Laws of Motion – Book 1
Written by: Ms Maggs / Edited by: KJT
Chapter 17
August 31, 2005
The Sanders Home
7:25 p.m.
Bev had no idea how peace was achieved but when the men and women reunited in the living room, Greg and Scott were no longer shooting daggers at each other. And since her husband wasn't shooting any at her, she also knew Greg hadn't told Scott about her prior knowledge of the pregnancy.
"Would you let Greg hold Emma?" Tawny asked in a hopeful tone. "I want to test him out because I can't wait to have one or two of my own one day, and I need to make sure he has the right stuff."
In his pal's ear Robbie teasingly whispered, "It would seem you have more than enough of the right stuff, my friend."
"Uh…Joyce." Greg stepped forward. "I feel badly because you're the only one not in the know. Well…Tawny doesn't know that Robbie knows yet."
"You told him?" Tawny said with surprise because they had agreed to keep it a secret until they were engaged. "Greg…"
"Sorry, Sweetie…it slipped out when we were in the kitchen. Don't worry, they won't tell anyone." Taking his half-fiancée's hand he kissed it. "Joyce…I need the practice because Tawny's almost three months pregnant."
"Awww…congratulations. I had my suspicions when she asked a million questions." While masking her skepticism that Greg was ready to be a father, she directed, "Why don't you have a seat and I'll put her in your arms."
"She's the most agreeable little baby in the world," Tawny encouraged. "She's gonna love you, Sweetie."
"Uh…okay." He plopped on the couch.
"Like this." Bev fixed her son's arms. "And try to relax or she'll sense your tension." As soon as Emma was in her son's arms Bev's eyes welled. "I can't wait to be a grandma. Ever since Greg and Tawny broke the news to me, it's all I can think about."
With wide eyes Greg watched the gurgling infant he was cradling. "She really is cute." Taking one of her tiny hands he sweetly said, "Hey there, little one." When she didn't shriek he relaxed a little more. "I can't believe how small she is at four months; a newborn must be really scary to hold."
"And since you're having twins they'll probably be a little smaller than average," Robbie said while trying not to laugh at his buddy's discomfort. "Probably seven pounds tops."
Scott stood at the fireplace trying to cope with the surreal image before his eyes. His son looked as comfortable holding the baby as he would nitroglycerin and Tawny was sweating watching him squirm. "You're a natural, Greg," he encouraged, trying to make up for being so hard on him earlier. The more he thought about the pressure his son had been under in the last month, the guiltier he felt. "With a little practice, I'm sure you're going to make a great father." He could tell by his wife's expression that while she knew he was stretching the truth, she appreciated the effort.
"I don't know, Dad. Uh oh…she's making weird faces at me." Greg's brows knitted in unison with Emma's. "Yep…she hates me." Frantic, he glanced up at Tawny. "See…they all hate me. Why do they hate me? I'm nice guy. On second thought…that's probably the reason. I've only held girl babies and everyone knows girls don't like sensitive guys. Do you think that's it?"
Before anyone could answer the ridiculous question, Emma passed gas.
Tawny was never so happy to hear a fart in her life. "Would you stop panicking…it was just a tummy ache."
When the baby cooed, Bev patted her son's shoulder. "See…she's happy again. Try bouncing her gently."
"Oh…okay." Greg relaxed against the back of the couch. "Yeah…I think she likes this." When his smile returned, he flashed it at Tawny. "Coming home from work and doing this instead of playing X-box or watching TV will be fun, huh?"
His son's latest comment drove Scott to lift his wine glass and gulp.
"Speaking of TV…" Joyce reached into the baby bag. "Robbie insisted I pack my birth video to show Greg since he's also into science and gore, but now that we know you're having a baby, Tawny, I bet you'd love to see it!"
"Oh how cool!" Tawny took a seat on the couch next to Greg. "I watch Birth Stories on TV all the time but this will be so much better because I'll actually know the people on the TV. Well…I guess I don't really know you since it's only been ninety minutes."
Scott bit down on his fist to stifle the smart-ass reply.
"I know what you're thinking, Dad," Greg droned while gently bouncing Emma. "Hey…she's farting up a storm now…and her face is turning red."
"That's not farting, that's pooping," Bev explained "…and I would love to see you change her diaper."
"I've done that!" Greg proudly enthused. "Carrie's niece Ashley's when Tawny and I babysat…and I did great. But she's a much older baby. I've never tried on one of these little ones."
"Yeah…" Tawny rolled her eyes. "He did great with Ashley …until he dropped her trying to put her back in the crib."
"I'll change Emma's diaper!" Joyce retrieved her infant. "Don't worry, I'll give her back to you afterwards, Greg."
"I'll show you where to go, Honey." Bev led the way.
