It was late afternoon when they arrived at the northeast shore campside at Vogelsang Lake. While Sara finally could take all her photos without the weight of the backpack on her back, Sofia stripped down and jumped into the lake. The water was freezing and she started squeaking as soon as her head was out of the water.
"This is fricking cold!"
"Are you surprised about that?" Sara took a picture of Sofia in the water.
"Stop that I'm in my underwear."
"Well, nobody forced you to jump into the water with your underwear."
"You want to see me skinny dipping?"
"I never said that. I assumed in your backpack is a swim suit. Like the one we bought after you looked for it for hours."
"No space for that." Sofia dived under the water to let another scream coming out of her mouth. It was very good that the water kept her scream.
Sara started to unpack her backpack. She was hungry and wanted some warm food as soon as possible.
Dripping and with shattering teeth Sofia left the water, on the search for a big towel.
"What was good."
"At least you're wearing black underwear. I'm sure the boys group don't agree with me, but you gave them a nice show by just waking out of the water in a hint of nothing."
"Huh?" Sofia turned her head around. A few hundrets yards away was a group of five or six boys, barely ten years old.
"Boys that age should play with cars instead of staring at an elderly woman."
"I'm sure they appreciate the look of Lieutenant Lascivious."
"Why is it always a child or an just out of child age ones looking at me? Can't I attract somebody closer to my age?" Sofia rolled herself into her towel and started to pull a long sleeve over her still wet underwear. With a few moves she dropped her bra and her slip, putting on some dry ones and left the cover of the towel to put on a thick sweat pants.
"Again, you're blond, the dream of every boy and men are nothing else than elderly boys."
"Wonderful. If there has to be any attraction of men to me, why can't it be a real man?"
"They're all married and don't want to risk the trouble with their wife. I don't think you'll find a lot of single guys hiking here. The playground of them is in Vegas."
"Yes, in Vegas I'd men following me; at least until they saw my badge."
"I never saw you in company of a guy."
"First of all we usually never met private and second you don't bring toys to work, do you?"
"Toys?"
"They were never more. I need a challenge, a positive challenge as a relationship."
"Monique was a positive challenge?"
"She was challenge, positive…well, in the beginning, yes."
"Felix is at least in a legal age…"
"Felix, who calls you Investigator Incredible, is way too young. Being incredible to him, you can have a go."
"No, it's definitely you whom he wants."
"Which gives him another example of, you can't always have what you want. It's a tough life but that's the lesson you have to learn." Sofia took two bottles of beer out of her backpack and brought them into the lake. The natural way of cooling your breverage.
"What are you cooking for us?"
"Instant noodles, some carrots and a salami for you."
"You bought salami?" It was definitely not Sofia who bought salami, why did Sara as a vegetarien buy meat?
"Yes I knew you would be hungry and I told you before, there's no need for you not to eat meat just because I'm around. I won't leave when you eat meat."
"I can survive a few days without meat."
"I know you can but there's no reason for you to do that. Or are you trying to impress me?" Sara smirked cocky.
Sofia bent down to her, came very close to her face and whispered: "If I wanted to impress you, I'd have taken white underwear for my swim trip."
"Now you're flirting."
"No, now I'm making you feeling hot. Need a bath?"
"That was a cheap try to get me out of my clothes."
"Shall I come with you into the water?"
"Don't you dare!"
"Too late." Sofia grapped Sara's hand and pulled her in the direction of the lake.
"Stop it!"
"No."
"If you get me in the water, you'll come with me and then you don't have anything warm to wear."
"I'll cope."
"No!" Sara pushed all her weight against Sofia and stopped her only yards away from the water.
"There's no way you can stop me. I'll get you in there." Sara knew that. Sofia was stronger, if she really wanted, she'd get Sara in the water within the next seconds.
"Let us at least strip down our clothes so that we've something warm for later."
"If you try to escape…"
"I won't. Promise." Sara sighed. She knew Sofia would catch her and then they'd both end up in the lake with their clothes. It was better for both of them if Sara gave in and followed Sofia.
