All The Way To Reno by luna (R)

[kerlin.livejournal.com]

Fandom: CSI
Pairing: Grissom/Catherine
Author on LJ: tangleofthorns
Author Website: sparkgirls
Why this must be read:

Grissom/Catherine (sometimes called Gil/Catherine, because she's the only one who regularly calls him by his first name) is the other most popular het pairing in CSI fandom. They're old friends, and are often paired together on cases. She often seems to be the only one who's really willing to stand up to him (although other characters have, just not consistently) and he has a rather large blind spot where she's concerned.

(okay, so I'll admit, I'm not a big Catherine fan. Moving on...)

Personal bias toward Grissom/Sara fully conceded, this fic makes me believe in Grissom/Catherine. It's backstory, spliced with current events, that shows two people growing together, all jagged edges and unsettled pieces. It's not really a romance, but it does have a happy ending of sorts.

It's also some gorgeous writing, with a keen eye toward dialogue and the interactions among the other members of the night shift - you get a real sense of teamwork between Grissom and Catherine, and in the short scenes they're in, Nick, Sara, Warrick, and Greg.

I also especially enjoy Grissom's personality evolution, from the rough-edged doctoral candidate to the still introverted but polished scientist.

And clearly I suck at summarizing this, so just go, read, enjoy.

First line: One time, she had left him. It wasn't because of a fight. They hadn't even really been lovers then, but she'd left him anyway.

All The Way To Reno