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

Warning: Implied/Suggestive adult behavior (Who is the lucky couple? :))

Chapter 15: Prom Night

May, 2027

(Grissom Residence)

Andrea, Ryan, Carly, Catherine, Sara and Grissom were in the kitchen, Isabella and Andrew were hanging out in her room, Katie was with Emily and Ryan Jr. in hers, as Bella and Elizabeth was in her room getting ready for Junior and Senior Prom, while William was doing the same thing in his temporary room.

The girls were all ready, Bella in a Blue thin strapped dress that went down to her knees, while Elizabeth was in a red one, except that Bella was braiding Elizabeth's hair, and as she was doing that, Elizabeth smiled. "So, any plans for after Prom?"

"I don't know, William said he had something planned, but I'm not sure what it is."

Elizabeth giggled. "Ooo, could tonight be the night?"

Bell raised an eyebrow. "The night for what?"

The other teenager chuckled. "Oh, come on, you know 'THE' night?"

Bella than looked at her friend with wide-eyes. "Wait, you're not suggesting..."

Elizabeth cuts her of. "Of course I am."

Bella then made a face as she was tying the end of the braid. "But isn't after prom the most clichéd thing ever?"

Elizabeth stood up from the chair she had been sitting in before turning to look at Bella again. "Well yeah, that's why people do it."

Bella shook her head. "It shouldn't be the reason..." She stopped for a second before looking at Elizabeth in shock. "Wait, are you and Rick?"

Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. "We haven't decided yet. I mean we've been together for six months, and we've known each other even longer. Plus, we love one another."

"Don't get me wrong, that is a good reason, but that shouldn't be the only reason either."

"Come on Bella, don't you ever think like a teenager, it's just..."

Bella cuts her off while shaking her head again. "It is a big deal, at lest for me, especially for my first time, and knowing what a lot of other teenagers planned for after prom don't really get me in the 'mood', so I'll pass tonight, thank you very much."

"Well, I guess that answered my question."

Bella paused before she nodded. "I guess it has."

As she walked towards the bed to get her shawl, Elizabeth spoke softly. "Aren't you afraid of losing William?"

Bella turned round and asked in concern from the tone of her voice. "Wait, are you afraid of losing Rick if you don't? Has he been pressuring..."

Elizabeth cuts her off with a small chuckle. "Are you kidding me, I'm the one that kissed him for the first time, remember?" Bella smiled a little with a nod before the other girl walked up to her with a sigh. "And a part of me feels that maybe I could."

Bella looked at her best friend and replied after taking a breath. "Then if that's the case, you need to talk him, because going there for that reason is probably the worst idea ever, for multiple reasons."

Elizabeth nodded with tears in her eyes. "I know, and I'm sorry about..."

Bella cuts her off as she cupped her friend's cheek. "It's ok. I just know what I want, and I don't care what people think of me, because it's not about them, it's about how I feel." Then she got tears in her eyes and replied. "And if I lose William because of that reason, then one, I didn't know him as well as I thought I did, and two, he never knew me. I'm not going to change who I am, no matter how much I love him. And neither should you, if you're not ready, then you're not ready, and if Rick can't understand that, then maybe you two weren't meant to be."

After they did a touch up on their make-up, Elizabeth nodded again with a sigh. "I know that too, it just sucks if he doesn't, because I really do love him. I loved him longer than I care to admit." Bella could see that in the other woman's eyes, and she nodded, then as she walked to get her purse from the desk, Elizabeth spoke again, knowing her other best friend pretty well. "And for the record, I really don't think William is like that, he respects his friends, so I can only imagine how he is with the woman he loves."

Bella smile slightly with a nod. "I don't think he's like that either, but it is prom night after all, and..."

Elizabeth cuts her off with a smirk as she grabbed her purse. "It messes up everybody's head and hormones."

"Exactly."

They chuckled as they headed out of the room, and down the hall.

