A/N: I've been oozing inspiration lately…posting like crazy! I hope you don't mind. Thanks so much for the great reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying. Please let me know what you think: )

Natalie sat nervously on her bed in her room, waiting for her dad to come in. She'd heard her older sister raise her voice and storm down the stairs again. Natalie didn't know if that was good news or not. Did her dad kick her out? What did Lindsey say about what happened and what did her father think? She was already grounded, so Natalie figured her dad was really disappointed and would be unforgiving this time. She examined her fingernails as she sat pretzel style, waiting silently.

Minutes later, after he'd regrouped, Gil knocked on his youngest daughter's room and she replied politely to come in. The girls' rooms were like night and day, literally, and it mirrored their attitudes. Natalie's room was painted a pale yellow, decorated with more "girly" things – pop bands, flowers, and pictures of hunky teenage boys cut out of magazines. His youngest had always been so much more easy-going than her sister, but when you got her worked up, she was a fighter, as in this case. Gil felt Natalie staring up at him hopefully as he took a seat next to her on the bed.

Natalie had always felt like the rest of her family was out to get her. Lindsey's behavior was abysmal all through high school, as an understatement. She was always punished for it, but her parents seemed too forgiving. All of Lindsey's screw-ups had caused Catherine and Gil to tighten down unnecessarily on Natalie. She could handle pressure, but she found that her parents were suffocating her with all their expectations. What they'd screwed up with Lindsey, they weren't going to screw up with her, so they'd turned even stricter on her in high school. Even minor slip-ups weren't left unnoticed, and her report card grades were expected to be all A's and B's. Natalie wanted to please her parents, but she found it very trying and overwhelming to do so. What she didn't know was that she exceeded her parents' expectations beyond words. They were so proud of her and wanted her to succeed so much. Gil and Catherine loved Lindsey, but they weren't happy with the way she treated others sometimes, especially her sister.

Gil sighed out as he sat down next to his daughter. He could tell she was nervous, but also that she was genuinely sorry for what had happened. After all, it was her that called him when things took a turn for the worst. The way she sounded on the phone, he thought the world had ended. Natalie felt so guilty about how she'd hurt Lindsey. Lindsey told him she was sorry too, but her apology was not very heartfelt. Gil was so happy with the way Natalie was turning out – she showed integrity, trust (except for her recent slip-up), and care towards others.

"I just got done talking to Lindsey." He started. "I just want to know how it started."

Natalie swallowed a little bit, not knowing if her dad was trying to test her. He often tried to challenge her thinking, trying to get her to fight for her answers and reasons and convince him.

"Well, we were watching TV and she said she didn't want to watch 'Full House'. I told her I was there first, which I was, and then she started talking about how she wasn't home much and shouldn't have to go to her room to watch what she wanted. And we started arguing…" She stopped.

"What did she say?"

"She said you didn't like to spend time with me. And I said you guys were happy when she moved out." Natalie choked out, on the verge of tears. She was ashamed of what she'd said. They didn't get along, but that was a low blow. "Then we started fighting."

Gil could see how the emotions of the evening easily caused the girls to snap at each other. It had been a tough weekend, with Natalie sneaking out. None of them had been in a very receptive and upbeat mood when Lindsey arrived. The emotions were in high-gear and it took comments like that to push the girls over the edge.

"Okay. I know you girls don't get along very well, and you both said some pretty nasty things from what I understand. Now what's this really about?"

Natalie looked at Gil, puzzled. What else was there to know?

"I don't…I don't understand."

"You weren't fighting about the TV. It was something else. Something deeper."

"I don't know, dad."

"I think you do."

Natalie sighed, not sure what he was wanting from her. She decided to speak the truth and speak from the heart, hoping he would understand.

"She was…an ass, dad, in high school. Treated you and mom like crap. Especially you, and you just stood back and took it. Now she comes back, and she's like the best thing that ever happened to you."

"She is, along with you, Nat." Gil told her. "She's my daughter, and even if I'm not totally happy with the way she's been behaving, I still love her without question."

"Yeah, but the thing is, she's not your real daughter, dad. And every time she doesn't like what you say or how you treat her, she kicks you down in the dirt. It's like she loves you conditionally or something."

"I know it's complicated, sweetheart. I can see how you feel she's being treated unfairly as well as yourself. But things aren't always cut and dry. You love her deep down, but there's a lot of emotions and feelings that go along with it and some of them are bad." Gil shrugged, trying to get her to see that their family drama wasn't all that atypical. All families were complicated, no matter if they were nuclear, blended, or stepfamilies.

