Hola! Quickie today, hope you enjoy. Plot will move on a little soon, this is just a taster coz you probably won't get much for a little while as I'm mega busy. All the usual, mistakes are mine, blah, blah, blah.

Read. Enjoy. Review.

Chapter Thirty Three # Rollercoaster Therapy #

"Hello, Miss Blakelynn."

Blake flinched as Brass sat down in the chair opposite of her.

"It's okay." Morgan smiled, rubbing the arm of the little girl on her lap. "This is Jim, he's my friend. The one I told you was coming. Jim, this is Blake."

"Blake. It's nice to meet you." Jim held out his hand and shook the nervous little girls hand gently.

"Nie to mee' you too." She returned in a whisper.

"So Blake, you told Morgan that the munta hurt your mom. Can you tell me what the munta looks like?"

"He was weally big. An' hadda woof's head."

"A woof's head?" Brass frowned. "Like a dog's head."

Blake turned to look up at Morgan. "No, a woof's head."

"A wolf's head?" Morgan asked, and Blake nodded.

"Oh, a Wolf's head." Brass nodded. "What was he wearing?"

"A blue one-ee wib no hood an' a wed pots."

"A blue onesie with no hood and red spots." Brass repeated. "How big were the spots?"

Blake looked up at Morgan, who nodded encouragingly. "See-kin sie."

Brass frowned and Morgan elaborated. "Sequin sized, right?"

Blake nodded and put her thumb in her mouth.

"So do you think you can tell me exactly what you saw?" Brass asked.

Blake's other hand curled around Morgan's and her thumb left her mouth. "Mommy wad in da bedoom…"

"And remember Blakelynn, personality. Flirt with the judges, give them attitude. There is no prize for being the director's daughter. Put your flipper in, you need to be beautiful."

"I done wan' ta whewe id!" Blakelynn stuck her bottom lip out, jumping up and down on the bed.

"Don't you dare argue with me, Blakelynn Rose! You need to be pretty. And to be pretty, you need your flipper, now put it in. Show me your routine."

"Mommy, I'm tired." She whined.

"Blakelynn! Practise."

Blakelynn sighed and started to prance around the room.

"Stop, stop. More flirting."

There was a knock on the door.

"Keep practising!" her mom snapped, going to answer the door.

Blake made pretty hands and pretty feet.

Suddenly her mom screamed loudly. Blakelynn froze as her mom was pushed backwards.

"Don't kill me!" The woman screamed, but the monster with the wolf's head slashed her throat with a crown.

Blakelynn froze, too scared to even scream, as her mom fell to the floor, blood flying everywhere. The monster looked at her and dragged her mom into the next bedroom.

Blakelynn turned and ran and hid in the closet, but as the wolf monster came back into the room he found her straight away. He pulled open the door and pulled her out gently by her arm. He stroked her hair with a furry paw, and then cupped her face in his hands.

"It's okay now. I saved you."

"He spoke to you?" Morgan asked the tearful toddler.

Blake nodded. "Uh huh. He saided dat he sabed me."

Brass shook his head, watching the tell-tale tremble of the girl's lip. Tears were coming. "So Blake, what do you like to do? Do you like pageants?"

Blake looked up at Morgan, then looked down to the floor. "Mommy did lie dem."

Brass leaned forward passively. "Yes, but do you like them?"

Blake squirmed.

"Hey, Blake, it's okay. Just tell the truth. You don't need to be scared at all."

"I done weally lie dem. I done fink dey're fun…" she admitted, looking extremely ashamed.

"Hey," Morgan shifted Blake to look at her face better. "You don't have to like pageants. You can hate them if you want. It's okay."

Blake smiled a little shyly. "Weally?"

Morgan smiled to cover up her anger at Blakelynn's mom. "Really."

Brass smiled. "Blake, can I talk to Morgan alone for a moment, please?"

"No!" Blake shook her head, holding onto Morgan tightly.

"Please Blake, I promise I'll be right outside that window, I'll be able to see you and you can see me-"

"No!" Blakelynn started to cry.

"Hey, Blake I need to talk to Jim. Please?"

"Taw hewe?" Blake protested weakly.

