A/N - So here it is the final chapter in the story that has had me stuck for a little while. So enjoy and reveiw!
Chapter Seven – Another Version Of Truth
The next few weeks was nothing more then an emotional rollercoaster. While Sara and Grissom became something that neither of them would have ever imagined, Keisha fell into a pit of despair. Michel returned home briefly, only long enough to pack a few things before leaving again. Sara could do nothing as she watched her sister's life crumble and her own go from strength to strength. Sara didn't regret sleeping with Grissom, could not, would not feel in guilt over what had happened between them and proceeding results. But she still felt the deep pull of guilt at the fact that Keisha's life was no longer at the ideal standard that it once was. She was depressed, on all sorts of pills to try and deal with that depression, and Sara was living at the house again to help deal with all the kids. It was harder then she had expected it to be, dealing with a depressed sister and six confused kids. They wanted their dad home but she could not explain why he wasn't there anymore. Grissom made it easier, coming over when he could, giving her plenty of time off, making her feel less torn between her new family and the work that had kept her sane for so long. With the added stress and hopelessness of the situation Sara barely noticed that something was not quite right with Quinlee. She had lost weight, she was having trouble breathing after eating and she was just plain unhappy. It came to a head when Sara went to get her from her afternoon nap and discovered that she was turning blue around her mouth. Sara wrapped her in a blanket and called Grissom.
"Grissom, its Sara. Can you please come over; I need to take Quinlee to the hospital."
She hung up and went to find Keisha, who was curled on the sofa.
"Keisha something's wrong with Quinlee, Grissom's coming to take us to the hospital."
For the first time in weeks, Keisha reacted in the way a mother would. She grabbed Quinlee, doing a quick examination as her daughter laid quietly, too quietly in her arms.
"She's not breathing right. It's too quick."
Sara watched her nieces little chest closely and realized that Keisha was right. Quinlee was breathing so rapidly that she took a breath every few seconds. Sara rounded up the rest of the kids before Grissom arrived and they all piled into the car and drove at break neck speed to the hospital.
Grissom was the one that called Michel to tell him that something was wrong with Quinlee. Sara couldn't do it, she was too mad with him for abandoning his kids and wife to be able to talk to him coherently. She sat next to Grissom as they waited for the doctors to finish examining Quinlee, her hand clasped in his. She was terrified at what they would find. She knew for a fact that there was no way that Keisha would survive losing Quinlee, her kids were her life. Elizabeth and Kole had shuffled that younger kids to the play room, trying to keep them entertained until the adults decided what they were allowed to know. Michel arrived ten minutes later and Sara watched as Keisha stood and looked at him. He hadn't shaved, he had lost weight and he had the saddest eyes that Sara had ever seen. He was a broken man without his family. Sara pulled Grissom up and gave him a bright smile.
"Let's go and get the other kids some ice-cream."
Grissom nodded as he looked between the pair, still standing on opposite sides of the corridor. Sara led him to the play room and gave the kids a bright smile.
"Let's go and get some ice-cream ok?"
Ester looked up from her building blocks, her small face pulled into a frown.
"Sara, is Quinlee ok?"
Sara bit her lip and glanced at Grissom, tears coming to her eyes. Ester, taking the young kid initiative, wrapped her arms around Sara's legs.
"Don't cry Sara."
Sara leaned over and picked Ester up, kissing her cheek.
"I'm ok Easter Bunny. You know what would cheer me up?"
"What?"
"Ice-cream."
Ester wriggled excitedly, missing the glances exchanged between Kole and Elizabeth. Being the oldest of the six, they knew only what the adults did and Sara could see that they were terrified. Sara handed Easter to Grissom before heading over to Elizabeth, who was sitting quietly in a large arm chair, her face blank.
"Beth, are you ok?"
"When is dad coming home?"
Sara shrugged, putting her arm around the young girl's slim shoulders.
"I don't know Honey. All I know is that your dad is with your mom now waiting to hear from the doctor. After we find out what is going on with Quinlee, then we can sort out the issue of your parents, ok? You just need to be patient."
"I'm sick of being patient. I hate dad for doing this to mom."
Elizabeth brushed past Grissom, storming out of the room, Kole following closely behind. Harvey and Xander seemed to be oblivious to what was going on; they were too busy cleaning up their belongings. Sara put on a brave face, hoping that it wouldn't shatter because of the stress and frustration that had built up over the last few weeks. She hated seeing the kids like this. They were so unhappy, angry and confused and every time she looked into their faces, Sara could feel her heart break. Worse still, if Michel did indeed return, he would have to gain their trust again, which considering how angry Elizabeth and Kole were; it would be a mammoth task. Grissom glanced at her over Ester's shoulder, his face concerned.
