TITLE: Between Scylla and Charybdis
AUTHOR: Melissa Rivers & Karen
EMAIL: missy@lexicon.net
WEBSITE: http://www.geocities.com/missyliannem/csi.html
CATEGORY: General fic; angst; violence
SPOILERS: Spoilers Season 1, 2 & 3
RATING: PG13
SUMMARY: Sometimes the only choice can be to deal with the devil.
STATUS: WIP
ARCHIVING: CSI Fanfic Archive; CSI Grissom/Sara Archive. Otherwise, not without
permission.
DISCLAIMER:
CSI:Crime Scene Investigation and its characters are the property of Anthony Zuiker, Alliance
Atlantis & CBS Production Company. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only
and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
AUTHOR NOTES:
Grissom's Girl (Karen) offered me the idea for this story and then through emails, it has
expanded to what is being posting here. Hope you enjoy. Thanks again to Alison for her
marvellous and tireless editing.
FEEDBACK: On or off-list is fine, but please let me know what you think. If there are any
glaring errors, please let me know as I'd like to correct any before it is put on my website.
CHAPTER ONE:
"Hey, gorgeous!"
The confident, sleazy voice broke through the silence of the break room. The sole occupant of
the room let the magazine in her hand drop down onto the table with a resounding bang.
Pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes, Catherine Willows slowly turned to face her ex-
husband, Eddie.
"What're you doing here?" She didn't even deign to say his name. It surprised her that he had
gained access to the CSI labs. Gil Grissom had banned him over a year ago from entering the
premises and Eddie had up until now taken the threat seriously.
"Eddie must be feeling suicidal," she thought. Right now, he was on the top of her list of people
she was most likely to shoot, given the chance to escape a prison sentence. Her blue eyes
glinted fiercely as she took in his unshaven face as he leaned casually against the door jam.
"Is that any way to treat the father of your child?" Eddie slithered his way across the floor to sit
on the seat opposite Catherine.
"Pity you didn't remember that yesterday when it was her birthday!"
Eddie had the decency to look chagrined for all of a moment. "I didn't forget - I was coming by
to see her today. How could I forget my little girl's birthday?" He gave her his most tantalising
of all his smiles. Sadly for him, it didn't soften her mood at all.
"Easily, Eddie. Like you've forgotten a lot of things," Catherine reminded him, sarcastically.
"Did you even buy her a present?"
"Well, that's what I need to speak to you about. I need to borrow some money."
"You want to use my money to buy our daughter a present?" Contempt dripped from the
words, each one singularly enunciated, damning Eddie's financial planning for the future.
Catherine picked up her mug from the table and went to the sink, rinsing it under hot water.
"How much? And don't think I'm doing this for you; it's for Lindsay."
"Okay, I can see you're in a pissy mood. Obviously, I've hit the wrong time of the month, so I'll
come straight to the point. I don't have much time to argue with you anyway. I need twenty
thou."
The mug slipped from numb fingers, hitting the bottom of the sink with a clatter. Catherine's
eyes widened as she whipped around to face Eddie, her face livid as the words tumbled from
her mouth, her voice breaking as the shock of his request sank in. "Twenty thousand dollars!
Are you out of your mind? What the hell are you intending on buying Lindsay... Oh, but this
isn't really about Lindsay, is it, Eddie? What is it this time? Gambling debt? Drug money?"
Eddie graced her with an embarrassed look. He gave a quick glance around to make sure no
one was within hearing distance.
"Let's just say I owe some guys some dough. And I owe it pretty quick. It's not that much - just
twenty thou. I've gotta sweet little gig coming up, and I can repay you real soon. I'd really
appreciate it, babe."
"Twenty thousand dollars? Where do you think I can get that kind of money?" Catherine leaned
back against the sink. "Eddie, I'm a single mom, raising a child with no child support, just in
case you'd forgotten. You don't even remember your daughter's birthday and you expect me to
save your skin when you get in deep water? Where do you get the gall to come in here and
ask me, of all people, to save your sorry butt? You got your share of the profits from the sale of
our house. Use that."
"I've spent it."
"What? On your latest music scam or last night's action?"
