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It was the last day of work before all of the graveyard shift CSI's were going to go on vacation including Greg; anywhere but CSI. Ecklie and his crack team of criminalists were going to be taking over all of their assignments, working double shifts for the next 5 days.
The whole crew was in the break room waiting for shift to end. They were also coming to no decision over a place to go for the week. They decided they would go all together and they wanted to be as far away from Las Vegas as possible.
"What about Fiji?" Nick suggested while flipping through a travel magazine, "It says here, the beautiful island of paradise, that sounds cool,"
They all shook their heads no.
"What about this old mansion in Italy" Catherine suggested and read the article, "It says it hasn't been used in years, that could be interesting," she showed them a picture of the place to everyone.
"Awesome, I'm with Cath lets go there," Sara said and eyed the guys, "Unless you guys are too chicken?" she replied.
"We are not chicken," Warrick shot back.
"I bet you a hundred bucks you'll freak out before us,"
"Alright your on, we leave tomorrow, deal?" Nick said as he spit into his hand. Catherine did the same and they shook hands.
"Guys that's gross," Sara said and both Catherine and Nick glared at her hoping she wouldn't go into her speel about catching diseases, "But cool" she finished with a smile and got up to leave.
"I'll book the tickets tonight" Gil said and everyone agreed.
Sara, Nick and Warrick all left together laughing and talking about what they were going to bring with them on their trip overseas. Catherine shook her head at Sara punching Warrick in the arm. She was just about to leave when Grissom grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.
"What's up Griss?" Catherine asked with a smile, "You backing out of our little trip?"
"No, but who will look after Lindsay while your away?" Grissom questioned.
"My sister or Eddie," Catherine stated and got up again, "You know he does deserve to see her sometimes since he is her father"
Catherine leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek causing Grissom to redden with embarassment. She then disappeared down the hallway towards the locker rooms.
The next day the whole team showed up at the airport at 9:30am, half an hour before the plane was scheduled to depart.
"I hate airplanes," Sara announced as she sipped her morning coffee trying to wake herself up.
"You..." Greg stated,"Hate airplanes?" he was surprised by her confession.
"Yes, copycat. I don't fly well I usually throw up when a plane hits turbulence"
"I thought you loved airplanes, I mean you even said so yourself, you are part of the mile high club," Nick asked with a grin.
"That's how I ended up in the mile high club" Sara mumbled.
"What did you do go in the wrong bathroom?" Catherine said with a snort.
Sara smiled and blushed beat red. She just sat there in silence; all eyes fell on her and they bursted into laughter. The airplane reporter's voice crackled over the speakers saying that they were boarding passengers on flight to Italy.
Once they bored the plane all hell broke loose between Greg and Sara. They were fighting over who got to sit in the window seat. Catherine and Grissom were trying to break it up, Warrick and Nick decided to just sit back and relax and watch the scene unfold in front of them.
"You shouldn't sit in the window seat because when turbulence comes your going to have to run to the bathroom and I'll be in your way!" Greg protested.
"But I want to look out the window!" Sara whined.
"Children why don't we settle this like adults," Catherine said and both Sara and Greg fel silent, "Why don't you rock paper scissors it?"
Greg and Sara both looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.
"Alright on the count of three...1...2...3!" Grissom said and they both showed what they had.
"Ha! Scissors beats paper in your face Sanders! I get the window seat" Sara screamed back at Greg and happily sat down in her prize-winning seat.
Catherine and Grissom shook their heads, there interpretation of "adults" was obviously different than Sara's . The flight attendant came on the speakers and announced,
"Hello, and welcome to international air, Pleas enjoy your flight and when you see the seat belt button light up please put on your seat belt and relax, enjoy and thank you for flying with us,"
Tweleve hours later the plane landed in Rome. All the jet lagged friends got off and took a tour bus to the house; it was another three-hour drive.
Sara and Greg just plunked down in two seats, this time too tired to fight over the window. Catherine and Grissom sat behind them. Grissom took the window seat resting his head against the window and Catherine, not really even thinking about what she was doing rested her head against Grissom's shoulders and fell asleep. Warrick and Nick saw that and sat down across from them.
"Don't even think about it man," Warrick warned as he slouched down in his chair and Nick down beside him.
When the bus finally stopped in front of the house it was bigger than it looked in the ad. Beautiful exterior and when they all piled off the bus and into the front foyer they couldn't surpress the tendency to gasp.
Obviously the place looked as if it hadn't been inhabited for a very long time with dust covering everything but that didn't mask it's true beauty. Statues and paintings were all over the walls and floor and the beautiful grand staircase staring them straight in the face was almost to die for.
"Nick I'll race you to the top?" Sara challenged, she was now hyper after he goodnight rest on the tour bus.
"Alright you're on, ready...set...GO!" Nick yelled and bolted up the stairs with Sara close behind.
When they reached about halfway Sara stuck out her right leg. This daring move caused Nick to trip and fall flat on his face and allowed Sara the lead. Warrick and Grissom were laughing their heads off while Greg was clapping and cheering at Sara's devious plan. Catherine had already left the group deciding to go exploring.
"I WON!" Sara screamed at the top of the staircase and did a little happy dance.
When she turned around Sara noticed a big painting hanging on the wall. It was a portrait of a beautiful woman. Sara used her sleeve to wipe away some of the dust and cobweds on the plaque underneath. Sara readh the name to herself; Miss Angelina Willows.
"That race wasn't fair but oh well," Nick asked as he reached the top of the stairs and looked down, "Where did Cath go off to?" Nick asked out of breath.
"I'm not sure but when we find her we should ask her if she is related to this woman in the picture her names Angelina Willows," Sara announced.
The other three guys joined Nick and Sara at the top if the staircase and admired the painting as well.
"She looks beautiful," Greg said and thought for a moment, "Actually she reminds me of Catherine don't you think?" Greg said.
"Yeah I'm with you there Greg." Grissom said and turned around not seeing Catherine there anymore.
"Speaking of Catherine were did she venture off too?" Warrick asked everyone shrugged their shoulders.
Meanwhile Catherine was exploring the house on her own. She always dreamt of a place like this but she would need a lot more zeros on her paycheck to get one. She admired all of the paintings and decor. She looked in each and every room she came across. Catherine smiled to herself and whsipered:
"Home sweet home"
Meanwhile the rest of the group was searching for Catherine while Catherine was searching for a room to spend the next week sleeping in. She walked up a second set of stairs and walked down another hallway that was filled with white wooden doors.
Catherine opened every room, noticing that they were all bedrooms. At least she knew no one had to share any. She was on the second last room on the right side when she decided to go no further. Catherine found the one she wanted, it was so beautiful she would fight to death with Sara if she tried to take it.
