Summary: Another graduation brings home a couple who were sorely missed, which they come home bringing good news.

Genre: Romance, Family, Friendship
Rating: Very low T
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Slight suggestions
Main Parings: GSR
Minor Parings: Rick/Elizabeth, William/Bella, Jason/Madison (Mention only)
Other Characters: Isabella Grissom, Katie Grissom, Other family members mention only


Chapter 32: Coming home with good news

June, 2028

It was close to lunch time, Sara was in the kitchen getting ready to make sandwiches while Grissom and Katie were out in the backyard so Grissom could give Katie an entomology lesson, and Isabella was sitting on the couch reading her book when she heard the front door open.

She lifted her head up in surprise and turned so she had a better angle at the front door, then she started to smile and get excited, but William, who was with Bella, placed a finger up to his lips, causing her to nod with a wider smile, then he signed. 'Where is mom?'

'In the kitchen, making sandwiches.'

He nodded before walking towards the kitchen, stopping in the doorway once he got there and seeing his mom with her back towards him, making him smile as he watched her for a few seconds in silence before he cleared his throat and asked. "I hope you made enough for me."

Sara just about jumped in the air at first sound, then when she realized it was her son's voice, she shouted as she turned around. "Oh my God, you're here!" Before she ran up to him, giving him the biggest hug he's ever received, causing him to chuckle while he embraced his mother for the first time in almost year.

A few seconds later, Grissom and Katie rushed in, wondering what the commotion was, and they too were excited William was home, but since Sara wasn't letting go of her son at the moment, they embraced Bella, which Isabella did that as well.

When Sara finally eased her grip on him, she pulled back to look at her boy with a smile, then she lightly hits him on the arm. "How come you didn't tell me you were coming home!"

They all chuckled before William spoke with a smile. "And miss that reaction? No way." After another round of chuckling, he continued. "We wanted it to be a surprise, so surprise."

Sara's smile gets wider as she cupped his cheek. "What an amazing surprise it is. I love you."

"Love you, too mom."

After she pulled back further, so the rest of the family could get their personal greeting with William, she greeted Bella while father and son got their greeting in, then Katie asked while it was her turn. "So, when are you leaving again?"

He chuckled as he held his youngest sister. "I just got here and you already want me out the door again?"

Katie chuckled while shaking her head. "No." Then her voice gets a little softer. "I just want to prepare myself for when..."

William cuts her off as he cups her cheek. "I get it, and that's something I want to talk about later, alright?"

Katie nodded, and started to smile again. "Alright. It's good to see you again."

"And you too, Love you Katie bear."

"And I love you."

Once the siblings pulled back, William brings his other sister in his arms for a few moments, then after pulling back, he looks at her then gives her a curious look a second later, causing her to ask a little shyly. "What?"

He remained quiet for a few more seconds before asking with a smile. "I don't know, something seems different with you, like you have gotten just a little older than the last time I've seen you."

Before she could ask, Katie spoke with a smile, almost teasing. "She has a boyfriend."

He looked at his sister with wide-eyes. "You have a what now? How come this is the first I am hearing of this?" He then looks at his dad. "Dad?"

Grissom smiled as he closed the fridge then looked at his son. "He seems like a good boy."

William nodded before looking at Isabella again, who was giving him a shy look, and he smiled. "He better be, or me and him will have words. So, who is he?"

Before she could speak, Katie did. "His name is Ben."

Before William could speak, Isabella does with a smile. "Can I tell him? He's my boyfriend."

Katie placed her hands up in surrender, then after everybody chuckled, Sara spoke. "Why don't you tell him while we are eating lunch. Time to wash up, girls."

Isabella and Katie nodded before they rushed out of the room so they could go wash their hands upstairs while William and Bella went outside to get their bags, leaving Sara and Grissom alone in the kitchen, and they were beaming that their son made an unexpected trip home.

Even with Rick and Elizabeth graduating in a few days, they weren't sure if William and Bella would be here for the special occasion since they didn't give them any indication that they would the last time they talked, but it was a very welcomed surprise nonetheless.


When William and Bella had grabbed their bags and walked back inside the house, he placed his bags to the side of front door before taking one of her bags and walked them upstairs to his childhood room, and when they got in there, they smiled as they both saw the room was just like it was when they last saw it, including both Cubby's on his bed.

