Disclaimer: I do not own the characters but I do own the story so please be kind, review or read but do not steal...thanks! :)

Updated 08-09-2016

Maternal Instincts

Catherine sat in the waiting room to Desert Palm Hospital, head in her hands and knees bobbing up and down. She felt antsy, like a drug addict going through a detox. She felt physically sick with worry, the pristine white tiled floor was slick with water from her shoes and soaked pant legs. Drops fell from her damp blonde curls, bangs pasted to her pale forehead. When it rained, it poured in Vegas. The city was never built for rain, the streets becoming wading pools and more often than not, an increase in dead bodies piling up. A chill ran to her core as she shivered, the thought of death was unwelcoming, especially under the circumstances.

She listed her head as the sliding door across the room opened, knowing exactly who it was even if he body was covered by a black umbrella he was shaking dry. He looked like a wet dog that was lost, his salt and pepper hair damp and shoes squeaking across the tiles as he entered the emergency room. Catherine jumped to her feet, collapsing into his arms glad she was no longer alone. Within seconds she was crying, the salt of her tears merging with the rain.

"I came as fast as I could. Traffic is a stand still in this weather." They remained embraced in the middle of the waiting room.

"The minute it rains everyone forgets how to drive." Catherine muttered, wiping her eyes as smudged mascara streaked her fingers.

"Have you heard any news?"

Catherine shook her head, fighting the urge to cry once more. "No one has said anything to me at all."

Dissatisfied he lead Catherine to the nurses station. The middle aged, robust woman behind the glass was busy on the phone as she put one of her well manicured fingernails up at the couple telling them she would be with them in the moment. When she hung up on the displeased customer she turned her attention to the couple, exhaustion in her eyes and cigarettes on her breath.

"Can I help you?" She asked tiredly.

"I'm Gil Grissom from the Las Vegas Crime Lab, my wife has been waiting here with no news, she deserves to know something."

"Mr. Grissom, I've told your wife that when the Doctors are done someone will come get you."

"Please, I just need to know she's alright," Catherine pleaded.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but you will have to wait until the Doctor comes to get you." She snapped as the phone rang again, regaining her attention.

Gil guided Catherine back to the waiting room, "Come on, lets sit down and you can tell me everything up to this point." His hand was firmly grasped in her's feeling the sweat pucker.

"I got a text message saying I needed to get to the house ASAP, that something was wrong. I left the lab right away and as I got there an ambulance was in my driveway and Lilian yelling demands. They wouldn't let me ride with them, so I left my mother in hysterics and followed them here." Catherine explained as her knees bounced up and down once again.

"Why didn't you call me sooner?" Gil asked.

"Why did you call me your wife?" Catherine replied.

"Sorry, it just, slipped out."

Catherine looked at his eyes, watching his cheeks redden with embarrassment. She wanted to give him a kiss, to feel his rough five o'clock shadow on her skin, reminding her of better times.

"I didn't call because we haven't been the same." Catherine stated.

"This something more important than our troubles. No matter what's happening between us I'll always be there if you need me." Grissom replied with a smile.

"And if this was me, would you still be here?"

Gil frowned, "Why would you ever think otherwise? I love you, I always will."

Catherine leaned into Gil's arms, closing her eyes, "I'm sorry I should have called earlier, I was just...I'm so scared." She squeaked.

Grissom kissed the top of her head, the scent of strawberry shampoo and desert rain. "I know, I am too."

"Mrs. Willows,"

Catherine looked up, seeing a young surgeon walk through the double doors leading towards the operating room. Catherine knew the layout of the hospital like the bank of her hand. He was in green scrubs that had smears of blood on them, not in a lab coat and expensive shoes like a Doctor.

"What's wrong with my daughter?" Catherine asked her voice trembling.

"Your daughter is fine. She got a nice bump from hitting the counter that needed some stitches, but she is stable and sleeping right now." He replied, brown eyes dark and concerning.

"What about...everything else?" Grissom asked.

