Thanks for all the positive feedback in the last chapter. I forgot to mention a few things in my haste to be at work on time in the last chapter. (I really should try this "Waking Up On Time" thing at some point…) First off, huge thanks go out to HappyHarper13 for her advice on the last chapter (and many other previous ones). My version of the last chapter was much different, and she helped guide me in the right direction for that one, so thanks! Also, thanks to PamEargle for her eagle eyes in discovering some amazing pictures in Catherine's office. They were a huge inspiration for a few scenes in the last chapter. Finally, I hope that I didn't make Grissom too OOC for you. I wanted to show his vulnerable side, and the fact that he picked up on some of Sara's bad habits (Thanks, Harper!). Add to that, alcohol makes people do very stupid things, no matter who they are. I hope that I conveyed that through my writing.

Anyways, enjoy chapter 12, and please read and review! I'm getting quite a few story alerts/subscriptions, which I am eternally grateful for, but take a sec to let me know what you think! Only 26 reviews to go before I tie my personal record! lol

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Catherine wanted to laugh, but only for a second. She could only imagine what this looked like: Gil was standing, and she was desperately clinging to his back in an attempt to avoid falling to the ground. One leg was wrapped around his arm, her arms encircled around his neck in an attempt to stop him from leaving.

The urge to laugh quickly dissipated when Gil shook her leg off of his arm, surprised by the fact that Lindsay had appeared at the bottom of the steps. Even in his drunken state, he knew that this didn't look good to the younger Willows. Unbalanced, Catherine lost her grip on Gil, falling unceremoniously to the ground with an indignant grunt.

Her wrists were presently aching, most likely thanks to repeatedly shoving Gil away from her. So, she used her forearms to pull herself up using the back of the couch. Asshole! Catherine wanted to spit the word out at Gil, but managed not to when she saw Lindsay looking between the two adults. Disappointment, annoyance, and a slight twinge of fear were mixed on Lindsay's features as she stood there, her arms crossed. She glared at her mother and Gil, who was currently shuffling his feet as he stared at the floor, finally realizing his actions.

Lindsay tore her eyes from Gil to settle accusingly on Catherine. "When I said that I wanted to know when you got home, I didn't mean that I wanted to hear you and a guy getting it on!" Lindsay yelled at her mother. It wasn't just a loud voice, either; Lindsay was yelling at the top of her lungs. Catherine winced, realizing what her daughter was thinking. She opened her mouth, only to snap it shut when Lindsay cut her off. "I'm not finished!"

"Young lady, you do not talk to me that way!" Catherine sputtered indignantly when she got over her shock of Lindsay cutting her off. She shook her tousled hair out of her face and continued. "Who do you think-"

"I didn't expect to hear you and a guy, least of all Gil!" Lindsay continued as if Catherine hadn't spoken. "What the hell, mom?! Did you even go to the lab? You could have told me the truth if you were going out to a bar or something!"

"It's not like that, Lindsay! Gil called me-"

"So you decided to go to a bar with him and come back here, knowing that Gil and Sara are engaged?"

Catherine's features hardened, and she crossed her arms as she glowered at her daughter, realizing what Lindsay was implying. "Young lady, you may be seventeen years old, and I may be hurting, but do not think that I won't put your hide over my knee," Catherine said lowly. "You will treat me with respect, especially when we have company over."

Even though the company wasn't exactly welcome and she was about to throw his ass out on the lawn to sleep off his alcohol induced state.

Lindsay finally flinched, glancing at Gil. He seemed to be ready to collapse on his feet, and she was worried that he was going to pass out. "I'm sorry, mom…but you know what this looks like…" she trailed off.

"Well, it's not that," Catherine snapped at her daughter.

Gil glanced at the door, then said to Catherine, "Uh, I should be going…"

"You don't move a muscle!" Catherine growled at him, making sure he was staying put before turning her fury back to her daughter. "Gil called me because he and Sara broke off their engagement." She left out the part about Sara blaming Catherine for being the reason for the engagement being broken off, feeling that her daughter didn't need to know everything. "I didn't want him driving home since he's been drinking, so I brought him here. Obviously, things got a little out of hand, but it's nothing that we can't handle as adults."

"But mom…you guys were kissing-"

"Like I said, Lindsay…things got out of hand. Gil's drunk, and while it's not an excuse, he's not really in control of his actions," Catherine told her daughter, glancing at Gil.

