To Relieve Grief" part 1/1
By Rita Widmer
Disclaimer: CSI characters don't belong to me but to CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer.
Rated: PG or PG13
Spoilers: Lady Heather's Box
AN: Thanks to Lauri for betaing this story.
************************************************************************
Gil sat in his car watching Lady Heather's place. He wanted to go in there, and apologize for accusing her of murder, but he knew he'd lost all chances with her. She was done with him, and she would go on with her lifestyle. She wasn't Catherine who was ready to move away from being a stripper and start anew. There was only one person like Catherine and that was Catherine. He kept looking for someone like her, and failed at all attempts
The phone ringing startled him from his reverie. "Grissom," he answered.
"Uncle Grissom, this is Lindsey," said Lindsey.
"Is something wrong? Is your mom all right?" Grissom asked, worried about Catherine.
"She's crying. I...I don't know what to do. Please come over. She needs you."
He had already started the car, and heading over to Cath's. "I'll be there as soon as possible, Lindsey. Go sit by her."
"Thanks, Uncle Grissom. Bye."
"Bye Lindsey." He hung up and continued his trip to Catherine's. He never thought he would see Catherine cry.
************************************
He knocked on the door anxiously. He was expecting Catherine to open it up, but Lindsey stood before him. He bent down to talk to her. "Where's your mom? Why don't you go to bed, and I'll take care of her?"
She yawned and nodded. She knew her 'uncle' wouldn't let her down.
Gil didn't know what to expect as he walked into Catherine's bedroom. What he got was the last thing on his mind.
There in front of him lay a crying Catherine, but as he entered she quickly sat up having felt his presence.
"Grissom, what are you doing here? I thought I told you I was fine."
"Lindsey called me. She was worried about you, and thought I could help you. I would have been here before if you only would have asked."
"So its my fault that you weren't there for me. You were so busy with Lady Heather that I was no longer important to you. You let Sara handle an important case. One that you knew would play a part in both mine and Lindsey's life. SHE couldn't even solve the case. Eddie's murderer will get away with it, because she can't do her job."
"Sara did her job as well as she could, Catherine. Don't put the blame on her. She is upset enough at herself for not solving it."
"We know her best, Grissom, and this wasn't it, because she didn't care. If the case mattered to her she would have put all that she had in herself to solve it. We've seen it before with round the clock work, but no she didn't even have half her heart into this case. You should have been doing this case. At least for your friend, but you didn't even supervise the case. Was sleeping with her worth hurting your friends over?"
"I would have done anything if you had just told me. I wanted to be there for you, but you pushed me away. I thought Sara would do her job just as well as anybody else. Please Catherine let me in. I care so much about you and Lindsey."
Catherine had been standing right in his face as she confronted him. 'Was that tears in his eyes?' She backed away from him giving him his space again. Watching him in pain took most of her anger away. "Do you mean that? I don't want pity from you or anyone. Lindsey and I can survive on our own. I did it once before when I divorced Eddie, and I can do it again." The pain in her words was still there.
He put his hand on her face trying to provide comfort to her. "I don't pity you. I could never do that, because no matter what I know you can survive. You have survived more then any woman I know, and have come out of it a better person."
"Well, for much of it I had a wonderful man to be my strength. His strength kept me going day to day. I knew I had something better to live for then my past."
Grissom was confused. 'Who was this man?' "Who was that?"
"You, you silly man. You take life in stride. Never look back should be your philosophy not mine. I have to fight my past every day. Each day I have to prove myself to others that I'm better then it. With you though I never have to, because you believe in me no matter what."
"I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were more then a stripper. The more I got to know you the more I realized that you were smart, kind, and beautiful on the inside and out."
"Is that what you see in Lady Heather?"
"I realized something today. I was trying to find another you, but she is not you. She is beautiful, and she maybe smart. But she isn't like you at all. She is missing something that is you."
"I'll always be here, Gil. Why do you look for a replacement for me?"
"Because I don't know what I would do without you in my life. I think I need you there. More now then ever."
"What's going on? What's happened?"
"No, now is not the time. I can't add to all your problems. This won't go away over time. When the time is right I will tell you. Please just leave it for now."
"You said you would do anything for me?"
"Anything, my dear Catherine."
"Could I have a hug?"
He nodded as he opened up his arms to let her in. He held her tight as she let out all her emotions. He knew she was going to be all right, and when he was ready to tell her she would be there for him.
She leaned back from him. "Would you come with us to the funeral?"
"Are you sure? He and I never did get along."
"If you don't want to you don't have to."
"I will if you want me to."
"Yes, and you will look over Sara's work?"
"Cath that is alot to ask of me. I would have to go behind her back."
"If you say she did her job as well as she could, then I will apologize to her for her work."
"I will think about it."
"That's all I can ask of you. Life is starting to look better."
"Good."
In each others arms, Cath allowed herself to grieve and let out her fears. Lindsey will survive with the help of her mom and Uncle Grissom over time. Eddie Willows will never hurt anyone ever again.
