Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has anything to do with CSI. Anything at the end or beginnings of chapters in italics are song lyrics, which also don't belong to me.
Summary: Nick has a wife, Chelsea, that he's been married to for ten years. They have a daughter, Jenna, who is seven. This is a Nick centric story about how he has to deal with the worst pain anyone could ever be put through and how he copes with it with the help of his friends, which at times seems to be not enough. He has to overcome obstacles within himself and within the world around him, or they'll overcome him.
Nick and Warrick sat back in the break room, watching Hodges look for his cell phone across the hall. He had asked them if they had seen it, and they had just shaken their heads, too tired and amused to get up and help the trace technician find his lost phone. After almost twenty minutes of this, Nick reluctantly took out his own phone and called Hodges in hopes that that would help the frantic tech find his phone. The two CSIs in the break room came to the conclusion that the phone wasn't in the trace lab when Hodges didn't seem to hear it ringing, but instead Nick and Warrick heard it quietly ringing from somewhere behind them.
They turned around, their eyes meeting the couch near the back wall where the ringing was coming from. It was only a few more seconds before a little head popped up from behind the couch, holding the phone up in front of her smiling face as she tried to surpress a giggle, but failed miserably.
"Daddy, don't call Hodges," she said, looking over at Nick who was still sitting at the table with Warrick.
Nick couldn't help but smile. "Why did you take his phone Jenna?"
"Greg told me to," she asnwered. "He said it would be funny, and he was right. Hang up before he hears it."
But it was too late. Hodges had heard the ringing and quickly made his way over to the break room, seeing Jenna Stokes holding the phone in her hand as she climbed over the back of the couch. Nick shut his phone, and the ringing stopped. Jenna sat on the couch with a wide smile, looking up at Hodges innocently.
"Greg told me to," she repeated to Hodges as she reached up, handing him his phone.
Hodges shook his head. "You're lucky you're a cute little kid and that your dad could kick my ass," Hodges said as he left the break room, retreating back to his lab.
Jenna was still giggling as she slid off the couch and crossed over to the table before hopping up onto Nick's lap and looking at him with a wide smile. "Greg taught me how to change the background on Hodges phone, so now it's a picture of a little white kitty," Jenna said.
Warrick laughed. "I'm sure he'll appreciate that Jen," he said. "How did you get his phone anyway?"
"He went to go get coffee and I snuck in a took it," she answered.
"You're pretty crafty for a seven-year-old," Nick said, smiling at his daughter.
"I know, but mommy said that if I steal any more cookies that she's gonna yell at you because she knows that you're the one who taught me how and always tell me to do it," Jenna said matter-of-factly.
"Well then we can just tell mommy that it's her fault she got me addicted to chocolate because I never ate it before I met her, so it's technically her fault," Nick responded.
"I'm sure that'll go over well," Warrick said sarcastically.
"It's worth a shot," Nick said with a laugh. "It's kind of my only defense."
Jenna looked at Warrick quick before turning back to her dad. "Can you leave for a second? I gotta tell Warrick a secret. You can go get us candy or something."
Nick smiled again as he lifed Jenne off his lap and put her on the table in front of Warrick. "Yeah, I can do that. I'll go find Greg too and warn him that Hodges is probably going to be seeking payback for that little phone deal," he said as he left the break room.
"Okay," Jenna said after the door had closed behind Nick and he had walked out of sight, "My mom wanted me to ask you what you think we should get for dinner for my dad's birthday. She said she doesn't care and wanted to let you make the decision."
"Well I don't care what we get either. What do you want?"
Jenna shrugged. "All me and Greg care about is the ice cream cake. Nothing else really matters to us."
Warrick laughed. "I figured as much. Why don't we let Catherine decide?"
"Why don't we let me decide what?" Catherine asked as she entered the break room, smiling upon seeing Jenna.
"What to get my dad for dinner on his birthday," Jenna answered.
"That's a good question," Catherine said. "How about chinese food? That's always a good idea because we can just get a bunch of different stuff and everyone will be happy."
Jenna and Warrick nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea, everyone likes chinese food, and everyone likes cake."
"Grissom doesn't like cake," Brass said as he entered the break room with the graveyard shift supervisor. "He'd prefer chocolate covered grasshoppers."
"But my mommy said we couldn't have those this time because they're gross and really weird," Jenna said.
"Hey," Grissom said defensively, "they're an excellent source of protein and vitamins. And they taste good because they're covered in chocolate."
"But they're bugs," Jenna replied, and that ended that argument pretty quickly.
Greg and Chelsea entered the break room at the same time, but from different doors. Jenna slid off the table upon seeing her mom and ran over to her excitedly. Greg sat down at the table in the chair next to where Jenna had been sitting, which was reoccupied by the seven-yeard-old moments later.
"How did the cell phone deal go?" Greg asked.
Jenna giggled. "Good, until my dad called Hodges' phone and I had to come out from behind the couch."
Chelsea sat across from Greg and rolled her eyes at him."Ya know, between you and Nick, Jenna's gonna turn into a convicted thief when she gets older."
