Feasibility Study
Written by: Ms Maggs / Edited by: KJT

Chapter 12: The Morning After

As she lounged in bed watching him knot his tie, she realized last night's spontaneous decision was divine inspiration. Never before had she felt so free, so moved. From the moment she showed up at his door and their eyes met, she knew it would be a fantastic union, and it exceeded her expectations in every way.

Watching him move about the room she wished she could read his mind. He was so hard to read at times. Did he have regrets? There was a little hesitation in his voice this morning. Did he feel the intensity she felt? Physically for sure, but beyond that, did he make the spiritual connection she needed? Would it work? After just one night of trying it was too soon to tell, but she hoped beyond reason it would. With every fiber of her being she craved it, but would he change his mind? The thought frightened her and made her feel powerless.

As he approached the bed, she stiffened. Would this be the moment he'd say it wasn't going to happen again? That she shouldn't have come to him last night, and they shouldn't have fallen into bed without thinking things through more carefully?

Gently, he sat on the edge and, as he took her hand, she readied herself for disappointment. When she saw his mouth open, she knew he was about to speak his mind and looking him straight in the eyes, she listened.

"Would you like me to run around the corner to Starbucks and get you some tea, Heather?" Brass asked, as he sweetly tucked her hair behind her ear. "They don't have banana bread, but their crumb cake is pretty decent." Leaning closer, he whispered, "Then again, you were such a lady last night, perhaps you'd prefer a scone."

Last night. What a night. One minute he was standing in the break room shooting the breeze with the troops and the next he was answering Lady Heather's call…

"Mr. Brass. It's Lady Heather."

He knew she'd call eventually, but was surprised it was so soon. "Are you ready to say the magic words?" He asked, without showing his delight.

"You were right about me…about what I need."

"Those would be the magic words." He chuckled into the receiver, as he darted into his office and shut the door. "A man never gets tired of hearing he's right." Dropping into his desk chair, he sighed. "So what do you need, Lady Heather?"

"Your address." Her voice was smooth. "You told me I didn't look good in green, and that black was getting boring. I'm wearing a new color tonight, Mr. Brass, and I wanted to get your opinion."

"Got a pen?" He had no idea where it would lead, but he was always ready for a journey, and was rather confident it would turn out to be a trip.

Later, when she showed up on his doorstep wearing a flowing dress, white as the driven snow, he found the irony exceptionally rousing.

"Do you like the new color, Mr. Brass?" She coyly asked, before curving her plump red lips into a demure smile.

He made no attempt to hide his raking gaze. "Does it match your mood tonight?"

"Yes." She took a step closer. "At the moment." She took another step. "And what's your color tonight, Mr. Brass?"

"At the moment, you can color me confused." Taking her hand, he said, "Would you like to come in and help me figure out my mood?"

Raising her brows she waited.

Remembering her penchant for manners, he rephrased the question. "Please, would you come in and help me figure out my mood?"

"Thank you," She warmly replied as she breezed by him, "Yes, I would."

Then Brass remembered Lady Heather was diabetic. After all it was the detail that caused Grissom to suspect her of murder, so it was hard to forget. "A sugar-free scone of course."

"Very thoughtful." Her eyes sparkled.

"My gruff exterior, like yours, is something I can turn off at will." He paused to steal a kiss. "Sorry I have to leave so early but being a man of great power, I'm needed at the office."

Running the tip of her red fingernail over his cheek she remarked, "Does it feel good to be needed?"

"At the office?"

Pressing against him, she let the sheet she was wrapped in slip off her shoulder. "No. Outside of the office."

"Ahh." Wary, he studied her eyes. "A trick question. If I say yes, you have the power to take my good feeling away, and if I say no..."

"Then you take something away from me." With anticipation she waited to see how he would solve the conundrum.

"It feels good to be needed at the office because it feeds the greedy Alpha Male in me." After kissing her exposed shoulder, he said, "Outside of the office, I prefer to engage in mutual appreciation." He could tell by her smile, she approved of his answer.

