DISCLAIMER: I own nothing here. Please don't sue my sorry butt.
Ch.6
"So? Am I gonna get the dish, or a lecture on how gossip is wrong?" Mrs. Sidle met Sara at the back entrance as she slung an overnight bag over her shoulder.
"Gossip IS wrong, and he's a friend from work."
"Aren't all your friends from work? Why is this one so concerned that you get here in one piece? How many pieces has he seen?" Sadie grinned at the mild shock on her daughter's face.
"MOM!!!" Sara couldn't help laughing, but was certainly not going to go there.
"Oh, please. Honey, I love ya. You know that, right? But you have GOT to learn to loosen up, or one of these days you're going to implode. You take yourself and everything around you way too seriously."
Sara rolled her eyes. She knew this lecture by heart.
"I have a serious job."
"Exactly! That's just the reason you've gotta chill. You really worry me, ya know that? And, not that I'm not thrilled to see you, but what gives? It's been almost five years."
"Later, ok?"
"I will get it out of you. Either that, or I'll call your Aunt Versa." Sadie gave Sara an evil grin.
"No! That's so not fair! That woman creeps me out." Sara groaned, and made her way into the Inn's large kitchen.
Sadie laughed. Last time Versa saw Sara, she went on and on about how Sara was the reincarnation of a passenger on the Titanic. It didn't matter that when Sara checked into it, oh and she had to, that the woman was a fictional character from the 1940's film version. Versa was convinced that Sara was bad luck, and then demanded to read her palm, to which Sara wisely declined.
"Just let me settle in, Mom. I'll be here a few weeks. There's plenty of time to torture me in small doses." Sara lugged her bags up to her room on the third floor. The view out her window was one of the few things she missed about home. The ocean stretched out across the horizon, only blocked on one side by the edge of the bay. How many nights had she sat by the window watching the stars rise over that horizon? She dropped her bags on the bed, and flopped down next to them. Her parents hadn't changed a thing in her room since she'd left for college. Posters and science awards still hung on the walls. Her old clothes were probably still in the closet too. Sara leapt up, and threw open her closet door.
"Mother load!" Sara pulled down an old, dusty box, and dropped it on the floor. She winced, realizing there could be guests in the rooms down below. As she rifled through the box of clothes, she gasped, and yanked out a faded t-shirt.
"No way. I can't believe this is still here!" She held up her 'Lallapalooza 1991' shirt like it was a cherished artifact. In some ways, it was. That was the summer of her first real adventure. There was the hot August sun, the Great Woods amphitheatre filled to capacity, and Kyle Danvers, the first guy to kiss her without being doubled dog dared. They'd dated off and on while at Harvard. That year, however, things really heated up. He was the one who proudly gained Sara membership into the Mile High Club on Spring break to Florida. Over-rated as it had been, at the time it was the wildest thing she'd ever done. Sara tossed the shirt up onto her bed, and closed up the box.
"Knock, knock!" John Sidle stood at the door, grinning from ear to ear.
"Hey, Dad!"
John gave Sara a huge bear hug. Tall, lanky, and sporting a mustache, a parrot-head t-shirt, and flip-up sunglasses, John Sidle was your stereotypical old-hippy-man. When he had first met Sara's mom, a Kelly back then, he had been the poster boy for prep. Sadie had a way of changing those around her. Everyone but her daughter that is.
"How've ya been, Einstein?" John playfully patted Sara's head; something she always complained about, but secretly grew fond of.
"Busy." Sara sighed. "I hear we've got a canoe?"
"Yup! A beauty too! Gary's cleaning it up down in the garage." He smirked.
"Mom's planning on cutting it in two before you get a chance to drown yourself."
"You women worry too much." He handed Sara a menu. "Chinese on me. Your mom's hummus works better as tub calk." He winked at her.
"Oh really?" Sadie stood behind John with a hand on each hip, and a scowl all over her face.
"Have I mentioned how tasty tub calk has gotten?" John smirked as Sara chuckled at her dad's predicament. Nobody liked being on Sadie's bad side.
