Wins and Loses

Disclaimer: I do not own them. Netiher do I own Logan Airport...

Chapter One- Leaving Memories

Gil Grissom was on his flight to Massachusetts. He had accepted to teach a seminar at Williams College in Western Massachusetts. But what no one back at the lab knew that he'd be coming home with a ten year old girl.

This all started when he got a call from his best friend's lawyer. Mitch LeBlanc had been a great friend to him over the years. They had actually gone to high school together but since Grissom was a "Ghost" throughout high school, he never knew Mitch was there. When he was finally in college at UCLA, Mitch has ended up his roommate. They got along great, had similar interests. Over the four years they had become best friends. But towards the end of senior year, they started to drift apart because Mitch had a girlfriend who needed all of his attention, and Grissom was working at the LA Coroner's office.

They kept contact over the years, the girl Mitch met towards the end of senior year turned out that she was just using him. Mitch had built a wall, much like Grissom had, to keep out everybody, that is except their best friends, each other.

Over the years they'd always try to find a weekend or two or three to spend together and go traveling. Whether it is to an entomology conference or a forensic seminar. They did this until Mitch had accepted an Assistant Director position of the Boston Police Department: Crime Lab.

Everything had changed one day when Mitch left a message on Grissom's work phone, "Hey Gil, it's Mitch, if you couldn't tell. Guess what!!! I'm getting married! Her name is Bethany Marx. Call me back, you have to come out here and meet her, and I need to ask you something rather important."

Grissom had gone to the wedding, and was honored to stand next to Mitch while he got married to the love of his life.

Pulling himself out of his memory, Grissom was starring out the plane window, hoping the flight would be over soon.

Grissom rested his head against his seat, soon he fell into a deep sleep.

"Gil!" Mitch was waving his hand high in the air trying to get Gil's attention.

"Hey Mitch! Thank you for convincing me to visit. I needed a break from work." Gil admitted.

"So how has work been?" I hear that you taught a seminar out in San Francisco."

"Well at work, Catherine has been nagging me to tell her what the hell happened to me out in San Francisco. She claims that I came back happier than I left."

"So what happened in San Francisco?" Mitch pushed the question.

Grissom gave him an evil stare, "Well the seminar went great! There was this one woman, Sara, who captured my attention immediately; she is incredibly smart, beautiful but so young and full of life!" Grissom said, picturing her in his mind.

"She can't be that young." Mitch tried to reassure his friend who had obviously fallen in love.

"She's 15 years younger than me, Mitch, 15 years!"

"Ok, your point?" Mitch asked moving closer to his wide and daughter. "Beth is 10 years younger than me."

Grissom didn't bother to argue since he knew Mitch had a point.

"Uncle Gil!" Mitch's daughter Laura squealed as she ran over to him, her brown curls floating behind her.

Grissom kneeled down on the floor getting ready to wrap the 4 year old in a great big bear hug.

"Laura, you know not to run away from your mother or me when we are in a crowded area." Mitch said strictly as Gil lifted Laura up.

"Sorry Daddy." Laura mumbled.

"Hi Gil," Beth said as she stood from her seat.

"Hello Beth, how've you been?"

"Really good, you?"

"OK."

"Why only ok?"

"Let's see, he's fallen in love with one of his students?" Mitch said trying to get Gil to confess.

"It's a long story, but the summarized version: I taught a class in San Francisco for a few weeks and met this woman, but she lives there and I live in Vegas, and she is a student of mine, and on top of that I have Catherine hounding me for juicy info on why I am so happy. Also my workload of cases."

"Have you ever thought of going into teaching permanently? Beth inquired raising an eyebrow.

"No, it doesn't have the same thrill."

They finally made it out of Logan Airport and onto Route 2 West.

"Gil, did you know that we've moved out of the city?"

"No, I didn't, someone must have forgotten to tell me!" Gil said giving Mitch the death stare in the rearview mirror.

"Guilty." Mitch said when he glanced back at Gil.

"Well we now live in Lunenburg, it's about 45 minutes outside of the city. We now have three bedrooms, two and a half baths and a huge yard." Beth filled him in.

"I have my own room!" Laura said excitedly.

"I hope you would have your own room." Gil chuckled.

Laura fell asleep in the car and the adults kept chatting over different things. Beth wanted to her more about the woman he met at Berkeley. So he elaborated further. After he finished filling in the blanks the remainder of the car ride was silent.

ding ding ding

"Please make sure your seatbelts are fastened for our decent into Boston." The captain voice came over the PA system.

Gil made sure his table tray and his belt was fastened as the captain said.

Once landed, Grissom retrieved his suitcase from baggage claim and then worked his way to a rental car center.

"Hi, how can I help you, sir?"

"I reserved a car under Grissom."

"Yes, sir, if you will just sign here," flipping the page, "and here," flipping another page, "and here." Once Grissom signed the last sheet, she continued, "someone will bring the car around to this entrance," she said pointing to the sliding double doors.

"Thank you."

Five minutes later a man walks through the doors, "Mr. Grissom?"

"Yes."

"Here is your vehicle."

"Thank you." Gil replied as the guy lead him to the vehicle.

Grissom got himself situated in the vehicle and drove off, heading towards Route 2 West, towards Lunenburg.