"First you have to come to class and talk about your jobs," Max explained. "Then we all get to go to CSI." He wrinkled his nose. "And you're not allowed to say anything embarrassing, like you did when you went to Lizzy's class."
"That's not fair," Grissom grumbled. "How was I supposed to know she had a crush on that kid? Besides, he was a horrible snotty little boy."
"Gil," Catherine chastised.
"He was a hunk," Lizzy growled. "And you totally ruined any chance I had with him."
"You can't have a boyfriend. Wait till you're forty and then we'll review," Gil replied.
Lizzy let out an exasperated noise and rolling her eyes, headed upstairs.
"Anyway, you understand?" Max asked.
"Sure, we understand," Catherine smiled.
"Great! This is gonna be so much fun!" Max cried, racing upstairs.
Jamie looked at his parents. "Do you have any idea what you guys are getting yourselves into?"
"Huh?"
"Those kids in his class. They're monsters. Insane. Think Max and then think of thirty Max's."
Catherine and Grissom exchanged glances.
###############################
"You've got a good case, Ms Sidle," the lawyer murmured. "As the biological mother and being in a financially stable position. How many children did you say Dr and Mrs. Grissom have?"
"Five, including Matt. But one isn't living at home."
"Good. Very good."
###############################
"I gotta introduce you. So you guys just sit up the back until the teacher calls, okay?" Max asked.
Catherine and Gil nodded solemnly.
They went up the back and Catherine giggled as she watched Gil trying to sit down on a fourth-grader's chair. He glared at her for a moment then contented himself with leaning against the wall beside her.
"Alright everyone, today Max has brought his mom and dad along to talk to us," Mrs. Grendell explained. "Max?"
Max walked proudly up to the front of the class. "My dad's name is Dr. Gilbert Grissom and my mom is Mrs. Catherine Grissom." He pointed out his parents. "They work as criminal investigators. My dad works in eto…entom…he works with bugs and sometimes he uses them to tell how long a person has been dead."
There were the usual sounds of disgust from the girls, and the 'cool'! from the boys.
"My mom looks at blood and she can tell you what happened from the way it spatters all over the room!" Max grinned, really getting into the "grossness" of his parent's jobs.
Once again, a disgusted noise from the girls and a "cool!" from the boys.
"Mom and Dad brought their kits with them today to show us all the cool stuff in them and how they use the stuff," Max said, beckoning his parents up.
Gil felt slightly uncomfortable as he stood in front of the thirty nine-year-olds, and when a kid stuck his hand up, Gil glanced at Catherine for help.
"Yes?" Catherine asked, totally calm.
"Do you get to look at dead people?"
"Yes," Catherine answered.
Another hand shot up. Catherine encouraged Gil to answer.
"Yes," Gil said, terrified.
"Did you bring a dead body with you?"
"No," Gil replied firmly.
Up went another hand.
"Yes?" Catherine said.
"Did you bring parts of a dead body with you? Like a head or a foot?"
"No," Catherine told him.
#################################
"I thought one Max was tiring," Catherine said, leaning against her husband as they walked through the door. "Turns out they're all like Max!"
"I can't believe that snotty little kid got his hand stuck in the fingerprint powder jar," Gil grumbled.
Catherine giggled. "And now his hand is bright green."
Gil grinned. "That was pretty funny, wasn't it?"
Catherine narrowed her eyes. "So much so, I'd almost think you did it on purpose."
Gil feigned shock. "Catherine Grissom! I can't believe you'd think such a terrible thing about your husband!"
"Sure, Gil. I believe you." Catherine leant up and kissed his cheek. "You're just a bundle of trouble at heart."
"How on earth could you think that?" Gil asked, surprised.
"Because I'm married to you," she replied. "I know all your tricks, Mister."
"All of them?" Gil asked, raising an eyebrow.
Catherine smiled. "What…you think you have some tricks you haven't shown me yet?"
Catherine squealed with delight and surprise as Gil picked her up in his arms. He put her over his shoulder.
"Gil Grissom! You're going to hurt your back!" she protested. Her hands swatted at his butt. "Put me down this instant!"
"No," Gil replied stubbornly, taking her upstairs. He tossed her on the bed with an "oof" from Catherine.
