Title: Movie on a Night Off

Author: IrishDachsie

Pairing:  Grissom/Sara

Rating: NC-17 for adult content.

Disclaimer: The author does not own CSI. No profit is being made from this story.



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Part LX

 

Closing the door behind him, he watched her silently as she pulled her shirt over her head. He slowly began unbuttoning his own shirt as he walked over to her. He stopped in front of her and stared into her eyes.

 

His eyes closed briefly and his body quivered as she ran her hands up his chest and over his shoulders, effectively ridding him of his shirt. She smiled, slightly amazed that she could still have this effect on him after all this time.

 

She moved closer to him, pressing her lace-covered breasts against his bare chest. He sighed loudly as her tongue leisurely glided across his neck. His hands slid up her back and quickly unclasped her bra. Easing his fingers under the straps, he gently pushed the lace from her body.

 

Bending his head slightly, he placed a tender kiss on her shoulder before running his tongue across her collarbone. She tilted her head as his mouth reached her neck. His hand ran through her hair as he slowly made his way to her earlobe.

 

Her hands moved between their bodies to his belt. She took her time unbuckling it. She heard him moan softly in her ear as she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. He abandoned her earlobe and made his way to her lips. He gently traced them with his tongue, relishing in their naturally sweet flavor.

 

Her mouth opened to him and she flicked her tongue against his. A smile tugged at his lips as he moved slowly from her lips. He kissed her chin softly before moving to her throat. His mouth moved slowly down her body, pausing only to circle each nipple with his tongue for a few moments.

 

He knelt before her, planting soft kisses on her stomach and whispering words she couldn’t make out. She smiled, knowing he was talking to the baby. He looked up at her, capturing her eyes with his own. He returned her smile as his fingers moved to the button on her jeans.

 

He slid her jeans and panties down her long legs, allowing himself to kiss and lick her flesh as he revealed it. Removing the articles of clothing completely, he tossed them across the room. His hands slowly made their way up her legs, taking time to gently caress her skin.

 

Her hands on his shoulders pulled him from his kneeling position to stand in front of her. He pulled her into his arms and carefully pushed her backwards towards the bed. She moved onto the bed as he removed the rest of his clothes.

 

Their eyes locked and a smile crept onto his face as he heard two words softly spoken by her.

 

C’mere Cowboy...”

 

He climbed into the bed beside her, his leg resting in between hers and his fingers splayed across her abdomen. Her fingers brushed through his curls as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

 

“I love you, Sara.” The words were spoken softly, almost inaudibly. But, the depth of his passion for her in his eyes threatened to blind her.

 

Tightening her fingers in her hair, she pulled him to her. Their lips met gently at first, but quickly the passion took over. Her tongue thrust into his mouth as his hand slid from her stomach to her breast. He gently rolled the nipple between his fingers.

 

Moaning softly into his mouth, she shifted her position slightly and pulled him on top of her. Pushing himself up, he knelt between her legs. His fingers glided down her arms, barely touching her skin. Reaching her wrists, his fingers closed around her delicate flesh and pulled her arms above her head.

 

He held her arms in place as he leaned over to kiss her. Her legs wrapped around his waist, urging him. He kissed her softly, before pulling back and looking into her eyes.

 

“Tie me up, Gil.”

 

Smiling, he shook his head gently. “No...”

 

He transferred both of her wrists to his left hand and held them tightly. His right hand slid down her side, causing her body to shiver underneath him. He reached her hip and squeezed her flesh gently.

 

She bucked her hips against him. “Gil...” Her

 

He grinned at her, watching her head press into the pillows under her. “Shhhh...”

 

Reaching between their bodies, he grasped his erection and shifted his hips slightly to give himself some more room. He watched her face as he slowly circled her clitoris with the head of his cock. He was rewarded with a moan as she bit her lower lip and struggled against his hand.

 

“Please, Gil...”

 

He smiled as eased the head into her wet folds. He stopped there and leaned back down, capturing her lips with his. She tightened her legs around him, pulling him into her. His mouth moved to her neck, sucking her flesh gently as he began to slowly thrust inside of her.

 

His unhurried motions were driving her crazy. “Harder, Gil...please...”

 

He pushed himself up with his right hand on the mattress beside her and looked down at her. “No...”

 

He grinned at her soft whimper. He released her wrists and brushed a stray hair from her face. Her hips thrust against him, begging him for more. He supported himself with both hands on the mattress and continued his long, slow strokes. Her hands held onto his shoulders, her nails digging lightly into the skin.

 

Suddenly her grip tightened and she shifted her body, effectively flipping him over onto his back. He stared at her in amazement as she held his shoulders down against the mattress and began thrusting against him forcefully.

 

His hands moved to her hips, attempting to slow her down. She grabbed his wrists and moved his arms to the mattress, pinning them down. She grinned down at him and quickened her motions. “No, Gil...”

 

Feeling him start to give into her, she released her grasp on his arms and moved her hands to his chest. His hands moved back to her hips, but he made no effort to try to slow her. He met her thrusts with equal force, quickly bringing her to the edge.

 

He felt her muscles contract and her fluid gush over him as she screamed his name. He grunted hers in return and came deep inside of her. She collapsed on top of him and he held her tightly against his chest.

 

As their breathing slowed, he rolled them onto their sides and gently slid out of her. She fingered the wet curls above his hair and smiled at him.

 

“That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

 

He shook his head slowly and licked his lips. “No...I just...I just wanted to take it slow.”

 

His fingers pushed a damp strand of hair behind her ear.

 

“And I wanted my cowboy to fuck me.” She laughed lightly as he began to blush.

 

“Well...we both got what we wanted then, didn’t we?” The smile crept across his face.

 

She snuggled against his chest and stifled a yawn. “I got what a wanted when Ecklie had a bomb threat...”

 

He chuckled lightly and kissed the top of her head. “Me too...I love you, Sara.”

 

He could feel her smile against his bare chest. “I love you too, Gil.”

 

Temporarily sated, they fell into a slumber in one another’s arms.

 

Part LXI

 

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, a smile instantly gracing her face as she looked at him. Lying on his stomach, the sheet pulled up to his waist...sleeping soundly. She reached over and gently traced the muscles in his back. He stirred lightly in his sleep and muttered something completely incoherent.

 

She grinned as she scooted closer to him, her movement pushing the sheet a little further down his body. She inhaled deeply as his flesh was revealed to her and allowed her hand to glide down to come to a rest in the small of his back. His muscles twitched gently under her touch and he shifted closer to her. She listened to his slow, steady breathing as she took in the sight of his naked skin.

 

Leaning over, she placed a soft kiss on his shoulderblade. Her lips made a leisurely journey to his spine, smiling against his skin as he sighed in his sleep. Her hand carefully pulled the sheet down more, exposing his bare buttocks. She caressed him gently before resting her hand on his hip and moving her body to partially cover his.

 

He moaned softly as her tongue slowly made its way down his spine. His eyelids slid open as his body recognized the sensation. He gasped lightly as he felt her tongue reach his lower back.

 

“Sara...”

 

“Hmm?” She looked up at his face and smiled. “You awake now, babe?”

 

Mmm...yeah, I am.”

 

He made a move to roll over, but her hand quickly grasped his hip and pushed him back down. “No...stay there.”

 

He looked over his shoulder at her, puzzlement in his eyes. “What?”

 

With their mutual gaze locked, her tongue made a long, slow stroke across the soft cheek of his ass, eliciting a groan from his lips. Smiling up at him, she said firmly, “I said...stay there.”

 

He nodded wordlessly as he watched her body move further down the bed. He could feel her hardened nipples against the back of his thighs, her right hand kneading the flesh of his hip, the fingers of her left hand traipsing lightly across the middle of his back. He shifted slightly to accommodate his growing erection.

 

She smiled as she changed her position, dragging her tongue down his skin. His body quivered gently as he felt her tongue move along the inside of his thigh. He shifted again, his legs involuntarily parting more to give her more room. His hand gripped the mattress as her tongue moved to his testicles, pressing gently against his scrotum.

 

His left hand curled around the spindle on the headboard closest to him, his right hand still gripping the mattress tightly as her tongue teased him. She heard him moan as her teeth gently nipped at the flesh of his ass. Her tongue slowly glided up and down the crevice between his cheeks. Her hands moved to his buttocks and slowly spread them. Her tongue flicked against his anus for just a moment, causing his body to shudder.

