Disclaimer: The characters and premise of CSI belong to the show's
producers, and the fabulous actors that portray them. I am simply
borrowing them.
Chapter One
Lindsey turned to her mother and both frowned then looked back to the source of their confusion. Catherine unlocked the front door and quietly took Lindsey inside before returning to her front porch, and the sleeping form that was the course of their puzzlement. She pulled the door closed behind her and bent down beside him, gently touching his shoulder as she spoke.
"Gil?" she said, softly, jumping back when he startled awake.
"Cath?" Grissom frowned as his eyes and mind adjusted to his surroundings.
Catherine stood back and watched him as he stood up and the sleep cleared from his features.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, quite abruptly.
A slight frown creased Grissom's brow as he noticed her tone. "You didn't turn up for work; you weren't answering your phone... I came over as soon as I could – " he explained.
"And fell asleep?"
"I figured you would be home some time... I was waiting. Are you okay?"
Her tone remained harsh, and the look on her face supported it. Her eyes glared coldly at the man standing bemused in front of her. "Lindsey fell downstairs. We've been at the hospital since last night. I'm sorry I didn't call, but I was a little preoccupied."
"Is she alright?" Grissom said quickly, worry clear in his face.
"She's fractured her ankle and wrist and twisted her elbow. She was lucky... And, she's inside now, so..." she trailed off as she moved towards the door. When she reached it she paused. "I am sorry I didn't call... But now you know why... And I won't be coming in tonight. I'll be in touch about tomorrow."
Catherine turned to walk into the house, a stunned Grissom temporarily unable to speak to figure out why she had such an attitude towards him. Seeing the door closing, he snapped out of his puzzled trance.
"Cath?" he said quickly, stepping towards the door.
She stopped, the door still half closed, and stared at him from the doorway.
"Can I come in and say hi to Linds?" he asked, with a genuine, warm smile.
Her expression didn't soften at all. "It's been a long night. She's tired. Maybe some other time." With that she closed the door, leaving Grissom to stare at it, more concerned about her now than he had been when he was unable to contact her.
He had just turned to leave, knowing that she wasn't going to talk to him today, so he would give her some space then try again, when the door opened behind him.
"Gil."
He turned back at her voice, smiling gently. "Yeah?"
Her eyes still hard, she shrugged. "Lindsey would like to see you now, if you have time."
His eyes frowning slightly at the impatience he could see in hers, Grissom smiled again and walked towards the house.
"I've always got time for Lindsey... and you," he smiled, following her into the house and closing the door behind him.
Catherine was already in the lounge, at Lindsey's side, fussing over her daughter who was sitting on the sofa, her leg out in front of her, a pillow behind her, and a blanket ready by her side.
"Do you need anything, sweetie? A drink? Some cookies?" she was asking as she adjusted cushions around the young girl, and made sure the TV remote and some magazines were easily within her reach.
Lindsey was lightly protesting to all the fuss, assuring her mum that she was fine. "Mom, really! I'm okay. I have everything I need..." When Catherine continued to list items she might like, she continued, "Mom! Stop! I'm fine."
Catherine smiled to her. "Okay, baby... Well, Grissom's here... I'll go get you a drink." She kissed her daughters forehead then left the room heading for the kitchen, ignoring the shout of:
"Mom, I have a drink!"
that followed her.
Lindsey shook her head slowly, rolling her eyes playfully, then she smiled widely at Grissom.
"Hey kiddo," he smiled, walking towards her. "How you feeling?"
Lindsey shrugged, wincing when that hurt her injured arm. "I'm okay. It hurts... a little, and Mom won't stop fussing."
Grissom sat down on the coffee table. "She's just worried about you. You know what mums are like... So how did you manage to fall downstairs anyway?" he said light-heartedly.
"My foot landed on the edge of one of the steps and slid off. I only fell down about six steps. Could have been worse."
Grissom nodded. "So, do you get the day off school?"
"It's summer. We're off anyway," she replied in a tone that implied the expression "D'uh!"
"Ah, of course. Sorry."
"So why were you asleep on our porch?"