"Now, I told Lindsey she had to stay in her room the rest of the night or go back to school, and you could probably hear she chose to leave. And the same goes for you. You need to stay in here the rest of the night." Gil looked at his daughter. "You okay?" She still looked a little glum.

"Yeah, dad. I'm fine."

"It's almost time for bed anyway, so why don't you put on your pj's and get an early night." He suggested. Natalie just nodded, looking straight ahead. Gil kissed her head and got up. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

Minutes later, the telephone rang in the Grissom household and Gil answered.

"Grissom." He was used to answering this way at work.

"Uncle Gil!" An excited teenage girl's voice sounded on the other end. He immediately recognized it as Mally Stokes.

"Mally? Are you supposed to be on the phone?"

"I got special permission. I really need to talk to Natalie. I have really good news!"

"I'm sorry, Mal, she can't come to the phone."

"Please, Uncle Gil, just this once! I promise it's really important, and the good kind."

"Will you tell me first?"

"I don't know if you're supposed to know."

"Excuse me?"

"Hold on." Mally put her hand over the phone and asked Sara if it was okay to tell Uncle Gil. "Okay, I guess I can. Guess what?"

Gil smiled at her antics. He could tell she was really excited about something.

"Mal…"

"Sara's pregnant! She's PREGNANT! Can you believe it?"

Gil about dropped the phone. That was the last thing he was expecting to hear. A baby? He didn't even know Nick and Sara were trying.

"What?" He stammered.

"She's got a bun in the oven! She's preggers! The stork's headed this way! You know, when a man and a woman really love each other…"

"Alright, Mal, I get the point. I know how it works. It's just…wow! That's great news, Mally. Tell Sara I say congratulations."

Mally turned to Sara. "Uncle Gil says congratulations."

"So can I tell Natalie? Please?" She turned her attention back to her uncle. Seeing as it was really good, and rare news, he decided to allow it.

"Okay. Let me get her."

The next ten minutes was a pandemonium of happy squealing and jumping on both ends. An outsider would have thought Mally was the mother, the way she was discussing baby names and where its room would be, and what clothes she'd pick for it to wear. Gil finally decided to cut the conversation off after twenty minutes. So much for Natalie's early night – now she was all gleeful and hyper.

Gil decided to call Catherine to give her an update on the girls. He'd just told her briefly what was happening on his way home after Natalie called. Knowing it all would upset her, Gil dreaded the call.

"Gil, how are they doing? Are they okay?" Catherine answered the phone questioning after she'd seen her husband on the caller ID.

"Cath, they're both fine. They were both a little shaken up, but they're all taken care of. You have nothing to worry about."

Catherine let out the biggest sigh of relief as she stood outside a crime scene at a hotel. She wanted desperately to go home and see her girls, but really couldn't leave the crime scene. Catherine knew her husband would take care of it, but it didn't stop her maternal instincts from showing its head. She started to get emotional, but was relieved her girls were okay. It was breaking Gil's heart.

"Sweetheart, it's okay. They're both fine."

"I know, it's just…" She paused and put her hand to her forehead, "I just hate that they don't get along. That they can't treat each other civilly."

"Yeah, me too. But I think it's just a teenage girl thing, honey. Give it a few years and maybe they'll be best buds."

Catherine chuckled a little at the thought of her two offspring actually in a friendly relationship. Gil recognized her humor.

"Okay, well maybe not BEST friends, but maybe they won't act like hyenas." He allowed himself a small smile. The girls had been pretty close when they were younger, but somewhere along the line, things turned sour. Gil didn't see any reason why this wasn't just a phase in their relationship. "How's work going?"

Catherine glanced back in the crime scene, seeing Nick collecting some hair and fiber evidence from the bed.

"As good as can be expected. Nick's collecting and then we're going back to the lab to analyze everything."

"Speaking of Nick, I have some very good news. Have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"Sara's expecting."

Catherine gaped like her husband had done earlier.

"They're WHAT!" Nick hadn't mentioned anything to her and she wanted to go strangle him for keeping it a secret. Well, only for a few seconds. After all, he was an expectant father and that just wouldn't be right.

"Mally called earlier with the news. Nat's in a tiffy."

"What about Lindsey?"

"Oh…I forgot to mention that. She decided to go back to school."

"Ohhhhh. I didn't get to say goodbye. Who knows when she'll be back."

"Well, I told her to stay in her room and if she didn't like it to go back to college, and…"

"Figures. Sounds like Lindsey. Anyways, that's wonderful news. I'll have to go smack the hell out of Nick and then congratulate him.

