Feasibility Study
Written by: Ms Maggs / Edited by: KJT
Chapter 91: Getting It Back – Part 2
August 24, 2005 (Day 124)
Walk-In Clinic
10:32 a.m.
Having completed her solemn task, Catherine rendezvoused with Carrie and Nick in the clinic parking lot. "Hannah's hanging in," She informed her concerned friends as they leaned against the Xterra drinking coffee. "Nick, whatever you said to her really helped her come to a decision. She's determined to press charges. Nice work."
Nick acknowledged the compliment with a nod while Carrie probed, "And how is her mom handling it? Is she being supportive or is she angry with Hannah for lying about going to the party?"
"She's supportive and ready to exact some revenge on Duane Burbank…" Holding up her cell she smiled. "…who, according to Pete, is on his way to the station as we speak. The idiot was zonked out at the apartment where the rape occurred. The place was a mess which photos real well when you're looking for signs of struggle."
Finally speaking up, Nick asked, "How does the preliminary evidence look for proving rape?"
"I got some excellent scrapings from under Hannah's nails and she has bruising in several places as well as evidence of rough sex so I think it's looking good for building a case." Catherine sighed as she thought of her daughter only five years younger than the victim. "Hell of a way to lose your virginity. And Warrick wonders why I want Lindsay on a twelve inch leash." She checked her watch. "He was picking her up at ten. I should check in."
"Thanks for coming out," Nick somberly stated as he tossed his empty coffee cup in a nearby trash can.
"You two aren't going to let this ruin your trip, are you?" Catherine felt obligated to snap them out of their funk. "While this incident is tragic, you should feel terrific about what happened here because she probably wouldn't have pressed charges if she didn't trust you. The two of you are like the dynamic duo of sex crime prosecution. Sex offenders in this town should be quaking in their shoes in fear of your one-two punch. Hell, you're on vacation and you still manage to find away to bring a bad guy down. I hear that always happened to Batman and Robin when they went on Rainbow cruises or to Gay Day at Disneyland." When she saw them crack smiles Catherine continued, "Oh come on…they wore tights and always ended up on top of each other, you know it's true. Next to Bert and Ernie I can't think of a greater closeted gay couple on TV."
"Thanks, Cath," Nick replied through a smile.
"You guys even have the requisite crime fighter backstories." Mocking an announcer's voice she said, "Both abused at the age of nine, they found each other and united forces to fight sexual injustice in Sin City. Nick…you'd look fantastic as an action figure. Although I'd make sure they pump up your lips a little. And, Carrie…your action figure can come with a seven pairs of super-shoes." She chuckled. "No offense, but they'll definitely want to do a little breast augmentation to make it more marketable to boys."
"Okay!" Carrie held up her hand. "We promise to lighten up and have a good trip if you'll stop with the superhero bit."
"I need to borrow the future Mrs. Stokes for two minutes." Without waiting for Nick or Carrie's reply, she took Carrie's hand and tugged her away. "Since we bonded at the church picnic I feel close enough to do this for you…or to you, depending on how you take it. I bought a little surprise for you…well, for Nick really. Considering how tense he's been, I got this idea. I didn't know the two of you were planning on leaving town. I was going to swing by your office today to drop it off."
"I'm intrigued…and very nervous," Carrie warily replied as they approached Catherine's Roadster. "Please tell me it doesn't need batteries."
"No…it's up to you to supply the energy." Catherine reached into her backseat and pulled out a gift bag from The Sensations Superstore.
"Okay, the name alone is freaking me out."
"Take a deep breath and a peek." Catherine shook her head at the repressed woman. "You can make it as innocent or risqué of a game as you want."
When she glanced over her shoulder she saw Nick had gone off, so she peeked in the bag. "OH! You expect me to put this on and pretend to be an…"
"You can't tell me you've never thought about playing cowboy and Indian princess with Nick?" Catherine recalled imagining it a few times over the years, especially during that case at the dude ranch.
"Uh…"
When she saw Carrie's shocked expression Catherine said, "Okay, so you haven't thought of it, but you are now, right?" She wasn't sure so she opted for a new motivational tactic. "You're a competitive girl." Catherine couldn't resist the temptation. "Do you know what Sara purchased yesterday to slip into and surprise her man? Hmm?"
"A bumble bee outifit?" She guessed immediately.
Catherine cracked up. "They really have those, I saw them at the store. Next time I see Sara I'm going to ask her if…"
"What did Sara buy!" The suspense was killing her.
In a seductive whisper she responded, "The French Maid Teddy with ruffle panties and matching feather duster. Oooh La La! Monsieur Grissom is going to find out what the French are famous for besides the Eiffel Tour."
"Whoa." Carrie recalled one of her conversations with Sara and realized she must do this kind of thing frequently…
Sara delicately suggested, "Have you uh…ever thought of creating a little alter ego for yourself…someone who is a little less uptight? Some women find using a pseudonym can be um…freeing and it allows them to do things or say things they wouldn't normally do or say."
"You mean like a role play thing?" Carrie asked with trepidation. "Never been there, never done that with Nicky or anyone else. "Do you have an alter ego, Sara?"
"Yes indeed."
Carrie moved a little closer and confessed, "A role play is one of the five things I listed to do on this trip."
"You made a list?" Catherine shook her head. "You have time off and a sexy man who worships the ground you walk on, why the hell would you need to think about what to do, no less list it on paper!"
"Could you cut me some slack here, Miss Been Everywhere, Done Everything. I'm a newbie."
"Sorry…" Catherine put her hands on Carrie's shoulders. "Just put on the costume and see where it takes you. The thing about role play is…it can be a game, or it can be therapeutic." She winked. "You can safely try something new…work out an issue…whatever. The possibilities are endless, that's why it's exciting. The erratic nature of it will be good for your control freak fiancé. And in discussions he and I have had over the years I got the distinct impression he's never had a big time trip to fantasy land, which makes sense since he likes predictability. This could be something nice for the two of you to explore together."
"Thanks for the gift…and the completely uncomfortable and rather inappropriate pep talk." Carrie smiled at her well intentioned friend. "I promise to try and put it to good use."
