Title: Love Don't Lie

Author: Angie

Summary: What happened in their past?

Disclaimers: CSI Crime Scene Investigation does not belong to me, they are the property of CBS, Alliance Atlantis, Jerry Bruckheimer and the wonderful actors who portray them.

Author's Notes: As usual, many thanks go to Marianne, who is just an excellent beta and great person all around. This story is, well it's a bit Alternate Universe. Gil and Cath are still Gil and Cath, but this takes place in the past. A sort of... what if?

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Anything in the series is fair game...as of now it's just general ideas.

Distribution: The GraveshiftCSI Homepage

Chapter 13

XOXOXO

"Gil, come on. We've got to go."

Gil looked up from his current experiment with a question in his eyes. "What?"

"Just grab your kit. I'll explain on the way."

Gil glared at the man in the doorway but started cleaning up his experiment anyway. Minutes later, he was in the locker room grabbing his coat and turning to meet his partner at the car.

"What took you so long?"

Gil couldn't keep the glare off his face as he climbed into the vehicle. "I was a little busy in there, in case you didn't notice. Where are we going?"

"We have a case. Stabbing."

Gil waited for him to continue. "And?"

"And what?"

"Details, Ecklie. Haven't you learned that the key to solving the case is in the details?"

Ecklie remained silent, his eyes focused on the road ahead.

Gil watched him for a moment before sighing, crossing his arms and leaning back in the seat, knowing he wasn't going to get any information about the case until they got to the scene.

XOXOXO

Ecklie pulled to a stop and got out of the car, only stopping when he noticed that Gil wasn't following him. Turning back to the car, he waited and then walked to the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door. "What's your problem now?"

"What are we doing here?"

"The case, Gil. Stabbing. Remember?"

"But…"

"We aren't here for pleasure. See the police cars? Crime scene is in the back." Ecklie turned and walked away.

Gil waited until Ecklie had moved around the building before letting the emotion show on his face. Exiting the car, he immediately walked to the main door, ignoring the looks on the officer's faces as he strode through the front door. His eyes searched the crowd hoping to catch site of her. His panic rose as he realized she wasn't in the room. He let his mind search back to their earlier conversation. The last thing she had told him was that she had to work. He quickly found the entrance to the dressing rooms and started walking through when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You can't go back there."

Gil turned to the large man before him and held up his badge. "I need…"

"Sorry officer. Just trying to do my job, we've had a lot of these perverts trying to get back with the girls since we've had to lock them in here."

Gil nodded and continued making his way down the hall. He quickly found the dressing room and stopped outside, his sense of decency preventing him from rushing in. He knocked on the door and waited for a response. Not getting an answer, he knocked again and called out. "Everyone decent in there?"

The door opened and Catherine flew into his arms, pressing herself against him.

"Gil…"

"Thank God." He muttered, his arms pulling her closer to him. "When I didn't see you out there…"

"It was awful. I just…"

"What happened?"

"Stephanie…"

Gil was about to reply when Ecklie's voice came from behind.

"Grissom! What the hell are you doing back here?" He stopped when he noticed Catherine in his arms. "You just couldn't resist, could you?

"Ecklie… could you just…"

"Leave? I don't think so. You are supposed to be out back helping me process this evidence, not in here cavorting with a hooker!"

"Get out of here now!"

"Ecklie…"

The group turned to the sound of the new voice joining the group.

"Go out back and continue processing the scene." Jim continued, watching as Ecklie reluctantly, but silently, returned to the crime scene. "I got here as fast as I could." He watched the two of them for a minute before continuing. "Cath… are you alright?"

Catherine nodded. "I wasn't hurt."

"Do you want to tell us what happened?"

Gil looked down at Catherine and then turned his attention to Jim. "I don't know if I…"

"I'll call in Waters to work the case with Ecklie."

"What do you mean?" Catherine questioned.

"I can't work this case, Cath."

"I want you on it."

"I don't, Catherine. He's too close to the case." Brass intervened for Gil.

"But…"

"I can still be there Cath. In the questioning. It will be better this way. Trust me."

XOXOXO

Catherine opened the door to one of the private rooms, hoping it hadn't been used lately. Seeing relative cleanliness, she fully opened the door and waved the two men inside.

