DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. The characters in CSI do not belong to me, all rights belong to CBS, I do however own the character of Paul Matthews (I created him myself) and Lexxi Seymour and her family.
SUMMARY: Grissom has taken a few of his CSIs on holiday in an attempt to get them to bond. He has taken Greg Sanders, Bobby Dawson, Sara Sidle, Paul Matthews and Lexxi Seymour. Lexxi is the newest member of the crime lab and is overjoyed when Paul asks her out but is he really as perfect as he seems or will she see his darker side?
A/N: This story isn't set after any particular episode but it is set before Sara and Grissom got romantically involved and Sara left. They are staying in a lakeside cabin which has three bedrooms and a sofa bed in the living room. The living room and kitchen are open planned and the chalet has a veranda with a couple of sun beds and a table with six matching chairs. (Thought I'd set the scene for you). As always, ages have been changed to suit my story.
WARNING: Contains some swearing…better tell you now.
TITLE: Getting to Know You
XxxoxxX
It was their first day in the cabin and already the arguments had started. "You cannot expect me to carry on sharing with him!"
"And why not?"
"I hate the little rat!"
"I brought you here to bond, get to know each other better so you can at least make a little bit of an effort."
"Why should I?"
"I'm not asking you to Bobby, I'm telling you to."
Sara walked into the living room to find a stern looking Gil Grissom and a very pissed off Bobby Dawson. "What the hell is going on?" It was far too early in Sara's opinion and her voice was still laced with sleep.
"Bobby had a problem sharing with Greg." Grissom looked at her and then back at Bobby. "I think we've sorted it out though; come to an understanding." Bobby simply nodded and stormed back into his bedroom. "I'm still not happy about Lexxi sleeping on the sofa bed either." The cabin had three bedrooms and Grissom had tried to share them out evenly. Greg was sharing a twin bedroom with Bobby, Sara had a double room of her own, Grissom was sharing a twin room with Paul and Lexxi had volunteered to sleep on the sofa bed but was sharing Sara's wardrobe.
"Yeah well, she wants to sleep out here so…" She trailed off and turned around.
"Where are you going?" His voice was curious and she looked back over her shoulder.
"Back to bed, some people use vacation time to sleep…as in sleep in until way after six. Good night." With that she walked back into her bedroom and went back to sleep.
Grissom walked into the kitchen and set about boiling the kettle, needing a cup of coffee to wake him up properly. He was startled slightly when he heard a voice behind him and spun round to see Lexxi leaning against the wall. "Morning." She smiled at him.
"Morning, would you like a cup of coffee?" She nodded and thanked him then sat down at the kitchen table. He made their coffee and put the two mugs on the table then sat down opposite her. "So what has you up so early?"
"Oh I couldn't sleep, guess you could say that's a good thing though." He looked at her confused. "Well I heard you and Bobby arguing…if I'd still been in bed I would have woken up anyway; luckily I was in the shower."
"Yes, sorry about that. Are you sure you're ok on that sofa bed?" He looked at her, concern in his eyes.
"I'm fine and I don't need to worry about pleasing anyone else." He raised an eyebrow and she smiled. "Last time I shared a room with Sara, she told me off for mumbling in my sleep." She thought back to the teambuilding weekend they had spent and inwardly chuckled; it certainly had been an experience.
"Oh yes, I take it you're referring to the teambuilding weekend?" She nodded and he laughed. "Yes, we got Greg and Hodges to call a truce. Now we just need to get Bobby and Greg to learn to get along."
"You do realise that's going to be impossible, right?" Grissom gave an exasperated sigh and nodded, causing Lexxi to laugh. "So what has you up so early?"
"Bobby came in and woke me up, ranting about Greg so I thought I might as well get up." She gave him a sympathetic nod and he told her that he was going getting a shower.
XxxoxxX
Lexxi was the newest recruit at the Las Vegas Crime Lab and had transferred from Oklahoma three months back. She had already made close friends to Wendy Simms, Archie Johnson and Catherine Willows but Grissom felt that she was still slightly distant from some of the other CSIs. In a bid to get them all to bond, he had come up with the idea of taking them on a vacation and had found a perfect log cabin beside a lake. He had decided on the cabin as soon as he had seen it advertised, realising that they would have no choice but to bond. It had a radio and all the essentials for cooking and sleeping but there was no television and the fire was a real log fire. It had seemed like the best way to get them to bond but when the arguments had started between Greg and Bobby, Grissom had started to regret his decision. The arguments had started as soon as Greg and Bobby had woken up and as soon as Grissom and Paul had finished breakfast, they had volunteered to go grocery shopping as it was Paul's turn to cook the evening meal that night. Lexxi and Sara had also escaped and chosen to sit on the veranda, leaving the childish lab techs inside the chalet.
"So, what's the plan for today?" Sara asked as she flicked through a magazine.
"No idea, I think Grissom said that we could do whatever we wanted to today. He's sorted out a trip to a museum tomorrow but he didn't say anything about today." Sara simply nodded but didn't look up from the article which she was reading. "So, what do you wanna do today?" Lexxi tried to make conversation with her, determined to make friends with the older CSI.
