Disclaimer: I own nothing of CSI
Meeting the Baby
Nick and Jackie Stokes were curled up on the couch watching a movie together, munching on popcorn. Jackie was 9 months pregnant and she was getting more miserable and impatient by the day. Their baby was due 3 days ago, but she showed no signs of wanting to leave her comfortable home. Jackie made a face, she didn't feel very good.
Her husband saw the expression on her face "You ok?" He asked.
She sighed "Yeah, I just don't feel very good, I think it's the popcorn." She said.
They finished the movie and went to bed. Jackie was awoken in the middle of the night by a sharp pain in her abdomen
"Whoa, that's definitely not the popcorn" she thought.
She gently started to shake her husband "Nicky, wake up" she said.
He sat up "what's wrong sweetie?" He asked.
"I think I am in labor." She said.
Nick's eyes grew wide as he jumped out of bed.
"Nicky, what are you doing?" She asked.
"I'm taking you to the hospital NOW." He said.
"Nicky, hold on, wait a minute." She said still sitting up in bed.
"What?" He asked.
"Honey, I don't want to go to the hospital yet, labor will last several hours, especially because it is my first baby."
Nick looked nervous "I know, but I don't want to take any chances."
She smiled "I know, but I don't even know if I am in labor yet, I could be wrong."
"So what should I do then?" he asked.
"Get a watch, and start timing my contractions." She said.
He grabbed his watch which was on his nightstand.
"Now what?" He asked.
"Now we wait." She told him.
They waited for fifteen minutes, and nothing.
"I guess I'm not in labor, she must have just kicked really hard or something, I'm sorry I woke you for nothing." She said.
He smiled at her "it's alright." He said squeezing her hand.
"Let's go back to sleep." She suggested.
"Sounds like a plan." He agreed.
They were just about to lie down again when…. "auh" she said and immediately grabbed Nick's hand.
"Just breathe" he whispered soothingly.
Nick glanced at his watch "17 minutes apart" He said.
The contraction ended and then Nick got up again "alright, let's go." He said.
"Nicky, relax, I don't want to go yet." She said.
"Jackie I…" Nick began but she cut him off
"It's ok, just trust me." She said.
He looked scared but sat back down on the bed. She had three more contractions before Nick finally convinced her to go to the hospital. While in the car a contraction hit her hard. Nick let her squeeze his right hand, while he drove with his left hand. He kept looking at her
"Squeeze my hand, breathe, that's it." He said.
"Nicky, watch the road, I'll be fine." She said.
They managed to make it to the hospital without Nick running the car off the road. They got checked into a room.
6 hours later the contractions had gotten much stronger and much more intense, they were also coming much closer together. Nick was surprised at how well his wife was handling this, when a contraction came she would just close her eyes, if not for the tight grip on his hand, and the slow controlled breathing exercises she was doing Nick wouldn't even be able to tell his wife was in labor. In between contractions she was talking, laughing, and even joking.
A strong contraction hit, Nick saw Jackie tense in response to the pain.
"Honey don't tense, just try to relax, if you tense up it makes it worse, just breathe." He said sweetly into her ear.
She relaxed and began to breathe.
"That's it, in through your nose, and out through your mouth, good job." He coached.
After the contraction was over she said "you're so sweet, I don't know what I would do without you."
He smiled at her "you're doing so awesome." He said.
"Nicky." She said.
"Hmmm." He said pushing a stray hair away from her face
"I wish I could have been there with you holding your hand when you were kidnapped. When I saw you on that video all I could think was "I wish I could just hold him, tell him it will be ok."
Nick was touched "I know sweetheart." He said. Then he continued "When I was kidnapped I thought about this moment."
"What do you mean?" Jackie asked.
"Well, I didn't think I was going to survive, and I started thinking about all the things that I would never have the opportunity to do and having kids was high on that list, and I know how bad you wanted…" He was interrupted by the tightening grip on his hand.
"Ow, this one is really bad" she said.
"Breathe sweetie, the contraction will be over in just a minute, hang in there, you're doing great, I love you." He said.
Nick felt helpless, he wished there was something more he could do for her, he wished he could trade places with her, but of course he couldn't, so all he could do was hold her hand, and tell her he loved her. He hoped that was enough.
After that contraction was over he said "Honey, are you sure you don't want the epidural?"
"No, I can't you know how I am with needles they are my worst fear, I just can't."
She was getting herself worked up and Nick thought she would hyperventilate. "Ok, ok, shuuu, you don't have to, whatever you decide, we will get through together, it's alright." He said.
She immediately relaxed.
