Little White Lie

Disclaimer - I don't own CSI and I probably never will.

A/N: Hey. I'm back with a sequel to Only Because It's You, due to popular demand. I say popular demand, I think one person said it but still. I can't believe I can never get away with just doing a simple oneshot or a short story without having to do a sequel. Oh well, who am I to complain, I get to write about my favourite pairing on CSI so I'll be smiling like an idiot all day. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Sara rolled over onto her back and sighed. Was it strange that she was nervous about this? Nervous about meeting the rest of his family? Well, quite frankly, she didn't care if it was strange, it was true. She had been way over her head when she met Nick's sister and his nieces. Could she possibly cope meeting the rest of his family without crumbling completely?

"What's up?" Nick asked as he rolled over himself and turned to face her.

"Have a guess," she raised her eyebrows. "I'm freaking out."

"Why?"

"Why? Seriously, Nick? Why?" Sara glared at him. "Why do you think? It's one thing meeting your sister, which I was completely nervous about too might I add, but your whole family? I just don't think I'm ready yet."

"You were the one who said you wanted to meet them," he reminded her.

"Yeah, maybe I did," she shrugged. "But that was before I thought about it properly and calmly. Nick, I can't do it. It was different with your sister, we were pretending, we had nothing to lose. Now, I have everything to lose. I can't lie to your family, I was pretty uncomfortable with lying to your sister, so don't think I'm up for lying to your mum."

"She knows," Nick stated.

"You told her?" Sara asked, both relieved and surprised.

"You bet. And she didn't care much, well she did but she didn't mind the little white lie we told because something good came out of it," he smiled.

"Lie we told?" Sara raised an eyebrow. "You know fully well that that lie was all your idea. I was merely an accomplice."

"Yes you were," Nick grinned before leaning down and kissing her.

Sara sighed again when their lips parted a few moments later.

"And you're right, this time it is different, but in a good way. We don't have to pretend and make up stories and share information that is both a lie and far too personal," Nick smirked. "You don't need to lie, not really. We are dating, we have been for a month. And what's the difference between 6 months and 1 month?"

"150 days, give or take," Sara stated.

"Yeah, well, what could we have done in those 150 days that we haven't already?" he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Not lie to your family."

"Call it a technicality," Nick shrugged. "Come on, no more lies, I promise. And you wouldn't want me to have to call my mum and tell her we aren't coming, would you? She'll be heart broken; she's been so looking forward to meeting you."

"That's emotional blackmail," Sara sulked. "You promise no more lies?"

"Hand on heart," he smiled. "Why would I want to lie about us anyway?"

At Dallas International Airport:

Nick and Sara entered the baggage area and after collecting their suitcases, they headed towards the exit to meet Nick's mum and dad. And sure enough, there they were, smiling like Cheshire cats. It was somewhat unnerving for Sara.

"Oh God, I'm gonna be sick," Sara stated as she stopped dead in her tracks halfway through the busy building.

"Calm down," Nick chuckled. "Everything's gonna be fine."

Sara nodded reluctantly and let Nick guide her in the direction of his parents.

"Nicky!" Jillian exclaimed as soon as they were close enough. "Come here."

"Hi, mum," Nick croaked out. "You can let go now."

"Right, sorry," she smiled sheepishly. "But we've missed you."

"I've missed you too, mum, but there's no need to smother me."

Bill, Nick's dad, left his wife and son for a moment and walked over to the shy, almost ill looking women Nick had walked over with.

"I'm gonna go out on a whim here and say that you're Sara," Bill smiled.

"Then I must be," she tried to smile back. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Stokes."

"Bill, please," he insisted.

"Either way, it's still nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Bill nodded. "So I've heard you're the women who has made my son change his ways. Lucky guy."

"Oh, no, it's completely the other way around. I'm the lucky one," Sara grinned.

"Well, I ain't gonna argue with you there," Bill smirked.

"I can see where Nick gets his sense of humour from," Sara chuckled, finally allowing herself to relax.

"Where else can a man learn how to charm a lady?" he asked rhetorically.

Sara was about to say something else when Jillian and Nick turned there attention back to them. "Hey, Jillian."

"Sara," Jillian smiled widely, giving Sara a friendly hug. "How are you?"

"Yeah, I'm alright," Sara nodded.

"Alright?" Jillian raised an eyebrow, pulling out of the hug and looking her up and down. "You're practically glowing."

Sara blushed, making Nick smile at her awkwardness and her inability to take a compliment, even from him.

"Come on then," Bill smiled. "There's a few more people at home who are dying to you, Sara."

"Can't keep them waiting then," she stated, biting her lip.

Nick smiled reassuringly at her as they began to walk outside to his parents' car. He reached for her hand and gave it a small squeeze in hopes to comfort her and calm her down.

