A/N: Hey, readers! Well, this will probably be my last post for a little while, since I'm leaving for the airport in three hours! I'm not sure when I'll be able to get to a computer. I might be able to post in England, if I can type really really fast. I'll be taking my notebook with me, so hopefully I'll have lots of updates for you when I get back. Thanks again for all your great support – it means a lot that you're sticking with me!

Sara and Nick were quickly moving forward with their plan to enroll Kelsey in Butterfield Academy, much to the teenager's dismay. Lindsey spoke horrors of the strict atmosphere, and being kept on a tight leash. Kelsey thought about what Warrick said, however, and considered that Lindsey was putting up a front. Kelsey wasn't happy right now, but she wondered if a strict, no-nonsense environment was what she needed. Not that she'd like it, but maybe it could help.

The last few days, Kelsey had gone non-contest to her after-school help sessions, hoping that maybe her parents would see that she was trying and wouldn't send her to Butterfield, but they wouldn't buy it. Nick and Sara knew they had scared their daughter, and she would do anything not to go to the strict academy, but they believed this was best for her.

Kelsey was up in her room one afternoon, trying to get through her math homework, when her mother walked in.

"Hi, sweetheart." Sara greeted her daughter. Kelsey noticed that her parents were trying to be more loving towards her since they'd delivered the news, almost like they felt guilty.

"Hey." Kelsey answered shortly. Sara went to Kelsey's closet, and the girl's stomach flip flopped a little. She had been hiding things for three years, and it made her so nervous to have her mother looking through her personal property, even though she didn't remember having anything bad in there. "What are you doing, mom?"

"You're going to need more space in your closet for your uniforms." Sara told her, as she started pulling out a few large sweaters. "Why don't you help me sort through some of these."

"I'm doing my homework." Kelsey said with a hint of attitude.

"Well, good. But I already bought you three uniforms, and we need room."

"You bought me uniforms already?" Kelsey seethed. She felt like she had absolutely no control over her life. Her mother was shopping for her now.

"You're starting next Monday." Sara informed her. The school had been a big help with finances, since Nick and Sara were both city employees, as long as they would be actively involved at school and with their daughter.

"Mom!" Sara turned around and sighed, putting her hands on her hips.

"Kelsey, you knew we were going ahead with it. You are going to Butterfield. I know you're not happy about it, but we don't know what else to do about your behavior."

Kelsey just pushed herself back down onto the bed, crossing her arms, about ready to cry. Her parents were being so unfair.

"Kelsey, stop pouting. You're fine." Sara told her shortly, as she dropped more old clothes on her daughter's bedroom floor.

"No I'm not!" Kelsey yelled. She seriously considered spilling everything to her mom right then, but decided against it. Kelsey wasn't sure if her parents would be disgusted or supportive of her, and she wasn't strong enough to take that chance right now.

"Okay, Kels. Let's not start. Will you come help me please?" She requested again. Kelsey reluctantly joined her mother at her closet and started sifting through her clothes.

Sara pulled out a cute tank top from one of the shelves and held it up. She never saw her daughter wearing tank tops any more, and she'd forgotten how cute some of Kelsey's clothes were. Sara held it up to her daughter's form.

"How come you never wear tank tops any more?" She asked curiously.

"I don't know. I guess I just don't like them anymore." Kelsey answered quickly, avoiding the real reason. They showed her razor cuts.

"Maybe you should wear a few. You're such a pretty girl to be wearing baggy old shirts." Sara spoke of her wardrobe sometimes. Kelsey was also known to dress scantily when she felt like it, but know that Sara thought…she really never wore tank tops.

Kelsey didn't say anything. Her father had just come home from work and found two of his girls talking in Kelsey's room.

"There's two of my precious girls." He commented as he walked into the room. Nick hugged and kissed his wife first, and then hooked his arm around Kelsey and kissed her hair. "How you doing, Kels?" He looked around at all the clothes strew about the floor.

"Fine. Mom's making me clean my closet." She picked up one of the tank tops and threw it in the discard pile. Kelsey didn't know if she'd ever wear tank tops again. Nick looked through the pile of clothes Kelsey wanted to get rid of. There were a lot of nice items in there, he noticed.

"Kels, why are you getting rid of these?" He held up a gorgeous-looking tank top. Kelsey longed to wear those tank tops again, but knew she couldn't.

"I just don't like them, okay?" She scowled at him and went back to her sorting. Kelsey was getting irritated with their prodding. "Why do you guys keep asking me?"

"Just calm down, Kels. I was just wondering." He said, tossing the top back into the ever-growing pile. "Sara?" Nick just said the one word.

