csigrillow
Lab Technician
This is such an intriguing fic! You've done another great job with the flashbacks. I really liked how vividly you described the altercation between Cath and Eddie. More, more, more!! 
Lindsey's Party
- Thread starter coolcatz
- Start date
Hottie_Cath
Corpse
oh goodness.. this fic is getting better and better. I love the angst and the flashbacks.. this scene almost made my cry:
I love the angst and the flashbacks.. this scene almost made my cry:Awes.
Author: coolcatz
Rating: csi 3 overall
Disclaimer: OK OK! You figured it out. I did not write the season finale!
Lindsey sat in the back of the classroom slouching her chair. Beside her sat four of her classmates, all ball players. One of the advantages of alphabetically assigned seats was that she was always in the middle of a bunch of cute boys. This, and the fact that Lindsey favored her mother so much, gave her an advantage over every other girl in the class.
Today Lindsey was slouched in her seat because she and the boy next to her were passing notes back and forth and didn’t want to be caught.
“Hey. The nazi still have you in lock down?”
“Yeah.”
“That sucks.”
“No, you suck.”
“No, you do.”
“But I thought you liked it.”
“Babe, no one sucks like you do.”
“Damn straight.”
“So how much longer are you going to be grounded?”
“Dunno.”
“You still have beads for a door?”
“Hell yeah.”
“Damn.”
“I hate her.”
“Me too.”
“I want to go out so bad.”
“There’s a party Firday.”
“Hello! Nazi!”
“Thought she worked.”
“She does. Nazi #2, the nanny.”
“Oh. You should bribe her.”
“Really? You think? Already tried it.”
“You have to be at this party.”
“I know”
“The window?”
“I don’t think that window will ever be opened again.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Yeah.”
“Then call social services on her ass.”
“Why?”
“Cuz they’ll take her away, you go to a foster home for a couple of days and you’ll be able to go to the party.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“I dunno.”
“Linds, this is going to be THE party. You can’t miss it.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Lindsey was about to pass the note back when her teacher snatched it from her hands.
“Ms. Willows, this is why you are not passing this class.” She walked to the front of the room, placed the note in her desk drawer and resumed her lecture.
Gil and Catherine had been working their crime scene for almost the entire shift. It had been a very quiet evening between the two of them. Catherine hadn’t said more than three words to Gil that were not related to work. He asked about Lindsey and all she said was that Lindsey was fine. He asked about Lily and Catherine’s reply was the same as before. He winked at her while giving her a clever quote that fit the scene but she just turned away. He threw a corny joke at her only to watch her walk into the other room without a word. Gil decided to just give her some space. She could be having her period or maybe menopause had hit her overnight. Either way he decided it was best to just let her be.
Catherine was hiding in the kitchen. Gil had been following her around like a lost puppy dog all night and she wasn’t in the mood to deal with him. She knew he didn’t realize she had overheard what he had said to Doc Robbins. He was acting too normal. It didn’t matter though. She had heard his words and there was no way to take them back. She couldn’t understand why he had paired them up when he obviously despised her. She took in a deep breath and continued to process the kitchen. Shortly after 6 a.m. her phone rang. She saw her home number on the display.
“Hello.”
“Cath….sore….” was all Catherine could make out before she was assaulted by a horrendous coughing fit from the other end of the call.
“Mom?”
“…school…sleep…” This was accompanied by a sneezing fit.
“Mom. Are you sick?”
“…said….home…drive…TISSUE!” Catherine pulled the phone away as her mother’s clogged nose trumpeted through the line.
“Mom, I’ll be home in time to take Lindsey to school. Just go back to bed.”
“…already…girl…never listen…” The phone clicked indicating her mother had hung up.
Catherine placed her phone back in its cradle then turned towards the living room. She had rode to the scene with Gil and she needed to get home. They didn’t have time to go back to the lab for her to get her car. She gnawed on her lower lip for a few minutes debating whether to ask him for a lift or not. In the end her daughter’s welfare won out over her anger (it always did) and she made arrangements with Gil to run her home so they could take Lindsey to school.
The two of them picked Lindsey up. The ride to Butterfield was just as quiet as their night had been. Lindsey was a night person like her mother and mornings just didn’t agree with her. She was grumpy until at least 10 a.m. no matter what. Gil watched the two of them, looking at Lindsey in the mirror and stealing quick glances at Catherine when he could. Even now, almost fourteen years after Catherine gave birth to Lindsey, he still felt an unexplainable wonder when looking at Lindsey. He completely understood the biology behind creation but to actually hold a newborn and then to watch her grow into a beautiful young woman was beyond anything science could explain to him.
Catherine was doing practically the same thing as Gil. She watched her daughter and stole glances at Gil. All she could think about was her conversation yesterday with Wendy, something she had forgotten after her fight with Gil. But here in the silence of the car it all came back to her. She looked from her daughter to Gil and back. Her mind was reeling. It was impossible and she knew it but yet the DNA comparison said it was possible.
Lindsey adored her father. They did everything together, especially after Eddie and Catherine divorced. Her taste in food, music and friends was Eddie made over but these traits could easily be environmental, she knew that. Lindsey was loud like her but there were times when she was incredibly silent, preferring to spend her time in her organic garden with its own miniature ecosystem.
