AN: Here is your next chapter. Hope I didn't disappoint too much. A little language but nothing over the top, sorry if they are a little out of character this chapter felt like a pressure cooker and somebody is going to pop. Thanks for the reviews.


Chapter 8: Surprise

Two days later

The whole team including DB's wife and Amanda were all at Jim's house, except Grissom, he hadn't showed up yet.

Sara was sitting down on Jim's couch wringing her hands together while the rest of them were standing around the living room and dinning room mingling.

A few minutes later Thomas walks over to the couch sits down next to her and said. "Are you doing ok?"

She shook her head and didn't hesitate to answer. "No, I am nervous about Grissom and leaving my daughter alone at the hospital."

He puts his hand on her hand and said. "Isabella wanted you to have fun remember?"

She smiled thinking of her daughter trying to convince her to leave the hospital and have fun with the team, she was acting more like the mother then the child. Sara then nodded and whispered. "I do."

Thomas nodded and replied. "And as for Grissom you have nothing to worry about I'll be close by when you tell him, that is if you want me there." She looks at him and just as she was about to nod there was a knock on the front door. She looked at the door with her heart pounding she hadn't seen him in four years and to top it all off her secret to him was about to be revealed.

Brass looks at everybody and they were all nodding but Greg, he was looking at the chip bowl on the table. Brass looked at Sara and she was now standing next to Thomas, who had a hand on the small of her back for support. Sara nodded and said. "Go ahead."

Brass nodded back, walked to the door, cleared his throat and opened it.

When it was opened it revealed a different looking Grissom then what he saw last time. He looked like he dropped a few pounds, the hair on his head and beard was grayer, he had more lines on his face and it looked like he didn't get much sleep these. Brass looked back in Grissom's blue eyes and if he was surprised of Grissom's appearance he didn't show it.

Grissom had a small smile and said. "Hi Jim."

"Hi Gil, it's nice seeing you again."

Grissom and Brass shake hands then Jim moved to the side to let him in. He took a moment before he walked in, not only knowing that he was about to go in a house with mixed reactions to his reappearance but Sara was in there and his heart started to speed up, thinking about her. He mentally told himself to calm down and when he finally did he stepped inside.

Sara watched as Grissom said hi to Nick and Catherine, he met Russell, Russell's wife and Amanda, Greg said hi but he was still by the table.

Then when Sara's eyes met Grissom's it was like they haven't even been apart, they could see so much emotion in each other's eyes but before they looked deeper and longer she looked down. She noticed he looked different then the last time she saw him. He looked broken down, like he had the world on his shoulders.

While she was having an internal battle with herself, Grissom walked up to her and Thomas.

Once he got there he looked at Sara again then looked at the guy standing next to her. Thomas looked at him and noticed it was the same guy he saw in the pictures but in some ways he looked different, the last four years have not been good to him.

After a few minutes, Thomas cleared his throat, held out his hand and said. "Thomas Dixon."

Grissom took a moment longer then took Thomas's hand and shook it then as they released hands he replied. "Gilbert Grissom."

Thomas just nodded and Grissom looked over at Sara again and noticed she was still looking down so he said. "Hi Sara."

Sara cleared her throat, looked up into those sad blue eyes and wanted to melt but she held strong and said. "Hi Grissom. How is Hank?"

Grissom gives her a small smile and Sara's heart wanted to melt again but once again she steeled herself and he replied. "He misses you." And mentally he thinks. 'I miss you too.' Sara just nodded with a small smile.

After a few moments of awkward silence Catherine came up to Grissom with a drink and Sara excused herself and went to the table to get a drink herself, only slightly wishing Brass had more than soda and water on the table but knew that alcohol wouldn't be a wise choice.

A few minutes later Thomas walks up to her and whispered. "You ok?"

Sara grabbed a bottle of water opened it and replied. "I'll let you know later."

Thomas nodded in understanding and as he puts a hand on her shoulder she was taking a sip of her drink but tensed when his hand touched her.
He pulled back a second later not wanting to make her uncomfortable then he looked back toward the living room and noticed Grissom was looking their way. He looked back at Sara and she said. "I'm sorry Thomas."

