It was the end of another shift. Gil Grissom drove his Denali through the familiar streets, sighing, wondering at the fragility of life and relationships. Here he was heading to the place he found comfort, peace. Odd, really, had you asked him less than three years ago where he felt most confident, comfortable, his answer would have been the place he'd just left. His workplace, a lab, surrounded by science, evidence, everything coloured black or white. He knew his destination would be multicoloured far from the black and white, the evidence he felt confident and comfortable in.

He smiled to himself. Allowing himself to enjoy the silence, the moment of reflection. The moment he arrived that silence would be broken. His smile broadened at the thought, the laughter, the chatter, the simply joy of being home.

She was responsible. The moment she'd entered his life, she'd found a long lost key and unlocked the door where he'd hidden himself for so many years. He knew the moment he saw her he'd fallen in love, would do anything for her. He knew she'd captured his heart; the moment her eyes had met his in that first smile.

Somethin' in your eyes, makes me wanna lose myself
Makes me wanna lose myself, in your arms
There's somethin' in your voice, makes my heart beat fast
Hope this feeling lasts, the rest of my life

"Hello, are you Mr Grissom?"

He'd looked up from the microscope, quickly trying to refocus, allowing his eyes to adjust to his changed focal point. He'd blinked several times quickly, not committing himself to an answer,

"Gil Grissom?" She furiously fought in her bag, trying to find a piece of paper, retrieving an envelope, she pulled a letter from it, "It says here I need to come and report to a Gil Grissom. They told me at the front desk he was here, in this lab."

Quickly he cleared his throat with a quick cough, "Sorry, Catherine Willows?" She nodded, "I wasn't expecting you until Tuesday."

That's when she'd first done it, smiled. Her eyes seemed to light up, as the smile played on her lips, "Uhmm, today is Tuesday."

Caught off guard, he'd sought the comfort of science, "Take a look in the microscope, and tell me what you see."

She giggled self consciously, "Okay," letting her bag drop to the floor; she'd walked over to the table and peered down the microscope. After a couple of minutes studying the slide, she'd straightened up, "It's blood, human blood, contaminated with a virus, looking at the shape of the bacteria I would guess at it being some form of food poisoning, but I'd need to run further tests."

"Well, the equipment you need is all in here. We'll get you a locker and a lab coat, and you can identify it for me."

"Okay," she smiled again. He could get lost in that smile, those eyes.

That had been the first thing he'd noticed about her, her eyes. Catherine's eyes were truly the windows to her inner being, her emotions. It amazed him sometimes to contemplate the way her eyes could vary in colour in a short time, from the cobalt blue of a summer sky to the midnight blue of the evening ocean. He loved watching the change, affecting that change within them.

Then there was her voice. It reduced him to a quivering goosepimply jelly with just a whisper.

"Gil," she half breathed, half whispered, "did I tell you that I love you? You captured my heart fifteen years ago, and there's no place I would rather have it kept."

He tingled, for the first time in his life; Gil Grissom tingled, from the tips of his toes to the hair on his head. He pulled her closer to him on the sofa, "You did some capturing of your own sweetheart."

She giggled, "Has Gruesome Grissom got goose pimples?"

He sighed, holding her close; "I can't help it if you have that effect on me."

She turned her head, smiling cheekily into his eyes, "I know that's not the only effect I have on you."

He smiled again to himself. Contentment that's what it was. He was a contented man; happy with the lot he'd drawn in life. No happy wasn't the right word, ecstatic, that was it, ecstatic, like someone who'd put five cents in a slot machine and won two million dollars.

If you knew how lonely my life has been
And how long I've been so alone
And if you knew how I wanted someone to come along
And change my life the way you've done

He'd resigned himself a long time ago to a solitary existence. Well that was before Catherine had come into his life. Thinking back to his life then, life, now that was funny. Work was life and life was work. Then she'd come along, more than a simple distraction, a reason for being, living, a reason for opening up, a life. In the early days she'd not realised her growing importance to him. He offered his heart disguised as friendship, she accepted his comradeship, the two becoming allies against their often autocratic superiors. A shared breakfast, a smile when life was becoming too much, it soon grew. All around could see where this would end, even if the two protagonists couldn't.

"Hey, Gil."

"Yes Warrick."

"What's with Cath?"

"She missed Lindsey's ballet recital, running some evidence. I've called Linds she's putting on a command performance when we get home, just don't tell Cath, I want it to be a surprise."

Warrick smiled, "When are you going to make an honest woman of her?"

Gil looked at him, his face unreadable apart from a slight twinkling in his eye, "I don't know what you mean, she's one of the most honest women I know."

That morning as Lindsey leapt around Catherine's lounge, ending in a swirl of arms and pink taffeta, Gil had pulled a small box from his pocket and asked Catherine and Lindsey to change his life.

The next evening she'd sported the diamond ring as they made their way into the lab together. He'd got as far as finishing assigning cases before Warrick had reduced the room to silence, with three simple words.

"Congratulations, you two."

Catherine had beamed, offering her cheek for her partner for the evening to kiss. Nick and Sara looked on mouths open, until finally Nick had managed.

"No he didn't."

At Catherine's smile and nod, he'd quickly gone around to her, lifting her from her chair, he'd pulled her into a hug. "Congratulations Cath." Then turned his attention to Gil, swiftly shaking his hand, "Finally, I wondered if you'd ever get around to asking her."

Sara had in the meantime, enveloped Catherine in a hug, then released her examining the ring on Cath's finger, "Wow, Cath, congratulations, I'm so happy for you, for both of you."

He'd moved into Catherine's house that weekend, quickly putting his townhouse on the market. Now it was official, he wanted to be with her all the time. This was home.

