DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything associated with the show… I just like playing with the characters in it from time to time. Dance Monkeys! Dance!
RATING: Teen
SPOILERS: Post Ep of S10XE22 - Doctor Who
PAIRINGS: Catherine/Vartann
SUMMARY: Catherine finishes up with some red tape and heads home at the end of a long day.
A/N: I just re-watched all of Season 10 and I really felt a need for some more Cartann Fic. This is the result
REVIEWS: Reviews are the way I know if people are enjoying the work or not. So, if you leave one, THANKS! And if not, I hope you found at least a little something to brighten your day, and thanks for taking the time to read.
It was another long day, made worse by the miles of red tape she had to go through in order to get Nate Haskell in for questioning. And when the red tape began to block out the sun, she started calling in favors. She hated having to get her hands dirty like that, but apparently making deals and persuading the rich and powerful to see things her way was hereditary. Unfortunately, all of that took time, and as she checked the in-dash clock, Catherine realized she was late, again.
She activated the Bluetooth and made the call. When the phone picked up Catherine prepared to do battle. "Hey, Mom. Sorry, I can't talk long. Justine and I are going in to this lecture at WLVU for extra credit on my lit final, what did you need?"
"Oh, um, I was going to see what you wanted me to bring home for dinner, but I guess you don't-"
Lindsey quickly cut her off. "No worries, Mom. Okay, I gotta go, so I can find a seat. Have a good one and don't wait up."
She barely had enough time to breathe in the conversation before it was over. "Bye…" Shaking her head, Catherine closed the connection and headed home.
Lindsey was rapidly pulling away from her as the last of the school year was winding down. She had at least managed to convince the girl that going to college was in her best interest, but Catherine was not ready for that college to be USC. Her baby was getting ready to move away, and Catherine was beginning to feel the first stirrings of the dreaded empty nest syndrome.
Catherine found it hard to imagine her life without Lindsey, or without her mother, or without her sister. Janie had moved away the year before when her husband was forced to look for work, and Lily was busy being a career woman with little time to sit around and shoot the breeze with her anymore. And now Lindsey was preparing to go off on her own adventures, leaving Catherine to fend for herself for the first time in her adult life.
But there was no point dwelling on all of that right now. Catherine just wanted to go home, eat a crappy frozen pizza, take a nice hot shower and pour her tired body into bed before another long busy day. However, the second she walked into the house Catherine's plans for a microwaved French bread pizza and a shower were completely destroyed. The house was filled with the scent of olive oil, fresh garlic and cucumbers, and her stomach immediately informed her brain that she was starving.
"Oh my God! What is that smell?" Catherine walked into the kitchen, tossing her keys onto the counter and zeroed in on the source of the aromas.
Tony turned away from the oven with an aluminum tray in his gloved hands. "Spanakopita … Leftover from my niece's wedding." He pointed at the kitchen table with his nose and said, "The tzatziki and souvlaki is already on the table. And I made a little salad to go with it. Go sit down and I'll be right there."
She was in total shock at all of his preparations. "But how'd you kn-"
"I ran into Sara at the market on her way home. She said you were probably running late, and you'd been drowning in red tape all day. And since my sister pretty much threatened me with bodily harm if I didn't take some of the leftover food home, I figured this was putting it to good use." He grabbed two plates from the cabinet above the dishwasher and proceeded to dish out servings of the savory Greek pastry. "Lindsey and Justine already killed the dolmades and the bouréki before they left for some lecture at WLVU, so I hope this is enough." When he arrived at the table with two heaping portions of spanakopita, Catherine was staring at the enormous collection of food and Tony laughed. "Too much?"
Catherine snorted, "A little."
He shrugged and sat down at the table. "Oh well, I'll finish what you don't." He set one of the plates down in front of her and dropped to his seat.
Putting her hand on his arm, Catherine smiled and said, "Thank you." When he returned the smile, she added, "You were right… It's much better to have someone to come home to."