A/N: Thank you, as always, for reading and adding the story to your favourites, but most of all for the wonderful reviews so many of you leave. This story would have been finished several chapters ago if it weren't for you and them. I hope you keep enjoying.

Grissom looked over his shoulder, watching through the open door as Betty and Sara stared at each other, awkward smiles on their lips. Sara's gaze flicked to the door, her eyes telling him again not to worry, that she was fine, and he smiled tenderly at her. Betty tapped her gently on the arm and she reluctantly tore her eyes away, her face immediately taking on a look of intent concentration as his mother began to sign to her.

His heart clenched and he hurried to the sink, dumping the pile of dirty plates he was carrying with a clatter in his haste to get back to Sara. When he turned round Julia was watching him with amusement.

"Where's the fire?" she asked.

"I don't want to leave Sara alone with my mother for too long."

"Afraid she might scare her away?"

He smiled to himself. "No. Sara already knows my worse habits." He shrugged. "It's just that her signing…" he let his words trail with a fearful glance toward the dining room. Sara was laughing at something Betty had said, and he relaxed a little.

"She's all right," Julia went on, her eyes following Grissom's. "I'm sure your mother will behave herself. She seems to like her."

His face lit up. "She does, doesn't she?"

Julia nodded, her gaze turning wistful as she watched him. The deep sadness and desperation, the longing he saw in her eyes unsettled him, and he looked away abruptly.

Her mother had already set up the coffee machine and he flicked on the switch, his gaze flitting through the window to the backyard and his mother's cherished flower beds and fruit trees. She spent a lot of time tending that yard and he smiled, thinking of the Japanese-style yards back in Vegas that his mother loathed so much.

Julia tapped him on the shoulder and he flinched, his head whipping round with surprise. Noting she'd gathered dessert bowls and coffee cups on a tray he smiled awkwardly.

"My mother says you're getting a divorce," he signed hesitantly.

Julia's smile vanished and she looked away, her nod of the head brief and downcast. "It was a while coming," she signed after a moment, leaning her back against the worktop. "There's no love lost between us."

Grissom gave her a nod of the head in understanding. "You're still living in Sacramento?" he asked.

She dropped her gaze. "No. I moved away five months ago." She looked about to say more but her hands halted and she didn't.

He pinched his lips, his eyes flitting toward Sara next door. "The kids have made the move too?" Meeting his gaze dead on Julia swallowed and shook her head and he turned away, pretending to check on the coffee spluttering into the pot. "So where are you living now?" he asked, casually turning back toward her.

Julia's eyes flew to his mother next door, and then back to his. She raised her hands and paused before finally signing, "Henderson. I live in Henderson."

The news felt like a punch in the stomach, taking his breath away. "Henderson?" he repeated with disbelief, signing each letter with care lest he had misunderstood. "Henderson, Nevada?" he repeated again, as if there could be any doubt. "You live in Vegas?" He covered his face with his hands and turned away. Her hand fell to his shoulder and he shrugged it off. "Don't touch me," he snapped audibly, turning around to sign the words. His face was taut with anger, his breathing overly measured as he stared her down.

Julia drew her hand back. "Listen, Gil," she signed meeting his gaze and pausing with hesitation. "There's something else you should know. I tried several times to―I went round your place several times but…" his gaze narrowed at her, cold, hard and unforgiving, and she wavered.

Panic set in and he anxiously waved both hands in front of him, cutting her short. He lifted his index finger to her face in a threatening manner but then lowered it. "I need to get back," he signed briskly, turning away and wrenching the fridge door open.

She held him back by the arm, and he paused. "Gil, wait, please," she signed moving into his eye line. "It's not what you think."

"And what am I thinking?" he asked with a raise of his brow. She looked back over her shoulder toward Sara and his mother in the other room and he pushed past her. "I can't do this now," he signed heatedly. "Don't spoil things for me please."

Holding his gaze, she gave him a resigned nod of the head.

Grissom reached for the trifle chilling in the fridge and without another word made his way back to the dining room, Julia following a few paces behind with the tray. Betty and Sara picked up on the mood shift straightaway. Their smiles vanished, their hands falling to the table as an awkward silence settled over the four. Wordlessly he plopped the dish in the middle of the table and resumed his seat.

Anxious eyes on her son Betty rose and began serving dessert. Sara stood up too and helped her with passing bowls and coffee cups. She managed to catch his eye briefly, her gaze enquiring whether he was okay but his face was set and dark and all he managed was a tight, wavering smile. He took the proffered bowl and began eating without much of an appetite, the gazes of the three women boring deep holes to the top of his head.

