Chapter Thirty Six

Sara moved to the couch and took a seat. She offered her husband a weak smile as he picked up his briefcase and popped it open.

“So, what did Mrs. Butler have to say?”

He returned her smile and pulled the crime scene photographs out. “Peter was a wonderful son and brother. She didn’t know of anyone who held a grudge against him…no enemies, popular guy.”

“A brother? Did you speak with him?”

“No, he was at work. Didn’t see any reason to question him right now…”

Sara nodded as she skimmed through the various sheets of paper. She stopped, furrowing her brows as she studied the small stack of prints in front of her. “Gil?”

Tearing his eyes away from the photographs, he looked up quickly. “Yeah?”

She handed him the print she was holding. “What do you make of this?”

“It’s a fingerprint…” He glanced at the label and smiled. “Index finger, in fact.”

“Yeah, but…” She traced her finger down the middle of the print. “What is this?”

He shrugged his shoulders as he handed it back to her. “Could be a scar…”

“But…neither one of the vic’s index fingers were scarred at all.” She handed him another print for comparison. “Other than that void in the print, this is identical to it…”

Grissom arched an eyebrow and placed the two prints side by side on the coffee table. He studied them carefully, shaking his head as he realized that his wife was correct.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Philip Butler walked through the front door of the home that he shared with his mother and brother. He strolled into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Groaning in annoyance, he turned around as he slammed the door shut.

He raised his arm and pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead. “Shit!”

His mother had called him at work in hysterics. It seemed that his brother, Peter, had died under some mysterious circumstances. He had taken half of a vacation day and come home.

Unable to calm his mother down, he had taken the woman to his Aunt Jeanette’s house. Jeanette always had various tranquilizers lying around. When he left to come home, his mother had fallen asleep on Jeanette’s couch.

Grabbing the vase that was sitting on the kitchen table, he threw it across the room. He angrily wiped a tear away as his eyes focused on the shards of broken glass. His tone was bitter as he spoke one half of a sentence to his dead brother.

“Peter, you stupid son of a bitch…”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom yawned as he jotted his notes down on the case folder. Sara smiled gently as she laid her hand on his arm.

“Maybe you should go to bed for a while. You couldn’t have gotten much sleep here…”

He looked at her hand quickly before staring into her eyes. “Sara, I’m sorry…for getting angry, for raising my voice to you, for…”

She placed two fingers across his lips in order to silence him. She nodded in understanding as she inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry too, Gil. I…”

He cut her off quickly as he brushed her fingers from his lips and leaned into her, covering her mouth with his. She groaned into his mouth as his tongue caressed hers. Her fingers wound themselves tightly into his soft curls, holding him close to her. As he pulled her tongue into his mouth, his fingers deftly unbuttoned his shirt. Shrugging the garment from his shoulders, he dropped it to the floor beside of the couch.

Her fingers released his hair and grabbed onto his shoulders as he carefully eased her back. Once her head was resting on the cushion, he pushed himself back up and gazed down at her. A soft hiss escaped his lips as her nails lightly scraped down his torso, stopping only when they reached the waistband of his pants.

His fingertips glided over the soft skin of her thighs as his hands moved upwards, underneath the oversized t-shirt she was wearing, resting for a moment when they encountered her slightly damp panties. As his wife began unbuckling his belt, he slowly pulled the silky material down her legs.

She looked into his eyes as she unbuttoned his slacks and slid the zipper down. “I missed you this morning…”

He shifted his body just enough to rid her body of the blue silk and tossed it to the floor with his shirt. “Me too…”

As his hand covered her soft mound, she tugged his pants and boxers over his hips, exposing his hardening member. Her fingers wrapped around him, stroking him gently, as his fingertips traced through her slick folds.

As he tilted his head slightly, she squeezed the flesh in her hand. She smiled at him as he looked into her eyes.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I’m…calculating…”

She arched an eyebrow as he began to blush lightly. “Calculating?”

“I…uh…yes.” He closed his eyes as she stroked him harder. His finger gently eased into her, pressing against her spongy walls as his thumb rested against her quivering clit.

Her voice was barely above a whisper, speaking softly as she thrust her hips against him. “Calculating…what?”

Slipping another finger into her, he opened his eyes and smiled shyly. “As much as…God, you feel wonderful…as much as I love…mm…our children, we…” He gasped as she squeezed his erection again.

She raised her legs, groaning as his fingers thrust deeper into her. “We don’t…need…another one…oh, Gil…right, uh, now?”

He thrust his hips as her thumb spread his precum over the head of his erection. “Uh-huh…”

Brushing his hand away from her mound, she tugged his erection towards her, stopping when the head was nudging against her opening. Stroking his cheek lovingly, she smiled up at him. “Are you finished…calculating?”

