Sara arrived home well after they managed to identify where Lucas Hanson and Jason Crowley were, one dead and one alive. Brass had called her and said he'd dropped Grissom off at home, migraine fill blown. He'd made sure Grissom laid down and planned to wait until she arrived. That was how she found Brass, sitting on the couch with Hank at his feet. The man was attempting to do a crossword but she saw immediately even pencil didn't help him do it any justice.

"Thank you for staying." Sara stated putting her keys and bag on the table by the door. "You've seen him like this before. How bad?"

Brass shook his head. "Full blown Sara. He worked that guy until the last moment and then bam, he was down for the count. We got the truth but Gil, not in good shape."

Sara nodded as she folded her arms. "I'm trying to convince him to take a break. I see the burnout coming if he doesn't. He's gotten a few letters regarding teaching, a sabbatical will do him good. You didn't hear me say that though."

"Yeah, I remember him taking them every so often. Been a while since he did." Brass ran his hand over his face.

"Before he met me in 1998. Almost ten years and that's usually his time frame." Sara looked towards the hallway. "We want to start trying next year for a baby."

Brass chuckled, "you two would be great parents. Just let me know when to shoot the confetti."

"I don't know if it's the right time if he's burning himself at both ends." Sara sighed, "it may have to wait another year if he doesn't take a break. Him exhausted trying to be at home and work while I'm on maternity leave, it's not a good idea."

"You going to take some time after the baby's born?"

Sara smiled, "yeah, Catherine said she regrets going back to work straight after Lindsey. Besides, I'm going to be growing this baby for nine months so I want some time after to get to know the little human we make together." She chuckled, "he wants a girl."

The cop chuckled, "yeah, he'd be a good girl dad. Take it from someone who has one, daughters aren't easy. The one thing I can say is that you love them endlessly. Seeing how Gil is with you, he'd light up like you wouldn't believe."

Sara shoved her hands in her back pockets. "You want some coffee before you go?"

"No, no I'm good. Just you two take some time to talk." Brass put a hand on her arm. "Sara, he listens to you and he loves you. God, does he love you. Just tell him what you're feeling and explain why you feel this way. He'll listen."

She took a breath. "I got Gil, I got Greg and Sofia I'm dealing with too."

"What's wrong with Greg and Sofia? They break up?"

"No, you know Greg is still healing and is trying to work instead of dealing with the trauma. Sofia is halfway to break down also. Greg told me yesterday that she blames herself for not protecting him. Feels like she failed him and Gil and I."

Brass chuckled and shook his head. "You know, I thought it was a joke but you really are playing the mom roll. Look, Sofia is strong but she's human like the rest of us. I don't know how but she's fallen head over heels in love with your boy. Gil blames himself for Desert State, Sofia blames herself for Greg. If we can't protect those we love, we blame ourselves no matter what happens. If Greg isn't listening, do what my mom did and knock some sense into me."

"Oh I have a few ideas of what to do with those two, trust me on that."

"You need an interrogation room, just let me know."

Sara smiled and reached forward, hugging the cop. "Thanks Jim."

"I always got you Sara." He smiled at her. "I've always liked you. You got a good head, even if your temper is concerning at times. The fact you've made my friend happy, just bonus."

After Brass left, Sara headed to the bedroom and paused in the doorway. The Sumatriptan was on the nightstand with a glass of water. Grissom was out, turned on his side sound asleep. Knowing he was halfway to getting rid of the migraine, she went to the office and looked at Grissom's desk. A new letter, dated the day before, sat on his desk from Williams College. Picking it up, she read the letter and then looked back at the doorway. Picking up a pen, she grabbed a notepad and wrote on it as neatly as she could.

Gil,

I love you. You know I do. You're burning out and you need a sabbatical. Every time you hit a rough case, a migraine has come on. Last year you only had two but now it's once a month. Our plans for the next few years can't proceed if you don't take care of yourself. I've tried telling you in so many ways but you're not listening to me. I don't feel heard on this subject.

