Laws of Motion – Book 1
Written by: Ms Maggs / Edited by: KJT
Chapter 31
September 3, 2005
The Sanders Home
6:39 a.m.
When Greg emerged from the powder room holding a Tupperware container filled with urine, Charlie crashed back on the couch in front of the Sanders clan and groveled, "Come on! Do you have any idea how attractive I'll be to men in prison! Look at me…" He jumped up and turned around. "Look at my ass! I'm their dream boy. Can we please negotiate? Toss out some options. Tawny's pregnant and you have a crap job, Hoj…surely there's something I can buy you."
Tawny rolled her eyes. "Don't you mean that your daddy can buy?"
Charlie appealed directly to Tawny. "Have you thought of a honeymoon destination? My parents have a phenomenal place in Kauai. It's yours for two weeks and I'll throw in first class airfare and spending money. What do you say, Tawny?"
"I'd say I'd be afraid to stay somewhere that has your cooties."
Bev patted her future daughter-in-law's arm. "Scott and I added honeymoon expenses to the wedding budget, so don't worry."
Greg saw his father staring at him. "Fear not Daddy-O, I have the situation under control." After handing his urine to Tawny, Greg placed his arm around Charlie's shoulders. "It's your ass's lucky day, Mr. Hollywood. I'm willing to make you a different deal." He felt Charlie's shoulders relax. "I need you to call your father and his attorney. Dad…I need you to call your lawyer pal as well."
Scott was disappointed his son was selling out but he bit his tongue.
Greg saw the disappointment on his father's face and spoke directly to him. "Dad…trust me, I'm being responsible here. I have my future wife's needs to think about and suddenly I have the opportunity to creatively problem solve." A smile appeared on his face. "Charlie's dad is one of the best plastic surgeons in California."
"That, he is." Scott nodded as he returned his son's smile. "I'm sure he'd do a fantastic job with Tawny's breast reduction."
"What!" Charlie lowered his cell phone and gaped at Greg. "You want to negotiate my father giving Tawny a breast reduction. Are you out of your mind? What man wouldn't want his woman to have those beautiful breasts?"
Tawny leered at the louse. "You want to know what kind of man would support a reduction? A man who's thinking of his woman's needs before his own…a man who values his woman by the size of her heart, not her boobs...a real man. That's what you're not and Greg is…a real man." She pecked Greg's cheek and then stealthily whispered in his ear, "We've got the upper hand here, so please don't say anything dumb or fart."
The Blakes
6:43 a.m.
His stomach gurgling, Ryan tossed back his blanket and kicked his legs over the edge of the bed. After a few minutes of scratching various areas on his body and stretching, the teen stood and headed for the door.
Once in the hallway he saw his mother pressing an index finger to her lips and hurrying towards him, so he waited in silence for her at the end of the hall.
"Did your brother say anything odd to you?" Wendy whispered.
"He says odd stuff to me all the time," Ryan replied in a sleepy voice. "He's fluent in geek and I'm not down with the lingo."
"No…" Wendy glanced over her shoulder to make sure Sean wasn't approaching. "I mean, did he say he was having a problem? That something was troubling him? Because I saw him asleep hugging the Bible last night."
"Oh." Ryan nodded as he scratched his stomach. "Yeah…he's worried about me burning in a fiery lake of sulfur because I'm a non-believing, sexually immoral, lying, magic practicing, idol worshipper." Laughing, he added, "He's also worried his penis will explode one day. Oh, and he mentioned something about global warming but I tuned him out that time because I figure I'll be long dead by the time the planet melts." Ryan pointed toward the bathroom. "I really need to…"
"Sure, Honey." Wendy stepped to the side while pondering the wealth of information her son just bestowed on her and counting the minutes until her husband returned from his last marathon business trip.
Although he was groggy when he opened the bathroom door, Ryan snapped awake upon stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. "Whoa…" he uttered in disbelief as he saw Sean standing in front of the counter clad in his striped pajamas with his palm full of milky white substance. "Congratulations." But when Sean began rubbing his palms together and spreading the ooze, Ryan shrieked in horror, "What the hell are you doing!"
"Warming it up," Sean cheerily replied.
"For what! Nevermind…I don't want to know." Backing away Ryan said, "You owe me ten bucks. Wash your hands before you fork it over."
Sean finally understood the cause of his brother's revulsion. "No! It's not…" He couldn't say the word so he did the next best thing…he thrust his gooey palm forward. "Smell it."
"You're sick!" Ryan whipped open the door and sped away.
"It smells sweet!" Sean yelled as he chased his brother waving his palm. "If you'd just give it a chance!"
"And you're worried about me burning in the sulfur lake!" Ryan spat as he rushed into the living room. "You're the sexually twisted freak who plays with his own juices!"
"No, you don't understand!" Sean pleaded. That's when he realized the Grissoms were standing in the foyer with his mother. "Dr. Grissom!" He rushed over. "Smell this!" He thrust his palm directly into the man's face.
"OH!" Ryan shielded his eyes. "Now you're sharing with a hairy sixty year old man. That's just…"
"Mango," Gil proudly announced before heading back for a second whiff. "With a hint of lemon."
As he ran his sticky fingers through his new hairstyle Sean smiled confidently. "It's my new hair gel…Mr. Grissom is only forty-nine…and I'll be hanging onto my ten bucks."
Ryan lowered his hands from his eyes. "Oh."
Wendy jittered a tense smile at her guests, "Ready for breakfast? I have everything set up in the kitchen."
Just then McKenna darted into the room. "Mommy! Mommy! The dog got into the kitchen garbage again and he's playing with Ashley's poopy diaper! There's white fluffy stuff and poopy all over the kitchen floor!"
Wendy nodded as she remembered putting the diaper in the kitchen garbage instead of the outside trash. "Thanks for letting me know, Sweetie." Then she turned to the Grissoms. "It's such a lovely morning, how about we have breakfast on the patio?"
University Trauma Center
6:57 a.m.
