By The Madhatter
Disclaimer: I don't own them. You guys know who they belong to.
Rating: G
Spoilers: Mea Culpa
Pairing: GC (there are no other pairings that compare to those two)
Summary: Post Mea Culpa. She's finally letting him in.
A/N: No, I haven't died. I still write… just at a slower pace than everyone else. :P I'm not as creative as most authors are. I wrote most of this right after Mea Culpa aired… but just never got around to finishing it until now. Writer's block and school got in the way. I apologize for the delay. Please leave comments good and/or bad if you so desire.
A/N 2: I got the phrase 'adapt and overcome' from my Physics teacher. I see it everyday on his wall, whenever I walk into his classroom. I figured it'd fit.
Grissom stared down at his near empty coffee mug, swirling it around as if he could find an answer lurking within the dark liquid. Not satisfied with his results, he set down the mug and rubbed his forehead, frustrated.
"Hey, Gris," Nick said, coming back from paying the check. "You feelin' alright?"
Grissom nodded. "Yeah. I think I just need some rest."
"Yeah… don't we all. I saw Warrick leaving, I was just thinking I should do the same. It's gonna be a tough shift."
"I'm sure you'll do fine."
"Hey, Gris? One more thing before I leave." Nick looked him straight in the eye, with a smile. "Thanks." Grissom merely raised an eyebrow at him. "No, really. Thank you. For believing in me. You helped me find my way so many times… I doubt I'd be where I am today without you."
"No, Nick. You did that on your own. I just opened the door."
"Well, if you didn't do that, I'd still be trying to find the knob."
"You'll be fine in your new shift. We'll still be in the same building. I'm sure we'll run into each other at some point. Catherine will be a fine supervisor. She was on this case."
"Yeah, she did," he agreed with a smile. "I'll see ya 'round, Gris. Take care."
"Thanks, Nick."
Grissom stared down at his cup of cold coffee, still too stunned, too numb to move. He continued to stare down at the mug as the waitress cleaned up the table, until she offered a refill, which he gladly accepted. Grissom cradled the cup for a moment, savoring the warmth, before taking a sip and stared out the window.
"Hey, boss."
He blinked. The voice registered, the greeting didn't. Setting the cup down and hitching a grin, he turned to face his companion and replied, "Hey, boss."
His companion studied him. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, Catherine, I'm fine," he sighed.
"Of course you are. You always are." She stopped and took a deep breath. "Gil… I…"
"It's okay. I know it's not your fault. Ecklie's always out to get me… and this time, he got me."
"In a real low blow."
Grissom shrugged. "I definitely didn't see this one coming."
"I don't think any of us did."
"Warrick and Nick are great. You'll be fine. And I'm sure you'll be a fine supervisor. You could almost do my job. In fact, you were right there with me… almost like a co-supervisor."
She smiled. "Thanks, Gil. Will you be okay with Sara, Greg and Sofia?"
The soft smile disappeared off of Grissom's face, replaced by one of concentration. "The only thing I'm worried about with Sara is her drinking, even though she has completed the required number of hours in seeing her counselor. Greg is coming along… and Sofia. Well, I'll just have to get used to her mutterings to herself."
Catherine laughed. "Just as long as you don't continue the habit, I think you'll be fine."
Silence elapsed between the two old colleagues as Ecklie's reassignments sunk in. They wouldn't work together anymore. They wouldn't be on the same cases. They would still work in the same building… but there wouldn't be a reassuring voice after a frustrating case, no more celebration breakfasts because of the different shifts… everything would change.
"Thanks… for being here," Grissom said quietly, reaching across the table to place his hand on hers, breaking the silence.
Catherine smiled back at him. "We'll be fine, right?"
"I certainly hope so," he replied, giving her a small smile in return. "So, you get the hours you like?"
"Yeah. It's not bad. I do get more time with Lindsey…"
"But?"
"I don't know if she even wants to spend time with me anymore. She's always at her grandma's house or seeing her grandpa. I've tried everything and she just won't respond to me."
"Maybe your new hours will help."
"That's what I'm hoping for."
"She'll turn around eventually. Rebellion is a phase that all kids go through. Don't worry."
"Yeah… You know, everything is gonna be so different. I'm not sure it'll work out. Warrick didn't sound too happy on the phone… and Nick… well, he always puts on a front."
"They're going to have to adapt and overcome. It's how we get through life."
"Is that another excerpt from Gil Grissom's Wisdoms?"
He gave her a reprimanding look. "I already talked with them; they'll be fine. They both know that something was bound to come and they've accepted it. Besides, they already respect you; it's not as if they're getting someone new."
"Yeah… I guess."
"I thought you wanted this job, Catherine."
"I do. I just didn't expect to break up the whole team. I didn't want that to happen. I figured if I just went to Days, everything would be fine. You wouldn't be missing much. I don't know. I feel like I stole your team away from you. I didn't want that, Gil. I swear."
"I know. Like I said before, it was Ecklie's decision. I know you had nothing to do with it. I'm not blaming you."
"I guess I just need to 'adapt and overcome', right?"
"We all need to."
She fished her keys out of her purse, gathered her belongings together and reluctantly pulled her hand away from his as she stood up. "I better go home, try and get some sleep before shift. I'll see you later?"
"Count on it. I'll try and stop by when it's not too busy."
"You know where to find me."
They both gave each other one last encouraging smile before Catherine took off. "Wait," Grissom said, grabbing her hand once more as he stood up, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Don't be a stranger."
"Yeah… you too," she managed to stutter out, stunned.
"My door is always open, remember that."
"Thanks, Gil," she replied, returning the gesture. "Same goes to you."
"Good luck, Cath." He smiled.
She smiled back, staring into his bright blue eyes, picking up on the underlying message of admiration and love. "Good luck, Gil." Catherine squeezed his hand, and then took off into the morning sun.
Grissom watched as she pulled out of the parking lot and into oncoming traffic with a small grin on his face. Looking down at his hand, he found that Catherine slipped him a note. Unfolding the paper, he found a key inside with a note attached saying, "You're welcome. – Cath." He slipped both the key and the note into his pocket, left a couple dollars on the table and left the small diner, with a wider grin plastered on his face. She was finally letting him in. Catherine just handed him the key to her home, the key to her life, the key to her heart.
End