AN: Thank you all for the reviews, here is the next chapter.

*Subtle References to the Miniature killer arc, including Living Doll/Dead Doll. Also referenced, Season 7: Fannysmakin, Season 6: Bang-Bang, and Season 5: Grave Danger.*

Chapter 38: Bring her back

20 hours later

After Sara finished the last bite of her meal she did a small sigh, and the sigh had nothing to do with her hunger being satisfied, which Bailey heard. "You have to go back into work, don't you?"

Sara nodded as looked toward her left, where her oldest child was sitting next to her in the booth. "Sorry, honey. I was lucky enough to get what time I did."

This was one of those times where she had no choice on how long she had to work, and considering how important the case was, she couldn't just quit in the middle of it. The team needed her. Which was established when she was suppose to have the night off, but with the case ending up being all hands on deck, she was called in. It also meant she hadn't seen the kids since she whispered goodbye to them while they slept before she had left last night, so the moment she found out she could spare an hour to eat, she wanted to share it with her kids.
The only sad part was that Grissom couldn't be here to join them, but she'll take what she could get.

Bailey nodded with a mixture of understanding and support before Sara gave her a little smile as she cupped her cheek. "I know I hadn't seen you guys all day. But maybe when this case is done, you, me, dad and the twins can go on a vacation for a few days. Maybe even a week to go visit your Grandma Grissom."

Bailey smiled. "I would like that, but we can't forget Hank."

Sara chuckled while shaking her head. "Never forget Hank."

Bailey chuckled back, and after Sara gave her another smile, she pushed her empty dishes away before bringing the two car seats, where they were sitting at the end of the table, in front of her so she could look at her two babies.

She does another little sigh before she smiled at them, then she placed each hand on their chests, running her hand up and down them while they were looking around, curious with the world around them. "I love you guys so much, I hope you know that. Maybe I'll officially ask for part time so we don't have to spend so much time apart. Just know I'm trying to be the best mother I can be."

Since she's gone back to work, even though she was starting to get the hang of balancing work and being a mother to newborns, she was second guessing her decision on still being a CSI.
She was thinking maybe she couldn't be both after all, or at least right now. Maybe things could be different when they got older, but...

Her thoughts were interrupted when Bailey spoke after placing her hand on her mother's arm after hearing the sad tone she was using with them. "Mom, you are doing a wonderful job with them, and me. They are lucky to have you in their lives, I feel lucky to have you in my life. And I bet if they could talk right now, they would say they couldn't have picked a better mother than you. I for one don't want you to give up a part of yourself that makes you happy."

Before Sara could respond to that, Bailey continued with a smile. "Now, I know that you'll say we make you happy, but sometimes you need that little extra something, and being a CSI does that for you, I know it does. You've helped a lot of people through the years, even me. In fact, you changed and saved my life, and there are still a lot of people out there that need your help, so it would be a shame for you to waste your talent. If you want me to, I can help more, I really don't mind. My true friends will understand the lack of time I spend with them right now, especially Lindsey, she'll have my back." Then she chuckled a little. "She'll probably even help too."

Not for the first time since she's officially been in her life, did her little girl cease to amaze her. It seemed Sara was amazed by her every day that passed them by.

Sara took a breath as she removed her left hand from her youngest daughter's chest to cover her oldest daughter's cheek. "Thank you sweetie for your words and offer, which we'll talk more about that part later. But it does mean a lot to me."

Bailey nodded with a smile, and after Sara leaned over and kissed her other cheek, she turned her attention back to the twins with another smile. "It looks like your sister has me second guessing my decision all over again. But know that I do love you, and that won't ever change." Then she kissed them before grabbing her CSI kit from under the table, and after Bailey slid out of the booth, Sara followed.

When she was standing, she looked at the new sitter, where she had been sitting on the other side of the table, then held out her hand. "Thank you, Crystal, for all your help."

About five of weeks ago, after thoroughly checking her background, a few one on one talks, and speaking to her references, where all reports came back very good to them, they had changed the sitter to one who took care of kids for a living.

It wasn't anything their neighbor had done to make them change who was watching their kids when they, or anybody else in their 'family', couldn't, they just felt it was better this way. Besides, Crystal's schedule was a little more flexible since she was use to changes on a whim, which was kind of needed with how Sara and Grissom's work schedules could get sometimes.

The early thirties, blond-haired woman smiled with her brown eyes sparkling as she shook Sara's hand. "No problem, Mrs. Grissom. But remember, I have to board a plane later tonight."

She was leaving Vegas to visit some family in the South for the weekend, which worked out great since Sara had that time off, if the case was solved by then.

Sara nodded as she released the young woman's hand. "I know, I remember. Hopefully we'll be done by then. But if not, I'll or Dr. Grissom will let you know what to do."

She nodded with a smile. "You got it, good luck."

Sara smiled and nodded at her before looking at the twins and giving them one more kiss, then she kissed her oldest on the cheek again. "I'll see you later, honey. Love you."

Bailey wrapped her arms around her mother as she replied. "I love you too, mom. I hope you can finally finish this case that's been bothering you and dad for so long."

She didn't know the details of it since it was still on-going, which has been for several months now.

Sara sighed as they pulled back, then nodded. "Me two sweetie, me too."

While it had it had its fascinating points, she was ready to close the miniature case once and for all, which at one point, they thought it was.

Sara mentally shook her head, not wanting to waste these last few seconds with her kids thinking about that, before sharing one more smile with them, then with the kit in her hand, she turned and walked out of the deli, wishing she didn't have to leave them but knew she did. Plus, she thought that the faster she got it done, the faster she would be back with them.