"Sorry for the poor lighting, but this is one of the few places where we can actually get some privacy in this place."

"It's fine, Catherine." Jim said before gingerly sitting down on the edge of the bench in the middle of the room."

"You might not want to…"

Jim looked down then quickly jumped up. "I didn't think about… well that."

"Sorry. These rooms don't get cleaned very often."

Gil grasped her hand, offering his assurance. "It's alright. We can stand."

"Do you want to start at the beginning?"

Catherine tightened her hold on Gil's hand and turned to Brass. "The night started as normal. I, um, finished my set and went to the locker room to look for Steph. She wasn't in there so I went out back; she usually slips out there to get some fresh air. I walked out the door and called for her, but I didn't get an answer. I walked a little farther from the door and that's when I found her. She was just…"

"That's alright, Cath. You don't have to say anything else."

Jim glared at Gil and then turned to Catherine. "I know this is hard. But the more details you can give us the more likely we are to be able to catch whoever did this."

Catherine closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It was dark. That back lot isn't lit very well, so it was hard to see much. I don't remember seeing any movement."

"Start before that. Why did you want to find Stephanie?"

"Just to talk. We always talk between our sets. Let each other know which side of the stage… well…" Catherine faltered not sure how much of her current occupation Gil wanted to know.

"Gil? Why don't you go back to the lab?"

"Jim. I don't…"

"Go back to the lab. Waters will be here soon. We will be fine until he gets here."

Gil reluctantly released Catherine from his hold. "I'll call you later."

Jim watched Gil leave the room and shut the door behind him. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to do that."

"Then why did you?"

"You were hesitating. What is it that you didn't want Gil to know?"

"Any of this. I mean, look at me." Catherine looked down, embarrassment coloring her face when she realized that although she was wearing more then what she would have on when she went on stage, her outfit was still pretty inappropriate for most public places.

"Here."

Catherine looked up to see Jim shrugging off his jacket, holding it out for her to slide into. Catherine walked towards him, turning so he could help her into the jacket. She turned back around to face him, the jacket easily wrapping around her slim form. She pushed the sleeves up, uncovering her hands and held the coat around her. "Thanks."

"What didn't you want Gil to hear?"

"I was looking for Steph. Who ever goes on first always lets the other know who the big tippers are and who to stay away from. Normally she's waiting in the dressing room for me, but she wasn't there. So I freshened up a bit, slid this on and went out front to look for her."

"Wait a minute. I thought you said you went out the back."

"Jimmy was out front. So I thought maybe she was talking to him. He told me he hadn't seen her tonight so I went out back."

"Jimmy? Who's Jimmy?"

"Jimmy Tadero. He's on the force. Been helping me study from time to time. Steph talks to him a lot when he's here, but not tonight I guess."

"Is there anything else you remember?"

"Not really."

"Want me to drive you home?"

"I'm done?"

"At least for now. If we have anymore questions I know how to reach you."

Catherine nodded and began sliding the jacket off.

"You can keep it on."

"Are you sure? It isn't going to look good… coming out of this room…"

"Do I strike you as the type that cares what others think? It's fine. I'll walk you the dressing room and wait for you to get whatever you need."

"Has anyone ever told you what a great guy you are?"

"I…"

"Well you are." Catherine leaned up and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, for everything." She walked to the door and opened it, Jim following close behind. Once she was at the dressing room, she looked over her shoulder. "I'll be out in just a minute."

Jim leaned against the opposite wall and waited. True to her word, Catherine was back in a couple of minutes. The sweat shirt she was now wearing almost covered the shorts she had slipped on.

"You ready?"

Catherine nodded and followed him out of the building. They were almost to Jim's car when a movement behind them caught Jim's attention. He turned quickly, drawing his gun with one hand as the other moved Catherine behind his body.

"Don't shoot! It's just me."

"Gil! I thought I told you to go back to the lab."

Gil nodded and walked up to them, his eyes seeking out Catherine. "You did. But I couldn't leave. Where are you going?"

"I was just going to drive her…do you want to give her a ride home?"

"Do you mind?" Gil asked, hoping for an answer from both.

