Say Hello to the Past (CSI fanfiction)

The one time Nick Stokes liked peanut butter

Set after Season 2; Episode 14 ("The Finger")

After the case of the fake kidnapping, Nick had gone out to breakfast by himself. He had been thinking about the one time he had liked peanut butter ever since he had told the team he hated peanut butter.

It was in the Winter of 1995; twenty-four-year-old Nick had been out in the yard with his dad, brother, and one of his brothers-in-law. The four men had been chopping wood and waiting for most of the Stokes sisters to show up with their husbands and children.

Twenty-two-year-old Emma Grace was over at the Stokes house like usual. She was in the house with Nick's mom, Jillian. Jillian Stokes and her daughter Sandra were getting the decorations for Christmas out, so the kids to decorate the house. Emma Grace was in the kitchen with Sandra's three children, and they were baking something.

Nick walked into the house with an arm full of wood and could hear little kid giggles and Emma Grace laughing from the kitchen. He smiled to himself and carried the wood to the fireplace. Nick kissed his mom on the cheek and then his sister Sandra, then he headed for the kitchen while the two Stokes women shared a knowing look.

"What are yall making?" Nick asked walking into the kitchen and kissing each child on the head.

"We're making fudge Uncle Nick!" Ashley, Nick's ten-year-old niece, told him proudly.

"Yummy, I can't wait to eat some of it," Nick said and noticed the sly smirk Emma Grace gave him.

"Andrew, do you want to tell Uncle Nick the bad news?" Emma asked Nick's seven-year-old nephew.

"Uncle Nick you can't eat any of the fudge," Andrew said sadly.

"Why's that?" Nick asked getting amused with the kids and wondering what Emma Grace had put them up too.

"Because this is peanut butter fudge," Anthony, Nick's four-year-old nephew informed Nick as he crawled up onto Nick's lap.

"Oh no! You only made peanut butter fudge? But-" Nick began but was interrupted by the four other people in the kitchen; "You hate peanut butter," they said and then started laughing.

"It was Aunt Emma's idea," Ashley informed Nick. Before anyone else could say anything, the door opened, and footsteps and voices were heard.

"Kids come in here and see your cousins!"Sandra called from the living room, and the kids left leaving Nick and Emma Grace alone in the kitchen.

"So," Nick began as he walked toward Emma Grace with a sly smile on his face.

"So, what?" Emma Grace asked smirking and keeping eye contact with Nick.

"You decided to make peanut butter fudge?" Nick asked. Emma Grace went to go around Nick, but she wasn't fast enough. Nick wrapped his arms around Emma Grace's waist and pulled her to him. Emma Grace was giggling and rested her hands on Nick's biceps.

"Well, we can't have you getting slow because you ate too much fudge when you're a police officer and need your strength to catch bad guys," Emma Grace said teasingly.

"Oh, you think a bad guy can get the best of me just because I eat a couple of pieces of fudge during Christmas time do you?" Nick asked teasingly. Emma Grace moved one of her hands from Nick's bicep and reached for something. A few seconds later she popped a piece of Peanut Butter fudge in her mouth and just smirked at Nick.

"You're mean Emma Grace," Nick said trying not to grin at Emma's tactics.

"You can handle it, Nick. If you can't maybe you shouldn't be a police officer anymore," Emma Grace said giving Nick a serious look.