 

“Sara...”

 

She looked back up at him and smiled softly. “Do you want me to stop?”

 

He hesitated for a moment. “No...”

 

“Are you sure? I will...”

 

He returned her smile with a gentle one of his own. “No...I’m sure...”

 

Searching his eyes for reassurance that he was indeed sure, she smiled brightly at him and lowered her head. Her tongue flicked against him again, and then prodded gently at the puckered opening. She felt him tense and waited for him to relax. She lifted her eyes to find his head pressed into the pillows and both hands gripping the headboard.

 

Her right hand moved to his back, caressing his skin soothingly. She felt him slowly relax and eased the tip of her tongue inside. His moan was muffled by the pillows. She pushed gently further into him before pulling back out. His hips jerked, pushing his erection against the soft cotton sheet. His head lifted from the pillows long enough to emit a loud groan.

 

She moved back up his body, dragging her tongue up the length of his spine. He could feel the wetness between her legs against his hip. Her teeth nipped at the nape of his neck as her left hand pulled his from the headboard, entwining her fingers with his...the soft click of their rings hitting each other ringing loudly in his ear.

 

He felt her hand slide between their bodies and moaned as the mental image of her finger pushing into her wet folds invaded his brain. She groaned softly as she thrust first one, then two fingers inside of herself. He tried again to roll over so that he could see her.

 

Again, he was greeted with a throaty “No...”

 

He grumbled softly in protest as he felt her fluid drip gently on his skin. She leaned over him, her fingers tightening her grip on his hand. He could feel her hot breath against his skin, he could hear her soft moan in his ear. His cock throbbed painfully between his body and the mattress, the sheet becoming slightly damp underneath him with his precum.

 

He groaned as he felt her body quiver, her fluid gushing from around her fingers to land on his skin. His hips jerked gently in response. Her tongue flicked against his pinna as her wet fingers found their way to his anus.

 

Small beads of sweat popped up on his back as he felt her fingertip press inside. Her tongue licked his salty skin as she carefully slid further inside of him. She paused momentarily, allowing his muscles to relax. Feeling the tension leave him, she began moving inside of him slowly.

 

He was still for a few moments, adjusting to her slow thrusts. Gradually, he began moving against her...meeting her strokes with his own. She let go of his hand and ran her fingers through the back of his hair.

 

Moving her lips to his ear, she tenderly kissed the helix. “Am I hurting you at all?”

 

A negative grunt was his reply as he pushed against her. He could feel his orgasm building quickly as she rubbed against his prostate. His hips bucked against her, forcing her deeper inside of him.

 

She gently nibbled his ear and quickened her strokes. “Come for me, babe...come...now!”

 

On her command, his body shuddered and he emitted a loud groan as he soaked the sheet beneath him. His breath ragged, he sank into the mattress. He gasped lightly as her finger slid out of him.

 

She gently rubbed his back and kissed his shoulder. “You okay, babe?”

 

For the first time since he woke up, he was allowed to roll over. Gingerly, he did so, moving his body from the wet spot on the sheet and ran his fingers through her hair. “Yeah...I am...”

 

She smiled and gently kissed his lips. “I love you.”

 

He pulled her tight against his chest and smiled. “I love you too.”

 

“Should we get up and shower?”

 

He shook his head slowly. “No, let’s just stay here for awhile...okay?”

 

She kissed his chest and grinned. “Okay...I’m in no hurry...”

 

He chuckled lightly. “Me neither, honey...me neither.” 

 

Part LXII

 

His eyes opened and met hers. He smiled lightly. “Did I fall back asleep?”

 

Her fingers ran through his hair before circling his ear. “Mm-hm. But, I like watching you sleep.”

 

His hand slid down her torso and came to a rest on her stomach. “How’s the larva today?”

 

She grinned and allowed her hand to cover his. “A little hungry...”

 

Shifting his body slightly, he removed their hands and placed a soft kiss on her stomach. “What would you like to eat Little Grissom?”

 

He turned his head and rested his ear on her belly, as if listening to the fetus.

 

A tear formed in Sara’s eye as she watched the exchange. A broad smile formed on her lips as she held his head closer to her belly.

 

“Hmm. Interesting...”

 

“What?”

 

He raised his head and looked into her eyes. “Well...I think I heard incorrectly...”

 

She smiled and pulled him up to her. “Why do you say that?

 

“Because...you’re a vegetarian...”

 

“Sara?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Are you okay?” His fingers gently brushed her hair from her face.

 

Seeing the look of concern in his eyes, she gently smiled at him. “Yeah...it’s just...well...why did you say that?”

 

“Because...you are a vegetarian. You eat seafood. But not...what I thought I heard...”

 

He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips, which she quickly deepened. She ran her soft tongue across his slightly rough one, relishing in his moan. He pulled back, breathing heavily, and looked at her.

 

“What do you want to eat, Grissom?”

 

Grinning at him, she sat up. “A baked potato, carrots, broccoli...and...grilled chicken?”

 

His hand moved back to her stomach instinctively. “Chicken?”

 

“Yeah...weird, huh?” She chuckled lightly.

 

“Very...” He grinned and kissed her softly. “Come on...I’ll fix us something to eat...”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

He watched her lovingly as she devoured her food. Maybe I didn’t hear incorrectly. Of course, it could be that her body was just needing the extra protein. It’s a scientific fact. Could be totally coincidental. But...

 

“Earth to Gil...”

 

“Huh?”

 

She chuckled softly at him, watching his face redden slightly. “What were you thinking?”

 

“It’s...it’s just been a long time since I’ve seen you eat meat...that’s all.”

 

She winked at him. “Well...not that long...”

 

He choked on his last bite of chicken and looked at her. “You...know what I mean.”

 

She grinned widely at him. “Yes, I do...but...I just couldn’t resist.”

 

He returned her grin and gestured to her empty plate. “Did you have enough to eat?”

 

“Yep.”

 

He smiled as he stood and collected their empty dishes and walked to the sink. He felt her move behind him. He inhaled deeply as she slid her arms around him and rested her head on the back of his shoulder.

 

“I’m so glad we don’t have to go to work tonight.”

 

He turned his head slightly and looked at her. “Are you feeling alright?”

 

She looked up at him and smiled. “Yes...feeling fine, why?”

 

“You...not wanting to go to work?”

 

“I’d rather stay here...with you...in bed...” She pulled back from him and turned him around.

 

Her fingers lightly ran up his chest, before sliding back down to the waistband of his boxers. He inhaled sharply at the sensation. Taking his hand, she began walking backwards, leading him back to the bedroom.

 

“You are...”

 

“Insatiable? Are you complaining?” She smiled brightly.

 

Returning her smile with one of his own, he shook his head. “Not at all.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

With a smile on his face, he watched her undress before pulling his t-shirt over his head and shedding his boxers. He quickly joined her on the bed, gently pushing her into the mattress as his body covered hers.

 

Her hands roamed over his skin as his lips pulled her earlobe into his mouth. His tongue teased it as he gently nibbled on the soft flesh. She could feel the heat of his growing erection against the inside of her thigh.

 

His hand slid down her side and moved underneath her, gently raising her hips. As he shifted between her legs, a soft word from her lips made him stop.

 

“Wait...”

 

He raised his head and gazed into her darkened eyes. “Are you okay?”

 

She raised her hand and caressed his cheek before sliding her hand around to the back of his neck. Smiling, she pulled him in for a kiss. “Yes...I just...want...something else...”

 

He raised an eyebrow and a small smile played at his lips. “You sure?”

 

She gently pushed him off of her and smiled. “Oh, yeah. I’m sure.”

 

She rolled onto her stomach and pulled her knees up under her. He exhaled heavily and moved closer to her, allowing his hand to caress the skin of her back before leaning over and placing soft kisses here and there.

 

He moved behind her and, placing his hands on her hips, gently eased himself inside of her. He watched as she pushed herself up with her hands. Reaching forward, he stroked her hair as he continued with his slow thrusts.

 

She tilted her head to look at him with passion-glazed eyes. “Now, Gil...”

 

“Now?”

 

“Yes...please...now...”

 

He smiled as he pulled out of her and repositioned himself, letting the head of his cock rest against her anus. She sighed as she pushed back against him, pulling him in slowly.

