When he stood, she threw her arms around him and kissed him with a passion and intensity that startled him for a split second. He quickly returned the kiss with the same fervor she had. She was so caught up in the moment that she was only remotely aware that the entire restaurant erupted into applause. The kiss lasted until she broke it to breathe. She looked deep into he brown eyes and saw nothing but love for her.
As the background came into focus, she noticed the CSIs approaching. Both the day and the night-shift were there, expressing their congratulations, and every one of them was genuinely excited for the young couple. Beth scanned the crowd looking for a particular face, but was disappointed when she couldn't find it. Everyone was there except for Grissom.
"Greg, I see everyone here, except for Grissom. Do you know why he's not here?" But even as she was whispering to her fiancé, she found who she was looking for. Grissom had hid himself among the crowd. She excused herself from Greg's arm, and headed over to her good friend. When she approached him, she knew why he had remained in the back. His eyes were red, as though he had been crying. He must have seen her coming, because he turned his head and wiped his eyes. "Grissom, are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm fine."
"You were crying."
Grissom sighed. "You and Greg are like the children that I never had. Did you know that he asked me if he could propose to you? He asked me. He told me that he had asked your parents and they approved, but he said that he wouldn't have felt right without asking me, too. Beth, what did I ever do to deserve you two?"
"Gil, you didn't do anything. I think you just put too much pressure on yourself. But that's for another day. Don't question why or how life happens, just be glad that it does."
"I believe that I'm rubbing off on you."
"Why do you say that?"
"I'm usually the one who uses the seemingly paradoxical words of wisdom."
"Yea, I guess that would be you." Beth smiled. The smile quickly faded as a thought took root in her mind. "Oh, Grissom, can you wait here for just a minute?"
"Sure." Even as he said it, Beth was turning to leave. He watched her as she walked towards Greg. He found himself thinking that the two were perfect for each other. When she approached him, she took hold of his hand. He turned his head to her, and she whispered something in his ear to which he nodded, smiling. She then turned to walk back towards Grissom, letting go of Greg's hand only when she had walked a few steps away from him.
Grissom was brought back to reality when he heard Beth's voice. "Gil Grissom, would you care to dance?"
"Beth, I'm not a very good dancer..."
Beth took Grissom's hand and led him onto the dance floor. A song she didn't recognize began to play and she began to slow dance with the man who could easily have been her father. People cleared off of the dance floor when they saw the two dancing. Only those on the night-shift knew the utter significance of this moment, but others seemed to catch on quickly. A silence fell over the restaurant as the people watched the two dance.
They danced in a silence that spoke volumes. She knew how much he loved them, and she wanted so much to help him see how much they loved him.
The song finally came to an end and she kissed him on the cheek. She told him that no matter what, she would she would always be there for him. He hugged her, and without saying anything, he turned to leave. But before he left, a thought entered her head. "Grissom, I want you to come over to Greg's house for an informal celebration of our engagement. Will you come?"
"Beth, I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Then I'll see you at Greg's house in about half an hour or so?"
"I'll be there." He then turned to leave so that she wouldn't see the tears that now began to flow freely from his eyes. She let him go, knowing that he needed time to gather himself.
She watched him leave, and when he was out of her sight, she returned to Greg's side. She joined him in his conversation, and nearly forgot about her invitation to Gil. She didn't remember until about ten minutes had passed. "Greg, I almost forgot! I invited Grissom over to your house for an informal engagement celebration. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all. In fact, let's invite everyone over. What time did you tell Grissom to be there?"
"Well, I told him half an hour, but that was about fifteen minutes ago."
"Okay." He excused himself from the conversation, and addressed the small crowd of people. "I just want to let you all know that there will be a party at my house in about fifteen minutes. If you're lucky enough and/or you promise to get us good gifts at the wedding, I might cook for you tonight."
"Hey, I've heard nothing but good things about your cooking Greg. I'm there." The voice was unmistakably that of Jim Brass, and everyone laughed.
"Anyone who doesn't know how to get to my place can follow Beth and me. We'll be leaving shortly."
Greg paid for the meal as Beth picked up their things. They met in the front lobby where a small crowd had gathered. "So who here is following me?" Greg asked. A few people raised their hands. "Alright, let's get outta here."