Say Hello to the Past (CSI fanfiction)

Waiting for Elizabeth- part 1

Takes place during Season 4; Episode 6 ("Jackpot")

Nick got the call at two that morning. Nick was half asleep when he groggily answered his phone, "Helloooo?"

"Nicky, I'm sorry to call you so early, but I promised to call when it was time," Nick heard his brother-in-law, Jeff, explain on the other end of the phone.

It took a few minutes for the words Jeff said to sink in. When Nick finally realized what Jeff was saying, he all but jumped out of his bed.

"It's time? It's time?! I'm going to be an uncle?!!" Nick was frantically trying to find the light switch in his bedroom.

Jeff chuckled through the phone. "Yes, Nicky you're going to be an uncle, again. I'm taking Kimberly to the hospital now before her labor pains get worse. Emma Grace is here keeping an eye on Lexi."

"Jeff tell Kimberly I'll be home in a couple of hours," Nick informed while he threw random clothes into a duffle bag.

"Nick, you know all of us would love to see you again, but if you need to stay for work we all understand," Jeff smiled as he thought of Nick running around his house like a chicken with its head cut off.

"Jeff I've never missed being home when one of my sisters brought my new niece or nephew home, and I'm not going to start missing them coming home," Nick informed his brother-in-law.

"I know Nicky, I know. I'll tell Emma Grace that you'll be here soon," Jeff was still chuckling when he hung up the phone.

When Nick got off the phone, he finished packing for the few days that he would be home. Then Nick took a shower and ate breakfast; he knew it was too early to call Grissom and ask for time off. Nick picked up around his house and then ordered his ticket for his flight to Dallas. Around five-thirty that morning, Nick decided it was a reasonable time to call Grissom.

Grissom had no problem with Nick taking a few days off of work, after all, Nick had saved up some vacation time. At seven that morning Nick took a cab to the airport and headed for Dallas. As soon as Nick was off the plane, he got a cab as fast as he could and headed for Kimberly and Jeff's house.

It was ten in the morning when Nick softly tapped on the door of Kimberly and Jeff's house. Emma Grace had answered the door before Nick knocked again. Nick just stood there for a few minutes because the scene of Emma Grace in pajama shorts, a t-shirt, her hair in a messy bun, and baby Lexi on her hip took his breath away.

Nick had been able to come home for the summer for a week in May, July, and August; three weeks in total. Nick and Emma Grace now had a routine of calling each other every night. Even if Nick was working crazy hours and couldn't get to the phone, he would have a voicemail on his phone, and he called Emma Grace back as soon as he could. Nick hadn't been able to come back home since August though. And Emma Grace had always possessed the skill of taking Nick's breath away with her beauty.

"Hey, Nicky." Emma Grace smiled as she brought Nick out of his thoughts, and stepped out of the way so Nick could walk through the door.

"Oh, Hey," Nick smiled as he walked through the door. He put his duffle bag on the couch in the living room and then turned toward Emma Grace and Lexi.

"Come here sweet Lexi Mae," Nick said smiling and holding his arms out to his young niece. Lexi giggled and then reached for Nick. Emma Grace laughed as she handed Lexi over to Nick.

"While you have her, I'm going to go and get ready for the day. You and I will be sharing the guest bedroom so I can take your bag in there- unless you were going to stay with Bill and Jillian?" Emma Grace cautiously explained looking at Nick and the face he was making, with a confused expression on her face.