"Here we are." With the remote in hand, Robbie cued up the tape. "Right to the exciting part." Immediately after clicking play, Joyce's blood curdling screams blasted from the plasma TV's surround-sound speakers. "She opted to go completely natural. Although around hour eighteen she almost relented and asked for an epidural. If it were me I would have taken anything they gave me."
When the camera focused on Joyce's bloody crotch Tawny gasped.
Being a medical professional, Robbie calmly explained, "That's Emma's head full of hair you see bulging at the vaginal opening. It looks a lot darker than it does now because of the all the blood and fluids."
Tawny clamped her legs together and grabbed Greg's arm. Every horror movie combined wouldn't have terrified her as much as the image on the sixty inch screen. "Do you see how big…and remember how the ER doctor said I'm small inside…Oh!"
"And you're going to have to do it twice," Greg mindlessly blurted right before Joyce's loudest shriek of intense pain.
"Oh my God!" Tawny used her free hand to half-cover her eyes.
"Keep watching…" Robbie pointed to the screen. "You'll see her naturally tear ever so slightly. I'd highly recommend it over an episiotomy if you have a good chance to stretch, Tawny. If it's a rapid birth though, you're better off having them slice you."
Watching his son and future daughter-in-law cling to each other in horror on the couch, Scott said, "Making them is the easy part, kids…everything else is work. Just think about it, Greg…you're thirty and you still stress me out."
"Oh!" Tawny pointed to the screen. "What's that!"
"Forceps," Robbie nonchalantly replied. "If the baby is lodged in..." Before he could finish Tawny was dashing from the room.
"Excuse us…" Greg, remembering his mother's advice to always chase your woman if she bolts from the room, took off after her.
"Look at the time," Scott remarked after watching baby Emma gush out on the widescreen. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. I'm going to fire up the grill."
The Melting Pot
7:40 p.m.
While waiting for their pot of Flaming Turtle chocolate fondue to heat, Sara and Gil snuggled up in the booth creating a little warmth of their own.
"Okay…" Sara giggled as if the sparkling cider had gotten her tipsy. "Tomorrow will be September 1st and a year ago September 1st, do you know what I was doing?"
"Cursing me out under your breath for not acknowledging my feelings for you?"
"Excellent guess since I used to do that frequently back in the old BGWU days."
"BGWU?"
"Before Gil wised up."
"Of course." Chuckling, he leaned over to stir the concoction of milk chocolate, caramel and pecans.
"I was at the Humane Society considering adoption."
"How do you remember the exact day?"
Lowering her glass of fake bubbly she laughed at herself. "September 1st, 2004 was one of my deadlines…lucky for you I never stuck to them. Here's what happened…I didn't want to be alone on my birthday so I said, if Grissom doesn't give me a definite sign by September 1st then I'm adopting an abandoned pet and the two of us will hang together on my birthday."
"That's so…"
"…freaking pathetic."
"Well…" Spearing a strawberry he smiled. "On my 2004 birthday I hung out at home with my bugs so…" Handing her the forked fruit he asked, "I assume you changed your mind about adopting…or the pet died before you left for Tahoe a couple of weeks later because there wasn't a pet around then."
"I couldn't get a dog because of my work schedule," she explained while swirling the strawberry in the chocolaty goodness. "So, I was going to get a cat, but suddenly I thought…what if Grissom wises up tomorrow and now I have a cat and what if he doesn't like cats and it's a deal breaker?" After popping the coated berry in her husband's mouth she said, "Do you see the pathetic place I was in this time last year? I was planning for a future without you, while worrying the plans I was making would ruin a future with you…even though I doubted we had one together. Now here I sit a year later in a romantic restaurant with you, wearing the two rings you gave me and carrying your child."
"You've come a long way, Baby." He fed her a chocolate dipped banana. "This time next year we'll have a four month old baby in tow when we go out to celebrate you not adopting a cat."
"Do you think we should have a pet for our child?"
"What do you mean?" His brows knitted. "We have a whole room of pets."
"I mean a warm-blooded creature."
"Why?"
"Because our kid can't go to school and say I have a pet cockroach when all the other kids are talking about kitties, retrievers and goldfish."
"I did."
"Uh huh." She shoved a berry in his mouth. "My point exactly. As two misfit geeks, I think it's our duty to make sure our offspring have the best chance possible of fitting in so he or she isn't a social outcast."
The Blakes
7:48 p.m.
Stepping into Ryan's bedroom, Wendy saw her newly studious son with his face buried in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. "What chapter are you on, Honey?"
"I just started three. It's called The Letters from No One. I don't think I'll have a problem making it through five before I visit Uncle Nick tomorrow." Lowering his book for a second he said, "Hey, Mom…thanks for not locking me in a cupboard even when I did really bad things."
"I assume that has something to do with the book and isn't just a random thought." She took a seat on the edge of the bed.
"Harry's parents died in a car crash and he had to go live with his really mean Aunt and Uncle and they keep him locked in a cupboard under the stairs."
