AN: Thanks for the support, here is the next chapter.
Chapter 15: A new start & Letting him go
Next Month
June, 26, 2033
With much thought and conversation, Isabella and Jason realized they wanted to have a short engagement, then when Bella asked if they wanted to share wedding anniversaries, Isabella was very honored, so after seeing what they could set up in that time and asked if her fiancée and William would be ok with it, it was a go, and they were lucky enough to have another wedding at the beach.
When it came to Grissom walking his oldest daughter down the aisle, Isabella asked with emotion. "Are you ready for this daddy?"
He looked at her with a smile/smirk. "Isn't that my line?"
"Yeah, but I know that despite you wanting me to be happy, giving me away must be a hard thing to do. I already know how I'll feel when Little Sarah will be standing in this exact spot."
He smirked again. "Just like your mother 'aging' your child already before she even turns 1." She chuckled slightly as he sighed while looking at her. "I love you so much, and you're right, giving you away isn't easy, but I know the man I'm giving you away to is one of the good ones, so I know you'll be in safe hands."
"I really will be."
He nodded, then after a breath, he continued. "Alright, let's get you married to the man of your dreams."
"Thank you, daddy."
He kissed her temple before walking her down the aisle, all family members, extended included, watching the beautiful bride.
When they got at the end of the aisle, Grissom took her hand and kissed it before handing it off to Jason. "Take care of my butterfly."
Isabella shyly smiled at his use of her nickname as Jason nodded with a bright smile on his face with a nod. "You got it, dad."
After one more nod and a kiss to her daughter's temple, he headed to the first spot in the front, where he'll be standing next to his wife, who was holding little Sarah in her arms while they watched their oldest daughter get married.
(At the reception, still on the beach)
When it got to the reception time, the bride and groom had their dance, then the bride and her father had theirs and the groom danced with his mother-in law, and after that, while the bride danced with her best friend, William had asked his mom for a dance and Bella asked Grissom for one.
Once a few more dances came and went, and while almost everybody else was standing up in circles, talking and laughing, Katie was sitting at her table alone, so Grissom kissed his wife's temple and whispered. "I'm going to go talk to Katie."
Sara nodded with a smile before Grissom walked towards his youngest daughter, and while he sat down next to her,
he cleared his throat before speaking. "You know, I thought I had been in love before, and while my feelings for other women were strong, they never compared or even came close to how I feel about your mother, how I felt about her the first moment I saw her."
She took a breath as she looked in the distance, where Andrew was standing with his girlfriend, Jessica, along with other family members, and she shook her head while looking down at the table. "I thought it would be easier getting over him because we were never actually together, but it's not, because I have all these thoughts about what could have been."
He places his hand on top of hers and squeezed it in comfort before continuing with what he had been saying. "And while I would never diminish how you feel about someone, but if you're really committed on letting him go, there could be another great love out there for you, greater than you could have ever imagined, you just can't close your heart on that possibility."
She nodded in understanding with tears in her eyes, and he cupped her cheek with his free hand to wipe them away before he gave her a look and sigh, so she asked. "What's wrong, dad?"
Wanting her to have all the information before she makes her decision, he spoke again. "But, if you do still feel he is the 'one', then I feel you have to know something."
Looking a little worried, she asked. "What is it?"
He took a breath before telling her what he heard. "Jessica is moving back to Oregon, wanting to be closer to her sick younger brother, and Andrew is thinking about going with her. Now, as far as I know he hasn't told her what he is thinking yet, but..."
She cuts him off, in shock about the news. "It's on his mind, so he must be starting to feel that what they are sharing is getting serious enough for him to change his college/life plans."
Grissom nodded and squeezed her hand lightly. "Unless he knows he has another option."
She took a breath and said softly. "This could be a game-changer, the biggest game changer I've ever faced."
As she sat there thinking what her father had said, he moved closer to her and whispered. "Just know that whatever you choose to do, I support you."
