Grissom laughed to himself as his freshman biology class made a beeline for the exit, chattering happily and moving on to their next lecture. Two girls lingered behind and approached the front of the room, where he was finishing gathering his notes and putting them back into his briefcase.
"How can I help you?" he asked, turning to them. They introduced themselves as Jessica and Olivia and asked for clarification about their next assignment. Patiently he walked them through what every member of the class had already assured him they understood, wondering why they had not spoken up earlier.
"So Doctor Grissom, did you really come all the way from Las Vegas to teach here for the rest of the year?" asked Olivia, when he came to the end of his explanation. His lips twitched as he realized what was going on here.
"Yes, I did," he replied.
"Won't you get lonely? So far from home and like, all alone?" asked Jessica, in a not-so-offhand manner. Grissom smiled and shook his head.
"No, I don't think so. My wife is pretty good company. Did you have any more questions about the assignment because I need to get going; I have a meeting in a few minutes."
"Oh, no, I think that's it, right Olivia?"
"Yeah, thanks," sighed the other girl. They left the classroom and Griss picked up his briefcase and walked out through the second door, shaking his head in amusement.
…
Sara finished laying out her new filing system and glanced at the clock. Turning up the ringer on the phone, she walked back to the surgery and knocked on the open door. Mariah looked up her desk and smiled, beckoning her in.
"Come to see Lucy?" she asked, getting up and walking over to the cages.
"How's she doing today?" asked Sara, leaning down to greet her new friend.
"Much better, but she has an infection that's resisting antibiotics."
"Will she get better?" asked Sara, worried as she stroked Lucy's nose gently.
"I hope so, but I can't guarantee it; her immune system is already compromised from poor diet and being mistreated."
"Poor thing," sighed Sara, straightening up. Walking along the row of mostly empty cages she listened to Mariah rant about the cruelty humans were capable of until she came to one that was occupied with a very forlorn looking black cat.
"Who's this?" she asked softly. Mariah came over and sighed.
"This is Socks; she came to us a month ago with her brother Smudge after their owner died. She was an elderly lady who died in her sleep. Unfortunately Smudge died a few days after they came here, and Socks has been lonely every since. She won't eat, and she won't socialize either. I don't know what we're going to do with her. She needs more love and attention than I can give her."
"May I try?" asked Sara, her hand on the cage door. Mariah nodded her assent. Easing open the cage door and talking softly and reassuringly, Sara offered her hand to Socks to sniff. The cat looked up at her and then cautiously sniffed her outstretched fingers. Sara smiled and waited as Socks thoroughly sniffed her hand before rubbing her head against Sara's palm.
"Hey there, I heard you might be feeling a little lonely all by yourself," she murmured softly. Socks stretched and got to her feet, walking toward the front of the cage. Sara ran her fingers over silky black fur, and observed the four perfectly white feet that must have given rise to the cat's name. Whispering softly she coaxed Socks in a relaxed and calm state, so much so that Socks stood up on her back legs and put her front paws on Sara's sweater, purring. Carefully, she scooped up Socks and cradled her against her chest, gently stroking her under the chin. Her reward was a deeper and louder purr that warmed her heart and made her soul smile.
"Well look at that," mused Mariah, "no one else has managed to get through to her in all the time she's been here." Sara blushed and stroked her charge.
"Sorry, I just wanted to say hello," murmured Sara.
"Oh its fine, I'm glad you managed to get through to her. I've been really worried." Glancing at the clock on the wall Sara sighed.
"I have to get back to the office." She moved to put Socks back in the cage, but the cat meowed pitifully and sank her claws into Sara's sweater, clinging on.
"Take her back to the office with you," suggested Mariah, "It's a closed room if you shut the hallway door and she'll probably just sleep on your knee if let her."
"Ok," agreed Sara, stepping away from the cage and carefully unhooking Socks' claws. For the next several hours Socks stayed curled up on her lap while Sara created a spreadsheet template to track monthly expenses, bills, wages, supplies and any other miscellaneous costs she could find in the ratty, over stuffed accounting books haphazardly stacked at the end of the desk with loose pages everywhere and invoices missing right left and centre. After working through the last month to test it out, she set about hunting down all the paperwork for the current month and bringing it up to date. With that done, she turned her attention to the ordering system; the shelter had no system of inventory and from her tour of the facilities and subsequent investigation of invoices, it looked like the lack of records were creating inconsistencies in ordering. She was completely absorbed in working her way through the mass of files littering the computer desktop, searching for missing bits of data to fill in the gaps in her progress so far when Candy sauntered in and dropped into the seat next to her, startling Socks.