 

He gripped her hips tightly, resisting the urge to thrust into her until they were both ready. She continued to push against him, pulling him into her inch by inch. A bead of sweat rolled down his chest as he watched her hips begin to rock against him.

 

She turned to look at him and gave him the smile that let him know she was ready. He returned her smile and began to slowly thrust inside of her.

 

Her head flew back and her moans began almost instantly. His eyes watched the sweat beads on her back, his fingers massaged them into her skin. He felt the sudden urge to feel her skin against his.

 

Leaning forward, he wrapped his right arm around her and pulled them both back to an upright position on their knees. Hearing her sharp intake of breath, he stopped his movement and held her body against his chest.

 

“Is this okay?” He nuzzled her neck as she leaned her head back against his shoulder.

 

“Yes...God, yes...Gil...”

 

He smiled against her skin. “I love you, Sara.”

 

He watched as her hand seemed to float towards the headboard. His hand trailed down her arm to cover hers, lacing his fingers with her long digits. He smiled as the light bounced off of their rings as her fingers tightened around the wood as her orgasm washed over her.

 

He quickened his strokes and grasped her hip tightly as he groaned her name. She came once more as he released his semen inside of her. His lips pressed soft kisses into her neck as she loosened her grip on the headboard and allowed him to lower their bodies to the mattress.

 

He gently slid his softening cock from her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his sweaty chest. “You okay, baby?”

 

Mmmm...yeah...tired...”

 

He chuckled lightly as he listened to her breathing calm slowly. “Sara?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

He noticed the sleepiness in her voice and smiled.

 

“I’m glad we don’t have to work tonight too.”

 

“I love you too, Gil...”

 

She laced her fingers with his as she allowed her eyes to close and snuggled closer to him.

 

Part LXIII

 

Signing his name to the last paper, he sighed as he closed the folder and placed it on top of the others on the left side of his desk. Another case closed quickly in Las Vegas. This case had been different though. This case had affected him. The way the father had been so nonchalant about the entire thing. He had known instantly that the father was guilty. But, he was an investigator. His job was to prove it.

 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as his mind went over the crime scene. The little girl, only 8 years old. His jaw tightened as her image invaded his brain. Strapped to the bed, cigarette burns marring her skin, the bruises covering most of her body. Blood. Dear God, so much blood. How could he have done that? His own daughter.

 

His hand clenched into a fist, his short nails digging into his palm. His mind continued to race. The autopsy had shown sexual assault. He hadn’t been surprised. The moment Doc Robbins had gone over his findings with him, he had felt his stomach tighten. He fought the urge to run from the room. The words echoed in his head.

 

“Had her throat not been slit...she would’ve died anyway, Grissom.”

 

There was nothing that could’ve saved this little girl. His eyes opened slowly and he looked back at the folder before his slightly trembling hand picked it up. Laudon, Courtney Michelle. Courtney. Such a beautiful name. He slowly went through the photographs. The ones taken of a smiling Courtney. Such a beautiful child. Long, light brown hair. Bright, blue eyes. You deserved so much more.

 

“What do you mean she would’ve died anyway?”

 

He pulled out the next picture and stared at it. It had been documented that the photo had been taken two years ago. Before Courtney’s mother had died. They seemed like a happy family. Courtney sat on her father’s lap, her smile beaming at the camera. The father’s arm wrapped around his wife. His eyes were drawn back to Courtney. This shouldn’t have happened to you.

 

“Massive hemorrhaging from the anal wall when it was ruptured. She would’ve died slowly.”

 

He closed the file and let it rest on his lap as he gazed out the window at nothing. So many children in the world. So many couples unable to have children. Why? Why did Courtney have to suffer? She could’ve been a Nobel Peace Prize winner. She could’ve been an Olympic Gold Medal winner. She could’ve been a loving wife and mother. She could’ve been anything. Instead...she’s lying in a morgue. Because of the one person who was SUPPOSED to protect her...to love her...but, instead...she’s dead. And he...that smug bastard...he smiled. We found all the evidence we needed...and more...and...he fucking smiled. God help him. He won’t last a month in prison.

 

He clenched his eyes closed and placed the folder back on top of the stack. He took small comfort in the fact that hardened criminals didn’t look kindly on child molesters...especially those who tortured, raped, and murdered their own children. He’ll pay for what he’s done...and then...he’ll rot in hell.

 

His mind drifted to Sara and his own child, slowly growing inside of her. He made a silent vow to himself that he would do anything and everything within his power to protect both of them.

 

Opening his eyes, his glanced down and noticed that a picture had fallen out of the file. Picking it up gingerly, his finger gently traced Courtney’s smiling face. “I’m sorry...”

 

Slowly, he placed the photo back into the folder and took a deep breath. Reaching for his glasses, he stood. He needed to find Sara.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

He walked down the hall with an urgency in his step. His head was pounding. The migraine was coming on fast this time.

 

Walking into the lab, he found her hunched over the microscope studying fibers from the blanket retrieved from Jack Sanders’ car. He quickly walked over to her and placed his hand on the growing bulge under her lab coat. “How’s it going?”

 

She turned her chair around and looked up at him. “We have a match...”

 

He nodded slowly, the sledgehammer in his head slamming against his skull. He knelt beside of her and let his eyes come to a rest on her abdomen. She raised her hand and gently fingered the soft curls at his temple.

 

“Hey...”

 

He looked up at her and tried to force a smile. It didn’t work. He knew that she could read him like a book.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

 

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “She...she was only eight, Sara...”

 

She rested her hand on his neck and looked into his eyes. “I know...but, you know as well as I do...she’s not in pain any longer...and...he will be taken care of...”

 

“I know...and that is the only thing keeping me from him right now.”

 

She smiled gently at him. “I love you, Gil.”

 

“I love you too. And...you know, I’ll never let something like that happen to you or our children...”

 

“I know...if there’s anything I know without question, it’s that.”

 

Her cell phone’s shrill ring broke the conversation and Grissom’s eyes closed in pain. She quickly grabbed the offending object and flipped it open. “Grissom.”

 

A small smile graced his lips. Hearing her answer the phone with his name always made him smile.

 

“Yeah, okay...thanks Greg.”

 

She closed the phone and placed it back on the table. Looking back at her husband, she found him gently rubbing his temples. “Migraine?”

 

“Yeah...”

 

She glanced at her watch and noted the time. “Okay...let me take this to Greg and we’ll head home.”

 

“Okay...I’m just...going to go get my keys and lock up the office.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

She drove them home quickly, glancing over at him often. Each time she looked at him, his eyes were closed but he was in obvious pain. And the pain seemed to worsen with each minute.

 

He allowed her to help him into the house and down the hall to their bedroom. He carefully pulled his clothes off and climbed into bed as she went into the bathroom to get the Midrin.

 

Carrying the medicine bottle and a glass of water back into the bedroom, she sat down on the edge of the bed beside of him. “How many do you need right now, honey?”

 

Lifting his hand slowly, he held up two fingers. She shook two capsules out of the bottle and placed them in his palm and handed him the water. She watched him carefully as he took the medicine and took the glass from his hand.

 

She gently eased herself from the bed and walked to the kitchen. Turning the water on in the sink, she let it run while she pulled a large bowl from the cabinet and opened the freezer and pulled out the ice bin. Emptying the ice into the bowl, she then filled it with cold water and turned off the tap.

 

She carried the bowl of ice water into the bedroom and placed it on the nightstand on her side of the bed. She looked at him carefully, studying him. His eyes were clenched in pain, small beads of sweat dotting his brow, his breathing rapid.

 

She leaned over and softly whispered, “I’ll be right back, okay?”

 

Mmm...”

 

She quickly went to the linen closet and grabbed a washcloth and made her way back to the bedroom. Gently climbing onto the bed beside of him, she dipped the cloth into the bowl...soaking it in the water that numbed her fingers slightly.

 

She gently wiped his brow, face, and neck of the sweat that had accumulated. She knew that the pills were beginning to take effect. She returned the cloth back to the water and wrung it out somewhat. Folding the cloth in the way that she knew her husband preferred, she gently placed it on his forehead.

 

Her fingers gently massaged his temples for him. She listened as his breathing slowed. She knew sleep was finding him.

