A/N: Still hopping :) Thank you to my wonderful reviewers!

Sugar Pill: Oh, it seriously says blue? I must've put that and not noticed, thanks for pointing it out!

wdbydoglvr: I never knew Warrick lived with his grandmother and an aunt. But for the sake of this I guess he'll have to have two aunts :). And I never knew he was an outcast in school either. But this'll have to work:)

CatherineLouise: Glad you like :) Here's another chapter!

Now, disclaimer, as always, is:

I don't have aything to do with the production of CSI, nor do I own anything to do with CSI at all- though the first season will be MINE on DVD soon!

Chapter Five

When the group decided to split up and head back home to get ready for shift, Lia was slightly apprehensive about the ride home with Warrick. She figured he'd seen them on the dance floor, since he had been slightly guarded about saying anything to either of them, and when Greg had kissed her good night, she knew her cousin had seen that. She and Greg had been flirting like crazy most of the night as well. His arm had rarely left her waist and there had hardly been any point in the night when they weren't together. Lia was expecting Twenty Questions, the Spanish Inquistion, and all that jazz from Warrick because of it. Right now though, silence reigned as Warrick and Lia got into the car and Warrick pulled out of the parking lot. After a few minutes, Lia broke the silence.

"I know it's coming, Rick, you wanna ask me about Greg."

"Am I that predictable?" Warrick asked, with a small smile.

"I believe protective is the adjective you prefer to use. But I do know it's coming, you wanna know everything from 'why Greg' to 'where's this whole thing gonna go', and I'd rather go through it now than when I'm getting ready for work," Lia pointed out.

"Fine then, answer the two questions you mentioned and I'll ask more if I need to," said Warrick.

"Alright, the answer to 'why Greg' is because...well, just because. I mean, he's been my best friend since I got here. I feel really comfortable around him, I trust him. He makes me laugh. And as to where it's going to go, I guess we'll just have to see," she finished with a shrug.

"So how long do you think it'll last?"

"No idea. I'm hoping a long time."

"Are you gonna tell him..." Warrick let the end drag off. They both knew what they were talking about.

"Eventually. The matter hasn't come up, obviously." They sat in silence again for a moment.

"Eventually. How soon is that?" Warrick asked.

"When it comes up. I don't really want to talk about it right now, Warrick...I want to stay in a good mood for the rest of the night," she told him as they pulled into the parking lot of the apartment. She opened her door and started up the stairs. "I got dibs on the shower first," she called over her shoulder with a grin. Then she saw that Warrick's face was still etched with concern and her smile grew a little sadder. "It's alright, Rick, it's ancient history, this time's way different," she said, before turning back to the stairs.

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Greg had far different problems than dealing with a paranoid-slash-protective cousin. While he'd been confident around Lia at the club, he was now starting to worry about what had happened. Thoughts of Lia were running through his head at the speed of light, practically, wondering if what had happened had been real, or if she'd only done it so they wouldn't have to be the only 'single' ones of the group. Deep down, he knew she wouldn't. But she'd mentioned that sugar and caffeine made her pretty hyper. He believed that it had been for real...Hell, he'd seen the same look in her eyes that night as that time in the pool, though he hadn't done anything then...but even with all that...that annoying little voice in his head wouldn't leave him alone. 'It was pity,' it told him, 'she doesn't care.' Groaning in frustration, he stepped into the shower and the almost scalding water, hoping to wash that evil little voice away.

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A/N: Yes, short, I apologise, but I've been pretty busy what with a course I was taking at the library last week, and then a trip from Thursday to Sunday, plus I couldn't think of anything to add. But I'm back with another chapter in the works, and I'll have something new up sometime this week, I promise!