Howdy. I don't really have anything witty to say. No injuries/anything to report so I guess that is always a good thing! Oooh, wait. I can pimp my Wilston one-shot. It's called Mere Minutes and you can find it with my other works!
Thanks to Chris (who enjoys completely random [and hilarious!] LM's as much as I do), csi cameron, Nick'sGirlT, aty, BraunGirl, Dan (you pwning bastard, you), name_me, YoblingDramoineLover, lil Kass, and Wileret for the awesome feedback. I can't tell if half of you want to kill me or Gil, so I'm just going to slowly back out of the room now, especially when you get to the latter half of the story…
Thanks BIG TIME to Taylor for beta-ing. You are incredible and I appreciate all your support and comments. That's pretty much it, except I know that you all know that I love feedback, so please take a moment to drop a line.
Enjoy!
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Catherine walked into the lab with three minutes to spare, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. She had finally gotten home around six o'clock after processing Lillian's shirt and running errands for most of the afternoon. She had gotten to the car rental office when she realized that her wallet and license was at home. Cursing, Catherine had backtracked before returning to the place, only to find that the line had doubled in the time she had been away. By the time it was her turn to get a rental car, the only things they had left were a Ford Taurus and a Mercedes Benz. Whatever it was, it was apparently fast. For a brief second, Catherine imagined herself speeding down the strip, taking turns at fifty miles per hour and leaving tire tracks on the street…
Then she took the keys to the Taurus.
She had spent the rest of the afternoon talking – arguing – with the insurance company, trying to explain what had happened and to get someone out to look at her car to see if it was totaled. Catherine cringed at the thought of her car insurance skyrocketing, but there really wasn't anything else she could do at this point.
Once she picked up Lindsey, the two had gotten into another verbal spat, and after Catherine ordered her to her room, she too had retreated, only to nearly fall face first into bed minutes before seven o'clock. She had gotten just shy of four hours of sleep before she finally forced her tired body up to take a shower and head to work.
Catherine didn't feel right…her body was exhausted from a lack of sleep, and her brain was in overdrive from both her personal and work problems. She hated that she and Gil had gotten into an argument so severe that he threatened to suspend her. She felt somewhat reprimanded and sheepish as she made her way through the halls, knowing that the rumor mill was in full force and that everyone had an opinion about what had happened with Gil and his second-in-command.
She made her way into the locker room, opening her locker quickly and depositing her purse into it. Catherine strapped on her gun holster and ID badge and quickly made her way to the break room where Gil was starting to hand out assignments.
"It's nice that you could join us, CSI Willows," Gil said sarcastically when she tried to sneak in the door unnoticed.
Catherine flushed at his words when the entire team looked at her. Anger flared through her body and she replied just as sarcastically, "Thank you, Supervisor Grissom." She glanced at her watch: 12:02 AM.
The two shared a steely glare before Greg finally spoke up. "Uh, Grissom, you going to hand out the assignments?" he asked nervously.
Grissom glared at Greg before turning his attention to the slips in his hand. "Warrick, you, Greg, and Sara have a double murder," he started, handing the slip to Warrick, "And Nick, you are with me on a floater. Willows, you have a robbery of a gas station." He thrust the paper at her, and Catherine snatched it from his fingers. "You are all dismissed," Gil said before turning to Catherine.
"Willows, I need to talk to you," he said stiffly as the grave shift team filed out of the room.
Catherine shook her head, the venom in her voice evident as she spat, "You know what, Grissom, would you stop calling me that? I know that you are pissed and all but can you stop acting like a child?! I screwed up, yes, but in the end, I got evidence. Are you going to hold this against me for the rest of my life?"
Gil stared at Catherine, taking a deep breath. "Catherine, after you get back from your scene, you have a meeting with Ecklie, and then you have one with McKeen. Please give Ecklie a call when you are leaving your scene," he said.
Catherine rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she clenched the slip of paper with the address for her crime scene in her fist. This is getting ridiculous, she fumed to herself. Taking a breath to calm herself, she asked Gil, "Will that be all?"
