AN: Thanks to those who are still reading, this chapter will contain another case inspiration from the series itself, Season 1 Episode 23: Stripper Strangler, but with a twist, beyond the obvious.
Chapter 24: The Twist
Six days later
After spending the first 5 days as a married couple in Los Angeles with little interruption like they wished/planned for, they were now at home for the last day of their honeymoon, or at least that was the plan until Grissom had turned on the TV to check the baseball scores from yesterday since he didn't feel like getting out of bed to go downstairs to get the morning paper.
As he was slowly flipping through the channels, a news report caught his eye, so he shouted for Sara, who was in the bathroom brushing her teeth. "Sara, can you come in here."
Sara finished rinsing her mouth, then smirked as she walked out of the bathroom. "What, did your team lose?"
He shook his head. "It's more serious than that."
She finally registered that he was actually watching the news, and the report was about a possible serial killer roaming the streets, Sara's eyes got wide as she headed for her cellphone. "I'm calling Peter. How were we not informed on this before it was leaked out?"
Grissom shook his head as he got up from the bed, then once Sara had her phone, she hit speed dial number 5 and placed it up to her ear, speaking the second she could. "How were we not informed on what was going on?"
Peter sighed. "I'm sorry Sara, I just didn't want to ruin your honeymoon."
"That's not important, I mean it is. But so are lives of other people, we are coming in, and there is no point in talking me out of it."
No hesitation from Peter. "Ok, I'll see you two when you get here. And Sara, I'm sorry."
Knowing what he was saying sorry for, she replied softly. "It's ok."
After they hung up, Sara turned around to see Grissom fully dressed and sitting at the end of the bed so he could put his socks and shoes on.
She sighed. "I'm sorry."
He turns his head to look at her and held out his hand. "Honey, it's not your fault. This is what we do, and I didn't expect to not be interrupted just because we got married."
She gave him a small smile as she took his hand. "Yeah, I guess. It's just sometimes I wish..."
She trials off and he squeezes her hand with a smile of his own. "I know, for the world to stay peaceful so we can just live our lives in complete bliss."
She sighed and released his hand so she could get ready. "I guess that's just too much to ask for."
He sighed this time as he finished tying his shoes. "Unfortunately so, and we can only do so much to make our part of the world a little bit better."
Sara just nodded in agreement while she got ready, then once they were both fully ready, they left the house and headed for the lab, where they got a warm welcome back, but it was also a little somber because of the active case.
A few hours later
After going through everything they had, which wasn't much, Sara took a break to head to the restroom, and even though she wasn't in there very long, she felt a new buzz/vibe as she walked down the hall and back to her office, and when she walked into her office, she could see why there was a buzz going around, she gasped slightly as she saw the suited man standing in front of her desk holding the new name plate she put on her desk the day before she had left to go to LA to marry the man of her dreams.
"Sam!"
The 6'0, athletic/fit man with medium wavy blond hair and hazel eyes, looked up from the nameplate he had in his hands, turned around and gave Sara a wide smile.
"Hi, Sara."
As they stood there looking at one another, their minds took them back to the last time they really spoke to one another before he had left San Francsico, and ever since, really.
Flashback
Mid-June 1997
Sara and Sam were sitting on the bench in the park watching three-year-old Belle playing with other kids her age in the sandbox.
Sam smiled, still keeping his eyes on that beautiful little girl. "God Sara, you have an amazing daughter. Every time I see her, I'm totally, completely in awe of her, she's already so smart."
Sara smiled brightly as she replied. "She gets that a lot from her father."
He shook his head as he looked at Sara with another smile. "I hope you aren't selling yourself short, going to Harvard at 16 is nothing to belittle."
"Oh, I know that. I'm just saying her father is pretty smart himself."
"Yeah, well, how smart can he actually be when he's still living in Vegas when two of the most important people in his life are living here."
Sara shook her head with a slight warning in her tone. "Sam..."
"I'm sorry." He sighed and shook his head slightly. "I guess I just don't understand."
"Believe me you're not the only one, but that's how our lives are right now."
He then raised an eyebrow and asked. "And you're just ok with that, him being gone more than he's here?"
Sara took a breath before she asked, changing the subject. "Was there a reason why you wanted us to have a chat today outside of the lab?"
"As a matter of fact, yes." There was a slight pause before he continued. "I got a job offer at the Los Angeles crime Lab, I could be a supervisor right off the bat. Peter recommended me when their office called him, asking about his CSI's."
Feeling a little shocked but happy for him, she smiled. "That's great, and I believe one of the youngest at that."
He nodded again with another smile. "Yes, that is true." He then lost the smile before continuing. "But I could turn it down, all you have to do is give me the word."
