Gil Grissom and his team are standing just outside of the crime tape. They have been called in to investigate a four car pile up on International. Nick pulls in a deep breath, "Looks like we'll be here a while." Gil nods in agreement and lifts the tape. Jim walks up to them, "Four cars, one motorcycle and three pedestrians. Sophia is talking to the witnesses, those three over there are from the SUV. Their injuries aren't to serious."
"Thanks," Gil said to Jim. "Greg - SUV passengers. Catherine - go to Desert Palm and take care of things there. Nick, Warrick - you two start over there, Sara and I will start over there." Each of the team nodded and headed for their assigned spot.
Gil walks up to Dave. "Three dead," Dave said, "The motorcyclist - the cab driver and his passenger." "Do we have ID's yet?" Gil asked. "The motorcyclist is Ted Green, the cabbie is Harry Jones, and his passenger is Bill King." Sara walked up to Gil, "The other cab was driven by Mable Jefferson, she said she had just picked up a fair at the airport and was on her way to the Royal Palms Hotel." "What about her passenger?" Gil asked. "On her way to the hospital, pretty bad shape," Sara said.
Sara reaches in through the broken window of the second cab and retrieves a pocketbook. Taking out the wallet she hands it to Gil. "Licenses say she is Anna Marie Willis from Dallas Texas. Everything is being brought into the garage, we'll see if we can find anything else about her there."
Nick walks over to Gil, "We've done all we can here. I called to have all the video sent to Archie….." Nick's voice fades off as he is looking at the picture on the licenses. "You ok?" Gil asks. "Yeah, it's just that she looks like someone I know.
Nothing more was said, the teams meets in the garage and started processing the cars. Sara was going through the luggage trying to find anything to help find a contact for Miss Willis.
Sara found a large brown envelope, what she found inside shocked her. "Nick," she said. Nick looked at her she handed him the envelope. Nick read a legal document, his eyes got large. "Gotta run," he said dropping the letter and taking off.
Gil started to say something, "Leave him go," Sara said picking up the letter and handing it to him. Gil read it, "A paternity test?" The other team members looked at Gil.
In the hospital Nick asked to see Miss Willis, he was shown to a room. Looking at the patient he tried to place her, then he remembered. Two years ago he had gone home to Dallas for his sisters wedding, Nick had been introduced to the groom's sister and - well one thing led to another - and Nick woke up in her bed the next morning. Nick and Anna Marie spent the week together, it had been a wild week full of liquor, fun and a lot of sex. Nick had not seen nor heard from Anna Marie again, he had forgotten about her. Could have that week led to a baby? Could he have a child he did not know about? Nick was almost sure he had worn a condom, but he could not remember for sure. Nick stood looking at the woman from his past.
A doctor walked in, "Are you family?" "No," Nick said, "CSI." "Have family been notified?" the doctor asked. "We are working on that," Nick said. "I am afraid she is not going to make it," the doctor said.
Anna Marie Willis passed away later that evening, Nick went to Gil to get some time off, he had to go to Dallas and get this straightened out. By noon Nick was on a plane. By that same time the next day Nick was sitting across from the lawyer who was representing Anna Marie.
"I did not expect to see you," the lawyer said. Nick told him about the pile up and of Anna Marie's death. "I see," the lawyer said, "So you never spoke to Miss Willis." "No sir, this paper was found among her belongings," Nick said.
The lawyer leaned back in his chair, "Miss Willis came to me about 4 months ago. She said she wanted to find the father of her child." "She said I was the father?" Nick questioned. "Yes. Miss Willis said that you and she were together at the time the baby was conceived. I have the DNA of the mother and the child, this is a court order for yours," the lawyer said.
"Where is the child now?" Nick asked. "He is with his grandmother," the lawyer said. "I have a son?" Nick said. "If he is yours, yes," the lawyer said. Nick took the swab from the lawyer and swabbed the inside of his cheek. "I am staying at the Holiday Inn room 231, you can contact me there with the results," Nick said standing. "What about the boy?" Nick was asked. "Let's see what the test says," Nick told him.
