"What's on the agenda for today?"

It was their last day in California, their flight tonight would get them back to Vegas just after midnight. Sara was wrapped in a towel, combing the knots out of her hair and leaning against the bathroom counter, smiling at Grissom. His stomach was already in knots, knowing what he had to tell her.

"Actually, I, uh, I have something I need to take care of," he said swiftly. "For a friend – it should only take a few hours – at most."

"Oh," Sara said softly, clearly disappointed. "But it's… it's our last day."

Her words nearly broke his heart and also nearly had him immediately doubting his decision.

"I know, honey, and we'll spend the rest of it together, I promise," he said. "But this… its really important, and I think I need to take care of it before we leave."

"Okay," Sara said, clearly trying to hide her disappointment. "Okay, well… that's okay. We'll meet up for lunch, then."

"I'm sorry, Sara," he apologized genuinely.

She paused for a moment.

"It's okay," she said determinedly. "I think I… I think I want to go back to Adam's grave today, before we leave. Alone. Just… say what's on my mind."

Grissom rose from his spot on the wall of the bathtub and took her into his arms. She was warm and smelled of vanilla and lavender.

"You'll be okay?"

She nodded against his chest.

"I'll be fine."

For the first time in days, he actually believed her.

"I'll be back soon," he promised. "I love you."

He planted a kiss in her wet hair.

"I love you too."

He was almost out the hotel room door when he turned around, last minute, and saw Sara leaning against the doorjamb of the bathroom, watching him leave.

"Hey, Sara?"

"Yeah?"

He took a couple steps forward.

"You trust me, right?"

She gave him a quizzical look.

"Yes," she said slowly. "But you've got me beyond worried now, Gil. Where are you going?"

"Don't worry about it," he reassured her. "You take care of your things, and I'll take care of mine, and we'll be together again soon, I promise."

He could see that she was not fully reassured, so he crossed the rest of the way to her and hugged her tightly.

"Just tell me that you trust me," he whispered into her ear.

"I trust you," she breathed back.

They parted with one last kiss, and he stepped from the hotel room, hoping that what he was doing was right.

The drive to the address Laura had given him was not lengthy. Before long, he approached a drab-looking building with a peeling sign out front. It took him until he was only a few feet away before he could read the words on it. Tomales Bay Center for Battered Women.

He pulled the red sedan into a free space next to a jeep and stepped out into the sunshine. Several women were gathered in a garden to his left, planting tray loads full of plants and flowers. He made his way up the path to the door, and just through it, a reception desk was waiting.

"Hello," he greeted. "I'm looking for a Laura Sidle."

"And she's looking for you," the receptionist greeted him back. "She's out front, at the picnic tables."

"Thank you," he said, and followed the direction of her pointed finger back out the front door.

Once outside, he noticed another woman he had apparently bypassed a few moments earlier. She was old and somewhat small and meekly looking, but had an air about her that said she was once a lot stronger. He approached the table and took his sunglasses off, waving.

"Nice to see you again, Mrs. Sidle."

"Laura," she corrected. "Please, sit down. It's nice to see you, too."

"I must have walked right by you on my way in," he said, swinging his legs under the picnic table to the best of his ability. "My apologies."

She waved away his words.

"I missed you too," she said. "Too busy concentrating on this."

She held up the paper for him to see.

"Sudoku," he said approvingly.

"Keeps my mind agile," she smiled. "The ladies here cut them out of the paper for me."

"Sara does those too," he added. "Beats me every time. Though I still hold the record for fastest crossword completed."

Laura smiled sadly at the mention of her daughter's name, but remained quiet.

"I didn't get the chance to tell you at the service – I'm so sorry about Adam," Grissom said.

"You never think you'll outlive your kids," Laura reflected sadly. "I love Adam very much. But at least I still have Sara."

She looked down at the grid of half-filled-in numbers and remained quiet for several more moments.

"Mrs. Sidle – Laura – why did you ask me to come here?" Grissom asked her.

She studied him for a beat before answering.

"I wanted to ask Sara to visit me," she said finally. "But I couldn't take the rejection if she said no. You were my next best thing."

"Do you live here, at the shelter?"

Laura nodded.

"There are employee quarters around back," she said. "I've been living and volunteering here ever since I got out of rehab. I tell the newcomers my story, try to keep them from making the same mistakes that I did. The regulars, we just try to keep them strong."

She paused.

"Has Sara told you?" she asked. "About her past?"

He held her gaze and nodded. When he kept quiet, she continued.

"I was in jail for eight years," she said. "Good behavior and a confirmation of self-defense cut my sentence. But I was assigned to rehabilitation after that – make sure I wasn't suicidal… by the time I was sound again… I knew it was too late to reach out to my kids. It was better for everybody that way."

The woman from the reception desk approached them with two tall glasses of lemonade with ice. Both Laura and Grissom nodded her their thanks.

"I never heard much about Adam," she continued sadly. "I suppose he moved around a lot. But Sara… I was always able to hear things about Sara. I knew she went to graduate school, got a job in San Francisco. I knew she moved to Vegas."

"I bet you didn't know why she moved," Grissom put in as Laura shook her head. "Me."