"Atta girl." Catherine pointed. "Now here comes the cowboy who's going to lasso you so, let's put that in a plain brown bag. I have one back here that I was going to use to sneak it into your office." She grabbed the plastic bag and stowed it inside in the Nick of time. "Sooooo…" Catherine spied the envelope with the clinic's logo in Nick's hand. "You never told me why the two of you were here in the first place. Did your superhero senses activate and draw you here or…does it have something to do with that envelope addressed to Caroline Stokes? Hmm…what's the significance there?" She figured out the puzzle quickly. "Ahhh, just in case it's positive, you wanted them to think you were married…very sweet."
"Uh…" Carrie gulped from being read so well.
Catherine stuffed her hands on her hips. "Nicky, did you and Carrie drink the same water as Gil and Sara and Greg and Tawny?"
"Um…" Nick replied incoherently.
"I'll take that as a yes," Catherine remarked. "You're mama is gonna be pissed at you, Nicholas Graham Stokes."
"WHAT!" Carrie exclaimed as she clutched her chest. "I'm pregnant! That can't be! Not now! The wedding's not for five and half months!"
"No!" Nick blurted. "I mean…I don't know…I didn't look." Now in full panic he declared, "I didn't want to check without you. I was too nervous."
"Well now that you've scared the hell out of me I'm too nervous to look at all!" Carrie held her throbbing head.
"Wait a minute!" Nick's blood pressure soared. "How can you be nervous when you were so positive you couldn't possibly be pregnant!"
"Nicky!" Clutching her head tighter she glared at him. "Did you have to say positive and pregnant in the same sentence!"
"Oh good lord!" Catherine snatched the envelope, read the results and announced, "You're not pregnant. Now please get the hell out of town, lighten up and have some fun, dammit!" With that she slapped the paperwork in Nick's hand, hopped in her car and drove away.
"I'm not pregnant," Carrie breathed out. "Okay…good. Now we don't have to scrap the wedding and get married today so my father doesn't kill you."
"Oh thank God," Nick rejoiced while the blood returned to his face. "Do you have any idea how much crap I would have had to take from Sanders if you were pregnant? I'd be hearing about it until our baby had a baby."
"Our baby…" Carrie smiled brightly. "I do like the sound of that."
Holding up the envelope addressed to Caroline Stokes, Nick lovingly said, "I liked the look of this when I saw it. For a moment I thought it already happened." Giving her hand a squeeze he asked, "You're sure you don't want to hyphenate? I didn't pressure you to…"
"No way, I'm a traditional girl." She paused to steal a kiss. "Now let's hit the road because I'm loving where it's led us so far. You were great with Hannah and I know it helped you too."
"Thanks and I think it did, but I don't want to talk about it because we're supposed to lighten up, remember? So, tell me…what's in the bag, Traditional Girl? Because if it came from Cath, the odds of it being traditional are slim." Opening the passenger door for his future wife he waited for an answer.
"Never you mind." Grinning like the cat that ate the canary, she clutched it to her chest. "This trip is about spontaneity, remember? You'll find out all in good time, cowboy." And while he was walking around to the driver's side she stowed the bag in the back and grabbed her enormous CD case.
"I hope that's not Clay Aiken," He groaned while slipping behind the wheel.
With saying a word she popped in The Dixie Chicks CD and selected, Cowboy Take Me Away.
Grinning, Nick started the Xterra. "Yes, ma'am."
The Grissoms'
11:12 a.m.
Still lounging in bed enjoying the afterglow of their frolicky fun, Gil remarked, "I must say, so far I'm thoroughly enjoying my suspension. If it stays this good the whole five days I may actually be motivated to screw up more often."
Just as Sara was about to speak the house phone rang. "Hmm…maybe Jim's calling to fire you permanently and we can do this every day." When she saw the horror on his face she smiled, "Kidding!"
"Grissom," He answered hoping he still had a job to return to.
"It's Sanders…the guy who was left alone at the scene, taken hostage and injured because of your lack of respect for the department policy. And now that I have your ex-Catholic guilt engaged I'll say this…where are you guys! You promised you'd be by to help Tawny pack since I can't. My twice pregnant future wife is doing it all alone. Do I have to call my mommy to get your ass over here?"
"No, please…don't call your mother." Gil stepped out of bed, covered the phone and informed his wife, "You told Greg we'd be over there to pack today because we didn't have plans until six, remember?"
Naked, she flew out of bed. "I'm in the shower!"
"Sorry, Greg," Gil groveled into the phone. "We'll be there in thirty minutes. We would have been there sooner but something came up."
"I bet it had had something to do with the new French Maid service at Chez Grissom."
Gil stared at the phone. "Do these women share every detail with one another? And why does Tawny tell you everything but Nick and I get squat? Not that I want to know anything about you or Nick." Then he heard Catherine's trademark devious laugh boom through the phone with Greg laughing in the background.
"Oh, by the way, Catherine's on the extension," Greg confessed.
Catherine laughed riotously with Greg. "Yeah…I told him about your latest fetish…getting it on with your employee. Oh wait…that's always been your fetish. I'm over here doing your dirty work, Gil! No surprise I suppose considering how many times I've saved your ass. So tell Fifi to put some clothes on and get moving. And bring lunch. Tell Monsieur Grissom what you want, Greg."
"Take out from California Pizza Kitchen…Thai Chicken Pizza. Tawny wants…wait…I need to verify if she's done vomiting for the day."
Catherine added her order. "Chinese Chicken Salad for me, Big Daddy."
"Yep, Tawny is done hurling and she'll have a Fresh Tomato Pizza with Basil and Garlic. Are you writing this down?"
Catherine laughed. "I'm sure he's naked so I doubt he has a pen and paper on him."
Standing there naked Gil opened his nightstand drawer looking for something to write down the orders.
"Oh and Gris…" Greg announced, "Hodges called earlier and he'll be here to help too. He likes pepperoni."
"Hodges?" Catherine and Gil blurted into their phones.
"Yeah…" Greg lied, "My near death experience made us put our differences behind us. We're buds again. He's bringing the rental truck. And Tawny is going to fix him up with a friend so we can double date."
"What's next?" Catherine huffed. "Nick and Sofia having lunch?"
"Okay…I have a pen and paper," Gil finally declared.
"Warrick and Lindsay are on their way too so tack on a Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pizza and a Five Cheese."
"Get a bunch of different desserts too," Greg ordered. "And, an order of calamari. Make that two orders."
Gil chuckled, "Do you still have the munchies, Greg?"
The Boulevard Mall
11:33 a.m.