Now Sara was extra shocked, looking at him with wide eyes. "Sam, you're not saying what I think you're saying."
He nodded once more with a smile, turning his attention fully on her, even placing his hand on top of hers. "Sara, I would be lying if I didn't say I had feelings for you from the moment you walked into that breakroom, you were so full of passion and eagerness..."
She cuts him off while slipping her hand out from under his. "If I have given you any signs or indication that I..."
He cuts her off. "You haven't, you've been completely loyal to Grissom from the moment I met you. All I'm saying is that you have another option, that you can have what you've always been secretly wanting, which is a life with someone who will always be there for you day in and day out, a warm body next to you every night keeping those nightmares, which we both know you have, away."
There was no hesitation in her next words. "Sam, I care about you as a friend and co-worker, but that's all I see you as, that's all I've ever seen you as. So no, in my mind there is no other option, there never has been another option and there will never be another option because my connection with Grissom is beyond just being loyal to him or because he's the father of my child. I'm truly, deeply in love with him. I love him more than any man I ever met, and to me it's not about just any warm body keeping my nightmares away, it's about being next to him, he's the one that keeps them away." He was about to open his mouth, but she continued before he could. "And you're right, it hasn't been easy being without him on a daily basis, but I'm still 100% committed to him, no matter how long I have to wait for the life I want with him, and only him. No one is ever going to change my mind on that or change how I feel about him."
Seeing the 'final' look in her eyes, he nodded, then he cleared his throat before finishing. "I really hope for yours and your daughter's sake that you will get that life with him because you deserve it and nothing less."
"And I have faith that I will."
"He's a lucky man then."
"I like to think we both are."
He just gives her a short nod before asking. "We did have a great four years, right?"
Sara nodded with a smile. "Your friendship and mentorship have meant a lot to me, I owe a huge credit to you on me being the CSI I am today, I can't deny that, so thank you for taking this overeager 'student' and turning me into..."
He cuts her off. "One of the best CSI's the San Francisco lab will ever see."
She smiled shyly ask she asked. "You really think that?"
He nodded with another smile. "I do, I see great things coming your way at the lab." He took a breath as he stood up. "I'm just sad I won't be here to witness it."
Sara looked up at him. "Sam, I'm..."
He cuts her off one more time. "Don't be sorry, I think deep down I knew I had no shot with you, I just didn't want to regret not saying anything for the rest of my life, but know I still care about you, and nothing will ever change that." Sara just nodded before Sam cleared his throat and asked. "Can I say goodbye to the little one?"
Sara nodded with a smile. "Of course, and you know she's going to miss you."
He just nodded, knowing she might miss him for a little bit, but she was still very young and with him not being around her anymore she was bound to forget about him, then he turned to head towards the sandbox, and as Sara watched them interact, she pulled her phone out and hit speed dial number 1 before she held it up to her ear.
The person on the other end answered after the first ring. "Sara, what's wrong?"
She smiled at the sound of his voice but could tell he was worried with a sleepy tone to it, so she mentally cursed herself for waking him up after his no doubt long night shift, then apologized. "I'm sorry that I woke you."
"It's ok, what's wrong?"
She took a breath and shook her head, even though he couldn't see it, then she replied softly. "Nothing, except that I miss you, and that I wish that..." She stops herself before she continued after a sigh. "I just miss you."
"I miss you too, honey. And what do you wish?"
Of course there were a lot of things she wished right now, and she wished she had the courage to tell him in that moment, but there was one wish she felt was more obtainable right now, so she responded with a small smile. "That you could come here a little bit earlier than expected so Belle and I could spend a little more time with you."
Belle's birthday was next week, and Grissom was supposed to show up the day before and spend a few days after before he headed back to Vegas.
"Yeah? That's what you are really wishing for?"
"Yes."
There was no hesitation in his next words. "Ok, how does tomorrow afternoon sound?"
"What? Just like that?"
"Well, you said you wanted to see me sooner rather than later, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but I didn't expect you to..."
He cuts her off with a smile. "To what, just drop everything to be with my girls? You know nothing is more important to me than you two, and if you need me there sooner than planned, then I'm there."
"And work will be ok without you?"
"They'll be fine, and don't worry about my time off, I have more time in the books than you can imagine."
She smirked. "Even though you've been taken more time off in the last four years than you probably have in your whole career."
He chuckled. "And I still got plenty to spear, trust me."
Going a little deeper with that response, she replied. "I trust you with everything I have and thank you."
"You don't need to thank me, when my girl calls, I come, no matter for what reason. I love you, Sara, I hope you really know that."
Wiping a few stray tears from her cheeks she replies. "I do, and I love you too, Griss."
"Tell Belle I love her too, and I'll see you both very soon."
