Disclaimer – Please see chapter 1
A/N – Thank you so very much to those of you that left a review for the last chapter. I really appreciate you taking the time to give me any and all feedback you send. Sorry I haven't had time to reply to them as my internet was down for nearly a full day (shock horror – yes it was!). A special thanks to 'My Kate' who has, and is my sounding board, gives me little idea's to incorporate into my stories and is without knowing it, my teacher in learning to write better. Story is beta'd by myself so any remaining mistakes are all mine, so I apologize in advance. R & R Enjoy!
Fall Out Boy – Chapter 6 Sorry - It Can't Be
Shuffling a little uncomfortably on his feet and looking down now that he and Sara were alone again in the corridor, Grissom fingered the file in his hand, that can wait a while, he thought, I need to give her some kind of apology for earlier, the food on it's own wont do it. I need to fix my earlier fumbling abrupt manner with her.
Letting out a long breath he looked up at Sara who wore a slight frown on her face as she looked at him "Urm, Sara..About earlier....I'm sorry.....I was....I just...I.." he fumbled along with his words cautiously until she interrupted him.
"It's okay Grissom. I understand. I understand you have your job to do....And I was making it difficult for you to do it, but I'm still sticking by what I said. I'm not going to abandon him when he really needs someone Grissom" Sara said giving him his usual 'out' of any awkward situation or apology he was trying to make, but at the same time reaffirming her stance on the situation.
Grissom rubbed his temple then behind his ear uncomfortably, she was mostly getting the wrong idea for his words and approach from earlier, for his genuine worry and concern for her mental well being, not his job at the lab. This wasn't going at all how he had wished it too.
"And now that it seems that no family is going to be located any time soon, all he's got is me right now, which is much more than I ever had at the time I needed it" Sara carried on speaking oblivious to the fact that she was not only rambling, but that Grissom was still trying to put his thoughts into words.
"Sara..." Grissom said but then stopped what he was about to say seeing her serious look now.
She glanced into the room through the glass checking on Kye, and seeing him asleep turned back to Grissom "Look, just put me on some emergency personal time for now, then I'll try to get to the lab to fill out the paperwork for taking some of that time I have amassed on the books. That should put me off the case officially as far as the investigation is concerned, and it should keep Ecklie off your back about all of this too" she stated matter of factly.
Grissom was surprised that she had obviously thought this situation with Kye out quite a bit to be preparing to take time off like this so easily, god knows how many times have I tried to urge her into taking time off, to rest up and take things easy, especially after pulling doubles and triples like she's done, and a small boy manages it without even asking her, he thought.
Seeing how determined,that there would be no reasoning with her, and that her mind was made up, Grissom fought to hide a soft loving smile, thank you for giving me the usual escape like that, for accepting my dumb attempt at an apology, for thinking of me in all of this and for being the most wonderful, loving and empathic person I know. God! Kye if only you knew how lucky you were right now, that this beautiful soul wants to help you.
Grissom nodded as his thoughts cleared to her staring at him expectantly "Urm, Sorry" he said again wincing internally, that's all he ever seemed to be having to say to her lately.
"So, can you do that for me?" she asked him.
"Yeah, that's not a problem. I'll do the necessary paperwork when I get back to the lab" Grissom replied, then they both went on to discuss where Nick & Greg were up to with the case, that they would head back to the lab after finishing up at the scene, and that Grissom would wait at the hospital with Sara for child services to return, and the fact that someone still needed to speak with Kye at some point, about what happened at the boys home while he was there and the murders were committed.
They spoke for a while as Sara kept glancing inside the hospital room to see if Kye was okay, he seemed to have fallen back to sleep after eating and was back into a tight foetal position with the blanket wrapped around him.
Grissom semi sat against the corridor cupboard the nurse had put the drinks on earlier as they spoke, noticing how Kye's welfare was always paramount with Sara at all times.
"I'm going tell child services that I will look after Kye when he's released tomorrow. I can't let them put him in to a group home until they can find him a suitable foster care home, which may be never" Sara said almost out of the blue catching Grissom off guard.
"Are you sure that's such a good idea Sara? I know you can empathise with his situation and can probably help him greatly with his emotions right now, but you need to be thinking of him becoming attached to you.......And you to him.....And the long term for Kye" Grissom said having a strong gut feeling he knew where she was going to go with this.
"Yeah I'm sure Grissom. I've thought about nothing else all night, and I am thinking about the long term for Kye" she said avoiding his eyes now afraid to see disappointment in them, then adding "I'll act as emergency foster care for him if they'll let me for now. Besides he's not going to be comfortable with anyone else, and he's probably unlikely to ever say anything about what happened in his home if he is shoved into the system like I was" Sara said still avoiding his gaze, worried that Grissom wouldn't approve of her plan to help Kye.
Not fully surprised by her decision, and not really sure she'd actually fully thought out the entire implications as to what she was thinking of undertaking, he felt several emotions wash over him, pride at her for doing this to a help a vulnerable frightened and traumatic child, worry that she wouldn't be able to cope with the responsibilities of such a task alone, and a more recognizable emotion that he'd fought off for years but had been growing expediently over the last several hours alone, love, Love for this woman.
I can't let you try to do this noble and kind thing alone Sara, I'll help you any way I can, even if we can only be friends. And I can start by being the true friend I should have been to you all these years, Grissom thought as he made his decision.
"Well if your really sure about this Sara, I'll help you in any way I can. Okay" Grissom said reassuringly, as he placed his hand on her lower arm and squeezed slightly before letting go again and standing fully.
Sara found his eyes and only saw understanding, and hearing the sincerity in his words which made her smile softly at him "Thank you, and I appreciate it, I really do" she said feeling a kind of both shock and relief, shock at his acceptance of what she wanted to do, and relief he was willing to help her.
Hearing her gratefulness and seeing her smile made him feel a whole lot happier and hopeful for the first time in many hours, making him quickly reach a decision to help things along more smoothly & quickly, Time to pull in some of those favours owed to me that I've not done before now.
"It's okay, none needed. Let me make a few calls, and we'll see if we can't get it set up where Kye is released into your care rather than Child services" Grissom said giving her a soft smile "I'll just get these details of Kye's to his nurse for their records first if you want to go back in there with him" he said as he made to walk over to the nurses station where there were now 3 nurses sat chatting.
With a quick nod and grin Sara slipped back into the room as he approached the nurses, at the same time he opened the file to search and read the information he was going to relay.
Seeing a birth certificate on top of all the papers he came to an abrupt stop just about a yard from the chatting nurses, just as his eyes ran over the writing on the official paper 'Mother Charlotte Meridian'..............No way. It can't possibly be that Charlotte Meridian, it's probably just another woman by the same name, it has to be. But there again I didn't see the victim at the scene..............No........... I would have known surely......... Charlotte Meridian. God I haven't thought of her in years, not that she ever really held my attention for very long, and especially not after Sara came to Vegas.
"Something wrong Mr Grissom?" Claire asked breaking his last thoughts suddenly.
A/N - I hope you all liked the chapter, because I feel the story is now moving along nicely and how I wished it too progress. There are a couple of surprises in store to come in the next few chapters, and more details of the case will be revealed along with more personal stuff going on with Sara and Grissom. Sorry i posted the wrong chapter for this one so have had to re-post!
Please leave a review, they really do encourage me to write and post sooner.