Jackson and Greta are my original characters, but I still don't own CSI.

Thanks again csinycastle85 and csijenniferlynn for your reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Bit longer chapter, but I wanted to introduce Wendy's sister...and include another meeting. Please read and review!

Laughter and the aroma of vegetable lasagna carried through the Sanders house as they waited for Wendy and her family to arrive. Nick sat on the couch reading a book with Jackson as Morgan and Conrad sat on a blanket on the floor with Greta. Greg chatted with Sara and Grissom as he brought the pan of lasagna to the table. Henry, Catherine and Lindsey talked about work as Hodges kept watching the door.

Grissom couldn't help but smile at the sight of Conrad Ecklie with grandchildren. Greg laughed softly. "Bet you thought you'd never see Ecklie with kids."

"Well," Grissom said with a thoughtful smile. "This always was a family." Sara smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Papa Eckie, did you know Greta likes her kitty?" Jackson asked.

"Her little kitty," Morgan said as she showed Conrad the toy cat she was holding. "Jackson picked it out when he went shopping with mom and Jerry."

"Oh, yeah," Conrad said. He smiled at his baby granddaughter. "She loves her big brother." Greta cooed.

Hodges glanced at the door as he paced the floor. He was about to see Wendy again. He wished she would arrive so he could tell her how he missed her.

The doorbell rang and Hodges suddenly wanted to be invisible.

Greg walked past and Hodges grabbed his elbow. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Answering the door," Greg said with a smirk.

Hodges rolled his eyes. Greg smiled. "Why don't you get the door?"

Hodges eyes widened. "Well...it's your home."

Greg shook his head and smiled. Hodges released his elbow took a deep breath. Realizing he was getting a second chance to be with Wendy, he opened the door.

Wendy smiled. "Oh. Hi," she said, surprised.

"Hello," Hodges said. He smiled at the woman with Wendy. She had Wendy's eyes and bone structure, and her hair color was about the same.

Wendy cleared her throat. "David Hodges...I want you to meet my sister, Marybeth Derwin. Marybeth, this is David Hodges." She nervously looked at both of them, trying to gauge their reaction.

Marybeth smiled and extended her hand. "Finally! The David Hodges. Great to finally meet you."

Hodges shook her hand. "Uh, thanks. It's great to finally meet you. Great to have Wendy back."

Wendy groaned and Hodges blushed. "It's okay," Marybeth said. "Seriously, she's missed everyone here. So when this job came up and you guys called... I told her we should go for it." She smiled at her blushing sister.

"Well...I'm glad you did." Hodges smiled hesitantly at the two women.

Wendy smiled. "Thank you."

"And welcome," Hodges said. "Welcome to Vegas."

"Thanks," Marybeth said. When Hodges and Wendy stood smiling and staring at each other, Marybeth said, "Aren't you going to invite us in?"

Hodges and Wendy snapped out of their thoughts as Greg came to the door. "Hi, Wendy."

"Hey!" Wendy said as she hugged Greg. Hodges stepped aside. When Wendy pulled away, she smiled at her sister. "Greg Sanders,I want you to meet my sister. Marybeth, this is Greg."

"Finally," Marybeth said with a smile. "She's talked about the CSI that started in DNA like her. I think you were her inspiration."

Wendy blushed. "I told her you were the DNA tech before you were in the field. Now you're assistant supervisor!"

"Yep," Greg said. "And Wendy's worked hard to get where she is, too. We've all missed her."

"I've missed everyone too," Wendy said as she smiled at Hodges.

Greg and Marybeth smiled at the reunited couple. "Speaking of everyone," Greg said. "They're inside if you'd like to meet them."

"I'd love to," Marybeth said with a soft laugh.

"Yeah," Hodges and Wendy said. They walked in behind Greg and Marybeth.

Jackson came up to Greg. "Hi!" He said.

