A/N: Okay, so I gave in and posted early, just cos I love you all and you gave me some great reviews :) I love all the predictions and I know what you are all thinking. Oh…if you only knew…Ah…I love my hat, I really do. It's currently firmly upon my newly cut hair, lol. Does anyone remember the 1966 world cup final? There is a famous saying that went at the end of that. Well…think the opposite, hehehehe.

Huge thanks to SSC. We both seem to have been on a role and got two chapters finished this week. Now you just have to tempt her to post hers. Make sure you catch her great fic BOS, if you haven't already. Thanks for the help hun, mwah!

I wanted to say a HUGE thanks to everyone! The Calling has now cracked over 1000 reviews which is just like…WOW! And, you never know…I may actually finish the baby by the three year mark! Thanks guys!

Enjoy…

Chapter 68

Sucking in a deep breath, Sara fought with her emotions. She had to be strong. She had only confessed a fraction of the secrets she hid and there was still a long road ahead.

Pulling from her mother's embrace, she wiped her eyes and smiled when she was offered a handkerchief. "Thank you," she said softly, blowing her nose and wiping away what was left of her tears.

"Come…" Laura wrapped her arm around Sara's waist, "…let's sit before we both fall down."

Sara allowed herself to be guided to a chair and she sat, her mother sitting opposite, a look of concern etched upon her face.

"I don't know what to do," Sara admitted. "I thought I was doing the right thing…but…I…I…" Her eyes floated to the floor, she felt like such a failure.

"You know, not all courtships start with love, especially in this day and age. People do learn to love each other but…you could never bring yourself to love hank, could you?"

Sara shook her head.

"Tell me why, Sara. Well…sorry," Laura bit her tongue, "…apart from the obvious of Hank being a rodent…"

Now Sara grinned at her mother's jesting.

Laura continued, "…but I know that isn't all of it, is it?"

Sucking in a deep breath, Sara closed her eyes. "I'm in love with someone else."

There…she'd said it.

Finally.

"Gil?"

Sara's eyes flicked open to see her mother smiling at her. For an instant she felt stunned that her mother knew. But then again, Laura Sidle had always been good at working things out.

She fidgeted nervously. "How long have you known?"

"I had a feeling sometime ago that there was something there, I don't know exactly how much…but I think Gil's sudden departure confirmed it for me, the way it affected you. You have seemed lost ever since he left."

Sniffing hard, Sara felt tears once again forming in her eyes. The thought of Grissom leaving the Grove, leaving her, again stabbed at her heart.

"Does…he love you?" Laura asked softly.

Shrugging her shoulders, Sara felt as her whole body became a dead weight. "I doubt he would even give me the time of day now, after what I did to him."

"Hey…" Leaning over, Laura placed a gentle hand under her daughters chin, bringing her head up so their eyes met, "…I can't even begin to understand how Gil must feel considering how he was treated and not just by you, even though you did what you thought you had to do…but by all of us. He is an honest, decent man. He has a good heart, so I know he is forgiving."

Now feeling confusion milling in her brain, Sara frowned. "Mother, what are you saying?"

Swiping a hand across her forehead, Laura paused in deep thought. "Sara, are you going to be honest with me?" she eventually asked. "Because no matter how understanding I want to be about this, it is quite a mess and I need you to tell me the truth. Can you do that?"

Sara didn't like that question. Although she knew her mother would help in any way she could, there was one little secret she certainly couldn't reveal. After careful consideration she nodded, hating herself if she had to lie.

"I admit, I never really believed you loved Hank and I suspected ulterior motives for the engagement. But…I presumed it was a mutual agreement. I'm…still a little stunned to hear Hank has forced you into accepting his proposal, basically blackmailing you into it. I would never have imagined he was…that…that…shallow…" Laura clenched her fists together, "…oh it makes me so angry," she finished.

