Title: Returning Home

Author: Elizabeth Kelly

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: CSI, its plot and characters, belong to CBS Worldwide Inc., and Alliance Atlantis Productions.

Summary: GSR - What if something you thought was lost forever, returned home?

A/N: This story is post Bloodlines. (I kind of forgot to say that before, sorry.)

Chapter Two

"You're Maddie's parents?" Emily asked. Then looking slightly relieved, she continued. "She talks about you both all the time."

"You have a daughter?" Catherine asked, as Grissom gently rock the sobbing Sara.

"Yeah, she turns eleven next month," he replied.

"You have a eleven-year-old daughter?" Brass cut in, looking at Sara then at Grissom.

"Yes, so stop standing around here and DO SOMETHING!" Sara yelled in frustration.

"You know you can't…" Catherine trailed off.

"We know, Catherine," Grissom interrupted her, his voice softer than Sara's.

"I'll call Nick and Warrick," Brass said heading over towards his car.

Catherine took Emily over towards a waiting ambulance to process any evidence found on the girl, leaving Sara and Grissom alone.

Grissom ran one hand through Sara's hair, as the other gently rubbed her back. He felt conflicted at the number of different emotions he felt all at the one time. Happy to hear that she was alive, sad in knowing that she wasn't able to escape as well, fear for her life, worry for the pain that she must be feeling, guilt for wishing it was Maddie and not Emily who had managed to escape and anger towards the man who kidnapped his baby girl. He could only imagine how Sara must be feeling. As much as he loved Maddie and as much as he knew she loved him, she was her mother's daughter. They had always been very close.

Grissom knew that Sara had a troubled past, and he knew that Sara would readily give up her life, in order for Maddie to live a better life then the one she had. When Maddie was taken, Sara had been devastated. She was unable to sleep, or eat properly for months. From then on, Sara had backed away from contact with all small children. Each one held a reminder of the little girl she had lost.

Sara's sobs had quietened to small sniffles. Grissom pulled back, to look into her face.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, it's just… even though I hadn't stopped looking, I had all but given up hope, you know?" she replied, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Yeah, I know."

"She's deaf, our poor little girl had to go through that all alone!" She forced the fresh batch of tears back.

"I'm so sorry, Sara," Grissom apologized. Sara looked at him blankly.

"What are you sorry about?" she asked.

"Everything," he responded quietly.

"You're blaming yourself for her hearing aren't you?" Grissom avoided looking into Sara's eyes. "Grissom, we both knew about your mother's hearing going into the pregnancy. I knew that there was a chance that she may be born deaf. Fortunately, she was able to hear for a number of years before it all disappeared."

"She could have had the surgery that…"

"That you had?" Sara finished for him. He looked surprised that she knew. "We both know that it's a surgery still in its final testing stage. There was no way a doctor would perform that surgery on a little girl."

"I know," Grissom nodded in agreement.

They were silent for a few moments as they took in the hustle and bustle around them.

"I keep trying to picture what she would be like now. How tall she would be, how smart she is, what she would look like. What her favourite movies are, her idols, you know?" Sara wondered aloud.

"Me too," Grissom replied. "She was the one thing we did right." Sara nodded.

Grissom ran his hands down her arms and took a hold of her hands.

"You're wearing it," he said, and Sara gave him a confused look. Then following his gaze, she gasped.

"Oh, God, I forgot that I had put it on." She looked back up at Grissom, and he looked at her for an explanation. "I was going through a box of our old stuff, Maddie's stuff, and I found it. I'm sorry," she apologised.

"You don't owe me an apology, for wearing something that is yours." His hand brushed her cheek.

Any further actions were interrupted by a small cough behind them. They stood up and turned around to see Emily standing behind them.

"Hey, Emily, listen, I'm sorry if I seemed rude before. It's just…" Sara began before Emily interrupted,

"No, it's fine, really. I know that you were concerned for Maddie. Truth is so am I."

"How are you holding up?" Grissom asked her gently.

"You know, I'll be better when Mom and Dad get here," she smiled politely.

"They were so worried about you," Grissom informed her. "They made pests of themselves down at the police station, asking about you and the progress that they were making." Emily smiled.

"That seems like the Mom and Dad I remember." There was silence for a moment, as they each thought for something to say. "I- I just wanted to let you know that she is a remarkable person, Maddie is," Emily said. "Out of the two of us she was the strongest in the beginning. She is still strong mentally, and as stubborn as anything." Grissom chuckled.

