Sorry for the delay on chapters, blame RL interfering. Again many thanks to piccolina for the Beta. Many thanks also for my reviewers, they are always very much appreciated.

The sound of raining managed to wake Grissom, later that afternoon. He laid there quietly, his eyes closed, as he listened to the rain hitting against the bedroom windows. He stretched out a hand towards Sara's side of the bed. It was cold to the touch indicating that she had been up awhile.

Rising, he shrugged into his dressing gown, before making his way downstairs.

Sara was curled up on the sofa staring out the windows, watching the rain thoughtfully. Her laptop was open, resting on her knees.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, kissing the top of her head, before joining her on the sofa. He stifled a yawn.

"I was just thinking," she replied, her thoughts and voice, still distant. "How much everything has changed in the space of a day. Yesterday we only had ourselves to think about, and now…" she placed a hand on her stomach as she glanced down. "Two has become three…"

Grissom reached out grasping her hand, reassuringly. "It's going to take time to get used to," he agreed.

Sara smirked, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"We have eight months…" her voice trailed off, making Grissom glance her way.

She still looked worried. He squeezed her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of it.

"Sara?"

It was a moment before Sara lifted her head up to face Grissom. Doubt still edged her words as she stammered, "Are…are you…okay…with this?"

Grissom scooted closer, moving the laptop off her knees and pulling her legs across his thighs. He leaned over her as he kissed her. His hand left the one he was holding, as he brushed his fingers across her cheek. Looking deeply into her eyes, he whispered, "We're in this together, remember?"

She nodded slowly, as his reassurance allayed some of the fears and doubts she still felt, knowing that he felt the same.

"It complicates things a little though, doesn't it?" she asked, with a soft sigh, as Grissom straightened up again. "Eventually it's going to be obvious I'm pregnant, then everything is going to come out. Ecklie is going to have a field day."

Grissom pursed his lips in thought. "We don't have to tell them straight away," he replied after several minutes. "We can keep this just between us, at least for now…"

Sara shook her head, reaching out for his hand. "Baby, we can't hide the pregnancy for very long. As much as we'd like to…"

Grissom shook his head. "I don't intend to…just let's…get used to the idea first. Another week or two isn't going to do any harm. As for Ecklie…that's my problem…"

Sara gave his hand a squeeze, making Grissom turn to face her.

"Our problem," she insisted. "I want to be there too, when you tell him. Maybe taking a bit of time won't hurt either," she agreed. Adding, "We can still handle things as we have been…at least for the short term."

Much later at the lab, after a brief parting of the ways, Grissom headed into his office. His desk was covered with paperwork, and Grissom sighed with a slight shake of his head at the sight of it. He had enough to deal with, without having to deal with that too.

Catherine caught up with Grissom just as he stepped out of his office with assignments in hand, looking preoccupied.

She greeted him, but he remained distracted until she touched his arm, finally gaining his attention and causing him to stop in his tracks.

"Are you alright?" Catherine asked him, raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head slightly, an eyebrow shooting up into his hairline, confusion on his face.

"I'm fine, why?"

"I've been talking to you for the last five minutes," Catherine stated. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

She stared at him - really stared at him. Something was definitely up.

"Something's different about you." She said. " You're distracted – more than usual – you're leaving when shifts over…"

Her eyes roved over him from head to toe.

"…You've lost weight," she continued, still looking at him with a critical eye.

"If I didn't know better…you got a girlfriend hidden away somewhere?"

"No-oo," Grissom replied, a little too quickly to be convincing, pursing his lips as Catherine's eyebrow inched a little higher at his denial. Turning without a word, he continued on to the break room.

The small talk ceased the second he entered the break room and he wasted no time in handing out the assignments for the night.

"….and lastly, Catherine you're at the body farm with me…"

"Oh, joy" stated Catherine with a marked lack of enthusiasm. "Can't Sara do the body farm thing? No offence…"

"None taken," Sara smirked.

"No.," Grissom said quickly, as Sara's smile faded. " Sara you still have outstanding paperwork to complete and a follow-up from last week."

Sara's face fell as Grissom and Catherine turned to leave, leaving Sara the only one left in the break room.

She rose to her feet, not liking at all that this was now the second night she'd been assigned to the lab instead of the field.

"Hey Grissom, could I talk to you?" she asked, trying not to let the irritation edge her voice. "Um…in private?"

Her tone made him frown ever so slightly, as he glanced at her over his glasses, with a quick nod in agreement. Turning to Catherine, he said, "I'll meet you at the car." He headed toward his office, Sara behind him.

"Why are you grounding me again?" she questioned when they were in his office, failing to notice that she hadn't shut the door securely behind her.

"I'm not grounding you, Sara…" he began to explain. "But the case is due in court…"

"It's a slam dunk, Gil!" she shook her head, as her suspicions grew. "This is because I'm pregnant, isn't it? That's why you're not putting me out in the field."

