DISCLAIMER:Don't own anything associated with the show… I just like playing with the characters in it from time to time. Dance Monkeys! Dance!
RATING: T – Teen (language and adult issues)
PAIRINGS: GSR & Yo!Bling pre-established in previous fics of this timeline.
SPOILERS: Sequel to "Displacement" and "Transitions"
SUMMARY: Everything is changing around Nick Stokes. Can he deal with it, and how it will affect him in the end?

A/N: And with this, I thank you all for having followed me on yet another marathon fic. I deeply appreciate all of your kind words, as well as your comments and criticisms. I know that there were times it was hard to see where I was going, and a few of you wished I'd been a little nicer to Nick, but I hope the ending brought resolution to it all. Now, I have to beat back my beta from pestering me about another story.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: There were many who helped with this one along the way, so my hearfelt gratitude goes out to them all. It was a long process and it found a few casualties along the way, but everyone's contributions really helped to make this an amazing experience. Thank you all for you help and support!

REVIEWS: Reviews are the way I know if people are enjoying the work or not. So, if you leave one, THANKS! And if not, I hope you found at least a little something to brighten your day, and thanks for taking the time to read.

Epilogue
22:40 – 2006.12.31
Stratosphere Hotel & Casino: Grissom/Sidle Wedding Reception

Everyone found their seats as the waiters began to pass around the glasses of champagne. Once all of the glasses had been handed out, Jim Brass decided it was time to make his move. He clinked a fork along the side of the flute and got down to business. "All right you hyenas…that means you, Sanders. I got a little business to take care of here."

He waited for the chatter to die down and for Greg to finally stop pouting before he took in a deep lungful of air and slowly let it out to calm his nerves. He was not a man built for speeches, but this was one occasion he was willing to make an exception for.

"Oddly enough, my position here today is that of the Best Man, but quite honestly, we all know that isn't the case. I'm just the lucky stiff who gets the right to speak up first. No, we all know who the best man is today. Well, at least the luckiest one, anyway." Everyone chuckled at his joke, and it gave him a moment to collect himself.

"Gil and I have been friends for a long time. Not because we hang out, or tell each other all our deep dark secrets. No, it's because we understand each other. We both know what the other one needs and we do our best to be there whenever possible. Now, just because we might know what that thing is, doesn't mean we always listen to the other one, but we also know we're both a couple of pig-headed sticks in the mud sometimes, so it usually evens out in the end."

He paused to let the laughter die down again, and then he forged on. "Somebody asked me once, why it was I was willing to stick my neck out for this guy. Why I put up with his eccentricities, how I could call such a cold and driven guy my friend? And quite honestly, I would answer them with the same thing every time. If you have to ask, then you'll never understand. I never asked myself those questions, because for some strange reason, I just knew. I knew that when the pin hit the primer, he'd be the first one to jump in front of the bullet. And he knew that I would do the same. That's the basis of our friendship, that trust. And the only time in the history of our friendship I ever questioned that trust, was with this one, right here." He looked down at Sara, took her hand and brought to his lips.

"As I watched the two of them doing that dance between attraction and avoidance, that was the first time I questioned whether or not my friendship with Gil would survive. When I said I knew what he needed, I wasn't kidding. I knew from the moment I met her, that she was what he needed more than anything else. As I got to know Sara, I realized that she needed him just as much. The best and the worst part of that arrangement was finding myself torn between two friendships." He huffed out a breath and looked at Sara again, "I gotta tell ya, that rock and a hard place would have been a lot easier to deal with than what I had gotten myself into.

"And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, salvation arrived in the form of a wise-crackin', trouble makin', red-headed coroner." Everyone's attention shifted to Stephanie for a moment and she blushed at being called out. "Thanks to her, along with a little help from another trouble maker… It's gotta be the red hair." Everyone laughed at Jim's side joke. "So, with all these people conspiring to push these two knuckleheads together, we finally come to the events of the day."

Jim held up his glass, and waited for everyone else to follow suit before he continued. "For all the trials of friendship and love that got you here, may the rest of your days be filled with joy and happiness. I can't think of two people who've earned it more than you." Everyone toasted the happy couple and settled back down with beaming smiles all around.

Jim unbuttoned his suit jacket and took his seat as he nodded to Stephanie, "All right, kid… Try and top that one." He gave her one of his trademark wry smirks.

Stephanie looked around and realized that everyone really was waiting on her. She gave Sara a worried glance and whispered, "You didn't say anything about giving a speech."

Sara leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Believe it, or not… This is my first wedding." The two women shared a private laugh and then Stephanie cautiously got to her feet.

She reached down for her glass and took a deep breath. The only thought in her mind was, Sure is a good thing I can think on my feet.

Before she could start to speak, Jim stopped her. "You got the wrong glass there, kid. You're supposed to toast with the good stuff." She looked down and saw that he was pointing at her glass of juice.

There was a moment of sheer terror that played across her face, until she looked at Sara. The woman tilted her head to the side and mouthed, "Why not, it'll get you out of the speech."

Stephanie smiled at that and took hold of her husband's hand when she said, "Sorry, I'm ah, off the good stuff for a while…" She watched as everyone grew a little uncomfortable, deciding that she must have been referring to her health problems from the fall. Thomas squeezed her hand, and gave her the courage she needed to finish. "It's bad for the babies."

The next sound she heard was all of the oxygen being sucked out of the room, as everyone gasped in unison. There was a fairly loud chorus of "You're pregnant!" immediately after that.

Everyone proceeded to offer their congratulations. Catherine, however noticed that Sara and Grissom were not surprised. "How long have you two known about this?"

Sara shrugged and said, "For sure? When she asked me to recommend a good OB/GYN a few weeks ago. But we'd been a little suspicious for a couple weeks before that."

Sara put her hand on Grissom's arm to get him into the conversation, but she found him with an oddly puzzled expression on his face. "Gil, what is it?"

His brows pressed more firmly together as he looked at Sara and then said, "She used the plural."

Catherine was not following his train of thought. "Who used the what?"

He turned to look at Stephanie, who had a suspicious grin on her face when he said, "You used the plural… You said… Babies."

She and Thomas both smiled broadly that time, when Thomas remarked, "Did we forget to mention the fact that we're having twins?"