A/N: Thank you all for the kind reviews, I´m always happy to get feedback to my story.

And a big thanks to Come What May as always ;-)

Enjoy!

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Part 6:

Christmas day morning had Grissom waking up in bed alone, light already falling through the blinds into the room.

He heard faint noises coming from the kitchenette and a few minutes later Sara appeared in the bedroom again, two mugs of tea in hand.

„Merry Christmas." She anounced cheerily.

Grissom marveled at the sight of her in her flimsy nightgown through which the gentle curve of her stomach was clearly visible. She looked radiant, she looked beautiful and she was his.

„Merry Christmas." He replied hoarsly, his voice still thick with sleep.

„I made breakfast." Sara scooted over to the bed and set the cups down on the bedside table before wandering of again just to return with a plate full of pancakes and fruit.

„You made pancakes?" Grissom asked inceduliously, smelling the delicious scent of them as she carried them over to him and set plate down on his lap.

„That´s what people eat in the morning, or so I´ve heard." Sara smirked and sat down next to him on the bed, crawling under the sheets again.

„Sorry, that was stressed wrongly, I meant you made pancakes?"

„Watch it Mister or I´m never making you breakfast again." She smacked his arm playfully, but he caught her hand and pulled her closer, drawing her into a deep kiss.

„Good morning," he whispered as they broke apart again, „and thanks for making me breakfast." He kissed her one more time on the forehead before letting her go again.

The pancakes were eaten in bed and afterwards they stayed there for a while, just cuddling.

This was exactly how she´d wanted to spent Chrismas Day.

„So time for gifts?" Grissom asked after a while, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over them.

„Sure."

They both got out of bed, Sara quickly pulling on a jeans and a shirt.

„Be right back."She murmured, before slipping out the hotel room´s door to retrieve his present from her rental car.

She´d thought long about what to give to him and had only decided on a gift recently after seeing an add for it on TV, during one of her sleepless mornings.

When she returned, Grissom was sitting on the couch, two cups of tea on the table in front of him and two small packets in his hands.

He stood up as Sara approached and wordlessly enveloped her in a hug.

„I´m glad you came here." He whispered, a rare show of emotion for him, which startled Sara, even if in a good way.

She pulled back to kiss him on the lips softly.

„Me too."

Curiosly she looked behind him at the packets that he had disposed on the coffee table.

„Two?" She asked, eyebrows raised. In the beginning of their relationship, when they´d first talked about Christmas, they´d decided to not go overboard with the presents as it had been important to either of them. Sara wondered if he´d be angry with her for buying a rather expensive present this year, but decided not to worry about it. He´d tell her what he thought about it soon enough.

„You´ll see," he answered vaguely, taking her hand to pull her over to the couch. „You wanna open them?"

„You got to ask?" He had to know that she would be curious as hell. Sometimes in that respect, she was even worse than Catherine...

He gave her the bigger one of the gifts, neatly wrapped in light green paper.

She unwrapped it with care, taunting him with her slow approach. She knew he wanted to see her reaction just as much as she wanted to see his present.

When it was finally unwrapped she looked up in confusion.

„Baby´s first bug book?" She asked incediously, laughing at his sheepish expression.

„I didn´t think it would be fair for the baby to get nothing, so I just thought...I saw it in the display of a bookstore and it just fit, so..."

She leaned forward, stopping his rambling with a tender kiss.

„You are incredibly cute when you are thoughtful." She whispered, pulling back again to tend to the second gift.

Unravelling it she found the DVD of Love Actually and a card which she opened, anticipation written all over her face.

This is a promise that, as soon as I am my normal self again, I´m going to take you on a vacation wherever you want to go.

I love you,

-Gil.

She laughed at his choice of present.

„Love Actually?" She asked, her tone teasing.

„I saw you catching it on TV when it actually aired and the re-run and you once told me it was one of the few love movies you enjoyed, so I thought..." Grissom tried to explain but was caught off by her lips once again.

„So, I figure you like the gifts?"

„Very," she gave him one of her full Sidle-smiles, „your turn."

She pulled out a thick envelope from behind her, handing to Grissom.

She´d thought about the present for a long time, finally deciding it was the right thind to give to him. He´d mentioned he wanted to visit the rainforest again.

„Sara...," he gasped, pulling out the tickets, „This is incencredible."

The lady at the travel agency had convinced her that the four star hotel in Fonte Boa was family friendly and offered boat trip down the amazonas and into the thick woods of the rainforest. He´d love it there.

„The hotel we´ll be staying at is in a small city called Fonte Boa, right by the Amazonas." She announced to him and his face lit up even more.

„You are amazing," he whipsered, pulling her into a tight hug.

Next to Sara coming to Williamstown to see him over Christmas this was the best present he´d ever gotten.

„You really tape everything I say, don´t you?"

„Maybe."

The rest of the morning was spent in bed.

They´d decided not to cancel his dinner with Celia but go there together. Sara wanted to get to know the woman more, not only because she was jealous and wanted to show her that she was Grissom´s girlfriend, but also to assure herself that Grissom had somebody here to take care of him if he needed it.

