Disclaimer: I do not own these.
Catherine looked at her watch as she ran onto the locker room.
"Late again" she sighed, "Damn it" she whispered to herself "Damn you Chris"
It had been the fourth time in the last week that Chris had showed up at her house moments before she was leaving for work and would beg her to take him back and when she flat out told him to get lost he would. start a verbal attack on everything she did or said.
She made her way through the building toward the break room.
"Has he given out assignments yet?" She asked the CSI who were gathering up their things
"You just missed him Cath" Nick smiled " He wants to see you in his office"
"Yeah" Sara chimed in " He looks mad"
Warrick stood up " Just a heads up I think you forgot an important appointment that you told him you were going to"
"What?" Catherine said with a confused look on her face "Oh NO" She whispered to herself as she came to a shocking conclusion "Crap, his hearing" She turned and walked slowly down the hall to his office.
Gil was sitting in his office doing paper work and listening to his classical music.
Catherine knocked on the door and walked in.
Gil removed his headphones, but before he could speak Catherine began.
"Gil I am so sorry, I totally forgot, I." but she thought to herself things that were out of my control, took place like Chris showing up again this morning
Gil cut her off
"I just want to know why" he replied
"Why what?" Catherine replied in a tone that clearly implied she was confused
"Why you didn't show up, why you blew me off, what was so important that you" He paused " That my so called best friend was not there when I need her?"
"I." Catherine was speechless she had never seen or heard him get this angry with her. Sure they had fought before but this was different. He was mad, mad at the world mad at himself and mad at her.
"I am so sorry Gil, I was-" Gil cut her off
"You obviously had better things to do"
"NO that's not. No" she quickly responded, " I was just"
"Then what?" he looked at her with hurt in his eyes
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell, I want to but I can't" She could not tell him because then he would have been right about Chris all along just like he had been about Eddie.
"I don't understand you tell me everything. Or you used to tell me everything, but since you started seeing Chris. Well you don't seem to need any friends."
Catherine shot him a hurt look
"That's not fair at all, I said I was sorry"
"It was a simple request not a demand if you don't want to tell me then you don't have to"
Catherine sat down across from him
"Chris and I… I mean I was…Chris had-" Grissom cut her off again
"Chris… that's what I figured you know Cath forget it I don't want to know, I just really wanted you to be there. You know seeing as how I was under the impression that we were best friends and we would always be best friends"
This time Catherine cut him off
"We are best friends Gil you know I wouldn't hurt you on purpose"
Gil continued ignoring her statement "but the past week or two you have been moody, not just to me but everyone and you have been forgetful and distracted and."
Catherine stood up from her chair " What are you getting at? Just come out with it."
"Maybe best friends forever is an understatement, I mean we are more and more like co workers and less and less like best friends" He paused " So that's why I have decided that you need to take a few days of to get it together "
"WHAT??" Catherine yelled at him while he was still talking.
"It's only two days starting now so I guess I will see you on Thursday"
Catherine crossed her arms and sat back down
"What if I refuse," she snapped
"Then I will make it an unpaid suspension of three days"
"On what grounds" she slammed her fist on his desk "BECAUSE I FORGOT YOUR STUPID APPOINTMENT OR BECAUSE I WONT TELL YOU WHAT WHY I MISSED IT? I SAID THAT, I AM SORRY WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT"
"On the grounds that I am your supervisor"
"Yeah, my supervisor, well maybe it's time I found a new supervisor you know one that won't abuse his power when something doesn't go his way"
There was a brief silence between the two as Catherine stood up to leave his office
"Can't we talk about this Gil please"?
Gil put his head phones back on " We just did" he looked back down at his paper work as he pressed play on his disc man.
Catherine stood at his door stunned. Did she really just lose her best friend?
"I am sorry," she whispered as the tears began rolling down her cheeks she turned and walked out of his office.
