Warrick stood alone in the middle of the hall, watching as Gil and Cath walked in. Something had changed. He couldn't quite pick it, but something had changed. Catherine was gripping Gil's hand, and leaning into him almost.
"Hi, Warrick," Gil said.
"Hey." He turned to Cath. "Hey, Catherine. It's good to see you."
"Hi, Warrick," Catherine said softly.
"Where is everyone?" Gil asked.
"Sander's in DNA. Ecklie had some runover. Sara and Nick are in the breakroom. Brass is down the hall."
"Could you say hi to them for me?" Catherine asked.
Warrick nodded, a smile on his face. "Sure. They'd like that."
Brass slowly made his way down the hall. "Hi, Catherine. Hi, Gil."
"Hi, Jim," Gil said.
Catherine waved hello with her free hand, the other clutching tightly to Gil's.
"Are you ready?" Warrick asked her.
She looked up at Gil, who smiled reassuringly at her. "Okay," she told them.
As they followed Warrick and Brass down the hall, Gil bent down to whisper in her ear.
"I know you can do this. You're so amazing."
"I'm scared."
Gil nodded. "I know. But I'll be there with you. And Warrick, and Brass. You're safe."
They arrived at the viewing room, Gil relieved to see the other side was empty.
"So, Catherine..." Brass was uncomfortable, wondering if he needed to remind Catherine how it worked.
Before he could say anything, Michael Smith breezed in. "This CSI Willows?"
Catherine shrunk some more against Gil, her head resting against his shoulder.
"This is Michael Smith"Brass explained. "He's defending the piece of...Dale Graves," he corrected. Brass turned back to Smith. "This is Catherine Willows."
Smith nodded towards her and then turned to the screen.
Warrick's eyes widened. Catherine was fiddling, and as she pushed her hair away from her face, he noticed that her fingers was laced through Gil's.
"Are you ready for us to bring them in?"Brass asked her.
Catherine jerked around, startled at his voice. She took a deep breath, feeling reassured when Gil squeezed her hand. "Okay," came the quiet reply.
"Before we continue, does Dr. Grissom really need to be here?" Smith asked.
"Why shouldn't he be?" Warrick asked.
Gil noticed the grip on his hand tighten and he glanced quickly at Catherine, who was going very pale.
"Because his presence could be prejudicial to the case. He's seen Mr. Graves and..."
As Brass, Warrick and Smith started to argue, Gil could feel Catherine start moving back towards the corner of the room.
"Cath..." he murmured, turning around.
"Don't leave me," she whispered. "I can't...this..."
"I'm not leaving you," he promised her. He was concerned as to how white she was. He turned back to the other three. "I'm staying."
Brass took one look at the two and nodded. "Okay."
"Look at her," Warrick hissed at Smith. "Take a good look and don't you dare insult Gil Grissom like that again."
Gil listened as Smith, Warrick and Brass finally reached an agreement while he turned back to Catherine. "It's going to be okay, Cath. I'm staying."
She nodded slowly, allowing him to help her back in front of the glass. Catherine was still pale, so Gil let her lean against him.
He felt her body stiffen as the men started to trickle in.
"Each man is going to say the line 'I knew you'd like this'," Brass explained.
Catherine inhaled sharply as the words were said, and Gil squeezed her hand in reassurance.
He wasn't sure how it was going to go when she heard Dale say those words. But he stood behind her, waiting with her.
Over and over again, the words were said, with each man stepping forward. Catherine tensed each time, her body full of nerves.
Then Number 6 stood forward, a simpering smirk on his face. "I knew you'd like this" Dale Graves told her.
On impulse Catherine turned pushing herself against Gil's body, trying to get away from the voice... the man... the memory. "That's him." She wimpered. "It's number 6... he was..." She squirmed away from Gil, just as his arms began to snake around her. "Shit... I can't..." She made a break for the door.
Gil's eyes widened and he bolted out after her. He saw her disappear into the women's bathroom, and he followed her.
His heart broke as he heard her retching into the toilet, and he found her. His hand held her hair back, his other one rubbing her back in soothing strokes.
She finally leant back against him, and Gil reached up and flushed the toilet as she took deep breaths.
Gil just held her against him, letting her settle a little.
"Can I have some water?" she whispered. "Really bad taste..."
"Of course,"Gil assured her. "I'll be right back."
In what he hoped was record time, he returned with water, sitting back down on the tiles beside her and letting her sip the drink.
"Better?" he asked, when she rested against him again.
She nodded, saying nothing.
Gil said nothing either, thinking it was better just to hold her.
"Uh, Catherine..." came Sara's voice.
Catherine's body tensed against Gil.
"We're okay, Sara," Gil said.
Sara froze and arched an eyebrow. "Grissom?"
"Yes. Sara. I'm here."
"In the women's bathroom."
Gil frowned. "Yes, Sara. We're both alright. We'll be out later."
"Okay," Sara agreed. "Just uh...ask if you want anything." With that, she closed the door behind her as she left the room.
Catherine moved against Gil. "Gil?"
"Mhm?"
"Can we go home?"
"Of course we can," Gil agreed. "Are you alright to stand?"
"Just a bit wobbly," Catherine murmured, as Gil helped her up.
Gil supported her and they made their way out of the bathroom.
