Chapter 9
A/N Lets get this into high gear! The prompt for this chapter is: Grissom asking Catherine for some sort of advice, but she doesn't "get" that he's talking about himself and Sara
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"Sara?" Grissom asked quietly.
"Yes," she responded thoughtfully.
"I just wanted you to know that.." he paused, awkwardly, "I um, I don't usually do this after just one, I mean two, dates."
She smiled.
"You do believe me, don't you?"
"Well," she grinned an evil grin, "My boss says I should follow the evidence…" she left the sentence unfinished. The implication was enough.
"Anyhow," she continued, "Its not really the first or second date. We've been dating on and off about 8 years now. It's not like we just met at a bar."
"You have captivated me since the moment I met you, Sara," he sincerely informed her, "You are the only woman in the world for me. This morning has just made me realize it even more."
"Yes, it was good, wasn't it?" she confirmed, smiling broadly.
"Good isn't even close to how it was," he said, smiling slyly.
"Ok Romeo," she answered, "Tonight, but now I must go to work because I have an appointment with a handsome dance instructor."
He made a face she had never seen him make before.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Nothing." He lied. "Just be safe."
He tried to hide the jealousy that he was feeling, but was clearly failing.
"I have someone to live for," she kissed him on the lips, gently, seductively, teasing him for more.
"Sara," he said hesitantly, "I'm going to tell you something, but you do not have to reciprocate." A long pause, "Sara, I love you, I think I always have, but now I am sure."
She smiled again, and this time, she replied, "I have loved you forever Grissom, and I know what to do about this!"
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She arrived at the dance studio only 10 minutes late. Impressive, she thought, considering, well, the activities of the morning and afternoon.
"Carlos," she called, breezing into the room, "I'm here for my lesson."
Carlos came through the door behind her.
"Damn cops," he spat, "what the fuck is their problem?"
She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Shit, Sara, I'm sorry, you are a cop kinda aren't you?" he seemed moderately embarrassed by his statement.
"Its ok Carlos," she replied, "we all have our own opinions. What happened?"
"Well I was driving down Flamingo Boulevard, running late as usual, when this asshole cop pulled me over and ticketed me for reckless driving. Seriously? Reckless? How can I be reckless with all these damn tourists going 2 miles an hour gawking at the lights."
"So you weren't driving recklessly?" she asked, "I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't just get a ticket for no reason at all."
"Well, I could have been going a little too fast, and I probably did cut a car or two off, but man, I mean I'm not the only one who is frustrated by these hicks driving on our roads."
"Yes, but you have to be safe, Carlos," she took the police stance, "You could have hurt yourself or someone else."
She could tell he wasn't buying her advice.
"What do you drive?" he asked her.
"A really nice blue Prius," she answered, proud of her contribution to keeping Vegas Green.
"Well I drive a red Camaro, and it's a drag how many times I get stopped just for driving while in a red sportscar."
"I'm so sorry you have been treated badly," she tried to get him to change the subject, "But that must be a really nice car if so many people pay close attention to it!"
"Oh yes, Lola," he answered, "You know, like the Barry Manilow song. The old dame from the Copa?"
"Nice!" she answered.
"Speaking of the Copa," she found her transition, "How about dancing with me?"
"Your wish is my command," he replied, returning to his usual charming self.
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After two solid hours of dancing, Carlos wished Sara a good evening and commended her for her work on the routines.
"You were very sexy this evening," he complimented her, "You seem like you have found your confidence!"
"I have," she confided.
"He must be a very lucky man," Carlos answered.
She smiled, but turned just slightly pink, blushing that he could easily read what she had been up to earlier that day.
"Um, well, thank you," Sara changed the subject yet again, "One more lesson tomorrow?"
"Yes, that is it, one more and then you are on your own, but you will do well!" he said.
"Thanks Carlos, it's been fun!"
"My pleasure, darling, my pleasure for sure."
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Meanwhile, Grissom had stopped by Catherine's home prior to going to work. He found her up and around on crutches, pushing it way too soon for his liking.
"Does your doctor know you are up and moving around?" he asked.
"No, dad," she replied, "I'm ok though, I'm not putting any weight on it and I'm being very careful."
"As careful as you were at the Cirque?" he asked, sarcastically.
"Ok, I got your drift, I'll sit," she responded, "But I just wanted to get a cup of coffee and I didn't think it would be nice to ask you to make it."
"I know where the coffee is Catherine, I'll get my own."
"Well, I've got one of those one cup coffee thingys now, so you just pour in a cup of water and then put the little cuppy thing in the top and push the button."
"I can figure it out, Catherine, thank you!"
"There's some nice Earl Grey tea there too."
"That's great, I'll make one for myself."
When he came back to the living room, he sat across from Catherine.
"Catherine," he began, "I just was wondering, I mean if you don't mind me asking, did you ever get jealous of Eddie when you were married?"
"Oh hell no," she answered, "I was always much better off than him!"
"No, I mean," he stumbled, trying to find the words without revealing too much, "I mean did you ever GET jealous when he was with other women?"
"No, not really, he was always stepping out on me," she answered, shaking her head in the memory, "I think I might have been jealous the first time or two, but after I had Lindsay, I knew he'd be coming home."
He nodded.
"But once I knew for a fact that it was happening, I got mad, not jealous, really really mad."
"How did you handle it?" he asked.
"Well, I wanted to go slap the bitch," she answered, "But I didn't want to have an assault charge and loose my job."
"Good decision," he said, confirming her choice.
"So I went to a lawyer and drafted divorce papers and took Lindsay, the house, the van, and all of the other things I busted my ass to get, and left him with his little tramp."
"Well, I guess that won't work for me," he answered.
"You jealous?" she laughed, "Of what? Or who? Did Conrad get another promotion? Did someone else's cockroach beat yours?"
Realizing what he had just said, he tried to backtrack.
"Well, yes, its just that, well, this friend of mine, from school, got a great job with NASA and I was a little let down…" he thought he had come up with a response quickly enough. He was wrong.
"You are jealous of Ecklie, aren't you?" she asked, "You decided that you did want the directorship!"
"You are too smart for me, Catherine, I can't keep anything from you."
"I know, I'm a great CSI for a reason!" she smiled, sipping her coffee.
He smiled and thought, OK, dodged that bullet.
"So," she changed the subject, "How's our little dancer doing?"
"She's great," he replied, without thinking about it to closely, "I mean, she's doing fine."
"Speaking of Sara," she broke in to his thoughts of earlier in the day, "She should be here shortly. Can you two play nicely in my living room?"
"I think that can be arranged."
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Carlos took Flamingo home later that evening. It was not his usual route, but he wanted to test his theory that it was his car and not his driving that had earned him the hefty ticket.
It was too bad that he had not taken his normal route.
A dark grey car pulled up beside him and rode eise him, pacing him, all the way up Flamingo. When he prepared to turn, the car pulled up beside him and "BANG" Carlos knew nothing else. He was dead.
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A/N Thanks so much for reading and writing reviews! I hope you are enjoying!