TITLE: Restless
AUTHOR: RaeAnne
DISCLAIMER: See chapter one

A/N: Wow, chapter three already, I hope everyone likes it. I appreciate so much the feedback from everyone; it seems that Catherine/Gil stories are not the majority favorite lol :-) So thank you again for the support! –RaeAnne

Julie(StrawberryBlondeHazelEyes): I am so glad you're enjoying the story, I have had that same thing happen to me, I have read a story and be all but finished and am actually singing the song in my head then when I am all done realize "that was my favorite song!" and not even noticed it. I end up having to go reread it lol. Thanks for your review! –RA
Thanks too to, Wiily, and Hubba you're reviews are greatly appreciated.

CHAPTER THREE:
Restless

"We got him," Brass announced emotionlessly as Grissom entered the LVPD.

"Has DNA proven it?" Grissom asked skeptically.

"Sara got a sample and should be getting' it back ASAP, she had Greg rush it," Brass fell into step with Grissom as they headed to the interrogation viewing room.

In the rooms' corner stood a uniformed officer and at the metal table sat Sara and Sophia with a clean cut, well dressed man in his thirties.

"So how did you do it Ben? Did you promise her money…marriage maybe? Lure her in?" Sara bated the blond scum.

He remained silent.

"Come on now, we know you did it, the evidence is stacking up, even as we speak," Sophia slid over a white folder.

The man looked away not speaking.

"Got your results Boss!" Greg came through the door handing over a file.

"Thank you Greg, I will see you back at the lab," Grissom started to look over the results.

"I was kind of hoping I could stay…" Greg shrugged cautiously eager.

Grissom started to deny the young mans request thinking back to the incident in the lab, but then thought about the last few hours with Catherine, "All right you can stay. But tell me does that man, Ben Larsen look like he murdered four women and an unborn child?"

Greg silently looked through the two way mirror then thought out his response, "No, but it isn't the appearance, but the evidence we weigh."

"Right, but don't quote your text books Greg, each case is different, and in them there are unforeseeable variations never forget that…but good work," Grissom nodded stepping out the door to join Sophia and Sara.

"We got him," Sara nodded approvingly standing arm to arm with her boss as uniforms led the murderer to the holding cell.

"Yes, we did, let's just hope that the system can keep him," he shook his head turning his back.

An hour later, he sat in his dim office fingering a piece of folded purple construction paper colored with crayon. A rounded skinny legged but smiling spider on the front.

He smiled it seemed like yesterday that five year old Lindsey walked into his office in her My Little Pony pajamas caring a teddy bear (one he had gotten for her the day she was born…) and the little picture.

"For you!" she grinned handing him the paper. Catherine followed her holding a bag with her makeup in it.

He smiled at Lindsey "Than you very much, it's beautiful," he then looked to her mother who was trying to cover up a bruise across her cheek that matched the violet paper.

Lindsey sat on his lap and looked through his "bug books" happily, as Grissom watched Catherine put herself together.

"It'll just be a little while Gil I promise. Nancy is coming to pick her up…" she rushed putting a thick layer of powder over the already heavy foundation.

He just nodded around the lump in his throat. He hated to see her like this, he hated that she used him as only a momentary escape; he wanted to keep her and Lindsey safe always…

Grissom shook himself back to reality, the memory left him both pleased and saddened.

Knock, knock. Grissom closed the desk drawer quickly. "Come in," he called in his most professional voice.

"Hey Boss," Nick grinned making himself at home in the office, Warrick following suit.

"Hey now, I am not responsible for you two anymore!" Grissom chuckled.

"Force of habit," Nick shrugged.

"Cath's off tonight, we ran into Ecklie who said to hang with you because you were staying on till the end of swing," Warrick studied his friend.

"I am, but I doubt a lot will happen in the next hour and a half," Grissom checked his watch.

"If nothin' does we'll chat!" Nick grinned.


"What do you mean Father Daughter dance? Catherine questioned as her daughter finished off her second strawberry milkshake.

"Well they said you could bring anybody as long as it was "a father type figure"…" Lindsey slurped the remains of the melted treat.

Catherine felt a pang of sadness as she though of Eddie.

"It's not a big deal… I thought that I might ask Uncl…" Lindsey's sentence was interrupted by her mother's cell phone.

