Here is the last chapter for this story! Finally! I am not so sure I am as pleased with it as I would have liked and it still seems to need 'something'. Might possibly do an 'epilogue' to tie it all up. Thanks to everyone for sticking with it and reading it; hope that you do not find it all too "cheesy".

I do not own CSI. I like to borrow the characters and mess with their heads, though.

The buzz of activity that occurred as soon as they got inside the hospital was overwhelming. Gil wasn't sure if he was frightened, nervous or just downright petrified

Honestly, he thought it was all of the above

First came checking her into the hospital, which meant insurance information and contacting her doctor along with a myriad of other questions. Gil had to admit he felt a little bit inane when they asked if he was her husband and he could not say yes; that was a position he should have been in by this point

That put her down as a single woman giving birth; he did not like that

She was checked into a room, changed into a hospital gown and hooked up to an IV and monitoring system within 15 minutes of arrival. Her doctor arrived after 30 minutes, checking her for dilation and telling them that she was 'progressing well' before leaving the room.

She had adamantly refused any sort of pain medication, including full-out declining the use of an Epidural. Truth be told, Sara was terrified of the prospect of having a needle in her spine; to her, that was more terrifying than the labor itself.

Or so she thought

The nurse took the time to explain to them what was going on. Explaining as she went how the monitor on Sara's abdomen would not only track and record both Sara's and the baby's heart rate but also the length and intensity of Sara's contractions. "We need them up around the 100 mark to be effective" She said as she took Sara's temperature, patting her leg as she walked towards the door.

Smiling at Gil's suit and tie she said, "You dressed up pretty nice to have a baby, huh?"

He looked down; he'd forgotten about the suit "Oh...I...no..."

The nurse smiled at him, seeing the look of absolute panic on his face. "These babies always pick the strangest times to show up" She said as she left the room "Sometimes I think they plan it"

Gil stood, somewhat awkwardly, next to Sara. Looking down, he saw the rim of tears in her eyes. Bending down, he placed his lips to her forehead, smoothing a hand through her hair "Are you scared?"

She nodded "Are you?"

He wanted to tell her he was petrified; that he felt as though his legs would give out on him as he bolted for the door. He wanted to tell her that his heart was racing, his palms were sweaty and he had a horrible ache in the pit of his stomach He wanted to tell her that this was the single most frightening thing he had ever done, that nothing, aside from her accident, had ever scared him more.

Instead, he kissed her softly and lied "I am absolutely wonderful"

"I'm sorry about your speech" She said "I know you worked hard on it; I was looking forward to hearing you give it." She paused to smile at him "You look so amazing, too..."

He kissed the back of her hand "I would rather be here with you right now than anywhere else in the world" he said "That was just a speech; this is a life changing event"

Within two hours, Catherine had stopped by to drop off Sara's duffel bag along with a change of clothes for Gil. He was relieved that she had brought him a pair of comfortable sweats and his favorite Hope University T-shirt. She had hinted at wanting to stay in the delivery room with them, but Gil had graciously sent her away to wait with Greg and Warrick in the foyer.

After nearly six hours since being admitted, Sara's contractions were coming closer together, averaging only 2 minutes between. She was becoming weary and irritable and the best he could do was hold her hand, speak to her softly and feed her ice chips.

"You are doing great, Honey" He whispered at one point, sitting on the edge of the bed with her as he softly ran fingers through her hair, his thumb gently stroking her forehead "I know you are exhausted..."

"I can't do another one" She cried, a tear rolling down the side of her cheek "A baby, I mean...I'm sorry....I can't do any more...."

He reached down, feeling miserable at seeing her pain, wiping the tear as it rolled towards her ear, murmuring softly to her. "Shhhhh...its okay..."

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, she tensed up as another wave hit her and the death grip she had on his hand became excruciating; he really had no idea she could be that strong. He began to help her breathe through it, using the technique the nurse had taught him. Watching the monitor, he noted that the strength was over 101 and it lasted much longer than any other did; he found himself amazed yet again at her bravery

The door opened and the doctor was there, smiling at her as the nurse followed him in "Do you feel like you need to push yet, Sara?" He asked, grabbing some gloves

She shook her head "I don't know..." she said miserably

"Remember what I told you. If you need to push, you'll know" He continued, scooting a stool to the foot of the bed "When you feel that urge, you need to tell me right away. Let's see how far along you are"

Gil almost winced himself as Sara gripped his hand while the doctor checked her cervix once again for dilation, her eyes squeezed shut as she gritted her teeth. "Good!" Her doctor exclaimed "Almost there, Sara! You are at a nine...I can feel the baby's head..."

Sara had the overwhelming urge to kick him. The pain she was feeling was intense, as though someone were ripping her apart starting with her groin area and what he was doing only made it worse. She felt, suddenly, a very odd warm sensation between her legs that mingled with the pain "Ahhh..." Her doctor said as the nurse handed him some towels "Your water just broke..."

