Feasibility Study
Written by: Ms Maggs / Edited by: KJT
"In the Bluff – Part 2"
August 20, 2005 (Day 120)
Las Vegas Crime Lab
Parking Lot
7:33 a.m.
As planned, Greg swung by the lab to pick up Grissom for their second Anger Management session, but much to Grissom's surprise, Greg was in a sullen mood. Since they hadn't seen each other since Wednesday's interaction at the North Vegas gang shooting crime scene, he wondered if the incident was still working on his protégé. "You doin' alright, Greg? You don't seem like yourself today."
"See…this is why you kicked my ass at poker and exactly why I'll be on the sidelines at your party tonight. One look at my face and you read me…yeah, I got somethin' working on me." Glancing over he asked, "You feel like driving today?"
"Sure." Fishing into his pants pocket, Grissom retrieved the keys to his S350. "I'm right over there." He pointed to his car.
As they approached the Mercedes, Greg remarked, "Did I ever tell you that my dad drives the same car as you? Except he has it in grey instead of pewter."
Using his remote to unlock the doors, Grissom asked, "Is that what's bothering you? The car issue we talked about last Saturday?"
"I wish that was my biggest problem." Opening the passenger door, Greg was happy to slip inside and crash against the leather interior. "Actually, I uh…solved the car problem," He informed his mentor once they were both inside. "Well, technically my mom solved it for me. When she was out here she loved driving my Z so she made me a deal…cash and her Camry in exchange for it. To quote The Godfather…she made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Which is a nice way of saying she gave me a handout and because she won't tell my dad how much over and above the blue book she compensated me, it saves face for me in front of him." He shook his head. "Pretty pathetic having my mommy bail me out, huh?"
"Mothers can be very protective of their sons." Starting the car, Grissom smiled. "Think about it, she used to help you every day when you were a kid. It's hard now that you don't need her anymore, so when the opportunity arose, she jumped at the chance to recapture that feeling again. It probably did as much for her as it did for you."
"You speak as if you've been in the same position." As they pulled out of the parking lot, Greg cracked a smile for the first time. "Since you confessed last week that you actually had a mother, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say…since you were an only child your mother was over protective of you too."
Grissom returned the smile. "Let's just say that's putting it mildly."
"Okay, so we have that in common." Settling in for the ride, Greg continued his line of questioning. "Stop me if this is too personal but…did your dad get ticked at your mom for being too protective of you? Because the only time my parents ever fought when I was growing up was when they were fighting over how to raise me. I'd just stand there watching, not knowing what to say…my mom would end up crying and my dad would feel bad that she was crying. It always made me feel guilty. So now, with my mom helping me with Tawny and keeping stuff from my dad, I'm afraid it's going to cause problems again."
A month ago Greg's question would have been extraordinarily uncomfortable. But today, after his recent life changing ordeal with Sara, two weeks of therapy, a fresh start with his father and a birthday, Grissom felt more comfortable sharing. "My parents divorced when I was six and I never saw my dad much after that, so I can't relate to that specific issue very well." He knew Dr. Myers would be proud of him for flinging that out there. "One important thing I've learned recently…be cautious before jumping to conclusions and taking sides when it comes to your parents. Although my mother's intentions were always pure, they weren't always wise, and they weren't always fair to my father or me."
"Okay…yeah, I'll remember that." Greg absorbed the detail and moved on. "That had to be rough growing up without your dad around. Do you know why your parents got divorced?"
"Honestly…I don't want to go there." Rome wasn't built in a day and apparently sharing would need to be done in small, baby steps.
"That's cool." He could understand it was too personal. "I only asked because I've been thinking a lot about marriage lately and when I hear stories like that…I start sweating it a little. The only other way I could disappoint my parents more than I already have would be to get married and then quickly divorced."
"Still mulling over whether or not you could stick with Tawny if the baby isn't yours?"
"No, I know I can but now Tawny is worried about me doing it." Happy to have someone to confide in, he opened up. "My dad called this morning and he was psyched about me having a girlfriend and doing well at work. He even told me he was proud of me, which he hasn't done in a while. It's all great…fantastic…or it would be if I didn't have to tell him I got Tawny pregnant. But that's not the part that's really eatin' at me. After Tawny saw how bummed I was she brought up the idea of terminating the pregnancy should the baby not be mine when we find out in two and a half weeks."
"How did you feel about that?" He almost smiled, not at the serious topic but at the fact he sounded like Dr. Myers and appreciated why it was important to ask the question and deal with the emotions at hand rather than bury them.
"I told her no way and not to bring it up again. I couldn't live with the fact that she did that to make life easier for me. I already made up my mind that I could deal. I tossed out the L word a couple of days ago." He took a moment to smile. "It was as awesome as I thought it would be and I wouldn't have done that if I wasn't serious about sticking around no matter what."
