Gil Grissom stopped in his tracks in the middle of the hallway, watching the sight before him... a sight he'd witnessed many a time in the past. Eddie and Catherine... fighting, like always. He could just start to make out what was being said.

"When I met you, you were taking your clothes off in a strip club."

"It was a job, Ed! And it supported you, just like every job I've had INCLUDING this one!"

"Oh yeah?" he heard Eddie taunt, watching him step closer, "And who paid to close up your nose?"

Catherine had had it. Gil watched as she raised a hand to Eddie, as if to slap him, and when Eddie's hand tightened around her wrist, that was it.

"Let go of me, or--"

He pinned her to the glass wall separating them from the break room. "I'll let go of you when I'm damn good and--"

"Let GO of her, Ed!" Gil threw Eddie off the woman he loved, stepping between the two of them as he glared up at him. Though he was a good few inches shorter than Eddie, Gil wasn't afraid in the slightest. Adrenaline was rushing through his system at watching Eddie harm Catherine, and at the moment, he felt he could beat the hell out him.

He held Eddie's gaze, both men glaring menacingly at each other. "Catherine?" His voice suddenly came out tender as he called her name, wanting to make sure she was okay. He reached behind him for her.

"Just get him outta here," she whispered shakily, and ran off toward the locker room.

Once she was gone, Gil seized the opportunity and rounded on Eddie, his voice fierce, challenging anyone to defy him. "I don't ever want to see you in this building again. This is our place of business. You understand that?"

Unfazed, Eddie replied in a sigh, "I always knew you two had a thing."

Gil's heart pounded at the realization that if Eddie had seen the connection between himself and Catherine, surely others had too. Outwardly, he glared. "Go home, Eddie."

With a shrug, he replied, "Sure," and set off without looking back.

Gil watched him leave for a moment before his thoughts turned back to the woman he loved, and he turned his head, glancing in the direction in which she retreated, flashing back to a night nearly thirteen years in the past...

##########

He startled as a knock sounded on the front door of his newly purchased townhouse, and he furrowed his brow as he made his way over to answer it, wondering just who would be showing up on the night he moved in. When he opened the door, his breath caught in his throat. "Cath..."

His best friend of two years stood before him, looking quite disheveled. A welt was beginning to form under one beautiful aquamarine eye, and her lower lip was swollen in one corner, crusted with blood. Her beautiful strawberry-blonde hair was a mess of tangled waves, and her clothes were wrinkled... torn in some spots. "What the hell happened?" he whispered, ushering her inside... knowing full-well what the answer would be.

"Eddie..." she murmured.

"Shit..." He gently grabbed her arm and led her toward his bathroom, pushing her gently... inciting her to sit on the toilet seat while he fished through the stack of towels near the shower. Upon finding a washcloth, he tossed a glance at the dazed strawberry-blonde while dampening the cloth in the sink. "You okay?"

She gave a one-shouldered shrug, cocking her head slightly. "I've been better I suppose..." she sighed.

He knelt to her level, one hand cupping the side of her face while the other began dragging the washcloth over the slightly swollen welt under her eye. "Catherine, what happened?" he asked gently, his tenor voice deep and soft.

"Eddie came home drunk again, and I wasn't there right away, because I was still at class. I tried to explain that the lecture ran long, but he somehow took that to mean that I was off with you, doing God-knows-what..." Her voice broke with tears, quivering as she whispered, "And that was when... when he..."

"Sshhh..." Gil immediately reached out and pulled her into his arms, engulfing her in the safety his very presence emanated... and she sunk against him, bursting into tears.

Without thought, he scooped her into his arms, still clutching the washcloth in one hand, while he brought her to his bedroom... her face still buried in his neck as she wept softly. He gently laid her down on his bare, king-sized mattress... the sheets still needing to be unpacked... and crawled in next to her, laying beside her as he continued to sweep the washcloth over her face, eventually ceasing her sobs.

When she sniffled and sighed shakily, he leaned down and brushed his lips feather-lightly to her forehead. "Stay here tonight, Cath," he whispered. "I don't want you going back home to him when he's like that."

She turned into his body, wrapping an arm around his waist as she buried her face in his shirt, effectively pinning him on his back. "I wasn't planning on it," she murmured, her voice muffled by his shirt. "I only wanna be right here."

He kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her small frame as he held her tight. "You can stay as long as you want."

"Good," she sighed, and her eyes slipped shut as she snuggled close to her best friend.

Gil laid there in complete silence, listening to her breathing slow, while his brain battled his heart. He so desperately wanted to tell her how he felt about her... that he loved her... would do anything for her. Perhaps her desire to stick with Eddie wouldn't be so strong if she knew. "Cath?"

"Hmm..." she mumbled groggily, nuzzling further into his shirt... into his unique scent.

