12

"The judge granted a fifteen minute recess," Warrick told her as he approached. His hands were in his pockets, his right hand playing with the velvet box that now seemed to weigh a ton. Jaiden was sitting down on a nearby bench, her breathing slowly returning to normal. When she gave him no response, he crouched down in front of her and took both her hands in his.

"Baby, talk to me," he murmured imploringly. Jaiden turned her head away, refusing to comply. Warrick sighed.

"Jaiden, I love you more than anything, you know that. Just because you were hallucinating through the entire experience doesn't mean that I'm going to drop you as if you are damaged goods. I'm here for the long haul. I could care less who you were thinking of; you could have imagined you were with Johnny Depp, for all I care. You're here, right now, safe and where I can protect you.

"Jaiden, look at me." Jaiden turned her head slowly and looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I love you. And" — Warrick shifted his position so that he was now on one knee— "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Jaiden, will you marry me?" he asked her, presenting her with the diamond engagement ring he had bought her. Jaiden's eyes widened slightly when she saw the ring, but the tears in her eyes didn't rush down her face in a torrent of joy, as he expected. She didn't whisper praises to God. In fact, she didn't really react at all.

"You've had that thing for two months and you ask me during a rape trial." It wasn't a question; it was a statement of disbelief. Warrick felt his heart shatter into a million pieces and it showed on his face. When her full comment registered in his head, Warrick frowned.

"How did you know I had it for two months?" he asked seriously. Jaiden smiled then.

"How many times have I asked you to empty you pants pockets before putting them in the hamper?" she asked in reply. Warrick's face reddened and a small shadow of mortification darkened his face.

"I didn't," he pleaded to himself. Jaiden laughed a little and nodded.

"I didn't say anything because I knew you wanted the moment to be special. I didn't expect it to happen here of all places." She stood up then, taking his hand and helping him up as well. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to marry you. In fact, I'd be glad to," she added with a shining smile. Warrick returned her smile as he felt his heart beat heavily. He slipped the ring onto her finger.

"It's beautiful, by the way." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. Warrick, his mind overtaken by elation, wrapped his arms around her waist, lifted her off the floor, and spun her around. Jaiden laughed and touched her forehead with his. Warrick set her down and took her hand in his.

"Shall we?" he asked, gesturing towards the courtroom. Jaiden shrugged and rested her head against his arm.

"You know what?" she asked as they approached the doors. Warrick looked down at her.

"What?" Jaiden looked up at him briefly and smiled mischievously.

"I'd rather sleep with Orlando Bloom than Johnny Depp, come to think of it," she teased as she sped up her pace to talk to Riley before the trial started up again.

"Yeah, you better keep walkin'!" he called after her. He sighed and shook his head, a small smile on his face.

"Your Honor, we, the jury, find Blake James Bronson guilty on all charges."

Waves of relief rushed through Riley and Jaiden as they sat with their fiancés. Although several cases forced the CSIs to leave the girls on their own on some days, everyone who worked on the serial rape cases appeared for the indictment.

Everyone stood as the judge dismissed them. The DA shook everyone's hands and paused when he came to Riley and Jaiden. "He's going to get a minimum of 2 life-sentences without parole. He might even get the death penalty," he told them kindly. Jaiden looked at Riley, who seemed to be thinking the same thing she was.

"If at all possible, we don't want him to get the death penalty," Jaiden informed him quietly so Warrick and Greg didn't hear. The DA blinked in surprise.

"We want him to have to live with the fact that he let two of us get away," Riley piped up. The DA smiled at them warmly.

"I'll see what I can do, ladies," he told them as he said good-bye. Jaiden glanced at Riley.

"Now that's a perfect lawyer," she murmured in admiration. Riley laughed.

"Hey, you're engaged now, remember?" she said as she prodded Jaiden in the arm. Jaiden wrinkled her nose at her and went over to Warrick, who had started for the parking lot. Everyone followed suit and once they were outside, continued to congratulate everyone.

"This has to be the best case we've solved all year!" Nick exclaimed as he hugged Warrick.

"Not to mention the most personal," Sara chimed in. She was standing near the girls, who were chatting mildly. In the middle of their conversation, Riley yawned.

"You should go home and rest," Jaiden told her chidingly. "I think Greg wants that baby in perfect health so he can impose all his unethical habits on it." Riley smiled and hugged her.

"That's why you're going to be making regular visits to sanitize the baby's brain," she laughed. Jaiden sighed and walked over to Warrick, entwining her fingers with his.

"I have a villa in Milan, you know," she said to him. Warrick looked at her curiously.

"What?" he asked. Jaiden smiled.

"The honeymoon, baby, the honeymoon," she murmured before kissing him. "It cuts down on expenses, anyway."

"If you two are finished sucking each others' faces off, Grissom has an announcement to make," Nick told them teasingly. Jaiden gave him a withering look and jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

Grissom cleared his throat. "First off, I want to congratulate everyone for doing a fantastic job on the case. Secondly, I want to congratulate the couples on their engagements." Everyone cheered and shouted random congratulations.

"Thirdly," Grissom continued, "I want to congratulate Greg on his promotion to CSI Level Two. You'll be getting your paycheck in the mail with the bonus." Greg's jaw dropped.

"L-Level Two? Are you serious?" he asked incredulously. "I haven't even complete 100 cases yet!" Grissom squeezed his should gently.

"You worked hard on this case, Greg, and that's what determined your promotion. Despite your personal ties with the victims, you worked flawlessly. Congratulations," Grissom explained. Greg was swarmed by his coworkers and had warm embraces imposed upon him.

"Congrats, man!" Nick said as he clapped him on the back. Warrick gave him a partial hug.

"Yeah, good job!" he said with a smile. Sara and Catherine covered him in hugs and kisses to the cheeks.

"Good work, Greg, " Sara cheered.

"Congratulations," Catherine breathed. Riley, tears in her eyes, approached him with a smile.

"Good work, baby," she murmured. Greg kissed her lovingly and wrapped his arms around her waist so he could lift her. When he did, he spun a little, earning a laugh from the crowd. He set Riley back down and saw that Jaiden had detached herself from the group. She was smiling at the sight of them, her digital camera in hand.

Everyone quieted down as Greg approached Jaiden. "Congratulations, Greg," Jaiden said to him warmly. She kissed him on the cheek softly.

"You know, if I was seventeen again, I would have died from elation," he told her honestly. Jaiden smiled and returned to the group.

"I think we should get a group picture," she told them. The group consented and listened to Jaiden as she arranged them. When they were finished, Jaiden asked a passerby to take their picture.

Jaiden quickly took her place between Grissom and Warrick, then glanced at Greg. He seemed to be glowing with happiness.

"'There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone's life,'" she murmured, mostly to herself. Grissom glanced at her.

"'Nothing changes your opinion of a friend so surely as success – yours or his.'" Jaiden didn't say anything, only smiled as the camera flashed.

The End