 

She waited until she knew he was in a deep sleep before shedding her clothes and moving beside of him. She knew that he had been deeply affected by the case. They would have to talk about it. Funny how I’m going to have to have a talk with him about this...

 

He shifted slightly in his sleep, a small groan escaping his lips. She refreshed the cotton cloth and returned it to his forehead before snuggling against him and watching him sleep.

 

Yeah...we’ll have to talk...

 

Part LXIV

 

She woke up to an empty bed. Placing her hand on the sheet beside of her and feeling its lack of heat, she realized that he had been gone for a while. Pulling back the covers, she slipped out of bed and made her way down the hall.

 

She stopped in the living room, seeing the glass resting on the coffee table. A small amount of amber liquid still coating the inside. She sighed heavily as she heard a small crack of thunder in the distance.

 

Turning towards the balcony, she felt the gentle breeze waft in through the open door. She quietly walked towards the door and leaned against the doorframe, watching him closely.

 

He stood there, fully dressed as the rain pelted down on him. His hands resting on the railing. His head faced forward, she imagined his eyes were scanning the horizon of Las Vegas. A small flash of lightning brought his face upwards a bit. He gazed at the dark clouds covering the city.

 

She watched him as his shoulders raised slightly as he inhaled deeply, his fingers tightening around the railing in front of him. The shrill sound of an ambulance’s siren brought his eyes down to the street as he watched the vehicle make its way around the curve.

 

He tilted his head and focused on the lights of Vegas that had begun to come on in the midst of the darkening clouds. The lights really are beautiful...not as beautiful as the stars...or Sara...or...Courtney...

 

He shook his head slightly as the image of Courtney made its way back into his mind. He tilted his head upwards and closed his eyes against the rain. A slow shiver made its way through his body.

 

She silently wondered how long he had been standing there. Judging by the state of his clothes, he had been there a while. His hair was plastered in small curls against his head. Her heart ached for him. She knew he was thinking about the case. She understood. If anyone could understand, it was her.

 

His hand let go of the rail and trailed through his hair before wiping the rain from his face. She walked out onto the balcony and stopped directly behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso and resting her head against his back.

 

He turned his head slightly towards her, his voice soft. “It’s raining, you’ll get wet...”

 

Her embrace tightened and she pressed her lips into the wet fabric of his shirt. “You’re very observant, Dr. Grissom.”

 

“Sara...you don’t need to be in the rain...”

 

“Then, come back inside with me.”

 

He turned in her arms and looked at her. She didn’t fail to notice the redness of his eyes. Taking his hand, she gently led him back inside and closed the door behind them before releasing him and going to the linen closet to get a towel. He walked to the couch and pulled the blanket from the back, placing it on the cushions to prevent them from getting wet as he sat down.

 

He was refilling his glass as she entered the living room. Looking up at her, he set the glass back down on the coffee table.

 

“How many have you had?” Her voice was full of concern, gesturing to the glass as she sat down on the table in front of him.

 

“Just one...” His eyes closed as she gently began towelling his hair dry. “I...I just needed something to calm my nerves a bit...”

 

She nodded her understanding as she began unbuttoning his drenched shirt. “Gil...we need to talk.”

 

He looked into her eyes as she removed his shirt and began drying his chest. “I know.”

 

She inhaled deeply as she pulled the blanket around his shoulders. “How many times have you had this conversation with me?”

 

A thin smile appeared on his lips. “Too many times. Sara, I know...it’s just...she was so young. So full of promise. And...he took that from her. Her father took that from her.” His voice trembled slightly.

 

She took his hands in hers. “Gil...”

 

“Her father, Sara. Her father. How can a person do that? What makes a person torture a child? Any child...but their own child? Dear God...” His eyes came to rest on her stomach and he gently pulled one of his hands from her grasp, placing it gently against the small bulge.

 

“I don’t know, Gil...I really don’t know. I wish I did.”

 

She watched him as he gently pulled from her and knelt in front of her. Lowering his head to her abdomen, he placed a soft kiss and whispered, “I will never hurt you.”

 

Tears welled up in her eyes as she pulled him closer and he wrapped his arms around her, resting his head against his growing child. He shivered gently and she noticed the goosebumps appear on his flesh.

 

“Gil...come on...”

 

“Where are we going?” His voice was soft, vibrating against her skin.

 

“You’re going to the shower. You need to warm up...you’re cold.”

 

He placed another gentle kiss to her stomach and whispered something inaudible to her, something she was sure that was meant to be heard only by the larva, and stood in front of her. Leaning down, he kissed her softly on the lips. “Thank you...”

 

A small smile graced his face for a brief moment before he turned and made his way down the hall. She gently rubbed her stomach as she heard the water being turned on in the shower and smiled. “You know...your Daddy loves you very much.”

 

She stood and walked back towards the bedroom to wait for him to return.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

He stood in the doorway and watched her flip through the channels on the television. He smiled as she got frustrated and finally left it on some bizarre movie marathon and tossed the remote onto the nightstand.

 

His soft chuckle brought her eyes to the door. Their eyes met, and she smiled. “You look better.”

 

He shrugged lightly. “I feel better.”

 

He made his way to the bed and slipped in beside of her. Glancing towards the television, he winced. “What the hell are you watching?”

 

“Dawn of the Dead...stupid movie...”

 

“He just...bit that guy’s head...”

 

“Yeah...he’s a zombie...”

 

“Why are you watching this?”

 

“There’s nothing else on...”

 

“Sara...there is a DVD player over there...and a VCR...”

 

“What? You don’t like zombie movies?” She laughed lightly as he just stared at her.

 

“No...I don’t like zombie movies...” He glanced back towards the television. “Are they...in a...mall?”

 

“Yeah, they are...”

 

“Zombies...in a mall?”

 

“Yeah...”

 

“Why?”

 

“I don’t know...I told you, it’s a stupid movie...”

 

“Well...would you object if I find us a movie to watch?” He leaned over and brushed his lips against her temple, smiling against her skin.

 

She turned towards him and lifted her head slightly, capturing his lips with her own. “No...not at all...”

 

He smiled at her, kissing her once more before climbing out of bed and walking towards the rack of DVD’s. Not finding the one he wanted, he walked into the living room and found it on the shelf of the entertainment center and quickly made his way back to the bedroom.

 

After inserting the disc into the player, he climbed back into the bed and grabbed the remote.

 

“What are we watching?”

 

“Something I bought the other day...”

 

“Gil...what are we watching?”

 

“Rounders.”

 

“What’s it about?” She snuggled up against him.

 

“Poker.”

 

She looked up at him. “Poker?”

 

“Yeah...it’s a good movie...give it a chance, please.”

 

“Who’s in it?”

 

“Edward Norton, Matt Damon...”

 

“Ooh...Matt Damon? He’s cute...”

 

He looked down at her and narrowed his eyes. “What? You watch it for poker, I’ll watch it for Matt Damon...we’ll both be happy...”

 

She gently poked him in the ribs and rested her head on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her.

 

Pushing the play button, he smiled. “I do love you, Sara.”

 

“I love you too, Gil. And...this better be a good movie.”

 

He chuckled. “It is...trust me...”

 

“I do...more than you know...”

 

Part LXV

 

Halfway through the movie, she started to fidget. He looked down at her and smiled. “Don’t like the movie?”

 

“It’s not that…the movie’s okay…it’s not great, but it’s okay…”

 

“It beats zombies terrorizing shoppers in a mall…”

 

She laughed lightly and shifted again. He rubbed her back gently. “You okay?”

 

She nodded, even as she winced. “Yeah…”

 

He quickly sat up and looked at her, his concern etched into his eyes. “Sara? Are you okay?”

 

His hand instinctively went to her stomach.

 

She looked up at him and smiled. “Yeah, I am…it’s just…I have a catch in my back, that’s all.”

 

He caressed the firm flesh of her abdomen and sighed. “God, Sara…don’t scare me like that…”

 

“I’m sorry…I didn’t realize that you would think…” Her voice trailed off as his lips found hers. He resisted the urge to deepen the kiss. Instead, he commanded his lips to move slowly, savoring her taste and feel.

 

He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. “Roll over…”

 

“What?”

 

He gently pushed her shoulder, attempting to reposition her body. “Roll over…”

 

A sly grin formed on Sara’s lips. “Oh, aren’t you just romantic all of the sudden?”

