Haw Jess.
Dave Hodges finds himself witness to an important milestone in Nora's life.
Number 21 in the 'Ducks in a Row Series'
………
"Haw."
"Haw Haw."
"Haw Jess."
"What?" Hodges glanced up at Nora, she had been calling his name incessantly, in her toddlerspeak. She giggled, grinning up at him from where she sat in the playpen, and he rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to your Dad when he tells you to get on my nerves."
"Up." Nora extended her hands toward him, a ridiculously cute smirk that she could have only gotten from Greg on her face. To be honest, he didn't mind her soft gurgling, and he rather liked her company, even when she had learned to speak a few words in the past few months. He had been skeptical of liking anything that shared DNA with Greg, but his soft spot for Sara had carried over to their child.
"Busy."
"Bih zee."
"Everyone is very busy, that's why you're here with me."
"Haw Jess."
"Nora." He arched an eyebrow, glancing up at her, and smiled when he saw that she had pulled herself up, and was standing against the side of the playpen. He turned his attention back to the samples from Grissom's case in front of him, listening to her soft gurglings and toddler musings. Greg, walking by on his way to the garage, ducked his head in the Trace lab.
"Hey, how are the swabs from the coffee table coming? Hi Rosebud." Greg grinned at Nora as she whipped around at the sound of his voice.
"Dahdee!"
"They're next on my list after the paint transfer on the ladder from Grissom's case. I'll page you."
"Thanks." Greg bent and picked Nora up, pressing a kiss to her chubby little baby cheek. "Is she okay in here?"
"Why does everyone ask that? I actually rather enjoy her company." Hodges leaned over the counter, reaching for a bottle of saline. "Despite the alleles she shares with you." Greg grinned, chuckling as he set Nora back down in the playpen with a kiss to her curly blonde hair.
"Well, no one's perfect." He picked up Sara's results, that Hodges had compiled just before starting on Grissom's swab sample. "I'll bring this to Sara for you."
"Sure, thanks." Hodges didn't look up as Greg waved to Nora, and left the Trace lab.
"Haw Jess."
"Mmhmm."
"Bih zee."
"You can't even tell you have half Greg's DNA." His deadpan joke was lost on the fourteen month old, and he sighed, smiling at her. "It's a good thing you're half Sidle."
"Haff. Haw Jess."
"Say 'Dave.'"
"Haw Jess." He listened to the rustling and movement in the playpen as he typed in the commands for analyzing a sample. He turned to check and make sure she wasn't climbing out of the playpen, and instantly, his eyes grew wide. "Oh God." He quickly stowed away the trace elements on the bottom step of a ladder he was processing for Grissom and plucked Nora from the playpen. He went running through the halls of the lab, carrying Nora, desperately searching for either Sanders CSI.
"Nora, we have to find Mom or Daddy, Which case were they working on? Where did they go? Greg was just here."
"Haw Jess." Nora giggled, swatting at Hodges' shoulder.
"Wait, Nora, Sara was working in the garage, right? She brought us samples from the Miata."
"Oookay." Hodges cracked a smile, and entered the garage, finally setting eyes on Sara Sanders, climbing over the trunk of the Miata from the double homicide she was working, making her way to Greg Sanders, handing her the trace results.
"Sara." Hodges burst through the doors, trying to catch his breath. Sara whipped around at the sound of her name, and grinned broadly when she saw Hodges holding Nora.
"Hey Hodges. Is she being a pain? Archie said he'd take her, he has fourteen hours of surveillance footage in front of him." She hopped off the back of the car and smiled at her daughter, who wriggled about in Hodges' arms, delighted to see her mother.
"Maaaa!"
"Don't move. Watch this." Hodges set Nora down on her feet, and let the child steady herself, gripping his index fingers with her whole hands. He glanced at Greg, whose eyes had grown wide, and a hand had flown to his mouth.
"Hodges, what-"
"Watch. Stand right there." He bent over to Nora. "Nora Rose, go see Mommy."
"Maaaa." Nora took a few, cautious, wavering steps, and Hodges let go, as Nora stepped away from his hold.
"Oh God." Sara knelt, tears springing up in her eyes. "Nora, honey, come here." Hodges smiled, placing his hands on his hips, watching Nora's waddling little body pick up speed, almost stumbling over her own little feet as she grinned at Sara, and finally, reached her, falling forward into Sara's waiting arms. Sara scooped the toddler up in her arms, and kissed her, making Nora giggle and squirm.
"Maaaa!"
"Gregory, she walked." The awe in Sara's voice squeezed Hodges heart, and he made no motion to poke fun at the tear that was falling down Greg's cheek slowly.
"I-I saw, love." He grinned at Nora, taking her from Sara when she leaned over towards him, arms outstretched. "I just saw you, not walking. Did Hodges teach you that?" Nora took a first full of Greg's hair, and pulled gently.
"Haw Jess."
………
A/N: short, I know, taking a breather from the angsty drama of 'Transitions' for today… thanks for reading.