CSI/NCIS Fic: Starting Over 30/? and 31/?
TITLE: Starting Over 30/?
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRINGS: Gil/Catherine, Gil/Sara, Catherine/Lady Heather, Catherine/Gibbs, Ziva/Nick, Abby/Greg
WARNINGS: GSR for a while, Lady Heather makes an appearance later (and all that that implies), etc.
DISCLAIMER: I own no one... *sigh*
DISTRIBUTION: Graveshift Archive, crimsonchampagne... Others, ask.
SPOILERS: Season 6 for CSI, Season 2-3 for NCIS
SUMMARY/NOTES: This chapter hints at the possibility of a threesome. But... it doesn't happen. So don't worry. lol.
When Catherine woke up, she found that she was pressed between two warm bodies. She shivered as she thought about the previous day's events; when she shivered, Lady Heather tightened her hold on Catherine's body and gently nudged her towards Gibbs' body. In turn, Gibbs' hand rubbed over her thigh and he buried his face in her shoulder.
She knew it was wrong to feel the telltale stirrings of desire in her stomach---they were only with her to support her through the worst part of her withdrawal, after all---but she couldn't help it. They were warm and against her and she couldn't really think about anything else.
Slowly, she extricated herself from the nest they had made for her. She wanted water and some painkillers and she almost wanted a shower, but she knew she'd have to redress her wounds after a shower and that was something she wasn't quite ready to do. She hoped the water and over-the-counter drugs would be enough to help her feel better, to feel like going back to bed---since it seemed she had three or four hours before she had to get up and go to work.
She was pacing by the door to her hotel room, sipping from a bottle of water, when she heard the quiet commotion outside. Bobby was telling someone to back off and to go away.
Curious, she peeked through the peephole and saw Gil.
She opened the door, secretly pleased that he stopped by to visit her, to see if she was okay. "Bobby," she said quietly, her voice hoarse, "it's okay. He can stay." She looked at the security guard and added, "Could you go to the other end of the hall for a minute? To give us some privacy?"
"Of course, ma'am," the guard said, nodding as he walked away.
Gil's eyes were wide when she turned to look at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted her. "What... what did he do to you?" he asked quietly, his voice shaking.
"Nothing I couldn't handle," she whispered, letting the hotel room door shut behind her as she stepped into the hall. "I'm okay."
He reached out and cupped her cheek. Catherine closed her eyes and leaned into his touch before she could control her reactions to his proximity; she missed his presence in her life more than she could properly articulate and feeling a glimpse of that contact again, that bond they shared, made her heart ache. "Catherine... you're all wrapped up and..." when she opened her eyes, he looked down and frowned. "You don't look good."
"Thanks, Gil."
Gil frowned more. "You... were you using?"
She blushed and looked away. She should have known, of all people, he would recognise the signs. She should have avoided him, she should have told Bobby to send him away, and she should have stayed inside her room until she was ready to go back to D.C.
"No," she whispered. "He... he wanted me awake... and enjoying what he was doing."
Gil's eyes watered. "Oh... god," he breathed. "Cath---"
"I'm okay," she assured him. She stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his body as she rested her head on his shoulder. "See? I'm still here," she whispered.
He very carefully put his arms around her. "Does this hurt?" he asked.
"No, it feels good," she murmured. "It feels good to be held."
"Are you alone in there?" he asked. "You shouldn't be alone if you're going through withdrawal... I can stay if you need someone to watch you---"
"I'm okay," she interrupted. "Don't worry so much."
He sighed. "Catherine, last time---"
She lifted her head and smiled at him. "Last time, we almost weren't speaking. And last time, you ended up staying with me for a week," she reminded him. "Sara would have a problem with you staying with me for a week."
"I don't care," he whispered into her hair after he cradled her close. "You... god... I had such a bad feeling about you doing this... and look at what happened to you."
She rubbed his back and found that his hugs felt the same as they always did. "I'm fine," she murmured. "And this is my job now, Gil. It's more dangerous. But we're a good team... and we don't leave each other behind. I knew someone would find me. It's kind of a Marine thing." She peeked up at him. "Don't worry, okay? You shouldn't be worrying about me... like... like you're... you know."
