"Sara!" Sara turned around to see a familiar face.

"Doug?" She smiled widely as Nick stuck out his hand to shake Doug's, saying hello. He wrapped her up in a quick embrace. "I should have known you were being deposed for this as well."

"Yeah. I just finished up. How the hell have you been? I haven't seen you since this case."

"I've been good." She smiled. Nick politely excused himself to give them some time to talk. "How are you?"

"Good, good. Still in the Bay. What about you? Last I heard you were the Vegas lab director."

Sara laughed whole heartedly at this, "I was only the lab director here for a mere four or five hours."

"What happened?" Worry filled his eyes.

"I decided Vegas wasn't the right place for me anymore. I'm actually in Santa Monica now."

"Back to the sunshine state. Knew you couldn't keep away. And uh—What's the bug guy's name?"

"Grissom?"

"Yeah, Grissom. You two still married?"

Little did Doug know that just shortly after the last time she saw him that she and Grissom got divorced—or at least she thought they had. But there was really no need for him to know any of this now.

"Yeah, we're still together. This time he's in town, care to invite yourself as the third wheel to dinner again?" She playful jabbed at him, calling attention to that time when he'd tried to seduce her regardless of the fact that she was married, "Although this time you'd be a fifth wheel."

"Kids?" His eyes bugged wide open.

"Two, a boy and a girl."

"No shit. How do you look like that after having two kids?"

"I'll take that as a compliment." She pursed her lips.

"As you should."

"Sidle." The bailiff called out into the hallway.

"I've got to go. It was great catching up with you though."

"Yeah." He said with a hint of nostalgia in his eye, "Yeah, you too." He watched as she walked toward the court room doors, "Give 'em hell." He called after her, she reward him with a sidle-grin before disappearing.

Doug Wilson got into his car and drove to the Las Vegas Crime lab. His mind spinning with the life update he'd just received from his friend. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, perhaps jealous. There was always some part of him that thought Sara could be a possibility, that they'd find there way together. But that fantasy was just crushed, and he couldn't quite place his feelings. He thought back to the girl with the pony tail and large thermos of coffee that he'd sat down next to at the Forensic Academy conference 23 years ago. That was the moment their paths converged, and ultimately the moment their paths became destined to diverge. For while he was the man she sat next to, it was the lecturer that had stolen her heart.

Doug walked through the lab halls until he found Catherine.

"Mrs. Willows?" Catherine had no longer been a part of the lab when this case was going on back in 2012, so the two really had no interaction outside of this appeal trial.

"Mr. Wilson. How'd it go?"

"Well. They just called Sara in as I was leaving." He extended a stack of files to her, "Here's the notes and evidence findings I took from the lab."

"Thanks. Well, it doesn't seem like you'll be recalled, so I think you're free to head back to San Fransisco."

"Great, great." Doug said a bit absently, his eyes searching the hall they stood in.

"Is there something else?"

"Yeah..." He spoke a bit hesitantly, not sure what exactly he wanted to say until he was interrupted.

"Hey Cath, Can I put Warrick down for a nap in your office? I want to stick around until Sara's back from court."

"Of course."

"Wow." Doug spoke through raised brows at the sight of this man holding his child in his arms. A little girl walking obediently beside him. "These are Sara's kids?"

Grissom raised one brow, "Hi, Gil Grissom." He stuck out his hand to shake the gentleman's.

"Yeah, yeah I know—Doug Willson, NTSB." He shook Grissom's hand, not taking his eyes off Aurora. The name sounded vaguely familiar to Grissom but he couldn't quite place it until Doug continued, "I sat next to sara during your lecture in 1999, First Blush."

"Ah." Grissom smiled, "You two dated briefly, yes?"

Doug laughed, "Yeah. Actually I have you to thank for the break up."

"Oh?"

"She only broke up with me when you asked her to move to Vegas."

"You know my mommy?" Aurora looked up at the man towering over her.

"I sure do." Doug smiled down at the child, "I knew here wayyyy wayyy back, when she was much younger."

"What was she like!?" Aurora's curiosity always got the best of her.

"Smart. Beautiful. Stubborn. A little wild."

"Alright, then." Catherine jumped in feeling awkward for everyone involved. "Gil, you said Warrick needs a nap?" Grissom looked down at the child in his arms, noting he was already fast asleep. "I'll watch Aurora till your done."

"Thanks, Cath." Grissom disappeared down the hall to retreat to Catherine's office. There, he gently transferred a sleeping Warrick to the couch, making a make-shift barrier between him and the edge of the sofa out of blankets. He left the office door open so he'd be able to hear if Warrick woke up and then retreated back down the hallway to Catherine.

"Wow!" He heard Aurora squeal as he approached. "Daddy, he made mommy a plane!" Grissom furrowed his brows, to which Doug elaborated,

"I built her a to scale model plane in the garage for this case... my plane verses her physics." He shrugged. "Anyway, I should get going." He turned to Grissom, "Dr. Grissom, it was nice to see you again. Take care of my girl will ya?" With an awkward smile and a turn on his heels, Doug disappeared down the hall and out of view.

Cath and Grissom exchanged an all-knowing look until they heard a high pitched shriek coming for around the corner. They quickly went to investigate it as Grissom instinctually swept Aurora up into his arms. Around the corner they found Hodges standing out in the middle of the hall.

"Okay, whose kid is this!?" He bellowed.

