AN: Thanks to those still reading and supporting, here is the next chapter.


Chapter 21: Night before

"And then?"

Catherine chuckled. "Of course, I said yes!"

He chuckled with a nod before asking while nodding to her bare finger. "He did propose with a ring, right?"

She chuckled again. "Yes!" Then she cleared her throat and spoke softly. "But there are two big reasons why I'm not wearing it right now, and the first one we already talked about, I'm not going to another woman's wedding to announce I'm engaged, even though I hardly know Sara and don't know her friends at all, it still just felt wrong to me."

Grissom nodded in understanding before he asked. "And the second reason I'm assuming it's because of Nick?"

"Yes, I didn't want to throw my engagement into his face until I knew he is going to be ok with Warrick and I."

"And he did talk to you guys in the airport?"

She nodded again with a smile. "Yes, and he told us he's in love and that he wants us to be happy."

"That's great to hear."

"It truly is." She then asked. "But he didn't tell us who this woman is."

"It's actually one of Sara's friends, they've known each other since their Berkley days."

"That's good."

As she looks out the window again, Grissom asked. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, of course, I just don't want to see him get hurt again. I may have not been romantically in love with him, but I still cared, and do care for him deeply."

"I know, and I don't think you have anything to worry about, I have a feeling Ashley is just in love with him as he is with her, they have something real going on between them."

Catherine just nodded with a smile, happy to hear that, then while Grissom parked in the parking lot to the bar he was supposed to meet the guys, she asked. "So, what's the actual plan for the night?"

"Well, for me I'm having a couple of drinks then heading back to my mom's, I don't know about the other guys."

As they get out of the vehicle, she replied with a smile. "That sounds perfectly fine with me."

"Really?"

She chuckled with a nod. "Yes really. I'll leave the bar hopping to the younger guys. Besides, I should get back to my daughter and it will give us a chance to hang out and talk."

"Ok, sounds good."

She chuckled again as she commented. "I didn't think I would ever see the day where I would get you to talk to me, and you know how I mean that."

He smirked as he opened the door for her. "What can I say, I'm a changed man."

She chuckled one more time as she walked by him and into the building. "That you are, Gilbert Grissom, that you are."

Once they were both in the bar they looked around, then heard Warrick's voice first before seeing him. "Hey babe, over here."

They turned to the left and saw Warrick with Nick at a table, along with Josh and another man around or slightly younger than Warrick's and Nick's age, so they head in that direction.

When they were close enough, Warrick and Catherine greeted one another, then Grissom introduced Josh and Catherine before Josh introduced the other young man. "And this is Trevor Meyers, he's Quinn's plus one."

Trevor, who was 5'8 with a slim build, brown eyes and spiky blond hair, held out his hand towards Grissom. "Nice to finally meet you, Quinn has told me a lot about you."

Since Grissom knew nothing about this guy, he just nods while shaking his hand, then asked while they release hands. "And if you don't mind me asking, how do you know Quinn?"

"Oh, we grew up together, our families have been best friends for a long time."

Grissom nodded again before replying. "Well then it's nice to meet you."

Then once Catherine and Trevor shook hands, they had their first drinks of the night.


Despite it being a little early for her bedtime, even with Sara extending it for the night, Belle was exhausted, so they excused themselves from the living room and headed up to the master bedroom, where Belle got ready for bed, then while Sara was tucking her little girl in, Belle smiled. "Thank you for including me, I'm sure it isn't always fun having a little kid at a grown-up party."

Sara smiled as she cupped her daughter's cheek. "And guess what, it was my party, and I can invite anyone I want, and you were on the top of my list. You have been an amazing help the last few months. Besides, it was important for me to have you here because, well you were pretty much there for the start of our relationship."

Belle smiled shyly. "I came into your lives earlier than planned."

Sara chuckled with a smile. "You were definitely a surprise." Then she ran her thumb up and down her little girl's cheek and continued with love in her eyes. "But the best surprise we could have asked for, and one I would never ever take back. You helped us grow, not only as a couple but as individuals as well, and I can't thank you enough. I hope you know how much you truly mean to us."

Belle nodded with tears in her eyes. "I do, and I love you mommy."

Sara now smiled with tears. "And I love you."

