Chapter 2
3 weeks later
'Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Robbie, Happy Birthday to you'
They all sang as Robbie eyed the cake and candles sat in front of him. Sara leaned down to his ear and whispered to him and he grinned up at her. He turned back to the cake and blew the candles out.
'Yeah'
Came cheers from the many people that surrounded the large garden table. Grissom lifted him up onto his shoulders and walked out to the front of the house. Everyone followed with huge smiles and laughter. Sara help Robbie down and took Grissom's hand as they watched him eye the large present that was wrapped and standing on the drive. Sara leaned against Grissom and he pulled her to him as Robbie started to tare the paper away.
'Wow.' He exclaimed as he revealed a dark green bike. 'Thank you mummy and daddy.' He ran over to them and Sara picked him up to hug him. Grissom took him and helped him onto his new bike.
'Come on buddy, I'll teach you.' Sara laughed and he turned. 'What's so funny?'
She shrugged her shoulders innocently and stifled another wave of laughter. 'When was the last time you rode a bike Gil?'
Grissom laughed and shook his head; he turned back to his son. 'Can't be that hard can it mate?'
'We can do it daddy.' Robbie encouraged.
Looking back at Sara he grinned. 'See.'
She waved a hand at him. 'Fine, but becareful.' Grissom raised his eyebrows at her and watched as she retreated with the others back to the garden to eat.
'Hey Lindsey, bring the camera over here.' Grissom shouted.
'Hold on.' The camera moved closer to the path and refocused on Grissom and Robbie. 'All set Uncle Griss'
Grissom explained how to push the pedals and hold on tight as he began to move the bike down the path. 'Lindsey look.'
'I see you champ.' Lindsey called out from behind the camera.
A few more metres and Grissom let the bike go. 'Keep pedalling and hold on.' Grissom kept pace beside him as he rode the bike by himself. 'Your doing it.'
'My men are so talented.' Lindsey turned the camera to Sara who appeared next to her. 'Linds not me, come on please.'
Lindsey laughed and pointed the camera back at the two heading towards them. 'Sorry Aunt Sara. I know you don't like being on camera.'
'Mummy look, I'm riding my bike.' Robbie said happily.
Sara watched him as Grissom slipped his arms around her. 'Having fun?'
He laughed and kissed her. 'Mummy, Daddy that's so gross.' Robbie covered his eyes after he stopped next to Lindsey.
'Too right champ.' Lindsey said backing him up. Grissom and Sara laughed and turned to them and Lindsey placed the camera squarely on them. 'Hey Champ, go stand with your mum and dad so I got you all on camera.' Robbie put his bike on its stand and ran into Grissom's awaiting arms. Grissom held Robbie with his left arm and wrapped his right around Sara. She leaned against him and laid her head on his shoulder. 'Ladies and Gentleman I give you the Brady bunch.'
'Lindsey.' Grissom and Sara objected as they all burst out laughing.
'Go get her Robbie, she need's tickling.' Grissom said putting him down.
'Lindsey come here.' Robbie taunted.
'No way' Robbie ran at her and she turned the camera and started to run back to the house. 'Don't you dare Robbie Grissom.'
'Scardy cat.'
'Why you.' Lindsey passed the camera to her mother and tackled Robbie to the ground and began tickling him.
Grissom and Sara appeared in frame and saw their plan backfire. 'Oh no you don't.' Sara said joining in and tickling Lindsey.
Lindsey yelped and laughed, falling to the ground and Robbie and Sara started to tickle her endlessly. 'Aunt Sara, Robbie, enough, uncle Griss please. ahhh.' She burst out in fits of giggles.
Grissom playfully picked Sara up by the waist and pulled her to him. 'Let the kiddies play, it's not fair to out number them. Anyway.'
Sara raised her eyebrows at him and grinned. 'Anyway what?' Grissom leaned into her and kissed her softly.
'Ewwww." Robbie crowed, but Lindsey grabbed him and started to poke him in the ribs again. 'Not fair I was distracted.'
Catherine chuckled as she widened the camera frame to see Grissom, Sara, Lindsey and Robbie. 'You guys are crazy.' Grissom turned to her and raised both his eyebrows and looked at Sara for confirmation. She nodded and Grissom started to walk towards the camera. 'Gil, I was only kidding.' Grissom took the camera from her and grabbed her as she screamed.
The screen went blank; nothing but blue flickered from the television. The room was pitch black apart from the TV screen. The silence was broken as Sara sniffed and Grissom pulled her to him fiercely. Holding her tightly as she sobbed into his chest.
"I miss him so much." She cried harder as she pulled at his shirt.
