deliveries a girl can get...but the Fed-Ex person was a man...men just don't understand things like that."
"On the contraire beautiful, I understand things perfectly." Greg replied as he walked into the room. Kris smirked and shook her head.
"Who was that?" Hannah asked. "Do people in Vegas just randomly join in on other people's phone conversations?"
"Basically...and that was Greg."
"The one and only." Greg replied as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
"We hope." Kris replied.
"Put him on the phone..." Hannah demanded and Kris shrugged and extended the phone to Greg.
"She wants to talk to you." Kris informed the man and handed him the phone.
"Um...hello?" He replied and moved the bag of chips he had been hiding away from Kris' grabbing hands. "Yeah...yes...I'm the one who took her on the date." Greg replied while smiling.
"It wasn't a date." Kris supplied.
"Uh huh...so..." He grinned from ear to ear and winked at Kris. "She told you about that kiss huh?"
"I was highly intoxicated, and I cannot be held responsible for my actions." Kris defended as she snatched the bag of Ruffles from his hand. She began munching on them, both of them too preoccupied to have seen the Swing Shift lab tech, Timothy Shaw, walk into the break room and 'casually over-hear' the conversation of Greg and Kris' non-date and drunken kiss...
His ears perked with the new found information and he left with a wicked smile on his face. Oh yeah...this has gotta be one of the juiciest stories in a while...the new girl's bangin the 'on-the-fence' lab rat/wanna-be CSI...sweet! Tim thought deviously and snuck down the hall to spread the 'good news'.
"Was she dreamy when she told you...?" Greg laughed and winked at Kris again. "Yeah, so I've heard...really? Happy birthday, um I don't know you're name...oh. Happy birthday Hannah. Well I'll give you back to Kris so she'll stop eating my dinner. Bye." He handed the phone back to Kris and snatched the chips from her hand while ruffling her hair, causing her to swat his arm.
"Alright Hannah I have to go..."
"Alright Doll, I'll talk to you later."
"Love ya bunches."
"Love ya bundles."
Each girl hung up the phone and Kris smiled and went off in search of Greg and his chips.
Locker Room
6:27 p.m.
"Gimme your chips Sanders!" Nick ordered and reached for the chips Greg was waving back and forth. The lab tech may have been slightly shorter than him, but he was also quicker.
"Back off you chip bully!" Greg ordered playfully.
"I want those chips!" Nick replied while laughing.
"Yeah well, I wanna be a CSI and date Kris, some things aren't gonna happen." Greg replied while chuckling dryly.
Suddenly a hand reached above both their heads and snatched up the bag. "Yummy, chips." The baritone voice of Warrick Brown sounded.
"Hey! No fair. You're really tall." Greg stated and Warrick shrugged and shoved the younger man playfully. Warrick shoved a few chips in his mouth and gave a cheeky grin.
Suddenly someone jumped up from behind Warrick and stole the chips from his grasp. All three men turned around slightly shocked to see Kris eating the chips triumphantly. "Karma's a bitch." She stated.
"Quick! Someone name one other thing in this room that's a bitch." Nick replied, to which Greg punched him in the shoulder. Kris just chuckled and walked off with the chips.
Greg sighed. "Crap...I'm not getting those chips back am I?" Greg asked and everyone shook their head.
"No, sorry Greggo." Nick replied and Greg shrugged and sighed as he walked off in search of his DNA lab. Nick watched the door for a moment before turning to Warrick. "How ya doin Man...? Did you get any sleep at all?"
Warrick shook his head and sat down on the bench and opened his locker. "Nah...just drove around."
"For 24 hours?"
"Well, I sat at 'The Spot' for a while." Warrick replied, referring to the spot he and Nick both used to get away and think. If you drove out far enough in Vegas, all the way to the mountains, there was a hill that you could climb up and sit on top of, or walk about twenty feet over and sit on the cliff over looking the vast skies and deserts, and distant lights of Las Vegas.
"And you didn't sleep?"
"No...why? What's this weird fascination you have with my sleeping habits?" Warrick snapped and Nick slid out of his jacket and chuckled while he hung it in his locker.
"'Cause you're mean when you don't get enough sleep."
"Am not, now shut up." Warrick snipped and Nick gave Warrick a pointed look, making the other man duck his head.
"Ah...sorry Nick."
