Greg walked into the lab and straight into Catherine who was waiting for him.
"Hey Cath, is there a new case?" He piped up and smiled that Sanders lop-sided grin he always had plastered on his face. Catherine was sure he was masking. He couldn't always be so happy surely.
"Not right now," She smiled and handed him a cup of coffee that she had freshly poured for them both. He took it gratefully as he was tired from last night's research. He had been up so late trying to drag up information; information that could lead him to the part of him that was lost thirty-six years ago. He had been placed for adoption and had felt so empty even though the Sanders family had loved him dearly he wanted so badly to find his biological parents. In the years he had been searching he had found out that she was born in Las Vegas but that was all. It was such a long shot; there was so many women in this area he had no idea where to start.
Catherine noticed his slightly pained expression and touched his arm gently.
"You okay Greggo?" She asked softly.
"Yeah I'm alright," he replied looking at her as if to say please just drop it. "Just got somethin' on my mind," He sighed a weight of the world sigh.
"You wanna talk about it?" She inquired. Greg shook his head softly and brushed the spiky hair out of his face. He liked Catherine, she had always been good to him. He longed to tell her of his plight but he didn't want to bother her, nor Sara nor Nick nor anyone else; they expected him to be happy all the time and so he was.
"Okay Greggo, lemme know if you change your mind,I'll always be here for you," She smiled softly at her younger co-worker. She always had a strange feeling when she looked at Greg; something so familiar was inside those dark brown eyes but she never could pinpoint it.
Little did Greg know that so soon he would have the answers he so craved...
Catherine watched Greg leave and let out a sigh of relief. She loved Greg; that was a given but she couldn't continue to mask. She had been thinking a lot lately. Many years ago she had met a man; his name was Aiden and it had been just as she was starting her dancing career. He had been the manager of the first club she had worked when she was only 18 years old. She often felt his eyes upon her semi-naked figure as she grinded the pole for the first wave of punters of this evening. He felt that she was so talented and had a long career as a stripper ahead of her. Catherine didn't see it that way however; she had higher dreams to reach for. This job had just been to pay the bills; a job which she had been surprisingly good at.
One night after a late night finish, she found herself alone and ready to lock up; or so she thought. "Hey beautiful," She heard Aiden's voice come from behind the bar. She turned to its soft tones. "Hey, I thought you'd left I was gonna lock up," She smiled; he was attractive. He stood about 6 foot tall, beautiful brown eyes and this awkward yet dorky charm which Catherine loved. "Nah, I was just sorting out the bar orders for tomorrow," He replied softly and grinned that lopsided grin of his he always seemed to be wearing. "Ah, I see," She grinned back. Aiden came out from behind the bar and leaned against a nearby pillar; "So, I was just wondering if maybe you'd like to get dinner sometime?" He said with that very dorky charm that she found so very endearing. "Sure," was all she thought to utter. He grinned; "Great how about tomorrow night after work?" he replied, not able to believe his luck. "Sounds like a plan," Catherine winked looking him up and down before biting her lip.
They went on that dinner date, and four more. At the end of that fifth night however, they fell into bed together. It was so infused with passion that neither considered a condom. When Catherine awoke the next morning, a Aiden was in the kitchen making breakfast. He smiled as she sleepily made her way over to the coffee pot. They talked for an hour until both realized they had to be at work. Aiden had those orders to send and Catherine had a rehearsal. She had no idea that in three weeks time she would find out the result of her carelessness.
Catherine remembered that day like it was yesterday. She had been throwing up all morning. Any regular girl would have put it down to bad food or a flu bug. But not Catherine. She knew. She took the test out of its wrapper and took it. Three minutes later she looked down at the two blue lines and sighed. A baby was the last thing she wanted. She knew she couldn't have an abortion; her mother would never allow it. And she couldn't keep it a secret; she was useless at that. The only option left was adoption. She would have the baby and then she would hand him or her to a couple she chose who wanted a baby so badly. "Shit!" she shouted, throwing the test against the wall. How was she going to get through the next nine months?
Catherine shook her head to get the flashbacks out. She had done just that. Handed her baby over to a couple who couldn't have children. The family had called themselves Sandersen, they were Norwegian she thought. She had handed over her son and cried. She did not count on the maternal bond between mother and son. She figured she could turn it off and never have to worry. Alas, this wasn't the case. She had a few pictures of her son and his hospital bracelet but that was all. Her son was gone. He would have been thirty-six about to turn thirty-seven now she thought to herself. She shook her head and wiped the tear attempting to escape; from her eye. Nevada law stated that she could not search for her son; she gave up that right the day the Sandersens took him home. She had always wondered in her mind on the off chance; that he may come looking for her...