They set her bags on the end of the bed before she asked. "Are you sure you'll take the guest room, I..."

He shook his head as he wrapped his arms around her. "No, it's ok, I want you to use this room." He then sighed as he continued softly. "I am going to miss sleeping next to you though."

While they were innocent for the most part, since they've been on their trip they've slept cuddled together, but as long as they were here they'll be in separate beds for the first time in almost a year.

Bella nodded as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Me too, but your parents have rules, and I want to follow them." He nodded with another sigh, before she smirked in a low voice. "Although, maybe we can find some nights around that."

He raised an eyebrow before asking with a smile. "You aren't suggesting we sneak, are you?"

She shyly replied. "Maybe."

He chuckled as he brings her closer. "I sure love how your mind works."

She smiled wider as she brings him even more closer. "Right back at you."

They kissed softly before placing their foreheads against one another while they both whispered. "I love you."


(A few hours later)

With the small gathering of family and friends were in the backyard at the Grissom household, which they'll have a bigger gathering for Elizabeth's and Rick's graduation, Isabella was the only one in the house when there was a knock on the front door, so she went to it and opened it.

When her eyes met Jason's, he gave her a small smile and said. "Hey."

She cleared her throat and replied. "Hi."

With him being busier since moving out of the Grissom household, this was the first time they've seen one another in awhile, so as much as he didn't want to, he's missed the family dinners since then, which both Sara and Grissom understood, but they weren't giving up on seeing him at one of those dinners.

"Isabella."

"Jason."

They both chuckled before Isabella spoke. "Can I say something?" After Jason nodded, she spoke again softly. "I want to say I'm sorry for how I acted the last time we saw one another." Jason was about to speak, but she continued before he could. "It was immature of me." Once again she spoke before he could. "And I want to thank you for keeping how I acted between us."

He gives her a little smile. "I get it, and I figured you could handle it yourself, so..."

He trails off as she nodded. "What I felt towards you I know was wrong, and I have a wonderful boyfriend."

He gives her a happy look. "So, Ben's your official boyfriend?" Isabella nodded with a proud look on her face, and he continued. "Then I'm really happy for you, that's all I ever wanted for you."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, so friends?"

He held out his hand, and she nodded with a smile as she took it. "Always."

As they release hands, William had walked into the house and smiled at his friend. "Hey, Jas, come in."

Jason came in the house after Isabella moved to the side to let him in, and while the men were greeting one another, Isabella was closing the door with her heart racing.

While she knew that what she felt for Jason was wrong, no matter how much she told herself that she shouldn't be feeling this way about him, considering, and among a bunch of other things as well, she did have a boyfriend she really liked, it was looking like her feelings for him weren't leaving anytime soon, so she was doing her best to keep them away from her thoughts. And considering he didn't notice how she still felt about him, she thought she was doing a better job at hiding it, and if that's the way it will have to be, so be it.

She mentally sighed and shook her head as she walked past the men and walked outside.

When Jason and William were alone, William continued his greeting. "It's nice to see you again, man. And thank you."

Jason looked at him a little confused. "For what?"

He gave his friend a smile. "For being here." He then sighed as he continued with sympathy. "I mean I know how you ended up here wasn't a good thing, but, you here being with my family, watching over them..."

Jason cuts him off. "Hey, you know I could never be a substitute for you. If they had a choice, you would have been their first one."

William nodded. "I know." Then he sighed before smirking. "Just, please take the thank you."

Jason chuckled with a nod. "Ok, you're welcome."

After a moments pause, William asked with a raised eyebrow. "So, are the rumors true, you and Madison again?"

Jason gives him a bright smile, a brighter smile William had really seen in awhile. "Yeah, I mean this long distance thing isn't something I thought...we thought, we would ever do. But we believe it's worth it, even if we don't know how long it will last. We just want to enjoy it for as long as possible."

William smiled a little wider. "Well then, good for you, both of you."

Jason nodded. "Thank you."

A second later, Bella walked into the house and saw Jason, so they smiled at one another and gave each other hugs before the three of them joined the rest of the group outside.


