I Disclaimer: I don't own 'em…
Catherine suddenly wheeled around and shoved Sara solidly. Caught completely off guard, Sara stumbled backwards down the few porch steps.
Sara had never seen a woman look more distraught than Catherine did. Mascara stained her cheeks and her eyes were puffy and swollen. She'd been man-handled by an unhappy customer, chased by a car, had a gun go off, and now, her home—her sanctuary—the one place that was supposed to be safe—had been violated. Sara felt as if she had failed.
"You were supposed to keep me safe! None of this is supposed to happen since you're here," she screamed as she looked down at the quickly breaking woman.
Without waiting for a response, Catherine pulled her key out and stuck it in the door to open it. As soon as she did, the door swung open. She turned and icily glared at Sara once more, who realizing that Catherine might be in danger if she went into the house, quickly bounded back up the stairs and grabbed her tightly by the elbow.
"You can't go in there," Sara warned as she pulled Catherine down the steps and into the driveway. "Look, the door was open. You can't just walk in there. Let me go through the house and make sure everything is okay and then you can come in. Okay?"
Catherine stared hotly at her would-be protector before unceremoniously yanking her arm free. "I am not staying out here by myself either. So what do you suggest I do?" As Sara looked past her and to the car, Catherine anticipated her offering the gun to her once more and cut her off, "And don't even thinking about putting that vile thing in my hand again."
"Fine, I guess you'll just have to follow me in. But you have to stay behind me and you can't say anything—ANYTHING," she emphasized the last word.
Catherine rolled her eyes and pulled her shoulders back, "Whatever. Let's get this over with. I need a hot bath."
Sara reached around Catherine and opened the car door. After fumbling for a moment, she ducked back out of the car with a flashlight to face Catherine, who was now wearing a pained look of frustration. The brunette shook her head and took a deep breath before heading back up the stairs. Catherine was just inches from her as they stood at the threshold of the house. Sara looked back over her shoulder as she drew her gun and took an uneasy step into the house.
In one hand, Sara held the flashlight and in the other she held the gun her finger caressing the trigger lightly. She swept the light slowly across the room, her gun and vision honed in on the trail of bright light.
"Why can't you just turn on the lights?" Catherine asked in a hushed voice.
Sara didn't respond. Each step moved them deeper into the house and into the unknown.
"Don't you think you could see better if you'd turn on the lights?" Catherine asked once again.
They had moved through the downstairs and were now walking cautiously up the stairs when Catherine spoke again. "Not that it matters, but I could see better if the lights were on."
Sara froze and spoke softly, but sternly, "If you don't shut up, I'm going to…"
"What? Let the bad guys get me? Keep going the way you are and I'm pretty damn sure they'll have me by the end of the week."
The desire to snap the neck of her charge had never been more fierce. Instead of succumbing to that intense desire, Sara finished climbing the stairs and went to the furthest room on the second floor—Catherine's "office." Sara stood to the side of the door, closed her eyes and took a deep breath before cautiously reaching over and taking the door knob in her steady hand. She turned it slightly and trained her gun and light in the opening before pushing it open further & stepping into the room.
"Anything out of place in here?" Sara asked in a low tone.
Catherine shot back acerbically, "As I said every other time you asked me that, no. Everything is just like I remembered it."
Catherine turned around and walked out, Sara in step behind her. "Two more rooms to go," Sara announced as she walked towards Catherine's room.
As she extended her hand toward the door, Catherine moved in front of her and swung the door open and flipped the lights on as she smoothly stepped inside.
"Damn it, Catherine! What did I tell you?" Sara snapped as she stormed past the blonde and checked the bathroom, closet and beneath the bed.
"Find the boogeyman?" The blonde leered at her as she rose from her knees beside the bed.
"I told you to let me clear a room. You wanna get yourself killed? Wait until my job is done before you go suicidal. I'm sure there will be enough "customers" willing to accommodate your wish."
As she shoved the lanky brunette out the door, Catherine screeched, "Just get out of my room."
With the door slamming soundly in her face, Sara contemplated pushing it open and squeezing off a few rounds in the direction of the pain in her ass. That would certainly solve one of her problems, but might create others. Instead she clicked the safety on and holstered her gun. She switched the flashlight off and headed into her room, confident that she'd find everything in its place.
It was late; she was tired and smelled of gunpowder from the shot that was discharged in the car. She put her holster on the nightstand and stripped off her clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor.
For what felt like an eternity, she stood under the steady, hot spray of the shower. She closed her eyes and let images from the night replay in her head. Catherine as she descended the stairs. The jealousy clearly splayed across Catherine's face at the party when she saw her talking to a younger, attractive woman. Catherine seeking protection behind her when she walked in on the argument. The feel of Catherine's body pressed firmly against hers before that woman interrupted. The sheer terror painted on Catherine's face when they were chased by that car. The anger that rolled off of her when she saw her door. Nothing was lost on Sara.
Finally, the water turned icy and Sara climbed out, grabbed a towel and began to dry herself. She looked up and noticed the 'note' left for her in a foggy mirror.
'I can get to her anytime I want & you can't stop me.'
Her stomach dropped and her blood turned to ice.
The icy feeling in the pit of her stomach didn't subside and as the water on her skin cooled and dried, it left her old. She stood there and stared blankly into the mirrored warning. She had a hard time believing that the message had been directed at her and not left for Catherine. The wheels immediately began to turn as she contemplated this turn of events. After a brief moment of hesitations, she raised her hand, pressed it flat against the mirror and wiped the caveat away.
A/N: Sorry this is so short and sorry it's taken so long to post something. I've been suffering from writer's block and real life. Once I get a decent number of reviews, I'll write some more and post it. hint, hint