AN: Thanks again for the continued support, here is the next chapter. Warning: A few questionable words and implied/Suggestive adult behavior.

Chapter 16: Unexpected turn of events

Next Morning

When Sara woke up, Grissom's arm was wrapped around her waist while her back was snuggled into his chest, so she just lays there for a minute or two, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms, then when those few minutes were up, she slowly got out of his hold and out of bed before going to the bathroom.

Once she walked out of the bathroom she headed downstairs then to the kitchen, seeing the light on, and when she walked in, she saw Jo at the kitchen table with a glass of milk in front of her and the paper in her hand.

They looked at one another and smiled before Sara spoke as she headed for the coffee pot. "Morning."

"Morning."

After she made the coffee, and was waiting for it to brew, she looked at Jo and asked with a smirk. "Don't you know you're on vacation, shouldn't you be sleeping in?"

Jo chuckled as she sets the paper down on the table. "Don't you know me at all, you know I can never sleep in, even during our dorm days."

Sara chuckled with a nod. "That is very true. You took a run for my money when it came to how early we would get up to start studying."

Jo chuckled again with a nod, then she took a breath before replying. "I just chalk it down to us having high goals, and nothing was going to get in our way from achieving them."

While Sara poured her a cup of coffee, she spoke again. "That I would agree with."

As Sara was walking to the table to sit next to Jo, Jo continued. "But I mean we did have some good non-studying times, right?"

"Of course." Sara then smirked. "Remember you were the first person to take me to a college party. In fact, my first real party at that, which I had no business on going, considering I was significantly younger than pretty much everybody there." Jo nodded with another chuckle before Sara gets a little more serious. "But you also looked out for me, you made sure that nobody messed with me because I was the youngest person there." She stopped to clear her throat before continuing. "Jo, if I never said this, Thank you."

Jo tries to wave it off. "Sara..."

But Sara cuts her off. "No, I mean it. I want to thank you for being one of the best roommates and best friends I could have asked for. You could have completely ignored me, even ask for a new roommate when you found out how young I was and could have been considered a younger sister. But you did none of that, you not only took me under your wing and protected me, but you made sure I was your roommate every year that I was at Harvard, you even took me to your parents place in Florida during our summer vacations when you realized I had nowhere else to go, or should I say nowhere else I wanted to be, you went above and beyond, and I can't thank you more for what you've done for me. Which is why I..."

She stopped before she said too much, and Jo raised an eyebrow as she asked. "Why what?"

Sara shook her head and lifted her mug up to her mouth to take a drink. "Nothing, forget it. I just wanted to thank you."

While she was taking a drink, Jo cleared her throat before speaking with a smile. "Which is why you let Grissom propose to you for the second time, this time in front of your friends."

She nearly chocked on her coffee before she looked at Jo with wide eyes. "What? I never said..." Sara stopped denying it when Jo was giving her a 'challenging' look, so she finally asked. "How did you know?"

Jo smiled as she replied. "The moment I saw your face walking into this house I felt something was different with you, you had a look that said you were hiding something pretty big, and when I asked you if a new development happened in your life, you had lifted your glass up to your mouth from stopping yourself from telling us something big had happened, then you just did it again with your coffee mug, trying to change what you wanted to confess to me, and the big giveaway, last night, while I know those tears were real and genuine, I didn't feel you looked like a woman who hadn't already heard those special words."

Sara chuckled then smirked. "Damn girl, you should have been a CSI, we could use you in the lab."

Jo chuckled with a shake of her head. "Thanks for the offer, but nah, I like putting those bastards away, I'll stick with my lawyering gig thank you very much."

"Which your good at that too."

There was a pause with a smile, before Jo asked. "Why didn't you just tell us?"

"The second proposal was his idea, and I." She paused for a moment to wipe a few tears out of her eyes before she continued. "Well, I just wanted to make sure that you girls, especially you, knew first, outside of his mom and our daughter, that I was finally going to marry the love of my life. The type of man that I never thought I would get, the man who changed my life in the best possible way."

Jo, with tears in her eyes, so happy for Sara, placed her hand on top of hers. "And I couldn't be happier for you, you deserve him, you deserve this life, and honestly I wouldn't have cared if I was the last one to know, I just want to be there when you finally get to marry him."

Sara nodded with a smile while wiping her tears away. "Yours will be the first invitation I send out."

"And which season were you thinking?"

"We were thinking Spring."

There was a pause before Jo nodded her head and smiled. "That will be perfect timing, it would give Josh and I time to settle in our new home."

