Laws of Motion – Book 1
Written by: Ms Maggs / Edited by: KJT
Chapter 19
September 1, 2005
The Blakes
7:44 a.m.
Paul was at the computer wrapping up some loose ends on his soon to be ex-job when Carrie breezed into the house. "Morning!"
"Hey, Sis." Paul wheeled around. "Now this is a nice change of pace…you looking rested and happy."
"And I'm Valium free!" she announced while coming to rest in front of her brother. "I spent the night in Nicky's bed and woke up a new woman."
Paul couldn't resist the tease. "Wow…I knew Nick had a reputation in the sack but, I'm really impressed that he could rock your world only days after major surgery and massive blood loss."
"Shut up." Chuckling, she swatted her brother. "You know what I meant."
"Aunt Carrie!" McKenna shouted as she ran from the kitchen.
"Hi, Sweetie!" Crouching down she held out her arms. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be here yesterday to wish you luck on your first day of kindergarten. But I'm here for day two!"
"Mommy told me Uncle Nick had a real bad tummy ache and you had to take him to the hospital." She snuggled into her aunt's arms. "Is he better?"
"Yep! The doctors fixed his tummy. You can come by the apartment and visit him as soon as he's out of the hospital."
"I made him a card with ladybugs on it." Skipping off she said, "I'll go get it from my room."
"Hey, Aunt Carrie," Ryan entered the living room waving his Harry Potter book. "Check it out…I finished six chapters."
"Nick's cramming," she laughed. "He got real tired last night. When I left he still had two chapters to go."
"Morning, Aunt Carrie," Sean sweetly greeted before giving her a hug.
"You look very handsome in your school uniform, Sean." Smiling, she adjusted the lapel on his jacket. "Hey…are you a little sleepy this morning? You have circles under your eyes. Your new school must be really challenging."
"No, I was up late talking football with Ryan."
Paul choked on the sip of coffee he was in the process of swallowing. "You?"
"Yeah, Dad." With verve Sean asked, "Aunt Carrie…is Uncle Nick psyched about the A&M season opener on Saturday night?"
"Uh…" Carrie shrugged. "He hasn't mentioned it to me."
"Really? He did to me," Paul interjected while still staring at Sean. "He's relieved it's scheduled on regular TV instead of cable, so he won't miss it if he's still in the hospital. Yeah…when you were in the cafeteria with Jillian for dinner I talked ball with Nick and Andy the whole time. They're both rabid fans."
Shaking her head she insisted, "I've never even seen Nick watch football."
"Duh!" From his position on the couch Ryan laughed, "That's because you didn't know him during football season last year. You were still living in Seattle. Why do you think Nick has Sunday's off? It's not so he can attend church. And exactly why is your wedding in February, after football season is over? Hmm…face it…you're about to become a football widow, Aunt Carrie, and you're not even married."
Sean corrected, "Technically, she'll be a football fiancée."
Paul stood and stared at his sister. "Ryan's right…you've never lived through football season with Nick."
"Neither have you," she reminded her brother. "So how would you know what he'll be like? Do you really expect me to believe he's going to turn into an entirely different person just because some silly football games are on TV?"
"Yes!" Ryan and Paul laughed hard enough to get Wendy to come running from the kitchen.
"What's so funny?"
Paul pointed at his tensing sister. "She's never known or lived with Nick during football season. Until now all his weekend attention was focused on her. Oh man!"
"Oh…" Wendy joined in the laughter. "And Nick's never had a steady girlfriend until Carrie so…he's never had to balance football and a woman. And you know he can't stand saying no to her."
"Ooh!" Several tortuous scenarios played in Paul's head. "Picture Nick watching the Cowboys and in comes Carrie." Mocking his sister's voice he stood in front of the living room TV and said, "Nicky…let's talk about wedding favors, do you want Jordan Almonds or mints?"
Taking a seat on the couch, Wendy was anxious to play the part of Nick. "Uh…Darlin'…" She craned her neck, trying to see around Paul. "…there's only fifteen seconds on the clock, Dallas is down three points and has possession. Can we do this later, please?"
Rolling his eyes Paul planted his hands on his hips. "It's just a silly game, Nicky." His laughter started to poke through. "What's more important…planning the happiest day of our life or watching football?"
"Uh…um…uh…" Wendy gripped her hair. "She's driving me nuts!"
Paul stomped his foot like a girl. "What did you say!"
Wendy intensified the thickness of her Texas twang as she stood. "Uh…I said let's have the nuts at the weddin'! Have I told you how much I love you yet today? I love you, Darlin'! And I'm lovin' those new shoes you have on your purty little feet." She finished with a giant smile and wink.
"Aww, Nicky…you always know what to say to make me happy." Paul giggled like a school girl. "Kiss me, you big strong man!" He rushed his wife and upon reaching her, they frantically smooched while Wendy held her eyes open pretending to watch the football game on TV.
"Bravo!" Laughing, Carrie separated them. "But Nicky and I are nothing like that."
"Yes, you are," Ryan and Sean confirmed before McKenna, who had just returned to the room, added, "Except Uncle Nick likes to put his hands on Aunt Carrie's bottom when he kisses her, and when he squeezes it hard, she makes a cute little noise."
Standing in a room full of people laughing at her Carrie blushed. "Okay…okay…that part is true."
"Sis, have you ever seen the movie Fever Pitch with Drew Barrymore?" Wendy asked while thinking…as soon as the kids are gone, I'm continuing that kiss with my husband.
"No."
"Rent it," Paul said as his laughter slowed. "Just pretend it's about a football and not baseball and it will be like looking into a crystal ball."
Catherine's House
8:12 a.m.
As Lindsay stood in front of her mirrored closet door admiring her new seven-hundred dollar Louis Vuitton monogrammed denim shoulder bag that her grandfather let her pick from the Tempest boutique, she knew her future days at Butterfield would be much brighter.
