Hey guys, I was sitting at my desk about 3 seconds ago when my brain went OH CRAP! it's Thursday!

so apologies for this being a bit later in the day than normal -shakes head- off to go set my computer up to remind me that it's Thursday from now on lol.

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Chapter 3
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Friday December 23rd, 2005
London, England
Heathrow Airport
Starbucks
5:01 a.m. (GMT)

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The next eight weeks seemed to fly by looking back on them. The wedding was planned, Nigel coming up with the idea of the London Eye as the ceremony sight. Sara had just shaken her head; their reception was going to be of course at the Swan Star, Mac insisting on doing the food. Abby made the dresses, while Eliza declared she was making the cake - it turned out the woman was a genius in the baking department. And as tribute to Nigel, they actually found these perfect invitations, well Angie had fun and took what they initially found as reference and created their own. The invitation had a color picture of a motorcycle on the left side, and thanks to Angie, the card also had a picture of Nigel when he was ten with what appeared to be one hand on the cycle, the other around the shoulders of Sara herself when she was six.

Angie spent hours digging through family albums and found a picture of Nigel, dressed up in their grandfather's clothing, big flying goggles on his head as he stood next to 'Pop's Baby', a twenties bi-plane – in the actual picture he had an arm around a second cousin. The harder picture to find had been Sara's, in the end the answer had come from the most unlikely source… after learning she was pregnant, Sara had finally done what she had been debating since learning her mother had been released from prison, and wrote her. Angie had taken it upon herself, after asking Sara if it was okay, to contact Laura Sidle as well and see if she had any pictures that fit the bill, and Laura had found just the one, from a day at the beach during happier times.

The wedding being taken care of, and confirmation of when the gang was arriving in London, Sara let her attention rest elsewhere. While Nigel helped with the store during the day, she could usually be found next door at Abby's, learning the basics, and then the more advanced forms of sewing, and often or not the two were joined by Bea and Angie whenever possible. When she wasn't at Abby's during the day, she was seeing her doctors – Nigel had finally convinced her she had to take care of herself, and to do so she had to face her past. So she was in therapy, and found herself a bit happier now; no longer as haunted by her past as she was back in Vegas. She and her therapist had realized that when she left Vegas she was depressed, and dealing with aspects of PTSD, long-term depression and PTSD weren't cured by her time in Boston, but she had a better support system there, even if she hadn't been looking for one. Thanks to that growing support system and a mild dose of Zoloft, she was on a continuing rise from the place she'd been in for so many years.

And while she was dealing with her past, preparing herself for being a mom and getting to know her own mother once more, Abby, Bea, Angie, Eliza, and Anne Marie were busy as well. Besides preparing for the wedding, the five had locked Nigel and Sara out of Abby's back room, and only a few days earlier, presented the two with an early Christmas present. They'd done a nursery. Knowing that they would be returning to Boston in time, the women had made the nursery movable. They had hit local second-hand shops and found a number of old silk screens, from there they had removed the original fabric and adding fabric they'd painted. Anne Marie had enjoyed telling them about the fun they'd had with fifteen panels taped to the wall as they sat and painted a scene across them all depicting an enchanted fairy land. At least that was what Anne Marie called it.

Along with the screens that ran along the walls, Abby had made a quilt, and there was a white dressing table decorated with small fairies and butterflies. A mobile with butterflies that played Brahms's Lullaby. They'd evilly laughed as they handed Nigel a screwdriver and the pieces to a crib, before taking Sara off for more gifts, baby clothes and more pieces for the new 'nursery'. He had come downstairs an hour later with a grin and announced he did it, and it wasn't that hard. All in all though, they were pretty much ready for the arrival of the baby that she hadn't known was coming until two months earlier.