"Oh my god," Catherine muttered and walked into the massive room. She admired the decor, the bedding and furnature. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Greg and Sara's voices calling out her name.
She poked her head out of the door,"In here guys" she said catching the two adults off guard.
Greg and Sara spun on their heels whipping their heads around seeing Catherine's head poking out of the bedroom door that they just passed with a smile on her face.
"Where, how, what," Greg stuttered, "We-we didn't see you come up the stairs" still thinking this through.
"I found another set of stairs while I was exploring," Cathere stated and joined the two in the hallway, "Where are the others?" she asked.
"Down stairs still looking for you. You missed Nick and Sara's race to the top of the staircase, she tripped him halfway up it was so funny" Greg said laughing again while Catherine joined in.
"Nice job Sara, shows him whose boss huh? Anyways lets go fetch the others before they get worried that three people are lost,"
The three of them were walking down the hallway they turned the corner and ended up back at the main stair case. Catherine stopped when she spotted the portrait.
"She's one beautiful lady," Catherine whispered catching Sara and Greg's attention. She read the plaque, "Mrs. Angelina Willows huh? I bet you thought I was related to her in some twisted way right?" she suspected.
Sara and Greg both nodded their heads in agreement, "Are you?" Greg questioned, he just wanted to clarify.
"I-" Catherine was in the middle of saying with Grissom interputed her.
"There you three are!"
The three investigators turned around simultaneously and saw Grissom, Warrick and Nick standing at the bottom of the stairs with a relief on their faces.
"Nice to see you too Griss," Catherine replied sarcastically with a smirk.
"Well it's about time were all back together" Warrick said as he began to make his accent up the steps.
"I think we should call it a night don't ya'll think?" Nick asked.
" I would love to, if I knew where the bedrooms where," Grissom replied.
"I already picked mine, it's the nicest of them all" Catherine announced proudly.
"Well where are they?"
"Follow me,"
They didn't bother grabbing their luggage since it was to much work to go down and back up the stairs. They headed down the long corridor towards the bedrooms they were situated one after another joined by a door and a bathroom was between each room. Three bedrooms where created on either side of the hallway.
"Wow," Nick gasped as he poked his head in every room admiring everything.
Catherine walked over towards her bedroom and leaned against the doorframe. "This ones' mine" she claimed. She watched as everyone else was scoping out their bedroom for the week.
"No fair she got the biggest and nicest one" Greg complained as he leaned against the wall.
"Oh quit your whining," Gil said and Sara gave him a glare, "I'll take the one on the right side of Catherine's" Grissom said.
"Oh the love birds want to stick together, awe how romantic" Nick said playfully as Sara punched him in the arm.
"Nick grow up," Sara stated and walked to her room sitting down in front of the door, "I'll take this one," Sara announced. It was directly across from Catherine's room.
"I call this one!" Warrick yelled and ran over to the one across from Grissom and on the right of Sara. He skipped towards the door like a little kid, who was high on sugar.
"Whoa someone's excited," Nick stated and Warrick showed him the middle finger, "I'll take the other one beside Queen noxonal-9 over there," Nick said and Sara gave him the evil eye.
"Nick! I'm not THAT serious on being clean am I?" Sara asked addressing the group.
Everyone nodded their heads and Sara gave them all a glare.
"I guess I get this one beside Catherine then don't I?" Greg said and walked the two steps to his bedroom.
"You don't seem very enthuszed there Greg" Catherine asked.
"I wanted Nick's room, but he got there first" Greg huffed.
"Too bad man, you snooze you loose," Nick stated with a smile.
"Talking about snoozing I think we should all get some sleep and explore the house a little more tomorrow when were all rested and reenergized." Grissom propsed and everyine nodded, "good night ya'll" he said and shut his door.
"Been there done that already," Catherine muttered and smiled, "Night everyone" she slammed her door shut.
"See you guys tomorrow good night" Sara replied with a yawn and shut her door.
"Night night sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite" Greg stated and went into his bedroom as well.
"Night," Warrick and Nick said at the same time and laughed as they shut there doors as well.
Grissom, Catherine, Sara, Nick, Warrick and Greg were all fast asleep in dreamland while a fierce storm was a brewing outside of the mansion. It was raining buckets outside while flashes of sheet lighting lit up the sky. The wind was howling making the branches on a tree outside of Grissom's bedroom tap on the glass of his window. The sound of the taps made Grissom jump awake while a crash of thunder raddled the house in the starless night.
In the adjacent room Catherine was usually a restless sleeper and when she was having a nightmare it's even worse. She kept tossing and turning in her sleep while she was mumbling words and phrazes that made no sense.
Another crash of thunder boomed outside the mansion and Grissom turned on the little bedside lamp beside him. He put on his glasses and looked around the room. It was eerie, everything was covered in dust and the shadows the furnature and statues casted looked like things that go bump in the night.
Grissom rubbed the sleep out of his eyes when he thought he heard something. Grissom thought he heard something coming from Catherine's room . He flung the covers off of his warm body feeling a cold chill in the air. Grissom thought nothing of it figuring that the house was old and it was always cold.
Grissom walked across the room towards the bathroom that he and Catherine were to share for the week. He reached the door and could hear distant moaning throught the wooden door. Grissom knew the moaning and mumbling was not coming from the bathroom but from the bedroom. It could only mean one person, Catherine. Grissom grabbed the metal doorknob and pulled his hand away fast. It was freezing cold, like cold to the touch. Grissom shook his head, he needed to think past that, he wondered why the metal knob was so cold, maybe it was ghosts or something from the supernatural but then he thought against it. He was an investigator, he never believed in huntches he beleived in the evidence and right now he had evidence that Catherine was in danger.
Grissom flew open the door and switched on the light in the bathroom and caught the first glimpse of the bathroom he and Catherine were going to share. Cobwebs and rust and grime was all over everything that it made him shudder. Actually he wasn't sure if he was shuddering because of the disgusting bathroom or because he all of a sudden got extremely cold. Grissom couldn't stand being in the bathroom anymore so he went to the other door and headed into Catherine's room.
He slowly opened the door careful not to scare her in anyway. When Grissom thought nothing could get colder than that bathroom he was wrong. Catherine's room was like an igloo, he wondered if every room in this house was that cold or if there some other explanation. Grissom tip toed over to her bedside seeing her tossing and turning in her sleep, very fast. Gil was about to tap her on the shoulder to wake her when she let out a loud scream. Grissom jerked his hands away from Catherine's shoulder and then his instincts came into play. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her awake.
"Catherine, Catherine wake up" Grissom whsipered. It was so cold that he could see his breath when he spoke. The shocking thing was when he touched Catherine she was hot to the touch. Something weird was happening.
