"This is not happening.  It's not possible."  Sara had regained her equilibrium and was stomping around the shaded tree while Grissom continued reading the newspaper.  They'd returned to the tree in a daze to study the newspaper.  She was only a couple feet from Grissom, who was also the only source of light.  She glanced over at him, watching as he flashed the Maglite over the paper, turning it this way and that way, feeling the texture of it then continuing to read it again.  Within a few moments, he folded it neatly and placed it on the ground.  Their eyes met and held.

            "Let's look at what we know," he guided.  Sara walked to him then plopped herself down in front of him, legs crossed.  He waited while she settled herself then began, "First, we know we're not in Las Vegas.  We were working the burglary and found that ring and scarf.  It was definitely out of place.  Two, when you grabbed the ring, keeping it from falling, there was a blinding flash of light and we woke up here.  Three, there was that carriage today with the horses.  We haven't seen any other traffic on the road or any form of communication wires or towers.  Four, we have this newspaper, and I find myself perplexed by it.  It has the same texture and print as some of the old texts I've seen in the archives at a couple of universities."

            "Wait, Gris, you believe all this?  That we somehow traveled back through time to… here, wherever here is."  Sara gestured around at their surroundings.  "Why this place?  Why not Las Vegas?  And why this time, not some other time?"

            Grissom shook his head looking at her then back down to the paper.  "I don't know.  Maybe it's not what happened.  Maybe it's some sort of re-enactment."  He leaned back against the tree, looking up to the star-filled sky, sighing heavily.

            Long moments of silence passed between them.  They were going to get nowhere tonight and Sara began to feel slightly lightheaded.  The night was turning colder and would only get worse.  Although uncomfortable with the situation, she was willing to put their isolation to good use.  Grissom had been distant to her for several months and now he was suddenly attentive to her.  She mimicked him, letting out a deep sigh, then scooted herself closer to him.  Instinctively, he lifted his arm to encircle her, his unique smell enveloping her senses as she snuggled against his side.  The night might be cold, but she wasn't anymore.  This time she let out a sigh of satisfaction.  If she had traveled back in time, she was glad it was with him and not someone else… or alone.  She drifted off to sleep, feeling secure and warm in her cocoon made from Grissom's arms and his body.

            The morning dawned with the cheery chirping of birds in the brisk morning air.  Waking serenely, she nuzzled closer to Grissom, finding the warmth comforting.  It was a good time for some quiet reflection.  Although not remembering her dreams, she knew they had been pleasant and even somewhat restful.  She attributed them to Grissom's presence and his recent treatment of her.  Her head rested on his chest, and she listened to the rhythmic fall of his breathing.  He was still fast asleep, and it allowed her to study him as she tilted her head up to look at his face.  He also appeared to be contented.  She smiled.  'Maybe it's just because he's sleeping with me.'

            A noise in the distance caught her attention.  She listened, as she snuggled in closer to Grissom.  She could make out the galloping sounds of horses along with the creaking of a suspension carriage, bringing back the memory of their discovery.  'Discovery?  Is that what it is?  Did we really do this, travel through time?'  She knew the theories developed over time by several scientists including Einstein but they were just theories.  Weren't they?

            She blinked.  The scientist in her roused and began to extrapolate the evidence and the equations.  The possibilities were astounding.  If they had traveled through time, it would be the greatest discovery.  Nothing would ever be the same again.  Grissom hadn't actually confirmed his belief that they had, at least not to her.  The problems that could ensue from this were also just as astounding.

            If they had traveled in time, how were they going to get by and fit in?  Their clothes were certainly different and they were both Americans, not British.  Of course, that's assuming they were in England.  She recalled the clothes hanging on the line, having touched them as well.  Those could work, if they fit.  She looked back up to Grissom's face.  He was still sound asleep.  Carefully she extricated herself from his arms, checking to make sure he hadn't awakened.  Taking the opportunity presented to her, she knelt over him, softly letting her hand graze his cheek, and then she tenderly kissed where her hand had previously touched -a move she would never have made towards him if he were awake.  She stood and stretched, breathing in the fresh air.  It was time to take their destiny into their hands now.

