Disclaimer: CSI is not mine, characters used and voluntarily abused. No animals were harmed, though I could overlook Ecklie getting bashed if I absolutely had to.
Title: Last Chance, chapter 19
Author: hazeleyes57
Rating: R (NC17 version on Moggie's site and as usual)
A/N: Probably the penultimate chapter, so thank you for all your kind comments, it's been fun. Wherever you are, peace, and may your God(s) go with you.
Last Chance (19)
"I think he's okay, he just blacked out."
Greg's opinion mirrored Catherine's own thoughts as she looked at Grissom. She had placed him in the recovery position on the floor with Greg's help, and with the notable exception that he wasn't awake, Grissom seemed to be fine. He was pale, but he was breathing okay and his pulse was regular.
From her position kneeling on the floor, Catherine looked at Greg.
"Why is it that women faint, but men 'black out'?"
Greg's concern for Grissom faded slightly in the presence of Catherine's humour, based on the principal that if he were in trouble, she wouldn't be joking around. One side of his lips quirked upwards briefly.
"More macho. Men do not faint ever. Just not done."
Catherine shook her head silently.
"Yeah, I get it." She looked closely at Grissom again. "I'll give him a few more minutes and if he doesn't wake up, we'll call for an ambulance."
Greg nodded, not that his agreement was needed. He looked from Catherine to Grissom. Now that he knew for sure about Sara and Grissom, lots of pointers suddenly fell into place. Grissom's anger when Sara had been on that ladder in the storeroom was the first thing that came to mind.
"How long have you known?"
"Known what? That we should call for an ambulance?"
Greg frowned and shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. He indicated Grissom with his chin.
"We both know that you're not stupid, so please don't insult my intelligence either. Not cool."
Catherine rested back on her legs and looked up at the young man again, her demeanour sympathetic but not revealing.
"Why don't you tell me what you think it is that I know?"
Greg took one hand out of his pocket and waved to indicate the whole of Sara's apartment.
"Sara and Grissom. I figured ages ago that he had a thing for her and she had something going for him, I just didn't know that they had…" He didn't finish, then sighed with resignation. "You assumed that he would have a key."
Catherine got to her feet and brushed her pants down. She looked at Greg until he looked away.
" Why don't you get on to Brass and find out what's happening at the store, see if there is any news on Sara."
Greg had his cell out before Catherine had finished speaking and dialled Brass' number. He knew Catherine well enough to know when to quit. As he was waiting for a connection he wondered if this was what Nick had been trying to warn him about.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Brass stood a few feet away from the dark haired body lying beside the cashier's desk. Even after all his years on the force and with the CSI department, he still couldn't get used to the senseless waste of a life. He thought that perhaps he should be grateful that it still touched him, still touched part of his humanity that he hadn't had ground down by the job.
The paramedics were finished with the survivors; other customers caught up in the attempted robbery and the short-lived exchange of fire. Brass already had a picture of what had happened from their statements. One youth, fired up by watching too many cop shows, had tried to 'jump' the gunman, causing him to panic and start shooting. Three people had been wounded, one serious enough to be causing concern, and two with flesh wounds.
And one dead.
Brass turned to walk out of the store and back to his car. Good guy, bad guy, whatever, it was still a Godawful job telling the family that someone wasn't coming back. He got out his cell and started to dial.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"It's busy. I'll try again in a minute."
Greg closed his phone and looked around Sara's apartment. It had the stamp of her personality, but there wasn't anything that reminded him of Grissom here. Were they actually together or not?
Catherine frowned, a little alarmed.
"Brass wouldn't be using his cell if the siege were still in place. It must be over one way or another. Give - "
A cellphone started to ring and both Catherine and Greg checked their own then looked at each other in puzzlement.
"Not me."
"Nor me."
They both looked at the oblivious man on the floor and then each other. Greg pointed in Grissom's general direction.
"Catherine?"
She knelt back down and started looking through Grissom's jacket for his cellphone. She glanced at Greg as she searched.
"Why assume I'll get it?"
The younger man looked shocked, putting his hand to his chest for emphasis.
"Me? Go through the Boss' pockets? I don't think so. You're his good bud. He won't kill you if he wakes up and finds you rifling in his pockets. Me, I'm not so sure."
Catherine's search became a little more frantic. She was concerned that whoever it was might stop ringing. Finally she found the cellphone in an inside pocket and managed to get it to her ear in time.
"Hello? Yes. That you, Brass?"
Catherine pulled a face and looked at Grissom's recumbent body.
"Grissom isn't available right now. What's the news?"
