New Arrival

The room was quiet despite the humdrum outside. It was just fine and Nick didn't mind as he sat in the chair that he had been given, thankful that it was more comfortable than other times he sat in a hospital chair. This time though, it was a special occasion. He smiled as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, taking in the sight of his wife and the newest member of their family. Sage was glowing like she had when she was pregnant. In Nick's view it was rather a surprise she was so bright considering that the events that led to this were not exactly happy moments.

It was supposed to be a rather normal day. Sage was just going to the bank to put away a set of earrings in the safe deposit box she took out a few years ago when her grandfather gave her some of her grandmother's jewelry, the real expensive kind. Meaning that it was several years' worth of salary. She was just leaving when robbers came in demanding money. It turned into a hostage situation and had Nick in a state of panic and half demanding that Brass do something.

It put him more into a state when it turned out his wife decided to be the negotiator. It did not bode well to see his pregnant wife come out with a robber holding a gun on her while she handled it like she was talking to two disgruntled lab rats. How it ended the way it did had Nick surprised that it ended so well. That is until it became evident that she been having contractions since the whole thing started and they had increased to the point that she needed to get to the hospital.

Nick arrived almost out of breath and near to a panic attack when the family doctor Cara Roberts caught sight of him. It was one of the times that he was grateful that he and Sage picked a doctor that would brook no nonsense and, apart from Sage, could provide a voice of reason when he was worked up like he was. In the end, he was granted access to be with her after they dressed him in hospital scrubs. Now he was seeing the result of that. His wife was holding their newborn son and looking very happy.

"Do you want to hold him?"

Nick looked up and saw Sage looking at him. He blinked as he took in her expression and felt like she had just asked him to do a criminal profile after giving one of her seminars. He swallowed slightly at the moment he waited for and also feared since he was being asked to handle something fragile and now the most precious thing in his life next to his wife. He tensed slightly as he looked at her, silently asking if she was sure.

Sage looked at her husband with a wry smile. She knew that after today he was probably going to be out cold once he allowed his body to relax. She didn't blame him since today wasn't exactly what they expected the day to be. It was supposed to be an easy day with two errands and ended up being one errand and her being a negotiator.

She didn't know what prompted her to be the one to negotiate but she managed to prevent a security guard from trying to be hero. It was bold, risky and something that certainly would have had Nick asking her if she was out of her mind. Yet the robbers told her through their body language that they could be negotiated with. She risked them knowing she worked for the crime lab but managed to play off that she was a psychologist and researcher from the WLVU faculty.

She didn't expect the contractions to start that day since she wasn't due for another couple of days but they started and she knew it was time when the time between lessened throughout the time they were in that bank. She was barely holding on when they finally got all the robbers and the hostages were released. She was shuttled to the hospital and up to the maternity ward, barely registering that she had glimpsed Brass and Nick along the way. She was just trying to deal with the pain from the contractions and certainly let it be known that she wasn't liking the whole situation.

It would have been funny the way she glared at Nick when he was brought in dressed to be in the delivery room, but it was hardly that. It was relief to see him when she realized that she had wanted him there for delivery. She had managed to crack a joke about him seeing the toughest thing for a guy to witness. It certainly had the staff laughing and Nick chuckled a bit until the home stretch came and then it was all screaming and yelling and telling her husband that he was going to get his ass kicked as soon as they were done and that he had to bring his A-game.

It probably confused the staff but she didn't care. Nick knew what she had meant and he stuck by her until the first cries were heard. After that, everything else was forgotten and nothing but happiness was felt. There were no words to describe it as she held the tiny baby boy for the first time with Nick smiling next to her, not touching but looking as he was doing now. It was why she offered for him to hold the boy.

It wasn't that Nick didn't want to, Sage could see that he did but he was also terrified. It was interesting since he had held a newborn before. It was different though. That newborn wasn't his though. This one was. It was different and she could see it as he looked at her. She could also see deeper implications when he looked at her. To her that only meant that they were behaving like a normal couple; they were bound to have tiffs every now and then. That wasn't going to stop them from keeping on trying. She offered again by giving a gesture, "Come. Hold your son."

