Hi! Thanks for the reviews and feedback, you guys are awesome! I meant to get this up last night but my internet died on me, I'm so sorry! Bit of angst here, guys! Yay! Romance is building up, too, but not necessarily where you think it will ;)

Do Read. Hopefully Enjoy. Please Review.

Chapter Seven #The Drinking Driver#

"Hello? Warrick? Open your eyes, Warrick. Can you hear me...?"

Ouch...

"The ambulance is on its way."

Owwww!

"Good, thank you. Warrick? Open your eyes please."

Warrick obeyed the vaguely familiar voice and forced his eyes open. He saw the face of Grissom, his homeroom teacher and blinked.

"Ow."

"'Ow' is about right. An ambulance is on the way."

"What! Why? Is someone hurt?"

Grissom frowned. "You are."

"Oh." Warrick reddened. "I uh...I don't need an ambulance, sir, I'll be fine. I'll just go home get a cold pack."

"You've been out for over five minutes, you might have concussion. Can I call your parents?"

"It's just my grandma." Warrick said, embarrassed at his teacher seeing him like this. "My parents are...um...well they're dead."

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Warrick. If you really don't want to go to the hospital, then we can get the paramedics to check you out, and if they say you're okay I will drive you home."

Warrick nodded meekly. "Thank you sir."

Grissom just shook his head. "I saw the attack. Do those boys go to Atwater?"

Warrick shook his head. "They went to my old school."

"Do you want to talk to the police?"

Warrick shook his head quickly. "No, sir."

Grissom frowned. "If that woman over there-" he pointed to a worried looking woman in her forties - "hadn't chased those boys away, then you could have died before I even got the chance. They shouldn't get away with something like that."

Warrick just shook his head again. "It wouldn't help with those guys. Besides, I kinda started it."

Grissom looked at him sceptically.

"I punched Gene Jaycobs." Warrick elaborated.

Grissom raised his eyebrows. "May I ask why?"

Warrick sighed. "They weren't letting me past. So I was just gonna try and sneak by. Then Gene Jaycobs tried to piss me...uh sorry, sir, I meant irritate me, by talking the mick out of Nick. We, uh ran into them yesterday. Then he started calling Nick white trash, and I might have freaked a little. Punched him in the stomach."

Grissom frowned again, but before he could respond, Warrick sat up and held up his hands. "Mr. Grissom, I didn't have friends in my old school. Gene Jaycobs and his friends made sure of that, if the fact that I'm a 'dork' wasn't enough. Nick is the first friend I have had in a long time. And I just got a little pi...angry when Jaycobs..."

Warrick frowned and hung his head. He wasn't sure why exactly he was telling his teacher this. He never talked to teachers about anything other than class work. But despite only knowing him for two days, he felt like he could trust Grissom.

Grissom was silent for a moment. "I know how that feels." He turned. "Well, here are the paramedics." The teacher stepped aside and allowed the medics to look Warrick over. After he begged not to be taken to the hospital, the female instructed Grissom to take Warrick straight home.

As the medics left, Warrick awkwardly said, "You don't have to take me home, sir. I can walk."

"Just get in the car. Don't argue."

Warrick obeyed, and they drove home in silence. Warrick's heart sank when his worried grandma came running out of the house to figure out what happened. Thankfully, Grissom did most of the talking.

"Gene Jaycobs? I swear, I will string that child up one day!" she cursed, before glancing at the teacher. "I am sorry Mr. Grissom. Thank you for bringing Warrick home."

"Don't worry about it. I will see you in a couple of days Warrick."

"See you tomorrow, sir."

Grissom shook his head as he walked back to the car. If the kid wanted to go back to school, he could.

"Warrick!" His grandma pulled him into a big hug. "Go upstairs, honey. Dinner will be about an hour."

Warrick nodded gratefully and headed upstairs.

"Oh, and son? Remind me to whoop your ass for taking that shortcut anyway!"

Warrick smiled.

CSIVCSIVCSIV

Nick Stokes was in an amazing mood. He had had a bet with Warrick about the Cowboys game last night, and he was about to pick up ten dollars in winnings.

