Author's Note: A hoy hoy. Another FF challenge from CSIFO. This one was a "First Thanksgiving" theme one... I chose Option C, where we could pick which 'First' it was. So it's sort of a continuation of my last challenge entry, in that it's their first Thanksgiving since Grissom lost his mother. Though the evil, evil folks at CSIFO decided yet AGAIN to make it a 1000 word maximum - I seriously think they secretly enjoy torturing wordy people. At least this time I actually had a whole word to spare - came in at 999!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, really. Anything I did own once is now the property of the two puppers in my pic... and unless they can eat CSI, they have no interest in owning it. Om nom nom Grissom? Eep.

I'll always be there when you need me,
I'm only a lifetime away,
It's so beautiful how you spent this evening,
And I'm proud of you for how you've lived your days

-"Dancing" Peter McVeigh

The house was quiet, save for the occasional groans from a sleeping Hank at his feet. Every now and again the boxer would bark himself awake and give Grissom a bleary eyed stare, questioning why they had yet to move to the bedroom. A grimace and a softly spoken "Soon, boy," were given each time the scene repeated itself. Each time Grissom would look at the clock, surprised at how much time had passed, and then resume his staring into nothingness.

It was during one of these moments that Sara made her way from the bedroom searching for her missing husband. Hank, hearing her movement ahead of seeing her, let out a low warning chuff, followed by his tail thumping and a happy snuffle on recognition of his 'mother'. Grissom instead scowled down at the dog's sudden liveliness, before turning his gaze onto Sara and flushing at the knowledge she had obviously noted his absence from their bed.

"I have a feeling soon has come and gone, Gil," Sara spoke as she took the final steps towards him.

"I know, I just..." trailing off his eyes unfocused and watered before he shook his head and sighed.

As Sara tried to think of how to approach whatever was bothering Grissom, Hank decided to add his thoughts on the matter via a long series of whiney barks, before throwing himself headfirst and going belly up at Grissom's feet. Covering her mouth to hide her smile and stifle any laugh, Sara watched as Hank continued to squirm and lick her husband's ankle.

"Thank you, Hank." Reaching a hand down he patted the dog's cheek. Sighing he flicked his eyes to meet with Sara's, "It's Thanksgiving tomorrow."

"Uh," finding herself completely stumped on how to respond, Sara blinked a couple of times. The two of them had never really made much of a fuss over Thanksgiving in all the years they had known each other. Before they were a couple, Grissom only ever acknowledged it with her to ask if she wanted the time off or if he could put her on the roster so someone else could get it off. Now that she thought of it, that didn't really change after they started dating. Since they'd been married, even since they were apart while he did work elsewhere, they actually preferred to book getting together around holidays, as prices and other general insanity went up around them. In fact, the only reason he was here this year was because he was taking a year off after his mother... "Oh, sweetie,"

Glancing back up at her, Grissom nodded, "Yeah. It's not like she and I really did anything special. Last time we even had a family dinner was the year before my Dad died. After that, we stopped bothering. I mean, the only other family we had was my one uncle and he always said holidays were great for him to work, since so few other tradesmen did. So it didn't really make sense for my Mom to go to all the effort of a big special meal when it was just the two of us. So," pausing, Grissom shrugged and shook his head, "I don't know why it's getting to me."

"Gil," Sara knelt in front of him and gently traced circles with her fingertips on his knees, "I get it. The first holiday after my Dad died, I felt so lost. It wasn't even that I was missing spending a holiday with him, since well, holidays weren't exactly great to begin with. It was that it was a day that reminded me that he was gone, more than other days did. Him missing your average Tuesday night dinner didn't stand out, but not having him for a holiday? It made me realize all the other things I wasn't going to have him there for, and that is what got to me. What's likely getting to you, too," squeezing his knee, she watched as her words sunk in to Grissom.

"I guess, there's just so much that I wish she could be here to see. That I know she wanted to see happen. I feel like, God, I feel like I've let her down," a shuddering breath escaped him as the tears began to sting at his eyes, "I know she'd always wanted grandkids. For years she'd tell me that work was nice and all, but that there was so much more. I just would shrug it off, figure it would happen if it happened. Once we were married, well, you know she was always asking about when we would have children. I thought, oh hell, I thought we'd think about it in a few years. Everything she'd wanted, I didn't listen, and I just continuously let her down!" A sob caught in his throat as he covered his mouth and closed his eyes to the tears.

"Gil!" grabbing his face and forcing him to look her in the eye Sara gently kissed his nose before continuing. "She wanted those things for you, not of you. She wanted your happiness above all else, and since those were the things that made her happy, she thought it would make you happy too. She was always proud of every single thing you did, and I'm sure she still is, wherever she is." Letting go of his face she pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

Grissom met her gaze, feeling happy for the holiday for the first time all evening.

"And I'll tell you something else, Gil," playing with his curls, Sara smiled as she spoke, "Just like I know my Dad is out there somewhere, watching in on and over me, I also know your Mom is watching over you. With your Dad by her side."

"Thank you, so much, for understanding, Sara" Grissom whispered as he pulled Sara into a tight hug. Feeling a nose nudging his arm Grissom laughed "And thank you as well, Hank. Shall we all go to bed finally?"

Post AN: Also, for the record, I'm in the camp that could lean either way as to who was the negative force in Sara's childhood... since there's no hard evidence either way.