"So, I'm looking forward to your speech..." Catherine struggled with Gil's bow, as Gil lightly touched her hand and looked at the ring on her finger. "That's a nice rock you got there Catherine."

Catherine concentrated her look closer on the bow as she said with a low, husky voice. "You like it?"

"Looks expensive, who's the fool who spent all this money on a piece of jewlery...? Or is the city of Las Vegas paying you too much?"

"He's my favourite guy in the world..."

That comment made Grissom smirk, and he presented her with his Grissomy comeback. "Why?" Catherine smiled at him, her look reflecting in the mirror.

"Does he need an occasion to be nice?" She tightened the black bow and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I just didn't think regular guys went around giving expensive rings to beautiful women they just happen to meet." He smiled at the beautiful woman behind him.

"Well this guy isen't exactly a regular guy, in fact, he's kinda spectacular."

"Hmmm, spectacular, must be some guy you got yourself Willows..."

"Yeah, too bad he can't do anything on his own... Can't clean his office, can't do his paperwork, can't even tie his own bow. But his flaws are part of his charm I guess, huh Gil?" She gave him a quick wink before perfectioning the bow. "There... Perfect." He looked backwards and his eyes met hers.

"Perfect." He couldn't stop himself from staring... Catherine back away from him.

"Are we letting this thing get out of control?"

"What thing? You helping me tie my bow is hardly a thing?"

"No, I mean this thing. You, me, spending the night together, sorry - nights... It's just, it's dangerous. Lindsey already suspects that our relationship is changing, Brass almost saw something, and I know we're being careful, but we're scientists, we know what can happen just by one accident leading to another."

"Oh, that thing. The good thing... The only thing in my life..."

"Gil... Please take this seriously?"

"I am taking this seriously Catherine, trust me, these feelings that I'm having for you are dead serious. And I can honestly tell you that I've never been more afraid in my entire. Nothing compares to how much this frightens me..."

"Wow, that makes me feel better..."

"But nothing can compare to how happy you make me. I've never had real feelings for anyone Catherine."

"Teri? Sara?"

"Teri is a friend, she was a distraction, we had good chemistry, but I didn't feel anything besides the rush of just that moment. And Sara... Sara is juat a student who's gotten too caught up in some things I've said that were meant the other way around. You're the one I'm risking everything for Catherine."

"Ah ha! So then you do admit we're risking things!"

"Is it just me or do you want to fight about this? I'm agreeing with you, we're risking a lot. But if you look at what we can end up with, I think it's worth the risk don't you?"

"Why do you always have to be right?"

"I don't let myself feel very often, so when I do, I risk losing a lot of things. And I realized this when I was watching you help Lindsey with homework yesterday. I don't care, I don't anymore. They can take everything away from me, and I'll be fine. I lost my hearing, they made Ecklie my boss, but I don't care, it doesn't matter. Because you make things worth living through. Have I ever thanked you for showing up at the night of my surgery?"

"Yes, you thanked me before you went in..."

"No, I mean really thanked you. I didn't show anything, you know - I'm stoneface Gil Grissom - but I was terrified. I could lose the ability to hear if things went wrong, and like you said, we're scientists, we know the risks. I could risk losing my job, and worse than that I could risk never hearing your voice again. But then you showed up and I realized that I had you, so it would be ok. You're what matters to me. You make me feel, you make me care and you make see things. Catherine, you make my heart smile. You and I, we're kinda perfect together."

"I didn't know you felt all this..."

"What do you say Willows?" Gil turned around and looked at her. He couldn't belive all the love he saw in her eyes. He had never seen it as clearly as he did tonight. She looked down and tried to hide the pleasure she'd gotten from hearing everything he'd said just seconds before. Grissom noticed that he was shaking. He knew that this was the big 'it'. Nnowing that for the first time what he was feeling was real, and not something he was feeling caught up in the moment, terrified him. "Will you risk it? Will you risk everything with me?"

Catherine looked into his eyes, she reached for his hand, moving it to her lips and kissing it gently. He smiled sweetly at her and she leaned in and touched his lips gently with hers. "Yes, I will." His put his hands on each side of her face before letting one glide into her hair. She tiptoed so she'd be at equal hight with him, and kissed him again, only harder this time. He couldn't belive the stir of emotions she created in him, and he had to break apart from her so they'd make it into the ballroom in time. "That was some kiss..."

"You're some woman..." He kissed her again, quickly. "You know Catherine, I've been trying to tell you this for a long time and I can't seem to find the words, but I think you know how much I care about you and I just want you to know that I kinda, well actually I really... I... Catherine, I l...."

"Grissom, I know. I know. And you don't have to tell me right now, you've shared a lot of stuff already."

"I really do though."

"I know. And I really do too..." He wiped the tears away from her cheeks and looked at her once again. "Shall we?" She said, her voice cracking.

"Yeah..." She gave him another million dollar smile as they walked towards the banquet room. He looked at her, and she looked back and while nobody else was looking, she leaned down and laced his fingers with her own as they walked towards a new future.