Hopes and Dreams
by: Liv-x-Case-Benson & dcmaters
Ch. 3: A Little Faith
Over the next few months Catherine threw all her spare time into concentrating on Lindsay and Ashlynn, hoping in part to make it up to Lindsay for the earlier years. She'd refused overtime on several occasions, not wanting to break promises she had made to them.
They'd just started shift and a new case was in. It seemed initial evidence linked it to a case they'd previously worked and they were currently being briefed by Grissom, but Catherine had zoned out.
"Catherine?" Grissom asked. "Catherine?"
"Huh?" Catherine asked, snapping back to reality as she looked up at him.
"I said the victim lives a mile or two out of town. You can go with Nick and investigate."
"Sure," Catherine nodded, standing to pull on her jacket from the back of her chair before following Nick out.
Meanwhile, Sara was trying to wrestle Ashlynn into a pair of footie pajamas after a bath. "Come on, baby girl. You have to get dressed again!"
"No, no, no!" she said, trying to run off.
"Ah!" Sara picked her up, throwing her over her shoulder and throwing her onto her bed. "Ok. Is there something else you want to wear?" she asked, pinning her down so she couldn't run away, gently.
Ashlynn shook her head. "Talk to Mama."
"Honey, Mama's working right now."
Ashlynn's bottom lip wobbled. "Mama!"
That lip, every time! Sara sighed. "Ok, ok, I'll call Mama, but you have to pick something to wear, ok? And she probably can't talk for long."
Ashlynn nodded, picking up exactly what Sara had just been trying to put on her.
Sara nodded, helping her pull it on and button it up, handing her blanket to her and Mr. Snuggles before calling Catherine.
Catherine took several rings to answer. "Hey, what's up?" she whispered.
"Sorry, but Ashylnn won't go to sleep without talking to you," Sara sighed.
"Ok, put her on..."
Sara smiled, handing her the phone. "Here's Mama."
"Hi Mama!"
"Hello honey. Are you being good for Mommy?"
"Yes Mama! But I still no like baths!"
"But they make you clean so you can get dirty again."
"When you be home? I miss you."
Catherine smiled. "I miss you too, but if you don't go to sleep, I can't be home when you wake up, can I?"
"No," she said with a giggle.
"Well, how about you get some sleep and I'll bring you home a present in the morning?" Catherine was terrible for bribing her with gifts lately.
"Really? A present?"
Sara sighed. Cath had been doing that a lot lately and it needed to stop. It wasn't healthy.
"Yes, but you need to go to sleep and I need to go back to work now, ok?"
"Say goodnight to Mommy," Sara said.
"Goodnight Mama," she said as Sara took the phone.
"Goodnight baby, I love you," Catherine replied.
"Love you too," she said.
"We need to talk when you get home, honey," Sara whispered. "This is bad for her to expect. I love you. Good luck with the case."
"I love you too," Catherine sighed, hanging up. "Where to, Nick? Autopsy?"
Nick nodded. "That's our best bet."
They had arrived at autopsy twenty minutes earlier and Catherine had been extremely quiet. She was about to speak when she grabbed the table, inhaling sharply.
"Catherine?" Nick asked. "Are you ok?"
She let out a shaky breath, nodding. "I'm fine."
"Are you positive?"
"Yeah. Doc, can I have a word? In private?"
Nick stepped out.
"What is it?"
"I need to call in that favor... I need a blood test."
He nodded. "For what exactly?"
"HcG test. I tested negative on four home tests a couple of months ago, but I... I swear I can feel a baby moving."
He nodded. "Come over here," he said so they didn't contaminate the body, grabbing a poker and a small vial.
Catherine sat down in the chair, rolling up her sleeve. "Can you call me with the results?"
He nodded, poking her arm, getting enough then putting a dot of cotton on the spot, taping it. "Of course as soon as they come in."
"Thanks, Doc," Catherine smiled, rolling her sleeve back down, touching his arm before she left. "Sorry about that," she apologized to Nick.
He shrugged. "Everything ok?"
"Yeah, just a personal question," Catherine smiled. "We should process the car."
Nick nodded. "Ladies first."
"Ever the charmer," Catherine smiled, heading to the workshop. The redhead stopped every now and then when she felt a sensation, trying to make sure if wasn't her movements causing them. But every time she stopped, so did they.
"You ok?"
"Indigestion."
"You sure you're okay to do this?"
"I'd step down if I wasn't," Catherine smiled, pulling a blooded knife from under the seat. "Look at this..."
"Murder weapon?"
"Only one way to find out," she said, placing it in an evidence bag, "We could have this wrapped by end of shift."