"I'm starving," Ron announced as he strolled through the mall with Lina. "Now that I have Sara's gift, what do you say we grab a bite and then we can split up so you can shop for clothes and I can tool around trying not to cause trouble?"
"Are you going to try and sneak a Cinnabon again, Guero?"
He shot her a look. "I did that once. Once! Since I'm not familiar with the law, I'll check with Gil tonight to be sure, but I think the statute of limitations on that has run out."
The Blakes
11:51 a.m.
Sara and Gil anxiously waited for the door to open so they could tell Wendy their news.
"Hey, there!" Wendy excitedly greeted. "Come on in. Sean will right out." With open arms she hugged Sara. "You look radiant."
"You know what they say about pregnant women and…"
"AHHH!" Wendy jubilated with a tighter hug and a shriek. "Congratulations, I'm thrilled for you both!"
Sean rushed over. "You're having a baby!"
"That's right." With his hands in his pockets Grissom nodded. "We just found out."
"Wow…" Sean looked over at Sara. "You better get some more practice in before you have a baby of your own."
"Sean!" Wendy shook her head. "We're still working on the verbal honesty diarrhea."
"Sorry, Mrs. Grissom." He hung his head.
"That's okay, Pal." Sara elbowed him. "It's true. Hey…guess who else will be helping our friends move? Lindsay Willows."
Sean's eyes widened. "But she hates me."
"Oh…don't be ridiculous," Grissom soothed the young lad. "She's a nice girl and couldn't hate a fly…not that anyone should. Lindsay couldn't possibly hate you."
Warrick's Car
11:54 a.m.
"I hate Sean Blake!" Lindsay grizzled. "I can't believe I'm going to live next door to him!"
"Now come on," Warrick cautioned, "You barely know the guy. I was a total dork when I was his age…gangly limbs, bug eyes, messed up hair and totally uncoordinated. There wasn't a girl in my school willing to give me the time of day. Then one year it all came together for me and I remembered all those nasty girls and wouldn't waste my time looking their way…much to their disappointment I might add."
Lindsay wasn't buying it. "A dork he is and a dork he'll stay."
"My grandmother would have washed your mouth out with soap for judging someone like that."
"Did you get your mouth washed out with soap?" She eyed him suspiciously. "I thought that only happened in the movies."
"Oh no…it happened, trust me."
Nick's Xterra
Rest Stop on I-40
12:21 p.m.
"Trust me!" Carrie enthused while fanning the brochure she snagged while Nick filled the gas tank. "The Grand Canyon Deer Farm is so much fun. We went there when I was a kid on our way to see The Canyon. It will be an excellent place to take the Stokes posse one day. We'll scope it out for our future generation and I'll relive a nice childhood memory of my mom and me. Sound good?"
"Yes, Dear, the deer farm will be our next stop." After twisting the gas cap in place he smooched her cheek. "Tell me, did you cry when you saw Bambi?"
"Did I cry!" She slipped into the truck. "I was so upset I didn't even want to go out for ice cream afterwards."
Walking around to the driver side Nick smirked uncontrollably. "My father and brother go deer hunting every year," He announced while he took a seat behind the wheel. "Like your political differences…it's best not to bring up the hunting debate unless you feel like going ten rounds…not that you couldn't."
Gaping like a fish out of water she said, "I'm marrying into a family of Bambi killers? I may rethink the last name thing after all."
"I've never killed Bambi or any members of his family," He clarified. "But I have eaten him for dinner. Don't really care for venison, so it's not a deal breaker if it's banned from our house."
"Does Sara know you've eaten Bambi meat? More importantly…can I ever kiss you again now that I know you have?"
"Let's test it out." In one smooth move he had his hand behind her neck and her mouth joined with his.
When they came up for air, Nick started the engine. "Yep…you can."
Greg's Apartment
12:26 p.m.
"Can you forgive me?" Hodges stood at the door wearing a brown t-shirt, faded jeans and a contrite expression. "I'm really sorry about what I called you, Tawny. It wasn't you I was ticked at…it was your lesser half. May I come in?" He shyly asked. "I promise to lift heavy things."
"Now that I know the whole story." She opened the door wider. "Definitely." Yelling in the direction of the couch she declared, "Hey, Greg…look who's so happy to see you alive he could kiss you!"
Catherine glanced up from the box she was packing. "I had a dream about that once. The scariest part was I was in the middle."
"Hey!" His latest pain pill kicking in Greg enthused, "Don't worry, man…I haven't forgotten our deal. Tawny told me she has the perfect girl in mind for you. But we have to double because…well…Tawny still finds you odd and questions your mental stability."
"So do I," Catherine joked. "And I've known him for years, Tawny, so don't feel bad."
Hodges shoved his hands in his pockets. "Genius is often misunderstood."
"Tell me about it," Greg retorted.
Another knock on the door signaled the arrival of more helpers and possibly lunch so Tawny scurried over to open it. "Hey, Warrick…hi, Lindsay. Thanks so much for volunteering to help."
"Least I can do for my new hero," Warrick replied through a smile. "I got you a present, Greggo." He crossed the room in quick strides. "It's from Nick and me." He tossed his buddy a plastic bag from Tropicana Tees.
"This is why we were late," Lindsay explained to her mom.
"Check it out!" Greg pulled out the sports jersey marked with the number one.
"Turn it around," Warrick prompted so Greg would see his football nickname printed on the back.
"Roach!" He held it up for Tawny. "I can wear this and you can wear your old cheerleading uniform and we'll pretend…"
"Whoa!" Lindsay barked. "I have enough nightmares thinking about my mom still doing it at her age. I don't need any other freaky thoughts in my impressionable brain."
The doorbell's ring broke the moment.
Tawny cheerily announced, "That must be Gil, Sara and Sean."
"Sean?" Lindsay glared at her mother. "Does she mean Sean Bug Dork Blake!"
Greg seized the opportunity to practice parenting. "No name calling under my roof, Missy! Especially ones people used to scream at me. One day when you have your own roof you can…"
"This isn't your roof," Lindsay pointed out the obvious. "You're renting."
"Oh…" In his fuzzy mind Greg tried to work that one out. Then he smelled food. "Pizza! Pizza!"
"Hang tight, Little Caesar," Warrick quipped as he took off towards the door. "I'll get your fix."
