May 2019

"Daddy!" A little girl ran down the hallway into the study. "Look, daddy!" Grissom spun around in his chair to see the child standing in front of him. She was a spitting image of Sara. Long, straight brown hair. Growing like a weed. Except her eyes, those were his, bright blue orbs.

"Hey bug." Grissom lifted her up and set her down on his lap. "What do we have here?" The little girl shoved a paper his way. "Wow. Did you draw this butterfly for me?" She nodded enthusiastically.

"Gil." He heard Sara call from the kitchen.

"Yes, dear?" He called back but after a moment no reply came. "Let's go see what mommy needs." He spoke as he lifted the girl in his arms and spun her around causing her to erupt in a giggle fit. A sweet symphony of squeals and belly laughs. It had become his favorite sound.

"Gil." Her breath was labored causing Grissom to pick up his pace and find his way to her.

"Sara?" He spoke sharply at the sight of her steadying herself against the counter. One hand pushing into her abdomen. "What is it?"

"My water broke."

He looked at the kitchen floor beneath her to see the puddle of liquid she was standing in. "You're not due for another 4 weeks." Grissom spoke through the shock as he quickly put Aurora down and rushed to Sara's Side. "How far apart are the contractions?"

"Five minutes, I think." At the end of her sentence she went rigid, grabbing his hand in hers and squeezing with such intensity.

"Mama!" Aurora stood there, big blue eyes full of confusion and worry.

Grissom crouched down to get eye level with his daughter, "Bug, remember how we talked about bringing home a little baby brother or sister for you?" He watched as she nodded with glee, "Well, it looks like we may be doing that today."

"Yay!" She exclaimed while dancing in a circle.

"But you're going to have to be a very good listener so we can do that. Okay?" She nodded intently. "Good."

Grissom whipped out his phone, then looked back at Sara, "I just texted my mother, she'll meet us at the hospital to take Aurora."

Sara nodded through clenched teeth and slowly made her way to the front door. Grissom quickly helped Aurora get her shoes and jacket on and grabbed the go-bag from the closest. Once he strapped Aurora in her car seat he rushed back inside to help Sara out to the car.

"I'm fine." Sara insisted causing Grissom to laugh internally. Old habits.


"Hi, Mom." Grissom quickly signed once he saw her in the waiting room. He kissed her hello and then quickly knelt down to get eye level with Aurora and signed as he spoke to her, "Grandma Betty is going to keep you company while mommy and I work on getting you a baby brother or sister. Will you be good for Grandma?"

"Yes." Aurora signed back proudly. Aurora hugged Betty and climbed into the chair next to her.

"Do you want your crayons?" Grissom asked Aurora who nodded. He handed her the sketchbook and crayons. "Maybe you can draw Grandma a butterfly?" He signed once more as he spoke.

"Okay, Daddy."

Grissom kissed the top of her head and signed "thank you" to his mother. Then, he bolted off down the hall.

"Push." He heard the doctor say as he jogged into the delivery room.

"I'm here. I'm here." He rushed to Sara's side, "The baby is really coming fast!"

The doctor smiled at him, "The second one is typically a lot quicker. Okay, one more, Sara. Push."


Grissom kissed the top of her head as the sounds of crying rang out. "You did it." He spoke softly as she breathed raggedly.

"Congratulations!" He doctor walked over and placed the baby against Sara's chest. "It's a boy."

Grissom leaned down to get a better look at the baby. He looked so much like Aurora when she was a newborn. Bright pink skin, rosy cheeks and lips. But he had a little dimple in his chin and a thick head of dirty blonde hair just like Grissom had as a young boy. He looked on in amazement. The wonder of life flooring him yes again.

He watched as Sara stroked the baby's back. Then her eyes lifted off the of baby for the first time and caught his. She smiled.

"Warrick." She spoke softly, "Let's name him Warrick."

Grissom's brows raised in awe, admiration filling his eyes along with tears. "Really?"