At the hotel Nick went to his room, Sophia was waiting for him. Nick briefed her on all the lawyer said. "Is there any chance the boy is yours?" Sophia asked. "We had sex almost every night for a week," Nick told his fiancée a little embarrassed, "So I guess so. I thought I wore a condom." "Those things are not foolproof," Sophia said. "What are you going to do?" Sophia asked. "Wait to see if he is mine, then take it from there," Nick said laying back on the bed and pulling her with him. Sophia cuddled close to Nick. "We will work this out together love," Sophia told Nick.
Back in Vegas Gil and Sara were getting ready for bed, "Has Nick called?" Sara asked Gil. "Yes. He said he met with the lawyer and took the test. He said he will call back after the results are back." Sara laid her head on her husband's shoulder, "Must have been a shock to him to find out he may have a child." Gil ran his fingers up and down her arm, "I can only image." Sara rose so she could look into Gil's face with a smile on her face she said, "You don't have a secret love child out there do you?" "This is the only love child I have," Gil smiled and touched Sara's stomach. "I think we have to tell the others soon," Sara said picking up Gil's hand and kissing it, "I can't keep Butterfly a secret much longer." "I noticed the other day you are staring to show," Gil said kissing the top of her head. Sara looked down at her tummy, at almost three months she was starting to get a "baby bump".
Nick and Sophia had been lying on the bed cuddling and talking when the phone rang, Nick picked it up. "Yes….. I can be there in half an hour," Nick said. "The lawyer?" Sophia asked. Nick nodded his head, "I would like you to come with me," he said to Sophia. Sophia stood, straightened her clothing and grabbed her bag. Nick stood and looked at her he was about to say something when Sophia wrapped her arms around him, "I am not going anywhere. If he is your son WE will do the right thing." Nick kissed her, "I thought this might … I don't know. I guess I thought this might change things between us." "Nick, I love you," Sophia said, "Something that happened before we were together can't change that."
At the lawyers office Nick said, "Mr. Anderson this is Sophia Curtis my fiancée." "Nice to meet you," Mr. Anderson said pointing to a chair. "The results are back," Anderson said looking at the paper in his hand. "Now when we do a paternity test we ….." Nick was starting to get nervous, "I am a CSI in Vegas and Sophia is in law enforcement, we know how DNA works." "Yes, I am sorry. I forgot," Anderson said as he handed the paper to Nick. Nick looked at it then handed the paper to Sophia. "He is my son," Nick said taking Sophia's hand. "Where do we go from here?" Nick asked.
"Miss Willis wanted to find you," Anderson said. "Why after all this time?" Sophia asked the question Nick was thinking, "Child support?" "No," Anderson said. "Miss Willis was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." Nick and Sophia looked at each other. "As you may know Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to death." Nick nodded, he had heard of it before.
"Miss Willis mother can not care for the child and Anna Marie wanted you to have the chance to raise the child, the only other option will be foster care or adoption," the lawyer sat back in the chair, "The decision is yours." Nick and Sophia just looked at each other. "I know this is a major decision, it is not something you can just jump into," the lawyer said.
Nick looked at him, "I would like to see my son," Nick said. "I can arrange a meeting," the lawyer said, "Why don't you too have lunch then come back here. I will call Mrs. Willis and ask her to bring Andy here." "Andy?" Nick said. "Andrew Nicholas," the lawyer said. As they walked out Sophia looked at Nick, "That is your name in reverse."
After a lunch at a small restaurant Nick and Sophia walked into the lawyer's office. A frail woman stood, "Mr. Stokes." Nick took her hand, "Mrs. Willis." "Mr. Anderson filled me in on everything," Mrs. Willis said. She turned and lifts a small child from a stroller, "And this is your son." Nick took the child and smiled, he looked just like Nick did at that age. "Mr. Anderson said you have not decided if you want Andy," Mrs. Willis said. Sophia reached out and took the boy, Andy smiled at her. "Of course we do," she said. Nick softly touched Sophia's shoulder, "Yes, we want my son."
Mr. Anderson made all the arrangements, papers were signed and the next day Nick and Sophia boarded a plane headed for Vegas, a sleeping Andy in his arms.