Chapter Thirteen - By Your Side

Sara wasn't sure how it all happened, but three weeks later she found herself moving out of her apartment – the place she had been calling home for the past six years – to a new place, a house she would be sharing with Grissom and, in about four months, with their baby daughter.

She was twenty-one weeks pregnant and apart from the morning sickness of the first months, she had felt great – absolutely normal. People could barely tell that she was pregnant. Until two weeks ago.

Her doctor had told her that she was small, but that that was just normal; some women gained more weight and showed sooner than others. She was pretty thin when she got pregnant, and she had a slight bump, but her clothes covered it just fine. Now, well… She needed new clothes. Maternity clothes. And everyone would know that she was pregnant.

Grissom was, of course, being very attentive; he always asked how she was feeling and he bought gifts for her and toys for the baby almost every day. She insisted that she was fat and big – and her skin wasn't exactly that great – but he'd tell her every day that she was beautiful.

"God, I had no idea I had so many things at my apartment." Sara said, shaking her head as she took a few items from a box. "Do you think we'll be ready to be living here by Christmas?"

"Sure. Two weeks from now we'll have everything in its place, you'll see." Grissom said, walking over to where she stood in the kitchen island, and kissing her temple with a smile.

He looked at her as she sorted things out in drawers and cabinets, admiring her silhouette; their baby was certainly making her presence known, and Sara couldn't be more beautiful than she was now. However, after spending her day off out and about their new house, he worried that she was over-working.

"Aren't you tired, honey? Perhaps you should lie down a little. You've been on your feet for hours." Grissom suggested.

"No, I want to finish this." She said, stiffening a yawn.

"Sara, you're tired. Let's go to the townhouse, grab some sleep, and then we can come back here tomorrow after shift." He said, gently putting his arm around her shoulders. She tiredly leaned into him.

"Okay, you're right." She nodded. "But at least let me finish this box."

He chuckled. "No problem. Let me help you, though."

They spent a few minutes emptying the box in a comfortable silence. Grissom had just put some bowls in a cabinet when he heard a small gasp coming from Sara. Alarmed, he turned over and searched his girlfriend's face for any sign of discomfort.

Sara looked at his eyes almost immediately. "I think I felt her."

Her expression was one of almost shock, as if she didn't actually believe in what she had just experienced. Grissom walked over to her just as she was smiling again.

"Yeah, that's her." She said, reaching for his hand and putting it resting on her lower belly. "Right there. I had been feeling weird things but I wasn't sure if it was her. Now I know. Can you feel it?"

Grissom's smile mirrored hers and Sara felt tears in her eyes. "I think she wants to help us with the move."

Sara laughed, a happy sound that made him wonder why he had waited so much to have this with her. "Or maybe she's just telling us to stop."

"Maybe. We'll have to wait until she's born to ask her that." Grissom said, caressing Sara's cheek and wiping a single happy tear away before capturing her lips in a loving kiss. "I love you, Sara. I love you both."

"I love you too." She said tearfully. She let out another laugh. "Come on, let's go."

Grissom laughed and, without letting go of her hand, followed her out of their house.

"You know, ever since everyone found out about you and Grissom, you seem more pregnant." Greg said as he and Sara processed a car. "Maybe it's the coveralls, but I think little Silje is finally making her presence known."

"Well, pregnant women eventually look pregnant, Greg." Sara said, looking at him sternly through the glasses she now needed to wear while processing almost everything. "And her name is not Silje."

"Oooh, you've decided on a name? I can just see it. Bet there is some bug meaning behind it." Greg teased.

"I'm not telling you. And before you ask, it's not Silje or Gregoria." Sara laughed.

"Asta?"

"Greg! What's this thing with names?" Sara asked, but Greg stared at her sheepishly. A look of realization crossed Sara's face. "Oh. I get it. There's a poll, right?"

"Most people think you'll go all weird. I seem to be the only one who thinks you'll go traditional. Hodges thinks you'll name her Paula." Greg said, rolling his eyes.

"Paula?"

"Yeah, 'cause his middle name is Paul, and he said that Grissom wanted to honor him somehow because he always encouraged him to pursue you." Greg explained, arching his eyebrows. "You're not thinking about naming her Paula, are you? Because that would be randomly bad."

Sara chuckled. "No worries. We're not naming her after Hodges."

"Now, back to business. Catherine wants to throw you a baby shower soon." Greg said slowly. "It's not really a baby shower. She knows you won't want one. It's mainly for us to see your new place. You know, the one you said nothing about."

"Who told you?"

"Human Resources. I went on a date with the receptionist, you know, Miranda? She has some weird toes, but that doesn't make her any less nice. Anyway… You changed your address and said nothing about it!" Greg explained. "Then I asked Catherine if she knew about this and Grissom came in and she told him she'd be throwing a baby shower at your place. But tell me. Nice house in the suburbs, expectant mother, the man of your dreams. What happened to Sara Sidle? And don't tell me your name is Sara Grissom. I can forgive the house and the pregnancy, if you go buy a dog and get married…"

"I'm not married. Or engaged. The baby wasn't exactly planned and the house was… a consequence. Our places weren't made for children, so we decided to move." Sara shrugged. "It's no big deal. It seemed like the logical thing to do."