Nick nodded and rose from his seat. Taking the couple of steps to the bed his wife was resting in, he leaned over and took the baby from her like he was holding a delicate egg. The baby made a slight sound from being moved but otherwise kept his eyes shut and seemed to snuggle into his father's embrace.

"He knows who his daddy is," Sage replied with a gentle hum as she put her hands in her lap.

Nick looked at the tiny life in his arms. He felt his chest hitch as he looked at the infant sleeping in them. He couldn't believe it. He was holding his son. He thought he knew love when he realized his feelings for Sage but this was a whole other level. He watched the baby wrinkle his nose slightly and the tiny mouth open, smacking his lips. He hummed and whispered, "He's perfect." He looked at Sage and added, "Thank you."

"We both did it," Sage replied just as soft.

"You did all the work, Sass," Nick corrected. He looked at the baby as he maneuvered to sit next to her on the bed. He leaned over and gently pressed his head against hers. "You did all the work."

"Agree to disagree."

Nick was willing to go with that though he would always maintain that his wife was the one who deserved the credit. "Alright," he agreed. Sighing in contentment, he looked down at the baby, letting Sage lean on him and asked, "So… what are we going to name him? I know that once visiting hours start, they'll want to know."

Sage had been leaning against her husband with her eyes closed, basking in contentment when he asked. She opened her eyes and looked down at their son. They had been discussing names the past couple of weeks and had not been able to agree even with the helpful suggestions from their friends and colleagues. There was one name she wanted if it was a boy and she voiced it, "I was thinking about him being named after his father."

"Nicholas Stokes?"

"Has a nice ring since he's definitely like his father." Sage smiled at him and chuckled. "He looks cute when he sleeps."

Nick shook his head and couldn't stop smiling like an idiot because he was so happy. "Is that the only reason?"

"That and…" Sage looked up at Nick, "I get a feeling he'll have a good heart like his father."

Nick hummed at that and nodded. He replied in a somber tone, "A good name but... how about the best of both worlds?"

"Hmm?"

"How about, Nicholas Sage Stokes?" Nick looked at his wife. "What do you think, Sass?"

Sage thought about it. Named after both parents. Not unusual. She rather liked it and agreed, "I like it. My little Nicky."

Nick grinned and looked down at his son and asked softly, "What do you think, buddy? You wanna have my name?"

The baby yawned at that moment making both parents chuckle. "I guess that's a yes," Sage chuckled as she leaned in and gently stroked the baby's cheek. "Nicky for short."

"Only until he grows into his name and he'll grow," Nick asserted playfully. He looked down at his son. He couldn't help but smile at the tiny life in his arms. He was a father now and that opened another major chapter in his life.

When he left Texas to join Grissom's team in Las Vegas, he couldn't imagine life taking the turns it did to get to this point then. He never thought he would meet the woman who would become more than a friend and partner; she became his wife. And he certainly never foresaw that he would be a father. Well, he thought about it but it was always more of like in the future kind of thing. Now it was very real and in his arms. A warmth filled his chest at the sense of completeness in his life. He sighed as a result and could feel Sage sighing in similar fashion and planted a gentle kiss on her head. "I love you."

Sage hummed and murmured her reply, "And I love you. Both of you."

Nick chuckled and would have said something but a knock at the door got their attention. Looking up, he could see the boyish look of Greg peeking around the corner and giving a wave hello. He grinned and said, "Come on in, Greg."

"Don't mind if I do," Greg replied walking in, "How are you feeling, Sage?"

"Just fine," Sage replied sitting up. Smiling, she put her hands in her lap. She could see other members of the team coming in but slowly. "And I'm not contagious," she added with the hint of humor she possessed.

It was enough to encourage the first round of visitors in. Nick stood up to be in better position to present his son. He was grinning at the people he had worked with over the years. There were others that should be there but couldn't for various reasons but… it was a nice thought to think that they were there in spirit. What mattered was that they were there to share in his and Sage's happiness. He held his son out to be seen, "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Nicholas Sage Stokes."

A/N: The newest member of the Stokes family is born. Welcome Nicholas Sage Stokes. Enjoy!