Carrying a bag of takeout from The Burrito Barn on her way to Nick's room to grab him for breakfast on the patio, Carrie saw Nurse Nasty smirking at her from the nurse's station. Just ignore her.
As Amber stared at the petite woman wearing a trendy ecru velour track suit and cute jeweled sandals, her irritation notched. What does she have that I don't? A diamond ring on her finger, that's what. Ugh…I hate that prissy little wench.
Try as she might, Carrie couldn't keep her eyes from shifting to the nurse's station.
When she saw the annoying woman look in her direction Amber decided to strike the first blow. "Wah-ka, wah-ka, wah-ka, wah-ka…"
"Oh!" Carrie couldn't believe the nerve of the spiteful bitch. New to the dating game, she was completely unfamiliar with handling catty ex-girlfriends. What do I do! she panicked. In the courtroom I have no problem coming up with a retort. So she asked herself, What would Catherine do in this situation? The answer came quickly. Facing the back of her diamond-accented left hand at the woman Carrie narrowed her gaze at the meanie and kept walking tall. "Talk to the hand, girlfriend!" she said with a degree of attitude that would have made Catherine cheer.
Unfortunately, Carrie was so busy shooting dagger eyes at Nurse Nasty that she didn't see a Dietary Tech's cart full of breakfast food in her path. "OH!" she screamed when she crashed into it and instinctively gripped its edge, sending it, and all the food, crashing down on top of her. The riotous laughter from the nurse's station while eggs yolks and jelly plastered her off-white clothing and face only augmented her mortification.
"You should have talked to the cart, girlfriend, and told it to move out of your way," Amber cackled as she feigned concern and joined the other hospital staff rushing to assist the flailing and food-covered woman.
"I'm okay," Carrie answered the security guard who was lifting the cart off her legs. Wiping maple syrup from her eyes she slowly rose to sitting.
Having heard the crash and the screams from his bed, Nick hustled into the hallway as soon as his robe was on. "Carrie!" He rushed over when he saw his fiancée covered in breakfast food grabbing the security guard's arm. "I've got her, thanks." Helping her to her feet Nick lovingly asked, "What happened, Sweetheart?"
Carrie, a kickboxing, pit-bull attorney with a penchant for slapstick comedy, would normally laugh off such an incident, but from somewhere in her subconscious cattiness was born and she snuggled up to Nick. "Hold me," she sniffled in a waif's voice while glancing in Nurse Nasty's direction. "Being in your big strong arms always makes me feel better. Oh yes…just like that…don't stop."
When Carrie sounded like a bad porn star Nick immediately knew the score and fought not to laugh. "How about we get you in the shower?"
Without budging, she giggled and spoke in a pixie voice, "I can't wait until we get back to our apartment, so we can linger in the shower together…like we always do…after you make me breakfast and serve it to me in bed. I love how you take such good care of me. I'm the luckiest woman in the world because while some women are bitter and lonely, I'm going to be your wife and have you spoiling me forever."
Since Amber was the only one within earshot, Nick decided to have a little fun with Newly Catty Carrie. In his sexiest voice he replied, "Mmm…you deserve breakfast in bed after what you do for me between the sheets, Baby. Yeah…nobody has ever ravaged me like you do and that thing you do with your tongue…"
"Nicky!" she cut him off and hurried into his room. Once inside she waited for him, pacing the floor.
"Was it something I said?" he innocently asked upon entering.
"Yes!" Her cheeks flushed Carrie spat, "Why would you say that in front of…"
"Because I wanted you to stop talking!" he passionately explained. "Watching you being tough and putting Amber in her place over the hospital rules was a real turn on, but hearing you act wimpy and being a catty bitch was giving me the creeps." Reaching out he grabbed her hand. "I love you because you're not a witch…plus you suck at it."
Plopping on the bed she sighed, "I'm so relieved to hear you say that because it felt really unnatural."
"Kind of like wearing scrambled eggs as a hair accessory?"
"Yeah…" Melting from his smile Carrie gushed, "Or having hash browns in your bra."
The Sanders Home
7:17 a.m.
While they were waiting for Charlie's father and the lawyers to arrive, Bev decided to make a hearty breakfast. Standing at the fridge she smiled at Tawny, "What would my grandchildren like this morning, Sweetie?"
After flashing a brilliant smile in Greg's direction Tawny answered, "Country potatoes!" She knew from the look on his face that Greg was recalling the same moment.
"Okay…why did you say you wouldn't propose to me and that it was a stupid idea?" Tawny screamed as her heart began to crack.
"Because I don't want my proposal to be a Krispy Kreme!"
"Huh?" It wasn't the answer she was expecting. "I'm not tracking."
Taking her hand he said, "You love that TV show, Perfect Proposal, and that's exactly what you deserve…a perfect proposal. Proposing to you when I'm tanked at a party with no ring would be cheap and tacky…like bringing you Krispy Kremes instead of taking you out for a nice date, was cheap and tacky. So when Catherine asked if I was planning on proposing to you tonight that's why I said it would be stupid. I don't want my proposal to be just another donut in your life." When he saw her smile return it fueled his. "I want my proposal to be…to be an omelet! And not a plain omelet…I want it to have a whole bunch of stuff in it…the works! Because nothing is too good for you!" Now she was laughing and it made his heart soar. "And it should come with juice, toast and hash browns. Wait…not hash browns, they're too ordinary. Country potatoes! You know, the ones cut up into cubes and sautéed with onions and bell peppers then dashed with a little paprika."
"Mom…" Under the table Greg took Tawny's left hand in his. "Could you sprinkle a little paprika on the country potatoes when you make them?"
"I always do, Honey," Bev reminded her son while retrieving the requested spice from the cabinet.
"I'll be right back," Greg whispered in Tawny's ear before getting up from the table.
"Oooh!" Gushing with anticipation Tawny squealed, "This is going to be the best day of my life!"
Sitting next to the bubbly girl Charlie laughed, "Hell…if I knew country potatoes rocked your world I would have offered to take you to Denny's last night."
"Shut up, Charlie!" Tawny groused. "You're ruining my happiness buzz."