"Okay, that's how you feel, but what if it will make life easier for her?" Grissom countered, concerned that Greg's approach was too controlling. "You can't just consider your perspective. You're in a serious committed relationship now…as a couple you're supposed to discuss things thoroughly and come to mutual decisions. That's how respect between two people grows. You keep making decisions for her then she doesn't have an equal place in the relationship and you'll grow apart, not together."
"But I know she loves the baby." Running his fingers through his hair, Greg sighed, "That's what's killing me. She's willing to do something totally against her will just to help me. Her self-esteem is still so…"
"It has nothing to do with self-esteem, Greg." Smiling as he pulled into the Excalibur's parking lot, Grissom informed the relationship-newbie of the real motivation behind Tawny's behavior. "She loves you. One look at her when she's with you and anyone can see it. When someone really loves you they can be driven to make compromises in order to help you. For instance…they may forgive you for something that previously they would have believed to be unforgivable. I'll even share a recent personal experience…between you and me only. My father, who I mentioned earlier, showed up two weeks ago wanting to reconcile. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd give him the time of day."
"But when you saw him, your love for him made you reconsider?"
"No. Hardly." He shook his head. "My love for Sara made me reconsider. It's important to her that I try this, and therefore I did something I never thought I would do. I agreed to a fresh start with my father, which means I risk getting hurt by him all over again." Parking the car, he refocused the conversation. "In Tawny's case, she's considering doing something that she previously thought unthinkable."
"Okay…let me work through this. Your example first." After taking a deep breath, he said, "The risk Sara runs is…if things don't work out with your dad and you get hurt again, she might feel responsible."
"I know she would."
"And if Tawny terminates the pregnancy and then regrets it, I'll feel responsible and she could direct her anger for doing it at me."
"A very plausible scenario."
Frustrated, Greg asked, "Okay so where's the A Ha! moment here?"
"There isn't one."
"No offense…but I feel more confused than when we started this discussion."
"That's good news." Grissom opened the car door and stepped outside, waiting for Greg to join him. "It means you're finally thinking."
"I thought I was thinking before…isn't that why we started the discussion?"
Side by side they walked toward the giant castle casino.
"No, you were worrying over the decision you made in a bubble without Tawny's input. I wouldn't be surprised if she's still obsessing about the option you forbid her to discuss. You didn't even understand her motivation so how could you honestly discount her opinion?" Easing up, he said, "Look…in all likelihood she really doesn't want to terminate the pregnancy but she needs to talk about what's driving her to consider the option. You need to know why she's that desperate so you can assure her and take that fear away. She's very young Greg and I have no doubt she's scared. I don't know about you but, at 22 the idea of a relationship scared the crap out of me. Look at what she's dealing with at the same age."
"Hell, I was still a virgin at her age." Nodding he said, "You're absolutely right. I need to talk it out more with her. We need to go through the 'what ifs' and decide which ones we can and can't live with…maybe then there will be a clearer picture?"
"That sounds like a good start." Apparently pseudo-son number three still needed him and Grissom didn't mind the feeling.
A little amazed by the solid relationship advice from a previously unthinkable source Greg asked, "How did you go from not having a personal life to being so good at this stuff?"
"I've always been a fast learner, Greg." Walking into the hotel, Grissom smiled. "That's the third thing the two of us have in common."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." It meant a lot and he reflected it in his smile. "Wait…the first thing we had in common was overprotective mothers and now you said the third thing was…" When he realized what the second thing was, Greg snickered, "How old were you?"
With a poker face, Grissom replied, "You know…forty-eight, my wedding night with Sara. I'm an old-fashioned guy."
"Whoa. Really?" When Greg considered the scenario suddenly all of Grissom's bad moods over the years made perfect sense. Then he recalled some previous information…the information obtained accidentally when he overheard it a certain dominion. "Wait…but what about Lady Heather?"
Then Grissom broke out laughing. "And you wonder why you can't win at poker. Twenty-four and if you tell anyone I'll kill you."
"Not really a good thing to say on the way to Anger Management class. And for the record…you know I've never said a word since finding out about Lady Heather. My word is, and will always be solid." As they walked through the corridor, Greg shared his latest thought. "Anyway back to the other topic, I was 22, it was over in 90 seconds, and the girl specifically asked me not to call her for another date. So my question to you is, do you uh…think there's a direct correlation between a guy's cherry-losing age and the degree to which he was overprotected by his mother?"
In a perfect deadpan he replied, "Oh…only about as strong as the correlation between a lit match causing a fire when dropped onto a pile of dry kindling."
The mama's boys shared a laugh as they headed down the hall toward the conference rooms.
