Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to add this chapter! I've been busy with Christmas and haven't had a chance to update. There might be some more gaps between the next few chapters but ill try and get it updated ASAP! Anyways…enjoy:)

Chapter 34 – Heading Back Home

Jeff wasn't given jail time, but he had to complete 100 hours of community service. Sara also filled out a restraining order so he couldn't come near her or Charlotte without breaking the law, and that satisfied Sara. Somewhat.

The doctors told Sara not to go to work for another week or so. They wanted her on bed rest for that leg and her concussion. Her leg weighed about 10 pounds more and she needed help getting everywhere. She hated being so dependant on everyone around her, but she was making it work. Charlotte was on her I-don't-want-to-go-to-school act again. She was having issues going anywhere without Sara, but Sara wasn't really complaining. She loved having her daughter so close.

One of the best things coming out of this was Nick. He moved into Sara's place for a few weeks to make sure Sara was ok and Charlotte was taken care of. He was waiting on her hand and foot, and even though Sara hated depending on him, she enjoyed his company.

When Sara did finally go back to work she was confined to the lab. She couldn't really bend down anymore and her big crutches got in the way of processing, so mostly she just sat at the layout table and processed or followed up with DNA, fingerprints or trace. It was pretty boring but she knew she would be back on her feet in a few weeks.

About 2 weeks after Sara had gotten her cast, she got an unexpected call; from Alex's mom. It was 7 at night and Sara had just been watching TV with Charlotte when she called.

"Hello honey. How are you doing?" she asked cheerily. Sara had known Alex's mother to be a little crabby and never really a very welcoming person. Sara had no idea why but she suspected that Mrs. Montez never liked her that much.

"I'm…I'm ok. How are you doing?" she asked. She had only talked to them about twice since she left San Francisco and her call was very unexpected.

"I'm wonderful, dear. Listen, Sara, I haven't seen you and Charlotte in awhile, so I was wondering if you wanted to come down in a couple of weeks."

"Come down? Of course. I'm sure Charlotte would love that."

Charlotte's eyes left the TV at the mention of her name. "I'll love what?" she asked.

"Oh, that's good dear." Mrs. Montez and Sara talked for a while, deciding when they were going to go to San Francisco and before they were finished, she asked to speak to Charlotte.

"Your Nanny is on the phone," she said, handing Charlotte the phone. She rushed over and said a timid 'hello' into the receiver. They talked a minute or two then hung up. They were to go down in a month and a half and Charlotte couldn't be more excited.

SnickersSnickersSnickersSnickersSnickersSnickersSnickersSnickers

They were all packed, ready to go. Charlotte was excited. Sara wasn't. She hadn't seen them in awhile and she had never really been close to them. Charlotte talked Sara's ear off all the way to the airport and until they took off, then she fell right asleep.

Sara sat there and tried to not fidget while the plane went to San Francisco. When they landed Sara bit her lip. She took a deep breath. She had to be ready for this. She woke Charlotte up carefully and gathered her crutches up (her cast had come off last week but she was still in the crutches) and headed out to meet Alex's parents. Charlotte skipped down the hallway, ahead of Sara as she hobbled along. When they got to the door, Charlotte stopped and waited for her to come.

"Come on, mommy. We have to go!" she shouted, Chester bouncing against her leg as she ran.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Charlotte," Sara said, a little out of breath. She took another deep breath before she went through the door, positive they wouldn't be far away. Charlotte looked around quickly and saw them right away. She ran up to them and jumped into her Grandpa's arms. He was a big man and very, very tall so he lifted the tiny girl with little trouble, scooping her up and swinging her around while she squealed with delight.

"How is my little princess?!" he asked as he brought her to sit on his hip.

"Good," Charlotte giggled.

"Where's your mommy?" he asked. Charlotte looked around and spotted her making her way over to them.

"There!" she pointed.

"Well, hello there, Sara," Mr. Montez said kindly as Sara got to them. This took Sara by surprise. Like his wife, he had never really been very welcoming to her. He looked surprised when he saw her on crutches. "What happened to you?"

"I, uh, I fell down the stairs," she answered timidly.

"Oh, you poor dear," Mrs. Montez said and walked over wrapping her in a hug. She had never hugged her before so this surprised Sara too.

"I'm ok. Actually they took the cast off last week. I'm in physio now though."

"Oh, well that's good." Sara put on a fake smile and nodded. She was really creeping Sara out by how nice she was being.

Mr. Montez carried Sara and Charlotte's bags out of the airport and Mrs. Montez held Charlotte's hand. They both helped Sara into the car, Sara still feeling a little creeped out.

Sara had to take a deep breath before she went into the house. She felt a headache coming on. Alex had taken her through it many times and as soon as she saw it she thought about him again. When she had left San Francisco she thought it would be excellent because it would be easier to forget him when she didn't have everything that reminded her of him around her, but now she realized that not seeing those things just made it worse when she had to come back to them. Thankfully, Alex's parents didn't notice that she had stopped and she hurried in after them.

Sara went up the long staircase to the guest room. It was Alex's old bedroom and Sara hoped she could sleep for the next few nights. She sat on the bed and rubbed her temples for a brief moment, trying to kneed away the throbbing in her skull, before she heard Charlotte run into the room. Sara shot her head up and looked at her daughter.

"Mommy, are we both sleeping here?" she asked as she hopped up on the bed.

"Yep," Sara said unenthusiastically.

Charlotte looked at Sara curiously. "Mommy, are you sad?" she asked quietly.

Sara gave her a forced smile. "No, sweetie, I'm ok."

"Ok," Charlotte said and hopped back off the bed. She made it to the door then spun back around. "Oh, and Nanny said that dinner will be soon."

"Ok," Sara said but she was gone. Sara sighed and lifted herself off the bed and onto her crutches. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. Alex's mom had always been an excellent cook and was cooking up a storm. Charlotte was sitting at the table drinking milk and chatting away. Mrs. Montez looked up as Sara walked in.

"Oh hello Sara. Dinner is almost ready." Sara looked at her a moment. She went to sit down next to Charlotte.

"Mommy, guess what Nanny told me!" Charlotte said.

"What?" Sara asked.

"That daddy used to sleep in the room we're sleeping in."

Sara's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She looked at Mrs. Montez. She was busying herself with stirring the potatoes. She looked back at Charlotte. She didn't know what to say to her. She thought a second before answering.

"Yeah…that's right," she managed. This was completely out of the blue. Why had she told Charlotte that?

"…and he had a teddy bear too, just like Chester!" Charlotte was saying.

"Just like Chester," Sara said, distracted. She was looking at the woman who was pretending not to listen at the stove.

"His name is Mr. Bear. And Mommy?" Sara looked at her. "Do you think Mr. Bear is Chester's daddy?"

Again, Sara was at a loss for words. Alex had shown Sara Mr. Bear one time. He was chocolaty brown and had an eye missing that he had lost when Janice and him were fighting over him. Alex told her that he spent every second with that bear up until the age of 8. Sara had thought that was the cutest thing she had ever heard.

"Mommy?" Sara had waited to long to answer.

"Yeah, pumpkin. Mr. Bear could be Chester's daddy." Charlotte smiled. Chester was currently sitting on the chair beside her so she turned to him.

"Did you hear that, Chester? You have a daddy!" Chester started at Charlotte while she drank more milk. Sara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was going to be the longest week of her life.