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

Epilogue – Part 2

Sunday, August 29, 2005
Desert Springs Church
9:20 a.m.

Upon seeing Warrick waiting in the courtyard with Lindsay, Nick yelled, "Look how much ya missed me!"

Holding the hands of the two most important women in his life, he continued walking towards the church entrance.

"You look good, Man." Warrick smiled. "It probably helps to have two beautiful women by your side. Hey, Carrie. Hello, Mrs. Stokes." He extended his hand. "Good to see you again…and under better circumstances."

Releasing her son's hand, Jillian accepted Warrick's greeting. "Likewise and please, call me Jillian." Glancing over at the girl by his side she remarked, "And who is the beautiful young lady?"

Warrick tossed his arm around Lindsay's shoulders. "This is Catherine Willows's daughter, Lindsay. Nick did tell you Cath and I are together, right?" When he saw her nod Warrick added, "Cath was swamped at work so she couldn't make it to church but, she'll be at the BBQ later."

Lindsay winced at the non-titled introduction which reminded her Warrick was really nothing to her on paper…not a dad, or step-dad, or even legal guardian. The best she would ever hear him say is, this is my girlfriend's daughter.

"Nice to meet you, Honey." Jillian put forth her hand. "You're even prettier than your gorgeous Mama."

Unlike Warrick's depressing statement, the one that just rolled off Jillian's tongue sent Lindsay's spirits soaring. Everyone thought her mother was stunning so, to be told she looked better thrilled her. "Thank you."

Carrie, who had remained quiet until now suddenly said, "Uh…why are Greg and Tawny coming here?"

"Huh?" Warrick and Nick looked towards the direction Carrie was pointing.

Surprisingly, Jillian had an explanation. "The mother of the boy who held Greg captive is very religious and when Greg visited her in the hospital the other day, she asked him if he would please attend church one time and see how it felt. Apparently it was a point of discussion during the hostage drama. Yesterday, over lunch, when Greg mentioned the promise he made to the mother, Tawny suggested they come here since this is where you'll be getting married." With that she accompanied Carrie to meet Tawny.

Meanwhile, the two men exchanged glances and Warrick sighed, "Sanders is such a mama's boy he can't even say no to another boy's mama."

Lindsay elbowed her pseudo-step-father. "Remember the other day when I said if Tawny ever came to church the men would be praising the Lord for her boobs. Looks like I'm about to be proved right. Check out the cleavage on that dress she's wearing, she's practically popping out of it!" Glancing up at Nick, Lindsay laughed. "Carrie could walk into the building naked and guys wouldn't notice her if Tawny was standing next to her still wearing that dress."

Nick shook his head at the girl. "You don't only look like your mother…you have her charm as well."

"Howdy, Mama!" Tawny held open her arms and then wrapped them around Jillian for a big squeeze.

"Don't you look happy this morning, Sugar."

"I am!" She radiated with joy. "Greg and I planned the entire wedding ceremony and reception last night. I can't wait to tell you all about it."

"Um…" Carrie watched the maternal moment with envy. How was it that Tawny had known Jillian for a day and was already calling her Mama and acting like her long lost daughter?

After waving at Carrie and Mrs. Stokes, Greg proceeded over to the guys. "You look rested, Boss." He slapped Nick on the shoulder. "Which I hope means you and Carrie didn't get too much rest."

Lindsay covered her ears and boomed, "I guess the young impressionable girl is supposed to stand here and pretend she doesn't get the sexual innuendo."

Greg stared her down. "I was referring to their plans for a multitude of outdoor sporting activities such as hiking and fly fishing. Now if you wouldn't mind, could you hang with the women because I have some work related business to discuss with my co-workers…real nasty stuff." When she was gone, Greg asked his buddies, "Is there any truth to that whole lightning bolt striking down sinners when they walk into church thing? I'm only asking because right before coming here, Tawny and I were in bed in our luxurious suite at the Bellagio enjoying some maple syrup and placating our mutual oral fixations. Since that particular activity was illegal in certain states until recently, I'm thinking it's probably not Biblically approved. I know Tawny will be safe because she's carrying innocent babies, but what about me?"

Thoroughly amused with Greg's humorous and obvious brag of what was probably his first wild party with a hot babe in a Vegas suite, Nick cracked a huge grin. "Well…" Then, on the verge of ripping his pseudo kid-brother for the millionth time, he suddenly decided that Greg, having survived the Tucker Mifflin ordeal with guts to spare, had definitely earned the right not to have his manhood challenged. Consequently, Nick skipped the customary big brother condescension and opted to have a semi-mature discourse on the subject matter.