Lexxi was not only the youngest CSI and the youngest member of her family but also the youngest member of the crime lab. She was twenty four and a half years old and had moved to Vegas after a nasty break up with her boyfriend who had been six years older than her. Her mother and father had stayed in Oklahoma, telling her that they understood why she needed a new start but just couldn't go with her. Her mother was originally from Italy but had moved to America when she had met Lexxi's father. She had two older siblings, a brother called Antonio and a sister called Emiliana, both of which still lived in Oklahoma. Emiliana was twenty six years old and married with a three year old daughter called Felicity. Antonio was the oldest in the family and was twenty eight years old. He too had a daughter who was five years old but had been divorced from his wife when she had decided that she didn't love him anymore. She had left him and moved to Spain to marry a man named Pablo, leaving him to bring up Mariella on his own. Lexxi didn't see her niece's very often anymore but made up for it by treating them like princesses when she did. Lexxi also played a big part in Mariella's life as she had to do all the things which a mother would normally do and Lexxi knew that Mariella would need her more than ever when she reached her teenage years. She was staring into space; thinking about her niece's when Sara pulled her from her thoughts.
"I dunno, I was thinking I might just hang out around the lake and have a lazy day." She looked at her, concern filling her eyes. "You ok, you looked miles away a minute ago?"
Lexxi nodded and smiled slightly. "Yeah, just thinking about…stuff." Sara slowly nodded and Lexxi reassured her that she was fine.
"Ok…because if you need someone to talk to…" She trailed off, unsure of what to say. Sara wanted to be there for the younger CSI but didn't know what to say, she really wasn't very good at this kind of thing. She was used to fending for herself; her childhood had made that a necessity but she was uncertain of what to do when it came to other people's feelings.
"Honestly, I'm fine but thanks Sara." Sara nodded and looked back down at her magazine as the two drifted into a comfortable silence. Ten minutes passed and Lexxi decided to go and get a drink. "I'll be back in a minute. You want a drink?" Sara shook her head but thanked her anyway. Lexxi stood up and walked in to find Greg sat at one end of the living room and Bobby at the other, they were both glaring at one another but neither of them spoke. Lexxi just rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen then got a glass out of the cupboard and poured herself a glass of orange juice. When she walked back into the living room she cleared her throat to get their attention and they both looked up at her. "Are you two going to sit here like that all day?"
"If we have to." Bobby then glared at Greg once more and Lexxi sighed before walking back outside and joining Sara at the table.
"Can you believe those two?" Sara looked up at her with raised eyebrows and Lexxi put down her glass.
"What have they done this time?" Her voice was filled with weariness; when it came to Greg and Bobby, nothing would surprise her anymore.
"They are sitting at opposite ends of the room, glaring at each other." Sara rolled her eyes and Lexxi laughed. "That was my reaction too."
XxxoxxX
A couple of hours later, Grissom and Paul had managed to persuade Greg and Bobby to leave the confines of the living room and go fishing with them. Greg, who had never fished in his entire life, was already bored as he sat and stared at the lake. "Are there even any fish in here?"
Grissom laughed and looked at him with an amused expression. "Of course there are fish; did you put any bait on the end of your fishing rod?" Greg slowly shook his head and Grissom rolled his eyes. "No wonder you can't catch anything."
"I'll show you how to do it." Paul stood up and walked over to the clearly inexperienced young fisher and took the rod off him. "Right, you need to…" He explained in great detail how to set the bait up so that the fish would come towards the pole. Greg simply nodded and pretended to be interested.
"God, you're such a moron Greg." Bobby smirked at him from his seat and Greg narrowed his eyes.
"At least I didn't almost shoot myself in the leg the other week because I was talking to someone whilst setting a gun up." Bobby glared at him and Greg smiled innocently.
"Well, at least I lost my virginity before I turned twenty two." Bobby's snide comment got to Greg and his eyes turned cold.
"Well, that was below the belt." Greg fought back but Bobby laughed and smirked again.
"Clearly there was nothing below your belt Greggo." He continued to laugh but was cut off when Paul gave him a gentle shove and he fell off his chair backwards.
"Pack it in you two; some of us just want a nice day to do a bit of fishing." Paul broke up the argument and continued to 'teach' Greg about the joys of fishing. Paul was only twenty nine but he was level headed and had developed a passion for fishing at a young age. His father had taken him fishing as a child every other weekend so he was actually very good at it and now he went fishing with Grissom once a month.
"Sorry, I'll be good…I'll be the bigger person." Greg merely glared at Bobby's remark and looked up at Paul, once again pretending to be interested in the pastime which Paul was enthusiastically describing.
"Bobby, please can you just try to get on with Greg for one day?" Grissom looked at Bobby with raised eyebrows and Bobby sighed but nodded. "Thank you." Greg opened his mouth to make a comment but Grissom stopped him. "That goes for you too Greg, just be nice to him for one day and we can work from there."
"Fine…fine, I'll play nice." Grissom smiled, clearly happy with his answer then sat back in his chair and looked out over the lake.
Half an hour passed and although Greg's line was now set up correctly, he still hadn't caught anything. "Hey guys, caught anything yet?" Sara walked over to Grissom and stood beside him.
He looked up at her and smiled. "Hi, yes I caught one before and Paul caught a couple about an hour ago."
She smiled and looked over at Bobby and Greg. "What about those two?"
"Umm, well Bobby caught a boot and Greg hasn't caught anything." Sara gave a small laugh and Greg sighed. "So, what have you and Lexxi been up to?"
"Not much, just talking I guess." He nodded and she sat down on the grass next to his chair. They all sat talking for a while until Lexxi walked out, a nervous expression on her face.
She walked over to Grissom and tapped him on the shoulder. "Grissom, have you got a minute?"
He looked up and smiled at her. "For you I have two." She gave him a small smile and his eyes shone with concern. "What's up?"
