Author : Montag
Disclaimer : If you see them or hear about them on TV, then they are not mine.
Author's Note : [Cath/Griss] Brings "Nothing but the Best" and "Question Everything" together. This is my take on the breakdown of Catherine and Eddie's marriage through the eyes of different characters...bear with me.
Penny For Your Thoughts
GRISSOM
"Catherine - Catherine, come on, wake up. You hear me? Wake up, Cath."
I picked up her limp, broken body from the floor, and drawing her close, I carried her to the bathroom. Turning on the shower, I stepped into the bathtub, balancing against the tiled wall. I yanked roughly at the faucet, and held her unconscious form under the water that rained down on us, drenching our clothes until it stuck to the skin.
"Catherine - Catherine, wake up."
She coughed back to life, opening her eyes weakly as if a thousand pound weights had been place on her eyelids.
"Grissom?" Her voice echoed subtly against the plain walls of the bathroom; the background filled with an eerie hum of falling water.
Turning off the faucet, I climbed out of the tub, and trailed wet footprints down the hardwood floors of the hallway and out the house. Scrambling, I opened the door of the Tahoe parked on the driveway and placed her soaked figure across the backseats. Racing back into the house, I grabbed some towels from the linen closet, and rushed back out, slamming the door forcefully behind me. I threw towels around her shivering body, and wrapped her up tightly.
Her gaze met mine. I exhaled, exasperated. Without answering, I closed the car door, and hastily got into the Tahoe. The engine roared to life as I swerved unevenly out of the driveway.
"Grissom,"
I stepped down on the gas harshly, speeding down the empty, deserted street.
"Grissom," She called again.
Letting out an uneasy sigh, I gripped the steering wheel tighter, wanting to strangle the mechanical life out of it. "Yeah?"
"Grissom, where are we going?"
"Nowhere." I replied matter-of-factly. "Nowhere."
"You're taking me to the hospital."
I looked up into the rear view mirror and caught her eyes, feeling disbelief and guilt coursing through my veins. She had barely been conscious for two minutes, yet she knew me like a book she had finished reading three minutes ago. Slowly, I lowered my eyes back to the road. No words would come.
"You're taking me to the hospital." She continued, tears clouding her eyes.
"Yeah," I answered softly, "Yeah, I am."
"Grissom, don't - "
"This has gone on too far." I said starkly, more to myself than to her.
"I'm dealing with - "
"This isn't dealing with it, Catherine."
"You don't know what the hell you're talking about."
"I know enough." I snapped back, though I really didn't mean to.
"Grissom, please, don't do this."
"Well, I can't just stand around, watching him do this to you."
"Grissom, please - "
"No."
"I'm not going to the hos - "
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not. Let me out."
"We're almost there."
"Grissom, pull over and let me out."
"Catherine - "
"Gil,"
I flinched mentally at the use of my first name. I glanced at the rear view mirror again, and saw her pained eyes.
"Gil, I'm not going." She said steadily, her eyes unwavering.
Unwillingly, I pulled over to the side of the road, letting the engine idle. She had an undeniable effect over me. I cursed under my breath. The clock read 2:21 AM.
It was only two hours earlier when I had worried myself to the point of oblivion. A) She hadn't shown up for work. B) She didn't call in. C) I left a half dozen messages on her answering machine. And lastly, D) I always feared that a night like this would come.
And, needless to say, it did.
She was waiting. She was waiting for me to make a move. I got out of the seatbelt, and turned around facing her. She was lying across the backseats, her hair soaked, a mass of towels wrapped clumsily around her. Her piercing blue eyes stared back at mine ambivalently, already knowing she had won.
Which she had.
I reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. I touched her pale cheek. She looked like a porcelain doll. I swallowed hard, and nodded slowly. A weary smile played its way across her lips.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of you." I said quietly, pulling my seatbelt back on.
"You better." She whispered, allowing her eyes to close.
So, I drove. I drove her to my house. Without waking her, I carried her in, and placed her gently on my bed. I pulled out extra bed sheets and covered her up. I figured she would sleep for the rest of the night, but she didn't. She woke up within a half hour or so.
"Grissom?" I heard her voice call out.
I made it to the bedroom within a few strides and found her sitting up from bed. "You feeling all right?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"Why don't you go take a shower."
"That sounds good."
I steadied her to her feet. "There are extra towels in the bathroom."
While she showered, I sat at the dining room table, drowning my anxieties with coffee. I was on my fourth cup by the time she came out.
"Catherine, we have to - "
"Talk. I know."
She sat down at the table across from me as I poured her a mug.
"Milk and one sugar, right?"
"Right."
She swallowed a gulp, waiting for me to talk first.
"So, what happened?"
Tears welled up quickly at her eyes, and fell, splashing silently on the table. She wouldn't look at me.
"Catherine, tell me what happened."
"Eddie - he, you know..."
"What did he say?"
"It's nothing."
"Well, it's has to be something."
"Never mind."
"No, tell me what happened."
"He - " She sighed, "He had an affair."
