Disclaimer: Don't own the main Characters

Summary: Something alters the life of Gilbert Grissom in a way he never imagined, but does it alter enough to where he doesn't meet his true love? Find that out and more in this new story. Pre-Series.

AN: This one is a little different for me, but I hope you guys will still like it. And sorry it has been awhile, was going through some things, but now I'm back and hope you are ready for more.

Title: Altering the course of his life
Genre: Romance, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Angst
Rating: T
Time-line: Starts Pre-Series
Warnings: Implied/Suggestive adult behavior, Case details
Main Parings: Eventually GSR
Minor Parings: Grissom/OC (Past), OC/OC
Other Characters: OC's, Catherine, Nick and Warrick (All three later in story, but short appearances)


Chapter One: The Beginning Part 1

November 1, 1989

33 year old, level 3 CSI, Dr. Gilbert Grissom was sitting in his office at the Minnesota crime lab, reading a letter that was sent to him from the Las Vegas crime lab, asking if he would like to join the team, and he had two weeks to decide whether he wanted it or not.

Now he had one major pro on the list to not hesitate to take it, and that would be closer to his mom, who still resides in his childhood hometown, Santa Monica, California.

Of course there was a con on that list, he established himself here and loved the people he worked with.

But then again, the thought of going to a bigger lab, and a place he knew could be more of a challenge to him, really appealed to him.

He sighed as he folded the letter back up and placed it on his desk, knowing he still had time to think things through a little more before he decided. Then after looking at his watch, he took his glasses off and ran his hand down his clean-shaven, yet tired, face, mostly because the start of shift in a few minutes would be his third double this week, but he wasn't called the most dedicated CSI in the lab for nothing. In fact, he moved up the ranks faster than anybody in the history of the lab.

As he took his hand off his face, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened a second later, revealing his level 2 CSI co-worker, Will Baker, who was 27, around 6'0, average build with Hazel eyes and short brown hair.

Grissom gave the younger man a small smile. "Hi Will, what's going on?"

Will smiled in return with a nod before replying. "The boss man already gave me a case, and he asked if you would like to join me, sir."

Grissom nodded as he stood up from his chair. "Sure, I'll meet you outside in five."

"Ok, sir."

As Will turned around to walk out of the office, Grissom stopped him. "Oh, and Will." When the younger man turned to look at Grissom again, he continued with a smirk. "We've been working together for two years now, I think you can start calling me Grissom, or Gil."

Will smiled shyly as he nodded. "Sorry si...I mean Grissom. I was always taught to be polite to my elders."

Grissom raised an eyebrow. "Which is a good thing, but how old do you think I am? I'm only six years older than you."

Will chuckled with another nod. "Good point, I'll work on that." After Grissom nodded, Will turned and walked out of the office.

Once he was gone, Grissom smiled to himself, if there was one person he was going to miss the most, if he accepted the Las Vegas job, it would be Will. He could see great potential in him, and while he didn't set out to become a teacher to him, or to any of the younger CSI's for that matter, in a way that's kind of what happened, and to be honest, he kind of enjoyed it. So much in fact he could see, if he really had to change professions, himself becoming a full-time teacher.

He shook his head a second later before grabbing his kit to make sure it was fully stocked before walking out of his office after grabbing his jacket.

When he made it outside, Will was only a few steps behind him, and after opening the back of the vehicle so they could put their kits in, Grissom turned to him with the keys in his hand.
"Why don't you drive tonight."

Will was a little shocked since Grissom was the one that drove most of the time, unless their supervisor was with them, then it was a toss-up. But he wasn't going to second guess or ask him why, so he just took the keys from his hand with a nod and smile. "I would love to." Grissom nodded as he closed the back before they went to their sides of the vehicle and got in.

It didn't take Grissom very long to close his eyes and lay his head against the passenger window while music was softly playing, but before his rest could amount to anything substantial, the vehicle had stopped and Will spoke after clearing his throat. "We're here."

Grissom rubbed his eyes before opening them, and when he was fully aware of his surroundings, which was an apartment complex, his heart started to race and he became nervous, seeing the familiarity of it. "What apartment number?"

Hearing the urgency of Grissom's question, Will quickly grabbed the file he had placed at his side and opened it up. "Uh, 222."