His throat constricted, three little words tripping up his tongue. When he finally found the strength to speak, it came out in a crippled whisper... "Have sweet dreams."

She echoed her sentiments with a hum, before slipping into dreamland.

###############################

"Hey, Grissom..." Nick called, jogging down the hall to his supervisor, who was on his way into the locker room.

With a sigh, he spun around. "What do you need, Nicky?"

"Uh, do you have a sec? Sara and I stumbled upon a little conundrum in the Jane Doe case, and--"

"Not right now, Nick. I can't. I have something very important to attend to."

The tall Texan furrowed his brow. "In the locker room?"

Gil held up his hands, as if pleading with Nick to let it go. "I really can't talk about it right now, Nick. Just... I'll come find you when I've got a moment, okay?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly as he studied his supervisor... then nodded slowly. "Yeah... okay. Later."

Gil watched as his young CSI wandered off in the direction he came, before turning his attention back to the matter at hand. He closed his eyes in pain as he heard Catherine's sobs through the thick metal door, and fought to keep from rushing in there and sweeping her into his arms, knowing that he had to remain strong for her... just as he'd done so many times in the past.

################################

A pounding resonated through his head, and Gil furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes still shut tight as he wondered whether the pounding was just a headache coming on, or something outside his current coccoon of sleep.

When the pounding refused to cease, he reluctantly opened his eyes and untangled himself from his covers, slowly realizing the sound was coming from his front door. "Who the hell would that be?" he grumbled, reaching for the chain and deadbolt before pulling the door open. His breath left him in a rush, as he took in the lovely vision on the other side. "Catherine..."

She smiled weakly, tears still streaming down her cheeks, and she set the small suitcase she'd been holding down at her feet. "Hi, Gil..." she whispered.

"What's going on?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

As if reading his thoughts, she smiled ruefully. "I think you've already got a pretty good idea," she murmured.

He nodded slowly, frowning. "Yeah... come on in."

As she stepped inside, his hand went to her abdomen, stroking the now-evident bump through her shirt. He smiled lovingly at it, and at the new life growing inside her. "How is she?" he asked.

She chuckled. "She's just fine, Gil. It's her mommy that's a little upset."

"I'm sorry..." he murmured, holding out his arms, which she immediately stepped into.

She sighed, inhaling the scent of his tee-shirt, and snuggled into him. "I'm so sick of Ed, Gil... so incredibly sick of him. He's been bitching and moaning for the past week about having to marry me, 'just because he knocked me up.'"

He shook his head, a look of disgust curling his lips. His heart screamed at him to tell her she deserved so much better... that she deserved *him*... but all he managed to get out was, "I'm so sorry, Cath. You're welcome to stay as long as you like."

"Thanks, Gil," she whispered, pulling away slightly. "And I'm sorry to wake you."

He waved dismissively. "Don't worry about it. You need me, I'm here... and that goes for any time of day or night."

A dazzling smile lit up her tear-stained face, and she swept her fingertips down his cheek. "You're so amazingly wonderful to me, y'know that?"

He couldn't help but smile back as he led her to the bedroom, his arm around her waist... his hand curled around to her stomach, rubbing her swollen abdomen. "That's because I care about you... deeply. You're my best friend, Cath. You've *been* my best friend for the past eight, almost nine years." As he helped her into bed, he murmured, "And I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered happily, hugging him tight as he slipped into bed beside her. "You're my best friend in the entire world, and I don't know what I'd do without you."

He stared sadly into her eyes, his heart dropping at the realization she hadn't correctly inferred what he'd said... but he smiled when Catherine's eyes met his in concern. "Let's lie down and try to get some sleep, huh?" He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before he sank back against the pillows... inciting her to join him.

She smirked at the silly grin on his face, and laid back against the pillows on the other side of the bed, watching as he slid nearly to the edge of his side. "Where are you going?"

"Over here?" He furrowed his brow, shrugging. "I just... figured you might want some space... y'know..." he gestured to her abdomen.

She rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Okay, I know I'm starting to show, but I'm not quite the size of the Hindenberg YET."

"I'm sorry... I just want you to be comfortable."

"Well..." she sighed. "I think I'd be most comfortable if you were right next to me."

A smile escaped his lips, and he scooted closer to her, sighing as he dropped to his side just inches from her frame. Eyeing his new position, Catherine propped herself up on her elbows. "What are you doing?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Uh... would you believe me if I said I'm voting?"

With another roll of her eyes, she grabbed his left arm and flopped down on her side, drawing his arm around her waist, snuggling back against his chest. "*This* is how I'm most comfortable," she whispered, and laid her head back against the pillow.