The Doctor hesitated and looked from Catherine to Gil, "While being unconscious Lindsey had, complications which resulted in surgery. She had lost a lot of blood, putting herself at risk."

"And?" Catherine urged, hoping the irritation in her voice was being conveyed properly.

The Doctor shook his head, "Time will tell, I did everything I could. She's in Recovery Room A if you wish to see her. The anesthetic will be wearing off shortly."

He then walked over to the nursing station, leaning over the side and smiling at the young blonde washing his hands of horrible news with cheesy pick-up lines.

"Asshole," Catherine breathed as she grabbed Gil's hand and pushed through the swing doors where the incompetent Doctor had come from moments ago.

She walked briskly down the white washed walls and sterile floors, the florescent lights humming above them, taking turn after turn with no regards to the posted signs set up at every corner for visitors. They had traveled these halls enough times, collecting evidence off of victims and getting death bed confessions from scum to know where the recovery rooms were located at Desert Palm.

"So, we're married again huh?" Grissom stated trying to break the tension.

Catherine smirked, "Don't be getting ideas."

They had tried that before and it only ended in resentment and pain. Three years ago the idea of being married to Gil Grissom scared the shit out of her, but also intrigued her. She was naive and on cloud nine when he finally popped the questions after them dating steadily for two years, there team that was more like family than co-worker, were more confident in the marriage lasting than they were. Unfortunately, once the honeymoon period was over, they began drifting apart, the spark that was once there had died out, and work was beginning to become an even bigger wedge between them. Catherine made the executive decision, to save their friendship by getting a divorce.

The large metal "Recovery Ward" sign above two oak swing doors came into view as her smile turned to a frown. This was not the time nor place for romantic banter. They pushed open the door, giving a curt nod to the nurse in the booth to the right of the door. She looked up from her mountain of paperwork and gave a sweet smile back before resuming her work. As they proceeded down the corridor, lime green paint was on the walls as large cloth curtains were pulled around each room to give the patients privacy. Gil grabbed Catherine's clammy hand, leading her down the side hall to the private recovery rooms where Lindsey was being kept for observation.

"Gil I can't go in there." Catherine said, stopping in the middle of the hall, the sound of machines and murmurs of Doctor's surrounding them.

"Yes you can Catherine, she needs you, now more than ever." Gil replied.

"This is all my fault, if I was just -"

"This is no ones fault, not yours, not Lindsay's, not anyone's."

They approached "Recovery Room A", the door closed and lights off. Her chart was sitting in a plastic bin on the wall outside her door, itching for Catherine to pick it up and read the contents. She resisted the temptation, her heart skipping a beat as she saw her daughter laying peacefully on the bed through the small Plexi Glass window. She was hooked up to machines on either side of her, her head bandaged in white gauze, hiding the stitches from where she hit her head off the marble counter back home.

"Are you ready?" Gil asked.

Catherine just nodded, her body tensing as Grissom pushed open the door. He squeezed her hand, reminding her that she was never alone.

Clear tubes ran into her nostrils and down her neck, an IV was hooked up to her left arm, pumping her full of a pain killer concoction, anything to ease the pain that she was no doubt fighting internally as she lay still like a mannequin. Her face looked pale under the bright light above her bed, lips chapped and raw from dehydration. Her blonde hair she inherited from her mother was pasted to her face under the gauze, flowing over her shoulders and sweeping around her neck like a necklace.

There were two chairs in the room, one on either side as Gil guided Catherine to the one on the left, letting go of her hand long enough to sit in the chair on the opposite side. They each grabbed one of Lindsey's limp hands, feeling how cold she was, reminding Gil of a corpse, but never uttering that thought out loud knowing it would devastate Catherine even more.

All they could do now was wait for her to open her blue eyes and smile just like she used to when she was a little girl and coming to the Lab on the occasional late night to see the gang and hang with "Mr. Bug Man" and his pet pig.

"Oh baby," Catherine pleaded, kissing her daughter's hand as she tasted the salt from her tears. "I should've been there, I'm so sorry."