"I'm gonna have to go back to Vegas early; I just got a text from my brother, he has a work conference which he can't miss and he's asked me if he can leave Mariella with me in Vegas for a couple of weeks." Grissom nodded, encouraging her to continue. "I hardly ever see her Grissom so I was wondering if I could use the rest of this vacation time to look after her instead. I know it's a lot to ask but…"
"No." He cut her off and she sighed but nodded.
"Ok, I'll go and call him…tell him I can't look after her." She tried to hide the disappointment in her voice as she turned to walk back into the chalet.
"Lexxi wait, I meant that you should stay here and have your brother fly her out here." Lexxi spun round and looked at him wide-eyed.
"Are you being serious?" He nodded and she smiled at him. "Really?"
"Yes, that way you can look after her and still have your vacation." His voice was understanding and gentle as he offered her a smile. Ever since she had started at the Vegas crime lab, Grissom had been like a second father to her; someone that she could share her problems with when there was nobody else to listen.
"Thank you so much…I'll go and call him now." Before heading back to the cabin however, she wrapped her arms around Grissom's shoulders and hugged him tightly. Then she pulled back, smiled at him and headed for the cabin to call Antonio.
XxxoxxX
The next evening, Antonio arrived at the cabin with the little girl. He knocked on the door and waited patiently for someone to answer; Greg was the one that answered the door and Antonio introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Antonio…I'm Lexxi's brother."
"Hey, I'm Greg; I work with your sister…Oh umm, come in." Antonio smiled and nodded then walked into the living room as Greg went to find Lexxi.
Eventually he tracked her down and she walked into the living room, her lips broke into a smile when she saw him and she ran over to Antonio, throwing her arms around his neck. "Antonio, it's so good to see you. I have missed you so much."
Antonio laughed and wrapped his arms around his sister's waist, hugging her tightly. "I've missed you too sis." When they finally pulled away, he stepped to the side and Mariella came into view. "Someone else has missed you too."
"Mariella!" She picked Mariella up and swung her around in a circle before settling her on her hip. "Oh, I have missed you."
"I missed you too Aunty Lexxi." The little girl loosely wrapped her arms around Lexxi's neck and looked at her father.
"Well, I can't stay because I have a flight in three hours time but thank you so much for looking after her and I promise, when I get back we'll catch up before we go home to Oklahoma." Lexxi nodded and Antonio smiled at her.
"Ok, well have a nice time and don't worry; I'll look after her." Lexxi promised Antonio that she would make sure Mariella was kept safe and he nodded.
"Ok Mari, be good for your Auntie Lexxi." He placed a hand on Mariella's cheek and she smiled at him.
"I will daddy." The little girl smiled at him and he leant over and kissed her cheek.
"I'll call you when I land…let you know I got there safe." He looked at Lexxi and she nodded, telling him to have a safe trip and make sure he called. He vowed to and after giving Mariella another kiss on the cheek and giving Lexxi a kiss on the forehead, he handed over Mariella's suitcase and left the chalet.
"Have you already had something to eat or do you want me to make you something?" Lexxi looked down at her niece and Mariella shook her head.
"No, I didn't like the food on the plane."
"Sweetheart, nobody does." The little girl giggled and Lexxi let out a small laugh. "Well, don't tell your daddy but how about I make you some chocolate chip pancakes?"
"Really?" The little girl's eyes widened and Lexxi nodded. "Yay! I've missed you Aunty Lexxi."
"I've missed you too sweetheart, now…how about those pancakes?" Mariella nodded and Lexxi carried her into the kitchen, looking forward to the next couple of weeks with her niece.
XxxoxxX
When Mariella had eaten, Lexxi led her into the living room to introduce her to everyone. "Guys, I want you to meet my niece." They all looked up at her then back down at the little girl. "Mariella, these are my friends from work." Lexxi introduced her to each person and they all greeted the little girl. "And finally, this is Greg…he's a bit silly." Greg rolled his eyes but then smiled down at Mariella.
"Hi, I'm not really silly…I'm just the fun one." Mariella giggled and looked at him with big eyes. Greg couldn't help but notice that Mariella had the same bright, hazel eyes as Lexxi.
Lexxi smiled then told Greg to move over so that she could sit down. He did and she sat down next to him on the smaller sofa then lifted Mariella onto her lap. "How about a story?" Mariella clapped and then snuggled into Lexxi as everyone watched the way she acted around the little girl. It was obvious that Lexxi had played a massive part in her life and Grissom felt proud of her for standing by Antonio and helping him to raise her on his own.
An hour later, Mariella had fallen asleep and the rest of the group were talking quietly so as not to wake her. "Why don't you put her in my room, she can have my bed and I'll sleep on the other sofa." The smaller sofa pulled out into a sofa bed, which Lexxi was sleeping on and Greg had offered to sleep on the larger sofa.
"I couldn't Greg; you'll never get to sleep on that thing." He shook his head and she sighed.
"I insist." She reluctantly nodded and tried to move from underneath Mariella but sighed when she failed. "Need some help?" Greg smiled at her and she nodded so he stood up and gently lifted the little girl into his arms. Lexxi then stood up and followed Greg as he carried her niece into his bedroom. He gently lay her on the bed and pulled the cover up around her then stepped back to make room for Lexxi.
"Thanks." She smiled softly at him and he nodded before leaving the room. Lexxi tucked Mariella in and gave her a kiss on the forehead before leaving the room and joining everyone in the living room. She sat back down next to Greg and waited for someone to try and make conversation.
A few minutes of silence passed until Paul spoke up. "Lexxi, can I have a word with you outside?" She nodded and followed him out onto the veranda then patiently waited for him to talk. "I was wondering if umm…I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me sometime." He looked at her, waiting for her to answer and she nodded.
