Thursday, July 3, 2002 (Pasadena, California)

To say that Justin's relationship with Kayla has grown immensely in the past two months would be a huge understatement. In my personal opinion, the relationship between Mr. Timberlake and his daughter Kayla Wellson has grown well past any expectations that I had set out for the real life pop-star. And fortunately enough for me, I was there to witness the entire thing.

After rereading the entire paragraph that she had just jotted down, Cathy couldn't help but slightly frown at her use of words. This sounds more like the opening of a bad romance novel than the closing of a case file.

With that thought in mind, she quickly scribbled over the last couple of sentences that she had just written down and then started over from the top; unfortunately not getting very far before she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Is this seat taken?"

After looking up to see who had asked the question, Cathy couldn't help but let a smile cross her face.

It had been almost three and a half weeks since Lynn had arrived on the tour and--besides the one time when her, Lynn, and Rebecca went out to lunch--Cathy couldn't remember getting more than two words out to the older woman before Lynn was rushed off by Chris and JC; who seemed to be vying more for the older woman's attention than Justin was.

Well, almost more...that boy sure does love his mama.

With that thought in mind, Cathy quickly snapped out of her thoughts and retorted: "It is now," causing Lynn to respond back with: "Thanks," before taking a seat in the empty stadium chair next to the younger woman.

"So, I haven't seen you around much today, what have you been up to?"

Besides tearing my hair out...? Nothing much. Cathy inwardly replied, before outwardly responding back with: "Kayla's last inspection is coming up soon so I've been trying to gather all my notes together for my closing statement."

"Oh..." Noticing that the entire paper on Cathy's lap had scribbling all over it caused Lynn to raise an eyebrow in amusement before asking: "And how is that one going?"

A question which Cathy couldn't help but sarcastically respond back with: "What..? You didn't see the trail of hair I left coming down this aisle?"

After sharing a small laugh with the younger woman, Lynn let her eyes drift towards the stage in front of her. And after a second of watching her son and his friends carefully play with her granddaughter onstage, she couldn't help but smirk slightly as a question popped into her head. "Do you ever think about having kids of your own one day?"

What..?

Not knowing exactly where that question had come from caused Cathy to stare at the woman beside her in confusion for a second. But after realizing that Lynn wasn't going to say anything else until she answered her question, Cathy reluctantly responded back with: "I used to...I mean, a long time ago before I started this job, I wanted to somewhat prove to my foster parents that I could do a better job of raising a child than they could. But right now, I think my mindset is more focused on helping the children out there--who need families--than on starting one of my own."

Seeing the look that Lynn was giving her from the corner of her eye caused Cathy to quickly continue with: "But don't get me wrong. If, I one day stumble across someone that I'm more than willing to spend the rest of my life with--and him and I decide to have kids--I'd be more than willing to welcome the child into my heart with open arms...especially if the child is anything like Kayla--and I'm not just saying that because she's your granddaughter."

"R-rright!" Lynn jokingly responded back, before deciding that she had enough information for now and could change the subject. "You know I sometimes still can't believe that my baby has a baby."

While following the older woman's gaze towards the stage where Justin was playing peek-a-boo with Kayla, Cathy couldn't help but inwardly admit to herself that Justin didn't look like any baby to her, while outwardly responding back with: "I'm sure most parents feel the same way whenever they see their children with their kids. It just takes some time getting used to, I guess."

After slightly nodding her head in agreement, Lynn jokingly replied that she figured it would take her a lifetime to get used to it, before letting out a small sigh and standing up from her seat with a somewhat forlorn expression on her face. "Well, I better go rescue my son from another round of peek-a-boo so he can get back to his sound-check and you can get back to Kayla's case file....talk to you later?"

"If you can get away from Chris and JC...sure, why not!" Cathy jokingly replied, causing Lynn to playfully roll her eyes in response, before turning around and heading towards the venue's stage area; throwing over her shoulder as an afterthought: "See you later."

"Not if I see you first."

Saturday, July 6, 2002 (Las Vegas, Nevada)

"So, when did you say you guys are heading back this way?"

As if she was a robot, Cathy let out a low sigh before sarcastically retorting: "For the forty-fifth time in the last ten minutes, we'll be back in Orlando next Sunday, got it?"

After sarcastically laughing at the comment, Robert--Cathy's younger brother--replied back with: "Ha, ha, very funny, smart-ass. But I meant what time are you guys heading back this way....Ryan told me to ask because he has a special surprise for you. And just between me and you, if any of your new little pop-star friends are even thinking about bringing you home, you better make sure that they don't easily get sick at the sight of bright colors. 'Cause knowing Ryan, I'm sure he's going to have this place filled to the brim with bright pink fluorescent birthday streamers."

Without even bothering to hold it in, Cathy let out a small giggle at that image. If she knew her brother's boyfriend as well as she thought she did, she figured she wouldn't put it pass him to do such a thing.

Unfortunately before she could tell Robert that said fact, the sound of a door opening behind her caused Cathy to turn around and inwardly groan at the sight of her roommate Anna entering their room. Just one more night of Miss--JC this and JC that--and I'll be back where I belong; bunking with Rebecca.

After throwing Anna a fake smile, Cathy quickly told her brother that she had to go. "But I'll try and call you back after tonight's concert, okay?"

"All right..I'll be here." Robert nonchalantly replied, before saying his good-byes and hanging up with the older woman; interestingly enough, just seconds before Anna could start in with her prying.

"Sorry if I interrupted your conversation..was that your boyfriend?"

Not wanting to get into that conversation with the older woman caused Cathy to quickly respond back with: "No, that was my younger brother. I was just calling to check up on him before I went to find Justin and Kayla....you didn't happen to see them in the lobby on your way up here, did you?"