Eddie stood up and walked across to Catherine, pulling himself to his full height to tower over
her smaller stature. His face darkened as he tried to master the anger he felt. He had paid to
get her this job and to stop her junkie habit. Yet, he had lost his wife to not only the job but to
her boss.
"That's a laugh. What about the action you've been getting on the side, Cat?" Eddie
deliberately used his pet name for her, knowing how it would irritate. "I always knew there was
a thing between you and Gil. I'm sure that you have plenty of men waiting in the wings, keeping
you in those good clothes. You have the money from the sale stashed away safely. I know
you, Catherine."
Catherine was watching his face as he said this. There were more thoughts running through
his mind, but she wasn't privy to them. She could see the emotions flickering across his face,
and was growing a little afraid of what she saw there, remembering that look from years past.
She pulled back, away from him, intending to head out of the room. But Eddie was too quick
for her, one hand shooting out and firmly gripping her upper arm and shoving her back against
the bank of cupboards.
"Bitch! I know you have the money, and I need it. You owe me! If you don't give it to me,
they're going to kill me. Do you understand that? These men are serious. How are you going
to explain to our daughter that you let her daddy be killed just because you wouldn't give him
the money he needed? Explain that. You can't, can you? I'm desperate here. Just give me
the money, and I'll be out of your life. I just need to disappear, but I've got to get this taken
care of first." He grabbed both her upper arms and gave her a couple of firm shakes. The look
on Eddie's face was a mixture of fear and anger - a look that Catherine had seen before, and
dreaded.
"Eddie! Listen to me. I don't have that kind of money. You know I used the money to buy my
condo. There's nothing there to give you." Catherine tried to reason with him, but past
experience told her that there was no breaking through the mania that had taken over the man
holding her.
"Listen, I need money and you're going to give it to me." Eddie voice had reached fever pitch.
The slap echoed in the empty room, sounding like a gun shot. His hand had connected before
Catherine could react, and the force of the blow sent her reeling backwards with a small cry.
The cabinets stopped her from falling too far, as did the grip Eddie still had on her right arm.
Catherine was in shock. She hadn't expected the violence from Eddie to emanate at work,
especially after the last time. It wasn't the first time he had struck her, but that had been many
years before. She had been young and immature, too accepting of the rough side of Eddie,
sacrificing her safety for the romance she had dreamed of. The dream had come crashing to
an end between his increasing need for control, the safety of their daughter and his extramarital
affairs. All in all, it had been a wise decision. Speaking with him today had not.
Raising her left hand to her face, Catherine could feel the pulsating heat pervading the side of
her face. She slowly shook her head, trying to ease the ringing sound in her ear. Eddie took
this simple shake as a negative and raised his fist to strike her again, his anger totally out of
control.
Before his hand could strike, Eddie found himself catapulted sideways by a fast moving force.
He broke his grip on Catherine and stumbled, trying to regain his footing under the onslaught.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The words were out of Sara's mouth before she had
time to even register who the man was. When her brain finally caught up to speed, she
recognized Eddie, the failed musician, husband and father. "Why the hell are you here?
Grissom told you *never* to return."
"Catherine, are you okay?" Sara turned to Catherine, her eyes quickly running over her
colleague, checking for injury. Apart from the vivid red mark showing distinct fingerprints
staining the side of Catherine's face, she appeared all right. She turned her back on Eddie,
ignoring him in her concern for Catherine. She moved towards the smaller woman hesitantly.
"Who the hell do I think I am? What about you? I was talking with my wife and you assaulted
me for no reason."
"Hate to bring you up to date, but she's your ex-wife. You want to talk about assault? Get your
facts straight, buddy. I'm going to get the guards to escort you off the premises." Sara was so
mad, she spat the words out with venom. Raising herself to her full height, she approached
Eddie menacingly, her eyes flashing dangerously. "You ever touch her again, you'll be in jail
before you can blink. Get outta here, now!"
Too late, Sara saw the look on Eddie's face. He was beyond control, beyond caring about the
consequences. Aggression filled his being and Eddie aimed a curved first directly at the centre
of Sara's face.
