It's been twenty years since they've seen each other. Has everything changed?

Catherine Willows sat staring out the window of the Indianapolis-bound plane, mentally assessing her itinerary for the next day. Seminar in the hotel conference room at 10 o'clock. Lunch with the day shift supervisor from Gary at 12:30. What was his name? Peter…Jackson? Peter Jacobs? Oh, I'll find out tomorrow. Suddenly, Catherine felt someone sit down next to her. Crap. I was hoping I'd have the row to myself. She quickly glanced at the man seated next to her, not bothering to introduce herself. She wasn't in the mood for niceties. Her thoughts returned to her busy schedule and she closed her eyes, hoping she might drift off and sleep throughout the flight. All of a sudden, a voice jarred her from her thoughts.

"Cath?"

Startled, she turned towards the man occupying the seat next to her. "Huh?" she questioned. Then her jaw dropped and her crystal blue eyes widened. Oh gosh. Oh…gosh.

The man chuckled lightly. "I thought that was you Catherine."

It took Catherine a few moments to recover from the shock of who was sitting next to her: Gil Grissom.

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"Gil!", Catherine exclaimed, eyes still wide from surprise.

The corners of Grissom's mouth turned upward slightly as he struggled to suppress the urge to grin from ear to ear. "Hello Cath."

For once in her life, Catherine was completely speechless. Her heart began pounding at the realization that she was sitting next to Grissom, a man she hadn't seen for 20 years. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Gil in an embrace that closed whatever gaps had been wrought in their relationship during the two decades they spent apart.

As soon as he felt Catherine's arms wrap around him, Grissom slid his arms around her, pressing her to his chest. He breathed in her scent, memories flooding his mind. "Strawberry and vanilla" he thought, "Just like always." He smiled softly, slowly running his right hand up and down her back. They stayed like that for several minutes.

Finally, Catherine reluctantly pulled back and looked at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I never thought I'd see you again" she said, her voice breaking.

Grissom gently took hold of her hand, unsure of what to say. When he didn't speak, Catherine broke the silence. "You never wrote, never called, never even sent me an e-mail!" Gil could tell Catherine was beginning to get upset. She continued, her voice slightly louder than before, "I didn't know if you were still in South America or if you were back in the states . . . if you were alive or d-"

Gil cut her off. "Catherine." Goodness, she was still so beautiful. She had aged remarkably well. "I'm sorry."

By this time, Catherine was over her shock of being reunited with her oldest friend, and her joy was being overwhelmed by the pain she had suffered over the years. "Why?" she asked.

Grissom looked at her cautiously. "Pardon?"

Sighing heavily, Catherine turned to face him once again. "Why didn't you keep in touch?"

Glancing down to his lap, where his hand still held hers, he said softly, "Because keeping in touch would have only made me miss you more."