CSI/CM FF: Conversations with Strangers
TITLE: Conversations with Strangers
RATING: pea.gee
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone.
SPOILERS: s7 for CSI, s3 for CM
NOTES: For the Marg 50 challenge at GraveshiftCSI. Criminal Minds/CSI crossover. Slight Gil/Catherine (but it's mostly friendship, hinting at a possibility for more); Catherine/Gideon.




Catherine sighed and watched as Gil raced Nick and Greg around the serpentine track in their go-carts. Warrick was leaning against the fence with Sara; they were deep in conversation.

For the first time since they found Sara, the blonde allowed herself to wallow in the loneliness she had refused to feel.

She felt betrayed---by Gil, for keeping such a huge secret from her---but she felt more alone than anything else. She hadn't minded Warrick getting married and Nick putting distance between them, because she thought she still had her best friend, even if he wasn't the most reliable man in the world.

The truth had been like a punch to the stomach. He was a liar and a hypocrite. He kept his relationship a secret and for all the grief he had given her about compromising the integrity of the lab, he had done more to unravel the lab's moral fiber than she ever did.

Looking at him, embraced by the others, watched by his young, smart girlfriend... it made her insides ache.

Catherine sighed again and she turned, heading to the snack-bar. She and Lindsey had promised to go on a low-junk diet together, two weeks ago, but all she wanted was a large chocolate milkshake with extra chocolate syrup and a ton of whipped cream. She also wanted french fries and a greasy cheeseburger, but her favourite comfort food was chocolate.

The young man behind the counter didn't react to her request for extra sauce.

A man sitting on a stool at the end of the counter did, though.

"Rough day?" he asked.

Catherine smiled, chuckling under her breath as she turned and leaned her back against the red counter's ledge. She looked over at him. He looked friendly, kind and caring, and more relaxed than Catherine had felt in a long time. His dark eyes met hers; she smiled again, allowing herself to appreciate how handsome he was, and then she turned her body so she could look at him more easily.

"Something like that," she admitted.

"Having fun with coworkers isn't as easy as it looks?"

"Not nearly---how did you---"

"You're a part of a team," he said, turning a bit to gesture towards the other members of the grave shift. "But, they're there and you're over here, ordering copious amounts of chocolate."

"You could be a profiler," Catherine commented.

The man smiled, but it was a sad expression. "I was, once."

"Law enforcement?"

He nodded. "FBI."

"Burn out?"

"I need to regain my faith in humanity."

Catherine's smile faded. She knew that feeling all too well---when a child is found dead, when a man beats a woman, when greed takes over a person's soul---and if it wasn't for her daughter, she knew there was a chance she'd leave it all behind.

"Law enforcement?" he asked, shaking her from her thoughts.

"Criminalist," Catherine conceded. She leaned forward and extended her hand. "I'm Catherine Willows."

"Jason Gideon," he said as he shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Catherine was reluctant to pull her hand away; his skin was warm and comforting, reminding her how important human contact was.

"Likewise," she said softly.

"You're more than welcome to pull up a stool and join me," he offered, as her milkshake was placed on the countertop.

"I think I will," Catherine said. She smiled and sat down next to him. "Where were you working?"

"Quantico," he replied.

"And now?"

He shrugged. "Now, I'm just... traveling."

"Are you finding what you're looking for?"

"Sometimes," Jason said with a smile. He sipped his coffee and motioned towards the rest of her team. "May I ask what happened to separate you from the group?"

"We're not the same team anymore," Catherine confessed. She didn't want to get into too many details, but there was something in that man's eyes that compelled her to trust and confide in him. "We're... drifting apart."

"Secrets and lies," Jason commented.

Catherine nodded and sucked some of the thick drink through its straw. "Pretty much," she agreed. "Do you miss your team?"

"Yes, every day."

"The BAU is doing a conference here next month," Catherine said. "Agents... Reid and Morgan."

