Title: The Missing Person
Author: Ann
Pairing: Catherine/Sara
Fandoms: CSI
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation whatsoever with this wonderful show
Sunnary: Someone from the lab has disappeared and it's up to the CSI night shift to solve the case.

***

 

Prologue

I am sitting in the break room with my colleagues awaiting the arrival of our supervisor, Gil Grissom. We are literally on the verge of flipping coins to see who will 'win' the honor of retrieving a very late Grissom when he finally walks in and graces us with his appearance. In a very uncharacteristic Grissom move, he pulls up a chair and sits with us at the table. He opens his mouth to initiate conversation a few times, but he stays mute.

Everyone is looking to Grissom for some sort of clue for his odd behavior. Normally, Grissom and odd behavior are synonymous with each other, but this is beyond strange. After several minutes of silence, Catherine has finally had enough. "Gil, are you going to just sit there imitating a dying fish all night or give us our assignments?"

Nick, Warrick, and Greg put their hand up to their face to hide their huge grins. I remain as stoic as ever not wanting to give Catherine the satisfaction of knowing I enjoyed her snappy one liner as well. Her question does at least garner the attention of Grissom as he sits up and begins to open a file. He immediately launches into a description of a crime we will evidently be processing as a team.

Reading from his notes, Grissom says "The victim dined at Bally's Steakhouse between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. last night. He apparently got into his car and headed north on Las Vegas Boulevard. He did not show up at work today and no one has heard from him. About an hour ago, a patrol found his car abandoned outside of a local bar. He has been officially declared missing and the sheriff has assigned this team to investigate. We will be on the case 24/7 until he is found, so we will need to work out some sort of rotating schedule. All other cases with be assigned to the other shifts."

Outraged, I can no longer hold my tongue. "Are you kidding me? He is using his best team to look for some guy who is probably out cavorting with a hooker? Is this some big wig friend of the sheriff?" Catherine, who normally does not acknowledge much of what I say, jumps in to have her say. "Sara is right, Gil. It's only been 24 hours since this guy's gone missing. He's probably out having a good time somewhere. Can't the sheriff just assign some detective to look into this unless it truly turns into a crime scene?"

Without replying, Grissom pushes the folder in front of Catherine. She reads the file and her eyes become huge. Her only response is "Oh my God." The rest of us trade glances and wait for someone to tell us what is going on. Catherine merely stares at Gil with a shocked expression.

I finally reach over and retrieve the file. I briefly skim through the details until I get to the final line. Having been graced with the gift of eloquent speech, I blurt out "Holy shit. It's Ecklie. And get this, his car was found in front of a gay bar."

 

Part 1

Nick and Warrick grab the folder to read while Greg joins the speechless Catherine and Grissom with a jaw dropping expression. The doors to the break room slam open and all eyes turn toward the intruder. The sheriff walks over to the table and proceeds to take over our meeting. "Gil, I have booked three rooms at the Holiday Inn Express located around the corner. I want all team members available at a moment's notice. No one is going home until this situation is resolved."

Everyone begins to speak at once protesting this ludicrous notion. Catherine's voice can be heard clearly above the others. "No damn way. I am not leaving Lindsey with my mother until this case is resolved. Hell, we don't even know if we have a case. Conrad probably found some hot stud and is currently playing the role of love slave. If you want us on the case, fine. But I plan to go home during my time off."

The sheriff glares at Catherine and replies "Anyone who is not happy with my directive can tender their resignation effective immediately." Catherine begins to open her mouth, but I stop her with a hand to her arm. Her focus shifts to me and now I'm on the receiving end of her anger. She jerks her arm away and looks back to the sheriff who has been ushered out of the room by Grissom.

Greg laughs and says "Good one, Catherine. I especially liked the bit with the love slave." She turns to Greg and the rest of us hold our collective breath hoping she doesn't skin him alive. Catherine begins to smile and then breaks out in full blown laughter. We join in, grateful for the tension relief.

Grissom returns and motions us to sit back down. We comply and await our fate. He informs us we will need to return home on our initial down time and pack a bag for our hotel stay. The ultimatum from the sheriff is apparently non-negotiable. Grissom says "The sheriff believes Conrad was hijacked from another location and was forced to drive to the bar where he was abducted. He thinks the car was purposely left there to humiliate Conrad." He looks to Catherine as he adds "No more remarks to the sheriff's concerning love slaves."

Disagreeing with the sheriff's theory, I reply "That sounds like a pretty elaborate scheme. I personally don't think anyone could have possibly conceived such a plan. Ecklie more than likely drove to the bar of his own free will. Besides, I think I've seen Ecklie check out Greg's assets a couple of times." Greg turns red as we all fall back into our laughter mode. Grissom finally gets us to settle down and listen while he outlines his plans.

Grissom has developed a rotating schedule involving 8 hour shifts. He has divided us into three teams. I'm teamed with Catherine, Greg with Grissom, and Warrick with Nick. Catherine and I will work the first 8 hours along with Greg and Grissom. Greg and Grissom will pull a double and work the next 8 hours with Warrick and Nick. Warrick and Nick will in turn work a double with Catherine and me. Next, it will be Catherine and I working a double teamed once again with Greg and Grissom. We will repeat the cycle until Ecklie is found.

After fine tuning a few details, Warrick and Nick leave to go pack a few things for their hotel stay. The rest of us will begin our investigation at the bar. Catherine and I head to the locker to pick up our gear and Greg and Grissom will meet us on scene.

As we enter the locker room, Catherine says "What am I going to tell Lindsey? She has plans for me to take her to school in the morning to view her art project along with the other parents. She has been excited all week. Once again I'm going to let her down."

I pause at my locker reflecting on Catherine's problem. Turning to Catherine, I reply "How will the sheriff know if you attend the art show? After all, you are supposed to go home and pack some things and you have to take time to finalize plans with your mother. Why can't you take Lindsey to school and view her artwork and then head back to the hotel? Surely, the sheriff is not going to be watching us as closely when we're not working."

Catherine smiles and says "You're right. There's no way he will know. I'll just stay a little while and no one will be the wiser. Thanks, Sara. That's a great idea." I return her smile as we leave the locker room and walk to the Denali. She even lets me drive without any argument. Maybe I'll be able to stay on her good side during this ordeal.

We meet up with Grissom and Greg at the bar. After a few minutes of discussion, we decide to act as patrons. The clientele may be more open with answering questions if we appear as four busybodies rather than law enforcement. We move to the end of the line and wait our turn to enter.

The four of us pay the cover charge and walk through the doors. The lights are low and the music is deafening. Grissom motions toward the bar area and we in turn follow. Grissom and Greg take a seat on a couple of bar stools and Catherine and I sit on the adjacent stools. A flaming drag queen approaches to take our orders.

She winks at Greg and says "Well, hello sweet cheeks. What can I get you?" Greg blushes and looks to Grissom. Before Grissom can say a word, the bartending queen says "Oops. Sorry. I didn't realize you were taken." Catherine and I almost fall off our stools laughing. That is until we hear "Hold your horses, butch. I'll get to you and your femme in a minute. Right now, I'm talking to this studmeister and his lady."

 

Part 2

I do believe the very last word that comes to mind when describing Grissom would be 'stud.' To indicate he is actually renowned for his 'studlyness' is totally absurd, but not wanting to ruffle our bartender's feathers I say "Yes, they make a lovely couple don't they, much like another friend of ours and his partner. In fact, the two were supposed to meet us here tonight. He is usually very punctual so we are starting to get a little worried. Gil, why don't you show our hostess Conrad's picture? Maybe she can help us."

In the meantime, Catherine has evidently decided to take her roll of femme seriously. As I motion for Grissom to show 'Queenie' the photo, Catherine sits on my lap and puts her hand on my shoulder as she leans into me. I visibly shiver as my body instantly reacts to her closeness. Catherine gently rubs the nape of my neck as she purrs "What's the matter, baby? Are you cold?"

I look into Catherine's eyes to see amusement in the blue orbs. She is getting way too much enjoyment in making me squirm. Well, two can play at this game. I put my hand on her waist and forcefully pull her even closer. I move in until our lips are almost touching. Hm, very interesting, it seems someone else can shiver as well. I whisper in a voice loud enough to be overhead, "Not anymore, now that I have you to warm me up. I can't wait to get home and start a fire in the bedroom."

I move back just as Catherine has closed her eyes and is leaning forward. When contact is not made, she opens her eyes and turns the most beautiful shade of red. I look over to see both Greg and Grissom staring at us. I resist the urge to reach over and wipe the drool from the corner of Greg's mouth as "Queenie" breaks the moment with a huge guffaw.

Shaking her head, she says "Honey, you are 100% butch and a tease at that. Now, I simply must apologize for my rudeness. My name is Rosalind, Ros for short and who might you be?" We introduce ourselves and Ros gives us each the once over before saying "Let me see this picture of your friend." Grissom hands over Ecklie's photo and she studies it for several minutes before replying "Oh my, this individual is a cheating two-timing whore. He comes in here about three times a week and always leaves with a different hunk of a man each time."

I almost knock Catherine off of my lap and Greg is beyond stunned. Grissom is well, Grissom. Catherine maintains her composure and replies "Oh really, did you happen to notice if he left with anyone last night?" Ros shakes her head and says "I was off last night, but Max was here. Let me go get her." Before she sashays away, she looks over her shoulder and whispers "Her real name is Maxine, but don't you dare tell her I told you."

In a soft voice, I say "I think we're finding out much more information than if we had shown our badges. Let's play this out to see what else we can find out from our bartenders. Ros certainly seems to be a fountain of knowledge. Maybe this Max can be also." The three nod their head in agreement. We sit in silence waiting for the return of Ros and Max.

Grissom and Greg seem to be trying to take in the sights without appearing to be interested. Catherine remains seated on my lap playing with my hair while she too checks out the club scene. I keep my focus behind the bar until I finally see Ros walking back in our direction. That's when I get my first glimpse of Max.

Catherine notices the movement behind the bar and she turns toward the two "ladies." Her eyes widen and she makes an attempt to keep her expression neutral. We are both mesmerized by the sheer size of Max. She has to be at least six foot five and easily weighs two thirty. There is not a single ounce of body fat on her and she appears to be solid as a rock. Her attention is clearly on Catherine as she nears our side of the bar.

From the look in her eyes, I do believe Max is quite taken with Catherine. Catherine seems to notice as well since her grip on me has strengthened considerably. She's got to be out of her mind if she thinks I can protect her against the female version of Conan.

Greg and Grissom look back to the bar and immediately get up and stand behind Catherine and me. What is it with these people? Max can pulverize me into smithereens with only one hand. Catherine leans forward and whispers in my ear "Sara, she's not a woman. She's a mountain. Please don't let her near me."

I turn to tell Catherine that she's on her own when I notice how tightly she is clinging to me and how scared she truly appears to be. Finding my resolve, there's no way I'm going to let Max lay a hand on Catherine. After all, what's a couple of broken bones?

Deciding to stake my claim, I take Catherine's face in my hands and kiss her with everything I've got. If I'm going to be spending time in the ICU, I am definitely getting my reward beforehand.

 

Part 3

This is the stuff dreams are made up. Catherine's lips are so sweet that kissing her could easily become an addiction. I force myself to pull away so that I can see her reaction. Catherine's eyes are closed and her face is flushed. I lean forward with the intent of capturing her lips once more, but my progress is stopped when I hear Ros' voice.

"Damn, honey. You certainly know how to mark your territory. You've got the attention and admiration of every butch in this building. I believe you've even managed to impress Max here and that's a pretty tall order." I turn toward the duo to see Max sporting a huge grin. Maybe I'm going to get to stay in one piece after all.

It appears Max is indeed impressed with my method of establishing my "relationship" with Catherine. Just in case, I adjust Catherine's position in my lap to protectively pull her even closer. She acquiesces and places her head on my shoulder as I look directly at Max with the most intimidating expression I can muster.

With a deep chuckle, Max says "Now hold on there stud. There's no need to get your feathers ruffled. My momma back in Texas taught me to never go after anyone who's already taken. So you can just simmer down. I'm not after your lady."

Catherine audibly sighs in relief while I continue to possessively hold onto her. After all, I have to maintain the illusion of our relationship and there's no way I am going to pass up the chance to touch Catherine in any way.

I take the lead and introduce the team to Max. Greg and Grissom have moved a bit closer but are still using me as a shield. I wonder if Ros realizes Grissom is not quite the studmeister she described after all.

Taking Ecklie's photo from Grissom, I hand it to Max saying "Do you remember seeing our friend last night?" Max looks down at the photo and replies "I've never seen a mare in season all year long, but this one surely is. The stallions flock to him like flies on a cow paddy. I personally don't see the attraction, but I'm more into fillies myself."

Max hesitates a few moments before continuing "Last night, huh? Let me think. Yes, I remember now. He had a few beers at the bar and then moved over to the far booth. I noticed a rogue had been checking him out, but I don't think the two ever got together. Things got pretty busy and I lost track of him."

Catherine who seems to be regaining her equilibrium asks "What do you mean by a rogue?" Max laughs and answers "Oh, I'm sorry. I have been around horses for most of my life and always assume everyone knows what I'm talking about. A rogue is described as a horse with a bad temper. The guy who was checking out your friend comes in here occasionally and always seems to be mad at the world."

Her answer piques Grissom's curiosity enough to step closer to the bar. He asks "What did this rogue look like?" Max pauses for a moment and replies "I have never really gotten a good look at him. He is very skittish and always stays in the booths. He is kind of small and mousy looking and seems to always have a scowl on his face. I've never actually seen him come in and if he orders something, it's never from me. I guess I may intimidate him a little."

Ya think? Max could intimidate Xena. Hell, look at what she did to the four of us when we first laid eyes on her. I can just imagine how her size would affect some pint-sized man. Maybe he was less intimidated by Ros.

I turn my attention to the drag queen and ask "Ros, did you ever serve this rogue character?" She shakes her head saying "No. I don't believe I have ever noticed him before. I tend to pay attention to the studs and queens, and, of course, the butches and femmes. This guy would have never gained my attention. Sorry."

Staying with our cover story, we each order a beer and continue our visit with Ros and Max. It doesn't appear the two of them can offer any more information concerning the case, but we chat with them awhile longer anyway. I really like these two. I make a mental note to return for a visit when the case is over.

Catherine stays on my lap the entire conversation and when we get up to leave, she takes my hand in hers as we walk out the door. I'm beginning to like this role of protector. Now all I have to do is figure out a way for Catherine to be in need of my services more often.

We hold hands until we reach the Denali. I walk to the driver's side and get in while Catherine and Gil exchange a few words before she moves to the truck. She opens the door and says "Gil wants to talk things over before heading back to the lab. He's afraid the sheriff will be there and want an update. He would like for the four of us to discuss our findings without prying eyes. Drive over to the diner at the corner of 9^th and Wilson."

Without saying a word, I put the car in gear. I am startled by Catherine's hand on my arm. I look over to see one of her heart stopping smiles. "Sara, I want to thank you for looking out for me. I was really nervous when Max looked at me with pure lust in her eyes. I had all sorts of scenarios running through my head. The main one was of Max lifting me over the bar and carrying me out the door while I was kicking and screaming. Frankly, it scared the shit out of me. I appreciate the way you took control of the situation."

I smile and pull out of the parking space. I almost run through the red light when Catherine adds "By the way, you sure are one hell of a kisser. Feel free to use the same method to take charge anytime you see fit."

 

Part 4

The rest of the drive to the diner is silent. My mind is racing with all sorts of scenarios where I can take charge. Catherine fiddles with the radio and finally finds a decent station. The sounds of "Come Away With Me" fills the airwaves. Ms. Jones seems to express my feelings toward Catherine perfectly. Too bad I can't let her know.

I pull up to next to Grissom's Yukon as the last refrain is heard "And I want to wake up with the rain, falling on a tin roof , while I'm safe there in your arms , so all I ask is for you , to come away with me in the night, come away with me."

I sigh, turn off the engine, and step from the vehicle. Catherine exits as well and we walk to the diner both seemingly in deep contemplation. I hold the door for Catherine and we join Grissom and Greg in an isolated booth away from the other patrons.

As we take our seats, Grissom says "Okay, we need to figure out what is going on here. What's your take on this?" Greg blurts out "Ecklie's a closet fag and the sheriff is never going to believe it. Unless….." Grissom cuts Greg off saying "Don't go there Greg. The sheriff and Ecklie are not an item. Um . . . at least I'm pretty sure they are not." Greg starts to answer "I'm just saying ….," but he is cut off by an irritated expression from Grissom.

Catherine and I watch the banter between the two and smile as Grissom cuts Greg off for the last time. Catherine turns to Grissom and says "Gil, Greg's right in his own perplexed way. Ecklie is most definitely leading a double life and the sheriff is not going to want to hear about it. We need to decide what has a bearing on the case and how much information we are going to convey to him."

Deciding to add my own two cents, I say "I agree with Catherine. I think we need to withhold any information concerning the gay bar from the sheriff for now. If the time comes that he needs to know, I'm sure Ros and Max will be able to convince him." I smile as I add "If nothing else, they will sure get his attention."

Greg replies "I want to be in the viewing room if the sheriff meets up with these two. Max will probably make him wet his pants and Ros will make him more nervous than a weiner in a hot dog stand."

I immediately turn my attention to Greg. "And you were so very brave and macho when you first met the two. Ros was totally harmless even at first sight, but every one of you was ready to watch me get my ass kicked when Max first came onto the scene. Two grown men hiding behind two women is not exactly the picture of chivalry."

Catherine adds "You guys couldn't move fast enough to get away from Max. Hiding behind Sara was disgraceful." I look at Catherine with disbelief as she chastises Grissom and Greg. I reply "What about you? You were hanging onto me like a leech. You wanted me to sacrifice myself to keep Max from hitting on you. I could have been killed."

Greg mutters "I'd say you more than survived and Catherine rewarded you in spades. The tongue duel alone should have made up for all of our transgressions." Grissom elbows Greg in the side to get him to shut up. Embarrassed, I leave the table without a word and walk toward the restrooms.

I enter the small restroom and move to the sink. Placing my hands on the sides, I glance in the mirror. I can't believe Greg said those things especially knowing how I feel about Catherine. Damn it, I thought he was my friend. I turn on the tap and lean over to splash water on my face to hide my tears.

I jump when I feel a hand gently rubbing my back, but I keep my face in my hands. I turn off the water and reach for a paper towel when one is handed to me. I wipe off my face as I stall from making eye contact with Catherine. Finally, I throw the towel into the receptacle and look up into her eyes.