(A few hours later)

At point during the evening, Rick was sitting at one of the round tables alone while the girls and Jason were speaking to one another closer to the snack/drink table, so William walked over to his best friend and sat down next to him with a smile. "Hey, what's going on? This is suppose to be happy times, but you look like you've just lost your best friend." He then smirked a little. "Which you know you haven't, right?" When Rick only gave him a small smile with a nod before he looked down at the table, William lost the smirk and got a little worried. "It's not me. It's another best friend you're worried about, your other half, isn't it?"

Rick took a breath and said softly. "I think I made a mistake."

William's eyes get wide. "You didn't do what I think you did, you didn't cheat..."

Rick cuts off his best friend with shocked eyes. "What!? No, of course not, I could never, I would never..."

He trials off, shaking his head, getting sick with even the thought of doing that Elizabeth. She was everything he ever wanted, always had been, and no doubt, always will be.

Before William cold ask, Rick continued after a sigh. "As her boyfriend, I should want what's best for her, no matter what, right?"

William nodded with a smile. "Absolutely."

He sighed again. "Well, she is choosing to go to UCLA with me, and I was so happy when she got the acceptance letter and told me that's where she wanted to go."

"OK, isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes, but what I didn't tell you was that she had gotten other offers, Ivy University offers. She could go to Harvard, Princeton, Yale, hell, anywhere she wants, even outside of the country. But yet, she choosing to go to UCLA." There was a slight pause before Rick continued with a little more urgency. "Not that I am knocking UCLA, mind you. But Ivy Universities, man."

William nodded in understanding as he mentioned. "And before you two got together, that's all she would talk about going."

Rick nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I want her to be with me during the next phase of our lives, but what if she's making a mistake by not going to one of those other schools? I don't want her to look back one day and feel like she made the biggest mistake of her life"

William sighed while shaking his head. "I don't know, this is something you two are going to have to figure our yourselves, as much as I want to help with that."

"I know." Then he cleared his throat and shook his head with a slight smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring this up when you jus..."

William cuts him off with a friendly smile. "Hey, don't worry about it, you're my best friend, you can tell me anything. Nothing is off limits, no matter what." After a seconds pause, and once he made sure no one was around, he continued. "And just so you know, if there is a chance she does change her mind, you won't be going to UCLA alone."

Another nod, Rick replied with a somewhat brighter smile. "Yeah I know, it's just of matter how long you and Bella will make me wait."

William chuckled and shook his head. "Actually, we aren't making you wait, your Freshman year will be ours as well."

Rick gets wide eyed. "No way, for real?"

William nodded with a chuckle and smile. "For real."

Rick then chuckled. "Hell yeah, this is freaking awesome!"

Their moment was interrupted when Elizabeth, who was with Bella and Jason, asked. "What's awesome?"

Rick looked at William shyly. "Sorry."

William shook his head with a chuckle. "It's ok, we were only waiting to say something till after your graduation so we didn't steal either of yours thunder."

Rick shook his head with a smile, which Elizabeth was happy to see because she couldn't help but feel something was bothering him for awhile now. "Hey, if you're stealing our thunder for this type of news, then steal away."

When William looked at Elizabeth, she shook her head with a smile. "I don't know what it is, but it's making Rick happy, so go ahead."

William then looked at Bella, and while she wasn't a 100% sure what it was, she did have a small feeling on what it was, so she nodded with one of her smiles.

He smiled in return before he stood up from his chair and cleared his throat before speaking loudly so everybody could hear. "Can I have everybody's attention please?" The Brown family, Bolden family, and his family all stopped speaking before their attention turned to him, then after a moments pause, William continued. "I wanted to wait until after a certain graduation."

He was interrupted when Lindsey started cheering for her brother, which her mother and father joined in, while Carly started cheering for her niece, which the other Bolden family started cheering as well.

When they all calmed down, William chuckled before speaking again. "But since I got permission to share, here I go. Starting the next school year, Bella and I will be Freshman at UCLA."

After a moment of shook, Sara gasped with tears in her eyes. "Really?"

William looked at his mother with a smile. "Really mom, your son is coming home for good."

Sara rushed down the stairs to give him a big hug, which was tighter than when he came home, but he didn't care at the moment, and just hugged her in return, while the rest of the family looked on with smiles, happy about this news.


