Title- Falling Stars
Set Pre- Show, so no real spoilers
Summery-. - On that forgotten beach that night, she gave him purpose; he gave her hope
Warnings-
Authors notes- I actually did dialogue! Imagine that! Dialogue is one of my greatest fears, as it is so easy to make to jolting and hokey. But, as I am trying to start a multi-chaptered fic, I need the practice!
Please review and tell me how I did!
Falling Stars.
September was not supposed to be this cold- especially not in California. 23 year-old Gil Grissom pulled his favorite jacket closer to his body as the evening wind ruffled his hair. Of course, if he were really worried about staying warm, he would have kept his shoes on. But it seemed almost blasphemous to walk on the silent beach wearing his conservative leather shoes. So they lay abandoned by the edge of the sand, waiting for him while he strolled by the bay.
It was the first real vacation he had taken since the Los Angeles Morgue had hired him.
That was almost five years ago.
His supervisor had been shocked when his young employee had asked for a week off. When asked why, Grissom had replied truthfully. He was beginning to wonder if he should continue his job as assistant coroner.
In the past three months, he had helped autopsy over ten young children.
Only two of them had died of natural causes.
Gil was not squeamish, and could usually handle death easily. But abused children had always been a problem with him.
He had begun to question if he really needed to see all of this. He loved his job, but the nightmares were keeping him up at night.
He needed some time.
His supervisor had understood. He had told Gil to take all the time he needed, and not to jump to any conclusions. He had gone through the normal speech of how valuable Gil was, and how the city would hate to lose him. Gil rolled his eyes and passed it off for political blubber.
It had actually been his supervisor who had recommended Tamales Bay. He had said that in the ten years he had been visiting the place, it had yet to grow old. So far, Gil hadn't found any reason to disagree. The Inn in which he was staying was warm and homey, and he found the town quaint.
But it was this beach that he loved the most. The sand was yellow during the day, but it gleamed almost golden by the moonlight. The dark trees that had crept up nearly to the sands cast odd shadows over the sand, and the night creatures sang quietly to themselves. Every night he had walked this beach.
It was rather hard to get to. The half hour drive and long hike scared many would-be visitors away, but it made it all the more appealing to the young man.
The beach was unblemished by casual footsteps and discarded litter and the creatures were unafraid of the quiet man.
There was a large pile of rocks next to the water, and Gil made his way over to it. He lowered himself onto a comfortable, round rock. As the waved lapped against the shore, Gil drew a deep breath of the fresh sea-air and sighed.
He absent-mindedly flipped a smaller rock over and watched the crabs and other animals scurry to find shelter. The tide was slowly rising.
This was beauty.
He closed his eyes and leaned back against the rock.
This was his last day in Tamales Bay. Tomorrow at ten o'clock, his plane was leaving for Los Angeles. He would be home, and his supervisor would be expecting an answer.
Gil had none to give. He was no closer to a decision then he had been when he had first entered Tamales Bay. Although the town was lovely, and the scenery calming, Gil's sleep was still haunted by nightmares. Though the people had been sweet and welcoming, Gil found himself wondering which ones would be murdered, or become murderers them selves.
Maybe his was losing his mind. Maybe he should quit. But he did love his job, and there was a certain amount of satisfaction in helping catch the criminals. The work was hard and exhausting, but it was exhilarating. The only people he worked with were the other coroners, but people had always confused the young man. While working in the morgue, he rarely got time to spend on other passion- bugs. Then, the crime lab did benefit from this knowledge of his. The nightmares kept him up at night, but-
"You are sitting on my rock." Gil tensed and slowly forced her eyes open. He had been so caught up in his internal debate that he hadn't heard any one approaching. Silently cursing his inattention, he sought out his interrupter with his eyes.
It didn't take long.
A little girl of no more then seven was standing right in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest, eyeing him suspiciously.
He cleared his throat and sat up slowly. "Excuse me?"
The tiny intruder rolled her eyes impatiently before answering him.
"I said- you are sitting on my rock." The girl pronounced every word carefully and slowly, as though to make sure that he understood. She was dressed in a faded blue dress covered in yellow butterflies, and there was a pink patch over one knee. Her light brown hair was pulled into two messy braids, which Gil guessed she had done herself. A coarse gray sweater was thrown haphazardly around her shoulders, and her feet were bare. Her eyes were large and brown, and at the moment, flashing dangerously.
