Part 1
"Here…Linds…Coffee, muffin… and a bag of chips. Don't say I never give you anything" Sara said as she passed over the food. She was happy to look back and see a now sleeping Jason. She sighed in relief – "I thought he was going to cry all the way up her." She explained.
Lindsay just looked to the brunette, "We should have got him to bed earlier…" She offered. Sara couldn't argue with that – "…and not give him that candy before bed…"
"Okay… it wasn't the best decision I've made but he was whiney and I'm not the bad parent … that's your moms job." Sara explained, "and don't tell her I said that"
"Should I tell her I'm eating muffins and chips for breakfast?" The teenager questioned.
"How about we don't" Sara shot – knowing what Catherine's response to that would be. She'd be sleeping on the couch – or in the case of the next week in the car. She opened her own coffee and began to take a much needed drink from it.
"So…about the next week – we really have to spend it with Gran and Nancy…"
"As ordered by your mother" Sara nodded. She noticed the grimace on the youngest face – "Hey I don't know what your problem is…they like you"
"True" Lindsey smiled, "This is gonna be a week of hell for you"
"Like I said, know something I don't?" Sara questioned seriously.
"Two hours late…"
"Do you think their okay? Should I ring?" Lilly asked as she looked at her daughter who was sat up at the kitchen counter. The old woman was quite concerned – as she had been expecting her grand-children and …Sara quite some time ago.
"There fine… she probably stopped off for a drink" Nancy shot, referring to Sara.
"Now Nancy…that'll be the last of that for the rest of the holiday, you understand. We will not have a family argument, not this year."
"I can't make any promises!"
"Look, I know how you feel, and I'm not too happy about it either but we are going to make an effort. I invited them…all of them, including Catherine's partner, to be with us. Now we promised Catherine that no trouble would occur in her absence and I'd like keep that promise." Lilly lent on the counter looking at her stubborn sister – "Come on Nancy, aren't you tired of fighting?"
"I just don't want Catherine hurt, I can't change the way I feel…" Nancy stood up, "and don't worry about the Girlfriend…she'll be fine…she'll just need to stop off at the liquor store"
"Nancy…" Lilly scolded.
Nancy just shrugged her shoulders; "I'll be on my best behaviour" She smiled.
"I think you should have taken that left back there" Lindsey pointed back wards.
"Yeah you think?" Sara asked sarcastically over the cries from he child in the back. She looked in her mirror at the young boy who was anything but asleep now. "Dude… what is it…"
"Maybe he's hungry…"
"Hungry?" Sara asked, she'd already given him the food she'd brought. She shook her head, "We're nearly there Slugger" She offered as softly as she could as she did a three-point in order to turn the car around. "Lindsey…can you grab the map?"
"Where is it?"
"Back seat" Sara pointed, pulling the car to the road side, an abandoned dust road that ran into emptiness. Just as Lindsey fought with the rappers of all the food to find the map – Sara's cell began to ring. "Shit" She cursed. "…and I never said that if your mom asks" she shot at Lindsey who was smirking.
"Sidle…"
"Hey baby…" Before Sara could respond the tone of the brunette changed from loving to worried, "Is that Jason?" she asked, "Why's he crying…is he…"
"He's fine…just a little ratty. Doesn't like the car I don't think" Sara sighed, her head spinning and her heart telling her how much she wanted Catherine with her right now. She was the only on who could make sense of this mess.
"Your still in the car…I thought you were meant to be there two hours ago" Catherine spoke.
"Look, I got into a little trouble is all…were running late…" Sara snapped. Then realised that she was taking it all out on Catherine "I'm sorry"
"Baby… what's going on?"
"I'm fine… really…everything is…I'm heading up there now. We're nearly there" Sara was semi sure that it wasn't a lie. If she knew where she was she was almost positive they were near the cabin. "Baby…look I need to see to Jason…talk to Lindsey for me."
"Okay…honey" Catherine agreed knowing now wasn't the best time to talk to the brunette. Sara passed the phone over before getting out of the car in order to walk around and get Jason out.
"Mom?"
"Hey Linds… are things really as bad as they sound?" Catherine asked fearing the answer.
"Worse" She sighed dramatically. Sara took Jason out of the back seat and lifted him into her arms shutting Lindsey alone in the car hoping she didn't cause too much trouble for her with the blond who was now asking a thousand and one questions. "Sara's cracking up"
Catherine sighed, "I knew this was a bad idea"
"This is a terrible Idea" Lindsey corrected. "And…she's smoking again"
"What?"
"Yup…I saw her when we stopped at the gas station" Lindsey explained with a nod. Happy as she was getting payback on the brunette who had graced her up only a week ago about getting home later than her curfew.
"God damn it…I'll deal with that when I get back." Catherine was angry; it had taken Sara so long to quite. "So your lost I take it?"
"Yup…no clue…"
"Have you at least called Nancy to let her know?" Catherine asked though knew the answer.
"Nope."
"Okay…do you think maybe you could get Sara to do that?"
"I don't think so…she's not all with it today mom" Lindsey explained, "here she's coming back…" Lindsey explained as she saw Sara carrying a once again sleeping Jason. The brunette placed him into the back seat as Lindsey called softly – "Mom wants you back"
Sara took the phone and closed the door to the Denali leaning on the side away from the kids and the stress of what was the road trip. "Hey baby"
"Sara honey… is things really okay?" Catherine was concerned.
"Just fine… don't worry. How was your trip hun…" Sara didn't want to talk about the mess that was her situation so tried not to talk about it.
"Only complaint is that I'm not with you right now. I'm missing you like crazy honey…" Catherine sighed.
"Mm…I'm not doing much better here. I couldn't sleep last night without you there" Sara sighed. She'd never imagined herself this caught up over someone…this in love. She'd never believed it was possible until Catherine.
"I'm sorry… I didn't want to leave you…especially not with the family that…"
"Hate me…" Sara offered.
"That are as crazy as mine, I was going to say"
Sara just smiled, "Yeah well… I know you wouldn't have done it if you could have gotten out of it. I better go hun…the kids are in the car"
"Okay… call me when you get to the cabin."
"Will do. Love you"
"Yeah you to"
Sara cut off the phone – and went back into the car –
"Mom said to call Gran" Lindsey explained.
"Your mom says a lot of things honey…doesn't mean I do them. Grab the map." Sara explained as she pulled the car off and began the search once again.
