Deja Vu
Title: Deja Vu
Author: Anne and Sydne
Rating: Supervisor
Summary: A past dance changes the future
Disclaimer: All characters belong to CBS, et. al. No profit is being made.
July 1979
It’s hot, July in Vegas, and even backstage at the
As her music begins and she walks onto the stage she can feel the cocaine surge through her system and she begins to relax. She can feel the heat of the lights and the reverberations of the music. The music washes over her and she begins to sway to the rhythm.
Close to the bar, a young man sighs and adjusts his glasses. The
“There she is, Griss,” Jack says, shaking Gil’s shoulder. “The famous Kitty Cat herself.”
Gil glances up, smiles forcibly at his friend and then looks to the stage. He expects to see another girl, shamelessly showing off her assets. Instead, he comes across a pair of brilliant blue eyes.
Unable to remove his eyes from this beauty, he watches as she slowly undoes her jacket and drops it to the ground. Now clad in only a bright red bra and g-string, Catherine notices the piercing blue eyes staring at her. As she dances, she can’t take her eyes off the man with the amazing eyes.
Jack looks between Kitty Cat and Gil, then back again. He smirks. “You know what, Griss? I’m going to do you the biggest favor you’ve ever had done.”
Gil barely hears his friend as he watches Kitty Cat, wishing he could just bundle her up and take her away from these prying eyes. He watches intently, tongue poking out between his lips, as Kitty Cat removes her bra and her luscious breasts come into view. As she grabs the pole in front of her and swings around it, Gil licks his lips and stares unabashedly at her. Gil is captivated by her. She has a beautiful body, to be sure. Any man would have to be missing a pulse not to see that. But her eyes…and her smile. The way they sparkle and yet hold so much sadness.
Catherine is aware of his intense gaze and makes a note to stop by that table and ask if he would like a more private dance. She’s positive he’ll say yes. She hears the final strains of the music and slowly slides down onto the floor. She kneels and imitates a cat as the music ends.
When the music ends, Gil frowns, noticing Kitty Cat going behind the curtain. He turns to Jack. “Where is she going?”
Smirking, Jack looks at his friend, “Don’t worry, Gil. She’ll be back.”
Gil relaxes slightly, but keeps watching the place where she disappeared from his view.
Soon, several scantily clad women are wandering through the crowd. They stop and talk to the men crowded around the tables, but none of them approach Grissom and Nash.
Gil’s not interested in them as he notices Kitty Cat emerge from the curtain again. His spirits lift and he watches for her smile. He watches her slink from the edge of the curtain and winds her way through the tables to stand in front of him. His eyes widen and he tries to find something intelligent to say.
Leaning down, so Gil can glimpse down the front of her bra, Catherine asks huskily, “Hi handsome. How are you tonight?”
“I…” Gil gulps and decides it’s safer to look into her eyes. “I’m well. How are you?”
Smiling, Catherine tells him, “Oh, I’m doing okay, but I’d be much better if you’d spend some time with me.”
“I…wait…me?” Gil is surprised and he looks sideways for Nash, who simply smirks back at him.
“Yeah, you. You’re sexy,” Catherine purrs at him.
Gil is tempted to check that she’s sure she has the right person, but decides against it. “You’re…stunning.”
Nash, still smirking, interrupts, “How much?”
Gil blinks. “Huh?”
“Twenty,” Catherine tells him.
Nash reaches into his jacket and pulls out his wallet. He hands Catherine a twenty-dollar bill. She takes the bill and stuffs it into the edge of her g-string. Taking Gil’s hand she pulls him up and leads him over to a row of chairs sitting along the outside edge of the room. She gently pushes him into the chair and then leans against him. Whispering in his ear she tells him, “No touching.”
Gil’s mind is going sideways. This beautiful woman has just told him he can’t touch her. Is she insane? “You have the most fascinating eyes.”
Laughing, she tells him, “That’s not what most men notice.” When the music begins a new song, she slowly starts sliding her body up and down his.
The feel of her body against his is doing embarrassing things to him. “They…they should. And your smile. It’s….beautiful.”
As she continues to slide and grind against him, Catherine realizes she’s dealing with a different caliber of man than the ones that usually come in here. “Thank you,” she tells him.
Gil’s eyes close at her movements. “You…” He gulps. “You seem sad, though.”
Unsure of herself, Catherine falters in her movements. “You are different from the others,” she mutters under her breath.
“Why? Did I do something wrong?”
Smiling, Catherine sadly tells him, “No. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“What’s your name?” Gil asks her.
“Kitty Cat,” She informs him. Her instincts tell her its okay to tell him her real name, but past experience tells her its not.
“That’s what they call you here. You deserve a more beautiful name than that. I don’t want to insult you by calling you your stage name.”
The music ends and Catherine stands up. “I’m sorry, I don’t give out my real name.”
Gil nods. “I understand.” He smiles softly. “You never know who you might meet. ”
“Thanks for understanding,” she tells him as she takes his hand and leads him back to his table.
“It was nice to meet you,” he murmurs. Sitting down, he watches her walk away through the crowd. He vows that he will come back and learn her name, no matter how long it takes.
A week later and a few hundred dollars poorer finds Gil Grissom sitting at the bar of the French palace.
Gil glanced at the woman beside him. “Pure.”
“What do you mean `pure’?” the beautiful redhead beside him asks as she takes a sip of her screwdriver.
“Your name. That’s what it means. It’s Greek. Meaning pure.”
“Yeah,” she scoffs.
“It’s true,” Gil assures her. “Catherine means pure.”
“I’m sure you’re right, but right now, I don’t feel so pure,” she tells him as she gestures to their environment.
“I think you are,” Gil murmurs. “It’s not about your environment, Catherine. It’s about who you are.”
“Gil, I’m a dancer for Christ’s sake. I take my clothes off in front of men for a living. There’s not a damn thing pure about that,” she huffs as she takes another sip of her drink.
“Why do you do it?” he asks.
“It pays the bills,” she says as she shrugs her shoulders.
“So it’s just a job?” Gil looks at her. “We all do things in our jobs we don’t like, Catherine. But your eyes, your smile. Your mind. There’s a purity there.”
“If you say so. I do wish there was a way out of this,” she says as she points around the room, “but I don’t see it.”