"Like I'm what?" he challenged.
"Like you're not romantically involved with Sara," she said in a small voice.
Gil's brow furrowed. "Since when does that matter? Since when does it have to be one or the other?"
"It's been one or the other since she came to Vegas, Gil," Catherine replied. "You just... you just chose me before."
"I could have lost you again, tonight," he whispered. "Catherine, you could have been killed. Doesn't that scare you, just a little?"
She blinked. "You think I wasn't scared?"
"You act like---"
"I was scared, Gil," she interrupted. "I was scared I was never going to see my daughter again. I was scared I would be found the way those other victims were found. I was scared my last thought would be 'just give me a bit more of the drug before you kill me.' I was scared... but I knew they'd find me. I knew we were as careful as we could have been. I knew we couldn't have done the op any other way."
He lifted one of his hands and touched a laceration on her cheek. Catherine shivered and closed her eyes. His fingers were gentle and warm and a little nervous, but she could feel his care and concern in the slow strokes he made.
"Please stay," he whispered.
Her eyes opened and she blinked up at him when she heard his quiet request. She tried to figure out some way to tell him she didn't belong in Las Vegas anymore, and she couldn't possibly stay just so he stopped missing her. Before she could make her voice work, though, she heard the door open behind her.
She turned her head and saw Lady Heather, rumpled from sleep and concerned. "Oh...we were wondering where you went," she explained, a little wide eyed. "Hi, Grissom."
"Lady Heather," Gil said quietly, "it's nice to see you again."
"Likewise." She reached out and touched Catherine's arm. "Come back to bed, okay?"
She nodded and smiled a bit. "Tell Jethro I'll be there in a minute," she murmured.
Once the door was closed, Gil asked, "Are you sleeping with her?"
Catherine tilted her head. "Gil, she and Gibbs are in there, keeping me company."
"Because of the withdrawal?"
"Because Gibbs came into my room and saw me in a very bad place," she replied. "He cares about me. And so does Heather."
He frowned but didn't say anything. She slipped away from him, stepping back towards the open door. "Go home to Sara," she advised. "Things will go back to normal soon."
"What do I have to say to you to... what do you want me to do?" he asked. "What do I have to do to prove to you that you're important to me? I'm sorry things got so bad but why do you have to punish me? I'm here now! Why can't we---"
She reached up and put her fingers on his lips. "Don't ruin tonight with yelling." She smiled sadly and backed up towards the door. "Good night, Gil."
After walking into the hotel room, Catherine locked the door and made her way back to the bed. Gibbs was on his back and Heather was lying on her side; there was enough space for her in between them.
"Hey," Gibbs whispered gruffly. "Get back here."
She smiled and crawled onto the bed. She smiled at him and put her hand on his chest as she leaned in and kissed him gently. "Thank you," she whispered quietly. Then, she turned onto her other side and smiled at Heather before she kissed her, too. "And thank you," she whispered.
Gibbs groaned. "And thank you for that," he muttered.
Catherine craned her neck and looked at him. "Liked that, did you?"
"You need to rest," he growled as he leaned towards her and kissed the nape of her neck. "And I should not be thinking that way right now... not after the night we had."
"Why not?" she whispered, a teasing smile stretching her lips.
Heather tugged on a loose tendril of strawberry blonde hair. "Rest now," she advised. "Celebrate later."
Catherine pouted. "But, I'm awake. And so're you guys. And we're all here." She frowned. "Is it the sharing thing?"
"No," Gibbs replied honestly, "it's the... you're in withdrawal and pain and we don't want to take advantage of that thing."
She blushed. "Oh."
She sighed and snuggled up to both of them, feeling safe and desired; however, she couldn't keep her mind from traveling back to the few minutes she shared with Gil in the hallway.
TITLE: Starting Over 31/?
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRINGS: Gil/Catherine, Gil/Sara, Catherine/Lady Heather, Catherine/Gibbs, Ziva/Nick, Abby/Greg
WARNINGS: GSR for a while, Lady Heather makes an appearance later (and all that that implies), etc.
DISCLAIMER: I own no one... *sigh*
DISTRIBUTION: Graveshift Archive, crimsonchampagne... Others, ask.