"No sweat Bro." Nick chuckled and shut his locker. "You wanna talk about it?" Nick offered and Warrick sighed.
"Not really...I...I'm still trying to figure it out."
"Alright...just know that you can talk to me, anytime bro...just call alright?"
Warrick nodded and gave Nick a weak smile. "Thanks Nick."
"No problem...now c'mon, let's go see if we can bully Anderson into forkin over the chips."
Grissom's Townhouse
Driveway
Grissom's Denali
7:01 p.m.
"Fork it over Grissom." Sara demanded playfully and Grissom held up his hands innocently.
"I don't have it."
"Grissom..."
"I don't have it Sara."
"Grissom give me the keys or so help me..." Sara said smirking and Grissom grinned from ear to ear.
"'So help you' what...?" Grissom asked teasingly and handed her the keys, letting his thumb brush over hers as he did so, causing Sara to shiver and grin. Wow...we've had sex a dozen times and he can still do this to me...something so innocent... Sara thought and she quickly stuck the key in the ignition and started the Denali. She pulled out of the driveway and took off down the street.
A short while later they pulled into the parking lot of CSI, just as Kris was walking into the building, several cups of coffee in her hands. She spotted them and gave a smile. "Hey guys..."
"Hey Kris." Sara greeted nervously. Oh God, please don't let her ask questions as to why we're arriving together. Sara thought, and decided to nip the 'rumor rose' in the bud. "I'm just driving Grissom in because his car broke down..." Sara said hurriedly and Kris looked around the brunette to the car behind her and furred her brows.
"...His car looks fine to me."
Sara turned around and winced, realizing that she had taken Grissom's car that morning. Grissom watched the exchange and paled as he walked around the Denali and stood against the back bumper.
"I mean my car broke down."
"So why are you driving his car?" Kris asked and Sara blanked.
"She's dominant!" Grissom supplied, happy that he had thought of the excuse.
"In the relationship?" Kris asked and Grissom nodded.
"Yes. I mean no! She's perfectly submissive in the relationship!" Grissom retracted his statement, seeing the look of disapproval on Sara's face.
"I am not!" She denied.
Then Grissom realized what they had implicated. "Uh...our work relationship that is..."
Kris looked skeptically between them and shook her head while smirking. "You guys, I know you're seeing each other."
"Am not." Sara denied in a little child's voice.
"It's okay you guys, I'm not gonna say anything...consider it an early Christmas gift..."
Sara looked back at Grissom worriedly, who shrugged as if to say 'what other choice do we have?' "So...how'd you figure it out anyway?"
"Oh, you mean besides the make-out session in Griss' office...?"
"I told you that was a bad idea." Sara scolded Grissom softly, who blushed and ducked his head.
"And then the 'rendezvous' in the back of his Denali after shift...which, by the way, I am never entering either of your cars ever again..."
"Told you that wasn't a good idea." Grissom replied and Sara blushed.
"...And the fact that you are so obviously head over heels for each other...I'm just psychic like that." Kris joked and Sara let out a chuckle.
"So you're not gonna say anything?"
Kris shook her head and held up her right hand. "I swear on Father Lawrence."
"You have a priest?" Grissom asked disbelievingly and Kris nodded.
"Yep, he's speed dial 6..." Kris replied with a straight face and walked away.
"Ya know...I never know when she's joking..." Grissom replied and Sara smirked and shrugged.
"Neither answer would surprise me..."
Tuesday December 20, 2004
Grissom's Office
1:16 a.m.
He was surprised at the virulent answer he received from his subordinate, it was brash, and harsh, and so Un-Nick... "Look, Grissom, I came here to tell you out of courtesy, not because it was required." Nick snapped and Grissom shook his head and sighed. He hated this part of the job, especially when Nick was being an ass.
"That's the thing Nick, it is required...you compromised the case..."
Déjà vu... Nick thought bitterly. Damn...Karma is a bitch...
"Grissom...it was a one time thing."
"That's what you said about Kristy Hopkins..." Grissom snapped irritated and Nick looked at him in disbelief and sat back in his chair. "Nick, no more of this. I don't want to have this conversation with you again. You need to break off all your ties with this girl until the case is finished, and it'd be in your best interest to stay away from her afterwards also..." Grissom replied, but Nick was too busy looking at Grissom in disgust to respond. "...That's it Nick." Grissom said in a dismissal and looked back down to his work. Nick watched him for a moment, before slowly rising from the chair and robotically walking to the door and exiting the office.
