A/N: HEY EVERYONE! Yes! I'm still alive!! Sorry you guys had to wait so long for a lot of these chapters. I have rewarded you with THE LAST CHAPTER! I didn't realize it was gonna be the last until I wrote it. It just seemed to me that if I tried to make the story longer I would be dragging it out and ruin it. I hope you guys liked the story and like the chapter! Reward me with loves, hugs, and reviews!!

Chapter 18

Warrick woke again slowly. Everything felt so heavy and he was just so tired. He considered not waking up but after a moment he realized it wasn’t his choice. He opened his eyes sluggishly, blinked at the bright light his eyes adjusting somewhat slower than usual, and took a deep breath. A shot of pain lanced through his chest reminding him that it still hurt to breathe, though he couldn’t quite remember why.

“Warrick, how are you feeling?” Grissom asked calmly. Warrick blinked for a moment still feeling foggy.

“Good….I guess….tired…” he decided.

“That’s good. Do you remember anything that happened?” Grissom asked, shifting slightly in his chair. Warrick stiffly tried to sit up further but stopped the moment pain coursed through him.

“A little…I think…picked a fight….with Eddie? Guess I lost.” Warrick mused.

“It was something like that.” Grissom added.

“Is…Catherine, okay?” he rasped remembering something about her being in danger.

“She’s fine Warrick, everyone is okay now.” Gil reassured. Warrick sank a little further into the mattress and sighed.

“That’s good.” He mumbled the pull of sleep strong again.

“Catherine came to see you but you were asleep.” Gil stated.

“Should have woken me up.” He grumbled.

“Sorry, I’ll let her know that next time.” Grissom apologized. Warrick nodded, slipping into sleep again.

oo0oo

Catherine chewed her lip nervously as she rushed through the halls. Warrick was awake again. Grissom had called her. She knew that Gil had told her Warrick was okay, tired, but otherwise okay, but she still had to see it before she could believe it. She burst through the door and skid to a stop. There was Warrick, sitting up in the hospital bed, making feeble attempts to reach for a cup of green jello.

“Here, let me help.” She offered with a lopsided grin. She picked up the Jello tearing off the lid and handing it to him with a spoon.

“Hey, at least I can feed myself…sort of.” He grumbled remembering at the last minute that he’d had to have her help to grab the food.

“It’ll come.” She encouraged.

“So they say.” He said stuffing an over filled spoonful of jello in his mouth.

“Surviving the food?” she asked.

“It’s not your cooking.” He admitted with a bit of a blush.

“I’m looking forward to cooking for you again Warrick.” She confessed with an equal blush. Warrick grinned finishing his jello. It was about all they were giving him so far, but they promised something more solid later. Catherine watched him mostly silent as he ate, eventually looking half asleep though like a child fighting the pull of sleep.

“I-I should go, you need to rest.” She stated feeling a little awkward all of the sudden.

“You don’t have to.” Warrick insisted even though his eyes slipped shut only to snap open again.

“Yes I do, you need sleep and it’s about time I went to work anyways.” She insisted.

“Fine.” He sighed. Catherine sighed for a moment then abruptly jumped up engulfing him in a massive hug.

“Ah! Ah! Owwww!!” he hissed. Catherine practically jumped away from him now.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She blurted in panic.

“It’s…its okay…next time you could just do something…gentler…like a kiss…I-I mean just be gentler…or umm…ummm….” He babbled shocked he’d said what he said. Catherine swooped in once more shutting him up the only way she knew how, with a kiss, then ran from the room. Both Catherine and Warrick redder than beets.

oo0oo 8 Months Later

Warrick paced slightly nervous just outside Catherine’s door, chewing on his lip as he paced. He hadn’t actually knocked yet. He couldn’t imagine how excited and nervous he felt tonight. It was going to be a special night. It had been a rough eight months. It seemed like they had been a time of misstep after misstep with no end in sight. Catherine hadn’t gone to Eddie’s funeral and everyone couldn’t be happier about it. It had been the first real step towards recovery. Lindsey was doing better too. She was still a degree shier than she’d been before and probably always would be, but her and Greg had become the best of buds. It wasn’t long before he lost every Madden game to her…without going easy on her.

Finally he knocked on the door, taking a deep breath that hitched slightly, an aching twinge assailing his lung. It was something he suspects would be with him for the rest of his life, but he still considered himself lucky. Catherine appeared instantly all grins and looking more beautiful than any mortal man deserved, in Warrick’s opinion. The drive to their dinner reservation was fairly long but he promised it to be very special indeed. Well worth the drive.

Warrick grinned lopsided at her wide-eyed expression as they walked onto the moonlit beach, a table with candle light and their own personal waiters serving them. All through the evening Warrick sat slightly distracted and nervous as Catherine chattered on animatedly, one hand in his pocket all evening;

Playing with the diamond ring.

A/N: Anyone? Anyone?