Disclaimer: It's not mine, blah, blah, blah!

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I know sometimes maybe it doesn't seem like I appreciate them, but I do, probably more than you'll ever know. And I'm sorry this chapter is shorter than usual, and posted a day late, but I had several school papers that I had to do. My school work takes precedence over this story, as I firmly believe education is one of the most important things. Next chapter will be up Sunday as usual. So without further ado, the next chapter!

A Marriage of Convenience?

Chapter Seven

Sara opened her eyes, only to shut them back closed right away. This was due to the beam of sunlight streaming in between the curtains, blinding her. Holding back a groan of annoyance, she shielded her eyes with a hand before slowly opening them and looking around. She had to fight back a laugh as she saw where everyone had finally fallen asleep. Nick had gone to sleep in the recliner chair, and Whitney was lying squished against him. Grissom and Catherine had both fallen asleep on the couch, heads at opposite ends, using the armrests as pillows. Warrick was leaning back against the couch, and Mia was lying next to him, using his thigh as a pillow. Sara had been curled up in the other recliner, with Greg sprawled on his stomach on the floor in front of her.

Getting up carefully and quietly so as not to disturb anyone. Walking over to the stairs, she had to fight back another laugh. The sight of Grissom wearing a neon green shirt with some equally bright logo on it was amusing. No one had ever seen him in anything other than his typical work attire, or a suit or tux if the occasion required it. And the sweats, while rather big on Greg, were almost snug on Grissom, and made for a comical sight.

Tip-toeing upstairs to her room, she glanced at the clock and realised it was five in the morning. Holding back a groan at the early hour, she stripped and hopped in the shower quickly to rinse off and get all the hairspray out of her hair. Toweling off, she pulled on a pair of jean shorts and a brown tank-top, and slipped her feet into a pair of flip-flops. As she walked towards Greg's, she drew her hair up into a pony-tail. Taking the leash off the doorknob, she opened Greg's bedroom door letting Duke out, and clipped the leash onto his collar. She took him out front to do his business before bringing him back in and letting him into the living room where his bed was, putting a gate up in the doorway to keep him from bothering her as she made breakfast.

Heading into the kitchen, she began pulling out various ingredients and cookware. Smiling slightly at the few fond memories from her childhood, she began combining ingredients for the famous Sidle Inn, Apple Pecan pancakes. The recipe had been in her family for ages, handed down from mother to daughter. Sara hoped that someday she'd be able to carry on the tradition with her own daughter. At that thought, an image of her and Greg looking at a baby girl in a crib, flashed through her mind.

Shaking her head, she continued mixing the ingredients and turned on the stove-top and the oven before spooning out batter onto the griddle. As each pancake finished cooking, she piled them onto the large plate in the oven to keep them warm. After finishing up the pancakes about fifteen minutes later, with a total of about three dozen, large, pancakes, she moved on to mixing up some waffle batter, knowing everyone might not like apple pecan pancakes. Sticking another large platter in the oven to set the waffles on as they finished, she pulled out some bacon and sausage with a grimace, preparing to cook it up, knowing everyone else would appreciate it.

"Hey," Greg's sleepy voice came from behind her.

"Good morning."

"What time is it?" He gave a yawn.

"Almost seven."

"Oh. What'cha doing?"

"You're in a lovable mood," she smiled as he gave her a hug from behind, resting his head on her shoulder. "I'm making breakfast, and you're just in time."

"For what?" He turned his head and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"For cooking the bacon and sausage here while I run down to the store and pick up a couple dozen more eggs. We don't have any, and I wanted to make scrambled eggs to go with everything else. Not to mention I need to pick up some more butter and maple syrup."

"Okay," Greg rubbed his eyes before heading to the sink and washing his hands in preparation for cooking. About twenty minutes later, Greg was finishing cooking the last of the bacon, and Sara entered bearing several dozen eggs.

"I'll set the table?" Greg questioned as she began expertly cracking the eggs, one in each hand.

"That'd be great," she nodded. "And don't forget to put on some coffee after you do. The eggs'll be ready by the time that's done."

"You know, I like this side of you," Greg mused aloud as he began putting plates down.

"What?"

"The whole domestic wife look," Greg gave her a wide grin to show he didn't mean any offense. "I didn't know you could cook."

"Kjære, I grew up in a bed and breakfast, of course I learned how to cook," she stated. "I just don't do it that much. Carry-out's cheaper and less time consuming."

"True," he agreed as he began setting out the silverware.

A few minutes later, the eggs were done and in a large casserole dish on the table. Sara pulled out the plates of pancakes and waffles and set them on the table, along with the butter and syrup. She also set out a bowl of sliced strawberries and a tub of coolwhip as additional waffle toppings. Greg turned on the coffee maker, and gave a satisfied grin as it began perking noisily. He and Sara began setting the coffee mugs out on the counter, along with cream and sugar for those who wanted it. Just as the coffee finished perking, they heard a thud and cursing from below.

"What happened?" Sara asked after she and Greg rushed back downstairs.

"I fell off the chair," Nick gave a sheepish grin as he rubbed his elbow. "And I hit my funny bone."

"Only you man," Warrick laughed, stretching his arms above his head before climbing to his feet.

"I need caffeine," Catherine mumbled, running a hand through her hair.

"Well your prayers have been answered," Greg bowed dramatically. "The lovely Miss Sara here has made breakfast, or most of it. I made the bacon and sausage."

"You're my hero Sara," Mia grinned, taking Warrick's hand and allowing him to pull her to her feet.

