The Retreat
- Thread starter Zan1781
- Start date
Cordelia_GRS_Fan
CSI Level Two
lol Greg's such a sweetheart - he sure knows how to lighten up situations lol. More!! Pweez?
Xx..::Mia-Sara::..xX
Xx..::Mia-Sara::..xX
(First of all, thank you, Cordelia! And second of all, everyone, sorry that this chapter took slightly longer! Grissom is never easy to write for, and I should have started it a week ago! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, though, and as always, thank you so much for your comments and critiques. I really put everything that I have into my stories, and when people point out something that can make them better, I really (really!) appreciate their thoughts. I want each story to be the very best that I can possibly make it!)
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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of CSI or its characters. That honor goes to the good folks over at CBS. The Emerson quote came from www.saidwhat.co.uk/quotes/inspirational. And the poem is Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken.
Title: The Road Not Taken
---------------
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
- Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken
Around the Campfire
Nick stifled another yawn with one hand, as he glanced into the still semi-warm fire pit. “Do we have any more coffee…?” he mumbled to Greg, glancing down at his empty mug.
“Why are you asking me?” Greg frowned, shrugging his shoulders. “Do I look like the coffee king…?” he joked, raising an eyebrow, and staring across the fire pit at Nick.
“Actually… I would have to go with a yes on that one…” Warrick grinned. “All hail King Greg…” he added, yawning, and running a hand through his hair.
“Please… do not encourage him, gentlemen…” Catherine smiled, glancing at Warrick and Nick. “Because… he’s bad enough as it is...” she teasingly told the group, winking at Greg.
“Well… we’re out of coffee, but… we do have some hot chocolate…” Grissom trailed off, looking across the fire at each individual CSI. “Will that do…?” he asked.
Greg’s eyes widened, as he slowly stretched, standing up. “That depends…” he mumbled.
“On what…?” Grissom bit his lip, raising an eyebrow.
“Do we have any marshmallows to go in the hot chocolate…?” he asked, his face breaking out into a grin. “Because… I love marshmallows!” he admitted.
Sara chuckled, stretching her legs out in front of her. “Yeah… I think we all remember…” she told him.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Greg asked, feigning hurt.
“S’mores? Last year?” Nick reminded him, walking over to their supplies tent, in order to get some matches. “I’m cold…” he announced, shuffling back toward the fire pit. “So… I’m going to build this little sucker up…” he added.
“Wait a minute, what about last year?” Greg interrupted, his eyebrow once again rising.
Catherine laughed, shaking her head from side to side. “You refused to let go of the bag of marshmallows…” she pointed out. “And… then you kept eating them all night long…” she added.
“No, I most certainly did not!” Greg joked.
“Uh, yeah, Greggo, you did!” Nick laughed, as he knelt down next to the fire, adding some crumpled up newspaper, some smaller twigs, and a couple of bigger pieces of wood. Holding the match box between two fingers, he clutched a match in his other hand, flicking it across the match box.
“Hate to break it to you, man,” Warrick grinned. “But you did…”
“Nuh-uh!” Greg immediately shot back.
“Uh-huh!” Sara laughed.
“Oh, like that was mature!” Greg smiled, retaking his seat around the fire, and kicking a stone away from him. “But… I suppose you’re right…” he chuckled. “I refused to cough up the bag… so…” he frowned, turning to look at Grissom. “Do we…?”
“Do we… what, Greg?” Grissom furrowed an eyebrow.
“Have any marshmallows!”
Grissom gave Greg a rare smile. “Yes, we do, Greg. Why don’t you grab the marshmallows and the hot cocoa mix?” he suggested, watching, as Greg immediately bounded into the supplies tent to grab the necessary items.
“Alrighty then…” Warrick laughed.
“So… Grissom…” Catherine trailed off. “I believe that it’s your turn to go…” she added, smiling appreciatively at Nick, who managed to get the fire started. Holding her hands up to it, palms facing outward, she sighed.
“Right… I suppose it’s only fair, right…?” Grissom frowned, biting his lip, as he rested his hands on his knees.
“Well… if you want to, that is…” Nick mumbled, sitting back down on his log. Staring into the fire, he allowed his body to slowly relax, as he listened to the silence of the campgrounds. This is peaceful, you know that? he asked himself. Just a few birds chirping… no neon lights… no prostitutes hanging out on every corner, hawking their goods… just… peace and quiet. “But we’re a pretty supportive group…” he added, finally raising his gaze to meet Grissom’s.
“We sure are…” Catherine confirmed. “Probably one of the closest teams around the country…” she trailed off.
Greg silently returned to the campfire, setting a giant kettle of water on top of the metal grill that was covering the fire. Sitting back down on his log, he stared across the small, flickering flame, at Grissom. “Actually, I’d say that we are the closest team around the country… so… spill it, Grissom…” Greg told him.
“Greg…” Catherine warned.
“I know, I know,” he sighed. “If you want to,” Greg amended.
“But…” Warrick frowned, listening to the dry wood crackling in the fire pit. “We are a non-judgmental team…” he trailed off.
“I know…” Grissom chuckled. “Alright. So… what do I like the most about myself…?”
“That’s the question!” Greg smiled. “So… what’s the answer…?”
“It’s funny, actually…” he mused.
“Hmm…?” Sara asked, as she absentmindedly tugged at a loose thread on her shirt sleeve, trying to pull it right out.
“Yeah, what’s so funny?” Warrick probed.
“Well…” Grissom mumbled off.
“Spill it!” Greg again ordered, as he quickly glanced into the kettle of water. Boil. Now. I command it, he thought to himself.
Catherine just shook her head at Greg, rolling her eyes.
“I like my uniqueness…” Grissom cautiously announced.
“Your… what…?” Sara asked, her eyes going wide, as a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. “Your… uniqueness…?” she tried not to chuckle.
“Yes, my uniqueness!” Grissom repeated. “I think that I’m a pretty unique individual! As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, ‘Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail…’ That’s me…” he quietly told everyone.
“I’ll give you that much…” Greg grinned, grabbing a marshmallow out of the bag, and promptly shoving it into his mouth. Man… these are really good… he thought to himself, grabbing another one; and another one; and another one.
“Yo, man, gimme the bag!” Warrick mumbled, reaching over, and swiping the entire bag from Greg, setting it down in between himself and Nick.
“Hey! I was eating those!” Greg retorted.
“HEY!” Catherine loudly chided the guys.
“Sorry…” Greg mumbled.
“Sorry…” Warrick added, staring down at the ground in slight embarrassment. So much for being a supportive team… he frowned to himself.
Sara just raised an eyebrow at Greg and Warrick’s antics, before returning her gaze to Grissom.
“Anyhow…” Grissom frowned, swallowing, an clearing his voice. “I know that I am a bit… unusual, but… my oddities make me… interesting to be around… I think…” he nervously bit his lip.
Sara hid a smile, choosing to gaze into the fire, rather than at Grissom. Yeah… I’ll say that you’re interesting… or… fun to hang around… she thought to herself.
Catherine just nodded toward Grissom, trying to encourage him to continue.
Warrick, meanwhile, carefully dipped a hand into the marshmallow bag, slipping one into his palm, and then quickly popping it into his mouth.
Greg glared at Warrick, frowning. I know what you just did, Mr. Warrick Brown… he thought to himself. Marshmallow stealer… he added, as he returned his full attention to Grissom. “Actually…” he mused. “I think that your uniqueness makes you interesting to work with…” he shrugged. “There aren’t all that many entomology experts out there, so… that’s really something to be proud of…” he trailed off.
