AN: Thanks for the reviews. Slight hints for the episode: "Dead Doll" but with the twist to it. Here is the next chapter.


Chapter 12: More Thankful than Ever

The Next Morning

It was a long night for Keith, which he didn't leave the lab for a single second, and he eventually ended up falling asleep on Grissom's couch that was in his office, but before he knew it he was woken up by the ringing of his phone, so he opens his eyes and ran his hand down his face as he sat up, wincing a little since he wasn't use to sleeping on a couch, before he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

After seeing who was calling him, he took a breath before answering it. "Yes, sir?"

It didn't take long before his boss was giving him an earful, but halfway through his tirade, commotion was heard out in the hall, like they were on to something big and the team was rushing towards the exit of the building, so Keith stood up from the couch and spoke, interrupting his boss's speech. "I'm sorry sir, but something more important than work is going on at the moment. Just have faith in your son to do the job right."

Before his boss could say another word, Keith hung up, probably sealing his fate of never working at that law firm again, but at the moment he didn't care. His wife was more important to him than a job, and headed toward the door to the office without a second thought about it, before opening it just in time to see Grissom walking his way. "What's going on?"

"We believe we found the location."

Keith's eyes went wide before saying. "I'm coming."

"Keith..."

"Please. I'll stay out of the way, I just have to know that she's ok."

Against his better judgment, Grissom nodded. "Ok, let's go."

Keith nodded before he headed toward the exit of the building with Grissom following him, both hoping this will lead to something good.


When they made it to the destination they see Nick and Catherine at the upside down car, so Keith wasted no time getting out of the vehicle and running towards them, then he sees Nick digging while his heart was racing as he kept saying. "Oh my god, is she there?"

A few seconds later Nick pulls out a buttoned over-shirt from under the car and lifted it up for Keith to see, and he nodded while taking a breath. "Yeah, that's hers." Then he ran his hands through his hair, a part of him relieved she got out from under the car, but another part, while looking at nothing but desert in every direction, still felt panicked for his wife's safety.

A little while later, and as the car was being lifted up, Keith was trying to calm his nerves, but they were only heightened when he heard Grissom say something about seeing footprints, so he followed the other man, which eventually led them to another body, and after seeing it wasn't his wife, he took a breath and walked a few steps away before looking out in the distance, once again seeing nothing but desert. "Man, it's got to be about 110 degrees. She's been out here all day, without water. She's probably disorientated, dehydrated."

Grissom walked up to him and placed his hand on his shoulder as he replied softly. "You said it yourself she's been through so much, and she survived it all."

Keith took a breath before looking over his shoulder and nodded before replying with almost tears in his eyes. "She definitely has."

As Grissom nodded, Catherine's voice, who had been with Nick, was heard through his
walkie-talkie. "We found her."

The men looked at one another with wide-eyes before rushing to the CSI issued vehicle, and once they were in, Grissom wasted no time heading to their new destination.


Grissom had barley stopped the vehicle when Keith had opened the passenger door and rushed to his unconscious wife, who was surrounded by Nick, Catherine and the medic team, then he watched them place her on a backboard before carrying her over to the helicopter, so he followed behind them until they reached it, and after they got her in and the medic team was in, Keith spoke in a way that said he wasn't going to be denied the request. "Move over, I'm going with her!"

After one of them helped him in, they closed the door before the helicopter lifted up into the sky and headed toward the hospital while Grissom watched from the ground below until he couldn't see it anymore.

He took a breath as Catherine's hand landed on his shoulder before her voice was heard. "Come on, I'll take you home. The paperwork can wait."

Grissom turned his head and nodded before following Catherine to the vehicle.

The drive home was done in silence, but neither one seemed to mind, and after she pulled the vehicle in the driveway to his house, he opened the door and looked at his friend/co-worker. "Thank you Catherine."

Knowing he didn't only mean the drive home, she smiled with a nod. "No problem, Gil. If you guys need anything, all you have to do is call."

Grissom nodded before finally getting out, and after he shut the door, he headed toward the front door to the house while Catherine pulled out of his driveway and drove away.

He stopped in front of the door, but before he could grab the door handle, the door opened and now he was face to face with Sara, then without any second thoughts they wrapped their arms around each other the best they could, both needing this embrace more than anything in this moment.

They didn't know how long they held on to one another, but when they finally pulled back, Sara cupped her husband's cheek, which felt a little rough from not shaving in a day, before asking in a concerned voice. "Is she ok?"

He cleared his throat and asked. "Where is Mackenzie?"

"She's in her room."

