Division/CSI/LWM FIC :: "Namesake" [Kaitlyn&Dace, Dace/Catherine, Dace/Sara, PG]
Title: Namesake
Author: A. Magiluna Stormwriter
Email: stormwriter@shatterstorm.net
Rating: PG
Pairings: Kaitlyn/Dace friendship, Dace/Catherine, Dace/Sara
Date: 16 August 2009
Word Count: 1797
Written for: dogged_by_muses weekly challenge #3
Series: Light, Water, Muses
Book: Reverberations
Summary: Kaitlyn McCafferty catches up with an old friend…and meets a few new ones.
Spoilers: AU for The Division after S1
Website: ShatterStorm Productions - Light, Water, Muses
Link to: http://lwm.shatterstorm.net/
Archive: ShatterStorm Productions only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…
Disclaimers: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of Lifetime Television, Kedzie Productions, Viacom Productions, and Paramount. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. . This site is in no way affiliated with "The Division", Lifetime Television, or any representatives of the actors.
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigators," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Alliance Atlantis, and CBS Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "CSI: Crime Scene Investigators," CBS, or any representatives of the actors.
Author’s Disclaimer: All original characters belong to ShatterStorm Productions and are the creations of A. Magiluna Stormwriter and Shatterpath. They also belong in the Light, Water, Muses universe, tho’ this is a standalone within the whole of that universe.
Author’s Notes: Literally, the word "division" cemented who I'd be writing about. I never expected Kaitlyn McCafferty to be such a talker! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but I was… And I'm glad I finally got to cross something off our "to do" list for LWM...
Dedication: To my muses. I’d be nowhere without them.
Beta:
shatterpath
"Namesake"
By A. Magiluna Stormwriter
(06-07-03)
"Captain McCafferty?"
The soft, stilted voice startles me out of the blur of thoughts racing around in my mind to face the leggy brunette in front me, and it takes a moment for the name to rise up from the depths of my brain. "Sara, right?"
Her bright smile eases my fear that I'd misremembered. "Yes, ma'am. Dace and Catherine sent me to get you. Do you have your bags yet?"
Shaking my head, I gesture vaguely toward the baggage claim. "They're taking their sweet time getting the luggage down here. Maybe the crew's still half-asleep at this ungodly hour on a Saturday morning."
A frown mars her face for the briefest of moments. "Anastasia and the Red Queen won't be pleased to hear that the private terminal's crew is slacking like this, despite the early hour. Let me see what I can do to speed this up."
Before I can say anything else, Sara is striding with purpose off in the direction I'd just come from so recently, phone in hand. Knowing she'll be back at some point, my body pointedly reminds me of my exhaustion, and I sink willingly into one of the unusually thickly padded leather seats. My mind wanders back into the cobwebbed recesses of memory once again, and I can almost pull up an image of a much younger Sara Sidle working in the forensics lab oh so many years ago. Memory tells me that she was a diligent worker, maxing out her overtime options, predominantly when the details of a particular death stumped her.
Curiosity has me wondering what exactly it was that Las Vegas had to steal her away from San Francisco. CD was still solving crimes for me at the Central Division when Sara would have moved. And now, they're intimately involved somehow. I never did really understand the intricacies of CD's relationships and one can only imagine they've grown ever more intricate with how her life has changed.
"Captain?" Sara's soft voice brings me out of my reverie once again. "I have your bags, ma'am, so we can head out to the Ranch now."
I follow her lead out of the terminal and blink at the long black limo waiting at the curb for us. "Was this CD's idea?"
"No, ma'am," comes the polite reply as we slip into the back. "While Dace is thrilled that you're visiting, the Red Queen and the Queen of Hearts both confirmed your VIP status deserved nothing less than a limo to greet you. And since Dace is still in broody mama cat mode with the triplets, it was determined that I should come to greet you."
VIP status? Chuckling, I'm not surprised that Sylvia Ventura's been identified as being involved in my first class treatment on this trip. She's been a good friend over the years, personally and professionally, and not only because of her ties to CD.
