Disclaimer - I don't own CSI.
Cheat
I was sat in our bedroom, still clutching Nick's t-shirt, on the verge of tears when the front door unlocked and slowly opened.
"Sara?" Catherine yelled. "Guys, shh, she might be asleep."
I didn't say anything.
"Sara?" Catherine yelled again.
"Maybe she's gone out," suggested Maddie.
"Maybe," Catherine sighed. She knew something must have been wrong.
"Can we watch TV?" asked Ava.
"Yeah, sure. But keep the noise down," Catherine smiled.
"Thanks Auntie Catherine," Ava and Maddie said in unison as they joined Dylan and Isla on the sofa. Ava surfed the channels for something all four of them liked.
Catherine walked along the hallway and slowly up the stairs. She continued left until she came to the master bedroom. She gently pushed the slightly closed door to reveal me sat on the bed, tears fit to burst in my eyes.
"Sara?" Catherine asked softly.
"Who else," I whispered.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"Nothing," I sniffled.
"Doesn't look like nothing," Catherine said.
"Well it is, so just lay off," I snapped.
"Sar, what's up?" she asked.
"Nothing, I told you," I said, tears were slowly falling.
"Then tell me, I might be able to help," Catherine said as she sat next to me. "Why are you holding Nick's t-shirt?"
"He's cheating on me," I sniffled.
"What?" she asked looking totally confused and angry.
"Nick's cheating on me and I have the evidence to prove it," I said.
"What evidence?" Catherine asked.
"This. A red hair. At first I thought it might have your hair but it's to red," I sighed.
"That's not enough proof that he's cheating. We meet new people everyday, one of them could easily have been a red-head," she said.
"Maybe," I shrugged my shoulders.
"Have you talked to Nicky about it? He's gonna need to explain," she said.
"What's there to explain? He's a cheat, that's all I need to know," I said.
"But I just don't get it. Why would he cheat? Why would he risk losing everything he cares about?" Catherine asked.
"I thought as CSIs we don't care about the why?" I asked.
"Yes but surely as his wife you care?" Catherine tried reasoning with me.
"Our marriage is a shambles. This proves it," I said. "How could I have been so stupid? I mean, look at me. How did I not see this coming?"
"Sara you're beautiful and you don't need me to tell you, I know Nick tells you everyday," she said.
"Another lie."
"Nick doesn't lie, you know that," she was clearly getting impatient with me.
"He saved me, in more ways then one. I was a mess after the whole Grissom thing and when I fell for Nick, I should have known better," I started sobbing lightly.
"Sara, you keep saying he saved you but he needed you just as much," Catherine, once again, tried to reason with me.
"Cath, I'm damaged goods, always have been and always will be," I sniffled.
"He knows what it's like. He's been bottling things up for years," she said sympathetically.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"He didn't tell you?" she asked me her own question.
"We don't tell each other anything. Considering we were friends before we got together we hardly know each other," I sighed.
Catherine looking away.
"What is it?"
"I can't tell you, it's not my secret to tell," she said softly.
"So it's a secret? How come you know and I don't?" I asked.
"He told me years ago. You should here it from him, not me," she said. She was clearly trying to avoid answering my questions.
"Just tell me, I can handle it," I said, probably sounding desperate.
Catherine sighed. "Nicky was raped by a babysitter when he was 9."
"What?"
"I'm sorry," she said.
"How come he's never said anything?" I asked as I was starting to cry again at the thought of something so horrific happening to the strongest person I knew.
"I don't know," she sighed.
"Doesn't he trust me?" I shouted.
"Keep you're voice down, the kids will here you," Catherine whispered.
"They're here?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"Why'd you bring them home so late? I have to go make dinner," I said as I stood up and headed for the door but Catherine had gripped my arm and stopped me.
"I took them to MacDonald's. I'd promised Lindsey earlier this week, so I took your lot too," she said.
"You shouldn't have, I was gonna make Spaghetti Bolognese," I said as tears fell slowly. "Nick taught me how to make it."
"Sara, look at me," she said softly as she took both my hands in hers and tried to make eye contact.
"What?" I sobbed.
"Nick does love you. He loves every fibre of your being. You don't see it but we do, even Grissom. You don't see the way he looks at you. The way his eyes light up at the mere mention of your name. The way his smile, if possible, widens when you enter the room. Don't you get it Sara?" Catherine continued in her soft motherly voice. "You've got what every women wants, don't lose it."
I cried louder and harder. "That doesn't help."
"Well it should. It should make you realise that he would never cheat on you, he loves you way to much. Even more since Ava, Maddie, Dylan and Isla came along," she sucked in air as she tried to control her own emotions.
"That still doesn't explain the red hair," I sniffled.
"No, no it doesn't. Nick will have to explain that, if you give him the chance," she said as she rubbed her eyes.
"But what if he can't explain it? What if he did cheat?" I asked.
"Well then you call me, Warrick and Greg and we'll sort him out for you, ok?"
"Yeah, maybe, I don't know," I muttered.
"Just remember, I'll always be here for you," Catherine took another deep breath.
"I know."
"Mum!" Lindsey shouted from the living room.
"Coming!" Catherine shouted back.
"You should be heading off," I sniffled.
"Only if you're going to be ok? Promise me you won't do anything stupid before you talk to Nick," Catherine said.
"Promise," I smiled weakly.
"Call me if you need anything," she said as she wiped away my tears.
"I always do."
Catherine walked out the room. She was the most amazing friend I had ever had and I loved her for it. I just hoped she was right. Maybe Nick did have a good reason for the mysterious red hair, so after I could kick myself for ever thinking he'd cheat on me. That just wasn't Nick. That was why he was different to other men I had dated, I knew for a fact he would never hurt me.
Even with all those positive thoughts flying round in my head, I still couldn't shake the idea that he had cheated and that no matter what Catherine had said I would probably over react when I come fronted him with my findings.
I left the bedroom and plodded down the stairs. Catherine was stood ready to leave at the bottom.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she smiled.
"Yep," I smiled back. It was a fake smile and she could probably tell.
"Bye Auntie Catherine," Isla said.
"Bye sweetheart. Be good for you mum and dad," she said as she and hugged all 4 of my babies good bye. "See you all soon."
"Bye!" Lindsey and Catherine shouted from their car as it drove away out of sight.
"What do we do now?" Dylan asked as he closed the door.
"Mmmm, I don't know. Sleep?" I suggested sarcastically.
"No way, it's not bedtime yet," Isla protested.
"You're right, it's way past your bedtime. Go on up and brush your teeth. I'll be there in a minute," I said as I ushered them up the stairs.
"Fine," Isla sulked as she and her brother made there way to the bathroom.
"Two down, two to go," I whispered under my breath. "Come on now, you two can go as well."
I was trying to make out everything was normal but they probably worked out it wasn't. What did I expect? They had grown up around CSIs, they were bound to pick up things along the way. I really didn't want my babies to go to bed because I would be all alone in the silence and therefore would've had loads of free time to decide what I was going to say to Nick when he came home and to plan how I was going to deal with everything. I knew for a fact that it was going to be a very long night.
After Ava and Maddie shuffled off to bed, I went and tucked them all in. As usual they were fast asleep by the time I had got to their rooms. They slept so peacefully. It really was going to be a long night. What was going to happen in the morning I hadn't decided yet, but I knew Nick was going to need an extremely good explanation, else the Stokes family would be non-existent.
Thanks for reading. A long chapter again but it'll be all worth it for the next exciting chapter which should be to long. Probably a bit boring with all the speech but I hope you liked it. Review please.