Feasibility Study
Written by: Ms Maggs / Edited by: KJT
Epilogue – Part 6 (Series Conclusion)
Sunday, August 29, 2005
Ron Grissom's Limo
6:30 p.m.
As planned, the limo pulled into the driveway at six-thirty, the designated time for cake and presents. The chauffeur carefully helped out Jillian who was holding sleepy Ashley in her arms. "Thank you, Henry."
He tipped his hat. "Let me get the front door for you, ma'am."
Ken stood at the limo door as the kids piled out.
"I want cake," McKenna yelled as she raced for the door even though she just had ice cream an hour ago.
Inside the house Jillian saw Sara sporting a veil on a rhinestone comb and a white t-shirt with the word bride across the chest in black. "Does Gil get one to match?"
"Yes," Catherine assured her. "He's already out back because he can't see the bride ahead of time."
In the yard, Gil stood next to the table covered in gifts. Much to his chagrin he had put on the black t-shirt with the word groom plastered across the front in white. "I'm starting to think it would have been easier to invite you to the chapel that day."
Warrick patted his buddy on the back. "I think that's what Cath is going for here, Gris."
When he noticed Greg setting up some music at the karaoke machine Gil cringed, "She's making us dance, isn't she?"
"Of course."
"Dad…" Gil joked, "Can you write me a note to get out of this?"
Ron showed no mercy. "Be happy you're surrounded by family and friends who care. Your mother and I got married alone with strangers as our witnesses. Perspective, my boy…perspective."
"Thanks, Dad." That's when Gil saw his wife/bride appear on the back porch. Even though she was barefoot and only wearing a white t-shirt with black shorts, watching her smile as she carried a small bouquet of red roses, he thought Sara was the most beautiful bride he ever saw. "Wow."
Although it hadn't been mandated by Catherine, Sara had asked Jim to escort her to her groom.
"I'm honored," He whispered as they made their way down the stairs.
"It's good practice for when you have to do this for Ellie one day."
"Thanks for that." Brass took her arm.
Although she would never admit it, Sara loved everything about the moment: Ron getting misty, her friends who looked excited to be there, Wendy's enthusiasm for snapping photos, but nothing thrilled her more than the happiness on Gil's face as he waited for her to arrive.
"You're loving this," Brass needled right before they got to the table.
"I take the fifth." Sara stood next to her man beaming.
"Photo op!" Wendy shooed everyone out of the way. "Talk amongst yourselves while I document the occasion because they'll be more outgoing if all of you aren't watching. I'll call each of you over for your turn with the bride and groom."
From behind, Nick slipped his arms around Carrie's waist. "That will be us in February…except you'll be wearing shoes."
"Oh yeah…I have the best shoes. I bought them first and then matched the dress to them." When she saw her future mother-in-law marching over, Carrie slipped out of Nick's arms and fell silent.
Even though she was still pissed, Jillian told her errant son, "Ken and I spoke about the wedding in the limo. I told him that your cousin's band has agreed to play and wouldn't be billing you. Your father will give them a very generous tip in lieu of a fee. He's fine with the arrangement."
"Thanks, Mama." Nick stepped forward and gave her a hug that had little to do with the music news and everything to do with buttering her up. "And about before, I…"
"I know what you're doing Nicholas…save it." With disdain she stepped out of the embrace. "I don't have ESP, Son. I didn't sense you were in the closet and go there to bust you, I heard you from the hallway. I'm angry because there were four impressionable children wandering around the party who could have heard you instead of me. Now, I don't want them hearing us talk about this, that's why I said we'll discuss it at home so drop it."
"Yes, ma'am."
Carrie felt the chill and obeyed the request for a deferred discussion. Instead, she opted for a polite, factual reply on the original topic. "Thank you for your help with the band, Jillian. I really appreciate it."
To reduce the tension, the three of them went their separate ways.
"Ron…" Wendy called him over. "Let's get a father and son photo and then one with the bride and groom."
"You bet." Ron jumped at the chance to take a picture with his son for the first time in over forty years.
Wendy lowered her camera for a moment. "That's real nice."
"Yeah." Sara looked on with watery eyes. "In nine months we'll have to take all three generations together." She winked at Gil just in case he felt awkward.
Off to the side Greg grazed his palm over Tawny's belly. "Are the kids enjoying the party?"
"They want cake," She giggled. "Me too. But I also want this…" Pulling him behind a tree she stole a kiss.
"Did Todd get you hot and bothered too?" He teased while snuggling her.
"Are you kidding? I was laughing my ass off the whole time." Glancing up she said, "Did you check your messages?"
"Yep." He smiled brightly. "Mom was very excited to hear we'd be coming on Wednesday instead of Thursday. Dinner at the house with my folks is on for Wednesday night and we can still have our romantic date on Thursday night. Oh…and I told her all the foods that trigger your nausea so we're safe."
"I'm so excited." She burrowed into his chest.
"Me too." He swallowed hard. "And nervous, but that's okay…it will all be okay…yeah." Resting his head on hers he took a deep breath. "Yeah…it will be perfect."
"Perfect!" Wendy snapped one more of Gil, Sara and Ron. "Who's next?"
"Me!" Catherine jumped in the photo. "We'll call this one…it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for her." Patting Sara's belly she chuckled, "Did you hear that Bug Baby?"
