Title: Gemini
Author: IrishDachsie

Pairing: Grissom/Sara
Rating: NC17
Disclaimer: Same as always…they’re not mine…no money...
A/N: Follow-up to Movie on a Night Off.

22 23 24 25

Chapter Twenty One

Sara slowly walked down the hall with Grissom by her side. After a few steps, she gripped his arm. "Wait…"

Grissom stopped and looked through eyes of concern at his wife. "What’s wrong, Sara?"

"I just…" She grimaced in pain as her body continued adjusting to her vertical stance. "It hurts…"

"Want me to get a wheelchair for you?"

She shook her head quickly. "No…I need to walk. It’s better for me. I just need to rest for a second."

After twenty minutes and numerous pauses for her to rest, they found themselves standing at the station outside of the PICU. The young nurse looked up and smiled at Grissom.

"Mr. Grissom…"

"Hey…uh…my wife hasn’t seen our sons yet…"

The nurse quickly checked the bracelet around Sara’s arm and smiled, giving Sara a wink. "Come on…"

Grissom’s left arm was wrapped loosely around Sara’s waist as they carefully made their way towards the incubators. Sara sucked in a sharp breath as she eased her body into the chair that Grissom had vacated a few hours earlier.

"Hey boys…" Her voice was soft as her eyes filled with tears once more. Sliding her hands into the gloves, she smiled as Ant wrapped his tiny fingers around her index finger.

Her eyes found the identification cards attached to each unit. She grinned as she noticed Grissom’s distinct handwriting. Having acquired a black Sharpie pen, he had crossed out "Baby Boy Grissom One" and "Baby Boy Grissom Two". Now the cards read "Alexander Matthew Grissom" and "Anthony Marcus Grissom", respectively.

She read their stats and glanced up at Grissom. "Gil?"

He knelt beside of her, shifting his eyes from the newborns to Sara. "Yes?"

"They…have different birthdays…"

Grissom chuckled as he nodded affirmatively. "Yeah…they do. Same, but different."

"They’re beautiful…they really are beautiful."

Grissom placed a kiss on Sara’s cheek. "They look like Weevil, don’t they?"

Sara’s grin faded a little. "Yes…"

"We’re going to find him, Sara."

"I know."

Sara sat quietly, gently stroking her new sons’ fragile bodies. Grissom kept his arm around her, occasionally placing soft kisses in her hair. They spent their time wisely, whispering soft words of love and encouragement to Alex and Ant.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The sun had been up for three hours. Brass slid his sunglasses on and took a deep breath. He looked up into the sky, allowing his mind to wander to his daughter.

Hearing his name, he shook his head lightly and lowered his eyes. Seeing Warrick standing a few feet from him, he offered the young man a small smile.

"Where’ve you been?"

"Grissom’s house. Went back to see if I had missed anything…"

"And?"

Warrick shook his head sadly. "I honestly don’t think I have. And nothing has come back on the prints I found."

"What about the bracelet?"

"Zilch."

"Shit…" Jim rubbed the back of his neck, wincing at the loud crack.

"Las Vegas is a big town…he could be anywhere…"

Brass nodded slowly. "If he’s still in Vegas…"

Warrick lifted his eyes and watched the clouds swirl across the sky.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Outside!"

Marie taped the box shut and looked at the boy. "What?"

"Wan’ go outside!"

Marie bit her lip and sighed heavily. "We can’t go outside, Stevie. Not now, maybe later. Okay?"

"NO! NOW!"

"Why?"

"Is day. Are bugs out dere. Wan’ pway wif ‘em."

She exhaled slowly as the boy’s hazel eyes began to fill with tears. "Don’t cry, Stevie. We’ll go out in the backyard for a few minutes, okay?"

"Not Deewee…" He muttered softly under his breath.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom helped Sara back into the hospital bed and then sat down in the chair beside of her. "Want to watch television?"

"How?"

"Well, there’s a remote attached to the bed…" His voice trailed off as she shook her head.

"No…how are we going to do this?"

He took hold of her hand and lifted it to his lips. He kissed her skin gently as he looked into her dark eyes. "We’ll do it together…"

"Gil, I can’t lift anything. How am I supposed to take care of two newborns? There’s so much to do…and when Mikey comes home…"

"Shh…" He brushed his fingers through her hair. "Sara, we’ll do it together."

"You’ll be at work…"

"No…not when Alex and Ant come home."

She narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"I’m not going to go into work for a while when we bring them home. That way, I can help you take care of our children while you’re recovering from the surgery."

"Gil…"

"I can do paperwork anywhere. It’s not going to hurt for me to bring it home…I’ll have the others bring what they need to the house. They have my number and know where we live if they need advice or clarification on anything."

"You can’t…"

"I can’t work from home forever…but I can for a couple of months."

"Has Dr. Herrero said when Alex and Ant will be able to go home?"

Grissom nodded, never taking his eyes from hers. "When they reach five pounds. You…you’ll be released before they will…"

"I’m not leaving them here, Gil…"

"I’ll see what we can work out, okay?" He offered her a gentle smile. "Now…why don’t you get some rest…"

"You need to rest too, you know…" Her eyes closed, sending her almost instantly into sleep.

