Bit down at the moment so apologies if updates take a bit longer than normal, my muse has taken a hike : (
x x x x
"You've got my home number if anything happens?" She already knew the answer but asked anyway. Again. Nick laughed, slinging an arm around the frenzied blonde's shoulders.
"Yes Cath, we've got your number." He assured her, exchanging amused glances with Greg.
"Okay." She nodded, exhaling slowly. "I just don't want to rush her. Maybe this was a bad idea…"
"Catherine, she'll be fine." Nick promised, tugging her closer to his body. "We're just going for lunch. She'll be perfectly safe."
"I'm not worried about her getting hurt." Catherine frowned. "I'm just scared that she might not be ready for it yet. I don't want to distress her anymore."
"Well, we'll make sure she knows that she can come home at any time." Greg assured her. "She'll tell us if she wants to leave."
"No she won't." Cath retorted sceptically. She released a breath, trying to calm herself. She speculated that right now she was probably more nervous than Sara herself. "Alright, when she's anxious she tends to crack her knuckles." She explained thoughtfully. "And she'll avoid eye contact at all cost. Oh, and she'll do anything to change the subject."
"Alright." Nick nodded, trying to disguise his amusement. Cath narrowed her eyes at him.
"What?" She asked when she noticed his lips twitching into a smile despite his best efforts. Unable to contain it anymore, he burst out laughing.
"It's just … she's only been here a couple of days and it's like you've been living with her for years. You've already got her sussed."
"Yeah, well. I've had to learn fast." She pointed out with a sigh. "She's putting on a front but she's still very fragile underneath it all."
Just as she finished speaking, Sara appeared at the bottom of the stairs with a shy smile.
"Hey, Sara." Greg greeted warmly, instantly going over to her. He hesitated for just a second before wrapping her in a gentle hug. "I've missed you." He mumbled into her hair. She leant into him slightly before stepping out of the embrace.
"Hey sweetie." Nicky grinned at her, having materialised beside them. He placed a kiss on her cheek, wrapping one arm around her waist in a protective movement. "You ready to go?"
"Uh huh." She nodded, sharing a small smile with Catherine. The blonde wandered over and pulled her into a brief hug, using the chance the whisper something in her ear before releasing her back to the boys.
"Have fun." She called after them as they filed out; sending a silent prayer to anyone who was listening that this hadn't been a big mistake.
X x x
"So..." Nick said for the tenth time. "Catherine's taking good care of you huh?"
"Yeah, she's been really great." Sara agreed softly, pushing her food around her plate in deep thought.
"How's Lindsey?" Greg asked between bites of his burger. "I bet she's glad to have you staying."
"I've only seen her briefly, Cat asked Nancy to take her for a few days." Sara answered, absently lifting her gaze to stare across the park. "I think she's scared that too much excitement is going to freak me out."
Nick and Greg exchanged a look of concern over her seeming lack of interest in the conversation.
"Hey, have you noticed that you're the only one who can get away with calling her 'Cat'?" Nick babbled suddenly, acquiring a falsely bright tone to his voice. "Whenever I try it I get my head bitten off. And I know Warrick doesn't dare…"
His brown eyes widened and his jaw fell open when it dawned on him what he'd said. Greg kicked him under the table, scowling at his colleague. Sara, noticing their sudden silence, swung her gaze lazily to meet theirs.
"You can talk about it you know." She mumbled. "I'm not going to fall to pieces."
Nick bit his lip, swallowing a tight smile.
"Yeah, we know." He said softly. "We just didn't know whether you'd want to talk about it or not."
"I don't." Sara shrugged, looking up and taking a deep breath. "But if I don't it'll eat away at me." There was a long moment of silence before Greg cleared his throat, getting her attention.
"Alright." He murmured. "Well, you can talk to us about it." She met his brown eyes, always so filled with compassion and kindness.
"What's going to happen to Warrick?" It was a question she had wanted to ask Catherine but the blonde seemed so intent on not upsetting her that to bring the subject up might send her into overdrive.
"We haven't been told anything." Nick said, shuffling uncomfortably on the hard wooden seat. Sara gave him a look.