"You do realize I'm standing right here, don't you?" Gil slurred, dragging his toe across her carpet.

"Yes, Gil, we realize that," Catherine answered, exasperation playing in her tone.

"Good. Then don't talk abou-"

Catherine ignored him, turning her attention back to Lindsay and speaking over Gil. "Go to sleep, honey," she said softly. "We'll talk about this more in the morning, okay?"

Lindsay glanced between Gil and Catherine, doubt on her features. "Mom…" she trailed off, uncertainty on her features.

Catherine suddenly realized why she was so hesitant. Catherine knew that Lindsay was thinking back to all the times Eddie stumbled in the house at three AM, drunk, only to get into a shouting match with Catherine. Nine times out of ten, that shouting match ended with Eddie punching Catherine in the face, and she just knew that her daughter was thinking that her beloved Uncle Gil might be turning into the same monster as her father.

"Honey, come here," Catherine said softly. Lindsay hesitantly came around the couch and stood in front of her mother, not making eye contact as she examined the rug. "Lindsay, Uncle Gil would never hurt me," Catherine told her daughter confidently, glancing at Gil for confirmation. He nodded slowly in agreement, and Catherine thanked God that he apparently had enough wits about him to agree with her. "He's really upset about Sara, and turned to alcohol. While that's not the best thing to do in this situation, he just needed something to help him with the pain," Catherine explained. "Gil's not going to do anything like what Daddy used to do to me, I promise."

Lindsay nodded, suddenly throwing her arms around Catherine's waist. Catherine sucked in a breath as her daughter pressed against her injured ribs, but nonetheless hugged her daughter back. "Why don't you go back to bed, honey?" Catherine asked. "It's a school night after all."

"But mom…" Lindsay trailed off, looking at Gil briefly before glancing back up at her mother. "Can you…can you handle him?"

Despite the tense situation, Catherine smiled down at her daughter. "I can always handle him," she joked with her daughter. "How do you think he stayed supervisor for so long?"

Lindsay smiled back wearily, finally letting go of her mother. She hesitantly made her way over to Gil, looking up at him.

Gil looked down, unsure of what to say to Catherine's daughter, especially if the younger Willows had just caught him attempting to force himself on her mother. To his shock, Lindsay quickly hugged him gently. "Let my mom take care of you," Lindsay whispered to Gil.

Gil hugged Lindsay back carefully. "I will. Good night, butterfly."

Lindsay didn't spare a second glance back as she scurried up the steps, leaving the two adults to stare awkwardly at each other.

"Look Gil-"

"Catherine, I-"

Their voices mingled with each other, and with a wave of her hand, Catherine indicated that Gil should speak first.

He dropped his head, his chin braced on his chest. "Look, Cath…it was a mistake for me to call you. I should go," Gil started.

Catherine closed the distance between them, placing a gentle hand on Gil's arm. "Gil. It wasn't a mistake for you to call me. I'd rather you call me then you be driving while you're not in the right frame of mind, or drunk," she told him.

"But…what I've done tonight…for me to try to force myself on you…it's inexcusable. You don't deserve that," Gil replied.

Catherine used her fingers to lift his chin, forcing him to look at her. "Gil…it's okay. I'm not mad at you," she told him. "You're drunk, but I know…I know in my heart that you would never hurt me."

Gil stared at Catherine for several long moments before finally hesitantly wrapping his arms around her waist. Catherine wrapped her arms around his neck carefully. Gil closed his eyes, even in his drunken state realizing exactly how close they were, their bodies swaying in unison to the silence.

Catherine stood on her toes, pressing her lips to his forehead for a brief moment. Just as fast as they were there, though, she pulled back. "Come on, Gil," she said softly. "Let's go to bed."

Even with the pain that was shooting through her hands, Catherine reached down and grasped his hand with both of hers, tugging him towards the stairs. Gil followed behind her hesitantly, using his free hand to steady himself on the railing as he clumsily made his way up the steps.

Moments later, Catherine was pulling Gil into her bedroom. He swallowed nervously, thinking back to the last time they were in her room together. They ended up sleeping in the same bed together, and then hours later getting into one of the worst fights they'd ever had. Gil glanced at Catherine, the tension obvious on his face.

Seeing the worried look on Gil's face, Catherine shook her head slightly. "Gil, I'm not going to sleep in here," she said. "You can have my bed and I'll sleep on the couch. I just came in to get something more comfortable to sleep in."

