Notes: A few reviewers mentioned that it would really be too early for Sara
to know if she was pregnant or not. Well, I DO realize that, but this is
fan FICTION, so I made it so that it IS possible, ok? Lol.
"I'm pregnant.." The world came crashing down on me at Sara's revelation. A wave of silence formed among us.
Catherine was the first one to break out of the trance. She rushed forward, taking the younger CSI into her arms. "It's OK, Sara. We're all here for you."
I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around the two of them. Warrick was the next to join in on the group hug. Even Grissom was in on it after a few minutes.
"What am I gonna do?" Sara asked, looking up at us with tears in her eyes.
I hugged her closer. "I don't know," I answered honestly. "But we'll all support you in any decision you make."
"Thanks, Nicky," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. She turned towards me and buried her face in my chest. I wrapped my arms tighter around her.
I looked up at the faces of our co-workers and friends. Catherine had tears streaming down her face. And Warrick and Grissom were both trying not to cry.
"Hey, Sara?" She pulled back slightly, and looked up at me. "Why don't you come stay at my place tonight?"
She thought for a second, her eyes darting back and forth between Catherine and me. "It's ok, Sara," Catherine said quickly. "You'll probably get more sleep at Nick's place."
"Ok," she said softly. "Umm...I'm just need to splash some water on my face, and then we can go."
I nodded and watched as she slowly walked away in the direction of the restroom. Catherine's hand on my arm broke through my thoughts. "You love her, don't you?"
"Yeah, I do," I admitted. My eyes were burning with emotions. "I love her," I repeated softly, admitting it for the first time ever out loud. She smiled softly.
Sara came back around the corner just then. I put my arm around her and led her to my car in the parking lot. I flicked the radio on, tuning it to the local classic rock station, for Sara's sake.
We pulled up in front of my apartment, and I rushed around the car to open the door for Sara. I took her arm and helped her stand up. She yawned as she stepped out of the car, and then sheepishly smiled when she realized that I had seen her. "I haven't gotten much sleep for the past two nights," she explained.
I unlocked the door and tossed my keys on the kitchen table. "Why don't you sleep in my bed tonight? I'll take the couch." She opened her mouth to protest, so I quickly added, "Besides, you need the sleep." Before she could protest again, I took her arm and led her down the hall to my bedroom.
I searched through the drawers until I found an oversized shirt and a pair of sweatpants. "You can sleep in these if you want," I said softly, handing Sara the clothes.
Her eyes misted over slightly. "Thanks."
"No problem, Sara," I said quickly.
"No, Nick, I mean.for everything." She rushed on, "I mean, you're always there for me, whenever I've needed you. Thank you."
I pulled her into a hug, kissing her softly on the head as I held her. Pulling back, I saw a soft smile playing on her mouth. "The bathroom's over there," I added with a smile.
I headed to the living room, flopping down on the couch and flipping the TV on. Finding nothing on, I turned the set off, and pulled out the new John Grisham book I just started.
A few minutes later, a shuffling sound in the hallway drew my attention. I turned around to find Sara heading in my direction. "Hey, I'm gonna go to bed now," she informed me. "I just wanted to let you know."
I nodded. "Goodnight. If you need anything, I'll be in here."
I watched her retreating form. It seemed like days since I had seen her smile. I mean, really smile. Smile so that her eyes lit up. I had seen her smile a few times today, but they were all empty smiles, blank and deserted; emotionless.
I picked up my book again. It was pointless to even try to sleep; there was too much on my mind. I had just opened my book, when the phone rang, the sudden sound cutting through the silence and startling me.
"Stokes," I answered.
"Nick, it's Catherine. I just got a call from Brass." She sounded excited, out of breath.
"Hey. What's up?"
"We have a motive," she said excitedly. "We just spoke to Hank's girlfriend, Elaine. Well, his ex-girlfriend, as of two days ago?"
"What?" I asked, incredulously.
"She dumped his two days ago. She found out that he had been cheating on her with Sara. She was hurt and angry, and she dumped him. Apparently, Hank then went out to a bar, got drunk, and then came up with the plan to get back at Sara." I was speechless. There was nothing I could think of to say. I wasn't sure how to react. I should be excited, happy that we have a reason to arrest him. But we don't know where he is at the moment. This information might help us out in the long-run, but it doesn't help too much in the short-run.
"Nick? You still there?" She asked, her voice cutting through my thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm here," I answered. After clearing my thought, I added, "That's good news."
"Then why don't you sound too happy?" The confusion was evident in her voice.
"I don't know," I replied. "I should be happy, I know that. And I am.I guess. It's just.we don't know where he is. So how're we going to catch him?"
