Sad Endings Can Lead to Beautiful Beginnings
A Grillows Fanfiction by Mandi Powers
Chapter 2
The next day at work, Gil still looked a bit sad, but definitely more upbeat since his evening with Catherine. The whole team took notice and took turns patting Catherine on the back for whatever it was she did to make him feel better, and of course as she expected the guys, namely Nick and Greg, were trying to insinuate sex. When they made a comment, she just rolled her eyes and replied "Yes boys if eating a meal and talking is sex, than Grissom had the best sex of his life last night." or "Whatever fuels your fantasies at night." followed by her exiting the room laughing. Let the boys think what they want. She thought to herself. Gil and I know the truth and that is all that matters. Just then, the object of her thoughts came strolling up behind her. "Hey Catherine. Thanks so much for last night. I actually feel tons better." "No problem Gil. Anytime." "I was hoping you'd say that," Catherine cocked an eyebrow while waiting for him to finish. "Because I was hoping to take you to a movie Friday night if you're up to it and can get someone to watch Lindsey To show my appreciation ya know?" He finished. He sounded nervous. Catherine wondered if she was reading too much into it. "Sure, I'd like that. Plus I'm already free because Lindsey is at my mother's this weekend. You have good timing." She said. "Ok, so pick you up around 8:30? Give you time to change if you want. Catch a late dinner maybe, then go to the movie?" Now she definitely knew she wasn't reading too much into it. Gil Grissom was as nervous a fat kid in gym class! "Sure sounds good to me." She wanted to ask him if he was asking her out but decided to just leave it as two friends having dinner together and going to see a movie just in case. She didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. They parted ways and both of them went to work on their individual case work.
Catherine spent the rest of the week hanging out with her daughter after work. Helping her with her homework, eating dinner together. She always really enjoyed the time she got to spend with Lindsey. She couldn't help but think about her "date" with Gil though. She was nervous and excited all at the same time. She had always harboured feelings for Gil but never would've acted on them when he was her supervisor and then he ended up with Sara and she bottled it up completely. Now it was different. They were both single, both supervisors. She felt herself thinking about him more and more in a more than friends kind of way even though it scared her since he was just out of his very serious thing with Sara. What am I doing? She thought to herself on the Thursday night after Lindsey had gone to bed. She was sitting reading and drinking a glass of red wine. How can I be letting myself have these feelings for someone who may not even feel that way and just got out of a relationship! Am I setting myself up to be hurt again? She decided she would just see how things played out, and that if it didn't end up the way she wanted to she would have to just be okay with it.
Over in his condo, Gil Grissom was having much the same conversation with himself. He had been trying to watch a documentary about army ants and just couldn't seem to focus. I hope I wasn't too forward asking Catherine out. I hope she just thinks it's a friendly gesture. I don't want her to think I am just on the rebound from Sara and looking to her for a meaningless fling. But if she did think it was a date, she accepted, which must be a good sign. I don't even know why I am having these feelings. Sara only left a month ago. I know I felt things for Catherine before Sara, but it would've just been too inappropriate then. But now…I wonder if Catherine feels the same or if she is just being a concerned friend. Should I lay my cards out on the table tomorrow night or bluff so to speak? He, like Catherine, decided he should just wait and see how the night went.
