I'm glad you liked the first chapter. As I told you, I tried to continue the story; but what follows happens in another night. That night finishes with the hug, then everyone goes to bed. This night is set after their talk in 9x08.

There will be a third chapter, shorter than this, I will post it as soon as possible. Hope you like it.

Just love them.

- 2 -

TONIGHT YOU DECIDE

A couple of days had passed from the night they'd met.

She'd moved from his body and had sweetly kissed his cheek. They'd not talked; at least, not using a verbal language. After the hug and the kiss, she'd been swept away by the wind of Las Vegas. The one that, at night, wipes away those who're not home and have a daughter and have a work and have an alarm, at morning.

But that hug had moved something, into them. It had lightly moved something heavy.

They'd spent the night together. First they'd been chatting; then she proposed to play and so they stopped to win (or loose) some money, and to have fun, too. They had these things both. More fun than money, though. And they were not drunken, when Grissom offered to drive her home. He got right in front of her house and stopped the car. She had her bag in the hands and was ready to get out, when a hesitation caught her fingers. They came back to her lap, as she looked up to him.

"Want to come in for a tea?" she asked, a bit scared of the answer (of any answer he could give her).

He gave a look to the watch and lightly shook his head.

"It's late, Cath."

"I know, but …" her hand had automatically moved to his, on the wheel.

The sentence died just above her tongue, and she was ready to give up and come home alone, as always, come home, undress and reach the enormous bed she had, without the pretense to fill it completely. Since it was made for two, but two weren't there.

But he broke her routine.

"However, if it's only for a tea I can't say no."

She smiled, thankful. She really wanted to talk. He pulled the car key out of the ignition and watched her getting out of the SUV; a melancholic smile was laying upon his lips. Then he followed her to the door and entered the house.

"What about Lindsay? Outside I saw all the lights were off but I can't believe she's already sleeping"

"Actually she isn't" she said, while locking the door and removing the heels and the jacket "This morning she got an A and so she asked me to have some fun with her friends."

"And you let her. Which subject?"

They moved to the kitchen, she smiled.

"Science. I told her she needs to thank you, my dear mad scientist."

She put the pot she'd filled with water on the fire and rested against the counter. A pale, tired ghost haunted her marvelous face; and her eyes were connected to his as the five fingers are linked to the hand. He was observing her, intensively, memorizing every stepped she took, everything she did, and there were moments (maybe it was the lights' fault, or maybe his eyes') in which she looked more beautiful than ever. The smile her joke had caused had vanished from his lips.

"I don't want you to be sad, Gil." she murmured, while taking a step toward him.

"I'm not sad" he replied, calmly "I'm just thinking."

"Thinking of what?"

She was ready to put a hand on his face (and it wasn't the first time in the whole night she wanted to place it there) when the pot started calling for her. He sat at the kitchen table and waited, back to his silence. There she was a couple of minutes later.

"That's enough"

With his hand he stopped hers. She nodded and put the pot aside, on the table. She sat down.

"You want some sugar?"

"No, thank you."

Catherine let some sugar fall into her cup and then took a short sip from it, while spying his reaction to the liquid he was staring at. His face was so funny. He looked like a child.

"Tea, meet Gil. And Gil, this is tea. Now that you know each other, you can get closer." she teased him, taking another sip.

"To be honest, I don't like tea that much. I prefer coffee."

"I know. But I don't think coffee is a good friend for you right now, Gil."

"Actually, tea contains-"

"Gil" she interrupted the chemistry lesson by lifting up a hand "you're not in service. Just stop analyzing it and drink it."

She did it and pointed at her cup.

"See? It's not poisoned"

Grissom smiled softly, and finally obeyed. It was interesting to see how he reacted to things, in life. He was always scared, and tough and astonished by things that were too small for any other human.

"Does it taste good?" she asked him, when she saw his lips and the cup parting.

"Maybe I should have let you put some more sugar into it."

They both burst into laugh, and while calming down she realized they were back to the past. Finally, after weeks minutes years spent apart and far from each other, there they were, close, friends, cool, laughing chatting and making noise with the help of some tea.

But there was his sadness. And there was her awkwardness. Two things they weren't allowed to hide.

"When are you leaving?" she asked, in a whisper.

His eyes widened.

"How do you know?" was the answer.

Her eyes lowered.

How did she know? She'd been knowing for a lot of time. Since Sara left, and before. Since he started to be tired of Las Vegas, since he was tired of crime. Catherine had perfectly known it, and just hoped it happened the latest possible.

She lifted her eyes and understood that it was time to touch him. So she reached out, but it was the slowest, the calmest move ever; her hand matched his cheek, and his eyes hadn't left hers. He sighed.

"I'd like to see your tears, Gil. I'd like to see your sadness rolling down your face, and washing your skin. I'm tired to perceive it, like it was a ghost. I want you to be happy"

Her thumb met his lips. Catherine rubbed them, with an extreme caution and care. But then the finger stopped, and with it her whole body.

"I'm not going to do anything"

She got up and went closer to him, then cupped his face. When she was sure he was looking into her eyes, holding them tight, she placed her lips onto his.

It wasn't passionate

it wasn't strong

it wasn't anything but their.

"Tonight you decide."

Her touch left him.