Catherine reaches out to take my hand and says "Sara, don't let Greg get to you. He was just embarrassed at the way he and Gil reacted to Max's presence. He didn't mean anything by it. Besides, you did the right thing. Who knows how Max would have acted toward me? I personally think she is a woman who is used to getting her way when she sets her sights on someone. Thank God she believes in the sanctity of relationships."

I nod my head keeping silent. Catherine tightens her grip on my hand and says "C'mon. Let's get out of here. The guys have gone back to the lab. We've decided to stay mute about everything for right now. You and I only have a couple of more hours left on our shift. I think we are both in need to a break right now."

I follow Catherine as she leads me out the door. She doesn't let go of my hand until we reach the SUV. Wordlessly, she puts out her hand and I give her the keys. We both know I'm still too upset to drive. I'm just thankful Catherine seems to be sensitive to my needs since I am not able to verbalize much at the present time.

As we pull into the parking space at CSI headquarters, I have regained a bit of my composure. Catherine gives me a concerned look before we get out and I reassure her with a smile. Together we walk into the lab looking for our two partners in crime.

We find the duo in Grissom's office along with Warrick and Nick as well. Catherine and I are both confused by their presence. Grissom closes the door and says "It's been a long shift for all of us but especially you two. I called Nick and Warrick in a little early to give you a break. I'll expect both of you back here at your scheduled time ready to work a double."

I open my mouth to argue when Catherine puts her hand on my arm. She looks to Grissom and says "That's a good idea, Gil. Thank you for your concern. We'll be back on time fully rested and raring to go." She opens the door and pulls me from the room. Before the door shuts I hear Nick's voice "Now, what's all this talk about mares and stallions and rogues? Sounds like a good old fashioned horse round-up to me." Warrick's laugh can be heard through the closed doors.

 

Part 5

Catherine and I make our plans as we walk toward the exit. Catherine is going to take her own car and fulfill her mommy duties. She will drive Lindsey to school and stay for the art exhibit and then head over to the hotel. I am going to take the Denali and run home to pack a bag before checking in.

The receptionist stops us on our way out and gives us each a key to our hotel rooms. I guess we've already been checked in. How very efficient of someone. Catherine and I look down at the keys and notice both envelopes read Room 112. Apparently we've been teamed up with rooms as well as shifts. Thank God I don't have to share a room with Greg or Grissom.

As we exit the building, we run smack dab into the sheriff. Jeez, does this guy ever sleep? He immediately asks "Where are you two going? Is there any progress on the case?" Catherine deftly replies "We're currently running a few leads. Gil and the rest of the team are in his office. Sara and I are on our way to the hotel. Find Gil and he can give you a rundown." Catherine turns to me, winks, and says "I'll see you at the hotel." She walks away toward the parking lot.

I step off the curb but am stopped from leaving by another question. "Sidle, why aren't you two riding together? It would save time and money if you did." I quickly answer "We both need to pack our things and Catherine lives in the opposite direction than me. It is easier if we take separate cars." He nods his head in approval and turns toward the building.

I release my lying breath and step toward the SUV. I start the vehicle and turn toward home grateful for the time alone. Arriving at my apartment, I decide to take a quick shower before packing a bag and checking into the hotel. I don't want to dally too long in case the asshole sheriff is somehow keeping tabs on when the rooms are in use.

I arrive at the hotel only an hour after leaving headquarters. Opening the door to Room 112, I reach in and turn on the light. I look into the room and then look back to check the room number. There has to be some sort of mistake. I walk in and sit in a lounge chair as I stare at the bed, the one and only bed.

I pick up the nearby phone and call the front desk. After a short conversation, I hang up and run my fingers through my hair. It seems the hotel is booked solid for the entire week due to back to back conferences. The sheriff was able to reserve the last three rooms, two doubles and one king. I guess he thought Catherine and I were best suited for the king since we're two women.

If he was privy to my feelings and the fact that I was sucking on Catherine's tongue less than three hours ago, he would never have made the erroneous assumption. I can't very well protest the arrangement since Catherine will probably see nothing wrong with the situation either. I swear, if Ecklie comes out of this alive, I am turning him into a gelding. Crap, now I'm channeling Max.

I rise and place my bag on the dresser. I unpack my things leaving half the drawers for Catherine. I hang my pants and shirts and move to check out the bathroom. The toilet and bathtub are located in one area and the sink is in a cordoned off section of the room. Pleased that Catherine and I will have plenty of room to maneuver, I decide it's time to get some rest.

Donning boxers and a tank, I crawl into the far side of the bed. It takes a few minutes to get into a comfortable position. I am not used to having any restrictions when I sleep. I normally go for skin on sheets. I guess I am an au naturel kind of girl. I finally drift off with visions of kissing Catherine floating through my head.

Sometime later, I wake from a very erotic dream. Completely disoriented, I immediately notice the red head lying on top of me. Shit, I must have picked up another Catherine look alike and fallen asleep in her bed. Wow, this one could be Catherine's twin. I wouldn't mind having another go with her, but I hate the morning after encounters. Maybe I can just slip out of bed and be on my way.

As I slide my leg to the side, the red head tightens her grip on me. Leaning down, I swiftly capture her lips. She moans into my mouth as I slowly ease away. I whisper "Sorry, baby. I've got to run. Duty calls." I pull away from her and almost make my escape when I hear "Huh? Sara? What's going on?"

I immediately freeze on the edge of the bed as the past twenty four hours of memories rush into my addled brain. I turn around and look directly into the blue eyes of the real Catherine Willows. I am sooo screwed.

 

Part 6

I open my mouth to calmly explain why I just had my tongue in her mouth for a repeat performance, but my nervousness takes center stage. "Oh, my God. Catherine, I am so sorry. I thought it was your look alike… I mean… I thought it was someone else…someone that was not you…um, I was confused and didn't know where I was. Please forgive me."

During my very poor attempt to explain my actions away, Catherine's expressions go from confusion to shock to amusement. I am so glad I am able to provide comic relief for her. If I wasn't scared shitless of what she is going to say, I would tell her exactly what I think of her smirk. However, for the time being, I think it's in my best interest to stay silent.

We sit and stare at each other for what seems like an eternity before Catherine says "Sara, I'm going to need to ask you a few questions and I want you to be totally honest with me. Can you do that?" Maintaining my vow of silence, I nod my head in assent. If it works for the monks, maybe it will work for me.

Catherine sits up and leans back against the headboard while saying "From the way you're acting and the things you've said, you are either gay or bisexual. Is that correct?" I once again nod. Catherine smiles and says "Okay, which one are you?"

Crap, what do those monks do when nodding isn't sufficient? I can't very well put up one finger for gay and two for bisexual because then this would turn into a game of charades. Oh what the hell, she already knows it's one of the two so I may as well come clean. I look Catherine directly in the eyes and say "I'm gay."

Catherine softly asks "Why haven't you said anything to anyone? Did you think we would treat you differently?" I answer "Greg knows and you would have treated me differently. Look how everyone has reacted to Ecklie."

Laughing, Catherine replies "Sara, it's not because he's gay. It's just that none of us want to imagine anyone having sex with Ecklie, male or female. That's way up there on the 'ewww' chart." She adds "Haven't you noticed how Ecklie always struts around and flirts with the women in the lab? You've got to admit it is kind of funny knowing that all this time he was really lusting after the guys."

I finally relax and laugh along with Catherine. I personally thought the situation was funny because Ecklie seems like one big homophobe. Frankly, I hadn't noticed how he always put extra effort into appearing to be heterosexual.

I move from the edge of the bed and sit next to Catherine against the headboard. I can't believe she didn't kick my ass out the door much less that she is speaking civilly to me. I think I may survive this encounter after all.

We sit in silence for several minutes before Catherine reaches over and intertwines our fingers. I swallow to keep from choking and look down at our hands. I stare at them without blinking until the two blends into one. Catherine lightly squeezes and says "Sara, I need to ask you one more question."

Shit, I knew it was too good to be true. Why can't she leave well enough alone? Can't she just let us enjoy this new friendship we seem to have forged? I continue to look at our hands and reply "What is it?"

Catherine pauses for a moment before asking "What did you mean when you said you thought I was my look alike?" I close my eyes as I try to come up with a tactful and succinct way of telling Catherine that I occasionally sleep around and mostly choose women who look like her. She will think I'm obsessed with her which I obviously am now that I think about it. More than likely, she will never speak to me again or maybe even have me moved to another shift.

Okay, Sidle, think. I stall as I run different answers through my head. I could go with the truth. I dream of her and want her so badly I go to the nearest gay bar and pick up a short, red headed woman with preferably blue eyes. I take her back to her place, have hot monkey sex, and then slink away in the middle of the night. No, no, no, wrong answer. How about I am attracted to red heads with blue eyes? No, too vague.

Catherine has evidently become impatient with my lack of answers. She is no longer patiently sitting beside me holding my hand. Instead, she has straddled my legs and has placed both hands on my face. My eyes pop open as I watch her face move closer and closer until she lightly kisses me.

I lean forward to apply more pressure, but I am stopped by her hand on my chest. In between butterfly kisses, Catherine says "Answer my question, Sara." I shake my head and push forward against her hand. She pushes back and asks "Do you want me to kiss you?"

Is she nuts? What kind of question is that? I lean in once again and hear "Oh, no. If you want a kiss, you have to answer my question." I move to shake my head once more when she begins to suck on my bottom lip. Pulling away, she repeats her actions with my top lip. Releasing it, she says "Sara?"

My libido has taken over all brain activity as I blurt out "I pick up girls who look like you. In my mind, I imagine it's you I'm with as I fuck them until they scream."

 

Part 7

Stunned, Catherine removes the pressure from my chest and leans back on her hands while continuing to straddle my legs. My brain has finally caught up with my mouth as I realize what I have so crudely confessed to. Son of a bitch, I can't believe I said those things aloud, but Catherine had me so hot and bothered and wait a damn minute . . .

Has Catherine come up with a new interrogation technique or is there some attraction between us? Her method would have suspects confessing to all sorts of crimes probably even some they didn't commit. I certainly sang like a canary, a big fat foul mouthed one.

As a result of my graphic explanation, I have accomplished something I never thought I was capable of. I have made Catherine Willows speechless. Seconds turn into minutes without a word from either of us.

Deciding to bite the bullet, I make an attempt to apologize for the second time in a very short span. "Catherine, I know you probably will not want to have anything to do with me after my vulgar confession. I never intended for you to find out about my attraction to you, but I couldn't lie to you. I sincerely apologize for the manner in which I answered your question. I promise you I will be the consummate professional while we work together. When this case is over, I will ask to be moved to one of the other shifts."

Catherine continues to stare at me as the alarm clock goes off signaling one hour until we need to return to the lab. Desperately needing some time away from Catherine's scrutiny, I say "We need to get ready for shift. Why don't I take the shower first? You can follow when I finish and then we can grab a bite on the way to the lab."

I pull my legs free from Catherine and slide to the edge of the bed. As I begin to rise, she grabs my wrist and seemingly comes out of her stupor. "Sara, wait. I don't want you to be embarrassed or worried about anything. You just surprised me with your frankness. I don't want you to ask for a transfer. This is as much my fault as yours. I was the one teasing you. We obviously share some sort of mutual attraction. When we get through with this case, I think we should sit down and talk. Right now, let's try to concentrate on our next shift."

With a simple okay, I retreat to the bathroom. Closing the door, I lean back against it in an attempt to regain my equilibrium. Taking a few cleansing breaths, I push away and turn on the shower.

My thoughts stay with Catherine. Attraction? Well, she did climb into my lap at the bar and she most definitely sat astride me and peppered me with teasing kisses to get a confession. I've never seen her use that tactic on anyone else. Maybe there is some truth to her words, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. I'm going to follow Catherine's suggestion and concentrate on the case instead.

We arrive at the lab with ten minutes to spare. Grissom and the gang are in the far lab going over their latest findings. As Catherine and I walk in, Grissom fills us in. The four of them have been to Ecklie's house and gone over it with a fine tooth comb. Ecklie's prints were the only ones found anywhere in the house. The place was immaculate and highly organized.

Luckily, Nick did get a hit on a house listed in the name of Ecklie's deceased mother. There is no record of the house ever being rented or leased to another party. Grissom wants the four of us to drive to the remote location and see if we can find anything. The sheriff has obtained a warrant to search the premises using whatever means necessary.

We decide to ride together with Warrick and Nick taking the front. I lean against the back seat and close my eyes. Maybe I can get a nap in before we get to the house. I peak over at Catherine to see she has the same idea. Nick finds a country western station and we all groan in protest.

Warrick wakes us up as we pull into the driveway. The yard is meticulous and the house has definitely been maintained. The mailbox at the end of the sidewalk is stenciled with the name Stubing. Nick reads the data sheet and says "Ecklie's dad died when he was fourteen and his mother remarried. The step dad was a retired naval captain."

I immediately reply "You've got to be kidding me. Ecklie's mom married Captain Stubing. I hope we aren't getting ready to embark on 'The Love Boat.' Please tell me his name isn't Merrill."

Nick laughs and replies "No. His name was George; but get this, his mother's name was Julie. There are no other children listed, so no chance of a Gopher." Catherine joins in and adds "Well, Ecklie is a bit of a rodent. Does that count?"

Chuckling, we follow Warrick up the walk. He pulls out the key found at Ecklie's marked 'Mother.' The door opens and we step across the threshold to find the house in perfect order. There are plastic covers on the furniture, but everything else looks to be in its original place.

Nick and Warrick decide to take the upstairs leaving Catherine and me to the lower level.

We check out the kitchen and den area as well as the study. There doesn't seem to be any clue or evidence relating to the case. Catherine walks toward the far wall and puts her hands on her hips saying "Sara, something seems off over here. I can't seem to put my finger on it."

I walk over and look around. I notice a slightly worn path from the front door straight to this wall. I go over to my kit and pick up the set of plans Nick printed out. The plan shows this wall to be the rear exterior of the house, but the house seems to extend further out. I begin to knock around on the wall and find several locations that seem hollow.

While I study the wall, Catherine checks out the fireplace area. She loses her footing and grabs hold of an ornate handle to keep from falling. As she releases it, the wall slides inward to reveal a hidden room. Catherine and I stare at each other in disbelief before turning on our flashlights. We enter the room cautiously with Catherine in the lead.

I find a wall switch just inside the opening and flip it on. My mouth drops open as I take in the equipment in the room. There are chains on the wall and some sort of wooden cross. Whips and floggers are hung on hooks along with leather straps and what appear to be chaps, bridles, reins, and bits. It looks like Max wasn't too far off with her mares and stallions descriptions.

Catherine moves to the left side of the room and calls me over when she locates a TV and VCR setup. I walk to the wall to find a floor to ceiling storage compartment filled with VCR tapes. Each is marked with dates and names. The dates begin with June of last year. I pick up the initial tape and place it in the VCR.

Catherine and I stand in front of the TV as the tape begins to play. An empty view of this room is the first video seen. Just as I get ready to fast forward, a voice from off camera can be heard. "C'mon. It will be fun. Things are too vanilla right now. I want more action. We can do this together." A second voice chimes in with "We don't need to do this. I am perfectly happy with our sex life as it is. I am not going to participate in this perverted lifestyle."

Catherine and I are both mesmerized. Neither of the speakers can be seen. The first voice definitely belongs to Ecklie and the second sounds a bit familiar. As I am running possibilities through my head, Ecklie appears on screen saying "It's not perverted. You need to live a little. I had this room specially built for both of us, but if you don't want to partake in the activities, fine. I'll just bring home someone for myself."

The second man moves closer to Ecklie but is still out of view. He is close enough to cast a shadow on the floor so maybe Archie can determine his height and build. The two men continue their argument as Ecklie holds his ground. As Ecklie steps toward the man to move off camera, the unknown person grabs hold of Ecklie and pushes him backwards saying "Conrad, if you do this, so help me you will regret it. I love you and I will not stand for this." Ecklie reaches out and grapples with the man. For a brief moment, the man is facing the camera.

I immediately hit pause as Catherine and I move closer to the TV. We are both frozen in place as the face of David Hodges fills the screen.

 

Part 8

Catherine is the first to speak. "Hodges?" I chime in with "Hodges and Ecklie?" We look at each other and with matching grimaces respond "Yuck." Nick and Warrick enter the room and look around in obvious shock. Nick asks "What is all this horse tack doing in here?" Warrick raises an eyebrow and Nick visibly shutters saying "Ewwww. Please tell me there's a pony in here somewhere."

Catherine answers "No, but Sara and I have found a suspect in the form of weasel." I play the video for Warrick and Nick while Catherine phones the lab and talks to Wendy. She tells Catherine that Hodges is working a double and is in the trace lab. He must have begun the shift with Catherine and me, so he should be in the lab for the next 12 hours. Wendy is going to keep an eye on him and let us know if he disappears for any length of time.

We decide to process the room and confiscate the tapes. Warrick has arranged for Archie to meet him in the AV lab to begin reviewing the tapes as soon as we return. Poor Archie, he has no idea what he is in for. Maybe he can wear a full body condom while watching the tapes or perhaps Grissom can set up a portable shower in the viewing room.

As we fingerprint and swab different pieces of equipment, Nick asks "Hey Warrick, did you tell Archie the subject of the tapes?" Warrick chuckles and replies "No way, man. He would have never agreed to watch Ecklie get it on with other men. Now, if it was one of these two ladies with other women, I would have told him directly. He would have owed me big time."

Catherine and I look at each other and both turn bright red. I'll have to figure some way to get back at Warrick for putting those images of Catherine in my head. At the moment I am just trying to get through checking for DNA on all these pieces of 'equipment.' I made sure to double glove before I began.

With four of us working, we finish the room in two hours. Nick has spent the last 45 minutes loading the tapes into the Denali. We gather all the samples and our kits and begin the trek to the SUV. Catherine and I place our equipment in the back alongside Nick and Warrick's. As soon as we move to the doors of the vehicle, I realize we have a problem.

Nick has stacked the excess tapes in the back seat on the entire left side and most of the middle section. This leaves a very small space for one person to fit in much less two. Warrick broaches the obvious subject first. "Nick, you do realize there are four of us. You took up almost the entire back seat with video tapes." Nick smiles and replies "I thought Catherine could sit on my lap on the way back."

Catherine gives Nick a very sultry smile and says "Nice plan, Nicky. I appreciate the offer, but I think I'd rather scrunch up in the back with Sara." I look at Catherine and then look at the vacant space in the back seat. It is getting smaller and smaller by the minute. Catherine and I are about to get up close and personal for the thirty minute ride back to the lab.