Catherine moaned at the sound of another voice and slowly opened her eyes. A flash of lighting lit up her room making a silhouette of someone standing over her bed grabbing her shoulders. Catherine let out another high pitched scream when a light flicked on.
"It's okay Cath, it's just me," Gil said comforting his distraught friend. He couldn't see his breath anymore, when he turned on the light the tmerparture of the room changed back to normal. "I-I heard you scream and I came to see what was the matter, did you have a nightmare or something?" Grissom asked in a soothing voice sitting down on the bed as Catherine bunched up into a ball hugging her knees.
"Gil," Catherine whispered. "I-I was so scared. I thought there was a rapist or a murderer in my room." She was wiping the sleep and tears out of her eyes.
Then the lights flickered and went out leaving the two in pitch darkness. The warmth that had engulfed the room had gone again and it was back to a freezer. Catherine freaked out beginning to hyperventialte and then noticed she could see her breath.
"What, why is it so cold?" Catherine asked shivering as Grissom placed an arm around her rubbing her shoulders to keep her warm.
"I don't know," Gil replied and then heard a crash.
Greg heard Catherine scream and sat up in bed. He jumped out of bed not even notcing the cold and ran to the door flinging it open walking into Catherine's room that was even colder but couldn't stop. He forgot that the floors were stone and that he was still wearing his socks. Greg slip across the floor and went head first into the dresser causing a huge bang.
Catherine's eyes shifted from Grissom to the floor in the left hand corner near the dresser, "What was that?" Catherine whispered she was frightened now.
"I don't know" Grissom whispered back. He just stayed completly still and kept rubbing Catherine's cold shoulders, "Maybe, ghosts?" he said.
"Don't even start Grissom,"
Greg moaned as he slowly rose from the floor. Another sheet of lighting lit up the room again and Catherine and Grissom saw something or someone slowly getting up off the floor. Catherine screamed again, this time right in Grissom's ear almost blowing out his eardrums. Now for sure the whole gang was awake.
In the room across the hall Sara woke up to the screams filling the silent house. She moaned reaching over with her hands to the nightable feeling cobwebs all over her fingers. Sara screamed and sat up shaking her hand free of the spider's home. Sara tried to turn on her light but it wouldn't work. She huffed and then saw her own breath, she realized that the room had suddenly got very cold. Sara wrapped a blanket around her and got out of the nice comfy bed feeling the coldness of the stone floor.
Sara shuffled across the floor dragging the blanket behind her. She had no clue where she was heading until she smacked right into the wooden door. Sara reached for the doorknob turning it and opening up her door into more darkness. Sara was hopeing she was walking in a straight line towards Catherine's room. The coldness of her bedroom disipated and she was beginning to get hot wrapped in this wool blanket. She kept going until all of a sudden she smacked into something hard, for the second time that evening.
"Hey watch were your going!" Sara replied in a grumpy voice.
"If we had some light that wouldn't happen now would it!" Nick replied irritated and half awake.
They both heard another scream come from Catherine's room and they both searched for the door knob to Catherine's bedroom. Sara's hands finally ran across the cold metal handle and she turned it opening the door. Sara was puzzled, at first she was cold and then she was hot and now when she walked inside Catherine's room she was freezing again. Something weird was happening in this house.
Warrick came up behind Sara and Nick of course he couldn't see anything either, "Hey what's all this screaming about?" Warrick asked and then tripped on the rug and fell on top of Sara and Nick.
All three of them screamed and fell face first on the hard cemement floor landing in a huge pile. Greg lost his footing again and hit his head on the dresser with a bang leaving him sitting beside the dresser.
The storm started to settle down outside as the rumbling of thunder was becoming quiter as it faded into the distance. The lights flickered back on and Catherine and Grissom couldn't help but burst out laughing. Sara, Nick and Warrick in a pile one top of each other and Greg half conscious slouched beside the dresser in his boxers and socks.
Sara could hear Catherine giggling and looked up off the floor Catherine and Grissom in Catherine's bed with Grissom having an arm around Catherine's shoulders. Sara wasn't sure if he was doing that to comfort her, because he loved her or because she was cold as hell like everyone else.
"What's so funny?" Sara screamed in anger. She was definatly in a horrible mood.
"Nothing," the said in unison and cracked up again.
"Are you guys okay?" Grissom mustered between fits of giggles. Catherine grabbed a pillow and shoved it in front of her face. Right now Sara felt like smuthering her with that.
"I'm fine but I don't know about half conscious Greg over there," Warrick admitted while he pointed his finger towards the dresser.
"Your fine!" Sara screamed. "Warrick you're the only one that didn't hit anything hard!"
"Yes I did, I hit you!"
Sara's nostrils were flaring now, it was bad enough she had his weight and Nick's weight on top of her, and that she was bleeding in her mouth because she bit her lip, but Warrick crossed the line when he insulted her. "Warrick when I get up off this cold floor you are such a dead man."
"Now behave children, you don't want a time out now do you?" Nick replied as he got up off of Warrick and rubbed his hands together. It was an igloo in here.
"SHUT UP!" both of them yelled in Nick's face.
Warrick slowly got up off of Sara and decided to make a run for the door, "Good night everyone I'm going to go before Ms. Anger Rampage here kills me." Warrick said and began to run, "See ya tomorrow" Sara sprang to her feet and was right on his heels.
"WARRICK YOUR SUCH A DEAD MAN!" Sara screamed and ran out of the room slamming the door behind her.
Nick shook his head at the childish game those two were playing. He then noticed Greg still in the same position as he was 15 minuets ago. "Hey man are you okay," Nick asked squatting down beside the abrat, "You looked to have hit that dresser pretty hard"
"Yeah I'll be fine" Greg whispered and with Nick's help got back up onto his two feet.
"I'm off to bed again," Nick said and looked at Catherine, "No more screaming okay?"
Catherine just nodded her head yes and Nick smiled opening the door to leave. Nick stepped out into the hallway and almost got trampled over by Warrick and Sara chasing each other down the corridor. Nick looked back into the room and said, "When Sara's mad she's really mad" he laughed and shut the door.
Catherine and Grissom both looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Grissom removed his arm from around Catherine and walked over towards Greg. He glanced back to see Catherine shivering from the cold, or maybe because she missed his warmth. He smiled and she smiled back to reassure him that she would be fine.
"So you were the mystery thing that freaked us out in the beginning?" Grissom said.
"Sorry for scaring you guys," Greg appologized and rubbed his sore head, "I heard Catherine scream the first time and I ran into the room. I forgot that I was in socks and the floors are stone so I slid and hit the dresser." Greg replied almost half asleep.
"It's okay Greggo," Catherine chimed in, "To tell you the truth I saw a shadow of someone over my bed and I screamed but it turned out to be Grissom," Catherine confessed and smiled, "Sorry about startling you" she seemed embarassed now.
