Stay With Me
Chapter Four- Wise Children
~ ~ ~ ~
You and I got something
But it's all and then it's nothing to me
And I got my defenses
When it comes to your intentions for me
And we wake up in the breakdown
Of the things we never thought we could be
~ ~ ~ ~
"Mommy?"
"Yea Linds?" Catherine desperately tried to wipe the tears away from her face as her daughter entered the room.
"Are you alright?"
"Of course baby." Clamoring up onto the couch, Catherine wrapped her arms around her daughter.
"Why were you crying?"
"Mommy just had a little argument with Uncle Gil."
"Did he mess up again?"
"No honey, actually I think it was me that messed up."
"You?"
"Yes. Me."
"You should apologize."
"You think you know everything huh?" Inwardly Catherine chuckled at the seriousness on Lindsey's face. In the light, her face had a look of complete concern. Worried eyes gazed into hers and she wondered when her daughter had suddenly become so wise. "Well I think, it's time for someone to get to bed..."
"Alright...but mommy?"
"Yea hun?"
"Are you sure you are alright?"
"Yea."
"And you're gonna apologize to uncle Gil?"
"We'll see Lindsey. Now scoot..." her hands waving Lindsey off of the couch. "Put your Pj's on and I will there in a minute to tuck you in."
~ ~ ~ ~
I'm not the one who broke you
I'm not the one you should fear
What do you got to move you darling
I thought I lost you somewhere
But you were never really ever there at all
~ ~ ~ ~
Grissom gazed down the halls of CSI. No Catherine. He checked the lab and the layout room. No Catherine. And as he entered the break room, he counted three CSI's not four. Sighing he took his place at the table and began rifling through the newly acquired case files.
"Sara.... Nick. Single homicide...whi-"
"Hey Grissom, shouldn't we wait for Catherine. She's not here yet," Sara proclaimed.
" I know. She is... she's sick. I told her to take the night off, rest up, and be back to work tomorrow."
"Oh, Ok Grissom."
"Now, as I was saying...Sara and Nick you're on the single homicide-female, Caucasian, id unknown. Warrick you're with me."
* * * *
"Hey Nick...Wait up!" A voice shouted from down the hall. Glancing backwards Nick chuckled and sped up as Sara chased him down the corridor. After about a minute he slowed his pace down considerably until she was beside him.
"Someone needs to walk a little faster, eh slow poke Sara?"
"Very funny. I should hang you out to dry for that one." She swatted his arm sharply as they continued towards the parking lot.
"I am not the one running down the hallway."
"If you really want to know, I was trying to talk to Grissom."
"Why?"
"I don't know. Something just doesn't feel right. The way he spoke - a little less detached, a little more human. Almost as if he had something on his mind." She stopped for a moment, noticing Grissom with Warrick in the layout room.
"Sara, this is Grissom we're talking about here." Cocking his head to one side and locking his eyes with hers, he pulled her slowly forward.
"But did you see the way he looked at me when I mentioned Catherine?"
"No, actually I didn't."
"Hmpp...men!"
~ ~ ~ ~
And I want to get free talk to me
I can feel you falling
And I wanted to be all you need
Somehow here is gone
~ ~ ~ ~
The fireplace crackled as heat radiated from it. The lights had been turned down, the room nearly pitch black, save the glow from the fire. Catherine, after tucking Lindsey in and kissing her good night, had returned to her spot on the couch. Curled up in a ball rocking back and forth, she contemplated the events of the day. Tears fell freely once again as she recalled her argument with Grissom. The pensiveness. The tension. The hurt. She had yelled at him. At Grissom. She had hurt him. It made her ache so badly she could cry forever.
It was such a simple statement. Apologize. And yet it seemed so incredibly difficult. Funny how much clearer things were to a child. So much more cleanly cut. There was right and there was wrong. There was good and there was bad. No gray area existed in the mind of a child. If they got hurt, the pain came and went. An hour later the tears had dried and they were back playing once again.
At first she had been angry with him. Angry that he had pressured her to tell him what was wrong; what scars she kept hidden from him. The deep dark secrets that she had desperately tried to forget. Then her anger had turned into fear. Fear that he would some how figure her out; break down her barriers. It made her paranoid to think that he might somehow be able to wiggle his way into her heart. Or that maybe he already had.
The phone was now in her hand. How it had gotten there she had no idea. But her index finger slowly punched in Grissom's cell phone number, hoping he would pick up. It rang four times before the voice mail kicked in.
"You have reached the number 465-1289, the customer you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please leave a message after the tone or press one for more options."
"Gris...I mean Gil. Damnit, why couldn't you just pick up...we uh, we need to talk. About what happened. Please, just meet me...if you get this message I will be on my way to CSI. We can talk when I get there. I'm so-." She tried to finish but ran out of time before the voicemail ran out. Wiping her eyes and grabbing her coat, she got her neighbor to watch Lindsey while she was gone. The elderly lady, Mrs. Timbers had even offered to let Catherine borrow her car. Soon she was speeding off in the direction of CSI.
