Chapter Seven

Sara awoke to the smell of bacon cooking. She grimaced. He looked over his shoulder and could tell she was awake. He politely asked if she would like anything but she shook her head. She started to ask for a cup of coffee but then realized she had lost her voice. Great! If he wanted to kill me, I couldn't even scream but then again there is no one to hear me. Great Sara! Grissom saw the look on her face and asked if she wanted coffee. Again she nodded. He made a face but brought the coffee to her.

"Look, the least you could do is talk to me. Giving me the silent treatment is juvenile don't you think?"

Sara fumed. She opened her mouth but only every other word came out. He stared in disbelief.

"There is a God in heaven. Sara Sidle has lost her ability to talk." He returned to the kitchen before she could throttle him. He rummaged through the cabinets taking out different items and then began mixing a concoction up in a pan. Sara noticed that more firewood had been placed on the fire. She wondered how he was able to do so much and not wake her up. It's called exhaustion. I wonder how long it will take before he discovers the car.

She had been lost in thought when a cup was shoved into her face. She glanced up at him and he motioned for her to take it. She took the cup and smelled the contents.

"Don't worry. It's just something I found that helps for just your ailment."

She took a sip and it actually did not taste bad. Of course, the liquor helped.

"After breakfast, we can go into town and see about finding a locksmith." He returned to the kitchen and set the table.

"How about some oatmeal?" Sara nodded. Anything would be good at that moment.

Except fish.

After breakfast was done, Sara cleaned up the kitchen while Grissom went outside. She started to count in her head. She expected an explosion any moment. Grissom returned with a scowl on his face. She turned her back so he could not see the expression on her face.

"It seems we are both now stranded."

Sara turned around to face him as if in shock.

"It seems I have a flat tire."

"Spare?" whispered Sara.

"It seems I have two flat tires."

Grissom walked over to the door and picked up a small tool box. He left Sara standing there. As soon as he closed the door, he grinned. She flattened the tires! She wants to stay.

She grabbed the blanket and placed it around her shoulders. To her relief, her shoes had dried overnight so she slipped them on and went outside. Grissom was working on the trunk of her car.

"How bad do you want your clothes?"

Sara gave a thumbs up. He proceeded to pry the trunk open. He grinned when it popped open. He pulled out the suitcase and brought it inside the cabin. Sara followed.

"Okay, we can sit it out here for a couple of days at which time a delivery boy is supposed to come with groceries or we can walk out of here."

Sara waited for him to answer but surprisingly he didn't. He looked at her for a reply.

"Wait" she croaked. I can always run if I have to.

They spent the next couple of hours playing scrabble. There were one or two arguments but fortunately there was a dictionary to resolve the conflict. In the end Sara skunked him. She smiled when he congratulated her.

It was the first time in their relationship where they shared each other's company and it was not work related. It was rather nice. The uneasiness and awkwardness was gone. It was replaced by a feeling of companionship.

They took a mile hike along a path behind the cabin and stopped to admire the view. It was a bit chilly but it was good to be outdoors. Grissom pointed out the different species of plants and trees and Sara listened intently. She would smile each time he looked at her. He seemed to enjoy her company and she no longer felt like an intruder.

Sara was surprised he did not ask to go down to the lake to look for her keys. Then again, she didn't relish the thought of getting back into the icy water again. She decided they would just have to get a locksmith eventually.

Lunch had consisted of sandwiches and of course a rematch of scrabble. Grissom grinned when he had managed to get several triple word scores. Sara on the other hand didn't seem to mind she just enjoyed his change in mood.

The afternoon was spent discussing favorite books and authors. Sara smiled when Grissom admitted they had a lot in common. Just the mere admittance however made him scowl and he went outside to gather more wood for the fire. The weather had changed from a cool sunny day to storm clouds. By mid afternoon, the rain began to fall. So did Grissom's mood.