Thank you thank you thank you, you lovely reviewers! So appreciated, as well as subscribers as well! Thanks so much. Mixed feelings about this superquick chappy, but here we go.

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Chapter Five # The First Morning #

Grissom opened his eyes sleepily to an unexpected and very welcome smell. He saw Eli still fast asleep so he sat up carefully, cradling the small boy in his arms.

"Do I smell bacon?"

Sara smiled up from the kitchen island. "Morning sleepyhead."

"You're a vegetarian..." Grissom yawned.

"Oh really, Gil?" Sara rolled her eyes. "I got an omelette. You two looked too sweet to be disturbed, and I thought you'd be hungry."

"Thanks, Sara."

"Don't mention it."

Eli sighed softly and yawned. His green eyes fluttered open and locked immediately onto Grissom's.

"Morning Eli." Grissom said softly.

"Mornin'." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. His nose twitched. "Bacon?"

"Do you like bacon?" Sara asked gently.

"My favourite." He responded shyly.

"Are you hungry?"

Grissom was answered with a nod.

"Good thing I've finished cooking then." Sara smiled. She put a plate full of bacon on the table and Grissom plonked Eli into a chair, dishing him up and appropriate amount for a five year old.

"I think we need to call the executor of his mom's will." Sara told Grissom quietly. "We need to get his stuff, find out when the funeral is..."

"Good idea." Grissom said quietly. "Would you like me to do it?"

Sara shook her head. "I'd like to get it over and done with. Besides, I actually made the agreement."

"Okay. I'll take Hank and Eli to the park. Get some fresh air."

"Well, make sure he's warm."

"You've turned into an all American mother already." Grissom teased. Sara's response was to flick omelette at her husband.

Half an hour later Grissom and Eli left the house with Hank, Eli's small hand enveloped in Grissom's larger one.

Hank loped around without a lead and led them to a small, deserted child's play area. "You wanna play?"

Eli sniffed. "Can I?"

"Of course." Grissom sat down on the park bench as Eli started to climb the climbing frame. A small scream had him up from his bench and at the climbing frame in record time.

A small spider was crawling across the floor of the frame.

"'Pider!" the boy shrieked.

"It's okay, Eli. This one's harmless. It's called a Steatoda triangulosa, or a triangulate cobweb spider." Grissom allowed the spider to crawl onto his hand. "See?"

Eli backed away, his eyes wide.

"Spiders aren't too bad. You can barely even feel them. He won't hurt you."

Hesitantly Eli edged closer to Grissom. "Good spider?"

"Yes." Grissom nodded.

"Okay." Eli put his hand slowly next to Grissom's and allowed the creepy-crawly onto his skin.

"Tickles!"

"That's right. You don't need to be scared of spiders."

"But they're scary!" Eli protested, staring at the one crawling across his hand.

"Why?" Grissom asked softly.

"Because... Because they are!"

"They're not too bad. They're just misunderstood. Everyone thinks that they're bad guys whereas really most of them are quite harmless."

Eli pondered on this for a moment. "Do they get lonely?"

"I suppose they do." Grissom nodded.

Eli looked up fearfully. "Is Sara lonely now?"

"She's on the phone, she should be okay."

Eli seemed content, and brushed the spider gently off of his hand. "Good. Will you push me?"

"Okay." Grissom followed Eli to the swings.

"I use the big boy swings now." Eli said with a hint of pride.

"Wow, you are a big boy." Grissom agreed as Eli clambered onto the swing. He gave a small push, unsure of how high was too high.

"Higher!" Eli protested, kicking his legs. "Higher please!"

Grissom pushed a little harder as another boy sat on the swing next to Eli, a man coming from behind to push him up high.

"Like that please!" Eli said excitedly. "Please, Grissom!"

Grissom sighed and pushed a little higher, still reluctant to go too high.

"You haven't been doing this long, have you?" The man remarked kindly.

Grissom looked at him. "Uh, no."

"He your nephew or something?"

"My mommy died." Eli said sadly. "So Grissom and Sara are lookin' after me 'cause they were friends with my daddy before he died."

"That's pretty much it." Grissom agreed.

"I'm sorry." The man said sadly, absently pushing the swing. "That's horrible. So you just took him on?"

"His father was like a son to me." Grissom explained. "I'm just not really used to what children need and want."

"Oh, it gets easier, trust me. That's a good thing you did."

"Thank you." Grissom nodded.

"Well, I'm Harry, Harry Riddle and this is my youngest, Jamie."

"I'm Gil Grissom and this is Eli Brown."

"Hello." Eli said to the other boy who stared at him.

"He, uh... he won't respond to you, Eli, I'm sorry, he's deaf." Harry explained regretfully.

"Really?" Grissom asked in interest.