Catherine had been watching him carefully. Mentioning Reid had evoked a small response---a half-smile before it was hidden by a lick of the lips---and even the name 'Morgan' had created a glimmer of familiarity in his eyes.

"Good agents."

"Reid means something to you."

"You could be a profiler, Ms.---"

"Catherine."

"Catherine," he amended. He smiled and bowed his head as he cupped his hands around his large cup of coffee. "He does mean something to me. Leaving the job was difficult, but leaving him..."

"Were you his mentor or lover?"

"The former," Jason said on a little chuckle. He motioned with his head towards the other criminalists. "Which one are you avoiding?"

"What makes you think I'm avoiding---"

"You're here. If you were mad at all of them, you wouldn't be here."

Catherine sighed, but her smile didn't fade. "Yeah... okay. The older man driving the car with the two younger guys."

"He's a good friend."

"Of yours?" Catherine asked.

Jason chuckled. "No, of yours."

"Well, he used to be," she admitted, as she glanced back and saw Greg try---and fail---to pass Gil on the track. "We're in a weird place right now," she added.

Jason turned his stool so he could look at the group more comfortably. He rubbed his chin as he surveyed their dynamics.

"He kept a secret from you... lied about it to protect it," he mused. "He's dating someone on the team, and he didn't tell you. Either the brunette or the younger guy that just spun his cart into the tires."

Catherine nearly choked on the mouthful of milkshake she swallowed while he was talking. Then, once she finished coughing, she, too, turned, to see if it had been Greg or Nick about who he had been talking.

It had been Nick.

"It's not the guy," Catherine said.

"You don't approve."

"Dating a member of a team isn't the best of ideas."

"You've considered it."

She shot him a sideways glance. "You probably have, too."

"Touché."

"Acting on it's another thing altogether, though," Catherine muttered.

"You don't approve of her for him."

"Okay, Profiler, time for you to get out of my head now."

Jason chuckled; Catherine smiled.

"May I ask one more question?"

"Sure," she conceded.

"If he had approached you, would you have gone for it?"

"Firstly, we're on the same team. Secondly, we're friends, and thirdly," Catherine replied, pausing for a breath, "he doesn't think about me that way."

"You do. About him."

"Did I say that?"

Jason chuckled again.

Catherine rolled her eyes. "We're not like that. We... we've been friends for so long that our lives are tangled up together," she told Jason. "He kept this a secret for a long time. I don't care that he didn't tell the guys. I'm hurt he didn't tell me." She paused, sipped her milkshake, and then added, "But, you're right. I don't approve. She's totally wrong for him. And don't read into that. She's just not who I'd have picked for him."

"Too alike or too different?"

"A little bit of both."

"If he's smart, he'll remember who's got his back."

Catherine snorted and returned to her milkshake.

"After your chocolate fix, wanna race?"

The blonde swallowed and smiled at Jason. "You wanna race me?"

"It looks like fun."

Catherine smiled more. "How did you wander over here, anyway?"

"I wanted to watch people having a good time," he replied. He dropped his gaze again, focusing on the counter's red surface.

On an impulse, Catherine reached out and put her hand on his arm. "It's good to do that," she said softly. "If it wasn't for my daughter... reminding me how good life can be. Do you have children?"

"I have a son. We don't see much of each other any more."

"You really want to race?"

Jason looked back up at her. He smiled. "If you think you can take me," he challenged her.

"Loser buys dinner?"

The man laughed. "Catherine Willows," he mused, "are you asking me out on a date?"

"Maybe. What do you say?"

"One of the best offers I've had in a long time."

Catherine arched an eyebrow. "One of?"

"Well, there was a nice young entrepreneur who offered me a good time in an alley near the Strip, last night, but he wasn't my type."

The criminalist laughed.

Jason grinned.

&&&&

After their race---which Catherine had won by a few inches---Jason helped her out of her racing cart and the two of them, laughing a little, made their way back to the diner area of the facility. Instead of taking their seats at the booth, though, they chose a small table away from other patrons.

