AN: Thanks for the continued support. Here is the next chapter.

Chapter 7: A night to themselves

A bit after Sara and William made it back to the hospital, the family ate lunch together, and just as they were finishing up, the first set of families showed up, which was the full Brown family, not including Cassandra though since she wasn't even there for the wedding because of other commitments, but it did include Eli, Lindsey and Kyle, who were both on their lunch breaks.

Sometime during the greeting, Lindsey took Sara to the side, and spoke with a smile and bright eyes. "Thank you, Aunt Sara."

Knowing what the young woman was thanking her for, Sara nodded with a smile in return. "No problem, just do what you're trained to do."

"I promise I won't let you down."

"I know you won't."

Catherine, who had been curious on what her daughter and Sara were talking about, walked up to them to hear Lindsey's latest words. "You won't what?"

Lindsey looked at her mother a little shyly. "Mom, I'll tell you guys later."

The only person who knew about her temporary promotion was Kyle.

"Why don't you just tells us now?"

Still looking a little shyly. "Because right now it's not about me."

When Catherine looked over at Grissom, he spoke with a smile. "Hey, if you have something to share, especially if it's good, then go ahead."

Lindsey looked at Sara, and she nodded with a smile, then after looking at Kyle, who was also giving her a smile of approval, Lindsey cleared her throat and told her family. "Ok, as of today, and for a few weeks, I am the day shift supervisor at the Los Angeles crime lab."

They cheered for the young lady, and after mother and daughter had their moment, Warrick stopped in front of his stepdaughter with a smile before Lindsey smirked. "So, you think you can handle me being your boss when you're in the lab?"

While Warrick wasn't completely retired from being a CSI, he was used when they really needed that extra person, mostly because he wanted more time to spend with his grandkids, go see Eli play in his college games, visit his daughter in New York at times, have more time with Catherine, now that she had stepped down as director, and he also became involved in more charity work/helping in a boys and girls club, wanting to help kids so they have a place to go and try to get them out of gangs.

There was also a professional reason for his decision to cut his hours, knowing they'll eventually need new 'blood' on their shift, he wanted someone else to step in his spot, and Malcolm became that person. Then as hard as it was, the rest of the team felt the same as Warrick, so, with a full recommendation from Sara, Luke left the team to be the swing shift supervisor while Harry is now the night shift supervisor, meaning that after 16 years, where the day shift, for the most part, had the same team, there were new CSI's calling Sara boss, and as weird as it has been the last few years seeing other people, outside of Malcolm and Lindsey of course, around the conference table, Sara was kind of happy, in fact it actually rejuvenated her/career.

Yeah, it was nice when the team was clicking and everything was running so smooth, but one of the reasons Sara wanted to be a supervisor was so she could teach new CSI's, and with everybody on her team not needing her much as the years went by, things were starting to feel a little stale within the team, but that was no longer the case.

Warrick nodded with a smile, proud of her. "I can't wait to see you in action, I'm so proud of you, sweetie."

Lindsey smiled as she brings him in her arms. "Thank you, daddy."

After they pulled back, Lindsey walked over to her Uncle Gil, and he took her hand and spoke with a smile. "If you're anything like your mom, I have no doubt you'll be just fine, not to mention who you've been learning from."

When Grissom winked at Sara, she shyly smiled while Lindsey thanked him and gave him a hug.

Not much time after that, they left the room before the next family came in a few moments later. There was about an hours break after they left before the rest of the families came one after the other, then after dinner time, Grissom looked at his 'kids' and said. "Ok you guys, you've spent enough time here today, I'm sure you can find something else to do tonight."

All of them looked at him with worry, not wanting to leave him, and Isabella is the one to speak. "Dad..."

But he cuts her off with a smile. "I'll be fine." Then he looked at Sara while taking her hand. "I'll be in the safest hands possible." She smiled in return and squeezed his hand with a nod before Grissom looked at them again. "Go, I'll see you in the morning."

While the Grissom 'kids' were looking at one another, they knew that if there was anybody who he was safest with, it was their mother, so they looked at their father a second later before Katie asked. "If you're sure, daddy?"

Grissom removed his hand from his wife's and held out his arms. "I'm sure, now come and give me a hug before you leave."

Katie nodded, and with tears in her eyes, she walked the short distance before wrapping her arms around her father and whispered. "I love you, daddy."

He took a breath and kissed her temple then whispered. "I love you too, ladybug."

After they pulled back, Katie walked towards her mother, who was now standing close to the door, and while they were sharing their goodbyes, Grissom was saying goodbye to Isabella, Bella, then while he was embracing his son, he whispered something in his ear, and William started to shake his head. "Dad, I..."

Grissom cuts him off. "You're sisters will be fine, don't forget you have a wife now that you need to make sure you take care of too."