Greg was aware that he was holding his breath. He couldn't tell from Catherine's face what was going on. She listened for a few moments and her shoulders suddenly slumped.
"What? You're sure? Yeah, yeah, I know, but I had to ask. Okay, I'll tell Grissom. Keep us posted."
Catherine' looked up at Greg's anxious face as she snapped the cell closed and returned it to the nearest pocket of Grissom's jacket.
"Well?"
Catherine checked Grissom again as she answered.
"Three wounded, one serious, and one dead kid. But Sara wasn't there."
"What?"
"Sara was not in the store. Wherever she is, she isn't on her way to hospital with the others."
Greg looked relieved.
"I take that as positive news. Great news even. So where is she?"
"Good question. But speaking of hospital, I think we should - "
Catherine was interrupted by a groan from Grissom. She looked at him, shaking her head.
"Talk about great timing Gil."
She gave him a smile as his eyes opened and he tried to focus; she didn't offer him assistance to sit up, but held him still with one hand.
"Ah ah, don't try to get up for a minute. Get your bearings first, okay?"
Grissom's 'bearings' arrived in very short order as he rolled over on to his back. It was very uncomfortable so he pushed himself upright, fighting a wave of dizziness. He remained still until the feeling passed, taking the opportunity to have a quick 'flick' through his reacquired memories. Only a brief glimpse made him realise with horror what he had unwittingly put Sara through. For a split second he wondered why they were in her apartment, then the sick dizziness returned when he thought of the hold up. He looked at Catherine for information. Although he had chance to prevent his first thought from being expressed, he did not do so.
"Sara?"
Grissom didn't like the way that Catherine glanced quickly at Greg before answering. Was she subtly warning him that he was allowing Greg to find out about his and Sara's relationship? No matter. Nothing stayed secret for long.
"Not exactly sure. She wasn't in the store and isn't among the casualties."
Grissom's relief was profound that Sara hadn't been involved in the situation. That kind of stress wouldn't be good for her or their baby. The thought of what they had both been through already was bad enough without a siege on top of it. He rubbed his temple with one hand as he tried to think what to do next. He had a killer of a headache. He became aware that both Catherine and Greg appeared to be waiting for him to say something. He would have to review his restored memories later. He had to deal with the practical now.
"Anyone tried ringing her cell?"
Catherine nodded.
"We tried once on the way here but there was no answer."
Greg interjected quickly.
"We left a message."
Grissom looked at them both as he climbed to his feet. He brushed at his clothing to cover the fact that he wanted to sit back down and let the room stop turning before he did anything else. He cloaked his panic about Sara with brisk efficiency. He patted his jacket pocket for his cell and looked mildly puzzled when he found in a different pocket to where he was expecting it. He opened the cell and pressed the speed dial for Sara.
"So we try again. Maybe she didn't hear. Or she was in a dead zone, or…"
Greg jumped in startled surprise when the sound of a big angry bee came from the kitchenette work surface beside him. He gingerly lifted an open magazine to reveal Sara's cell vibrating away to itself underneath. He looked at Grissom.
"…Or she could have left her cell behind."
Grissom closed his cell and put it away. He looked around the room and frowned.
"Okay. Sara needed some groceries and took the car. She got as far as the parking lot, and may or may not have gone into the siege store. There are other stores there, but if Sara were in one of them, the furore would have made her make her presence known to Brass. So she wasn't in the vicinity, ergo, she had left without the car. No car, no cell, she'll probably be walking."
He looked at the other two and they both nodded in agreement. He pulled his car keys out of his pants pocket.
"Catherine, stay here in case we miss her. Greg, you take the Denali and go to the store by the shortest route, and I'll start walking."
Greg caught the keys mid-air as Catherine mildly protested.
"Wouldn't it be better if you drove and Greg walked?"
Grissom turned back to Catherine.
"Maybe if I hadn't blacked out, but I've only been conscious for a few minutes…what?"
Catherine had smirked briefly but she just shook her head.
"No, it's okay, you're right. You'd better get going."
Greg was closest to the door; he turned and collected his jacket as Grissom went through to the bedroom to retrieve his forgotten key. Standing beside Sara's bed brought back some very special memories for Grissom and despite his concern about her whereabouts, he smiled briefly as he added the key to his own.
Back in the living room Greg opened the front door and nearly had a heart attack when Sara and her shopping practically fell in through the doorway, her outstretched hand holding a door key.
Both parties gaped at each other for a split second until Sara frowned.
"What the hell are you doing in my apartment and how did you get in?"
