Catherine walked into Grissom’s office at the end of her shift one Saturday night. Her stomach was in knots and every part of her was screaming at her to turn back. The logic said to stay, finishing what she’d started, but logic, when mixed with emotion, is distorted and surreal.

"Catherine, we got the perp on the Snyder case. Ends up it was the vic’s sister, not her roommate."

The Snyder case was one that Grissom had been working on for a bit over a month. Raquel Snyder was left beaten in an alley on the edge of the city. She died three nights later in the hospital.

"Great. Ummm," Catherine hesitated for a second, knowing that what she was about to say would change both of their lives. "I need to give you this."

She set down the envelope down on the desk. On the front of the packet was what Grissom considered to be Catherine’s elegant writing.

"What is this?"

"Something that needed to be done, Griss. Simple as that."

He furrowed his brow at the statement, puzzled over its cryptic content. However, he could tell something was wrong, the usually cool and confident Catherine had withdrawn and all that was left was a shell of that former collectedness.

"See you next shift?" he asked, not knowing what else to say

Part of Catherine wanted to curse him out; demand why he was making this is difficult on her. She wanted to pound her fists into his chest and tell him it was too damn much now. The only thing she could do was smile an almost twisted smile and nod yes. Actions were safer now; her words for him were too sharp and wounding. The last thing that she needed was for him to hate her more than he would in a few short moments.

She walked out of the office she had come to know well. Somehow that small room was Gil Grissom to her, the way it was set up, the way it smelled, and how everything that was critical in his life was there. Everything but her, she thought with a bitter sadness invading her thoughts. Walking into the locker room to grab her purse, she realized that this was how things needed to be; there wasn't any middle ground anymore.

Grissom opened the envelope and found that it contained both a folded letter that was typed, and a smaller piece of paper written on notebook paper. He looked at the first piece of paper, and dropped it when he realized what it was. Catherine had put in a request to be transferred. Since there was a void in an Atlanta lab, she was being put there immediately. Her last shift was the next night, and then she was gone. Then, he opened the small piece of lined paper. On it were three words "Life is Precious" He sat back in his chair and stared at the strange message, trying to see what it was telling him. Another piece of evidence to figure out.

The next shift Catherine announced that it was her last. Everyone was shocked to say the least, most of all Greg who thought that everything was fine. Sara didn't know what to say at all, while Nick and Warrick could only mumble out "Why?" She went on to explain that it was something that needed to be done, and it was a great honor to have worked with him. No one wanted to go out in the field that night, but they had to as their job called for. For the rest of the night everything was quiet, no one wanting to say what was really on his or her minds.

When dawn came, she walked into Grissom's office. She straightened her blouse and tucked her hair behind her ears before she started.

"I came to say good-bye," she said stiffly.

"Catherine, please, don't go. You've been a friend to me in every definition of the word." he said, his voice pleading

"Exactly, Gil," she responded, a bitter hatred in her voice, "You don't fuck your friends! I’ve loved you since God knows when. I love you. There I said it - I love you." her breath was strained, her eyes almost wildly primitive

Gil sat shell shocked, not quite knowing what hit him. He'd never thought of when they slept together as a good fuck, it was two people being together who had always wanted it.

"I love you, Catherine, I thought you knew that."

"Too little, too late." Catherine looked at him with utter contempt. The transfer was done, and her heart in tatters, but it didn't matter anymore. However it was no use, anger was what drove her now. Perhaps she was being irrational, but with him, she was hardly rational.

"Good-bye, Gil Grissom."

"I love you, Catherine," he said a second time, this time it was more for himself.

She smiled back at him, but it was a very painful one. So it was over. She walked out of the office, out of the Las Vegas Crime Lab, and out of her old life forever. She also walked away from the only man she loved.

Several months later Grissom received an envelope at the lab, postmarked Atlanta. There was no return address on it, but he knew it was from Catherine, who else lived in Atlanta, and who else had such beautiful handwriting? He opened it and out came a picture of two babies--a birth announcement.

Ethan Bryan Willows
6 pounds 8 ounces

Nicola Jane Willows
6 pounds 6 ounces

Born Feb. 14th 2004

He saw the faces of Catherine’s babies and knew why she had left. They were his children. Both of them had messes of curly black hair and blue eyes, but he could see their mother's mouth and nose. Their valentine babies, an ironic justice, but fitting in a way.

Getting up, he walked into the abandoned break room and pinned the picture on to the corkboard. The shift deserved to see their miracle, even if he couldn't acknowledge them. Evidence, once again, something he should have seen long before the portrait was delivered. The only proof that he still loved her was in the picture, and the testimony that he could never fall out of love with his family.