Sara looked at her friend with curiosity. "What do mean your new home?"

Jo smiled wider. "The baby news isn't exactly all that has been new in our lives."

"Ok, I'll bite, what's going on?"

"Well, you see, I got an offer to transfer to one of the best up and coming law firms in Los Angeles and Josh agreed to put in a transfer to finish his residency in one of the best hospitals in Los Angeles, so …"

Sara gasped as she stood up from her chair in excitement. "You're kidding me, right? You're moving to LA?"

Jo nodded her head while standing up with a smile. "We are moving to LA, and we already have a few places circled, we just need to go see them in person."

Sara chuckled as she brings her friend in her arms for a hug. "This is amazing news, I'm so happy for you two."

"Thank you." Then Jo started sniffling. "There was another reason why I wanted to move out here. It's because of you."

They pull back from the hug, and Sara asked in surprise. "Me?"

Jo nodded with a teary smile. "Not only have I missed our face-to-face time, but I want my little one to know their Aunt Sara, their cousin Belle, their Uncle Grissom. I don't want them to become strangers to you guys, they deserve to know this family as much as their biological ones, and Josh agreed."

Sara smiled again while bringing her into another hug. "Thank you, that means so much to me, and that will be amazing that our kids will get to know one another better."

"Yes." Jo then smirked. "Even though Belle has eight, almost nine years, ahead of mine."

Casulily, Sara replied as she sat back down in her chair. "I don't know, there could be a little one around your little one's age."

Jo sits down in shock. "What!? For real?"

Sara chuckled as she held up her hand with a smile. "It's not a sure thing right now, I still have to get pregnant, but let's just say we are trying for another one."

Jo smiled with pride for the both of them, they have certainly come a long way from their early college years. "Damn, things have certainly been lining up for us."

"I know, right? At times I still can't believe this is my life, that I have an amazing daughter and love from a wonderful man. Who would have thought I would have all of this, that this would become my life."

Jo smirked as she lifted her glass of milk up to her mouth. "Uh, me."

Sara shook her head with a chuckle. "Yeah right."

She swallowed her drink with a nod before smiling. "It's true." While Sara was still looking at her skeptically, Jo continued. "I knew while it would take a special man to help get the quilites out that I could see inside of you that you kept hidden, I knew you would have this kind of life one day."

Then when Jo stopped and started chuckling slightly, Sara asked. "What?"

"I will admit though, you getting this life came a lot sooner than I was expecting."

Sara took a breath before taking another sip of her coffee, then smiling. "You and me both, but I..."

Jo cuts her off. "Wouldn't have it any other way, I know."

As Sara smiled wider with a nod, Ashley comes in the room and asked. "Wouldn't have what any other way?"

Jo replied as she watched the other woman walk towards the coffee pot. "Sara having this life sooner than either of us were expecting."

Ashley smiled while pouring her coffee. "And why would she, she has an amazing life."

Sara smirked before she took another sip of her coffee. "This is true."

The other girl's chuckled, then while Ashley was heading towards the table, Jo asked her with a smirk on her face. "So, where were you last night? I know you didn't sleep in the office, I checked."

With Nick having his own room, Jo and Josh sharing another, and Quinn using Belle's, Ashley was supposed to take the office room that was downstairs.

Ashley cleared her throat and replied as she was lifting her cup up to her mouth. "Oh, I was with Nick all night." When they both looked at her with widen eyes, Ashley shook her head with a smile. "And no, not where your minds just went, all we did was talk."

Jo had to smirk again. "Is that what you kids are calling it these days?"

"It's true. We want to take things slow, we both need that right now."

The girl's looked at her with sympathy while they both nodded, then Jo spoke again, apologizing. "I'm sorry."

But Ashley waved off the other woman. "It's good."

There was a slight pause as they all took sip of their drinks, before Jo asked. "Do you know if Quinn came back last night?"

Quinn leaving was news to Sara, so she asked. "She left last night?"

Jo nodded. "Yeah, after you and Grissom snuck out, she left with one of the remaining guests."

By time they made it back inside the house last night, the house was empty downstairs.

Ashely looked over at Sara and started to speak, knowing why she would have left with another guest and not be here, if she wasn't. "I'm sor..."

But Sara cuts her off. "You have nothing to apologize for, you can't help who you fall for, and Quinn is a big girl, if she chose to go out last night, that's on her. I just hope she's ok."

As the girl's nodded, Nick's voice was heard as he walked into the room. "You hope who is ok?"

