A/N: After weeks of agonizing over AP history homework and whether or not I was going to the Homecoming dance, I finally had a few spare moments to write this. Thanks so much for your patience.
The Antics of Lindsey Willows
Chapter 14
By all accounts, the party had been a hit. Everyone had fun and no one was injured (except the screen and coat rack, but those were just things and very replaceable).
It took Lindsey a couple of days to realize the full extent of her success. She was so sure that by interrupting the "almost-kisses" she had destroyed any chance of a future. The Monday afternoon after the party she entered a quiet home. Her backpack thudded on the floor and she was reminded of her pounds of homework. She pulled a stick of string cheese from the drawer in the fridge and hopped up onto one of the barstools that lined the kitchen counter.
Partway through her snack, Lindsey heard mumbled sounds from across the house. She couldn't remember leaving her radio on, so she went to investigate. The door to her bedroom was open a crack and the bedside light was on. She pushed on the handle and it swung open to reveal an empty room. She checked her radio, but it was not emitting any sound.
She paused for a moment to listen for the mumblings again. When they presented themselves, she knew the sound was coming from her mother's room. The door was shut and she twisted the knob slowly, so as not to make too much noise.
Catherine was curled up in a ball of blankets, her head resting on a bare mattress. Lindsey marveled at the fact that the pillows laid haphazardly below the foot of the bed as if they had been flung. The room remained silent for a time and the girl was ready to give up and call herself crazy when Catherine began to speak. She was still asleep, Lindsey made sure of this by waving her hands in front of her mother's face, but talking nonetheless.
The teen leaned closer to get a better grasp of what the redhead was saying. She could only pick out a few distinct words, but they were enough to cause the blonde to break out in a smile. Lindsey let out a small giggle and Catherine awoke.
"Hey, honey, how long have you been here?"
"Not long. I just wanted to let you know that I'm home."
Catherine sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. "Okay, thank you."
"No problem," Lindsey responded. She turned to go out of the room and grinned madly to herself. Amongst all of her ramblings, Catherine had muttered Warrick's name not once, not even twice, but three times.
Monday evening, after making sure Lindsey had dinner and finished her homework, Catherine stepped between the automatic doors at the Las Vegas crime lab. She collected her messages from Judy at the counter and walked to Grissom's office.
She pushed the door open. "Sorry I'm late. I had…" she trailed off. The office was completely empty.
She made her way into the break room and found no one there but Sara. The brunette sat relaxed in a chair drinking a cup of steaming coffee.
"Where is everyone?" Catherine asked.
"Big case. Triple murder on the strip. Griss wanted just about everyone there," Sara replied.
"And why are you here?"
"Waiting for you," Catherine raised her eyebrows, "and waiting for evidence."
"So we wait," Catherine said sitting in an adjacent chair.
"We wait," Sara agreed.
The hours wore on in a lull, but not without Sara calling Nick several times to make sure everything was alright. During one such call, Catherine gave in to the urge to call someone herself…Warrick.
The phone rang three, four, five times before reaching his answering machine. She debated leaving a message and resigned not to. She waited until Sara hung up to shove a burrito into the microwave.
"How's the case going?" she asked the younger CSI.
"They've got truckfulls of evidence and will head this way as soon as Warrick gets back."
The microwave dinged, but Catherine didn't hear it. "Where did he go?"
Sara heard the worry behind her friend's words and smiled sympathetically. "Apparently they were canvassing the area when a guy took off running. Nick and Warrick chased after him, but Nick lost them after six blocks."
Catherine nodded and began to pace. Sara was sure that if the floor had been made of dirt, Catherine's heels would've dug a drench. Sara watched and realization swept over her face.
So, she thought, this is what Catherine meant when she said she knew how I felt waiting for Nick.
From that moment on, Sara had a whole new understanding of her friend.
Both girls had dozed off before the males returned. They stepped in quietly, so as not to wake the female CSIs. Sara, who had become accustomed to the sound of Nick's shoes, popped her eyes open immediately. Nick looked ready to speak, but she placed a finger to her lips. The two stepped out into the hall.
"How'd it go?" she asked.
Nick pointed to the ground. "We're in the hall; you don't have to whisper."
"Sorry. How'd it go?"
"Warrick caught him and it was all we could do to keep him caught. Our man's going to be bruised in the morning. Hey, Sara, why did you call me so much? I had to turn my phone off."
She pursed her lips. "Sorry, but I needed to talk to you. Catherine loves Warrick."
Nick brought his hands to his face in mock surprise. "Gee, you don't say? How did I ever miss that?"
She slugged him in the arm. "Okay, fine, but did you know he loves her back?"
He grinned widely and she slugged him again.
"Why didn't you tell me if you knew this?"
He sat his hands on her shoulders. "You like solving puzzles, so I let you solve it."
She rubbed her hands together. "Thanks. So, what do we do about it?"
Nick wrinkled his forehead. "What do we do about what?"
"Catherine and Warrick. You know as well as I do that they are perfect for each other. From what Lexi says, they are pretty close themselves."
"Sara, we shouldn't meddle in our friends' lives. We're not teenagers."
"Fine. I'll just do it myself. Of course, I bet I'll have the girls to help me." And she strolled off without another word.
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A/N2: Let me know what you thought, please. I'll get the next one up as soon as I can, but I have no idea when that is.