"I wouldn't have asked if I minded." Jim said. "Catherine?"

"I'm fine with it."

Jim stood still, watching as Gil reached for Catherine's hand and led her away.

XOXOXO

Gil climbed into the car and reached for Catherine's hand, not willing to let her go just yet. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not right now. Not here. Can we just go, please?"

Gil reached around the steering wheel with his left hand and started the car, shifting to gear and leaving the parking lot. After driving aimlessly for about thirty minutes, he glanced over at Catherine. Her focus was still fixed on the scenery flashing past them. Looking around him and not seeing anything familiar, he pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"Where are we?"

"I'm not sure." He admitted sheepishly. "But no one knows we're here. We wont be interrupted. Do you want to talk?"

"Why?"

"Why should we talk or…?"

"Why did it happen? Don't answer. I know you don't have an answer. I guess I'm still in shock. I just don't understand."

"Ecklie will find the answers for you."

"I want you on the case, Gil. I trust you."

Gil turned in his seat and faced her, bringing his hand to her face and turning her attention to him. "I know you do. But Jim is right. I'm too close to the case. It would get tossed in a minute."

She shifted in the seat, turning away from the window and settling her feet on the seat while wrapping her arms around her bare legs. "She was my best friend, Gil. That first night, when I started at the club, she was there for me. She's the person that got me through it. Gil…"

"Shh…" He reached out and pulled her into his arms. "I wish there was something I could say to make things better."

"You're here for me. That's what I need right now." She relaxed in his arms, awkwardly trying to get closer in the confines of the front seat. "I know this sounds wrong, but can we move to the back seat, or just go somewhere else. It's too…"

"Uncomfortable? I know. Why don't we just slide in back?"

Catherine crawled over the front seat, while Gil opened the door and walked to the back. They quickly settled themselves against each other.

"What are you thinking?" Catherine asked, breaking the easy silence that had enveloped them.

"Nothing really. Just feeling."

"What are you feeling?"

"Relief. I was so scared when Ecklie stopped in front of the building. I couldn't think about the case. All I could focus on was finding you and making sure you were alright." Gil let his confession overtake the silence as he pulled her closer to him. "Just to have you here, with me now. I've missed this. The two of us being together."

"Gil…"

"I know, I know. But I can't change my feelings."

"If things were different."

"But they aren't. As much as I wish you were single, you aren't. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to be here for you Cath. Friends, remember?"

Catherine nodded. "I remember."

"Are you going back?"

"Going back where?"

"To work? I don't want…"

"I don't either. At least not now. But…"

"Take the time off, Catherine. Use it to study for your finals. You need to get away from there for a little while."

"I'll think about it. Talk it over with, Eddie."

"You need to do what's best for you."

Catherine didn't answer; she simply nodded and snuggled closer to Gil. "I needed this. Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me."

"I feel like I should. I haven't called you the last couple weeks. Things have been a bit busy."

"School?" He felt her nod. "How's it going?"

"Good. Only a few more weeks left until I graduate."

"Have you started looking for work yet?"

"I talked to Jim. There's a lab tech position open. I'm hoping it isn't filled before I graduate."

"I'll talk to…"

"Don't. Please. I appreciate the thought, but I'd really like to get the job on my own."

"I understand. I wont say a word, I promise."

Catherine smiled, shifting slightly in the seat.

"Are you uncomfortable? We can…"

"I'm fine." She pulled back and studied him. "I've missed this, too. Just having someone here for me, someone to hold me."

"Cath…"

"I know. I shouldn't be starting this conversation either. It's just… I like this. Talking to you. Knowing you are listening to me, not just placating me until you can get me in bed. Eddie never…." Catherine stopped mid-sentence and sat up. "Oh, no. What time is it?"

Gil looked down at his watch before answering. "Little after midnight. Why?"

"Shit! I was supposed to meet Eddie at eleven. Some band he is allegedly managing actually got a show and I promised him I'd be there."

"I'm sure he'll understand."

"I should probably…"

Gil nodded, releasing his hold on her. "Do you want me to take you to the club? Or can I take you home?"

"Home. I really don't feel like…"

"I understand. Cath… if you need me. Just give me a call."

XOXOXO