A short while later, they arrived at the huge ranch that was the Stokes family home. It was beautiful. Stunning even. The wide open spaces, the fields of wild flowers and blue sky as far as the eye could see. It was like heaven. Sara couldn't imagine why Nick would want to leave a place like that, and for Vegas of all places, possibly the complete opposite of that paradise. But she was so very glad he had chosen to leave, else she would never have met him, and would never be stood in front of the home he grew up in as all the other members of his rather large family poured out of the house.

After all the meeting and greeting, hugs and handshakes, names and faces to remember, it actually hurt. Sara's brain actually hurt. She never thought it was possible. She thought her brain could and would pick up and remember every single person she met, but it appeared to not be the case. It went in one ear and out the other. Men like Nick should come with a warning tattooed to their foreheads: 'Warning. From a large family. Be prepared.' But even if Sara had known just to what extent the size of his family was it wouldn't have changed anything. You can't help who you fall in love with. But nevertheless, it was all too overwhelming for her. The room began to spin and she felt light headed and queasy. Sara reached out for something to hold on to, and while she did just about have a hold on the back of the sofa, she still felt herself, almost in slow motion, fall to the ground.

"Sara?" Nick called her name as he saw her hit the floor. "Sara, honey, are you okay?"

With no reply he walked around to the sofa and was filled with fear as he saw her just lying there, not moving. "Sara? Sara, can you hear me?"

All this commotion prompted everyone in the room to surround them. They talked amongst themselves, gossiping and speculating about what could have happened.

"Sara?" Nick called again. He hated having to do it but he had to check she was still breathing. Thankfully she was. And the sensation of Nick leaning across her stirred Sara and she began to try and sit up. "Oh thank God."

"What happened?" Sara asked groggily.

"I think you passed out," Nick sighed in relief. "You had me worried for a moment there, Sunshine."

"Sorry," she gulped, blinking back tears.

"Excuse me. Coming through," Jillian bellowed through the audience that had gathered. "Step back; give her some room."

"Yep, nothing to see here," Bill added.

"Are you okay, Sara?" Jillian asked as she loomed over her.

"Yeah. I, uh, I don't know what happened," Sara sniffled. "One moment I'm trying to remember the names of people and the next I'm here, on the floor."

"Why don't you take her upstairs for a lie down, Nicky?" Jillian suggested. "You might just be tired from the flight."

"What do you say?" Nick asked as he helped Sara sit up properly.

"It can't hurt," she shrugged. "Thank you."

Sara then braced herself to stand up but Nick stopped her. "Whoa, what do you think you're doing?"

"Standing up," she stated.

"I don't think so," Nick shook his head as he wrapped one arm around her back, slid the other under her knees and scooped her up into a fireman's lift.

"Nick!" Sara exclaimed. "Put me down! I can walk by myself."

"Excuse me for a moment," Nick grinned at his mum, ignoring all of Sara's comments and began walking towards the staircase.

"Nick, I'm being serious! Put me down! I'm not a child! Nick!" Sara practically screamed.

"There, better?" Nick smirked as he lay Sara down on the bed in what used to be his room as a child, and still was his room when he came to visit.

"Yes," Sara huffed.

"What was that?" Nick asked, sarcastically.

"Go away."

"Fine, I'll leave you to get some rest. If you're sure you're okay…," Nick smiled.

"Yes, I'm fine. It was just all a bit much for one day, that's all. And it was really hot downstairs. I'll be fine. Go. Go and tell the rest of your family how we got together," Sara smirked.

"Don't think I won't," he chuckled, leaning down to give her a kiss on the lips.

"Go and have fun," Sara instructed. "And leave me alone."

"Will do," he winked, walking back towards the door. "See you later. Feel better, okay?"

"Okay," Sara sighed, slightly irritated but flattered that he cared so much.

Nick smiled as he stepped out the room and closed over the door.

"Nick?" Sara called out, just before the door was fully closed.

"Uh huh."

"I love you," she smiled.

"I know," Nick smirked and closed the door.

"Son of a…"

A few hours later:

Sara woke up smiling. She hadn't intended to fall asleep, not feeling all that tired, but clearly she'd needed it. She felt all refreshed and rejuvenated. It was liberating. Who knew that just a few hours sleep could make that much of a difference? It was a nice change for her, to feel awake and content at the same time.

But that feeling was short lived. Sara suddenly felt queasy again, but this time it wasn't the type of queasy you felt when you were nervous or in a bumpy car ride. No, this was different; this was the type of queasy that you had to act on. Sara leapt out of bed and just about made it to the toilet bowl in the en suite bathroom.

"Urgh," she grunted once she'd finished. "What's wrong with me?"

Thank you for reading. I hope everyone is enjoying this. And I'd just like to give a special thanks to Giulietta Marescotti for your help with this and, as always, to BrokenDaisy, just because she's amazing, although I'm sure I tell her that enough. This, like Only Because It's You, is just gonna be a 3 chapter story but I hope you'll like it anyway. More to come soon. Review please.