RESTORATION
By The Madhatter
Rating: PG
Pairings: G/C with some W/C friendship
Spoilers: A Little Murder
A/N: I was mad that there wasn't a G/C scene after A Little Murder, so I had to write something. I know this has been done numerous times, but no harm in adding my bit to the mix, right? This takes place before Grissom goes to the deaf school. :P Oh, and reviews would make my summer even brighter! *hint, hint* :P
Catherine slammed her locker shut, with an aggravated cry, after looking at her cut for the hundredth time that shift.
"Whoa, looks like someone needs to take a chill pill."
She spun around, surprised, and found the tall and lanky Warrick Brown behind her, leaning against his locker with an amused smile on his face. "Sorry, I'm just frustrated."
"Couldn't tell." Now he had a smirk on his face along with a twinkle in his eye. "What's up now? It's not Eddie again, is it?"
"No." She sighed and leaned back on her locker. "Not Eddie. It's just. . ."
"You're still scared?" He offered gently.
"Yeah, I still am," she confirmed regretfully. "I just wish that I could get over it, ya know? I hate having to turn around every other second to see if someone's following me. I hate having to be jumpy all the time. I don't like this feeling of insecurity."
"I know what you mean." Warrick got off his perch and came over to give Catherine a hug. "Hey, it's all right. I know you can get through this. You've gotten through worse. Come on, a little mishap couldn't scare Catherine the Great!"
Catherine buried her face into Warrick's chest to hide her laughter. "Catherine the Great. Yeah right. What would Lindsey think if she saw her mother like this right now?"
He pulled away and held her at arms length. "Look at me," he said gently, tilting her chin upwards, " She would say that you're one of the strongest people she knows. No, don't shake your head. Come on, Cath, you've survived Eddie and you can even put up with Grissom. There's not a lot of people that can do that." She laughed at that comment. "A suspect jumping you by surprise is nothing compared to that. Look what Eddie did to you."
"Yeah, but Eddie wasn't a murderer."
"He could've been," he said, his tone serious.
"Look, I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine. Well, as fine as an injured CSI can be anyway," Catherine said, laughing nervously to try and break the tension.
"Cath. . ."
She sighed. "Okay, okay. I know that this shouldn't have scared me as much, but I can't help the fact that I feel vulnerable. You think crime scenes are safe, that nothing should happen to you, right? Then, boom! It all backfires in your face." She shook her head helplessly. "I don't know anymore."
"Why don't you just go home and rest? Maybe that'll help you calm down for a bit."
"Yeah, maybe." She gave Warrick one last hug. "Thanks again, Warrick. I'm glad you were there."
"I just wish I was there sooner."
"Hey, it wasn't your fault. I sent the rookie out, no biggie. At least I wasn't killed or something."
"Yeah, yeah. . ."
"Since when the roles switch?" Catherine joked. "It wasn't your fault, it wasn't the rookie's fault, okay? Just stop blaming yourself, please?"
"You could've ended up just like Holly. . ."
It pained Catherine to see her friend in such turmoil, especially about Holly Gribbs. It had been two years since that incident and he was still beating himself up over it. "Warrick, listen to me," she said, placing her hand on his arm. "I want you to remember something for me, okay?" He nodded feebly. "Holly died serving this county, this nation. She died as a hero. Don't make her death be in vain, all right?" She reached up and touched the side of his face tenderly. "It'll be all right."
He nodded again, this time with more energy. "Thanks, Cath." He gave her another hug.
"We better get out of here or some people are gonna start getting the wrong impression."
He chuckled. "Good point. I just need to get something and I'll be on my way. See ya later."
"Later."
Catherine grabbed her purse and walked out of the locker room, nearly running Gil Grissom, her supervisor, over. "Sorry, Grissom."
"Oh, hi, Catherine," he said, fixing the files in his hand.
"Where are you off to?"
"To meet an old friend."
"Ah. Someone I know?"
"I don't think so."
She shrugged. "Oh, okay."
"Where are you headed off to?" He countered.
"Home. I'm tired - had a rough case."
"How's Lindsey?"
"She's with Eddie." But she didn't offer more than that. He understood.
Grissom just nodded. "I see. . ."
"Yeah, I'll see you around." Catherine turned to leave when she felt a hand on her arm. "What -"
"What happened to you?" he interrupted. "I mean, to your head?"
"What are you talking about?" she demanded. She was offended. Nothing was wrong with her head!
"I meant the cut." He gingerly touched the cut where the assailant hit her.
Catherine flinched. "Nothing. It was. . . nothing."
