FIC: Saturday, 1/3, PG
Title: Saturday, 1/3
Rating: PG
Summary: Jim stands on the sidewalk and checks his watch for the third time in less than two minutes.
Notes: Previous installments can be found here. I think we're heading down to the wire on this one.
Disclaimer: Zuiker and company own the rights to CSI and its characters. I own far too many tchotchkes.
~*~*~
Jim stands on the sidewalk and checks his watch for the third time in less than two minutes. Dispatch has assured him that Gil and Sara are on the way, but traffic in Vegas can be a bitch pretty much any time of the day. Still, it's seven on a Saturday morning, which means most people are just getting in or just getting up, so the streets should be empty enough that they should be here by now.
He's playing with his cell phone when he spots the familiar Denali turn the corner. A smile cracks his face when he realizes that Gil drove the mobile crime lab, and then his gut twinges. If things go south, Gil and Sara may need it after all. Jim takes a steadying breath and puts a smile back on his face. No need to be pessimistic, after all.
The Denali pulls up to the curb near Jim, and Gil and Sara get out, both with kits in hand. From the expression on Gil's face, Jim can tell he already thinks something's up.
"I was told there was a possible 419." Gil looks up one end of the street and down the other. "I expected at least one patrol car here."
"Uh, yeah. About that." Jim stalls for a moment. "Hey, Sara. Catherine told me what you did for her -- for us -- this morning. Thanks."
She looks decidedly uncomfortable as she ducks her head. "No need to thank me. I told her that."
Jim smiles, unexpectedly touched by her diffidence. "We disagree."
"Jim?" Gil looks a little impatient. "The body?"
"Right. The body." He faces Gil and shrugs. "There isn't one."
Gil contemplates that for a moment. "Then why are we here?"
"Because there might be." Jim turns toward the building behind him.
Sara gives Jim a modified death glare. "We're at the end of shift, and you had us called out for a body that doesn't even exist? I'm out of--"
"Mr. Brass? Are these --?" Jim could kiss Jacob Parmeter for his timing.
"Yeah. Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle."
Parmeter nods quickly. "Excellent. And right when Mr. Brass said you would be here. Mr. Grissom, Miss Sidle -- if you could come inside with me, we have a great deal to discuss and not a lot of time."
Gil shoots a puzzled glance at Jim before heading inside with Sara and Parmeter. Jim takes up the rear, more to prevent a mad dash for freedom than anything else. He's pretty sure Gil won't bolt, but Sara might.
As soon as she figures it out, anyway.
"... right here, Mr. Grissom, and then Mr. Brass will join you. Miss Sidle, you'll walk up before Mrs. Willows does, of course."
"Wait --" Sara is confused, which doesn't surprise Jim. She's a damn good investigator, but she sometimes has trouble finding her bearings if the situation changes direction too quickly. Gil, on the other hand has twigged to what's going on. He puts his kit on a pew and scowls at Jim before turning his attention back to Parmeter.
"Once you reach the altar, you'll stand here and wait for Mrs. Willows to arrive." Parmeter looks at Jim to ask, "I understand young Lindsey will be giving her mother away?"
"Yeah." Lindsey hadn't been too pleased about losing a spot in the wedding party, but she got with the program when Catherine explained her reasons for wanting Sara next to her. And having Lindsey give Catherine away solves the problem of what to do with Sam, assuming he shows up. Jim looks at his watch and does a quick calculation. If Sam decides to accept the invitation, he'll be here in twenty minutes at the earliest.
"Excellent. I do so love when children from a previous union are active participants." Parmeter continues explaining what will happen during the ceremony and after, and Gil keeps Sara quiet during the instructions. Jim debates whether or not to call Ellie then decides against it. When he'd told her about Catherine and Lindsey a couple of months ago, Ellie had been indifferent or stoned. Or both. If he calls her this early on a Saturday, he's just opening himself up to her potshots, and he figures he'll get enough of that from Sam later on.
Parmeter finishes speaking and doesn't give anyone time to ask questions before he looks at his watch and squeaks. "Heavens! Look at the time. Mr. Grissom, you and Miss Sidle really should get dressed now," he says before he bustles off, leaving Jim to deal with the wedding party.
