AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the next chapter.

Chapter 2: Moments in time

When Rick and Elizabeth finally caught up with William and Max, which they were trying to catch their breath as William still hadn't said a word while he stood there in shock looking at Bella, then when Rick realized who the young woman was, he looked at her with wide-eyes as Bella started to stand up. "Holy..."

Bella cuts him off with a smile. "Nice to see you too, Rick."

Before he could say anything, or she could address Elizabeth, Elizabeth smiled as she rushed up to her to give her a hug. "Bella!"

The girls chuckled as they hugged one another, then as they were pulling back, Elizabeth asked. "It's so nice to see you again, what are you doing here? Are you staying or just passing by for a visit?"

Bella cleared her throat, and was about to speak, but was interrupted when both Elizabeth's and William's cell phones dinged, indicating they had a text message, and after checking it they gasped before Rick and Bella looked at them with concern before Rick asked. "Guys, what's wrong?"

Elizabeth answered in a frantic tone, worried about her cousin. "Courtney went into early labor, and I guess complications arose, I need to go to the hospital."

William then spoke after clearing his throat. "And I need to watch the kids at Aunt Carly's."

Rick looked at them in shock as he spoke towards Elizabeth. "I'll go to the hospital with you, if you want?"

Elizabeth looked at her best friend with a nod, trying not to cry. "Yeah, that would be great, thank you, Rick."

Rick nodded in return, then after handing William's backpack and Max's leash to William, and they staid goodbye to Bella, they turned and rushed towards the parking lot so they can get to her vehicle.

When William still hadn't moved from his spot, Bella looked at him and said. "Go, your family needs you."

He didn't want to admit this out-loud but he was afraid that if he turned around and left, he would never see her again, and he didn't know if he could handle her disappearing from his life a second time.

Since she's been gone, he always felt like something was missing in his life, and he tired to fill the void with various after school clubs, like Chess, Science and Math, even studying more and getting a part time job at the pet shop, but what ever he did or tried, nothing filled it.

Until now, seeing her for the first time in 10 years, sent his heart racing like it has never done for another girl before and made everything feel right, like he was finally whole again.

He must have thought that Bella reciprocated what he was feeling because she gave him a reassuring look/smile. "It's ok, I have a feeling we'll see one another again."

He cleared his throat, finally able to speak to her as he raised an eyebrow. "What uh, what do you mean?"

She gave him another smile before asking. "Do you trust me?"

Looking deep into her brown eyes, he slowly smiled, making her heart race like no other, and he nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"Then Go."

Even though a part of him still didn't want to, he knew that he needed to be with his sisters and Andrew so Carly and Brett could be with their daughter, so he nodded, then after clipping the leash in place on Max's collar, and once Bella said bye to the dog, William and Max turned to walk away, but after few steps, Bella asked. "Hey William, who is the father of Courtney's child?"

William turned round to look at her and smiled slightly. "I guess you'll find out when you see me again."

She looked a little shocked with wide-eyes. "Not even a hint?"

He couldn't help but smirk next. "Nope."

Then he turned back around and started walking away as she took a breath and shook her head before sitting back down on her blanket and going back to her book, hoping everything will work out in that family, still remembered how kind everybody was when her life changed in one moment.

(At the hospital)

After getting off the phone with everybody he needed to call, Courtney's husband sits down in a chair with a deep sigh as he bent his head down and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander.

Flashback

10 years ago

November 3, 2016

After Kelly told the family that they could start seeing the newest Grissom now, everybody started heading for the elevator, but before Courtney could, she hears clearing of the throat before a voice asking. "Courtney, can I speak to you for a minute?"

She turned around and smiled at Malcolm. "Of course, what's up?"

He gave her a smile in return before speaking again. "We've been friends for awhile now, right?"

Courtney nodded her head with a smile. "Yeah, I would like to think."

He nodded in return. "And I can't thank you enough for you being there for me, it meant it a lot, more than you can understand."

"You're welcome."

He then cleared his throat as he tried to ask her something. "And while I uh want our friendship to continue, I uh...well, you see the thing is, and I don't uh want to make things awkward between us if you don't view the situation the same, but I uh, I can't keep quiet anymore, so Courtney would uh..."