"Are you ok?"
"I will be. Let's get the kids some ice-cream and hopefully by the time we get back, we'll know what's up with Quinlee."
When they returned two hours later, Ester was fast asleep in her arms and Xander was slumbering on Grissom's shoulder. The had taken them for ice-cream and then to the park, trying to wear them out. Elizabeth remained in her cold silence, answering only her younger sibling's questions. Sara didn't like this side of the normally bubbly Elizabeth and she could see she was hurt and angry, which was hardly suprising. When they walked down the hall to the waiting room, Keisha and Michel were sitting silently side by side, holding hands. Kole stepped forward first, his face hard.
"What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to be here for your mother and for Quinlee. How are you?"
"How do you think I am? You walked out on us dad."
"Kole, you don't understand-"
"No dad, you don't understand. You keep telling me that I need to look after the younger kids, that I need to act like a man. How am I meant to do that when you don't act like a man? The going gets tough and you up and leave us!"
Michel stepped forward to hug him but Kole pushed him away. Elizabeth pulled on her brother's hand and led him away from their father and back into the room that they had been in earlier. Michel looked at Sara, his face desperate.
"Sara, I'm sorry for this."
Sara shook her head at him as she took the seat next to her sister, who still sat quietly, her mind somewhere else.
"It's not me that you have to apologize to. Have you heard anything about Quinlee?"
"No."
The doctor chose that exact moment to arrive, his face somber. Keisha jumped up, Michel beside her.
"How is my daughter?"
"Mr. and Mrs. Henderson, Quinlee going to be fine. She has a heart murmur which stressed her lungs and the rest of her major organs. The problem is that one of her heart valves has a hole in it. We can repair it with minor surgery."
"What about long term? Will she be normal?"
"You may have to limit her activity as she grows then we can reevaluate her health as she develops."
Keisha collapsed into Michel with a sob, her face buried in his chest. Grissom laid a quick kiss on Sara's cheek.
"Can we see her?"
"Of course. Follow me."
They followed the doctor up the hall and into a quiet room. Quinlee was sleeping in one of the small beds, machines monitoring her breathing and heart rate. Sara took a quick peek at her, just to satisfy her own need to know that she was ok. That sated, she gave Keisha a small smile.
"I'm going to get the kids home. It's been a long day."
Keisha nodded before taking a seat next to Quinlee's bed.
"I'll give you a call."
Quinlee was out of the hospital three weeks later, and the Henderson family began to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives. Michel moved back in and Sara moved out, not to her own apartment but on invitation from Grissom, into his home. She stayed on the sidelines, watching as Keisha began to adjust to her life again. They took Sara's advice and put the kids into counseling to try and understand why things had happened the way they had, with the fighting and confusion. But when Sara and Grissom were invited to dinner a few months later, things were the way things were when they had been to the first dinner almost a year ago. The happy chatter and the warm jokes and smiles. It was good to see them the way that they belonged to be. They had just finished dessert when Sara noticed Grissom exchanging glances with Michel, both of them wearing a small smile.
"What are you two grinning about?"
Grissom pulled a box from his pocket and handed it wordlessly to Sara. She opened it and found a small engagement ring inside.
"What's this?"
"Marry me Sara."
"Marry you?"
"Marry me. I want to be with you forever."
Sara opened and closed her mouth before turning Keisha, her face slack.
"Did you know about this?"
"Yup. So are you going to say yes?"
Sara glanced at Grissom, who was waiting patiently for her to answer. She loved him, had admitted it recently to him and he had told her that he loved her back. There was nothing standing in the way of this, of them being what she wanted. They could have kids, a family and a safe haven for when things went wrong. They could have everything that they wanted.
"Yes. Of course I'll marry you"
Grissom pulled her into a hug and the kids broke out into happy squeals. Sara put her hands up and shushed all the noise.
"Ok everyone, excitement over; eat the rest of your dinner."
They all resumed eating and so did Sara, Grissom's hand on her thigh, his other hand slipping the ring on her finger. This is what happiness felt like. Her family was back together, her sister was healthy again, having fought her way back from the depression that almost consumed her. And Quinlee, little Quinlee was back to her normal self again, eating and drinking as if it was going out of fashion. She was going to be fine as long as she was careful as she got older; there was no reason that she could not live a long, healthy life. This was never going to last, Sara wasn't that stupid. She knew that there would be challenges again and that the peace and quiet would not last, but at least they had each other. They were a family.