AN: Sorry about the delay with the new chapter - I went on a little
vacation (trudging through the Appellations, talk about relaxing). Here ya
go - thanks again for all the reviews, and I'm trying to honor all your
suggestions and requests as much as I can.
**************************************************************************
"It's about time!" Greg wailed as he finally reached the mouth of their newly discovered cave. He threw down his bag in complete exhaustion. He was soon joined by the rest of the team, including Sara who had relented and slowed her pace to a more tolerable level.
Once all the bags were set down, Grissom looked around. "We're going to need to find stuff to start a fire with - the night will be too cold without one. Warrick, Nick - why don't you both work on that while I set up a fire pit inside. Greg, try to find all the water you can in the bags we salvaged. Catherine, we are eventually going to need beds. Go through those bags also and look for clothing, towels, jackets - anything that can be thrown down as bedding or used as blankets."
They all set about their assigned tasks. Sara looked up, her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What about me, Griss?"
"You are going to lay down and rest. You've lost quite a lot of blood, you need to keep your strength up."
"I'm fine, Grissom. Really, no need to worry about me.."
"Sara, don't make me pull rank on you. I mean it, lay down - no arguing."
Sara mumbled something under her breath, but obediently sat herself against the cave wall.
Greg returned to Grissom with four water bottles in his hands. "This is all I could find. Although, I did bring some instant water with me, I just don't know what to add." When Greg first heard that joke, he spent ten minutes laughing. Grissom, however, only cracked a small smile. But for Greg, that was the biggest response from Grissom he had gotten in a long time. Greg, finished with his task, decided to help Catherine who was now spreading out clothing on the cave floor.
"Hey, Cath - want some help?"
"Sure thing, Greggo, thanks." Catherine welcomed the young CSI's presence; it made her task seem a little less tedious. "So, what's new in your life?" Catherine rarely had time during the work day to talk to the young man, and decided to seize the current opportunity.
Greg grabbed some clothes from her and began arranging them. "Well, I have a girlfriend now. I guess that qualifies for new."
Catherine looked up. "Oh really?! Tell me about her.."
"Well, we had been friends for awhile, sort of avoiding the dating issue, but I finally got enough courage to ask her out. Her name's Roxanne, Roxy for short. Dark hair, blue eyes - and the most amazing smile ever. Plus, she's kind, charming, funny, patient. Don't laugh, but I really think she's the one."
Catherine gave him a genuine smile. "I'm glad you're happy, Greg. She sounds perfect."
"She is."
"Fire pit's ready," Grissom called from the center of the cave.
"Good, cause we found some water-proof matches in the kit - plus we gathered tons of kindling from those stickly things outside," Nick stated as he and Warrick entered the cave and set the twigs down in the pit. Soon, a small fire was flickering. Nothing big, but large enough to emit enough heat to get them through the night.
Grissom looked around at the group. "Ok guys, we only have four water bottles for the six of us, so we will have to ration what we drink, we don't know how long it will take them to find us."
"Yeah, but the police should notice when they come to pick us up from the crime scene to take us to that hotel that we aren't there." Warrick stated.
Grissom frowned. "Actually, no. I told them that we would call the crime lab when we were ready to be picked up. The bad thing is, I never told that to the crime lab yet, so they aren't expecting us either."
"Great, just great. But hey, wont Cath's family know when she's not there to pick up Lindsay?" Nick asked.
"Sorry, Nicky..she's at my sister's house for the week because I didn't know how long we would have to stay."
Greg huffed. "This blows."
The team sat in silence for the next hour watching the sun set over the desert sand. It would have been a beautiful site if they weren't aware of the fact they were stranded in the very same desert.
"Well, I think I'm going to hit the sack." Catherine stated as she got up and headed towards the newly laid "beds." "How do you guys want to do this?"
"Just pick a spot, I guess."
Nick smiled. "I think Sara already found hers."
They all looked over to where Sara had been sitting to find her sound asleep.
Warrick looked confused. "What's her deal? Sara never sleeps, yet on this trip she's almost slept more than she's been awake. It doesn't make sense."
"Who knows what goes on with that girl, a lot of things she does don't make sense." Catherine said with a smile.
Grissom smiled also. "I agree, but let's get her to bed."
"I got her," Nick said as he walked over to her. He gently scooped her up in his arms, causing her to moan slightly. "Sorry, honey, I know it hurts but we have to get you situated for the night."
Nick placed Sara down on the ground and laid down next to her. He took her hand in his own. This didn't go unnoticed by the others, but they wisely refrained from commenting. Grissom and Catherine laid down next to eachother, and Grissom draped his arm protectively over Catherine. Greg and Warrick looked at eachother awkwardly, and Greg winked at Warrick.
"Don't even think about it Sanders." Warrick laid himself down and closed his eyes.
