XIV - CATHERINE THE GREAT
Grissom stood uncomfortably in Catherine's living room. He could hear the water running in the bathroom, knew she was in the shower washing the blood off - and the thought was making him nervous.
He walked over to the stereo and opened the CD carousel. He smiled to himself when he saw a Backstreet Boys CD - that had to be Lindsey's! - and he quickly replaced it with the Barenaked Ladies, hitting random before pressing play.
He stood, absently letting the music wash over him, and let his thought's drift absently, trying to empty his mind. He didn't know what was going on lately, but he felt like he was losing control. After two trying cases in a row, an unexpected romantic development between Nick and Sara, his own inability to keep a grip on his emotions, the past few days had been unlike anything he had ever experienced.
He sighed, walking over to one of the many shelves lining Catherine's living room, and picked up a silver framed picture of Catherine and Lindsey. Rubbing his thumb over the glass, he smiled. He had taken this picture after Lindsey's 7th birthday party, and he knew it was one of Catherine's favorites. Lindsey, wearing a pink party dress and ribbons in her hair, had fallen asleep in Catherine's lap, and Catherine was focused entirely on her still form, a beatific smile upon her face.
Grissom and Warrick had been preparing to leave, and when Grissom had turned to say good-bye he had seen the tender moment. Without thinking, he had grabbed the camera that had been sitting on the coffee table, and had quickly snapped the photo. It had turned out beautifully.
He was still standing there, absently stroking the picture, when he smelled strawberries.
"Shower's free, Grissom." Catherine's gentle voice drew him from his reverie.
He smiled absently, putting the photo back, before turning to her. She had a towel wrapped around her hair, and was wearing a silk kimono. The bruise on her forehead looked very dark against her pale face and the white towel.
"Feeling better?" he enquired gently. He walked over to her and looked closer at her bruise, surprising himself when he leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently. Catherine just nodded, not trusting her voice to respond. Grissom stared intently at her for a few moments. "You look better, but still a little too pale." Shaking himself, he gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. "I'd say have a drink, but since we have to get back, it's not a good idea. I'll be quick."
Catherine watched him silently as he grabbed the duffel bag he had brought in with him, and headed towards the bathroom. Sighing, Catherine turned towards her bedroom to go get dressed.
* * * * *
Grissom had turned the shower on as hot as he could stand it. All around him, he smelled strawberries. A big white puffy thing hung from the shower head, still dripping soap, and Grissom found himself staring it. He reached out a tentative hand and ran his fingers over the remaining bubbles. A sudden image of Catherine, using it to clean herself with, popped into his head. Grissom closed his eyes against the erotic image, mentally chastising himself. 'What in the world is wrong with you? Where the hell is this coming from?'
He had to get out of here. He had to get back to the lab. He had to get a grip.
Quickly turning the shower off, he grabbed the big towel Catherine had left for him. He dried and dressed in record time. Taking a last deep breathe of strawberries and steam, he stepped into the hallway.
"Cath? I'm done! You ready?" He called out.
"Be there in a minute Grissom!"
He tried not to think of her as he stepped back into her living room, but found that he couldn't force his mind from her.
~Well let me tell you if you're feeling alone,
Instead of whining and moaning,
Just get on the phone, tell her you're coming home
If you need, you should be there
If you scream in your sleep, or collapse in a heap
And spontaneously weep, then you know you're in deep
If you need her, you should be there
Go Home
There's nothing better than affairs of the heart
To make you feel so good then tear you apart
Make up your mind and stick it out or start again
You can't imagine what an effort it takes
When you make a mistake
And you know in the wake that a heart's going to break
If you need her, you should be there
If you're flummoxed and flushed
And your heartbeat is rushed
Then get out of the slush, tell your dog team to mush
If you need her, you should be there
Go Home
If you think of her as Joan of Arc
She's burning for you, get your car out of park
If you think of her as Catherine the Great
Then you should be the horse to help her meet her fate
If you need her, you should be there,
Go Home
You can't believe it, but it's true
She's given everything to you
Now take a moment to be sure
Before you give it all to her
Well now you're thinking that it's over at last,
All your woes in the past
But you've got to be fast; put your foot on the gas
If you need her, you should be there
so now you're out from under the gun
And it's over and done
I won't spoil all the fun but if you ever wonder
She'll be there if you need her
Go Home
If you're lucky to be one of the few
To find somebody who can tolerate you
Then I shouldn't have to tell you again
Just pack your bags and get yourself on a plane
If you need her, you should be there
Go Home
If you need her, you should be there
Go Home.~
The song playing softly in the background caught Grissom off guard. He stood there in deep contemplation, his heart pounding as he listened. He heard Catherine walking down her hallway, humming, and turned to watch her as she walked towards him.
Quickly shuttering his eyes, he asked her expressionlessly if she was ready to leave. She nodded, frowning at him a little in confusion. But she didn't ask him what was wrong. Grissom was relieved. It would never do for her to realize that he was in love with her.
_____
Author's Note: The song is Go Home, by the Barenaked Ladies. Awesome song!