Catherine crossed to the door with relief, not quite elbowing Greg aside.
"Sara! You're all right!"
Sara looked at the two of them as if they were insane. She crossed to the kitchenette work counter and placed her groceries down. Very warm from her enforced walk, she shrugged out of her jacket and hung it up as she tried to figure out why she had unexpected company. Had Grissom given them his key? She wished he would keep her up to speed on these things. She felt hot, tired and irritated.
"Yeah, last time I looked, although brown bagging it for three blocks because the car wouldn't start hasn't made me happy. What's up with you gu -?"
She broke off as Grissom came out of her bedroom having been alerted by the commotion. Sara's mood improved slightly when she realised that he hadn't given her spare key to anyone else after all. She didn't know how to react to his presence in front of the other two. Were they here 'officially' or as friends?
Grissom's relief at seeing Sara safe obvious. Buoyed up by his retrieved memories, for a few seconds he drank in the sight of his wife. Then, close on the heels of his relief was the anger that she had given him such a fright.
Catherine saw his expression and instantly realised that this was one conversation that didn't need an audience. Mindful of Greg – who was practically taking notes - standing behind her in the doorway, she turned to Sara. Her voice was overly bright, designed to distract both Grissom's ire from Sara and Greg's attention from Grissom.
"We were all concerned when we realised that there was a possibility that you were caught up in the store robbery/ hostage situation. We just had to come out and assure ourselves that you were okay. And here you are, all okay. So we'll go. Greg, Grissom will need the keys to his Denali back."
Despite Catherine's efforts, Greg had noticed enough to ensure that he didn't try to throw the car keys back to Grissom. He put them on the counter next to the grocery bags and turned to Sara. She hadn't moved yet, still waiting for Grissom's lead. Greg smiled, genuinely pleased that she was all right.
"You might want to call Brass and let him know that you're okay."
Sara looked at Greg, still a little baffled about the whole store/hostage/keys situation. However, the easiest thing to do to facilitate his exit would be to agree, then she could deal with Grissom. She nodded.
"Sure. Ring Brass."
Catherine turned toward the still open front door, then looked back over her shoulder to Grissom.
"We'll see you later."
She was almost treading on Greg's heels as she 'helped' him out of the apartment, closing the door behind her. The silence left behind was deafening. Grissom crossed the room with alacrity and took hold of Sara's shoulders and barked.
"Don't ever do that to me again!"
He pulled the startled Sara into his arms and hung on, unable to express his relief in any other way. After several long moments his embrace relaxed enough for Sara to pull her head back to look at him. She could see he was pale.
"What the hell is going on?"
Grissom looked at Sara's face as if he hadn't seen her for ages, which in a way he hadn't. He looked at her with the eyes and heart of a man who had fallen in love with her months ago, even before their sojourn to his cabin. He looked down at her rounded belly between them and thought of the baby they had made. However this had started out was irrelevant, this was how it was now. His relieved anger dissipated slowly.
"Say something, Grissom."
He brought a hand up to touch her cheek with fingers that trembled slightly. God, if he had lost her now that he had finally found himself!
"Gris - oh!"
Grissom had slid his hand from Sara's cheek to around the back of her neck and used it to pull her into a kiss that made her melt. He took advantage of the fact that her exclamation had left her lips conveniently parted and dived in for a taste of heaven. He used his free hand to hold her to him in case she had any thoughts about escaping – not just because he loved to hold her butt any time that he could.
Sara had a whole host of questions but Grissom seemed a little short on the answers right now. Although her curiosity was piqued about recent events she was enjoying herself far too much to interrupt him. He must have had some kind of shock that made him fear for her safety because he was behaving as if she had been rescued from the jaws of Hell. Her own internal imp of mischief immediately gave thought to the idea of frightening him more often if this was the result. After several blissful moments, they parted for air. Sara searched his face. Her vision was filled by the tautness of his expression and the heat in his probing gaze. Her heart began to knock against her ribs and the telltale tingle stirred in the pit of her stomach. She tried to stay focused.
"Talk to me, honey."
Grissom ate her up with his eyes. He was a mess of confused feelings and extremes of emotion; from elation that he hadn't lost her to misery that he might in the future. His residual anger leant force to his courtship. The profound desire to lose himself in the pleasure of her body didn't surprise him. Nature's urge to try to procreate after any threat of loss of life explained the rise in birth rate within a year of any major conflict. The fact that Sara was already pregnant didn't diminish the desire one iota. Grissom pulled her hips to his as best as he could around the bump. The urge to just take her was difficult to resist. He searched her face again.