"That's horrible." Wendy took the book and stared at the cover. "I hope he gets out by the end of chapter five so you don't have nightmares."
"Mom…if something were to happen to you and Dad..." His voice cracking he asked, "Who would we live with?"
Seeing the fear in her boy's eyes Wendy snuggled up. "It used to be grandpa, but your dad and I spoke about it with Nick and Carrie after they got engaged. We asked if we could name them as your guardians. When they agreed, we amended our will."
"Okay…that's good." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Uncle Nick would never lock us in a cupboard because he's claustrophobic and no offense to Grandpa…I love him a lot but, he's kind of old and I'm not sure he could keep up with us."
"That's what we were thinking too." She kissed his forehead. "But don't worry, Honey, we plan to stick around." She handed the book back. "Did your brother say if anything bad happened at school today? It's hard with you not being there with him…I don't have anyone to report back to me. He barely touched his dinner and he looked more pensive than normal."
"It's girl trouble, Mom." Moving past the sad topic of parental death, Ryan broke out into a huge grin. "He told me earlier that he finally understands why I like looking at boobs and then he asked me what he should do to make girls like him more."
"Ryan!" Wendy shielded her ears while laughing. "Please refrain from using the 'B word' in my presence and you shouldn't be looking at them all the time either."
"Sorry…but why did God give women B's if we weren't supposed to look at them?"
"For a very practical reason…to make milk for babies!"
"Then why not make them all a standard size and less noticeable? What's with the variety? After all…hands are practical and they're standard." Crashing back against the sheets with his book Ryan said, "I mean why would he make Aunt Carrie's so small but Tawny's so big?"
Standing up she laughingly informed him, "Those aren't the B's that God gave Tawny. She traded in her God given B's for ones made in Taiwan and then had them installed in Vegas."
The Sanders Home
7:55 p.m.
"Tawny!" Greg hustled into the backyard. "Wait up!" She was heading down the cobblestone path at a breakneck pace.
"On those stupid TV shows it never looks like that! They must use special lighting or something to make it look less terrifying." Clutching her head she struggled to catch her breath. "Your dad is right. We have been talking about all this baby stuff like it's a fairy tale. It's not a fairy tale, Greg! It's a nightmare! Did you see all that blood and ooze pouring everywhere and oh my god…the size of that baby's head!" Pointing to her groin she yelled, "You've been down there enough to know, I'm small. If I can feel you slipping in there, I can't imagine what a seven pound baby feels like slipping out. Oh my god!"
"Princess…nature takes over and makes it bigger when it's time, that's why there's so much pain, because the area is…"
"Hello!" She shoved him hard. "Pain is exactly what I'm worried about! Twice the pain!" Shaking she tried to verbalize her confusion. "I can't explain it. I mean, I knew all of this in theory…and I've seen stuff on TV…but that! That was baby delivery uncensored! They don't show tearing on TV, Greg! Did you hear Joyce screaming! That was like Freddy Kruger slicing you into bits with his knife fingers kind of yelling! Which makes sense because that's exactly what Freddy is doing…tearing people apart. And I have to tear twice!"
"I think tearing once will let both babies pass…um…" Grabbing her hands he calmly said, "If you have an epidural you won't feel it, Sweetie. Joyce…she's a pain junkie…a freak. You don't have to do it naturally. You'll just get numbed up and watch the baby glide right out without any discomfort. You won't even know it happened until you hear the baby cry."
"How does an epidural work exactly?" she asked while clutching Greg's hands.
"They use a needle to insert a catheter near the membranes surrounding your spinal cord so…."
"A needle in my spine!" Her hands left Greg's to grip her throbbing head.
"Um…since you're having twins and you're built extra small, there's a chance you may need a c-section so…" He realized that was a bad thing to say when Tawny shrieked.
"I'm scared to death of being cut open! Seeing Nick in the hospital totally freaked me out!" Heading for hysteria she shrieked, "Your dad was right…how could you do this to me, Greg!"
"Pardon me for butting in, but I couldn't help hear you," Bev stated as she hurried over holding baby Emma. She was certain the neighbors heard everything too. "Tawny…Honey…look at the baby. This is why it's all worth it. Yes, you'll be uncomfortable during the pregnancy...some days you'll be miserable…and labor will be nasty no matter which way it happens, but…" Placing the cooing infant in Tawny's arms Bev whispered, "The second they hand over the babies, you'll forget everything except them."
When Scott joined them he asked Greg, "Is everything alright?"
"I think so." Stepping next to his future wife Greg smoothed his palm over her back. "Deep breaths, Sweetie. I promise I'll be with you the whole time you're in labor and you can squeeze my hand until it breaks if you need to. Take a few more deep breaths…"
"He'll make a good labor coach," Bev remarked while resting in her husband's arms. "At least as good as you…I never would have made it through without you."