She looked at her daughter’s eyes, her blue eyes. They were not the same blue as Catherine’s eyes or Eddie’s. Or even Gil’s eyes as far as that went. To be perfectly honest it was if her eyes contained the color of all of their eyes combined. When she smiled her eyes held the same hint of mischievousness that Gil’s eyes held. Her mouth turned the way Eddie’s mouth would turn when he smiled but the shape was definitely not the same as Eddie’s. Her hair? Well Catherine was a blonde---now. She knew it. Eddie knew it. Gil knew it. Well almost everyone knew it. Eddie and Gil both had brown hair. Eddie had blonde hair as a child but she didn’t know about Gil.
She shook her head. This was insane. There was no way Gil was Lindsey’s father. It was impossible. She and Eddie didn’t have sex until after she had cycled. Wendy had made a mistake. She would just have to have a private test done, not that she needed it, but still just to prove there was a problem in the lab that needed to be corrected before this happened to another family.
“Mom! You have to sign me in!” Lindsey screamed, yanking her mother out of her thoughts and back into the real world as she slammed the door behind her.
“I’ll be right back” Catherine said to Gil as she climbed out to follow her daughter inside.
Catherine had signed Lindsey in and was on her way back to the car when she was stopped by one of her daughter’s instructors.
“Mrs. Willows, I’m glad I caught you. Saves me a call later.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“I thought you should be aware of this.” She handed Catherine the note Lindsey and her friend had been passing back and forth yesterday. “Lindsey has been doing so much better the past few weeks but I think we may be headed for trouble again.”
“Yes, thank you.” Catherine pocketed the note after reading it and stood up to leave. “My partner is waiting. I need to go.” She smiled sweetly but her voice was tinged with fear.
“I know you work long hours but I really think you need to take this seriously. Honestly I should have turned this because of what she says about her bedroom but I prefer to give the parents a…”
“Listen. I’ll raise my daughter the way I see fit.” She rushed out of the building and slammed her way back into the car.
Gil looked at her, groaning inwardly. Catherine hadn’t been in a good mood all night but something had happened inside that made her mood even worse.
“Wanna talk about it?” Gil was now certain that whatever was bothering her had to do with Lindsey.
“No.”
“If you do…”
“I don’t!” With that statement she ended any further questioning by Gil.
They rode in silence for several minutes. Gil heard a silent gasp and glanced over to see a tear falling down Catherine’s cheek. He pulled into the nearest parking lot killing the engine. He opened his door, walked around to the passenger’s side and opened Catherine’s door. He reached in to pull her into his arms.
“I said I don’t want to talk about it.” Catherine pushed him away.
“I want to help.”
“I’m sure you do.” Since he wouldn’t leave her alone she turned away from him.
“Catherine, what happened in there? Is Lindsey in trouble again?” His hand was on her shoulder trying to calm her. She looked at him, biting into her jaw to keep the words forming on her lips from escaping.
“Damn it. Do you want her to try something stupid again? I’m trying to help and if you don’t talk to me I can’t…” That was it. She’d had enough. How dare he even offer to help after what he said about her yesterday.
“OH SHUT UP!” The full force of her fury spilled forth from her body with this statement. She knocked his arm away with enough force that it slammed into the side of the car before shoving past him and storming off. Gil looked at her as if she’d lost her mind.
“Catherine, what the hell is going on with you? You’ve been acting crazy all night.” He watched her turn around and wished he’d kept his mouth shut.
“I would think that would make you happy. Give you more ammunition to use against me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You think Lindsey needs someone else to raise her.”
“Why would I…”
“I heard you yesterday. I heard what you said to Doc. At least I know how you really feel now. Funny thing is my daughter seems to agree with you.” She pulled the note from her pocket and threw it at him. “Along with her teacher. The three of you can’t be wrong.”
Gil read the note. He then mentally kicked himself for not realizing that she would have heard him. He was angry at the time and Catherine thought he had meant it. But he didn’t mean it
“I’m sorry. I was out of place…” Gil looked her in the eyes and saw the pain his words had caused her.
“You said what you really thought.”
“No. I didn’t. Catherine, you are a wonderful mother.” For the life of him he couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t accept his apology.
“Right. My daughter thinks I’m a Nazi, sounds like mother of the year material to me.” Catherine had one arm wrapped around her chest and ran her fingers through her hair with the other in an effort to stop the tears that threatened to fall.
“She’s thirteen, she’s supposed to think you are a Nazi. If she didn’t then you would be a bad mother.” Gil didn’t move towards her, the uncertainty of the moment had him frozen in place.
“I need to take the night off. She doesn’t know I know and she’s planning on sneaking out.” Catherine resumed her pacing.
“We’ll both take the night off.” Gil felt like an idiot just standing there but there was nothing else he could do.
“No.”
“I want to.”
“No. I don’t want you there. You’ve done enough.” She wasn’t thanking him. Her voice was bitter but Gil had no clue why. His body finally remembered how to move and he went to her.