He smiled widely, resting his head on hers, his heart thudding in his chest as her fingers laced through his, stroking his hand softly. "Good..." he heard himself murmur, "Because this is how I'm most comfortable too."

She sighed happily, her eyes slipping shut... then chuckled when she felt his hand roaming her abdomen, stroking the swollen bump. "Gil..." she giggled, "What is your obsession with my stomach?"

"I'm sorry," he chuckled softly, "I just... I just love it. I'm fascinated by it." He gently put pressure on the bump, inciting her to move onto her back before pulling her shirt up slightly, exposing her abdomen. He grinned as he slid down on the mattress, closer to it. "There's this whole new life right in there, and I just... think that's amazing."

She giggled, her stomach spasming as his fingers skipped across it. "And I find it amazing that a closed-off man such as yourself turns to a pile of mush everytime he touches my stomach."

"Sorry," he whispered, his breath hitting her abdomen.

When his lips stroked the soft skin near her belly button, she sucked in a deep breath, the sound coming out as a gasp. Gil's eyes shot up to meet hers, and the electricity flowed from one pair of blues to the other. "Gil..." she whispered, and watched as he slid back up by her side, his arm wrapping around her waist.

"M-maybe we should get some sleep," he suggested softly, damning himself for taking such a huge risk by kissing her stomach.

"Yeah..." She watched the look in his eyes, averting her own as a sadness crept into the azure hues. "Yeah, let's sleep."

With that, he pulled her close while she snuggled back against his chest, and both fell into a fitful sleep.

###########################

Gil shook his head, coming out of his trance, and glanced at the locker room door, and at the hand that was already pressed against it, ready to push it open. Upon hearing the muffled cries coming from inside, he pushed his doubts to the side, and entered. "Cath?"

His whimpered name from her lips was his indication as to her location in the room, and he moved past two rows of lockers before he found her, weeping on a bench. "Oh, Cath..." he whispered, and immediately went to her, dropping to his knees in front of her.

"I hate him, Gil!" she cried, clenching a tissue in her fist. "I actually, physically, hate him!" She shook her head and pressed the tissue to the corner of each eye, dabbing at the tears threatening to spill over. She glanced up at him. "If you know of a good hitman, now would be the good time to speak up."

He chuckled despite the seriousness of the moment. "You know I'd gladly help in the assassination of your ex-husband, Catherine, but that's not the answer."

"He took out a second mortgage on a house that he doesn't even LIVE in anymore! He complains about having no money, and still, on a whim, decides to take Lindsey to the Orpheus! Where does he get the nerve..."

He shrugged. "It's Eddie. Where does he get the nerve for all the rest of the shit he's pulled over the years?"

She sighed heavily, her gaze drifting to the tissue in her hand before she made a face at it... looking furious as if she'd seen Eddie's face in it... before whipping it across the room. Or as far as she could get the lightweight tissue to fly, rather. "God, and I'm never gonna be rid of him, am I? I'm gonna be stuck dealing with his shit until the day one of us dies."

Gil shrugged once more lamely... at a loss for any real advice to dispense. "You have a child with him. He's always gonna be a part of your life."

She groaned in agony, her plump lips slipping into a pout, before she threw her head back and flung it forward again, landing it forcefully against Gil's shoulder... sending him teetering for a moment before he wrapped his arms around her, smirking at her behavior. Her voice, muffled against his shirt collar, however... wiped the smile from his face. "It would've been so much easier if I had a baby with *you*."

He froze, his hands, in the midst of comfortingly rubbing her back, ceased their motions. "What?" he asked after a long moment of silence had passed.

She pulled away, sniffling as her hands toyed with the collar of his shirt... her teary eyes focusing on the activity of her fingers. "All this trouble would have been avoided if I'd had a baby with *you*... and tried to con *you* into marrying me."

When she dragged her eyes up to meet his, he smiled genuinely... warmly for the first time in years, and he shook his head as his eyes traced her angelic features. "Catherine, you never would've had to *con* me into marrying you. If anything, I think I'd be the one trying to con *you* into marrying *me*."

She chuckled. "No, Gil, I would've done it willingly. I wouldn't need convincing." She pouted. "Why didn't you ever ask?"

"Well, because you were with Eddie. And you seemed determined to make things work with him."

She froze. "So... if I hadn't been with Eddie...?" She left the question hanging, too scared to possibly put her foot in her mouth by finishing it.

He smiled. "For once in fifteen years, Catherine, I'm going to be completely honest with you. If you hadn't been with Eddie, or if you hadn't been so convinced that you could make things work with him, things would be a lot different between us now."

A slow smile made its way across her lips, her eyes looking him over in awe. "Different how?"

"Well..." He sighed, shrugging as his hands followed his eyes, tracing every inch of her face. "We'd be married now... probably about to have our thirteenth or fourteenth anniversary..."