"Where did you get that purse?" Catherine asked while stepping closer to examine it. "I've told you those knockoffs are illegal and since I'm employed by LVPD…"
"Don't pop a blood vessel…it's real."
"It's real!" Catherine shrieked. "That's a five hundred dollar bag!" Immediately her mind turned to the girls in the movie Thirteen, who stole money to fund their expensive purchases. "Where would you get the money to…"
"It was seven hundred dollars actually," she smirked while swinging it by her index finger. "Grandpa bought it for me."
"Grandpa?" Snatching it from her Catherine snapped, "Well, you're not keeping it."
"What? Why?"
"Because you're thirteen, and thirteen year olds shouldn't be carrying seven hundred dollar purses."
"Celine Campbell does."
"She also kicks kids out of her limo and leaves them alone on The Strip, Lindsay. She's hardly an example to follow."
"I'm not following her example," she insisted. "I'm trying to fit in at the school you insisted I attend."
"You can't tell me that every girl at Butterfield is carrying a seven hundred dollar purse."
"No…some have ones that are even more expensive!" She grabbed the bag back. "I can't believe you want to deny me a gift from my grandfather. It's bad enough I was denied knowing him for twelve of my thirteen years."
"It's not like I kept it from you, Linds…I didn't know he was my father, so I how could I tell you he was your grandfather? Gifts are fine, but…"
"Here!" She shoved a piece of paper in her mother's direction.
"What's this?"
"It's self explanatory." Lindsay secured the purse on her shoulder and watched her mother scour the figures.
Grandpa missed 12 years of: birthday gifts; holiday gifts; special outings; souvenirs; meals out; misc.
Approximate figure (amortized) $100/month
12 years x 12 months/year 144 months of missed spending
144 x $100 $14,400 missed Grandpa spending
Lifting her eyes off the page Catherine remarked in disbelief, "You put a price on your missing grandfather?"
"It's a settlement."
"A settlement?" Catherine held her throbbing head. "Don't you think that's kind of cold? How do you think he would feel if he saw this?"
"Are you kidding? Who do you think taught me about amortization and settlements? And do you really think it's a good idea to lecture me on accepting gifts from Grandpa when that bling you're wearing was funded with his cash, not Warrick's?" Grinning, Lindsay grabbed her backpack. "I thought not. Now…come along, Mother, I don't want to be late for class."
"Ugh! I feel like I'm on Survivor, and I'm being outwitted and outplayed at every challenge!" Folding up the paper she stuffed it in her pants pocket and muttered, "I swear she doesn't have an ounce of brainless Eddie in her. As soon as Greg returns from California I'm having him check her DNA."
The Sanders House
8:23 a.m.
Sitting in a guest chair in his father's home office, Greg somberly slid over the paper with the requested information. "You're right…once I put it on paper it's much more pathetic than it seemed in my head."
"Let's see." Keeping his cool, Scott picked up the sheet and studied it.
Income:
Casino winnings $29,832
Savings$ 168
Beginning Total $30,000
Expenses:
Tawny's Engagement ring $ 7,000
Tawny's Diamond earrings 3,000
Tawny's hospital bill2,000
Tawny's community college 1,500
Tawny's wedding budget 5,000
(clothes/stuff/CA spending) 5,000
Ending Total $23,500
Current Balance $ 6,500
Future Expenses:
Furnish townhouse
Car (after trade in)
Baby stuff needed before their arrival
Tawny breast reduction
House fund
"Did you really have $168 in the bank, Son, or did you just add that to make it an even thirty grand?"
"I had thirty bucks, not one-sixty-eight."
"What's included in Tawny's wedding budget?"
"Her dress, shoes, accessories, salon services…"
"Ah…okay."
"She doesn't have a family to help her pay for those things," Greg explained. "And I think it's a very reasonable amount. Carrie, Nick's fiancée, is spending five grand on her dress alone. Also, depending on when we set the date, Tawny will have a few paychecks from her new job to help cover expenses. She got fired from the Cheesecake Factory on the first day of her two weeks notice because she kept vomiting from the food smells or we would have had a little more coming in these past two weeks."
"And what about the wedding itself?"
"Mom told me when she was visiting that if I ever decided to marry Tawny, since she didn't have parents to help pay, you guys would foot the entire bill."
Scott smiled. "I don't suppose your mother gave you a spending limit."
"Yes, she did." Greg laughed. "The sky."
"Tawny is a lovely girl and you're our only child…and since you're only going to be doing this once, I don't have a problem with funding a nice celebration for you."
"Thanks, Dad." He relaxed slightly. "I really want it to be everything Tawny's ever dreamed of, because she deserves a fairytale wedding after everything she's been through."
"Speaking of fairytales." Scott pointed to the future expense list. "Unless someone waves their magic wand, you're not going to be able to cover these expenses. The breast reduction alone, from a quality plastic surgeon, will take all $6,500 and more. Face it…you're living on Struggle Street and the babies haven't even arrived."
Greg ran both sets of his fingers through his hair and left them there gripping clumps.
"Please don't rip out your hair, Son…it finally looks normal."
"Good one." Releasing his locks Greg leaned forward and grabbed a pencil. "Okay…Mom insists on helping with the car because she wants something new and safe for the babies…she's calling it an engagement gift. And if Tawny saves all her paychecks, she'll have enough to pay for the breast reduction when the time comes."
"Okay." Scott put checkmarks next to each of those items. "And I'm sure Tawny will have a baby shower and get some nice things from your friends and of course your mother and me."
"That's what I was thinking too." Greg nodded and hoped his father would stick with the same calm approach. "And if we only buy essentials for the townhouse and keep all our mismatched furniture, we'll focus on a house fund until the babies are born. Then, not paying any rent for a year, if we watch our spending, I should be able to bank some money even after paying for all the baby supplies like diapers and formula…especially if I can pull some doubles and work holidays."
