She leant in against the doorframe, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness in his office compared to the mortuary where she had spent most of her shift. Part of her was surprised to see him there, knowing that what she wanted rarely happened; though she knew everyone could rely on the fact that Gil Grissom always arrived early for work.

She watched his shadowed form. He was in his element: a mound of paper work on his desk and his creepy crawly bugs surrounding him. In his right hand he held his pen and his left rested on his skull. She didn't enter out of politeness and out of the enjoyment she was gaining by just watching.

"Hmmm." She sighed, not fully aware the sound escaped her lips.

"Cath," he paused, taken aback by her presence. "I didn't notice you there." He ended lamely not knowing what to say to the strawberry blond in his doorway.

"Apparently." She shrugged her shoulders a little and tilted her head. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"Oh, of course." He nodded her entry. "There is no need to ask, you are always welcome."

"I don't know, the land of Grissom is a pretty exclusive place." She spoke, thinking of how, though he held his pen, it hadn't touched the paper while she was watching. She looked at him expectantly.

"I was thinking."

"I see." She relaxed back into the chair opposite and Grissom couldn't help but notice how her jade green top fitted her perfectly or the way her trousers were skintight but gained a flare from her knee to her foot.

They sat in silence, Grissom staring at Catherine and Catherine at the ceiling. She then sighed and picked up her briefcase from the floor and removed her own paper work that nearly matched Grissom's in size. She took out her pen, leant forward towards his desk and began filling in some reports.

As much as Grissom appreciated this view he was confused as to what she was doing.

"What are you doing?"

"Filling in reports," She looked up at him, smiling, strawberry bangs framing her face. "Us Supervisors have a lot of work to do, you know."

"Really? I would never have guessed."

Her smile got larger and slightly toothy.

"Not that I don't want you here but I thought you had you own office for that type of thing?"

"What type of thing?"

He wondered if she played her innocent games with him to wind him up, but really it had the opposite effect. It made him love her more.

"You know…work things: paper work, crime solving, justice serving. I am sure you know your job."

"You are a smart one Mr. Grissom." She placed her pen down, moved further back into her chair and folded her arms. "But you see the thing is there are many differences between my office and your office. Favourtism by Ecklie I suspect." She winked.

"Okay." He exaggerated the `a'. "Care to explain?"

"Not really but you aren't going to let this go are you?"

"No."

"Fine. Number one my office is closer to the break room, which means I have a tendency to listen in to conversations or drink too much coffee. Number two the lights in my office are brighter, yours are dingier and more," she searched for the word "comfortable. Number three, I like your bugs." With that she picked up her pen and continued her work. "Oh and after much consideration I have come to the conclusion that it is more probable that you will be in your office than it is you will be in my office."

Inside he smiled at the last line but it also gave him a pang of sadness. "Catherine?" Not that he didn't want her there he just knew she would cause him to have to face his feelings. "Don't you have a case to work on?"

"Mmm…Nicky and Warrick are out in the field." She didn't look up. "I have paperwork to do."

Finally accepting she wasn't about to leave, Grissom leant back in his chair, relaxing into her aura around him, smelling her fruity perfume in the air. The quiet scene between them and her effects on his senses highlighted hidden memories.

-She would sit beside him: hair silky, lips glossy and eyes intense but clear. They would work in silence mostly; occasionally she would tease him about something and laugh. He would indulge her teasing because it made her laugh more. He would be happy. -

It made him sad to recollect those memories. She no longer worked with him, they didn't work a crime scene together, didn't do paperwork together, didn't eat breakfast after shift and she didn't boss him around anymore with a splash of her magical Catherine sass.

He was happy for her though, she deserves her promotion: she is a good CSI, a good leader and a great friend. His best friend. His best friend whom he loves, the woman he wants to give everything to. The person he is too afraid to speak the truth to.

"Cath?"

She murmured a replied `what?'

"Are we ok?"

She smiled but didn't look up. "We're fine."

A few moments passed.

"Cath?"

A murmured `what?' was again replied.

"We don't spend much time with each other anymore."

Still looking at her work, "I am here now aren't I?" She smiled up at him. "Do you really believe I came here for your bugs? I mean I have your fetal pig, what more could a girl ask for." Ending the sarcasm with a wrinkle of her nose.

He laughed, a slight low chuckle from deep inside his chest. Pausing to consider his next move, he picked up his pen.

"Do you want to eat breakfast with me after my shift?"

Mouth forming a slightly `o' shape, "umm...yea…sure," was all she could manage. She hadn't expected this when she walked in and it was turning out much better than she thought.

She missed spending time with him and wanted for their relationship to go forward or at least stay on the still instead of reversing all the time.

"I will come and pick you up." Gil stated, smiling ever so slightly. A smile Catherine missed as he had begun to work.

A few more moments passed.

"Cath?"

"Mmm? " She again said.

"I think I might have some pancakes for breakfast." He was grasping at straws to make conversation but he wanted her to look at him to check what was behind her eyes.

