- You have to come Catherine, Nick said with determination as he looked around the room for support. The others in the room nodded in agreement.

-Yes, Cath, what would the Christmas office party be without you? There would be no sexy dance, no drinking games and no kissing in the corners and you’ll never know who’s standing under the mistletoe? Greg said in a teasing tone. But when he saw the look on Catherine’s face he stopped talking.

- You guys are really nice, you all are, but I promised Lindsey to go Christmas shopping for the entire weekend, Catherine said with a small smile. However, the entire team saw the sadness in her eyes.

- Can’t you bring Lindsey and then go shopping early Saturday morning? Sara asked.

- Bring Lindsey where? Grissom asked as he entered the break room. Catherine slowly turned and walked past Grissom without even looking at him. He turned slightly to look after her, hurt evident in his eyes but his face quickly snapped back to the others.

The rest of the team quickly began talking about the case. They had gotten use to the cold air between their two co-workers. It had become a part of every shift. None of them knew what had happened but suddenly one day the intimacy, the laughs and the closeness had been replaced by silence, wordless nods and the occasional polite answers and courtesy talk.

Grissom sat down at the table and with a small sigh he tried to engage in the conversation. However, his thoughts as it did a million times a day went back to the reason for the change in his relationship with Catherine.

It had been almost two months since they gave in. Since they lay together tangled up in her sheets and she heard him whisper ‘I love you’ when he thought she was sleeping.

She had never felt happier in her life. And neither had he. But something had happened inside of them when he left her that morning. When they returned to work none of them had the courage to express their feelings. Both of them held back. He tried to kiss her once but Sara interrupted them and they never really worked up the courage to go back. Or forward for that matter.

By the end of the shift they had both convinced themselves that the other part had regretted what had happened earlier.

Now Christmas was coming around and the annual Christmas party would force them to spend time together outside of work. That was if Catherine couldn’t convince the others that Lindsey really had to occupy all her free time. And it was hard. All she wanted was for things to get back to normal. She missed him and their closeness. He was the one she usually turned to in a situation like this. He was her sanity and her true love but pride and stupidity kept her as well as him from realizing that.

She looked at her face in the mirror and saw the dark circles under her eyes. She sighed and grabbed her bag from her closet when she heard someone enter.

- Catherine are you ok?

She turned to see Warricks worried eyes focus in on her.

- I’m fine, she tried to assure him: I’m just in need of a small break from all of this in order to spend some time with Lindsey. She knew Warrick was not buying it but there was nothing wrong with trying.

- Cath, he moved closer and motioned for her to sit down on the benches. She looked at him with a stubborn look on her face but eventually sat down clutching her back to her chest.

- Hey, we are just worried about you; he reached out and softly grabbed her hand. He saw how she bravely tried to smile but the hurt and tears in her eyes gave her away.

- Thank you, she told him truthfully.

- But I’ll be fine, a little time away from the lab should do me good, she finished with a determined voice and stood up. She suddenly felt dizzy and reached for bench. Warrick was about to take hold of her when she felt a pair of strong hands settling her and gently placing her on the bench. She knew whom they belonged to.

Warrick had seen Grissom entering the rooms just as Catherine was about to stand up. His supervisor had eyed himself and Catherine and was about to turn around and leave when he saw Catherine swaying lightly.

- I’m fine, Catherine said in a stern voice before any of them could ask her. She steadied herself and took a small zip of the water bottle she had in her bag. Warrick sensed the thick tension between the two and quickly excused himself.

- Cath, Grissom tried to get her attention but she refused to look at him.

- Please talk to me, he simply stated. She still refused to speak but she lifted her head and look directly at him.

- What’s the use? She said without emotion and rose to leave. As she passed him she was so close that he could have easily reached out to hold on to her but in seconds she was out the door and in her car driving home.

If anyone had been sane enough they would have refused her to get into the car. She drove home in a daze of unshed tears that clouded her vision. Twice she had to pull hard at the steering wheel to avoid hitting another car.

When she arrived home she let herself in and went straight to Lindsey’s room where she nearly collapsed beside her daughter’s bed. Her right hand slowly traced circles on her daughters arm as she fell asleep beside her bed.

In her dreams she returned to the faithful night two months ago.

They had all gone out for a drink. Well not Grissom, he had stayed at the office when they left. Catherine wanted him to join them. In the last weeks something had changed in the way they acted around each other. After years of close friendship they both felt it. The love that had grown into something so strong they could no longer deny it. The way they looked at each other was so obvious that the entire lab knew it was only a matter of time before they would end up together.

At the bar Catherine and Nick was dancing, Warrick was showing Sara how set fire to a shot before drowning it and Brass was engaged in a conversation with a lovely lady. Greg and Mia was at the bar ordering drinks. None of them noticed Grissom as he walked into the bar. He sat down at a table out of their sight. He always wanted to join them but he never felt confident enough. But tonight he felt like seeing Catherine and the others enjoying themselves.

