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Chapter 6 Breakfast and Bedroom Sets

When Grissom and Nick found them and hour later, they were sound asleep, Hannah cuddled between the woman and the sofa, her face mostly buried in Sara's brown curls.

"Man, what a picture," Nick said in a low whisper. "In fact," he said with a sly grin as he pulled a camera out of his pocket, "I think I will take a picture."

"Sara's going to kill you," Grissom said absently. Nick snapped the picture anyway, never looking closely enough to see that both beautiful faces were streaked with dried tears.

"Are you going to wake them?"

"Leave them. We'll work in the break room." With that, Grissom motioned for Nick to leave the room and followed suit, closing the door and allowing the two lovely ladies to continue their sleep. He was finishing up a bit of paperwork toward the end of shift when they finally began to stir. Hannah, at least. She opened her big blue eyes and saw that Grissom was working at his desk.

"Uncle Gil, I have to use the bathroom," she said softly.

"Okay," he said softly. He stood and carefully picked her up, not wanting to wake Sara; he knew she didn't get enough sleep as it was. He took Hannah to the ladies room and stood outside to wait. Hannah was fine on her own until she realized that she couldn't reach the sink to wash her hands.

"Do you need a little help?" It was Catherine, having just exited one of the stalls. Hannah nodded shyly. "Here you go," Catherine said with a smile as she picked up the little girl and helped her wash her hands.

"Thank you," Hannah said politely.

"Any time, sweetie. Remember, I'm Catherine. You just let me know if you ever need anything, okay?"

"Okay," Hannah said with a small smile; she had found someone else that warmed her heart. It had been a mostly good two days for the little girl. By the time she got back to her uncle, he was talking to a groggy-looking Sara. The older woman was running her hand through her hair as she spoke in a hushed voice to Grissom.

"Hey baby girl," Sara said with a bright smile when she saw Hannah.

"Hi Sara."

"Did you sleep well?"

"I slept a lot today."

"That's okay, you needed it. You both did," Grissom said as he locked eyes with Sara. "So," he said, turning back to Hannah, "do you want to go out for breakfast?"

"Can Sara come?"

"If she has time," Grissom answered, not wanting to trap Sara into something she wasn't interested in. She had already spent the past two days saving him from complete ruin at the hands of a four year old.

"Sure, I'll come. As long as Gil is paying," she said playfully.

"He'll pay," Hannah answered solemnly.

"I think I'm in trouble," Grissom said with a groan. The three went back to his office and gathered their things before driving to a nearby restaurant for a nice, sit-down breakfast. They had a peaceful breakfast, Sara only slightly enraged when Hannah had never before tasted a strawberry or a piece of French toast. It was obvious that her childhood up to that point had left a lot to be desired and the two CSIs had made up their minds to change its direction. After breakfast, Sara suggested they go furniture shopping if Gil wasn't too tired. It was a popular idea and they ended up spending the morning browsing through several stores before coming across something they all loved.

The light, creamy yellow wood was perfectly cheery while being subdued and sophisticated enough that Hannah wouldn't grow out of it as she aged. The vanity had a beautiful round mirror that was etched with sunflowers in one corner. Sara insisted on the double bed, fearing that Hannah would roll out of a twin. She wasn't sure why that thought occurred to her, but it did, and Grissom didn't argue. He purchased the matching dressers, armoire, desk, nightstand, and two bookshelves to fill his spacious second bedroom. Sara also helped Hannah pick out a wicker chair in the same color with a beautiful lilac cover.

While they were on a roll, Sara suggested that they pick out the comforter and paint color. The idea didn't at first sit well with Grissom, who hadn't thought that setting up a room for Hannah would take quite so much effort. Then again, he'd never been a little girl and he had no idea what one would want. Luckily for him, Sara had been a little girl. And she was going to give Hannah everything she'd always wanted; or at least to a point – she didn't believe in spoiling children. At least not completely.

"Paint?"

"The room needs painted. And a new carpet," Sara added nonchalantly.

"Let's look then," he said, defeated. They placed the order for the furniture, which would be delivered in three days, and then continued on to the hardware store. There, Hannah quickly decided, with Sara's help, on a soft lilac-colored carpet and a similar color in wall paint that would look beautiful with the cream colored furniture. The rug would be installed the next day and the painters would arrive the day after that. By the time they finished furnishing and planning Hannah's new room, Grissom's head was spinning. He wasn't sure how he had lost control over his life, but he certainly had. It was barely lunchtime when they returned to his townhouse. Grissom started making lunch and was trying to involve Hannah, giving Sara the opportunity to make a few phone calls and schedule a doctor's appointment for the child.