SPOILERS: Season 6 for CSI, Season 2-3 for NCIS
SUMMARY/NOTES: My muse and I are still having some sort of standoff... but here's the next bit.
"Mom?"
Catherine stepped out of her hotel room's bathroom and smiled at the sight of Lindsey, sprawled out on the bed. "Yeah, baby?"
"Why do you have to go into work today?" she asked. "You're still all bruised and stuff."
"They need my account of what happened for the official report," she told her daughter. "I won't be long, though... and we still have dinner plans with Nana, right?"
Lindsey smiled and nodded. "Yeah," she replied. She paused and said, "You're going to be careful, right?"
"Linds, I'm just going to the lab," she murmured, coming over to the bed and sitting down carefully, so she didn't jostle any of the bandages. She reached out and smoothed her daughter's blonde hair out of her face; she caught sight of the damage done to her wrist and she averted her eyes so she wouldn't fixate upon her injuries. "I've gone to the lab many, many times, and survived... haven't I?"
The teenager nodded. "Yeah... but, back then, you had Gil looking out for you."
Catherine sighed. "Are you trying to tell me I need a man to look out for me?" she asked.
"Well... yeah. Sort of. I mean, you're awesome and all," Lindsey explained, "but I worry about you because you're always alone... you're too self-sufficient and you never admit that you need anyone. Ever since Dad died... you've kind of been alone a lot." She paused and shrugged. "Even I worry about you."
"You do?"
Lindsey nodded.
Catherine smiled a bit. "I'm fine, baby," she murmured. "Really."
"But, you never let anyone in."
"I let you in," she told her daughter.
"Mom... I'm not a guy. I'm not someone you'd... you know... I'm not someone who can take care of you when you get hurt like this," Lindsey pointed out. "I'm just your daughter."
Catherine rubbed her daughter's arm. "You're much more than 'just my daughter,' baby. You're my daughter... the most important person in my life," she murmured. "And there's no one I'd rather spend time with." She kissed the top of Lindsey's head. "I'm not very good with dating... I never have been. And I don't want to bring a man into your life, only to have him leaving a few months or weeks later. It's not fair to you."
"I worry about you," Lindsey said. "I don't want you to be alone forever, just because of me."
"Not just because of you," Catherine said in a tender tone of voice. "I'm alone for a lot of other reasons, too, baby girl."
"Like what?"
"Like... like I don't want to have to depend on a man to feel good about myself," she replied, "and I like having my independence. I like being able to do what I want and go where I want. I like having an important career... and being able to make my family important." She smiled at Lindsey. "I wish I was a better role model for you... I wish I could give you the normal, happy family you want. But... this is all I've got."
Lindsey smiled. "We have a good family," she admitted, blushing a bit. "And you're a good role model. I want to have a good career, too."
"You will," Catherine assured her.
"But, I want you to be happy," Lindsey insisted.
"I am."
The blonde teenager rolled her eyes. "Mom... in all the ways. You know?"
Catherine chuckled. "Don't worry about your mother," she scolded in a gentle voice. "It's not normal."
"Mom!"
She laughed softly. "Lindsey, really. I'm fine."
"Do you think Agent Gibbs is cute?" Lindsey asked. "Or what about Agent DiNozzo? He's funny. He makes me laugh. You two would be cute together."
"Honey, did you think like this when I worked at CSI?" she inquired, after laughing a little. "I don't need to be set up with someone I work with."
Lindsey blushed. "I thought you and Warrick, or you and Gil would make a good couple," she admitted. "I always hoped... I mean... you had a lot in common with them. And you have a lot in common with the guys you work with now. Why don't you ask one of them out?"
"Gil or Warrick? Or Gibbs or Tony?" Catherine asked teasingly. "How about all of them at once?"
"Mom!"
Catherine laughed and ruffled her daughter's hair. "Sorry, Linds. I couldn't help it. Who do you think I should go out with?"
"What, you want me to just pick one of them... and you'll ask him out? Just like that?"
She laughed again. "No, I'm just teasing. I wanted to know which one you thought I'd mesh well with. That's all." When her cellular phone rang, she sighed and reached for it, over her daughter. "Braun," she said into the device.
