Disclaimer: I still haven't bought them yet, I'm saving...maybe in the next fifty years or so I can put a down payment...

Author's Notes: Here's the sequel to "Denial", which was a sequel to "Jealousy" and "Remorse".

This chapter focuses on Sara and Nick, and Warrick and Catherine. Greg will be added in the next chapter, as will the main plot of this story. This chapter is just them being happy before I throw another curveball at them.

Thank you for everyone who has supported my past stories, and for those still reading. I enjoyed everyone's comments at the end of Denial, and I'd love feedback over the start of Shadows...Replies make the chapters come faster. :-)

This is a little cheery and unusual for me, I like to throw at least a semi-cliffhanger at the end usually, but I've had such a long week at work that I wanted to write something happy for once. Don't expect the cheeriness to last too long, because I've got big plans for ourfavorite CSIs.Besides, I'm channeling all of my stressful thoughts towards my other fic"Deviance" at the moment, and I'mworking on a casefile story, because we had the most interesting accidental death (although originally it was thought to be a homicide) come across our autopsy table this week, and I think it could make a heck of a story.

Jenny

Shadows:

"I could stay like this forever." Nick said with a smirk, looking over at Sara, who was struggling to keep a straight face.

Sara's self control lapsed, and she collapsed into a fit of giggles as she took in the sight before her.

It was her fault, she supposed, since she had been the one to bring up her new exercise routine. Nick had been quick to assume she joined a new gym or started running again, a practice she had stopped after the hit-and-run six months earlier. She had surprised him by presenting a book on Yoga, and after she began bragging about her toned muscles, before kicking his butt at a jog-turned-race around the block and a quick game of basketball, he decided to give it a try.

He had to admit, it wasn't the toned muscles he was interested in, it was the image of Sara in a leotard. He had been disappointed to find her in a pair of drawstring pants, although the sport-bra-style top was a nice addition to the outfit.

She had showed him a few easy moves, well, they were easy when she did them. Sitting with his legs crossed didn't seem like such a big deal, until she showed him how to pull his feet up and lay his knees flat on the ground in a Lotus position. The excruciating pain that ran from his cramped toes to his spine had caused him to give a surprised yell of pain, and earned him a hearty laugh from the experienced Sara.

"It's not so easy, is it Nicky?" She teased playfully, gently pushing on his knees to send them towards the floor again, "Are you going to make fun of me again? Now do you believe this is a real workout?"

Nick straightened out his legs, dropping his torso back to the floor and resting his head on his bent arms, "More like some kind of ancient torture."

"It's a form of meditation, it's very soothing and healthy." Sara countered, "It's just not working for you because you don't want it to work."

Nick rolled his eyes, "Sure, that's it. I didn't know the hippie in you went past your vegetarianism, I guess I learn something new every day."

"You're just jealous because you can't do it." Sara teased with a grin.

Nick raised his eyebrows, "Why don't we try something that's real exercise?"

"Oh, so you want to have a rematch on our race?" Sara suggested, taking a long sip from her bottle of water, "How about swimming laps? Face it Nick," she said with a laugh, "I'm just in better shape than you are."

"I'm in great shape." Nick replied defensively, taking the bottle from her and putting it to his lips, ignoring her frown at his actions.

Sara's face broke into a huge smile as she teased, "Have you put on some weight, Nicky?"

"Shut up, Sara." Nick replied, pushing her gently as he slid on his shoes, "Seven mile track--here to the lab, and back--whoever loses has to be the other one's slave for a day...no, two days."

Sara rolled her eyes, "What are you, twelve?"

"Are you scared?" Nick countered, laughing as she hit him with the closed water bottle, "I'll even give you a head start, since you're a girl and all."

Sara tied the laces of her running shoes, giving Nick a mean glare, "I don't need a head start, I can beat you fair and square."

"Let's go, then." Nick said, waiting for her to follow him outside the apartment. Once they reached the ground, Sara jogged in place for a few seconds, trying to warm up slightly and loosen her muscles a little more, "Ready?"

"On three." Nick said, flashing Sara a big smile. "One, two--" He broke off as she sprinted into a run, her laughter filling the air, "Cheater!" he called after her, quickly running to catch up to her, unwilling to be defeated again.

He hadn't feel this calm and relaxed in over a year. Gone were his nightmares about his sisters, his family, their declining prison system, and in it's place was hope for the future.

He had been so sad and angry after Jessica's trial, and it hadn't taken long to find a friend in Sara. Jessica had refused visits from her entire family, Nick wasn't sure if it was because she was depressed, ashamed, trying to adjust, or what her reasoning was, but it had upset him terribly. Sara had been there for him to talk to, she listened to him and gave him advice, comforted him when he needed a shoulder to cry on. In return, he did the same for her when she was feeling exceptionally upset about Greg and needed a friend.

It had taken awhile to build back the trust that had somehow been destroyed in their relationship, but the more they worked together, the more they talked, they were now in the tight relationship they had once been in, when their lives were much simpler.

