Disclaimer: Don't own the main Characters
Summary: Sara & Grissom have been living in San Francisco for the last 4 years and had invited the old team to their place for Thanksgiving and the team comes with news for the couple that will shock them. Second in the Winding Road Series. One-shot. Now A/U.
AN: This is part of a series so you might be confused if you didn't read the first one.
AN#2: This story was not planned when I first wrote this series but since it was close to Thanksgiving when I thought of it I decided to add it in.
Title: A Thanksgiving Surprise
Rating: K+
Time-line: 4 years after winding road to home
Spoilers: None
Warnings: None
Main Parings: GSR
Minor Parings: CatNip, Greg/Amanda, Warrick/BreAnna
A Thanksgiving Surprise
In a nice, four bedroom, rented house in San Francisco, Gilbert Grissom opens his eyes just as he heard a voice over the baby monitor. "Dada." He smiled and just as he became fully conscious he could start smelling this afternoon's dinner, which was for Thanksgiving. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the small voice again. "Dada."
He toss the covers off of his sweatpant and t-shirt clad body, sits up on the bed so his feet was on the soft, carpet then he yawned, stretched, scratched his beard and got up. He walked out of the room then down the hall to the next bedroom on the left. He opens the door that was cracked, stood in the shared nursery that belonged to his twin's but only one of the 1 year olds were there, his son, Connor. He was standing up, holding on to the railing of his crib, watching the door then smiled when he saw his dad and started to say "Dada" Again.
Grissom smiled bigger, walked into the room and said. "Hi buddy, let's get you changed so we can see how the rest of the family is." Connor holds up his hands as Grissom got there but he was going to fall backwards so Grissom caught him before he fell then picked him up and said. "Gotcha you." He tickled his son and he started laughing which made Grissom chuckle because he loved hearing that wonderful laugh, Connor may have his father's blue eyes and his color of hair but his laugh was distinctly Sara's.
A few minutes later Connor's diaper was changed and they were headed toward the kitchen but Grissom stopped when he got to the middle of the living room and watched his family that was in the kitchen.
His eyes first turned to the star of his world, his wife Sara, they had gotten married a few weeks after their daughter was born. It was a small wedding with his two baby girls and their friends as their witnesses and excluding the birth of his kids that was happiest day of his life and he was still madly in love with her and has been since the moment he met her.
Then his eyes traveled to Connor's twin, younger sister by a few minutes, Caitlin. She was sitting in her high chair in nothing but a diaper because she was eating and like all babies do they make a mess and Sara didn't want to do extra cleaning then what she had to do since today was going to be a very busy day. Caitlin was the only child that looked more like her mother, she had brown eyes and brown hair and Sara is afraid that she might even inherit the gap between the teeth but Grissom just reassures her every time that their daughter will still be beautiful, just like her mother. Grissom smiles as he thought of that.
When Sara had told him she was pregnant again after three years of marriage he was surprised and delighted and when they found it was going to be twins they were a little frightened but as they watched them grow in her stomach and hearing their first cry when they were born on his birthday they knew everything was going to be alright because they were together and their family felt complete.
His thoughts were interrupted when a voice reached his ears and he looked toward his second oldest daughter Kelly Grissom, who was named after Taylor's sister. She was sitting on the counter watching her mother and had asked. "Is Bridget going to be here today?"
Sara looks at her 4 year old daughter, who a had a very good resemblance to her husband with those blue eyes and the light brown hair, then she smiled but before she could answer Grissom speaks, while walking toward the second high chair. "Of course honey, she is spending time with her mother and grandparents for a few hours then she is coming here to spend the weekend with us, how do you like that?" He puts Connor in the second hair chair, opened the baby food that was already in place for him to eat, handed him his spoon and let him go at it.
Kelly smiles and said. "Cool."
They had tried to explain to Kelly that Bridget was her sister but had a different mother and they think she was confused at first but she seemed to understand it better now that she was getting older.
Sara and Grissom smiled at Kelly then Kelly holds out her arms realizing her dad was standing right there. Grissom walks up to his daughter, picks her up, kisses her on the cheek and asked. "How is my butterfly?"
Kelly smiled at the nickname and replied. "Good, I got to help mommy today."
Grissom smiled back and replied. "I am happy to hear that." After another kiss on the cheek Grissom sets her down and Sara told her to get ready for her bath, Kelly nodded and ran to her room so she could pick out the clothes she hopes her mother would approve on.
Grissom watches Kelly run out of the room then he walks up to Sara, puts his arms around her from behind, kissed her head and said. "Good morning Honey, You didn't have to do this all by yourself, you should have woken me up."