"Oh, yes. And who are you to defy logic?" Greg teased. "Seriously, though. I'm happy for you. When can I visit you at your new place?"

"I'm not sure. Most of my things are already there, but we're still living at Grissom's. I really want to be living there by Christmas, but it's been difficult to find time." Sara sighed. "I'll talk to Grissom. Once we're living there, you can come over and see the place. We haven't even started on the nursery yet."

"Oh, yes. Have you thought about any theme? Maybe ladybugs or simply pink for baby Megan?" Greg suggested, arching his eyebrows suggestively.

Sara laughed. "Her name is not Megan. And no, we haven't thought about a theme. Can we focus on this car?"

"Okay, fine. But I'm sure little Ava wants us to keep talking about her." Greg said, pretending to feel offended.

Sara rolled her eyes. "Her name is not Ava, Greg."

It was almost winter in Las Vegas, and Christmas was coming – just as Sara's belly grew steadily.

Even though she would often complain about getting big, he couldn't help but think she was a vision. Her normal clothes gave place to maternity ones – and while she had been a bit insecure at the beginning, he knew she was feeling much more confident now, without morning sickness and knowing that their baby was healthy. She didn't want to hide her belly anymore; she even bought some tops that accentuated her new silhouette – and he couldn't help but love the new nightgowns that complimented her changing body so much.

Still, there was a lot to be done. They had been busy moving into the new house and now, as Christmas approached, they were busy planning the nursery.

After spending weeks in the move, they spent the last few days buying everything the baby needed – they already had some clothes and many toys, but they needed furniture and decoration. The room where the nursery would be – the room that had been decorated as one when they visited the house for the first time – was very spacious, with its white carpet and light pink walls – but Sara was completely against the pink walls. They decided that a light creamy yellow would be better for their baby's room.

Grissom's love for insects was obviously not out of the equation; the first linen set he bought had tiny bees in it. The second had butterflies.

Of course, the team thought it was only appropriated for their baby to have stuffed animals and, specially, insects. Just Greg by himself had given Sara a ladybug, a big caterpillar and a bumble bee pillow pet Sara was sure her baby girl would take more than just a few months to use it.

Sara was a bit more eclectic about everything; she bought some animals and even went along the bug theme by buying this very delicate firefly mobile.

"Blame it on my ignorance, but I never knew a baby needed so many things." Sara said as they arrived in their brand new home after going to the baby store. "Are you sure all of that will fit into the nursery?"

"I'm sure we'll find room." Grissom smiled as Sara lay on the couch, propping her feet up and grimacing a little. "Everything alright, honey?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just a bit tired." Sara yawned as he took a seat near her feet. "For once I'm glad we don't have to work tonight. We can enjoy our quiet, peaceful time together."

Grissom leaned against the couch, bringing her feet to his lap. "Yeah, we could watch that labor video I got last week."

"I said quiet and peaceful, Gilbert."

She had told him about a million of times. She had reminded him about it in the morning. She had even put a note on the fridge so that he wouldn't forget. He laughed it off and told her he wouldn't forget such an important thing.

Maybe she was overreacting. It wasn't a big deal anyway; it was just one more appointment, another ultrasound. No big deal.

Still, he didn't show up. He had been called in a case just minutes before shift was over. She went home alone, thinking that he would be able to arrive in time. His cell phone was apparently unavailable. When she called Catherine, she had been told the scene was into the desert, with no service area and lots, lots of bugs.

So, she went to the doctor by herself, got a new picture of the ultrasound to show Grissom if she felt like it, and went back home. She had just finished dressing for work when she heard the front door opening; Grissom was home.

"Hi, honey. Sorry I'm late – you wouldn't believe the state of the crime scene." Grissom said as he approached her as she put on some makeup.

He was obviously unworried, and his excitement over the crime scene and the bugs almost made her forgive him immediately. He talked about the different kinds of flies that were around the body, how the warm environment probably interfered in the decomposition, how he was going to work on the timeline. She merely nodded as he spoke; she was hurt and, to be honest, not in the mood for hearing about crime scenes, having been confined into the lab for the last two weeks, following protocol.

"I almost called you to come over, but a crime scene is dangerous for you, especially one that far away. I want you analyzing the case – perhaps helping me with the timeline if you feel like it. What do you think?" He asked, following her into their bedroom.

"You're the supervisor, you choose it."

Grissom stopped in his track, as she could see through the mirror, ready to ask her what was wrong. She looked up just in time to see realization taking place; he connected the dots.

"Sara, the appointment… I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to – God, I promised I wouldn't forget," Grissom said, running his hand through his hair in an embarrassed motion.

Sara shrugged, ignoring the tears that were threatening to come. She combed her hair as she spoke. "It's okay. No big deal."

