A/N: Okay first of all, Sorry it took me so long to update. Second this chapter is episode filler for The Execution of Catherine Willows. Thirdly, Thanks for helping me decide weither or not Nicky was finding out. It gave me an idea of how far/where I'm going with this fic. R&R, and to any authors/could be authors who are reading this, we need more War/Cath fics out there. A page of fics is definitely not enough. Anyway, on with the story

Warrick was worried. He'd overheard Catherine telling Grissom about a stay that had been placed on an execution he could only assume she'd worked. Something in her voice told him she was tormenting herself. That's what had him so worried, and kind of annoyed. She should not be taking this out on herself. But, Catherine being Catherine he knew that there was nothing he could say to change her mind. At least not at work. Ya need to stop trippin' man. She'll be fine. He smirked. When had he become such a great liar?

Finally. He'd been searching for Catherine for the better part of a half an hour. Walking into the lab where she was working, he said, "I hear Mathers had an IV in his arm and everything when the call came in. Never had a death penalty case get that far. Workin' it all out?" He added the last part motioning towards the crime scene photos she had spread across the light table.

"Old case, fresh eyes. New technology," she explained.

"This evidence was processed, what, 15 years ago? That's before DNA."

"Now that the case has been re-opened, I can re-evaluate all three murders. We always thought that Mathers was good for the other two, but if they overturn Charlene Roth with the new DNA we can go back and try Mathers with the new evidence." Warrick could tell that her gut instinct was telling her that the case wasn't as airtight as it had appeared and, being trained by Grissom, she was doing her darnedest to ignore it. He almost shook his head in sympathy.

"Keep Mathers in prison," he said, in his own way trying to reassure her that he had every confidence in the way she'd evaluated the evidence as a rookie.

"You Pro or Con?" She asked.

"Pro. If you did it. The application sucks though-there's a lot of brown skin on that row." As soon as he said it, he nearly winced. Here she was, trying to tell herself that she hadn't helped the corrupt system put an innocent civilian on death row, and he's questioning the system. His guilt increased when she said, almost as if she were discouraged, "Yeah."

"You?" he questioned.

"I try not to give it much thought." He raised his eyebrow in disbelief.

Catherine Willows sighed. This crime scene was way too familiar. Did I convict the wrong guy? she asked her self . She shook her head, trying to tell her self that she hadn't convicted anyone; it had been the jury that had had the final say in the matter. But still a part of her realized that she had probably helped them make the decision. She had given them the evidence, but through her viewpoint, however unintentional the skew may have been. The only way she'd feel that she hadn't had a hand in the conviction would have been if the jurors had been collecting and analyzing the evidence themselves. That was the problem with the system.

"You ready for me?" David Phillips asked from behind her.

"Not yet," she said noticing something in the victim's hair. She reached into her kit, pulling out a pair of tweezers. "May I?" she asked David.

"Be my guest."

"What do you think this is?" she asked.

"That's Grissom's bailiwick, not mine."

"Right. That's what I was thinking- bug."

"What you got?" Warrick asked, kneeling down to get a better look.

"Some kinda two for. Looks like a bug casing and a black fiber. She's all yours," she added to David, getting up and out of his way. "So how come I get you?" she asked, the gratitude evident in her tone.

"Grissom says it's precautionary in case Mathers gets overturned and you get swamped." He wouldn't tell her that it had really been his idea, and it had taken a while to get Grissom to allow him to go with her. Warrick wanted to be able to keep an eye on her, as dumb and overprotective as it sounds.

"Well, I'm glad to have the help" she said, making it clear that she understood the real reason he was there. What scared Warrick was that she was okay with it. Normally she'd dismiss the need to have him with her. Changing the topic he said, "This looks familiar."

"Yeah, a little too familiar. Let's figure out how she got here."

'rick,

Roth's have asked me to sit with them during Mathers' execution. Before you ask I haven't decided or not I'm 'okay' with it so don't bother. Lindsey's at a friend's house so…Breakfast/movie, MY place for once. Your turn to pick the movie. Love you and see you then.

Cath

Now Warrick was really worried. Never had she asked him to come over. Never.

Warrick knocked on Catherine's door. A second later she opened it. Her eyes were red, and Warrick could tell that she'd been crying.

"Hey," she greeted him timidly.

"Hey yourself. You okay?" She sighed.

"I don't even know 'rick. I really don't know." She smiled humorlessly at him, and he longed to make the pain go away. He hugged her, pulling her with him, guiding her to the kitchen.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked, trying, if only for a second, to get her mind off John Mathers.

"I was thinking eggs and bacon. If you're not a vegetarian," she teased, a smile playing at her mouth.

"Very funny Ms. Willows. See if I cook for you ever again." She slapped him lightly on the arm. "Ouch! What was that for?" he asked, feigning anger.

"That was because I can," she teased back. Suddenly he found her lips on his. He quickly recovered from the shock and responded to the passion. "And that, was for being you," she added, pulling away to begin breakfast.

"I can't help feeling that had we realized that Mathers was innocent of the other two, the sentence would have been different. He'd still be alive. Not that I think he should be but, what's the point of an eye for an eye? But then, what do you say to the families? How do you tell them that a killer's life is more valuable than their daughter's? I try so hard not to be bias, but how do you not want closure for the families, 'rick?" At this point, she had tears in her eyes and Warrick's heart fell with every tear.

