Ok, so I know it's been like forever since I updated this, but all of last week I was without my dear asshat. Well, now she's back and I'm all happy again. I have 2 weeks of classes left before finals, so I'm getting like no writing done. Thanks to all who have reviewed, and to Just Thinking for all of her help. Merry Christmas.

Teens & Tribulations

Chapter 16

The holiday season was upon them before they knew it, and for Sara and Grissom new trends and boundaries were about to be set. Jason and Lindsey continued to grow closer. Once Christmas vacation started they were together so much that it seemed like Lindsey was practically living with them.

She was there every day, and as for the nights both teens claimed that they would be fine by themselves. Catherine wasn't buying into it, Sara had her doubts, and Grissom, well he didn't have much to say when it came to decisions like that. Only one night was it approved because Dirk was also spending the night. That, and Grissom had the night off.

"Leave us alone."

"Why?"

"Because you're annoying. Now go!"

"Why?"

"Ahggg." Jason really hated his sister when she was being stubborn like this.

"Why?"

"SHUT UP!!"

The yelling brought Grissom up from the basement. "What's going on here?"

"Kassie's being retarded."

"Why?"

"Don't say that. Besides, you have no idea what the word retarded means." He turned to face his daughter, "Kassie, why don't you go upstairs and get ready for bed."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"Why?"

"One more 'why' comes out of your mouth and you'll be saying more than why." Grissom narrowed his eyes at her as he slapped the back of one hand into the palm of the other.

She pondered for a split second on giving it a go, but quickly decided to head up the stairs.

"Thank you." Jason said as the other two also thanked him for interfering and taking care of the disruptive child.

Grissom just smiled as they returned to their game of Pictionary, although he was positive that they were just drawing and trying to guess what the picture was. He decided that he would test Sara'seggnog while she wasn't there. She had made eggnog for the Christmas party last year, and he and the others enjoyed themselves immensely on it. He poured a small cup and went to return to the basement, the laughter coming out of the living room was intense and he paused to see Jason on the floor. He was laughing so hard, he was crying. Lindsey was holding her stomach as if it might burst, and Dirk was sitting with a very sincere look on his face.

Curiosity wasn't the word for wanting to know what caused such a ruckus, demanding was more like it. "What did you say?"

Dirk looked at Grissom. "I was trying to draw a picture of duct tape, and told them what was written on the bathroom wall at school." Grissom looked at him silently pleading him to reveal what had been so funny. "I said, Duct tape is like the force, there's a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together."

Grissom tilted his head and looked at him.

"Have you ever seen 'Star Wars'?"

"No."

"Then you wouldn't get it."

With a quick shake of his head Grissom returned to the basement.

After settling down Jason was able to sit up straight with only a fewremaining giggles to suppress him. "Hey, who's thirsty?"

Both Lindsey and Dirk gave their approval for a beverage break and followed Jason into the kitchen. "Aw man. We're out of soda."

"How about that eggnog?"Dirk asked pointing to the yellowish liquid in the glass pitcher.

"Sara made that for Christmas dinner. I don't think we should be drinking it."

"Come on Jason. Since when are you all cautious about doing something?" Lindsey challenged.

Jason reached in and pulled out the pitcher pouring each of them a glass.

Grissom spent all night downstairs working on things and was surprised that after only a few hours of loud laughter, the noise level dropped to nothing within minutes. He figured the teens had tired and passed out. Passed out yes, from exhaustion, no.

"What the...?" He looked over another shocking scene before him.

The pitcher that contained the eggnog was lying empty on the floor. Jason was unconscious on the coffee table, face up, well half on. Only his head and torso were miraculously on the solid oak table, while his feet were planted firmly on the floor. Dirk was sitting, no not sitting, he was upside down in the recliner. His head where feet go, and his feet on the head rest. And Lindsey, where was Lindsey?

Grissom began to look for her. After a thorough search of the first floor revealed nothing, panic began to set in. It was his first, no second night of watching the kids, and once again had screwed up. Even lost one. He headed upstairs and checked in on Kassie.

She was wide awake and playing with her doll, but she hadn't seenLindsey. Next he checked Jason's room. With a sigh of relief he found her.

