To my loyal readers (and those who are just enjoying the story) I am soooo sorry about the screw up with Chapters 25 and 26. This is the correct Chapter 25 and it will make some of the things that were said in Chapter 26 make sense. Once again Sorry.
Chapter 25
Two more days had passed with no further encounters with Sara's stalker and finally their doctors gave them the go ahead to go home and both were more than ready to get out of the hospital. "Hey sweetie are you about ready to go home?"
"Cat I am beyond ready to get out of here. When will the guys be here?"
Catherine looked at her watch. "Warrick said that Grissom was letting them leave at 8:00 so they should be here in about an hour. On the way we can swing by your apartment and pick up your clothes. Lindsey wanted to be there when we got home and Mom said she was going to cook us a meal. After we eat they'll take off for their vacation." She wiggled her eyebrows at Sara. "Then we can get down to business."
"And what business is that Cat?" She smiled innocently at Catherine. "Did you have something in mind to fill the afternoon, I was planning on sleeping."
"Oh I plan on using the bed but definitely not for sleeping Ms. Sidle."
"Are you sure you're up to it at your advanced age? You might need to take a nap first."
Catherine was laughing as she made her way over to Sara's bed. "You might need a nap after I get done with you honey, but you will definitely not be getting one before. It will be hard to wait until Mom and Lindsey leave to keep my hands off of you."
"Why do you have to wait?" It was her turn to wiggle her eyebrows.
Catherine slapped her arm. "Behave it's hard enough as it is."
"You seem to be doing a good job of it right now."
"So what do you want me to do Sara? Do you want me to do this?" She took Sara's face in her hands and kissed her very soundly. "Or do you want me to do this?" She kissed her neck. Sara turned her head to give her better access. "Or should I do this?" She snaked her hand under the covers and then under Sara's shirt to cover her breast. "Oh looks like someone else is excited too."
"Cat stop! I can't take it. You got your point across, I'm all yours when we get to your house."
"So ladies are you two ready to get out of my hospital and let us get back to some semblance of normalcy?"
Catherine whispered in Sara's ear and moved her hand after a quick tweak of the nipple. "To be continued." She giggled at Sara's quick intake of breath. "Susan, are you here to spring us?"
"Yes ladies I am here to give you your aftercare instructions. You both need to be back here in three days to have your stitches removed. No heavy lifting for either of you ok? Sara that means no picking her up and carrying her around the house ok?" Sara blushed that lovely shade of red that Catherine was beginning to like a lot. "You two are going to have to be careful for the first couple of days."
"Can you define 'be careful'?" Catherine asked with a worried look on her face.
Susan had to laugh at the matching worried looks on the two faces staring back at her. "Do you really want me to spell it out?" Both women nodded. "Ok you can make love but no gymnastics while doing so. Try to confine yourselves to the bed, no tabletops or countertops."
Catherine snapped her fingers. "Damn there goes my plan of attack. I have a new kitchen table I was planning on breaking in after we had lunch with my Mom and daughter." Both Susan and Catherine laughed when they saw the shocked look on Sara's face. "Babe I'm just kidding. We can save it for after dinner instead."
"Cat will you behave and let her finish telling us what we can and cannot do? Go ahead Susan."
"Thank you Sara." She winked at Catherine before she continued. "Both of you are going to have to keep the suture areas dry until the stitches come out. So I guess that would mean that the shower is out just like the table." She laughed as she said it.
"But Susan don't you have those things we can tape over the incisions so we can do it in the shower?"
"That's enough Catherine let her finish so she can get back to work." By this time Sara was smiling too. "I'm interested in what surfaces we can do it on versus where we can't. Do you have a list or something we can refer to. You know like, 'hold on Cat move your hand so I can check the list before we continue' type thing?"
"Oh she can give as good as she gets huh Catherine?" Susan had to laugh at the slightly shocked look on Catherine's face.
"Oh I hope so." They all burst out laughing as Susan gave them the necessary paperwork for their discharge. They signed what needed to be signed and Susan left the room. "So do you think we can be careful Sara?"
"Oh I'm sure we can be imaginative enough and keep it safe at the same time."
"I sometimes still have to pinch myself to believe this is all real. I always hoped I'd have a chance with you but this is more than even I could have expected. The last few days have been eye opening for me."
"Oh yeah I bet it has. Your day starts out in much the normal way and by the end of it you end up in the hospital. You have a hole in your head because of me, you have a man out there that wants to kill you, once again because of me. Quite the first date huh?"
"I must admit, as first dates go, it rates up there as bad, but you haven't seen some of the guys I've dated."