"How is she doing now?" I ask as the memory of her beaten and bloodied face is suddenly in sharp focus in my mind's eye.
"There are still occasions when the injuries act up, but she's much better. The pregnancy has mellowed her, to an extent, and she's much more comfortable in her skin. Kerry's even managed to get her to eat a far healthier diet." She pauses when a yawn overwhelms me and my jaw cracks with the suddenness of it. "If you'd like to take a quick nap, I can wake you when we arrive at the Ranch."
+++++
A gentle shake of my shoulder pulls me from the depths of sleep and I find myself blinking against sunlight streaming into the car from the open door. "Are we there yet?" I mutter groggily and shift to get my body working properly again.
"Are you always this much trouble when you fly?"
I know that voice, and the teasing tone it's using. "It's not my fault you scheduled such an early damned flight, CD," comes my mostly playful growl.
"Dace," she corrects in a strange tone and holds out a hand to help me out of the limo. "Nobody calls me CD anymore."
Sara'ss right; she does look different, more settled into herself and her skin. That glow of motherhood is almost painful to see. The sting of tears is blinked away at the surety that she really is okay. The crushing hug she offers is gladly returned, and once more I find myself happier than I've been in a while.
"There was a time when you didn't want to be called Dace," comes my gentle reminder as I study her face once more. The dual studs at her temple are hard to ignore, and my fingers move hesitantly to brush across the scar there. "And now you've come full circle back to the name that was always yours and yours alone?"
She shrugs self-consciously, unable to meet my gaze for a long moment. The sound of the limo driving off pulls us both from the moment mired in the past. Cocking her head to one side, that easy smile I haven't seen in so very long lights up her face and she tugs at my hand. "Come on, Captain, the babies are awake. Sara will make sure your bags are dumped off at your room in the main house."
I'm helpless to do anything but follow in her wake as she bounds off toward one of the larger of the houses built around a central park-like area. Once inside, I'm met with a surprisingly homey feeling…and a cry that is both new and very familiar. A lovely strawberry-blonde comes out of a back room, carrying a tiny baby and a bottle, both of which are thrust into my hands.
"Hi, I'm Catherine. You must be Captain McCafferty," she says with a smile. "Here, feed your namesake while Dace and I bring out the other two. Please make yourself at home." Then she disappears into the same back room again.
CD grins sheepishly at me and points to the recliner. "That'll be the most comfortable spot for you. She really likes that chair."
Blinking at the utter sense of domesticity radiating off my former inspector, I shuffle to the recliner and get myself and this tiny, tiny baby more comfortable. Little fists flail madly until the bottle's nipple is attacked voraciously. As she settles into her meal, Catherine's namesake comment comes back to me, and I stare at this little girl in my arms. The tears come back, but I don't bother to stop them this time.
"Hi there," I whisper, then suck in a startled breath as her lashes flutter open to reveal brilliantly blue eyes. "My name is Kaitlyn and I hear that you got named after me. You're going to have quite a legacy to live up to, you know. First and foremost, you need to keep your mother in line. Believe me, that's not going to be an easy job either. She's not always a team player, but if you remind her gently, she'll be the most loyal person you've ever met."
One of those tiny little hands reaches up to latch onto my pinky and she grunts happily.
"She's quite responsive," Catherine says with a grin as she eases onto the couch with another pink-clad baby, while CD moves to the other side with what must be the boy child. "Both of the girls are. Jimmy's not quite as responsive, but he was the smallest."
"So what are all of their names? Sylvia's shown me pictures, but I don't remember hearing any names."
CD flushes slightly at the thinly veiled affectionate rebuke in my tone. "Yeah, I'm sorry I forgot to send pictures to you and Magda. I've kind of been in mama cat mode and the rest of the world just didn't exist. Any communication was done through Catherine and I don't think she had your info to send any pictures or announcements."
