Wrapped Up in a Warm Hurricane

by: Liv-x-Case-Benson & dcmasters

Ch. 4: Class and Cuddles

Nearly two months later and Sasha had finally settled with them and was getting into a routine.

Lindsay had developed a bump, now into her sixteenth week of pregnancy and had been asking Sara for help with her course work.

It was before five when Catherine woke to feed Sasha and curled up on the sofa with her, smiling.

Sara smiled. "You look comfy."

Catherine looked back at her. "We are. Did I wake you?"

Sara shook her head. "No."

Catherine smiled, shifting over. "Sara, did you..."

"Did I...?"

Catherine cleared her throat. "Hear... Lindsay last night?"

"When she was sick?"

"Well, yeah... and before..."

"Then no. Why?" Sara asked.

"I couldn't sleep... she was... having a good time..." Catherine struggled.

Sara smirked, resting a hand on her arm. "Don't think too much into it. Hell, like we've never done it."

"I know, I know," Catherine sighed.

"It's ok. She's not a kid anymore."

"She'll always be a kid to me. But not as little as you, huh?" Catherine smiled, moving Sasha to burp her, "What time are you in work today?"

"Nine," Sara said.

"Got any interesting cases on?"

"Not yet," Sara said, kissing her neck. "Mmm...god I wish I could stay home today."

Catherine gave a soft moan. "Me too."

Sara kissed Sasha's cheek. "Mmm, you're so sweet!"

"You want to take her? I get her all day every day."

Sara held her close, kissing her cheek. "Think we should get started on Lindsay's room? We could make the closet into a nursery, take off the doors. It's deep enough."

Catherine nodded. "We'll make a start at the weekend."

Sara smiled, kissing her softly.

"God, I'm so desperate," Catherine confessed in a whisper.

Sara smirked. "You could always surprise me..."

"At work? With a baby in tow?"

"You could drop her at the nursery, say you have to catch up on paperwork."

"You are so naughty!" Catherine smirked. "But I can't today. I have plans."

"Awww!" she pouted. "Ok."

"Though, if you were working late..."

"I might..."

"I might need to come and check on you..."

Sara smiled.

Catherine leant in to kiss Sara deeply.

Sara moaned softly. "Mmm..."

Catherine pulled away before she was tempted any further. She made sure Sara got to work on time, then pulled into the car park to drop Lindsay off. "Have a good day," she smiled.

Lindsay smiled. "Thanks."

Lindsay sighed, waving goodbye to her mom as she walked into the college. Her first class was Crime Scene Analysis and their instructor had said the day before that they would have a guest speaker. The young woman had a vague idea of who it could be, but hoped she was wrong. She adjusted her shirt, sitting in the middle of the classroom. If the guest speaker was her mother, she would have so much explaining to do. Though, she had a reasonable explanation.

"You be a good girl," Catherine smiled, kissing Sasha goodbye as she dropped her at the nursery, walking into Lindsay's class ten minutes later.

"Right on time," the professor smiled, "Everyone I'd like you to meet Catherine. She's our guest speaker for today. She's our blood spatter expert."

Lindsay almost choked on her drink her mom had made her to keep her stomach settled, bringing a book in front of her face, groaning. Great!

"Hi," she smiled, "I want you all to pay attention this morning, because in your class this afternoon we will be looking at a crime scene the professor is going to set up for us. That means no hiding behind books."

Lindsay nodded, setting the book down, sipping on her drink.

Catherine's eyes widened with shock, but she didn't say anything for fear of embarrassing her daughter. Catching her thoughts she began. "Blood pattern analysis provides information not only about what happened, but just as importantly what could not have happened. BPA uses the principles of biology to look at the behavior of blood, physics which looks at cohesion, capillary action and velocity as well as mathematics for distance, geometry and angle..."

Lindsay smiled a bit. She always wondered how much her mother knew on this subject, not saying she wouldn't get ranted at when she got home, but... She raised her hand.

"Yes?" Catherine asked, looking at Lindsay.

"This may be a little too early to ask, but if someone is...let's say stabbed and they move around the room trying to fight off who hurt them, how would you determine where they are first injured? Baring in mind how deep the injury is or what is injured?"

"Good question," Catherine smiled. "It would depend on whereabout they were stabbed. Stab wounds means that less blood is deposited on the instrument, resulting in a smaller, more linear pattern of stain, plus you have to take into account any cast-offs if your victim was stabbed multiple times. However, if the first stab wound was to an artery, then you'd see arterial spray. Each time there was a beat of the heart there would be a new pattern for each beat. These patterns are usually large, individual stains with an arching pattern. So if you had managed to move around the room whilst being the victim of an arterial stabbing, you could follow it somewhat, anything smaller and you need to try and find a pattern in the cast-offs. A stabbing in the lung would also cause an expirated spatter, which is a fine mist and usually contains air bubbles."