“I told you I was angry. I’m sorry Catherine. I would never hurt you like that.”
“Well, I guess that’s the difference between us.” Catherine was furious. “Because I would.” She shoved him away again but Gil refused to let her walk away.
“Catherine, you’re afraid right now. You don’t know…”
“Don’t know what? How to raise my daughter by myself?” Catherine could no longer fight the tears. Her self-control was lost amid the confusion, anger and fear.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Or maybe that I don’t know how to raise Eddie’s daughter? Is that it?” She chastised herself for not even being responsible enough to be a mother to Eddie’s daughter.
“You aren’t making any sense.” Gil was seriously concerned. It had been many years since he’d seen Catherine this out of control.
“Or maybe it’s because I don’t know whose daughter it is I’m raising anymore.”
Rating: csi 3 overall
Disclaimer: OK OK! You figured it out. I did not write the season finale!
Lindsey sat in the back of the classroom slouching her chair. Beside her sat four of her classmates, all ball players. One of the advantages of alphabetically assigned seats was that she was always in the middle of a bunch of cute boys. This, and the fact that Lindsey favored her mother so much, gave her an advantage over every other girl in the class.
Today Lindsey was slouched in her seat because she and the boy next to her were passing notes back and forth and didn’t want to be caught.
“Hey. The nazi still have you in lock down?”
“Yeah.”
“That sucks.”
“No, you suck.”
“No, you do.”
“But I thought you liked it.”
“Babe, no one sucks like you do.”
“Damn straight.”
“So how much longer are you going to be grounded?”
“Dunno.”
“You still have beads for a door?”
“Hell yeah.”
“Damn.”
“I hate her.”
“Me too.”
“I want to go out so bad.”
“There’s a party Firday.”
“Hello! Nazi!”
“Thought she worked.”
“She does. Nazi #2, the nanny.”
“Oh. You should bribe her.”
“Really? You think? Already tried it.”
“You have to be at this party.”
“I know”
“The window?”
“I don’t think that window will ever be opened again.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Yeah.”
“Then call social services on her ass.”
“Why?”
“Cuz they’ll take her away, you go to a foster home for a couple of days and you’ll be able to go to the party.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“I dunno.”
“Linds, this is going to be THE party. You can’t miss it.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Lindsey was about to pass the note back when her teacher snatched it from her hands.
“Ms. Willows, this is why you are not passing this class.” She walked to the front of the room, placed the note in her desk drawer and resumed her lecture.
Gil and Catherine had been working their crime scene for almost the entire shift. It had been a very quiet evening between the two of them. Catherine hadn’t said more than three words to Gil that were not related to work. He asked about Lindsey and all she said was that Lindsey was fine. He asked about Lily and Catherine’s reply was the same as before. He winked at her while giving her a clever quote that fit the scene but she just turned away. He threw a corny joke at her only to watch her walk into the other room without a word. Gil decided to just give her some space. She could be having her period or maybe menopause had hit her overnight. Either way he decided it was best to just let her be.
Catherine was hiding in the kitchen. Gil had been following her around like a lost puppy dog all night and she wasn’t in the mood to deal with him. She knew he didn’t realize she had overheard what he had said to Doc Robbins. He was acting too normal. It didn’t matter though. She had heard his words and there was no way to take them back. She couldn’t understand why he had paired them up when he obviously despised her. She took in a deep breath and continued to process the kitchen. Shortly after 6 a.m. her phone rang. She saw her home number on the display.
“Hello.”
“Cath….sore….” was all Catherine could make out before she was assaulted by a horrendous coughing fit from the other end of the call.
“Mom?”
“…school…sleep…” This was accompanied by a sneezing fit.
“Mom. Are you sick?”
“…said….home…drive…TISSUE!” Catherine pulled the phone away as her mother’s clogged nose trumpeted through the line.
“Mom, I’ll be home in time to take Lindsey to school. Just go back to bed.”
“…already…girl…never listen…” The phone clicked indicating her mother had hung up.
Catherine placed her phone back in its cradle then turned towards the living room. She had rode to the scene with Gil and she needed to get home. They didn’t have time to go back to the lab for her to get her car. She gnawed on her lower lip for a few minutes debating whether to ask him for a lift or not. In the end her daughter’s welfare won out over her anger (it always did) and she made arrangements with Gil to run her home so they could take Lindsey to school.
The two of them picked Lindsey up. The ride to Butterfield was just as quiet as their night had been. Lindsey was a night person like her mother and mornings just didn’t agree with her. She was grumpy until at least 10 a.m. no matter what. Gil watched the two of them, looking at Lindsey in the mirror and stealing quick glances at Catherine when he could. Even now, almost fourteen years after Catherine gave birth to Lindsey, he still felt an unexplainable wonder when looking at Lindsey. He completely understood the biology behind creation but to actually hold a newborn and then to watch her grow into a beautiful young woman was beyond anything science could explain to him.
Catherine was doing practically the same thing as Gil. She watched her daughter and stole glances at Gil. All she could think about was her conversation yesterday with Wendy, something she had forgotten after her fight with Gil. But here in the silence of the car it all came back to her. She looked from her daughter to Gil and back. Her mind was reeling. It was impossible and she knew it but yet the DNA comparison said it was possible.