“Why don’t you go back to school?”
“I’ve thought about it. I don’t know what classes to take though.”
“What are you interested in?”
“Hmm, I’ve never really thought about it. When I was in school I was good at math and science,” pausing she cocks her head towards him, “Maybe I could do something like you do.”
“You’d be good at it.”
“Do you think so?”
“I’d never lie to you, Catherine.”
“Sure,” she smiles at him. She knows in her heart though, that this man won’t lie to her.
“I’ll help you. Be your tutor.”
“You would?” she says with wonderment in her voice.
He smiles. “Of course I would. I’ll help you all the way. I believe in you, Catherine.”
She jumps off her bar stool and throws her arms around Gil’s neck. Giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, she whispers in his ear, “No one has ever cared so much about me. Thank you, Gil.”
Surprised at first, Gil hugs her back tightly. “I’ll always care about you, Catherine. And I’ll always believe in you.”
In the space of the oncoming months, Catherine enrolls in school and Gil is true to his word. He tutors her whenever she needs it. Unfortunately, she is more gifted than either of them ever dreamed of and her tutoring sessions are few and far between. Gil, however, is proud of her progress. He watches as she grows intellectually, emotionally, and in strength. So when Catherine proudly hands him an invitation to her graduation ceremony he is delighted to accept. When the ceremony arrives Gil waits in the auditorium with a large grin on his face as Catherine glides towards him in her cap and gown.
“Hi,” Catherine greets nervously “Glad you came.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Gil tells her as he gives her a dozen red roses.
Her eyes widen. “You got these for me?”
“You earned them.”
“Thank you.” Her eyes shine with excitement.
Leaning forward, Gil places a soft kiss on her cheek, “You better hurry up and get lined up. The ceremony should start soon.”
She watches him for a moment, before pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek and going up to the rest of the graduate group. Gil returns to his seat and watches the ceremony. When Catherine’s’ name is called, he stands and applauds loudly. She flashes him a wide smile. As Gil has eyes for only one graduate, the rest of the ceremony goes by in a blur for him. When the ceremony is finished, Catherine launches herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. Gil pulls her close and inhales Catherine’s warm scent. Catherine kisses Gil lightly on the lips, pulling back quickly. “Thank you.”
Startled Gil looks at her and says, “You’re welcome.”
Catherine takes his hand. “Let’s go celebrate.”
Knowing where this could lead and knowing that Catherine really isn’t into quiet mild mannered men like him, Gil lies to her, “Catherine, I’d love too, but I can’t.”
She looks confused. “You can’t have a drink with me?
“I’d like too, but I have to go to the lab. By the way, that reminds me, you need to come to the lab next Monday. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?”
“Yes.”
“Can I get a hint?”
“It won’t be a surprise then,” Gil teases her. She tries her best pout on him. Laughing, Gil tells her, “Okay. You need to see the lab supervisor on Monday. You’re getting a job interview.”
Her eyes widen and she hugs him tight. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome. Be your bright, shiny self and you’ll get the job.” Gil glances to his watch, “Cath, I’m sorry. I have to go.”
Catherine nods. “Okay. Thanks for coming, Gil. I really appreciate it.”
“I’m glad I could be here,” Gil says as he turns to walk away. He regrets lying to Catherine, but he doesn’t want his heart to be hurt and he knows this woman could hurt him badly. Catherine watches him go, as she listens to the cheering of her classmates. “Missing you already,” she murmurs, before turning around and going back to the celebration.
Chapter 2
October, 2003
A little over twenty years later, Catherine Willows was starting to doubt the promises that Gil Grissom had made her in the
She arches an eyebrow, looking up at him. “Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do? Besides, it’s Ted, Gil. I’m not about to let him go down the drain because some jackass murdered a woman in his club and is talking about doing it again. You know what Ted did for me. You were there.”
“Yeah, I was there. I watched Ted put you on that stage, night after night,” Gil tells her.
“He took care of me, Gil. Just like you did.”
“Cath,” Gil’s voice takes on a low, warning tone.
“What’s happened since that night? What stopped you caring about me and believing in me?” She stood up. “I owe this to Ted, Gil. And I offered you the opportunity to help but if you don’t want to, that’s fine. I’ll do it myself.”
“Damn it, Catherine,” Gil sighs. He knows he’s defeated. She’ll help Ted whether he wants her to or not. “Fine, I’ll help. I don’t like it, but I’ll do it.”
She watched him for a moment, wondering if he would ever care or believe in her again. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” Catherine turns on her heel and heads out the door. Watching her retreating back, Grissom thinks to himself, “How do I ever let her talk me into these things?”
At home, Catherine rifles through the back of her closet, hauling out an old box. “Well, never thought I’d see you lot again.” She opens the box, looking at the glittery garments inside. She picks up a shimmery, red thong and old memories assault her. Memories of her old life, of Eddie, of dancing…and of Gil watching her. “Dammit, Gil. Why do you have to make everything so complicated!” She puts the red thong back. Standing up, she stretches her body and looks in the mirror. “I’m glad I’ve been keeping up with my yoga,” she thinks as she appraises her body.
“Mom?” comes Lindsey’s voice. “Uncle Gil is here!”
Casting one last look into the mirror, Catherine sighs and wistfully leaves the bedroom. Gil is standing uncomfortably in the living room, his hands buried in his pockets. Lindsey is standing beside him, looking between her mother and Gil.
“I’m gonna go finish…something,” she says, heading up the stairs two at a time. Watching her retreating form, Catherine smiles and says, “I hope I have that same amount of energy when I’m dancing on stage tomorrow night.”
Gil frowns. “Don’t start on me,” Catherine warns him.
“I won’t. I’m just worried about you,” he says with a pout.
“What’s there to worry about?” Catherine asks nervously. “I’ve got you protecting me, remember?”
“Catherine, what’s NOT to worry about? You’re going to have men ogling you right and left. Not to mention keeping your eyes open for a murderer.”
“Thanks. I feel a whole lot more confident now,” she replies, sticking her hands in her pockets.
“I’m not trying to sway your confidence. I’m trying to tell you that you don’t have to do this.”
“I do have to do this, Gil. That’s the point. And you should know that.”
