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The person didn't know how to explain their self.
"Lindsey erm...uh," they stuttered.
"You know you've worried my mom; that deserves an ass kicking."
"I can't do this," was the only reply before the Ford Mondeo drove away fast.
Lindsey sighed and shrugged her shoulders. Why was she the only one keeping things together? Sometimes she felt like the parent on the second greatest lab in the country. Lindsey hugged her friend Jessica goodbye and walked the short journey home.
Catherine woke up with a killer headache. She groaned aloud into her empty bedroom. Slowly she pealed her eyes open. One thing could be said for sure, Catherine had a delicate taste in decorating. Her bedroom was painted a neutral white however the photos hanged gave it a homely feel; even if they weren't hanged perfectly straight. The furniture in the room all matched, it was a light oak wood and of course Catherine had a massive bed covered in pink and cream sheets. Catherine rolled over to glance at the clock on her bed side table. She cursed herself; she was late for picking up Lindsey. Normally it wouldn't be a big deal but with the 'stalker' Catherine had her mother instinct kicked in higher than normal. If anything ever happened to her baby, she wouldn't be able to face life. So Catherine scrambled out of bed, she tripped over the phone wire as she hurried and landed flat on her face.
"Mom," a small voice called out.
"Mhh," Catherine called out with her face in her carpet. Catherine soon picked herself up and grabbed her silk dressing gown and headed towards the voice. As soon as she saw that Lindsey was safely home she threw her arms around the girl.
"Mom, I kind of need oxygen to breath!"
Catherine laughed then reluctantly withdrew her arms from the small framed girl, "Sorry I was just worried."
Lindsey gave her mom a small smile and hoped her mom wouldn't ask if she'd seen the car.
Catherine didn't want to disrupt their lives with this stupid nonsense of the 'stalker' so she wasn't planning on bringing up the subject instead she looked forward to spending the evening with Lindsey before heading to work, "What would you like for dinner my number one girl?"
"Remember the last time Sara looked after me while you were at work?"
"Yes..." Catherine replied not quite sure where this was going, "If this is about a certain missing lamp then I have to admit after 2 months I've figured it out it is missing and I don't care what happened as Sara isn't here to defend herself."
Lindsey smiled as she remembered that evening, "Noo it's not about that but as you brought it up, it was totally all Sara's fault, she like totally twisted my arm into playing softball in the house!" Lindsey laughed at the memory of Sara being like a child with ADHD and getting very excitable when she was winning however the person who broke the lamp came from a foul kick from someone much younger than Sara. That being said, what Catherine didn't know she wouldn't have to know, right? "I just wanted to ask if I could have for dinner what Sara cooked that night."
"Are you turning vegetarian Lindsey?" Catherine inquired. Catherine wasn't entirely sure the point in time when her work collage had started to have such an effect on her daughter, one thing could be said for sure though; Sara touched everyone's life. Catherine would never admit it though!
Lindsey shrugged her shoulders and got up from the sofa and made her way down the hall shouting out 'homework' as she proceeded down the corridor.
Catherine shouted back, "What did Sara?" but was cut off by Lindsey replying, "Veggie meatballs."
'Great...I'll have to go to the store,' thought Catherine.
After a small discussion (yes they still had a few of those even though they had become closer) about Catherine wanting Lindsey to go to the supermarket with her, Catherine was making her way to the local supermarket without Lindsey. Lindsey had assured her mother she'd be quite safe on her own. While driving Catherine mentally made a list of what she needed to get.
Catherine tried to park her car which turned out to be a harder task than normal. 'Seems everyone came to the store at once,' she thought as she was growing more and more frustrated. Catherine normally liked to park around the middle of the car park; that way it wasn't too far to carry the shopping and the front of the car park always seemed to be busy. Eventually she managed to get a spot near the front of the car park. Catherine then proceeded to go into the store and carry out the mundane task of buying food.
Catherine's basket was half full with the essentials of everyday life. She turned down the frozen aisle to look for the vegetarian meat balls. She promptly found them and went to place them in her basket when a voice sharply and quickly said, "What are you doing with those?"
Catherine turned round and looked at the face that belonged to the voice, "Uhr getting my daughter food to eat."
"Sara liked those," again the voice was sharp and quick.
"That would be correct," Catherine agreed, her mind confused with this situation. The two of them stood in the aisle looking at each other, both trying to figure out what the other was thinking.
"Look I'm not in preschool anymore whatever childish game you are playing can you quit it?" Catherine said with an annoyed expression.
"I'm not the one playing games!" A calm voice answered.
"Look, I have never known you to shop here and then there's this whole Sara issue that's running through your head at the moment." Catherine paused for a moment with a sigh, she didn't want to run her mouth again, she knew that she couldn't say what she was thinking 'Sara's ruined your life,' so quickly she came up with another answer, "Let's go for coffee Gil."
Catherine and Grissom were seated at a coffee shop opposite the supermarket. Unfortunately Catherine had 'forgotten' a few items of shopping but right now her friend's peace of mind was more important to her. Catherine and Grissom had sat there in silence for the last 10 minutes. Catherine wanted Gil to open up to her but she couldn't pushed him else her mouth would betray her. She reached over the small table and placed her hand on his and gave him a sympathetic look. Grissom sighed and then opened his mouth, Catherine didn't expect him to say anything, he had been doing that since they got her, and actually he was starting to resemble a goldfish.
"Pleasure of love lasts a moment, pain of love lasts a lifetime," Grissom said quietly.
Catherine pondered on this quote for a moment then found a suitable answer, "Yes but you should be happy that you had that moment. And you will get over this Gil."