“I know,” Nick smiled at his supervisor, as he reached toward the fire, tossing another piece of wood under the grate, fueling the flames. “I agree, actually…” he added. “I’m always amazed by how you can deduce the timeline of a crime, just by examining the bugs that are present at the scene…”
“Very cool…” Warrick simply uttered, glancing across the fire at his supervisor. “And very respectable…”
“Yeah…” Grissom trailed off, suddenly frowning, and rubbing the back of his neck.
“What’s… wrong, Grissom…?” Sara quietly prodded him.
“Well…” he mumbled, his jaw slightly twitching. “Do any of you think that my… uniqueness… gets in the way of me doing my job…?” he finally voiced his concern, staring down at the ground, so as not to make eye contact with anyone. “Because… sometimes…I wonder…”
“Grissom…” Catherine frowned. “Honestly?”
“Yes, please…” he replied.
“Honestly, I think that your uniqueness makes you an even better supervisor. I mean… granted, you don’t play the political game very well… okay, you down right stink at it…” she cracked a small smile. “But… you care about us. You aren’t some mindless paper-pusher with his eyes constantly on the bottom-line. You recognize that there are people involved…”
Nick scrunched up his nose for a minute, tightly clasping his hands in his lap. Do I… really want to keep bringing up my… incident…? he frowned, trying to think things through. No, not really, but… he sighed. “You know, Grissom… I think that you go the extra mile when it comes to us and our safety. Your ideas might be a little… unique, in that… you tend to, uh… ignore… Ecklie at times…” he trailed off. “But…” he cleared his throat. “When I was buried alive, and you came to rescue me, it was you that kept me sane at the very end. You, Grissom. I looked up at your face, and you reassured me that I would be okay. You put your hand on the… box, and assured me that I would be okay. I don’t care if you are eccentric, Grissom… not that I am saying that you are, or anything, because you aren’t,” Nick frowned, once again finding something fascinating on the ground to study. “Because at this point, I don’t want to work for anyone else… uh… no offense meant, Catherine…” he mumbled.
Catherine bit her lip, staring into the fire. [/i]They all really like Grissom this much…? [/i]she questioned herself. Is he… really that much better of a supervisor than I am…? I mean… he’s good, no doubt about that, but… she trailed off. I’m not… that bad… I don’t think… I’d do anything for any of them, too… she couldn’t help but frown… and feel a slight twinge of jealousy. Aloud, however, she simple mumbled, “No offense taken, Nicky… and Grissom… I… agree with Nick. We all know that you care about us…” she quietly pointed out, trying to hide the jealousy from her voice.
“Yeah, Grissom…” Warrick confirmed. “You have been nothing but supportive of me and my… issues…” he hesitated, referring to his former gambling problem. “And… I’m not so sure that another supervisor would have been…” he added. “I mean… not that you covered for me, although… uh….” he coughed, staring down at the ground in embarrassment. “But… your unique perspective on leadership kept me my job…”
“And my life…” Sara admitted with a small smile. “You… kept me safe a few years ago, when I was ready to end it all… your unique personality did not allow you to quit on me, and… now look at us…” she trailed off, slightly blushing.
Grissom cracked a small smile at that, glancing up at Sara. Yes… now look at us… he thought to himself. Look at how far we’ve come… how… natural we are with one another… how… perfect we are with one another.
“Wait a moment, what are we looking at…?” Greg immediately asked, once again trying to get some information out of either Grissom or Sara, about the status of their relationship.
Catherine just chuckled, once again shaking her head at Greg.
Warrick quickly reached down into the marshmallow bag, drawing one out, and flinging it across the fire at Greg. “Mind your own business!” he told his colleague.
“Hey!” Greg grinned. “Can’t a guy just ask a simple question?”
Nick, following Warrick’s example, grabbed a fistful of marshmallows, pelting Greg with the soft, gooey treat.
“Hey!” Greg repeated. “C’mon, now!”
Sara grinned. “Hang it up…” she told him.
“But then my mind will just be forced to fill in the blanks on its own…” he trailed off, glancing first at Sara, and then at Grissom, and then back at Sara again.
Sara just rolled her eyes, laughing, as she witnessed Greg shudder. “Imagine away…” she smiled. “But imagine at your own risk…” she chuckled, glancing over at Grissom.
Grissom just chuckled, staring at the ground. Can we… please not encourage them to imagine anything…? I don’t want to have the mental image of them imagining us stuck in my head! “So… honestly, though, you don’t think that I’m too… odd…?” he hesitantly brought them all back to the topic of conversation.
“No… not at all,” Catherine smiled, meeting Grissom’s gaze. “I think that you’re… interesting…” she added. “And that’s a good thing. Life would be boring, if we were all the same.”
“I think that you’re you, Grissom… and that’s all that really matters…” Nick told him, flashing him a small smile.
“Yeah, what he said…” Greg confirmed.
“Yup…” Warrick simply replied, shrugging. “Couldn’t ask for a better supervisor… or a better friend…” he kindly commented.
Sara cleared her throat, her eyes meeting Grissom’s across the fire. Slightly smiling, she started to recite a poem. “‘Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both, And be one traveler, long I stood, And looked down one as far as I could, To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there, Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay, In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh, Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference…’” she trailed off. “That’s you, Grissom… you took the road less traveled, and… it has made all of the difference… you might be unique, but… we all still like you…” she smiled.
Interesting… Greg thought. He’s really rubbing off on her, I guess! he mused, standing up, and removing the boiling pot of water from the fire.
Nick smiled, as he listened to Sara recite the poem. Well… who knew! he thought to himself. Maybe… there is hope for them… they definitely seem to… click…
“Well said, Sara…” Catherine complimented her colleague. “Really… that’s a great poem, and… it’s incredibly true…”
Warrick just grinned, raising an eyebrow.
And as for Grissom? He smiled, feeling his face once again getting warm. Every time that you open your mouth, I begin to love you even more…
“Hey, the hot chocolate is done!” Greg eagerly announced, ripping Grissom out of his reverie.
“Is food… all that you think about…?” Nick chuckled.
“Uh… no!” Greg grinned. “I think about video games, and girls, and…” Grissom and Sara. Although… that’s really kind of sick! he mused.
Sara just rolled her eyes, as she stood up, grabbing the marshmallows from Warrick, smiling. “Hot chocolate… I need some…” she informed Greg, holding out her mug.
“My pleasure!” Greg smiled, pouring her some. “Anyone else…?” he then asked, running his free hand through his hair.
Nick nodded, while Warrick and Catherine just held their mugs out in front of themselves.
“Thank you, Greg…” Grissom merely smiled. “I appreciate it…” he added, as Greg filled his mug.
“No problem… so about you and…”
“Can it, Greg…” Catherine grinned.
Greg frowned. But I just want to know! he thought to himself, staring down at the ground in front of him.
Grissom raised an eyebrow, standing up. “In about an hour, we will head toward the ropes course. Do what you need to do, and be ready to go at that time…”
“Gotcha, Boss,” Nick sighed, standing up, and heading to his tent.
“In an hour…” Warrick confirmed.
“Shower…” Greg mumbled, heading toward the bath house.
“Are you sure about this course…?” Catherine asked, frowning. “I hate to admit it, but… I’m still a little bit nervous about it…” she trailed off.
“You’ll be fine, Catherine. I promise…” Grissom smiled at her, watching her for a moment as she walked off. “And you, Ms. Sidle…”
“Yes…?” Sara grinned, walking toward him.
“Thank you for reciting the poem. It’s one of my favorite ones…” he told her, gently holding his arms open to her.