"Don't be, I wasn't expecting it to be warm and fuzzy when your ex walked in the door."

She winced at that word 'ex'. Even after all these years it still effected her when she thought of Grissom as an 'ex' because she never thought he would become one. She mentally shook those thoughts away then took a breath and feeling like the walls were closing in she looked at Thomas and said. "I need some air." Thomas nodded and she walked outside from the back door.

Thomas and Grissom watched her both worried but wanting her to have a little space.

The men looked at each other for a second then looked away both being caught watching her.

Five minutes later Grissom was by the snack table and when he noticed Sara hadn't come back inside yet, he took a breath and walked toward the back door and opened it. As he was stepping out Thomas saw what Grissom was doing and he was going to make sure she would be alright but Catherine puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

He looked over at her and she said. "Let them talk alone. They need to do this without an audience." He nodded in understanding but showed a look of concern, she smiled at him and continued. "I know your concerned for her but if she really needs you she'll let you know."

He nods and replied. "Ok." Catherine smiled and patted him on the shoulder and walked away.

Thomas watched her then looked toward the back door but stayed were he was. Catherine was right Sara needed to do this now so she could start to heal, ever since she had found out she was pregnant she had a darkness around her because she was keeping it a secret from Grissom. It affected her more than she let on but he saw it.

As Grissom was shutting the back door Sara looked behind her and saw him. She gives him a small smile and he was giving her one back as he walked up to her. He stopped walking once they were standing shoulder to shoulder at the end of the deck.

It was still silent but there was heavy tension around them.

Finally she swallowed, looked at him, he looked at her and they started to talk at the same time.

They closed their mouths and smile at one another again then he said. "You can go first."

She nodded and asked. "How are you? you look..."

She trails off and he said. "I look what? Older? lighter? Grayer?"

She nodded with a small smile and said. "Yeah all the above. You ok?"

He sighed and said. "I'm getting older Sara that's all."

It was unmistakable at how sad his voice was. His appearance matched his voice he sounded lost, alone, like he was giving up and that got her worried. She frowned and was about to open her mouth but like the old Grissom he changed the subject to her. "How are you?"

She swallowed her question, looked at him for a second then looked away while saying. "I'm Fine."

Grissom shook his head and replied. "I know what happens when you use those words, they actually mean the opposite with you. So what's really going on?" He could also see sadness in her eyes.

Sara mentally thought. 'ok it's time.' she took a breath, looks at him and said. "Ok Grissom. There is something I do have to tell you."

Those words sent a million questions in his mind and that made his heart speed up but he started to calm down a second later and waited patiently not wanting to jump to any conclusions until he found out what was going on. When he saw she was struggling to find the words he said. "What ever it is you can tell me."

Sara nodded took another breath and said finally tells him. "Grissom, you have a daughter."

He looks at her wide-eyed for a second then he smiles and said. "Oh It's a joke. Everybody is going to come out and say gotcha any minute now, right?"

He looks back at the door and nobody was there. He looks back at her and she was shaking her head and replied. "It's not a joke."

When he really looked in her eyes he knew she was telling him the truth and a second later the wind gets knocked out of him, his heart sped up again and he felt dizzy, he needed to sit down. He found a lawn chair and slowly walked over to it and sat down while Sara watched him carefully, making sure he didn't have a heart attack or wasn't going to have one because she knew these next few minutes were going to be harder for him to hear. She waited patiently till he processed what she told him and after a few minutes of silence he shook his head and asked. "I have a daughter?" She nodded and he asked. "How old?"

Sara swallowed the lump in her throat and said. "Four."

Grissom figured out the math but it wasn't that hard because it happened the last time they were together. He did a second hesitation after he thought about something then asked. "Are you sure she's mine?"

Sara looked at him a little surprised and asked. "How can you ask me that?"

He shook his head and replied. "I'm sorry but me just finding out I have a four-year old daughter is a lot to wrap my brain around." She nodded, right now she had no right to be angry at him it should be the other way around. He looked at her again and asked. "Why didn't you tell me before?" She was about to open her mouth but he shook his head, stood back up and asked another question before she could talk. "Actually what I would really like to know is why are you telling me this now? You kept this secret for four years and all of a sudden you want me to know, so why?"

