Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I own Reggie, Betty Rogers, Fred the bear, Nathan, Oliver, O'Malley, Jacob Peterson, Betty Peterson, Jessica, Louis, James, Tim, Eric, Mark Evans, Tyler Stevens, Paul Waters, Allison Enders and Elizabeth Enders.
Welcome to the Family
Chapter 5
Reggie danced happily down the apartment hallway to an imaginary tune. Under her breath she sang random lines from various songs of various genres. Reaching the door, she inserted Sara's key, flinging open the door with a flourish.
"Sara!" she yelled excitedly, kicking off her shoes as she entered, "Guess what? I got-"
She stopped abruptly, staring at Nick who was sitting on the couch in his boxers and T-shirt. He blushed when she stopped talking, giving her a sheepish grin.
"Er-hello Nick," Reggie giggled, "Where's Sara?"
"I'm right here," Sara laughed, stepping out of the kitchen.
"Hey Sara. Have fun without me?" Reggie asked with a waggle of her eyebrows and a wicked grin.
"Lots," Nick answered with a boyish grin, causing both Sidle women to burst into laughter.
"Anyway, guess what guys?" Reggie demanded excitedly, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.
"My sister, the bounce machine," Sara teased, laughing gaily at her sister's impatient expression.
"Sa-ra!" Reggie whined in protest.
"Nick chuckled, "Sara, you're so mean!"
"But you love me anyways!" Sara returned in a teasing singsong, her eyes dancing.
"Sure do." Nick returned with a gentle, loving smile, causing Sara to blush.
"Ok, as totally nauseatingly sweet as this is: GUESS WHAT?" Reggie interrupted impatiently.
The two laughed and Sara teasingly asked, "I'm sorry, were you saying something Reggie?"
"Sara!" Reggie whined again, dancing impatiently on the spot.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Sara giggled, "I'm just making up for lost time. Now, what is it that's got your panties in a bunch, little sister?"
Reggie childishly blew a raspberry at her sister and her boyfriend, but then a broad grin spread across her face as she yelled, "I BOUGHT A HOUSE!"
"Really? That's great!" Sara yelled excitedly, wrapping her arms around her younger sister, the two women jumping up and down and laughing excitedly.
When they'd finally settled down, Nick teased, " I never took you for a jumping a squealing kind of gal Sara."
"Shut up Nick," She grinned, disentangling herself from her sister's arms to plop herself into his lap.
"Ooh! Nick and Sara, sitting' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Reggie teased, receiving a couch cushion in the face in answer, "Ow! Sara! You're not supposed to beat up your little sister!"
"My older siblings used to beat me up." Nick pointed out with a grin.
"SH!" Reggie yelled in protest, giving Nick a betrayed look, "She's going to keep beating me up now!"
"Hey! If I recall correctly-and I do- you started it yesterday when you threw that exact same cushion at me!" Sara said indignantly.
Reggie opened her mouth to retort but couldn't seem to come up with anything. Instead, she stuck her tongue out at the pair.
"You're so mature Reggie," Sara said blandly, though her eyes danced with amusement.
Nick grinned teasingly, "Must have been why you got along with Greg so well yesterday."
"Oh! That reminds me!" Sara exclaimed, sitting up suddenly form her relaxed position against Nick's chest, "Greg called earlier for you. He told me what he was doing for your date tonight!"
"Ooh! What is he doing?" Reggie asked excitedly, leaning against the couch.
"Ah, see, now that I can't tell you." Sara grinned.
"Sa-ra!" Reggie pouted, batting her eyelashes sweetly at the older woman.
Sara laughed, shaking her head, "Honey, those eyes won't work on me."
Reggie sighed in defeat, "You're no fun Sara-Bara."
"Sara-Bara?" Nick snorted.
"Shut up Icky-Nicky," Sara teased laughingly.
Nick pouted, putting a fake look of hurt on his face as he said, "Meanie!"
Sara giggled, patting his head like a child before turning back to her sister, "He only told me so I'd make sure you dressed right."