Gil turns away from her facing the window. He lets out a deep breath and sighs softly. “Cath, I really don’t want you doing this.”
“Why?”
Laying his head against the glass, Gil whispers, “Honestly?”
“It’d be nice.”
As the tip of his ears turn red and his voice gets even lower in volume, Gil says, “I don’t want other men to see you half dressed.”
A small smirk crosses her face and she quickly hides it. “Gil, I’m sure almost half of Vegas has seen me half dressed by now. Including you, I might add.”
Turning away from the glass, Gil faces Catherine, “That may be true, but I don’t like it now.”
She meets his gaze head on. “What’s different now?”
“We’re friends now. Best friends. We look out for each other,” Gil stammers as he sits down on the sofa. Catherine sits down next to him. “We were friends back then. And we looked out for each other.”
Gil turns his head away from her. He doesn’t want her to see the redness creeping into his cheeks or the look in his eyes. Catherine rests a hand on his shoulder. “Gil. Look at me. What’s all this really about?”
Turning back to her, Gil studies her eyes. He knows she needs, no wants, the truth, but can he take the chance in giving it to her.
“You can tell me anything,” she assures him.
Taking a deep breath he reaches up with his right hand and gently cups the side of her face. He runs his thumb over her high cheekbone and gently leans forward and puts a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. Catherine’s lips are tingling as the kiss ends, and she looks at Gil for a moment. Her hand reaches out, cupping his cheek and she leans back in, kissing him again. They break apart and try to gauge the other’s reaction. Catherine’s hand rests on his chest. She opens her mouth and then closes it again.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” Gil says as he starts to stand up.
“Gil…wait.” She takes his hand. Catherine gently pulls him back and he is forced to sit next to her again. She smiles softly at him. “What took you so long?”
Blushing, Gil looks at her, “I didn’t think you’d be interested in a scientist.”
She caressed his cheek. “I didn’t think a scientist would be interested in a stripper.”
“Catherine, I’ve been interested in you since the first time I saw you.”
Part of Catherine started to think of how different her life would be if one of them had made a move back then. “Me too, Gil.”
“Somehow, Catherine, I’m not sure I believe that,” Gil says dejectedly.
Her eyes widened and she took her hand away from him. “Oh really?”
“Yes. At that time in your life, you were more apt to be interested in someone like Eddie rather than someone like me.”
Fire started to blaze in Catherine’s eyes. “Well, I’m glad you’ve been able to tell me my own mind, Gil. You saved us a lot of trouble.” She stood up.
Using his `supervisor’ voice, Gil tells her, “Catherine Willows sit back down.”
“We’re not at work, Grissom. You can’t tell me what to do.” She turns away from him, trying to ignore the hot pricks of tears in her eyes.
“That may be true, Catherine, but I want you to listen to me whether or not you want to.”
“Fine.”
“Catherine, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. You’re smart, outgoing, and passionate. Things I never will be. I saw you go out with guys like Eddie and I knew I never stood a chance with you. That’s why I’m telling you now; you weren’t interested in me back then. I didn’t have enough flair for you then.”
“Are you done?”
“It depends on what you say next,” Gil tells her.
Catherine was tempted to tell him to leave, so that she could punch something in anger. “Do you know why I went out with guys like Eddie? And don’t feed me the line about being things you’re not.”
“Why, Catherine?”
“Because I had to settle, Gil. Because people like you don’t want people like me. They want someone who was a prom queen, but who can also come home and cook their dinner at night. Do you know how many times I tried to go out with people like you? People like you don’t go out with whores.”
“Don’t you dare say you were a whore! You were never that. You did what you had to do to make a living. A decent living,” Gil says as he watches her closely.
Catherine turns to face him, anger, and hot tears in her eyes. “Then what the hell took you so long? If you never thought that, what made you stay away? I would have married you, Gil. I would have had children with you!” She bit her lip, cursing herself for going a little too far.
Astonished by her admission, Gil is taken aback for a moment. When he finally does speak he tells her, “I stayed away because I didn’t think I was good enough for you.” Then after a brief pause he says, with awe in his voice, “You would have had my baby?”
“Still would,” Catherine mutters, not looking at him. “And how could you not be good enough for me? Jesus, Gil, I was taking my clothes off for a living!”
“I hated that other men saw you half naked. It hurt every night, but I didn’t have anything to offer you. All I could offer was bugs and blood. Somehow, I didn’t think that would interest you then.”
“What about later?”
“Later, you were married to Eddie and had Lindsey. I settled for being your friend. It was difficult, but I couldn’t come between you and Eddie. Its not my style.”
“I haven’t been married for a long time, Gil.”
“I know, but by then we were best friends and I didn’t want to take a chance on losing your friendship. Its very important to me.”
“Who knew that me going back to dancing would force your hand.”
“Yeah, well…”Gil stammers.
“Gil, if we do this…I want to take it slow.”
“That’s fine,” Gil, says relief evident in his voice having rode out the wrath of Hurricane Catherine.
“And I’m still doing this for Ted.”
“And I still don’t like it.”
“Are you going to be able to do this?” Catherine asked Gil.
“It looks like I don’t have much choice in the matter, does it?”
“We’re both going to do things in this relationship that one of us isn’t going to like. Is that going to make it fall apart?”
“Relationship?” The word scares Gil more than he cares to admit. He never thought of Catherine like in that sense and now that it’s happening, he’s dumb struck.
Catherine folded her arms. “There is no way in hell I’m being a fuck buddy for you, Gil Grissom. If we’re doing this, I’m in for the long haul, and you sure as hell better be too.
Surprised at her the language Catherine has used, Gil looks up at her and smirks. “No, Catherine. You will never be my `fuck buddy’. You will always be more than that and yes, I’m in it for the long haul.”
Catherine takes a deep breath and walks over to him. “I’m scared too, you know. Terrified in fact.”
Wrapping his arms around her, Gil pulls her tight, “I know. Me too, but we’ll do fine. We will be just fine.”
“Are you going to be able to do this?” Catherine asked Gil.
“It doesn’t look like I have much choice, do I?”
Catherine pulls out of his arms. ‘You have a choice. I’d never force you into anything you didn’t want to do.”
Gil takes a long moment to appraise her before answering, “I’ll do it, but I won’t like it.”
