Well this is a good connecting chapter as to what I may have in store further down the road.


Chapter 7

Grissom took a cab from the airport to his empty home. The inside looked like a crime scene. Items pulled from shelves and tossed across the room, pictures and furniture broken. He carefully stepped through the rubble on the floor and began collecting things that held meaning between Sara and him.

He was on his final trip from his storage and was making one last pass through his former home. After speaking with a realtor and agreeing that he'd get the place cleaned up at Grissom's expense, everything that he needed or wanted to keep was stowed away. It amazed him at how fast he was able to accomplish that task since the place had been ransacked.

Before leaving he up righted a chair and sat down looking at the devastation before him. He'd submitted the forms at the lab between trips. His plan was to spend tomorrow with the team before returning to Sara. They all knew as to why he and Sara had left so suddenly, but they knew it wasn't entirely the truth and never pushed him for any more explanation.

While he sat thinking the lights suddenly went out. Normally he would have cursed and checked the breaker box, but this wasn't normal. Grissom sat still and in a blur a woman appeared before him. "Well, well, well…look who finally returned."

"Where's that pretty little thing you're always with?" Patrick appeared just as suddenly.

Grissom remained still even though a part of him wanted to run. Carla hissed and reached forward and grabbed his collar. "Don't worry dear we'll find her." She threw Grissom across the room. His body crashed into the wooden coffee table crushing the object under his weight.

Patrick was quickly picking up his prey and like Carla threw him across the room. He laughed as the human went through the sliding porch window. Carla inhaled the air as did Patrick. "Mmmm, he smells delicious."

Wishing he was unconscious so he couldn't feel the agonizing pain he was in, Grissom lay bleeding thinking of nothing but Sara. He could hear the laughter from the two still inside, but he felt a rush of air fly by him and go into the house.

Emmett attacked Patrick and the two flew back to collide with the wall. Rose went for Carla and pinned her against the wall crushing the sheetrock behind her body. The four fought viciously inside while Carlisle kneeled next to his friend. "Gil, don't move. Save your strength." He assessed his injuries before glancing through the broken door to see Emmett and Rosalie fight. Patrick was tossed once again but this time instead of fighting back he fled. Emmett turned on Carla with Rosalie and the two of them managed to tear Carla apart.

After burning her body they went to their father's side. "He needs medical attention, but I can't triage him here." Carlisle supported Grissom's head. "Let's get him to the plane."

They placed Grissom's battered body in the back seat of the rented Tahoe. Emmett drove towards the airport as Grissom lay bleeding on the leather seats with Carlisle. Rose was trying to help but being around the smell of blood in such closed quarters was getting to her. She wasn't much help to Carlisle and decided to move to the front passenger seat. It was a decision Carlisle understood.

As the car stopped on the runway, Emmett helped Carlisle get Grissom on board while Rosalie began starting up the jet. Once everything was situated, the plane started rolling towards the runway. Carlisle placed an oxygen mask on Grissom's face as he cut away his shirt. There were many obvious abrasions over his torso, some would require stitches and other's were not as deep. His cool hands felt over the ribs, collar bone, and down the arms of Grissom's body. Surprisingly he didn't discover any broken bones, and gave Grissom a shot of morphine to lessen the pain and keep him calm while he began cleaning the lacerations.

As the plane began its decent, Carlisle finished with bandaging Grissom's wounds. His eyes slowly opened and focused in on Carlisle's form over him. "How do you feel?"

Grissom groaned and his hand moved to his face and removed the mask. "Like I went through a table and a door."

Carlisle grinned. "Well you're lucky. I'd ask why you went there alone knowing this could happen, but I don't want to waste your time as I already know the answer. Esme called, Sara's worried about you, but I assured her that you're coming back in one piece."

"Thanks." Grissom groaned and with Carlisle's help sat up. "This feeling reminds me of when I was blown up." Carlisle's eyebrow rose at the remark. "I'll tell you later."

Sara was pacing next to the living room while Jasper and Alice were watching the news from Seattle. Esme entered and watched Sara for a few minutes before deciding to intervene. "Sara, you need to calm down. They will be here shortly. Carlisle said that Gil was fine."

She was obviously upset about the entire situation, and it was then that Jasper decided to intervene. He let waves of his calming effect wash over the room. Sara exhaled deeply. "Thanks." Jasper just smiled. Over the years of being around Bella, and now their two house guests, Jasper had gotten better at controlling his craving for human blood.

The three vampires heard the sound of the car approaching before Sara could. She noticed their reaction and headed down towards the garage. Esme stood by her side as the door opened and Carlisle drove inside. Emmet and Rose climbed out and headed inside as Carlisle helped Grissom out of the car.

Sara was at his side in an instant. "Gil." Her arms enveloped him and he groaned at the contact. "I'm sorry."

Grissom shook his head. "It's okay, I'm just a little sore."

"He's got some minor lacerations, but other than that, he's fine." Carlisle assured her before moving to embrace his true love.

"I can't believe that happened." Sara felt content having Grissom in her arms once again. "Don't ever leave again."

"I won't." His arms squeezed her closer.

Carlisle ushered Esme inside. "The female has been taken care of, but the male ran away."

"Do you think he'll come for them?" She asked quietly as they moved through the house.

"I can't guarantee that he won't." His hand fit in the small of her back as they went into his study. "We were almost too late."

Esme grinned as she spun to face her husband. "But you got there in time." She turned him so he was leaning against his desk and leaned in to kiss him. "Now, I want to continue our conversation before you jetted to Vegas."

Carlisle knew what Esme was talking about and knowing her, she wasn't going to walk away without an explanation from him. "Well, before my change, I had a younger brother. He was ten years younger than me but very intelligent. He was always playing with the dead animals that he found; trying to find out what they died from. When Gil and Sara arrived, I did a little research of my own."

He paused and Esme sensed his hesitation and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "And you found something in common between the two?"

His eyes locked onto hers and he nodded. "Gil did the same things when he was younger. And he's taken his interest and expanded it to where he could use it to help people. After my change, I would check in on what my brother was doing every now and then. After his schooling he became involved in the investigations of the strange killings that were going on; again the same thing that Gil does. This man and my brother are 300 years apart and yet they are similar in so many ways." Carlisle wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her closer. "I couldn't bear to wait around and watch my brother grow old and die, and since Gil has been here, it's like having a brother all over again."

She could see clearly the connection Carlisle had made between the past and present. Since she had known him, he had never spoken of his human family. "Don't worry; you know we won't let anything happen to them."

After sharing a close moment in the garage upon his return, Sara took Grissom up to their room and lay down in the bed with him. "I am exhausted." He curled up under the covers and Sara snuggled into his side.

"I'm sure you are. I didn't get much sleep while you were away." She stated simply.

Grissom turned and faced her. "I'm sorry I caused you to worry." His hand slowly went down her side and came to rest on the swell of her belly. "How's he been treating you?"

"He?" Sara laughed at his comment. "I've been good. The nausea has all but passed, and the cramps have completely disappeared."

"That's good."

"Yeah. I may need to invest in some better fitting clothes." Her hand joined his. "I'll be out of these in no time at the rate he's growing."

Grissom grinned. "Well, maybe we can go shopping tomorrow. I'm sure Alice knows what you can get and where to get it."

Sara yawned. "Well, it's late and I'm exhausted myself." She kissed him gently on the lips. "Goodnight Gil."

He waited until her eyes closed. "Goodnight Sara." He returned her kiss before letting his eyes close.

Well I hope it wasn't too tragic for anyone.

TDCSI