Never, ever and forever
by Clara

Summary: The one where Catherine meets someone else
Disclaimer: They're not mine
Rating: PG-13
Category: C/G, C/OC

Catherine pulled the Tahoe up along side the police car and fire engine already at the scene. She sighed in annoyance when she realised that Nick, who had been assigned to this case as well, hadn't arrived yet.

Usually that wouldn't be such a big deal but her day hadn't gone well since she'd got home from the last shift at 7am to discover that Lindsey wasn't feeling well. Catherine was pretty sure she'd got around 3 hours sleep maximum in-between looking after her sick daughter.

As a result she was cranky, tired and really not up to working a scene by herself. Grabbing her kit she slid out of the car and slammed the door slightly harder that necessary and dug in her pocket for her cell to call Nick. Quickly she punched in the number and waited for it to ring, she growled slightly as a tinny voice told her the cell she was trying to reach was out of range... where the hell was he?!

Decided she might as well get started Catherine made her way round the side of the building and spotted the detective she assumed was in charge. "Excuse me, I'm Catherine Willows from CSI."

The detective turned and smiled which for some reason took her aback slightly, somehow that didn't improve her mood. He stuck out his hand and she shook it briskly. "Jack Davis. Just transferred."

Catherine nodded towards the open backdoor where evidence of charring to the outer door frame was obvious, fireman were still traipsing in and out and although she knew there was a perfectly good reason for them to be doing so, she snapped. "Hey guys! Do you think you could possibly not destroy my whole crime scene?!"

"Hey Ms Willows they're just doing there job."

Catherine rounded on Jack and glared at him, "Detective I really don't need you telling me what their job is!" She was about to continue when the shrill sound of her cell phone ringing cut her off. Swiftly she walked back the way she'd just come in before answering.

"Willows."

" Cath, it's Nick. Listen, I'm blocked in on the I-15 some accident. Hopefully I'll be there soon."

"Just hurry up Nick, we don't have time for this."

Hanging up on him she sighed and tried to calm down. She was being ridiculous and she knew it. She'd worked on little sleep before and there was no reason she couldn't do it again without alienating everyone involved in this case.

Running a hand through her hair she walked back into the garden. "Detective? Listen, I'm sorry it's just not been a good day."

Jack smiled at her before handing back the kit that she hastily pushed into his hand before walking off to answer Nick's call. "No problem, we'll start again." He smiled again before continuing. "Hi, I'm Jack."

He took her hand and Catherine couldn't help but laugh slightly. "Catherine. So Detective what have we got here?"

***

"You're kidding me!" Catherine smirked across the table at Jack before taking a sip of her screwdriver.

After an incredibly bad introduction and several 'accidental' run ins, Jack had asked her out to dinner and she'd been only too happy to say yes. Now here she was on their 6th date watching his face as he thought over what she used to do for a living.

Grinning, Jack shook his head and glanced across at her before looking away and grinning again. "My girlfriend, the stripper."

Catherine swatted him playfully across the table. �Ex stripper thank you very much.� She winked before taking a sip of her drink. �Maybe if you�re a good boy I�ll come out of retirement for the night.

Jack choked on the cheesecake he�d just taken and Catherine couldn�t help but giggle. After Eddie she hadn�t thought there was any chance of meeting another man than she could have such a good time with but Jack was defiantly meeting the criteria.

The only thing she was dreading was introducing him to Lindsey. Her daughter hadn�t responded quite the way she�d hoped when they�d sat down the previous day and discussed the new man in her life. Catherine wasn�t sure whether it as because she didn�t want someone new around so soon after her fathers death or because that someone wasn�t Gil Grissom.

Lindsey had started clinging to him shortly after Eddie�s demise and Catherine wasn�t entirely sure how to convince her daughter that Jack was worth getting to know, if only because he made her mother happy.

�Hey Cath?�

Catherine smiled and decided to put those thoughts out of her head for the night and simply have fun. �Sorry, I was just thinking.. Any idea what film you wanted to see?�

Jack shook his head and pretended to think seriously about her question, gaining another giggle from his date. �Someone funny, nothing that requires too much thought.�

�Ugh, I�ll agree with that. No thinking.�

Jack grinned before lifting his glass and finishing the last of his wine. �Great, I�ll just get the check and we can get going.�

�Okay.� Catherine smiled and watched as he made his way to the cashier to pay and once again tried not to think of the man looking after her daughter that night.

 ~~

Gil sat on the couch flipping through channels on the TV. He�d been trying to watch a documentary on the Geographic channel since Lindsey had gone to bed an hour before, but it just wasn�t holding his attention. He wasn�t sure why Catherine�s date was bothering him so much, she�d gone out with other guys before Eddie�s death, but somehow this guy seemed different, Lindsey had told so earlier in the evening and he couldn�t help but worry about them both. They were the two most important women in his life and he didn�t want to ever see either of them hurting.

Sighing, he shut off the TV and stood up, setting the remote on top of the set and glanced around the room. It had been spotless when he�d arrived but Lindsey had taken out a good portion of her toys and brought them down to the lounge to show him. How they were strewn across the floor and Gil couldn�t help but smile when he spotted the stuffed caterpillar he�d given her when she�d turned 5 lying next to the princess Barbie Catherine had brought her on her last birthday.

Crouching down, he began to collect the toys together and tucked them under each arm before piling them on the coffee table, a better option than waking Lindsey up to put them away.

Glancing at his watch, Gil sighed when he realised it was only 9:15 and Catherine probably wouldn�t be home for at least a couple of hours. He had to wonder why he put himself through this. The last night off he�d have for a couple of months and he�d agreed to spend it babysitting the daughter of the woman he loved, while she went on a date. He had to be crazy.

~~