AN: Between exams and computer problems, I didn't have much time to update. I am so sorry.

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI. I wish I did, cuz I have a lot of ideas that I wish that they'd put in the show.

In A Plexiglas Prison With You

Chapter Twelve: The Recovery

"What did they do? What did they do?" Lindsey sobbed, clutching her grandmother tightly. The laptop was discarded. Only an empty box remained. Grissom and Catherine were gone.

Nick couldn't stop the tears that fell as he clutched Sara near him in the parking lot of the hospital. She was crying, too, but from which part of Grissom and Catherine's last moments in their prison, he didn't know. He shook as he brought the walkie-talkie to his mouth.

"B-Brass," he stammered.

"What's up, Nick?" Brass's gruff voiced came from the mike. He didn't know how he could say it. He choked back a sob.

"Grissom and Catherine are out of the prison," he announced, "They pushed out the side. They're gone."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, before Brass spoke, "Alright, Nick."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Time froze on the boat. Warrick and Greg had heard Nick's message.

"They-they didn't…suicide?" Greg questioned, shaking as he fought back tears.

"We can't think like that," Brass's voice shook as he said this, "We just have to find them…maybe they…maybe they got out," he was trying and failing to be optimistic. Grissom and Catherine didn't have long. This was going to become a body recovery mission.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

They were submerged. With effort, they managed to roll out of the Plexiglas and into the open ocean. Catherine's hand slipped from his, but his initial instincts kicked in. He grasped her outstretched forearm and pulled her into his body. She had never had more faith in him, than she had at that moment.

They kicked towards the surface, past the rocks that had hidden their coffin from view. The held each other, seeking the reassurance that the other one would be alright. Finally, their heads broke water. They could see the clouds and feel the wind on their faces.

"We made it!" Catherine gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck as they both treaded water.

"We did," he sighed in relief. Half their job was over. Now the hard part began. He didn't know what would happen. All that he knew was that he was happy that they were together.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Sofia had received a transmission from Brass. Tears were streaming down her face as the pilot flew over the ocean, now on the lookout for two bodies. She almost hoped that they wouldn't find them. She didn't think she'd be able to stand the sight of the lifeless bodies of her friends.

"Do you see that?" the pilot asked suddenly. Sofia's downcast head snapped to attention as she looked to where he was pointing.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Get on it," Gil ordered. Catherine shook her head.

"Not unless you can get on it, too," she said stubbornly.

"The buoy is only big enough for one of us and it's going to be you," he said firmly, motioning to the red buoy that had been a few feet away from where they had surfaced. Perhaps it had been a marker set up by their kidnappers.

"I'm not leaving you down in the water so I can watch a shark kill you," she argued, "I refuse."

"Well, I'm not about to watch you die. I've spent my entire life trying to avoid that. I don't mind being down here. You can live. You need to live. You have Lindsey to take care of," he countered. She shook her head no.

"If you died, I wouldn't be far behind. Who would take care of me?" she questioned. As touched as he was by her sentiments, he continued arguing with her.

"Get on the damn buoy, Catherine," he demanded. She refused. Their staring contest was broken by the sound of an engine. They looked in the direction of the noise and saw a helicopter.

"Hey!" Catherine shouted, waving her arms. Gil took the opportunity to push her onto the buoy so that the helicopter could see her. Then he started waving his arms.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"It's them!" Sofia squealed, "They're alive!" she screamed.

"Drop the shark repellent," the pilot ordered his crew. The men obediently opened the hatch and dropped the repellent in the water.

Sofia was crying tears of happiness as she watched her friends move vibrantly to get their attention.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"They're alive!" Brass, Greg, and Warrick heard Sofia scream through the walkie.

"They are?" Brass questioned.

"Yes!" Sofia cried happily. Brass felt as if she had taken the weight of the world off of his shoulders. The news that Grissom and Catherine were alive was the best news that he had ever heard.

"What's your position?" Brass asked. Sofia gave them the coordinates and they were off to recover their friends.

Warrick resisted the urge to jump up and down. Greg actually acted on the urge and wound up falling to the deck and hitting his head.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"They dropped something!" Catherine pointed to the spot where the shark repellent had fallen. The copter continued to circle above them, as if waiting for something.

Then they discovered what the copter had been waiting for. A police cruiser was zooming into view. Within moments, the cruiser was pulling up beside them.