            THE COLD began to seep into his body as Grissom turned on his side.   The sudden freedom of movement woke him abruptly.  He sat up quickly and darted a glance around.  Sara was nowhere to be seen.  It seemed all he did lately was worry about Sara.  Her injury, although not life-threatening, had concerned him.  It didn't help either that the situation they were in was foreign to them both.  He got to his feet and began to search the area, thinking that she might have collapsed somewhere nearby.  After searching for about a half hour and not finding her, he began to get slightly frightened.

She was an independent woman and had many times chosen to do things on her own without consultation or consideration of others.  Brass had found that out the hard way when she'd drawn her gun on a suspect at an unsecured scene when the police had raided.  He shook his head, 'the girl was certainly a handful.  Scott Shelton had been correct in that assumption.'  When he looked back up, his worry deflated as he saw her approaching over a small rise, carrying a load of something in her arms.  Instead of walking to meet her, he waited patiently, counting to ten in an attempt to control his anger.  She had once again taken action without considering the consequences.

            When she gained hearing distance, he called out in a gruff voice, "Where did you go?"  She lifted the items she was carrying and he saw that they were clothes.

            She finally reached him and stated, "I thought that if we did travel through time then we might as well look the part.  If we didn't and it's some sort of re-enactment then we will still look the part."  Her gap-toothed grin spread over her face as she threw a couple of items his way.  It was obvious to him that she had no idea what kind of worry she'd cost him.

            He caught the clothing in the air then looked them over.  He quickly decided that fighting her was a losing battle and he'd rather join her.  "Umm, where are we going to change?" he asked, grinning mischievously at her as her smile disappeared.

            Sara began to motion to the tree, stuttering her words as she did, "We can, umm, I'll just, umm, go behind the tree."  She ducked her head.  For some reason, she seemed embarrassed.

            After taking turns, they changed into their 'new' clothes.  When Grissom stepped out from the tree, they stared at each other and broke out into laughter.  If this was real and they had traveled through time… they were going to be the sorriest looking people in England.  If it was a re-enactment, they would still be the sorriest looking people.

            They grabbed up their clothes, folding them in such a way as to not be too noticeable.  Sara grabbed up her field kit but Grissom tugged it out of her hands.  "I'll take it.  You do still have your concussion.  It's not going away over night."  He could see the scathing comment on the edge of her lips but was surprised when no comments were forthcoming.

            While they traveled along the dirt road, Grissom grasped her elbow every so often, attempting to help her keep her balance.  He knew he was being overly protective, and she would soon say something about it to him, but he didn't care.  He would do whatever it took to keep her safe.  He felt guilty about their situation.  It was an irrational thought.  He'd had no control over the situation or how they'd gotten in it but still, he felt the weight of the responsibility squarely on his shoulders.  So the last thing he wanted was for anything more too happen to her.  He was interrupted from his rumination by a probing question from Sara about his knowledge of the time period.  "Really, the only things I know much of this time period are scientific and pertain a lot to entomology.  What about you?  Know anything to help us?"

            Sara grinned.  "I know some scientific discoveries and such but I did learn a little about society and how it was operated."

            "Oh.  Are you going to fill me in?" he asked, a bit of sarcasm lacing his voice.

            "Well, for one thing.  Unless we are married, you and I can not be seen alone together… ever," she instructed.

            "That's certainly going to be interesting as we aren't married and we are traveling alone."

            "No one knows us and so no one knows that we aren't.  But we need to come up with a story."  Grissom glanced toward her face and saw her brows knit into a frown.  She was thinking hard, as he should be also.  But he couldn't take his eyes off of her.  One of his simple pleasures was to watch her thinking.  She had a brilliant mind and it enthralled him to see it in use.  It was one of the many things about her that attracted him to her.