Brass's Apartment
12:35 p.m.
Having had her fix, Ellie finally fell asleep on her father's couch.
"How long do you think she'll sleep?" Jim asked Heather, who was sitting in an armchair staring at the lost young lady slumbering before her. "Hours…six, maybe eight. She's so rundown." Glancing up she said, "I'll stay. You go into the lab before the sheriff calls back bitching again."
"Are you sure you…"
"I am my boss, remember?" She smiled reassuringly. "I can take care of any business by phone. And I'll call you if she's stirring or wakes."
"Thank you for this." Anxious and emotional, Jim wore his heart on his sleeve. "I really need help with this."
"I know you do." Reaching out she touched his hand. "Don't worry…you're not alone."
After a quick nod he hurried out the door so he wouldn't show more than he was willing.
Greg's Apartment
12:48 p.m.
As he chomped on his pizza and calamari Greg remarked in a dreamy drug-influenced tone, "This is so much fun, we really should do this more often."
"Sure Greg," Catherine sarcastically pacified him. "Next time you need to move to a bigger place because Tawny's having another set of twins and you hurt your back almost dying in the field…count us in."
"No thanks to all of that!" Tawny proclaimed before leaning in for a kiss from her injured man. "Well…I'll let you know if I'll have any more babies once I'm done with these."
Sean was happy to join in the conversation. "My mom had two more kids after having twins."
Lindsay muttered under her breath loud enough for her mother and Greg to hear. "Yeah…she was hoping for a normal kid to replace you probably."
Catherine pinched her daughter and whispered in her ear, "Enough with the attitude or I'm yanking you out of diving lessons."
"So how about this for a plan?" Sara took the lead while finishing up her salad. "The men load Tawny's stuff from the storage unit while the ladies finish packing. Then the men come back and we all take everything from here and then head to the townhouse to unload. Sound good?"
Gil winked at his wife. "Sounds like a good plan to me."
"One question." Lindsay raised her hand politely. "Since Sean isn't a man does that mean he has to stay with the ladies? Because I…"
"That's it, young lady…no more diving lessons." Catherine lowered her head in shame. After hearing Greg's story the day before she knew the last thing he probably wanted around was a snot-nosed geek-bashing middle school girl insinuating a boy wasn't masculine enough.
"Ouch," Greg commented as he stared at the viperous mean-girl wannabe and wondered what happened to the nice girl he used to know. "Sean…I'm putting you in charge of moving Tawny's stuff out of storage because I need a level-headed man out there supervising and protecting my lady's precious things. Gris, Warrick and Hodges…they might start competing to prove who has the most brawn and get careless."
"I promise I'll do a really responsible job." Happy to be included with the men Sean beamed. "But there's no need for a competition. My uncle Nick has told me he wouldn't stand a chance if he had to go up against Mr. Brown and my Uncle Nick could easily take Mr. Grissom or Mr. Hodges because they are both slightly out of shape cerebral types. Therefore, by deduction, I can safely say Mr. Brown is indeed the strongest."
"Your uncle is a wise man." Warrick laughed. "Luckily we'll always be on the same side so he'll never have to worry."
Sara nudged Sean. "Yeah…that was more verbal honesty diarrhea. Greg suffers from that syndrome too. No wonder he liked you right away. You're the kid brother he never had."
Observing the group dynamic since the moment he arrived, Gil knew exactly what was going on. Greg was uncomfortable with Lindsay taunting Sean because he was wondering if she was this generation's Serena Tennison. But was Lindsay really picking on Sean or was it flirtation? Gil recalled Catherine saying she was a bit of a bully in school. Had the apple not fallen far from the tree and was Sean correct in thinking Lindsay hated him? Catherine's discomfort was obvious, so was Greg's and definitely Sean's. Now he felt badly for bringing him here.
Grand Canyon Deer Farm
1:27 p.m.
"We're here!" As they pulled into the nearly empty parking lot Carrie bubbled with excitement. "They've redone a lot of it but, I totally remember being here! I was only seven but I've looked at the family pictures so many times my memory seems fresh." When the car was stopped, she popped open her door and jumped out, heading right for a peek at the farm off in the distance.
Thrilled to see her happy go lucky, Nick hurried to join her. "The weather is perfect for…" When he did, he was stunned to see her swiping a tear. "Sweetheart?"
"I'm okay." She nodded trying to convince him and trick herself. "I um…"
"Is this going to be too much for you?" He whispered while wrapping his arms around her from behind. "I thought this was supposed to bring back happy memories of your mom."
"It is," She sniffled while trying to fight the emotion. "That's what's making me cry. We had such a good time here…we always did wherever we went." Her voice cracked as she lost the battle. "It's reminding me that she's not here to enjoy everything that's ahead, like the wedding or our babies." Turning she buried her head in his chest. "I wish she could be here…to meet you…I wish she could see me so happy. She was always worried I'd never find happiness after…"
"I've got you, Sweetheart," He soothed while gently gliding his hand over her back. Since he'd met her she had only briefly shed a few tears on two occasions.
"I…"
The intensity of her heartbreak as he held her broke his heart as well. "Just let it out."
"I've been trying so hard not to think about this and just focus on the happiness of planning our wedding," She confessed in a flurry of tears. "But things keep popping up. Like when I was shopping for a wedding dress I wanted her there with me…I wanted her to be the one holding up my hair and fussing over me instead of Wendy…not that I don't love Wendy, but it was so hard. After a little while, I pretended I had a stomach ache so I could hide in the bathroom and pull myself together." Blindsided by the power of her emotions she squeaked, "Nicky, I miss her so much."
"I know you do, Honey. I've caught you staring at her photo a few times with the saddest look in your eyes." Wanting desperately to fix things but knowing it was impossible, he just held her tight and let her release the emotion she had trapped inside.
When Carrie's sobs eventually quieted to sniffles, Nick whispered, "Do you ever feel like she's with you, Honey? Because sometimes after my grandpa died…I swore he was watching over me and that really helped me."
"Sometimes I think that." After a weighted sigh she confessed, "But then it seems like silly wishful thinking."
"I don't think it is." Using his thumbs to wipe her tears he smiled. "You believe we were meant to be together right? That meeting each other wasn't random."
She nodded as she caught her breath.
"Well if you believe in that, then how can you not believe there's something greater at work? Maybe your mom was a part of us getting together. I know it's hard to believe there can be positive energy out there considering what we deal with on the job, but…I want to believe it."
