A/N - I don't own these characters. I don't own much in fact...

A/N- It is not Beta'd, so all mistakes are mine, sorry!

Happy Birthday Charlotte!!!

Chapter 11

He didn't know how he got to the hospital but he did. It was as if he had just woken up to reality; realizing the pure terror of the situation drooping over him like a black cloud. The whiteness of the hospital corridor; oh, so clean and inviting; were in fact a complete opposite to his feelings, his reason for being here and of course, the health of his soul-mate.

He was sitting in a long corridor, where the white ran across the floor, walls and ceiling. Was there such a think is as too much white? The distant drilling reminded him of the dentists; along with that same disinfectant/bleach smell through-out the hospital. The distant laughter from the nurses' station at the end of the hall only aggravated him more. How can people laugh when, when Sara might be dying! The logic of this was just too much for Grissom to fully comprehend. His intelligence was long gone as soon as he stepped into the hospital. But, his conscience argued that it had gone a long time ago, when he ignored Sara when she first moved to Vegas and also most recently, when he ignored her for days as he foolishly misinterpreted the conversation at Sara's apartment.

He was awoken from deep concentration to the sound of sniffling from his left side. He turned around to be faced with Carla face-down on her thighs, rocking back and forth trying to control her tears.

Grissom didn't know what to do. He hadn't talked to Carla in over a week,would she be angry with me if I comfort her? But Grissom could not do ignore her: even if he tried very hard. He couldn't sit and listen to the sobs of a young child, echoing the hallway, shattering his heart into millions of pieces.

He put a floppy arm around her back, and pulled her closer to him as they sat on the surprising comfortable hospital sofa. She froze, and stopped rocking and moved one of her hands into her shell; obviously wiping tears from her eyes. She slowly sat up, slowly her eyes moving up Grissom's body until she reached his eyes. When their eyes locked; the oddly fact that their eyes both shared that recessive ocean blue color; She began to slowly let silent tears mark their way down her soft cheeks, brushing past her spray of freckles, and dripping of her jaw line. Grissom looked at her with so much sympathy and guilt that he felt deep within his heart. He couldn't speak as he watched Carla cry silently; as she focused deep into his eyes; well in fact, he couldn't trust his voice. So instead, he opted for a low but long, hushing sound which left his lips as he reached over her thin frame and brought her into him for a swaying hug.

Soon after they healed each other of their shock of the situation, Grissom bravely steeled himself in order to render words from his vocabulary into a comprehensive and understanding sentence.

"Sara will pull through this honey, she's strong…I'm sorry Carla, about before..." He wondered off into the flashbacks of last week when he ignored Sara calling his name, her messages, and her knocking against his door.

It was raining outside when she was chapping wildly against his door, the third night in a row. He sat at the other side of the door, trying to ignore her, just too stubborn to hear her pleas.

"Grissom you don't understand, you obviously never heard all of the conversation..."

"You do realize just how immature you are being?"

"Griss, I'm sorry but please, just open the damn door!"

"We were getting on so well you know? I really thought, thought that…You know what? It doesn't matter, FORGET IT!"

That was the last time Sara had been trying to talk to him, the last time he had heard her voice. If he could just go back in time and open that damn door, pull her into his warmth, and they could be together forever…

Only then did Grissom realize Carla was talking and picked up the end of her sentence. "…Yes, as you probably gathered from the CCTV, Mark was my father. They were in foster care together…you knew about that right?"

"Yeah, she told me a few years ago…when did you find out?" Grissom asked with extreme interest.

"My father. I mean, my uncle. God this is confusing..." She snickered as she spoke out loud to her conscience "My uncle, he told me when I was a kid, that his sister was in foster care but he was seventeen so he had to live himself"

Grissom nodded. "Did you know that man, Scott?"

"No… My mom had talked about him before, about a group of friends she had in foster care, but it was only briefly when we were looking over photos" Carla's mind began to wonder, as she mentioned her mother. Memorizes of last week flooded into her thoughts and she had to bring it up.

"Mom really likes you; you know? She's been really down every since you left…"

Grissom began to stutter as he tried to go around this delicate conversation carefully. "I know…I like your mother too- A lot. I…never really thought it before hand. I just heard the name 'Mark' and immediately thought the worst…I was so…"

"Stupid?" Carla looked up at him and smirked as she finished off his sentence.

Grissom laughed slightly and replied "Yes, I was"

"And what have you learned from it, this experience?" Her voice using such a motherly tone.

Grissom made a questioning sound as he pulled his head down level to Carla's. "Hmmph?"

"You know, whenever you do something wrong. You learn from it." She informed Grissom, in such a way that made him feel the slightest bit inferior.

He thought about what Carla was suggesting, and carefully; after a few moments; replied with the most honest answer he could think of "I'm never going to leave your mother, hurt her, or you…again."

At that, Carla leaned into Grissom's shoulder and closed her eyes.

A jabbing was felt from his right side.

And again.

And again.

"Gill!" At that he jumped, and turned his head to the side.

"Catherine! God-"He looked to his side and noticed Carla still sleeping, leaning into him. He felt his heart swell up with pride and love.

"Any news?" Her complete urgency at her question forced her to wake up Gill as he slept along side Carla, in such a blissful manor.

