Disclaimer: It's not mine, so yeah…I can't make gazillions of dollars off of CSI and Co.
A/N: Hey y'all. Man, am I glad that y'all are still with me! It's been a really rough week for me, finding out some news that I didn't particularly want to, and having to deal with the implications. I was also in the hospital with food poisoning, and diabetes complications for several days. Anyways, I'm glad y'all liked Sara's family. They're based very much on my Aunt and Uncle, who can never get my name right- Caitlyn, Caroline, Marilyn, Madeline…but never Maitlyn. Whatever name she starts with, if it's not right the first time, she just switches to something that semi-rhymes. Oh well, quoting Shakespeare, what's in a name? But anyways, this chapter will kinda be a filler more than anything, but some cute parts, and some witty banter. Fun, fun, fun I hope. And now without further ado (though before I go on, no I'm not from the South, but my Papa's from Tennessee, and it's worn off a bit on me) on to the chapter!
A Marriage of Convenience?
Chapter Thirteen
"Well that could've gone a lot worse," Sara gave a sigh as they settled into their seats for the return flight home.
"Yeah," Greg agreed. "I was kinda worried when we first met your family and your cousin Carly went all psycho on you!"
"She didn't go psycho, she was just making a point," Sara defended her snotty cousin. "And it was true, I hadn't see any of them for a while. I pretty much ignored them. And besides, she was pregnant, and you have no idea how much pregnancy hormones can affect a woman's mood and attitude."
"Well I don't think I'd mind knowing, as long as it's you who's hormonal," Greg laughed, pulling her against him in a one-armed hug.
"So you really do want a lot of kids?"
"Definitely! I want to have at least four. I want our house to be filled with laughter and love."
"Girls or boys?"
"I'll be happy with either, but I want at least one girl, who looks just as pretty as her mother. How about you?"
"As long as our children are healthy, that'll be enough for me," Sara smiled and turned her face up for a kiss, which he quickly obliged her.
"Yup," Greg yawned, and closed his eyes to take a nap during the flight home.
It seemed he had only closed his eyes when Sara was shrugging out of his arms and shaking his shoulder to get him to wake up. He stretched lazily and rubbed his face before grabbing his carry-on backpack from under the seat in front of him. Intertwining his fingers with Sara's, he followed her off the plane to the baggage claim to wait for their luggage. Un-luckily for them, their two bags were some of the last to show up on the conveyor belt. However, they finally arrived, and Greg pulled them off, not letting Sara take hers.
"Hey!" she objected, hurrying after him, trying to grab her small duffle bag.
"Nope, I'm gonna carry it," he teased, somehow managing to just keep it out of her reach, as he walked backwards.
"You're impossible," she huffed, but ceased her attempts. "Watch –"
"Oof!" Greg crashed into someone, causing all their bags to drop.
"Out," Sara added belatedly, and began to apologize while picking up everything, not bothering to look up. "I am so sorry sir. You'll have to excuse my husband."
"He's a klutz, I know," Nick's voice caused her to look up.
"Nicky!" she rose to her feet and accepted his warm embrace. "Hey, how was Texas?"
"Good, though I have to admit this wasn't the welcome back I was expecting," he laughed, picking up the last of the bags that had fallen.
"Well at least it was me who ran into you," Greg pointed out as they headed for the exit. "So you know who to sue if something's broken."
"Like I'd really do that to you. But how much do you think I'd get?"
"Not a thing if you're gonna be like that," Sara reached out and punched him on the arm as he pretended to contemplate all the money he'd sue Greg for.
"I'll just add abuse to the list of charges," he teased. "Now do either of y'all know where we're supposed to meet Warrick?"
"Right here," his smooth voice caused them to turn around to see him push off the wall he'd been leaning against. "Your accent gets thicker every time you go away bro."
"Good to see you too," Nick laughed, hugging Warrick after throwing his bags in the trunk as Sara and Greg did the same.
"Hope you didn't have too much fun without us," Sara smiled, hugging him also before climbing into the backseat with Greg.
"Course not," he laughed. "My Grandma may be a mean scrabble player, but she's got nothing on you guys when it comes to keeping me entertained."
"Good to know," Greg rolled his eyes.
"So how was Tamales Bay you two?" Warrick questioned, looking at them in the rearview mirror as they pulled out of the lot.
"Good, though I have no idea what my name is," Greg stated, promptly bursting into hysterical laughter to the confusion of Nick and Warrick. Sara explained what he was laughing about, and Nick and Warrick shared in Greg's amusement.
"Well it sounds like you fit in perfectly," Nick commented once Greg ceased his laughter.
"Yeah, but seriously, it really was nice," Greg smiled, taking Sara's hand. "Her family's cool. Oh and guess what?"
"What?" Warrick humored him.
