"Hey munchkin." Knocking softly on her door, he peeked his head in, smiling when he saw a familiar blue lump.

Knocking louder; he walked towards the bed, stopping every few seconds to pick up the forgotten sock here, the baseball mitt there. When she didn't move, he cleared his throat, speaking louder than necessary. "You're gonna be late."

Sitting down at the foot of the bed, he gave a little bounce, smirking when the lump growled in response, blanket pulled up higher.

He sighed, tapping her lightly. "Come on Linds, it's 8 already."

"Go away."

"Not going to happen."

"I'm sick."

"Possibly because you ate the giant bowl of pudding Alice made you last night?"

It did the trick. His so-called lump sat straight up, a scowl on her face as she pushed her long blond locks out of her face. "She tattled on me!"

"No, you left a little clue…" He reached out, pointing at the brown stain on the front of her shirt, "…right here."

When she looked down, he pulled his finger up past her face, grinning when she gave him a look of defiance. "Dad, kids hate it when people do that."

"Yeah?" He reached towards her again, tweaking her nose. "Come on, get dress, I'll drive you to school."

Arching an eyebrow, he watched as she groaned, flopping back down onto the bed, blanket creating her cocoon.

Finding the behavior odd, he pulled down the covers, sighing as she flopped onto her stomach. "What's going on? You love school."

"I just don't feel well today, Daddy."

Concerned, he laid a palm on her forehead. "You don't have a fever."

"It's not the outside feeling."

"Yeah?" He scooted closer, stroking her hair as she curled her body around him. "It's the emotional one huh?"

A little nod followed by a yup, Grissom reached down, pulling her into his lap. She laid her head on his shoulder, every bit daddy's little girl.

"What to talk about it?"

"Not really."

"I don't want you to be unhappy."

She sniffled, burrowing her face into his neck. He was about to give his annual pep `talk', when her body stiffened suddenly, and she pulled away to look at him. "Dad."

"Yeah?"

"You smell like a girl."

"What?"

Leaning forward again, she gave his neck and then the collar of his shirt a little whiff. He took in her frown, the questions in her eyes, and felt his heart sink.

Damn. Caught.

"You have perfume on."

"Why would you say that Linds?"

"Because, boys always say ewwww to things that smells like flowers. And you, smell like a flower."

It was his own fault for raising a mini CSI.

Not having his `How to Raise Your Daughter into a Young Woman' reference handy, his mind began to spin out of control, trying to find a way to change the subject.

"How about some pancakes?"

"No." She frowned at him, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"It's nothing Linds."

"It's not nothing, Dad!" She screamed at him, and in the process of struggling to get off his lap, she pushed hard enough so that he went backwards, the bed supporting him from any real harm.

"Lindsey!"

"You promised!"

Using his elbow for support, he pushed himself up, looking across at his little girl, who at the moment was anything but sweet. "Promised what?"

"That you wouldn't date other women."

"Honey."

"Today's bring in your mom day for show and tell."

His eyes widened at the little reminder, mentally kicking himself in the ass as his memory went back to last week where he had read the monthly newsletter from her teacher. Mom Day. Shit.

"Lindsey."

Hearing the way his voice soften, and how his face seemed to cast over, she quickly shook her head. "Never mind."

"Linds."

"No. I'm cool."

"You sure?"

"Positive, I mean," She cocked her shoulder, the way Catherine used to and he found himself fascinated by the image before him. "Dad?"

Quickly regaining his composure, he nodded, giving her a weak smile. As each year passed it was getting harder to forget.

"Daddy, are you listening to me?"

"All ears."

She narrowed her eyes again, giving him the disbelief look she perfected so well. "I know where you're going, you always give me a pep talk about mom once a year, and you're one week early, so I can wait until then."

"I was thinking I would go and be your show and tell today."

"No way, Jose."

"Why not?"

"Because everybody will laugh at me, do you know that Ashley let me eat lunch at her table yesterday, I'm practically on my way to being popular."

"So you're saying my being there will ruin all chances of eating at the snobby table?"

"They're not snobby."

"That's not what you said a couple of weeks ago."

"Dad, it's bad enough I don't have a mom, but remember when you braided my hair in 4th grade?"

"You do have a mom Linds."

"So you say."

"Honey."

"Dad, every year I sneak into your room and I look through these boxes under your bed, the boxes you hide from me. And you know I do. Everything's there, but she isn't."

"I'm here."

Walking up to him, she gave him her signature brave smile before wrapping her arms around his neck. "I know." She leaned in to give him a soft kiss on his nose, and then leaned back to press her nose against his. Her voice deepened and her forehead scrunched together, imitating him. "Lindsey bear, everything's going to be okay."

