A lab had been allotted to Grissom and that is where Sara found herself in the afternoons. She walked around and helped the students through their identification processes regarding their collection to turn in. Various books sat on the tables along with magnifying glasses. Like always, she felt Grissom and turned to see him walking in the lab with several students trailing behind him. The students immediately sat down in empty seats and opened the collection boxes they had in their hands as they walked in.

"How are things going?" Grissom asked while putting a hand on her lower back.

"Several are almost done while others are a long way from being able to turn theirs in." Sara turned her body towards him a fraction. Her hand went to her right hip, the round ligament pain made itself known for a billionth time. "I have a feeling you're going to have a quarter that fail their project. Since the course is pass/fail, they'll end up failing."

Grissom sighed and glanced at her; his eyes landed on her rubbing her hip. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Round ligament pain, OB said it would probably start occurring around twenty weeks. It's just mild discomfort." Sara ran her free hand down his arm. "We're okay."

"Are you still open to dinner tonight?" Grissom asked her, concern in his voice. "I can always…"

Sara cut him off. "It's just a little discomfort Gil, I'm okay." Smiling at him, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for the concern though."

Reaching his hand up, he cupped her face and ran his thumb against her cheek. "I'll give you a massage in the morning."

"I look forward to it."

Dinner attire was slacks and a blue blouse, the empire waist design allowed the fabric to fall lightly over her growing belly. Sara turned when the bathroom door opened and smiled at her husband. He walked over without invitation, standing behind her once they both stood by the long mirror that was affixed to the back of their room's door. Sara leaned back as Grissom ran his hands from her hips to across her belly, resting on top of blue blouse.

"I know it's just an expression but you are glowing." He leaned over and kissed her clothed shoulder.

"I think you're bias." She turned her head a fraction so she could see him over her shoulder.

Grissom chuckled and looked up at her reflection, watching from behind her as their eyes met. Leaning his head against hers, Sara sighed and closed her eyes for a fraction of a minute. "I still find myself questioning if this is all a dream. It seems too good to be true, having you and marrying you, us expecting a child."

"It's not a dream Gil." Sara spoke softly. "I still remember you showing up at my door almost two years ago. It's real, the moments of joy and love and also anger and frustration. We're building a life after years of denial and pain, so I understand how it could seem like a dream. I think we're so alike that we rarely argue and are building a life so smoothly when others struggle."

"I look forward to every hour and day we're together." He ran his hand from her belly to her side where her tattoo lay. There were silent words exchanged as their eyes met in the mirror, the silent understanding that they desired every moment they got together. Every moment was a miracle to them and it'd never not feel like it.

Sara finally spoke. "We should get going or we'll stay like this through dinner."

"Hmm, give me your necklace."

Her butterfly necklace had been in her hand the whole conversation. She handed it to him over her shoulder and he gently held it over her head till he brought it down to rest around her neck. Once the clasp was closed Sara turned in his arms and reached up to kiss him. Hands cupped his beard covered cheeks and she captured his lips between her own. They pulled apart as the need for oxygen overtook their emotions. As Grissom pulled away, he reached up to brush back one of her errant curls. She'd failed to pack her straightener so her hair was in a curly state.

The house where Dr. Thomas Richardson lived was well into one of the Boston suburbs. It was easy to find with appropriate instructions written down from the computer in his temporary office while Sara had been overseeing the lab for a short time. Sara glanced at the house as she got out of the vehicle, it seemed to be a family home but warm and inviting. Seeing Grissom waiting at the head of the car for her, well aware of her need to be independent so he never offered to open her door for her, Sara smiled.

"Do you think we should sell the townhouse and get a house?" She asked playfully, "I mean, two kids and a dog, the office will eventually be turned into a bedroom."

He thought for a second. "Perhaps, we should speak to Nick and Catherine when we get back. Both own properties and know the market better than either of us."

"Really?" Sara looked surprised. "I said that playfully, I never expected you to actually consider it."

"My world is expanding, so must the idea of what a family and home look like." He placed a gentle hand on her back. "Besides, we'll need more than a two bedroom townhouse to accommodate our wish for an office separate of the bedrooms and all the toys and clothes that come with children. A yard to send them out of the house into sounds better than us all getting frustrated at the crowded space."

Sara leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"Nothing, just thank you." She told him with a soft smile covering her face.

Ringing the doorbell was followed by the door opening to see a child about seven or eight. The red head looked at them with an air of inquisitiveness. "Who are you?"

"Hello, is Thomas available?" Grissom asked gently. "He invited us to dinner."

She nodded with a heavy headshake. "Hang on." She turned back to the house and yelled loudly, "Uncle Tommy, your guests are here." After the yell, she turned back to them. "Give him a moment. I'm Tabitha, what are your names?"

"Tabitha, let them in." A blonde woman was heading their way. "Hello, you must be Mr. Grissom." She opened the door wider, "I'm Liz, Thom's niece."

