Budding
Chapter Twenty Two
Sara stood in front of Grissom with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Let me see," she said calmly.
Grissom took the ice pack off of his eye.
"Oh my God!" Sara exclaimed as she jumped. "Put it back on."
Grissom hissed in pain as he applied the ice again. He got some pretty nasty bruises when he got jumped by the police.
Sara explained everything, and he only got off with a warning and a fifty dollar fine.
"Everything hurts," Grissom complained.
"Good," Sara said with some venom. "It serves your ass right. Love hurts pal."
"Sara, I'm so sorry," he said earnestly.
"Stop saying sorry," Sara said as she placed an ice pack on each knee.
"I really am," he said.
"Grissom, don't think that we're sleeping together tonight to make up," Sara said firmly. "You're going to lay your sore ass down on this couch, keep the ice on, and go to sleep."
Grissom sighed. Love did hurt indeed.
***
Catherine shook her head as she approached the table Sam Braun was sitting at. He was drinking his usual, and that didn't surprise Catherine, nor did it surprise her that he was back in her life.
"You know you scared my husband and I to death two mornings ago," Catherine said, to get his attention.
Sam turned and faced her.
"I knew I should have sent it by mail," he said with a grin. "How you feeling Mugs?"
"Bloated," she joked as she eased herself into the stool next to his at the bar. She was wearing a dress, so she was extra self conscious.
He chuckled a bit.
Catherine sighed and looked around her father's casino. He had done a lot in his life, it was just that the ways in which her tried to keep it all were a little shaky.
She looked at the bright lights, the people, listened to the annoying music, which, on a normal non-pregnant day, she would have liked. The man she had known for years was sitting right in front of her, but the father was part of the man she would never know.
"So, what's this I hear about you getting married?" He asked as he ordered her some water.
"I've been married for seven months now," Catherine said. "And I'm quite happy."
"So, I have another son in law to meet?" He asked.
"You don't have to meet him," Catherine said, looking away. "He uh, knows quite a bit about you, so I don't think meeting him is a good idea."
"So I can't meet the father of my grandchild?" Sam asked. "You can't shut me out of your life forever, Mugs."
"Yes I can, Sam," Catherine said with a cynical laugh. "I think I've been doing it well."
"See, that's all you do is play games," Sam said, turning to her. "I'm going to be in your life and in Lindsay's life whether you like it or not, and I'm going to be in this child's life as well."
Catherine sighed.
"Okay," she conceded. "I'll let you see the baby when he's born and-"
"You're having a boy?" Sam asked incredulously.
"Well, we're hoping for a boy," she explained. "We don't know yet. Anyway, you can see the baby, and visit Lindsay and the baby sometimes, but don't make them beneficiaries of anything in your will. I don't want anything from you either. Just see your grandchildren and that's it."
"Have you told your mother all this?" Sam asked.
"No," Catherine said. "I will in my own time. You know we're not that close."
Sam nodded his understanding.
Catherine sighed and downed the glass of water.
"Your mother looked exactly like you look when she was pregnant," Sam commented. "She was delightfully chubby."
"Thanks Sam," Catherine said sarcastically. "No, I don't feel self conscious as it is."
"Always so vain," he laughed. "I'm happy for you Mugs."
"Thanks Sam," she said as she got off the stool carefully. "Well, I guess I better go back to meet my husband. He's waiting for me."
"Is he here?" Sam asked.
"Yeah," she said. "Why?"
"Can I at least see what he looks like?"
"Well, he's tall, dark and handsome," she said, looking over at Warrick.
"I need a little more than that Mugs," Sam said.
"Really," she said. "He's tall, dark, handsome, with shades on." She pointed him out, and Sam saw him.
"Oh," he said. "Well, at least there won't be any surprises or questions asked when the baby's born."
Catherine waved to Sam before waddling over to Warrick who was at the entrance.