AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter. Warning: Possible Trigger moment with mention of violence. Also, things are starting to heat up a little between a certain couple we all love.

Chapter 12: Finding out the truth

9 months later

Dec, 1986

Ever since spring break it seemed time had flown by, although in some cases, to Stephanie, and Nick for that matter, time sometimes felt like it was going too slow, like the day before Stephanie and Michelle were going back to Texas for a few weeks during the first part of their summer break. And now, during winter break, which would start in a few days from now, there were plans for Nick to arrive with Stephanie and Michelle's dad.

Stephanie's thoughts get interrupted when she finally heard her mother's voice. "Stephanie sweetie, did you hear a word I just said?"

Before she could respond, Michelle, now 14 years old, smirked. "She's probably thinking about her boyfriend."

Everybody chuckled while Stephanie shyly smiled before she shook her head and replied while she looked at her mother, who was holding her 8 month old half-brother, Jacob Charles, named after her stepfather & grandfather. "Sorry mom, what did you say?"

"I just wanted to remind you that the deadline to mailing college applications for the first semester is fast approaching."

Stephanie nodded her head. "I know, I'm almost done."

"You see to get that done before Nick shows up, alright?"

Stephanie nodded with another shy smile. "Yes, ma'am."

After Maria nodded the group around the breakfast table started talking among themselves, while Stephanie got back to another set of thoughts, the next step of her education, which unlike Sara and Grissom, whom both have already decided long before this school year on where they were going to college, she has been torn between two for years, but now that she was in a relationship and the thought of spending even more time apart wasn't that appealing, a third school, the one her boyfriend will be going to in the fall, has entered the picture.

Stephanie mentally shook her head as she finished her remaining bites of breakfast before asking Sara while standing up. "You want a ride to school or is Grissom taking you?"

With the older girls driving now, the family got a good deal on a vehicle that Stephanie and Sara were sharing, and even though they were doing that with no problems, most of the times Sara rides with Grissom whenever he drives anyways, so Stephanie has done more of the driving than Sara has.

"Grissom."

Stephanie nodded then looked at her sisters and foster brother. "If you guys are about ready to..."

They all shouted ready as they stood up with their bowls/plates, she smirked before looking at her mother, who was giving her a appreciative look that she was willing to drive the kids to school. "Thank you, honey."

"No problem mom."

After telling her siblings she'll wait for them in the vehicle, she told her parents goodbye before walking out of the house.

Once Sara and Grissom made it to the school campus and he had parked in his usual spot, they got out of his vehicle, and just like they've been doing for almost a year now, they took each other's hands and headed for their, now shared, locker while hearing other students they passed in the halls that they think they are the cutest couple in school, and while that chatter hadn't been like it was when they first starting dating, they would still get that compliment from time to time. Which it wasn't that they didn't like hearing/appreciated it, they just didn't really pay that much attention to it, because even if they were talked about being the least/worst couple in school, all that mattered to them was how they felt about one another, and still after a year, the feelings were only getting stronger.

However, while most of the school was behind the 'cutest' couple, there was one person in particular who was getting sick and tired of hearing how cute they were, like they were being praised as if they were royalty, and while he had this secret for over a year, a secret that could change everything, or at least that's what he was counting on, he promised he would never reveal it.
But the feeling on sharing it was becoming overwhelming, especially the last few months, and today he just couldn't hold back any longer, so when he saw Sara and Grissom at their locker, he started to take a few steps towards them, and when his girlfriend saw where he was headed, she took his arm and said. "Babe, just leave them alone."

He shook his head the next moment and removed his arm from her hand. "Sorry, but I can't do that." Then he spoke a little louder to get the somewhat small crowd that was in the hall their attention as he continued speaking while walking up towards the couple. "I think it's time everybody was in on a secret that's been kept hidden. I mean everybody needs to know who they are 'rooting' for, right?"

Grissom sighed as he looked back at Jimmy. "What are you talking about Jimmy? There are no..."

He cuts him off with a smirk. "Are you 100% certain there are no secrets, that you know everything there is to know about Sara?"

Grissom narrowed his eyes, feeling very confident. "Of course I do."

He then looked at Sara and smirked again. "Does he really know everything about you? Like how you ended up in foster care for instance."

Trying to hold her emotions together, she looked at Jimmy and spoke softly, almost pleading really. "Jimmy please."

That 'please', which indicated there was something there, caught Grissom's attention as his look softened at her. "Sara, what's he talking about?"

Now Jimmy almost felt giddy that he did know something Grissom didn't. "Oh, so he doesn't know." After ignoring another plea from Sara, he finally said it. "Well, I would be careful with this one, she might go psycho like her mother and kill you." Everybody gasped while Sara dropped her bag and ran towards the exit of the hall as he finished. "That's right, her mother killed her father, and that's the full story of Sara Sidle."

While it remained silent, Grissom's hand started to ball up in a fist as his blood started to boil, upset that this guy had to do something to humiliate his girlfriend, and he was very tempted to punch him, but he didn't get a chance to even move towards him because like a flash, he saw Stephanie take Jimmy down from the side and in surprise before she got on top of him and started hitting him, calling him some very stronger curse words.