Courtney cuts him off with a smile before he had a heart attack or something. "Yes, I'll go out with you."

Malcolm looks at her wide-eyed and said. "Wait, what?"

She asked shyly. "I mean, that's what you were trying to do, right, ask me out?"

He chuckled with a nod. "And failing miserably, yeah."

She then smirked. "Which I would have let you continue, but I did want to see the newest Grissom sometime today." When he gave her another shocked looked, she chuckled before asking shyly again. "What, is teasing out of the equation now?"

He chuckled again. "No, I don't ever want to lose how we are together, so tease away."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind."

After another nod, they started walking towards the elevator as she asked. "You know I don't think I've ever seen you that nervous before, I never took you as a nervous guy."

"And I'm usually not."

"Then what changed?"

They stopped in front of the closed elevator, and after pressing the button he looked over and replied in a sincere tone. "The simple answer is, it's you, changing our dynamic is a scary step because one misstep I could lose you..."

She cuts him off as she took his hand. "You'll never lose me. And know you don't have to try so hard because I also don't want to lose how we are together. Remember, it's just you and me, like we've been for months, just trying to navigate the next step in our relationship."

He took a breath and nodded before squeezing her hand lightly. "I like the sound of that."

"What, relationship?"

"Yeah."

She nodded in return before clearing her throat, realizing they were still holding hands. "I like the feel of this, too."

He smiled wider with a another nod, then once the doors opened, they stepped in the elevator hand in hand, but as the doors closed, he spoke again. "And as wonderful as this feels, I think that we should..."

Courtney cuts him off with a nod, knowing where he was going with his. "Keep this to ourselves for right now, I get it."

As they slipped their hands out from one another, both missing the feeling immediately, he looked over at her and whispered, knowing she didn't like lying to her family, which neither did he but he thought it was best until they figured out where they were going with this. "It won't be forever, I promise."

Courtney nodded. "I know that, and honestly, until we figure out where we are going we should keep it to ourselves, I'm right there with you."

He nodded with another smile, happy they were on the same page and looking forward to what comes next for them as a couple.

10 years ago

Christmas Eve, 2016

(After leaving Sara and Grissom's Christmas party)

Once they left the Grissom residence after the first movie, Malcolm drove Courtney back to her apartment complex, and as they were walking towards her apartment, which she was sharing with two other college classmates, they were talking about William and hoping the little guy will be ok after saying goodbye to someone they thought was really special to him. Once they stopped at her apartment, she put the keys in the door before turning around, then immediately he wrapped an arm around her waist while cupping her cheek, and after a brief hesitation while he ran his thumb up and down, he slowly leaned down and kissed her lips softly, she kissed him back before they deepened it a little, then after a few moments, they pulled back slowly and placed their foreheads together as he breathed out. "I've been wanting to do that all night."

She smiled as she replied. "Me too." Then she cleared her throat before continuing with a smirk as they pulled back. "Although, you did have your chance when were under the mistletoe."

He took a breath and nodded. "I know, and I'm sorry, I just wanted to talk to your parents first."

She raised an eyebrow as she asked. "About what?"

"About you know, me and you. I wanted them to be the first to know."

Her heart swelled for this man, but she couldn't help but smirk again. "Babe, the majority of my family, extended ones included, are CSIs, and as great as you are one, I don't think we kept how we felt hidden enough, so I think everybody already knows."

He chuckles with a nod. "And I believe you're right." He took a breath and finished. "But for officials sake, I want them to know first, tell them how much I care about you, how much I do want this to work, and that you're not a passing thing for me."

She'll let him have this, so she nodded with a bright smile as her heart swelled again. "Ok, we'll do it your way."

He now couldn't help but smirk. "Wow, I have a feeling that will be the first and only time we'll ever do it my way."

She lightly hits him on the shoulder before smirking as they moved closer to one another, if that was even possible. "We'll see."

They chuckled again, then as they were calming down, he cupped her cheek again and sighed in content while just looking at her, and when the feeling of him just staring at her became too much for her, she shyly smiled as she asked. "What?"

He shook his head and spoke softly. "I know we've joked about this in the past, and will probably continue to joke about it in the future, but honestly, you were literally right in front of me this whole time. What was I thinking? What was I doing to miss this for so long?"