He watched her for a few minutes before he stood up. He leaned over the edge of the bed and placed a kiss on her forehead. After whispering a soft "I love you", he made his way down to the twins to say goodbye before heading home to grab a quick shower.

And…after the shower, he’d head into the office to see how things were going there.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Stevie, watch the dirt!" She clapped her hand over her mouth as she realized she had yelled a little too loudly. Her eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, searching for anyone or anything that had heard her.

"Wook!" He proudly held up a shiny black beetle and grinned. "A beewul!"

Marie darted towards him, swatting his hand quickly. "Drop that! It’s dirty!"

He watched the beetle scamper away. "No, is a beewul."

She picked him up quickly and turned towards the door. "Come on…enough playing outside for today…"

"NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO!"

"Stevie, be quiet!" She jogged towards the back porch.

"I NOT DEEWEE!"

She slammed the back door shut.

Her next door neighbor, a woman considered to be nosy by Marie, let the kitchen curtain fall back into place as she pulled away from the window.

The woman walked into her own living room and sat down beside of her husband. "Barry?"

"Yeah?"

"I think something strange is going on next door."

Barry chuckled as he finished off his glass of lemonade. "When is something strange not going on next door?"

"No…really, Barry…there’s a little boy over there…"

Barry looked into his wife’s eyes, suddenly very interested in what she had to tell him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom yawned as the warm water flowed over his tired body. He’d been awake longer before, but he was emotionally drained. He pressed his palms against the cool tiles of the shower and bent his head under the spray of water.

Weevil will be banging on the door in a minute, wanting me to come out…

Not today.

His eyes snapped open as the cold chill raced down his spine. He removed his left hand from the wall and ran his fingers through his hair.

He turned the water off and tilted his head, hearing nothing but the silence of the house. His stomach rolled as the nausea built. He slung open the shower door and quickly made his way to the toilet.

His eyes stung from the tears as his stomach emptied itself into the white porcelain bowl.

He flushed the toilet and staggered to the sink. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and sighed heavily. He lowered his gaze as he grabbed his toothbrush.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Warrick followed Brass through the halls of the LVMPD. A few minutes earlier, Jim had received a text message saying that there was a phone call that he should take. He quickly replied, requesting that the call be patched into his office.

That’s where they were heading now.

Warrick closed the door behind them as they entered the office. Brass took a deep breath. Picking up the receiver, he punched the button for Line 4 and cleared his throat.

"Detective Jim Brass…"

Chapter Twenty Two

"Detective Brass? This is…my name is…Lynne Anderson. I was speaking to another officer…he said…that I should speak to you."

"Okay, Mrs. Anderson…how can I help you?"

Warrick sat down in the chair opposite Brass’ desk and leaned forward slightly.

"Well…I have this neighbor…and…well, something strange is going on over there…"

Brass picked up a pen and scribbled absently on the notepad beside of the phone. "Can you…elaborate a bit more for me, please?"

"Well…" She took a nervous breath and exhaled slowly. "My neighbor is apparently taking care of a little boy…"

Brass sat up straight in the chair, alerting Warrick. "And…why exactly is that strange?"

"I…uh…I heard her call the boy ‘Stevie’…"

"Yes?"

"She had a son named Stevie…"

Brass’ eyes narrowed. "Had?"

Lynne nodded quickly as if the detective could see her. "Yes…Stevie died a few months ago…I’m not sure how, but…"

Jim interrupted the woman quickly. "What is your neighbor’s name, Mrs. Anderson?"

"Marie…uh…Marie Bitterman. She’s had a hard time apparently. Was hospitalized not long after Stevie died. We, my husband and I, took care of her cats…"

"Mrs. Anderson, could you give me Mrs. Bitterman’s address?"

"Uh…yeah…okay. 4625 Alta Drive…"

He quickly wrote the address down and tore off the sheet of paper. "Okay, ma’am…we’re going to have someone come by to ask Mrs. Bitterman a few questions. Will you be available if we need to talk to you or your husband?"

"Yes, of course, sir…"

"Thank you, Mrs. Anderson. If you think of anything else…or…see anything else, please call the station and ask to speak to me…Jim Brass."

"Yes, sir…"

"Thank you, ma’am."

He hung up the phone quickly and pushed his chair back. He shot Warrick a genuine smile. "I think we may have a lead…"

"Let’s go." Warrick turned and ran out of Brass’ office.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom stumbled through the door of the CSI building and made his way to the second floor. He was fumbling for his keys when Hodges rounded the corner.

"Hey, boss…"

Grissom rolled his eyes tiredly as he turned towards him. "I’ve told you not to call me that…"

"Sorry, Grissom." He leaned against the wall beside of Grissom’s door. "So…have you heard back from Brass yet?"

Grissom narrowed his eyes. "About what?"

Hodges instinctively took a step backwards. "Uh…you don’t know?"

Grissom took a step forward. "Know what?"

"There was a call…about someone with a child…Brass and Warrick took off to check it out and…"

"Where?" Grissom’s bark interrupted him. He wasn’t quite sure about the old saying of the bark being worse than the bite, but he sure as hell didn’t want to tempt the graveyard supervisor.

"I’m not sure…they didn’t say. All I know is that Brass got a call and…"

Hodges watched as Grissom turned and ran down the hall.