Lindsey adored her father. They did everything together, especially after Eddie and Catherine divorced. Her taste in food, music and friends was Eddie made over but these traits could easily be environmental, she knew that. Lindsey was loud like her but there were times when she was incredibly silent, preferring to spend her time in her organic garden with its own miniature ecosystem.
She looked at her daughter’s eyes, her blue eyes. They were not the same blue as Catherine’s eyes or Eddie’s. Or even Gil’s eyes as far as that went. To be perfectly honest it was if her eyes contained the color of all of their eyes combined. When she smiled her eyes held the same hint of mischievousness that Gil’s eyes held. Her mouth turned the way Eddie’s mouth would turn when he smiled but the shape was definitely not the same as Eddie’s. Her hair? Well Catherine was a blonde---now. She knew it. Eddie knew it. Gil knew it. Well almost everyone knew it. Eddie and Gil both had brown hair. Eddie had blonde hair as a child but she didn’t know about Gil.
She shook her head. This was insane. There was no way Gil was Lindsey’s father. It was impossible. She and Eddie didn’t have sex until after she had cycled. Wendy had made a mistake. She would just have to have a private test done, not that she needed it, but still just to prove there was a problem in the lab that needed to be corrected before this happened to another family.
“Mom! You have to sign me in!” Lindsey screamed, yanking her mother out of her thoughts and back into the real world as she slammed the door behind her.
“I’ll be right back” Catherine said to Gil as she climbed out to follow her daughter inside.
Catherine had signed Lindsey in and was on her way back to the car when she was stopped by one of her daughter’s instructors.
“Mrs. Willows, I’m glad I caught you. Saves me a call later.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“I thought you should be aware of this.” She handed Catherine the note Lindsey and her friend had been passing back and forth yesterday. “Lindsey has been doing so much better the past few weeks but I think we may be headed for trouble again.”
“Yes, thank you.” Catherine pocketed the note after reading it and stood up to leave. “My partner is waiting. I need to go.” She smiled sweetly but her voice was tinged with fear.
“I know you work long hours but I really think you need to take this seriously. Honestly I should have turned this because of what she says about her bedroom but I prefer to give the parents a…”
“Listen. I’ll raise my daughter the way I see fit.” She rushed out of the building and slammed her way back into the car.
Gil looked at her, groaning inwardly. Catherine hadn’t been in a good mood all night but something had happened inside that made her mood even worse.
“Wanna talk about it?” Gil was now certain that whatever was bothering her had to do with Lindsey.
“No.”
“If you do…”
“I don’t!” With that statement she ended any further questioning by Gil.
They rode in silence for several minutes. Gil heard a silent gasp and glanced over to see a tear falling down Catherine’s cheek. He pulled into the nearest parking lot killing the engine. He opened his door, walked around to the passenger’s side and opened Catherine’s door. He reached in to pull her into his arms.
“I said I don’t want to talk about it.” Catherine pushed him away.
“I want to help.”
“I’m sure you do.” Since he wouldn’t leave her alone she turned away from him.
“Catherine, what happened in there? Is Lindsey in trouble again?” His hand was on her shoulder trying to calm her. She looked at him, biting into her jaw to keep the words forming on her lips from escaping.
“Damn it. Do you want her to try something stupid again? I’m trying to help and if you don’t talk to me I can’t…” That was it. She’d had enough. How dare he even offer to help after what he said about her yesterday.
“OH SHUT UP!” The full force of her fury spilled forth from her body with this statement. She knocked his arm away with enough force that it slammed into the side of the car before shoving past him and storming off. Gil looked at her as if she’d lost her mind.
“Catherine, what the hell is going on with you? You’ve been acting crazy all night.” He watched her turn around and wished he’d kept his mouth shut.
“I would think that would make you happy. Give you more ammunition to use against me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You think Lindsey needs someone else to raise her.”
“Why would I…”
“I heard you yesterday. I heard what you said to Doc. At least I know how you really feel now. Funny thing is my daughter seems to agree with you.” She pulled the note from her pocket and threw it at him. “Along with her teacher. The three of you can’t be wrong.”
Gil read the note. He then mentally kicked himself for not realizing that she would have heard him. He was angry at the time and Catherine thought he had meant it. But he didn’t mean it
“I’m sorry. I was out of place…” Gil looked her in the eyes and saw the pain his words had caused her.
“You said what you really thought.”
“No. I didn’t. Catherine, you are a wonderful mother.” For the life of him he couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t accept his apology.
“Right. My daughter thinks I’m a Nazi, sounds like mother of the year material to me.” Catherine had one arm wrapped around her chest and ran her fingers through her hair with the other in an effort to stop the tears that threatened to fall.
“She’s thirteen, she’s supposed to think you are a Nazi. If she didn’t then you would be a bad mother.” Gil didn’t move towards her, the uncertainty of the moment had him frozen in place.
“I need to take the night off. She doesn’t know I know and she’s planning on sneaking out.” Catherine resumed her pacing.
