Clues & Catherine
By Dany
Summary: An evening at Grissom's house turns out more interesting than she thought. GSR, G/C friendship.
Author's note: This is a response to an elemental challenge ZenBridge posted at YTDaW. The elements were: a shaker of salt, the gait of a strange woman on a crowded street, a bottle of Coca-Cola, a smudge of lipstick on a glass, a throw pillow.
Author's note (part 2): I decided to make a series out of this story. So I wrote six other parts and posted them under the 'Alliterations' series. Therefore I had to rename this story. It now follows the story "Bricks & Brass", but you can read it as a complete story if you wish.
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.
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The doorbell rang and Gill Grissom rushed to open the door. He had a dishtowel wrapped around his waist and his hands were covered in flour.
Catherine entered his home with her daughter Lindsey in tow.
"Hey, Linds how are you?" He bent down, but didn't touch her, afraid to turn her into a little white ghost. The little girl giggled at the sight he presented. "Hey Cath, you know where everything is. I have to get back to dinner."
Grissom went back into the kitchen. Catherine and Lindsey followed him still smiling at his white hands. Lindsey opened the fridge, searching for something to drink. Her eyes lit up when she saw the bottle of Coca-Cola in the door. "Oh mommy, can I have some? Please," she begged. "Just one?"
Catherine knew Grissom had bought the bottle just for her daughter. Whenever she brought Lindsey with her for dinner, which was not very often since invitations by Grissom were rare anyway, her friend went out of his way to spoil her daughter. He bought drinks and desserts that Lindsey normally didn't get and cooked her favorite food. "Okay, but just one glass."
Today, he had wanted to make Italian pasta. He had made an extra effort and made the pasta by himself – hence the flour on his hands. About two dozen Cappeletti filled with meat and cheese lay on the counter waiting to be tossed into the boiling water.
"Linds, you want to help?" The girl nodded so he showed her a small step in front of the counter. When she jumped on it she was exactly the right height.
"Now, we need to put them in the pot. Can you take the shaker of salt over there and pour some into the water?" She did so, looking at Grissom to make sure she didn't put too much in it. "Good, that's enough." They let the Cappeletti slide in carefully. "Now we have to wait until they swim on the surface."
Catherine watched the two of them from the couch. They looked like father and daughter. Their interaction was how it was supposed to be. Eddie had never done such simple and domestic things with his daughter. She regretted that. He had tried to be a good father, but his choices had seldom been the best ones.
It was strange, though. As well as she could picture Grissom as a father, she couldn't picture to be married to him. Some times she had wished she could see him that way, because her life might have been much easier then. But on the other hand, she was too glad to have him as a friend. And, like today, as a role model for Lindsey. What Grissom lacked in social skills he made up with dedication to her daughter.
"Hey, you want to taste the sauce?" Grissom asked Lindsey and held out a spoon for her.
Catherine came back from her thoughts and let her eyes wander around the room. Nothing much had changed. Gil Grissom was not a fan of change. The house always looked the same.
But then her eyes fell on the fireplace. It still radiated some warmth and a throw pillow lay in front of it. Had he sat in front of the fire earlier today? Her gaze wandered further upward and she saw an empty glass standing behind a showcase on the mantle, which displayed a green butterfly. There was a smudge of a light brown lipstick visible on it.
Oh my god!
This looked like someone had a romantic tête-à-tête here.
But… who?
Now the investigator in her had awoken and she decided to snoop around some more while Grissom was distracted by Lindsey. She stood up and wandered around.
On the side table lay a book titled "The gait of a strange woman on a crowded street". She had heard about it. It was currently on the bestseller list. But not exactly what she would consider Grissom's taste. It was biography of a female gypsy. The book was not only a piece of circumstantial evidence, but also a hint to something more. You don't leave a book at someone's house when you're not there a lot.
She picked the book up and was surprised when a couple of papers fell out. She bent down to gather them and suddenly saw that it was an essay, an essay about core fusion. And there were random notes scattered across the pages in a very distinctive crawl.
Dimly she heard the sound of water being poured out and returned to the here and now just in time to put the book and the essay away again before Grissom noticed.
She went to join her daughter and Grissom in the kitchen. The food was just done and they carried everything over to the dinner table.
Now that she took a closer look at Grissom, she could see that he seemed more… content. Well rested. Both things were rare with him.
She vowed to keep her eyes open for further signs and to take a closer look at Sara as well. But she wouldn't mention it to anyone. Both were too private and insecure and should have the chance to come out with it when they were ready. Making a relationship work was hard enough by itself.
As she looked once more at her best friend before digging into her food, she knew she was truly happy for the two. She was not the least bit disappointed.
Things were how they should be.
Finally.
The end