He nodded silently as he eased his erection into her. His eyes widened as she lifted his hand to her mouth. He groaned, thrusting harder into her, as she sucked her juices from each of his digits. She stared into his lust-glazed eyes as she then licked her own thumb, cleaning the digit of the fluid it had collected from the glans of his hardened flesh.

He stopped his movement and watched her as he inhaled sharply. She offered him a seductive smile and then licked her lips. “We…taste so good together…”

He leaned down, running his tongue over her lips, as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Opening her mouth, she groaned as his tongue dove in and his hips began to slowly pump into her.

Her nails raked across his back as he increased his pace. His lips left her mouth and trailed over her neck, nipping at the sensitive flesh. He blindly reached down and grasped her left leg, lifting it until her ankle rested on his shoulder.

His eyes searched her face for any sign of pain. Seeing none, he smiled as he brushed her hair away from her dark eyes. “Is…this okay…honey?”

She responded with a loud moan as her body began to convulse underneath him. “Don’t…stop…”

He thrust harder into her, groaning as her inner walls clenched down on him. Her nails dug into his shoulder blades as her right leg slipped from his waist. He quickly slid his arm underneath her knee, holding her leg up as he continued to push into her.

He was rewarded with a loud scream and another gush of fluid smothered his thickening erection. He moaned against her skin as he licked the sweat from her neck. Sensing that he was close, her fingers moved to his hair as she turned her mouth towards his ear.

She whispered three lust-laden words before sucking his earlobe into her mouth. “Come for me…”

He groaned loudly as she nibbled on the flesh in her mouth. Her leg slipped from his shoulder as his hand grasped her hip. She felt the rumble in his chest as his muscles began to quiver.

She released his earlobe, moaning as she felt him expand inside of her. “Now, baby…now…”

He grunted against her skin as he allowed himself release. Her body shuddered once more as she felt his semen flood her womb. Her nails stopped clawing his back, her fingertips gliding soothingly over hot welts. She gasped as his softening flesh slipped from her.

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly against her chest. “Maybe…we should…argue…more…”

He chuckled lightly as he rolled them onto their sides. She offered him a gentle smile as she noticed a red mark on his shoulder. He grimaced lightly as his back pressed against the back of the couch.

He looked into her apologetic eyes and smiled. “Am I bleeding?”

She shook her head silently as she returned his smile. Snuggling against his chest, she sighed contentedly. As she began to doze off, her eyes suddenly snapped open. Feeling her sudden movement, he glanced down at her.

“You okay?”

“Butler…”

He silenced her quickly with a shake of his head. “Not now, Sara. Let’s just rest for a few minutes. The case isn’t going anywhere right now…”

“We need to see his brother…”

He nodded as his fingers brushed through her hair. “We will…later. Right now, I just want to hold you…”

She smiled as she relaxed in his embrace and listened as his heart rate slowly returned to normal.

Chapter Thirty Seven

Grissom rang the doorbell at the Butler residence, flanked by Sara and O’Reilly. He absent-mindedly rubbed the palm of his left hand over the thin scratches on the back of his neck. Sara attempted to suppress her smile. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, a light smile tugging at his lips as well.

Their smiles faded quickly as the door swung open to reveal a slightly intoxicated man. A man who was identical to the one lying lifelessly on a cold metal slab in the morgue. The man’s glazed eyes stared at them.

“Yes?”

Grissom shook his head softly. “I’m Gil Grissom…” He motioned towards his wife. “And this is Sara…we’re with the Las Vegas Crime Lab.”

“Crime lab? You’re here about my brother, Peter, aren’t you?”

“Yes, sir. You’re Philip Butler?”

Philip gave Grissom a curt nod and directed his gaze towards the officer standing to Grissom’s right. “Who are you?”

“Sergeant O’Reilly. We have a warrant to check out the house…”

Philip’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Oh?” He chuckled drunkenly and stepped to the side. “Well, by all means, please come in.”

They followed the tall man into the living room and sat down when he gestured to the sofa. Philip fell into the chair and looked at them expectantly. Reaching down beside of the chair, he shook his head lightly as he picked up the bottle of beer he had started.

“I take it that Mom didn’t tell you that Peter and I are twins.”

Grissom shook his head. “No, actually, she didn’t.”

“Is it important to know?”

Sara leaned forward and fixed her eyes on him. “Were you and Peter very close?”

“We’re twins.” He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “We could’ve been closer, I guess…”

Grissom studied Philip closely. “When was the last time you saw your brother?”

Philip took a swig from the bottle and exhaled slowly. “The night he died.” He glanced at the picture resting on the mantle and gritted his teeth. “I loved Peter. I love Mom. But…”

Grissom and Sara exchanged a quick glance as Philip’s voice trailed off. O’Reilly straightened in his seat and stared at the young man.

