Title: Life and Death
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI, so please don't sue me.
~*~*~*~
Sara sighed in content as she snuggled into Nick, her body pressing against his as her wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the nape of her neck.
"I love you," he whispered in her ear.
She turned in his embrace so she was facing him. "I love you, too."
"Thank you," he said softly, absently trailing his finger along her arm.
"For what?" she asked.
"For finding Lexi," he stated, cupping her chin with his hand and planting a kiss on her lips, "For telling Carrie off." He planted another soft kiss on her lips. "For being you."
Sara's lips curled into a smile as he kissed her again. When Sara left the park, she and Nick had gone home, and Carrie and Lexi had come over. They hadn't stayed long, because the events of the night were taking their toll on all of them, especially Lexi, but Nick was grateful they had come.
Lexi had jumped into Nick's arms as soon as he opened the door, and hadn't let go of him until Carrie pried her away to go home. Even though he wasn't her natural father, he felt so fortunate to be able to love such an amazing little girl.
Sara had told him what she said in the park, and he knew her profound words were true. She didn't call him daddy because he was the biological father that helped make her; she didn't even know what any of that meant. She called him daddy because she loved him.
"What are you thinking about?" Sara asked, raking her fingers through his short hair.
"Lexi," he said simply, kissing her again. Sara smiled and kissed him back, but they were interrupted by the shrill ringing of the telephone.
"I'll get that," Nick said, reaching across his fiancée to the nightstand where the cordless phone was sitting. "Hello?" The color drained from his face and his lips were set in a grim line.
"What's wrong?" Sara asked as she sat up, her voice filled with worry.
Nick ignored her. "We'll be right there, sweetie. Don't worry." He hung up the phone and jumped out of bed, throwing on a shirt and a pair of jeans.
"What happened? Who was that?" Sara asked as she got out of bed.
"That was Lexi. Carrie fainted, and they're bringing her to the hospital. This could be the end, Sara."
~*~*~
Nick and Sara rushed into the hospital and immediately spotted Lexi sitting alone on a hard orange chair. Her head popped up when they entered.
"Daddy! Sara!" she cried, running towards them, her eyes red and her cheeks tear-stained.
Nick scooped her in his arms as tears cascaded down her cheeks. "It's okay, sweetie. Everything's going to be okay," he whispered soothingly as he rubbed her back. Sara led them to the chairs and they sat down, Lexi still clinging to Nick. "Now tell me what happened."
Lexi sniffled. "I was so scared. We got home, and Mommy told me to brush my teeth and put on my pajamas, and I did, and when I came out she was on the floor," she sobbed, "And I called 911, like they taught us in school, and then I called you." She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand as a doctor came through the door of the emergency room.
"My name's Dr. Williams. Are you with Ms. Barnes?" he asked.
Nick stood, still holding Lexi, and Sara rose to stand next to him.
"Yeah. How is she?" Nick asked.
"She's fine. We have her stabilized, but we're going to keep her here for a few days for observation. You know her.condition, I assume," the doctor said, choosing his words carefully in front of Lexi.
Sara took the hint and turned to Lexi. "How about you me go get something from the candy machine, okay, Lex?" Sara asked, and the little girl nodded. Sara took her from Nick's arms and they two walked down the hallway.
"As I was saying," Dr. Williams said, "You know that there isn't much time left for Ms. Barnes, but this isn't the end yet. She told me what happened tonight, and I think she just fainted from the stress and anxiety of it all. But she's definitely going to be much weaker now, and she's going to have to be careful not to over-exert herself."
Nick nodded. "And.how much.how much more time do you think she has left?" Nick asked softly.
"I'm not sure exactly, but I'd guess about a month. Not much longer than that. I'm sorry."
Nick took in a deep breath. "Can we see her? Her daughter's really worried. She wants to make sure her mom's all right."
Dr. Williams smiled softly. "Of course. She's in room C313." Without another word he turned and walked back through the doors.
Sara and Lexi walked back to Nick, and Nick crouched down so he was at Lexi's level. "Your mom's going to be fine, Lex. Do you want to see her?"
