DISCLAIMER: I don't own CSI
Okay, this chapter is set in the present (yes, I know, two chapters in a row, you have a right to be confused) Anyway, what happened is it was one long chapter, but I split it into two shorter chapters. I hope this ending satisfies you. Enjoy.
Don't, don't you want me?
You know I can't believe it
When I hear that you won't see me
Don't, don't you want me?
You know I don't believe it
When you say that you don't need me
It was Friday. The night sky was lit up with the bright lights of Las Vegas and the strip was a hive of activity, noise and colour. In a stone-coloured hospital on the outskirts of town, there was a pale blue room. It smelled of sterilizer and disinfectant and the life support machines hummed quietly in the background, almost too softly to hear. A man lay in the hospital bed, asleep. Through the wall, a woman sat, slumped in a waiting room chair, also asleep. Her friends had left a few hours ago, but she didn't want to. She had sat, waiting for visiting hours, waiting for news, not wanting to leave. He had lay, waiting for his friends, waiting for news, not wanting to fall asleep. But he did, and so did she. He was woken up by a short nurse with mousy brown hair and feckles on her snub nose. She gave him some more painkillers for his arm and brought him a tray of food, which he ate, even thought it tasted like mush. Meanwhile, a doctor was informing the only visitor left in the waiting room that she could see him in about an hour, after he'd absorbed his painkillers. Neither of them slept after that. The man could not get back to sleep, so he sat up in his hospital bed and waited for his visitors. The woman waited nervously, wondering what she was going to say to the man who had saved her life. More than once.
When the time came the woman was brought into the room by a round-faced nurse with tanned skin and black frizzy hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was told not to stay longer than an hour, then left alone with the man. They two people looked at each other for a while, uncsure of what to say. Then they both spoke at the same time.
"Greg I..."
"Catherine can..."
They stopped talking and laughed nervously.
"You first."
"No, you first."
"You."
"You."
"Alright. I just wanted to thank you. For taking the bullet, and for...for everything else you've ever done. I knoe now, that everything you did was for me, because you loved me and you wanted what was best for me and Lindsey. I'm sorry for pushing you away, and I understand why you said what you did. I haven't been fair, but I'm ready to be fair now. I'm ready to fix this. I love you Greg, and I am so, so sorry for everything I ever..."
Greg cut her off by sitting up in his hospital bed and leaning in to kiss her. She tilted her head to meet his and closed her eyes, melting at his touch. She entangled her fingers in his silky hair and let out a low moan as he parted his lips and slid his tongue into her mouth.
This is what heaven feels like.
When they finally broke apart, Greg began to talk.
"Catherine, I have loved you since our first night together, and yet I have a terrible way of showing it. I handled things badly and I wouldn't even listen to you when you tried to talk. Thank you for making the first step."
"It wasn't me, it was you. You were the one who searched for me, and tried to talk after the whole thing with Roy. I was the one treating you coolly all these years."
"But after what I did to you, it's understandable. I shouldn't have tried to take Lindsey away."
"It just shows you care for her more than yourself, you knew it would be hard on your relationship but you put your happiness at stake for my family. Greg, I understand everything that happened."
"I understand too Catherine. And now there's nothing I want more then to make up for all the time we wasted these last five years. As soon as I get out of here, let's do something really fun. Let's do loads of really fun things, let's do it all."
"I like the sound of that." she smiled, leaning into kiss him again.
When the frizzy-haired nurse, Laura Mitchells, arrived later to send the visitor home, she found her curled up in the hospital bed with the patient. The pair of them were fast asleep and had their arms wrapped tightly round each other, as if they could never let each other go. She smiled and decided to make allowances, just this once. Hospital procedure was nothing compared to love. Everything was nothing compared to love. She thought of her own husband, in Iraq, fighting for his country. She thought of stolen phone calls and muddy letters, and waiting at the airport with their five year-old daughter. Then she closed the door, leaving the sleeping lovers in peace.
Greg woke up feeling happier than he had done in a long time. Catherine went home to change and eat, then she had to go into work. At the end of shift she brought the rest of them to see Greg, who was getting better quickly. The doctor estimated that he would be out in a few more weeks. Everyone said hello to Greg and asked him how he was feeling, everyone brought presents, again. Catherine still didn't have anything to give him because she'd been too busy waiting for him to get better but he didn't care. They had each other and that was all they needed. As Nick said, in his new hospital playlist, "All You Need Is Love".
"So, Greg and I need to tell you something" Catherine told her friends as they sat around Greg's bed. "And I think the best way to tell you this is to go right back to the beginning."
Everyone nodded, a little confused.
"I didn't live in Montanna until I took this job. I moved around a lot for my mums...business...and one day I ran away. I came to Vegas and I got a job in the French Palace."
People tried to hide their surprise, disguising their gasps as sneezes.
"Anyway, I started drinking and taking...taking drugs. And Lindsey, she isn't the daughter of my ex-boyfriend from Montanna, she's the result of my boss, Grant, abusing me for years."
"Catherine..." Nick began, not believing what he was hearing "how come you never told us this before?"
"I was embarassed." she admitted.
"And where does Greg fit into all this?" Sara asked her.
"He met me one night when he was at the club, anyway he helped me out, a lot. But we had a disagreement so things became kind of...cool...between us."
"So wait, you two had a thing?" Warrick asked, gesturing Catherine and Greg and raising an eyebrow.
"Do. Not did." Catherine told him.
"Greg, is this true?" Sara asked, trying to take it all in.
"Yes, it is true. Catherine and I are together."
"Since when?" Nick wanted to know.
"Since yesterday when we worked things out." Greg told them, taking Catherines hand.
"Another thing, that bullet was meant for me." Catherine told her teamates. "Greg jumped in front of the gun."
There were more gasps and then Nick and Warrick patted Greg on the back.
"I can't believe I didn't see this. I had no idea you two had any sort of a history at all." Sara said.
"We were always very professional" Greg grinned.
"Grissom" Catherine asked, looking at their suspervisor. "Do you have anything you'd like to add to this conversation?"
"I never had a clue. None of us did. We're trained investigators and we never guessed. Looking at you now though it all makes sense. I wish you the best of luck."
"Thank you." Greg said, wrapping his arm around Catherine.
They all left half an hour later and Catherine stayed until it was time to go pick up Lindsey from school. Greg didn't mind. It was actually nice to have some alone time. There would be plenty of time to see the world later.