Title: Life and Death
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: No, I don't own them, BUT I have a plan: First, make whoever DOES own them fall madly in love with me, then get married and refuse to sign a pre-nump. A month later, hire a good lawyer and divorce the poor sap, making CSI and its characters ALL MINE!!! Once I own the show, we put everyone with his or her rightful soul mate: Nick with Sara, Grissom with Catherine, Greg with Jenna (thought you'd like that!), and Warrick with me! Okay, so maybe I'm not Warrick's soul mate, but I'll need someone there to comfort me after that extremely PAINFUL divorce.
~*~*~*~
The cool spring breeze blew through the trees, making Sara pull her jacket closer. She was sitting on a park bench with Catherine, watching Nick chase Lexi and Lindsay around the merry-go-round.
"Look at them," Catherine said, cringing as Lindsay fell off the merry-go- round, which was spinning at full speed thanks to Nick, and breathing a sigh of relief when her daughter picked herself up, brushed off her pants and jacket, and hopped back on.
Sara smiled and turned to Catherine. "I know. Lexi loves it here. Practically every day she's stayed with us has resulted in at least one trip. She was just so excited when Lindsay could come today."
Catherine nodded. "Yeah, its nice to see them getting along so well. Lexi's a sweetheart, and I think Linds has developed some kind of big sister complex over her."
Sara laughed and took a sip of the water bottle sitting next to her on the bench. "I know. Lexi is such a sweet kid. I'm really starting to grow attached to her."
"Oh really," Catherine said, feigning shock, "Who would have believed we'd see a motherly side of Sara Sidle peeking out from under all that hostility?"
Sara slapped her on the arm, "Cut it out, Cath. I'm serious. I really love her. She's become like a daughter to me."
Catherine grew serious. "Did you tell Nick?"
"No."
"Well why not?" Catherine asked.
"I don't know," Sara said, "I guess because I made such a stink about it in the first place, but now I can't picture her not being there."
Catherine patted Sara's arm. "I know how you feel, but that's not really it, is it?"
Sara sighed. "I don't know. I guess I'm also a little scared."
"Scared?" Catherine exclaimed, "What the hell are you scared of?"
"Of rejection, I guess. If I tell Nick that I love Lexi like a daughter and want to be a part of her life, then what happens if Nick suddenly realizes he doesn't want me to be? We're only dating, Cath. We're not married or anything. He has no obligations to me."
Catherine sighed and slid over on the park bench, putting a comforting arm around Sara's shoulders. "Honey, now you're really reaching. You know that Nick loves you more than anything in the world. If you don't, just look into his eyes and you'll see how much he loves you. Everybody else can see it, why can't you?"
"I know he loves me, Cath. And I love him, it's just . . . . I don't know." Catherine gave her shoulders a comforting squeeze. "Don't tell him I said anything, Cath, okay? I'll tell him tonight at the carnival." Nick, Sara, and Catherine were taking Lexi and Lindsay to a local carnival that night, as Carrie had another doctor's appointment, and all three miraculously had the night off. It had been all the two girls could talk about for days, and all five were looking forward to it.
"I won't say anything, Sara," Catherine said as Lexi ran over, followed by Nick carrying Lindsay piggyback. All three were out of breath, and Nick quickly dumped Lindsay onto the bench.
"Sara! Sara! Sara!" Lexi yelled excitedly. "Come play with us, Sara!"
"Yeah, Sara, come on!" Lindsay chimed in.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming," Sara said, grinning.
Lindsay turned to Lexi, "Race you to the swings!" With that the two whirlwinds were off, followed closely by Sara.
Nick laughed and bent down, putting his hands on his knees, out of breath and exhausted.
"Tired?" Catherine asked good-naturedly.
"Exhausted," he replied, sitting down on the bench beside her, "I don't know where they get the energy."
"Me either," Catherine said, "But they're sure giving Sara a run for her money."
Nick looked up to see Sara trying in vain to keep up with the giggling girls, who by now had given up on the swings and were immersed in a full- fledged game of tag, Sara being 'it'.