"Sara's been holding out on us. She's great with kids, contrary to what she says. I got an awesome picture of her and her…uh, what, second cousin?" He looked to Sara.
"Technically yes."
"Her second cousin Dylan. He's six months old and adorable. But like I was saying, I have the coolest picture of her asleep on the porch swing, Dylan asleep on her lap."
"Who took that?" Sara asked, slightly shocked. "I don't remember that!"
"Daniel, and of course you wouldn't remember, you were asleep."
"You'll have to bring it into work and show us," Nick shot Greg a grin before speaking to Sara. "Great blackmail material."
"It's only blackmail if it's something I want to hide," Sara retorted. "And while it's not a side I like to show, that maternal instinct is there. Besides, I'll have to embrace it sooner or later."
"Are you trying to tell us something Sara?" Warrick met her gaze in the rearview mirror, an eyebrow raised in question.
"No, I'm not pregnant," she rolled her eyes.
"But we hope to have kids in the future, and that's what you mean about the maternal instinct stuff, right?" Greg looked at her to confirm the statement.
"Yeah," she nodded, coloring slightly. She blushed even harder when Warrick and Nick started whooping and hollering, teasing her.
"You know, while I couldn't be happier for you two, the thought of you having kids is kinda weird," Nick mused aloud a minute later.
"Why's that?" Greg asked.
"I don't know, it just is, or I guess it was. Not so much anymore," Nick shrugged. "I mean, it still seems like only yesterday that Greg was an immature lab-rat running around to loud music. And Sara was the obsessive and driven work-a-holic. Neither of you seemed like the types to really settle down, let alone have kids. I remember that time Sara got stuck with baby-sitting duty for that Collins girl. That only re-affirmed my view that you wouldn't have kids, or want to."
"And now?" Sara asked.
"Now having seen the way you two interact, and how much in love y'all are, I think you'll make awesome parents."
"Really?" Greg pondered Nicky's statement. Would they really make good parents?
"Yeah," Nick nodded. "I mean, I don't know how much experience either of y'all have with kids, but that's not even what I'm basing my statement on. I think you'll be great parents simply because of the love you two share. It's so obvious; you two always light up whenever you're around each other. In the lab or in the field, it's like you've got this connection with each other and can read each others minds. If one of you is about to ask for a tape lift, the other's already holding it out. But back to the whole love thing; your kid, or kids, will grow up surrounded by love so that's how I know you'll be great parents. Though I do hope for one thing…"
"And what's that?" Sara asked, touched by his statement.
"That any kids you have don't inherit his fashion or music taste," Nick laughed, holding up his hands to show he was only joking.
"All right children," Warrick gave Nick a pointed look. "Play nice."
"Yes Dad," they all chimed together before laughing.
The rest of the ride home was rather un-eventful. The weariness that seems to come with flying, no matter how short a flight, was catching up with the three of them, so the ride was also finished out mainly enjoying the light piano music playing. Sara found herself nodding off, and fought to keep awake for a while before Greg just shoved her head down to his shoulder in a silent order to just go to sleep. With a contented sigh as she snuggled up against him, she finally did, and it wasn't until the car stopped that she even began to drift back towards the realm of consciousness.
"Do me a favor Nick?" Greg asked, pulling out his keys and holding them out to Nick. "Go ahead and open the door for me, would ya? I want to get her to bed."
"Sure man," Nick took the keys and jogged up the walkway and unlocked the door, holding it open for Greg as he carried the semi-conscious Sara inside and upstairs.
"I can swing by before shift and drop off the pets for you," Warrick offered as he helped Greg unload the two suitcases from the back.
"Thanks," Greg nodded, fighting a yawn.
He gave a quick wave to Warrick and Nick as they drove off before turning around to bring the suitcases inside. Dragging them upstairs into the bedroom, he crawled onto the bed and settled himself next to Sara. She immediately turned over and moved closer to him as he too drifted off for a nap before work.
OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooO
"Well hey, welcome back you two," Catherine gave them a smile as she walked into the break room, Grissom right behind her.
"How was your holiday with the in-laws?" Grissom asked Greg as he poured himself some coffee.
"Good, it went really well. Aunt Linda and Uncle Bill are a kinda crazy, but harmless. One of the cousins had a major attitude problem, but it's okay cause she's pregnant," Greg rolled his eyes as he stressed the last bit.
"Ooh, did you bring the picture?" Nick asked as he and Warrick walked in.
"What picture?" Catherine asked.
"This one," Greg smirked, taking it out and handing it over to Catherine, Grissom, Warrick, and Nick gathering around.
"You had to bring it, didn't you?" Sara moaned, holding her face in her hands.
"But Sara, you look sweet," Grissom said, a teasing lilt in his voice.