That in itself had been a reason to chuckle for Nigel and Sara, they'd been eating a late snack one night when Nigel spoke up, commenting on how it was a surprise they hadn't seen the signs. Well even though the obvious missed period sign was explainable, he'd shook his head as he explained he had only then noticed that while the normal lack of one aspect of her cycle hadn't been odd, the lack of her PMS mood swings had. One reason she never had to answer questions, even to other women, about her lack of PMS, as far as anyone knew, she did have her cycle each month. Because while she didn't have the joy of actually having to deal with menstrual flow and all that each month, she still had the raging hormones and mood swings. Made for an interesting life really... They'd also laughed about the fifteen pounds she had gained since coming to Boston, and Lily's statement that 'all that work to get some weight on her was useless, it wasn't them after all'.

The last two months had been fun though, Braxton Hicks started only a week after they'd found out, and then the cravings really kicked in, though her sudden craving for meat over the months was now explained. Nigel would just shake his head when she'd wake him and he'd find himself heading to the closest 24-hour Subway for her Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich. By now he was an expert at ordering a foot-long on wheat, heat the meat in the microwave then toast it with provolone cheese; lettuce, tomato, and pickle, with sweet onion sauce and he was headed back to the flat, back within fifteen minutes. By now they were use to the various pains and such, well as much as they could be all things considered. And it was just a countdown until the wedding and then the arrival of Gillian Rose.

She had decided a few things in regards to those in Vegas, besides the fact she was due back there a month ago and had sent a request to extend her LOA to the Director instead of Grissom. They also hadn't sent any announcements to Vegas, she hadn't been in contact with them since coming to London, and didn't want to raise any more questions and such than was necessary. That and she had this fear of Catherine or someone other than Grissom showing up at her wedding. And she wanted to see Grissom and tell him about his child in person. She had come to the decision that yes, Grissom deserved to know. More than that though, Rose, as they had decided to call her rather than by the first part of her first name, deserved to know her father. She was going to put everything in his court, no pressure; but she didn't want to tell him over the phone or through e-mail. Maybe it was selfish, maybe it was foolish, but she wanted to tell him in person, he deserved that, at least in her mind.

"Love," Nigel's voice drew her from her contemplation of the Chai Tea Latte in front of her. Glancing up she smiled sheepishly. "There you are, was starting to think that Tea had taken you captive," he teased before taking a sip of his own Gingerbread Latte.

"Nah, just thinking. What time is it?"

"Fifteen after, just checked the board, they should be landing any minute. Tail wind."

Sara nodded before glancing around the arrival area. They were seated in front of Starbucks, the meeting point for when Garret, Jordan, Bug, and Lily arrived that morning. The four had flown out of Boston the night before and would be staying until the twenty-seventh. "Can you believe in just nine weeks she's going to be here?"

"No, not really. But we're going to be fine love, promise."

"You've exceptionally optimistic you know that babe?" Sara chuckled.

"What do you expect, I somehow managed to lose the best thing that ever happened to me, only to get her back over ten-years-later."

"I think I've told you before, flattery will get you nowhere with me," Sara teased before taking a sip of her tea.

"Ehh… I'm a hard study," Nigel grinned.

"There they are!"

Turning in his chair Nigel grinned when he saw the group headed towards them, Garret and Bug found themselves with all the bags as Jordan and Lily rushed towards the table. "Need a bit of help boys?" he asked as he joined them, leaving Lily and Jordan to their attacks on Sara and questions about heaven only knew what women talk about.

"Oh just a bit," Garret smirked before loading Nigel up with bags.

"So how was the flight?" Nigel asked as they made their way back to Starbucks.

"Long, then again you should know that. But did you have to get married just in time for the busiest travel of the year?" Bug asked with a sigh.

"Well it was either that or wait until after the poppin is born," Nigel shrugged. "And you know, I think Sar wants to make it legal before then for some reason."

"Oh I'm pretty sure I know the reason, one bastard in the family is more than enough," Jordan spoke up with a smirk.

"Watch it love, I'll find a way to keep you locked up so you miss the big event," Nigel shot back with a smile.

