The Weekend

Summary: Cassie/Sam. When Grace and Nick get a chance to go away on a field trip for the weekend, Cassie and Sam look forward to some time alone. But will the weekend go as planned? Probably not. Some references to sex, but no actual sexual content.

Part 1:

Cassie Nightingale was peeling vegetables for dinner in the kitchen at Grey House when Grace arrived home from school on a snowy Tuesday afternoon.

"Hi Grace," Cassie greeted her daughter without looking up or turning around from the kitchen counter or the bunch of carrots in front of her.

"Hey mom," Grace shrugged out of her coat and pulled the purple beanie hat off her head. "Dinner smells wonderful."

"It'll be about another hour," Cassie replied, nudging the cookie jar toward her daughter. "Did you have a good day?"

Grace nodded, taking a large bite of almond cookie and taking a piece of paper out of her pocket at the same time.

"Miss Harris gave us these today," Grace said, waving the letter in her mother's direction. "Our whole class have been invited for a weekend away snowboarding and skiing."

"Oh wow, Grace, that's great." Cassie was pleased for her, but Grace's new obsession with risk-taking hobbies ever since she had become friends with Courtney made her feel a little nervous.

"It's in two weeks' time," Grace reached for another cookie. "I just need you to sign my permission slip."

Cassie wiped her hands on a dishtowel and took the letter from Grace. She read it through, took a pen from one of the kitchen drawers and signed her name at the bottom.

"We'll go shopping at the weekend; pick you out some new winter clothes."

"Thanks mom," Grace leaned up and pressed a quick kiss into Cassie's cheek.

Clutching the other half of her second cookie in her hand, Grace turned away to head upstairs to her bedroom.

"Grace," Cassie called after her. "Is Nick going on the trip as well?"

"Yeah, as long as his dad agrees."

Cassie smiled as she turned back to the vegetable preparations. She would miss her daughter – they hardly spent any time apart especially since Jake had died, but the idea of having a weekend alone with Sam was certainly appealing.

"Hello Sam," Cassie said a while later, sitting in the living room with a cup of tea by her side.

"One day…" Sam began, but there were some mysteries about Cassie that he was sure he'd never understand.

"Did Nick give you the letter about the field trip?" Cassie asked, moving aside on the couch so that Sam could squeeze in next to her.

"A whole weekend without our kids, what on earth will we find to do with ourselves?"

Cassie laughed, leaning her head on Sam's shoulder. They had been dating for a while now, but between their teenage kids, Abigail and the guests at Grey House, it was hard for them to ever really have any time alone together.

"I'm sure we'll find some way of occupying ourselves."

Sam's hand cupped her face and he gently ran his thumb of her bottom lip before moving in to kiss her. Cassie let herself give in to the kiss, wrapping her arms around Sam to pull him closer. She was so lost in the moment, that she didn't notice her cousin enter the room until Abigail let out a quiet cough.

"Sorry to interrupt," Abigail began, trying not to grin at the sight before her. "I just thought I'd let you know that I'm going on the field trip with the kids."

"Really, why?" Cassie asked. As far as she was aware, Abigail wasn't the biggest fan of children or teenagers.

"A free weekend away just to keep an eye on a few teenage girls – who was going to turn that down?"

Cassie smiled, that sounded more like the Abigail she knew and loved.

"I'll leave you two in peace now," Abigail smirked and slipped back out of the room.

"We really will have the weekend all to ourselves." Sam commented once Abigail had gone. "I can hardly wait."

Cassie echoed this sentiment by pressing her lips to his again.

Just over two weeks later, Cassie, Sam and the two kids had breakfast together at Grey House before Grace and Nick left for their weekend away. Their bags and gear were in the hallway, and they were both too excited to each much breakfast. Abigail joined them a little later, dressed in jeans and an oversized sweater.

"Where's your skiing things Abigail?" Grace asked between mouthfuls of oatmeal.

"You don't think I'm actually going to be joining in any of these activities, do you?" Abigail laughed. "No, I'm perfectly happy to watch. I've got my iPad and a stack of books."

They laughed and finished breakfast together. It was soon time for the three of them to leave, and Sam was needed at his office. She walked him to the door while Grace and Nick collected their bags and Abigail put her boots on.

"I'll see you back here later, about six o'clock." Sam said, taking both of Cassie's hands in his.

"Looking forward to it." She leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips before going inside of say goodbye to her daughter.

Cassie was distracted at the shop, which was unusual for her. She was preoccupied by worrying about Grace and also looking forward to spending some quality time alone with Sam. Tara noticed that Cassie didn't seem like herself and offered to close up for her. Cassie was grateful, picking up a few different bottles of essential oils and an extra canister of Sam's favourite tea-that-tastes-like-coffee.

"Have a lovely weekend, Cassie." Tara said as Cassie put her coat on and prepared to leave the Bell, Book and Candle.

"Thanks Tara, you too."