When they reached the stairs, they looked down and saw William, and Rick, who had arrived a few minutes ago with his father, at the bottom of the stairs, wearing their suits and ties with wrist corsages in their hands for their girlfriends.

The couples smiled at one another as the girls came down the stairs, and when they came in view to the parents/aunts/uncles, everybody had comented how beautiful everyone looked.

After multiple pictures were taken, from different poses to adding siblings and parents in them, the teenagers were free to leave, while the parents hoped and prayed they make good decisions tonight, knowing there was only so many lectures and teaching moments they could give them before it was up to them to make the choices that could affect their lives.

About 15 minutes after the teenagers left, Carly, Andrea, Sara, and Catherine left the Grissom residence to have a girls night out, leaving the other kids with the guys.

A few hours later

When Sara, who was in a dark pant suit, came home and opened the door, she stepped inside the house, which the lights were on dim, and was about to shout that she was home, but stopped herself when she noticed a piece of paper on the stair post that had Grissom's handwriting. 'Please come outside.'

Sara smiled as she sets her purse down on the last stair step, then after taking her jacket and shoes off, she headed towards the back door, which it was covered with the blinds, making her raise an eyebrow as she opened them, then she gasped when she saw Grissom standing in the middle of the deck in a suit and tie with a rose in his hand, so she opened the door and asked. "What is this?"

He smiled as he replied. "Look." He nodded towards the spot he wanted her to look, so she walked out on the deck, turned around and looked up to see a homemade banner that said. "Prom of 1987."

Sara had tears in her eyes as she turned to look at her husband, who now had a sign in his other hand that said. 'Will you go to prom with me?'

As Sara walked up to her husband, she asked softly. "You heard, didn't you?"

While he nodded, their thoughts go back to three weeks ago.

Flashback

Three weeks ago

Sara was braiding Katie's hair for bedtime when Sara asked. "So, what did you think about Bella's prom dress? Did you thank her for getting you a new dress?"

The little girl smiled with her blue eyes sparkling. "I did and hers was so pretty."

After she was done with her hair, Sara was tucking in her daughter as she asked. "Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Did you go to prom?"

"No, I didn't."

Katie frowned as she asked. "Why not?"

When it came to school dances or extra school activities that didn't involve the clubs that she didn't like, she's wasn't interested, so when the big dances came, like prom, it didn't really bother her that she didn't go, or get asked to go, and for years she was ok with it. But now that she had kids, she wished she had some nice stories to share with them during that time, so she sighed. "I guess, known me, I was probably too busy to go. You know school work and everything."

Katie processed that before she smiled a little. "Mommy?"

Sara smiled again, knowing her daughter loves to ask questions. "Yes, Sweetie?"

"I bet daddy would have asked if he went to school with you."

Keeping her tears at bay, she asked. "You really think so?"

"Yep, and he would have said you're the most beautiful woman there."

She just leaned down and kissed her daughter's forehead while her eyes were closed. "I love you so much, sweetie."

"I love you too, mommy."

As they were pulling back, Grissom came into the room while speaking with a smile with Katie's English paper in his hand since he had checked it over after she asked if he could. "You did a good job, ladybug."

Katie nodded with a smile. "Thank you, daddy." He placed the paper on the desk while Katie asked. "Can you and mommy read to me tonight?"

Like William and Isabella, Katie was an excellent reader, so it didn't take her long to read on her own, but she still liked hearing her parents voices from time to time, so Grissom nodded and moved the chair so it was beside his daughter's bed before Sara picked up the book from Katie's nightstand, and after clearing her throat, she started reading, not knowing that her husband had heard her conversation with their youngest daughter.

End of Flashback

She stopped in front of the sign, and nodded with a few tears going down her cheek. "Yes."

He sets the sign down, hands her the rose and she took it before he walked towards the Ipod and started the music, but instead of the 70's- 80's music, it was songs from their wedding, and when he stopped in front of her again, they took each other's hands and waist and started dancing before he smiled. "You're the most beautiful woman here."