Lindsey made a face just knowing it was her mom's work.

Catherine looked at the called ID and smiled "Its okay, its Gil," she said quickly before answering.

"Hello," she said happily.

"Hey, it's me," Gil's voice was warm.

"Hi, Gil, is everything okay with your case?"

"Yeah its fine, done actually…Why I called, I ran into Nick and Warrick and I thought that I'd get them and Sara and we'd all have dinner, a reunion of sorts. I think we all need to talk, do you want to?" he was a tad rushed and sounded like he expected her to say no.

"I think it's great, what time and where?" she was a bit taken aback.

"9:30 at the Red Sunset?"

"Great, I'll be there"

"Great"

"Yeah, see ya then"

"Bye"


9:28, Catherine walked into the slightly upscale restaurant dressed in a long black dress.

"Grissom," she gave the name quickly and was led to a private room towards the back on the restaurant which was decorated in deep reds and satiny black.

She had had a terrible a terrible time getting a night time sitter for Lindsey but managed to enter the room at 9:30 on the dot.

The long black table was empty save for Grissom.

"Where is everybody?" she asked as she was seated at his right.

"They'll be here in a little while," he replied sipping a glass of red wine, "I wanted some time for the two of us before the 'kids' get here, we have been though a lot," he smiled.

"A life time of events, a life of time of life changing evens... all of them you've been at my side," Grissom went on softly.

"And it took only a few days for one man to tear everything apart. The night shift wouldn't have been the success that it was if not for you and your leadership," Catherine put a hand over his that were on the table.

"See it wasn't…it was because all of us together that made it so great! We as a team were unstoppable, if Ecklie thought I was the problem solely then he would have found a way to fire me or reassign me, but he instead broke us up. He knew that it was you that balanced me out…he knew that the biggest blow he could deal me would be breaking apart my team!" he rambled pain flowing through his words.

"Shh, we'll get through this! Grissom this is tough, but we're strong! He didn't destroy us, you made the lab the second best in the country, you made us work together…we'll start over and reconstruct an even stronger team now," she rubbed his hand, his forearm.

"But he didn't just break up my team…he tore apart my family," his voice was nearly breaking.

Catherine did break. Scientific, entomologist Grissom was melting away to a tender hearted Gil.

"I am still here, right here…I'm not going anywhere," she touched his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat; "I'm staying right there."

one

"It's not the same…it'll never be the same…"

Grissom opened his eyes. In his own apartment on his own couch, the clock reading 8:00 pm it had been a dream. He needed to get ready to go.

He took a cool shower and dressed in black dress pants, black dress shirt, and no tie. He stared into the mirror, his reflection reminding him just what he lost. His eyes were sunken slightly from fatigue, red from stress, dry because he was a scientist a man and he did not cry. He was pale. He wouldn't pretend he'd been eating right or often, he was jittery, too much caffeine.

He turned away, he turned off the lights, grabbed his leather jacket, keys and left.


Catherine paced the parking lot; she was anxious and early, twenty minutes early. She had been so shocked by Grissom's plan that after rushing to find a baby sitter she made her way to the restaurant. Never a person who liked being late, but never the person who was early she was always exactly on time…except of course tonight.

She mentally kicked herself for parking behind the building because now she couldn't see when anyone else arrived, she didn't see anyone else's vehicles there already but then again in a huge lot, it was easy to miss any of them.

At 9:15, she could wait no longer. She walked as slow as she could possible will her self to, entering the restaurant with a proud tilt to her head and confidant smile.

"I'm meeting my party, the reservation is under Grissom," she said coolly.

"Of course, right this way ma'am."

She drew a small breath as she tried to prepare herself for what this gathering could possibly mean. She was led to a round table in the far corner of the dinning room, windows over looking the bright lights of the strip. Out of the way of the main traffic, only Grissom was at the table.

"Hey am I that early…or am I that late?" she grinned taking the chair next to him he had pulled out upon rising when she neared.

"No, you are perfect. The rest of gang will be here soon, I told them a later time…I wanted the chance for us to talk," Grissom looked from the black table cloth to her.

"Okay, not that we didn't do that all day…" she grinned her heart beat speeding up.

"I know, but we never really said goodbye, ever," he stated, observing she had on the very dress that she had been wearing in his dream.

