A/N: Continuing to have a great time writing this… BTW, we are going with Sara's parents going wacko when she is 14… and I will fill in the blanks on my own… YAY!
And since I am writing more than three parts most likely, should I have a
series name? If so, I would love suggestions! Thanks a bundle! Also, a warning for Sofia fans, although she in not in here, there is suggested bashing.
Islanders-15: I dunno if I should kill Veronica or not… thanks so much, and
I got in!
WHAT THE HELL: Veronica, truth be told, is my little sis, and she wanted me
to write her in with Greg because she thinks he is a "sezzy beast". I
couldn't really bear to hurt one of the gang, ya know? I lurve everyone too
much! I'm debating whether to kill her or not…
Sarasanders5: Thanks bunches! Evil Sara doesn't say her age… oh well.
Jamie L.: LOL, thanks a lot! I know, stuff like "Invisible Evidence" makes
me do a happy dance around my living room. I know! It's GRISSOM SARA
FOREVER! Thanks again!
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Sara didn't know where to go: if she went home, her parents would do
god-knows-what to her. She didn't want to be a bother the Catherine any
more, but she really had no one else. So, fighting tears, she slowly walked
back to her friends' house. When she got there, the door was closed, but not
locked, so Sara just walked inside. Everything was quiet.
"Cath?" She called. No one answered. Cautiously walking up the stairs, Sara
pushed Catherines' bedroom door open to find that Warricks' sleeping bag was
gone and the bed was made. Sara felt like screaming. She sat dejectedly on
the bed and noticed a note attached to the pillow. She leaned over on her
elbows and read it.
Hey Sweeties! Nick convinced us (I don't know how) to go on a one night camping trip, so we are over at Camp Williams Resort & Campground. Head on over if
you can. We had to leave early or traffic would be hell! It's just me, Nick,
and Warrick right now… we couldn't find Grissom, so if you guys do, would
you tell him to come over here? Bring a sleeping bag! We took the bus, you can too if you can't get a ride
Hope to see you soon!
Catherine, Nick, Warrick
Sara grinned at the kiss mark that, she assumed, Catherine had left on the
paper. She sat there for a while, knees to her chest, staring at the wall.
She couldn't go home. She couldn't just stay in Catherines' house. And if
definitely wouldn't do her any good to just sit around the hospital and wait
for Veronica to wake up. Sighing, she stood and headed home. She wouldn't
have to go inside; her sleeping bag was outside in the shed.
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Although her parents were not yelling at each other, she could sense the
venomous feelings coming from her house. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat and quietly crept into her shed.
Sara slid the door shut behind her, looking around. The cracks in the shed let in little beams of light that barely gave her enough to see by. There really was nothing special about it, but Sara could tell that nothing bad had happened in here. The air was easier to breathe; she didn't feel like she was trapped in some horror film. She couldn't help but smile; she could see the dust drifting gently through the air. When was the last time anyone had been in there? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Everything seemed... okay. Still breathing deeply, Sara opened her eyes. All she could feel was peace.
"Veronica's going to be okay," she whispered into the thick silence.
"Grissom will open up to me."
"My parents will love each other."
Feeling the happiest she had in a few days, Sara stepped forward to get her sleeping bag. She reached forward to grab it and out of the corner of her eye, she saw her name written in permanent marker on a cardboard box. Saras' things. Her breath caught in her throat. She hesitated for a moment, and then grabbed the box. Slowly, she pulled it open and the first thing she saw was a photo album. Smiling, she yanked it open. Her three-year-old self was smiling up at her, waving and laughing. Sara laughed at herself and flipped the page.
"What are you doing?" Sara turned quickly, cringing at being caught. It was Greg standing in the door of the shed holding two sleeping bags. Grissom stood behind him, observing.
"Greg! Grissom! What are you doing here?"
"I got to the hospital after you left and Grissom told me you had gone over to Catherines'. We found the note and figured you'd be over here." Gregs' voice was still a little quiet, but he seemed better.
"You okay, Sara?" Grissom called softly. Sara looked up at him.