Catherine watches him for a moment. “I could ask Warrick to do it if you’d prefer.”
“Catherine!” Gil says angrily, “I said I’d do it. I sure as hell don’t want anyone else to see you naked, much less someone from the lab!”
Her eyes darken at his words. “How do you know that none of them have seen me naked? Besides, there’s a difference between being naked on a stage to being naked in a bedroom.”
“Are you saying, you’ve been naked in the bedroom with someone from the lab?” Gil asks incredulously.
“No! I’m just saying that there’s a difference, that’s all.” She stands toe to toe with him. “Besides, we’ve slept together more than once. Do you think I’m doing this because I want to?” Catherine asks, her eyes flaring with anger. ‘I promised myself that I was finished with that, and if I was ever going to dance naked again it would be…for you. But I don’t have a choice here.”
“Damn it, Cath, but you do,” Gil, implores her.
“Show me the option,” she asks. “Believe me, I’ve looked everywhere for one.”
“Don’t dance. Give Sara and Nick more time to process the evidence. I’m sure they can find something.”
“It’s out of my hands now anyway,” Catherine murmurs.
“What? What was that?”
“I have to do it. I don’t have choices anymore. There isn’t any time left.”
“Catherine, what do you mean there isn’t any time left?”
“Dammit. Don’t you understand the reason I asked you was because I trust you! I don’t trust him. I know you’ll look after me.”
Reaching out and lightly grasping her shoulders, Grissom looks at her and says, “Cath, slow down. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Who don’t you trust?”
“Culpepper,” she whispers.
Dropping his hands, Grissom turns away from her and runs a hand through his hair. “Please don’t tell me you just said Culpepper?”
“I know you’ll take care of me. That’s why I need you there.”
“I should have known Culpepper was behind this. As much as I don’t want you to do this, I’ll be there. I don’t trust Culpepper either.”
“He made it my choice. Made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.” Catherine picks up her bag.
“Cath, frankly, I don’t want to hear his offer. I’ll be there for you and that’s all there is too it.”
Catherine kept what Culpepper had suggested to her bottled up. Gil didn’t need to know. “We better start teaching you some language.”
Not liking what he’s having to do, but accepting it, Gil sits back on the sofa. Looking up at Catherine he says, “What do I need to know?”
“You’re my….bodyguard for lack of a better word. Your job is to make sure the johns are keeping their hands to themselves. This includes onstage and lap dances.”
“Okay,” Gil sighs.
“You can be the strong silent type if you like. That means you don’t need to learn most of the language.” Catherine looks at her hands. “All you have to do is make sure I don’t get manhandled. Or killed.”
“I think I can handle that,” Grissom harrumphs.
Catherine nods. “Okay. Uh…what are you going to wear?
“Uh, I hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. I guess my normal clothes. Black pants, polo shirt.”
“Black pants would do. Polo shirt would make you look like you were about to go play three rounds of golf.”
Ignoring her jibe about playing golf, Grissom tells her, “Well, that’s all I’ve got.”
“I’ll take you shopping,” Catherine replies.
Knowing that shopping with Catherine, could be a fate worse than death, Grissom whines, “Do we have to?”
Catherine says nothing for a moment, but gets up. “Not if you want to get me killed.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll go. When?”
“Tomorrow,” Catherine said. “I need to go and…” She paused, deciding not to tell him that she needed to throw up and then cry. “Do stuff.”
Rising from the sofa, Grissom walks over to Catherine and puts his arms around her, “Cath, I admit, I don’t like this, but I will do my best to protect you.”
Catherine’s arms went tight around him. “I hate this. I hate Culpepper.”
“I know, so do I,” he tells her as he pulls her tighter to him. Closing her eyes, Catherine buries her head against his chest. Gil places a soft kiss on the top of her head and tells her, “We’ll take this relationship slow too.” Catherine leans up on her tiptoes, kissing him on the mouth. Her arms wrap around his neck, entrusting herself to him. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, as she breaks the kiss.
Chapter 3
Early the following morning find Catherine and Grissom wandering through the Fashion Mall. Catherine’s hand unconsciously slips into Gil’s. Tugging on his hand, she pulls him into Macy’s and they wander into the men’s department.
“Let’s start from the bottom up, shall we?”
Gil’s ears turn red as he realizes that Catherine isn’t talking about pants. She’s holding up underwear.
“Do we have to do this?” He gestures towards the under garments.
She narrows her eyes at him. “Count yourself lucky you’re not wearing a g-string and a zip up bra.”
“Good point,” he says as his cheeks follow his ears in turning red.
She flashes him a quick smile. “You’re cute when you blush.”
“Thanks, I think. Why do I need underwear?”
Catherine starts looking through the racks. “You never know when good underwear can come in handy.” She locks eyes with his for a long moment, before going back to the racks.
Giving up, Gil follows her. He grimaces when she holds up a black men’s thong. “I don’t think so, Cath,” he says shaking his head.
“I prefer you in boxers anyway,” she mutters, continuing to look. “They shake more.”
Raising an eyebrow, Gil quickly turns to look at her. He decides to let the comment slip by and he holds up a pair of blue boxer-briefs. “What do you think of these?”
Catherine takes an unsteady breath. “Great. Good choice. Let’s find you some clothes.”
They walk over to the pants and Gil lifts up a pair of brown chinos. “How about these?”
Catherine holds up a pair of gray Levi’s. “These are better.”
Wrinkling his nose, Gil looks at her, “You think so?”
Catherine smiles. “I know so.”
Still looking doubtful, Gil tells her, “Whatever you say.”
She rests a hand on his arm. “Trust me.”
Catherine wanders to the shirts and pulls up a dark blue collared shirt. She then discards it.
“What was wrong with that?”
Catherine picks up a black t-shirt. “This one is better, that’s all.”
Pushing him towards the fitting rooms, Catherine tells him. “Go try those on and let me see how you look.”
Grumbling, Gil goes into the changing room. Catherine waits patiently for him. When he comes out of the room, he takes her breath away. He looks gorgeous. He looks slightly apprehensive and she hurries to soothe him.
“Gil, that looks wonderful on you. It needs a jacket to finish it off, but its perfect,” Catherine tells him as she tries to control her overwhelmed senses.
