Here's my response to this past week's challenge. Many thanks to MSCSIFANGSR, who's own reposnses to the callenges keep me inspired to write my own :)... Enjoy!!

Must Start With: He shivered in his soaked jacket as he walked down the highway. "You know, it was over eighty degrees and clear. How did we drop forty degrees, and where did all this rain come from?"

Topic: Strange Weather

Random Prompts: physician, vomit, gray matter, cotton candy

Oh and I own nothing so please don't sue me... R&R!!


He shivered in his soaked jacket as he walked down the highway. "You know, it was over eighty degrees and clear. How did we drop forty degrees, and where did all this rain come from?"
Grissom said as pulled his hat further down on his head.

"How should I know dear? You were the one who took us on this little adventure and I assumed you planned for all weather variables," Sara said as she attempted to avoid a huge mud puddle.

A nasty strain of something akin to mad cow had been attacking the sheep of New Zealand. The sheep would run high fevers, vomit excessively and then go crazy before passing away. Although unlike mad cow disease, the virus did not harm humans, it was killing the sheep by the thousands. A local physician (who had been studying the gray matter of the deceased sheep's brains) had linked the source of the infections to a new type of mosquito never before seen in the area. Grissom had been asked to come and study this mosquito and help the farmers develop ways of protecting their sheep from the deadly disease. So Grissom had asked Sara if she wanted to come along promising her on the way back they could spend a few days in Paris for their anniversary.

"Well I didn't hear you complaining at the chance to visit New Zealand," he said in his defense.

"That's because although I knew you were coming here on business I still felt like this could be a romantic getaway. You, me and half a world separating us from Vegas."

"Now it's more like half a herd," Grissom said while trying not to laugh.

"Huh?" Sara asked confused. Then she noticed that she and Grissom had drifted apart from each other because a huge herd of sheep had now made its way in between them. There were so many of them clumped together they looked like a giant ball of cotton candy.

Sara tried to maneuver her way around them so she could get back to Grissom but the sheep had other ideas. She soon realized it was easier to just go with the flow.

Now Sara Sidle Grissom was pissed. She had been looking forward to a romantic two week getaway with her husband and instead she was soaked to the bone, covered in mud and currently being herded like a piece of cattle. And she was a vegetarian!

"Gil what are we going to do? It's freezing, I'm soaking wet and these sheep don't seem to be veering of course anytime time soon."

"Well my dear, it seems that we are up sheep creek without a paddle."

"Ok NOW would definitely not be the time for jokes. I think one of these guys just bit me in the a... Whoa! Hey," Sara said trying to tame an overly amorous sheep.

Grissom could no longer contain his laughter.

"See honey I told you, you'd make friends on this trip."

"Gilbert Anthony Grissom! When I get my hands on you!" Sara's rant was cut short as her new found friend decided she needed another love bite.

"I'm looking forward to it. After all you did plan for this to be a romantic getaway," Grissom answered with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"I just never knew your plans included a three-some," Grissom wasn't entirely sure where this joking side of himself was coming from but it was fun. Well for him anyways.

The glare Sara sent Gil's way could have melted the polar ice caps.

"If you ever want a romantic getaway in the future I suggest you quickly find a way to get this sheep away from me."

"Okay, okay... Come here Sammy," Grissom called to the sheep.

"Sammy? So now your naming my molester!"

"Argiope aurantia ."

"What?" Sara asked exasperated.

"Charlotte's Web. Samuel is the sheep from Charlotte's Web."

"Just get him off me!"

Grissom managed to lift Sara up and bring her over to where he was standing.

"Okay now hop on my shoulders and there will be no way he can touch you."

"Gil are you sure your back is up to this?"

"It's fine Sara."

She climbed aboard Grissom's shoulders and everything seemed to be going fine until Sara's friend started to get jealous.

Sara heard a noise and slowly turned her head to see what it was careful not to fall off Grissom's shoulders.

"Uh Gil, are sheep capable of growling?"

"What?"

"Well I don't think our friend Sammy is very happy you came to my rescue."

Grissom, who was having a hard time maneuvering with Sara on his shoulders, slowly turned around to see what she was talking about.

Sammy, who was actually a giant Romney Ram, (the largest breed of Sheep in New Zealand) clearly weighed well over 200lbs.

Visions of a group stampede with Sammy at the helm, flashed through his mind and he knew they had to find a way out of this herd.

"Would you two be in need of any assistance?" a voice called to their right.

