Terror Twins, Inc.

Chapter 10

After Grissom left Sara’s he didn’t immediately return home, instead he drove around the city he tried to protect.  He spent the time thinking about how he had injured Sara and what the next step in his relationship with Catherine would be.  Catherine would want more than just sex.  She would want an emotional commitment and to be honest, that scared the hell out of him.  Was he ready to make that kind of commitment?  He thought he was, but he was still scared.  He had never fully opened himself up to anyone, not even Sara. Lady Heather had once told him his biggest fear was being known.  She had been correct.  He didn’t want to be known to anyone.  Was he willing to risk that kind of exposure?  Was he willing to be known?

 

The sound of a car honking startled him and he looked around. Realizing that the light he had stopped for had turned green, he decided he better pay more attention to what he was doing.  Looking around he realized he was only a few blocks from Catherine’s.  He wasn’t surprised that his subconscious had brought him here. Turning right at the next corner, he pulled up in front of Catherine’s home and killed the engine.  He sat there staring at the house and wondering if he should go in or not.  His decision was made a few moments later when Catherine came out to the car and lightly tapped on the window.

 

“Gil?” She was concerned about him. He’d been gone much longer than she expected and she knew how he internalized everything. “Gil, are you alright?”

 

Grissom stepped out of the car and pulled her into his arms, “I am now,” he mumbled.

 

Catherine put her arms around him, allowing herself to sink into his embrace. She wondered if she would ever get used to feeling his arms tight around her.

 

They stood in the hot sun holding each other for several moments.  Both had worries running through their minds.  Would this work?  Did they really care for each other?  They each knew they had to work through some of their past issues before they had a chance of making whatever they had into a relationship.

 

Catherine pulled back a little and took his hand. “Do you want to come in?”

 

Nodding, Grissom followed her into the house.  When he got inside, he hesitated for a few moments.  His emotions were running wild.  He didn’t know what to do and his insecurity showed in his lack of action.

 

Catherine could tell that he wasn’t himself, so she took him into the living room, urging him to sit down. “Do you want a drink? Coffee? Screwdriver?”

 

“Do you still have some of the scotch I left,” he asked hopefully.

 

She smiled at him. “You’re the only one in the house that drinks it. I’ll get it for you.”

 

He watched her as she went into the kitchen.  When the door closed he slowly began to wander through her living room.  Again he ended up by the shelf that contained the pictures and once again he was enraptured by them.

 

When Catherine returned with his drink and an orange juice for her, she smiled. “That shelf just seems to draw you like a beacon, doesn’t it?”

 

Sheepishly, he looked at her and replied, “Yeah. It just surprises me how little I noticed before.”

 

“Noticed the shelf? Or the memories on it?”

 

“About us.”

 

Catherine nodded and handed him his drink, before sitting down on the couch. “Both of us took our time.”

 

Nodding, Grissom sat down beside her and took a sip of his drink.  He didn’t know what to tell her at this point.  Should he tell her he broke up with Sara?  Pondering this, he stared down into the dusky alcohol and remained silent.

 

“I take it things didn’t go too well with Sara.”

 

Startled Grissom looked over at her.  Sadness filled his eyes and he nodded.  Even though he hadn’t loved Sara, it was still painful.  He couldn’t quite put the words together to tell Catherine, so he looked back down into his drink again.

 

“I’m sorry. I know how hard it was for you, and I know how much she must be hurting.”

 

A single tear slid down his cheek and he brushed it away, “Cath, I felt like such an asshole.  She just sat there.  Can you believe she wanted to make it work?”

 

“Yes.” She smiled sadly at him. “I know how hard it is to fight a losing battle. I also know how hard it is when someone you’re deeply in love with goes off in the other direction.” Catherine’s hand tenderly brushed another tear from his eyes. “But she’ll heal. I did.”

 

Setting his drink down, he pulled Catherine into his arms.  Holding her in his arms felt so right and so wrong at the same time.  He needed her comfort and love, but he felt like dirty and rotten at the same time.