"What? Gil, do you mean when I went to swing? I didn't think goodbyes were necessary," she stuttered.

"I know, but we have been friends and partners for over ten years…I just thought that we owed it to ourselves to say goodbye, it is after all kind of like the ending of an era," he chuckled softly, knowing he sounded like a sentimental fool.

She was silent as she thought over his words, "I didn't know how to say goodbye to you, I didn't want to say goodbye to you."

He smiled sweetly at her, realizing he was madly in love this woman, "I know, but I never meant I wanted to say goodbye to you only that we should bid farewell to the ending of a chapter…" he dared search her eyes for a reflection of his own emotions. He wasn't sure of what he saw, but he was sure it wasn't rejection, so he dared yet again. What was there left to protect, he already exposed his heart when he admitted to himself he loved her.

Her hands were folded in her lap; he reached out putting a hand over them, rubbing a thumb over the top. She blinked, and then smiled opening her hand to lace her fingers with his.

"Closing one chapter to open another," he lifted her hand to his lips and kissing the back of it.

"Oh Gil…keep that smile you have right now, it suits you," she laughed as tears slid down her cheeks.

He smiled even wider and leaned towards her gently kissing away the tears, "I plan to, and I'm keeping you so how can I not smile?"

She nodded and with a deep cleansing sigh laid her head against his chest feeling his steady breathing.

Sara was the first to see them as she entered, Nick and Warrick steps behind her. She was not at all impressed. The guys on the other hand were very much thrilled.

"Hey it's about time you two!" Warrick held up a hand to Grissom.

They high-fived and Nick nodded "I can't believe it, if you could have waited a week longer, I would have won the pool!"

"What? Pool, what pool?" Catherine was shocked.

"Oh come on, like you didn't know about it? It's been going on now…for how long now Warrick? Five, six years?" Nick shrugged.

"Yeah, no one is really sure who started it, it's been going on that long…but put that aside and I must say it's nice to have the family back together again huh?" Warrick grinned sitting beside Sara, arm hung across the back of her chair.

"Yeah, I mean I have to say, the divorce was hard on me…" Nick put a hand over his heart and grinned.

"What?" Grissom laughed shaking his head in unbelief.

"You know, you and mom, splitin' up, separating us kids…it was very tough, I had to see a therapists, for like an hour just to be able to cope!" Nick played it up more as everyone laughed harder.

"I have to agree with the man, it was harsh. I mean why did I have to go with ma? Was it because I was bad and put that stinky fish in your locker, it was a joke…." Warrick said with mock seriousness.

"Hey now careful there, I am NOT old enough to be your mother…" Catherine laughed.

"And Warrick, I treat each of my 'children' the same I have no favorites…but you are getting nothing but coal for Christmas for that one," Grissom hadn't laughed like this in what felt like forever. It wasn't because it was necessarily overly hysterical, but rather because in more ways than not it was true, and now the family was back together and he felt whole.

"Hey we are missing one," Sara interjected, finally being able to let go of whatever it was she had felt for Grissom, she saw him with Catherine and realized that she did think of them as parental figures, she loved Grissom she wouldn't deny that, but she was coming to realize that perhaps it was that of a love a daughter has for a father.

"You mean me?" Greg appeared from around a corner with a silly grin and much ado.

"Aww, the red headed step child," Warrick muttered between sips from his water glass.

"I heard that!" Greg stuck out his tongue.

"Enough children, I believe that Daddy Grissom has a few words," Catherine smiled.

"I do, but they are short…They say the only thing constant is change. Changes have been happening a lot recently, big ones. I asked you guys here tonight because I've realized that if we fight change we will never move ahead. The only bad thing about moving ahead is that in order to do that we have to leave things behind. Tonight we are here to say goodbye to the Nightshift, our nightshift as it was, and in return say hello to all the new things that this change has brought about. We are fortunate to be able to take those we care about with us as we start again. Change is necessary, change is hard, change is the future, and it's the changes that make the past so cherished and the future so bright."

"So I ask you to raise your glasses to the nightshift," Grissom lifted his glass followed by the others, "to our friends, our family, to us!"

Clanking glassing followed, along with a few tears.


A/N: just so ya know, there will be another chapter; the end of this chapter seemed a little final…the real end does have a better happy ending I promise! RA