"It's okay Cath," Greg said accepting her appology, "I think I'm going to go back to bed and get some sleep, night Griss, night Cath"
"Night Night Greg" Grissom and Catherine said.
Grissom and Catherine watched as Greg headed back to his room and slammed the door shut behind him. The coldness still lingered in the air, and it was beginning to worry Grissom, he was actually starting to thing that ghosts were inhabitaing the rooms of this old house. Maybe something horrible happened here a century ago. If anything goes wrong he's going to blame Catherine, she was the one who picked the place.
"I came in here because I heard you scream," Grissom said as he came back and sat down beside Catherine on the bed. He wrapped his hand aroud her's and felt how cold she was, "Sweetie your freezing," Gil whsipered and Catherine's eyes got big.
"Sweetie?" Catherine questioned, "Are you alright Grissom?" Catherine asked skeptical about her friends choice of words.
"Yeah, sorry" Grissom replied and pulled his hand away, "Why were you screaming, were you having a nightmare?" Gil asked trying to change the subject.
"Uh yeah, that's all," Catherine smiled. "Sorry about that. It's like 2 in the morning we should get some sleep, night Grissom" Catherine said as snuggled back in under the covers getting comfortable.
"Night Cath," Gil said astounded by her abruptness. He knew that was his que to leave, she was obviously hurt by him pulling away. She wanted his comfort and he wanted hers, but he didn't know how to express his feelings to someone else. He was not a people person he was, Grissom.
Grissom was half way to the bedroom door when he turned around. "Cath," he said and stood in the bone chilling cold room staring into Catherine's ice blue eyes that were almost buried under the covers.
"Yeah?" she replied with hope in her voice. Maybe he was going to express his love.
"When ever you need to talk about anything I'm always here to listen,"
Grissom could see Ctaheirne's heart sink in her eyes, it was true the eyes were the windows to your soul. "Thanks, Griss I'll remember that for the next time" she whsipered her closed her eyes.
Grissom sighed and left the room as Catherine shut off her light. He walked throught the bathroom having a feeling that Catherine wasn't telling him everything. That she was keeping a secret even from him. He walked back to his bed and got back under the covers. He shut off his light and closed his eyes dreaming about him and Catherine having a life together.
Later that morning everyone came down to the dinning room around the same time. Catherine and Grissom were the first one's down enjoying their nice warm cup of coffee and looking at each other in silence. Nick and Greg came down a few minuets later senseing the tension between the two older adults and wondered what had happened between them after everyone went back to bed.
"I wonder what happened to Sara and Warrick?" Greg asked and then heard the creeking of the steps.
"Speaking of which," Nick said and saw the two entering the dinning room a mess.
Sara had a nice black eye under her left eye and Warrick came down with scratched on his cheek and scrapped up elbows.
"I see you two had fun last night," Nick said and laughed.
Sara punched him in the arm and she winced in pain as every muscle in her body ached. "Shut up Nick! All I want right now is a cup of nice warm coffee" Sara said and sat down. She flinched because her butt had rug burns all over it from last night's brawl.
"What happened with you two?" Catherine asked as she poured Sara and Warrick a cup of coffee each.
"Remember when Sara said I was going to be a dead man?" Warrick stated.
Everyone nodded their head and smiled at that memerable memory.
"Well she wasn't kidding, the only thing that saved my butt was when I kicked her in the eye by accident," Warrick stressed as Sara huffed. "I got away before she could really kill me"
"It was not an accident, it was on purpose." Sara mumbled and smelled a fresh cup of Java near by, "Coffee! Thank you so much Catherine" Sara said grabbing the nice warm cup of coffee from her and took a sip.
"Well you deserved it for pratically breaking my jaw and scraping up my elbows" Warrick retorted.
"Alright that's enough you two, I don't want you starting a round two in here alright?" Grissom said before Sara leaped over that table and punched the living daylights out of Warrick.
"Now," Greg said and everyone looked at him, "Whoes up for some exploring?" Greg asked cheerfully to the group.
"I am! This place is huge maybe there are some secret passageways some where" Nick said happily like a kid on Christmas morning.
"Why don't we go in pairs," Gil proposed and everyone stared at hime either dumbfounded or still half asleep, "Sara and Catherine will go upstairs, Nick and Warrick can wonder around down here and Greg and I can go in the basement." Grissom said decided to act like team leader since no one else volunteered for the job.
"Good idea, trying to keep Sara and Warrick as far away from each other as possible." Catherine agreeed and everyone shrugged their shoulders not bothering to protest.
"Okay then, let's go" Greg announced running out of the ktichen, "Come on Grissom" he called and Grissom huffed as he got out of his chair and followed his collegue.
"Sounds like someone's excited," Sara commented and Catherine smiled, "Come on Cath, let's go before I have the urge to pound Warrick or Nick's head in"
"Me? what did I do?" Nick asked as both women got out of their chairs.
"For smaking into me the dark in the hallwasy last night, or did you forget about that little encounter," Sara replied and walked past the boyz with an evil stare.
"Alright," Nick said putting up his hands, "I surrneder, just don't hit me please,"
"Have fun boys and don't get into too much trouble" Catherine snickered and followed Sara as both girls laughed.
"Man Sara can send shivers down your spine," Nick said looked at Warrick who was half in a daze.
"I heard that Stokes!" Sara's voice came from the hallway and Nick tensed up. How did she hear him?
"She's magic," Warrick replied and looked at Nick, "Ready?"
"Ready" Nick replied and both men left the dinning room.
Catherine and Sara headed up stairs again and back down the hallway with the bedrooms on either side. They kept going straight down that hall and turned right. Catherine had never been down this part of the house when she went on her own exploring adventure. Sara and her opened every door finding a study, a library, and a nursery.
Sara noticed a door at the end of the hallway that had a differnt color door than the rest of the rooms. That puzzled Sara and being the investigator she was she went to go see if it was unlocked. She left Catherine in one of the rooms and walked down towards the door. The air was suddenly beginning to get cold again and it made Sara shiver, even though she was wearing a sweater. Sara grabbed the old fashioned door knob and pulled her hand away, she saw blood all over her palm and wiped it off on the side of her jeans.
"What did you find?" Catherine's voice came from behind Sara and it made her jump.
"Blood," Sara said showing Catherine her hand and pants but there was nothing there, "I swear there was blood on my hand, I just wiped it on my pants," Sara said freaking out wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her.
"Sara take a chill pill, your probably just tired from last night." Catherine replied resting a hand on her shoulder to calm her friend down. She grabbed the doorknob and tried to twist it but it wouldn't budge, it was locked.
"Darn, the only room that seems interesting in this house is the one that's locked," Sara replied.
