Author: Smokinhottie
Disclaimer:I don't own any of the CSI franchise
Chapter 7
She found him across the parking lot, looking out over the
wide-open desert that ran down a hill beside the Starbucks. He stood
there, arms still crossed, staring off into the distance. Catherine quietly
came to stand beside him and gently touched his shoulder. Grissom
turned and looked at her. He offered a weak smile and she returned it.
She was still trying to keep her emotions in check. However, a few tears
managed to escape and roll down her cheek. Grissom, without a word,
gently wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him. Catherine
completed the embrace by wrapping her arms around his middle and
burying her face in his chest.
"It's going to be ok Catherine." Grissom said after a moment
or two of silence. He ran his hands lightly up and down her back in an
attempt to soothe her.
"Why Gil? Why you?" Catherine said as she rested her head
on his chest.
"I don't know honey." He said as he pulled her tighter to him
and smoothed her hair. Truthfully, he didn't know why this guy wanted
to talk to him. What he did know was that he didn't want to worry
Catherine anymore than she already was.
Catherine lifted her head from his chest and looked at
Grissom. He looked tired and worn. He was wearing jeans, his CSI
jacket, and a gray t-shirt that now had little dark spots where her tears
had ended up. Catherine looked at him with new eyes. The thought
that she might never get to see him again if he went in, made her heart
ache and tried not to think about the negative things. Instead, she
attempted to memorize his face and remember all of the little details.
She put a hand to his cheek and gently stroked it with her thumb.
He was tall and handsome. A few years older than
Catherine, but still looked the same as he had in college#. She looked
over his soft features, which gave him his youthful appearance, and his
rich brown hair that was now faded with age. But the one thing she
wanted to remember, were his eyes. They told her everything. They
were bright blue with a hint of green that reminded her of the ocean.
Now, she searched those eyes for any clue as to what he was feeling
at that moment. Grissom knew exactly what she was doing, just smiled
and tenderly kissed her forehead.
"It's going to be ok." Was all he said. She couldn't help but
smile. He could read her as well as she could read him. Grissom was still
holding her in a loving embrace, and she rested her hands on his chest.
"Promise me something will you?" She said softly as she ran
her fingers across his collarbone. Grissom looked at her in with a
slightly puzzled look before nodding.
"Promise me that I will see you walk out those doors after this
nightmare is over." she said as her voice cracked slightly and Grissom
hushed her.
"Catherine. I promise I will come out of this alive." He said
softly. He knew he had to keep her fears at bay. Catherine shook her
head.
"But how can you say that? What if you can't keep that
promise? I don't think I could live if I had to attend your funeral." She
said as she lowered her face into her hands. Grissom sighed as he
gently took her hands in his and held them to his chest. Catherine
looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"Cath, there won't be a funeral. Not for a long time. I promise
everything will be ok. Have I ever broken a promise to you?" He said.
She looked into his eyes as he said this and saw that he meant every
word. She shook her head.
"Ok... I don't see any reason to start breaking them now,
right?" Again she nodded. At this particular moment, she truly didn't
trust herself to speak for fear of completely breaking down. Grissom
put a hand to her face and Catherine smiled a little to keep from
crying.
"So..." she said quietly, "What am I supposed to do while
you're off saving the world?"
"You and Sara are going to be in the truck. You will provide
the rest of us with information." he said quietly. Catherine looked at him
with disbelief.
"So you're telling me that I can't even go with you and make
sure you stay safe!? Gil please" She begged, "Let me go in." Grissom
sighed. He knew Catherine was capable of going in, but something
told him to keep her out of there. He looked at her and shook his head.
"Cath, what about Lindsay? She needs a mother. It would kill
her if she lost you. She already lost her father! She can't afford to lose
you too!" He said as he tried to change her mind. Grissom felt his
stomach turn as he thought back on that night.