"Hey, Greg…" Prompted by the sight of a Caucasian man holding an Asian toddler on his shoulders, Grissom shared a new suggestion. "Here's something that might help Tawny believe it's possible for you to be a father to the baby even if you're not the bio dad…witnessing some practical applications. Have her spend a little time with Warrick and Lindsay and let her see how a non-bio dad and child relationship looks. I think she'll be surprised that the relationship doesn't look very different because of a lack of DNA commonality."
"That's a really good idea." Out of the corner of his eye, Greg saw Irving the Intolerant. "Uh oh…look out…nutjob at two o'clock."
When Irving reached Greg, he growled, "Did you say something about me, dork?"
"Uh…" He wondered how he could have heard him. "No, I uh…"
"Beat it! He's having a bad day and doesn't need your crap." Grissom got in Irving's face…well, actually his chest since Irving towered over him, and began the ruse. "Look, you got a problem with him, then you got a problem with me. So unless you want your face rearranged, I suggest you keep walking."
Greg's neck nearly snapped when he turned to look at Grissom. "Really, it's okay…" Finally he realized why Grissom signed himself up for this training class…he had one hell of an anger management problem! Not to mention a warped sense of reality when it came to smackdown matchups.
"Who are you, his mommy?" Irving snarled at Grissom.
"No…I'm your worst nightmare!" Through gritted teeth he seethed, "I've got 49 years of pent up geek angst coursing through my veins, and today I'm funneling it all towards you. I'm not going to let another one of you bullies tweak me or my friend. Got it?"
Completely unnerved by his mentor's behavior Greg warbled, "What the hell are you doing?" Grissom looked like a cocker spaniel going up against a pit bull. "IxNay on the…"
"Back off, Science Nerd!" Irving warned as he loomed over Grissom. "Don't make me hurt you." He cracked his knuckles for effect.
"How about we take this outside?" Grissom twitched like one of the many psychos he had interrogated over the years. "That is unless you're scared, punk!"
"Let's go!" Irving made a fist and punched it into his open hand. "Now!"
Pointing towards the door, Grissom barked, "Ladies first!"
"Hey!" Greg was in full panic. "Oh my god! Gris, are you out of your freakin' mind? That guy will snap you like a twig! And without my firearm, I'm not really much of a threat as your sidekick."
Irving burst out laughing at the little flustered guy. "Dude…the look on your face. It was almost as scary as your hair!"
Grissom patted Greg on the back. "Sorry, Irving is my new personal trainer. We pre-arranged this little show for your benefit. I feel bad considering you're having a tough day but, you know what they say…the show must go on. I didn't have a way of calling if off and I wasn't about to disappoint Irving…he could squash me like a bird."
"Don't you mean bug?" Irving asked.
"Don't even."
"Grissom…you mean…YOU played a practical joke on ME?" Greg was quite certain cats and dogs would frolic by on their way out to dance in the street. "What's next? You spike your hair and I grow a beard?"
Irving found the remark hilarious. "As if you could grow a beard, Peach Fuzz. Sorry…you'll need to hit puberty first." Tossing his arm around the little guy, Irving gave him a squeeze. "Wanna be my table buddy today?"
"Sure," He squeaked as he struggled for air. "I'll even share my bag of gummy bears."
"Cool." Irving relaxed his grip. "I love gummy bears. You ever think about hiring a personal trainer?"
Trailing behind, Grissom smiled at the exchange and Irving's tenacity.
Shaking his head, Greg explained, "No can do. Cash is a little tight right now." Then he saw an opportunity. Puffing out his chest, he boasted, "My significant other is pregnant and we're saving up for the baby. Yep…only took one try …I'm that virile."
Irving groaned, "Forget to use a condom?"
"Yeah."
"Idiot."
Grissom once again was impressed with the man's observation skills. "How'd you figure that one out Irving?"
"Called her his significant other, not his wife…he's in financial panic, which means the pregnancy wasn't planned…and, the only time it works in one try, is when you don't want it to work at all."
"Tell me about it." Grissom rolled his eyes.
Still in the mood to needle his little pal, Irving teased, "Is your daddy going to take away your wheels to teach you a lesson?"
"No, my mommy already did that."
Las Vegas Crime Lab
11:17 a.m.
While returning from the interrogation room, Sara asked Nick, "Think you're gonna get lucky tonight?"
"Excuse me?" Looking up from his case file, Nick stared wide eyed.
"At poker, Perv."
"Perv? You have me confused with Sanders," He joked. "Which I don't see how you could…but yes, in answer to your question, I'm especially looking forward to taking chips from my fiancée."
"She'll get it back when she marries you and your money."
He laughed at the thought. "She has way more money than me going into the merge. She's been saving and investing her cash for a decade while I saved half and spent half on women and adventures…sometimes at the same time. And before you say it…Carrie knows that my parents' money isn't mine. Stokes kids are expected to earn their way in life, they don't get handouts. Sure, my parents are paying for a bulk of the wedding, but in their eyes that's their parental duty, especially since they want to invite a lot of people and Carrie's dad isn't loaded. And, I'm sure they'll give us a nice gift because they've done that for my brother and sisters, but a wedding gift isn't a handout in their eyes."
