Catherine said the four words Gil hated most.

"We need to talk."

He had helped her dress for court. She made him close his eyes as she laid on the hospital bed and pulled on her panties under her gown, but she needed his help to hook her bra. He tossed the gown to the side and focused on the tiny hooks between her shoulder blades. Every touch reminded him how frail she was. He pulled a spring dress over the soft red-blonde curls that sparkled in the morning sun, and he zipped it up for her. Then he gently brushed her hair, carefully catching each strand as it defiantly kissed her cheek. He helped her into a lightweight cardigan, and, once she had moved to her wheelchair, he slipped her shoes on her feet.

Lindsey had brought Catherine's makeup, and despite having a fright attack when she looked in the mirror, Catherine managed to pull herself together and look almost as good as new. But the pretty dress, fresh makeup and clean hair did little to hide the trauma she had endured. Just getting dressed had exhausted her. Now, sitting in her wheelchair and waiting to go to court, she decided to take her stand.

"We need to talk."

Gil groaned slightly and sat down across from her, tugging at his tie. She had to admire how nice he looked in a suit.

"Do we have to?" he asked, pouting.

She smiled. She knew he was teasing her, and she wasn't going to let him get away with it.

"Yes, we have to."

He smiled back and took her hand.

"I'm listening," he said.

Catherine had been thinking all night about what she wanted to say. Now, with Gil in front of her, she wasn't sure where to start.

"I love you, you know," she said.

His eyebrows shot up.

"Why do I her a 'but' in there?" he asked.

Catherine looked down a second, regrouping.

"There are no 'buts' on how I feel," she said.

"Only?"

"On what we will do next."

Gil didn't have to hesitate.

"I want to marry you. I want to adopt Lindsey. I want to buy us a house we can call our own. That's what I want to do next," he declared.

She met his eyes.

"I know," she said, "but it's not that simple."

Gil chuckled a little.

"It never is, with us," he said. "Okay, what do you want?"

She leaned forward slightly, her features turning serious.

"I want to know that I will always be safe with you. I want to know that you will never hurt me, in any way, again. I want to know that Lindsey is safe with you."

It was Gil's turn to get serious. He gently rubbed her hand, then lifted it to his lips and kissed the underside of her wrist. The memory of nearly losing her haunted him. She reached out and drew an imaginary line down the side of his jaw with her fingertip.

"I love you, Catherine, and I will prove it to you," he said. "I will do whatever you want, no matter what. Tell me how to make you feel safe, and I will."

She nodded.

"First, I'm going to need to stay with Nancy and Rick awhile, until I'm better."

He nodded, despite the ping in his heart.

"And Lindsey really should stay with me, you know."

"Of course," he said. Another ping.

"And I think you and I should be in counseling. We have a lot of things to work out."

He nodded, embarrassed.

"This isn't going to be easy, Gil," she said. "No quick fixes. No instant cures. If you really love me, we'll work it out. But it will take time."

"It's worth it," he said. "But I have some demands of my own."

"Oh?" she asked, her smile returning.

"I want to see you everyday, and take you to your doctor appointments, and make sure you eat when you're supposed to," he said. "I want to spend time with Lindsey. I want to be able to go to her school events and talk to her teachers and make sure she knows I'm not going anywhere. I want to be the father she didn't have, and the husband you always wanted. I want to be there for both of you, no matter what."

"I'd like that," Catherine said.

He leaned towards her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"And I want to hold you, and kiss you, and make love to you," he whispered in her ear.

"Stop it! You're going to make me giggle, and I hate women who giggle!" she squealed.

Lindsey popped her head through the door, interrupting them.

"Ready?" she asked.

Gil wheeled Catherine down the hall and out into a breathtaking morning. When he lifted her into the passenger seat of the SUV, she snuggled against his neck and nibbled on his ear.

"Stop that!" he ordered, blushing and hoping no one saw.

Lindsey laughed and climbed into the backseat.

He loaded the wheelchair in the back and took over the wheel.

"Now, this is how it's supposed to be!" Lindsey exclaimed. "Can you turn on the radio, Uncle Gil?" she asked.

He had to try several stations before Lindsey was happy with the result, then he set the fade to have it louder in the backseat.

Lindsey, apparently, had a passion for hip-hop, much to Gil's annoyance. He would have preferred old fashioned rock, and Catherine wanted something romantic.

"If we can't decide on a simple thing like music, how are we going to decide on anything else?" he asked, genuinely confused, as they drove off.

Catherine studied him a minute, amused.

"That's what having a family is all about," she said, "learning to live with each other's differences."