"You made it to her side as fast as you could. Lindsey is just as tough and as strong as you."

"I shouldn't have been so selfish...I'm-I'm sorry."

Gil raised an eyebrow, "I have the feeling we're not talking about Lindsey anymore."

Catherine stared right into Grissom's blue grey ones, "No...I'm not. I ended us because I was afraid, and since the divorce, I feel like a part of me is missing, a part of me that only you can fill." Catherine wiped her eyes and smiled, "Would you be open to starting things once again?"

"For the third time," Grissom chided with a smirk. He reached across Lindsey, grabbing Catherine's free hand and squeezing it once more. "I never stopped loving you or Lindsey Catherine and no matter what our relationship status is, it won't change the feelings I have."

"Maybe, the third times the charm." Lindsey croaked as she cracked a smile, slowly opening her groggy eyes.

"Lindsey" Catherine gasped as she got up, letting go of Gil's hand and caressing her daughters pale face. "Thank-god, how are you feeling?"

"Splitting headache, but okay."

"How long have you been eavesdropping?" Grissom asked patting her hand.

"Since you entered the room," Lindsey groaned as she tried to re-adjust herself in the stiff hospital bed. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Catherine asked returning to her chair while shooting Grissom a sideways glance. Mindlessly she grabbed his hand again to squeeze it.

"No, you both looked like drowned rats."

Grissom got up and walked over the the pitcher of water at the end of the room. He grabbed one of the plastic cups. He looked out the window, lightening flashing every once in awhile as rain splattered the window. Grissom heard Catherine recounting the weather outside and asking once again if her daughter remembered anything.

"You texted me that something was wrong, do you remember that?"

"I felt pain, shooting pain...and after that...I-I don't remember."

"You fell Linds, and you hit your head off the marble counter in the kitchen giving you a concussion. The Doctors, they were afraid that when you fell something might of happened and they...they had to operate."

Catherine watched as the realization of what that meant flashed in her daughter's eyes. "Linds, don't panic, stay with me." She started to hyperventilate, her machines going off, "Listen to me, The Doctor said everything was okay, he promised me nothing bad happened," Catherine looking to Grissom, "Tell her Gil, he said everything was okay."

"Your mother's right that is what the Doctor said." Gil replied handing Lindsey the cup of water, "This will help with the dry throat."

Lindsey swatted the cup away, the water splashing all over the floor. "Where-why-how-I-" She stuttered breaking down into tears. She tore at the bed sheet and then her hospital gown, her breathing shallow as she screamed at the large gash on her abdomen covered by gauze.

"I want to see, I want to know, show me!" She yelled as Catherine stood there stunned, mortified at her daughter's reaction while Gil reached for the call button over the bed.

Within moments two nurses arrived, pushing Grissom and Catherine out of the way as she grabbed him, hiding her face in his shoulder not able to watch her daughter be treated like a crazed lunatic. One of the nurses had a syringe of Diazapam that she shoved into the IV while Lindsey was clawing at the other's arms, her legs kicking wildly. Within moments the drugs kicked in as she began to relax, her whole body slouching forward as the nurses guided her back to the bed, the machines resuming the steady pattern of beeping.

Catherine was now sobbing into Grissom's already wet shirt as he stroked her hair feeling her whole body shake.

One of the nurses, an older lady with graying hair who was short and stout shook her head, "Poor girl. She's gone through so much, hope the little one pulls through."

"It survived? She was only 7 months," Grissom stated in awe.

"Barely. Dr. Newman really is a miracle worker today." She replied, "When she is stable and so is the little one, we're going to reunite mother and baby, but now she'll be out until at least tomorrow morning."

The nurses quickly exited the room as Catherine wiped her red rimmed eyes on the sleeves of her drenched sweater. She looked up at Gil pulling him in for a kiss. "Please don't leave me." She muttered.

"Id' never dream of it." Gil replied and kissed her again.

Fin