            "What if we say we are married and we have traveled from America?  Think they'd buy it?" she asked, glancing at him surreptitiously.

            Pretending to be married was not an option he was inclined towards.  He'd been trying to maintain a distance with the woman he'd be calling 'wife'.  The situations that they could be thrown into would quickly dissolve that safety net he'd created between them.  And although he'd enjoyed the closeness they'd developed in the last two days, he wasn't sure this would be the safest course.   But then again they didn't have too many options.  "Since you know a little about the society of this time, why don't you tell me some of what you know about the marriages?"

            Sara's face turned a bright red.  "I, umm, well… I'm not sure how to put it.  I guess you could say they were distant.  Husbands were indifferent towards their wives, at least in England they were.  That is if the marriage wasn't founded on love.  In America, I'm not sure."  He saw her in his peripheral vision looking at him.  He turned to meet her gaze.  "I think we could probably pull that off quite well," she added.

            He wasn't sure what to make of that statement or the pain he thought he heard in her voice.  'Does she think I'm indifferent to her?'  That was the impression he'd been giving her the last several months and yes, he'd been doing that on purpose.  Hearing it said aloud and so bluntly made his heart sink.  Even though he'd pretended his indifference, he wasn't.  It was a lie.

            "Well, we don't have many options, Gris," she began again when he remained silent.  "Let's go with that for now.  What we really need to worry about is money.  How are we going to get more clothes?  And where are we going to stay?"  She again caught him off-guard.  She was really thinking this through. "We could probably stay at an Inn but we'd need money for food and to pay for rooms… I mean a room."  She winked at him and Grissom felt his blood rising.  'Damn, she's good.'

            He was trying to figure out how she knew what they'd be running into.  It made him wonder where she was getting her ideas.  "Sara, how do you know what we're going to need?"

            She smiled.  "Ever heard of romance novels, Gris?  They can be a wealth of information… and a great way to escape."

            Now what would she need to escape from?  He thought as he halted his steps.  She also stopped and turned to face him.  "I take it that you read romance novels.  That's something I don't think I ever pictured you doing."

            "Oh… and what have you pictured me doing?" she asked, a pretense of innocence in her voice.  It was his turn to feel the heat rising in his face.  She didn't play fair.  Before he could respond, she continued her explanation. "Just because I'm a scientist and went to Harvard, doesn't mean that I don't like to read fiction.  It really is a great way to escape and to get your mind off of the real world, especially when the real world is lacking," her words trailed off and he thought he'd misunderstood her.

            "What is lacking in yours?" he asked and saw by her reaction that she hadn't meant for him to hear the last bit.

            "Right now?  A husband," she answered, saucily.

            Her forthright answer startled him.  'Where did that come from?'   He shook his head and asked again, "No, what I meant is… what's lacking in your life that you would feel the need to fill it with a romance novel?"

            "Gris, don't be obtuse.  'Romance' novels, what do you think?"

            He stopped mid-stride and watched her continue walking.  Romance?  If his hands were free, he'd be hitting his forehead.  He'd fallen into that one.  He caught up quickly and asked, "I seem to remember that recently you were in a relationship… with Hank."

            Sara glared at him.  Her hands came up and she held them out palm up, moving them up and down like a balance.  "There's romance and there's friendship.  I never had romance."  She dropped one of her hands.  Her revelation surprised him.  Even after her break-up with Hank, which had quickly been spread about the lab, she was still calling it friendship.  Was that really all it was?

            They continued walking along the road, but now in silence.  After a short distance, Grissom declared, "You do now."  He'd caught her attention with his declaration and she halted her steps to stare at him.

            "I do now, what?" she asked perplexed.