"I know," Sara gave a laugh before they headed upstairs.

"Wow Sara, this looks delicious!" Whitney exclaimed, taking a seat after pouring herself a cup of coffee. "What all did you make, and when did you do it all?"

"There's apple pecan pancakes and they're an old family recipe," she stated. "There's also waffles, scrambled eggs, and bacon and sausage. Topping wise, there's butter, maple syrup, strawberries, whip cream, and some cheese for the eggs. Not to mention the coffee, as well as some juice and milk in the fridge if you'd rather that."

"And Sara grew up in a B&B, so that's where she learned to do this so quickly," Greg answered the second part as he pulled out a chair for her to sit down in. "I woke up a little before seven and she already had the pancakes and waffles done."

"Well let's eat, cause I'm famished!" Catherine grinned, and they all began helping themselves to the food.

It was quiet for a while as everyone dug in and began eating. However, Warrick, Nick, and Greg soon began talking about some video game in between bites. As Sara took a bite of syrup covered pancakes, she listened a bit, watching their animated discussion in amusement. It was interrupted a moment later by Greg's startled yelp.

"Ow!"

"What?" Grissom looked over in concern.

"Belladonna just used my leg as a scratching post," Greg complained, reaching down.

"Who's Belladonna?" Mia questioned.

"This," Greg said, holding up Belladonna carefully. "Is Belladonna, Sara's cat."

"I didn't know you had a cat Sara," Warrick looked over at her.

"You never asked, but yeah, that's my baby," she gave a little laugh at her cat's antics.

Greg had set Belladonna back down on the ground, but she quickly leapt up into Nick's lap, to his surprise. Sitting herself primly on his lap, she looked out over the table. Every now and then though, she would reach a paw up and swipe at the cool whip on Nick's waffles, before daintily licking her paw clean and repeating the process.

"I guess she likes you," Sara laughed.

"Or rather, she like the cool whip," Nick joined in the laughter.

"If she's too bothersome, just set her on the ground and scoot your chair in."

"Nah, looks like she's about to move," Nick replied as the cat hopped off his lap and under the table.

"Looks like I'm her victim again," Greg leaned down and picked up the cat once more, this time draping Belladonna around his neck.

He kept his head bent forward so she could stretch out along his shoulders, which she did with an audible purr. Everyone laughed, and went back to eating and chatting, however Sara didn't join in. She was watching Greg slowly and gently reach up and scratch the cat around the neck, careful not to disturb her. It was while she was watching that tender moment between Greg and her cat that she came to a startling realization.

She was falling in love with her husband.

The irony of that statement almost made her laugh out loud. Most people started as friends, dated, fell in love, got engaged, and finally got married. Sure she and Greg had been friends. However, they got engaged and married within an hour. And now, completely out of step once again with the normal progression of things, she found herself starting to fall for him. She didn't know why she was so surprised by that fact though. After all, she had always thought Greg was cute, in a quirky, boy-next-door, kind of way. And she was definitely attracted to him sexually, if their kisses proved anything. Not to mention he could always cheer her up no matter how upset she was. He listened when she wanted to talk, but was content to just hug her when she needed that silent understanding.

Yup, she was definitely falling in love with Gregers Hojem Sanders. And hopefully, he was falling back in love with her.

"SARA!" Nick's voice broke through her thoughts.

"What?" Sara shook her head to clear her mind before looking up at everyone's concerned faces.

"You okay vennen min?" Greg looked at her. "You were on another planet."

"I never left the room," she laughed. "But yeah, I'm fine kjære, just thinking about something."

"Okay, well, we were thinking about doing something after we help clean up here, and then go home and get changed, that sound good?" Nick asked.

"Sure, what are we going to do?" She asked.

"That's the problem, we can't figure out what we feel like doing," Mia shrugged.

"How about lunch and mini-golfing?" Sara suggested after thinking a minute. "Then we can go grab some pizza before or after we play. And of course you can bring Lindsey along, Cath."

"Sounds great to me," Catherine nodded, and everyone else voiced their consent as they stood up and began helping to clear the table.

"Hey, can we invite the techies!" Greg bounced up and down. "Archie and Jacqui, and Bobby, and David, although he's not a techie, but he's cool?"

"Normally I'd say yes, but they're probably asleep since they had to work last night for swing shift," Catherine pointed out.

"Oh damn, I forgot about that," Greg pouted, stopping his bouncing.

"But we'll do something another time with them," Mia assured him.

"Okie dokie," Greg clapped his hands.

After cleaning up the table and getting the leftover food put away, everyone grabbed their clothes from the night before. Sara gave everyone a ride back to the Venetian to pick up their cars, before heading back home. It was kinda funny she thought, how quickly the townhouse had come to feel like home to her. The whole situation felt so…right…she almost felt guilty. As a kid, she had been much more of a romantic, until the situation with her parents that is. She was usually pretty serious, and devoted to school work of course, but like any girl, she entertained the occasional fantasy. She liked to pretend she was like the heroine in the novels she read; strong, brave, independent, but still able to fall in love. As she grew older, she always joked with her friends that she'd never settle down because she'd never find a man who'd be able to handle her. A man who would understand her stubbornness, her bitchiness at times, her independence, but most of all, her desires to be cherished, appreciated, and loved, just like any other woman. And that brings us back to why she felt guilty. With Greg, she realised, she was finding all this. And she didn't want to let it go.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Next chapter will have the mini-golfing and pizza, and someone finds out about them. Guess who? First person to guess correctly will get a prize! So review!