“We’ll both take the night off.” Gil felt like an idiot just standing there but there was nothing else he could do.
“No.”
“I want to.”
“No. I don’t want you there. You’ve done enough.” She wasn’t thanking him. Her voice was bitter but Gil had no clue why. His body finally remembered how to move and he went to her.
“I told you I was angry. I’m sorry Catherine. I would never hurt you like that.”
“Well, I guess that’s the difference between us.” Catherine was furious. “Because I would.” She shoved him away again but Gil refused to let her walk away.
“Catherine, you’re afraid right now. You don’t know…”
“Don’t know what? How to raise my daughter by myself?” Catherine could no longer fight the tears. Her self-control was lost amid the confusion, anger and fear.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Or maybe that I don’t know how to raise Eddie’s daughter? Is that it?” She chastised herself for not even being responsible enough to be a mother to Eddie’s daughter.
“You aren’t making any sense.” Gil was seriously concerned. It had been many years since he’d seen Catherine this out of control.
“Or maybe it’s because I don’t know whose daughter it is I’m raising anymore.”
Hottie_Cath
Corpse
WHOA!!! OMG!!! Its just like Im reading a script for CSI. OMG! The descriptions and the characterizations are amazing!!! you should submit this to CBS Ask R.C. about the details how.
OMG!!! Its just like Im reading a script for CSI. OMG! The descriptions and the characterizations are amazing!!! you should submit this to CBS Ask R.C. about the details how.
csigrillow
Lab Technician
Okay, it's been over a day, where's more for me?? This fic rocks, coolc!!
CathStokes
Head of the Day Shift
Wow, she finally wrote more?
diamondgirl
Lab Technician
write more plz coolcatz!
“Catherine she’s a teenager. She’s just testing her boundaries.” Gil watched as his friend fell apart in front of him realizing how just how much Lindsey’s behavior had emotionally drained her.
“I just don’t know who she is anymore.”
“Cath, it’s just a phase. She is stubborn. Hard-headed. Just like you. Like Eddie.” He leaned against the car watching Catherine as she tried to regain control. Finally she came over and leaned beside him.
“Like you Gil.” Her words were spoken softly and tinged with a regret Gil couldn’t recognize.
“Well yes, I guess you could say that. She’s been around me enough to pick up some of my habits.” A small smile appeared on his mouth.
“What if you were?”
“What?”
“What if you were her father?”
“I’d probably lock her in her room for the next twenty years.” He laughed gently at the idea of his being Lindsey’s father. In all honesty he would lock her in her room now if Catherine would let him. She looked and acted much too much like her mother to allow teenage boys near her.
“I’m serious.”
“I can’t answer that.”
“Just forget it.” She banged her fists against the side of the car.
“Fine.” Gil walked around to the driver’s side, climbing in and starting the engine. When Catherine didn’t move he rolled down her window. “Come on, we have a scene to finish processing.”
“Of course. Process the scene. Take care of the lab. That’s what you do best.” She climbed back into the car. “I don’t know why you even bothered to have surgery on your ears. You never listen to anything anyone says.”
“I did try to talk to you last night and you pushed me away.”
“Because you are an ass” she said as she slammed the door.
“I’ve already apologized Catherine. I was upset I didn’t mean it.”
“Like I need your criticism now.”
“Fine. I’ll just shut up because apparently I can say nothing right to you at the moment.” He pulled out into traffic. They rode in silence for a few minutes.
“I hate it when you do this.”
“Do what?” She was trying his patience.
“I thought you were going to shut up.” She rolled her eyes at him before turning back to the window.
Gil pulled over again and looked at Catherine.
“Would you just say whatever it is you want to say to me instead of just yelling at me?”
“Wendy asked me to use Lindsey’s DNA in a study she is doing and I agreed.”
“The comparative DNA study?” That wasn’t what he was expecting her to say.
“Yes.”
“But there was a problem, the samples were contaminated or there was a glitch in the computer because when she compared Lindsey’s DNA to Eddie’s it wasn’t a match. But that’s not possible. Eddie is Lindsey’s father. And I don’t know why I’m so upset because I know the test results were wrong. It’s just with everything that has been happening...I’m…she just made a mistake. That’s all. She made a mistake.”
“What are you talking about? What do you mean Eddie’s not Lindsey’s father?” He wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly.
“Eddie is her father. I’m her mother damn it! I should know.”
“Cath slow down.” He put his hand on her shoulder as if that could stop her but she pushed it away.
“Would you just leave me alone.”
“Catherine what are you talking about?”
“I’m not..it isn’t important.” She was avoiding him and he knew it.
“Catherine. Look at me.” He pulled her face towards him. “Is Lindsey my daughter?”
Catherine pushed his hand away, turned towards the passenger’s window and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. Her mouth was closed but he saw her roll her tongue over her teeth, biting back whatever it was she wanted to say. After what seemed like an eternity she turned to face him.
“It’s possible.” She quickly turned away again.
