Once Grissom was out of the shower he went in search of Sara. He found her in the kitchen making breakfast with Carrie.

"So then," Sara laughed, "then we searched for the name of the pager and it came up 'Desmond Tutu'!" Carrie nearly collapsed in a fit of giggles and William chuckled. Grissom walked over to Sara and took the plate of toast out of her hand before she dropped it from laughing. He smiled at her and took a piece of toast. "Hey, that's mine!" she whined.

"Doesn't have your name on it." Grissom said, examining the toast. Sara took the opportunity of him holding the toast loosely to grab it and take a bite. "Hey, that's mine!" he smirked. Sara smiled at him and opened the back door.

"You want it?" she waved the toast at him. Grissom nodded. "Then come and get it." And she ran out of the door, out of the garden and down a small set of steps that led to the beach behind the large house. Grissom went running after her and jumped down the steps just as she reached the bottom and the force of his jump caused him to bump into Sara and sent them both crashing into the sand. They landed haphazardly but Grissom turned in time for Sara to land on him instead of the other way around. The toast went flying into the air and flopped onto the sand a few feet away.

"So much for breakfast." Grissom mumbled as he saw the toast lying buttered side down (like they always do stupid toast!). "That's your fault you know."

Sara gaped at him. "How is it my fault? You're the one who knocked me over and effectively smacked it outta my hand!"

He smiled at her. "Ah, all's fair in love and breakfast." Sara's smile faltered slightly as he realised what he said. "I mean…I…"

"I know what you meant Gris." Sara said as she patted his shoulder and got off him. She stood up and offered her hand for him to get up as well.

"Do you wanna go for a walk?" he asked her.

"Sure." Sara nodded. "We can walk off that huge breakfast we had." she picked up the toast and threw it at him. It hit him in the face so he got a mouth full of sand, and toast.

"That's it Sidle, I'm gonna get you!" he jumped at her and she yelped and dodged out of his way, running off down the beach.

They messed around on the beach for a while and then just walked along it, chatting about nothing in particular.

"Sara?" said Grissom after a while. "Whatever happened to your biological father?" he saw her flinch but she stayed silent. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"He's dead." Sara whispered. "From what my mother told me, he died in prison. After I…uh…miscarried, he got sent down for GBH." She snorted. "That's the justice system for you. A man murders his unborn grandson and gets imprisoned for GBH for two measly years." She wiped her eyes and Grissom put his arm around her as they continued to walk. "Apparently word got round the prison as to why he was in and they didn't like it so…" the left the sentence trailing, not needing to describe what Grissom already knew.

"What about when you got put into care?" Grissom asked.

She smiled grimly. "Child services wasn't as well equipped as it is now, not that it's in the best of form now, but they didn't have a strong enough case against him and my mother was too scared to say anything. They had enough to take me away though. I hadn't seen them for nearly twenty years, but…I don't know. I thought they should know that they were going to be grandparents. My father wasn't in so I talked to my mother about everything that had happened, about my brother, and then he came home from a bar, saw me and…it was just like old times again. It didn't seem to register with him that I wasn't a kid anymore or that I hadn't been in the house for nearly twenty years."

Sara sniffed and wiped her eyes again so Grissom dropped the subject. They walked on a bit further before Sara stopped and sat down. "I'm tired, rest for a bit." She said. Grissom sat down next to her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

They sat in silence for a while, just staring into the sea before Sara spoke. "Grissom?"

"Mmm?" was his response.

"Do you ever think about the first time we met?" she asked, not looking at him.

He was silent for a few seconds, thinking about how best to answer the question. Finally, he decided on the truth. "Every day."

She raised her head off his shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Do you think if you hadn't needed to go back to Vegas, we'd still be together? Raising a family?"

Again, he took a few moments to answer the question and again, deciding the best route was the truth. "It's the only thing I've thought about since I first set my eyes on you. It's the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thing I think of at night. Sara," he raised his hand and caressed her cheek. "I know this is the worst time to say this, but talking to William made me think about it. I love you Sara." He chastely kissed her. The fire burning in his soul roared. "Our first dance said it all, I knew I loved you before I met you." This time she kissed him, but it was more passionate this time.

"Grissom, I…"

"Sara! Sara!" Carrie's was running towards them, tears streaming down her face along with her mascara.

"Carrie! What is it! What's wrong?" Sara jumped out of Grissom's embrace and ran towards her friend who had crumpled to the floor.

