Title: A Clear Vision
Author: Evidence
Chapter: 1
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: All right, I'm trying another multi-part chapter story. I have had this thought in the back of my mind for a while but I finally decided to put it on paper. This is the set up chapter but if you stick with it, I think you might enjoy it (or at least I hope you will!) Oh, by the way Hank and Lady Heather don't exist in this story, the Geeks are just having problems on their own.
The silver kit snapped shut and Sara Sidle laced her fingers around the cold handle. She didn't know why she had to go, why she had to be the one. Lately Grissom had stopped talking to her almost all together unless it related to a case. He ignored her, assigned her to work with Warrick or Nick, not him. He was shutting her out and she wasn't sure why. Now she would have to spend the next few hours tramping up the side of a mountain with him. He probably won't talk, she thought. I'll be alone with him but it will be more painful than romantic. She sighed briefly and left the locker room.
"Hey, I hear that you've got a db in the mountains." Nick Stokes smiled casually as he met her in the hall.
"Yeah, a helicopter is going to take us up there to secure the crime scene."
"Us?"
"Grissom is my partner on this."
"Oh," Nick said, smiling brightly. "You two kids have fun."
Sara signed again. "He only asked me, Nick because you guys are busy with the court case."
"Keep telling yourself that, Sidle." He gently slapped her arm with the folder he was holding.
Sara shook her head, knowing she couldn't convince him otherwise and strode down to Grissom's office. She knocked on it and heard him call her in.
"Sara, why did you knock? You never knock." He was sitting behind his desk, papers stringed all over it.
"I didn't want to interrupt you." She didn't want to say -because I don't feel close to you any more.
"Well, we better get going." He got up and put his blue Forensic jacket on. "Do you have everything you need?"
"Yup."
"Okay, then." Grissom looked like he wanted to say something but instead grabbed his case and walked out. Sara followed behind.
They drove in silence. The helicopter was waiting for them. The pilot called them over.
"Welcome. I'm Pete I'll be getting you to the crime scene today. This is Jason and Marie, they are the forest service patrol who will be assisting you." He pointed to the young man and woman dressed in matching tan outfits.
"Nice to meet you," Sara said noticing that Grissom didn't offer any comments.
They got in the helicopter and Sara took a place next to Grissom. He took notes out of his pocket and began franticly scribbling.
Well, this trip sucks, Sara groaned to herself.
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Warrick put the mini radio's earphone into his ear. He needed to find out the third quarter score for the Orangemen. He had two g's riding on the game. The waiting room at the courthouse was silent expect for the shrieks of the game crowd filling his right ear. Catherine was currently on the stand and soon he would be next. Nick might have to testify later on that day.
The game was broken into by a national meteorologist proclaiming that "hurricane like" winds were on the radar and that all air travel was discontinued until the wind died down.
A court officer knocked on the door and motioned Warrick with his hand. Warrick discretely removed the earphone and radio and put them back into his pocket. It was only when he saw Catherine exiting the courtroom that he came to the realization that Grissom and Sara were suppose to be checking out a db on the mountain.
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The wind was wiping the small helicopter back and forth. Sara felt herself being jostled as she gripped the seat with her hands. She looked at Grissom who was wearing a puzzled expression.
"What's going on?" she asked never having experienced a ride like this before.
"There's something wrong..."
"With the plane!" Sara finished her heart pounding in her ears.
He yelled over the racket of the chopper blades. "No, with the wind. We shouldn't be up here in this." He pressed forward in his seat and tapped Pete on the shoulder. "What's the weather report?"
Pete, ashened faced, turned to him. "Hurricane like winds, we have to try to land, I can't control her."
The sound of the blades left at the very moment. There was an eerie silence in its place. Sara heard Jason mutter, "Oh, God."
The helicopter began a quick descent downward.
"May Day, May Day! 069er falling at an altitude of 350. We've lost all power. Our coordinates are 180 degrees West, 40 degrees North. Do you read me, over."
Sara turned to Grissom who was staring at her. "Grissom..."
He grasped her hand with his holding it so tight the blood stopped circulating. "It's okay. We're going to be fine." He tried his best to be reassuring.
She realized it then. She knew she was going to die. She would never see her parents again, or her friends at CSI. But she wasn't going to die alone. She was with Grissom, the man she loved. She needed to tell him how she felt, how much she cared. She opened her mouth, "Grissom, I..." The rest of the words were lost as the helicopter smacked into a large tree.
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Catherine was pacing on the courthouse lawn, waiting for Warrick. She saw the Tahoe approach and believed that Nick had been called to testify. It was Nick but when he got out the SUV she noticed he was not wearing a suit. He had a black tee and matching jeans on- not proper court attire. He was wearing sunglasses but his face mirrored his emotions as he walked up to her. Catherine felt pain in her chest and her mouth go dry.
He stopped right in front of her and in a sorrowful tone spoke, "We were just informed that the helicopter Grissom and Sara were on experienced difficulties in the bad weather. Radio control lost communication with them. They believe the chopter crashed and..." A sob ached at the back of his throat, "and that there are no survivors."
To be continued...