Dani
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my computer
Summary: What if the children you never knew you had came into your life. How would you react? Most of all, how would your fiancee act?
1998, Las Vegas
Samantha Gerard looked at her boyfriend and her father's prodigy.
"I've accepted the spot in San Deigo Gil, I hope to see you again one day."
Grissom looked at her, he knew him and Sam would never marry and they were not even in love, The kept their affair from her father for his bond with Gil to stay stable.
"I understand Sam,"
2007, Las Vegas
Sara stood in the kitchen helping to cook dinner. Since her recovery, they became closer. They bought a house together and were now engaged. Sara was twenty-five weeks with their unborn child, being eight weeks at the time of the 'accident', the doctor said it was a miracle she didn't miscarry. Now preparing for the arrival of daughter; Adora Shiloh Sidle-Grissom, was on the top of their list. Sharing the chore of cooking dinner on Friday night was a regular. Sara stood chopping carrots when she felt watery hands rub down her arm. Dropping the knife and carrots, she turned to find Grissom smirking.
"It's war now, I just dried off from washing the dishes."
Going to the sink, Sara turned on the water and dipped her hands in it, splashing him. Grissom watched as she laughed and took her hands, holding them.
"Gil, oh no, you can't kiss me out of this one."
"I bet I can!"
He kissed her and slowly kissed a trail down her neck, Sara's knees melted and she laughed.
"Point proven!"
The phone rang and Grissom let her go, Sara grabbed a towel and smacked his ass with it as he turned. Grabbing the phone, Grissom placed the counter between them as he answered it.
"Hello? This is he, yes I know a Samantha Gerard, why? When? I see, no... what's this about? No I don't have a daughter! Oh God, yes I can be there by tomorrow morning. Thank you, bye."
He hung up and looked at Sara, her playful smile turned to concern once seeing his face.
"Gil? Gil what is it?"
"Remember I told you about Sam and me. Apparently she was pregnant and didn't tell me. I have a daughter. Sam died and now I'm being given custody. I need to go get her201, I'll be gone a week."
"Gil...go, she needs you."
"Adora?"
"It's fine, she'll be loved as well. She'll just have a sister."
"Sara look at me..."
Sara looked at him and he knew from the look that she felt like the life they had built was being invaded by a previous affair.
"I didn't know, if I had...Honey I love you and Adora. You are my life, now you can help me raise my... our daughter. She may not call you Mom but you can be one to her. Her mother is dead and if I don't she'll go into foster care."
"I know, I know, Gil we have this perfect life and now... it's ruined."
He moved around the counter and went to her, holding her.
"It's not ruined, she's my daughter and so she's yours. Remmber what I said, anything of mine is yours. We even talked about adoption before trying to concieve. We're taking this child into our home like we would an adopted child, but she's different. She's part of me, not two other people, she had part of me."
"I want to come with you."
San Diego
Grissom and Sara met with Samantha Gerard's lawyer and with she came a surprising visitor, two actually. Philip Gerard was there with Marie Baylor, with them was nine year old Danielle Gerard.
"Philip, Miss Baylor."
"Dr. Grissom, Mrs. Grissom."
"They aren't married, hello Miss Sidle."
Sara smiled and looked at the girl sitting in a chair reading a book on butterflies. Going to her, Sara sat beside her.
"Hi, I'm Sara, what's your name?"
The girl looked at her and then back at her book, ignoring Sara's question.
"She's deaf."
Sara looked at Philip and then at the girl again. Placing a hand on the girl's hand, she looked at Sara. Sara smiled and began using sign language. The girl shook her head and began speaking verbally.
"My name is Danielle. I go by Dani; D-A-N-I!"
Phillip looked at her and went over.
"You told me you couldn't hear me. You lied to me, I've had you with me for two days and we've been writing instead of speaking."
Beginning to raise a hand, Sara quickly caught it. Dani moved away quickly when she saw Sara push Philip's hand away.
"Don't touch my daughter."
"She's not your daughter and don't think she is. She's my granddaughter and I plan on taking custody of her."
Danielle looked at them both and soon began to speak.
"I can see you don't like children, your eyes tell it. I planned on using the advantage of my father and grandmother's health problem to make sure it was hard for you not to take custody. My mother paid for my correction surgery last year. I was parsally deaf, it's genetic and to make sure my father got custody of me, I made it hard on you. It seems you really don't like me. Miss Baylor I want to go with my father, please!"
They all looked at her and Sara smiled, her intelligence was defently fit for their household.
"That's why we're here, to discuss placement. Let's sit down and discuss the matter."
They all sat down and Sara made sure Danielle was no where near Philip.
"Now, I understand Dr. Grissom, Samantha Gerard never informed you of Dani's existance?"
"I had no knowledge of my daughter's existance."
"Can you properly care for her at this point in time?"
Philip spoke up, their bond now broken.
"He's a workaholic!"
"Yes I can, me and Sara just bought a five bedroom house and we only work at night. We were actually thinking of home schooling her. That way we could actually spend time with her."
"Me and Gil feel that Dani's place is with us. She'll have her father and step-mother, we can provide for her needs and give her the love she'll crave."
Baylor looked at them and then at Dani, who sat reading again.
"Are you two planning to marry or stay...partners?"
Sara smiled and looked at her ring, the silver ring held a small enlaid emerald butterfly.
"We're getting married after Adora is born."
"I did notice you were pregnant, I hope you won't place the baby over Dani... if I give you custody."
