Goodbye, Blissful Ignorance

AN: First CSI fic! Woo-hoo. Hope you all enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI, or any characters used in this story (obviously). No malice is intended. Just the opposite, as a matter of fact.

--

'God, this day is going by slowly,'. I pull my head away from the microscope and find my seat again. As incredibly fascinating as the Trogondendron fasciculatum, and its yellow antennae, is, a person can only stare at it for so long before his eyes start to burn. This day isn't going slowly because I have so much to do, that's for certain. I've reread most of the entomology journals I have sitting around my office, and even then I feel the time pass. It's as if Las Vegas had taken a crime sabbatical for the night. If you would have told me that last night, I would have laughed at you. But, here I am, in my office, bored out of my mind.

'I wonder where everyone else is,'.

I stand, and make my way to the break room, figuring they must all be in there. And sure enough, there they are. The coffee pot is nearly empty and still, they all look as if they could fall sleep in their seats. As I walk in, they all perk up. 'Probably hoping I have a case,'. But I don't, and seeing the absence of paper in my hand sends them all back into their lounge-induced stupor.

Nick's eyes linger on mine however, and I can tell he's getting antsy.

"Come on, Griss. There has to be something for us to do." I hear the twang in his voice heavier now. 'Apparently it kicks in when he whines,'.

"I'm sorry, Nick. I have no control over this. Besides, shouldn't this be a good thing?" He leans back against the counter and takes up with the magazine article he was reading before I got there. I look around more and find Warrick and Catherine sitting together, talking. I assume it's about nothing important, because Catherine's chin is held up by her palm, as if she's trying to prop herself up to prevent sleep.

"Yea, because sitting here, feeling useless, is so awesome," Warrick spouts, apparently ending his conversation with Catherine who was now looking up at me.

"I don't mind. It's nice to have a break," Greg added, and I catch the quick glance he gives to Sara. She's sitting across the table from him, and she is the only one not looking up at me. Instead, she has a smile on her face, and her eyes are trained on the table. 'What is she smiling about?'

I shrug at them, not knowing what to say, and Catherine's eyes give an exaggerated roll. However, they stop just short of a complete circle and I see where her gaze lands.

My brows furrow.

'I thought they were getting along. What's wrong now?'

I let it slide. Girls can be girls. Women. Whatever.

I don't know what else to say, so I turn to leave, and out of the corner of my eye I see Sara stand. 'Must need more coffee,'.

I find the dark of my office again and resume my stare at the beetle.

It is some time later that Ecklie finally walks into my office. I feel relief when I see papers in his hands.

"Got one for you. A 480 on the strip," he says apathetically and I take the sheet from him. I look it over and by the time I look up again, he's gone.

'I'll put Sara and Nick on it. They both want to get out,'. I figure Sara can use a reprieve from whatever argument her and Catherine are currently in.

I get up and walk back to the break room, expecting to see them all in the same places they were before, but I'm surprised to find two of them missing.

"Where are Catherine and Sara?" I'm worried. They're probably off somewhere, screaming at each other.

"Uhm, Sara said something to Catherine and left," Greg volunteers, and I shake my head. 'Will they ever learn to just get along?'

"Yea, and just a minute ago, Catherine went to the bathroom. I think," Warrick adds, not bothering to look up.

I turn from the room and start towards the women's restroom. I need to get to the bottom of this. When I get there, I knock on the door and push it open a few inches. "Catherine. Are you in here?" There is no response and I'm sure that when I find her, I'll find Sara as well. I walk back down the hall towards the break room again and stop.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Sara went, would you?" No one looks up at me, but Nick points the opposite direction down the hall for a moment and then his hand goes back to turn a page.

I nod and follow the path of the hall again, looking in all the labs along the way.

'Where are they?'

I continue in the direction that Nick indicated and realize that down here is a side exit. 'They're outside,'. I move my feet a little quicker and find the door. The darkness outside isn't overpowering, but my eyes do take a second to adjust. I realize that I'm behind the building, and there is a wall just to my left, jutting out about 30 feet. I walk along the wall, and just as I am about to turn around the corner, I hear something.

'Was that a moan?'

Not having anything to do is really getting to me, I figure, and I take another step.

This time I'm sure. It was a moan, and this time, it was also a name. Catherine.

This doesn't sound like fighting to me. It almost sounds like…

I quietly step around the corner and stop dead cold. My eyes drink in the sight in utter shock. Sara's wrists are locked in Catherine's hands, pinned just above her head against the wall of the building. I see their lips push together, jaws open; their tongues clearly battling.

I can't move.

Sara. And Catherine. Kissing?

I stand rooted to the spot, as I see Catherine bundle Sara's wrists in one hand, leaving them pinned, as she lowers the other. Her lips make their way down Sara's neck and Sara's eyes fly open as Catherine's free hand cups her breast.

Her eyes deadlock with mine.

"Grissom!" Sara lets out, and Catherine looks quizzically up at her.

"What?"

I start mumbling. I can't think of words right now.

Sara's wrist struggle to get out of Catherine's grasp until she repeats my name, and Catherine lets go immediately. That's when she turns to look at me as well. Now it's her turn to mumble.

"Gil… I, uh… we…" she attempts feebly, and with her failure she turns her face down, suddenly taking interest with her shoes.

I still have no words.

'Catherine and Sara? How did I not know this?'

My mouth finally opens with the intention of asking 'how long?' or something equally irrelevant but all that comes out is: "I have a 480 for you."

I hold the paper up. I don't know what for, it's not like I need proof, but I still point at it with my free hand and then turn from them.

My walk back into the building is controlled. When I reach the door, I coolly open it and step back inside. I walk back to the break room and it's as if nothing happened.

"Give this to Sara when she comes back, alright?"

And with that, I head back to the serenity of my insects.

--

Thank you Lindsay (geekgirl18) for the beta. I love you!

To everyone else: Thank you so much for reading. I really hope you liked it and I would really like some feedback. As Nathaniel Hawthorne once said, "Easy reading is damn hard writing." and us writers would appreciate a couple seconds of your time. Thank you.