Forever in Love - by Toria

It was the start of their shift. Cat and Nick were in the breakroom telling Sara and Warrick about their case the night before at The Shelter of Hope, when the receptionist walked in to give her a message. "Catherine, Mr. Grissom called earlier, he said he was taking a sick day and that you should take charge for the evening."

"Gris called in sick? Oh my gosh," Sara said in disbelief.

Nick and Cat made eye contact. Sara and Warrick noticed.

Warrick is just as surprised as Sara, about Gil Grissom being sick. "What's up?" he asked Catherine.

"What are you asking me for?" she said innocently.

"I saw the look you two gave each other and I heard he left the two of you out at the Shelter to find your own way back." Warrick said. "That's two things that doesn't fit his profile. Leaving an investigation and calling in sick. Then you two giving each other `the eye' when you get that message. Something's up and if we're a team, I don't think we should be keeping secrets, if there's something wrong."

"Go ahead Cat, tell them." Nick urged her.

"Okay, but we really don't know anything." Giving emphasis on the word know. Cat described the meeting in the hallway. The kiss they observed. What he was like just before announcing he was going home sick. He wanted to go to his place but she insisted on somewhere public. Nick saw them drive away together. That was all she knew.

What she didn't know was what happened when they drove away from the Shelter.

Their first stop was the Denny's. They didn't talk on the way over. He parked the SUV and started to get out. "Gil," she placed her hand on his shoulder, stopping him from existing. "Lets go to your place."

"Are you sure?" he asked, afraid that she might change her mind again.

"I'm sure. This is too important to talk about in public."

He turned the car back on and headed to his place. He wanted to be able to see her face when they had their real talk, but in the meantime he couldn't help but to ask her about her name. "By the way, Gillian, where did you come up with that name."

She smiled, "it was my way of keeping a part of you with me. You don't mind do you?"

"No, of course not, but you'll always be Jenna to me"

It felt like it took forever to get to his place. As he opened the door to let her in, he realized that he was nervous about being alone with her. Once he let her in he saw a sadness in her eyes.

"Are you having second thoughts? Do you want me to take you back to the Shelter?" he asked with concern. If she said yes, even though it would have been like a knife in his heart, he would have
taken her back.

"No Gil, I'm exactly where I want to be." She said as she rested the palm of her hand against his face to reassure him that she meant what she was saying. She pulled away and sat down on the couch. "It's just that so much has happened. Maggie's dead and her death brought us together. I feel guilty about that. Plus," she said with a tried sigh as she noticed the time, "it's four o'clock in the morning, I've been up since 5:30. I want to talk to you Gil, about everything, but I just don't have the energy."

"Come with me." He said as he offered her his hand. He took her up to his room. He turned on a small table light before pulling the blinds so that the morning sun would not come into the room.

He went to his dresser and pulled out a tee shirt and a pair of jogging shorts that had a drawstring. "Here, put these on and we can talk when you wake up."

She smiled remembering how truly kind he could be. "Thank you," she said as she turned to go into the bathroom to change.

When she came out of the bathroom, he was gone. She walked out of the bedroom calling him. He was on his way back upstairs. "I was locking things up, downstairs." He informed her. "I'll be in this room, if you need anything," he said, pointing the room next to one he gave her.

"I do need something," she said. "I need to fall asleep in your arms and to find you next to me when I wake up in the morning."

He walked back into his room with her. He started to remove his clothes, then stopped, realizing what he was doing. "Gil, it's okay," He smiled as he removed only his outer clothing. He climbed into bed, with her, wearing a tee shirt and his boxers.

He wrapped his arms around her and she moved until she found just the right position in his arms.

"Tell me about her," Gil said knowing that talking about Maggie would help take some of the guilt away from Jenna.

