A/N:Very sorry that it took me so long to update! I had a huge writers blockade, I couldn't go on with it for a very long time. But I think I managed to get rid of it. Well, that's what I said last time, but now I really believe that it is over. If you're here and read it, thanks for being so patient with me. Ehm. Thanks to: Everyone who took the time to read this. Every reviewer. Special thanks to: Cybrokat, Kristy87, Carmen, Myra (SaraSidleGrissom), Sarah Goldfinger, Billy & Jorja. That's it. I really hope you like this. I took the time to skip something, you were right that it was somewhat all of the same. I hope this still has your attention. :)

About two weeks later.

"You got everything? Bag? Purse? Money? List? You know where to go right? You know the city quite well right? Because... well, Nick showed me quite a lot, but I have no idea where I can find these stores." She closed her eyes and shared a smile with herself. "We didn't search for... baby clothes..."

Sara slowly bent forward to her sister. She lifted her hand and placed it on Jena's shoulder. "Jena, relax. We'll find them. I have printed addresses for us... we'll find them."

Jena and Sara were standing at the back of the car, Sara's car. It was almost two in the afternoon, and they had decided to go shopping for maternity clothes. Sara put the key in the lock and opened the trunk. She put her bag in it, and gestured to Jena to do the same. She closed the trunk and looked at Jena. "You want to drive?"

Jena nodded at Sara. "Yeah, for sure. I won't let you drive now. Keys please."

Sara threw the keys to her and Jena caught them with her right hand, letting them almost fall out of her hands after she caught them. Sara turned around, placed her hand on the upper side of the car for support and hobbled to the passenger's side. Her hand slowly moved to the door-handle and her fingers slipped to open it. She moved her hand to the seat, put her weight on the seat and settled herself down on her chair. While she waited for Jena to come in to the car as well, she took the mirror from the sun-blocker and looked at herself. Her hair was pony-tailed, as normal: she didn't pay much attention to the way her hair looked. Some hairs were falling before her eyes, and that started to annoy her. She brushed a sting of hair behind her ear. She smiled at her own reflection and put it back.

In the meantime, Jena had entered the car, slammed the door and put on the seatbelt. She laid the keys on the dashboard, and looked at Sara from the corner of her eye. Sara didn't notice it. "You have changed, you know that?"

Sara turned her head to Jena. "In what aspect?"

Jena took her hand, looked at it. It was almost like she was going to read the lines, but she put it back on Sara's lap. "You know? I think... I don't know what it's the real reason, but since you and Grissom are together, you're... glowing in some way. Last time I visited you, with the concert, you seemed... somewhat depressed, even though you were really trying to hide it from me. I noticed it, but now... you seem... happier, finally at your place. Which is strange, because... you have been going through a terrible period. Sara, I'm glad you're... smiling again."

Sara gave that thought some time. Was she happier now? More smiley? Glowing? She didn't notice it but when Jena told her, it felt right. So it might be true, though she didn't want to talk about it. Not now at least. She smiled to Jena. "Drive, okay?" Jena got the hint and started the motor. She drove away.

They arrived at the store. "We're not going to leave until we found something. Sara, I must warn you: you're not going to hide, you have to shop. I know you, you don't like shopping but you have to buy something now. And I'm going to make sure that you actually buy things. You need them. And not just some silly black blouse, but something nice. Something colorful, I mean, it's spring now."

Sara slowed her passes. She looked at Jena, with a raised eyebrow. "What's wrong with black blouses?"

"Nothing, but... you have only five months left until delivery. I want you to look pretty, okay? And you can tell me that you don't care, but I know that at least Grissom cares. Yeah, you might be surprised, but I know that guys look at the clothes of woman."

"How do you know?"

"Come on... I talked to him. He didn't say it with those words, but... I know his kind of guys... he doesn't seem to care, but deep in his heart, he does. And he didn't give you his credit card for nothing, not for just a pile of black blouses and comfortable pants. He... made me promise that I should let you buy... things. Nice things."

