Title: Back in Vegas

Author: ANNE (the insane one)

Rating: PG

Summary: Sequel to Secrets Revealed. This is set ten years after the previous story. Lindsey is now 23 and in college. Matthew is fifteen. Elizabeth is twelve, James is ten and the surprise arrival, Max, is nine.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belong to the people that make CSI. Matthew, Elizabeth, James and Max belong to me

Nine-year-old Max Grissom raced down the hallway at warp speed, skidded on the polished floor in his socks and fell, sliding along the floor until he ended at the door to the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" Catherine asked, rushing over to him.

Max stood up and grinned. "Yeah."

"Why were you in such a hurry?"

"I'm hungry and I gotta watch TV and…"

Catherine put her hand up and handed her son an apple. She had never met anyone quite as accident-prone as Max. Ever since he had been born he was banging his head, running into things, falling over. It was lucky the Grissom's were so well known at the emergency room, because otherwise people would think Max was abused.

Twelve-year-old Elizabeth Grissom skipped into the room, her long blonde hair tied in a plait. "I heard a crash. What did Max do now?"

Max stuck his tongue out at his older sister and disappeared out of the room before Catherine could call him on it.

"He just fell on his way into the kitchen. Where's Jamie?"

"In his room tinkering on something." Lizzy shrugged. "It'll probably explode in a minute."
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Fifteen-year-old Matthew Grissom opened the letterbox and pulled out the mail. He quickly flipped through it and, when he saw a letter bearing his name, stuffed into his back pocket.

"I'm home!" he called, wandering through the door.

"How was school?"

"Fine."

"What did you do today?"

"Nothing."

Catherine rolled her eyes. She opened the fridge door and nearly had a heart attack. "JAMES GRISSOM!!"

Ten-year old Jamie ran down the stairs and noticed his mother standing in front of the fridge.

"You found my science project!" he cried gleefully.

"Jamie, there is a dissected mouse in my fridge," Catherine said sternly.

Jamie grinned. "Yeah, did you see how I set out the organs and named them?"

"We so better have takeaway tonight," Lizzie said, running out of the room.

"Can you, uh, take it out, please?" Catherine asked her son.

"Where am I gonna put it?"

"Down in the basement with your dad's bugs." Catherine smiled to herself. Gil would have a little surprise later.

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An hour later, Cath was preparing dinner and she jumped as a pair of hands wound themselves around her waist, and a pair of lips kissed her neck.

"I'm hoping that's my husband," she murmured, leaning her head back slightly.

"It's me," he whispered into her ear. Turning her around, he kissed her deeply. "Hi."

"Hi," she smiled, leaning into his embrace. "Good to have you home."

"Where are the kids?"

"Matt is in his room. Lizzy is on the phone. Jamie was down in the bug museum. And Max…" Catherine frowned. "Last time I saw Max he was playing with Barker. And that's weird, because Barker usually barks when someone closes the front door."

"Which can only mean one thing. He's done something he shouldn't have," Grissom groaned.

"Max!" Catherine called.

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Matthew stuffed the letter in his desk drawer with a sigh. He didn't need to read the return address. He knew it came from Sara Sidle.

His parents had never lied to him about his mother, and he could remember most of it. How she had left him. How she didn't explain why. His parents had always told him that she just wasn't able to take care of him. But he knew the truth. She just didn't care.

"CATHERINE!!!"

Matt grinned. His father had just discovered the dissected mouse.

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Part 2