"What do you mean you're leaving?" Sara asked, stricken with shock. They were in Shannon's hotel room.

"I'm coming back. I promise. There's just…something I have to take care of," Shannon insisted.

Upon seeing Sara's doubtful look, she reassured her, "Catherine's coming with me."

"She is?"

"Well, I'm going to ask her to…you said she said it was alright, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'm going to ask her. We have a little catching up to do."

"Do you know where she lives? I could come with," Sara offered.

"Thanks. I'd appreciate that," Shannon agreed.

"What is it that you need to do? Do you need help?"

"No, it's just something I do once a year…I'll be back in two to three days."

Sara was curious. As far as she could remember, there was never anything her mom did yearly that was noteworthy enough for a trip back to California.

The ride to Catherine's was rather short. Since it was the middle of the day, Sara hoped that her coworker wasn't sleeping.

Ring. Sara rang the doorbell. Ring Ring Ring. She rang again and again just because she knew that if Catherine was asleep, this would be some fun.

"What the hell are you doing?" Catherine yelled as she opened the door, sleepy-looking and in her PJ's.

"I thought the doorbell was broken again." Sara said, all too innocently.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you deaf? You could hear the doorbell from down the block!" Catherine wasn't too happy. Unlike Sara, she needed more than a few hours of sleep. Shannon was smiling behind Sara. Apparently, the two had a mini-war going on.

"What are you here for, anyways?" Catherine finally opened the door wide enough for the other two to follow her in. It was obvious she had been sleeping on the couch before they arrived.

"I'm not too sure…" Sara replied, enjoying the evil glint in Catherine's eye. She knew she would pay for this one of these days, but until then there was always Greg there to vent the blonde's anger at work.

"So you woke me up…in the middle of the day…for NOTHING?"

"Not quite. There's a purpose for our visit, Sara just doesn't know it." Shannon put in before her friend strangled her daughter. Sara nodded vigorously in agreement.

"And that is?" Catherine sounded a little nicer.

"Can I talk to you in private for a moment?" Shannon asked.

Sara, knew there was a reason for the secrecy but still felt a little disappointed by the fact that she wasn't going to hear it. However, she was a grown woman, and resisted the urge to follow the two older women to eavesdrop.

"So, what is it, Shannon?" Catherine asked, once they were in her bedroom and effectively alone.

"I was uh…wondering…if you would mind…coming to California with me. Only for a few days."

"I…have work…" Catherine said reluctantly, feeling saddened to have to decline. She honestly wanted to go, but she couldn't.

"You can't get off?"

"I don't know. When do you leave?"

"Tonight. I'm sorry. It's short notice, I know."

"It's not just that…I have…a daughter."

Shannon took it as big news.

"It seems we do have a lot of catching up to do."

"It seems so. Why can't you stay for awhile longer?"

"I'm coming back…there's just something I have to attend to first."

Catherine was perplexed. What could possibly be so important to make a trip back to California? Then it dawned on her. Tomorrow. She always went back on the same day. And it was tomorrow.

"I…I'll go. I'll just pull a few favors."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It'll be just like old times, huh? You, me, and bit of ol' California."

"Thanks. It means a lot. That you decided to come," Shannon told her.

"No problem, really."

"Oh, and Catie?"

"Yes?" Catherine instantly decided not to tell her off for using that name.

"I'm sorry. I really was. I still am."

"The past is the past."

What Sara overheard was nothing more than she already knew. Not that she was trying to listen or anything. She just sort of…overheard. What she could gather was that the two of them were going to California for some unknown reason. But it was the reason she wanted to know. Curiosity gnawed at her, wanting to ask questions. But she didn't. She would wait until after the trip…

"Sara!" Catherine yelled.

"Yeah?" Sara had the deer in the headlights look on her face.

"You're babysitting for a couple of days. You can sleep here."

"Wait. What?"

"You owe me a favor. So I'm asking you to babysit."

"Wait. Since when did I owe YOU a favor?"

"Since you woke me up ringing that damn doorbell!" Catherine pointed to the door for emphasis. Shannon was silently laughing behind her, realizing her favor was actually Sara's punishment.

"It's not like you're not getting a vacation out of this or anything." Sara muttered under her breath, barely audibly.

A/N Soory for the long wait guys. Finals and everything. It's short but I'll try to get the next chapter up in a couple of days.