A few hours later Gil was still sat in his office holding his photo, Gil had left his office only once to nip into the break room for a Coffee and walk straight back out again ignoring his team, Nick walked into Gil's office just as he got back, noticing that is boss was in distress Nick started to speak, slowly and softly.
"Griss are you ok? Have you been crying?" Nick asked calmly "Griss talk to me man"
"Nick what are you doing here? Where are the kids?" Gil asked concerned placing the photo back on his desk, from the chair he left it on.
"Don't worry boss man, the kids are in the Break room with their mom, Aunt and Uncles" Nick replied looking at Gil's tear stained face "Griss something is bothering you, what is it?"
"Not here, Nick promise me something" Gil asked looking at his co worker and friend.
"Anything Griss" Nick replied the worry clear in his voice.
"If...if anything happens to me promise to be there for Sara and the kids" Grissom requested wiping his face "Nick?"
"I promise" Nick replied "Look I've always believed that telling someone your problems or worries always helps, remember Griss I'm here for you, ok?"
"Yea I know and thanks" Gil replied "So how was the kids today?"
"Oh man Gracie said uhh oh what was it" Nick asked himself rubbing his chin in concentration "Oh yea instead of saying Hank she said Tank"
"Oh that sounds funny" Gil said quietly "Shouldn't we be getting to the Break room it is almost end of shift, thanks for looking after the kids again Nick"
Nick nodded and opened the office door, waiting for Gil to join him they both walked the short distance to the Break room; nobody noticed the presence of Nick or Gil until three year old Matthew spoke.
"Dada" Matthew squealed squirming away from Warrick's grasp before running full pelt at his daddy "Dada"
"Hey kiddo, you behaved for Uncle Nick?" Gil asked his energetic son "Whoa Matty calm down"
"Uh huh" Matthew replied smiling sweetly at his daddy.
"Yea right" EllieMay protested "Firstly he made Gracie cry, secondly he hit Jackson and thirdly he hit me, so excuse me he did not behave he was a down right brat!"
"ELLIEMAY!" Sara warned her nine year old daughter "You do not use words like brat around your younger brothers and sisters"
"Ok fine, just let spoilt little Matthew get away with it again" EllieMay replied "Like he normally does"
"I think EllieMay doesn't like her little brother?" Greg whispered to Warrick who nodded.
"EllieMay Jane Grissom, you get a time out for your back chat and attitude" Sara said sternly pointing to the far corner of the room "NOW MARCH!"
EllieMay walked as slow as possible towards the corner of the room and sat down staring intently at her mom and everyone else in the room, Matthew stuck his tongue out at his sister, who in turn threw her sneaker at her brother's head, hitting him.
"ELLIEMAY!" Sara shouted "Stand up right now and apologize to your brother"
"Why should I?" EllieMay protested "He was the one that stuck his tongue out at me and once again you're so clued into his feelings you don't notice mine or Jackson's for that matter"
"Sara let me deal with this" Catherine said standing up and grabbing EllieMay's hand "Jackson you want to come too?"
Jackson only nodded and followed his sister and Aunt out of the room, while walking away from the Break room Catherine sent a message to Warrick's phone asking him to put his phone on speaker in two minutes time. Catherine arrived at Gil's office and opened the door and allowed Jackson and EllieMay into the room before going in herself and sitting down.
"So Missy are you going to tell me why you have a horrible attitude?" Catherine requested phoning Warrick's phone, who answered it and put it on speaker so everyone could hear what was being said "EllieMay I can't help you or Jackson if you don't tell me what the problem is"
Meanwhile in the Break room everyone had gone silent when they heard Catherine's voice talking to EllieMay, Sara looked at Warrick who shrugged and pointed to the phone and put his finger in front of his mouth.
"Mom never has time for us anymore, it's all Matthew or Gracie" EllieMay explained "It was nice when it was just me, mom, dad and Jackson, but now I feel the forgotten child"
"How do feel about all this Jack?" Catherine asked her nephew.