"I'd love to out with you." He smiled and nodded before walking over to her and taking hold of her hands.
"Great…because I really like you." She smiled shyly at him and looked down at the floor then back up at him.
"I really like you too." He pulled her to him and tilted her face up then passionately kissed her on the lips. When they pulled back, they smiled at each other and he rested his forehead against hers.
"You wanna go back inside now?" She nodded, unable to form any words and still recovering from the mind blowing kiss she had just received. He smiled at her and pulled back then they turned and walked back into the living room, hand-in-hand.
XxxoxxX
Two days later, everything was going really well between Lexxi and Paul and he seemed perfect. He had taken her out the night before as Grissom had volunteered to look after Mariella and he had been a gentleman. He had paid the bill and when she had been cold on the way home, he had wrapped an arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. Grissom had spent the evening telling Mariella stories about when he was a child and had even read her the story version of 'Antz' because they didn't have a TV to watch the movie. Little did Lexxi know that Paul wasn't as perfect as he seemed.
It was half past two in the afternoon and Lexxi and Sara were on their way back to the cabin, having done some shopping and leaving Mariella with Paul. Grissom and Bobby were fishing again and Greg was watching them, content to tell Bobby that he was holding his rod all wrong. "Paul, I'm bored." Mariella pulled on the bottom his shirt and he looked down at her.
"You're bored?" She nodded and he contemplated what to do. "Why don't we make something for desert then tonight?" She nodded and clapped so he picked up a cook book from the shelf and sat down on the floor, pulling her down to sit on his lap. "Ok, what should we make?"
They flicked through the book until Mariella found something which she thought would be easy enough. "What about this one?" He looked down at the cook book and smiled; she had picked a trifle, something which even he couldn't mess up.
"Yeah, I think we can manage that but we'll have to use the vegetarian jelly. I didn't even know you could get an alternative…amazing isn't it?" He stood up then lifted her into his arms and sat her down on one of the kitchen counters before looking around the room for the ingredients which they would need. "Which flavour jelly do you want?" He called from across the room and Mariella looked up to find him stood with three different flavours. She laughed at the look of sheer concentration on his face and he looked up and smiled. "We have Strawberry, Lemon and Lime or Pineapple. Oh, I don't think I've ever had pineapple jelly before…have you?" She shook her head and he walked over to her with the packets then placed them on the counter beside her. "Which do you think?" She looked at them, trying to decide and when she couldn't, he came up with an idea. "I know, instead of a trifle, we could make a multicoloured jelly." She nodded and he put the packets to one side before getting a glass bowl and a measuring jug out of the cupboard. He filled the measuring jug up then set it down on the counter and read the back of one of the packets.
Mariella waited patiently for him until she saw a spider scurry across the floor and screamed. He turned around quickly and saw her panicking and squirming on the counter; in the process she knocked the jug of water to the floor and it splashed Paul as it hit the floor. "Oops, I'm sorry." She looked up at him with apologetic eyes but he wasn't interested and she got scared when she saw the anger in his eyes.
"What the fuck were you doing?" She said nothing, just looked down at the floor. "For God's sake answer me when I'm talking to you!" She abruptly looked up and he picked her up then set her down on the floor and threw a dishcloth at her. "Clean it up you little brat!" He continued to shout at her and call her names as she burst into tears and tried to mop up the water. "It isn't difficult you know; just wipe it up for fuck's sake!"
Just as he had said that, Greg walked in and took in the sight before him. "What the hell's going on?" He looked around the kitchen and was horrified when he realised that Mariella was crying her eyes out, her tears mingling with the water which she was trying but failing to mop up. "Mariella?" She peered up at him and he walked over to her then knelt down on the floor, groaning when he realised he had knelt in some of the water. "What's wrong sweetie?"
She snivelled and looked at him with sad, watery eyes. "I knocked over the water and Paul shouted at me." Her tears came in floods again, especially when Greg got to his feet and she thought that he was going to leave her alone with Lexxi's new boyfriend.
He didn't however and he leant down and picked her up then glared at Paul. "How could you? She's five years old Paul, it was an accident."
"She needs to learn to be more careful." Paul's voice held no remorse, not even when Mariella snivelled and tried desperately to stop her tears from falling.
"She's five years old; screaming and swearing is not the way to teach her to be careful." Greg held the little girl tightly to him and she wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him for dear life. "Don't worry sweetheart, I'll look after you until your Aunty Lexxi gets home." He whispered in her ear, trying to calm her down and eventually it worked and she stopped crying. "Let's go play outside for a bit."
"But your jeans are all wet." He laughed and nodded as she looked at him confused.
"Yeah, I guess I need to be more careful too huh?" She nodded and he smiled. "It doesn't matter, they'll dry." She nodded again and he carried her outside, leaving Paul to clear up the mess in the kitchen. He sat her down on the grass and then sat down next to her. "So, you ok now?" She nodded but he could see the sorrow in her eyes. "Ignore Paul, he's stupid." She nodded and giggled as Greg did an impression of Paul. "So, what do you wanna do?" She shrugged and he looked around then back at her. "How about I show you how to fish? I can't catch anything but maybe you can." She nodded and he stood up then helped her to her feet and walked over to where his fishing pole had been situated, unused, all day. He sat down on his chair and pulled her onto his lap then showed her how to set the fishing rod up. Then he showed her how to hold it and together, they tried to catch a fish.