"You have no idea how worried - " He interrupted himself. "Can we talk later?"
Sara was sufficiently aware to think that there were other things that they should be doing right now, but if this was important enough for Grissom to ask her first, then it should be a priority. She hadn't even finished nodding before his lips descended upon the side of her neck and her breath sucked in at the heat of him. She felt Grissom's arms tighten around her, one big hand pushing against her from behind. She breathed deep, taking him into her lungs and the scent of him was enough to make her toes curl with delight. She felt a hot rush under her skin and all her muscles tensed. After all this time she was still surprised at the effect he had on her and she moaned with pleasure.
Grissom was too hot. He briefly released Sara to shrug out of his jacket, dropping it on the floor without thought. He reclaimed her against him and dropped his lips to her exposed collarbone. Her warm scent rose up from her dampened skin and drew him back for more, again and again. Anticipation became a hot and thick pressure that coiled through him, daring him to go on and satisfy himself in her honeyed sweetness. He was already hard for her and again he had to pull himself back from the demands of his own desire. In his imagination he was already ripping Sara's clothes off and taking what he wanted. He tugged at the collar of her blouse, pulling it down so that he could get to more of her skin. He came to a halt far too soon and gave up that angle of attack in frustration. He slipped his hand up under the top instead and cupped a breast, flicking the already tight nub at its tip with his thumb. Sara gasped aloud; her eyes flying open in shock at the strength of the sensation, even through her bra.
Just as she was trying to catch her breath, Grissom captured her full lower lip with his, sucking it into his mouth. He toyed with the soft flesh, nibbling with his teeth and soothing with his tongue. It was mesmerising and Sara leaned into the kiss, angling her head to improve the contact. The kiss went on and on and she didn't want it to stop. She felt her thighs and ass tense as Grissom's other hand kneaded one side of her butt, but she still couldn't get as close to him as she wanted – needed – to do. Raw heat pulsed through Sara and she moaned in dismay when Grissom broke off for much needed air.
They were both breathing heavily, snatching at oxygen. Grissom had already realised that it would be impossible for them to try anything standing up face to face until after the baby was born. He took a deep breath and stood back from Sara. She looked at him in dazed confusion and tried to pull him back into her grasp. He shook his head as he took one of her hands in his.
"Not here."
He tugged her over towards the front door, which he locked and bolted, and then they both headed in the direction of the bedroom. To a disinterested observer it would be difficult to determine who was pulling whom, but at least they managed not to get jammed in the doorway together. Seconds later Grissom stood Sara beside the bed, took her in his arms and smirked.
"Here."
He kissed her lips very thoroughly until her hands going up under his shirt distracted him. He pulled back to look at her and she stared back at him, trying to hide her amusement.
"You're not going to stop this time, are you?"
Grissom shook his head once.
"I'm not stopping this time, even if it kills me."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sara pushed back into Grissom one last time, grinding herself onto him to prolong the last few seconds of pleasure. She grinned as she unlocked her fingers from the bedhead. Damn, but that had been special. She shifted slightly, feeling full and sated as she felt Grissom's damp head against her spine while they caught their breath.
Sara pulled the pillows out from beneath her and placed them back into the more usual arrangement. Grissom still rested against her as his breathing slowed. Finally both of them lay down, spoon-fashion, with Sara in front. Grissom wrapped an arm around her and sighed with satisfaction. He mumbled almost under his breath, already half asleep.
"Love you, Sara Grissom."
Sara smiled even though he couldn't see it and patted his hand on her belly.
"I love you too, Gil. Always will."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Grissom came to with a start. He had only closed his eyes for a moment and had slipped into sleep unaware of doing so. Sara was still spooned against his front, his right arm across her and his hand resting on her bare stomach. He thought for a moment that she was asleep too, but she dispelled that theory when she looked over her right shoulder at him.
"Don't panic, we're okay for time."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sleep. Are you okay?"
Sara rolled onto her back and faced her husband, settling comfortably as he tangled a leg between hers. She was amused to see that Mr Insatiable was side tracked by her breasts.
"Yes, I'm fine. I'm not insulted that you fell asleep more or less straight after making love to me, I was kinda tired myself after all that wicked pleasure."
Grissom huffed in amusement as he gently ran his palm over Sara's abdomen. The light and probably ticklish touch raised gooseflesh on her skin. He looked into her eyes.
"That's one of the many things that I love about you."
Sara looked vaguely puzzled so he elaborated.
"You have never left me with the impression that you are just doing this for me. You get just as much pleasure out of this as I do."
Sara smirked.