Before Sara could say something to convince Jena that she was wrong, Jena took Sara's upper arm and dragged her to the mall. She took huge passes. Sara was stubborn at the first, she stood still, her heels on the stones; she didn't want to go there, but later on, she became aware that her resistance wouldn't make any sense: Jena would get her there, if she needed to be carried. Her hand moved to Jena's grip, and tried to loosen it. She inhaled deeply. "Okay, okay, slow down. I'll come, okay?"

Jena stopped, and looked apologetically to her. "Sorry sis, didn't mean it that way. I just... thought you had to come. I didn't know that... I didn't think, I didn't think about... your pregnancy, sorry..."

Sara smiled and embraced her sister. "It's okay." She laughed out loud, giggling. She shook her head and looked down. "Let's have fun today, shall we?"

They walked in, arm in arm, and looked around. Jena walked straight to the summer clothes. She moved the clothes like she was flipping through a magazine. But with every shirt she noticed, she shook her head shortly, as a sign of rejection. Until she came at the blue flowered shirts. She caressed the fabric of it, and it seemed that she liked what she felt. "What do you think of this one?" She took the coat-hanger off the rack, and waved it around. Sara was standing some feet away from her. She walked closer, curious about the choice that Jena had made. When she saw the whole shirt, she stood there, doubtfully.

Shall I take it? The color is nice... not too eye-catching, but... I'm not so sure about the neckline. It's... low. Is Jena sure that I am the right person to wear this?

She closed her eyes to think for a moment. Then she shrugged. "Yeah, whatever. But Jena... you know me... isn't it too... low for me?"

Jena put the shirt aside and looked tiredly at Sara. She put a disbelievingly expression on her face and raised her eyebrow. "We went over this already, right? Your breasts are perfect to me, there's no way that this shirt is too low. You should be proud of what you have. You should be proud of your body."

Sara sighed. "Put it in the basket." Jena smiled and looked at the other clothes.

When they had found enough to satisfy Jena, they walked to the fitting rooms. Jena handed all the coat racks to Sara, who put them on the hook inside. Jena moved to the chairs at the table and poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a magazine from the pile; it was the last edition of 'Vogue' and started to read it: this was going to take a while.

Sara closed the curtains. She was really thankful that the fitting room was big: she had her own chair and mirror to look in. Now, where shall I start? She picked the yellow top with the Chinese sign on it and smelled the fabric. It smelled new, and good. She unbuttoned her coat and laid it on the chair. She looked in the mirror, moved her hair out of her face and smiled at her own reflection. Jena had been right, she was glowing. She slipped her hand down on her belly and posed herself in a side-position in front of the mirror. She didn't mind that she was not that slim anymore now, she actually liked the way she looked. She closed her eyes and slipped her hands down the underside of her shirt to undress herself.

With a basket full of cloths, Jena and Sara went to the check-out. The salesman scanned all the price tags and showed the two women the amount of money they had to play. Sara turned to Jena, visibly not prepared to pay the huge price she had to pay. "I can't do it. It's his money; he didn't give me it for so much." Her cheeks turned red when she looked back at the salesman. "I am sorry, I can't do this. I-"

Jena interrupted her. "Sara, you saw his credit card? It's platinum. You know how much credit is on it? Think twice: if he gave you this credit card, he knows that you are going to shop, seriously going to shop. You don't have to worry about it, I promised him to let you shop, seriously shop. He wants you to buy this. And you should, you know how beautiful it all looked on you? Don't worry, sis." Sara opened her mouth, willing to say something back to Jena, but then realized that she couldn't bring something against her arguments. Jena could be right. When she went to give 'Roy' her credit card, her cell phone rang. She picked it out of her purse and pushed the green button. "Sidle"

"Hey honey, it's me."

Sara smiled brightly and gave Jena the credit card. She gestured that she was going to the front of the store to call a bit in private. "Hey... you're just awake?"

"Yeah, I was about to eat my breakfast. You okay?"

"Yes, I am."

"Not tired? In pain? If you are, you need to come home, okay? And don't be so stubborn to go on then. Sara, please come home if you are not feeling well."

