Author Notes: Me again. Sorry its been so long and I know this chapters short but I had to split it up for it to flow better. I hope you enjoy it all the same. Im a review junkie, please help support me by giving me my next fix.
Disclaimer: Still, not mine. The damn genie lied to me. At least he said he was a genie...
As much as her heart was screaming at her to briskly turn around and go straight back, her incredibly powerful mind overrode it and demanded that she kept walking. Her pace even and fast, her face the epitome of calm she headed for the main doors of the lab, through the clear glass she could see that the car park was deserted. The second she was through the doors a rush of cold air collided with her skin and a wave of emotions hit her like a brick wall. She battle desperately for her breath as the sobs racked her body.
The events of the morning had been like a wake up call. She had suddenly seen her life from a whole new perspective. She finally saw Eddie for what he really is, the rose tinted glasses firmly smashed to smithereens in regards to him. It was in these few minutes, during which she truly felt in fear of her life, that another realization hit her. She realized just how fragile life is. Even though the vast majority of her life was spent surrounded by the dead, so many of who died before their time, it took her own brush with death to knock this insight into her. The thought that her life could too end abruptly had by some bizarre contradiction previously escaped her. Her thoughts in those moments first went to Lindsey, her beautiful and innocent daughter and then to Gil.
In truth she knew that the feelings had always being there, but she'd managed to bury them so deep, to the point where she had come to believe the lie. But when she saw Gil defend her from Eddie those dormant feelings resurfaced with a vengeance. She decided in that instance to embrace life to the full. That included telling Gil. But now crumpled on the cold concrete, her make up streaming down her face, the pangs of regret really started to hit home. She never thought of the consequences of telling Gil, what now. Their friendship would never be the same, how could it be.
After several more seconds of broken sobs, Catherine briskly pulled herself together. She hated herself in this self-pitying emotional state and was determined to get over it. She didn't want to be reduced to tears, that isn't not who she is. However she decided there was no way on earth she could go back into the lab right now. It had not escaped her attention in all the excitement that virtually everyone had seen the fight with Eddie, so no-one would seriously consider questioning her absence. She carefully used the wall as leverage to heave herself off the ground and gathered her purse off the ground next to her before heading towards her car at the other side of the car park. When she was about half-way across the car park Catherine began to rifle through her purse for her car keys. It took her mere seconds before she saw the shiny silver metal protruding from under her wallet. She quickly withdrew them from her purse and looked up towards her car which was now only about 10 yards away.
Out of nowhere she felt a sharp tug on her left shoulders and a firm grasp completely covered her mouth. As the grip in her hands dissipated her keys dropped to the floor as she struggled desperately and tried to scream with all her might, all to no avail. She felt warm air brush past her ear as a familiar voice whispered
"You didn't think you'd get rid of me that easily did you."