She nodded as she smiled a bit more now. Grissom rested his hand on the back of his son's head.

"Warrick Ishmael?" He asked.

Sara thought a moment, then nodded smally, "Yeah. I like it." She turned her attention back to the baby on her chest. "Warrick Ishmael Grissom."

A little while later, when they were settled in recovery, Grissom returned to Betty and Aurora.

"That was fast." Betty signed upon seeing him. "So?"

"We've got a healthy boy."

Betty lit up, standing to her feet and embracing her son.

"Daddy, look." Aurora shoved the sketchbook she'd been diligently working on toward him.

He knelt down and flipped through the pages. Butterflies, lady bugs, bumble bees and caterpillars filled every inch of each page. He caught Betty giving him an all-knowing look out of the corner of his eye.

"Are these all bugs from the garden at home?"

She nodded excitedly in response. Pointing to her masterpieces.

"Hey, would you like to go meet your baby brother?" He asked Aurora while signing.

"Sister." She responded.

He shook his head, "We got you a baby brother instead. Come on." He held out his hand for her to take and the three walked down the hall together.

Grissom turned his attention back to Aurora as they stood in front of the door. He placed his finger over his lips, "Let's use our soft voices. The baby may be sleeping."

She mimicked him saying "Shhhhh!" As she did.

Grissom knocked softly, then opened the door. Betty entered first, taking a few short strides to make her way to Sara's bedside.

"How are you?" Betty asked as she touched Sara's shoulder, looking at the small boy in her arms.

Sara simply smiled and nodded. Her hands were preoccupied, so she was unable to sign back. Grissom lifted Aurora up to sit next to Sara in bed.

"Mommy!" She exclaimed before shhhhing herself, remembering what Grissom just said to her.

"Hi honeybee." Sara kissed her daughter's head softly. "Did you have fun with Grandma today?"

She nodded, shifting a bit to get a better look at the baby. Sara lowered her arms so Aurora could see him.

"Honeybee," Sara turned her attention to her daughter's eyes, "This is your baby brother. His name is Warrick."

Grissom signed the interaction for his mother. The child's name needed no explanation, Betty new all about Warrick.

"Will he like bugs?" Aurora Asked as her fingers caressed the blanket wrapped around her little brother.

"Maybe." Sara responded softly while shooting a look toward Grissom. What are you teaching this child? Her look spoke for her.

"Cool." Aurora nodded, deciding having a brother was fine with her.

Sara held out Warrick toward Betty who received him eagerly.


October 2021

Sara sat at the kitchen table flipping through the water quality findings that were recently processed by the EPAs lab. The house was completely quiet and she was enjoying the ability to concentrated uninterrupted, that is until the phone rang.

"Grissom." She answered.

"Since when do you answer the phone as Grissom?"

"Since we remarried and I changed my name this time around." She closed the files in front of her and leaned back, "Hi, Brass."

"Hi Sara. I uh—I need your help."

"What's wrong?" She straightened up.

"Well, I'm sitting in the back of an ambulance right now. I'm fine, I'm fine. But someone broke into my home and came after me with a knife. I shot him."

"Who?"

"I don't know yet. The CSIs just rolled up."

"Aright." He could hear her getting up and moving around, "I'll be there in a couple hours."

"Thanks, Sara."

She hung up and quickly threw a bag together, through it in the trunk and peeled out.

"Gil?" She spoke into the car speaker as she sped on the highway.

"Sara? Sorry I can barely hear you."

"Go below deck."

"I can't the kids are sleeping."

"I'm on my way to Vegas."

"I thought you were meeting us in San Diego tomorrow? What's in Vegas?"

"Brass is in some sort of trouble. I don't have all the details yet but I'm on my way now."

"Is he okay?"

"I think so. I'll update you when I see him."

"So, you want us to meet you in Vegas instead?"

"Will you?"

