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Nick walked slowly into the house as the door squeaked further open. He stared at Grissom who looked beside himself. “She’s not making any sense, and I have tried calming her down. I…,” Grissom stopped as he rubbed his hands through his hair. “She makes things so damn difficult, and all I want to do is clear her.” Nick watched in amazement as his own boss seemed almost ready to give up on her.
“Grissom she sounded very upset on the phone. I think she just needs someone to…,” Nick started before Grissom interrupted him. “She doesn’t need me at the moment. It seems all I do is upset her,” he stops short as he shakes his head lightly as he scoffs. “She says she doesn’t remember if she slept with him, and I’m pissed off at her lack of remembrance. How fair is that? I honestly can’t deal with her past now, it’s a good thing she called you. I have some serious thinking to do,” and with that Grissom grabbed his car keys and headed out the door. Stopping suddenly with his hand on her door knob, Grissom did not turn back as he spoke to Nick. “Just look out for her because she’s going to need it.” Then he was gone. Nick slowly turned towards the living room which was barely lit with any light. Did that really just happen? Did Grissom walk out on Catherine? No way…he had to be dreaming.
He swallowed hard as he saw the sight of her. Sitting on the floor with her legs under her, she looked so lost. Vulnerable was a word he rarely was able to link to her. Her golden hair framed her delicate face as the tears threatened to spill down her soft cheeks.
Walking quietly over to her, Nick gently sat down in front of her as he lightly touched her shoulder. The last thing he expected was for her to talk. For her to acknowledge any of the events that took place in her foyer only moments ago. “He’s really gone?” Her questioning voice so soft it barely registered to him at first. She chuckled as a tear fell down her smooth face. “That is what I thought I wanted. He’s doesn’t believe me, and now that my life is falling apart he walks away.” Nick sat motionless as he watched her chin quiver with desperate emotion. He was about to try and say something to comfort her, but she spoke up before he had a chance. “Running away is what men do best.”
“Cath…I’m not about to analyze Grissom. I wouldn’t know where to begin, but I’m sure he loves you.”
“I don’t want to talk about him,” she muttered as she looked away.
“Okay, then why don’t you tell me why you can’t remember if you slept with McKean or not?”
This seemed to get her attention immediately as her blue gaze quickly met his concerned darker one. She opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it as she suddenly looked away. “I’m surprise you asked this considering that Grissom never did.” Her throat felt immensely dry as she swallowed a huge lump. Something inside him told him that what she was about to say wasn’t going to be good. What she was about to say most likely would not sit too well with him. It usually was not a good sign when a woman could not remember an intimate act, and Nick was shocked that Grissom did not pick up on this.
Catherine remained quiet as she looked at Nick wondering if opening up was even worth the challenge. She looked down and somehow managed to focus on a black string that happened to unravel on the bottom of her shirt. She clenched her eyes shut as the memories of that night tried to flood their way in.
“Cath…please tell me.”
It did not seem that she really needed the coaxing as she took in a deep breath before she spoke. “I met McKean when I worked at the French Palace. Grissom actually introduced me,” she stopped as she shook her head briefly. “Anyways, I had just finished my schooling, and Grissom was trying to get me a job. McKean wanted to meet me on my turf so to speak. We met, and well I didn’t hear from him until the following week when he showed up at my work alone. He was waiting for me in the dressing room, and I was caught off guard that he was there,” she stopped as she took in a shaky breath before she continued. “He was there for only one reason, and it was to proposition me for an interview. I told him that I didn’t work that way, but he was pretty persistent. He then gave me a drug, and I don’t remember anything after that.”
Nick remained speechless for a moment until he rubbed at his neck. Man was this bad. Very bad. This sounded very sinister, and not necessarily on Catherine’s part. “Well…do you remember waking up or…anything like that?”
She looked up at him before she quickly looked away. “Nick…I…no!” She cleared her throat before she continued. “Look…it, well it was a very long time ago. Is it cold in here?” Her sudden change of topic only intensified his feeling that she was hiding something. He could not help but notice as she rubbed her hands up and down her arms in a sense to comfort herself. For some reason he had a feeling she remembered more, but was keeping it quiet.