Chapter 3
After a hard day of pulling a double shift, there was nothing more soothing to Gil Grissom than driving in the rain while listening to classical music. As hard as the work day had been, Grissom felt all the tension ease away as he turned onto his street. He was looking forward to sitting down to a good book and a cup of coffee.
All those plans changed however, as Grissom pulled his truck to a halt in front of his townhouse. He squinted, not sure if what he saw was only a figment of his imagination, but he quickly realized that what he saw was very real.
"Gil," whispered the soft voice from the porch as he approached.
"My god," he said taking her icy hands in his as he helped her to her feet. "You're soaking wet. How long have you been here?"
"I don't know," Catherine replied as she began to shiver.
Once inside the house, Grissom brewed some tea while Catherine changed into a pair of sweatpants and a one of his shirts. Shuffling back into the living room wordlessly, she gratefully accepted the warm mug he handed to her. As they both sank onto the couch, Grissom didn't have to ask who was responsible for Catherine's presence on the dreary night. He had noticed the new bruises forming on her wrists and could only imagine what other harm had come to her that night at her husband's hand.
"I thought you were leaving him," he finally blurted out.
"I-I was, but things have changed," Catherine said, her eyes fixed on her hands.
Grissom paused, knowing there was more to this story than a mere change of heart. When the honeymoon between Catherine and Eddie had ended so to speak, she had been angry. Normally when she showed up at his townhouse, she would be fuming at her husband's ignorance and her own stupidity for ever trusting him, but tonight was different. She looked so small and alone wrapped in one of his black button down shirts.
"Catherine," he said softly brushing away a strand of blond hair that had fallen onto her face. At his touch she looked up, and their eyes met.
"It's nothing please don't," she whispered, looking down and trying desperately not to cry.
"Don't what?" Grissom asked, taking one of her slim hands in his.
"Don't tell me it's all going to be alright so long as I leave him," Catherine whimpered, getting up from the couch. She began to pace. "If walking out on Eddie were the solution, I would've done it, tonight in fact. But it's not that easy Gil. God knows I wish it were, but it's not. And you can't even begin to understand what I'm going through."
"I'm sure I can't," Grissom sighed. "But you must've thought I could help you somehow, or else you wouldn't have come here."
"You know," Catherine continued as if she hadn't heard him. "If I were only thinking of myself, this would all work itself out. I'd go back to that slobbering drunk and tell him we were through. And yeah, maybe he'd throw me down the stairs and call me a whore, but it would be over so fast."
"It doesn't have to be like that Catherine," Grissom pleaded. He stood up and crossed to where she was standing in front of the window, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"It won't be," she sighed. "I'm just planning on keeping to myself these next nine months, working as much as possible, and then I can figure things out after that."
"Nine months," Grissom echoed softly, finally putting the pieces together.
She turned to face him, eyes shining with tears, "Can you believe it? I'm going to be a mother. Look at me, an ex-stripper, former coke addict, married to a drunken rock star wannabe."
"You're also a brilliant investigator, warm, loving, caring, and the greatest friend I could've ever asked for," Grissom said leading her back to the couch and wrapping his arms around her. "This baby is going to be proud to have you as her mother."
After an hour of crying in Grissom's arms, Catherine finally stared up at him, sniffling, "Gil, how do you know it's going to be a girl?"
Grissom shrugged, "Call it a hunch."
"I thought you didn't believe in hunches," Catherine replied, snuggling close to him.
"Well I was right about you, wasn't I?" he said, gently stoking her blond hair.
Catherine shook her head sadly, "I have this awful habit of letting people down. My parents, my sisters, it's only a matter of time before I let you down too. I just hope I can get it together enough so I never have to let this baby down."
"Just keep being the outstanding women you are Catherine, and you won't let either of us down," Grissom whispered.
After a hard day of pulling a double shift, there was nothing more soothing to Gil Grissom than driving in the rain while listening to classical music. As hard as the work day had been, Grissom felt all the tension ease away as he turned onto his street. He was looking forward to sitting down to a good book and a cup of coffee.
All those plans changed however, as Grissom pulled his truck to a halt in front of his townhouse. He squinted, not sure if what he saw was only a figment of his imagination, but he quickly realized that what he saw was very real.
"Gil," whispered the soft voice from the porch as he approached.
"My god," he said taking her icy hands in his as he helped her to her feet. "You're soaking wet. How long have you been here?"
"I don't know," Catherine replied as she began to shiver.
Once inside the house, Grissom brewed some tea while Catherine changed into a pair of sweatpants and a one of his shirts. Shuffling back into the living room wordlessly, she gratefully accepted the warm mug he handed to her. As they both sank onto the couch, Grissom didn't have to ask who was responsible for Catherine's presence on the dreary night. He had noticed the new bruises forming on her wrists and could only imagine what other harm had come to her that night at her husband's hand.
"I thought you were leaving him," he finally blurted out.
"I-I was, but things have changed," Catherine said, her eyes fixed on her hands.
Grissom paused, knowing there was more to this story than a mere change of heart. When the honeymoon between Catherine and Eddie had ended so to speak, she had been angry. Normally when she showed up at his townhouse, she would be fuming at her husband's ignorance and her own stupidity for ever trusting him, but tonight was different. She looked so small and alone wrapped in one of his black button down shirts.
"Catherine," he said softly brushing away a strand of blond hair that had fallen onto her face. At his touch she looked up, and their eyes met.
"It's nothing please don't," she whispered, looking down and trying desperately not to cry.
"Don't what?" Grissom asked, taking one of her slim hands in his.
"Don't tell me it's all going to be alright so long as I leave him," Catherine whimpered, getting up from the couch. She began to pace. "If walking out on Eddie were the solution, I would've done it, tonight in fact. But it's not that easy Gil. God knows I wish it were, but it's not. And you can't even begin to understand what I'm going through."
"I'm sure I can't," Grissom sighed. "But you must've thought I could help you somehow, or else you wouldn't have come here."
"You know," Catherine continued as if she hadn't heard him. "If I were only thinking of myself, this would all work itself out. I'd go back to that slobbering drunk and tell him we were through. And yeah, maybe he'd throw me down the stairs and call me a whore, but it would be over so fast."
"It doesn't have to be like that Catherine," Grissom pleaded. He stood up and crossed to where she was standing in front of the window, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"It won't be," she sighed. "I'm just planning on keeping to myself these next nine months, working as much as possible, and then I can figure things out after that."
"Nine months," Grissom echoed softly, finally putting the pieces together.
She turned to face him, eyes shining with tears, "Can you believe it? I'm going to be a mother. Look at me, an ex-stripper, former coke addict, married to a drunken rock star wannabe."
"You're also a brilliant investigator, warm, loving, caring, and the greatest friend I could've ever asked for," Grissom said leading her back to the couch and wrapping his arms around her. "This baby is going to be proud to have you as her mother."
After an hour of crying in Grissom's arms, Catherine finally stared up at him, sniffling, "Gil, how do you know it's going to be a girl?"
Grissom shrugged, "Call it a hunch."
"I thought you didn't believe in hunches," Catherine replied, snuggling close to him.
"Well I was right about you, wasn't I?" he said, gently stoking her blond hair.
Catherine shook her head sadly, "I have this awful habit of letting people down. My parents, my sisters, it's only a matter of time before I let you down too. I just hope I can get it together enough so I never have to let this baby down."
"Just keep being the outstanding women you are Catherine, and you won't let either of us down," Grissom whispered.