Chapter 23
Grissom squeezed Sara's hand tightly as he waited for an answer. He had picked up the phone immediately after seeing those words. Sara was leaning against his chest as he stood in front of her. She was still sitting on the edge of the desk. He kissed her hair and turned away slightly when someone picked up.
A groggy and grumpy voice answered. Grissom explained what was happening to his lawyer and apologised for calling so late. Sara got up and closed the office door. She returned to the desk as Grissom sat down. He reached for her knee and absently rubbed it. Sara covered his nervous habit and stilled his fingers.
After half an hour on the phone, Grissom thanked his lawyer and hung up. Sara watched him closely as he scratched his neck and rubbed his forehead. "So?" She pressed, tugging slightly on his hand. Grissom nodded. She groaned and stood up. She started to pace. "They can't do this." She pointed at Grissom, but he knew who she was referring to.
"They are doing it." He sighed.
Sara stopped and looked at him. "How?"
Grissom pulled on his glasses and looked through the file again. "It's all legalised. Jeff is looking into it as we speak, but he can't do anything more than ring a friend, until tomorrow morning."
"We decided. We just went through this. I just put you through hell and I'm doing it again." Tears started to pool down her cheeks as she spoke.
Getting to his feet quickly, he dropped his glasses on the desk and walked towards her. Brushing the tears away with his thumbs, he held her tightly. "You're not doing anything Sara. He's doing this. It's not your fault. It was Jake who put you through this, not you." He soothed, running his hands softly up and down her back.
Sara hiccuped and scrunched her hands into his shirt. "Gil, you're ignoring the facts-"
He sighed and pulled back slightly. "I can live with being shot. It's nothing compared to what he did to you. I know what happened. I know we decided. We got through it together. We'll get through it again."
"But, Kate?" She breathed and closed her eyes as she leaned into him.
Grissom lowered his head to hers and kissed her hair. He breathed in slowly, savouring the smell of her shampoo. "We try and keep it from her. Just for a while."
Sara nodded against his chest. "She might find out."
"Jake's getting his brother to get custody. Kate's not going anywhere. They lost any connection with Kate and you when Jake first hit you. The courts wouldn't even think about giving them Kate. Jake's dangerous. Jeff knows that and he's not going to let them take Kate. They can't. They have no case." He explained, moving them to the couch and sitting down. Sara pulled her legs under her and curled up against his side. Grissom wrapped both arms around her and held her.
"If she found out. She's not going to hate you." She whispered.
Grissom closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. "I hope you're right."
Sara looked up at him and kissed his lips lightly. "She's your daughter Gil. You know her. She's not going to hate you. She loves you, because. to her, you are her real father. No question."
"She doesn't know the truth Sara. That's what I'm trying to tell you. We don't know what she will do if she found out. She might hate us both." He ran his fingers down the side of her face and leaned his head against hers. "We might loose her altogether, whether this lame excuse for a court case never existed."
Grissom squeezed Sara's hand tightly as he waited for an answer. He had picked up the phone immediately after seeing those words. Sara was leaning against his chest as he stood in front of her. She was still sitting on the edge of the desk. He kissed her hair and turned away slightly when someone picked up.
A groggy and grumpy voice answered. Grissom explained what was happening to his lawyer and apologised for calling so late. Sara got up and closed the office door. She returned to the desk as Grissom sat down. He reached for her knee and absently rubbed it. Sara covered his nervous habit and stilled his fingers.
After half an hour on the phone, Grissom thanked his lawyer and hung up. Sara watched him closely as he scratched his neck and rubbed his forehead. "So?" She pressed, tugging slightly on his hand. Grissom nodded. She groaned and stood up. She started to pace. "They can't do this." She pointed at Grissom, but he knew who she was referring to.
"They are doing it." He sighed.
Sara stopped and looked at him. "How?"
Grissom pulled on his glasses and looked through the file again. "It's all legalised. Jeff is looking into it as we speak, but he can't do anything more than ring a friend, until tomorrow morning."
"We decided. We just went through this. I just put you through hell and I'm doing it again." Tears started to pool down her cheeks as she spoke.
Getting to his feet quickly, he dropped his glasses on the desk and walked towards her. Brushing the tears away with his thumbs, he held her tightly. "You're not doing anything Sara. He's doing this. It's not your fault. It was Jake who put you through this, not you." He soothed, running his hands softly up and down her back.
Sara hiccuped and scrunched her hands into his shirt. "Gil, you're ignoring the facts-"
He sighed and pulled back slightly. "I can live with being shot. It's nothing compared to what he did to you. I know what happened. I know we decided. We got through it together. We'll get through it again."
"But, Kate?" She breathed and closed her eyes as she leaned into him.
Grissom lowered his head to hers and kissed her hair. He breathed in slowly, savouring the smell of her shampoo. "We try and keep it from her. Just for a while."
Sara nodded against his chest. "She might find out."
"Jake's getting his brother to get custody. Kate's not going anywhere. They lost any connection with Kate and you when Jake first hit you. The courts wouldn't even think about giving them Kate. Jake's dangerous. Jeff knows that and he's not going to let them take Kate. They can't. They have no case." He explained, moving them to the couch and sitting down. Sara pulled her legs under her and curled up against his side. Grissom wrapped both arms around her and held her.
"If she found out. She's not going to hate you." She whispered.
Grissom closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. "I hope you're right."
Sara looked up at him and kissed his lips lightly. "She's your daughter Gil. You know her. She's not going to hate you. She loves you, because. to her, you are her real father. No question."
"She doesn't know the truth Sara. That's what I'm trying to tell you. We don't know what she will do if she found out. She might hate us both." He ran his fingers down the side of her face and leaned his head against hers. "We might loose her altogether, whether this lame excuse for a court case never existed."