"Cat, this is going to work right?" She asked very quietly.
"Who are you doubting me or you? If you are doubting me, don't because I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm doubting myself and what I can offer you and Lindsey. What if I do something wrong and it messes her up?"
"Too late I've already done that." At Sara's shocked look she continued. "Parenting doesn't come with a handbook."
"Well it should. I'm going to pick up some books and read up on it."
"Sara I love you for wanting to do that and I would have been surprised if you hadn't. But there is no right or wrong. I've made my share of mistakes but I don't think Lindsey is too damaged yet. I'm sure she will spend the whole of her life in therapy or something but you never can tell." She laughed a small laugh.
"How can you laugh about your child having to be in therapy?"
"Sara I was joking. I have no idea what will happen in the future. We will both make mistakes, that's a given, but we can sit down and talk about decisions if that makes you feel more comfortable. I trust your judgment more than I trust my own sometimes and I see no reason it should be any different in parenting."
"But Cat I had the worst examples you could ever have when it comes to parents so how can you say that?"
Catherine once again took Sara's face between her hands. First she kissed her then she looked her in the eyes before she spoke. "Sara look at me. You have a gentle soul that got a bad deal when they handed out parents. You're a survivor Sara. You walked away from that life and made a new one here and now you are going to start a new chapter in that life. There are going to be ups and downs. I'm sure there will still be some of our infamous fights, we're two strong independent women. But just think, now instead of staying mad at each other we can have some amazing make up sex."
"There is that. Almost worth picking a fight just to make up."
"Oh honey we don't have to fight to have amazing sex. But just think about what we can do with all of that heat and tension we generate when we fight."
"God Cat you have to stop. Your eyes are doing that darkening thing and your voice has dropped again. You have to stop."
"Or what? What will you do Sara?" Catherine deliberately lowered her voice even more and had climbed onto Sara's bed and draped her leg over Sara's lower body. "Can you wait until we get home, all through lunch while I will be sitting next to you thinking about what I'm going to do to you as soon as Mom and Lindsey leave?" Sara couldn't stop the moan from escaping as she felt Catherine's knee intimately resting against her already over heated sex. Catherine felt the heat against her bare skin and the groan she had been holding in passed her lips before she could stop it. "God Sara I can't wait to have you all to myself, with no interruptions."
"Speaking of interruptions, are you ladies ready to go or can we stay for the show?" Catherine rolled off of Sara to see Nick, Greg and Warrick standing in the door with matching hopeful looks on their faces.
"Sorry guys, show's over. Come on Sara time to blow this pop stand." Sara wasn't sure her legs would hold her after being so turned on so she slowly lowered her legs and stood. "You ok sweetie?" Catherine knew exactly how Sara was feeling, her legs were a bit wobbly themselves.
Sara walked over to Catherine and leaned over and whispered. "To be continued." Repeating Catherine's earlier words.
James met them at the door with two wheel chairs. "Ladies your carriages await. Gentleman I leave them in your care. Ladies you have been a joy to care for and I hope I never have to see you again. No offense. But I like you both too much to want to see you here in the hospital again ok?"
"No offense taken James." Sara walked over and kissed him on the cheek before she sat down in the wheel chair. Then she turned around and smiled. "Home James! Told you I find a way to use your names in the proper context." Catherine, James and Sara laughed at the confused looks on the CSI's faces. "Let's get out of here." Sara sat in her chair as the guys pushed them down the hallway. "Warrick, when we take off, keep an eye out for anyone that may be following us. I don't want him to know where Catherine lives."
"Already on it Sara. You two are going to ride with Greg while Nick and I follow behind and play lookout."
"Sara, there are some flowers that were just delivered for you."
Sara stiffened and turned to the nurse behind them. "Throw them away."
"Don't you even want to see who they're from?" The nurse asked.
"I know who they're from, throw them away."
"What's this all about?" Greg grabbed the card and read it. "They're from Grissom."
"What the hell was he thinking? Didn't he give you guys the flowers and card I sent over to the lab two days ago? Sara got more flowers from her stalker so I sent them over for you guys to check for evidence. Then he turns around and sends her more flowers, he's such a Neanderthal." She looked at Sara and realized she spoke before she thought. "I'm sorry I may have spoken out of turn, Sara do you want to keep them now that you know they're not from your stalker?"
"Are you serious? Of course I don't want them. Why would you even think that?"
"I have a tendency to speak before I think, as you already know, I didn't want you to think that I was speaking for both of us. I wasn't speaking out of jealously, don't think I'm jealous or anything, I'm not but they are your flowers not mine."