Gil watched Catherine walk to her dresser, opening the center drawer and pulling out a pair of boxer shorts and tank top. She walked to the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her.

When she exited five minutes later, changed into the shorts and tank top, Gil was standing in the same spot. Her hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, the long strands peeking out from the black elastic band. Gil supposed that it was done pretty well for someone who had two sprained wrists. His eyes trailed over Catherine's slim form as he silently watched her walk to her clothes basket, dropping her dirty clothes in there. She was in great shape for someone her age, her years of dancing obvious in the saunter her toned legs offered, Gil realized. The tank top was thin enough so that he could see the wrap around her midsection that was protecting her damaged ribs, and the black braces covering her wrists were stark against her fair skin. His eyes trailed up to her neck, and Gil was relieved to see that the bruise had finally faded. The only noticeable wear on Catherine's body after the turmoil she had been through was the braces on her wrists. Gil supposed he should be thankful for that and not the fact that James Cena had been ready – yet failed – to put Catherine in a body bag.

And he wouldn't hesitate twice to shoot the son of a bitch again.

Catherine felt his gaze on her, and with a slight shiver, she turned around, looking critically at Gil. He looked like he was ready to fall over, yet he looked to her with pleading eyes. Saying a brief prayer to herself for sanity, she stepped forward, gently pushing Gil backwards until the back of his legs hit the bed. Catherine didn't need to tell him to sit down; he automatically did so.

Kneeling, she pulled his shoes off, letting them fall to the floor at the base of the bed. Her fingers found the button of his pants, and with a quick flick of her fingers, the button was undone. Gil lifted his hips, allowing Catherine to tug his pants off. She dropped them next to his shoes, then turned back to him. Her fingers worked quickly over the buttons on his shirt, and she pulled his shirt from his shoulders when they were all unbuttoned.

He sat on the edge of her bed in his boxers and undershirt, staring up at her with glazed eyes. Catherine sighed softly, making her way over to the covers at the head of the bed, turning back the sheets. "Come on, Gil, lay down," Catherine coaxed.

Gil complied, crawling under the sheets and silently watching Catherine tuck him in. She felt Catherine pull his glasses off, and listened to the soft clink as she set them on her nightstand next to her spare reading glasses. Instinctively, Catherine bent down, pressing a light kiss against his lips. "Sleep well, Gil," she whispered, reaching up to turn off the light next to the bed.

"Wait, Catherine," Gil called softly. "Don't leave me. I can't…I mean, I don't want to be alone." The hesitation was clear on Catherine's face, and Gil added, "I'm not going to do anything. I promise."

She finally nodded, turning off the light and walking around to the other side of the bed. Having danced for many years, she was used to ambling in the dark. She crawled into bed next to Gil.

He rolled over, his arms uncertainly encircling Catherine. When she didn't pull away, Gil gently coaxed her closer. She complied without hesitation, pressing her head against his chest. The rhythmic beating of his heart combined with her exhaustion was enough to lull her to sleep within seconds.

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Catherine wasn't sure what woke her, but the warmth of Gil's arms were almost enough to make her want to go back to sleep. She lay quietly in the protective embrace of Gil, listening for whatever it was that had woken her. Seconds passed before she heard a set of footsteps quietly padding down the steps.

Lindsay…

With a slight sigh, Catherine carefully removed herself from Gil's arms, not wanting to disturb the sleeping man. Granted, he was out cold, but she still wanted to make sure that he got as much sleep, without interruption, as possible.

Standing, she faltered slightly as she moved, her ribs protesting the sudden movement after sleeping so soundly for three hours. She took a minute to catch her breath then made her way out of her room. She descended down the steps and made her way into the kitchen, watching her daughter from the doorway.

Lindsay was still dressed in her pajamas, and looked exhausted as she began making the coffee. There were dark circles under her eyes, and Catherine felt a stab of guilt when she realized that her and Gil's 3 AM argument had probably woken her daughter, and had probably kept her up until she had woken up for school.

She was about to clear her throat when Lindsay looked her way, jumping slightly when she saw her mother there. "Geez, Mom, could you make some noise?" Lindsay asked, placing a hand over her heart. "You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry, honey," Catherine said, padding into the kitchen and easing herself down into one of the kitchen chairs. "Did you get back to sleep?" she asked.

"About an hour ago," Lindsay admitted with a shrug. She saw the guilt on her mother's face, and hastily added, "It wasn't your fault…well, totally. I just…I have other things on my mind."

