"I think Grissom really likes me," Sara sighed contentedly.

"What makes you say that?" Nick asked.

"He sent me flowers." She smiled dramatically.

"Those were my idea." Catherine said casually as she walked by.

"That is such a lie!" Sara raged.

"No it isn't." Catherine scowled. "I told him that he needed to keep you in the lab and for you to stay you needed to feel appreciated. But believe me, he has no interest in you personally."

"And what? He likes *you*?" Sara scoffed.

"More than *you*."

"I bet I can get Grissom to kiss me before the end of the shift."

"And if he kisses me instead?"

"Two hundred dollars."

"Darling," Catherine smiled falsely. "That's some serious cash, why don't you save your money for something you could win. Like who will get drunk faster."

"Oh it is on!"

"I'm not a virgin anymore. Just thought you should know before we begin."

"Uh… DUH, Catherine, you've got a kid… I know you're not virginal."

"I don't think you understand. I've been up and down the block."

"She's been *all* over town." Nick added.

"Down by the lake, underneath the table in my living room, outside under the blue moon," she purred.

"I get it," Sara insisted, "You're a whore. Which is exactly why Grissom wants *me.* Because I'm pure and innocent."

Catherine scoffed.

Grissom walked into the room, "Cath, Sara, you're with me. Nick meet Warrick in the lab, he'll tell you what you're doing."

Sara skipped after Grissom. Catherine flashed Nick a big smile, "I'm gonna win."

"I know." Nick said picking himself up out of his seat, "And I'm gonna have to hear about it."

***

Sara was finishing up a speech about forensics, that in her mind was supposed to impress Grissom, when Catherine strode leisurely into the room.

Grissom's eyes trailed away from Sara and rested on the Strawberry blonde who smiled warmly at him and waved.

"Grissom?" Sara asked again, "Are you listening to me?"

"Yeah, you were talking about the decomp." He said not taking his eyes off of Catherine. This was war, damn it! Sara leaned forward and her breasts brushed against Grissom's arm. He pulled away with a blush, "Sorry," he apologized.

Catherine glared at Sara. She shook her head and Sara grinned mischievously.

Grissom held his hands up at the crime scene photo they had projected up on the wall. Catherine moved to Grissom's side before he could notice. She thrust her chest out as Grissom turned and his hands came in intimate contact with Catherine's breasts.

"Oh whoops, Gil, sorry." She giggled.

His jaw wiggled with the threat of words but none came out and he realized his hands were still on Catherine's breasts when he gave them an unconscious squeeze and she moaned softly. "Sorry," he was really blushing now. His beeper beeped and he grabbed for it desperately. "Greg, be right back!" he threw over his shoulder as he disappeared down the hall.

"What the hell was that?" Sara demanded.

"Oh, puh-lease! Spare me, Sidle. Don't think I didn't notice that breast brush!"

"Breast brush is nothing! You went straight for the breast grab, that's the lowest of the low!"

"I beg to differ, the balls grab would've been the lost of the low." Catherine smirked. "I don't think you wanna play dirty."

"And why is that?"

"Cause if we play dirty, my darling," She added patronizingly, "I'm gonna win."

"We'll see." Sara sneered, "Won't we?"

"Oh we will." Catherine said softly as Grissom came back into the room.

"Greg found gun powder on the vic's hands, that means the wound was probably self-inflicted, since the wife had no gun powder-"

"Hey Gris, you know what this reminds me of?" Sara chirped, "It reminds me of the time we were doing an experiment and we watched the sun come up. Wasn't that romantic?"

"You know what this reminds *me* of, Gil?" glaring pointedly at Sara when she said Gil, "The time I had a fight with Eddie and we came *so* close to-"

"Catherine!" He chuckled with a blush, "I thought we weren't going to talk about that."

"Why? Does it turn you on?" Catherine asked, her tongue darting out to wet her lips.

"That's it!" Grissom yelled, "What are you two doing?"

"They made a bet on who you'd kiss." Nick said from the doorway.

"What are you doing out there?" Catherine demanded.

"You think I'd miss this?" Nick laughed. He gave them a thumbs up, "The breast grab was a nice touch, Cath."

