Title: holding on to it all...
Summary: A continuation to my fic " Secrets from their past."...
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
It was a mild Las Vegas night. Catherine and Gil were soundly sleeping when the phone woke them both.
Seeing as the phone was on Catherine's side of the bed she reached for it not bothering to open her eyes.
"Hello?" she spoke in between her yawn and stretch.
At first no one replied and she was extremely annoyed
"Hello?" she tried again, but still no one replied " Whatever" she sighed slamming down the phone.
"What was that?" Gil whispered wrapping his arm around her.
"Wrong number I guess" she yawned resting her head on his chest.
The two of them were slowly drifting back to sleep when the phone rang once more.
"mhmhm" Catherine moaned rolling on her side and switching on the lamp. She then picked up the portable phone off of it's base and looked at the screen.
"Eddie?" she answered
Gil quickly sat up and switched on the lamp on his side.
"Eddie what are you doing it.." she paused and turned to the alarm clock " Eddie it's three in the morning what do you want?"
"Cathy?" he slurred into the receiver "Cathy is that you?"
Catherine sighed " Eddie, no..it's me Catherine.."
Eddie groaned on the other end of the phone " Catherine?" he whispered " I'm sorry."
Catherine sighed " Eddie what's wrong. What do you need?"
"I need you" he replied " Catherine I need you..I need help."
"Eddie are you hurt?"
"Not yet" he whimpered " I miss her." he continued " I miss Cathy and Kaley..I miss you..I miss her."
"Eddie..I can't, Eddie what are you doing right now? Where are you?"
"I'm outside." he replied
Catherine looked over at Gil " Outside." she commented " Eddie outside where. Why are you outside?"
"I want my family back" he sobbed " I just want them back.Please Cath I need you ."
"Okay." She got up and walked to the dresser " Eddie are you at home?" she waited for a reply when the phone cut out on his end. " Eddie?" she called his name " Shit!"
"What? What's going on?" Gil got up and followed her to the kitchen " What did he want?"
"I don't know" she said as she paced back and forth " Damn it! Where are my keys?"
"You're keys?" Gil replied " Catherine what are you doing? You're not going over there?"
Catherine ignored him and walked out of the kitchen to the front door " I think he's going to do something stupid Gil." she said grabbing her keys from the side table " I have to make sure he's okay."
Gil was confused and everything was happening so fast " Well what did he say?" he tried stopping her to get some answers.
"Gil relax" she spun around " I'll be back soon."
"Well.." Gil stood there as the screen door slammed shut " Let me at least go with you." he whispered to himself as she pulled out of the driveway.
Catherine pulled into the driveway and raced toward the front door. " Ed?" she rang the bell " Eddie?" she called again.
Not getting a reply, she ran around the back of the house to find him sitting on the picnic bench. " Eddie?" she slowly walked to him and sat down beside him. " Ed what's going on?"
Eddie slowly turned to her " I miss her." he whispered showing Catherine the picture he held in his hand " I miss them."
Catherine sighed " Ed.." she lifted the empty bottle of Jack Daniels that sat next to him " How long have you been out here?"
Eddie shrugged " Does it matter?" wiping his tear stained face
"Come on" she wrapped an arm around him " Let me take you inside."
She helped him to the ground and led him in to the house " I never hurt her." he mumbled " I never did it."
"I know Eddie. I know you never hurt her. Lay down here." she helped him onto the couch " Let me get you some water."
"No." he replied grabbing her hand " Stay with me, just for a minute."
Catherine nodded " Okay." she sat next to him.
"I miss her." he murmured pressing his head against her shoulder
"I know Ed. I know you miss her" she replied. " It's going be okay."
An hour later Eddie a cried himself to sleep and Catherine managed to lay him down and cover him with a blanket. She watched him for awhile before realizing she hadn't called Gil.
She grabbed her cell phone and headed toward the kitchen so she wouldn't wake him.
Gil was watching the phone eagerly waiting for her to call.
"Cath?" he answered on the first ring.
"Gil, it's me. Eddie's in pretty bad shape and I don't want to leave him just yet."
Gil sighed " Cath, I don't think that you should be there alone with him."
"I'm fine Gil, he's sleeping. He's really... he's not doing well at all."
"I know Cath but you should'nt.."
Catherine cut him off " Stop worrying Gil, I'll be home early... around eight or so, but I can't leave him. I'm going to see if I can talk him into going to the hospital."
" Do you need me to come over there?" Gil asked
"No, Gil you know how he feels about you. I'll be okay. I'll see you later."
Gil nodded " Okay, but I still don't like that your there alone with him."
"I know you don't but I'll be fine..I love you."
"I love you too." he replied hanging up
Gil flopped back down on his bed and grabbed his crossword puzzle. As long as Catherine was over at Eddie's there was no way he was going to get any sleep. He tried to concentrate on his puzzle but he couldn't help but think that even though Eddie had just recently lost his family he was up to no good.
tbc