"You are good for me."

"Yes." Smirking he left the bed. "Because I can handle you."

"You certainly did last night." She purred.

"More magic words." Heading to the bedroom door he chuckled. "See, you're good for me too."

"You were right, mutual appreciation is engaging."

At the door he asked, "So, what flavor tea fits your mood this morning?"

"I prefer coffee actually." Grinning she fell back against the sheets. "Tea is part of the act. The needy little boys find it charming."

"Another secret revealed." He flashed a smile. "So what flavor coffee fits your mood this morning?"

"Sumatra."

"Intense."

"Exactly."

Colorado Springs Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center
Room 233
8:14 a.m. MST

Standing against the wall wearing his blue plaid pajama bottoms and a grimace, Grissom snapped, "Come on, Sara. I can't believe you're changing your mind again! You're driving me crazy!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't decide!" In the bed, she hid under the sheet. "Maybe if you would stop pressuring me I could think!"

Looming over her, he heatedly replied, "You know why I'm pressuring you!" Wrapping his fingers around the sheet, he yanked it off of her.

"Okay…okay, just give me two minutes." While she considered her options, she fiddled with the buttons on the borrowed black shirt of his she was wearing.

"That's it!" Having lost his patience, he straddled her, pinning her arms against the bed. "You have thirty seconds before I decide for you!"

"You sound frustrated," She choked out in between laughs.

"Yes! Because I'm starving!" He didn't join in her laughter. "First, I missed dinner, then I had to send my sandwich away. After that, I spent the rest of the night burning calories with you!" Finally cracking a smile, he informed her, "Don't you know the secret to any successful military operation is keeping the troops well nourished?"

"The problem is…I should have an omelet because I need the protein, but I'm craving pancakes!" Gasping, she joked, "I'm craving something. I'm pregnant!"

"Nice try." Snatching the room service menu from the bed, he laughed. "Please don't get your hopes up, because there's a good chance it won't work the first month. And if our attempts at procreation mirror our attempts at dating…my troops and your eggs are going to miss each other a few times before they get it right. On average it takes months and sometimes even a year."

"On this issue, can you be an optimist, instead of a biologist!" She playfully punched him in the gut. "Besides, what kind of leader are you? You have so little faith in your troops!"

"Oh, I'm not worried about my boys." He winked as he slipped out of bed. "I fear your eggs will play hard to get." Grabbing the phone, he announced his decision. "I'm ordering you pancakes and an omelet."

"Because I'm eating for two?" She goaded.

"No." He dialed the room service code while rolling his eyes. "Because I'm tired of waiting for a decision and if you try to have your way with me again before I eat, I'll pass out. You're lucky I didn't last night!"

While he made the call, she relaxed against the sheets. Last night. What a night. One minute she was alone and depressed in Vegas. Five hours later she was with Grissom sharing the most intimate experience of her life…

Their bodies still entwined under the sheets, Grissom softly stroked Sara's hair. "You've never looked more beautiful."

"It's the way I feel." Lovingly she gazed into his eyes while savoring the fresh flush of the ultimate intimacy they just experienced. "Knowing we were giving a part of each other and trying to create a life together. It was overwhelming. I can't describe it."

"You don't have to, because I was right there with you." He swept his lips over hers. "I love you, Sara. I didn't think I could feel closer to you but after tonight…"

Smiling with a warmth that matched the intensity of the heat still possessing her body, she summed it up by building on their favorite quote. "Love begins with a smile, grows with every kiss, and soars off the charts when you decide to make love to conceive for the first time."

"Yes." His words were interrupted by a series of slow, shivery kisses. "Sara, I'm glad it didn't work in San Francisco because we would have missed this experience."

"Mmm…" Holding him tighter, she murmured, "Don't let go yet."

They spoke while sweetly sharing Eskimo kisses.

"Are you nervous?"

"Aren't you?"

"Absolutely."