The End
By Rita Widmer
Disclaimer: CSI characters don't belong to me but to CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer.
Rated: PG or PG13
Spoilers: Lady Heather's Box
AN: Thanks to Lauri for betaing this story.
************************************************************************
Gil sat in his car watching Lady Heather's place. He wanted to go in there, and apologize for accusing her of murder, but he knew he'd lost all chances with her. She was done with him, and she would go on with her lifestyle. She wasn't Catherine who was ready to move away from being a stripper and start anew. There was only one person like Catherine and that was Catherine. He kept looking for someone like her, and failed at all attempts
The phone ringing startled him from his reverie. "Grissom," he answered.
"Uncle Grissom, this is Lindsey," said Lindsey.
"Is something wrong? Is your mom all right?" Grissom asked, worried about Catherine.
"She's crying. I...I don't know what to do. Please come over. She needs you."
He had already started the car, and heading over to Cath's. "I'll be there as soon as possible, Lindsey. Go sit by her."
"Thanks, Uncle Grissom. Bye."
"Bye Lindsey." He hung up and continued his trip to Catherine's. He never thought he would see Catherine cry.
************************************
He knocked on the door anxiously. He was expecting Catherine to open it up, but Lindsey stood before him. He bent down to talk to her. "Where's your mom? Why don't you go to bed, and I'll take care of her?"
She yawned and nodded. She knew her 'uncle' wouldn't let her down.
Gil didn't know what to expect as he walked into Catherine's bedroom. What he got was the last thing on his mind.
There in front of him lay a crying Catherine, but as he entered she quickly sat up having felt his presence.
"Grissom, what are you doing here? I thought I told you I was fine."
"Lindsey called me. She was worried about you, and thought I could help you. I would have been here before if you only would have asked."
"So its my fault that you weren't there for me. You were so busy with Lady Heather that I was no longer important to you. You let Sara handle an important case. One that you knew would play a part in both mine and Lindsey's life. SHE couldn't even solve the case. Eddie's murderer will get away with it, because she can't do her job."
"Sara did her job as well as she could, Catherine. Don't put the blame on her. She is upset enough at herself for not solving it."
"We know her best, Grissom, and this wasn't it, because she didn't care. If the case mattered to her she would have put all that she had in herself to solve it. We've seen it before with round the clock work, but no she didn't even have half her heart into this case. You should have been doing this case. At least for your friend, but you didn't even supervise the case. Was sleeping with her worth hurting your friends over?"
"I would have done anything if you had just told me. I wanted to be there for you, but you pushed me away. I thought Sara would do her job just as well as anybody else. Please Catherine let me in. I care so much about you and Lindsey."
Catherine had been standing right in his face as she confronted him. 'Was that tears in his eyes?' She backed away from him giving him his space again. Watching him in pain took most of her anger away. "Do you mean that? I don't want pity from you or anyone. Lindsey and I can survive on our own. I did it once before when I divorced Eddie, and I can do it again." The pain in her words was still there.
He put his hand on her face trying to provide comfort to her. "I don't pity you. I could never do that, because no matter what I know you can survive. You have survived more then any woman I know, and have come out of it a better person."
"Well, for much of it I had a wonderful man to be my strength. His strength kept me going day to day. I knew I had something better to live for then my past."
Grissom was confused. 'Who was this man?' "Who was that?"
"You, you silly man. You take life in stride. Never look back should be your philosophy not mine. I have to fight my past every day. Each day I have to prove myself to others that I'm better then it. With you though I never have to, because you believe in me no matter what."
"I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were more then a stripper. The more I got to know you the more I realized that you were smart, kind, and beautiful on the inside and out."
"Is that what you see in Lady Heather?"
"I realized something today. I was trying to find another you, but she is not you. She is beautiful, and she maybe smart. But she isn't like you at all. She is missing something that is you."
"I'll always be here, Gil. Why do you look for a replacement for me?"
"Because I don't know what I would do without you in my life. I think I need you there. More now then ever."
"What's going on? What's happened?"
"No, now is not the time. I can't add to all your problems. This won't go away over time. When the time is right I will tell you. Please just leave it for now."
"You said you would do anything for me?"
"Anything, my dear Catherine."
"Could I have a hug?"
He nodded as he opened up his arms to let her in. He held her tight as she let out all her emotions. He knew she was going to be all right, and when he was ready to tell her she would be there for him.
She leaned back from him. "Would you come with us to the funeral?"
"Are you sure? He and I never did get along."
"If you don't want to you don't have to."
"I will if you want me to."
"Yes, and you will look over Sara's work?"
"Cath that is alot to ask of me. I would have to go behind her back."
"If you say she did her job as well as she could, then I will apologize to her for her work."
"I will think about it."
"That's all I can ask of you. Life is starting to look better."
"Good."
In each others arms, Cath allowed herself to grieve and let out her fears. Lindsey will survive with the help of her mom and Uncle Grissom over time. Eddie Willows will never hurt anyone ever again.
The End