A/N: Hey, hey. Well it appears I was wrong. No way, Jose, am I going to get this wrapped up in 1 more chapter. And probably not 2, so there likely will be 3 more chapters. Seems I underestimated how much I had left to write. I am sure you won't mind :P

Do I hear the patter of tiny feet? Will it be a happy ending? Evil Hat is peeking round the corner… Haha.

Thanks you for the reviews, all very much appreciated and as always to calim for the beta.

On we go….

Chapter 57

May 23rd 2014

Sitting at the breakfast bar, Sara smiled as she watched her husband, bent over the Wrigley Field model kit she'd bought him almost a year ago, trying to glue a tiny piece to the upper deck lights.

Initially, he'd been trepidatious, especially after they'd opened the box and saw the 6,700 pieces, large and small, neatly placed in bags with the instruction book of 30 pages. Yes, he'd started it but hadn't gotten very far. But after a couple of minutes, a small bit of a grin tugged at his mouth just before he'd dug in and laid everything out on the kitchen table. It hadn't taken long for him to forget she was there.

That had made Sara sigh with relief since he'd been driving her crazy fussing over her the closer her due date came. And, the fact that things hadn't been going to plan, was only making it worse.

There'd been a couple of false alarms over the last two weeks. Their doctor had assured them it was normal, and the tests had showed no issues. Their baby girl was as healthy as she could be at that point in time. Some mothers were late, some one time, while others could have a premature birth. That was just the way it was and there was no rulebook they could follow.

Now, however, three days past her due date, he was pulling his attention off the model and back onto her. Although Sara appreciated the concern, she knew if he got too worried it could do him more harm than good. All these months seizure free, they certainly didn't want one now.

But, if baby girl didn't appear in a few more days they would discuss inducing. Sara knew if 42 weeks hit then there was more of a chance of health problems for both her and the little one and she certainly didn't want that. In all honesty, she just wanted it to be over with now. She could barely move, and everything hurt. She'd cried most days, usually hiding in the bathroom. One day Grissom had walked in mid-stream and he looked so confused. She got the best hug that day.

"Hey, cat, these are new pants…"

Hearing the comment, Sara looked towards the living room and smiled seeing Buttons had plonked himself on Catherine's lap.

Catherine. Sara laughed to herself.

She'd shown up at their door the day after the first false alarm. Sara remembered giving Grissom the most narrowed eyed look she'd ever thrown his way. But with suitcase in hand, Catherine informed them she'd be staying at least a few weeks and making the most of one of the spare rooms. Her house or should she say mansion, was being fumigated for ants. Sara didn't believe her. Not unless Grissom put the ants in there which for a few short silly seconds crossed her mind.

It only took Sara a few minutes though to lean into her husband, head dropping to his shoulder and whisper a thank you in his ear. Not that she doubted him at all, it was just a bit of a relief to have someone else immediately there should they be needed or another shoulder to cry on to take the pressure off him. Plus, Catherine was a mother. Who else to offer help and advice right?

Glancing back at Grissom for a second who was still concentrating on his model, Sara yet again had the huge urge to pee. She hated that and it came a lot. Shaking her head, she slipped from the stool, kinking her neck back on a groan to try and quash the constant pain in her back that had been lingering all morning. Sighing quietly, she was about to move when she felt something warm on her leg. Frowning, she looked down to see a stain coming through her pants. Blinking, mouth opening, her frown deepened.

"Umm… Gil…" she barely whispered.

"Hmmm?" he mumbled, casually looking up, noticing Buddy moving toward her to sit at her feet, his tail furiously wagging.

He frowned when he noticed she wasn't looking at him but down at herself and slowly stood.

Her head rose sharply, and their eyes suddenly met.

"I think my water broke," she said almost not believing it.

"Catherine!" Grissom hollered, quickly rushing to his wife's side. "Are you in pain?" he asked, slipping an arm around her.

Sara dumbly shook her head. "No. I don't feel any different. Oh, God, this isn't right is it?"

Swallowing hard, Grissom urged her to a chair. "Sit down," he insisted as Catherine dashed towards them and he looked at her. "She thinks her water broke," he said.

"Okay, everyone stay calm," Catherine urged, crouching by her friend. "Easy boy," she said patting Buddy who was getting a little excited. "Are you having contractions?"

Shaking her head, Sara looked at them both in turn, panic filling her eyes.

"Just breathe." Catherine looked at each of them. "Both of you. I'm going to call your doctor and get some advice, okay? Just stay calm."

"Shouldn't we get her to the hospital?" Grissom argued.