He smiles slightly at her. “I trust you.”
“Okay, then,” She stammers. “Go change back. While you’re doing that I’ll get you a jacket.”
A smug smile crosses his face for a moment. “Cath, are you okay?”
“Yeah, great. Hurry up,” She tells him pushing him towards the fitting room. He smirks, quite aware of what is causing her mood, and very pleased with himself. He goes into the room and as he pulls off the clothes, he wonders what it would be like to have Catherine taking off his clothes for him.
Catherine furiously looks through the racks of jackets, trying to calm her body down. “Leather, no. Not right,” She thinks as she moves to another rack. A black cotton blazer catches her attention. “Perfect!”
A hand rests on her shoulder. “Catherine.” Startled, Catherine lets out a small gasp.
“Relax,” he whispers. “It’s just me.”
“Sorry, I was thinking and didn’t hear you,” she says as she blushes slightly.
His warm breath is against her ear as he speaks. “What about?”
Shivering, Catherine squeaks out, “Nothing.”
Gil smiles and takes his hand away. “Did you find a jacket?”
Holding it up to show him, Catherine smiles and says, “All set.”
“Great.”
Together they go to the cashier and Gil pays for his items. Catherine’s mind has shifted from the seductive teasing, onto sheer terror of the night before her. As they leave the store, Gil notices the change in her demeanor. “Is everything all right?”
“Sure,” she whispers, not looking at him.
Gil lightly grasps her elbow and steers her towards a small coffee shop. He leads her to a table and they sit. “Talk to me,” he tells her.
“I’m losing my mind.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m over forty. I have a daughter. I built a career. And the thought of going out there again, the way those men would look at me.” She shakes her head. “Never mind. Just nerves I guess.”
Taking her hand, “You know how I feel about you doing this, but I have to tell you you’re going to be the sexiest woman on that stage tonight.”
She smiles softly at him. “You’re biased.”
“Probably,” he tells her as he quirks a one sided smile at her.
She holds his hand to her lips and kisses it. “Thank you.”
Gil leans forward and brushes a quick soft kiss across her lips, “Anytime.”
“Maybe we should get going,” Catherine murmurs. “We’ve got a lot to do before we leave.”
“You’re right,” Gil answers as he stands. Reaching down, he takes Catherine’s hand and pulls her up. As they leave the café, he doesn’t drop her hand. He holds it all the way to the Tahoe. When they get strapped in, Catherine takes his hand back.
“This feels nice,” She says as she holds up their interlinked hands.
He smiles at her. “It does. I’m glad to be able to finally do it.”
“Me too,” Catherine softly sighs.
He squeezes her hand. “I love you, Catherine.”
Looking at him, she gazes into his eyes, “I love you too.”
As they depart the shopping mall, each of them turns their thoughts inward. Gil tries to focus on not being jealous tonight. Catherine thinks about how nervous she is. Neither thinks about the inherent danger she may be in later this evening.
Chapter 4
The dressing room backstage at the
Catherine looks at him and smiles softly. “And I believe that is the same shade of blush you wore when you first saw me in it, too.”
“You’re probably right,” Gil smirks.
Catherine slips off her pants, leaving her clad in the red bra and G-string. She grabs a bottle of oil. “Ted must have been crazy, thinking I could still pull the crowds.”
Standing, Gil walks over to her and pulls her into a soft hug, “Ted knows what he’s doing. You’ll wow them tonight.”
Catherine’s arms go around his neck, and she looks at him. “Will I wow you?”
“Catherine, you always wow me,” Gil says sincerely.
She rests her head against his chest. “That’s all I’m worried about.”
Gil holds her for a long moment and then gently pulls back from her. “Cath, I hate to do this, but I gotta get out front. I need to keep an eye on the crowd before you start to perform.”
She gripped his hand for a minute. “Kiss me?”
Gil is more than happy to comply with her request. He leans forward and places a soft kiss on her lips. “More later, I promise.”
Catherine nods, reluctantly letting him go. “When I dance up there…it’s for you.”
“I know,” he smiles at her. Unable to resist her though, he leans forward and puts one more kiss on her lips. She smiles back, watching him go.
Gil walks down the hallway and into the bar. He looks around the crowd and spies Culpepper sitting at the bar. He makes his way over there and sits next to him.
“Special Agent Culpepper,” Gil says in a form of greeting.
“Grissom,” Culpepper nods curtly. “Is the bait ready?”
Gritting his teeth, Gil replies, “Catherine is NOT bait. She is, however, ready.”
“Must be a bit of a thrill for her, coming back to her old stomping ground.” Culpepper picked up his drink. He chuckled. “Of course, I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.”
“Somehow, I don’t think so. It was never a thrill for her. It was a job!”
“Oh come on, Grissom. You can’t tell me she didn’t enjoy it. The way they play around up there. Besides, she jumped for the chance to take me up on my offer.”
“You know Culpepper, I always thought you were a jerk. You just confirmed it,” Gil angrily tells him as he gets up and walks off.
Backstage, Catherine is nervously peering out the side to see what’s going on. She runs her hands up her arms and a shudder goes through her.
“Was that your guy with you earlier?” one of the other dancers asked.
“Yeah, I guess you could put it that way,” Catherine smiles at the big-breasted blonde.
“He’s kinda quiet.”
“You know what they say about the quiet ones,” Catherine mutters to herself.
“How’d ya meet him, honey?”
“I met him here. Twenty years ago.”
“Wow, nice! You don’t hear of love happening very often here,” the blonde sighs as she snaps her purple sequined bra in place.
“I was lucky,” Catherine replies, smiling as she sees Gil outside. “Very lucky.”
“You sure were, hon. Is he any good in bed?”
Catherine pauses; still surprised at the answer she’s going to give. “I don’t know yet.”
The blonde smiles a big cheeky smile at Cath and says, “Find out before you get married. It saves a lot of problems in the future. Oops, it’s my turn on stage. I better hurry. Good luck on your set.”
“Thanks,” Catherine smiles. “You too.” She peers out the side at Gil again. “Always the quiet ones.”
Gil watches the crowd for any sign of a suspect as the blonde dances. He looks up at the stage when he hears the music stop and the opening strain of Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl. He smiles when he hears the song. He knows the reason Catherine picked this song is because he played it for her during the marathon.
