All of us have pieces, extensions of ourselves that we don't share with the world. Our motives to hiding these things vary, but often there is a factor of protection. A secret to protect ourselves, or someone else. Of course it's impossible to be protected from everything. But we can try.

Some secrets are much bigger than others. Everyone has them, yet no one discusses them. Co-workers, even those who solve crimes don't know everything about each other.

She's sitting in a lawn chair in her back yard. The sun is shining and the weather is perfect. She smiles as the lawn fills with laughter. She smiles and snaps a photo with her digital camera, hoping to preserve the moment forever.

Soon all returns to normal, and that one moment of sheer happiness and carelessness is ended. She returns to the adult world, to work.

They had all wondered. There had been office pools, and bets. There had been whispering, and quiet gossiping. There had always been a question, but never an answer. And then there was an end. People still had the question in the back of their mind, but they had moved on.

Riley and Nick are in the break room. Nick is standing by the microwave and Riley has just taken a seat. Greg and Catherine are at a crime scene. Nick is waiting for his food to finish when Riley begins talking.

"I saw Catherine in the grocery store on Saturday," she tells him.

"Yeah and? I mean she does have a kid to feed."

"How old is her daughter."

"She's a teenager."

"Oh," Riley looks at her sandwich. The microwave beeps and Nick pulls out his food, he places it on the table and sits down across from Riley.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

"Why?"

"Well I've never seen her daughter."

"So you're wondering what she looks like?"

"I guess."

"Why are you bringing this up?" Nick asks.

"Never mind, maybe it wasn't her after all. I mean she didn't see me so maybe..."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought that it was her, but she had a kid with her."

"Well she has a kid. Like I said Lindsey is a teenager."

"She's only got one kid though right?"

"Yeah why?"

"I must have gotten confused. Whoever I saw had a little girl with her."

"How little?"

"Four maybe six at the oldest. I couldn't really tell. The little girl was in the shopping cart, and I just saw her from behind."

"I don't think that it was her."

"I guess not."

Later that day Catherine stops in the check on Nick as he works on his case.

"How are things going?"

"Good, I'm just double checking this piece of evidence. I don't want to miss anything."

"Where's Riley?"

"She went to grab a couple of bottles of water."

"Keep me posted."

"Will do," he tells her.

She's almost out the door when he takes the chance, "Hey Cath?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you get your grocery shopping done?"

"What?"

"The other day you said that you had to get to the grocery store or Lindsey would be eating crackers for the rest of the week."

"Yeah I managed to get there Saturday afternoon."

"Good. I wouldn't want to have to call child protective services," he jokes.

"If she got too hungry she could take the car and go to the store herself."

"But she'd fill up the cart with junk."

"Mostly," Catherine smiles and leaves the room.

The cases go smoothly and everyone gets home just after sunrise. Each CSI has a wind down routine when they get off. Riley checks her email and then falls into bed. Greg showers, eats and crashes on the couch with the T.V. on in the background. Nick takes a hot shower and falls into bed. And Catherine checks on things around the house, and crawls into bed after a quick bath.

She's half asleep when she feels that she's not the only one in her bed. She exhales deeply and with her eyes closed tries figure out what or who is in bed with her. She opens her eyes and a warm body crawls closer to her. Big green eyes stare up at her. "Are you coming in to wake me up?" Catherine asks.

"No," she answers.

"Then lay down please, I'm tired," she yawns.

The following shift Greg and Nick are in the locker room.

"So Riley said that she saw Catherine at the grocery store."

"Yeah so what? Nick she's not a rock star she grocery shops too."

"I know that Greg, but Riley said that she had a kid with her," Nick explains.

"Lindsey?"

"No a little girl," Nick replies.

"It probably wasn't her then."

"I asked Catherine. She was at the grocery store the same day that Riley thought that she saw her."

"Nick what is your point?"

"I don't know," he shrugs.

"It's not like she could have another kid and hide it from us," Greg points out.

"You're right."

"He's right about what?" Ray asks as he joins them.

"Nick thinks that Catherine has another kid because Riley saw someone who looked like her at the grocery store with a little girl, the same day that Catherine happened to go to the grocery store. But I told him that she could have another kid and hide it from us. That's not something that she would hide from us."

"You never know boys stranger things have happened," Ray tells them.

"Yeah but she would tell us," Nick reminds him.

"Maybe not," Ray postulates.

"Why not?" Greg asks.

"There are reasons that people hide things. When we find those reasons we come to understand that person more," Ray adds.

"It's impossible. I know her, that's not something that she would hide. I mean she couldn't hide that anyway. We'd notice," Nick argues.

"Let's say that she was able to hide it. Maybe she had a reason to hide it. What if for whatever reason it was too late to share when...if the issue was resolved?" Ray wonders.

"Dude you're cracked," Nick shakes his head.

"Nick it's not impossible," Ray states simply.

"Yeah it is," he argues.

"Then just go up to her and ask her," Greg suggests.

"No, Greggo you ask."

"I'm not the one who wants to know."