A/N: Hey, everyone! I'm just putting in a short beginning note to announce that I have finally broken 1000 hits! And, I'm also here to scold you for not reviewing. The only two people reading this who are exused are XxbluemoonxX and Gorgeous Nick Stokes. Thanks, guys! Your reviews keep me going! Anyway, enjoy the story!

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It was Thursday, October 30th. Catherine was tapping her nails on the desk in a rapid, annoyed rhythm. The clock was ticking and Mr. Schick, who was on detention duty, was absorbed in his book. "Class got out almost half an hour ago..." Cathy thought wistfully, glancing at the door as though time would move faster if she wasn't watching the clock. She wondered vaguely what Gil was doing, asking herself if he would be thinking about her, maybe thumbing through Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, looking at the notes she's taken in the margines.
What she didn't know was that Gil was standing outside the room in which she was currently suffering, waiting for her to come out. He had the book in his hand, propped open by his thumb and held up to his face with the rest of his hand. He was admiring the neat dot of each "i" and the wavy cross of each "t", the hasty way in which none of her sentences played host to capitals.
Deciding, at last, to sneak out of detention, Catherine called up to Mr. Schick. "Can I use the bathroom?" she said, trying to look as innocent as possible. He waved a hand lazily in her direction, and she walked quickly out the door. When she stepped out into the corridor, she noticed that the exit at the end of the hallway had just banged shut. She only wondered who it was in a passing thought, hurridly setting her sights once again on the elusive Gil Grissom, and a way to tell him how she felt.

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Gil exited the school bearing a depressed demeanor, his clear blue eyes seeming troubled. "It's not like Catherine to stay in detention for an entire period," he thought anxiously. Then a thought struck him. "What if she knows I was waiting for her? What if she was so revolted by the thought that I was waiting, that she decided to stay in detention instead?" His thoughts were frantic, leaping about his mind like frogs on a lake. He calmed himself, somehow, and hurried home without pausing to look back, and without giving a second thought to Catherine Willows.

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"I can't believe they stuck us with all the work!" Sara Sidle said angrily, all but tearing down the large piece of cloth she was supposed to be hanging on the set of the stage. She cought herself just in time, though, and stuck a pin in the corner to hold it up. "Watch what you're doing, Sara," Warrick cautioned. They were the only two in the group of actors staying after school to set up the stage for tomorrow's play. Sara had clumsily managed to turn on the stage lights, but all they were doing was giving off a faint blue light, barely enough to work by in the windowless auditorium."Hey, Rick," Sara said, deciding that there should be no secrets between her and any of her friends, "My mom killed my dad when I was twelve."
Warrick nearly fell over from surprise. He stumbled, grabbing a bulky prop in the process and barely managing to stay on his feet. "Jesus, why are you telling me now? I'm glad to know, but it's not like it was actually in the way of our conversation..."
Sara felt immediately embarrassed. She blushed to the roots of her hair and said quickly, "I told Greg and Nick and I thought, if I tell them I should tell you and Cath, Gil, Jim, and Archie""Oh," Warrick said blandly. He didn't seem at all surprised once he'd gotten over the initial shock, and Sara looked quizically at him. "Now, are you going to tell me why you live with your grandmother?"
In answer to his look, she explained, "I called your house once and she answered." "Well, both my parents were killed when I was really young. I don't even remember them."
Sara felt her stomach sink. Everyone she knew lived these lives full of pain, suffering. She started to wonder, "Why do all these people gravitate together? Do they sense that they aren't alone? Is there some kind of radar in our minds that tell us where tragedy has struck, who can understand the torture we endure every night when we try to sleep?"
She snapped out of her reverie, turning back to the stage and deciding to get some work done. After several minutes of awkward silence, Warrick spoke.
"What do you think Catherine's planning for her birthday?"
"Knowing her, it'll be something wild. Maybe she'll make us all go to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show, or something..." Sara speculated. "I'm sure it'll be good, whatever it is. I bet even Gil will enjoy it."
Warrick snickered. "Knowing both of them, I'm sure Gil will enjoy it."
Sara laughed, wondering if the two of them had ditched set-up duty to go on a date. She reconsidered, though, after trying fruitlessly to imagine Gil on a real date. She amused herself for a moment by wondering where he would take a girl, if he would think of going out to a resturant or movie, or if he would think of something weird right off the bat.
Warrick was having similar thoughts. He couldn't imagine Gil being alone with a girl, much less on a date with one. He laughed, thinking of Gil trying to kiss a girl. Sara looked over at him when he laughed, and both of them knew that they were thinking more or less along the same lines.
"I think we're done," said Warrick. They both stood back to admire their handiwork. It was a spectacular sight.
"I've got to get home, Rick," Sara said in an apologetic tone of voice. "You'll have to get Mrs. Wells and show her the stage, I'll be late for dinner. My foster family is really strict."
Warrick smiled understandingly. "Don't worry, I got it covered. You go and make sure they don't kick you outta the house." Sara grinned, taking off into the hallway and speeding all the way home.

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A/N: Hopefully this time more people will review, and if all my regulars send me something to keep me happy, I'll post the next chapter tomorrow. Just as a heads, I don't really know how Warrick's parents died, just that they're dead. So bear with me, I'm doing my best. Also, the couple's don't really get together until late May/early June, so don't expect anything 'til then. It's still hardly November. By the by, my birthday is November fifth, and I'd love it if you'd all send me some nice reviews that day...I started high school today, and it's really fun so far. Anyway, I'll see you in the next chapter!
Hugs and kisses,
Maddy