Note: Thanks for reading and reviewing and whatever, lol. Now, I know that Grissom's mother didn't teach at the deaf college, but let's pretend. Also, I couldn't find if Nancy was Catherine's older or younger sister, so I made her young.
Catherine and Gil climbed onto the bus together, walking a few steps to an empty seat in the front row. Catherine slid in first to the window, setting her lunchbox next to the wall.
"Hmm… I think I like first grade." Catherine said as the bus began to move.
"Yeah, me too." He replied. "I like your lunchbox, by the way."
"Thanks." She grinned. "I just got it for my sixth birthday. How old are you, anyways?"
"I'm seven. My birthday was a few days ago."
"How come you moved to Las Vegas?" She asked a minute or so later.
"My mother wanted to teach at the deaf college here."
"Oh… is she deaf?"
"You like asking a lot of questions, don't you? Yeah, she lost her hearing when she was my age. She taught herself sign language."
"Wow, she knows sign language? Do you?" She asked with curiosity. Gil laughed at her enthusiasm.
"Yes, I do." He replied with a chuckle.
"Can you teach me?" Her eyes lit up.
"Well… it'll take a while and…." He said uncertainly. Catherine batted her eyelashes and pushed her lower lip out.
"Please?" she asked with puppy-dog eyes. "I'll be good and patient and…nice?" He laughed at the look on her face.
"Fine." He said with mock distaste. She glared at him and playfully punched him in the shoulder.
"Yay! Teach me something!"
"Like what?"
"Hmm… teach me how to say 'Hello, Mrs. Grissom.'" She said.
"Ok… so first you go like this." He said and began to teach her…
"Mrs. Beale! Nancy! I'm home!" Catherine yelled loudly, despite her size, as she slammed the front door and threw her pink backpack in the corner. Mrs. Beale, the babysitter, came in to the kitchen.
"Well, hello, Catherine! How was your first day of school?" Mrs. Beale asked.
"It was great! I have a new friend already! His name is Gil Grissom. He just moved, too. From California." She put her hands on her hips. "Where's my mother?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. She called and said she would have to work late tonight." Mrs. Beale said in a sympathetic tone.
"Oh. Ok." Catherine said and dropped her arms.
"How about I fix you and Nancy a snack?"
"Ok." Catherine said and slumped into a chair at the kitchen table…
Gil slammed his front door shut and ran to find his mother. He could hear clattering in the kitchen, and followed the noise. He found his mother making him a glass of chocolate milk.
"Hi, mom." He said and signed at the same time. She smiled at him.
"Hi, Gil." She signed and bent down to give him a hug. "How was your day?"
"It was good. I met this girl named Catherine."
"Oh, a girl, hmm?" She said, her speech slurred a little because of her condition.
"Mom!" He said and glared at her. She ruffled his curly brown hair.
"I'm just kidding. So, what's she like, then?"
"Well, she's talkative, for one. She likes to ask questions. She makes me laugh. Oh, and she wants me to teach her to sign so she can talk to you. I taught her a little on the bus."
"She definitely sounds very nice! Why don't you invite her over this weekend so I can meet her?"
"Ok!" He exclaimed and jumped into a chair at the table where his mother set the glass of chocolate milk and an apple…
"Hi, Catherine!" Nancy ran to hug her big sister. Catherine smiled at the little blonde three-year old, a mirror image of herself when she was that little.
"Hey, Nancy." Nancy looked up at her from where she was holding onto Catherine's waist.
"Whaddidja do at school?" Nancy asked curiously.
"I met a new friend. His name is Gil."
"Are you going to marry him?" Nancy asked with a smile.
"Nancy, I'm six!"
"I know, I know. Do ya like him?"
"Nancy, you have to like someone to be friends with them."
"Yeah, yeah. Just wait till you're at least ten to get married."
"Nancy! You're so silly." Catherine smoothed out her little sister's hair. With their mother not being home very often, Catherine always watched out for her sister. She lifted Nancy into the chair next to her. Mrs. Beale set two glasses of milk and some Oreo's in front of them.
"Catherine's going to get married to her new friend. Once she's ten, of course." Nancy said with a grin to Mrs. Beale, holding up ten fingers.
"NANCY!"
TBC…