February 03, 2013

It was still pre-dawn when Gil woke up several hours later to find Sara's side of the bed empty. He was surprised and a little bit concerned at the realization, considering that his spouse had certainly become a very healthy sleeper since she had become sick, and then pregnant. He couldn't remember the last time she went to bed after him and then got up before he did. Turning over, he looked to the bathroom door to find the ensuite unoccupied, so he tossed back the blanket and crawled out of bed, wincing as the stiff muscles in his back protested.

"Sara?" He called out softly, pulling on his shorts and a white t-shirt that still had some paint splatter on it from when he had touched up the trim in the baby's room. "Honey?" Grissom padded down the long hall, peering into the mostly boxed up rooms as he went. They had spent so much time on the nursery that they had left the other rooms neglected since moving in.

He finally found her curled up on the couch in the living room, the throw blanket draped over her. She'd turned on the small table lamp, its dim bulb casting a soft yellow glow over its immediate vicinity. "There you are," Grissom kept his voice low so he wouldn't startle her.

Sara hummed in response and looked over her shoulder at him, dropping the book she had been reading onto her lap. Hank stretched out across the remaining portion of the couch, his head dropped onto her feet as he snoozed. At the sound of his human-father's voice he opened his eyes and lifted his head.

"It's five in the morning," Gil sighed, rubbing his hand over the back of his head as he stifled a yawn.

The corner of his wife's mouth quirked and she glanced over at the clock. "I was just doing some reading," she explained, her voice husky and weary.

"At five o'clock in the morning?" One of Grissom's eyebrows rose disbelievingly. Giving a final glance towards the clock he crossed over to her a crouched down beside the couch, ignoring his protesting knees. "What's this?" He asked, reaching over to snag the edge of a thick card that she had been using as a bookmark. He turned it over in his hand to the glossy side and his blue eyes narrowed at the image.

"It's my mother," Sara supplied, tilting her chin down.

Grissom looked up at her in surprise. He hadn't been aware that Sara had any pictures of her family. She didn't offer any explanation for the sudden surfacing of the image and he suppressed the urge to ask for more information. "She was beautiful," he threaded his fingers through hers and turned back to look at the picture, or more specifically the small child who sat on the woman's lap. "Is that you?" Gil asked, inspecting the chocolate eyes and brown bouncing curls that had been secured to the side with a beret.

"Yeah," Sara took the picture back and slid it between the pages of her book.

Grissom pressed a kiss to his wife's knuckles. "You were beautiful," he told her warmly. "Are," he added after a brief pause.

"I think I'm in labour," Sara said plainly, her eyes flicking up to check in with him. When he didn't say anything she shrugged and laughed softly. Reaching up she patted his cheek affectionately. "Don't give me that look; you'll make me nervous."

Gil blinked at took a breath, trying to match the calm and collected vibes that she was giving off. "How, uh-," he shook his head, his mind going blank as the questions that he knew he should be asking scattered like butterflies.

"Fourteen minutes? Regular," she filled him in before leaning across the space between them to capture his mouth with her own. "We have time, I think. It isn't as bad as I thought." She pulled away to look him dead on, her mouth pulled back into a nervous smile.

"You should have woken me," he griped, though his words held no venom. "Do you need anything?"

Sara shook her head and leaned back against the couch, her hand wrapped around the swell of her belly where their baby was stirring, preparing for its entry into the world. "I'm just trying to wrap my head around the idea that we're having a baby today."

Gil nodded in agreement, his stiff posture slowly relaxing as he became accustomed to the news. Standing, he pointed his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the kitchen. "I'm going to put some coffee on."

"Let's try to get some sleep," Sara suggested instead, reaching out for help getting up. Her husband took her hands and pulled her to her feet, her belly stretching across the vacant space between them, filling it until they were pressed tummy to tummy.

Grissom's arms slid around her back to hold her to him. "I'm going to miss this," he commented, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips before guiding her towards the stairs, his hand resting on the small of her back. She placed her cheek against his shoulder, her forehead resting against his neck as they ascended the stairs one at a time.

XXXX

Sara was writhing in a prone position, her back arching high as she panted her way through another contraction. Within the last fifteen minutes her contractions had reduced from twelve minutes apart to five. Grissom had contacted the hospital and they had instructed them to sit tight until an ambulance arrived on scene.

"You planned this," Grissom accused her, running his hand through his hair as he fought the urge to panic. Panicking would do them no good, he reminded himself, copying Sara's deep and even breaths.

Sara shot him an incredulous look over the crest of her knees as he breathed through the latest contraction that seemed to have come before the last one even had a chance to ebb. "They're supposed to be waves!" She groaned, tossing her head back onto the pillows, reaching for his hand again. "This is a goddamn- ugh, tsunami," she panted, sitting up again as her the muscles in her back began to tighten, signaling yet another contraction.

"I have to push." She was already pulling herself upwards, curling around her belly. She shook his vice-like grip loose and wrapped her hands around her knees. "Check me."

"For god's sake, Sara. I'm a PHD, not an MD," Grissom said, already moving to peer between her legs. His eyes widened at the sight of a thatch of dark hair atop their baby's head. "It's coming," he moved closer, his hands automatically parting her legs further. "Uhh, push, I t-think," he stammered, wondering why he couldn't remember the Firs Aid training sessions that the lab provided- right, because he had never attended one. He'd always gotten paged or made an excuse not to attend. "Damnit," he muttered.

"What? What's wrong?" Sara looked up at him, tears sliding down her blotchy cheeks, mixed with sweat.

Gil reached out and placed his hand on top of hers where it rested on her knees. "Nothing- I am just trying to remember how to do this."

Sara seemed to relax for a split second before she tensed again and tilted her head down, pressing her chin to her chest. She remained silent as she breathed heavily through her nose.

Grissom returned his attention to the task at hand. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out to guide the baby's head out. When his fingers connected with his baby's scalp he felt a rush of adrenaline and he gasped when its little face appeared. "Sara, the heads out," he gushed.

Sara stopped pushing. "Check for the cord," she collapsed against her pillow. "Around its neck… if it's there you have to ease it over its head," she panted, squeezing her eyes closed.

Gil did as he was told. "There is no cord," he informed her, jumping a little when she launched herself upwards and pushed again. Grissom recovered from his surprise and placed his hands under the baby. He barely knew what was happened before his hands were full of a small squirming newborn. "Shit," he looked up at Sara in shock, their eyes met and he realized that she was as surprised as he was.

He turned his attention back to the baby and wiped its mouth off as it began to wail. The umbilical cord seemed to be pulsing and he looked to Sara, unsure of what he was supposed to do next. The knock at the door startled them both and he carefully laid the mewing infant on the mattress, still connected to her mother.

With Sara's nod of approval he got up and jogged downstairs to let the EMTs in. On his back upstairs, the man and woman following him he glanced at the clock.

11:11a.m.

His wish had already come true.