Swallowing the growing lump in her throat, Sara realized she needed her mother's advice more than she'd ever needed it before. "What do I do?" she whispered. "I don't know what to do…if I don't go through with the marriage then…" She held her hand to her eyes and shook her head, "…Father will be ruined…we all will...if I don't…then…I don't know…"

Gently taking her daughters hand again and pulling it from her eyes, Laura hesitated before her next question. "Exactly how…" she sighed, looking her daughter directly in the eye, "…how close were you and Gil?"

"We had discussed marriage," she admitted and tensed upon seeing the shock in her mother's eyes.

"Marriage?" Laura gasped, indeed surprised.

"Yes."

Laura blew out a breath of hot air.

Sara continued. "Gil was going to ask Father for my hand, he was just waiting for the right moment."

"But it never came?"

Sara shook her head, sucking in a shaky breath.

"I didn't realize you had become so…How on earth…when…did the two of you manage to get that close?"

Sara thought very carefully about her next answer. She couldn't admit she had spent private time with Grissom away from the Grove, otherwise she knew the logical and truthful conclusion that her mother would infer. And that conclusion would lead to another question, which in turn would lead to Sara's own delicate condition and no matter what the reasons were, a child conceived out of wedlock was an embarrassment that would follow the family generations from now and for always.

"I…" Sara averted her gaze from her mother's; pulling her hand free from the tender comfort she was being offered.

Looking down at her hands, she entwined her fingers and fiddled with her thumbs. "…I think I fell I love with Gil the very first time I saw him." She sniggered to herself in a private little thought. "We…got closer over our time working together…I think…I aided a lot in that…" Now she tried to smile and her mother followed suit seeing her facial expression. "And then…when Gil…escorted me away from the Grove, I'll admit…that is when we really knew we wanted to be together. We had time alone and…talked and…became very fond of each other…very…"

There, she hadn't lied, she just hadn't told the complete truth.

Raising her head to look at her mother, Sara awaited her response but when Laura's face contorted in pain again and she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her mid section, Sara shot to her feet, slipping an around her mother's shoulders. "Mother?"

Sucking in a deep breath, Laura faked a smile, pushing herself to her feet. "Just…my stomach again…I need to…" She pointed over her shoulder to the door.

"Right…" Sara replied, aiding her mother into some clothing before moving towards the door but they stopped just before they reached it.

"We will try to finish this conversation later, Sara, and I suggest we leave tomorrow. You must speak to your father with the utmost urgency; only you and he can come to an agreement on this, no matter how much I want to aid in your choices. Also, I suppose there is no point continuing with this trip is there? Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Sara frowned, not entirely certain. "Um…"

"No one forces my daughter into anything if I can help it, especially when it comes to giving herself. I'm sorry, Sara. I never comprehended how much you were prepared to sacrifice."

"Let's just get you sorted out, Mother," Sara urged. "I can then inform Curtis we are leaving tomorrow, okay?"

All Laura could manage was a nod as another bout of stomach cramps hit. Sara opened the door for her and as they walked out into the corridor, the door to the opposite room opened and Rana appeared.

"Let me help you, Ma'am," the worker said quickly, taking Laura from Sara and slipping an arm around her. "I had the feeling you would be back out, so I've been waiting on you."

"Thank you, Rana, you know me too well," Laura replied feebly before calling to Sara to get some rest.

Sara watched as they disappeared down the stairs and then she leaned back against the cool, corridor wall, a thousand thoughts running through her head all at once. But she knew there was one opportunity so nearby that she couldn't pass it up.

Grissom.

Maybe she should try to see him before she returned home…No. She HAD to see him. It was imperative that she speak with him.

He had to know and as soon as possible if Sara had any hope of…well, simply surviving. The prospects of life for a single unwed mother were particularly bleak, for both her and her baby. However, the bigger part of her simply wanted to make amends with the man that she now realized, she loved more than her own life.

But the clock was very much against her now.

Pushing from the wall, she walked to the third room down the corridor on the right, to where she knew Curtis and the men were staying. She knocked softly and just hoped it was their man that answered the door and not Hanks. She never felt comfortable around Hanks people, although she supposed, they were only doing their jobs.

The door opened and she saw Curtis.

