Lover's Eyes
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI.
Please Review! This is the sequel to Valley of the Shadow, this story will be lighter then the last one but there will be some drama. (There has to be some) I know I said I would update on Monday, but I sprained my thumb which makes it painful to type. I will update as soon as I can though.
Ch1: Welcome To My Home
Sara was giving Mandy a ride home from work because her trustee ford focus had officially died. Nick offered her his truck but she detested the gas guzzling bully. After the shooting Sara and Mandy became better friends and since Sara had just pulled a double and was driving by the house she offered and Mandy accepted. A little girl time could do wonders for Mandy unenthused soul.
Why would she be upset? She had a great daughter who had just celebrated her third birthday. She had a beautiful home, a great job, and a great husband… oh wait, and she didn't have a husband. Her and Nick were still together, he was her baby daddy. Even though, she knew their relationship wasn't some Maury and Jerry Springer laughing stock but rather that of genuine realness, that's what puzzled her on why Nick and her just get married. What do I stand? She often thought to herself.
"So where are you guys going again?" Sara asked, seeing Mandy pry the deepest parts of brain for answers.
"Texas, Nick's brother is getting married." Mandy said showing her displeasure. Mandy was excited for her two weeks off work and to meet all of Nick's family, but when you have doubts of ever getting married to the man of your dreams the last thing you want to do is go to someone else's wedding.
"Wow that sounded promising? Nick was all excited, that they wanted, Lily, to be the flower girl." Sara said and Mandy couldn't help but smile. Lily, their three year old daughter was going to be the flower girl.
"She is." Mandy smiled.
"What's going between you and Nick? I saw you guys arguing yesterday in the garage." Sara asked looking over at her as they approached a red light. Mandy just sighed.
"I guess that's just where we are with each other. Some days we are love birds, and everything he does makes me smile and other day's hearing him breathe gets me mad. I don't know what we were arguing about but I guarantee you, it was stupid." Mandy said slightly ashamed.
"How is he with Lily?" Sara asked driving again. Mandy smiled.
"The best. She is such a daddy's girl, I love it." Mandy said still smiling looking at the picture on her phone of Nick and Lily asleep on the couch together, with Sam curled up by their feet. She smiled to herself seeing Lily's little hand on Nick's lower chest knowing that it was on his scar through the tee shirt. Lily could find that bright pink quarter size dot blindfolded, Mandy thought it was a little strange but kids are strange. "I don't know, Sara. Ever since the shooting, Nick and I… we've been different."
"Well, you guys went through a lot afterwards too. You changed shifts, and Lily was born. What does Nick say about the shooting?" Sara asked.
"Nothing." Mandy said flatly.
"Nothing? What do you mean nothing?" Sara asked not as surprised as she could be, she kind of already knew and feared the answer she would get.
"I mean nothing. Even when he came home from the hospital not a peep. He hasn't even blown up, or got into any drunken fights with cops… so I guess I have to count my blessings, huh?" Mandy halfheartedly teased. "Anytime, I try and talk to him about it… he just shuts down."
"I was afraid you were going to say that." Sara said sighing, as she turned on to Mandy's road.
"You know, he doesn't make anything easy. I'm just waiting for him to blow up, I just worry because I know the longer it sits inside of him the bigger it will get." Mandy said scratching her arm.
"Lucky you?" Sara said and Mandy smiled as Sara parked in their driveway next to Nick's gas guzzling bully. Mandy opened her door for Sara as Lily came sprinting up wearing her princess dress and holding a fairy wand.
"Mama!" Lily squealed as Mandy picked her.
"Hi, baby girl." Mandy said kissing Lily's forehead as the toddler began to squirm to get down and chase Sam as if he was a dragon and Sam loved it. Mandy saw Nick as he came down the hallway and the widest smile came across her and Sara's faces. There Nick stood with a pink frilly boa around his neck and the sparkliest tiara on his head.
"Don't laugh, you know I look good." Nick teased as he gave Mandy a kiss.
"What are you guys' doing?" Mandy asked looking at him as she was losing the fight against the overwhelming urge to laugh.
"We are playing." Nick teased as Lily ran around following Sam. Just about all her toys were out and Sesame Street was playing on the TV.
"I will see you guys later. Or when you come back, have fun." Sara smiled.
"Sar, thanks for bringing Mandy home." Nick said as he moved to open the door for her.
"It's no problem. See ya." Sara said leaving. Nick went to their bedroom as Lily rolled around on their bed in total imagination land.
"I packed her diaper bag up, but I thought the clothes would be better up to you." Nick said as he took off the tiara and boa and sat on the bed to watch her better. Mandy smiled a little to herself. You could tell who dressed the baby if the outfit didn't match and looked thrown together, that would have been created by Sir Nicholas Stokes, while the opposite of that and when it looked together and cute that would have been created by Madame Webster.
"Alright, I started to pack some of her stuff yesterday." Mandy said.
"I figured that… Lily, are you excited to fly on plane and see Grandma Stokes?" Nick asked Lily who immediately smiled. Lily had a good mix of both of her gorgeous parents, however she did look a little more like Nick some days and on other she would look like a little Mandy.
"Yeah!" Lily squealed, Lily was the happiest toddler. She had a couple rough days but usually it was all smiles. Nick picked Lily up and put her on his shoulder and made it seem like they were a giant airplane as he made engine noises and fly around the house.
What do you think? Please Review! Believe me, I read your reviews from Valley of the Shadow of Death and I will include your suggestions for the sequel into this one.