"Well, Charlie is taking off after we dock in San Diego…" Charlie had been an incredible asset to the Grissom's. Both helping with experiments on the boat and watching after the kids. "But…" He paused a moment as he thought, "You know my mother is in Vegas this month. She's doing some extended work with Gilbert College."

"Perfect."

"Wow. You must really miss us if you're excited my mother can help look after them." He laughed.

"I haven't seen my kids or husband in a week." She justified. "How are they?"

"Good. Aurora's been inundating Charlie with questions about fish. And Warrick enjoys spending more time below deck drawing then being upstairs. "

Sara breathed out, "As nice as having the house to myself this last week was…"

"I know. We miss you too."

"Alright, I'm going to focus on the road. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Evening, likely. See you soon dear."

"Bye, Gil."

He closed the phone and looked out at the dark see, the stars illuminating the sky above him.


"Listen, it's a five hour drive from Santa Monica to Vegas and I did it and four."

"Well at least I got Sara Sidle back to Vegas. What's your husband's excuse?"

"I sent him for Jelly Fish samples, he's docking in San Diego sometime tomorrow."

"Where are the kids?"

"With him. They begged. Is this bird your only helper?"

"What, Elvis? That bird would't lift a feather for me. I've got a cleaning lady, Marta, she looks after me. I can still see shadows, shapes… I can see well enough to get on a Harley on the weekend."

"I can't tell if you're kidding." She rejoined him on the couch of his hotel room suite after taking Elvis out of his cage.

"Good." He smiled. "Look, I met the new people and they're great, but I don't know them. I'd feel a lot better if you looked into this."

"Well I don't know how that would work." She spoke through a shaking head.

"I didn't ask you here to help me pack my socks."

"Brass…"

"Just go to the lab and see if you can poke around. Okay? New lab director is Maxine. She took over after Catherine retired… again. They moved to a building across the street."

"Alright, Brass. I'll give it a try."


Sara arrived at the lab to find that Catherine and her casino buddies had poured an incredible amount of money into a state of the art lab. She walked the halls and noticed all of the new equipment, new faces, offices. She stopped in front of a bulletin board, reading the articles and fliers that hung.

"Hey! Sara Sidle?"

"Yeah." Sara spun around.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Maxine Ruby."

"Thanks for meeting with me."

"Thanks for passing on my dream job. C'mon back, walk with me. You'll love this new lab. So, Jim seems to think you'll pick it right back up."

"He already talked to you? I'm so sorry, I—"

"No, I love the idea. We're always understaffed. You up for it?"

"I was going to ask.."

"Good. I already ran it up the pole. It helps that you kept your shirts up to date so you're already authorized. You just can't carry until the sheriff signs off. Bet you thought there was gonna be a fight."

"A little… yeah." Sara smiled. She already liked this new lab director. A lot.

"C'mon. Saddle up sis."


Sara worked closely with the current CSI team to uncover who was after Brass. She worked closely with Allie, Folsom and Chris so far and found herself right at home investigating along side these young CSIs.

"She's different than I imagined her." Allie spoke to Folsom as they processed the victim's clothing.

"How so?"

"I don't know, I expected a scruffy sea captain."

He laughed easily, "What about her husband? He's a serious legend around her. You know we still use his luminal recipe as the lab's standard."

"Haven't met him. I think she's here alone… Can you believe she gave up the Lab Director position just hours after receiving it. For a man." Allie scoffed at the thought.

"Seems romantic." Folsom countered.

"Alright, let's go find Max and Sara." Allie spoke as she grabbed the test results out of the printer. The pair made their way down the hall and found Sara and Max in Max's office.

"Brewers yeast." Allie held up the findings as she continued to explain the rest of the composition to them just as a little girl wizzed by her.

"Mommy!" The girl ran right into Sara's arms causing the presentation on the findings that Allie and Folsom were running through to be put on pause.