Grissom walked up by her face to see if he could smell anything suspicious coming off of her breath.

"AHHH!"

Grissom jumped back ten feet as she screamed. He was convinced his heart had stopped beating for a few seconds.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she was trying to catch her breath.

"I...was seeing if you were...ah..." He flailed his hands around trying to explain.

"I only had a small glass when I realized that there was alcohol in it. The boys kept going."

"I'm sorry if I scared you."

"It's ok. Are they still downstairs?"

"Yeah. That's all they are."

Grissom gathered Kassie and took her downstairs to prepare breakfast. Lindsey helped while he tried to clean up before Sara got home. No such luck.

"What the hell?"

Grissom cringed when he heard her voice. Well into her second trimester, Sara had become very moody since Thanksgiving. Oh how he was dreading this explanation. "Good morning dear." He tried to soothe things over before she saw the empty pitcher.

"Don't good morning me. What in the name of all that is sane happened here?"

"Good morning. We made breakfast." Kassie announced proudly with Lindsey.

"That's good baby." Sara praised in a much nicer tone than the one she had shot Grissom. "Why don't you go back into the kitchen and I'll be there in a minute?"

Kassie just nodded and was escorted back by Lindsey.

"Well Gil? What on God's green earth happened to these boys?" She pointed at there unusually sleeping forms.

He thought of how to explain the situation, but decided to give, '...and the truth shall set you free' a try. "Well, they drank all the eggnog you made."

"You let them drink all of that!"

"Now hold on there..." He held up his hands to stop her and defend himself if need be. "They did this on their own accord. I was in the basement minding my own business."

"Did it ever occur to you that alcohol was readily sitting open in the fridge, and three teenagers were loose up here?"

"Well..."

"No." She answered for him.

He knew that there was no use in arguing with her as her hormones would always win out. Grissom dared not say another word. He learned his lesson well that things would only get worse from here if he tried to argue with her.

"You need to fix this." She said motioning her hand over the area of the living room.

"I will." It was a short and sincere answer, more important, it was enough to get her to back off. He continued to pick up a few misplaced items. "Hey." he said poking Jason.

"Huhhhh?" was all that emerged from his intoxicated lips.

"Get up."

Jason rolled to get up only to fall off of the coffee table landing on the floor with a thud. Dirk began to make incoherent noises and stir as well. Only he was having a hard time getting up.

Grissom pulled him to the floor. Neither seemed to be feeling any pain at the moment. "You guys are so in trouble, and you got me in trouble with your little stunt here."

He knew he was wasting his breath, because they were still too out of it to understand. There was only one cure he knew was fool proof. Grissom drug both bodies to the bath room and with a little shove, both teens were half sitting in the shower as he turned on the cold water and took a seat on the lid of the toilet.

After several minutes of the cold water running over their clothed bodies, Jason and Dirk began to quickly get their wits about them.

"It's cold." Jason exclaimed.

"It's supposed to be."

"Can I get out?" Dirk asked while trying to stand.

"I don't know, can you?" Grissom asked in return as he watched the two scramble out of the tub and fall to the floor. He reached over and shut the water off. "Take your clothes off."

Both teens looked at him shocked.

"Like it's a big deal if I see you two naked." Grissom grabbed Jason shirt and pulled it over his head. He soon had both of them standing in their birthday suits. "Here." Grissom handed both of them towels to dry off and cover up with.

He went to the kitchen to keep the girls occupied while the boys clung to their towels and made an attempt to climb the stairs.

"It's Christmas Eve tonight Santa comes." Sara was telling Kassie.

"Who's Santa?"

Even Lindsey had that look that combined shock and sorrow. Grissom moved in to help explain.

"Well, Santa Clause lives way up at the north pole. He haseight magic reindeer and elves that make the toys for the good children of the world."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up as she asked.

"Yes," Sara picked up, "He flies around the world on Christmas Eve and delivers toys."

"Wow."

Lindsey couldn't help herself. "What you need to do is leave a glass of milk and cookies next to the tree for Santa when he comes down the chimney. After flying around the world he gets hungry."

"He comes down the chimney?"

They all nodded at her.

