I am so sorry that it has taken so long for this chapter to be posted! But my parents made me work hard when I visited them this week and I had a three day festival to go to as well… Anyways, here's the next chapter and I promise that it won't take as long for the next chapter to be posted.
Thanks for all the reviews and feel free to review on this one as well :-D
As always a big, big thank you to Lady J for being my beta, you are the best!
Chapter Twenty Six
Goodnight Kiss
"Thanks for the ride." Sara looked over at the blonde. "I guess I'll see you tonight."
"Sara." Catherine stopped her before she got out of the car.
"Yeah?"
"When all this is over…" Catherine unbuckled her seatbelt and turned her upper body towards the brunette. "We should go on a date."
"I'd like that." Sara smiled.
"We don't have the time for it now." Catherine continued, as if Sara hadn't spoken. "I have to get home and spend what little time I have with Lindsey."
"Yeah, of course you do." Sara answered, not quite seeing where the blonde was going with this.
"The thing is…" Catherine looked her in the eyes, "I don't usually do this." She smiled.
"Do what?" Sara asked, still clueless as to what was going on.
"Ask for a goodnight kiss without the date."
"Oh…" Sara smiled back at her. "Well, I don't usually give out goodnight kisses without the date." She looked at her watch. "And technically it's not night – it's 4 pm…"
"Sara?"
"Yeah?" She looked back up.
"Shut up and kiss me."
"Ok..."
They both leaned in at the same time and lips met in a hungry kiss. Catherine tangled her hands in the soft hair of the other woman, pressing gently on the back of her head to deepen the kiss. Tongue met tongue battling for control – neither winning, both enjoying the match. Sara brought her hand up to the blonde's shoulder and began tracing a path down her torso - grazing the outline of her breasts and moving lower to end on the hips, holding on tightly. Pulling apart, their breathing heavy, they looked into each other's eyes with wide smiles on their faces.
"Now I'm really looking forward to that date." Catherine smiled, looking at the brunette through half lidded eyes.
"Goodnight." Sara whispered, placing one last chaste kiss on Catherine's lips.
"Goodnight." Catherine put her seatbelt back on.
Sara got out of the car and watched with a smile as Catherine drove away.
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Two men dressed in prison guard uniforms walked casually out of the main building of the jail. Another guard passed them and they nodded their hellos. They reached a car and got in. The older of the men removed the sunglasses and took off his hat as they drove away, turning back to salute the building with a wolfish smile.
"Now Stanley," He said and turned back. "For the rest of the plan."
"Yes, Mr. Dunne." Stanley replied, smiling back at his mentor.
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"Julie, baby. It's 8 o'clock. You have to go to bed now." Veronica picked up her daughter. "Look, it's all dark outside."
Mr. Jones put down his fork and got up.
"I'll just…" He started, but was stopped by Veronica holding up a hand.
"You've secured this house ten times already." She said to him, smiling down at her daughter. "I think we can manage getting this little one into bed without your help. You just finish your dinner."
"Ok." He looked at her. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"
"Yeah," Veronica smiled. "I think I can handle it."
The doctor left the room and carried her daughter upstairs to the bedroom. The girl had her own room, but Veronica preferred to have her close by as long as this case was open. She walked into the darkened room, reaching for the light switch as she closed the door behind her.
"It's been too long, Veronica."
The voice from her nightmares greeted her. She was so surprised to see Dunne sitting in a chair in the middle of her bedroom that she didn't have time to scream before a hand was held over her mouth, silencing her effectively.
She watched horrified as Dunne slowly got up, shaking her head viciously as he took the baby from her arms. She struggled desperately, trying as hard as she could to escape of the grip the other person in the room to get to her daughter and keep him from hurting her.
"She looks just like you, my sweet Veronica." Dunne mused, looking down at the child in his arms. He nodded to the person behind her. She felt a sharp pain in the back of her head before the darkness swept over her.
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"Bridget?" The Governor knocked on his daughter's door. "It's 8.15, dinnertime."
He waited, knocking again when she didn't answer.
"Bridget?" He knocked harder. "Are you sleeping? Please open the door." He tried to open the door but found that it was locked. "Bridget! Open the door." He shouted.
Two guards came running up to the distressed man. "What's going on, Governor?"
"She's not answering me."
"Stand back, Sir." One of them said. "We'll take it down."
He stepped back and gave them room to work. They pulled out their weapons ready for action and kicked in the door. Rushing in with guns held high, they searched the room but found it empty.
"No one here, Sir."
"Oh, God." The Governor walked into the room carefully and noticed the open window. "He's got her."
He turned and hurried down the stairs to the phone, dialling 9-1-1.
"This is Governor Lavisham. My daughter has been kidnapped."
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"When are you going into work again, mom?" Lindsey asked as she curled up next to her mother on the couch.