Greg just laughed and followed suit.
Soon sleep took over, ending their first day in the desert - but beginning the journey of their lives.
"It's about time!" Greg wailed as he finally reached the mouth of their newly discovered cave. He threw down his bag in complete exhaustion. He was soon joined by the rest of the team, including Sara who had relented and slowed her pace to a more tolerable level.
Once all the bags were set down, Grissom looked around. "We're going to need to find stuff to start a fire with - the night will be too cold without one. Warrick, Nick - why don't you both work on that while I set up a fire pit inside. Greg, try to find all the water you can in the bags we salvaged. Catherine, we are eventually going to need beds. Go through those bags also and look for clothing, towels, jackets - anything that can be thrown down as bedding or used as blankets."
They all set about their assigned tasks. Sara looked up, her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What about me, Griss?"
"You are going to lay down and rest. You've lost quite a lot of blood, you need to keep your strength up."
"I'm fine, Grissom. Really, no need to worry about me.."
"Sara, don't make me pull rank on you. I mean it, lay down - no arguing."
Sara mumbled something under her breath, but obediently sat herself against the cave wall.
Greg returned to Grissom with four water bottles in his hands. "This is all I could find. Although, I did bring some instant water with me, I just don't know what to add." When Greg first heard that joke, he spent ten minutes laughing. Grissom, however, only cracked a small smile. But for Greg, that was the biggest response from Grissom he had gotten in a long time. Greg, finished with his task, decided to help Catherine who was now spreading out clothing on the cave floor.
"Hey, Cath - want some help?"
"Sure thing, Greggo, thanks." Catherine welcomed the young CSI's presence; it made her task seem a little less tedious. "So, what's new in your life?" Catherine rarely had time during the work day to talk to the young man, and decided to seize the current opportunity.
Greg grabbed some clothes from her and began arranging them. "Well, I have a girlfriend now. I guess that qualifies for new."
Catherine looked up. "Oh really?! Tell me about her.."
"Well, we had been friends for awhile, sort of avoiding the dating issue, but I finally got enough courage to ask her out. Her name's Roxanne, Roxy for short. Dark hair, blue eyes - and the most amazing smile ever. Plus, she's kind, charming, funny, patient. Don't laugh, but I really think she's the one."
Catherine gave him a genuine smile. "I'm glad you're happy, Greg. She sounds perfect."
"She is."
"Fire pit's ready," Grissom called from the center of the cave.
"Good, cause we found some water-proof matches in the kit - plus we gathered tons of kindling from those stickly things outside," Nick stated as he and Warrick entered the cave and set the twigs down in the pit. Soon, a small fire was flickering. Nothing big, but large enough to emit enough heat to get them through the night.
Grissom looked around at the group. "Ok guys, we only have four water bottles for the six of us, so we will have to ration what we drink, we don't know how long it will take them to find us."
"Yeah, but the police should notice when they come to pick us up from the crime scene to take us to that hotel that we aren't there." Warrick stated.
Grissom frowned. "Actually, no. I told them that we would call the crime lab when we were ready to be picked up. The bad thing is, I never told that to the crime lab yet, so they aren't expecting us either."
"Great, just great. But hey, wont Cath's family know when she's not there to pick up Lindsay?" Nick asked.
"Sorry, Nicky..she's at my sister's house for the week because I didn't know how long we would have to stay."
Greg huffed. "This blows."
The team sat in silence for the next hour watching the sun set over the desert sand. It would have been a beautiful site if they weren't aware of the fact they were stranded in the very same desert.
"Well, I think I'm going to hit the sack." Catherine stated as she got up and headed towards the newly laid "beds." "How do you guys want to do this?"
"Just pick a spot, I guess."
Nick smiled. "I think Sara already found hers."
They all looked over to where Sara had been sitting to find her sound asleep.
Warrick looked confused. "What's her deal? Sara never sleeps, yet on this trip she's almost slept more than she's been awake. It doesn't make sense."
"Who knows what goes on with that girl, a lot of things she does don't make sense." Catherine said with a smile.
Grissom smiled also. "I agree, but let's get her to bed."
"I got her," Nick said as he walked over to her. He gently scooped her up in his arms, causing her to moan slightly. "Sorry, honey, I know it hurts but we have to get you situated for the night."
Nick placed Sara down on the ground and laid down next to her. He took her hand in his own. This didn't go unnoticed by the others, but they wisely refrained from commenting. Grissom and Catherine laid down next to eachother, and Grissom draped his arm protectively over Catherine. Greg and Warrick looked at eachother awkwardly, and Greg winked at Warrick.
"Don't even think about it Sanders." Warrick laid himself down and closed his eyes.
Greg just laughed and followed suit.
Soon sleep took over, ending their first day in the desert - but beginning the journey of their lives.