In the corner of the yard Carrie spoke to her father. "Since we have a nice honesty vibe going I thought I'd broach this subject too." Steadying herself with a breath Carrie said, "I know it's important to you to spoil me rotten on my wedding day and you still can but…I want to cut the wedding budget in half and give twenty-five grand to Paul to help ease his financial burden. With the band playing for free that's thousands of dollars right there."
"Sweetheart…" Ken glanced around to make sure they were alone. "That's very generous of you…especially when you and Nick are saving for a house and could use the money."
"That's okay, we're resigned to waiting for a while to get our dream home."
"Caroline…" Ken debated what to say. "I've been looking for a way to break this to you…it's just…every time I've thought about it…"
"What is it, Daddy?" She saw his concern mounting.
"You were too young to realize it but…we had a civil trial against the monster who hurt you, as well as a criminal one. There was a settlement. That beast had some money and we took it. It's been in an investment account for twenty years. I…" He felt the usual emotions building whenever he thought of pain his little girl endured. "I didn't want the money, but the point of course was to use it to help you…for counseling, therapeutic hobbies, relocating the family away from where it happened…whatever we needed to ensure you got whatever you needed. Of course we also wanted to take the money away from him so when he got out of prison, he wouldn't have it."
"Um…" Needing a little time to absorb the information she fell silent again.
"The thing was though…I could never bear to use it. I couldn't let that animal pay for anything that touched your life. I couldn't because, after the trial he said…" Digging deep he found the courage to share the disgusting truth. "…he said…we're even. I've paid for services rendered." He omitted an even uglier statement that the convicted animal managed to yell before being carted away, because it wasn't necessary to make the point and it was revolting.
A harsh chill sent Carrie shivering. "That's so…um…I understand why you never told me."
"You're an adult now, Caroline, and I think you're strong enough to take the money and make a decision about it. Twenty years later there's enough in there to buy your dream house and pay off Paul's mortgage if you wanted to but…would you be comfortable buying those things with money that only exists because you suffered? And my gut tells me Nick would have a hard time living in a house bought that way. But maybe you could use it to do something positive for children who were abused. I don't know." Taking her shaky hand he gave it a squeeze. "Do you see what I mean? It's not easy."
"Um…" Carrie looked in the distance at Paul playing with the boys, suddenly realizing that she had the power to make their financial burden disappear. Then she looked at Nick twirling around McKenna and imagined a beautiful home for their family too…but how do you sleep under a roof paid for by the man who manipulated and sexually assaulted you? "I understand what you mean."
"Carrie!" Nick called out from across the yard. "It's our turn for a photo op."
"Daddy…" Her concern for her fiancé the top priority she asked, "Nick has a lot going on this week with his mom's visit so I'm not going to tell him about this right away."
"It will be between you and me, Sweetheart." Ken nodded.
"Thanks." She plastered on a smile and took off running. "Sorry, Honey! I was telling my dad about the songs we're asking the band to play."
While the next round of photos was being snapped Warrick pulled Catherine on his lap. "Happy?"
"Yeah." She watched the smiles on Gil and Sara's faces. "And they are too…although they'll never admit it." Pointing across the lawn she sighed, "Do you see what's happening between Lindsay and Ryan? They're flirting."
"And Sean is the odd man out," He lamented. "That poor kid was crushin' on her and now his brother has swooped in. I'm glad I was an only child."
"I liked Sean crushing on her because he's a mini-Grissom…guaranteed to move at a snail's pace but Ryan…"
"He's a mini-Nick."
"Thanks for planting that thought in my head. "Catherine closed her eyes wishing she cold open them and have Lindsay be five again. It didn't work. "Ugh…last month it was Jake the Pastor's son and today it's Ryan."
"I'm sure you weren't fickle about boys when you were thirteen."
"You're not helping." She gave him a death glare. "I know the apple fell directly under the tree okay…you don't have to keep reminding me."
On the perimeter Sean watched his brother and Lindsay talking. He studied their moves…the way his brother postured and held his football while Lindsay rocked on her heels and coiled her finger in her hair. They made it look so easy. And they looked happy. "It's too late," He muttered.
"For what?" Paul asked his son.
"Uh…cake!" Sean pointed to the sun. "It will be dark soon."
"We've got at least another hour." He ruffled his boy's hair and continued into the house.
Sean continued watching his brother's moves. There was no doubt he was smooth and although in theory Sean knew what was required, it was putting it into motion that always gave him trouble. The problem had existed for as long as he could remember. In 1st grade the boys would want to play superheroes and while he had watched cartoons and knew what the role meant, he always said the wrong thing or made the wrong move and the boys promptly cut him out of the game. Apparently girls were going to do the same. It was a new chapter in the same book and the thought of stepping into the minefield called middle school that week terrified him. Especially since he'd be going to a new private school this year without his brother.
"Sean!" Sara called out. "We want a picture with you." After all, Sean's positive influence on Gil had been a critical part of the feasibility study's positive finding.
"Really?" At least someone thought he mattered. "Sure!" He hustled over and jumped in between the bride and groom. "Thanks."
When she finally found Tawny behind a tree with Greg, McKenna giggled. "Are you playing hide and seek?"
"You found us!" Tawny broke into a cheery smile.
"But you didn't tell me we were playing." Confused, the little girl stuffed her hands on her hips.
"Oops." Greg knelt down. "I guess I forgot how to play because it's been a while since I was little." He poked her in the belly and sent her into a fit of giggles. Looking up at Tawny he remarked, "I do much better with kids this age than babies. Babies hate me."
