Author's note: Enjoy for the last time.

Special Thanks to El Gringo Loco for helping to make this story believable.

Spoilers: I will generally tell what spoilers the chapters contain. In this Chapter: anything with Sam, except built to kill. Not a fan of the ending of that. Grave Danger, slight Fannysmackin

Summary: When Ecklie chooses Grissom's team to head to a conference in London, the Las Vegas CSI nightshift couldn't be more excited. Then their plane crashes in the sea. Now Grissom, Catherine, Nick, Warrick, Sara, and Greg are stranded on a deserted island and their only way home is to survive.

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.

Surviving the Storm

Chapter 23: Home

"Miracles can come true," the news anchorwoman announced, causing Brass to roll his eyes as he surveyed the TV screen above him, "Channel 6 News has just learned that a few short hours ago, seven people were pulled from the Atlantic by the U.S Coast Guard. Six of whom were survivors of the deadly plane crash a month and a half ago." This caught Brass's attention.

"Did it just say-" Sofia started, but he held a finger to his lips.

"In a life raft, floating away from a burning island, the Coast Guard found six of Las Vegas's own CSIs: Gil Grissom, Catherine Willows, Warrick Brown, Nick Stokes, Sara Sidle, and Greg Sanders, along with Willow's thirteen-year-old daughter, Lindsey, who was recently kidnapped," the TV continued. Brass and Sofia stood in shock, staring open-mouthed at the TV.

"They're alive!" Jim cheered, hugging Sofia. At this moment Doc Robbins came in, looking just as stunned and excited as Sofia and Jim.

"Once the tiny raft was heaved on deck, they alerted Admiral William Bailey that the drug ring, known as 'The Ring', had been using the island to deal drugs and as a place to murder anyone who opposed them. The members of 'The Ring' are now in custody."

"They can't go anywhere without solving a crime!" Sofia exclaimed, laughing. Just then the phone rang.

"Brass," he answered, pressing the speakerphone button.

"Hey, Jim!" six familiar voices called from the other end. Their timing was impeccable.

"Guys, it's the Nerd Squad," Jim announced, laughing. Tears of joy were threatening to fall, and from the looks of Sofia and the Doc, they were already crying tears of happiness.

"Hey, Griss, Cath, Warrick, Sara, Nick, Greg," Sofia and the Doc greeted.

"Hey, Doc. Hey Sofia," Catherine said on the other end.

"Miss us?" Greg asked. They laughed.

"More than we can say," Jim answered.

"Um, we hate to ask, but we need a favour," Warrick started.

"Anything!" Jim, Sofia, and Al replied together.

"We're going to need someone to pick us up at the airport," Grissom said.

McCarran Airport was filled with people waiting to "pick the CSIs up at the airport". In front of the large group were the families of each CSI and behind was half of the LVPD and the Crime Lab. Everyone waited with bated breath. Even Nick's little nieces and nephews were silent, which was quiet amazing considering they had just got off a plane themselves. And then finally, the door opened. People filed out of the terminal, but there was no sign of the CSIs.

And then, when everybody had thought that all of the passengers had left the plane, seven figures slowly made their way through the gate.

Jim laughed in amusement and joy as he watched them approach. They looked so different, and yet they looked the same. Grissom and Catherine were in their usual spots in the centre, side by side. Gil had shaved off his beard and his hair was short and he was beaming along with the rest of his team. Catherine's hair was a little longer and a little sun-bleached. Next to her, she had her favourite accessory: her daughter. Next to Catherine were Nick and Sara. Sara looked almost exactly the same, yet she was calmer and more confident then Jim had ever seen her. Nick was hobbling next to her, his left arm in a sling and his crutch helping his right leg. While Nick was known to have a bubbly personality, he was smiling that same smile that had been absent ever since he was buried alive. Warrick and Greg were on Grissom's side. Warrick's hair was shorter than it had ever been and he couldn't seem able to grasp what was happening. There was a constant look of shock on his face. And last, but certainly not least, was Greg. Greg's spiky sun-bleached hair was back to its usual oddness, and while he seemed to exude as much confidence and obnoxiousness as ever, yet he also seemed more coy and quiet at the same time. This had something to do with his companions tuning him up when he came up with lame jokes now. Jim would never forget this sight.

