Disclaimer: Any publicly recognisable characters do not belong to me.
Notes: Sequel to "The Pool". I am working on the prequel as requested but it's taking me a little longer than I expected. Also, I have been told that I could do with a beta reader and I totally agree. So, if anyone would be willing to do that for me I would greatly appreciate it.
RAIN
Catherine Willows stood at the side of the road and just watched the rain hit the puddle in front of her. It rarely rained in Las Vegas but when it did it rained as if it was never going to stop.
She was so lost in thought that she never heard Gil Grissom come up behind her. "You okay, Cath?" he asked.
She sighed. "I hate the rain. It's so depressing."
"I know what you mean. It's totally ruined my crime scene."
Catherine smiled, that was typical of him. He was always thinking about the evidence. "I wasn't talking about the crime scene, Gil. I was just talking in general."
He looked confused. "What's so depressing about rain? Without rain there would be no flowers, no tress, no anything. Rain is life, Catherine."
He looked so serious standing there, extolling the virtues of rain that Catherine had to laugh.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Nothing, I just remembered why I fell in love with you." It felt so good to finally be able to say those words. She had loved him for so long but it was only recently that they had admitted how they felt to each other. It had come as more of a surprise to them than it did to anybody else. Apparently, all their friends had worked it out long ago and had even had a pool running on when they would finally give in and admit it.
He smiled, leant down and gently kissed her. "Don't you forget it, either." He suddenly looked up and realised everybody had stopped working because of the rain and came to a decision. It was something he had been thinking about doing for a while and it just seemed as if the time was right to finally do it.
Grissom briefly kissed her again and whispered in her ear. "Wait right here, I'll be right back. Okay?"
Catherine was thoroughly confused. "Okay."
Gil was still smiling as he walked over to the car, took something out of the glove compartment and started to walk back to Catherine, bringing Nick, Sara and Warrick with him.
By the time he got back to Catherine the three younger CSI's were just as confused as she was.
"Catherine do you have any idea what's going on?" Sara asked. "Grissom won't tell us what he wants us for."
Catherine shook her head. "I don't have the faintest idea." She turned to Grissom. "Gil?"
"Just wait a minute and I'll tell you. I'm just waiting for Brass and then I'll put you out of your misery." He refused to say anything after that, just stood there with his hands in his pockets and humming.
Brass came hurrying over. "What's up, Grissom? I was told you needed to see me."
Gil smiled. "I'm glad you're all here, I want you to witness something."
Everybody was thoroughly confused by now. "Gil," Catherine said impatiently. "What the hell is going on?"
He didn't say anything, just took her hand and led her over to the bench by the side of road, motioning for the others to follow.
When he sat her down and moved to stand in front of her and he heard Sara exclaim "Oh my God!" and he smiled. Trust her to figure it out before anybody else. He knew that when it finally came time for him to leave he would be leaving the department in good hands.
He could hear a lot of whispering behind him and he knew Sara was filling them in on what he was about to do. He turned to face them with a smile and a lifted eyebrow. "Do you mind?" he said quietly.
"Sorry, Gris." They all mumbled at the same time.
Catherine was still sitting on the bench and getting more confused by the second. "Gil," she said. "What are you doing?"
He turned around to face her, took a deep breath and dropped to one knew in front of the bench. He heard Catherine gasp as she finally realised what he was doing and he looked up to see silent tears running down her face.
"Catherine Marie Willows," he said, pulling the little black box out of his pocket and holding it out to her. "Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"
She never answered him with words, just placed both hands on the side of his face and kissed him with all the love she had in her heart. "Does that answer your question?" she asked, when they finally broke off the kiss.
Gil, unable for perhaps the first time in his life to speak, just nodded and placed the ring on her finger before kissing her again. They were so caught up in each other that they didn't notice the assembled police and bystanders clapping and cheering until they finally came up for air.
Catherine looked over at their friends and was amazed to see Sara crying while the guys were just standing there grinning. She smiled and walked over to her. "I really hope you stop crying soon, Sara." She said, seriously.
"Why?"
"Well, I can't have my maid of honour walking down the aisle with a blotchy face, can I? " Catherine said and laughed at the expression on Sara's face.
Sara just hugged her and burst into tears again, which made Catherine start crying. The four men were standing there watching them, totally confused.
"What are they crying for?" Warrick asked.
"They're crying because they're happy," Gil explained patiently.
"I will never understand why women cry when they're happy just as easily as they do when they're sad," Nick muttered under as his breath as Catherine and Sara walked over to them.
"Hey guys," Catherine said, still smiling.
They stepped forward one by one to hug her and give their congratulations and she found herself in the middle of a big group hug.
Grissom cleared his throat. "Would you lot mind getting your hands off my fiancée?" he asked with a smile.
When Catherine emerged from the hug she was flushed and laughing. "Aw Gil, what did you have to go and say that for? I was enjoying myself."
He just smiled and muttered something about a couple of junior CSI's who were going to find themselves very busy over the next couple of weeks if they didn't keep their hands to themselves.
Sara turned to Grissom and Catherine and smiled. "Why don't you two take the rest of the night off, go home and break the news to Lindsey. We candle this." She turned to include the guys in her statement. "Right?" she asked.
They all nodded. "Absolutely," Warrick said. "You go ahead. We'll be fine."
"Thanks guys," Catherine said. "That's nice of you." She grabbed Gil's hand and practically dragged him over to the car.
They turned back when they heard Nick call out. "Hey Gris, we won't hold it against you if you don't turn up for work next shift." Even through the rain and from across the parking lot, they could see the smile on his face as they got into the car and drove away.
Three hours later, after finally getting a very excited little girl off to sleep, Catherine stood on her front porch, staring at the rain and thinking.
She was so lost in thought that she never heard Gil come up behind her. "You okay, Cath?" he asked.
She sighed and leaned back against him as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I was just thinking."
"What about?" he asked, gently kissing the back of her neck,
"How much I love the rain," she answered with a smile as she turned and led him indoors.
The End.
A/N: I've been told that I got a few names wrong in the previous story; hopefully I've got everything right this time around.
I have absolutely no idea what Catherine's middle name but I've gone with Marie because she just seems like a Marie (just one more reason why I need a beta reader).
Please, please, please read and review.