"Miss Sara?" The worker stepped out of his room and looked down the corridor. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," Sara replied, almost on a whisper. She needed to plan this just right and knowing her mother, she would more than likely be ill through the night and sleep in late. So she could make this work. "We will be heading home tomorrow, Curtis," she continued. "But, I will let you know what time because with Mother unwell, we are not certain when we will be leaving. Mid afternoon maybe."

The young man nodded. "Yes, Miss. Is your mother alright, can I do anything?"

Placing a soft hand onto Curtis arms, Sara's smile grew at his concern. "Thank you but no, Rana is looking after her. There isn't much we can do but just let nature take its course."

"Yes, Miss, but please let me know if you need any assistance."

Sara nodded. "I will. Goodnight."

Turning away, Sara headed back to her room.

"Night, Miss."

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He sat hidden at a table at the far end of the dining area with a glass of scotch in his hand. Taking a sip, he placed the glass down and pulled out his pocket watch. It was just after 10.30pm. He cursed under his breath at the ruckus around him; the noise from the bar was usually one that he enjoyed but not tonight. Yet, he puckered up a little when Kurt slid into the chair opposite him.

"About time," Hank grumbled to his worker. "Do you know how long I've been sat here, risking being seen?"

Clearing his throat, Kurt bowed his head. "Sorry, sir. I was going to get away a little sooner but we had to start packing things up."

Hank frowned as Kurt raised his head and looked at him. "What do you mean, packing?"

Kurt shuffled uncomfortably. "We are leaving tomorrow, heading back to the estate."

The rich boy's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he looked surprised. "What? Tomorrow? Why?"

"I don't know. Mrs Sidle hasn't been well but…" Kurt stopped in mid sentence, he seemed very nervous.

"Spit it out Kurt," Hank demanded. "I can sense you know something. I don't pay you to keep things from me."

Looking over his shoulder, just to check they were still alone, Kurt then leaned forward. "I have a suspicion, sir, but I could be wrong and please don't take it out on me if I am right. I'm just doing what you asked."

"Just get on with it," Hank retorted.

"Well…we were out all day in the city, shopping as you instructed but Miss Sara didn't buy anything."

Hank's eyes widened. "Nothing at all?"

"No, sir, and it's my observation that Miss Sara showed no interest is acquiring anything. May I be, blunt?" he asked with a shake in his voice.

Flapping his hand, Hank nodded. "Go on…"

Although going a little pale in fear of his boss's reaction, Kurt continued. "I…would be very cautious in regards to Miss Sara. There is something telling me that…she doesn't want a wedding…" The younger worker closed his eyes, awaiting a violent onslaught but it never came and when he finally had the courage, his eyes opened. Hank had now sat back and had his head tipped back against the wall, his eyes firmly closed.

After a moment, his eyes popped open and without warning, he thumped his fists down onto the wooden table with such force, Kurt almost jumped from his seat.

Hank was now glaring at the worker with a fury that no one at the McKeen estate liked to see. "She didn't buy anything! Did she give any reason as to why? Would it have hurt so much to have asked her? Do I have to do everything myself?"

Kurt hovered in fear. "Please sir, I told you that I didn't want…."

"She has to marry me. No one makes a fool of me," Hank almost bellowed, the volume of his voice loud enough to draw some unwelcome stares from the remaining patrons. To Kurt's relief, the stares were enough to calm Hank and he backed down, though the anger still seethed beneath the agitated exterior.

"I had the feeling something wasn't right. I just need to work out what it was. I'm still trying to work it out." Hank lowered his head, looking his worker in the eye. "What time are you leaving?"

Kurt shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. Sometime around midday, I've been told."

Standing, Hank swiped his hands over his pants in an attempt to alleviate some of the creases. "Then I will leave just before and meet you at the usual hotel tomorrow evening and make sure you are not late. I also need to ensure I'm at the Grove for Sara's arrival home. I want to be there as soon as she is and get to the bottom of this madness. We will sort out the timings for when you get back to Maryland tomorrow."

Standing, Kurt was swift to nod. "Yes, sir."

