She was rising and falling in fluid motion, the world surrounding her spinning like a whirlwind. Around her she could see the pale blue of moonlight, saw with vivid clarity the way it played upon her glistening skin, glowing beautifully in the night. Her golden hair flowed freely down her back as she tilted back her head, her mind reeling with wild notions of riding through the clouds.
He all but sank into the clouds. The siren before him beckoned him further, rising over him with an elegant beauty he'd never before seen. His hands reached out to her, touched her golden hair as she vibrated before him, glowing gloriously blue in the moonlight. The song she sang sent welcome chills down his spine, running through him in waves and coursing down to his very core. When he felt her shudder over him, he felt himself fall after her.
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There was a blinding, hot light burning his eyes. He struggled to open them, only to immediately regret it as his head began to throb with pain. Groaning, he rubbed his temple and tried to roll over, only to find a warm body next to his. She was draped over him with arms and legs, her head resting on his chest. Her long hair cascaded over him, layers of gold over rich caramel skin.
He felt the sharp stab of realization come over him as he looked at Catherine's peacefully asleep face. Good God, he thought wildly, clutching his head as his mind reeled with thoughts on what to do next. He felt her shift next to him, tug him gently closer to her. Then he watched as she slowly opened her eyes.
At first she smiled and placed soft kisses on his neck. Then she paused, registering where she was. Her eyes went wide with shock as she sat up so quickly the headache she had no idea she had nearly split her head open.
"Jesus!" She cried, clutching her head and wincing with pain as she laid back down. Her eyes began to water from the pain of it. When the throbbing subsided a bit, she wearily glanced at Warrick. "Hi..."
"Hey." He replied, now finding the situation slightly amusing. "How are you feeling?"
"Like shit." she said dryly, groaning slightly as she stretched. Suddenly Warrick realized that they were both stark naked, and he nearly averted his eyes politely but then realized he'd seen it all the night before.
"Me too." He reached out to her to pull her against him, wanting to embrace this moment before they both realized what they had done. She snuggled against him again, closing her eyes. Breathing deeply, she ran her hands up his chest, enjoying the way he quivered at her touch.
"Well, it was bound to happen." She said suddenly after a few moments of silence. Opening her eyes, she glanced up at him. "Sex, I mean. We should have known better."
With a half laugh, he nodded in agreement. "I suppose so."
"I'll just fix us some food and then we can head to work."
"Shit, it's Friday isn't it?" He groaned, wanting to forget the long day of work ahead of them.
"Yeah, so you go shower or something and I'll cook us some eggs."
She stood up and slipped on a red silk robe that lay on an armchair by her bedroom door. Without even a second glance back, she left the room and padded downstairs.
He felt empty. Something inside him seemed to be lacking. He should be thrilled to have been with Catherine, even though he could only remember portions of the act itself. He had a sudden flashback of her rising over him, hair like gold outlined in blue moonlight. Shaking off the image because it was doing more than he wanted to his control, he climbed out of her four poster bed and headed towards the bathroom.
With the steaming water pouring over him, he tried to analyze his feelings. He couldn't help but feel the coldness in her as she merely brushed their act off like it was nothing. Well it goddamn meant something to him, he decided angrily. How could she act so nonchalant? As though it was just some petty thing to be forgotten. He'd had one night stands before, surely, but with Catherine everything was different. Sex between them could never be simple. There was simply too much pent up emotion between them, at least for him. With disgust at himself and with her, he shut off the water and loathfully fought the urge to punch the tile wall. He was acting like a foolish child, he realized angrily. So what if she wanted to treat the situation with adult reason. They were both grown professionals, who let themselves slip, but now things would go back to the way they always had been. Work would be the same, life would be the same. He nearly choked on the thought.
Downstairs Catherine was waging her own battle in her head. Waking up next to Warrick had seemed so natural, it frightened her. Since when had she found herself feeling natural with any man? She was an independent woman who could enjoy a fun romp in the sack when and if she pleased. But God, she could rememeber glimpses of what it was like to run her hands over him, to feel him inside her. Slamming her frying pan down on the stove a little too hard, she had to bite back the tears that threatened to fall. Why did it have to be a colleague? She thought wearily. The one man she would have to risk her entire career for was the one person she felt good with. Never before had she wanted so much to just lay in bed lazily and reminisce on the night before. Never had she actually felt natural wanting to play homemaker and cook for a man. Disgusted with herself and what was happening between them, she finished breakfast and sat down miserably to eat.
