My entry for the CSI Forever Online August Challenge. Ethereal Universe; Grissom has a confession for Sara, and the geek parents have some news to ponder. Some Kaia love, because she tends to get overshadowed by her siblings sometimes. Reviews are always appreciated. Happy reading...
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Seated in the stands Sara clenched her hands together in her lap, her knuckles white with tension.
"That child has no nerves," she said bitterly as Kaia tumbled the length of the balance beam backwards, launched herself into the air, rolled, twisted and landed perfectly on her feet.
"Not a one," agreed Gil as they whistled and cheered. Their eleven year-old saluted the judges and went to rejoin her team, now a member short. On the sidelines Lucy Caster was having her broken leg encased in an air splint before being transferred to the ER.
They watched Kaia calmly moved to the vault with her team, waiting to be called. Glancing at Lucy, Gil winced.
"I broke my ankle once," he muttered absently as he saw Sydney down by the team. She had been hired as the official meet photographer for the team representing Kaia's gym. Sophie trailed behind her, carrying a tripod and large camera case.
"Really?" asked Sara, curious. Gil flinched, realizing what he'd said.
"Yeah!"
"Feel free to elaborate dear," replied Sara, her eyes flicking to the score board.
"I had a disagreeable encounter with the principals of classical mechanics." Sara looked at him, eyebrows rising slightly. "I suffered from an abrupt and rapid decrease in altitude from advanced arboreal elevation owing to the agitated nature of my exodus from particular perils." He looked up to find level brown eyes fixed on him.
"You fell out of a tree," she said flatly, lips twitching in mirth. "While being chased by something." He nodded, shamefaced. They stood, cheering and clapping as Kaia's beam score was announced, putting her first individually and moving her team into second place.
"Why," asked Sara as they sank back into their seats, "were you running?" Grissom put his head in his hands.
"I can't believe I've never told you this before," he groaned. "But considering the imminent mortification I was probably practicing self-preservation," he added, straightening. "I was in Peru."
"PhD research?" asked Sara, trying not to laugh at his expression.
"Yes," he nodded. "It was a research station in the jungle, less than two dozen of us out there. One of the female students… ahhh… took a shine to me," he cringed at the memory. "She took to following me around camp, turning up in places she wasn't supposed to be, cornering me when I was alone." He glanced at his wife and sighed, seeing unholy amusement in her eyes.
"One evening I left camp to go and check on an area I was observing and I heard her following me through the trees. I tried hiding and then taking a different path but I couldn't shake her. So I ran down a detour and climbed up a tree that overlooked my area and the trail. I was about fifteen feet up when I missed my footing."
"And?" asked Sara, grinning. Gil glared at her mischievous expression.
"And I fell out of the tree. I landed on my ankle and broke it two places," he grimaced at the memory. Still laughing, Sara pointed to the vault, where their little acrobat was getting ready for her turn.
"Did your admirer fetch help for you?"
"No," he admitted, a slow smile spreading over his face. He grabbed her hand as Kaia took off, thundering down the runway.
"Did your lack of athletic prowess put her off pursuing you?" came the barely contained snigger.
"You could say that," he nodded. The breath caught in his throat as Kaia soared off the springboard, hit the vaulting table, and flew into the air.
When the cheers died down and they resettled in their seats, Sara asked,
"So what happened?"
"I ended up crawling back to camp to get help for her." She gazed back, her features arranged in a lovely quizzical frown. Unable to help himself, Gil leaned over and kissed her.
"I landed on her," he finally admitted, lips twitching. "Knocked her out cold."
…
Her ribs still aching from her earlier amusement, Sara sat next to Gil at the kitchen table late that evening, sharing dinner. Kaia was abed, thoroughly worn out and the twins had gone to a sleepover with their band mates. Kati was sprawled in the dog basket with Hank, snoring softly.
Coach Keyes had asked to speak to them after the ride back to Vegas; his words weighed heavily on them both as they stared at the newest medals in Kaia's collection. He believed that if she wanted it, and committed to the goal, Kaia would make junior elite level before she was thirteen. The team silver, all-around, vault and beam gold, floor bronze and uneven bars silver medals glaring up at them from the table backed his words.
"I've been afraid of this since the first competition she entered when she was three," Sara informed Gil.
"We need some limitations," he said thoughtfully. "She's got to have some other outlets besides gymnastics. But if she wants to do it, then I think we should let her follow her dream."
"I agree," nodded Sara, "it just scares the hell out of me every time I watch her; no matter how thrilling it is or how proud of her I am, my mind just won't shut up about the physics of it all." Gil laughed, and pulled her into an embrace.
The moved upstairs; Gil carried Kati and settled her in her own bed before they looked in on Kaia. Surrounded by her medals, trophies and posters of her gymnastics heroines, she was sound asleep clutching her lucky meerkat.
"So," said Sara, as they moved down the hall, "are you afraid of all women chasing you? Or just one in particular?" His eyes widened as she lunged for him, but he slid out of reach. Seeing a familiar glint in her eyes he ran, just reaching the bedroom before she caught him and, grinning possessively, leaned in to kiss him.