A/N: Thanks to everybody who's reviewed! Everything is in the 1st and 2nd
parts.
***************
Catherine laid on her bed as she looked at the picture frame she had been looking at with Gil earlier in the evening. She ran her fingers over the four pictures that it held.
She laughed as she studied one, which was the one that he had wondered about. He was lying on his couch; he had passed out on it shortly after she had passed out. He was shirtless and had a hand behind his head; he was holding a beer bottle in the other. It was a cute picture, showing how much he had changed over the years. He had been a boy back then, even at 32 he could still drink you under the table and go on all night. Sure he had been shy and private even then, but he had been wilder. He had been living his teens over again.
She moved her fingers over to the next picture, a picture of just Gil and Lindsey. She had asked him for a piggyback ride and he'd obliged, he knew if he didn't, Catherine would kick his ass later. So he had gone parading through the house, with Lindsey acting as if she was a cowgirl; digging her heels in his sides and slapping the back of his head if he stopped. Though, right before she had taken the picture Lindsey had put her little, pink, cowboy hat, the one with the string, right on top of his head. She had burst out laughing when she saw him.
"Oh my God! Let me go get the camera!" She had run down the hallway as he followed her. She grabbed her camera off the dresser in her room and had turned back around to get him, when he tackled her. They all went flying on Catherine's bed, Lindsey still attached on Gil's back. When they landed Catherine finger hit the button and flashed Gil in the eyes. He got up on all fours and started laughing, his head down. Lindsey let go of his neck and sat astride his back, then threw her head back and laughed herself to tears.
And that had been when she took another picture. Gil's curls had fallen over his forehead, eyes closed, face bright with laughter and embarrassment. She couldn't lie to herself; he looked absolutely beautiful, though with the pink, cowboy hat, he looked comical. Guys who could make kids laugh and genuinely have fun always had turned something inside her on. Her momma had always told her to find a guy who loved animals, kids, and cooking. Gil could do it all.
She let her fingers guide her eyes down, a picture of just Gil. It was the one from that trip that they had all made to Nick's ranch six years ago. She knew Gil had a similar one of her in his kitchen; they had modeled one picture of each other for another. His picture though had been very well planned on her part.
She had him stand between to trees and had him lean in to the camera, while holding on to both trees at the same time. She stood on a rock that had positioned her to be able to look down at him, causing him to have to look up at her slightly. He was smiling and was looking up at her those gorgeous blue eyes of his, his head cocked slightly to the side. The clothes didn't help in the matter that it was already a sexy picture of him. He had been wearing a semi-tight black sweater over a white t-shirt, and they had been tucked in a very tight pair of blue jeans. It was her favorite picture of him.
The rest of the day they had gone fishing, swimming, and walking with Nick, Warrick and of course Lindsey. It had been one of the greatest days of her life.
Thinking of a picnic made her eyes travel to the last picture, of her, Lindsey, and Gil. It had been Lindsey's birthday and for the fourth year in a row she hadn't wanted a party. Catherine had always worried that she was turning her daughter weird but Lindsey always assured her that she just wanted to have her birthdays with her mother. But this last birthday she had begged Gil to come with them to the zoo, he had accepted.
So, both she and Gil had taken Lindsey's birthday off and headed down to the zoo. At lunch they settled down on some benches and sat and talked, laughed and just truly relaxed for the first time in months.
Right after they finished their lunch Lindsey begged Catherine to get someone to take a picture of all of them. So Gil stopped the next person he saw, which happened to be a young man in his early twenties. They posed but the man had asked, "Hey buddy! Why don't you get closer to your wife?"
Catherine was about to tell him Gil was not her husband, but all thoughts melted away when Gil grabbed her from behind and pulled her to him. "Sorry, but I really don't want to argue today." She just nodded as he breathed the words in her ear. She'd shuddered and felt him smile, causing her to smile in return.
Gil had sat on the back of the bench and had his right arm around her waist, holding her hand, while the other was slung around Lindsey's frame. He was resting his chin on her shoulder that was closest to Lindsey, who was holding onto her mother's waist, while Catherine just leaned back into Gil's embrace and held Lindsey. They were all smiling and they looked like a family. Which was not all that far from the truth.
She shook her head, "Let's not think about that, shall we Catherine?"
She took the frame and set it back on her beside table, and then turned off the lights. She turned over and fell quickly into a deep sleep.
And Catherine Willows dreamed about the life she could have had.
*****
"I've always believed
That my dreams would come true
That one of these nights
He would appear
He'd be here in my arms
I see it all, so clearly
How it could be
I wish he was kissing me now...
Tell me how long (how long)
'Till I'm not just dreaming"
'How Long' by Dream
***************
A/N: I'm sorry it took so long, though I've had this chapter and the next one written for most of the summer . . . I'm waiting for CSI to start again and get the second on DVD, so I can have motivation for 'I Never Cried'. I'm sorry to all who have been waiting for both this story and 'I Never Cried'.
