SPOILERS: �Too Tough To Die�
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: An emotional day brings two people together. Post-ep for �Too Tough To Die�.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of CBS TV and Alliance-Atlantis Communications. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
AUTHORS NOTES: This is my first CSI fic. I�m new to the show, so I apologise for any inaccuracies. A huge thanks to Mickey for beta�ing it for me!
FEEDBACK: Very much appreciated and cherished.
Catherine groaned as she heard the doorbell ring. All she wanted to do was have a bath and forget all about the rest of the world. Lindsey was staying at her sister�s, which Catherine was glad about. The last thing she wanted was her daughter to see the bruises her father had left on her mother�s arms. Tightening her robe, she prayed that it wasn�t Eddie, back for round two. The way she was feeling about that man right then, she was just as likely to shoot him.
Looking through the peep hole, Catherine was surprised to see her supervisor and friend standing on the other side. �Hey,� she greeted, opening the door. �Everything all right?�
He smiled that cute little smile that always got him anything he wanted with the ladies. �Can I come in?� he asked, avoiding the question.
�Ah, yeah, sure,� she replied, opening the door wider and allowing him in. She closed it behind him and lead him to the living room. �I was just going to have a bath,� she explained, tugging at her short robe.
Gil noticed what she was wearing, his heart sinking somewhat as he tried hard to keep his eyes off her long legs. �I�m sorry. I should have called. I�ll leave you so you can....�
�No!� Catherine interrupted, sounding a little more eager than she would have liked. �If you don�t mind entertaining yourself for a few minutes, I�ll just have a quick shower.�
�Are you sure?� he asked, not sure if he could cope with knowing she was naked in the next room. He was only human after all.
�Please, stay. Maybe we can have some dinner?� she asked, hopefully.
Gil nodded. �Okay, as long as you�re sure.�
Happy with the reply, Catherine left him with the TV remote and hurried off to shower.
As she stepped under the hot spray, Catherine wondered about the man sitting in her living room. Why was he there? It wasn�t like Gil had never been to her place, they�d been friends a long time, but he normally didn�t show up unannounced. There was something else, something in his eyes when she�d opened the door. He looked almost sad. She hoped that it was nothing serious. Shaking her head, she realised that the sooner she showered, the sooner she could find out what the problem was.
Despite hurrying out of the shower, Catherine took a little extra time to dress and do her hair. She laughed to herself as she put on a little makeup. After all, Grissom had seen her sweating it out in the middle of the desert, she doubted he�d care if she didn�t put any makeup.
Looking at herself in the full length mirror, she declared herself presentable and walked out to the living room. She saw Gil, in the same spot that she�d left him. His eyes were half closed and she had to smile at the sleepy look. �Hey, you�re not goin� to sleep on me, are you?�
He blinked a few times, giving her a sleepy grin. �No. I just, ah... haven�t been sleeping very well lately.�
�Really?� Catherine asked, concerned. �I know it�s tough when we�re on the opposite time to everyone else...�
�Yeah,� was all Gil said in reply, not taking up her obvious offer to talk.
Giving a mental shrug, Catherine got them both a glass of wine and dialled the number for take-out Chinese. After placing their order, she hung up and looked at her friend. She could read him well enough to know there was something on his mind, but she also knew that she would never be able to force him to tell her. She just had to wait until he was willing to talk.
They made small talk until dinner arrived, and ate quietly. Catherine ate her meal, watching as Gil played with his food more than he actually ate it. Deciding she couldn�t wait any longer, she thought she�d try being direct with him. �Gil, what�s wrong? You�ve been so quiet, and you�ve hardly touched your food... You can talk to me, you know.�
�I know, but you don�t need my problems.� He smiled. �I came here to make sure *you* were okay, not the other way around.�
�I�m fine,� Catherine assured him. �I talked to my lawyer earlier, and he thinks that Eddie�s latest stunt should ensure that there�s no contest with the divorce. Hopefully it�ll be settled in a few weeks.�
�That�s good new,� Gil agreed.
�So,� she persisted. �Now that my problem�s on it�s way to being solved, I�ve got a little spare time for yours.�
Gil could see that she wasn�t going to let it drop. �It�s nothing, really. Just something Sara said, and it got to me a little.�
�What was it?� she asked, surprised that Sara would say anything to hurt him.
He sighed. �I was trying to tell her not to get emotionally involved with the case. You know, deal with the evidence and the evidence only. She said she wished she was like me. That she couldn�t feel anything like me.�
Catherine reached over and grasped his hand. �She�s wrong, Gil. You do feel. You�re just better at hiding it than the rest of us.�
�I wasn�t better at hiding it today, was I?� he pointed out, looking down at their joined hands.
