Part V: Do you love her?
It was almost time for Lindsey to come home. Catherine had just fallen asleep and he was left alone with his own thoughts. He had fallen asleep when they initially laid down, waking after three hours of peaceful slumber. He had woken her up as the doctor had ordered and suggested a light snack to fill the time.
As they ate in silence he made up his mind that she would be calling in that evening. He didn't quite know what to do about her admission in the car earlier. He always considered her a very close friend, someone he could bring anything up with, but he never considered how she viewed their relationship. He had expected that Lindsey would be among the many thoughts that ran through her mind when she was attacked, but not him. That she thought of him at all surprised him.
He looked down at the sleeping figure beside him. Her head rested on his lap trusting him to keep her safe. He remembered the last time they had a chance to just be there with each other. It was shortly after she and Ed had separated. Lindsey was with Ed for the weekend and Catherine didn't want to go home alone. They had been working together for years and he enjoyed being around her, but he always kept to himself until that day. After she delayed going home for two hours he offered to keep her company if it would mean she would actually leave the building.
The few hours he intended to stay turned into the whole weekend. That weekend he had learned a lot about her and she him. They had shared stories, sometimes of the past, but not all. They still kept some things from each other. But to this day, she was the only person that he would trust with his fears.
Grissom didn't get a chance to turn his attention to other things because at that moment the daughter of the person he was thinking about came through the door, her face beaming with happiness.
Lindsey stopped herself from talking when she saw that her mom was sleeping, using Uncle Grissom's lap as a pillow. She was so excited that his car was still in the driveway when she got home. Lindsey put her book bag away before approaching the couch to give her "uncle" a hug hello.
Grissom extricated himself from Catherine's still sleeping form and motioned for Lindsey to follow him into the kitchen. He poured her a glass of milk and searched for something to give her as an after school snack.
"Mommy hides the cookies on the top shelf of the pantry," Lindsey said quietly, hoping that he would spoil her for the second time that day. Grissom looked at the little girl and saw the mischievousness on her face.
He found the box of cookies and poured some out onto a plate and set it down between them on the kitchen counter. He glanced into the living room to check on his sleeping friend and calculated how much time he had before she needed to wake up. He had enough time.
"Linds, I need to go home for awhile, but your mom needs some sleep yet."
"Can I come with you, Uncle Gil?" There was something Lindsey wanted to ask him, but she didn't want her mom to overhear the question.
"I," Grissom was going to protest, but he could tell that she had something to say. "Okay. I'll write your mom a note and then we'll leave."
Lindsey downed the remaining milk as Grissom wrote a note to Catherine. Grissom checked his watch and mentally calculated the time he had before needing to be back. They quietly exited the house and started the drive to his townhouse.
After a few minutes of silence, Lindsey ventured, "Uncle Gil, do you love my mom?"
It was almost time for Lindsey to come home. Catherine had just fallen asleep and he was left alone with his own thoughts. He had fallen asleep when they initially laid down, waking after three hours of peaceful slumber. He had woken her up as the doctor had ordered and suggested a light snack to fill the time.
As they ate in silence he made up his mind that she would be calling in that evening. He didn't quite know what to do about her admission in the car earlier. He always considered her a very close friend, someone he could bring anything up with, but he never considered how she viewed their relationship. He had expected that Lindsey would be among the many thoughts that ran through her mind when she was attacked, but not him. That she thought of him at all surprised him.
He looked down at the sleeping figure beside him. Her head rested on his lap trusting him to keep her safe. He remembered the last time they had a chance to just be there with each other. It was shortly after she and Ed had separated. Lindsey was with Ed for the weekend and Catherine didn't want to go home alone. They had been working together for years and he enjoyed being around her, but he always kept to himself until that day. After she delayed going home for two hours he offered to keep her company if it would mean she would actually leave the building.
The few hours he intended to stay turned into the whole weekend. That weekend he had learned a lot about her and she him. They had shared stories, sometimes of the past, but not all. They still kept some things from each other. But to this day, she was the only person that he would trust with his fears.
Grissom didn't get a chance to turn his attention to other things because at that moment the daughter of the person he was thinking about came through the door, her face beaming with happiness.
Lindsey stopped herself from talking when she saw that her mom was sleeping, using Uncle Grissom's lap as a pillow. She was so excited that his car was still in the driveway when she got home. Lindsey put her book bag away before approaching the couch to give her "uncle" a hug hello.
Grissom extricated himself from Catherine's still sleeping form and motioned for Lindsey to follow him into the kitchen. He poured her a glass of milk and searched for something to give her as an after school snack.
"Mommy hides the cookies on the top shelf of the pantry," Lindsey said quietly, hoping that he would spoil her for the second time that day. Grissom looked at the little girl and saw the mischievousness on her face.
He found the box of cookies and poured some out onto a plate and set it down between them on the kitchen counter. He glanced into the living room to check on his sleeping friend and calculated how much time he had before she needed to wake up. He had enough time.
"Linds, I need to go home for awhile, but your mom needs some sleep yet."
"Can I come with you, Uncle Gil?" There was something Lindsey wanted to ask him, but she didn't want her mom to overhear the question.
"I," Grissom was going to protest, but he could tell that she had something to say. "Okay. I'll write your mom a note and then we'll leave."
Lindsey downed the remaining milk as Grissom wrote a note to Catherine. Grissom checked his watch and mentally calculated the time he had before needing to be back. They quietly exited the house and started the drive to his townhouse.
After a few minutes of silence, Lindsey ventured, "Uncle Gil, do you love my mom?"