Lexi grinned and Nick took her hand. Sara took the other and they walked down the hall to find Carrie's room.
When they reached room C313 Lexi rushed towards her mother and wrapped her tiny arms around her.
"I was so scared, Mommy!" she cried, and Carrie kissed her forehead.
"I know, baby. I'm sorry," Carrie said. She turned to Nick and Sara, who were standing in the doorway. "Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me."
"Don't worry about it," Nick said, taking a seat. He motioned for Sara to join him.
"I guess this means we should postpone the wedding," Sara said, "It wouldn't be appropriate to have a wedding in the middle of all this."
"No!" Carrie cried, "No. I don't want you to do that. I-I want everything to be finished before.you know."
"Before what, Mommy?" Lexi asked through a yawn, her tired eyes drooping.
"Nothing, baby," Carrie said, smoothing her daughter's blonde hair.
"Are you sure?" Nick asked.
Carrie nodded. "I'm sure." She paused. "The doctor's said they want to keep me here for a few days, so could Lexi stay with you? I know it's a lot to ask, but-"
"Of course she can stay with us!" Sara exclaimed, "We'd be happy to have her."
"Thanks," Carrie said, "Do you like that, Lex? You can stay with Daddy and Sara for a few days.Lex?" The little girl didn't answer; she was sound asleep.
All three laughed. "She's had a rough night," Sara said, taking Lexi in her arms.
"We should probably go," Nick said, following Sara to the door.
"Nick?" Carrie said softly, "I-I think we need to talk. I owe you an explanation."
"Yeah, you do," Nick said sternly, but not angrily, "But not now. Get some rest."
Carrie nodded as the trio left the room. She sank into the pillows and closed her eyes. "I just hope I don't lose my nerve."
~*~*~*~
A/N~ I know I said this chapter was the wedding, and it was. I have half the wedding done, and it was part of this chapter, but I thought it would be inappropriate to have a happy wedding ceremony in the same chapter as Carrie almost dying. lol. So I promise that next chapter is the wedding! Please read and review!!
~Emily
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI, so please don't sue me.
~*~*~*~
Sara sighed in content as she snuggled into Nick, her body pressing against his as her wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the nape of her neck.
"I love you," he whispered in her ear.
She turned in his embrace so she was facing him. "I love you, too."
"Thank you," he said softly, absently trailing his finger along her arm.
"For what?" she asked.
"For finding Lexi," he stated, cupping her chin with his hand and planting a kiss on her lips, "For telling Carrie off." He planted another soft kiss on her lips. "For being you."
Sara's lips curled into a smile as he kissed her again. When Sara left the park, she and Nick had gone home, and Carrie and Lexi had come over. They hadn't stayed long, because the events of the night were taking their toll on all of them, especially Lexi, but Nick was grateful they had come.
Lexi had jumped into Nick's arms as soon as he opened the door, and hadn't let go of him until Carrie pried her away to go home. Even though he wasn't her natural father, he felt so fortunate to be able to love such an amazing little girl.
Sara had told him what she said in the park, and he knew her profound words were true. She didn't call him daddy because he was the biological father that helped make her; she didn't even know what any of that meant. She called him daddy because she loved him.
"What are you thinking about?" Sara asked, raking her fingers through his short hair.
"Lexi," he said simply, kissing her again. Sara smiled and kissed him back, but they were interrupted by the shrill ringing of the telephone.
"I'll get that," Nick said, reaching across his fiancée to the nightstand where the cordless phone was sitting. "Hello?" The color drained from his face and his lips were set in a grim line.
"What's wrong?" Sara asked as she sat up, her voice filled with worry.
Nick ignored her. "We'll be right there, sweetie. Don't worry." He hung up the phone and jumped out of bed, throwing on a shirt and a pair of jeans.
"What happened? Who was that?" Sara asked as she got out of bed.
"That was Lexi. Carrie fainted, and they're bringing her to the hospital. This could be the end, Sara."
~*~*~
Nick and Sara rushed into the hospital and immediately spotted Lexi sitting alone on a hard orange chair. Her head popped up when they entered.