"You’re welcome…" He muttered and went back towards the lab.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Okay, Mrs. Grissom…you ready to come for a walk with me?"

Sara groaned as the nurse smiled brightly at her. Then her thoughts turned to the two boys a floor above them. "Can we take a walk upstairs?"

The nurse offered her a wink and helped her out of the bed. "I’ll see what we can do about that…"

Sara smiled weakly as the sharp pain stabbed through her abdomen. "Ow…"

"I know, honey. But…if we don’t get you walking around, it’s just going to feel worse…"

Sara nodded and took a step forward, holding onto the nurse’s arm. "Just…let me see Alex and Ant…"

The nurse chuckled softly. "Now, where did you come up with a name like ‘Ant’?"

"My husband, actually…"

The nurse pushed the elevator button and grinned at Sara as they waited. "You’re husband seems like a nice man…"

"He is…"

"A devoted father, isn’t he?"

Sara nodded slowly. "A devoted husband as well. He’s a wonderful father…"

"Are these your first?"

"No…we have another son, Weevil…"

"Weevil?"

Sara smiled softly. "Michael, actually. We call him Weevil…"

"Someone likes bugs…" The nurse carefully ushered Sara into the elevator.

"Gil…my husband…he’s an Entomologist…so…"

"Ah, well that explains it. So, how old is Weevil?"

"A little over fourteen months…"

"Wow!"

Sara chuckled gently as they exited the elevator and walked slowly towards PICU. "Yeah…I can’t wait for him to see his brothers. He’s been so excited about it…"

"I’ll see what we can do about that as well…"

Sara exhaled sadly.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom stopped at the counter and tried to catch his breath. "Eve! Brass…Warrick…where…"

"Hold on, Grissom…slow down." She offered him a gentle smile. "Take a deep breath and try again. Want some water?"

He shook his head quickly. "No…where are they?"

"I’m not really sure; I just patched the call to him…"

"Where did it come from?"

She regarded him closely for a moment, debating on whether she should give him the information or not. Then she realized something. If it had been her daughter missing, she would want to know. She nodded and punched a few keys on her keyboard.

"4623 Alta Drive." She looked up to see him take off towards the door. She smiled, hoping she had done the right thing, as he yelled "Thank you" over his shoulder and pushed the door open.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Warrick walked beside of Brass up the aged walkway to the house. "You think we should’ve called Grissom?"

Brass shook his head as he climbed the steps to the porch. "What if this is just a dead end?"

Warrick sighed and rang the doorbell. A few moments later, the door opened to reveal a tired-looking woman. Warrick eyed her suspiciously.

"Yes?"

"Detective Brass, LVMPD." He motioned towards the man standing beside of him. "This is Warrick Brown, an investigator for the Crime Scene Unit."

Marie stood protectively in the gap between the door and the doorframe. "How can I help you, Detective?"

"Well, Mrs. Bitterman…we’re investigating a kidnapping…"

"Oh, my…"

Brass removed his sunglasses. "Yes, ma’am…and we received a call that there was a young boy here who normally isn’t. We just wanted to check it out."

"Oh, that’s my nephew, Stevie. I’m watching him for a couple of weeks until my sister gets out of the hospital."

Brass nodded and made some notes. Warrick looked over the woman’s shoulder into the living room of the small house. "You moving, Mrs. Bitterman?"

"Well, I was going to. Until my sister fell ill. Now, I’m staying to help her and her son. I just haven’t had time to unpack yet."

Warrick narrowed his eyes at the woman. Brass placed his hand on the doorframe. "Mrs. Bitterman…our caller said that your son’s name was Stevie."

Neither man failed to notice the brief flash of panic in the woman’s eyes. She took a deep breath and shifted her weight. "Yes, my son was Stevie. My sister named her son after him…"

"Mm." Brass smiled lightly at the woman. "Would you mind if we take a look at him? Just to rule him out, of course."

Marie crossed her arms and shook her head. "He’s taking a nap right now. He’s really fussy…"

"Ma’am, this is important."

Marie’s eyes darkened. "Don’t you need a warrant or something?"

Brass crossed his arms, mimicking Marie’s motion. "Mrs. Bitterman, we have two parents who are worried sick about their child. This would really help us out."

"Not unless you have a warrant…"

Brass tilted his head to the side, hearing a soft noise inside the house. His eyes widened as he heard a familiar voice.

"Mommy!"

Jim and Warrick exchanged a quick glance. There was no mistaking that voice.

Jim took a step forward. "Ma’am…"

"DIM!"

"You’re going to have to get a warrant, Detective."

Brass shook his head as a smile played at his lips. "No, ma’am. Actually, I don’t. You see…that little boy just said my name. I know him, Mr. Brown here knows him. That’s the child we’re looking for."

"No, it’s not! He’s MY Stevie!"

"DIM!"

Brass moved to enter the house only to be pushed back by the woman. He quickly grabbed her wrists and slapped the handcuffs on her. "Warrick, go!"

Warrick pushed past the woman and sprinted down the hall to find young Weevil in the playpen in the bedroom. "WIK!"

Warrick’s eyes glistened with tears as he reached down and picked him up. "Hey, Weevil. I’ve missed you…so have Mommy and Daddy."

