"Thanks for giving me a ride, Gil. I still can't believe that my car broke down."

"Well, that's what you get for stopping by work on your night off." He smiled at her as he pulled into her driveway and cut the ignition.

"I guess. That'll teach me, won't it? I just thought maybe you guys might need some help. Didn't know it would be dead." She giggled as she wiggled her eyebrows at the word 'dead'. "Helen, Lindsey's babysitter, is over tonight. She's getting extra credit in one of her classes for tutoring Lindsey a couple of hours a week in science. Apparently, they were annoyed by my 'hovering', so I just decided to get out for a bit."

"Science?" Grissom's brow furrowed. He shifted in the seat of his car to face Catherine.

"Yeah, I know. Lindsey doesn't really like it. Guess she hears me complain about work and just never got interested. Are your dreams shattered, Gil?"

"Of course they are. How could she not like science? I thought she loved science. I was going to make a great CSI out of her one day."

"She's only ten. And just because she clings onto every word that comes out of your mouth, doesn't mean she wants to be a science geek like you."

"I'm hurt." He grinned at her, mesmerized by the blue depths of her eyes.

"No you're not. You're probably flattered. And I only think she pretends to be enthralled by your science ramblings because she thinks we like each other."

"We do like each other." Grissom eyed her with a confused expression on his face.

She laughed a bit nervously, wondering why she was attempting to venture into this line of conversation with him now. "No, Gil, that's not what I mean. She thinks we...REALLY...like each other."

Grissom turned away from her slightly and fingered the cruise control buttons on his steering wheel. He quietly whispered, "Oh". He was beginning to wonder if they were going to allow the awkward silence to encompass them, when she spoke again.

"Gil?" She had a slight panic in her voice. He snapped his head in her direction. "The house is dark. I just noticed." She nodded in the direction of the bay window in the living room. "Look. That's where they were when I left and I don't see any lights. Helen's car is still here. God, what if something's happened."

Her hands moved to the door handle, but were shaking so bad that she couldn't grip it. Gil moved quickly from the car. He walked to her door and opened it for her. He gripped her hand and lighly squeezed, pulling her towards the house. "Cath, I'm sure everything's fine. They're probably watching a movie."

"Yeah." She was fumbling through her purse for her door key. She let out a 'damnit' and began to unzip another compartment.

"I've got it, Cath." He pulled his own keys out of his pocket, and when he found the key to her dealbolt, he stuck in in the door and turned slighly. He pushed the door open and was engulfed by darkness. She was right...there were no lights on in the house.

"Lindsey!?" Catherine had called it out numerous times, but Grissom was blocking her path and wouldn't allow her to run through the house. "Grissom, move!" She was pushing against his arm, in a state of panic. When she was almost freed from behind him, an explosion of color left both of them stunned.

"Mommy!" Lindsey ran quickly from the corner of the room and into Catherine's arms. "Do you like it?"

Catherine still had tears in her eyes. The previous tears of panic were now replaced by ones of joy. Catherine looked around the room in awe at the lights and decorations that filled the living room. The Christmas tree was assembled in the corner. The colorful lights that lay upon it, shimmered upon the tinsle, providing a magnificently beautiful sight. A small electric train was chugging in a circle around the tree. Decorations lay upon the table, complete with flakes of artificial snow surrounding them. The bay window, whose darkness had cause so much panic moments before, was now illuminated by an array of electric candles. "I love it baby girl...I love it. How did you do all of this?" She gave a small wink at Helen.

"Well, Helen helped me some, but I did a lot of it all by myself. I wanted to surprise you."

Helen walked towards Catherine and smiled at Lindsey. "She's telling the truth, Ms. Willows. It was all her idea--she wanted to surprise you. I just helped reach the high stuff."

"I told you mommy." Catherine squeezed her tighter to her chest in response and placed a gentle kiss on her forhead.

"Well, Ms. Willows, if you're home for the night, I think I'm going to go and let you and Lindsey finish decorating the tree. She said that you guys always did the ornaments together, so we left them in a box beside the tree. I had fun tonight, Linds. I'll see you in a couple of days." She went to the door, giving Grissom a small grin and a wave as she pulled the door shut behind her.