She chuckled/sobbed before replying. "I'm the only woman here."

"Still, even if the deck was filled with them, my eyes are only on you."

They kissed softly before she moved closer to him and wrapped her both of her arms around his waist and laid her head against his shoulder as she whispered. "Thank you, Griss."

He kissed her temple before whispering. "You're very welcome, honey."

(At Prom, on a Cruise ship)

After getting two water bottles from the drink table, William headed back towards his girlfriend, which before he got to her, he shared a head nod with Jason, who while not exactly his best friend again, he didn't ignore him and the rest of William's friends anymore.

When he reached his girlfriend, who was standing at the railing of the ship, he spoke. "I got us waters, I don't trust the punch."

Bella chuckled as she took the water from him. "My hero."

He smiled as he wrapped his arm around her waist from behind and whispered. "Always."

He kissed her temple before they took sips from their water as they looked out in the horizon, and after a few moments, Bella's thoughts wandered. After her talk with Elizabeth earlier, it got her second guessing on her decision about tonight. Deep down she knew she wasn't ready, but she wasn't ready to lose William if it came to that. She loved him so much.

She closed her eyes and shivered lightly, which William felt and frowned as he took his suit jacket off and asked. "Are you cold?" Before putting it over her shoulders.

She cleared her throat before nodding. "I guess a little."

After she slipped her arms through the sleeves, she still felt tense, and William felt it, so he asked. "Hey, is everything ok?"

Wanting to always be honest with him, she turned around, and keeping her tears at bay, she said. "William, about after..."

She was cut off when the next song came through the speakers, and he smiled as held out his hand. "Hold that thought, ok? Dance with me?"

She nodded with a smile, not able to resist his smile. "OK."

They moved to the middle of the makeshift dance floor and started dancing to the slow song, and after a moment he whispered in her ear. "You are the most beautiful woman here."

She chuckled/sobbed, and William moved his hand from her other one and cupped her cheek. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She sniffled. "Can you just hold me?"

He nodded as he brings her closer to him before they continued to dance with her head against his shoulder.

When Sara pulled back from her husband's shoulder, she looked at him and asked. "Did the girls know about this? Is that why they wanted to take me out?"

Grissom smiled. "No, they didn't know exactly what I was doing, only that I wanted to do something special for you, and they were happy to help, especially Catherine, who thinks I am going to get 'lucky' tonight."

Sara chuckled as she replied. "Well, that's kind of ironic, considering what tonight is."

Grissom chuckled in return. "I suppose so."

Sara than raised an eyebrow as she asked. "So, is she right?"

He smiled warmly as he replied with sincerity. "I guess that is all up to you. But know that's not what this was about for me, it truly was about doing something special for you. I heard the tone in your voice when you told our daughter you didn't go to prom, it sounded like you regretted not going, a little."

She sniffled. "Well, not only that part, but the no takers kind of hurt as well, or that the ones that would take me, I could tell was only looking for one thing."

He sighed and cupped her cheek. "Then you had a senior class of stupid boys, because any one of them who couldn't see your beauty had to be pretty dumb."

Sara shyly smiled. "Griss."

"It's true, and I know I can't make up for you missing that night, but I hope I did something good tonight."

She smiled, passion coming in her eyes as she replied. "Oh, you did do something good, very good."

Seeing her look, his heart raced as he asked. "Really?"

She nodded then whispered as she moved closer to his ear. "Where are the kids?"

He cleared his throat and replied. "Next door at the Boldens."

She pulled back, turned and started walking towards the back door, and when he wasn't following, she turned around and asked with a raised eyebrow. "Well, do you want to get 'lucky' tonight?"

He smiled as he walked towards the table to get his Ipod set-up before walking up to his wife and whispering. "Funny, I thought I was pretty lucky already."

Passion was the only thing he saw now, as she replied. "And now you're about to get even more."

