Howdy! Here is the 2nd part of the last part - Grissom's first night back - with, hopefully, some nice touches. Grissom is a new man - more confident, more like his old self and he's doing what I always liked to see him do - smile.

I appreciate all the reviews and thank everyone for being so uplifting. Thanks to: TessTrueHeart, SarahmUK, Sonoali-aka GrissomLover, stlouiegal, SevernSound, leah-audresgramma, onthecorner, Hithui, was spratlurid quimby and, of course, Nancy 1. You guys are the best!

Onward ~


Part 43 – 11:38pm

Catherine

I leave the boys behind discussing the virtues of the cat condo and make my way toward Sheriff Elam's office. I'm in no hurry. He can wait. Technically, I'm not even on the clock yet.

Besides I know what he wants to talk about.

I feel pretty smug. I could say it's a woman's intuition but that would only be part of it . . . the early part before I got a call four days ago inviting me out to breakfast. I accepted, of course. Left straight from work, went home and got Lindsey off to school then hurried over to the Jim Dandy diner to find Gil waving at me from across the room with a big smile on his face. My, he looks good. Of course visions of his bare ass fly through my head which makes me giggle as I head his way.

"Catherine," he said as he stood. I couldn't help myself and hugged him. Surprise, surprise when he returned it. "Thank you for coming."

"How could I not," I said sliding into the seat opposite him. "A good looking man offers to buy me breakfast. I'm in."

He chuckled and shook his head looking up as the waitress sauntered over.

"You want your regular, bugman?" she asked of him.

"No, Darla. Today I'm going to have French Toast with syrup."

"Fancy, fancy," she said with a grin before turning to me. "And what can I get for you? Please say it's not a fruit salad 'cause you're fit enough already."

I laughed out loud. "I'm going to have the same thing as Fancy Pants except I'll have boysenberry jelly instead of syrup."

"Now you're talking," Darla said relieving us of our menus. "Chocolate milk and juice for you," she said pointing at Gil, "and a mocha latte for you, right?"

I gave a slight shake of the head. "You're good."

"That's why they pay me the big bucks. I'll be back in a few with your drinks."

And she was off and I was smiling at Gil. "Bugman, huh?"

He shrugged but the grin never left his face. "I've been here a few times."

I shook my head and laid a napkin in my lap before facing him again. "So, work or pleasure?" He frowned. "This. Breakfast. Work or pleasure?"

"Ah," is all he said folding his hands on top of the table. "A little of both." Darla came back with our drinks and he downed half his juice as she left.

"Don't get brain freeze or anything trying to tell me you love me," I quipped, giggling at the look on his face then began to worry when he started coughing. I got up but stopped when he held up a hand. Sitting back down, I waited.

"You," he began, clearing his throat, "are, what my mother calls, a caution."

I laughed. "I like your mother already."

He grinned, coughed some more then gave me a serious look. "I wanted you to know I take great pleasure in your company, Catherine. Always have. And I wanted to thank you for everything you've ever done for me, especially these last few months."

Very solemn was that statement so I had to curb my natural tendency to make fun. Not that I didn't think he meant it, it's just, well, I didn't want him to be serious. He'd spent the last three plus months being serious, dangerously serious and I didn't like having to remember that time any more than I had to. So I tempered my smile and held his gaze.

"That's what friends do, Gil," I answered sincerely.

But he just shook his head. "It was far more than that. You offered to help me and I ignored it."

"That's . . ."

"And I'm sure you covered for me many times before I . . . Well, before I did a foolish thing."

The side of his mouth went up at that understatement of the year.

"Like I said that's what friends do," I repeated.

"I left you to deal with Ecklie," he added.

I pointed at him then narrowed my eyes. "That was . . ." I paused and he winced. ". . . the most fun I've had in a long time."

Eyes widening, his face relaxed as he chuckled. "Only you, Catherine."

"Hey, I don't take his shit and he knows it. Got to where he stayed away which pleased me to no end and everyone else as well."

"Still," he continued, "I wanted to thank you. And the only proper way to do that is to invite you and Lindsey over for dinner Saturday. Mom's cooking pot roast." He grinned then. "Best thing ever."

