"Go!" Sara ordered from where she was standing in the hallway one arm stretched out and dripping water onto the floor, the other cradling a freshly bathed Rosa
"You're sure."
"Gil," Sara's annoyed tone spoke volumes on how frustrated she was becoming, "She's going to be asleep most of the time. We will be fine, wont we?" Sara addressed the last part to Rosa.
"Okay," Grissom kissed Sara before kissing his daughter on the forehead.
"Shall we wave bye to daddy?" Sara cooed shutting the door after Grissom left and then standing at the window watching him drive away. Once he had gone Sara went through the ritual of putting Rosalie to bed, then found herself alone for the first time since Rosa was born. Well, technically Rosa was still there, but she was silent and after having people around her for so long, Sara found she actually missed it and so she decided to go to bed early and read for a bit rather than wander around the house aimlessly.
Sara bolted up right as the shrill sound of crying rudely woke her from her slumber sending her into a confused daze, fumbling on the side for a the alarm clock. It wasn't until she had the clock in her hand and was staring at the time of six minutes past eight that she realized she wasn't due at work and it was in fact her daughter that had woken her. Tossing the sheets off her Sara grabbed the nearest thing to throw on to shield her arms from the cool air. Sleepily she stumbled into the hallway closer to the sound that had woken her.
"Hey Rosalie, what's up?" asked Sara wrapped in Grissom's shirt. She made her way through the darkness towards Rosa's crib where she was screaming her lungs out.
"Come on then, what's the matter?" asked Sara lifting Rosalie from her crib.
"Come on Rosa. Mom's tired," pleaded Sara swaying on the spot which did nothing to calm Rosa.
"Okay, how about a pacifier?" said Sara fumbling around on the side until she found one, which, once placed in Rosa's mouth temporally soothed the baby before falling to the ground when she started screaming again.
"Okay, so no dummy," sighed Sara walking around the room in circles. After five minutes Rosa wasn't calming so Sara expanded her walk to around the house bumping into various items in the darkness.
"Okay Rosalie, what do you want? You want Dad? Because you're going to be waiting a while," Sara sighed. She continued to walk around the house for another ten minutes before she came up with the idea of putting Rosa in her pram and pushing her around. Sure enough after twenty minutes the baby fell asleep and Sara was able to put her back to bed and get back to bed herself.
11-27pm"Aargh," Sara could have screamed; she was tired and becoming irritable as she stomped into the nursery like a sulking teenager, but upon looking down at her daughter she found her anger dissipate. She slumped down into the chair opposite the crib building up the strength to pick Rosalie up and walk her around the house. After a few seconds she stood, picked Rosa up and placed a dummy in her mouth. As her crying turned into a whine Sara wandered sleepily around the house looking like something from a zombie movie.
"Oh, that's great," sighed Sara stopping dead in her tracks as Rosa spit up on her shoulder. The one time Sara hadn't bothered to but a shirt on over her tank top. Sighing she took Rosa back and placed the child in the crib, she whined for a bit but was getting sleepy as Sara stumbled to the bathroom and washed her shoulder then checked on Rosa before slumping back to bed and curling up with the covers sparing a moments thought to how Grissom was getting on before sleep took over.
2:46am
The sudden noise shocked Sara from her sleep, Rosalie was awake again. Disoriented Sara swung her legs around the side of the bed and stood nearly losing her balance. She stood a few seconds allowing her brain to wake up before grabbing a shirt from the floor. Slipping the zipped jacket on she made her way towards the source of the crying. This time Sara had to flick a light on in the hallway because she couldn't see where she was going and almost crashed into the door of the nursery. On entering she knew the problems from Rosa's red face and high-pitched cry.
"Great," muttered Sara picking Rosa up and lying her down on the changing table.
"Okay sweetie, hang on," sighed Sara grabbing a clean diaper from under the table and finding the wipes. With the lack of co ordination Sara had at two in the morning it took her a good ten minutes to change Rosa and get a new diaper on the wriggling child, twice she had got the Velcro stuck to Rosalie's sleep suit. Eventually she got Rosa dressed and was able to put her back to bed despite the soft cry Rosa was emitting Sara left her in the crib slumping down into the chair in the nursery. Sara sat until Rosa finally drifted off to sleep and she could make her way back to bed.
5:43am
"I'm up," Sara announced probably the same thing the entire street was thinking from the screaming Rosalie was making. Warily she made her way into Rosa's room silently pleading that she would fall straight back to sleep, no such luck. In fact she wasn't even slowing down even with Sara pushing her around the house in her pram. Remembering how well the walk to the park had worked Sara wheeled Rosa into her bedroom where she gave the impression she was quietening down but only for a few seconds. Sara grabbed a pair of jeans from the cupboard and slid into them before getting a jacket. She pushed Rosa to the front door grabbing her keys and her gun from the side before leaving. There was no way she was walking around the block with Rosa and no protection. Once outside, the night, or early morning air woke her; it was cool compared the temperatures they'd been having; hitting triple degrees in the daytime making Rosa and Sara more irritable. After ten minutes of wandering the street Rosa dropped off and Sara made her way back home and got her back in bed before crawling into hers fully dressed, wrapping the blanket round herself.
7:36am
Grissom silent crept into the house not wanting to wake anyone. The house was silent, something he was grateful for. He went down the hallway poking his head into the nursery silently praying he wasn't going wake Rosalie but he saw his tiny daughter sound asleep. Making his way into his bedroom he found his fiancé sound asleep, it wasn't until Grissom had got himself ready for bed and was laying down next to her he realized Sara was fully dressed.
"I'll ask later," whispered Grissom as Sara rolled towards him in her sleep.
