Author: mysunshine08
Title: Four Years Later Again.
Rating: K – K+
Summary: Four years after Sara has left (for the second time) she finally returns.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CSI characters! I do own the little girl though.
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He spoke first...
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. What could he say to someone who he hasn't seen in four long years? His heart was saying, "I love you, I miss you, come with me and let me take care of you." While his mind was saying, "I love you; I miss you, come with me and let me take care of you." But his mouth wouldn't say those things.
Finally he said the only thing he could think of, "Sorry I'm late; I tried to get here as soon as possible."
The older woman wasn't shocked by the statement, she would have been shocked if he had said the words she knew that were going through his head. But then, he wasn't much for saying how he actually felt.
"That is okay; we have only been here for twenty minutes." Sara didn't even think twice about saying the word "we", she had been such a custom to it, that even after she said it, it took the look on his face to make her realize what she had said.
The awkward silence was too much for the young waiter. He decided to save them their humility and went over and took the man's order. "What will you be having tonight, or this morning sir?"
The older man looked up not sure what the younger man in front of him just said. He had been concentrating on the little figure that was sleeping across from him. The waiter tapped the menu in order to get the older man's attention, it worked.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Just sweet tea please." He answered without even looking up. The younger man walked away and came back only seconds later, and he had missed something.
The little girl had woken up and apparently didn't know her surroundings. She looked scared. Her mother leaned over and pulled her over into her lap. This is when the waiter noticed how the little girl looked just like her mother, but she defiantly had her father's eyes. The bright blue, that could look directly into your eyes and looked deep into your soul.
He just concentrated on the little girl that as of two minutes ago was his. He thought back to see if there was any signs that he may have missed. There was that week when she would get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom; he would hear her throw-up but he would be so tired that he would pass it off as maybe she had food poising. He didn't recall any mood swings that were supposed to be associated with pregnancy, but then again her mood was always changing, it was one of the little things that he found that he loved about her. The way that he could bring her out of one of her moods when she would get too involved with a case and shut the world out. He was pleased with himself that he and only he was able to bring her out of that state of mind, even if it was only an I'm fine" or a half-hearted smile that he loved so much.
Her voice and her hand upon his brought him back him back to reality. "You okay?"
"Yea, I'm just thinking. Were you pre...pregnant when you left?" He mentally slapped himself about how stupid that sounded. Of course she was pregnant when she left, how else the curly-head girl would be here now, looking at him.
He corrected himself, "What I meant was, did you know that you were pregnant when you left?"
They were looking at each other like they were the only ones there, when he noticed the flash of sadness in her eyes as she nodded. He then wondered if she would see the disappointment in his.
She cleared her throat, as she attempted not to let him see her tears. She slowly lifted the little girl off her lap and gave her the glass of milk, and some fries.
"I'll be right back; I have to go to the bathroom." She hurried off before he could make any protest.
The two just sat there and stared at each other. Each concentrating on the other's face. Not wanting to look away. The older man, found himself falling in love with the little girl in front of him. Whether it be because she looked just like her mother, or the fact that this was their daughter, either way, he was glad that he now knew her.
"What's your name?" his own voice scared him, he sounded like a giant talking.
"Jennifer Ann Grissom, what's yours?" he was shocked, she had kept his name, she had kept his name. A peace come over him, she, no they belonged to him, they were his and he was not going to let them get away again.
"My name is Gilbert Grissom." his heart wanted to say something along the lines of "I'm your dad, I deeply in love with your mom." His thoughts were broken when the little girl mouth opened, and said something that the man didn't understand if he wanted to in-fact understands. He just looked at her, the little girl laughed, at his facial expression and asked her question again.
"Are you my daddy?"
He nearly spilt his drink when his ears heard the little girl's question. He definitely wasn't expecting that sort of question, well at least not the bluntness of it. He didn't think a four-year old could think, yet understand the situation that her mother and he had. The man laughed inwardly; then again this was a daughter of two scientists, so she would have had to be smart. He thought about how he should answer her. Should he just tell her the truth or be more subtle with it and let her figure it out. He felt the answer rise in his throat, but the little girl wasn't done.
"Cause' mommy said that I would be meeting my daddy tonight. And you are the only man we have met tonight. So are you my daddy?" She asked again, like he hadn't given her a true answer before.
He didn't know what to say. How much did she know? Surely she didn't know the whole story? And if she did, did she really comprehend it?
"Yes. This is your father." The older women had returned from the restroom. The man didn't know how long she had been standing there. She took her seat back and didn't look at the man in front of her, ashamed to see the pain in his eyes.
"But the man in the picture didn't have a bread." The little girl stated. The man's heart filled with pride. She had showed him pictures of him. She wanted their daughter to know about him.
"Well the last time I saw him he didn't have one." The little girl nodded, and started scooting toward the end of the booth, causing her mother to get up and let her daughter out. The older women watched as her daughter went over to her newly found father and crawled into his lap.
The man didn't know what to do. He defiantly wasn't use to this. It was awkward, but for some reason his 'father' instinct kicked in and he pulled her up and she curled in his arms and fell fast asleep.
She looked at the scene in front of her; he was holding his, their daughter, like he was going to lose her the moment this visit ended. Pain shot through her at that thought does he think that he was just there to see them, then they would be on their way again. She had to tell him that she was there for good, forever. The she loved him, and always had, it had grown with each passing day, with each beat of her heart.
Little did she know, that he was thinking the same thing. He wanted to have this forever. He saw the fear in her eyes, as she thought that he was just there for a visit, and then he would get back in his car, and never see them again. He thought that when he first entered the small diner. That this was going to be it. He would see her then leave, never knowing that he would be sitting here with his daughter in his lap, and doing it without any hesitation.
"I'm not going anywhere." She couldn't control her words anymore, they were just coming out of her, and her soul was now controlling everything inside her.
"I'm here to stay, we are here to stay. I love you." She had said this in a whisper, but with so much passion that not even the greatest writer could capture it in words. He saw the tears fall down her face when she said those words. Had he heard her right? Did she really just say what his soul was trying to say this entire time? Was his dream really coming true, right now at this moment? He felt his own tears fall down his cheeks as he admitted he loved her too, and that he was never going to let her go away again. That next time, no there wasn't going to be a next time. He was going to keep them both here if it meant going to the end of the world and back a million times, he was going to keep her, them, here in his life forever.
He stood up as smoothly and quietly as he could without waking his little angel that was asleep in his arms. His other angel gathered the little girl's things and her jacket and stood face to face with the man in front of her. For the first time in two years he felt completely happy. He could think clearly, no more thoughts about her never coming back, or what did he do wrong. He could say what he wanted without the fear of regretting it. And so he did.
"I love you, I always did, and I never stopped. I also missed you very much, and my heart is overjoyed to not only see you, but that you brought me my daughter."
They both just stood there looking at each other like the world had stopped and they were admiring it clearly for the first time. Their thoughts were interrupted with a cough and a single command from the young waiter behind the counter, "Kiss already."
The only thing they could do was obey the command. So they did, he bent down and kissed her light and sweet. The waiter smiled, and refused any payment that the older man tried to give. Telling him that it was on the house. He watched as the new couple left the diner. He was glad that he had taken this shift.
The drive home was slow and quiet; the only sound was the soft breathing of the little girl sleeping in the back. No words were needed as they drove on, they were together again, and forever more.
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A/N: So there it is. The final installment of my last chapter story. In the next week, I will be posting my final story till the summer. Please read it, and review it.