"One baby fusses in your arms and you think they all hate you." Tawny shook her head. "We need to find another infant and get you over this paranoia."
"My friend Robbie who's flying in to see his parents for Labor Day has a baby. My mom said it's only three months old." Greg scooped up McKenna. "Maybe in spite of what he knows about me from high school, he'll let me hold it."
Tawny hoped the infant wasn't the fussy type.
"Can we do our dance now?" McKenna asked Tawny. It was the reason she had tracked her down.
"That's right…our special dance." When she was babysitting earlier that week, she had taught her some ballet moves. "Do you have your tutus?"
"On a chair over there." She pointed.
Greg smiled at Tawny. "Are you seriously going to do it in front of everyone?"
"Oh, like doing a little backyard ballet in front of friends is going to humiliate me after the other kind of dancing I did for years? Right." As they walked to retrieve the tutus she chuckled, "Besides…I'm really good at ballet."
As Greg set her down, McKenna yelled, "Grandpa, come watch the dance Miss Tawny taught me!"
"A ballet dance!" Tawny quickly clarified knowing the man was less than thrilled with her previous occupation. "An extremely innocent ballet dance…no dying swans…no wicked queens..."
"I think that's overkill, Sweetie," Greg whispered as he covered her mouth.
"I'll be there in a five minutes," Ken replied.
"I want to see this dance," Carrie announced as she strolled over with Nick.
McKenna promptly shoved a pink tutu her aunt's way. "You can do it with us because I have three tutus."
Nick encouraged. "Go for it, Darlin'. It will be your follow up to the Bedrock Twist."
"No thanks." She gently pushed her niece's hand away. "I already suffered plenty of humiliation today, and I forgot my ballet slippers."
Remembering she needed her magic wands, McKenna raced for the house. "Be right back."
Greg snickered, "It's always about the shoes with you isn't it, Carrie?"
"Are you picking on my woman, Chuckles?" Nick joked while giving him a playful shove. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Tired of being the pseudo kid brother who always backed down, Greg decided today was the day he'd assert his equal status. "Are you threatening me, Bo Peep? By the way, I asked your mom…she doesn't recall you ever being in 4H club. So why exactly did you have a pet sheep?"
"Oh! OH!" Nick burst out laughing. "You've been giving me shit all day. Now you're insinuating I had an unnatural relationship with Squeaky. Are you trying to get me to kick your ass, Bro?"
"You'd have to catch me first," Greg taunted, feeling pretty confident and enjoying the fraternal game.
Carrie stepped in between the two. "Boys…this isn't the time or the place for tomfoolery. Nicky, you've been drinking in the sun all day and you're already in trouble with your mom. Greg, you just recovered from a back injury and don't need to be tackled…not that I'm saying you'd lose the battle but…let's be realistic."
Tawny nodded vehemently. "Chuckles, you need to be functional for our trip. Today is not the day to go Alpha. Especially not against Nick, because he has a lot of built up tension from the thing with Carrie's dad earlier."
Greg laughed, "Nah…he released all his tension in the bedroom closet."
"That's a good one." Nick appreciated the retort. "Yeah…considering you're an only child, you're really good at this annoying little brother shit. I should know…I've been one my entire life. Here's another thing you should know…it got my ass pounded weekly. I see why you're doin' it though. You figure I haven't been myself lately, now I'm a little drunk and my mom's here…the planets are aligned in your favor."
"You guys are fooling around, right?" Carrie asked. With both men on the edge of sanity over the last week, she was worried they were suddenly snapping.
"Hell, yeah we're joking." Nick gave Greg playful shove while grinning. "Isn't that right, Bro?"
"Right." Greg shoved back a little harder. Holding his stomach he laughed. "Okay, seriously…I'll stop. Right after this." Looking directly at Nick he took a deep breath and went for it. "Baaaaaa!" Realizing he crossed the line, he took off running.
"You're a dead man, Sanders!" Nick shouted before beginning the pursuit.
"Oh shit." Carrie watched Nick take off after him. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Tawny watched Greg weave through the people, lawn chairs and trees. "Me too!" Nick was already closing in. "Even though he deserves it, don't hurt him!"
Gil draped his arm around Sean's shoulders. "Remember the day I first met you and we talked about what not to do when you're a geeky, scrawny kid?"
"Yes, Mr. Grissom." Sean recalled the conversation perfectly. "You said…always keep your mouth shut in the presence of guys who can pummel you. If you don't incite the gorillas, they'll forget you're there." Watching the chase Sean chuckled, "I guess you never had that conversation with Greg."
"What did Sanders do now?" Warrick sighed.
Brass whipped out his wallet and shouted, "Twenty on Stokes. Any takers?"
When everyone else laughed, Tawny felt compelled to back her man. "Me!"
Sara tapped Wendy on the shoulder. "Make sure you get a picture of this testosterone-induced idiocy for my scrapbook."
"I'm already on it." She laughed.
When Jillian exited the house the first thing she heard was her son yelling.
"Greggo! Your ass is mine!"
It was an unusual sight for her because at family BBQs, Nick had always been the one being chased by his brother. As she approached the pool area, she explained to Ken, who was staring at her, "Nick's very serious about getting in his exercise." That's when she saw her son running towards the pool as if he were back playing Aggie football and heading for the end zone. From that point on, everything played out in slow motion.
