CHAPTER 5

A/N: Thanks to all those who have reviewed! We love reading your feedback. Also: big huge thanks to Anne, our beta.

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Lindsey slowly turned around in the big, comfortable bed and smiled at her mom, even though Catherine was still asleep.

The little blonde reached out to touch her mother's strawberry blond curls but instantly pulled her hand back when she noticed the light fluttering of mother's eyelashes. Waking her mom, was never a good idea.

Yawning, she sat up, rubbed her eyes and glanced at the alarm clock. 7:45 am. "Not bad" she whispered, giggled softly and slipped out of the warm bed.

After tiptoeing around the room in search of her slippers for another 5 minutes, she took one last glance at the sleeping form in bed before quietly shutting the bedroom door behind her.

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"Yoohoo?"

Reese frowned when the door to their room slowly opened, revealing a cheerful Lindsey.

"Sssh" Reese whispered and pointed at the still sleeping Alexis.

Lindsey nodded and, for the second time that morning, tiptoed around the room until she had reached Reese's bed. "Did you sleep ok?"

Reese shook her head. "Not really." In fact, she'd barely closed her eyes. The events of the last couple of days were catching up on her hard and fast.

"Ow" Lindsey wasn't sure how to react. "Um, do you wanna go downstairs and watch Totally Spies? Or Sponge Bob?"

Reese shrugged. "I don't wanna leave Lexi alone. She'll be scared if she wakes up here by herself."

The two girls looked at the sleeping Alexis and then back at each other.

Lindsey grinned, picked up a stuffed toy and threw it at Alexis. Reese was too shocked to do anything about it.

Alexis, now fully awake, turned around so she was facing Reese and Alexis. "Who did that?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"I did." Lindsey said with a dazzling smile. "Now let's go. Come one. Follow me."

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Should he go in? It was still very early. Too early. Grissom glanced at the drivers- seat next to him that only held two paper cups of steaming coffee.

He sighed and redirected his attention to the digital clock on the dashboard.
8:28 am. So, he'd agreed to be there at 10? Catherine was an early bird, right?

From the clock he glanced at the house and for the first time in the 20 minutes he'd been waiting outside in his car, he noticed that the drapes in front of the window were pulled open.

"Thank God" he murmured softly.

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Catherine slowly opened her eyes and glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. The clock said 8.00am. She turned around and realised that Lindsey had already gotten up. She knew that she had to get out of bed and see to the kids, but her eyes fell shut again and stopped her from leaving her bed.

- - 9.00 am - -

Catherine suddenly woke up and realised that it was already 9 o'clock and she was still in bed. Immediately thoughts of lost Alexis and poor Reese raced through her mind and she quickly got out of bed. She sped down the hallway to Lindsey's room, only to find it empty.

"Now where the hell did they go?" Catherine wondered out loud.

But all of a sudden she heard voice downstairs. One of them sounded like Lindsey, she also heard a male voice that sounded like.....like Gil?

She glanced at her watch. "It's 9.15, what's he doing here?" she said to no one in particular. She put on a bright pink robe and hurried downstairs to see what was going on.

"It's 9.15, what are you doing here?"

"Well good morning to you too, Catherine" was Gil's suspiciously cheerful reply.

"Would someone care to tell me what happened here?" she demanded, looking at the mess of crayons, dolls, candy-wrappers and sheets of paper around her. But at that moment Lindsey came back from the kitchen.

"Ok, who wants ice-cream for breakfast?!" she said enthusiastically but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw here mother standing there. "Oh.... Hi Mom!"

"Lindsey?"

"Yes .....?"

"Why are you standing in the middle of the living room with a huge box of ice cream ...at 9.15?" Lindsey looked around the room helplessly, trying to find a good excuse. "And since when do we have ice cream for breakfast?"

"Since uh..."she wasn't sure what to say next. "...Today?"

"I don't think so, go put it back." Catherine shook her head, pointing at the kitchen.

"Ok." Lindsey slowly turned around and went back to the kitchen.

"I thought you were so good with children?" she looked at Gil, who was stilling sitting on the couch, looking very amused.

"Well" he began "Yesterday it was just Lindsey, now it was three of 'em."

"I don't think Reese and Alexis were that bad." Catherine looked at the two girls sitting quietly on the left end of couch, their hair messy, their faces pale.

"Yes, you're right, I think....things did get a little out of hand." he nodded.

Catherine looked at the clock again, and then at Grissom. "I thought you weren't gonna be here until 10?"

"Yeah, but I was kind of bored and decided to see if you could use some help" he said with a grin on his face. Actually, he wanted nothing more than to see Catherine again and of course help her, but...really.. he just wanted to see her. She wasn't going to be at work for the next couple of days anyway and he didn't want to miss her that long, he couldn't miss her that long. And that revelation alone had scared him more than it had surprised him.