"For the same reason, I'm sure." An anxious laugh tumbled out of her mouth. "I'm nervous it worked and I'll have to move to being nervous about all those other things."

"But there's no turning back, right? San Francisco was accidental so it was normal to have doubts and okay to change our minds. Tonight was a mutual choice and now that we've made it, even if it doesn't happen tonight or this month or…"

"No matter what fears or doubts pop up we can't change our minds." Catching his eyes with hers, she tenderly said, "Can we make that a promise? Because we're not always good at making decisions but we've done very well keeping our promises."

"I promise."

"Me too."

They sealed their vow with a gentle kiss.

Finding comfort in his arms and the promise, Sara eased into a joke. "Will you promise to talk Wallner Lines when I'm in labor?"

"Of course." He chuckled. "But I won't be offended if you opt for pain medication too. I'm good but I'm not that good."

Shaking her head, she sighed, "I can't believe we just...a year ago we couldn't even look each other in the eyes and admit our feelings."

"What a difference a year makes."

"Or nine months."

Sara's attention was pulled back to the moment when Grissom slipped into bed beside her. "Food will be here in twenty minutes."

"Will you survive?" She turned on her side to face him.

"If I don't, you can present the case study for me because you know it very well. It's the Shelton case."

"Really?"

Brushing her hair off her shoulder, he smiled. "I never told you how I realized the tightness of the blanket Kaye Shelton was wrapped in was the answer to the mystery. It was all because of you."

"What did I do?" She asked in a surprised tone.

"You asked me to sleep with you."

"I didn't mean sex!"

"I know." Thinking back to the moment he laughed. "Although at the time you shocked the hell out of me because that's what I thought you meant, until you clarified your point."

"So how did that help you rethink the case?"

"You said you wanted me to sleep with you so when you woke up under the blanket in a cold sweat I'd be there." A guilty grin blanketed his face. "Even though it was totally inappropriate considering we were discussing a case…a homicide no less, I couldn't help but think of you and me in bed together under the blanket you mentioned, and me holding you tight to comfort you."

A smile erupted on Sara's face. "Blanket…holding me tight…tight blanket."

"Sometimes it's the strangest things that solve a case."

Suddenly feeling playful, she straddled him. "How many other cases did you solve when you were thinking about sleeping with me?"

"I can only think of one other." He replied.

"I was kidding!" A riotous laugh followed. "There was another?"

"Hey, what counts is that they are solved not how you get there!"

A knock on the door brought the laughter to an end.

"My food!" Grissom tossed Sara aside and grabbed a nearby t-shirt, quickly pulling it on.

"So much for women and children first." Following him out of bed, she couldn't deny she was starving too. "Did you order orange juice?"

"You never mentioned orange juice. However I knew you wanted it so I did." Grissom opened the door, but was disappointed to find Don Pratt, an Entomologist from Miami, standing there gawking at Sara who was only wearing the borrowed black button down shirt.

"So it's true." Don nodded. "Pete told me you had a girl in here but I didn't believe him."

Sara, forgetting she was only half-clothed, extended her hand. "I'm Sara. Nice to meet you."

"And it's very nice to meet you." His eyes dropped to her exposed thighs.

"Oh!" Dashing behind Grissom, she cringed.

Grissom, on the other hand, stood confidently and said, "Do you owe Pete fifty bucks, too?"

"Don't take this the wrong way but…" Don, one of the wise-guy bug-guys, said, "She's uh…quite a looker, not to mention much younger than you, so before I cough up a fifty to Pete, how can I be sure she's not…on loan…if you catch my drift."

"What?" Grissom snapped.

"Does he think I'm a hooker! Oh my god! I'm not a hooker!" Sara yelped from behind. "Look!" She thrust her left hand forward. "I'm his wife!"

Grissom spun around, his eyes wide. "Sara…Bug world is a small world."

"You're married!" Don smacked his hands together. "Awesome! Vince owes me a hundred bucks! He swore you were celibate and would never marry anything but your work. We made that bet three years ago after Cathy asked you out for a drink and you turned her down saying you had too many journals to read in your room!"

