A/N: Hi, hi. Back again with another chapter. Thanks for your patience as always. We are almost there. Hopefully baby won't be stubborn :P Although, Grissom is stressing. Not sure I can blame him though.

So on with the show. As always thank you to everyone for your comments and to calim for the beta.

On we go….

Chapter 58

20 minutes later.

With baby's heartrate very active, healthy and Sara's contractions passing the needed five minute mark, Janet moved to the base of the bed.

"Time to check how dilated you are, Sara, okay?" the nurse said.

Catching her breath after the last contraction, Sara nodded.

"Do you want me to close the curtain?"

Looking at Catherine, Sara shook her head. "Not necessary. Catherine is staying with us so I'm sure she'll get the whole show at some point."

"I'm honored," Catherine laughed, and Sara did her best to toss her a smile.

Slipping on latex gloves, Janet smiled back. "I need you to scoot down a little and lift your knees up, okay?"

Sara's eyes found Grissom's. Things were getting very, very real now and her nerves were getting worse.

"It's okay," he soothed, leaning over to help her get into position. "I'm here. Try and relax."

"Okay," Sara puffed, grimacing as her back spasmed when she moved, grabbing Grissom's hand as he shifted the pillows slightly and helped her sit back.

"That's it," Janet encouraged watching as Sara lifted her knees. "Part your legs a little further, Sara."

Swallowing hard around the lump burning in her throat, Sara did as she was asked, watching as Janet bent to look at the most intimate part of her. She didn't feel embarrassed but she felt more scared as each minute ticked by.

Looking up at Sara, Janet placed a gentle hand on her knee. "I'll do this as quickly as I can, okay? If you feel any major discomfort and it's too much, you need to holler at me."

Feeling Grissom squeezing her hand, she looked at him, enjoying the encouraging smile he was offering. "Sure," she replied.

Closing her eyes now, Sara tipped her head back against the pillow hoping this wouldn't take too long.

CSICSICSICSICSICSICSI

Wincing a bit as Janet inserted the IV needle into the back of her hand, Sara's eyes flicked to the door as another nurse stepped in and took hold of the wheelchair, wheeling it to the bed.

At six centimetres dilated, the doctor had stopped by and given the order to move to a delivery suite and get comfortable. Sara did find the word 'comfortable' amusing when he'd said it. She knew it was going to be anything but.

"I'll pop the line into the IV later, Sara," Janet informed her, gently laying her hand down onto the bed and turning to her colleague. "This is my co-worker, Mia. She's going help me with your delivery."

"Just the two of you?" Grissom asked.

"For now. Your OBGYN will come in at the final stages," Janet replied.

"Don't even say it, Gil," Sara warned.

He frowned at her. "What?" he denied innocently.

"I know what you're thinking." His eyes narrowed at her and her lips pursed at him.

Laughing, Janet unclipped the electrodes from Sara tummy. "The Doctor will pop by after the birth to check on both Sara and the baby. As long as things run smoothly, we should be all you need."

"And I have you and Catherine," Sara added.

Right eyebrow inclining, Grissom looked at Catherine who smirked as she got up.

"Time for all those books and birthing classes to come in handy," she told him.

Mia held her hand out to Sara. "Let me help you into the chair."

Taking the offered hand, Sara scooted from the bed and sat in the wheelchair, the nurse making sure her feet were secure as she popped the stands up. Mia then dropped a blanket over her lap.

"Gil, Catherine," Janet said. "Ready?"

Sucking in a deep breath, Grissom got to his feet, looking down at Buddy as the dog drew close and bumped into his legs. "As I'll ever be, I guess," he said, patting his friend.

Janet nodded. "Then let's go."

CSICSICSICSICSICSICSI

The delivery room was a lot bigger than Grissom expected and he was rather surprised when they stepped inside. Although he knew this would be there residence for a while it looked more like their living room not somewhere that was about to bring a child into the world. If the bed and medical equipment hadn't been there, he might have struggled to tell the difference. There were two sofas, a TV, coffee table and comfy chairs with a rather nice bunch of flowers on the table, several sets of drawers and a wardrobe.

"Wow, this is pretty nice," he said, taking their bag from Catherine and dropping it by the bed.