Greg smiled at his beautiful son. "Jackson, this is Wendy's sister. Marybeth, this is my son, Jackson."

"Hello, Jackson," Marybeth said.

"Hi," Jackson said. "Are you a scientist too?"

"Not like Wendy," she said. "I'm a teacher. I teach at the university."

Wendy peered over Greg's shoulder. "Marybeth, you remember I told you Greg has an adorable son?"

Jackson practically jumped into Hodges' arms. Wendy smiled as Hodges hugged the sweet boy. Greg turned and smiled at Wendy. "You want to do the honors?"

"Yes," Wendy said. She smiled at her friends. "Everyone, this is my sister, Marybeth Derwin. You've met Greg and Hodges..." Marybeth smiled as Wendy continued. "This is Nick Stokes, he's my new boss."

Nick shook Marybeth's hand. "Hi. Great to meet you."

"Likewise," Marybeth said.

"And this is Catherine Willows and her daughter Lindsey," Wendy said.

"So you're the lab director?" Marybeth asked Catherine.

"Yes," Catherine said. "I went to work with the FBI for a while, but I came back. It's my home." She smiled at her daughter.

"Sara!" Wendy said as she hugged Sara. She smiled at Grissom. "Oh, it's great to see both of you!"

"Good to see you, Wendy," Grissom said.

Wendy introduced Marybeth to everyone. When Morgan came up to Greg with baby Greta in her arms, Wendy gasped softly and smiled. "Oh, look at her!"

"Hi, Wendy," Morgan said.

"Hi!"

Jackson jumped down and kissed Greta's hand. The baby girl smiled at her brother. "This is my sister!" He happily said.

"Aw!" Wendy said. She smiled at Greg and Morgan. Marybeth smiled at Greg. "You have a beautiful family."

"Thank you," Greg said. He smiled warmly at his wife and children.

"And this is Morgan's father, Sheriff Conrad Ecklie," Wendy said as she introduced her sister. The two smiled and shook hands.

Wendy smiled at the woman with Conrad. "Hello," she said.

Olivia looked over the woman. Hodges cleared his throat. "Wendy Simms...this is my mother, Olivia Hodges."

Wendy's eyes widened as she looked at the woman. Olivia smiled warmly, but wondered about the woman her son never forgot.

"Well, hello," Olivia said warmly. "Welcome back!"

Wendy smiled. "Thank you. And it's so good to finally meet you."

Hodges smiled hesitantly, both anxious and relieved.

Everyone sat down to dinner and Wendy loved catching up with her old friends. Marybeth enjoyed meeting everyone and putting faces with names of people her sister told her about.

Wendy and Hodges kept glancing at each other. Marybeth and the others wondered if they'd actually talk to each other.

"So, Marybeth," Conrad said after what felt like hours to Wendy and Hodges. "You're a psychology teacher?"

"Professor," Wendy corrected.

Marybeth nodded and smiled at her sister. "Yes, I went back to school for my doctorate when Wendy came back to Portland."

"You know, I really admire that," Olivia said. Wendy glanced at her and Hodges.

"Thank you," Marybeth replied.

"Seriously," Olivia said to her skeptical son. "Going back to school is wonderful. I always told David to never stop learning."

Marybeth smiled. "You're right. I tell my daughter the same thing."

"Is she coming to Vegas?" Morgan asked.

Marybeth nodded. "Yes, in a few weeks."

"Is she a teacher too?" Sara asked.

"She wants to be," Marybeth said. She smiled at Jackson. "You may have her as a teacher someday."

"Cool!" Jackson said.

Wendy couldn't stop smiling at Hodges with Jackson and Greta. Seeing him chat and laugh with children was something she thought she'd never see, but Jackson and Hodges clearly liked each other. Hodges glanced up and saw Wendy watching them. "You know, Jackson's probably the best big brother ever," he said.

Wendy raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Really?"

"Well, Nick and I both have older brothers," Morgan said. She smiled at her two children. "But Jackson's been looking out for Greta since before she was born."