"He can't hear a single thing." The man sighed sadly. "Got ill after he was born."

"I'm sorry." Grissom said.

The little boy, Jamie made a small noise of delight and pointed at Hank who was loping back.

"Hank, come here." The dog responded immediately to Eli's call and he happily fondled the dog's ears. Hesitantly, Jamie reached out and stroked the dog, looking up at Grissom, who immediately signed 'it's okay'.

Harry looked at him in shock. "You can sign?"

"My mother is deaf." Grissom explained as the boy began to stroke Hank.

"Grissom?"

"Yes Eli?"

"Why doesn't he talk?" Eli asked curiously.

"Because he can't hear. He's deaf."

"Oh." Eli frowned. "Why?"

"Because he got very sick when he was a baby."

"Why?"

"I don't know." Grissom shook his head.

"Why?"

Grissom frowned.

Harry laughed. "Oh, the good old why game. Best way to drive a parent up the wall."

Jamie patted Grissom gently to get his attention, signing 'can I play fetch with your dog please?'

Grissom nodded with a smile, handing the boy a ball from his pocket. "Is that okay?" He asked the father.

"Sure, sure."

"Grissom? What did you do with your hands?" Eli asked.

"Its called sign language. It is how deaf people speak."

"Can you teach me?"

Shocked, Grissom nodded. "Of course."

"You've got yourself a smart kid." The other man remarked as Eli ran off to join Hank and Jamie.

Grissom nodded. "I know."

The two men watched as Eli and Jamie began interacting without speaking or really signing. Instead they used over the top gestures and acted things out.

"That's the first time I've heard him laugh..." Grissom murmured as Eli giggled.

"Poor kid." Harry shook his head. "You know, I've never actually seen a hearing kid play that well with Jamie, except from his sisters. Do you live around here?"

Grissom nodded and pointed down the road. "Just over there."

"Wait, is your wife's name Sara Sidle?"

Grissom frowned. "Yes..."

"I think I'm your next door neighbour."

Grissom's frown deepened. "Really?"

"Yeah, we moved in about a month ago. My wife Laura mentioned something about a dog and a husband that was in, was it South Africa?"

"South America." Grissom corrected, remembering a conversation with Sara about Laura Riddle, the new neighbour. "I think she mentioned Laura."

"Well, how's that for a coincidence?" The man shook his head. "Anytime Eli wants to play, bring him over to ours."

"Thank you." Grissom said, professionally hiding how unnerved he was by giving so much information away. A little while later Grissom sighed. "I think we have to go now."

Eli looked up with a sad face. "I don't want to go."

"Well, we have to. Sara will be getting lonely."

"Look, anytime you wanna organise a play date or you need help with anything, gimme a call, okay?" "Thanks." Grissom nodded, taking Eli's hand and whistling to hand. He signed goodbye to Jamie and Eli copied, causing Jamie to grin widely and wave goodbye.

"We're home!" Grissom called and Eli ran straight into Sara's arms. "Met the neighbours."

"Hey, you." She looked up at Grissom. "Tina's friend Frankie is taking care of the will, I've arranged to meet her at noon tomorrow to talk things over. Oh, and Nick called, he wants us to come over."

"Can Hank come too?" Eli asked hopefully.

"Hank, do you wanna go in the car?" Grissom asked. The dog whined and retreated to his bed. "Not this time." Grissom told Eli. "Let's go see Uncle Nick, shall we?"

CSIVCSIVCSIV

Nick rubbed an arm over his eyes as Kristy began to cry. He groaned and sat up slowly. When in hell was he going to get any sleep? He staggered over to the cradle and peered in. Kristy looked up at him with tearful blue green eyes as she spluttered and cried. He picked her up, rocking her gently.

"What's wrong with you, huh baby girl?" he murmured. "What's wrong with you?"

She cried hungrily and he reached to the bedside table, grabbing the bottle of milk and pushing it gently into the baby's mouth. She drank thirstily, staring up at Nick as she did so.

"There we go. Is that better, baby?" he smiled softly, glancing at the clock. "Damn it!" he burped her quickly and placed her back into her cradle before throwing himself through the shower and waffling down some breakfast, cleaning his teeth just as the doorbell rang. Kristy started to wail at the sudden noise, and Nick scooped her up out of the cradle and racing to the door. He opened it with a large grin.

"Catherine!" he grinned.

"Nicky!" his old boss hugged him tightly. She looked at Kristy and her mouth popped open. "Oh my god, she's gorgeous!"

"Come in, come in!" Nick held open the door. "And she is."

"Can I hold her?" Catherine asked, her face alive and full of adoration.

"Of course." Nick beamed, passing the crying baby over.

"Hello Kristina." She breathed. "Oh, you're beautiful..."

