Hola! Sorry about that little cliffie :P Thanks for your reviews! It seems like you're all a little fond of Lola, lol! Read on to find out more! And please, please review! :-)

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Chapter Ten # T'was The Hell Before Christmas #

"What am I gonna tell him?" Morgan sobbed.

Nick held Morgan tightly around Reuben and Kristy. "He's gonna be okay. They're all gonna be okay."

Grissom sat on the chair and stroked Eli's hair softly, worry evident on his face. Since Eli had been living with them he had begun to open up slightly, allowing his emotions too shine through slightly more.

"How are we gonna tell him his daughter's...his daughter's..."

The doctor's words rang in each of their ears.

"...Mr. Sanders is stable, he is awake and likely to be conscious in less than an hour...Loeila is a different matter...we've done everything we can..."

"Excuse me?" the nurse approached them timidly. "Mr. Sanders is awake now and he's asking for his children."

Grissom stood up. "Morgan, Nick, you two go ahead."

The two nodded and followed the nurse into a room.

"Greg..." Morgan shook her head.

"Two broken ribs, a gash in my side and a whole load of new burns to add to the collection on my back. I got a few bruises, cuts and scars but I'm fine, where's Loeila?" Greg said in one breath, reaching for Reuben.

As Morgan handed the baby over she took a deep breath. "Greg...Loeila...the doctors...she..."

Greg's heart stopped beating. "She's not... Morgan, Nick, she's not dead! She can't be, not Lola, she...She's my baby, Nicky please no!"

"She's alive, man. She's alive." Nick reassured him.

"Then what's wrong, Nick?"

"She got hit with a piece of the bomb, she has a broken arm and a couple of first degree burns on her back."

"What else, Morgan?" Greg edged, knowing there must be more.

"She...her head got hit, Greg, and it cut her face... badly...the doctor had to sedate her and she's so young that they don't know how she'll react. And they can't get rid of the scar."

Greg's heart thudded and stopped in his chest.

"No..." he whispered, his voice barely audible. "No, no, no, no, this can't be happening, no!"

"Greg, I'm sorry..." Nick's voice broke.

"She..." Greg looked up, horror in his eyes. "This is my fault."

"What? No, Greg-"

"If I'd noticed the bomb sooner, if I'd run faster, if I hadn't fell-"

Sensing his father's stress and wanting his sister Reuben started crying

"Greg!" Nick snapped. "This wasn't your fault. You didn't put the bomb in your car, you did get your kids out as fast as possible, and you ran as fast as you could."

Greg closed his eyes, pulling Reuben closer and pressing his face into his son's short, sandy blonde hair.

"What am I gonna do?" Greg asked in a vulnerable, almost childlike voice.

"We're gonna find this guy, Greg." Nick said firmly.

"That won't make it okay!" Greg whispered. "Not if she..."

"Greg! Don't think like that!" Morgan went pale.

Greg took a couple of deep breaths. "I want to see her. I need to see her now."

"Greg you're not allow-"

"Nick, I need to see her, lemme up!" He protested angrily as Nick pushed him down.

"I'll speak to the nurse, see if she can get Lola in this room, okay?" Morgan murmured comfortingly, leaving the room. Reuben's crying thankfully hadn't set of Kristy, but Nick put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"She's gonna be okay, man..."

The doctor walked in with Morgan.

"Mr. Sanders? How are you feeling?" Greg stared at the doctor who swallowed and continued. "Ms Brody informs me that you'd like your daughter to be in the same room as you?"

"Please."

"Nurse Mackenzie is bringing her now."

"Is she gonna be okay?"

"She should be Mr. Sanders. But there's always a chance that something can go wrong with a child of her age, as I'm sure you're aware."

Greg stared at a crib that was wheeled into the room and sat up quickly. His mouth fell open as he saw his baby girl. An angry red gash stretched across her cheek, and her little arm was very red. She looked fast asleep, if you ignored the small oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth.

"Loeila..." Greg whispered, reaching out. Morgan took Reuben as Greg leaned across into the crib. His hand rested against the untouched side of his daughters face, his fingers trailing over the tiny cast.

"Why?" Greg's whisper was muffled. "Why?"

"We're gonna find out, Greggo, and we're gonna put this bastard behind bars." Nick swallowed.

Greg nodded absently, tears trailing down his face. Morgan sat down in the chair by Greg's side and Nick sighed.

"I'm gonna go back to the lab, see what Finn, Wendy and Russell have."

"Where's Sara?" Greg asked immediately.

