-1Disclaimer: I do not own CSI, but the Samuels are mine as is Sara's background.
A/N: I can't believe this is already the fifth chapter. Normally I get stuck around 3000 words, as anybody will have noticed who has read any of my other stuff. And I have real problems finishing things. However I have an end for this story in mind and should get there in another 2 chapters at most. I am sorry that the previous chapter was so short, but it seemed like a good place to stop. If you don't agree let me know. Back to Marie trying to decorate Catherine's head with her spine. As a hint, if I don't bother to show their thoughts I am really not happy with them. Catherine is not getting any redeeming internal dialogue. I am painting a verbal picture here and I am sorry to say that she is the villain of this piece. With Warrick as her minion. Okay it's not THAT bad, but close. She doesn't get a good slap, which I think she sometimes richly deserves.
It has been mentioned that Ryan is very hostile. People react the stress in different ways. Ryan is modelled a bit on my Dad, who can get huffy when things go wrong.
Chapter 5
Brass cleared his throat nervously and turned to Grissom. "This Sara's family?"
The feisty brunette whirled at him. "Yes, we are. What do you know? Anything new?"
"Well, the fire department just called, that they are ready to move in and look around. The biggest fires are under control and the explosions have not undermined the ground too much contrary to expectations. Houses are being cleared first and then a group of six firemen will sweep the alleys, starting from where Grissom said they were when he last spoke to Sara."
"If they knew where to look why the hell didn't they go in and check?" Ryan wanted to know.
Brass blanched slightly at the barely controlled fury in front of him, glad it wasn't directed completely at him.
"There were two mayor blazes in the area and many small fires. The department needed all the firemen they had and the ones from surrounding towns just to get the fires under control. A gas main had exploded and there were reasonable indications that there could be a third or even fourth explosion. They were reluctant to send anybody in. The main has been disconnected now so the danger has shrunk measurably."
Ryan nodded tersely, accepting the explanation.
Brass turned to Grissom and asked: "Where's Greg's family?"
"Greg's grandfather is visiting his sister in Norway, left a forwarding number on his answering machine thankfully. Should be on his flight back by now, provided he could get onto the first plane. No remaining family in the States and we don't have any other contact numbers."
Privately Nick wondered if Greg and Sara hated them all for taking so little interest in their lives. Greg seemed like such a happy go lucky person he had never even thought twice about what his home life might be like. 'And how did it go? When you assume you make an ass of you and me? Sounds about right. We are such idiots.' He tuned back in to what Brass was saying.
"They will notify us as soon as they know more, and what hospital to go to."
Marie sighed, shoulders slumping and moved over to the couch, where she gathered Susie into her arms, cradling her gently from side to side. Torn between taking care of his wife and child and demanding more answers, Ryan finally sat down beside her and hugged her, both staring down at the babe in their arms.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"And then Grissom phoned and asked me to do the internal investigation. I was so flattered that he would trust me with it." Sara had been getting to the point where she was talking herself hoarse, but continued on regardless. Anything to stop Greg from slipping away. His occasional quietly whispered comments where enough to keep her going.
"Plus you had a crush on him." Greg interjected so quietly she had trouble hearing him.
Sara blushed. "Noticed that, did you?"
"Wasn't exactly hard to miss." Even through the pain Greg realised that now was the time to ask the question burning in him for the last couple of months. Steeling himself, he asked: "And do you still?"
Sara thought hard, before answering truthfully: "Have a crush on him? No, I don't. I got over him a while back. Grissom is married already and I am not willing to be his mistress and take second place."
Now, Greg's eyes did shoot open, even though he could see very little in the shadow of the alley. "Grissom's married? To who? Not Catherine, right?"
Sara giggled slightly, amazed that she still could considering their situation. "That's not what I meant. He's married to his work. First and foremost. Forensics is the love of his life and I could be nothing more than a diversion that he would come to resent for taking up his time. So I moved on. Marie and Ryan visiting really helped. They put things into perspective." Sara wondered if she should tell Greg her other plans. But then again if she couldn't trust him then who was left? Greg had never let her down.
"In fact. I'm thinking about going back to San Francisco." She steeled herself for what was coming, and was disappointed.
Greg simply cracked a small smile. "I was wondering when you were going to tell anybody. I can't blame you. I could see it in your eyes."
A small part of Sara's soul was bitterly disappointed that Greg seemed to take her leaving so lightly.
"I've been thinking the same thing. I'm getting nowhere here. I'm just a glorified lab rat, never mind that I have enough degrees to bury Warrick." Greg added so quietly Sara almost didn't hear him.
"You could come, too." It just burst out of her. The one person she would miss should she leave was right there with her.
Greg looked surprised and didn't respond. Sara regretted her outburst almost instantly and attempted to change the topic.
"Now it's your turn. You promised that if I told you about my life then you would tell me about yours."
Greg smiled weakly and gave their still intertwined hands a squeeze, regretting that he couldn't say how much having her there meant to him.
He coughed weakly, trying to get past the lethargy, sweeping through him.
"Well there is not much to tell."
"I'll be the judge of that. Now spill and there had better be blackmail-worthy info hidden in there somewhere."
"Well, I was born in Norway thirty-one years ago."
Sara interrupted him: "But you don't look thirty-one. That means you're my age."
Greg grinned. "I keep well?"
Sara pretended to be annoyed. "What? Are you saying that I don't?"
"No, no I wasn't. Really." Greg's stammering turned into a bout of coughing that turned him pale and trembling.
"Ssshhh. It's alright. Don't upset yourself. I was only kidding." Sara gently stroked his forehead and not for the first time in their ordeal prayed frantically that they would be found soon.
"Now you were saying that you are Norwegian."
"Was. My parents died when I was five. The only relative left was my grandfather on my father's side here in America. So I was sent to him."
"That must have been difficult for you. Did you even speak English when you came over?"
Greg was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate and the warm feeling in his stomach had slowly turned hot. He didn't need to be an expert to realise that he was bleeding to death. He was just glad that it was internal and Sara wouldn't have to see it. He knew it was a bit irrational as Sara worked with dead bodies every day, but he wanted to spare her this.
"Greg? Are you alright?" Sara shook herself, of course he wasn't. "I mean are you in a lot of pain?"
Greg tried to answer but any response he might have had was drowned by a fresh wave of pain that swept through him and dragged him to the brink of unconsciousness.
"I'm sorry." he whispered, unsure if she had even heard him, and then fell like a rock.
"Greg?"
"GREG?"
"Don't go!"
To be continued…