***************
Catherine laid on her bed as she looked at the picture frame she had been looking at with Gil earlier in the evening. She ran her fingers over the four pictures that it held.
She laughed as she studied one, which was the one that he had wondered about. He was lying on his couch; he had passed out on it shortly after she had passed out. He was shirtless and had a hand behind his head; he was holding a beer bottle in the other. It was a cute picture, showing how much he had changed over the years. He had been a boy back then, even at 32 he could still drink you under the table and go on all night. Sure he had been shy and private even then, but he had been wilder. He had been living his teens over again.
She moved her fingers over to the next picture, a picture of just Gil and Lindsey. She had asked him for a piggyback ride and he'd obliged, he knew if he didn't, Catherine would kick his ass later. So he had gone parading through the house, with Lindsey acting as if she was a cowgirl; digging her heels in his sides and slapping the back of his head if he stopped. Though, right before she had taken the picture Lindsey had put her little, pink, cowboy hat, the one with the string, right on top of his head. She had burst out laughing when she saw him.
"Oh my God! Let me go get the camera!" She had run down the hallway as he followed her. She grabbed her camera off the dresser in her room and had turned back around to get him, when he tackled her. They all went flying on Catherine's bed, Lindsey still attached on Gil's back. When they landed Catherine finger hit the button and flashed Gil in the eyes. He got up on all fours and started laughing, his head down. Lindsey let go of his neck and sat astride his back, then threw her head back and laughed herself to tears.
And that had been when she took another picture. Gil's curls had fallen over his forehead, eyes closed, face bright with laughter and embarrassment. She couldn't lie to herself; he looked absolutely beautiful, though with the pink, cowboy hat, he looked comical. Guys who could make kids laugh and genuinely have fun always had turned something inside her on. Her momma had always told her to find a guy who loved animals, kids, and cooking. Gil could do it all.
She let her fingers guide her eyes down, a picture of just Gil. It was the one from that trip that they had all made to Nick's ranch six years ago. She knew Gil had a similar one of her in his kitchen; they had modeled one picture of each other for another. His picture though had been very well planned on her part.
She had him stand between to trees and had him lean in to the camera, while holding on to both trees at the same time. She stood on a rock that had positioned her to be able to look down at him, causing him to have to look up at her slightly. He was smiling and was looking up at her those gorgeous blue eyes of his, his head cocked slightly to the side. The clothes didn't help in the matter that it was already a sexy picture of him. He had been wearing a semi-tight black sweater over a white t-shirt, and they had been tucked in a very tight pair of blue jeans. It was her favorite picture of him.
The rest of the day they had gone fishing, swimming, and walking with Nick, Warrick and of course Lindsey. It had been one of the greatest days of her life.
Thinking of a picnic made her eyes travel to the last picture, of her, Lindsey, and Gil. It had been Lindsey's birthday and for the fourth year in a row she hadn't wanted a party. Catherine had always worried that she was turning her daughter weird but Lindsey always assured her that she just wanted to have her birthdays with her mother. But this last birthday she had begged Gil to come with them to the zoo, he had accepted.
So, both she and Gil had taken Lindsey's birthday off and headed down to the zoo. At lunch they settled down on some benches and sat and talked, laughed and just truly relaxed for the first time in months.
Right after they finished their lunch Lindsey begged Catherine to get someone to take a picture of all of them. So Gil stopped the next person he saw, which happened to be a young man in his early twenties. They posed but the man had asked, "Hey buddy! Why don't you get closer to your wife?"
Catherine was about to tell him Gil was not her husband, but all thoughts melted away when Gil grabbed her from behind and pulled her to him. "Sorry, but I really don't want to argue today." She just nodded as he breathed the words in her ear. She'd shuddered and felt him smile, causing her to smile in return.
Gil had sat on the back of the bench and had his right arm around her waist, holding her hand, while the other was slung around Lindsey's frame. He was resting his chin on her shoulder that was closest to Lindsey, who was holding onto her mother's waist, while Catherine just leaned back into Gil's embrace and held Lindsey. They were all smiling and they looked like a family. Which was not all that far from the truth.
She shook her head, "Let's not think about that, shall we Catherine?"
She took the frame and set it back on her beside table, and then turned off the lights. She turned over and fell quickly into a deep sleep.
And Catherine Willows dreamed about the life she could have had.
*****
"I've always believed
That my dreams would come true
That one of these nights
He would appear
He'd be here in my arms
I see it all, so clearly
How it could be
I wish he was kissing me now...
Tell me how long (how long)
'Till I'm not just dreaming"
'How Long' by Dream
***************
A/N: I'm sorry it took so long, though I've had this chapter and the next one written for most of the summer . . . I'm waiting for CSI to start again and get the second on DVD, so I can have motivation for 'I Never Cried'. I'm sorry to all who have been waiting for both this story and 'I Never Cried'.