"Coffee?"

"Sure," Catherine replied when he made the offer. "Milk and sugar?"

A few minutes later, Jason returned to their table with two tall paper cups of coffee and two donuts on a plastic tray.

"My daughter's trying to keep me away from junk food."

"Life's short."

Catherine laughed more. "Yes, but I'm trying to convince her to eat healthier foods, too, so I'm not setting the best example."

"'Do as I say, not as I do,'" he said wryly.

"That doesn't work so well in the teen years."

Jason smiled and shook his head. "No, not so much," he agreed. "So, good that she's not here to witness this."

"No witness, no crime?"

"If only it were that simple."

Catherine, still smiling a little, sighed. "Yeah, no kidding," she agreed.

"How long have you been doing this job?" Jason asked.

"Too long."

"And in actual years?"

"Just past twenty."

Gideon frowned. "Have you ever thought about taking a leave of absence?"

"Not seriously." Catherine sipped her coffee. "Are you trying to give me some advice?"

"It's hard to walk away, knowing there are more creeps than you can shake a stick at, but... on the other hand," Jason said, pausing to drink some of his coffee, "it's hard to keep going when you keep seeing the worst society has to offer."

Catherine nodded in agreement. "True. On both counts. Do you think you'll ever go back?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly. "Maybe if I can find what I lost."

"How long are you staying in Vegas?"

"Dunno... until I get sick of bright lights?"

Catherine smiled. "The stars in the desert are something to see," she told him.

"I haven't gone that far yet."

"You just need a good guide," Catherine said, slipping into a flirtatious personality she thought had been lost to her melancholy, "and four-wheel drive."

"Is that an offer?"

"If you're game, yeah."

"Two great offers in one day. The hotel brochure didn't lie: Vegas is lucky."

The blonde grinned and broke one of the donuts in two parts.

As she ate one half, she saw Gil leaving Warrick's side and walking towards them. She chewed slowly, trying to figure out what her next move would be, but even after she swallowed and reached for her coffee, she wasn't sure what she as going to do or say if Gil approached their table.

"He's on his way?" Jason asked.

"How---"

"You can't get much past an old profiler, Catherine," Jason said, smiling at her. "Don't worry, I'll be on my best behavior."

She laughed when he finished speaking. Her laughter was fading as Gil stopped at their table.

"Hi, Gil," she said quietly, smiling a little. "You guys heading out?"

"Soon," he replied. "Sara's getting tired."

"She's still recovering. She'll need lots of rest."

There was a long pause, in which Catherine struggled to find something else to say while Gil looked from her to Jason every few seconds.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Catherine smiled as she looked at her new acquaintance. "Jason Gideon, this is Gil Grissom."

"Nice to meet you," Jason said as he shook Gil's hand.

"Same here," Gil said as his brow furrowed. Catherine watched him lick the right corner of his mouth before he spoke again. "Aren't you... with the FBI?"

"I was, yes," Jason replied.

"A behavioral analyst, right? I think I read some of your articles before."

"I've written a few," the profiler said with a polite smile. "You work with Catherine."

Gil nodded. "I'm a scientist with the crime lab."

"It's nice when a team can get together, enjoy something outside of work," Jason said, while Catherine frowned up at her coworker. She didn't know why, but she didn't particularly like his choice of words. "It can be hard to schedule those sorts of... ah, lighter moments, though."

"The city keeps us busy," Gil agreed. He glanced at Catherine, then at Jason, before settling on Catherine again. "How long have you two known each other?"

Catherine looked down at her watch. "Um... about an hour." She looked at Jason. "That sounds about right?"

Jason's lower lip jutted out and up a bit as he nodded.

"Did you want to join us, Gil?" Catherine asked.

"I... well, sure. For a few minutes, if you two don't mind."

"Not at all," Jason said with an easy smile. "Catherine's been telling me about her team and it'd be nice to get to know you."