After finishing her dessert Sara cleared her throat, saying, "Betty tells me you're a teacher?"

He looked up just in time to catch her signing 'teacher'. Flicking her gaze off Julia she flashed him a smile that was at once warm and tentative and so very loving and concerned that a feeling of guilt immediately filled him. His behaviour wasn't fair on her; she was trying so hard to make a good impression but he couldn't help how he felt.

"Gil?" Sara said, the trembling in her voice betraying her fear. "I can tell something's wrong. Talk to me, please. Let's leave here for a while. Let's go for a walk. Clear your mind. We don't have to talk if you don't want to. We can just…please."

Grissom refocused his gaze, and smiled at her with all the tenderness and love he felt in his heart for her. Tears burned behind his eyelids and he blinked. Without thinking, he reached for her hand on the table and brought it to his lips. "I love you," he said with words, quietly, holding her gaze steadily as if his life depended on it.

Sara registered a look of surprise at his words, shock that soon morphed into a look of deep pain, and she smiled, turning her hand in his so as to cup and stroke his face.

His mother tapped him on the arm and Sara pulled her hand away. Suddenly remembering that they weren't alone he gave a start. "I'm sorry," he told Sara, and rubbed a tired hand over his face. "I'm…just not feeling myself."

"I think I got some Advil in my bag," she said, with a self-conscious glance at the two women watching the exchange. "You want me to get it for you?"

He gave her a slow shake of the head in reply and taking a deep breath made himself face his mother. Her anxious expression said it all.

"Is something the matter, Gil?" Betty signed.

He brought his fist to his chest, rotated it once and tried a soft, appeasing smile. His mother smiled back and glancing at Julia signed, "Did Julia tell you about her new job?"

Grissom's head whipped round toward Julia. Looking pained she lifted her shoulder in a small shrug. "I got a headship at the Gilbert College for the deaf."

"Head of Deaf Cultural Studies," Betty added proudly. "Isn't it great?" Her face fell suddenly, her eyes widening with fear at what she'd let slip.

"It's all right, Betty," Julia signed. "He already knows I've relocated to Vegas, and as you can see he's not too happy about it."

He refocused darkened eyes onto his mother. "And you've known all this time? And you didn't tell me? Don't you think I had a right to know?" fast hands asked heatedly.

Betty's gaze dropped to the table. "I…wanted to tell you but I was worried," she signed, meeting her son's gaze dead on, "I was worried you'd react like this. The mere mention of Julia's name and you close off and become upset."

"Can you blame me?"

Betty threw her hands in the air in frustration. "It's not what you think, Gil," she added pleadingly."This isn't about you!"

"The hell it isn't!"

He caught his mother's startled flinch at the vehemence of his retort, and paused suddenly, thinking her words over. He'd been so wrapped up in his own thoughts of Rose that he'd never stopped to consider the real reason behind Julia's presence there.

Sara was anxiously watching the exchange between the three, her discomfort over her lack of understanding apparent, and he realised that he hadn't interpreted any of the conversation. He blew out a drawn-out breath, his eyes seeking hers apologetically.

"Julia's moved to Vegas," he explained, "new job, and I think my mother's moving to." He burst out in a sad, disbelieving chuckle. "Can it get any worse?"

The corner of Sara's mouth turned up in a sympathetic smile, her brow rising teasingly. "Put it this way," she said, holding his gaze meaningfully. "She could decide to come and live with you."

His eyes widening at the thought he snapped his head round toward his mother. "You're moving to Vegas," he signed quickly, a smile breaking across his face. "That's what you needed Julia here for, isn't it? So you could tell me?"

Betty nodded her head. "Well, I'm thinking about it," she amended carefully. A wave of relief washed over her face and she shared a look with Julia. "You're not against the idea?" she asked, looking puzzled by his reaction.

Grissom blew out a breath, and shrugged an uncertain shoulder as he considered the implications of her moving. He knew his mother was far too independent to want to move in with him, but still. "What about the house?" he asked finally, thinking of his time capsule upstairs and all the memories and mementos – good and bad – it kept.

Betty watched her son for a moment, and gave him a wistful smile. "I know," she said. "I know. My memories of your father are here too but it would mean I'd be closer to you and I could see more of you – and of Sara too," she added turning a wide grin at Sara. "I'm not getting any younger, Gil."

He watched his mother for a moment and reached out his hands for hers. "Why didn't you tell me?" he said with words, gripping her hands tightly.

