A/N: Sorry for the long wait I have been kind of busy. I was spending time with my sister and practicing and then I got the HBP book and wanted to read it. So I hope you like this chapter and hopefully chapter four will be up soon.

Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own CSIs. If I did I don't think so many people would watch it so shrugs. I only own the characters I make up.

Dedication: I dedicate this story to all my readers! Make sure you review it makes me happy and it will make you happy too.

Well on with the story:

-Crime Lab- 21:30

Sara, Nick, and Warrick all sat in the break room discussing why each was early. Sara was early because Warrick was her ride and he had to go into court. Nick had come in early because Brass called and said he was working on that warrant and had wanted to be here in case he got it. The all froze as they saw one of the senior CSIs enter with someone they least expected, Eddie Willows. They watched as they headed to the receptionists desk and then to the break room. Lindsey was following the two of them.

"I'd offer you coffee but your not used to this stuff," Catherine Willows said to her ex-husband as she bent down by the fridge and removed a water bottle. She then walked over to him and handed it over. "Here … Gil shouldn't mind … much."

"Yeah … right," Eddie said taking a sip anyways. He then handed it to her who surprised everyone and took a sip and then handed the bottle to Lindsey who happily took a sip.

"Today was the best day of my life!" Lindsey yelled enthusiastically after taking a sip.

"So Cath," Nick said eyeing her. "How was your night off?"

"Um …" she eyed Eddie without anyone noticing. "It was … rough."

"So …" Sara smiled from her seat next to Nick. "This mystery fellow you were going to have breakfast with. What happened there?"

"It was … canceled." She stated. Lindsey was about to say something when Grissom entered and spoke.

"Cath …" He said entering, not even noticing Eddie standing in a corner. "You're early. But that's good I was just about to call you. I just got off the phone with the NCIS Director and they will be expecting you. Oh and … you left your jacket at my place."

"NCIS?" She asked but he never got to answer because Ecklie entered the room at that timing.

"Catherine," He said smiling. "Thank you for coming in early. We have recovered Eddie's vehicle."

"You did," Eddie spoke causing Grissom to glare at him. "That was fast."

"It was used in an attempted murder," Ecklie said. "So we will have to keep it as evidence. We have lifted prints but we will need you permission to take Lindsey's for elimination. We've already eliminated those that belong to you two," he nodded at the two parents.

"You may take her prints," Catherine stated calmly. "Victim?"

"Tiffany Sullivan," He said looking in his file.

"Cath …" Eddie said and everyone looked at him. Grissom looked rather annoyed. Catherine looked angry at the mention of the name.

"Mommy …" Lindsey whispered but everyone heard. "Mommy is she dead?"

"No," she stated roughly.

"She was listed as critical at Desert Palms. The doctors have finally moved her from the ICU and she is doing fine," Ecklie answered the unasked question. "Suffers from a broken ankle, a broken arm, and a broken rib."

"Good," Lindsey stated and stormed out.

"Ed …" She said and Eddie rushed after Lindsey. "Have you gotten evidence from her body?"

"I think I know how to do my job," Ecklie said. She glared at him and he fidgeted. "Sophia is doing that now. We couldn't go in while she was in ICU."

"Thanks," she rushed out after Lindsey. She entered the locker rooms, which is where she saw her daughter head. "Linds …" she said with a hint of concern.

"I'm sorry mom … dad," Lindsey looked up at her parents. "I didn't mean it. I'm not happy she's hurt. I'm just …"

"It's okay Linds. I was thinking the same thing," she smiled and pulled out a key. Handing it to Eddie she shrugged. "For my car. It's in the parking lot I saw it there earlier."

"Thanks," Eddie said taking the key. "Linds, honey why don't you say bye to everyone while I speak with your mom and then to Mr. Ecklie."

"Okay," Lindsey skipped from the room.

"Sorry," he said looking at her.

"What?" She looked at him confused.

"Well …" he pointed at her face then arms. She opened her locker and looked in the mirror.

"Oh my," she pulled out a make-up bag and began to recover the bruise on her eye. She then pulled out a jacket and pulled it on. Turning to him she offered to cover up the hand size bruise on his cheek. "If you want?"

"No … I deserved it," he smiled at her pleasantly. "Plus it is a nice reminder." He smiled and followed her towards the break room.

"Of what?" She stopped right outside the break room and looked at him.

