Disclaimer: I don't own the main characters

Summary: A woman's desire to be a foster mom will change the lives of two kids forever, even if they don't know it at the time.
But, when they are older and start to realize their true feelings for one another, will they follow their hearts or turn their back against it, too scared of the strength of it? And what will happen once that decision is made?...GSR. AU.

AN: Hi everybody, I am back with another GSR story, I hope you're ready for the ride. While this is an AU there might be possible cannon moments in future chapters, or as close to cannon as I can get them.

Title: Following their hearts?
Genre: Romance, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Tragedy
Rating: T
Spoilers: None
Time-line: Alternate Universe
Warnings: Implied/Suggestive adult content, Slight mention of violence, possible of triggering moments
Main Parings: GSR
Minor Parings: Multiple
Other Characters: Multiple


Chapter 1: The Introduction

They say that bad luck can come in threes, and while growing up, Maria Grissom didn't really believe in that. But now, after the 2 years she's, and really the rest of the Grissoms, had, she was quickly becoming a believer.

It all started, like she said, two years ago when her husband of 12 years, (They were together a total of 15) who was also the father of her two daughters, Stephanie and Michelle, gave her divorce papers only a few days after the new year because he had found someone new, who was 8 years younger.

Then six months after that, the Grissom family unexpectedly lost her Uncle, William Arthur Grissom, the husband to Betty Grissom, and father to 9 year old Gilbert Arthur Grissom, her first cousin.

But as sad/bad as those two blows was to her, nothing hit her harder than the next one that happened a year later, on the exact date as the death of her Uncle she might add, she lost her father, Charles Ray Grissom, who was the older brother to William by 10 years, leaving behind not only her, but her mother, his wife of 35 years.

Now she, and really the whole family, needed something good to come into their lives, and despite the why it happened, someone did just that, helping them all in different ways, more so to her, in a way she didn't see coming, and her now 10 year old cousin.


October, 1980

Maria Grissom, along with her mother, Evelyn, and aunt, Betty Grissom, were sitting on the deck drinking lemonade while watching her daughters and Grissom play in the backyard, when there was a doorbell rung and a knock on the front door.

The 33 year old, who had long, brown, curly hair, brown eyes with a slim build and a little above average height and weight, told her mom she would be right back, which she in turn signed to Betty what was going on while Maria walked into the one story house and headed for the front door.

Once she got there, she opened it up before there was a slight pause after seeing who was on the other side of it, whom she hadn't seen in years.

"Hi Jacob."

The 33 year old, above average height and weight man with short brown hair and hazel eyes, smiled warmly at an old friend.

"Hi Maria."

They just stood there looking at one another, remembering a friendship that lasted from 5 years old until 18, because while they were in their senior year in High School they had a falling out once she started dating Sam, her now ex-husband and the father to her daughters.

When their thoughts turned towards the end of their friendship, their darkest time during their young age, they mentally shook those thoughts away before Maria cleared her throat and asked with a now small smile. "What can I do for you?"

Jacob then smiled in return, shaking his head slightly. "Actually, it isn't for me, it's for a little girl." When Maria raised an eyebrow, he continued. "A case was brought to my desk, a 9 year old girl lost both of her parents when her mother stabbed her father to death." Maria gasped in shock as she placed her hand up to her mouth with tears in her eyes as he finished. "I remember you've always wanted to be a foster mom one day, and I found out you were approved to become one, you were just waiting for a child in need. Well, she's in need of a safe, loving home, and I couldn't think of anybody better."

Maria wiped a few tears off her cheeks from everything he had said, then she replied with emotion. "We haven't talked to one another in 15 years, and this is the first thing we talk about when we see one another again?"

"Pretty Heavy, huh?"

Maria nodded, then she cleared her throat again and asked. "Would you like to come in for a drink?"

He nodded with another smile. "Sure."

After walking in the house, Maria shut the door before the two of them headed towards the kitchen, and as he was sitting down at the table, she headed for the fridge to grab a bottle of water, then once she had it, she walked towards him while he spoke softly. "I uh, I heard you and your family had a rough two years."

Maria sets the bottle down in front of him and sat down so she was across from him with a sigh. "That's an understatement if I ever heard one."

"I'm sorry about your uncle and father, I remember how close you were to them." He sighed. "I would have gotten a hold of you, but I wasn't sure how you would have welcomed it, considering..." He trailed off, not wanting to mention their past.