"Not necessarily." Catherine straightened out and squeezed his arm. "Trust me, okay?" He let out a long breath and nodded. "Stay with her."

As Catherine took out her cell and stepped away, Grissom sat by his wife and took her hand.

"I'm scared, Gil," Sara whispered.

He nodded. "I know. Me, too. But everything is going to fine."

"I hope so," she whimpered.

"Hey." He cupped her cheeks. "It will. Positive, remember?"

Breathing in deeply, she nodded, squeezing his hand.

"Okay. Sure, no problem…" they heard Catherine say, both turning to look at her as she neared. "Are you both nice and calm?"

"Ah, if it was all that simple," Sara laughed, her free hand pressing onto her belly.

"Are you sure you aren't having contractions?" Catherine asked.

Blowing out a breath, Sara nodded. "I'm positive. I'm pretty sure I'd know it if I was."

"Okay," Catherine said, putting her cell away.

Grissom glared at his friend. "Well, what did they say?"

"You have had a pre-labor rupture."

Now Grissom's eyes widened, his hand tightening on his wife's. "A what?"

Stepping closer, Catherine dropped a hand to Sara's shoulder. "It's not as bad as it sounds. It doesn't happen often, but it happens, and it means your water broke before your contractions have started. It's just happening a little backwards."

Sara shook her head. "So, what does this mean?"

Catherine smiled. "It means we change your pants."

Rolling her eyes at her friend and sensing there was no need to panic, Sara stood.

"Honey, should you be moving?" Grissom asked, keeping a firm grip on her hand.

"My back's killing me. I've got to get up."

Quickly standing, Grissom helped her. "I'm still confused," he admitted. "Come, Buddy."

"She's fine," Catherine implored as they set off towards the bedroom. "All that's happening is her water has broken first, contractions will start afterwards now rather than before."

"I didn't know that could happen," he replied, pushing the bedroom door open.

"Like I said, it's rare but it happens."

As Grissom grabbed a towel and placed it under Sara as she sat in a chair, Catherine retrieved a clean pair of pants and panties from the wardrobe.

"So, what…?" Sara asked.

Smiling, Catherine handed her the garments. "It means baby is on the way, but it could be a while."

Letting out a gentle sigh, Sara reached for Grissom's hand and he looked down at her. "I'm trying to relax so you must also, okay? We can't go to the hospital yet because they will just send us home."

Catherine nodded. "She's right. Until the contractions come and are about five minutes apart, long gone are the days where you can wait it out at the hospital."

Grissom swallowed. "Well how long will it take now that this has happened?"

Snickering, Sara pushed herself up. "It could still be hours."

Glancing back at Catherine, she threw him a smile.

"If we get to 24 hours and no action then there is a likelihood she will need to be induced so we know it won't be any longer than that."

Grissom still looked stunned. "That's still a long time."

Catherine shrugged. "That's giving birth. And from what I remember I think the world's longest labor is 75 days so 24 hours isn't so bad."

Eyebrows flying up, Grissom gaped at her. "You just made that up."

Giving him a cheeky grin, Catherine shook her head. "Nope. And you can check if you don't believe me."

Managing a laugh, Sara took Grissom's arm. "Well, I'm thankful I won't be having a 75-day labor. Come on, Gil, help me change please."

"Do you need me to help?" Catherine asked.

"No, I got it," Grissom answered, still sounding like he was stunned by what was happening.

"Okay," she replied. "I'll go make us a drink. Could be a long day. And they said to try and keep yourself active. It can help baby come say hi a bit faster."

"Oh, I'm all for jogging," Sara called back as Grissom guided her into the bathroom, Buddy following and sitting in the doorway.

Turning his wife around, Grissom pulled the cord on her bottoms and tugged them down, along with her panties.

"My hands still work, Gil."

Looking her in the eyes, his lips twitched. "Humor me, okay? Come on, lean on me and step out."

Rolling her eyes, she did just that and he quickly slipped on the fresh clothing. As she blew out another breath, he straightened up and gently cupped her cheeks between his hands.

"Are you okay?" he asked tenderly, dropping a hand to her tummy.

"Yeah. Not entirely what I expected but…"

He cut her off with a gentle kiss, his hands lifting to softly squeeze her shoulders. "As long as Mum and baby are healthy, I don't care how it happens."

"Me, too," came her tender words.

"Come on," he urged. "Let's go for that jog."

