AN: Thanks for the support, here is the next chapter. Warning: A possible triggering moment for some, so read with caution.


Chapter 28: Finally out in the open

March, 1992

For the next three months, much like the months previous, their lives were consumed by school, work, doctor appointments, and finishing up the nursery, so before they knew it, Sara was in the delivery room, bringing her and Grissom's child into this world, and as scared as she felt, she felt Grissom's strength and love just as strongly while he held her hand and encouraged her every step of the way, even kissing her temple and whispering how much he loves her and was proud of her.

And when her job was done, she laid down in the hospital bed, trying to catch her breath while they both heard their newborn son crying in the room.

They looked at each other with smiles and tears in their eyes, then a few moments later the nurse walks up to the bed with a smile, while their baby was in a soft blue blanket. "Congratulations, mommy and daddy, a healthy little boy."

Once the baby was transferred into Sara's arms, and she looked at the baby she created with the love of her life, her heart just bursts out more love than she could ever explain. There was nothing she wouldn't do for her son now.

She looked at her boyfriend with tears in her eyes as she whispered with emotion. "I'm a mommy."

Grissom, who was overjoyed with more emotion than he could contain, sniffled as he whispered. "And I'm a daddy. I'm so proud of you, I love you so much."

"I love you too."

They share a soft kiss before they turned their attention back to their son, not able to stop the tears going down their cheeks.

They always knew they were going to love him, they already did the day it became official, they just didn't expect it to feel even more powerful now that he was here.


After an overnight stay, they were back at their apartment, but they weren't there very long before there was a knock on the door, so they looked at one another with smiles before Grissom spoke as he stood up from sitting on the couch. "I guess there is no surprise on who that would be." He then smirked as he headed for the door. "I'm surprised they weren't on the first flight after I called to tell them we were at the hospital, despite them wanting to wait until we made it home."

When Grissom called the family once Sara was settled at the hospital, and as much as they wanted to be there that night, they didn't want to overwhelm them, so he gave them an approximate time on when they'll be home.

Sara chuckled before she looked down at her blue eyed son, not able to get enough of looking at him. Grissom watched the scene with a smile and his heart skipping a beat before he finally opened the front door, smiling wider at the two women, who of course would be here first, then signed. 'Hi mom, cousin Maria.'

Betty Grissom stepped closer and cupped her son's cheek with shinning eyes, mouthing. 'Congratulations, son.'

'Thank you, mom.'

She pulled her hand back a second later before signing. 'Now let me see my grandson.'

They chuckled while Grissom moved to the side to let the women in, and once they were, they just stood in the middle of the room and watched the mother and son scene, and while it might not have seem like much, it was still breathtaking.

The next moment, Sara looked up at the two women who were more like her mother than her actual mother and smiled with tears in her eyes. "Come see how handsome your grandson is, so much like his daddy."

Both women walked up to the couch, and when they were close enough, Betty signed with tears in her eyes. 'You're right, he looks just like his father.'

Sara nodded before moving her arms up while she bent down so she could kiss his forehead. "Ok, little man, you're going to meet some very special women, your grandmas."

Once Betty was settled on the couch, Sara handed her son off to her before looking up at Maria with tears in her eyes. "I hope that's ok, that I called you his..."

Maria nodded her head as she cupped Sara's cheek. "That is more than ok, and congratulations, you're going to be an amazing mom."

"Thank you, and if I am, it's because I learned it all from you."

They hugged one another with tears they weren't bothering wiping away, then after they pulled back, Maria headed for the couch and sat down next to Betty so she could get a closer look to the baby while Sara walked towards her boyfriend, where he wiped her tears away and kissed her on the forehead before wrapping his arm around her waist and bringing her closer to his side as they watched their mothers fall more in love with the newest member of the family.


Throughout the rest of the week there were a few more family show-ups, then when that Friday came, probably one of the most important family visits happened, for a couple of different reasons, even answering a few unresolved questions.

It was getting close to dinner time when there was a knock on the door, and Sara, who had been sitting on the couch, was getting ready to get up, when Grissom, who had been in the kitchen prepping dinner, walked into the living room while speaking. "It's ok honey, I got this, continue to rest."

Sara was going to say something, but let it slide as she sat back down on the couch, not sure if she should feel guilty or not for letting him continue to do all the work around the apartment while she continued resting.

Wherever her thoughts were going with that was interrupted after Sara heard Grissom's greeting to Stephanie before she saw them share a hug, then Sara stood back up while Stephanie walked up to her, dropping her carry-on in the process, before they shared a hug while Stephanie spoke with emotion. "Congratulations."

Sara smiled as she ran her hand up and down the other woman's back. "Thank you." As they were pulling back, Sara smiled wider so the other woman could see the sparkle in her eyes. "You ready to see the little one that has captured our hearts?"

Stephanie started to fill up with more emotion, so this time she cleared her throat before asking. "Absolutely, but can I use your restroom first?"

"Of course."


Once she walked out of the restroom, Stephanie walked across the hall to stand in the doorway to the nursery, seeing Sara finishing up a diaper change.

