DISCLAIMER: I do not own CSI, any of its plots, its characters, or anything else already copyrighted by Mr. Zuiker. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fan fiction...I'd be writing the episodes.

Warnings: none

Author's Note: Thank you all again, so much, for the reviews! I don't know how I'd keep posting if it wasn't for reviews. I'm glad you're all liking it so much, and hope you continue to!

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August 17th, 2008

Desert Palms Hospital

Room 313 - 2:27 P.M.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, Griss and Kayla! Happy Birthday to you!" Laughs and a couple of cheers rang out in the hospital room, Grissom's body surrounded by his friends, his family. His body was almost completely physically healed, but his mind hadn't been active since he went under. Standing around the bed, the whole team stood in jeans and tank tops and t-shirts around him, a fatherly figure to the younger ones and a brother to the elders. But he was a father, for real. Sitting to Grissom's right was Sara, lovely as ever, holding their one-year-old daughter, Kayla. She was a spitting image of her father; dark curly hair, bright blue eyes, dimples, and the sweetest laugh you ever heard.

"Okay, Kayla, give Daddy a kiss." Kayla smiles up at Sara as she leans her daughter over enough to plant her lips on his. She'd been reading up on what to do with loved ones in comas. Every book she picked up said to talk to them, hold their hand, kiss them, hug them. They'll feel it. Sitting Kayla next to Grissom, the presents began coming. "Here you go, baby, here's something from Aunt Catherine." Handing the bag to Sara, Catherine smiled, watching her co-worker help the young girl pull out a soft baby doll. From the second she saw it, Kayla grasped it tight.

"Guess she likes it. Okay, honey, here's Uncle Nick's present." And for the next half hour they all helped Kayla unwrap her presents. Paper flew everwhere and the decorative bags sat on the side, filled with the presents. Well, besides the doll. Kayla was still grasping it. "Greg, you wanna give Kayla your present?" The young CSI's head picked up, hands twidling the stringy bow attached to the bag he held. Nodding his head, he stepped forward and handed the bag to Sara, who handed it back, standing. "No, Greg, you come sit down here. Kayla hasn't seen you lately." Smiling, she stepped away from the chair and beckoned to Greg. But he didn't budge. Sara nodded, smile fading, and sat back down, Warrick handing the bag back to her from Greg. "Okay, baby, let's see what Uncle Greg got you." It was a soft yellow blanket with words embroidered into the corner.

Kayla Marie Grissom

Date: 8-17-2007 Time: 5:36 A.M.

Born to: Gilbert and Sara Grissom

With a small handprint in the same white embroidery, a quote caught Sara's eye. 'Babies touch the world with love...' She smiled back up at Greg and whispered, "Thank you." He nodded, smiling for the second time in the hospital room.

"I thought he'd like it." Head popping back up, Sara glanced at Greg and back to Grissom. Throwing a smile on, she stood up.

"Does Uncle Jimmy want to hold Kayla for a minute?" The team rarely ever saw a smile out of the stern detective or their supervisor, but whenever Kayla was around that changed. His face instantly lit up in a smile, ignoring the fact that Sara referred Kayla to him as 'Uncle Jimmy'. He was more like a grandfather to her. Taking Kayla from Sara's arms he held the baby girl. Helping to raise his best friend's daughter in his absence, he felt that he had a second chance at parenting, along with the rest of the team.

"Of course Uncle Jimmy will hold Kayla. Won't I, Kay?" Lowering his voice to babble to entertain her, Nick threw on a fake pout.

"I thought I was next to babysit?"

"Oh, Nick, stop acting like a baby yourself. You'll get a turn," Sara called to him. Sara weaved through them and gently held Greg by the arm. "C'mon. Let's go out here for a second." Stepping outside the room, she barely had time to close the door before Greg put his arms around Sara and hugged her. "Greg, calm down! We talked about this befor-"

"I can't do it, Sara! I can't go in there and see Gr- him like that and not feel guilty! It's my fault that you don't have a husband and Kayla doesn't have a father."

"Greg, it wasn't your fault! Don't do this to yourself! The guy was a maniac and is put away for it. It had nothing to do with you. You and Brass were hurt too, Grissom just got the raw end of it."

"But I should have. I should be the one in the hospital bed! I should be the one in a coma! He's married, he's got a daughter, and he's more important than m-"

"Don't even go there, Greg! You know if he wasn't the one in the bed that he'd be blaming himself. He'd be suffering nightmares nightly and would be at your bedside at least daily. He'd be blaming himself that you weren't ready. And the only difference about importance between him and you is that he's a supervisor and an expert in bugs. Seniority, that's all it boils down to. You're just as important as Nick, or Warrick, or Brass, or Catherine. We're all equally important to each other." Their whispered conversation came to an abrubt halt when Sara noticed it was suddenly quiet in the room. Opening the door, she walked inside as they all gazed at Kayla. "What's wrong?"

Figuring something was wrong, she rushed over to her daughter and examined her. She seemed fine, she even had a smile on her face. Everyone else seemed to be anxious though. "I always said she was a smart one, just like her Daddy." Warrick sighed, licking his lips.

"What do you mean, Rick?"

"She said her first word." Sending a questioning glance at Warrick, she took Kayla from Brass's arms.

"What did she say?" Opening his mouth to respond, Kayla answered for him. With an outstretched arm towards Grissom, she yelped gleefully, "Daddy!" Sara's breath caught in her throat. Pausing a moment, eyes growing wide with the surprise, along with the others, she found something to say.

"Y-y-yeah, honey. That's Daddy." Tears were falling or about to fall all around the room, and Greg leaned against the wall in the passageway, about ready to sob. It wasn't Kayla's first word they were all tearing about, it was what happened after she said it. They all heard Grissom's heart flutter.