Title: Miss Independent

Author: Megan

Pairing: Nick/Sara, Grissom/Catherine (They're only in the first chapter, though. It's not much)

Rating: PG 13 (Yes, it's probably rated too high, but I'm just playing' it safe.)

Spoilers: Seasons 1-3 are fair game.

Summary: Sara thinks she's pregnant, and Grissom gets out of surgery.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters on CSI. I only own the ones I make up on my own. But can I just borrow Nick when he's not working or something?

A/N: My response to a challenge.

For story purposes, Hank and Sara broke up after around the time Play with Fire took place. Let's just say Crash and Burn and PWF happened in the same week.

**Grissom's House**

He had been away from his home for what seemed like a month, but in reality it had only been 4 days. His surgery had been successful. Grissom felt like he had his life back. When before he was constantly wondering if his hearing would fade, or not, now he didn't have to worry at all.

Grissom was just getting ready to fix himself some dinner when there was a knock at his door.

"Uncle Grissom!" Lindsey shouted after the door was opened.

"Hey princess," Grissom said, kneeling down to give the 9 year old a hug.

"Mommy said you were in the hospital. Are you OK?" Grissom looked from the little girl up to Catherine. She gave him a small smile, which he returned.

Catherine had come to visit him the 4 days he was in the hospital, but she never brought Lindsey with her. He was happy to see the little girl.

"Yes, Linds, I was in the hospital for a few days, but don't you worry. I'm all better now." Grissom moved out of the way so Catherine and her daughter could come into his townhouse.

"I was just getting ready to make some dinner. Would you two like to join me?" Grissom asked leading them into the kitchen.

"Yeah, Mommy, can we stay, please?" Lindsey grabbed onto her mothers hand and looked up at her with begging eyes.


"Are you sure?" Catherine asked Grissom.

"Of course."

**Sara's Apartment**

Sara woke up only 2 hours after she had gotten home from work. She felt like she was going to be sick. 'Its probably stress' she thought. After everything with Hank, and then the lab exploding, it was no wonder she didn't break down every time she walked through that lab. But somehow she managed to keep her composure.

She rolled over and looked at her alarm clock. 10:12 am. Sara hadn't been able to sleep much for the past week, but she usually got more than 2 hours.

Suddenly she felt her stomach lurch, and rushed to the bathroom, before spilling any of the vomit on her bed sheets. Maverick, the dog she had adopted after one of her many cases, trotted into the bathroom, and sat down next to Sara.

"Oh God!" She breathed, as the last bits of her Chinese food from the night before left her mouth. Sara rinsed her mouth with water, and then some mouth wash. She still didn't feel much better, so she went back into her bedroom, and crawled into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.

**CSI Lab**

It was Grissom's first night back, and he couldn't have been happier. He walked in with Catherine. She had dropped Lindsey off at her sister's, gone home to grab a shower, and then went back to Grissom's house to pick him up. She had insisted on driving him everywhere since he had just gotten out of the hospital.

They walked into the break room, where a big sign read, "Welcome Back, Bugman!" Nick, Warrick, Greg, and Brass were all in there waiting for him.

"Thanks, guys!" Grissom exclaimed giving them each a hearty handshake and light hug. "I really appreciate it."

"Cath told us that it went well. I just wish you would have told us all sooner." Warrick said.

"Sorry, but I just couldn't. Hey, where's Sara?"

Greg piped up. "I don't know. She was really pissed off. Last I saw her she was going to the bathroom." He then motioned to Catherine. "Looks like that's your turf."

"Yeah. I'll go check on her." Catherine turned to Grissom, and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm glad you're back." Then she walked down the hall to the bathroom.

Inside she found Sara bent over a sink, splashing water on her face.

"Hey, you OK?" Catherine asked.

"I don't know, Cath."

"Wanna talk about it? Is it Hank?"

Sara turned to face the other woman. "No. And before you ask, it has nothing to do with the explosion either." Sara had a bit of bitterness attached to every word.

"Come on. Let's go back to the break room."

"Wait." Sara started. "Cath… I think I might be pregnant."

Catherine's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. "What? How do you know?"

"Well, first of all, my period is late. By almost a week now." Sara's gaze dropped to the floor.

"It could just be stress, though, Sara. You've been through a lot." Catherine took a step toward the younger woman, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"But I feel the same way I did the first time."

Catherine was confused now. "The first time?" She asked.

Sara looked up, just realizing what she had said. "Um. Nothing. I have to go." With that Sara was gone. She walked quickly down the hall, and out the door. Since she technically wasn't supposed to be working, she figured no one would even notice she wasn't there. She got to her car, and leaned her back up against the driver's side door.

Miss independent

Miss self-sufficient

Miss keep your distance

Miss unafraid

Miss out of my way

Miss don't let a man interfere, no

Miss on her own

Miss almost grown

Miss never let a man help her off her throne

So, by keeping her heart protected

She'd never ever feel rejected

Little miss apprehensive

Said ooh, she fell in love

Sara finally let go of the tears she had been holding onto. There was no way she was pregnant. Not again. The first time she had been so young. She was still in college, only 21 years old. Her boyfriend, Joe, had come home over to her apartment after she had gotten home from a wild party. She was totally drunk, and they had sex. Unprotected sex, no less.

She had regretted that night for so long.

Sara ended up getting pregnant from that night.

She found out a month and half later, when she was taken to the hospital for severe abdominal pain, and heavy bleeding, that due to stress from school, and the fact that she hadn't been eating right for the past few months, she had had a miscarriage.

Soon after, she had broken up with Joe. She never even told him about her miscarriage. Joe had died a week later in a car accident. Some of his friends had blamed Sara for it. They said he was so upset because of her dumping him, and he wasn't thinking straight. Even though Sara knew they were wrong, she still felt guilty about it.

Sara had learned to forget about Joe and her unborn baby, but now that she was possibly pregnant again, all the memories came flooding back. And she knew that the only possible father would be Hank. And she never ever wanted to see him again. Not after he had hurt her so bad, and used her to cheat on his girlfriend.

"Sara?"

She looked up to see Nick running towards her. She quickly wiped the tears off her face, knowing damn well that he was still going to be able to tell she had been crying. She didn't even want to know how bad she looked.

Sara dug in her pocket for her car keys, but Nick grabbed her hand before she could stick the key in the door, and escape him.

"Hey. I got kinda worried about you." The sound of his soft voice made her want to start crying all over again.

What is this feelin' takin' over?

Thinkin' no one could open my door

Surprise...It's time

To feel what's real

What happened to Miss Independent?

No longer need to be defensive

Goodbye, old you

When love is true

"I just needed to get out of there. It's my night off. I need to go. Maverick is sick. I'll call Griss later. I have to go," Sara spit everything out at once.

Nick placed a finger under her chin, and lifted her head up so he could get a better look at her face. "I'll take you home." He didn't even need an explanation. He moved his hand down to hers and pulled the keys from it. He then led her over to the passenger side, and opened the door for her.

"Nick…"

"Sara, get in, and don't argue with me."

She did as she was told, and Nick shut the door. He walked over to the driver's side of the Tahoe, and hopped in.

TBC