"Me too." She tried to smile.
"I love you so much, Carrie. I hate seeing you like this." He brought his forehead to hers while tenderly stroking her hair. "I wish I could make the hurt go away."
"Believe me…you've done your fair share." Reaching up she caressed his cheek. "Nicky, you can't make this better. All you can do is love me and you're already excelling at that."
"I'm trying my best." Lifting his head he placed a tender kiss on her forehead.
"I'm loving your best." Finally she could smile fully. "Wow…I think I needed this," She admitted now that she was feeling better. "It's been building since you proposed and I saw your mom's reaction. I never told you, but when were trapped in the cellar with her waiting out the tornado and she was going on and on, I was wishing we could tell my mom and make her just as happy. I couldn't wait for the all clear signal so I could escape and have a little breakdown in the bathroom." Shaking her head Carrie chided herself. "And here I am always telling you not to bottle stuff up inside and share your feelings with me. Go ahead, kettle…call this pot black."
"Pot, I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to ooze a little vulnerability for me." He attempted to wipe her mascara smudges away but instead made them worse. "It makes me more relaxed about all the stuff I've be sharing with you.." After another kiss to her forehead he murmured, "I know you're tough, but I figured there was some stuff working on you and you weren't sharing." He smiled. "You're just better at getting me to open up, or maybe I was afraid if I pushed you to share, then I'd have to talk about me."
Breathing deep she lamented, "I wish it hadn't come out here…in a parking lot off the Interstate, but at least no one else is around."
"Hey, I had my breakdown after walking through a parking lot. Maybe there's a correlation." Her smile reassured his aching heart. "You know parking…parking your issues."
"That's a stretch," She laughed a little. "How do I look? Be honest."
"Honestly…" Sweeping her wavy chestnut hair off her shoulders he told the truth. "You'll scare the deer if you don't fix your face."
"That's what I thought." Carrie chuckled. "I didn't use waterproof mascara, which brings me to the subject of your shirt. It's black so the mascara isn't a problem, but I was a little sniffly and..."
Glancing down he said, "I'll grab a fresh one out of my bag." With her hand in his he led her back to the Xterra.
"Oh no…" She tensed. "A car just parked and I'm a mess."
"Don't worry…" Tossing his arm around her he teased, "They'll just assume you have Bambi Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." When the occupants of the car walked by Nick loudly comforted his now laughing fiancée. "Please don't be upset…Bambi isn't a real deer, Darlin'. He was a cartoon."
Greg's Apartment
1:46 p.m.
While Greg dozed in front of cartoons, the ladies packed up the kitchen and Lindsay hung out in a corner tuning them out with her I-Pod.
"Finally he sleeps," Catherine stated as she glanced toward the couch. "I can't believe how wired he was. Percocet knocks me on my ass."
"The nurse said some people get hyper from it." Tawny glanced at the clock. "He'll probably be awake and chatting up a storm in twenty minutes. That's how it's been going."
"Did he have any nightmares last night?" Sara inquired, remembering her fitful sleeping habits after Dales Trail.
"Worse…he had a night terror. I know why they call them that…he was out of his mind." Tawny shivered remembering the look in his eyes. "I can't imagine how scared he was in that basement. He really thought he was going to die and never see his babies."
"He's a lot tougher than he looks," Catherine assured her with a squeeze to the shoulders. "He was brilliant with Tucker Mifflin. I'm not sure any of us would have had the same success."
"Could we um…change the topic," Tawny suggested. "I don't want to get tense. I've had enough of that. Let's just be happy and silly ."
"Don't encourage Catherine," Sara announced through a grin. "She'll start picking on me."
"Nah…" Catherine told her friend. "Let's pick on Carrie because she's not here. Get this…I went back to the Sex Store and bought her something. I gave it to her this morning before she left with Nick."
"You didn't." Sara gawked at her outrageous friend. "What did you give her?"
"Not a Warren I hope!" Tawny burst out giggling. "I don't think Nick's ego could handle finding a spare around the house."
"You've got that right," Catherine nodded with conviction. "No…I bought her an Indian Princess costume. This cute little teddy-type Pocahontas cover with matching frayed suede panties and bra. It has very nice turquoise ornamentation too."
Tawny clapped her hands. "Oh my gosh, that's perfect!"
"How would you play it?" Catherine asked.
"Wouldn't." She shook her head. "Because I can't imagine Greg as a cowboy. A rodeo clown …"
"No." Catherine moved a little closer and whispered, "Not with Greg…if you were with Nick…hypothetically."
"I can't…" Then she giggled. "Okay…hypothetically of course…I'd run it as captured against my will but he wins me over and I then offer myself to him."
"Not me…" Catherine shared her old fantasy. "He'd have to capture me and take me against my will, then I'd give in about half way thru."
Tawny clarified, "That's because you don't have the against your will baggage I do. And honestly…I can't imagine Nick playing it that way…he's too much of a gentleman even if the woman was totally into it."
"Right….right…that makes sense. Although…" Catherine pondered it for a moment and then resumed thinking about her protégé. "Carrie should play the nervous virgin who was given in marriage to the cowboy in return for his good deeds towards her people. Kind of like a Dances with Wolves thing. He feels awkward about it, but can't deny the attraction he feels for her. It ends up being mutual once the passion builds."
"Oh!" Tawny nodded. "I could totally see that working for both of them."
"People!" Sara snapped her fingers. "Don't you think this conversation is a little odd?"
Catherine knew it was time to change subjects. "Did I mention I saw a bumble bee costume at the store? I bet Gil would love something buggy."
Regretting she asked, Sara calmly said, "Let's go back to the totally inappropriate conversation the two of you hypersexualized women were having."
"Only if you tell us your French name," Tawny taunted. "Yvette? Solange?"
Catherine joined in. "Fifi? Trixi?"
"Fine!" Sara whispered, "Mimi. Now go back to the other conversation."
"Okay." Catherine flashed a devilish smile. "What would your Indian Princess scenario be with Nick?"
Without missing a beat Sara replied, "I have a really good one…but it's twisted."
"Really?" Tawny glanced around and moved closer. "What is it?"