"I'm teasing, CD -- I mean, Dace." My face screws up in concentration at that. "I'm really going to have to work at remember not to call you CD anymore." My gaze goes back to the baby in my arms. "Did you know that your mother is a pain my behind? She won't even tell me your full name yet," I say, smirking when CD sighs.
"You're holding Kaitlyn Olivia, named after you and one of my best buds, Olivia Benson. She was born first and has made her seniority known, even at this tender age. I think we named her correctly," she tosses at me with a sassy grin.
"Are you calling me old?"
"No ma'am. Wouldn’t dream of it." There's a twinkle in her eyes that has me chuckling in response. "Catherine is holding her sister, Sandra Karen, named after Jimmy's dad and my sister. You remember Karen, don’t' you?" When I nod, she continues. "And I've got James Richard, or Jimmy, who's named after the girls' dad and is the youngest."
"Wait, these babies have two different fathers?"
"Jim and Blair are connected to each other like Catherine and I are. And honestly, the old man just wasn’t enough for me, so I took them both on for size."
"Dace!" The amused exasperation in Catherine's voice is evident, as is the obvious love she shares with her partner.
"Sorry," comes the quick reply, but I’m sure she's being completely honest in her apology. "Anyway, the girls were named after four women that have had a major effect on my life, and Jimmy got named after Jim, the first Sentinel I ever met, and--"
"And Dick," I reply softly. The flash of pain in her eyes isn't a surprise at all. "I think he'd approve, Dace." I consciously say the name she prefers now, the name she should have kept all along. "I'm proud of you, you know. You've changed so much over the years since I first met that fresh young cop who thought she was so bad ass. I've seen you go from Dace to CD and now back to Dace again. You faced down death, and you gave yourself, all of us, a future with these three little babies. I never once expected you'd have children, even though you've always been good with them. But this gives me hope that you've finally found yourself and made your peace with your past, with the world at large."
"You have no idea what it means to hear you say that, Captain," she murmurs thickly, then clears her throat. "Thank you."
"No, thank you, Dace. And you call me Kait from now on. I'm not your captain any longer."
And she smiles with a warmth that instantly and forever changes the relationship between us.
"I'd like that, Kait."
Author: A. Magiluna Stormwriter
Email: stormwriter@shatterstorm.net
Rating: PG
Pairings: Kaitlyn/Dace friendship, Dace/Catherine, Dace/Sara
Date: 16 August 2009
Word Count: 1797
Written for: dogged_by_muses weekly challenge #3
Series: Light, Water, Muses
Book: Reverberations
Summary: Kaitlyn McCafferty catches up with an old friend…and meets a few new ones.
Spoilers: AU for The Division after S1
Website: ShatterStorm Productions - Light, Water, Muses
Link to: http://lwm.shatterstorm.net/
Archive: ShatterStorm Productions only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…
Disclaimers: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of Lifetime Television, Kedzie Productions, Viacom Productions, and Paramount. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. . This site is in no way affiliated with "The Division", Lifetime Television, or any representatives of the actors.
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigators," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Alliance Atlantis, and CBS Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "CSI: Crime Scene Investigators," CBS, or any representatives of the actors.
Author’s Disclaimer: All original characters belong to ShatterStorm Productions and are the creations of A. Magiluna Stormwriter and Shatterpath. They also belong in the Light, Water, Muses universe, tho’ this is a standalone within the whole of that universe.
Author’s Notes: Literally, the word "division" cemented who I'd be writing about. I never expected Kaitlyn McCafferty to be such a talker! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but I was… And I'm glad I finally got to cross something off our "to do" list for LWM...
Dedication: To my muses. I’d be nowhere without them.
Beta:
shatterpath
"Namesake"
By A. Magiluna Stormwriter
(06-07-03)
"Captain McCafferty?"
The soft, stilted voice startles me out of the blur of thoughts racing around in my mind to face the leggy brunette in front me, and it takes a moment for the name to rise up from the depths of my brain. "Sara, right?"
Her bright smile eases my fear that I'd misremembered. "Yes, ma'am. Dace and Catherine sent me to get you. Do you have your bags yet?"