Twenty minutes later, Lexxi and Sara arrived back at the chalet to find Mariella, Grissom and Greg laughing at Bobby who was wrestling with a large pike which he had managed to catch and was trying to throw back. "Wow, bff…big freakin' fish." Sara laughed as she walked over to him and observed. Then she turned to Grissom and smiled. "You caught anything that big today?" He shook his head and she chuckled before leaving them to it and heading into the cabin to put her shopping bags down.
"Greg, I thought I left Mariella with Paul?" Lexxi walked over to them and gently ruffled Mariella's hair with her free hand.
"You did, we need to talk about that." She looked at him concerned and he stood up then put Mariella back on the seat. "Can you wait here for a sec while I go and talk to your Aunty Lexxi?" Mariella nodded and sat with the fishing pole whilst Greg led Lexxi away from them.
"What's goin' on Greg, you're scaring me?" Her eyes were filled with a mixture of confusion and fear as Greg sighed.
"Paul and Mari were making a jelly and she knocked over the jug of water by accident. He screamed at her Lexxi." He closed his eyes, waiting for her reaction.
"He did what?" She seethed and he was surprised that her voice had somehow managed to remain quiet. "Did you see him?"
He opened his eyes again and looked at her. "I didn't see what happened but when I walked in; he was calling her names and swearing at her. She was devastated…I couldn't leave her in there with him so I said I'd look after her for you." His voice and eyes were filled with sincerity and compassion. "I'm sorry; I know how much you liked him."
"How…why…oh my God." Greg sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Thanks for looking after her…I need to go and talk to him." Greg nodded and she pulled away from him. "Can you wait here with Mariella for me?"
"Yeah, of course I can." His voice was soft and understanding but he had to let out a small laugh when she said that she was going to confront Paul.
"Thanks, I won't be long." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and walked into the chalet as Greg went back to Mariella. "What the fuck do you think you were playing at?" Paul and Sara both looked up at her shocked, they hadn't even heard her come in.
"What are you talking about?" Paul looked at her innocently but she was in no mood for his lies. Her family meant everything to her and she wasn't going to let Paul come between them.
"You know full well what I'm talking about. What the hell did you do to my niece?" He closed his eyes and Sara turned to look at him, shock and horror written all over her face.
"Paul?" He snapped his eyes open and looked at a very confused Sara.
"Look, I just lost my temper a bit but she was being clumsy and silly and acting…" He trailed off and looked at her helplessly.
"Like what…a child? She's five years old Paul, five years old!" Lexxi walked up to him and he tried to back away but ended up backing into the counter. "You had no right to scream and swear at her for spilling some water." Her voice was filled with disgust and he sighed.
"Look baby…" He tried to get around her but she cut him off.
"Don't you 'look baby' me, we are over Paul. I can't trust you around my niece and she is…she is everything to me."
"I didn't mean it and it's not like I hit her or anything…"
"And that makes screaming at a five year old ok?" He said nothing and she glared at him again. "It's over and I never want you anywhere near my niece ever again. Your temper is dangerous Paul, you may not have hit her this time but how can I be sure that you won't next time?" He looked down at the floor, accepting that he was wrong and she shook her head then left the chalet.
She walked over to Greg and Mariella who were now sitting on a patch of grass trying to make daisy chains and Greg offered her a sad smile. "It's over isn't it?" She nodded and he stood up to face her. "You alright?" She nodded but couldn't stop the few tears from escaping her eyes and as soon as he saw them fall, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her to him. "Oh Lexxi, he isn't worth it. Any real guy wouldn't give you reason to cry."
She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his chest. "I know, thanks for looking out for me and Mariella." He nodded and rested his chin on the top of her head, vowing never to let anyone hurt her ever again.
When she pulled back, he wiped away her tears and she smiled at him. "Better?" She nodded and he pulled away from her then picked up Mariella and settled her on his hip. "How about we all go and do somethin' together huh?" He looked at Lexxi then back down at Mariella and smiled when both of them nodded.
"Can we go and make that jelly?" Mariella looked up at him and he grinned.
"How about we go and bake a cake instead?" The little girl nodded enthusiastically and Lexxi smiled brightly at him. They all walked back into the chalet and into the kitchen, ignoring Paul in the process.
Forty five minutes later, Paul and Sara walked into the kitchen to find Greg, Lexxi and Mariella cleaning up the kitchen. Sara couldn't help the chuckle which escaped her lips when she saw the state of Greg; he was covered in flour which clung to both his hair and his clothes. "What the hell happened to you?"
"Umm, would you believe I lost a flour fight?" He didn't look up, choosing instead to continue wiping the counters.
"Actually yeah…it looks like you lost." Sara laughed and Greg threw the dishcloth at her head.
XxxoxxX
Later that evening, everyone was sitting in the lounge except for Lexxi and Mariella who had chosen to sit outside for a while. They were all talking about the day's events and their plans for tomorrow when Paul announced that he was going to the bathroom then going for some air. He walked into his bedroom and opened his bedside table drawer before moving some socks out of the way and pulling a gun out. He hid it in the waistband of his jeans, under his shirt then walked back into the living room. He always carried his gun around for protection, just to be on the safe side. Then he walked out onto the veranda and looked around, smiling when he saw Lexxi and Mariella. He walked over to them and sat down next to Lexxi. "Hey…before you tell me off; I've come to apologise."
She turned her head to look at him and nodded. "Ok, you have five minutes to explain yourself."
"Look, I dunno what came over me…I just flipped and I know I was wrong to scream at her like that." Lexxi said nothing but nodded and waited for him to continue. "Anyway it was stupid of me and if I could take it back I would but…I can't and I am so sorry that it ever happened."