“Mine, too…” Sara simply smiled, glancing around her to make sure that the coast was clear, before quietly walking into his arms. After a moment, she reluctantly sighed. “Alright… I need to get ready… I’ll see you later…” she trailed off, leaning up to give him a quick peck on the lips.
“Yes, I’ll see you in an hour…” Grissom confirmed, smiling, as she walked toward the bath house. I can’t believe that you waited for me to come to my senses, Sara… but I am certainly glad that you did.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of CSI or its characters. That honor goes to the good folks over at CBS. The Emerson quote came from www.saidwhat.co.uk/quotes/inspirational. And the poem is Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken.
Title: The Road Not Taken
---------------
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
- Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken
Around the Campfire
Nick stifled another yawn with one hand, as he glanced into the still semi-warm fire pit. “Do we have any more coffee…?” he mumbled to Greg, glancing down at his empty mug.
“Why are you asking me?” Greg frowned, shrugging his shoulders. “Do I look like the coffee king…?” he joked, raising an eyebrow, and staring across the fire pit at Nick.
“Actually… I would have to go with a yes on that one…” Warrick grinned. “All hail King Greg…” he added, yawning, and running a hand through his hair.
“Please… do not encourage him, gentlemen…” Catherine smiled, glancing at Warrick and Nick. “Because… he’s bad enough as it is...” she teasingly told the group, winking at Greg.
“Well… we’re out of coffee, but… we do have some hot chocolate…” Grissom trailed off, looking across the fire at each individual CSI. “Will that do…?” he asked.
Greg’s eyes widened, as he slowly stretched, standing up. “That depends…” he mumbled.
“On what…?” Grissom bit his lip, raising an eyebrow.
“Do we have any marshmallows to go in the hot chocolate…?” he asked, his face breaking out into a grin. “Because… I love marshmallows!” he admitted.
Sara chuckled, stretching her legs out in front of her. “Yeah… I think we all remember…” she told him.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Greg asked, feigning hurt.
“S’mores? Last year?” Nick reminded him, walking over to their supplies tent, in order to get some matches. “I’m cold…” he announced, shuffling back toward the fire pit. “So… I’m going to build this little sucker up…” he added.
“Wait a minute, what about last year?” Greg interrupted, his eyebrow once again rising.
Catherine laughed, shaking her head from side to side. “You refused to let go of the bag of marshmallows…” she pointed out. “And… then you kept eating them all night long…” she added.
“No, I most certainly did not!” Greg joked.
“Uh, yeah, Greggo, you did!” Nick laughed, as he knelt down next to the fire, adding some crumpled up newspaper, some smaller twigs, and a couple of bigger pieces of wood. Holding the match box between two fingers, he clutched a match in his other hand, flicking it across the match box.
“Hate to break it to you, man,” Warrick grinned. “But you did…”
“Nuh-uh!” Greg immediately shot back.
“Uh-huh!” Sara laughed.
“Oh, like that was mature!” Greg smiled, retaking his seat around the fire, and kicking a stone away from him. “But… I suppose you’re right…” he chuckled. “I refused to cough up the bag… so…” he frowned, turning to look at Grissom. “Do we…?”
“Do we… what, Greg?” Grissom furrowed an eyebrow.
“Have any marshmallows!”
Grissom gave Greg a rare smile. “Yes, we do, Greg. Why don’t you grab the marshmallows and the hot cocoa mix?” he suggested, watching, as Greg immediately bounded into the supplies tent to grab the necessary items.
“Alrighty then…” Warrick laughed.
“So… Grissom…” Catherine trailed off. “I believe that it’s your turn to go…” she added, smiling appreciatively at Nick, who managed to get the fire started. Holding her hands up to it, palms facing outward, she sighed.
“Right… I suppose it’s only fair, right…?” Grissom frowned, biting his lip, as he rested his hands on his knees.
“Well… if you want to, that is…” Nick mumbled, sitting back down on his log. Staring into the fire, he allowed his body to slowly relax, as he listened to the silence of the campgrounds. This is peaceful, you know that? he asked himself. Just a few birds chirping… no neon lights… no prostitutes hanging out on every corner, hawking their goods… just… peace and quiet. “But we’re a pretty supportive group…” he added, finally raising his gaze to meet Grissom’s.
“We sure are…” Catherine confirmed. “Probably one of the closest teams around the country…” she trailed off.
Greg silently returned to the campfire, setting a giant kettle of water on top of the metal grill that was covering the fire. Sitting back down on his log, he stared across the small, flickering flame, at Grissom. “Actually, I’d say that we are the closest team around the country… so… spill it, Grissom…” Greg told him.
“Greg…” Catherine warned.
“I know, I know,” he sighed. “If you want to,” Greg amended.
“But…” Warrick frowned, listening to the dry wood crackling in the fire pit. “We are a non-judgmental team…” he trailed off.
“I know…” Grissom chuckled. “Alright. So… what do I like the most about myself…?”
“That’s the question!” Greg smiled. “So… what’s the answer…?”
“It’s funny, actually…” he mused.
“Hmm…?” Sara asked, as she absentmindedly tugged at a loose thread on her shirt sleeve, trying to pull it right out.
“Yeah, what’s so funny?” Warrick probed.
“Well…” Grissom mumbled off.
“Spill it!” Greg again ordered, as he quickly glanced into the kettle of water. Boil. Now. I command it, he thought to himself.
Catherine just shook her head at Greg, rolling her eyes.
“I like my uniqueness…” Grissom cautiously announced.
“Your… what…?” Sara asked, her eyes going wide, as a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. “Your… uniqueness…?” she tried not to chuckle.
“Yes, my uniqueness!” Grissom repeated. “I think that I’m a pretty unique individual! As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, ‘Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail…’ That’s me…” he quietly told everyone.
“I’ll give you that much…” Greg grinned, grabbing a marshmallow out of the bag, and promptly shoving it into his mouth. Man… these are really good… he thought to himself, grabbing another one; and another one; and another one.
“Yo, man, gimme the bag!” Warrick mumbled, reaching over, and swiping the entire bag from Greg, setting it down in between himself and Nick.
“Hey! I was eating those!” Greg retorted.
“HEY!” Catherine loudly chided the guys.
“Sorry…” Greg mumbled.
“Sorry…” Warrick added, staring down at the ground in slight embarrassment. So much for being a supportive team… he frowned to himself.
Sara just raised an eyebrow at Greg and Warrick’s antics, before returning her gaze to Grissom.
“Anyhow…” Grissom frowned, swallowing, an clearing his voice. “I know that I am a bit… unusual, but… my oddities make me… interesting to be around… I think…” he nervously bit his lip.
Sara hid a smile, choosing to gaze into the fire, rather than at Grissom. Yeah… I’ll say that you’re interesting… or… fun to hang around… she thought to herself.
Catherine just nodded toward Grissom, trying to encourage him to continue.
Warrick, meanwhile, carefully dipped a hand into the marshmallow bag, slipping one into his palm, and then quickly popping it into his mouth.
Greg glared at Warrick, frowning. I know what you just did, Mr. Warrick Brown… he thought to himself. Marshmallow stealer… he added, as he returned his full attention to Grissom. “Actually…” he mused. “I think that your uniqueness makes you interesting to work with…” he shrugged. “There aren’t all that many entomology experts out there, so… that’s really something to be proud of…” he trailed off.
“I know,” Nick smiled at his supervisor, as he reached toward the fire, tossing another piece of wood under the grate, fueling the flames. “I agree, actually…” he added. “I’m always amazed by how you can deduce the timeline of a crime, just by examining the bugs that are present at the scene…”
“Very cool…” Warrick simply uttered, glancing across the fire at his supervisor. “And very respectable…”
“Yeah…” Grissom trailed off, suddenly frowning, and rubbing the back of his neck.