They get into a hug as she whispers. "I love you, daddy."
"And I love you, ladybug." As they pulled back, he asked. "Dance later?"
She nodded with a smile. "You got it."
He moves to get up, but before he straightened up completely, he kissed her cheek before heading back to his wife.
Katie barley had time to process everything her father had said when she heard his voice. "Hey."
She looked up at him with a smile, her hear raced. "Hey."
He then held out his hand with a smile. "You want to dance?"
She nodded as she placed her hand in his, and both tried to ignore the shock that ran through them, before she stood up. "I would be happy to."
Once they got to the dancing area, she placed one of her hands on his shoulders while taking his hand in her other one, and when he placed his other hand on her waist, he asked. "Is this ok?" She nodded with a smile.
When the song ended a few moments later, Andrew moved forward and wrapped his arms around her, letting his warmth and security wash over her like a blanket, then she saw it, looking over Andrew's shoulder she saw the face of Jessica, who had a slim build, a little over average height, with blond hair and blue eyes, looking almost heartbroken while watching her boyfriend and her have this moment together, so she knew what her confession would do to the other woman, and that tore at her deeply, but before she made her decision either way, she asked softly. "Andrew?"
They pulled back so they could look into each other's eyes as he asked. "Yeah?"
She finished her question, trying to keep the tears from not showing. "Does she make you happy? And I mean really happy?"
He nodded with a smile on his face, and she knew the answer before he actually said it. "Yes, she does." It dimmed down a little when he continued. "But Katie, there is something I should tell you..."
Katie cuts him off, now making her final decision, even if hurt like hell doing it. "It's ok, I know, and you should go with her."
He looked a little shocked, but more at her response than her actually knowing. "You think?"
She nodded, still keeping her tears down. "I do, you'll be in good hands with her."
When he saw no doubt in her eyes, he nodded and cupped her cheek while whispering. "Thank you for being my friend."
She cleared her throat with a nod. "And thank you for being mine. Bye, Andrew."
She stepped back as he nodded while his hand was removed from her cheek, knowing it was time to finally let her go, she made her choice. "Bye, Katie."
After one more look at one another, Katie turned around and headed for the snack table so she didn't draw too much attention to herself while Andrew turned around and headed back to his girlfriend.
Standing at the table alone for several minutes, which she was thankful that the family allowed her that bit of privacy, whether they were doing it on purpose or not, William walked up to her and asked softly. "Hey, you want to get out of here?"
Before she could speak, they hear Isabella's voice on the other side of her. "Yeah, most of the fun parts are done anyways."
Katie chuckled while shaking her head before looking at her sister first. "Ok, first off, this is your wedding reception that you want to leave early from." She then turned to her brother. "And secondly, shouldn't you be leaving with your wife so you two could have alone time on your anniversary?"
William then answered her with caring eyes. "She understands that my youngest sister needs some sibling time."
Then Isabella spoke with a smile and nod. "And so does my new husband, he'll take care of the clean-up."
Before Katie could open her mouth, William spoke again. "And it's ok, dad is letting you off the hook for your dance with him."
If she was honest with herself, Katie really didn't feel like being here anymore, but before she accepted, she asked. "And you two are sure?"
They nodded with a smile as they wrapped an arm around their sister.
"Absolutely."
William pulled keys out of his pocket a few seconds later with a smirk. "And I know just what we can do."
They recognized the keys and looked at their brother in shock before Katie asked. "Dad let you have the keys to the boat?"
It was a well known fact that Grissom didn't let his 'kids' drive the boat ever, so to see their brother with the keys it was a true miracle.
He nodded with a smile as they started walking towards the parking lot. "Yeah, he said it was for a special reason."
Isabella chuckled and shook her head before saying in a teasing/joking matter. "Well, that just proves it, Katie is his favorite."
Katie shook her head with a chuckle, knowing her sister was teasing. "Oh come one, that's not true, if anybody is our parent's favorite, it would have to be William."
