Title: Sticks and Stones Chapter 2

Disclaimer: These guys don't belong to me.

Author: Nuclearjane

Spoiler(s): Weeping Willows

Catherine stood in laundry room off the kitchen, folding clothes and waiting. Her mother was puttering in the kitchen, waiting. They were both waiting - for Grissom to make an appearance from her bedroom. Some fifteen minutes earlier, she heard her bathroom shower running when she took some towels upstairs.

"He'll definitely need a toothbrush and maybe a razor." She thought so she located a new one of each in the Linen closet drawer where she kept extras. Tiptoeing into the bathroom, she sat them and a fresh towel by the sink, then pulled the toothpaste from the drawer and sat it out so he wouldn't have to look for it. After a quick check to make sure Lindsey was asleep, she went to the kitchen, hoping to find away to get her mother to leave.

"He's up, Mom." She said.

"Is Lindsey asleep?"

"Yes."

"I'll put some coffee on."

"You don't have to do that. It's getting late, you know."

"Trying to rush me off. Why don't you want me to meet him?"

"Mom, you have met Grissom."

"Not since you slept with him!"

"I told you nothing happened. He was drunk and fell asleep."

"Right, and the Moon is made out of cheese."

"Suit yourself." She hid in the laundry room, sorted clothes and loaded the washer but didn't start it so she could hear what went on in the kitchen when he finally appeared. Her mother drove her nuts sometimes but she was thankful that she came over today. At least, it saved Catherine having to explain why Grissom was in her bed to Lindsey. Lindsey had the habit of bursting into Catherine's bedroom when she got home from school to wake her up. The conversation with her mother was embarrassing enough as it was………..

"Mom?" Catherine asked, after stumbling out of bed and down the stairs.

"Good evening, Dear." Her mother cordially answered and the warning bells clanged in Catherine's mind. "Lindsey, I thought you were going to water the flowers when we got home."

"Oh, yeah! Hi! Mommy!" Lindsey gave her a quick hug before racing out to the backyard. Catherine felt the same dread she'd felt as a teenager after being caught out past curfew.

"Okay, who is he and when did he get here? And, for God sakes, why is he still here? When I left this morning, you were in bed alone!" Her mother demanded when Lindsey was safely out of earshot.

"Uh…….." Catherine's head spun slightly, it had been along time since she'd really been subject to the maternal third degree.

"Well?"

"Gil Grissom, he showed up around Noon………."

"Your boss, Gil Grissom?" Her mother put a hand to her mouth.

"He's not my boss anymore." Catherine stammered. "He was………..drunk. Umm, we had a bad case, and anyway…………..Uh, he wanted to talk and then he passed out." Catherine leaned over the counter and rubbed her forehead. She had never been very good at lying to her mother. "I really need some coffee."

"Here, I made this about half an hour ago." Her mother poured a cup from the thermal carafe.

"Thanks."

"So, I came over to start some soup before Lindsey got home. I went up to check on you and you have some man in your bed. Now, you're telling me he's your former boss who came over drunk and just wanted to talk. Um, hmm."

"Mom, we didn't have sex and why were you checking on me?" She asked then winced slightly, thinking. "That wasn't really a lie, was it?"

"At what age do you think you'll stop checking on Lindsey? And if you don't work for him anymore, how did you have a bad case together?"

"Sometimes we have cases that overlap." Catherine defended. Lindsey came rushing back in and Catherine immediately drew her into a hug, thankful for the distraction. "Hey, baby. How was your day?"

"Great! Grandma picked me up from school and took me to the mall. I had a chocolate chip ice cream cone and I got some cool new pants."

"Sounds like it was fun."

"Yeah, and Grandma is making homemade soup!"

"How much homework do you have? Maybe we can watch a movie before bed."

"I have a Math test tomorrow. I hate Long Division!"

"I did too. Well, I'll help you study for it. But, for now, how about we help with the soup?"

"Hello." Grissom's voice interrupted Catherine's reflection. Thinking she detected a hint of trepidation in his greeting, she listened closely.

"Mr. Grissom, how are you? I just made some fresh coffee, would you like a cup?"

"Very much."

"Here it comes." Catherine thought. If he choked on the coffee, it meant her mother regarded him as if he'd just sprouted horns, cloven hooves and a pointy tail. If he liked it, it meant she viewed him as a potential marital candidate for her worrisome eldest daughter. Catherine couldn't decide which was the worse prospect.