"We're working on that, Nick," she answered. "Warrick just visited the bar. Bartender says that he ordered Jack Daniels, same type that was found in the vomit in Sara's bathroom. Brass says that that's enough to get us a warrant into his apartment. He might not be there, but the landlord can let us in."
I smiled, the excitement now building up inside me. "That's great," I gushed.
"Yeah, it is." She paused for a moment. "So how's Sara?"
"She's fine. She just went to bed actually."
"That's great. She hasn't gotten any sleep since.you know." She trailed her off, and an awkward silence settled between us.
"Well, I'm gonna try and get some sleep," I said, just making an excuse to get off the phone. "Call me if you find anything else." We said our goodbyes and both hung up.
I went back to the couch and was just sitting down, when I heard the screamed coming from the next room. I rushed in, fear gripping me, thinking that Hank might have come back. I entered the bedroom and found Sara lying on the bed alone, thrashing, her hands clawing at the air, trying to fight off some invisible man.
In seconds, I was at her side, shaking her. "Sara, wake up. It's just a nightmare." I rocked her back and forth, brushing her hair out of her face and behind her ears. "It's ok, Sara."
"Nick?" She asked softly, her voice thick with emotion. "Shh...it was just a dream," I cooed gently, continuing to rock her back and forth.
"It was so real, Nick. I could feel him. I could hear him. His voice, Nick, it was so full of hate. So angry." Her voice broke as sobs took over her body.
My arms tightened around her as her sobs grew softer. As they ended, I lay her back on the bed, loosening my hold on her. "I don't know what to do, Nick," she whispered. "I can't have an abortion."
"It's ok, Sara," I said, kissing her forehead.
"And I can't give her up for adoption. I'm not strong enough. I can't carry her in me for nine months and then just.give her up." I heard the desperation in her voice. I noticed her use of the female pronoun she used while describing the baby. I didn't question it. "I have to keep her, Nick," she added quietly, her voice barely audible.
"Ok, Sara," I said, "You can keep her." The wheels in my head started turning. Before I could think about anything else, I quickly said, "We could get married." It was more of a question than anything else.
The silence was so thick that I almost thought that she hadn't heard me, or else that she had fallen asleep. "Are you asking me to marry you?"
"I don't know.I guess I am." I held my breath, waiting for her response.
"Ok." She answered, snuggling up besides me.
"I'm pregnant.." The world came crashing down on me at Sara's revelation. A wave of silence formed among us.
Catherine was the first one to break out of the trance. She rushed forward, taking the younger CSI into her arms. "It's OK, Sara. We're all here for you."
I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around the two of them. Warrick was the next to join in on the group hug. Even Grissom was in on it after a few minutes.
"What am I gonna do?" Sara asked, looking up at us with tears in her eyes.
I hugged her closer. "I don't know," I answered honestly. "But we'll all support you in any decision you make."
"Thanks, Nicky," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. She turned towards me and buried her face in my chest. I wrapped my arms tighter around her.
I looked up at the faces of our co-workers and friends. Catherine had tears streaming down her face. And Warrick and Grissom were both trying not to cry.
"Hey, Sara?" She pulled back slightly, and looked up at me. "Why don't you come stay at my place tonight?"
She thought for a second, her eyes darting back and forth between Catherine and me. "It's ok, Sara," Catherine said quickly. "You'll probably get more sleep at Nick's place."
"Ok," she said softly. "Umm...I'm just need to splash some water on my face, and then we can go."
I nodded and watched as she slowly walked away in the direction of the restroom. Catherine's hand on my arm broke through my thoughts. "You love her, don't you?"
"Yeah, I do," I admitted. My eyes were burning with emotions. "I love her," I repeated softly, admitting it for the first time ever out loud. She smiled softly.
Sara came back around the corner just then. I put my arm around her and led her to my car in the parking lot. I flicked the radio on, tuning it to the local classic rock station, for Sara's sake.
We pulled up in front of my apartment, and I rushed around the car to open the door for Sara. I took her arm and helped her stand up. She yawned as she stepped out of the car, and then sheepishly smiled when she realized that I had seen her. "I haven't gotten much sleep for the past two nights," she explained.
I unlocked the door and tossed my keys on the kitchen table. "Why don't you sleep in my bed tonight? I'll take the couch." She opened her mouth to protest, so I quickly added, "Besides, you need the sleep." Before she could protest again, I took her arm and led her down the hall to my bedroom.
I searched through the drawers until I found an oversized shirt and a pair of sweatpants. "You can sleep in these if you want," I said softly, handing Sara the clothes.