"Is something wrong?"

"I…uh…nothing's wrong, per say," Lindsay hesitated, watching the coffee drip. She glanced at her mother. "Do you want coffee?"

"No, sweetie…thanks, though. I think that I'm going to lay back down when you leave for school," Catherine answered. She patiently waited for Lindsay to continue, knowing that her daughter was stalling.

Lindsay stared at the coffee for several long moments before sighing and turning to her mother. "I'm thinking of turning down the University of Delaware's offer."

Catherine's first instinct was to scoff and tell her daughter that there was no chance in hell that she was turning down a full scholarship, but she stopped herself just in time. She had a feeling she knew where this was going, but instead chose to ask, "Why?"

Lindsay gave a half shrug that was identical to her mother's trademark one, and said, "I dunno."

Catherine raised an eyebrow, waiting several long moments for Lindsay to continue. When she didn't, Catherine spoke gently. "So you're going to give up a free $80,000 education because you 'dunno'?"

Lindsay glared at her mother, turning back to the coffee pot when it chimed, signaling that the coffee had finished brewing. "It's not about that, Mom, and you know it."

"What's it about, then?" Catherine prodded, watching as Lindsay poured her coffee, adding milk and sugar to the cup.

Lindsay turned again, tears brimming at her eyes. "I almost lost you," she finally whispered.

"Oh, honey," Catherine said as she stood, walking over to her daughter. She didn't hesitate as she pulled her daughter into a fierce hug. Immediately, the floodgates opened, and Catherine had to bite her lip to control her emotions as well. "Honey, I know. But I'm still here, that's all the matters."

"I don't…" Lindsay paused, fighting to control the tears that were spilling from her eyes. "I don't want to have to come back to bury you," Lindsay admitted, looking up at her mom. "I hate that you're in the field, in danger every night that you work. I don't want to lose you."

"I know, Lindsay," Catherine repeated, resting her head against Lindsay's. "I don't know what to say or do that will make you feel better."

"Can you quit?" Lindsay looked up at Catherine with huge eyes, and Catherine simply held her daughter closer.

"I…honey. I wish I could, but I can't," Catherine whispered. "I can't just quit."

"Why?"

"A lot of things, Linds. I can't afford it, first of all, and there's also the fact that I can't just leave my team hanging," Catherine told her. "They've been through a lot with Gil leaving, and I just can't walk out on them without any notice."

"But mom-"

"No buts, honey," Catherine cut her off, looking at her daughter with watery eyes. "I can't guarantee that I won't get hurt on the job again, but you know what? I could be driving to work, and get hit by a car, or walking across the street. You never know when something is going to happen, and the only thing that you can do is pray that God will watch over you. I know he watches over me, and you. He was with me…" she hesitated for a moment, then pushed forward, "He was with me a few weeks ago in that courtroom and I know that there's a reason that I lived."

Lindsay was silent for a few moments, then rested her head against Catherine's shoulder. "I'm sorry, mom."

Confused, Catherine asked, "For what, honey?"

"For last night…I overreacted. I was scared that Uncle Gil was going to hurt you, and for some reason I blamed you. I…I dunno, Mom, I kinda blamed you for what happened in that courtroom the other day, too."

Catherine blinked slowly, wondering how her daughter could possibly blame her for something that was out of her control. Granted, it was the same thing that Catherine was doing to herself. She had constantly blamed herself for what had happened, wondering over and over if she had pushed Cena over the edge and caused him to snap. She couldn't help but wonder if she could have prevented the deaths of the two bailiffs and the terror that Cena had unleashed on the courtroom.

Still, to hear it from her daughter…

"I can understand that, honey," Catherine said slowly, a tear trickling down her cheek unwillingly as she pulled away from Lindsay, turning her back to her daughter. "Believe me when I say I blame myself for that."

"Oh, mom, I'm sorry!" Lindsay said hastily. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it that way. I mean…I did blame you at first, but when the pieces of the puzzle came together, I realized that there was nothing that you could do. In fact, you probably saved Gil and Sara's lives due to your bravery."

"But two men lost their lives thanks to my stupidity, and there could have been more," Catherine answered brokenly.

Lindsay placed her hand on Catherine's shoulder, bowing her head. "Mom…it's not your fault," Lindsay finally said, noticing how tense Catherine's shoulders were. "I'm sorry for what I said."

