Recap: "What do you want?" He asked.
"You."
"For what?" She had to smile at his obvious confusion. She shed the boxers she had on and then pulled the t-shirt over her head.
"I want you." She added in case the visual statement still baffled him.
"Oh." Sara waddled over to him and pulled his face down to hers. During the kiss, she slid her hands under his shirt and as soon as they separated, his shirt flew over his head.
"How are we going to do this, Sara?" He rested his hands on her belly. She crawled on the bed and remained on all fours in order to answer his question.
"Just be gentle." She said softly.
"You're sure?" He sounded concerned so she got off the bed to face him. She kissed him again and shoved his boxers to the floor. She glanced down and frowned.
"Don't you want to?"
"It's a new experience. I don't want to hurt you or the baby." She palmed his face.
"You won't. I promise; the baby is totally safe. Besides, sex can induce labor."
"You're not due for eight more weeks."
"I know; I just need you. I want you." She said. He covered her hand on his face.
"I love you." She smiled and reached down to caress his body. Gil closed his eyes and sighed pleasurably.
"I love you too, Gil." This time he was much more participatory when she initiated the activities. They wouldn't let Sara's large belly get in the way. He held her larger breasts in his hands.
"Oh, need you now." She moaned when he tweaked her ultra-sensitive nipples.
"I need you too." Sara crawled on the bed again and felt Gil step up behind her. He rubbed her hips affectionately and slowly guided himself into her body.
"Oh, feels so good." Sara moaned.
"Yes, you do." He agreed on his own moan.
"Been too long." She said.
"Yes." Gil released on a breath. He kept his pace easy and used one hand to hold her hips and the other rubbed all over her body. Sara particularly like it when he reached forward to play with her breasts; and without any warning, Sara climaxed. Gil paused while she came down from her high and then resumed his previous pace. Sara moaned softly when she discovered he wasn't finished yet.
"Getting close, honey."
"So close." She said. He pumped a little faster and they both reached their peak together. He helped Sara lie on her side and then lay next to her. He stroked her belly for a minute.
"Thank you." She said.
"You are most welcome." He said with a smile. Sara leaned forward to kiss him. She took the time to enjoy the taste of him. His hand moved from her belly into her hair.
"I love you."
"I love you too." He said just as quietly as she had. For some reason, any noise above a whisper would have broken the spell. These were the moments they treasured the most; quiet cuddling. Gil waited for Sara to fall asleep before joining her.
It was almost lunch when Sara stirred. She used the bathroom and dressed silently. She was in the kitchen when Barney found her.
"Hey, sleepyhead."
"Hi."
"You're up later than usual."
"I was up in the middle of the night for a while; Gil got up with me and I had a mid-night snack. Gil's still sleeping."
"Are you ok?" He asked, concerned.
"Sure; why wouldn't I be?"
"I need to talk to you in private. Finish eating and we'll go for a walk." He told her firmly. Barney had a sneaky suspicion what might be troubling her and it was time to talk about it with her. He wanted to spare Maria any further pain. Sara nodded silently and left the room.
Sara entered the bedroom as Gil was waking up.
"Hi." He greeted her.
"Hi."
"What's wrong?" He sat up and pulled on his boxers.
"Barney and I are going for a walk." Sara had a heavy voice and she sat on the bed. Gil came and put his arm around her.
"It'll be ok, honey. When you're ready, we'll try for our own baby. I want one now; only if you do."
"I know." She said.
"It's just hard. I feel the same way you do."
"I know."
"Go on; it'll be ok. I'll be here when you get back. I have to pack to go home tomorrow."
"I know." She still had an air of sadness around her.
"I love you."
"I love you too. I don't think I could do any of this without you." He smiled then leaned in to kiss her. Sara finished getting ready and met Barney in the living room. He led her out the door and they walked. After a block of silence, he asked the one question he needed an answer to before knowing how to proceed.
"Are you having second thoughts?"
"No, I'm just sad."
"Why?"
"I wish that this baby was Gil's and not some strangers."
"I know you do; I wish the same thing." She sighed.
"It's hard we're here preparing for her and I'm happy to be able to grant a wish for you; but I just think it would be easier if it was already biologically yours and Maria's child that I was carrying. Are you going to tell the baby the truth about her conception?" Sara asked.
"We've talked about it, but haven't decided anything yet. I think it's something we'll have to decide if and when the time comes." Barney said and Sara appreciated his honesty. She wasn't sure if she wanted the baby to know the truth any more than Barney did.