"The same we used to go everywhere together, but as Elle said it's all Matthew and Gracie now, although Gracie isn't half as bad as Matthew" Jackson replied "I mean you saw what Matthew did to EllieMay but still mom was angry at Elle, I mean where is the fairness in that?"
"I know I'm the oldest Aunt Catherine, but it annoys me when every single day of the year Matthew does something wrong and mom and dad know it's wrong but they blame me or Jack for not watching him" EllieMay said sighing "They are the parents not us, now can I watch them when I have homework to do, or a project to complete? I am in high school for crying out loud!"
"I still can't believe that at Nine your already in High School" Catherine said "Oh and can't forget Jack either, you two brainy pair"
"Have we just been focusing on Matthew and Gracie and not Elle and Jack?" Sara asked Gil.
"Yea I think we have, Nick is what EllieMay said true?" Gil asked Nick.
"Has she ever lied to you before?" Nick asked receiving two shakes of the head "Well
then I think you two need to sort things out because if not your going to lose EllieMay and Jackson"
"Lose them where?" Gil asked looking at Nick.
"To me, they have both expressed intention to live with me if you don't change your attitude towards them, EllieMay's words not mine" Nick explained looking at Matthew
"This little one is a trouble maker and he knows it"
"Me good" Matthew said looking at his mom smiling sweetly "Me good mama"
"No sweetheart your not" Sara replied receiving a pout lip and tears "Don't cry at me mister"
"I am me good" Matthew wailed stamping his feet in tantrum and running over to Gracie and pulling her hair.
"MATTHEW JAMES GRISSOM!" Gil bellowed causing everyone to stop what they were doing "You do not hit your sister, do you hear me?"
"She started it" Matthew mumbled "Dada me good"
"No your a very naughty little boy" Gil replied "Time out young man, did you bring his stroller Nick?"
"Yea it's by the door" Nick replied fetching the stroller for Gil "Where do you want it?"
"Right here" Gil said grabbing hold of his screaming three year old and fastening him into the stroller "You will stay in there till you learn to behave young man, you have gotten away with things for too long this is the final straw"
Matthew screamed, kicked, bit and punched before he finally fell asleep in his stroller. Gracie was still sobbing when EllieMay, Catherine and Jackson returned as soon as Gracie saw EllieMay she ran cautiously towards her sister.
"Elle Att hit me" Gracie said sniffing and holding out her arms for EllieMay to pick her up "He not good boy"
"At least someone agrees with me" EllieMay said glaring at her mom and dad "Gracie you want to go for a walk?"
"Uh huh" Gracie hiccups escaping her mouth causing Gracie to giggle "Sorry"
"No problem, come on Uncle Jim is around here somewhere" EllieMay replied looking at her brother "Hey Jack you want to come?"
"No thanks Uncle Rick and Greg said they were going to whip my butt at Grand Theft Auto" Jack replied walking up to his older sister and whispering in her ear "What they don't know is I live on that game at home so me thinks their butts are going to be whipped"
"Whip, whip" Gracie said moving her arms over her head before giving Jack a grin "Ack"
"Hey Tweety you ok?" Jack asked Gracie hugging her.
"Att was orrible, he hit me" Gracie explained shoving her thumb her in mouth "Bye Ack"
"Bye Tweety Pie" Jack replied blowing kisses at Gracie getting giggles.
"You have a way with the ladies" Greg remarked.
"You're not right in the head, she's my baby sister" Jack responded looking at Nick and Warrick who were grinning "So you guys ready for some butt kicking?"
Sara and Gil watched as their Seven year old son beat two men at a video game, Gil smiled as Jackson did a victory dance and shake hands with Greg who had bet on Jackson to win, twenty minutes later and it was end of shift and everyone went home,
Gil pulled into the driveway and noticed that Sara was wide awake staring at him, burning a hole in the side of his face.
"Well?" Sara enquired "You going to tell me or the kids for that matter?"
"What we got to know?" EllieMay asked wide awake.