Lindsey adjusted in Catherine's arms, and a look of excitement appeared on her face when she saw Gil, who had previously gone unnoticed, standing back towards the door. "Uncle Grissom! I was hoping that you would come over soon!" She wiggled out of Catherine's arms and flung herself into his.

"Hey Linds." He effortlessly picked her up and swung her around a bit. "You did a beautiful job decorating."

She blushed a bit and rested her head on his shoulder. "Did you bring any bugs for me to look at?"

"Not this time. I just brought your mommy home." He smiled as she ran her tiny hand through the hair on top of his head--effectively forcing his curls to make an appearance.

"Your hair looks pretty like this."

Grissom chuckled and tickled her side, causing her to giggle wildy. "You know, Lindsey, I heard something about you tonight."

"What?" Her head shot up, genuinely intrigued.

"That you don't like science."

She shook here head wildly from side to side. "I do so like science. Did mommy tell you I didn't? I really do. I just don't understand some of those big words and it gets confusing. I like your bugs. That's science isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, Lindsey. It's called Entomology." He gave Catherine a little smirk.

"That's another big word." She let out a big yawn and Grissom could see her eyelids getting heavy.

"Well, if you ever need any help with those 'big words' you know who to come see, right?"

"My Uncle Grissom," Lindsey stated proudly.

"You've got it."

Catherine, touched by the natural display of affection between Gil and her daughter, decided it was time to chime in. "But, for now, it looks like somebody's ready for bed."

"Aww..mommy, I though we were going to decorate the tree."

"We can do that tomorrow. First thing in the morning..I promise. Deal?"

"Deal. Uncle Grissom, will you help us decorate the tree?" She saw the hesitant look on his face and decided that she wasn't beyond pleading. "Please? We always have lots of fun. We drink hot cocoa with extra marshmallows and watch movies and listen to Christmas music. Daddy never liked to decorate the tree. He said it was dumb because we had to take it down really soon after we put it up. And mommy and I always had to get a chair to get the ornaments up high on the tree and put the the star on top. If we have you, then we won't need a chair..you could reach it by yourself."

Grissom looked to Catherine before he gave the little girl an affirmative answer. He could see unshead tears welling up in her eyes as she gazed at her daughter with the most loving expression he had ever seen. Sensing that he was focusing on her, she made contact with his eyes and nodded, silently telling him that he was welcome to share the personal family tradition with them.

"I would love to help you decorate the tree, Lindsey."

"Yay! Thank you so much. I promise that you'll have fun. I'll even make your cocoa myself--sometimes mommy puts too much water in it and it's not very sweet. But, I make it the best."

"I bet you do. I'll be looking forward to it."

Lindsey was about to get down out of his arms when she stopped abruptly. "Oh, I almost forgot.." She gave Grissom a quick kiss on the lips and squirmed out of his arms. When she was standing, she pointed up to the ceiling and stated proudly, "mistle-toe". "Now mommy has to kiss you too." She scurried off to her bedroom. Her giggles could be heard echoing loudly until they were silenced by the shutting of her bedroom door.

Catherine looked into his eyes and sheepishly moved a step forward. "Mistle-toe, huh? She thinks of everything."

Grissom reached up and brushed the mistle-toe with his fingers, sending the sprigs swinging gently. "A good scientist is always thorough."

She moved a little closer and tapped his chest lightly. "You don't give up do you? I highly doubt her motivations were fueled by science."

"Oh?" Her hands were still resting on his chest and he reached his own up and laced his fingers through hers.

"Yeah. She watches too many movies. You know the senerio...two people find themselves under the mistle-toe...give into their hidden desires...lunge at each other like wild animals and kiss like there's no tomorrow...blah, blah, blah."

"What kinds of movies are you letting her watch?"

She laughed loudly and forced her hands harder against his chest. "It's true, Gil. Movies like those provide for a false sense of reality. How many people do you know that have fell in love under the mistle-toe?"

