Gil Grissom sat back from his desk, stretching his arms after writing what he felt was half a dozen papers. Glancing at the photo frames that adorned his desk and the many shelves, he wished once again that he had the same night off with his wife tonight. Lizzy would be asleep by now and Catherine and Lindsey were probably indulging in some girly movie that involved a lot of crying.
"Grissom?"
He looked up to see Sara Sidle framed in the doorway.
"Come in," he said.
She walked in and sat on the chair opposite him. "I need to talk to you."
"About your reinstatement?"
Sara shrugged and looked around her. "Wow. I never expected this place to look so…homey."
Grissom smiled. "Catherine uses the office often when she's here. And I like to be surrounded by pictures of my family."
"Do you like Matthew?" Sara blurted out.
"Yes, he's a great kid. You've raised him well."
Sara wondered how Grissom could be in so much denial. "He's a lot like his father."
Gil folded his arms. "Sara, what's this about?"
"He's your son."
There was silence in the room for a few moments, as Gil digested this new piece of information. "What?"
"Look at him, Grissom! Look at his eyes. They're
certainly not mine! And did the fact that he's five years old not click
with
you?"
Gil stood up. "My son?"
Sara nodded. "He's yours. Hell, it even made sense
to
your own wife!"
Gil's face darkened. "You told Catherine?"
"The first night I came here. She told me to stay
away
from you. And I told her in no uncertain terms that Matthew was your
son, and
nothing was going to stop me from letting him get to know you. We need
to talk
about it, Grissom."
"You were pregnant when you left Las Vegas?"
Sara nodded.
"That was why you left Las Vegas?"
Sara nodded again.
"And you didn't tell me that you were pregnant? You just disappeared!"
"It was easier."
"Easier for who, Sara? Easier for you? Certainly not easier for Matthew who doesn't even know who is father is! Certainly not easier for Catherine, who you dropped this bombshell on before you even told me! And it is not easier for me!"
Sara stood up, her eyes flashing with anger. "Matthew has done just fine, thankyou very much! And as for your wife, she should stop going around accusing people of trying to break up her marriage! And you should have kept your dick in your pants!"
Gil glared at her. "You leave Catherine out of this."
"Why? She's right in the middle of it? Certainly didn't take you long to find someone else to screw!"
"Don't you ever talk about my wife like that!" Gil raged. "Ever!"
Sara took a step back. She had never seen Gil this
angry
before and frankly, it scared her a little. "We need to talk about
Matthew."
"I can't do that right now," Gil told her. "I need to think. I need to talk to Catherine. Just…leave it, Sara."
"Grissom…"
"Please. Just leave it." He took his jacket from the hook. "I have to go."
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Catherine yawned slightly as she checked on her kids. Lindsey was half hanging out of the bed, and Catherine smiled slightly as she eased her back onto it. Lizzy was fast asleep in her bed and Catherine watched her for a few minutes, before heading into her own bedroom.
She got changed and slipped into bed, grabbing her book. The next thing she knew, there was a ferocious slamming of the door and her husband stood before her, glaring at her.
"Gil?" she asked, putting her book down. "Gil, what's the matter? What happened?"
"You knew. You knew Matthew was my son and you
didn't
tell me."
Catherine put the book down and scooted back up the bed, so she was sitting up facing him. "Gil…"
"What kind of a thing is that to keep from your
husband, Catherine? Is that how you and Eddie operated?"
"Now wait just a minute," she warned him.
"Mommy?" Lindsey asked, standing at the door.
"Go back to bed, Lindsey," Catherine told her.
"Everything's fine."
Looking confused, Lindsey padded back into her room.
"You knew all this time and you didn't tell me?" Gil accused.
Catherine got up from her bed and faced him. "What was I supposed to say, Gil? Excuse me hon, but your ex-girlfriend and I had a catfight and then she told me that the five-year-old you just wandered off with is your son?" She frowned. "Don't come in here and accuse me, Gil Grissom. I won't stand for it."
He sighed and slumped onto the bed as Lizzy began to cry from the other room.
"I'm sorry, Catherine. I'm so sorry."
Her heart ached for him. "Let me settle Lizzy and I'll be back," she murmured, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
A few minutes later she returned, Lizzy resettled. She sat beside him, and took his hands in hers.
"Gil, I wanted to tell you. You have no idea how much it hurt watching you get on so well with that little boy and knowing that he was your son. But I couldn't. I don't know whether it was me thinking it wasn't my place, or me being completely terrified that the knowledge would stir up feelings between you and Sara. All I know is that I couldn't tell you."
He pulled her to him, embracing her and kissing
her wherever
he could reach. "It's okay. I'm sorry I was mad at you, I'm sorry. I
love
you, Catherine. Not Sara, not anyone but you. And I promise we will
work this
out together." He made her look at him. "Okay?"
Catherine nodded and pressed her lips to his. "I love you."
"I love you."
She felt needy. She wasn't sure whether it was the fact that Sara had threatened the small cocoon of happiness she had or whether it was the sheer terror she had felt when Gil was mad with her but she felt needy.
"Gil," she said, pressing herself closer to him.
"I want to make love with you."
He looked at her, wide-eyed. "Are you sure? The way I've behaved…"
She moved closer. "I love you, Gil. So very much. And this situation with Sara it…it rattled me. I want to feel close to you."
He gently pushed her back on the bed and she smiled at him as he hovered above her.
"Don't ever feel worried about our relationship again," he ordered her. "I will love you forever, Catherine. Don't ever forget that."
She leant up and their lips met in a deep kiss. "I won't. I promise."