"I'll say."
"Do you have any idea how sexy that is? How much I'm turned on by knowing that you are aroused by me?"
Sara looked up at him, her smirk changing to a soft smile. It must have been some fright he had. She touched his face with her fingers, lightly scraping her nails through his short beard.
"Yeah, I have some idea. As sexy as you make me feel knowing that I can get you hard by just looking at you across a room, or by bending over to pick something up."
Grissom backed up to look at her, amusement warring with uncertainty on his face.
"That makes me sound shallow. Am I that bad?"
"No. It's not as if every woman in the department can do it to you, is it?"
Grissom looked very thoughtful for several moments, then grinned when Sara pretended to swipe at him. He caught her hand in his and kissed the fingers, one by one.
"No. No one else makes me feel the way that you do. Bending over or otherwise."
"That's okay then. I thought that I was going to have to get unpleasant."
Grissom nuzzled into Sara's neck, making her wriggle and laugh at the ticklish sensation as he breathed out on her flesh.
"You? Unpleasant? That I would have to see."
Sara wriggled again, trying to get away from Grissom's lips, pretending that they were not doing anything but annoying her.
"Pack that in. And that! Haha – NO! I mean it! Griiisom! We don't have time! Stoppit!"
She ruined her argument by laughing aloud, but Grissom stopped anyway. He grinned down at her, then dived in for a quick kiss.
"Okay, okay, I'll quit. For now. Up you get Mama, and I'll get you something to eat while you have a shower."
Sara rolled out of the bed and quickly reached for her robe, not entirely because of the cool air. Naked, Grissom got out of his side of the bed in time to meet her coming around the end of it. He reached out to lift her chin with his right hand, and looked her in the eyes.
"In case I don't say it enough, I'd like to remind you that I love you. Every inch of you. And even if there are a few more inches here and there, that just gives me more to love, okay?"
Sara smiled, touched that he had noticed something that she hadn't really even put into words in her own head. How he had changed from the insensitive Supervisor that had asked her to throw out the rancid meat.
"Yeah, okay…and thanks."
"Oh, it's my pleasure, believe me."
It was while he was cooking and Sara was in the shower that Grissom examined his motives for not telling Sara that he had his memory back. He had been going to tell her as soon as the others left but he had been distracted by his need for her and he had not got around to saying anything. But now he realised that he needed a little time to go through his memories. He wanted to completely understand where they were 'at' now. In an instant he was back there, standing in the main room. He remembered reassuring Sara that the dust would settle, and they had looked at each other's wedding bands, shiny and new on their fingers. He recalled his almost offhand proposal to Sara. He frowned. She deserved more than that.
"What's up?"
Grissom looked up from stirring the vegetable soup, not anticipating that Sara would be out of the bathroom already. She was towelling her hair dry, her head tipped to one side.
"Nothing, why?"
"You were frowning."
Grissom didn't want to spoil the surprise for a reworked proposal, especially as he had not figured out what he was going to do yet. Jeez, he hadn't even thought of an engagement ring.
"Was I?"
He scrabbled for a plausible reason for his frown. Inspiration struck.
"Oh, I was just wondering if you had given any thought to colours for the baby's room."
Sara stopped towelling her hair. She looked at Grissom. He wasn't sure what her expression meant, but he wasn't reassured by it.
"Which one?"
"Which one what?"
"Which room for the baby? Here or at your place?"
Grissom was sure that he must look shocked. Sara's question had brought into focus another of his concerns and now his insecurity reared its ugly head again.
"Mine, of course. I didn't realise that you would be doing a room here…I assumed that…we…that you and I would…"
He floundered to a halt. At least Sara was sparing him the ' assume makes an ass out of you and me' lecture. He knew that prior to his accident Sara had been going to move into the townhouse. She already had her own set of keys. He couldn't make that known without revealing that his memory was back. Did that mean that she had changed her mind about moving in? Was that why she hadn't left much of her stuff at his place? They were married for Crissake!
"You and I would what? Move in together? You aren't even sure if I'm staying here in Vegas."
Relief flooded through Grissom and he pushed his doubts aside. Even without his memory he knew that Sara would not have left for Miami on her own. With his memory back he was certain of it. Conversations about family and what it constituted had been discussed at the cabin and he knew that Sara would want her child – their child – to have both parents around.
"Yes I am, and yes, you are staying, but not here."
Sara gaped at Grissom, her wet hair forgotten.
