Say Hello to the Past (CSI fanfiction)

Christmas Season 2005

Emma Grace walked through the door of the house to find Nick sitting on the couch with Katlin snuggled close to Nick's right side, and Marie snuggled close to his left side. Maggie Hope rested comfortably in Nick's arms as the four of them watched The Little Mermaid. Emma smiled as she walked into the bedroom and changed into comfortable clothes.

Emma Grace joined her family on the couch, and Marie moved over so Emma could sit beside Nick and Marie could snuggle close to Emma. Nick readjusted Maggie Hope to his left side so he could rest his right hand on Emma's tiny baby bump. Emma Grace knew something was bothering Nick, but she decided to wait and let him talk about it when he was ready. Right now, she wanted to spend time with her family.

After the movie had ended, Nick handed Maggie Hope to Emma. Nick got up from the couch and gathered a sleeping Katlin into his arms. Nick carried Katlin to the girls' bedroom and tucked her in, kissing her on the forehead. Nick came back into the living room and picked up Marie, who was asleep beside Emma. Nick tucked Marie into her bed beside Katlin and kissed her on the forehead. Finally, Nick took Maggie from Emma's arms and carried the seven-month-old to her nursery. He placed a kiss on Maggie's forehead and laid her in the crib.

Nick came back to the living room. Without a word he took Emma's hand and led her to their bedroom. Emma laid down beside Nick. Nick moved down the bed until he was eye level with Emma Grace's baby bump. Nick placed a kiss on Emma's stomach and began talking to their baby.

"Hey, Little Bit. Daddy has missed you, Mommy, and your sisters today. I've been thinking, and I have a promise I want, no, I need, to make to you. Little Bit, I promise that I will always protect you, your sisters, and Mommy. No matter what. I love you, Little Bit." Nick placed another kiss on Emma Grace's stomach. Then he moved back up the bed and kissed Emma Grace.

"You want to tell me what happened today?" Emma Grace asked stroking Nick's cheek.

Nick laid down beside Emma Grace, who held him as he told her about the case with the missing boy and how one of their girls going missing had become his worst nightmare.

The next day at work, Nick asked Grissom if he could work the case from a distance. Grissom told Nick that was fine and didn't question the younger man. After all, Grissom was an observer, and he had noticed that Emma Grace's stomach was getting bigger. Grissom knew why the case was hard for Nick.

The day that the case of the missing boy was solved found Nick late for family dinner. Emma Grace had tried to call Nick but got his voicemail. Emma pretended not to be worried in front of the girls as they went through their usual routine. 

Emma Grace had just put Maggie Hope down to sleep when Nick came through the door. Emma Grace placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry. I know I probably scared you, but I had to go to the therapist," Nick explained as he closed the door and locked it.

Emma Grace gave Nick a shocked expression and dropped her hands from her hips. "Nicky?"

Nick waited to respond to Emma Grace until she walked over to him, and he could wrap his arms around her.

"Kelly Gordon came to see me at the lab today."

"What?!" Nick was too calm for Emma's liking.

"Emma, calm down," Nick said rubbing her back in a comforting move.

"What did she want?"

"To tell me that what I told her all of those months ago got through to her. I felt fine about the whole thing, but I stopped by the therapist's office just to talk about it. After that, I went for a walk around the lake to clear my head since we wrapped up the case of the missing boy." Nick kissed Emma Grace on the forehead. He went over to the stove to start boiling water for some tea.

The couple stayed up talking about Kelly Gordon and the case. They also decided it was time to tell the team about the baby.

Therefore, the team gathered in the break room the day after the case was solved at Nick and Emma Grace's request. The couple revealed to the team that Emma Grace was pregnant. Everyone congratulated them and expressed how they could not wait to meet the baby.

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Two weeks after Kelly Gordon had visited Nick at the lab Emma Grace, Nick, and the girls were in Texas to celebrate Christmas with the family. 

The Stokes family had more people in the house for Christmas this year. Jake, Ashley's boyfriend of a year and three months, was having an intense looking conversation with Kevin, Ashley's dad. Nick had a feeling he knew what their discussion was about.

Rose, Seventeen-year-old Andrew's girlfriend of two months was spending some of the Christmas holiday with the family. Rose was a nice girl and Andrew's six-year-old cousin, Lauren, worshiped the ground Rose walked on.

Sixteen-year-old Joshua's "nothing but friends" friend, Mechelle was spending the day with the family. Joshua had been the one to stress to the family that he viewed Mechelle as nothing more than a friend. However, Emma Grace was convinced that Joshua had a crush on Mechelle.

"Aunt Emma, Aunt Emma!" Three-year-old Elizabeth reached her arms up to Emma Grace, who was sitting on the couch.

"Hey, Baby," Emma Grace said smiling as she picked Elizabeth up and placed her on her lap.

Elizabeth took one of her tiny hands and gently rubbed Emma's belly. "Baby? Baby?"

"That's right Lizzy. Aunt Emma has a baby there. Are you excited to have a new cousin?" Nick asked smiling at the picture his youngest niece and Emma Grace made sitting on the couch.

"Yes!" Elizabeth clapped her tiny hands together to show Nick her excitement.

Emma Grace and Nick received much appreciated advice from Nick's sisters and brothers-in-law about what to expect during this first pregnancy for both of them. As always, the time spent at the Stokes family home was where some of the best memories were made. Emma Grace and Nick both seemed to get recharged while at home before they went back to their second home in Nevada. They were both excited about the fact that come time for Christmas next year their child would be there with them and the three wonderful girls they already had.