Knowing Her

Rating: Trainee
Summary: Without being able to pinpoint the moment, it's impossible to pinpoint the cause…
Disclaimer: I own nothing that is directly from CSI.
A/N: Thank you to Alza for reading this through for me and for coming up with a suitable title. I wrote fluff before eating Jelly Babies!!! Go me! This fic is 500 words long (excluding `THE END') and therefore answers the October Challenge.

It could be her eyes. The way they light up when she smiles; the way they sparkle when she's up to mischief; the way they glow when she's angry or glisten when she's upset. At any given second I can tell exactly how she's feeling just by looking at her eyes. She can build brick walls around the rest of her; try her hardest to stop anyone from knowing how she's really feeling, but the truth is always plain to see in her eyes. If you know what to look for. And after twenty years, I do. So, maybe it's her eyes.

It could be her smile. Not only does it bring the aforementioned light to her eyes, but her entire face comes alive when she smiles. No, her entire body comes alive when she smiles. When it's genuine and unrestrained, an air of relaxation, of contentment, overcomes her and it's impossible not to join in her happiness. Not once have I seen her smile and not found my own face a mirror of hers. So, maybe it's her smile.

It could be her mind. So astute, and so alert, it so easily absorbs information, filing it and storing it until such time as it is of benefit to repeat it. Every day she will say something that reminds me of the intelligence behind her external beauty; that reminds me why I knew she would be perfect for my team; that reminds me that I need to be careful around her, because she doesn't forget anything! That mind of hers has twenty years worth of memories of me, and she has assured me she would have no problem releasing the information to a third party if I should deserve it. So, maybe it's her mind.

It could be her laugh. It's such a delicate yet full bodied sound; beautiful and uplifting. I need only hear it for a second, either in the room with me, or just as I am passing by wherever she may be. Just that brief exposure to the sound of her enjoyment warms my heart – and it lifts my spirits even higher if I know I caused that melodious sound to break forth from her lips. So, maybe it's her laugh.

It could be her motherliness. The way her daughter is her world; the way she would do absolutely anything to keep Lindsey safe and to give her the best life possible. It hasn't always been easy, she hasn't always made the right decisions, but behind it all she simply wants their life to be a happy one. Watching her with Lindsey is to watch her at her most content. So, maybe it's her motherliness.

Without being able to pinpoint the moment, it's impossible to pinpoint the cause. And it is something I noticed long after it happened. But, her eyes, her smile, her mind, her laugh, her motherliness, they make her Catherine. And I'd say that is what made me fall in love with her.

THE END