Kristy's crying slowed and stopped as she looked up at Catherine.

"She likes you." Nick said.

"Good." Catherine smiled, breaking eye contact with Kristy to look at her lifelong friend. She put a hand on the side of his face. "Nick..."

"What?" he smiled.

"I was beginning to worry you'd never have kids."

"Cath-"

"No, Nick..."

"You're sounding like my mom."

She punched his arm. "Nicky, I'm trying to be nice here. She is beautiful. I'm so sorry about Cassie."

Nick looked at the floor and nodded. "Yeah..."

"It was a good thing that you did, Nicky. Taking her in." Catherine looked back at Kristy, rocking her gently. "So do I get to meet Greg's kids too?"

"I should've known that you wouldn't just come down here for me." Nick pouted.

"Shut up, Nicky."

"They're adorable." Nick grinned sheepishly.

"Call him over!" Catherine urged. "And Sara and Eli!"

"Grissom's back too." Nick added, and Catherine's eyes widened.

"Dial the damn phone, Nicky, now!"

"Okay, okay!" Nick shook his head.

Sometime later the doorbell rang and Nick and Catherine paused. A strained voice called out from behind the door. "Nick, please open the door!"

Nick looked through the peephole and laughed, opening the door. Greg had a car-seat looped over his arm containing Loeila and another empty one behind it. Reuben was in Greg's other arm, gurgling angrily and pulling at Greg's ear. Slung over the same arm that held Reuben was a large nappy bag.

"Having trouble there, Superdad?" Nick grinned.

"Shut up, Nick. I was fine until Trouble woke up!"

Nick laughed again and took Reuben out of Greg's arms. Greg sighed in relief and shifted Loeila's car seat.

"Come in, there's someone here to see you."

"Really?" Greg frowned, making his way to the living room. His face instantly lit up. "Catherine!"

"Hi Greg!" Catherine hugged Greg tightly with her free arm, Kristy cradled in the other.

"What are you doing here?" Greg asked happily.

"Nick called me, said we'd had a baby boom. There was no way I was missing out." Catherine explained. "Oh, Greg, they're adorable!"

"Thanks. They get it from me!" Greg boasted.

"Nick told me about their mom... What did I tell you about the bad ones, Greg?" Catherine shook her head.

"I know, I know! In all honesty, I was only with her for like, three days!" Greg protested.

"Oh, Greg..." Catherine shook her head.

"Um, Cath..."

"Yeah?"

"Would you, uh, would you mind being Reuben's godmother?"

"It's alright if you say no, he's already got four other godparents." Nick teased, rocking the boy in question.

"Of course not, Greg!" Catherine smiled. "I still can't believe it..."

The doorbell rang and Nick went to answer it. Suddenly Eli came running into the room.

"Auntie Catherine!" he shrieked in delight.

"Hi, squirt!" she laughed as he barrelled into her. She managed to lift him onto her hip without disturbing Kristy too much.

"That's super-parenting, Nick." Greg murmured. Grissom and Sara both grinned widely at Catherine.

"Hi Cath!" Sara exclaimed.

"Hey, Stranger." Catherine nodded at the both of them. "I would hug you but, well, you know..."

Everyone laughed. It didn't take long before they all sat down and began chatting. Eli sat in Catherine's lap and Greg placed a sleeping Reuben in his car seat, and Nick was holding Loeila in his lap. Grissom held Kristy gently.

"Look!" Nick exclaimed happily as Loeila started batting his nose. The other adults all cooed, but it wasn't that interesting to Eli.

He closed his eyes sleepily, but then they snapped back open. He stared across the room. "Auntie Catherine?"

"Yeah, honey?"

"Baby's sick!"

"What?" She frowned.

"Baby's sick!" he pointed at Reuben.

Catherine looked up at Reuben, whose eyes were still closed. He looked very peaceful.

"What do you mean, Eli?"

"Baby's sick!" Eli scampered down and crossed over to the car seat. The adults watched in horror as the tiny baby boy convulsed, shaking in the car seat.

"Oh my god!" Greg cried in fear, immediately leaping to his son's side and undoing the car seat straps with shaking hands.

"Sara, call 911!" Catherine ordered, taking control as the brunette immediately grabbed her phone and began talking. "Greg, pick him up slowly and gently..."

Greg eased the trembling baby up out of the seat. Suddenly the convulsions stopped. Greg breathed a small sigh of relief as Reuben spluttered into a cry. He started to wail as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, his small face screwed up in unmistakable pain.

"Oh my god." Greg turned his fearful eyes to Catherine.

"Ambulance is on the way." Sara murmured.

Shaken, Catherine put an arm on the young man's arm. "Greg..."

"I know. Something's wrong with him." Greg's voice shook. "Something's wrong with my baby."

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