"I was waiting for your mum to get home... I didn't know where she was. I was worried about her."
Lindsey nodded that she understood. "You're lucky I only fell down six steps, else you could have been there all day," she giggled.
Grissom was just laughing with her when Catherine came back into the room, placing another drink and a plate of cookies on the table at the side of the sofa.
"There you go, honey... Now, you should get some rest."
"I'm just talking to Grissom."
"You haven't slept all night, baby. You should sleep now, then I'll make you whatever you want for lunch."
"But – "
Grissom stood up. "Your mum's right. You need to sleep, it'll help you get better, then you'll be out playing in the sun again... I'll come by another day and we can talk some more."
Lindsey sighed, "Okay... Come back soon!" she instructed as Grissom gently kissed her forehead.
"I will," he promised with a smile. "Can I just have a quick word with your mum before I go?"
Lindsey nodded, hitting her mum's hand away from the cushion under her arm and telling her to go with Grissom.
When she had followed him into the hallway, Grissom took the opportunity to study Catherine's eyes, in hopes of establishing why she was behaving so strangely. He had seen Catherine as a worried mother before and, whilst that would be expected, this was different.
"Gil, I have things to do," she said, staring at him impatiently again.
"Are you okay?" he asked, ignoring her tone.
"I'm fine... Just busy." That was all she said, then she stood in silence – he could tell she was mentally tapping her foot.
"Okay. Call me if you need anything."
Catherine nodded once and opened the front door.
"Cath – "
She swung her head round to face his and, for the first time that morning, allowed his eyes to capture hers, immediately causing her wall to waiver a little.
"Anything," he repeated for emphasis.
Catherine smiled gratefully, and nodded convincingly this time.
After Grissom left, she leaned against the back of the door, taking a deep breath to control her tears. Walking into the lounge she found that Lindsey had already drifted into sleep.
She lifted the blanket and covered the sleeping child, then sat down gently beside her.
Watching her sleep, her tears escaped and she allowed them to flow freely down her cheeks. She carefully brushed some hair out of Lindsey's face and whispered:
"I'm sorry I wasn't here, baby... I'm so sorry."
TBC...
Chapter One
Lindsey turned to her mother and both frowned then looked back to the source of their confusion. Catherine unlocked the front door and quietly took Lindsey inside before returning to her front porch, and the sleeping form that was the course of their puzzlement. She pulled the door closed behind her and bent down beside him, gently touching his shoulder as she spoke.
"Gil?" she said, softly, jumping back when he startled awake.
"Cath?" Grissom frowned as his eyes and mind adjusted to his surroundings.
Catherine stood back and watched him as he stood up and the sleep cleared from his features.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, quite abruptly.
A slight frown creased Grissom's brow as he noticed her tone. "You didn't turn up for work; you weren't answering your phone... I came over as soon as I could – " he explained.
"And fell asleep?"
"I figured you would be home some time... I was waiting. Are you okay?"
Her tone remained harsh, and the look on her face supported it. Her eyes glared coldly at the man standing bemused in front of her. "Lindsey fell downstairs. We've been at the hospital since last night. I'm sorry I didn't call, but I was a little preoccupied."
"Is she alright?" Grissom said quickly, worry clear in his face.
"She's fractured her ankle and wrist and twisted her elbow. She was lucky... And, she's inside now, so..." she trailed off as she moved towards the door. When she reached it she paused. "I am sorry I didn't call... But now you know why... And I won't be coming in tonight. I'll be in touch about tomorrow."
Catherine turned to walk into the house, a stunned Grissom temporarily unable to speak to figure out why she had such an attitude towards him. Seeing the door closing, he snapped out of his puzzled trance.
"Cath?" he said quickly, stepping towards the door.
She stopped, the door still half closed, and stared at him from the doorway.
"Can I come in and say hi to Linds?" he asked, with a genuine, warm smile.
Her expression didn't soften at all. "It's been a long night. She's tired. Maybe some other time." With that she closed the door, leaving Grissom to stare at it, more concerned about her now than he had been when he was unable to contact her.