5 more hours past and after a particularly strong contraction Jackie had an odd request for her husband.
"Nicky, can I hold your left hand instead of your right one?"
He immediately switched hands but he was curious why.
He smiled, "can I ask why?" he said.
"Because you are right handed, that is the hand that you hold your gun with, and if I break your hand, you won't be able to use your gun at work, and then you could die."
Nick chuckled "Baby, I think you're fine, I doubt very much you will actually break my hand."
"You never know." She said looking skeptical about her husbands' optimism.
Another 3 grueling hours passed; during one contraction Jackie asked "Nick, can I break your nose?"
Nick smiled "if you want to." He whispered.
But instead she just squeezed his hand even harder, and she thought for sure his fingers were going to snap in half.
Finally after 1 more hour the doctor came in and said it was time to push. Jackie thought this was the light at the end of the tunnel but after 2.5 hours of pushing she realized that she was wrong.
After one contraction ended she laid her head back on the pillow, waiting for the next one to begin so she could push again
"Nicky, I'm so tired, I can't do this anymore." She said with tears rolling down her cheeks.
"I know honey, but you are so close, you can do this." He said, stroking her hair.
"No, it hurts so bad, I can't." Just then another contraction came "oh God, not again" She moaned.
"Come on sweetheart, you're almost there, push." Nick said.
Pushing anymore was the last thing Jackie wanted to do but she knew she didn't have a choice, so she took a deep breath and pushed down. Then she pushed again, "ahhhhh." She cried out in pain.
"Ok Jackie the worst part is over, relax, and don't push, when the next contraction comes, I need one more push and this will all be over." Her doctor said.
Jackie glanced at her husband, he smiled at her "take a break and catch your breath." He said dabbing her head with a wet wash cloth.
She took a couple of deep breaths and then the next contraction hit "Nicky help." She said.
"You can do it, just one more push." Nick said softly.
"Nicky, please, no more." She begged.
He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently "Honey, one more push and our little girl will be in your arms."
That was what she needed to hear; she took a deep breath and pushed. It hurt, but suddenly the pain stopped.
The next sound the couple heard was a faint cry.
The doctor laid their baby girl on her chest.
Jackie started to cry as she leaned down and gave the baby a kiss "hi baby girl, I love you so much." she whispered.
She then glanced at Nick; tears were streaming down his face. "She's beautiful." He said through his tears.
"She is the most gorgeous baby I have ever seen." Jackie agreed.
A nurse then came and took the baby to the other side of the room so she could check her vital signs to make sure she was healthy.
Nick grabbed Jackie's hand "You were amazing, I am so proud of you, I love you so much." He said.
"Thank you for all your love and support, I could not have gotten through that without you, and I love you too." She said.
The baby than begin to scream, she was clearly not happy in the least.
Nick smiled "She has a good set of lungs on her." He said.
"Honey, go see if you can calm her down." Jackie said.
So for the first time since Jackie's labor had started Nick left her side, and went over to his new baby girl.
"Hi sweetheart, I'm your daddy. I love you." He said softly to the crying infant.
He looked at the nurse "Can I touch her?" He asked.
The nurse smiled at him "Of course, she's your daughter." She said.
So Nick stuck his finger in the baby's palm, and she immediately wrapped her fingers around it. Something else happened as well, the baby stopped crying.
Nick grinned at the nurse, she smiled back "nice work daddy." She said.
"Does she have a name yet?" the nurse asked.
"Jasmine" Nick answered.
"That's pretty." The nurse said.
"Thank you." Nick said.
Nick just stood there staring at the baby, letting her hold his finger for several minutes.
The nurse then said "I hate to make you do this but could pull your finger out of her grip for just a minute, just so I can get her accurate weight?"
"Oh sure." Nick said, gently pulling his finger out of her hand.
The baby immediately started screaming again. "Oh no sweetie, don't cry, it's alright." Nick said trying to soothe her but the baby was having none of it.
The nurse went ahead and weighed her anyways "6 pounds, 9 ounces." She announced.
After that she wrapped the baby in a nice warm blanket and handed her to Nick. The nurse could tell Nick was nervous
"It's ok, they are a lot less breakable then people think, I have been doing this job for over 10 years, and not one has been broken yet." The nurse said.
Nick chuckled. "Come on, lets go over and see mommy." He said to the now content bundle in his arms.
He walked slowly, cautiously, over to the bed. He gently handed the baby to Jackie, and then sat on the edge of the bed next to her.
"She has so much hair." Jackie said. The baby had a full head of hair, the color of her father's.
"I didn't think she would have much if any hair at all." Jackie continued.