"So if she's not marrying you for your money…" Sara gawked at her friend with a feigned incredulity. "…why would she want to marry you?"
"For the other big reason women marry guys…because I rock her world nightly." Winking he said, "Lucky for Grissom he's got a lot of money."
"Nice comeback."
"I thought so."
"So…" As they stepped into the empty break room, Sara inquired, "…I haven't had a chance to ask...how was your birthday?"
"Fantastic…a romantic night followed by a day of pampering at the Spa and drinks poolside. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect birthday." The memories lit his eyes. "I am truly a lucky man. It was straight out of the Nick Stokes fantasy file."
She was pleased to hear her consultation with Carrie was a success in Nick's opinion as well as Carrie's, who she spoke with about it at length the previous day. Now it was time to tweak her pal…a little payback for all the times he did the same to her. "So it went as predicted."
Shaking his head he sighed, "You know, I really love the fact that you and Carrie are becoming great pals but…exactly how much information are you two sharing?"
Cracking open the seal on her bottle of water Sara smirked, "Everything."
"Everything?" He was a little surprised that Carrie would give away so much information.
"Does that surprise you?" She paused for a sip to let him stew. "Do you think only guys talk about this stuff? Hell no…women like to talk it up too. Did you really think all those times you sat in the break room dishing dirt on the women you were with, that the same women weren't out there giving the low down on you?"
"Oh I know they were." He boasted, "Why do you think I had such an easy time getting dates in this town? Conversely, why do you think Greg was so hard up? Good PR versus bad PR. When you're a single guy in Vegas, it's all in the marketing."
"Ugh!" She leaned against the wall and groaned. "So it was okay that all those women talked because you benefited from the free advertising. But now that you're off the market and don't need the press, you want your lil' woman to hush up and not even indulge in a little harmless girl talk…even if it makes her more secure to exchange information and form a sisterly bond in the process?"
"Well when you say it like that you make me sound like an ass."
She raised a brow.
"Okay fine, but everything? That's a bit much don't you think?" He squirmed. "What the hell does everything mean anyway? We have to work together, Sara. Hell, I've always felt like your brother and now I'm your boss. You're not supposed to have sexual knowledge of your boss." The statement made him burst out laughing. "Well now I suppose you're used to that, but I'm not."
"That's a relief considering you worked for my husband for how many years?"
They took a minute to laugh that one off and then Sara clarified her statement. "By everything I meant cerebrally. Carrie's not violating partner trust if that's what you're worried about. She's not sharing physical details."
"Oh."
She watched him ruminate over the new angle. "Now you want to know why she's leaving out the other stuff. Wondering maybe if there's something wrong?"
"Well…"
"Oh come on, you can't have it both ways, Nick…" Fighting the urge to laugh, she finished her statement. "…you have to choose."
"Okay, that's it…"
"Sorry…I only know about that because it was my idea." She flashed a shy smile. "And now I really regret saying that out loud."
"YOU were responsible for the leather?" He was stunned.
"Hell no…She asked for my advice and I said pick something nice and something naughty…but naughty to me means small and in black or red lace, not dominatrix-wear."
The sound of Nick's pager interrupted the conversation. "Where we going?" She inquired while he read the message.
"Lady Heather's Dominion."
"What!" Her heart stopped until she saw him laugh.
"Just kidding…'cause of the leather thing. Trust me, I know you hate those Perv Palaces as much as me." Setting down his mug he told her the real locale. "We're going to the Mini Mart on the corner of Rio and 4th. You wanna drive?"
"I don't know, what's the second choice?" The sound of his eye roll was music to her ears. "She did tell me about you always picking the second wedding choice. Not too smooth, Stokes."
The Cheesecake Factory
2:52 p.m.
Much to her chagrin after a hectic lunch shift, Tawny saw two of her old co-workers sliding into a booth in her section.
"OH! OH! Look who had an extreme makeover!" Diamond greeted with a wave of her bangle-covered wrist. "Girlfriend, you clean up nice."
As Tawny approached, Tiffany grabbed her left hand. "I like your new look but, one area is still unimproved…no ring. You still got that bun in the oven?"
"Hi guys," Tawny pushed out a smile. "Yes, I'm starting my seventh week. And no ring yet but…Greg introduced me to his mom. She came out for a visit and we got along great! I'm going out to California in a couple of weeks to meet his dad."
Diamond nodded as she looked Tawny up and down. "So you cleaned up your act to meet your boyfriend's mama? Smart move."
"No, actually she took me out for a girl's day and…"
"Oh, honey…" Diamond sighed. "She took you out for a de-skanking. That's real sweet."