A tear ran down his cheek as he buried his face in her hair. "I know, me too."
As they both held each other, not wanting to let go Catherine and Warrick were in a similar position at their home across town.
"How are they?" Nick asked. Catherine held the phone closely to her ear so she could hear over Lindsey's music.
"I think they're dealing with it slowly." She conceded. "Lindsey's a mess."
"Tell them I'll be there as soon as I can and that I love them." Nick pressed.
Warrick wiped a tear from her face and bushed her hair back. He took the phone and spoke to Nick. "Hey man."
"Hey Warrick, how you holding up?"
Warrick wrapped his arms around Catherine. "It's getting tougher Nick. They haven't spoken to any of us about what happened."
"Give them time, they'll talk when they're ready. How about Cath?"
"She's ok, not good, but ok. Linds won't come out of her room unless she goes to school or to eat." Warrick said looking at the stairs from the couch.
"She babysat War, She was real close like all of us." Nick sniffed and wiped his eyes. "Tell them I'm on the next plane."
"Will do, but take your time, they won't be ready for a while yet."
"Ok. I'll ring in a few days. How have they been at work?" He asked changing the subject slightly.
"Working without emotion as usual, but we can see it, we all can." Warrick assured.
Catherine got up and went to the Kitchen. "I'll get some more coffee." She offered.
"Ok baby. Hey Nick?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you get hold of Greg?"
Nick was quiet for a moment. "No. He's unreachable for some reason."
Warrick nodded. "Let's hope nothing happened to his dad hey?"
"Hope so." Nick agreed. "Look man, I gotta go. Ring you in the week."
"Sure. Take care and say hi to Elle."
"Bye." Nick and Warrick hung up together.
Catherine put the cups on the table and sat back down. "Is he alright?" She asked.
Warrick picked up a cup and drank from it. "He's about the same as everyone else. You ok?" He put his cup down and hugged her as she started to cry again. "Hey, it's ok. Everything's going to work out you'll see."
"Why did it have to happen, why?"
He pulled her onto his lap and rubbed her back to soothe her. "I don't have an answer Cath because I don't know. I wish I had, but I don't."
"It's so horrible. I can't imagine how they must be feeling." She said wiping the tears from her cheek.
Looking into her puffy eyes. "We'll go see them tomorrow before work. Try and convince them to take some time off."
"Yeah."
3 weeks later
'Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Robbie, Happy Birthday to you'
They all sang as Robbie eyed the cake and candles sat in front of him. Sara leaned down to his ear and whispered to him and he grinned up at her. He turned back to the cake and blew the candles out.
'Yeah'
Came cheers from the many people that surrounded the large garden table. Grissom lifted him up onto his shoulders and walked out to the front of the house. Everyone followed with huge smiles and laughter. Sara help Robbie down and took Grissom's hand as they watched him eye the large present that was wrapped and standing on the drive. Sara leaned against Grissom and he pulled her to him as Robbie started to tare the paper away.
'Wow.' He exclaimed as he revealed a dark green bike. 'Thank you mummy and daddy.' He ran over to them and Sara picked him up to hug him. Grissom took him and helped him onto his new bike.
'Come on buddy, I'll teach you.' Sara laughed and he turned. 'What's so funny?'
She shrugged her shoulders innocently and stifled another wave of laughter. 'When was the last time you rode a bike Gil?'
Grissom laughed and shook his head; he turned back to his son. 'Can't be that hard can it mate?'
'We can do it daddy.' Robbie encouraged.
Looking back at Sara he grinned. 'See.'
She waved a hand at him. 'Fine, but becareful.' Grissom raised his eyebrows at her and watched as she retreated with the others back to the garden to eat.
'Hey Lindsey, bring the camera over here.' Grissom shouted.
'Hold on.' The camera moved closer to the path and refocused on Grissom and Robbie. 'All set Uncle Griss'
Grissom explained how to push the pedals and hold on tight as he began to move the bike down the path. 'Lindsey look.'
'I see you champ.' Lindsey called out from behind the camera.
A few more metres and Grissom let the bike go. 'Keep pedalling and hold on.' Grissom kept pace beside him as he rode the bike by himself. 'Your doing it.'
'My men are so talented.' Lindsey turned the camera to Sara who appeared next to her. 'Linds not me, come on please.'
Lindsey laughed and pointed the camera back at the two heading towards them. 'Sorry Aunt Sara. I know you don't like being on camera.'
'Mummy look, I'm riding my bike.' Robbie said happily.
Sara watched him as Grissom slipped his arms around her. 'Having fun?'
He laughed and kissed her. 'Mummy, Daddy that's so gross.' Robbie covered his eyes after he stopped next to Lindsey.