"Hey, Catherine," Gibbs said quietly. "I'm downstairs. Waiting out front in the car. You ready to go?"
"Y-yeah," she replied. "I'll be down in a few minutes. I'm just with Lindsey."
"Okay. See you soon."
She snapped her phone shut and looked down at Lindsey. The teenager smiled. "It's okay... you should go. You have to give your account of the events for the report," she said quietly.
"I'm only going to CSI," Catherine reassured her. "I'll be with Gibbs the whole time."
Lindsey nodded. "I know. NCIS and CSI will keep you safe."
"And I can't keep myself safe?"
"Well, usually... but I want to make extra sure you're going to be okay."
Catherine hugged her daughter. "Don't you worry about me," she murmured into her blonde hair. "I'm gonna be fine. I'll call you when I know when I'll be finished, okay?"
"Okay," Lindsey agreed.
She left the teenager after that exchange and she went down the hall and into the elevator. A few minutes later, she was easing herself into the rental car and putting her sunglasses on.
Gibbs touched her arm. "You sure you want to do this today?" he asked quietly.
She nodded. "Yeah... I am," she murmured, smiling a little at him.
"We can wait another day, if you---"
"No. Today's good."
"Catherine, you're still bruised and cut up and I think you pulled a stitch this morning when you had that bad dream---"
"Are you thinking as my lover or as my boss?" she said, interrupting him again.
Gibbs smiled a bit. "Look... stop asking questions like that, would you?" She chuckled quietly; he smiled more. "You're still going through withdrawal, you're bruised and bandaged and I don't want you to feel like you have to be tough---"
"I don't want to keep us here in Vegas more than I have to," she explained. "We need to get back to NCIS and we can't if we're here, waiting for me to look less like someone's whipping boy, so to speak."
"You can stay---"
"No."
He looked at her. "What's got you so freaked?"
"Nothing."
"Liar," he commented as he drove away from the Rampart and towards the crime lab. "Is it Heather? Gil? That Sara woman?"
"Would you stop trying to be my shrink?" Catherine asked in reply. "You're very annoying sometimes, you know?"
Gibbs chuckled. "Sticks and stones, Catherine..."
She rolled her eyes and snorted.
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRINGS: Gil/Catherine, Gil/Sara, Catherine/Lady Heather, Catherine/Gibbs, Ziva/Nick, Abby/Greg
WARNINGS: GSR for a while, Lady Heather makes an appearance later (and all that that implies), etc.
DISCLAIMER: I own no one... *sigh*
DISTRIBUTION: Graveshift Archive, crimsonchampagne... Others, ask.
SPOILERS: Season 6 for CSI, Season 2-3 for NCIS
SUMMARY/NOTES: This chapter hints at the possibility of a threesome. But... it doesn't happen. So don't worry. lol.
When Catherine woke up, she found that she was pressed between two warm bodies. She shivered as she thought about the previous day's events; when she shivered, Lady Heather tightened her hold on Catherine's body and gently nudged her towards Gibbs' body. In turn, Gibbs' hand rubbed over her thigh and he buried his face in her shoulder.
She knew it was wrong to feel the telltale stirrings of desire in her stomach---they were only with her to support her through the worst part of her withdrawal, after all---but she couldn't help it. They were warm and against her and she couldn't really think about anything else.
Slowly, she extricated herself from the nest they had made for her. She wanted water and some painkillers and she almost wanted a shower, but she knew she'd have to redress her wounds after a shower and that was something she wasn't quite ready to do. She hoped the water and over-the-counter drugs would be enough to help her feel better, to feel like going back to bed---since it seemed she had three or four hours before she had to get up and go to work.
She was pacing by the door to her hotel room, sipping from a bottle of water, when she heard the quiet commotion outside. Bobby was telling someone to back off and to go away.
Curious, she peeked through the peephole and saw Gil.
She opened the door, secretly pleased that he stopped by to visit her, to see if she was okay. "Bobby," she said quietly, her voice hoarse, "it's okay. He can stay." She looked at the security guard and added, "Could you go to the other end of the hall for a minute? To give us some privacy?"
"Of course, ma'am," the guard said, nodding as he walked away.
Gil's eyes were wide when she turned to look at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted her. "What... what did he do to you?" he asked quietly, his voice shaking.
