Hey readers!
So, it was like this: these crazy ninjas broke into my house one night, stole my computer and ran off with it. Through my own brilliant detective work I found they'd taken my computer to Spain. I went through many trials and tribulations…but I at last beat down these enemies who tried to thwart me! So here I am in Spain sending off this next installment. See what I do for you? Don't you love me?
I can only say I'm sorry for such a long delay to anyone who had been waiting…and I humbly beg forgiveness. I can only hope the next installment won't take as long as those ninjas are persistent buggers.
Anyways, onward I say!
--
"You're pregnant."
Sara looked up in shock, her half eaten bagel falling from her fingertips.
"What?"
Catherine narrowed her eyes, raising an eyebrow. "You are pregnant."
Sara stood, taking her coffee cup to the sink. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm not pregnant!"
Catherine continued as though Sara hadn't spoken. "I cannot believe I didn't see it before, it's so obvious now that I think about it."
"Cath, I'm not-"
"Yes you are." Came the stern reply. Catherine counted on her fingers, "Morning sickness, don't think I haven't noticed. Mood swings, though sometimes it's hard to tell if that's the hormones or just you..."
"I don't have mood swings! And I caught a bug…something I ate."
"Yeah, a nine month bug, I hear those are going around."
Sara stared at Catherine, her face blank. Catherine could see Sara was thinking, weighing, deciding what to say. Sara suddenly sat down, her face in her hands.
"Is it that obvious?" Her words were muffled around her fingers.
"You cried yesterday during a sappy camera commercial."
Sara sniffed, "It was really sad."
"Uh huh."
Sara looked up at Catherine, who was staring at Sara curiously.
"How long?"
"How long what?"
Catherine rolled her eyes. "How long have you been pregnant?"
"Umm…about four months."
Catherine nodded. "Yeah, you look about that."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'd figured maybe you'd been gaining weight from being on leave since you got shot…you know, not much exercise, eating ice cream and watching T.V all day…"
"I don't 'watch T.V and eat ice cream all day'!"
Catherine looked at Sara incredulously.
Sara's shoulders slumped. "Well, I wouldn't watch T.V all day if I had something better to do."
"Not gonna work. I'm not letting you in on the case." Catherine snapped her fingers, her eyes brightening. "I know what we could do!"
--
It really was adorable.
"It's adorable." Sara said, fingering the soft material of the pink baby jumper.
"Isn't it? This store is great. I came here before I had Lindsey. Of course it wasn't here, it was down on Henderson, but it's almost exactly the same."
They were in Fashion Baby. Sara felt overwhelmed by the large volume of infant clothing. Baby jumpers, jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, hats, swimsuits, socks, slippers, umbrellas, shoes, dresses, tiaras (Sara blinked, what does a baby need a tiara for?), and much, much more.
"Isn't it kind of early for me to…um, start buying anything? I'm only four months…"
Catherine gawked at Sara as though she had said the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. "Too 'early'? Are you kidding? You can't be too early when it comes to this, Sara. The baby is going to be here before you know it, and how will you cope if you don't have anything?"
Sara suddenly felt alarmed. "Well, I suppose…"
Catherine grabbed a package of soothers, studying them closely. "You're moving into a bigger place, right? A one bedroom apartment is good for well, one person, and though babies are small they grow quickly."
"I,uh, hadn't really thought much about that."
Catherine dropped the soothers into a red basket she had picked up by the entrance. "Well you should if you want to get a new place before the birth. Let's go look at cribs."
They spent another hour in the store, Sara feeling more worried at each question Catherine threw at her. Daycare? Immunizations? Pre-school? Each passing moment Sara felt more and more like a failure. She didn't know anything about babies or how to be a mother.
In a daze Sara arrived at the till and paid for the soothers, a crib, a rocking chair, two little yellow jumpers (Catherine had called them unisex because of their color), and a pair of yellow booties.
Back in the car, Catherine turned to Sara, her face bright. "This is a great start!"
