The overcast sky was an appropriate backdrop for the sombre scene that afternoon. Black clad mourners from the city and out of town surrounded the gravesite, as a minister finished the final prayer. He glanced around at his colleagues who had made the trip, taking in their saddened faces, their sense of loss over the woman that had left them four and a half years ago. She may have left their family, but she would always be part of it. He watched Nick hold his wife a little closer, and her cradle her abdomen, swollen with the baby inside. They had gotten married two years after Sara left. Warrick stood behind Catherine, his arms wrapped around her shoulders, his eyes half closed with grief. Even the blonde was shedding a few tears, any animosity between her and Sara long gone. It had only been six months after Sara had left that they had gotten together. Hodges, Archie and Mia clumped together, their eyes facing the ground, each lost in their own thoughts. Brass stood next to Grissom, silent, but Grissom knew that he was as upset as anyone. He had been almost a father figure to Sara, and now he had lost the daughter that had replaced his own. But it was the former lab tech that made Grissom's heart break even more. Standing alone in the crowd, holding a single white rose stood Greg, his shoulders slumped, his eyes glazed with unshed tears and a complete look of defeat overtaking his normal attitude. Grissom knew how close Sara was to him. He was one of the only ones that Sara still e-mailed after she was gone, and he was the only one she would occasionally call. When Greg would get a phone call, Grissom would listen carefully to all the details that the newest CSI (they still considered him new, even though he was now a level three) would tell the others about how she was doing. He wondered if Greg had known about Anna, but figured that was a secret that no one had known.
He also watched the other people mill around the grave, her new family, her San Francisco team. He had met a few of them, but hadn't talked for long.
The short service ended, and they began to place their flowers on the casket, each taking a quiet moment before walking away. Her new family, her new co-workers were the first to go, and then slowly, his own team moved in. Nick's wife held his hand as he touched the casket, his tears finally spilling over. Warrick and Catherine embraced and the blonde buried her head in his shoulder before placing some flowers and turning away. Brass took a few moments beside her final resting place next, and Grissom watched his lips move in a short prayer. Greg approached then, and Grissom watched him silently place the single white rose in the middle, rubbing his fingers over the smooth wood, his head bent, and his own tears rolling down his cheeks.
Then he was the only one left. He looked down at the little girl beside him, her blue eyes deep with emotion, as she clutched his hand. They stood in silence beside her casket. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know how to comfort her child, their child.
"Daddy?" Anna whispered.
"Yes honey?"
"Is mommy an angel?"
His own cheeks were damp when he answered, which he barely could past the lump in his throat, "Of course Anna," and then he knew what he had to say before she was put in the earth. He gathered the child up in his arms, and looked up at the sky, "Thank you," he simply said, and hugged his little girl closer.
After he had taken his time with Anna, saying a final goodbye to Sara, he walked towards his team. They waited for him by the edge of the cemetery by a group of trees. The sun had come out, and between the patches of grey clouds, blue sky could be seen. He hadn't had much of a chance to talk to them before the service, they had only flown out that morning. He also hadn't had the chance to talk to them about Anna.
"How are you holding up Griss?" Warrick asked, placing a hand on his boss' shoulder.
He shook his head slowly, "Still trying to deal with everything I guess."
Catherine knelt down to Anna, who was standing almost behind Grissom's legs, unsure of who these people were.
"Hi sweetheart, what's your name?" she said to the child, then glanced up at Grissom, her eyebrow raised in question.
The whole team had been wondering who this girl was. Most had figured she was related to Sara, the resemblance was uncanny, and they could only guess why she had blue eyes and was holding Grissom's hand.
"Everyone, I'm sorry I couldn't introduce you earlier, but this is Anna Sidle," he to dropped to the child's level, "my daughter," he finished.
They tried to hide shocked looks. Most of them knew that Sara had liked Grissom, but with the way they acted around each other, the team never thought that either would act on the impulses, especially not Grissom.
"Well Anna, my name is Catherine, and all these people, we're friends of your dad's, and your mom's."
The blue eyes took in the group, and she held Grissom's hand a little tighter, the other arm wrapped around his leg.
"She's understandably a little shy, and still a little overwhelmed by what's been going on," Grissom explained, and the group nodded in agreement. They would have to give her time.
A few hours later Grissom silently closed the door to Anna's room. The little girl had fallen asleep after arriving back at Sara's apartment, their home. Grissom had been staying there with the girl since making the funeral arrangements. He didn't want to take her to the hotel and displace her, despite how uncomfortable he felt being in Sara's place alone. He felt like he was intruding, but at the same time, it was almost comforting to know she had been here, that she had made a home for herself and their daughter. He walked over to the couch, intending to nap a little himself, when there was a knock at the door. Sighing, he turned around and went to open it. Catherine was on the other side.
"Hi," she said, "Can I come in?"
He nodded and opened the door wider, allowing her into the living room. She walked towards the couch and motioned for him to join her. He sat down and faced her.
"We're heading back to Vegas tomorrow. We were lucky Ecklie gave us today off. By the way, he sends his condolences, even though we know he has no heart."
Grissom nodded, "Thank you for doing this, for getting everyone here."
"She deserved it Griss, we all loved her," she let him have a moment before moving on, "I came here to ask you about Anna…about what you're going to do with her. I don't mean to pry, but are you responsible for her?"
He had known this interrogation was coming, and he knew it would be from Catherine.
"I'm her legal guardian now. I think Sara left her to me, not only because I am her father, but because she didn't want her to go into the foster system. You guys didn't know it, but Sara, she was a foster child. She knew the system, didn't want her daughter to be part of it. I don't think she had any other close relatives or friends to send Anna too."
"That's understandable. I thought about who Lindsey would go to, who could handle her, after Eddie died, if something was to happen to me. I guess it would be my mom, but she's getting older, and my sister is busy, but they would help. I just hope that I am around long enough so that they would never have to take her."
"We'd take care of her Cath," he said, referring to the team, "You know we would."
Catherine wiped at the corner of her eye, "I know…," she took a moment to compose herself, "but what about Anna? Are you going to bring her back to Vegas? Are you going to raise her?"
He sighed, "The social worker I met with before meeting Anna grilled me with the same bunch of questions. But I made my decision when I saw her Cath, I can't leave her. Sara wanted me to have her to take care of her, and maybe to reconcile with me. It's going to be tough, but she's my daughter, and if it means sacrificing for her, then so be it."
A small smile caught at the edges of her mouth, "It's amazing, isn't it?"
He quirked an eyebrow at her, "What?"
"How fast those paternal instincts take over when you look into their eyes."
"'And now, these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love,'" he quoted, "And I never thought I could love someone as much and as fast as I loved her."
Catherine smiled again, and she wiped her eyes again, "Where's that from?"
"The heart."
To be continued…
Grissom's quote is from the Bible, Corinthians 13:13. Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews so far. They provided great encouragement to write and post this next chapter. I will continue!
L