After a kiss and a few minutes hug, they pulled back and Sara continued with a sigh. "Alright sweetheart, you sleep tight, I'll be in here in a bit."

Belle nodded with a yawn. "Alright mommy."

Sara kissed her forehead one more time, then watched her close her eyes and sat there for a few minutes before getting up and walking out of the room, and she barely had made two steps down the hall when she saw Quinn on the other end with a smile. "The girls wanted me to make sure you weren't hiding up here."

Sara chuckled as she walked down the hall. "Tell them to keep their shirts on, I wasn't up here that long." Quinn just chuckled, which by then Sara was near her, then as she turned to walk down the stairs, Sara lightly took a hold of the other woman's arm and spoke softly. "Hey Quinn, how are you really doing, and no faking."

Quinn turned back around and looked at her longtime friend with a smile and bright eyes. "Honestly, I'm doing good." She sighed as she continued. "Before I left though, I wasn't. I was going on a more destructive path than you realize, as evident as me leaving your New Years Eve party with someone I didn't really know, thank god he was a good and understand guy and not some jerk, or who knows what would have happened."

They both had a shiver run down their spine, then Sara spoke with a smile. "I'm glad that you're doing better, and hey, maybe the start of a new relationship."

Quinn chuckled slightly. "You mean with, Trevor? Our parents are best friends, so we were babies together." She then sighed. "Honestly, I didn't want to come to your wedding alone, so he asked as a friend if he could be my plus one, that's it."

"Ok, all I'm saying is that a year's long connection could mean more than you think."

"Or it could mean just a lifelong friendship."

Sara nodded with a smile. "That is true too." She then sighed. "I'm sorry, I just want you to be happy."

Quinn nodded with a smile while bringing her friend in a hug. "I know, and I'm learning that I don't need a man to make me happy. Right now, I'm good, and if you are wondering, I am coming home."

They pull back, and Sara has another smile on her face. "Wait, back to San Francisco?"

"I've been gone way to long."

"That's amazing, I'm so glad."

Quinn nodded with a smile before she lost it and continued. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you."

"You're here now, and feeling better, that's all that matters to me. Plus, you were still involved, I made sure of that."

"Yeah, thanks for that."

"You're welcome." Sara sighed again. "Now let's get down there and see what the girls are up to."

Quinn just chuckled as they headed back towards the stairs.


Two drinks ended up becoming three, but when the guys, mostly Josh and Trevor, were talking about wanting to go to a club, Grissom unsurprisingly bowed out, along with Catherine, so Warrick and Catherine had a moment together away from the table.

He smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You sure you're ok with me going?"

She nodded with a smile. "Yes, go have fun, just not too much fun, ok?"

He chuckled as he brought her closer to him. "Aw babe, you know you are the only woman I want." He then moved his lips closer to her ear before whispering. "I mean I did propose to you after all."

She chuckled with a nod. "Yes, you did." As he pulled back, she took a breath before speaking again. "And about that."

Warrick gets a little worried as he asked. "Have you changed your mind?"

Catherine cupped his cheek as she reassured him. "No, nothing like that. It's just that Grissom now knows."

Instead of being upset, he chuckled while shaking his head. "So much for not telling him until after he's married."

She smiled in return. "Well, you know he can be pretty insistent when he wants to be." Warrick just smiled while she continued after a sigh. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you wanted to tell him together."

"It's ok, so does that mean it's my turn to tell Nick?"

"You can if you want, or if you want to wait until we both can tell him is fine, I just don't want him to be too blindsided."

He nodded in understanding, then he smiled. "I love you."

Catherine's heart fluttered like it always did when he said those words to her, then replied. "I love you too."

A few feet back, standing at the table, Nick watched them kiss, and instead of the scene having a feeling like his heart was being ripped out, he just smiled before taking the last sip of his beer before he heard Grissom's voice. "You ok?"

Nick nodded with a smile. "They look good together." Grissom nodded in agreement, then Nick asked as he looked at the older man. "You sure you don't want me to come hang out with you?"

Grissom shook his head with a smile as he placed his hand on his shoulder. "No, you deserve a night out, and besides I was kind of hoping that you would keep an eye on them, don't let them get too crazy with the drinks, because after all tomorrow is Sara's wedding."