"Yes, it will," Gil said, turning on his heel and shuffling out of the break room. Catherine glared after him before stalking out of the room. She grabbed her kit and camera from her office and made her way to the robbery, muttering under her breath the whole time.
The time at the scene was minimal, so minimal that it took her longer to get there and back then the time she actually spent collecting evidence. Catherine found herself desperately needing coffee before heading back to the lab to face Ecklie and McKeen. Making sure that her evidence was secure, she ran into a twenty-four hour coffee shop to grab the largest coffee possible.
Catherine was surprised to see Warrick standing at the counter, the tall man watching as the cashier poured three large cups of coffee.
"Hey, Rick," Catherine called.
Warrick turned, smiling at the redhead as she sauntered into the shop. "Hey, Cath, how are you?" he asked.
"I'm okay, just need something to get me through the next few hours," she answered with a shrug. "I got a couple of meetings scheduled."
"What did you do?" Warrick asked. "Thanks, man," he said to the cashier, waiting for Catherine to place her order.
"I'll take a vente coffee with a double shot of espresso," Catherine told the cashier, handing over a ten dollar bill. She waited until the cashier handed her back her change, then told Warrick, "I kinda bullied Lillian Danielson in interrogation, and got a warrant under means that Gil didn't approve of, and now he's pissed at me."
"Oh, wow," Warrick said. "Give him some time, he'll get over it."
"I know, it just sucks, at the moment because he's being…well, he's being a jerk. Thanks," Catherine told the waitress before turning with Warrick to go to the counter so she could load her coffee with milk and sugar. She set her cup down, and Warrick did the same as he loaded up the cup holder with creamer, sugar, and sweetener packets.
"How's Lindsey doing?" Warrick asked, watching as Catherine poured a sizable amount of milk into her coffee.
"She's…Lindsey," Catherine responded. "She and I had it out before I went to bed last night. I didn't sleep well at all."
Warrick made sound deep in his throat. "Have you ever thought about getting her counseling?"
Catherine sighed, reaching across him to get some sugar. "I don't know, Rick," she began, only to squeak when her feet suddenly shot out from under her thanks to a wet spot on the floor.
It was Warrick's quick reflexes that kept Catherine from hitting the floor, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Catherine fought to find the ground beneath her, and Warrick held her steady until her feet were stable. "Whoa, you okay there?" Warrick asked, concerned.
"Other then the fact that I feel ridiculous for almost falling on my ass, I'm fine," Catherine answered, settling a hand on his arm. The back of her mind pointed out how natural that it felt to be in his arms, and she added, "Thanks for catching me there."
Warrick nodded, his mind focused on how…right it felt to have her body pressed against his. He stared down at her, painfully aware of the fact that his lips were mere inches from hers, that they had been in this very same position just two years ago, except at the bottom of a drainage ditch.
Catherine cleared her throat, and Warrick blinked, helping her stand flat on her feet before reluctantly letting go. "You good?"
"I'm fine," she answered, running a hand through her hair. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Warrick said. He glanced outside, seeing Sara and Greg talking – or more like arguing, probably – in his Denali. "Look, Cath, I better get back. I'll see you sometime tonight, right?"
"As long as I'm not being held hostage by Ecklie or McKeen answering the same questions over and over, yes," Catherine answered with a chuckle. "See you soon."
"See ya, babe," Warrick said, winking at Catherine on the way out.
Catherine watched him go, not paying attention as she stirred her coffee. Something was happening between the two of them…she had felt something spark when she had slipped and he had caught her…hell, even before that.
Catherine had to admit that it was a great feeling, though.
~/~
"So you are telling me that the warrant you obtained was legal?"
"For the fourth time, Ecklie, yes," Catherine answered, the frustration finally evident in her voice. "No matter how many times you ask me, it will be the same answer!"
"Catherine, I'm just covering all bases, and you know it," Ecklie countered. Catherine opened her mouth to protest, but Ecklie cut her off. "Did you ever threaten Lillian Danielson while in interrogation or at any other point?"
"No, I did not," Catherine answered.
"Can you tell me what was said in the interrogation?"