"We getting a Puppy?" Jackson enquired "Yes I know we have Hank but he needs a friend, why is he called Hank anyways?"
"Uppy, Uppy" Gracie wailed clapping and giggling.
"Well he's named Hank uhh because uhh Sara" Gil said looking at Sara who rolled her eyes "He's named Hank because that was his name when we got him"
"So can we get a Puppy then?" EllieMay asked again smiling at her parents "Please"
"We will think about it" Sara replied looking at Gil "So you going to tell me or do I have to beat it out of you?"
"Hitting is never the answer" Matthew said kissing Gracie's hand as an apology "Sorry"
"Gah" Gracie responded wiping her hand on her pant leg "Elle up"
EllieMay giggled and lifted her little sister out of the car seat and placed her on the ground, looking at Matthew she lifted him out of his seat and placed him beside Gracie, Gracie held Matthew's hand and waited for EllieMay and Jackson to start walking towards the house, Gil stayed in the car staring at his children laughing with each other, he then turned to Sara and spoke.
"Sara my darling, I'm so sorry" Gil said tears forming in his eyes "I can't do this but I'm going to have to"
"Gil your not making any sense right now" Sara replied "Just take a deep breath and then start"
"Well you know how I've been complaining of chest pain for about three months" Gil asked receiving a nod to continue "Well last week sometime I found a lump on my chest while I was showering and I went to our Doctors and he said...he said Jesus Sara I can't even say it"
"Say what? Gil you need to tell me" Sara asked grabbing hold of her husband's hand squeezing gently "Please Gil I can't help you if you don't tell me"
"Ok here goes" Gil said sighing "I have Cancer of the Lungs"
"You...have...what?" Sara shuttered "Cancer?"
"Yes Cancer of the Lungs" Gil repeated burying his head in his hands "I'm so sorry"
"We have to tell the kids, the team" Sara responded quickly "Need to get them all together they need to know"
"Sara slow down, I have at a year left maybe more" Gil said looking at his wife "Please can we just leave this between family for now?"
"Yea I suppose, when we going to tell the kids?" Sara asked stepping out of the car waiting for her husband locking it and walking to the house.
"Well no time like the present I guess" Gil replied sighing loudly "This is going to be even harder than telling you"
"Kids come into the living room please" Sara shouted smiling when all four kids appeared at sat down without even needing to be asked "Now I want you to listen to your father and no interruptions, is that clear?"
"Yea" All four kids replied staring at their father.
"Hi kids, uhh this is not going to be easy but I need you to be really mature and listen carefully" Gil said "Well I went to the Doctors last week and Sara I can't do this"
"Daddy is something wrong with you?" EllieMay asked sitting beside her dad holding his hand "Please tell us we will be brave whatever it is"
"When did you become so smart?" Gil asked his oldest daughter hugging her.
"Well it must be the Sidle Grissom genes" EllieMay replied "Please Daddy tell us"
"Ok but your not going to like it" Gil replied getting a shrug of the shoulders as a response "Ok your daddy is poorly, really poorly remember when we explained about the Goldfish going to Goldfish heaven? Well Daddy will be going to heaven"
"No please no" EllieMay wailed in terror "You can't who will give me away at my wedding or scare my first boyfriend? No it's not fair"
"I know baby girl, life is not fair" Gil said hugging his sobbing daughter holding out his arms for his three youngest to join him "We just need to do things together before, well you know"
"So will I be the man of the house then Dad?" Jackson asked rubbing his nose on his sleeve"
"Yea I guess so my main man" Gil replied letting the tears flow down, looking at Sara he saw her own tears flowing "Sara come join us"
Sara walked briskly over to her family and sat down being cuddled by Gracie and Matthew, eventually everyone but Gil fell asleep, Gil laid his oldest son and daughter down next to Sara, Matthew and Gracie and sat down on the chair across from the couch and watched as his young family slept, tears flowed once again.
TBC
Please read and review sorry if I made you cry or at least tears form in your eyes, sorry once again.