Hope for the Future

Disclaimer: I don't own anything CSI

The baby monitor responded the sounds of a baby; Grissom opened his eyes and looked at the clock, almost six in the morning. Getting up, he went to the next room where two year old was playing in her bed happily. Going over, he sat beside her. The blue-eyed brunette looked at him with a smile, handing him a toy.

"Kate, Ladybug it's still time to sleep!"

"Pway Daddy."

Grissom picked up Kate as the phone rang; he went to the living room and picked up the phone.

"Grissom… Catherine… I'm sorry; I can't come back to Vegas. I don't care! Vegas is no longer a place I'll return to!"

Vegas, 4 days later, CSI

The team sat working a large case that was connected to the miniatures and Sara. Catherine looked up to see Grissom standing by the door, holding Kate in his arms, she was asleep.

"Gil, I thought…"

"I owe it to Sara, what can I help with?"

"Who's the munchkin?"

Grissom looked at Nick as he asked about Kate.

"She's my daughter, her name is Kate."

Grissom went to the couch and laid Kate on it, Greg looked at her.

"Dang, she looks like Sara, a lot like Sara!"

Nick and Warrick looked at Kate as well, she looked like Sara purely. Sara's hair and her nose, her chin as well. Catherine looked at Grissom as he covered Kate up and kissed her head, whispering.

"Sleep well Ladybug, I love you. You look just like mommy when you sleep."

Grissom went to the table and sat down, the other's followed. Catherine passed him a folder and he opened it, reading what they had so far.

"Quick question; why does your daughter look so much like Sara?"

"Because, she is mine and Sara's daughter, she has more of her mother in her than me. She has my eyes and love for insects. Sara was 21 weeks, they had to deliver her. I stayed in Vegas till Kate could be discharged then I left. I've raised Kate on my own since."

"What's her name, full name?"

Grissom looked up at Nick and then at the file again, finally talking.

"Sarah Katelyn Sidle-Grissom, after her mother, she has an 'h' though. Can we get to work please?"

Halfway through, Grissom looked over to see the couch empty.

"Kate?"

He got up and went to the couch; Kate wasn't there. Looking around the room, Kate was no where in sight. Suddenly a gun shot was heard, he walked fast to ballistics, and he found his daughter bleeding on the floor, a gun nearby.

"Kate!"

Bending down, he found no pulse. He had lost his only connection to Sara, he was now alone. The only woman he had ever loved was gone and their little girl, the proof of their love was dead as well.

Real World

Grissom sat up in bed and looked at the clock; it was eight in the morning. The bathroom door was open and he heard the shower running. Getting up, he went to the door to hear humming. The water stopped and he found Sara getting out of the shower. The C-section scar was barely visible on her stomach; she grabbed a towel and put it around her. Looking up she found Grissom with a grief stricken look on his face.

"Gil?"

"I'm fine Sara, it's just a nightmare."

"Is it about Hope?"

"Yes, except her name was Sarah Katelyn Sidle-Grissom in my dream instead of Hopelyn Lesley Sidle-Grissom and you were dead. You died and she had to be delivered, I moved away from Vegas to teach at Williams, I couldn't be near you're memory. I came back to Vegas to work on a case that was connected to the miniatures and while at the lab, Kate got a hold of one of Bobby's guns and I lost you completely."

Sara smiled and Grissom looked at her, the dream should've scared her but she smiled.

"Gil, I'm not dead and Hope is home finally. She's in our home, not a hospital and she's not old enough to even play with a gun. We'll teach her that a gun isn't a toy and as for me, I'm not going anywhere, I'm too stubborn to die! You should have learned that six months ago!"

"I'll go check on her while you get dressed, we have to get ready."

"I know, we're having Christmas here with the team."

He left Sara to get dressed and went to their daughter's room. After Sara's kidnapping and rescue, due to endangering their baby, they had no choice but to deliver 21 week Hopelyn. Since her discharge, Sara and him went up to see Hope everyday after work or during break if the cases were doubles and triples. Now after 22 weeks in the NICU, Hope was home. She would spend Christmas with family and for the first time, the team would meet the newest addition to their family. Going into the lilac room, the first thing you see is butterflies covering shelves and the walls. Going to the white crib that held lilac and yellow sheets, Grissom found Hope asleep. As if knowing, Hope opened her eyes to see her father. Grissom smiled at the big blue eyes and the small smile his daughter gave. Picking her up, Grissom walked to the changing table.

"They must have spoiled you there, you're heavier."

A chuckle made Grissom turn his head, he found his wife standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe.

"She weighed 12 ounces at birth and when we brought her home two days ago she was six pounds. I don't think they spoiled her, I think she just grew."

"Well I know we'll spoil her."

Sara moved to them and stood beside her daughter, taking Hope's tiny hand.

"You may, I won't. I believe in controlled parenting, just because my parents didn't spoil me doesn't mean I'll spoil her."

"You will, I know you will. You'll spoil her because you can and also because you're her mother!"

Sara smiled and looked at her daughter, Hope had inherited the 'Grissom Blues' and they were a point of weakness for her.

"Maybe."

She turned to see her husband getting a dress from the closet full of clothes. The team had given them more things then they actually needed, from clothes to toys. Hope seemed like a princess with everything she had. He smiled as he came over, looking at her.

"Maybe?"

"She did inherit your eyes."

"What does that have to do with spoiling her?"

