Summary: Catherine, Grissom Sara & Greg have decided to go on a road trip in the summer to get away from the death and darkness of the Crime Lab. The dream trip they thought would happen turned into a nightmare on wheels bringing them to hell and back, over and over again. Will the newlyweds and recently engaged be bale to handle what's in store for them OR will divorce and break-ups be in order?
Author Note: I don't own the characters I just write about them occasionally.
** This is a story that has gone through a major redo, will probably be re-posted when finished and each chapter will be separated, it is quite obvious this was one of my first posts on here so many moons ago...man how time flies! **
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Livin' Like Pigs
- Chapter Three -
Gil could still make out Catherine's frame as she paced back and forth in front of a cactus shrub, seeming to have a conversation with herself and a very animated one at that. She looked like a mirage as the heat rose from the desert sand making everything sizzle and fade. She still had her back to him, her left hand rest on her hips and the right hand up n her forehead, pacing trying to think of a solution to the mess they were in. Even when she was pissed Gil found her to be the most attractive woman he knew.
"Catherine!" Gil called as she finally stopped pacing and looked back, squinting in the sun in Gil's direction.
Gil picked up the pace and reached her, seeing her eyes were red with anger still and her face was full of sweat as her blond hair blew in the desert breeze. he grabbed her by the shoulders, making her stand still and look at him, focus and try to calm down. "Hey, hey, calm down okay." He soothed, bringing Catherine into his arms.
"I know, I know. I-I'm sorry I got so angry, just, I needed to cool off." Catherine replied with a sigh.
"The desert is definitely not the best place to cool off."
Catherine wanted to say something clever or get angry at his words but instead she broke out into hysterical laughter,. She laughed until she had tears falling from her eyes and her sides ached. Gil looked at her confused, but after a few moments joined in on the laughter as he wrapped an arm around Catherine's shoulders pulling her in close and kissing the top of her head.
"Come on, lets head back to the truck. God knows what trouble those two have gotten into unsupervised." Gil said leading them back towards the Tahoe that looked like a mirage in the heatwave of the desert.
-\-
"Any luck Greggo?" Catherine asked as she let go Gil and leaned against black paint of the Tahoe feeling the metal burn her flesh.
"Nothing yet." Greg snapped as he scowled at Sara, "I told Sara to flash the next Transport that comes by but she didn't really seem like that was the best idea."
"I am not using my breasts as a lure to get a creepy transport driver to stop." Sara exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air and stocking off from the group.
Catherine spotted a transport coming down the highway and was tried of sitting here waiting for a miracle to happen. She walked in front of the Tahoe pulling down the front of her shirt to reveal a little more cleavage and skin for the driver. Gil was about to protest against his wife doing something so juvenile when he noticed that the driver was actually slowing down and pulling over to the side of the road. Catherine smiled at herself, satisfied that she still had the magic touch and pulled her shirt back up looking at the other three who were all staring at her.
"Your welcome." She said as she walked over to the transport to greet the driver.
"Hello pretty lady, Are you guys in need of some assistance?" The husky man asked with a heavy Texan accent. He wiped the sweat from his thick brow with a dirt covered rag and when he smiled he was missing teeth.
"We ran out of gas, do you know how far the next gas station is?" Catherine asked glad that her dark sunglasses hid the disgusted look in her eyes.
The heavy set Texan truck driver spit onto the ground about a foot from where Catherine was standing. "Next one is about twenty miles from here. I can bring one of you there, preferably you, and my buddy Darrin can drive you back to your friends."
Catherine raised an eyebrow at the man, not really keen on getting in the truck alone with him, but decided that this was going to get them the hell out of here the fastest. Gil had come up beside Catherine, placing his arm around her shoulder, staking his claim on her to the overzealous truck driver.
"Alright, I'll go." Catherine finally agreed as the driver gave a widened smile once more. It appears she just made the guys cross country trek worth it today.
"Oh no you won't! We'll both go!" Gil said turning Catherine to look at him.
Catherine cupped her husbands cheek and smiled, "He only has room for one passenger Gil. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself." She explained, seeing that he was not buying it. Catherine sighed nodding off to Greg and Sara a few feet away, "Those two need a babysitter more then I need a protector. Please, trust me." She reassured him and then kissed him, making sure the truck driver could see that she was far from available.
Catherine tried to walk away when Gil gripped her hand and pulled her back. She scowled seeing Gil dig into his pocket and pulling out a Swiss Army knife that he had attached to his set of keys. He un-clipped it from the metal ring and placed it in Catherine's palm, meeting her gaze even if it was shielding behind her glasses. "Just in case your wit doesn't fend him off. Be safe." He said, kissing her cheek and letting go of her wrist knowing that fighting was not going to held the cause.
Catherine smiled and then waved to Greg and Sara, "Bye guys, be back soon! Be good for Grissom now." She called out to Greg and Sara as she made her way to the transport, gripping the door handle and heaving herself up the steps and into the cab. The driver was already in, sitting waiting for his eye candy to take her respected seat. They smiled and laughed.
She waved down from her seat, trying to ignore the foul smell of outdated fast food containers and body odor that filled the cramped up cab. She had to agree, three would be too crowded in this pig pen of a vehicle as she could see the worry in her husbands eyes even behind the black of his shades. She blew him a kiss as the transport driver put the truck in gear and slowly moved back out onto the highway that was still far from busy with traffic.