I smile and try to hide my discomfort as I climb into the back area first. Catherine steps in and sits next to me or should I say almost on top of me. I lean back and close my eyes. After a few minutes of adjustments, Catherine has found the perfect spot. She is now completely sitting sideways in my lap looking out the window. She has one hand on the back of Nick's seat and the other resting on the seat directly behind my head.

Warrick starts the car and we begin the trip back discussing all the different ways to handle Hodges. Catherine thinks we should keep everything to ourselves for the time being and see if Hodges tips his hand. We all admit that Hodges is extremely bright and has probably been very careful in his planning.

Catherine puts in a call to update Grissom and to ask how we should proceed. Grissom informs us to drive to police headquarters instead of the lab. He wants Archie to view the tapes away from the lab. Grissom next asks if we sealed the hidden room when we left. Confused, Catherine responds in the affirmative.

Since there will only be a little over an hour left in Warrick and Nick's shift, Grissom and Greg are going to meet us at headquarters to begin their next shift. Catherine closes her phone and the four of us continue our debate as to how to proceed. I don't dare point out that we will probably follow Grissom's lead regardless of our opinion.

The last fifteen minutes of the ride have become a living hell for me. For some reason, Catherine has become more active as she discusses the case. Add in a rough road and I have a squirming Catherine pressing against some very interesting places. I just hope I am able to walk when we finally reach our destination.

We drive to the back of police headquarters and are greeted by Brass, Greg, and Grissom. Catherine steps out first and I hesitate a few moments before making the attempt to disembark. I close my eyes and force myself to step from the vehicle.

Catherine is watching my movements carefully. She asks "Sara, are you okay? I didn't hurt you did I?" I refrain from asking her to define hurt. Instead I reply, "No, I'm fine. I'm just a little stiff." Actually, I'm more than stiff if you get my drift.

Brass signals for a few patrolmen to help bring the tapes inside; however, we leave all the fingerprint and DNA evidence in the Denali. Greg is going to take it to headquarters and get Wendy to help process the evidence away from Hodges' area. The rest of us enter the station and move to a nearby conference room.

Grissom and Brass have been very busy while we were on our way in. The two have decided to keep all information from both the sheriff and any other non-essential CSI personnel. They want Hodges to think we processed both houses and found nothing. He will more than likely relax and make some sort of mistake.

Brass, Warrick, and Nick believe Hodges has probably murdered Ecklie and has disposed of the body. Grissom, Catherine, and I think he is holding Ecklie captive somewhere. Brass is going to put a tail on him the second he finishes his shift. Our job is to try to bury him in evidence.

Grissom wants Catherine and me to go back to the gay bar with a picture of Hodges. We are to interview Max, Ros, and any patron who might have seen Hodges. Any evidence linking Hodges to the bar will only strengthen our case.

Catherine and I take Grissom's Yukon and drive to the bar. As we are walking toward the entrance, Catherine says "Sara, I know I apologized for teasing you in the hotel room and I do not intend to put you in that situation again unless it is absolutely necessary. I am warning you ahead of time, if Max comes onto me, I am jumping back into your lap. You have my permission to show her exactly who I belong to."

 

Part 9

I almost stumble as Catherine's remarks once again throw me off balance. As I walk toward the entrance, I am finding myself hoping and praying Max gives her a reason to jump me. Who knew I would be mentally thanking Hodges of all people for the opportunity to kiss Catherine yet again?

I open the door to the establishment and usher Catherine inside. Ros is once again behind the bar and there is no sign of Max, damn it. We take our places on the stools and wait to be noticed. Ros is none too happy with the patron she is currently serving. Her voice carries over toward our area. "Listen here you cheap floozy. I have been serving you drinks for over a year now and giving you all sorts of advice on how to be the best queen you can be and you still don't give me a decent tip. I think it's time for you to find another bartender or better yet, another bar."

Ros flips her hair over her shoulder and walks away. She immediately brightens up when she sees us on the other side of the bar. "Hey look who's back, my two new lady friends. Where are your counterparts? The one with the beard has some real potential."

I can't help but ask "What kind of potential?" Ros steps closer and says "He's a real cutie and so quiet. I bet he's wild in the bedroom. His type usually is." I try to keep my mind from imagining Grissom in the bedroom much less being sexual in any way.

Catherine gets things back on track saying "Ros, we need for you to look at this picture and tell us if you've ever seen this man before." Ros gives us the once over before replying "What's with all the pictures and questions? I don't think it's because you are worried about your friend from earlier. Tell Ros what's going on."

Catherine smiles and says "Sara and I work for the Las Vegas Crime Lab and we are investigating the disappearance of the individual we talked to you about yesterday. I apologize for our deception, but we were afraid you might not have been so free with your information if you thought we were with law enforcement."

Looking deeply hurt, Ros replies "Shame on you for tricking me into thinking you really liked me. I would have been just as cooperative if you had told the truth. You know Max isn't going to be very happy about this either."

Trying to smooth her feathers, I answer "Ros, we meant no harm. We do enjoy your company. It's just that we didn't think you would like us if you thought we only wanted information from you. Please forgive us."

She puts her hand on her chest and sighs. "Honey, you are going to owe me later, but for right now, I guess I can forgive you." Catherine and I both relax on our stools until we hear a booming voice directly behind us. "So you two were just pretending to be a couple. I'm certainly not upset about the news since it means I'll have a shot at you, Red."

We swivel in our seats to find Max standing within two feet of us. As promised, Catherine immediately jumps into my lap and grabs hold. I almost fall from the stool from the force, but I am able to keep us upright. It would be almost comical if Catherine wasn't shaking in her boots.

I pull Catherine closer as I say "Not everything was an act. Catherine and I are very much in love with each other." Max snorts and replies "It looks to me like you are more her protector than her lover. I think you're still role playing."

Catherine turns to me and cups my face with her hands. Looking into my eyes, she leans forward and initiates a kiss, a very passionate kiss. The tables have definitely turned as Catherine is the one showing Max who belongs to whom. I do have to admit there is nothing quite like a hot opened mouthed kiss to get the possession point across.

I move my hands to Catherine's hips as she surges even closer to me. Tongue hockey has now officially become my favorite sport especially if Catherine is the one passing the 'puck.' We are both breathing very heavily when Catherine finally pulls away and leans her forehead against mine. Neither of us is able to utter a word as we are both too overwhelmed with emotion.

Max breaks the perfect moment by saying "Hot damn, now that's a kiss. I thought you two were going to get it on right here. There is no way you could fake that kind of passion. Sorry if I offended you, Red."

I break my focus from Max to keep from punching her in the face. If she calls Catherine Red one more time, I won't be able to be held accountable for my actions. Catherine must realize my discomfort as she slowly rubs her hand up and down my back. On second thought, I think I'll be staying right here for awhile. Good thing too because Max would probably kill me.

Looking toward Ros, I smile when I see her fanning herself. She returns my smile and says "Sweetie, that was some kind of hot. I thought you two were going to combust right there on my stool. If you could have kept it going a little longer, I could have charged admission and made a fortune."

We sit and chat with the two for awhile longer before returning to the case at hand. Max identifies Hodges as the rogue she had described earlier. Neither Ros nor Max remembers Ecklie and Hodges ever coming in together or talking to each other for that matter. Catherine gives Ros her card and asks her to call if either one of them remembers anything of significance. We promise to stop by and visit after the case is closed.

As Catherine and I leave the bar, my cell goes off. Catherine checks hers and shakes her head when she realizes the battery is dead. Grissom wants us to drive by Hodges on the way back to see if anything looks suspicious from the outside. He hasn't been able to secure a search warrant since Hodges isn't officially a suspect on paper. Grissom still feels we should keep our suspicions amongst our 'family' for now.

As we drive toward Hodges's house, we try to come up with different locations where Hodges may have Ecklie. Surely, Grissom has searched all properties owned or rented by Hodges, but we decide to check into it when we return to the lab.

Catherine leans back against the headrest and closes her eyes. I sneak occasional peaks in her direction so I can admire her beauty without her knowledge. I'm not sure what is going on between us, but I know I have to be patient and wait for Catherine to decide when it's time to talk.

I quietly sigh and focus on the road. As we get closer to the address, I begin to drive more slowly. We both take in the neighborhood looking for anything that may be out of place or unusual. Hodges' house looks much like Ecklie's from the outside, meticulous and well kept. Catherine notices a storage house in the backyard, but we can't see much from the street. I make a mental note to check it out first if we get a search warrant.

I turn the corner and start back in the direction of the lab. I glance at my watch to discover there are only four more hours left in our double shift. Maybe I'll be able to get a little sleep during our down time. Just thinking about time off makes me break into a yawn.

Catherine turns to me and says "Tired? I can imagine. We didn't get much sleep during our last break. I can't wait to stretch out on that king size bed." Catherine pauses and then adds "Just think how good we would sleep if we finally gave into this attraction and had hot monkey sex."

Part 10

Okay. That's it. We are settling this once and for all. I quickly pull to the nearest curb and turn in my seat to face Catherine who is seemingly confused by my actions. Not letting her innocent face deter me from my goal, I say "Catherine, you have been giving me mixed signals ever since you plopped yourself in my lap our first time at the bar. I admit I took advantage of the situation by kissing you, but then you kissed me back. I couldn't get you off my mind and even had an erotic dream about you."

I pause to see if I still have her attention. She seems mesmerized by my commentary so I continue. "At the hotel, I woke completely disoriented thinking you were someone I picked up at a bar. I embarrassed myself to no end by admitting to my occasional flings with women who look like you albeit only after you teased me mercilessly with soft kisses. You admit to an attraction between us and ask to table the discussion until we finish this case."

I stop to give her a chance to counter, but she seems perfectly content listening to me. Not wanting to lose the momentum, I continue "You solve the problem of Nick's poor packing technique by insisting on sitting in the back with me, but instead you sit in the back on me. I was a total wreck by the time we made it back to police headquarters. Your squirming around had me vying for the title of 'Horniest Woman of the Year' award. I'm surprised I didn't have to crawl into the station."

This time I don't give her a chance to draw breath before continuing. "And then we get to the bar. I can understand you once again jumping in my lap. Hell, Max could intimidate King Kong, but I thought I was supposed to be the one to show Max you belonged to me. Before I can do anything, you basically put your tongue down my throat. Not that I'm complaining because I was able to retaliate before it was all said and done."

Catherine starts to reply, but I'm on a roll now. I hold up my hand and say "Let me finish. I am thankful to you for keeping me from breaking my fist on Max's face when she kept calling you Red. Your method did calm me down, but raised a few questions as well. Then we starting talking about the case again and I had resigned myself to put off our talk until later. I thought you had too; however, talking about hot monkey sex even in jest is crossing the line once again. As a matter of fact, I don't even know where the line is because you keep moving it."

I grab Catherine's hand and look directly into her eyes. I want her to hear this next part and take it to heart. "Catherine, I don't want to discuss this anymore during this shift. I want you to think long and hard about what you want when we return to the hotel. If you want to sleep on separate sides of the bed or if you want me to hold you while you sleep, I'm there. If you don't ever want to make love with me in any way, I'll understand. If we ever do make love, I would like the first time to be slow and reverent, but if all I can get is 'hot monkey sex,' then bring it on. Either way I'm going to rock your world."

Without another word, I release her hand and pull away from the curb. She has not said a word nor moved an inch since I began my impassioned speech. It is taking everything I have not to look her way or engage her in conversation. I meant what I said about it being her choice.

We arrive back at the lab and walk directly to Grissom's office. Greg has researched Hodges' holdings and has only found records for his house. He has begun a more extensive look into Ecklie's financials. So far, there are no clues as to Ecklie's whereabouts.

Catherine fills Grissom in on our conversation with Ros and Max. She conveniently leaves out the possessive kiss. I detail our drive by of Hodges house and point out the location of the storage house in the backyard. Grissom is getting worried that we may have to interrogate Hodges. He feels it is too soon without any evidence to back us up.

Greg fills me in on the progress of the case while Catherine and Grissom draw up a rough sketch of Hodges house and neighborhood. Unfortunately, Archie has not found anything in the videos. Well according to Greg, anything of value to the case. Archie told Grissom he didn't think he would ever be able to get all the images out of his head. Greg suggested going to a topless bar every night for a month.

I pitch in and help Greg with the financial statements while Catherine reviews Archie's notes on the videos. Every now and then Catherine gets up and walks around the room shaking her head in disbelief. She said if Archie could view the tapes the least she could do was read his notes.

Warrick and Nick arrive signaling the end of our shift. We fill them in on the latest evidence and research before heading back to the hotel. Catherine has been silent the entire drive. I wonder if she has given any thought to my earlier request. She is probably just thinking about the case.

We walk to the hotel room and I place the key in the slot. I pull the key out and open the door for Catherine to enter. She immediately goes into the bathroom while I sit on the edge of the bed and put my head in my hands. After a few minutes, there is no sign of Catherine. I guess she has decided to ignore the situation hoping it will go away.

I get up, put on my boxers and tank, and crawl into the bed. I may as well try to get some sleep because I don't think she is ever coming out of the bathroom. I move toward the edge and turn on my side. I close my eyes and try to clear my mind.

Hearing the bathroom door open, I remain in place with my back to Catherine. I am not going to force the issue with her anymore. I feel the bed dip as she moves toward the middle. I freeze in place and await her next move.

Catherine places her hand on my shoulder and says "Sara, I've made my decision." I roll over to look her in the eyes. I want to see her face when she tells me of her choice. As I open my eyes, I almost fall backward off the bed. Catherine is sitting against the headboard naked as a jaybird.

 

Part 11

Holy shit, what a body! I think I'm going to like this decision of hers. I open my mouth to inform her of just that when she puts her fingers over my lips. I have to stop myself from sucking them into my mouth. Catherine gives me with a slightly embarrassed look which is a bit unusual for a woman who used to be a stripper. She fiddles with the bedspread and says "I want you to hold me while I sleep. I have never slept with someone in the nude without having sex, but I want to feel skin on skin with you."

What? She wants me to hold her naked body next to my naked body all night without having sex? Is she nuts? This was definitely not one of the options. I distinctly said separate sides of the bed, hold her, slow love making, or hot monkey sex. Only the last two involved nudity. I must be in my own living hell or maybe I'm really asleep and dreaming this torture.

I slowly reach up and touch Catherine's hand. Nope, she's real and she's still naked. I start to tell her that I don't think sleeping in the nude is such a great idea when she says "I just want to feel you near. You were right about the attraction. I am very attracted to you, but I think I want more than meaningless hot sex. I want our first time to be special."

Well hell, I did say I would be there if she wanted me to hold her. I just didn't think we would both be naked at the time. She seems to be sincere about wanting a first time, but I have to say looking at her perfect body is making meaningless hot sex sound better and better.

Catherine rises up from the bed and says "Let's just forget it, Sara. I'm sorry if I offended you." She moves toward the dresser and begins to pull out her sleeping gown. I jump from the bed and move toward her. "Catherine, wait. You've got me so flustered I didn't know what to say. To be honest, I'm still not sure what to say. I do know that I am both pleased and flattered you want to be with me. I also think you're right about us taking things slow, but I have to admit my libido is pretty high on the Richter scale right now."

Catherine smiles and says "Nobody but you would compare your sex drive to the magnitude of an earthquake." She moves closer and takes my hand saying "I know what you mean though. When I'm around you, I find myself wanting to constantly touch you. I have never felt this way about anyone else even Eddie. It scares me."

I can't believe we are having this conversation with me standing here clothed and Catherine completely naked. My only option is to balance the scale. I swiftly pull off my tank and boxers. Taking Catherine's hand, I lead us back to the bed.

I gesture for Catherine to get under the covers as I closely follow. We face each other but refrain from touching. I reach forward and stroke her face saying "This is a first for me too. I always get what I need and then leave in the cover of the night. Closeness is something I tend to avoid, but it is something I crave with you."

Catherine grasps my hand in hers and says "I don't want our first time to be in some hotel room. It would feel too much like a one night stand and I've had my share of those. I want to make love with you in my own bed." She squeezes my hand and adds "If we can hold out that long."

I decide right then and there to make Catherine's wish come true even though it will probably kill us both. I answer "I'd like that too. Now let's try to get some sleep." Catherine scoots next to me and places her head on my shoulder. I put my arm around her and draw her near.

The warmth of Catherine's skin is making things extremely difficult for me. I concentrate on keeping my body parts in check. Surprisingly, I fall asleep within minutes.

This time when I awaken I know exactly where I am and who I am with. I glance to the clock and can't believe how long we've slept. I begin to mentally calculate the hours and realize we only have thirty minutes before our next shift.

I slip from Catherine's grasp and head to the bathroom for a very quick shower. I can't believe my body is being so cooperative. Of course, I did promise it a huge reward if I could hold out for Catherine's bed.

I quickly rinse and dry off. After putting on my clothes, I move back to the bed. "Catherine, it's time to wake up. We forgot to set the alarm and we only have twenty minutes until shift. You've still got time for a quick shower."

Catherine opens her eyes and looks at the clock. Rising from the bed, she stretches her gorgeous body. She throws a 'good morning' over her shoulder as she walks into the bathroom. I sit on the edge of the bed trying to push the image of a naked, stretching Catherine into my subconscious so that I can recall it when I have the time to fully enjoy it.

We had to forego eating to arrive at the lab on time. We swing by the break room to grab a cup of coffee before meeting up with Grissom in the far lab. Grissom looks up with a raised eyebrow when we walk in. Why is he looking at us like that? I immediately look down to be sure I am fully dressed.

Yep, I'm all there. I glance at Catherine and note another fully clothed investigator. That's when I realize we are walking so close to each other we may as well be sharing a leg. Kind of like those races where the two contestants tie their inner legs together and run toward the finish line.

Catherine is totally unaware of the scrutiny and does not seem to realize how much we have invaded each other's space. I make it a point to separate and walk toward the far side of the table.

As we take a seat, Grissom immediately begins to fill us in. Hodges apparently went straight home and has not left his house since arriving. He has not ventured into the backyard either. Grissom believes this indicates Ecklie is indeed dead.

Warrick, Nick, and Greg have found no other evidence in the financials or the phone LUDS. Grissom informs us that Ros called about a half hour ago and said she had some information, but she will only tell Catherine and me. She has agreed to meet us at the diner across the street from the bar.

Grissom checks his watch and tells us that we need to be on our way if we're going to be on time for our meeting. He and Greg walk out with us and I concentrate on keeping a fair amount of space between Catherine and me which is a bit difficult since Catherine keeps edging closer and closer. I don't think she is even aware of it.

