Snapshots of a Small-Town Life
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI. Also, Bridgewater and Greyston County are fictional locations and the original characters that inhabit them are also fictional. Any resemblance they may bear to actual places is purely coincidental.
Rating: K
Author's note: Once again, I apologise for the update delays: I'm once again without regular computer access.
Chapter 15"O-kay, why's Abby wearing a funny dress?" Jenny asked.
"Oh, I remember that," Rose replied. "She was Wendy in her school's production of 'Peter Pan', right mom?"
Sara grinned. "She sure was, and she was so proud you wouldn't believe it."
People often commented on how pleased her parents must be that Abby had inherited her mother's artistic talent but, whereas Sara viewed photography as a technical challenge as much as an artistic endeavour, Abigail Stokes was a born artiste – complete with an artistic temperament at times.
Like all of the Stokes children she was academically bright, but her report card consistently showed C's, alleviated by the occasional B, in maths and science. When asked why this was so she merely shrugged and stated dismissively that they were "boring" and, as she always brought home straight A's in English, art and drama, Nick and Sara were willing to let it go on the basis that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make a teenager take trigonometry seriously.
Abby was also the most attractive of their brood, having inherited her father's straight black hair and winsome smile and her mother's fair skin and slender figure, and the boys were already starting to show a definite interest in her. So far, the fact that she was the sheriff's daughter and the high school star quarterback's younger sister had been sufficiently intimidating that none of them had actually dared to ask her out, but Sara knew from their experience with Rose that this wasn't likely to last.
Abby, however, dismissed the local boys as airily as she did her appalling record in maths and science, determined that she was going to make her mark on Broadway – "as a serious actress, not some Hollywood bimbo" she claimed grandly – and her mother had a sneaking suspicion that she just might do it.
Seeing the picture of her budding actress in the Wendy costume brought back vivid memories of her daughter's stage debut…
"Mommy, daddy, did you see me!" their excited daughter yelled as she raced from backstage, dark hair flying. It was the opening night of Bridgewater West Elementary's production of Peter Pan, and the entire family, including Jenny, who was now asleep in her mother's arms, had been there to watch their little star perform.
"Yeah I saw you!" Sara was grinning, delighted at the way her baby had stolen the show. Peter Pan and Captain Hook never had a chance.
"You were great, Pumpkin," Nick added, sweeping her up into his arms and kissing her forehead soundly.
"Da-ad!"
He set his little girl back on her feet and ruffled her hair. Rose gave JJ a not-very-subtle nudge in the ribs and he stepped forward bashfully.
"These are for you," he said, thrusting a bunch of pink, yellow and white daisies at his younger sister.
"Oh JJ, they're perfect!"
"It was dad's idea. He said you had to have flowers at your 'day blue'."
"That's 'debut', idiot," Rose, older and wiser, corrected. JJ opened his mouth to say something back, but Abby cut him off.
"So, what did you guys think?"
"It was okay," her brother admitted, although he had sat enthralled through the entire thing. Then he brightened. "The pirates were cool."
"Well I loved it," Rose said firmly.
"Good, 'cause I'm going to be a famous actress someday."
Nick chuckled. "Well, even famous actresses need their beauty sleep, so come on you lot."