"Griss! Cath!" they heard Greg's shriek of excitement from onboard. A moment later, they caught sight of Warrick wrestling back Greg, who looked as if he were about to dive in the water with Grissom and Catherine.

"Oh my god!" Catherine laughed, tears of relief falling.

"Get them up here!" Brass ordered the younger CSIs. Brass grinned as he himself leaned over the side. Grissom forced Catherine to go first.

"CATH!" Greg pounced on her as soon as she was on deck, quickly followed by Warrick.

"Christ, you two are going to kill me!" she cried, but she was laughing as she hugged two of her guys.

"Alright, Gil?" Brass questioned as he leaned over to help his friend. Grissom grabbed his arm.

"Never bet-" he was cut off when he was dragged under the water, his hand slipping from Brass.

"What the hell!" Brass shouted. The water churned red. Catherine, Warrick, and Greg rushed to the side. In the middle of the red, Grissom surfaced, spluttering water and screaming for help.

"NOO!" Catherine screamed as she watched as he was dragged underwater again. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't lose him now.

Five gunshots rang through the crisp sea air. Both, Glazer, and a sharp-shooter from the helicopter shot into the water at the same time. Grissom came up again and he was screaming in agony.

"GRISS!" Warrick cried, reaching with Brass and Glazer for his boss. The heaved him over the edge.

"ARG!" he groaned, feeling as though there were a hundred white hot knives piercing his skin.

"GIL!" Catherine cried, moving to his side, caressing the side of his head.

"Is it bad?" Warrick questioned as Glazer tied his jacket over Grissom's bleeding leg.

"It could be worse," Glazer grunted, "We have to get him to a hospital, ASAP!" he said, returning to the engine and firing it to life.

"G-Gil!" Catherine sobbed, trying to calm both herself and him.

"How-how bad is it?" he asked, shaking. Greg draped a jacket and a blanket over his boss, while Warrick put his jacket over Catherine's bare shoulders.

"You'll be okay," she tried, "He said it wasn't that bad," she told him, wiping her eyes with her hand. Grissom groaned as he shifted to look at her.

"Th-then why are y-you crying?" he asked, moving to take her free hand in his.

"Because you scared the hell out of me," she admitted, not caring that he could see her cry. They had gotten long past that. He gave her a weak smile.

"Y-your p-plan to use m-me as a d-decoy worked," he stammered, attempting to make her smile. She gave him a watery smile.

"Damn you, Gil Grissom," she sighed. To Jim, Warrick, and Greg's immense surprise, she leaned in and kissed him. And Grissom, despite his attack, responded to Catherine quite enthusiastically.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Lindsey sobbed into Nick as they waited for the doctor to finish checking Sara over. She couldn't believe that her mother was gone. The news had cut through her like a knife. Her grandmother had to be sedated. She was an orphan. First her dad, who, despite not being a model father, had always been loved by Lindsey. Then her grandfather, who she was only just beginning to know when he died. Now her mother, who had loved, protected, and cared for Lindsey since the day she was born. It wasn't fair, Lindsey sobbed. Catherine had never deserved this. Oh, how Lindsey wished that she had been the one to go instead of her mother. She couldn't stop the waves of tears.

"Sanders to Stokes! Come in Stokes!" Nick's walkie buzzed.

"Stokes," he said heavily.

"They're alive!" Greg cried happily, "They're alive! We've got them!"

"What?" Nick asked, his eyes widening in surprise. Lindsey jumped up and looked hopefully at him.

"They're okay!" Greg shouted.

"We're bringing them to the hospital!" Warrick called from the other end, "Tell the doctors to expect a shark attack victim!"

The joy on Nick and Lindsey's faces was replaced by fear.

"Who was attacked?" Nick asked quickly.

"Grissom," Warrick answered, "Just his leg. Otherwise he's fine. More than fine actually," he explained. Nick swore he caught a snicker.

"What do you mean by that?" Nick asked.

"Let's just say Catherine's taking very good care of him," Warrick said coyly. Greg was laughing.

"She's giving him mouth to mouth…only he's conscious," Greg announced. Lindsey and Nick snorted.

Back on the boat, Catherine and Grissom didn't care about anybody else. They only had eyes for each other.

TBC

AN: so I would have had this up way sooner and I apologize for everything. Anyways, merry christmas.