"You're going down, Sanders!" Nick bellowed as he leapt through the air and threw his arms around Greg, sending them airborne.
Greg used what he thought might be his last breath to yell, "Baaaaaaaaa!"
The combined body weights of both men, and the force with which they hit the water, caused a Shamu-worthy splash. Unfortunately for Nick, his mother and Ken were caught standing in the soak zone.
Brass waved his twenty again. "A Jackson on Mama Stokes! Any takers?" Once again, no one took the sucker bet he was offering.
When he came up, Nick made sure Greg, who he was certain was stunned from the blow, showed up at the top for air. "You okay, Pal?"
After a gulp of air he bleated, "Baaaaaaaaaa!"
Nick shoved him under the water. "Stop the sheep shit!"
Carrie and Tawny raced to the edge of the pool and Carrie yelled, "Remember, he's got twins on the way!"
"And I need a ring on my finger!" Tawny added for extra sympathy.
They quickly took seats on the edge to plead for a truce.
With the enthusiasm of a photojournalist covering a breaking news story Wendy snapped pictures.
"Uh…Nick." Carrie called out. "You may want to take a moment and apologize to your mom and my dad. You didn't notice they were standing next to the pool when you were horsing around. They're soaked."
"Tell me you're lying." He stopped drowning Greg.
"I could, but I'd be lying about not lying."
"Baaaaaaa!" Greg boldly yelled when Nick released his grip. "HA! I win!"
Nick pointed to the two irate and drenched adults staring at them.
"Oh." He slicked back his hair. "I thought that victory was a little too easy."
Paul rushed over with two beach towels for the wet guests. "Here you go."
"Sorry," Greg and Nick apologized in equally sullen tones as Jillian walked towards the house toweling off. Ken on the other hand, smiled at the harmless frivolity and went to find Ron to continue the poker discussion they were having earlier.
"This was all your fault," Nick snapped as he took off his soaked shirt and tossed it on the pool deck. "What the hell got into you?"
"I don't know." Greg threw his t-shirt too. "I got tired of being the little brother and was trying to assert myself. I thought if I stood up to you I'd have more courage facing my dad."
"I have an idea. Why don't you be twins?" Carrie suggested in a laugh. "They run in your family, Nick, because you have twin sisters. Wendy and Paul have twin boys, and my mom was a twin. And now Greg and Tawny are expecting twins. See…it makes perfect sense. After taking out Tucker Mifflin, Greg's earned the elevated status."
Greg added, "My Grandpa Olaf was a twin."
"Hey!" Tawny excitedly said, "It must have come from you, Greg."
"That would have been my guess." Nick couldn't resist the tease. "Are you just figuring out how it all happened, Tawny?"
Tawny laughed while thinking…thank God they didn't come from your lying, cheating scum of a big brother. Suddenly it hit her…if Mama Stokes found out she shared a bed with her boy on multiple occasions, she'd hate her for being a home wrecker. Her heart sank. Then she rationalized that, since she didn't know Drew was married, she hadn't intentionally wrecked anything and perked up again.
Greg leaned in and whispered to Nick, "Have you noticed our women are sitting fully clothed on the edge of the pool with their feet dangling in the water?"
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Bro?"
"I believe I am."
In a flash they reached over and pulled their women into the water.
Wendy hurried to capture the Kodak moment. "Don't worry, Dad!" She yelled toward her father-in-law. "They're just having good clean fun." The phrase triggered her panic button. "Where's Ryan?"
Catherine's eyes darted around. "I don't see Lindsay. I'll check the treehouse!"
"Presents and cake in fifteen minutes!" Wendy shouted as she headed for the house to look for Ryan.
From some dark place inside his brain Sean heard the words form and a second later they slipped off his tongue. "Mom, I heard Ryan ask Lindsay if she wanted to see his room." He tried not to smile. If he was going to be pummeled by his brother after the truce was over anyway, what was a little more fuel to the fire? "They were giggling."
In Ryan's room, Lindsay stood admiring all the sports trophies lining the shelves. "Wow…you must be really good."
"Yeah." Standing behind her, he pointed to his pride and joy, the Most Valuable Player trophy he received the previous December at the Nevada Youth Football Awards Banquet. "Even though I worked really hard all season, I was shocked when I got it. My dad was so psyched and a week later my mom threw this huge party, my grandpa and my Aunt Carrie flew in for it…that was before she lived here. This year she said she'd come to my games with Nick." He eyed the trophy proudly. "It really felt awesome to hear my name called."
"Oh yeah?" Smirking, she turned to face him. "How does this feel?" Lindsay threw her arms around Ryan and firmly planted a kiss squarely on his lips. It was a technique she had witnessed her mom use with pre-Warrick guys.
Stunned by the bold move, Ryan jumped back and out of the lip lock. "Whoa…how many guys have you kissed?"
"Lots!" She lied before lurching forward, tackling Ryan against the bed and moving in for another juicy one. "And with some of them…I did a lot more than kiss," In reality, she had only kissed Jake and a couple of guys who were at summer camp, during a secret game of spin the bottle. But those were just quick kisses, not serious ones like this. But even though she had no first hand experience, she had secretly observed her mother getting it on in the living room with pre-Warrick losers enough times to know just what to do. Ryan would definitely think she was experienced and want to keep her around and the girls at school would be so impressed next week when the school jock was hanging out at her locker drooling over her.