He mechanically walked down the hall, wishing he could change the laws of physics and enter into the past to correct the mistake he made the night before. Nick entered the break room and went to the coffee pot for something that would hopefully snap him out of this trance. He was the only one there, much to his pleasure. Everyone else was out on cases, leaving Nick unaccompanied to amass his thoughts. He sat down at the table and set the steaming Styrofoam cup in front of himself, and stared at the black liquid inside.
The entire conversation had gone horribly wrong; Nick didn't prepare Grissom for the news at all, just kinda dropped it on him. Grissom had been shocked at first, not saying anything, making Nick defensive, so he started to retract his statement. This confused Grissom, and he tried to clarify the situation, in the process following the idea that Nick was planting for him...that nothing had really happened between him and Jessica. Then the embarrassingly awkward part of the conversation was Nick had to take back his retracted/defensive statement and fess up. This only pissed Grissom off, and set off his on-going migraine.
He had become irritated with Nick, and that pissed Nick off. He already had a few people pissed at him; his boss being one of them wasn't helping the tender situation. Like pouring salt on an open wound, Grissom had brought up Kristy...that hit bellow the belt. Grissom had no right throwing that in his face; even after four years Nick was still reeling.
As Nick sat there and thought about his boss' harsh statements, his anger began to boil and spew over the top, until it became one grudge on Nick's shoulder that he felt he had to brush off ASAP. He gritted his teeth and with one swift move of his hand, back handed all the contents of the break room table onto the floor. The coffee cup went flying to the floor, but not before the steaming liquid jumped from the cup and settled home on Nick's hand. He hissed at the pain but ignored it as he pushed himself up from the table and stormed off down the hallway.
He went into the locker room and quickly slammed his fist into his locker, denting the blue metal as he did so. He didn't really care. He pulled his fist back, and then slammed it back into the metal once more, deepening the dent and making it wider and even more visible. His hand was throbbing, and his oversized silver and turquoise ring had scraped pieces of paint from the locker. He began panting and plopped down onto the bench and rested his elbows on his knees and cradled his wounded hand in his burned hand.
He sighed and let his head fall forward a bit, then brought it back up to release another sigh. Kris poked her head into the room and surveyed the scene before her. She quirked an eyebrow and stepped fully into the room and shoved her hands in her pockets and walked over to where Nick was sitting and looked at the locker that he was glaring so intently at. She sighed and shook her head.
"Damn lockers, always smartassin' us...it's about time someone taught them a lesson." Kris noted with a light Montana-twang. Nick sighed and rolled his eyes. "So...what'd the bastards say?" Kris inquired and sat down next to Nick while opening her locker and searching through it.
Nick was silent as he continued to stare at the locker. Punching it hadn't accomplished anything besides cutting his knuckles and making his hand throb. Nick sighed and looked down. "The lockers didn't say anything..." Nick replied, although that much was obvious, but Kris only nodded and stood to search more thoroughly through her locker.
"So who did...?"
"Why?"
She shrugged and squinted as she continued to riffle through her locker. "Humor me."
"...Grissom."
"I figured."
"How?"
"If it was anyone else you'd have said something to them instead of punching your locker..." Nick was silent; still reminiscing on the horrible argument between his boss and him. "So what'd he say...?"
Nick sighed and shook his head. "He just...brought up some tender events from the past."
"Turn."
"Excuse me?" Nick looked over at her for the first time since she entered the locker room.
She did a turning motion with her finger. "Turn." She held up the first aid kit she had been looking for and sat down to straddle the bench and face him. He turned slowly and did the same. She set the kit open in between them and motioned for his injured knuckles. "Ya know, that's weird; you write with your right hand, but punch things with your left..." Kris noted absently. He held his hand out to her and she opened the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and produced a cotton swab.
"I've been in this situation before..."
"Punching lockers or sleeping with people you shouldn't?"
"How'd you know it was about Jessica?"
"I'm a good guesser..." Kris replied, not looking up from his hand as she carefully dabbed the wounds across his knuckles and Nick hissed at the contact.
"Well...anyway, he just...he hit below the belt, and then told me I couldn't see her again."
"He said you couldn't?"
