Chapter Twenty Nine: New Beginnings

"Do I really have to do this?" Grissom groaned as he and Sara started to re-paint his former study.

"Gil, Bailey needs to have her own bedroom. What do you expect her to sleep with Bruno?" Sara rolled her eyes, "quit bitching and start painting!"

Grissom sighed, "It's not that I don't want her to have a nice room, it's just I've spent a lot of hours in here. It seems wrong to paint it purple."

"Get over it and paint!" Sara ordered.

The two spent the entire morning painting the study a new pale shade of purple. Grissom eventually quit complaining and actually decided he liked the color. Their adoption of Bailey was about to be finalized and they wanted to surprise her with a space of her own when she came to live with them. They knew her favorite color was purple, so Sara picked out a shade of purple and they painted the room. All that was left was to add furniture, but that would have to wait until the paint was sufficiently dry.

"I can't believe she's really going to be ours," Sara said as they both lay back and looked at their work.

"We're doing the right thing. For all we know your little pregnancy scare was a sign that we're not supposed to have a child that way," Grissom suggested.

"Gil, since when do you believe in signs?" she asked.

"I don't necessarily, I was just making a casual observation," he shrugged.

"What about Bruno?" Sara asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Grissom was confused, "what about him?"

"Do you think he'll like her? I mean, what if they don't get along?" she worried.

"Come on Sara, Bruno is the sweetest dog. He always loves the children who run up to him at the park, he'll be fine. And remember when she wanted to see him?" he asked.

"You're right, I'm just nervous is all," she sighed.

"Everything will be fine. Bailey is a good kid too. We have a babysitter who can take care of her when we both have to be at work. It's just a matter of days and then this will all be real," he told her, "remember, you really want this."

"I know," she nodded, "but does that not entitle me to a case of nerves?"

"I'm nervous too," he admitted, "but we can do this. We got married and would you have even thought that possible a year ago?"

"I guess not," she laughed, "anything is possible I suppose."

"Hey, I've got an idea, why don't we go on a little shopping trip?" Grissom offered, "Pick out some toys and things to make Bailey feel at home."

"That's a wonderful idea," Sara leaned over and kissed him.

The couple drove to the mall and visited the toy store and picked out what they hoped were age appropriate toys. Grissom had insisted on picking out one toy by himself. When he rejoined Sara he had a tiny stuffed dog.

"Aw, that's adorable," Sara examined the toy, "she'll love it."

The days between painting what was to be Bailey's room and the day that they were going to bring her home passed painfully slowly. They arranged the furniture in the room and Sara placed a Cinderella bedspread across the tiny bed. When all the final touches seemed to be in place, they had nothing left to do but wait.

Finally the time came for them to pick up Bailey for what would hopefully be her last stay at the family courts. Grissom picked up their official completed adoption papers while Sara went and picked Bailey and her few belongings up.

"I go to your house today?" Bailey asked.

"Yes, sweetie. It's just like we talked about. You're going to come and live with me and Grissom," Sara explained.

"Yay!" Bailey planted a sloppy kiss on the end of Sara's nose.

Sara laughed, "Let's go find your new daddy."

Bailey's eyes lit up, "Yeah!"

They met up with Grissom in the lobby and led her out of the building towards Sara's car. They loaded her into a booster safety seat in the back and drove home.

"Guess what?" Grissom asked.

"What?" Bailey replied.

"You're going to have a dog," Grissom told her.

Bailey's jaw dropped, "I get a doggy?"

"Yes, you remember when I told you about my dog, Bruno?" he questioned.

"Uh huh," Bailey nodded, "I get to see him now?"

"You don't only get to see him, he's going to be your dog now too," Grissom smiled as the child clapped her hands joyfully together.

Sara exchanged a glance with him and they both knew that this was what they really wanted. Maybe they couldn't have their own child, but that was not totally out of the question either. At any rate, Bailey was going to be a wonderful addition to their little family. They pulled in the driveway and announced that this was to be Bailey's new home. Grissom lifted her out of the back seat and Sara led the way inside to Bailey's new bedroom.

The walking cast Bailey had worn at the wedding was now gone and she walked with a slight limp, but her physical therapy seemed to have done wonders. Grissom set her down and instructed her to close her eyes.

Sara opened the door with a flourish and announced, "Open your eyes, this is your new bedroom!"

Bailey opened her eyes, but before she could see the new room, Bruno ran in front of her and covered her face with doggy kisses.

Grissom laughed, "Bailey, meet our dog Bruno."

"Hi puppy," Bailey hugged the boxer's neck.

"Bruno, you are such a moment killer," Sara shook her head.

"Good dog," Bailey kissed him back.

"Now that these two have exchanged a disgusting amount of saliva, I think it's time for Bailey to inspect her new room," Grissom gently pried the dog away from the child.

Bailey took three steps into the room and screamed, "Cinderella!"

Sara stepped in behind her, "Yes honey, I knew that was your favorite story, so I thought you'd like that blanket."

"My room is purple," Bailey smiled and crawled up onto the bed where Grissom had placed the stuffed dog he'd picked out for her, "A doggy!"

"So you like your new room?" Grissom asked.

"Yes!" Bailey immediately replied.

"Three year olds are much easier to please than teenagers," Sara winked.

"Oh God, she's just come home, please don't make me worry about the days when she's a teenager," Grissom groaned.

Sara laughed, "It's a long way off, but someday it will happen."

Grissom placed an arm around Sara, "I love you, honey."

"I love you too," she returned.

"Are you going to be my mommy now?" Bailey asked, throwing Sara off guard.

"Yes," she nodded slowly, "but you don't have to call me mommy if it makes you sad. I know you still miss your mom."

"I want you to be my mommy," Bailey crawled off the bed and came over to embrace Sara.


A/N: Awww. Yes there it is; the chapter a lot of you have been waiting for. Bailey is now officially a Grissom. This story is still winding down and has only a few chapters left in it I feel. But whoever said there couldn't be a sequel…not that there's one in the works yet, it could happen.