“But?”

Philip turned his eyes towards the officer. Anyone would have to be blind to not see the anger in his dark eyes.

“You know…Peter never did anything wrong. Always had everything going for him.” He glanced at Sara and smiled. “You seeing anyone?”

Grissom folded his hands together and took a deep breath. Sara returned Philip’s smile. “Yes, I am. In fact, I’m married.”

Philip nodded and glanced at her hand. Sara shifted closer to her husband. Seeing the matching band on Grissom’s left hand, Philip’s eyes darted back and forth between the two investigators.

“Oh…uh…sorry.”

Grissom’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Peter had everything going for him?”

Philip snapped his eyes back to Grissom and nodded. “Everything. Even when we were kids. Captain of the football team, Prom King, full scholarship to Notre Dame…”

“So, he went to Notre Dame?”

Philip shook his head sadly. “No, he could’ve. But, our father died during our senior year of high school. Peter stepped in and took over his role in our family. He went to UNLV instead.”

Sara tilted her head slightly. “Peter stepped in? Why not you?”

Philip’s eyes darkened even more. “You’d have to ask Mom that.”

Grissom bit his lower lip lightly. “Philip, could I see your hands?”

Philip’s brow furrowed as he shrugged his shoulders. “Sure.”

As he held his hands out, Grissom shook his head. “Palms up, please.”

Philip flipped his hands over, the scar on his index finger showing prominently. Sara cleared her throat softly.

“Philip…uh…could you tell us what happened on the night your brother died?”

Philip’s eyes glistened as he looked at Sara. A single tear rolled down his cheek. “All I wanted was…to show him…that I was as strong as him. That I was just as…capable…as him.”

“What happened, Philip?” Grissom’s voice was soft.

“I didn’t mean for it…to get out of…out of hand. It just happened. And then I heard it. The snap…the crack. I just wanted to scare him…to show him. It went too far…”

Grissom stood up and nodded at O’Reilly. As Sara’s trembling hand touched her husband’s lower back, he shook his head sadly at Philip Butler.

“It went too far before your brother died, Philip.”

Philip’s tears continued to stream down his face as O’Reilly placed the metal cuffs around his wrists.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom’s hand gripped Sara’s knee as he weaved through the night traffic of Las Vegas.

“Are you okay?”

“Gil…he killed his brother. His twin brother.”

Grissom exhaled softly, his fingers rubbing gentle circles on her knee. “I know…”

Her cold hand covered his as she turned to look at him. “Promise me something…”

Stopping for a red light, he turned his head and gazed into her eyes. “Anything.”

“Promise me that we’ll never treat any of our children differently…no favoritism. I don’t care if one of the boys excels over the others in anything or everything. Promise me that they will all know how special they are to us…how much we love them…”

He reached over with his left hand and brushed the tears from her face. “I promise, Sara.”

She nodded as she sniffled and squeezed his hand.

The light turned green and they made the rest of the trip back to CSI in an understanding silence.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom glanced at the clock in his office. He fought a yawn, realizing he still had two hours of work.

I shouldn’t be this tired.

You haven’t been getting enough sleep.

That happens when you have three young children.

You still need sleep.

He rubbed the heel of his hand over his left eye. Glancing at his laptop, he yawned once more. Flipping it open, he checked his email and answered the ones that needed immediate attention.

Without really thinking about it, he opened a search engine and began to type.

You really should talk to Sara about this first.

I’m just checking things out. I’m not making any decisions right now.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom looked up and offered his wife a warm smile as she stepped into his office. She returned his smile and walked around his desk.

“What are you doing?”

He motioned towards the computer screen. Her brow furrowed slightly as her eyes skimmed over the screen.

“Hill and Dale Child Development Center?”

“Yeah, Naomi’s granddaughter goes there. She’s only a couple of weeks older than Weevil…”

“You want to put Weevil into daycare?”

He shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. I mean, I love having him at home with us. But…we both work nights, Sara. Neither one of us are getting enough sleep. Alex and Ant are sleeping in four hour stretches. But, Mikey is up no later than 8:30 in the morning and then doesn’t go back to sleep until one or so…normally.”

“Daycare…”

“Not full-time. You know, just…three days a week or so. And, not even all day. Just…until two, maybe three. That way we’d still have plenty of time to spend with him before he goes to bed. And…we’d be able to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.” He shrugged his shoulders lightly. “I really think Weevil would have fun there.”

“Lydia goes there?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, how about we give Naomi a call and talk to her about it…and if it still seems like something Weevil would enjoy…then we’ll talk to the Center.”

Grissom smiled, pushing his chair back and standing in front of his wife. Leaning into her, he kissed her lips softly.