"Nothing I couldn't handle," she whispered, letting the hotel room door shut behind her as she stepped into the hall. "I'm okay."
He reached out and cupped her cheek. Catherine closed her eyes and leaned into his touch before she could control her reactions to his proximity; she missed his presence in her life more than she could properly articulate and feeling a glimpse of that contact again, that bond they shared, made her heart ache. "Catherine... you're all wrapped up and..." when she opened her eyes, he looked down and frowned. "You don't look good."
"Thanks, Gil."
Gil frowned more. "You... were you using?"
She blushed and looked away. She should have known, of all people, he would recognise the signs. She should have avoided him, she should have told Bobby to send him away, and she should have stayed inside her room until she was ready to go back to D.C.
"No," she whispered. "He... he wanted me awake... and enjoying what he was doing."
Gil's eyes watered. "Oh... god," he breathed. "Cath---"
"I'm okay," she assured him. She stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his body as she rested her head on his shoulder. "See? I'm still here," she whispered.
He very carefully put his arms around her. "Does this hurt?" he asked.
"No, it feels good," she murmured. "It feels good to be held."
"Are you alone in there?" he asked. "You shouldn't be alone if you're going through withdrawal... I can stay if you need someone to watch you---"
"I'm okay," she interrupted. "Don't worry so much."
He sighed. "Catherine, last time---"
She lifted her head and smiled at him. "Last time, we almost weren't speaking. And last time, you ended up staying with me for a week," she reminded him. "Sara would have a problem with you staying with me for a week."
"I don't care," he whispered into her hair after he cradled her close. "You... god... I had such a bad feeling about you doing this... and look at what happened to you."
She rubbed his back and found that his hugs felt the same as they always did. "I'm fine," she murmured. "And this is my job now, Gil. It's more dangerous. But we're a good team... and we don't leave each other behind. I knew someone would find me. It's kind of a Marine thing." She peeked up at him. "Don't worry, okay? You shouldn't be worrying about me... like... like you're... you know."
"Like I'm what?" he challenged.
"Like you're not romantically involved with Sara," she said in a small voice.
Gil's brow furrowed. "Since when does that matter? Since when does it have to be one or the other?"
"It's been one or the other since she came to Vegas, Gil," Catherine replied. "You just... you just chose me before."
"I could have lost you again, tonight," he whispered. "Catherine, you could have been killed. Doesn't that scare you, just a little?"
She blinked. "You think I wasn't scared?"
"You act like---"
"I was scared, Gil," she interrupted. "I was scared I was never going to see my daughter again. I was scared I would be found the way those other victims were found. I was scared my last thought would be 'just give me a bit more of the drug before you kill me.' I was scared... but I knew they'd find me. I knew we were as careful as we could have been. I knew we couldn't have done the op any other way."
He lifted one of his hands and touched a laceration on her cheek. Catherine shivered and closed her eyes. His fingers were gentle and warm and a little nervous, but she could feel his care and concern in the slow strokes he made.
"Please stay," he whispered.
Her eyes opened and she blinked up at him when she heard his quiet request. She tried to figure out some way to tell him she didn't belong in Las Vegas anymore, and she couldn't possibly stay just so he stopped missing her. Before she could make her voice work, though, she heard the door open behind her.
She turned her head and saw Lady Heather, rumpled from sleep and concerned. "Oh...we were wondering where you went," she explained, a little wide eyed. "Hi, Grissom."
"Lady Heather," Gil said quietly, "it's nice to see you again."
"Likewise." She reached out and touched Catherine's arm. "Come back to bed, okay?"
She nodded and smiled a bit. "Tell Jethro I'll be there in a minute," she murmured.
Once the door was closed, Gil asked, "Are you sleeping with her?"
Catherine tilted her head. "Gil, she and Gibbs are in there, keeping me company."
"Because of the withdrawal?"
"Because Gibbs came into my room and saw me in a very bad place," she replied. "He cares about me. And so does Heather."
He frowned but didn't say anything. She slipped away from him, stepping back towards the open door. "Go home to Sara," she advised. "Things will go back to normal soon."
