A/N - I found this story again when I moved house. So as always read, reveiw and tell me what you think!
Rough Hands
Chapter One – Keeping Mom
Sara sat on the sofa, practicing her ABC's with her hands. Grissom had been teaching her for the last couple of months but sign language was a lot harder to pick up then she thought it would be. She was doing alright but she was still not as good as she wanted to be. This weekend was important to Grissom and she wanted it to be perfect.
"Sara, are you ready to go?"
Sara glanced at the front door where her suitcase stood, had been standing for the last two hours.
"Yes. We'll grab something to eat on the way."
Grissom came into the room, dragging his bulging suitcase behind him.
"Do you have your bathing suit?"
"Two actually."
"Which ones?"
"The black and the blue. Why?"
Grissom shrugged as he pushed his suitcase into position next to hers.
"No reason."
Sara smiled to herself as Grissom disappeared into the room again, no doubt making sure they had everything. She had never seen him this nervous before. It took another ten minutes before they were able to leave, Sara loading the suitcases herself while Grissom fussed over his pants that had just been dry cleaned. Sara clicked the boot closed before grabbing his in hands in her own, giving him a bright smile.
"Relax. It's going to be fine."
"You don't know my family."
"But that's the whole point of this weekend, isn't it? To get to know your family. And to make our little announcement."
Grissom let out a loud huff of air that stirred the stray strands of hair loose from Sara's baseball cap. He pulled her into a hug, slipping the car keys into her hand.
"You had better drive."
Sara laid a kiss on his cheek, breaking the hug and making her way to the driver's side, knowing that this was going to be along trip.
Grissom was snoring quietly beside her as she pulled into the long twisted driveway of Grissom's mother's home. It was bigger then what she had expected. It had at least two stories, the cream paint off set nicely by the deep brown shutters that laced around the house and the wide array of flowers all around the home. Sara gave Grissom a gentle shake, her eyes still taking in the view.
"Grissom, we're here."
He woke up with a start, his eyes wide, his breath quick, his face a blanket of nerves again.
"Why didn't you wake me earlier?"
"Because I preferred you asleep."
Sara hopped out of the car, reaching her arms high above her head, stretching her body out. She hated being cramped in a car for long periods of time.
"Grissom, get out of the car."
She watched as he slipped reluctantly from the car, coming to stand beside her, his handing from hers. She squeezed it reassuringly a she started up the cobbled path, all but dragging Grissom behind her. She heard the barking long before she saw the door being opened. Sara found herself faced with the same blue eyes that Grissom possessed the same round jaw and determined chin. Francesca Grissom was a beautiful woman. Her dark hair was pulled back in a messy bun, only a few streaks of grey showing through her dark hair. Her long elegant fingers stroked the air as she signed quickly to Grissom before pulling him into a hug. Sara knew that Grissom wrote to his mother on a regular basis but hadn't seen her for over a year, the hours at work making it almost impossible for family catch ups. She watched as Grissom sunk into his mothers embrace, his eyes closed as he squeezed back, looking like a found child. Francesca turned her attention to Sara next, her eyes looking her over. Sara quickly snatched the cap off her head, painfully aware of the scrutiny. Francesca obviously spotted the engagement ring that Sara had forgotten to take off, because she lifted Sara's hand, examining it before turning to her son. She signed franticly at him, her face pulled into a frown. Grissom signed back just as quickly, his hands pointing at Sara every so often. Francesca sighed, giving Grissom a small smile and a head shake. Sara cocked her head at Grissom.
"What was that about?"
"Mom just found out that we're engaged."
"Oh."
Francesca turned back to Sara, the small smile gone, a much larger one in its place. She pulled Sara into a hug, her grip firm. Sara hugged her back, a mixture of relief and excitement coming over her. The hardest part of the weekend was over, at least now she could relax and enjoy the rest of the time off. A large burly dog came bounding down the path, the same size as a Great Dane only with long black fur.
"This is Lakota."
"Lakota?"
"It means 'friend' in Indian."
Sara crouched down and held her hand out to the dog, who sniffed her before sitting down next to Francesca's feet.
"Let's get some lunch, mom made us some sandwiches."
Grissom took Sara's hand and led her further up the path and into the house. Sara's senses were instantly surrounded by the sights and smells of the house. The kitchen was immediately to the left of the front door, a small compact place with the remenants of her sandwich making efforts. Next to that was the dining room where three place settings had been laid out. Francesca indicated with a hand for them to sit down and Sara's stomach began to rumble. She didn't realize just how hungry she was. She took a seat next to Grissom , watching as Francesca poured them tall glasses of ice-tea before piling their plates high with sandwiches, signing quickly to Grissom before she began to eat.