"Before the babies arrive you can put in lots of OT, but after they're here Tawny is going to need you on a regular schedule and around as much as possible. You heard Robbie…they were shocked at the amount of work and they only have one baby. She's going to need a break after being home with them all day. So, even though your job is draining, you'll need to step up."
"Actually, Tawny will be working too, so..."
"Do you have any idea how much it will cost to pay someone reputable to watch newborn twins?"
"Uh…no, I don't have a clue."
"Tawny might be working just to pay for childcare and job expenses like dry cleaning and gas for the commute. You'll need to research the cost of childcare."
"Okay." When his father kept staring at him, Greg finally caught on. "I should start a list of these things I need to do."
The proud father handed over a pen. "Great idea!" Once Greg was making notes Scott said, "And here's what I'm going to do." After placing a checkmark next to 'furnish townhouse' he leaned back in his chair. "While you're spending the day with your mother, I'm going to take Tawny to IKEA and let her buy furniture on me…that will be my engagement present."
"Really?" Greg stopped writing. "But you were just lecturing me on how spoiled I am and how I need to work for things on my own."
After a solid laugh Scott replied, "Why the hell do you think I'm taking her to IKEA and not a fancy furniture store? She picks, I pay, and you, my dear boy…will have to build it all. That stuff is frustrating as hell."
"Got it." He smiled at his Dad. "Sweat equity. I really appreciate it."
In a voice drenched with sincerity Scott said, "And I appreciate that you did some very responsible things when you found out Tawny was pregnant. As I predicted yesterday…once the shock wore off, I was able to focus on the things you did right." Clearing his throat Scott said, "After your nightmare I wasn't able to sleep so, I went into your old room and did some thinking…and remembering. Are you up for a few questions?"
Swallowing hard, Greg nodded. "Yeah…whatever you want to know."
"Tawny said you declined her offer to abort the pregnancy…"
"Well…um…" Glancing down he admitted, "Initially, I thought an abortion would be best, but I was nervous about it because, obviously, it's not something you can take back and I already had made one mistake I couldn't take back and was haunted by it. Anyway…before I could decide for sure if I could go through with it, I realized she was only doing it for me. That's when I said no way…because I couldn't make her do something she didn't believe in for my benefit. I would have carried that guilt around for the rest of my life and it would have eaten me alive over time. Now that we're in love and so excited about having the babies I feel guilty every time I think that I considered an abortion." Returning his gaze to his father's Greg quietly asked, "Do you think I'll carry that around forever? Will I be taking pictures at their birthday party and think…hey, if it had been up to me, there's a good chance you might not have been born?"
Scott took a moment to ponder the question then rose from his chair, shut his office door and locked it.
"Are you going to yell?" Greg tensed while checking for an alternate escape route and regretting the risk he just took by opening up to the man who scared the hell out of him.
"No…I'm not going to yell. I'm going to make a confession…something that will be shared only between father and son. Something I've not spoken of since I was in college, and something I've never told your mother. I think it will explain a lot about my behavior."
"Um…okay." Greg moved to the edge of his seat while his father sat on the end of his desk.
"Forty years ago, when I was a freshman…long before I met your mother, my girlfriend and I were in the back of my car and got a little carried away while parked at the local Lover's Lane."
"You got her pregnant?" Greg asked in a voice thick with wonder.
"Yes." Scott hung his head in shame. "That's why when I got you your first car I took all that time to educate you on safe sex, buy you the condoms and beat you over the head that you should never take a risk. I didn't want you to make the same mistake I made, Son. That's why I was disappointed last night…and so angry."
"I'm shocked." Greg crashed back against the chair. "I grew up thinking you never made a mistake in your life."
"When you're a parent, you'll know how it feels…you don't want your kids to make the same mistakes you did, so you do everything in your power to prevent it." Sighing he added, "Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out."
"What happened?" In a moment of panic he asked, "Wait…do I have a half sibling you never told me about?"
"No…I wish that was the scenario." After a deep breath Scott revealed the rest of the story. "Mary…my girlfriend, insisted on an abortion even though I offered to marry her. She was certain her father would kill us both if he found out, and she wanted us to have a chance at finishing school. Once she put it that way, I was all for it. I worked to get the money for the procedure and I drove her there and back…she cried the whole night. It was hell and after that, she never spoke to me again…she couldn't even look at me from across campus. I felt terrible but, eventually I put it behind me and moved on. One day, years later when I was in my third year of medical school, a friend called and told me Mary committed suicide."
"Damn…" The twist surprising him, Greg gripped the arms of the chair.
"She didn't leave a note. People who knew her at the time said she was quiet and kept to herself." Blowing out a breath Scott somberly remarked, "She was the opposite when I knew her…so vibrant…like your mom. It led me to believe that how we handled the pregnancy ruined her peace of mind and ultimately her life. I still carry around that guilt with me today and when your mother and I lost our first two babies, I couldn't help but feel it was punishment for my choices."
"Wow…uh…" Although the story itself was startling, the fact that his father was sharing something so personal was even more so, and on top of that was his personal suicide experience. In a shaky voice Greg cautiously treaded, "Sometimes people fall into a hole…a dark place, so dark they can't see any solutions so they um…decide to end the pain once and for all." Suddenly fearful of continuing, he cleared his throat and casually said, "That's what I learned from processing those cases."
