A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Things are about to get interesting…
I don't own CSI. Some inspiration and dialogue are taken from episode 409, "Grissom Versus the Volcano."
November 2003
Grissom's phone was already ringing as he walked into his office before his shift. He sighed. He had gone in at least an hour early for too many years – his colleagues had come to expect it of him. He had only started showing up closer to "on time" a week before …
He had the grace to feel slightly embarrassed as to why he had started coming in later than his past norm. If he was early, there was every chance he'd run into the other early bird. And, the last thing he wanted was too much one-on-one time with her.
It wasn't that he expected a scene. Sara was too much a lady and too much a professional to do anything that would make either of them uncomfortable. In the week since he had requested that they go back to the way things were before, she had been coolly polite to him every time they met – which wasn't often. Aside from coming in later to avoid seeing her before the start of shift, he had made a point to assign them different cases.
He sighed as he crossed his office to answer the ringing phone. He needed to move on and get over the lingering emotions related to everything that had happened. He and his CSIs were a great team. He didn't want to let anything interfere with that – particularly not something so personal.
He finally picked up the phone. "Grissom."
"Grissom, it's Rory Atwater. Where have you been?"
"My shift doesn't start for twenty minutes," Grissom said, glancing at his watch with a frown. The Sheriff sounded … rattled.
"Oh. I should have called your cell. Listen, I need you and your best people at the Orpheus right now. There's been an explosion – a car bomb. I'll explain more when you get here."
"We'll be right there."
Grissom hung up without waiting for a goodbye. In all the years he had worked with Sheriff Atwater, he had never heard him sound so upset. It was enough to convince Grissom that this was a critical emergency. He needed to get Catherine and to get to the Orpheus as quickly as possible.
November 2015
"Well, there's something to be said for company loyalty."
Grissom looks up from helping Anna with her homework as Sara walks into the room. "What do you mean?"
"All our years of service to the LVPD have worked to our advantage." Sara is grinning as she sits down with them at the kitchen table. "Social Services has fast-tracked everything in the foster parenting process. We can bring Jake home this weekend."
Grissom's surprise is obvious on his face. "So quickly? I thought it would take weeks."
"It should have," Sara explains. "But, we already have a lot of the background checks they require just from work. And, with contacts in Social Services who are willing to speak up for us, along with the fact that we already have a specific child in mind …"
Grissom nods. "Well. I guess we'd better make sure we're ready."
"Yes." Sara looks at Anna, who has been tuning out their conversation, her pencil racing across her paper as she completes her assignment. "Did you hear that, Anna? Your new foster brother is coming home this weekend!"
Anna looks up at her mother and smiles. "Which room will he have? The blue room?"
Grissom and Sara look at each other.
"It's bigger than the other spare room," Sara says.
Grissom nods. "Fine with me. Okay, Anna, as soon as you're done with your homework, we'll go check out the blue room and make sure that he'll be comfortable there."
Anna nods and turns back to her homework.
"What is she doing that has her so excited?" Sara asks. "She's practically monosyllabic!"
Grissom grins, not even attempting to hide his pride. "Science. They're identifying insects."
"In kindergarten?" Sara exclaims, twisting her neck to see the paper.
"It's all very simple," Grissom says quickly. "She's just matching the pictures of the insects with their habitats. Bees to the hive, see?"
"Lovely," Sara says. She gives Grissom a smile, and shakes her head. "My daughter loves bugs as much as her father."
"That's not true, Mommy," Anna says, finally looking up from her paper again. "I love Daddy more than I love bugs."
"And, I'm glad to hear it," Grissom says.
Sara looks away to hide her laughter.
"I'm all done," Anna says. "Can we go look at the blue room now?"
"We certainly can."
November 2003
"So, where was this car bomb?" Catherine asked as they drove down toward the Orpheus.
"The Sheriff wasn't very specific," Grissom said. "He sounded … scared."