Grissom took her offered hand as they walked in. "Gil, please. This is my wife, Sara."

"Hello." Liz smiled, "I thought we only had one guest coming so give us a minute to set another seat."

"I surprised Gil on Friday afternoon; he must have forgotten to update Dr. Richardson on my attendance." Sara chuckled, "he forgets that sometimes when his mind is on work or classes."

Liz waved her off, "my wife is the same way, I'm used to it. Besides, we have guests coming in and out all the time. Between Thom's guests and my mother's, I like to think we run an inn. Both are academics, and my wife works for the Boston Fire Department so I really have a crew coming in and out all the time."

"Our team is our family so I understand." Sara brushed back a curl, "three became six rather quickly."

The woman turned her daughter. "Go tell Mama to set another space please."

"Mama!" The girl yelled as she walked away. "Mommy says we need another seat."

Looking horrified, Liz looked at them wincing. "Sorry, we're working on the yelling from one room to another. It's a work in progress."

"You should see the one we have back home." Sara joked.

"Oh, you have kids?"

Grissom chuckled. "Sara took one of our team members under her wing. He's become family in a sense that the other team members haven't." He glanced at Sara, "more maternal in some respects."

A male, around Grissom's age, walked towards them from the backroom. "Gil, you made it."

"Thom." Grissom shook his hand and they shared a smile. Eventually, once his hand was free again, he put it on Sara's back. "Thom, this is my wife, Sara."

Sara took the man's hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm sure he enjoys holding a conversation about insects with another entomologist turns from an hour to an all-day thing. I'm a poor substitute, I'm afraid."

The man smiled but glanced at Grissom. "I wasn't aware you were married."

"Still new, we've only been married since September." Grissom explained, "Sara decided to fly up from Vegas to join me for the last two weeks. She needed her educational credit and I don't mind the company."

Thom held out a hand for them to go ahead of him towards the dining room. "Sara, I hope he doesn't bore you talking about entomology and spending all his time at Walden Pond."

"Not at all." Sara smiled at the other entomologist. "I've been helping the students with their identification project and volunteering at Walden Pond myself. I loved having Gil as my instructor and now helping him instruct others." She untied her peacoat and removed it, holding it over her arms as they all headed towards the dining room table.

"You were Gil's student. Is that how you met?" They seemed to sit as a black woman entered the dining room with food, Liz and Tabitha helping.

"Do you need help?" Sara went to stand up but was waved off by Liz as the black woman disappeared into the kitchen.

"You're a guest, we have it. Besides, once Lydia brings out the roast, we'll be all set." She looked to Tabitha. "Where is your brother?"

Tabitha shrugged. "I don't know."

"Gavin?" Liz walked out of the dining room, speaking as she did. "Gavin get your behind from behind that TV. It's dinner time."

"Fine!" A kid's voice groaned and appeared seconds later behind Liz; the black preteen looked unhappy. "Why can't we eat in the living room?"

"Because your mother cooked and we have rules about no food in the living room. What is the rule?" Liz asked as she and her son both sat down.

The boy, ten or eleven, folded his arms across his chest. "Popcorn only, Gatorade and crackers when we're sick."

"You forgot about when we have friends over." Tabitha told him while leaning towards him. "Dry snacks only and drinks in covered cups."

The two stuck their tongues out at each other and it made Sara chuckle. She leaned in a faction towards Grissom. "Our home in a few years."

"Hmm, I'm sure ours will be better behaved."

Sara tried not to laugh. "Oh, I'm sure. I want you to think about the people ours will be around and then say that with a straight face." She watched him, "you can't can you?"

"Apparently not."

As everyone sat down and pleasantries with Lydia and Gavin were exchanged, food was passed around. "Thank you for the invitation." Sara told them, "it was a pleasant surprise."

"We love having people over." Lydia told her as she accepted the bowl of potatoes from her wife. "I was surprised when Thom said he invited someone other than a few people we already know."

Thom motioned to Grissom. "Gil is an entomologist, like me. We're a small group so when we're in a city with another, we visit and talk."

"Gil was telling me you guys have met for coffee at least ten times since he came last month." Sara stated with a smile. "I'm just glad he's socializing beyond our team."

"Are you a bug doctor too?" Tabitha asked her.

Sara smiled at the girl. "No, but I know a lot more than most people. I'm a CSI, a type of scientist that works for the police."

"A scientist for the police?" Gavin looked at her skeptically. "The police need scientists?"

Lydia put a hand on her son's shoulder. "The police need a lot of people to catch criminals. Scientists, academics, fire department, forest personnel. The list is extremely long."

"If we have time after dinner, I'll show you guys how fingerprints work." Sara told them gently.

Thom glanced at Sara. "I guess my question got lost in the mix. How did you two meet?"