And then all the family members moved at once.

"Poncho!" Judge Stokes exclaimed, embracing his youngest son, careful not to hurt him.

"Cisco," Nick mumbled, hugging his father and then his mother. His brother and sisters and their families crowded around him as he hugged them all.

"Little Sis!" Mark Sidle shouted, pulling his sister into a bear hug. She couldn't help but sob against his shirt.

"Markie," she whispered.

"Warrick!" Tina Brown screamed, running into her husband's outstretched arms. He caught her and spun her around.

"Tina, honey, I missed you so much," he murmured into her long dark hair, holding her so tight as if he were afraid she would disappear.

"Gregory!" Mrs. Sanders screamed and latched onto her son. For once, he didn't protest about being mollycoddled in public, and he hugged her back. His father, waiting to greet his only son, watched the display between mother and child with the familiar bemused expression that his son was known and loved for.

Words, let alone sign language, were not necessary as Mrs. Grissom embraced her only child. And the normally guarded Gil Grissom hugged her tightly back, as though he were a small child again.

"I love you, Mom," he said, facing her so she could read his lips. She reached up and kissed his cheek in response before latching to him again. He was her lifeline.

"Mugs!" Sam Braun cried, pulling his daughter into a tight hug. Catherine found herself sobbing against him.

"Hi, Dad," she said, giving him a watery smile. Tears started streaming down his own face. That was the first time she had ever called him 'dad'.

"Catherine!" Lily Flynn pulled her eldest daughter out of her Sam's arms and into her own, and soon both women were crying hysterically. Lindsey watched on, for once understanding what her mother and grandmother were feeling. Then Catherine's sister had joined in and soon the Braun/Willows family were caught up in a many-armed hug.

Brass, Al, Sofia, and everyone else watched the sight with joy. And then the six castaways broke away from their families and stood in front of their old colleagues.

"I hope we weren't replaced," Catherine ventured looking from familiar face to familiar face.

"You should ask Jim what he thinks of them," Al quipped.

"You wouldn't have liked them," Jim said, grinning, looking particularly at Gil.

"Well, it's a good thing we're back, then," he said back and was the first to move forward and hug his friend. The rest followed suit. Even David Hodges managed to get a hug from each CSI, which was quite an accomplishment. And then, with their arms over each other's shoulders, the six former castaways stood before their families and friends and for a moment, they looked at each other as if deciding something.

"Ecklie!" Gil called to the man standing in the corner. Ecklie walked up to them.

"Grissom," he said curtly, "I don't know what to say."

"Well, you couldn't get rid of us that easily," Greg said before he could stop himself. He looked over at Grissom, waiting for a reprimand. It didn't come.

"If I had known-" Ecklie started, his voice strained.

"Forget it," Grissom said, extending a hand. Ecklie took it. Everyone present knew that this was not the start of some glorious friendship between politically minded Ecklie and the scientific Grissom. It was just a gesture saying that oil and water could coexist peacefully…well…semi-peacefully in this case.

"I'll start the paper work to reinstate you in your old positions, if that's what you want," Ecklie said looking at them. Everyone looked at the six to see what their reaction would be.

"Ecklie?" Catherine asked, looking at him.

"Yes?" he asked, turning to look at her. She and the rest of the group looked at him, smiling in an impish way.

"We want a pay raise!" all six of them shouted at this same time. Ecklie gapped at them. He had been trumped by the nightshift yet again.

With that Grissom's team turned on their heels.

"Let's go," Gil said simply, putting his arm around Catherine's waist. With that, Gil Grissom, Catherine Willows, Warrick Brown, Nick Stokes, Sara Sidle, and Greg Sanders walked out of the airport and into the hot Las Vegas summer day, surrounded by family and friends.

There was no need for Grissom to say 'home' after that last sentence. The six survivors of the storm had been at home all along.

THE END

And that's the end of that. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I appriciate that. I hope I did all right with this. It has been my pet project. Now I'm moving on to continue 'We Got Married In Vegas'. Look for updates and even some other one-shot fics. Thank you.