The next hour seemed to crawl by. Most of the time was spent in silence, with a small, good-natured squabble over the radio now and then. Sara insisted that the car was far too quiet, Grissom claimed that he needed to think. This would lead to a few name-callings, and then Grissom would relent to Sara for a while.

Other times they talked of unimportant subjects. They brushed up on old cases, odd cases, and some cases they would most like to see land in front of them. Sara wanted to find a body in the mountains in the snow; Grissom, of course, wanted to find a bug-infested body. He felt it had been too long since he'd done his insect-regression.

A few times, Sara even insisted that they play car-games to pass the time. They played 'ABC', trying to spell out the alphabet from letters on signs and license plates before the other. Sara had thought that Grissom not wearing his glasses would work to her advantage, but he still beat her by quite a few letters. Eventually, Sara was lulled off to sleep again by the gentle movements of the car.

She was awakened some time later by the feeling of someone shaking her arm gently. She opened her eyes and glared at Grissom, shoving his arm away.

"Go away," she groaned, trying to close her eyes again.

She heard him laugh. "Come on, Sara. I don't know where your cousins live. Or should I drop you off right here and let you walk the rest of the way?"

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up. "We're here?" she asked, getting a nod in reply.

"We're somewhere."

She smirked, stretching her arms. "That's scientific." She peered out of the windows, seeing that he had once again stopped at a gas station. She squinted as she studied her surroundings, searching for something familiar.

She pointed a finger towards a road. "We need to go that way. Then we'll need to turn onto Lincoln Boulevard. They live in a subdivision off that road."

Grissom nodded, then slowly pulled the car in the direction Sara had indicated. They were both silent as Grissom drove, each one secretly dreading the separation that was soon to come. Grissom was silently kicking himself for not using his time alone with Sara more wisely, and Sara was wishing that she hadn't slept so much.

Grissom followed Sara's directions, turning into a subdivision filled with rather new homes. Some of them didn't even have grass growing in the yard yet. He chose not to comment on it as he pulled up to the house Sara pointed at.

Sara frowned as they approached the house. It was dark, and there wasn't a single Christmas light decorating it. She held a hand up for Grissom to wait as he started to pull out Sara's suitcase for her, then she approached the door. She pounded on the door a few times, then shouted for her cousins. There was still no answer, and she saw no lights or signs of life when she peered into the window.

She sighed in frustration, turning to look at Grissom, who was staring at her with a concerned expression. She shrugged, walking back down the driveway to where he was standing. "They're not there."

"Did they know you were coming?"

"Yeah! I mean, they invited me."

"Did you tell them that you weren't going to make it because of your car?" Grissom pushed, trying to figure out just why Sara's family was missing.

She opened her mouth to answer, then clamped it shut, burying her face in her hands. "Yes," she finally said, looking back up at Grissom. "They must have gone to San Francisco, to see the rest of the family, since they thought I wasn't coming."

She slid down the side of the Yukon to sit on the ground, her head in her hands again . This had been it, her one chance for a real holiday, and it was ruined all because of her stupid car! She shook her head. "I guess I could get a hotel. Then I can rent a U-Haul. I mean, you don't have to return those to the original spot."

Grissom smirked at the thought of Sara driving a U-Haul, but chose not to comment. "Sara…" he began, but she continued to talk.

"It's no problem, really. Go on to your family, Grissom. I'll be fine. I'll just go back and work like I'd planned to do. Major holiday overtime."

She heard a shuffling of feet and assumed that Grissom was moving back to the driver's side, getting ready to leave her. But to her surprise, he hunkered down in front of her, putting his hand on her knee. She looked up at him, finding her face mere inches from his as he stared into her eyes. "Sara, if you want…" he trailed off, glancing down at the ground before looking back up at her. "If you want to, you could come with me. You could spend Christmas with me and my family." He shrugged. "Better than working, anyhow."

Sara stared at him for a moment, unable to think of something coherent to say. Had he really just said what she thought he had said? She shook her head slightly. This was so un-Grissom, she thought. First, he offered to drive her to her cousins, and now he was inviting her to stay with him for Christmas. What's gotten into him lately? Sara wasn't sure if she should count it as Grissom's way of reaching out to her, or if he was just being generous for the holidays.

She looked back up at him, seeing the worry etched into his face. "That's all right, Grissom. I'll be fine. I really don't want to intrude on your family."

He moved his hand up to her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Sara, I wouldn't ask if I didn't want you to come. Believe me, you won't be intruding. For my mother, it really is the more the merrier."

She stared at him for another moment, seeing the hope in his face. He really does want me to come. Why? Sara wondered. Finally she nodded, putting her hand on Grissom's. "Alright then," she said softly.