He sped up once he realized he had been slightly left behind, and through his heavy panting, he started to accept the fact that he may, once again, be beaten. While he found it mildly humiliating to be beaten by a woman, one who was still going through physical therapy on her leg, he was glad it was Sara instead of Warrick taking the lead. Sara would stop pestering him about this, once she found some new ammunition, and Warrick would rag on him about this forever. Besides, Warrick wouldn't look that good in a sports bra.

Catherine nudged Warrick with her elbow, "Baby, it's your turn."

"I got up last time." Warrick mumbled sleepily, "It's your turn."

Catherine yawned, bringing a hand to her ear, "Oh, come on Warrick, your son is crying."

"Our son." Warrick corrected, groaning as he pulled himself out of bed, "Where's Lindsey?"

Catherine opened one eyes, sleepily replying, "At school. Will you please go feed him?"

"Yeah, yeah. Get some sleep, you deserve it." Warrick said as he sleepily made his way towards the door, his eyes tired and his posture slumped.

It seemed as though their nine week old son, Lyle, had inherited the same sleeping pattern as his parents. From the day he was born, no matter what Catherine and Warrick tried to teach him to do, he slept most of the day and was awake all night. It was nice for Warrick, who enjoyed getting some sleep during the day, and it was nice for both of them now that Catherine had started working again. For everyone else, especially their babysitter, it was a nightmare. Poor Christina was frazzled by the time they arrived home in the morning, and Lindsey was losing sleep from the fussy baby and his odd hours.

Then, of course, there was the argument over who would care for him when he did happen to wake during the day. Both Warrick and Catherine were beyond exhaustion, and neither one felt like they ever got a break from their constantly busy life.

Warrick walked into Lyle's bedroom, lifting the fussing baby into his arms, "Hey there, big guy. Are you hungry?"

Lyle's blue eyes stared curiously into Warrick's as Warrick carried him into the living room, setting him down on the couch as he unbuttoned his pajamas, "You need a new diaper, don't you kiddo?"

Warrick smiled down on his son, pride and warmth filling his heart every time he looked at the infant. It was so amazing, knowing that this child came from him and Catherine, that a part of each of them rested in this little, squirming body.

Warrick quickly changed Lyle's diaper and snapped his pajamas back up, cradling the baby in his arms as he walked over to the bassinet in the corner, "Okay, big guy, you're going to lay in here for a minute while I fix your bottle. I'll be right back, I promise."

When Catherine stumbled into the living room an hour later, resembling a zombie as she tried to wake up, she found father and son curled up together, asleep on the couch, an empty bottle on the coffee table.

"Cramp! Cramp! Wait! Not fair!" Nick yelled between gasps as he bent over, his left hand resting on his knee, his right rubbing his rib cage, "Oh, man, I am out of shape, aren't I?"

Sara's laughter rang through the air, "Stop being a baby and let's go! I need to be home in an hour, I've got to start packing."

"I can't believe you're going on vacation. Who are you and what have you done with Sara?" Nick teased, finally starting to catch his breath, "And to my home state, you're such a traitor."

Sara rolled her eyes, "It's only for the weekend, and I invited you to come."

"Oh, yeah, explain that to Grissom." Nick said, rolling his eyes as well, "He'd hit the roof if we both decided to skip town. What are you going to be doing in Texas, anyway?"

Sara rolled her eyes, jogging in pace to keep her heart rate up, "I'm going to visit my brother, remember? He just bought a new place, he got a promotion at work, he wants me to come see how well he's done for himself."

"Can't he just send you pictures?" Nick teased, nudging her playfully to let her know he was kidding.

Sara started jogging alongside Nick, trying to slow herself down to keep his pace, "Ryan's had to go through a lot to get where he is today, he's proud of his accomplishments, he wants me to see for myself what he's made of his life. He knew I was disappointed with what he had become, and he's trying to show me he got back on track. It's a big deal to him."

"You've never talked about him." Nick noted, panting as he tried to keep up with Sara, who was now starting to pass him up a bit.

Sara shrugged, "There was never really that much to say about him...he's come a long way recently. I've got to support him, otherwise he may slip up again."

"I know how hard it is to support someone when you think they've messed up so much in the past, especially when it's a sibling, and I don't know what kind of advice to give you about it, other than just to remember that he's trying his best, otherwise he'd be hiding from you," They were now walking, "But I can give you some advice about Texas, dress for very, very warm weather. It's probably topping off around 100 in Houston right now."

Sara motioned to the area around them, "And this is?"

"Dry heat, not the same. Trust me, you will not be wearing pants in Houston, you'll be so hot you'll want to peel the skin off of your body, just to cool down." Nick advised seriously, "Believe you me, this is a picnic compared to what it's going to feel like there."

Sara picked up her pace again, fighting off the fatigue that always seemed to set in on the last mile of her run, "Nothing like a weather horror story to make me not want to go anymore. Thanks Nick."