"Okay, threats can continue later," Sara laughed. "I am tired, and sore, and dealing with that on a daily constant basis, I want out of this airport before I find the man who keeps making those announcements about the airport over and over every two minutes, and kill him."

"Seeing as we don't want to create an international crisis that could result in having people from Boston and Vegas here, let's get the lady out of here," Garret smiled before everyone headed towards the waiting car, managing to stuff everyone into Angie's car, Sara in front because of needing more room. Within an hour they'd arrived at the Swan Star for breakfast, treating the gang to traditional English Breakfasts, and laughing when Jordan and Lily just stared in amazement as Bug seemed to eat more in one sitting then they'd seen him eat in a day back home. Let alone eat some of the stuff they had been sitting there looking at Sara and Nigel wondering just what it was, or how they were suppose to eat so very much.

After breakfast the group made their way to Angie's, who had offered to let the girls use her spare room, then to James' where the guys had a room waiting for them. The rest of the day was spent catching up, and filling everyone in on the plans for the wedding the next day and such.

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Saturday December 24th, 2005
London, England
British Airways London Eye
App. 442 feet / 135 meters above London
3:56 p.m. (GMT)

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Morning came all too soon for Sara, but she never had time to think about it really as before she knew it, she was at Bea's with Jordan, Lily, Angie, Eliza, Anne Marie and Abby being completely pampered and teased about being married. Bea and Angie did everyone's hair, Lily having the fun job of make-up. The day was rather fun, quiet and such, but fun. They didn't actually set to doing hair styles and such until after lunch away, before then just enjoying stories about Nigel and other embarrassing stories Jordan managed to remember from when she first met Sara what seemed a lifetime ago at times. By the time two rolled around though, everyone was dressed and ready, before they made the trip across town.

Because it was a Christmas wedding, they had decided to go with the obvious colors, Nigel was dressed in a black tux with a burgundy bow tie , as were James and Bug scarily enough, or so Bug kept muttering when he saw himself in the mirror. On the flip side, Jordan and Lily were wearing hunter green sheath dresses, with a deep scoop back to kinda match Sara's dress, and specially made beaded choker necklaces Anne Marie had done.

Sara's dress had been Abby's idea, and Sara had to admit she loved the 20's style dress, even with the extra weight from Rose, she was really not that far over the average weight for her size, to the constant reprimands from her soon to be in-law family about her health habits. The dress though, it was gorgeous. White satin, just as shade off of pure white, it had a scoop back, and a draped front, with a bit of fabric actually going over her shoulder, a second piece of fabric dropping on her arm. It was basically a sheath dress, with a full train and her veil as well was floor-length, connected to a circlet of red and white roses. Her hair was done in ringlets, and to give a bit of warmth in the cold weather, she had a white cape to get her to the Eye and back to the Swan Star.

When they arrived at the Eye, a private capsule was waiting, decorated with flowers to match the theme and go with the Burgundy roses Jordan and Lily carried. Everyone was there, Bea and those from London, even Nigel's father came. Garret 'gave her away' as they began the accent. For the most part though, Sara and Nigel didn't notice anything going on around them as the man from the Lamberth Registry Office spoke. Until they were required to actively participate of course.

"Do you, Sara Lynn Opal Sidle, take this man to be your lawfully wedding husband? To have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. Through the good times and the bad, will you love, honor, and cherish him all the days of your life?"

"With all my heart and soul, I do," Sara smiled softly.

"Do you, Nigel Eames Townsend…"

"I do," Nigel interrupted. "Sorry love," he continued a bit sheepish.

Sara laughed before glancing at the man and shrugging slightly as the other guests chuckled.

"Well, then onto the rings I suppose," he smiled before Anne Marie stepped forward with the rings.

"With this ring, I thee wed," Nigel began as he slipped the ring on her finger.

"With this ring, I thee wed," Sara answered with a smile.