"It wasn't enough Catherine, I should of had longer. I should of allowed myself the pleasure years ago."
"Gil you weren't ready. So you started the relationship when you were and you know what? Because you were ready, you'll be able to survive this," Catherine said as she wondered if that made sense.
"I failed Sara."
"No you didn't Gil!" Catherine quickly replied.
"We both failed each other," Grissom said aloud as he starred at his coffee cup.
"Well maybe you weren't right for each other. Sara was...is a strong willed person, her passion was too strong for you. In the academic sense yes you were perfect for each other but I just don't think the jigsaw clicked into place when it was lovers. I think Sara was too comfortable in the relationship which yes is nice but not what her soul needed. You gave her a home and love which is what she never had before but it wasn't enough," Catherine let the words flow out of her mouth trying to comfort Grissom but not harm him too much.
"For Sara's biggest enemy you sure think you know what she needs."
Catherine let out a frustrated cry, "Right let's get this straight. I like Sara. I was never her enemy. I was her challenger."
Grissom didn't say anymore he just stared blankly into space. The silence had returned. They stayed like that for 10 more minutes, then Catherine decided she had had enough.
"Stop trying to turn the time back just pick yourself up and move on," Catherine said as she stood, she placed a bill on the table then walked out leaving Grissom there alone.
Lindsey and her mother were enjoying chatting about their lives through dinner.
"No it's true mom," Lindsey said while laughing, "If you're not a shopaholic then why did you take so long getting dinner huh?"
"Well for that Miss CSI, I have an explanation."
"Let's hear it then mother..." Lindsey said giggly at her mom's nickname for her.
"I ran into Mr Bugman and we had a coffee," Catherine said while motioning to Lindsey if she wanted more dinner, Lindsey enthusiastically nodded her head then Lindsey folded her arms and replied, "Well that settles it then, you're like Sara...a coffeeaholic then!"
Catherine pretended to look shocked, while serving out more dinner to them both, which made Lindsey laugh hard.
"Linds I'm glad you wanted to have this for dinner, it's delicious," Catherine said as taking a spoonful of her second plate of dinner.
"Was Grissom okay?" Lindsey asked quietly looking down at her plate.
Catherine looked at Lindsey who had suddenly seemed to grow smaller, "He will be yes, he's just got a broken heart which will take a while to fix, why are you so concerned Lindsey?"
"No reason," Lindsey said quietly, "May I go and get ready to go to Nancy's?"
Catherine looked at her daughter with a concerned frown, then slowly nodded her head. Lindsey walked towards on towards her room when she saw a crime of opportunity, she grinned then grabbed her mom's mobile phone. Lindsey then locked herself in her bedroom and sat on her bed, she scrolled through the phone book till she found the number she wanted. She was slightly nervous but she felt like she had to do it.
"It's Lindsey," she whispered.
"I'm fine. I have no time for politeness. I just wanted to tell you stop doing what you're doing. Can't you see what's going on around you? It's not fair on everyone. I know you're going through a tough time but just stop upsetting people!" Lindsey said in a tone that was very much like her mothers. At 15 Lindsey had already learnt that in some situations people can be time wasters. This was that kind of situation. This was also the kind of situation where if you put the phone down the message would go through clearer and quicker so Lindsey quickly ended the call. Lindsey then got on with packing to go to her aunts for the night. Although Catherine's shift didn't start till midnight, Lindsey couldn't be dropped off that late for obvious reasons so Lindsey normally got taken at around 8pm.
Catherine had barely managed to get through her shift, Grissom was being silent and awkward with her, they had a missing victim and a suspect who wouldn't talk, Warwick and Nick had fallen out over a silly video game and Mia was off sick...so it had been one nightmare shift and to top it off Catherine thought she had left her mobile at home so she had, had to borrow a dodgy lab mobile that looked like it was from the 80s. Catherine placed her forehead against her locker and let out a sigh. Catherine was so oblivious to her surroundings, she didn't notice she had company.
"You okay girl?" a male voiced asked.
"Tough shift," Catherine replied.
Warwick laughed, "I know all about them," he winked at her, "Fancy breakfast?"
"Hey! My day just got better! I just got asked out by a handsome man but unfortunately I have to refuse. I have a lady waiting," Catherine smiled and headed out to pick up her daughter. At least at the end of a tough shift she could leave with a smile...that was family for you, there for you thick and thin.
Catherine got to her sister's house and beeped her horn. Unfortunately in the mornings she could only exchange hand gestures with her sister as time was short. Lindsey ran to the car then strapped herself in and waved goodbye to her aunt and cousins. Lindsey and Catherine were exchanging what had happened in their lives while they'd been apart. Suddenly Catherine's ring tone started playing, Catherine pulled up next to the school and began searching for her phone with a puzzled expression upon her face. Then Catherine hit the jackpot, she found where the phone was ringing from. She picked up the bag and said calmly, "You'd better as hell have a good explanation for why my phone is in your bag!"
"Well you see the thing is..." Lindsey started to explain, "I'm going to be late for school." With that Lindsey grabbed her bag and ran out the car.
Catherine let out a frustrated groan! She was confused as hell. So she put her foot home and drove home. Catherine parked her car on the drive in her usual spot and walked into her home. She locked the door and placed her things in the hallway. At the moment her home phone started ringing, Catherine picked it up and spoke, "Hello?"
After a short pause she asked again, "Hello?" But there was no-one answered back, she heard someone breathing, it also sounded like they had just been crying; a bit of sniffing. Then nothing apart from a click then the dial tone.