Title: Breakfast With A Friend
Author: cjacsifan
Pairing: Catherine/Wendy
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: CSI is owned by CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer
Summary: Catherine and Wendy chat during breakfast.
Spoilers: None

"So Catherine, you ready to get out of here and get some breakfast?"
Wendy asks as she pokes her head into Catherine's office and sees her
signing papers.

"Just few more signatures and...... I'm done," Catherine says as signs
the last paper, looks up and smiles at Wendy.

"Good, so shall we get going?"

"Let me head to the locker room and get my purse and I'll meet you in
the garage by your car."

"Sounds good, see you in a few," Wendy says as she leaves Catherine's
office and heads toward the exit.

Catherine makes her way to the locker room and opens her locker only to
come face to face with a picture of herself and Riley in happier times;
She pulls the picture off of her locker door, blinks away the tears that
are threatening to fall, rips up the picture and tosses it in the trash,
picks up her purse and leaves the locker room.

Wendy sees Catherine looking around for her, "Catherine over here..."
Catherine walks over to Wendy who notices something isn't quite right
with Catherine, "Catherine are you okay?" she asks with concern.

Catherine looks up at Wendy and without warning grabs on to Wendy and
sobs into the younger woman's shoulder; all Wendy can do is hold onto
her co-worker and whisper words that she hopes are comforting to
Catherine.

After a few minutes, Catherine is able to compose herself, "I'm sorry
for this Wendy."

"For what Catherine...being human...showing emotion because the person
you loved decides to leave you and sends you a telegram telling you she
isn't coming back...Catherine if anyone should be sorry it's Riley for
putting you through this...now come on let's head to the diner we
usually go to," Wendy says as her anger at Riley dissipates.

"I'd really rather go somewhere else, if you don't mind because I'd
rather not have the team asking questions about Riley...I will tell them
once I get used to the idea that Riley's gone and not coming back."

"Sure, you're choice."

"How about the Vista View Diner, it's near my house so how about we
drive separately...you can follow me there."

"Sounds good...see you there," Wendy says before getting in her car and
waiting for Catherine to get to her car and then follows Catherine out
of the garage and onto the Vegas streets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fifteen minutes later the two cars pull up outside Vista View Diner,
"Nice place do you come here often?" Wendy asks, then realizes her
verbal mistake; Catherine can only stare at Wendy for a moment before
breaking out in a fit of laughter.

Wendy tries to hide from Catherine as the older woman opens the door for
her and the two women enter the diner.

"Hey there Miss Willows, how are you and how is the cute little daughter
of yours," says a waitress who hugs Catherine as so as she and Wendy
enter the diner.

"Shelly nice to see you again and please call me Catherine...Lindsey is
great, growing like a weed and driving me absolutely crazy," Catherine
says returning the waitress's hug.

"Who do we have here," Shelly says looking at Wendy.

"Shelly this is my good friend Wendy...Wendy, I'd like you to meet
Shelly who in my opinion is the best waitress in Vegas."

"Nice to meet you Shelly," Wendy says putting her hand out to shake the
waitress's hand.

"Well Wendy any friend of Miss...I mean Catherine's is a friend of
mine," Shelly says as she welcomes Wendy with a hug.

Shelly takes Catherine and Wendy to the table that Catherine usually
sits at and after being seated and being offered coffee, the two look
over the menus Shelly left them, "So Catherine, like anything you
see..."Catherine starts to giggle as Wendy tries to sink under the table
and hide her face in the menu, "on the menu Catherine, you didn't let me
finish."

"Mmmmhmmm....right, you were looking at the menu....well I think I'll
get my usual the Vista View omelet....what looks good to you."

"I was looking at the blueberry pancakes, those are my absolute
favorite," Wendy says ignoring Catherine's obvious verbal come on.

"Damn and I thought i'd catch you," Catherine says as she gives her best
pouty look to Wendy.

"Aww Catherine don't pout, your much too pretty to pout....oh God I did
it again." Wendy says hiding her face in her hands.

"Wendy stop chastizing yourself, I think it's cute that your flirting
with me," Catherine says as she grabs one of Wendy's hands and holds
onto it.

"I shouldn't be though, you just got news that yor girlfriend isn't
coming home."

"I really don't mind...oh and by the way she's now my EX-girlfriend, now
all I have to do is figure out how the hell I'm going to tell Lindsey
about Riley."

"Do what you always do Catherine; tell the truth...I've seen how you are
when you have to tell the families of victims about their loved
one...you do it with honesty and compassion, so my best suggestion is be
honest with Lindsey, she'll probably be upset like you were but she's
strong like you are and she will go on with her life like I know you
will too."

Catherine sees nothing but honesty and caring in her younger co-worker's
eyes, "Okay that's just what I'll do," as the two are speaking, Shelly
comes to the table and takes their orders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Breakfast is a pleasant affair, the two women talked about everything
but work and by the time the meal was over Catherine and Wendy were
talked out, it was then time for the check.

"That's mine," Wendy says when Shelly comes back with the check as she
and Catherine get up from the table, she then hands Shelly a five dollar
billas a tip and then goes to the cash register to pay for the meal.

Shelly hugs both Catherine and Wendy good bye, "She a good one
Catherine...if I were you I'd keep her around for awhile."

Catherine surprises Wendy as she links arms with the younger woman and
says, "I plan on it Shelly....she's going to be around for a long time."

Once outside Wendy turns to Catherine, "Did you really mean what you
said in there Catherine about me being around for a long time?"

"Yes I did Wendy, I know we have been at work friends for a long time,
but I want to get to know all about you; your likes and dislikes; your
favorite this and that, I want to know what makes Miss Wendy Simms
tick...and in turn I will tell you everything there is to know about me;
my likes and dislikes, my favorite this and that, I will let you know
what make me, Catherine Willows tick."

"Catherine I'm honored that you feel that way...." Wendy then takes a
pad and pen out of her purse and writes something down, "Catherine I
know you probably have my home phone number in my file at the lab, but I
want you to have it so you can keep it with you where ever you go; so
that where ever you are, whenever you need someone to talk to not matter
day or night just call me and we'll talk."

"Thank you Wendy, I really appreciate this..." Catherine says and then
she kisses Wendy on the cheek and gives her a hug, "See you
tonight...sweet dreams Wendy."

"You too Catherine, and remember what I told you," Wendy says as she
gets in her car and drives away.

Catherine watches Wendy leave and even though just eight hours earlier
her heart was broken by Riley, Catherine can smile thanks to Wendy.