"With this by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife," he spoke just as they reached the top of the ride, Sara and Nigel sharing their first kiss as a married couple on cue before everyone began to clap.

The trip back to the ground, they had champagne to enjoy, other than Sara, and pictures were taken by Ol' Timothy both in the capsule, and once back on the ground. Not long later, they were back at the Swan Star, where everyone they knew from the Swan was waiting, the place equally decorated to match the capsule. After a rather quiet dinner, the party finally got started, James producing the music for the night. Everyone danced: Jordan and Garret, Bug and Lily, Garret stole Sara from Nigel for a dance, and the girls even had a dance to themselves. Sara's favorite moments though were when Nigel produced a CD bearing the song, At the Beginning; their song as it had been deemed, and when he'd sat there and sung 10,000 Miles to her to the laughter of everyone. The cake was cut, Eliza really outdoing herself with a cake that even had a ribbon bearing Nigel's mother's family tartan, and someone even found a cake top that had a bridal couple with a motorcycle. They both had to wonder though how they managed to find a groom with shoulder-length black hair…

The bouquet was tossed, Lily catching it; and the garter as well, causing much enjoyment on Jordan and Nigel's part when they found themselves with new material to tease Bug about, and making sure Ol' Timothy got plenty of pictures of Bug and Lily dancing the traditional dance. Finally though, Nigel and Sara made their escape to their home, leaving everyone to enjoy the rest of the night.

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Tuesday January 24th, 2006
London, England
Local Hospital
5:48 p.m. (GMT)

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"You tell me it's going to be okay one more time and I'll break your hand," Sara ground out through her clenched teeth.

"Okay love, so want to plan ways to kill Dr. Grissom then?" Nigel asked as he brushed the hair back from her forehead.

"I don't want him dead, but I would seriously kill to have him here to give him the hell for this instead of you," Sara sighed, relaxing as another contraction eased.

Sighing mentally, Nigel thought back over the last weeks, and sent a silent prayer that this wouldn't go on much longer. It had been a month exactly since their wedding, the gang from Boston staying until the New Year before heading home. While they had been there, they'd done everything in London, before even going to Paris for a day. They'd even gone to Madame Tussaud's and had pictures taken with 'celebrities' they would never meet… One of the more memorable pictures being of Jordan, Lily, and Sara all by the Brad Pitt model that had a life-like squeezable 'toosh' and they were comparing opinions on it together.

After they'd gone back to Boston though, they settled down to wait for the February ninth, when Sara was due, and wait to hear for the final paperwork for Nigel so they would know when they could go home. Two weeks before the big day, Nigel was at the Swan Star making sure the final arrangements for the Baby Shower were done when he and Mac heard Abby yelling from down the street that he "better get his bleedin' arse back to the shop or they were leaving for the hospital without him" Twenty-six hours later, Sara was far from a happy woman, and she was beyond sick and tired of everyone telling her it was going to be okay.

Thankfully, it only took another three hours for everything to be over, and as Rose was whisked away by the nursing staff and another nurse took care of Sara, Nigel slipped out to let everyone know the news. He wasn't surprised to find everyone from the family there.

"Well?" Bea asked when she spotted him.

"It's a girl…"

"We already knew that!" Anne Marie interrupted.

"Impatient little imp aren't you?" Nigel countered with a smile. "It's a girl, Gillian Rose as you know, 6-pounds 9.6-ounces and she's 21.63-inches. They're taking her to check her over and make sure everything's okay since she came early. Sara's fine, exhausted and such, but fine. Going to head back… he continued hooking one thumb over his shoulder.

"Go, tell her we love her and can't wait to see her and the little one," Bea smiled, Angie and Eliza already on their way out of the room cell phones in hand. Calls were about to be made to the Swan Star and Boston no doubt. Nodding at his Aunt, he smiled before heading back to Sara's side.

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Hours later, everyone had headed home leaving Sara and Nigel to some time alone with Rose. The doctors had declared her fit, though they planned to keep her two days extra than Sara, just to be sure. For now though, they were enjoying some quiet time, just the three of them.

