Title: Tangled Web

Author: ANNE (the insane one)

Rating: R
Category: G/C

Summary: Someone comes back into Catherine's life that she never thought she'd see again. And Gil meets someone new.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Kathryn Hope.

For Lauri, Melissa and Emily

~Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive~

The strawberry blonde could have been a miniature version of Catherine Willows, Judy thought, as the girl strode up to the counter.

"Can I help you?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me where to find Catherine Willows?"

"She's out on the field. I can take a message."

The girl seemed to wrestle with her conscience for a moment. "Uh, is there somewhere I can wait?"

Judy nodded and pointed to a seat in the corner. The girl went and sat down, her blue eyes looking around the lab before finally taking out a book, on forensic crime, Judy noted.

"What kind of weirdo can breastfeed at will? She wasn't even pregnant!" Sara said, wandering in, with Warrick by her side.

The blue eyes looked up. Judy smiled wryly. This was going to be interesting.

"Actually it's a scientific fact that if the need is great enough, and the empathy is strong enough, and the woman is at the peak of her fertility, anyone could do it."

Sara's head whipped around and stared at the girl. "Excuse me?"

The girl shrugged. "It's in most medical textbooks."

Judy was pleased to note that Sara's steely glare didn't stop the girl.

"All you have to do is find out the peak fertility period for the woman and talk to a shrink about empathy. Quite easy."

"And you are?" Sara asked.

The girl shrugged. "Your fairy godmother?"

Warrick and Judy suppressed chuckles.

Sara glared at her again.

"Look, lady, save your daggers for the crim. I'm just trying to give you a helping hand."

"Well, thanks anyway, but I think we'll be able to handle it," Sara spat.

The girl put her hands up. "Fine. Sheesh, don't get your panties in a bunch."

Warrick raised an eyebrow. Where had he heard that phrase before?

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"No!"

"Come on Cath."

"No, I did it the last time," Catherine said, as she and Grissom entered the labs. "If you have to tell Sara she can't go on field work because she's maxed out on overtime, you can tell her."

"I'd break it gently," the girl said, her eyes not rising from her book. "I think I kind of pissed her off."

"Pardon?" Gil asked, adjusting his glasses.

The girl closed her book. "I think she has PMS or something. I mean, can't anyone in this town take a little constructive criticism?"

Catherine turned around and the minute she saw, she knew.

"Uh, Catherine, this girl was waiting to see you," Judy said.

"Um, Gil, how about you go deal with Sara," Catherine said, patting his shoulder.

Gil looked between her and the girl, and nodded, disappearing down the hallway.

Catherine's eyes travelled up and down the girl. "Would you like to get something to eat?"

She nodded. "Does anyone around here do a good turkey club?"

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"Kathryn Hope," Catherine smiled. "Beautiful name. How did they pick it?"

"They said the Kathryn was named after you, and the Hope was because they had hope for my future. Most people just call me Katie." Katie looked at her for a while. "You look just like the picture."
Catherine raised an eyebrow. "You have a picture of me?"

Katie dug around in her wallet and pulled out a ratty piece of paper. "I found it on the net. It's of you and my dad."

Catherine unfolded the page and smiled. It was a picture of her and Gil, taken when they had solved a high profile case. She looked up at her daughter. "You knew that Gil was your father but you didn't say anything?"

Katie shrugged and accepted the piece of paper that Catherine handed back. "I figured you hadn't told him about me. It's your business, not mine. I just wanted to see you and him. Jill said I looked like you."

"Jill?"

"My adoptive mother."

"You didn't call her mom?"

"She wasn't my mom," Katie replied.

Catherine felt her heart break. "I wanted you. You have no idea how much I wanted you."

Katie looked up. "I know. I found your letter." She looked around. "You did good for yourself. CSI, daughter of Sam Braun, kicked the coke, daughter of your own."

Catherine narrowed her eyes. "How did you find all this stuff out?"

Katie smiled. "I have a talent with computers. I hack…stuff."

"Really?"

Katie grinned. "You're acting like a mom already."

"Do your adoptive parents know you're here?"

"Well they might. I'm not really sure. They're dead now, so unless they're watching…"

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault. You didn't kill 'em." She pulled out an envelope and pushed it across the table to Catherine. "That's why I'm here now, anyway."

Catherine opened the envelope and smiled. "Accepted to UNLV. A criminalist huh?"

"It's like solving puzzles," Katie replied. "Sometimes there's a piece missing. You guys restore piece of mind, and when you're a victim, that's everything."

Catherine sat back in the chair and stared at the girl. "It's like looking into a mirror."

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Catherine stood at the door of Gil's office, bracing herself. She had left Kathryn in the breakroom, feeling she needed to talk to Gil before she presented their daughter to him.

"Gil?" she said, shutting the door behind her quietly.

Grissom smiled at her. "Sara barely batted an eyelid. Something about reading up on medical textbooks."

"Uh, whatever," Catherine said. She sat on the sofa. "Um, we need to talk."

"What about?" Gil asked, shuffling through his papers.

"Perhaps you should…perhaps you should um, put those down for the moment."

Gil put them down and looked at her strangely. "What?"

Catherine rubbed her face with her hands. She was having one heck of a night. "Um, you remember, eighteen years ago, when Eddie and I were…well, whatever we were, it wasn't good. And you came and got me and took me to your place and we…we slept together."

Gil took his glasses off. "Yes. I remember."

She sighed. "God, I never expected to have to do this." She looked at him. "I was pregnant Gil. That's why I left four months after and spent five months away. I was pregnant and I never told you."

Gil was silent for a moment. "You…you had an abortion? A miscarriage?"

"We had a baby girl, Gil. I…listed her father as unknown and put her up for adoption. Both our lives were hellholes at the time and I couldn't do that to her. She has lived with a great family for eighteen years. I met them, they were great. The reason you need to know is because that girl that was out there tonight…she's your daughter." Catherine could feel her eyes welling up. "And she's amazing. She…she's like the perfect blend of you and I and…"

"You lied to me," Gil said quietly.

Catherine had never seen him so quiet, and it scared her to death. "I was scared, Gil. For all I knew she was going to be born addicted to coke and it would be my fault. I couldn't tell you. Neither of us could have looked after her…"

"You never gave me the chance, Catherine!" Gil said, his hand slamming on the desk.

Catherine jumped. "Please…"

"Don't," he said firmly.

She watched his hands clench into fists and she sighed. "Gil, she's sitting out there and…"

"I think you should go, Catherine."

Her eyes widened. "Don't you want to even see her? She's perfect, she's…"

"You can have the rest of the night off. Just go, Catherine."

Catherine felt her heart break. Not just for the tattered remains of their closeness, but for her daughter. "Fine." She stood up and glared at him. "And yeah, be mad at me. Hate me if you want, but do not take it out on your daughter."

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Part 2