Although he had been dying to kiss Lindsay all afternoon, the sudden knowledge that she was an expert who had not only sucked face with a bunch of guys but did more, sent him into a panic. Surely a girl as loose and knowledgeable as Lindsay would quickly catch on that he had only sweetly kissed the same girl twice. She'd probably tell everyone at school he was a terrible kisser…or maybe that he didn't even like chicks. And what did she mean when she did a lot more than kiss? Had she already had sex? What if that's what she wanted right now? Although he thought about it all the time, he had no intention of going for it for a while, and when it was time, his family definitely wouldn't be in the backyard. The harder she kissed him the more he freaked out and his fear reached its peak when he felt her hands start to roam.
"Hey!" Lindsay shrieked as Ryan tossed her off him. "Ow!" Her hair had gotten caught in the wheel of a remote control car at the top of the bed and a few strands were ripped out when she bolted up. "What are you doing!" She sat gaping.
"Stop it, will ya," He said, feigning a tough guy bravado as he fixed his shirt. Fearful she'd think something was wrong with him he protected himself at her expense. "I don't like you. I like girls who…"
"How dare you!" She blasted. "You're such a loser, Ryan!"
The bedroom door flying open startled them both.
Jillian had been exiting the guestroom bath across the hall when she heard the young lady scream. "Are you alright, Lindsay?"
They both jumped off the bed.
Wendy showed up a second later. "What's going on?"
Jillian repeated what she heard Lindsay yell and explained, "I only burst into the room because she sounded very distraught."
"I didn't do anything wrong, Mom!" Ryan pointed to Lindsay. "I was showing her my trophies and she tackled me onto the bed, jumped on top of me and kissed me! I knew I shouldn't be in bed with a girl so I pushed her off and told her to stop. When I told her I didn't like her she flipped."
Both women instinctively found the story hard to believe: Jillian because she had observed Ryan flirting with Lindsay in the limo, and Wendy because she had once been the girl pleading for someone to believe what a guy did to her.
When Lindsay saw doubt dancing in the women's eyes she decided it was time for a little revenge. "The first part's true. We were standing by the trophies and I let him kiss me. But then he tackled me on the bed and was on top. When he started heading for second I told him to stop and pushed him off me."
"You're totally reversing what happened!" His blood boiled. "You're such a liar!"
"Ryan!" Wendy hurried into the room and grabbed her son's arm. "This is very serious."
"I'm swear I'm not lying, Mom!" He watched as Lindsay said nothing. "Please! You have to believe me!"
"What's going on?" Nick asked as he stepped into the room. "I came in to get Carrie some dry clothes and heard all the yelling."
"Uncle Nick, help me out!" Ryan's anger and panic mounting he begged for help, "You're a CSI. Help me prove I'm telling the truth!"
Lindsay felt the first pang of fear shoot through her.
Surveying the worried looks on everyone's faces Nick said, "Okay…would someone tell me what's going on?"
Jillian informed him, "It's a he said, she said. Someone tackled someone and was on top kissing the other. Things got heated and someone threw someone off. I heard Lindsay yelling... 'how dare you. You're such a loser, Ryan' so I opened the door. They both jumped off the bed when they saw me."
"What!" Catherine had heard everything from the doorway.
Nick was already moving towards the bed. "Who was sitting where, Mama?"
While Jillian was talking to Nick, Catherine marched over to her daughter. "Linds! What the hell were you doing in a boy's room? You know that's off limits."
"He told me he wanted to show me his trophies."
"And that's what I was doing!" Ryan yelled.
"Ryan!" Wendy snapped again.
"Everyone stay calm," Nick ordered. "Actually…Cath and Wendy, you stay here with me and Mama, can you take Ryan and Lindsay into the hall? Thanks."
When the door shut Nick turned to Catherine. "It's obvious to me."
She lowered her head and exhaled sharply.
"What?" Wendy stepped forward shaking.
Nick pointed to the imprint in the down comforter on the bed. "This outline is from the person who was lying directly on the bed. It's too big to be Lindsay and my mother said this is where Ryan was sitting when she opened the door." He pointed to the pillows and the remote control car sitting on the bed. "Lindsay was on this side. The pillows have been shoved upward toward the headboard and if you look closely you'll see some of her hair caught in the wheel of that car."
Catherine finished the story. "So it's obvious that Ryan tossed Lindsay off him and she landed in the pillows. My daughter's not only loose, she's a liar. I'm really sorry, Wendy."
"He never should have had her in here. I'm sorry too." Breathing again, Wendy said, "Let's keep this quiet. I don't want to ruin things for Gil and Sara and I don't want my father-in-law catching wind of it. Um…how about we hash it out tomorrow after school?"
"Thank you," Catherine nodded.
"Mom!" Nick shouted. "Bring them back in now."
The second Lindsay stepped into the room she knew she was busted.
"What have I always said?" Catherine asked as she looked at her daughter. "The evidence doesn't lie…people do. You owe Ryan and his mother an apology and then we drop it until we get home. Tomorrow, we'll also be getting together to discuss what happened in detail. "
Knowing she blew it, Lindsay lowered her head. "I'm really sorry." A second later her mother escorted her out of the room.
Wendy placed her hand on her son's shoulder. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."
"Could I have my room back, now?" Ryan asked, still shaking. "I just want to chill out for a while." He took a seat on the floor, leaning against the bed.
"Sure." Feeling guilty for not having faith in her boy, Wendy left the room.
