Prompt: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Author: Cazzie
Rating: PG
Pairing: GSR (at least)
Spoilers: Set around season seven, so assumes knowledge of everything up to then.
Disclaimer When it comes to CSI I own four and a half seasons on DVD, but that's it.
Author's Note: This is my first CSI fic and I've only been a fan of the show since last September, so I hope I haven't made any glaring mistakes. I usually write humour/parody fics and while this isn't quite a parody it's definitely outside the realm of realism. But as my prompt wrote: When one wishes to play the wit, he sometimes wanders a little from the truth.
All quotes are from The Little Prince
~*~
"I know a planet where there is a certain red-faced gentleman. He has never smelled a flower. He has never looked at a star. He has never loved any one. He has never done anything in his life but add up figures. And all day he says over and over, just like you: 'I am busy with matters of consequence!' And that makes him swell up with pride. But he is not a man – he is a mushroom!"
"Grissom."
The man in question looked up from his perusal of the night's cases, surprised to see Conrad Ecklie standing in his doorway.
"Ecklie. What can I do for you?"
"I'm concerned by some rumours that I've been hearing around the lab."
"Oh? And what might they be?"
"That two employees of the nightshift are involved in a less-than-professional relationship." Ecklie practically sneered the words.
"I'm afraid you'll have to be a bit more specific, Conrad. Surely you aren't suggesting there is anything wrong with co-workers being friends?"
"Don't try my patience, Gil. You know what I mean and you know how I feel about inter-office dating."
"I'll be sure to remember that should any member of my team become involved with someone from PD."
"I was talking about members of your team dating each other, and you know it."
"Ah, then you would be referring to intra-office dating. Common mistake."
"Stop being pedantic and sort this out. I will not have the integrity of this lab compromised because your people can't control themselves," Ecklie snapped before turning and walking away.
Not ten minutes later, a much more welcome visitor appeared at his office door.
"Hey." Sara smiled at him. "I just saw Ecklie in the parking lot. What was he doing here so late?"
"He thinks there are less-than-professional goings on between members of the team."
"Oh." Sara frowned and closed the door. "Do you think he knows about us?"
"I doubt it. If he had any reason to suspect us I'm sure we know about it. He's not exactly the most subtle man alive."
"True. But he must know something if he's coming to you about this."
"Rumours, that's all. He doesn't actually know anything."
"Right." Sara still seemed worried. "Does this change the plan?"
"No." Grissom was adamant, but faltered slightly as he considered that she might not agree. "Unless… do you not want to say anything now?"
"I do. I just… it's bound to get back to Ecklie eventually."
"Probably. But even if it does, there's not much he can do. The regulations only prohibit inappropriate behaviour and we've never been anything less than professional at work."
Sara smirked. "Did you just go and look this up specifically because of this?"
"Actually I've had the whole section on employee relations memorised since you came to Vegas."
She shook her head slightly. "You know, three years ago a comment like that would have driven me crazy trying to work out what you meant."
"And now?" Grissom asked, genuinely curious.
"I'll tell you at home. Wouldn't want to be 'inappropriate' in the workplace."
Her smirk deepened as she turned and opened the door, throwing him one last flirty look over her shoulder before heading to the break room.
~*~
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
When Grissom walked into the break room himself, the rest of the night shift were already seated around the table ready and waiting.
"Before I hand out assignments, I have a couple of announcements to make." All heads turned towards Grissom, signalling for him to continue. "First of all, Ecklie wishes me to make clear his views on intra-office dating."
"Which are?" Catherine asked when it didn't seem like Grissom was going to elaborate.
"Well, he didn't actually say but disapproval was strongly implied."
"Right. What's next?" Clearly Catherine was not overly concerned with Ecklie's opinion.
"Sara and I are engaged and we want you all to come to the wedding."
Four mouths gaped open in unison as their owners turned to stare at Sara who simply smiled and gave a backwards wave with her left hand, showing off the simple but elegant engagement ring Grissom had presented her with during his proposal.
Catherine was the first to recover and, in the time honoured tradition of women everywhere, grabbed the other woman's hand to examine the ring. And though she would forever deny it, she also emitted a little squeal while doing so.
That seemed to break the spell and the rest of the guys offered their congratulations to the happy couple. Only Nick seemed to have any doubts about the news.
"You know, I'm happy for you guys and everything but don't you think this is a little sudden?"
"Not really. We have been together for two years now," Grissom replied.
At this, noise broke out again as more questions and comments were thrown about. Grissom desperately tried to regain order.
"Ok, everyone. Settle down." His voice was raised and he waited until he had silence again. "Right. Now, believe it or not, we still have work to do. Discussion about the wedding will have to wait."
"If you wanted to wait to discuss it, you shouldn't have told us at the beginning of shift," Catherine pointed out logically.
Grissom glanced over at his fiancée, not surprised to see a smug 'I told you so' look on her face. He sighed. When discussing this, they had disagreed on the best time of day to break the news. He had been adamant that his team were professionals and would have no problems putting the news aside and focusing on their work. Besides, he had said, with their unpredictable line of work, there was no guarantee they'd be able to gather everyone in one place at the end of shift. At least this way they could be certain about telling everyone at the same time. Sara had capitulated and was now smirking at him from across the table.