Mia flashed him a smile as she bent to unlock the footplates on the wheelchair. "We try our best to make you as comfortable as we can. After all, you can be here a while both before and after birth. And having everything here means you don't have to leave this room."

Holding out her hand, she helped Sara from the chair and, just as she stood, a contraction came. Bending over, Sara flattened her palms on top of the bed and groaned, feeling Mia's comforting hand on the small of her back.

"Keep your breathing nice and steady," the nurse encouraged. "In and out, in and out."

Nipping on his lip, Grissom swapped places with Mia, offering his wife as much support as he could.

"That's it, honey," he encouraged. "Nice deep breaths."

Nodding, Sara did her best. "Pity the pain level doesn't stay like this," she said as the contraction began to fade. "I can imagine how hard it's going to get."

"You'll do great," Grissom soothed, rubbing her back. "I promise."

"Don't forget, Sara, an epidural is an option if you need it," Janet said.

Sara swallowed. She'd read all about the pros and cons of an epidural. Mainly the cons sticking in her head. Possible loss of feeling in her lower body, bleeding around the spine. Her heart ticked faster at the thought. No thanks.

"I want to try and do without it," she answered.

"Honey, are you sure?" Grissom asked concerned. "I know we've talked about it but there is no shame in getting pain relief like this."

She nodded. "For now, that's my decision. If I can bring our daughter into the world naturally, I will. So much less chance of any complications."

"Okay," he said understanding, rubbing her back again as she straightened up.

"It's still available up until you are 10 centimeters dilated," Janet added, picking up a folder and making a few notes. "So, if you change your mind, shout out."

"Oh, you can bet I'll be shouting," Sara laughed.

Janet pointed behind the bed. "There is other help for you besides that. We have gas, air and oxygen ready to be used, so please don't think you have to do it all by yourself. 90% of mothers take one or the other if not all."

"I might take some of that," Grissom commented.

Sara gave him a chuckle, turning to glance around the room which she hadn't really paid much attention to as they came in.

"This is nice, isn't it?"

Janet gestured across the room to a door. "Bathroom is over there. There is a shower and a large tub. You can take a bath whenever you like and there is a lift to help you in and out if you don't feel able. Lots of women find a bath helps with the pain."

"I think I might move into the bath," Sara whispered, leaning into her husband and he smirked.

"We encourage you to walk around if you can," Janet continued. "Not constantly obviously but movement can speed up your dilation. There is plenty of water. Please stay hydrated. If you can't, we will need to use the IV."

"So, if I drink plenty of water, I don't have use it?" Sara asked.

"Any liquids, but water is the best for hydration. And eat if you can. We don't recommend heavy meals as your tummy can become quite fragile but something light is good as long as you feel you can keep it down. I can get you a list of the things we have."

"So why put the catheter in her hand if you don't use the IV?" Grissom inquired, what Janet had said sticking in his mind.

Janet and Mia exchanged a quick look.

"It's necessary in case there is an emergency," Janet informed him.

Grissom swallowed. "What kind of emergency?"

"Gil, relax," Sara urged, tugging on his hand as she wanted to move a bit, her legs getting stiff. "They are just being prepared. If something happens, they don't want to waste time putting an IV in, that's all."

"Define something," he pushed.

"Speaking of water," Catherine interrupted in an attempt to break up Grissom's worry a little. She patted Buddy who was panting. "Is it okay to give him some?"

"Not a problem," Janet said. "Just try and keep his food and drink away from the bed and out of Sara's walking path. We understand he needs to be here but the last thing we need is for someone to slip or fall over him."

Buddy whined, pulling Catherine towards Grissom.

"It's okay," Grissom said, running a hand over his dog's neck as he sat. "We know you won't get in the way. You're a good boy, aren't you?" Tongue popping out and continuing to pant, Buddy wagged his tail. "And we appreciate you breaking the rules for us," Grissom told the nurse.

"Rules can be amended," Janet said. "And we know you can't be here without him so I doubt Sara would appreciate being alone while having her baby."

"I don't think she would," Sara agreed on a snort.

Catherine handed the leash to Grissom. "I have his bowls in the bag. Be right back."