"Yeah, he knew she was going to be a girl," Greg added. "We waited until the birth to see if she what we were having. But Jacks kept saying it was a girl, and he was right. I think he really wanted a sister."

"Yes!" Jackson said. "And when she gets bigger, she's gonna play football and stuff with me!"

Everyone smiled. "Well, it sounds like you are a great brother," Wendy said.

After dinner, Marybeth joined everyone in Greg and Morgan's living room. She enjoyed meeting her sister's Vegas friends, and understood why Wendy cared about them. She also loved finally meeting Hodges, and hoped they both might have another chance.

Wendy sat next to Olivia, who was holding Greta on her lap. She found herself liking the woman she'd always wondered about.

Olivia sensed Wendy was uncomfortable. "You know," she said. "David is really doing well."

"Yeah," Wendy said with a sigh. "I'm really pleasantly surprised. N-Not that he's doing well. I mean, he is a good scientist."

"You just thought he'd stay in the lab?" Olivia asked.

Wendy blushed. "Well...yeah. I thought he'd be there and stay with...um..."

Olivia laughed. "Stay in the lab and with his mom?"

Wendy blushed and groaned softly. Olivia laughed softly. "It's okay," she told the young woman. Wendy relaxed slightly.

Olivia smiled at the CSI. "For whatever reason, you and my son didn't get together. But you have a chance now."

Wendy looked at Hodges as he chatted with Jackson and Grissom. She smiled softly, realizing how much she missed him.

"For what it's worth," Olivia added. "You are an improvement on the last woman in his life."

"The Italian woman?" Wendy asked.

"Elisabetta," Olivia said with a nod. "She was lovely, but I always thought she wasn't right for him. And I think he rushed into it."

Wendy nodded. "Morgan said he got her to pretend to be his fiancé."

Olivia laughed. "He also told me he was in charge of the lab."

Wendy groaned softly. "That sounds like him."

Hodges smiled when he saw Wendy chatting with his mom. Olivia smiled at her son. "From everything I've heard from Henry, Greg, Morgan and Conrad," Olivia said to Wendy. "You saw through the acts. And you cared about my son for who he is. That's why I accept you."

Wendy smiled and sighed with relief. "Thank you. I-I don't know what's going to happen..."

"You have a second chance with him," Olivia said. "Don't take that for granted."

"I won't," Wendy said confidently.

Hodges wondered what his mom and Wendy were talking about when Jackson plopped down on the couch next to him. "I like Aunt Wendy," Jackson said. "She's nice!"

"Yes, she is," Hodges said with a thoughtful smile. "I think it'll be good to have her back."

Greta fussed softly and Greg took her from Olivia. "I think someone's ready for bed."

"Oh," Wendy said as Greg cradled his daughter. Jackson walked over and rubbed his sister's back. "It's okay," he said.

Hodges smiled as Wendy watched Greg and his children. Marybeth also smiled at the sight.

"You know," Marybeth said to Greg. "This has really been wonderful, but I really should be going."

Hodges stood. "You really have to go?"

Wendy smiled softly. "Yes," Marybeth said. "I know that sweet little girl needs to go to sleep." She smiled at the baby fighting sleep in Greg's arms. "Mr. Sanders.."

"Oh, please," Greg said and extended his hand. "It's Greg. Really glad you could come."

"Thanks," Marybeth said with a smile.

Wendy stood and hugged everyone. "It's going to be great having you back," Nick said.

"Yeah," Wendy said. "Thanks for calling me. I really missed everyone."

Hodges smiled at Wendy. "Welcome back," he said.

Wendy smiled. "Thanks."

Marybeth smiled as she watched her sister with her old friends. "I think Vegas agrees with her."

"We really missed her," Greg said honestly. "And I bet she's happy you're here too."

"Yeah," Marybeth said with a nod. "I think we'll like it here."

TBC...