Nick and Ashley were sharing a smile while Sara spoke. "I guess Quinn left with someone last night, and we don't think she's in Belle's room."

Nick gets a slight frown. "Oh, is there something to be worried about?"

"I don't think so, I mean like I said, she is a big girl that can make her own decisions, but it isn't like we knew every detail of everyone who came over last night."

"I could go back up and check the room?"

Before Sara replied, Jo did as she was getting up from the chair. "I'll do it, I'm heading in that direction anyways." She then smiled widely. "I have to get ready for my day 'date' with our favorite little girl."

Everyone smiled before Sara spoke. "Thanks by the way, she really needs her Aunt Jo time."

"And I'm happy to give it to her."

"I'll write down the address to her friend's house and set it on the table."

"Ok, sounds good."

She then walked out of the room, and a few minutes later, once Nick had his coffee thermos filled, he said goodbye to the girls and left the room to go to work, Ashley still lighting up as she watched him leave, and Sara smirked as she took her last sip of coffee. "Taking things slow, huh? Yeah, I'll see how long that lasts."

Ashley looks a little embarrassed, then she cleared her throat and replied. "I just don't want to screw this up, and knowing where his head is at right now, I know he's not ready for anything too serious."

Sara nodded with a smile as she placed her hand on her friend's. "I understand that, and I'm so happy for the both of you, I hope this is a start of something beautiful with you two."

Ashley squeezed Sara's hand with another smile. "Me too and thank you for your support." She then took a breath as she started to stand up. "Now I should get ready to leave, I'll call Quinn since I'm assuming she's not up there since Jo didn't come down to tell us."

"Ok, let me know if you hear back from her."

"I will. I'll see you later."

"Bye."

After Ashley walks out of the room, Sara gets up from the chair with her now empty coffee mug, walks to the island, grabs the mini notepad and writes down the address to Belle's friend's house and sets it on the table like she said she would before she went back to the coffee pot and made herself another cup then made Grissom one and headed upstairs, stopping in the doorway to Belle's room to see it as it was when her daughter left yesterday, indicating that no one had slept in there last night.

Sara does a small sigh before continuing her route to the master bedroom, which when she opened the door, she saw Grissom awake, sitting up in bed bare-chested with his glasses on and a book in his hand, causing a nice, pleasant shiver to run down her spine, not minding the view at all.

They smile at one another before he spoke. "Morning, dear."

Sara cleared her throat and finally walked into the room, shutting the door with her foot before speaking. "Morning." She then smiled as she headed for his side of the bed. "You know you could have come downstairs."

He replied very sincerely while he took the coffee mug from her hand. "I wanted you to have that time with the girls."

She took another breath, more like a deep sigh as she 'thanked' him, causing him to look at her with worry. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head as she walked to her side of the bed. "I hope nothing, but Quinn left last night with someone."

While Sara picked up her phone from the nightstand, Grissom asked. "Do you know with whom?"

"No, but Jo does, she saw her leave with him." Seeing she had no messages from Quinn, Sara sighed again. "Now the questions is should I be this worried? On one hand, like I told the girl's, she is a big girl and can make her own decisions, but on the other hand..."

Grissom cuts her off softly. "She's one of your best friends, and we both know you'll be restless until you hear from her, so I say do what you have to do to find the answer you're looking for."

Sara nodded her head with a smile as she turned to him. "You're right." She then gets up from the bed and walks out of the room to knock on the door to the room Jo was staying in, then five minutes later, Sara walks back into the master bedroom to see Grissom up and getting dressed.

"What did Jo say?"

Sara started getting dressed as well. "She left with Dillon Crawford."

Grissom grabbed his shoes and was heading for the bed so he could sit down and put them on. "Which if I remember correctly, he came with the Stewarts from down the street."

"Yeah, and didn't the Stewarts leave pretty much right after the ball dropped?"

Grissom nodded. "I believe they did. I'll call them and see where Dillon lives."

"Ok."

Once Sara was dressed, and Grissom got the information he needed, which he was also informed that they didn't see Dillon last night since he was staying with them, but knew he had left because his car was gone from their driveway, she got her vehicle keys and they headed down to the garage to get into her vehicle, but before she started it, she turned to Grissom and cupped his cheek with a smile. "Thank you. You could have rested a little more before going into the lab, but you're following me around, when everything could be perfectly fine and I'm blowing this feeling that I have way out of proportion."

They told their supervisor when they requested time off for New Years Eve that they might be in a little later than usual on New Years Day, which was approved, so they could have spent the morning relaxing a little more before they had to go in.