"Actually, Greggo…" Nick mused, "…in case you and Tawny plan to do any traveling, you can thank the conservative state of Texas for making that activity legal for you anywhere in the states. In 2003, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, being a rather conservative group, refused to hear a case called Lawrence versus Texas. Because of their refusal, the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court. They ruled that two adults who mutually consent have the right to liberty under the Due Process Clause and therefore can engage in private conduct without government intervention. Because of the ruling, all the archaic deviant sex laws on the books for same-sex and opposite-sex partners were subsequently ruled unconstitutional."

Warrick postured and razzed his buddy. "Yo, Mr. Case Law…are you brushin' up to impress the future Mrs. Stokes? Is this some kind of overcompensation thing to make up for certain inadequacies?"

"Gentlemen…the future Mrs. Stokes is already plenty impressed thank you very much, especially after the last five days." He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Carrie didn't hear. "No, considering who my dad is, that case was a hot topic of conversation in my house over the holidays one year."

Warrick blurted, "So, your father's narrow mindedness ended up giving everyone the legal right to engage in a variety of pleasurable sexual activities even in Utah, Louisiana and Florida?"

"No, my father is on The Supreme Courtof Texas so he had nothing to do with legalizing your deviant sex life but yes, he can be quite narrow-minded."

Jillian rejoined the boys. "Am I hearing correctly? Are you discussing case law over here?"

"Yes, ma'am." Nick nodded at this mother. "Guilty as charged. What can I say…we're intellectuals who can't stop talking shop."

"Oh please…" Jillian strutted towards the church entrance. "I'd be impressed if it wasn't Lawrence versus Texas. My goodness, is sex all you boys ever think about? Now come along or we'll be late, and from the sound of things, y'all need some extra time to repent."

"Yes, ma'am," All three sang while hurrying to keep up with the sixty-eight year old woman.

Trailing slightly behind, Tawny whispered in Carrie's ear, "So…what's your new position count, girlfriend? And most importantly…did he drive that peg home?"

Blushing she replied, "Ten and oh yeah, you were right…he knew what he was doing with the peg one."

"But you hated it, right?" She giggled. "I warned you."

Carrie wrinkled her nose. "Yeah…I'll be taking your advice and staying out of the Perfumed Garden unless Nicky makes a special request."

"So…you went from two to ten in five days? That explains why you're walking like you rode a horse."

"I did ride a horse!" Carrie heatedly replied. "I swear! That really is why I'm walking funny."

As the guys were cracking up over Carrie's declaration Jillian snapped, "Nicky's walking funny because I kicked his ass for getting a tattoo."

"No way! You got inked?" Greg squealed while gaping at his buddy. "Way to be non-conformist, Dude! I'm finally rubbing off on you." He wore his pride like a neon sign.

"Yeah…it was bound to happen eventually I suppose." Nick laughed and let Greg think it was his influence. "That reminds me…can you write down your hair gel brand 'cause I'm thinking of growing my hair longer and putting in some highlights."

Greg bounced with enthusiasm. "Seriously!"

"No."

As Nick stepped inside the church, Warrick grabbed his arm. "Hey, buddy…just one thing while we're standing here in this house of God where people historically have received sanctuary. While you were out of the office, I approved Sofia and Hodges switching from Grave to Days. Now if you'll excuse me I'll be praying for salvation…from you." Grabbing Lindsay's hand he hurried down the aisle.

Stunned by the revelation Nick called after Warrick, "What the f…oh…hello, Pastor Tobias." He smiled serenely at the man who was standing in the back of the church waiting to walk down the aisle in a few minutes. "We just returned from vacation so Carrie is well rested and therefore should have no problem staying awake this Sunday."

"I heard that, Tex! Good morning, Pastor." Carrie hobbled by and felt compelled to explain, "Nick made me ride a horse on vacation."

"Exactly what I assumed caused that funny walk after being away with your fiancé, Ms. Blake…because Nick's a cowboy."