Gil didn’t know what to do so he just pulled back onto the highway. The two of them sat in silence as the words she’d said began to register with him. Eddie wasn’t Lindsey’s father. He was…no that wasn’t what she said. He had a daughter? That wasn’t possible. Catherine wouldn’t have done that to him. She wouldn’t have kept this from him. But she did. Lindsey was nearly 14 years old and he was just now being told. Catherine lied to him, lied to Lindsey, lied to Eddie. She lied to him. And she was telling him to shut up, to just forget about it. She was acting as if she was the one hurt and wanted him to fix it. Not this time. No way. He pulled the car into another shopping center.
“Get out.” He refused to look at her.
“What?” Catherine’s eyes were wide with shock.
“Get out.” The words bubbled from his mouth as if they were about to explode.
“Gil?”
“Are you telling me I may be Lindsey’s father?”
“Yes, but I…” She tried to explain only to be cut off.
“Get out Catherine.” The warning in his statement cut through the air between them as if the words themselves were knives.
“…I didn’t know, why are you…”
“Catherine, please. Get out now. I’ll have someone come and pick you up, just please get out.”
“Gil…”
“Catherine, please. I need to be away from you right now before I…” Desperation and anger were begging her to leave now.
“Before you what? Damn it Gil.”
“Catherine.”
Catherine stared at him blankly before grabbing her purse and getting out. She walked into the Chinese restaurant in the shopping center, taking a table and placing an order before she pulled out her phone.
“Hey, Nick. You busy? Can you meet me…yeah, I’m fi…no, I’m not. Please Nick.” She gave him the name of the restaurant and hung up.
Gil pulled out of the parking and took off. He couldn’t be near her right now and process what she had said. Fourteen years. Lindsey was nearly fourteen. His daughter was nearly fourteen and he was just now finding out about her. The daughter Eddie had held when she was a baby. The daughter Eddie had fed and changed and bathed. The daughter that had seen Eddie beat Catherine. The daughter he’d nearly lost because of Eddie’s drug habit.
Why did she lie to him? Did she hate him that much? Did Eddie still, three years after his death, have that much influence over her?
Gil continued to drive not really paying attention to where he was going. Somehow he ended up at Lindsey’s school. He drove around to the field looking for her in the crowd but she wasn’t there. He then realized he didn’t know her schedule and pulled away.
His daughter. He didn’t know her schedule. He didn’t know who her best friend was. He didn’t know who she had a crush on, well he did but only because he read the note the teacher confiscated yesterday. If Catherine had had her car with her this morning he wouldn’t even know that. He didn’t know where she liked to shop. He didn’t know when she stopped believing in Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. He didn’t know if she believed in God. She didn’t know his mother. His mother. She was a grandmother and didn’t know it. He looked at the dashboard clock and realized they should have been back at the crime scene over two hours ago. He made a couple of quick calls, reassigning Sara and Warrick to the scene before heading back home. He needed to think.
Catherine stood in the kitchen preparing dinner for her and Lindsey, a simple salad and spaghetti with garlic and pepper sauce. She wasn’t going in to work tonight. The last 72 hours had taken its toll on her. She was emotionally drained, physically exhausted and in desperate need of sleep. On top of all of this she still had to deal with Lindsey’s plan to sneak out.
She shook her head in an effort to clear her mind before ripping the lettuce into small pieces. In some small way the feel and sound of the leaves being torn apart gave her a sense of relief. She grabbed a tomato and began to slice it with a little more enthusiasm than she felt five minutes ago. More tension drained from her body so she grabbed another tomato and sliced it also. Suddenly her simple salad took on a life of its own. She shredded a block of cheese, sliced broccoli and cauliflower, minced some garlic, pitted a pepper and then sliced some carrots. She had just grabbed the celery when the doorbell rang. She set the celery down but for some unknown reason kept the knife in her hand as she went to answer the door. The bell rang again before she could reach the door.
“Coming!” The bell rang one more time before she could reach the door. “Good grief! Give me a minute will you!”
She tore the door open and stopped where she was. Gil was standing there, looking at her as if he could rip her in two. She slammed the door but he had his foot inside.
“I need to see her. Please.” For a moment Catherine’s heart felt sorry for him, but only for a moment as she quickly remembered what he had done to her earlier that day.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea right now.” She was angry. Gil was Angry. Catherine was afraid that with all of them together that Lindsey would find out. She wasn’t about to push her daughter further away from her by one of the blurting out the fact that Eddie may not be her father.
“I promise I won’t say anything.” Gil responded as if he had read her thoughts but Catherine didn’t budge. “If she’s my daughter…”
“Lower your voice.” She opened the door just enough to step through and push him back, closing the door behind her. “I never said she was…”
“You said it was possible.” The two of them were standing inches apart as their whispered voices spat at each other.
“You left me in the middle of nowhere…”
“I called Sara…”
“Of course you did…”
“I called Sara to pick you up. She said she couldn’t find you.”
“Feeling guilty?”
“No.”
“Why are you really here?”
“I want to see Lindsey.”
“You saw her this morning.”
“That was different.”
“How? Did she grow a horn or something I don’t know about?”
“I’m not leaving.”
“Fine. I’ll call…”
“Who? Jim? Call whoever you want. You’re the one who will have to explain why I’m being arrested to Lindsey.”