Sara nodded, unable to say a word.
--
"Is it that guy John…Jody…?"
"Huh?" Sara turned from the stove to find Catherine leaning against the counter watching her stir the pasta.
"You know, that guy you were seeing…I think about four months ago. Is he the father?" Catherine opened the freezer, grabbing a carton of strawberry ice cream. Taking two spoons from the drawer she held one out to Sara.
Sara took the spoon. "You mean Josh?"
"Yeah, Josh."
"Uh, no. Definitely not Josh."
"You mean you guys never…?"
"No." Sara dipped her spoon into the open carton, taking a taste she almost groaned in pleasure. This was exactly what she wanted. And strangely she had a sudden craving for pickles…
Catherine hummed, then she was silent a moment taking her own spoonful of ice cream. "Then who?" Sara could hear the raw curiosity under her tone.
Sara sighed, taking another scoop of ice cream. "I'd rather keep it to myself, Cath."
Catherine bit her lip, "You do know who it is…don't you?"
Sara gaped at the blonde. "Of course I know! I'd just rather not say, okay?"
"Well, that's good. Y'know, when I was first pregnant with Lindsey I had a couple months where I wasn't sure. But it only took one blood test…that Eddie didn't know about mind you, I found out she was his. I was so relieved then."
Sara's eyebrows rose further on her forehead. "I know who the father is, Cath. I'd just prefer not to say."
"Okay."
"Thank you." Sara turned back to the stove.
"Is it Steve from narcotics?"
--
"Everything looks top notch from this end, Sara."
"So… it's okay for me to move back home?"
"You still need to where your sling, but you should be able to get by on your own now." Dr. Smith flipped through his notes. "And I see you've had a check up with Dr. Slemski. Everything looks in order on that end. Do you know that sex yet?" Dr. looked up at her.
"Um, no. I decided I'd rather wait."
Dr. Smith nodded, looking through his notes again. "Okay, get my secretary to book you in with Dr. Anderson for physio…"
Sara left the doctor's office and arrived back at Catherine's house forty minutes later feeling a bit lighter. She was looking forward to moving back home. Not that Sara didn't like living with Catherine and Lindsey, she was grateful to them, but after three weeks she began to really desire some privacy. And her own bed.
"Hey Linds." Sara said entering the kitchen as the teenager took a coke from the fridge.
Lindsey looked at Sara, her expression serious. "Do not disturb mom right now."
"Why?"
"I'm not sure…something's happened and she's livid…I think it's something to do with work." Lindsey shrugged.
Leaving Lindsey, Sara walked to the study quietly. She could hear Catherine's voice inside muffled by the door. Opening the door softly, Sara watched Catherine talking on the phone.
"I cannot fucking believe this shit, do you fucking understand what this entails? You say you do, but I don't think you really do. We've lost a major, no not major, the only thing that could've closed this case, do you fucking comprende? My team was working on this case for months, and you send in…no! Fucking hell! Goddammit, you recommended him! You fucking go ahead and talk to my supervisor about my attitude, and why don't you mention how you fucked this case!" Catherine slammed the phone down and muttered something about fornicating pigs. Tearing her jacket from her chair she made to leave but noticed Sara standing in the doorway.
"What's going on?"
Catherine cracked her knuckles. "A little problem with a case."
"Little? Sounds bigger than that." Sara said calmly, crossing her arms, making sure she barred the doorway. "Tell me."
"Sara, let me go, I don't have frigging time for this. I have to get back."
"Then you'd better tell me."
Catherine moved as though to push Sara out of her way.
"You wouldn't push a pregnant woman, would you?"
"Sara." Catherine warned.
"Catherine." Sara said just as seriously.
Catherine looked at her watch and swore under her breath, looking up at Sara's resolute features she sighed. "Fine! Fine, I'll tell you."
--
I hope that wasn't the most boring chapter ever…but I feel it'll serve its purpose.
Thanks, and as always r&r is very much appreciated :)