"She's processing my place, someone broke in while I was at the park."

"What?" Greg's eyes left his daughter for a moment.

"I know as much as you."

Greg looked back at Loeila. "For god's sake, why?"

A nurse walked into the room, her lips pursed. Single dads. She hated them. Taking babies away from their mothers so soon, not knowing what to do. And she knew the type of her patient and it was her job to teach him about his baby's injuries.

She cleared her throat to "Mr. Sanders, your daughter's disfigurement-"

"It's not a disfigurement." He interrupted angrily. "She got hurt, she...she's scared but there's nothing wrong with her!"

The arrogant bastard. "Sir, she's in a hospital."

"I know, I didn't mean she's not...sick." the man swallowed. "But it's not...it's not like she's not ... still perfect..."

As his voice broke, so did the nurses preconceptions. Misconceptions.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sanders." She murmured. "I didn't mean to offend you." He just shrugged, stroking his daughters good cheek so she did her job and left.

"Okay, Greggo, I really gotta go, but call me if you need anything, man. Get better, okay, both of you." Nick put a hand on Greg's shoulder, kissed the twins, hugged Morgan and left, sending Grissom and Eli into Greg's room as he went.

When he got to his car he checked everywhere, including underneath the car and in the boot before finally strapping Kristy into her little car seat and leaving for the lab. When he got there he parked outside the crime tape.

"What have we got?" He called.

"A serious loathing of these bastards." Finn replied, taking a photo of a small pool of blood.

"And a whole heap of evidence." Russell added. "Good to see the two of you are okay. Wendy's helping Sara at your place but they should be done soon."

"Okay." Nick nodded.

"How's Lola?" Finn asked quickly.

Nick gravely explained the baby's status. "Jesus... If I get my hands on these assholes I swear to god, Jesus, the saints and Buddha that I will rip them limb from limb." She cursed.

Nick nodded "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." Finn said gravely.

CSIVCSIVCSIV

"But she's alive? You're all alive?" Catherine could hear Greg sniff on the end of the phone.

"Yeah."

"Good."

"Catherine, her face...she's so small!"

"Its going to be okay Greg, its okay." Catherine soothed Greg despite her pounding heart. It was eleven o'clock, she should have left the office hours ago, but she and Alyssa were working late again on a case that was tied up with some prisoners of war in Syria and she was determined to solve it.

"I just... I don't know what to do. What if she doesn't wake up?"

"She will." Catherine said softly. Alyssa sat across from her, trying to look as if she wasn't listening. "Loeila's a tough girl. Just like her dad."

"Thanks Cath." Greg sighed. "Its been a hell of a month."

"I know." Catherine sighed. "But you'll pull through."

"Thanks." Catherine was just about to say something when two noises came into play down the phone. One, a gasp from Greg, and the other the most glorious noise Catherine had heard all day.

"Catherine-"

"I can hear." She beamed.

She listened down the phone to the sweet sound of Loeila Sanders crying.

CSIVCSIVCSIV

"Merry Christmas." Alyssa grinned as Catherine left the office on the 23rd of December. Their case had irritatingly gone cold just like the case in Vegas, and so Catherine was heading out for a vacation as planned.

"You too. Are you spending it with family?"

"Nope."

"Do you wanna come to Vegas?"

Alyssa smiled. Say yes, say yes, say yes, see your babies! Her heart screamed, but Alyssa had been ignoring its whims for years. "No thanks. I'm meeting up with a friend on boxing day, so..."

"Okay." Catherine smiled. "Bye!"

"Oh, Cath?"

"Yeah?"

"You're friend Greg, does he know his kids birthdays?"

Catherine frowned. "Not the exact days. Why?"

"Well when I was looking up Oliver Parker's medical records I was on the hospital database and I thought I'd have a little look." She passed Catherine a sheet of paper. "I think this could be them."

"Thanks..." Catherine said, slightly shocked.

"I'm not stalking them or anything, I just think it's a great thing what he did and he deserves to know as much as possible. Think of it as a Christmas gift."

"Okay." Catherine smiled. "Thanks. I'll see you after New Year!"

"Merry Christmas!" They laughed at the same time.

The plane gave Catherine a long time to think. Loeila's injuries had almost completely healed in the last two months, but a large scar that the doctor said she may have for life stretched from her ear to the corner of her lip.