"Not so fast," Catherine said and felt around on the top of the door frame. She felt something metal and took it down off the ledge. It was covered in dust so she blew it off and revealed a key.
"How did you know the key would be up there?" Sara asked as she placed the key in the lock and heard a click.
"Even in the old days people still put keys up on the ledge above the door." Catherine said and twisted the key to unlock the door. "You of all people should know that. You put your spare key to your apartment up on top of yours," Catherine stated and pushed open the door.
All they saw was pitch darkness and could feel coldness. Catherine was running her hands across the wall trying to search for a lightswitch. "I can't see a thing! Sara can you find a lightswitch?" Catherine replied and then heard a meow.
Sara stopped and stood still at the sound of the unknown noise, "What was that?" she whisptered and then heard the meow again.
"I think-" Catherine was in the middle of saying when an animal jumped out of know where and landed on top of Catherine. "CAT!" she screamed and the cat freaked beginning to hiss and scratched Catherine across the face.
Sara tried to get it off Catherine but she couldn't see and tripped falling face first onto the side of a table and fell to the floor. She got up hearing Catherine screaming at the cat and then pulled a chain on the lamp beside her.
"Stupid feline!" Catherine yeled and eventually threw the cat down the hallway. Catherine turned around and noticed it was black with green glowing eyes. No wonder it was hidden in the pitch dark room. The cat hissed at Catherine then left.
"Are you alright?" Sara asked as she walked back over to Catherine seeing the scratches all over her and small tears in her clothing.
"I'll be fine, that stupid fluff ball ruined my favorite shirt," Catherine announced and Sara smiled.
Catherine and Sara finally got a good look at the room that was such a pain to uncover. The entire room was full of old keepsakes. There were cloths covering furniture and painting on the wall with hundred years of dust on them. Catherine and Sara lifted the cloths off the covered keepsakes and found white leather couches, but they were splattered with dry blood.
"Looks like something bad happened in here," Sara said stating the obvious.
"That's for sure," Catherine said and saw a brown leather covered book and a jewelry box beside it. "I wonder who these trinkets belong too," Catherine said picked the book up and looked through the first few pages it was a diary that someone kept.
"What did you find?" Sara asked.
"A diary and a jewelry box," she said and shivered, it had all of a sudden gone cold. "Come on let's get out of here all this blood is giving me the creeps" Catherine said closing the book and grabbed the jewelry box.
Sara was a little confused, she wasn't sure why Catherine wanted to leave this room so fast over a bit of blood, "You specialize in blood splatter and this freaks you out?" Sara asked.
"Well this is an old house, it could be haunted," Catherine said and Sara gave her a dopey look, "Come on, I can't wait until we tell the others about this"
Meanwhile down in the basement Greg and Grissom were looking at some old photo albums they found stuffed in an old cardboard box. The pictures were taken in the early 1900's by the look of their clothes and the way the photgraphs were taken.
In all of the pictures there was a man, a woman and then a child. The weird thing about the children was that they were different in each of the 50 or so pictures the men flipped through.
"These guys never quit did they?" Greg asked as he was looking over Grissom's shoulder at the pictures.
The sound of Greg's voice made Grissom jump. "Geese Greg don't scare me like that, and not all of these children could be theirs, they could be relatives as well." Grissom said as he kept flipping.
"What ever rocks your boat Griss" Greg said and walked away to go look for some other intresting things.
Grissom rolled his eyes and flipped the page. He stared long and hard at the picture in front of him. He wasn't sure if his mind was playing tricks on him from lack of sleep or if he was just thinking about Catherine at the time but there had to be a scientific explanation to this. Beside the man was the woman from the portrait above the staircase in front of the front door. That wasn't was puzzled Grissom, what puzzled him was the child in front of the man and woman. It was a teenager, maybe no older than sixteen who was dressed in a nice long gown. The face of the young lady was exactly the same as Catherine. Grissom was convinced that this was a picture of Catherine.
"Greg you-you have to come see this?" Grissom stuttered not taking his eyes away from the picture.
"Okay, what-" Greg stopped in mid sentence. He stared at the picture, it was Catherine. "Oh my goodness, it's...it's Catherine," Greg spat out.
"I have to show this to her," Grissom said and closed the photo album as a could of dust rose into the air. "Let's go before anything else creeps us out"
"I'm with you there" Greg said and followed Grissom out of the basement.
Grissom opened up the door at the top of the stairs when he relized it was not the same staircase as before. Gil shoved open the door walking out into a big empty space, the ballroom. There were chandilers hanging from the ceiling and chairs and couches situated all around the outside of the room. The dance floor looked brand new, no dust, no cobwebs not even scratches from peoples shoes. The walls were painted with mosaics and pictures of Jesus, and the New World. Besides the dance floor which was wood and only in the center the outskirt was marble. It was so shinny that you could see your reflection in it. Statutes of gargoyles and a suit of armor from the knights in medival time were in each corner both as shinny as a new penny. The whole place looked like it was just added to the rest of the house, or who ever was the caretaker made sure this room recieved the most treatment.
"Whoa! Look at this place" Greg said as his voice echoed.
Gil looked ahead and saw a massive staircase that lead up to a small platform. Then on either side of the platform were two more staircases branchng up tp the balcony up above that lead to the upstairs. The stairs cases had a runner of carpet down the middle of them and the banisters were made a pure oak. The steps themselves were made of wood.
"Oh my god" Grissom said and walked up the wooden steps towards the painting. "Greg," Grissom said catching the young mans attention and pointed to the painting.
"Is that-" Greg said and stopped in mid sentence. The painting he saw was the exact replica of the photograph he had clutched in his hand.
Gil began to walk up the stair case, his eyes never leaving the painting on the wall and stopped to read the plaque underneith it. "The loving family of Gregory, Angelina and Catherine Willows." Gil read out loud and Greg jaw almost hit the floor.
"How, who, what?" Greg stuttered confused, "Is this just fate that Catherine brought us here, or does she know something we don't?" he asked and stared at Grissom who was dumbfounded.
"I-" Gil said and then sighed, "I don't know, let's go find the others" Gil said and draggged Greg up the next set of stairs to the upstairs portion of the house.
Meanwhile Nick and Warrick were having a splendid time exploring the main floor area of the mansion. They had just left the parlor and were entering the sitting room. The room was massive having the biggest fireplace either of them had ever laid eyes on. The mantel was made of marble and statues of mythical creatures were on either side of the fireplace. In the middle of the room there was a persian carpet that had 3 leather couches on top and an oak coffee table in the middle. On one side of the wall there were windows about the height of the wall with heavy red curtins pulled back with golod rope tassles tieing it to the wall.
