"Mom?" Lindsey said rubbing her eyes and standing besides her.
"Happy Birthday, Lindsey." Catherine said wrapping her arms around Lindsey and hugging her tight.
"Mom ... can't ... breathe."
"Sorry." She said giggling. Lindsey looked into the kitchen and gasped.
"Whoa. It looks like Hurricane Katrina just passed through this place!"
"Who you tellin? And WE'VE got to clean it up."
"More like YOU because it's MY birthday." Lindsey said smiling and slowly walking backwards into her room.
"Oh no you don't! Get back over here." Catherine caught her by the arm and dragged her back to the kitchen.
"Just do the dishes. Please?"
"Okay. OKAY! But I'm only doing this because I love you. I don't know any girls who would wake up at ... 6:30 in the morning to wash dishes for her Mother."
"Oh stop complaining and get the washing!" Catherine said smiling and pushing her daughter into the kitchen. It was 7:00 and the kitchen was spotless. It had only taken 30 minutes to clean the kitchen.
"Hmm. Mom.. I'm hungry."
"Oh. I know baby. I'm going to take you out to breakfast, lunch, and then ... you can spend dinner here with everyone." Lindsey smiled and jumped at Catherine's words. She ran to her room to get ready. Catherine forgot to tell her that she had to work today and felt completely horrible for having to work on her daughters birthday. Lindsey ran back in the kitchen.
"Mom! I'm ready."
"Oh ... Linds ... I have to work today ... so ... I'll drop you off at Diane's on my way to work and come get you for lunch ... is ... that okay?" Catheirne said slowly. Lindsey felt like she wanted to cry ... but got herself together. She smiled and hugged Catherine.
"Of course. Mom ... really. It's okay!" Lindsey said smiling and letting go of her Mom. They left a few minutes later and went eat breakfast at a place Gil and Catherine would go when they needed to talk. When Catherine walked in ... everyone smiled and waved at her. They found a table and sat down.
"Mom ... do you come here a lot?"
"Well I use to ... why?"
"Because it seems everyone here knows you."
"Oh. Yeah ... me and your Uncle Gil would come here and talk sometimes." Gil couldn't help but hear his name. He turned around in his booth and saw Catherine and Lindsey sitting right behind them. Lindsey looked behind Catherine and gasped with joy as she saw who was sitting infront of them.
"Uncle Gil!"
"Yeah that's right Linds ... I use to come here with Uncle Gil ..."
"No. Behind you." Gil got up and walked over to their table. Catherine closed her eyes and smiled.
"Got lonley without me already, huh?" Gil said smirking and scooting in by Lindsey. "Hmm. Happy Birthday, Linds." Gil said putting an arm around her. Their waitress came, and they ordered their food. They were walking out when Gil overheard Catherine tell Lindsey about spending the day at Diane's.
"Wait ... she's not coming with us to the lab?" Gil said looking down at Lindsey and then back at Catherine.
"Um ... No Gil. I was afraid Ecklie would say something and you know how he feels about me bringing Lindsey there."
"Okay. Forget Ecklie. I say ... let's bring her!" Lindsey smiled and jumped up.
"Can I Uncle Gil! Please!"
"Of course you can!" Lindsey ran to Gil's Denali and settled in the front seat. Catherine stood infront of Gil and sighed.
"You spoil her TOO much."
"Oh come on Cath! How often does she get to go to the lab!"
"Not as often as me, that's for sure." Catherine said smiling. "Thank you. I'm sure this is the best birthday she's ever had."
"No problem. She's just too easy to spoil." Gil said walking back to his car. He started up the engine and drove off to work.
"Uncle Gil?"
"Yeah Linds?"
"Did ... Mom get a chance to talk to you last night?"
"Well ... yeah. Why?"
"Well ... I um ... One of my friends called and ruined your talk."
"Oh Linds ... it's okay. I plan to talk to your mom tonight. I have a feeling she needs to tell me something important." Lindsey looked through the mirror and saw Catherine was following close behind.
"Me too... but can I ask you a question? Just between me and you. Okay?"
"Sure. Anything."
"Do you like my Mom?"
"Of course I do Linds. We wouldn't be best friends if I didn't like her."
"No. Not as friends ... as ... a girlfriend?" Gil knew this comming, but looked Lindsey straight in the eyes as he pulled into the parking lot of the lab.
"Lindsey ... if I tell you ... will you swear not to tell anyone? INCLUDING your mother?"
"I swear."
"Okay. To answer your question ... I do like her. Ever sense I met her ... I could tell she was going to be someone important in my life. I don't expect you to know how that feels, but ... you will one day."
"I've felt the same way about someone before."
"Do I know him?"
"You are him." Gil looked down. "Uncle Gil ... I know that you and my Mom have been friends for almost forever ... but you guys really need to tell each other how you feel. And ... as far as I could remember ... you were there for me more than my own Dad was."
"What do you mean ... each other?"
"I um ... nothing! Oh! Look who it is ... it's Mom!" Lindsey jumped out of the car and ran into the lab. Gil and Catherine climbed out of their Denali's and walked side by side. They walked into the breakroom to find Lindsey completetly gone, but everyone else there.
"Hey guys ... have you see Lindsey?"
"Blonde hair ... blue eyes ... about ... 4 feet 6 inches?" Greg said and not looking up from his magazine. Catherine nodded. "Never heard of her." Greg said smirking.