Catherine's ex-husband had been killed in a car accident
about 4 years ago and had almost cost Lindsay her life too. Both had
been riding home, when Eddie lost control of the car and went off the
road into a very deep storm drain. Fortunately Catherine had saved
Lindsay from a watery grave by fishing her out of the sinking car.#
She turned to walk away and Grissom tried to take her arm
in an attempt to keep her from leaving.
"No Gil!" She said as she pushed him away, "Let me go!"
Grissom was becoming frustrated.
"Catherine please listen! Don't let Lindsay become an
orphan!" Grissom said as he took her arm again.
"But she never lost her father! Sure she lost Eddie, but you've
been more of a father than he ever was.# Can't you see that? She
absolutely adores you! Don't you think that losing you would kill her?"
Catherine said with exasperation as she whirled around and faced him.
She didn't want to fight now, but she was hurt by him making her stay
in the truck.
"Catherine... It's not the same!" Grissom said with frustration.
"Gil what are you doing? Why are you allowing this psycho
to control you?" Catherine said.
"Because Catherine! That man needs to be stopped! And
because there is a little girl is in that coffee shop and she's scared and
all alone with a crazed maniac!" Grissom said his voice raising in tone
and volume.
"Be reasonable Grissom! Please! I thought you told me to
never let the case get personal!" Catherine said matching his voice.
"Catherine that little girl is in there because of me! I think I
can afford to make this a little personal." Grissom said in a low growl.
Even that didn't make Catherine back down.
"Gil none of this is your fault." Catherine said gently as she
slowly realized what the root of the issue was. He was hurting for that
little girl.
"Oh yeah!? Well Catherine, I don't see how that is possible!
But trust me I'll feel so much better knowing that when I have to attend
that little girl's funeral! What about when her parents come up to me
and blame me for their little girl's death! Oh and what about Lindsay?
What happens when she finds out her mother was murdered? Who is
she going to blame?" Grissom said as the fight in him slowly began to
drain from him. He just couldn't put into words what was wrong and,
rather than try, he turned away from Catherine. He sat down on the
back of a truck and leaned forward. He held is head in his hands and
sighed. Catherine had remained silent and now walked over to him.
"Gil..." she said gently as she stroked the back of his head.
"Just imagine Catherine." Grissom said softly, not even
looking up at her, "That little girl in there is scared to death and at the
mercy of a mad man." Catherine sighed and shook her head.
"You'll get her out Gil, I know you will. You will save her." She
whispered as he got up and walked a little ways away. She was
struggling to stay strong for him. He could feel her breaking beside him
and sighed as he gently took her in his arms and squeezed her to him.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. After a
moment, Grissom pulled away from her and kissed her forehead.
"I just want you to be safe. I kept you out of the shop for
your protection." He whispered, "I don't doubt you, I just don't want
you anywhere near that man in there. Please will you trust me on this?"
Catherine took a deep breath and sighed.
"I trust you, Gil and I understand." she said softly
"Thank you Catherine." He said as he let out a deep breath,
"That helps me a great deal. Now I know that you will be completely
safe through this whole ordeal." Catherine nodded and looked at him
for a moment before nodding her head towards their bags on the
ground.
"We should probably get your gear on so that you're ready."
she said and Grissom nodded. He slowly walked to the bags and knelt
before opening his. Catherine watched as he pulled out one by one
each piece of gear that he had to wear. She could tell that he was
nervous even through his attempts to hide it. As Grissom began to pull
on his navy blue Kevlar vest, Catherine stepped forward and helped
him tighten the straps. Grissom was puzzled at first and Catherine
smiled a little.
"Just want you to be safe." she said as she continued to help
him with his gear.
Please review!
#Catherine and Grissom have known each other for years and I believe they grew up together. In one episode it refers to them both in the 4th grade science fair.
# Ever since they met, Grissom has been there for Catherine. I will explain more in their backgrounds. Just know that Grissom was more of a father than Catherine's ex-husband Eddie, because of the fact that Eddie drank, did drugs, and beat Catherine. Grissom was always there for her when she needed it.