He burst into A11 with huge smile on his face knowing that Warrick would be earlier than him as he lived a lot closer to school.

"I think I won!" he cried. Warrick turned around and the smile slid immediately off Nick's face. "Jesus Christ! What the hell happened to you?"

Warrick's cheek was covered in a huge bruise, with red around the edges. There were stitches in his head across what looked like a deep cut about three and a half inches long just under his hairline, and when he turned, he did so with what looked like extreme pain.

"It's nothing." Warrick shrugged.

Next to him, Sara's eyes flared with anger. "Tell him, Warrick."

Warrick sighed and glared at her. She glared back. Morgan was sitting on the table again, but concern covered her usually happy face s she stared at the two silently arguing teenagers. He sighed and turned to a confused and concerned Nick.

"I, uh...I ran into Gene Jaycobs after school yesterday."

"And he just beat you up?" Nick cried. "You look really bad!"

"Thanks." Warrick said dryly.

"You gonna tell someone? The police?" Nick asked.

"That's what Grissom said."

"Grissom?"

"Yeah. It was really embarrassing." Warrick moaned, remembering being found at the end of the alley by his teacher. "He was there when I woke up."

"Woke up?" Nick cried, his eyes the size of saucers. "You got knocked out? Warrick, you have to tell someone."

"I have. I told Grissom, and my grandma and you and Sara." Warrick frowned. "Besides, I punched Jaycobs first."

"You what?"

"You better close your eyes a bit Nick or they'll pop out your head."

"Why?" Nick ignored Warrick's teasing attempt at changing the subject.

Warrick just shrugged. "He was pissing me off."

Nick raised his eyebrows. "Really. How?"

"Just drop it, Nick, okay? I'm fine. And here's your ten dollars."

Nick stared at the bill. "I don't want it."

It was Warrick's turn for his eyes to bulge. "What? You won the bet. It's your money." He passed it back, but Nick shook his head.

"I'm not gonna take your money after something like that, Warrick."

"But you won..."

"So?"

"So...you need to take the money. That's how it works."

Nick just shook his head. "I don't want it. I'm not gonna kick you while you're down, man. That's not who I am."

Warrick smiled slightly. "Thanks." he pocketed the cash.

Grissom walked into the classroom, looking sadly at Warrick as he did so.

Greg and Ryan came in at about the same time, both looking at Warrick in concern and asking what happened.

"I just had a run in with some kids from my old school. I'm fine."

"Did you have to go to hospital?" Greg asked, an out of place, serious look on his young face. Morgan thought it was cute.

"No. The medics put the stitches in there. I am fine." he said very loudly, and Nick watched Grissom roll his eyes.

A loud giggle floated through the door as Calleigh Duquesne and Catherine Flynn flounced through the door. When Calleigh saw Warrick, she looked at him pityingly and went to sit down at the 'populars' table. Catherine however faltered. Her mouth hung slightly open, and she looked as if she wanted to say something, but she closed her mouth and followed Calleigh. At the last minute, she turned back.

"Are you okay?" she asked Warrick softly.

Warrick blushed slightly. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Are you sure?" Catherine said.

"Yeah." Warrick smiled softly. Catherine's heart fluttered, but she had long trained herself not to show things like that.

"Good." she smiled, going back to sit next to Calleigh, noting Sara's suspicious glare on her back.

"You like her?" Nick grinned quietly.

Warrick just shook his head. "Never gonna happen, man."

Nick looked sadly at his friend. "Well, you never know."

CSIVCSIVCSIV

The days passed quickly at Atwater High School. The students quickly fell into routines and cliques, and friendships and enmities formed and fell.

Catherine seemed to despise Sara, and the feeling was mutual. Sara was, however, good friends with Tali, Nick, Morgan and Greg. She was also friends with Warrick, but he didn't understand her hatred of Catherine, and Sara didn't understand his tolerance of the strawberry blonde, so their relationship was slightly less close. It seemed as though Nick was the thing holding them all together - he seemed good friends with everyone. Out of all of them, Nick had friends in most places.