"Ok."
"We tried all kinds of fertilization; even surrogates, but for some reason our DNA won't combine. Even the few times we were pregnant, the embryo never made it past four weeks." Barney confessed. Sara's heart broke for him.
"I'm sorry. That has to be so hard." She put a comforting hand on his arm.
"It is. That is why I chose to confront you. It would break Maria's heart to be this close and have it ripped away. We've never decorated a nursery before."
"You'll have this baby in a few more weeks. What's her name?" Barney smiled at her sly attempt.
"We're not telling until she's here." He said with a smirk.
"Oh come on, please?"
"No, now behave."
"You're so mean." Sara and Barney easily slipped in and out of their childhood behavior. This lightened up both of their spirits. She knew she would always feel this way and there was nothing she could do to erase the feeling either. They headed back to Barney's so Sara could spend more time with Gil before he left in the morning.
Gil and Maria were sitting on the front steps when Sara and Barney returned. Sara had a new look of acceptance on her face, but Gil was still worried about her. He got up to greet her. Barney continued on to where Maria sat.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
"I'm fine; I'll talk to you later, ok?" Sara said.
"That sounds fine. We were all invited over to Mom's for dinner and poker; interested?" At the mention of Angela's cooking, Sara's face lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Yes, can we walk there?"
"Sure; do you need a shower or anything?" He asked.
"Yes, just give me a few minutes." Sara hurried in the house as best she could in the late stage of pregnancy.
"May I join you?" She saw the sparkle in his eyes, and nodded even though she knew his intentions were not honorable. He followed her back to the bedroom and helped divest her of her clothing. She took a speedy shower and he was there to help her dress and put on her shoes. During this whole process, Gil shamelessly exploited each and every opportunity he had to touch her. She loved it. He even conned her into a mini make-out session. She palmed his cheek.
"I love you."
"I love you too. How did your talk with Barney go?"
"He thought I was having second thoughts, but I told him that I wish it was your baby and not Luigi's. He feels the same."
"It's good to talk about it." He said.
"I still feel the same, but I know I can talk to you and Barney about it when I get overwhelmed." He smiled.
"Always; you're my favorite person to talk to." He said affectionately. She smiled at him.
"Thank you; I feel better now."
"I'm glad." Gil knelt on the floor to help her put her walking shoes on. It was a gesture more out of kindness than necessity at this point, though they both knew it would soon change. He stood and pulled her to her feet. They left the house and walked the six blocks to his mother's house.
Sara could smell the garlic from a block away and her mouth began to water in anticipation. She sped up in order to get to it faster.
"Honey, the pasta isn't going anywhere." Gil said and earned himself a glare.
"I'm hungry and if you're smart, then you'll walk faster." She said. Gil knew the implications of that statement as did Barney and Maria. Gil automatically picked up the pace to keep even strides with Sara. He was beginning to wonder how she behaved when he wasn't around. He made a mental note to email his mother and Barney when he got home to ask them. He was amused that his mother already had a plate on the table waiting for Sara. He went to help prepare the rest of the meal. Angela was making a second batch of the pasta for them all to eat. He made the bread and the salad to go with the meal.
Gil took his seat next to Sara as she happily ate her meal size appetizer. She rose to clear her dishes, but Gil was faster.
"Gilbert, sit; she knows the rules." His mother instructed. He looked to anyone for clarification.
"Sara has to clean up her own dishes for the advance meals." Barney explained. Sara shrugged with a smile. For her, it was a small price to pay. Upon her return, she brought with her the salad and the bread. Again, Gil rose from his seat.
"Gil, sit, she's not an invalid. Leave her alone." Angela scolded him. Sara smiled sympathetically. Barney carried the pasta in. Gil held chairs out for the ladies. Dinner was a lively affair. Gil learned more about how Sara fills in her spare time, such as sign language lessons with Angela, and no longer needed to send an email.
The Grissom family poker game was in full swing that evening. Sara kept putting her hands on her belly. It finally caught Gil's attention.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
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A/N: Is Sara ok? I'd love to hear what you think. Thank you all for the reviews! Please keep them coming.
I'm still working on the ending and will post when I can. My muse is not being very inspirational right now. I may have to put this one aside and wait instead of rushing to finish and having a crappy ending. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience. I thought the ending woud have bee done by now, that just isn't the case.
Have a great day everyone! Kelly