Grissom nodded at her and looked back at Buddy as he held a paw out towards Sara.

Mia looked down at him and smiled. "He can sense how you're feeling, Sara. He's knows what's happening and he's offering you his support."

"Thanks, boy," Sara said, holding a hand to her belly. "Sadly, you're a little low for me to take your paw."

Sucking on his tongue, Grissom glanced back at the nurses. "So, you are about to tell me about these emergencies?"

"Gil….," Sara moaned.

"It's okay," Janet ensured. "I understand. We need to check baby's heartrate again, Sara, okay? I can talk to you while we do that. We'll do it pretty often until we're closer to delivery and then you'll stay on the machine."

Sara nodded, tugging Grissom to the head of the bed, taking Buddy with them. "Can you relax?" she pleaded as he helped her onto the bed. "Your stressing makes me stress."

Sighing, Grissom gave Buddy another stroke. "Sorry," he apologized. "I'd just rather know everything, you know? I don't think today is a day for surprises."

"You'll be surprised when my head spins around later and I throw up green goo on you," she laughed, leaning back.

Eyebrow rising, Grissom stared at her. "Thanks for that image."

Pouting, Sara parted her gown so the machine could be reattached, hearing as Catherine whistled for Buddy, placing his bowl down across the room.

"Is he all right to come off the leash?" Grissom asked.

"As long as he behaves himself," Mia replied, clipping the first wire onto Sara's tummy.

"He always does," Grissom said, unhooking the leash and watching as Buddy trotted across the room to Catherine. Turning his attention to the monitor as Janet flicked it on, he watched the lines bounce across the screen.

"Don't pay too much attention to the lines," the nurse advised catching Grissom's attention. "It doesn't work like a human heart monitor so I don't want you panicking when things spiral all over the place."

Sitting on the edge of the bed and taking his wife's hand, Grissom leaned a little closer. "What makes it different?"

Pursing her lips at him, Sara smirked knowing she had likely married one of the world's most inquisitive men. But if she was honest with herself, maybe that was part of the attraction. Not that she could blame him and, hopefully, if he got it all out of his system now, he'd soon run out of questions and they could try and relax. So to speak.

"It monitors both the baby's heartrate and Sara's contractions simultaneously," Janet explained, pulling several paper reports from the machine. "So, depending on whether Sara is having a contraction or not can make a massive difference to the readings and what's on the screen."

Grissom nodded. "I understand. More likely to have lines all over the place if she's having a contraction, right? Because the baby's heartrate is likely to be higher?"

Janet smiled at him. "Something like that."

"Well, I trust you know what you're doing," he said, trying to get a glimpse at the paper.

"Gil, you are not a doctor, and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be here if she didn't know what she was doing. Will you let her do her job?" Sara grumbled, the patience she thought she had fading.

Tipping his head towards his wife, Grissom lofted her an eyebrow. "Actually, I am a doctor."

Eyes narrowing at him, she play slapped him on the arm but before she could say anything else, another contraction came and her head tipped back on a grimace. Puffing out her cheeks, Sara closed her eyes as she felt Grissom squeezing her hand and softly speaking words of encouragement until the contraction faded and her eyes opened.

Taking a breath of his own, Grissom whisked his fingers through her hair. "Okay?"

Letting out one last, long huff, Sara nodded and sat up again. "That bath is getting more and more appealing though."

"Heartrate is looking perfect," Janet said. "And the way your contractions are going, we are certainly well on the way."

"Any idea how long it might be?" Grissom asked.

Janet handed the papers to her coworker. "I'd be lying if I said yes," she told him. "But the further along we get the more likely I'll be able to give you a better idea."

Grissom let out a quiet sigh. "Okay."

"Gil," Catherine called over. "Messenger is ringing. I think it's your mother."

Looking across to his friend, Grissom saw Catherine wafting the IPad through the air.

"Go answer it," Sara encouraged. "I'll be fine for a minute. Catherine can come over if she wants. I feel bad she's over there on her own."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Sara insisted. "Go. And try and relax a bit. Please." Giving her a weak smile, he nodded and headed towards Catherine. "Well, at least he got sidetracked from the emergencies conversation," Sara said to the nurses.