Regardless she was toddling around on her eleven month legs faster than ever, giving Greg hell whenever possible, though she was as good as gold for Lindsey. She was amazing at making a mess which Greg's mother found hilarious. Reuben was also doing really well. He couldn't quite keep up with his sister physically, but he was making a lot of progress. He was talking at the level of some two year olds and excelled at all of the little puzzles Greg and the others brought him. DB said that it was probably because Greg was clever. Nick said that that couldn't be the case - their mother was probably a secret genius.

Kristy, much to Nick's delight, was making completely average progress with life. No illness, no horrific accidents and she reached the normal baby milestones at the normal time, for example the eight month old was now sitting up on her own and crawling all over the place, responding to her name and babbling wordlessly. She had also formed a very strong attachment to a little blanket Greg had given her. It was baby blue and Greg had had a forensics emblem sewn onto the top right hand corner, and underneath it Greg had written 'For Kristy Stokes, with love your awesome Uncle Greg' in a fabric pen in his distinctive handwriting. He later admitted to asking his Nana Olaf to do the sewing.

Eli had also adjusted well. He doted on Sara and looked up to Grissom. Hank was his best friend, along with Jamie, the little boy next door, and he seemed to be happy with school and with home life. However according to Sara he still had nightmares and sometimes wet the bed, and when he was really tired he would cry for his mommy. Sara once told Catherine that in those times it took both Grissom and Sara a long time to console him.

Sara had shocked Catherine the most when Sara became a parent. The independent, workaholic brunette had managed to find a balance between home and work, for the first time since Catherine had known her. She always made sure Eli was safe and comfortable, she used time outs and TV bans to fairly discipline the little boy and she made sure he did the little bits of homework he had. She was the model working mother. Sara Sidle.

Catherine shook her head. She still couldn't believe it.

When she touched down at the airport, the Sanders family, including Lindsey, were all there to meet her. Upon seeing her auntie, Loeila squealed and strained against her baby reigns.

When Greg didn't let go she turned her disgruntled face to her father. "Aundie Cafin!"

"I know." Greg nodded.

She stuck out her bottom lip and the slight shift in the scar still sent shivers down Greg's spine.

"Peese dada!"

When Catherine was about a meter and a half away in the relatively uncrowded airport Greg let go of the reigns and Loeila pounded into Catherine's open arms.

"Hello baby girl!" Catherine grinned, kissing Loeila and cuddling her before embracing Lindsey and Reuben, who was Lindsey's arms and finally Greg.

"So you're staying at my place?" Lindsey clarified.

"And we're all going to Nick's Christmas day." Catherine nodded. "What if you get called in?"

"Day shifts got us covered. We promised them Easter and July 4th. Next year-"

"You swap, I haven't forgotten." Catherine swatted Greg playfully, Loeila still on her hip.

"Just checking in your old age and all." Greg's eyes twinkled.

"Watch it, Greg."

"Yeh-ah! Wach i' daddy!" Reuben giggled.

"Bullies!" Greg gasped. He sighed. "Nobody loves me."

"I wove you daddy!" Lola smiled and he couldn't help but take her off of Catherine.

"I love you too, beautiful."

Catherine laughed lightly and looped her arm around her own daughter's waist as Greg and Lola ran ahead. "So how are you liking nanny duty?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly." Catherine nodded.

"I love it. They're so clever and adorable it's just untrue. And my studying is going really well. I think it helps that you were on the job and I kinda get the shifts but Greg's a good boss. Pays fairly, well pretty well actually, and if he can't get home he'll call ahead. Yeah, he's a good boss."

"That sounds so strange." Catherine shook her head. "Greg, a boss."

"It's true." Her daughter grinned. "Oh and mom?"

"Yeah?"

"On the plane back from Hawaii, I met this guy..."

CSIVCSIVCSIV

"What's that for?" Eli rubbed his tired eyes.

It was Christmas Eve and Sara had a bag of flour in her hands.

"Do you believe in Santa Claus, Eli?" Eli nodded solemnly. "Don't you?"

"Of course." Sara scoffed. "Well this is a Santa Trap."

"Will it hurt him?" Eli's eyes widened.

"No, no!" Sara looked almost as horrified as he was at the notion of hurting the mythical man.

"It's to get a foot print."

Eli's eyes lit up. "Evidence!"

"Exactly!" Sara winked.

"Oh, this is so cool!" He squeaked. "Can I dust his glass in the morning? With the green print powder you showed me? Then I could be just like you and my daddy!"

"You know what? That sounds like a great idea!" Sara smiled.

They sprinkled the flour outside the door along with some "reindeer food" Grissom had made with Eli that morning – dried oats, crunched up Weetabix, little chunks of carrot and glitter as per Eli's request 'So that the reindeers can see it.'