Chuckling as she fetched a carton of eggs from the shelf next to Greg's container of urine, Bev remarked, "This is going to sound very strange but, the two of you seem like you've known each other for years. Since Greg's out of the room I'll even say…you have a zany chemistry."
"I have known him for years," Tawny groaned, "His type…they're all the same. Just change the face and the name. Danny, Reg, Clive, Drew, Charlie…all cads." She chuckled to herself. "They all thought it was cool to woo an Amish girl."
"No shit…the Amish thing is definitely part of the appeal. I'd give a kidney to spend some quality time with you dressed in that conservative garb. Sorry…didn't mean to share that." Charlie eased his arm around the back of Tawny's chair. "Yeah…if only you didn't fall for Hoj before you met me. We would have been great together."
Tawny rolled her eyes. "Yeah…for forty eight hours until you dumped me for a blonder babe with bigger boobs."
When Greg returned he smacked Charlie's arm. "Don't make me give my pee to the cops." Then he placed the chocolate chip muffin he had retrieved from the counter in front of Tawny.
"Oh my God!" Tawny exclaimed as she tore the muffin to bits looking for her diamond ring.
"Didn't they have muffins in Amish land? I thought your people baked all the time," Charlie commented as he watched her frantically sift through what used to be a plump muffin but was now a pile of crumbs. "Honey…you were supposed to eat it."
Bev rested against her husband's chest and whispered, "If she got that excited over the idea of a ring stuffed in a muffin, I can't imagine what her reaction will be when Greg breaks into song tonight."
"You thought stuffing a ring in a muffin was my big plan?" Greg asked in disbelief. "You thought I passed up proposal opportunities like the beach at sunset, a romantic candlelit dinner, and basking in the afterglow in my childhood room, to propose with a muffin while Charlie has his arm around the back of your chair?" Which reminded him to take action, "You better get your arm off Tawny's chair before I twist it off, Pal! And if you ever call her Honey again even my dad won't be able to fix your teeth."
"Down, Hoj." Charlie quickly removed his arm and slid his chair six inches away.
"Oooh, Chuckles…" Tawny's eyes sparkled as she stared at her man. "I love it when you go all Scandanavian Bad Ass for me."
Scott burst out laughing. "His Scandanavian Bad Ass name is Chuckles?"
Before Charlie could join in the taunt his cell phone rang. "Ugh…it's Rehab Chick. She calls every day at seven-thirty when the phones at the center open up for outside calls."
"Aren't you going to answer?" Greg prodded when the sound of Charlie's programmed 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy' music snippet for a phone ring started to grate on him.
"Oh…yeah…of course." Charlie grabbed the phone and took the call he normally ignored. "Hi, Sweetheart," he affectionately greeted the psycho chick who almost caused him to spend time in jail and whose father was still out to kill him for what happened in Malibu. "Sorry…I can't make it to Flagstaff this weekend either…"
Jim Brass's Car
7:35 a.m.
Already an hour into the drive to Flagstaff with Heather to visit Ellie, Jim's cell phone rang. "Hey, Honey…"
"You're still coming, right? Or did something come up at work?"
Happy to know she called first thing to make sure he wasn't changing his mind, Jim warmly replied, "We hit the road before dawn, Sweetheart."
"What's the Dominatrix wearing?"
Jim glanced over at Heather and smiled at her wearing a pair of navy trousers and a colorful blouse. "She's dressed in black leather from head to toe and she brought along a variety of props just in case it's 'Career Day' at Whispering Pines and she's asked to give a demonstration."
"Yeah…maybe she can whip some sense into my roomie, Malibu Barbie. The vapid idiot is on the phone with the a-hole who gave her the shit that made her go psycho and land her in here in mandated rehab in lieu jail time. So much for listening to Counselor Bob when he says we need to sever all ties with users and suppliers."
"How are you doing with that edict?"
"The only calls I've made were to you and Tawny, because she said I could call her." After a cough she clarified, "I didn't like anyone I knew in LA and they only used me and now that I'm not there to use, they won't be missing me."
Jim breathed a little easier. "Okay, Honey…I shouldn't be talking while I'm driving seventy-five on the Interstate. I'll see you in about two hours."
The Blakes
7:47 a.m.
Still anxious over letting her son go, Wendy escorted Sean to Gil's car. "Please call me and let me know when you get there so I don't worry." She hugged her science-crazed son. "Not that I'm not a little concerned about you being in a farm of corpses but…at least you'll be off the highway."
"I'll be fine, Mom," Sean informed her before yawning.
The yawn reminded her she still had to address his late night Bible reading and porn party. She had opted to not say anything for fear of ruing the joy of his birthday trip to the body farm. Then she realized her son was watching soft core and reading the Bible at night while hanging out with his forty-nine year old best buddy and visiting corpses by day. Where did I go wrong?
"Mom?" His mother's embrace was so tight Sean struggled to breathe. "If you don't let go I won't be able to get into Mr. Grissom's car.
"Oh…right." She reluctantly released him. "Okay...well…have a good time, Honey." Covering her mouth she chuckled. "That sounds a little funny considering where you're going but…enjoy!"
Standing on the sidewalk Wendy waved until the car was out of sight. I'm not a bad mother for letting my thirteen year old son hang out with a forty-nine year old man at a body farm. I'm encouraging his love of forensic science and one day when he solves the murder of the century I'll look back on this moment and think I was the best mom!
"Wendy?" Catherine tapped her on the shoulder.
"Oh…" Wendy took a deep breath. "Hi, neighbor."
Sofia's Apartment Complex
8:16 a.m.
Armed with a wealth of dirt from Tisha Simmons from Sonny's Cabaret, PI Tony Mantello strolled down the hall of building C looking for apartment 237.
"She's not home, " Sofia's neighbor Bernice Johansson, a frumpy forty year old accountant best known by her co-workers for her lack of personality, grumped as she trudged down the hall lugging groceries. Glancing sideways at the man she didn't think he looked like her irritating neighbor's type. "I guess she didn't tell you she switched from working nights to days…or that she has a new boyfriend…a bigger, younger boyfriend with freaky tattoos."
