Dayshift had been on the clock for more than an hour when graveyard was just finishing up a busy night of mayhem in Sin City. In the break room, discussing the night’s cases, were the men and women of the night crew. Catherine sat at the head of the glossy table reading the morning newspaper while Warrick, Nick and Greg argued about who had had the most difficult case in the last twenty-four hours.

            Warrick took his paper cup of coffee and sat down at the table to Catherine’s right, deciding he was tired of the pointless argument that Greg had drawn him into. He’d leave it to Nick to fight with the youngest CSI over the whole ridiculous thing. It had been a long shift and he was just taking a moment to unwind before heading out.

            This is how Grissom found his team as he entered the room, heading straight to the coffeepot with several files in his hand. He raised an eyebrow at the over exaggerated gestures of Nick and Greg as they discussed the difficulties in their cases. He had learned long ago that instances like that were best ignored, especially if they involved Greg Sanders. If he asked he’d only be drug down some ludicrous rat hole that would rival Wonderland in weirdness.

            “Hey Gris,” Warrick greeted as the man poured his coffee.

            Grissom let his amused gaze travel from Nick and Greg to Warrick. “Good work on that body dump,” he complimented, resting a hip against the counter as he sipped his coffee.

            “Thanks, but next time Catherine gets to jump in Lake Mead in October,” Warrick complained half-heartedly.

            Catherine lowered the paper to look at the protesting man at her right. “Stop your whining. I told you the dive team could take care of it,” Catherine chastised “besides I didn’t hear any of them complaining.”

            “Ha! They had insulated dive suits!” Warrick smiled as he answered Catherine’s challenge indignantly.

            Grissom smiled lopsidedly as he watched the interaction between Warrick and Catherine. Catherine was right about the dive team but he would never say it, the smug factor would rise considerably. At the same time he appreciated Warrick’s due diligence to his job but he would never say anything to him in front of Catherine. He chose his battles with Catherine wisely and this would not be a wise battle.

            “Baby.”

            Grissom choked on his coffee. “What?” he asked startled.

            Catherine frowned at Grissom’s reaction, sometimes the man’s behavior bordered on the bizarre. Sometimes? Catherine questioned her choice of words, even if it was to herself. “Baby, as in Warrick is being a baby,” she answered almost annoyed as she gave him that Catherine “you’ve peaked my curiosity” look.

            Grissom was saved from Catherine’s scrutiny when Sara walked through the break room door. She had gotten off work early for a doctor’s appointment but had returned with case file in hand to turn into Grissom. She was still dressed for outdoors having not removed her dark peacoat. Probably doing an in and out, Grissom thought as he tried to miter his smile as she approached him.

            “Hey Sara, fun time at the doctor’s office?” Catherine asked noticing the other woman’s barely contained grin.

            Sara noticed Warrick’s questioning look as she handed the folder to Grissom. Grissom pushed himself up from the counter and set his coffee cup down as he took the folder from Sara. His heart rate was rising as he stole another glance at Sara. Her eyes were twinkling and he could feel the excitement in her even though she stood casually before him. It was the same excitement that had been coursing through him, like an electrical storm, ever since she had left earlier that morning.

            “Yes,” Sara answered Catherine but she kept her eyes on Grissom as he opened up the file she gave him.

            By this time Sara and Grissom’s behavior had caught the attention of every one in the room. It wasn’t as if the two were not prone to unusual behavior, the two had raised the bar on it to such a degree that it took a moment like that which was unfolding before them to truly catch the team’s attention.

            “Wha…”

            Before Catherine could quiz the two on what was going on Grissom’s eye’s fluttered and rolled back in his head. Warrick’s quick reflexes and Sara slowing his fall saved the man from banging his head on the floor as he fainted dead away.

            Warrick and Sara laid the unconscious Grissom out as Catherine took his radial pulse. It seemed fast at first but had slowed to normal by the time she was done.

            “Is he okay?” Nick asked worriedly from behind the hunched down Warrick.

            “Pulse is okay,” Catherine said as she put the back of her hand to Grissom’s forehead “temperature seems fine too.”

            Sara, although concerned, smiled whimsically. She had seen this happen once before and knew Grissom would be just fine. “He’s okay, just give him some air,” she said as she rose from her crouch next to the fallen man.

            The other four CSIs looked at her in surprise. Her casual tone seemed completely out of character for Sara. Generally if it involved Grissom, Sara could barely contain her concern. Seeing four sets of eyes honed in on her Sara explained, “He’s done this once before.”

            Catherine stood up, a frown creasing her forehead as she looked to the younger woman. “Grissom’s passed out before? When?” Catherine’s concern was laced with anger and it was apparent in both her body language and her tone.