She heard his tone was a little harder than what she was use to and spoke. "Grissom..."

But was cut off when he spoke again. "What do you want, You want money? You want me to sign away my rights?"

Sara shook her head with tears in her eyes and said. "No. Nothing like that."

He shook his head again and started talking his voice getting a bit louder each word. "Than what? Help me understand why you..."

Sara cuts him off ready to explode. "I'm sorry but she is sick." Then said softly." Dying." She closed her mouth shut then her eyes as she tried to shut out her tears.

Grissom started to feel dizzy again and his heart was breaking more than it already was. He puts one hand on the glass table to steady himself and the other one on the bridge of his nose while closing his eyes and trying to take a few calming breaths. Sara opens her eyes and walks over to him still worried about him. He was getting all this information sooner and quicker then she had planned and she hated doing it this way but time was against them and it was all because of her.

When he calmed down somewhat he looked over at her after opening his eyes again and asked sadly. "She's dying?"

Sara nodded with tears threatening again and said. "Yes and we need bone marrow to..."

He cuts her off a second later after using his quick mind, he maybe older but his mind was still pretty sharp. "I get it." He removed his hand from the table, stands up straighter, looks at her with more hurt now and less anger in his eyes and said. "It's all starting to make sense to me now." She was about to ask when he continued. "You are telling me because I am your last resort and you had to, not because you wanted to."

Sara looks at him shakes his head and replied. "That's not true."

He raised an eyebrow and asked incredulous "Really? Then are you a match?" She looks at him for a second then looks down and that gave him his answer. "That's what I thought." He nodded and continued. "So the call to get me here? Was that before or after you found out you were no match?"

Sara looked back up and replied. "Before, but it wouldn't have mattered either way because I knew you needed to know." She started to have tears again and continued before Grissom could talk. "I'm sorry I waited till now to tell you and it wasn't because I wanted to hurt or punish you in anyway I..."

She gets cut off again when he shakes his head and said. "I can't hear this anymore, I need to get out of here." He had to get air, away from her. Not only because he needed to think about what he just found out but because of a decision he regretted making four years ago that changed his life without knowing the true facts.

She was about to talk again but Grissom was already walking back inside the house and by the time she got to the back door, she noticed he was looking at the closest people to him with betrayal in his eyes.

He took a moment to look at everybody, shook his head and said. "And everybody knew I had a daughter and not one of you told me, thanks for the support guys. "

As he was walking to the door Nick spoke. "You have to understand it wasn't our decision to make."

He stops, looks at Nick and asked. "And if it had been your choice?" He slowly ran his eyes around the crowd again and they were each looking away but Catherine looked him straight into his eyes and he nodded after seeing her look. He could see she wanted to and regretted not doing so.

He started to walk to the door again but stopped this time by somebody whispering something. He turned back and replied. "You have something to say Greg?"

They all looked at Greg and Amanda was trying to tell him to be quiet but he shook his head, moves his hand away from his wife, looked at Grissom and said. "Yeah I do." Greg had been in a few situations where he was afraid or scared, like the lab explosion and getting almost beaten to death but never has he ever felt this scared before, he was always nervous around of Grissom but not today. He looked him square in the eye and said. "I called you a bastard."

Sara walks inside the house and said. "Greg..."

Greg shook his head, looked at Sara and said. "No, I'm sorry Sara but this needs to be said." He looked back at Grissom and talked before Sara could interrupt him. "It took a retirement party to get you to come here."

He looked at Brass apologetically and Jim just nodded in understanding then Greg looked back at Grissom and continued. "Four years, hell even longer then that it took you to come back. You could have been here a lot sooner getting to know that wonderful, sweet, little girl but instead you were out there traveling, yeah it was a job I get it but you could have done something here, you didn't have to stay away. And another thing I am sure you have seen a lot of beautiful places but you should know that the most beautiful thing you'll ever see is standing right there, along with her daughter." He stops, shakes his head and said. "You never deserved her." Grissom looks at Sara as Greg was pointing to her.