"I'm actually pretty tired. I was thinking of going down to the docks, and just watch the waves for a while. Any takers?"
"We're in." Sadie smiled, and smacked John lightly on the behind. "John, grab some sodas from the fridge, and tell Gary he's got the evening off. We've only got two guests. Mary can handle it."
"I had him working on my. . .ok. No problem." John scratched his head, figuring better than to push his luck.
===
Grissom sat at his desk looking over his paper work. His mind wasn't in it.
"You've got it bad. Admit it, man." Catherine stood in his office door grinning. "You did good making her take some time off.
"For the record, I didn't make her." He put his glasses back on.
"Well, still, she was waaaay past due for some time off. I'm glad you two got your heads out of the sand long enough to actually talk to each other." Catherine took a seat across from Grissom. "I'm guessing she told you about Lori?"
"Yes. She did. It explains a lot, I'm afraid."
"Yeah. I just can't believe she held that in for so long. I couldn't." Catherine studied Grissom's face as he stared off into nothing. "So, what are you going to do about it?"
"Do about what? She went back home for a few weeks to be with her parents."
"Grissom, has she ever spoken to you about her family?"
"No."
"Does she ever talk to you about Nicky, Warrick or me?"
"Not in a bad way." Grissom massaged the bridge of nose again as his temple began to throb once more.
"We've become her surrogate family, Gil."
"I've heard this one before, Cath. What's your point?"
Catherine threw her hands in the air histrionically.
"Go see her! Go after her, Gil. I mean it."
Grissom cleared his throat, and adjusted his glasses again.
"I really don't think that would be a good idea."
"Grissom, she wants you to. Trust me. Go see her. Bring her some damn flowers. Just don't let her go off for two weeks to face this alone." Catherine shook her head. Some men were truly clueless.
"I can't have both of us absent from the labs, Cath. That wouldn't look good."
"Grissom, do you honestly think most people around here would notice if you're gone a few days as apposed to be out on a case for a few days? Quit arguing with me when you know I'm right. Go someplace you don't have to be led by a DNA swab for once"
Having said her piece, Catherine got up, and left Grissom with a headache, and a plan.
Ch.6
"So? Am I gonna get the dish, or a lecture on how gossip is wrong?" Mrs. Sidle met Sara at the back entrance as she slung an overnight bag over her shoulder.
"Gossip IS wrong, and he's a friend from work."
"Aren't all your friends from work? Why is this one so concerned that you get here in one piece? How many pieces has he seen?" Sadie grinned at the mild shock on her daughter's face.
"MOM!!!" Sara couldn't help laughing, but was certainly not going to go there.
"Oh, please. Honey, I love ya. You know that, right? But you have GOT to learn to loosen up, or one of these days you're going to implode. You take yourself and everything around you way too seriously."
Sara rolled her eyes. She knew this lecture by heart.
"I have a serious job."
"Exactly! That's just the reason you've gotta chill. You really worry me, ya know that? And, not that I'm not thrilled to see you, but what gives? It's been almost five years."
"Later, ok?"
"I will get it out of you. Either that, or I'll call your Aunt Versa." Sadie gave Sara an evil grin.
"No! That's so not fair! That woman creeps me out." Sara groaned, and made her way into the Inn's large kitchen.
Sadie laughed. Last time Versa saw Sara, she went on and on about how Sara was the reincarnation of a passenger on the Titanic. It didn't matter that when Sara checked into it, oh and she had to, that the woman was a fictional character from the 1940's film version. Versa was convinced that Sara was bad luck, and then demanded to read her palm, to which Sara wisely declined.
"Just let me settle in, Mom. I'll be here a few weeks. There's plenty of time to torture me in small doses." Sara lugged her bags up to her room on the third floor. The view out her window was one of the few things she missed about home. The ocean stretched out across the horizon, only blocked on one side by the edge of the bay. How many nights had she sat by the window watching the stars rise over that horizon? She dropped her bags on the bed, and flopped down next to them. Her parents hadn't changed a thing in her room since she'd left for college. Posters and science awards still hung on the walls. Her old clothes were probably still in the closet too. Sara leapt up, and threw open her closet door.
