Disclaimer: I own nothing of CSI, this story is purely for entertainment! I also own nothing of Barry Manilow
In-laws
"So are you ready for this?" Nick asked his wife Jackie as they were just finishing cleaning the house.
"Are you kidding, I am so excited" Jackie answered.
Nick's parents, one of his sisters, and two of his brothers, plus their spouses and all their children were coming for a visit. Three of the children were infants, including 3 month old twins. With all the couples, plus the seven children that totaled 15 extra people in the house, it was going to be chaotic, but fun, and since Nick didn't get to see his family very often, it was extra special.
Nick grinned at his wife and said "you will think excited, until our house looks like a tornado hit it."
She laughed. She had to admit it was going to be crowded though. They had set up an air mattress in the family room that her and Nick were going to sleep on so his parents could have the master bedroom. The other couples were going to sleep in the other bedrooms, with the kids, except one of the bedrooms was too small for both the adults and the kids so they had also made a bed out of the pull out couch that his niece and nephew were going to sleep on, and it was in the same room as their air mattress.
"It is going to be interesting sharing a room with the two kids" Jackie said.
"Interesting or exhausting?" Nick asked with a smile.
Nick checked his watch, "they should be here any minute" Nick said.
"I feel bad they had to take cabs from the airport" Jackie said.
"Yeah me too, but my mom is so stubborn, you know that by now" Nick said.
"Is that where you get it?" Jackie asked, smirking at her husband.
Nick squinted at her, "funny" he said as he playfully stuck out his tongue at her.
Just then the doorbell rang. "Brace yourself" Nick warned as he went to answer the door. Nick was not kidding when he said brace yourself, in just seconds the house was flooded with people and all their luggage, everyone was hugging everyone, the kids were running around like crazy, it was madness, but good madness.
"Aunt Jackie, Aunt Jackie" one of her little nephews named Scottie said as he came running up to her and gave her a hug. Then he exclaimed "look, I colored a picture, and I even got to use markers" he held the picture up for her to see.
"That is really pretty" Jackie said.
"Yep and guess what else I did" he continued so excited that he couldn't control himself.
"What else?" she asked.
"I colored on baby Gemma's cheek"
"Oh my" Jackie said, she glanced over at the seven month old baby in her sister in law Susie's arms and sure enough there was a bright yellow streak down the side of the poor baby's face. Her poor sister in law looked like she had just survived a tornado, "that's wonderful Scottie" his mother mumbled shaking her head. Jackie went over to give Susie a hug.
"You have to admit, that yellow really brings out the color of her eyes" Jackie said jokingly.
Susie laughed, and asked Jackie to take the baby so she could finish grabbing their luggage. Jackie happily took the baby.
Eventually everyone got settled and it was time for dinner. Jackie had already set the table before everyone had arrived so the only thing left to do was to get out the food, spaghetti and garlic bread, according to Nick, that was his mom's favorite. Dinner was fun, everyone talking at once, trying to get caught up with one another.
After dinner Scottie asks "do you have any doughnuts?"
Jackie laughed and said "no, but I think your uncle bought a chocolate cake on his way home from work today"
Scottie got excited and said "that's better than doughnuts"
Everyone laughed and ate dessert. After the family was finished the table was cleared, and then everyone decided that it had been a long day so they went to bed.
Nick had plugged in a nightlight for the kids because they complained of being scared of the dark, and as Nick and Jackie lay on their air mattress listening to their nephew tell his sister some story. The couple was finding it very hard to get to sleep.
"Ok Ben, time to go to sleep" Nick said trying to stay patient.
"Ok, uncle Nicky, just let me finish this concussion"
Nick looked over at Jackie who was smiling.
Nick said "um I think you mean discussion, a concussion is bad, trust me, you don't want that"
"Oh" the little boy said, clearly not caring about his mistake. Ben finished his story and kept his word and went to sleep after.
To Jackie it felt like only seconds after she had fallen asleep when she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Aunt Jackie wake up" her little niece Brylie said.
"What is it sweetie?" Jackie asked without opening her eyes.
"There is a big spider above your head" Brylie said.
Jackie's eyes flew open and Brylie wasn't kidding, crawling on the ceiling was a huge black hairy spider. Jackie hated spiders and she didn't want to it to fall on her head so she literally rolled over her husband.
"Sorry honey, but I am so tired I am not in the mood" Nick said groggily.
Jackie rolled her eyes, and slapped her husbands' arm. "Nick, get up there is a huge spider"
"I'll get it in the morning" Nick said rolling over trying to go back to sleep.
