What you know can't hurt.
By Rose Williams.
Rating: G
Spoilers: The Hunger Artist.
Authors Note: I apologise for the frivolousness of this fic. I had to write it. This one's for Kate, G/C to my G/S.
Disclaimer: CSI was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and belongs to CBS Broadcasting and Alliance Atlantis Productions. No infringement of any rights is intended, and I am not profiting from this.
Feedback is always welcome: Mejethrim@hotmail.com
Two fairly simple cases. A corner store hold up for Nick and photographer and a break and enter for Sara and Warrick.
"Catherine, my office," Grissom ordered when he had finished assignments.
Warrick looked at Catherine, concerned for her. Nick and Sara both looked at Grissom, trying to see what was wrong.
Grissom simply shrugged at them and waved them to work. Catherine gave Warrick one look and he held up both hands as if she'd threatened to punch him. It was quite probable that she had.
Catherine followed Grissom to his office with a half amused, half apprehensive smile, like she wasn't sure if it was a joke and wasn't about to risk it either way.
"No, need to look at me that way," Grissom told her. He knew the look.
"Then why am I here?" Catherine asked.
Grissom sat down in his chair, leaving Catherine standing. She crossed her arms over her chest and studied him. He wasn't looking at her. He started speaking softly. As he went on Catherine relaxed.
He told her about his parents' divorce. He'd never told anyone before. At five years old it had seemed to him that everything that had ever made sense ceased to. He learnt that even the bonds of love, those supposed to be the strongest weren't anything more than a happy illusion.
He'd studied dead animals because they were easy. They couldn't lie. Dead bodies couldn't lie, and evidence didn't lie. He trusted his job in a way he'd never been able to trust anyone since then.
He never let anyone in. He had seen how much it had hurt his mother. He was all she had when she started to go deaf.
Grissom began to sign as he continued with his story. He looked across the room, but not at Catherine. He didn't see that she was watching his hands as intently as she was listening. This was a new thing from Grissom. She'd never known him to say much and for all the evidence she had he didn't actually exist unless there was a case to solve.
But then he started talking about her.
"You're so loving, Catherine," he said.
Unconsciously he used name he'd developed for her. 'Cat' wasn't so creative, he'd combined it with the sign for 'everything.'
"I know you were worried about making Lindsey odd. But really, if she's even half the woman you are she'll do amazingly well. You care so much about how what we do effects the actual people involved. Even though so much has happened to you. You were hurt so much, and went through so much, and I never did as much as I could to help you.
"I hope that you can be here for me. I want you here."
He glanced quickly at her. He saw enough to know she was listening.
"My mother's condition," he continued, glad that Catherine hadn't disputed anything. "It's genetic. I'm going deaf."
His last signs were more hesitant than his voice.
Catherine was quiet for a long moment. Grissom had to look up at her to make sure she was still there.
"Oh, Gil," she managed to say.
"I wanted… I was hoping I'd be able to teach you sign language," he said.
With his hands he said, "I need you here. I love you."
"I know," Catherine signed back, smiling.