"Come here," he said, holding his arms out for her. She turned into his arms, burying her face in his chest. "Not everyone has to be Grissom, Cat. You have great instincts. Don't be afraid to listen to them sometimes. Just don't stop listening to the evidence." He kissed the top of her head. She kissed him, whimpering when he matched her passion. He smiled. "Come on," she murmured, leading him to the bedroom, the movie completely forgotten.

"No. No. I didn't do it. I didn't kill him." Warrick frowned, and then remembered where he was. Turning to Catherine, he saw her face was contorted in a grimace. "Cat. Catherine, wake up babe." He shook her gently. "Come on. It's just a dream." She turned into him, gently sobbing. "Shhhh... It's okay." He pushed her hair behind her ear, then his hand traveled to her back, gently rubbing it. After a while she pulled away, stretching. She smiled at him.

"Ya know, I could get used to this," she joked, meaning waking up to him. He laughed.

"Well I guess that makes two of us then."

"Wow. My life revolves too much around Lindsey. I don't even know what to do with an evening without her. You got any ideas?" He thought about it, and then smiled.

"Yeah actually I do. Why don't you change and put on some comfortable shoes, and I'll run to my place and I'll be back in about a half an hour."

"Okay, but where are we going?"

"Trust me?"

"Of course."

Warrick pulled up in front of Catherine's house for the second time that day. Getting out, he walked up the walk and knocked on her door. Before he'd pulled his fist away, the door opened. "Hey" He was greeted by a seemingly excited Catherine. He reflexively smiled back at her.

"Ready to go?"

"Oh yeah. Ya gonna tell me where we're going yet?"

"Nope."

"Warrick," she whined.

"Whining doesn't suit you," he teased.

"Warrick!"

"Catherine!" he mimicked her tone.

"Patience is not my virtue."

"Never said it was." He opened the passenger side so she could get in.

"Fine," she huffed, getting in.

"Music?" he asked as he got in on the driver's side.

"Sure." Her frustraction was reflected in her tone. He just smiled and put in the CD. Catherine relaxed as Cheap Trick's I Want you to Want me played. The next song was one of her favorites, though Warrick couldn't have known this. Evan and Jaron's Crazy For This Girl. The next song was a good one too. Howie Day's Collide. By the time Nine days' Absolutely (Story of a Girl) was over Catherine began to wonder if Warrick was trying to tell her something. She'd been reminded of the power of song during her the recent Gus Kenyon case and she began to wonder. The fifth song was one she'd never heard before but, apparently, it was one of Warrick's favorites because as soon as the first notes played she noticed he started to drum along to it.

Staring at you taking off your makeup

Wondering why you even put it on

I know you think you do, but baby, you don't need it

Wish that you could see what I see when it's gone

Chorus:

I see a dust trail following an old red Nova

Baby blue eyes and your head on my shoulder

Wait, baby don't move, right there it is

A T-shirt hanging off a dogwood branch

That river was cold but we gave love a chance

Yeah To me

You don't look a day over fast cars and freedom

That sunset, riverbank, first time feeling

Yeah smile and shake your head as if you don't believe me

I'll just sit right here and let you take me back

Got Cougar up on ten, Little Diddy 'Bout Jack and Diane

You're laughing, singing with your feet up on the dash

Remember that

Chorus:

I see a dust trail following an old red Nova

Baby blue eyes and your head on my shoulder

Wait, baby don't move, right there it is

A T-shirt hanging off a dogwood branch

That river was cold but we gave love a chance

Yeah To me

You don't look a day over fast cars and freedom

That sunset, riverbank, first time feeling

Catherine felt her eyes well up. She whispered "I love you"

"Not as much I do you. That song was written for you, you know that? I was driving my niece to dance class and she'd put in her CD. I nearly had to pull the car over." She just bit her bottom lip to keep from crying.

"Dancing? You're taking me dancing?" Warrick smiled, pulling into the parking lot of a smaller club, off the Strip.

"You can dance, can't you?" he teased, knowing full well what her previous profession was.

"Oh, I can not believe you just asked me that." Her excitement was evident, and Warrick couldn't help smiling, knowing he'd made her happy. Getting out he walked around to her side of the car, but she was already out.

"Gee, you'd think you haven't been dancing in a while," he teased, as she dragged him inside.

"I haven't been dancing in a year! Actually more like a year and a half." He felt sorry for her.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

'rick,

For some reason my feet are killing me. Guess I should have listened to you when you told me to put on comfortable shoes. Thanks again for taking me dancing. Hadn't realized how much I'd missed it. Lindsey wants to do something on Saturday, you up for it? Still figuring how much I love you. Let you know how much when you stop stealing more of my heart like you did with the CD last night.

Cath

Cath,

If it means that much to you then we'll do it more often. Tell Lindsey I'll see her on Saturday. Where we going? I love you too.

'rick

Hope that you thought that this was worth the wait. Oh, and the song in this chapter (the one I give the lyrics for) is Fast Cars and freedom, by Rascal Flatts, and doesn't belong to me. I just think it fits Catherine and Warrick. Oh, and Silent Cobra, I just might have to take that advice- LOL