-/-
Catherine and the truck driver, who she found out was named Bill, had a wife in Houston named Betty and two kids, Buck who was ten and Sally who was five. They had a pleasant talk, discussing what each was doing out in Death Valley on, according to the Radio, one of the hottest days on record for Nevada. He was impressed with their story of what got them in their predicament and before she knew it, they were talking about their kids as if they were best friends for years.
Forty-five minutes after leaving Gil, Sara and Greg Bill pulled into a truck stop that seemed to be the main hub for not only transports but also other travelers. He informed Catherine that this was the last major gas station until the California border which was another hour drive away. She kept that as a mental note for on their way back and, since Bill seemed to know his way around the I-15 in these parts she asked where the nearest Motel was. It happened to be about twenty minutes from the gas station. He gave her directions on how to get there from the I-15. Catherine thanked the man as she went ahead and filled two red gas jugs with fuel before lugging the heavy containers into the convenience store.
While there she decided to grab a few more bottles of water, knowing that they were all dying of thirst out there and a few more snacks, feeling the pit of her stomach grumble at the sheer thought of food. The line up was long but Catherine didn't mind since the store was air conditioned and she was going to bask in the cool air as long as she could before having the brave the desert heat once more.
When she got up to the counter a very awful thought dawned on her. She left her purse, wallet and money all back in the Tahoe with the rest of them. She sighed, fighting the urge to cry at this because this moment it was just the icing on top of a cake of total destruction from beginning to end with this road trip.
"Shit." She muttered under her breath as she was about to get out of line when a man's hand came out from behind her handing the gas attendant cash.
"It's alright Miss. I'll pay for you," The man behind her said and Catherine recognized that voice. She turned around to thank him when she caught the eyes of the Under Sheriff.
"Brian?"
"Catherine? Is that you?" He replied raising his sunglasses and looking the older Criminalist over. "You look like hell, why are you buying gas?" Sheriff Mobley asked as he carried one of the jugs for her, heading back out into the sweltering heat.
"Long story, what brings you out to the middle of nowhere?" Catherine asked as she pushed the door open with her shoulder hearing the ding from the bell above them.
"Politics I'm afraid, trying to please the small communities. What are you doing so far away from Vegas? Where is Gil?"
"He is with Sara and Greg at their Tahoe about twenty miles west of here. We ran out of gas on our road trip, got a ride from a truck driver to here. Is there any chance you are heading back to Vegas and I could catch a ride?"
"Of course, no problem at all, hop in." Brian said popping the trunk and putting the gas can down with a thud as Catherine did the same, smiling at how lucky she was to run into the Sheriff in the most unlikely of situations.
-\-
Gil, Sara, and Greg were all sitting on the hot desert dirt, hiding themselves as best they could in the shadows of the Tahoe. They tried sitting in the vehicle but it was stifling hot, even with all the windows down. There bodies were sticking to the leather as if it was becoming their second skin. After twenty minutes of Gil pacing back and forth wondering if he made the worst mistake ever letting Catherine go with that deranged truck driver Greg found a deck of cards. They decided to play a few rounds of 'bullshit' in order to keep Gil's mind distracted and to pass the time while they waited for Catherine to return and get them the hell out of this desert.
"Don't worry Grissom Catherine will be alright she has your Swiss Army knife, she will use it if she needs too." Sara replied and put down a king and an eight hoping Gil wouldn't catch that move.
Gil sighed debating on what card to place next. "You're right Sara and I call bullshit on that last move." Gil said with a smile as Sara scowled picking up the pile of cards.
"God, I hope she returns soon, I am like roasting out here in the desert. Eventually I am going to melt away." Greg whined fanning himself with his shirt that was soaked in sweat.
Just then they heard wheels to a car come to a halt on the dirt shoulder across the road from them. They heard a car door slam shut. They could not see who it was but all hoped it was going to be Catherine who rounded the front of the Tahoe with their gas. It seemed their prayers answered after a few moments as the blonde heroine had returned.
"Did you miss me?" Catherine announced setting down the two jugs of gas and plastics bag of water bottles. Everyone looked broad smiles on their faces.
"Catherine!" Greg yelled as he scrambled to his feet giving the woman a large bear hug as she scrunched her face at how revolting her smelled. "Thank god you're back! I was dying out here." He said kissing her cheek.
"I think we needed to babysit your husband more then him watching us." Sara replied reaching in through the drivers door window and popping open the gas tank door.
Gil grabbed one of the jugs of gas, twisting the cap off and began pouring the liquid into the vehicle, "How did you manage to make it back here? I didn't hear a transport drive by recently?" He asked smiling at his wife who was trying to get Greg's sweaty body off her her.
"Our old friend the Sheriff gave me a lift, and paid for this gas so don't be surprised if we get our heads bitten off my Ecklie Monday night." Catherine replied as she cracked open a bottle of water.
Greg did the same, almost chugging the whole thing in one go since he was so thirsty. Gil went ahead and poured the other jug of gas into the truck watching as it gulped the liquid just as fast as Greg was with his water. When he was finished he screwed the cap back on and slammed the gas door shut giving Sara the thumbs up who was sitting in the driver's seat. She turned the key and the vehicle came back to life as they all sighed in relief climbing back into the vehicle and ready to get off the side of the highway.
"Did your truck driver creeper happen to tell you of a place to crash since it's starting to get dark again soon?" Sara asked as she sped down the highway that was desolate of cars allowing the breeze to fill the car and cool them off as much as possible.
"He did actually, no need to worry guys, there will be no sleeping in the Tahoe tonight!" Catherine replied with a smile as she closed her eyes, allowing the breeze to flow through her hair.
T.B.C