'Too right champ.' Lindsey said backing him up. Grissom and Sara laughed and turned to them and Lindsey placed the camera squarely on them. 'Hey Champ, go stand with your mum and dad so I got you all on camera.' Robbie put his bike on its stand and ran into Grissom's awaiting arms. Grissom held Robbie with his left arm and wrapped his right around Sara. She leaned against him and laid her head on his shoulder. 'Ladies and Gentleman I give you the Brady bunch.'
'Lindsey.' Grissom and Sara objected as they all burst out laughing.
'Go get her Robbie, she need's tickling.' Grissom said putting him down.
'Lindsey come here.' Robbie taunted.
'No way' Robbie ran at her and she turned the camera and started to run back to the house. 'Don't you dare Robbie Grissom.'
'Scardy cat.'
'Why you.' Lindsey passed the camera to her mother and tackled Robbie to the ground and began tickling him.
Grissom and Sara appeared in frame and saw their plan backfire. 'Oh no you don't.' Sara said joining in and tickling Lindsey.
Lindsey yelped and laughed, falling to the ground and Robbie and Sara started to tickle her endlessly. 'Aunt Sara, Robbie, enough, uncle Griss please. ahhh.' She burst out in fits of giggles.
Grissom playfully picked Sara up by the waist and pulled her to him. 'Let the kiddies play, it's not fair to out number them. Anyway.'
Sara raised her eyebrows at him and grinned. 'Anyway what?' Grissom leaned into her and kissed her softly.
'Ewwww." Robbie crowed, but Lindsey grabbed him and started to poke him in the ribs again. 'Not fair I was distracted.'
Catherine chuckled as she widened the camera frame to see Grissom, Sara, Lindsey and Robbie. 'You guys are crazy.' Grissom turned to her and raised both his eyebrows and looked at Sara for confirmation. She nodded and Grissom started to walk towards the camera. 'Gil, I was only kidding.' Grissom took the camera from her and grabbed her as she screamed.
The screen went blank; nothing but blue flickered from the television. The room was pitch black apart from the TV screen. The silence was broken as Sara sniffed and Grissom pulled her to him fiercely. Holding her tightly as she sobbed into his chest.
"I miss him so much." She cried harder as she pulled at his shirt.
A tear ran down his cheek as he buried his face in her hair. "I know, me too."
As they both held each other, not wanting to let go Catherine and Warrick were in a similar position at their home across town.
"How are they?" Nick asked. Catherine held the phone closely to her ear so she could hear over Lindsey's music.
"I think they're dealing with it slowly." She conceded. "Lindsey's a mess."
"Tell them I'll be there as soon as I can and that I love them." Nick pressed.
Warrick wiped a tear from her face and bushed her hair back. He took the phone and spoke to Nick. "Hey man."
"Hey Warrick, how you holding up?"
Warrick wrapped his arms around Catherine. "It's getting tougher Nick. They haven't spoken to any of us about what happened."
"Give them time, they'll talk when they're ready. How about Cath?"
"She's ok, not good, but ok. Linds won't come out of her room unless she goes to school or to eat." Warrick said looking at the stairs from the couch.
"She babysat War, She was real close like all of us." Nick sniffed and wiped his eyes. "Tell them I'm on the next plane."
"Will do, but take your time, they won't be ready for a while yet."
"Ok. I'll ring in a few days. How have they been at work?" He asked changing the subject slightly.
"Working without emotion as usual, but we can see it, we all can." Warrick assured.
Catherine got up and went to the Kitchen. "I'll get some more coffee." She offered.
"Ok baby. Hey Nick?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you get hold of Greg?"
Nick was quiet for a moment. "No. He's unreachable for some reason."
Warrick nodded. "Let's hope nothing happened to his dad hey?"
"Hope so." Nick agreed. "Look man, I gotta go. Ring you in the week."
"Sure. Take care and say hi to Elle."
"Bye." Nick and Warrick hung up together.
Catherine put the cups on the table and sat back down. "Is he alright?" She asked.
Warrick picked up a cup and drank from it. "He's about the same as everyone else. You ok?" He put his cup down and hugged her as she started to cry again. "Hey, it's ok. Everything's going to work out you'll see."
"Why did it have to happen, why?"
He pulled her onto his lap and rubbed her back to soothe her. "I don't have an answer Cath because I don't know. I wish I had, but I don't."
"It's so horrible. I can't imagine how they must be feeling." She said wiping the tears from her cheek.
Looking into her puffy eyes. "We'll go see them tomorrow before work. Try and convince them to take some time off."
"Yeah."