Tawny meanwhile was strolling down the aisle recognizing old dance club customers, in particular, one guy who she spent a hot night with earlier that year. He was sitting in a pew with a woman and two small children. "Oh!" She blurted when she saw him sporting a wedding ring that wasn't there in March. When the man saw her, his eyes shot open. "Yeah…my thoughts exactly." Reaching out she grabbed Greg's hand. "I think you'll be safe from the lightning bolt, Sweetie, the adulterer in row H has dibs." With that she released his hand and slipped into the pew where Lindsay and Warrick were seated.

Greg couldn't help but look over his shoulder at one of his future-wife's ex-one night stands. The guy was tall, muscular, attractive…and scared shitless, apparently worried that Tawny was going to out him. Sighing, Greg walked on and wondered how many other times he would be looking at the face of one of Tawny's ex-lovers. Not that it mattered in the grand scheme of things how many people she'd been with but…he kept waiting for it to be someone really awkward. Suddenly his mind raced. She did have a tendency to sleep with visiting businessmen who wined and dined her. What if she slept with someone from his parents' country club? What if she had slept with or even just stripped for one of his father's friends and they recognized her when she's there?

"Greggo…" Nick grabbed his buddy's arm. "I know you've never done the church thing before so, I'll clue you in…the altar is where the preacher stands. However, if you choose to get married in the future, you'll get to stand on one for a little while."

"Hey! That reminds me…" Forgetting his worries, a smile spread across his face. "You've really been there for me lately, Nick…calling me out when I'm an idiot, scaring the shit out of me with all your responsibility talk, kicking my ass when I need it, and even taking off my socks for me when my back was wrenched. You're like a brother to me…or at least what I always thought a brother would be like. So, when Tawny and I get married in the very near future, would you be my best man? What do you say?"

"Really? Wow." Nick placed his hand over his heart and walked Greg back down the aisle to his future-bride. "Seriously…I'd be honored, Bro."

"Thanks." Now two things were confirmed…Grissom walking Tawny down the aisle and Nick standing up as the best man.

Slapping Greg on the back Nick grinned. "As soon as you set a date, let me know so I can start planning the bachelor party. You're in for a seriously wild night my friend."

The Blakes
9:45 a.m.

While Paul and Ken took the kids to church, Wendy had stayed behind to prep for the BBQ/surprise wedding reception with her future neighbor and partner in crime, Catherine Willows.

"Warrick has no clue I took my idea this far," Catherine remarked. Not only had she lied about working OT, she told him the belated wedding celebration would amount to nothing more than a small cake and a few presents. "Check these out." She held up two t-shirts…a man's black one with the word 'groom' in white letters and a woman's fitted white one with the word 'bride' in black letters. "And look at this cute little veil on a pearl comb."

"They're going to hate those," Wendy blurted.

"I know! That's why I bought them."

"I'll take lots of photos while they're squirming." She motioned for Catherine to follow her into the guest room. "I'm hiding the wedding cake in here. I hope you like the theme."

"The theme?" Catherine followed her down the hall, trying to imagine what she meant. "OH!" Her hands raced to her mouth when she saw the triple-tiered cake covered in colorful plastic love bugs.

"They had these bugs in the super clearance section at the Party Store. They were leftover from Valentine's Day. Aren't they perfect?"

"Yes! They'll die of embarrassment." Catherine hugged Wendy. "We're going to be great neighbors."

"Which reminds me…" Wendy sighed. "I want to apologize in advance for anything my son Ryan does to offend your family. He's almost thirteen and…"

"Say no more." Catherine laughed while accompanying Wendy out of the room. "My thirteen year old daughter has already offended your son Sean multiple times. How about we just try to support each other through what I expect to be a really rough next five years of teenage hell?"

Wendy tossed her arm around her new best friend's shoulders. "Amen."

Ely State Prison
9:52 a.m.

With the Sunday church service completed, Mike Rodgers, exercising his legally guaranteed right to freely practice his religion while serving his prison sentence, waited for his weekly private prayer session with Reverend Hawkins. Currently the Reverend, a kindly man of sixty-four years, was meeting with another self-proclaimed, falsely imprisoned inmate.

Sitting in the room under the watchful eye of his favorite guard, Sonny, Mike sat shackled to an uncomfortable metal chair. "What do you think about the Book of Revelations, Sonny?" Mike asked, pretending to care about today's sermon.

Leaning against the wall with his arms folded tightly across his massive chest the guard retorted, "I think it's pretty god damn revealing, Mikey."

"Blasphemy is a sin."

"So is murder. Funny how that sin didn't bother you." Sonny cracked a toothy grin. "Oh wait…I forgot, you're innocent."