Although she certainly wasn't going to like it, they needed to know that everything was all right, at least for their own peace of mind. Luckily, the doctor Lindsay usually saw had a cancellation in the mid afternoon and was willing to see Hannah. After a quiet lunch, Sara took Hannah into Grissom's bedroom and they both changed out of their slept-in clothes. Hannah watched intently as Sara took off her black and silver necklace and replaced it with a silver chain that supported a delicate purple flower that matched the color of her sweater.

Sara smiled at the little girl's attentiveness to her jewelry and rummaged through her small case for a moment before coming up with another chain. This one was a thinly braided white gold chain from which hung a delicate, brushed white-gold heart. Sara fastened it around Hannah's neck and then laughed when the little girl almost knocked her over with an unexpected bear hug.

"You keep that, okay? It's my gift to you. It'll keep you close to my heart," she whispered as she hugged the small girl.

"I love you," Hannah said warmly. She smiled brightly and ran out of the room to show Gil her new necklace.

"Love you too," Sara replied in a whisper, hurriedly wiping the tears from her eyes before joining Grissom and Hannah in the living room. Hannah wasn't quite as happy when she found out where they were headed, but she remained fairly calm as she entered the waiting room. They were called into the office fairly quickly, and greeted by a kind looking, middle-aged woman with dark hair and glasses.

"Hello Hannah," she said warmly to the little girl.

"Hi," Hannah said timidly, moving closer to Sara.

"I'm Dr. Jo." Hannah looked at her doubtfully; in her frame of reference, Joe usually referred to a boy – and she said as much. "It's short for Josephine," the doctor explained with a laugh.

"Do you think you could hop up here, so we can talk?" She patted the exam table but Hannah looked at her doubtfully again and didn't answer. Sara picked her up gently and set her on the table, sitting behind her while Grissom sat in a chair nearby. The doctor sat in a stool that put her right at Hannah's level and began asking gentle questions, trying to ascertain the child's medical history. Apparently, Hannah had never before visited a doctor. The exam went swiftly and Hannah seemed to deal well with it, only once getting upset when Dr. Jo asked her where she had gotten the scar that ran, in a jagged line, about three inches down her right hip.

"Hannah, you have been a wonderful patient. Why don't you go with Maggie and pick out a lollypop while I talk to Sara and Gil?" Hannah looked at Sara and only went with the young nurse after the older woman indicated that she should. After the little girl was out of the room, the doctor's expression changed drastically.

"When did Hannah come into your care?"

"Two days ago," Grissom answered gruffly. "We don't know a thing about her life before now."

"It wasn't good," Sara interrupted. "She told me last night that there was a man who hurt her. She didn't tell me much, but I don't have a good feeling about it. She was really upset. I didn't have a chance to talk to you about it," she said when she noticed Grissom's surprised expression.

"There are definite signs of abuse," the doctor said with a nod. "Her personality is the first indicator. She's the most serious and solemn four-year-old I've seen in years. She's carrying a lot of secrets around on those small shoulders. And that's not all. She's underweight, and well below the normal height for her age. She has never received any of the normal childhood vaccinations, so she's behind about twelve injections."

"That's not going to go over well," Sara said, clasping her hands in front of her, fidgeting worriedly.

"We won't worry about that today. She doesn't need to be afraid to come here. Perhaps we can schedule for a nurse to visit you at home and administer the vaccinations there."

"Make us the bad guys," Sara said wryly.

"She'll forgive you," the doctor answered with a good-natured smile. "It's important that she not be afraid of coming here and talking about what happened to her. I also think it's imperative that you visit a child psychologist. You can visit as a family for a while, and then possibly move her toward solo sessions. How are you related?"

"I'm her uncle. And Sara, she's a good friend. And very important to Hannah," Grissom said, before Sara could get flustered searching for an answer.

"I can see that," the doctor said with a nod. "She's a beautiful child. And I can tell you both already care for her a great deal."

"What about babysitters?" Sara asked after the conversation hit a lull.

"What about them?"

"We both work the night shift," she said with a gesture toward Gil. "But I just can't imagine leaving her with a stranger right now. She seems so fragile."

"Stick with those feelings," the doctor said gently. "It's called a mother's intuition. And you don't have to give birth to possess it," she added kindly. "You have a connection with that little girl. You'll know when the time is right for her to interact with other adults. If you have the flexibility to stay home with her during this transition time, I urge you to take it. She needs security right now more than anything else. And when you do decide she can handle being cared for by others, make certain that you trust the person. Hannah will learn to trust who you trust." Sara was slightly flustered after being complemented so intimately by a woman she barely knew. She felt Grissom's hand grasp her own trembling hands as he spoke.

"Do you have any child psychologists that you'd recommend?"

"I'll give you the number for Madeline DeMaurier. She's one of the best in the area. And I know she'll be willing to meet with you." She flipped through a filofax before writing something on her prescription pad, which she handed to Grissom.