“Fine.” She didn’t move. “But first tell me why you left me today.”
“I can’t. It’s just…I can’t. Catherine, please.”
“One word and you’re gone.”
“I promise.”
*****a/n: this fic's rating changes to supervisor in the last part of this chapter, the rest is posted on my lj
“I just don’t know who she is anymore.”
“Cath, it’s just a phase. She is stubborn. Hard-headed. Just like you. Like Eddie.” He leaned against the car watching Catherine as she tried to regain control. Finally she came over and leaned beside him.
“Like you Gil.” Her words were spoken softly and tinged with a regret Gil couldn’t recognize.
“Well yes, I guess you could say that. She’s been around me enough to pick up some of my habits.” A small smile appeared on his mouth.
“What if you were?”
“What?”
“What if you were her father?”
“I’d probably lock her in her room for the next twenty years.” He laughed gently at the idea of his being Lindsey’s father. In all honesty he would lock her in her room now if Catherine would let him. She looked and acted much too much like her mother to allow teenage boys near her.
“I’m serious.”
“I can’t answer that.”
“Just forget it.” She banged her fists against the side of the car.
“Fine.” Gil walked around to the driver’s side, climbing in and starting the engine. When Catherine didn’t move he rolled down her window. “Come on, we have a scene to finish processing.”
“Of course. Process the scene. Take care of the lab. That’s what you do best.” She climbed back into the car. “I don’t know why you even bothered to have surgery on your ears. You never listen to anything anyone says.”
“I did try to talk to you last night and you pushed me away.”
“Because you are an ass” she said as she slammed the door.
“I’ve already apologized Catherine. I was upset I didn’t mean it.”
“Like I need your criticism now.”
“Fine. I’ll just shut up because apparently I can say nothing right to you at the moment.” He pulled out into traffic. They rode in silence for a few minutes.
“I hate it when you do this.”
“Do what?” She was trying his patience.
“I thought you were going to shut up.” She rolled her eyes at him before turning back to the window.
Gil pulled over again and looked at Catherine.
“Would you just say whatever it is you want to say to me instead of just yelling at me?”
“Wendy asked me to use Lindsey’s DNA in a study she is doing and I agreed.”
“The comparative DNA study?” That wasn’t what he was expecting her to say.
“Yes.”
“But there was a problem, the samples were contaminated or there was a glitch in the computer because when she compared Lindsey’s DNA to Eddie’s it wasn’t a match. But that’s not possible. Eddie is Lindsey’s father. And I don’t know why I’m so upset because I know the test results were wrong. It’s just with everything that has been happening...I’m…she just made a mistake. That’s all. She made a mistake.”
“What are you talking about? What do you mean Eddie’s not Lindsey’s father?” He wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly.
“Eddie is her father. I’m her mother damn it! I should know.”
“Cath slow down.” He put his hand on her shoulder as if that could stop her but she pushed it away.
“Would you just leave me alone.”
“Catherine what are you talking about?”
“I’m not..it isn’t important.” She was avoiding him and he knew it.
“Catherine. Look at me.” He pulled her face towards him. “Is Lindsey my daughter?”
Catherine pushed his hand away, turned towards the passenger’s window and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. Her mouth was closed but he saw her roll her tongue over her teeth, biting back whatever it was she wanted to say. After what seemed like an eternity she turned to face him.
“It’s possible.” She quickly turned away again.
Gil didn’t know what to do so he just pulled back onto the highway. The two of them sat in silence as the words she’d said began to register with him. Eddie wasn’t Lindsey’s father. He was…no that wasn’t what she said. He had a daughter? That wasn’t possible. Catherine wouldn’t have done that to him. She wouldn’t have kept this from him. But she did. Lindsey was nearly 14 years old and he was just now being told. Catherine lied to him, lied to Lindsey, lied to Eddie. She lied to him. And she was telling him to shut up, to just forget about it. She was acting as if she was the one hurt and wanted him to fix it. Not this time. No way. He pulled the car into another shopping center.
“Get out.” He refused to look at her.
“What?” Catherine’s eyes were wide with shock.
“Get out.” The words bubbled from his mouth as if they were about to explode.
“Gil?”
“Are you telling me I may be Lindsey’s father?”
“Yes, but I…” She tried to explain only to be cut off.
“Get out Catherine.” The warning in his statement cut through the air between them as if the words themselves were knives.
“…I didn’t know, why are you…”
“Catherine, please. Get out now. I’ll have someone come and pick you up, just please get out.”
“Gil…”
“Catherine, please. I need to be away from you right now before I…” Desperation and anger were begging her to leave now.
“Before you what? Damn it Gil.”
“Catherine.”
Catherine stared at him blankly before grabbing her purse and getting out. She walked into the Chinese restaurant in the shopping center, taking a table and placing an order before she pulled out her phone.
“Hey, Nick. You busy? Can you meet me…yeah, I’m fi…no, I’m not. Please Nick.” She gave him the name of the restaurant and hung up.