* * * * * *

The drive to Grissom's mother's was nearly silent, with only the soft Christmas music from the radio filling the air.

Finally Grissom broke the silence. "I guess I should give you a little hint as to who will be there." He glanced at her for a moment, seeing that he had her full attention. "From what I've heard, my aunt should be there, along with her kids. Well, they're not really kids. They're older than me. My uncle Herb should be there too. He enjoys this holiday stuff."

Sara smirked. "You really do have an Uncle Herb?" she asked, remembering the case with the body in the water heater. "I thought you were just saying that!" She shook her head, the smirk still on her face. "Is he really a plumber?"

It was Grissom's turn to grin. "No. He was a veterinarian."

Sara shrugged. "Big difference."

Grissom nodded, suddenly concentrating intently on the road again. "My mother is also deaf," he said after a few moments of silence.

Sara nodded. "Yeah, I figured so."

Grissom turned to her quickly, the surprise evident on his face. "You did? How?"

"I'm a CSI, Grissom. I get paid to solve puzzles all night long." She shrugged. "So I took the puzzles pieces that are you and put together what I could. You suffered from Otosclerosis, a hereditary hearing disease. You knew sign language, so obviously you were pretty close to someone who was deaf. And you grew up with your mother. Put two and two and two together…"

Sara was relieved when Grissom smiled at her. "You did all that work just to figure me out?"

"Still working on it actually. You're a very complicated puzzle, Grissom. And it doesn't help that you keep so many pieces to yourself."

He shrugged slightly. "I wouldn't think so. But maybe I don't want anyone to figure out the puzzle," he ventured.

"Why?"

"What if they don't like what they see?"

"What if they do?" Sara countered. Grissom didn't answer her, though she honestly hadn't expected him to. They drove in silence again, both lost in their own thoughts.

After a few moments, Grissom pulled into an old neighborhood. While the subdivision Sara's cousins lived in had been relatively new, it was obvious that this neighborhood had been there for years. The houses and well-manicured lawns showed that their owners obviously took care of them. The trees in the yards of some homes were also testament to the age of the neighborhood.

Sara smiled to herself, thinking that this was the kind of place where you would find the Brady Bunch Christmas. Everything seemed so perfect, as if everyone was completely happy. Why can't Vegas be like this?

"Here we are," Grissom said idly, breaking into Sara's thoughts. She looked up as he was pulling the SUV up next to the curb in front of a house. He would have parked in the driveway, except for the fact that it was already full with three other cars. He gripped the steering wheel for a moment, studying the vehicles. "Looks like we're the last to arrive," he commented, turning to Sara.

Sara shrugged, taking the initiative to open her door. "Let's not be even later!" she said happily, hopping out of the car.

Grissom sighed at her enthusiasm. It wasn't even her family, but she didn't seem the least bit nervous. He, on the other hand, almost dreaded seeing his family again. His aunt usually made sure to point out that he was getting older, but still single. How would they react to Sara, even though there was nothing going on between them?

A tap on the glass made him jump, and he looked up to see Sara standing by the driver's door. She put her hands on her hips playfully. "Come on, Grissom!" she shouted.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he got out. He shook his head at her, then led the way to the front door. He knocked twice, then took a step back.

A large, grey-haired man threw open the door, his expression of annoyance disappearing as he recognized who the knocker was. "Gil!" he shouted, taking a step forward and pulling Grissom into a crushing hug. Sara smirked at the expression on Grissom's face, then took a step back when he was released and the man turned to her.

He smiled. "And who is this, Gil?"

Grissom grimaced as he rubbed his side. "A friend of mine. Sara Sidle. She was visiting her cousins for Christmas, but they skipped town on her." He turned to Sara. "Sara, this is Uncle Herb."

Sara smiled shyly as Herb shook her hand, his smile bordering on creepy. "Nice to meet you," he was saying. "Not often we find out that Gil has any friends." He looked up at Grissom. "Not often that we even hear from Gil."

Grissom shrugged. "I get busy."

Herb shook his head, stepping aside to let them in. Grissom allowed Sara in first, for which she was glad.

She paused for a moment to study the small house. It was obvious that this house held a lot of memories. The walls were covered with art and old photos, a new photo mixed in now and then. Sara took the time to study these while Grissom was greeted by a woman and a younger man.

One of the pictures was an old black-and white photo of a man in front of a farm. Obviously an ancestor. The next photo looked like a professional. It showed a young couple, with the woman holding a small child. This one wasn't nearly as old as the first, but was still not a recent photo.

