Disclaimer: CSI isn't mine

Spoilers: none

A/N: I'm taking a little time-out from angst, so I figured I'm gonna give Griss and Cath some time-out too. lolz!! anyways, hope you'll like it!

Prologue

It has been a slow night, and it's just an hour before the shift ends, Grissom has allowed his team to go home earlier with the condition that they keep their phone and pagers on – just in case.

"Um, Cath. Let's have breakfast first."

"I. Um. I have to talk to you"

"We'll talk over breakfast"

"Right!"

It was obvious through Catherine' s features how nervous she is, her hands are getting sweaty and her heart is beating triple times, the last time she felt this way was when she was about to tell Gil of her feelings, and now she feels it again, but this time its different. She feels the same nervousness but with a whole different emotion enveloped in it.

Catherine and Gil got out of the car and headed inside the diner for some breakfast.

After ordering breakfast, Catherine started squirming in her seat. "Cath, your making me dizzy"

"Oh, sorry!" Catherine apologized. She stopped to squirm and replaced it by drumming her fingers on the table.

"Cath! - "

"I have something to tell you"

"I have something to tell you too."

"You go first"

"Ladies first, Cath"

"Well, it's about us."

Catherine inhaled deeply; she looked at Grissom and back down to her hands. She closed her eyes to take another deep breath when she felt Grissom's hands covered hers.

"Come on you can tell me" came Grissom's encouraging and soothing voice.

Feeling the warmth of his hands on hers, hearing his voice that gives her soothing, and opening her eyes only to be greeted by his deep blue eyes, Catherine started backing out. She is having second thoughts on what she is about to do, but then again she has thought about this for a long time, and it came to her conclusion that it could really help them both.

"Um. Uh. Gil, could you, could you go first. Please?"

Now it's Grissom's turn to be nervous. He loves Catherine, he really does, but this is something that he thinks they must do, and he's afraid that Catherine might get the wrong interpretation.

"Why don't we just say it together?" Grissom suggested

"At the same time?!"

"Yes"

"Okay, at the count of three. One"

"Two."

"Three"

"We need space!" they both said in unison. Both sighed and smiled, finally they got it out, they looked at each other and they were both chuckling. As it turns out they were thinking of the same thing.

"Here are your orders!" the waitress cheerfully served them with their plates, once the waitress left, Gil turned his attention back to Catherine.

"Look Cath, I love you, I just think that we both need space – "

"Me too, I mean I'm not breaking up with you or anything – "

"And I don't want this to be anything permanent, I just think that we could use some – "

"Some time out."

"Exactly!"

Both were relieved for it seems that they understand each other perfectly. They ate their breakfast in silence, though it wasn't as comfortable as the silence they use to share when together but it isn't that awkward either – especially for a couple who just talked about wanting some space. Catherine thought about breaking the silence but the ringing of Grissom's phone beat her onto it.

"Grissom. Hmm. Umhmm.. okay we'll see you in 10" Grissom flipped his phone shut and turned to Catherine, "That was Brass, we have a 419"

"So much for an early sleep!"

"Well sweetheart, sleep would have to wait!" said Grissom as he left the payment for the bill on the table.

"Um Gil ..."

"Hmm?"

"We're on a time-out, you don't get to call me sweetheart when we're on a time-out"

"I don't?"

"No, you don't"

"Oh."

Catherine just smirked with Grissom's reaction of this new knowledge.

Grissom was already standing next to the car when he turned around to turn to Catherine who seems to be taking too much time in walking. "Darling, I told Brass we'd be there in ten, you might want to hurry up"

"Coming!" Catherine shout back, "darling?!" she muttered to herself as she walked her way towards Grissom who is waiting for her beside the car.

As Grissom jumped inside the car, he noticed Catherine still haven't jumped in, "Honey are you coming?"

Catherine looked at him in disbelief and muttered in exasperation.

"Honey?! He is incorrigible!"

TBC