They have eye contact but before it became a long look Greg speaks again, ending his speech. "But I guess what should I expect from a man who wasn't even there for their own mother's funeral." Greg stopped and looked down with his heart pounding, his hands were shaking and his palms were sweating. Not once had he ever thought he would have talked to Grissom like that.

Grissom looked at Greg and was about to open his mouth but stopped himself. He looked back at Sara and his eyes were shinning with tears and he spoke with sadness that no one has ever heard from him before. "Your right I never deserved her." Then he turned toward the door, walked to it, opened it then walked out while the whole household stood there speechless.

When the door clicked shut everything was still for a few minutes then Sara speaks. "I...uh.." She was stuck on whether to go after him or go to her daughter. After a few seconds she made her choice. "I should go back to the hospital." She wanted to let Grissom cool down before she tried to reach out to him. She didn't think he would leave town now. She saw his look the moment he found out, he would already do anything for his little girl.

They nodded in understanding and sympathy knowing it was a tough choice for her to make then after Thomas said he will go with her they were getting ready to leave.

She looks at Jim and said. "I'm sorry for the party."

"It's ok, maybe we will try again another time."

After they do a short hug, she walked to Greg and he said. "I'm sorry Sara. Everything just came rushing out."

Sara nodded, gives him a hug and said. "I understand, thanks for being a friend."

They pull back, he nods and said. "Always. You tell that little one that I'll see her soon." Sara nodded and after getting hugs from the remaining people in the house and comments about visiting Isabella soon Sara and Thomas left.

When the door clicked shut Catherine walked to the couch to grab her jacket then she looks back at Nick and asked. "Can you get a ride home?"

Nick looked at Greg and Amanda and they nodded at him then he looked back at Catherine and said. "Do you know where he went?"

Catherine smiles that she didn't have to tell him were she was going then nodded her head and replied. "I have a pretty good idea, Love you."

Nick pecks her on the lips and replied. "Love you too. I'll see you at home." Catherine nodded and after one more peck on the lips she left the house.

When the door clicked shut for the third time in 5 minutes Jim sighed and spoke breaking the tension. "Well I sure know how to throw a party." They all chuckled and started to clean up.


Grissom was looking down at Warrick Brown's tombstone and as he was finishing up his talk he felt a presence.

He looked to his right and said. "How did you know I would be here?"

Catherine smiled a little and said. "How long have I known you?"

He smiles remembering in the past when she had asked him that then he sighed and chose a different answer. "Too long if you knew were I was going before I did."

She stands next to him, looked at him and said. "Did I?"

"I bet you knew the moment I walked out of the door and I knew it when I got into the car. So you tell me."

Catherine smiles at him again, nodded and said. "Then I guess I did." Grissom nodded back then Catherine sighed and spoke again after he looked back down. "I wanted to tell you about your daughter I really did and I know you should have known before now but Greg was right."

Still not looking at her he replies. "When is he not?"

Catherine continues after a small snicker. "You should have come here sooner if not here then to your mother's funeral. I know she was important to you so I don't und..." She stops when he turned to look into her eyes and she did a silent gasp and said. "Oh my god, You were there. Weren't you?"

He nodded and told her something that he has kept secret for four years. "I had just gotten back to Paris from my four-month job were I didn't have any communication. I had multiple messages on my home phone saying she had suddenly died and that the funeral was in a few days. As I was on the plane I thought about everything and I knew then and there what I wanted to do and should have done a long time ago." He stops, sighs, shook his head and continued. "Anyways by the time I got there I was running a little late because of storm delays so I was in the back watching all the mourners and I was surprised to see you all there but was proud too. What really shocked me though was seeing..."

Catherine cuts him with a small gasp remembering that time. "Sara pregnant."

Grissom nodded and continued. "I would have immediately walked up to her to talk but then I saw that Thomas guy put his arm around her shoulders and brought her close to him and they looked too close to be just friends and I believed, until today that is." He stops, shakes his head and spoke with more regret then ever. "Well that she had done something that she had been trying to do for a lot of years before we got together and what she said she was going to do in her letter. And I knew I had no right to ruin whatever she had with that other guy or break up a family that I thought was happening between them, so I left before anybody knew I was there."