She studied the picture closer, seeing that the man seemed to look very familiar. The nose, the chin, the curly hair. Then it hit her. That was Grissom's father. Her eyes darted to the baby. And this is Grissom. She smiled despite herself. Awww…he was so cute!

"Sara," a voice said, startling her. She whirled around to find Grissom right behind her. He smiled and gestured to the woman and young man. In the next few minutes, Sara was introduced to Aunt Mary Gimble, her son Richard Gimble, and her daughter, Elisa Mitchell. Sara noticed that Gris was the only 'Grissom'; something that Mary seemed to hold against him from the way she said her children's last names.

Grissom introduced Sara to them, and she was scrutinized immediately by three pairs of eyes. She recognized these types of people. The ones who think they're better than everyone else because they married correctly or were born with the 'right' last name.

Grissom watched as pleasantries were exchanged, then inquired to the whereabouts of his mother. She was in the back yard, according to Aunt Mary, protecting her flowers from the cold. Grissom simply nodded, then disappeared.

Sara managed to get away from Grissom's aunt and cousins, making her way to a window in the living room. She could see the back yard from her position, and she watched as Grissom made his way to a woman leaning over a dying flowerbed. She watched as he touched her shoulder, causing the woman to look up at him. The woman, who Sara figured was Mrs. Grissom, broke out into a smile and threw her arms around Grissom. He hugged her back, and her hands were a flurry of movements when he pulled away. He watched carefully, signing back.

"Odd pair, they are," Sara heard someone say behind her. She turned to see Richard standing close behind her, peering at Grissom and his mother as they 'talked'. "You've got one who couldn't keep her marriage together, and another who can't even get one started."

Sara raised her eyebrows at him. "Sometimes those things are beyond our control."

Richard scoffed, finally looking her in the eye. "You can always keep a marriage together. Divorce looks bad for the family. Besides, she never should have married that Grissom fellow anyhow."

Sara grimaced at him, unable to believe that someone could be so stuck up. And she had only just met him! How many more horrible things was he going to say? "Well, it was her choice as to who she married. Don't you think?"

"She should have thought about what was best for the family. And that Grissom fellow wasn't good for the family. I mean, what did he do? Married her, fathered a son, then abandoned them five years later. What did that marriage accomplish?"

Sara shook her head, stepping towards the back door. As much as she hated to intrude on Grissom and his mother, she needed to get away from this man. "At least we have Gris," she said as she pushed open the door, leaving Richard to try and figure out what she meant.

Sara studied Grissom's mother as she approached. She was a small woman, with bright blue eyes and grey hair pulled up into a bun. She had a very lively face, and was nothing but smiles as she chatted with her son. She caught sight of Sara, then signed something to Grissom.

Grissom turned to see Sara standing behind him. He smiled, then held out a hand. Sara took this as an indication for her to approach, which she did. She stepped up beside Grissom, and he put his hand on her back. "Mother, this is Sara," he said. Then he leaned closer to Sara. "She can read lips, so it's okay to talk."

Sara nodded, then held out a hand. But Mrs. Grissom ignored it, pulling Sara into a hug. The sudden movement startled Sara, but she soon relaxed. Then the older woman pulled back, her hands a blur.

"She says that it's great to meet you. And she says she's heard a lot about you from me. And…" Grissom trailed off, his face reddening slightly.

Sara smiled. "What? What else did she say?"

"She said…you're even more beautiful than she was told," Grissom said, glancing down at the ground for a moment.

Sara's smile only widened. "That's sweet." She turned to Mrs. Grissom, who studied her son intently before turning back to Sara. "Thank you for making the gloves and scarf for me," she said, hoping that her lips were readable. "They were very beautiful."

Mrs. Grissom nodded and smiled. "You're welcome," she said slowly, her speech slightly slurred. One of the side-effects of being deaf, Sara thought. "Gil asked me to make them. He hoped that you would like them."

"And I do," Sara replied, giving Grissom a glance. He simply stood behind her, a small smile still on his face as he watched the women.

Grissom's mother began signing again, obviously excited. Sara watched her hands, using what little ASL she had learned. She was able to catch a few words and phrases, but her hands were moving way too fast. Grissom, meanwhile, seemed to fall back into his childhood groove, reading the gestures naturally. He nodded after a moment, smiling as he leaned close to Sara's face.

"She's volunteered you to help in the kitchen, making supper."

Sara's mouth flew open on its own accord. "Me? Grissom, I can barely boil an egg! Why can't she get you to help?"

He grinned. "Because the last time I tried to help in the kitchen, I almost made her apple pie explode."

Sara looked at Grissom skeptically. "How do you make a pie explode?"

"The right mixture of baking soda and other household items," he answered with a small smile.