She turns around in his arms, wraps her arms around his neck and said. "Well one, I didn't do it all by myself, Kelly was actually a big help and two, you looked so peaceful sleeping I didn't want to disturb you."
He smiles that cute smile that she loves then he speaks. "Ok but you know if you ever need help all you have to do is ask, we are a team for better or worse."
This time she smiled the smile that he loves, then nodded and replied. "I know and I couldn't be happier about that." They lean toward each other to do a peck on the lips then they pull back, she sighed and asked. "So you ready for a household full of kids?" Not only will they have their own kids here but the team's kids here as well so adding it all up, there will be more kids than parents today.
Grissom nodded with a smile and said. "Bring it on." Ever since he became a father he's had a soft spot for children. It wasn't like he was a big bear or grouch when he was around them before he just felt a little stiff and uncomfortable but now he was loosening up and always had a smile on his face when he saw them especially when it came to his own.
Sara chuckles and replied with a smirk. "Well then I think we know who to come to when it's time to put them down for their naps."
Grissom chuckled and just as he was about to speak, Sara looks over Grissom's shoulder and sees Caitlin about to toss food on the floor and since she had just mopped that morning she wasn't in the mood to clean the floor again so she said. "Caitlin No!" The little girl looks at her mother a little startled then decides against dropping her food on the floor, somehow knowing her mother meant business and goes back to eating it. Sara sighed in relief and said. "Good girl." She looks back at her husband and said. "And as much as I love standing here in your arms all day I have more stuff to do, will you watch the stove?"
He nodded and after a kiss on the cheek she walks past him and as she got to Caitlin, Grissom speaks while turning around. "I think somebody went all domestic on me."
Sara turns around and said with smirk. "Guess whose fault that is?"
He smiles, knowing who she was talking about then said. "Do you regret it?"
Sara looks at her two youngest children, who was very messy, then she looked at her husband and replied with love. "Not a single second, I wouldn't trade this world for anything."
The words touched his heart and he replied. "Me neither." She winks and just as she was about to pick up Caitlin, Grissom speaks again. "I'll take care of the twins, you take care of yourself and Kelly."
She looks at him and said. "You sure?"
He nodded and replied. "Yeah, you have done enough this morning."
Sara smiled at her husband and said. "Alright, the twins are yours." He nodded and she walks toward the living room then stops, turns around and said. "I love you Grissom and thank you."
"No problem and I love you too." After another wink she walked toward the bedrooms.
Grissom watched her walk away then looked at his twins and said. "Alright it looks like it's just the three of us for a bit." The twins look at him then Caitlin did something she didn't do when her mother was standing there and before Grissom could say anything, she dumped the rest of her food on the floor and her brother followed a second later.
Grissom sighs and shakes his head then he heard them laugh and saw them clap their hands like they were happy with what they just did and Grissom couldn't help but smile and think. 'Nope I don't regret a single second.'
After one more long look he set out to do the next task, which was cleaning the floor and the babies while making sure nothing burns on the stove or in the oven.
3 hours later
Sara was back in the kitchen and the twins, Kelly and Grissom were in the living room, waiting for Bridget to show up.
Caitlin and Connor were in their playpen and Kelly was showing her father her new dress that her mother finally let her put on, she had to wait till it got closer for everybody to he here so there would be a lesser chance on it getting it dirty before anybody got to see it, then there was a knock on the door. Kelly looks at it and smiles, hoping it was her older sister Bridget. She didn't care that she had a different mother she was still her sister, although she did have mixed emotions about not being the oldest.
Grissom opens the door when he got there, looks down at the nice dressed, little girl with the blue eyes and blond hair, she looks up at him as he bends down and holds out his arms then Bridget gives him a small smile, wraps her arms around his neck and said. "Hi daddy."
Grissom wraps his arms around his oldest and said. "Hi, ladybug." She smiles at the nickname.
He holds her for a few seconds then pulls back, looks into her eyes and asked. "Did you have fun with your mother and grandparents?" She nodded with another smile then looks over his shoulder and noticed Kelly was standing there waving and smiling, Bridget looks back at her father and he speaks as he released her. "Ok hug your mom goodbye and you can go play with your sister."
Bridget turns to her mother and Alice wraps her arms around her daughter, kissed her on the side of her head and said. "I love you honey, you be good for your father and I'll be here to pick you up Sunday night, alright?"
She nodded then looked at her mother and replied. "I love you too mommy and I will." Alice smiled and after one more kiss goodbye Bridget finally walks in the house.
Alice stands up then she looks at Grissom and hands him Bridget's backpack with some of the things she likes to take back and forth.
Grissom takes the bag and said. "Thank you for bringing her here Alice."
"You're welcome."