"I will, and yes I'll see you soon. Bye babe."
As they hung up, Sam was walking back to her, and when he reached her, he spoke again. "I hope you take care, Sara, and don't let anybody take away that independent, passionate, dedicated side of you."
Sara shook her head with a smile as she stood up from the bench she had been sitting on. "Not a chance."
He smiled in return then took a small step towards her and asked. "Permission to hug you?"
Sara nodded with a smile in return, after all she still saw him as a friend, and friends do hug. "Granted."
While they were sharing a hug, he whispered. "Goodbye, Sara."
"Goodbye, Sam, and I hope you take care of yourself as well, don't let your job consume you."
They pull back as he responded. "I'll try not to."
They looked at one another for a moment, gave each other a short nod and smile before he started walking towards the parking lot of the park while she headed for the sandbox to tell her daughter the great news, her daddy was coming for a visit sooner than planned.
End of Flashback
Sam spoke again with the new name plate still in his hands. "I guess you finally got what you've always wanted."
Still feeling a little shocked to be seeing him in her office, she nodded as she cleared her throat before she spoke. "Yes, I did, just recently in fact. But you would have known that since we did send you an invite."
"I did get it, but I think we both know why I couldn't be there." There was a pause, then he cleared his throat and continued. "Congratulations by the way, I'm glad everything worked out for you. And not just in your personal life, but you're professional one as well." He held up her name plate before he sets it back down on her desk. "Assistant Supervisor, I see you're moving up in the lab."
She smirked. "Just like you've always seen me doing."
He smiled. "Very true, and I believe I was the first one to tell you that." Sara just shook her head while rolling her eyes, then he cleared his throat again and asked. "How is Belle? I saw a picture of her on your desk, she's looking even more beautiful than the last time I saw her."
Sara smiled with pride. "She's doing very well. She even skipped the second grade."
He chuckled. "No surprises there." He then took a breath before he continued. "And I'm glad she's doing ok, that both of you are."
As they continued to look at one another, she asked after clearing her throat. "Sam, not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?"
Before he had a chance to answer her, Peter walked in with a middle-aged man that stood 5'10 with graying hair and brown eyes, he was also in a suit and tie.
"Sara this is Robert Hill, he's the head of the FBI unit from Los Angeles."
Sara looked over at Sam and asked in surprise. "Wait, are you an FBI agent?"
"Yes, I've been one for six months now."
She then looked at Peter and asked. "And they are here because..."
She trailed off, and Peter answered, not sounding happy about it at all, but someone above him made the call. "The director called them to help with the case."
Then Robert spoke towards Sara while eying her intently. "And it seems you would be perfect."
Sara raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Perfect for what exactly?"
"The killer has a type, and you seem to fit it perfectly."
"Hold on, you want me to go undercover?"
Before Peter or Sam for that matter, could speak, Grissom's voice was heard in the doorway. "You want her to do what?"
They all looked towards the doorway to see Grissom standing there, and Robert was about to speak, but Peter spoke before he could, knowing what he was going to tell Grissom. "Gil is ok. He's the most senior CSI we have here. Please come in."
Grissom walked fully into the room to stand next to Sara, then he turned his head to acknowledge Sam. "Sam, nice to see you again."
Sam nodded and cleared his throat. "You too, and congratulations by the way."
"Thank you, I'm sorry you missed our wedding."
Before Sam could reply, Robert was ready to get them back on track. "Can we get back to the task at hand, please."
Grissom then looked at Robert and asked. "And that is what exactly?"
Sara was the one that answered him. "Mr. Hill says I'm the perfect type for our suspect."
Grissom gets wide eyes. "You want to use her as bait?"
"I read her file, she is completely qualified, she's had hours of weaponless training."
Before any of the men could speak, Sara spoke while shaking her head. "I'm sorry Mr. Hill but I can't do it, I just can't."
As Grissom looked at his wife, Robert asked. "And why can't you?"
Which honestly her rejection for the assignment even shocked Sam and Peter, even though Peter didn't even want the FBI here, he thought he would have to taper down Sara's emotions and her gung-ho nature of her doing whatever she could to help solve a case.
And while that question hung in the air for a moment, Sara and Grissom looked at one another while they thought back to a week before the wedding.
Flashback
(A week before the wedding)
Grissom looks at his wristwatch before looking at his fiancée. "It's time."
Sara shook her head with tears in her eyes. "I can't look, I can't see another 'negative', I just can't."
Since they discussed on trying for another baby, this isn't the first time a pregnancy test has been involved, but with the last few negative results when she thought she had that certain, special feeling, it was taking a toll on her. However, with that said, they still weren't ready to hit the panic button on why they haven't gotten pregnant yet.