            "Have a husband," he chuckled.  Seeing that she wasn't grasping the meaning, he continued.  "This isn't the real world, for us at least.  As you said earlier, you and I wouldn't be allowed to travel or be seen alone… unless we're married.  So, I guess you're stuck with me."

            Sara smiled.  The opportunity was not going to slip by this time.  "I wouldn't call it being stuck."

            Grissom stopped in his tracks.  He didn't know whether to ask for an explanation or just let his imagination run wild with the implications.  For the last two days, he'd kept his feelings for the woman tightly reigned in.  The exception had been his worry for her and the concussion she more than likely suffered.  She appeared to be recovering from it but he still worried.  A concussion wasn't something to take lightly.  It had been hard, holding back.  This beautiful woman, now walking ahead of him, had several times pressed her body against his.  He only allowed himself to think it was for warmth and comfort because of her concussion.  Thinking anything else would cause him to lose his control. 

            Sara's pace was quickly putting distance between them, not having realized that Grissom had stopped.  He quickly caught up to her and as he got close, close enough to see her face, he searched it.  Pain wasn't evident, so that was a good sign.  She looked a little tired but that was to be expected. 

            They would soon be reaching the town they'd seen the day before.  He thought about what she'd said and wondered if, since she was no longer attached, she'd have a problem with them portraying a married couple.  It would be hard to play out especially with her as his spouse.  Controlling his feelings for her would surely become unbearable.  There weren't too many options though for them and the only other likely one was possibly him acting as her father.  Grissom shook his head.  That wasn't an option.   He knew with the amount of flirting they shared between them that it would look extremely peculiar to onlookers.   His feelings for Sara were definitely not fatherly and although he wasn't ready to pursue any type of relationship with her, he couldn't completely ignore them or his physical reactions to her.  With a resigned sigh, he made his decision.

            "Sara, if you really don't have a problem with us portraying a married couple…" he started to say but was interrupted.

            "I don't have a problem with it, Gris.  If you'll remember, I asked you out not too long ago," she replied softly.  "My feelings haven't changed."  She stopped and stared at him, not quite letting their eyes meet.  "Do you really have that big of a problem with it… with me?"  Now she let her eyes meet his.

            Grissom held her gaze.  He wasn't about to avoid it this time.  "No."

            It was close to an hour later when they came to the town.  Another carriage approached them from behind and they had to quickly step to the ditch to keep from being run over.  In the clothes that Sara had so gingerly borrowed, they appeared as any other farmers and were obviously considered as such.  Grissom pulled Sara towards a secluded section on the edge of the town so they could observe their surroundings.  They both concluded that there was no re-enactment.  They were literally thrown back in time.

            "All right, romance novelist… what do you suggest we do?"  Grissom teased.

            "Hey, I read them… sometimes.  I don't write them," she replied.

            "And there's a difference how?" he knew he was pushing it, but he enjoyed getting her riled up.

            She glared at him and was about to say something else but her gaze was quickly diverted past him.  He turned to see what had drawn her attention but couldn't decide on what it would be.  It could be the older woman, standing outside one of the shops and sweeping dust from in front of the doorway.  Or it could be that she was looking at the carriage that had passed them earlier, nearly running them over.  A young boy was holding a team of four horses as the occupants began to re-enter it.

            "Gris, I think I have an idea but you may not like it."  Her eyes, blinking once, looked in his direction without moving her head.  Then she moved closer to him and spoke softly.  "We are going to need funds to purchase clothes and other items.  In my kit, we have several pieces of jewelry and loose jewels."

            He immediately grasped her meaning and shook his head against the idea.  It was evidence and they couldn't just use it for their benefit.

            "Grissom…" she tried to explain.

            "No, it's evidence.  We can't just…" he began.

            "If you'll let me finish," she broke in, her voice raised to get his attention.  He remained quiet, blinking at her.  "I was going to say that if we are in the past, those jewels and jewelry pieces will end up there again."

