Title: Wash Away Part Nine

Early July, 06

"Sara?"

"No, no. I'm awake." Sara shook herself out of her reverie. "I was just thinking about what you said."

She fiddled with the edge of the pillow she was holding as she asked him on impulse. "Grissom? What if a child isn't exposed to violence, and the child isn't necessarily violent, but he does something like that kid did anyway? If it was your child, would you forgive him?"

Sara had no idea why she was going here with him. It was very dangerous ground.

"It would depend on the circumstances." Grissom cleared his throat. "If the particular child in this case were mine, then I would have no choice but to forgive him. The kid thought he was protecting his little sister. It's sad, really."

"But what if the uncle wasn't abusing the little girl? What if the boy did that to the man anyway?"

"Sara? Where are you going with this?"

"I'm curious. If my son did that for no reason, I would wonder if it were my fault or genetically out of my control." Sara knew that she must sound more than a little crazy to Grissom, but their earlier conversation about the case had brought up so many fears.

"I don't think that you need to worry about it." Grissom rubbed his beard as he tried to think of what was bugging Sara. "If you ever have children."

He almost choked on the thought of Sara having children with some other man, but facts were facts and this was the second time she had brought the subject of children up with him, regardless of the fact that the context was completely different. He added with a sincerity he firmly believed to be the truth. "Then, unless the man has some gene that predisposes him to such behavior, I don't think you have anything to worry about. You are the most sane person I know."

Sara was silent for several minutes. "Thanks, Grissom. I needed to hear that."

Sara's voice did not convey to him that she meant what she said, but he let that go. He had to pick his battles carefully.

"I really need to get some sleep now, Grissom. I'll call you in a few days?" She spoke as a yawn made her words reality.

"Days? Not weeks?" Grissom did not like the pathetic way he was practically pleading for Sara's attention, but he also knew he would continue to grovel for any crumbs she threw his way. He deserved it after his thoughtless comments from months ago.

"Days, Grissom. Nite."

August, 06

"You don't need to come up here, Warrick, I assure you that I'm going to be fine." Sara was on complete bedrest as ordered by her new doctor, an acquaintance of Dr. Wallace's that she had referred Sara to several weeks ago.

Dr. Iris Staten specialized in multiple births, and though she did not normally take new patients so late in the pregnancy, she made an exception for Sara. Iris was a breath of fresh air. They clicked immediately, and once a week Sara had made the trip to her office to find herself leaving with more information than she knew what to do with.

Today, however, Dr. Staten had informed Sara that she would need to be on complete bedrest for the rest of her pregnancy. Upset, Sara had reached out to call the first person to pop into her mind, the only one that knew she was expecting a baby.

"Dr. Staten told me that when you are expecting more than one baby then it is normal to be on bedrest for the last few weeks." Sara spoke with a confidence she did not feel, but she needed to speak these thoughts aloud. Once she had started having contractions after week 34, Iris had insisted she take it easy.

"Whoa, whoa. Did you say multiples?" Warrick asked.

Pulling the laptop over closer to her side, Sara bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. "I didn't tell you that? I thought that I did when we spoke last."

"No." Warrick said, looking around the empty ballistics lab and fighting back a grin. "You must be huge! You have to send me a picture of yourself, Ms. Sidle."

"It's not funny, and I'm bigger than huge. Two boys will do that to you, or so I think." Sara shifted her weight until she could click on the website she had ordered from months before. "I need to buy another crib. Another car seat. Two of everything."

"Two boys. Wow." Warrick pulled a stool up next to him and sat down heavily.

"Well, I don't know if one of them is a boy or girl. They couldn't tell for sure, only that there are two babies and now I'm overwhelmed."

"You'll need help." Warrick registered the enormity of what Sara was going to have to undergo by herself. "You need to let me help. Tina and I can fly out therein a few weeksand take an overdue honeymoon. No arguing. You give me your address and I'll make the arrangements."

"Tina may not want to spend her vacation time helping some stranger with her two babies." Sara said without rancor. "You know, Warrick, you have never even introduced your wife to me."

"Well, yeah, but I've told her all about you and she will be eager to meet you and help out. I'm sure of it." It could also help smooth the latest talk of wanting kids, Warrick thought to himself. Sometimes the quickest cure of wanting a baby was taking care of someone elses for awhile. He knew that he was not ready to be a parent, and it had been a bone of contention between Tina and himself for the last month.

"My place is very small, Rick. You and Tina would have to stay in a motel." Sara looked around the tiny cottage as she spoke. It was the perfect place for one person or even two, but not the ideal spot for raising two kids and entertaining guests.

"That's cool. You know that we can find a room someplace nearby and that way you can still have your privacy." Warrick assured her with a smile.

Sara was not sure is she wanted to rely on anyone, but stubborness would not help her take care of two small lives that depended on her health. So, with much reservations she finally gave Warrick directions and asked him to not laugh at her when he saw her conditon.

TBC