Catherine's eyebrows shot up. "I didn't know he had it in him. Is this somehow affecting his career? I thought it was the only thing he'd show fear over."
Grissom chuckled slightly as the approached the hotel. Mass chaos – albeit organized chaos – awaited them. Grissom parked as close to the action as possible; they climbed out of their SUV as firefighters were still working to douse the flames that engulfed the car and EMTs were fighting to save the victims.
The Sheriff was the first one to meet Grissom and Catherine as they walked toward the scene with their kits in hand.
"Car bomb," he said in greeting. "The driver and valet are dead; another valet is critical. At least a dozen injured. I was having dinner here. I was … on my way out. If it'd gone off a couple seconds later, you'd be picking my badge up off the ground."
"Thank God you're all right," Grissom said, finally understanding why Atwater had sounded so rattled on the phone. "Sheriff, did they sweep the area for secondaries?"
"Bomb Squad says it's all clear."
"Well, I'll photo document the scene," Catherine said. "Overalls from all angles, and aerials as well."
The words had barely left her mouth when gunshots were heard. Grissom grabbed Catherine, forcing her down into a crouching position and using his body to protect her as they ducked and ran for the nearest police van. He shoved her into the open door, pressing himself against her as a human shield.
The shots ended within moments, leaving Grissom and Catherine stunned. As he looked into her face, watching her professional persona take over, leaving the scared woman behind, only one thought ran through his head. Thank God I didn't bring Sara.
It wasn't that he didn't trust her. It wasn't that he didn't believe her to be every bit as professional as Catherine. It wasn't that he thought she would try to act the hero and get one or both of them hurt.
It was that he didn't want to have to watch the fear leave her eyes the way he had watched it leave Catherine's. It was that he didn't want to have to see the fear there at all.
Sara sat in the layout room, feeling her anger mount with each passing minute. She and Catherine had been in the room together, working their way through a mountain of lint collected from their last crime scene … until Grissom had appeared. He had snapped out that a car had exploded, and that Catherine needed to come with him right away. He had still been in the room when he had called Nick, telling him to report straight to the Orpheus.
So many things about that moment bothered Sara that she wasn't even sure what had her most upset. Was it that Grissom had taken Catherine, leaving her alone with the lint? Was it that he had taken Catherine and Nick to the scene of an explosion, leaving her out of the exciting case?
Or, was it that he hadn't even acknowledged her presence when he had stopped to talk to Catherine?
She knew exactly what bothered her the most, and the silent recognition of that fact made her blush.
"Hey, girl, you up for a homicide?"
Sara roused herself to look up at Warrick, willing her face to return to its normal color. "I suppose I can tear myself away from all this," she said, indicating the lint she was picking her way through.
"Ick," Warrick said. "What's this from?"
"Homicide," Sara replied. "We vacuumed the room where the vic was murdered." She paused. "I was working the case with Catherine, but, now that she's got her car bomb with Grissom, this has gone on the backburner."
"Do you want to work on it?" Warrick asked. "I can take this new one solo."
"No," Sara said at once. "If Catherine can move on, so can I."
"Good. I didn't really want to work it alone."
Sara rolled her eyes.
"Vartann called," Warrick continued. "He's got a floater in a hotel bathroom."
"Sounds like fun."
Warrick grinned at the total lack of enthusiasm in her reply. "You're jealous that Grissom picked Nick to help him and Cath with the car bomb, aren't you?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
Warrick laughed. "Jealous as hell! Come on. Let's see if our case is as interesting as theirs."
November 2015
The blue room, as its name implies, is painted blue. When Sara found out she was pregnant with Anna, Grissom immediately painted one of their spare rooms pink and one blue, in anticipation of their new baby. Anna still lives in the room that has been pink since before her birth; the blue room is an inviting guest room.
"What do you think, Anna?" Sara asks as they stand in the blue room, looking around. "Will Jake like it here?"
Anna looks around with a critical eye. "It's not very … friendly."
