Trigger warnings child abuse, death of a child.
Smut in this chapter
Avery 9 years old
Grissom gestured to one of the chairs in the departments waiting room. "Stay here, Avery, I'll be back shortly. I want those apple slices gone before I get back."
Avery sat in the seat and took the learning book that he handed her. He gave her a small smile before he headed to the back of the lab and went to the director's office.
"Ah, Grissom," Williams waved his hand for him to come in. "I needed to speak with you about this leave of absence."
"What about it?"
"I can't approve this. You're needed at the lab right now."
"I'm needed at home. I have a foster child."
"I'm aware of that but I still can't approve this."
Grissom narrowed his eyes. "If you don't approve it then I'm going to have to quit. I have to be home with Avery right now."
"She's a foster child that is only with you temporarily, this is your career. Are you really ready to throw it away?"
"I'm not throwing it away. I need three months off to get her settled. And she's not just with me temporarily. I'm adopting Avery. If you need me here in three months time I'll be here. But not before then."
Grissom didn't give him time to answer as he turned and left the office. He enjoyed his job and the work he did, but Avery was his priority right now. He was determined to make sure she had a good life, the one she should have originally had.
He stopped in the doorway to the waiting room and smiled at the young girl. She was humming quietly to herself as she munched on apple pieces and worked in her book. They'd had ups and downs already in the two short months that he had her, but for the most part everything was good. The biggest problem they had faced so far had been the nightmares.
Grissom pushed away from the door and went to her. She smiled at him and popped another apple into her mouth.
"Thank you for eating."
That was the second biggest obstacle. Sometimes she would eat and other times she would flat out refuse. He tried to make sure she got 6 meals a day, three big and three small until she put some weight on.
Grissom looked at her book that she had been writing in. She wasn't working on her schooling though, instead she had drawn a picture of the desk and the officer sitting behind it.
"That is really good, Avery. I didn't know you liked to draw."
Avery slammed the book shut and pulled it against her chest.
"Okay," Grissom said softly reading the situation. "You don't have to show me. Are you ready to go home?"
Home for Grissom had a whole new meaning now. Before it was a place for him to store his property and sleep. Now it was a place for him to share his life with someone.
At Avery's nod he held out his hand.
Sara's mouth hung open as she and Avery watched the home video on the tv.
"This has got to be the single most amazing thing that I have ever seen."
Avery laughed. "My dad will kill me for showing you this." The video showed Avery and Grissom lip syncing and dancing in the living room. Huge smiles covered their faces as they excitedly danced to the music.
"How old are you?"
"15-16 somewhere around there."
"I have to take this to the lab or else no one will believe that this exists. Before I moved here I thought all he did was work, sleep, and eat."
"He did after I went to college, but before that he was a very attentive father." She flipped off the tv as the video ended.
Sara glanced at the sketchpad that Avery was absentmindedly drawing in. She knew Avery well enough to know something was bothering her. She always drew when she had too much going on in her head. The sketch was of a little girl's face.
"Barstow?"
The Barstow case had been bugging Avery for weeks. A young girl and her babysitter had been brutally killed and sexually assaulted. Avery and Grissom had worked it together until Grissom replaced her with Nick because she was getting too involved.
Avery looked up at her then back at the sketchpad before she nodded. "It's been on my mind a lot."
"Grissom and Nick solved that case."
Avery shrugged as she kept drawing the picture.
"Avery."
"I don't know what it is, Sara. I really don't. I just have this feeling that it's not over. We never figured out what that void in the blood was."
"Because it wasn't important."
"But what if it is important."
"What would you tell me if the situation was reversed?"
Avery sighed and dropped the pencil. "That you were getting too involved and needed to back off a little. I'm sorry."
Sara walked over and hugged her. "Sometimes you're more like your father than you want to admit."
"Hazard of growing up with the man."
Sara laughed. "He's lucky to have you. You guys compliment each other."
"I was lucky. He's amazing. He didn't have to take me in and love me, but he did. A lot of people said he was crazy for adopting me. I remember one night when I was supposed to be sleeping, he had some man over. The man told him that he really needed to think about taking me in because I wasn't just damaged, I was broken. I've never forgotten his response."
"Which was..."
" 'I'm broken too. Maybe we can fix each other.' "
"And we did." Grissom was standing in the doorway.
