DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters, sorry for treading on any toes, I do it only for my sanity.
DEDICATED: for <lj user="cat_07"> b/c I promised a Catherine fic way back when :)
SEQUEL: Companion piece to Watching The Girls Go By.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

Watching the Guys (+1) Watching the Girls
By Debbie

Well here I am, sitting doing nothing, just waiting for Greg to bring me some DNA results, twiddling my fingers and thinking. Not a bad thing to be doing, I guess. At least I can think about the good things in my life, the people I share my life with, the people who have come to mean more to me than any of my blood relatives, the Graveyard shift.

Take Warrick Brown for instance.

My soulmate. Or that's what I would have called him not six months ago, before I met that special person that has turned my life around. I guess Warrick is now my soul-brother. And that description kind of fits him perfectly; A brother that shares my soul. From the day I first met him and looked into those gorgeous eyes I just knew we shared something special. Not in any romantic sense, though I probably considered it early on in our friendship, who wouldn't with such a hunk of a man, but to be lovers would have spoiled the love we do share. Warrick is a man I can share my innermost thoughts with and know he will never judge me. He is always there to listen, just as I am always there to listen in return.

When his gambling became a problem, I shared my own addiction stories and I know it helped drag him up from the depths. When Chris dumped me for a younger woman it was Warrick that hinted there was someone else just sitting waiting in the wings. It was my dear soul-brother that directed me towards my soul-sister and for that I am forever grateful.

And Nick Stokes.

Where Warrick is my soul-brother, Nick is my warm, caring middle brother. Younger than me, he has always sought reassurance. More often than not from Grissom, but sometimes from me. I hope and believe I have always been able to give him the support he so richly deserves. Nick cares and sometimes that nature has got him into trouble, like that time when he fell madly for a prostitute. He was heartbroken when she was killed and he was implicated in her murder. I think it was my clearing his name that forged our closeness. Oh my, and that time he admitted he had been abused as a child; I felt dreadful for pushing him so hard, but deep down it cemented that bond we share.

I know he cares deeply for Sara, I can see it in his eyes as he watches her work. And for a while last year we drifted apart because of that. I had drifted away from Sara for whatever reason, some reason that means absolutely nothing now, but for six months or so we were at each other's throats constantly. Nick could see this and wanted to be there for Sara. Then Grissom passed Sara up for promotion, pushing Nick forward instead, and the poor boy didn't know what to do. Be happy that he finally had the respect from Grissom he had craved, or unhappy that he had to spite Sara to do it.

Whatever, that is all water under the bridge and I'm pleased to say Nick and me, we're back to the easy friendship of sibling rivalries.

And, of course, young Greg Sanders.

My annoying little brother with that surprisingly endearing personality that gives me great pleasure, though I would never admit that to his face. No, it's better that he thinks I am the big bad Momma Cath of CSI. Sometimes his antics can get a little too much and while ever I can play the bitch card he will quickly realize when to curb his antics. That can only be good if he is to become the CSI he can be.

Last year when I was in the middle of my spat with Sara, and the guys to some degree, it was Greg I turned to for help on my cases. He surprised me so much with his keenness and his diligence that the only thing I could do was to point Gil towards offering him a trainee CSI position. So far he is more than coping with that responsibility and I know he'll reward my belief in him wholeheartedly.

Poor Greg though, he still holds a torch for Sara, though I think deep down even Greg realizes that it's a futile hope to have. No, Sara Sidle is not interested in young Greg; she has a much more important love in her mind and in her life. It's nice to watch him trying to impress her though and I know Sara appreciates the devotion he still gives her, and if Sara appreciates it, then so do I.

Don't forget Jim Brass, he may not be a recognized member of the team but he is to me.

Captain James Brass; who'd have thought all those years ago when a craggy, miserable detective arrived at police headquarters what a good friend he would become, not only to me but to the whole of the graveyard shift. I know that Jim thought I was just some ex-stripper when he was first introduced to me and boy did I enjoy proving otherwise. Now, I know he respects me as well as my work and that is all that truly matters, isn't it?

