Disclaimer: We have already gone over this! Do I seriously have to answer again?

Rating:PG

.:Gil and Sara:.

Chapter Three- Open Your Eyes

Gil stood in front of her, his face impassive.

"Catherine? What are you doing here?"

All the carefully planned words flew out the window. She couldn't seem to remember them.

"What's with you and Sara?"

"What do you mean?"

The anger started rising again.

"I mean, what is going on between you and Sara?" At the confused look on his face, she snorted. "Don't even try to deny it. I saw the two of you a week ago, kissing."

Comprehension dawned on his face.

"Cath, come in. You are still standing outside."

She followed him in, refusing his offer of a seat.

"So?"

He sighed.

"You know that Sara has had a...thing for me for a long time, right?"

Catherine just rolled her eyes.

"Well, apparently, she was convinced that I felt the same way. To make a long story short, we were just talking, and all of the sudden, she kissed me. That was it. After the shock wore off, I pushed her away, and told her as gently as I could that I wasn't interested."

She wasn't going to believe him. She wasn't. Okay, she was. She knew that he wouldn't lie to her. There was no reason to, anyway. Besides, she knew that it was perfectly possible. But the arguement she had been expecting was not going to happen, and she really didn't know what to say. She sat down on the couch, and he lowered himself down next to her.

"Oh."

"Haven't you noticed this past week, she has been avoiding me as much as possible? I mean, why would I be interested in Sara? I am old enough to be her father. She was very upset, but I think she'll get over it."

No, of course she hadn't noticed. She had avoiding them both at all costs.

"Cath? What's wrong? There's something else you're not telling me."

She wondered what he would say of she told him the truth. Yeah, by the way, Gil, I love you and was jealous as hell over a figment of my imagination. That would go over well. Catherine was well aware of the hand he had placed on her shoulder. Friendly gesture or not, her skin was tingling. There was real concern in his eyes, and they proved to be her undoing. She had been carrying around so much lately, it had to come out sooner or later. She knew that he would probably be shocked, but at the moment, she didn't really care what he thought. She just had to tell him.

She turned her head towards him, mouth opening, only to be paralyzed by the look she found in his eyes.

The hand tightened on her shoulder, and she was sure he was reading the same things in her eyes that she was in his.

"Catherine..." Gil's voice was scratchy as he inched toward her.

"I'm such an idiot." She said.

And she leaned forward and met him in a kiss fueled by years of love and passion and yearning.

Catherine's hands snaked around his neck to play with his hair. They broke apart for air, and she leaned her forehead against his.

"Wow."

She felt, more than saw Gil's smile that matched hers.

"Yeah. Wow."

"Catherine?"

"Mmhhmm?"

"Why did you come here tonight?"

"I was jealous as hell that you were kissing Sara when I had given you so many clues over the years that you had never acted on. I was mad at you for not telling me about it. And I had to tell you how I felt."

They made eye contact then.

"And how was that?"

She knew that he already knew. He just wanted to hear it. Catherine couldn't blame him. She felt the same way.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Cath."

TBC...