Sara turned around to meet Nick's face, questioning whether she'd told their daughter about what would be happening with her schooling. She nodded, and Nick cleared his throat a little to begin his talk.

"Kels, come sit down for a minute." He requested, taking hold of his daughter's hand and pulling her away from the closet. Kelsey hated when he began chats like this. It meant he wanted to do some serious heart-to-heart talking, and she didn't think she could take it.

Reluctantly, she let him lead her to the bed, where they both sat down, and Sara soon joined them on Kelsey's other side.

"Baby, I know your mom already talked to you a little bit, about Butterfield." Nick put the conversation out there. "And we want you to know this is not us giving up on you. If anything, we're taking bigger steps to help you. Do you understand that?" His look confirmed his deep concern and love for his daughter.

"What do you want me to say?" Kelsey challenged him, irritated. "You want me to roll over and thank you for sending me to some god-awful school, and taking me away from all my friends?"

"Kelsey, they're not your friends if they're getting you into trouble." Sara told her. A few of her friends were bad news, and they felt Kelsey had gotten worse with the group of girls she hung around.

"At least they're there for me. And you're taking that away." Kelsey scowled, crossing her arms and staring down at her feet. She knew there was no changing her parents' mind, but she wasn't going down without a fight. She could feel her parents looking at each other, not knowing what to say.

"Alright, Kels." Her father said. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but we're your parents, and though you might not see it right now, we're doing this for your own good."

Kelsey didn't want to buy their bullcrap. Doing this for her own good her ass! They thought she was a psycho, and they were trying to take her away from the only people that made her feel normal.

"Fine! You already made the decision, so what's the point in talking about it! Will you just leave me alone?"

Nick hated when she raised her voice at them. It wasn't something he would normally tolerate, but slowly it was becoming a normalcy in this house. He told himself that soon she would be getting better. It might get worse first, but she would get better. Nick and Sara once again expressed to Kelsey that they loved her, to which they received scowling looks, and left the teenager alone in her room.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

The next day, Nick went in to the locker room before shift to change his clothes, and soon Warrick came in also. The two shared a bit of small talk about cases they'd been working on, but soon the conversation turned to Kelsey.

"Is she still pretty upset?" Warrick asked, as he pulled a fresh t-shirt on.

"She's pissed." Nick affirmed, putting his gun in his holster. "But that's to be expected. It's really getting to Sara, though."

"I'll bet. I think she'll like it a lot when she gets there. Of course, she probably won't let you and Sara know that."

"No, probably not. I really think this will help her."

It was silent for a few moments, as Warrick contemplated asking the next question. He'd noticed some things about Kelsey, and wondered if her parents were seeing the same things.

"Nick, can I ask you a question about Kelsey?"

Nick looked over at his good friend of many years. He'd never asked for permission to speak before.

"Sure, man. What's up?"

"I know you've been having trouble with Kelsey. And I…I've been noticing a few things about her."

"Like what?"

"Well, I don't think I've seen that girl swim or wear anything that shows off her shoulders in…years even."

"You think she's hiding something?"

"I don't know, man. Do you think something else is going on?"

Nick thought about what Warrick was telling him, and back to yesterday in Kelsey's room. She mysteriously didn't want anything to do with tank tops, and he hadn't seen her wear a bathing suit without something over it in a long time.

"Well, yesterday, she got all offended when I asked her why she doesn't wear tank tops anymore. We were cleaning out her closet and found some old ones."

Warrick shook his head a little and Nick stared blankly into space, thinking and wondering. Was his little girl hiding something from them?

"I hate to say it, Nick, but I think you need to conduct a little investigation of her own."

"And how should I do that?"

"I know you don't want to, but I think you're going to have to do a little snooping. Check her room. Everywhere. Under the bed, in her desk, even her underwear drawer, Nick. You need to make sure she's not getting herself into trouble."

Nick got an unsettled feeling in his stomach. He knew he valued his own privacy deeply, and didn't want to intrude on Kelsey's room and life unnecessarily. She already hated him right now; he didn't want to make it worse. And what would happen if he didn't find anything and Kelsey found out? She'd never forgive him. But what overpowered his mind was what if he did find something? The unknown worried the father greatly, and Kelsey's well-being trumped her privacy.

Nick sighed heavily.

"I really don't want to, Warrick. But you're right." Nick admitted. "Something might be going on, and I need to find out what it is."

"Good, man. Let me know how it goes, and if you need anything. I can always talk to her. We're still buds, you know."

"Thanks Warrick."

Nick headed off to Grissom's office to get his assignment for the day, and knew it would be a long, trying shift. He had to do his job, but his mind would be occupied all day with worry for Kelsey.