Maria shook it off as she replied softly. "I would have loved to hear from you, but thank you for your words." After Jacob nodded, Maria couldn't help but smirk a little. "I see you didn't say anything about the divorce?"

Bringing this subject up probably wasn't the smartest idea because Maria saw his jaw go a little stiff and could see a darkness in his eyes for a second before he spoke while shaking his head. "You know how I always felt about the guy."

"Is that your way of saying 'I told you so'?" They held eye contact before he looked down at the table as she finished softly. "I wish I can say I regret it, and yeah he hurt me, more than I have ever felt, at least not since our senior year of High School." Jacob immediately looked up from the table to look in her eyes again, seeing the sadness there, knowing it was about them she was talking about, before she finished while shaking her head. "But I can't, because despite what he did, he also gave me the two greatest gifts I could have asked for, my daughters, and that's something I would never want to take back, those two mean the world to me."

As Jacob saw tears in her eyes, and without thinking, he placed his left hand on top of hers, causing both of them to feel sparks immediately, but ignored it the best they could while he spoke softly. "And I never would want you to. I'm sorry on what he did to you, but I always felt that he never deserved you, or your girls for that matter, and I really hope you know that it was his stupidity that made him walk away from the best woman he ever had, or could ever dream of having. It's his loss, and something he'll regret while another man's, who deserves you, gain."

A strong feeling flashed in each other's eyes for a moment while she softly asked. "How come you walked away from our friendship?"

He squeezed her hand lightly. "You know why, I think you've always known, and eventually it came to the point that you could only have one of us in your life."

Maria nodded because she had a strong feeling his feelings were starting to turn romantic, which she didn't feel the same, or maybe she did and was just too scared to admit it to herself. But ultimate choosing Sam cost her the best friendship she ever had in her life, even to this day, because while she has good friendships, they've never reached the level of comfortableness that she always had with him.

"And I chose him." When she saw him cringe, she placed her left hand on his. "I'm sorry, hurting you is something I'll always regret."

He nodded while he spoke softly. "Thanks for saying that."

"It should have happened years ago." After a pause she asked. "I hope it's not too much for me to ask now, but can we start over? I really missed you, our friendship."

He started to smile with a nod. "I would really like that, so yeah. I've missed you and our friendship as well."

She smiled with a nod, then looked down at his left hand, his ring finger to be exact, and moved her hand so her thumb ran over the golden ring that he wore while she asked, her heart twinging a little. "How is your wife..."

She had learned from family members who were still friends with his family that he had gotten married about five years ago.

"Rebecca, and she's doing good, we both are."

Even though it hurt, her response was genuine as she looked into his eyes again, because all she did want was for him to be happy. "It's long overdue, but congratulations, I am truly happy for you."

He smiled again, seeing the truth in her eyes. "Thank you, that means a lot to me."

They took a moment just looking at one another, then they both cleared their throats and removed each other's hands off one another before she brought their attention back to the reason he was here in the first place, so he grabbed the file from his briefcase, opened it up so Maria could learn more about the little girl who had an ugly home life, particularly the last four years when her father started drinking more and her parents started arguing more, which resulted in more than what should have been hospital trips.

The more Maria knew about the bright little girl, the more she knew she needed to do this, but there was one thing that was stopping her from agreeing right on the spot, she needed to talk to her girls because their opinion mattered to her, especially when it involves bringing another kid in the house.

Towards the end of the meeting, Maria nodded while he closed the file. "I want to do this, but before I can accept, I need to talk to my girls, nothing gets approved without them."

He nodded in understanding while placing the file back in his case. "I understand." He pulled a business card out of his briefcase before closing it, then handed it to her. "Call me when you can to let me know either way."

She took the card. "I will." Then after looking at it, she shook her head. "I don't think I ever heard you talk about wanting to become a social worker when you grew up."

Jacob sighed as he stood up. "Honestly, a lot of dreams I had didn't exactly pan out, but I always knew I wanted to help people, especially kids, so this is the direction my life took me."

With the smile still on her face, she replied. "The kids are lucky to have you fighting for them."

Now he gets a little shy as he commented. "I'm only doing my job."

"And I imagine very well."

He gets another shy look, but before either one could speak again, they hear her mother, Evelyn's voice as she walked towards the doorway to the kitchen. "Sweetie, you've been gone for..." She stops when she sees a man in the room, but since his back was turned towards the door she didn't know who it was, and continued. "Oh, I didn't know you had company, I don't want to interrupt."