"Geeze." Grissom ran into Hodges' trace lab having put Aurora down next to Catherine, "Warrick." He scooped his child up into his arms, "What are you doing up?"

"I wasn't sleepy anymore."

"Grissom?" Hodges' eyes opened wide, "Gil! What are you doing here?"

"Hey Hodges." Grissom smiled, "Sorry about that. I thought he was down for a nap."

"That's yours? I—I mean, He's yours? You have a kid? Gil Grissom?" Hodges' mouth was dropped low in astonishment.

"Warrick, meet Hodges."

"Hi." His small almost frighten voice spoke as Grissom ran his hand through this son's hair, trying to calm him.

"Wow." Hodges shook his head, "Wow."

"And that's Aurora." Grissom said angling his head in gesture to the Girl standing by Catherine.

Hodges took one look at the girl and spoke without missing a beat, "Oh, so they're Sara's?" His voice echoed distain.

"How's the trace evidence on the Malone case coming along?" Catherine scolded Hodges', who—taking the hint—scurried back into this kid-free lab.

"What was that about?" Grissom turned to Catherine, speaking softly. While he knew Hodges' was always a bit peculiar around him, he still felt that comment came out of left field.

"Let's just say hodges was in favor of the d-i-v-o-r-c-e."

"Who got divorced?" Aurora looked up at Catherine.

"Geeze, can you get a grip on your kid here? I think she's too smart for her own good." At this Aurora glowed, a big smile revealing her slightly gap toothed grin as she swayed back and forth happily.

"Aurora, do you want to help daddy put Warrick down for a nap?"

"Okay, can we read him the dinosaur story?"

"We sure can." Grissom glowed and retreated back to Catherine's office where he sat down on the couch. Aurora handed Grissom the book as he began to read aloud, with their two heads pressed close to his ribs on either side and their thing legs lying straight out on the sofa cushions, warm against his own. Catherine sat behind her desk catching up on some paperwork.

"You sure this isn't distracting, Cath? I can take them back to the hotel."

"You're fine, Gil. Really." Of course it was distracting, but Catherine was having too much fun gaining a glimpse into this new life of her old friend. She kept her peripheral on the sight, and it warmed her heart.

"...Big dinosaur, small dinosaur. Green dinosaur, Pink dinosaur." Grissom read on, Aurora interrupting every now and then to point out what each dinosaur really was. "That's a T-Rex, or a Tyrannosaurus." "And that's a Brachiosaurus." "Oh, oh, thats a Stegosaurus. That's my favorite one because their backs look like flower pedals. Like the garden." and Grissom would respond with "That's right." and "Very good." Feeling Warrick's breathing begin to even out against his chest, signaling he had drifted back off to sleep.

Aurora lifted her hands and began to sign to Grissom, "He's sleeping now. We have to be quiet."

Grissom smiled, seeing Catherine's expression out of the corner of his own eye, "That's right. Lets get up slow." Aurora followed her father's lead and got up quietly, helping tuck him in under the blanket.

"Go." Catherine whispered, "I'll be here for at least an hour."

Grissom nodded and walked out of the office with Aurora. Warrick's nap time was always a special time for her and Grissom as they got to do all the things that Warrick may still be too young for, or feel left out.

Sara walked into Catherine's office, "Hey Cath—" Catherine cut her off, shhhing her as she pointed to the sleeping child on the couch. Sara smiled warmly and walked over to her son, kissing his head gently. She then sat down across the desk from Catherine, whispering now, "Where'd Grissom go?"

"Not sure, He took Aurora somewhere. How'd it go in court?"

"Well. I don't think we have anything to worry about. The Jury seemed to understand the physics of it all, the motive, and the new evidence findings were clearly done in poor practice."

"Good." Catherine smiled, changing the subject, "That girl has Grissom wrapped around her finger."

Sara smiled widely, "It's a little weird, isn't it? After all this time, I still find myself in awe when I watch him be a father to them."

"It's a weird side of him." Catherine counted, "I've never seen him as at peace as he is with those kids. And Aurora, I mean wow—what a great kid."

Later on, once Nick was back from court the old team—and two tiny new additions—went to Franks for lunch. They sat around laughing, reminiscing on old times and old cases—keeping it PG in mixed company.

"Hey, I've got a riddle for ya." Nick spoke leaning down toward Aurora.

"Okay!"

"Say Milk five times.

"Milk. Milk. Milk. Milk. Milk."

"Okay, now spell Milk three times."

"M-I-L-K. M-I-L-K. M-I-L-K."

"Now say Milk three more times."

"Milk. Milk. Milk."

"Okay, now what do cows drink?"

"Water. Why?"

Nicks face dropped and the table erupted in laughter.

"At 30 years old I didn't know that riddle. And your dad used that as an excuse not to give me a promotion."

Aurora giggled, "That's silly."

Once lunch was wrapped hugs were shared and smiles exchanged. "Keep in touches," and "We'll see you soons."

"Gil," Catherine pulled Grissom aside as Nick and Greg said goodbye to the children, "I went to the bank today and got a statement." she handed him the small slip of paper, "It's how much has accumulated in the college fund we all started for Eli after Warrick died. He should know how much he has."

Grissom nodded, "Thank you." He pocketed the slip, "I'll talk to Tina about it when we see them later."

Catherine moved in and hugged him tightly, "I am so very happy for you, Gil." She whispered in his ear before letting him go and smiling.