"Who is Cathy?" Sara teased, as she poked Grissom in the ribs.

Don replied, "Forensic Entomologist from Dallas. She's here at the conference. She had a crush on Gil but alas, he broke her heart by not giving her the time of day."

When the room service waiter rolled his cart to a halt, Don waved. "I'll leave you to enjoy your breakfast." As he walked away, he yelled back. "It was nice meeting you Mrs. Grissom."

Sara gasped. "Now that sounds so…weird!"

Grissom dropped his head in his hands. "By the time we make it downstairs they'll be buzzing like a bunch of Bombus Terrestris." While he obsessed over the scene surely to follow, he tuned out everything else.

"Who is signing the bill?" The waiter droned.

"I will. He doesn't have his glasses on." Sara grabbed it and taking the pen out of the waiter's hand, without thinking, she signed, Sara Grissom. "Why did I..." Laughter overcame her. "Why am I so giddy about this? I feel like I'm in high school and trying out my boyfriend's name for size. Not that I had a boyfriend in high school."

The waiter, replied, "You would have had a boyfriend if you walked around wearing only that shirt in high school."

"Oh!" After shoving the bill at him, she ran inside the room.

The waiter informed Grissom, "In her hasty departure, she only signed; she didn't leave me a tip."

"Huh? Oh…sorry." Grissom, not having his reading glasses on him, said, "Just fill it in yourself."

The waiter gladly did as he was instructed, then wheeled the food cart into the room, and set up the trays on the sitting area table. "Thank you and have a good day, Sir." The waiter supplied a completed copy of the bill.

"You too." Once the waiter and cart were out the door, Grissom knocked to alert Sara. "Coast is clear."

Ravenous with hunger, she bolted out of the bathroom. "What took so long?" She dashed to the table and started ripping off lids.

"You forgot to tip him and he wasn't leaving without one, which reminds me." Grabbing his glasses from the dresser, Grissom thought he should check the amount of the tip. "Sara?" His eyes narrowed as he stared at the piece of paper.

Pouring syrup over her pancakes, she replied, "Sorry, I couldn't wait. The zygote is hungry."

"Thank you for being scientifically accurate when you're fantasizing, Honey." Then he extended the check. "Now care to explain this?" He pointed to the signature line. "Sara Grissom?" When he said the two names together it triggered several conflicting feelings.

"Your bug buddy, Don, remember?" She plopped into a chair and grabbed her fork. "He called me Mrs. Grissom right before the waiter handed me the check so, when I signed it, I signed Sara Grissom." Saying the name out loud sent her mind wandering.

Removing his glasses and tossing them on the table, Grissom took a seat across from her and pondered the foreign name while munching through a couple of pieces of toast.

Sara, having breezed through half a stack of pancakes, started working on her veggie omelet while contemplating the Freudian-slip significance of signing the name. A while later, when she realized they had both polished off a significant amount of food with nary a word, she said, "Do we need to talk about the bill? The name?"

Setting down his empty glass, Grissom sat back and rubbed his hand over his chin while trying to decide what to say.

"I know that look."

"I thought we were content with the way things are…that we don't need social conventions."

"I am!" Standing up, she walked around the table and slipped into his lap. "I don't need anything else."

He threw his arm across her. "Plus we can't unless…"

"I know! Stop looking at me like I'm trying to force this topic." She kissed his cheek. "The name was in my head when I had the pen in my hand that's all." After a brief pause, she said, "But…"

"I knew there was a 'but' coming."

"But after I saw it and said it, it got me thinking. Is it fair to the baby? Should things be legal for the baby?"

"I knew you were going to say that." He sighed. "Because that's what popped into my head."

"This is so ironic because our 'marriage of true minds' got us thinking about a baby and now that we're trying to have a baby, the baby has us thinking of marriage." She smiled. "We don't need a legal marriage. It's just logic and convenience talking, you know…baby Grissom, the Grissoms, the kid going to school and having to explain different names, the conservative parents whispering about the unmarried parents of little Grissom who works nights and collect bugs. Who cares about gossip and convention? We don't need to get caught up in all that."

