How To Save a Life
Disclaimer: CSI doesn't belong to me. I only own some merchandise and having nothing else so please don't sue me.
Summary: Sara has the opportunity to go down a new path: Motherhood
Rating: T (I don't really know)
Author: CSI.Scarlett aka Kate
A/N: Thanks to my betas Kes and Cheryl. If you don't like it tell me if you do like it tell me!! If I don't get reviews I won't continue either way.
Chapter 1
It was 10:30 on a Tuesday morning when the shrill ring of the phone drew Gil Grissom out of a contented sleep. He groaned and cracked open one eye, his hand unconsciously stroking the smooth skin of the woman in his arms. Sara was laying solidly across his chest and simply nuzzled in more as she heard the plaintive moan escape his chest.
"Sara your phone is ringing,"he nudged her lightly and snuggled back into his pillow, considering the problem solved.
Still half asleep, the slim brunette rolled onto her back and reached for her cell. Through sleep deprived eyes she stared confused at the screen before realizing it was blank. "No. Your land line," she groaned and threw a hand in his direction, lightly slapping his face.
His reprieve over he took actions to mean that he should answer it as it was on his side of the bed. He cleared his throat, "Hello?" The man on the other side appeared confused when Grissom answered since he was trying to reach a woman.
"Um, yes...Is Sara Sidle there?"
"Yes, she's here. Hold on a moment," Grissom covered the mouthpiece and shook Sara's shoulder. "Shockingly it's for you."
"Argh!" Was Sara's only reply. She hated phone calls, particularly ones that interrupted the modicum of sleep she managed to grab.
"Sara," Grissom said waving the phone in front of her. She scowled and sat up her hair falling messily around her face,
"This is Sara Sidle," she yawned.
"Hello, Miss Sidle my name is Robert Grant and I am your brother's lawyer," Sara's eyebrows shot up both intrigued and concerned. She rarely spoke to her brother, something must be up.
"Is something wrong, did something happen?"
"Um, yes your brother and his girlfriend were killed in a car accident last Saturday. We didn't know how to contact you until I found his address book yesterday, but by then they were both cremated."
Her breath clenched in her chest, and she felt the world begin to spin slightly. While they weren't all that close, since being separated when they were younger, Sara was still horrified. He was the only living remnant of her immediate family, and it hurt. "Cremation…?" the word lodged in her throat… "Why have you called me now…?"
"Well, you are his only living relative and we need you to take care of some things here in Oregon."
"In Oregon?" He was that close to her and she never realized? Maybe she would have tried to contact him.
"Yes, your brother owned a home here in Portland. We need you to come here to deal with a few matters of his estate,"
"Oh, well, is a trip there necessary? Can't you just sell the house? I will sign any of the papers you want just send them to me," Confusion was laced through her words. Was it really imperative that she travel to Oregon? Not that she didn't have the vacation days, she probably had around ten weeks, she just had no desire to go to Oregon.
"Alright we can do that, but we still need you to come to Portland. We have some documents for you to sign for taking custody."
"Custody?" Sara was extremely confused by this point.
"Yes, Miss Sidle," A level of frustration was now evident in his words. Didn't this woman know anything? "Of the children."
"Children?" Sara's eyebrows shot up and Grissom looked at her questioningly.
"Yes, you know you have two nephews and a niece right?" Things were beginning to click for the lawyer.
"Chris has children? I just can't believe that," The words hit her like a sledgehammer. CHILDREN… Holy shit!
Grissom by this point was staring at Sara intently. He was trying to understand what was going on based on the rather stilted and one sided conversation he was hearing.
"Yes, three children, two boys and a little girl. The boys are thirteen and four and the little girl is fourteen months. Miss Sidle your brother requested that should anything happen to him that they be placed in your custody. He felt very strongly that they not go into foster care," Sara sat holding the phone loosely in her hand, and stared at it for a moment, horrified, before returning it to her ear. she She couldn't believe that her brother had children and she really couldn't believe that he had intended her to have custody of them.
"Ah...Okay, what do you need me to do?"
"Are you willing to take custody of them then?"
It took her a moment to get over the shock, but her response was instantaneous. "Yes! There is no way I would let them go into foster care. They will be with me," at this Grissom looked at her, surprised that she would make that type of decision without talking to him first. He got up and started to get dressed as Sara listened to what needed to be done for her to take custody of her nephews and niece. She waved at him trying to get him to sit down next to her on the bed, but he sharply shook his head and left the room.
Sara needed to wrap up this phone call.
"Okay, Mr. Grant I will have to get some time off of work, but that shouldn't be a problem," her front door slammed shut. "I will be on my way as soon as I can."
"That's great Miss Sidle. I will be happy when the children are taken care of. They're scared, and confused, and understandably upset."
"Thank you Mr. Grant, I will call you when I get my flight information."
"Alright, talk to you soon then."A sigh of relief punctuated his words.
"Bye," Sara quickly ended the call and then started dialing again.
"Don't talk to me now Sara," was Grissom's reply when he finally answered his cell phone.
"Why did you leave like that?"
"How could you make that kind of decision without talking to me first? Tell me, are you planning on keeping these children until you can find a proper placement for them or are you planning on raising them yourself?"
"Well, I hadn't thought about it yet. I don't really want them to go into the system though." A sob hitched her voice. This was her flesh and blood. How could he be so callous? "Grissom you have to understand that, and you of all people know why I don't want them in the system."
"Yes, I do know but, Sara, we have talked about this. I don't want children. I would never make a good father. You deciding to take these kids is not something I can be a part of."
"So? What? You're ending this? After everything we've been through you are ending this because I'm going to take custody of my brother's children?" Anger edged her words, despite the hurt in them.
"Yes, I guess I am." His voice and words were harsh in her ear.
A tear slipped down onto Sara's cheek, disbelief rolling around in her head. She couldn't believe that he was doing this.
"Can't you find someone there to take care of them, maybe their mother's family?"
"Chris' girlfriend was killed in the accident, so I don't know. He named me legal guardian, so I assume that there's no one else. We weren't close Griss; I haven't talked to him in a year."
"Try to find someone else, Sara."
"I need some time off," she replied ignoring his statement.
"Fill out the paperwork and leave it on my desk, and Sara? Find someone else."