"Depends on what you're talking about," she said, looking coldly at him. Suddenly, she realized; she was just assuming that Grissom was going to avoid her. So far, he had done nothing to her but let her cry on his shoulder. Shaking her head, she looked back at Grissom.
"I'm sorry, Griss. Yeah, I'm doing fine."
"What are you looking at?" Greg asked.
"Some pictures of me when I was little. Do you guys wanna see?" They stepped forward to look.
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Ten minutes later, they were just finishing flipping through the photos. Sara looked back into the box. Some of her baby dresses were on the top. She pulled one out; there was a little speck of blood on it. Sara remembered her mother telling her that she had fallen at the park, but even that little bit of blood jolted Sara back to the present. Suddenly, the peace in the shed seemed to be invaded; it was as if her childhood fears had escaped from that box and came crashing down on her. Suddenly panicked, Sara stood, throwing her dress into the box. Greg and Grissom looked up at her in shock, but Sara hardly noticed. She just darted out of the shed as quickly as she could.
Panting in the bright sun, Sara sat leaning against the shed. Greg ran out and quickly knelt beside her.
"Sara! You okay?"
"Yeah, Greg... I'm fine." She smiled. Grissom walked out, holding Saras' sleeping bag. She reached up to take it from him and accidentally grabbed his hand. It shouldn't have made her feel guilty, not after kissing Grissom, but it still did. Grissom obviously wasn't ready to be in a relationship and she didn't want to rush him; she would have to be okay with just friends. Smiling at him, Sara took her sleeping bag without a word. Grissom looked a little worried, but Sara disregarded this. "Come on, guys! Let's get out of here!" She charged up the hill with the boys close behind.
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At the top of the hill, Sara sat at the bus stop to wait for Greg and Grissom. Greg came over the hill first, the sadness almost completely gone from his face. Grissom came into sight a few minutes after Greg, looking at his feet and seeming to be deep in though. The bus pulled past Grissom to the stop. "Come on, Griss!" Sara yelled, climbing onto the bus. Grissom looked up, shocked, and ran towards the bus. Worried, Sara stood at the door until Grissom got there.
"Come on, Grissom!" She muttered, leaning out of the bus to watch him get on. Her hand slipped off the railing and she shrieked as she fell off the bus.
"Sara!" Without thinking, Grissom put his hand on the small of Saras' back. Sara looked up at him from his arms. They were staring into each others' eyes; Sara felt her knees go weak. Grissom righted her, still looking at her face. He reached out and gently brushed her hair from her face; shivers ran down her spine at just the slight touch of his fingers. Grissom boarded the bus and, blushing slightly, Sara followed him. She looked around the bus; it was almost completely filled. Greg was sitting next to the last empty seat on the bus, the sleeping bags stacked neatly on his lap.
"Go take a seat, Griss," Sara offered, reaching up to grab the bar. Grissom, however, caught her hand before she could.
"Sara, you need to rest. Why don't you sit down?" Sara smiled, barely aware that Grissom had naturally become protective of her. She sat, still smiling at him, but worried on the inside.
What's up with Grissom? It's so hard to tell what he wants. She turned to Greg, who was fighting the urge to close his eyes.
"Greg," Sara lightly touched his arm. "Veronica wouldn't get better just because you're awake; go back to sleep." He smiled at her, but his eyes were sad. He leaned over and put his head in Saras' lap. She looked down at his worried face and absentmindedly stroked his hair. Poor Greg. First I wake him up then Veronica does… did Grissom sleep at all? He's impossible to read, she thought, glancing at Grissom. He was looking at Greg, but he was obviously not in the moment; he was thinking about something else.
Why did I do all that? I want so much to be with Sara… but it just seems impossible. I don't know why… we both have so much hurt… I don't know if I can deal with both of our troubles. He glanced at Sara, who was cradling Gregs' head in her lap and looking out the window. Grissom automatically felt jealous. Realizing this, he too looked out the window.
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"Grissom… what's wrong?" Sara held his face in her hand as he cried.
"I don't know what to do… I just don't know…" he was breathing heavily, trying to stop himself from crying.
"Grissom." Saras' voice was stern, but soothing. "Whatever it is, you don't need to do it alone. I'll always be here for you." Grissom nodded and Greg mumbled something, jerking Grissom awake.