Scott clutched his wife tight, knowing she was remembering their first delivery room experience and the horror of finding out their baby girl was stillborn. "I love you, Honey," he whispered while brushing a kiss over her cheek.
Her breathing slowing, Tawny smiled at the baby. "I'm really sorry for the drama. I'm still a little on edge from before and..."
"No explanation necessary," Scott chuckled. "That movie was horrifying and our TV screen is huge. Also, we should have warned you…Robbie has always had a penchant for science gore."
"We won't be videoing in that kind of detail, and unless I'm fully clothed, whatever we tape will be only for our viewing pleasure," Tawny warned her man. "It may be a novelty for Joyce but…I've shown my body to plenty of strangers and I'm done."
"Don't worry…" Slipping his arm around her waist Greg said, "I'll be shaking so badly there's no way I'll be able to hold a camera steady. As a matter of fact, I think I'll invest in a tripod." When Tawny turned to smile at him, he stole a kiss.
"Have you thought of names?" Scott inquired, feeling microscopically excited about the news for the first time.
"If we have one of each…Dylan Hojem Sanders and Haleigh Ann Sanders," Tawny answered while gazing into Greg's loving eyes. Suddenly the world seemed right again and she couldn't wait for the babies to arrive.
"Aidan Hojem Sanders and Heidi Lynn Sanders are the backups in case we get two of the same." Greg laughed with Tawny then said, "I want two girls because I'm not up for the father and son drama, but she wants one of each."
"I like the names," Scott commented, a bit surprised that they were so normal. "Greg, I was certain you would insist on Prince or that stupid symbol he changed his name to." He hoped the joke would be appreciated as a sign of forging past the earlier drama. The shock was wearing off steadily now, and he was ready to move on to the coping stage.
"Uh…my kids aren't going to be freaks," Tawny assured him. "My dad was all about balance and I want to parent the same way."
"Yeah...and I want my kids to have an easy time fitting in at school," Greg said. "So, if we have a boy, don't worry, Dad...I won't be putting eyeliner on him and dressing him in puffy shirts." Then he stared down his mother. "Nor will he be forced to dress up like Pat Boone and sing on the steps of City Hall at Christmas when he's four."
"Understood." Bev nodded. "But I insist on buying them musical instruments to fuel their passion. Music wires the brain for mathematic excellence so Tawny, you should approve of that."
Snuggling the baby she nodded. "Definitely."
"Ooh! How about didgeridoos?" Greg suggested. "Because I don't want my kids to be so normal that they're boring. But I guess they're kinda big for…"
"No!" Bev was thrilled. "I just saw them in a magazine scaled down to toddler size!"
When he saw Tawny tense Scott felt compelled to comfort her. "Don't worry, Honey…you and I will work together to ensure normalcy."
"We're baaaaack!" Robbie called as he approached holding the two bottles of sparkling cider they had just purchased from the corner market. "Time to celebrate!"
The Melting Pot
8:12 p.m.
After planting a kiss on her husband's lips Sara said, "Thank you for the celebration dinner. It was a lovely respite from all the drama surrounding us lately."
"My pleasure," Gil stated through a smile. "And now I'm really going to try and impress you…I have a Presidential Suite at the Mandalay Bay."
"Wow…you must be a real high roller, Stud."
"Thanks for dining with us at The Melting Pot," Dante announced while returning the bill portfolio. "And the great tip."
"You deserved it," Sara assured him. "And good luck on your audition at The Tempest tomorrow."
Catherine's House
8:15 p.m.
"She was at The Tempest!" Catherine yelled into the cordless phone at her father. "Why!"
"On the way home, her so-called friend kicked her out of her limo right in the middle of The Strip."
Since Warrick was still dozing, Catherine left the bedroom to finish the conversation. "She told me Celine was a scholarship student, how the hell could she have a limo?"
After he was done laughing Sam filled in the blanks. "She snowed ya, Mugs. Celine Campbell is the daughter of Bruce Campbell…the owner of the Royale…and one of Vegas's biggest assholes. Don't you check to make sure Lindsay is telling the truth?"
"You are telling me how to parent? Now I know I'm in the Twilight Zone." Checking her watch she asked, "You have your driver bringing her right now?"
"Yeah…we had some dinner and a nice talk about boys…how she shouldn't trust 'em because all teenage boys think about is getting into the pants of teenage girls."
Stunned she shouted into the phone, "You had a sex talk with my daughter!"
"No, I had one with my granddaughter who spent the afternoon hanging out with a corruptive slut because you weren't screening her friends more carefully. And it's not like I was lying, Mugs…men are pigs! I should know, I've spent plenty of time rolling around in the mud. The sooner Lindsay realizes that, the better you'll sleep at night."
"Not all men are pigs, Dad."
"You mean the guy you're shacking up with isn't a pig?"
"We're not just shacking up." With her palm around her tense neck muscles she gave them a squeeze. "And no, he's not a pig."
