Sara only lasted through three nights of sightseeing with her parents, but she comforted herself with the knowledge that she was better off than Grissom, who'd barely survived dinner the first night with Amy and Steve Sidle.

The fourth night, as she and her parents walked into the Bellagio's casino, she finally gave up. "Enough, Mom! If you drag me through one more casino, oohing and aahing over the different types of slot machines, I promise I will have this baby on the floor, right here, just to embarrass you!"

Her mother gaped at her. Her father nearly collapsed from laughing so hard. "I don't think you get a choice in that sort of thing," Mrs. Sidle said, finally cracking a smile. "Although I almost did have you in the grocery store. I wouldn't recommend it."

Steve threw an arm around his daughter's shoulders and squeezed. "Oh yeah, we're never going to forget that day. Your mom could have cared less that she was in labor, she was just concerned about the entire town seeing her water breaking and the supposed embarrassment involved." Sara and her mother both gave him sour glances at this revelation. He'd reserve that particular story for another time, he decided. "Well, I'm going to venture a guess and say you're tired of casinos. What would you like to do, then?"

She leaned against her father's shoulder, glad for the support. "I don't know," she said slowly. "Right now, I just want a nap. And a wheelchair. I think my ankles have reached critical mass and are about to declare themselves a separate country."

"Sara, honey, we've run you ragged!  Why didn't you tell us?" her mother asked in a voice somewhere between reproachful and apologetic. "We'll take you home and you can sleep. Your father and I have hardly been able to see your house, anyway."

After turning that option over in her mind, Sara shook her head. "No . . . I don't really want to go home either. How would you guys feel about getting a tour of CSI? We can go to the lab and I'll take you around, and you can meet everyone you always hear me whine about."

Her parents looked at each other and shrugged, then nodded their assent. Fifteen minutes later, Steve was behind the wheel of Sara's car, complaining about the seat's adjustment. "I never understood why you got these little cars anyway; it's not like you're short. How do you stand having to fold yourself into it every day?"

Sara offered her father a tired but teasing smile. "It's not my fault you're a giant. You can't be 6'6" and expect to find any car that fits you perfectly, let alone a tiny little Beetle like this. It's fine for me, I'm used to it. Besides, half the time I'm driving Grissom's car and he's driving mine, so we're both used to adjusting." She paused, checking their surroundings. "You sure you're ok with driving, Dad? You don't know your way around here."

"I'm fine, sweetie. I'm a man, remember? We're born with superior navigation abilities." He grinned when two female voices loudly began to poke holes in that argument.

"And that's why we almost didn't make it here because you got us lost on the way to the airport?" Amy asked skeptically.

"And why you still haven't figured out that the Luxor is south and the Stratosphere is north?" Sara added.

"Ok! I surrender," Steve acceded. "You girls win. Directions are your responsibility, Sara."

"No problem," Sara replied. "Even pregnant women can navigate. Well, at least this pregnant woman can." She settled back against her seat, alternately giving her father directions and dozing for the twenty-five minutes it took to get from the Strip to the CSI lab.

She awoke to the sound of her parents whispering. "You wake her up," said her father's voice. "No, Steve," her mom hissed. "She looks so peaceful. Let's just drive her home."

Opening her eyes, Sara smirked at them. "Well, you're off the hook. I'm up. Are we there?" She looked out the window, confirming that they were parked in the right lot. "Ok, cool. Let's go in."

Eyes widened when Sara entered the building on the arm of an extremely tall older man, followed by a slightly smaller woman. She made introductions as they were needed, first to the receptionists, then to techs they passed in the hallway.

As they entered the break room, Sara's pulse sped up. She hadn't seen Nick, Warrick, or anyone else from the lab in the two weeks since she'd gone on leave, and she was excited to get the chance now. She just hoped Grissom wouldn't boot them out before she could see everyone. Just as this thought crossed her mind, a movement in the doorway caught her attention.

"Nick!"

Nick grinned and swaggered toward her. "Hey, you. You got permission from the General to be here?" Without waiting for an answer, he gave her an awkward hug, unsure how to deal with the large belly between them. "God, I can't believe how big you got!"

Sara snorted. "Don't go around saying that to all the girls, Nick. You just might get punched." She smirked for a moment, then turned to her parents. "Mom, Dad, this is Nick Stokes. He's another CSI."

Nick shook hands with both her parents, automatically turning on the charm. "Wow, I can see where Sara gets both her height and her looks," he opined as he grasped Amy's hand. Then, shaking Steve's: "And where she got the rest of her height!"

As they were concluding the introductions, Catherine and Warrick wandered into the room from a blind corner. Sara noticed immediately that Warrick's hand was pressed against the small of Catherine's back and they were whispering.

"Hey, don't let us interrupt you guys," she chirped.

Catherine and Warrick both looked up quickly, assessing the situation. "You must be Sara's parents," Catherine said with hardly any hesitation, smiling at the two visitors. "I'm Catherine Willows, I work with . . . well, this whole group here. This is Warrick Brown," she said, motioning toward her companion. "We let him tag along every now and then."

Warrick growled something that didn't sound at all unkind, then held out his hand to Sara's father. "Warrick Brown, like Cath said. You're Mr. and Mrs. Sidle?"

More introductions were made and the group fell into small talk. Sara was considering going to find Greg when there was another movement in the doorway. Grissom, head down and staring hard at a paper in his hand, walked in, barely avoiding the doorjamb. When he heard the conversations, he said without raising his head, "Hey, guys, is this coffee klatch or is this a scientific environment?"

"I'm gonna go with 'coffee klatch'," Sara said with a smug laugh.

Grissom's head shot up. "Sara! What are you . . ." His gaze fell on her parents and he interrupted himself. "Mrs. Sidle . . . Mr. Sidle," he managed, freezing in place. He backed up a step, catching Sara's laughing look.

"I think," Sara's mother said with a small smile, "that if you back up any farther, Gil, you'll be wearing that doorknob in an uncomfortable place. Come in and start breathing again, please."

Grissom looked from Sara to Amy, blinking at what he saw: Amy Sidle was actually smiling at him. Smiling brightly, too!