Grissom stood uncomfortably in Catherine's living room. He could hear the water running in the bathroom, knew she was in the shower washing the blood off - and the thought was making him nervous.
He walked over to the stereo and opened the CD carousel. He smiled to himself when he saw a Backstreet Boys CD - that had to be Lindsey's! - and he quickly replaced it with the Barenaked Ladies, hitting random before pressing play.
He stood, absently letting the music wash over him, and let his thought's drift absently, trying to empty his mind. He didn't know what was going on lately, but he felt like he was losing control. After two trying cases in a row, an unexpected romantic development between Nick and Sara, his own inability to keep a grip on his emotions, the past few days had been unlike anything he had ever experienced.
He sighed, walking over to one of the many shelves lining Catherine's living room, and picked up a silver framed picture of Catherine and Lindsey. Rubbing his thumb over the glass, he smiled. He had taken this picture after Lindsey's 7th birthday party, and he knew it was one of Catherine's favorites. Lindsey, wearing a pink party dress and ribbons in her hair, had fallen asleep in Catherine's lap, and Catherine was focused entirely on her still form, a beatific smile upon her face.
Grissom and Warrick had been preparing to leave, and when Grissom had turned to say good-bye he had seen the tender moment. Without thinking, he had grabbed the camera that had been sitting on the coffee table, and had quickly snapped the photo. It had turned out beautifully.
He was still standing there, absently stroking the picture, when he smelled strawberries.
"Shower's free, Grissom." Catherine's gentle voice drew him from his reverie.
He smiled absently, putting the photo back, before turning to her. She had a towel wrapped around her hair, and was wearing a silk kimono. The bruise on her forehead looked very dark against her pale face and the white towel.
"Feeling better?" he enquired gently. He walked over to her and looked closer at her bruise, surprising himself when he leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently. Catherine just nodded, not trusting her voice to respond. Grissom stared intently at her for a few moments. "You look better, but still a little too pale." Shaking himself, he gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. "I'd say have a drink, but since we have to get back, it's not a good idea. I'll be quick."
Catherine watched him silently as he grabbed the duffel bag he had brought in with him, and headed towards the bathroom. Sighing, Catherine turned towards her bedroom to go get dressed.
* * * * *
Grissom had turned the shower on as hot as he could stand it. All around him, he smelled strawberries. A big white puffy thing hung from the shower head, still dripping soap, and Grissom found himself staring it. He reached out a tentative hand and ran his fingers over the remaining bubbles. A sudden image of Catherine, using it to clean herself with, popped into his head. Grissom closed his eyes against the erotic image, mentally chastising himself. 'What in the world is wrong with you? Where the hell is this coming from?'
He had to get out of here. He had to get back to the lab. He had to get a grip.
Quickly turning the shower off, he grabbed the big towel Catherine had left for him. He dried and dressed in record time. Taking a last deep breathe of strawberries and steam, he stepped into the hallway.
"Cath? I'm done! You ready?" He called out.
"Be there in a minute Grissom!"
He tried not to think of her as he stepped back into her living room, but found that he couldn't force his mind from her.
~Well let me tell you if you're feeling alone,
Instead of whining and moaning,
Just get on the phone, tell her you're coming home
If you need, you should be there
If you scream in your sleep, or collapse in a heap
And spontaneously weep, then you know you're in deep
If you need her, you should be there
Go Home
There's nothing better than affairs of the heart
To make you feel so good then tear you apart
Make up your mind and stick it out or start again
You can't imagine what an effort it takes
When you make a mistake
And you know in the wake that a heart's going to break
If you need her, you should be there
If you're flummoxed and flushed
And your heartbeat is rushed
Then get out of the slush, tell your dog team to mush
If you need her, you should be there
Go Home
If you think of her as Joan of Arc
She's burning for you, get your car out of park
If you think of her as Catherine the Great
Then you should be the horse to help her meet her fate
If you need her, you should be there,
Go Home
You can't believe it, but it's true
She's given everything to you
Now take a moment to be sure
Before you give it all to her
Well now you're thinking that it's over at last,
All your woes in the past
But you've got to be fast; put your foot on the gas
If you need her, you should be there
so now you're out from under the gun
And it's over and done
I won't spoil all the fun but if you ever wonder
She'll be there if you need her
Go Home
If you're lucky to be one of the few
To find somebody who can tolerate you
Then I shouldn't have to tell you again
Just pack your bags and get yourself on a plane
If you need her, you should be there
Go Home
If you need her, you should be there
Go Home.~
The song playing softly in the background caught Grissom off guard. He stood there in deep contemplation, his heart pounding as he listened. He heard Catherine walking down her hallway, humming, and turned to watch her as she walked towards him.
Quickly shuttering his eyes, he asked her expressionlessly if she was ready to leave. She nodded, frowning at him a little in confusion. But she didn't ask him what was wrong. Grissom was relieved. It would never do for her to realize that he was in love with her.
_____
Author's Note: The song is Go Home, by the Barenaked Ladies. Awesome song!