"I don't think that we're supposed to believe that they actually 'fell in love' under the mistle-toe, Catherine. The viewer is to assume that they were already in love and just needed a little 'push' in the right direction."

"Quite the expert, aren't we, Grissom? You know I never pictured you as the type to snuggle up on the couch and watch sappy Christmas movies."

"Funny, Cat. I'm just trying to prove a point."

"That being?"

He gave her a quick glare and continued. "That mistle-toe is simply a catalyst for love."

She moved her hands up his chest and landed them on his shoulders and leaned forward slightly, whispering. "Why do I have the feeling that you're just playing devil's advocate with me? I find it hard to believe that Gil Grissom is giving me a talk about the powers of love."

"Doesn't sound like me, does it?" He flashed her a crooked smile.

She felt him shudder lightly as her fingers came into contact with the fine hairs at the base of his skull. "It's just been a while since I've heard you speak of something, besides bugs, with such passion." She shook her head with amusement as she continued. "Remind me how this conversation started, anyway?"

Gil nodded towards Lindsey's room. "The little 'Christmas Cupid' in there said that you had to kiss me."

"Ah, yes. Now I remember. I'm not one to mock with tradition." She saw the look of surprise wash over Grissom's face as she began to move her head closer to his. His eyes closed, he drew in a deep breath, and his hands settled gently on her waist. Catherine paused momentarily, taking in this uninhibited side of Grissom. When his eyes began to flutter open, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Neither of them made any move to further the kiss. They just stood there--lips touching--as if they were permanantly frozen in that awkward position.

She wound her hands in his curls as she pulled her lips from his. The two pairs of blue eyes met each other as Catherine began to giggle. Seeing the blush rise to his face, she laid her forehead on his shoulder and attempted to supress her laughter. Grissom wondered exactly why she was laughing and decided that he should probably say something...anything...

"I'm sorry."

Her laughter stopped immediately when she shot her eyes up to look at him. "For what?"

"I..I'm not sure. You were laughing and I just thought--"

"I'm laughing because...because I feel like a school girl who doesn't know if she should kiss the guy she likes...so she just gives him one of those weird half kisses. You know, one of those 'should we' or 'shouldn't we' type kisses. And the guy usually decides which way it will sway. She gave him a defeated smile. "I guess I got my answer."

She was about to back away from him, when his grip tightened on her waist. "I haven't been a school boy in a long time, Catherine." He tilted his head so that his breath was now warming her ear. "Maybe we should try again..." He pulled his face back so that it was level with hers. He raised his eyebrows, urging her to start the process over again. The corners of her mouth turned upwards slightly before she pressed her lips to his lightly. Grissom responded quickly this time. He pulled her hips to his body before opening his mouth and encompassing her lips with his own. Tongues reached for each other simultaneously, and Catherine groaned when they collided violently between their lips. She couldn't decide where to put her hands--she wanted them everywhere at the same time. They started on his back, gripping his shirt and tugging the back of it loose from his pants. They began to venture up his arms, squeezing his biceps lightly, before traveling to his head. She grabbed a handful of curls and used them to pull him closer to her. There was no way she could get this man close enough. When she felt him moan into her mouth, she had to supress the urge to smile. She wasn't ready to break their union just yet.

They continued their mutual exploration of each other for a few more moments. Gil slowly eased his lips from hers, grazing her bottom lip with his teeth before finally reliquishing her mouth. She sighed heavily, attempting to steady her breathing, before throwing her arms around him and hugging his body tightly against her own. He smiled widely, knowing that she had enjoyed what had just happened as much as he did.

"Grissom. That was....I...you are..." She stuttered, not being able to form coherent sentences. "...you 'lunged at me like a wild animal'!" When the words left her lips, she threw her head back in laughter.

Gil took this opportunity to once again relish in the taste of her flesh under his lips. His tongue found the sensitive skin on her neck, just below her ear, and he grinned at Catherine's sharp intake of air. Between kisses he whispered, "Just like the movies, huh?"