Sara sighed. "Gil, I am fine. Really fine. And if I am not feeling well, I come back, okay? I promise."

"I just wanted to know if you were alright."

"How can't I be? If something is wrong... Jena is here with me, you call me multiple times a day... not that I mind... but you don't have to. By the way... you already talked to Ecklie? I really want to come back as quick as possible, I really miss my job."

"I did. And you can't come back now. You're still too weak to be in the field, and Ecklie doesn't want you to be there for anything less than 100 percent. I tried to convince him that he was wrong, but I couldn't. I'm sorry."

"Come on, that's harassment. He just doesn't want us to be together, right? That's the reason. I really want to work again, I can be there, and I can do anything he wants, even paperwork. I remember when he broke his leg and had to be in the lab for six weeks, and no one complained. Now it's because of you and me, he suddenly has his rule. It's... unfair."

"I know Sara. But there's nothing I can do about it. Again, I'm very sorry. I was surprised that he didn't have a problem with us... though we still need to have a conversation with him, you know that?"

"What? We need to talk to Ecklie about us? What the..."

"Not about us, but... he might demote me. I don't want to discuss this on the phone, though... forget about it, please Sara...But... you're enjoying your time?"

He wants me to forget what he just said? He wants me to replace it in my head? Demotion... Ecklie doesn't want him to be a supervisor anymore. He finally had his chance, and it was not because of something he did. It was because of me. I am the reason that Ecklie has the opportunity to... fire him. That's what he wants, right? That's what Ecklie is going to do. And all because of me, because of the fact that I am pregnant. If I hadn't been pregnant, I wouldn't be in a relationship with him. If that night hadn't happened, he wouldn't have...

"Sara?"

"Yeah... I'm still here"

Her answer seemed to come from really far away. She stared in the distance; she lingered with her back to the stone wall of the store she just visited. Although she was looking at a very busy street, with lots of traffic and noise, she didn't pay attention to the buzz surrounding her. For now, it was just her and her thoughts. And the phone, though it was pushed far away in her thoughts. He's going to lose his job because of me... That was the thought that she repeated over and over again in her head.

"Sara!"

"Yes... yes, I'm here..."

"You okay, honey? You need to close your mind a little. I shouldn't have talked about this over the phone. Forget what I just said, and remember: whatever Ecklie is going to do, I will accept it. I love you more than my job Sara, remember that."

Silence fell between them. Sara was thinking and Grissom didn't know what more to say to her. Sara moved her left hand to her cheek and touched it. She hid the left part of her face in her hand, while the right hand was still holding the cell phone.

"Alright. I'll try to... get rid of my thoughts. But-"

"No buts at this moment. You're having fun with Jena?"

"Yeah, I am. Jena... I bought a huge amount of clothes, it was so expensive... but Jena said... I'm sorry if it is too expensive..."

"Sara, listen to me. As long as you are happy, it's fine to me. Don't worry, I have enough money, and I had told Jena to let you buy nice things. I told her that she shouldn't worry about the amount of money. Its okay, Sara."

Sara just nodded, hoping that Grissom would understand. So it was true what Jena told her: He wanted her to buy things. She closed the thoughts for real now and smiled privately. "So... Jena and I are going to have some drinks I think, and after that, I'll come home, okay? I really want to finish what we started last night..." She flushed a little at the precious memory and waited for his response. Would he feel the same way about it?

"Me too. See you then, okay?"

"Bye."

She pushed the red button and turned her head. Directly, she stared in the eyes of her younger sister. With great tease in her eyes and her hands full of the bags with clothes, Jena looked back.

"Finish what you started... tell me..."

Sara opened her mouth to say something back and closed it again. Unbelief filled her eyes; a huge frown presented itself on her forehead. She was distracted, didn't know what to say. "I... I ehm..." After this stumble, she packed herself again, and looked firmly to her sister. "Jena, it's none of your business. Whatever we did, it's not your business. A little privacy, please..."