"Oh." Reggie paused, "So…what should I wear?"
Sara laughed, shaking her head in amusement, "I don't know, what do you have?"
Reggie gave a melodramatic sigh, walking over to the doorway where her duffel bag still sat. Picking it up, she dragged it back into the living room, where she emptied it out onto the floor. Sara's eyes lit up and she slid onto the floor beside the pile, Reggie across from her.
"Maybe I should go," Nick suggested, warily eyeing the pair of women as they dug eagerly through the pile eagerly.
"Don't be stupid," Reggie refuted promptly, "Greg's going to be here in an hour and a half. Then you'll have my sister all to yourself."
Nick shook his head with a grin, asking, "Hey, Sar, you hungry?"
"Kinda," Sara answered, scrutinizing a pair of jeans, "Why?"
"I think I'll go pick up some Chinese," Nick answered, heading into the bedroom in search of his pants.
"Mmk," Sara replied absently, the two women continuing to go through the large pile.
"Bye Nick!" Reggie called with a laugh as Nick left the apartment.
Twenty minutes later, they'd finally picked out a suitable outfit that they both agreed upon. Reggie hopped into the shower for an extra-long 45-minute shower. She emerged 20 minutes after that.
"Spin!" Sara demanded from her newly restored spot on the couch beside Nick.
Reggie laughed and spun slightly for the pair. She wore a pair of tight blue hip-huggers and her blue running shoes. She also wore a middriff-ed black halter-top underneath an open blue jean jacket. Her hair was half pulled back with a few loose stands framing her face. Her eyelids had been dusted with light blue eye shadow with black eyeliner and mascara and clear lip-gloss.
"Da-amn!" Sara called with a grin, eyes dancing.
Reggie giggled, sticking her hands in the pockets of her jacket, asking shyly, "You really think I look good?"
"Honey, I have half a mind to make you stay here so I can have both Sidle women to myself," Nick teased gently.
"Sorry Nick, but I don't think Sara shares," Reggie laughed.
"Damn straight I don't," Reggie growled possessively, snuggling deeper into Nick's arms.
There was suddenly a knock on the door and Reggie bounced eagerly forward. Flinging the door open, she beamed brightly up at Greg.
"Hey Greggy!" she smiled, lightly kissing his cheek.
"Hey Reg," he greeted with a slight roll of his eyes for the nickname before running said eyes over her form and whistling, "Damn, Regina Sidle, you sure do know how to look good!"
"You don't clean up so bad yourself Greg Sanders," Reggie replied as her eyes returned the appraisal appreciatively.
Greg was dressed in tan khaki pants and black running shoes with duct tape over the top. He wore a yellow shirt with a bright green collar and matching hem. In the same green as that of the collar were the words, "One by One the Garden Gnomes are Stealing My Sanity" as well as a picture of a garden gnome smiling evilly. Overtop, he wore a black sports jacket and his hair was back to the crazy-out-of-this-world style that he used to wear in the lab.
"Hey field mouse!" Sara greeted with a grin from under Nick's arm.
"Sup G?" Nick laughed, waving his unoccupied hand at the ex-tech.
"It's about time you two got together!" Greg yelled with a grin, adding, "Don't call me field mouse!"
"Field mouse, huh?" Reggie commented with a devilish grin.
"No. You can't call me field mouse and Greggy! You're only allowed one annoying nickname, woman," Greg said, shaking a finger in Reggie's laughing face.
Reggie giggled, pushing his finger from her face to entwine his hand with hers as she answered with "big" eyes, "But I'm cute enough to have 2, Greggy."
"N-" Greg started, only to be interrupted by the ringing of Reggie's cell phone.
Reggie pulled the small phone from the breast pocket of her jacket, checking the ID before flipping it open quickly, excitedly saying, "Hey!"
"Oh," Nick teased, "It looks like you've got some competition there Greggo!"