Sara looks at Grissom, who shrugs.
"I know!" Anna darts out of the room.
"Where is she going?" Grissom asks.
"I'm just her mother, dear; I don't live inside her head."
Grissom chuckles. "She has a point. It's not the most child-friendly room I've ever seen."
"Okay, Martha Stewart, what do you think we should do in this space?"
Choosing to ignore her sarcasm, Grissom gives the room a critical look, just as Anna did moments before. "We could put up some posters," he suggested. "I always had posters in my room when I was a teenager."
Sara looks at him in shock.
"What?" he asks defensively.
"I just can't believe you did anything so … normal."
Grissom rolls his eyes. "I didn't always decorate with butterfly cases, dear."
"The butterfly cases are the least of your creepy decorating ideas," Sara says with a grin. "Though, the poster idea is a good one. What sort of posters do you think he'd like?"
"Maybe we could take him shopping," Grissom says. "It might be better if we let him decide. What if we choose a band he's never even heard of, or a sport he hates?"
"Good point."
"This is perfect!" Anna runs back into the room, clutching a floppy-eared stuffed dog that she received as a gift from Brass on her last birthday. She places the dog on the bed just in front of the pillow.
"What are you doing, sweetie?" Sara asks.
"Now Jake will have a friend," she explains. "He won't feel so lonely in his room."
"But, Anna, don't you want to keep your dog?" Grissom asks.
She shrugs. "I have lots of animals to sleep with. I don't know if Jake has any. If I'm going to be a sister, I have to share, Dad."
"Well, I suppose you're right," Grissom agrees, looking at Sara with a smile. "You, my little Anna Banana, are going to be a very good sister."
She grins at his praise. "When will Jake be here?"
"Saturday," Sara says.
"Two whole days," Anna sighs. "That's a long time."
Thinking of Jake's lonely existence at the group home, Grissom nods. "Indeed it is."
November 2003
"Hey, guys," Vartann greeted Sara and Warrick as they stepped off the elevator. "Welcome to the Mediterranean."
"Yeah, thanks," Warrick said.
"It's awfully quiet," Sara observed, noting the lack of curious on-lookers in the hallway.
"Packed house for the concert," Vartann said as he led them to the room where the body had been found. "Most people are there."
"Oh."
"Amelia Ruben," Vartann said as they approached the jetted tub where the woman's body was floating face down. "Twenty-five."
"Is she a guest?" Warrick asked, already picking up his camera. "Or a guest of a guest?"
"Myles Ruben's wife," Vartann replied, watching the recognition dawn on Warrick's face.
"Who found her?" Sara asked.
"About forty minutes ago, hotel maid walked in for turn down service, called hotel security."
"Still on a timer," Sara commented as the jets in the tub shut off. She fished a wine glass out of the tub as Warrick snapped pictures.
"Does Myles know?" he asked.
"He's still on stage," Vartann replied.
"Wait," Sara said, finally catching on. "Her husband is the Myles Ruben who's giving the concert downstairs? The famous singer?"
"Welcome to the decade, Sara," Warrick chuckled.
She made a face at him. "When are you going to get over my lack of pop culture knowledge?"
"Never," he replied. "I'm just going to keep trying to get you on board with the rest of us."
"Whatever. Let's just process."
"Your wish is my command."
Sara rolled her eyes as both she and Warrick opened their kits to begin doing their job.
The car that had exploded was a rental. The man who had rented it was a US Air Marshal. Although the bomb was on a timer, the car was turned over so quickly that Grissom, Nick and Brass were certain the man who had been killed was not the target. A frayed wire showed that the timing device had been compromised.
The man who had rented the car before the Air Marshal, Roger Dunbar, was quiet, unassuming … and living a double life. He had two wives, two children – two different families, who knew nothing of each other's existence.
"So, I'm not trying to be negative, but this guy truly doesn't seem quick enough to have built a bomb," Catherine said.
"And, strange though his whole life is, I don't think he's the type that someone would want to kill," Nick added.