Of course, Sara knew damn well that her sister had such a suspicious mind that she wouldn't stop bugging her until she had told her the whole story. Jena still stood in front of her, looking at her with huge fascination. Slowly, she shook her head, still with the scornful expression on her face. She loved it that Sara was embarrassed, and Sara knew that Jena did. "Dear sister, there's no way that you are not going to tell me."

Sara tossed her hair behind her ear. She sighed heavily and pursed her lips. "Okay, maybe I'll tell you, but not here, not in the middle of the street. I really want something to drink, let's go to the bar over there..."

Jena glanced at Sara, her vision changed from tease to disbelief. "You want to drink?"

She received a raised eyebrow back as an answer, quickly followed by a shrug. "Yeah, maybe I'll tell you there. Whatever you want, me telling it there or never."

Jena shook her head, fiercely looking back. She sent a glare that, if it had been angrier, sent fire and electricity at the same time. "You're pregnant. You shouldn't drink; you shouldn't be around in such places anyway. You know the consequences for drinking during your pregnancy? You haven't seen the diagrams, the pictures, the statistics? You haven't read the books? What kind of mother are you? You know what danger you can bring to the fetus, and still you want to drink. I thought you had finished your therapy, your counseling sessions for your DUI last year. I really thought you were smart enough to think for yourself. I-"

Sara didn't have the chance to interrupt her by shaking her head, trying to make sure that that was not the point when she said she wanted to have something to drink. Her eyes shrunk and widened, and she called her name out loud. "Jena! Stop!"

Jena stopped her little tirade and glared back. "What do you want to say to make me believe that-"

"I just wanted to have something to drink, not alcohol. I wanted to ask you to have some tea, just tea. No alcohol for me, dear sister. I really pay attention to my health, don't worry, I really know what's good for me, I am an adult. I know you're just protective towards me, but I really know what's good for me. But in fact, you're right. I shouldn't go to bars right now. Your place then? I guess Nick is not home now, and even if he was, I won't mind. What do you think?"

Jena looked to the ground, like there was something interesting to see there. She dragged with her right foot on the ground. "He's... at work, probably. He..." She slipped her right hand to her left wrist and moved the fabric of the coat off the skin. She checked the time on her watch and nodded. "Yeah, he's at work now. He doesn't like to be late, and Catherine is very precise."

"So, go to his place? I think he has tea there..."

Jena knew that there was no way back now, she couldn't refuse her sister the entrance of the place she stayed, because, if she did, it would look really suspicious. She couldn't find a good reason for Sara not to come over, so she just had to agree, even though how much she hated to. Sara had a suspicion, and Jena didn't like to admit that it was based on some ground. "Yeah, whatever you want. I have keys."

Sara smiled inside herself, knowing that there probably was more going on between the two roommates. Going there would bring confirmation to her intuition, she felt bad that she didn't bring her UV-light with her. Though, it would be safer just to ask Jena than pretending that she was going to the bathroom and checking the sheets like she had done so many times. Both women made their way to the car.

Jena came back with a tray with a pot of tea, two cups and a dish with cookies on it. She poured the two cups full and gave one to Sara, who was sitting on the black armchair. Jena took place at the couch, legs curled up and her teacup touching her cheek. Sara smelled the tea and smiled. "It's Rooibos. You know how much I like it, right?"

Jena smiled, satisfied. "Yeah, that's why I brought it with me all the way from New York to here. You know the thing I miss the most about you, living so far away? Our afternoon tea scenes. I know how British this sounds, but I love tea in the noon. Tea and talking. We have the tea. Now the conversation. Finish what, Sara?"

"Oh, I never told you I was going to tell you. Privacy."

Jena glared at her, sighed like she was tired. "Come on! What did you do that needs to be finished?" Sara smiled, knowing that eventually, she was going to tell what happened.

She was sitting on the bed, waiting for him to come. She was hoping that he wanted the same thing she wanted, hoping that it wasn't too early for him. She felt she was ready, more than ready, but he might disagree. She moved the straps of her bra and placed them on her shoulders again. She combed through her hair for the tenth time in the hour. She felt nervous, what if he would say 'no'?