            She had a point.  He considered her idea and the ramifications.  All the possibilities rushed through his mind and started to give him a headache.  Again, they didn't have many options.  They were broke.  No way to support themselves in this time.  They really needed to think this through.  There was so much they needed to discuss, to get their story straight.  "You're right.  I'm sorry, I wasn't willing to listen."  He saw the understanding in her eyes.  She had the same inclination to not let the evidence out of their sight.  They were alike in so many ways, thinking about the evidence first before anything else.

            "Before we have a long drawn out discussion on getting our story right, I think we should exchange these jewels for money.  Then we can find some place more appropriate for that discussion.  Don't you agree?"  Before he could answer, she walked past him.  Coming to his senses, he pulled her back before she could step out into the street.

            "Wait a second.  Let's think this through."  Grissom looked at the people on the street and then at the jewelry store.  "First of all, would a woman in this time go into the store to exchange them or a man?"

            Sara blinked.  "Probably a man, since they were the ones that handled money and finances.  Women usually only did that if they were divorced or widowed, possibly spinsters."  She started to shake her head as a smile grew on her face.  "Damn, I didn't think about that.  If we're going to pretend to be married, then you will have to do the financial business.  This really sucks."

            "Careful, Sara.  I bet ladies didn't curse or swear either, at least not in public."  Grissom's smile reflected the amusement he was feeling at her realization.

            "No, they wouldn't – in public that is."  She stepped back and waved him on.  He grabbed the kit and headed toward the jewelry store.

            As he approached the small building, he mentally worked out a scenario that included their being robbed.  Their kit, however, holding the jewels of course, left untouched.  After a lengthy hour, he stepped from inside the building out into the fading sunlight.  He searched for Sara, hoping to see her in the same place he'd left her.  He couldn't see her by the tree and wondered if maybe she'd decided to go off on her own again.  Only one way to find out, he thought as he traversed the street heading towards where he'd last seen her.  He approached the tree and darted a quick glance around.  She wasn't within sight.  Letting out a soft groan, he dropped the kit to the ground and started to sit next to the tree when he heard a faint rustling.  He turned to his left, looking around the tree and came face to face with Sara.

            "You're back.  Sorry, I didn't hear you."  She said, rubbing her eyes sleepily.  "I must've fallen asleep."

            "I guess so.  I was about to start cursing you."  Grissom chuckled.

            "Why?" she quizzed.

            "I thought maybe you'd gotten another idea in your head and traipsed off somewhere in search of clothes or food or something."  He grinned at her, noting her affronted gaze.

            "Do you always think the worst of me?  I do have a brain and can think for myself you know.  Or is this time period affecting your mind now?" she retorted.  He wasn't fooled, however, as he saw she was holding back a smile.

            Before he could reply, she stood and stretched.  "You know, what I think now, is that we need to find some place where we can get some food and an actual bed."  She leaned over and held out her hand for him, offering to help him up.  He eyed it for a minute, wondering if she might have something up her sleeve.  He chided himself for the thought and reached for her hand, grasping it securely, just in case she decided to pull it away at the last minute.

            He got to his feet then bent to retrieve the field kit when it hit him that she hadn't released his hand yet.  He looked back up at her while he was still bent half way over then eyed their hands intertwined.   "Umm, Sara.  You can let go now."

            She shook her head.  "We're married right.  We need to at least have some appearance of it."

            He grabbed the kit and stood to face her again.  "If what I know about this time period, and although it's not as much as you, I can probably bet that public affection was looked down upon."  His eyebrow rose, daring her to disagree.  He waited as she searched his face then she abruptly let go of his hand.

            "Fine.  No public displays," she harrumphed then spun around and headed off.

            "Sara," he called.  She turned around, waiting for him.  He nodded in the opposite direction.  She sighed heavily as she walked to him.  When she didn't stop and continued past him, he quipped softly, "You have a brain, Sara… a beautiful one, but you don't know everything."