Chaos. Noise. Disagreements. Part of being a family. It was messy business.

"Do I have to get used to having pantyhose hanging in my shower, too?" he asked, putting on his best shocked look.

"Oh, yeah," said Lindsey. "Mine."

Gil threw her a funny look through his rearview mirror.

"Yours? When did you start wearing pantyhose?" he asked.

"Ahhhggg! Men!" Lindsey stated, crossing her arms and trying to look like she meant it. But her eyes met Gil's in the mirror and they both started to laugh.

Catherine leaned over and squeezed Gil's hand.

"I could get used to this," she said.

Gil nodded.

"I just hope I can," he said.

*******

Rick met them at the courthouse. Nancy, he said, had decided to set this one out. She wasn't going to pursue the restraining order, but she didn't have the heart to face the judge, again. Gil nodded and the two men shook hands. The judge was already taking the bench when Gil rolled Catherine through the door, Lindsey on their heels. The judge smiled.

"So, I take it this is the elusive Catherine Willows," he said. "Glad you could make it."

"Thank you," she said softly, reaching up to take Gil's hand. He remained standing behind her.

"Where are we at?" the judge asked.

The Greene's attorney stood and addressed the court.

"In light of recent developments, the Greene's are dropping their petition for a restraining order," he said.

"Are all the parties in agreement?" the judge asked.

Everyone nodded.

"And what about you, young lady?" The judge eyed Lindsey.

She looked very serious.

"That's all I wanted," she said.

"And you don't want to live with your Uncle Gil, anymore?" he asked.

Lindsey looked at her mom.

"I want to live with my mom and Uncle Gil," she said. "But they said they have to talk about that, first."

The judge nodded in agreement.

"I think that's a good idea," he said. Then he turned his attention to Gil. "You've been in the news a lot in the last month, and most of it has been pretty bad," he said. "I'm glad things have worked out for you, but I'm putting you on notice that I'm looking out for these two." He indicated Catherine and Lindsey. "Understand?"

Gil swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Do you understand, Mr. Grissom?" the judge asked, again.

"Yes, sir," Gil said.

Catherine squeezed Gil's hand.

"Don't worry, your honor," Catherine said. "Lindsey and I will keep him in line."

"I just bet you will," the judge said. "Case dismissed."

Gil knelt down to face Catherine, gently sweeping a stray hair from her eyes.

"You'll keep me in line, will you?" he teased. "And just how do you expect to do that?"

"With my womanly wiles," she said, touching the tip of his nose with her finger.

He pretended to try and eat that finger, as Lindsey and Rick looked on, both rolling their eyes. Then Gil kissed Catherine and rolled her back to the car.

"I have a surprise for you," he said, after he had buckled her up and the three of them were back on the road.

Catherine looked intrigued.

"What?" she asked.

"What is it, Uncle Gil?" Lindsey also asked.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise," he said.

He drove off down the street, in the opposite direction of Nancy's house.

"What are you up to, Gil?" Catherine insisted on knowing.

"You'll find out when you get there," he said. "But I have to warn you about something."

"What?"

"Well, Nancy and Rick have helped me a lot with this, and it may not be perfect, but I think you'll like it."

"What is it, already?"

"And I want you to know that you don't have to do anything, yet. I mean, well, you'll see, but you don't have to.... Oh, hell."

"Uncle Gil! Tell me! Please!" Lindsey begged.

Catherine sat up and took notice of her surroundings.

"Gil?" she asked, softly, recognizing the streets and houses.

He was grinning nervously, as they turned the corner to Catherine's old street, lined with cars parked end to end. He pulled the SUV up to her driveway, got out, and opened the door for her.

"What are we doing here?" she asked.

"I know. You're an heiress, now, and you can buy your own house. But, damn it, Catherine, I just couldn't resist."

He lifted her in his arms and carried her up the stairs and into her old house. Nancy, Rick, and the CSI crew were waiting for them, with food and flowers and music and lots of hugs, and Catherine's furniture and belongings returned to their former glory. As Gil gently settled Catherine down on the sofa, she burst into tears.

"What did you do?" she demanded to know.

"I bought the house," he said. "I know you said you need to stay with Nancy awhile, and you can. But I wanted you to have a place you can come home to, and I didn't want it to be the Braun mansion."

Nancy sat down beside her sister and took her hand.

"Welcome home, Cathy," she said, her own eyes brimming with tears.

Catherine hugged her sister, then turned back to Gil.

"Welcome home, Gil," she said.

Lindsey sighed happily.

-- Finis --