"What did she say?"
"That you need to eat, you're as thin as a rake."
Sara laughed as she laid a hand on her stomach, signing 'thank you' before she did as she was told, digging into the thick sandwiches. They ate in silence and when the meal was done, Francesca began to clean up, Sara began to stand to help but Grissom's hand on her wrist stopped her.
"She'll ask if she wants help."
Sara smiled before moving out of her seat and wondering into the living room. The furniture was simple, the T.V small. The room was dominated by pictures that documented Grissom's life. There was a baby picture of him with his parents, one with his mother smiling proudly, Grissom beside her in his graduation gown. The final picture was one that Grissom must have sent her last Christmas of Sara and himself, arms around each other, in front of their Christmas tree.
"Mom's pretty obsessed with photos."
Grissom had slipped silently behind her, his arms coming around her waist, pulling her into him.
"What about Richard?"
She felt Grissom stiffen and instantly regretted her words. Grissom had mentioned his half-brother just a couple of times, each time it put him in a foul mood followed by a heavy, angry silence. She knew that five years after his father had died, Francesca had gotten involved with another man briefly and the result was Richard. She also knew that Richard was involved with the kind of people that she and Grissom worked so hard to put away behind bars and that Grissom had a hard time dealing with what his little brother had become the opposite of himself and everything that he represented.
"Mom took his pictures down the last time he was sent to prison."
Sara nodded as she leaned into his hug.
"I'm sorry"
"For what?"
"For mentioning it. I should have kept my mouth shut."
"This weekend is about you getting to know my family, the good and the bad. You'll be part of it soon enough."
Sara moved closer to the paintings that sat next to all the pictures of Grissom's, large and small, delicate and incredibly detailed.
"Mom painted those."
"Really? You mom's an artist."
"Yup, always has been."
Sara turned in the embrace to face Grissom and put her arms around her neck.
"So what have you told your mom about me?"
"That you are the most beautiful woman in the world"
"Oh really? So she was expecting Heidi Klum and they get me instead?"
Grissom pressed his forehead to hers.
"Heidi has nothing on you. I also told her how intelligent you are and how I could not live without you."
"So that's why you want to marry me? Self preservation?"
Grissom laughed a deep rumbling sound that vibrated his chest.
"You could say that. And then there is the small fact that I love you."
"I love you too."
Grissom pressed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips, one that made Sara's toes curl. Maybe they were still in their honeymoon phase or maybe they were just in love, but Sara could still not figure out how he could kiss her and make every single conscious thought drop out of her head. The same thing happened when he touched her or looked at her with those intense blue eyes of his, she lost track of everything. A throat being cleared made them pull apart, Grissom's grip on Sara still tight. Francesca looked at them with a small smile on her face as she signed to Grissom before leaving them alone again.
"What did she say?"
"Told me to get our suitcases upstairs and into my old room."
Sara released her grip on Grissom, following him back into the kitchen and out to the car to pick up the cases. Try as he might, he could not lift both of the cases at the same time so Sara ended up lugging her own up the stairs to his room. The room was a strange mixture of the child that Grissom was and the scientist that he was to become. Cowboys and Indian wallpaper pointed to the fact that Grissom had always had a liking for catching the bad guys. Pressed up against the wall, on a desk was a scientist kit layered with test tubes of varying sizes as well as a collection of drawings of dissected animals. A large bookshelf was filled with science books, ranging from the ones you get at University to those you gather as a child. In the center of the room was a large double bed with a deep green bedspread and lots of pillows.
"So this is your room huh?"
"Yup. Mom got me a double just before I moved out."
Sara placed her suitcase in the corner before sitting on the bed, bouncing on it slightly.
"So this is where you brought all your girlfriends?"
"If by all you mean two, then yes."
Sara smiled at him as she settled herself further on the bed.
"Come here you. I want to Christian the bed too."
Grissom climbed onto the bed beside her, nuzzling her neck.
"Thank you for letting me drag you to this."
"Dragging me to your family reunion? Sounded like a good time."
Grissom kissed her on the hand as they cuddled on the bed, the need to sleep over riding the need to do anything else.
"You are the best wife to be in the world."
"Glad to see that I'm finally getting the recognition that I deserve."
Grissom pulled her close, inhaling her scent deeply as they both fell into a peaceful sleep.
