Hi everyone, thank you for the reviews. Again, longer than I had hoped between updates but here is chapter 10.
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Chapter 10
Sara and Charlie sat in silence for a few hours simply thinking, at about 2 am Charlie got up off the couch and went into the kitchen and started to make herself a cheese sandwich, it was her comforter, she made one for Sara and placed it on the coffee table as she sat down again.
"It'll give you nightmares." Sara said taking a bite out of hers.
"Not going to sleep anyway, too much going off in my head." Charlie said before looking at her watch, "Bugger, I'm at work at 6." She said rolling her eyes, she had half a mind to phone in sick but she needed the money and wasn't the type to phone in for no reason.
"What are you going to do?" Sara asked placing her sandwich down on the table and turning to face Charlie, her face showed everything she'd been through over the last few hours, as well as a huge bruise on her forehead and a swollen jaw.
"Go in for my shift, its split again, 6 to 12; I've got classes from 12:30 to 5 then 6-12, another long day." Charlie yawned out of tiredness and the thought of an 18 hour day but she knew that's not what Sara was referring to. "As for the other thing I need time to process it you know?" Charlie sighed, "What are you going to do when you next see her?" Sara had been thinking about that, she wasn't sure what she'd do, she knew what life Catherine had sent Charlie into the day she gave her up; she'd seen the young woman crying at night because of how alone she'd felt. But she did know that she'd never let Catherine Willows hurt her sister again.
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Sara must have dozed off because the next thing she knew she heard Charlie rummaging around the apartment, she checked the time and it was just after 5. She stood up and found Charlie packing her things for work and Uni, she looked exhausted.
"Hey." Sara said resting herself on the door frame.
"You look awful."
"Better than you do, does it hurt?" Sara pointed to her jaw and Charlie nodded, "So I'm guessing I probably won't see you until tomorrow morning?" Charlie shrugged.
"Dunno, I don't know a lot at the moment either. Thanks for being there tonight." Charlie said shoving her hands in her pockets as Sara nodded her acceptance.
"You gonna be alright today?" Sara asked.
"Yeah, I'll catch you in the morning." Charlie replied picking up her bag and heading out of the apartment, but before she left she turned round and gave Sara a hug to let her know things were ok, then she stopped by the kitchen counter remembering to pick her keys up as she left.
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Catherine woke up at 6am, she'd told Gil there was a family emergency and wasn't going to be back, she walked into Lindsey's room and watched the young girl sleeping, so angelic and peaceful – if only she was the same when she was awake. Catherine wasn't sure how she was going to tell her the news, she'd discussed it with Nancy but it didn't help, it was a big thing but she couldn't keep it hidden anymore. Catherine had to face up to her actions, she went back into her bedroom and delved into the back of her closet pulling out an old shoebox, inside it there was a single picture and a hospital ID bracelet, her only connections to Charlotte, she picked them up and started to cry. Lindsey overheard and ventured into the bedroom to see what was going on.
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"Mum you ok?" The teenager asked concerned, her mother looked terrible, Catherine looked at Lindsey and wiped her eyes as her gaze returned to the photograph of Charlotte.
"Is that me?" Lindsey asked and Catherine shook her head, Lindsey picked up the ID bracelet and examined it. "Charlotte Flynn. Date of birth 14 May 1981." At this Catherine started sobbing again. "Mum who is she?" Lindsey asked slightly panicked.
"My daughter, I had a baby before you were born." Catherine sobbed and Lindsey pt her arm around her mother, she was shocked, the last thing she expected. "Did she die?" Lindsey asked wondering why she'd never been told of her before, Catherine shook her head.
"She's very much alive," Catherine said through the tears, "she's actually living in Vegas, I found out last night." Catherine said looking at Lindsey who was processing the information.
"So I have a big sister?" Lindsey asked as it sunk in, "you have another daughter?" Catherine nodded, "Did Daddy know?" Lindsey asked.
"I only ever told your Aunt Nancy, Grandma doesn't have any idea, she will soon though, but I wanted to tell you first." Catherine said pulling Lindsey closer to her, "you will always be my baby girl, I loved you from the moment I knew I was carrying you, I never told you before because I didn't want you to hate me." Catherine added kissing Lindsey's hair.
"I know, you were not much older than me when you had her I guess?" Lindsey said her voice was slow and her words carefully chosen, Catherine nodded, she was glad Lindsey seemed to be taking it so well, "I bet you thought you were doing what was for the best, like when you had me and decided to be a CSI………I erm always wondered what it would be like to have an older sister." The teenager smiled.
"Don't get too hopeful Linds, I haven't spoken to her yet, I didn't find out she was here in the best way possible." Catherine replied and Lindsey gave her a questioning look so Catherine told her the entire story.
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"You never know she may want to get to know you," Lindsey said as they sat at the kitchen table two hours later eating breakfast, Catherine had called the school to say Lindsey was ill, she wanted to spend the day with her daughter explaining things to her.
"I hope so baby I really do, but she's an adult, she makes her own decisions." Catherine replied stirring her coffee.
"Well I think you should at least speak to Sara, find out from her how things lay." Lindsey said sliding out of her chair and getting herself a glass of water, "all you can do is try." Lindsey smiled brightly.
"When did you get so smart and grown up?" Catherine asked smiling; she was pleased and greatly relieved at Lindsey's reaction.
"I've always been this way; I'm just good at hiding it." Lindsey laughed and so did Catherine.
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