Catherine felt her blood pressure slowly rising, but she nevertheless replied, "I asked her about her whereabouts the night that her mother was murdered, and picked apart her story. Then, I offered my theory about what may have happened, and she asked me where my daughter was."
"What did you do?"
"I told her that that was none of her business, and I left the interrogation room."
"At any point did you call Lillian Danielson any names?"
"I did call her a brat." Catherine sighed at the disapproving look that crossed Ecklie's face, and she hastily added, "After she refused to answer my questions, that is."
"Catherine…" Ecklie trailed off, placing two fingers against his temple in an attempt to stem off the headache that was threatening. He looked like he wanted to chastise her, but he continued, "How did you obtain the warrant?"
"Jim got it."
"And how did Jim get it?"
"There was a judge that owed me a favor," Catherine began. "However, the fact that the shirt scrap found in Christine Danielson's fingers matched patterns that are found in the Junior's section of the local shops was enough to convince the judge to get a warrant."
Ecklie nodded, sighing as he tossed his pen on the desk in front of him. "Catherine…honestly, what were you thinking? Were you even thinking?" he asked.
Catherine blinked, unsure of how to answer Ecklie's question. He seemed defeated, like he didn't know what to do or say to the woman who sat across from him. "I'm…not sure what you mean, Ecklie," she finally answered.
"Catherine, you went into an interrogation without much evidence and proceeded to bully a suspect," Ecklie began, only to hold up a hand when Catherine started to protest. "No, listen to me. No matter how you look at it, you went in there angry with the sole intent on bullying Lillian Danielson into admitting that she killed her mother."
"But Ecklie…I found the evidence that is going to nail her! What does it matter?" Catherine argued.
"It matters because this lab doesn't condone those types of methods," he answered.
Catherine slumped in her chair slightly. This is all a huge mess… She thought to herself. "What should I do then?" she asked miserably.
"My suggestion?" Ecklie waited until Catherine was looking at him, and then said, "Get her to plead out. If this goes to trial, then there's a very good chance that she will make sure that you are picked apart in court, and with your…past, I'm sure that that is the last thing you want." Catherine's eyes flashed, and before she could rip into him, Ecklie finished, "Get her to take a lesser sentence."
Catherine fumed for a minute, resisting the urge to throw something at the man sitting across from her. "Are we finished here?" she questioned stiffly.
"We are," Ecklie confirmed. "You're dismissed."
Catherine shot out of her chair and exited the room without a goodbye, wiping a hand across her brow. She felt like her face was on fire, and at any moment she was going to start crying, she just knew it…
"Catherine!" She slammed her eyes shut, working to control her emotions when she heard Warrick call her name. Taking a deep breath, Catherine turned around, plastering a smile on her face.
It melted off her face when she saw Warrick striding toward her, a rolled up newspaper in his hand and a serious look on his face.
"What's wrong?" Catherine asked, alarmed. Warrick grabbed her elbow, steering her away from the hallway and into an empty evidence room. "Warrick, what-"
"Catherine…you haven't seen the paper yet, have you?"
"No, why? Did something happen?" Catherine questioned, confused. Wordlessly, Warrick handed her the paper. Catherine glanced at him before reading the headline staring up at her in dark, bold letters.
CSI: Who Needs to Solve Crimes When You Have Love?
"That bitch!" Catherine swore. She didn't even need to read the name of the author to know that Kay Peterson was behind this story. "I will kill her!"
"Tell me about it," Warrick groused.
Catherine flicked her gaze to him, then back at the paper. There was a picture staring back at her taken in the early hours of the morning when they had met in the coffee shop, Warrick holding Catherine up after she had nearly fallen on the ground. She hated to admit it, but the way they were looking at each other in the photo made it look as if they were extremely cozy, if not deep in love…
She skimmed the article, rolling her eyes as she read it. Apparently, Kay Peterson was challenging the lab's no dating rules, saying that she and Warrick had been carrying on an affair for months now, and that the lab turned a blind eye to her antics. Peterson even brought up Catherine's past, noting that she was an ex-stripper, and in very few words suggested that she had gotten her job by sleeping her way to the top. Warrick hadn't been spared, as Peterson somehow found out that he had been addicted to gambling…
"God, Warrick, I'm so sorry. This bitch is fu…freaking obsessed with me, and just cause of the fact that I wouldn't give her a damn interview" Catherine growled, wiping her brow. "I swear to God, she's messing with the wrong person here!"