 

Hearing her words, his face began to redden immediately. “Sara…that’s not…that’s not what I meant.”

 

“What did you mean?” Her grin widened slightly as she watched his skin turn a light shade of red.

 

“I meant…roll over, and I’ll…rub your back for you. I wasn’t talking about…sex…”

 

She giggled lightly and rolled onto her side with her back to him. “I know…I just like watching you get flustered…”

 

“Evil, evil woman…”

 

“Yeah…but…you love the evilness…don’t deny it.”

 

His flesh returning to its normal hue, he grinned. “Couldn’t if I wanted to…now, where does it hurt?”

 

She shuddered lightly as she felt his warm hands on her skin, gently rubbing her shoulderblades. “Lower…my lower back…”

 

She inhaled sharply as his fingers moved down her back, just barely touching her skin. His hands came to a rest at the small of her back and his movements halted. He leaned forward until his lips were dangerously close to her ear, she could feel his warm breath tickling the pinna slightly.

 

“Here?” His voice was soft and low, if she didn’t know better she would almost think he was seducing her.

 

Not trusting her voice at the moment, she merely gave him a small affirmative groan. She could feel him smile as his hands began to gently knead the knot in her muscle away. She sighed as he spread his hands and placed gentle pressure against her spine with his thumbs as he slowly made his way up her back.

 

As his hands reached the middle of her back, he stayed there. His thumbs pressing gently against her spine, rubbing in small circles, as the tips of his fingers rested against her ribs. Involuntarily, she arched her back into him, gasping at the contact.

 

“Does that feel good, Sara?” His voice had lowered even more, sending a chill screaming through her body.

 

“Mm-hmm.”

 

He smiled at her sudden lack of verbal communication. He allowed his tongue to gently caress her pinna for a brief moment before he blew a soft puff of cool air across it, effectively causing her to push her body into his.

 

His lips made a lazy path down the side of her neck, causing a moan to emanate from her throat. He grinned against her skin as he slipped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against his chest.

 

His hand caressed her stomach as he continued his loving assault on her neck and ear. “Oh God…”

 

He licked his way back up her neck and softly whispered in her ear. “Do you want me to stop?”

 

“No…please…don’t…”

 

He moved his hand to her hip and placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder before moving back to her ear. “Tell me what you want, Sara.”

 

“Oh God…you, Gil…you…”

 

He raised his head slightly from hers, allowing her to turn her face towards him. He leaned back down, placing a soft kiss on her lips before his tongue began to lick across the sensitive flesh. Her lips parted slightly as the groan escaped. He didn’t waste the opportunity.

 

He gently sucked her bottom lip, teasing it, before releasing it and slipping his tongue into her mouth. He ran the tip of his tongue underneath hers, coaxing it into his mouth. He didn’t fail to notice that it didn’t really take much coaxing. He could feel his erection straining against the material of his boxers as she rocked her hips back against him.

 

He gently shifted his body, causing her back to roll onto the mattress beneath him. His lips never left hers, his tongue probing deeply into her mouth. Her fingers stroked the curls wrapped around them as she pulled him closer.

 

Reaching between them, he quickly freed his throbbing erection from his boxers and pushed them down his thighs as the tip of her tongue flicked against the roof of his mouth. She felt the moan in his chest as she lifted her legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her aching core.

 

He slipped inside of her easily and was silently grateful that she was already close to her orgasm, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to hold on for very long this time. He felt her breath catch in her chest and reluctantly pulled his mouth from hers.

 

His own breath ragged, he was able to get out two words. “You...okay?”

 

She forced her lids open and stared at his darkened blue eyes through her glazed brown irises. “Oh...yeah...”

 

Her nails dug into the back of his neck as she tightened her legs around him, urging him. A bead of sweat dropped from his drenched hair to land in the hollow of her neck. Dipping his head, he lapped it up quickly before sucking the sensitive flesh into his mouth as he quickened his thrusts.

 

He felt her walls clench around him and heard her moan his name. Smiling to himself, he kept going. Her hands moved from his neck to the backs of his shoulders, her nails leaving slightly red, raised trails in their wake. He felt her body shudder beneath him, and this time she screamed his name.

 

Winding her fingers in his wet curls, she pulled his face to hers. Her voice was low and demanding. “Come...for me...”

 

He groaned as he plunged his tongue into her mouth, revelling in the sensation of her teeth scraping across the surface before sucking on the proffered muscle. He felt her fluids gush around him as he came forcefully inside of her.

 

Slowly, their movements ceased and their demanding kisses became soft and gentle once more. He carefully eased himself out of her and laid down beside her. Reaching over, he ran a trembling hand through her damp hair.

 

“So...how does your back feel?”

 

She looked into his shining eyes and grinned. “All better.”

 

His grin matched hers as he leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. As he pulled away, she snuggled closer to him and glanced at the television. Seeing the credits rolling across the screen she smiled.

 

“So...how does the movie end?”

 

He chuckled lightly. “Not telling...we’ll have to watch it again sometime.”

 

“Okay...” She reached for the remote and he gently touched her arm.

 

“But...for now, can we just hold each other and sleep for a while?”

 

Smiling brightly, she rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arm around him. “You know...I like that idea even more.”

 

Part LXVI

 

He smiled brightly at her as she walked into the living room. She returned his smile and sat down beside of him on the couch. He leaned down and finished tying his shoes before looking back at her.

 

“You feel like going somewhere with me?”

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Well...I thought maybe we could go...shopping...today.”

 

A mischievous grin appeared on her lips. “FantasyWare?”

 

He shook his head and chuckled. “And you say I’m insatiable. No...I had something else in mind actually.”

 

“Oh? Like what?”

 

He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “It’s a surprise. Will you come with me?”

 

She grinned and pulled her shoes on. Tossing the keys to the Tahoe to him, her eyes sparkled. “Let’s go...”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

She turned to look at him as he pulled into the parking lot and switched the ignition off. Her gap-toothed smile blinding him with love. “Baby Depot?”

 

He gave her a wink and placed his hand on her stomach, caressing the growing bulge lovingly. “I thought...maybe we could...you know...start working on the nursery for the larva.”

 

“Have I told you lately that I love you?” Her hand covered his and squeezed gently.

 

“Yeah...but, I never get tired of hearing it. Come on...”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Entering the building, he grabbed a cart and looked at her. “You okay?”

 

She nodded quickly and smiled. “Yes, I am. What are we getting today?”

 

He shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head. “I don’t know...whatever we see that we like. I was thinking maybe getting wallpaper, borders, paint...” He stifled a laugh as he saw her face drop slightly. “And...a crib, sheets, toys...”

 

Her eyes lit up instantly. “Really? You don’t think...it’s too soon?”

 

Smiling, he shook his head. “No, I don’t. Come on...let’s go find the larva a bed...”

 

They walked slowly up and down the aisles examining everything closely, taking turns dropping different items into the cart. Baby monitor, blankets, bottles, pacifiers. He smiled as she stopped in front of the swings. She looked over each one carefully, as did he.

 

“I kinda like this one.” She pointed towards a GRACO. “What do you think?”

 

He read the details and looked at her. “Six speeds? Why does a baby need a swing with six speeds? I don’t know Sara...”

 

She knew that he’d never feel safe with that particular swing after that comment. She almost felt like discussing it further with him, but she knew it would be pointless. She grinned and nodded at him. She actually found it very sweet that he would think about such things.

 

“Well...which one do you like?”

 

He looked over the selection again and one caught his eye that he hadn’t seen upon first inspection. He grinned broadly and motioned towards it. “That one...”

 

She chuckled softly. “I should have known.”

 

He looked at her, clearly perplexed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“You, the Entomologist...this swing, John Lennon...” She read over the features list on the swing. “You know...this thing plays music...”

 

“Yeah? What...a Beatles playlist?”

 

Laughing, she shook her head and looked at him. “No...it has 10 classical songs programmed into it.”

 

His eyes widened. “See? John Lennon, classical music...what do you say?”

 

“I say...let’s get it...it has Larva Grissom written all over it...”

 

Grabbing the box, he slid it into the cart after shifting around the other items. His eyes twinkled at her. “Come on...let’s go look at cribs.”

