TITLE: Everyday
AUTHOR; RaeAnne
DISCLAIMER: see chapter one
A/N: Here is chapter two, I hope everyone enjoys it. Thank you ANNA and mkiara for your reviews! This thread is easy to get your story pushed back, thanks for noticing me (and reading!) -RaeAnne
CHAPTER TWO:
Everyday
She went home that night, kissed her sleeping daughter and stood in the bathroom starring at her reflection. Who am I? What do I want…need? I need to get through this…I want to breathe again Slow warm sticky tears slipped down her cheeks as she thought back to Grissom's face 'Choose escape'…the words echoed.
Grissom on the other hand went to work, and faced all the things familiar and like always questioned everything.
This shouldn't be this hard! He rationalized starring at DNA comparison on the computer.
"Not considering one is male, the other female and not at all related…" Greg appeared over his boss's shoulder.
"What?" Grissom questioned unaware his thoughts had been said aloud.
"Not thinkin' about the DNA were you?" Greg stated more then questioned, as he stuffed his hands into his lab coat.
"I wasn't," Grissom relented.
"About Cath then?"
Grissom glared at the aspiring CSI in wonder and a bit of anger, "Trying to analyze me Mr. Sanders? You might want to stick with the evidence," the words were curt.
Greg however wasn't deterred from his train of interrogation, "It wouldn't be unusual if you were thinking of her, I mean come on she was your best CSI, and friend…" he stopped when the glare turned deadly.
"Come on Boss, I saw her in your office, but you never went to hers…that I am aware of anyway. It would seem that there are hard feelings on your part, thought I have to say I think they are directed at the wrong person…" Greg folded his arms deciding to risk it; I mean Grissom wouldn't kill him right in his own lab…would he?
"And that is why you are still a lab tech and I am a supervisor. Stick to your DNA Greg, and leave the profiling to us okay?" Grissom was shocked at his own hard and wounding words. Grissom stormed from the lab quickly before he had to say something more, in way of an apology.
Greg wasn't upset by his boss's words; rather they just served to confirm his suspicions: Grissom did in deed need Catherine Willows, more then he or anyone else could say.
Catherine woke to the shaking of her shoulder by an impatient little blond.
"Mom wake up!" Lindsey demanded through clenched teeth.
"Honey…I'll be up in a minute…to make your lunch," Catherine mumbled turning her face into the pillow.
"Mom it's Saturday! It's your day off, REMEMBER! You marked it on the calendar two weeks ago. We were supposed to have a girl day!" Lindsey wined, hurt her mother had apparently forgotten.
Catherine lying on her stomach pushed herself up, hair falling into her face "I'm sorry, it must have slipped my mind, there has been so much stuff going on at work. Just let me get cleaned up and I will take you for breakfast to start the day huh?" she sighed turning to look at her daughter, blowing hair from her eyes.
Lindsey grinned and happily nodded leaving to ready herself. Catherine collapsed into the pillows; it was going to a long day.
"Can we go to that diner that Uncle Grissom took me to?" Lindsey asked excitedly as they headed to the SUV.
Catherine raked her brain thinking when Gil had taken Lindsey to breakfast. "Where is that honey?"
"The place with the huge pancakes and the cherry topping!" Lindsey answered climbing into the passenger seat.
Catherine chuckled fastening her seatbelt, having a pretty good idea where her daughter meant.
They made small talk as they drove to a little diner just off the strip where the former Nightshift liked to frequent.
"Oh mom, David! David, he's the boy in my class I was telling you about…?" the preteen paused to make sure her mom was paying attention.
"David…yes David, your class," Catherine repeated absently, opening the door, there was after all only so much a mother could hear about the same boy.
"ANYway, he is like the cutest boy in school…but he picks on me! Calls me weeping Willows and I have never weeped…not in front of him anyway," Lindsey went on dramatically.
"Wept, honey, not weeped," Catherine corrected scanning the full diner for a table.
"Whatever, I have to use the restroom…Uncle Grissom!" Lindsey screeched racing to a far corner booth.
Catherine watched a whirlwind of blond excitement race to a solemn, solitary man. Her mouth fell slightly as she followed her daughter.
"Hey Gil," she smiled hesitantly, Lindsey oblivious to the tension between her mother and her 'Uncle' Grissom, she sat herself across from him and began to relate all the latest news from Planet Lindsey 'Weeping' Willows.
"Hi Cath," Grissom gave a seldom bright smile, "I am done here, the place is kind of crowed so you are more then welcome to the booth."
Only a half finished cold cup of coffee remained, he started to stand.
"Wait…don't go, unless you want to…" Catherine said quickly holding a hand out, making Grissom sit back down.
"Yes, stay!" Lindsey grinned finally aware that her adult counterparts weren't listening to her stories.
"I should go," ask me stay one more time….
one
Catherine looked into his eyes don't fight me Grissom, just for once don't fight me when your presence is what I want, need…don't fight me. "We want, we would like, you to stay…"
Grissom's heart lifted, "If you're sure, "he grinned because I really want to stay.
