When she comes out of the shower she sees him standing in her kitchen. He's busy with a lot of things; she smells eggs, coffee and pancakes. She stands in the doorway for a little while, looking at him. She is suddenly aware of how crazy she is about him. She realizes it only now, after so many years. She always knew it in some way, but now she sees him in her kitchen, she's convinced they are meant to be together.
Catherine walks over to him. When she stands behind him, she puts her arms around his waist and chest and hugs him.
"Smells good." She says to his back, and she doesn't mean only the food.
He turns around. "So do you." He says, giving her a kiss.
She steals a sandwich from him and she walks over to her kitchen bar. "So, you think we need to tell Grissom about us?" She asks when she sits down.
"Us?" He says.
"Yeah, you know, that we're going steady." She blushes. It's the very first time either one of them pronounces whatever it is they're having. It feels good to say it, though.
"I don't know, you think we have to?" He asks her.
"Well. I'm so used to keep Grissom posted about everything. He always had my back. He covered for me, every time I screwed up. That's the reason I almost forget that I'm the supervisor now, and I have to deal with stuff myself."
He sits next to her. "You don't like it?"
"No! I like it! But it's... different. I'm more on my own now, I have more responsibilities." She says.
He says nothing, he just looks at her. Why doesn't he say anything? He has to respond.
"Warrick, what is it?" She asks.
"I have a relationship with my boss." He says confused like he realizes it for the first time now.
"That's against the law, ya know?"
"Okay, so I guess we do have to tell Gri..."
"Not Grissom Cath! He isn't your superior anymore! We have to tell Ecklie."
"Uh, yeah... I guess.." She stammers.
"What do you think will happen?" He asks.
"I think we're coming with this early enough. Our work didn't suffer from it. And we'll make sure that won't happen either. Then he can't suspend us or anything. The worst thing that could happen is you being transferred to Grissom's team."
"Ya think? I would hate that. Not only I'll miss you, but I won't be able to work together with Nick anymore." He says.
"I know. Maybe Ecklie will trust us if we say that we'll try our hardest to keep our work and personal lives completely separated."
"You think that'll work?" He asks concerned.
"I hope so sweety." She says. It looks like she is comforting him. Strange, cause she feels like she is the one who isn't truly convinced by this plan.
Because they would tell Ecklie, but didn't want the rest of the lab to know, they went to work each in their own car. And, being in Catherine's house, she would leave later than him.
When Warrick arrives at the lab, he goes straight to the locker room. He puts his jacket away and grabs his gun which he put in his holster on his belt. He clicks his ID card also on his belt. He slams his locker and walks to the break room. He just needs a cop of coffee before he can start. When he walks down the hallway a door opens on his left and someone pulls him in the room. Before he knows it, he's standing with his back against the wall and Catherine in front of him. She's making sure that there's nowhere for him to turn. She holds him tight against the wall.
"What do you think you're doing?" Warrick says.
"What do you mean?" She responds.
"Well, we agreed that you would go to the lab later, so other people wouldn't notice that we're..." He doesn't finish his sentence.
Her grip on him slacks. "Why do you hesitate Warrick?" She's obviously shocked.
"I'm not completely sure what we're having." He says.
"Just say what you think will suit us best."
"...in a relationship." He finishes his sentence.
"Here, now we both said it." She says with a smile. Her grip on him tightens again. When she keeps looking at him, with a mischievous look in her eyes, she runs her hand over his arm to his chest and towards his pants. He takes a breath and opens his mouth to say something, but then changes his mind and closes it again.
She feels his belt. "So, you have your gun and ID with you... good. And I'm sure you're going to the break room now for such a disgusting cop of coffee that even Grissom's bugs would faint if they'd smelled it."
"What are you doing, checking up on me?" He says.
"This is called an investigation. You think you should know that!" She teases. "Well, go back to work."
When she steps backwards he rubs his arms. "Ya
know, you have to make up for this!"
She raises an eyebrow.
"Do I?"
"Yes, you do. So let's say, after shift, my place? I'll cook, but you have to bring a movie!"
"Sure, love to." She kisses him. "You know, the reason I pulled you in here is that I wanted to say that Nick closed the case..."
"Oh, good boy."
"...and..." she continues, "...now it's a good time to begin to work on separated cases. I thought we could tell Ecklie after our shift and till then we don't work together. We have to prove him that we can. So you and Nick are getting a case from me later and I'll take the one which comes in after that. I can catch up on my paperwork in the meantime."
"Sounds good to me. But does that mean I'm not gonna see ya all night?"
"You'll manage. You're a tough guy."
"But I'll miss you." He kisses her. "And I'll miss this."
She runs her tongue over her lips. "Guess you just have to wait." She smiles and then she walks out of the room.
He waits a minute and then he walks out as well, continuing his walk to the break room. He pushes the door open and sees Nick sitting there. "Hey man, what's up?" He says.
"Hey. Did you hear I closed the case?" Nick says, obviously proud of himself.
"Yeah, I just heard it. So, who did it?" He asks.
"It was the daughter. Can you imagine? A spoiled 17 year old killed her old man." Nick says with a sigh.
"Terrible."
Warrick nods, making coffee for himself. With the cup in his hand he
plumps down on a chair at the opposite of Nick. He takes a sip. What
is Catherine talking about? The coffee tastes
fine.
"Hey uh, Warrick? You've got some lipstick on your neck." Nick says, giggling.
Warrick looks up. "Where?"
Nick points to a spot on his own neck.
Warrick wipes it away. "I overslept. So I hadn't got a chance to shower."
"So, it's from yesterday, huh?" Nick smiles.
"Uh, yeah, you can say that."
"Who were you with, someone I know?" Nick asks.
But at that moment Catherine comes in with a piece of paper in her hand. "Guys, 419 in the parking lot of the Rampart. Go check it out, okay?"
When both men nod she walks away.
Warrick watches her go.
"Hey Rick, are you checking out her ass now?" Nick looks at Warrick.
"Oh, shut up Nick!" He says.
Nick laughs. "Come on, let's go to the car. I'll drive."
…
A few hours later that night, Warrick walks down the hallway again. A door opens on his left and for the second time that night, he finds himself between Catherine and the wall.
"You're not gonna make a habit out of this, are ya?" He asks to a blushing Catherine.
"I said you had to wait, but I couldn't. I'm sorry." She says, looking guilty.
"And you think this is a good way to meet each other?"
"Actually, no. After we've told Ecklie about it, this may never happen again." She says.
"But for now?" He asks.
"For now it's okay..." She straightens her back and kisses him, long and full of passion. He wraps his arms around her. They are both absorbed in the kiss. He feels Catherine's hand on his face and the other one in his neck, and right after that he hears that someone opens the door. They both look up, totally shocked. Nick's standing in the doorway, his yaw drops...
…
TBC