Sara and Grissom looked over and in time to see the Vet that Grissom had been working with all week. Sara and Grissom had been staying with him and his wife at their farm. He pulled his pick up truck as close to them as possible and Sara lowered her self from Grissom's shoulders and jumped into the back of the truck. Then Grissom did the same.

"Thanks John," Sara said as when they reached his farm.

"No problem. I wondered what happened to you two when you didn't get back so I thought maybe you got lost."

"We were doing fine until that herd seemed to come out of nowhere," Grissom answered.

"Yea they tend to do that sometimes," John answered.

"Well if you two want to freshen up Maggie will have dinner ready in an hour."

"Sounds great," Sara answered as they made their way to the guest bedroom.

Sara headed into the shower first and when she came out she noticed a group of wildflowers in vase on her nightstand with a card.

She smiled. Even though her husbands jokes had been anything but funny he could be so sweet sometimes.

She picked up the card and began to read.

"Dear Sara, We'll always have New Zealand. Love, Sammy."

Sara barged into the bathroom where Gil was just coming out of the shower.

"You think this is funny?"

Gil couldn't contain the smile the spread across his face.

"Come on Sara looking back you have to admit it was kind of funny."

"For who? I didn't see you getting molested by a sheep."

Two Months Later

"Thanks Sara I really appreciate this," Greg said as he loaded the suitcase into his trunk.

"No problem anytime."

"I had no idea the zipper was finally gonna go they day before my trip."

Greg had borrowed a suitcase from Sara to take with him when he went to visit his parents for their 50th wedding anniversary.

"Just try to bring this one back in piece," Sara said with a smile.

Greg was packing the last of his toiletries when he noticed a note tucked into one of the zipper compartments on the outside of the suitcase.

His stomached dropped as he read the note. It couldn't be true. There's just no way Sara would cheat on Grissom. But what about this note? Greg agonized over what to do and decided that Grissom needed to know. He knew he was betraying his best friend but Grissom was his boss and like a second father to him and he couldn't just pretend he never saw the note.

Greg found Grissom sitting in his office going over some reports when he knocked on the door.

"Enter."

"Hey," Greg said uneasily.

"Greg what are you doing here? Don't you have a plane to catch?"

"My flight leaves in a few hours. There was something I wanted to talk to you about before I left."

"Have a seat," Grissom said as motioned to chair in front of his desk.

"What's on your mind?" Grissom asked

"Well I'm not really sure how to say this. Maybe it's nothing you know, but then again it could be something and that's why I had to come down here. I just wasn't sure what I should do but something told me that I should talk to you so well..." Greg was rambling.

"Greg!"Grissom yelled to get his attention. "Just spit it out."

"I think Sara had an affair," Greg said all in one breath.

"I found this note in the suitcase she lent me and well I thought you should know."

Greg handed Grissom the note,

"Dear Sara, We'll always have New Zealand. Love, Sammy."

Greg was prepared for tears, or anger or maybe even for Grissom to just shut down. He was not however prepared for laughter. And not just a few chuckles either. Grissom was laughing so hard tears were streaming down his face.

Maybe this is his way of dealing with the pain. Greg thought, feeling sorry for his friend.

Once Grissom got his laughter under control he addressed the young man in front of him.

"Greg I really appreciate your concern but you have nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure Griss cause if you look at that note..."

"Greg. Sammy is a sheep. A ram actually."

"A sheep? Then who wrote the note?" Now Greg was throughly confused.

"I did. It's a long story. But the short of it is when we were in New Zealand there was a sheep that took a liking to her and I kept teasing her about it."

"Oh," Greg said relieved that everything was ok between his boss and his best friend. Although he had to admit they both a had weird sense of humor. These two were more than perfect for each other.

"Alright well I'm glad that's all cleared up... Uh I gotta catch my flight," and with that Greg left Grissom's office.

Grissom reached for the phone and called Sara on her cell.

"Hey Gilbert. What can I do for you?" She asked with a smile on her face.

"Greg just dropped by to see me before he left. Seemed he was concerned you had an affair."

"What?! Why would he think something so ridiculous?" Sara asked exasperated.

"He found a note in the suitcase you lent him."

"A note?"

"Yes from a Sammy. Seems he took a real liking to you."

Realization dawned on Sara.

"This is all your fault! I don't know what's worse Greg thinking I had affair or him now knowing I was molested by a sheep!"

Grissom couldn't stop laughing.

"Some of us have to get back to our jobs. I'll see you later," Sara said as she hung up the phone.

"So a sheep huh?" Brass asked as Sara turned around.

For the rest of the night Sara thought of ways she could kill her husband and hide the body.