 

Catherine rested against him, responding to the hug but not initiating any further contact. She knew how much he was hurting and she wanted to provide him comfort. “I’m here, Gil. I can’t make it better, but I’m here, and I love you.”

 

Her words were like balm to his hurting soul. While they didn’t heal it entirely, only time would do that, they softened the pain and made it a bit more bearable. He stayed in the circle of her arms, until the pain began to pass a bit and then he pulled back.  Looking at her, he said, “I love you, Catherine.”

 

She smiled at him, her hand resting on his cheek. “I know.”

 

He leaned into her caress and whispered, “I feel like such an ass.”

 

“Because of Sara?”

 

“That among other things,” he replied.

 

“She’ll get over it, Gil. It will take her time, but she will.”

 

“I know.  I’m worried about us too, Catherine.  We’ve got so much baggage.  There are so many things we need to talk about before…” he trailed off.

 

“Before we sleep together?” Catherine smiled at him. “I know, Gil. And I know we need to talk. In fact, I’m kind of looking forward to it.”

 

“Actually, I was thinking of before we started a relationship, but yeah, before we sleep together too,” he paused.  “We need to go slow.  For both our sakes.  I also want to make sure you’re mentally healthy.  I don’t need another scare like before.”

 

“Neither does Lindsey,” Catherine replied. “And neither do I. I don’t want to ever go there again.”

 

Watching her, Grissom asked, “How are things going with your therapist?”               

 

Catherine leant back in his embrace, smiling at him. “Considering he was the one who said I should talk to you, I’d say things are going really well.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that.  I was worried about you.”

 

“I was worried about me too.” Catherine took one of Gil’s hands in hers, tenderly tracing it with her fingers.

 

Unexpectedly, Grissom let out a loud yawn.  “I’m sorry,” he blushed. “Last night was tough and this morning tougher.  I haven’t slept yet.”

 

“You haven’t?” Catherine’s eyes were wide. “Come on, you’re going to bed right now.”

 

Blushing, even more, Grissom stammered, “Cath, I can’t sleep here.”

 

“Why not? You have before.”

 

“Things are different now. I’m not sure I can sleep with you and not ravish you,” he said as the tips of his ears and cheeks turned bright red.

 

“I know the feeling.” Catherine stood up. “That’s why I’m going to sleep in Lindsey’s room.”

 

“I appreciate that, but I’m still going home.  I don’t think it would look good if my car stayed here all day.  I’ll go home, get some sleep and then come back.  Okay?”

 

Catherine nodded. “Before you go…would it be…I know we’re going slow and we have a lot to talk about, but I was wondering…”

 

“What?” he asked as he stood up.

 

She smiled at him. “Kiss me?”

 

Pulling her into his arms, he replied, “That I can do.”  Lowering his lips to hers, he lightly brushed them together.

 

Catherine wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss as much as she dared.

 

When Grissom felt her tongue caress his lips, he groaned and pulled back.  “Stop,” he whispered.

 

Catherine pulled back, breathing heavily. “Right.”

 

“I’ll be back tonight and I’ll bring dinner for the three of us.  Sound good?”

 

She nodded. “Sounds great. And Gil?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Her smile lit up her face. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too,” he replied as he walked backwards to the door.  When he bumped into it he sheepishly smiled.  “See you later,” he said as he opened it and went out.

 

Catherine stifled a giggle after he bumped into the door and when he left she closed the door behind him. She rested her back against the door for a minute and touched her fingers to her lips. Maybe things were going to work out after all.

 

 

 

Grissom returned to Catherine’s later that evening carrying bags of Chinese food.  He had remembered all of their favorites.  Kung pao chicken for Catherine, beef in black bean sauce for himself, and sweet and sour pork for Lindsey.  He was having trouble balancing all the bags when the front door flew open.

 

Lindsey stood in front of him, her arms crossed. “Mr. Grissom.”