Gil pulled out of the parking and took off. He couldn’t be near her right now and process what she had said. Fourteen years. Lindsey was nearly fourteen. His daughter was nearly fourteen and he was just now finding out about her. The daughter Eddie had held when she was a baby. The daughter Eddie had fed and changed and bathed. The daughter that had seen Eddie beat Catherine. The daughter he’d nearly lost because of Eddie’s drug habit.
Why did she lie to him? Did she hate him that much? Did Eddie still, three years after his death, have that much influence over her?
Gil continued to drive not really paying attention to where he was going. Somehow he ended up at Lindsey’s school. He drove around to the field looking for her in the crowd but she wasn’t there. He then realized he didn’t know her schedule and pulled away.
His daughter. He didn’t know her schedule. He didn’t know who her best friend was. He didn’t know who she had a crush on, well he did but only because he read the note the teacher confiscated yesterday. If Catherine had had her car with her this morning he wouldn’t even know that. He didn’t know where she liked to shop. He didn’t know when she stopped believing in Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. He didn’t know if she believed in God. She didn’t know his mother. His mother. She was a grandmother and didn’t know it. He looked at the dashboard clock and realized they should have been back at the crime scene over two hours ago. He made a couple of quick calls, reassigning Sara and Warrick to the scene before heading back home. He needed to think.
Catherine stood in the kitchen preparing dinner for her and Lindsey, a simple salad and spaghetti with garlic and pepper sauce. She wasn’t going in to work tonight. The last 72 hours had taken its toll on her. She was emotionally drained, physically exhausted and in desperate need of sleep. On top of all of this she still had to deal with Lindsey’s plan to sneak out.
She shook her head in an effort to clear her mind before ripping the lettuce into small pieces. In some small way the feel and sound of the leaves being torn apart gave her a sense of relief. She grabbed a tomato and began to slice it with a little more enthusiasm than she felt five minutes ago. More tension drained from her body so she grabbed another tomato and sliced it also. Suddenly her simple salad took on a life of its own. She shredded a block of cheese, sliced broccoli and cauliflower, minced some garlic, pitted a pepper and then sliced some carrots. She had just grabbed the celery when the doorbell rang. She set the celery down but for some unknown reason kept the knife in her hand as she went to answer the door. The bell rang again before she could reach the door.
“Coming!” The bell rang one more time before she could reach the door. “Good grief! Give me a minute will you!”
She tore the door open and stopped where she was. Gil was standing there, looking at her as if he could rip her in two. She slammed the door but he had his foot inside.
“I need to see her. Please.” For a moment Catherine’s heart felt sorry for him, but only for a moment as she quickly remembered what he had done to her earlier that day.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea right now.” She was angry. Gil was Angry. Catherine was afraid that with all of them together that Lindsey would find out. She wasn’t about to push her daughter further away from her by one of the blurting out the fact that Eddie may not be her father.
“I promise I won’t say anything.” Gil responded as if he had read her thoughts but Catherine didn’t budge. “If she’s my daughter…”
“Lower your voice.” She opened the door just enough to step through and push him back, closing the door behind her. “I never said she was…”
“You said it was possible.” The two of them were standing inches apart as their whispered voices spat at each other.
“You left me in the middle of nowhere…”
“I called Sara…”
“Of course you did…”
“I called Sara to pick you up. She said she couldn’t find you.”
“Feeling guilty?”
“No.”
“Why are you really here?”
“I want to see Lindsey.”
“You saw her this morning.”
“That was different.”
“How? Did she grow a horn or something I don’t know about?”
“I’m not leaving.”
“Fine. I’ll call…”
“Who? Jim? Call whoever you want. You’re the one who will have to explain why I’m being arrested to Lindsey.”
“Fine.” She didn’t move. “But first tell me why you left me today.”
“I can’t. It’s just…I can’t. Catherine, please.”
“One word and you’re gone.”
“I promise.”
*****a/n: this fic's rating changes to supervisor in the last part of this chapter, the rest is posted on my lj
csigrillow
Lab Technician
This story rocks, Coolc!! This is my favorite fic right now and I'm not just saying that cause I'm your handler :lol:
CathStokes
Head of the Day Shift
Well. I wouldn't have even know Squishy had updated if it wasn't for seeing Alz post {smooch}
*smooch* Squishy, Your doing really well with this ficcie, proud of you!
*smooch* Squishy, Your doing really well with this ficcie, proud of you!
MacsGirlMel
Mac's Personal Assistant
I skimmed to try and catch up and it sounds interesting even though I'm a GSR shipper myself. Keep going.
Hottie_Cath
Corpse
Wow! The conversations between them were well thought of and they were very in-character and very witty. I love the originality of this chapter, quite a lot of things in this chapter have not been done before in fanfictions or even in books for that matter. This is brilliant.
I can't wait for the next one!
The conversations between them were well thought of and they were very in-character and very witty. I love the originality of this chapter, quite a lot of things in this chapter have not been done before in fanfictions or even in books for that matter. This is brilliant.I can't wait for the next one!
MacsGirlMel
Mac's Personal Assistant
I saw the part about Greg leaving but I can't find why. What happened?
Hottie_Cath
Corpse
*bump* coolcatz somebody asked you a question. ^^What chapter?