A/N: I'm terribly sorry it took me this long to update, somehow writing two texts at the same time and also preparing lessons and grading papers was a bit harder to do than I expected. But here it is... so I'm going to shut up now. Enjoy!
Chapter 40
The team is back together, which means Catherine and I can spend much more time in each other's company. Time at work was hard, every chance we've got we were sneaking kisses or giving each other a quick, much needed hug. Outside of work we still didn't see each other much, Catherine sometimes came here after work and when I came home hours later, we slept together for two hours or so, then she got up and went home to her daughter.
That's how it has been for almost 5 weeks now, I'm not complaining any time I get to spend with the woman I love is better than none at all. We also decided to take things really slow this time, that means we're still dating each other. Whenever we are able we have a date: dinner or a movie or both, or we go out for a drink or a walk. It's really great, it's like nothing bad ever happened between us before. We haven't had sex yet, we decided to wait until the time was right and until we actually had time to do it.
When Nick went missing, we were all stressed out and afraid that we might never see him again. We worked our asses off to find him and finally we did, the only good thing about his abduction is that Grissom demanded his team back and Ecklie had no choice but to comply. Being one team again is great! I missed Warrick and Nick too, they were always there for me when I needed them. Now we are able to go for a drink or breakfast after work again and to talk about personal stuff that is bothering us. We learned that Warrick got married, Catherine was upset about this at first because Warrick hadn't told her and didn't even invite his friends to the wedding.
The guys don't know we're back together, we decided not to tell anyone yet. But they have noticed we carpool to work and they also saw the difference in our interaction. They have asked us about it, but we pleaded the fifth every single time. It's funny how they try to walk in on us and catch us red-handed, every time I'm in Catherine's office they walk in accidently forgetting to knock to ask a mundane question just to check what we were up to. This also happens when we're alone in the locker room, so far they haven't got lucky.
It's 2 pm, that means I'm up early. When I enter my kitchen I see there's nothing I can do at home, everything is clean and there's plenty of food in the cupboards and refrigerator. I take a shower and get dressed, I decide to read the latest forensic journal that came yesterday. Seems like I read it entirely already so I put it back down and ponder about what I'm going to do next. Maybe I should pay Cath a surprise visit, that's a good idea. Maybe I can help her out a bit.
Twenty minutes later I'm standing in front of her door, I knock and wait for an answer. The door opens slightly and a short red head opens it, she's older than Catherine but there are similarities between them. This has to be her mother, Catherine has told me a lot about her mother but I didn't actually meet her. 'Good afternoon, I'm Sara Sidle. I work with Catherine.'
'Oh Ms Sidle, please come in. I'm Lily. Catherine is out though, but you're very welcome.' She smiles at me, looks like Catherine told her about me. I feel a bit awkward meeting Cath's mom without Cath.
'She's out? Well, then I should go. I don't want to bother you.' I return the smile.
'Nonsense, come in. I'm glad I finally get to meet you.'
Now I know where Catherine gets her persuasive side from, I enter the house still feeling a bit awkward though. She motions for me to take a seat and I obey, she asks me if I would like a cup of coffee and I nod, minutes later she's back holding two cups. She hands one to me and sits down.
'So Ms Sidle, you work with my Catherine. Tell me – how is she as a coworker?' she asks curiously.
'Please call me Sara.' I don't like to be called Ms Sidle, it's much too formal.
'Okay Sara, now tell me.' she looks expectantly at me, looks like her daughter doesn't tell her much.
'Well, I know her 6 years and now she's great to work with. She's an excellent investigator, she's intelligent, funny and reliable. The latter is very important in our line of work, you have to be able to depend on the other to have your back in case a suspect returns and the officers aren't in the vicinity.'
'You said now, how was it before…' looks like her mother doesn't miss much either.
'When we first met, Catherine acted like a …' I want to say bitch but I don't think that would be a good move if I expect her mother to like me. I'm contemplating on how I have to describe Catherine's behavior back then.
'A total bitch…don't be timid to say it, I know my own daughter and I know what she can be like.' she smiles.
'Yeah bitch is indeed the best word to describe her behavior back then. We were always bickering and I couldn't do anything good according to her. However some time later we learned to except each other and we became friends.' I sip from my cup 'Then I saw what a great person she really was, we still have our differences sometimes but now we talk about it like adults.'
She listens intently to my narrative of the things that have happened between Catherine and I. Occasionally asking a question when something wasn't entirely clear, then she asked me about my relationship with Lindsey. I told her we always have a great time together and that I help her with her schoolwork. She is impressed, the conversation is light until Lily decides to change the course of it.
'You are an amazing person, Sara. You are the only one who can challenge my daughter like that and you also seem to be able to control her sometimes. You even love her daughter like she's your own. I'm in total awe.' I'm blushing 'Well I will be able to sleep much better now that I know my daughter is in good hands.'
The implication of her statement was loud and clear to me, I choke on the coffee I was drinking and spit it all over Catherine's coffee table. Lily quickly stands and retrieves a cloth in the kitchen to clean it. I'm still coughing and she pats my back and tries to calm me a bit. When she succeeds she smiles at me and apologizes 'Sorry Sara, I didn't mean to shock you.'