"Bananas?" Grissoms' eyes shot open and he looked down at Greg, who was sleeping with his head resting on Grissoms' lap. Panicking, Grissom held his breath as Gregs' eyes fluttered open. Greg smiled at Grissom for a second; then he lifted his head slightly and looked down. Sitting up quickly and holding his hands up in an "I surrender" position, Greg started stammering.
"Dude… so wrong… Geez, Grissom! I… ew!" Shaking his head, Grissom stood and bumped right into Sara.
"Ouch. You're awake?" She asked, smiling at him. He nodded, remembering his dream.
"What happened, Sara?"
"You were practically falling asleep standing up, so all I had to do was lift Gregs' head and you sat down and went to sleep; Greg didn't even wake up."
"Sara! How could you do that to me?" Greg whined, still blinking sleepily. "If Catherine finds out I slept in Grissoms' lap…"
"Greg. Calm down. I'm not going to tell, and I have a good feeling Grissom won't be too anxious to share, either." They both glared at her and she just laughed. "Hey look, we're here!" They all looked out the bus window. A large sign reading Camp Williams Resort & Campground was the first thing they saw; then they spotted the lake and the trees. Saras' breath caught in her throat as she watched the lake gleam in the sun. Grissom looked back at Sara and saw her eyes sparkling with excitement. She's so beautiful, Grissom found himself thinking. The bus pulled to a stop and the trio jumped out, Greg lugging their three sleeping bags. Sara and Grissom dashed over to him to grab their own gear and he smiled thankfully at them.
"Come on!" With a sudden burst of energy, Sara darted forward, weaving through the trees. "Catherine!" She called, ignoring the dirty looks from the other campers. "Nick! Warrick! Shit!" Sara tripped over a large rock and went tumbling down a hill. Using her sleeping bag to protect her from the hard ground, she hit the bottom with a crunch and blacked out.
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"Sara… are you awake?" She opened her eyes slowly. Grissom was holding her in his arms. She nodded, then winced from the pain in her neck. Grissom looked worried.
"Grissom- where are we?"
"Catherine heard you calling. She went to get a park official."
"What?" She sat up. Grissom looked at her, bewildered. "I don't want to ruin this trip!"
"Sara. If you're hurt, no one will want to stay. We'll all want to go to the hospital with you. It's really not your fault."
"Where's Greg?"
"He went with Nick and Warrick to the tent."
"Oh… I'm sorry, Grissom."
"Are you always this clumsy?" He chuckled. Sara groaned and held her head and, worried again, he gently helped her settle back into his arms.
"Just around you," she sighed comfortably. Grissom smiled, resting his chin on her head. It felt so good to hold her. Sara snuggled into his chest, resting one hand on his chest and wrapping the other around his waist. Grissom felt warm underneath her. She just wanted to go to sleep and stay like this forever. Surprising himself, Grissom kissed her gently on the head. Sara felt his lips and sat up quickly, searching his face. He looked back at her. She smiled and leaned closer.
A stick snapped and they both turned quickly to see Catherine hiding something behind her back and grinning apologetically.
"Sorry, guys. I didn't want to disturb you. The ranger is here. Sara, are you okay?" Hesitant to get up, Sara didn't answer. The ranger walked past Catherine to Sara.
"I heard you took a fall," she said quietly, looking into Saras' eyes. Sara nodded, feeling the pain again in her neck. "Do you hurt anywhere?"
"My neck, a little." The ranger looked for a moment.
"You just tweaked something. Get one of your friends to rub it tonight, or your boyfriend here." Sara waited for Grissom to say something along the lines of "I'm not her boyfriend," but he remained silent. "Have you tried to stand yet?"
"Not yet." She stood, her legs shaking beneath her. Grissom stood quickly, supporting her from behind. Smiling and blushing, Sara stood upright. Grissom slowly released her and she stepped forward.
"Everything seems fine. Have a great night, okay?" The ranger smiled at Sara and left. Catherine stepped forward and hugged Sara.
