Las Vegas Police Detective Jimmy Todero said he had someone he wanted him to meet. He thought this person would be perfect to work at the lab. His favorite and best student at Western Las Vegas University he said. He really had no idea why he agreed to the meeting. But something in him told it would change his life forever- and for the best. He didn't believe in that kind of stuff, so that nagging thought made him keep the appointment- just in case. So 30 year old Gil Grissom found himself sitting at the bar of the little dive his friend had chosen. He flipped a pretzel into his mouth and lifted his long-neck Budweiser to his lips.

"Grissom!" came the familiar, boisterous voice from behind him.

He turned on the stool and his eyes immediately met the most glorious pair of blue-green eyes he'd ever seen. He saw himself reflected in them. Her full, thick lips made him wonder what a deep kiss full of love felt like for the first time in his life. Her hair was reddish-blond and fell about her shoulders in loose curls and framed her exquisite, high-cheek-boned face. She was obviously of Irish decent. Her skin was pale alabaster and covered with freckles. He wanted to find and count them all- wherever they were on her body... Which was perfect: ample chest, flat stomach and flared hips. She wore a grey blazer, a white blouse with the first two buttons undone and a pair of black slacks. Plain black flats adorned her no doubt perfect feet. She was full of confidence and non-nonsense. But he saw much pain in her soul.

She was in love immediately. She never believed in that sort of thing- until now. He was the most beautiful man God had ever created. She saw forever in his kind blue eyes. His soft brown waves would rival the feel of the best silk in the world, she was sure of it. His arms would be the warmest and safest place in the world. But she saw loneliness and fear in his soul.

Jimmy was a bit surprised. His friend who never let anyone in, never dated, was enraptured by this 24 year old natural beauty. He himself had taken a shine to her moxie and enthusiasm.

They ate chicken wings and discussed what Gil could and could not do professionally for the soon-to-be graduate Catherine. He could tutor her and offer an entry level position as a lab technician.

"Sounds great to me!" Catherine chirped, tossing back the last of her Vodka. Gil became concerned when she lit a cigarette. "Sorry... Does this bother you?" she asked quietly, their eyes locked.

"We're off the clock," he answered shyly, shrugging his shoulders and breaking eye contact. He wanted to tell her to quit, that she was killing herself, therefor killing him.

Detective Jimmy Todero felt like a third wheel. He smirked at the two brilliant young people who seemed to finally be complete. Not one to be sentimental, he silently vowed he'd make them name their firstborn son after him since he introduced them. Some blond had been flirting with him and he excused himself, leaving them alone.

They sat in silence for a while, him pretending to nurse his beer, she pushing around the last few fries on her plate. "So..." she began, smashing out her smoke in the cheap glass ashtray. "Thanks for the opportunity."

He raised his head and their eyes met. He smiled. "My pleasure."

***********************************************************

The chatter in the classroom died down and Dr. Grissom began his class. As one of only 15 forensic entomologists in the country, he spent a lot of time lecturing and writing about the subject. He was at ease and the class was totally involved. Then his eyes met hers. She was sitting in the back row. His bravado disappeared and his tenor voice faltered. She bit her bottom lip as if she knew she was the reason why. She smiled warmly at him and he relaxed. After class, she remained in her seat and watched him gather his things. She was unsure if he knew she stayed, so she made her presence known.

"So bugs get you off, huh?" she asked, her voice sultry and strong. It echoed throughout the large lecture hall.

His nonchalance and un-startled demeanor told her he knew she was there. His amusement was evident, but he said nothing. She sighed sadly and stood up, pulling her books into her arms and adjusting her purse on her left shoulder. She bounded quickly and gracefully down the stadium style steps, stopping at his side. They smiled and she took two steps closer to him. They were standing close enough to feel each others body heat. Catherine was no stranger to touching and being intimate with a man, but with him, it was different. She wanted so badly to collapse in his arms and cry and confess all her sins and touch him and hold him and ...

"Catherine!" came a harsh voice from across the large auditorium. She gasped and Gil saw terror well up in her eyes. It went away as quickly as it came.

"Coming," she called back.

Gil felt his heart stop.

She let her chin fall to her chest. She was embarrassed. She didn't want him to know about or find out about Eddie- especially this way. "Sorry... I... should go..." she managed.

He watched her hurry to the man's side. The man glared at him fiercely. Gil never had a bad thought or wished anyone ill, but the man gave him chills. He watched the man begin to yell at her. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he watched her shrink into herself, become someone else. He grabbed her arm and they walked away, went out of his view. He stared after her for a few minutes and the terrible thought that there was more to her life than he knew, more than she let on, filled him. He vowed that he'd get to the bottom of it and do whatever he could to help her... until the moment he took his last breath.

**********************************************

Two weeks passed. She'd show up with her sunglasses on, and leave them on during class. She wore long sleeve shirts in the brutal Las Vegas summer heat. She smiled at him and asked questions only during class. His heart was heavy and he missed her. They had gotten very close very quickly. It hurt him so much, he felt physically ill.