And gone was the seriousness, back was the Grissom I remembered before Sara walked out – the one with that sparkle in his eye. I'd first seen it after Jim and I found him trapped under the bed with the Kids and there it still was even after all the goings on at his hearing. He was in a good place. Thank God.

I smiled back at him. "Linds and I'll be there."

"Good," he said. "Now onto work stuff."

"Now you've gone and ruined my happy feelings with work talk."

"Oh, I think you'll like this."

His eyes were twinkling.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense," I chastised.

"If you're willing," he began, deliberately drawing it out, "I'd like you to remain as nightshift supervisor."

He said it with such glee that it threw me off. Even more so after the words filtered into my head. I'm pretty sure my shocked stare lasted a tad longer than is really appropriate but I couldn't help it.

Once recovered, I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why?"

"I need to feel my way back," he admitted with a shrug as if that explained everything.

"Okay, does this have anything to do with how the boys shit on you?"

He adamantly shook his head. "No.

"Or the video?" I asked next. "'Cause no one has mentioned that since it first broke and they won't mention it again." And they wouldn't unless they wanted my heels up their ass.

"Catherine . . .."

"Sara. It must be Sara."

He grabbed my hand and gave me that look – the one that yelled SHUT UP very quietly.

"I need to feel my way back to see if this is what I want to continue doing with my life." Oh. "If I go back to being supervisor right now I'll be gone in a day."

"If you join the team, will you be gone in a week?"

He grinned and let go of my hand. "I just need time."

Before he pulled away, I grabbed his fingers and held fast. "Then you shall have it." He smiled and I slowly let go of his hand. "I'll talk to the Sheriff . . ."

"Already have and he agreed that I could go back to being the Field Officer."

My eyes grew narrower still. "Oh, you are a sneaky bastard."

He shrugged. "That's why you love me."

"I'll give you that," I said with a laugh. "Field Officer. Wow. Like old times."

"Better times," he answered. "More fun times."

"You're sure now?"

"Yeah. This wasn't a hard decision, Catherine. Once I made it, everything just felt right. And I'm all about things feeling right nowadays."

He smiled and I smiled with him. This was the Gil I knew and loved. He'd been missing for some time. I was so very glad to have him back.

"Here you go, honey," Darla said as she approached. Laying a plate in front of Gil she then put mine down. It looked good. "Stuff yourselves 'cause you never know what the rest of the day'll bring."

She smiled then left and I dug in.

Yummy.

I think I'm coming back.

The rest of the breakfast was filled with Simon, Hank and the Kids stories, his mom and Paul stories. I filled him in on a drunk who drove his car all the way to Reno and back and didn't know there was a body draped over his engine (under the hood) until his car started to overheat. That kept us in the diner for a good two hours until I gave him all the info. And I mean all. It was like watching a man reborn.

And I liked it.

"Hey, where you headed with that smile on your face?" comes Jim's voice from behind drawing me back to the present.

"Been called to the Sheriff's office."

"Oh?" We walk a few steps. "Hot date?" I laugh and he grins.

"Not this time," I quip with a waggle of my brows making him laugh. "He wants to talk to me about something."

"And you know exactly what it's about don't you?" he asks as I just grin. "I thought so. Well, I'll find out soon enough. Gonna go wait for Gil. Make sure he actually comes into the building when he gets here. Have fun."

He waves and peels off and I just keep going.

I hope Ecklie's there.

That would be a blast.

Sara – 11:40pm

"You do know that staring at a watch is like waiting for a pot to boil, right?"

I startle a bit then blush when Warrick smiles at me.

I admit it. I'm excited. I mean, I'm really excited.

Gil is coming back to work.

If I could get away with it I'd leap around like a fool and yell YIPPEE! at the top of my lungs. But then I'd have to put up with laughs and comments all night. And not just all night but all year!

But it would be worth it.

"Now you're grinning. And I know it's about Grissom."

I glance over at him and blush again and he just wraps his arm about me and pulls me close.