"Are you a friend of Ms. Curtis's?" Tony asked, suspecting the answer was no and hoping it was.
Yeah, right." Setting down her bags she fumbled for her keys. "I can't stand that preening witch. She's always flicking her long blonde hair off her shoulders and smirking…I'm not a big fan of skinny blondes…or people who smirk."
"I can't stand her either," Tony commiserated as part of his plan. "That bitch dumped my kid brother a while back and he's still messed up…we just admitted him to a mental health place. I was here to give her a piece of my mind but…" He moved closer and whispered, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention my visit because I want to catch her by surprise."
"Believe me, your secret is safe. I don't talk to her, at best we exchange sneers." Bernice picked up her groceries and proceeded through her open door.
"Excuse me…" Tony stood in the middle of the hall. "I know this sounds intrusive but…I'm trying to learn a little more about this nasty woman who broke my brother's heart. Could you tell me if you recognize the guy in this photo?" He reached into his pocket. "I'm thinking he's why she dumped my brother."
Returning to the hall sans grocery bags, Bernice glanced at the picture. "That's Slick…or Nick…or Stokes." She laughed recalling a fond memory. "In the end she called him Control Freak Asshole. It was quite a break up. She was in the hall in her sleazy black underwear screaming at him because he didn't want to do some kinky sex thing with handcuffs. I couldn't hear what he said to her in end but it must have been bad because she told him to step in front of a bus and die. When she went back inside I heard her throw some stuff and then I heard her crying." Grinning Bernice added, "Knowing the slut was heartbroken put me in a great mood the rest of the day."
Tony silently rejoiced that he hit the jackpot yet again. "So they were loud?"
"Is the Pope Catholic?" Bernice's disgust surfaced in her expression. "I saw and heard it all from my window. One night he started pawing her while she was trying to get the door open in her disgustingly drunken state. When they finally got inside, he took her up against the wall and I heard every one of their noises and filthy words. If I didn't know any better I would have thought someone had their TV porn blasting."
Faking an appropriate level of revulsion Tony placed his hand over his heart. "How awful to be subjected to such debauchery."
"Yeah…and that wasn't even the worst." She motioned for the man to step closer. "Once I saw them come home with another girl…a real trampy looking thing…wild red hair and a tattoo on her arm…I think it was satanic because it had some kind of star."
Tony feigned a new level of horror. "Do you think the girl was a prostitute?"
Bernice confidently nodded. "Yep…because I saw her leave about ninety minutes later and she was counting cash."
"Wow…" Tony tucked the photo of Nick inside his jacket. "Would you recognize her if you saw her?" He pulled out the photo he snapped of Tisha.
After glancing at the picture she replied, "Yep…that's the whore. I don't even want to imagine the sins they committed in there with her. Suffice it to say they'll all be burning in a fiery lake of sulfur on judgment day. Ugh…your brother is much better off without Slut-fia, it's a shame he doesn't realize she did him a favor dumping him."
"Thank you, Ma'am. I'm hoping he'll realize that now that we have him in intensive therapy." Tony flashed a gracious smile. "If my family were to sue Ms. Curtis for damages would you be willing to speak in court about the things you just told me?"
"Are you kidding?" A delicious smirk appeared on Bernice's lips. "It would be my pleasure."
The Sanders Home
9:03 a.m.
While fathers, sons and lawyers were in Scott's office negotiating a cost-free breast reduction in exchange for Greg's urine, and Bev was out running errands, Tawny sat in the sunny living room excitedly perusing the ton of maternity and baby catalogs her future mother-in-law had compiled.
With every turn of the page Tawny's excitement grew and when she saw Bev had circled a little pop-up sun shelter and had written the words 'perfect for when you visit and take the kids to the beach' she squealed with delight. In an instant she imagined their new Sequoia packed full and the twins locked in their matching car seats as she and Greg set out for San Marino to visit the folks.
Closing her eyes she replayed the dream with twin girls, then twin boys and then one of each. The children always had brown eyes, tufts of blonde hair and Greg's adorable smile. Soon her exhaustion caught up with her and she was dozing on the couch so soundly that she thought the doorbell was in her dream.
When Greg entered the living room to ask Tawny why she wasn't answering the door he saw her curled up on the couch clutching a baby supply magazine. With a smile planted on his face he proceeded to the door and opened it without peering through the peephole.
"I know you're pissed and rightly so, but please hear me out," Becca breathlessly greeted. "Please…just five minutes, that's all I'm asking. Please."
The sight of Becca's lips coated in red triggered the memory of the same lipstick smeared on his underwear and body. "Go to hell," he slammed the door and rested against it.
"Hoj! Please! I'm sorry!" She banged on the door. "I know I was wrong…really, really wrong. I was drunk and desperate. I admit I'm pathetic! Please don't shut me out. You're the only one who's never shut me out."
When he heard the emotion in her voice Greg fought to stand his ground. "I told you if you were mean to Tawny again then you were out of my life."
"I know, but we have fifteen years of history! I know some of it sucked, but how much really? Ten percent tops, last night being the lowest moment. That leaves ninety percent of fifteen years. You're the genius, you do the math. I'm begging you to still be my friend. Just friends. Please!"
Glancing over at the couch he wished Tawny would wake up and handle the situation.
"Look through the peephole, Hoj. I'm holding my prescription. I'm going back on my medication, I came here to take the pill in front of you. I called my therapist, I have an appointment Wednesday. Please...I'll do anything."
Desperate to keep her from ruining the proposal later, he opened the door. "Anything?"
"Yes!"
With tears in her eyes Becca shook her pill bottle. "May I have a glass of water?"
"Come in," he huffed. "But keep your voice down. Tawny's asleep on the couch because she had a rough night worrying whether or not I was going to lapse into a coma."
"I made sure it was safe for you…I asked you a bunch of questions, remember? You said you hadn't drunk or taken anything else…and you had eaten." She lowered her head. "I know…that doesn't make it any less wrong. I just wanted you to know I'd never hurt you."
