Part 4

2 ½ Months Later

Catherine frowned as Mattie drove one of his cars up her stomach. "Mattie, honey, what are you doing?"

"Cars," he grinned, making vroom-vroom sounds.

"Lindsey!" Catherine called.

Lindsey ran up from downstairs in the basement. "What is it Mum? Is the baby coming? Should I call Gil now?"

"No, the baby is not coming." Catherine gestured to Mattie. "Was this your idea?"

"Me? Of course not," Lindsey replied sweetly.

"Where is Gil?" Catherine asked, narrowing her eyes.

"He went over to Uncle Nick's," Lindsey replied. "Aunt Sara had a craving for a gooey chocolate mudcake and Uncle Gil said that he had the perfect recipe."

Catherine sighed. "My husband and friends are becoming househusbands."

"I'm back!" Gil called, coming in the front door. He came into the room and kissed Catherine. "How are you feeling?"

Catherine pointed to her stomach, where Mattie was still driving his cars. "How does it look like I'm feeling?"

"Hey he's worked out the minute points of gravity," Gil smiled, as Mattie let a car freefall down Catherine's stomach.

Catherine glared at him. "That's not amusing Gil Grissom."

"Sorry," he replied, picking up his son. "Come on Mattie, let's go play somewhere else."

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Sara stood sideways in front of a mirror, frowning at herself.

"What are you doing?" Nick asked, coming into the room.

"I have a distinct bump."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "You look fine to me." He put his hand on her tummy. "Besides, that's not really you. That's the baby."

"You're very good at sweettalking, Nick," she smiled, kissing him. The phone rang. "I'll get it."

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A scream echoed through the hospital room and from outside, Lindsey clapped her hands over her ears. Mattie wrinkled his nose and Lindsey urged him to put his hands over his own ears.

"Hey, we got here as soon as we could," Nick said, as he and Sara walked up to them.

Another scream came through and again the children clapped their hands over their ears.

"And about time too, by the sound of it," Sara said. She clutched her stomach. "I don't think I want to do that."

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Gil kissed his wife's head. "You're doing fine."

"It doesn't feel like it," Catherine said, falling back into his arms again. "I feel awful."

"I know honey."

The doctor looked up and smiled at them. "You're doing great, Catherine. I know this is hard, but we've almost got the head out."

"Okay, how about we stop now," Catherine said. "No more birth."

Gil smirked and kissed her again. "Almost there honey, almost there."

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Lindsey and Mattie watched in amusement as Nick tried to calm Sara down.

"I have a very low pain threshold! I can't take that!"

"Sara, honey, that's why you get an epidural."

Gil came out, a huge grin on his face.

"Please tell me it's over. I don't think Aunt Sara can take much more of it," Lindsey said.

Gil arched an eyebrow. "Your mum had a girl. You have a little sister!"

"Does she have a name?" Nick asked.

Gil shook his head. "Not yet." He picked up Mattie. "You guys want to come and say hello?"

Lindsey nodded eagerly and Mattie stuck a thumb in his mouth.

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"Hey Sara," Catherine smiled. She was slightly pale, but smiling with the bundle in her arms.

"It sounded painful," Sara winced, moving over to the hospital bed.

"Oh it is," Catherine agreed. "But the end result is all worth it." She turned to her husband, who was bouncing Mattie on his knee. "Right Gil?"

Gil nodded and turned to Nick, who was hovering near the doorway. "It's worth all the hormones and all the bumps and bruises we get along the way."

Nick looked down at the baby girl in Catherine's arms, whose eyes were shut and tiny rosebud mouth contentedly sucking on Catherine's pinky. "Yeah, it seems to be."

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FINIS