 

She couldn’t help but laugh at his sudden giddiness. He had suddenly turned into a 6 year old boy in a candy store. Or, in his case...a 6 year old boy with a chemistry set.

 

They quickly made their way over to the furniture department. They studied each one carefully. He sighed softly.

 

“What’s wrong?” Her concerned tone broke his thoughts.

 

“Nothing...it’s just...I want it to be perfect.”

 

Her heart swelled and her eyes suddenly filled with tears of pure love. “You are just...sweet...you know that?”

 

He blushed lightly. “Don’t start crying on me again...”

 

“I won’t...it’s just that you’re so into this.” She gestured around them.

 

“I’m into you and our child.” He smiled warmly at her. “Are you going to help me here?”

 

It took them over an hour to pick it out. As he had said, it had to be perfect. And...they would know the one when they saw it. Of course, it was the last one they looked at...but neither of them seemed to mind the time it took to find it.

 

They stood and stared at the floor model. Taking a quick glance at each other, they smiled and quickly began inspecting the Millennium IV more closely.

 

Sara ran her hand across the sleigh crib as Grissom spouted off the features. “5-in-1...crib to toddler bed, to full-size bed, to full-size bed and love seat.” He looked at her, his blue eyes sparkling as he continued. “Single dropside, five position mattress support, made of real wood...cherry, at that...Sara?”

 

She nodded. “This is it, Gil...this one.”

 

He gave her a quick wink and went to find someone to help them. He came back, with a young man following him, to find her in the same position. Her hand caressing the cherry railing, her smile bright.

 

The young man filled out a slip of paper and handed it to Grissom. “Just take this to the cashier and we’ll have it outside for you when you’re finished shopping.”

 

Grissom took the paper and smiled. “Thank you for your help...” He glanced at the boy’s nametag. “...Sean.”

 

“My pleasure, sir.” Sean returned the older man’s smile and called for another man to help him load a boxed crib onto a pallet jack. “We’ll load it into your vehicle when you’re ready, sir.”

 

“Thanks again, Sean.” Grissom nodded and turned to his wife. “Sara? You ready?”

 

She smiled and moved away from the crib. “We need a mattress, sheets...and we might as well go ahead and get the wallpaper and such...”

 

Sean heard her and motioned towards the crib mattresses. “Ma’am, the mattresses are over there. If you’d like to go ahead and pick one out we’ll take it too.”

 

They made their way to the mattresses and picked one out fairly quickly. Grissom took the second purchase slip from Sean as Sara took his hand.

 

“Bedding...come on...”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

They stood in the aisle and stared at the selection. “Gil...we haven’t decided on a theme for the nursery...”

 

“Well, we have...Winnie the Pooh...”

 

“No...”

 

“Mickey Mouse?”

 

She shook her head slowly.

 

“Noah’s Ark...”

 

She chuckled. “No.”

 

“Bears...”

 

She sighed heavily. “No...no, not bears...”

 

She looked further down the aisle and something caught her eye. She walked quickly towards it and stopped in front of it, a huge smile forming on her face. “Gil?”

 

He turned to look at her and she motioned for him to join her.

 

“Look...” She pointed at the bedding she had discovered. “What do you think?”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

She nodded quickly. “I think it’s perfect.” She picked up the sheet set and ran her fingers across it. “Jitterbug...for the larva...”

 

Her eyes scanned the section quickly. “And...the border...look! It has butterflies, bees, and dragonflies...”

 

She turned to look at him, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. “Please?”

 

He smiled widely and nodded. “Yes...you know I love it...”

 

She quickly loaded the bedding set into the cart as he picked up the Jitterbug Musical Mobile. “Sara?”

 

She took the box from his hand and put it in the nearly loaded shopping cart. They picked one of everything in the Jitterbug section. She looked at him in puzzlement as he started laughing.

 

“What?”

 

“I was just thinking.”

 

“What?” She continued picking up Jitterbug items and placing them in the cart.

 

“You know that everyone is going to think this was my idea...bugs for the nursery theme...”

 

Her laughter joined his. “Yeah...but...no one will be surprised.”

 

Part LXVII

 

With their recent purchases loaded into the Tahoe, Grissom climbed in behind the wheel and turned the ignition. His eyes found the rearview mirror and a smile appeared as he looked over the items resting in the back.

 

Her warm hand on his thigh brought his attention to her. Giving her a broad smile, he placed his hand over hers.

 

Her eyes glistened as she leaned over and kissed him softly. He returned her kiss, quickly replacing the softness with passion. She moaned lightly as his tongue gently prodded her lips open and slid inside.

 

Realizing they were still in a public parking lot, he tenderly squeezed her hand and pulled from the kiss. He smiled at her whimper and traced her lips with his thumb. “Sorry...I...got a little carried away there.”

 

She looked at him, her eyes glazed slightly. “Thank you, Gil.”

 

“For kissing you? Sara...”

 

She shook her head slowly and smiled, gesturing towards the back of the vehicle. “No...for this. For all of this. It’s just...” Her words left her with a happy sigh.

 

A light shade of red covered his face. “Well...you don’t have to thank me for that either. I enjoyed it too.” He exhaled softly and placed his hand on her stomach. “I wish it was the end of August...”

 

“Not much longer now, babe.” She shifted in her seat and grimaced.

 

“You okay?”

 

“Mm-hm. Time for Larval Aerobics, apparently.”

 

He grinned as he felt a soft kick against his hand. “That’s my boy...” He glanced up into Sara’s eyes. “Or...girl...”

 

She laughed softly. “Are you sure that you don’t want to find out the sex?”

 

He caressed her stomach until the larva began to calm down. “I’m positive. I want this to be a surprise.”

 

She smiled brightly at him and nodded. “Okay...if you’re sure.”

 

“Uh-huh. I’m sure.” Not feeling any more movement from Grissomonius parvulus, he removed his hand and shifted the transmission into gear.

 

As he pulled out the parking lot and headed home, she turned to him. “Gil?”

 

“Yeah, honey?”

 

“Can we stop by Wal-Mart on the way home? I need to pick up a few things...”

 

He gave her a quick glance and a crooked smile.

 

“I know you don’t like Wal-Mart...but, please? It’ll only take a few minutes, I promise...”

 

He chuckled softly. “Sure, honey...a few minutes, right. But...we’ll go.”

 

She replied with a gentle smack to his arm.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Again, he found himself behind a shopping cart. A few things...a few minutes... He glanced at his watch. Since when is 45 minutes, a few?  He looked into the cart as she dropped another item in.

 

He followed her up and down the aisles. Why do we need ten rolls of paper towels? For that matter, why do we need twenty rolls of toilet paper?

 

A small child darted out in front of him. Grissom watched the little boy run up and down the aisles, unsupervised. He continued to watch the little boy. He shook his head slowly as the child began pulling things off the shelf and dropping them to the floor.

 

He watched as the boy’s mother walked around the corner. “Timmy! You know better than that!”

 

The woman took the boy’s hand and led him down the aisle. “When we get home, young man, it’s “time-out” for you!”

 

Grissom shook his head as he watched Timmy hold back a smile.

 

He calmly walked over to the mess after Timmy and his mother left and began replacing the items on the shelf.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

He looked up to see Sara smiling down at him. “What Timmy’s mother should’ve done...”

 

She chuckled softly and ruffled his hair a bit. “Look what I found...”

 

A smile replaced his frustration as she pulled her hand out from behind her back to reveal a stuffed beetle. “Any Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches?”

 

She laughed loudly. “No...and even if I had found a roach, I wouldn’t buy it. It’ll give the larva nightmares...”

 

He grinned as he stood and took the beetle from her hand, running his fingers over the plush toy. “They didn’t give me nightmares...”

 

“Yeah...well, you’re weird too...”

 

“I’m not weird...I’m an Entomologist...”

 

“You weren’t an Entomologist when you were a baby...”

 

“Sure I was...I just didn’t know it yet...”

 

She laughed and took the stuffed animal from his hands and dropped it in the basket. “You ready to go?”

 

He narrowed his eyes playfully at her. “Do you really have to ask?”

 

He was rewarded with another playful smack on his arm.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

He shifted impatiently from one foot to the other as the clerk rang up the items for the shoppers in front of him. He absently reached over to the candy rack and tossed a tin of Altoids on top of everything else in the cart.