"What!" he angrily whispered. "You violated my body when I was drugged! When you knew I loved Tawny and would be proposing to her this weekend. Then you berated Tawny and tried to make me dump her while I couldn't think straight. Does any of that sound like you not hurting me? Yes, we have fifteen years of history and because of that…it hurt when I found out what you did!"
Swiping her tears Becca choked out an explanation. "In my warped head it didn't seem hurtful at the time. I just wanted to spend some time alone with you and then once we were there reminiscing, I kept falling harder and getting more desperate to keep you. When I finally realized Charlie had given you the GHB I pulled away but you grabbed my wrist and said you didn't want to be alone…and even though I knew there was a strong possibility you didn't mean it…when you said you wanted to be with me I was so happy. I wanted you to finish what you started at my house the other night because it felt so good, and in my head I really thought you'd enjoy it too. And you were enjoying it…" She sniffled, "Because you were out of it and thought I was Tawny. You even called me by her name."
"I did?" The new information alleviated some of his guilt.
Wiping her tears she nodded. "I know I've lost my chance for something more but, I'm desperate to keep what I had with you…friendship. Please…"
"Becca…" When he saw she was wearing the friendship bracelet he had given her in high school, Greg knew she wasn't going to give up without a fight, and that she'd still be fighting to preserve their friendship that night at the club when his attention needed to be focused on the proposal. "I…" Greg gripped his head and began formulating a plan. "Wait here…I'll get you water."
"Thanks."
He pointed at her. "I'm serious. If you move from that spot, I'm throwing you out of the house and my life. Just freeze…right there."
"Freezing," she squeaked.
While Becca was standing still as a statue her cell phone rang. With jittery hands she sorted through her purse to find it and in the process accidentally turned her hobo bag upside down, sending its contents across the floor. "Dammit!" Bending down she frantically picked up everything within reach while her cell kept ringing.
"What the hell are you doing here!" Tawny shouted from living room. "Did you break into the house?" In her mind she saw Becca boiling a bunny in the kitchen. "Get out!"
"Hoj let me in," Becca calmly explained while rising from her knees.
"How?" Tawny snapped. "He's with his father in the office."
Becca's gaze dropped to the magazine Tawny was clutching. "Oh my god…you really are pregnant. That's why he's proposing. Was I right? Did you manipulate and trap him?"
"No," Greg corrected while he approached holding a bottle of water. "I manipulated and trapped her. Now that we've that cleared up, let's get back to business." He held out the bottle and coldly remarked, "Unlike last night…I want to see you swallow." Reaching over he took Tawny's hand and gave it a squeeze, silently asking her to trust him.
Shaking from the latest shock Becca popped open the pill bottle and fished out a Zoloft. In a meek voice she announced, "Congratulations to the both of you." She tossed the pill in her mouth, accepted the bottle and downed the pill with a swig of water.
Greg whispered in Tawny's ear. "Can you give me a minute?"
"Sure, Sweetie." Without saying a word to Becca, Tawny went upstairs, trusting that her man would handle things.
Once Tawny was gone, Greg held up three fingers. "Here's the deal. You have to do three things to earn back my trust. If you do these things, then a couple of months from now I'll reassess if I can still maintain a friendship with you. One…keep taking your medicine. Two…keep seeing your therapist. Three…and I'm dead serious about this one, Becca. Look at me." He let his eyes drive home his point. "…stay away from the club the rest of the weekend. If you step foot on club property this weekend, we're done, because if I see you there, I'll file a restraining order against you and never speak to you again. Am I crystal clear?"
Knowing in her heart he was serious this time, she agreed without hesitation. "I promise. I'll go home and stay there the rest of the weekend so you won't even have to worry about Tawny bumping into me in town."
"Excellent. Thank you." Opening the door he took a cleansing breath. That's when he saw his mother approaching and from the look on her face he knew she was channeling her Scandinavian Bad Ass. "Mom, I have everything under control. You don't have to…"
"Get off our property!" Bev shouted at the girl she used to treat like a daughter. "You could have killed my only child and while Greg may be nice and forgive you for what you did, I never will. I cared for you when your own mother didn't give a rat's ass where you spent Christmas. To say I feel betrayed is an understatement!"
Becca prepared to grovel, "Mrs. Sanders, I'm really…"
"Shut up and listen. Don't speak to us ever again. Don't step foot on our private property. Don't come near us at the club. If you do, so help me God I will ruin you, starting with your career because you know the reason you're in that firm is because I went to college with one of the partners. Now, go!"
When Becca took off running Greg blasted his mother, "I had the situation under control. I didn't need you to…"
"I disagree. You've consistently handled the matter badly since you went to see her Monday night." Shaking her head Bev marched into the house.
"Mom, it's my life and…."
"Excuse me!" Getting in her son's face Bev harshly whispered, "Need I remind you that the only reason you still have a life is because of my interference, Gregory? You wouldn't have babies on the way, be proposing, getting married and having a future if it weren't for me. Last night when I saw your lifeless body, I almost lost my mind. The errand I went on after breakfast was a ruse so I could get out of the house for a while and break down in private. You want to be accountable? Then own this…sometimes you really do need to be saved from your own bad judgment."
In that moment, Greg realized his mother had never shoved the brutally honest truth about his suicide attempt in his face until now and after a contemplative silence Greg quietly said, "You're right, Mom…I'm sorry."
Bev blew out a breath and hugged her son. "Forgiven."
Plaza Medical Center
9:31 a.m.
Upon waking from a short nap, Cassie weakly whispered to her father who was sitting on the edge of her bed. "Where's Mommy?"
"She's in the hallway on the phone with grandma checking on things at home." Drew tucked the blankets a little tighter around his daughter. "Do you want something, Sugar?"
"A story," she requested before yawning.
Reaching over to the bedside table, Drew selected from one of three books left by a hospital volunteer who also delivered the teddy bear dressed in scrubs Cassie was clutching. "How about Madeline?"
"She gets her 'pendix out too."
"That's right."
"Will you do the voices?"