We arrive at the diner at the scheduled time. At least we will be able to get a meal out of this even if the information doesn't pan out. We walk up to the entrance hand in hand. I don't remember who reached for whom, but it seemed to be an automatic gesture.

I open the door for Catherine and we enter scanning the patrons for Ros. We see her at the back waving frantically to get our attention. She's sitting in the far booth with Max at her side. These two stick out like a sore thumb, but I don't dare tell Ros her wave was not necessary.

I place my hand on Catherine's back as we walk the rest of the way to the booth. I take her hand and assist her into the booth. Ros sits across from us grinning like a cheshire cat. She nudges Max in the side and says "Look at those two, so much in love. You should be ashamed of yourself for coming onto Catherine." Turning back to us, she adds "You two are positively glowing. It looks like you've just taken a boat ride down a river. What kind of trip was it? Slow then fast? Were there stops along the way? Did it end with a smooth glide onto the shore at the end or a plunge down a waterfall?"

 

Part 12

Taking my hand, Catherine smiles and answers "We haven't actually left the dock yet, Ros. We're still testing the waters to determine the kind of trip we're interested in." With a surprised tone, Max says "You mean to tell me the two of you haven't had sex yet. You sure couldn't tell by the way you kiss." Ros reaches over and smacks Max on the back of the head.

Max retorts "Ow, quit that you cross-dressing theater queen." Ros sighs and mumbles something about redundancy and reaches over to take Catherine's hand. "Catherine, I think it's wonderful you and Sara are holding out. Too many people jump into the sack right away. I definitely would hold out if I met the right man."

Max opens her mouth to make a remark, but shuts it when Ros glares at her. We decide to order something to eat and discuss Ros' information over breakfast. Max and Ros order the special, Catherine chooses pancakes and eggs, and I order the vegetarian breakfast. Max looks up and says "What are you some kind of Crunchy dyke?"

Angrily, I answer "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Catherine places her hand on my leg and I instantly calm with her touch. Once again she has saved me from my own death by Max's hand. She turns to Max and says "Max, I don't take kindly to people who talk rudely to my family. I think you need to apologize to Sara right now." Family? I smile as I realize Catherine's meaning.

Ros laughs and says "Honey, I love your spunk. In Max's defense, she wasn't being rude or derogatory this time. She was referring to Sara's diet. A lesbian who is health conscious or eats healthy is referred to a Granola lesbian or a Crunchy dyke."

Okay, I knew what a Granola lesbian was, but I had never heard the term Crunchy dyke. I turn to Max and say "I don't mind the Granola lesbian label, but please don't call me a Crunchy dyke again." Max puts out her hand and says "Sorry I offended you. I won't do it again. Truce?" I reach over to shake her hand and I don't even grimace when her grip almost breaks my hand. I gently put my hand in my lap when she releases it. I may have to get an x-ray later. The waitress delivers our food as I try eating with my left hand.

Catherine adeptly moves the conversation back to the case. Ros leans forward and asks "I won't have to testify or anything will I?" Catherine assures her we only want her information and we will do our best to keep her name out of the investigation.

Ros glances around before reaching in her purse and pulling out a credit card receipt. She slides it across the table and Catherine moves it to where we both can view it. Let's see what we've got. The total is $23.43 and the date is two weeks ago today. The name on the receipt is John Sanders. The signature is just about illegible. We continue to eat as we discuss the case. Well, they eat while I try to balance food on my fork.

I ask Ros the significance of the receipt and she says "Well, I remember Julie Ann, one of the other bartenders, saying some mousy little man with a bad attitude gave her a hard time a couple of weeks back. She said he was mad because he didn't have enough cash to pay the tab. He wanted to come back the next night and pay the tab, but Julie Ann has gotten in trouble many times for letting customers run a tab for a couple of days."

Ros pauses and takes a sip of her coffee before continuing. "Anyway, the manager had just jumped on Julie Ann that very day so when this guy wanted to pay the next night she said she couldn't let him. Julie Ann said he ranted and raved before he finally pulled out his credit card. That's the receipt."

Catherine asks "How can you be sure this is the one?" Max answers "Julie Ann may be a dumb blonde, but she remembers the name of every person she has ever served. She's like one of those idiot savants when it comes to remembering names. I asked her about the guy and she said she has served him on several occasions."

I move to pull out my phone, but Catherine stops me. "Sara, I've already finished my breakfast. I'll call while you finish yours." Catherine pulls out her cell and walks toward the restroom area for privacy. We can hear the first part of her conversation as she moves away. "Nick, it's Catherine. We think Hodges has an alias. You need to run financials and a background check on a John Sanders. His MasterCard number is . . ."

By the time Catherine returns, I have finished two thirds of my breakfast and I am tired of fighting with my fork. I place my napkin on the table and reach for the bill. Catherine snatches it up and insists on paying the tab for all of us. Ros and Max graciously accept so I don't see the point in arguing. I'll just get the next one. We thank Ros and Max for their help and promise to let them know how everything turns out.

I move to the passenger side of the Denali and get in. Catherine stands outside the vehicle with a puzzled expression on her face. She finally gets in and I hand her the keys and give her a quick kiss. Catherine smiles and starts the engine. I'm going to have to remember this technique the next time I want to distract her.

During our meal, my right hand has swollen significantly. I still can't believe the strength in that woman's hand. I'm just hoping she didn't do it on purpose. Reflexively, I reach for the seatbelt with my left hand before shifting it back to my right to buckle in. Pain immediately accompanies my stupidity. My immediate reaction as always to pain is to blurt out "Fuck!" I quickly pull my injured hand to my middle and cradle it in my left hand. I bite down on my lip to keep from uttering anymore profanities.

Since we haven't made it out of the parking lot yet, Catherine pulls into an open parking space. She undoes her seatbelt and leans toward me in concern. Being a highly skilled investigator, it doesn't take Catherine long to find the source of my problem.

Catherine puts her hand on my arm and says "Shit, Sara. Your hand looks broken. When did you get hurt? Did Max do something to you when I was talking on the phone to Nick? I'm going to get my taser and stun the hell out of her if she did."

My head snaps up at Catherine's words. She furrows her eyebrows and says "She hurt you didn't she?" Catherine scans the parking lot and spots Max and Ros talking a few cars down. She reaches for the door handle to exit the vehicle with a glare I have seen more than once in my lifetime.

Reaching for Catherine with my good hand, I say "Catherine, don't. It was an accident. Let's just get out of here." She turns toward me and her expression turns once again to concern. She reaches out and touches my lip. Pulling her hand away, Catherine says "Your lip is bleeding." I guess I bit down too hard.

Catherine looks at Ros and Max and then looks back to me. Decision made, she buckles back up and puts the car in gear. I finally begin to relax until I hear "We're going to the hospital. Max will have to wait for another day."

 

Part 13

Catherine calls Nick to let him know what is going on. We pull up to the emergency room entrance and take full advantage of being in a law enforcement vehicle. Catherine walks around and helps me from the Denali. I try to explain there's nothing wrong with my legs, but I only get a glare in return.

Catherine marches up to the desk, flashes her badge, and asks if the ER chief is available. A few minutes later, a tall slim blonde walks over to the desk. The nurse directs her to Catherine who tells the doctor I was injured while working on a time sensitive case and we both need to get back to the lab as soon as possible. Well, I guess her explanation is mostly true.

The next thing I know, I am being placed in a wheelchair and pushed to x-ray. I think Catherine has picked up on my fear of hospitals as she looks down upon my pale face. Of course, the fact that I have a death grip on her hand may have given her a clue. She gives me a reassuring smile as we make our way down the corridor.

An hour later, I am walking out of the ER with a splint on my hand. Two cracked bones sure hurt like hell. The doctor gave me some pain pills to take every four hours; however, most medication makes me a bit loopy so I'm going to try to hold off until we're done with this double shift.

We arrive at the lab and are met by a very concerned Warrick and Nick. I shrug off the sympathy looks and assure everyone that I'm okay. Nick then displays one of his patented shit eating grins and I immediately know he's found something. The two of them direct us to Grissom's office.

Nick instructs us to take a seat on the couch while he moves the whiteboard forward. Turning it around, I am puzzled by what looks to be a family tree of some kind. Directly in the center is the name John Sanders.

Warrick chuckles and says "You are never going to believe what we discovered." Catherine sits back and replies "Bring it on." Nick laughs and says "Okay, but hold onto your seatbelts. John Sanders is Hodges' real name. David Hodges is the alias. He is from a very affluent family who evidently was not happy with John's sexual preferences. At the age of twenty one, John changed his name to David Hodges and his family was more than happy to assist him. He evidently still keeps in touch with his paternal grandmother because she is the one paying for the credit card and occasionally puts money in the Nevada State Bank account of John Sanders."

Warrick is busting a gut holding something else in, but he is going to let Nick take center stage. Catherine asks "Did you find any land holdings?" Nick smiles and says "Oh, yeah. Mr. Sanders is quite the entrepreneur. He has real estate holdings all over Las Vegas. We have been able to narrow the number of possible places he could be holding Ecklie to ten. Grissom should be here within the hour. He's going to have to pull more people into our little circle."

Nick continues to wear a huge grin as if he's saved the best for last, but it's apparent he's going to milk it for all its worth. The pain is starting to grate on me a bit and I can no longer wait for Nick's big revelation. I blurt out "For God's sake Nick. I know there is still something huge you've been waiting to tell us. Would you just get on with it?" The minute I see the hurt look on Nick's face, I want to take everything back. Catherine reaches over, takes my hand, and soothingly rubs her thumb across the back.

Warrick and Nick zoom in on our joined hands and their eyebrows shoot to the ceiling. Catherine doesn't wait for the questions. She very calmly says "Sara and I are seeing each other. Do either one of you have a problem with that?" Both men's jaws drop as their eyebrows fall. Neither is able to respond so they both shake their heads no. I think Catherine may have just trumped any news Nick had.

Catherine finally lets go of my hand and walks to the whiteboard while Warrick and Nick silently follow her progress. I'm almost afraid to know what is going on in their heads. Catherine points to a name on the board and asks "What the hell is this doing here?"

Nick comes out of his stupor long enough to reply "He's Hodges' great-grandfather." Catherine bursts out laughing and says "Harland Sanders is Hodges' great-grandfather? All this time I thought Hodges resembled a rodent. Now that I know his true heritage, I admit I was wrong. I can definitely see the resemblance to a chicken."

Warrick begins to cluck and Nick bends over in laughter. My brain must be having trouble dealing with this pain because I can't for the life of me put this all together. Catherine plops down beside me still chuckling.

Warrick offers to go get us some coffee while Nick goes to check on a computer printout.

As soon as the two leave, I open my mouth to ask what the significance of all the chicken references is when I catch a clue. How could I possibly forget about Colonel Sanders? During my college years, Kentucky Fried Chicken was one of my weekly takeouts. Now that I'm a vegan, I shudder at the thought.

Catherine reaches over and runs her hand up and down my arm. "Hey, what's the matter? Are you cold?" I shake my head and reply "No, I was just remembering how much chicken I consumed while I was in college. I probably paid for Hodges' education." Catherine laughs and says "Yeah, me too. I probably helped finance Ecklie's kidnapping since Lindsey still loves KFC."

Talk of Ecklie brings our laughter to an abrupt halt. Regardless of what a prick he can be, he is a victim in need of our help. Catherine rises from the couch and pulls me up with her. We walk to the whiteboard to study Hodges' past.

 

Part 14

Warrick comes in and delivers our coffee. He also informs us Nick is in the back lab with computer printouts and maps of the area. He needs our help to analyze and cross reference the two. Catherine finishes writing down some notes about Hodges' history before we walk together down the hallway to the lab.

Nick has highlighted the potential warehouse and buildings in which Ecklie could be housed. A couple of them are located in a fairly busy commercial area which moves them down on the list of probable locations. I work on the phone records of John Sanders to try to match numbers up with any of the businesses. It seems Hodges has two phone lines in his home; something that may have been missed if we didn't know about his 'alter ego.'

Wendy sneaks in a little later to warn us that Hodges has arrived early for his next shift. His trace lab is located on the other side of the building, but we still need to be careful. I turn my attention back to the phone LUDS looking for frequently called numbers or any sort of pattern.

Grissom finally arrives with Brass in tow. The sheriff has been filled in on the very basics of the case. He knows Hodges is a suspect, but he has no idea of the relationship between Hodges and Ecklie. He has agreed to supply additional detectives to check out the warehouses and businesses on our short list. Brass is going to coordinate the search and report any findings to Grissom.

Stopping to rest my eyes, I look over to see Nick going over the top ten list with Brass, pointing out the prime locations while Warrick and Catherine are filling Grissom in on all the latest information. Every few minutes, Grissom glances over at me. I really hope Catherine hasn't said anything about 'our relationship.' It would be nice to have actually gone on our first date before announcing to anyone we're seeing each other. Telling Nick and Warrick is one thing, but Grissom is a completely different matter.

I move my attention back to the pages in front of me. My hand is throbbing and the pain is making it more difficult to focus. The telephone numbers keep blurring into one big blob on the page; however, I have been able to pinpoint the majority of the calls to Flagstaff, Arizona.

I cross reference with Nick's research to find the number I have been so painstakingly zeroing in on and charted every single occurrence of belongs to Hodge's paternal grandmother. Groaning, I put my head down on the table and close my eyes.

A few minutes later, someone has walked over and begins to lightly stroke my hair. It had better be Catherine and not one of the guys. I know it's not Grissom unless I have head lice and he's looking to add to his bug collection. I keep my eyes closed and enjoy the attention.

Catherine's voice filters through my bliss. "Sara, Grissom said we can get an early start on our break. I told him about your hand and he's a bit worried about you. He wants us to take advantage of this lull because if the detectives find something, we may be called in at a moment's notice. Greg's here and he will take over your work on the phone records as soon as he returns with his special coffee. He offered to bring you a cup, but I told him you didn't need any more caffeine to keep you awake."

I lift my head and glance around the room. Everyone is involved in some task and no one seems to be paying any attention to Catherine and me. I take her hand and lightly squeeze my thanks for getting us an early reprieve. Besides, it's been a whole hour since I last touched her.

Releasing her hand, I move to stand as Greg enters the room. He makes a beeline for me and immediately asks "Sara, what happened to your hand?" I guess Catherine didn't get around to telling Greg about my injury. I make an attempt to smile through my increasing pain and respond "I got it caught in a vise." Seeing Greg's confused look, Catherine vehemently adds "Amazonian Max broke two bones in Sara's hand when they shook hands. I've been trying to come up with some way to retaliate. Can I count on you to help, Greg?"

Greg hesitates before asking "Max, as in Max from the bar?" Catherine nods her head yes and Greg quickly responds "Um, I . . . um . . . well, good luck with that, Catherine." He immediately turns tail and heads toward Grissom.

Catherine moves to go after Greg, but I stop her by grabbing her hand. She snaps her head back at me in protest, but one look at my pained expression keeps her in place. She pulls me from the room by my 'good' hand and yells for Grissom to call if he needs us.

As we arrive at the Denali, Catherine opens the passenger door for me and walks around to the driver's side. I get in and don't even bother buckling up. I lay my head back on the seat and concentrate on keeping the nausea at bay. I shift my focus to the phone LUDS I left behind for Greg. There has to be something in all those numbers, I just can't figure it out yet.

I make a mad dash for the bathroom as soon as the door to the hotel room is opened. I think I hate throwing up more than anything. Catherine kneels beside me and holds my hair back. When I finish, I lean back on my heels while Catherine wets a washcloth and wipes my face. The coolness of the cloth feels so good against my heated face, having someone to care for me feels even better.

Catherine helps me to my feet and assists me with removing my shoes and pants. I hope the next time she undresses me I will be able to return the favor. I climb into the bed as Catherine retrieves my pain pills and a glass of water. Looking up at her, I say "I really don't think I can keep them down. Besides, I'm not supposed to take them on an empty stomach."

Catherine looks around the room and spies the mini-bar. She walks over and pulls out a bottle of water and some crackers. I immediately protest. "Catherine, put those back. I bet together those two cost ten dollars." She smiles and says "Too bad. The sheriff is footing the bill. Let him worry about it." I reach for the water and crackers.

The snack has helped my nausea somewhat and I agree to take the pills. I sure hope we're not needed in the next 8 hours because there is no way I'll be even close to one hundred percent. Before closing my eyes, I realize what has been bothering me about the phone LUDS. I ask Catherine to call Greg and have him check the phone records from the other end of the conversations to Arizona.

As I begin to drift off, I wonder exactly what lengths Grandmother Sanders would go to help her precious John.

 

Part 15

I awaken in an extremely groggy state. It seems the pain medication has really done a number on me. I reach out for Catherine to find the spot next to me empty. I open one eye and slowly scan the room only to find no one here but me. I listen carefully to see if perhaps Catherine is in the bathroom, but I am met with silence. For some reason, the thought of being alone makes me very uneasy.

I manage to open the other eye to assist in seeing the time. The digital readout says 9:00. I notice the light from the window to confirm the a.m. part of the time. Something's not quite right, but I can't put my finger on it at the moment. I look over at the phone and decide to try to find Catherine. As soon as I scoot toward the nightstand, I suddenly realize something is very wrong with the time.

Catherine and I have the down shift from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. I have apparently been sleeping for much longer than two hours which means we somehow missed a shift. How the hell did I miss that and where the hell is Catherine?

I swing my legs over the side of the bed and make a move to stand. My knees almost collapse as I shift my weight forward. I catch myself with my good hand and decide that perhaps the bed is a really good place for me right now.

As I work on getting my bearings back, the door opens and Catherine tiptoes in. Deciding to play possum, I lie still with my eyes closed. Catherine quietly moves toward the bed and climbs in. She scoots next to me and softly caresses my face. I lean into the touch. There's no way I'm continuing this game, not when touching is involved. I open my eyes and look up at Catherine.

She smiles and says "Hey sleepyhead, how are you feeling?" I return her smile and reply "Confused. I woke up and you were gone. I missed you." Catherine leans down and lightly kisses my lips. She pulls back and says "I'm sorry. I didn't think you would wake up while I was gone. I brought you some bagels and coffee."

I slowly sit up against the headboard pleased there is no sign of dizziness or weakness. "Catherine, how did we miss a shift?" She laughs and replies "I was wondering how long it would take you to realize we only worked a single instead of a double. I pitched the idea to Grissom and he went along with it. He was so sure you would never go for it, but I was planning on distracting you if you realized what was going on. I knew how badly you were hurting when you walked out of the lab with me without a word."