He was on both the football and baseball teams as practices and fixtures were on different days, and excelled in both sports.

Greg managed to drag Sara to drama club, and she actually enjoyed it. In return, she made Greg join the science club. Morgan and Tali did art afterschool twice a week, as well as attending drama club with Greg, Sara and Morgan's friend Lindsay.

Warrick and Ryan Wolfe didn't join any clubs for a while, but after a couple of weeks they joined the science club with Sara and Greg. Archie went to a computer club with Abby, McGee and another freshman called Adam Ross.

However, every Wednesday, Nick, Warrick, Greg, Sara, Morgan, Tali, Archie and Ryan went out for milkshakes at the place Warrick had shown them - Wendy's Smoothie Parlour. They would also sit in A11 every lunchtime. Abby, McGee, and Lindsay were friends with them, but found their own table in the cafeteria with a couple of other freshmen, and didn't hang out with them much.

They were in A11 as usual that fateful day one and a half months after school started.

"Okay guys, its Halloween really, really, really soon and I am planning a massive party and sleepover! Who's coming?"

"Greg, it's the tenth of October." Sara pointed out, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Exactly! It's only twenty one days to go! Twenty one days! That's nothing!"

"I'm in." Morgan shrugged. "Sounds like fun."

"I will ask my mom, but she may not let me go." Tali shrugged. "She doesn't like Halloween. Her faith is quite strong."

"Jewish, right?" Warrick clarified, sneaking a peek at the star of David hung around her neck, and she nodded. "Well, my grandma's a fairly strong Christian, but she should be fine with it."

"I'm in. Definitely!" Nick smiled, a huge grin on his face.

"You know I am. I never have a choice." Archie shrugged playfully.

"I don't see how my mom will have a problem with it. She spends most of her time with your mom anyway." Ryan said, rolling his eyes.

Greg turned to the one person who hadn't said a thing. "Sara?"

"I don't know..."

"Please?"

She looked at Greg, who had pulled out all of the stops and formed huge brown puppy dog eyes. She laughed. "I'll ask my mom."

"Great!" Greg cried. "It is gonna be so amazingly epic!"

Sara just smiled sadly. "Yeah."

Sara was noticeably quiet for the rest of the day. Greg cornered her in the school parking lot as she waited for her mom at the end of the day.

"Sara!"

She looked over her shoulder before turning away again. Greg was the last person she wanted to see.

As Greg drew closer, Sara wiped her face and sniffed, trying to cover it up.

"Sara?" Greg's eager but confused voice had transferred to complete concern. "Sara have you been crying?"

"No." Sara sniffed stubbornly.

Greg frowned. It definitely looked like Sara had been crying. Her eyes had a slight red tinge, and a lone droplet hung from her chin. Greg half wanted to wipe it away, but he didn't. He remembered back to when she had begun to act sadder than usual.

"Sara...you don't have to come to the party if you don't want to."

Sara laughed humourlessly. She regretted it as soon as she saw the hurt yet guilty look on Greg's face. He started stammering.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Sara. If you don't like Halloween..."

"Greg." She stopped him mid flow. "I wanna come. I really do. That's the problem."

"Why? Do your parents not like Halloween?"

If it had been normal, pressy questioning Greg, Sara would have let her irritation burst out of her and snapped at the younger teen, but the sad, confused Greg wasn't normal, and it tugged on her heartstrings.

"My parents don't like a lot of things." Sara said softly. "Greg, I'm sorry. I might be able to come. I just...get a little jealous. My parents don't let things go to things as easily as other parents do."

Greg sighed. "That's it? Are you okay, Sara?"

"I. Am. Fine." she muttered. "Don't pry in other people's lives, Greg, you'll bug people."

Greg's eyes popped open. "I'm sorry Sara, I was just worried."

Sara took a deep breath struggling to keep her anger in check. "I know, Greg. I know. Look, I'll ask about the party, okay?"

Greg nodded. "Okay. It should be fun."

