Let Freedom Ring
They're on their way back to the lab from a crime scene and Warrick looks over at Sara, not for the first time, since he'd been driving. She was very bitter, and he wished that he could cheer her up. It was the fourth of July after all, and he was sure that there were plenty of things that would at least make her grin.
She's told him rather venomously that she hates the fourth of July. She told him that people used this one- and most other holidays- as an excuse to get drunk and kill themselves. He tells her that it was a rather grim view on such a nice holiday night.
There's a small party up ahead, and he stops just a few yards ahead of it and she looks over at him strangely.
"Come on, we've got time," he coaxes.
She takes his hand and allows him a little stubbornly to pull her over to the little party.
The people don't seem to mind that they've intruded and they welcome them with smiles as they hand the pair hotdogs.
"Here, you can have it," Sara tells him. "I'm a vegetarian."
"Come on Sara," Warrick says. "Live a little. When was the last time you actually enjoyed a holiday?"
With that, she took a large bite out of her hotdog, figuring, what was the point?
When she finds that it's pretty good, she grins and allows Warrick to lead her over to where people were sitting. Sara looked around. There was no alcohol, no litter, no loud music, and no one falling over drunk. It was a much different picture than what her parents painted when she was little at the fourth of July. There was no family time, and worst of all, no fireworks. It ruined the fabric of the holiday for her ever since.
Now, sitting with Warrick under the clear night sky, she got a little bit of hope that there was some good left in the world.
She smiled and she could feel Warrick's eyes on her.
"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked.
She just shook her head, marveling at the sheer simplicity.
When she saw the fireworks go off, she smiled even brighter. They were beautiful, and she couldn't remember the last time she watched fireworks and listened to Ray Charles's, rest his soul, 'America the Beautiful'.
Warrick saw the colors from the fireworks play across her features and he saw her rare bright smile and he thought, This was all she needed.
Sadly, they couldn't stay forever, they had to get back to the lab, back to the city where she was sure things were much wilder, but it didn't bother her as much as it did before.
With that, she leans over and gives him a kiss on the cheek.
"Happy Fourth of July," she says, not without a blush.
Warrick smiles at her.
"Happy Fourth of July," he returns as he offers a hand to her.
She takes it gratefully and they head out together, an Independence Day well spent for her this year.