I really am sorry - I always get impatient when people don't update, and then I go and leave it for ages myself. I am afraid the posting is unlikely to get much more frequent because school is terribly hectic right now. But I'll do my best.

I hope you all hada lovely Christmas and New Year.

Em x

"It's time you left now, Dr Grissom."

The doctor tapped him on the shoulder lightly, awakening him from ashallow sleep. Grissom gently untangled himself from Sara's arms, careful not to wake her, and left the room. He decided he would go home, now content that Sara knew he was always going to be there for her. He could get a couple of hours of sleep before returning to the hospital. And sometime he had to get into the lab. There was far too much to be getting on with but Grissom did not care. He would rearrange his life to fit with Sara's. He had had three tastes in one week of what it would feel like should Sara leave his life and he could now be more than certain that it did not bear thinking about. He would do whatever it took to make sure that would never happen.

When Sara awoke she reached out for Grissom's hand. Feeling it was not there, she opened her eyes. He had gone. For a second she panicked but then she realised there was no way he could have slept a night bent double over her hospital bed. She saw a nurse approach her room.

"Did Grissom go?"

"The man who was visiting you earlier?"

"Yes."

"He left when visiting hours were over. I'm sure he'll be back."

Sara wanted to ask when, exactly, he would return, but she knew the nurse would not know. She tried to stop herself from feeling unnecessarily dependant on him but it felt so wonderful to have someone to share everything with, even though all she had to share was pain and worries.

The nurse handed her some forms. "You have to sign these."

"Why?" Sara queried; she was never one to put her signature upon a piece of paper without reading all the small print. Then something occurred to her. "Oh, God; the abortion."

The nurse nodded, looking confused. "Have you changed your mind?"

Sara's pulse had begun to race and her palms felt sweaty. She wished Grissom were here to reassure her. "No- I- Do you have a pen?"

The nurse handed her one and Sara prepared to sign away the life of her unborn child.

It had physically hurt Grissom to get out of bed after only three hours sleep but the image of Sara lying in the hospital bed, so frail and covered in drips, motivated him to do so. As he entered the hospital now and experienced the familiar sterile smell of disinfectant his only thought was getting Sara out of there. He now knew his way around and made his way up to the ward in which she was resident. Waved through by the nurses, who now recognised him, he entered Sara's private room. At first he thought she was sleeping but he quickly noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks. He rushed to her bedside. "Sara?" he questioned. "What's wrong?"

"The baby," she choked. "The abortion-"

"You've had it already? I should have been here – I'm so sorry."

"No – I haven't."

"Then when?"

"I'm not." Sara struggled to mop her tears with her hand. "I couldn't, Grissom. I couldn't punish my baby. It's not its fault that I got raped. Please tell me I did the right thing."

"Of course you did, Sara. I told you, I'll be here no matter what. This baby is going to have the most wonderful mother in the world."

"Thank you so much, Grissom." Sara's tears were falling slower now and she could talk more easily. "I don't think I'd be able to get through this without you."

"It's good you don't have to then."

All of a sudden there was a knock on the door. Turning round, Grissom saw Nick enter the room. His eyes were drawn to Sara and Grissom's intertwined hands and he smiled. Then they moved to Sara's face and he evidently spotted the dampness of her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"Nothing," Sara replied. Nick did not look convinced. "Really." She pulled her hand gently free from Grissom's. "Could you give us a minute, Grissom?"

"Of course."

"Sit down, Nick."

He did as he was told; he looked more and more worried by the second. "What's wrong, Sara?"

"I told you – nothing's wrong."

"There's something going on. What is it?"

"If you'd let me get a word in edgeways, Nick, I'd tell you." Nick did not smile or laugh; he just looked frustrated. "I'm pregnant." Bafflement struck his face.

"What- How-I-"

"And I'm keeping the baby." The room went deadly silent. Sara had not expected it to be more difficult to tell Nick than it had been Grissom. "Please say something, Nick."

"I- I'm sorry."

"That's not the usual response when someone announces they're expecting a baby."

"No- I mean- Congratulations."

"It's ok, Nick, I don't expect you to start jumping up and down. I know it might be difficult to understand, but I can't take out my anger on an innocent child."

"I understand. I think." Nick replied. "Does this mean you won't do anything stupid again? Now there are two of you to consider?"

"I suppose so, yes."

"Do you think you could make that promise now then?"

"Sorry?"

"Don't think I didn't notice that yesterday you never actually promised me anything."

"Didn't I?"

"A smile doesn't constitute a yes, Sara. I want written agreement."

"You'll have to make do with an oral contract for now."

"Ok. You promise?"

"I promise."

"Thank you."

"It's the least I can do."

"Shall I go and get Grissom again?"

"Yes, please."

"You two were looking quite close."

"He's being wonderful, Nick. I don't know what I would have done without him. And you, of course."

"No need to tell me. But you might want to mention it to him once in a while."

"Don't worry, I already have."

"Wow, you're at that stage already, are you? Didn't he get all awkward at emotional stuff like that?"

"He was lovely, actually," Sara replied pointedly, but with a smile on her face.

"You'll be able to compete with his bugs soon."

Sara laughed; it was a welcome sound to both herself and Nick. Nick stood and moved over to the door to call Grissom back in. Before he reached it he turned around one last time.

"Can I be Godfather?"