"Was that sarcasm in your voice, Sonny?"

Reverend Hawkins interrupted the conversation by walking into the room. "You may leave us," He instructed the guard while taking a seat across from the most devoted member of his flock. "How are you this week, Michael?"

"Prayerful, Reverend." Mike lowered his head. "I've been praying to find the strength in my heart to forgive those who are responsible for me being here. Try as I might, I have only had partial success. I…I guess that makes me a horrible Christian."

"It makes you human, my brother." The spiritual leader nodded empathetically. "Have you come to any new conclusions this week?"

Mike spoke somberly as he weaved his deceitful web. "I can understand Wendy Blake's motivation…envy. She was always jealous of the attention I gave her sister Samantha. So, when Gil Grissom gave her the opportunity to exact revenge upon me, she jumped at the chance. Reverend…envy is one of the seven deadly sins. I think Wendy is influenced by the devil and until she can break free of his control over her, she'll never see what she did to me as wrong." Warming his voice he declared, "But I can forgive her for she knows not what she's done."

"Very good." The holy man nodded. "And what of the others?"

Mike heaved a very fake but emotional sigh. "Nick Stokes was Grissom's patsy." This lie was easier than the last because it was true except for replacing the word my with Grissom's. "Like Wendy, he doesn't realize what he did because he's under the influence of evil. But unlike Wendy, it's not Satan controlling Nick, it's Gil Grissom. I can see now that Nick was easily manipulated because he was raised in a very strict household and programmed to respect and obey authority figures. He's the type of guy who jumps to serve if he believes the cause and the man giving orders are worthy." Mike nodded slowly. "I can forgive him because he is weak and Gil Grissom is a master when it comes to the art of manipulation."

"Your compassion is admirable, Mike."

"Thank you, Reverend." He sat a little taller while letting sadness dominate his voice. "Gil Grissom is an excellent puppeteer and no one was a better puppet for him than Sara Sidle. In the short time I knew her it was obvious that the poor, vulnerable woman was completely under his control. The more she attempted to break free, the more drastic Gil got. It was so sad to watch…almost unbearable." He took a moment to stare woefully at the preacher, then he leaned in as far as his chain would allow and whispered, "Gil walks the streets acting as if he's God on Earth. I'm sorry, Reverend…the man is evil incarnate and try as I might…I can't forgive him for smiting me."

The Reverend watched his devotee's eyes turn icy and heard a similarly frigid tone echo in his voice.

"Sometimes at night I can't sleep because I hear his laughter in my head. He's laughing at me while he lies in bed with the woman he manipulated for many years…the woman I tried to save from him. How can I forgive a man who mocks me? I can't…I…" The tears came easier every week. "I'm sorry…I'm trying. I just need more time."

Reverend Hawkins lowered his head. "Pray with me for strength, my brother."

Mike gladly obliged.

Desert Springs Church
10:36 a.m.

After the service, while Carrie introduced Tawny and Mrs. Stokes to a colleague who was in attendance, Nick ushered Greg into the courtyard. "Check this out, Buddy." He pointed to the table full of donuts and coffee. "I know you're not grooving on the church thing but, you should feel real comfortable with this part."

Greg eyed a chocolate cream-filled and enjoyed the taunt. "Have you been waiting the whole hour to play out this joke?"

"You know it." Nick was also pleased to see Warrick getting into the spirit.

Holding a traditional glazed donut Warrick strolled over with the tease waiting to roll off his tongue. "Does seeing one of these rev you up, Greggo?" He handed over the sugary treat. "I think you should serve them at your wedding instead of cake."

Accepting the donut Greg replied, "Actually, we decided to hand out bags of mini Krispy Kremes as wedding favors."

"Dude…at least it has significance." Nick smiled approvingly. "Carrie wants these personalized mint tins. You can put any picture or saying you want on the tin but still…what's the significance there? We expect our guests to have bad breath?"

"I don't think that's it." Warrick had no problem coming up with an alternative meaning. "As I recall, your breath was a skanky mess that day at the courthouse when you met Carrie. You were panicking over the Rodgers verdict all morning. You know your mouth gets all dry when you're tense, that's why you always have a mouthful of gum when you're working a rough case. But you didn't want to chew gum in court and that day you left your Altoids in your car. Remember?"