"Then why isn't he making an honest woman of you?"
The archaic phrase incited her to laugh. "Are you kidding? Eddie put a ring on my finger but repeatedly lied and cheated on me. You slept with my mother and created me while betraying your wife. So, forgive me if I don't equate marriage with honesty."
University Trauma Center
Room 310
8:50 p.m.
Jillian had been having a heart to heart with Andy regarding his ruined marriage for the last half hour when Nick's nurse entered the room. "Uh oh."
Hal immediately noticed his patient was sound asleep with his fiancée in the bed, who was also out cold.
"They really needed a snuggle," Jillian informed the nurse. "They were innocently reading Harry Potter when they nodded off. Between his Percocet, her Valium, and all the stress they've been under, I'd say they'll be out for a while. I can have Andy move Carrie to a chair if…"
"It's alright. She isn't near his incision," Hal replied while changing out Nick's IV bag. "Plus, I believe in the restorative power of human touch."
Andy glanced at his mother. Having just told her how Lissa's refusal to touch him or be touched had frustrated him to an extreme, he found the timing of Hal's comment interesting.
Once the nurse left the room Jillian grabbed her purse and stood. "I think I left you with enough to ponder for the night, Andrew and I need to get some sleep myself."
"I promised Nicky I'd sleep here in a chair," Andy told his mother. "In case he has to use the bathroom."
"By tomorrow he should be strong enough to do it on his own."
"Well, after being shunned by family and divorced by my wife, it feels nice to be needed, even if it's only to help my brother take a leak."
"Hmm…I suppose so."
Looking up at his mother Andy said, "Thanks for the talk."
"You should have come to me a year ago."
"Hindsight is twenty-twenty." He slouched further in the chair. "Everything you said seems so obvious now. Now that I've hit rock bottom and I'm not worried about preserving image. There's nothing left to preserve…my reputation in this family is decimated and I couldn't appear more weak or out of control of my life. Seems rather silly that I was concerned about how Lissa looked on my arm, huh?"
"Amen, Son." Jillian was pleased with the sincerity in his voice. "Too bad your epiphany came too late and at such a high price."
"Yeah…I shouldn't have harped on her about getting back in shape…if I hadn't maybe she would have let me help her instead of pulling even further away. It wasn't just for me, I knew it was bugging her too…I saw her weighing herself a hundred times a day and crying when she couldn't wear her old things. For the first time in her life she believed she wasn't the hottest woman in the room and it was tearing her up."
"So you thought if you applied a little of that same smart ass philosophy you used to get your brother down to eight percent body fat it would help matters." Jillian's sigh filled the room. "Dear Lord, Andrew…have you not heard that men are from Mars and women are from Venus?" Heading for the door she groaned, "I need a break, we'll talk more tomorrow."
"Night, Mama." His eyes returned to the TV and just as he was about to change the channel his cell phone vibrated. When he saw it was his soon-to-be ex-wife he answered in a low voice, "Hey…are the kids okay?" He hadn't expected to hear from her again until Friday.
"It's Cassie. To start letting her down easy, I told her there was a chance you might not be home this weekend. She's heartbroken at the thought of you not being at the party Saturday afternoon. I only got her to sleep a bit ago. I…I know I said I didn't want to see you but…I really think we need to slap smiles on our face and take her to the party on Saturday. You can fly in and fly out sayin' you just came home for the party because you know it means so much to her."
Taking a chance he asked, "Would it be alright if I flew in Friday afternoon, spent some time with the kids and then fly out Sunday after supper? Then it would be pretty much like always and the kids wouldn't notice a change in routine. I promise to stay away from you as much as I can without raising their suspicion." He waited in silence while she contemplated. "Lissa? Are you crying?"
"All I've been doin' is cryin'. We've ruined our kids' lives and I'm sick over it. You don't know what it will be like for them because you grew up in Nirvana with happy parents. I know what it's like to live in a broken home and that's exactly why my heart is breaking for them."
"We're not going to do things like your parents, Lissa. We agreed to that last night. And history tells the story…in all this time you've hated me, you've never said a disparaging thing about me in front of the kids. You're not your mother…you'd never put them in the middle and neither would I."
"My mother's on your side. For all I know she'll testify in court that I was an unfit wife and will be an unfit mother."
"Huh? First off, you know I'd never take the kids from you. What made you say that about your mother?"
Sniffling into the phone she said, "She told me if I had stopped stuffing my face that I'd still have a husband…that you were the best thing that ever happened to me and I never deserved you. She also said she can't blame you for jumping into another woman's arms because cows belong in barns, not bedrooms…that you've managed to take care of yourself even though you're busting your ass providing for your family and you deserve a beautiful woman on your arm, not me. She advised me to eat lettuce and water for a month and beg you to take me back. It reminded me of all those other pep talks she used to give me. Like at my eighth birthday party when I wasn't allowed to eat my own cake because I had a photo shoot the next day and I'd look fat." Her voice turning icy she snipped, "See, you're like-thinkers…that's why she's on your side."