**********************************************

One night about 11 months after they met, there was a knock on his townhouse door at midnight. He was just about to leave for the lab. He opened the door. The sight that greeted him took his breath away. She was slouched against his doorframe, her arms folded across her chest. She seemed to be favoring her right arm. A lit cigarette dangled from her left fingers. She dropped her smoke and stamped it out. Her hair was unkempt and hanging loosely around her exquisite face, hiding it from his view. She raised her head, and their eyes met. Her eyes were red and soaked with tears. Her left eye was black and blue, and there was a cut across her right cheek. It wasn't bad at all, but it seemed like a deep, disfiguring gash to him. Her blue-green eyes were dilated and held a haunted, desperate look in them. He noticed the little sniffs she was making. He thought at first it was from her tears, but it wasn't. She was high... on cocaine.

His every wall crumbled and he reached for her, pulling her into his gentle, protective embrace.

"Catherine..." he said gently in her ear as she sobbed and shook there in his arms. "Catherine, hush now... It's OK... I've got you," he said tenderly. How she found his place, he didn't know; he didn't care and it didn't matter. He was glad that she finally came to him. She was a complete, inconsolable wreck , unable to speak. Truth be told, he was speechless himself. So he simply let her sob herself to sleep in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. He carried her back to his bedroom and laid her down. He covered her with his blanket. He ached seeing her like this and wanted nothing more than to absorb her pain. He wanted to clean up her cheek and check her arm. But she needed sleep more than anything. So his needs would have to wait. He settled in the chair in the corner of the tiny room. He watched her sleep, vowing that no one and nothing would ever hurt her again... He must have fallen asleep for quite some time himself because the next thing he knew, she was gently shaking his leg.

"You awake?" she said, her normally strong, sultry voice gruff and quiet.

He drew in a deep breath and stretched. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep... Are you OK?" he asked, concern urging him up to his feet.

Catherine giggled, laying her hand on his chest. The tender act filled them both with happiness and peace. "I'm fine," she assured him. They stood silently, gazing into each others eyes. He reached a shaky hand up to brush her injured cheek. She winced and he gasped, pulling his hand back.

"I'm sorry..."

"Quit apologizing, Gil," she said. "I should be apologizing to you... making you take me in like that and all... showing up unannounced..."

"It's OK, I'm glad you came to me... Please..." he said gently, taking her lovely, but battered face in his hands.

She looked down at the ground. They stood that way a few moments, simply liking the physical closeness. "I need help..." she managed, her voice failing her.

He snuggled her close into his body. "I will do whatever I can to help you," he said softly.

He'd never wanted to hold a woman until he met her. She fit perfectly against him and felt so right in his arms. They held each other for a long time.

Gil was finally able to speak. He softly released her from his embrace and looked down into her now sparkling eyes. "You hungry?"

"Yes, actually... I... emptied my stomach earlier, so," she cringed, looking down sheepishly. "Yeah, I could use food," she admitted, looking back up at him.

They went into the kitchen and she was shocked when he asked her to sit down, confessing that he liked to cook and was quite good at it having lived alone since he left home 12 years ago.

She watched in awe as he scrambled eggs, fried off bacon and poured orange juice.

"Wow..." she teased.

He brought over the plates and settled into the chair next to her. As they ate, he told her about his mothers deafness and how his father had left when he was 5. He explained how he loved to ride his bike on the beaches of Marina del Ray and autopsy the animals and things he found. His only friends were the police officers who took him under their wing. He became a coroner in LA at 22. Now he was here, supervisor of the graveyard shift. He gave many lectures across the country, too. It felt good to open up and share with her.

She smiled and began her tale. She left home at 17 and was not allowed back. She was a waitress and ... stripper ... aside from going to school.

"This... man. Who is he?" he asked, finally strong enough and ready to know.

"His name's Eddie. He's in the music business. He came to the French Palace one night... That's ... where I dance..."

He pressed her further and she opened up. She admitted being on coke- thanks to the bastard- and that he hit her. She saw the anger and the pain in his eyes as she talked.

"You have to get out of there... I'll help you get into rehab," he promised. An idea came to him. "I'll go to him and make him pay for your treatment..."

"NO!" she said forcefully, laying her hand on his arm. She was terrified he'd hurt Gil. The sudden outburst startled them both.

Gil would not hear of doing anything else. He would face Eddie.

He cleaned up her cheek and deemed her wrist fine. She left a little later... He didn't know where she was going, what she was going to do. For the first time in his life, he cried.

A week went by and she was healed. She even started staying after class with him again and they worked and studied together.

... Then one day, Catherine's good friend Stephanie Watson, a fellow dancer, was murdered. She took it hard. Todero took the case and caught the man... Only years later would they discover the sad truth.

The day came, and Gil went to Eddie. He explained that he had learned of her addiction and that if she was to become a CSI, he had to pay to get her into treatment. They would never hire her if they knew. He made Eddie see his point, turned things around like it would be good for HIM if she was clean and could get on at the lab. God was on their side and Eddie agreed...