"Daddy! Sara!" she cried, running towards them, her eyes red and her cheeks tear-stained.
Nick scooped her in his arms as tears cascaded down her cheeks. "It's okay, sweetie. Everything's going to be okay," he whispered soothingly as he rubbed her back. Sara led them to the chairs and they sat down, Lexi still clinging to Nick. "Now tell me what happened."
Lexi sniffled. "I was so scared. We got home, and Mommy told me to brush my teeth and put on my pajamas, and I did, and when I came out she was on the floor," she sobbed, "And I called 911, like they taught us in school, and then I called you." She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand as a doctor came through the door of the emergency room.
"My name's Dr. Williams. Are you with Ms. Barnes?" he asked.
Nick stood, still holding Lexi, and Sara rose to stand next to him.
"Yeah. How is she?" Nick asked.
"She's fine. We have her stabilized, but we're going to keep her here for a few days for observation. You know her.condition, I assume," the doctor said, choosing his words carefully in front of Lexi.
Sara took the hint and turned to Lexi. "How about you me go get something from the candy machine, okay, Lex?" Sara asked, and the little girl nodded. Sara took her from Nick's arms and they two walked down the hallway.
"As I was saying," Dr. Williams said, "You know that there isn't much time left for Ms. Barnes, but this isn't the end yet. She told me what happened tonight, and I think she just fainted from the stress and anxiety of it all. But she's definitely going to be much weaker now, and she's going to have to be careful not to over-exert herself."
Nick nodded. "And.how much.how much more time do you think she has left?" Nick asked softly.
"I'm not sure exactly, but I'd guess about a month. Not much longer than that. I'm sorry."
Nick took in a deep breath. "Can we see her? Her daughter's really worried. She wants to make sure her mom's all right."
Dr. Williams smiled softly. "Of course. She's in room C313." Without another word he turned and walked back through the doors.
Sara and Lexi walked back to Nick, and Nick crouched down so he was at Lexi's level. "Your mom's going to be fine, Lex. Do you want to see her?"
Lexi grinned and Nick took her hand. Sara took the other and they walked down the hall to find Carrie's room.
When they reached room C313 Lexi rushed towards her mother and wrapped her tiny arms around her.
"I was so scared, Mommy!" she cried, and Carrie kissed her forehead.
"I know, baby. I'm sorry," Carrie said. She turned to Nick and Sara, who were standing in the doorway. "Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me."
"Don't worry about it," Nick said, taking a seat. He motioned for Sara to join him.
"I guess this means we should postpone the wedding," Sara said, "It wouldn't be appropriate to have a wedding in the middle of all this."
"No!" Carrie cried, "No. I don't want you to do that. I-I want everything to be finished before.you know."
"Before what, Mommy?" Lexi asked through a yawn, her tired eyes drooping.
"Nothing, baby," Carrie said, smoothing her daughter's blonde hair.
"Are you sure?" Nick asked.
Carrie nodded. "I'm sure." She paused. "The doctor's said they want to keep me here for a few days, so could Lexi stay with you? I know it's a lot to ask, but-"
"Of course she can stay with us!" Sara exclaimed, "We'd be happy to have her."
"Thanks," Carrie said, "Do you like that, Lex? You can stay with Daddy and Sara for a few days.Lex?" The little girl didn't answer; she was sound asleep.
All three laughed. "She's had a rough night," Sara said, taking Lexi in her arms.
"We should probably go," Nick said, following Sara to the door.
"Nick?" Carrie said softly, "I-I think we need to talk. I owe you an explanation."
"Yeah, you do," Nick said sternly, but not angrily, "But not now. Get some rest."
Carrie nodded as the trio left the room. She sank into the pillows and closed her eyes. "I just hope I don't lose my nerve."
~*~*~*~
A/N~ I know I said this chapter was the wedding, and it was. I have half the wedding done, and it was part of this chapter, but I thought it would be inappropriate to have a happy wedding ceremony in the same chapter as Carrie almost dying. lol. So I promise that next chapter is the wedding! Please read and review!!
~Emily