"Hey Sara," she said, reaching for the phone messages. Stroking Socks soothingly, Sara smiled at Candy.
"Hi, how was school?"
"Good, but calculus still sucks." Sara laughed and closed the document she was reading. Turning to Candy she gathered a stack of labels and a pen.
"Did you finish your homework?" she asked, starting to write out the tabs on the hanging dividers for the new filing cabinet system.
"Yeah, but I got stuck on a few problems."
"Did you bring them with you?" asked Sara, carefully scrawling out the names of various suppliers as neatly as she possibly could.
"Yes ma-am," laughed Candy, spreading her homework over the counter.
"Ok, you fill these with the corresponding invoices," said Sara, handing the finished dividers to Candy and indicating a stack of invoices to the girl's left. "Most recent in front please, and I will talk you through these," she finished, indicating the sheet of problems as she continued to write out labels. An hour later they had finished filling the filing cabinet and had tackled a large amount of calculus, but Sara could tell Candy was still struggling.
"Do you have to leave now?" she asked sadly as the clock rolled over to four pm.
"I do," said Sara, gently lifting Socks from her lap into her arms. "I have my own homework to do."
"What?" laughed Candy, disbelievingly.
"I have writing commitments, and hungry animals to look after. And my husband will be home about five-thirty."
"What are you writing about?" asked Candy, curious.
"Theoretical Physics," replied Sara, smiling at the disgusted look on her friend's face.
"Oookkkaayyy," drawled Candy, giving the word several more syllables than it required. "Sorry I asked."
"What do you want to be then?" asked Sara.
"I'm waiting to hear from the New Hampshire Institute of Art to study Illustration."
"Good luck, when do you find out?"
"Soon. I can't wait, I'm really nervous."
"I remember the feeling well," smiled Sara, standing carefully with Socks in her arms.
"Where did you go to school?" asked Candy, stretching her arms out over her head.
"Boston," said Sara vaguely. "Don't forget your book tomorrow if you want to do some more studying."
"Definitely. Thanks again."
"You're welcome, see you tomorrow."
"Later," waved Candy.
Sara returned Socks to Mariah, and felt her heart twist as Socks cried pitifully as the vet put her back in the cage.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she murmured sadly, petting the cat through the bars.
...
After over an hour of work on her paper, Sara stretched out on the bed with Hank to wait for Grissom. Without meaning too she slipped into a light, peaceful slumber. When Gil arrived home, half an hour later than he intended, he found Sara lying diagonally across the bed, snoring. Hank was curled by her feet and the kittens were draped over her legs. Wearing her favourite pair of lounge pants, and a thin long-sleeved, Sara's body was well defined and her pregnant curves were clearly visible. Smiling softly, Grissom sat next to her and skimmed a hand over her belly, marvelling over the miracle of life. Leaning down he kissed her gently, smoothing his fingers through her hair. Sara sighed and smiled into his lips.
"Hi," she mumbled, rolling into him.
"Hey," he replied, stroking her cheek. "How was your day?"
"Good, yours?" she yawned.
"Very nice. I seem to have a couple of admirers in my freshmen biology class," he laughed. Sara giggled as he told her about his morning. Their conversation continued as they made dinner, ate and cleaned up before moving to the couch, where they settled at opposite ends with their legs intertwined in the middle. Hank sprawled under the coffee table with Juliet lying on his paws. Romeo lay in Sara's lap as she sat with a notebook of physics ideas she was musing over. Gil was reading an entomology text.
"You haven't told me about your day yet honey," he commented, lowering book and peering down at her. Putting her notebook and pen on her knees Sara looked up at him, musing about her new organisational structures for a few moments. Burying her fingers in Romeo's soft fur she smiled gently before telling him about Socks, and how she had made a break through with the depressed cat.
"She's beautiful, and so loving," sighed Sara. "She just sat on my knees all day and purred contentedly. She was so unhappy when I went in to visit Lucy and I saw her, and when I had to put her back." Grinning, Gil watched her, thinking that she wasn't kidding back when they were investigating the miniature murders and she had told him she liked animals.