She was- precious.
Gil chuckled quietly before slowly raising himself from his seat, and gesturing to it with his hand.
"My sincerest apologies. You throne, My Lady. " The girl glared at him before primly scrambling upon the rock and situating herself on it carefully. She pulled her knees up to her chest and looked up to the sky.
Gil watched her silently for a minute. Her eyes never wavered from the stars. He glanced around quickly and took a seat on the rock next to her. It was smaller then the rock he had previously been sitting on, so his head was level with hers. He sat there stiffly for a moment. Then he turned and looked at the little girl sitting silently beside him. She was so unlike the white, unmoving children he saw back in Los Angeles. Her chest moved with each breath she took, and her eyes glittered with intelligence. Her small, round face was tanned and a light spray of freckles dusted her tiny nose.
She was alive.
He swallowed thickly, and abandoned his train of thought. He leaning into the rock behind him and stared up at the stars with his tiny companion.
This was the third time he had visited this particular beach and he had never once looked up. The sky was dark blue and devoid of clouds. The stars seemed to go on forever. The constellations were clear and the North Star was shining brightly.
It was beautiful.
"Aren't you going to leave?" Once again, Gil tensed as the shrill voice pierced his quiet thoughts. He turned his head and met the girl's confused eyes.
"No," he spoke the word as carefully as she had. "Should I?" Her deep brown eyes stared into his as she answered.
"Everybody leaved. No one just sits and watches the stars with out talking. They get bored and leave. Why aren't you?"
"Why aren't you?" He countered, a single eyebrow raised.
"I am not normal." The words were spoken clearly and frankly, as if she was repeating what she had been told. Gil frowned.
"I'm not normal either." The girl considered this answer for a moment, then shrugged and turned her eyes back to the stars. Gil smirked and did the same.
"Aren't you cold?" This time it was Grissom who broke their peaceful silence. The girl jerked slightly before turning to him, her eyes wide.
"No, I'm fine, thank you." Her shaking shoulders and red nose belied her words, and Gil sighed. He sat up slowly and shrugged out of his jacket. He shivered slightly when the cool air hit him, but he held the jacket out to the girl. She stared at the jacket before glancing up at him in shock. He smiled gently
"It's all right. Take it." He shook it slightly, and the girl extends a thin hand to grab it. She wrapped it quickly around her shoulders, and shot him a thin smile.
"Thank You." The words were so quiet he almost missed them. Gil nodded in acceptance for her thanks.
"Won't your parents worry about you being out this late?" Grissom knew what horrors could befall this beautiful little, alone late at night. Any parents would worry. But the girl shook her head.
"I go out often. They don't worry anymore." Gil didn't agree, but he let the matter rest. As long as the girl stayed on the beach, he would remain, if only to convince himself that she was safe.
He held out his hand to the girl.
"I am Gil Grissom by the way." Her hand emerged from the folds of his jacket and shook his offered hand. Her hand was small, but her grip was strangely firm.
"Very nice to meet you Mr. Grissom." Gil waited a moment, but the little girl remained silent.
"Do you have a name?" He prompted gently. The girl shook her head slowly. Grissom frowned.
"You don't have name?" The girl rolled her eyes.
"I have a name, Silly. I am just not supposed to tell it to strangers." She answered hotly. Gil smiled slightly. It was a good rule; it just didn't really work when she was sitting next to him on a deserted beach. Nevertheless, he nodded his head gravely.
"I very good idea. Forgive me for imposing upon you." He heard a muffled giggle from inside his coat.
The girl scooted over closer to him. "Why are you here?" Her tone was not hostile as before, merely curious. Gil considered the question before answering.
"Do you mean in Tamales Bay, or here on the beach?" The girl cocked her head to one side.
"Both."
"I came to Tamales Bay on vacation," she didn't need to know all about his reasons for visiting her quiet, peaceful town, or about the demons he brought with him.
"And I am here an this beach because I heard that no one came here. I like the quiet." The girl slowly nodded her head in agreement.
"A lot of people come here on vacation. My parents run a Bed and Breakfast and it is always busy. Especially during the summer." Her eyes left his face and traveled over the beach.
"Not many people come here. I don't know why. It's the best place to stargaze. That's what I come here for." She flashed him another thin smile, and he returned it.