She smirked again, hearing about his history from rumors of the lab, plus from Luke and Harry. "Probably romancing the rest of the city of Los Angeles."

He snickered for a second before he got serious. "Let me get the record straight here, I've treated every one of my relationships with respect, there was never more than one at a time..."

Before he could continue, she cuts him off. "Malcolm you don't need to..."

But he cuts her off as he placed a finger to her lips while asking. "Please, let me get this out." She nodded, having a feeling he needed to do this, and after he cupped her cheek again, he continued. "Contrary to what everybody may believe, not all of them ended up in the bedroom, and I'm sure the number that everybody in that lab believes I've been with has been exaggerated by now." He continued to run his thumb up and down her cheek as he continued softly. "I can't change who I've been with, it's in the past. But know in my present, and the foreseeable future, it's you I want to be with you, only you." She could see the truth in his eyes, but then she got a little nervous as she looked down, tears started to come to her eyes, so he asked in concern as he lifted her chin up. "Hey, what's wrong, what's going in that brilliant mind of yours? We promised we would be honest with one another, no matter what."

She nodded before she cleared her throat and spoke a little shyly. "It's just that I'm probably the least experienced woman you've ever been with, and I..."

He cuts her off with an honest and sincere tone. "And it's ok, we can go as slow as you want. I'm not going to rush you. When you're ready that's when it will happen, I just hope that I'm the lucky man you'll be ready for."

She smiled with her eyes watery, thankful for this sweet man. "Thank you, Malcolm."

He shook his head as he wiped her tears away. "No need to thank me, I just want to be with you, and everything that we experience along the way will be..."

She cuts him off with a smile. "Icing on the cake."

He chuckled with a nod. "Yes, my thoughts exactly." Then he gets a little more serious. "But no pressure. How did you put it when I first asked...Well, I guess I should say when you asked me out. (She chuckled at that) It's just you and me trying to navigate the next steps in our relationship."

She nodded as they placed their foreheads together. "You and me, I like that sound of that."

He sighed in content as he closed his eyes. "Me too."

8 Years ago

February 22, 2018

After leaving the restaurant, where Courtney was surrounded by everybody she cared the most about to celebrate her 23rd birthday. Well, almost everybody was there, there was a very important person who wasn't there, that really should have been, so that's why she was knocking really hard on the apartment door as she spoke in a very hard tone. "Malcolm Derek Cooper, you better have a good excuse for not..."

She gets cut off when he opened the door slightly as he looked at her shyly. "I knew you'd be mad, but there is a very good reason for it, and I was excused by your parents."

She looked at him with confusion as she asked. "What do you mean you were excused, what good reason could you of had to miss..."

She trailed off when he had opened the door wider and she saw that it was dark except candlelight, then he softly took her wrist and lead her inside before he closed the door. With her eyes wide, she looked at him and spoke softly. "What is all of this?"

He smiled as he asked. "Can you please sit, first?"

She nodded as she walked towards the couch, then once she placed jacket and purse on the coffee table, she sat down, and after a moment, he took a breath and walked up to her while speaking. "Just so you know I had this whole speech planned out, thinking that if I put the words on paper first I could get through it, but one look at you I know it wouldn't of mattered, I would still have a tough time getting the words out, and it would end up being a jumbled mess, like when I attempted to ask you out. (She chuckled with a nod before he continued after clearing his throat) So to make sure history doesn't repeated itself, I'm just going to get right to the point." He took her hand before finishing his speech. "I love you, and I still can't believe it took me three years to see this amazing, beautiful woman in front of me, but I see you now, and I don't ever want to let you go, so Courtney Ann Bolden." He got down on his knee as he pulled a diamond ring with her birthstone in the middle of it, out of his pocked as he finished his proposal. "Will you do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife?"

Courtney, with tears in her eyes, nodded her head with a smile. "Yes, I'll be your wife."

He smiled with bright eyes as he slipped the ring on her finger, and as they were moving closer to one another to kiss, she stopped him while placing her hand on his chest. "Wait, you said my parents excused you, so did they know you were going to do this?"

He smiled shyly this time. "Well, I did have to ask their permission, so yeah, they knew."

She chuckled as she shook her head. "You're unbelievable, you know that."