"I gave a seminar at the Forensic Academy Conference in 1998. Sara attended for her continuing education course since she was stationed in San Francisco. We met at the end when she asked dozens of anthropology questions that had no relation to the seminar."

Sara chuckled and spoke without glancing at him. "I told you I was working up the nerve to ask you out." After a moment she glanced at him, "failed of course."

"Well you two must have done something right." Lydia smiled at them. "How long before you did ask him out?"

"He asked me out seven years after we met." Sara told her after cutting through the asparagus that was on her plate. "There was a case in Vegas that he needed help on in 2000. I went to Vegas and never left. I once told a friend that the path from first meeting to dating was a convoluted rollercoaster love story."

Grissom glanced at his wife. "Who did you tell that to?"

"Fiona, before I walked out."

"Ah." Grissom took a moment to eat a piece of roast.

Thom chuckled. "Convoluted rollercoaster, how do you figure?"

"He was my boss up until May 2005. The attraction was there and that turned to unrequited love on both sides. We couldn't say anything out loud, even if we spoke books with our eyes. Temptation was there but it would risk my job and sully his reputation, so we bided time." Sara spoke honestly while looking at the entomologist. "That all changed when I was taken hostage on a case. We realized we were wasting time. Started dating and got married in September. Now we're expecting a baby."

"How far along are you?" Liz asked with curiousness.

"Nineteen weeks as of this week. I'm due on July fourth." Sara smiled as she spoke.

Lydia chuckled, "I was due on Christmas, guess when Gavin came?" She shook her head, "when the babies are due around holidays, they come on holidays."

Sara chuckled, "that would be my luck. Although, I'd love to give birth before the real summer heatwaves begin. In Vegas, they're brutal. There's hot and then there's Vegas hot."

"What months should we be visiting?" Liz asked, "we were thinking of visiting."

"November or May are generally good months to come." Sara provided. "We'd love to host you for dinner if you do. Give the kids a tour of the lab."

Dinner progressed to drinks in the living room, the kids sent upstairs to bed after a very simple demonstration about fingerprints. Sara sat with what would have been an illegal cup of coffee if her OB found out. It was her second of the day but when asked if she wanted some, she didn't refuse. Thom was speaking with Grissom about a new beetle discovery while Sara spoke with the women about pregnancy and babies.

It was nearing ten when the couple departed, Sara was tired after a day with students and then dinner. Grissom glanced at her as they drove back to the inn, her head against her hand, leaned against the window. Her eyes fluttered open and closed several times, as if trying to keep herself awake. Reaching out, he ran his hand over her thigh and she turned her head to smile at him as her hand grasped his own.

"I'm okay."

"Tired?" He asked as they stopped at a stoplight.

Sara nodded. "Yeah, just a long day plus hosting your child."

"Hosting, that's a new one." He chuckled as the light changed and he moved the car back down the street. "You moved on from growing to hosting."

"I had to start finding a new adverb to describe this pregnancy." Sara told him. "How is it possible that a cup of coffee I'm not used to having isn't working and I'm still tired."

Grissom chuckled, "your body has had so much of it in the past that you aren't affected by it."

"Ha-ha, very funny." Sara told him with a grin. "You do realize that coffee will be the single most important addiction that will power us through midnight feedings and sleepless nights." After a minute, she spoke. "I made a decision a couple weeks ago that I hope you don't object to."

"What decision?"

Sara took a breath before continuing. "I don't want to breast-feed. I don't know how I'll be regarding my post-partum period, whether I'll need medicinal help or not. I'd prefer not to start then have to stop."

"Why would I object to that?" Grissom looked over for a fraction with concern on his face. "Formula has dozens of studies showing the effectiveness and no health contraindications. Sara, I will never tell you what to do with your body, even if it has to do with pregnancy and childbirth."

"I didn't think you would but sometimes I worry you will. Maybe it's an irrational pregnancy-brain thing." Sara looked his way.

Grissom nodded. "I'd never assume you of irrational thought."

"That's just self-preservation talking." Sara reached her hand out and ran her finger through his hair.

"Maybe." He smiled towards her. "Did you know in a 1903 doggerel, the start of a final verse created a very simple phrase that rings true? I heard it said multiple times but I never understood until the day I married you. Of course, those men didn't make the conscious choice to marry Sara Sidle, so they never understood how necessary it is to keep true to the phrase."

"What's the saying?"

"'Happy wife, happy life.'" He told her and saw her shake her head. "Keeping you happy means I stay alive one day longer."

Laughter rang through the car as Sara glanced at him. "You never cease to make me laugh, Gil Grissom."

"Are you awake now?" He inquired with a smile across his face.

"Unfortunately." It was stated with a grin on her face. "God, I love you."

"The feeling is entirely mutual, my darling."

There will be more on what Grissom and his friend spoke about in the next chapter as they head into their second weekend together. They'll take Friday and Monday, leaving the kids to their lab work, and head to another city and see friends during their time there. A four-day baby moon.

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