He rubbed his nose against her, grinning when she let out a giggle. "I'm the parent around here, missy."

"Yeah, but I'm smarter."

Giving her a last squeeze, he stood up from the bed, rubbing a hand over her head. "And prettier."

One foot over the threshold, he stopped when she called out for him. "Uncle Brass says I get my brains and looks from her."

Turning around, his fingers gripping the frame of the door, he managed a smile. Every time it seemed as if Lindsey was letting the topic go, she seemed to always manage to bring Catherine back into their life. One of the reasons he was never able to forget.

"Well, I think I had some doing in it." He paused before throwing her a stern look. "Get dressed, or else."

His direction was answered by a mock salute, followed by a sailing teddy bear that gave a little squeak as it hit his shoulder. Walking out he mumbled under his breath, "I get no respect around here."

Her laughter followed him down the hallway, and when she called for him yet again, he turned around, sighing as her head popped out of her room. "Maybe I should get you a little bell every time you need me."

"Sorry, one last question."

"Shoot."

"Will you come to school today and be my mom?"

He gave her a smile, winking at her before he turned around. "I knew you'd see it my way. Maybe I'll give Greg a call so he can tag along too."

"Cool! And bring some bugs!"

"Only if you're dressed and out of your room in five minutes."

And as he settled in the kitchen, grabbing his coffee mug on the way to the stove, a sad look flitted over his handsome features. As quickly as that moment of sadness came, it evaporated just as fast, he straightened his back, reminding himself to keep control. Life was a constant motion, and if he just moved right along, time would heal everything.

"Keep telling yourself that Grissom." He whispered to the empty room. Four years had pass and so far, time seemed to be creating the biggest damn hole in his and Lindsey's life.

---

"I'll be here at one."

She nodded before grabbing her backpack from the backseat. Her hand on the door handle, she turned to look at him, their eyes connecting in a silent conversation. It was a few seconds before she blinked, opening the door and stepping out.

"Hey, where's my kiss?"

Giving him an eye roll, she sighed, stepping back into the car and giving him his requested peck on the cheek.

Closing the door she looked at him through the open passenger window. "Dad, maybe you should put some makeup on."

"Why?"

"You and Greg will be the only boys there. You'll stand out."

He stuck his tongue playfully out at her. "Maybe your old man should show up wearing a dress."

She gave him a shrug, slinging her bag over her shoulders. "Matt's dad is a trans…trans…he likes to wear Matt's mom's skirts. That's why they're no longer together."

"Lindsey!"

At his stern glance, she shrugged again, giving him a grin before turning around, calling over her shoulder. "One o'clock, Daddy."

He watched as she skipped towards the school building, smiling as a friend met her halfway, giggled and whispered amongst themselves before disappearing behind the double doors. Alone now, he felt deserted, and resigned himself to getting home for some sleep. Lost in thought, he realized where he was when the school bell rang, and giving himself a lonely sigh; he started up the car, his eyes straying to the rear view window.

Catherine.

Quickly spinning around, he looked out the back window, his eyes searching frantically for the woman he saw on the sidewalks a few steps away. Nobody. Great he was hallucinating.

God. He gave a little shudder, and settled back into his seat. He was going insane.

Although.

Letting himself fall into the familiar routine of paranoria, he leaned out the window, giving a greeting to the crossing guard.

"Ma'am, I was wondering if you saw a woman directly behind me, wearing a blue shirt and sunglasses?"

"Blondish shoulder length hair?"

He gave a nod, intrigued at the woman's frown.

"She's been there for about a week, just standing and watching. I thought about reporting her, for soliciting that is, but when I walked up to her just yesterday, she was crying." The old woman shrugged, switching the red stop sign to her other hand. "Poor dear, I figured she lost a child or something."

He frowned, mumbling thanks to the woman before looking into the rearview mirror, lost in concentration. He didn't normally drive Lindsey to school, was it possible?

Was she back?

Fuck. He angrily hit his fist on the steering wheel before putting his sunglasses on, and driving off. All these years of detectives, endless searches and the best clue he'd ever receive was from an elderly woman that was by nature, nosy. Fuck.

---

"Yup, Lindsey's school, one o'clock. Great, thanks for doing this. No, I don't know if any of the mothers are single or hot. Greg. Greg. I'm hanging up."

True to his word, Grissom clicked the off button drowning the young lab tech's rant. Letting the phone fall down onto the bed, he scooted deeper into the comforter, a hand grasp around a little perfume bottle. Gazing at it lazily, the smell luring him under, his 10-hour shift caught up with him and he closed his eyes, allowing darkness to envelope.

If she was back, he wasn't going to let her escape so easily this time. He would put up a fight, he and Lindsey.