Greg choked down the donut he was chomping when he saw Nick's reaction. "I've got it! Why don't you put Mike Rodgers's mug shot on the tin? After all, his trial was the only reason you and Carrie met and we all know it was your outstanding testimony on the stand that convicted the monster and got Carrie hot and bothered over you. Just think, if you had blown it, Mike would be free and so would you and Carrie."

Warrick slapped Greg on the back. "Perfect."

Stunned by the double team Nick snipped, "Hey! 'Rick it's always been you and me picking on Greggo. Since when do the two of you gang up to harass me?"

Catherine's Roadster
10:44 a.m.

On the drive home, Catherine smiled with satisfaction over her devious plan to hassle Gil and Sara.

While she knew they would be uncomfortable at first…or the whole time, eventually they'd forgive her because if all went well, they would have a scrapbook of pictures and excellent memories to share with their future child. Of course, there was the chance they'd never speak to her again but it was a risk she was willing to take for the sake of Baby Grissom…and her selfish desire to embarrass the hell out of her dear friends.

She thought of it as the last step in Operation Lift Your Head Out of That Damn Microscope, Gil! And really…what were the odds they'd get horribly upset over something motivated by love?

Celeste's Apartment
10:50 a.m.

Pumped full of Zyrtec allergy medicine and comforted by the sight of a padlock on the ferret cage, David Hodges finally felt comfortable in Celeste's apartment. "Hi, wife," He sweetly said as he reached for the next ceramic clown head. They were wrapping her things in anticipation of a move because tomorrow they had an appointment with a realtor to look at homes and they were both anxious to find an allergen-free place to call their own.

"Hi, husband," Celeste replied from her position on the step stool clearing a top shelf of porcelain Harlequin clowns. She had insisted on being the one who used the ladder since David had such bad luck with accidents in the apartment.

Standing there wrapping clown heads in tissue paper Hodges found it hard to believe that forty-eight hours previously he didn't even know his wife. That's when it hit him…he knew next to nothing about the woman he married. Suddenly, in spite of the respiratory assistance of his allergy medication, Hodges felt it get a little harder to breathe. Next the walls closed in and every clown doll appeared to smile manically. "Oh…I…can't…" From down the hall he heard the ferrets sharpening their claws.

"Sweetie?" Celeste called out when she saw her husband turning an interesting shade of petrified. "What's wrong?"

In a rasp he answered, "Panic…attack." After uttering the last syllable, he hit the floor.

Nick's Xterra
10:56 a.m.

"Why are we going to Walgreen's?" Carrie asked from the back seat as she watched Nick pulling into the parking lot. "Is your stomach acting up, Sweetie?" She smelled something a minute ago but refrained from comment in case her future mother-in-law was the culprit. But now that they were at the drugstore she realized anxiety over the upcoming hours of Blake-Stokes parental interaction was causing her fiancé's stomach to churn.

"I need a box of condoms."

Jillian glanced curiously at her son.

Carrie couldn't believe Nick was bringing the subject up in front of his mom but, since he was comfortable, she decided to discuss the matter openly. "Sweetie…are you really that worried about my irregular periods?" Looking over at Jillian she explained, "Some months it doesn't come. This was the first time it's happened since we've been sleeping together and it really freaked him out. So, even though I've been on the pill for years, I had to get a pregnancy test at the clinic earlier this week to calm him down."

"Jeeeeez, Darlin'…do you have to discuss that with my mother? She still thinks I'm a virgin." Nick cracked a toothy grin as he watched his mother's eyes roll. "I need condoms because I'm pulling a joke on Sanders, that little wise ass. Pardon my French, Mama." As he opened the door he asked, "Do either of you need anything?"

"A bottle of water," Jillian replied. "It's so dry here the trees are bribing the dogs."

After recovering from embarrassment and her humorous future mother-in-law's quip Carrie requested, "Grab some Altoids too."

Considering the recent persecution over his breath Nick grumped, "If you have a problem with my breath just come on out and say it, Darlin'."

Sweetly she informed her paranoid mate, "I emptied my last tin on vacation, Honey, so I need some for work tomorrow. I'm meeting with a little boy and his parents in the morning and kids hate coffee breath."

"Right." Feeling like an idiot Nick shut the door and proceeded into the store.

Jillian turned towards the back and asked, "Let's talk shop. What's the case?"

Carrie rattled off the facts. "Sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor at a summer camp. The kid is ten and the counselor, a twenty year old college student, had a clean background check and no priors. There are no witnesses to the alleged abuse. It's word against word."

