Gil Grissom had never been one for huge celebrations, but this one he felt was worth it. A party had been organized in their absence, at the CSI headquarters. Catherine sat at the table, laughing with Nick, her arm around Lindsey. It meant a lot to him to see her laugh and be happy. She must have known he was looking at her, because her eyes met his, and she smiled softly at him.
"Hello, Gil."
Gil turned around and smiled when he saw Philip Kane there. "Hi, Philip."
Philip gestured to Catherine. "I was very glad to hear the verdict. It's certainly going to help Catherine's recovery."
"She's doing so well. I'm so proud of her."
"And why are you standing over here?"
Gil blinked. "Huh?"
"She keeps glancing over here when she thinks you're not looking and you keep glancing over there when you think she's not looking. Go sit with her."
Gil smiled. "She's been watching me, has she?"
"Grissom!" Greg bounded up to his boss. "Isn't this party great! Can I be the DJ? Please let me be the DJ."
Gil blinked. "How much alcohol have you had?"
"I don't have to work tonight."
"Obviously too much," Philip chuckled.
Gil watched as Philip steered the young lab tech away. He wandered over to the punch bowl, and was about to pour himself some, when Warrick put a hand out to stop him.
"I wouldn't."
"What's the matter with it?"
"Someone spiked it. There's enough alcohol in there to lay you flat for the next week."
Gil gingerly put the glass down. "No wonder Greg is acting stranger than usual."
Warrick smirked. "Yeah. It's good entertainment."
Something about Warrick's smirk made Gil wonder if it had been Warrick who had spiked the punch, and he let a small smile cross his own lips.
Warrick just stared at his boss innocently, before handing him another glass. "Alcohol free."
"Thank you, Warrick," Gil said, still smiling as he headed over to where Catherine was sitting.
Nick saw his boss and immediately got up. "Hi, Griss. Want to sit here?"
"Thanks, Nicky." Gil sat down, looking at Catherine. "Hi, beautiful."
She smiled back at him. "Hi. I was wondering where you'd disappeared to."
"Just talking with Philip. And heading Greg off so he can go sleep off his hangover."
Catherine's eyes widened. "Greg's drunk?"
There was a snort of laughter, or of someone trying to disguise laughter, behind them, and Gil turned to glance at Nick. The man in question composed his face quickly.
"Someone spiked the punch," Gil said dryly.
"Not necessarily for Greg though," Sara said, coming over.
Catherine glanced at her. "What do you mean?"
"Well, the person who spiked it couldn't have been sure Greg was going to drink it. Maybe it was for someone else?"
"Yeah!" Warrick said, defending his part in it. "Maybe it was for someone else."
Gil and Catherine glanced at each other, then at their three "children".
"Who were you spiking it for then?" Catherine asked.
The three children glanced over to where Conrad Ecklie was pouring himself a large glass of punch.
"It might…possibly…whoever did it…have been for him," Sara owned, wilting under Catherine and Gil's gazes.
"How were we to know Greg'd gorge himself on punch?" Nick said. "He usually goes for his expensive coffee."
Gil rubbed his forehead. "Just make sure he gets home safely."
"Ecklie?"
Gil narrowed his eyes. "Greg."
Nick smiled. "Right, boss."
Catherine glanced at Gil's cup. "That's not punch, is it?"
"The unspiked version."
"Don't go getting drunk on me. I have plans for you later."
"Oh really?" Gil murmured, his hand slowly caressing her arm.
"Oh please," Lindsey groaned, getting up and looking for the others.
Catherine and Gil chuckled together. She leant her head on his shoulder.
He put his arm around her, his hand taking hers as he did. "I love you, Cath. And I'm so happy and proud of you."
She looked up at him, a smile on her face. "I'm happy too, Gil. I love you. So much."
He kissed her again. "I still want you to keep seeing Philip. I know they're locked up and can't hurt you again, but you went through so much. You need to talk to someone."
"I'll keep going to Philip," she promised. "But I want to talk to you as well. You'd make a good shrink, Gil."
He grinned. "Only with you, I think."
Nick and Warrick soon returned, Lindsey and Sara behind them.
"How's Greg?" Catherine asked.
"He'll be fine. He's gonna sleep it off."
"What about Ecklie?" Gil asked. "Has he passed out yet?"
"Why, are you planning on vandalizing his office?" Nick smirked.
"It's a thought," Gil admitted.
"He's sitting in his office with a headache," Warrick replied. "But he did say he really liked the punch."
Gil chuckled.
"I'm going to see if I can find some of the unspiked version," Sara said.
"Yeah, me too," Nick replied.
"That was subtle," Catherine murmured, watching the three kids walk over to the punch table.
"But well-informed," Gil answered. "They obviously got the hint that I want to be alone with you."
"You do, huh?" she asked, looking up at him.
He nodded and bent down, kissing her gently. "I love being with you."
Catherine snuggled closer. "I love being with you too. But everyone has been so wonderful and supportive throughout all this. They deserve a way to wind down."
Gil leans back in his chair. "Everything's going to be okay now, Cath. We're all going to be okay."
Catherine kissed him gently. "I know. You promised me that it would. And you kept your promise."
"I couldn't let you down, Cath."
"You never have."
He smiled broadly at her, hugging her tight. Gil picked up his glass and clinked his with hers. "Here's to you."
Catherine smiled. "Here's to us."
TBC