A/N: I don't own CSI, CBS, or any other known entity. Emily is a character of my own creation, and this comes some time after "Hate Me." This was a challenge I was given a while ago from my wonderful friend, lostladyknight. I would've posted it sooner, but it would've ruined the ending of Hate Me, so I had to wait haha. As always, enjoy, and please review. :)
Movie TonightGreg's POV
Sara sits down next to me, putting Emily in between us. I smile, passing her the hand sanitizer. "Thanks," she tells me, using some. I smile.
"I know you well," I tell her as she works the liquid over in her palms. She smiles, turning to my daughter.
"What would you like to watch, sweetheart?" Emily grins, bouncing.
"Kitty!" she says. One of the many words she can actually say.
"Shrek 2 it is," Sara replies, standing up and putting it in the player. I sit back, my arm around my daughter before she climbs up into my lap and snuggles against my chest.
"Daddy." I kiss her on the top of the head softly. She squirms and giggles, watching the movie and obviously not laughing at the same jokes Sara and I are… or at least not for the same reasons. She squirms out of my arms, toddling away from us toward the TV.
"Honey, don't get too close," I warn her. She giggles and sticks her tongue out at me. Something she learned from Nick, I assume, as he's been the greatest influence on her. And I mean that sarcastically. Sara chuckles beside me, and I shoot her a look.
"Hey, I didn't teach her that," she tells me.
"Emily Victoria Sanders, you put that tongue of yours away right now," I say, somewhat sternly. She does so quickly, pouting.
"Sowwy, Daddy," she tells me, upset. I frown and look at Sara.
"Nineteen months old, and she's got you wrapped around her little finger," she tells me. I stick my tongue out at her. "Hey, she learns from examples, you know."
"Bad daddy!" I throw my hands up in defeat.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," I say to her. "Come here." She toddles back, and I scoop her up. Only now, she doesn't want to sit on my lap, choosing instead to cuddle up to Sara.
"She likes me better," Sara jokes, holding Emily close.
"Be quiet, you," I tell her, kissing her softly while Emily giggles at the screen again.
"Kitty!!!!" she squeals, clapping. I smile.
"Yeah, a kitty."
"I'm partial to Antonio Banderas myself, as well," Sara says, smirking. I shake my head.
"Too bad you're stuck with me," I reply.
"Mmm, dress up like Zorro and we might have something." I laugh.
"Maybe next Halloween."
"Taking it off next year?" I shrug.
"I'll try, but I don't know if I could because I'm sure Warrick'll take it off too, and maybe Catherine too."
"All we really need is people on call. Or you could just ask Grissom if you could come in late. I mean, she's still really young, so her curfew's early. Warrick's daughter too."
"Yeah, I know. I don't know, we'll have to wait and see. That's not for another nine months yet. I'm lucky I even figured out something for her to be this year." Sara laughs.
"Oh, come on. Nick would've given you some good ideas."
"Yeah. Lord knows he's had enough experience." I frown slightly, and Sara puts her hand on my arm.
"Don't," she says softly. I shake my head.
"How do you always know what I'm thinking before I do?" I ask her.
"Women's intuition."
"Gee, thanks, Mom."
"I thought you were against infantilism jokes." I laugh.
"I am. After that… blech." She chuckles.
"Aww, poor Greggo."
"Come on, I was still green. Leave me alone." She smiles.
"It's amazing what people will do, huh?"
"That's one thing you learn on this job." I turn back to the movie in time to watch Donkey drink the potion.
"You still look like an ass to me," Puss-In-Boots says. Sara and I chuckle as Emily squeals in delight.
"Ass!!!"
"Out of all the words she could've said…" Sara says, chuckling.
"That's a bad word, Emily," I tell her. She pouts at me before looking up at Sara.
"Daddy mean," she tells Sara.
"Daddy's mean because he loves you, sweetheart," Sara replies. Emily pouts, turning away from us back to the TV. Cotton, my kitten, comes wandering into the room like a drunken college kid that just woke up. Emily squeals, prying herself out of Sara's arms and picking up Cotton.
"Gentle, honey," I say softly. She toddles back to the couch, and I pick her up and put her between Sara and myself. Cotton curls up on Emily's lap while she strokes the kitten's fur gently. Sara drapes her arm around behind Emily, and I put mine on top of hers. She smiles sweetly at me, winking softly. I smile back at her, looking down at my daughter. Such a pretty picture, even if it wasn't exactly the one I had planned two years ago. I shrug, shaking my head. I'll never forget her and always love her, but I love Sara too. I look over at her, someone I chased for years. Watched her pine after Grissom for as long as I chased her. And she finally got him, and I was just… there, a friend. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. I finally got her… it just took a little longer and after more drama than I anticipated.
"What're you thinking about?" Sara asks me softly. I smile.
"You, me, us, life." She arches her eyebrows.
"Us and life?"
"How our relationship developed over time, how life changed things for us… stuff like that."
"You always have deep thoughts while watching Shrek?" I laugh.
"Yeah. What do you think, should I keep it around me all the time?" She smiles, then gives a playfully pensive look.
"Yeah, maybe." I chuckle. "Might keep Hodges off your back." The movie ends, and Emily smiles from between us.
"Nother?" she asks sweetly, looking at me cutely. I nod, smiling.
"Sure, sweetie," I say. Sara gets up, changing the movie to The Lion King. I look over at her.