The following day, both Catherine and Grissom had a hard time focusing on their work. More than once Warrick asked her if she was feeling okay. She just passed it off as not getting enough sleep lately. Not an entirely untrue statement since she had been up almost every night thinking about Gil and now, their "date" was rapidly approaching. As time ticked by Catherine could have sworn someone was setting the clocks back purposely to mess with her. Normally working a case with Warrick went by quickly since he was always fun to work with, but today nothing seemed to make end of shift come any closer. "Cath, seriously now girl, tell me what's up?" Warrick asked breaking her thoughts. "Nothing, nothing." She replied trying to sound sincere. It didn't work, and he saw through it instantly. "Catherine come on. You can talk to me ok? I'm Warrick Brown!" She laughed. "Okay fine. If you must know Gil asked me to dinner and a movie tonight." Warrick raised an eyebrow. "To thank me for being there for him the other night." The eyebrow didn't go down. "Ok, so you think he is asking me out?" She said feeling slightly better confiding in him. "Uh, yeah girl I do. How did he sound when he said it?" "Nervous." "Uh huh. Yeah Cath, it's a date disguised as two friends hanging out. Oldest trick in the book. Mind you, we did always know you and Gris had it bad for each other…" Catherine cut him off. "Excuse me, you knew what?!" "Oh come one Catherine, you too were always close, and the way he would look at you when he thought no one was looking, the way you did the same thing. We never expected him to end up with Sara, we always thought it'd be you." Catherine took a second to process this information. "Great, Thanks so much Warrick now I'm more nervous than I already was." "I'm sorry, but I speak the truth. We all felt he started things up with Sara as a distraction. Didn't think it would get serious. Guess it wasn't meant to be. Maybe we were all right about you two." He said winking. "I hate you." She said smiling so he knew she was joking. "Ok, now Ms. Willows I am hurt! But look it's the end of shift, go home, shower get the decomp smell of ya and go on wit' your bad self tonight!" "Yeah Yeah. See ya!" She says waving as she leaves the lab towards the locker room. She almost walks head first into Grissom. "Hey Catherine." He says. "Oh, hey Gil. Sorry about that. Just eager to rid myself of the smell of Decomp." She said laughing. Or in a hurry to get home so I can find something to wear tonight to impress you. She thought. "I can imagine. We still on for tonight?" Please don't say no, I've been looking forward to this all week. "Yeah for sure. You said 830?" "Yeah I did. Alright, I'll uh see ya later then." "Yep." She smiled and waved as she walked into the locker room. Grissom stood there motionless for a second. Gil Grissom, I do believe you have got it bad for that woman. He thought as he shook his head and walked back to his office.
Catherine arrived home and immediately got in the shower. She used the expensive strawberry scented body wash/scrub/lotion set that she always saved for special occasions. Once out of the shower and lotioned, she stood naked in her walk in closet searching for something to wear. After what felt like hours she finally decided on a moderately low cut, but not sleazy black tank top and hip hugging tight dark denim jeans that flattered every curve of her body. She did her hair in loose curls and wore a sexy pair of stiletto's. Ones she could walk for a while in though just in case Gil suggested a stroll. With twenty minutes to spare she decided to sit at her table and sip a small glass of wine to calm her jittery nerves. At exactly 830 her doorbell rang. She almost fell jumping up to answer it. "Calm yourself Catherine." She said quietly aloud. When she opened the door, she could see Gil was trying not to let his jaw drop to the floor. "Wow, Catherine you look…amazing!" He leaned in a little. "Is that strawberries I smell? Hmmm, you never wear that to work. It's nice." She grinned from ear to ear unable to stop herself. "Thank you Gil. You look nice too, and what's the cologne you're wearing?" She said stepping onto the porch and locking her door behind her. "Stetson, I believe." She leaned in close to his neck. "Hmmm, smells nice." She heard Grissom take an intake of breath and smiled inwardly to herself. Hmm, maybe Warrick is right, maybe Gil does have feelings for me.
They went for dinner at a local outdoor burger and French fry stand. It wasn't fancy but Catherine felt it was a perfect start to the evening. They sat at a picnic bench and just talked and enjoyed each others company. At one point Catherine noticed Gil had some ketchup on his chin and when she leaned in to wipe it their eyes met and it seemed like they might kiss, but neither made the move. After they ate, as they walked back to Gil's car, Catherine decided to give him a hint that she liked him and decided to hold his hand and rest her head on his shoulder. Gil looked down at her and smiled. He squeezed her hand before releasing it to open her car door. "Always the gentleman." She smiled. When Gil got in the car Catherine grabbed his hand. "Would you rather rent a movie and watch it at my place? More comfortable than a big loud theatre" Her heart was pounding in her chest as she awaited his answer. "Sure, I think I would like that better anyway." He smiled and held her hand tighter as he turned the ignition key and headed back in the direction of her house.