Tiffany snorted from laughing so suddenly. "Mama had to clean her up before the California trip. You know how those rich father's are…they don't mind if their precious little boys bang every big-haired tramp in town on the sly…just don't bring 'em round to meet the neighbors."
"Hey!" Tawny wasn't about to take another put-down when suddenly Tiffany's words set off a round of doubt in her mind. Is that why Bev did what she did? Was it all because Greg's dad would have flipped if he had seen me the old way?
Diamond reassured her old co-worker. "Honey, what difference does it make? You look like a million bucks now."
"No…" Tiffany argued. "She looks like a thousand bucks. Once she has the diamond on her finger she'll…"
"Tawny!" Greg rushed through the restaurant happy to find his mate. "Hey…" Glancing over at the customers in the booth he apologized, "Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt. I just need a sec."
"Looks like mama taught him nice manners." Diamond stared at the wacky-haired goof wearing an untucked rainbow-stripe button down short-sleeve shirt, a pair of baggy blue cargo shorts and funky sneakers. "This is Prince Charming?"
Tiffany joined in the staring contest. "Looks more like Prince Chuckles the Clown."
"Wow…" Greg returned the women's stares. "I know the customer is always supposed to be right but…jeez…how would you like it if I said you look like a couple of hook…"
"These are two of my old co-workers from Club Paradise." Tawny made the proper introductions. "Diamond and Tiffany, this is my boyfriend, Greg Sanders."
"Oh." It was a shocking reminder of Tawny's previous lifestyle. "Sorry…nice to meet you." Checking his watch he said, "Tawny, are you still finishing your shift at three?"
Grateful for the reminder that she wouldn't have to stay and wait on her 'friends', Tawny answered through a grin. "Yes."
"Great!" Fueled from the caffeine from the Starbucks he downed on the drive over, Greg bounced in place. "I have somewhere I want to take you for a little while. Don't worry, you'll still have plenty of time to rest before the party tonight because I know you'll probably be tired." She was getting more tired every day now that she was approaching her third month of pregnancy. "So is it okay?"
Thrilled he was being so attentive in front of the girls, Tawny egged him on. "I'll be happy to go anywhere with you, Sweetie, because..." Wrinkling her nose in the cutest of ways she blissfully said, "I love you" and then anxiously awaited him to return the sentiment.
"Great!" He checked his watch again. "While you wrap things up I'll pull the car around to the entrance."
Unfortunately, that wasn't what he was supposed to say, but Tawny held her disappointment in check. "Okay, see you in a few."
"Bye, Ladies," Greg politely told Tawny's ex co-workers before darting out of the restaurant.
As soon as he was gone, Tiffany elbowed Diamond. "She said it, but he didn't."
"Not good," Diamond sadly concurred. "I feel your pain girlfriend."
Tawny jumped to explain. "But he has said it! And he meant it and…oh whatever…dammit." And as Tawny stood there deflated and wondering if any of her plans would ever go her way, she felt a set of arms slip around her waist and whisk her around. "Greg!"
Breathless from the dash back inside he announced, "Sorry, I know you're working and this is totally inappropriate but…I can't help it." After a quick kiss, he said, "I love you too. Okay…now I'll be outside waiting for you." Then he dashed away again.
An expression as rich as the cheesecake being served around her smoothed over Tawny's face. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat but, I have date with Prince Chuckles and I can't wait to clown around. See ya girls."
When their friend was gone, Diamond said to Tiffany, "I didn't see that comin', did you?"
"Hell no." She groaned, "You think he's hot?"
"Do I think he's hot? Oh, Honey…" Diamond choked on the question. "I don't go for scrawny white boys with hair taller than mine, who wear their pajamas out of the house and bounce into a room like Tigger on crack, but…I think he looks nice on Miss Kansas." Her mouth curving high, she teased her pal, "Well now…look who's crushing on Chuckles. Oh yeah…Tiff is wishing she could juggle his…"
"Shut up." She flipped open her menu with a harsh snap of the wrist. "I am not."
In her best porn-star voice, Diamond teased, "Tiff wants her some Chuckles…oh yeah…she wants him baaaaaaad. She wants to run her fingers through his big-ass clown hair and she wants to know if he's hiding any magic under those jammies. Oh yeah…uh huh…the girl wants to know if it's true what they say about judging a clown by the size of his freaky shoes and she wants to find out the answer in the back seat of his clown car." As she watched her friend steam, Diamond started humming a circus tune. Then she paused for a warning, "Honey, I'm not gonna stop hummin' until you admit you want some clown lovin'." With that she resumed the tune.
Las Vegas Crime Lab
3:17 p.m.
As she was exiting from the DNA lab, Sara saw Jim Brass hurrying down the hall. "Hey, Brass Man," She called out, using the casual term only because the hall was empty.
"Yes, Boom Boom?" He joked since no one was around. "Shouldn't you be going home to don an apron and arrange crudités for the big soiree tonight?"
