A/N: Two more chapters, then the epilogue. So ready to be done with this already. I've been working on new story with Nick as the main character. Don't worry, it's still GSR and some CWR for good measure, but the focus will be on Nick. Haven't forgotten about MBE.
I do not own CSI and all that.
Stay
Chapter Fifteen
Grissom arrived at work feeling slightly hung over. Common sense should have told him to leave Brass' home after the second drink. Instead, he vaguely remembered, while tossing back a few, that the bottle was last seen half empty - or half full. Whatever.
It didn't matter anyway. It's not like he had to be anywhere. For the last several weeks he began his evenings with a visit with the children and Sara. Now, he had no obligations…God he missed the twins already.
"You look like shit."
He glanced up slowly from the pile of phone messages he was mindlessly sorting.
"Thanks, Catherine. I knew I could always count on you for a kind word."
"Right. So," She began after closing the office door and taking the chair opposite of him. "Rough morning?"
Grissom only shrugged in response, but Catherine was not deterred. "How was your weekend?"
"Fine." He grumbled, then looked up and caught her expectant face. "And…thanks again for covering for us."
"You are welcome. So, everything okay with you and Sara? You two seemed…tense last night."
"The children are fine, by the way. Thanks for asking."
"Glad to hear it. What's up with you?"
"Catherine, let's end the fishing expedition, shall we? What exactly do you want to know?"
"I want to know if you are okay. You spent the weekend with your children and the love of your life - I thought you'd be…I don't know - happy?"
Grissom groaned out loud. As much as he opposed discussing personal issues at work, he really wanted Catherine's opinion.
Catherine could see him caving. "You had a nice time with the children?"
"Yes, I did."
"The roaches were well behaved?" She continued as if reintroducing him to the art of basic conversation.
"Yes. Gillian did a wonderful job."
"And Gil? When is it his turn for Show and Tell?"
"Two weeks, I think."
"Should be interesting. Things were not so good with Sara?" She prompted.
He sat silent for several minutes, searching for adequate words to describe his current predicament. "I don't know what happened. I mean, we have these periods were things are going well, then suddenly the rug is ripped from beneath me and we are right back at square one. I feel like we will never be able move on to something more."
Catherine frowned; his use of metaphors did not offer any clarity. "What happened?"
Grissom pursed his lips as he considered his answer. "Sara and I have grown closer - physically."
Catherine smiled, knowing that this was costing him big time. He was damn near the only, almost fifty year man, who could not admit that he had sex. Always the gentleman, Gil Grissom was indeed a dying breed.
"It's in those moments," He continued on "…when we are together that way...that I allow myself to indulge in the possibilities."
"Nothing wrong with that. We all do it."
He only grunted in response.
She sat uncharacteristically patient while he collected his thoughts.
"What happened?" Catherine asked again, finally breaking the silence.
"She lied to me."
"About what?"
"I'm not sure, but I do know that she is keeping something from me."
"All truths are not meant to be revealed." She quoted cryptically.
"Who said that?"
"Catherine Willows."
He smiled appreciatively in response. "I can't explain it Catherine. It's like she cast some sort of spell on me."
"Yeah, it's called sex."
Grissom raised his eyebrow disapprovingly. "This is more than about the physical aspect of our relationship, Catherine." He chided. "Sara has some kind of hold on me. She makes me believe in fairytales. She makes me believe that love will conquer all. It's been there since the day we met and I imagine it will be there until the day I draw my last breath."
"Pretty melodramatic for a guy that thinks the woman he's sleeping with is a liar."
"Catherine?" He cocked his head to one side, seeing his best friend for the first time in a different light. "What are you doing?"
"What I always do - look out for you."
She wasn't sure why her claws came out, especially after her round with Sara. She came to him with the intentions of helping her best friend. To prove to Sara, Warrick and maybe even herself that she was not the villain in this story. She was not jealous. She just wasn't sure what it was that sparked her anger but it was not jealousy.
Maybe it was the way Grissom spoke about Sara - it was wistful and sweet and…pretty damned irritating. In all her years of knowing the man, he only held that tone when he spoke of his precious Sara. The same Sara that broke his heart shattered his faith in all women and was still deceiving him to this day. She did not deserve his kind words!
Grissom ran an impatient hand through his salt and pepper curls. "What is this really about, Catherine? I don't understand why you dislike her so strongly-"
"Because I'm being objective. She doesn't hold the power of persuasion over me." She threw out pointedly. "Are you willing to just forget the hell she put you through?"
"I'm trying to forget, but you won't let me."
"Oh, she must be really good."
"Stop it, Catherine."
He stood and began pacing the small enclosed space. Halting abruptly, he swung around to face his friend. "Does it even matter to you that I am happy? That after all these years - years Catherine, that I am finally happy? I have two beautiful children and a woman that I - that I have Sara?"
"Do you Gil? Do you have Sara? And if so, for how long?"
"You speak as if you know something." Cocking his head to one side. "Do you, Catherine?"
"I'm going to take your advice and mind my own damned business." She retorted and began to brush imaginary lint from her slacks.
"As one who goes to such great lengths to look out for me, if you know something about Sara that I should know, you should be more than willing to tell me."
"And the woman that has made you blind and irrational should be obligated to come clean to you! She has done nothing but cause you pain and misery, while I have always been there for you to help pick up the pieces. Yet, here you are getting all morally righteous with me while she is the director in this comedic tragedy!"
Grissom stared several long seconds at the woman he barely recognized as his friend.
"Look, this is getting us nowhere. Let's agree to disagree about Sara." He conceded, dropping into his chair.
"I agree that this is going no where fast because Sara's not being honest with you." Catherine knew that this was Grissom's way of ending their quarrel before it got any more out of control. She also knew that her comment was completely unnecessary and would fuel the fire, but the Alpha female in her would not allow her to keep her mouth shut when it looked like Sara had won.
"Damn it, Catherine! She's done nothing to you! Sara's doing the best that she can-"
"Stop making excuses for her!"
"I'm not, though you are constantly putting me in a position to defend Sara."
"She's always in a position that needs defending."
"Catherine, stop!"
He glanced up to realize that their steadily increasing voices were beginning to draw curious glances. "In an attempt to salvage what is left of our friendship, I am ending this conversation. But never again will I stand for this type of interference into my personal life or with my relationship with the children. Gil and Gillian come first - always. Never again Catherine. Friendship or no."
"You're willing to ditch our friendship over a woman?"
"Not just any woman, Catherine. The mother of my children."
"The twins can be a part of your life with or without their mother. Any good attorney can see to it."
"Enough. Enough of this." Grissom stood once again and snatched his jacket from the arm of the desk chair. "This will be the last time we speak of this."
"Damn!" Catherine muttered as she ran a shaky hand through her hair as Grissom slammed closed behind him. "I really fucked that up."