“What’s… wrong, Grissom…?” Sara quietly prodded him.
“Well…” he mumbled, his jaw slightly twitching. “Do any of you think that my… uniqueness… gets in the way of me doing my job…?” he finally voiced his concern, staring down at the ground, so as not to make eye contact with anyone. “Because… sometimes…I wonder…”
“Grissom…” Catherine frowned. “Honestly?”
“Yes, please…” he replied.
“Honestly, I think that your uniqueness makes you an even better supervisor. I mean… granted, you don’t play the political game very well… okay, you down right stink at it…” she cracked a small smile. “But… you care about us. You aren’t some mindless paper-pusher with his eyes constantly on the bottom-line. You recognize that there are people involved…”
Nick scrunched up his nose for a minute, tightly clasping his hands in his lap. Do I… really want to keep bringing up my… incident…? he frowned, trying to think things through. No, not really, but… he sighed. “You know, Grissom… I think that you go the extra mile when it comes to us and our safety. Your ideas might be a little… unique, in that… you tend to, uh… ignore… Ecklie at times…” he trailed off. “But…” he cleared his throat. “When I was buried alive, and you came to rescue me, it was you that kept me sane at the very end. You, Grissom. I looked up at your face, and you reassured me that I would be okay. You put your hand on the… box, and assured me that I would be okay. I don’t care if you are eccentric, Grissom… not that I am saying that you are, or anything, because you aren’t,” Nick frowned, once again finding something fascinating on the ground to study. “Because at this point, I don’t want to work for anyone else… uh… no offense meant, Catherine…” he mumbled.
Catherine bit her lip, staring into the fire. [/i]They all really like Grissom this much…? [/i]she questioned herself. Is he… really that much better of a supervisor than I am…? I mean… he’s good, no doubt about that, but… she trailed off. I’m not… that bad… I don’t think… I’d do anything for any of them, too… she couldn’t help but frown… and feel a slight twinge of jealousy. Aloud, however, she simple mumbled, “No offense taken, Nicky… and Grissom… I… agree with Nick. We all know that you care about us…” she quietly pointed out, trying to hide the jealousy from her voice.
“Yeah, Grissom…” Warrick confirmed. “You have been nothing but supportive of me and my… issues…” he hesitated, referring to his former gambling problem. “And… I’m not so sure that another supervisor would have been…” he added. “I mean… not that you covered for me, although… uh….” he coughed, staring down at the ground in embarrassment. “But… your unique perspective on leadership kept me my job…”
“And my life…” Sara admitted with a small smile. “You… kept me safe a few years ago, when I was ready to end it all… your unique personality did not allow you to quit on me, and… now look at us…” she trailed off, slightly blushing.
Grissom cracked a small smile at that, glancing up at Sara. Yes… now look at us… he thought to himself. Look at how far we’ve come… how… natural we are with one another… how… perfect we are with one another.
“Wait a moment, what are we looking at…?” Greg immediately asked, once again trying to get some information out of either Grissom or Sara, about the status of their relationship.
Catherine just chuckled, once again shaking her head at Greg.
Warrick quickly reached down into the marshmallow bag, drawing one out, and flinging it across the fire at Greg. “Mind your own business!” he told his colleague.
“Hey!” Greg grinned. “Can’t a guy just ask a simple question?”
Nick, following Warrick’s example, grabbed a fistful of marshmallows, pelting Greg with the soft, gooey treat.
“Hey!” Greg repeated. “C’mon, now!”
Sara grinned. “Hang it up…” she told him.
“But then my mind will just be forced to fill in the blanks on its own…” he trailed off, glancing first at Sara, and then at Grissom, and then back at Sara again.
Sara just rolled her eyes, laughing, as she witnessed Greg shudder. “Imagine away…” she smiled. “But imagine at your own risk…” she chuckled, glancing over at Grissom.
Grissom just chuckled, staring at the ground. Can we… please not encourage them to imagine anything…? I don’t want to have the mental image of them imagining us stuck in my head! “So… honestly, though, you don’t think that I’m too… odd…?” he hesitantly brought them all back to the topic of conversation.
“No… not at all,” Catherine smiled, meeting Grissom’s gaze. “I think that you’re… interesting…” she added. “And that’s a good thing. Life would be boring, if we were all the same.”
“I think that you’re you, Grissom… and that’s all that really matters…” Nick told him, flashing him a small smile.
“Yeah, what he said…” Greg confirmed.
“Yup…” Warrick simply replied, shrugging. “Couldn’t ask for a better supervisor… or a better friend…” he kindly commented.
Sara cleared her throat, her eyes meeting Grissom’s across the fire. Slightly smiling, she started to recite a poem. “‘Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both, And be one traveler, long I stood, And looked down one as far as I could, To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there, Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay, In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh, Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference…’” she trailed off. “That’s you, Grissom… you took the road less traveled, and… it has made all of the difference… you might be unique, but… we all still like you…” she smiled.
Interesting… Greg thought. He’s really rubbing off on her, I guess! he mused, standing up, and removing the boiling pot of water from the fire.
Nick smiled, as he listened to Sara recite the poem. Well… who knew! he thought to himself. Maybe… there is hope for them… they definitely seem to… click…
“Well said, Sara…” Catherine complimented her colleague. “Really… that’s a great poem, and… it’s incredibly true…”
Warrick just grinned, raising an eyebrow.
And as for Grissom? He smiled, feeling his face once again getting warm. Every time that you open your mouth, I begin to love you even more…
“Hey, the hot chocolate is done!” Greg eagerly announced, ripping Grissom out of his reverie.
“Is food… all that you think about…?” Nick chuckled.
“Uh… no!” Greg grinned. “I think about video games, and girls, and…” Grissom and Sara. Although… that’s really kind of sick! he mused.
Sara just rolled her eyes, as she stood up, grabbing the marshmallows from Warrick, smiling. “Hot chocolate… I need some…” she informed Greg, holding out her mug.
“My pleasure!” Greg smiled, pouring her some. “Anyone else…?” he then asked, running his free hand through his hair.
Nick nodded, while Warrick and Catherine just held their mugs out in front of themselves.
“Thank you, Greg…” Grissom merely smiled. “I appreciate it…” he added, as Greg filled his mug.
“No problem… so about you and…”
“Can it, Greg…” Catherine grinned.
Greg frowned. But I just want to know! he thought to himself, staring down at the ground in front of him.
Grissom raised an eyebrow, standing up. “In about an hour, we will head toward the ropes course. Do what you need to do, and be ready to go at that time…”
“Gotcha, Boss,” Nick sighed, standing up, and heading to his tent.
“In an hour…” Warrick confirmed.
“Shower…” Greg mumbled, heading toward the bath house.
“Are you sure about this course…?” Catherine asked, frowning. “I hate to admit it, but… I’m still a little bit nervous about it…” she trailed off.
“You’ll be fine, Catherine. I promise…” Grissom smiled at her, watching her for a moment as she walked off. “And you, Ms. Sidle…”
“Yes…?” Sara grinned, walking toward him.
“Thank you for reciting the poem. It’s one of my favorite ones…” he told her, gently holding his arms open to her.
“Mine, too…” Sara simply smiled, glancing around her to make sure that the coast was clear, before quietly walking into his arms. After a moment, she reluctantly sighed. “Alright… I need to get ready… I’ll see you later…” she trailed off, leaning up to give him a quick peck on the lips.
“Yes, I’ll see you in an hour…” Grissom confirmed, smiling, as she walked toward the bath house. I can’t believe that you waited for me to come to my senses, Sara… but I am certainly glad that you did.