“It could give us some time to ourselves as well…”

She chuckled as his arms slipped around her and pulled her body against his. Placing her hands on his chest, she pushed herself back and offered him a wide grin.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

His hands grasped her hips and pulled her tightly against him. His breath tickled her ear as he whispered to her. “I think I’m trying to seduce my wife…”

“Your wife…doesn’t need seduction.” She placed a tender kiss on his lips and then wriggled out of his embrace. “However, shift is over…and we have three beautiful little boys to get home to…”

Grissom groaned lightly as she stepped away from him. She glanced down at the bulge in his pants and grinned. “And he can come out to play later…once Mikey goes down for his nap and the buglets are asleep…”

Grabbing his jacket, he followed her out of his office. “I think I’ll give Jim a call when we get home…”

She looked over her shoulder as he caught up with her. “Why?”

“Well…I have a feeling that’s where Naomi is…”

Sara chuckled and playfully pushed him. “Just because Jim was off last night…”

Grissom smiled brightly at her. “I know where I was on my nights off before we were married…”

Sara blushed and shook her head. “Come on…let’s go home.”

Grissom grinned and pushed the glass door open for her.

Chapter Thirty Eight

After sharing a laugh with Jessie over the night’s events, which included Weevil waking up to help change Alex’s diaper and tell him a bedtime story about the baby beetle finding his way home, they bid Greg’s girlfriend a warm goodbye. Grissom was sitting on the couch, still chuckling lightly, as Sara closed the front door. Sara took her seat next to him and smiled brightly.

He took a sip of his coffee and looked into her eyes as he set his mug on the end table. “What?”

Sara shook her head in amusement and lifted her own mug. “The baby beetle finding his way home?”

Grissom shrugged his shoulders as his smile grew. “He likes bugs…”

Sara placed her mug on the coffee table and leaned into her husband. Her fingers caressed his thigh as her lips danced along his jaw line. Turning his head slightly, he captured her lips with his own. His fingers threaded through her dark hair, holding her to him as he deepened the kiss.

She shifted her body, carefully straddling his thighs. She groaned into his mouth as she settled down on the growing bulge beneath her. His hand raised and covered her breast, gently kneading the warm flesh. She thrust her tongue into his mouth as she slowly began to grind her hips against him. She felt the rumble in his chest as his hands slid to her hips, pulling her against his heated flesh.

She broke the kiss and leaned back slightly. They stared at one another through glazed eyes, their breath ragged. Her fingers pulled at the buttons on his shirt as she smiled at him.

He licked his dry lips; his eyes fluttered closed as her hands slipped inside of his shirt. She leaned forward, sliding her tongue across the sensitive skin of his neck. He inhaled sharply, his fingers digging into her hips.

“Sara…”

“Mommy!”

Grissom’s head fell against the back of the couch as he fought to catch his breath. He groaned lightly as she slid from his lap, offering him an apologetic smile. He winked at her and pushed himself up slowly.

He glanced at the clock and sighed. “He’s awake early…”

“Do you want to give Jim a call while I go get him up and dressed?”

He chuckled lightly as she smiled brightly at him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom smiled as he heard the familiar sound of Weevil’s footsteps bounding down the hall. He looked up as the sound got louder.

“Daddy!”

Grissom leaned forward as Mikey ran towards him. “Good morning, Weevil. Did you sleep well?”

“Uh-huh. I waked up and hepped Jessie wif Awec.”

“Did you?” He smiled as Mikey nodded excitedly. “Did you help her with Ant too?”

“No…And din’t wake up. But Awec did.”

Grissom picked up his son and placed him on his lap as he leaned back against the cushions. “How did you help with Alex?”

“I cawwied the diepur to the twash. An’ then I wed him a dory.”

“What story did you read him?”

“About a beedle.”

“Will you tell me the story?”

Weevil giggled and shook his head. “Is not bedtime et, Daddy!”

Grissom tickled the young boy’s ribs, laughing as his son howled happily.

“What’s going on in here?”

Both Grissoms looked towards the hall. The elder Grissom grinned as Mikey continued to laugh.

Grissom shrugged his shoulders playfully. “He wouldn’t read me a story…”

“Daddy is ticking me!”

Sara chuckled as she entered the living room. “Oh, is he?” A mischievous grin appeared on her lips as her son nodded quickly. “Well then…maybe we should…” She stopped her movement as she stepped in front of the couch and then glanced back and forth from her husband to her son. Then she lunged at Grissom. “…tickle Daddy!”

Grissom laughed loudly as his wife and oldest son attacked him. When he laughed until the tears came, Sara leaned back against the cushions and attempted to catch her breath. Weevil continued to giggle hysterically as he cuddled against his father’s heaving chest.

