Title: Old Sins
By: Chapin CSI
Pairing: gen
Rating: G
Disclaimer: These characters are the property of CBS and I'm just borrowing for a little story.
Warning: I don't speak English and it shows in my stories; luckily, my readers are very forgiving. Thanks!
Spoilers: Pledging Mr. Johnson (yep, an oldie), King Baby, Play With Fire, Jackpot.
Summary: Past mistakes come back to haunt Catherine.

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Catherine had been trying to talk to Conrad Eckley since early in the morning; she had left messages in his answering machine and she had driven his secretary nuts with her constant calls, all without success.

But she finally found him, and in the place she least expected: The break room. He was quietly pouring himself a cup of coffee, tired after finishing his daily round of visits at the lab, and thirsty after the exchanging of gossip and the berating of those who didn't fawn properly to him.

Catherine closed the door, causing Eckley to look up.

"No closed doors around here, Catherine." He said, "It gives people the wrong idea."

"You dismissed the case against Frank Gallagher," she accused, "I won't beat around the bushes, so just answer me: Did he pay you off to look the other way?"

Now it was Conrad himself who made sure that the door was indeed closed.

"This isn't the place-" he hissed, cautiously glancing out the window. The hallway was empty.

"Well, I would have talked to you in your office but you've been avoiding me." she said dryly. She lowered her voice, "You covered up for Gallagher, Conrad; don't even bother to deny it!"

He took his cup of coffee and sat at the table. He looked at her.

"Do you have any evidence to support that accusation, Catherine?"

"You know very well that I don't." she replied morosely. She reluctantly took a seat on the opposite side of the table and pleaded, "Conrad, how could you? Don't you realize you're compromising the whole lab? A dirty CSI-"

"Oh, please!" Eckley scoffed, "You are going to give me that talk? You don't smell so sweet yourself, Willows."

Catherine was taken aback by this, but she stuck out her jaw challengingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I know all about the little something that Sam Braun gave you." He retorted, "A check, issued to you and cashed by you. And don't even bother to deny it." He added, smiling triumphantly. "I have a copy of that check."

She hesitated, but only for a moment.

"Not that I have to explain my private life to you," she said, "but that check was given to me as a gift-"

"It was bribe," he amended, "Or at least that's how it would look in the eyes of anyone who knows Sam Braun."

"If you honestly think so, then why didn't you do something about it?" she challenged.

"Because you had his protection." He said, "And I know how to choose my battles, Catherine. That's why I dismissed the case against Gallagher."

"But you're compromising the lab's reputation-"

Eckley was amazed..

"You've compromised it time and time again, Catherine. You let a complete stranger –a reporter, no less- get evidence from your camera during the King case-"

"You said it was not a big deal-"

"Of course, I did." He nodded matter-of-factly. Then he looked closely at Catherine, "You still don't get it, do you? I took care of the King problem because that's what Sam expected. I gave you the swing shift as a favor to him."

Catherine gaped.

"You didn't give me anything I didn't deserve!" she said vehemently, "I've always worked hard for everything I have! I don't owe this job to you or anybody else!"

"You owe it at least to Gil's refusal to document your blunders, Catherine." He retorted, "Unfortunately for you, through the years there have always been little people around –the technicians who go from one lab to the other- and they've talked.For instance, a few years ago a man killed her dead wife's lover because you led him to believe she'd been murdered. She wasn't, was she? Her death was accidental, but the guy's in prison because of what you did." he paused, "In another occasion your carelessness caused the lab to blow up; and in case you've forgotten, you've harassed suspects just like Sara has, except that Sara doesn't have a Sam Braun pulling strings for her." He leant forward and whispered, "He asked me to keep you happy, and I complied, but I want to make this clear, Catherine: My debt to him is paid in full now and I don't owe him anything any more. Soon enough you'll make a mistake and he won't be there to help. Hell, maybe he will ask you to dismiss a case and ruin things for you-"

"He wouldn't." Catherine denied, "He knows how important this job is for me-

"He doesn't care about your job, unless it helps him." he scoffed, "Besides," he added, his voice dripping venom, "He can give you a job any time you need one. He's got women, older than you, giving lap dances in the hell holes he owns in Texas!"

Catherine had to clench her hands to her sides in order to keep from slapping the man, but she couldn't master her facial expression.

Eckley noticed the impact that his words had on her. He smiled, enjoying the feeling of power it gave him.

"You'll forget all about the Gallagher case, Catherine. Understood?" Eckley said, and he rose without bothering to wait for her answer.

Catherine kept a mask of cold detachment, but as soon as Eckley left, she just crumbled in her seat.

She sat for quite a while, staring ahead, unable to decide what to do. Who could she talk to? With sudden remorse, she realized that in her quest to play 'politics' she had alienated people who might have given her a word of advice or their support.

She sighed. Her allegiance to Conrad had cost her more than she had thought.

It was quite lonely at the top.

THE END

Note: To be fair, I don't think Catherine caused the destruction at the lab. It seems it was Hodges.

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