"You're welcome." Nick replied in a tone as equally sarcastic as the one she had just used for him. "Anytime."

Sara rolled her eyes, picking up her pace once more as she realized how close they were to her apartment. Suddenly, the air conditioning sounded like the most wonderful invention in the history of mankind. She was starting to dread this trip more and more as she thought of it. Not only was she going to see her brother whom she hadn't seen in years, she was leaving her best friend behind to do so. Who would she talk to about Ryan? Who would she pick on? Bitch about the heat to? Exercise with? Laugh with? Suddenly, a weekend seemed like a very, very long time.

Catherine lifted Lyle into her arms, cradling him gently against her nude skin. She had a bad habit of sleeping in just her underwear, and while Lindsey was home, she managed to dress before leaving her bedroom, when it was just her and Warrick, she never bothered. Now, with a baby in the house, she supposed it was time to start dressing once more.

Lyle turned his cheek to rest on Catherine's arm, and she stroked his tiny head gently, a radiant smile on her face. The minimal hours of sleep, the crying, the headaches, the pain of childbirth...it was all completely worth it.

She laid the sleeping baby in his crib, covering him gently with a blanket, even though all of the baby books told her that was a bad idea. She had covered Lindsey with a blanket, as well, and she turned out just fine. After making sure Lyle was going to remain asleep, Catherine crept back into the living room and covered Warrick with a blanket from the back of the couch. He shifted slightly, but didn't awaken.

With a smile, Catherine walked to the fridge, taking a sip of water and putting it back on the top shelf. She walked into her bedroom, glancing at the clock. Lindsey would be home soon...she slipped into a pair of pajamas and fell back onto her bed, releasing a huge sigh of relief. She had a few more hours before she had to be to work, and Lyle was guaranteed another 3 or 4 hours of sleep before he was hungry again. Warrick was in the living room, and she had the bed all to herself. Wrapping herself up completely in the comforter, she began to drift back into her much needed sleep.

She hadn't had a chance to really fall asleep yet when her cell phone shrilly rang, jolting her back to the conscious world.

"Willows."

"It's Grissom, I've got a hot case, Swing and Days are understaffed, so it's been passed to me. I need you or Warrick here, ASAP. I've called in Nick, and Sara's already on a plane out of town. I know both of you can't leave until you can get a babysitter in, but I need one of you to meet me at Mandalay Bay."

"Damn it, Gris." Catherine sighed tiredly, rubbing her eyes, "I'll be there in half an hour, okay?"

"Thanks Cath, you're the best."

"Damn right I am." Catherine grumbled as she began to stretch, yawning widely, "But I'm leaving early as compensation, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Cath, Loud and clear. Thank you."

Catherine rolled her eyes, "What, did you expect me to tell you know? See you soon."

Hanging up, she rubbed her eyes and stretched once more, stumbling to the closet to find something to wear that didn't need to be ironed.

As she began to dress, Lyle began to cry from his crib. She leaned her head out of the door, "Warrick! Lyle's up and Grissom just called me in...take him or go to work!"

Warrick appeared in their bedroom moments later with a once-again wide-awake Lyle Brown, "Have fun at work, sweetie." Warrick said with a smile, giving her a peck on the cheek. He looked down at Lyle, "Tell Mommy bye. Say 'Mommy, you go mess with those wacky criminals and icky evidence, and Daddy's going to play with me all afternoon'."

Catherine rolled her eyes, "Remind me again why I love you?"

"My irresistible charm? My stunning intelligence? My beauty, inner and outer?"

Catherine winked at him, kissing Lyle on the forehead as he passed, "Nah, it was your ability to create beautiful children."

"So you were using me?" Warrick said, his tone playfully hurt.

Catherine ran a brush through her hair, deciding to pull it into a ponytail, "Oh, yeah, just for the baby making parts. That's why we're getting married." she replied sarcastically, "I've got my cell if you need anything, don't forget to feed him at 8:00, and Christina will be here at a quarter past nine. Lindsey is punished from TV and video games until she pulls her grades up, so don't let her hang out in the living room if you're watching TV. Her homework gets done before she gets a snack, and don't let her pig out on junk food."

Warrick rolled his eyes, "Cath, it's not my first time, and I'm not a 13 year old girl who's babysitting, I'm going to be her step-dad in a few months, I know how this routine works."

"Oh, so I don't have to pay you 4 dollars an hour?" Catherine quipped as he put some lipstick on, "Or order you a pizza?"

Warrick grinned, "Now, that's negotiable."

"Bye honey, see you later."

"Bye."

Catherine rushed out of the room, suddenly wide awake, and Warrick looked down at Lyle, "Well, big guy, it's just the two of us. What do you want to do?"

Lyle let out a big yawn, and Warrick laid the baby down on the bed, laying beside him, "Now that seems like a good idea, you're the smartest baby I've ever met."

Within 15 minutes, father and son were both once again fast asleep.

TBC...Let me know what you think!...Enjoy the happiness while it lasts, because the storm clouds are rolling in quickly.