"Could I talk to you for a minute, Ryan?" Nick asked. "You can say no and I won't mind."
When she saw the boy nod, Jillian left the room.
Taking a seat on the floor next to his future nephew Nick said, "Pretty scary getting accused of something you know you didn't do, huh?"
Staring at the floor he quietly said, "Thanks for helping me."
"I'm glad I could." Bringing his knees to his chest Nick sighed, "The thing you need to know though is…without the evidence you wouldn't have been able to prove your story. And Ryan, even though it's not fair, if it comes down to just words, most likely, they're going to believe the girl, especially when you have a reputation as a tough guy jock because people have a hard time accepting that a guy could say no."
"That's scary because I really did tell her to stop."
"Yeah, well…I'm hoping to scare you, because it's even scarier rotting in jail serving out an attempted rape charge."
"I bet she tells all her friends I didn't want to get it on. It will be all over school by lunch." His eyes getting watery Ryan looked over at Nick. "Can I ask you something and you promise not to tell?"
"Any time, because I know it's hard to ask a dad this kind of stuff."
After a deep breath he asked the burning question. "I kissed this girl Zoe and I liked it a lot, but today with Lindsay…is there something wrong with me because I didn't want to keep going?"
"Absolutely not," He replied without hesitation. "First of all, you're just turning thirteen. Second…you won't like kissing every girl you kiss. I've kissed girls who didn't do a thing for me and then with others…one kiss rocked my world. Your aunt only kissed me on the cheek on our first date and I knew one day I'd marry her. I know you hate science but…it's called chemistry. Two people either have it or they don't, and you usually know right away. I think Lindsay moved too fast for you and it freaked you out."
"Yeah…" He shyly admitted. "I bet you never felt afraid of a girl jumping you."
The question threw him momentarily and then he said, "Are you kidding?" He forced a smile to break the tension. "I didn't even get close to a girl until I was sixteen. They scared me to death." Nodding he confirmed, "I'm totally serious. There's nothing wrong with you. Don't rush it. There's plenty of time. I'd wait 'til college because those chicks are da bomb! And when you're away at college, you don't have to worry about your mom coming in and bustin' ya so it's a lot more fun." Laughing he said, "And if you're on the football team…look out…you'll have the pick of the litter. But you know what you have to do to make the team, right?"
"Kick some serious ass on the field."
"And…" Nick pointed to the dusty books on the boy's shelf. "Keep your grades up. You flunk, you're off the team. I was a straight A student and a jock. I know you think you can't compete with Sean at school so you pretend you're dumb and don't try, but that needs to stop."
"How did you know that?"
"Because I know what it's like to have a brother who outshines you and rubs it in your face…it sucks and makes you want to stop trying. You do the same thing to Sean about sports. You're your own worst enemies." Glancing at his watch Nick said, "I better get back out there or your aunt will think I took off and she'll sic your grandpa on me." He stood and smiled. "Since I have a feeling you won't be coming out of here, I'll bring you a piece of cake later."
"Thanks….for the cake and the talk."
At the doorway Nick said, "Hey, I'm going to start beating this into your head right now, because apparently I didn't start early enough with Greg…in college when you want to be with a girl, what will you need?"
"Money!"
He cracked up. "I hope you mean to buy the girl dinner and a movie."
"Yeah." Then he realized what he was supposed to say. "Oh! Protection!"
"There you go." Chuckling, he hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
Wendy, using the emotional fronting skills she had perfected many years ago after Mike Rodgers raped her and her mother refused to believe the ugly truth, was able to continue celebrating as if she didn't have a care in the world. "If I could have everyone's attention…" She waited until the crowd gathered. "Jim has a toast for the bride and groom and after he's finished we'll make them squirm a little more by giving them gifts and letting them know we care." Pointing to the wicker loveseat next to the gift table Wendy said, "Gil and Sara…have a seat. And don't worry, I'm sure Jim won't say anything embarrassing."
Greg shouted, "Want to put some money on that, Wendy?"
"Nah."
Gil and Sara huddled close, preparing for the worst as Wendy and Paul passed out plastic flutes of champagne.
"Would you look at them?" Jim chuckled as he stood watching the tense couple. "They look like they're facing a firing squad."
Gil answered, "You have been known to fire a few jokes in our direction."
"Yes, and they were all well deserved." Jim pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and then took the glass Wendy was offering. "Thank you."
"Oh no…" Sara cringed. "He actually thought out a speech."
"What?" Jim glanced at the paper and then shoved it back in his pocket. "No, that was a claim check for Greg's sanity. He asked me to hold it for him earlier while he provoked Nick." When the laughter died down Jim cleared his throat. "I really do want to be serious for a moment. I know…I know…shocking! I've got a little something to say about each of you and then I'll harass you as a couple." He smiled warmly at the nervous pseudo-newlyweds. "Gil…I've known you for many years. We've been through a lot together and there are one or two things I'm not sure I could have gotten through without you. You were often the punch line of my jokes but…your friendship has never been a joke to me. There's no doubt you have your quirks and that you have been a real pain in the ass, not just to me, but to many of people sitting here, especially the woman wearing your ring. But I think I speak for everyone when I say, you've positively touched lives and helped make us who we are today." He raised his champagne flute. "To Gil Grissom…often a freak…but always a friend."
Warrick, Nick, Greg and Catherine all smiled as they raised their glasses, each knowing wholeheartedly that they were better at their jobs and better people because of Grissom. "To Gil!"