(Later that evening)

After dinner time with the Grissom family, Rick was driving Elizabeth home, which was a silent drive, then when he pulled into the driveway to her parent's two story, four bedroom house, and before she opened the door and got out of the vehicle, she looked at her boyfriend of almost two years and asked softly. "Did I so something wrong?" He looked at her immediately and was about to speak, but she continued before he could. "Because I thought that once we...we'll, you know, that we would be closer than ever before, but it feels like you've been pulling away from me since then. Unless, it is because we..."

This time he did cut her off, especially when he noticed she started to have tears in her eyes, while taking her hand. "No, babe, that's not why I'm...you did nothing wrong."

She believed him, but something was going on with him, so she asked as she squeezed his hand. "Then what is it? You can tell me anything."

He nodded. "I know that." He took a moment while she waited patiently, then he took a breath before speaking softly. "I just don't want you to make a mistake, I know I should have said this sooner, but maybe I was being a little selfish."

A little confused, she asked. "Sweetheart, what are you talking..."

He cuts her off. "Out of every school out there, not to mention your dream school, why..."

She cuts him off with a smile, now knowing where he was going with this, and with no doubt in her eyes. "UCLA? You mean the only school that has something, or more like someone, all those other schools won't have at the start of the school year?" Rick started to smile shyly, knowing she was talking about him, but on the other hand, knowing she was talking about him, he was about to speak, but she cuts him off again. "And yeah, I know I've talked about going to an Ivy University from about 6 years old till..."

He cuts her off with a smirk. "More like bragged, but go on."

She chuckled with a nod. "About 16, but do you want to know when my dream changed directions?" She answers before he could. "The moment you kissed me back almost two years ago."

He shook his head. "But Beth..."

She cuts him off once again. "I love you, and I know this decision will affect my whole life, which is preciously why I chose UCLA. My future lies with you, babe, and I want to experience this time with you. I don't want to be literally across the country from one another for four, or more, years, only visiting one another on holidays or special occasions."

He smiled as he takes her hand and brings it to his lips to kiss it, then he replied softly. "I love you too. I just want you to be sure. I want you to have everything you ever want in life."

She smiled with tears in her eyes. "As long as I have you, then I have everything I ever wanted."

Seeing no doubt in her eyes, he moved his free hand up to her cheek to cup to, then finished. "And you do, now more than ever."

Seeing no doubt in his eyes, she smiled wider as she moves forward to kiss him, and he kissed her back a second later.

After several minutes, they slowed their kissing down, and after one last soft kiss, they placed their foreheads together and took a deep breath, then she pulls back completely and gave him a smile with her eyes sparkling. "Besides, if we are living in the same area, we can get an apartment soon, and I'm sure we can think of something to do when we are not in class, studying or entertaining others."

Rick raised his eyebrow. "Oh really?"

She nodded with a brighter smile. "Really."

He took a breath as he ran his thumb up and down her cheek. "It could be as simple as us cuddling on the coach while watching our favorite TV show, and the moment will still mean everything to me."

"And we can do that too. Whatever life you are dreaming for us, I want it all."

He smirked, but apart of him was serious. "Even the number of kids? Because you know mom is looking forward to a lot of grandkids."

Elizabeth chuckled before replying. "We'll talk more about that when that particular time gets closer to us." He nodded with a smile in agreement, then she sighed, not wanting to leave him, but knew she had to. "I better get inside."

"OK, I love you."

"I love you too."

They share one more kiss before she turns to get out of the vehicle, and after closing the door, she headed towards the front door of the house, which Rick watched the whole way to make sure she got in before he left with a smile on his face, feeling more excited about the next phase of his life more than ever before.


Three weeks later

After a successful graduation day for Rick and Elizabeth, then not long after, a good day for Isabella's 14th birthday, it was getting closer to the 4th of July, which also meant that William and Bella, along with Rick and Elizabeth, since it was a graduation gift, were leaving the next day for another trip, although this one will be a lot shorter since they had to be back before the start of the upcoming school year.

But before they left, Sara wanted to talk to her son.

She was in the master bedroom when William knocked on the door frame with a smile. "You wanted to see me?"

Sitting on her side of the bed, Sara nodded with a smile. "Yes, come in, and come here, please."

He nodded as he walked into the room, and after he sits down next to his mother, Sara removes her hand from the object she had in her other hand and handed it to him.

He looked down at the ring box and looked at his mother in shock. "Mom?"

