He stared at the manila envelope clutched between his fingers, edges starting to crinkle from sheer force of his grip upon the yielding paper.

"Grissom?"

At the sound of his name, his eyes traveled upward, pupils dialating at the sudden light that poured in from the hallway outside his office. The illumination revealed Catherine Willows, hands perched on her slender hips, encased within tight, faded blue jeans. The blouse she wore, collar gently falling open to reveal smooth cleavage, was the color of a summer's sky, in perfect match with the hue of her blue irises.

"Yes, Catherine?"

"Why did the lab give my test results to you?"

"/Your/ test results?" Grissom swallowed, hands allowing the envelope to fall, softly, onto his desk. "These were yours, Catherine?"

"Yes. Did you look at them?" She tilted her head slowly to the left, blinking as she stepped into the darkened office space and approached his desk. "Grissom...fess up. Is that why you look like you've choked on a test tube? Come on...the envelope, please."

He lifted the light object and handed it across the desk, a smile beginning to stretch across his features as she opened the flap and pulled out a slip of paper. Her own face began to pale, and he leapt up to assist her, leading her to the brown leather couch in the corner and helping her to sit upon it.

"Yes, I looked at it. And I assure you, Catherine, my reaction was the same as yours."

"Your...reaction..." She was clearly flustered, and he gently took the envelope away, easing her sideways as he too settled upon the couch and let her head rest on his shoulder. "Grissom...you weren't supposed to see this...I wanted to be able to tell you."

"Well, you still can."

"Gil Grissom," The sensation of her breath emitting in gentle puffs on his neck was distracting, yet he found the ability to focus on the sound of her voice long enough to hear her softly murmur the words he had been certain he would never hear. "I'm having your baby."

He smiled, as her hand came up to rest against the fabric of his navy blue, button-down shirt, her delicate fingers and well-manicured nails playing with the ivory buttons.

"Catherine..."

"Yes, Grissom?"

"I've been considering asking you..."

Her head lifted, and she reached up to turn his face toward hers. As he looked into her eyes, he saw the sudden flash of worry, anxiety and confusion.

"What?"

"Have you told anyone else yet?"

"No." Her brow creased, and her expression quickly gave way to one of confusion. "Why?"

"Because, Mrs. Grissom...I'd say someone else got the results before we did." He pointed at the partially opened doorway, where a parade of pink and blue balloons hurried by, followed by a cake-on-a-cart, and several familiar lab techs loaded down with brightly-colored gift boxes and pastel dinnerware. "I'd say we're about to become the proud parents of perhaps the most spoiled scientist in the country."

She chuckled, but stopped short.

"What makes you so sure that she's going to become a scientist?"

"Exactly what makes me so sure that you won't mind being late for your own party." Grissom's lips muffled her oncoming 'Excuse me', and as someone passing by gently closed the door, the two happy parents-to-be began the process which had brought upon them the presence of their little 'future scientist'.