"Yeah, but she seems to be enjoying herself anyway," Nick said, laughing, "She really seems to have grown attached to Lexi."
"Yeah, she does seem to," Catherine said, keeping her earlier conversation with Sara to herself.
Nick paused, as if deciding what to say. "Catherine?" he began uneasily, "Could I ask you something?"
"Of course, Nick," Catherine replied curiously.
"Do you . . . I mean, would . . ."
"Spit it out, Nick," Catherine said with a smile.
"Do you think . . ." he took a deep breath, "Do you think Sara would marry me?"
"Do I think she would marry you?" Catherine repeated, "Do you even have to ask?" Nick grinned. "Why? Are you going to?" she asked excitedly.
"Tonight, at the carnival," he said, unable to suppress his grin.
"Oh, Nick. I'm so happy for you," Catherine said, giving him a hug.
"Thanks, but we don't even know if she'll say yes," Nick said forlornly.
"Why wouldn't she?" Catherine asked.
Nick took a moment to answer. He gazed across the park at Sara and the girls and sighed. "I was going to ask her a while ago, but then this whole thing with Carrie and Lexi happened, and now I don't know." Catherine looked at him questioningly, and he continued. "Before it was just Sara and me. Now we have Lexi to worry about. I don't know if Sara's going to want that kind of baggage."
"Nicky, if you honest to God believe that Sara is that selfish and heartless, then you really are stupid. Because believe me, one look at that woman will tell you that she loves you and that little girl, and she would never consider her 'baggage'," Catherine said, giving him a stern look.
"Thank you, Cath." He gave her a peck on the cheek. "I don't know what I would do without you."
"Yeah, yeah," she said, a smile spreading across her lips, "So you're definitely going to propose tonight?"
"Yeah, but I can't do this alone; I need your help."
~*~*~*~
A/N~ Please review! I have the next chapter all done and ready to roll, but I won't post it if I don't get reviews! *hint, hint*
~Emily
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: No, I don't own them, BUT I have a plan: First, make whoever DOES own them fall madly in love with me, then get married and refuse to sign a pre-nump. A month later, hire a good lawyer and divorce the poor sap, making CSI and its characters ALL MINE!!! Once I own the show, we put everyone with his or her rightful soul mate: Nick with Sara, Grissom with Catherine, Greg with Jenna (thought you'd like that!), and Warrick with me! Okay, so maybe I'm not Warrick's soul mate, but I'll need someone there to comfort me after that extremely PAINFUL divorce.
~*~*~*~
The cool spring breeze blew through the trees, making Sara pull her jacket closer. She was sitting on a park bench with Catherine, watching Nick chase Lexi and Lindsay around the merry-go-round.
"Look at them," Catherine said, cringing as Lindsay fell off the merry-go- round, which was spinning at full speed thanks to Nick, and breathing a sigh of relief when her daughter picked herself up, brushed off her pants and jacket, and hopped back on.
Sara smiled and turned to Catherine. "I know. Lexi loves it here. Practically every day she's stayed with us has resulted in at least one trip. She was just so excited when Lindsay could come today."
Catherine nodded. "Yeah, its nice to see them getting along so well. Lexi's a sweetheart, and I think Linds has developed some kind of big sister complex over her."
Sara laughed and took a sip of the water bottle sitting next to her on the bench. "I know. Lexi is such a sweet kid. I'm really starting to grow attached to her."
"Oh really," Catherine said, feigning shock, "Who would have believed we'd see a motherly side of Sara Sidle peeking out from under all that hostility?"
Sara slapped her on the arm, "Cut it out, Cath. I'm serious. I really love her. She's become like a daughter to me."
Catherine grew serious. "Did you tell Nick?"
"No."
"Well why not?" Catherine asked.
"I don't know," Sara said, "I guess because I made such a stink about it in the first place, but now I can't picture her not being there."
Catherine patted Sara's arm. "I know how you feel, but that's not really it, is it?"