Grissom nodded his head and cupped her cheek. "It's ok honey, I'll look."
She nodded with tears now going down her face "Thank you, and I'm..."
He cuts her off and shook his head as he moved his lips to her forehead. "It's ok, you have nothing to apologize for."
He took a breath and kissed her forehead before he pulled back, then after wiping her tears away he headed for the bathroom while his heart was racing and his nerves all over the place. He's wanted this for months, and there is a chance it had happened this time, but of course there was also a chance it wasn't in the cards at this moment, like the others.
He stopped at the bathroom counter, took another breath while closing his eyes, then he opened them up as he looked down, and when he saw the results, his eyes got wide as he shouted. "Sara!"
She rushed to the doorway and asked in a nervous tone. "What is it?"
He turned his head to look at her with tears now in his eyes. "It's positive."
Sara gasped with wide eyes. "No way."
"Come look, see for yourself."
She knew he wouldn't mess with her like that, but she had to see the proof herself, however she was still nervous as she walked towards the counter to look at the pregnancy test, and when she did, she looked at her fiancé with tears in her eyes and a smile. "I'm pregnant."
He nodded with a smile as he cupped her cheek. "You are."
"I'm pregnant." He nodded again as he brings her to him so they could hug and she let out a few sobs while he just held her without saying a word, then once she calmed down, she shook her head as she pulled back. "But I mean we should still get my doctor to check me out for confirmation."
"Yeah, that would be good."
"So, should I set up an appointment now, or wait?"
Grissom smiled as he ran his thumb up and down her cheek. "I don't want to wait to know if it's really true."
She shook her head with a smile of her own. "Me neither, so I'll do it now."
But before she moved, he brings her closer to him to give her a kiss that she turned in to a passionate one, then they pulled back, whispered 'I love you' to one another before she finally walked out of the room.
By the time Sara had gotten off the phone with her doctor, Grissom was sitting at the end of the bed in a somewhat daze state that their full dream could be finally coming true, especially with their wedding coming up.
He barely heard Sara speak to him as she sat down next to him. "The earliest time they could get me in is first thing tomorrow morning." And when he didn't respond back, she asked in a worried tone. "Are you ok? I mean you still want..."
He cuts her off while taking her hand. "Of course, honey. I just can't believe this could finally be happening."
She nodded with a smile. "I know me too." He then started to chuckle with the shake of his head, causing her to ask with a raised eyebrow. "What? What is it?"
He took a breath before telling her what he had been thinking in that moment. "It's just that as much as I wanted this to happen, a small part of me was kind of hoping this would happen after we got married."
She then chuckled. "I know, you getting me pregnant for the second time before being married really screwed up your traditional philosophy."
He smirked. "I know, right? You must be a very bad influence."
She smirked in return. "Maybe, but you love me anyways."
He gets into serious mode as he nodded. "I do, and I wouldn't change anything."
She smiled and they leaned towards one another to kiss softly, then after pulling back, she suggested. "And when we tell everyone, they can just assume we got pregnant during our honeymoon, they won't have to know I was already pregnant before it."
He nodded with a smile of his own. "That is true. But you know you have your bachelorette party coming up and the wedding reception, I'm sure they'll expect you to 'drink' something."
She wasn't worried. "I'll just be sneaky about it. Don't worry, no one will know."
"And what about Belle? I don't want to keep her in the dark for too long."
Sara didn't want to do that either, so she replied. "Ok, how about we get the confirmation first, then tell her after we get back from our honeymoon so it will be less likely for her to accidently say something with all the good vibes going around with everyone around."
He nodded in agreement. "That sounds good."
Next Evening
While their daughter was in the living room, Sara and Grissom were in the kitchen and Sara just hung up her phone after talking to her doctor, who shared with them the test results.
They looked at one another as tears were forming in both of their eyes. "Is this really happening?"
Grissom nodded as he cupped her cheek. "It is honey, you're pregnant, we are going to be parents again and our full dream will finally come true."
"God, I love you."
"I love you too."
They kissed before they held one another, beyond thankful/grateful for the path ahead in their lives.
End of Flashback
Grissom now gave her a look that said it was up to her to share the news, which he wished they could have shared it with his mom and friends before they told the guys that were in her office, but if she wanted them to fully know the reason why she is declining this assignment, it was her decision and he'll support her no matter what.
She took a breath, not wanting to tell them before she told the others first, but to her it was one of the good reasons why she would decline.
"I can't because I'm pregnant, and I'm not putting my unborn child in any type of risk."
AN: Thanks for reading, and please review. Hoped you like that twist. GSR baby, yeah! And I Hope you all had a safe/wonderful weekend, until next time, always remember GSR4ever!