"I'll be back over in a few so Nick can leave. Will you tell him the message?"

"Sure thing. Love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart."

Catherine Grissom strolled over to Nick at the crime scene and started batting at him multiple times. It didn't really hurt, but Nick said 'ow' anyways.

"Geez, Cath! What the hell?"

"Why didn't you tell me, Nick. Why? You can't keep stuff like this from me!"

"Tell you what?" Nick seemed genuinely puzzled. "What did the girls do now?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Stokes. The secret's out."

"Obviously, I have no idea what you're talking about, Cath. What secret?"

Catherine studied him intently for a moment, her hands on her hips, giving him an unbelievable look. She realized that he really must not know, and she didn't think she should be the one to tell him.

"You need to call Sara. Right now." Catherine pulled out her cell phone and quickly scrolled down in her phone book to find the Stokes' home number.

"What's going on? What don't I know?" Nick stood up and put his hands on his hips, confused at the conversation. Catherine just dialed and handed him the phone when it started ringing. Nick took it and gave Catherine another look, his eyebrows raised. What a nutcase.

"Hello?" Sara's sweet voice answered.

"Sara? Hey, it's me."

"Hey, what's up?" Nick couldn't help but notice her voice seemed a little extra peppy and he could practically feel her glowing over the phone.

"Is there…something…Cath is really freaking me out. She says there's some sort of big news and I should call you."

Sara's brain short-circuited. How the hell? Wait a minute…Mally to Grissom…Grissom to Natalie…Grissom to Cath…Cath to….oh shit!

"Shit, Nick!" She almost yelled.

"What about shit?" He was confused.

"No, no." She laughed. "I'm just surprised…news travels fast."

"What is it, Sar?" Nick's heart was beating fast. He felt in his heart what she was about to tell him, but needed to hear the words. "Are you…"

"I'm pregnant, Nick. Six weeks." She told him and then bit down on her thumbnail in anticipation, not even trying to conceal her smile.

Nick was speechless for a few moments and he turned around in place. Catherine was watching and saw his face change from shock, to confusion, and then to a heart-stopping, Lifetime movie-like prideful, joyful smile. It showed up most TV reactions.

"You…you are?" He was on the verge of tears, he was so happy.

"Yeah." She almost squealed like a little kid.

"Sara, that's….that's wonderful! I don't know what to say…I"

"It's okay, Nick. I'm still processing it myself."

Sara heard him breathing heavily on the other line and it made her fall even more in love with the man on the other end. He was so happy, she could tell. Overcome with emotion.

"That's so perfect." He choked out.

"Are you happy about it?"

"Yes." He almost sobbed. "I'm very, very happy about it."

"Mally wants to talk to you." Sara smiled

"Wait, Sara. I…I love you so much."

A tear fell from Sara's eye and she wiped it away. "I love you too." With that, she handed to phone over to the fourteen year old sitting beside her, who'd been all but jumping up and down next to her the whole time.

"Daddy?"

"Hi, baby. You're gonna be a big sister!"

"I know! Isn't it great, dad? I'm so happy."

Knowing that Mally was okay was this made it that more perfect. Nick and Sara had discussed whether or not they'd like more children and they both knew they did, but didn't know the right time. Nick had been unsure whether Mally would be happy about the prospect of a sibling in her life. She'd been an only child for fourteen years, and this would be a big change for her. Mally was taking it wonderfully and he couldn't tell who was more excited, him, her, or Sara.

"Me too. I'm so glad you're okay with it."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Nick was surprised his thoughts had never seemed to pass through Mally's head.

"I don't know. It was just you and me for a long time, and now Sara's in the picture. I didn't know if you'd be happy with a brother or sister."

"Dad!" She thought he was being a total idiot. Who wouldn't love a new baby? "Of course I'm happy for you! Do you think I'm heartless or something?"

Nick chuckled, and he was relieved. "No, sweetheart. I could never think that."

"Good. I'm helping Sara out with baby names and we're going to redecorate the bedroom next to mine."

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow down, girl! Do I get any say in this? Are you gonna save anything for me?" He teased.

"Dad, this is girl territory. We know what we're doing, and you'd be wise not to interfere with a pregnant lady and a new big sister."

Nick laughed out loud. Mally was a piece of work and he loved her to death. And to think in about eight months he'd have another bundle of joy to love. How would this one turn out? Nick realized that if it was half him and half Sara, they'd have nothing to worry about.