Chapter Nine

Catherine was still in shock. She had been called in to work early for a meeting with Ecklie. She had been in a panic, certain that he was going to ask questions about Gil and Sara. She had promised not to say anything and she wouldn't. But if she wasn't convincing with any answers she gave, it might affect her career when Ecklie discovered the truth.

Instead, she was notified that Grissom had tendered his resignation and she had been chosen as the new night shift supervisor, effective immediately. She would take on all new cases while Grissom handled the outstanding ones until his departure in two weeks. They would share the office until then.

Catherine now stood in the doorway of that office, reflecting on its character. Except for the furniture, nothing in this office belonged to the lab; it was all Grissom. Shelves of books and specimens, terrariums with bugs, even the Billy Bass, all the things that created the atmosphere of this office, belonged to Grissom. He would take them with him. And the heart and soul that this office represented would also be gone.

Catherine sat in the chair facing the desk. How many times had she sat here, discussing cases and evidence that perplexed her, instructing Grissom on how to deal with the politics of the lab, confessing to mistakes that she had made. Even much of her personal life had been focused in this office. Her many conflicts with Eddie had found resolution or comfort here. Her fears of not being a good mother, her issues with her own mother, her more recent daddy issues, all had found a comforting ear here, in this office.

She tried to shake the melancholy from her thoughts. Grissom's move was a sign of good things. A quick phone call to him after the meeting had confirmed that he had taken a teaching position. This move would allow Sara to continue working here, while satisfying his desire to teach and do research. Thinking as a mother who had worked difficult shifts, she also recognized that this would be a huge benefit once the baby arrived. Grissom would be home at night to care for the baby while Sara would be home with it during the day.

Catherine fervently hoped that they would remain close. Grissom was such a large part of her life. She couldn't imagine functioning without him. Yet she and Sara had never been close. It was not unusual for friends to drift apart when spouses didn't get along with the old friends. Catherine resolved to remedy any differences and become friends with Sara.

Grissom struggled into the office carrying numerous boxes, breaking her reverie. Upon dropping the boxes beside the desk, he noticed Catherine.

"Oh good, you're here. I'm working on the current paperwork. It should be out of your way within the next couple of days. I'll remove what I can of my personal belongings from the desk today to give you space. I'm afraid we'll have to share for awhile."

Taking a deep breath, Grissom looked at Catherine as if he was seeing her for the first time. "Congratulations, Catherine. You're going to be a good supervisor."

"Thanks, Gil. I know you had something to do with it."

Grissom shook his head. "Not at all. Not that I didn't try. But Ecklie informed me that he would make his own decision after reviewing all qualified candidates. Obviously, you are the most qualified.

"Now, Supervisor Willows, go get the new cases. Ecklie will be meeting us in the break room in ten minutes."

Ten minutes later, Catherine met Grissom outside the break room. They briefly discussed how to handle both the new and old cases. When they had settled on a course of action, he squeezed her arm, then nodded his head, indicating it was time to go in.

All of the team was gathered in the room, chatting away about the new trace tech on days who had botched a test and jeopardized a case. Grissom looked at Sara and winked. She gave him a weak smile. Catherine took a seat at the head of the table, excitement building. Moments later, Ecklie came bustling into the room. All chatter ceased.

"I have an announcement to make. Grissom has tendered his resignation. Effective immediately, Catherine Willows is the new night supervisor. All new cases will be supervised by her, while outstanding cases will be administered by Grissom until his departure. Screening is currently being conducted for a new CSI. You will be kept informed by your supervisor of all developments. Are there any questions?"

Only stunned silence greeted Ecklie. "Very well. Carry on, supervisors." He bustled out of the break room.

Greg was the first to speak. "You're leaving us?"

Grissom nodded his head. "I'm tired. I've never enjoyed the mechanics of being a supervisor. The paperwork is a nightmare and I've never gotten a handle on the politics involved in this job. Catherine is much better suited to deal with that than I am.

"The best part of this job has always been teaching you new elements of science and forensics. But you all are such good students, I've taught you everything I can here. I've accepted a teaching position at WLVU. It's the perfect opportunity to teach and pursue my research. And to have a personal life, which I encourage you all to do.

"It will be hard to leave you all. Catherine once told me that a family had been built around me whether I wanted it or not. I find that not only do I want it, I need it. I'm hoping we can all stay close. In fact, I'm planning a party at my place this Saturday night. It will be our first venture into a personal life separate from this lab. I've found that a personal life can be a very good thing."

Nick perked up. "You've met someone, haven't you?"

Grissom smiled. "If you're asking if I've found someone I want to spend my life with, then the answer is yes."

Nick turned around and hit Warrick on the arm. "I told you." Turning back to Grissom's raised eyebrow, he explained with embarrassment, "You've changed since this time last year. You've been more playful, happier, you've lost weight, and you've taken time off. My gut tells me you've found someone special."

"Special she is," said Grissom with conviction, trying hard not to look at Sara.

"Will she be at the party Saturday?" asked Greg.

Suddenly, Sara grabbed her mouth and ran toward the rest room. Everyone watched her leave, suddenly worried about how all of this was affecting her.

"She will be there," said Grissom as if there had been no distraction. "And we'll be making an announcement at that time. No more talk about my personal life until then. I'll be in my office clearing up paperwork. Keep me informed of progress on the Lerner, Kasberg, and Lee cases. Catherine, would you like to pass out assignments for the evening? I'm going to go check on Sara."

As Grissom left the room, everyone stared after him in bewilderment. Catherine broke the trance, passing out the few assignments quickly. "Are there any questions?"

Nick spoke out. "Did you know about this?"

Catherine shrugged. "I suspected something was up a few days ago and questioned him. He was very elusive. I had no idea he was quitting."

"I think Sara knew about the new woman, too. She and Grissom have been working a lot of cases together the last few months. She's an observant investigator. I bet she saw or heard something and figured it out. We all know how Sara feels about Grissom. She realized any chance she had with Grissom is over. I believe her illness is psychological. You saw how she just reacted to Grissom's news, running from the room to go throw up. I feel so bad for Sara."

Catherine wanted to share her knowledge, but was bound by her word of silence. "I'm going to go see if Sara is able to work tonight. If she is, I'll work this case with her. Keep me informed on each of your cases throughout the shift."

Catherine made a note to team herself with Sara until Saturday's gathering. Keeping her mouth shut was too exhausting.