They had kept the courts out of it and made their own arrangements when it came to sharing custody of Bridget, her primary home was with Alice but she got to spend every other weekend and any special time that he requested with her and they would split the holidays and birthdays, like one year she could be sleeping at her mother's house for Christmas and the next holiday she would be with her father and so forth. It just so happened that Thanksgiving was also his weekend to have her so he got more days with her and he was happy about that, it was hard being a weekend dad to his oldest but he did what he had to do to keep this arrangement friendly and despite their rocky start it was working out as good as could be expected.
Before any more words were said between them Sara stopped next to Grissom, holds out a pie to Alice and said. "I heard you like pumpkin pie."
Alice looks at her a little surprised but with a smile then takes it from her and said. "You didn't have to do this."
They weren't best friends and probably never will be but she was the mother of her husband's first child so for the sake of the children she put all past feelings aside and learned to be civil to her.
Grissom smiles at the nice gesture, puts his arm around Sara's shoulders and Sara smiled with a nod then replied. "I know but it's the holidays and I figured you could use a pie."
Alice nodded and replied. "Thank you, I really appreciate it." Sara nodded again then Alice looks back at Grissom and said. "I guess I'll see you guys on Sunday."
"Alright, enjoy your holiday with your parents. I would say tell them I said hi but I don't think they like me very much."
Alice shook her head and replied. "That isn't true."
He raised an eyebrow and asked. "You sure? Because that glare your father gave me the last time I saw him didn't feel very friendly to me."
She smiled a little and replied. "I just think he was upset that I decided to move, making it harder for him to see his granddaughter."
He frowned and said. "Because of me."
She shook her head and replied. "I didn't have to do what I did, I could have stayed in Chicago but after going over your begging speech over and over in my head." She chuckles a little as he looked down embarrassed then continues. "And realizing that Bridget couldn't live without her father and watching you all those months when you saw her I noticed you couldn't live without her either but I also saw you weren't the same and there was a piece of you missing that you couldn't live without either." She looked at Sara as she said that last part then keeping her emotions down she looked back at Grissom and finished. "So I made it easier on you." Then she smirks to lighten the mood. "You're just lucky I could get a transfer."
They all chuckled then Grissom nodded and replied. "Believe me when I say all that you have done is appreciated."
Alice smiled again, nodded and replied. "I know." She knew Grissom was very sincere in his words then Alice cleared her throat and continued. "Anyway, Enjoy your holidays and I'll see you Sunday." They nodded and Alice and Sara shared a look with a friendly smile then Alice turned and walked away.
As Sara was watching Alice she changed her mind again on what she thought four years ago, Alice had indeed fallen in love with Grissom and that little speech confirmed it for her and honestly a very small part of her kind of felt bad, not enough to change her life with him, but it did make her want to have a little more sympathy toward the woman because at one point she was in her shoes, which was loving this man from afar.
Her thoughts get interrupted when she felt Grissom kiss her temple and he asked. "You ok?"
Sara watched Alice drive away, turned her head to look at him and replied. "I am and really you don't need to ask every time she comes by, whatever happened between you two is in the past, you had one night with her." She puts her hand on his cheek and continued. "But we have the rest of our lives." She turns them around so they were looking in the living room, watching their kids, then speaks again. "And look what we have, a family."
He smiles, kissed her temple again and responded. "A beautiful family."
She smiles, snuggles to his said. "You got that right. I love you Grissom."
He sighed in content and answered. "I love you too."
They stood there for a few more minutes then get out of each other's arms, walked inside the house, shut the door and started doing any last minute things before the old team showed up.
15 minutes after Alice had drove away the gang showed up, they all had driven here from Vegas and luckily they had made reservations at the hotel a few weeks ago because when they got there it was packed, which wasn't unexpected since it was the holidays. Then 45 minutes later, after setting the 4 & 3 year olds at the kids table and putting the 1 year olds down for their nap they had all sat down at the table they had to set outside since there was more room, thankfully it was a nice day.
Sara sat something down on the table then sat down at the end and Greg, who was sitting next to her, makes a face which Sara caught so she asked. "What is it Greg?"
He shakes his head and replied. "Tofurkey?"
Sara rolled her eyes and said. "You know I don't eat Turkey so for you and the other non vegetarian eaters Grissom prepared a ham for you all."
Just as she said that Grissom walks on the deck and sets the ham down in the middle of the table then sat down at the other end of table and Greg said. "Man I was hoping for a turkey."
Sara smiles and replied. "Well Greg if you lived here then you could have brought the turkey yourself but since that is not the case I hope you enjoy what we have prepared anyways." After she said that Sara and Grissom felt the air shift and they looked at each other then Sara looks at them all and asked. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
Nick shook his head, cleared his throat and replied. "No but you did give us an opening on something we want to talk to you guys about."
