Love Comes Softly

Chapter Seven



Author's Notes: Awww, we get a sweet/romantic/sappy scene in this one! Wait a minute..we get two!

Thanks goes to Tash, as always, because she's just so great at making me want to write the next chapter. And she gave me those ideas! Thanks also goes to anyone who bothered to R&R, you have no idea how happy it makes me!

Disclaimers: The song "Whisper My Name" belongs to Randy Travis and his production company.

Enjoy.



She padded slowly up to his doorway, her hands shaking violently. Gently scolding herself for being so nervous, she took several deep breaths and tried to get brave enough to ring his doorbell. She had only been one day without him, but already it felt like an eternity.

When she finally did get the nerve to ring the bell, he opened the door almost immediately. His hair was in its usual style, sticking up just the way she liked it. His shirt was mis-buttoned, his eyes wide and shining.

"Catherine.." He whispered to her.

I heard a freight train out across the way

I heard a woman sing Amazing Grace

I heard a night bird call to its mate

When I heard you whisper my name

I heard freedom break its chain

I heard a heart beat where once no sound remained

I heard angels rise and praise

When I heard you whisper my name

I heard music bring a heart of stone to tears

I heard peace ring like an anthem through the years

And I heard hatred fall from grace

When I heard you whisper my name

Beating softly against the waves

Fell a sound of an early morning rain

And though the lightning and thunder came

I still heard you whisper my name

And I heard angels rise and praise

When I heard you whisper my name

She tried to smile, but the corners of her mouth wouldn't turn. She was lost in the sight of him, the smell of him, lost in how much she loved him.

He reached forward to hug her, his arms wrapping around her and meeting at the small of her back. "Come in." He said, once she had inhaled his scent.

She was flustered, but did as she was told. She looked at her surroundings as if it were the first time she was seeing them. Warrick's soft, cushiony sofa. His blue, fluffy carpet. The tall steel coat rack where he hung her jacket after he had helped her take it off. He motioned for her to sit down on one of the chairs around the wooden table, but she shook her head, and headed for the sofa.

"I'm sorry, Catherine." He said suddenly, and she jumped. His eyes pleaded with her to forgive him. They shone out at her, so many different colours. She smiled weakly, letting her head fall down to inspect her fingernails.

"Sorry you ran off?" She had meant it to come out as a question, but it sounded like a statement. Like she knew what he was thinking, which she certainly didn't. She wished she did, but she didn't.

"No." The word caught her off guard. He sounded gruff, angry almost. Had she upset him? She looked up at his face, and watched him as he crossed the room and sat down beside her. "No." He said it again, softer, more gentle. He lifted a finger and traced the outline of her jaw, then shook his head.

"Then what? Sorry I said 'I love you'?" She asked, the tears at the corner of her eyes, threatening to spill out. She almost couldn't bear the sadness that lived inside of her, that had been born the minute he walked out of her door.

"No." He repeated, still staring intently at her. And then, he leaned forward, and whispered softly, "Sorry I didn't say it back." His breath felt warm on her face. "I love you."

She smiled, a silent tear falling down her cheek. "I love you, too." She meant it more now than she did the night before, relishing in the feel of his lips on hers.

He kissed her again, the passion escalating. His lips brushed the tears from her face, then he moved down to her chin, her neck, her collarbone. She inhaled deeply, running her fingers through his hair. He grinned as he moved down to the buttons on her blouse, and gently undid them, one by one.

"Warrick, I can't. I told the babysitter I'd be home at ten." He stopped, sighing, and looked at the clock on the wall.

"It's only nine fifty-five." She raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you at work before you came here?"

"Sort of. I went to work, then went home, got changed, and came here."

He grinned. "Aw, you switched shirts just for me?" He teased. "Call the babysitter, Cath. Tell her you'll pay her double if she waits another hour."

"Or triple if she stays the whole night.." Catherine said, reaching over him to grab the phone.

"Now, I like the sounds of that." Warrick commented, fingering her hoop earring while she dialed.

"Hey, Jessica? I was wondering, is there any way you could stay the night at my place? I'll pay triple when I get home tomorrow morning. Something's come up." Catherine nodded, smiling. "Great. Seeya." Hanging up the phone, she turned to Warrick and kissed him. "Jessica doesn't mind."

"Wonderful."

"Can I ask you something?" She asked, and he reluctantly agreed. "Who's that?" She pointed to a picture in a frame on his coffee table, of a young girl smiling happily. The name Mandy came to mind when she saw it, and she wondered why she had never seen the picture before.

"My sister." He answered, kissing her neck.

"She's pretty."

"Catherine..."

"What?" She asked, thinking he was insinuating that she should shut up.

"Marry me." He said. She covered her mouth with her hand and he watched as her eyes got wide.

"Warrick, don't joke around."

"I'm not joking. Marry me." He put a hand on her cheek, waiting for her answer.

"We've only been together for four months!" She exclaimed. It came out the wrong way, and she winced when she saw his hurt expression.

"Never mind, I don't want you to do anything you don't feel comfortable doi-"

"Oh shut up!" She said, and pushed him so he was lying on his back on the couch. She kissed him several times before saying, "Of course I'll marry you, you stupid, stupid man."



"Your elbow is in my eye." Her words cut into the silence of the tranquil morning, and he laughed.

"Sorry." He removed his elbow, then turned to face her and give her a kiss. "Morning."

"Morning." She replied, her voice still crackling from being half- asleep. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine." He flung the blankets off of himself and crawled out of bed. "I'm going to make some coffee, you want any?"

"I'm going to take a shower, actually." She replied, slowly getting out from under the covers and falling on the ground. She moaned. "I'm so tired."

"Sorry for keeping you up so late last night." Grissom apologized with a glint in his eye, reaching over to help her up. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her deeply. He loved this side of himself. "Have a nice shower." He said, letting go of her and walking to the other side of the room.

Sara smiled and said, "Oh no you don't!" Then ran over to where he stood, grabbed his arm and dragged him into the bathroom with her. "It's a big shower, we'll both fit."

Grissom didn't argue with her, just followed her in and closed the door behind him.





Later that morning, they both sat on the love seat on the front porch, basking in the warmth of the beautiful summer day. Gil's hand intertwined with Sara's, her head lay on his shoulder. Two glasses sat on a table in front of them, still full with iced tea. Sara sighed, bringing her free hand up to Gil's face.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him, running the tip of her finger along the bridge of his nose.

"You." He said simply, not moving his eyes from the sky. "And how beautiful you are. How you're making my life complete."

She smiled. "Look at me." He did, and she kissed him, softly and slowly. She then brought her hand down to his chest, and played with one of the buttons on his shirt.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked her, wondering how she could be so delicious in a pair of blue flannel pajamas.

"How much you smell like roses." She laughed as he crinkled his nose in disgust.

"I knew I shouldn't have sat in the garden with you. Now I smell like a woman." He complained.

"Yes, but a manly woman." She said, her attempts at reassuring him purposely pathetic.

"That's an oxymoron."

"Oh, blah blah." She said, once again resting her head on his shoulder. "You liked the garden, just admit it."

"I will do no such thing." He said defiantly, and kissed the top of her head. "Mm, you smell like roses, too."

"That's just my shampoo. And it's 'Wild flowers', not roses."

"Right. How silly of me." She giggled, loving the way they could joke around with each other. Sighing, she wrapped her arm around his waist, pulling him tighter against her. "What?" He asked when she grinned at him.

"Just thinking how lucky I am to have a man who will risk smelling unmanly just to make me happy."

He kissed her, running his fingers through her hair. "Well, don't make a habit out of it."