Maria smiled at her, knowing what her mother was doing. "You're not interrupting mom, he was just leaving."

Before Evelyn could speak, Jacob had turned around, causing her to get wide-eyed a moment later. "Jacob Evens! Is that you?"

It may have been 15 years since she's seen the young boy, now man, but she would know those caring eyes anywhere, especially when she would see how he looked at her daughter as his feelings for her where changing to romantic.

Jacob nodded with a smile. "Yes, Mrs. Grissom, it's me."

Evelyn chuckled as she walked further into the room to give him a hug. " I think you're old enough to call me Evelyn now."

Jacob chuckled with a nod as they share a friendly hug, and after they pulled back, he looked at her with sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear about your husband, from what I remember about him, he was a good man."

Evelyn took a breath, trying to fight her tears, before she nodded. "He really was, and thank you. It's sad, yeah, but I'm just thankful for the years I've spent with him, and the wonderful gift he gave me."

Evelyn looked at her daughter when she said that last bit, causing Maria to smile shyly, then after Jacob nodded with another smile, he sighed. "I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but I have to get home and I have a drive ahead of me."

The women nodded while he grabbed his case and water bottle before him and Maria started walking out of the room, which she was walking behind him so he didn't see the smirk Evelyn was giving her daughter, who had shook her head with a smile, knowing what she was thinking.

Before Maria and Jacob reached the door, Betty Grissom had also walked into the house so there was a warm welcome between her and the young man, which she had also witnessed the friendship/love between him and her niece as they were growing up, and much like what Evelyn thought through the years, it should have been him that was part of the family.

After walking out of the house, Maria walked Jacob to his vehicle that was parked on the side of the street, and as they stopped on the sidewalk next to it, they looked at one another and she spoke. "It was nice seeing you again, and thank you for thinking of me when you needed someone to give this girl a home."

"You're welcome, I just couldn't send her to 'any' home without checking in with you first, this one just feels too special to be anywhere else, so I hope everything works out."

She then sighed. "I just wish I could take them all."

He took her hand for reassurance. "I know you do, and I wish I could give them all to you."

Once again feeling the sparks, but knowing they had to ignore it, she just nodded while he removed his hand, missing that feeling instantly, but it came back just as quickly when they wrapped their arms around one another in a hug before he whispered. "It was nice seeing you again too, and I'm glad we are starting over."

She sighed in content and closed her eyes, feeling safe in a man's arms for the first time in a long time, as she whispered. "Me too."

They held one another a few more seconds before pulling back, and after a warm smile between them, Jacob headed for the driver's side of his vehicle.

As he was opening the door, she commented. "Drive safely."

He nodded while getting in, and after he sets his case down on the floorboard of the passenger side, he started the vehicle, they waved at one another before he started to drive away while she watched him until she couldn't see him.

She sighed before heading towards the house with so many what if's and could have-beens running through her head.


When Maria had walked back into the house and kitchen, her mother was giving her a smile. "Jacob is back in your life, huh?"

She shook her head with a smile as she walked to the fridge to get some ham and cheese for sandwiches. "If you think something more is going to come out of that than what actually is, just stop right there." She then sighed. "Especially when he's not available."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "And if he was?"

There was a slight pause while Maria got the items she needed from the fridge before backing up and letting the door close, then she looked at her mother again. "There is no point in going down that road." She could see her mother wanting to say something, so she continued after another sigh. "What do you want me to say? Admit that I choose the wrong man? That I should have listened to my heart more?" She then started to have tears in her eyes as she finished. "I wish I can, but admitting that makes me feel like I regret my girls, and I don't, not for a single second."

Evelyn walked up to her daughter and brought her in her arms to comfort her. "I know, I'm sorry sweetie. I didn't mean to upset you, I just..."

Maria cuts her off as they pull back from one another. "Want me to be happy, I know, and eventually I'll fully get there."

Evelyn nodded while Maria turned so she was facing her counter, then her mother asked. "So, what was the true reason of his unexpected visit?"

While she fixed up lunch, she told her mother what was going on, and when she was done, Evelyn gasped with wide-eyes then she started to smile a little. "I'm so happy for you." She stopped for a second to sigh. "I mean, I'm sad that little girl had to go through all of that, no child should have to, but least now she'll be in a safe and loving home."