"Of course." He held up the cover. "Do you know what that's a picture of?"
"The Eiffel Tower. It's in Paris." She paused for a yawn. "Mommy told me you went there on your honeymoon."
"We did." Staring at the cover illustration he spoke in a storybook tone for his daughter, "It seemed like we traveled all day to get there and we were real tired when we arrived, but then from our hotel balcony we saw the Eiffel Tower looming in the distance and I grabbed mommy's hand and rushed out to see it up close. Mommy had been to Paris a bunch of times for work but I had never been there so I was real excited." He pointed to the right base of the tower. "I kissed mommy standing right there in the light of a full moon while she was holding a red rose. I remember thinking it was just like a scene in the movies. She was wearing a gorgeous red dress and although Paris is known for having lots of beautiful women…" He winked at his daughter and continued the reality-based fairytale, "Your mommy was the prettiest in the city that night and in that moment I loved her more than any man loved any woman in Paris."
"What happened after the kiss?" the always curious child asked.
Lost in the memory it took a few seconds to catch up. "What happened after the kiss? Well…Mommy opened her eyes and then she said…"
"I've been Mrs. Drew Stokes for exactly twenty-nine hours and with each one that passes I love you more than the one before." From the doorway where she had been listening, Lissa stood swiping tears and trying to recall the sad day when she realized she had started loving him a little less with each passing hour instead of more. "Geez…your daddy is such a good storyteller he made mommy cry tears of joy." Approaching the bed she jittered a smile then kissed her daughter's forehead, relieved it was cool and her fever gone.
"I like that story better than Madeline," Cassie remarked before pointing to her mother and smiling. "Look, Daddy…no lipstick. That means you can kiss her." Her smile returning for the first time since she got sick, Cassie encouraged her father, "Go for it."
Locking his gaze on Lissa's, Drew anxiously cleared his throat. "Uh…" And while he was desperately trying to come up with a way out of the awkward moment for Lissa's sake, his wife cupped his face and pressed her unadorned lips to his.
Over the years Drew and Lissa had shared passionate kisses in some of the world's most exotic places…a heavenly beach in Fiji at sunset…on the balcony of a luxurious hotel in Morocco where the air was full of spices…in a hammock on the deck of their cottage in Kenya while giraffe and zebra grazed…and in Paris in the light of a full moon under the Eiffel Tower, but if asked, they would both say all of those combined paled in comparison to the one they shared on a Saturday morning in the pediatric wing of Chicago's Plaza Medical Center in front of their giggling little girl.
Breathless from the absolving kiss, Drew sat quietly while his little girl cheered and his wife produced a fresh batch of tears and a shaky smile. After recovering from the moment he took his daughter's hand and his wife's and said, "I believe I have a new favorite story."
The Body Farm
9:42 a.m.
Standing in front of their first corpse wearing face masks, gloves and booties, Grissom informed his pupil, "Every body tells a story. When you read a book you start with a title and as you turn the pages you gather information and formulate opinions…by the time you close the book you have an understanding of what happened. That's how it works here too, Sean. You start with very little then, by delving into the body, the story unfolds and leads us to conclusions."
Mesmerized by a fresh corpse lying in an open field Sean breathed slow and deep.
"Is it harder than you thought it would be?" Grissom prompted, concerned the boy was breathing erratically and would faint. He had purposely picked the least gruesome of the thirty-two bodies currently being studied at the farm. The fifty-six year old man's remains had just been placed for observation that morning.
Nodding, Sean admitted, "I've read books and seen photos on the Internet, but the real thing is much more…"
"Do you want to go back to the…"
"No." He vehemently shook his head before looking up at his mentor. "Dr. Grissom…there are so many things I'm not good at…and guys at my old school called me a wimp every day. This is my chance to be tough about something. My brother can face a player twice his size on the football field and not flinch, but he couldn't stomach two seconds of this place. Football is his thing…it's where Ryan proves he's tough. Forensic Science will be how I prove I'm just as tough as him."
Like a proud papa Grissom placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm already in awe of your strength, Sean. Most people wouldn't step through the front gate of this place." Under his mask his smiled broadened. "You wanna know a secret?"
"Sure."
"The first time Nick came here he turned white as a ghost and tried to vomit on the sly." He chuckled at the memory. "But I busted him."
"I won't tell him you told me."
"Nah…go ahead, because it's not really fun unless he knows that you know." Grissom patted the boy on the back. "Do you think you're ready for something more?"
"No…but show me anyway."
Admiring the boy's innate curiosity and spunk he pointed to the path. "It's about a quarter mile ahead. If it's too frightening, don't hesitate to tell me because like I said…I'm already proud of you for coming here and the first time is scary."
"Actually, this place scares me a lot less than other things I have in my head right now. This is science and science follows rules and has predictable results. If you mix two hydrogen atoms with an oxygen atom you get a water molecule every time, but if you mix a girl and a boy there are many potential outcomes. The girl can love you or hate you. She may want just a kiss or…" Sean shyly said, "…or to do much more…some things I'm not sure I ever want to do. My brother hasn't really done anything with a girl yet except kiss one but, he finds all the future stuff to do with them very exciting. It scares me to death," he confessed and then covered his mouth, "No offense to the corpses."
"I'm sure none was taken," Grissom quickly absolved the boy's guilt while hoping he wouldn't ask any sexual questions.
"Dr. Grissom…I know you said I should talk to my Uncle Nick about girl stuff…"
Oh, no…here it comes. Grissom braced for discomfort.
"My uncle gives really good technical advice in layman's terms but the thing is… I can't relate to him practically when it comes to putting thoughts into actions because he was a cool jock and it all came easy for him. You, on the other hand, are like me, a…oh…how can I say this without…um…"
"Never be ashamed of who you are, Sean." Grissom chuckled sweetly, "I believe the word you're looking for is geek?"
Grinning, Sean nodded, "Yes…but I didn't want to offend you."
"None taken, because like I said…never be ashamed of who you are." Grissom slowly led him down the path to give the boy a chance to acclimate to the surroundings.