"What do I have to say to you to... what do you want me to do?" he asked. "What do I have to do to prove to you that you're important to me? I'm sorry things got so bad but why do you have to punish me? I'm here now! Why can't we---"
She reached up and put her fingers on his lips. "Don't ruin tonight with yelling." She smiled sadly and backed up towards the door. "Good night, Gil."
After walking into the hotel room, Catherine locked the door and made her way back to the bed. Gibbs was on his back and Heather was lying on her side; there was enough space for her in between them.
"Hey," Gibbs whispered gruffly. "Get back here."
She smiled and crawled onto the bed. She smiled at him and put her hand on his chest as she leaned in and kissed him gently. "Thank you," she whispered quietly. Then, she turned onto her other side and smiled at Heather before she kissed her, too. "And thank you," she whispered.
Gibbs groaned. "And thank you for that," he muttered.
Catherine craned her neck and looked at him. "Liked that, did you?"
"You need to rest," he growled as he leaned towards her and kissed the nape of her neck. "And I should not be thinking that way right now... not after the night we had."
"Why not?" she whispered, a teasing smile stretching her lips.
Heather tugged on a loose tendril of strawberry blonde hair. "Rest now," she advised. "Celebrate later."
Catherine pouted. "But, I'm awake. And so're you guys. And we're all here." She frowned. "Is it the sharing thing?"
"No," Gibbs replied honestly, "it's the... you're in withdrawal and pain and we don't want to take advantage of that thing."
She blushed. "Oh."
She sighed and snuggled up to both of them, feeling safe and desired; however, she couldn't keep her mind from traveling back to the few minutes she shared with Gil in the hallway.
TITLE: Starting Over 31/?
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRINGS: Gil/Catherine, Gil/Sara, Catherine/Lady Heather, Catherine/Gibbs, Ziva/Nick, Abby/Greg
WARNINGS: GSR for a while, Lady Heather makes an appearance later (and all that that implies), etc.
DISCLAIMER: I own no one... *sigh*
DISTRIBUTION: Graveshift Archive, crimsonchampagne... Others, ask.
SPOILERS: Season 6 for CSI, Season 2-3 for NCIS
SUMMARY/NOTES: My muse and I are still having some sort of standoff... but here's the next bit.
"Mom?"
Catherine stepped out of her hotel room's bathroom and smiled at the sight of Lindsey, sprawled out on the bed. "Yeah, baby?"
"Why do you have to go into work today?" she asked. "You're still all bruised and stuff."
"They need my account of what happened for the official report," she told her daughter. "I won't be long, though... and we still have dinner plans with Nana, right?"
Lindsey smiled and nodded. "Yeah," she replied. She paused and said, "You're going to be careful, right?"
"Linds, I'm just going to the lab," she murmured, coming over to the bed and sitting down carefully, so she didn't jostle any of the bandages. She reached out and smoothed her daughter's blonde hair out of her face; she caught sight of the damage done to her wrist and she averted her eyes so she wouldn't fixate upon her injuries. "I've gone to the lab many, many times, and survived... haven't I?"
The teenager nodded. "Yeah... but, back then, you had Gil looking out for you."
Catherine sighed. "Are you trying to tell me I need a man to look out for me?" she asked.
"Well... yeah. Sort of. I mean, you're awesome and all," Lindsey explained, "but I worry about you because you're always alone... you're too self-sufficient and you never admit that you need anyone. Ever since Dad died... you've kind of been alone a lot." She paused and shrugged. "Even I worry about you."
"You do?"
Lindsey nodded.
Catherine smiled a bit. "I'm fine, baby," she murmured. "Really."
"But, you never let anyone in."
"I let you in," she told her daughter.
"Mom... I'm not a guy. I'm not someone you'd... you know... I'm not someone who can take care of you when you get hurt like this," Lindsey pointed out. "I'm just your daughter."
Catherine rubbed her daughter's arm. "You're much more than 'just my daughter,' baby. You're my daughter... the most important person in my life," she murmured. "And there's no one I'd rather spend time with." She kissed the top of Lindsey's head. "I'm not very good with dating... I never have been. And I don't want to bring a man into your life, only to have him leaving a few months or weeks later. It's not fair to you."