He noticed that they had all changed their clothes. Apparently they all kept a set of extra clothes in their closets. He never knew that. His eyes were instantly drawn to Catherine. She was wearing a simple black dress, which flowed loosely around her knees and had a nice look at her cleavage. She wore black stiletto shoes and small gold hoops dangled from her ears. She was breathtaking. He watched her laugh and talk as she danced with Nick to an up-tempo song. When the song finished they were about to leave the dance floor when a handsome looking man similar to the Chris guy she had dated recently came up to them. Grissom saw him lean down and whisper something in Catherine’s ear. He felt his stomach tighten and his hands gather in a clenched fist.

Catherine smiled and said something to Nick who handed her hand to the man with a small nod and smile. He then joined the others for a round of drinks. Grissom watched as Catherine danced with they guy. She was a great dancer and Grissom noticed a lot of the men in the room were looking at her as she danced with the dark haired guy. The song was latin style and the guy did what he could to get as close as possible. However, Catherine held back and never let him fully pull her in.

At some point she looked over her shoulder to check on her fellow co-workers but none of them seemed to notice her. Grissom saw a small frown on her face as her dance partner once again tried to grab her behind as she turned. The song ended and a slower more sensual tune filled the room.

Tonight you're mine completely
You give your love so sweetly
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes
But will you love me tomorrow

Grissom saw the man pull Catherine in with more force. She tried to resist him but he was stronger than her. In a matter of seconds Grissom was by her side.

- Mind if I cut in? The lady promised me this dance? He said as he removed the guy’s hands from Catherine. She looked at him, uncertain of what to do. At the table the others stopped talking as they watched Catherine’s previous dance partner excuse himself and leave a speechless Catherine standing in the middle of the dance floor.

Is this a lasting treasure?
Or a just moment's pleasure
Can I believe the magic of your sighs?
Will you still love me tomorrow?

They then as Catherine let Grissom pull her into his arms and saw how the quickly found a common rhythm. They slowly swayed, as the song grew more emotional.

Tonight with words unspoken
You said that I'm the only one
But will my heart be broken
When the night (When the night)
Meets the morning (Meets the morning) sun

As the song ended Grissom pulled slightly away and used his right arm that had been caressing her back to tip her face towards him.

- What are you doing here, she whispered. He just leaned down and captured her lips in a sweet kiss.

The other CSI’s sat in silence watching the scene before them unfold. Then Brass told them to mind their own business and only Greg kept on staring until Mia hit him lightly in the head.

I'd like to know that your love
Is love I can be sure of?
So tell me now and I won't ask again
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Will you still love me tomorrow?

When Brass had made sure no one else was looking he turned his head to catch the last view of the two leaving the bar with their arms around each other. He smiled knowing the two heading home were truly always meant for each other.

Catherine sat in silence the entire way back to her place. She held Grissom’s right hand in between her own but starred out into the dark night instead of at him.

- Catherine, she suddenly realized the car had stopped moving. Grissom gently squeezed her hand. She could hear him take a deep breath.

- Do you want me to… emmmh.. I was wondering if… or should I just, he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

She sensed his hesitation and slowly tuned around and reached for him. Their lips met in a soft gentle kiss. The kiss soon turned more passionate and Catherine felt herself warm up as Grissom’s hands went from the sides of her face to her shoulders and down her arms. He felt her smile in the kiss when his right hand went back to caress her cheek. She pulled back and gave him a look of a thousand promises before she opened her car door and jumped out. He looked at her suddenly a little confused.

- Well, are you coming? She asked in a low husky voice before she began walking to the front door pulling the keys from her purse. She opened the door and steeped in. As turned to close the door he was right there behind her. He grabbed her and lifted her up as he closed the door with his foot.

He walked the short distance to her bedroom in no time. Their hands were here, there and everywhere. A strangled moan was caught in a kiss as he lay her down on the bed and covered her with his own body. Clothes were shattered all around the bedroom before they finally lay naked between the sheets. Then she suddenly felt him slow down. She opened his eyes and saw him looking at her. The look in his eyes made her blush. It made her shy and made her reach for the sheet to cover herself. But as soon as she reached for it his hands came down to stop her.

- Don’t, he simply said and the he leaned down and in one slow motion they became one.

Later they lay entwined and she had never felt happier. He had loved her, not just slept with her. She had never really felt love like this before. With Eddie it had been mostly rough make up sex after their daily fights. Rarely had she been in the mood for anything romantic and rarely had Eddie cared. This however had been entirely different.

They had put this off for so long she had actually wondered if she would have forgotten how to do it. And so had he. But once they lay in her bed together nothing seemed impossible. At least not until they woke in the morning.

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That's all let me know what you think! - And if you want to hear more!