He looked back at the tombstone and she asked. "You thought she had finally moved on?" Grissom nodded and Catherine continued. "They weren't a couple back then." Catherine watched her friend sadly nod his head again knowing that now but obviously couldn't change anything.

After a few minutes of silence she puts her hand on his shoulder and said "Gil, I am so sorry for everything." He looks back at her and she her tears of regret.

He shook his head, puts his hand over hers and replied. "I don't blame you for not telling me or anybody for that matter, I was just mad at myself for screwing up once again. And you don't have to say sorry because we both know who's at fault here."

Catherine shook her head and replied. "You can't shoulder all the blame for everything that went wrong."

"I know that but at times I can't help but feel I should." He stops again and just as she was about to speak he sighed and changed the subject. "While I was driving here I kept wondering when everything became so complicated, I had a plan for my life then suddenly it changed."

Catherine knew he wasn't expecting an answer to that because he already knew when it happened but she was going to say something anyways. "I think it came in 1999 a few days after you told me you had to go to San Francisco for that seminar you were teaching in."

He looks at her smirk, he smiles a little and replied. "But I never told you I had met anybody."

"True, But there was a change in you when you came back. You were trying very hard to hide it but I saw it."

Grissom shakes his head and responded. "Of course you did. You had always known how I felt, didn't you?"

She nodded and said. "I think I knew the moment you said her name. Well maybe after I cooled down from being mad at you for bringing someone from the outside of our team to do the investigation." She stopped when she realized what was being said then they both looked at the tombstone.

After a few minutes of silence again then she speaks. "It's not too late to start again."

He looks back at her and said wistfully "Catherine..."

She puts a finger to his lips to stop whatever he was going to say. "The best thing about being alive is, it's not too late to fix things and start over. I know a lot has happened and a lot of hurt has been thrown around but I don't buy it's over for either of you. Especially you, because I saw how you still look at her."

He removes his hand from the top of hers and said. "I can't seem to let her go, no matter what I had done or said to her and myself. I just can't."

She nodded already knowing that then said. "Then finally make a decision and be happy. I see so much sadness is in your eyes."

He nodded and it once again grew silent for a couple of seconds then he spoke again. "I know my first decision to happiness is." She looked at him and he replied. "It's time I go to the hospital."

She smiled in approval and asked. "And after that?"

"We'll see."

Catherine knew him well enough that she wasn't going to get much out of him and was actually surprised she got what they talked about out of him, he was a man of few words when it came to his personal life.

Catherine nodded then asked tentatively. "Are we ok?"

Grissom looks back at her then surprised her again when he brought her in a hug and spoke. "We'll be fine." He felt her relax after his words then he continues. "If I never said it before Thank you for being there for me all those years, I know at times it couldn't have been easy." She does a small snort as if to say that was an understatement. He smiled as he pulled back then looked into her eyes and said. "I still consider you a wonderful friend and some one I can count on." She was going to dispute that because of what she didn't do but he puts his hand up to stop her then continued. "Even though you never told me about my daughter and at times I bet it was tense with Sara, I know that you would have put aside your personal feelings and looked out for my little girl no matter what, so thank you."

She gives him a little smile as she wiped her tears away and said. "Your welcome and remember if you ever need anything I am only a phone call away."

He nodded and after one more short hug he started to walk away but then he turned around and said. "Oh by the way since I wasn't here to say this congratulations on your marriage to Nick I hope you guys will be happy a very long time."

They had been married the last three years now.

"Thank you Gil." Grissom nodded then turned and continued to walk away.

Catherine watched him for a second then turned, looked down and said to Warrick's tombstone. "Don't count them out yet Warrick I believe there is still hope for them." She smiled and after a goodbye she walked away really believing what she said. It wasn't over for them not by a long shot she just hopes they figure it all out and fix it before it could really be too late.


AN: Next chapter: Grissom's test results are in, they all get news about the progression of Isabella's health and a relationship status changes. What happens next? Please review.