~ ~ ~ ~
I have no solution
To the sound of this pollution in me
And I was not the answer
So forget you ever thought it was me
I'm not the one who broke you
I'm not the one you should fear
What do you got to move you darling
I thought I lost you somewhere
But you were never really ever there at all
~ ~ ~ ~
Grissom and Warrick were nearly done processing the scene at Tangiers. Grissom had turned his phone off so that he would not get distracted, or rather more distracted than he already was. His own thoughts had provided distraction enough that night.
"Gris...Grissom!"
"Huh? Warrick?"
"I finished processing the room. Prints on the wine glasses by the bedside table ...and Riley's got a witness."
"I am finished here. Let's get back to the lab and see what we come up with." Clicking his phone on as he left the casino, he noticed the voicemail box flashing; two new messages. Recognizing the first number as Brass's, he punched the number in and waited.
"Brass."
"Hey Brass. It's Grissom."
"Damnit Grissom, why don't you ever answer your phone?"
"I'm at a scene. I had it turned off. Where are you?"
" You would already know, if you had left your phone on." Though he was trying to yell Grissom noticed the tone in Brass' voice had softened considerably.
"What's going on? Where are you? What happened?"
"Gil, it's about Catherine."
"Catherine?" The case he was holding dropped sharply to the ground, banging loudly against the pavement. He stood still, numbly waiting for Brass to continue.
"Grissom...I am on the corner of East Ogden and 6th Street. There's been an accident...Grissom?"
Stiffly Grissom hung up. In the dark the screen of the cell phone was still lit, piercing the darkness. The voicemail box was still flashing new message. Looking down, Grissom read the number. He recognized it immediately; it was Catherine.
~ ~ ~ ~
And I don't need the fallout of all the past
That's here between us
And I'm not holding on
And all your lies weren't enough to keep me here
And I want to get free talk to me
I can feel you falling
I know it's out there
I know it's out there
I can feel you falling
I know it's out there
I know it's out there
Somehow here is gone
~ ~ ~ ~
To Be Continued...
A/N: This chapter was extremely fun to write, I hope you all liked it. Thanks to, Angie, Autumn, and Marita for beta reading this for me. And to Ann, Karin, Maud for reading it and sending me all that positive feedback I am already working on chapter 5, due mostly in part to Ann's nagging (lol). So thank her if these next chapters come out quicker than the others did! BtW, the song is called "Here is Gone" by the Goo Goo Dolls.
Chapter Four- Wise Children
~ ~ ~ ~
You and I got something
But it's all and then it's nothing to me
And I got my defenses
When it comes to your intentions for me
And we wake up in the breakdown
Of the things we never thought we could be
~ ~ ~ ~
"Mommy?"
"Yea Linds?" Catherine desperately tried to wipe the tears away from her face as her daughter entered the room.
"Are you alright?"
"Of course baby." Clamoring up onto the couch, Catherine wrapped her arms around her daughter.
"Why were you crying?"
"Mommy just had a little argument with Uncle Gil."
"Did he mess up again?"
"No honey, actually I think it was me that messed up."
"You?"
"Yes. Me."
"You should apologize."
"You think you know everything huh?" Inwardly Catherine chuckled at the seriousness on Lindsey's face. In the light, her face had a look of complete concern. Worried eyes gazed into hers and she wondered when her daughter had suddenly become so wise. "Well I think, it's time for someone to get to bed..."
"Alright...but mommy?"
"Yea hun?"
"Are you sure you are alright?"
"Yea."
"And you're gonna apologize to uncle Gil?"
"We'll see Lindsey. Now scoot..." her hands waving Lindsey off of the couch. "Put your Pj's on and I will there in a minute to tuck you in."
~ ~ ~ ~
I'm not the one who broke you
I'm not the one you should fear
What do you got to move you darling
I thought I lost you somewhere
But you were never really ever there at all
~ ~ ~ ~
Grissom gazed down the halls of CSI. No Catherine. He checked the lab and the layout room. No Catherine. And as he entered the break room, he counted three CSI's not four. Sighing he took his place at the table and began rifling through the newly acquired case files.
"Sara.... Nick. Single homicide...whi-"
"Hey Grissom, shouldn't we wait for Catherine. She's not here yet," Sara proclaimed.
" I know. She is... she's sick. I told her to take the night off, rest up, and be back to work tomorrow."
"Oh, Ok Grissom."
"Now, as I was saying...Sara and Nick you're on the single homicide-female, Caucasian, id unknown. Warrick you're with me."
* * * *
"Hey Nick...Wait up!" A voice shouted from down the hall. Glancing backwards Nick chuckled and sped up as Sara chased him down the corridor. After about a minute he slowed his pace down considerably until she was beside him.
"Someone needs to walk a little faster, eh slow poke Sara?"
"Very funny. I should hang you out to dry for that one." She swatted his arm sharply as they continued towards the parking lot.