Before Will could say another word, Grissom was already out of the vehicle, and rushing to and in the building.


When Grissom made it to his destination, two floors up, he was about to be stopped by a police officer, but after showing him his badge, the other man had lifted the yellow tape up so he could slip under, and after a momentary stop in the living room, he headed towards the bedroom before stopping in the doorway, immediately seeing her hanging in her closet.

He closed his eyes a second later and whispered. "Oh, Rachel." Before his mind took him back to the last time they talked to one another.

Flashback

3 months ago

August 10, 1989

After handing her the styrofoam cup of coffee, Grissom sits down next to her on the bench before they looked over at the playground, watching kids laughing and playing.

Now normally she would have brought her three year old daughter with her when they were at the park, but for this particular occasion she didn't think it was the best idea.

They slowly took sips of their coffee before Rachel Swanson, a 30 year old single mother with red hair, brown eyes, a little above average build and stood at 5'6, spoke softly. "You know on paper we were suppose to be a good match."

Their interests weren't exactly the same, but they were close enough that they could enjoy each other's. They also very much cared for one another, but something in their 2 month relationship, which they knew pretty early on, was missing. They just wanted to see if anything could change, but it never did, so they knew that it was time to let go and move on.

Grissom nodded in agreement before looking over at her, while she looked over at him with tears in her eyes. "I learned to laugh again and you made me feel safe, safer than I had for a long time."

He cupped her cheek and replied softly. "And while that's two very good things that I can do for you, and I'm glad I make you feel that way, we both know why this isn't going to work in the long run."

Rachel nodded while sniffling. "Everything else can be perfect, but sometimes the chemistry just isn't there." As Grissom nodded again, Rachel sighed as she continued. "Oh, but I wish it was, especially for Ashley, she already loves you so much."

In his past relationships, and there hadn't been many, there was never a child in the mix, so getting involved with Rachel was a very big step for him, which he had to admit, while he was hesitant about it at first, he actually ended up loving it. He enjoyed watching that little girl soak up whatever he was talking about, and he especially loved it when it was the three of them doing things together.

This time Grissom started to get a little teary eyed. "I love her too, you have to believe me."

"I do, and if there was a way we could make this work, I would do it in a heartbeat."

"Me too, but we can't stay together just because of Ashley, it isn't fair to any of us."

"I know." Rachel moved her hand up and cupped his clean-shaven cheek. "I hope one day you'll get to become a father, because I know you'll be excellent at it."

Grissom smiled shyly as he spoke softly. "I don't know about that."

Rachel chuckled, always the humble one, as she removed her hand. "Well, I do, and a woman will come into your life and see that too, trust me."

Grissom just nodded before he cleared his throat and asked. "Can I still see her from time to time?"

"She would love that, and maybe we can set up some time for that in the future, but can I have a little time before we do that?"

"Of course, whenever you feel right about it."

Rachel nodded as she took a sip of her coffee, then she spoke as she stood up. "I better get Ashley from daycare."

"Ok, and if you need anything, and I mean anything at all, for you and/or Ashley, just call me."

"That is very generous of you, but I can't ask you to..."

He cuts her off as he stood up. "Why not? We may not be dating anymore, and Ashley may not be mine, but I would still like to help anyway that I can." He cups her cheek again as he finished. "I know you're in-between jobs right now, and when you do work, you sometimes still feel that you don't have enough for something special for her from time to time or making ends meet, so if you need something extra, I'm there for you, all you have to do is ask."

She smiled before wrapping an arm around him and whispering. "I don't know what I did to get so lucky to have met you, but I'm glad I did, you're a wonderful man."

He wrapped his arm around her and whispered back. "And you're an amazing mother and woman, I'm glad I got to know you and your daughter, it's been an eventful 2 months and I'm always going to look back at that time fondly." As they pulled back with smiles on their faces, he continued. "And the next man that is in the presence of you and your daughter better feel like he won the jackpot, because you two deserve nothing less."

"That goes for you too."

They kissed each other on the cheeks, then after they pulled back and stepped back from one another, Rachel spoke her last words to him. "Goodbye, Gilbert Grissom, and good luck in the future."

"You too, Rachel Swanson."

After one more smile, she walked past him, then after a moment's pause, he started walking in the other direction, ready to get back and start focusing more on his working life, which is nothing new to him.

