Title: Temporarily Engaged

Summary: Grissom's mother has cancer. He's told her he and Catherine are engaged, now what?

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own them.
Rating: PG-13 to possible R
Spoilers: None that I know of shrug - but mild if any. Also all information about Grissom's mother and his childhood is just what I've taken from the CBS website, and added to it, so if I contradict show cannon, chalk it up to creative license.

Chapter 1

"Hey Gil, you ok?" Catherine Willows poked her head into Gil Grissom's office to check on him as the end of the graveyard shift approached. He had seemed more quiet than usual, and preoccupied for a change by something that didn't seem to be related to work as the shift had been pretty quiet for a change.

"Yeah, fine." He answered shortly as he didn't even look up, staying focused on his pet tarantula instead.

"Ok, spill." She said as she closed his office door and sat down across from his desk. "Don't try to sell me the I'm fine line, we've been friends for too many years for me not to know when something's wrong, and I'm not leaving until you tell me what it is."

At this Gil finally looked up and found himself lost in her beautiful blue eyes, seeing the caring and concern there, a look that always caused his heartbeat to accelerate a little when he realized someone really cared about him. Knowing he always lost when he tried to keep things from her he realized he might as well give in.

"Come on, get it out. Ecklie bothering you again?" Catherine tried to guess, hoping to lighten his mood a little bit. "You look like someone died, it can't be that bad."

At her words he put his head in his hands for a brief moment before looking back up at her. "My mother has just been diagnosed with cancer." He said calmly, proud of himself for the emotional control he had right now.

"What? Oh god, Gil, I'm sorry, how bad is it?" She immediately reacted to the news, as she rounded the desk and put her arm around his shoulder, effectively causing his controlled exterior to start to unravel.

Taking some deep breaths he tried to keep his voice from cracking as he spoke. "It's lymphoma, the doctors are not yet sure of the prognosis, as they didn't catch it very quickly. Even at seventy-eight she's a little stubborn about going to the Dr." He smiled fondly as he thought of how that phrase was such an understatement.

"So what happens now? Are you going to go out and see her, bring her here, if you need someone to cover shift for you…" She continued wanting to do anything she could to help her best friend. She knew from experience that even if her mother drove her crazy sometimes, she would fall apart if anything happened to her.

"I decided to take some time off and go spend with her, no need taking her out of her environment and causing any more stress." He stated as he looked back at the leave form he was filling out.

"Oh right, I guess the house has some special equipment for her since she's deaf." Catherine acknowledged. "Well you know I'm here if there's anything I can do." She reiterated, sensing he was hesitating about something.

"There is one thing I should probably tell you," he inhaled sharply as he averted his eyes.

"Uh-oh, this sounds big." She thought to herself as she patiently waited for him to continue.

"Well you know how mothers can be. You know continue to worry about their children no matter how old they get, can still nag at times, stuff like that?" He gulped even as he said it.

"Of course I do, I have a mother too you know, wouldn't trade her for anything, but she still treats me like I'm 10 sometimes, and I'll probably do the same to Lindsey, but what has that got to do with right now?" Catherine wanted to hear the rest of this story, she sensed it was going to be something intriguing, but nothing could have prepared her for what came next.

"Shethinkswe'reengaged." He said in one quick breath, ducking as if she were going to hit him.

TBC