"I am not the one running down the hallway."
"If you really want to know, I was trying to talk to Grissom."
"Why?"
"I don't know. Something just doesn't feel right. The way he spoke - a little less detached, a little more human. Almost as if he had something on his mind." She stopped for a moment, noticing Grissom with Warrick in the layout room.
"Sara, this is Grissom we're talking about here." Cocking his head to one side and locking his eyes with hers, he pulled her slowly forward.
"But did you see the way he looked at me when I mentioned Catherine?"
"No, actually I didn't."
"Hmpp...men!"
~ ~ ~ ~
And I want to get free talk to me
I can feel you falling
And I wanted to be all you need
Somehow here is gone
~ ~ ~ ~
The fireplace crackled as heat radiated from it. The lights had been turned down, the room nearly pitch black, save the glow from the fire. Catherine, after tucking Lindsey in and kissing her good night, had returned to her spot on the couch. Curled up in a ball rocking back and forth, she contemplated the events of the day. Tears fell freely once again as she recalled her argument with Grissom. The pensiveness. The tension. The hurt. She had yelled at him. At Grissom. She had hurt him. It made her ache so badly she could cry forever.
It was such a simple statement. Apologize. And yet it seemed so incredibly difficult. Funny how much clearer things were to a child. So much more cleanly cut. There was right and there was wrong. There was good and there was bad. No gray area existed in the mind of a child. If they got hurt, the pain came and went. An hour later the tears had dried and they were back playing once again.
At first she had been angry with him. Angry that he had pressured her to tell him what was wrong; what scars she kept hidden from him. The deep dark secrets that she had desperately tried to forget. Then her anger had turned into fear. Fear that he would some how figure her out; break down her barriers. It made her paranoid to think that he might somehow be able to wiggle his way into her heart. Or that maybe he already had.
The phone was now in her hand. How it had gotten there she had no idea. But her index finger slowly punched in Grissom's cell phone number, hoping he would pick up. It rang four times before the voice mail kicked in.
"You have reached the number 465-1289, the customer you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please leave a message after the tone or press one for more options."
"Gris...I mean Gil. Damnit, why couldn't you just pick up...we uh, we need to talk. About what happened. Please, just meet me...if you get this message I will be on my way to CSI. We can talk when I get there. I'm so-." She tried to finish but ran out of time before the voicemail ran out. Wiping her eyes and grabbing her coat, she got her neighbor to watch Lindsey while she was gone. The elderly lady, Mrs. Timbers had even offered to let Catherine borrow her car. Soon she was speeding off in the direction of CSI.
~ ~ ~ ~
I have no solution
To the sound of this pollution in me
And I was not the answer
So forget you ever thought it was me
I'm not the one who broke you
I'm not the one you should fear
What do you got to move you darling
I thought I lost you somewhere
But you were never really ever there at all
~ ~ ~ ~
Grissom and Warrick were nearly done processing the scene at Tangiers. Grissom had turned his phone off so that he would not get distracted, or rather more distracted than he already was. His own thoughts had provided distraction enough that night.
"Gris...Grissom!"
"Huh? Warrick?"
"I finished processing the room. Prints on the wine glasses by the bedside table ...and Riley's got a witness."
"I am finished here. Let's get back to the lab and see what we come up with." Clicking his phone on as he left the casino, he noticed the voicemail box flashing; two new messages. Recognizing the first number as Brass's, he punched the number in and waited.
"Brass."
"Hey Brass. It's Grissom."
"Damnit Grissom, why don't you ever answer your phone?"
"I'm at a scene. I had it turned off. Where are you?"
" You would already know, if you had left your phone on." Though he was trying to yell Grissom noticed the tone in Brass' voice had softened considerably.
"What's going on? Where are you? What happened?"
"Gil, it's about Catherine."
"Catherine?" The case he was holding dropped sharply to the ground, banging loudly against the pavement. He stood still, numbly waiting for Brass to continue.
"Grissom...I am on the corner of East Ogden and 6th Street. There's been an accident...Grissom?"
Stiffly Grissom hung up. In the dark the screen of the cell phone was still lit, piercing the darkness. The voicemail box was still flashing new message. Looking down, Grissom read the number. He recognized it immediately; it was Catherine.
~ ~ ~ ~
And I don't need the fallout of all the past
That's here between us
And I'm not holding on
And all your lies weren't enough to keep me here
And I want to get free talk to me
I can feel you falling
I know it's out there
I know it's out there
I can feel you falling
I know it's out there
I know it's out there
Somehow here is gone
~ ~ ~ ~
To Be Continued...
A/N: This chapter was extremely fun to write, I hope you all liked it. Thanks to, Angie, Autumn, and Marita for beta reading this for me. And to Ann, Karin, Maud for reading it and sending me all that positive feedback I am already working on chapter 5, due mostly in part to Ann's nagging (lol). So thank her if these next chapters come out quicker than the others did! BtW, the song is called "Here is Gone" by the Goo Goo Dolls.