Sara pushed him out of the room, "Get out!" she snapped before slamming the door in his face.

"How much did the winner get?"

"Two hundred bucks." Catherine smiled.

"And what do you get if I kiss neither of you?" He asked.

"We hadn't really discussed that." Sara answered.

"And what do you get if I suspend you?"

"Oh! I know this one!" Catherine squealed, "Two weeks off, no pay."

"Bingo."

"You're suspending us?" Sara demanded.

"After this charade, it would be a good idea. But right now it's in our best interests to have everyone working in the lab. So… I'm going to overlook it… this time." He glared at them in turn. "Clear?"

Sara sighed, "Wouldn't be more clear if you spat in my face." She said before she turned heel and left the room, slamming the door childishly behind her.

Catherine and Grissom remained silent for a moment. "Why do you constantly tease her like that?"

Catherine broke out into a grin, "It's so pathetic the way she thinks she has something with you."

"It's kind of mean."

"Hey, why not make a profit out of it since she refuses to listen to *reason!*"

"I don't want you playing any more games with her like that."

"I'm sorry." Catherine answered. Another silent moment passed, "Just so we're clear, that rules out asking her to join a threesome, right?"

"Catherine!" He groaned impatiently. She giggled. He pulled her to him, "You know I don't like to share you."

She pressed her lips to his and he deepened the kiss immediately, having not has the pleasure of tasting her for almost 24 hours, he was eager. He could taste the aftermath of a strawberry smoothie and he smiled adoringly into the kiss. She wrapped her arms around him tightly as the kiss grew evermore frantic and lustful.

The door opened, "Gris I'm gonna…" Sara took in the sight before her and her mouth fell open in shock. "Head out…" She finished in a daze.

Catherine jumped back away from Grissom's embrace, "Oh Sara!" She cried, "I'm sorry!"

Sara looked as if she was about to cry. She dug into her wallet and pulled out a leather bound checkbook, "Check ok? Or would you like cash tomorrow?"

"Save your money." Catherine insisted.

"No, no," Sara was finding it harder and harder to hold back her tears, "We made a bet, and I lost. I have to pay up. That's Willows with two l's right?"

"How can you not spell Willows?" Catherine asked questioningly. "It's like the tree!"

She ripped the check out of the checkbook, "Here," she held it out to Catherine, "Just don't cash it till the 15th, I'm a little short this month."

"I'm not taking the money." She folded her arms across her chest defiantly.

"Just take the damn money, Catherine!" Tears started to roll down her cheeks, "You've taken my man, my dreams and my dignity. You might as well take my money, too."

Catherine slowly reached out and took the check.

Sara looked to Grissom who remained silent. "Bye." She said embarassedly as she left the room.

Grissom opened his mouth to say something to Catherine but she held up a silencing finger as she picked up her cell phone and dialed a number, "Hey Pete? It's Catherine…. I'm fine and how are you? … That's good." She smiled, "Hey could you do me a favor? In about a month can you take $250 from my account and send Sara Sidle, Sara with no H and Sidle spelled S-I-D-L-E a check for that amount and enclose an official looking letter saying, I don't know, she's won something or something…. You can fill in the details? …great! Thanks Pete." She closed the phone.

Grissom looked at her in wonderment. "My accountant," Catherine explained.

"You're giving her $50?"

"Yeah. I know that $50 doesn't mend a broken heart but, if it was just for the $200 she'd get suspicious."

"You were being nice to *Sara,*" Grissom teased, "You're trying to rationalize… but you're being *really* nice to *Sara*!"

"Well," Catherine kicked the floor.

"No wonder I love you."

"I thought it was because of that thing I do with my tongue."

"That's a plus. Definitely a plus. But it's not the reason why I love you." He said before drawing her in for a kiss again.

"Wanna go grab a late breakfast? Bring Sara a doggie bag?"

"Now you're back!" He chuckled. "Let's go, there's this place by the dom I've been wanting to try out."

"Chez Rose?"

"Yeah,"

"I stop by there all the time." Catherine said, "They have calamari to *die* for!"