Grissom rubbed his left eye with his free arm, as his other was wrapped around the warmth of the body at his left. He suddenly remembered the whole situation, and replied with deep sorrow. "Nothing"

As Catherine sat down he noticed the rest of his team down the corridor. Catherine noticed his eyes averting from hers, looking at her friends and answered Gill's question "They are going to wait in the cafeteria; since there is only a limited amount of seats in this corridor…"

Her mind went off on yet another tangent as she brought up a different subject."Did you know about Sara being in foster care Grissom? I mean it explains a lot to her social inept personality; and her mood swings…I mean I knew about Mark and I just guessed that was what screwed-"Catherine was interrupted by the fast words emitted from her supervisor's mouth.

"You knew about Mark?" His shocked tone matched his face as he raised his eyebrows in complete shock at this revelation.

"Don't look so surprised Gil, since Sara's had Carla around, we've spent more time together and she's told me quite a lot. We've even discussed you" At this last note; she knew she had stricken a chord with her friend as he turned around sharply gazing into her eyes.

"Yeah?" He tried to act not as interested but his increase in heartbeat, flushed complexion only degraded his "coolness".

"Look Grissom, I'm not going to play dumb. I know you both had something 'going on' a few months ago and for whatever reason, something happened and now you are not. And, more than likely, it was your fault" At this she slowed down her pace and paused for a moment to catch Grissom's reaction. She noticed him open his mouth to object, then realizing it would be futile, he slouch his head ever so slightly. "I'm only giving you this talk once Gill, but she may not have many relatives left but she has a lot of friends; mostly them being in the police force. And you don't want to mess with them. So, Gill, you better not hurt her again, or you are a dead man walking. Not to forget Carla too-

"I would never hurt Carla! She's like…" He protectively pulled Carla towards him at this stab, and retorted "I would never hurt Carla! She's like…" He realized what he was about to say, and it set in all his emotions, as he realized how much Carla and his mother meant to him.

Catherine finished off his statement as she knew fine well what her boss was meaning. "A daughter?"

Ever so silently, Catherine could hear her boss's answer. "Yes".

It had been more than eight hours and they still had no new news. Carla had woken up and the rest of the team had huddled into the small back corner of the hospital.

"Look guys, I don't think I can take much more of this waiting I'm gonna' go see what these nurses have to say'' Nick replied in his Texan drawl.

"We'll come too" Greg answered for Warrick and they walked towards the end of the corridor, and soon returned with a doctor in tow.

The doctor wore small oval glasses which were hidden beneath his dark locks that hung like curtains over his small forehead.

"I thought someone had come to get you hours ago. I'm deeply sorry about this. Miss Sidle has been out of surgery for a few hours now, and is in recovery…in fact I think she could be awake by now. It's been over twelve hours the ever so calm doctor replied as he looked at his sturdy watch "Yes, she's probably been awake for about half an hour."

"Can I see my mom please?" Carla butted in as she looked up at the large, rather intimidating doctor.

"Of course" he chuckled, then continued, "Only family members first. Which is you and then friends can follow" He smiled before giving out her room number, giving several 'sorries' and walked over to the nurse's station; obviously to complain at their lack of informing the worried citizens.

Carla rushed down the corridor and noted the room. "624"

She took a deep breath and walked into the dimly lit room, walking towards the bed which was placed in the center of the room.

"Mom" was all she said, as she ran towards the bed and gave her mom a hug filled with love and tears.

Outside the room, Grissom waited patiently. He noted his unshaved face, crushed clothes, and began to panic.

"You're fine Gill!" Catherine had noticed his growing anxious behavior and was determined to set Gill right.

Grissom was interrupted in his reply as the door into his new future opened.

He tried to see in behind Carla, but she stood in front of him and spoke straight to him "I think you should go see my mum now" Her demeanor showed no sign of happiness, or sadness which only budded his worry.

Carla stood out of his pathway and leaned over to Catherine. She wrapped an arm around her and watched Grissom take a few deep breaths and walk towards the room.

"Sara" He drawled out her name, filled with such emotion before the door closed and Carla, Catherine found them surrounded by the rest of the team, were left out in the dark.

He walked towards her bed as she sat in the center, her eyes locking with his.

He took in her physical appearance, not bad for getting shot twice he decided.

A light blue blanket covered her long legs, however she was sitting up, and apart from the wires entering her arms, and the distant sound of the beeping monitors, and she looked completely beautiful.

"Took you long enough" she chuckled, and gave him that Sidle smile.

"Sara I'm sorry…" He replied as he walked towards her and made the very bold step of sitting on the edge of her bed as he leaned over and ran his fingers along her cheek.

"Don't be" She replied, pulled Grissom by the neck and kissed him.

And guess what? He kissed her back.

A/N – This in fact was actually two chapters, but instead I made them into one to avoid late posting and so I was not mean. (I have given too many cliff hangers!)

So this is the end 'Sara's Secret Photograph' and I really hope that I get more reviews. My highest has been 9 and I would love to get sooo much higher!

I would love to hear what you think of this story, as it has been really fun to write. I nearly wanted to do a sequel as I just want to explore Grissom, Sara and Carla's new life together, but I think it would be better if I leave it where it is before I waste it!

So, tell me what you think, rate it out of ten, did you like the ending? You know stuff like that. This was my first fic and I really enjoyed writing it.

I think I will focus on my other WIP which is GSR and Wedges.

This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has reviewed and has followed this story throughout; reviewing when I have went through writer's block and exams, hospitals and what else which got in this way.