"Yeah...I did quite a bit of reading on the topic myself." Slipping into the chair next to his stunned son, Scott said, "The point of me telling you this, aside from explaining why I was so adamant that you be responsible, and so ticked off when I found out you weren't…is to let you know that while you may feel guilt from time to time over considering the option, it's nothing in comparison to what you'd be feeling if Tawny had done something she didn't really want to do. And, Greg, even if you thought you could initially, you don't know what you would have done when you arrived at the clinic with her. In my gut I have a feeling that you would have changed your mind because, as emotional as Tawny is, she would have fallen to pieces in front of you…and the one thing you've always consistently been is a sensitive and compassionate guy. So…with that in mind, try to let go of the guilt and focus on what you did right. I was particularly impressed that you asked Tawny to move in so you could look after her, even when you weren't sure you could make it a go romantically."
"Hey…if you can see some good in my actions…I know I can." His smile lit up the room.
"Good." Reaching out, Scott placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "I hope you realize that I wouldn't have shared my darkest secret with you if I didn't believe I could trust you. I'm not going to treat you like a child anymore, Greg, because it's critical that you be an adult. We have a ways to go but, I'm enjoying the fresh start."
"I'm shocked that we're talking like this and now that we are, it's even more shocking that it feels really good." Smiling, he said, "Tawny is a big fan of yours and she's been telling me I need to drop the animosity and give things a chance between us. I'm glad I listened to her and Robbie."
"Me too. After seeing you in the throes of that night terror…" Pulling his son in for a hug Scott whispered, "I'm here any time you need to…"
"Hey! Why did you lock me out?" Bev's voice shot through the door. "Scott, you better not have him tied to chair while you curse at him."
"I'm fine, Mom." Greg pulled back from his father's embrace. "I'm just chillin' and bonding with Dad."
"Okay, while you wrap that up, I'm going to head out and see how many dogs and cats are playing in the street together."
Crime Lab
8:41 a.m.
"Dog hair," Hodges informed Grissom as he handed over his report. "Dalmatian."
"That helps." Grissom rolled his eyes and snatched the paper. "So, all we have from Carrie's card is that it came from Seattle and from someone with access to Dalmatian hair."
"I'll be really impressed if you figure out whodunit from that," Hodges replied while moving on to his next task. "You know…it's not my job to do your job for you, Grissom, but…assuming the card is a set up, it seems to me that whoever sent it…cough-Rodgers-cough…wants us to think that it's one of Carrie's old death threat people from Seattle."
"I figured that out in the first three seconds." With a grimace on his face Grissom marched for the door.
"But…" Hodges leaned against the counter and let his smirk unfurl. "Did you know that the church she brought down included a member who bred Dalmatians for show? I did…I knew that before I knew there was Dalmatian hair in the envelope."
Backing up Grissom turned and confessed, "No…I didn't know that."
"Hmm." He fell silent.
"I'm sorry, David." Working up the strength, he groveled, "I appreciate and welcome your contributions. The Crime Lab is lucky to have you."
"Sucking up doesn't come natural for you. That sounded really forced."
"Because it was."
Folding his arms tightly Hodges replied, "Brutal honesty on the other hand, is something you do quite well…however inappropriately."
Losing his patience Grissom leaned closer. "Tell me about the Dalmatian breeder before I spout off 101 reasons The Crime Lab is unlucky to have you."
"Penny Healy…" From his desk he retrieved a printed newspaper article. "She's the sister of the Pastor of the church Carrie brought down. In this article it mentions that Ms. Healy is the President of Dalmatian Save, a rescue and adoption program." Handing it over he said, "I Googled her…she's a breeder of them too…in a suburb of guess where?"
"Seattle." Grissom scanned the article. "What made you do this research? Are you going to pull a Greg and ask to move from the lab to the field?"
"Are you kidding?" Hodges laughed from the belly. "You guys get shot at and trapped in basements. No thanks, I'll stick with the occasional lab explosion."
"So, why the research?" Then it hit him and he postured. "Ah…so you could impress me."
"Sorry…that's so yesterday." Hodges pointed to his watch. "I work Days now. As soon as I moved under Nick's supervision I needed to find the best way to suck up to him. In case you don't know, there are only two ways to suck up to Nick. Talking football…"
"…and talking Carrie…you researched her accomplishments." Grissom held up the article. "Thank you."
"Hey, Grissom! If you visit Nick today, make sure you tell him I hope A&M wins on Saturday!"
University Trauma Center
9:27 a.m.
"You rock, Sara!" Nick flashed a brilliant smile as he inspected the A&M boxers and t-shirt she brought him along with a sign that said You've Entered Aggie Territory. "Where did you find this stuff?"
"That new sports memorabilia and clothing store on The Strip. The clothes are new even though they don't have tags," she felt compelled to explain. "I washed them because I wanted you to be able to wear them in the hospital. I have this thing about wearing underwear without washing them first because…"
"They scratch the crap out of your balls?"
"I was going to say it freaks me out that strangers could have touched them." Cracking up Sara took a seat on the edge of the bed. "I see you haven't lost your sense of humor in the ordeal."
"Nope." Holding his new prize possessions he added, "Just five percent of my spleen, ninety percent of my respect for my brother, and one hundred percent of my dignity…because I had to have Hal the nurse holding me while I tried to take a leak, and Eileen the ICU nurse feel up my naked body every fifteen minutes while my hands and feet were tied to the ICU bed."
"Ooh." Her hands raced to her mouth.
"Yeah."
"Which won out as most traumatic? Your abuse PTSD or your homophobia?"
"I'm not homophobic, Sara," he droned. "I just don't like men touching me, checking out my body or hitting on me, because it gives me the creeps."
"You do realize that homo means man and phobia means fear…man fear."
"Okay, Miss Harvard." He rolled his eyes. "What I meant was…I don't have a problem with guys who enjoy that sort of thing with each other, just leave me out of it." Smiling he added, "And please don't tell me that you think my issue is based on some latent homosexual tendency that I haven't confronted." Clenching a pillow over his sore gut like he had been shown to do by Hal, he cracked up. "I'm already dealing with quite a bit of repressed shit already, so how about we save that one for a rainy day?"