I know Grissom counts Jim as one of his true friends, and so do I. I think the younger end of our team is also beginning to realize what a good man Jim is. Don't get me wrong I've walked a rocky path with Jim. When he was shift supervisor it just didn't work, but as the police captain special to Graveyard he is the best. The only man, other than my team, I would trust with my life and the lives of my "family".

I know that Jim is worried about Sara. She told me that he had tried to warn her about the demon drink and that she had ignored him. I think I might have to invite Jim round for dinner one evening, his own battle with drink is one story I think it is important we both share. And sharing my life outside of work with Jim is becoming that little bit more important to me, because I think Jim Brass has me and mine in his heart and that needs to be nurtured more than I have done recently. I guess I want Jim to share his life with me and mine.

Which sort of brings me around to Gil Grissom, our fearless leader.

My dearest friend? The man who has stood by me through thick and thin. When I have done things I shouldn't have, it has always been Gil waiting to pick me up. When I have done good things, it is always Gil who gives his quiet appreciation immediately. Oh, my dear unemotional friend doesn't make a big display of things but I know he is there and always will be.

What more can I say really? He's a friend and a damn good one. We have our differences and we have our fights. We have completely different personalities but they do say opposites attract. That said, there has never been any romantic attraction between the two of us but as work colleagues we compliment each other totally. Gil's the man that grounds me, without his anchor I'd be flying high on any emotional tangent I could find. There again I give Gil his license to fly a little. Where Gil is CSI's head, I am CSI's heart; he's the theory and I'm the emotion. Together we drive the best damn CSI shift in the whole of the USA, big-headed maybe, but it is something I really believe.

Gil Grissom, the man without any emotion, surprisingly has a good read of my life. I know it's Warrick that I go to to talk and get advice from, but once I've worked things out in my own head, I know I can trust Gil to support that decision. Like my divorce from Eddie, like my acceptance of money from Sam Braun, like my relationship with Chris Bezich. Each time, I knew Gil wasn't in 100% agreement, but each time I knew, whether he agreed or not, that he was watching and waiting if I needed him.

A good man who means so much to me for lots of reasons and more so now than ever. Without Gil Grissom being the totally unemotional man he is I might never have found the surprising love of my life. If Gil had any romantic notions in his body I might not be sharing my life and my bed with the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Which has brought me nicely to the final member of the Graveyard team, my one female colleague, Sara Sidle.

Sara, the cold hearted, work-oriented, unapproachable bitch that drove me crazy for nigh on four years. The complete opposite to me in so many ways, and yet the other half of me. Yes, without Gil I wouldn't have Sara Sidle as mine.

These last 6 months Sara has given me more love and care than all of my previous partners put together. I love her, and she loves me and yet, to me the most important part of our relationship is that Lindsey loves her, and Sara loves Lindsey. That's right my nemesis of the last 4 years has proven herself to be my perfect partner. The one I have been waiting 41 years to meet. And how we nearly missed this bliss we share.

As I said, my complete opposite, and for 4 years that opposition was brutal and negative, but opposites attract, and once we allowed the attraction to work its magnetism we contacted rather than repelled. Oh my, what a scientific way of saying I have the hots for her. I guess that's what comes of spending all my time with the geeky science boff from Harvard. What I'm trying to say is that opposites attract and boy am I attracted to Sara.

These last 6 months have been perfect and I thank God everyday for small mercies. Thank God Sara was caught DUI, thank God Gil did his usual nothing to help, thank God I decided to offer my support, thank God Sara let me in, and thank God that this wonderful woman has come to mean so much to me and to Lindsey.

Today, has been a turning point in our relationship. We finally decided to bring our love to work with us, oh not in an exhibitionist sort of way, just in a nicely understated way that we hope the guys will pick up on. I called Sara and asked her to pick Lindsey up, and Sara brought her in to headquarters. We then acted as we always do now; we acted as a family. I hugged Sara and Lindsey, and Sara acted like the mom she is becoming. In other words we made the conscious decision to not hide our love anymore.

I know my family, the graveyard shift, will care enough to notice, and they will be happy for us.

The End

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