"Lissa…I just had a long talk with my mother about this." Rubbing his palm over his face he confessed, "I realize I handled everything wrong but, in my own shitty way, I was trying to help you. You know you were hating on yourself long before I said a word. And now…here's the thing…my mother, my sister, Nicky and his fiancée have all pointed something out to me that I think you need to know too…you're not fat. Have you checked the weight range for a woman who is five eleven? My sister Barbara said your old weight was dangerous…she's amazed you managed to get pregnant with such a low body fat percentage. The problem was never your weight, Lissa…it was our warped sense of perception."
"So y'all have been sittin' around discuss my extra pounds, huh? Lovely."
"Lis…stop…don't listen to your mother, she's always messin' with your head."
"She's right about some of it."
"Honey…" The pain in her voice tore at his already raw guilty conscious. "My family, every one of them, said you looked fantastic…beautiful and stylish, but more importantly…the healthiest they'd ever seen you. If I could go back, instead of making smart ass remarks to you like you were my kid brother, instead of my wife…I would have helped you get comfortable in your skin. Hell, I'm a gym rat, I should have worked with you to show you how to tone. You've been a pile of bones your whole life, of course you felt like a fish out of water with some meat on you. With the money I make I could have hired you the best nutritionist and trainer in the country. I should have gotten us into therapy. I should have…hell, there were a lot of things I should have done but, the bottom line is…" After a labored breath in and out he forged on. "I'm really sorry I let you down, Lissa…I truly am. And even though you told me to find another woman…I realize now you never expected me to follow through. When you said that, I should have recognized it for what it was…a wake up call…but I failed you again and took it as a permission slip to party."
"I shouldn't have said it to you if I didn't…"
Swallowing hard he told her, "I didn't sleep with anyone that night…I intended to, but it would have gone against everything I was taught and I couldn't go through with it." Hearing her cry though the line he whispered, "When I came back the next morning, and you assumed I had cheated and said you didn't care…somethin' inside me snapped. That afternoon I went back out and followed through. After the first time, it got easier because I really believed you didn't care and that it wasn't hurting you. Hell, I even convinced myself I was being a good husband to you since I was still giving you the things you said were important...money, a big house, an expensive car…"
"Falling into bed with someone is one thing, but hiring Tawny to…"
"I know…believe me I couldn't be more shamed. I was tired of playing the field," he remorsefully explained. "I figured if this was the way things were going to be for the rest of my life then I should find something permanent and discreet. It sounds much more asinine when said out loud than when I developed the idea in my mind…you should have seen the look on my mother's face when I said it to her." Holding his forehead he embarrassedly admitted, "My thinking was so warped I even convinced myself that I would be helping Tawny, because if I set her up, she wouldn't have to take her clothes off for a living anymore…yeah….except for me of course. Like I said…it's all asinine in retrospect. I'm not looking for forgiveness. I wanted to tell you everything because you deserve the truth from me for a change."
"It hurts…but I appreciate the honesty. If we had talked like this…"
"I know." He closed his eyes. "We never should have left Dallas. I think being away from my roots and my family…I don't know. What I do know is…you are a beautiful woman, Lissa and I want you healthy for the kids and for you…and for the lucky man who sweeps you off your feet one day soon now that you're free of me…because you deserve to be happy. And the next time your Mama gives you shit, you tell her that you're not gonna starve yourself or beg me for anything, because I'm a dog who you should have kicked to the curb six months ago and you're far too good for me. I'll tell her myself if you want me to because..."
"I have to go," she managed to eek.
"Okay." At the click he glanced over at Nick peacefully sleeping with Carrie in his arms. His little brother who he always picked on for not living up to his potential now had an incredible woman who loved him, a ton of money, and the job of his dreams, while in the last forty eight hours he had lost all of those things. "I always made fun of you for believing in karma, Nicky." Drew unfurled the blanket given to him earlier and settled into the uncomfortable chair. "Now that it's bitten me firmly in the ass…I believe in it too."
The Sanders Home
9:08 p.m.
With baby Emma asleep in the Pack-n-Play nearby, everyone lounged on the comfy loveseats around the outdoor firepit, chatting.
Having finally purged the horrific childbirth visions from her brain, Tawny's mind was now occupied with different terrifying images…Greg's near-death experience courtesy of Tucker Mifflin. And while she always put a brave face forward for Greg's sake, the stress of the ordeal still reverberated every time it was mentioned. And now Robbie, Joyce and Scott were asking endless questions while she knew it wasn't a good idea for Greg to talk about the nightmare-inducing ordeal so close to bedtime. "Sorry…what was the question?" she asked when Greg whispered, Joyce is talking to you.
"I said you must have been terrified waiting for word on Greg."