... He went to see her everyday. He swallowed hard as he paused in the doorway to her room in the rehab center. She was lying on top of the white sheets that were tangled up and almost off of the long single bed. Her sweat-soaked reddish-blond hair was tussled and splayed across the pillow. Her blue-green eyes were hidden underneath her eyelids. She wore a simple white tee shirt and a pair of black leggings. It pained him to see her like this. And where was the bastard that made her what she was, put her in this situation? He slowly crossed the room and gently settled on the bed beside her. He smirked at the thought that came into his brilliant mind: he'd never shared a bed with a gorgeous member of the opposite sex... No one, let alone a beautiful, intelligent woman, had ever needed him, depended on him. He, in turn, had never relied on or needed anyone. These last few months he'd spent getting to know her were precious to him. He resisted the urge to touch her cheek. He never felt this way before. He had actually met another person he cared about more than anything and more than anyone else he knew or had ever known, he was sitting beside her now. Until now, love was only in the books he read and the movies he watched. Suddenly she rolled over. Her sleepy, red rimmed eyes slowly opened and met his. He smiled and winked at her.

"Hey," she managed shyly, a heartfelt smile spreading across her dry lips. Then, just as quickly, she turned back away from him. He was saddened. Did she not want him here?

"I'm sorry... I should go..."

"No!" she cried desperately, sitting up and turning to face him. She reached out and gripped his arm. Her eyes reflected honest fear; she did NOT want him to leave. She suddenly realized she was touching him and pulled away, as if she were not worthy of such an honor. "I'm sorry... I ... I just... I don't..." she tried... "You can't want to see me like this... I look terrible, my breath is horrible from thro..," she stopped, not finishing the thought. "I'm emotional," she managed in a whisper. "I'm having a 'bad day'" she said sadly, her eyes lowering to the floor.

"Why? You look fine, you've been nothing but pleasant to me, and no day is a 'bad day' unless you make it one," he said, a smirk crawling across his lips. They held each others gaze for a minute, simply admiring what they saw.

"They told me I have 1 hour, so...Wanna play chess?"

"Chess? I can't play chess..." she said, "Not smart enough... you'll beat me anyway."

"Have you ever played?"

"No, but..." she trailed off.

"Then how do you know that you can't play or that I'll beat you?" he asked, a chuckle in his tenor voice...

...She was tough and made it though the program quickly. Eddie bragged that HE paid for it, HE saved her. She said nothing and disappeared around the corner with him.

She graduated and was on at the lab now. They worked closely together and were more connected and closer than ever. Captain Jim Brass was happy to meet her and even happier for the man who was like his brother. He seemed to have come out of his shell. The trio tackled lots of cases together. Jim could see it was love even though they were talking about murder. Jacqui Franco, a lab worker, quickly became a close friend of Catherine's.

******************************************************************************

He was about to head to the shower one night when he heard a knock at the door. He opened it and there she was again, bruised and scared.

"Cath! Jeez..." he gasped, urging her inside and closing the door.

"PLEASE... Don't say anything... please..." she whimpered.

He swallowed hard and bit his tongue. He ran his hand through his soft brown waves. He sat her on the couch, iced her left cheek and told her point blank what the deal was.

"Catherine, I can't do this anymore... I can't see you like this. I'm not strong enough... Either things change, or..." he tried, but he could not say the next words, but she knew what he was getting at.

"Or what? You'll throw me out? I'm so used to being thrown out with the trash, I wouldn't notice..." she scoffed and rose to leave.

"Cath, no! Don't leave.. Listen to me..." he said gently. He hurried after her. He wanted to grab her, but he thought that might scare her. "Cath! Please... Stop and listen to what I mean," he said. She whirled around and faced him square. She was trembling; she said nothing. They understood what the other was saying.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" she asked.

"Yes," he managed.

She smiled and he smiled back.

They watched TV for a while, but he could see she was tired. He offered her his bed and he'd take the couch, but she wouldn't hear of it. It was HIS house and SHE was... HIS guest and she would take the bed. He insisted. She licked her lips and her eyes shone brightly as she snuggled against him.

"We could share the bed," she said boldly, laying her hand on his chest. He drew in an excited, nervous breath. Then her lips were on his and it felt real and right. He'd never kissed before. He'd never WANTED to kiss before let alone make love to a woman until he met her. And she wanted him, too. Her warm, aggressive hands began to travel all over his eager, but timid body. She straddled his lap and latched her lips onto the left side of his neck. He relaxed and gave into her, letting her do her bidding. Before long, he was carrying her into his bedroom. He was trembling and afraid he would hurt her. He laid her on his bed and gently laid himself on top of her. She began to rake her fingers through his hair and she arched her body up against his. He saw a desire in her eyes, desire he knew was mirrored in his own. He never dreamed he could love someone like he loved her and she loved him in return. His gentle, tender hands began to caress her body and she smiled at him lovingly. He was sure a woman of her expertise knew he had never done this before. She growled playfully and took control. She rolled him over on his back and tugged his shirt off. They made love tenderly and she taught him well...

... They both snapped from their mutual reverie. There were many things after that they wished had never happened. It was years later they learned they created Lindsey that night. There had been many hard twists and turns on the their road... But it was THEIR road. As they held each other tightly, they thanked God they had made it through. They admired their gold bands and smiled at the sleeping Lindsey.