Warrick came down a few minutes later, smelling irresistably clean. He sat down across from her at her dining table and scooped up a bite of egg.
"Feeling better?" she asked politely, taking a generous sip of her coffee. When he simply smiled at her, she felt the warm chills race through her heart.
When she finished her breakfast, she placed her plate and his in the dishwasher and walked Warrick to the door.
"You head on to work, I'm going to shower and then I'll see you there." she instructed like a parent would to a child. "It won't look good for us to show up at the same time."
"Yeah, okay." He replied, a bitter taste forming in his mouth. "See ya, Cath."
With that he turned and stalked out to his car and drove off without a glance back to her. Angry with herself, she stormed upstairs to hide away in the steam of her shower.
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By the time he got to work Warrick had conjured up a storm of apologies for Catherine, which he expected to deliver the second he saw her. Since he arrived before she did, he simply headed into the lab and began the day's work. When Nick approached him, all smiles, Warrick felt a bitter stab of jealousy.
"Let me guess, you asked out miss cute tech." Warrick asked bluntly, rolling his eyes.
"Well hello to you too." Nick replied happily as he crunched into a bright green apple. "As a matter of fact, I did ask out miss tech, and to satisfy your aching curiosity, she said yes."
"Wonderful for you." Warrick murmured as he turned back to his work. Nick noticed the irritation in his friend's voice and would have backed off if he'd cared less for the guy.
"Did something happen?" He asked, waiting for Warrick to turn around and face him. When he did, Nick saw that his friend's eyes were weary with stress and exhaustion.
"No, no, I'm fine." Warrick answered, hoping he sounded at least a little sincere. He saw in Nick's eyes that he was not being believed.
"No, I can tell when you're fine." Nick smirked. "But right now, you are definitely not fine. But if you don't want to tell me, then I'll just have to come back later and beat it out of you."
Warrick had to smile at that. "Beat it out of me, huh? I could take you down so fast you wouldn't know what hit you."
"We'll just have to see then. In the mean time, think of an explanation for me, and it better be the truth, 'cause I'm the human lie detector, and I know you better than anyone." With that Nick sauntered off down the hall.
Warrick felt at least a little better after seeing Nick, who always seemed to be in a good mood. He knew that if he told Nick that he wouldn't tell anyone, but Warrick could just see the whole situation becoming more real to him if he shared it. And if word of it ever got out, he would be fired for sure. He was already dangling on a thin thread with the department, one more slip up and he was gone.
It was one thing for someone in Nick's position to date some entry level tech in another department. It was completely different to date your superior in your own department. With Sara and Grissom, Warrick remembered the type of questioning they endured after their relationship came out in the open. Sara was moved to a completely different shift because of it. Warrick knew that Ecklie wouldn't favor him nearly as much as Sara was favored.
With a sigh, he turned around to reach for the DNA results that were sliding out of the printer. Glancing up, he saw Catherine walking by. Their eyes met and she smiled awkwardly, then turned and came into the lab.
"Hey." She said quietly, her hands clutching a stack of files so hard her knuckles were turning white.
"Hey back." He replied with a half laugh. She looked amazing, as though she was under no stress whatsoever. That woman's resiliance was absolutely amazing.
"Are you feeling better? I know I am." She said with a smile, knowing the conversation sounded completely forced. "Listen I-"
"No, Cath, you don't have to explain anything." Warrick interrupted suddenly. Catherine's face fell as she prepared herself for his words of rejection. "I want to apologize to you..."
Catherine winced at his remark and forced herself to stand tall. "Likewise, then."
Warrick saw the mask of control falter on her face, and felt his own crashing down.
"Hey Catherine, I need you on this murder/suicide case downtown." Grissom leaned in through the doorway and motioned for her to follow him.
"Alright." She replied. Grissom simply arched an eyebrow as he peered all-knowingly at the two of them. With that, he left them alone once more.
"I've got to go." She said mildly, finding it hard to look Warrick in the eye. "I'll catch ya later, okay?"
"Sure." Warrick watched as she raced out of the lab and down the hallway. His heart felt as though it were lodged in his throat.
No, their one night stand would never and could never be simple.
0 0 0
Two weeks seemed to fly by as Catherine intensified her daily routine, hoping to drive away any and all thoughts of one Warrick Brown. She jogged five miles every afternoon before work, then stretched and did yoga for an hour to relax her mind. At work she stayed as far away from the lab as she could by spending long hours out on the field, hoping to avoid any further awkward confrontations.