Fronting, she replied, "I knew he'd figure a way out of it because he's so smart and there was no way he was going to leave the babies and me behind. We had just found out the night before that we were having twins." She snuggled a little closer. "He's so good at what he does. He cracked that case and now Tucker Mifflin will be in prison for the rest of his life and the little girl's family has some closure because her killer was caught. I'm really proud of him."
Grinning, Greg pulled her closer still, appreciating how hard she was trying to make him look good in front of this dad and his successful and responsible best friend. "Anyway, drama like that is a rare exception. Most of the time, I'm just sorting through trash, taking pictures of stuff, processing boring stuff, and writing reports. But it's much better than being stuck in the DNA lab doing the same exact thing every day, day after day."
"Greg…" Scott waited for his son to look at him and see his approving smile. "Did you tell Robbie about your paper being published?"
"Not yet. But, since he speaks science geek, I brought a copy for him."
"Great." Robbie raised his glass. "I'm sure it's just the first of many papers by Greg Sanders, Master Chemist and CSI. What is it about?"
Scott raised his wine glass along with Robbie. "DNA technology used to solve cold cases. It was from his work on the Mike Rodgers trial. I know he told you about that guy at Christmas."
Shaking his head Greg informed him. "Yeah…him…Rodgers is still causing trouble. Now he's harassing Nick, Gris and Sara from behind bars and getting away with it…so far. The scary thing is, he has nothing but time to think of ways to needle them."
"How often do the people you catch take revenge on CSIs?" Joyce asked while thanking God for the tenth time that her husband chose to work safely as a Physician's Assistant.
"It's not common at all," he assured his mother and Tawny who were tensing. "No…Mike Rodgers is a one of a kind psycho."
Ely State Prison
9:17 p.m.
When Corrections Officer Vic Ramos approached Mike's cell he smiled. "I come bearing news."
Mike nonchalantly lowered his Bible and glanced toward the bars.
"You've been hired."
"The law clerk gig in the library?" He sat up grinning. "Is my new lawyer the best or what? I was never one to have feelings for guys, but my lawyer…damn…if he wanted my ass, instead of cracking open his skull…" Like he had with several 'gentleman' callers since arriving at Ely. "…I think I'd actually feel obligated to bend over."
"Awww…don't sell yourself short, Saint Michael. Your stellar behavior, college education and time on the force overqualified you."
"Pumping my ego, are you, Ramos?" Mike cackled as he reopened his Bible. "Shucks…for that, I'll add you to my prayer list tonight." He tapped his holy book. "I don't know if you've heard but…I have a direct line to god."
"Great, thanks...ask him to let me win the lottery tomorrow, will ya? Then I can quit this shit job." Ramos chuckled as he strolled away. "'Saint Michael, you'll make even more friends when you're helping guys out in the library…as if you don't have enough friends already."
The Blakes
9:20 p.m.
When she peeked in on Sean she saw him lying wide awake in bed staring at the ceiling. "Honey?" Closing the door behind her she walked over and took a seat on the bed. "I know something's been on your mind all night. Won't you tell me? Is it school? Is it too hard?"
"The academics?" A little perturbed by the suggestion, he turned to look at her. "Of course not."
"Is it social stuff again? Is it the same at Butterfield as it was at Desert Mountain?" When she saw his eyes watering Wendy's heart sank. "Oh, Honey…it's just the first day. I'm sure it will…"
"No…it won't." When the first tear slipped he turned to face the wall. "I wish she wasn't going there."
"Who, Sweetie?"
"Lindsay Willows," he confessed in a sob. "Maybe I would have fit in if no one knew me there, but right off the bat Lindsay told the most popular girl in school I was a loser who used to get beat up at his old school, and that girl…Celine Campbell…told everyone she saw. I'm branded on day one and I have six more years of school there."
"Are you sure Lindsay…"
"Yes!" The memory filling his head he told her, "They laughed in my face, Mom. Celine told Lindsay if she was friends with me, then she couldn't be friends with her. At the top of her lungs Lindsay assured her that she only speaks to me because her mother makes her. Celine laughed out loud and said good…because I was a deal breaker. I was standing two feet away the whole time!"
"Celine sounds like a real bitch!" Wendy covered her mouth. "I didn't mean to say that out loud."
"Now we know where I get my blurting from." Sitting up, he wiped his tears. "I heard stories…last year, Celine got a guy naked in the locker room and then stole his clothes and shoved him outside. Now, thanks to Lindsay, I'm her prime target!"
Placing her hands on Sean's shoulders Wendy said, "Here's a good rule to live by, Honey…don't get naked except when you're alone in your bedroom or shower. Then you'll never have to worry about being publicly humiliated by someone."
"Is that a rule you've always lived by, Mom?"
Faced with one of those awkward parenting moments, Wendy did what she thought was best…she lied. "Yes, I did, and it saved me a lot of grief. Of course, once I married your dad, I wasn't alone in the bedroom, but it's okay to be naked with someone when you're married because, um..."