"Just like her mother." Sara weakly punched him in the arm.

"Father, would try to get us to believe that he was our parent and that our other parents didn't love us. When he left us alone at night, Maddie would tell me stories of you guys and she would force me to tell stories of my parents. She didn't want Father to be our parent, she knew that you both loved her very much and that you would never give her up."

"She remembered," Sara whispered.

"What?" Grissom asked, curious as to what she was talking about.

"The night before she was taken, she asked why you weren't home. I told her that you were at work. She asked what you did, and I said you solved puzzles to put the bad guys away. Somehow, the conversation got round to child abandonment. She asked me if I would ever abandon her. I gave her a hug and I told her that you and I wouldn't give her up for anything in the world." A single tear slipped down Sara's face.

"I think telling the stories is what kept us going," she paused and looked down at her feet. "She would always say, 'I hope mum is making her blueberry pancakes for breakfast,' or 'Daddy says he is going to let me feed his bugs this afternoon'. I probably would have given up long ago, if it weren't for Maddie." Tears fell down Emily's face. Sara walked over to her and put an arm around her.

Grissom watched the women cling to each other.

"We all need to be strong for Maddie, she needs us, now more than ever, okay?" The girls nodded.

"Say what?" Warrick said staring at Catherine and Brass, his mouth open in disbelief.

"I said Grissom and Sara have a child together!" Greg's eyes looked as though they were ready to pop out of his head.

"A child?" Nick questioned, shaking his head as though to wake him from this bizarre dream.

"A eleven-year-old daughter," Brass confirmed chuckling at the looks on the boys faces.

"A eleven-year-old daughter?" Nick repeated.

"That means…" Greg began before being cut off by Warrick.

"That Nick owes me a hundred big ones." Dumbfounded, Nick pulled a hundred dollars out of his wallet and handed it over to a gleeful Warrick.

"I told you man, there was way too much sexual tension for them not to have done it."

"Guys we need to focus, there is a missing little girl out there, who is very important to two of our friends. So I suggest we get to work and find her," Catherine spoke up. "Warrick you and I will talk to Sara and Grissom, Nick you and Greg talk to Emily. Try and find out where they've been, who they've had contact with, what they have been doing for the last five years and where she thinks he might take her." The team nodded at Catherine.

"I'll get in touch with the S.F.P.D., we'll need the old case files. I'll see you guys later. Give Gil and Sara my best, will you!" Brass called to them as they walked over towards the group of three in the distance.

Nick, Warrick, Greg and Catherine, slowly approached Grissom, Sara and Emily, clearly not wanting to interrupt the discussion they seemed to be having. Grissom noticed their approach and looked up, giving them a weak smile.

"Hey, Grissom, Sara, we're really sorry, we had no idea…" Nick began, Sara cut him off.

"It's ok, Nicky. We thought it was best not to tell anyone. We thought we would never see her again." Nick walked over to her and put his arms around her, as Sara's eyes began to water.

"Hey, it's okay, darlin'. I understand. If you ever need anything, you call me ok?" Sara nodded. Warrick approached as Nick left to talk to Grissom.

"I'm so sorry, girl. What's her name?" Warrick asked.

"Madeleine. Madeleine Charlotte Grissom," Sara replied a small smile played on her lips.

"It's a beautiful name," he replied giving her a hug.

"Thank you," came the muffled response from his shoulder.

Sara looked up at Greg, the moment Warrick had left her side. He looked like he was unsure of what to feel.

"Greg?" Sara called, walking over to him.

"Hey, Sara, I'm sorry about your daughter," he said shifting his weight.

"Thank you," she replied. She watched him fidget. "Greg, what's the matter?"

"It's just you and Grissom with a child, I just can't picture it." Sara smiled faintly.

"It was a long time ago, Greg, circumstances change. Grissom and I are nothing like what we used to be."

"I'm gonna do my best to find her for you, for both of you." Sara placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently.

"Thank you, Greg."

Greg watched as Sara walked back towards Grissom. Grissom placed a hand on her lower back and directed her towards his car. Sighing, Greg shook his head, as if to remove his thoughts and headed over to where Nick was waiting.

A/N: So, that's Chapter Two up. I haven't finished writing Chapter Three yet, so it may take a little while. But, I promise to try and have it done ASAP. I hope you are enjoying it. Let me know what you think.