A/N: Nick arrives in ten days. The countdown begins! I am having fun with this story. Those reviewers who want some GSR action will be rewarded for their patience in just another day or two. But as much as I am loving playing with these characters, I promise you this plot is moving with some twists and turns ahead. Thanks to all the faithful reviewers and those who just support the story by reading. I laughed right along with Sara at the end. Hope you will too! –Kathy
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Upon hearing his father's car slowing in front of the hangar, Nick ended his phone call and was alongside the car before Sara's door even opened.
He pulled her out of the car and up into his crushing embrace before she even had a chance to stabilize her feet on the ground. She found herself off-balance, falling clumsily into his embrace.
Nick interpreted that to mean she was clinging to him in desperation over their impending separation.
"Now, now, darlin', it'll be alright," he cooed, and action that found Sara inwardly rolling her eyes.
Having been raised in the system, Sara had definite ideas of what constituted romance and what emptily demonstrated itself as schmaltz.
And Nicky was becoming very schmaltzy lately.
What am I thinking? We're being married in less than three weeks! Perhaps getting away from each other for these ten days will actually be a good thing, will help me get this relationship back into perspective…because right now he is really starting to irritate me.
Not being a mind reader, however, Nick continued with his cooing and wooing until finally Sara wanted to scream.
Instead, she looked over Nick's shoulder and locked eyes with Grissom.
To the casual observer, he was doing nothing more than standing there taking in the scene.
But Sara was not a casual observer.
She could spot the longing in his eyes, not predatory longing but the kind of emotion you express when you see a balloon wrenched from your grasp – you know it once belonged to you but you are unable to hold onto it.
So you find yourself forced to watch it departing slowly until it is finally and totally out of your reach.
And as she was being cuddled and romanced by her fiancé, Sara's gaze and concern both centered on this enigma of a man who had stolen her heart years ago.
Unfortunately Sara was not the only less-than-casual observer in the room.
Lillian's blood boiled as she witnessed this otherwise unnoticed exchange. She was fuming.
He may have to be underfoot, but I am going to make damned sure he is kept away from my Nicky's wife-to-be!
Logan, unaware that all that had taken place in a heartbeat, coughed roughly in a manner to relate to Nick that he needed to release Sara.
Stating that the pilot wanted to get ahead of the next storm system, he enjoined the travelers to board the plane.
Shaking Grissom's hand a bit tighter than necessary, Nick reminded him to take it easy, "…because we don't want ya too tired to be giving Sara away."
He smiled inwardly as he caught a moment of emotion pass through Grissom's eyes.
Kissing his mother, Nick reminded her conspiratorially to "…take care of things until I get home."
Turning to Sara, he was confused to find her already on board. During his farewell conversation with his mother, Logan had led Sara into the aircraft and was gesturing to Grissom to sit next to her.
"Just in case she needs something," smiled Logan innocently.
Nick took the stairs two at a time. Once inside the plane, he found his access to Sara's seat- belted form blocked by the narrow aisles – and the impenetrable barrier of Gil Grissom's protective stance.
Gil knew he was being childish, but soon Nick would have her all to himself – so he claimed the right to be a little territorial…even if it was for the last time.
About to speak, Nick was cut off by a large hand on his shoulder. Still seething from his inability to get anywhere near Sara, his body relaxed immediately as he stared into the smiling eyes of his father.
"Sorry, son, but it's time to go," Logan said, calling quickly, "Sara, dear…wave goodbye to Nick now, will you?"
"Bye, Nick! I'll call you when we land," Sara said, unintentionally forgetting what would have been an extremely appropriate time to say I LOVE YOU.
This point was not unnoticed by Nick …or Grissom.
Their eyes met, dueled, and then…Nick went to the mats.
Round one – match point, Grissom.
As the plane lifted off from the tarmac, Nick couldn't help but sit there and worry that Sara would be alright for the next ten days.
As the plane cleared the runway, Logan couldn't help but sit there and reminisce about the day Anna left.
His father's heart ached for how Nick must be feeling now, mentally reviewing the picture of his son staring out as their plane departed.
As the plane cleared the runway, Sara absently grasped for her seat handle. Take-offs always made her feel disoriented. Gil covered her white knuckles with his gentle touch, leaning his head sideways to chide her teasingly in what could only be described as loving tones.
As the plane cleared the runway, Lillian turned her attention from her Nicky left all alone. She trained her eye on the back of Grissom's head, and intended to keep an eye on this troublemaker until they landed.
Logan caught this action, shook his head imperceptibly as he sighed softly, and then diverted his eyes to the tops of the clouds lingering nearby.
For the first time in years, he allowed himself a moment to wonder what Anna was doing today.
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COUNTDOWN: DAY 10
Settled into the large hacienda on the ranch, Lillian was in her element, barking orders and generally making the house staff's lives slightly insane.
Sara had been shown to Nick's room in the south wing of the expansive home. Lillian told her this room was better than the guest room she had stayed in before because Sara would be "surrounded by Nick's things, to help make their separation easier."
Grissom's things had been shown to his airy guest room – on the north side of the home. Lillian had sequestered him there in an attempt to keep him as far away from Sara as possible. However, she told Gil that the location was "perfect for convalescence, quiet and private."
Both Gil and Sara had the same reactions when they had spoken separately to Lillian as she led them to their rooms.
