Several days later….

I faintly remember Gil kissing my forehead before he left this morning. I attempt to roll over and out of bed, before resorting to scooting to the edge and letting my feet slide off the bed and onto the floor. I pad down the hall and into the bathroom, stripping clothes off and turning on the shower. I silently curse that I haven't brought my clothes into the bathroom. Oh well, I'll get them after my shower.

The warm water beads over my skin and my hands come to rest on the rise of my stomach. I can't believe that it has been almost 9 months, 36 weeks to be exact. I grab a towel, laughing as I see how much is left uncovered in the mirror. Just as I open the door, I hear noises downstairs. I immediately remember that Gil had taken today off to meet Greg and Nick at the airport.

I'm quickly walking back into the bedroom as I can hear Gil and the boys coming upstairs on a grand tour of the house. I manage to close the bedroom door just as they stop into the first guestroom.

"Boys, you all can fight over who's sleeping in here and who gets to sleep downstairs on the sofa."

"Best two out of three on rock, paper, scissors, Nick?"

Clearly, Greg hasn't lost his boyish charm and ways. The guys stop into the nursery next, talking about the few things that needed to be done before it could be considered finished. Just as I am pulling on an almost too small pair of pants, there is a quiet knock at the door.

"Sara, is it ok to open the door? The boys are here."

I make several steps to the door and turn the knob, opening the door into the master suite. Greg and Nick both step forward, arms outstretched and reaching for me. I embrace the both of them, kissing them on the cheek.

"Thank you both for coming. There's not a lot of work to do, but definitely more than Gil could do by himself."

"Awww, it's nothing Sara. It's actually kind of nice to get away for a while. And those Vols tickets didn't do anything but sweeten the deal." Greg replies.

The boys get a grand tour of the master suite, the room that sealed the deal on this house.

Gil and I had always wanted an old farmhouse. Most of the ones that we looked at needed far more work than we were willing to do. This house was different. The entire house had been remodeled and the previous owner had spent a great deal of time and money on it. The kitchen was a chef's dream - including a brick oven. The selling point for us had been the master suite. Almost three quarters of the upstairs was transformed into a sprawling bedroom and bath. A tub, large enough for Gil and I both to comfortably soak in, a river rock lined shower, a closet as big as my first studio apartment - all those things were great. The bedroom was perfect. The huge windows offered a view of the lake and on warm nights, we could open them and listen to the chorus of frogs and crickets. My favorite part of the bedroom was the small sitting area off of the bathroom - the walls were nothing but bookshelves, which we had filled with favorite books as soon as we moved in.

The four of us walked downstairs and into the kitchen, taking seats at the table. Conversation was still easy between us. Nick talked of the promotion he had received, Greg talked of finally being taken seriously in the lab. We all laughed when the story of Hodges proposal to Wendy came up.

"And he was so nervous that he dropped the ring and we all spent the next half hour trying to find the ring."

"Should we get started on moving furniture or is there something else that we need to do?" asks Nick.

And with that, the boys are standing up from the table and following Gil towards the garage. I shuffle close behind, eager to get things in place. The rest of the morning and part of the early afternoon is spent moving furniture. The boys insist on giving us some time to rest afterwards, deciding to walk and find "a cool lunch spot with some ladies." We enjoy a quiet lunch on the sun porch, talking and laughing about the two over-grown boys. Later in the afternoon, the boys come strolling back in and we spend the rest of the day enjoying each other's company. We talk about the lab, our shotgun wedding, and Gil's new job.

"So, do you teach at the university or just work at the Body Farm, Grissom?"

"Well, I'm a guest lecturer for a class on Forensic Entomology this semester. Most of the work is done at the Body Farm. It's definitely something new and I'm enjoying it. I'm not going to teach anything next semester - take some time off to spend with Sara and the baby."

Gil cooks an early dinner and we settle in for the night. Greg pulls out a deck of cards, challenging us to several hands of poker. I have to smile and wonder if he enjoys getting beat so handily or maybe he thinks his luck will change. After winning all but one of the hands, I'm feeling tired and uncomfortable from Charlotte's constant kicking.

"I think I'm going to call it a night - maybe you boys will be up for another whippin' tomorrow after the game?"

I make my way up the stairs and look for pajamas. Unable to find ones that aren't so tight, I strip down to only my underwear and crawl in the bed. The only person coming into this room tonight has seen me in far less, so I'm unconcerned at my lack of modesty.

I drift off into a peaceful slumber and don't notice when Gil manages to crawl into bed. I'm only awakened by the warmth of his hand on my stomach. I cuddle closer to his body and sleep quickly comes.

Sometime in the early morning, before the sun dances through the windows, I'm awakened by a powerful sensation in my stomach. I try stretching and moving, hoping to position myself in a way that would cause this feeling to subside - quickly. Unable to find comfort, I carefully slip out of bed and into the bathroom, pausing to steady myself at the sink. I'm nearly doubling over in pain, holding my breath hoping the pain will go away. Gil appears at the doorway, looking concerned.

"Sar, is everything okay? What do you need me to do?"

I'm fighting back tears, "I'm not sure - I think I'm having contractions."

He steps into the bathroom, wrapping me in his arms and lowering us both to the cold, tile floor. He massages my back, easing some of the tension. His hands spread across my stomach and he can feel the contractions.

"I think we should go to the hospital, Sara."

He stands up and extends his hand to me, helping me up off of the floor. Carefully, he guides me into a recliner and I wait for him to gather the bag that's been packed by the bed for months. We walk down the stairs and are getting ready to leave when I remember that Nick and Greg are here.

"Just leave a note and the keys to your car."

Gil manages to scrawl a quick note and takes the keys out of his pocket, placing them on the table before helping me out the door.