She honestly replied, "My boss won't let me get off early. He's not as lenient that way as Gil was."
Holding up his hands he grinned, "Not touchin' that one even though you accidentally served it on a silver platter."
"Thanks for the reprieve." Curious, she asked, "Still bringing Roxie tonight or did your real mystery lady manage to free herself from her previous commitment?"
"Unfortunately she'll still be tying up loose ends tonight." Tying up loose men was more like it.
Anxious to meet the special lady, she suggested something quite out of the ordinary. "Maybe we could go out to dinner sometime…as couples."
"I'm sure that would make for a very interesting evening," He deflected. "Sara…getting serious here for a second. Shocking! I know. I've been meaning to ask you if you could check your calendar for availability to have lunch with me on your next day off. I want to thank you for the pen and make sure you're okay from the whole Tahoe thing."
"That's really sweet." She found her smile flaring wide. "I'd really like that, Jim."
"Great." So it was settled. On her next day off, he'd take her to lunch and break the news about Heather. "Why don't you tell my secretary and she'll put it on my calendar for me, okay?"
"Okay." Walking away, she couldn't deny the sense of warmth his offer brought. "Thanks for caring. See you tonight." She couldn't deny how good it felt to have someone looking out for her. Jim was a guy she could always count on to have her back. Whether it was protecting her from a snarling Dominatrix or from Gil or herself…he knew just how to handle the situation. He was a slightly warped father-figure and an excellent friend. Someone she never had to worry would betray her.
Henley Softball Field
3:47 p.m.
After a quick change into a pair of pale pink shorts, a floral cami and sandals, Tawny met Greg outside the entrance to the Forum Shops as promised.
Once in the car, Greg informed her they would be heading to a park to watch Lindsay Willows play a pre-season softball game. He didn't cite a specific reason but instead said, "It was something I promised to do, and about an hour ago I found out she had a game today so I thought I'd do it today." It was all true. He called Catherine earlier and mentioned Tawny's concern and Grissom's suggestion. She was eager to jump at the chance and assured him Warrick would love to help too.
So, shortly before the scheduled four o'clock game, they parked the car and headed for the crowded bleachers, looking for their friends.
One look at Tawny and Catherine's eyes lit up. "Look at you!" She couldn't believe the difference a decent hair-do, shortened claws, toned down make-up and cute non-trampy clothes made. "You look fantastic!"
"Thanks," Tawny beamed, happy to know Greg's co-worker found her new look appealing and when she felt Greg's hand squeeze hers it made the moment even better.
"I saved you a spot." She patted the empty bleacher space and as they sat, she turned her attention toward her co-worker who now occupied the spot next to her. "Sanders…did you have any trouble finding a place to park your clown car?"
"I'm getting the clown thing a lot today." Through a laugh he offered an explanation. "I think it's my shoes."
"I think it's the combination…hair, shirt and shoes." Leaning past Greg, Catherine informed Tawny, "As his significant other it's your job to make sure he doesn't put those three things together ever again. You look WAY too good for him and people will wonder if he's paying you to be on his arm."
Filled with joy, Tawny slipped her arm in Greg's and sighed, "But I love Chuckles just the way he is."
"Oh no." Greg felt the cringe bubble up inside him.
"Chuckles?" Catherine repeated. "Oh! That one is going to stick! And how fortunate that I'll be able to share it at the party tonight."
"Sorry," Tawny whispered to her beet-red significant other.
Now that Catherine was done, at least temporarily, hazing Greg, she focused on her assignment. "Would you look at the two of them out there?" She pointed to the field where Warrick was catching Lindsay's pitches and offering encouragement. "They're so into softball and hanging out with each other. Look at the love between them. I bet everyone here thinks Warrick is Lindsay's real father."
Greg absently let the DNA expert in him slip out an opinion. "Yeah…only if they don't understand basic genetics."
When Catherine slapped Greg upside the head she said, "What the hell? I thought we were on the same team?"
"Sorry…you can take the geek out of the DNA lab but…"
"I know why we're here," Tawny stared at the guilty parties. "Nice try. I appreciate it. I also know why Greg stinks at poker."
"Are you mad?" He nervously asked while trying to comprehend how his great plan ended so fast. "I really thought if you saw Warrick and Lindsay together you'd be able to envision…" Turning to Catherine he said, "I think we're going to take a little walk before the game starts."
"Before you do..." Leaning over she informed Tawny, "Another thing to consider is that Warrick only really entered Lindsay's life a little over a year ago. Imagine how strong their bond would have been if he raised her from birth? And if they looked more alike I know people wouldn't think of them as being anything other than father and daughter." Curiosity getting the best of her she asked, "What does the other candidate look like? Does he look enough like Greg so people wouldn't bat an eye?"
Never having told Greg, she replied to both of them. "He's Japanese."