"Very sure."
He nodded in agreement and settled back into his seat. Catherine went to join her daughter on her side of the booth.
"No, sit over there, please. I can talk to you guys better that way," Lindsey smiled brightly; unaware she made both adult's hearts stop.
"Linds," Catherine started with a nervous laugh, in normal circumstances she wouldn't think twice about sitting with Gil, in fact, she would jump at the chance, but at this moment, she didn't trust her emotions.
"I don't mind," Grissom looked up to Catherine expectantly.
"Okay…but I'll take the inside I know you detest the inside," she relented to her daughters request at the imploring look of her former boss's eyes.
"It isn't necessary," he stated.
"It is, now move," she grinned playfully.
"Yes ma'am" he chuckled standing to let her in.
Time moved slowly at first as Lindsey related all the events of her school week between bites of cherry topped pancakes, though having every other word be "like" or "so" or a combination of the two was a bit tedious.
Both Catherine and Grissom listened nodding now and again but most of their energy was focused on starring or rather not starring at each other from the corner of their eyes.
"Hey you know what! You should come to the mall with us, Mom is taking me to that new huge super mall they build, they have insect zoo there, I have to do a report, and it will be lots of fun, and if you could, then it would be so like cool if you could help me with my report! I mean you are like the most smart person I know…next to my mom of course…what ya think Uncle Gil, you want to?" Lindsey grinned, the words flying from her mouth in a rapid stream.
Grissom took a long moment to process the seeming non ending sentence that had sent his vocabulary recognition into overload.
Catherine nearly choked on a swallow of orange juice, hand sliding on the vinyl bench she had leaned on to stabilize herself as she started to cough, she slid right into Grissom's muscular thigh, making both of them add sensory overload to the all ready dizzying conversational rant that happened mere seconds before.
"I …I…" Grissom started mind still numb as his skin burned where Catherine's hand had make contact, the touch she had yet to pull away.
"Honey," Catherine stabilized first, "Uncle Gil just got off of work, I am sure he is exhausted and would like to get some sleep not hang around with two shopiholic females," Catherine removed her hand that tingled from Grissom's thing, her heartbeat not slowing. She was quick to give her daughter the cautionary "eye" before tying to smile unaffected at Grissom.
"Actually…Catherine, I'd like to go. I don't work tomorrow, or rather tonight. I don't get to spend nearly enough time with Lindsey. I would really like to go, if you don't mind," Grissom met her warm gaze and smiled. He shocked himself with his forwardness. He didn't think it would mean as much if he had made the request to Sophia, or Teri or even Sara, if she didn't misconstrue it that is. With Catherine, there was so much to gain, and so much to lose. They walked a thin, fragile line that seemed about to break.
"We'd love to have you," Catherine smiled I miss him too much. She had only recently come to realize how much she had come to rely on his presence through the days, the years.
"YEAH!" Lindsey grinned clapping her hands, her face brighter then on Christmas morning.
"How many shoes does one person need again?" Grissom shuttered as they emerged from the third shoe store in the last half hour.
"You can never have too many," Lindsey quoted.
"You are so your mothers child," Grissom shook his head in mock grimness, though he smiled.
"If the shoe fits…" Catherine's eyes lit up with her grin.
"Buy it in every color?" Grissom lifted three bags he had graciously offered to carry.
The three laughed blithely.
"Before we go to the bugs what do you say we make a drop off?" Grissom fought back a groan as he hefted the many shopping bags as they stood from their momentary rest.
"Good idea," Catherine agreed.
They started to navigate the crowed mall, stopping to gaze into the beautifully set up windows.
Lindsey's attention was caught one particular girls clothing shop display.
"OH MOM! They are so beautiful!" she skidded to a stop in front of the pink and white party dress, her words a long sigh.
"Yes baby they are, but they are so expensive," Catherine's heart broke that she couldn't give her daughter everything she wanted.
A ringing cell phone was the perfect distraction.
"Grissom," he pulled the phone from his pocket.
Catherine looked at him, question written on her face. He gave her a somewhat worried smile, but nodded.
"Yes, I understand…tell Sophia I'll be there," he closed the phone, lips in a tight line.
"That was Sara, there has been a break in our case, and they think they have the guy. I have to…"
"Go. I know. Thank you for spending what time you did with us," Catherine tried to act nonchalant, "I know it meant a lot to Lindsey…and me."
"I don't want to go, you know that right?" he stepped closer to her.
Lindsey was back at the dress window not noticing them.
Catherine bit her lip, for maybe the only time in her life, words not coming.
"I'm sorry…" he stepped infinitesimally closer, brushing feather light lips across her forehead before handing her the bags and disappearing into the crowd, like he had never been there at all.
two
"…It's okay," she closed her eyes and sighed, actually its not, it's not okay unless you are here!