She shrugged, dropping his hands to sign, "I tried but you know what you're like. You're always so busy and-" She paused and turned her gaze toward Julia, lifting her shoulder again. "It's a big decision for me to make. Not one I will make lightly." Grissom flicked his gaze to Julia and then back to his mother. "I wanted to know what you thought before I make up my mind."

He nodded, and took a moment to relay the conversation to Sara. "And you'd sell the house?" he then signed, realising as he said the words aloud to Sara that the prospect filled him with sadness.

Lifting her hand at Betty before she could reply, Julia signed, "Your mother's been finding it increasingly hard looking after it, Gil. It's a big house and-" she faltered, silenced by one of Grissom's dark stares.

"She's right," Betty signed quietly. "And I'm lonely."

Grissom let out a long breath and nodded his head in understanding. He pursed his face, his gaze dropping to his half-eaten trifle as he tried to come to terms with the changes in his life. He looked up when his mother placed a cup of coffee next to his hand. "I always thought you hated Vegas," he told her.

"I do, but the people in it are what make the place, Gil."

"Gil?" Sara asked, "Can you interpret something for me?"

"Sure." He watched her with regret in his eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry. I don't mean for you to feel side-lined like this. This…visit isn't turning out as I imagined it. Not at all."

"Hey," she soothed, "I'd say this was way more conventional than I'm used to. I'm just sorry I can't contribute more, you know?" She raised her hands in front of her before dropping them to the table. "Put in my two-pence worth."

His face lit up and he reached for her hand. "You're doing great," he said. "If you weren't here I'd be half-way back to Vegas by now."

Sara squeezed his hand. "Since you don't seem to find the words can you tell your mother from me that you will support whatever decision she makes?"

He laughed and pulled a face at her while interpreting her words to his mother. Betty's face pursed with a mixture of surprise and gratitude and reaching across the table she covered Sara's hand with her left one while thanking her with her right one. The intimate gesture wasn't lost on Julia whose face darkened ominously.

Betty got up from the table and rummaged in the dresser for a moment before retrieving an old photo album. Grinning she lifted it in Grissom's eye line, her eyebrow waggling gleefully. "I think it's time I showed Sara a few chosen photographs," she signed before seating back down at the table and opening the album.

Julia pushed her chair back abruptly, signing that she needed the bathroom, and Grissom leaned forward before chuckling as his mother pointed to a black and white picture of a chubby, round-faced baby Grissom in rompers, grinning up at them from his pram. Sara stared at each picture with awe and wonderment and when she looked up the look and smile they shared were filled with unconditional love and happiness. Betty turned the page and pointed to another picture, one taken at the beach when Grissom couldn't have been more than a couple of years old.

Sara's hand lifted to the picture and her fingers brushing gently over it she looked up. Her eyes were shining. "This is exactly what I imagined this visit to be like," she said, "Thank you for bringing me here." She looked at Betty and signed, "Thank you for showing me these."

Betty's face softened with fondness. "You are part of the family too now," she signed, glancing toward Grissom and waiting for him to interpret her words. He did, and Sara nodded while blinking her tears away.

Betty was turning to the next page when Grissom's cell rang. Frowning he fished the phone out of his pocket. "Catherine," he told Sara.

Her brow rose. "You called for back-up?"

He laughed. "No. I'll take it in the kitchen." He pushed to his feet and waved the phone in his mother's eye line. "I'll be right back."

He was putting the phone away when Julia joined him in the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of water from the tap, popped a couple of pills into her mouth, took a small sip and then another as she swallowed back the pills.

"Work," he signed by way of explanation. Julia gave a weary nod and she scrunched her eyes shut. Grissom made to leave but paused at the threshold. "You okay?" he asked tentatively.

"There're having a great time next door, aren't they?" she signed, the sad forlorn look on her face conveying her true feelings in a manner her hands couldn't.

Ignoring the sarcastic undertones of her comment, Grissom glanced toward the door to the two women bent over the album, pointing at pictures and laughing and he couldn't suppress the happy smile the sight caused.

"I'm sorry about before," he said with his hands after a moment. "It just came as a shock, that's all. I wasn't expecting it."

"And what were you expecting?" she asked, her eyes downcast.

He shrugged his reply, his gaze flicking back to Sara and his mother.

Julia tapped him on the arm, signing briskly, "When I saw you with her back there on the old road, I wanted it to be me. In your arms, like that. It used to be me, Gil. You used to look at me like that."

"Julia―please, don't do this."

She rose up to her tiptoes, her hands coming up to his face, and kissed him.