I don't know if I'm more upset about being played or because we missed our shift. "I can't believe you would ask Grissom to skip our turn without consulting me. I have always pulled my weight and I could have made it through the shift."

Catherine immediately sits up and gets off the bed. "Sara, you were in so much pain that it made you physically ill. There is no way you would have been able to make another eight hours. Even if you did manage to gut it out, you would have been useless. Now just get over this guilty feeling and enjoy the next six hours."

I open my mouth to reply and suddenly realize that I don't want to fight with Catherine. She was looking out for me and I should be grateful. I look over at her and notice her stance. She is in her classic 'fighting mode' with her weight evenly distributed, hands on her hips, and a facial expression of stone. I think it's time to throw her for a loop.

I take on the most pleasant expression I can muster and say "You're right, Catherine. I never would have lasted another hour much less eight. Thank you for being there for me and taking care of me. No one has ever looked out for my well being before."

Expecting a negative statement, Catherine begins to reply "Now you listen to me, Sara Sidle, I was only . . . what?" I smile and repeat my previous statement. Catherine walks back to the bed and sits on the edge. She takes my hand and responds "You're welcome. And you better get used to me looking out for you. I'm going to be there for you from now on."

As I prepare to tell Catherine how much she means to me, her cell rings from across the room. She moves over to answer. "Willows . . . what . . . Flagstaff? . . . where . . . when . . . okay we'll meet you at the lab in two hours." Catherine closes her phone and shakes her head.

She turns to me and says "Greg took your advice and tracked several calls from Hodges' grandmother to a private mental institution about 25 miles from Flagstaff. Grissom has spoken with the head of the institution and a man fitting Ecklie's description was admitted three nights ago. He was heavily sedated and has been kept that way since. The patient has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder."

Frowning, I ask "Doesn't one have to actually have a personality to be diagnosed with a disorder?"

 

Part 16

Catherine smirks at my question and replies "Yes, but in this case Ecklie was brought in drugged so I'm sure the doctors had no idea he was a robot. We'll find out more as soon as we get to Flagstaff."

Catherine begins to pull things from the dresser and pack them in our bags. I watch her with a confused expression for several minutes before asking "What do you mean when we get to Flagstaff?"

Catherine walks over and once again sits next to me on the bed, a position I am growing quite fond of. She explains "Grissom wants me, you, and Greg to fly down to Flagstaff and then rent a car to drive to the institution. We are to ask to see the patient to determine if, in fact, he is Ecklie. If it is Ecklie, Gil doesn't want us to 'extract' him just yet. We will need to interview the chief of staff to determine how Ecklie became a patient."

She pauses for my brain to process the information before continuing. "Gil, Warrick, and Nick are staying here to try to link Hodges directly to the kidnapping. The sheriff has actually agreed to keep Ecklie at the institution a little longer. We will need to get our information quickly before the sheriff gets impatient. As long as Ecklie is kept on 'ice,' all the players should have their guard down enough for us to be able to identify them."

Catherine takes my hand and begins to pull me from the bed. "C'mon, Sara. Go get in the shower and I'll pack our things. Greg will be here in about thirty minutes to pick us up to go to the airport. Maybe the shower will jump start your brain."

Groggily, I allow myself to be pulled to my feet and Catherine gives me a push toward the bathroom. I hold my splinted hand up and ask "How am I going to shower with this thing on?" Catherine reaches out and gently removes the problem. I smile and head toward the shower.

Thirty minutes later, we have loaded Greg's car and are headed to the airport. We pass through security and walk toward our assigned gate. The shower has done wonders for my thinking abilities. I have actually contributed coherent sentences to Greg and Catherine's conversation on the way over.

I look down at my ticket to see 4A. I ask Catherine for her seat number and she responds "4B." I raise my eyebrow to Greg. He reads out "2A." How did we manage first class seats? Before I can voice my question, Catherine says "Grissom tricked the sheriff into thinking the flight was almost full and the remaining seats were in first class. Grissom told the sheriff it was imperative that we get on this flight. The sheriff agreed." I make a mental note to thank Grissom later.

As we are boarding the plane, Catherine leans forward and whispers in my ear "Hey, Sara. I remember hearing about you telling Gil you were a member of the mile high club. Think we should renew your membership?" I trip and fall into the back of Greg. Catherine quickly reaches out and pulls me back into her body to keep me from hitting the floor.

She holds me just a fraction too long as Greg looks at us in total confusion. I step away from Catherine and say "Thanks, Catherine. I appreciate you keeping me from landing on my ass." Catherine mumbles "I certainly wasn't going to sit back and watch you break one of your best assets." I turn red and move to our seat.

The flight attendant stops by and asks if we would like some wine. I start to answer yes when I remember the pain medication that is probably still in my system. I opt for a coke and Catherine does the same.

I look out the window and watch the luggage being loaded into the lower part of the plane. I don't know if I should alert Catherine to my fear of flying or if I should just suck it up and keep my terror to myself. Little does she know the only reason I'm a member of the mile high club is because it was the only thing my partner could come up with to keep my mind and, of course, my body occupied.

Deciding to stay silent about my problem, I try my breathing exercises. I've found that when I concentrate on the simple action of inhaling and exhaling, my body will relax. Counting the number of times I inhale and exhale keeps my mind busy as well.

The seatbelt sign comes on as the captain begins his spiel of the current weather conditions, time of flight, blah, blah, blah. As we begin to taxi to the runway, I clinch the seat with my one good hand. I flex the other one just to be on the safe side.

The takeoff and touchdown actually scare me. The rest of the trip is easier to trick the mind because the flight is usually smooth. As we pull onto the runway, my breathing becomes more erratic. I close my eyes and concentrate. Inhale. .. exhale . . . inhale . . . exhale. . .

Catherine has evidently become aware of my small problem as she takes my hand in hers. Now I have something else to concentrate on, not breaking her hand by squeezing too hard.

The plane begins to pick up speed and so does my respiration. I think the pain medication must be exacerbating my fear. I can almost feel my heart beat out of my chest.

As I reach the pinnacle of my nervousness, I feel soft lips caressing mine and I open my mouth to allow Catherine's tongue. We continue our passionate kiss until we are interrupted by the flight attendant grinning and asking if we need anything.

Catherine squeezes my hand and replies "I'm quite happy now, maybe later." The attendant winks and moves on down the aisle. I take the time to look around and notice Catherine and I are isolated from the others. There is no one across from us, in front of us, or behind us.

I look out the window to see that we are airborne. Shocked, I turn to a very smug Catherine. She says "I noticed you were a little nervous about the takeoff so I thought I would calm you down some. Wait until you see what I have in mind for the landing."

 

Part 17

Halfway into the flight, I begin to replay Catherine's words about the landing. Surely she doesn't mean for us to both reapply for membership in the mile high club. I definitely don't want our first time to be in some aircraft or because Catherine is trying to get me to forget about my fear of flying.

I turn my head toward Catherine and find her napping in what appears to be a very uncomfortable position. I reach over and gently lift her head and place it on my shoulder. She smiles in her sleep as she assumes her new position.

The attendant comes by several more times during the course of the flight to check on us. Judging from the smile she gives both of us, I'd say she was definitely family. She has even teasingly asked Catherine if she would mind administering her treatment on other passengers who were nervous about flying. Catherine smiled and told her I was a special case.

As the seatbelt sign comes back on, the pilot once again begins his weather forecast. Only this time, it's the conditions at Flagstaff. Catherine helps me with my seatbelt and takes hold of my hand. I nervously await her method of taking my mind off the landing.

The plane begins its descent and I lightly squeeze Catherine's hand. She leans over and looks out the window for the land below. I close my eyes and pray for a quick end to the trip. Inhale . . . exhale . . . inhale . . . exhale . . .

Feeling the change in pressure and my stomach, I clinch Catherine's hand more tightly. Once again, my lips are taken captive by Catherine as I am kissed stupid. We almost taxi all the way to the gate before I figure out where I am. Damn that woman can kiss!

We pull into the gate and come to a complete stop. I turn to Catherine and say "Don't get me wrong your kisses are to die for, but you had me expecting something else." Catherine laughs and responds "I never intended to do anything more, but you've got to admit the anticipation of more made you forget about the middle part of the trip. You were perfectly calm the entire flight."

Well, crap. Catherine planned the whole thing. She certainly got my mind off the fact I was in a plane. I was too busy trying to figure out what she had in store for me. She's good, she's very good. I'm definitely going to have to be on my toes at all times when I'm with her.

We finally deplane and move toward the luggage area. Luckily, ours are the first pieces of luggage on the carousel. Greg pulls each bag off and we head toward the rental cars. Catherine walks to the counter while Greg and I wait by the doors. Smiling, Catherine turns and holds up a set of keys.

Dr. Johnson, the head of the institution, has agreed to meet us at 8:00 p.m. We have about 4 hours to kill so Catherine suggests we check into the hotel and then grab a quick bite to eat. Greg offers to drive and Catherine takes shotgun. Fine with me, I'm a bit tired from the plane trip. Trying to keep one's nerves intact is exhausting.

Greg and Catherine move to the hotel registration desk while I sit in a lounge chair watching both our luggage and the guests walking in and out of the entrance. People watching is the one activitity we all invariably do, even if it's a subconscious activity. I like to try to guess everything from age to occupation, not that I'll ever find out if I'm right.

Greg brings me out of my musing by pretending to 'steal' his piece of luggage from my watchful eye. Reflexively, I put my leg out and Greg is just able to stop before going ass over teakettle. He glares back at me as if the whole thing was my fault. Hell, he started it.

Catherine walks over, calmly picks up our bags, and heads toward the elevator. After a few steps, she turns and says "C'mon, children. Let's go find our rooms." Pouting, Greg and I follow.

We arrive at Room 214 first. Opening the door, Catherine and I both smile as we spot a king size bed. Greg moves into the room and places his things on the bed. Turning he says "This must be mine. I'm sure your room will have a couple of doubles. If not, you can room with me, Sara."

Catherine snaps "Not even in your dreams, Sanders. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be heading to OUR room. Be ready to leave in an hour." Catherine turns on her heel and moves down the hall. Grinning, I follow.

Stopping in front of Room 232, Catherine places the key in the door. From the expression on our faces, it is clear what we are both hoping for. She slowly pushes the door inward and peers into the room. I step around her to peek in as well.

Okay, let's see. Bathroom, chair, TV, and bed, not beds but bed. Smiling, we both enter the room. Catherine instructs me to rest for a few minutes while she unpacks. I climb into the center of the bed and stack the pillows behind my head. Perfect, I now have an unobstructed view of the entire room.

I watch Catherine move around the room putting things into drawers, hanging clothes to get the wrinkles out, and walking back and forth to the bathroom with our toiletries. As much as I enjoy people watching, I think Catherine watching has moved to the top of my list.

She has always walked with a certain air of confidence, but I am just now noticing the definite swing of her hips as she strolls around the room. When she bends over to place some clothing in the bottom drawer, my eyes zoom in on her perfect ass.

Mesmerized, I stare at the round globes for several minutes before I realize she is watching me in the mirror. I instantly turn red as our eyes meet in the mirror. Catherine stands and makes her way over to the side of the bed.

Smiling, she says "Why Sara, I never figured you for an ass woman."

 

Part 18

Oh, if Catherine only knew. When I'm around her, I vacillate from a leg woman to a breast woman to an ass woman. Hell, I would think that would classify me as an all-around kind of girl. I love everything about her both physically and mentally and . . . holy shit!

I just used the "L" word; I need to lie down. Oh wait, I already am and the object of my desire is walking straight toward me with a very sexy grin. Inhale . . . exhale . . . inhale . . . exhale . . .

Catherine's expression changes from saucy to concern as she nears the bed. "Sara, are you okay? You're white as a sheet. Is it your hand?" I open my mouth to tell her the truth when my brain kicks in saying 'Don't, Sara. It's too soon.' Instead I answer, "I think the plane ride has gotten to me. I'm feeling a little faint."

Catherine walks over to the bathroom and returns with a cool washcloth. She gently wipes my face and strokes my hair. If this didn't feel so good, I might feel guilty about lying. Besides, I really do feel ill, I only lied about the cause not the effect. I finally fall asleep to Catherine's gentle ministrations.

I awaken to a soft voice in my ear. "Sara, wake up. We need to meet Greg and go get something to eat. C'mon now, wake up." I smile and turn toward my angel's voice. Opening my eyes, I find Catherine kneeling on the bed with one foot still on the floor.

She smiles and says "Would you rather stay here and rest? Greg and I can meet with the doctor and bring you something back to eat. You still look a little pale." Yawning and stretching, I reply "No. I want to hear what the doctor has to say. Let me just splash some water on my face." She reaches out her hand and pulls me toward the edge.

I sit up and try to get my bearings. Damn, I'm groggy. I certainly can't blame it on my medication since I haven't taken any in awhile. I don't know if it's from the plane trip or the realization of being in love with Catherine. I'm thinking it must be a combination of the two.

We stop at an Italian restaurant a couple of blocks from the hotel. My appetite has returned in full force. I order the eggplant parmesan and Catherine and Greg choose lasagna. We discuss our upcoming meeting throughout the meal as I find myself fidgeting almost the entire time. Greg forced his way next to me in the booth and I have had to sit across from Catherine the entire meal. I have gotten so used to her being right next to me that I think I may be suffering from 'Catherine withdrawal' symptoms.

Arriving at the institution at precisely 7:45 p.m., we are cleared to enter the hospital grounds and given explicit directions as to where we can park. Catherine takes the lead as we enter the main entrance. Looking around, I note we are a far cry from the last institution I visited. I visibly shudder as I recall my near brush with death at the hands of Adam Trent. The uneasiness passes the second Catherine moves closer. It's as if she has a sixth sense.

A security guard questions our presence and asks for our credentials. After a ten minute delay, the three of us make our way to the office of Dr. Vincent Johnson. I am still a bit nervous walking the halls of the hospital, but with Greg and Catherine flanking my sides, I feel much safer.

We are met on the fifth floor by Dr. Johnson where introductions are made. He escorts us to a nearby conference room and offers us refreshments. Catherine declines and immediately begins to ask questions. "Dr. Johnson, would it be possible for us to see the patient in question? We have been extremely worried about our colleague."

Dr. Johnson shakes his head and replies "Ms. Willows, I am sorry for bringing you out here on a wild goose chase. I have been able to review the patient's history after talking to Mr. Grissom and have found this patient could not possibly be Mr. Ecklie." Catherine gives him one of 'dangerous' smiles and asks "Could you please elaborate?"

The doctor pulls out a file and says "This individual was admitted by one of our most prestigious doctors, Dr. Moreau. All papers are in order and the admission was agreed upon by the patient's grandmother who also happens to be on the hospital's board of directors. The patient in question is none other than her grandson, John."

It looks like granny is willing to go a very long distance for Hodges. I wonder just how much information Dr. Johnson imparted to Dr. Moreau. Speaking of the good doctor, I hope he isn't anything like H. G. Well's Dr. Moreau. That damned story gave me the creeps. Even the most recent adaptation which focuses on the altering of DNA, as opposed to vivisection, makes my skin crawl.

After a short lull in the conversation, Catherine asks about Dr. Moreau. Dr. Johnson beams with pride as he discusses his prize pupil. It seems Dr. Moreau graduated at the top of both his undergraduate and medical school class at Harvard University.

Catherine glances over at me at the mention of Harvard. I shrug my shoulders and continue listening to Dr. Johnson's spiel of the merits of his colleague. He goes on to tell us how proud his grandmother Elizabeth is of him.

As he winds down, something is niggling at the back of my brain. Slowly, I begin to dissect each facet of the conversation. I wait until he is clearly finished with his thought before I ask "You speak as if you know Dr. Moreau's grandmother very well. Is she a family friend?"

Dr. Johnson smiles and says "Elizabeth? Well, of course she's a family friend." His smile falters as he continues "I feel so very sorry for her. Can you imagine what it would be like to have one grandson treating another for a mental illness? It's so sad."

Well, I'll be damned. No wonder it was so easy to get Ecklie into this place. Having a grandmother as a member of the board and a cousin as one of the top doctors, this was a cake walk. Now we just have to figure out how to prove their involvement in Hodges' scheme. Plus we really need to be sure Ecklie is in fact present in the facility. That's going to be the tricky part.

As I am contemplating various reasons for us to see John Sanders, Catherine decides to turn on the charm. She walks closer to Dr. Johnson and places her hand on her arm. "Dr. Johnson, do you think we could have a tour of your facility? I truly believe this has to be one of the top institutions in the country. I think the three of us would greatly benefit from seeing how your hospital operates."

He smiles at Catherine and puts out his arm for her to take. She loops her arm in his as the two leave the conference room. Greg turns to follow but stops when he realizes I have not moved. "Sara, come on. We need to take advantage of being able to look around. Catherine has found the perfect way to get a tour." He turns back and leaves the room.

What the hell does Catherine think she's doing? She has that guy drooling all over her. He almost tripped when he got a good look at her cleavage when they walked out of the room. If he knows what is good for him, he'll keep his eyes to himself because those babies are mine. Pouting, I hurry to catch up.

Part 19

I find Greg, Catherine, and Dr. Johnson around the corner in the main hallway. It seems they are waiting for me to proceed on the tour. Catherine gives me a little wink to try to reassure me, but it's going to take a little more than that for me to overcome my insecurities.

Dr. Johnson leads Catherine down the corridor as Greg and I follow. I tune out the endless speech on the merits of the institution and instead concentrate on Catherine's body movements.

She laughs at his mindless jokes and occasionally leans into him. I once accused her of using her feminine wiles to extract information from both suspects and witnesses. She told me she would use any method available to get what she needs. I just wish I wasn't privy to this particular display of flirting.

I move my attention back to our tour guide. Dr. Johnson has been the perfect gentleman thus far, but I am going to keep my eye on the other 'Johnson' to make sure it behaves as well. If it so much as makes an appearance or sticks its head out, I'm going to cut if off.

We make our way to the top floor and enter through a complex security system. Dr. Johnson stops just past the first door and enters a code into a wall unit. As he completes the sequence, a small partition lifts revealing an interior room and a patient on a bed.

He explains each room is fitted with a mirror on one side and a viewing glass on the other. The glass is protected by a panel that can be lifted when the correct code is entered. This allows for observation of the patient by only designated personnel. Catherine whispers something in his ear and we immediately move down the far end of the hall.

Dr. Johnson punches in a code outside the corner room and the panel lifts to reveal a heavily sedated Ecklie. The three of us manage to maintain a passive expression to keep from revealing our shock. As Catherine starts to ask a question, she is interrupted by a booming voice rapidly approaching us.