Shaking my head, I gesture vaguely toward the baggage claim. "They're taking their sweet time getting the luggage down here. Maybe the crew's still half-asleep at this ungodly hour on a Saturday morning."
A frown mars her face for the briefest of moments. "Anastasia and the Red Queen won't be pleased to hear that the private terminal's crew is slacking like this, despite the early hour. Let me see what I can do to speed this up."
Before I can say anything else, Sara is striding with purpose off in the direction I'd just come from so recently, phone in hand. Knowing she'll be back at some point, my body pointedly reminds me of my exhaustion, and I sink willingly into one of the unusually thickly padded leather seats. My mind wanders back into the cobwebbed recesses of memory once again, and I can almost pull up an image of a much younger Sara Sidle working in the forensics lab oh so many years ago. Memory tells me that she was a diligent worker, maxing out her overtime options, predominantly when the details of a particular death stumped her.
Curiosity has me wondering what exactly it was that Las Vegas had to steal her away from San Francisco. CD was still solving crimes for me at the Central Division when Sara would have moved. And now, they're intimately involved somehow. I never did really understand the intricacies of CD's relationships and one can only imagine they've grown ever more intricate with how her life has changed.
"Captain?" Sara's soft voice brings me out of my reverie once again. "I have your bags, ma'am, so we can head out to the Ranch now."
I follow her lead out of the terminal and blink at the long black limo waiting at the curb for us. "Was this CD's idea?"
"No, ma'am," comes the polite reply as we slip into the back. "While Dace is thrilled that you're visiting, the Red Queen and the Queen of Hearts both confirmed your VIP status deserved nothing less than a limo to greet you. And since Dace is still in broody mama cat mode with the triplets, it was determined that I should come to greet you."
VIP status? Chuckling, I'm not surprised that Sylvia Ventura's been identified as being involved in my first class treatment on this trip. She's been a good friend over the years, personally and professionally, and not only because of her ties to CD.
"How is she doing now?" I ask as the memory of her beaten and bloodied face is suddenly in sharp focus in my mind's eye.
"There are still occasions when the injuries act up, but she's much better. The pregnancy has mellowed her, to an extent, and she's much more comfortable in her skin. Kerry's even managed to get her to eat a far healthier diet." She pauses when a yawn overwhelms me and my jaw cracks with the suddenness of it. "If you'd like to take a quick nap, I can wake you when we arrive at the Ranch."
+++++
A gentle shake of my shoulder pulls me from the depths of sleep and I find myself blinking against sunlight streaming into the car from the open door. "Are we there yet?" I mutter groggily and shift to get my body working properly again.
"Are you always this much trouble when you fly?"
I know that voice, and the teasing tone it's using. "It's not my fault you scheduled such an early damned flight, CD," comes my mostly playful growl.
"Dace," she corrects in a strange tone and holds out a hand to help me out of the limo. "Nobody calls me CD anymore."
Sara'ss right; she does look different, more settled into herself and her skin. That glow of motherhood is almost painful to see. The sting of tears is blinked away at the surety that she really is okay. The crushing hug she offers is gladly returned, and once more I find myself happier than I've been in a while.
"There was a time when you didn't want to be called Dace," comes my gentle reminder as I study her face once more. The dual studs at her temple are hard to ignore, and my fingers move hesitantly to brush across the scar there. "And now you've come full circle back to the name that was always yours and yours alone?"
She shrugs self-consciously, unable to meet my gaze for a long moment. The sound of the limo driving off pulls us both from the moment mired in the past. Cocking her head to one side, that easy smile I haven't seen in so very long lights up her face and she tugs at my hand. "Come on, Captain, the babies are awake. Sara will make sure your bags are dumped off at your room in the main house."
I'm helpless to do anything but follow in her wake as she bounds off toward one of the larger of the houses built around a central park-like area. Once inside, I'm met with a surprisingly homey feeling…and a cry that is both new and very familiar. A lovely strawberry-blonde comes out of a back room, carrying a tiny baby and a bottle, both of which are thrust into my hands.