Gawking at her, he announced, "Do you have any idea how much you're vexing me with all this?"

"Sorry!" She chuckled. "I thought I was helping."

"No. You aren't." Shaking his head, he groaned. "On one hand you're reminding me that, The Grissoms, were a poster-family of dysfunction, and on the other hand you're reminding me that, Little Grissom, meaning me, had a lot of explaining to do as a child and it wasn't easy and it certainly didn't help me fit in." His speech quickened. "Then, there is the surreal sound of you being called, Mrs. Grissom, when the only person ever called that was my mother. And if that wasn't enough…on top of all that, you're reminding me of the huge step we took last night, and suddenly the reality is catching up with me. Having a child, raising a child, schooling a child, dealing with other parents…trying to fit in…"

"You don't regret…"

"No! No, of course not." Anxiety fueled a laugh. "But that doesn't preclude me from having a panic attack!"

A knock on the door interrupted the breakdown.

Sara slid off his lap. "Geez! These bug freaks are a nosy bunch!"

"Please put on some pants this time." He advised while attempting to lower his pulse with slow, deep breaths.

After pulling on her jeans, Sara peered through the peephole. "Aww! How thoughtful of you, Honey!"

Slouched in his chair, Grissom thought, what did I do?

Opening the door, she smiled, "You sent me flowers." Taking them from the hotel clerk, she said, "Thanks."

Confused enough already, Grissom didn't need any more oddities. "I didn't send you flowers. How could I? I didn't even know you were coming here to see me, and you've been with me the whole time."

Walking into the sitting area with the vase of red roses, Sara saw the two cards attached to the vase…one small one labeled, 'Bug Boy' and a larger one labeled, 'Boom Boom'. Shaking her head, she could only imagine what the notes would say. "Brass sent them." Plucking off the Bug Boy note, she handed it to Grissom. "I assume this one is yours because I know the one labeled Boom Boom is mine."

"Boom Boom?" Grissom took his envelope while eyeing Sara suspiciously. "And why exactly is he calling you that?"

"I have no idea! Ever since we went drinking, Greg and Brass are calling me Boom Boom, and I don't know why. Greg told me it's about something I said but he wouldn't elaborate." After placing the flowers on the desk and removing her card, she took a seat at the table. "Read yours first. Out loud."

Retrieving his glasses, he asked, "What reason did you give Brass for taking the night off?"

"I told him I had a cold."

When he opened the card, Grissom saw a folded paper tucked inside. "He faxed letters to the flower shop? The man really needs a personal life."

Bug boy,

How was the bug-conference booty call? Don't expect to expense breakfast in bed!

Grissom glanced at Sara. "I guess you weren't too convincing when you told him you were sick." Then he continued.

Aren't I thoughtful? Now you have flowers to give her. By the way they cost eighty bucks. You can pay me when you get back. In case Sara actually ran off to meet someone else, please disregard the above, and when you return, I'll buy you a few rounds.

Sincerely,

Your Hero

P.S. You don't deserve her!

"Aww…yes, you do." Sara mused, as she opened her card. "My turn."

Boom Boom (do you know why I'm calling you that yet?)

She paused to yell, "No!"

How's your cold? When I called to check up on you around nine, you weren't home (shocking), so I did some investigating.

Sara Sidle – America West Flight 6607 – Seat 14c

You forget, in my powerful position, I have access to flight information.

Nice try. The one time you play hooky in your life, you get busted. I'm afraid I'm going to have to report your insubordination to your supervisor so he can reprimand you for being so naughty. Oh wait…I just remembered, you guys are into that stuff.