Her eyebrows raised, but she smiled.

"Really?"

"It's a complicated story–"

Laura held up her hand to stop him.

"And I haven't really earned the right to hear it," she said. "It's okay."

She paused to take a sip of lemonade, and Grissom followed the suit.

"Mr. Grissom-"

"Gil."

"Gil… I won't pretend that I know anything about the person that my Sara is now," she said. "But if she's anything like the little girl I knew, she's smart, headstrong, determined and passionate."

"She's all those things and more," Grissom agreed. "She's a wonderful woman, Laura. Someone I'm very proud to know. You did a good job with her."

"I deserve none of the credit," Laura replied. "Whatever Sara's become now, it's because of her own doing, not mine. She's a product of her own hard work."

Laura again raised the glass of lemonade to her lips, but the rattle of the ice against the glass caught Grissom's attention. He watched as Laura's hands shook violently, and she struggled to control them. She saw him watching her, and she set down her glass, folding her shaking hands into her lap.

"It's Parkinson's," she said, answering what she knew was on his mind. "And no, Sara doesn't know."

"I'm so sorry."

"I was diagnosed a few months ago," she explained. "But it's progressing rapidly."

She took another few moments to study him. He felt, despite the circumstances, that she was triple-checking he was good enough for her daughter.

"Mr. Grissom, I also can't pretend I know anything about you and Sara," she said. "But I could tell from the moments at Adam's funeral that you love her very much."

"I do," he agreed.

"And she loves you," Laura continued. "I appreciate you being there for her, getting her through Adam's death."

Grissom nodded.

"I'm going to die soon," she said abruptly. "I know it, everyone here knows it. It's inevitable. And despite everything, I'm okay with it, because I feel that I've done my work in life. I've produced a beautiful, intelligent, independent daughter, and I've made a lot of progress in my work here. But Mr. Grissom, someone will need to be there for Sara to get her through that, and I'd really like that person to be you."

Caught off-guard, Grissom was at a loss for words.

"Oh, I—I'm –"

Again, Laura held up her hand. Her fingers were still trembling.

"I don't need any assurances," she said. "I just want… I need to know, rather, that once I'm gone, Sara will still have some family left. Someone to turn to."

"Laura, I can assure you, that Sara is well-loved in Vegas," he said honestly. "She has a lot of people around her that care about her very much."

Laura nodded, her eyes a little teary.

"It makes me happy to know that," she said. "Very happy."

The woman from reception approached again.

"It's about time for afternoon group, Laura," she said.

"There in a flash, dear," Laura replied. "Give me two minutes."

She smiled at the woman before turning her gaze back to Grissom.

"Thank you," she said. "For coming here today. It means a lot to me. I feel like I've learned more about Sara in the last hour than I have in the last few years. I miss her."

"She's a strong woman," Grissom said. "But she oftentimes pretends she's okay when she's really not. I'm sure she misses you, too."

"Before you go, Mr. Grissom, could I ask you two last things?"

"Absolutely."

"Why do you love my daughter?"

Grissom gave her a small smile, firstly because of the nature of the question, and secondly because this was his final test. And it wasn't hard at all.

"I love her for her big heart," he said. "Her selflessness. I love her for all the good things she's able to bring out in me. I love that I'll never stop being fascinated by her. I love that she's the only one I've ever felt comfortable sharing myself with. I love that each day, I wake up loving her even more than the day before."

The tears in Laura's eyes were now spilling over, but she had a smile on her face as bright as the midday Californian sun. Saying the words aloud dawned a realization, one he wanted to share before they exchanged their final goodbyes.

"Laura, I have no doubt that I'll spend the rest of my life with your daughter," he said. "She makes me happy. More than any one else. She's in good hands, I promise you."

"I have no doubts," Laura beamed. "You'll take good care of her. One more thing before you go."

She reached into her sweater and withdrew an envelope. He could see Sara's name written on it.

"I wrote this for Sara after seeing her yesterday," she explained. "I would like you to give it to her. I didn't try to offer any apologies or explanations, because the time for that has long past. But I did write from my heart, and it would mean a lot to me if you could give it to her."

Grissom nodded and reached for the letter.

"Make sure you let her know that's it's her decision if she wants to read it," Laura added before passing it over. "She can tear it open right away or stash it in a drawer for the next few years, it doesn't matter to me. As long as I know that I tried."

"I'll tell her."

She grasped his hands.

"Thank you – so much – thank you for coming, Gil."

"You're welcome, Laura."

"Take care."

"You, too."

With one final wave, Laura joined arms with the woman from reception and the two made their way back up to and into the building. Grissom watched them go and felt a sadness in his heart, for both Laura, who knew she was dying and was hoping she would perhaps be forgiven for her many mistakes, and for Sara, who spent much of her life thinking she had no family, never knowing how much her mother loved her.

TBC!

A/N: So I have a problem. Starting Tuesday, I'm going out of the country. I really hate to postpone continuing this story, but it looks like it might have to be done. If there's enough interest, I will try my best to rustle up some motivation and post another chapter this weekend. But will you guys totally hate me if you have to wait two weeks for the final chapter? Be honest, now :)