Mikey giggled and snuggled against Warrick’s chest.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom slammed on his brakes, seeing Brass’ unmarked Taurus parked by the side of the road. Looking at the house, he saw Brass standing on the front porch with a woman.

Jumping out of his Tahoe, he sprinted up the walkway. "Jim!"

Brass turned around quickly. "Gil…you shouldn’t be here…"

"You should’ve told me you were coming!" Grissom’s face was red with anger and anxiousness.

"I couldn’t…and you know that…"

Grissom glanced at the woman’s hands and noticed the handcuffs. He quickly turned his eyes towards Jim. "Brass?"

"DADDY!"

His head snapped towards the voice. He fell to his knees as his son came bounding out the front door. "Oh, God…"

Mikey jumped into his father’s arms and wrapped his small arms around his neck. Grissom held the boy tightly to his chest for a moment before pulling back to look him over. "Weevil…are you okay?"

"Mist oo!"

"Oh, I missed you too, Mikey." He hugged the boy again and placed a soft kiss in his brown curls. He sniffed back the tears as his son’s fingers wound themselves in the soft curls of his hair.

He stood up and looked at the woman. His heart refused to feel pity for the woman as she stood there with tears streaming down her face.

"Why? Why would you take my son?"

"Gil…" Brass placed his hand on Grissom’s shoulder. "Why don’t you take Mikey to the car?"

Mikey gave an enthusiastic wave to the detective. "Hi, Dim!"

Jim chuckled and ruffled the boy’s hair. "Hi, Weevil. Good to see you again, little man."

"Good ta see oo!" As Grissom turned to walk off of the porch, Weevil took the chance to smack the woman’s shoulder. "Bad waydee!"

Warrick stifled his chuckle. Brass bit his lip. Grissom grinned at his young son. Marie’s tears flowed quickly.

"Hey, Weevil?"

Mikey looked into his father’s eyes. "Hey!"

Grissom’s finger ran down Mikey’s face. "Would you like to go see Mommy and your brothers?"

"MOMMY!" The young Grissom giggled and clapped his hands. "Bubbas!"

"Yeah…they’re here now."

Mikey’s brow furrowed slightly. "Deer?"

He looked around quickly.

Grissom chuckled softly. "Not exactly here. They’re at the hospital."

"Awec an’ And?"

Grissom nodded and walked back to his Tahoe. He stopped when Mikey pointed to something on the ground.

"A bwue beewul!"

Warrick smiled happily at Brass. Jim returned the smile and began to lead Mrs. Marie Bitterman down the walkway to the Taurus parked on the side of the road.

Chapter Twenty Three

Brass walked down the hospital hall, a bright smile on his face. The uniforms had come by and picked up Marie Bitterman. He’d go back in a while to question her further, but she was in the process of being booked. It’d be a while. Besides, he had people to see.

He walked into Greg’s room, only to find the bed empty. With a puzzled look on his face, he walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"Greg?"

He waited for a moment and, not hearing a response, he made his way to the nurses’ station. He tapped his fingers on the counter as he waited for the woman to hang up the phone.

The nurse smiled at the detective as she finished her phone call. "Can I help you, sir?"

"Yeah, I hope so. I was looking for my friend, Greg Sanders. He’s not in his room."

She glanced at the monitor and nodded. "One of my nurses took him down to see…Sara Sidle. Her room number is…"

"3210…she’s a friend of mine, too." Brass grinned at the woman and pushed away from the counter. "Thank you."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Greg leaned back in the chair and smiled at Sara. "How do you feel?"

"Like I’ve had my stomach cut open and two babies pulled out of it…" She smiled lightly as Greg winced. "How about you?"

"I have a headache. Some dizziness. But, I’m going to live…" Greg’s smile faded slowly. "Sara, I’m really sorry…"

"It’s not your fault, Greg…it’s not." She reached out her hand and touched his shoulder.

Brass walked into the room and chuckled. "You must be feeling better…"

Greg looked up at him with a puzzled expression. "Huh?"

"Well, considering you’re out of bed…"

"Oh…I just wanted to make sure that Sara was okay…"

Brass offered Greg a smile and looked at the woman lying in the bed. "Hey, beautiful…"

Sara shook her head. "Oh yeah…I’m sure I have supermodel looks right now…"

Brass shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the wall. "Well, I have seen you look better…"

"Thanks…" She smiled softly for a moment. "Have you found any more leads on Weevil?"

"Yeah…we have."

Sara turned her eyes to the door to find her husband standing in the doorway. Her eyes filled with tears as she recognized the happiness in his blue eyes. "Gil?"

Grissom walked into the room slowly. Her eyes shifted lower to see her young son clutching his father’s hand.

"Weevil?"

"Mommy!" He let go of Grissom’s hand and ran towards the bed. He lifted his arms and jumped up and down. "Up!"

Brass chuckled, leaning down and picking the young boy up. "Be careful, Mikey…"

Sara wrapped her arms around her son, holding him tightly to her body. Her tears flowed freely down her cheeks and landed in Mikey’s soft curls. "Where have you been, baby?"

"Bad waydee. I not Deewee. I Weebul Mike!"