"Ah."

"The boy is saying it occurred in the bathroom. The counselor doesn't deny he was in the bathroom with the boy but insists he was there at boy's request because he was complaining of stomach pains." Carrie leaned in, enjoying the bonding moment. "You like this part…there is another camp counselor, an eighteen year old girl, who is willing to testify she saw the boy holding his stomach after dinner, complaining and walking away with the accused but we've established that she had been sexually active with the accused at the camp location and we've discoveredshehad quite a reputation for lying in high school." Carrie smiled wide. "She's toast on the stand with me. The defense attorney knows that though so I don't think they'll use her which is good because then I don't have to get into the whole…why would he fondle a little boy if he's sleeping with girls thing which is always difficult for some jurors to grasp."

Playing the role of the PD Jilllian inquired, "What makes you think the boy is telling the truth?"

"The camp counselor couldn't keep it in his pants and the boy ID'd a birthmark on the guy's pubic region not visible if just whipping it out to pee." Carrie winked. "Don't you miss the rush of a good A HA moment in the courtroom?"

"Absolutely." Jillian shook her head. "Now please tell me you have no plans of sending my future grandchildren to that camp."

"There's not a chance in hell Nicky will ever let our kids go to sleepaway camp considering his…" She caught herself. "…experience in dealing with crimes of this nature and of course his knowledge of what happened to me."

Sighing, Jillian shook her head. "How blessed am I to have safely raised seven children in this crazy world? It would've killed me to find out one of my babies was victimized. It breaks my heart just thinking about what happened to you, Sweetheart."

The sound of the Xterra's door opening jarred Carrie into a gasp.

"Are you okay?" Nick inquired in a worried tone. "You look so tense, Darlin'."

"Just talking shop and um…it's making me think of the work piled up on my desk after being away." She forced a smile. "We better hurry if we're going to buy a wedding gift for Gil and Sara."

Craft Market
11:17 a.m.

"What's the name of the vendor?" Gil inquired while standing in front of the directory.

While glancing around the bustling crowd Sara responded, "Daisy's Dresses." They were here so she could, as promised, buy a new ladybug dress for McKenna to replace the one she ruined the other day.

"Section A, booth 16." Gil took his wife's hand to guide her. "Right next to Tina's Tiny Houses. It was Tina's baby I held when Greg and I were processing her home for the Mifflin case."

"The woman who called you a natural and thought you already had kids?" Sara smiled brightly. "I think I'm going to ask her to verify your story."

As they walked down aisle A, Gil was stunned to see Greg and Tawny standing in front of the Crazy 4 Birdz booth. "Isn't this a coincidence," He boomed.

"Oh!" Tawny jumped in front of the birdhouse they were buying. It was their wedding gift to Gil and Sara and the craftsman had just finished tacking on the plaque that read The Grissoms over the birdhouse door. "It's The Grissoms!" She hoped the vendor would catch a clue and hide the house.

When Tawny informed him that Catherine wanted the guests to bring gifts that would give either Gil or Sara a significant amount of discomfort, Greg immediately thought to purchase a handcrafted birdhouse to commemorate his mentor's abandoning him in the basement workshop of a birdhouse maker. Tawny, on the other hand, would be presenting the couple with a much different gift.

"Why do the two of you look so jittery?" Sara inquired while trying to peek over Tawny's shoulder.

"Because…" Greg searched for a good story. "…I'm uh…here fulfilling a therapy exercise. Yeah. And it will probably make you uncomfortable to hear about it, Gris so I feel bad." He tossed his arm around Tawny's shoulders and sobered. "Dr. Myers thought it would be good for me to be around birdhouses since I was almost killed in the basement full of birdhouses. Yeah. It's a desensitization thing. We're uh…buying one for the balcony of the townhouse so I can see it several times a day."

"Oh." Gil once again felt the guilt wash over him.

Sara gripped her husband's hand tighter and shifted the subject. "So….did the two of you have a nice time at the Bellagio? What did you decide about the wedding?"

"We had the best time!" Tawny's eyes brightened. "The Monet Room has the most beautiful balcony and at night it's lit so romantically. It has a perfect view of the fountains. Our colors are going to be gold, ivory and blush pink."

Greg deviously added, "And we're going to have birdhouse centerpieces to symbolize how life should be lived and loved ones loved, as if every day could be your last."