Grissom looked thoughtful. "Are you sure?"
"What do you mean?" Catherine asked.
"He had two wives. He claims they didn't know about each other, but, what if …"
Catherine's eyes grew round. "The first wife says she's very handy … she was the one who built the volcano for their son's science fair …"
Grissom nodded. "Let's keep looking into their tools, shall we? Something has to match the tool marks on the bomb fragments."
Amelia had not, as Sara and Warrick had guessed, drowned in her hot tub. She had died of cardiac arrest brought on by the cleaning chemicals found in her system. They had found a bottle of window cleaner at the hotel, which Myles said he used to clean the windows that he used as a "chalk board" when he worked on songs late at night.
"Okay, so, we're down to the manager, the husband and the hotel guy," Sara said as she and Warrick returned to the lab with evidence to process.
"I think just the manager and the husband," Warrick argued. "The hotel guy is right – if Amelia's a good tipper and nice to him, he had zero motive."
"True. But, someone spiked her wine with window cleaner." Sara lifted two bags from the evidence. "Gloves or bottle?"
"I'll take the gloves."
"You've got it."
November 2015
Saturday morning is cool and overcast – not necessarily the sunny day Sara pictured for bringing Jake home. All the same, she is incredibly excited while she waits for Melinda to arrive with the newest member of their family.
Promptly at ten thirty, the car pulls into their driveway. Anna, who has been dancing from one window to the next watching for them, runs into the kitchen where Grissom and Sara are discussing what to make for Jake's first lunch with them.
"They're here!" she exclaims.
Sara and Grissom exchange a glance. Sara, for all her excitement, is suddenly terribly nervous.
"Gil," she whispers. "What if …?"
"Sara," he says, putting his hands on her shoulders, "this is what you wanted."
"I know," she says, still speaking just above a whisper.
"It's for the best," Grissom continues. "He's been miserable. He lost his parents and everything that he knew all in one night."
"I know," Sara says. "I know exactly how he feels."
"Then, you're the perfect person to make him feel better."
Sara leans in and kisses her husband. "Thank you. I'm sorry."
He smiles. "You're as bad as Anna. The anticipation is too much for you."
She gives him a lopsided smile. "You're probably right on that."
Grissom kisses her again, then releases her and grabs Anna's hand. "Come on, sweet pea. Let's go let them in."
November 2003
Sara stared at the screen in shock. "No … it can't be …"
"Problems in my lab?" Mandy asked as she came into the print lab.
"This doesn't seem right," Sara said. "I can't believe that …"
"Let me see," Mandy said, sitting down next to her. "Do you want me to run the prints again?"
"Yeah," Sara said. "Actually, could you print the bottle again, too?"
"Sure," Mandy agreed.
"Great. Thanks." Sara backed off to let Mandy do her job. "I just can't believe that the only prints on that bottle are Amelia's."
The two women fell silent as Mandy ran the prints again. Finally, she broke the silence.
"I'm getting the same results as you did, Sara. All the prints on the bottle are Amelia Ruben's."
Sara shook her head. "Her husband was a rich singer. She lived like a princess. Why …?"
Mandy shrugged. "Not every girl wants to be a princess."
Sara shook her head again, thinking of what the room service waiter had told her and Warrick. Hey, I could tell they were in love, you know? But he was never around. I mean, I felt bad for Amelia. She'd have me up there four times a night. "You forgot the fork. Can you bring some salt? How about some ice?" If you ask me, I'd say she was lonely.
"Yeah," Sara said. "I guess it can get lonely spending all your time in a tower."
November 2015
Both Melinda and Jean have come to bring Jake to his new family. They are both all smiles as Grissom and Anna let them into the house; Jake looks around with the same wariness Grissom noticed at the group home.
"Well," Jean says. "You already know Dr. and Mrs. Grissom."
Jakes nods.
"This is Anna," Sara says. "She's our daughter."
