Catherine walked out of the break room, a slight smile plastered on her face. She had been mortified this morning over what she had done the previous night, but now she was flattered that she had such an impact on Greg , not that she wanted anything to come of it, of course. Hell, she knew as well as anyone that men were always looking for the next young thing, which she definitely wasn't. After all these years, she felt fortunate that her looks had remained, but her past experience taught her that it didn't count for much. Both Eddie, and recently Chris, had made her lesson hard.
She had been so into her thoughts that she didn't notice that she had run smack into a brick wall - or something that felt like a brick wall.
"Hey, are you ok?"
She rubbed her arm gingerly and found out her brick wall was only a smiling Warrick. "Yeah, sorry. I wasn't paying attention."
"Yesterday's events still troubling you?"
"Does everyone know that I slept with Greg last night!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration.
"Whoa- hold on a minute. I was talking about the results of our case. What's this about you and Greg?" Warrick's eyes narrowed.
Catherine suddenly felt smaller. I guess the world really doesn't revolve around me, she thought meekly. "I- uh- well-."
"After he drove you home last night you slept with him?" Warrick asked incredulously.
"Well, it wasn't like I planned it or anything," Catherine snapped, wondering why she was trying to defend herself against Warrick's accusatory tone - wondering also why he had such a tone.
"Look, it was pure intoxication working. I don't even remember it."
Warrick whistled. "So when you meant 'everyone' knowing-"
"I meant Sara and Nick. It might as well be everyone. I'm sure they've put it in the newsletter."
"Wow Catherine."
"Wow is right," she sighed. "This is just the thing Ecklie needs to deny me my promotion to day shift."
"Well hold on now, there's no rules against office romance. It may be frowned upon, but I've looked at the rules and it says nothing against it."
Catherine looked impressed. "You've been looking at the rules lately Warrick?"
He scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, I was just glancing through the handbook and uh-"
"It's ok," Catherine said giving him a wink. "You and Mia's flirtations haven't exactly been on the down-low."
Warrick eyes clouded briefly with confusion at her comment, but before he could say anything Grissom swung open his office door, startling them both.
"Did you grab those lab results from Greg?"
Catherine groaned and looked back at the break-room door.
Warrick raised his eyebrow, picking up on Catherine's nonverbal cues. "I was just heading for the break-room. I'll grab them for you Cath."
She rewarded him with a grin and Grissom's eyes darted between the two of them, wondering what he had missed in the exchange.
"Catherine, can we go over this case in my office please?" Grissom said, finally deciding that he didn't want to be clued in.
"I'll drop your results by in a sec," Warrick said patting Catherine on the shoulder as he walked past her.
She squared her shoulders and faced Grissom who was looking at her expectantly. "After you boss," she said gesturing toward his cave.
Warrick walked through the doors to find Greg slouched in a chair, staring dreamily at the wall. He had a good idea what was still on the younger man's mind.
"Hey Greg," Warrick said, breezing past him, toward the fridge. Grabbing an apple out of it, he turned to see that Greg had still not acknowledged his presence. "Greg?"
"Sorry Warrick. You asked me something?"
Warrick chuckled as he took a chair and swung it around so he could straddle it. "No, just said hi." He gestured toward a file that was laying across the table. "That Catherine's lab results?"
"Yeah - oh yeah! I gotta go give those to her. She needs them." Greg suddenly jumped up in a sudden burst of energy.
"No need- I'll take them." Warrick said, grabbing the file before Greg could get his hands on them. "Why are you in the lab today ? I thought Grissom was training you out in the field."
"Mia's out and we couldn't get anyone to do DNA." Greg shrugged. "I'm lab rat only for the day."
"Doesn't it bother you?"
"What?" Greg asked confused.
"That they can pull you back in anytime."
Greg shook his head. "I never thought of it that way." He gestured toward the file. "You sure you don't want me to take it to Catherine?"
"Nah- it's all right. She asked me to get it for her."
Greg sunk back down in his chair. "She did?"
Warrick nodded, preparing to gauge Greg's reaction to what he said next. "And she told me about what happened last night."
Of all the things Warrick was expecting, a proud grin wasn't one of them.
"I knew she didn't want to keep our love a secret." Greg said pounding his hand down on the table.
"Whoa - I didn't say she was happy about it."
It took Greg's face less than a second to fall flat. "Oh."
"You aren't seriously thinking of pursuing her are you?" Warrick said, deciding that it was his place as Catherine's friend to put an end to Greg's fantasies.
"What do you mean? Of course I am!"
"What about Sara? You're going to break her heart."
Greg nodded, soaking in all of Warrick's words. "Sara will always have a place in my heart, but I have to take the path that's open to me."
"And you're saying that path is leading to Catherine."
Greg grinned wolfishly. "You should have seen the flares at this path last night."
Warrick leaned back. "No, spare me the details."
"I've just got to get her to see that we're right together," Greg said, his grin fading.
Warrick saw an opening that would get Catherine out of this mess. "I'll tell you what, I'll help you out."
"You will?"
Warrick smirked, taking a bite out of his apple. "Of course. What are friends for?"
