Well hello. Do we remember me? I know it has been a while but this is my Fourth of July installment of my Holiday fic collection. I really am rather proud of it. The inspiration for it was the song 'Independence Day' by Martina McBride. Anyway there is a little swearing and some abuse in this but it is rated T so you have been warned. Trust me though. Happy ending.

Disclaimer: No I do not own CSI

Spoilers: There are none because it is set before the show starts. A little AU because Grissom is there but I needed him.

"Hey Catherine," Grissom said as he pass the break room where Catherine was doing the crossword in the paper, "Happy Independence day."

"You too," Catherine replied with a nod and a smile. Only Grissom would understand the double meaning behind his words and for that matter only Grissom would call it Independence Day as apposed to the Forth of July. She was pretty sure that he had done that just for her because he knew this day had always held a special hidden meaning to her.

TEN YEARS EARLIER

It was five o'clock on the morning of July forth and Catherine had finally had enough. Eddie had once again come home drunk at three in the morning and he collapsed onto the couch. His banging had awoken Catherine, who had crept downstairs to find that her husband smelled of whiskey and another woman's perfume.

That was the end of it. He had told her that he would stop drinking and he would stop sleeping with other women. If it was just for her sake that she was leaving, she would probably give him another chance, but it was not about her. It was about Lindsey. Everything Catherine had done for the past five years had been for Lindsey.

Catherine had taken all the punches Eddie had thrown for the best part of the year. She had been able to cover most of the bruises with make up, cloth, and lies. Only had Grissom had ever discovered the truth. He had wanted her to leave as soon as he had known that Eddie was hurting her. Catherine would not do it. She had been raised without a father in her life and did not want Lindsey to go though that painful experience as she had.

Catherine had convinced herself that Eddie would change and they could be a family. That was a lie she had managed to believe for almost a year, but not anymore. He had broken every promise he had made to her and even when she gave him second chances he threw them out the window. He was still exactly what he was a year ago: a lying, cheating, abusive drunk. Catherine could not let Lindsey be exposed to that any longer.

Eddie had never laid a hand on Lindsey in anything other than a fatherly way, but the bruise growing on her cheek reminded Catharine that things were unpredictable and liable to escalate quickly. The discussion she had had with Eddie before he stormed out of the house was a simple conversation about what to drink for dinner that had turn into a fight. Catherine was no longer willing to let Lindsey live under these circumstances because they were quickly becoming more harmful than separation would be.

By this point Catherine had packed a suitcase for both her and Lindsey and loaded them into the car. Quietly she crept upstairs to her daughter's room and opened the door. Her little girl looked like an angel with her blonde hair spread out around her on the pillow. She was sweet and innocent that Catherine almost regretted what she was about to do…almost. She still knew that it was for the best. She placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

Lindsey blinked a few times then looked up at her mother with her beautiful blue eyes blurred with sleep. "Mommy?" she asked.

"Yes baby," Catherine whispered, "Come on we are going on a trip." Lindsey looked confused. Why would they be going on a trip when it was dark? That was sleepy time. Never the less the reached her little arms up to her mother indicating that she wanted to be held. Catherine lifted the little girl into her arms and Lindsey wrapped her legs around her mother's waist so she would not fall. Catherine handed Lindsey her bedraggled teddy bear and they left the room.

They made their way into the living room without mishap and headed for the door. They almost made it when Eddie began to stir. A drunken voice called Catherine's name and made no attempt to hide the anger. Catherine set Lindsey down and willing herself to remain calm, fumbled with the locks of the front door. She unlocked both of them but it was too late. Eddie had made his way into the front hall.

Catherine did not have time to do anything else. Eddie grabbed her and pinned her to the door. "Where do you think you're going," he growled as menacingly as he could with his words slurred by alcohol.

"I don't know," Catherine told him, "I just know that I am going far away from you. I've put up with your crap for way to long. It ends today."

"Fine I don't give a damn," Eddie told her, "Go to hell if you want, but Lindsey stays with me." The little girl looked terrified as she clung to her mother's leg and tried to block the vision of her father.

"No," Catherine replied not angrily but firmly, "I am not leaving my daughter with a drunk, who is liable to hit anyone he wants to get his way."

"You bitch," Eddie yelled at her slapping her across the face, "I would never touch Lindsey." Catherine was starting to realize by the path of his argument that he was not as drunk as she had originally believed. On the other hand, the fact that he had her pinned against the door spoke for itself.

"You haven't yet," Catherine corrected him, "Honestly I'm no longer sure what you would or wouldn't do." That shocked him long enough for Catherine to pull her wrists free and the door open then she grabbed Lindsey and ran to the car.

She knew as she buckled Lindsey into her car seat that Eddie would try to follow her. She ran around to the driver's seat and pulled the car out of the driveway. She could only thing of one place in the world that she could go right now, and so she drove. She drove to a little townhouse several miles from her own house. With a sleeping Lindsey in her arms, Catherine rang the doorbell.

For several long minutes she stood on his porch shivering in the uncustomary cold wind. Finally Grissom opened the door. He was surprised by the sight that met him, but knew exactly what it meant.

"Can we come in?" Catherine asked in an almost timid voice. It had taken all her strength to walk away from Eddie. She did not have any left to portray her usual unflappable image.

"Yea of course," Grissom told her stepping aside and allowing her entrance.

After putting a still sleeping Lindsey in Grissom's bed the two adults went and sat down on the couch in the living room.

"Does this mean what I think it does?" Grissom asked as gently as he could.

"I left Eddie," Catherine replied simply. She knew that was what he meant.

"That's good," Grissom reminded her sensing her hesitation, "He doesn't have a hold over you anymore. You're free."

Catherine looked up at him and shook her hair out of her face. "I'm free," she repeated, "I'm free." With those words a smile spread across her face.

PRESENT DAY

Catherine smiled as she looked back down at her newspaper. Today was her Independence Day to. Her eye lit upon on of the questions in the crossword. What was gained on The Fourth of July? With another smile Catherine carefully placed the letters in their respective boxes.

F.R.E.E.D.O.M.

That's what was gained on Independence Day.

Did you like it? Please review and tell me what you thought. And go look up the song Independence Day by Martina McBride. It is great.