Not for the first time, she wondered if they had some kind of mind meld, as they had used the same body postures and essentially the same response – a sort of flippant double-entrendre response.
Sara had been exhausted from her travel, and slept through dinner.
Gil had done the same.
Much later, Sara awoke and realized she was shivering.
Alone under the covers, she wished she could talk to Grissom; just the sound of his voice always made her feel safe somehow.
How was she feeling, exactly?
For the first time in a while, Sara admitted to herself that she was unnerved from the bad dreams that had plagued her rest.
Not nightmares, exactly, but more like those terrors filled with frantic, fruitless searches for something she had misplaced.
She could only remember her empty arms, straining for …what was it?...that was just out of reach.
She could only remember pleading…begging…don't go…don't…wait!...
She was slightly panicked at realizing her heart now was pounding in her ears.
Sara was whispering to herself slightly, trying to calm herself using all the self-calming techniques that had worked in the past.
She panicked more when she realized they weren't working.
Trying to avert a full-blown panic attack, she tried to fling her long legs out of bed and move to the connecting bathroom.
Forgetting her injuries had weakened her, Sara felt dizzy and slumped painfully to the floor. A slight shriek emitted from her clenched teeth. She had badly grazed her severely bruised areas as she hit the hardwood floors.
In what seemed like an instant, Lillian and one of her servants were bounding into Sara's room to assist her.
Well, if nothing else, ole Lil has great timing! she thought, unaware that there was a very practical reason Lillian knew Sara was hurt.
Helping her up, Sara brushed off their fussing, insisting that she was fine and only in need of some refreshment.
Lillian absolutely refused to allow Sara to leave the room, ordering her servant to get Sara back in bed while she would see to having a tray brought up for her.
Sara, although furious at being held a prisoner in these spacious quarters, had to concede that she was too tired to take on ole Lil tonight.
Emma Anne plumped Sara's pillows and did her best to secure her comfortably in bed, without raising her eyes.
Sara noted the girl's posture. She was not much younger than Sara, but obviously knew her place, a line she would not cross if she expected to remain in Lillian's employ.
Sara, however, had other ideas.
Speaking softly, Sara asked, "How long do I have before ole Lil returns?"
The servant's eyes twisted around in horror, worried that Lillian would have overheard.
"Don't worry, Emma Anne, she can't hear us!" Sara smiled, but the look on Emma's face caused her confident smile to lose some of its luster.
"She can't…can she?" Sara asked, less confidently.
Before she could gain an answer, Sara's phone rang. Emma Anne's eyes widened, and she just glared at Sara.
Sara continued to be eye locked with her as she answered her cell.
In response to the other party, Sara smiled and said in a very personal tone, "Hey…I was just sitting here wondering what you were up to right about now!"
Before she had a chance to respond to the next statement out of her caller's mouth, Lillian was standing in her partially closed doorway.
The best Sara can remember is Lillian flinging open the door with a curious expression on her face.
Almost red-faced, she pounded over to Sara's side and demanded, "And just WHO are you speaking to? You know, Sara dear, that you need to conserve your strength. Perhaps I should be the one to explain this to your gentleman caller?"
Emma Anne grimaced. She had witnessed this scene played out in other venues over the last ten years. Lillian always kept tight tabs on her daughter's callers. She always told them she did not expect any of her daughters to shame her by becoming an unwed mother.
Emma Anne looked away, remembering how the four girls had joined together to find various ways to sneak out after hours without Lillian knowing.
Emma Anne liked this Sara girl. She had spunk, and wasn't afraid to stand up to Lillian. Yes, she could see why Mr. Stokes adored her.
Perhaps I might just have to have a private chat with her.
By this time, Sara was so angry her hair hurt.
And if Lillian didn't back off soon, that wouldn't be the only thing that would hurt around here….
However, Sara decided to take the high road and simply cooed into her cell phone, "Nick, I think your mother wants to talk to you…" as she handed the phone over, accompanied by a Sidle death glare.
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After a few sputtered phrases, Lillian had retreated from Sara's room without apology or further comment.
Emma Anne motioned to Sara to follow her, all the while saying aloud, "Miss Sara, you should see this beautiful evening sky!"
Once outside, Emma Anne closed the French doors leading to the patio. Sara waited patiently for her to speak.
Slowly, looking over her shoulder several times, Emma Anne began to speak.
She told Sara about Lillian's obsession with eavesdropping on the lives of her daughters, and so she suspected that Lillian was eavesdropping on Sara also.
"You mean…she has my room bugged?" Sara spurted incredulously.
"That's how she knew I had fallen! And about the phone call!"
Emma backed away from Sara as her eyes lit up in anger.
An angry Sidle is a fearsome sight.
Suddenly, her countenance became peaceful, but Sara's eyes continued to light up dangerously.
She stared at Emma and said pointedly, "There are bugs in my room!"
Emma rethought her original impression of Sara. She now wondered if she was totally rational.
Sara laughed out loud and repeated, "There are bugs in my room!"
She smiled broadly, reaching out and hugging a startled Emma, who became more worried when Sara stated, "And I happen to know a terrific bug man!"
Whipping out her cell phone from her pocket, Sara started texting a message while she muttered to no one in particular, "And I believe he makes house calls…"
Reading the response to her message printed boldly on her cell phone monitor, Sara chuckled and sighed, "Oh, Gil!"
