Chapter 5
Sara dropped her bag on the kitchen counter and sank into the couch. Her head fell against that arm as she turned to lift her legs up onto the couch. Ash was standing watching the whole event from the car pulling up to Sara coming through the door and crashing on the couch. Sighing at the sight, she poured her sister a coffee and handed it to her as she lifted her legs and placed them on her lap as she sat down. Sara put her coffee on the table and stared at it, Ash patted her leg to get her attention and she slowly got a response. "What's wrong?" She asked.
Sara closed her eyes and rubbed her face before looking back at her. "I don't know."
Ash smiled. "He's changed a lot since college."
"Yeah, but you saw him a few years ago remember. He was fine then." Ash nodded and placed her cup on the table.
"What's been happening?" She asked as she turned to face her a little, still holding her legs.
Sara looked up at the ceiling then at her coffee, watching the steam float up and disappear. "You mean between the two of us?" Ash smiled but it faded as Sara continued. "Nothing. He doesn't talk to me anymore, we work on less and less cases together, and he even makes up excuses for me not to work experiments with him. I don't know, but I swear something's wrong and when I try to ask he brushes me off." Sara's face strained to stay calm as she told Ash and as she was about to tell more a tear escaped. Ash moved to slide down behind her and held her as she cried into the cushion she wrapped her arms around.
"Oh Sara. .you want me to try?" Ash tried to help, but Sara shook her head.
"No, please leave it. I'm sure he'll sort himself out, but it may be too late."
"What do you mean 'too late'?"
"It's been going on for a few months now and he won't let me anywhere near him to even figure out what's wrong." Ash pulled her closer and stayed that way for a long time.
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* The dark car followed the rental to a diner and parked on the opposite side of the road to keep his distance. He looked down at his watch, checking the time and date. Sighing angrily he pulled away and headed to work. His car shone in the sunlight and splayed across the car park of the diner. *
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Sam's diner was surprisingly quiet, but most people had already left for work or gone home, which left a few customers including Grissom. He sat by the window looking out as Ash left her rented car, he had to close his eyes briefly as a bright glimmer of light flashed across the windows of the diner. Ash entered the diner and Grissom waved her over and she sat down. Grissom looked out at the car then back at Ash. "She's not coming." Ash answered his silent question.
He looked down at his coffee. "Why?" He looked up for her reply, but got none. Ash just stared at him. The waitress came over and took her order then Ash turned back to Grissom.
"So, How have you been since I saw you last?" Ash thanked the waitress as she brought her tea over and refreshed Grissom's coffee cup.
"Working and a few seminars. How about you?" Grissom felt something was wrong, but didn't dare ask.
"I've been working at the NYPD for a few years now and have a nice apartment outside the city." Grissom smiled at her progress since their last meeting.
"I'm glad you're doing well. We'll have to make sure you meet everyone at the lab before you go back to New York." Ash smiled and reached across the table and took his hand. He looked down at their hands and squeezed it before pulling from her grasp. "Ash." He apologised as he wrapped his hands around his cup and stared at the black liquid.
Ash watched him close himself off from just that one touch and laughed lightly. Grissom looked up as she shook her head. "You really have changed haven't you?" Grissom broke eye contact and scanned the table slowly. "What happened Grissom?" He didn't answer. "Grissom?"
"Nothing." He said before drinking his coffee.
"I don't think so. I've known you a long time and so has Sara." Grissom's head shot up at the sound of her name and Ash continued. "I don't know what you're doing, but if your hurting then so is someone else I know and if she's hurting then so I am." He pushed his cup away and pulled out some money, placing it on the table.
"I have to go. I'll see you again before you leave." Grissom turned and got to the door before he heard Ash follow him. He continued towards his car, but her hand on his arm stopped him.
"Look at me Grissom." She demanded. "Look at me and tell me you didn't forget."
Grissom turned sharply with anger in his eyes shrugging off her hand. "Don't." he warned.
"Why? You think I don't remember what happened. I sure as hell know Sara does and She relives it every night." Grissom seem to deflate at that admission and leaned against his car. Ash stood in front of him waiting for him to look at her. "What happened Grissom, why did you start shutting down? We were all doing so well."
^ Flashback ^ No one could do anything, but watch as they each went through the punishment he handed out. Blood coated the white tiled floor, they all screamed for him to stop and leave the other alone, but it didn't work. The pain only got worse. ^ Flashback ^
"I'm not going to discuss this with you." He pushed of the car, but Ash pushed him back. He looked up and saw the tears in her eyes.
"Now, tell me what's going on and you will tell me whether you like it or not." She said in a deep tone warning him that they are not going anywhere until this is out in the open.
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Sara was sat at home curled up on the couch watching the discovery channel. The phone started ringing and she groaned as she reached for it. "Yes?"
"Hey Sara."
"Hey Nicky. You ringing for any particular reason or just want to chat?"
Nick laughed. "Chat. Just wondering how you were. Your arm ok?"
"It's fine, although still a little sore, but I'll survive."