"It wasn't there before shift. Something happened, and I want to know what." He saw the defiant look in her eyes. "Don't make me pull rank, Catherine." She still wouldn't budge. He sighed and took her aside into one of the empty lab rooms. "I'm just concerned as a friend. Will you please tell me how you received that cut on your forehead?"
She couldn't refuse the childlike tone in his voice, and sighed. "I was at the supposedly home invasion crime scene, dusting for prints, when the suspect leaps out and attacks me. I didn't have time to be scared. I tried getting him off me, but he wouldn't budge. So I started screaming for backup, and that's when the officers at the scene came in, along with Warrick."
"Why wasn't the scene cleared before?"
"It was a rookie cop, his first time doing body watch. He was green in the face when I got there, so I sent him out before he contaminated the evidence. Apparently, he wasn't the one that contaminated it."
"Are you okay? Did you get someone to look at your wound?"
"It's okay. It's just a little cut, nothing some ointment and a little TLC won't do. And don't blame Warrick or the rookie officer. I nearly had to restrain Warrick from murdering the rookie, and causing another crime scene," she laughed. "I already talked to Warrick too, so don't worry."
"I'm not worried about Warrick or the officer, I'm worried about you. Are you sure you'll be fine at home - alone - without Lindsey there?"
Catherine mentally cursed herself for letting that slip. Now Grissom was going to pity her - something she was trying to prevent. Great, just great.
"I'll be fine, Grissom. Don't worry about me. I can handle myself."
He nodded, knowing that if he pressed anymore, she would get more irritated. "Okay, I trust your judgment."
She smiled. She was glad that he wasn't freaking out as bad as she thought he might. "Go and see that old friend of yours. Don't let me keep you waiting."
"Okay. Just take care of yourself, all right? I don't want to hear that one of my best CSIs was scared to death." There was sincerity in his voice.
She laughed. "Okay, I'll try."
"Good." He leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead, careful not to hit the wound. "I'll see you later."
Before she could respond, he was out the door. Catherine was in shock by the display of affection. Was it affection? Could it even be called affection? Well, whatever it was, it felt right. Whatever made Catherine feel safe, secure, and on top of all that, warm, then it was fine by her. She could accept it any day.
So, with her confidence restored and a smile on her face, Catherine Willows walked out of CSI feeling lighter than before.
By The Madhatter
Rating: PG
Pairings: G/C with some W/C friendship
Spoilers: A Little Murder
A/N: I was mad that there wasn't a G/C scene after A Little Murder, so I had to write something. I know this has been done numerous times, but no harm in adding my bit to the mix, right? This takes place before Grissom goes to the deaf school. :P Oh, and reviews would make my summer even brighter! *hint, hint* :P
Catherine slammed her locker shut, with an aggravated cry, after looking at her cut for the hundredth time that shift.
"Whoa, looks like someone needs to take a chill pill."
She spun around, surprised, and found the tall and lanky Warrick Brown behind her, leaning against his locker with an amused smile on his face. "Sorry, I'm just frustrated."
"Couldn't tell." Now he had a smirk on his face along with a twinkle in his eye. "What's up now? It's not Eddie again, is it?"
"No." She sighed and leaned back on her locker. "Not Eddie. It's just. . ."
"You're still scared?" He offered gently.
"Yeah, I still am," she confirmed regretfully. "I just wish that I could get over it, ya know? I hate having to turn around every other second to see if someone's following me. I hate having to be jumpy all the time. I don't like this feeling of insecurity."
"I know what you mean." Warrick got off his perch and came over to give Catherine a hug. "Hey, it's all right. I know you can get through this. You've gotten through worse. Come on, a little mishap couldn't scare Catherine the Great!"
Catherine buried her face into Warrick's chest to hide her laughter. "Catherine the Great. Yeah right. What would Lindsey think if she saw her mother like this right now?"
He pulled away and held her at arms length. "Look at me," he said gently, tilting her chin upwards, " She would say that you're one of the strongest people she knows. No, don't shake your head. Come on, Cath, you've survived Eddie and you can even put up with Grissom. There's not a lot of people that can do that." She laughed at that comment. "A suspect jumping you by surprise is nothing compared to that. Look what Eddie did to you."
"Yeah, but Eddie wasn't a murderer."
"He could've been," he said, his tone serious.
"Look, I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine. Well, as fine as an injured CSI can be anyway," Catherine said, laughing nervously to try and break the tension.
"Cath. . ."
She sighed. "Okay, okay. I know that this shouldn't have scared me as much, but I can't help the fact that I feel vulnerable. You think crime scenes are safe, that nothing should happen to you, right? Then, boom! It all backfires in your face." She shook her head helplessly. "I don't know anymore."