He frowned as puzzlement marked his expression.

"No…" he drawled, and Sara knew he was lying.

She stepped closer to him. "Gil, I'm pregnant – not ill. I can still do my job. I want to do my job."

"Sara…" he began, before Sara cut him off.

"I know you're worried, but I know the risks. I'll take the necessary precautions; you don't need to wrap me – us – in cotton wool."

Grissom sighed and looked down at his desk. It was a minute before he looked up to face her again.

"I'm not trying to, and I'm sorry if you feel that way. I'm just being cautious…. but the paperwork and follow up still need to be done."

It was then that Grissom saw the silhouette by the door and a moment of panic swept over him. How long had someone been standing there and how much had they heard? They wouldn't be able to hide the pregnancy – or their relationship – for much longer, he knew. But this was not the way he wanted their colleagues to find out. Grissom wanted the revelation to be on his terms and not someone else's.

He quickly crossed over to the half-open door, and quickly pulled it open. His heart seemed to stop as Ecklie stood framed in the doorway, momentarily startled at being discovered.

"It would seem that you both have some explaining to do," Ecklie stated, quickly recovering from his own surprise, at the same time making it clear that he had overhead at least some of their conversation, and stepped uninvited into the office.

Grissom shared a look with Sara. She looked nervous. Of all the people that had to find out, it had to be Ecklie. This wasn't how they had envisioned breaking the news.

"If you were outside the door, then you have some idea of what we were talking about," stated Sara, abruptly.

Grissom shot her a warning look. Antagonising Ecklie wouldn't do either of them any favours.

Ecklie smirked. "I take it congratulations are in order. Who's the lucky guy?"

This was not good, Grissom thought. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

Sara looked at Grissom, both realising that despite their plans, fate had other ideas. Grissom closed his eyes, and bowed his head as he leaned against his desk. Sara crossed over and perched on the desk next to him, intending to see this through together. It wasn't just Grissom's neck on the line.

Grissom understood that there was no way they could get out of this. The truth would have to come out sometime. If it had to be now, then so be it.

With a heavy sigh, he raised his head and looked Conrad squarely in the eyes.

"I am," he said quietly.

Stunned, Conrad could only stare at the two of them. He certainly hadn't been excepting that! Completely thrown, unconvinced that he'd heard correctly, he stammered, "Did- did you say that you're the father?"

Grissom nodded, without elaborating any further.

"So when did this relationship start?"

"We've always had a relationship," Sara stated, looking Ecklie straight in the eye, challengingly.

Ecklie sighed and tried again. "So when did you two get involved?"

"That's none of your business," stated Grissom.

"It is when you're in direct violation of Lab Policy!"

"Screw Policy!" retorted Sara. "We've done nothing wrong."

"Sara," Grissom warned.

"When I said that she was a loose cannon and all yours, Gil, I didn't mean it literally." Ecklie said. He ran a hand over his bald spot. "Its in my purview as Lab Director to investigate this. As of now you're both suspended on full pay."

"And then what?" Sara wanted to know. "Fire us? Your investigation won't find anything because there's nothing to find. No one knows about us."

"Of course they don't," Ecklie replied in a disbelieving tone, rolling his eyes. "They'd say anything to cover your backs."

"They don't have to," Sara snapped, as she glared at Ecklie. "The only reason you're doing this is to get one over on Gil, again. It didn't work when you split up the team and it won't work now. I stand by what I said before. The only reason this is your lab is because he doesn't kiss ass."

Angrily, Sara rose to her feet, intending to leave Grissom's office.

"Before you go, Sidle," Ecklie half turned as she walked past him. "I need your weapon and I.D."

Sara unclipped the holster from her jeans, at the same time, reaching into her back pocket for her ID. Instead of handing them to Ecklie she tossed them on the chair in front of the desk.

"I'll need yours too, Gil," Ecklie informed him turning back to face Grissom.

Grissom rose from his spot on the corner of his desk as he unlocked his top drawer, where he kept the automatic. Although he was an excellent marksman, he chose not to carry his weapon.

"You'll be escorted off the property, " Ecklie informed them, as Grissom handed his weapon and I.D over to Ecklie.

"Is that really necessary?" asked Grissom, just as Catherine poked her head around the door.

"What's…oh," she began.

By the tension in the air, Catherine knew immediately that she'd walked into something.

Ecklie gathered up the two firearms and badges as he turned to face Catherine.

"Catherine, since you're here, as of now, I'm placing you in charge of grave shift, following the suspension of Supervisor Grissom and CSI Sidle," he said. "Effective immediately."

"What?!" Catherine was shocked. "Why? What's going on?"

"Just look after the Team until I get back," answered Grissom, before Ecklie could reply. "I'll explain everything when I can."