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Sara dropped her bag on the kitchen counter and sank into the couch. Her head fell against that arm as she turned to lift her legs up onto the couch. Ash was standing watching the whole event from the car pulling up to Sara coming through the door and crashing on the couch. Sighing at the sight, she poured her sister a coffee and handed it to her as she lifted her legs and placed them on her lap as she sat down. Sara put her coffee on the table and stared at it, Ash patted her leg to get her attention and she slowly got a response. "What's wrong?" She asked.
Sara closed her eyes and rubbed her face before looking back at her. "I don't know."
Ash smiled. "He's changed a lot since college."
"Yeah, but you saw him a few years ago remember. He was fine then." Ash nodded and placed her cup on the table.
"What's been happening?" She asked as she turned to face her a little, still holding her legs.
Sara looked up at the ceiling then at her coffee, watching the steam float up and disappear. "You mean between the two of us?" Ash smiled but it faded as Sara continued. "Nothing. He doesn't talk to me anymore, we work on less and less cases together, and he even makes up excuses for me not to work experiments with him. I don't know, but I swear something's wrong and when I try to ask he brushes me off." Sara's face strained to stay calm as she told Ash and as she was about to tell more a tear escaped. Ash moved to slide down behind her and held her as she cried into the cushion she wrapped her arms around.
"Oh Sara. .you want me to try?" Ash tried to help, but Sara shook her head.
"No, please leave it. I'm sure he'll sort himself out, but it may be too late."
"What do you mean 'too late'?"
"It's been going on for a few months now and he won't let me anywhere near him to even figure out what's wrong." Ash pulled her closer and stayed that way for a long time.
*******************************
* The dark car followed the rental to a diner and parked on the opposite side of the road to keep his distance. He looked down at his watch, checking the time and date. Sighing angrily he pulled away and headed to work. His car shone in the sunlight and splayed across the car park of the diner. *
*******************************
Sam's diner was surprisingly quiet, but most people had already left for work or gone home, which left a few customers including Grissom. He sat by the window looking out as Ash left her rented car, he had to close his eyes briefly as a bright glimmer of light flashed across the windows of the diner. Ash entered the diner and Grissom waved her over and she sat down. Grissom looked out at the car then back at Ash. "She's not coming." Ash answered his silent question.
He looked down at his coffee. "Why?" He looked up for her reply, but got none. Ash just stared at him. The waitress came over and took her order then Ash turned back to Grissom.
"So, How have you been since I saw you last?" Ash thanked the waitress as she brought her tea over and refreshed Grissom's coffee cup.
"Working and a few seminars. How about you?" Grissom felt something was wrong, but didn't dare ask.
"I've been working at the NYPD for a few years now and have a nice apartment outside the city." Grissom smiled at her progress since their last meeting.
"I'm glad you're doing well. We'll have to make sure you meet everyone at the lab before you go back to New York." Ash smiled and reached across the table and took his hand. He looked down at their hands and squeezed it before pulling from her grasp. "Ash." He apologised as he wrapped his hands around his cup and stared at the black liquid.
Ash watched him close himself off from just that one touch and laughed lightly. Grissom looked up as she shook her head. "You really have changed haven't you?" Grissom broke eye contact and scanned the table slowly. "What happened Grissom?" He didn't answer. "Grissom?"
"Nothing." He said before drinking his coffee.
"I don't think so. I've known you a long time and so has Sara." Grissom's head shot up at the sound of her name and Ash continued. "I don't know what you're doing, but if your hurting then so is someone else I know and if she's hurting then so I am." He pushed his cup away and pulled out some money, placing it on the table.
"I have to go. I'll see you again before you leave." Grissom turned and got to the door before he heard Ash follow him. He continued towards his car, but her hand on his arm stopped him.
"Look at me Grissom." She demanded. "Look at me and tell me you didn't forget."
Grissom turned sharply with anger in his eyes shrugging off her hand. "Don't." he warned.
"Why? You think I don't remember what happened. I sure as hell know Sara does and She relives it every night." Grissom seem to deflate at that admission and leaned against his car. Ash stood in front of him waiting for him to look at her. "What happened Grissom, why did you start shutting down? We were all doing so well."
^ Flashback ^ No one could do anything, but watch as they each went through the punishment he handed out. Blood coated the white tiled floor, they all screamed for him to stop and leave the other alone, but it didn't work. The pain only got worse. ^ Flashback ^
"I'm not going to discuss this with you." He pushed of the car, but Ash pushed him back. He looked up and saw the tears in her eyes.
"Now, tell me what's going on and you will tell me whether you like it or not." She said in a deep tone warning him that they are not going anywhere until this is out in the open.
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Sara was sat at home curled up on the couch watching the discovery channel. The phone started ringing and she groaned as she reached for it. "Yes?"
"Hey Sara."
"Hey Nicky. You ringing for any particular reason or just want to chat?"
Nick laughed. "Chat. Just wondering how you were. Your arm ok?"
"It's fine, although still a little sore, but I'll survive."
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