Catherine glanced at her watch before yanking the keys from the ignition. She was late again. This made the third time in the last twenty-four hours. "It's not really that big a deal!" She chided herself as she hurried across the parking lot and raced up the steps. Well, it was and it wasn't. This time Gil was probably sitting in his hospital room wondering where she was.

"I told you she'd come!" She heard Gil exclaim as she rushed through the doors. She turned to find him sitting in a wheel chair to the side of the door with a large black man standing near by.

"You're here to pick up Dr. Grissom?" The man questioned. Catherine read his nametag ­ Jake Jones, Nurse's Aide.

"Yes, I'm sorry, it's been a hectic morning," Catherine stammered then turned her attention to Gil. "Hey! Looks like you're ready to go."

"We decided to come down and wait here to save time." Gil smoothly began then flat out lied. "We've only been here a couple of minutes." Catherine always knew when he was lying ­ Gil was not a good liar ­ and then there was Jake's slight look of surprise. She wondered if she looked as harried as she felt and that was why he lied.

"Yeah, just a couple of minutes." Jake quickly added then gallantly gestured to the door. "So, would you be so kind as to lead the way to your car?"

"Okay," Catherine agreed. Leading the way, Catherine listened to the sound of the wheelchair bumping across the parking lot and worried. Gil was fiercely independent and would normally refuse to submit to such treatment. She wondered how safe he would be in his townhouse with the bedroom upstairs.

Gil nearly fell when he climbed out of the wheelchair. Jake caught him and kept a steady hand under his arm until he was settled on the passenger's side. Catherine climbed in the driver's side after waving goodbye to Jake. She blew out a frustrated breath and made a decision.

"Gil, I've decided that you're going to stay with us for a couple days." Catherine announced. When he didn't immediately argue, she rushed on. "Lindsey had a rough day at school yesterday and I had to make her go today so I'd really like to be there when she gets home. I'm worried about leaving you alone and I don't have anyone to stay with you tonight. We'll stop by your place so think about what you want packed." She quickly started the SUV and pulled out of the parking lot.

"What happened to Lindsey?" Gil inquired after a few minutes of silent driving. Catherine sighed and thought back over the past night. Lindsey storming into the house in the afternoon. The panic she felt before Lindsey tearfully related the day's events.

"Her boyfriend dumped her for an older woman." Catherine risked a glance at him. His only reaction was a raised eyebrow.

"How old is the other woman?" He asked, taking Lindsey's apparent heartbreak seriously.

"Sixteen. She just got her driver's license and her parents bought her a car. I suppose a sixteen year old girlfriend with a car is just too enticing for a fourteen year old boy to pass up." Catherine replied.

"Umm, well, I think he's probably a little on the stupid side and Lindsey is better off without him." Gil commented causing Catherine to giggle.

****************************

Catherine woke to find Gil sitting on a footstool beside the sofa where she was lying with a magazine stretched at arm's length before him. She eased up on an elbow and asked. "What are you doing?"

"Hmm, trying to read." He answered, glancing up. "I've made a list of things we didn't get this morning. My reading glasses are at the top."

"Why are you sitting here?"

"You were having a bad dream," he replied then dryly added. "At least, I assume it was a bad dream. There were numerous `no's' and an occasional `Gil'. I expect I was suffering some horrible trauma."

"You didn't wake me?" Catherine asked.

"No." He answered matter of factly. "I comforted you…………. and then, you seemed to slip into a more pleasant dream so I sat by, just in case you required further solace."

"Oh," Catherine ran a hand through her hair then wormed her way into a sitting position. She felt a little disoriented, somewhat reminiscent of jet lag.

"Did you know you talk in your sleep?" Gil asked conversationally, setting the magazine on the coffee table. Catherine wasn't sure what to make of his expression. He seemed utterly serious but she caught a hint of the playfulness he used to exhibit around her.

"No." She answered flatly.

"It was very informative." Gil smirked lopsidedly, letting the playfulness show through a little more. He knew something she didn't.

"Great!" Catherine grumbled.

"Apparently, I was." Gil muttered with a fake cough.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." Gil feigned innocence.

"What time is it?" She asked after gazing around the room. It seemed more shadowy than it should.

"A little after six."

"Where's Lindsey?" Catherine asked in alarm as she climbed off the sofa and started to clamber over Gil.

"She's fine," Gil caught her around the waist. "She's in her room, doing homework."

"Did she seem okay?" Catherine's concern was still evident. She rested her hands on his shoulders, gazing down at him.

"Umm, after she got over the initial shock of my appearance. I think, an apt description would be `bubbly'." The smirk was back and the merriment danced in his eyes. Catherine eased back to the sofa and sat while Gil continued. "Apparently, Shane Moss ­ who by the way is the co-football captain, heard of her recent breakup with young budding asshole, Kenny, and sent her a note by way of the star running back's cheer leader girlfriend." Gil waggled his eyebrows in contemplation of the Junior High School intrigue this must have caused.

"God, to be that young……..and flexible again." She muttered.

"I wonder, why does it stop?" Gil asked pensively.

"I don't know." Catherine wearily replied. "Maybe, as you get older, the stakes are more serious. You get a career, you get married, have kids……."

"But, even when you don't have all those ties," Gil pondered. "Sometimes, it seems difficult to just, let go."

"Do you miss Sara?" She asked, suddenly wondering if that was causing his odd mood.

"No." Gil seriously replied but his eyes stayed focused on a spot on the sofa. "I regret causing her pain. I honestly never meant for her to get hurt but I wanted out……….well before things ended."

"Why didn't you just tell her?"

"Inertia, maybe?" He shrugged then contemplated further. "Not wanting to be perceived as an asshole. I didn't seem to have a really good reason ­ other than; I just didn't want to be with her. Of course, I didn't have a really good reason when things started ­ other than, I just didn't want to be alone."

"Well, I can't say I haven't done similar things." Catherine commented.

"One time she was sick and she wanted me to bring her some things." Gil said it slowly and Catherine worried about what he was going to reveal but decided healing had to start somewhere. "I took them by but all I could think about was not catching whatever bug she had. I left almost immediately. Then………I felt guilty."

"Why did you feel guilty?" Catherine quietly asked.

"Because," Gil gestured off in the air. "When you're committed to a relationship, you're supposed to WANT to be there. You know, `in sickness and health' and all that." He looked up and gazed at her steadily for a moment before continuing in a rush. "After that, I tried. I really did. I tried to do, little, nice things for her but it didn't really work. Sometimes, she would say something and I felt she had no idea who I really am."

"Gil, maybe you felt that way because you knew, deep down, that it wasn't quite right." Catherine took his hand and gently caressed it.

"I suppose…." Gil trailed off, trying to decide exactly what he did feel.

"Anybody home?" They heard Lily call out as she entered.

"In here, Mom." Catherine answered.

"I brought dinner." Lily said as she paused in the doorway. Gil and Catherine both rose to help with the box she carried. They followed her to the dining room. After she deposited the box, she turned, caught full sight of Gil's bruises and exclaimed. "Oh, my God. Catherine told me you'd taken a nasty knock on the head, but that…….."

"I think it must look worse than it feels." Gil responded, blushing slightly as Lily put a hand to his chin and tilted his head slightly to closely examine his injuries.

"I have some soup for you," Lily conspiratorially whispered. "You'll love it!"

"That sounds wonderful." Gil answered but gave Catherine a dubious look. She realized she needed to warn Lily not to `over mother' him.

TBC