An: Props to Jerry, CBS, CSI, you know the spiel. Also I give credit to Percy Sledge for the song When A Man Loves A Woman. Anything in Italics, is a flashback. I think that's all I have to say for now, so enjoy.................
When A Man Loves A Woman:
Gil Grissom sat alone in his office, as he did many mornings after shift. He opened his the top right drawer of his desk and looked down at the photo that was hidden. "Grissom?" He shut the drawer quickly and looked to the door, where the voice came from.
"Yes Catherine?"
"We were going to head out to breakfast, you wanna come?"
He shuffled some paperwork on his desk. "I should finish up these papers before I leave." He made an excuse.
"I could help you before shift tomorrow if you like?" She tried again. He was always piling himself in his work, and she wanted him to get out more, join his team in non-related work activities.
"That's ok. You guys have fun." He said picking up a random paper and reading it. Catherine let out a sigh and left. Grissom put the paper down not really paying attention to it anyway. He looked at the closed drawer and then back to the papers on his desk. He had gotten through a few reports before the picture drifted to him again. "I've got to get out of here." He said to no one. He picked up his coat from the locker room and decided to take his paperwork home.
"Gil, this is Quinn. Quinn, this is Gil." Kenny introduced the two.
"Hi." Grissom said shaking her hand. He had gone to yet another college keg party, but this time it seemed like it might pay off.
"I'm Belinda." Belinda spoke up, introducing herself since she had been forgotten.
"Hi." Quinn said back. From the minute they met Grissom knew she was special.
"Would you like to get a beer?" He asked.
"Sure." She said as they walked off leaving Belinda to fend for herself.
It scared Grissom slightly that he had made it home and didn't even remember turning the car on. He sat in the car in his driveway. For once his home wasn't calling him, begging him to lay down for a few minutes it the nice warm bed it provided for him. But the bed wouldn't be warm, it never was. It was cold when he slid his tired form under the sheets, and it was cold when he woke up in the morning. He put his car back into drive and rode off.
"You love me Grissy, right?" Quinn said pouting her lips as they sat on his couch.
"Of corse." He said without hesitation.
"So you would do anything for me, right?" She said pouting again.
"Anything." He was a young boy in love, or blinded by what he thought was love. He had stopped paying attention in school, and his grades were dropping dramatically. But he didn't notice or didn't care because all he cared about was Quinn.
"I don't want you to see Belinda anymore."
"She's my best friend, that's crazy." He said laughing it off.
"She always looks at me funny and talks about me. Besides, I don't think that she's good for you baby." She said tempting him with small kisses.
"I'll talk to her ok?"
"Ok." She agreed.
The next day after science class he asked to talk with Belinda. "What's up?" She asked, curious as to why he hadn't been around in a while.
"Look, I think you should lighten up on Quinn." He said.
"Lighten up? I haven't done anything." She protested.
"She say that you look at her funny and talk about her behind her back."
"I would never do anything like that, and you know it."
"I'm just saying, don't do it."
"This girl has you wrapped around her little finger and you don't even notice it." She snapped. She had sat on the sidelines long enough.
"Don't be jealous. You'll find someone soon enough."
"Jealous?" She shook her head, there was no reasoning with him. "You've changed Gil Grissom. You never come to class anymore all you care about is that bitch."
"Don't call her that."
"Bitch." She said not breaking eye contact.
"Fine, be bitter all by yourself, and I hope you enjoy it." He said walking off.
He stopped at a random place and looked around, once again having no memory of how he got there. He found himself parked somewhere along the strip, where he often came to go for a walk. He started at one end and began to walk.
"Please Grissy?" She begged.
"Baby I don't have a hundred dollars." He said looking at the price of the handbag she wanted.
"But you love me." She pouted again.
"Maybe I can put it on the credit card." He said picking it up and bringing it to the cashier.