 

Ignoring the girl’s attitude, Grissom smiled at her and handled her one bag.  “Hey Linds, I think you’re old enough to call me Gil now.  That is if you want too.”

 

She looked suspiciously at him for a minute. “Mom’s expecting you.”

 

Catherine appeared behind her daughter at that moment, her eyes bright and happy to see him. “Hey, Gil.”

 

“Hi, Catherine,” Grissom said, before returning his attention to Lindsey.  “You do still like sweet and sour pork don’t you?”

 

“Sure,” came Lindsey’s reply, before disappearing into the house.

 

Catherine looked apologetically at him. “I’m sorry. She’s upset about something. Ever since I told her that you were coming for dinner she’s been in a bad mood.”

 

“No problem.  She’s at that age where she can be temperamental,” he said leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.

 

“I’m really glad to see you though,” she murmured.

 

“Me too,” he said as he followed her into the kitchen.  Lindsey was already sitting at the table going through her bag and pulling items out.  Grissom set the other two bags down and then pulled a chair out for Catherine.

 

Catherine smiled gratefully at him. “Thanks.” She turned to her daughter. “Linds, isn’t it great that Gil bought Chinese food? We haven’t had any for a while.”

 

“I guess so,” Lindsey sullenly replied.

 

Her mother bit her lip, glancing again at Grissom in apology.

 

Grissom’s voice was authorative as he asked “Lindsey, is there a problem?”

 

“Yes,” she looked at him angrily, “You’re hanging around too much.  What do you want with my mom?  You’re going to hurt her like all the other men, aren’t you!”

 

Catherine looked shocked. “Lindsey…”

 

 

 

Grissom subtlety shook his head towards Catherine. “Lindsey, you’ve been through a lot lately and you have the right to be mad, but you need to realize there are things you don’t know now.  You may never know them.  Those things are up to your mom to tell you, but what you do need to know is that I care about your mom and I have for a long time.  I will try my best not to hurt her.  Now, you have a choice to make.  You can relax, enjoy a good meal, and have a pleasant evening or you can continue to be angry and make yourself miserable.  Either way, your mom and I will have a nice evening.  It’s up to you.”

 

The young blonde thought about it for several moments before sullenly replying, “Fine. I apologize.”

 

Catherine relaxed for a moment. She looked over at Grissom and smiled gratefully at him.

 

Grissom realized that the issue with Lindsey wasn’t over, but there was peace for the moment.  Smiling at Catherine, he asked, “How was your day?”

 

“Really good. I got some rest, and Lindsey and I watched a movie. I helped her with her homework and just the basic housekeeping. What about you?”

 

“It was okay.  I got some rest,” he said, but the tone of his voice implied there was something else going on.

 

Catherine looked at him strangely for a minute. She bit her lip, starting to worry about all the reasons behind his statement. “Linds, how about you tell Gil about your day at school?”

 

As they finished their meal, Lindsey prattled on about school.  She told them about what her friends were doing and how her classes were going.  When she was done eating, she asked to be excused.

 

“Okay,” Catherine told her. “But no longer than half an hour on the phone. My entire paycheck is not going into your phone bills.”

 

“Okay,” she said turning to Grissom, “Goodnight, Gil.”

 

“’Night, Linds.”

 

“Night sweetheart,” Catherine said, kissing her daughter on the cheek.

 

As they watched the young lady leave the room, Grissom said, “She’s growing up so fast.”

 

“Sometimes I think it’s too fast,” Catherine murmured, watching her daughter go. She finally turned her attention back to Grissom. “Earlier…you sounded like there was something else going on.”

 

“Sara called when I got home,” he said as he pushed back from the table.

 

Catherine took a deep breath. “Oh.”

 

“She asked if we could try again.  I told her no. She pleaded and I had to be firm.  I think I finally got it through her head.  She’s going to take some time off.”

 

The redhead let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. “Oh. Okay. Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”

 

“I think so too. Any idea when you’ll be back?  We’re going to be short handed for awhile.”