Sara sighed. "I don't know. I guess I'm also a little scared."
"Scared?" Catherine exclaimed, "What the hell are you scared of?"
"Of rejection, I guess. If I tell Nick that I love Lexi like a daughter and want to be a part of her life, then what happens if Nick suddenly realizes he doesn't want me to be? We're only dating, Cath. We're not married or anything. He has no obligations to me."
Catherine sighed and slid over on the park bench, putting a comforting arm around Sara's shoulders. "Honey, now you're really reaching. You know that Nick loves you more than anything in the world. If you don't, just look into his eyes and you'll see how much he loves you. Everybody else can see it, why can't you?"
"I know he loves me, Cath. And I love him, it's just . . . . I don't know." Catherine gave her shoulders a comforting squeeze. "Don't tell him I said anything, Cath, okay? I'll tell him tonight at the carnival." Nick, Sara, and Catherine were taking Lexi and Lindsay to a local carnival that night, as Carrie had another doctor's appointment, and all three miraculously had the night off. It had been all the two girls could talk about for days, and all five were looking forward to it.
"I won't say anything, Sara," Catherine said as Lexi ran over, followed by Nick carrying Lindsay piggyback. All three were out of breath, and Nick quickly dumped Lindsay onto the bench.
"Sara! Sara! Sara!" Lexi yelled excitedly. "Come play with us, Sara!"
"Yeah, Sara, come on!" Lindsay chimed in.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming," Sara said, grinning.
Lindsay turned to Lexi, "Race you to the swings!" With that the two whirlwinds were off, followed closely by Sara.
Nick laughed and bent down, putting his hands on his knees, out of breath and exhausted.
"Tired?" Catherine asked good-naturedly.
"Exhausted," he replied, sitting down on the bench beside her, "I don't know where they get the energy."
"Me either," Catherine said, "But they're sure giving Sara a run for her money."
Nick looked up to see Sara trying in vain to keep up with the giggling girls, who by now had given up on the swings and were immersed in a full- fledged game of tag, Sara being 'it'.
"Yeah, but she seems to be enjoying herself anyway," Nick said, laughing, "She really seems to have grown attached to Lexi."
"Yeah, she does seem to," Catherine said, keeping her earlier conversation with Sara to herself.
Nick paused, as if deciding what to say. "Catherine?" he began uneasily, "Could I ask you something?"
"Of course, Nick," Catherine replied curiously.
"Do you . . . I mean, would . . ."
"Spit it out, Nick," Catherine said with a smile.
"Do you think . . ." he took a deep breath, "Do you think Sara would marry me?"
"Do I think she would marry you?" Catherine repeated, "Do you even have to ask?" Nick grinned. "Why? Are you going to?" she asked excitedly.
"Tonight, at the carnival," he said, unable to suppress his grin.
"Oh, Nick. I'm so happy for you," Catherine said, giving him a hug.
"Thanks, but we don't even know if she'll say yes," Nick said forlornly.
"Why wouldn't she?" Catherine asked.
Nick took a moment to answer. He gazed across the park at Sara and the girls and sighed. "I was going to ask her a while ago, but then this whole thing with Carrie and Lexi happened, and now I don't know." Catherine looked at him questioningly, and he continued. "Before it was just Sara and me. Now we have Lexi to worry about. I don't know if Sara's going to want that kind of baggage."
"Nicky, if you honest to God believe that Sara is that selfish and heartless, then you really are stupid. Because believe me, one look at that woman will tell you that she loves you and that little girl, and she would never consider her 'baggage'," Catherine said, giving him a stern look.
"Thank you, Cath." He gave her a peck on the cheek. "I don't know what I would do without you."
"Yeah, yeah," she said, a smile spreading across her lips, "So you're definitely going to propose tonight?"
"Yeah, but I can't do this alone; I need your help."
~*~*~*~
A/N~ Please review! I have the next chapter all done and ready to roll, but I won't post it if I don't get reviews! *hint, hint*
~Emily