“Here we go again”, Catherine thinks as she comes out on stage. As the music washes over her and she begins to move her eyes search out Gil. She sees him and her smile gets bigger. He smiles reassuringly at her, his eyes not giving any hint to the surge of arousal that jolted through his system. Catherine swings around the pole, amazed and a little worried that it’s coming back to her so easily. Instead of listening to the catcalls and cheers she thinks of Gil. She thinks of the way it would feel to do this for him privately and vows to dance just for him. As she bumps and grinds for the men she doesn’t want to know, she closes her eyes, letting herself feel the music. Remembering what it was like when Gil played that for her. What it will be like when she and Gil make love. The dancing is arousing her and her moves become more and more risqué. As her fingers go to the zipper of her bra, her mind conjures images of sensation. Gil’s hands on her, his mouth on her. Him inside her. Her eyes find Gil again as the bra falls to the floor of the stage. She sees him watching her, and wonders if he is that intense and watchful in bed. Above her. His body thrusting into hers.
Watching her from the side of the room, Gil is totally entranced. He forgets about scanning the crowd for murderers. He watches her thrust her hips out and run her fingers down her chest. Her movements make him dream about what it will be like to make love to her. What it will be like to have her squirm and writhe under him. His mouth falls open when she drops the shiny bra on the floor.
“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” Culpepper says from beside him interrupting Gil’s fantasy.
Gil’s head quickly turned to Culpepper. “You should be finding a murderer, not ogling a peer.”
“What? You’re ogling her,” Culpepper says indignantly.
“She’s my partner. I watch her back.”
“That’s not all your watching. I have to admit she’s well built.”
“Go find your murderer, Culpepper. That’s your job.
“Yours too, Grissom. Get busy,” Culpepper says as he walks off.
Catherine almost lets out a sigh of relief as she sees Culpepper move away from Gil. She had been worried about an argument between them. Focusing back on her job, she arches her hips, mimicking orgasm. Her mind slides back to Gil, wondering what it will feel like when she orgasms around him. She gulps a little, thinking of Gil’s orgasm. The look on his face, the feel of his warmth inside her. As the song nears its end, Catherine looks forward to going home. She stands in the spotlight, grabbing her bra. Her mind drifts to home. And Gil. Alone. With a satisfied smile, and a twinkle in her eye, she heads backstage.
Gil watches her finish the dance and walk off stage. He becomes more alert to the crowd around him. He sees a tall, dark man stand and walk towards the hallway leading to the dressing room. The man veers off, though, and heads to the bathroom. Gil glances towards Culpepper to make sure the Agent is alert and is pleased to see that Culpepper appears to be paying attention. Glancing around the room, he sees another possibility. A man is slowly edging his way towards the hallway. Getting Culpepper’s attention Gil motions towards the man. Gil and Culpepper slowly edge near the man. They wait and watch as the man enters the hallway and heads to the dressing room. As they are rushing towards the room, they hear Catherine yell.
Catherine had been rubbing herself down with a towel when the man had grabbed her. Her first instinct is to cry out Gil’s name, and she begins to struggle in the man’s arms. She feels his hand on her stomach and she flinches, her arms trying to get him away from her. “Get off me!” she growls, struggling harder. The sensation of cold metal against her neck makes her freeze. Her eyes close and all she can think of is what she’s about to lose. You’ve got a big mouth,” the man mutters. “Shut it.” Her eyes widen, knowing the voice instantly. A cold shiver runs through her body and she flinches again as the man’s hand travels down her pants.
“We’re going to take a little ride, you and me. A little ride that you should have gave me twenty years ago. I knew you’d come back. You couldn’t help yourself. Slut.”
At that moment, Gil and Culpepper come bursting into the room with their guns drawn.
“I’d be putting those down gentlemen,” the man said, holding the knife to Catherine’s neck.
“Gil,” Catherine implores him softly.
Gil aimed his gun at the man’s head. “I’m a very, very good shot. And you’d be dead before she’d even get a nick on her skin.”
“Oh yeah,” the man growls as he pushes the knife closer to Catherine’s neck. Cath can feel the warm drip of blood on her neck and tears well in her eyes.
Gil fires his gun, not hesitating as he watches the man go down. Catherine runs to Gil’s arms and he pulls her in close. “Shh. I’ve got you,” he whispers.
“I’ll get the medics,” Culpepper mutters, leaving the two alone.
Catherine turns in Gil’s arms and looks at the assailant. “Oh, God. I know him.”
“Who is he?”
“Tim Avery. He used to hang around during my dancing days. He was really creepy.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Gil, murmurs, holding her tight against him. “You’re okay. You’re alright.”
Burying her head in his chest she whispers, “I’m so glad you were here.”
“Me too,” Gil says. “I can’t lose you, Cath.”
“I can’t lose you either. Take me home.”
Wanting her home and safe, Gil reaches behind Catherine and grabs her coat. He wraps her in it and guides her to the
Chapter 5
Catherine sits in the car beside Gil, pulling his jacket further around her body. Gil notice she’s shivering and reaches over and turns the heater on.
“Everything’s ruined,” she murmurs.
“Not its not, Cath. We got the guy. He’ll never hurt anyone else.”
She looks over at him. “Do you know what I was thinking about on that stage? I was thinking about what it would be like to make love with you. I wanted you so much and now…thanks to him…I’m dirty.”
Sensing her tension, Gil reaches over and touches her leg. “Shh, Cath. You’re not dirty.”
Her eyes look at his hand on her leg. “I want you so much. I have all night. Probably longer. But he…he touched me.”
“Its okay Cath. I tell you what when we get home I’ll fix you a nice hot shower and we’ll wash away the dirt.”
Her hand reaches down, covering his. “I’d like that.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Gil says as he pulls her hand up and lightly kisses the back of it.
“Thank you for saving my life,” she murmurs.
Knowing that nothing else needs to be said, Gil turns his attention back to driving. They arrive at her house quickly and he ushers her inside. Catherine allows him to lead her upstairs. When they reach the bathroom, Gil goes in and turns the water allowing it to heat up. Catherine takes off her jacket and starts to unzip her bra. Suddenly, she bursts into tears. Gil’s eyes widen and he’s beside her in an instant. “Catherine…” He holds her until the tears dry and then helps her finish undressing.