After a passionate kiss, she pulls back and starts walking again. "Lock up please, I'll meet you upstairs."

He cleared his throat and replied. "Yes, ma'am." Before doing what needed to be done, so he could go upstairs.

(An hour later)

Once the ship had docked, the prom-goers went their separate ways, and instead of William and Bella leaving the area, they headed towards the beach area, which got her a little suspicious. "William, what are we doing?"

He smiled as he took her hand. "You'll see."

When they got on the sand, they took their shoes off, and after a little ways, so they were in a more secluded area, which only the people who knew where to look could find it. Then once they got there, there were two blankets with a picnic basket in the middle of it, and she asked. "How did you..."

She trials off as he smirked as they moved closer to it. "Oh, I have my ways."

She chuckled as they sat down on one of the blankets. "I guess you do, now I'm just wondering why I haven't seen this before."

As he was pulling out a bottle of apple cider with two glasses, he smirked. "Now, I can't tell you all my secrets. I just wanted to wait for the right time."

Trying to stop the shiver from coming, which wasn't only from the cold, she asked after clearing her throat. "And this is the right time?"

He handed her glass and nodded with a smile. "It's the perfect time."

When Rick pulled his vehicle into a motel parking lot, he looked over at his girlfriend and asked. "You sure you want to do this?"

Elizabeth nodded with a smile, while trying calm her racing heart. "Yeah, of course."

He nodded, then cleared his throat. "Ok, I'll be right back."

She nodded, and after a pause, he opened the door and got out, then as she watched him walk towards the entrance of the building she started to have tears in her eyes, but when he turned around and walked back towards the vehicle door, she got confused, and when he opened it and sat in the drivers seat again, she asked. "Rick, what's..."

Rick cuts her off. "I can't do this."

"Rick..."

He cuts her off, feeling very nervous. "I mean I can do this, and man do I want to do this, but." He paused before looking at her with noting but love. "Not like this, you deserve something so much better, especially for your first time, and not at some cheap motel on a night when most..."

He gets cut off when she surprised him with a kiss, which he kissed her back instantly, and when they pulled back, she had tears as she whispered. "Thank you."

When he saw the relief all over her face, he asked in concern as he cupped her cheek. "Hey, you could have told me at anytime that you weren't ready, you know that, right?"

"I know, but I was afraid I might lose you."

He smiled and shook his head. "Never going to happen. When we take that step, I want it to be for the right reasons, I want us to be really ready, and not do it because everybody else has. I love you, Lizzie, no matter what and no matter how long we wait."

She smiled brighter than she had all night. "I love you too."

They kiss softly again, then after pulling back, she asked. "Now what do we do?"

He smiled. "I know."

"Where are we going?"

They straightened up in their seats as he asked. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded with a smile. "Yes."

He nodded with a smile before he pulled the vehicle out of the parking spot and lot, both feeling relieved that they decided to wait when it felt it would be more special to them.

Lying in the comfort of his wife's arms, Grissom took a breath as their hearts were calming down back to its normal rhythm, then he smiled as he took her left hand in his, looking at her wedding band. "Well, my dear, I think after that, it is safe to say we still have it."

She chuckled before kissing the top of his head and replied, with a slight worry. "Was there an any doubt there?"

He shook his head. "No, just putting it out there."

She chuckled again before nodding. "You do have a point." She trialed off as she lifted his chin up and whispered. "But actions definitely spoke louder than words there."

He smiled with his eyes sparkling. "That they did."

They kissed softly on the lips before she moved to his forehead and whispered. "Thank you for what you did tonight."

She pulled back and he settled his head against her shoulder again and replied with a sigh of content. "You're welcome, but how come you never told me that you never went to prom?"

She sighed as she played his hand. "I guess considering everything that I've been through, sharing about my prom just seemed so insignificant."

"Nothing, especially how you felt about something, past or present, isn't insignificant to me."