Gil sat down and put his hands together, resting them on the table. "I don't know how well we'll know each other after only a few minutes," he said with a little smile.

"Dangerous words to say to a profiler," Catherine joked, chuckling a bit.

Jason shared a smile with her. "I'm out of practice," he said as he raised his hands a little. He pointed at Catherine but looked at Gil. "This one, though, has profiler potential. She must be good at solving cases."

"She's very good," Gil agreed, smiling more. "But we don't analyse behavior. We work the evidence."

"We work evidence, too."

"It's not very scientific."

Catherine thought about reaching out to touch Gil's arm, but she recoiled before touching him. "Gil," she murmured, "everyone has different approaches."

"You don't think there's a science to behavior?"

"Who we are is always changing," Gil told Jason.

Jason smiled and nodded. "It is, but in predictable ways. Same as a lot of things, really. The way blood spatter falls on a shirt. The way weather can preserve a body. The way a child goes from setting fires to worse crimes as he or she grows older. All fairly predictable paths."

"Not all courts allow---"

"It's more than hearings and evidence," Jason said with a casual shrug. "It's finding victims, giving peace of mind... justice."

"Which is what we do," Catherine said to Gil.

Gil sighed, looked skywards for a moment, and then said, "I'm a scientist. It's how I see the world."

"I know."

He frowned at Jason. "How?"

"I just do," the profiler said, seeming rather cryptic.

"Is this what we can expect from the BAU's seminar next month?" Gil asked.

"No, they won't be studying your team." Jason smiled ruefully and tilted his head. "If they do, they won't share their findings with you."

"What a relief," Gil deadpanned.

Jason opened his mouth to say something; Catherine guessed it was going to be an assessment of Gil, so she was glad to see Warrick approaching their table.

"Newcomer?" Jason asked, not turning his head.

"I need to stop being so easy to read," Catherine commented.

"Please don't," he insisted. "It's nice to not have to think so much around you," he added in a light tone of voice.

"Glad I could help out," she murmured. She shared a moment of eye contact with him, before glancing at Gil---who looked rather perplexed---and then at Warrick. "Hey, War, she said. "What's up?"

"Just checking out the grown-ups' table," he teased.

"Warrick, this is Jason Gideon. Jason, Warrick Brown," Catherine said. "He's another member of our team."

"Good to meet you," Warrick said, smiling down at the blonde's new friend. "You from around here?"

"Virginia," Jason replied. "I'm here on vacation."

"You've got the best luck in town then, finding Cath," Warrick said as he looked at her.

Jason chuckled. "I'm realising that."

Warrick touched Catherine's shoulder. She relaxed instantly into the touch, feeling some more loneliness melt away---and taking comfort in that, even if the effect was only temporary.

"You need a lift back to the lab?" he asked her.

"To my place'd be great," she said. "Give me a minute?"

"Sure."

Once Warrick left them alone, Gil sighed and rose to a standing position. "I better get Sara home," he said, sounding a little reluctant to leave Catherine with Jason. "It was, ah, nice to meet you, Jason. I look forward to meeting your colleagues in a few weeks."

"They'll just be there to teach you a new tool," Jason said with a casual shrug. "You don't need to use it every time, but sometimes, thinking outside the box can help when you're stuck."

"I'll keep that in mind," Gil said. He smiled a bit, shook Jason's hand, looked at Catherine, and then turned to find Sara.

After running a hand through her hair and making sure Gil was out of earshot, Catherine leaned over the table and said, "I'm sorry about him. I didn't think he'd... well, I don't know what he did, but he wasn't entirely himself."

"No, he was," Jason said, leaning towards her, too. "You're just not used to that side of his behavior."

"Yeah," Catherine conceded.

"Are we still on for tonight?"

Catherine smiled. "I am, if you are."

"I'm not going to pass up a night with a smart, beautiful woman."

She smiled more. She reached into her purse and pulled out a business card. She reached across the table, pulled back the front of Jason's jacket to reveal a pen, and after she snatched it, she scribbled her cellular phone number on the back of her card.