When he saw his mother squirming Sean assured her, "Don't be embarrassed, biologically speaking I realize you and dad had to be naked together three times."
"Thanks for taking the pressure off." Smiling she kissed his forehead. "Try to get some sleep."
"Okay."
"Oh, and Sean…" At the door she delicately told him. "I spoke with Gil and you're all set for your birthday trip to the body farm."
His smile returned with a vengeance. "That's the best news I've had all day!"
"Honey…um…please don't mention going to the body farm to anyone at school."
"Because everyone will think I'm an even bigger freak?"
"Well…to be brutally honest…" Wendy nodded as she doled out the cold hard truth. "…most girls won't ever want to get near a guy who enjoys looking at dead bodies covered in bugs."
The Mandalay Bay
9:47 p.m.
When Sara emerged from the bathroom wearing only her special butterfly thong, she found her husband immersed in a Forensic Entomology magazine. "Ahem."
"Sara!" With his eyes focused on a photo of a corpse piled high in insects and larvae he giggled like a school boy. "They used my photos. You have to see how good this spread turned out."
"Uh…I'd rather you see this." She turned around and glanced over her shoulder. "We're still celebrating, remember?" The last thing she wanted to do was peruse disgusting death photos.
For a moment he was torn between finishing the article and starting up with his wife, but then biology made the choice for him. Leaving the magazine behind, he took his reacting body to greet his wife. "I couldn't stand the pain of waiting for you so I was reading to pass the time."
"Oh please! That's bull and you know it." Resting her back against his chest she laughed. "You couldn't wait for me to shut the bathroom door so you could tear open the envelope and check out that magazine."
Grabbing her hand he effervesced. "You have to see the spread Sara. They sent me a mock up in black and white, which looked okay, but now that they're in color...it's a work of art."
"Okay…okay." Standing at the edge of the bed ninety nine percent naked, she studied the detailed photos of rotting flesh and feasting bugs. "I'm very proud of you, Honey. I don't think there have ever been such beautiful pictures of desiccation in the history of Forensic Entomology. No one takes a better snapshot of body rot and beetles than you."
"The thong was working but now…now, I'm really turned on." Pulling her down on the bed he chuckled, "You know just the right thing to say to fire me up."
As he ravaged her body with kisses Sara goaded him on, "Your blowfly close up was extraordinary and the way that maggot was poised on the tibia…oh…OH…you're Rembrandt with a camera."
"Gil…" Ron's voice called through the door.
Lifting his head out of Sara's chest he yelled, "Not now, Dad…I'm getting lucky."
Sara shoved him off her. "He is not!" Half embarrassed, half amused she decided to get some revenge. "It will be about twenty more minutes before the Viagra kicks in, so…"
Gil covered his wife's mouth. "What is it, Dad?"
Laughing he replied, "I was just coming to tell you that Lina quit, so if you need anything tonight, you're on your own."
"She quit?" Sara jumped up to find some clothes. "What happened?"
Ron advised, "No need to get dressed, Sara."
"Exactly how thin are these walls?" she asked while closing the dresser drawer. "For the money this place costs, the rooms really should be soundproof."
"I couldn't hear you, I was just predicting your behavior," Ron explained.
Gil smiled approvingly. "So that's where I get it from."
"Lina quit because she thought it was inappropriate to be dating her boss."
A smile returned to Sara's mouth. "Aww."
"Goodnight, kids."
"She was kidding about the Viagra, Dad!" Gil grabbed his wife and tackled her onto the bed.
"Damn…I was going to filch one off you, Son."
Both Gil and Sara cringed.
"HA! Just kidding." Ron burst out laughing. "I bet the mental image you just conjured up was a real turn off. Night!"
Gil glanced south. "It's gone."
"Well, I'm still good to go," Sara lounged seductively on the bed. "Focus on me, Bug Man and while you do, I'll give you a little oral gratification."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Mmm…" Closing her eyes she blissfully sighed, "…your infestation photograph was amazing and the way you captured the beauty of the Predatory Rove Beetle…"
"I love it when you single them out by name. Did you learn that from the text I gave you?" he panted in her ear.
"You know it, Baby." Rolling over she taunted, "What is the proper name for the beauties on the string of my thong?"
"Those would be lovely Lepidoptera." Running his hand up her thighs he growled, "But their beauty pales in comparison to your Gluteus Maximus, my Dear."
Author's Notes:
Next Chapter: Catherine has a surprising proposition for Warrick…Gil plays chess with someone special…If only Dr. Myers could be a fly on the wall of the Sanders home!…Andy has something important to ask his brother…and be prepared to see the gang (G,S,Gr,T,N,C,B,LH,C,W) as you've never seen them before! Posting: Monday morning.
Thanks for the review Rojaji!
Thanks to all for reading. Have a great weekend!
Maggs