Through the night
Summary: They ran, but they were not fast enough, as the rest of their team has to find out. Angst. SaraGreg. Sequel to Unforeseen and Unnoticed.
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or any of its characters.
Rating: T
A/N: Thanks to Juliette7179, missusmesser, Sara Sidle 87, Tripp3235, Emmithar, Jessica Summers, suus, thatTaylorgirl, bene, daily, Aidrianna, roxxi, Manhattan SVU and loose-canon-with-a-gun for your reviews.
Okay, this is only a short chapter (even shorter than the other ones), sorry about that.
Chapter 3: Planned and unplanned
Earlier that night
Greg shut the door on the passenger's side of their car and leaned back.
"I'm planning to take some vacation in a couple of weeks." He looked at Sara who had just climbed onto the driver's seat.
"Mmh," was her only answer when she started the engine, waiting for what Greg actually wanted to say.
"I want to visit my family in California."
"Mmh." Sara was sure that this was not all he intended to say and her guess was confirmed by Greg's next question.
"Wanna come with me?" He watched her expectantly.
Instead of answering directly, Sara asked, "Do you think Grissom will give us both vacation at the same time?"
Greg grinned. "I know what you mean. What will he do without us? Anyway, he simply has to."
Sara drove along a wide left bend and pursed her lips. "Okay, if he gives us vacation…"
Greg let out a sound of joy. "More time for me with you," he exulted cheerfully.
Sara laughed and shook her head at the same time. It always surprised her how cheerful Greg was on the prospect to spend a lot of time with her. Not that her feeling in this point was any different.
"And you really need some vacation," Greg babbled on, "I mean you fell asleep in the lab," he teased, emphasizing the last words.
"Greg," Sara groaned. "I know that you told me."
Greg grinned, but fell silent.
"So, what did you do while I caught up the sleep I don't get because of you?"
Greg snorted. "That was a blow below the belt, Sara."
"I know." Sara loved to do that.
"I looked into some cold cases like we'd planned to do. We can go over it once we're back at the lab," Greg went back to topic.
"Okay, though I would have guessed that you'd want to go home then, I mean it's not much time left of our shift and this scene will take some time."
"Yeah, of course," Greg grinned. "If you're fine with that…"
Twenty minutes later Sara stopped the car and the both of them climbed out and were met by a police officer who filled them in.
Sara noticed that the crime scene was quite secluded and that the darkness seemed definitely darker outside there than it was nearer to the city.
They walked into the house and Greg whispered to Sara, "Can't wait till we're at home."
Sara smiled and they both entered the room that the coroner David Phillips was just leaving.
"See you later," he said and left Sara and Greg for themselves.
In the darkness of the wood the only light came from several small flashlights. Silence had followed the announcement of the young police-man.
Catherine had been standing nailed to the spot for some seconds, but now she hurried forwards. Her eyes got wet when tears were coming up.
The call of the police-officer echoed in her head. "I found two bodies." This could not be true.
She ran and knew that Grissom was on her heels and while she was running, she considered other explanations for the fact that there were two bodies lying in the woods that they were searching for Greg and Sara.
She thought that it were maybe two of the assailants, she hoped desperately that this was the case, but before her brain could come up with another explanation other than that Greg and Sara were dead, she reached the young police-man, who had called.
Catherine stopped and starred numbly at what met her eyes. The young man let his flashlight shine on the two people who were lying on the ground. In the dim light Catherine recognized immediately the deathly pale, lifeless forms of Greg and Sara.
Greg was lying on his side and Sara was lying next to him. He had his arms around her chest. Both had their eyes shut.
Tears were streaming down Catherine's cheeks, while the young police-man stood silently next to her and Grissom approached them slowly, as if delaying to see it as long as possible.
Altogether it was only a short moment that Catherine stood there in shock, but for her it were some of the longest seconds she had ever experienced, before she looked more closely at her two friends who were lying in front of her and saw that Sara was still bleeding out of a wound on her waist.
Catherine held her breath, unbelieving, internalizing the fact that Sara was still bleeding. It took a second before she found her voice again.
"They are alive," she called tearfully.
"Get the paramedics," she ordered urgently and rubbed her eyes with her hands.
Agitation started behind her and the officer who was in charge started to tell off his young colleague for not being able to differ between living and dead.
Catherine did not notice any of that.
"They are still alive." Or at least Sara was.
TBC