Disclaimer: I don't own them, and I honestly wouldn't know what to do if I did.
Author's Notes: I'm honestly surprised that I churned out another chapter today, but I am pleased that I did. I expect this to be ending in another 3 or 4 chapters...just to warn you.
Ah, this one is full of conflict, I'm in a conflict mood today. A cliffhanger at the end, but no need to worry, nothing life threatening. Just an incentive to keep you coming back for more.
More Catherine and Warrick, hope you enjoy that, and some Greg and Sara angst, with the introduction of a new (yet minute) character. Also something to keep you Nick and Sara shippers on edge and to make you Greg and Sara shippers panic. I'm evil, I know it, I'm sorry.
Hope you enjoy, thanks to everyone who has responded, I look forward to hearing from you, you make my ego inflate so nicely.
Jenny
Seven:
"To solving the case of the year!" Catherine said, allowing her wine glass to clink softly with Warrick's, "I really thought we'd never solve that one."
Warrick took a sip of wine, smiling at Catherine, his hand wandering up her thigh, "Neither did I, but it all worked out. It's amazing how you get that one tip and all of a sudden everything falls into place. I'm just glad that it's over, we've worked too many hours on this one, at least it was worth it."
"And not only did we put these guys behind bars, their confessions that Jimmy was armed, high, and part of the murders cleared Sara to come back to work. Finally, the whole team will be back and hopefully things will get back to normal," Catherine added, moving her leg slightly so his hand could travel a little higher, "She's going to be thrilled, I really think getting back to work will help her cope a little better. I'm worried about her."
Warrick's hand made contact with the top of her leg and he whispered softly, "She's a strong woman, just like you are, and very resilient. I have no doubts she'll be back to normal in no time," His lips brushed against her ear, "Do you realize this is the first meal we've had alone, together, since this case started?"
"If I remember correctly," Catherine said, shutting her legs and shifting as she started to become aroused, "You were buttering me up for something at our last meal."
Warrick let his rejected hand begin the path up Catherine's leg again, not one to give up easily, his own body aroused as she squirmed out of his grasp, her face flushing slightly, "You're right, I was. I..I love you Catherine."
"I love you too," Catherine replied, letting her own hand explore underneath the table, "You're the best thing, besides Lindsey, that's ever happened to me."
Warrick's fingers gently caressed the outside of her panties, her squirming not enough to dislodge his hand this time. He knew he was pushing the limits, he could see her contemplating throwing away all of her skirts so she wouldn't get aroused in public like this ever again, and he could see her nipples hardening slightly through her shirt, "Cath, move in with me. I want you and Lindsey to move into my house with me. We spend the majority of time together anyway, it's pointless for us to rent two separate homes when we could just share one. I love you, I love Lindsey, I want to be with both of you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week."
"Oh, Warrick!" Catherine gasped, turning to face him, her arousal forgotten as tears shone in her eyes, "Oh, I'd love to. Of course we'd move in with you, but, are you sure you're ready for this? I mean, with Lindsey it's not going to be the same as you living alone, or even us living as lovers..."
Warrick let his lips brush against hers, whispering huskily into her ear, "We can be parents and lovers, Catherine, I want you and everything that comes with you, even if that means being a parental figure to Lindsey, or a friend, whatever you want me to be to her. I know you two come together, I could never forget about her, and she's a blast to have around," He smiled at Catherine, winking, "Who else would play X-Box with me? We all know you are awful at those skateboarding games, and Lindsey's almost as good as Nick and Greg."
"Now that it's settled...why don't we head over to our place and finish what you've started?" Catherine asked, finishing her wine and placing the glass on the table as Warrick threw a few bills down, following her quickly to the car.
Greg watched as Sara's mouth opened and shut, obviously at a complete loss for words. After a few moments of hesitation, she whispered, "Greg...I don't know what to say to you."
"I know, it was stupid of me to think we could be more than friends. I'm sorry, don't hold it against me." Greg said softly, shaking his head and standing, "I should go."
"No!" Sara exclaimed, "It's not that. We could be more, we can be more, than just friends, but right now just isn't the time. You're my best friend, I couldn't stand to lose you, but I'm not ready for any sort of romance right now. There's just too much going on, I don't think I could take it. Please, don't be angry, don't leave."
Greg shook his head, embarrassment filling his body, tears stinging his eyes, "We'll always be friends, but I think we need some time apart right now, I need to clear my head, you probably do too. I'm sorry I started this, I should have kept my mouth shut. I'll come by tomorrow, okay?"
Before Sara could answer him, he had walked out of her room and she could hear him gathering his things. Moments later, the front door shut and Sara was left wondering what the hell had just happened.
Greg ran down the flight of stairs and to his car, tears stinging his eyes, his heart racing. Had he really just suggested to Sara that they pursue a relationship? Had be been that stupid to bring it up when she was vulnerable and in an emotional battle? What was he trying to do, make her suicidal? How could he have been so stupid, was his "appropriate timing" censor turned off in his brain? And in the middle of the night! In her bed! What had he done? All of the effort they had put in their friendship, all of the bonding, the tears, the laughter, the fear, that one moment may have very well destroyed it.