"Oh, Maggie was wonderful. When she first came to us she wouldn't talk to anyone. After about 2 weeks she would offer a little comment at meals. Her favorite activity was to make ice sundaes. Every Saturday afternoon we have ice cream and she loved being the server." Jenna realized she was rambling, but there was so much she wanted to share about Maggie and she loved that she was in Gil's arms just talking to him.   "Her goal was to get a job at one of the finer restaurants on the Strip. She wanted to start in the kitchen and work her way up to top management. I admired her for picking a goal that she could actually obtain. Most girls would have wanted to start as the manager, but Maggie knew she could do it by working from the bottom up."

Jenna turned and looked at him. "Gil, will you be able to prove who killed her?"

"I think so. I don't think the killer went there planning to kill her. He left a lot of evidence behind." He continued on about the evidence that was found and how they would process it. After a few minutes, he realized that she was asleep. He held her and for the next hour or so, before he fell asleep, he planned their future. He was never going to let her go again.

Gil woke at about 12:30 P.M. Jenna was gone. He panicked. He jumped up and ran down the stairs calling her. He stopped just before the bottom when he realized she was in the kitchen. She came running. He had sank down and was sitting on the step with his head in his hands. She ran over and sat down beside him. She was brushing her hand against his hair and asking what was wrong.

After a few seconds he raised his head. His eyes were filled with tears. "What's wrong Gil?" She asked with concern.

He just looked at her, "I thought you had left me again."

"Oh, Gil," she hugged him like she would a small child that had just skinned his knee. "I was just trying to make breakfast for you. You know, it's not easy trying to figure out what's edible in your refrigerator."

He looked up, this time with a smile. Then she added. "Gil, I can't promise that I'll be here forever. But I will promise you that if I have to leave again, I'll try and let you know ahead of time."

"I am sorry that I hurt you so much," she said with a voice on the verge of tears. Then she stood up and offered him her hand. He was not sure what direction she intended to take him. But to his delight, when he took the extended hand, she walked up the stairs.

The room was still dark because of the pulled shades. "I love you. I've loved you forever," was all she said before she removed first the tee shirt that she was wearing and then his. He kissed her again and while doing so he pushed down the jogging shorts she was wearing. He pulled away long enough to remove his boxers. Once they were both naked, she laid on the bed stretching her arms out to him.   He stood frozen wanting to remember every detail of this moment. It was only seconds before he accepted the invitation she offered with her outstretched arms. Together they reached an ecstasy that neither of them had ever experience before.

After they were done. They lay together with arms and legs entangled, neither of them wanting to separate. "Gil," Jenna said in a nervous voice. "I have to tell you something, I hope you believe me." She paused only a second before telling him, "All these years, there was never anyone else."

"Jenna, you don't have to tell me that."

"I know but I wanted you to know."   She then turned and looked at him. "It breaks my heart, but I suspect that maybe it's been the same with you."

He shrugged. "There's been a few physical relationships, but never any emotional ones."

"Because you were afraid of being hurt again?" she asked, knowing she was the cause of his hurt.

"Not just that," he answered, looking deep into her eyes, "but because I truly believed that we would be together again. And look at us now," He said as he tightened his grip around her.

After a few more minutes of lying in each other's arms Jenna sat up and announced, "I'm starving and the food in your refrigerator stinks, in more ways than one. Lets go get something to eat."

"Okay, but first I have to call the lab and tell them I wouldn't be in tonight. And we need to check with the police department to be sure they aren't looking for you."

"They aren't," Jenna told him confidently.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Sr. Laura would have called if they wanted me."

"What!" he shouted in complete disbelief.

"You heard me, Sr. Laura what have called if the police wanted me
for anything." She said nonchalantly.

"She knows where you are?" he asked, stunned.

"She knows all about me, Gil. Everything." Jenna enjoyed the surprised look he was giving her. Then she added, "She's been my confidant for these last 18 years Gil, she's not about to let anyone know about us.   Someday, I want you to really meet her. I know you'll fall in love with her just like I have."

She then reminded him that she was still hungry.

She didn't mention the butterfly's in her stomach. They were there because she knew that time was running out and that soon they would have to talk about where she's been and more importantly
what future they will have.