"One last thing." Grissom paused to let the seriousness of his tone sink in. "Can you all keep this to yourselves for the time being? We'd rather not have the whole lab know our business."
Everyone agreed and once assignments were handed out, people went their separate ways. As Nick readied himself to leave, he still seemed to be having trouble processing the revelations of the evening.
"Two years! Man! They've been in a relationship for TWO YEARS and we had no idea! That's… impressive."
A sound suspiciously like a snort came from the direction of the only other person left in the room and Nick looked at Warrick in consternation.
"What? You don't think that's impressive?"
"No, no, you're right. I'm very impressed."
Warrick clapped his friend on the back and smirked as he left the break room, leaving a rather confused Nick Stokes to follow him out.
~*~
Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.
After shift Warrick was reminded about the incident in the break room as he prepared for bed.
"Two years. They're impressed by two years." He muttered, shaking his head. "Grissom and Sara are amateurs compared to us. When they've been married for three years without anyone knowing, then they can talk."
"Yes, dear." His wife smiled indulgently as she settled into her side of the bed.
"I mean, we're the masters of the secret relationship. No one suspects a thing."
"That's mainly because you came up with the whole 'fake wife' ploy. Threw them right off the scent."
Warrick smirked. "What can I say? You married a genius."
"Hmm, that I did." Catherine kissed him as he moved under the covers beside her.
"Of course it also helps that Lindsey hasn't spent much time with the team. I'm amazed she hasn't called them all up to brag about her matchmaking skills."
"Well, she knows that her allowance is directly tied to her keeping her mouth shut."
Warrick chuckled lowly as Catherine thought back to the afternoon her daughter had come up to her with a seemingly innocent question that would change her life forever.
"Mom, why do people get married?"
Catherine blinked. She'd only just returned home from a double shift at work and wasn't sure she was ready for this kind of discussion with her twelve year old daughter. But children never followed a schedule, so if it was time to discuss this then it was time.
She sighed and tried to find the right words to explain marriage.
"Well Lindsey, usually people get married because they love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together."
The girl looked confused and Catherine cringed internally, sure that her daughter was about to ask about Eddie and, if married people were supposed to stay together forever, why had they divorced? But, as usual, Lindsey managed to surprise her.
"Oh." The confusion seemed more pronounced now. "Then why aren't you married to Warrick?"
"Excuse me?"
"You said people get married when they're in love. You and Warrick are in love, so why aren't you married?"
Catherine gaped in a rather comical manner for a few moments before finding her voice again.
"What?... That's not… I mean, what makes you think Warrick's in love with me?"
Lindsey rolled her eyes at her mother's ridiculous question. "Come ON Mom. It's so obvious."
"It is?"
"Yeah!" Lindsey wondered how her mother could be so dense. It also wasn't lost on her that she hadn't questioned the claim about her own feelings. Perhaps there was hope for her after all.
Lindsey's words had made Catherine a little more observant where Warrick was concerned and she found that herself wondering how she could have missed what her daughter had so easily seen. Perhaps it had been a form of self-preservation, she realised. If she opened herself up to the idea of a relationship with Warrick and found that he didn't return her feelings it could case problems, not only personally but professionally as well.
However, once it was obvious that those feelings were not unrequited, the path was clear. No one ever said that Catherine Willows lacked confidence or the ability to go after what she wanted. Warrick had no problem with her being the one to ask him out first and their relationship only grew from there.
~*~
"Ah, my prince, dear little prince! I love to hear that laughter!"
"So, Grissom and Sara?" Nick was sitting back on his sofa with his arm around Greg, who was leaning into his side. Neither was really paying attention to the television that was playing softly in front of them. "That was certainly a surprise, huh?"
"I knew it." Greg replied.
"What?" Nick looked round to eye his boyfriend suspiciously. "You did not, you big liar."
"Sure I did. I am Greg Sanders, I know all."
"Right," Nick scoffed.
"Seriously. I am the master of observation."
"Well then, oh masterful one. What do you observe now?"
Greg moved back slightly to allow his eyes to roam over Nick's form. "I see an exceedingly hot cowboy who is going to get very lucky later."
"Oh really?" Nick couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.
"Although, if you're so sceptical about my abilities then maybe I'm wrong." Greg shrugged and turned back to face the TV.
Nick clasped his hand to his chest in shock. "Me? Never! I have complete faith in your… abilities."
Greg laughed and pulled Nick into a kiss, which was eagerly reciprocated.
~*~
"All men have stars," he answered, "but they are not the same things for different people.
Across town, Wendy was preparing for sleep but first took the opportunity to voice the question that had been on her mind all night.
"Have you heard the latest rumours around the lab?" She directed the question to the bed behind her.
"That Ecklie's on the hunt for the elusive nightshift couple?" Mandy replied.
"Yeah, that's the one. Think we have anything to worry about?"
"Nah," the voice of Archie came from the middle of the bed. "Everything I've heard indicates he's just looking for two people. He has no idea about us."
"That's good." Wendy joined the pair, moving into Archie's free side after turning off the bedside lamp. "I wonder who it could be though."
~*~
The End