"Hey, Cath, it's not your fault." Warrick still sounded pissed, though, Catherine couldn't help but notice. She didn't dare look at him, instead choosing to read the rest of the article. She debated whether it would be better to look up at Warrick or not, as the rest of the article chronicled her recent battles with Lindsey and her father's death, ending with the question of 'whether or not Catherine Willows was a loose cannon with a gun.'
"God…" Catherine murmured. "Has Gil seen this yet?"
"I don't know. Nicky passed it off to me, and as I was walking down the hall reading it, there were a few people looking at me," Warrick said. "I'm sure he'll be searching for us before shift is over…"
Catherine nodded, glancing at her watch. "We only have half an hour left, do you think that we can avoid-"
She stopped talking when Gil passed the open door and glanced in, backtracking when he saw the duo standing there. Catherine hastily put the paper behind her back, and Warrick instinctively stepped away from her.
"Willows, Brown, we need to talk. My office, now!" Gil snapped, turning on his heel.
Warrick glanced down at Catherine, sighing. "I think he saw it," he couldn't help but point out.
Catherine glared at him, following Gil to his office. She could practically see the steam coming out of his ears, and she slumped into the office. She wanted to groan when she saw Ecklie sitting there as well as the sheriff. God, what a fucking mess…
"Willows, Brown, I'm not even going to sugarcoat this," Ecklie began the second Gil shut the door. "Are you two involved in a personal relationship?"
"No!" Warrick exclaimed at the same time Catherine sputtered, "Absolutely not!"
"This picture says otherwise," the sheriff stated.
"I had just slipped, and Warrick caught me," Catherine explained.
"You two look awful…cozy."
"It just looks romantic," Warrick protested. "I just held her for a moment to make sure that she got her feet beneath her. There is nothing-"
"This photo was taken this morning," Grissom cut off Warrick. "Why did you two meet at a coffee shop while on shift?"
Catherine glowered at him, and then spat, "We didn't meet there, Grissom! We happened to bump into each other while stopping for coffee. Sara and Greg were in the truck waiting for-"
"Willows, what is Ms. Peterson referring to in her article about you 'fraternizing on the clock' with club owners?" Ecklie interrupted her.
Catherine sighed, fighting her temper as she responded, "A few years ago, I began dating a club owner-"
"During an investigation?" the sheriff interrupted her.
"No, after!" Catherine replied. "I broke it off with him."
"Why?" the sheriff questioned.
"Because I caught him fucking another woman in his nightclub," Catherine snapped.
The four men in the room seemed surprised by her bluntness, but Gil was the first to recover. "Catherine…we've been friends for awhile, and in reading this article, the author seems to have a personal problem with you. How do you know Kay Peterson?" he asked.
"I refused to let her interview me after Sam died," Catherine answered. She felt a lump rise in her throat at the mention of her father, and she worked to control her emotions. She was not going to cry in front of the four men. There was no way. "I had a brief altercation with her, and it seems like this is her way of taking revenge."
"What happened with this altercation?" Ecklie asked.
Catherine sighed, thinking to herself that Conrad was going to order her to anger management before the week was over. "Warrick and I were out to dinner-" she began, only to stop when the sheriff spoke up.
"On a date?"
"No, it wasn't a date," Warrick growled. "It was before shift, after we had just buried Sam Braun. Are you going to let Catherine tell her story or are you just going to sit there and put words in her mouth?" The sheriff and Warrick glared at each other before the sheriff indicated Catherine should continue.
"We were out eating dinner, and Peterson showed up to the diner we were at. We exchanged words-" Seeing Ecklie was getting ready to ask her to define 'exchanged words,' she backtracked and said, "Peterson asked me yet again to do an interview for her, and I refused, then tore her business card up. She told me that she would break my career, and I guess this is what she meant."