"Never piss off Catherine Marie Willows," he smiled then elucidated. "You have one hell of an arm."

"Oh," she laughed a bit receiving some odd looks. "Ecklie's office is down there. Please fill my car up with gas and since I'm going to DC now you can watch Lindsey. Vacation plans will have to be set back."

"Thanks," he opened the break room door. "Come on Lindsey lets go break some of mom's rules by eating junk food and watching scary movies."

"If mom says its okay," Lindsey replied from next to Grissom.

"Sure why not I've already broken some today," she smiled.

"And which would those be," Eddie asked.

"Number one," she whispered without emotion.

"Oh …" he replied a bit confused but he knew all he would have to do would ask Lindsey who had memorized the rules. Lindsey had found the notebook on her mom's desk at home.

"So …" Sara said after Eddie and Lindsey left the room and headed for Ecklie's office. "How was your night off Grissom?"

"D.C.?" Catherine said angrily. "There's one way to get rid of me."

"Cath …" Grissom began but decided to discuss the case. "Our victim is Major Drake Armstrong. He is a suspect … was a suspect in an NCIS related case in DC. You're going to go and brief them plus help out on the case from there." He paused for a second. "It has nothing to do with getting rid of you."

"Please you could easily go but you know I wouldn't stop calling you. You're sending me to avoid the question and your god damn problem."

"Catherine," Sara cut in before Grissom could reply. "Grissom has to run the lab you know that."

"Sara your opinion is biased so it doesn't count."

"My opinion is not biased."

"Like hell it isn't! It's obvious you have a crush on Grissom," she snapped back making Sara blush.

"Catherine leave Sara out of this," Grissom lectured.

"Oh yes," she spun to look at Grissom. "Protect little Ms. 'Stuck-up-to-the-boss-because-I-have-a-mad-crush-on-him-and-I-hope-he-will-notice-me' over here from the big bad red head."

"I see you don't have a name for yourself," he replied calmly as Sara's mouth dropped open and she sat down between Nick and Warrick who were both eyeing Catherine in shock. No one had ever witnessed her get this angry before.

"Because my name is not appropriate for this conversation," she replied coldly.

"And what would that be," he asked making her go silent, which completely shocked everyone. Eventually she smirked and placed her hands on her hips.

"You really want to know."

"Yes," He said nervously and her smirk grew.

"Ms. 'Willing-to-take-a-chance-even-if-it-means-pissing-off-my-best-friend.' " She smiled at his confused look.

"And that means?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Breaking rule number one instead of rule number two," she stated shifting all her weight from her right foot to her left. The two had created the rules when they had celebrated the divorce. Rule one was 'Don't sleep with your ex-husband' and rule two was 'Don't sleep with your boss or subordinates', which both had said was a joke but made it to keep themselves in check. His eyes widened and her smirk grew even bigger. "That's right."

"You broke rule one! Cath … but … what if …"

"Yep and you know what I don't care," she lied. She did care because she knew Eddie would take it as something else. She knew he would want to do it again and wouldn't stop at nothing until he could and then he would want it again. The process would continue until she could make him stop which she knew would be hard. But she pushed all that aside because she really wanted to piss off Grissom. "Boy was it great."

"Cath," he stood from the table. "This is serious."

"I know," she turned and went to leave the room. Looking over her shoulder she shrugged. "Its better then breaking rule two."

"C…" he tried again but she was gone. Looking at the junior CSIs, who all were waiting for an answer he sighed. "Well … get to work," the three stood to leave. "Oh and Sara … next time don't try to help me."

"Oh … okay," she looked at the ground and rushed from the room.

June 9th 2002

09:00 Washington D.C.

After leaving the lab she had gone straight home, packed, stopped by at Grissom's and took his jacket and not hers on accident, and then gone to the airport. Her plane had landed in DC at eight due to some problems causing it to leave Vegas late. So she ended up getting her luggage at eight twenty and then had to stand in line to rent a car. Apparently Grissom had called early and rented one for her. It was a black corvette with a license that read rule one.

Now she sat in the black corvette heading towards the NCIS building. Grissom had also gotten her a suite at a nice hotel and when she got back into the corvette she found a single red rose with a card that read rule two. She figured a bell man had been told to deliver it but still she smiled slightly.

A/N: Please review and stay tuned for the next chapter in this story.