"What are all of you doing?" Gil said looking around the room. "I thought you guys were suppose to be working."
"Well ... we were. But we all finished our cases quick. Today's just not a busy day." Sara said taking a sip of her drink. Catheirne and Gil nodded.
"So ... you guys ARE going to come over tonight, right?"
"What's tonight, again?" Nick said looking around.
"NICKY!" Catherine said crying out his name in aggervation.
"Cath! I'm kidding. We all know it's Lindsey's birthday today. Don't worry. We'll all be there." Nick said smiling. Catherine smiled and sat down at the table. Gil walked out of the break room and headed for his office. The light was on and the door was unlocked. He opened the door and was standing before Lindsey who was looking at pictures on his desk and walls.
"Uncle Gil! Whoa. You scared me. I'm sorry ... do you need me to leave?"
"Oh. No. By all means. Stay... I just came to see if Ecklie left me any reports or cases to hand out."
"Hmm. No one's stopped by sense I've been here ..."
"Okay. Thanks ..." Gil was about to leave, but Lindsey got his attention.
"Uncle Gil?"
"Yeah?"
"When was this?" Lindsey held up a picture to show Gil. Catherine, Gil, and baby Lindsey were at the park. Lindsey wasn't even one yet. Gil could still remeber what exactly happened.
"Gil ... are you sure you want to come with us? I mean ... we're going to the park. You know how hot it's going to be?"
"I'm positive. There's no where else I rather be." Gil said smiling. They drove to the park and Catherine smiled as she watched the little kids play on the swings and see-saws.
"I can't wait for her to grow up. It's going to be so much fun taking care of her." Catheirne said looking back and staring at the little baby in the carseat.
"And when she's finally grown up, you'll be wishing she was this small again." Gil said chuckling.
"Um ... were do you wanna sit?" Catherine said taking Lindsey out of her car seat and walking around the park. Gil spotted a tree near a bench and pointed to it.
"How about over there? You can lay down with Lindsey and relax."
"Sure. Good idea." Catherine handed Lindsey to Gil and he was almost horrified to touch her.
"Gil ... she's a baby. She's not going to kill you."
"Cath ... I've never ... done this before, though."
"You've never held a baby before!"
"Um ... no. I'm just afraid I drop her."
"Gil ... you won't drop her! She's light as a feather." Catherine spread out Lindsey's baby blanket, and all three sat on it. Catherine laid Lindsey down on the blankey and laid next to her. Gil kept looking back and forth at Catherine and Lindsey.
"Hmm. Cath ... she looks just like you."
"How can you tell?"
"She has your eyes ... your nose ... your ears ... even your lips." Gil said looking at Lindsey and then back at Catherine.
"Really?"
"Catherine ... you're going to have one beautiful daughter. I feel bad for all the boys, now." Catherine giggled and looked up at the people that were staring at them.
"Gil ... why are those people looking at us?"
"I ... I don't know. You want to go somewhere's else?"
"No! This is such a nice spot. I'd hate to wake her up, anyways." Lindsey turned in her sleep and made noises.
"Cath ... is she okay!" Gil said loudly.
"Yes! She's fine. She's just sleeping!"
"Well I was worried!"
"Sometimes you act more like her father than Eddie does. It's crazy." Catherine said shaking her head. Gil chuckled and watched Lindsey sleep.
"Uncle Gil?"
"Huh?"
"Where was this at again?"
"Oh. You weren't even one yet. I took you and your Mother to the park that day. She really enjoyed it."
"Can we go back someday?"
"Yeah. Of course." Lindsey was sitting in his chair, and Gil was sitting on the couch.
"Tell me about what it was like when I was young."
"Lindsey ... so many things happened. I wouldn't know where to start."
"What's the first thought that comes to mind when you think about it?"
"I remeber you and your Mother would stay at my house a lot. And we had some good times. I remeber this one time ... I had to go shopping, and I couldn't leave you and your Mom alone ... so you two came with me. Everyone in the store was complimenting us on how cute and adorable you were. Your mom nor I had the heart to tell them the truth." Lindsey's smile grew bigger as Gil continued to talk. Neither one of them noticed Catherine standing at the door.
"I remeber this one lady ... she was telling your mom that she was lucky to have a husband that would go shopping with her and not complain." Lindsey and Gil laughed when Catherine cleared her throat.
"I remeber that." Catherine said smiling and sitting infront of Lindsey. "Um ... I got bored of listening to Greg's jokes so I decided to come ruin your fun." Catherine said smirking.
"Oh. We were just talking. Huh Uncle Gil?" Lindsey said sweetly and started walking to the door.
"Where are you going?" Catherine said turning around in her chair and watching Lindsey open the door.
"Going listen to Greg's jokes." Lindsey walked out of the door and Catherine got nervous.
"You know why she left, right?" Catherine said giggline.
"Of course I know why ... um ... Why?"
"She wants us to be alone."
"I could've guess that."
"Gil ... what has she ... asked you so far?"
"Nothing important really. Just ... she wanted to know what it was like when she was younger. That's all." Gil hated lieing to Catherine, but this was nessecary. He was going to surprise her and tell her the truth later that night, and she still had no idea.
I know this chapter must have sucked, but I'm sick and I stayed home from school today. I got bored so I wrote a long chapter for the heck of it. lol )