"No you will get it now, or you will be hearing from a divorce attorney." Jackie said in a no nonsense voice.
Nick mumbled something under his breath but got up to get a Kleenex so he could kill the spider. Nick had to stand on the recliner to reach it but it worked, he killed the spider.
"Is it smushed?" Brylie asked curious.
"Yep, it's smushed" Nick said heading to the bathroom so he could dispose of it.
"What are you going to do with it?" his little neice asked.
"I'm gonna flush it" Nick said.
"Down the toilet bowl?" she asked.
Nick chuckled "yep, down the toilet bowl" he said.
"Can I come?" she asked eagerly.
"sure come on" he said.
"yayyy" she said happily. Then she turned to her aunt. "Come with us Aunt Jackie" she said.
"Oh no that is ok sweetie, you and uncle Nicky go ahead."
"Please aunt Jackie" Brylie said.
Jackie could not think of anything she would rather do less but how could she say no to those pretty little blue eyes. "alright" she said as she followed the little girl and her husband to the bathroom. Nick threw the spider in the toilet.
"Can I flush it?" the little girl asked excitedly.
"Be my guest" Nick said.
The little girl grinned her appreciation. "Bye spider" she said as she waved to the toilet before flushing it. "Now I gotta wash my hands" the little girl said.
"Yes you do, very good" Nick said.
Nick lifted her up so she could reach the sink. After getting her hands wet she said "I gotta use soap" Nick smiled and nodded at the child.
She got her hands washed and dried and then said "Can I have a piggy back ride back to bed?" Nick picked her up and put her on his shoulders and took her back into the family room where their beds were. The little girl giggled "shhh" you will wake your brother" Nick said with a whisper as he set the little girl down on her bed. He tucked her back in, and Jackie climbed back into her own bed.
"Uncle Nicky, sing me a song" the little girl said.
"oh no, not tonight honey, it's late, and I am tired" Nick said.
"Please uncle Nicky" the little girl said.
Nick couldn't think of anything he would rather do less but how could he say no to those little blue eyes. "Oh Brylie, well you came and you gave without taking, but I sent you away, oh Brylie" Nick sung. The little girl smiled and Nick said "goodnight."
He then got up and walked back to his own bed. Jackie had a smirk on her face. "What was that?" she whispered to her husband as he crawled into bed.
He shrugged his shoulders and with a smile he said "well it was close enough to the original version."
His wife grinned at him and asked "How come you never sing to me?"
Nick grinned back and said "you never asked"
"but if I did you would?" Jackie asked skeptically.
"Yep" Nick said.
"Nick sing me a song" Jackie said.
"Now" Nick asked with disbelief in his voice.
"Yeah, now" Jackie said.
"Forget it, goodnight" Nick said as he rolled over and went to sleep. Jackie could not help but chuckle.
The next morning when Nick woke up, he could barely move, his back hurt so bad. He glanced at his wife, she was awake, just lying there looking at the ceiling.
"Good morning, how did you sleep?" Nick asked her.
"Not very well" she answered.
"Me neither, sleeping on this mattress is like sleeping on rocks, my back is killing me." He said.
"I know what you mean, I'm sore too." Jackie said back.
Nick looked at the clock on the wall and groaned, "it's only 6:45 but I don't think I'm going back to sleep" he said.
"I'm not going to be able to either, let's just get up and make coffee." She suggested.
"Sounds good to me" Nick agreed. He got up slowly, "ouch" he said grabbing his back.
"You sound old Nicky" his wife said jokingly.
"I feel about ninety" he said with a grin. He gave his wife a hand up as the two walked passed the two sleeping children.
"At least they slept well" Jackie observed. He just smiled.
As they walked up the stairs Nick whispered "listen, do me a favor, if my parents ask how you slept, tell them you slept great, if you tell them the truth, they will insist they sleep down there instead"
"will do" Jackie said with a yawn.
Nick made coffee and it wasn't long before others started waking up. After everyone was up, they had a nice breakfast, then Nick's family wanted to see the sights of Vegas.
"I see the sights of this city enough, you guys go ahead, and Jackie and I will take the kids swimming at the park"
"You are going to take seven children, including three infants to a park to go swimming, good luck with that Nick" his brother Don said.
"We can handle it" Nick said, but his brother raised his eyebrow at him.
"I will stay and go with them" Nick's mom, Jill offered.
"Are you sure mom?" Nick asked
"Yeah, it will be fun" Jill said.