Grissom sat down on the edge of the bed and spoke softly. "Apparently, this woman…took him to replace her son." He watched them carefully as Sara began examining him. "She didn’t hurt him, Sara. She had herself convinced that he was her son, Stevie."

"I not hurd Mommy." Mikey shook his head slowly. His head lowered as he looked at her stomach. "Bubbas?"

She caressed Mikey’s face and grinned. "Your brothers were born yesterday, baby."

"And the day before…" Grissom added quickly.

Brass and Greg exchanged a quick glance. "What?"

"Alex was born just before midnight, Ant came along a few minutes later…right after." Grissom explained.

Greg narrowed his eyes. "So…they were born on different days?"

Hearing Greg’s voice, Mikey turned his head quickly. "Gweb!"

Greg grinned and winked at him. "Hey, young bug master…"

Grissom chuckled as Greg turned his eyes back to him. "Yeah…Alex’s birthday is on the 29th, Ant’s is the 30th."

Brass laughed. "Leave it to the Grissoms…"

Mikey scanned the room quickly, his brow furrowing as his frustration grew. Sara ran her fingers through his hair. "What’s wrong, Mikey?"

"Wearz Wus?"

Grissom’s grin widened as he reached for the phone beside of the bed. "I’ll see if I can’t get Warrick to bring him by, okay?"

"Wik! Yay!" He clapped his hands excitedly and laid down on the bed, snuggling close to his mother. "Wub oo Mommy."

She held him close and kissed his head softly. "I love you too, Weevil."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"So, where are they now?" Catherine smiled happily.

"Grissom took Mikey to see Sara and the boys. I think Brass was going to stop by Greg’s room to check on him while he’s waiting for Bitterman to be booked."

Warrick glanced down at his cell phone as it vibrated against his hip. He unclipped it quickly and held it to his ear. "Brown."

"Warrick…"

"Hey, Griss…how’s everything going?"

Grissom grinned as his son yawned deeply. "Great. I was just wondering if you could do me a favor."

"Sure, man. What is it?" Warrick listened for a moment and then laughed lightly. "No problem. Be there in a few minutes."

He closed his phone, shaking his head in amusement. Catherine tilted her head slightly. "What was that about?"

"I have to go by Grissom’s house and get Rusty for Mikey."

They shared a burst of laughter as they walked out of the building.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom had bid a warm farewell to their friends and settled into the chair recently vacated by Greg. He smiled sweetly at his wife. "Want me to take him?"

She shook her head slowly. "No, he’s fine." Returning his smile with a bright one of her own, she reached her hand towards him. "Thank you, Gil."

He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her skin gently. "Brass and Warrick found him. I found out about it after they had left."

"How did you know where they were?"

"I pleaded with Eve to give me the address…" He rubbed Mikey’s back in a soothing manner. "Will you be okay with him for a few minutes? Or…do you want me to ask a nurse to sit here with you until I get back?"

"He’s asleep, Gil. We’ll be fine." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Where are you going?"

"I just want to check on Alex and Ant." His eyes dropped to their linked hands. "I like talking to them. I can’t hold them…so, I just sit and talk to them."

Sara squeezed his hand reassuringly. "It won’t be long before we’ll be begging someone to hold them for us…" She waited until he looked into her eyes and then she smiled brightly. "Go ahead…make sure you tell them that we’ll be by to see them tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded quickly and stood up. Leaning over the bed, he kissed her lips gently. He inhaled sharply as she captured his bottom lip between her lips and slowly glided her tongue over the sensitive flesh. He pulled back as she released his lip, and gazed into her dark eyes.

"Sara…"

"Go see our twins." She winked at him as she licked her lips.

He exhaled slowly and chuckled.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Hi there, Mr. Grissom. You here to see Alexander and Anthony?"

Grissom smiled brightly. "Yes, I am…"

She checked his identification bracelet as per regulations and opened the door. "How’s your wife feeling tonight?"

"Much better, thank you. I brought our older son in to see her today…"

"Oh, how old is he?"

He grinned at the nurse. "Fourteen months, two weeks, and 3 days…"

The nurse laughed lightly as she followed Grissom to the chair between the two incubators. "First time he’s been here since your wife was brought in?"

Grissom’s grin faltered. "Yeah. He…uh…he was away for a couple of days."

She looked at him with a quizzical expression. Choosing not to pry, she nodded quickly. "Well, Mr. Grissom…these two are doing extremely well. Dr. Herrero said that they’re progressing quickly."

Grissom smiled as he sat down and gazed at the twins.

"Hey, guys…guess what? Big brother is back. I think Mommy is going to talk to the doctor and see if we can get special permission for him to come see you."

He lightly touched the boys, smiling as each of them grabbed a finger. "I wish I could touch you without these gloves. Soon, boys. Very soon. Mommy and I will be able to hold you, feed you, snuggle you when you’re upset…we love you very much."

He sat quietly, enjoying the limited time he had to spend with his two new sons. He’d stay until the nurse told him it was time for him to leave. The nurse smiled as she watched him talk to the two babies. She’d give him a few extra minutes tonight.

Chapter Twenty Four

Grissom walked back into Sara’s room to find them both sleeping soundly. He just stood there for a few moments watching them. Leaning over the edge of the bed, he kissed them both before whispering Sara’s name.

