I can't believe it's over - I'm so upset! This is the final chapter!

I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

So, for the final time, here's...

Chapter 17

Katie took a deep breath as she pulled up in her car outside the Las Vegas crime lab. She thought for a moment about turning back, 'Am I ready for this?'. Nick knocking on her window brought her out of her doubts. She saw him grinning and quickly grabbed her bag from the passenger seat before opening her door and greeting him. "Hey," she smiled.

"I thought we could, you know, walk in together. Our relationship is out remember. Did you get my love letter?"

She smiled and locked her door, "Yeah, and just so you know, I love you too."

Nick took her hand and the two started walking to the lab. "Were you impressed with my penmanship?"

"Um… it's more to be desired. That is what you call a love-letter? Try making it more romantic."

"More romantic? It had the word 'love' in it. Twice. What more do you want?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe 'Your love is like a burning flame, driving my wildly insane' or 'I can't eat, I can't sleep, I just want to hold you'. Something along those lines," she said dramatically.

Nick grinned, "You really want me to write that down?"

"Only if you really want to." They walked into the break room and Nick sat down on the couch while Katie started making coffee.

"I just don't think I'm up to this love-letter writing," he sighed.

"Well that's ok," she said, passing him a cu and sitting next to him, "You don't have to be good at everything."

"Well, what am I good at?"

Katie smiled, "What? You want a list?"

"Yep."

She scoffed, "I'm not making a list to inflate your ego."

"That's alright. Number 1: rugged good looks. Number 2: fantastic kisser-"

"Fantastic kisser?"

"What, you don't agree with me?" he said in a mock hurt tine.

Katie gave him a mischievous smile, "I may need convincing…"

They grinned at each other and leaned in for a kiss. Unbeknown to them Warrick and Sara decided to walk in on them and were smiling from ear to ear.

Warrick cleared his throat, causing the two to pull apart. "And they say love is dead."

Katie blushed, "Sorry."

"No, you guys go ahead with what you were doing. Don't mind us," Sara said.

"It's ok. We can contain ourselves for later," Katie smiled and stood up.

Nick chuckled, "You speak for yourselves."

"Did we interrupt something?" Grissom and Catherine entered the room, holding 3 files in their hands.

Catherine looked to Katie and smiled, "It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back."

Grissom nodded to Katie, "Alright. We have a dead body found on a park bench, which I want Nick and Warrick to handle." The two grabbed the file and Nick gave Katie a wink before leaving. "Catherine and Sara, I want you to take the double homicide on Brampton Avenue." The two received their orders and left. "This leaves you and me to deal with the case of the missing painting."

She opened the file and read the case. "A painting has been stolen?"

"That's right. One of the richest families, the Marshals, had a painting worth $5 million stolen from them last night."

"$5 million? My God. I guess we better get cracking on it."

Grissom stopped Katie leaving the break room, "Katie? I just want say if you are not ready to work you can have some more time off. You didn't have to come back so soon."

"Grissom, I'm ok. I'd rather be here than watching trashy TV, wallowing in self pity."

He laughed, "Well, I must say it is nice to have you back on the team. Things have been a little dull without you."

Katie read the time on her watch - 6:55 am. She had just 5 minutes to go until her shift ended and then she could go home. She was currently on her way to the lab to get her results from Greg so they could arrest the suspect.

She walked in the laboratory to find Greg for once busy at working processing some blood from another case. "So, Greg, what have you got for me?"

"Ah, the girl that broke my heart," he said melodramatically. "First you steal my heart with your beauty then you rip it out and stomp all over it. Why? Why?"

"Please Greg, I'm in a hurry. What have you got for me? Is it the son's fingerprints or the daughter's?"

"OK, the fingerprints are a match to Fiona's prints. The daughter definitely handled the picture."

Katie smiled, "And she has the motive. That's great. Thanks." She was about to turn and leave when she heard Greg say her name.

"Yeah?"

"I just want to say… I'm sorry about your dad. My condolences."

"Thank you Greg. And don't worry. One day you're going to make some guy very happy." She gave him a cheeky smile and a wink before leaving a chuckling Greg behind.

Katie passed the evidence on to Grissom and 7:00 am rolled on leaving her a free girl to do as she pleased. The sound of her cell phone ringing as she sat in her car filled her ears.

"Hello?... uh-huh I just got off now… ok see you there. Love you too Nick."

She smiled and hung up the phone. She was definitely going to enjoy herself tonight.

Well that's it for my CSI fic. It may be a while before I start another one, or if I will do a sequel.

Review telling me if you would like a sequel (and possible story-lines) and you never know, you may persuade me to pick up my pen again.

Thank you to all who have stuck with the fic for so long - I hope it was worth the wait.

Love you all very much,

Laura xxx