Painting's covered every inch of the stone walls from various artists, some that Nick and Warrick didn't even recognize on the walls. The whole room it's self had a cold and not so homey feeling towards it. The amount of chairs and tables was a small amount compared to the size of the room.
Warrick looked over on the coffee table and saw their was a cigarette that was attached to a long slender filter that women usually used in the olden days. Warrick picked the cancer stick up and popped it out of the filter and saw lipstick on the butt of it. This puzzled Warrick, the only women in this house were Catherine and Sara and they had both quit smoking years ago.
"Hey Nick, did Sara or Catherine take up smoking again?" Warrick asked turning Nick's attention away from the fireplace.
"No? I don't think so, why?" Nick asked as he walked back over to the coffeetable.
"Because someone lit a cigarette, and Sara and Catherine are the only women with us on this trip, unless Greg's wearing lipstick, so who lit it?"
"I don't know man," Nick said and tried to change the subject. "Come check out this fire place with me"
Warrick placed the cigarette back in the ashtray and walked over to Nick at the massive marble fireplace. It was so big that Nick and Warrick could walk inside of it. There was no wood in the bottom and no ashes anywhere The whole bottom was made of metal and was as clean as a whistle. It was strange since everything else in this house was covered in dirt and grime yet the dirtiest place in whole mansion was clean. It looked as if it was never used.
Nick squatted down and notcied and a small latch. He grabbed ahold of the metal ring and pulled open the small metal door. The metal screetched on the rusted hinges and Nick smiled.
"YES! I knew there were secret passages in this house" Nick excalimed and started to go down the steps.
"Man your nuts," Warrick replied shaking his head, "I guess I have to go with you because this fireplace is giving me the creeps," he said and began his accent after Nick closing the trap door behind him.
They ended up in a long hallway that was lit by lantriens, Warrick wasn't sure what was scarier, the fireplace, the cigarette or this creepy passage of doom. Instead of protesting and telling Nick thatg he was insane he just kept going down the hallway until they reached another set of stairs. Both men decended those that were metal this time instead of wood or stone and ended up in the green house.
"Wow," Nick stated as he walked across the catwalk.
There were plants of all kinds all over the place. Vines were crawling up the walls and the sun was coming in throught the glass windows up above. Plants weren't the only thinkg grown in the green house, there was also a vegatable garden in the far corner that had potatoes, corn and carrots growing. The greenhouse looked to of been taken care of over the past few years, but they didn't see any caretakers any were unless they recently died. The most extravigant thing in the whole place was the big fountain in the middle of the Green house. It was of Cupid, holding his bow and arrow made of stone and spitting water from his mouth like a water fountain. Below the statue was a big poool that was filled with clear blue water and had an assortment of fish swimming around.
"Yeah amazing," Warrick chimed in and walked over to the pretty pink flowers. "Do you think I should pick a flower for Sara so then maybe she'll stop beating me up?" Warrick suggested and sat down on the ledge.
"Nah, she don't like flowers she likes vegetation, like plants and stuff," Nick replied and pointed at a plant, "Like this" Nick pointed out. The veins of the plants came crawling out along the dirt and wrapped around Nick's hand trying to pull him in the plant bush. "AH! Help Warrick!" Nick screamed.
Warrick ran over to the plant and saw a pair of hedge clippers on the ledge. He held Nick's arm stil and snipped the plants veins as it let out a little scream and faded back into the bushes.
"Thanks" Nick said as he untangled the veins that were bound around his wrist.
"No problem." Warrick huffed and sat back on the ledge of the fountain. "At least over here nothing can get us," Warrick said and Nick smiled sitting down as well.
Both men backed away from the statue watching as it was sitting blood now and not water.
"Let's get out of here" Warrick said as he motioned towards the door.
"I'm with you there," Nick said and they ran back up the catwalk.
Both men continued down the hallway but they forgot that they had gone right the first time back to the staicase and instead went left and ran down another small hallway. Both men didn't realize there mistake until they turned the corner and ran into Catherine and Sara.
"Whoa! What's the rush there?" Sara asked. She studied both Nick and Warrick's faces in the little light she had and could make out they were as pale as ghosts.
"You guys look like you saw a ghost or something?" Catherine said chuckling.
"That's what happens when mutated plants attack and you wash your face in blood that used to be water" Warrick stated as he saw that Catherine had something in her hands and her torn clothing. "What happened to you two?"
"Cat troubles," Both Sara and Catherine answered in unison.
"Have you seen Greg and Grissom?" Nick asked as the 4 of them headed back the way the girls had come.
"Nope, have you?" Sara asked and both men shook their heads no. "Let's go back to the kitchen and wait for them then"
When the 4 of them entered the kitchen, which is where the worst day of all their lives had begun Greg and Grissom were sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee each.
"There you two are," Catherine said and sat down beside Grissom leaving the jewlery box and diary on her lap.
Sara sat beside Greg and Nick and Warrick took the two ends of the table. They eyed the photo album that was in the middle of the table. No one spoke they all sat dumbfounded by the experiences that had happened to each other them indivudally and tried to make sense of it all. They knew that this house was haunted but they didn't know why.
Grissom looked over at Catherine and noticed the rips in the shirt and the scratches on her face. "What happened to you Catherine?" Grissom asked.
"Cat troubles," Catherine mummbled and then smiled. "So what did you guys find?" Catherine said eyeing the photo album.
"Something very freaky," Greg stated and noticed that Catherine was hiding something, "What are you hiding Cath?" he asked and all eyes fell on her.
Catherine knew that she couldn't lie to everyone and they would find out about the jewlery box and diary some time and might as well be now, maybe with all the crap everyone found individually it could but the story together as a whole. She put the jewlerly box and diary up ontop of the table and waited for someone to say something.
"Why don't I show you what we found?" Greg said and everyone nodded not wanting to tackle the new artifacts on the table.
Everyone followed Gil and Greg down to the ballroom and up the stairs. No one said anything, there eyes told it all. The beauty this big room captured took their breath away. Greg and Grissom went up the stair case as everyone trailed behind and pointed at the painting.
"The loving family of Gregory, Angelina and Catherine Willows" Sara read out loud and looked at the young girls face. "Oh my god that's Catherine!" She exclaimed.
"Freaky huh?" Greg stated.
"Very freaky" Nick and Warrick simontaniously.
Catherine was just staring at the portrait no words escaping her lips and tears rolling down her cheeks. This whole trip was one emotional rollercoaster to her, she expected this trip to be a fun adventures not a nightmare on wheels.
"Catherine?" Gil said and placed an arm around her, "Cath? Are you alright?" he asked becoming concerned.
"Yeah-yeah I'm fine," Catherine said and smiled whiping away her tears with her fingers. "That can't be me I mean that was taken years ago"
"Well it is you," Nick said. "I mean it looks like you to every last detail."