Her eyes misted over slightly. "Thanks."
"No problem, Sara," I said quickly.
"No, Nick, I mean.for everything." She rushed on, "I mean, you're always there for me, whenever I've needed you. Thank you."
I pulled her into a hug, kissing her softly on the head as I held her. Pulling back, I saw a soft smile playing on her mouth. "The bathroom's over there," I added with a smile.
I headed to the living room, flopping down on the couch and flipping the TV on. Finding nothing on, I turned the set off, and pulled out the new John Grisham book I just started.
A few minutes later, a shuffling sound in the hallway drew my attention. I turned around to find Sara heading in my direction. "Hey, I'm gonna go to bed now," she informed me. "I just wanted to let you know."
I nodded. "Goodnight. If you need anything, I'll be in here."
I watched her retreating form. It seemed like days since I had seen her smile. I mean, really smile. Smile so that her eyes lit up. I had seen her smile a few times today, but they were all empty smiles, blank and deserted; emotionless.
I picked up my book again. It was pointless to even try to sleep; there was too much on my mind. I had just opened my book, when the phone rang, the sudden sound cutting through the silence and startling me.
"Stokes," I answered.
"Nick, it's Catherine. I just got a call from Brass." She sounded excited, out of breath.
"Hey. What's up?"
"We have a motive," she said excitedly. "We just spoke to Hank's girlfriend, Elaine. Well, his ex-girlfriend, as of two days ago?"
"What?" I asked, incredulously.
"She dumped his two days ago. She found out that he had been cheating on her with Sara. She was hurt and angry, and she dumped him. Apparently, Hank then went out to a bar, got drunk, and then came up with the plan to get back at Sara." I was speechless. There was nothing I could think of to say. I wasn't sure how to react. I should be excited, happy that we have a reason to arrest him. But we don't know where he is at the moment. This information might help us out in the long-run, but it doesn't help too much in the short-run.
"Nick? You still there?" She asked, her voice cutting through my thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm here," I answered. After clearing my thought, I added, "That's good news."
"Then why don't you sound too happy?" The confusion was evident in her voice.
"I don't know," I replied. "I should be happy, I know that. And I am.I guess. It's just.we don't know where he is. So how're we going to catch him?"
"We're working on that, Nick," she answered. "Warrick just visited the bar. Bartender says that he ordered Jack Daniels, same type that was found in the vomit in Sara's bathroom. Brass says that that's enough to get us a warrant into his apartment. He might not be there, but the landlord can let us in."
I smiled, the excitement now building up inside me. "That's great," I gushed.
"Yeah, it is." She paused for a moment. "So how's Sara?"
"She's fine. She just went to bed actually."
"That's great. She hasn't gotten any sleep since.you know." She trailed her off, and an awkward silence settled between us.
"Well, I'm gonna try and get some sleep," I said, just making an excuse to get off the phone. "Call me if you find anything else." We said our goodbyes and both hung up.
I went back to the couch and was just sitting down, when I heard the screamed coming from the next room. I rushed in, fear gripping me, thinking that Hank might have come back. I entered the bedroom and found Sara lying on the bed alone, thrashing, her hands clawing at the air, trying to fight off some invisible man.
In seconds, I was at her side, shaking her. "Sara, wake up. It's just a nightmare." I rocked her back and forth, brushing her hair out of her face and behind her ears. "It's ok, Sara."
"Nick?" She asked softly, her voice thick with emotion. "Shh...it was just a dream," I cooed gently, continuing to rock her back and forth.
"It was so real, Nick. I could feel him. I could hear him. His voice, Nick, it was so full of hate. So angry." Her voice broke as sobs took over her body.
My arms tightened around her as her sobs grew softer. As they ended, I lay her back on the bed, loosening my hold on her. "I don't know what to do, Nick," she whispered. "I can't have an abortion."
"It's ok, Sara," I said, kissing her forehead.
"And I can't give her up for adoption. I'm not strong enough. I can't carry her in me for nine months and then just.give her up." I heard the desperation in her voice. I noticed her use of the female pronoun she used while describing the baby. I didn't question it. "I have to keep her, Nick," she added quietly, her voice barely audible.
"Ok, Sara," I said, "You can keep her." The wheels in my head started turning. Before I could think about anything else, I quickly said, "We could get married." It was more of a question than anything else.
The silence was so thick that I almost thought that she hadn't heard me, or else that she had fallen asleep. "Are you asking me to marry you?"
"I don't know.I guess I am." I held my breath, waiting for her response.
"Ok." She answered, snuggling up besides me.