Sara looked at her strangely and spoke first on the topic, apalded on the fact she could say something such as that.
"Never, I would never place one child over another. To me, whether my step-daughter or daughter, Dani is my daughter and I would never do such a thing and neither would Gil."
"We plan to give each equal attention and love."
"Alright, I'll let the judge know my view. As law, Dr. Grissom gets custody before you Dr. Gerard, I'm sorry."
"I want a paternity test preformed, just because his name is on the birth certificate doesn't mean anything."
"Oh God, here we go."
Grissom and Sara looked at Baylor in surprise.
"Are we going to have a custody war? I don't like custody wars. Dr. Gerard I don't want a circus of my abilities as an attorney."
"I'll pay for it myself."
Sara looked at Grissom and he shook his head, you could see through Dani's eyes and chin that she was Grissom's.
"Philip, just stop this. This isn't what Sam would want!"
"How would you know, you just ended up getting her pregnant and leaving her."
"It was Sam who left me. She accepted the placement in San Diego and left Las Vegas. If I had known about Dani, I would have helpped out and been a part of her life. It was Sam who caused me not to know. But knowing Sam's love for children, I know she wouldn't want this for her own child. For her daughter not to be in the middle of a custody war. What does Sam's will state?"
Baylor pulled out a copy and read a line.
"For my daughter, Danielle Gillian Gerard to be placed in her birth father's custody if she is still underage. Gil Grissom is to get my daughter if I should die before Danielle's eighteenth birthday."
Philip looked at Grissom knowing the will gave it an end. Dani would be going to Vegas with Grissom and Sara.
"Let it be over with."
Philip left the room and Sara went to Dani, she looked at Sara. For the first time, Sara noticed the bruise on her arms, being revealled by her sleeve.
"Honey, what happened?"
Sara tried to pull up Dani's sleeve but the girl moved away from her.
"Dani? What's wrong with her?"
"I'm afraid that Sam did beat her daughter."
"Oh God!"
Baylor noticed Sara's words sink into Grissom as if he we're the Titanic after it hit the iceburg.
"She may not bond with you as much as you would think. She may say she wants to go with you but she may not have the relationship you had hoped. CPS's phycologist examined her and she has a issue with bonding."
Las Vegas, Four Months Later
Sara woke to a hand on her arm, opening her eyes she found her daughter looking at her.
"Honey what is it?"
"Bad dream, can I sleep with you?"
Sara smiled and pulled up the covers, Dani climbed in and fell asleep. Grissom came in later to find his wife and daughter asleep. Climbing into bed, he turned out the light knowing that even though the lawyer said she wouldn't bond, Dani had formed a stronger bond with Sara then with him. Sara had told Dani about her own mom and that gave way for a personal bond, so much that she now called Sara, Mom.When getting back, they decided to get married. Just a civil ceremony with friends and a judge, no priest. Filing for adoption of Dani, Sara was now her mother legally. They had just arrived home three days before with Baby Adora. Dani was the one to ask if she could hold her sister first when all could visit.
2016,Nine Years Later
"Mom where's my gown?"
Sara came into Dani's room with her graduation gown, shaking her head.
"If you hadn't had wrinkled it, I wouldn't have had to iron it again."
Three kids cam running in, nine year old Adora was followed by twin sisters Kelly and Kalli, both seven.
"It's time to go, Daddy says we'll be late."
"Adora, Kelli, Kalli, go get in the car. Tell Daddy we'll be there soon."
"Soon as in five minutes or an hour?"
"Kelly Dana Sidle-Grissom, shoo and don't sassy me again!"
"Told ya you'd get it if you asked that!"
Adora was the one who shot the remark and her sister just pushed her.
"Kelly be quiet!"
"Kalli Diana Sidle-Grissom don't yell at your sister, now go!"
The identical twins who had chocolate brown eyes and brunette curls long as the middle of their back ran out. Adora was the one with blue eyes and brunette curls. Five year old Gil Jr. had blue eyes and by some strange genetic mishap had dirty blond hair, proven to be from the Sidle half of the family.
"Mommy, did you help Dani look beautiful?"
"She did Dore, you look beautiful too!"
"Well future college representatives will be there, I have to look nice."
Dani looked at her mother, the nine year old was already intrested in college, that wasn't shocking. After being home schooled for three years, Adora expressed the fact she wanted to go to public school. With Dani being seventeen, they left her incharge of the kids while they worked. Now in the sixth grade at the age of nine, you could only say she'd be in college by the age of fourteen. They all loaded up and went to the graduation that the state of Navada held for home schooled students.
Sara watched her daughter walk across the stage and regreted the fact she once was jealous that Dani had ruined her perfect life, it was only in truth that Dani made her life perfect. Grissom watched Sara smiled as Dani's name was called.
"Still think she ruined our perfect life?"
"No, she made our life perfect. She helpped me become a better mother for Adora, the twins and Gilby then I would be if I hadn't let her in. She's my little girl even though she's engaged."
"Who would have thought she'd be marrying a professor!"
"I did, look how it turned out!"
"Honey, you made me live."
"What if you had known, would you had married her?"
"Sara...I don't want to think about anything except that I'm married to you, I love YOU and we have five children together. 'DNA doesn't matter', your words!"
Sara smiled and kissed her husband, he was the father of her children, everyone of them and she was glad of that. Without Dani, her life would be different and she didn't want it to be. She'd love Dani as her daughter and would consider her her daughter till she died because like she said, 'DNA doesn't matter'!