"She won't get convicted of anything, she's too smart to get caught," Nick said as he stood behind his wife. "I've been looking for you for like five minutes, and of course everyone's in here while I'm wandering around the lab," Nick said to Catherine.
"What's up?" she asked.
"Archie got a positive ID off of that guy on the surveillance tapes. He's our guy."
"Good," Grissom said approvingly. "We'll have Brass bring him in and you guys can wrap it up next shift."
Nick leaned forward against Chelsea's chair. "That guy's such a dumbass for walking back and forth in front of four cameras that he knew was there. He pretty much wanted to get caught."
Jenna gasped dramatically. "Daddy, don't swear!" she scolded.
Nick rolled his eyes and laughed. "Just don't repeat anything I say, okay?"
"Mommy and Catherine tell me that all the time. I'm not supposed to say anything that comes out of you, Greg or Warrick, or uncle Jim's mouth."
Brass held up his hands. "Woah woah woah. We shouldn't be put in the same category as him. He's ten times worse than we are."
Jenna giggled again. "Yeah, but you're all funny."
"They're not funny Jenna, they're stupid boys," Chelsea said, shaking her head slightly. "Don't ever marry a stupid boy."
"Yeah, she's speaking from experience," Nick said as he went over to the counter and turned the coffee maker on. "Hey G, is you good stuff in here?"
"You make it sound like it's drugs or something," Greg said as he stood and went over to the cabinets in search of his Blue Hawaiin coffee bag.
"Might as well be," Nick said, stealing Greg's seat at the table.
"Mommy, are we still going to the mall today?" Jenna asked as she started swining her dangling legs back and forth under the table.
Chelsea nodded. "Yes we are. I thought dad had to work today, that's why I came to pick you up, but I guess Grissom's giving him the day off because he's such a nice guy."
Grissom grinned. "A nice guy who likes to eat weird bugs."
"We all have our flaws," Nick said with a shrug. "I'm glad I don't have to work because I'd be all by myself while Catherine was off shopping with you two."
"Yeah, now we get to go play video games for the next three hours while you spend a bunch of money," Warrick added.
"You're lucky we're going shopping because Jenna can beat every one of you at any game," Chelsea said, laughing slightly. "You shouldn't have taught her how to play all of them."
"Yeah," Nick agreed, "that was poor planning on our part."
Catherine looked at her watch quick, then up at Chelsea. "Alright, we better head out so we don't get stuck in traffic and can beat the rush. Vegas malls are crazy in the summer."
Chelsea nodded in agreement. "Good idea, let's go."
Jenna slid off the table, only to stand on her tippy toes and kiss her dad quickly on the cheek. "Love you daddy," she said as she rushed around the table to her mom's side.
"Love you too," Nick said with a smile as the three of them left the break room, talking excitedly about their ensuing shopping trip.
Grissom shook his head slowly. "Between those three, the mall will be out of shoes within an hour."
Nick only jumped slightly when the front door burst open and Jenna came running in, jumping on the couch next to her dad. He should have been used to that happening by now, but he still wasn't, and he still didn't mind. Chelsea followed closely behind her daughter, carrying several shopping bags.
"Are there any more?" Nick asked, about to get up.
"Nope, we didn't get much," Chelsea answered.
"Not at all," Nick said sarcastically.
"What are you watching?" Jenna asked as she slipped under Nick's arm and cuddled up against him.
"The Godfather."
Jenna frowned. "What's that?"
"The greatest movie ever made," Nick said enthusiastically.
"And really violent," Chelsea added as she returned from putting the bags away. She flopped down on the couch next to Nick and rested her head on his shoulder, her tired eyes threatening to close. "But very good nontheless."
"How was the mall?" Nick asked, already knowing the answer.
"A lot of fun," Jenna said. "We got everything we needed, and some stuff that we didn't but we got it anyway."
Nick smiled. "I'm glad."
"How long did the boys stay?" Chelsea asked.
"Until a couple hours ago. We ordered pizza, then Greg got called to a scene and Warrick got tired of losing to me."
Chelsea laughed. "That's a first. Sorry we took so long. We got carried away at the mall, then figured we might as well waste more time until dinner and ate there."
Chelsea grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and spread it over all three of them, who snuggled into it and sank into the warm couch. Jenna sighed sleepily, content in using her dad as a pillow.
"Why don't you go sleep in your bed sweetie?" Nick suggested upon seeing Jenna's tired expression.
"Because I'm not tired," she lied, not wanting to miss out on anything.
Nick smiled as he watched Jenna's eyes slowly close, followed soon after by Chelsea's. He forgot about the movie on tv and took more enjoyment in seeing his wife and daughter sleeping peacefully on either side of him. Not long after they had drifted asleep did his own eyes flutter closed, pulling him into sleep as well.
There's a calm surrender to the rush of day
When the heat of a rolling wind can be turned away
An enchanted moment, and it sees me through
It's enough for this restless warrior just to be with you