Gil struggled to hold his emotions in check and acknowledged the generous words with a nod and a simple, "Thank you."
After clearing the emotion from his throat Jim said, "And now the lovely Sara Sidle."
She took a deep breath. "Remember…I'm pregnant and cry easily now. Go easy."
"I'll do my best." Jim raised his glass. "When Gil brought you to Vegas as his plaything six years ago we all hated you…except Greg of course, who immediately began stalking you."
Catherine burst out laughing. "So true! She was such a witch."
"Absolutely," Warrick concurred. "Of course I might have been a little biased since you were there to nail me but…I think I would have disliked you anyway."
"She was too aggressive," Nick added. "She freaked me out."
Greg smiled proudly, "Well, I guess we know who the best judge of character is then, don't we?"
"Thanks, Greg." Sara winked. "Even though I know it wasn't my character that you were after back then. Sorry, Tawny."
"That's okay, I was only fifteen and waaaaaay too young for him at the time, so I'm not jealous."
Catherine scowled at the youngster. "You can stop talking now."
"Focus on me and my beautifully crafted words, people," Brass reminded them. "Sara, considering your humble beginnings as an outsider, I know I speak for all of us when I say, I can't imagine these last six years without you. You have many virtues…patience being your strongest, as evidenced by the fact you waited five hellish years for the idiot you now call your husband to realize you were the best thing that could ever happen to him. I know he's thrilled you stuck it out, but we are too. To Sara Sidle Grissom…the woman who melted Gil's frozen heart and made him more pleasant to be around. We all thank you!"
"Here, here!" Warrick shouted. "When you put a spring in Gris's step, life around the lab got a hell of a lot better for all of us….except Greg, but he's over it now that the real woman of his dreams is on his arm."
"I'll toast to that!" Greg clinked his glass against Tawny's as everyone drank.
Jim walked forward and stood next to the Grissoms, facing the guests. "Gil and Sara, we know you'll always be together." He pointed across the way. "Tell them why, Cath."
"Because they know they're so dysfunctional and odd that no one else could tolerate them."
"Exactly!" Brass confirmed as the group laughed. "And we all want you to know that we'll help raise your kid so he or she has a chance of being cool. To the Grissoms…a couple clearly meant to be together because they're just so mutually weird and tolerant of each other's oddities."
"To the Grissoms!" Everyone shouted back, not disputing the facts.
After the drinking was done, Nick was the first to shout, "Speech! Speech!"
Gil and Sara looked at each other, both wanting the other to handle it.
Brass put an end to the fretting. "How about you open your gifts and say something after?" When they smiled and nodded he said, "I thought you'd like that idea."
"I swear mine's not embarrassing," Catherine promptly announced as she walked over to the table to assume her role as gift coordinator. "Because Warrick's name is on the card and he wouldn't back anything humiliating."
Sara took the card and opened it, feeling confident that Catherine was telling the truth this time. "A couples spa day at Caesars." She breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm getting really good at the spa thing. Thanks, guys. This will be fun."
"I can handle that." Gil nodded.
Catherine handed over Wendy and Paul's next. In a beautiful crystal frame was an 8x10 of the photo she had taken the other day when Gil and Sara were facing each other smiling.
"Show the crowd," Catherine prompted. "Everyone say, 'Awww' and make the lovebugs squrim."
"Awww."
"Here's Nick and Carrie's…" She handed over the large box. "You know anything from them will be traditional."
Carrie crashed against Nick's chest laughing.
"Towels!" Catherine announced as Sara pulled out the first one. "Did I tell ya?"
"But there's more!" Carrie prompted. "It's a home spa thing…robes, a bunch of bath stuff and…" She nudged Greg who was sitting next to her. "His and hers slippers because…say it with me, Greg… it's always about the shoes!"
"I think I'm really starting to like this attention thing," Sara finally admitted.
"Then it's time for Jim's gift." Catherine handed over another envelope.
"Here we go." Gil steadied himself.
Sara read the card with a smile on her face. "It's a gift of one meal a month for a year, delivered by The Gourmet on Wheels and he writes…because Gil deserves one night off from cooking."
Wendy elbowed her husband. "There's a good Mother's Day gift next year."
Nick announced, "Could you guys all get us that for our wedding so we can eat well for at least one week a month?"
Jillian quipped, "How about I just teach you to cook, Son?"
"Now you're talking," Carrie retorted. "And then Nick can teach Greg."
"Speaking of Greg…and Tawny." Catherine placed the next large box on Sara's lap. "A little bird told me this one is special."
When Sara removed the birdhouse from the box Gil was taken aback. Considering what Greg had said earlier when they bumped into each other at the craft market…Dr. Myers thought it would be good for me to be around birdhouses since I was almost killed in the basement full of birdhouses. Yeah. It's a desensitization thing. "Um…"
"I know what you're thinking," Tawny said, because she had the same initial reaction when Greg said he wanted to give them a birdhouse as a gift. "Read the note inside the house and you'll feel better."
Gil pulled it out and tossed on his glasses.
"Read it out loud," Catherine ordered. "Because I'm wondering and I'm sure everyone else in the know about the Mifflin ordeal is."
Gris and Sara,
I know you're both aware that life is full of happiness and sorrow and without both, neither would be as powerful.
