Chapter Twenty Four

Jim and Catherine sat in the parking lot at the Hotel where David's reception was held. They had been discussing the evenings events for a few minutes when they saw Grissom. He was practically running out to his car.

"Where's he going so fast?" Jim pointed in Gil's direction.

"Very interesting." Catherine got a wicked grin.

"Wanna follow him?" Jim offered.

"No." She chuckled. "Let's see who follows HIM." She winked at Jim and he smiled knowingly.

They watched silently as Gil sped out of the parking lot. They waited a few minutes and saw Sara walking out to her car, a big smile on her face as she reached for her cell phone.

"Now this can NOT be a coincidence." Catherine stated. Jim nodded in approval. "Let' see where she goes."

Jim started his car and followed after Sara, driving several cars behind her so he wouldn't be noticed. They followed her down the strip and out of the bright lights of the city.

"This is NOT where she lives." Catherine smiled.

Sara looked in her rearview mirror. She had noticed Jim and Catherine following her a while ago. She was going to go to Gil's but decided to take the duo on a detour. She picked up her cell to call Gil again.

"Hey, Sweetie. Miss me already?" Gil's voice was low and seductive.

"Babe. I'm being followed."

"What? Call Brass!"

"No, uh. He's the one following me! He and Catherine, I think."

"Shit." She heard him curse under his breath. She smiled.

"Look, I am going to take them for a little ride. So, uh, I will be a bit late, Babe."

Grissom chuckled. "Ok. Play nice."

Sara pulled off the main road. She noticed that Jim did not follow her. She smiled and drove on, taking a detour around and back to the main road. She smiled as she passed Jim and Catherine. They were pulled over at a gas station.

"Hey! That was her!" Catherine smiled. "She was trying to ditch us!"

"What? No way! She had no idea I was following her."

"Well, I think you might want to revisit your stalking methods. Because she KNEW we were following her."

"Whatever." Jim started the car up again. "Cath, this is rediculous. I have work to do and you have a shift to start."

"You're a spoilsport! I didn't know you gave up so quickly."

"I'm not. We KNOW where she's going. Why else would she try to ditch us?"

"Yeah, you're probably right." Catherine agreed. They headed off to the lab.

David Hodges sat in the break room waiting for a new pot of coffee to get done brewing. It was a quiet night. Most of the Night Shift was off and had subs working for them, but he was there. Some people weren't as dedicated to their jobs. He smiled as Catherine hurried past. She rolled her eyes at him. Would she ever appreciate the genius of his mind? Grissom knew. They were so much alike.

"Hey, David." Henry entered the room and grabbed a juice from the refrigerator. "Guess only a few of us are working, huh?"

"Yeah. Not everyone is as dedicated to their jobs, apparently." Hodges took a cup out of the cupboard.

"I saw Catherine in Grissom's office. Guess she's in charge tonight, but I thought for sure Grissom would be here. He left kind of early."

"Yeah. I noticed that. And Sara left a few minutes later." He raised an eyebrow and stared at Henry.

"What?" Henry was confused at Hodges expression at first. "Are you insinuating that she followed him home?"

"You didn't hear it from me." Hodges poured a cup of coffee and started to walk off towards Trace.

"Do you KNOW this or THINK this?" Henry followed him to the lab. "You can't just say things like that and not know for sure."

Hodges pulled Henry into the lab and held his finger up to his mouth indicating him to be quiet. They stood still and listened to the duo walking by the room.

"Yeah, I know! Did you see them dancing? I mean, wow!" Mandy was walking by with Nick. Hodges nodded to Henry and they followed behind Mandy and Nick listening in. Hodges grabbed a file on the counter and held it between he and Henry, pretending to look at it as they walked.

"I mean, why don't they just do it an get it over with already! Why the hesitation? It's kind of obvious they would be good together." Mandy was getting louder as she spoke.

"Hey, calm down! I know what you're saying. But I think they tried once a long time ago and they decided friends was better. I mean, it IS obvious there is still this tension there, but I don't think Grissom would cross the line between Supervisor and Employee." Nick turned the corner into the break room, Mandy behind him.