'Did she tell you?' I ask her intrigued.
'No, you did.' My jaw drops to the floor.
'When … how…'
'I noticed the look you got every time you mentioned her name, your eyes would sparkle and you're face flushed slightly. The tone in your voice changed, I could hear an underlying happiness in it. You, my dear, are completely smitten.' Her smile widens 'And I noticed the same in Catherine every time she talks about you, so I put one and one together. I guess that's why I haven't met you before, Catherine is always afraid I'll embarrass her.' she rolls her eyes.
'Are you okay with it?' I ask her hesitantly, she appears to be more than okay with it, but I find that rather strange. Here in Vegas homosexuality isn't always that well-accepted although it is Vegas.
'Of course I am, why wouldn't I be. As long as you treat her right, I don't see why I would have a problem with it. Besides I was a show girl once…' then she tells me a story about her and one of her best friends, who also was a show girl. The more she tells me the more my jaw drops to the floor. I'm staring at her with wide eyes, totally petrified. I hope I could just disappear and to make things worse, I hear Catherine's front door open.
They don't notice me immediately, Lindsey is the first 'SARA!' she shouts, I want to smile and say hi too but I'm frozen in place. I just sit there, staring. I hear Lindsey say to Catherine 'Mom, why does Sara look so pale? Is she okay?' Catherine who was also smiling at me, now looks horrified when she sees my state of catatonic shock.
'Mom, what have you done with her!!!' she shouts at Lily while walking over to me. She puts a hand to my forehead to feel my temperature then she scowls at her mother.
'I didn't do anything, she was fine a couple of minutes ago.' Lily starts to defend herself.
'She doesn't look fine now, what have you told her? Look at her!' I'm still staring, I want to speak but I can't, it's like I'm looking on the action in front of me outside my own body. Catherine rubs my back gently and addresses me 'Sweetie, are you okay? Blink if you hear me.' I blink once.
'I'm sorry Catherine but I haven't said anything. We were just talking about her relationship with you and Lindsey and I told her I was glad she cared so much about you. Then she asked me if I was okay with her dating my daughter and I told her I was.' Lily is desperately trying to defend herself, fearing the wrath of her daughter.
'Mom, tell me you didn't tell her about your "experiences"?' Catherine asks in a menacing tone, Lily only blushes fiercely confirming Catherine's fears. 'Oh no. Could you please leave us for a sec.' Lily dejectedly leaves the room and takes Lindsey with her, they disappear in the kitchen.
'Sara, please baby look at me.' Catherine asks me in pleading tone.
It snaps me somewhat out of my shock and I turn my face in her direction, she kisses me softly. It takes me a little before I return her kiss. Then she stops and looks at me worriedly. I smile at her to reassure her everything will be fine.
'I'm so sorry I wasn't here. That's why you didn't get to meet her earlier, she has a tendency of scaring away my lovers, especially the female ones.' This snaps me completely out of my shock.
'She knew?' I ask, my voice hoarse.
'Yeah, she knows I like women too.' Catherine's tone is apologetic 'I should have told you.'
'Nah, I'm fine. I was just shocked about the details she put into her little narrative about her experiences with women.' This seems to shock Cath a bit too.
'What do you mean... women?' she asks although she's not sure she wants to know the answer.
'She had sex with 3 women at the same time after she experienced first with her best friend. She also had sex with another woman and a man. You're mom is pretty cool.' I smile at her, but she's busy picking her jaw up from the floor.
'No wonder, you were in shock!' she pulls me in a hug and kisses me lightly on the lips once more 'What brought you here?' she asks intrigued.
'I wanted to pay you a surprise visit so…surprise!' she smiles at me and rolls her eyes. Then she calls her mom and says everything is okay.
'I'm sorry Lily, I was a bit shocked but now I'm okay with it. It took some time but I'm fine.' I smile reassuringly at Lily, who smiles back.
Catherine tells us she's making dinner and I have to stay. No way I'm rejecting her offer, Lindsey and Lily join me on the couch and we talk about everything and nothing, while Catherine prepares dinner. Of course Lily tells us some embarrassing stories about Catherine and we laugh. When Catherine finds out, she calls her mom in the kitchen and tells her she needs help, that leaves me and Lindsey.
She narrows her eyes at me before she speaks 'Tell me you're going to stay this time.'
'I'm not going to promise anything I might not be true, you know that.' She looks a bit disappointed 'But, I love your mother very much and I'm not going anywhere at the moment, in fact I intend to stay for as long as you both want me here.' Her face brightens and she starts to smile.
She pulls me in a tight hug almost cracking some of my ribs 'Sara, I love you and I want you to stay!'
'I love you too, kiddo.'
She rolls her eyes 'Sara, I'm thirteen going on fourteen I'm not a kiddo anymore.'
'You'll always be to me.' I smile at her and she looks to be okay with it, she hugs me again and kisses my cheek. Then she pulls me out of the couch and drags me to her room to show me the project she's working on. Her face is full of pride when she explains me everything she did.
After dinner we watch some television until it's time to go to work. Catherine drives us which means I'm probably staying the night here. Not that I mind, not at all.
Thanks for reading, I hope you still like it. I decided it was best they took things (actually) slow this time... Reviews are very welcome!