An:  Hi everyone.  Well it would seem that your wishes have been granted.  This is a very long chapter for me.  Many thanks have to go to Amy924 for all of he wonderful help and support with this chapter.

Sara initially seemed shocked, but soon recovered enough to hold out her hand to Kath Grissom, however this was moot as the older woman pulled her into a warm embrace.  Kath signed to her,

'It is so nice to finally meet you.'

Gil immediately realized that he would have to translate, although he suspected that this could be an advantage as he could edit some of his mother's statements.  For now though he could translate directly.  Sara did seem to have taken in what he had said previously and watched his mother intently before blushing lightly and speaking directly at her when she replied,

"Thank you, it is an honor to meet you too."

'So tell me is my son a good boss?'  Grissom hesitated a little before he translated this while rolling his eyes in Sara's direction.

"Oh yes…great boss, very bossy." Sara answered grinning wildly flashing a glance at Grissom.  Grissom translated this in the same humor, adding that Sara was trying to be funny.

'That is good, I would hate for him to be a push over,' Sara laughed even before Grissom had finished translating for her.

Kath turned to her son and signed 'You did not tell me Sara was so beautiful, what else are you holding out on me?' 

Sara looked at Grissom inquisitively "oh…uh…she just said that she's hungry, better get her home."

Sara once again grinned at the pair.  "I hope to see you again very soon!"

Kath gave her a curious look before turning to Gil scowling. 'Fine, lets go.'  She turned to Sara and once again gave her a warm hug which was returned this time, before waving as she turned towards the exit.

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A short time after they arrived home Grissom poured some syrup onto his pancakes as his mother addressed him,

'How long have you known Sara?'

'…around eight years.'

'So long?  You have not mentioned her much, only the last few years, even then it's like she is just another colleague.'

'She is another colleague!'

'Do have pictures of all of your other colleagues in your wallet?  I only found hers!'

'…What do you want me to say to that?'

'Tell me about her.'

'That picture was taken a few years ago!  I took it at a scene, we were working an ice rink and she laughed when I slipped, I just snapped this while on my ass on the ground!  She is…beautiful!'

'Yes she is!  Is she a girlfriend? Ex?'

'No, just a friend… well we were friends, but that feels like it was a long time ago now!'

'What happened?'

Grissom huffed out a wry laugh, 'I guess…I was me!'

'What do you mean?  Why would she be put off being your friend?'

'It is much easier to sign emotions than speak them!  For me, anyway!'

'I don't think that you need to say much to restore things!'

'I guess not.  I just can't say those things.'

'Why? What are those things?'

'Sara asked me to dinner!'

'Did it go badly?'

'It didn't go at all!  It was the morning of my final pre-surgery consultation.  She caught me off guard!  I turned her down.'

'Why didn't you just go?  Dinner would have been after the appointment.'

'Yeah it would.  In hindsight that is what I would do.  But I didn't…I didn't want to start something before the surgery.  I didn't want her to feel she had to look after me.  I wouldn't want her to think that is why I was with her!'

'Gil honey, she asked you out!  Anyway what did you do about it after the surgery?'

'Nothing!  I guess… I was scared!  It was like she didn't trust me anymore, she just avoided me…I guess I just avoided her too! I guess there are too many reasons why being with Sara is a bad idea!'

'There are?'

'Mom, you may not have noticed in your fervor to find me a wife, but Sara is thirty-three years old and I don't need to tell you how old I am!'

'So what, Graham is three years older than you are and Polly is thirty-one, they have been married for twelve years!'

'I'm not my cousin, besides Polly's parents haven't spoken to her since she married Graham, I wouldn't do that to Sara.'

'Who says you have to, Micheal and Yvonne Woodhouse have been anal-retentive pricks their whole lives, Sara might actually have normal parents!'

'Mom we could get fired for having a personal relationship, we have both worked too hard to throw that away.'

'Honey you bring in more than a quarter of that labs funding single-handedly, as well as adding prestige as an entomologist.  Nobody is gonna fire you!  If they fire Sara threaten to leave and take your funding with you!'

'Mom every evaluation will be questioned, she will basically be ruled out of every promotion, it wouldn't be fair.'

'Surely someone else has enough experience and seniority to supervise Sara, I don't know use it as an exercise in evaluating supervisory skills!'

'Mom, do you ever give up?'

'Not when I am right honey!  Sara was the one who asked you out.  She had known you for EIGHT years…I think she may have weighed up the options she decided you were worth the risk.  I know that you are worth the risk.'

'I'm just scared of how great it could be!…Yes I know STUPID!'

'I never thought that I would use that term to describe you!.. But yeah, seems pretty apt!'