Sincerely,

The All-Knowing One

P.S. Can you take some pictures at the conference because I'm dying to know what these insect-crazed individuals look like, and what they do at these freak shows? Remember that Star Trek convention in Vegas, when we had to process that wackjob dressed as some furry alien dude? Is it similar? Is everyone wearing antennas while doing some intricate beetle handshake? Hmm, after witnessing Grissom in his element, you may rethink the desire to gestate his offspring.

"Too late!" Sara laughed. "Son of Bug Boy has been spawned!"

Throwing his cloth napkin at her, Grissom had to join her laughter. "So not only did it work on the first night, you're sure it's a boy."

"I want it to be a boy." She confirmed.

"I want it to be a girl."

"How shocking…we're not on the same page."

Curious, he asked, "Why do you want it to be a boy?"

"Same reason you want it to be a girl. Which is…"

"I don't want to deal with the psychological ramifications of reliving the screwed up same-gender parent-child relationship of my own childhood."

Sinking in her chair, she replied, "It's good to know we're at least in sync when it comes to being mental."

And while they pondered the complex issue weighing heavy on their already taxed brains, the room phone rang.

Happy for the break in concentration, he grabbed the call. "Grissom."

"It's Catherine," She announced.

"What's going on?" He looked over at Sara and saw her mouthing. 'I didn't tell her I was coming.'

Catherine's voice was flooded with concern. "I don't want to alarm you but…I'm worried. We all are."

"We?" He put the phone on speaker so Sara could hear.

"Warrick, Greg, Nick and I. We just finished shift and went to your house to bring Sara some breakfast and she didn't answer. We've also tried calling and paging, but no luck. I thought maybe she went to the doctor's but her car is still at the station where she left it when she went out in the taxi with Brass and Greg. I'm sorry if I'm alarming you but we're just looking out for her with you out of town. Have you heard from her since last night?"

Sara and Grissom were both moved by the outpouring of concern and he finally admitted in an appreciative tone, "Thank you, Catherine, but please don't worry. Sara is here with me."

"Duh! Like we didn't figure that out after she didn't answer her phone when we called her last night!" Catherine burst out laughing as Greg yelled into the phone, "Boom Boom took her show on the road!"

Sara looked at Grissom. "Did you fall for this same kind of crap in high school and college?" She groaned. "I always did."

He shrugged. "People didn't care I existed in high school, so they didn't waste their time pulling crap on me."

Catherine's voice boomed through the speaker. "See, you should be flattered! We care enough to give large doses frequently."

Having reached her limit on the nickname, Sara demanded an answer. "Ask Sanders to tell me why he's calling me Boom Boom."

Catherine obliged, "Okay hold on. I'll put my phone on speaker because we all want to know. Okay, Greg, what's up with the ridiculous nickname?"

Sara and Grissom listened intently.

Greg started. "A few clues for you to piece together. Some people leave their heart there."

Sara was proud to beat Grissom to the punch. "San Francisco!"

Greg acknowledged her with a 'ding ding. "Next one. The preferred mode of transportation on prom night."

Catherine interrupted. "I think we have to give them that one because they both sat home. That one is limo."

Greg gave the next three in a row. "My current girlfriend's profession. You can get arrested for selling it on the Strip. It's half of a grand."

Grissom recapped, "San Francisco, limo, Tawny is a stripper…"

"Oh no!" Sara covered her mouth. "I told them that!"

"Yeah." Grissom cringed. "I don't think he's talking about selling fireworks illegally on the strip and I'm pretty confident I got the math problem right."

And while the squeamish couple, dealt with the reality, Catherine readied her co-conspirators for a pre-arranged, Paul Lekakis, eighties flashback number. "Sing it with me boys!"

"Boom-boom-boom, let's go back to my room, so we can do it all night, and you can make me feel right.. oh oh oh! Boom-boom-boom…"

Grissom disconnected the call and nonchalantly asked, "Still worried about hanging with the bug freaks, Honey? I think it might be time to make some new friends. Friends who don't know about your checkered past."

To which she replied, "Do you know how the witness protection program works?"

Next Episode: Bugged - Part 1

Teaser: There are so many ways to be bugged…