They turned back to the stars.
"Sara." It was the third time the girl had interrupted his thoughts, but Gil found he didn't mind.
"What was that?"
"You asked me what my name was. I just told you. It's Sara." Gil turned his head to her, and found her already looking at him. "I thought you weren't supposed to tell a stranger your name?" Sara smiled slightly.
"We have known each other for nearly two hours. I don't think that we are strangers any more." She smiled at having found the loophole in the rule. Grissom smiled back.
"I guess your right. So it's Sara. That's a lovely name." The girl- Sara- shrugged.
"If you think so. I hate it."
"Why?"
"Because it means Princess." Gil looked at the girl, puzzled.
"It thought that little girls loved princesses?" Sara shook her head decidedly.
"Princesses are unrealistic. They are unusually perfectly beautiful, have some sort of absurd adventure and are rescued by a handsome prince. Not very likely. " Gil had never met a child with that kind of attitude toward the mythical ladies.
"And any way," Sara continued. "Those Princesses always have happy endings. Dad says there is no such thing as a happy ending." Sara looked up at Gil, and her eyes were much too old for a seven-year-old girl. Gil said nothing, just reached over and grasped her hand. She squeezed back.
They turned their eyes back to the stars.
"Ohh!" Sara sat up right suddenly, and Gil jumped at the sudden noise.
"What? What's wrong?" Sara didn't answer, her face turned to the sky. Gil quickly around to make sure there was no one else on the beach before turning his attention back to his small companion. A hundred things that could be wrong were running through his mind.
"What is it Sara?" Sara didn't move, and when she spoke, it was a quiet, reverent whisper.
"I saw a shooting star." Grissom let out the breath he was holding and relaxed his tense muscles. She wasn't hurt, scared or in danger. He chuckled at his own paranoia. Sara was till staring at the sky, even though the spectacle was long gone. She let out a longing sigh.
"They aren't common out here. I have only seen seven in my whole life. They are so pretty, aren't they?"
"I wonder where it fell to." Grissom glanced at Sara.
"What do you mean?"
"The star, Mr. Grissom. It was falling, so it had to land somewhere. I would love to find one someday." Her voice was soft and her tone wistful. Unsure of how to respond, Grissom said nothing.
"My brother told me that if you find a fallen star, it would make any wish come true. Do you believe that?" She looked up at him with innocent eyes and Gil froze.
He could tell her that a falling star really wasn't a star at all. It was a piece of rock floating past the Earth.
He could tell that even if it did enter the atmosphere, the usually burned up before landing on the ground, and even then it was just pieces of meteorite.
He could tell her that no bits of rock would make a wish reality.
He could have, but he didn't.
"I do believe that Sara. I do." Slowly, the edges of her mouth began to lift. The smile that spread across her face was not like the tight, closed-mouth grins she had given him before. It was open and trusting. He could see a gap between to front teeth, and two deep dimples appeared in her cheeks. That smile was all the reward he needed ofr his tiny lie.
"Good." She whispered. "Good."
"What would your wish be, Mr. Grissom?" Gil shut his eyes and considered her question seriously. The answer itself wasn't that hard. He knew what his wish would be. He only wanted to phrase it in a way appropriate for so small a child. He was silent for a while. He thought about his job and the children he had seen lying on his slab. He remembered theirs parents' cries as they saw their babies cold and unmoving.
Finally he answered, slowly, carefully.
"In my work, I see a lot of bad people. People who hurt other people. I see children who have seen things no one should see. I see the worst the people can do to each other. My wish would- that people would stop hurting each other." Sara said nothing. She didn't move. Grissom wondered if she was even awake. A few minutes passes before she spoke.
"I wish the too Mr. Grissom. I wish that too." Her voice was small and quiet, but Grissom could hear the pain in it. His eyes slid shut. Were no children innocent anymore?
He heard a rustling and opened his eyes. Sara had jumped down from her favorite rock and was standing in front of him again. He looked at her and she stared back.
Slowly, Sara lifted her arms to him.
Hesitantly, he reached down and wrapped his arms around the girl's slight frame. He picked her up, and she curled herself into a ball, her head resting above his heart.
Gil sat back with Sara still wrapped in his arms, and a single tear made its way down his face. They were both silent.