"Apology accepted but if you ever do that to her again…I will kill you." He looked into her eyes and realised that she wasn't joking. Of course Lexxi would never really kill him but she would make his life hell if he dared pull a stunt like that ever again.
"Thanks." He smiled at her and she offered him a small smile then he leant forwards and joined his lips to hers but was angered when she pulled away from him.
"What are you doing? I said I forgave you but I never said I wanted to get back with you." He raised his eyebrows and she shook her head. "I'm sorry Paul but I…I can't take that risk…not again." He said nothing and she thought that he had let it drop until he leant in again and pressed his lips to hers. She pushed him away and he glared at her. "Get away from me Paul." Mariella, who had been picking flowers a little farther down the lake, turned around and gasped when she saw what was going on. Paul had pushed Lexxi onto the ground and was straddling her hips, repeatedly forcing his lips upon hers as she tried to pull away. "Get off me, you're hurting me!"
Mariella ran over to them, dropping her flowers in the process and stopped near Lexxi's head. "Aunty Lexxi…Paul, leave her alone." She looked up at Paul and his mouth twisted into a snarl.
"Sweetheart, go and tell Grissom and Greg what's happened. I need you to be brave and run back to the cabin ok baby?" Mariella nodded and turned to run. She set off but Paul stood up and sprinted after her.
He caught up to her and grabbed her waist before covering her mouth so that she couldn't scream. "Don't bother you whiny little brat." She let out a small whimper and Lexxi ran up to them, screaming for Paul to let her go.
"Paul, leave her alone. It's me you have the problem with…she has done nothing wrong!" She went to grab Mariella but Paul set her down on the ground and pulled the gun out of his waistband. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry just let her go." She pleaded with him but he just smirked and narrowed his eyes as he kept the gun pointed at Mariella.
"Why, this is much more fun." He laughed as tears fell down Lexxi's face and stained her t-shirt. "Aww, don't cry…that's your bratty niece's job."
Lexxi glared at him and he saw the anger and hate rise in her eyes. "Don't you dare call her that! If you so much as touch one hair on her head I swear I'll…" She was cut off as he aimed his gun to the sky and pulled the trigger, proving that it was loaded. He hadn't thought about the consequences of his actions however and in a matter of minutes, the team had joined them outside.
"Paul, just let her go…she's innocent in all this." Grissom tried to reason with him but Paul smirked and tightened his hand on the gun. "Paul please, don't do this."
"Give me one good reason why I should let her go." Lexxi looked at him with a horrified expression and his lips curled into a sinister smile.
"Because I promised I'd keep her safe and I fully intend to." She moved slightly closer to Mariella but stopped walking when he tightened his finger on the trigger.
"Lexxi don't move." Greg walked over to her and took hold of her hand, preventing her from doing anything which would further irritate Paul.
"I can't let her get hurt." Greg nodded sympathetically but tightened his hold on her hand.
He then leaned over and whispered in her ear. "I know but if you make him angry, he might do something stupid." She nodded and let Grissom try to persuade Paul to hand over Mariella.
Fifteen minutes later and after receiving a talk from each of the CSIs that were staying in the chalet, Paul still hadn't handed over the little girl. Lexxi had had enough of playing nice and trying gentle persuasion and when she inched closer to Mariella and he tightened his finger, ready to pull the trigger, she threw herself at the little girl and covered Mariella's body with hers. They rolled to one side and Grissom and Bobby ran over and grabbed Paul, trying his hands behind his back with Bobby's belt and taking the gun from him. Greg meanwhile, ran over to Mariella who had stood up and knelt down in front of her. "Sweetheart are you ok?" She nodded but Greg's smile faded and turned into a frown of horror when he saw the blood staining Mariella's t-shirt. "Mariella what happened, you're bleeding?" The little girl looked down and pulled her t-shirt up slightly to reveal her chest. There was no wound and when Greg looked at Lexxi, he let out a gasp at the sight of her stained t-shirt and the pool of blood which was seeping from her side. "Lexxi!" He ran over to her and knelt down beside her then took of his own t-shirt and pressed it to her side. "Come on, open your eyes…for me. Don't you dare die on me."
She opened her eyes and wearily looked up at him, a small smile on her face. "I saved her, she's gonna be ok." With that she closed her eyes and winced in pain.
"Lexxi! I won't tell you again, open your eyes!" Greg shrieked and Grissom came rushing over to him, concerned as to what had the younger man so startled.
"Greg, what's going on?" He looked down and went wide-eyed at the sight before him. "Oh my God. Sara call an ambulance, Lexxi's been shot!" Sara ran inside the chalet and picked up the telephone then dialled '911'.
Outside however, Greg was busy trying to stop the bleeding. "Lexxi, baby please don't die." She tried to open her eyes again, determined to tell him something. She mouthed something but he didn't catch what she way trying to say. "What, sweetheart I couldn't hear you?"
He put his ear next to her lips as she used every last bit of energy she had. "Look after Mariella for me…I…I love you." With that she gave up the fight and gave into the pain, falling into unconsciousness.
"No, oh God Lexxi…please don't do this to me. I love you too baby." Grissom watched the sight before him and couldn't help the tears which fell down his face; Lexxi had always been like a daughter to him and he didn't know what he would do if he ever lost her.
When Sara walked out, she walked over to Mariella and picked up the little girl, holding her tightly to her chest. "Sara, what's gonna happen to Aunty Lexxi?" The little girl sounded scared and Sara hugged her tighter. She had never been any good with children but she knew that Mariella needed her.