"Everything's the same…the whole given over in marriage thing you said before but…" She whispered in a voice thick with intrigue. "…as he goes to kiss me for the first time we look at each other and both think…this isn't right, it feels like we're related. We're completely turned off and don't touch each other. Here's the twisted part…we find out that we're twins who were separated at the age of four! Turns out, I got lost in the plains and was found by the Indian Chief. I end up working with Nick to negotiate peace between the tribe and the ranchers and ultimately save my adoptive people from being driven off their land. Don't I kick ass as an Indian Princess!" Sara grinned from ear to ear as her friends stared at her. "Not what you were expecting, huh?"
Catherine harrumphed, "Killjoy."
Storage Unit
1:55 p.m.
Joy spread over Grissom's face as he opened the door to the storage unit. "Look! A spider in the corner. Check out the web."
"Cool!" Sean exclaimed. "What kind is it? Is it poisonous?"
The answer came from Hodges. "That's a wolf spider." He nodded at Grissom. "I've been studying Entomology in an effort to suck up to you." Rolling his eyes he grumped, "Since you're no longer my boss it won't help much." He pointed at Warrick who was hopping out of the moving truck and removing his button down shirt so he could work in his white tank. "Now I have to learn about sports." He shuddered.
Sean felt the man's pain.
Grissom, ignoring Hodges, answered Sean, "The Wolf Spider is venomous but not deadly…except to small children or those who are allergic."
"Darn…now I can't bring it home and scare Ryan with it because it could kill my sisters."
"Don't worry, Sean." Grissom patted the concerned lad on the back. "I'll give you my two slowest racers. I'm sure they'll enjoy retirement under your care."
Behind the trio Warrick coughed to get their attention. "Are we gonna keep gushing over bugs or are we moving this stuff?"
"Does anyone need help lifting something heavy?" A deep voice called out.
When Grissom turned he saw a familiar and welcome face. "Irving!"
Sean tapped Warrick on the arm. "Mr. Brown, I'm afraid you've been bumped to the number two spot on the brawn list. Irving could definitely take you. But here's a secret…he's afraid of bugs."
"Hey, Gil…Sean." Irving nodded.
"Hey…I'm Warrick Brown." He extended his hand and shook Irving's firmly. "I work with Greg."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Irving Jones, an old friend of Tawny's and Gil and Greg's personal trainer. Which reminds me…" He pointed at Gil. "Don't forget your session tomorrow."
"I'm counting the minutes," Gil lied. "So how did you know we needed help?"
"Tawny called and asked if I had some time could I run over and help move." Finally he placed the face of the anxious looking man next to Warrick. "I remember you now. Your friend called Tawny a 'ho. What the hell are you doing here?"
Warrick scowled at Hodges. "Your friend called Tawny a 'ho? You need some new friends Hodges. Although, with your charming personality, I'm rather surprised you have some in the first place."
"Uh…" Hodges held up his hands as Irving's nostrils flared. "We've worked everything out since that night. We just broke bread together…pizza actually. Grissom...you'll vouch for me, right? Tawny is even setting me up with a friend of hers."
"It's true," Grissom confirmed. "Don't squash him."
"Don't squash that really neat spider either," Sean instructed while pointing to the web.
"Oh!" Irving took a step back.
Grinning fully, Sean thought…yep…the big guy is afraid of bugs, just like my supposedly tough brother.
"Okay people." Warrick clapped his hands together. "Let's move this stuff out."
Grand Canyon Deer Farm
2:01 p.m.
With the large cups of deer pellets they purchased inside the gift shop, Nick and Carrie stepped outside and trekked to the enormous deer pen.
"There has to be fifty doe in there," Nick remarked upon opening the gate to the pen.
"And only one buck in seclusion over there." She laughed lightly. "I'm surprised he can stand. He must be exhausted."
"I wonder who he knew to get this sweet deal?" When he saw Carrie's eye roll he laughed. "Not that I'd be interested. No, if they offered it to me, I'd turn it down to be a monogamous deer."
"You better watch that shit!" Carrie warned.
Stunned by her tone and choice of words, Nick snapped, "Now that's uncalled for, I was just joking with…"
"What?" She pointed at his boots and shook with laughter. "You just stepped in a massive pile of pellets."
"Aren't you hilarious? I really did step in it." Laughing with her, he scraped his shoe clean. "And here I thought you were shittin' me."
Feeling more cheery by the minute Carrie gushed, "Aren't the deer so adorable! I love the ones with the white spots on their backs. Oh look…they're all coming in our direction. That other family must be done feeding them and the deer sense we have some food." Noticing the parents and children rushing for the gate Carrie cocked her head. "I wonder why their running so fast?" Grabbing his hand she tugged. "Come on, let's go feed some deer!"
It was definitely not a scenario he had imagined before now…frolicking with a woman in a pen full of deer poop and flies…and yet, he found it strangely enjoyable because Carrie's happiness was returning with each passing minute.
"Awww…" Carrie began patting the woodland creatures on the head and greeting them in a fairy tale voice. "Look how beautiful you are. And you are too…and you…yes all of you are gorgeous with big brown eyes and long lashes. Are you hungry? Yes, you are. Here you go. Awww." Glancing up at Nick with doe eyes of her own she sighed, "One day, if we have a ranch, can we have a few deer? They're just the sweetest things."
"And who will be cleaning up the fifty tons of deer pellets these adorable creatures push out each year?"
Laughing sweetly as the deer ate delicately from her palm she replied, "Not me."
"How about we get a dog first and see how that goes?"
"Really?" The gentle lapping of the deer tongues on her open palm sent her giggling. "What kind of dog?"
"A poodle," He joked while loving the look on her face.
"I was thinking Yellow Lab but if you have your heart set on a fluffy little poodle then…" She realized she was out of food. "Uh oh…I'm out. They're still hungry."
Nick shook his cup. "Come and get it." Backed up against some fencing, Nick poured some pellets in his hand.
"It truly takes a man who is comfortable with his masculinity to feed deer so delicately." Carrie watched as twenty five deer surrounded her fiancé, all jockeying for position. "Wow! You're the man, Honey. They love you! Now let me hear you talk sweet to the little ladies. Let them experience Smooth Stokes at his best."
Glancing up he saw her radiant smile and couldn't resist indulging her no matter how foolish it felt. "Hey, ladies…don't worry, there's enough of me to go around. Yeah…no pushin', no shovin' there's plenty of lovin'. If you play it cool, you'll all get a piece of the action."