"Reggie reached over and smacked the back of Nick's head as she said into the phone, "No Mom, that was just a friend…" she frowned, "No Mom, if that had been Sara I would have said 'my sister'…Because she is!…Maybe you should just accept it! She's my family too!" Reggie's face filled with anger and she stepped slightly away from the three CSI's, "Damnit, Mom, I don't care! You started all this!…I'm moving to Vegas Mom, I've already got a place…Damnit Mom, you did this same thing to Nate too when he finally told you!…Of course I knew before you did, everyone knew before you and Dad did because everyone knew how you'd react!…Whatever, Mom, I've got to go!"
Reggie flipped the phone shut angrily, staring blankly at it as it began to ring again, the 3 CSIs remaining silent. Fighting back the tears from her eyes, Reggie turned the phone off.
Turning to Greg, she asked softly, "Can we go now, Greg? Please?"
"Sure Reg," Greg said as he slipped an arm around her waist and led her towards the door.
"Reggie, wait!" Sara called out, rushing forward to hug her sister, "Have fun Reg. I love you."
"Have fun Reggie," Nick echoed softly, pressing her shoulder lightly as he smiled gently at her.
"Thanks, Nick. I'll see you kids later." Reggie returned, grinning at the two as she and Greg left, Greg's arm slipping back around her waist.
"You all right babe?" he asked he gently as they stepped into the elevator, eyes filled with concern.
"Yea," Reggie sighed, resting her head against Greg's shoulder wearily, "My Mom hasn't ever supported my looking for my biological family and it pisses her off that I'm not only getting to know Sara but moving to Vegas to be near her."
"It's alright hunny," Greg murmured softly, giving her a one-armed hug as the doors of the elevator opened, suggesting, "Maybe we should just go grab a cup of coffee instead of doing my original idea tonight."
"No!" Reggie protested, "You put a lot of effort into this-reeling my sister in to help pick out my outfit but keep the plan to herself- no! Let's go! I need something to get my mind of my mom and your plan has just the right amount of intrigue."
"Okay, okay!" Greg laughed, stopping at her side of the car and pulling a black scarf from his jacket pocket, "But you've got to be blindfolded."
Reggie laughed, turning obediently for him to blindfold her. He did so gently, being sure to make it tight enough so she couldn't see but not tight enough to hurt her.
Gently, he helped her up into his black Tahoe, laughingly securing her seatbelt to the accompaniment of her joking comments about how it was all just a part of his plan to get into her pants. Shaking his head ruefully at the enigma of a woman that he was falling for, Greg shut the car door- being sure not to hurt her in the process- before going around to the other side of the door and hopping in.
The 15-minute car ride was filled. There was never any silences but a lot of laughing and joking. Finally, Greg pulled up to his destination.
"We're he-re!" Greg sing-songed as he opened his door.
"Ooh, can I take this off now?" Reggie asked excitedly, hands already reaching for the blindfold.
"No! Not yet. You have to wait until you get out so you can have the full affect." Greg answered, chuckling at her frustrated sigh and impatient wiggling, "Hold on a sec and I'll be over there in a minute to help you out."
Greg quickly rounded the car, helping her out of it. Turning her to face the large carnival, Greg pulled the scarf away with a flourish.
"Oh!" Reggie exclaimed with delight, staring wide-eyed at the rides, games and food. Grabbing hold of his hand, she pulled gently, exclaiming childishly, "Come on, Greggy, let's go!"
Greg laughed, allowing himself to be pulled along. The pair went on any and every ride before collapsing in the grass two hours later.
"My God, Greg, I don't think I've ever had so much fun! Especially on a date!" Reggie laughed, resting her head on his chest as they gazed up at the stars.
"So does that mean I score a second date?" Greg laughed, tucking one arm under his head while the other slipped around her waist.
Reggie giggled, "Yea, Greg, you score a second date."
"Good." Greg grinned rakishly at her, "Because if you'd have said no I would have just kidnapped you and taken you anyway."
Reggie giggled again, snuggling deeper into his side as she said, "You're funny Greg, you make me laugh."
"I like your laugh," Greg smiled, gently kissing the top of her head, "It makes me feel good."
