It had been on his mind all night.

"What would you do without me?"

He didn't like questions like that. Particularly when he couldn't answer them.

He didn't want to know what he'd do without Catherine. And he couldn't express himself at a crime scene, with Sofia there.

His thumb twirled around the ring in his pocket. He had caught a glimpse of Catherine's at the crime scene, glittering on the chain around her neck.

Sitting in his office, Gil Grissom took the ring from his pocket and placed it on the desk. He stared at it, thinking about all that it represented. His love, fidelity, respect and promise to his wife.

And not just Catherine, but to Lindsey as well. He participated fully in Lindsey's life, helping Catherine with everything from putting food on the table, to soothing the girl when she had nightmares, to disciplining her when she disobeyed her mother.

He had no doubt as to what he meant to Catherine. She told him, regularly, how important he was to her, how much he meant to her, how much he did for her.

Gil always told her he did it because he loved her, because she meant more than anything to him.

Even Lindsey was known to express her gratitude on occasions when she deemed it "safe" to hug him. Naturally, she was averse to any of this gratitude in public places.

Sometimes he wondered if Catherine knew how much she meant to him. Obviously it had meant something that he had asked her to marry him. The whispered 'I love you's' and the small compliments meant something. Making love and holding each other meant something.

Even spending time together, cooking together, laughing together or watching movies together meant something.

But he never told her what he'd do without her.

It didn't even bear thinking about.

"Hey handsome."

He looked up, smiling broadly as Catherine walked into his office, locking the door behind her. "Hi, beautiful."

"I missed you at the scene today," she murmured, walking over and sitting in the chair opposite his desk. "I kind of like working with you."

"It's because of my tush, right?" he teased.

Catherine smiled a seductive smile at him. "That's certainly part of it."

Gil became somber. "Cath.you know I love you, right?"

Her eyes narrowed for a minute. "Yeah," she replied hesitantly.

He reached over, taking her hand in his. "I'm serious, Cath. Do you really know how much I love you?"

"Gil, what's going on?" Her eyes widened. "Oh god, are you dying?"

"What? No!" He got out of his chair, coming around to her. She stood up and he sat down, taking her into his lap. "No, sweetheart, I'm not dying."

Catherine punched him in the shoulder. "Don't scare me like that again!"

Gil put his arms around her, rocking her to and fro. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

She rested her head on his chest, happy to be in his arms and be rocked for a few moments.

Before long, she sat up, taking his ring. "Can I put it on?"

"Only if you let me put yours on."

Catherine grinned and unclasped her necklace. She slid the ring off, handing it to him before the put the necklace back on.

"Ladies first," Gil murmured, taking her hand and slipping the ring on her ring finger.

She watched the movement intently, before looking back up at him. "Your turn."

Gil held out his hand and Catherine slid his ring back onto his finger. She then bent down, pressing a gentle kiss to his palm.

"Doesn't get better than the first time we did it," she said, smiling at him.

"Why did you ask me that question today?" he asked, arms going around her waist.

"Which question?"

"Out of all the questions you asked me today, which one do you think it would be?"

Catherine arched an eyebrow. "Ookay. A riddle. Well, this morning I asked you for five more minutes. I asked you to remember the milk, and I asked you to pair us up on a case."

"At the crime scene, Catherine."

"Wouldn't it be easier just to tell me what you're talking about?"

"You said, and I quote "what would you do without me"."

Catherine smiled. "Yeah, I remember that."

"I've been thinking about it all night."

She turned in his arms to look at him. "You have?"

"It bothered me."

Catherine's hand rested against his cheek. "Gil.I didn't mean anything by it. Just a rhetorical question, you know? I know how much we mean to each other."

"Do you? Really?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Gil...what's the matter?"

"Do you know how much I love you? How I need you to function? How I'd be a total and complete mess without you?"

"Gil."

"How every time I see you smile, it makes me happy? How just holding you in my arms can make me feel better? How knowing that you've always got my back gives me confidence?"

"I."

"How you taught me to be a real person, in the real world? How living was so much better than cocooning myself in my townhouse." He cupped her face. "How much I love you, how much I always want to be near you."

Catherine bit her lip, watching him. "Well.not in so many words." She rested her hand on his chest. "But I felt it. Everything you've said.I felt it."