Not sure how she meant that, he asked with caution. "Uh, in a good or bad way?"

With love in her eyes she cupped his cheek as she whispered. "In the best, amazing way there is, and you're all mine."

They moved closer again as he whispered in return. "Now and forever."

Their lips touched a second later, they even deepened it not long after, and once they pulled back, they place their foreheads together and she whispered again. "I love you."

"And I love you."

He move to kiss her forehead when she pulled back and took his hand. "Can you show me now?"

He looked at her with wide-eyes, knowing her meaning. "Are you sure?"

She stood up, helping him stand before she whispered as she cupped his cheek. "I am, I want to be yours, fully and completely. I don't want to wait anymore."

With love in his eyes, he nodded. "Ok." He kissed her forehead again, then pulled back, but before he lead her to the bedroom, he spoke. "But hold that thought for a second, please."

Before she could ask, he had walked towards the coffee table and picked up two of the candles and headed for the bedroom, making her smile as she shook her head. "Malcolm you don't need to do that."

After a second trip, he walked back up to her and lifted her in his arms bridal style as he smiled with love in his eyes again. "Only the best for my fiancée."

She smiled brightly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Fiancé, I like..."

He cuts her off as he got to his bed room doorway. "The sound of that?"

She chuckle with a nod. "Should I stop saying that?"

He shook his head. "No, I like it."

"Ok."

They kiss again, and after pulling back he whispered. "I'm following your lead, whenever you want me to stop, I will, I just want you to be ok."

She smile while cupping his cheek. "I know I will be, because I'll be with you. I trust you, and I love you."

"I love you too."

After one more kiss, he carried her into his bedroom.

End of Flashback

Malcolm started to look down at his wedding ring as he was going to continue with his thoughts, but he was jolted back to the present when he heard Carly's frantic voice. "Malcolm!" Malcolm looked up before standing up with his arms wide, and she ran right into them and gave her son-in law a hug while speaking, trying to convince them both. "She's going to be ok, they all are, they are fighters."

Malcolm nodded with a sniffle. "Yes, they are." As they pulled back, he spoke after clearing his throat. "Courtney wanted you with her when you got here, and Kelly is going to allow that."

Carly nodded, and after a shared kiss on the cheek, she cupped his cheek and ran her thumb up and down it a few times, he then nodded again before she removed her hand and headed for the elevator.

He took a breath and looked down, willing his tears to stay at bay, then he felt another presence, so he looked up and saw Brett walking towards him, he cleared his throat and spoke with emotion. "Mr. Bolden...I mean dad, I..."

Brett cuts him off as he wrapped his arms around someone he watched grow into the man and CSI he is now, a man he was proud to call son. "It's ok, son, I know you did everything you could to protect my little girl, and grandchildren. Unfortunately, these things can happen, just try to not think about what the worst could happen, no matter how hard it is not to."

Malcolm nodded in understanding, and as they pulled back, he sniffled again and said with emotion. "They have to be ok, I can't live without them."

Brett shook his head as he cupped his cheek. "And you won't, they are too much like their mother/grandmother to give up." After another nod and sniffle from Malcolm, Brett asked. "Did you get a hold of BJ and Martin?"

"Yes, they said they'll get here as soon as they could."

After graduating from college, Martin wanted to start new somewhere else, so he went to Texas, to not only be near his mother, who had found love again, but to continue studying and training to be a counselor, while BJ moved to San Francisco to be a little closer to Stephanie Allen, as he trained to be a cop while she finished her schooling so she could train to be a pediatrician. They've now been engaged for two years, have since moved back to the Los Angeles area, but were currently in San Diego visiting some of her extended family when they had gotten the call from Malcolm.

As Brett nodded in understanding, they hear Sara's voice. "Any more news?"

Brett removed his hand from his son in-law's cheek and turned around while Malcolm shook his head. "No." They share a hug before he gives her a small smile. "Thank you for being here."

Sara gave him a smile and nod. "No problem."

He looked at Grissom and held out his hand. "You too, Grissom."

Grissom waved it off as he shook the younger man's hand. "Of course."

They released hands, and not too long after that, the rest of the family showed up to show their support.

AN: Questions about Bella will be answered soon, please be patient. Thanks for reading, and please review.