Hey everybody, it took a bit longer than intended but I made it. This chap was is a bit off, but it was needed. Thank you very much for all your kind reviews, you always make my day.

Enjoy,

So ;)

ps: scuby thanks for fighting with me and helping me to find my way through this. :)

Chapter 13

I look at my watch again, and frown once more. Neither of the women is here and our session is about to start, ergo they are about to be late. I address the issue of punctuality during our very first session and since then I've never had to complain, and the time it happened they had had the courtesy to call me prior to their late arrival.

Someone knocks on my door and I have the feeling that today's session is about to be compromised. I can only hope that Sara and Catherine are both alright. "Come on in" I allow entrance to whoever my visitor is.

A light smile plays on my lips as my old friend comes into my office. "Gil," I greet him, I stand from my seat and go to him, I shake his hand a put the other on his shoulder in a warm gesture.

"Adam," he smiles back at me.

"Please, make yourself comfortable. Can I offer you a beverage?"

"No thank you," he sits down on the couch.

Even though I'm always glad to see my friend, I do know that this isn't a social call. He's been calling me as far as the progress of Catherine and Sara's therapy went, and we've occasionally had a dinner out with some friends for a social gathering. Therefore his presence in my office isn't a good omen. I'm pretty sure I already know what this is about, he probably wants to step in. I do however put my assumptions aside and give him the benefice of doubt.

I sit back in my armchair, facing him. "To what do I owe your presence?" I ask him.

"First, I came to tell you that Catherine and Sara won't come today, they are at a crime scene outside of Vegas."

"Why do I have the suspicion that it was an intentional manoeuvre on your part?" I ask rhetorically.

"It was, indeed. I wanted to talk to you."

"I'm all ears."

"I want you to know that I appreciate the work you are doing with the girls…"

And here we are the first 'break-up' line. You know how it goes, they start by telling you something good and right behind the caress come the lick of the whip, the compliment is the sugar coat of the bitter pill.

"But," I provide.

"But I think this is not working," he states dramatically.

"What makes you think it isn't?"

"They are more at odds with one another, they argue even when they work together, they never did before…they…" he sighs. "This has to stop, it's for the best."

"Is it?"

"Adam, don't play around!"

"Their moods affect their work…"

"If it's the case I suggest you take the matter directly with them."

"I can't, they don't talk to me."

"You're their supervisor, you don't need them to talk to you in order to talk to them."

"It's not that simple!"

"It is," I reply calmly.

"Adam!" he raises his voice then takes a deep breath. "Adam…" he trails off. "You were supposed to fix them…you promised you'd take care of them…but…"

I decide to let him get it off his chest rather than take offence and respond right away

"They're not fixed….this isn't working and I can't do anything…and I can't stand it… I…"

"They are not broken objects Gil. I can't 'fix' them."

"You said you would!"

"I never said such things. I said I'd help them to work on their relationship."

"It wasn't supposed to make them worse than before," he states with frustration.

Being in therapy is like dropping a bomb. The epicentre of that bomb is the 'patient' who is affected directly. Shockwaves are sent from the epicentre to the world surrounding it, creating what I'll call collateral damages, of course each bomb is different, thus the shockwaves are more or less violent and are more or less wide.

As it turns out, Grissom took the blunt of the shockwave and is now disoriented, because everything he knew has changed and doesn't make any sense to him anymore.

"I warned you from the very beginning, I told you that they could change, that you probably wouldn't recognize them and I also remember telling you that it was a long process," my voice is even when I speak.

"I told you that if you didn't take care of them…"

"Catherine and Sara are both fine," I state, cutting him off. "Like I said, therapy is a painful process, painful and long, emotional distress or over emotional behaviour is a normal reaction. But I assure you that they are both fine."

"It's not true! Catherine is okay, she'll always be okay, sure she's emotional, but one day or two and she'll get over it. Now Sara…she…she's hurting, she's hurting and I know it and I'm not going to stand by and watch her suffer while you're messing up with her …I…"

Now that's a twist, it would seem that the real problem isn't where it seemed to be.

He passes his hands in his hair and looks around, obviously agitated.

"I can't let you hurt her like you do…I know this isn't working for her…" he trails off again "…she's aloof again, she refuses to talk to me, her aggressiveness is back, she's more moody than she used to…"

He starts to pace in front of the couch like a caged animal, his emotions getting the best of him.

"I can't let you go on like this, I'm putting an end to this therapy."

"You seem to have eluded the fact that this wasn't about you Gil," I say calmly.

"You think I don't know that?" he shouts sharply.

I just raise my eyebrows and sigh. "If my ears don't deceive me, you don't," I start. "You won't like what I'm going to say, but your feelings are irrelevant."

"This has got to stop!"

"I remember telling you that once the machine was in motion you wouldn't be able to stop it. Again this isn't about you Gil," I'm starting to feel frustrated, it's like talking to a wall.

"Fine, I'm putting an end to this therapy, starting now they're going back to their normal schedule, no more therapy, not on my time."

"As you wish," I simply shrug.

"You think they'll keep on coming, once I'll put an end to this?" he challenges me.

"They've always come here on their own will."

And it's true, I told them on our first session that they were free to go, and in all logic it extends to their freedom to come in the first place.

"Seeing your little game is hurting them, I doubt…" he starts with a despiteful snort.

"My little game?" I repeat, my voice is even but I do feel the first sting of anger.

"Yes your little game, Adam. I came to you as a friend, I asked you a favour as a friend and you…you just abused them emotionally, played with their feelings."

The proverbial line has been crossed, and now it is time for me to redefine the limits clearly.

"I will not tolerate your disrespectful insinuations any longer," I say firmly. "Your mind – clouded in your emotional haze – is obviously made up, so go ahead and put an end to this for your own interest, since it seems to be the only thing that matters to you."

"I care about them!"

"Keep telling yourself that," I say immediately. "You only care about your feelings for Sara and they happen to cloud your judgement."

"Don't you dare…" he threats.

"Dare what? How dare you saying you care about them when you don't? You've spent twenty minutes telling that I'm hurting her, that you can't stand to see her like this, her, her, her…she doesn't come to see you, you can't play the knight in shinning armour… I'm sorry, you confused me with a match maker, and for your information this isn't a dating service."

"Don't you twist my words around!" he seethes.

"You said and I quote 'Catherine is okay, she's emotional, but one day or two and she'll get over it. Now Sara, she's hurting'," I repeat his words. "So when you have the nerve to claim that you act in their interest, you'll understand that it's hard not to laugh."

"Screw you Adam."

"Very eloquent Gilbert," I counter.

He heaves a few seconds then lifts his head up as if to physically belittle me and then speaks firmly. "I came here as a friend to tell you that this therapy is over."

"As a professional I'd advice you to think about them and the damages you are about to provoke, to realise that this isn't about you and that your feelings whatever they may be are irrelevant, but obviously, it's about Gil Grissom, and Gil Grissom only – and apparently it has always been, so I'll just invite you to find your way back to the door."

He sends me a dark look and literally barges out of my office, slamming the door on his way out.

Alright, not that I kicked Grissom's butt, I can focus again on our ladies.

Thanks for reading.