"Mother load!" Sara pulled down an old, dusty box, and dropped it on the floor. She winced, realizing there could be guests in the rooms down below. As she rifled through the box of clothes, she gasped, and yanked out a faded t-shirt.
"No way. I can't believe this is still here!" She held up her 'Lallapalooza 1991' shirt like it was a cherished artifact. In some ways, it was. That was the summer of her first real adventure. There was the hot August sun, the Great Woods amphitheatre filled to capacity, and Kyle Danvers, the first guy to kiss her without being doubled dog dared. They'd dated off and on while at Harvard. That year, however, things really heated up. He was the one who proudly gained Sara membership into the Mile High Club on Spring break to Florida. Over-rated as it had been, at the time it was the wildest thing she'd ever done. Sara tossed the shirt up onto her bed, and closed up the box.
"Knock, knock!" John Sidle stood at the door, grinning from ear to ear.
"Hey, Dad!"
John gave Sara a huge bear hug. Tall, lanky, and sporting a mustache, a parrot-head t-shirt, and flip-up sunglasses, John Sidle was your stereotypical old-hippy-man. When he had first met Sara's mom, a Kelly back then, he had been the poster boy for prep. Sadie had a way of changing those around her. Everyone but her daughter that is.
"How've ya been, Einstein?" John playfully patted Sara's head; something she always complained about, but secretly grew fond of.
"Busy." Sara sighed. "I hear we've got a canoe?"
"Yup! A beauty too! Gary's cleaning it up down in the garage." He smirked.
"Mom's planning on cutting it in two before you get a chance to drown yourself."
"You women worry too much." He handed Sara a menu. "Chinese on me. Your mom's hummus works better as tub calk." He winked at her.
"Oh really?" Sadie stood behind John with a hand on each hip, and a scowl all over her face.
"Have I mentioned how tasty tub calk has gotten?" John smirked as Sara chuckled at her dad's predicament. Nobody liked being on Sadie's bad side.
"I'm actually pretty tired. I was thinking of going down to the docks, and just watch the waves for a while. Any takers?"
"We're in." Sadie smiled, and smacked John lightly on the behind. "John, grab some sodas from the fridge, and tell Gary he's got the evening off. We've only got two guests. Mary can handle it."
"I had him working on my. . .ok. No problem." John scratched his head, figuring better than to push his luck.
===
Grissom sat at his desk looking over his paper work. His mind wasn't in it.
"You've got it bad. Admit it, man." Catherine stood in his office door grinning. "You did good making her take some time off.
"For the record, I didn't make her." He put his glasses back on.
"Well, still, she was waaaay past due for some time off. I'm glad you two got your heads out of the sand long enough to actually talk to each other." Catherine took a seat across from Grissom. "I'm guessing she told you about Lori?"
"Yes. She did. It explains a lot, I'm afraid."
"Yeah. I just can't believe she held that in for so long. I couldn't." Catherine studied Grissom's face as he stared off into nothing. "So, what are you going to do about it?"
"Do about what? She went back home for a few weeks to be with her parents."
"Grissom, has she ever spoken to you about her family?"
"No."
"Does she ever talk to you about Nicky, Warrick or me?"
"Not in a bad way." Grissom massaged the bridge of nose again as his temple began to throb once more.
"We've become her surrogate family, Gil."
"I've heard this one before, Cath. What's your point?"
Catherine threw her hands in the air histrionically.
"Go see her! Go after her, Gil. I mean it."
Grissom cleared his throat, and adjusted his glasses again.
"I really don't think that would be a good idea."
"Grissom, she wants you to. Trust me. Go see her. Bring her some damn flowers. Just don't let her go off for two weeks to face this alone." Catherine shook her head. Some men were truly clueless.
"I can't have both of us absent from the labs, Cath. That wouldn't look good."
"Grissom, do you honestly think most people around here would notice if you're gone a few days as apposed to be out on a case for a few days? Quit arguing with me when you know I'm right. Go someplace you don't have to be led by a DNA swab for once"
Having said her piece, Catherine got up, and left Grissom with a headache, and a plan.