Say Hello to the Past (CSI fanfiction)

Celebrating His Girls

(AN: takes place after season 6; episode 16 "Up in Smoke," and during and after season 6; episode 17 "I Like to Watch.")

After having to deal with a man stealing a body to frame the man who killed his daughter a year ago, and watching the suspect try to blame everything on his own son, Nick was emotionally and mentally tired. He wanted to go home to his family, but he had a question he needed to ask Catherine.

Nick found Catherine at her locker packing up to go home. "Hey, Catherine, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Nicky." Catherine sat down on the benches and waited for Nick to talk.

"How do you do this?" Nick asked as he sat down beside Catherine.

"What do you mean, Nicky?" Catherine wasn't sure what Nick was asking her.

"How do you deal with these cases concerning kids and not get emotionally involved by seeing Lindsey as the victim?" Nick had a torn and painful expression on his face.

Catherine gave Nick a sympathetic look, knowing that Nick was suffering from seeing the victim as Katlin, Marie, Maggie, or his unborn daughter.

"At first, I had the hardest time with cases involving children because I'd see Lindsey. But, over time I was able to get past that because I trust myself to keep Lindsey safe, and as Lindsey gets older, I teach her to be aware of things. I also keep a vial of her blood in my freezer because something can happen to anyone."

Catherine watched as Nick absorbed the information she had given him.

"Until I trust my instincts as a father, what do I do?" Nick asked.

"You go home, give each of your girls a kiss, and hug them. Spend time with them and thank God nothing has happened to them. That's what I'm about to do right now with Lindsey." Catherine smiled as she thought of her sleeping daughter safe at home.

"Thanks, Catherine." Nick stood up and hugged Catherine.

"Any time, Nicky," Catherine said as the two of them walked to the parking lot.

When Nick got home, he did just what Catherine suggested. He kissed a sleeping Katlin and Marie on the foreheads and tucked the blankets around them. Nick went into Maggie Hope's room next. He didn't take her out of her crib because he didn't want to wake her up. Nick placed two of his fingers to his lips, then put those fingers on Maggie Hope's forehead very gently. Maggie didn't wake up, and Nick just watched his youngest daughter sleep for a while.

Nick went into the bedroom he shared with Emma Grace. He changed for bed and crawled in beside Emma Grace, trying to be as quiet as he could. 

"Mmm. How was work, Honey?" Emma Grace rolled over, with a little difficulty because of the baby, and faced Nick.

"It was fine, just a long night." Nick gave Emma Grace a kiss. Then Nick placed a kiss on Emma Grace's stomach. 

"Love you," Emma Grace mumbled as she fell back to sleep.

"Love you too," Nick said as he gathered a now sleeping Emma Grace up in his arms and drifted off to sleep himself.

The next day, Emma Grace agreed with Nick's idea. Doc Al Robbins and his wife came over for lunch. Al took a vial of Katlin, Marie, Maggie, Emma, and Nick's blood before he left. Nick stored the vials of blood in the freezer just like Catherine said she did with Lindsey's blood.

Next week at work was a little easier. Nick was working in the lab on the case concerning the woman who had been assaulted. He didn't like that a camera crew was invading the workspace, but he didn't see any reason to cause a fight over that. After the camera crew finished watching how they solved this case, they would be gone and not be a problem anymore.

Nick had just finished explaining to the unwanted camera crew about the fingerprints he had found. He was on his break now. Emma Grace and the girls had come to the lab to eat with Nick. 

"Are you excited about next week, Sweetie?" Nick asked Katlin, who was sitting on his lap eating a carrot stick.

"Yes," Katlin said with a mouth full of carrots. Emma Grace and Nick were chuckling when Katlin had to put her hand over her mouth to keep the carrots from falling out of her mouth.

"Mr. Stokes, is this your family? How do they feel about your line of work? Mrs. Stokes, do you ever worry that your husband will never come home?" The camera crew burst into the break room while shoving the camera in Emma Grace's face.

"What in the world is going on? Get that out of my face!" Emma Grace pushed the camera out of her face and gathered a now crying Maggie Hope into her arms while Marie tried to hide behind Emma Grace. Katlin was clutching Nick's neck and burying her face in his shoulder.

"Y'all have five seconds to get out of here before I break those cameras!" Nick roared as he stood in front of Emma Grace and protectively held Katlin to him.

"What is going on in here?!" Conrad Ecklie, the Assistant Director of the crime lab, demanded as he stormed into the break room.

"Ecklie! Get them out of here! NOW!" The order came from Emma Grace who was angry. Ecklie didn't ask any more questions. He made the camera crew leave Nick and his family alone, and Nick didn't have to see the camera crew again. He and Emma Grace both wished they had broken the cameras though.

Thankfully, Nick had four days off from work the next week.  Ashley and her boyfriend, Jake, came over one night to watch the girls while Nick and Emma Grace went out on a date.

The first morning of Nick's four days off from work found the family loading up the SUV and driving about thirty minutes to the Lion Habitat Ranch in Nevada. Katlin loved lions, and the family was spending the day at the habitat. Nick was thankful for the chance to focus on and celebrate his girls.