Tawny wanted to elbow her partner in the ribs for taking the cover a bit too far. Instead she joked the mood from grim to light. "And we'll be giving out Krispy Kremes in cute little bags as wedding favors!"

Nick's Xterra
11:21 a.m.

Sitting in the truck waiting for Carrie to return with the wedding gifts, Nick cautiously asked, "Could you um…do me a favor, Mom, and try not to get into any sparring matches over politics or current events with Carrie's father? I really want this to be smooth for her because she's real tense about it."

"Don't you worry, Son." Jillian patted his cheek. "I'll check my overly-opinionated ass at the door." Then she warned, "This one time."

"Thank you." He breathed a sigh of relief as they listened to the George Strait song wafting out of the speakers. While his mom and Carrie's dad had been introduced before services and shared a pew, there was no time for interaction. But now, away from the sanctity of church, he was worried his mother might show her true colors and offend the conservative and quiet Ken Blake. Her promise meant there was less trauma to worry about on a day when it was guaranteed with Carrie's plan to slip into her new bikini and show off her tattoo.

"You got something else on your mind, Nicky?"

"Uh…" He thought it was a good time to tackle some concerns he would need addressed before deciding when and how he'd drop the bombshell. "How's dad's health?"

"The man is fit as a fiddle," She promptly replied. When she saw her son still looked vexed she followed up with, "You know he has to get a full evaluation annually as part of the job. I wouldn't keep something from you, Sweetheart. He's fine." Barbara had a similar fear last year, so she figured Nick was developmentally right on time worrying about his aging parents.

"And what about you, Mom?" The last thing he wanted to do was spring something traumatic on her later in the week and cause a coronary episode. "How's your health?"

"Your daddy's dyin' first, trust me." She laughed to lighten the somber mood. "You know how competitive we are. He's living to one hundred nine and I'm making it to one hundred ten. So don't you worry, we'll be here to see those grandbabies you and Carrie are planning."

"Seriously …" He cleared his throat. "Have you had a physical recently?"

"Yes, Honey just a month ago as a matter of fact." Knowing his penchant for evidence she provided details. "I do yoga three times a week and walk daily around the ranch in good weather and on the treadmill when it's too hot to go outdoors. I'm taking my vitamins and eating healthy. Dr. Nelson said while my chronological age is sixty-eight, my actual age is fifty-one. I'm as strong as an ox." She flexed her biceps. "Check out my guns. You and Andy aren't the only muscle-obsessed ones in the family."

A smile finally finding his mouth he reached over and gave her arm a squeeze. "Impressive."

"Think I could take Carrie's dad in an arm wrestling contest?"

Laughing with her he warned, "Don't you be lookin' for a fight, Mama."

The Blakes
11:30 a.m.

After knocking on his brother's door, Sean waited for an invitation. When it didn't come he knocked again. "Ryan, I want to ask you something."

"Enter at your own risk!" A snicker followed. "Aunt Carrie told me that will alleviate a lot of my capability if someone trips over the crap on the floor…or gets accidentally pummeled for calling me dumb."

In the interest of personal safety, Sean decided not to inform his brother that the proper word was culpability. Instead, he turned the knob and proceeded with caution. "Hey…" He tried to summon the coolest tone possible.

"What do you want?" Ryan stood in the middle of his room tossing a football. "You already got me grounded for two weeks by telling Dad about my shoebox full of tit pics. Are you here looking for more evidence to nail me, CSI Wannabe? Well here's a clue…liking pictures of half-naked girls isn't a crime. It's normal. Maybe one day you'll get a hard-on and figure that out. Then again…maybe you won't."

"I'm sorry about that and I swear I'm not here looking for ways to get you into trouble." Sean took another tentative step into his brother's room and shut the door. "I uh…want to propose a truce for the rest of the day."

"You're scared I'm gonna pound you for being a snitch," Ryan postured. "Too late, dude! You broke the guy code. You sold me out and you deserve what's coming to you. My friends treat me better than my brother. You're an asshole, Sean. A stuck up, genius asshole who thinks his shit doesn't stink. I'm tired of you looking down at me. You've been doing it since Kindergarten when they decided to pull you out and put you in the first grade after three weeks. Don't deny it." He was happy to see his brother nod in acceptance. "Yeah…but you know what you didn't count on when we were five? Me growing bigger and stronger than you. For a genius, that's a pretty big miscalculation. Well, it's payback time, Einstein." Gritting his teeth he pointed toward the door. "Now get out."