"You keep a very close eye and her and if anything changes, or the time of departure differs, you know where to find me. I just want to make sure I am the first person she speaks to."

"I understand," Kurt replied. "If anything changes, I will let you now as soon as I can…"

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It had been a long night for both Sara and Laura.

Laura's stomach gave her issues through most of the night and she only managed to settle in bed just past 4am after several trips to the outhouse.

Mother and daughter never did a get a chance to finish their conversation but Laura promised they would talk more on the journey home.

Of course, as usual, Sara was unable to find any kind of slumber and being in a strange place, with her mother unwell and with even more on her mind now…those factors didn't exactly aid her ability to sleep. Since her rather surprising discovery, Sara had found both appetite and sleep sorely lacking. Her stomach constantly brewed with apprehension and anxiety, making her feel ill most of the time.

She was pretty exhausted when she finally gave up and climbed out of bed a little after 6am. But she was becoming frustrated and she also had to keep her eyes open. If she knew Curtis as well as she thought, she knew he would rise before anyone else, he was usually up early at the house.

Slipping on her robe, she wrapped it tightly around her body and quietly moved to the chair by the window, being careful not to wake her mother who was thankfully sound asleep.

Sighing softly, she sat and waited, watching as darkness turned into light and the morning sun rose from the ground below to blossom in the sky.

A little before 7am she smiled when she spotted Curtis emerge from the hotel. She knew he'd be up early.

Swiftly and with great care not to make a sound, she dressed and hurried from the room.

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Exiting the hotel, Sara looked around in search of the Sidle worker. Her eyes scanned past the array of coaches waiting outside the main entrance until they fell upon their two pieces of transportation. She looked down and spotted a pair of legs poking out from the underneath the first carriage. It was quite an odd sight to see and she chuckled as she approached.

"Curtis?"

The worker startled and quickly pushed himself from under the wagon and onto his feet, "Yes, Miss?"

"What are you doing?" Sara asked looking to the wagon.

"Oh…just looking. I like to check the wagons over if we travel a long distance. Just to ensure they are safe for when we return home. Sometimes, a little damage can be undertaken that we wouldn't know about, so I like to be cautious. I wouldn't want the wheel falling off half through our journey, Miss."

Sara held her hand over her heart. "Me either. I'm happy to see you checking these things."

The worker smiled.

After taking a quick look around, Sara took a step closer to her aid. "I need you to do something for me, Curtis," she whispered.

"Of course, Miss, how can I be of service?"

"I need for you to take me somewhere, can you do that?" Sara was careful to keep her voice quiet, she didn't want anyone else hearing in on their conversation.

The young worker scratched his head. "Where to, Miss?" he asked.

"Alexandria County," Sara replied. "I know it's not too far from here."

Curtis frowned and shuffled on his feet. "Does your mother know about this?"

"No." Sara was quick and short with her response. "And I don't want her to know. This is just between you and me. She is sleeping and I'm certain we will be back before she wakes. It is only just over an hour's drive each way I think."

"Miss Sara…" the young man sighed, "…I don't know about this. If anything should happen then I will be held…"

Sara reached out a hand and placed it on his arm and she noticed as he took a heavy swallow. "Please…"

"Okay," he conceded. "I'll take you."

Now Sara smiled. "Thank you."

"Yes, Miss."

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The wagon rolled on and with each passing second and Sara felt more and more nervous. She recognized the area now and knew they were drawing closer to Grissom's. She even instructed Curtis to drive through the woodland rather than going through the town.

As the ride became bumpier, so did Sara's heart rate. In fact, her heart was pounding so fast now; she had to increase her breathing. Her palms were sweating and she fidgeted nervously. She was still trying to work out what she was going to say.

Oh Lord…what on earth was she going to say?

The vehicle stopped and Curtis was quick to jump down and open the door for his passenger. Sara smiled as she exited but her smile quickly faded as her eyes passed over small estate before her. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath as she looked to the cabin…

A/N: Aghhhhhhhhhh…..*bites nails*. Is it one of those dun…dun…dun…moments? So now what? Ah…the plot thickens…