"She's gorgeous love, you did wonderful," Nigel smiled as he brushed a dark brown curl from Rose's forehead as she slept in Sara's arms.

"Technically I don't get all the credit," Sara sighed softly. "She's got his eyes…"

"Bloody lovely eyes they are too, best thing for her to get from him," Nigel countered with a smile.

"God you're nuts Nige," Sara smiled up at him.

"Hey, you're the one who named my step-daughter Garnet."

"At your insistence," Sara countered, rolling her eyes.

"It's a lovely tradition though sweetheart. I mean you have a two part first name, your middle name being a gemstone. Your brother was the same way… I'll take credit for that, but you're the one who picked Garnet of the gemstone choices based on her birthstone, zodiac stone, and day stone."

"It flows better, Gillian Rose Garnet Grissom, instead of Gillian Rose Amethyst Grissom……. So bite me," Sara teased.

"Not until we're back home," Nigel countered with a wink before a knock on the door revealed a nurse there to take Rose back to the nursery.

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Sunday May 21st, 2006
Boston, Massachusetts
Townsend Flat
9:31 p.m. (EST)

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By the time Nigel's papers came through, Rose was three-and-a-half months old, and spoiled rotten by Bea and the rest of her 'stepfamily'. Two weeks after his green card was in hand, they were flying back to the states and Boston, and plans for the trip back to Vegas put on hold while Sara set about to getting things settled, arranging their new home while Nigel returned to work, Sara's two months still in suspension until after the traditional period of maternity leave.

They had been enjoying getting back into the swing of things, and Sara was getting use to having Woody around since he finally apologized to Jordan while the Townsend family was in London. There was still tension there for the could-have-been couple, Jordan having also been dating a reporter she knew, when Sara and Nigel returned. Though that didn't last long when Paul went and wrote an article about Woody calling him a bad cop, same time that Nigel found himself with the bone of all bones in the paranormal universe – a body the significant other claimed had been abducted by aliens years earlier and she needed it so the aliens could take the man home. Sara had just shaken her head when he was trying to prove the theory, sharing e-mails with Bea about the insanity since Nigel was partially obsessed thanks to his uncle, Bea's twin, claiming to have been abducted. When she found out Nigel had signed the body out and risked his career, so soon after getting it back… then she'd stepped in and went up one side and down the other of her eccentric husband. Fortunately, Garret had given Nigel a yelling of his own, then let it slide, this once, because the body was returned before morning. Thanks mostly to Sara being concerned about where her husband was and calling Bug, who knew where to look… and found Nigel and the dead man's significant other sound asleep a few feet from the body.

All in all though, with the exception of those few incidents, they were happily enjoying life. So when Sara had gone in for Rose's check-up, then her own – the last thing she had expected was the news she got. And while she waited for Nigel to get home… she considered all the ways she could get away with a home vasectomy.

"Hi love," he called softly when he entered the apartment finally, and Sara flipped on the light in the living room so he could see her. "You're up late…"

"I'm pissed," she answered with a shrug. "Kinda can't sleep…"

"Everything ok?" he asked concerned as he left his long familiar yellow helmet on the counter, his jacket on a chair, before crossing the room to her side.

"Oh it's peachy," Sara smiled more to keep from crying. "You know, I'm not sure who to yell at more, God for his insane sense of amusement, or you for your soldiers. I mean come on, I manage to avoid knowing I'm pregnant for five months, only to learn and have a wonderfully insane four months of my pregnancy… and just when I'm getting close to having a figure again, even if it is one a bit more round than I had when I first came to Boston…. And now I get another shot to enjoy all nine months…." Sara ranted, somehow keeping her voice down as she did so.

"Wait… back up the proverbial train love… did you just say you're pregnant in all that?" Nigel asked shaking his head slightly as he tried to keep up.