"It's William!" she sobbed. "He's took a turn for the worse! The ambulance took him to the hospital but they were doing CPR when they loaded him in!" Carrie completely broke down and hugged Sara.

Grissom knelt next to the hysterical women and put an arm around Sara's shoulder. "Sara, come on, we need to get to the hospital."

Suddenly, Sara stood up which knocked Grissom over. She rounded on him, tears falling freely from her eyes. "This is all your fault!" she yelled.

"Sara what…" Grissom stammered but he was cut off by Sara's angry voice.

"It's all your fault!" she screamed. "If you hadn't asked me to come on this stupid walk I would have been at home to care for him! I could have helped!" and with that, she fainted.

Grissom jumped to catch her and Carrie screamed.

"Carrie, we need to get to the hospital!" Grissom said, lifting Sara easily and running back up the beach with Carrie in hot pursuit.

Sara watched her son sleeping in William's arms on the couch. She smiled and walked towards them.

"Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer

"Sir," said I, "or madam, truly you forgiveness I implore;"

William got up from the couch, taking the baby with him and made his way to the front door. Sara watched him.

"But the fact is, I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping on my chamber door,"

William opened the door and walked through it. The baby started to cry. Sara began to run towards the door, but got no closer to it.

"That I scarce was sure I heard you." Here I opened wide the door;---"

"William, no! Don't leave me!" Sara finally got to the door and flung it open.

"Darkness there, and nothing more."

Sara screamed and thrashed around on the bed.

"Sara! Sara, calm down! It was just a nightmare." She felt a warm pair of hands on her shoulders and opened her eyes. Grissom was standing over her, pinning her down while she thrashed. "Sara, please calm down."

She stopped moving and stared at him. "Grissom?"

"It's ok Sara. You're safe now." Grissom sat back down and held her hand.

"Grissom, where am I? Where's William?" she sat up but Grissom placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down.

"You need to stay laying down, you fainted when we were on the beach, you're in the hospital." Grissom said.

"Where's William?" she asked again.

"He's in ICU." Carrie said from the doorway. "He flat-lined twice on the way here, but they stabilised him and he's on a ventilator." She looked at the floor. "Sara, I'm sorry, there's nothing more they can do. You need to decide what's going to happen to him. You're down as his next of kin."

Sara sat up again but this time Grissom didn't try to stop her. "I want to see him." She said. Grissom stood up.

"I'll take you to him." He said. Sara looked at him as if to say thank you and they walked out of the door.

When they got to William's room his doctor was waiting for them. "Miss Sidle? I'm Dr. Turner."

Sara greeted him and introduced Grissom. "How is he?"

Dr. Turner sighed. "He's in a coma. He flat-lined twice on the way here and his brain was deprived of oxygen for too long. I'm sorry, but if he ever comes out of the coma there's more than and 80 percent chance he could have brain damage. I also have to tell you that his records show he has a DNR, but because he's on a ventilator and the fact that he's in a coma, you have a choice to make. There's really nothing more we can do for him."

Sara nodded and more tears escaped her eyes. "Is he in pain?"

"I really can't say. We have him on a morphine drip, but I can't tell you anymore than that."

She nodded again. "Can I go and say goodbye?"

Dr. Turner nodded and opened the door for her. Grissom remained outside and sat on a chair outside the room.

Sara sat down in the chair next to William's bed. He was hooked up to a ventilator and machines were bleeping all around him. She took his hand and rubbed her thumb over his knuckles.

"Hey William." She whispered. "You had Carrie scared back there. She's fine though." She smoothed back what remained of his hair. "I'm sorry." Tears streamed down her face. "I love you William. You're more of a father than that idiot ever was. I'll miss you, dad." She stood up and ran to the door.

Grissom was waiting for her and pulled her into his embrace.

"I'm so sorry Sara." He said into her hair. "I'm so sorry."

Dr. Turner walked into William's room and closed the door. Sara turned and looked through the window to watch him. He walked over to William's bed, turned to the ventilator and switched it off. The beeping of the heart monitor slowed slightly as William was left to breath on his own.

"And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;"

The beeping got slower and slower.

"And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming.

And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;"

The beeps slowed to a stop. Sara sobbed into Grissom's chest and he let a tear fall.

"And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

In loving memory of Nelly Swanton

1923 – 2002

The poem in this chapter is called "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe and was quoted by Grissom in "Got Murder?"