"The 'Grissom Blues' are a weakness of mine, you know that. Besides, the team spoils her too much anyways. This room for instance, they painted it, brought all these butterflies in, filled the closet and bought all the toys. I got it out of Catherine a few weeks ago; all this added up to $9,583.65. That's spoiled from family, not mommy and daddy. So may I say, why do we have to spoil her when they do it for us?"

"That's simple, because we are mommy and daddy!"

"I give up."

He chuckled and lifted their daughter up, Sara smiled at the fact that he took to fatherhood so quickly. It had only been a year and a half before when they had discussed children that Grissom had said he didn't want any. They both agreed on not to have any but now they had their daughter and Grissom wanted at least one more child.

"Let's get ready for Christmas Ladybug."

He walked out of her room and Sara followed. They team had yet to meet Hope; Grissom and Sara requested no one visit the house till Christmas, to allow time with their daughter. Today was Christmas and Grissom managed to convince some of the swing shift to take graveyard so all of graveyard could spend Christmas together.

4 Hours Later

Grissom and Sara were cooking while Hope slept; Bruno was lying beside the swing as if protecting her. They found that since Hope came home, Bruno would sleep by her door. The doorbell rang and Sara answered it, finding Catherine and Brass with Lindsey.

"Hey, come in."

"Where's my granddaughter?"

"Den, I will warn you that our dog is by the swing. He guards Hope day and night, sleeps by her door."

"Hi Sara, I brought this for Hopelyn, it's an early Christmas present."

Lindsey handed Sara a purple blanket, on the corner was and embroidery 'H. L. S-G.'

"Lindsey bought it herself, from her first paycheck."

"You have a job now?"

"I baby sit the neighborhood kids. I charge $5 an hour and $7 if there are more then two kids. I'll baby sit Hope free of charge."

"I may take you up on that offer once she's able to sit up. I'll pay you $6 per hour for four hours."

"Wow, $24. You just call and I'll book you!"

"Alright, Playstation is set up in the den, keep the volume low."

With the word 'playstation' Lindsey was gone. Catherine hugged Sara; they had become a little closer, exchanging mothering tips, usually one way.

"So, what does she look like?"

"She has my curly hair and his eyes."

"She has his eyes? Oh no, big problem!"

"I know, they are one of my weaknesses."

"Better get ready for spoiling her to death."

"Not you too, Gil and I got into that discussion this morning. He says we have to spoil her, part of being mommy and daddy. I said you all spoil her for us, I gave up after awhile."

"Come on, I want to see my niece."

They started to walk to the den when the doorbell rang; Sara opened the door to find Sofia and the boys. Sofia hugged Sara and they instantly began talking. Catherine looked at Greg; since Sofia and Greg began dating, by some string of fate, Sofia and Sara became best friends in a sense.

"What's with them two?"

"Best Friends, long story!"

"Well tell me."

Catherine pulled Greg toward the den, Nick and Warrick followed, leaving Sara and Sofia to talk.

"He what?"

"He asked me about going to Norway with him. Sara, he wants me to meat his grandparents! What do I do?"

"Like I know, it's been over a year or little over, maybe he wants you to be the one."

"One what, I know I'm bright but I have no clue what you mean!"

"The 'one'! As in the one to marry, spend his life with!"

"He wants to marry me? I'm a CSI turned hard ass cop and he's a DNA tech turned CSI, why in the world would he want to marry me?

"Why would a girl like me want to marry a bug guy?"

"Because you love him and you have a kid!"

"Bingo!"

"Do you really think he loves me?"

"Why then would he want you to go to Norway with him? It's half they world away! Sofia Louise Curtis, us the brain you were given!"

"I did accidentally say I loved him last week."

"And when did he ask you?"

"Day after."

"Good going Sofia, has he told you?"

"Last night, he went out last week after asking me. He came back after an hour. I found a receipt yesterday."

"And?"

"Mason Jeweler's, I think he plans on proposing in Norway!"

"That's great!"

"Are you insane, that's not great, he plans on proposing?"

"Sofia, he wants to marry you, Greg wants to spend his life with you. Not a tech or alone, with you."

"But that's it; I'm not easy to live with."

"And Gil is?"

"It's easy for you; you've been together almost three years."

"What I'm saying is, it takes time. Before long, it won't matter to him. I'd expect Greg to be freaking out not you."

"I'm just…I don't know if I'm ready to settle down."

"Tell him how you feel, tell Greg you still want to date."

"Can you tell him?"

"I refuse to get involved, either you do it or it doesn't happen."

"Some friend you are!"

"Sofia, in ten years when you have been married a while and have two kids, you'll thank me."

"True! Let's go join the party; I want to meet my goddaughter."

They walked to the den to find Lindsey and the boys on the playstation while Brass and Catherine talking. Brass was holding Hope, she was sound asleep. Bruno lay at Brass' feet. Brass looked up to see Sara and smiled

"There you are, she's a beauty. What's her full name again?"

"Hopelyn Lesley Sidle-Grissom, she's our miracle."

Brass handed Hope to her mother and in turn, Sara handed Hope to Sofia.

"She looks like her mother, Sara you better get a gun out. Boys will be all over her."

"And we'll kill them."

That comment came from Nick and in turn all the guys in the room agreed, including dad.

"No, I won't have to, she'll love bugs like her daddy and become something in science which will make her a geek!"

"Now that I like!"

"Hear that Hope, Aunt Cat like's your mommy's idea."

Christmas was fun and for once, a miracle became the center of attention.