"Oh," Catherine replied as Greg's mouth dropped open. "Then they might notice."
Tawny playfully punched her significant other in the shoulder. "I just said that to get you back for not telling me the real reason you were bringing me here. He was a white with light brown hair, brown-eyes and he was an asshole. You have everything but the last trait in common."
"We'll be taking that walk now," Greg announced as he got up. "In some ways…I think my mother was a really bad influence on you, Tawny."
Trying to lighten the mood Catherine teased, "Hey, Chuckles, I hope kids don't hit you up for balloon animals while you're walking around the park. See…you'll make an excellent father, kids always want a dad who can clown around."
"Thanks, Cath." Taking Tawny's hand he led her toward the playground.
In silence they covered the 200 meters and once there, they took a seat on an open bench. Greg, slid his arm around Tawny and encouraged her to rest her head on his shoulder.Together they watched the dozen or so kids run around and through the play structure and after five minutes ticked by, Greg quietly asked, "Can you honestly, without one ounce of doubt, tell me that you could terminate the pregnancy without regretting it for the rest of your life?"
Her answer trembled out of her mouth. "No."
"Then why are you even considering it?" Feeling her shake as she watched the children play he said, "Tell me what's scaring you so much that you'd think about doing something you know you'd live to regret."
Choking back her tears for the sake of the children playing around her she confessed, "I'm worried I'll ruin things for you with your dad...and with your life. If I do that, then you'll end up blaming me and the baby. Eventually you might get so angry that you'll want me to leave and I don't ever want to be kicked out in the cold with no place to go again. Without the baby the chances are…" Her eyes came to rest on mother pushing a toddler in a swing. "But you're right…in my heart I know I want the baby even if…I would hate myself if I took the easy way out."
"With you admitting that…" He tipped her chin up to meet his supportive gaze. "…can we agree that the issue has been discussed and the final answer is you're keeping the baby?"
"Yes." She nodded. "I didn't mean it when I said it this morning, but I do now."
After taking a second to acknowledge that Grissom had been right, Greg regrouped. "Sitting here, watching these kids and knowing you have one growing inside you, I'll admit it…I'm scared to death but…I'm also really excited. I know we haven't discussed in detail what I said in my note…and I thank you for not pressuring me about it. But please believe I meant what I said, my future is with you…all of you, baby too. I know it's hard for you to trust anyone after everything you've been through, but please try." After taking a quick breath he admitted what was holding him back. "I need to handle things with my dad before I take any more steps forward, okay?"
"Okay."
Holding each other they continued to watch the kids play and after a minute, Greg placed his hand over Tawny's stomach. "Feel anything any different?"
"Yes…" Glancing up, she smiled, "I feel safe."
"Good." He brought his lips to hers. "Because you are s…" Before he could finish, a soccer ball smacked Tawny upside the head.
"Ow!"
"Sorry lady!" The six year old yelled as he chased the ball.
Greg quickly clarified his statement. "What I meant to say is…you're safe as in being loved unconditionally, not safe from bodily harm on this playground full of future World Cup Soccer champions." As they both started to laugh, Greg added, "That kid is lucky I went to Anger Management today or I'd take his ball and give him a piece of my mind for hurting my girl."
Rubbing the side of her head, she laughed harder. "I can hear the news lead-in now…Chuckles the Clown Goes on a Ball-Stealing Rampage at the County Park."
As they laughed themselves into an energetic kiss, an eight year-old boy shrieked, "Ewww! They're kissing on the playground! Ewww!"
Pulling away from Tawny, Greg cheerily informed the lad… "You think that now, but one day in the future…you'll be in my shoes."
The boy glanced down at the man's funky sneakers. "Not a chance."
The Grissoms'
6:48 p.m.
With the official party starting in less than forty-five minutes, Sara raced toward the bedroom to get dressed.
She had spent the last hour with the caterer making sure all the food and drink was set up properly and had just walked them to the door, ready to handle things on her own for the rest of the night. Having never hosted a real party before, she was excited but nervous. Fortunately only their closest friends would be in attendance and she knew she really didn't have to worry, because they were easy to please when plied with free food and booze.
"Gil!" She shouted as she tore into the bathroom suite.
"In the john."
"That's where I was going," She groaned.
From behind the closed door he answered, "Sorry…didn't receive that telepathic message or I would have held off."
"Do you know what you're wearing?" She asked while dancing with pee shivers.
"No, but I'm sure you know what I'm going to be wearing."
"Black pants…and that new black shirt with the piping." Through the crack in the door she heard him flip a magazine page. "You're reading? I'm out here crossing my legs and prancing while you read?"
"Small particle reagent to develop prints on a wet surface."