"Dr. Johnson, what is the meaning of this? I have given explicit instructions for this patient to be monitored only by myself and my nurses." We turn to meet the source of the accusation and more than likely the esteemed Dr. Moreau.

This is Hodges' cousin? This guy is handsome, very well built, and easily six foot four. He must have gotten his height and good looks from the Moreau side of the family. He and Hodges must look like Mutt and Jeff when they're together.

Dr. Johnson begins to explain "Dr. Moreau, I apologize for any improprieties. These people are here from . . ." Catherine is able to quickly cut him off and says "Tucson. The three of us are looking for a place to care for our mother. We've heard wonderful things about your institution and wanted to check things out first hand. Dr. Johnson has been good enough to give us an exclusive tour. I apologize if we have done anything to offend you."

Dr. Moreau smiles at Catherine and replies "No. You are not a problem. I was just unaware of your visit and this particular patient is very special to me. In fact, a colleague of mine is flying out the day after tomorrow to assist me in his treatment and I didn't want the patient upset in any way. I should be the one to apologize for my rudeness."

Greg and I look back and forth from the two doctors to Catherine and back again. I had no idea she was a master puppeteer. If I look close enough, I can see the imaginary strings attached to these two seemingly intelligent men. Hell, even Dr. Johnson who specifically knows the purpose of our visit, is not objecting to the deception.

Catherine turns her charm to the spellbound Dr. Moreau. "Your work sounds fascinating. Are you and your colleague using this patient in some sort of experimental trial?" The mesmerized doctor replies "Yes, we are. I have tried all the conventional treatments with no positive results. It's time for a bit of the unconventional. I can't reveal any part of the experiment, but suffice it to say, it will be groundbreaking."

Great, now we need to move our timetable up a bit. There is no way we can let Ecklie become part of some radical experiment. Grissom will have to work around the clock to amass as much evidence as he possibly can against Hodges. Maybe we can do a little more work on our end as well to implicate both granny and Dr. Moreau.

I'm pulled from my thoughts as I hear both doctors ask Catherine to join them for a drink. They even offer to go to our hotel bar if it is more convenient. Convenient for whom? Two horny men who want to be closer to a hotel room when they ply Catherine with drinks. I don't think so. There will be no ménage à trois with my girl, uh uh, no way, no how.

I immediately step forward and say "Catherine, don't forget we have another meeting very early tomorrow morning." She turns to me and replies "Oh, I had forgotten." Returning her attention back to the lovesick doctors, Catherine says "Maybe some other time. I really need to be at my best in the morning."

We finally are able to convince the two that we need to be on our way. They both walk us to the elevator and continue to drool all over Catherine, and damn it, she is letting them. I cross my arms and turn toward the elevator willing the doors to open.

As I am about ready to head for the stairs, the door finally opens. Greg and I step inside and have to wait for Catherine to say her goodbyes. I try to control myself as I am officially past the point of being fed up. I have now moved into irrational jealousy.

After what seems like hours, Catherine steps into the elevator. Greg hits the button for the ground floor and we are on our way. Clinching my jaw shut, I keep my attention on the floor numbers above the door. I'll probably have TMJ by the time we reach the lobby.

Catherine and Greg discuss the need to get Ecklie out of the hospital before the voodoo doctors have a chance to experiment with him. Catherine keeps looking my way, but doesn't say anything about my childish behavior.

As we hit the third floor, she turns to me with her hands on her hips and says "Okay, Sara. You haven't said a word since we left Ecklie's floor. What's going on?" I look at her as if she's grown another head and answer "You're kidding, right? You know damn good and well what's wrong. You came on to those guys with me standing right beside you. I don't even think you knew I was there."

Catherine moves directly in front of me and well into my space. I retreat as she walks me into the corner. Placing her hands on my hips, she looks directly into my eyes and says "Sara, I only flirted with them to get information. It was the fastest and easiest way to get them to talk. As far as not knowing you were there, you are very wrong. I always know when you are near."

Reaching up with one hand, she pulls me down to her lips and lets me know exactly how much she was thinking of me. I place my hands on her waist and give her everything I've got.

We are brought back to reality when the elevator dings announcing our floor. Smiling, Catherine and I both step from the elevator and begin to walk toward the doors. Realizing we are alone, we turn to see Greg's shocked expression as the doors to the elevator close with him still inside.

 

Part 20

The elevator finally returns to the ground floor carrying a shell-shocked Greg. I don't think he has moved an inch since the doors first closed on him. Catherine and I share a laugh as I quickly race forward and yank him out before the doors shut once again.

He looks at me wide-eyed and babbles "Sar . . . Cath . . . kiss . . . ding . . ." Catherine and I each take an arm and escort our incoherent friend from the lobby before someone tries to have him committed.

We help him to the car and fasten his seatbelt. He looks back and forth between us, but doesn't say a word. Catherine moves to the driver side as I climb into the passenger seat. She reaches for my hand as we exit the hospital grounds. I look over my shoulder at Greg to find him blankly staring at our joined hands.

Greg finally regains some semblance of normalcy about a block from the hotel. He clears his throat several times before asking "How long have the two of you been together and am I the last to know?" I turn to him and reply "We haven't even been on a date yet, Greg. This is very new and we are still in the exploration stage of our relationship. As for your second question, Warrick and Nick are the only ones who know."

Greg grins and says "I'd say you were exploring a lot more than just your feelings. Those tongues looked like a couple of drilling rigs. I'm surprised you didn't strike oil." I reach over and slap him as Catherine pulls into our hotel. He's definitely back to normal and seems okay with Catherine and me. I have to admit I was a bit worried. It is one thing knowing your friend is gay and quite another seeing her passionately kiss a supposedly straight colleague.

We split up to go back to our respective hotel rooms. Greg is going to try to contact Nick to get a fax of the latest phone LUDS while Catherine is organizing our findings to report back to Grissom. I find myself with little to do since Catherine has ordered me to rest until Greg comes by with his fax so I lie on the bed and watch her work. I have to admit I never realized reading glasses were so damn sexy.

An hour later, Greg and I are sitting at the little table in our room looking over Nick's fax. We have separated the Hodges/Sander's records from his grandmother's. When we look through the list by date, things just don't add up. Hodges has not called his grandmother from either of his phones since the day before Ecklie disappeared.

It seems grandmamma has not called Hodges since then either. Usually co-conspirators will keep in contact right up until the kidnapping and sometimes after. The only common connection is Dr. Moreau. Hodges called him a couple of days before the abduction and granny has called him everyday since.

Catherine has talked to Grissom several times tonight to try to come up with a new plan. We have to figure out a way to connect the trio to the abduction and subsequent endangerment of Ecklie before Dr. Moreau begins his experiment.

Grissom wants us to stay in Flagstaff to keep close tabs on Dr. Moreau and Brass has contacted the local PD for assistance. We may have to use Catherine's charms to trap him in some way. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that.

Catherine calls it quits and tells Greg to get a good night's sleep because we're going to have to be in top form for tomorrow. Greg smiles and winks at me on his way out. I turn my attention back to the phone records. There has to be something I'm just not seeing.

Catherine walks behind me and drapes her arms over my shoulders hugging me close. "Sara, put those away. You're tired and need rest. You can start on them again tomorrow when you're fresh." I put my hand on her arm and turn my head towards hers. I lean forward and leisurely kiss her.

She releases my lips and walks toward the bed as I get up and follow. We both completely disrobe and climb into the bed. Catherine motions for me to turn on my side as she spoons behind me. She pulls me close and wraps her arm around my middle.

We both quietly enjoy the closeness until my guilty feelings begin to take center stage. After several minutes, I say "Catherine, I need to talk to you about my jealousy earlier today." She nods her head against mine giving me permission to speak freely so I continue. "I took it personally when you flirted with the two doctors. At first, I was pissed at you and then I begin to feel insecure about your feelings toward me. I hated having those feelings, but I couldn't help it when I saw you with those two. I felt left out."

Catherine squeezes my middle and responds "Sara, it is just a game. I have always been able to flirt with men and get my way. It's just natural for me to use my sexuality to find out information. I've been doing it since I was in high school. I don't mean to belittle my feelings toward you. I care for you and no amount of flirting is going to change that."

I smile at the acknowledgement of her feelings. I can't wait until I hear those three little words from her, but I can be very patient especially if Catherine is my reward. I wonder if Hodges felt the same kind of jealousy when Ecklie would ignore him for someone else. I imagine it was worse for him since Ecklie pretty much threw him to the side to have sex with other men.

I know I would be broken hearted if Catherine was to do the same to me, but I would never wish for her to be harmed in anyway. I certainly wouldn't have her committed to some institution or undergo radical experiments to try to change her. I love her too much.

Thinking back to the first video found at the home of Ecklie's mother, I recall the impassioned speech Hodges gave to Ecklie about how much he loved him and wanted their relationship to be monogamous. I felt sorry for the guy. I think he loves Ecklie as much as I love Catherine. If that's the case, then . . .

I quickly sit up in bed startling Catherine. "Sara, what's wrong? Don't tell me you're going to be sick." I excitedly pull her up beside me. "Catherine, Hodges loves Ecklie." She replies "So?"

I roll my eyes and say "I don't think he would harm Ecklie." I wait a few beats before declaring "I don't think Hodges had anything to do with the abduction."

 

Part 21

Catherine immediately asks "And what information do you base your feelings of Hodges' innocence on?" I stop myself from blurting out 'love' because then I would have to explain exactly how I came to my conclusion. Instead I reply "I don't have anything concrete to support my feelings, but I think we need to look at the possibility."

I know she probably thinks I'm nuts, but it would explain the lack of phone calls. He also has been showing up to work regularly and according to Nick, he is not acting any more unusual than he normally does. Wendy has even noticed how genuinely upset he seems to be about Ecklie.

Catherine begins to laugh at my somewhat loony theory, but stops herself when she looks into my eyes. "Sara, you're serious aren't you?" I nod my head yes; however, I see the need to question my poor timing in starting this conversation as I glance at our reflection in the mirror.

Yep, it's definitely official; I have truly lost my mind. Here I am sitting against the headboard with a naked Catherine Willows beside me having a conversation about Hodges and Ecklie. The only thing worse would be discussing Grissom and the sheriff while we're in the midst of mind blowing sex.

I shudder as that last image floats through my mine which unfortunately raises goose bumps on my skin and awakens a couple of mammalian bumps as well. I cross my arms over my chest in an attempt to hide the misbehaving protrusions. It's at this point I am regretting not turning off the bedside lamp before beginning this ill-timed conversation.

Catherine gives me a huge grin and says "Why Sara is there a flag in the room or are you just happy to see me?" I drop my head embarrassed by my saluting nipples as she reaches over and pulls into a hug.

Naked hugging should really be considered as a new Olympic event and Catherine and I should practice frequently just in case it is approved by the IOC.

After several minutes, Catherine lightly kisses me and says "Sara, we really do need to get some sleep. Let's table this discussion about Hodges' possible innocence until morning." Agreeing, I reach over and turn out the light. Catherine resumes her spooning position as our breathing evens out into sleep.

I awaken before Catherine and watch her sleep awhile before sliding out of bed to take a shower. I can't wait for this damn case to be over so we can concentrate on just us. I look forward to the days when we can wake together and enjoy each other's company without worrying about work or the fact that Greg will probably be knocking on the door in another hour. Hell, if we don't have some quality time together soon I am going to spontaneously combust.

I quickly shower and order us a light breakfast from room service. We may as well take advantage of the sheriff's hospitality while we can. I'm sure we will be back on his shit list the minute we solve this case. I glance at the clock and decide to wake Catherine before Greg gets here. There's no way I'm going to allow him to sneak a peek at any of Catherine's assets.

I crawl back onto the bed and softly call her name. She immediately smiles and begins to stretch like a cat. The sheet slides down revealing more of her tantalizing body. My mouth goes dry as her nipples harden with the cool air of the room. Swallowing, I move my attention to the other side of the room. A horny Sara can't think straight and after watching Catherine, I want to be as far away from straight as possible.

Catherine rises from the bed and walks around the room naked. After she has chosen her wardrobe, she glances over her shoulder and winks at me before entering the bathroom. I sit on the bed gawking at the closed door. I think she now has imaginary strings attached to my body as well. A knock on the room door brings me back to the present and I move to open it.

Greg walks in and heads for our little work area. He looks around for Catherine and after noticing the closed door, he sits in the chair facing the bathroom. I walk over and knock on the bathroom door and inform Catherine that Greg is here. Smiling, I head back over to a dejected Greg who was hoping to see a little more of Catherine than I am willing to allow.

Pulling out the phone LUDS, I show Greg the lack of calls from Hodges to granny. Greg listens intently and seems to agree with my assessment. By the time Catherine emerges from the bathroom, Greg and I have decided that we should interview Grandmother Sanders. Now, all we have to do is talk Grissom and Catherine into it.

An hour later, we have Catherine agreeing with us, but she insists we thoroughly plan out our meeting so as to not arouse suspicion. After a conference call to Grissom, we decide to tell granny that we are looking into the disappearance of Ecklie and that we are aware of his relationship to Hodges. We need to convince her that we feel there is someone who has a grudge against either Ecklie or Hodges and we fear for Hodges' safety. We are counting on the element of surprise to cause her to confess or make a mistake of some kind.

After consuming our breakfast, the three of us leave the hotel for the home of Grandmother Sanders. We decide not to call to alert her. I just hope she's at home and we're able to catch her unaware.

We drive for about 20 minutes before turning onto a private drive. We travel for another mile before the house or rather mansion comes into view. Man, oh man, I bet a whole lot of chickens had to die to afford this place.

Catherine rings the doorbell and we wait for the servant to answer. The door opens revealing a short, attractive elderly woman. She smiles and asks "Hello. How may I help you?" Catherine returns her smile and answers "Hello. I'm Catherine Willows and this is Greg Sanders and Sara Sidle. We're from the . . ."

Catherine is interrupted by the other woman who claps her hands together and says "Las Vegas Crime Lab. Oh, please come in. John speaks highly of all of you. It's so nice to meet some of his friends. What brings you here?" Catherine steps across the threshold as Greg and I pick our jaws up off the ground.

Mrs. Sanders motions for us to follow as we enter a very spacious great room. She asks if we would like any refreshments and we decline. This woman is either a most gracious hostess or a very cunning lady. Catherine and I sit on the sofa while Greg and granny move to the wingchairs.

Catherine explains why we are here while Greg and I watch granny for any sign of nervousness or guilt. Her emotions are all over the place while Catherine continues her speech. Her expressions move from surprised to anger to shock and finally to sadness. Not one look of guilt crosses her face.

As Catherine finishes her explanation, granny is almost in tears. Shit, I feel like a first class heel and I'm not even the one talking. After a few moments of silence, Granny wrings her hands and says "Mrs. Willows, I'm so sorry to hear about Conrad. John really loves him and when he gets better, he is going to be so upset when he finds out about the abduction."

What? Hodges' already knows what has happened. I look over at Catherine and then to Greg. All three of us are in a state of confusion. I turn my attention back to granny and reply "Mrs. Sanders, there is nothing wrong with Hodges, I mean, John. He was perfectly fine when we left Las Vegas yesterday."

Now, it's granny's turn to be confused. She answers "I don't understand. John is very sick. Roger said I needed to sign the papers immediately to have him committed. It's been so difficult and I'm not even allowed to visit until Roger says it's okay, but I call everyday to check his progress."

Catherine asks the question that's on all of our minds. "Roger?" Granny looks over toward Catherine and says "Yes, he is my other grandson. He's a doctor you know. Dr. Roger Moreau."

Holy shit! Granny is not in on this either. It looks like Dr. Moreau may be acting on his own accord. Question is: is he getting back at Ecklie for hurting his cousin or is Ecklie just a convenient guinea pig for his experiments?

 

Part 22

I lean forward on the sofa and ask "What exactly did Dr. Moreau tell you about Hodg….John's illness?" She pauses for a few minutes before answering. "Well, let me think. Roger said John was very depressed and may even be suicidal. He told me he was going to have John admitted to Shady Oaks Hospital so that he could treat him personally. Roger said I needed to wait at least two weeks before visiting, but he promised to keep me updated on a daily basis. Now, what is this about John being in Vegas?"

Catherine, Greg, and I exchange glances. I sure wish Catherine and I had some sort of telepathic powers so we could communicate. Of course, that would mean she would be cognizant of my every thought so on second thought, strike that idea. Maybe we can come up with some way to be alone to discuss our strategy.

Just as the thought enters my mind, Catherine asks "Mrs. Sanders, I think I will take you up on your offer of lemonade, if you don't mind. It is quite warm today." Smiling, granny stands and says "Of course, Mrs. Willows. If you three will excuse me I'll be right back." I guess her need to be hospitable outweighs her curiosity. Great thinking on Catherine's part and quite timely with my thoughts as well. I'm sure it's merely a coincidence.

The minute granny leaves the room Greg asks "What are we going to do? She already knows too much as it is." Catherine looks back at the door before answering. "I think maybe we should let her in on what's going on. She will be relieved to find out Hodges isn't sick and maybe we can spin this so she'll believe we're going to do everything to help Dr. Moreau from being prosecuted."

Putting in my own two cents, I say "I don't know, Catherine. What if she's as protective about Dr. Moreau as she is Hodges? She could tip him off before we can get any solid evidence." I check my watch and pause before adding "There's not enough time to consult Grissom. You're the lead on this one, Cath. I'll stand behind your decision one hundred percent."

Greg pipes in "Me too." Temporarily shocked, Catherine just nods her head. This is probably the first time I have ever offered her my full support. In the past, I would disagree with her just for the sake of arguing, but not anymore. From now on, I will offer her my support unless I truly disagree with her decision.

Granny returns with a tray and four glasses of lemonade. She serves us each a glass with a napkin before returning to her seat. I take a sip while I wait for Catherine to continue the conversation. Damn, this is real lemonade, squeezed from real lemons. Savoring my drink, I almost miss Catherine's raised eyebrow. I guess she wants me to continue my chat with granny.

I clear my throat and say "Mrs. Sanders, we flew out of Vegas yesterday. John was in the lab and was very much his old self. He didn't seem one bit depressed." I left out the bit where Nick described him as moping around the lab.

Granny finally seems to understand the magnitude of my statement as she asks "If John's okay, then why did Roger want me to believe those horrible things?" Catherine takes the lead and explains everything we know up to this point including our suspicions of Hodges and even about her possible involvement.

