Disclaimer: I own nothing of CSI
After my last story a few of my readers wanted me to write a story about Eli's visit so here you go!
Eli's Visit
The kids were so excited to see Eli, they rushed at him the second he came through the door as if they hadn't seen him in years.
He seemed equally excited to see them and to be staying at Nick and Jackie's house.
After Eli got settled Jackie made everyone French toast while Nick fed Hundley in the living room and all the other kids watched cartoons.
After they had finished their breakfast they all got ready and went swimming at the park not far from their house.
When they got home all the kids enjoyed a popsicle on the back patio, even Hundley, and boy did she love it, but the sweet little baby looked like a smurf because she got the blue treat all over herself.
Jackie took her popsicle away for just a moment so she could wipe her face off and she threw a bloody fit.
"Hold on, I'm going to give it right back." Jackie said with a chuckle.
The kids erupted in a fit of giggles at the baby's antics.
When they were finished with their popsicles Nick threw a Frisbee around the yard with the kids while Jackie and Hundley watched from a patio chair.
The kids finally grew bored with throwing the Frisbee around (much to Nick's relief, it had worn him out) so everyone went inside and did a fun art project that Jackie had done with her students during the school year.
When dinner time rolled around Jackie asked Eli what he wanted to eat.
"Pizza" Jasmine answered.
"Your name is not Eli." Jackie told her with a laugh.
"Pizza" Eli told her.
"We don't have to go for pizza, you're the guest, you get to decide." Jackie replied.
"No, it's ok, I like pizza, we can eat pizza." He assured her.
Soon they all arrived at the pizza parlor.
Later that evening after all the kids had fallen asleep (which didn't take long, they had had a very busy day and were exhausted.) Jackie looked at Nick and said "You know Nicky maybe you and Eli can go somewhere tomorrow with just the two of you, it'd probably be good for Eli to get some one on one time with you since you're the closest thing he has to a father."
"You know, I was thinking about that today, I think I will."
"Good, now let's get some sleep, I have a feeling it will be a busy day tomorrow too."
"I have a feeling you may be right about that." He answered.
The next day after they had eaten breakfast and gotten dressed Jackie took the kids to the park, leaving Eli alone with Nick.
"Alright bud, what would you like to do?" Nick asked him.
"Can we go to the arcade?" He asked.
"You bet we can." Nick answered with a smile.
He remembered how Warrick had told him how much he had liked the arcade when he was little. Like father like son Nick thought to himself.
Eli had a blast at the arcade, playing every game there was and he also beat Nick in two games of air hockey.
After they had finished at the arcade they went home and grabbed two of Nick's old baseball gloves as well as a baseball and then headed to the park to play catch.
"Nick I wish you were my real dad." Eli told him.
That remark made Nick happy and sad at the same time. He felt flattered that Eli thought that of him but it also made him sad that his best friend was not able to act as a father, Nick knew that if given the chance Warrick would have been an exceptional father and it was wrong on so many levels that he wasn't here to be involved in Eli's life.
Nick smiled at him.
"I might not be actual dad but I'm always just a phone call away whenever you need me. I'd do anything for you, just like I would for my children, you know that right?"
Eli shook his head yes.
"And that goes for Jackie too, she's there whenever you need her too, and that also goes for anyone else at the lab, Cath, Sara, Greg, any one of them. We consider you and your mom family." Nick continued.
"I know." Eli said with a smile.
Nick smiled back at him.
"Hey Nick?"
"Yeah?"
"If my dad was alive would he be a good dad?" Eli asked.
"Yeah, he'd be awesome." Nick told him.
"Can you tell me a story about him?"
"Sure, let me think a minute." Nick responded.
He thought for a few seconds.
"Alright, I have a good story. As nice as your dad was he could be sneaky too." Nick began with a grin.
Eli laughed.
"Anyway one day we were at work and this pool was making a weird noise and our boss said that either me or your dad had to get into the pool to find out what was wrong with it, well neither of us wanted to go in the pool so your dad and I played rock paper scissors to determine who would go in, and I lost, meaning I had to jump in, your dad thought that was pretty funny and I was so mad, I really wanted to push him in before I got in and had our boss not have been watching I would have. We were always doing things like rock paper scissors to settle things between us and I don't believe I ever beat your dad, he thought that was funny too." Nick said, smiling at the memory.
Eli laughed, he liked that story.
"What was in the pool?" Eli asked.
"What?" Nick asked.
"You said that the pool was making a weird noise and that's why you had to jump in, what was in there that was making it sound funny?"
"Uh, I don't remember now, that was a long time ago, I just remember how happy your dad was that he didn't have to get in the pool." Nick fibbed, he remembered very well what had been in the pool but he didn't want to give Eli nightmares so he didn't tell him.
After that Nick and Eli started playing catch.
That night after Eli had laid down for the night he smiled, he loved getting to spend time at the Stokes' house and he especially had enjoyed his time with Nick that afternoon.
He almost wished that his mom wasn't coming back the next day so he could stay there longer but he remembered what Nick had told him about only being a phone call away, he loved Nick and he trusted him. Nick was a great fill in dad!
The End!