The sun was setting over Vegas, the sky a brilliant picture of orange, red and yellow. In the twilight, the CSI day shift and night shifts were preparing to play softball. The flood lights spilled onto the playing area as they came on for the night. A small crowd of people gathered in anticipation of the game.
Nick and Warrick tossed the ball back and forth, while the rest of the team stretched. Sara sat on the grass, and watched as day shift began to warm up. She saw Sofia smile and wave at Grissom, and he walked over to her and began to talk. Sara saw him laugh and Sofia put her hand on his shoulder. Sara glared at her and Grissom, then got up and walked to her own dugout.
Nick threw the ball to Warrick and then turned around as he heard his name called. The ball just missed his head as he waved back to Beth who was now sitting in the stands with Corona.
"Stokes! Pay attention man!" Warrick called.
Nick went to retrieve the ball and Warrick looked around at the rest of the team. He saw Catherine stretching, raising her arms above her head and then dropping them down to her toes. He was mesmerized, watching her move, until the ball whizzed past his ear.
"Brown! Pay attention man!" Nick yelled, grinning.
The warm up continued for another ten minutes or so before Grissom called them all over to their bench.
"All right everyone, if we play like we did last practice then day shift is going to have to fight to win this. Let's do our best! Everyone ready?"
The team put their hands in and cheered. Day shift was up to bat first, and grave yard took their positions on the field.
"Let's play ball!" called out the umpire, Brass.
The first batter stepped up to the plate and hit the ball hard to third base, where it was caught by Greg and fired to Warrick on first base.
"Out!" called David who was watching first base.
Nick pitched again to the second batter, and the ball was hit just over second base. Sara ran and grabbed it, throwing it as hard as she could towards Warrick.
"Safe!" was the call.
The third hit was sent to the out field where Catherine got it but it wasn't fast enough. Their were runners now on third and second. Nick rubbed the ball into his glove, warming up for the next pitch. Sofia stepped up to the plate, and her team cheered, urging her to bring their runners home. Nick threw the ball and Sofia swung and missed.
"Strike one!" called out Brass.
The players on the bases watched, ready to run as soon as the ball was hit. Nick pitched again, and Sofia let it pass. Nick caught the ball as Brass tossed it to him.
"Strike her out Nicky!" Sara called.
"Come on Stokes!" yelled Warrick.
Nick rotated his shoulder and stretched his arm out. He then threw the ball.
Sofia swung, and their was a crack and the ball flew threw the air. It was a decent hit out to where Hodges was standing. He ran and grabbed it and threw it to Sara. The runner on third was almost at home plate as she launched the ball at Warrick.
"SAFE!" Brass bellowed as the first runner hit home plate. The second player wasn't as lucky, as Warrick achieved getting him out.
"It's ok Nick! We'll get the next one!" reassured Grissom from the bench, as Nick swore in response to the run that had come in.
The game wore on, and finally it was the last inning. Day shift was up by two runs, and Grissom's team was up to bat. Hodges was up first, and he hit a pop fly that barely let him get to first base. He was out, and he headed back to the bench.
"Nice going Hodges," muttered Greg, who shut up as Grissom glared at him.
Catherine was up next, and she strutted up to the plate, then turned and winked at her team. Thanks to some extra batting practice with Warrick, she had become decent at hitting the ball.
"Go Cath!" her teacher called out and the team cheered as well.
She hit the ball and it sliced through the air out to second base. She ran as fast as she could, and made it to first base.
"Safe!"
The team cheered again as Greg walked up to home plate.
"Go Greggo!" the team cheered as Greg hit his ball and took off for first as Catherine ran to second.
The team booed as Catherine was out at second, but Greg was safe at first.
Warrick approached the plate to take his turn next. He hit the ball easily to out field which allowed Greg to get to third and him to second. Next up was Nick.
"You've got this Nicky. We can get Greg home and possibly Warrick to tie the game up if you hit it far enough. Then it's just Sara to hit and we should be good. You can do it!" Grissom encouraged him, as Nick walked out of the dug out.
"Go Nick!" Sara and Catherine cheered.
Nick picked up a bat and went up to home plate. He took a practice swing and grimaced as his shoulder and arm started to hurt. He concentrated through the dull pain as the ball came at him. He swung hard and missed then swore loudly, his face now contorted with pain. He dropped the bat as Grissom called for a time out and hurried over to him.
"What happened?"
"My shoulder, ow, I think I wrecked it when I swung," said the younger CSI, rubbing where it hurt.
"You're not in any condition to bat now. Come on, let's get you some ice."
"What about the game? We can't forefoot it on account of me."
"Sara still has to bat," Grissom answered simply.
"What's going on Gil?" Brass asked, removing his mask.
"We're still playing Jim, let's just take care of Nick first."
The umpire nodded and went back to his spot.
Back at their bench, Nick was holding ice on his shoulder.
"Nick, you ok?"
He turned around to see Beth, who looked concerned standing behind the dugout.