Not that Grissom wanted him to not be there for his sisters, but he knew how important it was for his son to share some alone time with his wife. Plus, if he knew the girls like he thought he did, they wouldn't be alone tonight.

William paused before nodding while they pulled back. "Love you, dad."

"Love you too, buddy."

After a smile, William walked towards his mother, and after they shared their hug, kiss and words of love, he walked out of the room to join his sisters and wife before they headed towards the exit of the hospital.

As the door to the room clicked shut, Sara walked up to her husband and smirked. "I'm surprised you didn't kick me out too."

He raised an eyebrow and asked with a smirk of his own. "Why, would you have listened?"

Sara shook her head and spoke before pursing her lips. "What do you think?"

He took her hand while taking a breath before smirking one more time. "More than likely not."

She chuckled with a nod. "Good answer."

A moment later he lost any sign of joy on his face or in his eyes, and Sara was about to speak, but Grissom spoke, finally showing his more vulnerable/scared side. "Besides, I didn't want you to leave."

She squeezed his hand tighter and spoke with determination. "And I'm not going anywhere, from this moment until your discharged, anybody will have to fight me tooth and nail if they want me to get out of your room."

Grissom smiled with tears in his eyes, happy to see this side of hers. "There is the woman I married. I love you."

She moved closer to him, cupped his cheek and whispered with tears in her eyes. "And I love you, so much."

She then bent down so they could share their first kiss since the ordeal happened.

After William parked his vehicle in the driveway to their parents house, him and his sisters got out, then he asked. "Are you guys sure you don't need us to stay?"

Both Katie and Isabella shook their heads, and each gave him a hug while Isabella spoke. "We'll be fine, I promise." She then smirked. "Besides, don't you have an overdue wedding night?"

William shyly smiled. "That is something I wish to not discuss with my sisters."

She smirked in return. "Well good, that's something we can agree on, because I don't want to hear it."

Katie chuckled with a nod in agreement before Isabella lost the smirk a second later and shook her head, not sure if it was ok to joke like this with her father still in the hospital, then William brings his sister in his arms for another hug to comfort her. "Hey, dad is going to be ok, you heard him. Besides, mom's there, you think she's going let anything happen to him?"

Isabella shook her head. "No way, no one will stand a chance when she's protecting him."

William nodded in agreement. "I love you, and I'll see you in morning."

"I love you too, bro."

After they released one another, Katie hugged her brother again. "Love you, William."

"Love you too, Katie Bear. I'll see you in the morning."

Katie nodded as they released their hug, and while they headed for the front door of the house, William got into the vehicle and pulled out of the driveway so he could take his wife home, which this will be the first time they'll walk through the front door to their home as husband and wife since they spent last night here to be with Isabella and Katie.

After Isabella and Katie walked through the door of the house, they got as far as turning on the living room light before looking at one another, feeling weird being here without their parents, unlike last night's feeling since they were here with William and Bella, so Isabella asked. "You want to go somewhere else?"

Katie nodded. "Yes, please."

"Ok, why don't you go pack a bag."

Katie then asked. "Where are we going?"

Isabella smiled. "You'll see."

Katie just nodded before going upstairs to pack a bag while Isabella pulled out her phone and typed a text message before hitting send.

When William and Bella made it home, William took care of Buddy, the name of his new dog, while Bella got ready for bed, but what she didn't count on was when she walked out of the bathroom in her sweatpants and t-shirt, she saw that there was candlelight in the bedroom, so she gasped while he blew out the match. "William, what's going on?"

He smiled as he walked up to her. "I believe I owe you a wedding night."

Bella smiled for a second before she shook her head. "Will, after everything that happened, we don't have to ton..."

He cuts her off with love in his eyes as he cupped her cheek. "My father was right, I have a wife now, and I need to make sure she's taken care of too."

She looked around the room before looking at the blue eyes of her husband, making her heart race at the thought of him being that now. "And I appreciate it, but only if you're sure. We can do this another night."

Hearing that made his heart fill with nothing but love and joy that he had picked this wonderful woman to spend the rest of his life with, then he ran his thumb up and down her cheek as he whispered with emotion. "I'm sure. I love you Bella, and you being there for me means more to me than you can imagine."

He paused, and she continued with tears in her eyes. "There was nowhere else I wanted to be than by your side, you, your family means everything to me, so when you hurt, I hurt. I love you too, William, so much, and I'm looking forward to every moment I get to share with you as your wife."

He took a shuddering breath. "My wife."

She cups his cheek and whispered. "My husband, almost too good to be true, huh?"

He nodded, then whispered as he moved his face closer to hers. "And right now, tonight, I just want this to be about us, sharing our love together."