"Hey," Warrick said, making his way up to them. He ran a concerned eye over Catherine. "Everything okay?"
Gil nodded. "I'm going to take Catherine home now."
"No problem. Hope to see you soon, Cath," Warrick smiled easily.
Catherine managed a nervous smile. "Thanks, Warrick."
Warrick leant against the wall as he watched Gil take Catherine out. Today he'd noticed a little glimmer of the Catherine that he'd known before the attack.
Grissom was bringing her back to them.
Lindsey raced into the house, dropping her bag by the door, eager to see how her mom was.
"Is that where the bag goes?"
Lindsey's eyes widened and she turned around, easing when she realized it was Gil. "Hi, Uncle Gil."
"Hi. How was school?"
Lindsey shrugged. "Fine."
"Is that where the bag goes?"
Lindsey contemplated her answer for a moment. "Yes?"
Gil, not knowing whether that was right or wrong, simply nodded. "Okay."
Lindsey grinned. This was going to be useful. "How's mom?"
"She had a hard day today. I was just looking for an afternoon snack. You want one?"
Lindsey nodded, hunger winning over. "Sure." She sat at the bench. "Is she awake?"
"You can go see if you want."
Lindsey grinned. "Okay"
She ran upstairs and paused outside her mother's bedroom. Catherine was lying down, her eyes closed. Lindsey turned to go back downstairs.
"Hey, sweetheart."
"I thought you were asleep."
Catherine opened her eyes. "Just resting." She patted the bed beside her. "How was school?"
Lindsey walked in and crawled onto the bed next to her mother. "It was okay. Uncle Gil said you had a hard day."
Catherine put her arm around her daughter. "Yeah, I did. But it's a whole lot better now for seeing you." She encountered an envelope sticking out of Lindsey's pocket. "Linds?"
"It's nothing," Lindsey said, pulling out the envelope and handing it over to her mother.
Catherine opened it. "Louise is having a party?"
Lindsey nodded. "Sleepover."
"That sounds like a lot of fun."
"I can't go,"Lindsey replied.
Catherine frowned. "Why not?"
"You need someone to take care of you."
"Lindsey..." Catherine turned to face her daughter. "Honey, Uncle Gil is here. And he's taking really good care of me. I want you to go out and have fun."
"I like Uncle Gil."
Catherine smiled softly. "Me too."
"Is he going to stay around here? He makes you happy."
"He does. And I hope he will."
Lindsey squirmed around in her mother's arms, a curious look on her face. "Mom?"
"Mhm?"
"Are you in love with Uncle Gil?"
"Lindsey..." Catherine didn't know how to reply. It was all new to her. Gil knowing, wanting to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him. "It's complicated."
Lindsey sighed. "Okay. Okay."She went to get off the bed, but Catherine took her arm.
"Lindsey."
"Yeah?"
Catherine took a deep breath. "I love him very much, Lindsey. But.. it's going to take some time for us to be normal again, okay?"
Lindsey arched an eyebrow. "No offence mom, but you and Uncle Gil have NEVER been normal"
A small smile tugged at Catherine's lips. "Yes. Well."
"I thought you might like food." Gil said, rounding the corner.
Catherine froze, wondering how much of the conversation he had heard. "Food...food is good."
"You've always thought so," Gil nodded. He turned to Lindsey. "As have you."
Lindsey caught the tension in the room. "Food is great!" She grabbed some from the tray. "I have homework."
Before either of them could reply, Lindsey had disappeared out of the room, leaving the couple alone once again.
"Hungry?"Gil asked.
Catherine nodded. "Yeah." She cocked her head to one side. "Gil, did you hear our conversation?"
"I heard that you and I have NEVER been normal,"he admitted. "Care to explain?"
"Lindsey asked if I was in love with you."
"Ah. The easy questions."
Catherine smiled slightly. He always eased her mind. "Yes. I told her that I did. But it was complicated and it was going to take some time for us to be normal again."
"I don't think I've ever been classified as normal," Gil replied, sitting beside her.
"Gil?"
"Yeah?"
"How can you want something so badly, and yet be so afraid of it at the same time?"
Gil sat beside her, gently gathering her in his arms. "After everything you've been through, Catherine, you've come so far."
"I want to go further. We've waited for so long, and I want you and this so much."
"We will, Catherine. I promise you, more than anything in the world, we will do everything you want. But we just have to fight this battle first."
Catherine leant over, her hand touching his cheek.
"Cath..."
"Please...let me."
Gil didn't move, letting her take her time.
Catherine pressed her lips against his gently, letting her body press against his. She pulled back for a moment. "Kiss me back," she pleaded.
He nodded and their lips met again. Her arms circled around his neck, her body back to pressing against him.
Gil's arms tentatively went around her waist, a shiver going down his body as he felt her moan against his kiss.
"Hey guys I was just wondering if..." Lindsey paused. "Ah."
The kiss broke, but instead of pulling away, Catherine rested against Gil.
"Well, that answers that question,"Lindsey muttered. "I'm guessing you two discussed that whole relationship thing."
"Yes we did."Catherine smiled at Gil, their eyes locking.
He grinned.
"I think you were right, mom."
"I was?" Catherine pulled away from Gil, focusing on her daughter. She wasn't sure if they were talking about her relationship with Gil.
"Yeah,"; Lindsey muttered. "I should go to that sleepover party."
TBC