"She has to go to hospital sweetie but don't worry…your Aunty Lexxi's strong and she's gonna be ok." Mariella nodded and snuggled against Sara.
When the ambulance finally came, they asked who would be going with her and Greg looked at Grissom. "Grissom I think you should go with her."
"You don't want to?" Grissom looked at Greg with confusion and Greg shook his head.
"Normally I would but I made a promise to her; I promised that I'd look after Mariella and I intend to keep that promise." Grissom nodded and told him that he would meet him at the hospital. Before Lexxi was put in the ambulance, Greg leant down and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you at the hospital sweetheart, hold on…for me." The paramedics then put her in the back of the ambulance and Grissom climbed in, taking hold of her hand and whispering that she had to be ok. Paul was taken away in a police car following statements from Grissom, Bobby and Sara. They had said that they would talk to Lexxi when she was feeling up to it and had gained nothing helpful from a frantic Greg.
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When Lexxi opened her eyes next, she was in an unfamiliar, white room which smelled like disinfectant. She turned her head sideways and looked around the room then realised that she was in hospital. She inwardly groaned, she had always hated hospitals and being stuck in one whilst she was supposed to be on holiday only increased her hate for them. She turned to face the other way instead and smiled when she saw Bobby, Sara, Grissom, Greg and Mariella in the room. "Hey there sleeping beauty." Greg grinned at her and she weakly smiled at them as Mariella walked over to the bed and looked up at her aunty.
"Are you ok Aunty Lexxi?" Mariella's eyes were filled with concern and Lexxi couldn't help but smile at how well Antonio had brought her up.
She nodded and patted the bed beside her. "Come here trouble, I want a hug from you." Mariella smiled brightly at her and everyone laughed when she tried to jump up onto the bed but couldn't reach. Greg walked over to her and gently put her on the bed beside Lexxi then smiled as she wrapped her arms around Lexxi's neck. "I hope you've been good for Greg."
"She has." Lexxi looked up at Greg and mouthed a 'thank you' to him before looking back down at Mariella and holding her a little more tightly. "You had us all worried back there." Greg's eyes were full of sincerity and Lexxi smiled.
"Sorry I scared you, I just didn't think about what I was doing. All I knew was that I had to keep her safe and if I was faced with the choice of doing things differently…I wouldn't."
Greg and Grissom both looked at her, pride shining in their eyes. "And that, is why we are so proud of you." Grissom voiced what everyone else was thinking and her eyes filled with tears.
"I did what anybody would do. I've helped bring her up and the thought of her…" She trailed off as a few tears broke free but smiled when Mariella held her a little bit tighter. "Thanks for everything guys." Everyone took it in turns hugging her and Grissom made a point of asking the nurse when she could be discharged from the hospital.
XxxoxxX
A couple of days later, Lexxi was back in the chalet with her new found friends. They still had just over a week left of vacation time and although she had to take things a little easier, Lexxi was determined to enjoy the rest of her holiday. On her first night back in the cabin, Greg had given her and Mariella the room which he and Paul had been sharing since Grissom had moved Bobby into his room to prevent the arguments. He had said that the sofa bed wasn't comfortable and that she should sleep in a 'proper bed' and eventually she had reluctantly agreed.
It was her second night back and she couldn't sleep. Mariella was fast asleep in one of the beds but Lexxi was still staring at the ceiling. Eventually she gave up and climbed out of bed, careful not to wake her niece up in the process. She walked into the living room and headed for the door, intent on sitting on the veranda for a while but she stubbed her toe on the sofa and couldn't help the small yelp which escaped. Greg immediately woke up and sat up in bed, looking around the room. "Who's there?"
"S'ok, it's only me…sorry for waking you." She whispered her response so as not to wake anyone else in the chalet up.
"Lex…you ok?" His concerned voice came from the darkness and she managed to stumble over to the sofa bed. She sat down next to him and he waited for her answer.
"Yeah, I'm ok…I just couldn't sleep."
"Wanna talk about it?" Greg could tell that she was holding something back and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.
"Every time I close my eyes, I see him pulling the trigger and I keep imagining what would have happened if I hadn't…" She trailed off but he knew what she was referring to.
"You did though, you saved her life Lexxi." His voice was soft and she smiled to herself. That night when it had happened, she had confessed her love but missed his response and she only wished that he loved her too.
"I know I just feel like…I feel like it was all my fault. If I hadn't turned him down, maybe he wouldn't have…you know." He nodded in the dark, understanding what she was getting at. "It was my job to protect her and I…I nearly got her killed." Her voice was quiet and he had to strain to hear what she was saying but he picked up on it and was horrified that she blamed herself.
"Don't say that, you did everything you could for her…you were willing to die for her Lexxi and I am so proud of you. I'll bet that Mariella's proud of you too." His voice was filled with sincerity and she shuffled closer to him.
"Really, you think so?" She still sounded uncertain but Greg was confident of his answer.
"I know so." She smiled and they both fell silent for a few minutes. She thought he had fallen asleep again until he tugged her from her thoughts. "C'mere, I think someone needs a cuddle."
"I thought you'd never ask." He pulled the duvet cover back and she climbed beneath the sheets before shuffling as close to him as she could and snuggling into his arms. It was at that moment that she knew she was in love with him; she felt so safe in his arms and prayed that he would never let go. They lay in silence for a while, cuddled up on the sofa bed. "Greg, I just wanna say…thanks for everything. I mean Mariella really likes you, she trusts you and…" She trailed off, not knowing how to finish her sentence.