"Just what in Hell's that sup - "
" You told me to come back when I had figured it out. I figured, so I'm back." Grissom turned the heat off from under the soup, and transferred the fragrant liquid to two warm bowls. "I'm sorry I let my doubts undermine me, I should have listened to my inner voice, as you said. You are my wife. I want us to be together. Screw work."
Sara looked at him for a long moment, her eyes wide, then wrapped her hair up in the towel, turban style. She crossed to the kitchenette bar and seated herself down beside one of the soup bowls.
"So that's it, I just move in? Pack up my apartment and haul ass over to your place?"
While she waited for a reply, Sara picked up a warmed bread roll and her spoon. Her stomach rumbled hungrily so she bit into the roll and spooned up some of the soup. It was delicious.
"That would be fine, but I wondered if you wanted my former study redecorated before you move in, so you wouldn't have to breathe the paint fumes."
Grissom had not actually thought of any of this and was winging it by the seat of his pants. He blithely ignored the fact that he had not actually asked Sara to move in with him this time; he had just told her that it was what she was going to do. But it made sense to him and it wasn't as if they had not discussed it before the accident. He took the barstool opposite Sara and picked up his own spoon. Such was his anticipation about her reply that he barely tasted the soup. He remembered the tension-filled meal of soup after their arrival at his cabin. Different kind of tension back then.
"Yellow."
"Sorry?"
Sara's smile was bemused. Had he really said ' screw work'?
"Yellow. Warm, sunny, gender neutral."
Grissom couldn't hide his relief, his smile reaching his eyes. He leaned across to take Sara's hand in his own.
"So how did Caine take your refusal?"
Sara grinned; reassured that he really had got it this time.
"Oh, he agreed that I was mad. But he could see that there were obviously things that were keeping me in Vegas. He did say that if I should ever find myself accompanying an eminent entomologist to Florida – for whatever reason – I should give him a call."
Grissom's appetite was suddenly restored. He gave Sara's hand a final squeeze and picked up his spoon.
"I guess we could do that. If we were ever out that way."
Sara smiled to herself as she ate. She hadn't missed the possessive emphasis on the 'we'.
It looked like she would be moving.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sara gave notice on her apartment the following day. Her landlord nearly took her arm off at the elbow; he had potential tenants on a waiting list. He readily agreed to forgo the usual three-month notice. It gave her four weeks to leave, so when she wasn't at work or sleeping she took her time sorting through her 'stuff'. She was surprised at how much she had accumulated in the last few years, but happily thinned a lot of it out, and arranged for several things to go to goodwill. Her car was towed to a repair shop and the fault in the ignition system was fixed. Grissom had finally got around to filling her in on the store robbery and hostage situation and her first night back at work had been interrupted several times by people wanting to know what had happened and how she had managed to avoid getting caught up in it all. In the end she was grateful for the distraction of a call out, and thankful when she and Warrick arrived at the scene that Brass seemed to realise that she didn't want to go over the whole non-event again - he had merely greeted her with a nod as usual.
Grissom decided that he was not going to get a decorator in to paint the baby's room. This was the only child he was going to have and he was going to take the time to experience as many aspects of fatherhood as he was able. The scan had made the baby more real to Grissom. Standing in the doorway of his cleared and stripped study with a tin in one hand, a brush and a roller in the other, he thought about how his life had taken an unexpected path, one he was in many respects unprepared for. Marriage and fatherhood, two things that he had never seriously considered would involve him. He frowned; he was sure he'd thought that before today. But he meant what he said when he proposed to Sara. She was the missing part of him.
As Grissom opened the tin and loaded the brush with paint, he gave some thought to how he was going to make up to Sara for his low-key proposal. He did concede that maybe she didn't want or need anything 'made up' and she was happy with the original, but he wanted to do more. 'This' Grissom's proposal instead of 'that' Gil's one. As he slowly worked his way around the edge of the room 'cutting in' from the baseboard and around the light switch, he gave the matter some thought. Painting was nice and 'mindless' and it gave him space and time to think.
Sara drove back to her apartment at the end of the shift, making a quick detour on the way. She made a small meal but was too tired after she had eaten it to do much else other than fall into bed and sleep. She was still mentally packing when her head hit the pillow and had just got to what to do about her computer when she went out like a light.
After several hours of slightly restless sleep, Sara awoke naturally before her alarm and climbed out of bed with some effort. Who needed an alarm clock when they had a microscopic bladder? As she got up she cancelled the alarm, then used the facilities, showered and had some lunch. She dressed for 'packing' and went into her bedroom. With her hands on her disappearing hips she surveyed the room. She had already sorted the books to go out for good, so she started on boxing the remainder. Jack Vettriano's collection was near the beginning of the shelf and being in no particular hurry, Sara flicked through the pages, stopping here and there until she got to 'Game On'. The picture would always make her think of Grissom and the cabin. And that earth shatteringly wonderful assault to her senses that had happened here in this room. The fact that it had ended badly was forgotten, overlaid now by the knowledge that he had only stopped because he thought that it had been what she wanted.