---------------
TO BE CONTINUED
quoth_the_raven
Corpse
:lol: There were so many lines in this that had me cracking up, but it was really sweet, too! 
That had me practically in tears :lol:
That sounds like someone I know! :lol:
:lol:
This just made me squeee my head off
That had me practically in tears :lol:
That sounds like someone I know! :lol:
:lol:
This just made me squeee my head off
melbel, thank you for your encouragement! I appreciate it!
And Raven. Raven, Raven, Raven. I knew you'd get a kick out of the prostitute line. I thought about taking it out, but... it really cracked me up! And it's so true... if you ever go to Vegas, walk the Strip at night. It's safe, it's just... uh... x-rated. People stand on EVERY street corner, and they click a deck of cards... the "Cards" are naked people. Yup. And about that boil line, are you referring to me? ;-)
And Raven. Raven, Raven, Raven. I knew you'd get a kick out of the prostitute line. I thought about taking it out, but... it really cracked me up! And it's so true... if you ever go to Vegas, walk the Strip at night. It's safe, it's just... uh... x-rated. People stand on EVERY street corner, and they click a deck of cards... the "Cards" are naked people. Yup. And about that boil line, are you referring to me? ;-)
Sandersgal4lyfe
Lab Technician
This is, like, the most amazingest thing I've ever read. I love the whole story, very exciting, thrilling, and funny!!
You have a great sense of humor, there, Zan .
Keep up the amazing work!
You have a great sense of humor, there, Zan .
Keep up the amazing work!
(Thank you so much to everyone who is reading and commenting on this story. I have come to really enjoy it, and… I’m glad that you are, too… song warning… it’ll get stuck in your head!)
---------------
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of CSI or its characters. That honor goes to the good folks over at CBS. And “Rubber Ducky” is a part of Sesame Street. Who doesn’t love the little adorable duck?
Title: Rubber Ducky and Ropes
---------------
Men’s Bathhouse
“Rubber Ducky, you’re the one… you make bath time lots of fun, Rubber Ducky, I’m awfully fond of you! Woo-woo-be-doo…” Greg quietly sang to himself, as he let the icy-cold water from the campsite’s shower pelt his head.
Grabbing the shampoo bottle, and carefully pouring some of the product into the palms of his hands, he worked it into his hair, continuing the song. “Rubber Ducky, joy of joys… when I squeeze you, you make noise! Rubber Ducky, you're my very best friend, it's true! Doo-doo-doo-doo, doo-doo,” he chuckled to himself.
Sesame Street, Greg grinned to himself. Man, that’s a good show! he smiled, pulling the soap out of his shower bag, and scrubbing the dirt and grime off of his body. Aloud, Greg started to sing a little bit louder. “Every day when I, make my way to the tubby…” ‘Tubby?’ What the hell is a tubby? Shrugging, Greg soaped up his left arm, grinning from ear-to- ear. “I find a little fella who's, cute and yellow, and chub…by… Rub-a-dub-a-dubby!”
Hehe… ‘Rub-a-dub-a-dubby…’ that’s funny!, he mused, chuckling. And then laughing a little bit harder, he nearly dropped his soap, as he thought, ‘rub-a-dub-a-dubby rhymes with funny! I’m a regular old Dr. Seuss! Shrugging, and soaping up his right arm, Greg continued on with his serenade. “Rubber Ducky, you're so fine… And I'm lucky that you're mine! Rubber ducky, I'm aw-fully fond of you….”
Hmm, I’m fond of other things, too! Greg smiled to himself. Marshmallows, camping, the team, Sara… I wonder if Sara is also taking a shower? Well there’s an… interesting thought! Rubbing the dirt and grime off of his left leg, Greg shivered as the freezing-cold water ran down his back, once again almost dropping the soap. But lost in the moment of the song, and forgetting his momentary discomfort with the water temperature, Greg decided to belt out the next couple of lyrics. “Every day when I, make my way to the tubby… I find a little fella who's, cute and yellow, and chubby! Doo-doo-be-doo!”
Finishing up his right leg, Greg laughed aloud, as he finished the song. “Rubber Ducky, you're so fine… and I’m lucky that you’re mine… Rubber Ducky, I’m awfully fond of… Rubber Ducky, I'd like a whole pond of… Rubber Ducky I'm awfully fond of you! DOO-DOO, BE-DOO!” he grinned, ending his shower, and shutting off the water.
---------------
Women’s Bathhouse
With a sigh, Sara trudged down the worn and beaten bath to the bathhouse. I have no idea why I’m taking a shower now, she mused. God only knows how dirty I’m going to get climbing around the ropes course later on… but… I hate smelling, she thought to herself, as she glanced at the lush flowers and bushes lining the path to the restrooms and the showers. And besides, being clean will just make me feel better! she added, as she flung her towel over her shoulder, and swung her shower basket back and forth.
Passing the men’s bathhouse, Sara stopped for a moment, raising her eyebrows at the strange noises coming from within. Then shrugging, she continued on her journey to the women’s side of the building, meandering inside, and finding the shower stall furthest from the entrance. Setting her shower basket down on the bench, hanging up her towel, and hesitantly turning the water on, Sara prayed that the water would not be too cold. Please don’t freeze me to death… she begged, frowning, as she watched the water pour out of the fairly rusted spigot. Tentatively sticking a hand under the water, Sara sighed, as she immediately retracted her fingers from the icy-coldness.
Mumbling to herself, Sara undressed, finally just walking right into the shower stall. The faster that I finish this, the faster that I can find warmth again… she reasoned with herself. So move at the speed of light…
Grabbing the shampoo bottle, Sara squeezed some of the liquid onto her palms, immediately working the shampoo into her hair… stopping suddenly, when she thought that she heard someone’s voice coming through the shower wall. “Huh…?” she muttered.
“Rubber Ducky, you’re the one… you make bath time lots of fun…Rubber Ducky, I’m awfully fond of you! Woo-woo-be-doo…” came a faint voice through the vents located near the top of the wall.
Chuckling to herself, Sara rinsed the shampoo out of her hair, before grabbing the soap, and starting to wipe the night’s dirt, grime, sweat, and tears, off of her face. And then straining her ears, she grinned, when she heard the voice continue.
“Rubber Ducky, joy of joys… when I squeeze you, you make noise! Rubber Ducky, you're my very best friend, it's true! Doo-doo-doo-doo, doo-doo…
Is that… Sesame Street? Sara asked herself. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” she grinned, as she knelt down to wash and rinse her legs.
“Every day when I, make my way to the tubby… I find a little fella who's, cute and yellow, and chub…by… Rub-a-dub-a-dubby!” the voice continued.
“That sounds like Greg…” Sara quietly mumbled aloud. “But… it can’t be… I don’t think, anyhow…” she shook her head.
“Rubber Ducky, you're so fine… And I'm lucky that you're mine! Rubber ducky, I'm aw-fully fond of you….” the voice continued, this time a little bit more loudly.
“Wait a second…” Sara grinned, turning around to stare up at the ceiling in order to process the voice. “That’s definitely… uh…” she bit her lip, trying not to laugh.
But then Greg’s voice came loud and clear through the vent. “Every day when I, make my way to the tubby… I find a little fella who's, cute and yellow, and chubby! Doo-doo-de-doo! Rubber Ducky, you're so fine… and I’m lucky that you’re mine… Rubber Ducky, I’m awfully fond of… Rubber Ducky, I'd like a whole pond of… Rubber Ducky I'm awfully fond of you! DOO-DOO, BE-DOO!”