She watched the scene in silence, her emotions building up each second, then she slightly shook her head, trying to calm herself down before clearing her throat, getting Sara's attention "Hey."

Sara buttoned up her son's teddy bear themed onesie, picked him up with a smile, kissed him on his forehead before cradling him in her arms and turned around. "Hi, some one very special wants to meet you."

They met in the middle of the room, and Stephanie gasped as she looked down at the little guy, which she obviously seen pictures of him already, but nothing compared to seeing him in person.

"Oh my god, he looks just like Grissom."

Sara nodded with sniffles. "Yes he does, isn't that amazing."

Stephanie cleared her throat with a nod, but not able to speak for a moment, before she asked. "May I hold him?"

"Of course, why don't you sit down over there."

She nodded her head towards the black recliner, and Stephanie nodded in return as they headed for it.

When Stephanie was settled, Sara kissed her son's forehead, whispered her love towards him before lowering him down into Stephanie's waiting arms, which although there was a little fussiness coming from the little guy, Stephanie, being a natural with all the babies she's been around through the years, calmed him right down.

As amazing as it had been for Sara to see this type of scene when it involved the other family members, and outside of her boyfriend's of course, this one really got to her the most.

She took a moment just soaking up the scene in silence, then she spoke with emotion. "You're amazing with him, just like I knew you would be. And I hope one day you get to experience being a mother because while it is a little scary at first being responsible for another human being, especially a baby. It's one of the, if not the best, feeling you'll ever have."

It only took a few seconds after Sara said that, that a dam burst through Stephanie, everything she had been holding in for almost two years just burst out, not able to hold it in any longer and she started to sob. "Sara, I am so sorry."

Sara shook her head in confusion at the sight of her best friend. "For what?"

She sniffled as she looked down at the little boy in her arms. "I should have been there at the hospital. I should have been here more through your pregnancy."

"Steph, it's not like you are a few minutes away, you live in San Diego, you're going to sch..."

Stephanie cuts her off. "No, those are just excuses, I could have, should have found a way. I'm your best friend. Heck, practically sister, you needed me and I wasn't there for you like I should have been."

When another sobbing attack happened, Sara became more concerned, and as Billy was getting uneasy, Sara walked towards the doorway and spoke loud enough for him to hear her. "Griss, can you come in here?"

It didn't take him long, and he was getting worried at the scene that was in front of him.

"What's going on?"

"Can you take Billy?"

He nodded as he walked towards his cousin and fussing baby, he then kneeled down before he placed his hand on her leg and asked softly. "Hey, you ok?"

Stephanie sniffled and shook her head, not wanting to hide it anymore from him. "I don't think I am at the moment."

"Ok, I'll let you two talk, but if there is anything I can do for you, you let me know."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

He moves to stand up a little so he could kiss her on the forehead and whispered his love to her, then he picked up his son, kissed him on his forehead and cradled him to his chest, which calmed him down while he walked up to Sara. They share a concerned, yet loving look, and after he kissed her forehead, he walked out of the room, leaving the women alone.

Once they were, she walked over to the chair's matching ottoman and sat down on it while placing her hand on Stephanie's knee before speaking. "This is more than you feeling guilty for not being here, isn't it?"

Even though Sara had a strong feeling she already knew the answer to that, she was waiting for a confirmation, which she got a moment later when Stephanie nodded with another sniffle. "Yes, and it's been so hard keeping it inside for so long."

She squeezed the other woman's knee as she whispered with comfort. "And you don't have to anymore, I'm right here, please talk to me."

Stephanie moved to get her purse from the floor, picked it up, pulled out her wallet, grabbed the wallet sized picture before handing it to her as she spoke softly. "With the assumed timing, she would have been two years old in four months." Sara gasped before she even took the picture from her, knowing exactly what she was talking about, then with tears in her eyes she took the sonogram picture from Stephanie's hand as Stephanie continued. "As you can tell we weren't at that stage of knowing what we were having yet, but I was fully convinced we were having a girl." She then looked down at her hands. "I lost her two days after the family Christmas party." Sara closed her eyes, now everything coming together, why she had been more distant than ever in their lives through the last nine months, heck, almost the last few years, and tears started go down Stephanie's face again. "She may have been an unexpected surprise, but she was very wanted and loved, so much, you should have seen Nick's face, he was over the moon when I told him I was pregnant."

Sara opened her eyes as she wiped some of her tears away. "Oh my god, Steph, the pain you two must have..."

She trialed off and Stephanie nodded. "It was unbearable, and we tried to move past it the best we could, but it was just too hard for us, so ultimately we ended up finding something that finally broke us apart." Stephanie sniffled before she finished. "But you were right when you said I'll never stop loving him, he'll always be the love of my life."

Sara sniffled as she took her hand. "I wish there is something I could do or say to take away what you've been feeling."

Stephanie squeezed her hand. "I know, but finally getting it out to you, is helping me a little."

Sara smiled a little. "I'm glad, but I think you need to tell your mom."

Stephanie then shook her head. "I can't, this would tear her apart."

"But she should know about her first grandchild."

"Maybe." Stephanie wipe the remaining tears off her cheek and spoke with a sigh. "But I'm glad she did end up getting her first grandchild sooner rather than later."