But even though it was still business as usual after the ending of one of his relationships, this one had meant a little something more to him, so he'll admit a small part of him has changed in a way he never expected.

End of Flashback

When he opened is eyes again, he cleared his throat before speaking to Will, who was now standing next to him with their kits. "Where is Ashley?"

Will looked confused as he tried to speak. "And Ashley is..."

But Grissom cuts him off with a little impatience. "Her three year old daughter."

Before he could ask/say anything else, one of the cops, who heard him ask the question, was walking up to them. "She's with the neighbor a few doors down, a Mrs..."

Grissom started to walk towards the front door before the cop could finish, and when he was out in the main hall, the cop looked at Wil and asked. "Is he ok?"

Will shrugged his shoulders as he stepped into the bedroom. "Honestly, I don't know. I've never seen him like this before."

The one thing that could explain how his co-worker was acting, is that he must've known who this woman was, especially since he knew the age and name of the victim's daughter.

Will mentally shook his head before asking, trying to get his mind on the case. "Anything else we know right now?"

While Will was getting the information he needed, Grissom walked the few doors down, and just as he got there, a cop was shaking the older woman's hand. "Call if you can think of anything else."

After the older woman nodded, the cop released her hand and turned around, seeing Grissom standing there, before walking down the hall.

When it was just Grissom and the long haired, above average build, 5'5, 65 year old Helen Dawson, she spoke as she waved him in. "I put Ashley in my room."

Grissom nodded as he walked up to her, and after placing a hand on the nice woman's shoulder, he asked. "How are you doing? Were you the one that found her?"

Helen nodded with her brown eyes tearing her. "I am, I tried calling her when she didn't pick up Ashley at the time she said she would, and you know her, she spent every second she could with her little girl." Grissom nodded again as she continued. "But when I didn't get a response I went over there, used the key she gave me, and..." She trailed off as Grissom brought her in his arms for a hug as she started sniffling.

Helen use to be a nurse, so she was use to seeing dead people, but seeing Rachel like that, she was not prepared for, and knowing she was leaving behind a little girl who needed her, only made it more heartbreaking for her.

While they were pulling back, Helen asked as she used a tissue to wipe her eyes. "Do you know if she really..."

She trailed off again as Grissom spoke. "Not yet, but we'll find out soon enough." As she nodded in understanding, Grissom cleared his throat and pointed towards her bedroom. "Can I uh, Can I see her?"

Helen smiled with a nod. "Of course."

Grissom removed his hand and headed towards the bedroom, and once he got there, he opened the door as quietly as he could, just incase she had fallen asleep, but when he opened it far enough to see inside, he saw the light red haired little girl sitting up watching a movie, then she turned her head and smiled with her brown eyes sparkling. "Mr. Grissom!"

Even though it has been 3 months since she seen him, she remembered who he was, and to be honest she has missed him very much. But her mother kept telling her that he had been too busy to hang out with them lately.

Grissom smiled as he walked into the room. "Hi, sweetie. How have you been?"

Ashley then frowned as she looked down at her stuffed Dalmatian dog. "I've missed you."

He nodded as he walked over to the bed, then after sitting on the side of it, he spoke softly. "I know, me too."

Ashley then started to sniffle as she looked at Grissom again. "Where is mommy? I want my mommy."

Grissom then cupped the little girl's cheek as he replied softly again. "I know you do sweetie, but I have to tell you something."

Seeing the sadness in Grissom's eyes, the same sadness she saw in her mother's eyes when she told her that her grandmother had passed away, deep down she knew where this was going, so she whispered as she looked down at her stuffed animal again. "She's up in heaven with grandma."

Grissom sniffled with a nod, no point in lying. "I'm so sorry."

Ashley nodded, then looked at Grissom with tears in her eyes. "Nobody love me now."

Grissom shook his head as he ran his thumb up and down her cheek. "That isn't true, sweetie. I promise as long as I'm still here, there will always be someone to love you."

Ashley gave him a watery smile before wrapping her arms around his neck, and he sighed deeply before wrapping his arms around the little girl, who without warning, slipped deep into his heart, and he silently vowed to protect her no matter what he had to do.


AN: Interested in more? Let me know. Please Review.