"Wow. Don't make a fire tonight. I don't want to burn Santa." Kassie demanded.

"He only comes after you have gone to bed." Grissom informed her.

"Ok. I can do that."

"Did you clean up the bodies in the other room?" Sara asked quickly changing the subject.

Grissom looked over at her. "Yes, they are upstairs now."

Sara just gave him a half smile as she spread some jam on her toast. After a few minutes of silence, the not so subtle noise of Jason and Dirk coming down the stairs had them turning their heads to watch the boys enter the kitchen.

"My head hurts," Jason commented.

"Here." Grissom tossed a bottle of Tylenol at him.

Still out of it Jason made a poor attempt to catch it and failed miserably. Both took a few pills and stood next to Grissom. With a quick shake of his head, Grissom fixed them each a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. He didn't trust them to carry the plates themselves, so he took them to the dining room for both boys.

The rest of the day went by without a hitch. Grissom took Dirk home. "I want to explain to your parents what happend."

"I live with my Grandparents. My Mom and Dad were killed in a car accident nearly a year ago."

Grissom felt that suddenly familiar tug at his heart. Not everyone has had a fair shot in life, but to see a kids life turned upside down. Dirk got out and Grissom followed suit.

Jason spent the day under Sara's command. She had him cleaning every where she could think of, since they were hosting Christmas dinner. Kassie was coloring as usual and just enjoying listening to Sara order her brother around.

After dinner Grissom was getting ready to go to the lab, as only he, Warrick, and Nick were going to be there that night as part of the skeleton crew for Christmas Eve.

"You know, when I was little we got to open one present on Christmas Eve before bedtime. Why don't we do the same tonight?"

"Yeah!" Both Jason and Kassie exclaimed at Sara's suggestion.

Grissom just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see where it would hurt."

Instantly Jason and Kassie flew to the tree that stood proudly in the corner. They each picked out one gift preparing to shred the paper that covered it.

"Stop!"

At the sound of Sara's voice their busy hands halted instantly.

"One at a time. Kassie, you go first." She sat on the couch and was soon joined by Grissom. They watched on proudly as she shredded the metallic colored wrapping paper in seconds.

The box that was under the paper slowed her down momentarily as she soon had it pried open as well. Once she made it to the prize inside, Kassie squealed as she pulled out a new pair of pink and white sneakers.

"Cool!"

Grissom gave his head a slight shake. It seemed that 'cool' was very high on the vocabulary of kids between the ages of five and sixteen.

"Try them on."

Kassie quickly began putting the shoes on her feet and tied them up all by herself. She stood and began to run around the living room claiming that she could run faster than before.

Jason was impatient and began ripping off the paper of his present. Grissom and Sara turned their attention to him as he also was slowed by the plain cardboard. After a little extra effort he was staring into the box. Jason looked up at Sara and Grissom and, mouthed a silent thank you. He slowly pulled out the chocolate brown leather bomber jacket and stood. With the largest smile one could produce, he swung the jacket over sliding his arms into the sleeves.

"So?" Sara asked.

Jason looked up. "I love it, but aren't these expensive?"

Grissom smiled. "There's nothing wrong with splurging every now and then, besides I think you two are worth it."

Once Jason and Kassie had settled down from their excitement, Grissom bid them a good night and left. Sara helped Kassie set out a glass of milk and cookies before she headed to bed. She relaxed on the couch and read past midnight.

Then she played Santa. Sara retrieved the other gifts that were stashed in her room, and placed them under the tree. She stuffed the stockings with little nick-nacks and candy and, as she passed the fire place, she couldn't help but eat the cookies and drink the milk before retiring to bed.

Grissom crept into the house just before dawn carrying a few choice gifts from his hiding place in the garage. He couldn't help but smile at the mountain of presents under the tree already.

After playing Santa, Grissom headed for the shower. He was quiet, trying not to wake Sara, but she always seemed to know when he was home. She greeted him as he opened the frosted glass door of the shower holding a towel.

"Merry Christmas."

She nodded. "Merry Christmas indeed."

Grissom smirked and snatched the towel from her. She laughed and headed to the living room.