The hours passed, and neither moved. He drew comfort from her fragile innocence and she from his gentle strength. The peace of the beach was undisturbed. Slowly, the sun began to rise in the east. Gil and Sara watched silently, each occupied with their own thoughts. The sun was golden and the surrounding clouds turned deep pink and blue, and the fragile light turned the water to deep violet. The newborn rays bathed the silent duo in their light, but they remained silent. The colors were glorious. They grew lighter and lighter, and as quickly as they had come, they were gone. The new day had come.
Reluctantly, Grissom stirred. He had no idea what time it was, but he could guess. His flight was scheduled to take off at 10:00 AM. And he knew that Sara's parents would be missing her, no matter what she said. Sara lifted her head from where it had been resting against his chest and stared at him sorrowfully.
"You have to go." It was not a question.
Gil nodded sadly. "I have to go."
Sara stared down at her lap, where her tightly- clasped hands were resting. She hopped off his lab lightly, and turned to face him.
"Will you ever come back?" Her words were careful and her tone unsure.
"I hope so. If I ever do, I'll come to this beach and look for you." Sara lifted one side of her mouth in a sort of pained grimace, but she remained silent. She took off the jacket he had lent her and handed it back to him. Grissom took it from her and laid it across his arms. The morning light was warm on his face, and there was no need for the jacket.
"Goodbye Sara." Grissom stared at the little girl. She was so young, and at times so old. He knew that he would never meet anyone quite like her again. He also knew that he would never forget this night by the bay.
Sara stepped forward and slowly extended her hand.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Grissom." Her voice was formal and emotionless.
Grissom shook the offered hand, fighting the feeling of deja vu. When he released her hand, it fell to her side. She stood there, motionless, studying the sand beneath her feet.
Unsure of what to do, Gil turned and walked away. He had barely made it five steps before he heard her call out to him.
"Wait!" He turned, and before he could process what was happening, two small arms were wrapped tightly around his waist. Oddly touched, Gil gently draped his own arms around the girl's shoulders, his jacket falling onto the sandy beach. After a moment, Sara lifted her head. She took a step back and grabbed one of his hands.
"I will never forget you Mr. Grissom. And someday, I am going to leave this town and find you. Then, I am going to marry you. I am going to find that fallen star and make that wish, so I know it's going to come true. So, you can't forget about me either, Gil Grissom. Never."
Her words were fast, and her expression fierce. Gil felt her press something cold into his palm, and she was gone. Her watched her sprint across the beach and disappear into the trees.
He didn't know how long he stood there, silent and still, with a smile upon his face.
He doubted that he would ever see the girl again, but he was in no danger of forgetting her. He glanced down at the object she had shoved into his hand. He sucked in a breath when he realized what it was.
There, in his hand was a small, gray stone. Not just any stone though. It was shaped like a star. Its edges were slightly worn down, as though someone had rubbed it again and again.
He remembered their conversation about stars and wishes. He remembered her softly spoken words. His wish… He turned the stone star over and over in his hand, and he didn't even notice that his eyes had misted over.
Maybe this trip had done had his supervisor had intended. He had found a reason to continue working in forensics. Not for himself. If he wanted happiness for himself, he could get his degree in entomology, work at a desk his entire life, and forget about the horrors of the world. But that wasn't what it was about.
It was about making the world safer for all the little ones, to keep them innocent for just a little bit longer.
Gil straightened his shoulders and clenched his hand around the rock. He would continue doing his part for as long as it took.
He would make his wish come true.
For Sara.
Finis
A/N- That was- slight scary. I swear, I am not trying to make Grissom into a Pedophile, and I hope it doesn't come across as such.
Caution- Authors Rant
This story was inspired by something I heard on the news. It was about a little girl who was taken from her local super-market in the middle of the day. Her body was found a week later in a ditch. Before he had killed her, her abductor had raped and beaten her.
How sick is our world today that people can do that to innocent children. I have a sister who is the same age as that little girl, and I don't know what I would do if something happened to her.
Maybe if we all try to do our parts and take care of our little ones, stuff like this won't happen.
I am not trying to preach here, or seem all goody-goody, that story just made me kinda emotional. Sorry! Getting of the soapbox now…
Rant Officially Over
On a lighter note, I could easily write an extremely fluffy- and extremely short -epilogue with older Geeks. If ya guys want it, just tell me!
Thanks for Reading!
Iethena