I nodded slowly and didn't answer. Maybe she wouldn't know. I looked away and stared at the rim of the coffee mug. Maybe she wouldn't know. But she knows everything about me. As much as I try to hide, she sees pass my facade.
"You knew, didn't you?" She asked bluntly, noticing my sudden change of attitude.
"Yeah," I made out with difficulty. "Yeah, I knew."
She stared at me with this look. This look like she had been betrayed. Her eyes flashed with pain, but she didn't look away. God, I wanted her to.
"Why didn't you tell me, Grissom?"
"You have a daughter, Cath." I said slowly. "I didn't want to be the guy that broke up a family like that."
"I trusted you....I can't believe you didn't tell me. How'd you find out?"
"Does it really matter?"
"How'd you find out?"
"I saw them at a bar."
"I wish you had told me."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's not your doing."
"How'd you find out?"
"She - Melanie, well, she came to the house. She was standing at the front door, waiting for him. So, what the hell, I blew up, and told her to never set foot on the property again. That was when Eddie came. Melanie left, and, well, you know the rest..."
"Where's Lindsey?"
"At the sitter's."
"Catherine, you have to do something."
"I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"You have to do something. This is getting out of control."
"It'll be okay. I'm dealing with it."
"How?"
"I'm dealing with it, I said."
"I heard you."
"No, I don't think you did."
"Catherine - "
"Gil, enough. I don't need this right now, okay? I don't need a psychiatrist. I don't need a doctor. I don't need a marriage counselor. I don't need any of those, Gil. I just need a friend right now. All right? Please, Gil, just leave it alone."
I nodded slowly. "Okay."
She stood from the table, and I walked her to the bedroom. She sat down on the edge of the bed, and winced. I looked at her questioningly. She lifted part of her shirt to reveal a dark bruise on her ribs. I sat down beside her and touched her cheek, wiping away a tear with my thumb. I shook my head.
"He doesn't deserve you, Cath. He really doesn't."
"I know." She replied, "I know now."
"You better get some rest."
"Yeah, okay."
I pulled the bed sheets over her. And suddenly, I did something very out of character. I kissed her forehead. I think I surprised both of us.
"You won't leave me, will you, Gil?" She asked softly when I headed toward the door.
"I'll be right outside."
"But you won't really leave, will you?"
"I might as well be here worrying to hell about you than anywhere else worrying to hell about you."
"Thanks. I really mean it."
Looking at her once more before turning off the light, I closed the bedroom door quietly, leaving a part of myself behind in there with her.
[End Part One of Six]
Disclaimer : If you see them or hear about them on TV, then they are not mine.
Author's Note : [Cath/Griss] Brings "Nothing but the Best" and "Question Everything" together. This is my take on the breakdown of Catherine and Eddie's marriage through the eyes of different characters...bear with me.
Penny For Your Thoughts
GRISSOM
"Catherine - Catherine, come on, wake up. You hear me? Wake up, Cath."
I picked up her limp, broken body from the floor, and drawing her close, I carried her to the bathroom. Turning on the shower, I stepped into the bathtub, balancing against the tiled wall. I yanked roughly at the faucet, and held her unconscious form under the water that rained down on us, drenching our clothes until it stuck to the skin.
"Catherine - Catherine, wake up."
She coughed back to life, opening her eyes weakly as if a thousand pound weights had been place on her eyelids.
"Grissom?" Her voice echoed subtly against the plain walls of the bathroom; the background filled with an eerie hum of falling water.
Turning off the faucet, I climbed out of the tub, and trailed wet footprints down the hardwood floors of the hallway and out the house. Scrambling, I opened the door of the Tahoe parked on the driveway and placed her soaked figure across the backseats. Racing back into the house, I grabbed some towels from the linen closet, and rushed back out, slamming the door forcefully behind me. I threw towels around her shivering body, and wrapped her up tightly.
Her gaze met mine. I exhaled, exasperated. Without answering, I closed the car door, and hastily got into the Tahoe. The engine roared to life as I swerved unevenly out of the driveway.
"Grissom,"
I stepped down on the gas harshly, speeding down the empty, deserted street.
"Grissom," She called again.
Letting out an uneasy sigh, I gripped the steering wheel tighter, wanting to strangle the mechanical life out of it. "Yeah?"
"Grissom, where are we going?"
"Nowhere." I replied matter-of-factly. "Nowhere."
"You're taking me to the hospital."
I looked up into the rear view mirror and caught her eyes, feeling disbelief and guilt coursing through my veins. She had barely been conscious for two minutes, yet she knew me like a book she had finished reading three minutes ago. Slowly, I lowered my eyes back to the road. No words would come.
"You're taking me to the hospital." She continued, tears clouding her eyes.
"Yeah," I answered softly, "Yeah, I am."
"Grissom, don't - "
"This has gone on too far." I said starkly, more to myself than to her.
"I'm dealing with - "
"This isn't dealing with it, Catherine."
"You don't know what the hell you're talking about."
"I know enough." I snapped back, though I really didn't mean to.