Sara had just gotten into the car garage elevator to go up so she could get to her vehicle when her phone rang, then after she saw who it was calling her, she smiled before answering it in a playful tone. "Hello Gilbert."

She could imagine a little pout on his face for being called that since his full name was only used when he was in trouble.

"Am I in trouble for something?"

Sara chuckled. "No babe, just thought I would answer the phone differently this time. So what can I do for you?"

He cleared his throat before answering. "We got an ID on the miniature killer, her name is Natalie Davis..."

As he continued to dish out the new details of the case, a sense of relief washed over her. This case had twisted the team, mostly her husband, in knots for months. It took most of their family time away from them, and deep down she knew it was a major contributor to those migraines he had before he went on his sabbatical.

They had thought it was solved when the suspect, who they thought had originally done it, committed suicide in a video that Grissom had witnessed, which was sometime before he left to go on his sabbatical. But when he came back home there was another miniature in a box waiting for him in his office, so they had ended up back at square one the last couple of months.

She was just glad that her husband's migraines weren't as bad the second time around, and that he felt stronger going through it. But it also made him, and the team, more determined to get it done this time. Which it looked like they were about to, they just didn't know how bad it was about to turn.

She walked out of the elevator as she finished. "Alright, I'll meet you at the lab."

"Ok. Before we hang up though, how are the kids?"

She does a small sigh. "They were great, Bailey is certainly a trooper with all of this."

Grissom smiled on his end. "Doesn't surprise me one bit, she's her mother's daughter." He took a breath before finishing the conversation. "Alright, I'll see you when I see you. Love you."

She smiled as she got to her vehicle. "I love you too, babe."

By the time Sara had hung up her phone, she was at the trunk of her car, so she opened it, and just as she placed her kit inside, she heard a soft voice say her name. "Sara."

Instinctively she turned toward the voice, but a second later, and before she could process anything, she was shot with a stun gun, making her shake, so she dropped her phone in the trunk of her car before falling down on the ground. And her last thought before she had blacked out was how much love she had felt for her family.

When Grissom and Catherine made it back to the lab, he started walking toward his office, happy that the longest case, in what seemed like his life, was finally coming to an end. He just wasn't aware that it was about to become a lot worse than he ever expected.

Once he got to his office door, he opened it and stepped in, seeing a miniature model on his desk. It was of a desert with a red mustang car tipped over, which if he really studied it in that moment he would've noticed it was a smaller version of car that him and Sara had processed six weeks ago in that alleyway. Then as he got closer to it, he sees a hand from a miniature doll sticking out from under the car, mechanically moving.

He grabbed a tissue from his desk, then silently took a breath as he grabbed the car with it before lifting it up, revealing the full body of the doll, which the moment he saw the face of it, his heart dropped down to his stomach while his mouth went dry, because he knew that face like the back of his hand, and the miniature was telling him that his wife, the mother of his children, his everything was somewhere in the desert, under a car, fighting for her life.

Now he knew he needed all of his strength and hers to find and save her, because it wasn't going to end like this. After everything she's been through, he wasn't going to let her go down like this. Her kids still needed her, he still needed her. He wasn't ready to say goodbye.

Hours later

With the sitter having to leave, she had brought the kids to the lab before Grissom placed them in his office since he wanted them nearby. Which the moment Bailey had looked into his eyes, she could see the worry in them, so she told him that she'll take care of the twins so he could do what he had to do, having a very strong feeling that whatever it was that had his attention and concentration had something to do with her mother since one, she wasn't around, and two, she's never seen him look so lost before.

Since she's known her dad, she had seen him look sad or worried a few times when one of the other 'family' members were injured, like when Uncle Brass got shot and Uncle Greg's beating, or even when Uncle Nick had been kidnapped and put underground, but the feeling of his wife missing must have felt like a piece of himself was missing, which she understood. Not the feeling of course, since she's never felt that yet, but the idea and concept of it, and she would have to agree to a certain extent, because if the family had lost her, it would feel like a piece of them would be missing too.

Bailey's thoughts get interrupted when she heard a commotion outside of the office, so she turned her head from the book she was just looking at since she had stopped really reading the words hours ago, and saw through the window that a few people were running by. Then a few seconds later the office door opened, and when she had stood up and turned toward it, she saw a little hope in her dad's eyes.

She took a breath before asking. "Did you find her?"

He walked in the room with a small smile. "We have a location."

She nodded in understanding with tears in her eyes. "Go get her back, we'll be fine."

Grissom walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her immediately. "With you in charge I know you three will be, and I'm sorry I didn't..."

If time wasn't so essential the moment he saw that miniature on his desk, he would have stopped and talked to her more about what was happening and reassured her.

But Bailey cuts him off while sniffling. "I don't care about that. It doesn't really even matter now, just bring her back."

He kissed her head and whispered. "I love you, and if you need anything let Judy know."

She nodded against him, knowing he was talking about the receptionist, before he turned to his twins, which they were in their car seats on the two chairs, sleeping, then he kneeled down and whispered to them. "I'm bringing your mom home guys, be good for your older sister. I love you."

After one more look at his kids, he rushed out of the room, determined to get his wife and the mother of his children back.

As Bailey stood there watching her father rush out, she closed her eyes and hoped this had a happy ending because she couldn't imagine losing another person she loved, especially another mom.

AN: I had to keep you guys guessing for as long as I could, that's why the miniatures weren't mentioned before, so I hope it worked out with how I slipped it in the story. Now find out what happens next, Sara's fate will be revealed. Please review.