"No, I'm going to gain forty pounds of weight just because I want to," Sara rolled her eyes before sighing heavily. "God Nige… don't get me wrong we both know that us having a kid isn't a bad thing, nor unwelcome… but I just got through one pregnancy less than six-months-ago… I'm not ready to go there again. And I need to get my ass back to Vegas to take care of things there… and I've already been told by my doctor that once again, I'm not allowed to fly anywhere…… God I hate my screwed up, royally fucked over reproductive system."

"Shh, it's going to be alright love," Nigel whispered as he pulled her from the chair to join him on the floor. "I'm not going anywhere, and you can beat the crap out of my anytime you feel like it okay? Hell's bells… Bug will sell tickets and Jordan will get the Pogue to provide refreshments okay?"

Sara snorted a laugh as she cried before burying her head in Nigel's shoulder. "God I'm still getting you fixed, and then getting myself fixed too to stop this insanity once and for all…"

"Sounds good to me, just… I know we're both certified to cut up people and all that, let's let the ones who actually tend to work with live people do it though," Nigel grinned before she reached up to smack the back of his head lightly.

"What about Vegas though?" Sara asked softly sometime later when she was calm once more.

"We'll figure something out… so you can't fly. There are other ways to get from here to there… But right now… let's get you to bed alright? I'm tired, I'm sure you're tired, we have a two-am feeding to worry about and it's bloody freezing…."

"Alright," Sara agreed with a small sigh. She was too old to be chasing two toddlers around a house in a few years…

When the news finally was revealed just two weeks later that it was actually going to be three… she really hit Nigel over the back of his head. And he was left grumbling about the blasted advancements in technology that let one hear heartbeats at twenty-eight days and diagnose pregnancies as early as five days before the missed period… he wasn't sure his poor cranium could take any more spousal abuse.

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Wednesday June 21st, 2006
Boston, Massachusetts
The Pogue
8:35 a.m. (EST)

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"Be careful driving," Nigel repeated for the twentieth time that morning, causing Jordan and Lily to share a roll of their eyes.

"Nige… trust us, we always are. We aren't going to put your girls, and as of yet unknown sex offspring, in any danger," Jordan smiled as she bounced almost five-month Rose on her knee.

Sighing Nigel gave both women a rather sheepish smile, "Sorry loves."

"Relax Nigel, we're going to be fine. It's only a three day drive to Vegas, and you guys will be joining us the thirtieth so…. Until then, we'll take good care of our girl and make sure that those imbeciles there don't do anything to stress her out too much, for her sake and the babies," Lily assured him.

"He's still driving you batty is he?" Sara asked with a smile when she walked up behind the booth and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind. "Relax babe, we're going to be fine. The girls and I will enjoy a few 'girl only' days then all of you get to join us for a real 4th of July celebration in Vegas. God only knows why everyone wants to be there but who am I to argue right?"

"Right," Woody agreed, ignoring the exasperated look she gave him momentarily, they still weren't on completely friendly terms…

"Come on, we need to get going," Sara continued after a moment. Everyone rose from the table and headed out of the bar to the car that was waiting for the three women, already packed and ready to go. They were taking Jordan's car, some reason it seemed more right to take her mustang than anyone else's vehicle on a cross-country road trip. Goodbyes were exchanged, Nigel giving Sara a longer hug than normal and she reassured him once more she would be fine, before the male members of their group were left standing in front of the Pogue watching as the red car disappeared from sight.

Reader Responses

Charmed1818 - hey sweetheart :-) Thank you, I needed to hear someone loved it :-) you were my first review on the last chapter :-). My bird got the cookies before I could send them out ;-) but I am working on those pictures so yeah... lol Hope you liked this chapter :-)

Oracle-AFK - hey love, first, I'm keeping your cookie for trying to possess me ;-) But thanks for reviewing (both times ;-) )

Next chapter will be Thursday, and in the works are a few pictures and such to go along with this story. :-)

Please review though :-)