Avery got up from her chair and walked around to hug him. Grissom's arms tightened as his mind replayed her mother hitting her.
"Got to breathe, dad."
Grissom released her with a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Sorry."
Avery stayed against him for a few more moments before she backed off. "I have something that I have to do tonight." She smiled at Grissom's concerned look. "It's fine. I'm not scared of that woman and it's nothing to do with her."
Grissom still watched her uncertainly as she grabbed her sketchpad and pencil. "Do you work tomorrow?"
"Yeah, back on grave."
"Okay," he replied and gave her a peck on the cheek. Be safe and call if you need me."
Avery knew those words were hard for him to say. She could tell Grissom wanted her to stay at the townhouse where he could protect her. She had decided she didn't need the protection anymore. Fearing her mother only increased the fear more so the best way to quit was to just not think of her.
Greg stared at the phone sitting before him. He'd been surprised when Avery called and asked if she could come over. They hadn't spoken since the night Grissom told her that her mom was released.
He jumped off the couch as he heard her knock and rushed to open the door. There was his beautiful girl. Her blue eyes looked a little tired but they also sparkled as she looked at him. He grabbed her and hugged her tightly, kicking the door shut with his foot. Everyone by now had heard about the attack in the parking lot. It terrified him.
"Everyone's in such a hugging mood today," she said. "Sara, dad, now you."
"That's because we love you," Greg told her as he kissed her not thinking about the words he had just said.
"Love? You love me?" Avery asked pulling back slightly.
Greg yanked her back to him before she could get too far away. "Love. I love you."
"How could you? You know my past now."
"Your past doesn't make me love you any less, Avery. If anything it makes it stronger. You survived stuff that most adults wouldn't have been able to. You moved past it so you could help others. There's nothing to not love there." He kissed her again but there was nothing gentle about this kiss. It was passion, hunger, and love all rolled into one.
"Greg," Avery broke the kiss breathlessly. "Your room."
Greg raised his eyebrows but nodded and turned to go to the bedroom. Avery grabbed his hand and pulled him back for another kiss. Somehow with all of the kissing, they managed to make it to his bedroom.
"Avery."
Avery ignored the concern in his voice and took a step away from him before she pulled her shirt off. She could feel the hunger in Greg's eyes as he stared at her.
"I haven't done this. I've never given myself willingly to a man, but I want to with you. I know you won't hurt me."
Greg kissed her deeply as he lowered both of them to the bed. His mouth explored her skin, skimming over her cheeks and jaw down her neck, finally ending the journey by pressing small kisses on her cleavage.
Avery leaned up slightly and reached behind her, unhooking her bra. Greg watched as she shed the material his eyes roaming her lucious breasts.
"Greg..."
Greg immediately looked at her face as he heard the apprehension in her voice. "It's okay, Avie. It's just me." A gentle press of his lips to hers. "Do you want to stop?"
Avery shook her head. A moan escaped her as she kissed him hard. Her hands moved down his sides before she was gripping his shirt. Greg helped her remove it as one of his hands cupped her breast drawing another moan from her lips. He smiled before his mouth replaced his hand sucking gently on her nipple.
"Greg."
Her voice was barely above a whisper but it was filled with hunger and longing. He switched to her other breast and groaned as her hand grabbed his hair.
"You're so beautiful, Avery."
He moved so he could kiss her again. His erection was straining painfully against his jeans.
"Do you still want this?"
At Avery's nod he was on the move again. This time he passed her breasts and kissed down her stomach. She had scars but Greg kept silent about them for now instead focusing his full attention on pulling her jeans off her body. He stood up between her legs and looked at her lying on his bed in only panties, her face and chest flushed with need.
Avery sat up and went to work on his jeans, getting the clasp open and pushing them down his legs.
"I guess today was a good day to go commando," he said with a chuckle.
Avery didn't answer and he looked down to see her staring at his hard cock, the fear clear in her face.
"Hey, baby," he soothed. "We can stop at anytime."
Avery looked at his face. This was Greg. Her Greg. He wasn't a faceless body rutting against her in the dark. Greg loved her. When he bent down to kiss her, her hand shot out and she stroked his cock. Greg moaned against her lips. Avery broke the kiss and smiled at him before her lips were on his stomach.
"Ave."
She didn't even look at him as she licked the tip of his cock.