Later that week they, along with the other students from their class, decided to go on a camping trip. Grissom had finished pitching the tent, and after bull shitting around the camp fire each student went off to their own tents. He held back the tent door and let her in. He was about to step in himself until her hand stopped him. "It's a little cramped in here baby. Do you think you could sleep outside tonight?" She pouted.
It was the pout that always got to him. "Sure sweetie." He said. He took his sleeping bag and camped out in front of the tent. Trying not to get to cold when it began to rain.
He thought about his old life. Before he became the famous Gil Grissom, the anti-social, only occupied by his work and his bugs, which were oddly enough two in one. He wasn't always like that, he wasn't always a robot. But for him one woman destroyed everything and he wasn't going to let anyone do it again. She took everything he had.
"Quinn we need to talk." Grissom said sitting her down on his couch.
"What's wrong." She said acting all innocent.
He took a deep breath. "I think things need to change around here." He said.
"Like what?"
"Like us. I haven't been feeling like this is a two way relationship lately." He said firmly, staking his ground.
"I'm sorry you feel that way baby, but I do love you." She said.
He cracked yet again. "Just try to say it a little more often, ok?"
"Sure thing baby." She said giving him a kiss.
It had been three months since their little chat and he noticed that she had stopped being so demanding. He returned to his studies and with a little extra credit, he was able to get back on track.
Belinda walked through the crowded party. It was the first one she had been to since Gil had broken their friendship. She had to much to drink and instead of a buzz, she felt as if she were going to vomit everything she had. She made her way upstairs and opened the first door thinking it was the restroom. "I'm so sorry." She said seeing the intimate couple on the bed. She was about to close the door when she say the familiar blonde. Even in the state of mind she was in she recognized Quinn, but that wasn't Gil. She quickly closed the door and walked back down stairs. When she reached the last step she bumped into someone. They put their arms out on each others to steady themselves. "Sorry." She said.
"No problem." He said bitterly.
Belinda was face to face with Grissom. 'I don't care how mad I am at him, he can't see this.' She thought. "What are you doing here?" She asked.
"Looking for Quinn." He said dryly.
"I think you should leave."
"Hey, don't start. I'm not here to argue with you." He said going past her.
"Please Gil, I'm begging you. Go home." She tried again.
"Whatever." He said walking up the stairs, dismissing her.
'Fine, if he wants to be an ass, he can find out the hard way.' She thought leaving the party.
Grissom checked in the first room looking for his girlfriend. "Sorry." He said noticing the intimate couple, just as Belinda had noticed before. And just like she did, he noticed the blonde hair as she sat on top of the guy. "Quinn?" He said. She looked at him and then back at the guy pretending that Grissom wasn't even there. He closed the door realizing that he meant nothing to her. But the worst part was now he had nothing. He had no girlfriend and no best friend. The only thing worth while in his life, he pushed away. And now he was to late to see it.
He didn't notice the increase in his pace, as he recapped the old memories, and walked straight into someone, knocking her to the ground. "I'm sorry." He said offering his hand.
"Don't worry about it, my fault." She said standing up and brushing herself off. She walked passed Grissom and continued on her way.
That voice, no way it could be her. He thought to himself. He looked at her retreating figure. Her black pants just slightly touching the ground, her jacket hanging loosely, and her bag clutched securely under her arm. There was no harm in trying, right? "Belinda?" He called out to the woman. The girl stopped and turned around. It was her.
She turned around and noticed the face of the person that called her name. Sure she had seen him on tv once in a while, but he still had the same curls and the same twinkling blue eyes. "Grissom?"
"Wow, you look good." He said to her.
"You don't look to bad yourself."
There was an awkward silence before he went beyond himself and asked something that only the old Grissom would have. "Would you like to get a cup of coffee?" He asked. She had changed a lot since college but she wasn't one to hold grudges. "I mean if you're not heading off somewhere."
She shrugged her shoulders at her blind date. Her friend always had bad choices for her in men, and here was one of her old best friends standing in front of her. She wasn't going to let it pass her by again. "That would be great." She said with a smile.