Grissom peered over his son’s head and raised an eyebrow at his wife. “I will get you back…”

Sara laughed and reached over to grab the ringing phone. “Hello?”

Jim chuckled lightly into the receiver. “You sound out of breath…did I interrupt anything?”

She cleared her throat and reached over, ruffling her son’s hair. “Oh yeah…the ticklefest.”

Brass shook his head gently. “I’m sure that I really don’t want the details of that. Uh…I was just calling because Gil had left a message on my voice mail earlier…”

“Ah…” Sara smiled at Grissom. “Hold on, I’ll let you talk to him…”

She handed her husband the phone and motioned for Weevil to climb onto her lap. Grissom smiled happily at the two of them as he lifted the phone to his ear.

“Hello, Jim…”

“You don’t sound nearly as winded as Sara did…”

“I’ve had a little more time to recover…” He chuckled as Jim snorted. “I wanted to ask you a question…”

“As long as ‘ticklefest’ isn’t involved, you can ask anything…”

Grissom pushed himself up from the couch and switched the phone to his other ear. “How much do you know about Hill and Dale Child Development Center?”

Brass narrowed his eyes slightly. “Are you going to put Weevil into daycare?”

“We’re thinking about it…what do you know about it?”

“Oh…well, Lydia loves it. But, you should probably talk to Naomi about it…”

“Okay…” Grissom grinned as he cleared his throat. “Can I speak to her?”

“I…uh…well…” Brass stammered, causing Grissom to chuckle again. “Shut up…hold on…”

Grissom caught Sara’s eye, his smile widening. Sara shook her head in amusement. “You’re an evil man, Gil Grissom…”

“Oo a eebul man, Daddy Geel!”

Sara broke into another bout of laughter as Grissom discussed daycare with Naomi.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom smiled as he carefully laid his sleeping son into his crib for his afternoon nap. After placing Rusty in the young boy’s arms, he leaned down and kissed Mikey’s head. Whispering a soft “I love you”, he turned and made his way into the bedroom.

Sara stirred when she felt her husband climb into the bed. She opened her eyes and looked at him as she yawned.

“Naptime?”

Grissom nodded and slid under the covers. “So…what do you think?”

“That I sleep better in your arms…”

Grissom smiled and wrapped his arms around her small frame. He nuzzled her neck lightly as he whispered. “Actually, I was talking about Hill and Dale…”

“Oh…well…” She turned in his arms so that she could look into his eyes. “What do you think?”

Grissom shrugged softly and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “I think it could be good…for him.”

“And for us…”

He smiled as he dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “And for us…”

She tilted her head slightly and brushed her lips across his. “Naomi seems to be impressed with them…”

“And so is Lydia…”

Sara smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair. “At least Weevil would have a friend there from day one…”

He returned her smile and let his hand wander down her side and come to a rest on her hip. “And if he doesn’t like it…we can always come up with something else…”

Sara seemed to think about that for a moment, closing her eyes as his hand gently squeezed her flesh. “How about we give them a call tomorrow morning?”

“Sounds good…” He leaned down and kissed her lips. “Now, get some sleep…you have to work tonight…”

She nodded sleepily and curled up against him. “Wake me up in a few hours?”

“Sara, it’s only a little after one right now…”

A smile tugged at her lips, her eyes remained closed. “I know…but someone was promised playtime…”

Grissom blushed lightly and tightened his arms around her. “Go to sleep, honey…”

Chapter Thirty Nine

Grissom chuckled as Alex giggled happily. He slipped his son’s tiny arms through the small sweater and picked him up. “Okay, Alex…where are you shoes?”

He glanced around the nursery and quickly found them resting atop the chest of drawers. As he picked them up, he heard his wife’s voice calling him.

“Gil? Is Alex dressed?”

“Yes, dear…” He chuckled again as he walked down the hall and into the living room. “I just need to put his shoes on…”

He glanced at Alex’s twin resting on his mother’s lap as she slid his feet into the tiny Nike hiking boots. “Hey, Ant…does Mommy have you all dressed and ready to go?”

He was answered with a giggle and a bright smile. Grissom took a seat on the couch next to Sara and began the task of putting Alex’s boots on his feet. Hearing the unmistakable sound of plastic hitting tile, he smiled lightly.

“Weevil, what are you doing?”

“Puddin’ bow in the sink!”

“Sounds like you missed, buddy…”

Sara laughed lightly as she shifted Ant onto the couch and reached over to help Grissom with Alex. Grissom looked up as his oldest son ran into the room.

“Come here, Weevil…”

Mikey crossed his arms over his chest and furrowed his brow. “Why?”

“So I can tie your shoes for you…”

“Why?”

“So you don’t trip over them and hurt yourself.”

“Why?”

“Come here, Mikey…”

“No.”