"What?" she asks.
"Didn't know I owned it."
"You don't. It's Warrick's, and it's in Spanish." I nod, smiling.
"Hakuna Mattata. What a wonderful phrase…"
Sara's POV"It means no worries, for the rest of your days," I recite, smiling. Greg smiles, winking. Emily tightens against Greg, holding Cotton close and snuggling against her father. I smile wider. How cute.
"So you actually do know the English?" he jokes. I chuckle.
"I told you, it's Warrick's movie."
"Where'd he get it from?"
"Nick, maybe? I don't know."
"Couldn't get the DVD?" I shrug.
"Might've been…"
"Oh, right." His face droops slightly, and I shake my head.
"Stop."
"I can't help it."
"You always feel bad for other people, don't you?"
"I've been best friends with Nick since the late 90s. It's hard not to have some of that niceness and compassion rub off on you." I chuckle.
"Yeah, I know. That's what mellowed me out."
"Really? I thought Grissom had something to do with that." I shrug.
"Maybe. Probably. It wasn't until that night in my apartment…"
"Hey, child present." I chuckle.
"The night after I flipped out on Ecklie, Greg. You know, the night you asked Catherine what could be done to help me?"
"She told you about that?" I shake my head.
"Mia did."
"Right. She never kept secrets from you, did she?"
"No, she kept plenty. Just not when they were about me." He nods, smiling.
"She was good."
"Yeah, but so is Wendy." He nods again.
"Yeah." We fall silent, watching the movie. Before long, Emily is sleeping soundly against Greg, and I smile. So cute. He kisses the top of her head, pulling her closer to her as she sniffs in her sleep. "How did we not know?" he asks softly after we've been quiet for a while. I shrug.
"He's good," I say softly. He nods, frowning. "Stop being so damn blue."
"You're lucky she's sleeping," he replies softly.
"Yeah, she'd be learning some good words from me."
"She already has." I chuckle.
"Sorry."
"Don't worry. 'Uncle' Nick is the worst."
"I don't get why he's such a bad influence on her."
"He's getting me back for the time I set his pants on fire."
"What?" I look at Greg like he's nuts as he laughs.
"It was before you got there. It was an accident in the lab that ended up with Nick's pants on fire."
"Oh, dear."
"Don't worry, he wasn't wearing them at the time."
"So he was running around naked?" He laughs.
"No, he was in the shower."
"How did you manage that?"
"I was pretending I was Catherine, and I stole her blow dryer and was prancing around the locker room drying my hair when the thing kind of exploded and Nick's pants were destroyed." I nod, shaking my head.
"So you were always insane, then."
"Pretty much, yeah." He smiles. "I mean, Nick was pissed, Catherine bought him a new pair of pants, and Warrick thought the day was hilarious. Grissom didn't care and Brass wondered why he hired me, but other than that, I was fine."
"How long had Nick been there?"
"Longer than me. I had been there for about a year at the time, so this was shortly before you got there. Everything had blown over by the next week." I nod, shaking my head.
"Crazy," I tell him.
"That's me," he replies, smiling. Emily shifts in her sleep, whining, causing both of us to look down. "This has been happening more frequently lately."
"Nightmares?"
"Yeah. I don't know why or what of. She can't describe most of the stuff."
"Right." Emily whines louder, cowering closer to Greg. He kisses her softly on the top of her head as Cotton shifts out of her tightening grip. He takes the kitten out of her hands, handing her to me. I pet her as Greg holds Emily tighter.
"I hate this," he whispers. "Should I wake her up?"
"I don't know," I tell him quietly. "My mom used to wake me up, but my dad always made me sleep it out." Emily shoots awake, whimpering. Greg hugs her gently, whispering soothing things to her as I pet Cotton, who curls up on my lap and falls asleep. She's easily the laziest kitten I've ever seen. Emily quiets down, holding tightly onto Greg even still. He smiles softly at me as she settles herself again against him, closing her eyes.
"Go to sleep, honey," he tells her softly. "Daddy's right here. He's not going anywhere." She snuggles closer, falling asleep again. He sighs softly, frowning.
"Will she sleep through the night now?" I ask him quietly, still petting the cat.
"I don't know." He stares at the TV, a frown working into his features. "I hate when she has nightmares. I think that scared her." I shrugged.
"I don't know, Greg. I don't really see how or why it'd be still affecting her three months later."
"I don't either, but at least if it did, I'd have something to blame." I nod sadly. "Sorry to depress you."
"It's alright, hon. It's what I'm here for." He chuckles.
"To feel my pain with me?"
"Yeah, pretty much." He smiles.
"I love you."
"I love you too." He kisses my cheek softly, and I slide a little closer to him on the couch. Cotton digs her claws into me at my movement.
"She doesn't like when you move under her," he says.
"I can see that, yes," I reply, smirking.
"Don't be fresh or I'll make you pay."
"Mmm, if it's anything like last night, I'm looking forward to it." He grins.
"Might be worse."
"In a good way or a bad way?"
"What kind of fun would it be if I told you?" I smile wider.
"Oh, I don't know, but I'll have to show you later." He grins.
"Fair deal." I pick up the cat, putting her on the couch. I turn off the TV as Greg stands up, holding Emily.
"Oh, and Sara?" I turn in time to get doused in hand sanitizer, more than I had imagined.
"You will pay for that, mister."
THE END