"Well, I still have to talk to the girls about it, we are in this together."

Evelyn nodded in understanding before smiling. "But I don't think you'll have a problem with them agreeing, they'll probably see it as someone else they can play with."

Maria chuckled with a nod. "You're probably right." After another round of chuckling, she asked. "Can you get the kids, please?"

"Sure."

Evelyn walked towards the door, then stopped and looked at her daughter again before asking in a sincere tone. "So, how was it really seeing Jacob after so long?"

Maria turned around to look at her mother, sighed one more time then replied softly. "Like I found the last missing puzzle piece in my life to make it feel complete."

Evelyn nodded in understanding. "I'm glad he's a part of your life again."

Maria gave her mother one of the brightest smiles that she hasn't done in a very long time. "Me too, I've missed him mom."

"I know, me too, he was a good young boy."

After Maria nodded, Evelyn nodded in return before turning and walking out of the room while Maria sighed and turned back towards the counter so she could finish making the sandwiches.


Two days later

After talking to her girls before they went to bed the night before, which it didn't take much convincing to bring another child in the house, she had called Jacob and told him she was ready whenever he was to bring her over, so all that was left was 'playing' the waiting game.

It was close to evening time when Jacob stopped his vehicle on the side of the street in front of the house, turned the ignition off before pulling the keys out so they were now in his hands, then he turned his attention to the 9 year old, brown haired, brown eyed little girl sitting in the passenger seat, looking down while holding her favorite stuffed animal, a monkey. Not that she had many to choose from in her life since she didn't have many toys growing up, but her mom always told her that this was the first gift she had ever gotten and was attached to it from the beginning. Plus, they been through a lot together.

Her thoughts get interrupted when Jacob spoke softly. "I can only imagine how you're feeling or what you're thinking after everything you've been through the last several weeks. Heck, the last several years, but if there is one thing I want you to trust me on, even though I'm sure trusting people at the moment is hard to do, coming here and being part of the Grissom family is the best thing to ever happen in your life." Hearing the warm tone he was speaking with as he talked more about this family, the little girl looked at him, wanting to see his face, which he was now smiling a different way than she had seen from him before.
Granted, he's only been in her life a few days now, but she could still tell certain smiles apart, along with the look in his eyes. "They are good people, and you won't only be safe here, but you'll thrive here, so please give this place a real chance, you won't be sorry you ever did."

The way he continued to look at her while speaking about this family made her think that he not only knew them very well, but he really thought they were special, and even though he was right about trusting people, especially at this time, he has shown nothing but kindness to her since he took over her case, so she was willing to give this home a real shot.

After a short nod, she looked back down and he nodded with a smile, then looked out the window and saw that Maria was walking out of the house, and not meaning to it caused his heart to skip a beat, like it did yesterday after seeing her for the first time since he was 18 years old, and while she's gotten older, both of them have of course, he still found her just as beautiful as she was the last time he saw her.

He immediately shook those thoughts away, he was a happily married man and in love with his wife, these other feelings should not be showing back up.

He cleared his throat a second later before speaking again. "Alright, let's get you settled."


When the front door to the house opened, Evelyn, the girls, Grissom and his mother all stood up from the couch/love seat and walked a few steps towards the middle of the room as the little girl, Maria and Jacob stepped inside the house.

The minute the girls saw her walk in, particularly Stephanie, since they are closer in age (Three months separated them), enthusiastically greeted her and already wanted to show her around the house, which they all chuckled at their eagerness before their mother said in a minute so she could greet the others.

After greeting the two grown-ups, the brown eyed girl and the blue eyed boy looked at one another, not realizing this introduction had the potential to change the course of their lives forever.

The blue eyed boy smiled shyly first, causing a feeling the little girl has never felt before, and really not sure what it was or how to deal with it, so she tried to ignore it the best she could while listening for his name, which she got a moment later.
"Hi, I'm Gilbert Grissom."

Then for the first time in about a week since her life changed completely, she gave him a genuine smile, showing the gap between her teeth, which she hated but not realizing in that moment it caused Grissom to have new feelings that he's never experienced before either, before she spoke more than she had in a few days. "Hi, I'm Sara Sidle."


AN: I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks reading, if you want more, you know what to do. Also, stay safe out there in these crazy times.

*After the third chapter, GSR will be more of the focus, I just needed to set everything up.