With a sigh, Sara continued to pack things that she wouldn't need for the next few weeks at least. By late afternoon she was pleased with the amount that had been dealt with. She decided to have a soak in the tub after all her work. As she relaxed, she wondered how Grissom was doing with the painting. It was thoughtful of him to paint the nursery before she moved in and it reminded her of the way Gil had behaved up at the cabin. In fact, now she thought about it, Grissom's behaviour was more and more reminiscent of the man she came to know at the cabin. The lines of distinction between the two seemed to be blurring. There were whole minutes that passed where Sara actually forgot that Grissom had lost his memory. Maybe this was what the hospital had meant when they said that his memories might return gradually over a period of time. She couldn't assume that he would recover everything, not after all this time, so she had decided a while ago to try to make it up to Grissom by giving him new ones. To this end she had stopped off on the way back from work and bought something that she was going to share with him, something that he had missed out on the first time.
Sara lazily sponged warm water over her stomach. She hadn't filled the tub enough to cover her bump while she was lying down and she couldn't be bothered to move to add more water. Her stomach looked like an island surrounded by bubbles and when the baby moved around periodically, an elbow or a heel made an extra little lump move across the 'island'. It was really weird and Sara just had to look at it from the viewpoint that it meant the baby was okay. Even if it did remind her of the movie 'Alien'.
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Sara drove skilfully around the dithering vehicle in front of her and moved back into her lane. She didn't need to see the out of state licence plates to recognise tourists, they always drove slowly, anxious to see the sights, even in the daylight. She glanced quickly at the package on the passenger seat, and then returned her attention to the traffic in front of her. Last night at work Grissom had discretely let her know that the former study – now the baby's bedroom – was ready for inspection. He had also suggested that they take some time to look into the sort of furniture that would be required for the room. Sara's first impulse had been to say no, not yet, but she had remained silent, not wishing to shoot down the suggestion out of hand. Her prolonged silence had made Grissom remind her that he had only suggested that they look at ideas, not actually make any purchases yet. He was aware that Sara didn't want to tempt fate by getting too much too soon.
So here she was, on her way over to Grissom's, ready for some window-shopping. She smiled. Only one thing better than spending your own money, and that was spending someone else's.
Grissom looked around his living area. It had been reworked around the fact that his study contents now had to be incorporated into his living space. His home computer and his box files now resided in the corner that had held his dining table and his drawing board. He had moved the dining table into the centre of the room. It was a mild irritation to have the aesthetic lines of the room altered, but it was in a good cause and he reasoned that what he could not alter, he would have to live with.
They would have to live with.
Somehow it made it bearable. Grissom took one final look, then looked at his watch. Sara should be here any minute. He felt oddly nervous, ridiculous when he thought about it, but nervous nonetheless. God, he hadn't even asked her to move in, he had just told her. He was doing this all wrong. The pregnancy, then a marriage, then she moves in, then the proposal? He ran his hands over his face and beard, trying to calm himself. He had faced down armed felons with more equanimity than he possessed right now.
Grissom didn't quite jump out of his skin when the doorbell rang, but it was a close thing. He hurried to the door and opened it, pleased and relieved that Sara was standing there.
"Sara. Why didn't you use your key?"
Sara stepped into the hallway and allowed Grissom to close the door behind her. She then ambushed him and gave him a hug and a kiss that scrambled his brain. When she released him she stepped back and smiled at his dazed expression.
"I'll use them when I live here. It will be a distinction between then and now. Cool?"
"Umm…very."
Grissom managed to gather enough brain matter to offer Sara a drink and they both had a ginger and lemon presse, ideal for keeping the stomach settled. They talked while they enjoyed the drink, but Sara was amused to see that Grissom's eyes kept straying to the package she had brought with her. In the end she took pity on him. With a small grin she placed the plain white paper bag on the table in front of her husband.
"Honey, I stopped off at the pharmacy on the way home."
Grissom opened the bag and peered inside. He quickly looked up at Sara then back into the bag. He looked slightly puzzled, but a small grin played around his lips as he reached in a pulled out a pregnancy test kit.
Sara put her hand on Grissom's arm and he looked askance at her. She tried to look serious, but failed miserably, barely hiding her amusement.