Now Sara started to get a guilty look on her face as she started to speak. "Steph..."

But Stephanie cuts her off. "No, I refuse to let you feel guilty, your baby is a blessing in this family, for her." She then continued as she squeezed her hand. "And I don't need to be insecure or jealous about your connection with her, I know how much she loves me, not once have I doubted that." Then she gets teary eyed again as she looked down at the sonogram picture. "And I know how much she would have loved her."

"She would have, so much, we all would have." After Stephanie nodded, Sara continued after wiping a few more tears off her cheeks. "And when you're ready to tell mom about this, if you want, I would like to be by your side."

"Really?"

Sara nodded as she squeezed the other woman's hand. "Yes, you don't have go through this alone, not anymore."

One more sniffle, Stephanie replied. "Thank you Sara."

"You're welcome."

After they took a moment to clean off their tears and gather their emotions, Stephanie cleared her throat and asked "Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Can you get Grissom in here?"

Knowing why, Sara asked. "Are you sure?"

Stephanie then gave her a small smile. "I know how your relationship works with him, you two tell each other everything, especially the big stuff, and this is too big for you to keep from him, so if he has to know, I rather be the one to tell him, and the sooner the better."

Sara nodded in understanding. "Ok, fair point, and do you want me in here too?"

"No, it's ok."

"Alright." Sara stood up then moved so she could give her a hug, which was reciprocated as she whispered. "I love you."

"And I love you."

After they pulled back, Sara stood up straighter, walked out of the room and headed for the kitchen, smiling slightly as she heard Grissom talking to their son, who was in his baby bouncer that was on the counter, about cooking.

She stopped in the doorway and crossed her arms over her chest and smirked as she leaned her side against the doorway. "Our son isn't even a week old and you're already teaching him how to cook?"

He smirked in return as he got sauce on a wooden spoon. "You're never to young to learn something." As Sara nodded with a smile, he turned to her, holding out the spoon. "Here taste."

Sara walked further in the room until she was near him at the stove before taking a taste at his homemade Alfredo sauce, closing her eyes as she savored it. "Yum."

"Yeah?"

Sara nodded as she opened her eyes. "Perfect, as usual."

He nodded with a smile as he turned his attention back to the stove before she cleared her throat, the air shifting as she spoke softly. "Griss, Stephanie needs to talk to you about something."

He looked at her again, this time in concern, more concern than when he had left the room earlier. "Is everything ok?"

Trying very hard on keeping her emotions intact, she replied. "It's something she needs to tell you, you need to hear it from her."

Feeling a knot in his stomach, while understanding her request, he nodded. "OK."

He then cupped her cheek and ran his thumb up and down it, sensing that what ever was said to her was affecting her more than she was showing him, before kissing her forehead and bringing her in his arms for comfort.

Even after almost seven years as a couple, it still amazed her that he can just know when she needed a hug/comfort, and it seemed like it didn't even matter how much she was hiding it, he read her like a book perfectly.

After she reciprocated the hug for a few seconds, he whispered as they pulled back. "I love you."

"I love you too."

He kissed her forehead one more time then pulled back completely, clearing his throat. "Watch the noodles for me, please."

"You got it."

He nodded before walking out of the room, and after Sara cheeked the noodles and sauce, she turned the fire down on the stove before walking up to her son and smiled with tears in her eyes, beyond thankful, more than she was before, that he was here, because she couldn't even imagine him not being in their lives now, it would have torn their world, their hearts apart.


After dinner

With both of them now knowing Stephanie's big secret, she could tell that during dinner they were very cautious on what they talked about it, especially when it involved their son, or a baby in general, so after they settled in the living room after dinner, Stephanie addressed it. "Hey guys, I know that you're still in shock and processing on what I told you, so you're a little cautious on what you talk about in front of me, but you don't need to be, I don't want to be treated as a fragile doll, ok?"

They nodded as Sara replied. "You got it."

As she nodded in return, Billy started to get fussy from his bouncer chair, that was now on the floor, and Grissom spoke after clearing her throat. "It's time for a change."

Before Grissom could stand up though, Stephanie asked. "Can I?"

They both looked at her and Sara asked. "You sure?"

Stephanie nodded with a smile. "Yes, it's time I get use to being around a baby again. I want to be part of the little guy's life a little more than I had been. If it's ok with you, of course."

Sara smiled. "Of course it's ok with us. And it's ok for you to change him."

Stephanie stood up. "Thank you."

Once she hugged Sara and Grissom, she walked towards the bouncer chair, kneeled down so she could pick him up, smiling as she talked him while standing up and heading towards the nursery.

When she was out of the room, Sara looked at her boyfriend and took his hand while asking. "You ok, Griss?"

She hadn't gotten a chance to ask that question since his talk with Stephanie, and he sighed as he squeezed her hand. "I don't know, I just feel so bad for her, wondering when the universe will ever give her break."

Sara nodded in agreement. "I know, babe, I know.

She moved closer to him and laid her head against his shoulder, both vowing to be there for her as much as they could.


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

AN#2: Also, a small time jump.