"Fair enough." Laughing with him she asked, "Who's your therapist?"
"My primary one is Carrie…she's been helping me fix my head since our first date. But after this recent incident I brought in a specialist…" He showed off his rubber band. "…my Uncle Jimmy gave me this and told me to snap it every time I feel a compulsion I need to eradicate."
"So he saved you physically and now he's saving you mentally, huh?"
"That's why he's my new best man."
"Since I'm the Matron of Honor, I'm very psyched about that move." Sara grabbed the bag of M&Ms she brought and opened them. "Jim will be great at tossing out some humor when you and Carrie are bawling your eyes out on the altar exchanging vows."
"Are you kidding?" Nick scoffed. "I'm not cryin' in front of two hundred people, Sara."
"Hundred bucks." She couldn't think of an easier way to earn cash.
Without hesitation he shook her extended hand. "I'll use that hundred bucks on my honeymoon."
"Speaking of crying…" She grabbed another handful of M&Ms. "Carrie told me you two had your first real fight…by real I mean not a tiff over napkin color."
"Damn, that really flipped me out. Luckily I was still on my morphine drip at the time. I sincerely hope that doesn't happen again any time soon…preferably never." Shifting gingerly against the pillows he said, "I found out the major problem with loving someone…you have something to lose. Previous to Carrie if a woman threatened to walk out on me it would have meant we spent a few less hours together than planned…not a lifetime less."
"Did she bring you these very masculine red heart-shaped balloons floating around your room?" She laughed with him.
"She felt guilty yelling at me when I was lying in bed looking like a science experiment. But mostly she was just scared like me."
"I can empathize. My first fight with Gil shook me to the core."
"What did you guys fight about?"
After glancing over her shoulder she answered, "Lady Heather. You were there for the start of it…although you didn't know what was going down. It was that night we were processing at that sex club and I bit your head off before tearing out of there."
"I remember that," he said with surprise. "So that's what happened."
"It wasn't about them being together...I mean I was with a bunch of guys before coming to Vegas and..."
"And then you decided to save yourself for Gris," he teased.
"Mister Abstinence, you should know the benefits of saving yourself. I bet after your eight month self-imposed drought, it felt pretty damn good when you got together with Carrie."
"Hey, it wasn't just the wait that made it great, it was the company." He grinned wildly. "Okay the eight months without a woman contributed to the rush too."
Sara couldn't resist the tease. "And actually being in love with the girl for once in your life probably augmented the experience a bit," she snickered. "So, imagine finally falling into bed with the person of your dreams after a five year drought. The Earth moved, my friend."
"I'm sure it did," he laughed.
"Fights are scary while they're happening but afterwards you can feel closer than ever. That's what happened after our other biggie…last month."
His voice drifted, "When you disappeared on me and surfaced in Tahoe."
"Yeah. I'm really glad you didn't disappear on me this week, Bro." Caught off guard by the sudden emotion building, she took his hand. "Damn pregnancy hormones."
"Definitely time for a hug." Tugging her close he whispered, "Hey, there was no way I was going to check out early and miss the birth of Baby Gris." When he heard her sniffle Nick added, "Because I have five hundred bucks to collect from Greg upon that baby's birth."
"Greg bet you five hundred bucks that I'd never have a baby with Gil?"
"I caught him way back when he was still twitter-painted by ya'…his ego was on the line. He insisted that it would be his seed you demanded one day."
"Speaking of the release of his seed costing him money…at the rate he's spending money on Tawny, he'll have to borrow cash from his mommy to pay you."
San Marino, CA
9:47 a.m.
After singing scales with his mother during the drive, Greg pulled up to the main entrance of her school. Thanks to Tawny's pre-California shopping spree, he was stylin' in Ezra Fitch jeans, a vintage Abercrombie muscle-fit button down in pale purple with white and black stripes, and a new pair of sexy Ray-Ban shades that she said gave him a bad boy vibe.
"I want a grande non-fat iced mocha latte," Bev stated as she grabbed her bags and exited the Mercedes. "You need some hot green tea." Rolling her eyes she grumbled, "Maybe after you drink it, we'll find where you're hiding your vibrato."
"Okay."
"You know the drill…run the rest of the scales."
In his alto/bass voice he sang for her, "Lolli, lolli, lolli, lolli, lolli, lolli, pop!"
"Good boy." Smiling, she shut the door to the convertible and waved.
"See you in a few," he cheerily replied. As soon as he pulled out of the parking lot, he grabbed a CD he had burned years ago and found in his old room that morning. It was titled, Music My Mom Hates and after slipping it into the player, he forwarded directly to Battle Flag by Pigeonhed, turned up the volume, andcrooned along to profanity laced song with a level of intensity and emotional commitment his mother would admire...if he were singing a Sondheim show tune.
At the first instrumental break, Greg played the drums on the steering wheel while stopped at a red light. That's when he realized there was a car in the lane next to him and when he saw who it was he did a double take.
"Hey, Hoj!" Becca called over from behind the wheel of her salsa-red Jag XK convertible. "I see you still like to rock out at red lights…cute. But you know your mommy wouldn't like you listening to that song."
Without saying a word, he tossed a Hollywood nod and when the light turned green he punched the gas. The irony of the lyrics alluding to a need for getting awaywasn't lost on him.
Pulling into the Starbuck's lot he parked in the first space he saw, jumped out of the car and made a beeline for the café.
After ordering, he moved to the pick-up area and leaned against the rail.
"Nice wheels," Becca announced through a smirk while standing behind Greg. "What the hell, Hoj? The other night you get pissed because I notice your Z and call me a materialistic bitch, then you go out and buy a car that costs twice as much? Hypocrite!"