When she saw the deer closing in Carrie shouted, "Apparently smarm is a universal language across species."
"Sorry ladies…the grub is gone." He held his cup upside down but they didn't back off. Instead they started pushing closer and head butting him. "Hey!" The slime from their noses mixed with the dust from the food remnants on their mouths and left brown smears all over his clean white shirt. "Do you see what's goin' on here, Honey? They're getting fresh! Whoa…one's trying to go up the leg of my shorts." He joked, "Ladies, it's over for now. I'll call ya."
"Oh my god!" Carrie covered her mouth when she saw the fray building. "Seriously Nicky, this is great desensitization therapy for you. Dozens of overly aggressive females have you trapped. You'd pay a lot of money for this with a non-traditional therapist. Work through it." There had to be thirty deer penning him against the fence.
"Roxie…" He shot her a warning glare as deer snouts jabbed him in the ass and crotch. "It's obvious you aren't from Texas because no respectable Texan would let a bunch of females touch her man's ass without doin' something about it."
"You want me to fight for my man, is that it?" She stood tall. "I'm pretty sure I can take them…well except for that one who really seems into you. I think she's trying to rip your shirt off to check your abs. If you want me to tackle her…"
"I want you to get your cute little ass to the gift shop and buy some more food to get them off me and…WHOA!" One reared up and planted its hooves on his chest. "Now please!"
"Are you wearing musk?" Carrie asked before taking off towards the gift shop. "Hang on, I'll be right back!"
Greg's Apartment
2:14 p.m.
"I'll be right back," Sara announced with a smile on her face. "The pregnant girl needs to go again. I still can't believe I'm pregnant some times." It still sounded odd when said out loud. Only a year ago she was pining for Gil and hoping he'd finally come around and now she was his wife and carrying his child. It was blissfully perfect.
"Wait until you get hemorrhoids," Catherine groaned. "Then you'll really feel special."
"Oh!" Tawny cringed at the thought. "Wait…I know what you're up to. You're part of the 'Been There Done That' club and you're obligated to scare the crap out of us newbies."
Placing her open palm over her heart Catherine feigned sincerity. "Does that sound like something I would do?"
"Yes," Both women answered.
"Mom!" Lindsay called out from her position in front of the TV. "Greg's talking and tossing on the couch and freaking me out."
"It's okay, Chuckles is a talker," Tawny calmly assured the girl while strolling toward the living room. "It's a little freaky." Then she heard him.
"Don't…put the gun…paint thinner…I don't want to burn…no."
Catherine and Sara stood at the end of the couch watching their friend twitch from the nightmare.
"Greg…" Tawny kneeled in front of the couch and patted his cheek. "Sweetie."
Catherine motioned for Lindsay to follow her. "Let's go to the Quick Mart and buy some Gatorade for the guys to have when they come back."
With her eyes still on Greg, Lindsay started walking.
"No! What are you…don't…WHY…let go…NO!"
"Greg…." Tawny shook him harder. "Honey, wake up. You're safe at home."
Suddenly he bolted to sitting. "Don't!" His eyes flew open and he startled. "Where?"
"Greg!" Tawny grabbed his hand. "You're home safe with me. You were having a nightmare that's all." His shirt was drenched and his eyes wild with fear.
"It was so real," He replied while panting to catch his breath and fully wake. "Tucker…he was at my house in California and…" Gulping he clutched Tawny's arm. "And Serena Tennison was there laughing and they had me taped in a chair while Tucker poured lighter fluid on me. She was holding a book of matches…laughing." Gripping his head he tried to block the image. "They were saying I wanted it."
"Honey…who is Serena Tennison?" Tawny glanced up at Sara, looking for an answer since Greg was still out of it.
"Um…" The previous night when she was at the lab helping Gil pack he told her everything Greg had said over the cell while trapped in the basement. "A girl he went to middle school with who was a real bitch to him. He talked about her with Tucker yesterday." Taking a seat on the edge of the couch Sara soothed Greg, "Before you fell asleep you were talking about California so it was in your head and with Lindsay picking on Sean you were probably reminded of Serena…look…I've done the post-trauma nightmare thing several times and things get jumbled together…it's completely normal. This will pass. It took a couple of months after I witnessed my father's death. But they really do stop."
Clearing his throat Greg said, "I think I'll just hook up a caffeine drip to a vein and stay awake because next time I'm thinking Freddy Krueger will join the gang."
Now it was Sara's turn to be puzzled. "Who is Freddy Krueger?"
Tawny sat looking at her in shock. "The bad guy from the horror flick A Nightmare on Elm Street."
"Oh." She nodded. "Never saw it. After witnessing real life horror, I avoided it on the big screen."
Tawny filled in the blanks for her friend. "It's about this guy, Freddy, who shows up in people's nightmares. The twist is, if he kills you in the nightmare you really die. He wears a glove that has knives for fingers that's super creepy."
"And he's burned from head to toe," Greg added in horror. "That's how he died originally…being burned alive by the parents of the kids he's trying to kill in the movie. He's exacting revenge by going after their loved ones. It's a real nightmare."
Grand Canyon Deer Farm
2:21 p.m.
"I'm going to have nightmares about this and I may actually accept my father's invitation to deer hunt next year," Nick jokingly commented as he stood on the safe side of the pen brushing deer hair from his arms and surveying the dozens of snot smears on his clothes. "Can you believe how much deer DNA I have on me? At the rate I'm going, I don't think I packed enough clothes for this trip."
"They should post a warning sign," Carrie suggested with a smirk on her face. "Men with undeniable animal magnetism are at risk."
"Smoooooth Blake."
"Yeah…I'd kiss you too, if you didn't smell so bad." Handing him her hand sanitizer she laughed. "Use this and I can at least hold your hand again."
"In spite of the physical assault, I'm having a great time." As he cleansed his hands he watched Carrie light up again. "Being plastered with deer gunk is a small price to pay to cheer you up."
"I'm feeling great and now I have a new fun memory of this place." Holding up the disposable camera she purchased in lieu of her digital she had left in the car, she added, "And I have new photos."
Returning the hand soap he griped, "Are you going to post those, no doubt hilarious shots of me, on the Internet for your Chick Chat friends?"