"Well, he said I shouldn't."
Kris looked up, cotton swab mid-air. "And you wanted him to say you couldn't, that way it wasn't your choice..." Kris guessed and Nick looked at her slightly dumbfounded and nodded.
"He sounded like my father."
"Yeah, all of you guys pretty much see him as a father don't you?"
"Except for Sara." Nick replied and Kris looked up at him, wondering if he knew the actual truth about them or not. Hearing the casualness in his voice, Kris determined that he didn't know, and decided to keep her mouth shut about them as she had promised.
"You were seeking validation and found disappointment." Kris stated more than asked.
"As much as I hate to admit it, yes." Nick replied and watched as she put the peroxide away and pulled out the Neosporin to apply over the wounds so that they would heal without scarring.
"Did he just lash out at you or what? How did you approach the situation?"
Nick sighed and shook his hair out of his eyes, his other hand being too burned to really move. "He didn't lash out...not at first. I kinda just blurted it out...then freaked out cause he gave me the 'look-of-disapproval' that he normally gives Greg, so I kinda..."
"Lied?"
Nick sighed and shot her a look. "For lack of a better word..." He shook his head and watched as she took out the gauze and began to carefully wrap it around his hand. "So um...after that he started getting angry."
"Well that's understandable. Grissom hates being lied to."
"How do you know?"
Kris smirked and looked up at him matter-of-factly. "Do you know a soul who likes being lied to...?"
Nick thought about this, and then looked back to the locker absently. "And I got angry cause he got angry."
"Unrequited rationale can be a bitch."
"Hell yeah." Nick mumbled. "So he just told me to cut off all ties to her..."
"Are you off the case?"
"Yep."
Kris nodded and sealed up the bandage and reached into the small cooler section of the kit for the gel-ice pack. She handed it to him and he placed it over his hand. "Is that why you poured coffee all over your hand?" Kris asked and took out the coolant to be applied to burns and began soothing it over the burn, ignoring the hisses of pain Nick was liberating.
"Sorta..." Nick replied and Kris nodded and applied gauze over the wound.
"What'd you accomplish by these random acts of violence...?" Kris asked robotically.
"Injured hands."
She began to pack up the kit and place it back in her locker before turning back to him and running a hand through her hair tiredly. "So...what now?"
"I don't know. I just have to wait around for another case to turn up..."
"Hey, until then why don't you call Jessica and break her dear little heart." Kris replied a devious smile on her face and Nick shot her a glare. She chuckled and stood up from the bench and walked towards the door.
"Hey Anderson ..." Nick called and Kris turned back towards him. "Thanks..." He said reluctantly and Kris nodded.
"Don't mention it...ever." She answered and walked away from the room before Nick rolled his eyes and scoffed.
CSI HQ
Janitor Closet
3:58 a.m.
Catherine rolled her eyes and tried her hardest not to ridicule the overly polite welcome the blonde Southerner from Miami was issuing Catherine over the phone. When the overly energetic girl was finished she handed the phone back to Horatio Cane and Catherine released a small chuckle. "Well she's...expressive."
Horatio chuckled. "Well, that's Calleigh for you." Catherine sighed barely audibly and rubbed her forehead. "Have you given our offer anymore thought?"
"Actually yes...but, before I make my final decision I have to talk to my daughter...she needs to be informed of this."
"Of course...I didn't know you had a daughter." He replied matter-of-factly.
"She's thirteen."
"Tough age."
Catherine scoffed and nodded. "Yeah..." You have no friggin clue buddy... "I um...I just wanted to know how much longer I have to think about this."
"Take as much time as you need Ms. Willows. Your reputation at CSI precedes you, anyone who works with Dr. Gil Grissom is of much valuable resources here."
"Did you offer Gil the position?"
"Yes, he declined."
"Can I ask when that was?"
"Certainly...it was merely a few weeks ago."
Ha! And he didn't tell us...well...at least now I don't have to feel guilty about leaving everyone out of the loop. "Well...I just need to think this over a little longer."
"Certainly Ms. Willows. I hope to hear from you soon."
"Thank you Mr. Cane."
"Please, call me Horatio. I thought we established that last time you were here." Horatio joked lightly and Catherine smiled slightly.
"We did, and please, call me Catherine." She could hear him grin on the other end of the phone. "Good bye Horatio."