"Umm, that's good." Grissom said after the first sip.

"You must be hungry. I could warm some soup up for you. It's homemade."

"Oh, Lord, Mother! Do you have to lay it on that thick?" Catherine thought, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. "Ah, but this is Gil Grissom, he'll politely refuse and leave." It was hard to believe he hadn't already bolted out the door or climbed out a window. Of course, it was a long drop from any of the upstairs windows and he had bad knees.

"I would really appreciate that." Grissom replied.

Catherine's jaw fell open. She buried her face in the basket of freshly folded clothes, whimpered and wondered what the hell happened to the Gil Grissom she knew. Considering the events of the day, she became convinced he had suffered some sort of mental meltdown.

"Well, you sit right down and I'll have some hot soup in a jiffy!"

Catherine groaned and bit down on one of Lindsey's socks. Should she suggest a visit to the hospital? He wouldn't take that very well. After a moment, she started the washer, picked up the basket and headed into the kitchen.

"You're up."

"Yes." Grissom eyed her carefully, sensing her nervousness. He knew she had known he was awake from the toothbrush, toothpaste, towel and razor that appeared by the sink while he was showering. Deciding to play it by ear, he kept quiet. Catherine sat the laundry basket on a stool and approached her mother.

"Mom, please?" She whispered.

"Okay, as soon as his soup is ready." Her mother glanced at him before conspiratorially whispering. "You know, I think he's rather handsome. The beard suits him, makes him seem more mature."

"Mom!" Catherine's tone had that whiney quality she associated with Lindsey when being denied something she didn't think she could live without.

"Five minutes and I'll go." Her mother promised, opening the microwave door to stir the soup. Catherine sighed, picked up the coffee carafe and refilled Grissom's cup before sitting across from him at the table. He knew she was picking at her nails under the table from her arm and shoulder movements. Staring into his coffee cup, he vainly tried to think of something witty to say to ease the tension.

"Soup's on!" Her mother cheerfully declared. "Careful - the bowl is hot." She warned as she sat it in front of him. "Would you like some crackers, maybe a glass of milk?"

"No, thank you and this smells wonderful."

"I hope you enjoy it. Well, it's getting late and I need to be getting home."

"I'll walk you out." Catherine said.

"Honey, I know we've had this conversation in the past and you probably don't want to hear it again………….."

"I know, Mom. Lindsey needs a father figure. And, believe me, I would really like to have a man in my life but Gil isn't exactly a 'family oriented' type of guy. He works more than I do. Lindsey would probably be better off with a photograph."

"Does he have any family?"

"Not really."

"Catherine, people change. Maybe he'd like to try it." Catherine bit her tongue, wondering what happened to her lecture of 'don't expect to change a man, you have to love him as he is' from when she married Eddie.

"I'm not sure I want Lindsey to be part of an experiment on his part."

"I'm just trying to help. I worry about you."

"I know and I appreciate it. Drive safe, okay? I love you."

"Love you too." Her mother started the car and backed out of the driveway, giving a quick wave when she pulled away. Catherine watched, until she turned the corner at the end of the street then went back in the house.

"So……….do you work tonight?" Catherine asked, as she sat down at the table. She was hoping to avoid any embarrassing conversations by rushing him out the door.

"I called in sick."

"You're kidding me." He never called in sick. In the past, she usually had to drag him out of the lab with threats of bodily harm before he infected the entire staff. For her, this was more proof of the mental derangement theory.

"No, I actually felt very ill when I woke up the first time so I called Sara to take shift, it'll be good experience for her. By the way, thank you for leaving the water and medication."

"As drunk as you were, I knew you would feel pretty bad when you woke up."

"I was that bad, huh?"

"Do you remember anything?" He pushed a pea around in the nearly empty bowl. Gathering his courage, he decided to let her know he remembered quite well what happened.

"I remember wishing I could have seen your face, been looking into your eyes when……..." He trailed off, but looked at her intently. Color stained her cheeks and she ran a hand through her hair. Realizing how uncomfortable she was, he wondered if he should've feigned ignorance and saved himself the pain of rejection and a ruined friendship. He didn't have many friends and the close ones, like Catherine, were precious to him.

"I, umm………"

"I wanted it to be good for you." He added, feeling as though he was grasping at straws. He desperately wanted her to see that there could be so much more between them.

"It was."

"I sense a 'but' coming on." He said and heard her sigh.

"It's just, I know you and even if you don't regret it right now, you will, later."

TBC