We've talked about having a baby. We've talked about me staying home for a period of time after the birth. That can't happen if you're burnt out. It can't happen if you're stretched thin trying to be here for me physically and emotionally but also working every day to the point of migraines. I can't be pregnant or taking care of our child if you're stuck in bed every other day.

I hope you know I don't say this in anger or fear. I say it out of love. I want you healthy and present. I want you to go to work and come home to me grinning, telling our child that you're home. I want to see you light up holding them and telling them all about the world around them. I can picture this already. I picture you and me sitting in bed with a tiny mixture of us giggling as we count fingers and toes.

Take this for our future. Take it for me. Most of all, take it for yourself.

Your Darling Sara

Using a paperclip, she folded the letter after ripping it from the notepad and clipped it under the Williams College offer. She put it on his nightstand on top of his phone before getting ready for bed.

Sara woke to arms holding her and she leaned back into the hold. Feeling a kiss to her neck, she blinked awake slowly before turning over. Bright blue eyes looked at her and she closed her eyes again and burrowed into Grissom's chest He laid with his head propped up, watching her. Leaning down, he kissed her forehead and reached a hand up to push back an errant curl from where her hair had curled in the shower. After kissing her forehead a second time, he spoke softly to her.

"I'm sorry you didn't feel heard."

Sara opened her eyes as she rested her hand on his arm. "It's okay."

"No it's not." He watched her as he ran his hand down her arm and held her hand. "I always said I'd listen and I haven't been lately. You're right that I've been burning out, but I was scared to tell you Sara."

Moving to sit up, she watched him sit up also and take her hands. Sara brought his hand up and kissed it. "Why?"

"I don't know." He told her, "I don't know."

"Part of marriage is leaning on each other when things get hard." Sara reached up and cupped his cheek. "I'm here Gil. However, I'm also dealing with Greg and Sofia. I got three people I'm trying to take care of."

His attention went to her. "What's going on with Greg and Sofia?"

"You know Greg would rather work than deal with the trauma. He probably gets that from me. Sofia is breaking down thinking she failed him and us."

He nodded. "We should have them for dinner. Just us four. Support them like they have supported us."

Sara leaned in and kissed him. "I love you, so much. Just let me in when things get hard."

"I called Williams, I'll be teaching an entomological seminar during the winter break. A month between January first and February first."

"Good. Maybe I can see if I can take a week and come up near the end. It'd be nice to be in my old stomping grounds. I could show you where I got into trouble and where I liked to eat. Maybe even show you where I lived following my emancipation."

After a few moments, Grissom spoke to her. "I can already picture you singing to our child. Rocking them to sleep with your soft voice."

"I picture you holding them during a down time moment, showing them everything in your office. Explaining everything with blue eyes full of wonder, trying to grab everything in reach."

"Brown eyes are dominant my darling."

Sara chuckled, "not when you're the grandchild of three blue-eyed grandparents and a blue-eyed parent. My parents had blue eyes, so the likelihood shot up to almost eighty percent."

"Hmm, and curly hair."

"Leaves sex and hair color to you." Sara stated with a grin. "You know, just because I can't get pregnant doesn't mean we can't practice." Looping her arms around his neck, Sara moved to straddle his lap. Whispering against his lips, she grinned fully. "After all, we need to make sure we get it right."

Grissom pulled her arms from around his and took her wrists in hand, using his momentum to press her body and her wrists against the bed. Like always, Sara buckled against him and he laid a kiss against her clavicle which caused a shiver to go through her body. "Stay still." He whispered against her ear and let go of her wrists, knowing she'd keep them against the bed. They'd discovered that beside her desire to be held down during sex, she also liked being given direction. A strange fact given her need to control situations every day and night.

Sara stood at the stove stirring the vegetable soup she'd made when there was a knock at the door. Grissom left the kitchen table and made his way over to the wooden barrier, opening it to find Greg and Sofia. He saw what Sara meant when she said the recovery was affecting them both. Sofia looked like her normal self to anyone else but to those that knew her, there was a haunted presence in her eyes.