They all chuckled before William replied, still in their teasing state. "Well, it's a well known fact that I am at least mom's favorite."
The girls lightly pushed him forward as they said 'boo' before they started laughing again, then as they got closer to William's vehicle, Katie cleared her throat before finishing, getting more serious towards the end. "Ok, say that you are absolutely right, you are really mom's favorite. And you're dad's favorite (She looked at Isabella when she said that part), then whose favorite am I?"
William cupped her sister's cheek as he spoke with emotion. "You're everybody's favorite, you are what makes this family feel complete."
Isabella nodded as she placed her arm around her sister's shoulder. "Oh yeah, and if you don't believe me, really look at the family photos next time, see how they look at you, especially when you were first born." Then she gets a little 'dramatic.' "And thank you for being my sister, or else I would have been stuck with two 'Williams.'"
Katie chuckled, like she had choice on being a girl, while William smirked, sharing a secret he never told anyone. "Well, for that comment, I should tell you that I wanted you to be my brother."
Isabella looked at her brother and stuck her tongue out at him before teasing him. "Then ha, ha, ha, you got stuck with me instead."
William gets a little more serious as he brings his younger sister in his arms. "And I honestly wouldn't have it any other way, I'm proud you are my sister." He then brings his youngest sister in his arms too while Isabella wrapped her arm around Katie as well while he continued with emotion. "I'm proud both of you are my sisters."
Katie sighed as she held on to her siblings a little tighter. "Thank you guys."
Isabella and William nodded, and as they pulled back from one another, he spoke again. "We are family, and that's what families do, and know that you are not alone, we are going to help you through this." As Katie nodded, William pulled another set of keys out of his pocket and hands them to her. "Why don't you drive?"
Isabella then smirked. "Oh, now I see who your favorite is."
William chuckled. "Relax, you can drive on the way back."
Before taking the keys, Katie looked at Isabella, not wanting her to be truly upset, but she nodded with a smile. "Go ahead, I was only playing."
Katie nodded with a smile while she took the keys before rushing towards the driver's side, then after William helped her other sister in the passenger side, he gets in the back seat, happy to have these sibling times, despite the ones where he has to try and cheer them up because he never wanted to see them hurt and in pain.
Later that night
Once the siblings had their boat ride, and watched the sunset together, Isabella drove them to their parents house, and after spending a little time with them and Little Sarah, who was spending the night with their parents so Isabella and Jason can have some time alone, Isabella and William left the house, while Katie went upstairs to change into her sweats.
When she was coming back down, she sees that her mom had a bottle for Sarah, so she asked with a smile. "Do you mind, mom, dad?"
Both parents shook their heads with a smile while Katie came closer to them, and after Grissom transferred his granddaughter into his youngest daughter's arms, she took the bottle from her mom and asked while nodding her head towards the back door. "Can you open the door, please?"
Sara nodded before doing just that, and once they were outside and Katie was sitting down in a comfortable chair, she placed the bottle nipple in the little girl's mouth and she watched her niece eat with a smile and tears in her eyes, feeling more unsure about her future, other than her career, than ever before.
Sara gets in her husband's arms, and as they sat on the couch they couldn't help but look outside to watch their daughter, their hearts breaking for her before Grissom spoke with emotion. "I hope the choice that she made today doesn't keep her from hiding that beautiful heart of hers."
Sara placed her hand on his chest with a nod. "I know." She then sighed. "You know I can't predict her future, but if she's anything like us, which I know she is, she's tough. She'll get through this, and we'll be there to help her out when she needs it."
He nodded before kissing her forehead, hoping/wishing for the day that he will see his youngest daughter/child be completely happy, having a love story that she deserves to have.
AN: We are at the home stretch, just a few more chapters left for this story and series (Outside of my missing moments story, which will be done shortly as well). Next chapter will have a time jump to set up the last bit.
Hope you are all being safe out there, thanks for reading and please review.