"Catherine, why didn't you tell me this?" Gil asked.
"Because I didn't think that it was necessary," Catherine answered miserably. "She isn't the first person I've pissed off, and I'm sure she won't be the last."
Silence rang over the room before Ecklie finally spoke up. "Willows, Brown, I'm going to have to talk to Grissom and the sheriff here to determine what to do," he said.
"'What to do'?" Warrick repeated. "What do you mean?"
Grissom sighed, uncomfortable in this aspect of his role as supervisor. "Catherine, Warrick, the allegations in this article are serious, and we have to conduct a full investigation into them," he told them.
Catherine blinked, the hurt evident in her eyes as she stared up at her friend of the past couple of decades. It made her sick to her stomach that he didn't believe her, that he believed the words of a spiteful reporter over her. "So, what, are we suspended until you finish nosing around our personal lives?" she finally spat, standing up out of the chair she had been ordered to sit in just minutes ago.
"Cath…" she heard Warrick murmur, and she brought her gaze to him. He shook his head slightly, and despite her anger, she settled down slightly. "Gil?" Warrick asked. "Are we suspended?"
Gil glanced at the sheriff and Ecklie, knowing that he was going to get chewed out for what he was going to say to Catherine and Warrick, but he didn't care. "Normally, yes, you would be suspended," Gil began, looking between the pair. Warrick looked defeated while Catherine looked as if she were about to explode. "However," he hastily continued, "Our team is one of the busiest, and I can't afford to lose two of my investigators. We need to look into these allegations, and once we are finished, we will then determine what action – if any – will take place with you."
Warrick nodded, and Catherine just stared at Grissom, her arms tightly crossed in front of her. "Is that all?" she finally questioned.
Ecklie, Grissom, and the sheriff shared a look between the three of them before Ecklie nodded. "That will be all, you're dismissed," Ecklie answered.
Catherine spun on her heel and made her way out of the office, her face turning redder by the second.
"Hey, Cath," she heard Warrick call. "Catherine, stop for one minute!" He grabbed her arm, halting Catherine's progress, and she whirled around, yanking her arm out of his. Warrick raised an eyebrow at the fire in her eyes, and he said, "I'd see if you wanted to go to breakfast, but I'd be afraid that we'd have our picture taken."
"I'm glad that you find this funny, Warrick," Catherine snarled. "But thanks for the invitation. My appetite seems to have flown out the window, shockingly."
She turned to leave, only to freeze up when Warrick spoke again. "What's your problem?" he asked, confused.
"What's my problem?" Catherine whirled around, stepping up to the taller man. "Did you not read that damn article or spend time with those three in there? Warrick, we could get into a lot of trouble here!"
He raised an eyebrow in response, then asked, "Catherine, are we in a romantic relationship?"
"I…last time I checked, no!" Catherine sputtered. "What kind of question-"
"Then why are you worried?" he cut her off, a smile playing at his lips.
"Because…" Catherine trailed off, realizing that he was right. They weren't seeing each other, so why would they get into trouble? The investigation into their lives wouldn't reveal anything. "Because sometimes evidence isn't right," she finally pointed out.
Warrick laughed lightly, settling a hand on her arm for a moment. "Why don't you come to my place, Cath?" he suggested. "I'll make you breakfast."
As tempting as it was, Catherine still shook her head. "Thanks, but I have some stuff I need to take care of," she said.
"Need a hand?"
"No," Catherine chuckled. "You may want to have your checkbook ready in case I need to be bailed out, though."
"Bailed out?" Warrick asked worriedly.
"Oh, yeah." Catherine answered, turning and walking away from him.
"What do you mean?" Warrick called after Catherine.
"I'm going to go have a little chat with Kay Peterson," she responded over her shoulder.
Warrick watched her worriedly, wondering if he should go along with her so that she didn't get arrested.
"Cath," he finally said. "Don't do anything stupid!"
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End Part 7/?
(Reminder – Peterson is the evil one here, not me! ;-) )
