Title: To Hear My Voice
Author: kyrdwyn
Rating: G
Summary: Post-Ep for "Hunger"
Author's Notes: Just my take on what could have happened following the last scene in "Hunger", so if you haven't seen it, you might not want to read this. Also, this story includes two of my characters whom I introduced in my story "Relativity", which can be found on FanFiction.net (http://www.fanfiction.net) and my website (http://www.geocities.com/toxicrev/csihome.html).
Enjoy!
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Julia was elbow deep in a corpse when one of her assistants approached. "Julia, there's a call for you on line one."
"I'm a little busy, Matt," she said, though not without a smile.
"It's your brother."
Julia's head popped up, and her blue eyes blinked at Matt behind the plastic safety glasses she was wearing to prevent blood from spattering into her eyes. "My brother?"
"Yes."
Julia looked down at the body on the table and sighed. "Tell him that I'm up to my elbows in intestines and I will call him back when I can. Make sure you get a number."
Matt nodded and Julia went back to her corpse. She had wanted to say 'screw it' and take the call. Her brother wouldn't have called her at work unless it was important. She briefly closed her eyes, silently praying he was okay. Their relationship had been strained for so long, and they were finally getting back on track. Still, she knew he would understand why she hadn't taken the call immediately. They both worked in the same field.
An hour later, she was cleaned up and in her office. Her assistant was transcribing the oral notes she had made during the autopsy. Julia picked up her phone and dialed a familiar Las Vegas number.
"Grissom."
"Hey Grissom, it's Grissom," Julia replied with a smile.
In his apartment, Gil Grissom leaned heavily against the back of his couch, shoulders slumping in relief. He'd been halfway afraid that Julia wouldn't call him back. "Julia, how are you?"
"I'm fine, Gil. So are Stephen and Marissa," she said, referring to her husband and daughter. "How are you?"
Gil rubbed his forehead, trying to think of a way to answer his sister's question. He had called her that morning because he needed someone to talk to -- someone who would understand. But now that she was on the phone, he couldn't get the words out.
"Gil? Are you okay?"
"No, Julia. I'm not…I'm not okay."
"What's wrong?" He could hear the fear in her voice. He couldn't do this to her. He couldn't put his problems on her -- she had enough in her life with her husband, her daughter, and her job.
"Sorry…it was just a bad case at work," he said. "Two kids killed their younger sister and left her body in a creek. I just…needed to hear your voice, I guess." That last sentence was the only one that wasn't a lie. He did need to hear her voice.
In her office, Julia frowned. Something in Gil's voice told her he wasn't being entirely truthful. "Are you sure that's all? I mean, I know we haven't been that close, Gil, but…I'm still your sister."
"I know, Julia. I know."
Julia opened her mouth to say something, but then Detective Gayle Martin opened the door to Julia's office. "Hey - got a question for you on the Vernon case."
Gil heard the other voice come through the phone. "Look, I know you're busy. I'll call you tonight, okay? Take care, Julia." He hung up the phone before his sister could protest.
Julia glared at Gayle before setting her phone down. Gayle took a step back, holding up her hands. "What did I do?"
The medical examiner shook her head. "Nothing, except give Gil the excuse he was looking for."
Gayle raised an eyebrow. "What's your brother up to?"
"I don't know. I just know something's wrong." Julia shook her head. "So -- the Vernon case?"
Gayle regarded Julia thoughtfully. "Screw the Vernon case. I've got my perp; I just need confirmation on something. You think something's wrong with your brother."
"Since when are you concerned about my brother?"
Gayle smiled. "Okay, so he and I didn't get off on the right foot when I suspected his fiancé's sister of murder. But I'm concerned about you."
"I'm fine, just…I don't know. There was something in Gil's voice that worried me."
"What?"
Julia looked at Gayle, but didn't know how to describe it. There had been an almost…childlike vulnerability in his voice. Something she hadn't heard for years. Thomas Grissom hadn't let his children reveal their emotional states easily. Gil had learned to hide his so well, there were times Julia had been convinced she had a Vulcan for a brother.
"Why don't you go to Las Vegas?"
Julia's head snapped up and she gaped at Gayle. "What?"
"I said why don't you go to Las Vegas? Find out what's wrong with him."
"Gayle, I can't…"
"Julia, I know you. This is going to bother you until you solve it. I bet you ten bucks that if you talk to Stephen he'd tell you the same thing."
Julia smiled wryly. Stephen would definitely tell her the same thing. "Okay," she said. "Let me talk to my boss and I'll go."
"Good."
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She'd left straight from work, not even finishing her shift. Six hours after she'd talked to her brother, Julia pulled her car into his driveway. She thanked heaven for Internet map services - otherwise she might have gotten lost in the maze of Las Vegas streets. Locking the car, she took a deep breath of the hot air. She made her way up to the front door and knocked.
It was a long moment before the door opened. Julia was shocked at how…old her brother looked. Gil was only forty-six to Julia's thirty-nine, but there was something in his eyes that seemed to age him way beyond his years.
"Julia? What are you doing here?"
"You needed to hear my voice. I needed to see you, Gil."
Blinking in surprise, he stepped back from the door to allow his sister entrance to his home. "You needed to see me?"
"Something is wrong, Gil. You said this morning that you weren't okay. I needed to see you." She had reached his living room, noting the books and the framed bugs. She turned to him. "There are too many times when we needed each other and didn't call. I didn't want to let this call go unheeded."
Gil sighed. He had known, somehow, that Julia wouldn't believe his explanation; and, unlike this morning, he couldn't put her off.
"Gil, what's wrong? What happened?"
Gil sat down on his couch. "I've been having…problems lately."
Julia sat down next to him, her hand on his arm. "What kind of problems?"
Gil sighed, looking straight at his sister. "Problems with my hearing."
Julia went still, her blue eyes clouding with concern. Unconsciously, her left hand came up to just ghost over her ear. "Otosclerosis?"
Gil nodded.
"Oh Gil…"
Gil's blue eyes - the same eyes Julia had, the eyes they had inherited from their mother - were lost and scared. Gil had inherited more than their mother's blue eyes and her dry humor. He had inherited her hearing loss.
"How long?"
He shrugged. "The doctor doesn't know."
Julia was silent for a moment, and then looked up. "It's odd. I don't know what to say and yet…I feel the need to say something, anything." She ran a hand through her hair. "Do you remember that night, must have been your freshman year in high school, when mom and dad made you baby sit me? I had a nightmare, about losing my hearing…I still have that nightmare." She looked down at her lap. "Marissa's having that nightmare," she said softly.
Gil didn't respond, and when she looked up she could see he was frowning at her, confusion in his eyes. Julia realized he hadn't heard her last sentence. Reaching out, she pulled her brother into her arms.
"I'm here, Gil," she said, louder. "I'll always be here if you need me. Even if it's just to hear my voice."