"Cat shut up. Guys throw the flowers away." Sara stood up and knelt in front of Catherine's chair. "I know you are not jealous and if you are there is no reason to be. But you were right about him not thinking about how I might react. He never has thought of anyone but himself. Let's get out of here so we can get to that lunch your mother has prepared. I think I will have to have a talk with Grissom sooner rather than later." The five of them headed out the door and after everyone was settled in the cars they took off.
Lindsey was jumping up and down at the front door as Greg's car pulled up in the driveway. "Grandma, they're here. Mommy and Sara are here." Once Greg turned the car off she went running to the passenger side door and waited for her Mom to open it. She was on Catherine's lap before she even had her seatbelt off. "Mommy, Grandma and I made lunch for you and Sara." Catherine stood up and gave Lindsey a big hug then set her down.
She was at the backdoor and on Sara's lap before Nick and Warrick had a chance to help her out. "Sara, we made lunch for you and Mommy and then Grandma is taking me to Disneyland. Will you still be here when we get back? Please say yes because you said I could kiss you lots and lots when you stayed here."
"Hey kiddo why don't we give your Mom and Sara a chance to get out of the car and into the house before you tire them out with all of your questions ok?" Warrick held her hand as they headed towards the house.
"Hey Uncle Warrick did you hear I'm going to Disneyland?" Warrick picked her up and threw her up in the air and laughed as she giggled. "Again!" Lindsey asked for more. They all headed into the house.
"Grandma, Uncle Warrick threw me in the air again. I love it when he does that. Sara can you do t hat?"
"Not right away but once I'm all healed you won't be able to stop me."
Lindsey threw herself into Sara's arms. "Yippee! I'm going to like having you around. Let's go eat."
"That's our cue to get out of here." Nick spoke from behind Greg.
"Hey guys thanks for picking us up and having our back. We saw the guard out front and Manny said he and the rest of the guys will be setting up shifts. We already know what the stalker looks like so we won't have to worry about him slipping in on one of the shifts." Both Sara and Catherine hugged each of the guys and then they all bent down to kiss and hug Lindsey.
"Alright ladies, that young lady has been bugging me all day to get out of here to start our vacation so let's sit down to eat so we can get out of here." Sara and Catherine sat down at the table as Lily served up the salad and pasta. "Catherine mentioned that you were a vegetarian so I hope I did ok with this lunch."
"That's very thoughtful of you Lily and it tastes great." They ate in a comfortable silence. When they finished Sara stood up and picked up her plate but was stopped before she could move any further.
"Sit down Sara, I'll take care of that." Lily grabbed her plate and gathered up all of the others and headed for the kitchen. "Coffee anyone?"
"Yes!" Both women called out in unison then laughed. "The meal was delicious Lindsey thank you very much." Lindsey preened at the compliment.
"Yes Lindsey that was very good indeed." Catherine picked up her daughter and gave her a big hug. "Best lunch I ever had sweetie."
Lily came in with their suitcases and set them down by the door. "The cab will be here in about ½ hour. Flight leaves in about an hour and a half. Lindsey why don't you make sure you have your favorite toys and then we can sit with your Mom and Sara until the cab gets here." Lindsey ran off to her room and Lily sat down at the table.
"Mom I appreciate you taking her on this vacation. You may have to stay longer if we can't catch this guy."
"I think I can find something to amuse a 5 year old for a few more days. Will you girls be ok? I mean do you have enough protection? I've seen the cops outside, will that be enough?"
"I hope so, if not I'm sure Brass will send more over. We will each have someone on us personally wherever we go so I think Jim's got it covered." Just then Lindsey came running out of her room and there was a horn in the driveway at the same time. "Well sweetie sounds like it's time to start your great adventure. Have fun, give Mommy a big hug and kiss then go give Sara a hug too." Catherine gave her a hug then sent her over to Sara. "Thanks again Mom. I don't think you should have any problems but keep your eye on her just in case ok." Catherine gave her Mom a big hug.
"Het kiddo have a good time and I will see you when you get back. Your Mom and I will be thinking about you ok? Have fun. Give me a big hug and then help your Grandma with the luggage ok?" Sara turned to Lily. "Lily I really want to thank you for doing this. I didn't mean to
disrupt your life this much. Thank you for letting me pay for your trip, it was the least I could do. If you need anything while you are there let me know ok? Have a good trip and have fun. Don't worry about us." She gave Lily a quick hug and then stood back so they could leave the house.
Catherine watched out the window and as soon as the cab pulled away Catherine turned to Sara and pushed her up against the closed door. "Now you're all mine."