"Why's that?" Nick asked.
"Because I had several dreams about her, and in the dreams she was always bald." She answered.
Nick chuckled.
"She looks like you Nicky, she has your mouth and your ears." She said.
"Yeah but she got your nose which is good." Nick said.
Jackie smiled.
The baby opened her eyes and stared back at them.
"Look Jacks, blue eyes, your favorite eye color." Nick said.
"Yeah too bad they won't stay that color since neither of us have blue eyes" she said.
"I hope she gets your eye color." Nick said.
"Why, you don't like brown eyes?" Jackie asked.
"Yes, I do, but I love your eyes, they are beautiful, that is the first thing I noticed about you the day we met." He said.
She smiled.
Neither said anything for a couple minutes, instead they just stared at the baby, both lost in thoughts about their wonderful future with her, but eventually Jackie broke the silence.
"Nicky, I have a favor to ask." She said.
"Anything" Nick said immediately.
"I want my dad to be the first to hold her out of all our friends and family." Jackie said.
Nick could tell by the look in his wife's eye that this was important to her, and he instantly knew why.
Not long ago Jackie's dad had become extremely ill with cancer, doctors prepared the entire family for the worst but he had pulled through and now Jackie and her dad had become even closer, if that was even possible. Jackie had always been especially close with her dad, Nick thought the phrase "Daddy's little girl." had been coined for the two of them, they were that close. When her dad had become sick, Jackie who always had it together completely lost it, for months she would lay awake at night sobbing, Nick had even switched to the day shift at work for a small period of time so he could be with her at night, but there was nothing he could do or say that would make it ok. Nick had never seen his wife as happy as the day that her dad was released from the hospital cancer free. Today however, when the doctor had laid their sweet baby girl on her chest, Nick thought he saw an even bigger sparkle in his wife's eye, just maybe her dads' special homecoming had been pushed to second place, but he knew it was not a very distant second place.
Nick smiled at her "I think that is a wonderful idea." He said.
She gave him a grateful kiss.
"But I think your mom might push him out of the way." He said with a chuckle.
Jackie laughed too "That is a very real possibility." She agreed.
Once again the nurse came in, this time she wanted to take the baby to the nursery.
"Go with her Nicky." Jackie said.
Nick left, so Jackie was left alone in her room.
About a half hour later Nick came back, holding the baby, he was followed by all of their family and friends. They all gathered in the room. Nick handed the baby to Jackie, and everyone crowded around her. Jackie's dad was standing at the foot of the bed.
"Dad, come here a minute." She said motioning him over next to her.
He was immediately at his daughter's side.
Tears welled in her eyes as she said "I want you to be the first one to hold your new granddaughter."
He gently took the baby.
Everyone in the room understood the significance of what was happening, and therefore everyone begin to cry.
Jackie was crying uncontrollably.
"Damn hormones" she mumbled as Nick gave her a Kleenex.
Jackie stole a glance at her mother and discovered that she was crying even harder.
Nick grabbed her a Kleenex as well "hormones are Jackie's excuse, what's yours?" He asked teasingly.
"Oh hush Nicky." She told her son-in law-as she took the Kleenex.
After a couple of minutes everyone had managed to compose themselves.
"Jackie, I want a picture of you and your dad, while your dad is holding the baby, get in there close together." Jackie's aunt said with her camera ready.
"Oh no, I don't want my picture taken right now, I look like hell." Jackie said.
"Oh shut up and smile." Her aunt said.
Her dad got close next to her, "it'll go a lot faster if you just do it." He whispered in her ear.
Apparently he was not quiet enough though, because her aunt looked at him and said "you shut up too."
Everyone laughed. She took a few pictures and then she looked at Nick,
"Ok Nick, get in there with them." She said.
"That's alright, this is a special moment for the two of them." He said.
"Get in there Nick." Her aunt said in a no nonsense voice.
Nick moved so quickly to his wife's side that you would have thought her aunt had a gun instead of a camera.
"I'm afraid of her." He whispered in Jackie's ear with a grin.
"Your husband is a smart man." Jackie's dad mumbled, after overhearing what Nick had just said.
The three of them burst out laughing.
"Smile" her aunt barked at the three adults.
They did, but her aunt was still not satisfied.
"Jackie you look like you just had a root canal instead of a baby, now smile nicely." She said.
Just for that the next time her aunt was ready to take the picture instead of smiling Jackie stuck her tongue out at her. Everyone laughed hysterically, everyone except her aunt that is.
"Jackie knock if off, you know how I hate to have my pictures ruined." She scolded.
