I NEVER tire of saying this, but thank you for the reviews, I wrote this on the train today with a hangover, so please excuse any bad grammar or spelling, blame the copious amounts of beer I drank until 4am this morning in london. But what a fun way to cure a hangover, Sara and Catherine fiction. Cheers to all those who are sticking with this story!! x
"Catherine?" Sara replaced her hand on the frozen womans shoulder and slowly turned the small blond woman around so they were facing each other. Catherine couldn't make eye contact with her and awkwardly gazed at the floor not answering. Closing the distance between them, Sara placed her slender fingers under Catherine's chin and gently tipped her face so she had no choice but to look at the brunette. "Cath, I know you didn't mean this as anything serious, so relax. I'm not about to jump you because you kept up your end of the bargain." She kept her voice light and playful, hoping to alleviate the older womans apparent shyness.
"I honestly didn't know it was in there. I think a certain teenager is getting her own back." She stammered.
Giving her warm shoulder a slight squeeze, Sara winked at the blond and said, "don't worry, I think I'm going to be too cold to play sex games all night long with you Cath. Plus I have issues with sleeping in dirty bedsheets, the idea of having a blob of syrup on them would keep me up all night!"
"Oh dear, you've packed your own bedsheets haven't you?" Catherine smiled a little at the thought.
"Was that a hint of a smile I saw there Willows?" Sara teased.
"Nope."
"No is the correct grammar, you really have picked up bad habits from hanging in the mall all day with teenage girls. I could have sworn for a second you were smiling over my sleeping arrangement woes."
Catherine chuckled and pulled away from Sara's light touch. She began repacking her bag trying not to look at the brunette who had gone over to the syrup bottle, eying it suspiciously. "Oh yeah, really hilarious, lets all laugh at poor old Sara" the brunette continued to rant comically, "thrashing sleeplessly amongst sticky pools of pancake toppings."
"Sara stop over exaggerating, you can always take the bath tub if your so concerned about getting stuck to the mattress" Catherine just couldn't help but smile now, the images were so funny.
"You won't be laughing when I crawl into your bed at night." The brunette huffed.
"My my, aren't we the touchy one this evening. Give me advance warning if your planning to climb in next to me, because I'm now one syrup bottle down" She chuckled.
"Oh... so now you can make jokes about it. I'll hold you to that Willows."
"Is that deja Vu i hear calling? Want to get a beer? Or you to het up to take a hint?"
"Funny. Walk."
The two woman picked a spot in the corner of the bar. Sara offered to get the drinks, making her way over to the barmaid. Catherine reclined back in the soft couch an gazed over at the slim brunette. She was touched how Sara had so neatly and lightheartedly painted over the syrup issue, making an effort to keep her at ease and comfortable. She couldn't believe her daughter. Taking out her mobile she kept the text short and sweet. "You're dead. Love Mum." She shut her phone off, placing it back into her bag. Letting her eyes fall back on Sara's form again she saw the young woman was on her mobile. Catherine watched the younger woman play with the rim of one of the beer glasses. She was glad they were getting along. There always seemed to be this tension between them, it was nice that out of the context of work they were comfortable and friendly together. Seeing Sara walk back towards her, the blond absent-mindedly smoothed a lock back behind her ear and licked her lips. Clearing her throat she asked, "last minute phone call?"
Sara placed the two beer glasses down, pocketed her phone and replied "Yeah, just warned Hodges about Socks, he's keeping an eye on my apartment and you know what he's like with his allergies." She plonked herself down next to Catherine and grabbed a beer.
Cath shifted unconsciously a little nearer to the brunette and grabbed the remaining beer. "So... tell me a bit about yourself" she asked filling the silence and taking a small sip of her cold beer, the condensation running down her painted nails and into her palm.
"God Cath, is this a date?" Sara smiled.
"In your dreams Sidle, now answer my question." Catherine said, wiping her wet hand on Sara's slacks making the brunette jump and choke on her drink.
Eyes still on Catherine's hand rubbing her hand on her leg, Sara put down her glass and replied "Good job I don't go for bossy women uh Willows?" Receiving a raised eyebrow, she continued "What? What's with the eyebrow thingy? You're telling me you've never even thought about another woman?"
"There's thinking about it, and acting on it. I don't act I'm afraid. Not my scene. No offence though."
"Is that why you've chosen to sit so close to me then Cath?"
The blond slid to the side of the sofa comically.
"Oh, so it's like that is it? What if I said I missed you?" A small chuckle.
"I'd say you were a lightweight and you're banned from drinking on the plane." Catherine smiled.
"Oh the pleasantries that ensue tonight Miss Willows."
"Last name basis, you must be getting grouchy again." The blonds eyes twinkled.
"FLIGHT 973 NOW READY FOR BOARDING FROM GATE 37"
"Geesh, other end of the airport. We better get a move on." Sara said, necking her beer and grabbing her bag. Catherine followed, heading towards the departure lounge.
"Is this it?" They both just stood there gawping at the tiny plane.
"I'm afraid so ladies. Express instructions from a Mr.Ecklie. Between myself and you ladies I'd say you're boss was exercising his budget cutting.
"You think?" Sara said sarcastically. Catherine put a hand lightly on the young woman's back and pushed her softly towards the small set of steps leading towards the open door. She could sense a hesitancy in Sara, whether it was anger or fear, or maybe both, she couldn't tell. But putting her other hand on Sara's shoulder she gently steered the unsure woman into the small compartment and tossed their bags in the back.
"It's a bit crammed in here. How long is the flight?" Sara said obviously agitated.
"Sara honey, chill out." Catherine sat down next to the brunette and took her hand, adjusting her seatbelt and placing on a headset.
Flinching slightly at the unexpected touch, Sara clumsily put on her headset and tugged at her belt. Grunting in frustration she snarled "what is the point of giving us safety belts if they don't even work?"
Catherine smirked and lent over the younger woman her breasts softly pressing into her arm, and pulled the twisted seatbelt over Sara's chest. "There you go, not that hard really."
Sara sat there pouting like a stubborn child. She looked adorably pathetic. Catherine moved so she was close to Sara's face and said in a motherly voice, "Now now baby, its only 5 hours, you can take a nap, I'll have your warm milk ready for when you wake up." She smiled, trying not to laugh at Sara's expression and smoothed the brunettes hair with her thumb.
"Catherine?"
"Yes?"
"Can you make it a whiskey?"
"You bet. Now in all seriousness just chill out, lean on me if you want something soft to sleep on and I'll wake you up a little later." Adjusting themselves into a comfortable position, Sara's head laid awkwardly on the blonds shoulder and Catherine's hand settled on the young woman's knee, they both drifted off to the sensation of the rhythmic turbulence and the constant, comforting drone of the pilots voice updating them on their location.
The two sleeping ladies woke up at the same time, to a sudden violent jolt and the feeling of the plane descending incredibly fast. Too fast. And too early. They weren't scheduled to land for at least another half hour. Catherine glanced at Sara, scared and tightening her safety belt. Sara took the blonds hand and stroked the trembling surface with her thumb. Adjusting her askew headset she asked the pilot, "Derek, do we... um... do we have a.. a problem?" she stammered. Her confident exterior betrayed by her voice. "Ms Sidle, Ms Willow's, I'm afraid to inform you that we'll have to make an emergency landing." The plane gained speed, the pilot cut the engine and the 3 of them watched as the ground became nearer and nearer...