“I’m sorry I cried all over you,” she whispers.
“No problem. I’ll dry. Now lets get you into that shower.”
Her hand grips his shirt. “What about you?”
Chuckling, Gil tells her, “Well, if you’d get in I could get undressed and then I’d be right behind you.”
She blushes slightly and nods, stepping into the shower. Gil watches her for a few moments. He loves how the warm water cascades down her body. Shaking his head in amazement, he quickly strips off his clothes and steps in the shower behind her. Catherine looks at him in the shower. Her eyes travel from his face, over his chest, his strong arms, over his erection and down to his feet.
“Gil, hold me?”
He smiles and nods, taking her in his arms. They stand there for a few moments as the warm water cascades down around them. Catherine looks up at him, her arms encircling his neck. “Kiss me.”
“Gladly,” Gil says as he lowers his lips to hers. Catherine presses her body against his, anxious to forget the world and just think of the two of them, and how good it felt to be in Gil’s arms, kissing him, his body pressed against hers. She can feel him twitch and harden as her hips brush against him. Her body moves closer, her lips deepening the kiss. She relishes the feel of her breasts against his warm chest. Gil groans into the kiss, his hands moving down to rest against her butt as his tongue runs across the seam of her lips.
Breaking the kiss, Catherine looks up at him and says, “We need to get this dirt off of me.”
Gil nods and goes to grab the shower gel and washcloth. He lathers up the cloth and slowly begins to work it over Catherine’s chest. He lingers over her breasts before he moves on to her stomach. Catherine closes her eyes, unconsciously arching her body towards him. Gil smiles as he watches her relax. He kneels down in front of her and slowly works the cloth down both legs and to her feet.
“Feels so good,” she murmurs.
“Turn around,” he tells her his voice husky with desire. She opens her eyes and nods, arousal starting to flood her body. Catherine turns around and graces Gil with a view of her backside.
Gil chuckles. “Remember when I told you about missing your tush?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“It’s nice to see it again.”
Reaching out he runs the cloth over Catherine’s back and down to her firm bottom. Catherine braces herself against the wall, the feel of his hand guiding the soft cloth over her skin making her tingle all over. Dropping the cloth on the shower floor, Gil leans forward and pulls the hair away from Catherine’s neck. He places a soft kiss on the exposed skin.
“Cath, I think you’re clean,” he tells her huskily.
Catherine turns to look at him. “I agree.” She winds her arms up around his neck and pulls him down for a deep, lingering kiss.
Gil puts his arms around her, his hands resting on her bottom and pushing her towards him. He groans deep in his throat when Catherine wiggles against his arousal.
I want you,” she whispers in his ear. “Now.”
Those words are all it takes to break Gil’s tenuous control. He lifts her in his arms and pins her against the shower wall. Catherine wraps her legs around his waist and looks into his eyes. She’s enthralled by the storm going on in Gil’s eyes. She can see passion, desire, and love. Her tongue snakes out, licking the lobe of his ear. “Hard and fast, Gil.” With a grunt he slides into her warm, wet depths and begins to thrust in and out of her. Catherine’s eyes squeeze shut and she whimpers, hanging on tight as he moves inside her. “Yes…” exhales out on a breath. Gil starts to move harder, his eyes locked onto Catherine’s as he watches the water stream over her face. Like Catherine, he’s drawn to the flash of fire, desire, and love in her eyes. The emotions fuel him on and he begins to pound even harder and faster into her. Catherine’s hand rises above her head, sliding against the wet and steamy wall as she feels her orgasm start to build. She begins moaning and writhing back and forth. The pleasure Gil is giving her overwhelming her senses. Gil watches her eyes, seeing them glaze over. He pumps harder, feeling his own release imminent. He begins to groan as he tries to hold back to wait for Catherine, but the wait is unnecessary, he feels her muscle begin to contract around him and he begins to spill into her. Catherine cries out, her body arching as his warm seed causes her to have an immediate second orgasm. Gil leans against her as they gasp for breath. He slowly lowers the amount of pressure he’s putting on her and lowers them to the shower floor.
“Wow,” Catherine murmurs, pressing herself to him.
“You can say that again,” Gil chuckles.
“Wow,” she replied, resting her head on his shoulder.
Gil holds her close for a few moments and then blurts out, “Cath, the water’s getting cold”
Damn,” she whispers, before licking his earlobe. “Guess we’ll have to continue this in the bedroom.”
They untangle their limbs and separate from each other. Catherine turns off the shower while Gil gets them towels.
She smiles at him, accepting the towel he holds out. “I really enjoyed that shower.”
Motioning for her to turn around, Gil begins to dry her back, “I did too, Cath.”
Catherine closes her eyes as she feels the warm towel against her back. “I like this part too.” She took his towel and started to gently dry him off. She brushes the fluffy towel over his chest and down to his flaccid penis. She gently dries him off there and then places a soft kiss on the tip. This causes Gil to groan in pleasure.
“Cath…” he warns.
Looking up at him with an innocent expression on her face, Catherine inquires, “What?”
“Don’t start something you don’t intend to finish,” he murmurs, helping her stand up.
“Who says I don’t plan on finishing it? I just plan on finishing it somewhere more comfortable,” she says as she flounces out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.
Gil smirks slightly and hangs the towels up, following her into the bedroom. “This time is going to be slow. And I’m going to explore every inch of you.”
“Promise?” she says with her eyebrows raised.
