A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Hope you like the new chapter.

6 Years Ago

"Are you okay, sweetie?"

Nick plonked himself down on the couch besides Sara, who was curled up on the other side, her long legs tucked under herself. She seemed distracted lately, and Nick noticed this more, mainly due to the fact that he and Sara were now officially seeing each other. After their time together over a month ago, Nick had sworn to a nervous Sara as they lay in her bed that he would always take care of her. He'd always liked Sara. It had taken him a while to admit it even to himself. But he had always seen her as 'off limits', as 'Grissom's Girl'. But he knew she wasn't anymore. Grissom had broken her heart, and Nick had been there to pick up the pieces.

Sara glanced over at Nick, throwing him a nervous smile. "I'm fine."

Nick knew she was lying. She wasn't fine, and he felt hurt that she wouldn't confide in him. He moved closer to her, and pulled her into his arms. She stiffened at first, but soon relaxed in his arms.

"You know you can tell me anything, don't you?" His hands found her hips, and he gently stroked her skin. She shivered, and Nick smiled. He loved what he could do to her.

She was silent for a while, but she eventually spoke, her voice quivering with nerves. "I know I can. I just don't think you'll like what I have to say."

Nick pulled back a bit to look into her eyes. He brought his hand up to stroke her face. "You can trust me, sweetie," he assured her. She looked away from him.

"Remember that night we spent together?" she asked him. Of course he remembered. He hadn't made love to her since. He'd wanted to assure her that this wasn't about sex. That this was about her.

Not her body.

"Yeah," he replied, unsure of where this was going.

"I know we have just started dating," Sara said quickly, "I don't want to wreck this, I really don't want this to end! But I'm not sure how you will react to this, I just-"

She had started to ramble, and Nick grabbed her hands, stopping her. "You're starting to worry me," he admitted. "I'm sure it's not that bad."

She swallowed. "I'm pregnant."

There was silence around the room as Nick jaw dropped. He was beyond shocked. Of course, he had always hoped he would be a father, and he could admit that once or twice he had thought about what it would be like to have a family with Sara. But that didn't mean that the news didn't shock him.

What if it was Grissom's?

"It's yours," she clarified softly, as if reading his thoughts.

She must have taken his shocked expression the wrong way, because she got up.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, and fled into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

It took him a minute to register the fact that he was going to become a father, and that the mother of his child thought it was unwanted.

She was wrong.

As soon as the initial shock wore off, the excitement set in.

He was going to be a Daddy!

He was going to have a baby with a woman he really cared about.

Loved even.

He launched himself off the couch, and timidly knocked on the bathroom door. She didn't answer, so he pushed the door open.

Sara was sitting on the edge of the bathtub. She looked up as he entered, her eyes watery.

"I'm so sorry," she said again. Nick walked over to her, and kneeled down besides her.

"Don't be sorry," he breathed out. He leant up and captured her lips. "I'm not." He whispered to her.

He placed his hand on her stomach, and pushed the material of her shirt up. Without another word to Sara, he bent down, brushing his lips over her lower abdomen. She let out a gasp, which he didn't hear.

"You're going to have a wonderful Mom," Nick said suddenly, his lips still pressed against Sara's soft belly. He didn't care if Sara thought he was silly, so he continued speaking to his unborn child, as if it was just them in the room.

"She's gonna love you so much," he said, "And I am too. We're both gonna love you more than anything, no matter who you turn out to be."

He looked up at Sara, and leant up to kiss her again.

As they lay there in Sara's bed that night, she slept soundly, and he gently placed his hand over her still flat stomach, almost feeling the aura of the child as Sara slept. He gently kissed Sara's hair, mumbling to her just before he drifted off to sleep.

"I'll protect both of you, I promise."

Gil Grissom couldn't stand cases that involved kids. He could never understand why someone would want to hurt a child, something so naïve, something so innocent. Cases with kids had always affected him.

This one even more so.

6 weeks ago, Las Vegas's latest serial killer "The Babysitter", had first struck, kidnapping 5 year old Stephanie Perkins. She'd been found 2 days later, dead, beaten, and raped, the worst kind of case. Unfortunately, Grissom hadn't been able to solve it.

The next week, the same happened. 6 year old Marla Dawson. Exactly like the first, she had been found 2 days later, in exactly the same fashion as Stephanie.

Every week since then, like clockwork, a little girl had been taken.

Killed.

Beaten.

Raped.

This week it had been Nick and Sara's little girl. 5 year old Emily Stokes.

His entire CSI team had been working for weeks trying to solve this case. He had pushed them. Pushed them harder then he had pushed them before. He needed to solve this case. This killer was too smart.

That scared him.

He needed to solve this case more than anything now.

Not only for himself.

But for Nick and Sara.

For Emily, his goddaughter.

He had been more than surprised when Sara and Nick had approached him and asked him to be their child's Godfather. He knew he had hurt Sara. He hadn't wanted to. But he knew she would have been happier with someone else, even if it hurt her by him leaving. But he had been right. She had found Nick.

She smiled again.

So he had said yes.

And he had loved Emily since the day she had been born.

He had sent everyone except himself and Catherine out of the warehouse. No one but CSI allowed inside. His orders.

He and Catherine didn't do anything at first. She was visibly upset, but Grissom didn't bother trying to send her home. She would refuse.

The case was personal now.

Catherine was squatting down beside Emily's body. Just like the other victims, she was naked, bruises riddling her entire tiny body. Her brown curls were tangled and messy, and her face was stained with tears.

She had cried for Nick and Sara.

I want my mommy!

Please, I want my daddy!

Mommy!

Daddy!

Swallowing painfully, he moved over to the door, snapping a picture of the underwear, before placing them in an evidence bag. He still needed to process this scene. He didn't trust anyone else too.

Eventually Catherine stood up, joining him in collecting evidence. They worked in silence. They couldn't speak.

He tried to avoid it, but he had to go to the body, to collect the evidence. It was just like the previous 5 victims. In every way.

But this was Emily.

And it was his fault she was dead.

Maybe he had missed some evidence.

Maybe he hadn't worked hard enough.

Maybe God was punishing him.

People often accused Gil Grissom of being unfeeling. That he didn't have emotions. But this was tearing him apart, like nothing had ever done before. He had failed.

He hadn't protected Las Vegas.

And he hadn't protected Emily.

TBC...