AN: Thank you for the reviews, here is the next chapter. Warning: Implied/suggestive adult behavior.


Chapter 25: Happy where we are

Three years later

July 3, 2021

Sara was standing at the window inside the cabin they are now renting from the Hamilton's, who fell on hard times with their finances, when Grissom walked up to his wife and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple.

She sighed in content, not only because of being in the comfort of her husband's arms but also the view outside.

"It's nice to get away for a few days."

Grissom kissed her temple again before replying against it. "Yes, it is, especially when your hours at the lab will now be increasing slightly and the twins start school."

With the twins starting preschool, which means more of a 'school time' schedule, Sara opted to increase her hours at the lab a little more than she had been so she wouldn't be at home alone with nothing to do. She's still considered a level lll CSI, despite how many years/hours she's logged in, but she doesn't care, she wouldn't trade the time she's spent at home the last four years for anything, watching her twins grow and develop their own personalities while seeing them having traits just like their parents, especially their father.

She nodded with a smile while turning around to look at her husband, who was smiling at her with love in his eyes, then she sighed before speaking softly. "Our babies will be going to school in a month, I can't believe it. It feels like we just took them home from the hospital yesterday."

He moved his hand to cup her cheek with a sigh of his own. "I know, sweetheart. But you know how the saying goes, time flies by when you are having..."

He was cut off when they hear their now four-year-old, Warrick's excited voice as he ran in the other room. "They are here, mommy, they are here!"

From their spot in the dining room, they turned their attention to their son, who had the more physical appearance of his father with that light brown hair and blue eyes. He then ran back to the couch so he could look out the window with a smile on his face, seeing Nick and Sabrina getting out of the vehicle, while his sister was sitting at the coffee table putting a puzzle together.

Sara shakes her head with a chuckle. "It isn't like he sees his 'cousins' Billy and Rick all the time."

A year after Billy Stokes was born, Nick and Sabrina added another son to the family, and with how close Nick was to Warrick, he also wanted to name their son after him, so they opted to go with his nickname, Rick, since there was already a 'Warrick'. Now they are parents of three with a five-month-old daughter, Sarah Ellen Stokes, completing the Stoke-Westbrook family.

Grissom smiled as he slipped his hand into hers before they started walking into the living room, then Sara slipped her hand out of his when they got to the coffee table so she could go to the door while Grissom kneeled down next to his daughter, who had dark brown hair and those beautiful brown eyes that made him smile at her every time for no reason other than she looks like her mother. "You doing ok, butterfly?"

Betty Grissom, who was also the calmer one between her and her brother, nodded with a smile as she looked at her father. "Yes, daddy."

Grissom kissed her temple. "Ok."

He stands up just in time for the door to open and in came Billy and Rick running inside, meeting Warrick before the three of them ran to the playroom, causing them all to chuckle as Nick, who was carrying his daughter, and Sabrina walked in the cabin.

"You'd think they hadn't seen one another in months."

Sara smirked as she held out her arms to get a hold of little Sarah. "I know. It's not like we live down the street from one another."

They chuckled again as Nick transferred her daughter to her godmother/aunt, who was just as excited to hold her as the boys were when they saw one another.

Once Sara had the little girl in her arms, Sara spoke again. "Catherine text earlier, saying their flight was delayed. She said she'll text again when they land so we can give her directions on how to get here."

For the first time in three years, pretty much since Catherine's wedding, they'll finally be in the same place at the same time, this time celebrating the 4th of July weekend together.

Nick nodded in understanding before smirking. "Speaking of Catherine, can you believe she is a grandmother now?"

Lindsey and her long-term boyfriend welcomed a baby girl three months ago, making Catherine a grandmother for the first time, something she's actually excited about.

Grissom then gets into the conversation with a smile. "And it's a title she wears proudly."

They all nodded in agreement before Nick responded again. "That she does."

As they walk further into the room, Grissom asked them. "Would you like something to drink?"

After they declined, Nick and Sabrina greeted Betty before they all sat down, happily talking to one another while waiting for the rest of their 'party' to show up, which included, Catherine and Vartann, and Greg and Morgan, who are now engaged and are expecting parents in six months.


Later that evening

Once the group showed up, they got Catherine and Vartann set up in the cabin where Sara and Grissom were while Greg and Morgan were set up in the Westbrook cabin where Nick, Sabrina and their kids were staying, then they sat around in the living room talking and laughing, mostly about old times.

When it got later in the evening, and while they were eating outside on the deck, Grissom looked over at Greg and asked. "How is your promotion treating you?"

About a month ago Greg, the once lab rat who worked himself up the ranks, finally has a team of his own now, sure it was on swing shift, but he was finally a boss, something he's been working years towards.