Her eyes fluttered open and she fought to focus her gaze. "Hm?"

"I’m going to take him, okay?"

She looked down at her sleeping son and furrowed her brow. "Where?"

"Just over here to the chair. We’re not going far, I promise."

"Why are you taking him?"

He smiled as he picked the sleeping boy up. "Because, neither one of you can sleep a full night without moving, and I’m worried that he’ll hit your incision…"

She nodded sleepily and yawned. She watched him sit in the chair and recline it, settling himself and Mikey, before she closed her eyes.

Mikey shifted in his father’s arms and snuggled against his chest. His small fingers gripped Grissom’s shirt. Grissom fell asleep with a smile on his face.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Brass stood behind the two-way glass and watched Marie Bitterman enter the interrogation room with her court-appointed lawyer. He turned his head towards the tall CSI standing beside him.

"So, what do you think, Warrick?"

"I think Grissom’s going to be pissed that you did this without him here…"

Brass chuckled softly and shook his head. "I’ve already talked to him about it. He really shouldn’t be here, he knows it, I know it, and…you know it."

"What were the doctor’s reports on Michael’s condition when they had him examined?"

Brass handed the folder to Warrick as he spoke. "He was well taken care of…no bruises, not even a scratch. A miracle for Michael, and you know it as well as I do…"

Warrick skimmed through the report and nodded in agreement. "What she did was a crime…" He turned his light eyes towards the detective. "But, I don’t think she’s a criminal, Jim. She needs help."

He waited for Marie and her lawyer to get settled and then sighed heavily. "Come on, let’s get through this…"

They made the short journey to the interrogation room and walked through the open door. Brass sat directly in front of Marie, Warrick across from the lawyer.

Brass folded his hands on the table and took a deep breath. "Mrs. Bitterman, can you tell us exactly what happened?"

Marie’s red-rimmed eyes darted back and forth between Brass and Warrick. "You know what happened, sir."

"Ma’am, we know that Michael Grissom was taken and then found in your home. We also know that you had the boy under the assumed name of ‘Stevie’."

Marie looked confused for a second. "Isn’t that all you need?"

Warrick leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "That’s all we need for a conviction and to send you to prison. However, from the prescription bottles I found in your kitchen, I don’t think prison is where you need to go."

Jim’s eyes softened. "Just start from the beginning, Mrs. Bitterman. Start with your son, Stevie Bitterman."

A single tear rolled down Marie’s cheek as she inhaled deeply.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Marie walked into her home, holding her two-month old son, to find her husband pinned to the wall by two police officers. "Tim!"

One of the officers turned to her and quickly ordered her out of the house. A few minutes later, she watched helplessly as the officers walked her husband out of her house and escorted him to the cruiser parked by the curb.

She found out later that he had been arrested and charged with being a key participant in a local drug ring. She was left to raise their only child alone.

Three months had passed and she had been coping remarkably well. Young Stevie Bitterman was a happy baby who was completely adored by his mother. She woke up at 6:22 that morning.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she walked down the short hall to Stevie’s room. She smiled as she walked inside. "You let Mommy sleep all night. What a good boy you are!"

Her smile suddenly disappeared as she looked into the crib. "Oh my God!"

She picked him up, groaning as her mind registered the fact that his tiny body was far too cool. Grabbing the phone, she punched 9-1-1 into the handset.

The paramedics had arrived fairly quickly. There was nothing that they could do for the boy. She fell to the floor, clutching his teddy bear that had only one eye.

The second eye was found lodged in Stevie’s throat when the autopsy was performed. The death was ruled accidental.

In the months that followed, she found herself in the psychiatrist’s office watching him fill out several prescriptions. It seemed that the rest of her life was destined to be spent while heavily medicated.

Having Stevie back would make it all better.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Warrick’s gentle voice broke the silence that followed her account of the last six months. "Ma’am, why didn’t you tell your husband what had happened?"

She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes. "I didn’t know how. Every time Tim asked about Stevie, I’d say he was fine…sleeping…" She shrugged her shoulders lightly.

Brass cleared his throat softly. "Mrs. Bitterman, how did you pick Michael Grissom to take Stevie’s place?"

Her gaze dropped to the table, finding sudden interest in the pen resting there. "I saw them, the boy and his mother, at the park one day. And then, the older man…the father…he showed up. They looked so…happy. And…I saw that she was pregnant. Their happiness was what should have been in my life."

A cold chill raced down Warrick’s spine. "So, because Sara Grissom was pregnant, you thought they wouldn’t miss their son?"

"I watched them for a few months. And…one day I followed them home."

"How did you know that Mr. and Mrs. Grissom were going out that night?"

"I…I didn’t. I drove by their house…and saw them leave…" She closed her eyes and gripped the pen. "That’s when I decided to…to…take him. It wouldn’t be long before they had another child anyway…"

The detective, the investigator, and the lawyer sat in stunned silence.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The nurse walked into the room to check Sara’s vitals. She smiled when she saw the woman’s husband sleeping in the reclined chair, cradling their son in his arms.

She stepped out of the room quietly and retrieved a fresh blanket from the linen closet in the hall. She made her way back to Sara’s room, walking softly so as not to disturb either the man or the child.