Knowing there was a strict no tolerance for fighting and she could be suspended, or worst, expelled, Grissom got into action on trying to get his cousin off of him, and after a few push-backs, Grissom finally pleaded to her. "Please Steph, he's not worth you getting expelled over and redoing your senior year."

Finally she did stop and let Grissom pull her up while she nodded. "You're right. " Then she looked down at the guy on the floor with angry in her eyes. "I knew she was always too good for you. I'm glad she dumped you."

Once she was done speaking, they go to the locker, picked up Sara's bag, closed the locker before they went in search for Sara while the remaining students in the hall looked stunned at what they just witnessed/heard.

After searching the four girl's restrooms, library, the girl's locker room, the gym bleachers, the few secret hideouts they liked to be when they wanted a little more quiet for studying, with no sign of her, they headed outside by the track bleachers and saw her sitting there with her head down.

Stephanie was right by Sara's side in a heartbeat, and as the other girl comforted her, Grissom couldn't help but ask, even though he knew it shouldn't matter now, but it did to him. "You don't seem that surprised on what was said, so you knew too?"

Stephanie knew he would be hurt, but she couldn't lie, so she nodded her head. "Yes, I've known pretty much from the beginning, and it was in strict confidence that I didn't say anything. She's my best friend."

In fact, when Sara told Stephanie what had happened that landed her in foster care, even though she was terrified on what the other girl's response would be, it not only made their friendship stronger, but it also made Stephanie feel more protective over her.

Grissom frowned with a little pang in his heart. "I thought I was her best friend too."

Stephanie sighed. "I know you're hurt for not knowing, but this isn't about you and your bruised ego right now."

Before he could speak, Stephanie turned her attention to Sara. "What do you need, you name it, you got it."

Sara, who was still in shock, sad, upset, pretty much every emotion in the book, finally spoke softly. "I really don't want to be here today."

Stephanie nodded. "Ok, I'll go call mom to come get you, I'm sure she'll give you a pass today." Before she got up she asked. "Will you be ok?"

Sara nodded with a small smile. "Yeah."

Stephanie hugged Sara before standing up, and after giving Grissom a look that said 'go easy on her', he raised his hands up in surrender before Stephanie walked away so she could head to the front office and call her mom.

After a moment of silence, Sara finally looked at Grissom, who now had his back turned towards her while he looked out towards the horizon, then she spoke softly. "I'm sorry I never told you. I guess when it came down to it, I didn't want you to see me in a different light, something that would change your opinion of me, that would cause you to stop loving me."

She said that last part with tears in her eyes, and he closed his eyes, hearing her pain, then he shook his head before he turned around to look at her. "There is nothing in the world that you could tell me that would ever make me stop loving you."

She sniffled as she asked. "So, what you just heard..."

He cuts her off instantly as he walked closer to her so he could sit down next to her. "Changes nothing on how I feel about you.
If this was Jimmy's sad attempt to break us up, then he failed miserable." Grissom sighed before he finished, still a little hurt. "It's just...him, you told him before you even told me?"

"I know, and I honestly don't know why I did it, not only because it was obviously a stupid decision, but because the way I felt about him never even came close to how I feel about you, and you're the only guy that I want to share all my secrets with."

That gave Grissom a little smile as he replied. "And I want to be the one to hear all your secrets." Before she could speak, he took her hand and asked with love. "Are you ok?"

She sighed as she squeezed his hand lightly. "Ask me that tomorrow, when I have a bunch of students looking at me like I am crazy."

"Whatever happens now, you won't be alone, I'll be right there by your side."

She smiled lightly before they moved closer to one another so they could wrap their arms around one another for a hug.

Later that evening

After changing/doing his nightly routine in the bathroom, Grissom walked into his bedroom, turned out his light, and was heading towards his night stand to turn on his lamp when he heard tapping on his window.

He turned on his lamp, smiled towards the window as he walked towards it, then after opening it and helping her through, Sara asked as she bit her lip. "Do you mind tonight?"

He smirked with love in his eyes. "Do you really have to ask that?" She looked down shyly, and he chuckled slightly before taking her hand and walking them towards his bed once the window was closed and locked.

When they got there, they release hands, and she sits down on the side of it so she could take her shoes off while he walked around the other side so he could get in.

A moment later they were in the middle of his bed, cuddled together, and while he ran his hand up and down her back it was silent for several more minutes before she spoke softly. "There is more to my story than what you heard earlier today." Grissom stopped his action as she continued. "While Stephanie, and..." She felt Grissom stiffen at the name that was coming up, so she stopped short of saying it. "The name I won't say, knew how I became a foster child, they don't know that there was more behind it."

Grissom had a very bad feeling go to the pit of his stomach, and he didn't want her to share if she really wasn't ready, so he spoke softly. "Sara, you don't..."