"Dr. Grissom…" Sean cautiously asked, "Are you obligated to tell my mom everything I tell you or can I tell you secrets?"
"Well…" Grissom pondered the question for a moment then replied, "There are some things I would have to tell…like if you were doing something illegal, like taking drugs for example."
"No, it's nothing like that," Sean chuckled at the thought. "I'm worried my penis is going to explode from unreleased pressure."
Not expecting that particular fear, Grissom stopped in his tracks and suddenly wished Nick was along for the trip. But, since Nick wasn't there, and the dead weren't going to field the question, Grissom forged ahead. "What makes you think that, Sean?"
Stepping closer he confessed in a barely audible whisper, "Last night when…"
"Sean…the dead can't hear you and there's a plane flying overhead, feel free to speak up."
"Last night when my brother and I were watching naked girls on TV he went to the bathroom and relieved the pressure in his penis twice, but I couldn't. He said…"
"Sean…" Grissom pointed to the sky. "The plane's gone so you don't have to scream."
After a deep breath Sean continued, "Ryan said that if I didn't do what he did, then the pressure would build up in my penis causing it to explode. Scientifically, I understand the concept of contents under pressure, which is why I'm terrified it will happen. At the same time, I've never read anything about exploding penises so, I'm skeptical…but maybe it's just something that's not discussed openly because I never read anything about BJs either, but found out they exist by word of mouth."
Grissom laughed at the play on words without thinking. "Sorry…I'm not laughing at you or the question. It was your accidental choice of words."
Thinking about what he said Sean smiled, "That was funny now that I think about it."
"No…it won't explode," Grissom calmly assured the scared boy. "I'm and expert in Biology and I can attest that in all my years I've never heard of or witnessed a case of penis explosion due to lack of release. You're safe…although you may experience temporary discomfort at times." Now please…whatever you do…don't ask me if I…
"Dr. Grissom…when you were my age did you experience a similar fear?"
Grissom glanced over at a corpse rotting under a large shade tree and suddenly wished he could trade places. "Uh…okay…I'll be honest with you. Everyone has different fears, Sean. Like you said earlier…your brother would be afraid to come here but you're not. He's not afraid of 'relieving pressure', but you are and that's okay. The particular fear that is plaguing you…wasn't one of mine, but you're going to join the track team and that would have terrified me at your age. Everyone's different."
"So, I really am a freak," Sean lamented while his shoulders drooped. "You were my last chance to feel normal. But if you did it then…"
"You're not a freak, and I'm not a therapist, but…from a simplistic biological perspective I would guess that your body is more advanced than your brain in this area. Your body is ready to go somewhere your mind isn't willing to go and there's nothing wrong with that or you."
"Do you think there's something wrong with my brother because he does it twice a day sometimes?"
"No…I don't think there's anything wrong with your brother either." Grissom realized a slight smile appeared on his face as he eased into the paternal feel of the moment. "You're not identical twins physically and you're not identically mentally or developmentally either. You can't compare yourself to him."
Standing in the middle of a farm of dead bodies Sean once again whispered, "Is there a way to get over my fear of relieving pressure?"
"That's definitely one for Uncle Nicky." Grissom started heading down the path again. "In slot twenty-seven there's a corpse in the first stages of…" Suddenly he realized his own fears had gotten the better of him. Glancing back he saw the confused teen catching up to him. "Sean…"
"Yes, Dr. Grissom?"
"I believe your fear goes beyond that one act. You're at a crossroads…you're scared of growing up. I think you've come to believe that act represents the final milestone, and if you never take that step, you won't ever have to make the leap from boy to teen."
Tears welling in his eyes Sean nodded. "I don't want to grow up."
"You can't fight nature, Sean." Grissom pointed to a corpse half-buried in the sand. "Remember…science has rules. You're born, you mature from infant to adult in predictable stages, and one day…you die. You can't stop biology. It's alive. Even when a man is declared dead, his body is still giving life to the organisms feeding on it and the ground soaking up the nutrients from it." Placing a hand on the boy's sagging shoulder, Grissom counseled, "You can resist the process of maturation, or you can embrace it…but there's no way to stop it, Sean. Eventually, every boy grows up…even Peter Pan."
"Okay," he acknowledged while wiping his tears. "Thank you for being honest with me."
"Don't worry," Grissom edged out a smile. "It's not an overnight process…it takes a long time, and the amount of time varies from person to person so you don't compare yourself. I did a lot of growing up this last year and I'm forty-nine and my father just finished yesterday. I watched your Uncle Nick growing up for the past nine years, and in one or two areas he only made progress in the last six months. And Greg…" He sighed like a worried father, "…he still has a long way to go."
"But he's going to be a father in April."
"Yeah…don't remind me." Grissom resumed walking down the path. "I know you biologically understand how babies happen so I won't bore you with those details. But here's a cruel trick of nature…reproduction is strictly a biological process, it doesn't require the sperm and egg donors to exhibit any intellectual maturation prior to successful fertilization. That's why condoms were invented…actually that's not true, the first protective sheath was invented by an Italian Anatomist, Gabriello Fallopio in 1564 to prevent the transfer of venereal disease." He laughed, "There's a little something you can impress the guy's at school with next week."
"Thanks!"
"Here we are." Pointing to a small pond Grissom eagerly asked, "Ready for some bugs on a bloated body?"
"Absolutely." Sean took a deep breath and proceeded to the edge of the lake.
"Let's see how tough you really are," Grissom teased as he reached into his pocket to retrieve two sticks of beef jerky. "Try to eat while studying decomposition."
"Just don't tell my mom," Sean implored while taking the stick and slipping it under his face mask for a bite.
"Why?" Grissom stared curiously at the boy. "Will she think it's disrespecting the dead to eat while studying them?"
"No…" He remembered his manners and swallowed the beef before talking. "She's a vegetarian."
The Blakes
10:08 a.m.
"Okay, Sara…" Wendy grabbed a package of tortillas. "Even you can't get this one wrong," she teased. "Cream cheese and green chili tortilla rollups."