"Goodbye Catherine."
Grissom's Office
4:19 a.m.
"Hello Catherine." Grissom greeted and peeled his glasses off of his tired eyes. He eyed her with concern. "Are you alright?"
The look on her face was one that held most importance and appeared to hold an agonizing secret. She sighed and closed the door behind her and swept her blonde hair off of her shoulder. "...We need to talk Gil."
Grissom sat back in his chair, a look of confusion, betrayal, and slight anger on his face. He brought his hand to his mouth and traced his parted lips with his finger as he held his glasses by the ear piece and processed the information. After a few moments he brought his piercing blue eyes back up his long time friend in the chair across from him.
Her body was tense, with her shoulders scrunched up and back slightly as she gripped the black leather armrests of the metal and leather chair and awaited his reaction on baited breath. Her lips were drawn in a tight line, her expression unreadable, and her intense blue eyes focused and determined. "...Are you going to take the position?" He questioned softly, almost disbelievingly.
She puckered her lips slightly and looked away, over to the shelf that contained his pig fetus, affectionately named 'Ms. Piggy', and the pickled frog embalmed in the jar next to the pig, ironically named 'Kermit'. She stared at the embalmed animals without really looking at them and released a sharp breath. "I was thinking about it."
He stared at her in disbelief, his eyes drawn tight and iced over in puzzlement. His hand had long dropped from his mouth and was now dangling it from the armrest of his chair as he stared at the blonde in utter perplexity and disappointment. "Why?" He asked as if he really couldn't fathom why she would convey such an action.
"I need a change of pace Gil..."
Déjà vu...why do women keep saying this to me?! Grissom asked himself silently and looked at her, his mouth agape and his brows furred. "What about Lindsey?"
"I think the move would be good for her..."
"What about Warrick?"
Catherine inhaled leisurely and manifestly, she had known that was coming. She looked away once again and dug her nails further into the leather rests before she released the material from underneath her manicured nails and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and folding her hands in front of her mouth as if she were whispering a secret into praying hands, her eyes cast away in shame. "What about Warrick?"
"Catherine..." Gil said as if to reply, 'Don't play coy with me, Catherine'.
She sighed and looked back over to him and set him with a hard glare. "There is nothing there." She said firmly. "His presence or absence does not impinge upon my absolute conclusion."
"Bull." Catherine dropped her jaw slightly and looked away quickly before slowly dragging her gaze back to him. He shook his head. "What happened?"
"Don't worry about it. It doesn't concern you."
"Yes it does, when it involves your decision to either stay in position in this lab or move across the Southern US, it does." Gil snapped firmly and Catherine sighed angrily.
"We had a fight."
"Must've been one Hell of a fight."
"You wouldn't understand Gil." She snipped, this was really all blowing out of proportion...
"Well help me understand Catherine."
"It's none of your concern Gil! This isn't about Warrick! This isn't about what went wrong with us; this is about me doing what's best for my family." Catherine replied firmly, her temper beginning to flare.
"Are you taking the position Catherine?" Gil snapped tiredly and Catherine sighed, about ready to breathe fire.
"I'm strongly considering it..." Catherine let the sentence trail off, challenging him to comment on it. "They told me they offered you the position last month..." Gil's head snapped up and blue met blue, both taxing, both uncertain. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"I declined the position...there wasn't really a need to cause a stir throughout the team for nothing."
"But we're your family Gil, as much as you'd love to deny it, we are."
"I don't deny that." Grissom defended and Catherine sighed.
"And I'm the closest thing you've got to a best friend...so why are you leaving me out of the loop?"
"It wasn't of any concern. I didn't even give it a second thought. You were busy with Lindsey, and everyone just seemed too preoccupied to be worried about something that didn't need worrying about."
Catherine sighed again as they lapsed into awkward silence. "From an occupation stance...would this be a good career move?"
Grissom sighed tiredly and threw his glasses to the desk as he dragged a hand over his face. "Yes...you could do the job, they could use the help, and you could excel far there..." Grissom reluctantly admitted. "...We'd all miss you here Catherine." Grissom added, as if she didn't already know. "Not just professionally...like you said, we're a family..."
Grissom informed her while squirming. These heart-to-hearts always made him uncomfortable. "But we'd support you...no matter what your decision."