Last minute reflexes took hold and she bore the brunt of the force to her cheek, her head
whipping back under the pressure. Sara immediately drew her own hand back in defence, and
made contact with Eddie's nose with her fist. She had the satisfaction of hearing cartilage
break. Eddie fell down to the floor, holding his nose in both hands and blood immediately
began to flow from his nose, threading between his cupped hands and stained his shirt a bright,
crimson red.
As Eddie hit the floor, Nick and Warrick came flying through the door, drawn to the break room
by the vicious argument. They both stopped short at the sight before them, surprised at finding
Eddie on the floor, looking totally crushed. The two women stood, their faces flushed. No,
correction. Catherine had a hand-print colouring the left side of her face. Sara, on the other
hand, was red from exertion, her heavy breathing giving away the rush of adrenaline slowly
ebbing away, and a small trail of blood from a cut on her cheek.
"She broke my nose. That bitch broke my nose. I want her arrested for assault!" Eddie
screamed, his words muffled beneath his hands and the injury to his nose. He pointed clearly
at Sara, his eyes clearly damning her as the guilty party for inflicting the damage.
Unfortunately for Eddie, the sounds had also attracted the head of the team. Grey-haired Gil
Grissom entered the room right behind the two younger men. He scanned the entire room
taking in all the evidence before him, his sharp, eagle eyes quickly sorting out the pertinent
details. Tilting his head to the side, and running his tongue over his dry lips, he had already
developed a plausible theory of the causal events resulting in Eddie sitting on his backside on
the floor of the break room.
"Eddie. I thought I told you not to return here. I want you to leave right now." Grissom
instructed him, ignoring the obvious injury to Eddie Willows' face. The fact that Sara was
holding her hand rather gingerly clued him in as to who had brought about the change to
Eddie's appearance. He shook his head, shaking away the fear that this night was sure to
bring on a migraine.
"I want that bitch arrested. She broke my nose. That's assault and battery." Eddie spat the
words, the threat of legal recompense against Sara already filtering through his slow witted
mind.
"Eddie, you hit me first and then Sara. You're going to be fighting two assault charges before
we even get to the matter of your injuries, which were inflicted in self-defence. Think about who
would make the more credible witness, Eddie. Get outta here. " Catherine was trying
desperately to keep her voice under control, to not break down and cry. "What had she ever
seen in the man?" she thought.
Turning her back on the man she had once called her husband, Catherine grabbed some paper
towels from the counter. Running it under some water, she approached Sara and gently guided
her to the table. She dabbed at the blood trail from the small cut on Sara's cheek. Sara was
still shaking with anger and something else, while keeping her eyes firmly fixed on the man
struggling to his feet. Her face was pale and her breathing was still ragged.
Catherine narrowed her eyes as she examined her colleague's face. There was something
behind those dark eyes, something besides the understandable rage. As she watched Sara, the
close scrutiny didn't go unnoticed. Too quickly, the small glimpse into an unknown facet of her
friend something that Catherine had a hard time defining, disappeared. Catherine made a
mental note to ask Sara about it later, when everything was a bit calmer.
"Nick, Warrick - please, escort Mr. Willows to the door." Grissom instructed them. Turning his
back on Eddie, he tossed a recommendation across his shoulder, "And Eddie, I would think
twice about filing charges. Striking a police officer is a crime we don't take lightly. I'm letting
you go this time, but if I ever see you around here again, the end won't be a simple broken
nose. Believe me." His face conveyed the message more clearly than mere words could.
Nick and Warrick grinned as they assisted Eddie to his feet. A few snickers escaped their lips
as they recalled the look on Eddie's face as he hit the floor. Clearly, being knocked over by a
mere girl was a new experience to this obnoxious man. They could hardly wait to get
Catherine's side of the story. Once this was safely in the past, they knew she would enjoy
telling about Sara Sidle, Iron Fist.
Eddie's face darkened; he was sure everyone in the room was laughing at him. He shook off
the arms that held him. Nick and Warrick backed off, hands raised in the air, clearly showing
that they weren't touching the guy.
Looking at the blood covering his shirt, Eddie gave a vicious shake of his hand towards the
group of investigators. "You'll pay for this.... you'll all pay for this!" He stormed out of the room
and out of the building.
End Part 1/?