Reggie smiled delightedly into his chest, hugging his waist with one arm. Smiling impishly, she rolled on top of him so she had one hand on either side of Greg's head, her hair falling in a curtain to cover their faces.
Greg grinned up at her, one arm snaking around her waist while the other rested on the nape of her neck. Reggie willingly succumbed to the gentle pressure, lowering her lips to his.
The kiss was gentle at first, just tasting each other, before Greg's tongue slipped out and between hers. Reggie moaned into the kiss, both tongues dancing erratically as their passion mounted. Greg suddenly flipped them over, cradling Reggie's head so it didn't hit the ground, so that he was on top of her, holding his weight off of her with hi elbows on wither side of her body.
Pulling back from the kiss, he smiled gently at her, asking, "How about I go and win you a teddy, pretty lady?"
Reggie sighed resignedly at the end of the kiss before grinning devilishly up at him, asking, "Can it be a big one?"
"If it comes from me, it'll always be big," Greg teased with a waggle of his eyebrows.
Reggie laughed, lightly punching his chest. Greg grinned, rolling off her and pulling himself up. Reaching down, he pulled her up too, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and bringing her closer to him.
Half an hour later, the pair were back in Greg's Tahoe, Reggie's new teddy bear buckled into the back seat. He was a large, soft, light brown bear holding a red heart that read, "I wuv you beary much!" in white. Reggie named him Fred.
"I still can't believe you named him Fred," Greg teased gently with a gentle shake of his head.
"You don't like the name Fred?" Reggie asked with a cute mock-pout.
Greg laughed, shaking his head again as he said, "It's such a weird name!"
"And Regina is normal?" Reggie snorted, "Me and Fred are going to be weird together. Right, Fred?"
"You're talking to a teddy," Greg stated, shaking his head as he pulled into the parking lot of Sara's apartment building, "I'm dating a mad woman."
"Now that's not nice!" Reggie pouted, as they parked, "Fred doesn't appreciate being called 'a teddy'
Greg shook his head with a laugh as he opened his door. Reggie watched with a grin as he rounded the front of the car, still laughing, his face relaxed as he opened the door.
Reggie smiled, sliding willingly from the seat and into his arms. Greg grinned back, pressing a soft kiss to her lips as his arms settled comfortably around her waist. Turning slightly, he opened the back door and extracted Fred, placing him in Reggie's arms but not letting her leave the circle of his arms.
They traveled in comfortable silence up to Sara's apartment, yawning sleepily. Finally, they were outside of Sara's door and Reggie turned to Greg.
"Thanks for Fred," she grinned as he placed a hand on either of her hips.
"'Welcome," he muttered absently as he dipped his head to capture her lips with his in a searing kiss.
Several minutes-and several kisses- later, Greg pulled reluctantly away. Dropping a soft kiss on her forehead, he said softly, "Good night, Regina Lauren Sidle."
"Goodnight, Gregory Loaf Sanders," she returned with a gentle teasing note in her voice.
Greg smiled, kissing her softly again before waiting to make sure she got safely into the apartment. As the door was closing, he turned away with a soft smile, humming happily under his breath as he walked away.
Reggie grinned to herself, walking quietly through the dark apartment. Kicking off her shoes, she placed her jacket and Fred on the couch before padding down to the bedroom. Peeking inside, she smiled gently at the picture her sister and her boyfriend presented.
Quietly, she walked away, heading into the bathroom to get ready for breath. Ten minutes later, clad in her boxer-pajamas, Reggie settled onto the couch, snuggling under the blanket with Fred tucked under her arm.
With a gentle smile, she whispered into the silence, "'Night Fred."
XoXoXoXo
Hey guys, sorry about the delay! But it's not my fault, I was sick all week and then, once I was better, I spent the next week just trying to make up the classes! But we now know why I'm sick- I'm allergic to SUGAR, GELATIN, wheat, beef, soy and the list goes on my friends! Anyway, I've got to go so I'll catch ya later!
'My Luv,
Red