Sara started awake at the loud bang. Catherine stormed in, hurled her bag at the floor and threw herself onto the couch next to the girl with a huff. Sara sat up, staring at her in mild shock from the loud entrance.
"Whatever the door said, I'm sure it didn't mean it that way." She joked, but regretted it due to the glare Cath sent her. Just as she thought she was going to get slapped, Cath sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Tough day?" Sara guessed. Cath nodded slowly.
"Could say that." When she didn't speak again Sara gave her a look urging her to continue. "13 year old girl was killed. I had words with the mother; she didn't think I understood because she didn't think I had kids. I set her straight. She, ah, she ... criticised my lifestyle. Insinuated that I don't know my daughter." Cath explained sadly. Sara shuffled to a more upright position and moved closer, cautiously wrapping an arm around Cath's shoulders. She was not accustomed to being physical with her friends, but it seemed like the right thing to do, and to her surprise Catherine responded by leaning into the embrace, resting her head against her shoulder. "I guess it just hurt to hear a few home truths." She sighed. Sara looked at her.
"Hey, don't let her get to you. You are a great mom." Sara assured her, but Cath didn't look convinced. "Hey, I've spent all night listening to your daughter babbling about you, so don't tell me you are a bad mother." The comment elicited a small smile from Catherine. Sara continued.
"Hell, when I was growing up I would have given anything for someone like you. You're caring, and understanding, and strong. You're easy to talk to, and you don't fly off the handle." She listed. "In the children's homes, you're the kind of person we dreamed about." She finished quietly. Catherine watched her intently; the passion with which she spoke, the truth in her words.
To the surprise of both, Catherine leant in and met Sara's lips in a sweet kiss. Caught up in the shock of the moment, Sara returned the kiss until her mouth caught up with her head and she pulled back. Catherine's cheeks flushed pink and she was stuttering to explain, but Sara was on her feet before she had the chance. Catherine, temporarily stunned, remained where she was, sat with her mouth hanging open. After a moment she leapt to her feet and followed Sara to the door, but it was too late, the brunette had disappeared into the early morning mist.
X x x
This was bad. This was really, really bad. After Sara had left Catherine had panicked, and when she panicked she paced. And that is what she was doing now. Pacing. After fifteen minutes of debating whether or not to go and find Sara, Cath had called her sister.
"You did what?" Nancy asked in shock when she arrived on Catherine's doorstep ten minutes later. Cath just shook her head. "You...you, you kissed her?" Nancy stuttered, unable to get her head around this.
"I know. This wasn't exactly planned. It just sort of happened." Cath explained miserably.
"Well, these things don't just happen for no reason Cathy. Are you saying there was nothing before this, no flirting, no inclination that you might...?" She trailed off. Cath's expression must have given her away, because Nancy prodded her side. "Cathy, what aren't you telling me?" She asked in a parental voice.
"Well, recently I've felt... Last night, we had a ... a moment. It was nothing, it was just ... strange." She sighed. "I don't know how I feel about her anymore Nance." The younger woman rubbed her sister's back comfortingly.
"Well you need to figure it out, and soon." She said. "You need to go find her Catherine." Cath sighed.
"I don't know what to say to her."
"That doesn't matter. She's still sick Cathy, and she's out there somewhere alone. She needs you. Something could happen to her out there." Nancy told her. Catherine nodded slowly, that thought had been lingering in the back of her mind but she'd been trying not to dwell on what could happen. She got to her feet and turned to her sister, about to speak but Nancy cut her off. "I'll look after Lindsey. Go find her." Cath thanked her over her shoulder, already making her way to the door.
X x x
Not entirely sure where to look for Sara, Catherine had followed her instinct and ended up here, outside Sara's apartment. And apparently her instinct was as good as ever, because there was Sara, sat on the floor outside her apartment door, with her legs stretched across the hallway and her eyes closed.
"How'd you find me?" she asked, alerting Cath to the fact that she was aware of her presence.
"Followed a hunch. Something wrong with your door?" Cath asked nervously with a half smile.
"It's locked." She mumbled. Cath stepped over her legs and pulled the spare key Gus had given her out of her coat pocket, unlocking the door. She held out a hand to the surprised brunette, who looked at her suspiciously for a moment before accepting and letting Cath help her to her feet.