Cassie decided to walk home along the cold, frosty Middleton streets. It gave her some time to centre her thoughts and prepare for the evening ahead. She had already prepped the dinner as much as possible; she didn't want to waste precious time with Sam by being in the kitchen.

She stopped off at the bistro to pick up a bottle of wine and some of Sam's favourite cakes. Stephanie had it all ready for her in a to-go bag.

"Such service," Cassie smiled as she handed over a twenty dollar bill.

"It's on me," Stephanie replied, holding up her hands. "You go on and have a lovely night with Sam. You're always doing things for other people, it's time you had a night to yourselves."

"Thank you, Stephanie." Cassie replied warmly.

"Now get on out of here before Martha comes in, or you won't be home before Grace gets back from her trip!"

Cassie picked up her bag, wished Stephanie a good weekend and headed back into the cold.

"How many more appointments have I got this afternoon, Eve?" Sam asked his receptionist between patients.

He loved his job; loved being a doctor and being a part of the community but the day was dragging. He just wanted to go home to Cassie and get their weekend started.

"Old Mrs Robbins is in at four o'clock, and then you've got twenty minutes. Dana Harford is in after that. Your last appointment is at five fifteen."

"Thanks, Eve. Let me know if anyone gets here early, I'd like to be out of here as soon as possible today."

"Yes, boss." Eve replied. "Have you got something planned?"

Sam smiled. "I'm spending the whole weekend with Cassie."

"Oh, of course, Nick and Grace are away on that trip…I can call and cancel your last appointments if you want?"

Sam's smile grew to a grin at this. "As great as that would be, I don't want the whole town knowing I ducked out of my job early to go and spend it with my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend?" Eve smiled. "Cassie's your girlfriend."

"Yes," Sam realised he'd never referred to her as such, and definitely not out loud. "I guess she is."

Finally Sam waved off his last patient of the day and took off his white doctor's coat. He dismissed Eve for the weekend and locked up the offices. It took a while for the car windshield to defrost and he turned the heat on high as he drove back home. It was strange to see the house in darkness; normally Nick would be there doing his homework or watching TV with Courtney when he got home from work. In contrast, Grey House looked warm and welcoming. He knew Cassie would be in the kitchen, cooking something that looked amazing. They would eat together, share a bottle of wine and then later… Well, perhaps it was best not to think of that just yet.

Wishing he had stopped for a bouquet of flowers, and then remembering that the flower market was closed because Abigail was away too, Sam made his way into Grey House.

"Hey Sam," Cassie greeted, her face flushed from the steam of the curry she was cooking.

He stopped in the kitchen doorway, unable to say anything. She was dressed in fitted navy blue jeans and a v-necked black sweater, but she had never looked more breathtaking to him.

"Everything alright?" She asked, stirring the sauce and lowering the heat underneath.

"Yes, it's great." His voice was a little rough and Cassie noticed.

She stepped away from the stove and crossed the room to him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her lips to his. He pulled her closed to him, their bodies pressed together as the kiss deepened.

"Sam," She broke away reluctantly. "I'm going to burn our dinner if we don't stop."

Sam took a deep, steadying breath. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Sure, you can set the table and open the wine, if you like."

Glad to have something to do that took his mind off the way that Cassie felt in his arms, Sam set about laying out cutlery and pouring the deep burgundy wine into two glasses. They had the whole weekend together, there was no sense in rushing anything.

They ate dinner together, followed by a large slice of cake washed down with the rest of the red wine. They washed up together in the kitchen, just like an ordinary couple. It was nice to just do normal tasks together without being interrupted by one of their kids, Abigail or a needy guest.

Cassie found another bottle of wine in the cupboard; not as good as the one Stephanie had given her but drinkable or the same. They took the bottle and two glasses into the living room and curled up on a couch together. They sipped the wine and exchanged slow easy kisses, until Cassie climbed into Sam's lap. The kisses got deeper; sloppier; messier and more frenzied. Sam's hands rested on her sides, but began to slip up under the material of her sweater to dance over her soft flesh. Cassie shivered and it was nothing to do with the coolness of Sam's hands.

She climbed up out of his lap and held out her hand to him. He let her lead him up the stairs to her bedroom, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. And when they laid down on the bed together, he realised it; he loved her.

A while later, Cassie padded downstairs wearing nothing but Sam's shirt. It was too big in the shoulders and it barely grazed her thighs, but it felt good and smelled of him. She poured herself a glass of water while she waited for the kettle to boil. She'd make them to some tea, take it back upstairs and they could drink it snuggled up together in her bed. The thought gave her another little thrill.

As the kettle whistled, Cassie was suddenly aware of another presence in the house. She hadn't noticed it before but then she had been so preoccupied with Sam that she might not have noticed if the house had burned down around them.

She went through to the living room, the bottle of wine and two half-filled glasses still sitting on the coffee table.

"Lori, honey, what are you doing here?"