"I need to talk to Morgan about big people stuff." Brass said sympathetically.

Reluctantly, Blake allowed Morgan to leave her on the sofa whilst Brass, Morgan and Alexis, who had been standing in the corner, left the room.

"I haven't been able to track down any family." Alexis sighed.

"I talked to the father registered on the birth certificate. Claims he never even slept with Ms Lacey DuBois, and that she was an old friend with whom he'd had a falling out a few years ago. We took DNA, but he looked shocked when I told him that she was registered as her father."

"What's going to happen to her?" Morgan asked, looking at the tiny girl who stared back through the glass.

Alexis sighed. "Her mother's will is more interested in where her company and possessions go as to where her kid's going. She'll be put into the foster system in two days."

Morgan glanced back through the glass.

"Morgan…you okay?" Brass asked.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine." Morgan sighed. "She's going to live with strangers?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Alexis nodded. "But I can guarantee that they'll be decent people."

"Decent?" Morgan raised an eyebrow.

"Unfortunately, I can't say that every foster parent will be perfect, there just aren't enough foster parents. What I can guarantee is that they won' be dangerous or neglectful." Alexis nodded.

Morgan sighed.

"Morgan," Brass caught her attention. "Morgan, it happens to more children than we can help."

"I know." Morgan said, not meeting his eyes.

"Morgan." Brass warned. "You're getting attached to this kid."

Morgan looked at Brass, wanting to deny it. "I guess I am."

"That's dangerous."

"I know… I'll stay with her today." Morgan nodded. "She needs a friend."

"That's a…" Brass rolled his eyes as Morgan slipped back into the room. "…bad idea."

"I think it'd be good for Blakelynn." Alexis defended the other woman.

"Oh, I agree, definitely. But, uh…it won't be good for Morgan."

CSIVCSIVCSIV

"Eli, wake up, you've gotta go to school." Grissom called, gathering cereals for breakfast.

When Eli still hadn't stirred five minutes later he frowned. "Eli?"

He walked into Eli's bedroom. "Eli. Wake up."

"Go away!" Eli moaned, covering his head with his pillow.

Grissom frowned. "Excuse me?"

Eli's eyes poked over the pillow. "I don't wanna go to school!"

"I told you that would happen when you woke up at five-"

"Not because I'm tired!" Eli growled.

"Then why don't you want to go to school?"

Eli sat up and glared at Grissom. "You said you love me. Do you love me coz I'm me, or do you love me because I'm like my dad?"

Grissom blinked, stunned. "What?"

"If someone tried to take me away would you fight for me?"

"Of course-"

"But would you fight for me for me, or because I'm my Dad's son?" Eli demanded.

Grissom took off his glasses. "Eli, what is this about?"

Eli rolled his eyes. "I shoulda known. Coz I mean, my own dad didn't fight for me, why-"

"What did you just say?" Grissom whispered. "Why would you think that, Eli?"

Eli folded his arms. "I know that he didn't even bother telling anyone about me. I know that Sara and Greg found records."

"Of a custody battle." Grissom frowned.

"Yeah, but if he really loved me, he woulda told you-"

"I have to show you something." Grissom whispered, taking Eli by the arm and leading him gently but firmly into the master bedroom. He lifted him onto the bed and took a box out of the cabinet. Eli watched Grissom unlock the box and stick a DVD into the player.

Eli's mouth dropped open a tiny bit as his father came onto the screen. A woman was talking.

"So what makes you think that you'd be a good father? You were raised by your grandmother. You never even knew your biological father."

Warrick nodded. "Which is exactly why Eli needs to know his. Look, the most important thing you need to know about how to raise a child is how give a child love, and I've been loved. Listen, I've always tried to be a good man, and I've screwed up. And when I have there's always been one man in my life to set me straight. I've learned a lot from him, how to be fair, how to forgive, how to be inspired, how to inspire others.

"Sounds like a special person."

Warrick nodded again. "He is. If I could've picked my own father, I'da picked him."

Eli stared at the screen even as it went black. "He…he wanted to know me?"

Grissom nodded, barely noticing the tear trailing down his cheek. "Very much."

