Lindsey storms into the house and slams the front door closed behind her, kicking over the coat stand and stamping up the stairs towards her room without noticing anyone around her. She'd had a bad day at school, a very bad day.

"So Kiddo you're not even gonna come and say Hi to me?"

"SARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA."

Lindsey runs down the stairs and practically throws herself at Sara.

Laughs "Hey you, calm down. Anyone would think you haven't seen me for months."

"I haven't and I missed you soooooooooooooooooo much! Are you home to stay now because Mom has been so upset since you left, please say you are. I've got maths homework you could help me with and you can come watch this play we are doing at school annddddd we could go get pizza everyday."

"Woah slow down little one, we have all the time in the world to do those things. I'll always be here though, I'm not going anywhere."

"Even if Mom picks you up and throws you out?" giggling

"Even if your Mom picks me up and throws me out."

"Sara?"

"Yes Honey?"

"Promise? Forever?"

"I forever promise and promise forever."

Lindsey seems confused for a few minutes before smiling and snuggling into Sara's arms. Sara smiles at the small child clinging to her waist, this is all she had wanted for months but deep down she knows there are going to be many complications along the way. Lindsey interrupts her thinking. "Let's get pizza!"

"Cath…….Cath… it's 5 o'clock shouldn't you be leaving to go get Lindsey?"

Silence.

"Catherine did you hear a word of what I just said?"

"Huh? Sorry Warrick, I was just thinking that's all and before you ask, I'm ok….I couldn't be happier. Lindsey's at home with Sara, well she's probably talked Sara into getting her pizza" A smile forms on her face.

"I'm so glad you two worked this out. I mean you both seemed so empty without each other and well….I'm happy…pleased….that. Man I'm making a mess of this aren't I! You two were made for each other."

"I'm just scared, I think I'm possibly being paranoid but I feel like something is wrong. I can't work out what it is but there's something inside of me telling me to be careful. Hell I don't want to feel this, I know I shouldn't. Damn Warrick, I'm so confused!"

"Maybe you should just take things slowly….In all honesty though, I think you are just being paranoid."

He gently lifts Catherine's head up so she is looking into his eyes, he smiles slightly and wipes away her tears with the back of his hand.

" Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?"

"Only you Catherine……Only you."

"What's up Sara? You not hungry? You've hardly had anything."

"Nah not really Linds. Too busy thinking to eat."

"What ya thinking about?" Lindsey replies with her mouth full of pizza.

"You, me, your Mom, work, life in general."

"You should slow down, your brain might explode and I don't really want brains on my pizza."

"Lindsey that is gross!"

"Mom says I get that from you."

"Oooh really! I can believe that."

Lindsey carries on eating for all of five seconds.

"Saraaaaaaaa, can we go to the movies after this, can we? Please, please, please, please?"

"Hey it's my first night back and you're already earning me a night on the sofa."

"Not so bad if Mom were to join you."

"Ok missy that's enough of that, better get you home before I get in trouble."

Sara gets up and pays the bill leaving Lindsey sitting at the table, cramming the last slice of pizza into her mouth as quickly as possible. Sara holds out her hand to her and she happily takes it before walking to Sara's car. The journey home is extremely silent, neither quite sure what to say, it is obvious Lindsey doesn't want to talk about school and it is almost as obvious that Sara doesn't want to discuss her relationship with Catherine any further.

Lindsey runs straight up to her room as soon as she enters the house, leaving Sara to make her way into the lounge and sit herself between Catherine's legs. She feels Catherine's tender kiss on her forehead and closes her eyes.

"Good evening baby?"

"Yeah. It was good to see Linds smile again, although I think she ate rather a bit too much pizza."

"And who's fault is that huh? I hate to think what you'd bring your own kids up on if you had any."

Catherine was only joking but Sara went quiet and withdrawn at the comment, pulling herself out of her lover's grip she moves quickly into the kitchen and gazes out at the night sky. Why the hell did she have to say that! I could be a great mother, no, I will be a great mother. So what if I don't know what I'm doing, I'll learn. I'll do whatever it takes, with or without Catherine.

'Nice fucking move' Catherine screams at herself. Why can't I just keep my big mouth shut. It was a joke, I didn't know she was considering children. Damn maybe I should have left this alone…..I don't think I want to go through that baby stage of life again.

Catherine moves into the kitchen, wraps her arms around Sara's waist and whispers her apologies into her ear, gently kissing her neck in between. Before either of them realizes what is happening they are in the bedroom, clothes are thrown all over the floor and they find their bodies tangled together under the sheets. Catherine slowly rubs her hand up and down her lover's thigh, trying to get the reaction she has longed for, for so long. She closes her eyes and enjoys the moment but it is short lived. She opens her eyes as Sara grabs her hand and moves it away.

"Not tonight…I'm not ready."

'Ok" Is all Catherine can mutter as she snuggles her head into Sara's chest and falls asleep. She dreams the perfect dream, she sees Sara and Lindsey running through green fields, smiling and joking, her two favorite girls in the world were happy and that was the way it was always going to be. Even if it was only in her dreams.

Catherine wakes up to the sound of the alarm and reaches over to give Sara a good morning kiss, she keeps her eyes closed and feels around beside her for that familiar presence but there is nothing there. She opens her eyes, panicking that it was all a dream. Tears form in her eyes as she engulfs herself in the large white sheets of her bed. It's not until an hour later when she reawakes from her slumber that she notices the note carefully stuck to the mirror.

Cath,

Work phoned, they wanted you but I didn't want to wake you. Nick needed help on a DB in Henderson. I'll see you at the lab later maybe? Tell Linds I said to be good at school,

Sara