 

He turned to say something to Sara, only to find her not there. He looked around as he began emptying the cart onto the small conveyor belt.

 

The clerk’s chipper voice broke him from his thoughts. “Good afternoon, sir. Did you find everything okay?”

 

He smiled at the young woman in front of him. “Well, my wife did...”

 

The clerk gave a short laugh and continued ringing up his items.

 

“Hey...look what I found...”

 

“There you are. I thought I was going to have to send a search party after you.”

 

He looked down at her hand and quickly began to blush. “Altoid Strips?”

 

“Yeah...they’re new. Same great taste, just...dissolve quicker.” She leaned up and whispered in his ear. “Wanna see if they have the same results?”

 

His blush deepened as he took the blister pack from her hand and handed it to the clerk. “Uh...these too...”

 

The woman couldn’t help but smile. She had no idea why he was blushing like he was, but...she had to admit...it was quite adorable to see an older man turn red.

 

Grissom quickly handed her his credit card, glancing carefully at Sara. He recognized the look in her eyes immediately.

 

He scribbled his signature across the bottom of the slip and took his receipt from the clerk.

 

“Have a good day, sir.”

 

“Uh...yeah...you too.” He gave the woman a lopsided grin and began pushing the cart towards the door.

 

He felt her arm move around his waist. “Thanks Gil. I know you hate Wal-Mart...”

 

He laughed softly. “Nah...I don’t hate Wal-Mart...”

 

She carefully helped him load the bags into the back seat and laughed.

 

“Liar...”

  

Part LXVIII

 

She watched him as he sat in the middle of what was quickly becoming the nursery. She smiled as he read the directions carefully before pulling out various nuts and bolts. He glanced up at her, fully aware that he was being watched.

 

“What?”

 

She shook her head and chuckled as she made her way into the room and eased herself down beside of him. “Nothing. It’s just...you’re reading the directions...”

 

He looked at her, thoroughly confused. “And?”

 

“It’s just...seeing a man read directions to anything...I find it humorous.”

 

He grinned and leaned over to place a soft kiss on her lips. “Well, I’m not the average man...”

 

“No...no, you’re definitely not.” She laughed gently. “Need any help?”

 

He thought for a moment, and then nodded. “Actually, if you wouldn’t mind laying the parts out...that would save me a lot of time.”

 

“Okay.” She smiled at him as he went back to reading.

 

With a sigh, she began pulling out wooden pieces and arranging them by size across the floor in front of them. He looked up from the booklet in his hands and smiled lovingly at her.

 

“Sara?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I was wondering something...”

 

She turned to look at him. “Oh?”

 

“Yeah...have you thought about...names?”

 

She grinned and moved back into her spot on the floor beside of him. “Actually, I have...you?”

 

He nodded as he laid the booklet on the floor beside of him. “Would you like to talk about it?”

 

Her gap-toothed smile shone brightly as she nodded enthusiastically. He chuckled at her response. Pushing himself backwards to lean against the wall, he pulled her into his arms. “Girl or boy names first?”

 

“Hmm...girl.”

 

“Okay...I was thinking maybe...Bambi...”

 

She pushed herself off of him and looked at him in horror. “What?!”

 

He laughed heartily and pulled her back. “I’m...just...joking. Though, it would be cute...”

 

“Gilbert!”

 

His body shook with laughter. “Seriously, I was just joking, Sara. I was actually thinking of maybe Anthea as a middle name. I haven’t been able to come up with a first name.”

 

She narrowed her eyes, still trying to calm down from Bambi. “Anthea?”

 

He nodded and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. “It means...like a flower. It reminded me of you.”

 

She blushed lightly. “I like that...I do. So...we’d need to come up with a first name, then...”

 

He looked at her cautiously. “Sara...there is something we need to discuss first...”

 

“What?”

 

“Uh...no hippy-ish names, okay? Save the Whales Grissom just doesn’t sound right...”

 

She smacked his arm with a little more force than she intended. “Hippy-ish? Just because my parents were...hippies...does NOT mean that I like ‘hippy-ish’ names! But...just for that comment, I’m thinking...Snowphish...or...Windsong...”

 

He cringed and shuddered violently. “Sara...”

 

“Yeah...Snowphish Anthea Grissom...yeah...I like that. Now, for a boy’s name...”

 

“Sara!”

 

She gave him a wink and a smile. “Well, you wanted Bambi...”

 

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Okay...okay...so, let’s be serious for a moment then? What would you consider as a first name for a girl?”

 

She grinned broadly. “Erin.”

 

He tilted his head and thought about it. “Erin Anthea Grissom?”

 

She nodded silently as he went through the name in his head.

 

“We’d call her Erin, wouldn’t we?”

 

Again she nodded.

 

“Erin Grissom...it sounds...nice...very nice.”

 

“You like it?”

 

He smiled at her and kissed her lips tenderly. “Yes...I do.”

 

“So...we’ve named a girl?”

 

“Yeah...we have. Erin Anthea.”

 

“Okay...now, the hard one. A boy’s name...”

 

“Hard? I was thinking...maybe Ferris Michael...”

 

She just looked at him dumbfounded. “Gil, please tell me you’re joking again.”

 

“Um...okay...Ferris Emory?”

 

“Michael was not  the problem in that name...”

 

“What’s wrong with Ferris?”

 

“Oh...nothing except...wheel...Bueller...”

 

Bueller?”

 

“Don’t tell me you haven’t seen that movie...”

 

“Actually...no...”

 

“Nevermind...I am not  naming my son Ferris. Even if it weren’t for Bueller. Kids can be cruel...they’ll call him Ferris Wheel...” She looked at him for a moment. “Didn’t kids ever make fun of your name when you were young?”

 

He shrugged and shook his head. “Not that I know of...but, I didn’t pay much attention to them. I wasn’t exactly the most popular child in school.”

 

She looked at him, suddenly feeling sadness fill her heart for him. “I’m sorry. I forgot...”

 

He smiled and caressed her cheek. “Don’t be...I preferred it that way, honestly. So...Ferris is out...Michael is in?”

 

“I like Michael. I like Michael a lot. What about...Liam Michael?”

 

He shook his head violently. “No...not Liam. Greg will think we named the larva after him.”

 

A loud burst of laughter emanated from her. “Oh my God! I had forgotten all about the Greg Sanders/Liam Gallagher thing. Yeah...Liam is definitely out!”

 

She thought for a moment and a smile graced her lips. “You know...I have a favorite uncle. He was always there for me. And...I always loved his name.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Delaney O’Brien Sidle...”

 

“Very Irish name...”

 

She shrugged her shoulders. “Very Irish family...”

 

“So...what are you thinking?”

 

“Well, I love the name Delaney...but, Delaney Grissom...no...”

 

He nodded in agreement. “But...I do like O’Brien...”

 

She looked up at him, her chocolate eyes sparkling. “Michael O’Brien Grissom?” 

 

“I love it, Sara...I really do.”

 

A tear rolled down her cheek and she sniffled lightly.

 

“Hey, honey...are you okay?” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her tears from her skin.

 

“Yeah...I’m wonderful. Do you...do you realize that we just named our larva?”

 

“We’re one step closer, honey. And...it’s getting close to the end of May...”

 

She raised her head and gazed into his eyes.

 

“In three months, we’ll know if we have an Erin or a Michael.”

 

A new flood of tears streaked her skin. “Gil...do you know how incredibly sweet you can be?”

 

His thumb gently brushed her tears away. He glanced around the room and smiled. “You know...I really hope that the larva likes bugs. Considering that...well...his or her room is going to be insect infected.”

 

She giggled lightly and sniffed. “Well, with Dr. Gil Grissom as his or her father...I think it might be a given that he or she will like bugs...”

 

“Thank you, Sara.”

 

She leaned back and tilted her head. “For what, babe?”

 

“For making me realize what life really is.”

 

She leaned into him and covered his mouth with her own. He gently pulled her onto his lap as he pushed his tongue across the threshold of her lips. She could feel his erection growing underneath her. She ground her hips against him, relishing in his moan at her contact.

 

She reluctantly broke the kiss and looked at him. “You know...if we don’t stop, we’re not going to get the crib together...”

 

His hands held her hips tightly as he pushed gently against her, suddenly wishing that their barrier of clothes was non-existent. His lips found her neck and made a slow path to her earlobe.