Over time, things that used to represent sorrow can symbolize happiness. A wedding ring for example; when you're lonely, seeing one on someone else's hand makes you sad, but once you're in love, seeing a ring on your partner's hand brings you great joy (or so I hope to find out one day soon). Last week, for all of us, birdhouses went from being a happy place where birds make their home, to a symbol of danger, regret and fear. It was a sudden change and a harsh reminder of life's unpredictability.
If you hang this house in your yard, a bird will eventually come and make its nest. In time, eggs will fill it and then they will hatch, bringing new life to a place that once made us fear death. The day the baby birds fly from the nest, sadness will be a distant memory as happiness takes flight. Time changes everything. It also passes quickly. So Sara and Gil, every time you catch a glimpse of this birdhouse, let it be a reminder to enjoy every minute of your life together and don't dwell on the past. Congratulations on finally letting your dreams take flight. May the journey take you to heights greater than you ever imagined.
Greg and Tawny
P.S. One night in July you introduced a lonely guy named Greg to a little birdie named Tawny. In April they'll have a full nest. Grissom, at one point you felt responsible for the stressful situation that almost immediately occurred, you said if you hadn't introduced us, we wouldn't be in such a mess. We want to make sure you know…we're eternally grateful for your mistake.
"I'm speechless," Gil remarked upon finishing the note.
"Me too," Brass agreed as Tawny, Sara, Carrie, Wendy and Jillian all dabbed their eyes. "Who the hell knew Sanders was such a deep thinker?"
Catherine cracked up. "We can always count on Jim to snap us out of the emotional moment."
"Everyone has their purpose in life," He replied.
"Last one." Catherine handed over a large white envelope. "It's from your dad, Gil."
Ron stood and nervously cleared his throat. "There's a little story behind it and I need to thank Greg and Tawny for a fantastic unplanned lead in. Birdhouses like real houses are only as good as the family that occupies them. A long time ago in a place called Marina del Ray, California, Gil was born to parents who didn't deserve him and after struggling financially for a little while we managed to buy a house and tried to fluff the nest. It didn't work out. That place that was supposed to symbolize happiness ended up representing great sorrow for all of us." He took a moment and a breath. "I've often been accused of taking risks, hoping to turn something into nothing. I'm taking another one today. In that envelope is the deed to your childhood home, Gil. I bought it two weeks ago after offering the occupants a nice sum for their trouble. It would make a great vacation home for you, Sara and your child and I'm hoping…to quote Greg…that over time as happiness fills the place again, any sadness associated with the place will become a distant memory. In closing I just want to say…I'm thrilled to be a part of this day and your life."
"Uh…" Gil choked back his emotions. "It's great…thank you. I'm glad you're here too."
As Sara frantically wiped her tears she squeaked, "Jim…say something funny because I'm losing it!"
McKenna couldn't understand why everyone was crying at a party. "Maybe we should eat the pretty bug cake now, Mommy. Eating cake always makes me happy."
"That works!" Sara said as she laughed through her tears of happiness.
"Let them eat cake!" Jim shouted. "And I will be sincerely disappointed if there isn't some smashing of it into the groom's face by the bride, who waited far too long for this special day."
At the karaoke machine, Greg boomed into the microphone, "While Wendy and Paul get everything ready for cake, the bride and groom will be receiving a little serenade. I need everyone to join in…some of you have sang this one before, the rest of you will catch on quickly."
"Oh no," Sara threw her arms around Gil. "I know what's coming."
"Seriously, Sara…" Still stunned from his father's gift and Greg's note he said, "…my head is so far out of the microscope right now I'll have no problem with this if you don't."
"Okay." She held him tight. "I love you."
"I love you too." Leaning forward he went to kiss her.
"Not yet, Gris!" Greg chided. "You'll ruin the emotional impact of the song!" He was playing Kiss the Girl, the same song he had tortured them with at Grissom's birthday party.
When he heard the guests enthusiastically croon the kiss the girl chorus he yelled, "That's right, people! Nice job! And most of you aren't even drunk."
As the song played, so did the happiness on the bride and groom's faces. Everyone caught it…especially Catherine. "You guys are so loving this wedding party! Admit it!"
They copped to nothing.
Greg jumped on the picnic table. "I really want to feel the harassment this time."
The guests happily complied.
"Sweet!" He applauded their effort. "I think Gris will actually for go for it next time."
Sara reached up and grabbed the microphone. "Do you have any idea how many times I thought that over the years!"
"YES!" Warrick, Catherine, Nick and Greg shouted back. "KISS THE GIRL!"
Drawing upon his recent dance lesson, Gil dipped his wife and planted one on her.
The crowd exploded with cheers of approval.
When the kiss and the song were over, Greg jumped off the table and spoke into the microphone. "Mr. and Mrs. Grissom, in the spirit of the game show fun we had earlier, I'm going to ask you a question that you both must simultaneously answer. If you answers match, we'll know you truly are perfect for one another. Are you ready?"
Gil and Sara stood beaming a mixture of excitement and discomfort. "Ready."
"Here's the question…" Greg could barely stop smiling long enough to ask it. "In one word, how would you describe this journey you've taken together over the last year?" He moved the microphone between them so they could answer.
Without hesitation they both confidently replied, "Frabjous!"
Author's Notes:
I hope it was frabjous for you too!
Thanks again for reading!
You can preview the next series, Laws of Motion, by visiting my website via the homepage link in my profile. The prologue of the story will be posted here on August 18th.
Many thanks,
Maggs