Prologue

"He looks sad," the graying man stated, looking out the window at the young man who stood with sagging shoulders staring into the desert.

His wife approached and followed his gaze out the glass. "No, that's loneliness, not sadness. But I guess that being lonely is a strong reason for feeling sad." She leaned her head to her husband's shoulder and rubbed his arm distractedly.

"I thought that allowing him a career and having interaction with the outside world would help fill that need until he found his mate," the father spoke, "but evidently his need is too strong."

"Maybe we should just arrange something, like our fathers did for us," she murmured, her hand slowing, finally stopping at his elbow and holding it tightly.

"He is not us, Catherine, and even though our union was arranged and we came to love each another, we still had the need to find our true soul mates and add them to our family." Her husband lowered his head to look into her worried eyes.

Catherine turned her head back to the window and sighed. "Well, that's true. It would have been so easy if his soul mate would have been part of our 'family', but since that is not the case I fear that he will have to search out the other 'families' to see if there is someone out there that could make him happy."

Her husband nodded his head, but warned, "Greg needs to find out if his soul mate is out there at this point in his life. It could be, of course, that it may be decades or more before his mate is even born. Sometimes living such an extended life can wreak havoc with our personal lives."

"What if his soul mate is not out there? Do you think that, perhaps, there could be someone else who could ease his loneliness? Bring that smile back to his face? I miss that smile so much," said his mother, as a small whimper escaped her throat.

"Catherine, Greg will eventually find his mate and be the same carefree, happy man he has been in the past. Rest assured, even though he is having a difficult time of it right now, this time in his life is but a drop in the bucket of all the years he will live. He will find love and will be happy and content. Of that I am sure. And you know that I have never lied to you during all of our 150 years together."

"Oh, Gil," sighed the willowy blonde, as she placed her slender hand on his chest and returned her head to his shoulder. "We have to do something to help him, please!"

"I'm on it, Catherine. Let me talk to Vartann and see if something can be arranged with the other 'families'. If nothing else, maybe he can work out a visit with some of them and Greg can get a chance of finding out if his soul mate is out there waiting for him."

It was early in the morning and there was a knock on the oak door of the study. Grissom pushed his glasses up his nose and called out, "Come in, Greg."

"Hey, Dad. I had a message to stop in to see you when I got back from the lab. What's up?"

Gil looked up from his pile of papers and smiled at his son. Greg's ever unruly hair was sticking up in every direction, looking as if he had just crawled out of bed, instead of coming home from a professional job. His loud, orange-patterned shirt clashed badly with the lime green Chuck Taylor shoes. Gil just shook his head, Greg was a changeling, there was no doubt about that.

"Greg, Vartann and I have been discussing the need to make contact with the other 'families' and make sure everyone is still satisfied with all the conditions and ramifications associated with the last tribunal. As my son, and the 'prince' of our family, I would like you to accompany him and make yourself known to the other families. I don't anticipate there being any problems, but I would like to be aware if there are any rumblings out there. Could you arrange time off work?"

Greg rubbed the nape of his neck and sighed, "I do have a couple of weeks of available vacation time on the books. I guess I could use it for this. I didn't really have any plans to go anywhere. Let me check with my supervisor and see if I can work it out. What dates are you looking at?" He appeared resigned to the task and didn't offer up any resistance.

Gil grinned. "Nothing time specific. I can work around your schedule. Get me the dates you're available and I'll have Vartann make the arrangements."

Grissom walked up behind Catherine as she stood looking out the window of her bedroom. He glanced past her head out to the grounds surrounding the estate and saw Warrick and a handful of their other 'family' members sparring with staffs.

"I want to send Warrick and Sara along with Greg for emotional support, Catherine. Do you have a problem with me sending him?" Gil asked, knowing that it was really her choice, not his, as to whether Warrick would leave the estate.

"No. I understand that Vartann is needed to ensure Greg's safety, but he is not the most sympathetic soul out there, is he?" Catherine chuckled, turning and smiling at her husband.

"He was, at one time. Losing your soul mate can strip your emotions to the quick. Someday he'll be our soft-hearted Vartann again, but until then there's nobody I would trust more to protect Greg as he moves among the other 'families'."

"You're just a big old softy, Gil," said Catherine as she ghosted her hand over his cheek. "Are you going to be okay with Sara being gone for almost two weeks. I know you sleep better when she's with you."

"Yeah, I'll be fine, Catherine," said Gil as he moved to stand behind her, slipping his arms around her waist and settling his head on her shoulder. "If I can't sleep alone, I'll just bunk with you. Didn't you wonder why I wanted to send Warrick, too?"

AN: None of these characters belong to me.

This is my first attempt at fan fiction. I have the story completed and will upload the chapters soon. I would appreciate any constructive advice and will take it into consideration before uploading any new chapters. Thanks!