Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or its characters.
A/N: So, most of you Canadian Graduates know about something called Diplomas (pretty much equivalent to the SAT's in the U.S). Sad enough to say that Real Life did indeed get the best of me…tragic, isn't it? Anyways, you all should be thanking jtbwriter who kicked me in the butt yesterday and told me I had to keep going. Thanks as well to everyone that has seen this story so far…I would never have imagined getting this many thoughtful reviews! So, enjoy the next chapter!
Sara tried to relax as the voices withered away into silence. She tried once more to open her eyes, or wiggle her fingers, anything! But her body refused to listen to her mind. The only thing she could accomplish right now was to listen.
Obviously, this was another dream, but Sara started to feel nervous, reflecting over the conversation Victoria, Eric, and the man named Jahevo had while she was trapped. It was unnerving to hear the possibility that some greater force was trying to control, much less trap, her in this dream-like state.
And the man they had talked about. Sara had to be honest with herself; she knew a lot of men in her life both professionally and personally. She suddenly hoped that whoever this man was, they were personally acquainted. Meeting a criminal in her dreams would indeed be unsettling.
Suddenly, a rush of air hit her face. Her ears slightly popped at the change in air pressure, and she could faintly smell the soft, wooden scent of a pine forest.
A hand touched her face suddenly. "Sara, honey, is that you?" asked a male voice.
Struggling to move or open her mouth to ask for help, Sara screamed internally when her body refused to react. Her eyes remained locked tight.
Another hand felt her throat, like it was searching for a pulse. "She's breathing at least. What the hell is this?" said the same deep voice. Sara felt like she knew the voice, but she couldn't quite place it.
"Sara, honey, if you can hear me, I want you to know that everything will be alright. I think I realize what I need to do, so please don't panic," soothed the man.
Sara shivered, and felt the hand touching her cheek move to touch her lips, as if feeling if they were real. And then, as if the man had come to a rash decision, he kissed her.
A jolt of energy went through her body, and she gasped awake, her eyes opening to the bright light of the sun. She looked up, and met blue. Grissom.
"Sara, are you alright?" he asked, obviously concerned about her.
Sara nodded, looking around for some sort of explanation. "Grissom, where am I? And why do you look-" Her breath hitched as reality smacked her in the forehead.
He knew her name. In all of the other dreams she had experienced, he had always called her something else, a name to fit the fairytale dream she had become trapped in.
"You know me?" she asked, confusion present in her face. "Is it really you?"
Grissom frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Sara sat up suddenly, startling him as she spoke. "I don't know what the hell is going on, but I've been here before. This…Dream World. Many times, in fact. And every time I saw you in my dreams, you weren't…Gil Grissom. You were someone else. You seemed to know me, but you didn't ever call me Sara."
Grissom nodded. "Just a moment ago, I was in some other kind of land. It was like I was trapped in the fairytale of Sleeping Beauty. I had to fight a dragon, and when I finally made it to the castle, I found you asleep in a bed. When I kissed you, you awakened and called me Philip."
Sara frowned, nodding. "It's like we're stuck in some kind of freaky fairytale world, except we're actually asleep," she said. "And just a minute or so before I heard your voice, there were other voices. Three people were having an argument, and two of them seemed to be like some sort of henchmen to the third. They called him Jahevo."
Grissom stood beside Sara and looked into her eyes. "All I know is that we're stuck here, and we recognized each other, unlike before."
"Jahevo said it would be a test, and that the only way out of here would be to complete the test," explained Sara, her voice breaking as she spoke. A single tear ran down her face. "Why us, what did we do to deserve this?"
Grissom reached up and brushed the tear off of her cheek. "Honey, as long as we stick together, we'll figure a way out of here. We're trained investigators, after all."
Sara nodded, looking around her. "Well, it seems to me that we're stuck in some kind of forest," she said, pausing to look at her and Grissom's attire. "I'm in some kind of dress, my hair seems to be normal, and you're wearing tights. "
Grissom grimaced, but nodded. "When I came out into the clearing, you were locked in some kind of glass case, lying on this bed," he explained, patting the bed they sat on. "And you awakened when I kissed you."
Sara snapped her fingers. "I think I've got it! The case, the weird taste in my mouth, the way we're dressed….It has to be Snow White!"
"That's what I thought. I'm not very good on my fairytales, but I remember watching some Disney versions when I would baby-sit Lindsey for an evening if Catherine needed to go out," he said.
Sara grabbed his hand and stood up. "Well, sitting here and not doing anything isn't the key to the problem. Come on," she said, tugging at his arm to follow her.
Grissom followed her, but stopped suddenly.
Sara turned around and looked at him, worried. "What's wrong? We should get going!"
Saying nothing, Grissom walked over to her and kissed her. Sara gasped, but returned the kiss.
Removing his lips from hers, he sighed. "I'm just relieved that you're ok. I saw you lying in that glass…coffin, and I couldn't breathe."
Sara smiled, and cupped his cheek. "I'm glad it was you," she said, pecking him again. "Now, let's get a move on. I want to get back to the Real World. I have a hot date tonight, you know!"
Grissom laughed as he followed her.
TBC!