"Obviously things are going good between you two? Not that I'm prying or anything."

Do I say anything? Wouldn't that be like fiddling with the balance of things if I shout out a big fat YES! and all the good things we've been achieving dance away out of sight? I never was very superstitious. You know not stepping on a crack or hope a black cat doesn't cross my path. Walking under a ladder I get. That's just dumb. But now . . . Everything is so new, so tentative, so breakable. Do I dare share my hopeful desires with anyone except my crystal unicorn and Philip Kane?

Ah, what the hell.

"Yeah, yeah they are," I say and wait.

But the world doesn't end and I don't shatter into a thousand pieces.

Well, not yet anyway.

"I'm glad," Warrick says with a nod, hesitates then lets me go, clasping his hands in front of him.

"But?" I ask not really wanting to hear anything after that word.

"Second chances are a gift, Sara," he says, those beautiful eyes locked on mine. "I know from personal experience." A small smile comes at me then. "It's very rare to get a third."

Slowly, I nod. I do know that. I know that very well.

He pats my shoulder then backs away. "Better check your watch. I think a full minute may have passed."

I laugh and so does he before heading down the corridor, leaving me to, yeah, look at my watch.

Nineteen minutes left.

I should get to work on the Carlson case because it would probably make Gil uncomfortable to find me staring at the door when he comes in and he's going to be uneasy anyway and that won't help. We've been having regular sessions with Philip and everything is getting easier but I don't want him to think that I'm lying in wait like some stalker because I was never going to do that, ever.

I need to breathe.

Waving a hand in front of my face, like that'll do any good, I head toward the evidence room, mumbling to myself, wondering if I'll even make it through this shift without squealing.

Well, there's so much to squeal about!

First, it's been very hard to keep quiet about his new position but I can't spoil it. He called me and told me. I know Catherine already knows but she has to. I'm just tickled he let me know before she announced it. I don't do stunned very well. I always look like a fish with a gaping mouth. Very unattractive.

And we've been to lunch a few times since he came home. He's regaled me with how Jim 'Jaws' Brass got his new nickname. He laughed while telling me that, for a second, he thought he was going to become one with the ocean once Jim got back on deck. And how he quietly, in that oh so deep menacing voice I've heard on occasion, threatened that dweeby prosecutor who dared to bring charges in L.A. It surprised him how good that made him feel and how it probably shouldn't. But the biggest thing he told me about was becoming a pseudo uncle to Simon and a member of the Remington family. He beamed with pride when he laid that on me. The look reminded me of when he showed me he owned part of Trigger.

I laid my hand over his after he told me that one and gave him a wide smile only to lose it quickly when I realized what I'd done. I'd tried to pull away but he rested his other hand atop mine. I was trapped and didn't know what to do.

"I'm sorry," stuttered out of me as I looked away from those blue, blue eyes.

"Why?" he asked his question making me look back up.

His head was tilted, his lips pursed and he looked genuinely puzzled. I let out a long breath.

"Because I promised you I wouldn't push." I grimaced reliving all of that horrible time in the space of a second.

"And so resting your hand on mine is pushing?" he asked.

"Gil," I started but nothing followed.

"Now this might be considered pushing," he said next then did something that made my heart leap.

Lifting his hand from the back of mine, he then turned over the one I'd captured and wrapped his fingers around mine. His thumb rubbed gently across the top of my hand and I shivered. All I could do was stare at what I thought I'd never see again.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked in a soft voice and I silently shook my head feeling my eyes fill with tears. Despite my efforts one slid slowly down my cheek and I hastily wiped it away. I felt him relax his hold and start to pull away.

"Don't," I said looking back up at him. He hesitated then tightened his grip, throwing in his other hand to wrap completely about my mine.

We sat like that, not saying a word, for what seemed like forever. At least until a phone rang, a ring I didn't actually hear the first time.

"Sara," he said. "Sara?"

"Huh?"

A small smile appeared. "Your phone's ringing."

"My phone?" He only nodded. "My phone," I repeated using my free hand to pull it out of my jacket. Less than 20 seconds later the call was over and the bubble had burst. "A court date for tomorrow's been moved up to today."