Catherine nodded, working to regain her composure before she turned around. Lindsay dropped her hand to her side, fiddling with the tie on her pajama pants. "So are you really going to give up a scholarship because of me?" Catherine finally asked, changing the subject effectively. "I've already caused enough havoc in your life-"

"Oh, mom, stop it!" Lindsay cut off her mother. "There has been nothing negative that has happened in my life that was due to your actions!"

"I missed so many of your dance performances-"

"-because you were working your butt off to make a living for us."

"You were kidnapped-"

"-because someone had a grudge against Grandpa."

"Your father died-"

"-because he made poor decisions," Lindsay finished for Catherine. Before she could try to list another way that she hurt Lindsay, the younger Willows added, "That's not your fault!"

Catherine was silent for several long moments, feeling a headache rising. Lindsay was almost too much like Catherine, and she found it hard to keep up with her daughter when they were arguing. Lindsay had a counterpoint for every one of her points, and vice versa. It was a constant battle for one upping the other, and with very little sleep, Catherine wasn't in the right frame of mind to argue.

Finally, Catherine shook her head. "Linds, it's too early and I'm too darned tired to get into a sparring match with you," she said.

Lindsay chuckled, pulling her mother into a hug. "I love you, mom. Always."

"I know, baby," Catherine answered, pressing a kiss to Lindsay's head. "Promise me one thing?"

"What's that?"

"I'm not going to tell you that you have to go to the University of Delaware. However…listen to your heart, honey. Don't make the same mistakes that I did," Catherine told Lindsay. "You have a wonderful opportunity. Don't give it up for me."

Lindsay nodded, hugging her mother tightly. "Is Uncle Gil okay?"

"He's sleeping," Catherine answered. "He'll be okay."

"Are you mad at him for what he did this morning?"

"I'm a little annoyed that he tried to take advantage of me, yes," Catherine admitted. "But I'm over it already."

"Good," Lindsay said. "Alcohol sucks, doesn't it?"

Catherine couldn't help but chuckle at her daughter's straightforward statement. "That it does, honey. Use that as a lesson. Now you better hurry and get ready for school. If you're too tired, I can call you out of school, though. I know you were up late."

"I'm fine, mom," Lindsay assured Catherine. "I went to bed pretty early and didn't wake up until I heard you two. Love you."

"I love you too."

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Half and hour later, Catherine watched as Lindsay backed out of the driveway, waving to her mom before heading down the street toward school. Wearily, Catherine closed the door, making her way up the stairs before gratefully crawling back into bed, not hesitating as she cuddled up to Gil's warm chest.

He forced his eyes open, meeting Catherine's gaze sleepily. "What were you doing?" he asked drowsily.

"Just talking to Lindsay," Catherine answered. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's fine…is she okay?"

"She's fine."

"Is she mad at us still?"

"No."

"Did she get enough sleep?"

"Not really, but she's going to school anyways," Catherine answered, wrapping her arms around Gil. She couldn't help but notice how natural it felt, and that she wouldn't mind doing this every morning…

"I'm sorry, Catherine," Gil said quietly, closing his eyes. "Not only did I cause a lot of tension between us last night, but I made your daughter uncomfortable and upset…"

"It's okay, Gil, it's not a big deal," Catherine said with a slight yawn. "I'm not going to hold your pain against you. You were hurting last night. I can understand your reactions."

"I could have hurt you," Gil whispered.

"Yeah, but you didn't," Catherine countered gently. "I know you, Gil. You would never hurt me purposely."

Gil swallowed, forcing his eyes open. "Cath…thank you for everything that you've done. You're such a wonderful friend," he told her.

"I'm just me, Gil," Catherine answered with that million dollar smile he was used to. She pressed her lips to his forehead. "You know that I care for you and don't want anything to happen to you, ever. All I want is for you to be happy."

Gil swallowed, meeting Catherine's gaze. She was shocked by the intense look in his eyes. "I think that I'm falling in love with you, Catherine," he admitted. The words were spoken softly, yet were as clear as day.

Her heart fluttered at his words. It was something that she dreamed that he would one day say, and to hear him actually utter those words was amazing. Granted, it was out of the blue, but she just knew deep down in her heart that he meant those words.

"I know, Gil. I've been there awhile. Do you…do you think that we can try…well, this?"

"I think that we're already there."

And with that, he pressed his lips to hers.

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End Part 12/14

It's getting kinda Grillows-y in here!