Grissom placed his hand on top of hers with a smile. "And I'll follow you anywhere, anytime. Plus, you know me, I wouldn't have been able to rest because you are unsettled."

They kiss softly before she started the vehicle up and backed out of the garage.

20 minutes later

After talking to Dillon, which he informed them that while Quinn did leave with him and stayed with him last night, leaving by a cab this morning, nothing actually happened beyond a very nice make out session, they were back in her vehicle, and she sighed. "You believe he was telling us the truth?"

Grissom nodded. "I do, and I think he was genuinely concerned about her."

"I got that feeling too, which doesn't make me feel any better. I think that her breakup with Brad hit her harder than she was letting on."

Before Grissom could speak, Sara's phone goes off, so she answers it after seeing who was calling. "What do you got Ashley?"

"Well, her vehicle is not in her driveway, so she at least made it home, and I'm not seeing anything out of place inside."

Quinn rode with Ashley to the Grissom's party, so her vehicle was at home all night.

"Is her cellphone there?"

"It is not, or at least not in the usual places, so I'm assuming she has it."

"Which that would mean she knows we have been trying to reach her."

"What should we do now?"

"I don't think there is much we can do at this moment."

"Should I call her family?"

"No, not yet, let's wait to see if she gets back to us, I don't want to scare them unnecessarily, she could just be needing a break from everything."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I just wish she would get a hold of one of us."

"I know me too."

"I'll keep you updated if I hear from her."

"I will too, and try not let this worry you too much."

Ashley smirked. "Only if you'll do the same."

Sara sigh. "I'll try. See you later."

"Yeah, see you later."

After they hung up, Sara looks at Grissom, and he asked. "We can try the station before we head to the lab to see if she's there or her bosses could have some information?"

Sara nodded as she started the vehicle before heading towards the news station.

Later that night

After finding out from Quinn's bosses at the station that she did in fact call them and said she needed emergency leave, Sara and Grissom headed to the lab to try and keep themselves busy.

Then finally at around 7 that night, Sara's cellphone rings, and seeing who it was, she picked it up with authority. "What the hell Quinn, we were freaked out all day when we didn't hear from you."

Quinn started sniffling on her end. "I know, I'm sorry...I just..."

She stopped speaking because she started crying, and Sara asked with worry. "Quinn, what's wrong?"

She stopped crying and started sniffling again. "I'm not doing so well, longer than I care to admit, I need to get away for awhile, I need a break. I just don't know how long I'll be gone."

Being sympathic, Sara spoke in comfort. "Ok, you do what you have to do to feel better, but remember you have friends and family here who care and love you. And whether it's a visit or your homecoming, I need you here for my wedding, alright?"

Quinn, smiling on her end of the phone, replied. "Now I wouldn't miss that for the world."

Sara smiled. "Good, because I know it was you who spearheaded the bet." She then smirked, completely joking. "That set everything in motion for the mess I am now."

They all chuckled, knowing she was completely kidding, and Quinn spoke again with another sniffle. "You're welcome."

"And truly thank you for everything you've done to help me, especially when I needed it the most, and know that I am only a phone call away."

"I know that, and know that you've been one of my true best friends I ever had in my life. Since I met you, you've shown me the true meaning of friendship, so thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Hey, can I talk to Ashley?"

Sara smirked again. "And how do you know she's here?"

Quinn smiled. "Because she's as loyal as you are, so if you were worried, I knew she would be there for you while waiting for my phone call."

Sara chuckled in agreement as she moved the phone to Ashley. "Here Ash, Quinn wants to talk to you."

Ashley takes the phone, and while she was giving Quinn an earful, Sara sighed while looking at Grissom and he gave her a slight nod with a small smile while slipping his fingers through hers.

Eventually Ashley did let Quinn speak, and throughout her speech, she had made Ashley cry laugh and get an embarrassed smile, then Quinn wanted to talk to Grissom, and basically told him to take care of Sara, which she knew that would have happened whether she said something or not, then the phone was passed back to Sara.

"I'm going to go now, but I will keep in touch."

"Ok, good luck on your journey."

"Thank you, and will you keep me updated on your wedding plans, maybe even email me some dress ideas?"

Sara nodded with a smile, even though she couldn't see her. "You bet I will, you're not getting out of helping planning just because you're not here in person to do it."

Quinn chuckled before telling Sara she rarely said to people. "I love you."

Sara took a breath and replied. "I love you too, be safe, and I'll talk to you later. Bye."

"Bye."