"SHIT!!" Sara suddenly screamed out "Please!!...God, please...stop..."

She began crying as another contraction hit her, pulling on Gil's arm as though she could pull it right off as she essentially tried to climb up his body. "Please, Gilbert..." She begged, sobbing as she looked up at him, the contraction climbing up over the previous one.

"What the hell are you doing to her!?" He asked in desperation, smoothing her hair out of her face to try and calm her

The doctor barely looked up, still busying himself with torturing Sara. "This baby is going to be here any minute" He replied "I am making sure the amniotic sac is ruptured completely"

"Won't it take care of that on its own?" Gil nearly snapped, feeling himself as though he could go and remove the man from his crouched position to throw him from the room. Couldn't he see the pain he was causing her?

He looked up at Gil "I know this is hard, but unless I do this your baby could inhale some of the fluid...I'm sorry"

Gil bent, his lips close to her ear as he kissed her repeatedly, lovingly. "Breathe, Honey..." He said soothingly, kissing her cheek softly, his lips lingering on her skin "Come on...take a deep breath..."

"Try to relax, Sara" Her doctor said from his position at the foot of the bed, the nurse putting a hand on her knee. "Breathe through it..."

"You relax!" She snapped angrily through her tears "Just get this thing out of me!"

"Sweetheart..." Gil kissed her forehead as the contraction reached its peak "You can do this...you're almost done...come on, Sweetheart"

She was inconsolable, writhing in pain as one contraction ended and yet another began and she began to wail; a sound that Gil had never heard from her before. It was heart wrenching; and he never, ever wanted to hear it again. "Come on, Honey..." He said, his own helplessness intensifying "Breathe....come on..."

His mind was racing; he heard of women dying during childbirth. He wondered if this was what it was like. This was horrible; this was absolutely horrible. There had to be an easier way to have a baby.

Finally, she began to settle, breathing with him for only a few breaths before nearly screaming, "I have to push!! Please.... I have to push..."

"Okay..." Her doctor said, re-positioning himself as the nurse secured Sara's legs "This is it...Push, Sara..."

Gil helped her sit up slightly, his arm around her shoulder as she maintained an incredibly painful hold on his hand. To his amazement, she knew exactly what to do and gritted her teeth while she pushed, her doctor counting up to 10 as she did so.

"Okay, now relax..." He said as Sara collapsed against Gil, her head on his shoulder. She was sweating, her hair wet against her face as she caught her breath.

"Deep breaths, Sweety" The nurse told her, demonstrating as she did "Nice deep breaths...good, Sweety"

"Ready to push again, Sara?" The doctor asked

She nodded and began pushing again, her doctor counting again as he told her he could feel the head, keep pushing. She caught another quick break, falling against Gil again as he kissed her temple before the urge to push came again, this time the doctor holding it out longer.

"Here comes the head, Sara!" He exclaimed and as Gil watched, he could see the very top of the baby's head begin to crown as Sara pushed harder. "Push! Push! Push!" The doctor exclaimed as a tiny head appeared. "Okay, now breathe..."

Gil felt tears in his eyes as Sara took a few more deep breaths against his shoulder. "One more big push, Sara and we'll have a baby..."

As she pushed, Gil suddenly didn't feel her grip on his hand, the sounds around him became muted as he watched their tiny daughter slip into the world and into the hands of Sara's doctor.

There was only a very brief pause in time until Isabella Catherine's cry filled the room and Gil felt everything around him disappear as he stared, awe struck, at the tiny infant in the hands of Sara's doctor. He watched, as though from a very far distance, as the doctor suctioned her mouth, her tiny arms flailing about for a moment in angry protest.

He felt Sara relax in his arms, her body trembling as the exhaustion overtook her. "Oh, my God..." He breathed as he glanced at Sara, who was crying softly. He took her face in his hands, kissing her lips softly "I love you" He said "I'm so proud of you..."

They looked over just as the nurse brought the baby towards them, laying her gently across Sara's chest as she continued wiping off her face "Meet your little daughter" She told them, smiling "She is a beauty..."

Sara gingerly wrapped an arm around the baby, reaching with her other hand to touch her cautiously, as though she would break from the slightest touch "Hi..." She whispered in a tone Gil had never heard before. "Hi, Sweety..." She looked up at him as he sat next to her on the bed, scooting close to wrap his arms around her as she began crying a little harder as she touched the baby's smooth dark hair "She has so much hair..."

He squeezed Sara tight, kissing the top of her head as he too, reached down to take Isabella's tiny hand in his, counting each little finger as she began to squeal. Her eyes were open as she took in the world for the very first time, squealing in tiny little squeaks up at them. When Sara lifted the baby delicately to kiss her forehead, the reality of the situation hit him and he felt the choking lump in his throat

His girls.

These were his girls.

And as he held them both, he couldn't help but feel like his life had only just begun.