"I think that I might be pregnant."
Grissom's lips twitched with the effort not to grin. He was tremendously touched that she had thought of this. Sara had realised - just as he had with the decorating - that this was likely to be their only child, and that he was unlikely ever to be in this position again. He looked up from the kit, straightfaced.
"Gee, but we were so careful."
Sara grinned widely, pleased that Grissom 'got it'.
"Well, nothing's foolproof honey. I guess we'd better find out for sure."
Grissom was already undoing the shrink-wrap packaging and opening the box. He handed Sara the plastic wrapped test and she stood up.
"Back in a few."
Grissom remained at the table, reading through the sheet of instructions simply for something to do. He tried to imagine how Sara must have felt going through this for real on her own. Had he been in her position, he didn't know if he could have kept quiet under the circumstances, no matter what the doctors had said.
Sara's voice called from the bathroom.
"How long do we have to wait?"
Grissom double-checked the instructions.
"One minute."
He got up from the table and went to join Sara. She was sitting on the edge of the tub, and checked her watch as he came in. She nodded at the shelf over the sink.
"Time's up. What's it say?"
Grissom walked over and picked up the stick. He looked at the result window, then turned to show it to Sara. His head tipped to one side and an eyebrow raised. He looked just as she hoped he would. There was approval in there combined with amusement and a touch of pride.
"Looks like we're going to have a baby."
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The following night at work was slow and slowed further as the clock dragged its way around to the end of the night shift. Grissom was working in his office and had been there for a couple of hours. Privately Catherine hoped it was his paperwork, because she didn't want to see any of that anytime soon, unless it was her own.
Warrick and Nick were in the breakroom, tidying and restocking for the day shift. Warrick was reloading the coffee filter, having finally given up on the bitter brew from the previous evening.
Sara returned from her latest trip to the ladies rest room and retrieved her magazine as she seated herself at the briefing table. She was quite aware that the conversation between Warrick and Nicky had ceased the moment that they realised that she had come back. She looked up at them from the table.
"Hey, guys, what's the book running at for the sex of the baby?"
Warrick smiled but Nick looked cornered. Neither man wanted to risk Sara's wrath by even admitting that there was a 'book'.
Nick stalled for time.
"Book?"
Sara looked at him. Warrick shook his head and gave Nick a look that said 'give it up'.
"Oh, book. Yeahwell, umm, the odds seem to favour a boy at the moment. Sixty/forty split."
Sara looked heavenward, then returned to her magazine. Boys will be boys. She supposed that she should be grateful that they weren't running a bet on the identity of the baby's father.
At least she hoped that they weren't. She looked up again just as Greg entered the breakroom and walked over to the coffee. She absently noted that he looked a little angry. He looked flushed, two flags of colour high on his cheeks. Sara looked back to Nick.
"You haven't got any other bet running, have you?"
Nick shook his head.
"Absolutely not. Not even about the baby's weight."
Greg turned to face Nick and Sara, a mug of coffee in his hand. He still looked annoyed.
"It's not this shift you need to watch. Day shift are offering odds on the identity of the baby's father."
"What!"
Sara, Warrick and Nick's exclamation didn't surprise Greg. He shrugged.
"It gets worse. One of the options is 'unknown'."
Warrick and Nick were furious, but Sara was more hurt than angry. She knew that there would be speculation about the baby's father, but she didn't think that anyone would stoop to bet on it being 'unknown'. What Nick and Warrick were saying sank in at last.
"War, Nick, guys, please! Violence doesn't solve anything and we don't have evidence. We…I…knew that this would happen, so, my advice is forget it. I know who the father is, and so does he. That's all that matters."
"Sara, you can't let this go, you - "
"Nick, thanks but no. I'm not sinking to their level. Let it go."
Sara got to her feet and turned toward the door after she had checked her watch.
"Greggo, thanks for telling me, but keep it in this room. No one else needs to know, okay?"
"Sure, Sara. And I'm sorry."
Sara nodded once, and left the room. The shift was officially over, but she knew that Grissom would still be in his office.
Grissom looked up as Sara entered his office. He looked startled and hurriedly shifted some files on his desk before she could cross the room. Sara was still brooding on Greg's comment to take in what he had done.
"Sara."
Grissom managed a smile before he noticed her pensive face.
"Has something upset you?"
Sara took a seat, absently rubbing her belly with a soothing hand.
"I've been thinking. Maybe it's not such a good idea that I move in with you just yet."
Grissom couldn't have looked more stunned if she had hit him.
"What?"
TBC