Catherine sat down on Matt's desk chair, and scooted over closer to the bed. "You know what I want to talk about, don't you?"
"Yes."
"How could you possibly think I love you any less than your brothers and sisters?"
"Because they AREN'T my brothers and sisters," Matt said. "That's the whole point."
"Your father and I have always treated you all like equals, and they have been brought up as your brothers and sisters! I don't understand how you could listen to this idiotic drivel that tells you otherwise! Besides, if you remember, Lindsey isn't Gil's real daughter, but he certainly thinks of her that way. Just how I think of you as my son."
Matt looked thoroughly subdued. "So, you don't love them more than me?"
"Trust me, I have plenty of love to go around," Catherine assured him. "So no more of this ridiculous stuff, okay?"
Matt nodded. "Okay."
Catherine smiled at him. "So, how about giving your mom a hug? I mean, since no one is around to see?"
Matt grinned and hugged her. "Sorry, Mom."
"Nothing to be sorry about. Just come to me first next time, okay?"
Matt nodded. "Sure."
############################
Catherine and Grissom were snuggled up together on the couch, watching a movie when a smiling Max appeared in front of their TV screen.
"Max…" Gil growled, pausing the DVD. "Do we pop up in front of the movie screen when you're watching a movie."
Max nodded. "Yeah, and then you tell me to clean my room or do my homework."
"But we always say 'Excuse me,'" Catherine pointed out.
"Can I ask a question?"
"No, we will not tie you to the car and drag you and your bike down the I-95," Gil replied.
"No, wasn't that one," Max said. "Although that offer is still open."
"And no, you can't dive from the roof into the pool," Catherine told him.
"Nope, wasn't that either, but I'm still open to debate."
"Max…" Catherine warned.
"Okay, okay. I want you guys to come to school and talk about your job and then take the entire class to the CSI headquarters!"
Catherine and Gil glanced at each other, then back at their son.
"You want us to what?"
"Jenny's mom is an actress and she's taking the whole class to a film set! And then we're going to a zoo and a fire station! But I reckon my parent's jobs are the coolest!"
"Cool," Gil smiled.
Catherine rolled her eyes. "And your teacher is really okay with this?"
Max grinned even wider. "She's ecstatic!"
Catherine and Gil exchanged glances.
"I'll ring her tomorrow," Gil said.
##########################
Matt walked out of the school with his friends and frowned when he saw Sara standing to one side. He said goodbye to his friends and jogged over to her.
"Are you stalking me now?"
Sara sighed. "I just wanted to talk to you without getting you in trouble."
Matt switched his backpack to the other shoulder. "I wasn't in trouble. And you were out of line. You shouldn't have said those things about mom. It wasn't fair."
"I want to see you more, Matthew. I want to get to know you."
"Why? And don't say because I'm your son."
"Because I just do."
Matt rolled his eyes. "Great excuse."
Sara gripped his arm hard. "Hey. No matter what you may think of me, I'm still your mother and you've got no right to talk to me like that."
"Let me go," Matt said, jerking his arm around.
Sara released her grip. "Don't make me go to the authorities."
Matt raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
##########################
Max skipped around the room. "Mom and Dad are taking my class to the morgue!" he cried.
"We are NOT going to the morgue," Catherine said firmly. "We're going to CSI headquarters."
"We're going to the morgue," Max whispered into Jamie's ears.
Jamie rolled his eyes.