"How did I let you talk me into this?!" Catherine winced.

"Relax," Grissom instructed soothingly.

"Is this going to hurt?"

"It might tingle a little bit."

"I don't want to do this!" She cried.

"Come on, Catherine," He held her hands in his. "You promised."

"But I changed my mind! Please don't make me do it!"

"You won't regret it."

"I'm already regretting it!" She whined, clenching her eyes shut.

"Are you ready Cath?"

"No!" She shook her head fervently.

"Good," He smirked at her pained expression. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her lips curled over her teeth in almost disgust. "Ok, I'm going to put it down and you're going to hold it."

"I don't want to!"

"It's ok, don't worry. You're so tense!"

"Wouldn't you be?"

"I can hardly imagine this is the first time you've done this." He rolled his eyes. "Ready Catherine?"

"Uh-uh! No! Don’t do it!" Catherine begged.

"And don't let go." He instructed, "I'll get offended."

"Gil! No!" She pleaded, but it was too late. She screamed.

"Catherine, Catherine," he soothed, "Don't scream you'll frighten her." Gil stroked the tarantula.

"I'LL scare HER?!" She whimpered, "Oh that's rich!"

"Catherine, she has only nice things to say about you." He teased. "See, she's harmless, Cath. She doesn't bite. Pet her, Cath."

Catherine drew in a long shaky breath, "Gil. . . it's a spider."

"She's a tarantula Catherine. This is like the queen of the spiders."

"Well, I'm sure her royal highness will forgive me if I don't pet her."

"She's soft." Grissom insisted, showing Catherine the proper stroking action for properly petting a tarantula. "Just one pet."

Catherine held her hand up, clenched her teeth, squeezed her eyes shut and touched the tarantula and quickly withdrew it again. "Ok, can I put it down now?"

"Her, Catherine."

"Her! Her!" She shouted, "Can I put her down now, PLEASE?!?!"

"Ok, ok," Grissom picked her up out of Catherine's hand and placed her in her tank. Catherine jumped back and shuddered, wiping her hands on her pants. "Want to go out for coffee?"

"After this you'd BETTER be buying!"

"Cath," He smiled, handing her her coat, "I always buy."