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Sara's head turned to her husband who sat beside her, his fingers playing with hers as her hand sat in his lap. He was looking at the clock again. It had been two hours since her water had broken and still there was no sign of anything else happening. She'd walked around the house a little but her back was hurting too much to continue so they'd settled in front of the TV, Catherine and Buddy watching them both like a hawk. Sara suspected the dog knew exactly what was happening because he hadn't left her side apart from going out to take a pee.

"It won't speed things up no matter how many times you look at it," she said.

His head tipped towards her. "I was thinking if I stared hard enough it might."

"Hahaha," Sara laughed. "If only." He smiled at her. "Oh, I just had a thought." She watched her husband's eye twitch as he waited. "You better call your mother. Let her know the countdown has started."

"I can see her charging her roller-skates as we speak," Catherine chuckled.

Smirking, Grissom leaned forwards and reached for the iPad on the coffee table. Placing it on his knee, he brought up messenger and hit call. Almost immediately, Betty popped up with a smile on her face.

# "Hi!" # she greeted, waving.

"Hi, Mom," Grissom signed back.

Sara smiled. The fact that Grissom could now sign back to his mother meant so much to him. Plus, he was so cute when he did.

# "How's everything going? How's Sara?" #

Grissom's eyes flicked to Sara for a second and she gave him an encouraging smile.

"Umm… the baby is on the way," he told Betty, looking back at the screen.

Betty paused for a second. # "Sara's in labor?" # she then signed quickly.

"Kind of," he answered, his head tipping from side to side.

# "Kind of?" # Betty noticeably frowned at her son.

"Her water has broken but no contractions yet. It seems our daughter wants to be a little awkward with the way things are happening."

# "Ah. I see. A friend's daughter had that happen to her, but all was well, so I hope you aren't panicking." #

His lips twitched. "We are all very calm." Hearing Catherine snort, he refrained from throwing her the dead eyes he was tempted to.

# "This is so exciting. Do you need anything? Do you need me to come over?" #

Letting out a gentle breath as he felt Sara take his hand, he shook his head. "Thank you but not much point. Nothing you can do. We are just waiting."

# "Okay. Let me know as soon as you set off for the hospital, okay?" #

"I will."

Betty nodded. # "You better go. I'm sure Sara needs you more than I do. Give her my love, stay relaxed, and support her, okay? It's your time now." #

Blushing slightly, Grissom shyly bit his lip at the confidence his mother had in him. "I'll call you later. Bye, mom."

Betty waved and he ended the call. Dropping the iPad back onto the coffee table, he felt Sara's head drop onto his shoulder but then…

"…. Ooooohhhhh…" Suddenly she leaned forwards, her arm coiling around her belly.

Grissom swiftly dropped an arm over her shoulder, Catherine joining them. "Sara?" he asked concerned.

Lifting her head, she looked to the ceiling. "I think your plan worked, Gil," she said in amazement. "By looking at the clock. It's starting."

Grissom's eyes flicked to Catherine for a second. "Contractions?"

"Ugh huh," Sara replied on a nod. Puffing out her cheeks as the mild pain continued.

"What are you feeling?" Catherine asked.

"Pain in my back's gotten worse but it's also in my tummy now. Feels like a wave of period pain floating through me."

Catherine nodded. "That's a contraction, all right."

About a minute passed before Sara leaned back and breathed in and out a little heavier than she was before. "It stopped."

"They'll come every 15-20 minutes for a while," Catherine said.

"And they will get stronger," Sara added.

"Yep," Catherine agreed.

"And then we go to the hospital when they come every five minutes, right?" Grissom said.

Sara took his hand again, pulling him close. "Yes," she confirmed.

"Good," he breathed.

Snickering, she dropped her head back to his shoulder. "That could still be a while. But at least now, the ball is well and truly rolling."

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Two hours later.

"Gnnnaahhhh," Sara growled, teeth gritting, head tipped back, the veins on her neck pulsing as the strongest contraction she'd experienced yet hit.

Grissom watched helplessly as her fingernails ripped into the sofa arm. She was scared to take his hand now for fear of crushing him. He doubted she would but at that point in time, Sara Sidle was not a woman to be argued with.

"That's it, Sara, breathe," Catherine guided, sitting at one side of her friend while Grissom rubbed her back sitting at the other.

A few drops of sweat trickled down her cheeks as she did just that and as the contraction faded, she tried to catch her breath. She knew she wouldn't have much time to recover though as they were coming pretty regular now.

Standing up, Catherine checked her watch. She'd been timing the contractions ever since they started. "Okay," she said. "I'm calling the hospital to let them know were on our way."

Grissom's head sharply shot her way. "Now?"

Smiling, Catherine nodded. "Yeah," she said softly. "We're about 6 minutes so I think that's close enough. By the time we get there we should be at just the right point. And it gives us a little extra time in case we hit any traffic or anything."

