A/N: If you've read my fics before you know that I like post-epi one shots. This is no different. Set after Primum Non Nocere, as usual, Warrick-Catherine. Don't own either, nor do I own Lillie, or anyone else you recognize. Please review. But then, in order for you to do that, you need to read, so I'll just get on with it, eh?
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Sure, Nick had helped him with his initial pain, and in doing so, the impulse to waste away his money on an old habit, but Lillie had been more to him. In such an extremely short amount of time (and Warrick was well aware of how short it was) he had, quite unintentionally, poured his soul out for Lillie. That was something he had never done for anyone else. That was the dangerous thing about tying your soul so closely to music. Any one can overhear. But, Lillie had been more then supportive, which, a side from his Grandmother, no one else had been yet. To have lost that support…well Warrick knew he wouldn't be playing any time soon. How he could have opened up to someone so completely in such a short amount of time, Warrick didn't know. He did however, know that it hurt like hell, and it was this that found him sitting in the locker room, quiet tears streaming down his face, his head in his hands. It was like this that Catherine found him. "Hey. Long shift?" she asked sympathetically, opening her locker. He scuffed.
"Doesn't even begin to cover it." She chuckled, then stopped as she thought of something. "Hey 'rick, I know it's kinda short notice, but Lindsey has a piano recital tonight, and Eddie can't make it, and she's been kinda bummed, do you think maybe you could come?"
"For Lindsey? Of course."
"Oh thank you so much. She'll be so happy."
"I didn't realize she'd taken up piano."
"Yeah, she just kinda picked it right up. She's a natural 'rick. She could really go somewhere." Warrick's face fell, and he tried unsuccessfully to blink back tears. "Hey, what's wrong?" Catherine asked, sitting down next to him as she realized that, no matter how hard he tried to mask it, Warrick's mood went beyond work related stuff.
"I fell for a junkie, Cat. She's an amazing singer, funny, and she thinks I hung the moon. I swear her only fault is heroin. But as long as she's using I had to walk away from her. Not that big of a deal. I'll get over it " He decided that he'd leave out the piano bit. Catherine didn't need to know about his passion. Catherine held him for a while as he tried not to think about the fact that he was crying on her shoulder. After a while, he pulled away.
"Thanks Cat." She shook her head.
"Listen 'rick, if it makes you feel any better you're only helping her, I promise. A junkie's life is no way to live. I would know." He glanced up sharply, and she shrugged. "Yep. That was me once. Only I was into coke. As Nick once said, 'that's what makes us I guess'. Anyways, It's not going to hurt any less, but she will thank you one day, I swear."
"Thank you, Catherine." She blushed slightly, smirking, and suddenly he acted on an impulse, giving into the desire to kiss her. To his complete surprise, he felt her deepen the kiss, even moan a little. As his body responded to her passion, and he held her cheek to deepen the kiss even farther, his mind refrained one line: This is wrong. But, it felt so right. When her tongue demanded entrance, he reluctantly broke away.
"Cat…I…" he started, his voice a little low. She shook her head. With a sigh, she leaned her forehead against his.
"No, 'rick. That was…that was…amazing." She smiled as their eyes met, mirrors of desperation. He sighed, breaking eye contact.
"Aw, shit Cat," he said. She put her finger to his lips and he knew instantly that getting that taste of her skin would be his downfall.
"Your place or mine?" He tried to say no, he really did, but he couldn't. Fifteen minutes later he opened the door of his apartment, smiling at Catherine.
"Hey" he greeted, non-chalantly. When she walked in, he noticed her expression. " What's wrong?"
"'rick I can't do this to you."
"Do what?" She sighed.
"'rick, you obviously fell for her, and I can't take advantage of you like that. I want to, believe me I want to so bad, but…" It was his turn to tease her with a taste of skin, and he quickly replaced his finger with his lips. In a flury of tantalizing flashes of cream and caramel, they made their way to his bed, and Warrick found that he couldn't get enough of the woman he'd been working with for so long. Catherine, for her part, was little more than a prisoner to Warrick's touch. It was short, but sweet, and afterwards as Warrick lay fully sated, he had to make an amendment to his earlier thought. There was absolutely no way something that good could be wrong.
CWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCCatherine woke up with a smile on her face, to the soft sound of piano music coming from the other room. For a fleeting second she thought that it was just a CD, but as she closed her eyes, and let the music flow over her, she recognized it for what it was: a rare, deep insight into Warrick's soul. Entranced, she got up, throwing on one of Warrick's shirts, and slowly made her way to the couch, watching Warrick play. Every once in a while, he stops and scratches a note or two out, changing it, and Catherine realizes he's actually writing the song. In complete awe, she watched and listened. After earlier, she'd thought she'd finally seen Warrick's soul, but this…this was a hundred times deeper. After a while, he finally realized that she was there, and his eyes widened and, to her amusement, a surprisingly perseptable blush crept to his cheeks.
"How long?" he asked, turning to face her.
"Long enough to know you have some talent. How long have you been playing?"
"Since I was a kid. You really liked that?"
"'rick, anyone with half an ear for music would. You really wrote that?" His blush was back.
"That's what I was hoping you'd missed. I just started it this morning." He'd leave out the fact that she'd been his inspiration.
"This morning? Have you thought about doing something with your music 'rick? I mean you could probably even get one of the local studios to give you a contract." He simply shook his head, tears coming to his eyes as he remembered Lillie's support, and Catherine frowned at him. "What is it 'rick?" His tears fell quietly, and she came over and sat next to him, holding him. He sighed, collecting himself.
"Normally, I don't play for people, but, well I kinda got carried away, and Lillie caught me playing, and she was so supportive Cat. I don't know if it's her I miss, or that feeling that someone believes in my music."
"'rick look at me," she ordered. He obeyed. "Just because you don't have Lillie to tell you it, doesn't mean you can't go somewhere. Lillie's not the only one who believes in you, and she's not the only one with connections. Eddie might not have been a great husband, but he still knows a few people. If you want I can see if we can get your music out there. If you ask me, you could go national." Warrick pulled her chin up, kissing her. She deepened the kiss, and Warrick smiled. As she opened her mouth to allow him entry, she thought of something, and she broke the kiss.
"Time?" she breathed.
"One," he answered. She trailed her hands up his bare chest, and, as she didn't have to pick up Lindsey until two, her lips found his again. As they made their way to the bedroom again, Warrick frowned at her.
"Is that my shirt Ms. Willows?" he demanded. She smirked.
"Sorry," she said. Warrick smirked at her.
"Do you know what I do to people who steal my shirts?" he said, mock stern. She giggled, and Warrick came after her. Knocking her onto the bed, he climbed over her, tickling her.
"Warrick… Stop…" she giggled. He found a few more ticklish spots, but eventually he obeyed.
"I believe this is mine," he stated, taking in her eratic breathing and tossled hair. He smiled down at her as he took off her (okay, his) shirt.
"What?" she said, blushing slightly.
"Can we stay like this? Can you promise me that I won't have to give you up, ever? Not even because of work?" Her eyes welled up, but her mouth was turned up in a slight smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck bringing his lips to hers. When they broke the kiss for air, she smiled broadly.
"Not if I can help it."
CWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCFour hours later, after Catherine had long since left, Warrick found himself once again lost in his music. But six fifty rolled around, and he nearly jumped off of the bench. How could he have come so close to forgetting Lindsey's recital? Quickly, he grabbed a shirt (incidently the same one Catherine had thrown on earlier), and threw it over his white tank. Grabbing his keys, his wallet, and his jacket he ran out the door. This time of night, traffic could be murder, and Lindsey's school was across town. Deciding that since he was going to be late anyway, he better not come empty-handed, he stopped by a florist and picked up a small bouquet, and a single rose. As it turned out, he was only about ten minutes late. Catherine smiled at him as he took "his" place next to her.
"How is she? Nervous?"
"Really nervous."
"I would be too."
"She's on after the next kid. Nice shirt by the way."
