Disclaimer: I don't own CSI. Sucks to be me.

The Long Road

Chapter 1

Lindsay was sprawled across the bed, watching as Catherine put the finishing touches on her makeup. She couldn't remember ever seeing her mom this nervous about a date. The woman had changed her clothes four times and her shoes at least six. She had straightened her hair, curled her hair and finally pulled it up in some strange twist that her daughter knew a mere mortal would never be able to master.

"Mom," Lindsay said, laughter in her voice, "Calm down. It's just a date. Right?"

Exasperated, and a little embarrassed, Catherine sighed. "It's not just any date, Linds. This one is sort of special."

"Who is he? Why won't you tell me?"

"You'll see when he gets here." The doorbell interrupted their conversation. "Oh shit! Please go answer the door. No funny stuff either. I'll be done in five." Catherine began frantically applying the last coat of mascara with shaking hands.

Lindsay laughed at her mother's panic and stood up slowly. "I'll be on my best behavior," she drawled as she ambled from the room.

Opening the door, Lindsay stared quizzically at the man on the other side. For once, she couldn't think of a thing to say.

Breaking the silence, Warrick said, "Hey. Can I come in?"

Lindsay stood back and said, "Sure. But if you're here to see mom she's getting ready to go out. She has a date."

Warrick grinned. "I know. That's why I'm here."

"I don't need a baby…" Lindsay's eyes went wide as realization swept over her. "Oh no. You're her date?" she whispered in disbelief.

"Yeah. Is that okay?" Warrick studied the girl's face, seeing confusion and something he couldn't quite name in her eyes.

"Whatever," she replied flippantly. "Have a seat. I'll get mom." Turning she walked out of the room, mumbling under her breath, "It's your funeral."

Warrick was studying a picture of Lindsay as a toddler when Catherine walked into the room. She took a moment to watch him. The faded jeans that hugged him in all the right places and the black leather blazer stretched across his broad shoulders made her heart rate increase. Her palms were damp and she nervously rubbed them on her thighs before speaking. At her tentative 'hey' he turned and the smile that spread over his face put a blush on her cheeks.

"Hey." The sexy rumble of his voice made heat flare in her belly. His gaze roamed over her taking in the green suede jacket, the sparkle of her camisole and the low-slung jeans. "You look good."

"Thanks, so do you." She returned his smile and asked, "Would you like a drink?"

"Nah. We have reservations. Don't want to be late."

"I'll let Lindsay know we're leaving." She turned and went in search of her daughter, calling over her shoulder, "Where are we going?"

"You'll just have to be patient," he teased and laughed when he heard her huff of frustration.

The ride to the restaurant was filled with nervous laughter and lingering glances. The awkwardness of the situation wasn't lost on either of them. Finally, Warrick reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Relax. I don't bite." He grinned at the flush he saw spread over her cheeks. "Well, not unless you ask me to."

That line seemed to break the ice and they both laughed. After that, conversation seemed to come a little easier and they were joking and flirting as he pulled into a parking spot at a seafood restaurant just off Freemont Street. It was a local place, well off the beaten path, that had the best crab legs within a hundred miles.

"They don't take reservations," she scolded when she saw their destination.

"I know but I didn't think we should stay at your house for much longer." He gave her a pointed look that had her blushing all over again.

The hostess showed them to a table and assured them that a server would be right with them before sashaying away, glancing back to catch Warrick's eye. When he ducked his head in embarrassment, Catherine laughed.

"Somebody has a fan." Her eyes were twinkling as she teased him.

He was saved when their waiter appeared. They each ordered beer and crab legs without ever glancing at a menu. When their drinks were set down in front of them, Warrick leaned back and studied the woman before him.

"Lindsay didn't seem too happy to see me," Warrick said with a smile. "I think I heard her say something about my funeral."

Catherine choked on her beer. "What?" she spluttered. "Did she really say that?"

"Well, I can't be sure. She was mumbling." He chuckled at the expression on Catherine's face.

"Sometimes I think she's still five. I'll have a chat with her when I get home." There was fire in Catherine's eyes and a defiant set to her jaw.

"Hey, I didn't mean to create trouble. I thought it was kind of funny. Especially since she thought I was there to baby sit." His eyes searched her face for a second before he asked, "Why didn't you tell her you were going out with me? You embarrassed?"

Catherine sat and eyed him across the table. Finally, she said, "No. I didn't want to jinx it." When he looked confused, she continued, "You know. I didn't want to tell anybody in case you changed your mind. I didn't want to have to answer any questions."

"Cath, what made you think I'd change my mind?" Warrick asked.

She shook her head and said, "No reason, really. Just in case."

Warrick could tell by her eyes that she was hiding something from him but he chose to let it go. "Tell you what. Let's just get through dinner. No hurry. No worries." At her nod, he said, "Now smile or I'll start to believe Lindsay was right. It is a funeral."

They kept the rest of the dinner conversation light, talking about their friends and work and Lindsay. Catherine told Warrick a few stories about the teenager's antics that had him laughing and thanking God he didn't have children. After dinner, he drove her home. During the drive she told him about Sara goading her into asking him to dinner.

"She actually said, 'Okay Gil, when are you going to get your head out of your ass and do something about it?'" Catherine mimicked.

Pulling up in front of her house, Warrick was laughing so hard he almost couldn't breathe. When he calmed down, he got out and walked around to open the door for her. When they were standing at the front door, Catherine asked, "Would you like to come in."

Warrick hesitated before saying, "Not this time."

"Oh," she said, sounding disappointed. "Okay, well I guess I'll see you later. I had a good time. Thanks for dinner."

She turned to open the door and he stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Cath, don't think like that. It's just that…um…well, I've waited a long time for this. I don't want to jinx it either." His eyes bored into hers and his voice wrapped around her like fine silk.

With a tentative smile, she nodded. "I know," she whispered. Rising on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek before slipping inside and closing the door behind her.