            Sara could see that she was going to have to handle this one alone. At least she and Grissom had discussed it earlier and had agreed that at the beginning of the next shift they would come clean with their coworkers and friends. What’s twelve and half hours among friends, Sara thought her lips pursed together to control the ear to ear grin that was about to break out over her face. Of course Grissom was supposed to be upright and conscious when it happened.

            From the looks on everyone’s face Sara knew she was going to have to go it alone. Hopefully Grissom would make a special guest star appearance before it was all through. Taking a deep breath she began.

            “Grissom and I have been seeing each other…outside of work.” Stunned faces stared back at Sara. “As a couple,” she continued hoping to break the unblinking stares before her “for awhile.”

            The last seemed to break the spell as Nick clapped his hands and crowed, “I knew it, pay up Greggo!”

            Warrick’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Sara, “OH-HO-HO,” he said stepping carefully over Grissom’s legs to give Sara a congratulatory peck on the cheek. “It’s about time.”

            Catherine folded her arms across her chest as she looked at Sara. Her face was a mixture of annoyance, petulance and smug satisfaction. She had been pushing Gil at Sara for years, if for no other reason than the fact that that much sexual tension in the lab was a danger. She had been surprised that they hadn’t had some combustible fire go up around the two CSIs as much hot “eye sex” that went on between the two.

            “Howww long has this been going on?” she asked as realization dawned on her that Grissom and Sara had been getting along very well for awhile.

            Confession is good for the soul, right? “Eighteen months.” Sara chewed the bottom of her lower lip to keep from blurting out the big bomb, hoping Grissom would come to by then.

            “EIGHTEEN MONTHS!” Catherine was downright indignant at this point. “WHY…OH… Sara,” Catherine put her palms up as she took a deep breath “I understand, you’re off the hook but… THAT MAN,” she stabbed her finger at the unconscious form of Grissom “THAT MAN IS DEAD!”

            Catherine was happy but pissed at the same time. She and Gil had been friends for fifteen years! Oh, she was going to KILL HIM!

            Sara’s grin was out of control and infectious. The Cheshire Cat has nothing on that girl, Warrick thought trying to contain his own growing smile.

            “Please don’t kill him Cath,” Sara asked “I’m going to need him in four and a half months.”

            Grissom began to stir at her feet and Sara almost laughed. The man was always slow on the uptake when it came to social exchanges. She shouldn’t be surprised that he would stir only after she had begun the explanation to their friends. Of course Sara had learned to be honest with herself and had to admit that his social clueless-ness, although maddening at times, had an endearing quality about it.

            Catherine’s eyes got as wide as pie plates as Sara’s words sunk in. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly as she stammered incomprehensibly for several seconds, the guys just looking perplexed.

            “You are… PREG-NANT!” Catherine finally spit out, elongating the last word in amazement.

            Four sets of incredulous eyes stared back at Sara as she squeaked and nodded enthusiastically.

            Grissom raised one knee as he groaned. The palm of his hand rubbed his forehead trying to clear the fog from his mind.

            “Wait,” Catherine waved a hand in the air before her “he knows, right?”

            “Oh, yea,” Sara answered stepping back as Warrick helped the groggy Grissom to his feet. “Passed out in the doctor’s office,” Sara added helping Warrick steady Grissom.

            Sara had found it slightly amusing that the man could look at the most gruesome crime scenes, watch autopsies, stare down ruthless criminals and wield a gun in dangerous situations but passed out every time he was surprised by impending fatherhood. She knew he was overjoyed but the man was a nervous nelly when it came to the baby and her. She just hoped he didn’t topple over in the delivery room.

            Catherine shook her head in confusion while the guys watched eagerly for the sign that Grissom was ready for some male ribbing.

            Sara decided to throw all their cards on the table. “I had an ultrasound this morning,” she began.

            “AND!” Catherine wanted quick and concise, she was dying of curiosity.

            Sara looked at Grissom who wore an expression of amazement and terror. Sara smiled reassuringly at him while she dug out the ultrasound photo and the note she had hidden in the file she had handed Grissom earlier. She snorted as she saw Grissom start to stumble again while Warrick quickly piloted the man to the small couch in the break room. “We’re going to have…” she looked to Grissom as he sat on the couch looking at the ultrasound picture in amazement “triplets!”

            “WHA…?” Catherine blinked continuously as her head swiveled between Sara and Grissom, who was coming to his feet to stand next to Sara.

            Warrick laughed boisterously as he slapped Grissom on the shoulder in the age old ritual of men celebrating their fertility. As if us girls don’t have anything to do with it, Sara smiled as she watched the pride grow on Grissom’s face.

            “You don’t do half measures, do ya Gris?” Warrick said shaking the other man’s hand.