"Hi, I'm Catherine. You must be Captain McCafferty," she says with a smile. "Here, feed your namesake while Dace and I bring out the other two. Please make yourself at home." Then she disappears into the same back room again.
CD grins sheepishly at me and points to the recliner. "That'll be the most comfortable spot for you. She really likes that chair."
Blinking at the utter sense of domesticity radiating off my former inspector, I shuffle to the recliner and get myself and this tiny, tiny baby more comfortable. Little fists flail madly until the bottle's nipple is attacked voraciously. As she settles into her meal, Catherine's namesake comment comes back to me, and I stare at this little girl in my arms. The tears come back, but I don't bother to stop them this time.
"Hi there," I whisper, then suck in a startled breath as her lashes flutter open to reveal brilliantly blue eyes. "My name is Kaitlyn and I hear that you got named after me. You're going to have quite a legacy to live up to, you know. First and foremost, you need to keep your mother in line. Believe me, that's not going to be an easy job either. She's not always a team player, but if you remind her gently, she'll be the most loyal person you've ever met."
One of those tiny little hands reaches up to latch onto my pinky and she grunts happily.
"She's quite responsive," Catherine says with a grin as she eases onto the couch with another pink-clad baby, while CD moves to the other side with what must be the boy child. "Both of the girls are. Jimmy's not quite as responsive, but he was the smallest."
"So what are all of their names? Sylvia's shown me pictures, but I don't remember hearing any names."
CD flushes slightly at the thinly veiled affectionate rebuke in my tone. "Yeah, I'm sorry I forgot to send pictures to you and Magda. I've kind of been in mama cat mode and the rest of the world just didn't exist. Any communication was done through Catherine and I don't think she had your info to send any pictures or announcements."
"I'm teasing, CD -- I mean, Dace." My face screws up in concentration at that. "I'm really going to have to work at remember not to call you CD anymore." My gaze goes back to the baby in my arms. "Did you know that your mother is a pain my behind? She won't even tell me your full name yet," I say, smirking when CD sighs.
"You're holding Kaitlyn Olivia, named after you and one of my best buds, Olivia Benson. She was born first and has made her seniority known, even at this tender age. I think we named her correctly," she tosses at me with a sassy grin.
"Are you calling me old?"
"No ma'am. Wouldn’t dream of it." There's a twinkle in her eyes that has me chuckling in response. "Catherine is holding her sister, Sandra Karen, named after Jimmy's dad and my sister. You remember Karen, don’t' you?" When I nod, she continues. "And I've got James Richard, or Jimmy, who's named after the girls' dad and is the youngest."
"Wait, these babies have two different fathers?"
"Jim and Blair are connected to each other like Catherine and I are. And honestly, the old man just wasn’t enough for me, so I took them both on for size."
"Dace!" The amused exasperation in Catherine's voice is evident, as is the obvious love she shares with her partner.
"Sorry," comes the quick reply, but I’m sure she's being completely honest in her apology. "Anyway, the girls were named after four women that have had a major effect on my life, and Jimmy got named after Jim, the first Sentinel I ever met, and--"
"And Dick," I reply softly. The flash of pain in her eyes isn't a surprise at all. "I think he'd approve, Dace." I consciously say the name she prefers now, the name she should have kept all along. "I'm proud of you, you know. You've changed so much over the years since I first met that fresh young cop who thought she was so bad ass. I've seen you go from Dace to CD and now back to Dace again. You faced down death, and you gave yourself, all of us, a future with these three little babies. I never once expected you'd have children, even though you've always been good with them. But this gives me hope that you've finally found yourself and made your peace with your past, with the world at large."
"You have no idea what it means to hear you say that, Captain," she murmurs thickly, then clears her throat. "Thank you."
"No, thank you, Dace. And you call me Kait from now on. I'm not your captain any longer."
And she smiles with a warmth that instantly and forever changes the relationship between us.
"I'd like that, Kait."