If Cathy didn't know any better she could've sworn Anna had rolled her eyes at the question, but a second later the petite woman's--too sugary sweet for Cathy's taste--smile was back on her face. "No, but I did see Justin's bodyguard out in the hallway. So, I'm guessing if you're looking for those two you might want to try Justin's room first."

"All right, thanks." Cathy quickly responded back, before making her way towards the door of their room; calling over her shoulder, as an afterthought, "I'll see you later."

"All right...have fun!"

Without even bothering to wonder what Anna meant by that comment, Cathy continued to make her way outside of their room and down the hallway towards Justin's room; which, just like Anna had said, Mike--Justin's bodyguard--was standing in front of.

"Well, look who finally decided to show her face...I started to get a little worried when you didn't come with Justin and I to the airport to drop off Mrs. Harless."

Knowing that the older man was just teasing her caused Cathy to jokingly respond back with: "Well, I can't follow Justin and Kayla everywhere they go....that would be doing your job."

"And besides, I figured that Lynn had been around all of us too much already these last couple of weeks and should just have some much-needed time alone with her son and granddaughter, if that's okay with you."

While chuckling at the younger woman's comebacks, Mike jokingly responded back with: "That's defiantly okay with me," before throwing out that Kayla and Justin were inside and that he'd talk to her later.

"If you must." Cathy sarcastically commented, before playfully winking to tell Mike that she was just kidding and afterwards stepping inside Justin's room; finding Kayla seated on one of the beds, by herself, watching TV--while hugged up with her Yogi the Bear teddybear.

Justin must be in the bathroom.

With that thought in mind, Cathy closed the door behind her--getting Kayla's attention--and then spoke up with: "Whatcha' watching?"

"Deters lap-Tory." Kayla quickly responded back, before turning her attention back towards the TV screen in front of her; opting for Dexter and Dee-Dee over any conversation started by Cathy.

She reminds me so much of Robert sometimes.

"Who are you talking to, Kay?"

Snapping out of her thoughts at that comment, Cathy looked towards the right--where the voice had come from--just in time to see a dripping wet Justin coming out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel on.

Oh my god..

After noticing that Kayla wasn't the only one in the room with him, Justin couldn't help but absentmindedly pull his towel closer to his body while inwardly chuckling at the expression that was written on Cathy's face.

Bright reds an interesting color on her.

With that thought in mind, Justin nonchalantly asked: "Hey, I didn't hear you come in...you've been here long?"

A question which--a now, somewhat nervous--Cathy was about to respond back to. But fortunately enough, before she could do so, Kayla interrupted her with: "Bring lion?"

After meeting an oblivious Kayla's gaze, Cathy tried to piece together what the one year old had asked her. And after a second of thinking about it, she finally realized what the little girl had said: "No, sweetie, I forgot The Lion King back in my room...but I'll go get it and be back in a couple of minutes, okay?"

Knowing that the latter part of that conversation was directed more towards him than towards Kayla caused Justin to once again have to hold back his chuckles and then, even more so, as Cathy quickly turned around--not meeting his eye--and made her way out of their room; throwing over her shoulder before the door slammed shut: "Be back in five!"

I just bet you will!

After closing the door to Justin's room, Cathy took a second to try and shake the image of a half-naked Justin out of her head--to, interestingly enough, no avail. And then after finally getting herself slightly composed, she made her way back towards her hotel room; ignoring Mike's confused stare along the way.

God, if Anna's still in here, please just let me be able to find the movie and go..I can't take any of her questioning right now.

With a hopeful look on her face, Cathy slowly opened the door to her room and then inwardly cursed when she noticed that Anna was still there.

But atleast she's on the phone. So, their still may be a chance that I might be able to sneak in, get the movie and then sneak out without her being any of the wiser.

With that being her last thought, Cathy quietly placed the door up against the frame so it wouldn't shut behind her. And then--just as quietly--she quickly picked up The Lion King from the night stand that she had accidentally left it on and then turned to leave, but stopped as she realized she might be forgetting something else.

"Girl, you wouldn't believe how good of a kisser JC is. If I would've known that man could work his tongue like that, I would've hooked up with him a long time ago."

If their is, I can just come back for it later. Cathy inwardly told herself after hearing Anna's last comment.

"No, we haven't done it yet, but I know it wont be too long now. I've got JC wrapped around my little pinkie finger."

Someone's a little full of themselves.

Not wanting to hear anymore, Cathy made her way back towards the door but stopped in her tracks as Anna's next comment filled the room:

"I know! He doesn't even have a clue as to what I did to Justin...I mean, c'mon, even at one point I thought he had figured it out: one week he confesses to me about Justin's little biracial child and the next second it's all over the papers. You'd think he'd be smart enough to put two and two together. But it just goes to show you how stupid men can be."

What the..?

Turning back around, Cathy couldn't help but throw daggers at the woman in front of her.

Wait a minute...all this time everyone's been practically pulling their hair out trying to figure out who keeps giving undisclosed information to the media and all this time it's been her?

After listening to Anna brag to her friend about how stupid JC was for a couple more minutes, Cathy's mind went back to the night a couple months ago when Kayla was in her truck; screaming because she thought someone was trying to hurt her.

And with that thought in mind, she outwardly screamed: "You bitch!" Causing the woman in front of her to turn around startled and drop her cellphone in surprise.

"Cathy..! I didn't hear you come back, are you okay? You don't look so good....is Kayla all right?"

Going by what the woman had just said to her friend on the phone, Cathy didn't believe for one-second that Anna really cared about Kayla's well-being or the well-being of anyone else on the tour--besides herself. So, without thinking about the repercussions she'd receive for her actions, she quickly closed the distance between herself and the woman in front of her and--just as quickly--punched the petite brunette dead in her eye.