"Do you ever wish that he lived and I didn' exist?" Eli looked up at Grissom, who looked horrified.

"No. I often wish that he didn't die. But when I imagine him still alive I imagine you living with him. You would have loved him, Eli. He loved you."

"People don't want me." Eli whispered, tears trailing down his cheeks. "You all want him."

Grissom shook his head. "You're not your dad, Eli."

"Exactly." Eli cried.

"Eli, I wouldn't…I…" Grissom shook his head. He'd never been particularly good at expressing his feelings. "I don't want your or your dad… Being honest, I want you both, but that's not possible. Eli, I love you. And…if losing your dad and your mom brought you here…then at least one enormous, amazing, special thing came out of all of the pain."

Eli jumped off of the bed and ran into Grissom, hugging him tightly.

"I wish I'd known him." His whisper was punctuated with sobs.

"Me too." Grissom whispered, hugging Eli back tightly. He picked the child up, ignoring his back's nagging, and picked up the phone. "Hello, is this is Gil Grissom, I'm the legal guardian of Eli Brown. Eli isn't feeling too good today, so he won't be coming to school today."

Eli looked up at Grissom, confused.

"Okay, thank you. Goodbye."

"What…?"

"We're going to have a day off." Grissom told him.

"You lied to my teachers?"

"No. Technically, you're not feeling well. You're sad. But don't try and use that one on me later."

A faint grin traced Eli's lips.

"Get dressed, we're leaving in five minutes."

"What about breakfast?" Eli frowned.

"We'll get some on the way." Grissom waved away Eli's concerns. "Come on, let's go."

"Where are we going?" Eli asked, confused.

"It's a surprise."

"Then what should I where?"

"Jeans and a t-shirt. Don't forget a jumper. Sneakers'll do."

By the time Eli opened his mouth, Grissom was already getting dressed. Confused, the boy changed into his jeans and his favourite top, a "Keep Calm and Read Harry Potter" shirt, and pulled a hoody over the top.

"You ready?" Grissom asked five minutes later.

"I guess, but-"

"Come on then, let's go." Grissom took Eli's hand and led him out of the door. They got into Grissom's car and Eli watched Grissom's route carefully.

They stopped at a diner for breakfast, before finally arriving at…

"An amusement park?" Eli frowned.

"Yep." Grissom nodded. "We sure are. This is what I do when I get upset, or angry. I used to do it a lot when I was at CSI. I used to think of it as 'Rollercoaster Therapy.'" He had personally wanted to bring Eli to one sooner, but Sara got called into work the first three times they tried, so they decided to stop trying until Eli was older.

Eli stared up at the rides, the stalls and the games. "Wow…"

Grissom's eyes shone as Eli took in his surroundings. "What do you want to do first?"

"Bumper cars!" Eli grinned.

"Okay, off to the bumper cars." Grissom nodded.

Eli wrenched the wheel of the bumper car and span around, whooping as he smashed into the back of Grissom's car.

"Oh, you wanna play like that huh?" Grissom yelled, smiling, and rammed Eli's car against the wall.

When their slot ended ten minutes later, Eli felt electrified.

"Can we do a rollercoaster?"

"Sure." Grissom nodded. "Which one?"

"That one!" Eli pointed at the biggest one in the park.

"Have you ever been on a rollercoaster before?"

"Nope."

"Then we should start small." Grissom decided, taking him to a slightly less intimidating one.

Five rollercoasters and four arcade games later, Eli and Grissom decided that it was time for lunch.

As he munched away on his corndog, an unsettling thought made Eli's stomach churn. "Uh, Grissom? What if my teachers find out I'm here?"

"I'm not worried about the teachers finding out we're here." Grissom said, taking a bite of his own hotdog.

"Who are you worried about finding out we're here?" Eli asked.

"Take a guess." Grissom raised an eyebrow and they grinned at each other, speaking in unison.

"Sara."

Hope that was okay. I didn't want to write Griss too mushy but I thought looking after Eli may mellow him a little where it comes to the expression of feelings :-)

Please tell me HOW TO IMPROVE! I want to know to give you guys the best :)

Review my minions :)