 

“I...really think...it’ll be okay...if we take a break...from construction...just for a while.”

 

Mmm...yeah, I do too...and...we do have something new to try...”

 

He pulled back and looked into her eyes, silently questioning her.

 

“Strips...”

 

He closed his eyes and held her tighter against his erection. “Yeah...Altoid Strips...I definitely think that a break is in order...uh...right now.”

 

She licked his neck and ground against him one last time before shifting her weight to get up. She smiled at his frustrated groan.

 

“Come on, babe...let’s go to bed for a little while...”

 

Part LXIX

 

He closed the bedroom door behind them and began unbuttoning his shirt. She looked at him with a puzzled look.

 

“Gil?”

 

“Yeah, honey?”

 

“Um...why do you always close the bedroom door? I mean, it’s just us here.”

 

He looked over his shoulder at the closed door and smiled. “Paranoia, I guess.”

 

She pulled her shirt over her head and smiled as his hand caressed her protruding belly. “Paranoia. Interesting. Why?”

 

He knelt in front of her, placing soft kisses across her abdomen as he worked her pants down. “Catherine walked in one time...a long time ago. Strip Strangler case...”

 

“She just...walked in?” She gasped lightly as his tongue slid along her inner thigh.

 

“Mm-hm. Apparently, I had forgotten to lock the door.” He looked up at her and smiled. “Since then, I always close the doors. Even if I’m sure that I’ve locked the front door. Paranoia...”

 

He stood in front of her and rid himself of his own pants before gently pushing her backwards towards the bed. She pulled him down beside of her and carefully climbed on top of him.

 

“Yeah...that could be...an interesting situation...if she were to just walk in...”

 

His eyes closed as she leaned down and took his nipple into her mouth. “Sara?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Can we...please...not talk...about Catherine...right now?”

 

She giggled lightly as she released his flesh and moved to tease his neck with her tongue. “I think I can manage not talking about her...I have...other things in mind anyway...”

 

Climbing off of him, she knelt beside of his head and pulled the small tin from the nightstand. He grinned up at her as she slid the cover open.

 

“So...who gets the honor first?”

 

She winked at him and smiled widely. “Actually, I thought maybe we could experience this together.”

 

Pulling out two small strips, she held one of them out to him. “Are you sure? It could be a little...awkward...and possibly uncomfortable for you...with the larva...”

 

“Lay on your side, Gil...”

 

He quickly changed his position and smiled. “Okay...so, why haven’t I thought of this?”

 

She chuckled lightly and held the strip closer to him. “Open up, babe...”

 

He opened his mouth and watched her pop one of the strips into her mouth as she placed the other on his tongue. He inhaled sharply at the sudden burn of strong peppermint on his sensitive taste buds.

 

Smiling, she laid down beside of him and blew a cool, mint-scented breath across the head of his erection. He groaned as he felt her tongue circle him teasingly. Parting her legs slightly, he moved his head in between her thighs. She moaned against his flesh as his tongue gently circled her clitoris.

 

Neither willing to wait much longer, they engulfed one another in perfect sync. His tongue lapped at her aching clit as he held it gently between his teeth. Her mouth sucked him in greedily, her tongue tickling the underside of his hardened shaft.

 

She moaned against him as the mint-induced heat found it’s way inside of her along with his tongue. Her soft moan vibrated against his cock, eliciting a groan from his throat. He plunged his tongue inside of her as his hands held her hips tightly against him. He fought the urge to thrust his pelvis against her bobbing head.

 

She threw her head back, her teeth scraping along his sensitive flesh. He groaned into her as he slipped from her mouth. Her soft hand encircled him, stroking him rapidly as her body began that familiar quiver. He held her as still as he possibly could as he continued to thrust his tongue in and out. Feeling her walls begin to contract around him, he pulled his tongue from her and clamped his mouth down on her clit, sucking the throbbing nub as hard as he could. She screamed his name and tightened her grip on his cock as she flooded his face with her fluids.

 

He lovingly licked her clean before pulling his head from between her legs and his throbbing erection from her hand. He smiled at her soft whimper and rolled her onto her back. Shifting his position, he leaned over her and kissed her lips softly. She hungrily sucked his tongue into her mouth as he pushed himself inside of her.

 

Her slick walls gripped him tightly and pulled him in further. He slowly thrust into her, pressing against her g-spot with each stroke. Pulling his tongue from her mouth, he buried his head into the crook of her neck.

 

Her fingers dug into his back as she met his thrusts.

 

“Please...Gil...harder...” Her voice was a soft whisper in his ear.

 

He pushed himself up with his hands to a kneeling position between her legs. He grasped her hips as he began to quicken his strokes.

 

“Is this...what you want?”

 

She was able to muster a nod, but no words. His thrusts became more forceful as he urged her to come again. His right hand left her hip and slid slowly towards her breast. He caressed the soft mound of flesh before taking the nipple between his thumb and index finger, pinching gently.

 

Her response was a loud groan and a sudden buck of her hips against him. He closed his eyes and bit his lip, trying desperately to maintain control. He quickly realized that it was a lost cause.

 

Carefully, he leaned over her and took her nipple into his mouth. He sucked the hardened nub forcefully as he drove into her. He felt her clench around him. He heard his name being called repeatedly. He released her nipple and pushed himself back up. With one more hard thrust, he felt her body shudder beneath him. He felt her hot fluid smothering his cock. It was too much for him, he realized he couldn’t hold on any longer.

 

Plunging one last time into her, he grunted her name and allowed himself release. He fell forward, catching himself with his hands on the mattress on either side of her body before his full weight crashed down on her.

 

Her fingers found his sweat-drenched hair and pulled him down for a kiss. Their tongues mingled with one another as he rolled them onto their sides, unwilling to leave the warmth just yet. He remained buried inside of her as she rested her leg across his hip.

 

Breaking the kiss, she snuggled against his sweaty chest and whimpered lightly as she felt him slide out of her. He held her tightly against him as they waited for their racing pulses to calm. His hand rested against the small of her back, rubbing small circles in the sweat from her exertion.

 

It was then that he felt an odd sensation. He waited for a moment trying to place what he had just felt.

 

Once more he felt it and suddenly realized what it was. He chuckled softly into her hair.

 

“What?”

 

“I...think you woke the larva up...”

 

She laughed sleepily. “Me? What makes you think it wasn’t you ?”

 

He blushed lightly, though it couldn’t be seen for the post-coitus flush that had taken residence over his skin. “Maybe...it was both of us...”

 

His hand gently rubbed her stomach where the kicks were originating. He smiled as he felt one last kick before the small being inside of his wife settled back down.

 

“So...you want to help me try to get the crib together now?”

 

When she didn’t answer him, he leaned back slightly to look down at her. He grinned as he saw that her eyes were closed and her breathing pattern began to change. She muttered something incoherent to his ears and snuggled closer to him.

 

His grin was replaced by a small frown. Realizing that he should’ve been able to hear what she had said, he began to listen closely to the sounds around him. He could feel her breathing against him. But, he couldn’t hear her soft breaths. He could feel her pull the sheet up around them. But, he couldn’t hear the soft rustle of the cotton.

 

Sadness suddenly began to fill his mind.

 

I really need to have the surgery...

 

Her face turned upwards and her eyes slowly opened to look at him. “Yes...you do...”

 

“What?”

 

“You really should have the surgery, Gil...”

 

“How did you know...” His voice trailed off as he realized that he had actually spoken his thought, but hadn’t heard his own voice.

 

She reached up and caressed his cheek and placed a tender kiss on his lips. “It’ll be okay, Gil...I promise. It will...”

 

“You don’t know that, Sara. I could lose what hearing I do have...”

 

“Small chance, babe...and...I don’t believe in small chances. You know that.”

 

He sighed heavily and ran his fingers through her hair. “I’ll call the doctor tomorrow.”

 

“Good. Want me to go with you?”

 

He shook his head slowly and smiled. “No...it’ll be okay, right?”

 

She returned his smile. “Yes...it will be...”

 

“Okay then...let’s take a short nap...and then...”

 

“We have a crib to get together.”

 

He chuckled gently. “Yes...we do.”

 

She snuggled back against his chest and smiled as she felt him relax.

  

It wasn’t long before they were both fast asleep.



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