But she cuts him off as she pulls back a little so they could share eye contact. "I do, it's time you know the whole story. I don't want to hide this forever, and I want you to be the first to know, outside of Maria, Jacob, your mom, and Evelyn since it's in my file."

He nodded in understanding before moving his hand so it was cupping her cheek. "I won't say a word."

She nodded with a smile. "I know, I can trust you."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, whispering against her skin. "Whenever you're ready, I'm right here."

He pulled back as she nodded, and once she was closer to him again, there was a short pause before she told him that what she had remembered from her childhood it actually started out as happy, loving even, but then as she got older her household started to change dramatically, her father started drinking more which resulted in violence, especially towards her mother, so there were more than enough trips to the hospital to already last her a lifetime before she even reached eight, until one night her mother just had enough and changed her daughter's life forever.

By the time she was finished telling him her story, she was sobbing, so Grissom was comforting her as his heart broke for her.
He had no idea what she had gone through when she was younger, which did explain why she could of had so many nightmares, and now he was beyond thankful for what his cousin did by bringing her into this family, which he would have felt that way even if they were still just friends.

After she calmed down somewhat, she whispered. "And that's the true, full story of Sara Sidle."

He pulled back a little so he could look in her eyes, then spoke with tears in them as he cupped her cheek. "I am so sorry you went through that, I wish I could have been there to protect you through all of it."

She nodded with tears in her eyes again. "I know, but you're here now."

He then spoke with passion/determination as he wiped a few tears off her cheeks with his thumb. "And you'll never have to go through that ever again, no one will ever touch you like that, especially not while I'm still breathing."

She took his hand from her cheek and kissed the palm of it before replying with love. "These hands were made to show love and tenderness, not violence."

When they looked into each other's eyes again, passion was growing in them, so they both moved forward and met in the middle, their lips touching instantly while each other hands cupped the other's cheek just as quickly.

Eventually their hands moved up and down the top half of their bodies before her hand slipped under his shirt, causing him to stop them so he could catch his breath and speak. "Sara?"

She bit her lip, now feeling a little embarrassed, then she spoke. "I just want, need..."

She trials off and looks down before he lifts her chin up and asks with love and sincerity. "What do you need? Want? Anything."

She cleared her throat before asking. "I just want to feel your skin against mine...I mean not like..."

He cuts hers off with a knowing look. "It's ok, I understand."

Seeing the truth in his eyes that he was ok with just shirts off, caused her heart to skip a beat, not that she hadn't seen him without a shirt before, just never in these moments.

When she didn't make a move, he smirked. "So, am I doing the honors, or what?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "No, that's my job."

He chuckled this time as they moved to sit up more, and while looking into his eyes, she moved her hands to the hem of his shirt and pulled it up over his head then tossed it on the floor before just staring at him like she's never seen his chest before, which while it wasn't the most athletic, she could care less, she loved what she sees, causing him to become a little embarrassed. "Are you done staring at my chest now?"

She moved her hand up his smooth chest, causing his heart to skip a beat, before cupping his cheek while speaking with a smirk. "I'll never be done staring at this chest. I just can't wait to see how it will develop through the years."

Once again he felt a little embarrassed. "I just hope you're not excepting some six-pack, muscle man."

"I just want you, in anyway that makes you happy."

As he moved his hands to the buttons on her pajama shirt, he whispered. "And I want the same for you." When he got the first two undone, he felt her shiver a little, so he spoke again. "I don't have to continue."

She took a breath and shook her head. "No, it's ok, it's just a moment of nervousness, which I don't know why, we aren't doing anything more than this."

He saw reassurance in her eyes a second later, but he had to ask again. "You sure?"

She nodded with a smile, and after one more moment of hesitation, just to be sure she was really ok, Grissom continued until the last button was undone. Then while his eyes still remained on hers to make sure she was ok, he moved his hands to the shoulders of her shirt and opened them wider until she could slip her arms out of it.

The next moment, Grissom saw her in her bra and she asked softly. "Well..."

She gets cut off as he moved his hand to cup her cheek. "Like I've always said, the most beautiful girl I ever seen."

After a long look between them, like they were in awe with each other, they started kissing again as they moved so they were laying on his bed, both on their sides before their hands started moving up and down their bodies, feeling each other's skin on the pads of their fingers.

When they finally pulled back, after countless minutes passed them by, their hearts were racing like never before and they felt like they couldn't get enough air back, but once they did and were calm again, their smiles were bright, like they just had one of the best experiences of their lives.

He then kissed her forehead before laying down so his back was against the mattress, and her head was placed on his bare chest a moment later.

Not long after, he moved the blankets further up their bodies so he could cover her up, making her feel warm instantly, then he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and whispered. "I love you, sleep tight."

Outside of feeling warm, she also felt safe and comfortable as she closed her eyes with a sigh of content before she whispered in return. "And I love you, thank you for tonight."

He kissed the top of her head before replying. "No need to thank me, but you're welcome. I'm glad I could help."

It didn't take them long to fall asleep, feeling like a stronger couple than ever before.

AN: Thanks for reading, please review. Stay safe!