Good Beginnings, Bad Endings

With a smile the technician told Emily and Ryan that they should tell their daughter she was going to have a baby brother. The couple smiled, sharing a tender kiss. Being a man, it seemed Ryan wasn't believed when he said he would have been just as happy if he was told he was going to have another daughter. Most importantly his wife believed him, and it appeared that Horatio and Eric knew the father-to-be's words were sincere as well.

"You guys decided on a name for him, yet?" Eric asked.

Ryan had arrived back at the lab, proudly showing off the ultrasound print of his son.

"Yeah, but we just might change our minds yet so that's staying under wraps."

Plus, if Ryan told someone like Eric, who was known for teasing, that Ryan's son was going to be named Riley—a name very similar to "Ryan"—before the baby's birth, Ryan wouldn't be hearing the end of it.

There was good news at the Delko home.

It wasn't about new babies.

It was about sleep.

Anya and Carly, now fifteen months old, were finally sleeping all night and by themselves— just in time for mommy to go back to work on a past-time basis. Emily thought it was no wonder that Calleigh and Eric were delaying having a third child. A few months to a year of something that resembled a full, good night's sleep had to be what they needed. The twins' sleeping issues were well-known to family and friends. One child who wasn't a good sleeper from the beginning had to be draining, but two had to be utterly exhausting physically, mentally and emotionally. How Calleigh and Eric held it together for so long and remained happy was a puzzle to everyone.

Maybe sleep was over-rated for adults.

The amount of bullet holes in the victim shocked even Horatio Caine, The motive for the murder of Eugene Banks even more. Eugene and his ex-wife Ava had been embroiled in a bitter legal battle over control of the lucrative designer-dog breeding business. The court had twice ruled in Eugene's favor and the court had just denied Ava Banks's final appeal, leaving the business in the sole control of Eugene after he paid her a one-time lump sum of $150,000, which court records showed Eugene had done that previous week. After the pay-out, Eugene had promptly sold the business right down to every kennel and food bowl, prize-winning studs and all. Why Eugene had sold the business after fighting so hard to gain control of it was puzzling. However it was in his right to do so and anything else related to the matter was for civil courts, not a criminal court.

Everyone knew divorces could get messy, especially when money and joint businesses were involved.

At least the PETA would be pleased no animals were hurt, Ryan thought.

But Eugene Banks' death was "over-kill." An entire clip of a .38 revolver was emptied into his torso. Just one of the bullets would have done the deed. One bullet had pierced his heart, killing him instantly. It appeared that someone had a massive amount of rage toward the victim.

A vengeful wife perhaps.

Ryan shook his head as he and Natalia left the crime scene guarded by an officer in uniform and headed back to the lab to log in the evidence they had collected. It had already been a long day and it looked as if it was going to be a longer evening and even span into the night. It was the first moment that Natalia had a chance to congratulate Ryan on the news that Emily would having a baby boy. The father-to-be grinned, at least the day had started out great.

It was after two thirty in the morning before Ryan pulled into the driveway. As he thought that his girls was fast asleep. Bella curled up around a teddy bear that was almost the length of herself. Feeling grimy from his long day Ryan took a quick shower. While emptying his pockets of his sports coat before he hung it up Ryan found the print of the ultrasound of unborn son. The CSI smiled, touching the image gingerly in his thumb. He then laid the paper on the night table, propping it up against a framed family portrait of Emily, Bella and himself that had been taken at the beach a few days ago. Exhaustion over taking him, Ryan fell asleep almost immediately. He only stirred maybe an hour or so later, barely waking feeling Emily wrap herself around him. He sleepily kissed her face and drifted back to a heavy sleep.

So sorry for LONG delay! I hope to update more often! Enjoy!