"What did you two find?" Sara asked smiling at Catherine trying to change the subject.
"We found a sitting room that had a cigarette already lit and lipstick on the butt of it. Then we found a secret passage down to the green house. A plant tried to eat me and water turned to blood." Nick explained.
"Freaky, we found that jewelry box and old diary, in a room that was locked and had furniture splattered with blood" Catherine explained.
"You know I think this place is haunted," Warrick stated. "We should leave, like now," he explained.
It's 8p.m. right now, how are we suppose to get transportation out here at this moment." Sara retorted.
"Why don't we all just calm down, go to sleep and leave first thing in the morning" Grissom suggested.
"I guess," Greg said and sighed. "I really don't want to spend another night here"
"Scared are we?" Catherine replied.
"No, I just don't like the place, and I would assume of all of us you would be the one who was scared with all these weird things keep happening" Nick retorted.
"Let's just all go to bed" Warrick said as he left to go to his room.
"I agree to that" Greg said and followed Warrick along with everyone else.
Later that night Catherine didn't want to go to sleep, she was scared to shut her eyes, afraid that something supernatural was going to pop out of no where and say "boo". The painting was the one thing that puzzled her the most, how could an exact replica of herself be painted on the canvas as a teenager many years ago. She needed to figure this out and get to the bottom of this, it was like it was some sort of sick game that either her friends or someone else was playing on her and she didn't like it.
Catherine brought the diary and jewlerly box up to her room. She undid the ties on the diary and cracked it open begining to read the entries:
Saturday May 14, 1906
Dear Diary;
Today has been a very hectic day in the Willows Manor. Tonight my parents are hosting a grand ball. All of their friends will be there along with some of mine. We will be having the time of our lives.
My father wants me to be on my best behavior but I don't want to, I have a plan for tonight one that will not favor the guests or my parents. They treat me like dirt always telling me what to do never letting me be independent. Well they are going to pay for all of the torture they have put me through. I didn't mind it when I was little but now that I am 17 years old I can make my own decisions.
My mother wants me to marry some rich fool that I don't even like. How am I suppose to live with him for the rest of my life if I can't even stand being around him for more than 2 minutes. He is coming to the ball tonight, he is suppose to propose to me so my mother said but I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen.
I want to marry a different man, a man that my parents would not approve of. One they would never except me to marry. He and I are in love and it's true love, once I'm done with the killing of my family I am leaving Willows Manor and living with my fiancée Joshua. True love can set you free, and that's what I am planning to do tonight.
I must leave now to get dressed for the ball. I shall tell you everything when I return from the ball. You are my one and only true friend because I can tell you secrets and you can't tell anyone else. I feel comfortable telling you my most deepest thoughts and wishes without worrying that you will stab me in the back, so to speak. I will always write in you about everything for as long as I live.
Love always,
Catherine Mary Willows
Catherine was apolled at what this young lady had planned to do. She flipped the page and read the next days entry as well.
Sunday May 15, 1906
Dear Diary:
Last nights ball went right to the plan. My parents are now dead along with Rupert and the 50 or so guests that were at the ball that night. I had to make sure that there were no witnesses to the killing spree I went on last night. I'm now living with my husband of one day Joshua out in his manor. Now no one will ever know that I committed the crimes at Willows manor and know one will ever find the bodies because nobody ever comes and visits the manor. I dread anyone that comes to the manor in the next decade or so because the house is haunted with the souls of those people. My mother and father will walk the halls looking for me and Rupert will be waiting for his beloved to return.
As I promised the night before I would tell you about the whole plan. First I decided to kill my mother. She was helping me get dressed for the ball and I took a knife from the kitchen and brought it up stairs. When she turned around to grab my dress I stabbed her in the back right through the heart. The only bad thing was that I got blood on my favorite dress. She died instantly and I left her body laying on my bed to make it look like she was resting and no one would suspect it.
Next was my father, he was a little harder to kill because he was greeting the guests. I told him that I wanted to speak to him in private upstairs in his study. I had grabbed a pistol out of the gun cabinet and brought it with me. He of course would listened to me he always make time for his little girl. He asked me why I needed to talk to him right now, he said the guests were more important then me! ME! I'm his own daughter. Well that just made me more furious so I shot him twice in the chest and once in the head. The blood splattered all over the white furniture and made a mess on my dress again. I laid him down on the couch and covered his body with a sheet except for the head. I made it look like he committed suicide incase anyone asked.
Now Rupert was easy to kill. He came to the house and I took my fathers spot at greeting the guests at the door. When he came I told him to go into the study and I would be there in a moment. Of course he did go into the study and waited for me. I came in a few minutes later once all the guests had arrived. He was very pleased to see me as usual and I role played as a girl who wanted some "fun". He of course caught on fast and began to get a little naughty. I took that opportunity to grab the letter cutter off of the desk and I slashed his throat. He died quick and painless unlike my father, but he deserved to die in pain.
Now all that was left was the guests, I had made sure that everyone had took a drink of punch which I personally made. Of course I added a little extra, some arsenic to the bowl. The guests began dropping like flies. My fiancée at the time came right on time and we stored all of the bodies down in the cellar. I grabbed my things and left with him around midnight.
My plan went splendid and now I don't have to worry about my parents nagging and putting me as a last priority. Now you know what happened on that frightning night and I know that you can't tell anyone about it since you are just a book. I am going back tomorrow and I am leaving you there along with my jewelry box that contains everything I used to kill those people that night. So if anyone does come to Willows Manor they will know the truth.
Love always
Catherine Mary Willows.
Catherine couldn't believe what she read, she killed loads of people including her parents so she could be with her true love. Catherine opened up the jewelry box and found the letter opener covered in dried blood, the knife covered with blood, the pistol, and the bottle of arsenic used to poison the guests. She went over to the closet and opened it up. Catherine pulled on the chain turning on the light and there were many evening gowns. She looked at all of them and found two that had bloodstains on them.
"Oh my god," Catherine whispered and ran into Grissom's room.
"Grissom," Catherine whispered and shook him, "Grissom wake up" she pressed.
"Not yet, Catherine's not done her dance" Grissom moaned. That through Catherine off guard. She shook her head to clear the thought and shook him again. "Griss wake up it's Catherine"
"Catherine?" He moaned and opened his eyes. He turned on the light beside him and saw Catherine smiling at him "What's the matter? Something wrong?" he asked.
"I want to show you something," she said and helped Grissom up bringing him into her room.
"Catherine it's three in the..." Grissom trailed off when he saw what was laying out on her bed. There were an assortment of weapons all covered in blood and a bottle of arsenic. Along with a diary and two dresses covered in blood. "What? Where did this all come from? Grissom asked.