Just as he emerged from the bedroom, the thundering upstairs gave him the indication that both kids were awake. Jason ran down the stairs and jumped the last four steps landing firmly on the hardwood, never missing a step. Kassie was right behind and tried to jump the last two, only she wasn't as graceful. She fell hard, but her excitement had her quickly to her feet and running to the tree.

Sara halted their fiasco with her voice. "Wait a minute." She handed Grissom a cup of coffee and began to explain how the opening of presents was going to work. "You get to open one at a time, it doesn't' matter who it's from, and we're going to take turns."

Grissom sat down as Jason claimed the duty of passing out the presents. He passed everyone a present and Kassie went first. She opened the package exposing the colored markers and more crayons. Jason was next and pulled a new pair of sneakers from their box to show everyone.

Sara grinned as Grissom began to open his gift. He laughed as it was 'from Santa' but, when his eyes hit the single displayed scorpion behind the glass, he looked straight to Sara. He knew the specimen was rare as a mount, "Where?"

She smiled, "I have my sources as well."

While Grissom was still oohing over the arthropod, Sara began opening her gift from Santa. She drew in a shocked breath as her fingers opened the small box.

"What is it?" Jason asked.

Sara proudly held up a very small jean jacket. "It's gender neutral." Grissom chided in.

They both had agreed to keep the baby's sex a surprise, and that left it hard for him to buy something for the baby when he didn't even know if it was a boy or girl.

"There's something in the pocket." Sara said as she pulled a small box from the pocket. She opened the small box and forgot to breathe as her eyes found the diamond necklace. "Oh my God Gil, it's beautiful."

He took the necklace from her and carefully clasped it around her neck. "I'm glad you like it." He placed a kiss on the back of her neck before removing his hands.

After they had opened all the gifts, the stockings were dumped of their contents and tossed aside as Jason and Kassie quickly attacked the candy.

"Alright, that's enough candy." Sara stopped them after they showed no signs of slowing down their consumption. "Go upstairs and get dressed please."

Jason and Kassie gathered their gifts and headed to change. The same crowd gathered that attended the Thanksgiving feast, only they were drinking store boughten eggnog, adding their own rum. Sara spilled that the boys got shnokered on the eggnog she had made and, assured Catherine that Lindsey didn't drink any. After dinner a few extra gifts were given to the kids for good measure before everyone dispersed for the evening.

Jason was lying in his bed reading the a new book he had recived when Sara and Grissom knocked gently. "Yeah."

They pushed open the door and entered. "Well, did you enjoy Christmas?" Sara asked as she sat on the side of his bed.

"Very much. Thank you so much, it was the best Christmas I had ever had." he pulled himself up to hug Sara.

Grissom smiled as he thought, 'Mission accomplished.'

"We're glad you and Kassie are happy." he added.

"Goodnight."

"Night son." Grissom added unconsciously.

Sara glanced briefly at him, but never called him on what suddenly caused him to call Jason 'son'. They left Jason's room and headed to Kassie's.

She was still playing with her doll when they walked in.

"Come on in bed." Sara patted the mattress as she sat down on it.

Kassie lept from her sitting position on the floor and bounced into the bed. Sara pulled the covers up over her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Did you have fun today?"

"Un-hun. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Sara stood. "Sleep tight."

Grissom took her hand and led her to the door way.

"I love you."

They froze in their tracks and turned to face the small brunette.

Grissom smiled and felt his insides melt. Tears formed in Sara's eyes as she replied, "We love you too sweetheart. Goodnight."

After turning out the lights and heading to their room, Grissom then tucked Sara in under the covers. Unfortunately Grissom had to work that night, he mirrored Sara as he leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. His hand found it's way to her protruding belly and caressed it through the covers.

"You were right, I'm getting used to this whole family thing."

I need reviews to encourage me to keep writing. I'm so focused on everything else right now, I'm way behind. My head is spinning from everything that I know I NEED to do, but can't find the time to do it. Anyway, hope ya'll are still enjoying this, there is some suspence coming up, I promise. I drove Just Thinking crazy because I wouldn't send the results to her...just a little tease to ya'll. Well I guess thegreatbluespoon knows what's going on, kinda.