“From the top of your head,” he says, placing a kiss to it, “right down to the tips of your toes.” He bends down, his fingers caressing the bright red toenails. “And everything in between.” As he stands up, his finger trails up her body. Catherine shivers at his touch and then motions for them to go to the bed. He leads her over and gently lays her down. He lies beside her and using his fingertips he starts to trace feather light images across her abdomen. Catherine shivers at his touch and leans up to kiss him. Gil kisses her back, his tongue slipping inside her mouth to stroke against hers. Breathing heavily, Gil breaks the kiss and moves to her neck. Catherine closes her eyes; her fingers trailing down his back. She rakes her nails on the return trip up his back and then plays with the curls at the nape of his neck. Gil’s lips move to her collarbone, raining kisses on her skin. He slides his tongue along her collarbone and down to her breast. Catherine murmurs her appreciation, her eyes opening to watch his tousled head traveling down her body. When he sucks her nipple into his mouth, Catherine loudly moans. Gil smiles around the nipple as his free hand caresses her other breast, his thumb running across the nipple. Gil smiles around the jutting nub as his free hand caresses her other breast, his thumb running across the nipple. He slides further down her body placing warm, wet kisses on the skin he finds. Catherine arches her hips up. Her unspoken wishes obvious to Gil, he bypasses her desire and moves down her legs. She let out an exasperated sound that turned into a relaxed sigh as he caresses her legs. He slides his tongue down the inside of one thigh and up the inside of the other thigh. His warm breath causing her to whimper. Her eyes open and she looks down at him, her chest heaving.
“Gil, please..”
His fingers barely brush against her center. “Please what?”
Groaning in frustration, Catherine arches her hips further up.
Gil’s fingers trail down her inner thighs. “Please what, Cath?”
Catherine whimpers, “Touch me.”
Gil’s fingers brushed against her center again. “Here?”
Shooting him a look that says, “What do you think” Catherine groans out a guttural, “Yes.”
Gil chuckles at her impatience and decides to end the torture. His thumb presses against her clit and he leans down, pressing a kiss to the area. He can smell her arousal and he longs to taste her. He flicks his tongue out and parts her soft folds with it. Catherine moans, her hands gripping the sheets. Her hips thrust up to met Gil’s probing tongue. Gil’s thumb continues to manipulate her clit, his tongue thrusting in and out of her, mimicking what he will do later. He continues to pleasure at her, licking and sucking gently, as one hand rests against her hip, steadying her. His ministrations cause Catherine to cry out as her orgasm rolls over her. Gil looks up at her, his hand caressing her cheek.
“Catherine, that was beautiful,” the awe evident in his voice.
She looks at him, still breathing heavily. “I..huh?”
“You are absolutely amazing when you orgasm. Beautiful.”
Her eyes widen momentarily, then soften as she reaches him. “Come here.”
Gil slowly crawls up her body and cuddles next to her. Catherine hugs him tight, her hand gently stroking his back. “I love you.” Kissing her Gil murmurs, “I love you too.”
She smiles. “How about I explore every inch of you now?”
“I like that idea,” Gil says as he rolls on his back.
Catherine lay atop him, kissing him deeply. Her hands trailed down his body, before she moved down, sucking lightly on his neck. She traces her tongue along his collarbone and lightly bites down on the edge of the muscle. Her tongue snakes out, soothing the red mark she had left on his collarbone. She runs her hands down his chest, paying special attention to his nipples. She goes to the left one, licking and sucking until it pebbles hard under her tongue. She trails kisses across to his right nipple, giving it the same attention, her hands caressing the sides of his chest. She slides further down his body placing feather soft kisses on the skin she finds. When she reaches his navel, she quickly darts her tongue in. Gil groans, his fingers finding her soft curls and running through them. “Cath…” Catherine looks up at him, a sly smile on her face. Her fingers trace the insides of his thighs. “What? Want me to stop?”
“Hell, no,” Gil groans as she dips her tongue in his navel again.
She giggles. “I don’t know, Gil,” Her hand caresses his thigh, “payback is always fun.”
“You’re such a tease,” Gil tells her as she slides her tongue up and down the inside of his thighs. Hearing the frustration in his voice, Catherine lowers her head and runs her tongue up the bottom side of his silky shaft. Gil’s hips lift in anticipation of where her lips are going. She smirks, before pressing a gentle kiss to the tip. Her hand caresses the base of his erection, as she places licks around the tip. She slowly takes the length of him in her mouth. Her eyes lock onto his, wanting to watch his reaction as she slowly sucks, her other hand caressing his inner thighs. She slides her hand up his thighs and gently grasps his velvety sack and begins to massage. Gil groans, arching up against her. He looks down; his arousal intensifying when he catches the look Catherine is giving him.
“Cath, stop. I want you,” Gil tells her as he gently pulls her up.
Catherine looks at him. “I wasn’t…” Her words are drowned out by the deep kiss he bestows on her. He rolls her under him and she willingly parts her legs. Her arms wind around his neck, urging him down for another kiss. He returns the kiss as he moves his hips against her core.
“Now,” she whispers. “Please…”
Gil guides himself into her depths. Her muscles are tight and he waits for them to relax. Catherine whimpers, closing her eyes as she winds her legs around his waist. As he begins to thrust, Catherine uses her legs to pull him even deeper inside of him. She meets him thrust for thrust. “Open your eyes, Cath,” he murmurs, kissing her gently. He changes his angle, bringing incredible friction to her spot. He drops his head down to Catherine’s shoulder and whispers in her ear, “I love you.” She looks up at him, kissing him gently. “I love you too.” She slides her hands down his back and kneads his butt. Gil groans, arching deeper into her as he thrusts. He begins to speed up and Catherine groans in pleasure. Catherine’s eyes lock onto his, her body arching up as the pressure almost becomes unbearable. She feels her orgasm rock over her body and her eyes slip shut. Gil thrusts deeply, tensing and shuddering as he spills his warmth inside her. They lay tangled together for a few moments before Gil rolls off of her pulling her with him. Catherine snuggles close, resting her leg across his thigh and her head on his chest. Gil places a soft kiss on the top of her head and strokes her hair. She lets out a contented sigh, placing a gentle kiss to his chest.
“Catherine?”
“Mhm,” comes the sleepy reply
“Promise me something.”
“What?’
“Promise me that you’ll never dance naked for anyone but me ever again.”
A slow smile spreads across Catherine’s lips and she looks up at him. “I promise.”
“One last promise?” Gil asks.
She arches an eyebrow. “Okay…”
“Promise me you’ll love me forever,” Gil says as he gazes at her.
“That,” Catherine says, kissing him softly, “is the easiest promise I have ever made.”
“I’m happy to hear that. I’ll always love you too.”
Catherine places her head against his chest and is quickly lulled to sleep by the sound of his heart beating. Knowing that she’s safe and in his arms, Gil quickly follows her into the land of slumber.
~Finis~