Curiosity

Chapter 16

The late afternoon class had just started.

"Curiosity killed the cat," Daniel's opening line of his lecture seemed to immediately catch the attention of all the students in class, "but did we have to threaten cruelty to an animal just to get a point across?"

A few chuckles could be heard around the room before he continued.

"So what exactly does that phrase mean?" Daniel asked. He turned to Max, "Mr. Lewicki, do you care to comment as to the meaning behind the phrase 'Curiosity killed the cat'?"

"All I know is that if curiosity is guilty of the kill, then that means I'm not, " he jested, as another bursts of laughs was heard throughout the room.

When the noise level died down, Katherine then raised her hand when, "Dr. Pierce, could the phrase mean that sometimes it's dangerous being curious?"

"In a heavy handed way, I suppose you're right, Katherine," Daniel circumvented, "However, the simpler gist of that phrase is that if you are too interested in things you should not be interested in, you could be causing yourself problems or worse, danger."

And after his last adventure, Daniel could totally relate to that. He leaned folded his arms and against his desk now.

"So why is that phrase so well known? It's because curiosity is important to human nature," Daniel explained, "If you want people to pay attention to what you say, to hook them in to your ideas, the most effective way of making them listen, is to make them curious. Which brings me to my next question regarding curiosity...when is it that we usually become curious? and why only at certain times?"

He looked around and Sara raised her hand, "Could it be we get curious when we encounter something surprising or perplexing?"

Daniel pointed at her, "Yes, yes! ..but what if, for example, you are sitting at a table in a restaurant and you become enamored with two strangers' conversation? Surely the gossip they must be communicating is neither surprising or perplexing, yet what holds our attention?"

James raised his hand, "Depends on how good looking they are?"

More chuckling, as James fist-bumped his male friend sitting next to him.

"For the more shallow people, I'll have to agree," Daniel said with a slight smile, "but for the introspective ones here... in a nutshell, we get curious because there is a gap in our knowledge or understanding..."

Dani raised her hand, "A gap? Couldn't it be we just love other people's gossip?"

Daniel pointed his finger, "You've made an excellent point! But before I elaborate on what you have said, you've reminded me that I need to tell the class some very important news regarding passing this class..."

The class leaned forward.

"Dr. Pierce?" Lewicki was the first to speak out, mildly alarmed, "You alright? You were going to tell the students something important?"

Daniel suddenly seemed to snap out of it.

"Oh yes...something important..."" Daniel resumed as everyone again leaned forward, "The first thing you must do is...never mind."

Everyone looked around, complete puzzlement on their faces.

"Did you forget, Dr. Pierce?" Faith asked out loud as the murmurings got louder.

Daniel began pacing as he continued his lecture.

"You've just experienced a gap in knowledge," Daniel informed everyone, "This 'not knowing' induces the feeling of deprivation akin to hunger and motivates us to obtain the missing information to reduce or eliminate this feeling. As a professor I had something important to announce and it became important for you to know what I had to say. It shifted your attention to the fact that I know something that you don't, but that you felt you NEEDED to know, therefore a gap in your knowledge occurred. That is exactly what happens when we listen to strangers conversing. It seems as though they know something we do not and we listen further to gain their knowledge."

Nadia raised her hand, "So why isn't it that we are not curious about everything we don't know?"

"Yes, Dr. Pierce," one person of interest agreed, "Why do some things interest us and other things bores us?"

"Ah, fair questions, indeed,, " Daniel nodded, "When there is no prior knowledge or experience about something, we're less likely to get curious. For example, if I said Joe Blo tripped and fell," chances are you wouldn''t be interested simply because you have no knowledge or experience with Joe Blo. But if a celebrity tripped and fell, we may be more likely to want to hear more, depending on how well we like this famous person."

Sophie raised her hand, "So our curiosity stems from the feeling that we are trying to close an information gap?"

"Exactly!" Daniel nodded, looking pleased, "We are always looking for that last piece of a puzzle to make our picture complete. For instance, your curiosity will be much greater right before you're given the last clue to finding the murderer in a mystery story than one of the first clues that does not fully close the gap. And once that gap is solved, we move on to the next curiosity."

And though Daniel continued on with his lecture, internally, it reminded him of how he was satisfied with closing the mysteries of the mailed letters along with the murder of Hilda Jones.

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An hour later when Kate opened the door to Daniel office, she saw him intently writing in his yellow legal pad. The sight of him so immersed in his studies made her smile. She admired the depth of his concentration; she often wondered what went on in that brilliant mind of his.

"May I come in?" she asked.

"Kate..." Daniel looked up and Kate loved that he automatically stood with a bright smile on his face when he saw it was her, "Yes, please, come in," he gestured to the seat across from him.

"I hope you're not still mad at Lewicki and me, for keeping the secret about the letters from you," she announced, as she sat.

"My initial reaction was all the anxiousness you had caused me," Daniel admitted, "but later, I realized how it made me aware of my curiosity and I liked that it made my mind active instead of passive."

"And don't forget," Kate said, "it helped you solve a murder case too. The letters were the beginning of piquing your interest more about Hilda Jones."

"Oh, I think you're always good at interesting me, Kate," Daniel said and then his eyes got slightly larger when he realized what he had just stated, "No, wait what I meant was...

His anxiety actually caused Kate to knowingly smile this time, "Daniel, that's alright. There's nothing to explain. You've brought interest into my life, too."