"It's a rental," he replied without turning.
"So…what does that say about you? You're into temporary materialism?" Eyeing him she focused on his ass. "And I don't think you got those two-hundred dollar jeans at Wal-mart. I stand by my original judgement…hypocrite!"
"Grande, iced, non-fat mocha latte and a grande hot green tea," the counter worker called out.
"That's me." Greg returned his sunglasses to his face, stepped forward and claimed the two cups. When he turned he shrugged at Becca. "I can't chat. I have a lady waiting on me."
"Say hi to your mommy for me," she quipped before chuckling.
"You're hilarious," he droned.
With a devilish glint in her eye she replied, "And you're sexy as hell in those shades."
Turning, he walked toward the propped-open side door. "Leaving!"
"Following!"
"Ignoring!"
"Failing!"
"Dreaming!"
Out on the sidewalk they both cracked up and she said, "A little of our old high school hall talk…how nostalgic." When she saw his sweet smile, Becca posed against the side of the building. "I knew you couldn't stay mad at me for long, Hojie…you never could."
"Yeah, well…you know me…I'm a sensitive guy." His guilt returning Greg softly said, "I'm really sorry about scaring you the other night. I should know better than to lose it with a woman when she's naked and vulnerable. I can only imagine what you were thinking I might do. That was totally uncool."
"You know what they say…" she spoke in a breathy voice. "…there's a fine line between love and hate and that was some top notch passion you exhibited, Hoj." Placing her palms on his chest she gazed into his eyes. "I never would have believed you had it in you if I hadn't been on the receiving end. And that's exactly where I want to be again in the future…the receiving end of your passion."
"Becca…" Tightly clutching the cups in his hands he stared at her. "Look…there's something I want you to know, especially before you see me at the club tomorrow with…"
"Oh shit!" Glancing at her watch Becca squealed, "I was on my way to meet a client when I saw you. My ass will be in a sling if I'm late. But here's a little something to make you miss me…" Grabbing his face she stole a kiss from his lips. "I'll call you!"
"No! Becca! I need to…"
"Sorry!
"No! Get back here!"
"That's all you're getting this morning, Baby! Think of it as a little payback for your big tease the other night!" she yelled as she ran for her car. After jumping inside, she revved the engine then pulled up to the curb where he was standing gape-mouthed. "Damn it, Hoj! I swore I wouldn't chase you, but I can't help myself…especially not after feeling the raging sexual energy between us just now. Mmm! To be continued…"
"Unbelievable," he muttered while watching her peel away. "Unbelievable! What is with you never letting me finish what I have to say! Raging sexual energy? Are you kidding me!" He continued to yell long after she was gone, "I'm getting engaged this weekend to the love of my life and you're going to have a front row seat, Becks! Tawny is now, and always will be, the only recipient of my raging sexual energy! And I'm not really a sexy bad ass! I'm a geek in cool clothing!" That's when he noticed two women sitting at an outdoor table laughing hysterically at him. "Honestly…did you see any raging sexual energy just now? No, right?"
"She's got it bad for you, Baby," Carmen, a stunning twenty-five year old Latina woman wearing a tight black tank and some nice bling informed him while lowering her shades a notch. "Baaaaaaaad."
In a panicky voice he inquired, "But no reciprocation on my behalf, right? Because I'm madly in love with my girlfriend. I'm counting the minutes until I slip my ring on her finger. As a matter of fact, I'm on my way to practice my proposal, that's how determined I am to make it spectacular for her. I mean seriously, how…"
"Chill, Romeo…I didn't see any reciprocation." Carmen laughed as she lifted her Venti. "But I think the chick in the Jag would answer differently. Girlfriend has a one track mind and you better derail her quick, you sexy bad ass." Saying it out loud while looking at the poser cracked her up all over again. "Sorry…you're way too sweet to be a bad ass."
"Thanks for the compliment," he replied in a sunny voice while heading for his car.
"But I still think you're sexy!" Carmen added with a wink for good measure. "Love those jeans on you, Hoj! What the hell kind of name is that anyway?"
"I'm a Scandinavian Bad Ass." Laughing he replied, "And why weren't all you gorgeous women checking out my ass when I was single!"
Carmen's friend Tyra fielded that one. "My guess would be that you reeked of desperation and didn't know how to dress yourself back then. But now that you have a honey who boosts your self-esteem and Garanimals your clothes…you're walking tall and sending off a totally different vibe."
Butterfield Academy
10:04 a.m.
With slumped shoulders, Sean trudged across campus to attend English class with his nemesis Lindsay Willows and her equally nasty pal Celine.
"Sean…" With a saccharine smile, Celine Campbell stepped in front of the moping boy.
He knew better than to engage her, so he just kept quiet and moved out of her way.
"I'm really sorry about yesterday!" she called out in a voice dripping with sincerity as he continued walking.
Determined not to take the bait, Sean didn't reply.
"Lindsay made me embarrass you!"
"What?" He stopped in his tracks.
"She set the whole thing up yesterday." Celine rushed over. "She told me to call you a dealbreaker." Dropping her gaze to the grass below her feet she feigned sadness. "I know I shouldn't have succumbed to peer pressure but…" Sniffling temporarily replaced her words. "I have my reputation as a popular girl to protect, and Lindsay threatened to destroy me."
"Are you crying?" Sean stepped off the path and joined her on the grass.
"This always happens." Swatting a pretend tear she woefully explained, "Last year I got blamed for locking some naked guy out of the locker room just because I went along with a prank. People always want to bring down the beautiful, rich, popular girl."
"I heard about the naked guy."
"See!" She covered her face. "It's so easy to get a bad reputation."
Shaking his head he empathized, "Tell me about it. Everyone around here thinks I'm a geek, when really I'm just a nice guy who can't help it that he's smart…no more than you can help being beautiful or rich."