"Fuck," Greg breathed out. It had been a while since he'd been with anyone other than Julie his hand.
His girl was amazing. With sinful eyes that stared up at him she wrapped her lips around his head down to his shaft. Her mouth felt incredible, the wet heat enclosing him.
"Ave, baby." He took her chin in his hand, his cock sliding out of her mouth with a plop.
"Was that okay?" She was worried she had done something wrong. She had barely had her mouth on him before he had stopped her.
"Okay? That was fucking amazing, beautiful." He kissed her and pushed her back onto the bed. "If you kept that up I was going to unload right then and wouldn't be able to make love to you like I want to."
Avery bit her lip as he hooked his thumbs under her panties and slowly pulled them off her body. He met her eyes before he kissed up her leg his mouth like fire on her already heated skin.
"Have your ever come before, Ave?" He ran a finger along her core, almost cursing as he felt how wet she was for him.
Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment before she shook her head. Greg smiled to himself. He hated what had happened to her as a child but he loved that he was the only one his girl had allowed to touch her.
Avery gasped as his tongue flicked over her clit. "Greg."
He grinned up at her before he put his tongue to work. He licked and sucked and tasted all areas of her. Whimpers escaped her throat as she grabbed at the blankets. The need she felt for him almost frightened her with it's intensity.
"Greg, please."
"I've got you, baby," he told her before he sucked hard on her clit. Her body stiffened beneath him and she let out a cry as she came against his tongue. "Fuck, Ave, so beautiful." He needed inside of her now.
Greg moved up her body and kissed her deeply, letting her taste herself on his mouth. Her legs had fallen open on either side of him and his cock pressed against her.
"Tell me now if you don't want this."
His answer to that was Avery kissing him as her hips jutted up to press tighter to him. Greg moaned against her lips as he slowly started to enter her. To slow. She tried to pull him deeper but her stopped her.
"Baby, stop I am barely holding on here," he whispered against her sweaty hair. "I have to go slow so I don't hurt you." He wanted what she wanted, to be buried fully inside of her instead of gently easing in, but he refused to hurt her.
"I want you."
"You have me," Greg told her before they both let out a sigh as he bottomed out. "Fuck, you're so tight, Ave. You feel amazing wrapped around my cock."
Avery was moving her hips trying to get him to move. "Greg," she whimpered.
"I've got you. I'll take care of you." He finally started to move and Avery threw her head back with every thrust of his hips. He made sure to watch her face so that her gaze was only on him. He wanted her to know it was him inside of her, filling her, bringing her to the brink of desire.
"Greg."
"Are you close for me, baby?"
Avery nodded as she clawed at his shoulders. "So close."
Thank God. Greg knew he wasn't going to last much longer. He changed the angle of his hips so every thrust pushed him deeper inside her. No more words were spoken, the only noise in the room were the sounds of their lovemaking. Avery cried out her channel becoming chokingly tight as she hit her orgasm. Three more thrusts was all it took before he followed her over the cliff.
Greg tried to move off of her as he was coming down but Avery tightened her legs around his waist keeping him against and inside of her.
"I'm heavy."
"I'll survive," she muttered against his neck.
Greg chuckled before he rolled them so Avery was over him. "There, now I don't have to worry about flattening you."
Avery snorted as she relaxed completely against him. Greg wasn't sure how long they stayed like that before Avery finally rolled off of him and cuddled against his side.
"Can I stay here tonight?"
"Of course," Greg told her.
It wasn't long before Avery had drifted off into a deep sleep. Greg stayed awake staring at her. She was so strong to have been able to move past the abuse she had suffered. He looked over her body, inventorying any scars her saw along her perfect delicate skin.
He had liked her for years before he finally had the courage to ask her out. After all she is the boss's daughter. Even before they had started dating he had fallen in love with her. Her compassion for victims, the intensity that she used to close cases. She was perfect.
She was his.
Greg smiled at the thought as he finally allowed himself to drift to sleep, his love safe in his arms.
Avery awoke from her dream with a start. Her breathing calmed as she felt Greg's naked body against her own. The clock confirmed that she had only gotten a couple of hours sleep.