"You're welcome, I like her too." Greg gently kissed the top of Lexxi's head and sighed contentedly. "Lexxi, there's somethin' that's been bothering me since that night." He fell silent and waited to check that she was awake.
"What's that?" Her soft voice drifted through the darkness and her breath tickled his neck.
"Before you passed out, you…you said you loved me." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Did you mean it?" He braced himself for her answer but she replied so softly that he almost missed it.
"Yes." Her voice came out in a whisper and she was terrified that he was going to tell her that he didn't feel the same way. He sat in shock, saying nothing and she groaned. "It's ok; I don't expect you to feel the same…" He abruptly cut her off by pulling her into a searing kiss.
When she didn't respond, too surprised to do so, he pulled back and climbed out of the bed. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have…" He trailed off and headed for the door then pulled it open and walked out onto the veranda before sinking down onto the steps.
Lexxi took a minute to comprehend what had happened before jumping up and walking outside. She sat down beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, resting her head on his shoulder and sighing. "I'm sorry."
He took it the wrong way and closed his eyes. "I understand; you don't love me in that way."
"No." Her voice came out in a low whisper and he nodded in understanding.
"I get it, don't worry about it…I'm used to it." He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice.
"No, I mean no…I do love you in that way." He snapped his head up and she laughed. "Be careful, you'll give yourself whiplash."
"You love me…you actually love me?" She nodded and he wrapped an arm around her waist. "So really, you love me?"
"Of course I love you, you spoon." He laughed and turned his head to face her, a wide smile gracing her lips.
"I love you too." She smiled and he was a bit surprised when she pressed her lips to his. He responded and she slid her hands into his sleep-mussed hair, tangling her fingers in his dirty blonde locks. When they pulled back he smiled against her lips and she happily sighed. "I'm sorry about before."
"No, I'm sorry…maybe I didn't make my feelings clear but I have this problem; I find it really hard to show my feelings because…because I've been hurt in the past." He nodded and placed another chaste kiss to her lips.
"I promise I'll never hurt you…I love you Lexxi." His voice was filled with sincerity and she stood up before holding her hand out to him.
"Wanna go back inside?" He nodded and took her hand, standing up and leading her inside the cabin. He turned and locked the door before turning to face her.
"Can I…can I stay with you tonight?" He nodded and placed a kiss to her forehead. They both climbed into bed and snuggled up before saying their goodnights and falling asleep.
About an hour later, Mariella walked into the living room in search of Lexxi. She tripped and fell over, startling the two awake. "Who's there?" Lexxi's tired voice drifted through the darkness and Mariella calmed down.
"It's me Aunty Lexxi." Mariella still sounded worried and Lexxi pulled herself away from Greg and sat up.
"What's the matter sweetheart?" Lexxi's voice was filled with concern, wondering what had the little girl so scared.
"I woke up and you weren't there."
"I'm sorry baby, what's the matter?"
"I had a nightmare."
Lexxi was about to respond when Greg beat her to it. "Do you wanna stay in here sweetie?"
"Umm…yeah, ok." Greg patted the bed beside him and Mariella climbed up onto the mattress next to Greg.
"Better?" She nodded and said goodnight to Lexxi and Greg before laying her head on Greg's chest and falling asleep again.
"Thanks." Lexxi cuddled back into Greg and he kissed the top of her head.
"Don't worry about it, she's a sweet kid." Lexxi nodded and even when Greg had fallen asleep, she lay awake and thought about the differences between Paul and her spiky haired lab tech.
XxxoxxX
The next morning, Grissom walked into the living room and smiled to himself when he caught sight of Lexxi, Mariella and Greg. Greg was laid on his back with Lexxi cuddled into one side of his chest and Mariella safely held to the other side. "I knew it." Grissom walked into the kitchen, still muttering to himself that he knew Greg and Lexxi would end up together. He switched on the kettle and put a cup out on the counter then left the kitchen.
When he walked back into the living room, Greg was awake and gently trying to extract himself from Lexxi and Mariella's arms. He was just about to shuffle down the bed when Mariella tightened her arm around his waist and sighed in her sleep. Greg also sighed but gave up and wrapped his arms around them both again. "Morning Griss."
"Morning Greg, sleep well?" He raised his eyebrows and Greg looked down at Lexxi.
"Grissom, nothing has happened between us." Grissom nodded and sat down in the chair. "I did tell Lexxi how I felt though."
"Good, does this mean that she's officially your girlfriend?" Greg nodded and smiled widely at the older man and Grissom returned the smile. "Good, I'm glad…just make sure that you look after her. She's been like a daughter to me and…" He trailed off but Greg knew what he was getting at.
"I will, I swear on my life that I'll never hurt her." His eyes shone with sincerity and Grissom knew that he was telling the truth.
Greg had finally gotten the girl of his dreams, Lexxi had finally met someone that loved her for who she was and all it had taken was Paul being a prat, Lexxi getting shot and a lot of misinterpreted feelings. Despite everything, they were both at a place where they wanted to be and Grissom knew that he would never need to worry about Lexxi getting involved in a bad relationship ever again. Grissom smiled to himself, now if only he could get Bobby a girlfriend to keep him from arguing with Greg all the time.
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A/N: There you have it folks, another one completed. I will be trying to work on my Doctor Who fic again soon but at the moment I have writers block when it comes to that story. Anyway, thanks for reading and please, please, please review…it's always nice to know what you guys think. So, yeah…thanks for reading, please review and until next time,
Luffles and Huggles
Stacee (RoxxiSanders)
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