He started speaking as he finally walked inside the house. "I don't know. When she was found, she was unconscious. I'm sure Keith will call when he can."

Sara nodded before she started to speak as she sat down on the couch. "She's a strong woman, I don't have a doubt that she'll pull through this."

Grissom nodded in agreement as he sat down next to her, then he saw her shake her head as she looked down at her hands, so he placed his hand on top of hers and asked. "What's wrong?"

Sara took a breath before looking at him. "I don't know, ever since you told me Natalie took Annie because she could see how much you really care for her, I can't help but feel that if circumstances were different I could have been in her place."

"How? We are very professional at work, and she didn't see us together the times you were with me when I was picking up Mackenzie at the park."

Nick and Warrick had found sketches that Natalie drew of Annie when she was at the park with Mackenzie, and there was a few that had him in there, but during most of those times he was picking up Mackenzie, he was waiting for her from his vehicle, so if Sara was with him at some of those times she would have to be looking through the passenger side window or the front of the vehicle to know Sara was with him, the woman that could have caused him the most pain if she had been the one taken, outside of his daughter of course.

She nodded as she squeezed his hand, thankfully bringing him back to the present before his thoughts went darker, before she replied. "True, but you got to admit sometimes at work we do let some looks get through and subtle touches. If she was good with the details as her miniature models told us, I don't think there was much we could get passed her."

Grissom had to admit his wife did have a point, her attention to detail was exceptional and with them not knowing at the time that she was working as a janitor there could have been a moment or two she could have witnessed between them, no matter how subtle it was, so he nodded before cupping her cheek. "Then if the circumstances that kept you out of the lab helped save your life, I couldn't be happier." His eyes started to fill with tears as those sad thoughts from a few seconds ago came full force. "It's horrible on what happened to Annie, and I feel bad right now, but if I had lost you, I..."

Sara cuts him off as she placed her hand top of his. "Hey, you didn't, I'm right here." Then she took his free hand and placed it on her six month pregnant stomach. "We both are, we aren't going anywhere."

He took a shuttering breath as he leaned forward, then after sharing a kiss, they placed their foreheads together and closed their eyes, feeling the love between them as their little one kicked the palms of their hands.

Their moment was interrupted a few minutes later by Mackenzie, who was coming down the stairs with a smile. "Daddy! I missed you."

Sara and Grissom pulled back from one another, and after they both wiped his tears off his cheek, he turned around and smiled at his daughter as he held out his hands. "I missed you too sweetheart." After getting her settled on his lap, he continued. "I'm sorry I had to work so much yesterday and last night."

"Did you get the bad guy?"

Grissom smiled as he cupped his daughter's cheek. "Yes, it was a team effort."

Mackenzie smiled in return. "Then it was ok. You guys have to do it to keep us safe."

Grissom sighed as he ran his thumb up and down her cheek. "We really try, ladybug." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "Honey, I need to talk to you about something." Hearing the seriousness of her father's tone, she nodded and waited patiently, then a few seconds after Sara's hand went to his shoulder, he finished. "You may have to stay with us a few extra days."

"Why?"

"Mommy's in the hospital right now."

The little girl gasped with her eyes wide. "Mommy? Is she ok?"

Since he didn't know for sure if she was, he just said. "She's a fighter sweetheart, and there is nothing in the world that will stop her from seeing you again."

Mackenzie nodded with tears in her eyes. "Can I go see her?"

He ran his hand up and down her cheek again while feeling the pain as he saw her tears, wishing he could make it all better for her now. "Not yet. But I promise you'll get to soon. Ok?"

Sniffling, Mackenzie nodded. "Ok. Can I go color her a picture? I want to make her feel better for when I get to see her."

Grissom gave her a smile with tears in his eyes. "She would love that."

She nodded one more time before she shared a hug and kiss with her father, and after setting her down, she shared a hug and kiss with Sara before she rushed upstairs so she could get to work on her newest picture.

Grissom watched his little girl until he couldn't see her before looking at his wife with a sniffle. "I hope Annie can pull through this because nothing will devastate that little girl more, and I don't know how I'm going to help her then."

"I hope for her sake too, but on the off chance things get worse, we'll do it together, you are not alone in this, babe."

He nodded as he breathed out. "Together." Then he cupped her cheek as he whispered. "I love you, so much."

"And I love you."

They kissed softly before getting into another embrace, more thankful than ever for being able to share these moments together.


AN: Hope it was ok. Next chapter coming out soon. Please review.

*Regarding some of the questions, I can't really answer why it was Annie instead of it being someone else without giving away the ending. There was a reason it had be her, trust me.