 

“Soon,” she replied. “Sooner, if you’re going to be short handed.”

 

“Don’t rush it.  I want you well.  I’d rather be short handed.”

 

“I’ll be careful,” she promised.

 

“Good,” he smiled.

 

Catherine sighed. “I’m going to have to tell Lindsey.”

 

Grissom smirked, “Somehow, I think she has a suspicion”

 

She smiled at him. “Not just about us. But about…everything else.”

 

“You’re right,” he said standing up. “Let’s go to the living room.  These chairs kill my back.”

 

Catherine stood up and took his hand as they went into the living room and sat down on the sofa. She snuggled herself into Grissom’s embrace.

 

Catherine felt divine in his arms, but he didn’t want to get to content too fast.  “Cath, we’ve got a lot to talk about.”

 

“I know,” she murmured. “We can talk when you’re ready.”

 

“We need to talk soon, but I’m not sure how quickly we should come out with our relationship.”

 

“Our relationship isn’t going to be easy, Gil. Nor is it going to be accepted by some people.” She sat up for a moment. “I want to know…I need to know, that you’re in this for the long haul.”

 

“I want to be.”

 

Catherine bit her lip. “Is there a but at the end of that sentence?”

 

“Yes and no.  I want to be there for the long haul.  I’m just worried about our past baggage and if we’ll make it.”

 

“I don’t quit easily, Gil. You know that.”

 

“I know you don’t.  You’re an amazing woman, Catherine.  I’m a lucky man,” he said as he ran a hand through her silky hair.

 

“I’m not quitting on you, Gil. No matter how hard you push me away, or how hard it’s going to be - I’m not quitting. I want this too much.”

 

“Are you sure about that?  Are you positive you want a socially inept hermit as a companion?” Grissom voiced his own insecurities.

 

“I’m in love with the socially inept hermit. He’s part of me. And I’m sure that I want to be with him.” She gazed into his eyes. “What about you? Are you sure you want to be with a former stripper with a daughter and her long line of ex-boyfriends?”

 

“Yes, I do,” he said slipping a hand behind her neck and pulling towards him.  When their lips met, he let out a satisfied sigh.

 

Catherine moaned into the kiss and her hands rested on his chest as she moved closer to him. Deepening the kiss, her hands slid up his chest and wrapped around his neck, urging him closer.

 

“Mom?” They both heard Lindsey’s voice and quickly pulled apart.  Each of them was breathing hard and their faces were equally red.

 

Catherine backed up on the sofa. “Hey, Linds. Is everything okay?”

 

Lindsey suspiciously glanced back and forth between the two adults.  She knew something was up and she wasn’t sure she liked it.  In an imitation of her mother, she bit her lip and then said, “Kelsey wants to know if I can spend the night Friday?”

 

“Friday? Uh, that should be fine. Is Kelsey’s mom going to be there?”

 

“Uh-huh,” Lindsey replied bouncing from foot to foot.

 

“Then sure. I’ll talk to her mom before then to check out all the details.”

 

“Great!  I’m gonna go call her back, G’night,” she said running back down the hallway.

 

“Night.” Catherine said. She turned back to Grissom. “Well.”

 

Grissom’s eyes were twinkling. “I’ve got an idea.  You’re already off work, why don’t I take Friday off and treat you to a lovely dinner?”

 

Catherine’s eyes lit up. “Really? I think that’s a fantastic idea.”

 

Grissom looked at his watch, “I better get going.  I need to get to the lab.  I’ll pick you up at 7:30 on Friday.  Okay?”

 

She nodded. “I love you, Gil.”

 

“I know.  I love you too,” he said as he backed his way to the front door.

 

Catherine chuckled and waved him away. “Get out of here. Before I take you upstairs and you don’t go to work.”

 

“Goodnight, Catherine,” Grissom said as he let himself out the door.  This time when he left her home he was happy.  He knew he had her in his life and no matter how difficult things became with Sara, she would be there beside him.

 

TBC…