Before he could kiss her however, she placed a hand on his chest and whispered. "Hold that thought, will you."

As she pulled back from his arms, he took her wrist lightly and spoke softly. "Babe, you don't need to."

She smiled. "Please, it's your wedding night too, let me do this for you."

"Ok."

She walked to the dresser, pulled out something a little more sexy before walking into the bathroom to change while William smiled while shaking his head, undoing the buttons on his shirt.

After leaving their parents house, Isabella drove them, which she was using their father's vehicle since she knew how their parents, particularly their mother, felt about her driving her motorcycle alone, so she knew they would not be very please if she brought Katie on board, towards an apartment complex, and when they got there, Katie smiled when she saw Andrew standing in the front of the building.

Once the vehicle was parked, the girls got out before walking towards Andrew, where they both hugged him once they were near him while Katie spoke. "Thank you letting us be here."

Andrew smiled as they walked into the building. "No problem, and any time, you know that."

He was happy to help the two women, outside of his sister and mom, he was closest to.

Isabella and him grew up together so they have always been close, inseparable even, more so when his family moved next door to her family. Then she went off to college, and despite him being two years older, he started to become closer to Katie, especially when he had humbly asked for her help in math. Now, he couldn't imagine his life without either of them in it, in any shape or form, and when they were hurting so was he, so he'll do whatever he could for them.

Now lying in each other's arms, William smirked as he ran a hand up and down Bella's bare arm. "Now, I owe you a honeymoon."

She chuckled before sighing as she placed her hand on his chest. "And we'll get to that soon enough. I just want to make sure everything is good here first."

He kissed the top of her head and spoke with emotion. "You're unbelievable, you know that? Thinking of others before yourself."

"And that won't ever change, like I said, you're family is my family, and honestly I've felt that for awhile now, before we even said our I do's."

He held her tight as he sighed again. "You deserve to have a better start to our lives together."

Bella ran her thumb up and down his chest. "Life is unpredictable, and yeah, it didn't start out picture perfect, but the important thing is everything turned out ok, and I wouldn't want to share life's unexpected turns with anybody else. I'm all in with you."

He moved and lifted her chin up as he spoke with emotion again. "I'm all in with you too."

She smiled as they started to share another kiss, which turned into another, then another...

Once Dr. McCoy came and went, which Sara was in the restroom when he did, and Kelly said her goodnight/goodbyes, Sara was sitting in the chair reading a book to her husband, then when she noticed he was getting tired, she closed it while saying. "I should let you get some rest."

He nodded while taking her hand and replied. "You too." Then tugged towards him lightly. "Come here, please."

After she got off the chair, she placed the book in her spot and got closer, but when she realized he wanted her in his bed, she looked at him wide-eyes. "Are you sure?"

He nodded with pleading eyes. "Please?"

She smirked, but her heart filled with nothing but love for this man, thankful she still gets to see it. "Giving me that 'special' look I see." He gives her that 'Grissom' look, she loved even more, before she took a breath and nodded. "Ok."

When she was finally in place, with her head on his chest and her hand over the place of where his heart was, they both sighed in content, feeling everything was right in the world now because they were in each other's arms again, but before Grissom could fall asleep he had to tell her something. "While you were gone earlier, I got a visit from Amy and Julia." When he didn't feel any tension at the second person he mentioned, he continued without hesitation. "And Amy suggested we spend a little more time together when there isn't a sad/tragic circumstance behind it, which Julie responded that she's moving here to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren, so it would be easier to do that, so what do you think?"

Before Sara gave him her response to that, she asked with a smirk. "Are you telling me this to see if I'll freak out because Julia will be a regular in town now?"

He chuckled, which she closed her eyes at that, also relieved she'll still get to hear/feel that, before he responded. "No, but I did want to give you a heads up."

She ran her hand up and down his gown covered chest while speaking again. "Which I appreciate it and understand where you are coming from, but you didn't need to, I'm good with it. I don't need to be that insecure anymore, or honestly ever, because you never gave me a reason to be since we've been a couple, yeah she had a part of your past, a good part I admit, but you gave me your heart and your future, so thank you for telling me, even if it was unnecessary, and if you want to spend some of your time with them, then it's ok with me."

He smiled while kissing her head. "I love you, Sara Grissom."

"And I love you Gilbert Grissom. Now get some sleep."

He started to close his eyes. "Yes, ma'am."

When she realized he was finally asleep, Sara closed her eyes while trying to keep the tears at bay, not because of what they talked about before he fell asleep, but because of the guilt she felt that lead him here. If she hadn't forgotten the extra ice for the wedding reception, none of this would have happened, at least that's how she felt about it.

AN: More to come, and another turn for the Grissom family, which won't be the last in this story. Thanks for reading, and please review.