She knew Grissom would never cheat on her, especially now, and so she´d decided to trust him on this one and be nice to Celia, even though it still stung to know that he´d kept his new friend a secret from Sara.

Now she was standing in the bathroom of his hotel room, applying some make-up, while Grissom was getting dressed in the bedroom.

„Hey," he came into the room and wrapped his arms around her from behind, „You look nice."

„Thanks." She leaned back into him, savouring the feel of his arms around her. God how she´d missed this.

„You want to wear this?" He indicated her crimson dress, which did nothing to hide her growing belly.

„We don´t have to hide here, do we?" She asked, insecure if he wanted his co-workers to know about her pregnancy.

„Nah, I´ll just have to endure the reprimands Celia is going to throw my way as soon as she finds out I left my pregnant girlfriend alone at home."

He started kissing her neck, willing her to relax again. He knew she felt insecure about his thoughts on the baby and she had all right to be - he didn´t exactly hide the fact that this whole situation was difficult for him- but he tried to assure her that he wasn´t ashamed of her and the baby. That had never been the case.

Sara didn´t say anything to his reply, just turned around in his arms after finishing the last touches on her make-up and kissing him softly.

„I love you, you know that right?" He whispered.

„Yeah I know." She answered, kissing him once again before tugging on his hand. „Come on, let´s go, we´re going to be late."

He didn´t understand why she shied away from his declaration, but decided to let it go for now. They still had time to talk after dinner, before she had to get back to Vegas the next day.

Celia stood up from the table in the small Italian restaurant as Grissom and Sara approached.

„Hey." She shook Sara´s hand and hugged Grissom before motioning for them to sit down.

Sara felt immediately uncomfortable. Even when she and Grissom had been friends she´d never hugged him, nor did Catherine when they met.

„Did you two have a good day so far?" Celia asked.

„We did. Sara got me a journey to the rainforest for Christmas." Grissom answered, uncharacteristicly exited.

„Well, that´s nice."

„How was your evening with you family?" Grissom asked in return, pulling out a chair for Sara to sit down and seating himself next to her, while Celia occupied the chair opposite of him.

„We had way too much food for the three of us, but it was fun to see them again," Celia answered, then turning to Sara she asked, „How are you enjoying Williamstown?"

„I haven´t actually seen much yet." Sara answered honestly. „But Gil wants to take me on a tour around town after dinner."

„Well there´s not much to see here anyway."

The waitress interrupted them just then and they placed their drink orders. Looking the menu over Sara noticed there were not many vegetarian choices on it, but as Celia had picked the restaurant it was not suprising.

The waitress returned and they placed there orders, Sara having decided on a salad.

„You know they make really great lasagna here," Celia said, smiling cooly at Sara.

„I´m a vegetarian and they don´t have a meatless lasagna here," Sara shrugged.

„You know you have to watch your protein intake and all that now you´re pregnant. Being a vegetarian is not always good for the baby." Celia watched her up and down cooly. „How far along are you by the way?"

„A little over five months," Sara answered, her hand going immediatly to her protruding belly.

„Wow," turning to Grissom she added, „You leave your five-month-pregnant girlfriend alone to go on a sabbatical?"

He looked down sheepishly, „Well..."

„We talked about it and it´s the only thing we could do." Sara answered for him. Even though it was by far not the greatest thing that he was gone and had left her now, she wouldn´t let Celia make Grissom feel even more guilty.

The dinner was more or less an uncomfortable affair, with Grissom having to devide his attention between the two women and Celia posing questions that were a little to private for Sara´s liking.

Having finished their meals, Grissom excused himself to go to the restroom, leaving the two women alone for a few minutes.

„You seem to be very understanding." At Sara´s raised eyebrow Celia continued, „I mean, letting him come here for a few months although you are pregnant."

„I told you it was the only thing we knew how he could get some distance to the job." Sara felt defensive.

„Yeah, I guess it´s the best thing. And it even helped him to find a new passion. He´s very good at teaching."

„I know." Sara didn´t mention that she´d been one of his students once. No need to emphasize their age difference.

„Do you plan on switching to day shift once the baby is born?" Another probing question that made Sara feel uncomfortable. She really didn´t like this woman.

„I´m not sure, but probably not. I like the team I´m working with and I would rather be with my child over the day than at night when it´s sleeping."

„But don´t you think you´ll see Gil even less then."

„What do you mean."

„I mean, when he starts teaching full time it will be during the day and with you working nights there won´t be much time left for you two."

What the hell did that mean?
At Sara´s confused expression Celia continued.

„He has told you that he thinks about quitting his job and teaching at UNLV or somewhere else full time, hasn´t he?"

Sara was dumbstruck. Grissom was thinking of quitting?

At Sara´s shocked expression Celia grinned, but tried to hide it.

„I´m so sorry Sara,I thought you already knew." She said, mock-sympathetic.

Sara wanted to slap her in the face. And then kick Grissom´s butt. She needed to get out of there.

„Tell Gil I wasn´t feeling well and got a cab home."

With that she stood up and walked out.