He had just turned to leave, knowing that she wasn't going to talk to him today, so he would give her some space then try again, when the door opened behind him.
"Gil."
He turned back at her voice, smiling gently. "Yeah?"
Her eyes still hard, she shrugged. "Lindsey would like to see you now, if you have time."
His eyes frowning slightly at the impatience he could see in hers, Grissom smiled again and walked towards the house.
"I've always got time for Lindsey... and you," he smiled, following her into the house and closing the door behind him.
Catherine was already in the lounge, at Lindsey's side, fussing over her daughter who was sitting on the sofa, her leg out in front of her, a pillow behind her, and a blanket ready by her side.
"Do you need anything, sweetie? A drink? Some cookies?" she was asking as she adjusted cushions around the young girl, and made sure the TV remote and some magazines were easily within her reach.
Lindsey was lightly protesting to all the fuss, assuring her mum that she was fine. "Mom, really! I'm okay. I have everything I need..." When Catherine continued to list items she might like, she continued, "Mom! Stop! I'm fine."
Catherine smiled to her. "Okay, baby... Well, Grissom's here... I'll go get you a drink." She kissed her daughters forehead then left the room heading for the kitchen, ignoring the shout of:
"Mom, I have a drink!"
that followed her.
Lindsey shook her head slowly, rolling her eyes playfully, then she smiled widely at Grissom.
"Hey kiddo," he smiled, walking towards her. "How you feeling?"
Lindsey shrugged, wincing when that hurt her injured arm. "I'm okay. It hurts... a little, and Mom won't stop fussing."
Grissom sat down on the coffee table. "She's just worried about you. You know what mums are like... So how did you manage to fall downstairs anyway?" he said light-heartedly.
"My foot landed on the edge of one of the steps and slid off. I only fell down about six steps. Could have been worse."
Grissom nodded. "So, do you get the day off school?"
"It's summer. We're off anyway," she replied in a tone that implied the expression "D'uh!"
"Ah, of course. Sorry."
"So why were you asleep on our porch?"
"I was waiting for your mum to get home... I didn't know where she was. I was worried about her."
Lindsey nodded that she understood. "You're lucky I only fell down six steps, else you could have been there all day," she giggled.
Grissom was just laughing with her when Catherine came back into the room, placing another drink and a plate of cookies on the table at the side of the sofa.
"There you go, honey... Now, you should get some rest."
"I'm just talking to Grissom."
"You haven't slept all night, baby. You should sleep now, then I'll make you whatever you want for lunch."
"But – "
Grissom stood up. "Your mum's right. You need to sleep, it'll help you get better, then you'll be out playing in the sun again... I'll come by another day and we can talk some more."
Lindsey sighed, "Okay... Come back soon!" she instructed as Grissom gently kissed her forehead.
"I will," he promised with a smile. "Can I just have a quick word with your mum before I go?"
Lindsey nodded, hitting her mum's hand away from the cushion under her arm and telling her to go with Grissom.
When she had followed him into the hallway, Grissom took the opportunity to study Catherine's eyes, in hopes of establishing why she was behaving so strangely. He had seen Catherine as a worried mother before and, whilst that would be expected, this was different.
"Gil, I have things to do," she said, staring at him impatiently again.
"Are you okay?" he asked, ignoring her tone.
"I'm fine... Just busy." That was all she said, then she stood in silence – he could tell she was mentally tapping her foot.
"Okay. Call me if you need anything."
Catherine nodded once and opened the front door.
"Cath – "
She swung her head round to face his and, for the first time that morning, allowed his eyes to capture hers, immediately causing her wall to waiver a little.
"Anything," he repeated for emphasis.
Catherine smiled gratefully, and nodded convincingly this time.
After Grissom left, she leaned against the back of the door, taking a deep breath to control her tears. Walking into the lounge she found that Lindsey had already drifted into sleep.
She lifted the blanket and covered the sleeping child, then sat down gently beside her.
Watching her sleep, her tears escaped and she allowed them to flow freely down her cheeks. She carefully brushed some hair out of Lindsey's face and whispered:
"I'm sorry I wasn't here, baby... I'm so sorry."
TBC...