She grinned. "Yeah?"

He nodded, his eyes darting everywhere on her face but her eyes... finding the longer he kept his eyes from hers, the more courage he had to go further. "And we'd have kids. At least one or two before Lindsey would've come along..." He shrugged. "And for once in our difficult lives, we would be totally, completely happy."

"So why..."

"Didn't I say something sooner, regardless of whether or not you were with Eddie?" he finished with raised eyebrows, nodding when she did. "I wanted to, Catherine, believe me. I wanted to say something more times than I could count... or would want to admit to, but..." He shook his head, one last shrug rolling his shoulders. "I couldn't do it. I choked on the words every single time." He chuckled. "And the one time I *did* say it, you didn't infer what I wanted you to."

Now it was his turn to raise her eyebrows, a sad expression contorting her beautiful face. "I didn't? I don't remember that."

"When you were pregnant with Lindsey... before you married Eddie. You two'd had a fight and you showed up on my doorstep." He smirked, adding, "At an ungodly hour, I must say..." When she giggled in response, he continued. "I offered to let you stay the night... you asked me why I was so good to you, and I told you I loved you."

"Oh God..." the whisper escaped her lips as her hand flew up to cover her mouth. "I remember that! I had no idea that you meant..."

"I know," he nodded. "And don't worry about it. I could've made myself clearer, but... I figured, despite how badly I wanted to tell you... you were with Eddie, and pregnant with his daughter. It wasn't my place... or the right time... to say something like that."

"Gil..." she whispered, her busy fingers stopping their fluttering around his shirt collar and grasping the cotton material, drawing him closer. She met his eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not with Eddie now..."

He nodded slowly, his eyes drifting to her nearing lips. "I know..."

Her breath began to hit his lips as her aquamarine eyes dove into his sapphire hues. "The divorce will be finalized before the summer..."

"Yep..."

She brushed her lips feather-lightly to his for a split-second before pulling away. "I'll be free to date again..." She arched an eyebrow. "Or even get married."

His voice came out as a shaky whisper, his heart palpitating wildly every time her breath would bounce off his lips. "Really?"

She licked her lips slowly, allowing her tongue to teasingly snake across his before she drew it back into her mouth. "Mm-hmm."

He moved his hand up her arm, smiling just barely when he felt her shiver beneath his touch, and he tilted his head in anticipation of her kiss. "How do you feel about a summer wedding?"

She grinned, winding her left leg around his waist while he remained on his knees in front of the bench... their lips still just millimeters from touching. "I think that sounds perfect."

He groaned softly as her leg tightened around his waist drawing him flush against her. "Good."

"Gil?" she whispered, barely audible as her tongue snaked out once more to taste his lip.

His heart leapt into his throat, and he nipped at her tongue playfully. "Hmm?"

Her eyes met his from millimeters away, and her upper lip curled into a smirk briefly before she tilted her head, her hands sliding to the back of his neck. Against his lips, she whispered, "Say it again."

Pulling back only briefly to catch the meaning in her eyes, he smiled and leaned close once more, tilting his head as both sets of eyes snapped shut. "I love you..."

Their lips crashed together in a frenzy of desire, love, affection, and lost chances, their hands keeping each other close... a breath of air not even able to escape between them. When his tongue parted her lips, she gasped, the sound lost inside their frantic kiss while their hands continued to grope and fondle... to feel what had been held at arm's length for fifteen years.

When their lips finally parted, hers grew into a dazzling smile. "I love you too," she breathed, her hands still holding him close... fingers toying with the hair at the nape of his neck while her chest heaved against his.

"Good," he sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. "If not, that kiss would've been a *huge* waste of energy."

She laughed brightly, caressing his lips with hers once more before pulling away... disentangling their limbs as she moved to stand up, her eyes following him as he stood a moment later. "Gil, can we make a pact?"

"I hope not that 'if I'm not married by the time I'm forty' thing, Cath," he whined, "Because number one, I'm already forty."

"You're well past it, bucko," she teased.

He glared facetiously, "And number *two*... if you think I'm waiting two more years for you to turn forty, you're sorely mistaken."

Her jaw dropped indignantly, and she planted her fists on her hips while following him to the door. "You wouldn't wait for me?"

He spun to face her. "No." He smirked, his eyes sparkling into hers. "You'll be lucky if I can wait two more *months* to marry you."

He grabbed her hand then and kissed it, leaning in to kiss her smiling lips once more before they broke all forms of physical contact and headed back out to the lab. She went off with Warrick to close her case, and he went off with Nick and Sara to close theirs... but as he did, a smile remained on his face, for he knew what he had to look forward to after shift.

And for once he was glad he took a chance.

~FINIS~