Greg gets a bright smile on his face as he replied. "I really like it. Although, there are some aspects about it that I wish I could do with..."

They all cut him off, knowing exactly what he was going to say. "The extra paperwork."

Greg chuckled with a nod. "Yes, I'm sure you all get that. But for the most part it's been a dream come true."

With pride on Grissom's face, he replied sincerely. "And well deserved, I'm so proud of you Greg, not only as a CSI but a man, and I have no doubt you'll make a wonderful father."

While they all believed and knew Grissom was a good man, it wasn't everyday he got that sentimental, especially when it wasn't towards Sara or their kids, so to hear him talk to Greg like that, it did make them a little emotional.

Greg cleared his throat and replied while Sara ran her hand over her husband's back. "Thanks Grissom, and it's because of you that I am the CSI..."

Grissom cuts him off while shaking his head and taking his wife's hand. "I shouldn't take the credit. Sara is the one who..."

He cuts off the older man. "I want to give everybody the credit on helping me become the CSI I am today, but it was you who got my foot in the door, and you never gave up on me."

Sara replied to that while squeezing her husband's hand gently. "And he never would have. We all never would have for that matter. We saw the potential you had, and you have proven us right, so congratulations Greg."

They all raised their glasses to honor Greg, then after taking a sip of their drinks, Grissom looked at Catherine. "You still enjoying your new lab?"

The old lab had been remolded the last few years and was completely done a few months ago. Now it's bigger with a lot more windows so it was more brighter during the day.

Catherine gets a bright smile on her face. "I love it."

Grissom then asked. "And the new teams?"

Catherine then smirked. "Why, you asking? You jealous, you miss us?"

They all chuckled before Grissom replied casually, like it was no big deal. "Can't I be a little curious?"

She nodded before answering his question. "I would say that with our lab still being one of the top in the country, not too bad, but..." She paused to look around the table, particularly at Nick, Sara, Greg, then back at Grissom before finishing with emotion. "Nothing in my mind will ever take the place of the original nightshift team."

Greg smiled as he raised his glass. "To the OG's."

They chuckled as they all raised their glasses before Nick spoke softly. "To Warrick."

They softly repeated 'to Warrick' before taking a sip of their drinks, then after a moment of silence they go back to talking and laughing, once again reminiscing about the old times, even telling the kids some stories about their 'uncle' Warrick when the namesake boys had asked about him.


Once the others went to the Westbrook cabin, Sara and Grissom tucked their twins in bed before joining Catherine and Vartann back out in the living room, then after a few more hours, they called it a night themselves.

As Sara and Grissom were settling down in bed, Sara cleared her throat before asking. "When you asked about the lab, it was just out of curiosity like you said, right?"

He turned to his side to look at his wife. "Of course." He then raised an eyebrow as he started to ask his own question. "Why, do you..."

But she cuts him off. "No, I meant what I said multiple times before, I don't mind going there for a visit every now and then. But living there again, I don't think I can do it. I love where we are now."

When she looked down after saying that, Grissom moved his hand lift her chin back up then cupped her cheek with a smile, love and understanding in his eyes. "Then we aren't going anywhere." When she started to smile, he continued. "Besides, when I said goodbye to Vegas all those years ago, I meant it too. I love it here, I love my teaching job and most importantly." He paused for a second as he moved closer to her and whispered. "I love you and our kids, so watching you all happy here is making me happy, so why change the scenery."

Her smile was getting wider, but it was cut off when his lips connected with hers, not that she had a problem with that. In fact, she wrapped her arms around his neck while laying back so it would make him move so he was now above her.

Before things started to take a more passionate turn, he pulled back so they could catch their breath, then they smiled at one another while she cupped his cheek and whispered. "I love you too, and I'm happy to see you so happy, and even with all the years we've already had together, it still feels like we are..."

He cuts her off with love in his eyes. "Just getting started."

She nodded with tears in her eyes, happy that they are more sync with one another than ever before.

Then after one more deep look into each other's eyes, he lowers himself down so he could kiss her tears away before their lips touched again, and before they knew it they were lost in their passion for one another, a passion that's been between them from the very beginning and has only gotten stronger as the years gone by.


AN: Thanks for reading and please review. Wow, a little over a year and I'm finally done, which has been a little bittersweet for me, mostly because this was the last story I had started when my dad was alive, so it was a little harder to let this one go.

I want to once again thank you for your patience, this last year was a little rough for me, but your support had helped me stay motivated to continue to write and post, and I even got a few more ideas for some new stories, it's just the matter of finding time to write it out.

Now lastly, I hope overall you enjoyed this story, you all are enjoying the rest of your weekend, please be safe out there, and until next time, always remember, GSR4ever!