Disclaimers: Not mine.

Spoilers: Inside The Box

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A MOMENT IN LIFE – (Chapter 4)

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Catherine smirked as she and Grissom walked out of the crime lab.

"No, it wasn't." Grissom shook his head, almost in disbelief that none of the night-shift CSI's had given him a particularly hard time after he told them about his hearing, "It was actually really easy. A little too easy."

"Why are you always so suspicious?"

"Bad job habit. Sorry." He smiled as they reached her car.

"So you want a ride home?"

"Actually I was thinking about staying here for a bit..." He trailed off, nodding towards the building they had just exited.

She looked at him and rolled her eyes, "I should've known! Let you come back and you'll never leave again." When he said nothing and smiled sheepishly, she sighed, "I know, I know...bad job habit, right?"

He nodded and stood there in silence, watching as she searched for her keys then opened the door. "Hey Cath?"

"Yeah?" She stopped as she was just about to hop into her car.

"Thanks...for everything." He wondered just how stupid he must sound at this moment. Why could he never find the right words when he needed them?

"You're welcome." She began entering her car when she noticed he wasn't budging from his spot. "Grissom? You alright?"


"Yeah, I was just thinking...maybe I could drop by later...I mean, if you and Lindsey are free. Maybe I can take you guys out for dinner...something to say thank you for...you know..." He shrugged shyly.

"How about we'll talk when you get whatever you gotta do in there done?" She gestured at the lab, "You know how involved you are with your paperwork."

He nodded again, understanding what she didn't put into words. She didn't have to say it. He knew what she meant. She didn't like having people make promises and then not keeping them. Eddie did that a lot. He watched as her car made its way out of the parking lot and sped down the road away from the lab.

Maybe it was time to show her not everyone was like Eddie. There were some people in this world who could make a promise and keep it. And he was determined to be one of them.

*To Be Continued*