Lindsay smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Catherine smiled, continuing with her class for another hour before they broke. She stepped toward Lindsay, watching her for a moment. "I... did you want to get lunch?"

Lindsay nodded. "Please," she said, shaking the nearly empty drink, "I'm nearly out."

Catherine nodded, heading home with Lindsay, leaving Sasha at the nursery for the day. As she made them lunch, Catherine looked across at Lindsay. "So, you want to tell me how you ended up in my class today?"

Lindsay sighed. "I...swiched majors..."

"Well, that much I'd figured out. Why?"

"Because I just got inspired by what you do."

Catherine looked up from the sandwich she was making. "You did?"

Lindsay nodded. "It's just fascinating. And I mean... it is like puzzles."

Catherine laughed.

"I've heard you say that when I was little when I asked you what your job was."

"Well, I couldn't exactly tell you what the puzzles were, could I? But you're right. I love it. It's like big kids getting paid to work on puzzles. Sometimes you've got to find that missing piece and it will drive you up the wall, other times we used to solve them in a night."

Lindsay nodded. "It makes sense."

"What do you want to specialize in? Not that you have to."

"Well, I changed it to forensic science and psychiatry."

"So, you want to specialize in the mind? Or are you just planning on psyching people out in interrogation?"

Lindsay smirked. "Maybe a little of both, but more the second one."

Catherine smiled. "You're not going to be the next Grissom are you? Into bugs? "

"No. I don't like bugs that much."

"Me either. I used to hate his bug experiments. You asked a good question earlier. Do you like spatter?"

"Somewhat. I just thought it was relatable to the class."

"And it was. If you want any help with anything, you just have to ask."

Lindsay smiled. "Thanks," she said before rushing into the bathroom and throwing up in the toilet.

Catherine went after her, holding her hair back. "This came on quite late, huh?"

Lindsay nodded.

"Ok now?" she asked, rubbing Lindsay's back.

Lindsay nodded again, leaning against her, wrapping her arms around her.

Catherine held her close. "You always did want lots of cuddles when you were sick."

"I know. I wish I could just stay here the rest of the day."

"I can pick up some work from your classes and run through my scene analysis another time if you want to go to bed, honey."

Lindsay shook her head. "I don't think I have a good excuse for missing class, Mom."

"You've got morning sickness. I'm sure they'd understand."

"But other people go to class with it," she argued stubbornly. "Though, I'd love a hot bath and a book."

"You do look very pale though."

"What, you'd rather I went to bed?"

"I just don't want you to overdo it."

Lindsay nodded, standing and going into her room to change and lie down.

Catherine entered with a drink for Lindsay, stroking her forehead gently. "Can I get you anything else?"

She sighed. "I wish this was simple and I could just lay here with you and you'd make it go away."

"I still have some time," Catherine smiled, moving into bed beside her daughter holding her close. "You do still want this, don't you?"

"Yes. I know it'll be a monumental change and hard, but...it's mine. Besides, if I'm not going to raise it, I know someone else will want to. It's a better decision."

"Are you saying you're going to have the baby adopted?"

"I'm not sure yet. I want to keep it, but that is the better option if I decide not to, but then...you wouldn't be helping me."

"Lindsay, honey, Sara and I would help you with everything. We wouldn't let you do this alone. If it came down to it, we'd adopt the baby, but leave everything in your name, that way you have full rights."

"But you guys will have Sasha too. So that'll be hard."

"And we will cope. Plenty of people have babies close together and they cope. It'll be like having twins, but just at different ages."

Lindsay sighed, rubbing her bump. "All right. I do want to keep it. I guess the whole aspect is terrifying me..."

"I felt exactly the same when I was pregnant with you. Sara and I were going to take the doors off your closet and make it into baby's room for you."

Lindsay smiled, turning over and wrapping her arms around Catherine. "That'll be great," she said, her bottom lip quivering.

Catherine held her close. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, trembling a bit.

"Linds? Talk to me," Catherine said softly, stroking her daughter's arm.

Still she shook her head. "It-it's just coming so fast..."

Catherine kissed Lindsay's forehead. "It's ok to be scared, want things to slow down. When I was pregnant with you, things seemed to go quickly at times, then so slowly when you get toward the end of pregnancy because by then you're tired and you just want to meet your baby. Then once you were born..." Catherine said, closing her eyes, "All the worry, the tears, morning sickness, aches and pains... Once I held you in my arms, it was completely worth it. You forget about everything that happened before because right there, in that moment, you feel a love so strong that from then on, nothing else matters."

Lindsay nodded. "I wish you didn't have to go. But...I know I shouldn't act like a kid, that you have to."

"I can reschedule and get Sara to pick up Sasha?"