Sara raised an eyebrow and asked. "Ok, what is it?"
Nick looks at Catherine and she smiled then said. "Well how would you feel if we moved here?"
Sara asked with a surprised tone. "You mean you, Nick and the kids?"
Warrick clears his throat and replied. "Actually she means all of us."
Sara and Grissom looked at each other then looked back at the team and Sara continued. "Isn't it a little crazy for all of you to move here?"
Greg frowned a little and said. "So you don't like it?"
Sara shook her head and said. "I didn't say that but all of you guys would be changing your lives." She looks at Catherine and said. "You are finally a supervisor, something you wanted for a long time and who knows if or when you can get another opportunity again."
Catherine nodded and answered. "I know but it isn't the same without either of you in the lab and even if we do end up on different shifts least we can still see you around the lab or we would finally be close enough to visit more."
Nick nodded in agreement with his wife and built on her speech. "We don't blame you for leaving, we understand and are happy for your promotion we just really miss you, both of you."
Grissom finally speaks after getting out of his shocked state. "And what about the..."
Greg cuts him off. "The kids are young enough that we aren't moving them out of a different school they could start over without even having a first start."
Sara and Grissom looked at each other again still somewhat speechless then Sara cleared her throat, touched by all of them and said. "You guys do realize this move is a little crazy?" They nodded their heads then Sara looked at Amanda and BreAnna and asked. "You two ok with it?"
Greg smiles, puts his arm around Amanda's shoulders and before either one of the women could speak he said. "They are the ones who first mentioned it, we just took it a step further."
Sara watched the women look down at their plates a little embarrassed and she smiled then she looked at the group, cleared her throat again and said. "Well I got to say that I was not expecting this and I am so touched by what you said." She looks at Grissom and he gives her a look then she amended what she said. "We are so touched by what you said and if you are all happy with your decision and you really want to do this then I'll support and welcome you with open arms."
Grissom cleared his throat and replied. "I second that."
The gang looked at each other and communicated with their eyes making sure everybody was on board then Nick looks over at Sara and replied. "Then your arms better be as wide as you can get them because we are coming in."
They chuckled then Greg said. "Now we can get San Francisco's crime lab up to #1 in the country."
They stopped chuckling for a minute then looked at Greg and he closed his mouth hoping he didn't say the wrong thing then they started cheering while getting up from their seats and had handshakes and hugs with Sara and Grissom.
Finally they all sat back down, except for Grissom, they look at him and he cleared his throat and said. "I think this is a perfect time to say something." They waited patiently then he continued. "When our team first came together we were nothing but colleagues with different backgrounds but were very good at what we did."
He stops for a second and Sara took the opportunity to talk. "Because of you baby."
Grissom looks at Sara and she has a smirk on her face as his face got a little red after she said that sentiment in front of everybody, while everybody smiled then he cleared his throat and continued. "Thanks Honey." She winks at him with a nod then he speaks again. "Like I was saying we are very good at what we do and through the years I watched this group of colleagues become friends but now looking around this table I have to say we became more than that, we are a family."
The group looked at one another with smiles then they looked back at Grissom as he started speaking again. "I watched you all mature into the people you are today, I watched you fall in love, get married and welcomed two new people in our group." He looks at BreAnna and Amanda and they both smiled at him, he smiles back then continues. "And now I get to watch all our kids grow up." They all looked at the kids table were their 4 and 3 year olds sat then Grissom turned his attention back to the his table and finished his speech. "Everybody grab your drink and let's toast."
They all grabbed their champagne, except Amanda she grabbed her juice since she was five months pregnant, then stood up and this time Sara speaks. "To Family." They all smiled, nodded and repeated. "To family." Then they clinked glasses, took a sip and this time they all sat back down.
After their plates were filled with their dinner Nick said. "Happy Thanksgiving, everybody." They all repeated the sentiment then started to enjoy their food.
At one point during their meal Grissom looks at Sara from across the table, she looks up and sees him looking at her, they smile at each other and he mouths. 'I love you.'
She nods and mouthed back. 'I love you too.' She looks at him a minute longer then goes back to eating while talking to Greg, Amanda and BreAnna.
Grissom watches her for a few minutes longer then looked around the table and watches them all. When he became supervisor all those years ago he never thought this little group would be this close or willing to change their whole lives around just so they live closer to one another and it truly touched his heart to be a part and to call these people family and he was ready for what happens next.
AN: Please Review. Hope you liked this one shot. The series will continue to a third story, if you want it and if you do it will be up sometime next week. There will be a time jump so the kids will be older. Thanks for reading. Happy Thanksgiving.