"Why don't you just go home and rest? Maybe that'll help you calm down for a bit."
"Yeah, maybe." She gave Warrick one last hug. "Thanks again, Warrick. I'm glad you were there."
"I just wish I was there sooner."
"Hey, it wasn't your fault. I sent the rookie out, no biggie. At least I wasn't killed or something."
"Yeah, yeah. . ."
"Since when the roles switch?" Catherine joked. "It wasn't your fault, it wasn't the rookie's fault, okay? Just stop blaming yourself, please?"
"You could've ended up just like Holly. . ."
It pained Catherine to see her friend in such turmoil, especially about Holly Gribbs. It had been two years since that incident and he was still beating himself up over it. "Warrick, listen to me," she said, placing her hand on his arm. "I want you to remember something for me, okay?" He nodded feebly. "Holly died serving this county, this nation. She died as a hero. Don't make her death be in vain, all right?" She reached up and touched the side of his face tenderly. "It'll be all right."
He nodded again, this time with more energy. "Thanks, Cath." He gave her another hug.
"We better get out of here or some people are gonna start getting the wrong impression."
He chuckled. "Good point. I just need to get something and I'll be on my way. See ya later."
"Later."
Catherine grabbed her purse and walked out of the locker room, nearly running Gil Grissom, her supervisor, over. "Sorry, Grissom."
"Oh, hi, Catherine," he said, fixing the files in his hand.
"Where are you off to?"
"To meet an old friend."
"Ah. Someone I know?"
"I don't think so."
She shrugged. "Oh, okay."
"Where are you headed off to?" He countered.
"Home. I'm tired - had a rough case."
"How's Lindsey?"
"She's with Eddie." But she didn't offer more than that. He understood.
Grissom just nodded. "I see. . ."
"Yeah, I'll see you around." Catherine turned to leave when she felt a hand on her arm. "What -"
"What happened to you?" he interrupted. "I mean, to your head?"
"What are you talking about?" she demanded. She was offended. Nothing was wrong with her head!
"I meant the cut." He gingerly touched the cut where the assailant hit her.
Catherine flinched. "Nothing. It was. . . nothing."
"It wasn't there before shift. Something happened, and I want to know what." He saw the defiant look in her eyes. "Don't make me pull rank, Catherine." She still wouldn't budge. He sighed and took her aside into one of the empty lab rooms. "I'm just concerned as a friend. Will you please tell me how you received that cut on your forehead?"
She couldn't refuse the childlike tone in his voice, and sighed. "I was at the supposedly home invasion crime scene, dusting for prints, when the suspect leaps out and attacks me. I didn't have time to be scared. I tried getting him off me, but he wouldn't budge. So I started screaming for backup, and that's when the officers at the scene came in, along with Warrick."
"Why wasn't the scene cleared before?"
"It was a rookie cop, his first time doing body watch. He was green in the face when I got there, so I sent him out before he contaminated the evidence. Apparently, he wasn't the one that contaminated it."
"Are you okay? Did you get someone to look at your wound?"
"It's okay. It's just a little cut, nothing some ointment and a little TLC won't do. And don't blame Warrick or the rookie officer. I nearly had to restrain Warrick from murdering the rookie, and causing another crime scene," she laughed. "I already talked to Warrick too, so don't worry."
"I'm not worried about Warrick or the officer, I'm worried about you. Are you sure you'll be fine at home - alone - without Lindsey there?"
Catherine mentally cursed herself for letting that slip. Now Grissom was going to pity her - something she was trying to prevent. Great, just great.
"I'll be fine, Grissom. Don't worry about me. I can handle myself."
He nodded, knowing that if he pressed anymore, she would get more irritated. "Okay, I trust your judgment."
She smiled. She was glad that he wasn't freaking out as bad as she thought he might. "Go and see that old friend of yours. Don't let me keep you waiting."
"Okay. Just take care of yourself, all right? I don't want to hear that one of my best CSIs was scared to death." There was sincerity in his voice.
She laughed. "Okay, I'll try."
"Good." He leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead, careful not to hit the wound. "I'll see you later."
Before she could respond, he was out the door. Catherine was in shock by the display of affection. Was it affection? Could it even be called affection? Well, whatever it was, it felt right. Whatever made Catherine feel safe, secure, and on top of all that, warm, then it was fine by her. She could accept it any day.
So, with her confidence restored and a smile on her face, Catherine Willows walked out of CSI feeling lighter than before.