"Come in." He let them in and watched Greg bend down beside Hank and pet him.

Sofia made her way downstairs and over to the kitchen. "What can I help with?"

"You can cut the vegetables that are to go in the salad. I haven't gotten to that yet."

"Greg, come to the office." Grissom put out an arm and Greg followed where he indicated.

As Sofia worked on the vegetables, Sara moved to stand beside her. "Sofia, I want you to know something important."

"Yeah, what is it?" The blonde acted nonchalant and paused to turn her body to Sara.

Sara looked her straight in the eyes. "You aren't to blame for anything. You didn't fail us, if anything you're the opposite of failure You're there for Greg when we can't be and you love him. The only thing you failed at is realizing we'd never blame you for anything that happened."

The blonde looked down then up again. "I should have been there. He shouldn't have been hurt."

"I want to share something with you. Come here." She moved around the counter and over to the kitchen table, Sofia followed. As they both sat down in the chairs, Sara caught the blonde's attention. "Do you know how long it took for Gil to feel like he failed me? Two minutes. One minute he was there and the next I was taken hostage. He felt like he failed me. He prayed so many things in those two minutes. All he wanted was me safe but I wasn't, I could have died. In the end, it made us stronger. This will make you and Greg stronger if you bond through it."

Sofia shook her head. "I was so close Sara."

"So was Gil. He was feet away from me and he still failed to get to me soon enough. You were a block and half away. You had to drive to get to Greg. You saved him Sofia; you were the first one to get to him. You were the first to hold his hand, the first to know he was alive. I know that means more to him than you could possibly understand."

"I don't know how I fell in love with him so fast. I look at him smile and I think I could live forever in that moment."

Sara chuckled, "love is unpredictable."

After a moment, the blonde nodded. "He needs help but he doesn't want to admit it."

"Gil is speaking to him about that right now. He's probably using me as an example if I know him like I do."

"He wakes up whimpering or screaming every day. I have to sooth him awake and then sooth him back to sleep. He's probably only getting four hours a day, both of us actually."

Sara smiled and Sofia followed. "If anyone can get through to him, it'll be Gil. I can do a lot but the need for help, Gil is good at getting people to realize they need it."

"I hope so. It breaks me seeing him like that every day. When we wake up, it's as if never happened. Then it happens again the next day."

"Greg may benefit from group therapy, sometimes one on one isn't for people. Either way, we'll help him. Gil is going on sabbatical in January so it's up to you and me to keep Greg going."

Within an hour the four were seated at the table eating soup and salad. The topic of conversation was the Desert Relay coming in the spring. Sara groaned at the mention of training but it caused laughter to erupt across the table. Grissom suggested a good idea and they agreed it had merit.

"I'm always driving. However, it wouldn't hurt for you three to train together. I know you're probably running with PD, Sofia."

Sofia shook her head. "I checked with Ecklie and McKeen, both are okay with me running for CSI. It'll give CSI the numbers we need."

"Then it's settled." Sara stated firmly. "The three of us with train together. Every evening at the UNLV stadium before work. Two hours or more on the weekend."

Greg groaned, "we're going to be unable to work. We'll be so sore we can't bend over or get under cars. Remember two years ago Sara, you were hurting for like a week."

"Thank you for that reminder, Greg." She threw her napkin at him. "Just for that I'm going to make it three hours on the weekend."

"That's just brutal torture."

"I'm up for training if you are Sara." Sofia told her. "We'll run circles around PD this year."

Greg groaned. "Seriously? Last time I felt like I died after running."

"Greg, you can do this." Grissom told the man, being honest.

"Yeah right."

Sara grinned. "Sofia and I will make sure you're ready."

Sofia just laughed as Greg put his head on his arms, waving his napkin like a white flag of truce. Rubbing his back, Sofia spoke softly to him. "It's okay Baby, I'll carry you if I have to."

So yeah, unlike the series where Grissom's sabbatical came out of nowhere, Sara is spearheading it so Grissom doesn't burn out.

Let me know what you think about this if you so wish.