Stoking The Fire

Chapter Fourteen

Even in a nice car, with great company, good music and lovely coffee, four and a half hours is still a damned long car ride. Especially when you have old injuries like mine. Halfway through the ride, while Nick's quizzing me on answers for the next certification I'm going to attempt to pass, I decide my hair has dried enough and I start putting it up in a french braid. After a while, Nick's silence becomes noticeable and I look over at him.

"Sorry, it just amazes me how deftly you do that, in a moving vehicle, with no mirror."

"It's called practice, my dude." I laugh.

"Do you think I could learn to do that?"

"I don't see why not, honestly, just watch Youtube like I did." I comment lightheartedly, then reach out and tug just a little bit of his hair. "You're going to have to find someone or a doll to practice on though - you're just a little short to do it justice." I say, grin huge. He looks at me briefly, opens his mouth, then closes it.

"You could always let me practice on you..." he starts, then trails off again.

I shrug. "I mean, if that's what you want, I don't see why not. It never hurts to learn something new, right?" I give him a crooked grin, then go back to studying the scenery. I'm thankful it's night and the car is dark. Otherwise, he'd be able to see how fast my pulse is racing and how flushed I am at the thought of him playing with my hair like that.

Thankfully the rest of the drive passes in companionable silence, and after a brief pit stop we arrive at our destination a little over two hours later. The stretch when I get out of the vehicle is pure bliss, and he looks at me oddly for a second before I realize the noise I made must have sounded highly inappropriate. I just shake my head and continue stretching. Rolling my neck, I take in the scene, and spot two people, nearby and outside the tape, who are obviously CSI's. That's because one is Sanders, but I don't recognize the red head.

Based on her demeanor and the conversation she's having with Greg, I think she might be Catherine Willows. I'm not 100% sure though, so I'll wait until we're properly introduced. After a moment they finally notice our approach, and come over to meet us. Well, the redhead is focused on Nick, anyway. I don't think she even sees me until I clear the end of the car. Greg sees me though, and he waits until I set down my kit to pull me into a wordless hug that nearly squeezes the air out of me. When he steps back, he does a brief flicker of a glance between the two of us, and shakes his head.

"It's been a very long week Greg, don't start." I mutter warningly, before smiling and stepping back. I can see Nick and the redhead stepping back from their own hug, and now she turns to me. "Hi, I'm Catherine Willows. I've heard a fair amount about you, but I didn't realize you were coming with Nick?"

I take her proffered hand and give Greg a pointed glare, which elicits a few laughs. "Sorry, thanks to the terms of the stupid contract crap, even though I'm technically an independent agent, the reality is we're like, literally attached at the hip." I quip with a smirk. She nods, unhappily.

"Yeah, they've been trying that shit with my lab too, but Ecklie won't allow most of it to get through." she states, irritatedly. Nick chuckles. "Man I never thought I'd say this, but there are times I actually miss having Ecklie around." he shakes his head, and they all laugh.

"That bad hunh?" I ask, hesitantly.

"Oh way worse, Kari. He used to be the day shift supervisor, and the only thing he cared about was his own ass and his 'career'. He used to make Grissom so mad - Catherine, do you remember the time Gil slapped that whole pot of hot coffee out of Conrad's hands?"

"Oh god yes, that was a hell of a day. And to think, now he's one of the best things about the lab. I do still want to smack him a little bit some days, but you don't have to tell him that, I'm sure he already knows." she comments, laughing. Greg grins at me, enigmatically. "Oh I'm 100% positive he knows."