He moved her hand to his lips and kissed it, and she smiled. "I love you, and this was the best prom night ever."

He chuckled as they closed their eyes. "I love you too, and yes it was."

Bella took the glass from him, but then she shook her head and placed the glass down in the sand and stood up. "I can't do this."

He looks up at her in concern and asked. "Can't do what? What's going on?"

Bella sighed. "Come on William, you're not only the smartest guy in our class, but the whole school." He stood up so he was in front of her as she continued. "You know what tonight is about."

"It's about being with the person you love."

She then started to have tears. "And I love you, so much. Don't ever doubt that, but I can't..."

She trailed off as he asked. "You can't..."He trailed off before he finally understood, looking at her shocked with wide-eyes. "Hold on, you thought that I brought you here to..."

She cuts him off as she pointed to the evidence. "Uh, two blankets, a picnic basket, probably filled with goodies, apple cider, how else was I..."

He cuts her off with a chuckle. "Bella, that's not why I brought you here. Yeah, I want to spend the night with you tonight, but not in the way you were thinking, I wanted to watch the sunrise with you, and this is the perfect spot."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "The sunrise?"

Giving her an honest look, he nodded. "Yes." Then he smiled and shook his head. "Did you honestly think I would want our first time to be..." He stopped for a second before smirking. "Although, it is secluded and it is a very special spot." He then finished with his eyebrow raised while wrapping his arms around her waist. "I had no idea about that mind of yours, Ms. Adams."

She chuckled and pushed his shoulder before she sighed and spoke softly. "I'm sorry I assumed that's what you were thinking."

He gave her a warm smile. "It's ok, and do you know why I never brought the conversation up before?" She shook her head before he continued. "Because I knew WE weren't ready yet."

She started to have tears in her eyes as she asked. "Really?"

He nodded with a smile. "Really. Our relationship will go through its milestones when it goes through them, I'm in this for the marathon, not the
100-meter dash." He then cupped her cheek as he finished. "And I want you to know that if I'm ready before you are, I'll still wait, I'm not going anywhere. I love you, and those words mean something to me, not what they could do for me when I say them to you."

As he wiped her tears away, she took a breath and shook her head. "You are going to be trouble, aren't you? William Arthur Grissom."

He smirked, giving her that innocent look his father gives to his mother. "What did I do?"

She chuckled. "There you go again, you are just going to make me fall in love deeper, until I can no longer keep my distance from you."

Now being serious, he asked. "Is that a promise?"

"Yes, and I want to take this slow, share every amazing moment together."

He smiled. "Good, because I want the same thing."

They began to kiss, but before they could deepen it, they hear a clearing of the throat before Rick's voice was heard. "I hope you don't mind some company."

They smiled against each other's lips before pulling back, then William shook his head with a smile. "Not at all, come over here."

Both Rick and Elizabeth started walking towards them while William knelt down and opened the picnic basket, pulling out two more glasses, which made her raise an eyebrow and he smiled up at her. "I came prepared just in case they wanted company tonight."

He didn't want his best friends to do something they would later regret, so there was an invitation of them joining him and Bella if they wanted company.

"Aww, my little boy scout, always be prepared."

He chuckled as he was pouring the liquid before smirking. "From seven to twelve years old."

"Really?" After he nodded, she asked after clearing her throat. "One of your many distractions?"

William stood up with another nod as he handed her glass back towards her. "Yes."

They share a warm smile before William handed the other two glasses off to Rick and Elizabeth before speaking in a warm tone. "I am honestly happy you guys are here."

They both nodded, and when they saw Rick place an arm around Elizabeth's shoulder, Elizabeth moved closer to him with the biggest smile they ever seen, so they were happy everything was good between them, and while the night didn't end like most teenagers in their classes, they were happy where theirs did, their relationships, and friendships, only growing stronger.

AN: Hope you liked it. More to come soon. Thanks for reading, and please review.