"Grissom, please, don't do this."
"Well, I can't just stand around, watching him do this to you."
"Grissom, please - "
"No."
"I'm not going to the hos - "
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not. Let me out."
"We're almost there."
"Grissom, pull over and let me out."
"Catherine - "
"Gil,"
I flinched mentally at the use of my first name. I glanced at the rear view mirror again, and saw her pained eyes.
"Gil, I'm not going." She said steadily, her eyes unwavering.
Unwillingly, I pulled over to the side of the road, letting the engine idle. She had an undeniable effect over me. I cursed under my breath. The clock read 2:21 AM.
It was only two hours earlier when I had worried myself to the point of oblivion. A) She hadn't shown up for work. B) She didn't call in. C) I left a half dozen messages on her answering machine. And lastly, D) I always feared that a night like this would come.
And, needless to say, it did.
She was waiting. She was waiting for me to make a move. I got out of the seatbelt, and turned around facing her. She was lying across the backseats, her hair soaked, a mass of towels wrapped clumsily around her. Her piercing blue eyes stared back at mine ambivalently, already knowing she had won.
Which she had.
I reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. I touched her pale cheek. She looked like a porcelain doll. I swallowed hard, and nodded slowly. A weary smile played its way across her lips.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of you." I said quietly, pulling my seatbelt back on.
"You better." She whispered, allowing her eyes to close.
So, I drove. I drove her to my house. Without waking her, I carried her in, and placed her gently on my bed. I pulled out extra bed sheets and covered her up. I figured she would sleep for the rest of the night, but she didn't. She woke up within a half hour or so.
"Grissom?" I heard her voice call out.
I made it to the bedroom within a few strides and found her sitting up from bed. "You feeling all right?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"Why don't you go take a shower."
"That sounds good."
I steadied her to her feet. "There are extra towels in the bathroom."
While she showered, I sat at the dining room table, drowning my anxieties with coffee. I was on my fourth cup by the time she came out.
"Catherine, we have to - "
"Talk. I know."
She sat down at the table across from me as I poured her a mug.
"Milk and one sugar, right?"
"Right."
She swallowed a gulp, waiting for me to talk first.
"So, what happened?"
Tears welled up quickly at her eyes, and fell, splashing silently on the table. She wouldn't look at me.
"Catherine, tell me what happened."
"Eddie - he, you know..."
"What did he say?"
"It's nothing."
"Well, it's has to be something."
"Never mind."
"No, tell me what happened."
"He - " She sighed, "He had an affair."
I nodded slowly and didn't answer. Maybe she wouldn't know. I looked away and stared at the rim of the coffee mug. Maybe she wouldn't know. But she knows everything about me. As much as I try to hide, she sees pass my facade.
"You knew, didn't you?" She asked bluntly, noticing my sudden change of attitude.
"Yeah," I made out with difficulty. "Yeah, I knew."
She stared at me with this look. This look like she had been betrayed. Her eyes flashed with pain, but she didn't look away. God, I wanted her to.
"Why didn't you tell me, Grissom?"
"You have a daughter, Cath." I said slowly. "I didn't want to be the guy that broke up a family like that."
"I trusted you....I can't believe you didn't tell me. How'd you find out?"
"Does it really matter?"
"How'd you find out?"
"I saw them at a bar."
"I wish you had told me."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's not your doing."
"How'd you find out?"
"She - Melanie, well, she came to the house. She was standing at the front door, waiting for him. So, what the hell, I blew up, and told her to never set foot on the property again. That was when Eddie came. Melanie left, and, well, you know the rest..."
"Where's Lindsey?"
"At the sitter's."
"Catherine, you have to do something."
"I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"You have to do something. This is getting out of control."
"It'll be okay. I'm dealing with it."
"How?"
"I'm dealing with it, I said."
"I heard you."
"No, I don't think you did."
"Catherine - "
"Gil, enough. I don't need this right now, okay? I don't need a psychiatrist. I don't need a doctor. I don't need a marriage counselor. I don't need any of those, Gil. I just need a friend right now. All right? Please, Gil, just leave it alone."
I nodded slowly. "Okay."
She stood from the table, and I walked her to the bedroom. She sat down on the edge of the bed, and winced. I looked at her questioningly. She lifted part of her shirt to reveal a dark bruise on her ribs. I sat down beside her and touched her cheek, wiping away a tear with my thumb. I shook my head.
"He doesn't deserve you, Cath. He really doesn't."
"I know." She replied, "I know now."
"You better get some rest."
"Yeah, okay."
I pulled the bed sheets over her. And suddenly, I did something very out of character. I kissed her forehead. I think I surprised both of us.
"You won't leave me, will you, Gil?" She asked softly when I headed toward the door.
"I'll be right outside."
"But you won't really leave, will you?"
"I might as well be here worrying to hell about you than anywhere else worrying to hell about you."
"Thanks. I really mean it."
Looking at her once more before turning off the light, I closed the bedroom door quietly, leaving a part of myself behind in there with her.
[End Part One of Six]