Grissom narrowed his eyes slightly at the boy. “Michael…”

“I wanna ware bootz wike Awec an’ And!”

Sara grinned as she lifted Alex from Grissom’s lap. Grissom motioned to his son, urging him to walk to him. Mikey pulled at the sleeve of his sweater and took the steps required to stand in front of his father.

“Your boots have a broken bootlace, son…” He leaned over to tie Mikey’s sneakers quickly.

“Why?”

Grissom shook his head in amusement and tilted his head to look into his young son’s eyes. “Because…you wanted to tie them…”

“I braked ‘em?”

Grissom poked Mikey in the ribs playfully and laughed. “Yeah, you broke them…”

Mikey slapped at his father’s hand as he giggled. “Why?”

“Because you’re Michael O’Brien Grissom, that’s why…”

“Huh?”

Sara laughed as she stood up with Alex in her arms. “You ready to go?”

Grissom nodded, scooping up Ant with his left arm and placing his right hand on top of Mikey’s head. “Yeah…I think we’re all ready.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grissom pulled into a parking space and switched off the engine. He turned slightly in his seat. “We’re here…”

“Wear?” Mikey craned his neck to look through the windows.

Sara opened the back door and unfastened the harness holding Mikey in his carseat. “Daycare!”

Mikey giggled enthusiastically and clapped his hands. “Wearz Widda?”

Grissom had already pulled Alex from his seat and walked around to the other side of the Tahoe to help his wife. Sara lifted Mikey out of the vehicle and placed him on the ground beside of his father. “Don’t move from there, Weevil.”

“O-tay!” He looked up and tugged on the leg of his father’s jeans. “Daddy?”

Grissom shifted the baby in his arms and looked down at Mikey. “Yes?”

“I not sposed ta moove.”

“That’s right, you’re not. Do you know why?”

Mikey seemed to think about it for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. “Cuz Mommy sed.”

Sara laughed as she picked up Ant and pushed the car door closed. “Sounds like a good reason to me…”

Grissom smiled as he knelt down beside of Mikey. “Ready to go have some fun today?”

Mikey jumped up and down excitedly as he reached for his father. “Up!”

Grissom shook his head, laughing gently as he picked Weevil up. “Hold on, okay?”

“Why?”

“Because if you don’t, I might drop you.”

He glanced at his younger brother being held securely in his father’s other arm. “Awec’s not hodding on!”

“Alex is younger than you. He can’t, but you can.” He kissed Mikey’s cheek. “Because, you’re a big boy, right?”

“Yep!” Mikey surveyed the parking lot. “Wearz Widda?”

“She’s probably inside with the other children.”

Mikey quickly looked at his mother. “Udder ones?”

Sara nodded and offered him a wink. “A lot of other children.”

“Wike my bubbas?”

Sara chuckled as she pulled open the front door for her husband. “Probably not as young as your brothers, but a lot of children for you to play with.”

“I wike pwayin’ wif Awec an’ And.”

Grissom stopped for a moment and placed Mikey on the tiled floor beside of him. “You can walk now…”

“Why?”

Grissom rolled his eyes and ushered the young boy through the doorway to the reception area.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sara smiled brightly at the older woman who had stepped up to greet them. “Hi, I’m Sara Grissom. This is my husband, Gil, and our son, Michael.”

The lady nodded quickly and shook the hand of each parent. “My name is Eleanor.”

She bent down and lightly ruffled Mikey’s hair. “You can call me Ellie, if you’d like.”

Mikey looked up at his father. “Wike Dim’s?”

“Same name, different person…”

“Huh?”

“She has the same name as Jim’s daughter…”

“Ewwie?”

Eleanor smiled as Michael turned his attention back to her. “And what do you like to be called?”

Mikey grinned at the older lady. “Weebul Mike!”

Ellie chuckled and winked at the boy before standing back up. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Mikey squealed happily.

“Widda!”

He quickly scampered off to play with Naomi’s granddaughter, leaving the adults standing in a semi-circle next to the door.

Grissom shifted Alex to his other arm and chuckled. “He likes Lydia…”

“He’s a very energetic little boy, isn’t he?”

Sara laughed, nodding in agreement with Ellie. She moved a suddenly squirmy Ant to her free arm.

“And what are these adorable little boys’ names?”

Sara blushed lightly. “This is Ant…and he’s Alex.”

Ellie smiled lovingly at the two boys. “You two look like your big brother. Although…you seem to have your father’s eyes…”

Grissom beamed as he kissed Alex’s head. He watched his older son with pride as Mikey chattered to Lydia.

“How old is…” Ellie turned to look at Sara. “Did he say Weebul Mike?”

Sara nodded. “Well, kind of. He’s actually saying Weevil Mike.”