Gil kissed her lips gently. "Promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Never leave me."

"Gil."

"I think about what life was like before you were in it. And what it's like now. I don't want to go back to what it was before. So just.promise me?"

Catherine cupped his face. "I promise."

Gil's lips pressed down on hers, kissing her deeply. Catherine murmurs something incoherent into his mouth as she kisses him back, shifting her body on his lap.

"Cath." he whispered, his lips moving to her cheek, her forehead, her ear and finally her neck.

"I love you," she whispered back. "And I want to feel you loving me."

Gil groaned, hands on her hips. "Here?"

She nodded, her lips meeting his again. "I need you."

He smiled softly at her. "I need you too."

Their lips met again in a hot, hungry kiss and Catherine moaned as his hands slipped underneath her black shirt.

Her own hands moved to shrug off her suit jacket, and then she rubbed against him.

"Cath."

"Hurry.please." She kissed him again. "We're still in the newlywed stage of our relationship."

"I think we're going to be there for a while," Gil smirked, lifting her to rest on the edge of his desk.

He stood up, encouraging her to lift her arms and he tugged her shirt off, quickly unclasping her bra afterwards.

Catherine's head fell back in pleasure as his hands cupped her breasts, caressing and rubbing the tender flesh.

Gil bent down, sucking one taut nipple into his mouth, his tongue circling and caressing.

"Gil."

"Shh," he murmured. "You don't want someone to come and interrupt, do you?" His mouth closed over her other nipple, smiling as Catherine moaned again.

Her hands tugged at his shoulders, urging him towards her for another kiss. She then slipped them underneath his shirt, caressing his skin.

"I want to feel you. Now."

Gil nodded and took off his jacket, letting Catherine help him with his shirt. He pressed himself against her and Catherine sighed in satisfaction as his warm skin met her tender breasts.

"Yes." she murmured, her eyes closing.

Gil kissed her again, taking her lips in a possession that surprised her, and then helped her realize how much he needed her - both literally and figuratively.

Catherine kissed him back, her fingers trailing down his back and finally around his front. She dipped a finger into his pants and smirked as he bucked against her.

"Catherine Grissom," he growled. "That's teasing."

She chuckled. "Want me to keep teasing?"

"Under normal circumstances, I'd say yes.but we have limited time."

Catherine kissed him again, her fingers unbuckling his belt. His hands went to the zipper on her suit pants, unzipping it quickly.

This time Catherine bucked against him as his finger slid down into her panties and rubbed against her heat.

Her jaw dropped and low groan came from her lips, her eyes closing as Gil pressed a little harder.

She bit her lip as he slid a finger inside her, letting his thumb trace circles around her clit.

"No more teasing," she growled, pushing him away.

He chuckled, taking off his own pants and boxers, before helping her with her pants and panties. Catherine reached out, her fingers closing around his throbbing erection.

"Cath.don't." Gil grit his teeth. "Not fair."

She pulled her hand away, her arms going around his neck. "Come closer then," she entreated.

Catching her drift, Gil smiled broadly. "I'd be glad to."

Moving closer, he lifted her legs to wrap around his waist. He brushed against her heat and smiled as she rested her head on his chest.

"Ready?" he asked, his hand caressing her cheek.

She nodded and smiled. "Definitely."

Gil thrust deeply into her, watching her eyes glaze over and her mouth drop open. He bent down, kissing her hungrily as he continued to thrust.

Her head dropped to his shoulder and her arms went to his waist, tightening around him as she pushed towards him. He groaned at the deeper penetration and let his lips trail down her cheek.

She turned her head, meeting his lips in a kiss and she arched her back as he started to quicken his thrusts.

"So close." she whispered, her eyes squeezing shut.

"Me too," he assured her, one hand cupping her breast, the other steadying her on her hip.

Catherine moved with him, her eyes opening as she felt his finger rub against her clit. Her head fell back and she bit her lip as her orgasm washed over her, making her fingers dig into his hip.

Gil pushed forward once more and groaned, spilling inside her as he came.

Catherine's head rested on his shoulder as Gil held her tight to his body.

He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "See? What would I do without you?"

"Correction, bugman," Catherine murmured, looking up at him. "What would we do without each other?"

FINIS