Jake looks down at her. "Hi."
"Hi," Anna says, giving him a bright grin. "How old are you?"
"Fourteen."
"I'm five."
"Great," he says with a complete lack of enthusiasm.
"That means that you're nine years older than me."
Something flashes in Jake's eyes, but he works to hide it quickly. "You're pretty smart."
"I'm in kindergarten this year," she says. "What grade are you in?"
"Ninth."
"Okay, Anna, leave him alone for a minute," Sara says with a smile. "Why don't we show Jake around the house?"
"Okay!"
They take a tour that ends in Jake's room.
"This is your room," Sara says. "We wanted to decorate it for you, but we didn't know what you'd like. So, once you're a bit more settled, we can go out and get some posters or … whatever you'd like to have in here."
Jake shrugs noncommittally.
"I put this here," Anna says, taking the dog off the bed to show him. "His name is Mudge, like in the book."
"What book?" Jake asks.
She looks surprised. "Henry and Mudge. It's one of my favorites. Henry's like me; he doesn't have brothers and sisters." She smiles brightly. "Well, not anymore, now that I have you. Anyway, Uncle Jim gave him to me for my birthday, but I want you to have him. I didn't know if you have any stuffed animals, and …" She shrugs. "Sometimes, when it's dark in the house, it can be scary. But, with someone to hug, it's not so bad."
Jake swallows. "Thanks, Anna."
"Let's give Jake some time to settle in," Sara said, steering Anna toward the door. "Daddy's making lunch; I'm sure he needs your help."
"Okay." Anna bounds out of the room and down the stairs.
Sara stops in the doorway and turns toward Jake. "I know it's a lot at once," she says quietly. "And, I know that Anna is very high-energy. But, she's excited that you're here. We all are." She pauses. "Like I said, Gil is making lunch. It should be ready in about fifteen minutes. If you'd like to eat, come down. If you're not ready … I'll leave some food in the fridge for you. You can eat later, alone, if you'd rather."
He remains silent, but holds her eyes.
"I hope you decide to come down to eat with us."
With those soft words, Sara leaves him alone in his room.
November 2003
"Hey, guys," Nick said as he entered the locker room, where Sara and Warrick were putting their things away. "Wrap your case?"
"Yes," Sara said.
"Great. So did we. Wanna go get a drink?"
"Sounds great," Sara said. Still haunted by Amelia's suicide, she thought that a drink with her friends would be exactly the thing to take her mind off her job.
"Yeah, I'm in," Warrick agreed.
"Okay. Let's go."
Twenty minutes later, they were seated at their favorite bar, each with a bottle of beer in front of them. Warrick took a sip of his.
"So, Nicky, tell us. Who blew up the car?"
"You guys aren't going to believe this one."
"Try us."
"Well, as it turns out, the man who rented the car before the Air Marshal has two wives."
"He's been married twice?" Sara asked. "That's not so unbelievable."
"No, sunshine, not been married twice. He is married twice. He's at least somewhat legally married to two different women right now."
"How -?"
"He changed his middle initial on the paperwork. Anyway, long story short, Wife 1 found out about Wife 2 – and Child 2, which is what really set her off. So, after helping her son build a volcano for a science fair, she decided that building a bomb wouldn't be so hard, and rigged his car to explode."
"So, how did it end up killing someone else?"
"Faulty timing device."
Warrick shook his head. "Three innocent people dead because she decided to blow up her husband with a faulty timing device."
"So … just taking him to court wasn't an option?" Sara asked.
Nick shrugged. "Hell hath no fury, right?"
Sara rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Nicky."
He chuckled. "So, who killed the singer's wife?"
"She committed suicide," Warrick said.
Nick's eyebrows shot up. "Not one I'd be able to predict."
"Nah, neither did we," Warrick said. "She had it all, you know? Why end it?"
"She didn't, really," Sara said. "She didn't have the attention of her husband."