Catherine sighed and sat back in the chair...that was what she had been afraid of. Their support meant their acceptance...which meant she was one step closer to leaving them.
CSI Break Room
5:12 a.m.
"How much closer are you to leaving Sara?" Warrick teased lightly as Sara sat on the bench in the locker room, still going over the notes from the newest case she and Nick had picked up.
"Not much...we're not allowed to take this home, so sue me for wanting to get all my work done." Sara snapped lightly, a smirk on her face.
"Oh wait...we're not allowed to bring that home?" Kris half joked. "Crap, I've got a whole junk load of 'em..." She replied while throwing on her corduroy jacket and striped scarf.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Grissom called from his tiny little corner of the locker room, to which everyone erupted in laughter.
"So what're your plans for the night Griss?" Greg inquired.
"Bugs." Kris, Sara, Nick, and Warrick replied in unison.
"No..." Grissom objected, shocking everyone and causing them all to stare at him in shock. "Shakespeare." He answered and they all laughed.
"What about you Greg?" Sara asked, finally looking up form her case file. "What are your plans?"
"Ah well, my dear Sara, I am planning on sleeping, sleeping, and...more sleeping."
"Lucky man. I've got a bunch of errands to run...I'll be lucky if I get an hour's worth of sleep in." Kris replied and Warrick shook his head.
"That's not healthy girl...you need more sleep."
"Ah, yeah, like you and Nick will be sleeping while you guys hang out today...you're gonna watch non-stop basket ball...admit it." Kris replied and Warrick smiled knowingly. He was glad he and Kris had come back to speaking terms. The locker room laughed and Grissom turned to see all of his team members, minus Catherine.
Geez...this is what it's going to be like from now on... Grissom thought sadly, and visibly depressed at the thought of 'the closest thing he had to a best friend' moving. He sighed softly and shook his head slightly as he continued to collect his things he'd need for the night from out of his locker.
How am I gonna tell them that one of our own, one of our family members, is leaving...? How can I tell them that the woman they most likely see as a mother is abandoning them? I mean sure, they've all had their quarrels in the past, who doesn't, but we've come through it all, and we've become stronger...now she's leaving them, and expecting to have our support...Geez this is gonna be hard. Grissom realized and looked up at the sound of his name. "Huh?"
Greg smirked and reiterated. "I said, where's Catherine?"
"Oh...she went home to Linds..." How am I gonna tell them...when am I gonna tell them?
"Oh, well, do you wanna come to breakfast anyway?" Kris asked and Grissom thought about it. Maybe now would be a good time to break it all to them and let them deal with it before they had to face her again.
"Um...yes. Yes, I'll come." Grissom agreed, and everyone smiled. Grissom returned the smile softly and walked out of the room to go to his office to do some intense planning before he dropped the bomb on them.
Local Diner
6:03 a.m.
"You dropped a bomb on me...baby. You dropped a bomb on me (but you turn me on, baby). You dropped a bomb on me, baby, you dropped a bomb on me. You turn me out, you turn me on, and turn me this, and you turn me on. You dropped a bomb on me, baby, you dropped a bomb on me. " Kris sang softly to the oldies 'The Gap Band' hit, You Dropped A Bomb and bobbed her head as she sat in her seat. Nick rolled his eyes and tried to drown out the singing as he searched his menu.
"Please God; let the diner clear out so there will be no witnesses when I kill her." Nick begged as he looked towards the ceiling, then wincing as a sharp kick was delivered to his shin, the express route from Kris. "Ow..." He replied and rubbed his shin. "Alright then, God, please let someone else get here to distract me from this torture..." He looked back at Kris and gave her a smug look. "Better?"
"Much." She replied in a monotone voice, without looking up from her menu. "Everyone needs to get here soon, I've gotta leave soon..."
"Want me to call 'em?" Nick asked, knowing that her phone hadn't been working properly. She thought about it, then sighed and shook her head.
"Nah, I don't wanna bother them...they're probably gonna arrive any second." Kris replied and Nick nodded and looked back towards the door of the diner, waiting impatiently for his friends to arrive.
"What's takin them so long?" Nick drawled a few minutes and Kris shrugged and set down her menu, finally figuring out what she wanted. She looked around absently and her gaze landed on his hand.
"How's your hand?" She asked and Nick shrugged.