"Aww…I think you're a great guy, Sean," Celine lied in her best Disney Princess voice. "Hey…I have this crazy idea. Maybe if we hung out together, people would think I'm less bitchy and you not so geeky, because we'd each be making up for what the other person was missing."
"Like unpaired electrons looking for balance, we could attach to each other to become stable!"
For a moment she wasn't sure she could go through with the ruse but she pushed on. "Yes!"
"You're not teasing me, are you?" Sean asked, hoping the answer was no.
"No way."
"Then I think it's a great idea!" When she started walking towards class he followed.
"Sean…"
"Yes?"
"So, what do you know about Lindsay Willows?" Celine stealthily inquired. "I'm trying to understand what makes her so mean, so maybe I can reach out and help her at some point. Have you met her father?"
"He father died in a car wreck but her parents were divorced before that happened. Now, she lives with her mother and her mother's boyfriend Warrick Brown. She calls him her step dad even though her mother isn't legally married to him. They both work at the Crime Lab with my Uncle Nick."
Celine's natural smirk popped up on her lips. "Do you want to sit next to me in English class?"
"Sure!" A girl had never asked him to sit with her before and he was thrilled.
"You said your families know each other so, tell me…is Lindsay always bad, or is she just that way at school?"
"She tackled my brother Ryan onto his bed on Sunday and tried to have sex with him. They got caught when my brother started yelling at her." Immediately he covered his mouth. "Oops. I wasn't supposed to tell that to anyone. It was a blurt. I'm working on controlling those."
"Don't worry…" It was difficult to contain her glee. "…I won't tell her you told me."
University Trauma Center
10:15 a.m.
"Howdy, Darlin'!" Nick anxiously greeted his fiancée from his hospital bed.
Having learned from his family during her Dallas visit that the greeting must always be returned with equal zeal, she enthusiastically echoed, "Howdy!" She hadn't heard him use it since the trip and figured it must be his family rubbing off on him.
"I missed ya."
As soon as she stepped into the room, Carrie swore she could hear her brother yelling 'I told you so' even though he was across town.
"Check it out!" Nick cheerily ordered as he whipped off his bed sheet. "Sara didn't only get me an Aggie t-shirt, she got me boxers too! It feels great being out of that damn hospital gown. And did you see the sign?" He pointed to where Sara had tacked it up on the patient greeting card corkboard. "Won't it look great on our new house?"
"You've Entered Aggie Territory," she read with feigned enthusiasm. "I guess it depends on the color of the house we buy…"
"Lookie here, Darlin'…" Nick pulled out another t-shirt from under the sheet. "Sara didn't forget about you. She had this one custom made."
With trepidation she unfurled the maroon tee and read the words imprinted above and below the A&M logo. "I love my…Aggie guy."
"You can wear it Saturday during the game," he suggested with unbridled enthusiasm. "How exciting…our first game together."
"I can't wait!" she exclaimed with feigned zeal as she panicked that her weekends as she knew them were over.
"What do you have in the bag, Darlin'?"
"Oh…uh."
"Show me!" he prodded like an impatient boy.
"A portable DVD player and I rented a movie that Paul said we should watch because..."
"Dodgeball?" Holding out his hand he eagerly waited to peruse the contents of the Blockbuster Video bag. When your brother was here yesterday he said it was hilarious and Andy's seen it several times on plane flights…they were quoting lines."
"Uh…no. I can get that one tomorrow for you though."
"Fever Pitch." He held up the box. "Thanks for rentin' me a baseball movie, Sweetheart." Gingerly scooting over he patted the bed. "Let's snuggle up and watch. Since I can't eat popcorn, I'll have to share my tapioca pudding with you."
Crime Lab – Break Room
10:22 a.m.
"When was the last time you ate?" Sofia asked Sara when she saw her furiously spooning scoops of something into her mouth. "What is that anyway?"
"Tapioca pudding." She tossed the second empty container into the trash. "I watched Nick eating some earlier and I started to crave it." After licking her lips, she quipped, "Surely you can understand seeing Nick and suddenly having an urge."
"Oh! Good one! " Clapping her hands she nodded approvingly. "Especially coming from you because I'd expect it from Brass or Catherine."
"Thank you." Opening a third container she explained, "The craving was so bad, I had to stop at the store on the way in to buy some."
"Wouldn't it be better even better with a pickle?" Sofia joked.
"Ooh. That does sound good now that you mention it." She headed for the fridge to see if someone had left a jar.
"Sofia…have you seen Sara?" Grissom asked when he popped his head into the Break Room.
"She's ransacking the fridge for pickles."
"Very funny." He rolled his eyes at the snipe.
"She's not kidding!" Sara yelled as she stood victoriously holding a jar. "There's one left…and, no, you may not steal my pickle for a science experiment."
When Sofia saw Grissom burst into a smile she hustled for the door. "Oh, hell…I'll get morning sickness if I watch the two of you grin at each other for too long."
"Buh-bye," Grissom stated as she whizzed past. "I'm still getting over the shock of finding out Nick slept with her. I curse Jim for telling me. What the hell was Nick thinking? I can't stand listening to her for more than a minute."
After swallowing her first pickle bite Sara chuckled, "Methinks there wasn't a lot of talking going on, other than one-word declarative statements…yes…more…faster…"
"Stop…please…quiet." Gil held up his hand. "Because the visual forming in my mind's eye is giving me morning sickness."
"I'd watch what you say about Sofia." Sara dipped her pickle in the tub of tapioca and whirled it around. "Irving might drop a weight on your toe on purpose. They're going out again tonight and it sounds like they've really hit it off."
"Ugh…that reminds me." Gil glanced at his watch. "I have a training session after work today and I'm not in the mood to pretend I'm a jock."
Butterfield Academy
10:45 a.m.