So the kids hurried and got their swimming suits on and Don called cabs to pick up the adults that were going sightseeing, since Nick would need both of the couple's vehicles to get everyone to the park.
The kids had a blast at the park, Nick swam with the four older kids and Jill and Jackie sat with the babies, not to hard considering the babies were asleep the majority of the time.
After swimming they went for ice cream, which the kids obviously loved. Then they went home.
The rest of the family got home a couple hours later, everyone had a great time. The kids were excited to tell their parents about their afternoon, especially about splashing Nick in the pool while swimming, everyone got a kick out of that, even Nick laughed at his excited nieces and nephews.
That night at dinner the good time continued, everyone was laughing and joking, until Nick's mom brought up a certain question. She glanced at Jackie and said "so when are you guys going to have children?" Poor Nick about choked on the piece of steak he had just put in his mouth.
Jackie however, just smiled, and said "you need to ask your son that question, I am totally ready"
Nick shot his wife a thanks for throwing me under the bus expression. His mother turned to face him instead.
She looked him right in the eye and said "well Nicholas, how about it?" then she added "I want grandchildren"
"You have grandchildren mom" Nick said, motioning his hands across the table at all the children.
"Yes, I know, and I love all of them dearly, but I would like to have a grandchild from you"
"uh, I think Jackie and I need to discuss this" Nick said, clearly embarrassed.
"Ok, then discuss it" His mother said.
"I meant in private" Nick said turning crimson.
"come on Nick, we are all family here" his mother protested.
Nick was eager to change the subject, "Does anybody, want anymore coffee?" he asked and nobody said a word. He then looked at the kids "Do you guys want more juice?" he asked.
"I do uncle Nicky" Scottie said.
Nick gave his nephew a grateful smile and said "alright, I will get that for you" Nick quickly got up and grabbed the glass out of the little boy's hand and left the room. After Nick returned the subject was dropped, much to his relief.
However the baby topic stayed on Jackie's mind.
After dinner, the family watched a football game and called it a night.
That night Jackie was not able to sleep, so she whispered "Nicky, you asleep?"
"No, a caveman couldn't sleep on this mattress" Nick said sounding frustrated.
"can we talk then?" Jackie asked.
"alright, but lets go upstairs so we don't wake the kids" He answered.
So the couple went upstairs and sat on the couch. "Nick, you do want children, don't you?" Jackie asked.
"Of course I do, I am just not ready yet" he answered.
"Can I ask why, you aren't ready, I mean we both have good careers, we are doing alright financially and we are old enough, and mature enough" Jackie said.
Nick cleared his throat and said "I think it is because of my job, things just happen so quick, it's scary."
"You mean, you are worried that something will happen to you, and leave me as a single parent?" Jackie asked, trying to understand.
"No, I know if something happened to me you and the baby would be fine, between your family, my family, and all of our friends, I know you guys would be well taken care of."
"Then I am sorry Nicky, but I don't understand, I want to understand, but you are going to have to help me."
"I am not worried about me, I am worried about the baby. Honey, I see so many horrible things that people do to children, and I also have to see their parents, and when something horrible happens to a child, a big part of the parents die as well, they seem….broken, I can't even imagine something like that happening to our child."
Jackie grabbed both of her husband's hands as she said "honey, I know it is scary, and you are right, things happen so quick, but you can't let that stop you from living, you just have to do your best to teach your kids how to avoid all the dangers, guard them from harm as much as possible, and pray that your kids stay safe."
"I sound crazy, don't I?" Nick asked.
"No, you sound incredibly sweet" Jackie said with a smile. Then she added, "and you are going to make an awesome father"
He smiled at her "How do you know?" he asked.
"Because I am not even pregnant yet, and you are already worried about the baby's safety" she said. He gave her a kiss.
Then she asked "So, what do you say, are you ready to start trying to conceive?"
"Can we wait just a couple of months just so I can make sure I am totally ready?" He asked. Then he said "sorry"
"No, don't be sorry, listen, this is a huge decision, and a big responsibility, and I don't want you to feel pressured, by me, your mom, or anyone else, I want you to be one hundred percent ready." Jackie said.
"Thanks" He said, then continued "so two months it is then?"
"Works for me" Jackie agreed, giving his hand a squeeze.
Nick yawned, "I'm tired, how about one of sleep on the couch and the other sleep on the recliner, since neither of us are going to get any sleep on that stupid mattress."
"Sounds good, anything is better than that lumpy thing, I will take the recliner, you take the couch." She said.
He nodded his agreement, and not two minutes after lying down they were both deep in dreamland.
The End