"Duty calls," he said.

I stared at our hands and so did he. Neither of us moved.

"I should . . . really go," I added but still didn't let go.

"Yeah." Then he blinked a couple of times. "Um, yeah. Right," fumbled out of him and we ended up letting go at the same time. "I've got to go shopping with Mom. She wants to get Paul something to remind him of their trip."

"Are they heading home?" I hoped not. They were good for Gil.

"Not for another couple of weeks, at least," he said with a grin. "I think mom's happy to stay longer. She likes taking care of me. Her words," he admitted with a shrug. "And I like it, too." He smiled then. "And Paul can't wait for me to get back to work so he can tag along. He's becoming quite the entomologist."

He laughed then and we were back to where we'd started, before I'd grabbed his hand, two people starting to feel comfortable with each other again. I never thought I'd be in that position again.

And now he's coming back to work in . . . 12 minutes.

Oh, I squealed.

Don't care.

I may just do it again.

Grissom – 11:48

Well, here I am in the parking lot.

The parking lot on Westfall Avenue.

Westfall Avenue where my job is waiting for me.

Where my ass is sitting in my car and I can't seem to open the door . . . and there goes my phone right on cue.

"Yes, Paul," I say. "No, I'm still in the car." I rub my eyes. "I do plan to get out of the car, yes." I take in a deep breath and blow it out slowly. "At some point, yes." I grin. "A song of encouragement is exactly what I need right about now, thank you."

My grin grows into a smile then a laugh when I not only hear Paul and Mom but Hank and the Kids chiming in with "Good Vibrations". So I join in. Of all the other times they've done this for me, I think this one is the best.

I stop singing and laughing long enough to thank them then tell them to go to bed, it's late, before putting my phone away. And, precisely at that moment, someone taps on my window and I nearly have a heart attack.

"You coming in or what?" comes Jim's muffled voice through the glass.

He steps back as I open the door. "Christ, Jim," I curse at him. "You almost had a crime scene here."

He holds his hands up. "What?" he says tossing a perfectly bewildered look at me.

Deciding there's no way to make a graceful exit now, I get out of the car, close and lock the door, then zip up my jacket against the evening breeze. Hands tucking away in pockets, my fingers find the small quartz Philosopher's Stone Simon sent me for good luck and I hold it tightly.

"You ready?" he asks.

I let out a breath. "I still have ten minutes."

I wait for him to say something like 'if you fall of a horse you get right back on' or 'no time like the present' or 'fall seven times, stand up eight'. Instead, he leans back against the car, crosses his arms over his chest and glances up at the night sky.

"Then let us stargaze for a bit and think on how long it would actually take to reach Mars."

"150 to 300 days," I answer automatically leaning back next to him and turning my gaze to the darkness above.

"Oh?"

I nod. "Depending upon the launch speed, how Earth and Mars are aligned, and how much fuel you're willing to spend to get there." I look over at him seeing a hint of a grin. "More fuel, shorter travel time." He chuckles and shakes his head. "Well, it makes sense from a logical standpoint," I answer as he pats me on the arm.

"Man, I missed this."

"What?" I ask with a frown.

He smiles. "I missed you walking up to me on a scene and tossing out some quote or random fact that, at first glance, seems misplaced. It's not 'til an hour or more later it hits me how perfectly it fit."

"A quote or factoid should never be wasted." He laughs then. "I'm serious."

"I know," he responds wiping at his eyes. "And that's what I missed. You, Gil. I missed you. Welcome back."

I grin. "It's nice to be missed."

He raises his eyebrows at me. "This from the man who doesn't want cake in the breakroom on his last day?"

"Well, is it white cake with chocolate frosting?" I deadpan. "Because I usually can't pass that up."

He laughs again then nearly doubles over and I wonder if he's as nervous as I am. We've been through a lot, Jim and I, over the years but, especially just recently. I'll never be able to repay him for what he did for me in L.A. but I figure he's not expecting me to. Doesn't mean I won't try.