She rolled so she was facing Greg who was on his back beside her. She leaned up on her elbow and reached out to touch his chest. He was hairless with well defined abs. It was funny that she has never really noticed his body before. She had liked him for a while but never acted on it due to her fear and the fact that they worked together. She knew Grissom and Sara made it work, but most couples couldn't.
It wasn't his body she had fallen for, it was him. She loved the way his eyes sparkled as he told a joke and the brotherly affection that he had for Sara. His intensity as he worked his cases, always eager to learn something new.
Her hand explored his chest as she thought about him. She'd never had the desire to explore a man's body before. She never thought she would want to after her childhood. His stomach bunched as her hand grazed it.
"I'm ticklish there."
Avery jumped and pulled her hand away. "I'm sorry." How had she missed that he had woken up?
Greg reached over and linked her fingers with his before he pulled her hand to his mouth for a kiss. "It's okay," he told her as he put her hand back on his stomach. "I like you touching me."
There was barely enough light in the room for her to see him. It was the middle of the day but his blackout curtains worked wonders for keeping the light out. Her head rested against his shoulder as she allowed her hand to wonder again. They were both silent as she took her time mapping out his smooth skin.
"You didn't sleep long," he said after a while.
"Dream," she answered moving her hand a little further down his body. She almost jerked her hand back as she felt his erection. "You're hard."
Greg couldn't help the chuckle as he kissed her forehead reassuringly. "Yes, Ave, that tends to happen when I have a beautiful woman feeling me up."
Avery wrapped her hand around his shaft giving him a couple of quick jerks. Greg groaned as her thumb rubbed the head of his cock collecting the drops of liquid there.
Greg growled as her hand left his cock entirely. "You're killing me."
Avery chuckled softly she moved her position slightly so he could see her face. Her lips were curved in a seductive smile, her eyes never leaving his as she wrapped her lips around her thumb moaning at the taste of him.
Before he could speak Avery kissed him hard. Her hand was on his cock again as they kissed desperately.
"Be a good boy for me, Mr. Sanders," she whispered against his lips.
Greg's eyes closed as she kissed his neck, running her tongue over his pulse point before she sucked hard on the skin. Greg jerked against her knowing that would definitely leave a mark, but not caring.
"Ave, what are you doing to me?"
"Loving you."
Greg's breath hitched at her words. Did Avery just admit she loved him? He knew he loved her, but she was hard to pinpoint at times. He was pulled out of his thoughts as he felt her breath on his dick.
"Baby."
"Shh." Avery placed her finger against his lips. "Don't talk, just feel."
He nipped at her finger before a harsh curse fell from his lips as she swallowed him. He didn't have a coherent thought as her mouth worked on him, pulling him deeper into the warm heat.
She used her tongue to map out his cock storing away all the sensitive areas for later use. Avery was a little surprised that she felt no fear except once when he jerked her hair and thrust against her mouth. He had immediately pulled back and apologized. She had brushed it off and was already sucking him again before the apology left his mouth.
"Avery, baby, I'm going to come," he told her. "Babe." He tried to pull her off him but she refused to move. She wanted to taste him.
All it took was one final trip to her throat and he lost it. His hand grabbed the blanket hard so that he didn't tighten on the one in her hair and scare her again.
Avery sucked him through his orgasm, swallowing all of him before she licked his cock clean. As soon as her mouth was off of him he was pulling her up to him.
Just as their lips were about to touch there was an ear splitting sound from outside, screams coming seconds later. They looked at each other before they were both out of bed. Greg yanked open the curtains and they were met with fire and more screams, another bang, sirens.
"Another bomb," Avery whispered.
Greg was surveying the damage until he heard Avery gasp. "Avery?"
She was already throwing her clothes on as fast as she could. She was frantic as she searched in the dark for her panties.
"Avery, what's wrong?" More than just the bomb had frightened her.
"The bomb," she said abandoning the hunt for her panties and instead just pulling her jeans on.
"Emergency services are already heading that way. Calm down, baby, it wasn't that close."
Avery shook her head. "You don't get it. That's close to where my dad lives. Too close. I have to get out there. I have to see."
Greg wrapped his arms around Avery. "Calm down, love, having a panic attack won't help them." Her tears dropped onto his chest as he held her tight.
When she had calmed some Greg had gotten dressed and left. He was worried too. He liked Grissom and respected the hell out of the man, but one thought was stronger still than that...
What would happen to Avery if Grissom had been killed?