Sara hysterically laughed, as she tried to rinse and clean off her arms. “You’ve got to be kidding me…” she repeated her earlier statement, finally finishing her shower. “Well he’ll never live this one down…” she smiled. “Of that, I guarantee!” she added, as she grabbed her towel, and immediately dried herself off.
Throwing on some clean clothes, Sara made her way back to the front of the bathhouse.
---------------
On the Path
Greg swung his wet towel back and forth, running a hand through his hair. “Nicely done, Sanders. You look like a million bucks,” he grinned to himself, as he tried to pick up his pace. Lost in his own world, Greg didn’t even notice that he was no longer alone on the path.
“Hey, Greg!” Sara cheerfully greeted him.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Greg returned her greeting, smiling from ear-to-ear.
Sara just raised an eyebrow. “I have a question for you, actually…”
“Sure, what is it?” he curiously asked. Of COURSE I’m still available, if that’s what you’re going to ask me!
“How’s Bert doing…?”
“Huh…?” Greg asked, furrowing his eyebrow.
“Your friend, Bert. How is he?”
“I don’t know anyone named Bert…” he trailed off
“Oh, well then in that case, how’s your rubber ducky?” Sara grinned, as she jogged off down the path.
“Huh?” Greg frowned, before his eyes widened in understanding. “WAIT, SARA!” he sputtered.
---------------
Around the Campfire
When Greg finally made it back to the campsite, Warrick, Nick, and Catherine were all sitting around the fire pit, waiting for Grissom, Sara, and Greg to finish getting ready to go.
With a sigh, Grissom emerged from his tent, clad in a clean Hawaiian-print shirt, and a pair of jeans. Standing just behind Nick, he gazed over at Greg. “All set to go?”
“Yeah…” Greg mumbled, embarrassedly glancing at his friends. “But it’s not true, really!” he immediately announced to everyone.
“What isn’t true…?” Warrick asked, frowning.
“Huh…?” Nick asked.
“I don’t have a rubber ducky, and I wasn’t singing!”
Grissom just raised an eyebrow. I care about this… why?
That’s, uh… nice to know! Catherine thought to herself, chuckling.
“Whatever Sara told you, it isn’t true!”
“Uh… Greg…” Grissom trailed off.
Sara emerged from her tent, a huge smile on her face. “I actually never told them anything,” she grinned. “But you just did…”
“Greggo, what… uh… happened at the bathhouse?” Nick prodded his colleague, trying not to laugh.
“No, man, I actually don’t think I want to know!” Warrick smiled, standing up.
“Well whatever happened by the showers, it apparently didn’t involve a rubber ducky… or singing!” Catherine teased Greg, a small chuckle escaping through her lips.
“I can neither deny nor confirm anything…” Sara grinned, winking over at Greg. “Because I’m ‘awfully fond of you…’” she added, singing one of the bars of the song.
Greg just turned a bright shade of red, staring down at the ground in embarrassment.
“Well for whatever its worth, Greg,” Sara continued, raising an eyebrow. “You have a great voice!”
“Yeah… uh…” he coughed. “So… are we ready to go…?”
Catherine again chuckled, standing up. “Yeah… let’s get this thing over with….”
“Uh-huh…” Nick hesitantly nodded, following Catherine’s example, and standing up.
“Let’s get this show on the road!” Warrick enthusiastically added.
Sara laughed, as she glanced down the path to the ropes course. “Lead on, Grissom…” she finally mumbled.
Grissom simply nodded, grabbing his backpack, and heading away from their campsite.
---------------
The Ropes Course: Low Ropes
“Good morning!” Maxwell Channing pleasantly smiled at the criminalists from Las Vegas.
“Morning…” they half-heartedly replied.
“I said good morning!” Max repeated, a large smile plastered to his face.
“Hey, man,” Nick quietly muttered, trying to hide the fear from his voice. What… the hell… is that…? he asked himself, swallowing, as his eyes took in the massive ropes course spanning the ground and the trees just in front of the group.
“Morning…” Sara mumbled, frowning. Hell no, Grissom. Absolutely, positively, hands-down, hell no… she shuddered, as she noticed a fifty-foot ladder attached to a tree, a platform at the top of the ladder, and a rope connecting two separate trees together. There has to be at least three-hundred feet in between those trees! You’re out of your fucking mind!
“Uh… right… hi…” Catherine trailed off, staring at the ground. We’re all going to die. Seriously, we’re all going to die! Wait a minute, why are you so nervous? This is nothing… really…
“How’s it going, man?” Warrick asked the guide, trying to remain calm. I’m not afraid of heights or anything, but damn, that’s high! he thought to himself, as he shielded his eyes against the sun, glancing up at something that looked like a zip line. Although… he mused. That actually kind of looks like fun!
Grissom glanced at his team, before frowning. Perhaps this wasn’t such a great idea after all. They all seem so… terrified! But this will help with our communication, compassion, and cooperation skills… I know it will…
“Whoa, cool!” Greg enthusiastically grinned at the guide, pointing at something that looked like a spider web. “Are we going to do that? Oh, and hi!” he added.
The guide just chuckled at Greg, nodding. “You sure are. That’s actually going to be your first activity,” he told him. “But let’s start at the very beginning, shall we?” he then asked. “My name is Maxwell Channing, and I will be working with you for the next six hours of your life…”
Six… hours? Catherine thought to herself. That’s… a long time... “I’m Catherine…” she managed to mumble, holding out her hand to Max.
“Nice to meet you, Catherine,” he grinned, shaking her hand, and looking over at Sara. “And you are?”
“Sara Sidle… nice to meet you…” she practically whispered.
“And I’m Warrick,” Warrick grinned, firmly shaking the guide’s hand. “We’re really going to do all of these activities?”
“You sure are, Warrick,” he replied, looking over at Greg.
“Greg…” Greg simply told him, shaking his hand.
“And I’m Nick,” Nick added, also shaking his hand.
“Max, it’s good to see you again…” Grissom smiled.
“It’s good to see you again, Gil,” he kindly replied, shaking his hand. “So are you all ready…?”
“I guess…” Sara mumbled.
“Yeah…” Nick trailed off. Uh… no, not really…
“Are you sure that this is safe?” Catherine quietly questioned Max. Because it sure as hell doesn’t look like it.
“Absolutely sure,” Max replied with a smile. “And it will be fun, too…”
“I have no doubt in my mind that this will be a great experience!” Greg excitedly announced.
“Let’s go!” Warrick smiled.
“Alrighty then,” Max chuckled, leading the way over to the spider web. “This is a pretty simple one,” he explained. “Notice the nine holes?”
All six criminalists nodded, as each individual examined the different holes. The holes were all of varying shapes and sizes, and were located anywhere from one to seven feet off of the ground.
“Well,” Max continued. “Each one of you is going to go through a different hole,” he informed them all. “Without touching the sides…” he added.
“Uh… huh…?” Nick asked, raising an eyebrow.
“How…?” Warrick quizzically asked Max.
“Teamwork!” he simply replied. “Someone will have to go through first, and then you will each take turns lifting one another through the holes… and if someone touches one of the sides, well, you’ll all have to start over.”
“This actually sounds pretty easy!” Greg mused.
“You think so, eh?” Max smiled.
“Uh-huh!”
“Well it’s not, Greg…” Grissom calmly told him. “This particular activity is going to require a lot of teamwork. We will need to communicate with one another at all times, and of course, we will have to trust one another…”
“Trust…?” Sara whispered. “But… why?”
“We will have to trust that no one will let us drop us…” Warrick answered her question.
“Oh… right…” Sara mumbled.
“But we won’t let anyone fall…” Grissom immediately added.
“No, no one will fall…” Catherine confirmed.