"It's fine." He replied and sighed as he leaned back in the booth. The ding of the bell above the diner door made him open his eyes and look towards the entrance. He smiled when he saw Sara walk in and scan the diner for them. She smiled and nodded when she saw them and went over to sit next to Nick.
"Where is everybody?" Sara asked and Nick and Kris shrugged. As soon as they did so the door dinged again and Greg appeared in the doorway. He immediately found the table and slid in the booth next to Kris.
"Is Griss here yet?" Greg asked and everybody shook their heads. Warrick arrived at the table a few minutes later and sat down next to Greg, as Grissom arrived and took the empty space next to Sara.
"Is Catherine coming at all?" Kris asked and Grissom shook his head.
"No..." He sighed and looked down at his hands. The waitress came up and took their orders, and with a wink and flirty smile in Warrick's direction, went off to prepare the food. The group quickly slid into light conversation, mostly Greg and Sara teasing Warrick about the waitress as Grissom, Nick, and Kris sat back and shared uncomfortable glances, each of them knowing the real truth behind Warrick and Catherine.
A half hour and six plates of food later, Grissom decided to prepare the team for the, no doubt, heartbreaking and shocking news that they all had to face. "Alright...everybody...we need to talk." Grissom replied ominously causing everyone to look at him worriedly...no one was a fan of that tone. Grissom sighed and looked around the table, before quickly adverting his gaze back to his folded hands. "Today...earlier in my office...I spoke with Catherine about her career in the lab..."
Warrick stole a look at Nick to see if he had heard anything about this. When the Texan didn't look back at him, Warrick slid his gaze to Kris seated on the other side of Greg, she looked back at him pointedly, and he looked back at Grissom.
"It seems that...early yesterday morning, she was offered the position to head up Days..."
"Catherine's gonna work with Ecklie's minions?" Sara asked disbelievingly.
"We hate Days...everyone on Days sucks." Greg replied and Nick nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, why would Catherine wanna work on Days?" Nick asked and Grissom sighed.
"The position was for Day Shift...in Miami ..." He replied slowly. Everyone looked at him like they hadn't heard him. "Under the supervision of Horatio Cane."
"Horatio Cane?" Warrick blurted aggregately. That man pissed him off. He had been friendly...especially towards Catherine...which was the main reason as to why Warrick didn't like him.
"Is she taking the position?" Kris asked and Grissom sighed and looked back down.
"...She went home to talk to Lindsey...she's giving her final word by the end of next shift." Grissom explained and Kris blinked and looked away. Her face was neutral, but her eyes looked confused. Nick looked like someone had just told him that his puppy had been run over by a semi. Sara was fighting back tears and working her jaw angrily. Sure, she and the older woman had their problems in the past, but they had always worked past them and kindled a mother-daughter relationship. Greg was visibly grief stricken, holding his head with one hand and clenching the other in a fist on the table.
Warrick was by far the angriest. He looked like he was ready to punch the next thing that came along and crossed his path. He was grinding his teeth together and clenching his fists at his sides while glaring at the wall and panting heavily. He knew the real reason she was leaving...they had a fight and now she was looking for a way out. But they had both been angry and said things they didn't mean. He wasn't sure he was going to apologize, but now he was sure he wasn't going to.
If she was going to avoid this...then he would too.
Stokes/Anderson Residence
10:44 a.m.
"You're avoiding it." Hannah accused and Kris sighed and shook her head.
"What, so you can but I can't?"
"I didn't avoid it."
"You asked me the same question I asked you, that's avoiding it." Kris snapped and Hannah sighed.
"...Well I think I can pretty much guess the answer to my question..." Hannah replied softly and Kris sighed and held her head in her free hand.
"It was only four years ago...do you really expect it not to hurt anymore?" Kris snipped and Hannah chuckled dryly.
"No. It didn't. In fact, I'm glad it still bothers you. That way you can't just push it off to the side like you do everything else." Hannah retorted angrily and Kris glared at the wall.
"Alright, you want the truth? Fine! It hurts. It hurts a lot. And it hurts even more that I just found out I'm loosing someone else that's important to me okay!? Is that what you wanted?! Are you happy now!?" Kris yelled and Hannah was silent on the other end.
"What's happening down there?" She asked incredulously. Kris' anger simmered down a bit and she huffed and placed her head back in her hands.
"...Catherine's leaving."