Catherine finishes with "Mrs. Sanders, we apologize for keeping things from you, but we had to be sure you were not involved. We are not sure why Dr. Moreau abducted Ecklie, but we have to work quickly to end this situation peacefully and before your grandson and his colleague begin their experiments on Ecklie."

Granny's face turns white and she places her hand over her heart. I mentally review the steps involved in CPR and hope I won't need to use them. She takes a sip of her drink and replies "Oh, Roger. Please tell me you aren't going to try those dangerous tests on Conrad."

Greg moves over and kneels next to her chair. He softly asks "What do you mean, Mrs. Sanders? What does Roger plan to do?" She smiles at Greg and says "You're a good man. I can tell by the way you carry yourself and the kindness in your eyes. Promise me you will stop Roger from whatever he plans to do."

Greg agrees and granny begins to fill us in. "Several years ago, Roger applied for a government grant, but he was turned down. He then went to several family members for help and they all refused. Roger finally came to me and I had him explain exactly what the money would be used for. At first, he talked about some research he and a colleague were interested in."

She takes another sip of her lemonade and continues. "The more he talked, the more excited he became. He began to talk of the use of experimental, hallucinogenic drugs and electroshock treatments. Roger said with the right combination, deviant human behavior could be controlled and even altered. I told him I didn't agree with such methods and refused to invest in his radical ideas. He didn't speak to me for about a month, but he finally admitted that he understood."

Catherine says "I would like to get Ecklie out of there with minimal force. I think Dr. Johnson will work with us, but I am concerned about how Dr. Moreau will react if we go in and simply take Ecklie out of there."

Granny replies "I can understand your concern and to be honest, I'm a little concerned myself. Roger is very headstrong and I don't imagine he will allow you to walk out with Conrad without some sort of fight. I am willing to help in any way possible."

I don't think I like the way this is turning out. I was hoping for the police to come in and surround the place with Catherine, Greg, and I tucked safely behind police cruisers. Judging from the look in Catherine's eyes, I think we are about to embark on some type of spy mission. I am definitely going to involve Grissom in this decision. Catherine will probably be furious with me, but her safety comes first.

We leave the Sanders mansion after promising to keep granny updated. She promises to maintain the charade if Dr. Moreau contacts her. She also agreed to wait to talk to Hodges until this is all over.

The drive back to the hotel is relatively silent. We are going to phone Grissom from the hotel room to discuss strategies for tomorrow. It is no longer safe for Ecklie to stay in the institution. Come hell or high water, we are getting him out tomorrow morning.

As we pull into the parking lot, Greg offers to go to the pizzeria down the street to get lunch. He will meet us in our room for lunch and to go over Grissom's plan. Catherine and I walk toward the entrance as Greg drives off.

We enter the room and I immediately head for the phone. Catherine reaches out and grabs me by the hand. I turn around to face her as she says "Sara, Grissom's not here. He doesn't have a feel for what is going on and he has no idea how Dr. Moreau is going to react. We have Mrs. Sanders on our side. She said herself that she's a bit worried Dr. Moreau might become violent. I think we should come up with a plan between the three of us. I'd like to go in, retrieve Ecklie, and get the hell out of there."

I know I said earlier I was going to support Catherine whenever I could, but this is not the time. She is proposing something extremely dangerous. In fact, this sounds more like something I would have come up with.

I squeeze Catherine's hand and reply "Catherine, I really think Grissom should be the one to decide." She angrily pulls her hand from mine and stomps over to the windows. With her back to me she says "Fine. You can call Grissom. What happened to I'm behind you one hundred percent? I knew you wouldn't stand behind me."

I walk over and put my hand on her shoulder. She shrugs it off and turns toward me with fire in her eyes. "Don't touch me." She looks directly in my eyes and says "Sara, I want you to give me one good reason why you don't agree with me."

I return her gaze and see much I have upset her. I don't want her to look at me with such an expression of hurt ever again.

Deciding now is the time, I respond "Catherine, I'm afraid something will go wrong and you will get hurt. I couldn't live with myself if I let that happen."

I take a deep breath and say "I love you, Catherine."

 

Part 23

I watch as a myriad of emotions wash over Catherine. They pass by so quickly I am not able to pinpoint any one in particular. I have no clue what she is thinking or feeling which promptly leads to an increase in my current anxiety level although I am somewhat relieved she has not given me the deer in the headlights look. The only thing I am certain of is that she is no longer angry. Yes, the wind has definitely gone out of her sails.

I shift from foot to foot nervously awaiting her response to my declaration of love. I am not expecting her to return the sentiment, but I hope for some sort of positive response. I do know that if she doesn't say something soon, I'm going to have to downplay my profession until we have time to discuss it at length.

Several minutes pass with nary a word from either of us. I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed in Catherine's lack of response. I know I should not have blindsided her with my news, but I truly felt the situation called for it. It was the only way I could explain my reasons for wanting to call Grissom. Maybe I should have held my tongue and let her stay mad at me for awhile.

My thoughts are interrupted by Catherine as she finally utters the six most dreaded words in response to a profession of love, "Sara, I don't know what to say."

Well, actually I guess it's really eight words if you count the contraction as two words and my name as one. I try to maintain a positive facade and not show any signs of disappointment. I didn't expect her to say 'I love you too' as we rode off into the sunset, but I was hoping for some reinforcement of my feelings.

Looking down at my feet, I reply "That's okay, Catherine. You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know why I questioned your decision to keep Grissom out of the loop." She reaches over and gently raises my chin with her hand until our eyes meet. "Sara, you misunderstood. I don't know what to say because I am confused about my feelings." She pauses before continuing. "I do care for you. It's just that I am unsure of the depth of my affection."

Okay, not exactly what I was looking for, but it will have to do. She did say she cared and I'm going to hold onto hope until she's sure what she feels. Deciding to move back to the subject that started all this tension, I ask "What about Grissom? Don't you think we should at least let him know what we discovered?"

Catherine walks toward the phone and replies "Yes, we need to fill him in on our findings and now that I've had a few minutes to think about it, I also think you're right about having Grissom decide our next move. I don't want to place our lives or our jobs in jeopardy because I made a decision based on my stubbornness."

Holy cow! Someone phone the press, Catherine Willows just admitted she has a stubborn streak. She must really care for me if she willing confessed to something that none of the team members has ever had the guts to call her on. We pretty much tiptoe around her when she's in this particular mood and wait for it to eventually wear off.

Greg arrives with the pizza and sodas just as Catherine ends her discussion with Grissom. We sit around the table and consume our food as Catherine fills us in.

Grissom wants to move the timetable up. He feels tonight would be the best time to 'break' Ecklie out of Shady Oaks. He and Brass are working out the details and will call back in a couple of hours to outline the plan.

Catherine has called down to the front desk to change Greg's room from a single to a double. Ecklie will need to be looked after until the sedatives wear off. Greg is not at all happy with his assignment and has even suggested rooming with me while Catherine plays nursemaid. I am able to save him from Catherine's wrath by ushering him out the door to get his things ready for the move.

By the time he returns, Catherine has calmed down considerably. I had to take drastic measures and resort to making out on the couch to assuage her anger. I am more than willing to sacrifice my lips at anytime to placate Catherine. After all, I have to do everything in my power to help out a team member, don't I?

Greg makes a comment about my swollen lips, but immediately slams his mouth shut when he receives one of Catherine's patented 'you're on my shit list' glares. The phone rings giving Greg a temporary reprieve. If I know Catherine, she will find some way to get back at him in a not so subtle way.

Watching the two of them to make sure they behave, I reach over and attempt to pick up the phone. Damn it, wrong hand. The pain has been so minimal I had forgotten all about my injury. I make a mental note to not try to grasp anything as I retrieve the dropped receiver with my left hand. Grissom's concerned voice comes over the line as I finally answer the phone.

"Hey, Gris. Hold on a minute while Catherine picks up the other phone." Greg moves over to listen in with me, smart boy keeping his distance from Catherine. The three of us listen in as both Grissom and Brass outline the plan. Catherine and I occasionally ask questions, but Greg stays silent. Catherine says her goodbyes as we simultaneously hang up.

Catherine instructs Greg to take his things and go pick up his new room key. She managed to get a room on our same floor just down the hall. She tells him to get some rest and return to the room at 7:00 sharp. He nods his head as he slips from the room.

I sit on the edge of the bed and mentally review the plan. Brass has a friend, Detective Tom Collins, who is going to meet us at the entrance of the institution at 8:00 p.m. Grissom has spoken to Dr. Johnson and the two decided it would be best if there were a minimal number of people involved in Ecklie's 'extraction.' Most of the patients would be in bed at this time and the reduced staff should not be a problem.

Dr. Johnson will speak to the nurse in charge of medication and have placebos replace Ecklie's current meds. Maybe he will be partially coherent by the time we get to him. Dr. Moreau is scheduled to pick up his colleague at the airport around 8:00. We should be able to get in and out without a confrontation. Once we've exited the building, Detective Collins will call for backup and wait for Dr. Moreau's return to take him into custody. I just hope everything goes according to plan.

Sighing, I reach down to remove my shoes. I think a nice nap is in order so I will be sharp for tonight. Damn these laces, I knew I should have put on some loafers. I'll never get these boots untied with one hand. If I hadn't hit my bum hand on the phone earlier, I could use it to help out.

Catherine evidently notices my dilemma as she kneels down and unlaces my boots. Very gently, she guides my boots from my feet. I wiggle my toes in relief.

The next thing I know, she has reached up to unbutton my shirt. I place my hand on hers and look up into eyes which are filled with . . . desire?

I shake my head to ward off my hallucination when I am stopped by Catherine's hand on my face. She brings the other hand up as well to cup my face. We lose ourselves in each other's eyes as she rubs her thumbs against my cheeks.

She leans forward and softly kisses my lips. Pulling away, she continues to hold my face in her hands as she says "Sara, I want you. Right here, right now."

 

Part 24

I look into her eyes and say "Catherine, I'm not sure about having sex. I really . . ." She interrupts me by placing a finger on my lips. "Sh, Sara. I don't want to have sex. I want to make love. I know I said I wanted to wait and make love in my bed, but I really want to make love with you now. Please, Sara."

Holy shit! I must be dreaming because I could swear I heard Catherine say please in reference to making love to me. I very slowly make an inconspicuous attempt to reach down to pinch myself on the leg. Ow, thank you God, I'm awake!

Catherine looks down at my hand pinching my leg and smiles. "No, Sara, you aren't dreaming. I'm really here. Now stand up so I can get these pants off of you. I hate those encounters where undressing gets in the way. I want my full concentration on you and not on trying to get you out of your clothes."

I quickly stand and try to undo my jeans with one hand. Damn this splint. It's really causing more harm than good in this particular instance. I continue to fumble with my button when Catherine places her hand on mine. "Here. Let me help you." I remove my hand and allow Catherine access. How embarrassing. I can't even get out of my own pants without help.

Catherine works both my pants and underwear down my legs as I assist by stepping out of them. Finally, mission accomplished and probably the most unromantic disrobing scene ever. I fold my arms over my chest and look down at the floor. I have never been so nervous in my entire life.

I feel hands on my arms as I look up into Catherine's smiling face. "Hey, you need to relax. I'm not going to hurt you." I return her gaze and whisper "Promise?" She caresses my face and responds "Sara, I promise to never intentionally hurt you." I smile and uncross my arms.

Catherine unbuttons and removes my shirt. She lightly strokes my sides and says "No bra? Were you trying to give Greg a heart attack?" I reach for Catherine's buttons as I explain the problem with the bra hooks and my splint. She lightly slaps my hand away from her blouse and instructs me to lie on the bed. Like a good little girl, I obey.

Slowly walking toward the bed, Catherine removes her shirt and bra while never losing eye contact with me. She steps out of her shoes and begins to slowly unzip her pants.

I feel like I'm in one of those Wild Kingdom episodes where the lioness is stalking her prey. Catherine is definitely the lioness and I play the part of the unsuspecting prey. Well, I guess unsuspecting is not actually true in my case since I am more than willing to sacrifice myself to Catherine.

Catherine finally removes the rest of her clothing and lies down on the bed next to me. I reach out for her but stop when she shakes her head no. She slowly extends her arm and gently caresses my face. I close my eyes and lean into her touch.

I open my eyes just as she is leaning toward me. She smiles as she softly and reverently kisses me. I once again close my eyes and savor the taste of her lips. I allow Catherine full control of the kiss as she takes her sweet time gently mapping out my contours of my mouth with her tongue. Her hand begins to model her tongue as she softly strokes up and down my side.

Catherine gently rolls me on my back as she continues to leisurely kiss me while moving her hand to my breast. She lightly rubs her thumb back and forth over my nipple in perfect rhythm with the slow thrust of her tongue.

My hips begin to take on a life of their own as I rock against the leg Catherine has thrown over my pelvic region. I'm not sure if someone can die from anticipation, but I have a feeling I am about to find out as Catherine continues to take her time worshipping my body.

Catherine moves her hand farther south as she begins to kiss and suck her way down to the area vacated by her hand. She slowly licks around my nipple while her hand strokes back and forth through my abundant wetness.

I hear moaning in the background and am finally able to pinpoint the noise. It's coming from me; me who never makes any sound; me who has become a perpetual moaning machine; me who just squeaked as Catherine takes my nipple in her mouth.

My motions become frantic as Catherine starts to kiss her way down my body toward her teasing hand. I accommodate her by pulling my legs up, bending my knees, and spreading my legs farther apart than I thought was possible. The fear of a pulled muscle leaves my flustered brain the minute her tongue makes its way to my opening.

Relentless is the only description I can come up with to describe the motion of her tongue. I am very close to proving the theory of spontaneous combustion and I shudder when I think about how Catherine will describe my death to the rest of the team.

I shudder for a completely different reason as Catherine pushes her tongue into me. Her rhythm is much too slow for me to achieve any kind of release, but I'm pretty sure that is her intention. I'm almost to the point of being as incoherent as Ecklie. At least my lack of awareness is not caused from medication; however, Catherine has officially become my drug of choice.

"Catherine, please." Did that come from me? Sara Sidle does not beg. Oh my God, her tongue should be registered as a lethal weapon. Screw not begging – "Please, Catherine."

She finally enters me with her fingers as her she draws my clit into her mouth. She picks up the momentum as I scream my release. Determined, Catherine continues until I lose count of the number of times I come as everything fades to black.

I awaken sometime later to the soft sound of Catherine's voice. "Sara, wake up. C'mon sweetie, you need to take a shower before Greg gets here. We only have thirty minutes until it's time to meet Detective Collins."

Opening my eyes, I see Catherine fully clothed sitting on the edge of the bed. Dear Lord, what a dream; it felt so real. She smiles and says "Hey, welcome back to the land of the living. You kind of scared me for a minute there when you blacked out, but your breathing finally evened out into sleep. I can't believe I was the cause of the invincible Sara Sidle passing out. Ros would be so proud of me."

Holy shit, it was real!

 

Part 25

I stare at Catherine with my mouth agape still trying to come to terms with reality. We made love, or rather, Catherine made love to me. Quite adeptly, I might add. I actually came, several times in fact to the point of passing out. I've never had an orgasm with another living soul; by myself on occasion, but never with a lover.

Catherine leans over and kisses me on the forehead. "Sara, we can talk about this later, but right now, you need to get in the shower." She helps me take off my splint and reaches her hand out for support. Dazed, I pull myself up from the bed and walk to the bathroom. The memories of our lovemaking filter their way into my thoughts as I stand under the water. Damn, she's good. I can't wait to return the favor.

I put on a t-shirt and jeans as I'm not in the mood to fuss with the buttons on my shirt. I am just able to button my jeans by myself let alone all those shirt buttons. Besides, I don't think I would survive Catherine helping me dress this soon after our lovemaking session. Memories of her helping me undress are still too fresh. I slip on my loafers and walk into the main room.

Greg has arrived and is sitting at the table going over some notes with Catherine. I am so very thankful I didn't walk out with my pants undone. I don't think I could ever live that down. No telling what Greg would have told the others.

Catherine notices my appearance first as she makes her way over with my splint. She lightly kisses me before putting the splint back on. I glance over at Greg who is grinning like a hyena until Catherine shoots him a withering look.

We arrive at Shady Oaks at precisely 8:00 p.m. Catherine pulls in next to a Crown Victoria, the most popular choice for an unmarked car. The occupant gets out and leans against his vehicle. I look over to note a rumpled suit and shoes in need of a good polishing. I think we have found our detective.

Catherine and Greg get out and make their way to the passenger side of our rental. I am delayed by my inability to undo my seatbelt with one hand. I am finally able to extract myself from the vehicle as introductions are being made.

Detective Collins seems like the real deal. Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from Brass. I knew he would make sure we had backup we could count on. As the four of us make our way to the front entrance, I notice Detective Collins scanning left and right for any possible threat.

The security guard gives us each a pass to use on the elevator. I believe Dr. Johnson has taken a few precautionary measures as well. I have to admit I was a little worried about getting in and out of the institution without a problem. I find myself relaxing more and more with the additional safety provisions.

We are met on the top floor by a very nervous Dr. Johnson. He greets each of us and spends a little extra time talking to Catherine. Good guy or not, he better steer clear of my girl if he wants his manhood to stay intact.

Catherine's demeanor is quite different this time. She is all business and no play which has Dr. Johnson a bit confused, but I, on the other hand, am quite happy. He walks us down to the end of the corridor and punches in a few numbers into the code box.

The door buzzes and we all walk into the room. Ecklie is lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling. He turns his head in our direction and his eyes widen in recognition. Catherine walks over and tries to communicate with him.

"Conrad, we're going to get you out of here. Do you think you can walk?" Ecklie very slowly shakes his head no. It appears he has not quite regained his ability to speak. I feel a bit guilty as I imagine him never recovering his voice. He would never be able to yell at me again. Ah, it would be grand.

Dr. Johnson moves toward the two and asks if it would be all right to check Ecklie out before releasing him. I'm thinking that would probably be a good idea. I sure don't want to be on the road or in the hotel if he were to have some sort of seizure or something. I look over toward Greg to see him strongly agreeing with the idea. He would probably freak out if something happened to Ecklie on his watch.

Catherine sends Greg out to find a wheelchair while the three of us stay behind to wait for Dr. Johnson to finish up with Ecklie. Detective Collins tells us to wait behind while he makes a quick sweep of the floor and stairwell.

Catherine and I take a seat at the table by the door while Dr. Johnson pulls some equipment over to monitor Ecklie. I look at my watch and note it's only been fifteen minutes since we first entered the building. We will be long gone before the two demented doctors return from the airport.