Sara gave her son a more shy smile before explaining. "Now, I'm not saying get married now. But in the future, hopefully at least a few years in the future, when you feel that you're ready for this step, your father and I would like you to propose with this ring...if you want."

Feeling a little shocked about the sentiment, he cleared his throat and asked. "What about..."

She cuts him off with another smile. "You're the oldest."

William nodded in understanding before taking the ring box from his mother before opening it, seeing an engagement ring that's been passed down from his great-grandma on his father's side.

He cleared his throat again before looking at his mother again. "Thank you mom, this means a lot to me, and I'm sure she'll love it." He then shyly asked. "But, how did you know she..."

She cuts him off with a smirk. "That she was going to be 'it' for you? Pretty much the first night we heard her name from you." She took a breath as she shook her head. "There was just something about the way your eyes lit up, and considering they don't really light up like that around anyone else, or at least towards any other girl that is, it was either her or no one else."

William nodded with a smile. "That's exactly how feel, and I promise it will be a few years before I even propose."

Sara nodded in return while William stood up, then as he was walking towards the door, Sara cleared her throat and started speaking with slight smirk. "And speaking of which, you know how much your father and I want grandchildren, but we would like you to wait a few more years for that too, if you can."

William turned around to look at her mother with wide-eyes and a little hint of embarrassment. "We aren't...we haven't..."

Sara cuts her son off with a smile. "You are 18 years old, and I know by now that you know that actions have consequences." William was about to speak but she continued. "That being said though, when you come back home from your trip we can talk about new sleeping arrangements."

They decided to stay at the house when they start school until they could afford their own apartment.

William looked a little shocked at this. "Mom..."

But she cuts him off once again. "As long as you two promise you'll keep things PG, especially when we are all in the house."

Like usual, there were so many questions going through his head, this time on why his mother would allow that, but for once, probably for the first time in his life, he wasn't questioning anything she said, just in case he ends up talking her out of it somehow, so he just nodded with a bright smile. "I...we promise, mom."

Sara nodded with a smile in reply before William turned and finally walked out of the room, which Sara couldn't help but see a little spring in his step, causing her to chuckle lightly before turning her head to look at an older framed photo that was on her nightstand.

She reached for it while Grissom walked into the room and asked with a smile. "So, what was making our son so happy? Was it the ring box in his hand, or the other thing we talked about?"

Still looking at the photo when the kid's ages were from 8-2, Sara smiled. "Probably both."

Grissom sits down next to her and smirks. "Did you tell him why about the new sleeping arrangements?"

One night a few weeks ago, Sara woke up and wanted a drink of water, and usually when she woke up in the middle of the night she still liked to check on the kids while they slept, and so on that particular night, she got a surprise when she saw Bella sleeping in William's arms in the extra bedroom.

And one of the reasons why they didn't say anything to them, while making them think they had one over them, was because they understood that feeling of just starting out and falling asleep in each other's arms (That was part of their own relationship they loved most about their first five months together, and still loved to this day), especially when they knew they had more than likely shared a bed during their travels, and that was almost a whole year. Whether they were actually doing anything remained to be seeing, until just a few moments ago when Sara believed her son when he said they hadn't. Plus, they rather know what is going on under their roof then them sneaking around.

She shook her head before sighing, once again thinking how fast her kids have grown before she looked at her husband with a smirk. "I didn't want to embarrass him more than he already was."

Grissom just nodded in understanding while he looked down at the photo she had in her hands, and he too sighed, thinking the same thing his wife was, then he lifted his head up and kissed her temple while wrapping his arms around her waist, which she lifted her arms up slightly until his arms where around her before he smiled against her temple. "Guess what, our son is finally..."

Sara cuts him off. "Don't say it yet, he's not officially home yet, they still have one more trip."

He chuckled. "You don't want to jinx it."

She shook her head with a smile. "No way."

He kissed her temple again before nodding. "Ok, and when he is officially home?"

She smiled brightly. "We'll have the best party in the neighborhood."

He chuckled one more time. "I'm in." Then he sighed one more time. "But, you have to admit, no matter how short this visit was, it was nice having him...them, home."

She sighed in content as she looked back down at the photo. "Yes it is."

As they sat there, looking at the photo again, they felt a new chapter in their lives was upon them, and as long as this chapter will end up having their son back in their daily lives, it should only get better from there.


AN: More to come soon. Thanks for reading, and please review.