“Because all for one…?” Nick smiled.
“And one for all…” Warrick, Greg, and Sara all yelled out together, laughing.
---------------
TO BE CONTINUED
---------------
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of CSI or its characters. That honor goes to the good folks over at CBS. And “Rubber Ducky” is a part of Sesame Street. Who doesn’t love the little adorable duck?
Title: Rubber Ducky and Ropes
---------------
Men’s Bathhouse
“Rubber Ducky, you’re the one… you make bath time lots of fun, Rubber Ducky, I’m awfully fond of you! Woo-woo-be-doo…” Greg quietly sang to himself, as he let the icy-cold water from the campsite’s shower pelt his head.
Grabbing the shampoo bottle, and carefully pouring some of the product into the palms of his hands, he worked it into his hair, continuing the song. “Rubber Ducky, joy of joys… when I squeeze you, you make noise! Rubber Ducky, you're my very best friend, it's true! Doo-doo-doo-doo, doo-doo,” he chuckled to himself.
Sesame Street, Greg grinned to himself. Man, that’s a good show! he smiled, pulling the soap out of his shower bag, and scrubbing the dirt and grime off of his body. Aloud, Greg started to sing a little bit louder. “Every day when I, make my way to the tubby…” ‘Tubby?’ What the hell is a tubby? Shrugging, Greg soaped up his left arm, grinning from ear-to- ear. “I find a little fella who's, cute and yellow, and chub…by… Rub-a-dub-a-dubby!”
Hehe… ‘Rub-a-dub-a-dubby…’ that’s funny!, he mused, chuckling. And then laughing a little bit harder, he nearly dropped his soap, as he thought, ‘rub-a-dub-a-dubby rhymes with funny! I’m a regular old Dr. Seuss! Shrugging, and soaping up his right arm, Greg continued on with his serenade. “Rubber Ducky, you're so fine… And I'm lucky that you're mine! Rubber ducky, I'm aw-fully fond of you….”
Hmm, I’m fond of other things, too! Greg smiled to himself. Marshmallows, camping, the team, Sara… I wonder if Sara is also taking a shower? Well there’s an… interesting thought! Rubbing the dirt and grime off of his left leg, Greg shivered as the freezing-cold water ran down his back, once again almost dropping the soap. But lost in the moment of the song, and forgetting his momentary discomfort with the water temperature, Greg decided to belt out the next couple of lyrics. “Every day when I, make my way to the tubby… I find a little fella who's, cute and yellow, and chubby! Doo-doo-be-doo!”
Finishing up his right leg, Greg laughed aloud, as he finished the song. “Rubber Ducky, you're so fine… and I’m lucky that you’re mine… Rubber Ducky, I’m awfully fond of… Rubber Ducky, I'd like a whole pond of… Rubber Ducky I'm awfully fond of you! DOO-DOO, BE-DOO!” he grinned, ending his shower, and shutting off the water.
---------------
Women’s Bathhouse
With a sigh, Sara trudged down the worn and beaten bath to the bathhouse. I have no idea why I’m taking a shower now, she mused. God only knows how dirty I’m going to get climbing around the ropes course later on… but… I hate smelling, she thought to herself, as she glanced at the lush flowers and bushes lining the path to the restrooms and the showers. And besides, being clean will just make me feel better! she added, as she flung her towel over her shoulder, and swung her shower basket back and forth.
Passing the men’s bathhouse, Sara stopped for a moment, raising her eyebrows at the strange noises coming from within. Then shrugging, she continued on her journey to the women’s side of the building, meandering inside, and finding the shower stall furthest from the entrance. Setting her shower basket down on the bench, hanging up her towel, and hesitantly turning the water on, Sara prayed that the water would not be too cold. Please don’t freeze me to death… she begged, frowning, as she watched the water pour out of the fairly rusted spigot. Tentatively sticking a hand under the water, Sara sighed, as she immediately retracted her fingers from the icy-coldness.
Mumbling to herself, Sara undressed, finally just walking right into the shower stall. The faster that I finish this, the faster that I can find warmth again… she reasoned with herself. So move at the speed of light…
Grabbing the shampoo bottle, Sara squeezed some of the liquid onto her palms, immediately working the shampoo into her hair… stopping suddenly, when she thought that she heard someone’s voice coming through the shower wall. “Huh…?” she muttered.
“Rubber Ducky, you’re the one… you make bath time lots of fun…Rubber Ducky, I’m awfully fond of you! Woo-woo-be-doo…” came a faint voice through the vents located near the top of the wall.
Chuckling to herself, Sara rinsed the shampoo out of her hair, before grabbing the soap, and starting to wipe the night’s dirt, grime, sweat, and tears, off of her face. And then straining her ears, she grinned, when she heard the voice continue.
“Rubber Ducky, joy of joys… when I squeeze you, you make noise! Rubber Ducky, you're my very best friend, it's true! Doo-doo-doo-doo, doo-doo…
Is that… Sesame Street? Sara asked herself. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” she grinned, as she knelt down to wash and rinse her legs.
“Every day when I, make my way to the tubby… I find a little fella who's, cute and yellow, and chub…by… Rub-a-dub-a-dubby!” the voice continued.
“That sounds like Greg…” Sara quietly mumbled aloud. “But… it can’t be… I don’t think, anyhow…” she shook her head.
“Rubber Ducky, you're so fine… And I'm lucky that you're mine! Rubber ducky, I'm aw-fully fond of you….” the voice continued, this time a little bit more loudly.
“Wait a second…” Sara grinned, turning around to stare up at the ceiling in order to process the voice. “That’s definitely… uh…” she bit her lip, trying not to laugh.
But then Greg’s voice came loud and clear through the vent. “Every day when I, make my way to the tubby… I find a little fella who's, cute and yellow, and chubby! Doo-doo-de-doo! Rubber Ducky, you're so fine… and I’m lucky that you’re mine… Rubber Ducky, I’m awfully fond of… Rubber Ducky, I'd like a whole pond of… Rubber Ducky I'm awfully fond of you! DOO-DOO, BE-DOO!”
Sara hysterically laughed, as she tried to rinse and clean off her arms. “You’ve got to be kidding me…” she repeated her earlier statement, finally finishing her shower. “Well he’ll never live this one down…” she smiled. “Of that, I guarantee!” she added, as she grabbed her towel, and immediately dried herself off.
Throwing on some clean clothes, Sara made her way back to the front of the bathhouse.
---------------
On the Path
Greg swung his wet towel back and forth, running a hand through his hair. “Nicely done, Sanders. You look like a million bucks,” he grinned to himself, as he tried to pick up his pace. Lost in his own world, Greg didn’t even notice that he was no longer alone on the path.
“Hey, Greg!” Sara cheerfully greeted him.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Greg returned her greeting, smiling from ear-to-ear.
Sara just raised an eyebrow. “I have a question for you, actually…”
“Sure, what is it?” he curiously asked. Of COURSE I’m still available, if that’s what you’re going to ask me!
“How’s Bert doing…?”
“Huh…?” Greg asked, furrowing his eyebrow.
“Your friend, Bert. How is he?”
“I don’t know anyone named Bert…” he trailed off
“Oh, well then in that case, how’s your rubber ducky?” Sara grinned, as she jogged off down the path.
“Huh?” Greg frowned, before his eyes widened in understanding. “WAIT, SARA!” he sputtered.
---------------
Around the Campfire
When Greg finally made it back to the campsite, Warrick, Nick, and Catherine were all sitting around the fire pit, waiting for Grissom, Sara, and Greg to finish getting ready to go.
