Chapter 24
Catherine let out a pent up breath as she watched the guys file in. Greg gave her his sweet smile. Nick followed him in, flashing a friendly grin at her. It was Warrick that she was worried about. He was frowning so seriously, she knew it was only a matter of time before he blew. This was not going to be easy.
"Hi guys!" She greeted cheerfully.
Nick was the first to respond. "Cath! It's so good to see you!" He came forward, swiftly and gently pulling her to her feet before enveloping her into a gentle bear hug. When he finally released her, Greg was there to give her a warm kiss on the cheek. Warrick remained aloof, looking stern and menacing.
"Warrick? Are you going to say hi to me?" Never one to back down from an angry Warrick, she didn't let him stop her this time either. "Or did you come to glare at me and give me the silent treatment?"
With a put-upon sigh, Warrick pulled her into his arms. Pulling out of the hug, he placed a hand on her protruding stomach. "I just don't like this."
"What? Gemma's pregnant. So is Lucy. Why is it bad that I am too?" Catherine wasn't going to let him condemn her.
"Lucy and Gemma are married. You quit CSI and disappeared from our lives! I've been worried about you! Who is this guy? Why isn't he here to take responsibility?"
"That's why I asked you guys here." Catherine divulged.
"What? You want us to play the affronted brothers. We can go make the guy stand right by you." Nick offered heroically.
Catherine knew that they would, if only she were to say the word. "No. He's already doing that."
"Yeah?" Greg quirked an eyebrow at her, suddenly reminding her of Grissom. "Since when?"
"Look, I didn't tell him until last month. I was…conflicted on whether I wanted to try this on my own or not. "Catherine exhaled heavily. "IT took me a while, but I realized that I didn't want to be alone in this. Therefore, I called him up….explained the situation to him. He wants to marry me."
"Who is he?" Warrick demanded.
"Do we know this guy?" Greg was now emulating Warrick. It wasn't a good look on him, Catherine decided.
"Can we just accept that I'm happy?" Catherine pleaded. "I didn't realize it at the time, but….I am in love with him."
"When and where did all this come about?" Warrick hissed. He didn't trust that Catherine's luck with men had changed. He wanted to check the guy out before it was too late.
Blushing, Catherine stepped away from Warrick. "I needed someone. I went to him. I instigated it all. Warrick, you can't blame him. I don't want you to be mad at him."
"According to Lucy, It was the same night she and Gemma got pregnant." Nick cut in. "We all needed comfort that night, Rick."
"You're trying to divert the blame off of this guy. Obviously, it's someone we know." Warrick concluded, his green gaze boring wholes in Catherine, as if he could find the information he wanted.
"Hey! Give the boy a prize!" Catherine shot the barb at him. "He's not Day-Shift Supervisor for nothing."
"Who is he, Cath?" Warrick ignored the sarcastic comment. "Why isn't he here with you?"
"He's on his way." Catherine smiled. "I asked him for a few moments alone with you first." She looked at the three men before him. "I'm getting married today. We're leaving tomorrow. I won't be coming back."
"What about Linds?" Nick questioned, shock in his chocolate eyes.
"She's happy about it. She's looking forward to the move. She's excited about having a real family for once in her life. She loves him. He's a good man, a good father."
"Are you sure about this Cath?" Warrick asked softly, worry causing his face to grow dark. "You don't have to do this. We'll help you. We will take care of you."
"I love him, Warrick. I wanted to just fly there and be with him. It was his decision to come here. He wanted us to marry with you guys there to witness it." Catherine's attention went to the door of the Café as it opened. She smiled, her face flushing like Warrick had never seen it. "There he is."
Warrick turned around to take his first look at the man that was making Catherine blush like a schoolgirl. Amazement staggered him, and he had to reach out to steady himself. "You?"
"Congratulations!" Gemma was sobbing as she kissed the new bride.
"Thank you." Catherine turned to look over at her new husband. "I really do feel lucky."
"He's the lucky one Catherine." Lucy insisted, coming up.
"Hey, ya know, this is kinda creepy." Greg barged into the conversation.
"What is?" Gemma turned to the man and he grinned at the site. Three identical stomachs lined up.
"You guys….all getting knocked up at the same time….on the same night. It's like…Invasion of the Body Snatchers!"
"Wrong movie Greggo!" Nick chided, coming up to plant a kiss on his wife's cheek before giving Catherine a hug. "Over there, is the scene from Invasion of the Body Snatchers!"
Everyone's gaze came to rest upon the lone man across the room. Sara and Grissom stood near him, but neither had attempted to speak with him. Instead, they were having a quiet conversation, watching Warrick closely. They looked ready, as if prepared to grab him, should he get out of hand. Warrick was not in a friendly mood.
"Yeah, he might as well wear a 'No Trespassing' sign." Greg agreed, watching as Warrick finished his beer and tossed it angrily in the trash.
"I'll go talk to him." Gemma offered as Gil blocked Warrick's attempt to acquire another beer. An angry Warrick was one thing; an angry drunken Warrick was something entirely different. Sara said something to Warrick, seeming to calm him as he tried to move around Grissom.
"No." Catherine placed a hand on her arm, stopping the younger woman. "Let my husband do that." The group watched as the man in question approached Warrick cautiously. Sara and Gil stepped back, letting the newcomer have a private moment with him.
"Is he going to be okay with all this?" Nick questioned Gemma. "Should I go over in case I need to break up a fight?"
"He'll be fine. He's just been worried about Catherine. It's mostly just shock. Warrick knows he's a good man. Once the shock wears off, he'll wonder why he didn't set them up. He'll more than accept this."
"He looks really mad." Greg commented, watching as Warrick snarled at the groom. The other man didn't back down an inch. They had all been on the wrong side of Warrick's temper and were impressed at the man's tenacity.
"He's probably warning him not to ever hurt Catherine." Lucy suggested.
"Warning him what would happen if he did." Nick agreed.
"Then, knowing my husband, he'll warn him to be wary of Catherine's temper." Gemma chuckled. She could see the tension leaving Warrick. She knew that he was beginning to accept the situation. "Let's go enjoy ourselves. They'll be fine."
"You love her, right?" Warrick questioned softly. "You'll treat her right?"
"I never thought I could love someone like I love her." The groom admitted looking at Warrick with sincerity. Warrick could see the earnestness in the man's eyes.
"I don't like that you're taking her so far away from here." Warrick warned him. "It doesn't mean I won't come after you if you so much as make her cry."
"I wouldn't. I know you would if I were to."
"You'll take care of her, Lindsey and this baby?" Warrick questioned. "She's a tough one; she'll fight you on it."
"I know that. She's not one to be coddled, but at the same time, she's as fragile as the next woman." He grinned, glancing over to his new bride, who was surrounded by her family, watching them. "Just like, if you were to lay a hand on me right now, she'd be the first one over here."
Warrick threw his head back and laughed. "I hear ya."
"Are we okay? I don't want this to come between us." A large callused hand was offered to Warrick.
"Of course!" Warrick swallowed roughly, taking the proffered hand. Giving it a hard yank, he pulled the man into his embrace. "I've spent my entire life wishing for a brother. Now I've got one, you aren't gonna get out of it so easily. Marrying the woman I consider my sister isn't going to cause me to deny that you're my brother."
Sean grinned, relieved. "You accept that I'm your brother now, eh?"
Warrick gave him an identical grin. "That you are…..Brother Mine."
The End.