"I worry about you," Lindsey said. "I don't want you to be alone forever, just because of me."
"Not just because of you," Catherine said in a tender tone of voice. "I'm alone for a lot of other reasons, too, baby girl."
"Like what?"
"Like... like I don't want to have to depend on a man to feel good about myself," she replied, "and I like having my independence. I like being able to do what I want and go where I want. I like having an important career... and being able to make my family important." She smiled at Lindsey. "I wish I was a better role model for you... I wish I could give you the normal, happy family you want. But... this is all I've got."
Lindsey smiled. "We have a good family," she admitted, blushing a bit. "And you're a good role model. I want to have a good career, too."
"You will," Catherine assured her.
"But, I want you to be happy," Lindsey insisted.
"I am."
The blonde teenager rolled her eyes. "Mom... in all the ways. You know?"
Catherine chuckled. "Don't worry about your mother," she scolded in a gentle voice. "It's not normal."
"Mom!"
She laughed softly. "Lindsey, really. I'm fine."
"Do you think Agent Gibbs is cute?" Lindsey asked. "Or what about Agent DiNozzo? He's funny. He makes me laugh. You two would be cute together."
"Honey, did you think like this when I worked at CSI?" she inquired, after laughing a little. "I don't need to be set up with someone I work with."
Lindsey blushed. "I thought you and Warrick, or you and Gil would make a good couple," she admitted. "I always hoped... I mean... you had a lot in common with them. And you have a lot in common with the guys you work with now. Why don't you ask one of them out?"
"Gil or Warrick? Or Gibbs or Tony?" Catherine asked teasingly. "How about all of them at once?"
"Mom!"
Catherine laughed and ruffled her daughter's hair. "Sorry, Linds. I couldn't help it. Who do you think I should go out with?"
"What, you want me to just pick one of them... and you'll ask him out? Just like that?"
She laughed again. "No, I'm just teasing. I wanted to know which one you thought I'd mesh well with. That's all." When her cellular phone rang, she sighed and reached for it, over her daughter. "Braun," she said into the device.
"Hey, Catherine," Gibbs said quietly. "I'm downstairs. Waiting out front in the car. You ready to go?"
"Y-yeah," she replied. "I'll be down in a few minutes. I'm just with Lindsey."
"Okay. See you soon."
She snapped her phone shut and looked down at Lindsey. The teenager smiled. "It's okay... you should go. You have to give your account of the events for the report," she said quietly.
"I'm only going to CSI," Catherine reassured her. "I'll be with Gibbs the whole time."
Lindsey nodded. "I know. NCIS and CSI will keep you safe."
"And I can't keep myself safe?"
"Well, usually... but I want to make extra sure you're going to be okay."
Catherine hugged her daughter. "Don't you worry about me," she murmured into her blonde hair. "I'm gonna be fine. I'll call you when I know when I'll be finished, okay?"
"Okay," Lindsey agreed.
She left the teenager after that exchange and she went down the hall and into the elevator. A few minutes later, she was easing herself into the rental car and putting her sunglasses on.
Gibbs touched her arm. "You sure you want to do this today?" he asked quietly.
She nodded. "Yeah... I am," she murmured, smiling a little at him.
"We can wait another day, if you---"
"No. Today's good."
"Catherine, you're still bruised and cut up and I think you pulled a stitch this morning when you had that bad dream---"
"Are you thinking as my lover or as my boss?" she said, interrupting him again.
Gibbs smiled a bit. "Look... stop asking questions like that, would you?" She chuckled quietly; he smiled more. "You're still going through withdrawal, you're bruised and bandaged and I don't want you to feel like you have to be tough---"
"I don't want to keep us here in Vegas more than I have to," she explained. "We need to get back to NCIS and we can't if we're here, waiting for me to look less like someone's whipping boy, so to speak."
"You can stay---"
"No."
He looked at her. "What's got you so freaked?"
"Nothing."
"Liar," he commented as he drove away from the Rampart and towards the crime lab. "Is it Heather? Gil? That Sara woman?"
"Would you stop trying to be my shrink?" Catherine asked in reply. "You're very annoying sometimes, you know?"
Gibbs chuckled. "Sticks and stones, Catherine..."
She rolled her eyes and snorted.