************************************************************************
Matthew swung his legs back and forth as he sat at the table at the hotel restaurant. "Why?"
"Because Grissom and I need to talk to you," Sara told him.
"Why?"
"Because it's important. Finish your fruit."
"Why?"
Sara glared at her son. "Don't try my patience, Matthew. I'm not in the mood."
Matthew rolled his eyes and pushed his watermelon around the plate.
"Don't play with your food, Matthew."
"Why are you so cranky this morning?" he asked her.
"Because I'm tired."
"Why?"
"Matthew! Please, just finish your breakfast!"
Matthew scowled and speared a piece of watermelon. "Why can't I have bacon and eggs?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
Sara glared at him. "Do you want to get into trouble?"
"Mrs Catherine let me have a hot dog."
"Well Catherine isn't your mother."
"Duh."
Sara looked at him for a moment, seeing Grissom in his eyes. She sighed.
************************************************************************
Catherine buttoned Lizzy's denim overalls and then laced up the sneakers.
"Why isn't Dad coming?" Lindsey asked, sitting on the rocker in the room.
"Can you really see Dad coming on a shopping trip with us?"
"It's because of Sara, isn't it?"
Catherine looked at her daughter sharply. "Have you been eavesdropping again?"
Lindsey reddened slightly. "No."
Catherine sighed and brushed Lizzy's hair. "Linds, things are complicated at the moment. But your dad and I love each other very much. And we love you girls too. Okay?"
Lindsey nodded. "Okay."
"Now, how about you go and help Lizzy pick a purse for the day while I go talk to your dad?"
Lindsey nodded and took her little sisters hand.
Catherine walked into the bedroom and saw Gil staring at his wardrobe.
"Do you need some help dressing?" she asked.
"What would you do if I said yes?" he teased.
"Be extremely worried," she replied, sitting beside him. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? Because the girls can stay with your mother."
Gil kissed her gently. "You're sweet and I love you. But this is something I have to do. I shouldn't have slept with Sara but that doesn't make me regret Matthew."
Catherine kissed his cheek. "You're amazing, you know that?"
"I try," he smirked.
Catherine smiled. "Alright, I'm going to go now. You'll be okay?"
Gil nodded. "Just let me say bye to my girls."
Catherine looked down at her chest and then back at him. "Which ones?"
He gave her a look. "The breathing ones."
"Daddy!" Lizzy said, toddling in. She had a clip purse with her and Lindsey followed, with her bag.
"Can we go now?" Lindsey asked.
Catherine nodded. "Say bye to Daddy."
"Bye Daddy," Lindsey mimicked.
"Bye bye Daddy," Lizzy said, giving her father a big kiss on the cheek. "We shop now."
"Don't spend too much money," Gil smiled.
************************************************************************
It was almost lunchtime when Gil saw Sara's car pull up. He got up and went to the door, opening it to her and Matthew.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi Mr Grissom," Matthew said.
"Grissom," Sara said curtly, as they walked in. Her eyes scanned the living area. It was covered with family photos, including, she noted with hurt, a wedding photo of Catherine and Grissom. There were also a few children's drawings framed and on the wall.
"Would you like a drink?" Gil asked Matthew.
"Do you have apple juice?"
Gil nodded. "We have to have some, otherwise Lizzy wouldn't be very happy. Sara?"
She shook her head.
"We have herbal tea if you want some."
Sara raised an eyebrow. "You have herbal tea?"
Gil nodded as they made their way into the kitchen. "Catherine can't have coffee while she's pregnant so I'm trying to encourage her onto herbal tea instead."
Sara winced.
Armed with drinks, they walked back into the sitting room.
"Matthew, Grissom and I have something to tell you," Sara told her son.
The boy took a slurp of juice. "What?"
"Well," Sara looked between her son and Grissom, "well, Mr Grissom is your father."
Matthew's eyes widened. "What!" His hurt eyes looked towards Grissom. "You knew and you never came to visit me?"
"Your mother didn't tell me," Grissom told him gently. "I only found out last night."
Sara frowned. "It was a difficult time."
"Too difficult to tell me that I had a son?" Grissom asked her.
Matthew shrank into the background as a yelling match began. He felt sick.
************************************************************************
Catherine grumbled as she unlocked the front door, a sleeping daughter on her hip. Lindsey had met up with some friends and promptly ditched her mother, and Catherine decided to call it a day.
She frowned, hearing yelling in her house, something she had sworn would never happened again. Lizzy jerked awake and began to whimper, tears sliding down her face at the unhappy noise. Before she could move a step forward, Matthew came hurtling out of the living room.
"Hey there little guy," she said, trying to calm her daughter and Matthew at the same time.
"They're fighting over me! I'm a mistake! They don't like me."
Catherine frowned and took his hand. "How about you, Lizzy and I get some lunch okay? We can have hot dogs."
Matthew nodded, gripping her hand like a vice.
Quietly Catherine took the kids into the kitchen and sat them down at the table. "Okay, Matthew, I need you to watch Lizzy for a second. Is that alright?"
Matthew nodded and Catherine left the two of them, stalking into the loungeroom where the yelling was still going on.
"ENOUGH!!" she cried, causing Gil and Sara to turn to her. "If you two want to yell and scream at each other, go ahead. But I will not have it in my house. Go downstairs to the basement or outside, but I will not have you yelling in front of those children." She glared at them both. "Matthew, Lizzy and I are going to have some lunch. I'm going to put Lizzy down and then Matthew and I are going to do some colouring in. At the moment he thinks you both hate him and at the moment I hate you for causing him pain. Sort out your problems before you come back into my house."
With that, Catherine turned around and went back into the kitchen.
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Part 4