"In a couple of hours." Catherine looked at her watch. She enjoyed the closeness she was sharing with her daughter and was sad it would have to end so soon. "Are you absolutely sure that you only want a small party for your birthday?" She asked.
"You've asked me that like ten times already, mom." Lindsey said with a dramatic sigh. "I'm sure."
"Who do you want to invite then? We could make the invitations now."
"Claire, Valerie and Beth from school." Lindsey told her. "And Grandma, Sam, Aunt Nancy and Cousin Jeremy, of course. Oh, and Benjamin too cause he's Aunt Nancy's boyfriend."
"Since when do you call Jeremy Cousin Jeremy?" Catherine asked, amused.
"Since I watched The Addams Family." Lindsey answered with a grin. "You know, like Cousin It."
"Lindsey Willows, that's just mean." Catherine said, but couldn't help laughing.
"I only call him that when he's not around to hear it." Lindsey defended herself.
"Ok." Catherine looked down at her daughter. "I don't think it's a good idea to keep calling him that though."
"Ok mom." Lindsey gave in without a fight. She was enjoying the time spent alone with her mother too much to ruin it with a silly argument.
"Anyone else you want to invite?" Catherine asked, relieved that they weren't going to have a dispute over the issue.
"Grissom, Nick, Warrick, Greg and Sara."
"The guys from work?"
"Yeah," Lindsey looked down at her hands. "I just figured… they're your friends. And then when I have fun with my friends, you can have fun with your friends."
"That's a really nice thought, Linds." Catherine drew her in for a hug. "But it's your birthday, it's all about you."
"I still want to invite them." Lindsey said honestly.
"Ok." Catherine held the girl a little longer before sitting back to look at her. "Linds, we need to talk about something else too."
"What?"
"Well…" Catherine paused, not quite knowing how to start this conversation. "I've met someone."
"You've got another boyfriend?" Lindsey asked, drawing back from her mother.
"No… Not exactly…" Catherine reached out holding onto one of the girl's hands.
"Then why are you telling me that you've met someone?" Lindsey's voice was getting angrier.
"It's someone we both know. I really like this person, and I really want you to be ok with me dating them." Catherine tried to explain.
"Why are you talking like that?" Lindsey asked a little quieter. "Someone? This person? Them?"
"Because it's Sara." Catherine looked at her daughter, wanting her reaction to the news.
"Sara?" Lindsey looked back at her mother with her mouth hanging open.
"Yes. You'll be 13 soon and I think you're old enough to hear about this…" Catherine started but was interrupted by Lindsey.
"Sara you work with?" She asked.
"Yes." Catherine kept eye contact with the girl. "What do you think of all this?"
"She is kinda…" Lindsey paused, trying to find the right word, "…pretty, I guess." She settled on, looking at her mother.
"She is." Catherine smiled at the answer. "But are you ok with me dating her?"
"I guess." Lindsey looked at their joined hands. "But will that mean that we don't have time for this anymore?"
"I'll always have time for you, honey. No matter who I date." She held Lindsey close as relief washed over her. "I have the best daughter in the world." She said, kissing the head pressed to her chest.
"Good thing I wanted to invite her then, huh?" Lindsey smiled.
"You're a smartass too, you know that?" Catherine said, poking her in the side, ready to start a tickle match when her cell phone rang. She reached for it with a sigh. "Willows."
"It's Sofia. Dunne escaped from jail."
"Shit! I'll be right there. Call the guys and meet me in the conference room."
"Sure. Bye."
"Wait." Catherine stopped the detective from hanging up. "I'll tell Sara."
"Ok."
"Bye." Catherine hung up and looked back at her daughter. "I have to go." She told the little blonde.
"Ok." Lindsey tried to hide her disappointment.
"I'm sorry, sweetie." Catherine hugged her quickly. "Get your stuff and I'll drive you to Grandma's."
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Sara checked through the peephole to see who was knocking at her door before answering.
"Catherine, I didn't expect to see you until later." She said with a big smile. "Come on in." She opened the door wider.
"Sara." Catherine stepped closer and placed a hand on the brunette's arm. "Dunne has escaped from jail."
"What?" Sara went white. She stared at Catherine for a second before running back into the apartment for her phone. Dialling a number, she held the phone to her ear.
"Hello." A woman answered.
"Veronica?" Sara almost shouted.
"She's gone, Sara." Kimberly cried into the phone. "Veronica and Julie are gone." She sobbed into the receiver. "Hello?" A male voice asked, having taken the phone from the distraught detective.
"Who are you?" Sara asked, falling to her knees.
"Mr. Jones." The voice answered. "We need CSI over here a.s.a.p."
"Yes." Sara whispered. "We're on our way."
She hung up the phone and looked at Catherine who was still standing in the doorway.
"He has her." Was all she could say before breaking down crying.