"Call me later," she murmured as she returned the pen and gave him the card. "And we'll figure out where to go from there."

"Sounds great."

As Catherine stood, Jason did as well. He walked around the table and took her hand in his. She thought he was just going to shake it, but he cupped her elbow in his other hand and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

She closed her eyes as he did. He smelled faintly of spice and soap, but there was something that was just masculine enough to make her knees think about wobbling. The sense of safety she felt when he was close was almost enough to allow her to yield the dominance she struggled to maintain.

On an impulse, she turned her head and kissed the corner of his mouth.

She pulled away, blushing a bit.

"I... just... wanted to do that."

"I'm not complaining," he said quietly, gruffly.

She knew whatever they had wouldn't last long---she worked too long and too hard to manage a relationship, he would eventually be leaving Nevada to continue on his journey---but she wanted to enjoy it while it did last.

Catherine smiled when Jason did. "Tonight," she murmured.

"Tonight," he agreed. He held up her card. "I'll call you later."

"You better," she said, flashing him a grin before she picked up her purse and coffee cup.

She allowed him to see her size him up---and grin again---and then she turned and walked off towards the exit. She didn't leave the building without turning and looking at Jason over her shoulder.

He waved. She smiled.

She was still smiling when she stepped out into the parking lot.

However, that didn't last long.

Warrick was waiting in his car, but Gil was waiting near the doors. A quick scan of the lot told Catherine that Sara was in Gil's car, and that she and Gil were as alone as they could be.

"Hey, Gil. You want something?" she asked, hoping she sounded pleasant enough.

"Are you two... dating?"

"We're going out on a date," she told him. "I don't know if that means we're dating, but---" Catherine stopped talking when she saw a dark look cloud Gil's features. "What?"

"He's just... not right for you."

She snorted. "He's smart, open-minded, quick, and handsome. And, he likes me. How is he not---"

"Catherine, please. Just listen."

She crossed her arms. "For now. Go ahead."

"He's not like us," Gil said, trying to explain his position. "And, from what I heard in the news, he had a breakdown once, and you should be with someone stable---"

"Firstly, he seemed perfectly fine, and I'm a pretty good judge of character," she interrupted. "Secondly, I don't need to date someone who's exactly like me. I need someone who can complement me---not copy me. And thirdly, you're not my daddy. I don't need your approval before I go out on a date!"

"That's not what I---" he stopped and sighed. "I'm concerned."

"Because a decent, attractive man shows some interest in me?"

"I don't want you to get hurt."

Catherine snorted again. "Oh, please," she muttered.

"What? Can't I worry about my best friend?"

His words made the relaxed feeling in her insides fade as sadness settled into her mind and body. She sighed and pushed her hair off of her face.

"Gil, take Sara home. She needs you now." She exhaled and looked away from Gil. "I need to go. Warrick's waiting."

Catherine reached out and touched his arm as she walked past him. He caught her hand in his, making her turn as he turned so they were facing each other again.

"What's wrong, between us?"

"Nothing that can be fixed right now," she replied before tugging her hand free and walking away.

She climbed into Warrick's car and closed her eyes after she buckled her seat belt, tipping her head back against the seat's high back.

"You okay?" Warrick asked.

Catherine didn't say anything. She had gone from pleased and relaxed, to confused, to excited, to confused and downright depressed. She was feeling a little exhausted and she wanted to curl up and take a nap---or pretend to take a nap---to recover from it all.

Warrick put his hand over hers after he shifted gears and started to pull out of his parking spot.

"It's gonna be okay," he promised her.

"How do you know?"

"Because you two have been friends for too long to throw it all away now," he replied.

Catherine opened her eyes and smiled a little. "I hope you're right."

"I am," he assured her. "You're going to go out tonight, have a great time, unwind, relax---" he said in a pointed tone that made her laugh "---and tomorrow, things are gonna look different."

"Thanks, Warrick."

She really hoped he was right.