"Very nice Griss." He could tell she was getting annoyed. Though she came here to be with him, she did actually have work to do.

"Cath?"

"Grissom." This wasn't a question and an irritated tone had started to creep into Cath's voice. "Are you going to keep asking me questions? Or are you going to be quiet for five minutes so I can work? You never…"

He cut her off, continuing with his questioning.

"What perfume are you wearing?"

"Perfume?" Eyebrows were raised by a dash of amusement mixed with confusion.

His gaze intensified on her and she could feel it. "Yea, perfume."

"Is this really relevant?"

"Do all conversations have to be relevant?"

"Do you have to answer a question with a question?"

"Do you?"

She put her elbows on the table and her head in her hands giving him an exasperated look, like a mother would give a child.

"No." She pouted knowing she had lost that round.

"So," he leant closer and sniffed the air, "what perfume are you wearing?"

Catherine tensed as he leant closer bringing his body heat to her. "I…ugh..."

He smiled and she knew he was enjoying this too much. Trying to slow her beating heart and regain the use of her voice, she tried again. "I am wearing Ralph by Ralph Lauren." She put on her most seductive voice, though her nervousness made it less sexy and slightly strange. She mentally chided herself for being so effected by Grissom. Grissom and his blue eyes and, his salt and pepper hair and, his boyish smile and his intelligence...she sighed. Mentally telling herself off wasn't working, just making a bad situation worse. Or was it a good situation better. She couldn't decide. This was not what she had planned.

"It's nice," he said moving closer still. "It suits you."

Their blue eyes locked and the passion Grissom saw reflected gave him a boost of confidence and he leant closer again.

"Grissom?" She breathed.

"Catherine." His hand moved to her face, caressing her cheek and rubbing his thumb across her plump bottom lip. Her eyes fluttered closed and she lightly kissed the pad of his thumb. "Catherine, look at me."

She did as she was told. Their lips crashed together when their eyes met. Grissom's right hand tangled into her hair and his left circled around her back. Their lips were desperate for contact, hot and wet. Taking hold of his blue shirt, Catherine pulled herself and him into a sitting position upon the desk and the paperwork.

His hand traveled down her arm and to the light hem of her shirt, hesitated slightly and then glided across the planes of her stomach. She moaned, badly needing contact. Opening her mouth to him she moaned again as his tongue brushed against the roof of her mouth.

"Errrrr…"

Catherine's thoughts stopped, her hands stopped moving around Gil's body and her lips stopped kissing. Whipping her head around at lightning speed fueled by fear, she saw another blond woman at the door.

Sophia's eyes were wide with shock. "Umm…"

Their moment had ended and Catherine feared it would never start again.

Catherine mumbled an apology to the new nightshift CSI, collected her thoughts and herself, and hurriedly left Grissom's office throwing an "I have to go" over her shoulder.

Grissom's face sank; he felt deflated. He had been so high with the feeling of Catherine against his body and the knowledge she wanted it be with him too but now she had left. He saw she was embarrassed and regretful when she could not even look him in the eye. He began to doubt he had ever felt her reciprocate his love or even lust.

"Sorry Sophia, what was it you wanted?" He didn't want to seem upset or broken to his new collogue so he pretended everything was normal.

"Well Grissom, Graveyard started 10 minutes ago."

He looked at his watch and sighed- time had flown by while in Catherine was in his arms

"I will be right out."

The shift had been long but the drive to Catherine's house seemed longer. Sophia had been eyeing him all night trying to analyse what she had seen in his office, and to her credit though she hadn't told anybody which Gil appreciated very much. One plus point was that Greg hadn't walked in. Then it would be the headline of the lab's newsletter (if they had one): "Supervisors caught in Steamy Grope". He thought to himself and sighed.

What was Catherine thinking right now? He wondered. What was she doing? What was she wearing? What would it be like to kiss her again?

He couldn't help but think of her like that, knowing that he shouldn't. No, he had to go and apologise profusely to her - letting her know that it could easily be forgotten so he could salvage their friendship.

Sadness flowed through him as he stepped out on to the pavement in front of Catherine's house. Walking to her front door he feared the worst, he didn't want to see hate in her eyes.

Knocking the door lightly he waited and cast his gaze to the floor wanting to avoid any contact possible, eye or otherwise. Because of this he missed her smile when she opened the door to him.

"Please just let me talk." He began.

"Gil…"

"No I need to say this. I am so sorry about how I acted in my office- it was inappropriate and I was out of line. I don't know what came over me… I just wanted to touch you, I have for so long but I know it's not what you want, so I came to apologise."

"You think you know what I want." She snapped.

He looked at her now knowing the worst had already happened, she was angry at him for what he had done.

"I… I just…I am…" Stammering as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

Catherine moved towards him and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.

"Cath, I…"

She cut him off with a dazzling smile and a finger to his lips.

"Shut up and kiss me."

So he did.

-End-