Chapter 10:

Cato patiently leaned against his car, waiting for Clove. She had given him strict instruction to not knock on her door and wait for her outside to avoid Annie having a panic attack.

A huge grin spread across his face as Clove emerged from her house and skipped up her slanted drive way and into his arms. "Hello" Cato said after Clove pulled away from their kiss.

"Hi" Clove smiled, getting in his car and making Cato walk around to the drivers side.

"So where are we going, Ms. I planned this date but I can't drive so my boyfriend has to drive me?" Cato asked.

"I sense you're hinting something" Clove joked. "We are going to have a picnic in Golden Gate Park and lucky for us the sun is out!"

Cato started the car and drove to Golden Gate park. It was a quick drive since the park was basically in the middle of the city. They laid out their blanket in the middle of the grass field and immediately dug into their sandwiches.

"I knew you didn't like peanut butter so I made you ham" Clove said excitedly, tossing him his sandwich and a juice box.

"You are so cute" he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her into his lap.

"Yeah, yeah. I know" Clove said, stuffing her face with her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Especially when you stuff your face" Cato added, kissing her temple.

"So I've been told, now eat your sandwich. Annie helped me make it" Clove said and Cato took a bite from his ham sandwich, a sip of apple juice following it.

"Very good. Very good indeed, but I do prefer my crust cut off" Cato critiqued, rubbing his chin thoughtfully while Clove laughed at his expression. He thought it would make him look smart, but Clove would contradict that statement. "Tell Chef Annie she is an excellent cook" he added, grinning.

Clove grinned as well. "I shall" she said, taking a huge bite from her sandwich.

"When do I get to meet Annie?" Cato asked and Clove choked on her sandwich.

"What?" She asked, her voice restrained a bit from the peanut butter still lodged in her throat.

"When do I get to meet Annie? And Frank, of coarse" Cato asked.

"Umm" Clove stalled. She didn't want Cato to leave her because of her dysfunctional family but she felt bad lying to him. She was to close to him to not feel remorse when she told him what she told everyone else she ever met. "Well, Annie isn't really comfortable with strangers and Frank is never around. So maybe you can meet them in a few weeks?" Clove said but it came out more of a question.

Cato shrugged. "Guess that's cool" Cato said, taking a bite of his sandwich. "So you wouldn't think it would be crazy if I asked you to be my date to my mom's wedding?"

"It would only be crazy if I said I wouldn't go with you" Clove smiled.

"So that means...?"

"I'll think about it."

"Yeah sure" Cato scoffed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Clove asked, the smile dropping off her face. Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms across her chest.

"You wouldn't say no to me" Cato said, and Clove raised her eyebrows.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

"Well, than, no. I won't be your date to your mother's wedding."

Cato's mouth dropped open in pure shock. "What?" His voice was high and surprised.

"I said no" Clove repeated, smirking.

"You're kidding" Cato stated but his smile dropped off his face when Clove shook her head. "Please, please come. It'll be torture if you don't" Cato begged.

Clove sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fine, I'll go" she sighed. She was going to go no matter what but she enjoyed seeing Cato panic and beg.

"Thank you!" Cato grinned, wrapping his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap. "You. Are. The. Best" he said in between kisses.

"I know" Clove smiled after Cato abandoned her lips and sucked on her neck. Clove sighed in content and leaned back against Cato's chest as he left at least one hickey on the pale skin of her neck. "Cato, stop" she said half heartedly but Cato did move back to her lips.

Clove turned around without breaking the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck while her legs straddled his waist and his young traced her bottom lip, asking for entrance. She squeaked in surprise when he shoved his tongue into her mouth, exploring every inch. He pulled away suddenly, much to Clove's dismay, and said, "you taste like peanut butter."

Clove smiled and burying her head in the crook of his neck. "Is that a bad thing" she laughed into his neck.

"I really want to kiss you but peanut butter" he shuddered and Clove laughed again.

Clove pulled her head out of his neck and looked into his deep blue eyes. "Can't you just forget that you don't like peanut butter and kiss me?" She asked, her voice quiet and almost innocent.

"I think I can do that" he said and leaned in again, pressing his lips to hers.

"Cato, you can't. If Annie came in and saw you attacking my face she'd freak out. Who am I kidding she'd freak out even if you weren't attacking my face" Clove said into the phone receiver. She was talking to Cato (of course) and he was saying how easily he could sneak into her room.

"So, you wouldn't complain?" He asked and Clove laughed.

"No" she said, playing with the draw string of her pyjama bottoms. "But I know you can wait until tomorrow to kiss the crap the crap out of me" she said, using his wording.

"But we're driving to Napa tomorrow. I can't kiss you and drive. I've seen The Vow, Clover!" He yelled and Clove laughed.

"We are sharing a hotel room" Clove said in her best seductive tone. Of coarse there will be no funny business going on but she wouldn't complain about making-out.

"Holy crap" Cato said and Clove could practically picture the grin on his face.

Annie then crept her way into Clove's room, going directly to her closet and rummaging threw the contents. "Hold on a minute, Cato" she said and heard his grunt in protest before she pulled the phone from her ear. "What's up, Ann?" She asked.

"Just looking for clothes to wear. All mine look like they belong to, like, a five year old" she said, her voice sounding more like a thirteen year old than a five year olds.

"What?" Clove asked, down right confused about their conversation.

Annie turned around to face her sister, her hand on her hip and her eyes in mid roll. "I'm fourteen, Clove, but you still dress me like a five year old" she said.

Clove's grey eyes widened, "just yesterday you basically threw a fit over weather your shirt had a pony or a ducky on it this morning."

"Things change, Clove. You should know, you actually smile now" Annie said turning back to Clove's closet and pulling out a skirt and a bright pink tank top, both never worn. Most of Clove's wardrobe was never worn since Frank bought them for Annie or Clove and both of them were extremely picky about what they wore.

Annie held the two garments of clothing against her body. The tank top would possibly fit properly, but the skirt had at least been sitting in that closet for two years and was most likely bought for Clove. Annie and Clove might be sisters but they didn't look alike at all. Clove was small and skinny while Annie was tall and curvy. She would be beautiful if she didn't wear over sized teeshirts and hated to brush her dark brown hair.

"Perfect" she grinned.

"Does Dr. Aurelius know about your sudden... Mood change?" She asked.

"No, but he will tomorrow" she said, throwing the shirt and skirt to the side and grabbing a black jacket to complete the outfit. "Perfect. Goodnight, sis" she said and walked out if the room, closing the door behind her.

Clove placed the phone to her ear once again and asked, "Cato, you still there?"

"Yeah" came his reply.

"Do you have siblings?" She asked him.

"Yeah, but they're three and five and I've met them less than twice so I don't think I'm a help in the raising your sister department" he told her and Clove sighed. "But I thought Annie was five?"

"It's a long story that I'm not ready to tell you yet" she said truthfully.

She could hear Cato sigh from the other end and he said, "Ok, but when you're ready to tell me you better 'cause I'm so damn confused" he said.

"I promise" she said and yawned. "I'm gonna go. See you tomorrow, Cato."

"Ill be at your house at six tomorrow. Earlier if I miss you too much" he said. "Bye, babe."

"Bye" Clove said again and hung up. Falling back into the depth of her bed and closing her eyes. Excited for what the next day might bring.