"True... Hmm, looks like blood on the seat belt strap," Nick said, getting a sample and testing it. "Positive."
"I'll take this to DNA if you want to keep processing?"
"Sure."
Catherine smiled, dropping the evidence off before heading to her office. Leaning against the closed door, Catherine touched her stomach. It was definitely still the same size as it was before she fell pregnant.
Sara had just sat on the couch with a book after getting Ashlynn to sleep and checking on Lindsay. She sighed. Catherine bribing Ashlynn with gifts wasn't healthy for her because every time she came home, Ashlynn would expect one. What happened if Catherine was so tired she forgot? Ashlynn might think Mama didn't love her anymore. That wasn't the right way to prove your love to your child.
'Just checking in whilst I have five minutes. Kids ok? x' the redhead text.
Sara smiled. 'Kids are both asleep. I'm just reading. How's the case? Will you be home soon? X'
'Hard evidence. Should be home by one with any luck x'
'Love you. x'
'Love you too x' Catherine replied, smiling as she walked from her office to grab a bite to eat, though she'd only eaten an hour ago.
Sara smiled again, pulling a throw blanket over herself, curling up on the couch with her book.
Catherine rejoined Nick when the results were back from DNA to interview the suspect before heading to grab her things from the locker room. She felt nervous that Doc Robbins hadn't called her yet. Maybe he didn't want to be the one to tell her it was negative.
Right before one, her cell phone rang, Doc Robbins on her ID.
"Hey Doc," Catherine said, answering as she shut off the engine.
He cleared his throat. "Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I've been tied up with case, but I just got your results back."
"No, it's fine. Well?" Catherine asked, holding her breath.
"Well...if I were you, I'd be avoiding alcohol for about five months," he said with a smile. "Your baby won't like it. Congratulations, you're about 18 weeks. The tests you took were false. That's the trouble with store-bought. They can mess up. However, blood never lies."
Catherine grinned. "Thanks Doc. You have no idea how happy you've just made me. I trust your confident on this?"
"I checked it five times. They all said yes and with what you felt..."
"Thanks again," Catherine replied, hanging up as she placed a hand on her stomach. "Well hi..." she whispered before making her way inside. She leant over as she approached Sara, kissing her gently.
Sara woke slowly, sitting up. "Hi."
"Hey. You look comfy. Fancy a cuddle?"
"Sure. You ok?" she asked, not remembering Catherine this happy in a while.
Catherine nodded, snuggling up to her. "I'm good."
Sara sat straighter, tossing her wife's coat to the floor and covering her up. "Cath, we need to talk."
"So you said on the phone..."
"Exactly. Cath, you can't keep bribing Ashlynn or she'll base your love on the materialistic things you buy for her and that's not healthy. You must know that."
"Well, lucky for you, I didn't actually buy her anything."
Sara nodded. "Yes, but still..."
"I know, ok? I promise I'll stop."
Sara smiled. "Should we go to bed?"
"Sounds good to me."
Sara shook her head, dog-earring her page in her book, closing it and setting it on the coffee table. "I'll go pull the covers down," she said, kissing her cheek.
Catherine smiled, walking into Ashlynn's room, kissing her cheek. "Mama's home," she whispered.
Ashlynn woke quickly, jumping in her lap. "Mama! Where's my present!?"
"Well, I got you something extra special. Do you know what the best present in the world is?"
She shook her head. "No Mama."
Catherine pulled her into the tightest hug. "Our cuddles are the best present in the world," she said kissing her cheek, "I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too."
"Think you can sleep some more? You can come into our room for more cuddles in the morning."
Aslynn nodded, hugging her tightly. "Love you Mama."
"Love you too. baby," Catherine smiled, tucking her back in and kissing her head before going to her room to change. Once she'd pulled on her pajamas she slipped in beside Sara and gave a happy sigh.
Sara smiled, hugging her tightly. "Why are you so happy?"
"Because it's past midnight, meaning it's our anniversary and I got you an amazing present this year."
Sara nodded. "We could send the girls to your mother's tonight."
"Yes, we could," Catherine smiled, kissing Sara deeply.
Sara moaned softly, rubbing her back.
Catherine moaned, pulling Sara closer.
Sara smiled, lying on top of her, covering them up, kissing her hard. "Mmm."
"Gently..." Catherine murmured into their kiss.
"Why?"
"That answer depends on whether I'm allowed to break the no early presents rule..."
Sara sighed, moving away. "All right. Fine. Let's just sleep."
Catherine just smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Catherine pulled Sara close, quickly falling asleep from a mixture of elation and exhaustion.
Sara smiled, wrapping her arms around Catherine's falling asleep.
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