Title: This Disaster

Disclaimer: Still Not Mine.

Spoilers: Indirect references to some of the relationship bumps up to about season 4, I think. Nothing major. More like this takes place sometime during/after the fourth season.

A/N: This is the final sequel-ish chapter. I think it's my second favorite, after, of course, the first.

She was exquisite. A fragile head, paleish complexion like those of her parents, tiny fists clenching and unclenching, chubby arms pumping in the air in attempts to grasp the wiggling fingers offered her. She had her father's brown eyes, now lit up with excitement, and her mother's smile. He assumed she'd grow to inherit her mother's auburn curls, a crop of hair already adorning her head. This tiny little thing…she'd grow to be breathtakingly stunning.

Like her mother.

In Grissom's opinion, Sara never looked more beautiful than she did now; stray wisps of hair plastered to her face, tired and smiling in a generic hospital gown, holding her baby girl.

He could only assume Nick agreed' he wore the biggest smile Grissom had ever seen, kissing Sara happily between holding the infant, making soft "baby noises".

Catherine and Lindsey were there, too; while Catherine was wide-eyed looking at the baby and laughing softly with Sara, her daughter had fallen asleep after seeing the baby, now slumped peacefully on a chair. Warrick and Greg had shown up, standing at the foot of Sara's bed, talking and laughing about the recent exploits she'd missed at the lab. Even Brass had stopped by, receiving a long, tearful hug from Sara before he'd been handed the baby girl. His face broke into a smile almost as big as Nick's when the couple asked him to be godfather. And everyone laughed when Greg had made a crack in a thick (and butchered) Italian accent.

But now it was quiet, and everyone was content to chat softly, basking in the glow of Nick and Sara and their daughter.

Except Grissom.

He stood in the hallway, out of their sight, but at an angle to the room where he could still peer inside should he want to.

And part of him wanted to.

But the part of him that remembered his conversation with Nick three or so months ago didn't.

It'd been a long night; the whole shift was pulling doubles except for Nick and Warrick, who'd finished their case earlier. Catherine, Sara, even Greg had stayed for another shift with him. And they'd solved the case that night. But some of his crew went home looking more tired than others.

The next day after shift, Nick asked to see him in his office. Grissom agreed, and they walked to his office in awkward silence. Grissom was a bit surprised when he took a seat behind his desk, but Nick made no move to sit in one of the available chairs.

"Stop asking Sara to work overtime."

Grissom looked confused. "What?"

"She'll stay because you ask her to, but she shouldn't be, so stop asking" Nick explained, his face void of any emotions.

"Why?" Grissom asked in an infuriatingly calm voice.

Nick's mouth spread into a wide grin, which caught Grissom by surprise, although it was Nick's confession that floored him:

"Because she's pregnant."

"Oh" was all he managed to choke out as he tried to process; Nick. And Sara. And their child? How could he have missed this? She defiantly wasn't showing. "Nick…"

Nick put up a hand to stop him from continuing, before talking a deep breath and speaking:

"Look, Grissom. I appreciate everything you've done for me. Since I moved here you've been like a father to me. A mentor. And I want you to know that I really, truly appreciate that. I appreciate some of the things you've done for Sara. But not everything. Because she loved you and you hurt her. And it took a lot for her to get over that, Gris. But she did. We did."

Nick stopped and took another short breath, seeming to steel himself for something before he continued:

"We're married now, Grissom, and there can only be two people involved. Me and Sara. I love her more than anything, and she loves me. And we're happy. But I've seen the way you look at her, and the way you look at me when I look at her. And it looks like…I need to know if you still have feelings for Sara."

Nick sighed inwardly, crossing his arms self-consciously across his chest as he watched his supervisor.

Grissom let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He couldn't look at Nick, (how could Grissom tell him, the father of Sara's child, that he was right?) instead focusing on a generic black pen resting on his desk.

"I thought so" Nick spoke softly, interrupting Grissom's thoughts. "But if you tell her now, you'll hurt her worse than you already have. And it won't change anything for you, because we've already talked about this…"

Nick looked at his boss for a fleeting movement before he finished, resigning himself not to flinch as his next words spilled out of him, "If you really love her, then just…stop asking her to work overtime."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room as the two men looked at each other, before Grissom lowered his head in defeat, staring fixedly at his lap.

"Fine."

Nick visibly relaxed at this, and began to walk out the door. His hand hovered over the doorknob when Grissom said, "And Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"Congratulations."

Nick nodded his head. "Thanks, Gris" he said, before he walked out the door, shutting it carefully behind him.

Grissom had told Sara the next day that she was maxed out on overtime. She wouldn't be hanging around the lab after her shift ended anymore. To his surprise, Sara agreed, seeming somewhat relieved.

And now she was a mother; a radiant, beautiful mother.

And Nick was a father; an absolutely ecstatic and proud father, holding his daughter as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

And their baby was a bundle of pink blankets and soft gurgling sounds.

They were…a family.

And Grissom just watched it all, without realizing he was content, finally content, to let it be theirs. Just theirs.

A/N: So what do you guys think?