Sara is shaking her head now. "Okay, this is insane."
"Jim, I think you forgot to mention something to Dispatch this morning," Gil says, sounding irritated. Maybe even pissed off.
"That man thinks I'm the maid of honor." She has a trapped look in her eyes.
Jim answers Sara first. "You are the maid of honor." To Gil, he says, "I didn't forget. I told Ecklie exactly what was going on."
"Ecklie --" Sara blinks before she finds her voice again. "Ecklie knew you were calling us out here on personal business?"
"Yeah." Brass cocks his head a little and puts on his best innocent expression. "In fact, he was pretty happy about getting the pair of you out of the lab a little early for once. Said something about overtime?"
Gil rolls his eyes. "Of course. I take it this is the reason Catherine called in for the remainder of her shift?"
"Yeah. We both called in -- a lot to do, you know?"
"Jim, I can't be the maid of honor!" Sara looks between Gil and Jim as she takes a step backward. "Catherine's sister --"
"Nancy said the last five weddings she's been in, the marriage ended in divorce." Jim grins a little. "She told Catherine her gift to us would be to stay away."
"I'm not --" Sara glances down and seems to find a possible out. "Dressed! I'm not dressed, and I have nothing to wear. I can't be in a wedding."
Gil, the bastard, just smirks and lets Jim deal with Sara's panic attack on his own. "Catherine's been busy this morning. Your outfit is in the bride's room." Jim takes Sara by the arm. "Come on. I'll show you where it is."
"Let go of me," she says, trying to get out of Jim's grasp. "I can find my own way."
"Sure you can. But you're looking like you might run, and Catherine won't forgive me if you escape." Jim's been a cop for too long for Sara to be able to twist away easily, and they're at the door before she can figure out the trick of it. He knocks and calls out, "Sara and Gil are here."
Lily opens the door and takes Sara's other arm. "Thank God! Come in. We have to get you dressed."
Sara's look of betrayal is nothing compared to the look Gil gives Jim when he gets back to the chapel.
Rating: PG
Summary: Jim stands on the sidewalk and checks his watch for the third time in less than two minutes.
Notes: Previous installments can be found here. I think we're heading down to the wire on this one.
Disclaimer: Zuiker and company own the rights to CSI and its characters. I own far too many tchotchkes.
~*~*~
Jim stands on the sidewalk and checks his watch for the third time in less than two minutes. Dispatch has assured him that Gil and Sara are on the way, but traffic in Vegas can be a bitch pretty much any time of the day. Still, it's seven on a Saturday morning, which means most people are just getting in or just getting up, so the streets should be empty enough that they should be here by now.
He's playing with his cell phone when he spots the familiar Denali turn the corner. A smile cracks his face when he realizes that Gil drove the mobile crime lab, and then his gut twinges. If things go south, Gil and Sara may need it after all. Jim takes a steadying breath and puts a smile back on his face. No need to be pessimistic, after all.
The Denali pulls up to the curb near Jim, and Gil and Sara get out, both with kits in hand. From the expression on Gil's face, Jim can tell he already thinks something's up.
"I was told there was a possible 419." Gil looks up one end of the street and down the other. "I expected at least one patrol car here."
"Uh, yeah. About that." Jim stalls for a moment. "Hey, Sara. Catherine told me what you did for her -- for us -- this morning. Thanks."
She looks decidedly uncomfortable as she ducks her head. "No need to thank me. I told her that."
Jim smiles, unexpectedly touched by her diffidence. "We disagree."
"Jim?" Gil looks a little impatient. "The body?"
"Right. The body." He faces Gil and shrugs. "There isn't one."
Gil contemplates that for a moment. "Then why are we here?"
"Because there might be." Jim turns toward the building behind him.
Sara gives Jim a modified death glare. "We're at the end of shift, and you had us called out for a body that doesn't even exist? I'm out of--"
"Mr. Brass? Are these --?" Jim could kiss Jacob Parmeter for his timing.
"Yeah. Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle."