Then they carefully put a mince pie, a homemade cookie with Santa's face on it from Eli and a glass of milk on a tray by the front door.

"Mommy gave Santa rum." Eli bit his lip. "Will he like milk?"

Sara pursed her lips. "Well, I guess if everyone gives him a little rum then he'll get drunk and be over the limit and then-"

"-he could be arrested by Uncle Brass for drink driving!" Eli looked horrified. "Can we put a bucket of water out for the reindeers? They can drink it and throw it at him if he gets very drunk!"

Sara laughed. "Okay, sounds like a plan. How do you know so much about drink driving anyway?"

"Mommy's friend Paul was driving in the car once and it went skidding everywhere and mommy screamed he was drunk and threw water on him. She said he could get arrested or get us killed, but I thought. It was fun. He didn't come over again after that."

Sara nodded and Eli looked up at the stars.

"Is my mommy up there?"

"I think so."

Eli sighed softly. "I miss her. Sara?"

"Yeah?" Sara murmured softly.

"Is it this cold in heaven?"

"I don't know." Sara frowned. It was a good question, for a kid who believed in heaven.

"I hope so. Mommy liked the cold. But I hope she has a fluffy coat." Eli reasoned.

He sat down on the floor and stared up at the sky some more. Sara watched the sky with him for a while before she started getting too cold.

"Okay, Eli, let's go in now. It's getting late and cold, and Santa can't come if you're not in bed."

Eli sighed softly again, staring at his breath flying from his mouth and curling up into the sky. He slid his hand into Sara's and leaned against her leg, following her inside with a last glance at the yard.

"G'dnight Grissom!" He murmured tiredly, climbing onto the man's lap. Like his father, however much he loved Grissom, Eli would only ever call him that. Grissom. He would listen to Sara calling him Gil as if it was perfectly natural but would only call his legal guardian Grissom. Some people thought it strange but to them it was perfectly natural.

"Goodnight Eli. I'll see you in the morning."

"What are you watching?" The sleepy boy rubbed his eyes.

"A program about bugs." Grissom hugged Eli again.

"Well make sure you're in bed early so Santa can come." Eli said firmly.

"Okay, I will. Grissom promised.

"Goodnight." Eli kissed Grissom's cheek and hugged him tightly before throwing his arms around Hank.

"Night night Hank." The dog snuffled his face and then Eli lifted his arms up to Sara who hoisted him onto her hip.

Once they were in the bedroom, Eli rested his head on Sara's shoulder, nestling into her neck. "Sara?" he murmured almost inaudibly.

"Yeah?"

"Will Santa come even if I can't sleep?"

"You need to sleep, Eli." She chided.

"But...but... I don't wanna." He pressed his face further into Sara's neck. "How will Christmas be Christmas without my mommy?"

Sara sat down on the side of the bed, gently pulling Eli around onto her lap, though his head remained hidden in her shoulder. "Eli, we can't make it like it was... But what we can do is make it as good as we can, and we'll do everything that we can to make it as good as we can."

"I know... I just miss her, Sara. I miss my mommy." He whimpered.

"You know what my mommy would say to me on Christmas Eve?" Sara asked softly.

Eli sniffed. "What?"

Sara held Eli close and the familiar words fell from her lips, as naturally as water flowing down a stream. "T'was the night before Christmas, when all through the house, no creature was stirring, not even a mouse ..."

Eli watched in awe as Sara recalled the whole poem word for word. "I..." he yawned. "I like that. Can you tell it again please, Sara?"

"You have to go to sleep." Sara lay Eli down in his bed and he snuggled under the covers. He reached out for her hand.

"I don't wanna be alone until I go to sleep. Please Sara. It's Christmas!" Eli blinked his big green eyes.

"Okay." Sara smiled, stroking Eli's fluffy hair.

"Sara? Are you gonna have to go fight baddies tomorrow?"

"No, no. The back-up guys are on duty tomorrow." Sara shook her head firmly and Eli was almost content.

"Will you say it again? Please?" Sara softly repeated the story to the little boy as his eyes drifted closed and the comforting sound of his guardian's voice lulled him to sleep.

"He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
'Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!'"

I know I skipped quite a bit here but hopefully it wasn't too bad. I really want to get into the main plot but I am giving you hints ;-) eyes to the detail, folks, which isn't always something that is v. Important in my stories. I have the plot in my head and I'm getting there.

Please review?

Please?