"He just wants you to be safe," Mia replied. "That's what makes him a good husband."

Hearing the nurse's words, Sara smiled as she watched him take the IPad from Catherine who headed her way.

Sitting in one of the chairs, Grissom answered the call and smiled at his mother as she popped up on the screen.

# "Hi son," # Betty signed. # "Where are we? How's Sara?" #

Nodding, Grissom's eyes flicked back to the bed for a second before he started signing back. "She's doing really well. Contractions are coming more often although it may still be a little while. We are thinking about having a bath."

# "We?" # Betty teased. # "Make sure you don't get yourself in trouble." #

"Very funny," Grissom answered.

She smiled brightly. # "I know a bath can be very therapeutic so it should help with the pain. Make sure you let us know when baby is close, okay? Then we will be on our way. Last thing Sara needs is too many people fussing over her but if you need me, you better call. You got that?" #

Grissom gave her a smile back. "I will."

# "Be strong and try not to fuss too much." #

He chuckled. "I'll try. How are you getting down here? Is Patrick bringing you?"

Back on the bed, Catherine was holding Sara's hand as she battled through another contraction.

"That's it," Catherine encouraged. "Nice soft pants. Keep your breathing nice and steady."

"Not… sure it would help if… I stopped breathing," Sara groaned.

Smirking, Catherine felt the pressure on her hand slacken as Sara relaxed, another contraction over.

Mia leaned over the bed and dabbed Sara's cheeks with a tissue earning herself a smile from the patient.

"Thanks," Sara said with appreciation.

"I'll leave the box here in case you need it," Mia said, smiling back and dropping the tissues onto the cabinet by the bed.

"How did you cope with this?" Sara then asked Catherine and she looked surprised at the sudden question.

"Labor?" Sara nodded at her friend. "I just… swore a lot."

Sara laughed. "That's it?"

Catherine's head tipped from side to side. "I was a chicken. I had an epidural when I was about eight centimetres. I couldn't take it anymore. I was ready to kill someone."

"Oh." Sara frowned, looking away. Had she made the right decision about the epidural?

"Hey…"

Hearing Catherine's voice, she glanced back at her. "Hmmm?"

"Don't be doubting yourself, okay? It's still early days. There is plenty of time. And I don't think it makes you any less of a person if you have to change your mind about what route you take. One minute you will be strong and the next, everything can change. Just do what you need to do. For you."

Smiling, Sara nodded. "Thanks."

Catherine rubbed her shoulder. "You got this, girl."

"Sara, we need to go through procedure with you about what happens in the last stages of your labor, okay?" Mia said. "Do you want to do that now or would you like to have a bath first?"

Placing a hand on her tummy, Sara rubbed, then caught sight of Grissom as he came back towards them, Buddy right by his side.

"Mom sends her love," he said, switching places with Catherine who stood beside him. "She'll come down a little later."

Sara nodded. "Yeah. Not much point her just sitting here listening to me groan."

"So, what are we talking about?" he asked, his eyes flicking to everyone.

"Bath or procedure," Sara told him honestly.

Frowning, Grissom looked confused. "Huh?"

Smirking, Sara tipped her head back to the nurse. "A bit of relaxing would be nice. I'm sure the other thing can wait?"

"Of course," Mia agreed. "I'll go run the bath for you."

After Janet unclipped the monitor, Sara wriggled her fingers at Grissom. "Can you help me up, please?"

Without even answering, Grissom took her hand and helped her from the bed.

"Want me to get your bathing suit?" Catherine asked.

"Thanks," Sara replied. "And if someone could point me in the direction of the beach and the bar that would be awesome."

With a soft laugh, Janet walked round the bed. "Do you need some help to change?"

Sara looked at Grissom. "Need some help, dear?"

He gapped at her. "I think we can cope," he hit back, playfully narrowing his eyes at her, his heart fluttering when she gave him the most loving of smiles.

"Give me a shout when you're ready," the nurse continued, pulling the curtain around the bed to offer them a bit of privacy. "And we'll make sure you get in the tub safely."

Sara gave her a nod. "Will do."

A/N: Hmmm, a nice lovely dip in the tub….