Pumpkin Pies
Grissom watched as the strong woman before him looked down at her hands like a wounded child. She had managed to stand up straight carrying a load that would crush most people, but he never guessed that the hurt she hid from everyone was rooted in her time before she even came to Vegas. He stood up from behind his desk and knelt before her.
Taking her hand in his, he whispered, "Catherine, if you want me to, I can call you from dinner early." He could see her smile a little, but she refused to look at him. "Or maybe I can be there as deflector until our shift starts."
The offer was so out of character for him that Catherine looked up into his face in shock. She saw the concern in his face. She started to smile at the thought of Grissom in a house of mainly women. Half of them, if her sister could be believed, would try to ascertain what his relationship with her was. "Serious?"
"Yeah. You going to be okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
"Let's get this paperwork finished and see what the others have been up to. Then we'll go out for some breakfast, Dutch style."
"Pumpkin or Apple?"
Grissom smiled as he typed up the start of the report. "Pumpkin, of course."
Catherine laughed and sorted through her part of the report. They worked for the next two hours getting some of the paperwork that had accumulated on his desk out of the way. They were interrupted several times by members of the night shift and finally Grissom decided to call a meeting to get updates from every one.
Sara had cracked the Dobson case and Nathaniel Grayson was in custody. Catherine filled everyone in on their case concluding that it was an accidental death by pumpkin pie. The rest of the shift was quiet, allowing the team to catch up on reports. The end of the shift came quickly for all.
Grissom popped his head into the break room, catching Catherine working on the last of his crossword puzzle. "Finished with your paperwork?"
"Thought I would try your method of winding down before leaving," she replied not taking her eyes off the paper in front of her. She scribbled an answer then took a sip of the sludge they affectionately called coffee.
"Is it working?"
Catherine put the paper down and sighed. "No, but it was perfect for working out my anger and frustration earlier. You ready to leave?"
"Yeah. I know it's early, but why don't you head on home and see Linds. We can meet at the place around eight."
"Okay." Catherine took her cup to the sink and washed it out. As she headed out to the locker room, she handed him the puzzle she was working on. "Thanks. See if you can figure out 59-across."
Grissom looked down at the puzzle that was filled in both his and Catherine's handwriting. The clue for 59-across read 'an affectionate nickname for an entomologist.' When she reappeared in the hallway he called after her, "Very funny, Catherine."
Catherine smiled and mouthed something back to him, but he didn't catch it as at that moment Nick walked in between them followed closely by Warrick and Sara. He took a pen from his pocket and filled in the three missing letters to form the answer: bugman. He put the paper into the recycling bin and left the building as the dayshift personnel arrived.
The last time they had gone Dutch was during the last case involving cocaine and altoids. He had finally managed to ask what was bothering her. When she admitted the problem, he was stunned to say the least. The department policy at the time was to report such things, but he couldn't bring himself to. Instead, he worked with her as often as possible and even took it upon himself to check up on her when she was off. It took four full years, and some very hellish weeks for her to completely kick the habit. It wasn't until the year that Eddie left her for another woman that Catherine finally kicked the habit for good, but during those years they formed a bond that would never be broken; although, they each had tried to over the years through different circumstances, but failed each time.