“Weevil?”

“His father started it…”

Ellie’s rich laughter brought a wave of contentment over Sara and Grissom. “Okay…how old is Weevil again?”

“Almost seventeen months…”

Ellie nodded and looked at Grissom. “And the adorable Alex and Ant?”

Grissom’s eyes shone brightly. “Three and a half months…”

“You both work the night shift?”

“Yes…” Sara and Grissom answered in unison.

Ellie winked at Sara before returning her attention back on Grissom. “You know, we do accept children as young as six weeks of age. We still have some openings…”

“Oh, these two are okay right now.” He grimaced as Mikey bumped into a table, knocking over a tower of blocks that the older children were building. “We’ll see if Weevil gets expelled first…”

The three adults shared in a bout of laughter and were quickly joined by Ant’s happy giggle. Alex’s eyes followed his big brother across the room as he remained quiet in his father’s arms.

Chapter Forty

“Are you okay?”

Grissom looked up at his smiling wife leaning against the doorframe. He offered her a gentle smile and a quick nod. Stepping further into the living room, Sara knew he wasn’t exactly telling the truth.

“What’s wrong, Gil?”

Grissom shrugged his shoulders lightly and sighed. “I miss him…”

She smiled in understanding and offered him her hand. He intertwined his fingers with hers and stood up. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek as she leaned into him.

“Sweetheart, he’s only going to be gone for a few hours…”

“I know. It’s just that I’m used to him bounding around here, and…” He glanced quickly at the clock and sighed again. “…right now, he’d climb onto my lap with a book and want me to tell him everything I know about whichever bug caught his eye this time.”

“And instead?” She tugged lightly on his hand as she took a couple of steps towards the hallway entrance.

“Instead it’s…quiet. Alex and Ant are asleep…and…it’s quiet.”

A crooked smile appeared on her lips as she nodded. “Which is the point, Gil…”

“Yeah, but…”

He stopped in mid-thought as he looked into her eyes. “What?”

“You just have no idea, do you?”

He tilted his head to the right and narrowed his eyes slightly. “About?”

“How wonderful you are…”

“I’m not…”

“Any other man would be glad for the quiet. Happy that he’d have a few hours of uninterrupted sleep during the day so that he could be well rested for work that night. But…you’re not, are you?”

“I’m not what?”

She chuckled lightly at his sincere obliviousness. “Glad for the quiet…”

His eyes darted towards the clock as he raised his right shoulder in a shrug. “I’m glad that he’s having fun, playing with other kids…”

“But, you miss him.”

“Yeah…”

She exhaled softly as she raised her hand and caressed his cheek. “Me too…but, we weren’t getting enough sleep.”

“I know.” He gazed into her eyes and smirked lightly. “Don’t say it…”

She raised an eyebrow as her finger traced his helix. “Don’t say what?”

“That it was my idea…”

She offered him a wink and leaned forward to place a light kiss on his lips. “Come on, let’s go to bed…”

He nodded and followed her down the hall, pausing briefly to check on their two youngest boys.

“It was your idea though…”

He rolled his eyes as she chuckled and slid into their bedroom.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He rolled over as he began to surface from his sleep, pushing the covers from his body as he moved. His eyes fluttered open and focused on the bare back of his wife. He moved a bit closer to her and allowed his fingers to glide over her skin. He pulled back when he felt her body shift under his touch.

Fighting back a yawn, he glanced at the alarm clock resting on the bedside table. He smiled lightly as he calculated quickly and realized that he had slept for four and a half hours straight.

He wasn’t completely rested, but it was the longest stretch of continuous sleep that he had had in a few weeks. He smiled as he stretched his muscles and draped his arm over Sara’s hip. He placed a soft kiss on her shoulder blade and snuggled up behind her.

He lifted his head and listened for any sounds coming from the baby monitor that would tell him if either of the young Grissoms were awake. The warm body lying in front of him shifted, pressing against his chest.

“They were awake earlier…”

He smiled at the soft voice coming from his wife. “Both of them?”

She nodded as she covered his hand with hers on her abdomen. She shivered lightly as his warm breath tickled her ear.

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

She lifted his hand and turned her body to face him. “Because you were sleeping…and I was awake…”

His eyes travelled over her body before finding her eyes. “Why were you awake? You need to sleep too…”

Her hand caressed his chest as she leaned into him and flicked her tongue against his bottom lip. “I like watching you…”

He parted his lips to respond to her simple statement. She took advantage of the moment and slipped her tongue into his mouth. She smiled inwardly when she felt his chest rumble with a deep moan.

She rolled onto her back, pulling him with her. His quickly hardening member pressed against her thigh as he leaned over her and took control of the kiss. Her nails lightly scratched the nape of his neck as she returned his kiss with an equal passion.