"Hey, Grissom!" comes at me and I turn to see Bobby Dawson running toward the front door. "Glad you're back!" he shouts over his shoulder before slipping inside.

"One down about 40 to go," Jim throws out there as he wipes at his face once again. I frown at him as he looks at me. "There's your team, all the Lab Rats, Al, the Sheriff." My brow rises. "He really likes you." My brow rises further. "Me. Um, all my guys, Doris the 911 operator. Oh, then there's Tina, that gal at the courthouse. She asked me about you the other day. There's Wanda down at the coffee cart who wanted me to remind you she owes you three cinnamon rolls for finding Ruby, whatever that means."

"Her cat," I say and now it's his turn to frown. "Ruby is her cat."

"Okay. Oh, there was somebody else," he says holding a finger against his bottom lip. "Taylor over on 7th under the bridge," he says pointing in that direction. "Wants me to thank you for the hand me downs. He thinks you're cool."

I shrug. I had some old clothes. He helped me on a case. If that makes me cool, so be it.

"What about Judy?" I ask since she was the only one left he hadn't mentioned.

"Oh, she's been smiling all week and making sure your office is dust free, which Catherine appreciates. And I saw a big bunch of flowers courtesy of Director Germen and his team waiting for you at her desk." I look at him. "That's right. I read the card. Sue me."

I chuckle then grab my phone as it vibrates. My chuckle turns into a smile.

"Who's it from?" Jim asks.

"#41, 42, 43 and 44 of my well-wishers - Clara, Mitch, Simon and Hairy telling me, and I quote, 'kick ass and take names'."

"Ah, a sentiment I live my life by."

"It seems to work for you," I agree and we both nod. I pocket my phone then push away from the car. "Well, shall we go in?"

"Only if you're ready, Gil."

Only if I'm ready. And how many times have I asked myself that this last week alone? I stopped counting at 148. Okay it was more like 321.

I suck in a breath, let it out slowly and lean back against the car.

"Is it good news or bad?" he asks and I look over at him. For being so enigmatic, he can sure read me like a book.

"Good news," I answer. "For me, anyway."

"Then out with it."

I shift my gaze over to him. He looks worried. "I've decided to come back as the Field Officer," I say. "Catherine will remain supervisor for the foreseeable future."

Slowly, he nods, the worry gone. "Going back to your old position. Good plan. Have you told Sara?"

I'm so glad I have friends who look out for me. "Yes," I answer and he grins.

"Annie reminded you didn't she?"

I open my mouth to respond and realize I don't have to. He's got that knowing look in his eyes. Instead I push away from the car and take that first step toward the door before glancing over my shoulder. "Coming?" I simply ask.

Jim grins and follows after me. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Then suddenly the door is in front of me. It seemed farther away just a minute ago. Jim opens it and we step inside.

And the first thing that greets us?

"Dr. Grissom," Judy says with a big smile as she holds out a large vase of flowers. "Welcome back. We've missed you terribly."

"It's good to be back," tumbles out of me without thought.

"Gil," comes Al's voice as he ambles over reaching out to shake my hand, David Philips standing behind him.

Then they're all there – Warrick, Hodges, Wendy, Sheriff Elam with Catherine next to him, Archie, Mandy along with Greg and Nick hiding behind Sofia, both giving me little waves when I catch their eye. I aim a pointed look at Jim and he quickly nods toward Bobby who mouths 'sorry'. It makes me chuckle then grabs at my heart that these people seem genuinely pleased to see me. They'll never know how much all this means to me.

But there's someone missing and I glance toward Catherine who tilts her head to the right and I look in that direction. And there she is standing silently in the back, a very fake stunned look on her face soon replaced with a giant smile and all my nerves fall away.

As of this moment I'm sure glad mom talked me out of buying that fishing boat.


Okie dokie. Our boy is back at work. Will he like his new position? Will he decide he'd rather be the supervisor? Will he quit? Who knows what goes on in the mind of Gil Grissom. I don't even know. He is his own man and I just go along with it.

If any of you have any suggestions, feel free to enlighten me. I'm always open to new ideas and new directions.

Please review and thanks for reading. :-)