Title: Rinse

Author: Emily

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI, so please don't sue me

Rating: G, I guess

Author's Note: This is set before the show started. ~Represent Catherine's thoughts~ This is my first real fic, so please be gentle. Dialouge isn't really my strong suit in any story, so don't ask me why I wrote a fic like this. I just did. But please read and review. Even if you hate it, let me know, so I'll stay away from writing these kinds of stories again.

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"Catherine, where did you get that?"

~Great, just great. He wasn't supposed to notice. Nobody was supposed to notice~

"I, uh, fell down the stairs."

~I've never been any good at lying to Grissom~

"You got a black eye from falling down the stairs? It looks more like someone hit you to me."

~He can always see right through me~

"Well, you're wrong. I fell down the stairs. I tripped over one of Lindsay's toys."

~Great job, Cath. Now you're pinning this on your daughter~

"Uh-huh"

"Can you just drop it?"

She'd do anything to sparkle in his eye

She would suffer, she would fight, and compromise.

She's been wishin' on the stars that shine so bright

For answers to questions that will haunt her tonight

She must rinse this all away.

She can't hold him this way.

She must rinse this all away.

She can't love him this way.

"Cath, I'm worried about you. This is the second time this month that you've come into work all beat up. When are you gonna leave him?"

"Easy- I'm not."

~I can't leave Eddie. I love Eddie. I need Eddie~

"This is crazy. You can't keep letting him treat you like this. You deserve better."

"Thanks, Gil, but I'm fine. Really."

How she'd be soothed, how she'd be saved if he could see

She needs to be held in his arms to be free

But everything happens for reasons that she will never understand

Till she knows that the heart of a woman can never be found in the arms of a man.

She must rinse this all away.

She can't hold him this way.

She must rinse this all away.

She can't love him this way.

"Can I come in?"

~Why am I even here?~

"Of course Cath, you're always welcome here."

"Do you have any orange juice?"

"Sure. Just the way you like it?"

~He knows me too well~

"Yeah, that would be great."

"Here you go."

"Thanks."

~It was now or never~

"I left Eddie."

"You what?"

"You heard me. I left him. I caught him with someone else."

"I'm sorry, Catherine."

~Why doesn't he look surprised~

"You knew, didn't you?"

~Why didn't he tell me?~

"Yeah, I did. I'm sorry, I just- I didn't want to hurt you."

"Don't you think it would hurt more finding the man you love the most in bed with someone else than hearing it from your best friend?"

~I have to get out of here~

"Cath, I."

"Don't. I have to go."

And if she runs away she fears she won't be followed

What could be worse than leaving something behind

And as the depths of oceans slowly become shallow

Its loneliness she finds.

If only he was mine

He walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't think it was my place."

"It's not your fault. I should have seen it for myself. I can't believe I was so naive."

"He didn't deserve you."

"I know." She took his hand in hers, "I know."

She'd do anything to sparkle in his eye

She would suffer, she would fight, and compromise.

She's been wishin' on the stars that shine so bright

For answers to questions that will haunt her tonight.

She must rinse him

She must rinse him.

She can't rinse him

She can't rinse him.

She can't, she won't, she must rinse him

She can't, she won't, she must rinse him

She must rinse this all away

She can't hold him this way

She must rinse this all away

She can't love him this way

*End*

A/N: The song is Rinse by Vanessa Carlton, from the CD Be Not Nobody. It's really an awesome CD- I encourage you all to buy it. I heard the song, and had to write a fic for it. Aparrantly a lot of other people liked the song as well, because I thought there was already a fic with this title, so I checked on ff.n, and there were so many song fics based on this song. I guess I'm not the only one who thinks its a great song. This isn't exactly what I had in mine when I listened to it, but it'll do. :-D