�What do you mean?� she asked, confused.
�With Eddie. I saw him hurting you and I thought I was going to lose it.� He looked at her then, and all he was feeling was clear in his eyes. He wanted her to know what he felt. He needed to know if there was a chance she felt the same. Seeing Eddie holding her against the wall had almost undone him. Gil was never one for physical violence, but he�d felt his blood start to boil and had really wanted to harm the man.
Catherine was mesmerised by what she was seeing. She�d thought Grissom was head over heals for Teri Miller, but his expressive eyes were telling her different. They were telling her he was head over heels for her.
Gil�s heart soared as he saw his feelings mirrored in hers. She looked at him with such affection that he felt his throat constrict. �Oh yeah, I�m feeling somethin� now,� he thought to himself.
Neither was sure who initiated the kiss, perhaps they both had, but when their lips met, they put everything into the joining. By the time they pulled apart, both were breathless.
�Wow,� Catherine breathed, touching her lips.
�Yeah,� Gil returned, just as quietly.
There was so much she wanted to say to him, so much she wanted to ask. �How long have you felt this way?� she finally managed.
He chuckled slightly. �A while... no, more than a while. A long time.�
�Why didn�t you say anything?�
He looked at her, his eyes serious. �Because you are my best friend, and I didn�t want to lose that if you didn�t feel the same way.�
�I�m glad you finally decided to let me know,� she told him, leaning in to kiss him lightly.
�This is going to be complicated,� he told her, stealing another kiss.
She kissed him back. �Yeah.�
�We should keep it away from work.� Another kiss.
�We should.�
Finally, they�re lips met in earnest for another soul searching kiss. Gil�s fingers started exploring her body, as his lips started trailing down her neck.
�Bedroom,� Catherine managed to gasp out, untangling their limbs.
The word seemed to break Gil out of his spell. He pulled away from her, breathing heavily.
�What is it?� she asked, confused.
He looked at her, taking in her flushed face, and kiss swollen lips. He didn�t think he�d ever seen her look more beautiful. �I didn�t come here with the intention of doing this,� he told her.
�I should hope not.� She smiled. �I know you didn�t plan this Gil, neither did I, but just because it wasn�t planned, doesn�t mean it�s wrong.� She held out her hand. �Please, stay tonight.�
�Are you sure?� he asked, determined to give her an out if she wanted it.
�I wouldn�t ask if it wasn�t what I wanted,� she assured him. She smiled as his hand slipped into hers and she led him to her bedroom.
*****
The moonlight lit up the room as Catherine lay there. Her limbs were tired and deliciously sore, but still she didn�t feel like sleeping. Perhaps it was because she was normally working at this hour, or perhaps it was because she was mesmerised by the man slumbering beside her.
For someone who claimed to be having trouble sleeping, he was sure doing it soundly. He was laying on his side, facing her and the dim light was just enough that she could make out his face. He looked at peace. Most of the time, Gil�s face held a look of intense concentration. Seeing him completely relaxed made him seem younger, and more vulnerable.
She reached out and caressed his cheek. She watched as his eyes flickered open, blinking rapidly before settling on her. �Sorry,� she whispered, reluctant to break the silence. �I didn�t mean to wake you.�
�It�s okay,� he replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. �That�s the best sleep I�ve had in a long time. Even better when I�m waking up to you.� He pulled her to him, kissing her briefly before settling so that he lay on his back and she lay with her head on his chest.
�A girl could get used to this,� Catherine said, running her fingers through the smattering of hair on his chest.
�I sure hope so,� Gil replied, giving her body a little squeeze.
�Does that mean you�re going to stay again?� she asked, feeling unsure of the new situation.
�If you want me to.�
She nodded. �What about Lindsey?�
�Cath, if you think this is going to be a problem...�
�No, no,� she interrupted. �That�s not what I meant. But I do have a daughter, Gil.�
�I know that, and she�s great. You having a child isn�t a problem for me, okay?�
�Okay,� she agreed.
He pulled her closer and kissed her on the temple. �This is going to take some adjusting for both of us, but we can do it. We both deserve to be happy for a change, don�t you think?�
�Yeah, we do,� she agreed.
They lay silently as they both started drifting off. On the cusp of sleep, Catherine was sure she heard Gil whisper �I love you.� She drifted off to sleep, safe in the knowledge that she would wake up in the arms of someone special.
THE END