Footsteps and the opening of a door. He entered the room and found her. He smiled at her. "Sara." He walked to the bed and placed himself next to her. "You look beautiful."

She smiled, knowing that this was one of the best compliments she could get from him. She had noticed that he had changed in the past weeks, this only confirmed her opinion. He kissed her on her cheek. "Gil?" He looked up and touched her hair with his fingers. "Yes?"

She changed her position and ended up somewhat away from him. "I know that... I... Do you want to... make love... with me?" He glanced at her, and shook his head.

He's going to say 'no' right? This thought repeated in the woman's head, again and again.

"Sara... don't you think that it's too early for that? You're... weak, pregnant. I don't want to hurt you."

She looked away. "You won't hurt me. Please, please Gil, I really want it. I want to feel you, I want you to be with me, touch me, and not just lying on the bed together. Please..." She could see him shaking his head from the corner of her eye, but it was not a neglecting shake, it was more a sign of not-knowing what to do.

"Sara... you're sure you want this? I don't think I can do it; I don't want to hurt you. I-"

She moved forward and kissed him passionately. Her tongue touched his; she breathed through her nose in short breaths. She turned her head a bit; hand touched his shoulders, and then moved to his neck. She closed her eyes and let him go. "Please?" She looked up and felt that he had changed his mind.

"Sara, I'd love to."

"Sara…?" From the distance, Jena's voice sounded puny to the ears of Sara Sidle. Suddenly, she became aware of the fact that she was in Nick's apartment. "Oh, sorry. I was... thinking."

"I just asked you about what you two were talking about, you wouldn't answer me." Silence fell between them for quite a long time. "You made love... right? Was it good? Details, please."

Sara fiercely shook her head, and then slowly nodded. She looked at her sister, with flushed cheeks. "Yeah... we did."

"I hope Gil didn't hurt you, because if he did... if he hurt you then-" Jena really became mad with only the idea of Grissom hurting Sara.

"Jena, stop, he didn't. He didn't hurt me, he never will. Don't think that he would do that."

Jena sighed of relief. "Okay, that's good then. But... why finish? Didn't you finish it?"

Sara closed her eyes and smiled. "No, we didn't. He got a call from work."

The phone rang, just when Sara had taken the last part of his clothes of his body. Sara looked at him, shaking her head. "Gil... you're not going to..."

Grissom touched the soft skin of Sara's breast with his thumb then took the phone from the bedside table. "Sorry, honey. I have to take it, I'm on call, you know?"

Sara seemed really disappointed, and then nodded: she knew how important work was for both of them. "Grissom." She could hear the person on the phone, and that made her day. It was Conrad Ecklie. But that's not what was so funny; it was more what they said. "Gil, I really hate to say this but... I need you. Body with ants, in the middle of the desert."

'I need you.' Conrad Ecklie told him that he needed him. Grissom looked at her and she couldn't help but burst out in light laughter. She turned around and pressed her face into some pillow to silence the sound: Conrad Ecklie wouldn't like her to be laughing and she better be friendly and nice, she wanted to work again, and preferred it to be as soon as possible.

She heard that Grissom was finished and turned around. He moved to her, placed his arms over her shoulders and kissed her on her nose. "Sorry, I really have to go. I'm sorry, but I have no choice."

Sara nodded; he really had to go. Her reasons told her that it was right, but she still felt disappointed. He moved from the bed and started to redress himself. She covered herself with the sheets and stretched herself out on the mattress. When he was done, he moved to her again. "Again, Sara, I'm so sorry. We will continue it as soon as possible, okay? You can get some sleep. I'll call you when I come home."

Sara nodded. "Gil... when you see Ecklie... do you want to ask when I can come to work again?" Grissom moved to the door. "Of course, Sara. Get some rest."

Sara really felt the need to change the subject, she didn't want to detail out everything they had done. "So... I haven't heard anything from Nick lately... is he really that busy?"