"Yeah, Myles even admitted that," Warrick said. He shook his head. "You'd think she'd try counseling first, though."
"Yeah," Sara said quietly. "I can't imagine not seeing a way out."
"You marry someone because you love them," Nick said. "It's the same in both our cases, really. These women married these men because they were in love. Then, they found out they'd have to share them in ways they never dreamed, and snapped. One turned her rage outward and killed three people and caused a panic. The other turned her rage inward and killed herself."
"Speaks highly of love, doesn't it?" Warrick said, taking a sip of his drink.
"Yeah," Sara muttered, taking a drink from her own bottle.
I won't be like them. I can't be like them. I'm stronger than that. I'll turn my anger and hurt and resentment into something positive and … I'll be friends with him, like he wanted. I need to be healthy about this.
"Okay, enough about work," Nick said. "Did you guys see the trailer for that new movie The Last Samurai? It looks awesome."
"Yeah, it does," Warrick agreed.
"It's not out yet, is it?" Sara asked.
"No, it comes out next month. You guys want to go see it?"
"Sure," Warrick said. "I could use a little old-school Japanese fighting in my life."
"Great! Sara?"
"Yeah, why not?"
Warrick grinned. "She just wants to see Tom Cruise."
Nick laughed. "Sara's not into Hollywood types, is she?"
"After this case, how could I be?"
This is what I need. Some time with the guys … perfect.
November 2015
Sara, Grissom and Anna are just sitting down for lunch when Jake walks into the room. He still looks wary, but Sara thinks that his mere presence in her kitchen is a positive sign.
"Hi," she says, hoping that Grissom and Anna will follow her lead and not make a big deal about his decision to have lunch with them.
"Hi," he replies.
"Sit by me," Anna says, patting the empty chair next to her.
Jake nods and sits down.
"Daddy made grilled cheese and tomato soup," she says. "It's my favorite lunch."
"Do you dip your sandwich in your soup?" Jake looks surprised that the words have come out of his mouth.
"No," Anna says, oblivious to his shock. "Why?"
"It's better that way." He seems resigned to explaining it to her, since he brought it up.
Grissom sets steaming bowls of soup in front of them. He and Sara watch as Jake teaches Anna to dip the corner of her sandwich into the soup before taking a bite.
"It's so good!" she exclaims. "Mommy, have you ever tried this?"
Sara smiles. "Not in a long time, baby."
"You never taught me this!" Her voice is faintly accusatory.
"Because Mommy and Daddy don't like cleaning soup off the floor," Grissom says with a sigh.
Anna shrugs and waves him off. "That's why we have Hank."
Jake lapses back into silence, watching the family scene play out in front of him. These people are like no family he's ever known … and, he's not entirely positive he wants to know them now.
Sara can see the emotions playing across his face and in his eyes. He's not as good at hiding his feelings as he might hope. She knows that he's scared. She knows that he thinks he doesn't want to be with them.
And, she knows, even if he doesn't know it yet, that what scares him the most is that he'll wake up tomorrow and find that they don't want him anymore.
"You'll have to tell us what you like to eat, Jake," Sara says, hoping that this implies enough future to make him feel more at ease. "I don't want us to make you something you don't want or like."
"Mommy doesn't eat meat," Anna says. "But, she lets me and Daddy have it if we want. Do you like meat?"
"Yes," Jake says.
Grissom looks at Sara with a smile. "You are so out-voted."
Sara makes a face at him. "You carnivores can do whatever you want, as long as I don't have to be a part of it."
Jake looks between them, amazed at the easy banter. Did his parents ever talk to one another like that? He doesn't remember. He doesn't think so.
When lunch ends, Jake retreats to his new room. He sits down on the bed, and looks out the window at the sunny backyard – the earlier clouds have disappeared. He exhales slowly and looks down at the bed. Anna's dog looks up at him.
He drops his hand onto its head, running his fingers over its soft fur. Without really thinking about it, he picks the dog up and hugs it to his chest.