            Grissom smirked as he shook all three men’s hands, his chest sticking out a little farther than usual. Oh, he was going to be hard to live with, Sara thought amusedly but I’ll take the puffed up rooster, hard to live with or not.

            Grissom turned to Catherine, a look of mock contriteness on his face as he approached her. “Forgive?” he asked.

            Catherine tried to remain a little angry with him but really couldn’t. He was so happy and that was what she had always hoped for him. Smiling wide she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a big hug before pulling back with a slight frown, “you better not run off and get married without telling me,” she warned with a glint in her eyes.

Four and Half Months Later:

            In the maternity ward of Desert Palm hospital a large gathering had assembled in room 637. There a very exhausted but happy Sara Sidle and Gil Grissom introduced their sons and daughter to the rest of the “family”. Grissom had been wrapping up an
interrogation with Brass and Warrick when his beeper had gone off. When he realized it was Sara telling him she was in a taxi on the way to the hospital, the usually calm Gil Grissom toppled his chair and nearly knocked the officer at the door down as he hustled out of the room muttering “Sara… babies… hospital,”

            Brass and Warrick had caught up to the man quickly deciding if he was going to make it in one piece, which was the preference, they would need to take him. Catherine had not been far behind, having finished up her home invasion case, followed a few hours later by the excited duo of Nick and Greg. Others would stop by periodically or call one of the various CSIs.

            “No she was still in labor”

            “Eight hours so far”

            “Nothing yet”

            “Twelve hours”

            “Looks like a C-section”

            “She’s in surgery”

            Judy, the receptionist, answered the phone at 12:37pm. “LVPD Crime lab how may I direct your call?” At 12:40pm Judy’s voice could be heard loud and clear over the intercom system. “Two boys and a girl! Mom, Dad and babies are doing great!” A collective cheer could be heard throughout the building.

            “So,” Catherine began taking the rocking chair on the opposite side of Sara’s bed from Grissom. She had taken one of the boys and was slowly rocking the baby, admiring all the dark curls on his head, “Have you picked out names?”

            Grissom had given up his daughter to Brass who was cooing at the baby as her mouth made little “ooo” shapes. As eager as he was to hold all of his children Grissom knew he would have a lifetime with them and was willing to share them with the family that had grown up around him. Catherine had been right along.

            “Catherine, that young man you are holding is James Nicholas Grissom,” so began the introductions.

            Brass looked up from the baby he was babbling to and exchanged a look with Nick before they both glanced over to the sleeping boy Catherine held in her arms. It had not taken him and Sara long to pick names for the babies. It had all made sense the moment that they laid eyes on them in the operating room.

            “Nick’s holding Warrick Gregory Grissom and you, Jim, or holding the beautiful Catherine Sara Grissom,” Grissom beamed with pride and had to chuckle as everyone jockyed to look at the baby that had been named after them. Greg whined that Warrick had already gotten to hold Warrick Gregory and James and Catherine had gently traded sleeping infants as Nick came to stand next to Brass.

            No one except Grissom seemed to notice that Sara had decided she had had enough excitement and like her sons and daughter had fallen fast asleep. If all the ooing and awwwing didn’t bother her from getting some rest then Grissom was content to be surrounded by all the people in his life that made it worth living. Life was wondrous, life was miraculous and his life had surpassed any hopes or dreams he ever had, oh yea, life was definitely good to Gil Grissom.

Nine Months Later:

            Gil Grissom smiled broadly as he escorted his bride to the dance floor for the first dance of the evening. He couldn’t help but smile as he took Sara into his arms. He had everything he could ever want and more than he had ever dreamed and it was all because she had never given up on him, even when she probably should have.

            He grinned as his eyes roamed over to the Head table, there the wedding party divided their attention between the bride and groom and the three babies being handed about. Catherine had insisted that Sara dress them up in formal wear and continued to gush over the little outfits that she had helped Sara pick out.

            The applause had Sara ducking her head into the crook of Grissom’s neck, trying to hide the rising flush in her face. Sara, his Sara, could stand up and go toe to toe with humanities worst criminals without flinching but hid from the lively ovation of friends and family. His smile grew even wider as he tilted his head to catch her gaze.

            Sara had never been good at being the center of attention, unless it was just Gil, so she felt a little discomfited at the generous applause that was bestowed on them as Gil took her in his arms and began to slow dance with her. She could feel the rush of heat crawl up her neck and into her face and could not help herself when she hid her face into the side of his neck. It was only when she looked into the mesmerizing blue of his eyes that she was able to forget about being embarrassed. Everything else disappeared as Sara Grissom swayed in the loving arms of her husband. Oh yea, life had turned out better than okay for Sara Sidle  but it was downright spectacular for Sara Grissom!