"Okay." Sofia pulled her long sleeve over her head and kicked away her pants. There was a reason why she had only taken black underwear.
Sara folded her clothes on a rock and shattered. That was cold without water from the mountains. The afternoon sun would vanish in half an hour or so, it wasn't that warm anymore.
"Do we really have to do that?"
"Yes." Sofia took Sara's hand and stepped into the water.
"Why?" Why did they have to go into water, that felt like it was close to be ice.
"Because you're not a pussy." Fast Sofia dragged her arm around Sara's waist and pulled her in the water. The scream Sara made was only stopped by the water when her head dived under.
"I hate you!"
"No, you don't." Sofia spilled some water in Sara's face.
"I do." The brunette jumped to the blonde to push her head under water. Sofia noticed the attack early enough and escaped. For a couple of minutes they chased each other in the water before Sofia found herself in Sara's hands and under water.
"That." She pushed Sofia's head again under water after a few seconds for breathing.
"Is." Back in to water.
"My." One last time
"Revenge." She opened her grip and let Sofia breathe as long as she wanted.
"And now tell me you're not feeling better than before" the lieutenant said when they left the water.
"I'm feeling cold now."
"And?"
"And fresh and hungry."
"See." Sofia took her towel, that was still wet from her first jump in the lake. "We gave the lake a good christening."
"I guess the christening of the lake was a few years ago." Sara took her towel and wrapped herself in it.
"Probably but I bet it wasn't was good as our. All boys are watching with binoculars."
"Boys will be boys."
"Maybe they've got a cute guide."
"Are you trying to pick somebody up? In that case a long weekend in San Jose would have been better. Go to a bar, chose, leave, take what you want and go home."
"It sounds so cold when you say it that way." Sofia laughed. She was back in her clothes and turnd on the little gas heater for the noodles.
"I won't waste any words for an act that is nothing more than satisfying your id."
"Oh, Mrs. Freud is talking. Just to let you know, I'm not into that anymore. I enjoyed it in Vegas, but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. If I get somebody in my bed or if I go into somebody's bed, it's because I'm in a relationship."
"I bet that broke a lot of hearts."
"Yeah, some guys and chicks still try to change my mind. Thing is if you're not careful in your private life somebody might use that against you in your professional life. The more responsibility I have the more careful I have to be."
"True." Sara got some carrots out of a bag for them. "How long do the noodles need?"
"According to this package two minutes in boiling water. We won't cook the vegies?"
"No, that will take too much time. What is with your salami? You want to cook it? Or eat it cold?"
"I can eat it cold, no problem."
"And then I'll get my tent out."
"It won't rain." Sofia looked at the sky. A few harmless clouds were in the far skyline.
"Don't bet on it." Sara had too often built up her tent in the middle of the night because the weather had changed suddenly.
"I think positive." Sofia took a slice of salami in her mouth. "Want a beer with the dinner?"
"If you want to share."
"Took them here so we can enjoy them in the sunset. You're my guest." Sofia got up and got the beer out of the water. Luckily it was still on the same spot she left it.
"You know." Sara divided the noodles and handed Sofia a mug with her share as Sara took the bottle. "This is almost a perfect dinner."
"Yeah, warm food, cold beer and we don't have to tip the waiter."
"We should have done that in Vegas."
"We should have spent more time together in Vegas, seems like we do really enjoy it."
"You think we would have enjoyed time together in Vegas?" Sara's voice was serious, thoughtful.
"Probably not."
"I wasn't actually easy…"
"Somebody once said it's the privilege of a woman to be complicated. We're not here to be understood, we're here to be loved."
"Nice saying." Sara lost herself for a little moment in the sunset. Only a little bit of the sun was still visible, the rest had vanished behind a mountain. Immediately it got cooler and she grapped her jumper.
"Can I ask you something? As always, no pressure to answer."