"Yeah, I'll be alright," he answered, as he winced again from turning around.
"You know, you are supposed to alternate between warm and cold for something like this, so maybe you could come and sit in my hot tub later," Beth suggested.
Nick got a wicked grin on his face and nodded, agreeing that what she had said was an excellent idea.
"So are you ready to play ball yet?" called Brass.
Grissom nodded and turned to Sara.
"You're up. Bring them home Sara," he said to her.
"No pressure huh?" she replied, picking up a bat.
"Good luck, you can do it!" Nick told her.
Sara walked slowly to home plate, the fate of her team resting on her shoulders. She took a deep breath and focused on the pitcher. The team held their breath as the first ball came towards her. She didn't move.
"Ball!" called out Brass.
Sara shifted her feet, preparing for the second pitch. It came whizzing across the plate. She swung, and missed.
"Strike one!"
Grissom watched her, taking in the serious look of concentration on her face. He wanted her to do well, he wanted her to bring in the runners, but most of all he wanted her.
The tension was thick as the pitcher wound up and threw the third ball.
As if in slow motion, the team watched as Sara swung, and then with a loud crack, the ball went soaring through the air.
Sara took off for first base as Greg ran for home plate. The team cheered loudly as Greg's feet landed on home. Then they realized that Sara was still running, her ball far out in the field. Warrick sprinted the last distance and night shift got another point.
Sara was now nearing third base and the ball was being thrown towards her. The team screamed along with the crowd for her to keep running.
She ran as fast as she could, her heart pounding in her chest. The final distance between home and third seemed like a mile as she dashed along it. Closer and closer she got, and the other team was catching up. She could hear someone behind her, yelling to get her out.
Running on pure adrenaline, she dropped down, sliding in across home plate.
"SAFE!" Brass cheered as the rest of the night shift team came running out of the dugout towards her.
Hands lifted her off the ground and suddenly she was on Greg and Warrick's shoulders.
"You did it!" Catherine cried.
"Way to go Sara!" Nick yelled excitedly.
Day shift looked on as the other team celebrated their victory. Sofia gave Sara one look of contempt then started walking back to her car.
The team's celebration continued later on in a sport's bar. Music was playing and there was cold beer for everyone.
Warrick sat at the bar observing the action and sipping his beer when Catherine appeared at his side.
"I wanted to thank you again for teaching me to bat," she said.
"No problem Cath, it was my pleasure," he replied, smiling at her.
"Well I was wondering if you would want a dance lesson in return," she grinned, pointing at the dance floor.
"I already know how to dance, but if you want to show me something new, I'd like that," he said raising an eyebrow at her.
"I could show you lots of things," she whispered, taking his hand and leading him away from his seat.
Lost in conversation with Greg, Sara stood in a corner still re-living her victorious moment. She had been toasted several times by the team and was riding the high of everyone being so happy. She wasn't sure of what Greg was talking about now, but she was sure he was a little tipsy with the way he kept loosing his train of thought and changing topics. She noticed that the dance floor seemed to have two new occupants as she watched Catherine slide her hands around Warrick's neck and move closer to him. She wondered what it would be like to do that with Grissom.
"Excuse me Greg, may I have a moment with Sara?"
She was startled when Grissom appeared right behind the former lab rat, and gently pushed him aside.
"Sure…where did Nick go?" Greg somewhat slurred as he walked away.
"I don't think I've gotten the chance to really congratulate you yet," Grissom started to say.
"Well, everyone has, and you were there, so don't worry about it," she replied.
"No, I mean personally congratulate you. I'm very proud of you Sara."
She blushed at his words saying, "Thank you" quietly.
"There was something I wanted to do today when we won, but couldn't…"
She gave him a quizzical glance.
"Well I wanted to congratulate you in my own way, but with Ecklie and everyone else there, I wasn't sure if it would be appropriate."
"What did you want to do?" Sara asked, now confused.
"This…"
He leaned in and suddenly his lips were on hers. She was shocked, yet that dissolved away as she melted into his arms and her own fantasy became reality.
They parted, yet he continued to hold her in his arms.
"I've actually wanted to do that for a long time," he said, gazing into her eyes.
"Then why did you wait?" she responded, her face now serious.
"Well I could give you a list of reasons, but it would all just boil down to me being stupid and wasting all that time we could have spent together. Could you ever forgive me? It isn't to late is it?"
"You're safe Griss," she replied simply.
He smiled and they kissed again.
Their moment was interrupted as someone started to yell,
"And this song…this song…goes to…Sara…won…go team!" slurred Hodges as he stood on a chair and the music began.
Queen's "We are the champions" filled the bar and Hodges swayed dangerously back and forth. Then out of no where, Greg was up on the chair next to him, singing along at the top of his lungs.
The team laughed as the celebration continued long into the night.
The End
So sorry for how long it took for this chapter to be posted. I work crazy hours and was away last weekend, so I haven't had a lot of time to write anything. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and again THANK YOU for the reviews. L