Chapter Two
She recognised the knock at the door; and, very few people would visit at this time in the morning. She considered ignoring it, like she'd ignored all his calls for the last twenty-four hours, but, whilst she had been able to stop her hand from reaching for the phone, she found herself unable to stop herself from opening the door. Because she didn't want to.
As expected, it was Grissom. But what she hadn't expected were the bags in his hands, and the smile on his face.
"I hope you haven't eaten," he said cheerfully, holding up the bags.
Catherine stared at him, confused. The way she had treated him last time he was here, she was amazed he had come back. But she knew why he was there, or, at least, she had thought she did.
"Erm... No, we haven't," she said quietly, still frowning.
"Good." When Catherine continued to just stand in the doorway, staring at him, he added: "May I come in?"
Snapping back to reality, she nodded and stepped aside to let him pass. He walked in and headed straight for the kitchen.
Still frowning, she watched his back as it disappeared from view, then she closed the door.
Following him into the kitchen, she found him unpacking the bags onto the counter.
"Gil, what are you - ?"
"Banana pancakes," he announced with a beaming smile, glancing up briefly from the food. He looked back to continue unpacking, but looked up again quickly, a more serious expression on his face. "They're Lindsey's favourite, right?"
Catherine nodded. "Yeah... But – "
This time she was interrupted by Lindsey shouting to her from upstairs.
"I'm coming, sweetie," she replied to her, then she excused herself from Grissom and went upstairs.
A few minutes later she returned with Lindsey, and helped her onto a chair at the table in the kitchen.
"Hey, Grissom!" Lindsey grinned when she saw him.
"Hey, kiddo. How's it going? Your Mom taking good care of you?"
Lindsey smiled. "Of course she is. What are you doing here?"
Grissom looked at Catherine, and intentionally caught her eyes with his. "Taking care of your Mom."
Catherine's breath caught in her throat, and she felt her defences melting again.
Lindsey giggled, then cried out in pain. Catherine was instantly at her side.
"Baby, what's wrong?" she said quickly, panic clear in her voice.
"I'm okay. I just moved my elbow, and it hurt... I'm okay now," Lindsey said.
"Are you sure?... Do you want to go and sit on the sofa? Do you want a drink?"
Lindsey rolled her eyes as Catherine again ignored all her responses, and proceeded to the fridge to get her a glass of water.
"Mom! I don't want any water. I'll have a drink with breakfast!"
Catherine continued rummaging through the fridge. "Where's the water? There were several bottles of water in here."
"Mom, I really don't need any, don't worry about it," Lindsey said softly, growing quite concerned about how worked up Catherine was getting, as she frantically searched the fridge.
"There were some in here!" she exclaimed.
"Cath," Grissom tried.
"Where is it?!"
"Catherine!" Grissom raised his voice and took hold of her hands in the fridge. She immediately turned to face him, breathing deeply, a glare ready to greet him. "Lindsey's fine. She can have orange juice with breakfast, and I'll go to the store later and pick up some water for you. Don't worry about it."
Catherine closed her eyes and let out a long shaky breath. Then, opening her eyes again, she looked into his. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," he smiled. "I get really angry when I can't find any chocolate covered grasshoppers in my fridge."
Lindsey wrinkled her nose up at the thought of eating bugs, but Catherine remained serious.
"Not just for that," she said quietly to Grissom.
"I know," he smiled understandingly. "We'll talk later."
Catherine nodded.
"Now," Grissom said as he returned to all the food he had laid out, "Who wants banana pancakes?"
TBC...
She recognised the knock at the door; and, very few people would visit at this time in the morning. She considered ignoring it, like she'd ignored all his calls for the last twenty-four hours, but, whilst she had been able to stop her hand from reaching for the phone, she found herself unable to stop herself from opening the door. Because she didn't want to.
As expected, it was Grissom. But what she hadn't expected were the bags in his hands, and the smile on his face.
"I hope you haven't eaten," he said cheerfully, holding up the bags.
Catherine stared at him, confused. The way she had treated him last time he was here, she was amazed he had come back. But she knew why he was there, or, at least, she had thought she did.
"Erm... No, we haven't," she said quietly, still frowning.
"Good." When Catherine continued to just stand in the doorway, staring at him, he added: "May I come in?"
Snapping back to reality, she nodded and stepped aside to let him pass. He walked in and headed straight for the kitchen.
Still frowning, she watched his back as it disappeared from view, then she closed the door.
Following him into the kitchen, she found him unpacking the bags onto the counter.
"Gil, what are you - ?"
"Banana pancakes," he announced with a beaming smile, glancing up briefly from the food. He looked back to continue unpacking, but looked up again quickly, a more serious expression on his face. "They're Lindsey's favourite, right?"
Catherine nodded. "Yeah... But – "
This time she was interrupted by Lindsey shouting to her from upstairs.
"I'm coming, sweetie," she replied to her, then she excused herself from Grissom and went upstairs.
A few minutes later she returned with Lindsey, and helped her onto a chair at the table in the kitchen.
"Hey, Grissom!" Lindsey grinned when she saw him.
"Hey, kiddo. How's it going? Your Mom taking good care of you?"
Lindsey smiled. "Of course she is. What are you doing here?"
Grissom looked at Catherine, and intentionally caught her eyes with his. "Taking care of your Mom."
Catherine's breath caught in her throat, and she felt her defences melting again.
Lindsey giggled, then cried out in pain. Catherine was instantly at her side.
"Baby, what's wrong?" she said quickly, panic clear in her voice.
"I'm okay. I just moved my elbow, and it hurt... I'm okay now," Lindsey said.
"Are you sure?... Do you want to go and sit on the sofa? Do you want a drink?"
Lindsey rolled her eyes as Catherine again ignored all her responses, and proceeded to the fridge to get her a glass of water.
"Mom! I don't want any water. I'll have a drink with breakfast!"
Catherine continued rummaging through the fridge. "Where's the water? There were several bottles of water in here."
"Mom, I really don't need any, don't worry about it," Lindsey said softly, growing quite concerned about how worked up Catherine was getting, as she frantically searched the fridge.
"There were some in here!" she exclaimed.
"Cath," Grissom tried.
"Where is it?!"
"Catherine!" Grissom raised his voice and took hold of her hands in the fridge. She immediately turned to face him, breathing deeply, a glare ready to greet him. "Lindsey's fine. She can have orange juice with breakfast, and I'll go to the store later and pick up some water for you. Don't worry about it."
Catherine closed her eyes and let out a long shaky breath. Then, opening her eyes again, she looked into his. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," he smiled. "I get really angry when I can't find any chocolate covered grasshoppers in my fridge."
Lindsey wrinkled her nose up at the thought of eating bugs, but Catherine remained serious.
"Not just for that," she said quietly to Grissom.
"I know," he smiled understandingly. "We'll talk later."
Catherine nodded.
"Now," Grissom said as he returned to all the food he had laid out, "Who wants banana pancakes?"
TBC...