Jackie behaved herself after that and her aunt was finally satisfied after what seemed like 100 pictures had been taken.
After her aunt was finished with the pictures Jackie's dad looked at her and asked "so what is the baby's name?"
Jackie glanced at Nick, but he just nodded.
"Jasmine" Jackie said with a smile.
Her dad grinned back, "Now where did you ever get that name?" he said in a mock tone.
"Gee I don't know." Jackie said, her voice equally as mocking as her father.
Then Catherine Willows asked "What's her middle name?
"Nicole" Nick answered.
Catherine arched her eyebrows "Now I wonder who that is after?" She said with a grin.
"I wondered that myself." Nick said playing along.
Everyone just laughed.
They all said how they liked the name.
After the name mystery had been solved Jackie's mom wanted to hold the baby.
"I have been patient as long as I can." She said taking the baby from her husband.
Jackie's dad grinned "guess I was done holding her huh?" he said to Jackie
"Guess so" Jackie said with a laugh.
After her mother had a chance to hold the baby, she was passed from person to person, with everyone saying how cute and adorable she is.
When it was Catherine's turn to hold the baby, she looked at the baby, then at Nick, then back at the baby and finally declared "look, it's a little mini Nicky."
"What are you talking about Catherine, she looks just like me." Jackie said jokingly.
Catherine looked at Jackie and then at the baby and said "Sorry Jackie, but this kiddo is all Nicky."
"Well ok, you're the expert when it comes to details." Jackie said with a laugh.
A couple of hours later Jackie was getting tired and so everyone left so she could get some sleep, leaving just her, Nick and the baby at the hospital.
"Honey, you should try to get some sleep." Nick said.
Jackie glanced at the baby asleep in her basinet. "But I don't want to sleep, in case she wakes up." She said.
"I'll be here with her, she'll be fine, you have had a long day, you should rest." Nick said.
"Ok, but if she wakes up and starts to cry, and you can't figure out what's wrong with her, you wake me up." Jackie said.
"Alright, that sounds good to me." Nick agreed, knowing that if he didn't his wife would never go to sleep.
Jackie laid her head against the pillow, and it didn't take her long at all to fall asleep.
She was awoken a couple hours later, not by a baby's cry, but by a man's voice. She opened her eyes, and saw Nick sitting in a rocking chair across the room with the baby in his arms.
"It's alright sweetheart, daddy's here, don't cry or you'll wake mommy." He said to the slightly fussy baby.
Jackie smiled, "it's ok Nicky, I'm awake." She said.
"Uh-oh, we woke mommy." Nick said to the baby.
Nick glanced at Jackie "sorry, I tried to keep her quiet." He said.
"It's ok." Jackie said, not having the heart to tell him that it was him that woke her, not the baby.
"Maybe she's hungry" Jackie said.
"Nope, I just fed her."
"Wet?" Jackie tried again.
"No, I just checked, she's dry." He said.
"Did you burp her?" She asked.
"Uh no" Nick said, then asked "how do you do that again?"
"Hand me a burp rag, and the baby." Jackie said.
He did and Jackie gently placed the baby over her shoulder and begin lightly hitting her back. The baby seemed to like it, she stopped crying anyway. Although she didn't burp.
"Here let me try." Nick said.
She handed the rag and Jasmine to him. Just like his wife he put her over his shoulder and begin tapping her back.
Jackie chuckled, "you have to do it a little harder than that sweetie." She told her husband.
"I don't wanna hurt her." Nick said.
"You won't." Jackie assured him.
So he begin to do it a little harder, and sure enough the baby burped rather loudly.
"That's not very lady like Jasmine." Nick said with a laugh. Then he asked his wife "How do you know when to stop burping her?"
"Try to stop, and if she is still fussy, keep going, if you stop and she seems content, then just stop." Jackie said.
Nick stopped burping her, he then cradled her in his arms. He sat down and begin to rock her gently. The baby was more then content to just rock in her daddy's arms, she just stared into his eyes.
Nick glanced at Jackie, she was staring at both of them with a huge smile on her face.
"You should go back to sleep Jacks." Nick said.
"I'll try." She said.
Nick turned his attention back to the baby; despite her best efforts to stay awake her little eyes were beginning close.
Nick smiled at her "you're tired little one, go to sleep, it's alright." He said.
The baby could no longer keep her eyes open as she fell asleep in Nick's arms. Nick glanced over at Jackie, her eyes too were beginning to close.
"What a wonderful day it's been, huh Jackie?" Nick said softly.
Jackie gave him a slight smile "Yes, and this is only the beginning of our wonderful new future." She said quietly before falling asleep herself.