After a time, she hoped that they could move past their "experience" and become friends again. But she figured that if it didn't happen, then it was an important lesson for them both.
Today found her clothes shopping with Sara at one of the giant department stores her companion seemed to be obsessed with. Sara dragged Catherine through all of the baby clothes, searching for the perfect outfit for Claire for the wedding.
"I want her to look beautiful too, since I guess technically we are both getting married." Sara grinned, glancing down fondly at the young girl fast asleep in her stroller.
Catherine marvelled at the sheer glow that had come over Sara lately. Motherhood and soon to be marriage agreed with her. She didn't think she had ever seen Sara so happy.
"What about this?" Catherine suggested, holding up a tiny snow white gown with layered skirts and a beautifully laced collar.
Sara was quiet for a moment as she stared at the dress. Suddenly tears began to stream out of her eyes.
"Sara?" Alarmed, Catherine grabbed her friend's arm and shook her.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Sara assured her with a sobbing laugh as she wiped away her tears. "I feel foolish. It's just that I'm so happy, with everything; and that dress, it's just so perfect for Claire."
Catherine couldn't help but smile. "Honey..." she said soothingly as she hugged the woman who she had become so close to lately. "You have every right to be happy, and if that means that you're going to cry all day then you go ahead and do it."
Sara laughed as she pulled away from Catherine. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
Later, as they were having lunch down at one of the restaurants inside the mall, Sara began explaining her floral concept for the wedding, which was only a week away.
"So we decided upon yellow roses with baby's breath for all the garlands and table centerpieces. And I'm thinking of putting a yellow rose in my hair as well, just to tie everything together."
Catherine nodded but found it hard to concentrate. Her mind kept going to Warrick, and if he would wear a yellow rose in his suit jacket at the wedding.
"Catherine?"
Catherine snapped out of her reverie and looked expectantly at Sara. "I'm sorry, you were talking about yellow roses..."
"Are you alright?" Sara asked, taking Catherine's hand in hers. The easy intimacy was new for both of them, but Catherine wouldn't have it any other way.
"Yes...well, no." She replied skittishly, knowing that she couldn't lie anymore. It was tearing her apart, and she could really use another woman's advice.
"What is it? You've seemed out of sorts for a couple weeks."
"Warrick and I slept together." Catherine blurted out, covering her face in her hands immediately afterward.
Sara's mouth opened in shock as she simply stared at Catherine, registering what the other woman had just confessed to. Then she felt the familiar tickle in her throat as she burst out laughing.
Catherine gaped at Sara as she wholeheartedly laughed, her body shaking with it and her eyes tearing up. "Oh, I see this is funny to you."
"I'm sorry," Sara apologized, still laughing. "Well," she began between laughs, finally controlling herself.
"What is it?" Catherine asked, unnerved by the look Sara was giving her.
"It's about goddamn time." Sara said with a smirk. Then she eyed Catherine with a suddenly very keen interest. "So...how was it?"
"Oh, Jesus." Catherine laughed, covering her face again in embarrassment. "We were really drunk, I barely rememeber it."
"Ah, a drunken one night stand with a man who you've been fantasizing about for years." Sara leaned back in her chair and smiled. "I can't believe you are so upset about this. How is it a bad thing?"
"It's a horrible thing!" Catherine cried, causing people around them to glance over at her nervously. Lowering her voice, she pleaded with Sara. "You can't tell anyone about this...Warrick and I both could get fired for this. I mean, look at what happened to you and Gil."
"Yes, look at what happened to us." Sara said proudly, wiggling the gorgeous ring on her finger. "Give it a shot, Catherine, I know you're crazy about him. Don't let this be a bad thing, embrace it!"
"That's easy for you to say." Catherine muttered, folding her arms and leaning back as well. "You're past that point already."
"But I remember how it felt to be there." Sara replied, now sympathetic. "You're nervous about your feelings and his, you're awkward because you work with him, and you're thinking you're insane for letting it happen in the first place, but you can't think of anything you'd rather have more."
Catherine grinned. "That about sums it up."
"See." Sara glanced down to check on Claire when she heard the girl utter a soft cry. Smiling, she reverted her attention back to her friend. "So what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know." She sighed heavily, the grand weight of decision upon her. "I have no idea what he feels."
"Then you better find out soon." Sara suggested. "Before it's too late."
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