Catherine busied herself making dinner for her tribe. Gil had disappeared to check on the kids.

She was so lucky to have him in her life. She thanked her lucky stars every day for him.

After the children had gone upstairs, he had just held her in his arms. She had needed that. She had needed him.

Still did.

"Can I help? Gil asked, coming into the kitchen.

Catherine smiled at him. "Sure. I always love your help."

Gil grinned and sidled up beside her, his lips pressing against hers. "Is that because I have my own special brand of help?"

Catherine looked thoughtful. "That might have something to do with it."

Gil pushed her hair from her eyes. "You doing okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Earlier…you holding me…it helped."

"I'm glad to help anytime," Gil assured her. "We'll get through this, Cath. I promise."

"Geez, you guys still make out?" Lindsey said, walking in and wrinkling her nose.

"Your mother and I have a very active sex life," Gil teased.

"EWWWW! Dad!" Lindsey groaned.

"Well where do you think your brothers and sister came from?" Catherine asked, enjoying the teasing.

"I prefer to think about the stork," Lindsey replied.

"You're a medical student," Gil said, confused.

"Dad, trust me, no kid wants to think about their parents having sex."

"EWWW!" Lizzie said, covering her ears. "I heard that."

Gil and Catherine shared a look.

"See," Lindsey replied.

"Where are the boys?" Catherine asked, changing the subject.

"Jamie's in the bug museum. And Max and Matt are sulking in Matt's room," Lizzie answered.

"You take Jamie," Catherine told her husband. "I'll talk to the other two."

Gil took her hand. "Cath…"

"I'm fine," she assured him, kissing his hand. "I'm fine."

Catherine stood at the door of Matthew's room. She could hear Max and Matthew talking to each other inside.

She pushed open the door slightly, looking at her boys. "Matt? Max?"

The two boys looked up from where they were sprawled on the bed together.

"What?" Matt asked, anger still evident in his voice.

"I…I just wanted to see how you two were doing," she murmured, leaning in the doorway. She wasn't game to go into the room. Not yet.

"How can you let this happen?" Max asked. "It's not fair!"

Catherine felt her heart shatter into little pieces. "I don't want this to happen anymore than you do."

"Then why is it?"

"I can't stop everything. Believe me, I've tried."

"They can't make me go and live with her," Matt growled. "I'll run away if they do and no one will ever find me!"

"I'll go with you!" Max piped up.

"That's not the answer," Catherine said. "I promise I'm going to do everything I can to keep you with us, Matt. You're my son, and I won't let you go without a fight."

"Then why is this happening?"

Catherine sighed. "I don't know, Matt. I wish I did. I wish there was something I could do to stop it. I wish there was something I could do to make it all go away. But I can't. There's nothing I can do. But I promise you, that I will fight. Because no one tries to tear up my family without me doing something about it." She went over to her boys and sat on the bed, staring them in the eyes. "I promise."

Max scrambled over the bed and into his mother's arms, burying his head against her body. Catherine held him close, stroking his hair with her hand. She watched Matt for a moment, waiting for his reaction.

"I'll fight too, mom," Matt finally said. "She can't take me without a fight."

"We all will!" Max finally piped up. He formed fists with his hands. "No one messes with my brother!"

Gil stood in the doorway of the basement, watching his son. Jamie was sitting on a stool, his eyes staring into the little home that they had created for Kermit, his new frog.

"Jamie?"

The boy looked up and smiled slightly. "Hey, Dad. I was just checking on Kermit."

"Do you think he likes living here?"

Jamie pretended to listen to the frog. "He says it's not too bad."

Gil grinned. "My son the frog-whisperer." He walked across and sat on the stool next to his son. "Are you okay?"

"Matt is going away."

"No, he's not," Gil said firmly. "Your mom and I are going to do everything we can to keep him here."

"Okay, so he might be going away."

"I hope not."

"Mom isn't Matt's real mom."

"She's not his biological mom, no."

"That lady, Sara, is?"

"That's right."

"And you're Matt's real dad?"

Gil nodded.

Jamie looked up at his father. "Were you and Sara married?"

Gil bit his lip. He hadn't expected a question like this. "No."

Jamie looked back at Kermit. "Max thought that Sara was a hooker like in that movie."

Gil resisted the urge to ask which movie. "No, she's not."

"Do you love Sara?"

"No."

"But you love mom, right?"

Gil nodded. "I love your mother more than anything in the world. She's very, very special to me." He smiled. "To prove it, we have you kids."

Jamie looked perplexed. "But Dad, if that theory was true, then you did love Sara."

Gil was torn. Sometimes he wished Jamie hadn't been so smart. "Jamie…it's very complicated. Sometimes things happen in life that we don't expect. I wouldn't regret having Matthew for anything in the world. But I don't love Sara. I love your mom."

Jamie finally nodded. "Okay." He looked at his father. "I think I'm going to go upstairs and see Matt now."

Gil nodded. "Okay. Anytime you need to talk, your mom and I are here for you."

Jamie smiled. "Thanks, Dad." He hugged Gil and went upstairs.

Gil walked upstairs from the bug museum. He checked in the kitchen, where he saw Lindsey and Lizzie working on dinner. He continued upstairs, finding the three boys in Matt's room, playing video games. Finally, he entered his bedroom, where he found Catherine rooting through the wardrobe.

He walked up behind her and took her in his arms.

"Gil…wha…?"

Before she could say anything, Gil pressed her against the wall and kissed her deeply. Catherine moaned and moved against him, giving back as good as she got.

"I love you," Gil said, when they finally broke apart. "I love you so much."

Catherine's eyes widened, then softened. "I love you too. Just as much." She kissed him gently on the cheek. "Are you okay?"

"Jamie and I had a talk about love and you and Sara."

Catherine looked concerned. "Tell me more."

"Basically, our conclusion is that I love you, and as proof we have our beautiful children. And I don't love Sara, and I don't regret having Matt. Then I said it was complicated."

"Ain't that the truth," Catherine muttered.

Gil caressed her cheek. "How are the boys?"

Catherine nodded. "They're going to be fine."

"Lindsey and Lizzie are making dinner."

"I should go help them," Catherine said. When she tried to move from Gil's arms, she found herself pinned there. "Honey, you have to actually let me go so I can go help them."

"They can do it themselves. I just want to hold you for awhile."

Catherine looked at him curiously. "Gil?"

"If nothing else, this is going to teach me how precious my family is." He looked down at her. "How precious you are to me."

Catherine smiled softly at him, her fingers toying with the curls at the back of his head. "I know that. You tell me everyday."

"Just never forget it."

She hugged him, content in his arms. "I won't."

"We're going to get through this, Cath."

Catherine nodded. "I know." She kissed him softly. "I know."

Gil bent down and kissed her again. "I love you Catherine Grissom."

"I love you, Gil Grissom." She leaned up. "Forever."

TBC