He had cornered her, he knew better. He knew she didn't react well to being cornered. She'd probably shut him out, lash out at him, and withdraw from everyone until all of their pent up emotions turned into a huge, drag out, let-the-whole-building-know fight. Why had he even opened his mouth?
He peeled out of the parking lot, blinded by his tears, wishing more than anything he hadn't made an ass out of himself to his best friend, the woman he might actually love.
He made it home in record time, slamming his door behind him and sinking onto the couch with a loud moan, his elbows on his knees, his face in his hands. He opened his mouth, put her on the spot, then walked out on her. He was turning into one of those men he hated. No wonder he hadn't had a girlfriend in ages, he made enough of a fool out of himself with his best friend.
Picking up the phone, he did the only thing he could think of to do.
"Hello?" a female voice answered, obviously irritated at being interrupted in whatever it was she had been doing.
Greg felt a smile tug on his lips, he hadn't heard her voice in weeks, it was exactly what he needed, "Hey, it's Greg."
"Oh my God! Greg! I've been worried sick about you, I've called your apartment every day, twice a day, for the last week! Where the hell have you been?" The voice shrieked, the worry evident.
Despite the fact that he was definitely in trouble with her, he couldn't help but smile as he pictured her face lit up with emotion. Everyone he worked with on a daily basis had a knack for controlling their emotions, and sometimes he missed the energetic, feisty younger sister he left back home once he moved to Vegas.
"Kayla, calm down," Greg said in a soothing voice, "I'm not interrupting you, am I?"
Kayla's voice was even louder this time, although the worry had been replaced with a bit of resentment, "Calm down? Are you honestly telling me to calm down? What the hell is wrong with you, Greg? You drop off the face of the planet and don't even call to let me know you're going to disappear? I've been worried sick! If it hadn't been for finals, I would have hopped on a plane to Vegas, just to kick your ass! What the hell happened?" In a softer, more concerned voice, she added, "You don't sound good. Are you okay?"
"I had an...altercation...on one of my cases." He sighed, "I'm fine, just a minor concussion, a few bumps and bruises, a broken nose. I've been staying with a friend. Sorry I didn't call, things have been crazy, I lost track of the time."
Kayla shuffled with the phone a bit, and Greg assumed it was to get away from the family. He had heard his mother's voice in the background, and he knew Kayla well enough to know their conversations were something she always kept private, "I'm glad you're okay...stayed with a friend, huh? Nick or Sara?"
"Sara," Greg replied with another heavy sigh, "Oh, Kayla, I screwed up this time. Not just a little screw up, this is worse than when I broke it to Mom I was moving away. And instead of being a man and facing her afterwards, I bolted like a scared little boy."
Kayla groaned, feeling sympathetic towards her older brother. She had been his sounding board for years, since he moved away, and knew all of the sordid details about his feelings for Sara. "Screwed up like telling her you fantasize about her at night? Screwed up on a case with her? Or screwed up like telling her you loved her?"
"It would be closer to the last one. I asked if she wanted to be more than just best friends. And she looked floored, I mean, Kay, she looked like a deer in the headlights. She told me she didn't know what to say, and I got embarrassed, so I told her I was sorry and left." Greg moaned, "I think I'm more emotionally and socially brain dead than Grissom right now."
Kayla spoke again, and this time Greg was surprised to hear she sounded so much mature than when he usually spoke to her. "Greggo, you're not emotionally brain dead, you were scared. You've never been in a serious relationship before, and you don't know where your boundaries are. You let your feelings get hurt before you knew what she was thinking, yes, but that doesn't make you stupid, it makes you inexperienced. You need to talk to her."
"Are you sure you're only 23? What happened to my baby sister?" Greg asked with a slight laugh, his insides shaking. He'd have to talk to Sara, Kayla was right. How was he going to talk to her about his feelings when he knew she didn't want to return them? She wasn't ready for a romantic relationship, but would she be ready to hear him out? Would she be mad at him for leaving? Would she feel comfortable being so open with him again?
Kayla sighed, "Greg, you know I'm right. You just need to sit her down and tell her everything. Make it clear before you start that you have no expectations, that you just want to clear your chest, and when you're through, she will respect you more for being open with her. If you're sure she's what you want, you have to go for it. I don't want you to be miserable for the rest of your life, just because you didn't have the balls to stand up and seize the day."
"I know." Greg sighed, "You're right. I'll talk to her. You're the best, Kayla."
"I know I am," She replied with a laugh, "You can make it up to me by letting me stay at your apartment for a week during vacation, and being my tour guide while I'm there."
Rolling his eyes, Greg knew he was going to be in trouble with Kayla tagging along. He wondered how mad she'd get if he told his Mom she was planning on visiting him. That would be enough to get her put under house arrest, despite her age, for the fear that they'd lose another precious child to "Sin City".
After hanging up, he knew that he'd have to visit Sara and talk things through. Leaning his head back, he began to think of all the things he wanted to tell her, and began to formulate a plan on how he was going to approach this.