"No, Sara, it's not…"

"I'm going to the lab right now," she interrupted him quickly, "I have some evidences to process before shift. Don't worry, I haven't maxed out on overtime. I'll see you later."

She grabbed her purse and managed a smile before leaving the room.

Sara felt drained when she arrived home the next morning, perhaps from work or perhaps from the emotional state she had been in ever since she left home for work. Confined to the lab, she worked through some evidences with Nick and Warrick, both only occasionally asking her if she needed anything, as usual. Nobody seemed to notice that she had been avoiding Grissom.

Of course, after much thinking and a few tears, she was now feeling guilty. It wasn't really a huge thing – of course, he did promise he wouldn't miss the appointment, but he was still Grissom. He was still learning, and so was she. A crime scene could be distracting. Perhaps she had been too tough on him anyway. She should have let him explain himself, at least.

When she left the lab, Grissom wasn't there – it wasn't like him to not tell her when he would be home, so she assumed he had been called to yet another scene, and left work half an hour after the end of shift.

When she arrived home, however, she was greeted by the distinct smell of Grissom's French toasts. She smiled sadly, thinking that he was probably beyond nervous and eager to apologize to her – and probably curious about how the appointment went, too.

She took off her shoes and sighed in relief as she put her purse on the side table. She rubbed her back tiredly and caressed her belly absentmindedly as she walked to the kitchen.

Just as she had predicted, she found Grissom standing in front of the counter with his back to her. She was just about to say something to make her presence known when she spotted something that didn't belong to their new kitchen – or perhaps hadn't been there the day before.

Right in front of the large window, on the counter, rested a large glass flower vase – with a beautiful violet bouquet in it. She could see different types of violet – she wasn't much into flowers, but she loved violets, and she loved that Grissom remembered that.

"Hey," Sara said, standing beside the breakfast bar, tearing her eyes away from the flowers to look at her boyfriend. He turned around upon hearing her voice and smiled.

"Hello, my dear," he said, and Sara almost melted upon hearing the endearment. His smile was cautious, a bit unsure, so she walked over to stand in front of the flowers and inspect them closely.

"Are these for me?" She asked, looking at Grissom to find him watching her intently.

"Yes," he said after a moment, "I know you prefer vegetation, but I thought you'd like them. I never really gave you flowers, anyway."

"I love them. They're beautiful. Thank you."

"Listen, Sara… I'm sorry about yesterday. I got… carried away and forgot." He started, but Sara shook her head.

"I overreacted. I know how excited you get about bugs and I know you didn't mean to forget. It's okay."

"No, honey, it's not okay. This is our daughter we're talking about. I should have been there. This won't happen again." He walked over to her and put his hand over hers, which had been resting unconsciously on her belly. "I'm sorry. You're too good to me, Sara."

She laughed. "I probably am. But I love you anyway."

"So we're okay?"

She nodded and leaned in to give him a peck on the lips.

"We're great."

They exchanged a bright smile of relief and just as Grissom moved his hands to her waist and took a step closer to her she wrinkled her nose.

"Gil, honey, I think there's something burning…"

Grissom quickly moved away from her, murmuring something about 'bad timing', and she chuckled as she watched him rummage through the drawers. She glanced at the flowers again, smiling inwardly.

"So, um… how's everything? Is she alright?" She heard Grissom asking as he tried to fix the toasts.

"Yeah, she's great. She's just over a pound. I have the video of the ultrasound and a new photo. She's been moving a lot." Sara said as she took a seat.

"And you? The doctor said anything about your anemia?"

"Yeah, we're definitely over it. I gained more weight, so she said everything couldn't be better." Sara smiled as Grissom put a plate of French toast with strawberries in front of her. "Aren't you attentive today? You know I love strawberries," she teased.

Grissom shrugged, trying to hide a smile. "I do know a thing or two about you, my dear."

She took a piece of toast to her mouth, thinking that while Grissom didn't cook much, when he did cook he was the best. She looked at the flowers on the other side of the kitchen.

"You chose the flowers yourself?" Sara asked curiously.

Grissom nodded. "Yeah, they had several bouquets – I thought about getting roses, but didn't feel appropriate. I know you like violets, and it is said that if you have purple in a room you have peace of mind."

Sara smiled at his explanation. They continued to eat in a comfortable silence, sharing smiles and caressing all the while. After a few minutes, a thought crossed Sara's mind.

"Gil," she started, "what do you think about the name Violet?"

He answered her question a moment later with a smile.

A/N: I'm soooo sorry about the delay! I've been trying to finish this chapter for ages, but it's been difficult to find time. Well, better late than never, right? I'll try to start writing next chapter today, but it might be a while before I post it. I'll try to be quicker, though. Again, I had no time to re-read it, and I decided not to wait for my beta to read this over before posting it (sorry, Mary!).

Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed the chapter. I struggled a little at the beginning, but after a while it flowed better. Please let me know if I completely lost my touch with this story! (you can say if it's too corny, I don't mind – I'm in a corny mood lately)

Have a nice Halloween!

Maddie