"Come on Nicky," she pleaded. "I know someone's mentioned it. What's going on?" The Texan shared an uncertain look with his younger male companion before relenting under Sara's impassioned stare.
"Alright, as far as I know Ecklie's letting you call the shots." He said at last. "If you don't want to work with him any more then he'll either get moved to a different shift or…"
"Fired." She finished softly.
"Yeah." He nodded, swallowing hard.
"What do you guys want?"
"Hey, it's not our call." Nick held up his hands. He'd been warned by enough people not to pass his anger at Warrick onto Sara; he knew better than to answer that question honestly.
"Yeah, we wouldn't blame you no matter what you choose." Greg added.
"That's not what I asked." Sara pointed out with a small smile. "What do you want to happen?"
"We want you to be happy." Greg said quietly. "To feel safe."
"Yeah." Nick agreed, reaching out to grip her hands over the table. "Either way, what he did to you is going to affect us all. We're not going to trust him near you." He searched her hazel eyes, trying to ensure his message was fully understood. "We're going to protect you; we'll make sure he never hurts you again. So, all that really matters is whether you trust him enough to still work with him."
X x x
Catherine was almost surprised when they arrived back in good spirits. She'd had one eye on her phone all afternoon, in case Sara had wanted to come home. She'd told her to text her if it got too much and she'd call the boys with some reason why they had to bring her back.
But it had been silent, and judging by the brunette's bright smile she'd been right about getting out of the house. It had clearly done her some good.
"Hey, you have a good time?" She asked, wandering onto the front porch when she heard them pull up. It struck her that that was the exact same thing she asked Lindsey when she came in from her friends' houses.
"Yeah, thanks." Sara said, turning to give the boys a hug. "Thank you, I needed that." She mumbled to them gratefully. Greg held onto her for a moment longer, before finally letting her go and sloping down the steps towards Nick's jeep.
"Went well then?" Cath probed softly as they watched the car pull out and disappear down the road.
"Yeah." Sara mumbled with a contented smile, leaning against the porch railing. "It … it helped."
Catherine scrutinised her for a minute. There was still clearly something on her mind, but she looked genuinely happier.
"Good." The older woman whispered at last, going back into the house and leaving Sara to her thoughts as she stared down the quiet road.
X x x
"Can you do me a favour?" Sara asked tentatively after dinner.
"Of course." Cath responded instantly. "Name it." Sara chewed her lip anxiously.
"Can you call Ecklie and tell him that I've made up my mind." Catherine stopped what she was doing and turned to face her, attempting to disguise her surprise. She tried to scan Sara's expression but the brunette had her gaze trained determinedly on the kitchen table.
"Okay." She drawled at last, sliding into the seat opposite. "And?"
"I don't want things to change." Sara rushed out, flashing a brief glance up before casting her eyes back down. "I don't want to break the team up."
"Alright." Cath nodded, catching onto her meaning. "Are you sure; you know that you don't have to make this decision now."
"I know." Sara mumbled. "But it's the right one." She stopped, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. When she finally started talking again her voice was quiet and vulnerable, just like it had been at the hospital that first night. "It wasn't Warrick. Not really." Cath's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?" She asked uncertainly, subtly slithering into the seat next to her.
"He was … different. It was like he was a completely different person." The stubborn strand of hair fell into her face again but this time when she went to brush it away Catherine beat her to it. "I knew it was him, but it was like somebody else had taken over him."
"Well, drugs can do that to you." Cath mumbled knowingly.
"Exactly." Sara said, meeting her puzzled gaze. "He would never normally have done that. You guys didn't believe it was true."
Catherine opened her mouth to answer but stopped, not knowing how to phrase it. Sara obviously understood her hesitation and offered a shrug.
"It's okay. I almost began to think I'd imagined it myself." She assured Cath. "But I know that's not really who he is. He only did what he did because of what he was taking. And he won't do it again."
"You don't know that honey." Catherine pointed out softly.
"No." Sara conceded. "But I have to believe it." She swallowed, considering her next words carefully. "You said that you're like my family … and you are. All of you – including Warrick." Cath slipped her hand into Sara's, silently offering comfort while she spoke. "I want him to get help. To clean himself up. But I don't want to lose my family."