It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way back where I come from
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong

Soon after the wedding they'd moved into a larger home. From the start, it had been a home not a house. Then again anywhere where Catherine was, was home. His townhouse had been a place to sleep, hide away, and store his belongings, not a home. His new life with Catherine had given him a home. That warm feeling in the pit of his stomach as he thought of her. The glow he got from hearing someone call her, `Mrs Grissom'. The pride he got from hearing the word, "Daddy". That was home, a place of comfort, a place to take a pride in, and a place to want to belong, to live to just be.

Heavenly mornings spent in his wife's arms. Idyllic moments opening the door to be greeted by her smile, perfect evenings spent curled with her on the sofa watching an old movie. Existence couldn't be any more perfect than it was now. At this time in his life, when many people started to look back, regret choices made, paths taken, he only looked forward. Anticipating each new day, it's new discoveries with strength, a strength he drew from his family. A strength he didn't know, until now, he had.

A window breaks, down a long, dark street
And a siren wails in the night
But I'm alright, 'cause I have you here with me
And I can almost see, through the dark there is light

He often saw the darker side of life, the worst of humanity, the worst of life. But he knew that in his home, his family he would find reason, a motive for man's existence. He was still driven to find the truth. Seek justice for those who had no voice left. This used to close him off to those around him. He knew the statistics, he knew that in his job a line had to be drawn, emotions kept in check, and he'd been a master at that. He had changed. His family had changed him. It had started years ago with Catherine, before they were married, before they were even in a relationship, she'd let her emotions lead her on many cases. After one case he'd found her in the locker room. He could remember the moment, the look on her face, the catch in her voice, everything, because that's when things had started to change for him.

"Cath, Catherine, are you okay?" He'd gone over and sat beside her on the bench.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She'd sniffled, fighting desperately to regain control.

He'd reached out, touching her cheek, tracing the path a few moments earlier her tears had taken, "No, no you're not. Talk to me, tell me what's wrong."

She'd gulped a breath, letting a small hic-cough escape. "I'm scared."

At that statement he'd put his arm around her, pulling her towards him, gently stroking her arm, "Why?"

"I don't...I don't think I can do this anymore."

"By this you mean the job?"

She nodded, "I can't watch children killing children and not batting an eyelid. Lying, cheating, anything as if a life doesn't mean anything."

They'd sat in silence for a couple of minutes, before he'd attempted to speak, "You know, the children, the victims need you. People like you who will fight for them."

"But I don't trust them anymore. What kind of job is it where a child comes into a room and you automatically assume they're lying?"

"I don't know, I don't know Cath. But sometime soon, you're going to have to put your feelings to one side, otherwise this job will eat them up."

"I wish I could be like you."

"What do you mean?"

"Be able to distance myself, not feel."

"Just because I don't allow my emotions to show, doesn't mean I don't feel."

"I know. I'm sorry that was cruel."

"Forgiven. Feel better?"

"Yeah. Yes, I just need some time with Lindsey."

"Go, be with your daughter."

She'd stood, and headed for the door. Before opening it, she smiled back at him, "Thank you Gil."

"What for?"

"For listening, for being there."

He'd returned her smile, "Anytime, now go and Cath…"

"Yeah."

"Give Lindsey a hug for me."

"Will do," she smiled then left.

After that night, that conversation, there'd been many similar conversations, not always initiated by Catherine. It was comforting to both of them to know when the cases became too much they had an understanding, someone to talk to, a way of putting life back in perspective.

Well, if you knew how much this moment means to me
And how long I've waited for your touch
And if you knew how happy you are making me
I never thought that I'd love anyone so much

Now here he was pulling into the driveway of his home. Putting his car in park, he quickly got out, closing the door and locking it. He looked up at his home, the brick walls turning pink in the early sunlight, the white-framed windows, and curtains drawn. He smiled. Home.

He retrieved his keys from his pocket, unlocking the door. Putting down his briefcase, he slipped his shoes off, so as not to wake the sleeping occupants. He crept up the stairs, remembering to miss the last stair that creaked.

He made his way along the short corridor, stopping at the first door on the left, gently pushing the door open, he stood in the doorway, Lindsey, who'd become a daughter to him, slept soundly, unaware of his presence. He couldn't resist it, stealthily, he crept across to her, kissing her on the forehead, tucking the blanket around her, "I love you Lindsey."

He crept out as carefully as he'd entered. Congratulating himself on his ability to not wake her.

He moved along the corridor. Gently opening the next door on the left. The toddler bed in front of him contained his son, George. Tucking the Thomas the Tank Engine duvet cover around him, he stroked back his hair, kissing him. "Hey George, my little man. Have you looked after mommy for me?" He kissed him again, before leaving his room.

He moved across the corridor, quietly opening the door opposite. He moved across to the cot, stroking his infant daughter's stomach, "Hey, angel, are you going to sleep a while, let daddy have mommy to himself." He kissed his fingers, and then gently placed them to her lips. Leaving the room quietly.

As much as he loved the noise of his family, he loved these quiet times. When he could observe his family and enjoy the stillness.

He moved towards the door at the end of the corridor. Opening it quietly, hoping to catch her sleeping. He knelt beside her, brushing a stray strand of strawberry blonde hair from her face.

"What took you so long?"

"I was checking on the kids."

"Thought so. They're asleep?"

"Yeah."

"So why aren't you here beside me, kissing me, before they wake."

He didn't need another invitation, quickly undressing in the darkness, before slipping into bed beside her. He pulled her close in a hug, capturing her lips in a kiss, breaking apart to whisper, "I love you Catherine."

"I love you bug man."

That's all he needed to hear, he was home.

It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way the back where I come from
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong

The End