Chapter 1 - Teacher's assistant Catherine Willows is in love with Professor Gil Grissom

The only sound Catherine could hear was the click-clack of her high heels and her heart pounding in her chest. When Grissom asked her to meet him in his office, she wasn't sure what he was going to say. She wasn't sure what she was going to say. What she wanted to tell him was that she was madly in love with him, but that would scare him off. Grissom was the kind of man who was deathly afraid of commitment. She needed to wait a while – make sure he felt the same way about her as she did about him. Besides, having a relationship with the teacher she was assisting was probably not the best idea. It could get her into trouble if anyone found out. Then again, Catherine thought to herself with a smirk, this wouldn't be the riskiest relationship she had ever had, not by a long shot. When she neared his office, she straightened her skirt, smoothed her hair and knocked on his heavy oak door.

"Come in." Came the muffled reply from inside.

Catherine took a deep breath and pushed open the door. The creepiness of his office never ceased to startle her. Between the bugs, the pint of blood on the desk and the irradiated fetal pig, she wasn't sure if wanted to ever see the inside of his home.

Grissom followed her gaze around the room and smirked. "Admiring the décor again?"

She turned to face him. "Just thinking that I never want to see the inside of your house."

He smiled again. "I assure you, my house is more normal than my office – for the most part."

Catherine laughed and took a seat in the chair in front of his desk, crossing her legs. "You put a memo in my mailbox, said you wanted to see me?"

Grissom took his glasses off his face and looked at her. "Yes, I have something to tell you."

Her heart sped up. Maybe she was wrong about him. Maybe he saw more than he let on. "About what?" Catherine tried to keep her voice casual, suppressing the curiosity inside of her.

He paused then smiled. "I got a call from one of my friends at the crime lab, being forensics professor, I have quite a few of them." He smiled again. "He told me he was looking for a new level one hire and I recommended you."

A real CSI. How long had she wanted this, waited for this, hoped for this? Catherine was thrilled. But at the same time, a small part of her didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay here, at the university, teaching with Grissom. She would miss seeing him everyday, exchanging witty remarks and joking around. Catherine knew that when she took this job, Grissom would become a miniscule part of her life, someone she would only run into at the grocery store and get a Christmas card from once a year.

"Do you want the job?" Grissom asked, worried by her lack of response.

Catherine shook herself out of her daydream. "Yes, yes of course I want the job." She flashed him a smile just to assure him of how much she appreciated his recommendation.

"I have to say I will miss working with you." He told her quietly. "You were one of the best minds I've ever seen walk through that door." Grissom nodded at the door to his office.

She felt her heart skip a beat and she wanted to tell him everything but instead she got up and hugged him. "Thank you… for everything."

He said nothing but she was pretty sure he held her a little longer than necessary.