"From the room Sara and I were in, except the dresses were in the closet. Read these two journal entries..." Catherine said as she handed Gil the diary.
Gil read them and then read them again to make sure he understood what was being expressed in these entries. He looked up at Catherine and saw she was about to have a nervous breakdown. He dropped the book on the floor and a picture fell out.
Catherine bent down to pick it up and it was her wedding day picture. It was her in a white gown and the groom was, Grissom. Her true love. Her hands began to shake, how did it, the house know that she loved Grissom.
Grissom took the picture from Catherine's trembling hands and looked at it. He dropped it on the floor in shock. How did the house know that he loved Catherine more than anyone, it couldn't be possible unless this is all telling the furture instead of the past, but how can that be. This puzzled Grissom.
"Cath, why don't we get some sleep and then leave. We'll figure this out later okay?" Grissom spoke which startled Catherine.
"O-okay but Griss?" She said in a whimper.
"Yes?"
"Can I stay with you tonight I don't want to be alone, not after all of this"
"Of course, if it will make you feel better"
"Thanks,"
Catherine and Grissom left everything on the bed and walked back into Grissoms room slipping under the covers. The bed was big enough for the both of them and went right to sleep. Catherine snuggled up along Grissom as he slipped an arm around her. His presence made her feel protected and safe from what ever evil was lurking around in the house. She moaned as she stoked her hand across his to make sure he was still there.
The next morning everyone had woken up around the same time all packed up and went into the kitchen waiting for Catherine and Grissom to come down so they could leave.
"Where are those two?" Sara asked.
"I don't know, maybe one of us should go wake them up?" Nick suggested and everyone looked at each other not wanting to leave the safety of the kitchen.
"I will" Sara huffed since know one wanted to go up there.
Sara headed back up the stair case again and knocked on Catherine's door. There was no answer. She went over to the next door which was Grissom's and knocked on it. She tried the knob and opened the door very slowly.
"Grissom..." Sara began to say when she opened the door and poked her head in but saw that Catherine was with Grissom in bed.
"Sara?" Catherine replied as she sat up in bed pulling the covers around her shivering body.
"Yeah...umm I'll leave you guys to get dressed we're all down in the kitchen come see us once you guys are ready" Sara choked out and left before she turned as red as a beat.
"You think she was surprised?" Gil asked as he gave Catherine a kiss. He then regretted doing that, not knowing why he did in the first place.
"Yeah, but I don't mind," Catherine replied and smiled. "Gil I-I always wanted to tell you this and I think this is a good time...I love you" she said and turned away embarrassed about what she said.
Gil cupped her face in his hands and pulled it up so he could look into her beautiful blue eyes. He smiled and she smiled back "I love you to Catherine" and he kissed her again.
They got up gathered all of the stuff they have uncovered the previous night about what 'she' did. They got dressed and walked down to the kitchen hand in hand smiling. Everyone was looking at them and then shrugged it off.
"Ready to go?" Nick asked.
"Yeah, let's leave this place," Catherine said and left the diary and jewelry box on the kitchen table along with the photo album.
They all walked out into the front foyer and took a look around one last time. Grissom put his luggage down on the floor and tried to open the big double doors but it wouldn't budge. He kept tugging on the handle and it wouldn't open.
"Umm guys we have a problem" Grissom said as everyone turned to him.
"What is it this time?" Sara asked.
"The door won't open"
"WHAT!" Catherine screamed.
Nick put his luggage down and walked over to the door. He tried to open it but it wouldn't.
"Great! Now what?" Warrick said.
"I think I know what's going on," Catherine said as she turned to Grissom who understood what she was thinking.
"What!" Greg yelled.
"In the Diary that Sara and I found the girl which was me killed her parents her finacee that she didn't want to marry and all the guests. She said that he will be waiting for his true love, which is me to return. He's locked us in because he doesn't want me to leave." Catherine explained.
Everyone looked at her confused. They turned to Grissom for a simpler explanation but he didn't have one. Just then at the foot of the stairs a young man appeared as a blue cloud and was walking down the stairs towards them.
"Catherine I have waited so long for you to return," the man replied and smiled. "I have missed you so much" he said.
"Rupert," Catherine whispered and stood there as everyone else backed off to the side.
"Come with me my love, it's time to get married" Rupert said extending out his hand for Catherine to grab.
"NO! I don't love you" Catherine retorted.
"Yes you do, we are meant to be together" he pressured.
"No I love my true love," she said as she went and grabbed Gil's hand and pulled him out in front of Rupert. "This is my true love, this is who I love"
"No you love me!"
Catherine let go of Gil's hand and ran into the kitchen grabbed the diary. She was searching for the picture but realized she left it in her room. Catherine bolted up the set of stairs and into her room. Rupert appeared in front of her and she screamed.
"Come on Catherine you can't hide from me" Rupert said.
"I'm not hiding," Catherine said and bent down to grab the picture on the floor. "I'm getting something to show you that I do love Gil," Catherine said. Rupert grabbed her hand and placed the wedding ring on her finger.
"Now we go get married." He said and changed her clothes into a wedding gown.
"No!" Catherine screamed and shoved the wedding picture in front of his face. "Look!" she exclaimed.
Rupert let go of her hand and grabbed the picture out of her hands and looked at it. Gil, Sara, Nick, Warrick and Greg all appeared at her bedroom door and watched in amazement at what was happening. They saw Catherine in a wedding gown and Rupert looking at a picture. Gil knew what picture it was, it was the one of them married. Catherine opened up the diary and flipped to the pages she needed and read the part out to him.
"True love can set you free, and that's what I am planning to do tonight. I don't love Rupert I love Joshua, I want to make my own choices and marry my true love not someone I can't even spend two minutes of my life with let alone years" Catherine said quoting from the diary which depressed Rupert.
"I see Catherine, you love him more then me," Rupert said and began to disappear, "I'm sorry to put you through all this I shall let you leave Willows manor" Rupert replied and vanished. Catherine's wedding gown vanished and she was wearing her normal clothes again. She ripped the wedding ring off her finger and threw it across the room.
"Catherine are you okay?" Gil asked as he went to her side.
"Yeah, lets get out of here," Catherine said as she gave Grissom a kiss.
"Get a room" the rest of them said at once and laughed.
Everyone went back downstairs to the door and Gil opened the door. They all got out into the fresh air. There was a van waiting there to bring them to the airport and everyone put there luggage in the back and piled in.
"So do you really mean that I'm your true love?" Catherine asked as she placed an arm around his neck.
"You bet," Grissom said and leaned her in closer to him, "Let's go home," Gil said and gave her another kiss.
"I agree to that"
They all left the Willows Manor and Catherine looked behind her one last time to see her her younger self and parents standing in the window waving goodbye as the Van went out of sight.