"Ask me, Sara." Sofia didn't need pressure to answer Sara, she wanted to answer her, no matter what the question was. That was the best way the two of them got to know each other better. She hat the advantage with the old CSI files, it was only fair to answer questions to Sara.
"Why did you leave Vegas without saying goodbye?"
"The easiest way to answer this question is saying, I said goodbye but you weren't in the lab when I was there. After what happened to you, after Brass got shot, after Nick got kidnapped, I thought, something must be wrong with this shift. It seemed like somebody or something tried to kill all of the night shift. I needed time, I asked for a leave of absence and went away for a few weeks. Meanwhile somebody offered me the job in San Jose and I took it. The perfect new beginning. I left Vegas once, came back because Brass got that job for me, the second time was for good. I needed to work in day time, I needed a new city and I needed a new challenge. I never said goodbye to you guys because I never came back."
"Did you miss Vegas?"
"I missed working with you guys, yes. But I knew I had to stay away or I'd be caught again in Vegas."
"It's easier to forget when you're far away."
"True."
"I hope when you want to escape San Jose for whatever reason, you'll come down to Fresno."
"And why would I do that? Why would I move to a little town in the nowhere instead of an exciting place? New York for example."
"You don't strike me as a New York woman. You're more sunshine, ocean, I don't know, west coast."
"Really?"
"Although I have to say there's this little accent in your voice I can't…"
"Don't go there." Sofia stopped her grinning.
"Okay." Sara smiled. She would accept even a stop in a friendly tone.
"It's something I've got from my grandmother. She was from England. My mum worked really hard to lose her accent, I always liked my grandmother's accent but my mum made me speak the propper American way. That's why there's only a hint every now and then."
"I like it." Sara smiled.
"I can try to talk to you in British English."
"Nah I'd laugh at you when you'd threaten to kick my arse."
"Don't try to imitate the Queen's English."
"Sorry. Pom."
"You are trying to be handcuffed again, don't you?"
"Yo don't really have them with you, do you?"
"I've got my gun."
"Yeah I can understand that – more or less. But handcuffs?"
"No, you're safe. But I'm sure our little friends would like to play with them."
"Probably. Same for your gun."
"There's no way they'll come close to it. We might need it if we get lost in der wilderness and I've to shoot us dinner. I'm afraid we won't find enough berries to keep us alive."
"We won't get lost and we'll survive up to a month without food."
"A month without chocolate? No way. I'd kill myself." Sofia grabbed her bag and got a big bar of chocolate out. "Peanuts in chocolate, can you imagine a better dessert?"
"A bowl of fruit?"
"Too heathy." Sofia broke of a big piece of chocolate and gave it to Sara.
"Tell me how you stay that thin with eating all this junk food and candy stuff?"
"I'm a daily user of the department's gym. An hour or two workout, fruits for breakfast, salad for lunch, steaks and salad for dinner, followed by candy on the sofa."
"Amazing."
"All for the sake of chocolate. And I have to stay fit, I'm not captain yet. Not to mention I like it when people stare at me, when they want my body and I can kick them away 'cause they're not my type. Just because I'm blond and sexy it doesn't mean I'm stupid."
"Who said you're sexy?"
"You did in San Jose."
"Must be a misunderstanding."
"Sure." Sofia smirked. "You don't deny I'm smart?"
"No, that would be an obvious lie."
"Okay, it's more important to me that you think I'm smart than sexy."
"How's that?"
"Well, I know you prefer to be surrounded by smart people and you don't really care how they look. You don't judge somebody on their looking, you judge them on their behavior and their smartness. Being a geek, intelligence is important for you."
"Do you really think I'm a geek?"
"Yes."
"I'm a scientist. You were one when you were with the CSI. You were a supervisor there, you were a über- geek."
"Was I?"
"Yes, you were like Grissom."
"I was like Grissom? I take that as a compliment."
"It is one. But in one thing you really sucked."
"What's that?"
"The weather. Look at these clouds, we'll be in a late summer rain in the next couple of minutes." Sara jumped on her feet and got her tent out of the backpack.