"So when are you bringing her home?" he asked knowingly. Sara's eyes snapped up from Romeo to stare at him, her mouth falling open slightly. "Oh come on dear, I know you very well by now. You can't resist animals in need. I know full well that if no one claims Lucy she'll be coming home too as soon as the waiting period is over. How long do you have to wait anyway?" he asked, wondering how long it would be before Hank had a playmate.
"Twenty- one days," said Sara, still staring at him. He laughed at her expression, and grabbed her legs, pulling her closer. Romeo gave him a dirty look and jumped up onto the back of the couch as Sara slid into Gil's lap. Stroking her cheek he gazed into her eyes and kissed her lightly.
"I don't mind having more animals," he murmured, playing with a strand of her hair. "But I do think we need to put a limit in place, at least until we decide where we're going to settle," he said, practically. Sara nodded, seriously.
"I don't think we're done travelling, and we can't move around with a menagerie. How about this is it for now?" she suggested. "Lucy and Socks and your racing roaches." He raised an eyebrow. "Oh come on Gil, I assume we're going to the Entomology Conference in San Diego this summer? You need roaches to compete in the races." She laughed at the expression on his face, as he tried to pass off his innocence. "I think I know a thing or two about you as well dear," she smirked, before leaning in for another kiss.
"Ok, that sounds like a good idea," he agreed, when they pulled apart. Sara turned around in his arms and lay back against him. "I like travelling, but I was wondering if you would want to stay in one place once this little one is here," he said, running a hand over her belly. Sara smiled softly at his touch as she closed her eyes.
"I don't know," she replied slowly. "It's very educational to travel, and I really enjoy it as long as we're together. I'm not sold on staying in one place permanently just yet. Are you?"
"No, but I think we need to consider what's best for you and the baby and all three of us as a family."
"I agree. I think we should re-evaluate when the time comes. We don't know what it's going to be like, what will be the best thing for us. I mean, we haven't exactly been conventional so far, have we?" she snorted. Gil laughed and traced his fingers up and down the side of her neck.
"Ok, we reassess the situation when the time comes. And yes, I was hoping we could attend the conference."
"Are you speaking?" yawned Sara, snuggling into him.
"I've been asked," he replied.
"Let's go, but we have to go to the beach while we're there."
"Of course." He kissed the top of her head.
"Too bad I won't be able to surf," she sighed, linking her fingers with his over her abdomen.
"I won't go without you," he promised. That her husband surfed had surprised Sara no end, given his usual dislike of participating in sports. But upon her discovery and professed surprise, he had merely shrugged and noted that he too was from California.
"I love you," she smiled into his chest.
"I love you more," he grinned.
...
"Hey, did you find my toothbrush?" he asked later that night as they were getting ready for bed. She looked up from drying her face and shook her head.
"No, and this morning my chap stick was missing as well as the dish cloth. And now my scarf has gone too," she added, indicating the bed post where she had left it the night before. Puzzling it over, Gil pulled back the covers and got into bed while Sara brushed her teeth. Wandering back into the bedroom she grabbed a stray shirt and tossed in the direction of the laundry bin, smiling slightly as she scored a goal. She was just about to crawl into bed when she saw Gil's sock poking out from under the bed. Before she could get to it however, it vanished. Raising an eyebrow, she got down on her hands and knees to peer underneath.
"What are you doing?" asked Gil, sliding across the bed and leaning over to see what she was looking at. Their eyes fell on the sources of their troubles at the same time and they both began to laugh. Sitting in the middle of the floor under the bed was Romeo. He was surrounded by a pile of items, including the toothbrush, chap stick, dishcloth and scarf. As they watched, he settled onto a bed constructed of odd socks and a shirt Sara was sure she'd thrown into the wash. Still laughing, Griss pulled Sara into bed with him snuggled up with her. He could feel her shaking against him, trying to suppress her giggles.
"I can't believe it," she said at last, still trembling with mirth.
"You're raising a klepto kitten honey, I thought you'd teach him better than that," teased Grissom.
Sara dissolved into another fit of the giggles as Gil turned out the light.
...
...
Thanks for the beautiful reviews, i really appreciate your thoughts xxx