After they hung up, Sara takes a relieved sigh for at least hearing her voice, and Ashley asked. "You think she's going to be ok, Sara?"

"I hope so."

They took a moment, wishing they could be there for their struggling friend.

Eventually Ashley got up from the love seat, which she had been sitting next to Nick, and hugged the remaining group goodbye before walking out of the house, Nick walking her out.

Then Jo hugged Sara and said her goodbyes.

She was supposed to have already left a few hours ago, but they decided to take a later flight to see if Quinn would call.

"Thank you for staying."

Jo nodded. "Of course, I couldn't leave knowing you were so worried, and frankly so was I. But I'm glad you at least got to hear her voice."

"Me too, I just wish I could have paid more attention to the signs you know."

They pull back, and Jo nodded. "I know, but sometimes people who are hurting only lets you see the side they want you to see."

"True. Thanks again for coming, Belle loved her outing today."

While Jo had been worried when she found out about Quinn, she hid it the best she could so it wouldn't ruin her time with Belle.

"So did I. Love you girl, I'll call when I land."

Sara nodded with a smile. "Thank you, and I love you too."

After one more hug, Jo went to Grissom with a smile while Josh said his goodbyes to Sara. "It was nice seeing you again, take care of that girl of ours."

Grissom nodded with a smile as he gave her a hug. "I will, and it was nice seeing you again as well, take care."

"I will."

Once they pulled back, Josh said his goodbye to Grissom then they walked out of the house with their luggage.

A few minutes later, Nick walks back inside the house and he says his goodnights before going upstairs, Grissom told Sara he'll take care of locking up while she can tuck their daughter in, and she didn't even hesitate.

30 minutes later

When Sara walked into the room, Grissom asked with worry. "Is Belle ok? That seemed to take a little longer than usual."

She nodded with a sigh as she walked up to him. "Even though no one told her about Quinn, she could feel something was off all day, so I had to try and reassure her as much as I could." She shook her head while Grissom wrapped his arms around her. "But how do you reassure her on something that I don't fully understand either."

He ran a hand up and down her back as he tried to comfort her the best he could. "Sometimes we all need a break from life."

Sara cuddled further into his comforting arms. "Yeah, I guess. I just hope she'll be ok."

They pull back slightly and he cupped her cheek with a smile. "I'm sure she will. She knows she can call you anytime."

After a nod in agreement, she shook her head and changed the subject. "Ok, I need to think about something else. In fact, we should be celebrating right now."

He gave her a bigger smile. "Well, I just might have something for that."

"Oh? And what is that Dr. Grissom."

"If you'll come with me."

He then slipped his fingers through hers and guided her to the bathroom, where a few candles were lit and a bubble bath was made and ready, which while Sara had never been a huge bubble bath kind of woman, she become a little more customed to them when she started dating Grissom because he would make them for her, mostly on her roughest days, thinking it will help her, and mostly they do for a bit, which a lot of times it's because he would join in.

They looked at each, and she nodded with a smile. "Thank you babe."

"You're Welcome." They kiss softly then he turns around to head out of the room, but she grabs his hand. "Hey, where you going?"

He gives her an adorable smile. "I'll be right back."

She just gives him a nod and lets go of his hand so he could leave the room, and why he left? She didn't find out until 30 minutes later once they were out of the bath with their matching black robes on.

She stopped in the now open doorway, seeing some candles lit in their bedroom.

She turned to him and smiled. "Babe, you didn't have to…"

He cuts her off with a smile. "Of course I did, you said you wanted to celebrate." He was now in front of her and took her hand to lead her to the dresser as he continued. "The bath was to calm you, and to help you forget about your troubles for a bit, even though I know a part of you is still worried about Quinn." She nodded before he finished while they stopped at the dresser and Grissom hands her one of the champagne glasses. "And now is time for our celebration. To us, and our future."

Sara smiled as lifted her glass up as well. "To a future, I wouldn't want to share with anyone else, no matter how rocky it can get."

After they clinked their glasses, they took a sip before he cupped her cheek and spoke softly. "And I promise I'll try everything I can to get you that future that you want and deserve."

She nodded with a smile. "Me too. I love you so much."

"I love you."

After taking one more sip of their drink they started kissing and never looked back.

Their robes come off as she was guiding him to their bed and before they knew it they were in bed, loving one another with the deep passion they only had for each other.

AN: Thanks for reading, and please review. Sorry about the slight delay. More to come soon, hope you all had safe/wonderful weekend. Until next time, always remember GSR4ever!