Title: Sign
Author: ANNE (the insane one)
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Sounds of Silence
Summary: Ep filler and post ep to Sounds of Silence. Based on the comment Catherine makes in Grissom's office that Sara told her Grissom was speaking in sign.
Disclaimer: Characters et al belong to the people that make CSI.
Catherine sat down in the break room with a coffee as she waited for evidence to come back.
Sara was about to pass the door, but when she saw Catherine, she walked in.
"Hey, Cath?"
"Hi, Sara." Catherine went back to flipping through a magazine.
"Did you know Grissom signs?"
"Yeah," came the reply, Catherine still not looking up.
Sara's eyes widened. "You did?"
Slowly, Catherine's eyes raised to meet Sara's. "Why?"
"Do you know where he learned to sign?"
"Yes," was Catherine's careful reply.
"Where?"
Catherine put her magazine down. "Did you ask Gil?"
"Yes. But he wouldn't tell me."
Catherine drank the rest of her coffee and then threw the Styrofoam mug in the trash. "Then I won't either."
"Why not?"
"Gil told me in confidence. If he decided not to tell you, he has a good reason for it." With that, Catherine headed down the hall to visit her supervisor.
"GRISSOM!"
When she finally got through to him, Gil took the plugs out of his ears. "Sorry. I was thinking."
"About what it's like to be deaf?"
"About what it's like to hear."
"Sara told me that you spoke in sign and now you're putting plugs in your ears."
"Did you tell her why I know how to speak in sign?"
Catherine just stared at him. She sighed. "No. She said that you didn't tell her, and I knew you had your reasons."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"I'm on a case."
"Mhm. Is that why you forgot about the conference?"
"The what?"
"You missed the deadline. No Chicago for me."
"Oh…Catherine…"
"This is the one meeting I needed to attend. I don't always want to be second banana. I can probably do your job. I know I can do Ecklie's."
"I forgot. I'm sorry."
She stared at him for a moment. "Make sure you submit the paperwork by the end of the day."
"I thought you said it was too late?"
"Well, I knew you'd forget, so I upped the deadline – gave you a buffer. Don't forget again."
Gil walked out into the parking lot of the deaf school, smiling as he saw the familiar Tahoe pull up.
"Hi."
Catherine smiled out at him. "Hi. Ready to go visit your mother?"
Gil hopped in the car beside her. "Yeah. She's really glad you're coming."
"I'm glad I'm coming too. I like her."
"Besides, it'll give you a chance to practice your sign. You're a bit rusty."
Catherine sent him a dirty look. "Yeah well, you were my teacher. Any problems I have are your fault, my friend."
Gil decided to change the subject. "Mom always said that you were like the daughter-in-law she never had."
A slow smile broke out on Catherine's face. "Are we going to tell her?"
Gil looked over at the finger that now sported a sparkling diamond engagement ring. "I think you should tell her. In sign."
"You're a cruel man."
"I love you, Catherine," he signed.
Catherine's free hand clasped his. "I love you too."
FINIS