At the ring of the bell, Bo Nelson, a junior, terrible student, and Butterfield's best baseball player, walked up to Celine's locker and posed. "What's with the puppy following you around?"
"This is my new friend, Sean Blake," Celine corrected.
"If he's your friend…" Bo laughed at the absurd concept. "…then why isn't he coming to your party on Saturday night?"
"Oh…" Cursing Bo, she glanced over at Sean and offered a smile. "Since I just met you, I haven't had a chance to…"
"That's okay." Sean clutched his backpack strap a little tighter. "I couldn't make it anyway."
"Why?" Bo guffawed in the gangly boy's face. "Your mommy doesn't let you stay out past eight?"
"No, because I'll be watching the first Aggie game of the season with my uncle. He used to play Running Back for them."
"Dude! No way!" Bo pushed Celine out of the way. "That's where I want to play college baseball."
"My uncle, his brother, his father and his grandfather all went there. His father currently lectures there too, when he's not sitting on the Supreme Court of Texas. My Uncle Nick said, because of their connections, A&M would roll out the red carpet for me if I want to go there…but I have my sights set on Stanford for pre-med and medical school and then completing my residency in Forensic Pathology."
"Damn…you have all that figured out and you're only in 7th grade? Dude…that's so..." Bo tossed his arm around his new best friend and reminded himself to be nice. "Welcome to Butterfield, Steve."
"It's Sean," he corrected.
"Sean."
Just then Lindsay walked by and sneered at Celine, making sure she saw her new $700 purse.
"Look who it is!" Celine called out. "Lindsay Willows…Butterfield's new resident slut."
The crowd in the hall quieted and no one was stiller than Sean.
"Excuse me?" Lindsay postured in front of Celine. "You're the one who wears a g-string under her uniform."
"You do?" Bo asked in a wondrous tone, forgetting sports for just a moment.
"I most certainly do not!"
"Liar!" Lindsay spat. "She wears a black g-string with butterflies on it!"
"See for yourself!" Turning, Celine lifted her skirt to show off her demure panties with the word Thursday on the butt surrounded by cheery flowers.
"She is a liar," Sean remarked when he saw how hurt Celine was by Lindsay's crude accusation. "She jumped my brother in his bedroom and when they got caught she said he was the one who wanted to have sex. Luckily, my uncle is a Criminalist and he proved my brother innocent by examining the evidence." Feeling protective of his brother, Sean said, "Can you believe it? Until proven guilty, Lindsay just stood there letting Ryan take the heat even though she knew he'd be in trouble and my parents wouldn't let him play football. She can't be trusted."
"See…" Celine tossed her silken hair off her shoulder. "…just like I said…she's a lying slut. I hear that's the reason her mommy put her here. She was caught giving BJ's to half the football team at Desert Mountain."
"That's not true!" Lindsay screamed while every student glared at her.
"You've already been proven a liar twice, Sweetie," Celine mercilessly pointed out. "Do you really think anyone is going to believe you or stand up for you?"
Lindsay looked to Sean as her eyes filled with tears. "Tell them that's not true."
Sean sadly replied, "The evidence doesn't lie, Lindsay…and why should I be nice to you when all you've done is hurt my feelings every time I've tried to be your friend?"
As the first hot tear slipped down her cheek she took off down the hall.
"So, Steve…"
"Sean."
"Right." Bo walked him down the hall. "How would you like to sit at the jock table at lunch today? And you should know…considering you're in seventh grade, it's a huge deal. But I take care of my friends."
"I'd love to!" Sean gushed with excitement while rejoicing that day two was turning out much better than day one.
Author's Notes:
Lindsay's karmic lesson learning has begun. That $700 purse didn't do much to help her. More to come…
A note on Sean…he's a genius, except when it comes to people. I write him with a slight Asperger's quality (very high functioning Autistic with social skills issues.). Several people who read my story and have Aspie kids recognized it in Sean very quickly. I have one myself. For a kid like Sean, social skills need to be taught like you would teach math. One teaching method is called social stories and I've had the people who 'train' Sean (Gil, Nick, Ryan) telling him these things, not formally on a storyboard, but in conversations. (i.e. Gil's first meeting with Sean and his lesson on 'don't upset the apes'). They focus on 'when X happens or is said, you should do or say Y'. When things are factual/black and white, Sean has no problem, but give him some grey and he's in trouble. Because Lindsay vacillates from nice to mean, he can't figure her out. Along comes Celine who appears to be honestly upset and then factually backs up her story, proving Lindsay a liar. Poor Sean takes that information and filters it against his facts…Lindsay lied in Ryan's bedroom, Ryan telling him to stay away because she's not trustworthy. Voila! Celine is good, Lindsay is bad and the world is once more black and white. He's in a social learning mode and he'll be asking a lot of questions…some serious, some hilarious and some VERY awkward. LOL
Carrie has a new t-shirt! If Nick really wants to invoke the team spirit in her, he'll buy her some logo shoes. LOL
I hope the GS fans enjoyed the tribute to the pickle/science experiment scene.
Becca…if only she'd LISTEN. Oh well…she'll find out soon enough and I'm sure you'll all feel bad for her when she realizes her Hoj does indeed have a lady. LOL
Thanks to: Misty-J and Rojaji for leaving reviews. Much appreciated!
KJT is baaaaaaaaaaaaaack! So, if you see typos, blame her. J Having her gone for 10 days made it crystal clear how important she is to this story! Welcome back!
Next Chapter: Scott takes Tawny out on the town…more Butterfield action…Greg cycles through some ups and downs…Jillian finds out about a secret sub-culture (LOL)…Ron calls Gil for help and gets a re-direct…Mike gets a visit from his attorney…Carrie finally comes clean about her football widow fear…Posting: Saturday morning.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts,
Maggs