Wednesday
Sara felt guilty. Not guilty that she'd left Rosalie but guilty that she didn't. An hour ago Sara and Grissom had dropped Rosa off at Willows' Childcare, a place that Catherine had recommended as a place for parents who work 'funky' hours. Sara could tell Catherine had been speaking to Greg when she explained about the place from the word 'funky' but basically it was open like everything else in Vegas twenty four hours. One could leave ones children there whatever time of the day and they would look after them. Sara and Grissom had left Rosa with Louise who was in charge of a room with three cots in it. Rosa had been asleep and not even noticed her parent's absence.
"Welcome back!" Greg's exclamation woke Sara from her thoughts.
"Good to have you back," smiled Nick pulling Sara into a hug.
"You missing her yet?" asked Catherine coming into the break room sipping on a coffee.
"Yes," replied Sara on autopilot taking a gulp of her own coffee.
"Are you awake or sleep walking like Grissom?" was Catherine's next question with a little smirk. Despite both Grissom and Sara being natural insomniacs, having only had five hours sleep and looking after Rosa was turning out to be harder work than Sara had imagined.
"Possibly sleepwalking," muttered Sara as Grissom came into the break room accompanied by Warrick who gave a quick smile at Sara before sitting down.
"Right, you will all be pleased to know I have completed your evaluations. Sara's done yours."
"A week before you'd even looked at them," interrupted Catherine.
"Assignments," said Grissom changing the topic. "Warrick, Cath, you're with me. Double homicide, Station Road," he held the piece of paper out for Catherine to take. "Nick, possible arson at the Two Aces Motel. And finally Greg, Sara B and E in Henderson."
"Oh, score," mocked Sara knowing Grissom was trying to ease her back in.
"Come on sunshine," smiled Nick. "Could be worse, you could be stuck in the lab again."
"B and E, whoa, yeah," said Sara grabbing the slip of paper. "I'm driving," she called already half way down the corridor.
"Is she this bossy at home?" Greg asked as Grissom was standing up.
"I find it's best to do as I'm told," replied Grissom as Catherine nearly choked on her coffee.
"She's got you trained," smiled Catherine.
"Don't even think about it," warned Warrick.
"You're already whipped man," said Nick getting up. As Catherine and Warrick continued to argue as they left the break room.
"This is going to be a long night," sighed Grissom following the group out.
By the time Grissom got the garage there was only Nick and Warrick left who were peering in his Tahoe laughing.
"Never thought I'd see the day," grinned Nick. Then Grissom realised what they found so funny. It was his car they'd taken Rosalie to childcare in so there was a yellow car seat strapped in the back with a pink blanket tossed on the floor with a dummy they had searched for earlier.
"Work," muttered Grissom.
Eight hours later Greg bounded into the break room a coffee in one hand a slice of toast in the other.
"Morning," he cried cheerily to Catherine and Warrick.
"Five more minutes and we're out of here," smiled Catherine.
"Days is down one; I said I'd cover," Greg informed them as Grissom walked into the room carrying a pile of papers and looking confused.
"You okay Gil?" asked Catherine trying not to laugh at his tired appearance.
"I had it in my hand, I know I did," he muttered before turned and leaving again.
"Wow, he looks like he could do with some sleep," said Nick side steeping him as he came in to grab his car keys.
"He's not the only one," smiled Greg as Sara slowly entered the room concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other and going in a forward motion without plunging face first into the floor.
"Morning sunshine," grinned Nick.
"Don't start," warned Sara in a tone so low she seemed to growl.
"Caffeine," said Catherine pouring her some coffee and handing it to Sara before she sat down.
"So how's your case going?" Nick asked Greg hoping for something exciting. "My possible arson turned out to be a teenage girl with incense sticks."
"Our B and E turned out to be a teenage boy who didn't get the game console he wanted for his birthday so he trashed the house and stole his mothers jewellery," answered Greg.
"If you mention anything about Rosa been a teenager I will kill you," muttered Sara before anyone had a chance to speak.
"So Cath, Warrick, how'd the case go?" asked Greg changing the subject at the speed of light.
"We've got three suspects with three alibi's and all three's DNA all over the crime scene," answered Catherine as Grissom entered the break room.
"Oh, look, clocking out time," grinned Catherine. "Now I've got to spend the morning bowling because someone said they'd take Lindsay," she finished glaring at Warrick.
"She mentioned she liked it. And I didn't say lets go bowling, she just took it as lets go bowling," Warrick continued his explanation as he followed Catherine out the room.
"They're dating aren't they?" asked Nick as everyone in the room nodded.
"Well, I've got a beef steak with my name on it," said Nick getting up. "And I'm sure you have some diapers with yours," he added waving to Greg as he ran down the hallway before Sara could launch anything at him.
"Bye Greg," smiled Sara as she and Grissom left to pick up Rosalie.
The drive to Willows' childcare only took twenty minutes and seemed to wake both Grissom and Sara temporally. Once they were let inside they were escorted to the day room where Rosa was happily sleeping.
"So you coped with the first day," smiled Kate handing Grissom all Rosa's bags back.
"Just about," he replied.
"She only woke a couple of times; she had one bottle and she was changed about twenty minutes ago so you should be good for a while," she rattled off checking Rosa's book and signing it before handing it back to Grissom who was now laden down with one bag containing all her changing things and another with spare items.
"See you soon," smiled Kate helping them out the front door.
"Bye," smiled Sara who was busy prodding a sleepy Rosa's cheek.
"If you keep doing that she'll cry," warned Grissom dropping the bags into the back of the car.
"I'm checking she's okay," said Sara putting her in the car seat.
"And if she cries it will mean she's missed you," said Grissom causing Sara's jaw to nearly hit the floor. "Greg let me borrow a book," he finished.
TBC ……………………Hope your enjoying this story if you are drop me a review and let me know….let me know if you aren't as well.