Sara laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Greg was gone, the apartment was quiet, and she was scared. Scared to be alone without knowing if Jimmy's partners were out looking for her, scared that she messed up her friendship with Greg, scared that she was alone with her own thoughts and worries. She had gotten so used to Greg's presence, that now she longed to have him there. Her sheets and pillow still smelled like him, and she buried her head in his pillow to try and pretend he was still there.
She had almost drifted of to sleep again, emotional nights tended to make her insomnia go away, when there was a knock on the door. Slightly alarmed, she crept to the door, standing on her tip toes to see who was at her door.
"Oh, Nick." She sighed with relief, opening the door for him and allowing him to enter, "I was scared to death. I'm so glad it's you."
"I'm sorry to just pop in," Nick said apologetically, "But I wanted to let you know in person that we've finished the case with the Governor's reception. We had Trey in custody, as you know, and he gave us the names of two of their accomplices, who confessed as soon as Brass started dishing it to them. Ecklie let Grissom know that your internal investigation is complete, you can come back to work next shift."
He noticed the tears in her eyes, and he held his arms out, pulling her into a hug, "What's wrong, honey?"
"Honey?" Sara sobbed, pulling back slightly to look at his flushed face, "Oh, Nick, I can't get into it with you, it's about Greg...I think I lost him as a friend tonight. I don't know what to do, I need him."
Nick led her to the couch, his insides burning with jealousy as she told him how much she needed Greg. He tried to push his jealousy aside, concentrating on the run down woman in front of him, "How did you lose him as a friend? Greg's loyal, Sara, he'll bounce back if you've had a fight. He's like a puppy, he'll always come running back to you. I don't think there's anything you can do to run him off."
"I came close to having a nervous breakdown, I caught him having a nightmare, and then I pulled a 'Grissom', by telling him I didn't know what to say when he told me he had feelings for me." Sara said bluntly, trying to stop the tears flowing down her face, "And he rushed out of here like I was trying to kill him."
"It's no secret Greg likes you," Nick soothed, holding her tightly, "What's not to like? You're a beautiful, smart, independent woman, and any guy would be lucky to have you. You probably just shook him up, you know how it feels to open your heart and not having the sentiment returned. Give him some time...until you make amends, I'll be your 'Greg stand-in', anything he would do for you, I can do."
Sara smiled, still upset over Greg, but feeling a bit better knowing that she still had a friend on her side, her heart warm knowing Nick cared enough to worry this much about her. Sometimes it was wonderful to have friends who loved you so much. She looked at him with hopeful eyes, "You'd even have an ice cream/popcorn binge with me?"
"Your wish is my command." Nick replied, forcing the sleepiness that had set over his body like a dense fog to lift. He had to be strong for Sara, give her the support she needed, she had been through enough, and she needed a friend. Besides, the few moments they would spend together this morning would give him a month's worth of pleasant dreams, "Pick out a movie and I'll get the junk food."
The phone rang while Sara was in the process of getting a movie picked out. She called out over her shoulder, noticing that the cordless phone was on it's cradle in the hallway, "Nick, could you grab that? It's probably just Grissom telling me about work tomorrow."
Nick picked up the cordless, holding it in place with his shoulder as he grabbed the ice cream, pressing the 'start' button on the microwave. "Sidle residence. Hello?" He was met with silence, and he asked again, "Hello? Is anyone there?"
There was a soft click, and Nick in turn hung up the phone, calling out to Sara, "It must have been a wrong number, whoever it was hung up."
"Okay!" Sara called back, "I've got the movie ready, how's the food coming?"
"I'll just be a few more seconds!" Nick called out as the microwave beeped, signaling the popcorn was finished, "Want a beer?"
Across town, Greg placed the phone in it's cradle, hurt and confusion written on his face, as he whispered, "Nick?", a single tear falling down his cheek.
Warrick and Catherine laid in bed, with nothing on but the sheet, enjoying the silence while they held each other, the only noise being their light breathing.
"I love you." Warrick said softly, rolling onto his side and letting their lips meet again, "I never thought I could love someone this much."
Catherine smiled, resting her head against his chest and wrapping her arms tightly around him, "I had always thought I loved Eddie more than any other man, but with you, it's so much different. You make me feel so safe, so protected...like nothing bad could ever happen to me. You know, I had heard that you were a ladies man, but I never really pictured it...now I know, you do have a way of being smooth. I can't believe we're moving in together."
"I'm so relieved that you said yes." Warrick admitted, "I knew we were serious, but I had been worried that we weren't on the same page with everything. I'm glad to know that you and Lindsey are going to be my family, I couldn't ask for more."
Catherine's lips met his, but only briefly, as her cell phone began to ring. She lazily brought it to her ear, "Willows."
Moments later, she shot up into a sitting position, "Where are you? What happened? Did you call the police? I'll be right there."
She hung up the phone, sliding out of bed and hastily getting dressed, "That was my sister, she went to get Lindsey up for school and she wasn't in bed. She's gone...we've got to get over there, now."
Before Catherine had finished, Warrick was up and dressed as well, grabbing his keys as they bolted out of the bedroom door.
TBC, if you want to know what happens next, drop me a line and tell me!