Grissom smirked at the end while Nick chuckled with a nod. "Got it, she's not going to want anyone screwing up her wedding, especially when they are hungover."

"Exactly, and I don't want them to see the other side of her."

Nick chuckled again. "I don't think anyone wants to see her temper."

As Grissom lightly chuckled the group had come back together, and the Trevor asked with a smile. "You guys ready?"

After Nick and Warwick said they were, the 'younger' group left, leaving Grissom and Catherine, then a moment later, he looked at her and asked. "You ready to go too?"

Catherine nodded with a smile, so the two of them also left.


Later that night

When the 'party' downstairs finally ended, the girls headed upstairs, each taking a room while Sara headed for the master bedroom and walked in, closing the door behind her. Then knowing where everything was, even in the dark, she opened the drawer to the dresser, pulled out her sleeping shirt and shorts, walked into the bathroom to change and got ready for bed.

Once she was done in the bathroom, she headed right for the bed, crawled in and wrapped her arms around her daughter, who, while still sleeping, snuggled further into her mother's arms, causing Sara to smile while closing her eyes and slowly drifting into a pleasant dream about her future with her future husband.


At Grissom's childhood home, while his mom and Lindsey were asleep, Grissom and Catherine had finished the latest round of poker, then Catherine checked the watch on her wrist and smiled at the soon to be groom. "I think we should call it, you don't want to be too tired for your wedding."

While Grissom did nod in agreement, he couldn't help but smirk. "What, afraid of losing again?"

Catherine chuckled. "Well, I figured most people would like to stop when they're ahead, but if you..."

He cuts her off with a sigh. "No, you're probably right, and sleep may not come to me so easily tonight anyways."

"Why, you nervous? Having cold feet?"

He shook his head with a smile. "Banish those thoughts, I have never been surer on anything in my life that I want to marry and spend the rest of my life with Sara Sidle." He then sighed as he placed the cards back into the box. "I just don't sleep well without her these days."

Catherine nodded in understanding before smiling. "Well, just think that this time tomorrow you'll be sleeping together as husband and wife for the rest of your life."

Even though he believed those words, he had to ask her. "And you really believe that will happen for us?"

Catherine nodded with a smile. "Yes, for two reasons. One, as you know we see a lot of couples in our jobs, which some end pretty badly." Grissom nodded in agreement before she continued. "And even the ones that do have a 'happy' ending, I don't think I ever seen them as happy as you are."

He cleared his throat before asking. "And the second reason?"

"Because you want it to happen, and when Gilbert Grissom wants something and in truly in love with something, that feeling won't just go away, it's for life. And even though I don't know Sara very well, the few times I have met her, and I see you two in a room together, she looks at you like you look at her, so I'm assuming that when she truly loves someone, it's for life for her as well, and that's something I'll never bet against. I wish you both all the happiness in the world."

While they were smiling, they stood up from the chairs they were sitting in at the dining room table, then Grissom brings her into his arms for a hug. "Thank you, and I want to wish some of that happiness to you and Warrick, if anybody deserves a second chance at true love, it's you."

"Thanks, Gil." As they pull back, she continued. "Things at the lab I'll admit hasn't been the same since you left, and I do miss you around there, but I'm glad you are happy and living the life that you want."

Grissom nodded with a smile. "I miss working with you too, Catherine."

She smiled. "Good to know." She pats his shoulder as she walked by him. "Try and have a goodnight."

"You too."

She just nodded and headed towards the living room before going down the hall to Grissom's childhood room, where her daughter was sound asleep.

Grissom cleaned up the small mess that was made, grabbed his sleeping clothes, which normally it would be just boxers, but with him being in his mom's house with Catherine and Lindsey, he chose a pair of old UCLA sweatpants and t-shirt, and headed to the bathroom, then he moved the cushions from the couch so he could pull out a hideaway bed, made it up with sheets and blankets before he laid down with a sigh then slowly fell asleep, having pleasant dreams about his future with his future wife.


AN: Thanks for reading, and please review. I hope it was ok, next chapter will finally be their wedding day, and hope you are excited about that. Hope you had a good/safe weekend, until next time, always remember GSR4ever!