He swallowed hard as he gave her a nervous look, "I did?"

"Yes," Kate concurred, "So can we move on or are we going to continue being awkward?"

Daniel was relieved but instead of changing to another subject, he decided he needed to get out what had been on his mind all morning.

"Actually, Kate," Daniel looked directly in the soft browns of her eyes, "there's something I've been wanting to tell you, that I've been thinking about."

He looked so solemn that caught Kate by surprised. She cleared her throat, "Go on, I'm listening."

"It's just that," Daniel began slowly, "I just gave a lecture on curiosity...and I then it got me curious about other things..."

"Like?"

"Like us..."

"...us..." Kate began with uncertainly, but her attention was totally focused on what Daniel would say next.

A warm current ran underneath her at his wanting to talk about something personal. Something was definitely happening between them. She experienced an ache inside at the thought that Daniel was finally opening up to her. Daniel's eyes seemed fathomless eyes to her and now she could see glints of desire and warmth in the depths.

"I think you know there's something between us, Kate."

Kate didn't look away, "I think so too." She almost whispered it.

Daniel seemed pleased, "Great! Because I have a puzzle for you to figure out."

Kate look confused. One minute he was being honest and open and now he was back to being evasive.

She let out a frustrated sigh "A puzzle, Daniel?" she wasn't sure she was going to like this, "Alright...I'll give it my best shot. Go ahead."

"It's a simple one, really," Daniel said with a half-smile, "it's I.L.Y."

Kate was taken aback. The meaning was clear. She felt flutterings in the pit of her stomach.

"Oh, Daniel..."

"Give up on the puzzle?" he looked directly at her, causing goosebumps to ride up her back, "then I guess I'll have to say it directly: 'I love you', Kate,"

Kate was overwhelmed. For the first time, Daniel was laying out his emotions, and it touched her heart. He was an extraordinary man who deserved to be loved for himself.

"I don't need to speak in codes." she responded softly, with a warmth in her eyes, "I love you, too, Daniel."

That's all he needed to hear as Daniel's heart thudded wildly in response. Then sliding his hand under her jaw, he turned her face upward and fitted his lips to hers and made her feel lightheaded with the passion of his kiss.

When they separated, Daniel suggested, "Let's spend some time together, Kate. Time spent not solving cases but time spent just being ourselves."

Her face seemed to glow, "I'd like that."

"We can start by going over to that restaurant around the corner." he suggested.

It was so easy to talk with her now, and yet he had wasted so much time not saying the right things. Not any longer.

"Okay," Kate agreed, slightly breathless over everything that just occurred.

"I better warn you something about me, though," Daniel said in all seriousness.

Simmering amusement showed in Kate's eyes. He had so far to go...yet it would all be worth it at the end.

"Okay, what is it, Daniel?"

"When we go in the coffee shop?" Daniel told her, "I'm having tea."

"Agreed," Kate stood up, a smile shining on her face, "let's go have our tea."

Daniel slowly stood. He came around the desk and then he crooked his arm and offered it to Kate. Her shy smile at the gesture warmed his heart as her fingers nestled in the bent of his arm.

"Good," Daniel looked pleased, "because not only am I curious, I'm nosy as well. I'll want to know everything about you. Everything."

"Then get ready for a rootin-tootin time!" she jested.

"As long as rootin' or tootin' means you're paying," he teased back.

Daniel's gaze was teasing, flirtatious, and with a rush of delight, Kate knew a new chapter in their relationship had begun and they both looked forward to it.

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They walked out into the sunshine of the Chicago weather. Students strolled between the ivy-strewn building. It was a perfect day as they strolled down a pathway, eagerly teasing and conversing easily with one another.

"So is there anything harder for you to do than solving a case?" Kate asked as they walked through the campus walkway, her hand still securely tucked away in his arm.

"Let me think about that," Daniel pretended to be in deep thought, "Yes, there is one image that immediately comes to mind."

Kate lifted an eyebrow, "Oh? And what is that, Daniel?"

"I would think," Daniel declared, "that nailing jello to a tree would be sooo much more difficult..."

Kate laughed.

"It's going to take a long time for me to fully understand how your mind works, Daniel," she stated.

He smiled knowingly into her eyes, "I hope it's a lifetime, Kate."

(Daniel's voiceover) Humans have a deeply curious nature. Our curiosity has us doing utterly unproductive things like reading news about people we will never meet, learning topics we will never have use for, or exploring places we will never go back to. Yet that same curiosity is what makes us interested in what is happening immediately around us; whether that consists of listening to a lecture in a classroom. solving a puzzle, or conversing with a loved one.

So one day, when you have finally found that one special person who completes you, your curiosity for him or her will multiply to an indefinite number. Be thankful for that, because love will find a way of keeping you curious about that one person...forever...

And Daniel and Kate walked away in the direction of a perfect sunset...

(Cue sharply playing violin music)

*Students pass back and fro in front of an archaic Gothic building on campus *

(Camera then pans up to the skies)

Clouds

(Violin music abruptly stops)

*****Black screen******

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And...it's finite!

(As you can see, I did not end up following season 2 after all; If I had, they would have just said good-bye after a case without even a look-back. Ugh. I'm going to end it the way it should be! You listening to me, TNT?) :D

Thanks as always to all the readers/reviewers. You are truly my motivation for writing. See you next season!

Please review!