Dare-Soñar: I've updated the ending to make it more realistic, thanks to ScienceGeek, who is way too smart, lol. I didn't really like the original ending anyway. Updated and edited 10/17/04.

9-"My Dream"

Jim, Greg, Nick and Warrick practically fell into the emergency room in a heap. Jim, being the only sane one in this moment, yelled, "One at a time! One at a time!" way too late. Archie and Janine, his wife, ran in next, and tripped over Greg's misplaced foot, causing them both to go sprawling across the hospital floor. All the people waiting in the emergency room stopped suddenly, watching the newfound entertainment. Doc Robbins hobbled in next, and paused as he saw the heap of lab techs, CSIs and one policeman on the floor. He shrugged and made his way over to Gil and Catherine and Sara's alarmed parents.

"What's happening?"

The crowd from the lab walked over, too, totally silent, waiting to hear Gil's answer.

"She's undergoing a C-section now, and all we have to do is wait."

Everyone fell silent. Everyone, wanting to sit near the elevator, sat down on the floor close to Catherine and Gil. Doc Robbins sat in a chair next to them, and Warrick, Nick and Greg sat in the back row, and Archie and Janine sat in front. Everyone was facing the door, totally silent. Some doctors walked by and slowed down, watching the huge crowd who were staring hard at the elevator door. They left quickly.

An hour passed, and boredom took over. Greg, along with Nick and Warrick, started a somewhat violent game of slapjack with the cards Greg had brought. Gil was still staring at the doors, Archie and Janine had fallen asleep on the floor, and Al was even fighting to remain awake. Catherine and Mrs. Sidle had fallen asleep and were leaning on each other, and Mr. Sidle had magically obtained a newspaper and was reading silently.

Another hour passed, and Nick, Greg, and Warrick had succumbed to sleep as well, Greg was still clutching onto his poker hand. Mr. Sidle had fallen asleep too, leaning back on his wife, causing Catherine's head to fall back onto Gil's shoulder. Al was snoring away, and the only person awake still was Gil, still nervously watching the door. It opened, and a doctor came out. He jumped at the sight of the lab mob snoozing away, but he saw Gil and motioned him over.

Gil jumped up immediately, causing Cath to fall further backwards to lay her head on Al's knee. It was six o' clock in the morning.

"Doctor?"

"Well, Sara and the baby are both fine. She's still a little out of it, so the baby is getting cleaned up. She asked for you, though." He looked over Gil's shoulder to see the entire slumbering lab and her parents.

"Are these people her family?"

Gil turned around to look at everyone drooling away.

"Yep. The extended Sidle family." Gil smiled.

Gil cautiously entered the hospital room, where Sara was lying in an all-too familiar position. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.

"Well, that was an adventure, huh?" She smiled at him as he sat down next to her. He nodded, "I love how your parents are so... compassionate..."

She laughed, but paused because it hurt. "Well, you can't pick your parents..."

She reached over and grabbed his hand.

"Gil, I never had a chance to thank you for all you have done for me."

"Well, it was a pleasure having someone else in the townhouse with me, even if you were mentally unstable... I mean-"

"Not just that, Gil. For everything."

Her passionate stare indicated everything she meant, and Gil found he couldn't look her in the eye, so he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"I did what any one of us would have done. I mean, that man... he didn't..."

She squeezed his hand, "I know, Gil."

He smiled back at her, his eyes bloodshot. He couldn't say anything so he just nodded. She opened her arms, and finally, Gil broke down and started to cry into her hug. They remained embraced as the door opened and the doctor came in.

"Welcome back, Miss Sidle." The doctor said, and Gil and Sara looked up to see him standing there with the baby in his arms.

"Eight pounds, two ounces. She's a cutie."

He offered the baby to her, but she refused to accept it, so Gil offered his hands instead. He looked down and smiled.

"Oh, Sara, she's beautiful..."

Sara couldn't bring herself to look at her, and her eyes filled, yet again, with tears. She turned to the door, hoping Gil wouldn't see her, but just then, the door burst open and everyone piled in and saw the baby. Even Mrs. Sidle and Catherine, who were arguing again, stopped.

The baby was passed around, and didn't even cry once. Sara, for once, felt upstaged. It was a pleasant feeling. Mr. Sidle was sitting in the corner, and broke the happy atmosphere with a cold: "You're not planning on keeping this baby, are you?"

Everyone froze in shock. Greg was holding the baby and hugged it closer to his chest, as if to protect her from his coldness.

"Excuse me?" Sara asked, her smile disappearing. Gil stood protectively, and grabbed her hand.

"This baby should have been aborted the moment Mr. Grissom found out."

For the first time, Sara felt a rush of maternal protectiveness for the baby she never cared for.

"I beg your pardon?" Greg asked from the corner. Mrs. Sidle looked torn between her husband and her daughter.

"I've seen that look before. That was the same look your mother had for your little sister."

Mrs. Sidle gasped and covered her mouth in shock, and Sara jerked with surprise.

"What? Dad, I don't have a little-"

"You don't?" He asked pointedly, and Sara just knew.

"You... you..." She was at a loss for words... "You're Pro-Life!" It was a stupid thing to say, she knew, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything more intelligent. Mrs. Sidle looked crushed as she remained covering her face.

"Mom?" Sara asked.

"Sara, baby, I would've kept her... but..."

Sara stared at her mother. "Why didn't you tell me? Didn't I deserve to know? You're body is your business, but a sister...?"

Mr. Sidle stood and spoke harshly.

"I forbid you to keep this baby, Sara. You are in no shape to raise a baby by yourself. I forbid it."

"She won't be by herself." Gil said strongly, and Mr. Sidle's dark eyes locked onto him.

"And you would know? You're over fifty and have never been married or had kids. Not even Ms. Willows here can raise a child and keep a husband."

Catherine snorted in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

Sara couldn't believe it. "Mom?"

"Your father does have a point, Sara. Look at yourself. You can't walk. You don't have a man. Even you were planning on giving this child up."

"I think you should leave." Warrick said, and Nick stood next to him, saying, "I agree with Warrick. I think you two should leave."

"This is our daughter. You cannot-"

Greg joined in, "Yes, we can, and we will."

Mr. Sidle glared at the three strong men blocking his way. With a nod, he grabbed Mrs. Sidle harshly and dragged her to the door.

"Fine, but when this baby is old enough to be screwed up, she will be. Mark my words. You aren't a parent."

"Neither were you." Sara said quietly, voicing the opinion she has always kept repressed. For once, her father looked speechless. He shoved his wife out the door and left the room in silence.

Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Nick said, "I'm sorry you've lost your parents."

"I never had them."

Silence.

"How did they know?" Sara asked herself aloud, and everyone turned worried looks to her.

"Know what?" Catherine asked.

"... that I was planning on keeping her..." She finally realized it. "My baby... let me have my baby. I need my baby."

She looked as if she was on a verge of a panic attack, and Greg gently handed the baby over. Sara finally gazed upon her baby...

My dream, I never asked for you, but you came... I never wanted you, but I needed you...

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Dare-Soñar: Big thanks to all who reviewed and to Cass-7 for beta-ing half of this story, lol. (NOT ";p;")

"I belong to the warrior to whom the old ways are joined to new." -"The Last Samurai"