"I thought you'd like it," he teased as she tried to keep from laughing. They sat in relative silence, after they'd calmed down, listening to the kid play. Then the next kid came on. And then Lindsey was up. She was dressed in a maroon dress wrapped in a light shawl that she carefully laid on the bench next to her. Catherine had curled her hair, and apparently even let her wear make-up. As she spread out her music, she had a look of determination that reminded Warrick of her mother. He smiled. "She's beautiful," he murmured to Catherine, who had gotten out her video camera. Catherine smiled at him, nodding, as Lindsey nervously introduced her piece. As she started to play Warrick was amazed. She had apparently inherited her mother's grace. Most kids who are just starting out have to look for the right keys, and their music showed it. But Lindsey, it seemed had been born to play piano. Instinct seemed to tell her where the keys were and her fingers traveled smoothly across them, the hammers striking all the right cords. A strange sense of pride soared through Warrick and he knew it was even stronger in Catherine. Later, after the audience had clapped for Lindsey, and she took her bow, Lindsey found them.
"So how was I? Still need work huh?" she asked both of them. Catherine smiled at her.
"You were great honey. I couldn't be more proud of you." Warrick just shook his head.
"Linds, your music is a gift. I want you to use it to do great things. I never did, and now it's too late. You blew them away tonight. Soon enough, you'll getting great record deals and you be sure to tell them that your Uncle 'rick was your biggest influence," he added, getting a little embarrassed. Lindsey wrapped her arms around him, hugging his legs before he picked her up. He hugged her as she smiled.
"Thanks Uncle 'rick."
"For what?" he asked.
"For coming to see me play." He smiled at her, realizing that she had him as tied around her finger as her mother did. I am in trouble, he thought.
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Oh, I just remembered. I've got something in my car for you."
"Warrick, don't spoil her," Catherine ordered.
"Why?" he and Lindsey asked simultaneously. Because watching you with her is doing funny things to my stomach, she thought. But she just sighed.
"Mommy's jealous," Warrick stage whispered to Lindsey, causing her to giggle. "Wait 'til she finds out I brought her something too."
"Warrick! What'd you do that for?"
"Because I wanted to," Warrick insisted. "It's nothing big I promise. You know what we make." Warrick set Lindsey down, keeping her hand in his. "Come on." He ordered Catherine, walking them out to his car.
"Warrick!" Catherine exclaimed when she saw the bouquet that he gave Lindsey. She bit her lip when he handed her the rose. "Warrick you really didn't have to…" she protested.
He gave her a quick kiss, just long enough to both shut her up, and tease her.
"I wanted to, okay?" he demanded. Catching Lindsey's silent gagging motions out of the corner of his eye, he smiled. "I just had to see you smile, baby" he said overly dramatically. He leaned down to kiss her again, this time deeper.
"EWW… " Lindsey squealed, turning her head. Catherine broke the kiss, laughing, and smiling.
"Get used to it Linds. I promised him he'd be spending more time with us," she said meeting Warrick's eyes.
"I hate to break up our little love fest, but I have to get going."
"Why?" Lindsey demanded. Warrick smiled at her.
"Because, young lady, not all of us have the night off."
"That's not fair."
"Yeah. Well life's not fair kiddo," he said brushing hair out of her face. "Come hang with me sometime. We'll play something." She buried her face in his chest.
"I want you to stay," she proclaimed. He sighed, looking to Catherine for help.
"Linds, come on. Warrick's got to get to work. You don't want him to get in trouble do you?" Lindsey sighed.
"No," she admitted, letting him go.
"I'll see you again soon. Take care of your mom for me." Lindsey nodded and Warrick hugged Catherine. "See you tomorrow night," he told her.
"Thanks for this 'rick, and we'll…talk about…earlier," she promised. He smiled at her.
"I look forward to it." He ruffled Lindsey's hair a little (though not enough to wreak the do), before leaving. On his way into work that day, and as he sat working on Catherine's song after shift, Warrick decided that Lillie hadn't so much killed his music, as she had changed his style. And he was grateful for it.
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