Parmeter nods quickly. "Excellent. And right when Mr. Brass said you would be here. Mr. Grissom, Miss Sidle -- if you could come inside with me, we have a great deal to discuss and not a lot of time."
Gil shoots a puzzled glance at Jim before heading inside with Sara and Parmeter. Jim takes up the rear, more to prevent a mad dash for freedom than anything else. He's pretty sure Gil won't bolt, but Sara might.
As soon as she figures it out, anyway.
"... right here, Mr. Grissom, and then Mr. Brass will join you. Miss Sidle, you'll walk up before Mrs. Willows does, of course."
"Wait --" Sara is confused, which doesn't surprise Jim. She's a damn good investigator, but she sometimes has trouble finding her bearings if the situation changes direction too quickly. Gil, on the other hand has twigged to what's going on. He puts his kit on a pew and scowls at Jim before turning his attention back to Parmeter.
"Once you reach the altar, you'll stand here and wait for Mrs. Willows to arrive." Parmeter looks at Jim to ask, "I understand young Lindsey will be giving her mother away?"
"Yeah." Lindsey hadn't been too pleased about losing a spot in the wedding party, but she got with the program when Catherine explained her reasons for wanting Sara next to her. And having Lindsey give Catherine away solves the problem of what to do with Sam, assuming he shows up. Jim looks at his watch and does a quick calculation. If Sam decides to accept the invitation, he'll be here in twenty minutes at the earliest.
"Excellent. I do so love when children from a previous union are active participants." Parmeter continues explaining what will happen during the ceremony and after, and Gil keeps Sara quiet during the instructions. Jim debates whether or not to call Ellie then decides against it. When he'd told her about Catherine and Lindsey a couple of months ago, Ellie had been indifferent or stoned. Or both. If he calls her this early on a Saturday, he's just opening himself up to her potshots, and he figures he'll get enough of that from Sam later on.
Parmeter finishes speaking and doesn't give anyone time to ask questions before he looks at his watch and squeaks. "Heavens! Look at the time. Mr. Grissom, you and Miss Sidle really should get dressed now," he says before he bustles off, leaving Jim to deal with the wedding party.
Sara is shaking her head now. "Okay, this is insane."
"Jim, I think you forgot to mention something to Dispatch this morning," Gil says, sounding irritated. Maybe even pissed off.
"That man thinks I'm the maid of honor." She has a trapped look in her eyes.
Jim answers Sara first. "You are the maid of honor." To Gil, he says, "I didn't forget. I told Ecklie exactly what was going on."
"Ecklie --" Sara blinks before she finds her voice again. "Ecklie knew you were calling us out here on personal business?"
"Yeah." Brass cocks his head a little and puts on his best innocent expression. "In fact, he was pretty happy about getting the pair of you out of the lab a little early for once. Said something about overtime?"
Gil rolls his eyes. "Of course. I take it this is the reason Catherine called in for the remainder of her shift?"
"Yeah. We both called in -- a lot to do, you know?"
"Jim, I can't be the maid of honor!" Sara looks between Gil and Jim as she takes a step backward. "Catherine's sister --"
"Nancy said the last five weddings she's been in, the marriage ended in divorce." Jim grins a little. "She told Catherine her gift to us would be to stay away."
"I'm not --" Sara glances down and seems to find a possible out. "Dressed! I'm not dressed, and I have nothing to wear. I can't be in a wedding."
Gil, the bastard, just smirks and lets Jim deal with Sara's panic attack on his own. "Catherine's been busy this morning. Your outfit is in the bride's room." Jim takes Sara by the arm. "Come on. I'll show you where it is."
"Let go of me," she says, trying to get out of Jim's grasp. "I can find my own way."
"Sure you can. But you're looking like you might run, and Catherine won't forgive me if you escape." Jim's been a cop for too long for Sara to be able to twist away easily, and they're at the door before she can figure out the trick of it. He knocks and calls out, "Sara and Gil are here."
Lily opens the door and takes Sara's other arm. "Thank God! Come in. We have to get you dressed."
Sara's look of betrayal is nothing compared to the look Gil gives Jim when he gets back to the chapel.