She scrambled up the bed and glared at him. "What on earth was that about?"
He grinned at her and crawled up the bed. "You said to show you I had some tricks you hadn't seen yet." Gil bent down and kissed her gently.
"Kids," Catherine moaned, as the kisses deepened.
"Locked door," Gil replied. "And it's not as if they don't know where they came from."
Catherine giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
##################################
Lizzie raised an eyebrow as Jamie and Max sneaked past her.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing," Max said, giving her a big smile.
"When you smile at me for any reason, something's wrong," Lizzie told him.
"Not true! I smiled at you on your birthday!" Max grinned.
"Yeah, right after you gave me a frog."
"Well, I thought you'd want a prince," he reasoned.
"What are you up to?" Lizzie asked, ignoring Max and looking at Jamie.
"Nothing," Jamie answered.
"If you blow up Mom's CSI kit again, she's gonna kill you," Lizzie reminded him. "Those things aren't cheap."
Jamie groaned. "For the last time, it was an accident!"
"You used her kit as a base for a piñata that exploded with a time device. What did you THINK was gonna happen?" She frowned. "What are you guys doing now?
"Nothing!" Max cried. "Why does someone always think we're up to something?"
"Because you always are," Lizzie said dryly.
"That's stereotyping," Jamie said.
"Yeah! What he said!" Max echoed.
Lizzie frowned. "I'm watching you."
###################################
Catherine stepped out of bathroom, calling to her husband that she was out. She hummed to herself as she wandered downstairs, absently stepping over various items.
"Max, pick up your soccer gear and throw the dirty laundry down the chute," she murmured, passing his room. "Jamie, do not leave experiments lying around my house, particularly ones that include dead bugs." Catherine glanced into Lizzie's room, where the girl was reading a magazine and listening to her discman. "Lizzie?"
When no answer came, Catherine rolled her eyes and walked in, lifting up one of the earphones. "Lizzie?"
Lizzie almost fell off the bed in surprise. "Gee, Mom! You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Clothes don't belong in hallways, Lizzie. Either put them away or throw them down the chute. Capise?"
"Yes, mom," Lizzie grumbled.
Catherine smiled to herself and headed down the hall to Matthew's room. She looked in, seeing him lying on the bed, reading a book., headphones on.
"Hey."
Matt looked up and grinned. "Hey mom. What did I leave in the hallway?"
"Shoes, clothes," Catherine listed off. She smiled. "Let me guess, Metallica?"
Matt grinned. "They're cool."
Catherine grinned back. "Sure, sure." She was just about to leave when she noticed a bruise forming on Matt's arm. She frowned. "Matt? What's that?"
Matt glanced at where she was looking and flushed. "Nothing."
"Do not lie to me," Catherine growled. "Where did it come from? Max? A fight at school?"
Matt glanced at his mother, and realised she was furious. "Sara," he mumbled.
It may have been quiet, but Catherine's sharp ears still heard it. "What?" she cried.
"She met me after school and got all mad." Matt sat up on the bed. "I'm sorry mom, I just didn't want to upset you."
Catherine walked over and hugged him to her. "I'm not mad at you, I'm not. I am however, going to kill Sara Sidle."
Before she could leave the room the doorbell rang and Catherine let out a frustrated growl, stalking her way downstairs.
Matt, knowing that serious damage was about to be done, went in search of his father.
#################################
Grissom raced downstairs looking for Catherine. He finally found her, sitting silently in the lounge room, a piece of paper in her hands. She was staring blankly into space and didn't answer him when he called her name.
He sat beside her and placed a hand on her arm. "Cath?"
Catherine jerked, as if she had just noticed he was there. "Huh? What?"
"Cath, what's the matter? You look like you've just seen a ghost."
She silently handed over the piece of paper and Gil ran his eyes over it.
"Sara subpoenaed us?"
"She wants Matt," Catherine stated simply. "She dumped him, bruised him, and now she thinks she's entitled to our son." She turned to her husband, tears in her eyes. "She can't have him, Gil!"
"Shhh," Gil said, soothing her as he took her in his arms and rocked her. "Shh, baby. Everything's going to be okay." His eyes took one more worried glance at the subpoena, then concentrated on comforting his wife.
TBC