"Ok, fair enough." she smiled "Oh and I also remember something about coffee that you were going to bring"

"I did, but now it's old and....cold."

"Ah well, that's ok, I can make some too"

"No, I promised to bring you some fresh coffee, so if you don't mind I'm going to get us new coffee." He got up and grabbed his coat. "I'll be right back" "

"Um...ok? I'll clean up a little in here then." She replied, surprised at his offer.

"I'll help you with that when I get back" he smiled at her and the 3 girls before shutting the door behind him.

"Well now...." Catherine sighed, turning around, hands on her hips. "Did any of you have a real breakfast yet?"

They all shook their heads.

"Ok, then we'll go make some!"

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Catherine took another sip and set her now empty paper cup on the kitchen table in front of her. Grissom had been watching the three girls playing outside from the kitchen-window, but turned around when he caught Catherine staring at him.

"Lindsey seems to be very pleased that Alexis and Reese are here." He moved away from the window and joined her.

"She is." Catherine nodded. "She's always begging me to 'give' her a little brother or sister. This is her chance to be the big sister and boss some kids around."

"She's a really great kid."

Cath looked up in surprise. "Well....Thanks!"

He tilted his head slightly and frowned. He opened his mouth to say something, looked at Catherine and then stared at the paper cup in his hands.

She followed his movements. "Something.....bothering you?"

"Hm? What? No.." He folded his hands and frowned again.

"Gil, you're making me nervous. What's up?"

"Well, I made an appointment."

Catherine gasped. "Oh no, Gil..your hearing?!"

"No, no, no! Not my hearing, No, I'm sorry no." He reached out and covered her hands with his. Catherine let out a shaky breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"I made an appointment for Reese and Alexis." He explained. "With a psychiatrist, Dr Winston. She has had some incredibly results with patients suffering from memory loss due to a traumatic experience."

"Umm...okay...you want those two girls...to see a shrink?" Catherine pursed her lips together and arched an eyebrow.

"Psychiatrist, and yes."

"And, you have already diagnosed them?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Memory loss." She sighed.

"Yes, well.... She's very good, Catherine." Grissom arched an eyebrow. "So, the appointment is at 4. I have some business to take care of at the lab, so I'll meet you there." He pulled a card out off his pocket and handed it to Catherine. "It's not that far."

Catherine stared at the card and watched as Grissom got up. "You're leaving?"

"Yes." He replied, a little confused. "Business? At the lab. I just told you."

"Of course you did." She leaned back in her chair.

"I'll see you there?" He paused to look at her. "Cath.....Sara and Warrick don't have any leads...We need the girl's statements."

"Great." Catherine knew he didn't understand why this would upset her. Hell, he probably didn't even know that she was upset. That angered her even more. "You really think they're up for this?"

"They have to be." He turned around and headed for the door. "Bye. I'll call."

"Yeah, and remember Child Services is coming over tomorrow. House call."

"Right." He nodded. "I'll be there."

"Ok. See ya."

As soon as he closed the door behind her, she let out a loud frustrated sigh. She wasn't sure how to feel about this: angry, upset, disappointed, sad.

She looked around the kitchen, shaking her head furiously.

'How could he? Make an appointment behind her back. These kids were her responsibility. Theirs, actually.'

Catherine stared at the two empty paper cups in front of her.

She wasn't sure why this bothered her so much. Of course, it wasn't exactly fair of him, but knowing Gil Grissom he had the best intentions and wasn't aware of the fact that he had hurt her feelings. Or that maybe this wasn't the right thing for Reese and Alexis.

She was just.......confused because of Gil's decision about this appointment. But instead of worrying about it she decided to clean up the stuff and tell the girls what they had to do. She'd have to talk to him about it later though.

"Reese, Alexis?" Catherine called, opening the front door and looking around. "Where are you?"

"Heeeeeere!" She heard Alexis call back.

"Can you two come inside for a second; I have to tell you something." Catherine walked back to the kitchen and after a few minutes she saw two heads appearing around the corner of the hall way.

"What is it?" Reese said, always suspicious.

"Well." Catherine began "Gil has made an appointment for you girls, with a shr....I mean psychiatrist."

"I don't want to go!" Alexis said with a shaky voice, her lower lip trembling.

"Lexi cut that out." Reese hissed and poked her sister.

"There's nothing to be worried about, you'll be fine." Catherine smiled at Alexis, who still didn't look too convinced.

"What are they gonna do to us?"

"Honey, she just wants to talk to you, ok? That's what she does. She's a doctor that talks to you. And then, you talk to her too. If you want."

Alexis considered that for a second and then shrugged "Ok.."

Catherine looked at Reese, who just stared back at her.

"Yeah, whatever...you decide what's best" she shrugged. "I don't really care."

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Next up: G/C and the kids visit the ol' shrink ;)