Chapter Two: Surprises
The tension in the room was growing, as was the silence. Greg sat on the couch, his hands clasped in front of him as he stared at the floor intently. Sara was only a few feet in front of him, resting in the chair. She watched him closely, listening to him breathe for a moment before sighing, sitting up in the chair.
"Say something," she urged him, catching his gaze.
Greg shook his head, looking back down to the floor. "It was a mistake," he answered softly.
"No," Sara told him firmly, causing him to glance up surprised. "No Greg, it wasn't. It's just…unexpected, that's all."
Greg nodded in silent agreement. "What are we going to do?" he asked quietly, the sudden news still processing in his mind.
Sara shook her head with a frown. "I don't know," she answered quietly.
Sighing, Greg rubbed his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose. In his mind he ran over the possibilities, quickly dismissing them all. After all, what could be done?
Shifting in the chair again, Sara leaned forward, resting her hand on top of his tightly clasped ones. "I'll talk to Grissom, he'll know what to do," she comforted him.
Greg shook his head, raising his eyes to meet hers. "No, Grissom can't know, no one in the department can know."
"Why not?" Sara wondered, frowning. Greg stood up, brushing away her hand as he began to pace back and forth.
"Because they can't," Greg stated, "You know as well as I do what they can do, would do."
"I'd like to see them try anything," Sara scoffed, resting back against the chair again.
"Sara," Greg stopped, turning to her, "When they find out that I'm the father…"
"Come off of it Greg," Sara interrupted him. "It's not like it happened during company time. What happens in our personal lives is our own business."
"Exactly," Greg agreed swiftly. "Which is why no one else has to know."
"I can't exactly hide this Greg," Sara argued, frowning. "Besides that, Grissom might be able to help."
Sighing, Greg came to a stop, folding his arms. "Fine," he muttered quietly, "We'll talk with Grissom."
Sara shook her head, closing her eyes. "I'll talk with him; I don't want to drag you into it as well."
"If we're going to do this," Greg interjected, "let's do it together, all of it."
Sara nodded, never taking her eyes off of him. "We'll figure something out. Things will work out, you'll see."
Greg turned back to face her, his arms still folded. "I'll find a second job, start building up some money, we'll find a new place to move into, something a little more…" he shrugged his shoulders, trying to find the right word, "convenient…"
"You can't take on a second job Greg," Sara argued. "Work keeps the both of us busy right now. We don't need to move either. Here is just fine."
"We need the money Sara," Greg pointed out. "Our jobs alone, plus both apartments, and trying to raise a kid, it's not going to be enough. Either we have to move in together, or I have to find a second job, which is it?"
Closing her eyes, Sara chewed on her lower lip. "You're making this really unfair Greg," she pointed out. "You know how I feel about living together, and I'm not going to force you to take a second job. I don't want you too, that's asking too much."
"I don't understand it Sara," Greg told her quietly. "You accept me into your life, then you shut me out again. Why is that?"
"Don't start," Sara warned him. "I'm not shutting you out…I'm just trying to deal with things my own way. This is my problem."
"It's as much as my problem as it is yours," Greg argued, moving over closer to her. He knelt be her side, grasping her hand gently.
"We're going to be parents," he said softly, "something that's never happened before. I'll be honest, I'm afraid."
Sara nodded, squeezing his hand back. "So am I," she told him in response, "as much as I am happy."
"Then don't shut me out," Greg told her. "Let me help you."
She nodded again, smiling as she wrapped an arm around his neck, kissing him softly. Greg returned the embrace, rubbing her back soothingly as she rested her head against his shoulder.
"We'll talk with Grissom then," she whispered in his ear. "First thing when we get to work tonight."
Greg nodded, still holding her. "Come to think of it, we really should be heading out now," he stated, his eyes flicking to the clock.
"That soon?" Sara wondered, raising her head. "In that case, make it the last thing before we leave work then."
Greg laughed softly, giving her one last kiss before pulling away, helping her to her feet.
TBC