As she draped the blanket over the sleeping twosome, Grissom opened his eyes groggily. The nurse offered him an apologetic smile.

"Didn’t mean to wake you, Mr. Grissom. Just thought a blanket might make the little one a bit more comfortable."

Grissom tucked the blanket around his son and returned her smile. "Thank you very much…" His eyes cleared quickly as he glanced at Sara. "What time is it?"

The nurse looked at her watch. "Almost one…" Her gaze fell to the boy. "Will he need a bottle or anything?"

Grissom shook his head, a small smile playing at his lips. "No…he’ll be fine. But do you think we might be able to get some soft scrambled eggs for breakfast?" He shifted his son slightly. "And…maybe a new diaper?"

The nurse chuckled as she nodded. Checking Sara’s blood pressure, she glanced at Grissom. "Has she been resting tonight?"

Grissom nodded as he placed a kiss in Michael’s hair. "Yes, she has…"

"Good. She hadn’t been sleeping very well at all." She took the reading from the machine and wrote it down on Sara’s medical chart. "And, that’s the best I’ve seen her blood pressure since she was brought in."

Grissom’s smile grew as Mikey’s fingers gripped the front of his shirt and released it slowly. Mikey giggled lightly in his sleep. Grissom chuckled as he heard his son murmur, "bugs".

The nurse tilted her head slightly. "Did he just say…bugs?"

Grissom nodded. "Yeah, he loves them."

The nurse chuckled lightly as she left the room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Brass leaned sat on the edge of the table and offered the lawyer a small smile. Marie Bitterman had been led back down the hall and placed in a holding cell.

"Look, Naomi…based on what your client told us, prison isn’t the best place for her to be."

Naomi Bennington looked up at the detective and sighed. "And, what do you propose, Jim?"

"Definite psych evaluation. Possible long-term stay at Monte Vista…maybe a transfer to another facility as well. Depending on what the staff has to say…"

Naomi nodded slowly. "I’ll go speak with her…"

Jim smiled at the woman as she stood up and walked to the door. "Hey, Naomi?"

She turned and looked at the detective, returning his smile. "Yeah?"

"Are…uh…" He chuckled nervously. "I’m sorry about dinner last night, I just…couldn’t leave here with Mikey still missing."

"It’s okay, Jim. I do understand…"

He slid off the table and inhaled deeply. "How about tonight?"

Naomi grinned. "Sounds nice, Jim. It does. Give me a call later, okay?"

Brass nodded quickly, his smile widening as Naomi Bennington made her way out of the room and down the hall.

Chapter Twenty Five

Seven weeks had passed, too quickly for Grissom’s liking. True to his word, he had stayed home--for the most part--to help Sara take care of their three sons. When he did leave for the office, he made sure that someone was there to help her while he was gone.

He now found himself sitting on the living room floor, his back pressed against the couch. He held Ant in his arms, smiling as the seven-week-old boy sucked the formula from his bottle. Alex was sleeping peacefully in the bassinet that used to belong to Mikey. He glanced up, hearing his oldest son giggle softly.

"What are you doing, Weevil?"

Mikey looked at his father and held the book up. "Funny bug!"

Grissom grinned, pulling the bottle out of Ant’s mouth and placing him in the second bassinet. "What kind of bug is it?"

Mikey’s brow furrowed as he studied the picture. "Dunno."

"Bring it here…"

Mikey carried the book to his father and plopped down on Grissom’s lap. He pointed towards the picture and giggled again.

Grissom glanced at the picture and smiled. "Ah…Murgantia histrionica…"

Mikey looked up and narrowed his eyes. "Huh?"

"Or…the Harlequin bug."

"Harkwin?"

"Close enough…" Grissom ruffled Mikey’s hair and smiled brightly at him. "It’s from the family Brassicaceae…"

"Bwass? Dim has bugs?"

A soft chuckle from the doorway caught Grissom’s attention. "Naomi might not be too impressed with that…"

Grissom smiled as Mikey scrambled from his lap and ran towards his mother. Pushing himself from the floor, Grissom looked into the bassinets to check on the twins before turning to his wife.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Good." She leaned into him and kissed his lips softly. "How are you?"

Grissom blushed as she glanced down. "Uh…I’m fine."

"Sorry about last night, Gil…"

He touched her face lightly as his eyes twinkled. "It wasn’t your fault, Sara."

"I miss you…"

His smile faded somewhat. "Don’t say it like that, Sara. I’m right here. Every day, every night."

She sniffled lightly and wiped at her eyes. Leaning towards him, she placed her lips next to his ear and whispered softly. "I miss making love with you."

Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tightly against him. "As soon as the doctor clears it…I promise."

She kissed his neck gently, pulling away when she felt small hands tugging at her pant leg. She glanced into his eyes, sighing when she noticed that they had darkened slightly. Reaching down, she picked up Mikey and kissed his cheek.

"What have you been doing, Weevil?"

"Hepping Daddy wif Awec an’ And."

"Really?" She chuckled as he nodded enthusiastically.

Hearing a gentle whine, Grissom reached into the bassinet and picked Alex up. "What’s wrong, Alex?"

He cuddled his son as Alex cooed happily. Mikey tapped his mother’s shoulder, pointing towards the kitchen as she looked at him. "Bobble."