"I'd like to see Hannah again in three months, sooner if any problems arise. And you should schedule for the nurse to visit in the next few weeks to get her started on her immunizations." Sara nodded, trying to nonchalantly wipe tears from her eyes without allowing the other two to notice.

"It's alright to be overwhelmed," Dr. Jo said kindly. "Becoming the most important person to a little girl overnight is nothing small. You two need to help one another through this as much as you need to support Hannah. This is difficult for all of you, never minimize your own feelings, it only leads to trouble."

"Thank you," Grissom said as he offered his hand. "It's been a pleasure meeting you. I can't tell you how much you've helped."

"I look forward to seeing you again. Take care. And stay for a minute, collect yourselves. Hannah will be fine with Maggie for a few minutes." She gathered her things and exited the room, leaving Grissom with a silently weeping Sara.

"Sara, it's okay," Grissom said soothingly as he reached down to hug her.

"No, it's not," she said with a sob. "She's not mine. I can't do this—"

"I'm sorry you got pulled into this. It's not fair."

"But I want it, that's the insane part," she said, baring her soul and feeling completely vulnerable.

"You're not insane. She's a beautiful little girl. And she makes anything seem possible. Even this."

"What is this?" Sara demanded, almost angrily. "Two days ago, I was ready to leave for good. And now I'm practically living in your home, sharing everything but a bed with you."

"You were going to leave?"

"It's not important," she insisted.

"Sara, it is. Your feelings are very important. And we need to talk about this—"

"But later," she said resolutely, wiping away the last tear. She pulled a compact out of her purse and a moment later, he could barely tell she had been crying. He would never understand women and their little magic tricks. When they found Hannah, she was standing in the hallway waiting patiently for them. After a light dinner, Hannah decided that she wanted to play with Griss. She carried the stuffed animal down the hall and disappeared into the bedroom, leaving Sara and Grissom with much needed time to talk.

"Sara, I don't want you to feel pressured into staying with us. But we do want you here," Grissom said slowly, choosing each word carefully.

"I just don't want to wake up one day and realize that I don't belong anywhere. I can't deal with that."

"You belong here," he said quickly, surprising them both. He drew back a bit but kept his eyes locked on hers. "I'm sorry it took something like this to make me realize how much I need you in my life. And I'm not just saying that because I'm petrified of the idea of taking care of a little girl on my own."

"How am I supposed to believe that? You asked Sophia to dinner. I've known you for almost ten years, we've been best friends, and you've never taken me to dinner."

"I did ask Sophia to dinner. As a goodbye. She's leaving the lab. I have no interest in her. And you—I'm afraid of you."'

"Afraid?" She scoffed, not at all believing his words. He nodded and took her hands, holding them gently between his own.

"Sara, there is nothing more frightening than to meet your match. A woman that could make you happy for the rest of your life. I'm a man of habit, I was afraid to let you in. Because I knew that nothing would ever be the same. And you were too important to me, I didn't want to screw things up."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." She paused, looking away for a moment as the tears began to fall. "But I believe you."

"So we're okay?"

"We will be," she answered, squeezing his hand gently.

"Sara, I want us to work."

"Then you better start buying flowers, buster," she said jokingly, pulling away in an attempt to wipe away her tears. "Seriously, Gil. If I become a part of Hannah's life now, I stay a part of her life."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Do you want me to stay home tonight, so you can go in to work?" Sara thought about it for a few minutes but eventually shook her head, her expression difficult for him to read.

"I'll stay. For right now, I think it's best. And besides, I have like 12 weeks of vacation."

"You've got 16," he said with a smirk.

"Wow."

"Yeah, you're a workaholic, Sidle."

"Look who's talking," she shot back with a smirk. "Besides, we need to get working on that room. She needs a place of her own. I guess I'll start moving the bugs—"

"Don't touch the bugs," he warned.

"Grissom, the bugs have got to go. Hannah needs her own room."

"And she'll have it," he consented. "But I'll take care of moving the pets."

"Pets are dogs, not ants."

"That's what you think," he said defensively.

"Whatever. As long as they're gone before the carpet guys come."

"Why don't you ladies drop me off a work so that you have your car?"

"Sounds good to me." Sara went into the bedroom and found Hannah sitting on the bed, talking to the stuffed dog in a singsong voice. "Hannah, we're going for a quick ride, okay?" The little girl smiled in answer and jumped down off the bed, following Sara back out into the hallway. She rode quietly in the backseat, clutching Griss and eventually falling asleep during the short drive.

"Have a good night," Grissom said, leaning over to peck her cheek before he knew what he was doing. Sara smiled and kissed him back before her expression turned into a grimace.

"This is creepily domesticated. Damn, I think I need Valium."

"You're funny," he answered with a smirk. "See you later."