"Yeah…yeah…" She sought to expedite the process for him by rapidly imparting her knowledge on the subject. "When sprayed on the surface of non-porous wet evidence, the micro-fine particles of the SPR attach themselves to the latent print residues as the solution runs off the surface. If you spray with water to remove excess solution the developed latent fingerprint can be lifted with standard lifting tape. Don't let the surface dry…use a squeegee to remove excess water, that way the tape will adhere to both the surface and the latent print, allowing the processed latent print to be lifted. Okay you're done! My turn."
"Uh…now I'm done with the article, but not with business."
"Ugh!" Rushing out of the master bath she hurried down the hall to the guest powder room. Once there, she flipped on the light and got down to it. Suddenly it hit her…I had an overwhelming urge to pee! I'm pregnant! No…I just drank two glasses of Iced Tea. Deflated by the false alarm, she grabbed a wad of toilet paper and when she used it, she saw red…literally…a tiny bit…and as she stared at the tinged paper she decided it wasn't really red but more of a dark pink…almost a brown. Repeating the procedure she came up blank. "Oh!"
Frantic, she tried to remember what cycle day it was. 18! Which was way too early to be getting her period. Plus, it never happened this way, there was never only a small amount and then nothing. She always went from zero to gush. "Oh my god!" She shrieked while calculating the number of days since horrible fertility sex. 7! Which was exactly the right time for a little implantation bleeding. "Oh my god!" Trying to remain calm she asked herself the other pertinent questions. Any cramps? No! Any backache? No! "Oh my god!" Then it hit her…my boobs feel weird. Or am I imagining that symptom? Quickly she performed a self-check. Yes! They feel weird! But how can I trust my overactive imagination?
Deciding she needed a second opinion, Sara flushed and washed then raced back to the bedroom. "Gil!"
Frustration powering his voice he replied through the door, "Would you give me a break, Sara…I'm finishing up here, I swear."
"Hurry up, please!" She begged. "I want you to feel my breasts."
A flush immediately followed and a second later Gil emerged wearing his boxers and a smile. "Hold that thought." Grinning, he thoroughly washed his hands.
In the mean time, Sara shucked her t-shirt and bra in preparation for the big test.
With clean hands and an aim to please, Gil slipped his arms around Sara from behind, pulling her back to his chest. "Are you sure we have time for this?"
A few seconds into his task Sara asked, "Don't you want to know why I asked you to feel my breasts?"
He chuckled at the silly question. "I don't need a reason. I'm enjoying it without knowing…actually…" He gave a slight purr. "They feel…that's funny."
"What?" She waited with baited breath.
"A little bigger."
"Yes!" She jumped out of his grasp. "I thought so too!"
"Why did you take them away?" He asked sadly.
"My boobs are bigger and I just discovered brownish blood on my toilet paper…it's way too early for my period and it never works like that anyway. It has to be implantation bleeding!" Overcome with excitement, she grabbed his hands. "Come on, Mr. Biology, you know what's going on here!"
"I need another feel to make sure." Grabbing her, he yanked her close and caressed her body. "Definitely bigger. I know these breasts well…I cherish them…I can say without doubt…they're bigger."
"Let's go to the lab right now and test!"
"We can't…we have a houseful of people coming." Then he reminded her, "And we agreed we were going to do it the old fashioned way…at home the day after you're due to get your period. So it can be special."
"I know we said that last month, but now that it's this month and I could have the answer in five minutes…no, you're right." She nodded. "I want the moment to be special. Maybe I can think of a way to make it special and still use the lab. We shouldn't test until day 8 anyway and today is only 7."
"Okay." Cupping her smiling face, he whispered, "Let's try not to think about it until tomorrow. Just have fun tonight and let it float out of your mind."
"Okay…" Trying to regulate her breathing she occupied her mind with other thoughts. "I'm really looking forward to having my first party ever. Yeah…most people get that out of the way in their early twenties. I hope everyone has a good time. I talked to Nick and Carrie today and they're looking forward to it. Oh and I spoke with Jim. He asked to take me out to lunch next week by the way. He's still bringing Roxie because he said his mystery lady still can't make it. He said she'll be tying up loose ends. What do you think he meant by that?" Shrugging, she pondered aloud, "I wonder what she does for a living? Gil…do you have any idea who it could be?"
"Um…" A quick check of the clock confirmed there were less than 30 minutes to go until party time. Standing in front of him was Sara, on Cloud 9 about the potential pregnancy and her first party and now he was about to kill the mood and ruin all her fun. "Well…" And as he felt the panic rioting within, he heard his father's words, the ones from his, 'does this dress make my ass look fat' example. He only lied to protect her from having a terrible time at the party. The truth in my scenario wouldn't have helped anything…it would only have hurt the wife and ruined her good time. If he tells the truth, the wife gets emotional. Consequently, she either decides not to attend the party she's been looking forward to attending or, has a horrible time because she feels self-conscious all night.
"Honey?" Sara prodded.
"Um…"