Hey guys! I know it's been a while since I've written anything at all, but I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. School has been hectic for the last couple of weeks and I've been too busy to write. I'm not sure if I'll be back for good, but at least I got something up. I hope you enjoy this.

Summary: Sometimes it takes a little burning for another thing to shine.

No beta this time, this should be interesting. I got the idea for this from watching "My Best Laid Plans" (a Scrubs Episode) and the song Closer by Joshua Radin.

Burn to Shine

Won't you be the new one
Burn to shine
I take the blue ones every time
Walk me down your broken line
All you have to do is cry
Yes
All you have to do is cry

A dark colored man exited the building of the Las Vegas Crime Lab, his head hung and shoulders slumped. He had just spent the last 48 hours working non-stop to close the latest serial case. Things would have been fine—he had done it before—if it were not for the woman calling his phone every two hours. Explaining himself only to be yelled at repeatedly could easily exhaust a man.

The dark blue of the night filled every speck of air while the man made it to his car. Just as he opened the door and lowered his head to sit in the seat, his phone rang again. After pulling it from his pocket and placing it to his ear, a shrill voice filled his head.

"Warrick! Where are you? You said you would be home by now!"

"I'm leaving the lab right now, Tina. I'll be home in ten minutes," his tired voice smooth compared to her jagged yell.

As Warrick drove down the familiar roads, he couldn't help but ask himself why he put up with her. However, the only reason he could think of was Nick. After the recent kidnapping and almost murder, Warrick couldn't help but realized how short life actually was. How his life could end in the blink of an eye. And how he hadn't done anything that would allow him to reach the point of death without regrets. That scared him the most. Although he had felt selfish about it, he had asked his girlfriend at the time, Tina, to marry him. That way he had at least done something with his life. But why had it been her? Why not someone else? Someone he had known longer? What about the one he really loved?

Warrick had barely noticed, but he had made it into his driveway. The door of his home stood before him; mocking him. He knew that if he waited much longer it would only extend the fighting that was to come. Warrick stepped out of his car and up to the front door. Before he was able to remove his keys from his pocket, the door opened, revealing Tina in her pajamas and a darkened room behind her.

"Hi," Warrick breathed. Tina's scowl melted off her face.

"Hey," she responded, moving out of the way. Warrick walked into their home and plopped onto the couch. He had just laid his head backwards and closed his eyes when Tina sat down and curled into his side. He had to force himself to place his arm around her shoulders, but she would never know that.

"How was work?" Her questions prodded him when all he wanted to do was sleep. This routine was becoming old, and they had only been at it for a few months.

"Long," he answered, knowing this conversation was going to end up in a higher octave then when it started.

"You didn't answer your phone very much," she commented.

"I was working."

"Hmm," she mumbled against his chest.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Warrick asked, knowing the exact reaction he was going to get.

"I've seen you answer your phone at work before. A "Catherine" I think it was," she answered with a smidge of anger in her voice.

Warrick's eyes widened; that was not the typical response.

He felt her weight lift from his chest as Tina turned on the lamp next to the couch. She never leaned back into him. Now that the room was illuminated, the real fighting would begin.

"Catherine is my partner, what do you expect?" he asked, his voice rising.

"But she's not your wife!" Tina's voice now matched the volume of his.

"There's not much I can do about that now!" Warrick hit pause. That comment had come out of nowhere. He had no idea what it had meant or why he had even said it.

"What?" Tina asked, her voice dropping. Warrick shook his head.

"I don't know," his voice was barely above a whisper.

"You know what you meant!" Tina said, rising from the couch. Warrick mimicked her move a second before the shrill beep of his phone rang though the room. Warrick grabbed it out of his pocket; he was really beginning to hate that piece of technology.

"What, Catherine!" he yelled into the mouthpiece. The sudden anger towards the woman had also come out of nowhere. Instantly he regretted it when he heard her sob riddled words.

"I-I ca-can't find her-r R-Rick."

"Can't find who, Cath?" Warrick asked, worry etched into his face. He ignored Tina as she yelled at him. Warrick walked out of the room as he listened.

"L-Lindsey," Catherine said, her voice seeming to steady slightly.

"I'm on my way," Warrick reassured her as he grabbed his keys and ran out the door. "And Cath, don't worry, we are gonna find her."

Warrick pulled up to Catherine's house as the blond ran out of the door. He jumped out of his car and engulfed the slender woman in a bear hug. Catherine was the first to pull back.

"She wasn't here when I got home, and she won't answer her cell." Catherine rambled on about how it was her fault she wasn't home enough.

"No, Cath, it's not your fault. Let's go look for her," he cut her off as he ushered her to the passenger side of the car.

The two had driven up and down every street they could think of, and just when they were about to lose hope, Catherine got a phone call.

"Lindsey!" she exclaimed as Warrick pulled over and listened to mother and daughter exchange words. His own phone rang out, and with one look at the caller ID, he hit the IGNORE button.

"Don't let me be accountable for that," she said with a smile, pointing to his phone.

"Naw, don't worry about it, it's just Tina," he answered, turning his head to look at her. His eyes caught on her blue ones, and then he realized how much he preferred blue to the brown of Tina's eyes. He then realized why Catherine had been so upset upon knowing Warrick was married.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly. Catherine frowned.

"For what? Lindsey just called, she's at the house." Warrick leaned over, and brushed away the last stay tears from her porcelain cheeks. He had shocked the both of them silent. After a few moments of the two staring at each other, Warrick broke the silence and removed his hand.

"For marrying Tina and wrecking our friendship." Catherine looked away from Warrick and stared out the window. Warrick looked back towards the front, focusing on getting the car out of park and back on the road. Fifteen minutes went by silently until Catherine spoke again.

"I interrupted a fight, didn't I?"she asked. Warrick nodded. "You guys sure do that a lot. It's like Eddie and I all over again."

"Yeah." Warrick answered, the awkwardness slowly draining as they pulled up to Catherine's house.

"You want to come in? You can stay on my couch if you don't want to go back to Tina tonight." Catherine offered shyly.

"Sure," Warrick said, glad he did not have to face his wife again before he had the chance to sleep.

Inside, Warrick sat down on the sofa while Catherine checked on Lindsey, who had gone to sleep. Soon he felt motion next to him and opened his eyes. Catherine had sat down with him. He subconsciously placed his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him.

"We've never been just friends, Rick," Catherine pointed out.

"I know," Warrick responded as Catherine leaned her head against his chest.

To Be Continued...

Please drop a review. I've just gotten knocked down a notch in my How-well-I-think-I-write scale from something that happened school, so feedback helps.