Jena shrugged. "Yeah, well, we're really enjoying our time together."

Sara raised her eyebrow. "Enjoying yourself... that almost sounds like being involved. So... how involved are you two?"

Jena's eyes became almost as large as two tea dishes. "Excuse me, young lady, isn't that a bit too forward? We're just... I'm so glad that there's at least someone on this planet who likes playing race games, who likes to watch the same kind of Frankenstein movies, who is really into the same things as me. But being involved... Sara, what are you thinking about us?"

Sara smiled with the same cruelty as Jena had smiled at her when she wanted to hear Sara's story. "Well, I have no evidence, so technically I shouldn't speak about it at all. But I can follow my intuition, and yes, I know what the others have said about me, that I never try to follow my intuition, but sometimes, I do. And my intuition, or actually the red face of you, tells me that there is more. I always wondered about this... is he good?"

"You dirty mind! You really thought we did that?"

"Yes, that's what I thought. And there's nothing to feel ashamed about, having sex with someone you really love is really precious. So, my question again: is he good?"

Jena shook her head and took her glasses off. She laid them on the table, next to her empty teacup. She whispered something Sara couldn't hear. She rubbed her eyes and prepared herself for her confession. "Okay okay... we went further. But not as far as you think. Hell, that guy has nice abs..."

Sara blinked. "You... didn't go further? Why not?"

"We... I know this sounds stupid... couldn't find a condom. And I didn't take my pills, so we were unprotected. I didn't want it, and he understood. So... we did everything... except for 'it'. And yes, it was good, very good. And that's everything I am going to tell you. And we are going to continue it sometime; we're... planning to go somewhere. With nice room service and a balcony. Nice sheets, bathroom. He told me that we were going to take a room at the Mandalay Bay. You know if that is anything good?"

"A hotel room? You know what is there on the sheets? Body fluids of other people, you don't wanna know. Nick knows about it, I can't believe he wants to go to a hotel room. I mean... gross. Even the most luxurious hotel rooms are not free of other people's body fluids. You better stay home, it's much safer. But... if you are really sure that you want to go to a hotel room, the Mandalay Bay is pretty good. Expensive... beautiful, with lots of gardens. It's beautiful there."

"I don't care about body fluids. As long as I don't see it, I don't care. But... you want something to eat? I can make scones, if you want to. What's afternoon tea without scones?"

Sara shook her head and stood up from the couch. "No, thanks. I really want to go home. I want to show Gil my clothes; I want to be with him. It has nothing to do with you, but... you understand me? Is that okay?"

Jena nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'll drop you off and after that I'm going to take a hot bath. I'm beat." Sara took her coat, put it on and walked out of the apartment, followed by Jena who snagged the glasses off the table in a quick movement. She locked the door and walked her sister to the car.

When they drove off, Jena remembered that she wanted to ask Sara something. The brunette was staring through the windscreen. "Sara? I wanted to ask you something... you're going to therapy, right?" Sara nodded. "How... how is it going?"

Sara looked to Jena, who was paying attention to the traffic, but visibly was listening. "It's hard, going through all the memories again, raking up every painful and long-forgotten moment. But I have to say: it's better than I expected. Gil is coming with me the next time, just sitting in the corner, not participating, but I wanted him to be there. I know I have to go through all of this, but I don't have to do it all by myself, he's there for me. I know that I need to close my past before I can go on with my life. I would lie if I said that it was nice, but it's... good for me. That's all I want to say about it right now."

Jena smiled. Finally her sister had taken the time to think about her past. And Jena was glad that she was finally coming to terms with it now. With these thoughts, she drove further.

"Jena ? I'm really glad for you two. Nick is a great guy, he's one of my best friends. I really hope you two become happy together, you'll make a great couple."

Jena radiated brightly. "Thank you… that means a lot to me. You're… the best sister I can have." When the car stopped for the traffic light, Jena planted a kiss on Sara's cheek. Sara didn't expected this, snorted and shook her head. Together they drove home.

A/N: Please tell me what you thought about it :)