"Wait!" Sean took a few more courageous steps until he was eye to eye with his bulked-up brother whose voice seemed to get deeper every hour. "The truce isn't for me…it's for Aunt Carrie. I don't want our fighting to leave a bad impression with Mrs. Stokes like it did with Grandpa this morning. If Nick's mom realizes our family is crazy she may not want Nick to marry into it. If you love Aunt Carrie you'll agree to the truce because she'd be crushed if Nick asked for his ring back. I don't want to see her sad." Deciding that might not be enough motivation for his oft-insensitive brother and not wanting to share what he overheard about their aunt's traumatic childhood, Sean opted for a more poignant manipulation. "If Nick calls off the wedding, he won't be around here to hang out with us anymore and coach you at football. With Dad gone all the time we really need him around."

Ryan caught his ball and held it to his chest. "Fine…truce." Pointing at his brother, he coolly clarified, "But only until the company is gone."

"Okay." Sean headed for the door. Once there, he turned back. "I really am sorry for getting you grounded."

"Whatever." Ryan crashed onto his bed. "Beat it, Bugboy."

The Grissoms'
12:05 p.m.

From the doorway of the bug room Sara asked her husband, "How are the kids?" Since they had been away for nearly forty-eight hours, Gil needed to return home before going to the BBQ and tend to his Entomological family.

"They're all fine." Snapping off his latex gloves Gil smiled. "They just missed me."

"Did you mention it was your one month wedding anniversary so you were busy spoiling your wife?"

"Shhh!" He walked over to Sara and joked, "I never told them I got married….for your safety. Jealousy is a powerful emotion. The arachnids in particular have a problem with it."

"Yeah…that crossed the creep-out line." She shuddered. "When I first started sleeping at your townhouse I used to have nightmares that all the bugs would come together and attack me in my sleep."

"Ooh…tell me more," He feigned delight. "Was I running the Fire Ant experiment at the time? Because those would have really done a number on you."

"Stop!" Sara held up her hand and chuckled. "I know you're joking but you get a little too enthusiastic when talking about this stuff. It's freaky. Like the time we discussed how we want things handled when we die. You flipped out when I said I want to be cremated because I wouldn't be giving back to the Earth by letting the bugs feast on my remains."

"You have to admit it's a little self-centered." Smiling comfortably he said, "That's why I have it in my will to be placed in a special spot at my body farm."

"And that's why I won't be visiting your grave." Grabbing his hands Sara pleaded, "Promise me you won't bring this up at the BBQ. Especially not in front of Greg because he's still having nightmares about dying. Plus, one of the kids could hear you. Those Blakes have super-human hearing. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff they've overheard…and Sean's a blurter."

"I promise I'll be on my best behavior…no decaying corpse talk."

"Thank you." Leaning in she stole a kiss. "I'm really looking forward to this party because for once our friends aren't out to embarrass us and make us the center of attention. This one is about showing Carrie's dad how Carrie is happy and honoring Greg for saving McKenna from Tucker's wrath."

Taking her hand Gil walked down the hall. "It's about damn time they cut us a break and respect our wish not to be in the spotlight. Especially Catherine. She still gives me crap about not being invited to our wedding."

Catherine's House
12:10 p.m.

Clad only in his swim trunks, Warrick stood in the bedroom gaping at his significant other. "Cath…you know Gris is going to hate all this shit you're doing."

"Well, that's what he gets for shutting us out of the wedding." Tugging her hair into a ponytail she grumped, "For five tortuous years we had to watch him and Sara dance around each other and pretend we didn't notice they're unrequited love. This is my version of battle pay. Hell…if it wasn't for me Sara would be in San Francisco right now and there would be no baby bug on the way. And how do they thank me?" Turning to face her man she stuffed her hands on her bikini wearing hips. "They shut me out of the celebration. I wasn't even the first person they told. Brass and Nick found out before me. They didn't even tell me separately. I had to find out at the same time as you and Sanders. Yeah…they deserve this…and more." She snickered. "Which reminds me…I haven't told you the best part."

Warrick shook his head. "Let me hear it."

"I invited Gil's father."

Author's Notes:

Teaser: The BBQ grill isn't the only thing getting fired up...

Posting: Tuesday, 7/26

Thanks for reading and commenting,
Maggs