Sara grinned and walked into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, she grabbed a bottle and made her way back to the couch where Grissom was now sitting. She sat down beside of him and handed him the bottle.

"Has Ant had his?"

"Yeah, I had just finished feeding him when you came in…"

Mikey slid off the couch and went back to his book. Sara reached over and touched the fine hairs that were beginning to grow on Alex’s head. "Mind if I feed him?"

"Of course not…" He smiled as he handed the baby to her. He kissed her lips softly, pulling back before he deepened the kiss.

Alex snuggled against his mother, opening his deep blue eyes briefly. Sara smiled lovingly down at him before turning her eyes to her husband.

"Do you have to go tonight?"

He reached over and brushed his fingers through her silky hair. "Not for long. Jordy said that Maddie will come over while I’m gone…"

Sara nodded silently and rested her head on Grissom’s shoulder. "I love you, Gil…"

He turned his head, pressing a tender kiss into her hair. "I love you too, Sara."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom walked into his office to grab a stack of paperwork to take home with him. Catherine looked up from her place behind his desk and grinned.

"You look like shit…"

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "You look comfortable…"

She held up her hand defensively. "Relax, Griss. I was just leaving a note in this case folder for you."

He gave her a brief nod and started going through the stack of papers on his desk. He looked up when he heard her voice.

"So, have you been getting enough sleep?"

"Yeah. Alex sleeps about four and half hours at a time, Ant a little less." He shuffled through the papers and cursed softly.

"You okay?"

As he grunted a reply, she smiled. "It’ll come back, you know…"

His head shot up and he met her eyes. "What?"

"Sex…" She chuckled lightly as his face began to redden. "I’d recognize that frustration anywhere…"

"I’m not discussing my sex life with you, Catherine." He emptied his briefcase, placing those files in his ‘out’ box.

"Good, I don’t really want to hear about it. I’m just saying that a small decline is normal…"

He rolled his eyes as he shoved the newer files into his briefcase. "Uh-huh…"

Deciding a change of topic was in order, her smile brightened. "You know, I just can’t believe how much Alex and Ant look like each other…"

"Well, they are identical twins…"

Catherine snorted. "I know that, Grissom. I just think it’s interesting that they’re so…" She shook her head gently. "Most identical twins have something that is different…"

Grissom nodded. "They do. Ant likes warm bottles, Alex will only drink cold ones."

"I meant…physically different."

Grissom nodded again. "Alex has a small birthmark on the bottom of his right foot."

"Does he? I’ve never noticed it…"

Grissom gently shrugged his shoulders. "It’s just a little larger than a freckle…"

Catherine chuckled. "They have your eyes…"

Grissom stopped shoving papers into his briefcase and smiled. "Yeah…they do. And Sara’s ears…"

The two friends shared a warm smile. Catherine stood up and handed him the last file she was working on.

"Promise me something, Gil…"

He tilted his head curiously. Her smile widened. "Promise me you won’t dress them alike…"

Grissom laughed loudly as he stood and walked to the door. He turned around and shook his head. "That’s definitely a promise I can keep."

Catherine shook her head in amusement as Grissom left his office.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom walked through the 24 hour market, stopping in the produce section. He was staring at the grapefruit display when he heard a cheery voice behind him. He turned around to find a woman in her late thirties or early forties smiling brightly at him.

"Excuse me?"

"I just asked if you prefer white or pink…" Her eyes twinkled as she motioned towards the fruit.

"Oh…uh…pink." He turned back around and reached out to grab a few grapefruits. He inhaled sharply as the woman reached around him, her breast grazing his arm, and plucked a fruit from the display.

She handed him the grapefruit and smiled. "This looks like a good one…" She licked her lips slowly. "My name is Lauren."

He swallowed hard and glanced around the store quickly. "Gil…"

She took a step towards him, chuckling softly as he took a step backwards. "Gil…that’s a nice name."

Grissom nodded nervously. "My wife likes it…"

"Yeah? What’s her name?"

He narrowed his eyes and studied her cautiously. "Why?"

"Just making small talk, Gil. You don’t have to tell me." Her fingers touched his bare forearm. "Children?"

"Three boys…" He dropped the grapefruit into his basket.

"My husband and I have two girls…" She took another step towards him. "Does your wife trust you?"

"What?"

"I just mean…she must. It’s late at night, she’s home with three children…" She touched his arm again. "My husband trusts me immensely."

He looked down at his arm, pulling her from her touch. "Maybe he shouldn’t…"

She licked her lips as her eyes took in his body. She nodded in agreement. "Maybe he shouldn’t. There’s a nice little hotel right down the street…if you’re interested."

His mouth dropped open in shock as he shook his head slowly. "No…no, I’m not."

He took three quick steps backwards and looked around. Lauren grabbed her basket of produce and grinned. Her dark eyes glistened with lust as she walked by him. "Your wife is one lucky woman…"

He turned his head and watched her as he stepped out of her way.

"If you change your mind…"

He interrupted her quickly. "I won’t."

He dropped the basket on the floor and quickly walked through the market to the door. He felt like he was close to hyperventilation and he wanted nothing but to go home to his family. He heard Lauren chuckle as the doors swung open and he stepped into the cool night air.

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