"Okay get ready, what I'm about to say may give you a cavity. I'm not taking photos to embarrass you." Clasping his freshly scrubbed hand she sweetly explained her motivation. "One day I'll show the photos to our little boy or girl and say…these are from my first road trip with your daddy. The deer loved him so much they tried to steal him away from me, but I rescued him, because I loved him more than all those deer combined, and I wanted him to marry me so we could have you." She beamed. "When we get back home, I'm going to start a scrapbook for our family like the ones Wendy does."
Expecting a humorous reply, he was caught off guard by the beautiful sentiment. "Are you sure you won't kiss me? Because after what you just said I really…" His words were cut off when she pressed her lips to his, caressing them.
When she broke the kiss Carrie whispered, "I know we'll be closer than ever after spending this time together."
"This trip with you is just exactly what I need." Taking her hand, they started walking down the brick path back to the gift shop. "I need a little time to have some fun and get to know my future wife better. I need to learn everything about you. So far I've learned you love deer farms, hate rest stop bathrooms, front as good as me, can be a pain in the butt ordering drive-thru…and you have the ability to take my breath away talking about our future together."
"There's a lot more to learn." Swinging her hand with his she inquired, "So…where to now, Tex?"
"I don't know. We'll get back on the road and see where it leads." Nick gave her hand a squeeze. "Like you said…so far I'm loving everywhere it's taking us."
The Townhouse
3:11 p.m.
While the rest of the guys were back at Greg's Apartment loading the truck with the ladies, Grissom, as an excuse to get Sean away from Lindsay, volunteered to drive Greg to the townhouse and brought Sean along for the ride.
"Take it slow," Grissom advised as Greg hobbled up the four steps to the front door.
"I'm okay." He grimaced as he climbed. "And I know my buddy Sean's ready to catch me if I fall."
Sean took the compliment and the word buddy to heart. "Count on it."
With his old key, Grissom opened the door. "This feels so strange."
Greg caught the look on his friend's face and asked, "Does it make you think of your pre-Sara life?"
"Yes." A shiver coursed through him as he realized without Sara's persistence, he'd still be living the pre-Sara life…with no ring on his finger and no baby on the way. "Let's not talk about that anymore," He remarked while stepping inside. "Wow…it never smelled this good when I lived here."
"Tawny must have hit the aromatherapy store when she was shopping yesterday." Greg finally reached the hallway. "She loves that stuff. Back in the booty call days, the only thing that I couldn't predict was the scent of the apartment."
Puzzled, Sean asked, "What's a booty call?"
Grissom froze like a deer in headlights. "I need to use the restroom."
As Grissom ran away, Greg easily fielded the question. "It's street for hot date."
"Oh." Sean nodded. "I don't hang out on the street very much."
Staring at the boy Greg sighed, "You really are mini-me. Do you spend a lot of time talking to adults? Do grandma-types adore you? Have you ever received anything less than an A?"
"Yes, yes and no, Mr. Sanders," Sean politely replied.
"I told you…Mr. Sanders is my dad. If you can't bring yourself to call me Greg and insist on calling me Mister something…then call me Mister Chuckles."
"That sounds funny," Sean nervously remarked with a serious face.
"No, it IS funny," Greg tutored. "If you want to survive your geekhood you're going to have to lighten up and get a sense of humor."
"My Uncle Nick says I have a sense of humor."
The statement elicited a hearty laugh from Greg. "Consider your source, Buddy. I love your Uncle Nick like a brother but, he can go days without cracking a joke when he's tense. Look where it's gotten him…he's on mandated chill time."
"Excellent point." He continued following his latest mentor.
When they reached the living room and Greg saw the sea of shopping bags he whistled. "Looks like Tawny bought out the mall."
Hoping Greg answered Sean's sex question, Grissom returned. "Sorry…nature called."
"That's okay, Gris," Greg assured him as he started milling through the shopping bags. "You can answer Sean's next question."
Grissom glanced around looking for a bug to point out so the next question would be a no-brainer.
"What the hell!" Greg blurted as he peeked inside the bag from Sensations Superstore. His Percocet-infused euphoria morphed to horror. "I'm being replaced! Look!" With his right hand he extracted the enormous faux male organ and foisted it at Grissom. "I'm being replaced by FAUX-WARRICK!"
"Greg!" Grissom shouted. "Don't whip that thing around in front of the boy! You'll scar him for life!"
"Mr. Grissom, I thought you said I was a man?" Sean's voice reflected his disappointment.
"Ahh…" Grissom was slipping into verbal dysfunction once more.
Greg on the other hand, heard nothing but his own panic. "She said she voted Warrick as Most Kissable Lips! Then why didn't she buy a mouth instead of a penis, huh! Apparently he has a few other awards under his belt! OH!" He gawked at the giant object in his hand. "I guess I should be grateful that if I died yesterday she could have still had sex!"
"That's for sex!" Sean's eyes popped out of his head. "I thought it was an enlarged scientific model used for educational purposes."
Greg's brain finally understood Grissom's point. "Ooops." He tossed the item into a bag on the floor and when it hit the ground its thud filled the room. "What's on your mind, Sean? If you have a specific question, remember to ask Mr. Grissom, it's his turn."
"Thanks, Greg." Grissom felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"I don't understand." Vexed, Sean asked a pointed question, "If the purpose of sexual intercourse is for a man and woman to conceive a child, then what is the point of having sexual intercourse with a plastic model that isn't capable of producing the sperm required for fertilization? And why would Ms. Cooper need to have sex at all since she's already pregnant?"
"Let's hear your answer, Gris." Greg watched the flustered man's cheeks flash from pale to blush.
"Uhhh…" Having only started to discuss sex with grown ups a short time ago, he wasn't ready to have The Talk with a twelve year old. "Greg…I'll tack on another month of free rent if you field this."
"Six."
"Three."
"Deal." Greg turned to young Sean. "I was JOKING!" He burst out laughing. "Gotcha! See…I'm a funny guy. It really is just a scientific model."
"You really had me going, Mr. Chuckles."
Grissom stood shaking his head. "Tucker Mifflin didn't stand a chance against your mind, Greg."
Author's Notes:
Next Chapter: Getting It Back - Part 3
Teaser: Two nervous fathers proceed with caution, one indulgent fiance should, and one friend throws caution to the wind.
Posting: Wednesday
Thanks for reading and for the comments on the last chapter. Hopefully you got some good laughs out of this one too!
Maggs