"Which is exactly why I didn't want it shown," she gave another groan, bringing laughs from her co-workers and husband.
"Oh come on Sara," Catherine teased. "I promise, we won't think of you as anything other than a tough criminalist."
"Momma," Nick coughed, bringing more laughter, and a punch on the shoulder from Sara.
"You guys suck," she stuck her tongue out playfully.
"Keep your tongue in your mouth love," Greg laughed.
"Okay, but just remember that you told me to," Sara grinned evilly.
Greg began coughing, and turned beat red, "Umm…what I should have said is…don't stick your tongue out at everyone…while…we…oh forget it! Do whatever you want to do!"
"Wuss," Nick coughed out, followed by laughter.
"Damn straight I'm a wuss. You haven't had the pleasure of kis…oh forget it! I stand by my last statement…Sara does whatever she wants!"
"They haven't had the pleasure of kis…Greg…how were you going to finish that statement?" Sara smiled at him sweetly.
Once again, Greg was a deep red, "Well…I…ah…I was going to say…Dammit, you know exactly what I was going to say. It's not nice to make me squirm, especially in front of the boss."
"It may not be nice, but it's A LOT of fun."
"Brat."
"Maybe so, but you're the one that married me," Sara retorted. "So what's that say about you?"
"Damn, she got you there man," Warrick laughed into a fist.
"Why can't you stop picking on us?" Greg whined pitifully. "Interrogate Nicky instead or something."
"Ooh, I like that idea," Sara agreed.
"So how was your vacation Nicky?" Grissom asked.
"Yeah, any cute girls around?" Catherine asked teasingly, but sobered slightly when Nick's ears began turning red and he gave a bashful grin. "Ooh, there was! Spill it…and I want details."
"Uh Grissom, hasn't shift started?" Nick rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, looking at his watch.
"We've got a few more minutes," Grissom just smiled as Nick glared.
"Yeah Nick, do tell," Sara leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand.
"Yeah, I met a girl, sort of."
"Sort of?" Warrick raised an eyebrow.
"Well, she and I have known each other since we were babies," Nick shrugged. "She went to college in Indiana, and then went overseas, and recently she joined up with the army for a while. Her mom and my mom were college room-mates, and we usually spend Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve together. Anyway, she's finished out her service."
"And…?" Catherine pressed for details.
"And it was nice to see her," Nick said firmly. "Now, I know it's time for shift to start, so can you hand out assignments…Please Grissom?"
"All right," Grissom assented, saving Nick from further inquiry. "Nicky, you've got a floater at Lake Mead, take Greg with you. Sara, possible trick roll at the Bellagio. Catherine, Warrick, you're with me. Double homicide at the Venetian. Let's go."
"You won't get out of telling me so easily," Catherine wagged her finger at Nicky, kissed his cheek, and then followed a laughing Warrick out of the room.
Sara headed out to the Bellagio, slightly annoyed that she was stuck with a trick roll, but happy that she wasn't given the floater. However, arriving at the hotel, she was greeted with a very pleasant surprise. The man who had called hotel security saying he had been robbed by a stripper, had been mistaken. He and his wife had enjoyed watching the exotic dance, who had been paid and left. He went to sleep, and his wife decided to go do some gambling, and took his wallet. So it turned out to be a big mistake.
"Huh," Sara wondered to herself as she drove back to the lab.
She had just driven past a pregnancy clinic. Seeing it, coupled with the picture Greg had shown her co-workers, caused her to wonder. She couldn't help but wonder if she might be pregnant. Making a split-second decision, causing the car behind her to honk, she swung into the parking lot of a local drug store. Parking the car, she sat there, debating whether or not she should. She made up her mind, walked inside, and headed to the prescription desk, which held the more sensitive pregnancy tests.
"Hello, how may I help you?" The clerk looked up and smiled at Sara.
"I need a pregnancy test…uh, the most sensitive that you have," Sara said, feeling slightly awkward.
"Sure thing," she turned around and began looking. "So you think you might be expecting? I'm three months along myself."
"Congratulations," Sara nodded as she pulled out her money to pay for the test.
"Thanks, and good luck!"
Sara headed to the bathroom located in the drugstore, and pulled out the test. She opened it and began following the instructions, somewhat nervously, for fear of messing it up. However, seemed to be going fine, and now all that was left was for her to wait five minutes to see. Was she, or wasn't she?
OooOooOooO
A/N: Okie dokie, that's it. A little cliffhanger for y'all. What do you think? Oh, and TxsTechMandy, (I think that's your name, I'm sorry if it isn't.) would you mind re-e-mailing me the information you did before? And x-sara-x, a while back you had won a challenge, so if you'd also e-mail me so I can ask you some things. To everyone else, thanks for reading, and review if you want!