"Hi honeybee." Sara scooped up her daughter and hugged her tightly. "How was being out to sea?"

"So fun!" She squealed. "We saw lots and lots of jelly fish!"

"You did!? And where's your brother and dad now?"

"FaceTiming with Grandma about when to get us." She signed much of the words as she spoke this.

A knock on the door frame caused her to look up. Grissom entered the room with Warrick sitting on his hip.

"Sorry if we're interrupting." The boy began to squirm upon seeing his mother.

"Mama!" He squealed. Grissom placed him down and he quickly ran to Sara.

"Max, Allie, Folsom, this is my husband, Grissom. And uh…" She looked at the two children in her arms now, "Can you two introduce yourselves?"

"I'm Aurora." She smiled proudly as Warrick buried his face in to Sara's shoulder.

"And this is Warrick." Aurora spoke for him, seeing him getting shy.

"Gil, I've got to tell you, I love your wife." Max spoke as she shook the man's hand.

"Ha," He leaned back easily, a large smile sweeping over his face, "Me too." He turned his attention back to Sara, "My mother will be here shortly. I'll come find you after." He smiled at her and bowed his head toward the other three in the room before ushering the kids out.

"Thanks, Gil."

"So that's the infamous Gil Grissom." Folsom spoke once he and the kids had left the room.


A little while later Betty arrived at the lab and was greeted with warm hugs from the kids. She decided she'd take them for lunch, signing to Grissom that the lab was no place for children to hang around.

"We'll meet you at the hotel in a few hours." He suggested before they left. Then, he went on to search for Sara, who he found alone in a layout room.

"This feels oddly familiar." He spoke softly as he entered the room, taking in the sight of her reviewing evidence on the table as it illuminated her.. "Hi, dear."

"Hi, Gil." She spoke, turning around to face him. He closed the gap between them and hugged her before placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

"I missed you." He breathed, his gaze devoured her.

"Me too. How were the kids? They go with your mother okay?"

He nodded, "She's taking them out to lunch now and then to the park. But, uh, let's try to get back to the hotel before bedtime. I think they really miss you."

Allie watched on from the DNA lab across the hall, privy to the husband and wife's intimate reunion.

"Changing your opinion?" Folsom spoke causing Allie to jump in surprise.

"My goodness. You gave me a fright." She spun around to see him standing closely.

"He was her supervisor."

"How do you know so much about these two?"

"You joined after Catherine retired, but remember, I was here for a few years with her and Greg."

"So what else then?" She asked as she turned back around to look at Grissom and Sara as they continued to catch up across the hall. She noted the way he looked at her, even as her attention was turned to the evidence. He looked at her like she was the only person in the world.

"You are a hopeless romantic." Folsom teased before giving her what she asked for. "I believe they met a year or so before he hired her here. At a conference somewhere. She moved from out of state here. I think from California. She came thinking they were going to start things up."

"So she moved here for a guy." Allie was trying to size up Sara, but was finding it hard to believe now that they'd spent some time together. She didn't peg Sara s the type of woman who would move somewhere for a man and later pass on promotions to be with him. But maybe, watching them now, shed a bit of light on it for her.

"Guess so. Oh. Guess how long is was after she moved here that they got together."

"Oh gosh, uh… I don't know. A year?" She glanced back at him as he smirked and shook his head. "Two?"

"Five. Maybe six actually.

"They worked together like that for six years?"

"Like what?" He probed.

"Pretending like there wasn't something there. Wondering if it would ever happen. All those late nights, working closely together. The sexual tension." She shrugged, "Six years is a long time to bottle that up."

"So is two years."

"What's that?" She asked, but her attention was back on Grissom and Sara. He was showing her photos on his phone, smiling at each other as he animatedly retold a story about his recent time at sea with their kids.

"Nothing. Here, this is ready for the mass spectrometer." He handed her a tray of prepared swabs.

"Thanks, Folsom."

"Anytime."