"What? Why? Where?"
"She's going to be head of Day Shift in Miami."
"But Miami sucks..." Hannah reasoned and Kris chuckled dryly.
"I know."
"And isn't she like the mom to everybody there?"
"Yes."
"So she's leaving...?"
"Yep."
"That's horrible."
"I know. Just another new addition to a horrible day. Guess I should add this to The List huh?" Kris replied and Hannah gasped.
"Kristina Michelle Anderson you take that back right now!" She ordered with her voice cracking. "So help me God Kristina if you ever say that again I'm flying the Red Eye down there and kicking your ass so hard you won't have an ass left!" Hannah threatened angrily, thought Kristina could still tell she was crying. Kris looked down at her hands guiltily.
"I'm sorry Hannah...you know I'm not good with words, my timing sucks, and I use humor as a defense mechanism." Kris replied and Hannah sniffled angrily.
"I don't care Kris...that isn't something to joke about...please dear God don't ever joke like that." There was a slight lull in the conversation. "Do we need to talk about that?" Hannah replied in a Montana twang.
"No, no, no...that's just me bein (it should be 'being' but I'm not sure if you wanted that to be the southern pronunciation or not) stupid...I promise." Kris replied and Hannah sighed softly.
"You should talk to me sometime..."
"I talk to you practically everyday..."
"You know what I mean Kris."
"...Yeah..." Kris looked at the clock and sighed. "Alright Hannah, I gotta go...I'll talk to you later."
"Alright." Hannah said reluctantly. "Bye Kris...take care of yourself."
"Always. Love ya bunches."
"Love ya bundles."
Kris sighed and hung up the phone as she closed her eyes and rested her fist against her forehead as she lay sprawled out on her bed. A soft knock on her door drew her attention. "Yeah?" She croaked tiredly.
"Anderson ...why are you yellin? Are you alright in there?" Came Nick's half concerned drawl.
She sighed and kept her eyes closed. "I'm fine..."
"Alright." She heard him shuffle and move away from the door, but after a beat he replied. "I thought it was just my job as the sworn enemy/roommate to make sure you were still breathin and able to pay rent." Nick replied and Kris chuckled and shook her head.
"Fuck off Stokes."
"My pleasure." He shot back lightly and Kris laughed fully this time and shook her head once more.
"Sick-o..." She swore softly and smiled when she felt D.D. jump up on the bed and curl against her side. She began stroking the puppy softly. "Well...at least I know you aren't goin anywhere."
A/N: Alright, I bet NO ONE saw any of that comin...Oh Lordy the drama! How about the usual breakdown, eh?
Geeklove: So Kris knows...I swear to Goodness that woman knows everything. She's omniscient (lol, Word-of-the-Day). So, how will Sara take the news of Catherine's possible departure? Will she be mad she was left out of the loop? Will their 'secret relationship' be a secret for long...?
YOBLING: Wow...I messed them up completely didn't I? And now I'm sending Catherine away...possibly. Should we bring in a girl for Rick...could her name be, oh, say, Tina?!?!? Muah ah ah! (That's an evil laugh XD). And what's the whole deal between the Icky Horatio Cane and Miss Catherine Willows? BLECH! Also, I understand Horatio was married (for like two seconds) or something like that to a chick in Miami ...I don't know when that happened, but I'm pretending like it didn't. Pretend like we know nothing about the CSIs in Miami and there isn't a show, because I'm rewriting everything...because I can.
'Nick/Kris' Hate: Not so unbearable today. I decided I couldn't be TOO mean with them considering the day's events. But yeah...Nicky has a little temper in this doesn't he? And Kris has a (possible) soft side...? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD??!!?!?!
Kegger: Hmm...so they're "In the CSI grapevine/Rumor Rose" now... (PS, I made up that whole 'Rumor Rose' saying...isn't it cool!? XD Kudos to me) lol. How will Kegger deal with everything, PLUS their new little rumor in circulation...? I don't know. Maybe they won't...
Alright my little Kinsy Kins, review like good girls and boys (do any boys read this stuff...for some reason I always picture the authors and readers as women...) Anyway, you should review...and I accept criticism...so feel free to criticize...except if it's about the long updates. That's kinda out of my control...take that up with TPTB...
'Till next chapter...
-Futuremisscsi60, OUT!! (lol...oh Ryan...)