Reluctantly breaking the kiss, he smiled as he looked into her eyes. “How long have they been asleep?”

Her thumb glided over his warm lips. “We have plenty of time…”

His tongue snaked out and touched her slender digit. “How much time is ‘plenty’?”

She lifted her head and nibbled across his chin. “Make love to me…”

He closed his eyes as her mouth moved over his Adam’s apple, nipping lightly with her lips. Sliding his body between her parted thighs, he sighed in contentment as her tongue licked across his collarbone.

Dipping his head, he pulled the sensitive flesh of her neck into his mouth. He smiled against her skin as her soft moan resonated in his ear. His fingers teased her nipple, rolling the erect nub and pinching it lightly.

He pulled his mouth away from her neck and looked down at her face. Finding her eyes closed, he slid his hand from her nipple down to her hip and grasped the flesh soundly in a silent request for her to open her eyes.

She granted his request and smiled as their hazy gazes met. He returned her smile, dipping his head to place a tender kiss on her lips. Her hand left his back and reached over to the table next to her side of the bed. She groped blindly across the surface as she deepened his kiss.

She groaned in frustration as she knocked the reading lamp onto the floor, resulting in a chuckle from her husband. She smiled brightly at him as she pulled her hand back between their bodies, a foil packet secured in her long fingers.

Her fingers trembled with anticipation as she ripped the packet open. He raised his hips to give her better access and watched with fascination as she rolled the latex sheath onto his hardened flesh.

She gave the shaft a gentle squeeze, smiling as she watched his eyes close briefly before shifting the darkened blue orbs to focus on her eyes. He slid his hand between her thighs as she continued to alternate between gentle squeezes and soft caresses.

He moaned lightly as two of his fingers slipped inside of her warm channel. She inhaled sharply as his thumb pressed down on her throbbing clit. He bent his head slightly, bringing his mouth to her ear. He nibbled gently on the soft flesh of her lobe as his fingers easily and slowly thrust into her depths.

“Gil…”

He lifted his head to look into her eyes as his thumb gently circled her clit. “Yes?”

“I…need you…”

He smiled as he leaned down and kissed her lips. “You have me.”

She whimpered lightly as he pulled his hand away and smiled as he lifted his fingers to his mouth. She bent her legs, pressing the inside of her knees against his sides, and gasped as she watched him clean her fluid from his fingers.

Her head pressed into the pillows as he slowly eased his erection into her. He stilled when he was completely enveloped by her warm tunnel. His fingers soothingly traced an imaginary pattern on her hip as he pulled her bottom lip into his mouth.

She groaned into his mouth as he began to slowly thrust into her depths. Her hands caressed his biceps, squeezing his upper arms as he began to pick up his pace. She lifted her head and licked a bead of sweat from the side of his neck before moving her mouth to his ear.

“You…are so…hot…”

He mumbled incoherently as he continued to plunge into her. She smiled and drug her nails across his shoulders. His body shuddered, causing his back to arch slightly.

“Oh yes, Gil…like that…oh baby…”

He buried his face in the crook of her neck and moaned against her skin as he felt her inner walls begin to clench around him. “Sara…”

Her hands grasped at his sweaty back as her eyes slammed shut. “So…close…”

“I…can’t hold on…much…oh Sara…much longer…”

She nodded quickly in understanding and increased her motion against him. “Come…with me…Gil…”

He felt the familiar ripples of her inner muscles as her orgasm crashed over her. He groaned loudly as he matched her climax with a powerful one of his own. Her body shuddered once more beneath him as she moaned his name.

He collapsed on top of her, resting his head on her chest as she rested her ankles on the backs of his knees. She ran her fingers through his damp hair as she tried to catch her breath. Hearing his soft murmur, she opened her eyes.

“What, baby?”

He shook his head slowly and took a ragged breath. “I’m…sorry…”

Her brows knit in confusion as she shifted her head to look at him. “Sorry? For what?”

“I…well…I didn’t…”

She smiled as he trailed off and lovingly caressed his soft curls. “Honey…it’s never been about the…length of time we spend making love. You know that…right?”

He gave her a brief nod before turning his head to look into her eyes. “I just…that wasn’t my…well…”

“Hey…it’s not like we’re making love every day now. We both had pent-up frustrations…and they were all released…” She smiled as she wrapped her arms around him. “You…you’re amazing…”

He chuckled nervously and lifted his spent body from hers. With a heavy sigh, he laid down beside of her and pulled her into his arms. He glanced at the clock once more before his eyes closed as he relaxed in his wife’s embrace.

“We have to pick Weevil up soon…”

“We have time for a short nap though…”

She yawned as her fingertips traced small circles on his lower back. She smiled as she felt his body relax and his breathing pattern change.