Dr. Johnson calls Catherine over to try to get Ecklie to respond to an outside stimulus. Outside stimulus, my ass, he just wants to get a closer look at Catherine in her tight t-shirt and jeans. I stand up and move closer to the two. One false move and he's toast.

The door opens behind me, but I don't take my eyes off Dr. Johnson, sleaze extraordinaire. He's been ogling Catherine's breasts ever since she walked over to the bed.

I suddenly notice two things at one time, Catherine's eyes widening and movement to my right. Too late, I see a very sharp scalpel as I am pulled against a hard body. The scalpel is placed at my neck as visions of Adam Trent fill my thoughts. If I get out of this alive, I am never stepping foot inside a mental institution again.

I try to get my bearings by taking note of all the players. Catherine and Dr. Johnson are frozen in place beside Ecklie. I am being held by 'scalpelpoint' by someone in a white coat and there is a sixth person in the room to my left. Using my peripheral vision, I recognize the figure of Dr. Moreau. That must mean I am being held by the esteemed colleague.

Dr. Moreau moves in front of us with his hands held up in defense. "Frank, let her go. It's over. You don't need to hurt anyone." Yeah, Frank, listen to the very smart doctor.

Instead the man tightens his grip and moves the scalpel closer managing to nick my skin in the process. I hope everyone realizes how very sharp this instrument is. One false move and it's goodbye Sara.

My attacker finally finds his voice as he says "We've worked too long and too hard to let this go. You have finally found us the perfect specimen and I'm not giving up. Grow some balls, Moreau. We can keep these people sedated until we have completed our experiment. No one will be the wiser."

The door slams open to reveal Greg pushing a wheelchair. He immediately freezes in place as 'Frank' pulls me even closer and backs up toward the far wall. The party is complete when Detective Collins enters the room and draws his gun. Oh yippee, the gang's all here. I glance toward Catherine to see tears running down her face.

Detective Collins points his weapon at the two of us and says "Drop the scalpel, Dr. Moreau. There's no way you're getting out of here." Frank becomes incensed as he cuts me a little more. Son of a bitch, I'm going to die a slow death here nick by nick.

Frank shouts "I'm not Dr. Moreau. He could never hold a candle to me. Don't you know who I am?" Catherine notices the blood on my neck and starts to take a step forward. I stop her with my eyes as I try to convey all my love in case this madman decides to slit my throat.

Detective Collins maintains his bead on the two of us and responds "No, I'm sorry I don't know who you are. Why don't you fill me in?" Doctor Moreau quickly adds "Please, Frank. Let her go." I'm beginning to take a shine to Hodges' cousin.

Frank begins to pull me toward the door as the detective follows with his gun. Catherine's eyes widen as she realizes he is making an attempt to escape. I wrack my brain to try to find some way to escape his clutches.

As we get to the door, Frank boldly proclaims "I am the greatest doctor in the land. Everyone knows who I am. I am the world renowned Dr. Frank N. Stein."

Oh God, I am so screwed!

 

Part 26

A tray clatters to the floor behind us as Frank turns toward the sound. The scalpel is momentarily pulled from my neck so I take the opportunity to stomp on his instep. He releases me to grab his foot as I dive to the side. I am only temporarily able to enjoy my freedom as I land on my injured hand. Fuck that hurts. I roll onto my back and look towards the doorway.

Furious, Frank comes after me with his scalpel raised high. I attempt to scoot backwards, but he gains ground quickly. I shut my eyes and await my fate when the sound of gunfire fills the air. I peek through my closed lids to find Frank slumped against the wall with a bullet wound to the head. I don't think he'll be experimenting on anyone ever again.

Catherine immediately rushes to my side and calls for Dr. Johnson, but Dr. Moreau is the first doctor to reach me. Catherine snaps her head up and protectively pulls me onto her lap. She glares at him and says "Don't you dare touch her. Get the hell away from us." He slowly backs away as Dr. Johnson moves into view.

I'd have to say I was extremely lucky this time. The cuts to my neck were superficial and were able to be treated with surgi-strips; however, my arm is now sporting a nifty lightweight cast. Dr. Johnson wanted me to stay overnight for observation, but I told him in no uncertain terms that I wasn't spending the night in a nut house especially with my track record.

Catherine has not left my side for a single second. Detective Collins wanted her to run the crime scene, but she flat out refused saying this wasn't her jurisdiction. She and I both know that has never stopped her before, but neither of us make mention of it.

Greg is pretty shook up by the events and has hardly said a word except to give his statement to the detectives. Ecklie has been moved to another room and is being monitored by one of Dr. Johnson's nurses until we can take him back to the hotel.

Catherine has called Grissom and filled him in on the details. He is going to call Hodges in and bring him up to speed. He will inform the sheriff of the latest development only after he talks to Hodges. Catherine has also called Mrs. Sanders to let her know where her grandson has been taken.

It turns out Dr. Moreau was a victim of Dr. Stein as well. Ol' Frank N. found out Dr. Moreau moonlighted as an exotic dancer in college and threatened to go to the media. Roger didn't want his family to suffer any bad press so he agreed to become Dr. Stein's assistant. He was forced to write grants and to ask his family for money to finance Dr. Stein's 'research.'

It wouldn't have been so bad if Roger had been a male exotic dancer, but it turns out he worked as a female impersonator. To add fuel to the fire, Dr. Moreau danced because he enjoyed it not because he needed the money. I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the Sanders' family tree. I bet the Colonel is rolling in his grave.

After several hours, Detective Collins has finally given us the green light to head back to the hotel. Ecklie is able to crawl into the wheelchair and we head to the car as Greg pushes Ecklie. I lean on Catherine as we make our way out of the institution. I am using the excuse that I feel weak, but in reality, I need Catherine's touch to ground me.

We arrive at the hotel exhausted. Greg helps Ecklie into the chair as Catherine assists me from the car. The four of us make our trek to the elevators and silence prevails as we exit onto our floor. Greg tells us he can handle Ecklie and for us to go on to our room. He promises to call if he needs assistance.

Neither Catherine nor I attempt to argue as we turn in the opposite direction toward our room. Catherine opens the door as I head straight for the bed and lie down. The adrenaline rush left me about thirty minutes ago and I have moved directly to full exhaustion.

I glance at the bedside table to note the time, 1:00 a.m. Closing my eyes, I silently thank Grissom for moving our flight back to 8:30 p.m. Now we can sleep in as long as we want. In fact, I don't think I'm leaving this bed until it's time to head to the airport.

Dr. Johnson said Ecklie should be okay to fly in about 8 hours. I'm just glad Grissom allowed even more time. I think we're all going to need it, Catherine included. She was my rock during the entire ordeal. Speaking of Catherine, where is she?

I glance around the room and find her sitting in the chair facing the bed. She is watching me intently and she occasionally reaches up to wipe a tear from her eye. I start to rise, but she holds up her hand and shakes her head. I ease back down never taking my eyes from her.

We continue looking at each other without saying a word before Catherine finally gets up and moves toward the bed. She reaches down and takes off my shoes before climbing into bed beside me. She puts her head on my shoulder and her arm around my waist. Within minutes we are both asleep.

I am pulled from a very erotic dream involving a naked Catherine and whipped cream by the ringing of the phone. Catherine utters some very choice words before reaching over to answer. I take the time to sneak a peak at the clock. I sure hope we've gotten at least 4 hours sleep. I almost jump from the bed with I see 11:00 a.m. I've never slept for ten straight hours in my entire life. Maybe there's something wrong with the clock.

I cringe as Catherine slams down the phone and bolts from the bed. She moves over to the chair and sits down while putting on her shoes. It appears she is talking to herself. "Ungrateful son of a bitch. Sara almost died trying to get him out of there and now he's back to his old self, the asshole. Just wait until I get a hold of him. He'll be whistling a different tune when he finds out how much we know about his secret life."

Catherine gets up from the chair and says "Stay there, I'll be right back. I have some business to attend to. It won't take long. We can order some room service when I get back." She turns and stomps from the room leaving me totally bewildered.

I lie back down and contemplate the phone call and her ramblings. Ah, Ecklie. I smile as I picture his face when Catherine tells him about our discovery of his secret room and videos. Hell, I don't have to picture it. If I hurry, I can experience it. I gingerly get up and slip on my shoes. I grab my key as I make my way out the door and down the hall.

The door is ajar as I reach their room. I peek in to see Ecklie meekly sitting in the chair and Catherine standing directly in front of him with her back to me. Greg is perched on the bed enjoying the show.

I begin to pick up the conversation as I slowly move into the room. "You stupid idiot. You are lucky enough to have someone who loves you unconditionally and you throw it away to be with a bunch of studs who proceed to use you as a fuck toy and then cast you aside for the next patsy. I used to think you were smart, Conrad, but evidently I was wrong."

Catherine stops for a second to catch her breath before continuing. "I'll tell you one thing. I am not going to make the same mistake you made. I have found love and I'm going to hold onto it with both hands and never let go. I came dangerously close to losing it last night and I'm not wasting another second being afraid. I'm going for the brass ring this time, Conrad. You should consider doing the same yourself."

I slip from the room without being seen by any of the occupants. It takes me a few minutes to catch my breath before I can return to our room. I quickly put the key in the door and head back to the bed. Inhale . . . exhale . . . inhale . . . exhale . . .

Catherine returns to the room as I try to act as normal as possible considering the circumstances. Was her impassioned speech solely for the benefit of Ecklie or was she serious? Does she really have feelings for me or is she simply content with my love for her?

My jumbled thoughts are interrupted by the sound of Catherine's voice. "Sara, hey. Where did you go? I've been calling you for several minutes. Have you decided what you want to order from room service?" Yeah, I'd like an order of truth served between two slices of honesty and sincerity, hold the little white lies.

Instead I answer "No. I was waiting for you to get back." By the way, it's okay for me to tell a little white lie until I can figure out what Catherine meant back in Ecklie's room.

Catherine walks over to the table and returns with the room menu. She sits down next to me as she tries to decide what to order. How can she think about food at a time like this? My life is once again on the line and she's looking at a menu.

I glance at the list of offered foods and frown as I notice drops falling on the page. Is the roof leaking? I glance up to the ceiling, but don't find anything sign of water. The drops continue as I look up at Catherine. Crap, she's crying. Did I do something to upset her?

She takes one look at me and bursts into tears. I awkwardly pull her into an embrace with my one good hand as she sobs into my shoulder. I gently rub her back and hold her as close as I can.

As Catherine regains her composure, she pulls back and touches my face. Through an occasional hiccup she says "Sara, I thought I was going to lose you last night. I was so scared. I don't want us to waste another minute apart. I want you to move in with me and Lindsey."

Whoa, that's certainly not what I was expecting. Now I just have to figure out what this all means. She is seemingly willing to make a commitment, but she hasn't said the three magic words. What if she's just settling? What if somewhere down the road she changes her mind or finds someone she really loves? Should I take a chance that she will eventually fall in love with me?

In the midst of my inner turmoil, Catherine takes my face in her hands and adds "And just for the record, I love you Sara Sidle."

 

Part 27

Say what? I mentally rewind my internal recorder to play back the words I am fairly certain I heard. The minute I hit play, the words come rushing back. Yep, that's what I thought. I think I'll just take a little nap now. As my eyes begin to roll back into my head, I force my body to supply my brain with much needed oxygen.

Whoops, is it possible to overdose on oxygen? What a head rush, but I forgot to tell my lungs to hang on to enough air to continue breathing as I now move into a hyperventilation state. Catherine quickly has me pull up my knees and lean my head forward and down. She rubs my back and instructs me to relax and take deep breaths.

My breathing pattern finally returns to normal as I sit up sporting a perpetual grin. I am definitely functioning on all cylinders now as I realize I am the luckiest person on the face of the earth. Catherine Willows confessed her love for me. Me, Sara Sidle. I can't wait to tell Greg.

I eventually come down from cloud nine long enough for us to discuss some immediate plans for our relationship. Catherine admits that my close call with the grim reaper made her realize how important I was to her and how precious time really is. We both decide to see each other as often as possible, but I think we should wait awhile before I move in.

I explain the importance of Lindsey's role in all of this and how I want to give her time to adjust to our relationship before any radical changes take place. We will try to split our time between her house and my apartment. I'm not crazy enough to suggest we stop sleeping together entirely.

We cuddle until it's time to leave for the airport. Greg stops by and offers to take the bags down to the rental car. I think he just wants a break from Ecklie. Catherine and I get the pleasure of babysitting him until Greg returns. Ecklie just sits and looks out the window without saying a word. I'm sure he's worried about what everyone at the lab will think about him.

Little does he know only our team and Archie is aware of his 'extracurricular activities.' Even the sheriff is in the dark, thanks to Grissom. He managed to protect Ecklie's image through the entire ordeal. I bet the bastard doesn't even thank Grissom for his discretion in handling the case.

I'm going to make certain neither Catherine nor Greg slips up and says anything to alleviate his fears. He deserves to be scared shitless even if it's only for a short time.

We get Ecklie settled on the plane in the row across from Greg. He's still a bit groggy and needs assistance with his balance. Catherine and I are seated in the back of first class, but there are people to the left of us so no hanky panky going home.

I tried to initiate a little lovemaking back at the hotel, but Catherine insisted we should wait until my wounds have healed. I'm hoping she's referring to the ones on my neck and not my hand. If so, I'm going to cut this cast off the minute we land.

Hodges is going to meet us at the airport and take over custody of Ecklie. As much as the thought of the two of them together gives me the 'heebie geebies,' I hope things work out for them.

Greg, Catherine, and I are going to head straight to CSI headquarters to fill out our reports. Grissom has approved three days leave for Catherine and I effective the minute we hand in the completed reports. He'll get no argument from me that's for sure.

Catherine has arranged for her sister to keep Lindsey while I recuperate at her house. I hope these surgi-strips do the trick because tomorrow night I plan to repay Catherine for her exquisite lovemaking skills. I just hope I'm up to the challenge she set forth in our earlier encounter. I plan to work on my breathing technique on the flight home. Surely it will increase my lung capacity for tomorrow night's activities.

The takeoff and landing go very smoothly especially since Catherine has re-enacted her famous 'get Sara's mind off flying' French kisses. If she ever realizes the power she has over me when she lays one on me, I'm toast.

Hodges happily takes charge of Ecklie and we gladly hand him over. Once more, Ecklie plays the part of the mute patient, but Hodges is extremely grateful to us for rescuing Ecklie. It was very weird having Hodges hug each of us. Greg looked like he was afraid he was going to catch cooties or something.

We retrieve our bags and head to the lab where Grissom and the team greet us with open arms. After finishing our reports around midnight, Catherine and I say our goodbyes and head for the SUV. I hate to admit I'm glad Catherine has insisted that we wait until I heal. I'm afraid I would fall asleep right in the middle of making love. Now, that's tired.

Catherine shows me to the master bedroom and helps me with my clothing and boots. I crawl under the covers while Catherine checks her phone messages and freshens up in the bathroom. I give it my all to try to stay awake until she comes to bed, but once my eyes close, I fall asleep immediately.

I awake the next morning to the wonderful smell of coffee. Opening my eyes, I find Catherine standing beside the bed with a mug. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I sit up and reach for the cup. Ummm, this tastes like Greg's special blend. Catherine confirms my suspicions when she tells me Greg slipped a pound of it into her bag and told her to make sure I enjoy every drop. I'll have to find some way to repay him later.

We lounge around the rest of the day watching TV and sitting out by the pool. Catherine has supplied me with snacks the entire day. I do have a very sweet tooth, but I always make sure I limit myself when I indulge. I'm afraid if I hang around Catherine too long, I won't be able to get through the door. I guess I'll have to find some sort of physical exercise to keep me in shape. I think I know the perfect indoor 'sport' I can engage in with a little help from Catherine.

The two of us begin to go stir crazy around 8:00 p.m. I suggest we go to bed, but Catherine wants to go dancing first and says it always puts her in the mood. I rush to the bedroom to put on my boots.

Catherine says she'd like to see Ros again, so we head to the Dew Drop In bar. We walk in to find Ros behind the bar and no sign of Max. I had forgotten about Catherine's vendetta and am hoping Max is off tonight.

We order a drink and visit with Ros before hitting the dance floor. When Catherine begins to sway in perfect sync with the music, I pretty much just move my hips and try not to drool as I watch her.

By the time the third song ends, Catherine is perspiring and I am the horniest woman in the place. I walk very stiffly behind Catherine as we make our way back to the bar. We both order another drink and once again listen to Ros' stories. This queen has dirt on everyone so Catherine and I better be sure to watch our step. I excuse myself to go to the ladies room and Ros promises to look after Catherine.

After standing in line for several minutes, I am finally able to get in a stall. From the sounds coming from the adjacent stall, I think I have found the reason for the long line since there are only two stalls in the ladies room. I quickly take care of my business and get the hell out of there before someone reaches an orgasm. I don't think my libido could take it.

I arrive back at the bar just as Max is walking toward Catherine from the other direction. I quickly increase my speed to try to intercept her; however, we both get to Catherine at the same time. Max looks over at me and asks "Hey, stud. What happened to your arm?"

Catherine immediately turns around, clenches her fist, and hits Max directly in the jaw. I cringe as I push my way between the two. I guess I'll get to sacrifice my face for Catherine once again, only this time I'm afraid kissing Catherine won't stop Max.

Max turns towards us with an extremely pissed off look. I just hope I don't have to have plastic surgery. Resigning myself to my fate, I lift my chin and look directly in her eyes. She takes a step toward me as I tighten up and get ready for the blow.

I quickly jump back when Max falls forward and lands directly on her face. Yow, that had to hurt, but what the hell just happened?

Confused, I look back to a smirking Catherine and say "What were you thinking? She could have killed me and then come after you." Catherine smiles and says "There was no way she was going to come after either one of us."

She pauses and then adds "Max had it coming after hurting you, besides Ros told me exactly where to hit her. It seems Max has a glass jaw."

Seeing Catherine go all 'Mike Tyson' has moved me to the final stage of horniness. I quickly throw her over my shoulder and head toward the door. She's about to find out what I can do with the equivalent of one hand tied behind my back.

***

• Main CSI page
• The new stories
• Gil/Greg stories
• Gil/Nick stories
• Gil/Warrick stories
• Nick/Greg stories
• Nick/Warrick stories
• Greg/Warrick stories
• Nick/Bobby stories
• Jim Brass stories
• David Hodges stories
• f/f stories
• CSI: New York stories
• CSI: Miami stories
• Other pairings & threesomes
• Gen CSI stories
• C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation: The Complete Ninth Season