Nick pulled into Catherine's driveway once again, only this time she was awake and half drunk. "Cath, hey Cath…I know your awake, we're at your house." He gently placed his hand on her shoulder and shook it. She opened her eyes.
"Mmm, someone turn off the lights" She mumbled.
"I would, but I don't know where the switch is." He laughed
"Not funny cowboy!" She grinned and waved a finger at him.
"Yea, yea let's get you inside and into bed." He climbed out of his truck, and walked over to Catherine's side and opened her door. "Come on sleeping beauty." He mused
"Mmm" was all she could say falling in and out of consciousness. He unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled her out of the car and into his arms. He carried her up to the house and kicked open her front door. She was mumbling some incoherent words. He just sighed and continued carrying her into her room. He set her down on the bed and she laid herself down. He covered her with a blanket, smiled and turned to walk away when Catherine grabbed his hand. He looked down to her. Her eyes open and loving. "Stay with me Nick" she smiled and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"I don't know Cath, last time I stayed…well you remember" a faint smile crept across his face. "And well you hurt me Cath… I don't want to get hurt again, especially by someone I care about." Catherine was now crying.
"I know Nick, but I don't want to be alone right now, please…just hold me?" She intertwined her fingers with his.
"OK." He smiled, slid off his shoes and climbed over Catherine's body not letting her hand go.
"Thank you" She smiled and snuggled closer to him, conforming her small frame to fit against his. And rested their hands around her waist. He pulled the covers over them, and started to drift to sleep. "Nick?"
"Mmm" he was close to a deep sleep.
"I owe you one, or two…"
"Yea, but we'll worry about that later." He smiled, and she smiled back, both drifting into a deep sleep.
*~*~ An hour and a half later~*~*
"Ok Linds you're home, do you want me to walk you inside?" Eddie Willows asked his daughter sweetly.
"Um ok…hey where is mommy's car?" Lindsey asked as she climbed out of her fathers Chevy.
"Hoe can you tell it's not hers Linds?" Eddie laughed at his young daughters statement.
"The letters on on the car plate are different." She pointed to the car liscense plate.
"Well someone is here, come on we'll go inside." He took his daughters hand, and walked up to the house and went inside.
"I'll go look upstairs you wait here OK daddy?"
"Sure sweetie" Lindsey ran upstairs and immediately went to her mother's room. She opened the door and saw her mother asleep, but there was someone else in bed with her. She decided it was best not to wake her mother. So she went back downstairs to where her father was standing.
"Mommy is asleep upstairs…with a man." Eddie looked down at his daughter with a confused look and began to walk upstairs to Catherine's room. He knew the way well, for he had lived there before. Ahh the memories he thought. He reached Catherine's door, and opened it slowly. He walked inside and saw Catherine asleep snuggled close to a man who looked like someone he had seen before, possibly someone she worked with. The anger inside him was rising, and fast. He clenched his fists and tried to speak as calmly as possible.
"Catherine…hey Catherine, you want to wake up and tell me what the hell you're doing?" Catherine eyes opened sleepily. She sat up but didn't wake Nick.
"Oh hey Eddie, you brought Lindsey home?"
"Yeah and who the hell are you sleeping with?" Eddie was really angry.
"Oh this is Nick…Nick Stokes…you know from work? He brought me home and I asked him to stay." She said plainly. Eddie began to yell.
"Did you not even think what Lindsey was going to think when she came home?" Nick woke up and sat up quickly on Catherine's bed. She smiled. He looked confused and just rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes. He quickly glanced at Catherine and saw that she was just staring at him smiling. "Hello still standing here!" Eddie yelled. Nick quickly stood up and went over to shake Eddie's hand. Nick held out his hand and greeted him. "Hi. I'm Nick Stokes, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Always the Texas gentlemen Catherine laughed and shook her head at her own thought. Eddie just looked at Nick in disgust.
"Right…I'm leaving now." Eddie left the room and walked downstairs, said goodbye to Lindsey and left the house.
*~*~Back in Catherine's Room~*~*
Nick was still standing there, and was laughing hysterically. Catherine stood up and walked over to him. "I'm sorry you had to meet Eddie like that."
"It's Ok" he smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You should get some more sleep…you still look pale. I'll see if Lindsey's hungry OK?" he asked.
"Yeah" she smiled, he leaned in and kissed her softly on her cheek. He grabbed his shoes and left the room. Catherine placed her hand on the place where Nick's lips had met with her skin, and sighed. She walked back to her bed and fell back asleep.