With a sigh, Grissom emerged from his tent, clad in a clean Hawaiian-print shirt, and a pair of jeans. Standing just behind Nick, he gazed over at Greg. “All set to go?”
“Yeah…” Greg mumbled, embarrassedly glancing at his friends. “But it’s not true, really!” he immediately announced to everyone.
“What isn’t true…?” Warrick asked, frowning.
“Huh…?” Nick asked.
“I don’t have a rubber ducky, and I wasn’t singing!”
Grissom just raised an eyebrow. I care about this… why?
That’s, uh… nice to know! Catherine thought to herself, chuckling.
“Whatever Sara told you, it isn’t true!”
“Uh… Greg…” Grissom trailed off.
Sara emerged from her tent, a huge smile on her face. “I actually never told them anything,” she grinned. “But you just did…”
“Greggo, what… uh… happened at the bathhouse?” Nick prodded his colleague, trying not to laugh.
“No, man, I actually don’t think I want to know!” Warrick smiled, standing up.
“Well whatever happened by the showers, it apparently didn’t involve a rubber ducky… or singing!” Catherine teased Greg, a small chuckle escaping through her lips.
“I can neither deny nor confirm anything…” Sara grinned, winking over at Greg. “Because I’m ‘awfully fond of you…’” she added, singing one of the bars of the song.
Greg just turned a bright shade of red, staring down at the ground in embarrassment.
“Well for whatever its worth, Greg,” Sara continued, raising an eyebrow. “You have a great voice!”
“Yeah… uh…” he coughed. “So… are we ready to go…?”
Catherine again chuckled, standing up. “Yeah… let’s get this thing over with….”
“Uh-huh…” Nick hesitantly nodded, following Catherine’s example, and standing up.
“Let’s get this show on the road!” Warrick enthusiastically added.
Sara laughed, as she glanced down the path to the ropes course. “Lead on, Grissom…” she finally mumbled.
Grissom simply nodded, grabbing his backpack, and heading away from their campsite.
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The Ropes Course: Low Ropes
“Good morning!” Maxwell Channing pleasantly smiled at the criminalists from Las Vegas.
“Morning…” they half-heartedly replied.
“I said good morning!” Max repeated, a large smile plastered to his face.
“Hey, man,” Nick quietly muttered, trying to hide the fear from his voice. What… the hell… is that…? he asked himself, swallowing, as his eyes took in the massive ropes course spanning the ground and the trees just in front of the group.
“Morning…” Sara mumbled, frowning. Hell no, Grissom. Absolutely, positively, hands-down, hell no… she shuddered, as she noticed a fifty-foot ladder attached to a tree, a platform at the top of the ladder, and a rope connecting two separate trees together. There has to be at least three-hundred feet in between those trees! You’re out of your fucking mind!
“Uh… right… hi…” Catherine trailed off, staring at the ground. We’re all going to die. Seriously, we’re all going to die! Wait a minute, why are you so nervous? This is nothing… really…
“How’s it going, man?” Warrick asked the guide, trying to remain calm. I’m not afraid of heights or anything, but damn, that’s high! he thought to himself, as he shielded his eyes against the sun, glancing up at something that looked like a zip line. Although… he mused. That actually kind of looks like fun!
Grissom glanced at his team, before frowning. Perhaps this wasn’t such a great idea after all. They all seem so… terrified! But this will help with our communication, compassion, and cooperation skills… I know it will…
“Whoa, cool!” Greg enthusiastically grinned at the guide, pointing at something that looked like a spider web. “Are we going to do that? Oh, and hi!” he added.
The guide just chuckled at Greg, nodding. “You sure are. That’s actually going to be your first activity,” he told him. “But let’s start at the very beginning, shall we?” he then asked. “My name is Maxwell Channing, and I will be working with you for the next six hours of your life…”
Six… hours? Catherine thought to herself. That’s… a long time... “I’m Catherine…” she managed to mumble, holding out her hand to Max.
“Nice to meet you, Catherine,” he grinned, shaking her hand, and looking over at Sara. “And you are?”
“Sara Sidle… nice to meet you…” she practically whispered.
“And I’m Warrick,” Warrick grinned, firmly shaking the guide’s hand. “We’re really going to do all of these activities?”
“You sure are, Warrick,” he replied, looking over at Greg.
“Greg…” Greg simply told him, shaking his hand.
“And I’m Nick,” Nick added, also shaking his hand.
“Max, it’s good to see you again…” Grissom smiled.
“It’s good to see you again, Gil,” he kindly replied, shaking his hand. “So are you all ready…?”
“I guess…” Sara mumbled.
“Yeah…” Nick trailed off. Uh… no, not really…
“Are you sure that this is safe?” Catherine quietly questioned Max. Because it sure as hell doesn’t look like it.
“Absolutely sure,” Max replied with a smile. “And it will be fun, too…”
“I have no doubt in my mind that this will be a great experience!” Greg excitedly announced.
“Let’s go!” Warrick smiled.
“Alrighty then,” Max chuckled, leading the way over to the spider web. “This is a pretty simple one,” he explained. “Notice the nine holes?”
All six criminalists nodded, as each individual examined the different holes. The holes were all of varying shapes and sizes, and were located anywhere from one to seven feet off of the ground.
“Well,” Max continued. “Each one of you is going to go through a different hole,” he informed them all. “Without touching the sides…” he added.
“Uh… huh…?” Nick asked, raising an eyebrow.
“How…?” Warrick quizzically asked Max.
“Teamwork!” he simply replied. “Someone will have to go through first, and then you will each take turns lifting one another through the holes… and if someone touches one of the sides, well, you’ll all have to start over.”
“This actually sounds pretty easy!” Greg mused.
“You think so, eh?” Max smiled.
“Uh-huh!”
“Well it’s not, Greg…” Grissom calmly told him. “This particular activity is going to require a lot of teamwork. We will need to communicate with one another at all times, and of course, we will have to trust one another…”
“Trust…?” Sara whispered. “But… why?”
“We will have to trust that no one will let us drop us…” Warrick answered her question.
“Oh… right…” Sara mumbled.
“But we won’t let anyone fall…” Grissom immediately added.
“No, no one will fall…” Catherine confirmed.
“Because all for one…?” Nick smiled.
“And one for all…” Warrick, Greg, and Sara all yelled out together, laughing.
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TO BE CONTINUED
Cordelia_GRS_Fan
CSI Level Two
:lol: Love it. Can't wait to see how they tackle this trust thing - *hint* I'm meaning Sara with that. And intrigued as to whether they'll all get through the six hours alive lol
BTW - Greg thing was tres cute. Rubber Ducky!! lmao
Xx..::Mia-Sara::..xX
BTW - Greg thing was tres cute. Rubber Ducky!! lmao
Xx..::Mia-Sara::..xX
hollie, glad you liked the chapter! I hate ropes courses, too... I researched them just before writing this chapter, because I've never actually done them. I'm just afraid of heights! The low ropes course... Greg... hehe. *cough*
Cordelia, happy birthday! and thanks for the comment. I was singing Rubber Ducky all night when I wrote this chapter... and apparently I'm still singing it. Great!
melbel, thank you for your comment. You can review it on ff if it's easier for you! I've enabled anonymous reviews, so you don't even have to be a member. It's up to you! But thank you for taking the time to reply, none-the-less!
Cordelia, happy birthday! and thanks for the comment. I was singing Rubber Ducky all night when I wrote this chapter... and apparently I'm still singing it. Great!
melbel, thank you for your comment
. You can review it on ff if it's easier for you! I've enabled anonymous reviews, so you don't even have to be a member. It's up to you! But thank you for taking the time to reply, none-the-less!