"Sounds complicated to me." Sara approached the counter with trepidation.
"You don't even cook them. The only skills are spreading, spooning, rolling and cutting."
"Oh…" Sara laughed while washing her hands. "I don that stuff with DB's all the time…spreading open wounds, spooning up decomp, rolling out…"
"No DB talk in the kitchen remember?" She pointed to the note on the fridge that said it in bright red marker.
"Sorry…I blame the influence of Gil's seed growing inside me."
Opening up a package of tortillas Wendy joked, "If having Gil's seed inside you makes you talk about dead bodies in the kitchen, what does having two of Greg's seeds growing inside Tawny do to her I wonder?"
The Sanders Home
10:17 a.m.
"I'm going insane!" Tawny shrilled as she watched the clock seemingly tick backwards. Talking to the closed guest bathroom door she pleaded, "Narrow down the proposal timeframe for me, please! Before sunset or after sunset!"
"I already negotiated you a free breast reduction and it's not even noon. Man you're demanding. Maybe I need to rethink this proposal thing."
"So not funny!"
"Okay…okay. If I say neither before sunset nor after sunset, then you'll know I'm proposing at sunset."
Jumping up and down in her bikini she shrieked, "So you're proposing at sunset!"
When he opened the door Greg crinkled his brows. "I never said that. I just said if I say neither…"
"Murdering!" She slipped both hands around his neck and gave a squeeze.
"Self-defeating!"
"Rethinking!" When she saw a flicker of enticement in Greg's eyes from staring at her bikini clad body Tawny turned into Glitter and rasped, "I'm going to tease you with a dance and if you want to touch me you're going to have to give me the timeframe."
"But you're barely wearing anything," he stated trying not to laugh. "How are you going to tease me when you have almost nothing to take off?"
"Oooh…that's a challenge if I ever heard one and, Baby…" She struck a seductive pose. "And I'm more than up for it."
Greg took a seat on the edge of the bed to watch the show. "Well let's go then…"
University Trauma Center
10:23 a.m.
Bursting into her stir-crazy fiancé's room Carrie shouted, "Who's ready to go home and watch some football!"
"Look at you." Nick's face exploded into a smile when he saw Carrie wearing the Aggie t-shirt Sara had made for her.
"Check this out." Turning around she thrust her butt in his direction to show off her Aggie logo jeans. "Your sister Barbara sent me a care package and does she know me or what!" Bending down she removed a flip flop. "She even got me logo shoes!"
"My family loves you, Darlin'." He pulled her in for a squeeze. "How could they not?" After a kiss he asked, "What did Barbara send me?"
"Nothing."
"Oh."
"But I have a real big surprise waiting for you at home."
Laughing he said, "So you talked to the doctor and found out my sister was lying too, huh?"
"No." She cocked her head. "What was she lying about?"
"No gratification for six weeks. It's no vigorous sex for six weeks, but other forms of gratification are fine after two." With a wink he said, "Good thing I got used to you being on top."
"All things happen for a reason." She pecked his lips and rejoiced she would only be O-less for another week.
"So…what's my surprise if it's not that good news?"
"Duh…" She picked up his suitcase and opened the door. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you."
The Sanders Home
10:27 a.m.
Heated to an extreme by his future wife's deftly executed dance Greg folded like a bad hand of poker. "It will between sunset and the stroke of midnight!"
"Yes!"
As Tawny tackled him against the bedding Greg laughed, "That's exactly how I want to hear it later!"
"I think I can do it even better with practice…Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Meanwhile, in the hallway, Scott stopped just as he was about to knock on the guestroom door and instead whispered to his wife, "I guess that answers our question about Tawny being too nauseated by the thought of Becca having her way with Greg to ever touch him again."
"Yeah, I'm thinking we should go."
Louder, Princess! Or I won't give it to you!
YES! YES! YES!
Scott took his wife's hand and led her toward the stairs, "We'll leave them a note saying we headed to the club without them."
Now that's more like it!
Oooh! I can't wait for you to give it to me, Chuckles!
"Hurry!" Bev raced ahead of her husband. "I don't want to hear my little boy having clown sex."
Author's Notes:
I hope you enjoyed the chapter…
I started out light with Greg's creative settlement with Charlie, waking up with the Blake Boys and Carrie's short lived (thankfully) stint as a catty bitch LOL she'll be keeping her role as a klutz though.
In the tradition of 'there's always a connection'…Ellie's roommate 'Malibu Barbie' who we heard about a while ago, is the girl from Charlie's 'thing in Malibu' that we keep hearing about.
Brass and LH are on their way to Whispering Pines and Ellie is anxious to see them. Yes, we'll be flashing back to Equine Therapy when Ellie talks to her father in the next chapter and getting another glimpse of Cowboy Ren.
We meet Sofia's neighbor Bernice…when the hard working PI Tony Mantello resurfaced in this chapter and hit pay dirt again.
I hope it was clear that Greg's motivation letting Becca in was preventing her from showing up at the club and tainting the proposal. I think a little of nice guy/long time friend showed up in the end when he told her that he would reassess their friendship in two months if she followed his instructions. Then Bev showed up and exerted her protective nature. One thing's clear…the only woman not manipulating Greggy in that scene was Tawny.
Cassie is such a good accidental marriage therapist, Drew and Lissa won't even need Dr. Myers at this rate ;-)
I really enjoyed writing the scene of Grissom and Sean at the body farm (they will still be there in the opening of the next chapter too). I hope it read well. It was 'the talk' Grissom style…mostly science with a dash of philosophy and rather vague LOL but very effective for Sean.
Tawny earned her proposal timeframe for a little comedy at the end:-) And while Bev often wants to know everything her little boy is up to, even she has her limits. LOL but of course they were just practicing for the big proposal moment.
Thanks for reading!
And………thanks KJT , my trusted consultant and editor, for your help in this chappie and every chapter! As far as editors go, you're very deserving of Country Potatoes LOL
NextChapter: I don't want to say anything in case Tawny's reading ;-) Posting: Sunday
Thanks!
Maggs