"Y-you don't have to..."

"I want to," Catherine smiled, stepping outside to make the relevant calls before taking up the same position as before, "All sorted, now come and snuggle with your old Mom."

Lindsay shrugged. "Aw! Come on, Mom! You're not old! Just...a lot older than me."

Catherine kissed Lindsay's head. "Thanks. Sleep or talk some more?"

"I am getting tired."

"Then sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up."

Lindsay nodded, covering up and snuggling close.

It took no longer than ten minutes before both women were asleep, Catherine's arms holding Lindsay securely.

Sara arrived home close to six, Sasha in a car seat, as she quietly went into the nursery, putting her in the crib before searching for the other two women in the house, smiling as she found both asleep in Lindsay's bed. Sara slipped off her shoes and jacket, slipping in on the other side of Catherine.

Catherine stirred a little, instinctively pulling Sara's arm around her waist.

Sara smiled, kissing her cheek. "Shhh..."

Catherine quickly settled, her fingers linked with Sara's.

Lindsay woke a few hours later, rushing to the bathroom.

"Here we go again," Catherine said softly, following her to hold her hair back once more.

Sara sat up, following Catherine.

Catherine rubbed Lindsay's back, the stroked her cheek as she sat back. "Better?"

Lindsay nodded, snuggling into her.

"How about some tea and then you try and eat something? Even if its dry toast."

Lindsay nodded."Ok..."

"Back to bed," Catherine smiled, kissing her cheek, stepping across to Sara.

Sara stood. "Help back to bed, Linds?"

"Please," Lindsay smiled, face pale.

Sara helped her up, leading her back to bed, covering her up.

"Thanks. I hate being sick."

"Me too, but it comes with the territory."

Lindsay nodded. "I just feel sick all the time. I didn't think I still would be at sixteen weeks."

Sara nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Some women can be sick all nine months."

Lindsay sighed, resting her head against Sara's shoulder. "Why does no one tell you that?"

"Don't know. To some it's just common knowledge."

"Sweet things set me off, creamy things too. The only thing I seem to be able to keep down is that drink Mom makes and the odd bit of toast. And I feel exhausted. I'm sorry, I feel like such a burden."

Sara shook her head, hugging her lightly, kissing her cheek. "You're not sweetie. Never. Your mom and I are happy to help you."

"That's what she said earlier when I said I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep the baby when it's born."

"We'll help you no matter what."

"Mom said she'd rather take the baby on and help me out as much as possible so the baby doesn't have to go into adoption. That way I still have all my rights."

"Is that what you want?"

"I don't know, I think so."

Sara smiled, kissing her cheek.

"Will you be there? At the birth? I just... you're very calming."

"Absolutely. Whatever you want."

"Thank you. Plus, if Mom freaks you'll be able to keep her under control."

"Hopefully," Sara said, resting her hand on Lindsay's bump.

Lindsay smiled looking down at Sara's hand. "You're not moving yet, are you? Not even for Grandma," she teased.

Sara smirked. "Yeah, I think you'd make Grandma happy if you did..."

"Mom would be over the moon."

"Sometime soon."

Lindsay nodded. "How was work?"

"Good."

"Mom knows. She was guest speaker in class today."

"And what did she say?

"She asked why I changed, then said she was surprised when I said I was following in her steps, and said if I need any help to ask. I wish I'd told her sooner now. I didn't realize just how much she knew about blood until today."

Sara nodded. "Yeah, that is her specialty."

"I know, I never realized how smart she was."

Sara smiled. "She knows a lot."

"What's your specialty?"

"Prints."

"Ah, so you might like something I have in my bag then."

"Where?"

"My bag is by the closet."

Sara grabbed Lindsay's bag, handing it to her.

Lindsay fished around in her bag for a moment then handed Sara a pot. "Red fluorescent magnetic printing powder."

"Wow, nice..."

"And I have this zephyr brush," she smiled, showing Sara.

"Anything else?"

"Um... some frosted lifting tape, card... oh, and this... the newest UV light you can buy."

"How did you afford all of this?"

"Grandad Sam. He set up a trust fund for when I turned eighteen."

"That makes sense. Figures he would," Sara said.

"Don't worry, I haven't gone mad. I've plenty left to buy baby things."

"And we'll help you too."

"You need stuff for Sasha."

"We have a few things, but we still need more."

"I was thinking, when I'm feeling a bit better, I could have Sasha for the night. It's Mom's birthday in a few weeks, I thought you might want to take her out."

Sara smiled. "That'd be nice. Thank you."

"Plus, I could use the practice."

"That too," she said, "but some days you'll wish you had these days back."

"I don't doubt that," Lindsay smiled as her phone rang.

Sara got up. "I'll go see what your mom's doing."

Review: helly1bradleywyatt