"I don't know, Nicky. I wouldn't be so sure, I mean..."Nick held up his hand to her. And nodded out towards the hallway. Henry and Hodges were standing there, looking at a file. Nick smiled and walked out into the hallway, peering over Henry's shoulder.

"You know, boys, files are easier to read if they aren't upside down." Nick chuckled and headed back into the breakroom. Mandy snickered as she poured a cup of coffee.

"Later." She declared to Nick as she left the room.

Hodges and Henry took off towards Trace. Once in the safety of Hodges lab, Henry let out a loud groan. "Thanks! That was fun, Hodges! We looked like idiots!"

"Nooo. Nick's just jealous." Hodges said smugly and started to get to work again.

"Jealous? Of what? We were following them and got caught!" Henry crossed his arms and huffed in frustration.

"Hiya, boys!" Mandy said a little too bubbly for the mood in the lab. "Find anything interesting?"

"Look, Im sorry, but we were talking about Grissom and Sara and then you walked by..."

"Ah, so. I am NOT the only one." Mandy focused her gaze on Hodges.

Hodges put down the slide he was preparing and turned towards Mandy, leaning a hip on the edge of the counter and crossing his arms across his chest. "So, what do you know?"

"Know? I don't KNOW anything. I have ideas."

"Well, I know Grissom is a loner. Not the settling down type. So, whatever they have MUST be just a way of working off the tension, if you know what I mean?"

Mandy and Henry rolled their eyes at him.

"Hodges, I think they are in love but in denial. They had something before and it didn't work. But, I mean, here they are, right? Still involved in one another's lives. You could just see and feel the sexual tension between them tonight on that dancefloor."

"Yeah, and Grissom left soon after. And Sara followed a few minutes later." Henry offered.

"Hmmm. Interesting." Mandy tapped her fingers on the edge of the counter as she stood thinking. "Maybe they have a 'friends with benefits' thing going."

"What's that?" Henry asked looking to Hodges to see if he was as confused. Hodges just gave him a look and shook his head. He walked up to him a put an arm across his shoulder. Henry flinched at the touch, wondering what was going on with Hodges.

"Henry, you have a lot to learn." Mandy rolled her eyes and pulled Henry out of Hodges grasp.

"It means that they aren't a couple, but friends who sometimes work off their frustrations together."

"You mean by having sex?" He said the last word quieter than the rest. Hodges just raised a brow and pointed at him. "Oh." Henry said and smiled. "That actually does make sense."

"Well, boys, I'm glad we cleared that all up. I have work to do." Mandy strode out of the room and down the hall.

"So, you really think Grissom is having an affair with a suboordinate?" Henry asked of Hodges, not seeing Catherine stop behind them and smile. This she had to hear!

"Grissom is a complicated man. One woman could never understand his intellectual intricacies. See, he is a lot like I am. It's hard to find someone who is able to adjust to all the facets of our personalities."

"Except your mom." Henry smiled but hid it as soon as he saw the look on Hodges face. Hodges was about to say something when they heard a muffled laugh behind them. They both turned to see Catherine standing there, smiling at them.

"So, you think Grissom is having an affair with Sara?"

"Oh, uh...I ...uh..." Hodges was speechless.

"Well, I think there's a lot of work to get done and you need to put all this gossip energy into your work."

"Yes, maam." Hodges turned to get to work and Henry exited the lab quickly.

"David, if you admire Gil so much, you need to think about the consequences of these rumors. If word got out and Ecklie heard? He'd be fired!"

"Oh." Hodges stood there thinking for a moment. "Grissom doesn't deserve that."

"No. I think we understand one another?" Catherine stood cross armed waiting for an answer.

"Yeah. We're fine. In complete understanding. Mum's the word." He closed his lips and made the motion as if he was zipping his mouth shut. Catherine smiled at him and nodded. As she made her way down the hall to Grissom's office, she picked up her phone and called Brass.

"Guess what I just heard?"

A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed. I really appreciate it! I had to get the lab rats involved in this story somehow. I always thought Hodges knew more about Gil and Sara than he let on and was quiet out of his respect for Grissom. But thats just me. So, more fun ensues!! Please leave a review! Wendy.