"Be careful from now on, okay? We don't want to send you home with a broken nose!" Sara smiled at her friend. "Let's get back to camp; the boys are waiting."
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"Hey Sara!" Warrick called, waving as she approached her friends. Catherine ran ahead, leaving Sara and Grissom behind. Nick stood, opening his arms as Catherine ran into them. He picked her up and twirled her around, then placed her gently back on the ground, kissing her on the lips. Catherines' face was flushed. Greg elbowed Warrick and nodded towards Grissom and Sara. They were both smiling at Cath and Nick. Of course, they didn't know it, but Greg and Warrick watched as Sara glanced at Grissom and looked away quickly, not seeing Grissom do the same to her.
"Kodak moment," Warrick laughed quietly.
"Do you think Catherine got that?"
"Nah, they would have noticed for sure."
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"Warrick, don't you dare!" Ignoring Sara, Warrick splashed water into her face. Laughing, Sara splashed back. Nick grabbed her from behind. "Nick!" She gasped right before he dropped her into the water. Catherine jumped onto Warricks' back and Warrick, surprised, dunked under, trying to loose Catherine. It was only 4, so the group had decided to go for a swim in the lake. Grissom was floating gently in the water while the other four were having a water fight. Sara was looking over at Grissom every so often and noticed that Catherine was getting that evil look in her eyes.
"Cath…" she swam quickly towards Grissom, noticing that Catherine was headed his way. Catherine pulled her arm back, preparing to tackle Grissom, and Sara stood quickly to block him. He sat up just in time to see Catherine launch herself at Sara who came pummeling towards him. Splashing him back into the water, Sara crashed into him. Grissom surfaced, spitting out water. Sara came up soon after, sputtering.
"Catherine!" She shrieked, laughing. Grissom, however, was concerned.
"Catherine! Sara just got hurt a few hours ago! You need to be careful around her!" Catherine looked at Grissom, shocked. Shaking his head, Grissom just resumed his floating. It was obvious that Catherine didn't take it personally, for a moment later she shoved him underwater and swam away, laughing like crazy.
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Later that night, Nick was sitting next to their blazing fire, Catherine leaning against his chest. Warrick was sitting on a stump, quietly playing a soothing melody on the harmonica. Greg was running from tree to tree, hyper from the 10 plus Mountain Dews he had consumed. Sara was sitting on a log, watching as a can of beans cooked over the fire. Grissom was lying on the ground beside Saras' log, watching the stars. The beans were soon done and Sara reached out to grab them. Catherine noticed and went into the tent to get utensils. She came back and handed everyone something in plastic wrapping. Sara opened hers. It was a Spork. Without knowing why, Sara panicked, snapped it in half and threw it into the fire. No one noticed but Grissom, who raised one eyebrow at her. Sara just shrugged. They all quietly ate.
"Hey Warrick, where did you learn how to play the harmonica?"
"Well, I don't really. I only know how to play one song that I made up."
"Play it again?" Catherine asked. Warrick looked confused, but stood to obey. Soon, the calming music filled the campsite again. Sara got up, walking towards Warrick. He had his eyes closed and looked deep in concentration. She swayed by herself to the music, unaware of the tussle going on behind her.
Nick and Catherine had pinned a protesting Grissom to the ground, both of them wearing a wicked grin.
"Go dance with her, man," Nick whispered. Grissom just looked up at them.
"Go on, Grissom…" Greg even snapped out of his sugar-induced coma to say a few words.
"You better dance with her, or I'll tell what happened on the bus." Grissom sat up quickly, knocking Catherine off of him.
"You were all assuming I wasn't going to on my own," he said, smiling at their astounded faces.
Twirling alone, Sara kept her eyes closed. She felt some ones' arms wrap gently around her, swaying her to the music.
"Grissom," she breathed, not trusting herself to open her eyes in case she was imagining it. He didn't respond. He just held her close as she hugged him tightly.
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A/N: Okay, Camp Williams Resort & Campground is a real campground in LA, but I don't know if they have a lake or not… bother. Well, tell me what you think. I think this part of the story may be coming to a close, so like I said, any ideas or suggestions would help me out a lot! Just tell me what you want to see!