"F…why?" Sofia starred at the clouds, that came closer and were obviously filled with rain. They hang dark and heavy over the next mountain.
"I told you." Sara was happy that she was an experienced tent builder, she needed normally less than three minutes to have her tent ready.
Sofia packed their stuff together and looked for some shelter.
"What kind of camping ground is that? Are we supposed to stay in the toilet while it's raining?"
"People are supposed to take a tent with them." Sara was sure, she managed to get her tent ready in a new personal best time.
"Not if they have so many other things to carry."
"Like guns, chocolate, beer."
"Yes."
"Get the shovel."
"Why?" Should she dig a tunnel or a cave?
"You can earn your shelter in the tent by making a little trench around the tent. If it rains a lot we need some protection otherwise the ground might get wet."
"I get some shelter in your baby tent?"
"Can't let you die in the rain. Be nice to my tent." It was already the biggest version of a one person tent, Sara hated her last one, that was barely enough for her and her stuff. Once she was inside she couldn't move anymore and half of her stuff had to lay on her in the night. Now there was enough space for a backpack and she could still turn in her sleeps without crashing in the soft tent wall.
Sofia dug around the tent, trying to make her way down to the lake so the water had a way to flowing down.
"I've got the first drop, you're far enough, come in." Sara yelled. She took off her shoes and climbed in the tent. Her and Sofia's insulation blanket were on the ground, the backpacks on top, it hadn't been more time for preparation.
"Why do you always have to be right?"
"I'm Mrs. Right, first name Always." Sara chuckled.
"Seems like." Sofia closed the tent. The raindrops became heavier and they were both happy to be inside.
"Well, it will be very…"
"Cozy?" Sofia offered.
"Narrow. Can you take all the hard things out of your backpack?"
"Why?"
"We'll use it as a pillow same with mine. This way we save some space."
"I leave the hard things down here?"
"Yes."
"Well, the bear container can go outside, nothing will get wet in them and if I cover it with… there should be a rain cover at the bottom of my backpack, it's not that obvious to all the bears around, what it is."
"That might work out."
"We'll have a lot of space…kind of." Sofia filled their bear container up with food and drinks, covered them in her rain cape and set it outside.
"If Jogi comes along and tries to steal my chocolate I'll shoot him."
"The scary thing is I believe you would." Sara grinned and got her sleeping bag out.
"No one steals my chocolate." Sofia opened her sleeping bag. "So we'll be caught in the tent for the rest of the night?"
"You're free to sleep outside but once you're out and soaking wet I won't let you in again."
"I prefer the tent, it's cozy." She laid down. "And we walked a lot, we deserve a long break to continue the walk tomorrow."
"Eleven miles."
"Around the lake, I hope we don't have to climb too much."
"We'll be alright."
"If it starts to snow…"
"Don't be silly!"
"I'm cautious."
"There won't be any snow."
"Hopefully not."
"If there is, you'll be frozen to death."
"I won't, I'll keep close to you and steal your warmth."
"You stay in your sleeping bag."
"Scared?"
"No, I'm giving you a friendly advice."
"I'll take it."
"Good. Now shut up, turn off the flashlight and move closer to me, it's getting cold."
"Your wish." Sofia grinned.
"Don't smile that smug."
"I don't." Now she did.
"Liar."
"Get some rest, honey. I'll take care of you."
"Don't shoot a boy."
"I try not to."
"Good night, Sofia."
"Good night, Sara. And you know what?"
"What?"
"What you said about staying in San Jose when I want to get laid…maybe I wanted to get laid by you and now I've got what I wanted."
"We share a tent because it's raining you'd have every reason to hate me if I make you stay outside."
"Maybe I planed it this way."
"Sure, you planed the weather."
"You don't think I can do things like this?"
"Good night, Sofia." Sara shook her head, smiled and closed her eyes. Years ago she'd have kicked Sofia out of the tent for these words, now she just smiled and relaxed. She knew she could trust the leutenant.