Swallowing, Grissom slowly stood. If for nothing else just to try and get some feeling back in his legs. He'd been sitting down for over an hour not wanting to leave Sara's side, not even by an inch. They'd been waiting for this moment for so long and now it was here he wasn't sure what to do. Thankfully, apart from putting on Buddy's jacket, Catherine had sorted everything else. Their bag was by the front door and she was driving them, of course.

"Come on, boy," Catherine said. "Come with me. Let's get you ready while I'm on the phone."

Watching as his friend walked away, Grissom didn't see Sara grab his shirt and she tugged him back down to the sofa. With a startled look, his eyes caught hers as she panted.

"I want to apologize." she told him.

"Why?" he asked, frowning.

"Because, very shortly, I'm going to turn into a horrible bitch and likely blame you for everything that's ever gone wrong in my life."

His eyebrow shot skywards. Lifting a hand, he placed it on her cheek. "I won't hold it against you," he soothed giving her a smile.

"Promise?" Sara squeaked.

"Cross my heart." Without a moment's hesitation, Grissom took her hand and she blinked at him. "I'll tell you if you squeeze too hard, okay? We both need to be strong."

"Gil, I don't want to hurt you," she argued.

"You won't."

Buddy, coat on and ready, broke up the conversation by bumping into Grissom's legs and sitting between the couple.

"Okay, you two, ready to go?" Catherine asked, jangling her car keys and grabbing the iPad. "I'll call your mother in the car. They'll be ready for us when we get there. If things ramp up en-route, I can call for someone to meet us at the entrance."

As Grissom helped Sara up, she looked at her friend. "What do you mean?"

"If baby daughter decides to come out very fast, we might need a wheelchair and quick help," Catherine replied.

Grissom's eyes widened. "Is that likely?"

Catherine shook her head, clipping on Buddy's leash. "Unlikely but possible. Just covering all bases here. Try not to worry."

Slowly, they walked towards the front door but just as they reached it, Sara doubled over as another contraction came.

"Agh! Gonna be a long night," she growled.

Rubbing her back, Grissom watched Catherine pick up their bag and open the door ready. "Hopefully, not too long."

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Making it to the hospital in record time and, thankfully, without incident, they hurried to the nurse's station. After answering a few questions, they were settled into a triage room for Sara to be assessed. Catherine sat with Buddy while Grissom sat on Sara's bed, one hand holding hers while the other flicked a speck of cotton from the gown she was now dressed in.

Barely there for five minutes, a nurse entered. Grissom immediately recognized Janet Dawkins as the woman who'd helped them with the simulator baby and had been present at several of their appointments and was thankful. It was never a guarantee they'd get someone they knew who understood why Buddy was there.

"Evening, everybody," Janet greeted as she entered the room. Her eyes fell on Catherine and Buddy.

Catherine nodded at the nurse. "Catherine Willows," she said. "Friend, dog sitter, whatever I need to be."

"Nice to meet you." Janet smiled as she approached the bed, taking hold of a fetal monitor and pulling it toward the bed. "How are you doing, Sara?" she asked.

Nodding as another contraction came, she clenched shut her eyes as pain wracked through her body.

"You're doing really well just keep on breathing, okay?" Janet glanced at Catherine and then to Grissom. "And how are you doing, Gil?"

"Um, okay," he stuttered. "I think."

"He's doing great," Sara groaned, squeezing his hand as she sat back, the contraction fading.

Nodding, Janet picked up several electrodes. "Just need to monitor the baby's heart rate and your contraction pattern, Sara, okay? And then I'll see how much we're dilated."

Sara nodded again as the nurse helped her lift her gown to expose her tummy.

"How far apart do your contractions feel now?" she asked, fixing the cups and electrodes onto Sara's skin.

"Almost every 5 minutes," Sara answered, looking at Grissom who smiled and tidied a few loose hairs on her fringe with his fingertips.

"Okay, good," Janet said turning on the monitor. Glancing over her shoulder as the screen kicked into life with lines of activity, she glanced at Buddy then Catherine again. "If he needs the bathroom, I'd suggest you take him now because once we are in the birthing room, he won't be able to come back in if he goes out."

Catherine gave Buddy a pat as he sat panting, his eyes fixed to Sara on the bed. "He's okay. We made sure he went before we came in."

Smiling, Janet's attention flicked between the monitor and her patient. "Let's see how we're doing then, shall we?"

A/N: Oooooh it's getting exciting. Lol. I do love a good birth :P