"At your place, Greg? Of course it will be."

Greg grinned at her happily.

A car horn beeped and Sara glanced across at a car. Tyler was sat behind the wheel, motioning to her impatiently.

"I gotta go."

"Is that your brother?" Greg asked curiously, having never met the older boy.

"Yeah. Bye, Greg!" Sara gave him a quick hug. "Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm okay." Greg hugged her back quickly as her brother honked the horn again.

"Bye Sara." he called back, heading to his mom's car across the parking lot.

"See ya!" She called as she slid into the car.

"What the hell took you so long sayin' bye to tha' kid? He your boyfrien'?" Tyler snapped, and Sara recoiled.

"No. Ty, are you drunk?" Sara asked nervously.

Tyler glared at his sister. "Wha' does it madder to you?"

Sara's eyes widened as she smelt the stench of alcohol. "Tyler, you can't drive me home, you're hammered!"

"Shuddup, Sara." Tyler slurred, and Sara tried to open the door, but Tyler locked it.

"Tyler, you shouldn't drive when you're drunk."

"Don't lecture me, kid!" Tyler snapped. Sara glanced hopefully over to where Greg was, but he was gone. Tyler opened his own door and threw up violently outside the car. Then he slammed the door shut again.

"Tyler!"

"You ain't getting a lift with mom, she's sick. It's me or no one, Sara."

"I'll take no one." Her heart leapt as she saw Tali walking across the parking lot. She banged on the window as Tyler began to pull out of the parking lot. "Tali!"

"Tha's no' my name, kid." Tyler slurred. "You know what? Get out!"

Sara screamed as Tyler opened the door of the car and shoved her out. Tali ran over, her finger sticking up at Tyler as she flew to her best friend's side.

"Sara!"

"Ow..."

"Oh, לכל הרוחות!" Tali swore.

"What?" Sara said weakly, rubbing her shoulder.

"It means damn it, hell, that sort of thing. In Hebrew." Tali explained. "What the hell just happened?"

"Tyler was drunk and wanted to drive me home." Sara explained, her whole body hurting. She pulled down her shirt collar and inspected her grazed, bruised shoulder.

"Are you okay, Sara? He pushed you out of a...you have to tell your parents, the police!" Tali cried.

"No!" Sara cried back. "Tyler will get in trouble, it's not that bad. I'm okay."

Tali shook her head, but Sara interrupted her. "How many times has Ari hurt you worse than this? How many times did you report it?"

Tali sighed. "Okay. I get you."

Tali pulled her friend up off of the floor. "Ziva should be out in a few minutes. We can give you a ride home."

"Thanks, Tali." Sara said gratefully. "He didn't mean it, he's just not thinking straight. He's normally not like that. He's drunk, y'know."

Tali smiled wanly.

An explosion of noise shattered the air around them and both girls instinctively hit the deck. A very familiar voice screamed in pain.

"What was that?" Sara cried, "That sounded like..."

"Tyres." Tali muttered. "Car tyres, brakes, screaming..." they exchanged glances and ran to the road. Sara screamed loudly. Tyler's car was smashed into another, smoke rising from the engine. He staggered out, swearing but sobering up, leaning over to look at the other car. The hysterical driver was unhurt.

The passenger side of the car however was crushed, the passenger unconscious, his head lolling against his mom's screaming form.

As Elise Sanders wrenched off her seat belt to try and get her son out of the car, Tali and Sara raced forward, screaming at the top of their lungs.

"GREG!"

As Sara saw Tyler's guilt filled eyes bore into hers, she could only think of theses things: she was the one Greg stayed behind to talk to. She was the one who refused to let Tyler leave. She was the one who put both cars in the same place at the same time. If she hadn't done either of those things, the car crash would not have happened.

As she saw several people pull an limp, bloodied Greg from the car, she whispered something so softly that Tali only just caught it.

"This is all my fault."

So tell me, is it too early for this? (I thought I'd skip ahead a bit cause I felt it was dragging-did it work?) let me know what you think. Thanks for your time ;)