It had only been a week, but it felt like forever. As luck would have it, they had managed to save the parking spot. Swinging the SUV into place, the graveyard shift supervisor turned off the engine. Hopping from the large black Tahoe, the butterflies, spiders and grasshoppers began to dance around inside, causing a longer than normal pause while locking the doors with the remote. With a sigh, the determined and nervously excited lead CSI headed for the door. Nothing had changed. The same familiar smells hung in the air. The same glaring florescent lights illuminated well known faces. The same feeling of belonging. But it was all different. Unbeknownst to the boss, two fellow CSI's had observed the Tahoe arrive.

"Welcome back," Nick Stokes smiled brightly. He was handsome, a true Texan. With his brown crew cut, kind brown eyes and warm smile, he looked more like a GQ cover model than a top ranked CSI.

"We kept the place running for you," Greg Sanders said proudly. With his spiky brown-blonde hair, blue eyes, trendy cloths and slim build, the only thing that distinguished him from his fellow 20 something's was his brilliant mind and CSI II rank. His positive, peppy, can do attitude made him a popular member of the team.

"Thank you," came the response. "You two on a case?"

"We're headed out into the field now, boss. We'll give ya a yell on the cell after the preliminary walk through," Nick said.

"Sounds good. Talk to you then."

The two handsome young men went out into the cool late evening air to canvas yet another crime scene.

Rounding the corner, another colleague came into view. Warrick Brown’s face brightened with a smile.. He was the only African American on the squad as was the tallest. He had chocolate colored skin, large black eyes and a head full of corn-rolls.

"Welcome back, Grissom," he smirked. The smirk was returned with a huge smile. "Gotta go, but I'll see you later." Warrick moved off, her 6'5" frame breaking into a run as he sped off to catch Detective Erin Conroy before she left.

Now alone in the hallway, Grissom turned to the office door. Closing her blue-green eyes, she let her head drop and a smile spread across her deep red lips. Securing a lock of her shoulder length reddish-blonde hair behind her right ear, she cleared her throat and placed her trembling hand on the doorknob, pushed it open, she entered the familiar room. She was torn apart but more whole than she had even been in her life.

The light was off and when she flipped the switch to turn it on, she immediately gasped. A vase of perfect red, white and purple roses sat in the center of the simple metal desk. The HP computer and phone sat in the same position he had them in. The diplomas and awards hanging on the wall behind the desk now bore her name and in the center hung a lovely picture of a very happy, good looking family.

The microscope table and it's expensive equipment still resided in the left back corner under the x-ray light board, but the stacks of "NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC' and "INSECT WORLD" magazines were gone. The metal shelves were still stocked with petri dishes, test tubes, chemicals, finger print powder and boxes of white latex gloves, however, the two simple metal chairs sitting opposite the desk had been recovered in a deep blue vinyl. The couch was still against the wall beside the door. She shook her head. 'Grocery shopping indeed' she said to herself, remembering last evening when he and Lindsey had left her to "relax" after returning from their honeymoon. She looked at the fourth finger of her left hand and sighed dreamily as she twisted the simple, but breathtakingly beautiful gold band and small solitaire diamond. She walked across the familiar room and dropped her purse into the bottom drawer. As she straightened, she noticed a card propped against the vase of roses. Actually, there were two. She picked up the pink envelope first, knowing the second one would bring her to tears. It was a hand drawn picture of the three of them with a hand written note from her beloved daughter. It said "I love you mommy and I'm proud of you! Lindsey Grissom."

With a smile, she sat it down and lifted the large white envelope. In his elegant, perfect handwriting, he had written "To Supervisor Catherine Grissom." She pulled the card from the envelope. There was a nondescript couple sitting side by said looking into a lovely star filled sky. "To my wife," it said in silver cursive. She flipped open the cover. It was a blank card.

He wrote, "Cath, I know you're going to do fine. It will be hard at first, I'm sure, but you are more than ready and able to run the show. I'm proud of you and proud to be your husband. I know you'll miss having me around, but you know I'm always there beside you. Especially when you sit in the chair... Each time you're sitting there, just feel my arms around you. I love you... Gil... P.S. - It was unanimously decided that Jack would stay to protect you and keep you company while we're not with you. " She gasped once again as she slowly looked over her right shoulder. There he was in all his hairy glory. The tarantula was bigger than her hand. She knew that because when he held it, it was just as big as his. She sniffed and it seemed to her that the spider was looking back at her as he sat still in the corner of his glass terrarium home.

Just as she suspected, she had to wipe away a tear. It seemed so unfair that just because he had difficulty hearing, they had to ask him to leave. He always told her that one day she would have his job. She believed him and even relished the thought, but she didn't really want it like this. She would miss him like hell and she knew it was no picnic simply from having watched him do it for all those years. Still, he was comfortable and content with it and that helped her immensely.

She had no more time to dwell as the phone pierced her reverie. She reached out and lifted the receiver to her ear. "Grissom," she said her voice friendly, yet full of authority. It was good friend and police captain Jim Brass with a new case... Time to get to work...