Disclaimer: I do not own CSI, or it's characters. I also don't own Harriet
the Spy, Finding Nemo, Master of Disguise, or F.A.O. Schwarz. Wish I did,
though..
Author's Note: I forgot to mention in my last author's note that Chapter 17 and it's 'Eminem line' were for my fellow Snickers. I couldn't resist putting that in. lol Also, this chapter is another shameless plug for my wonderful beta, Jacqueline, and her brilliant 'Crimes' series. Jacqueline, this chapter's for you!
Also, just in case you haven't guessed, I changed my name. I was just tired of having the '8' attached to it. And to whoever nominated this story for Best Drama and Made For Each Other for Best AU Fic, THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I'm so flattered.you have no idea how happy you made me!
~*~*~*~*~*~
Sara and Nick made their way through the throngs of people in the airport, their eyes looking through the crowds to find Catherine. Finally they spotted her sitting on a bench, Lexi and Lindsey holding up a sign that read "Mr. and Mrs. Stokes".
They pushed their way through people until they finally reached the bench. When Lexi saw them she left Lindsey with the sign and ran towards them.
"Daddy! Sara!" she cried, hugging them both. "Did you have fun on your honeymoon?"
"We had a lot of fun," Nick said, smiling suggestively at Sara, whose face was tinged with pink. In lieu of a real honeymoon, the couple had spent the weekend in New York, and planned to go to Hawaii in a few months once things had settled down.
"What did you bring me?" she asked.
"What did we bring you?" Nick asked, feigning shock, "What makes you think we brought you anything?"
"Come on, Daddy," she whined, grabbing his sleeve, "You had to bring me SOMETHING."
"Okay, maybe we did bring you something, but you have to wait until tomorrow to get it," Nick said.
"What's tomorrow?" Lexi asked curiously.
"Only the biggest birthday bash of the year," Sara teased.
"You mean you're throwing me a party?" Lexi squealed, and Sara and Nick nodded, "Can Uncle Greg come?"
"Yup," Sara answered, "Everybody's coming. Greg, Warrick, Grissom, Catherine, Lindsey, and your friend Krista's flying in with her mom tomorrow morning."
"Wow!" Lexi exclaimed, "You guys are the best!" She turned to Lindsey, who was walking towards them with Catherine. "Lindsey, you're coming to my birthday party tomorrow."
"I know," the other girl stated, "I was supposed to keep it a surprise."
"So everybody knew except me?" The group nodded. "No fair!"
Catherine laughed. "Well, we'd better get going. We have to be at work in a few hours."
Nick and Catherine each took a bag, and Sara grabbed the hands of both girls as they walked out of the airport.
~*~*~
Sara tied a yellow ribbon around the last balloon and attached it to the fence post. She stood back and admired the work they had done all morning in decorating the yard.
Balloons were scattered around the yard, attached to the fence, chairs, and tables, and a 'Happy Birthday!' sign was hung on one side of the fence. Lexi was sitting at the picnic bench with Carrie, putting chips in baskets. She was wearing her favorite dress: a sleeveless sundress with a white top and lavender checked skirt, framed at the waist by tiny tulips.
Nick walked into the yard and up to Sara, two bottles of soda in hand. "It looks good," he commented, "Two parties out here in less than a week," he said with a smile, putting the bottles down on the table next to his wife.
"Yeah," Sara said, "Thank God we started unpacking before the wedding, or we never would have had time to get this ready."
"Plus the fact that Catherine and everyone unpacked some more when we were away," Nick added.
"Yeah, that helped a lot." Sara glanced down at her watch. "They should be here soon. We told everyone two o'clock."
Their heads turned at the creaking sound of the gate opening. A woman they had never seen before popped her head in the backyard, followed by a little girl with raven black hair.
"Krista!" Lexi called, abandoning chip duty to greet her friend. She pulled the other girl into a hug. "I missed you so much!"
"I know," Krista said, "I missed you too. Happy Birthday."
Lexi grinned. "Thanks. Come on. You can meet my Daddy and Sara." Lexi led her across the yard.
"Daddy, Sara, this is my friend Krista," Lexi introduced, "Krista, this is my Daddy and Sara. Sara's my other mom."
Sara was touched by the young girl's words and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Krista."
"It's nice to meet you too," the girl said shyly.
Nick and Sara walked across the yard to where Carrie had wheeled her chair and was now talking to the other woman.
"Hi. I'm Lori Donavan. I'm Krista's mother," the woman in her mid- twenties introduced, "Thank you so much for inviting us."
"We're glad you could come," Nick said, "I'm Nick Stokes, and this is my wife Sara." He smiled at how easily the phrase rolled off his tongue.
"Carrie's told me a lot about you," Lori said, smiling.
Nick glanced briefly at Carrie before motioning to the picnic table. "Why don't you and Carrie go sit down while I get the burgers?" Nick suggested, and Sara glared at him, "Don't worry; there are some veggie burgers for you," he said, setting off for the kitchen.
Sara stood awkwardly as Lori and Carrie began walking towards the picnic table, chatting about what was going on in Dallas. "I'll, uh, go finish setting up," she stammered, "Lindsey should be here soon."
"Lindsey?" Lori questioned.
"Lexi's friend. She's a little older, but they've really hit it off," Carrie explained, "Lindsey's mother works with Nick and Sara. She was Sara's maid of honor."
"How nice," Lori commented, and Sara forced a smile.
"I really should finish getting ready," she said, grabbing two baskets of chips from the picnic table and walking towards the kitchen.
"Why do I feel like a third wheel in my own home?" Sara asked Nick as he passed her on the patio. He merely laughed.
"Don't worry about them," Nick said, "Everyone else will be here soon, and it won't be so awkward."
As soon as the words left his mouth they heard the creaking of the gate as Lindsey bounded into the backyard, followed by Catherine.
"Lindsey!" Lexi called when she saw her friend arrive, "Come here. I want you to meet my friend Krista." Lexi took the older girl's hand and led her to the other side of the yard to introduce her to Krista.
Catherine placed a large gift bag on the white table next to the gate and walked over to give Sara a hug.
"Hey, Sar," she greeted. "The yard looks great!"
"Thanks," the brunette replied, turning to the other guests. "Cath, this is Lori Donavan. She's Lexi's friend Krista's mom. And you know Carrie. Lori, this is my friend Catherine."
"Nice to meet you," Lori said, rising to shake Catherine's hand.
"Likewise," Catherine said, shaking her hand. "And it's nice to see you again, Carrie." Carrie nodded.
"Lindsey's been having a ball with Lexi," Catherine added with a smile, "She just loves her."
"I know. Lexi talks about your daughter all the time," Carrie said.
Catherine smiled and sat down on one side of the picnic table. "Where's everyone else?" she questioned.
Sara shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. They should be here soon, though."
Nick walked over to the group with a smile. "Hey Cath," he greeted, wrapping the woman in a hug.
"Hey yourself," the blonde replied, "How's married life treating you?"
Nick grinned. "Couldn't be happier."
Lexi and her friends rushed over to the group, out of breath and with red faces from running. "When are we eating?" Lexi asked. "I'm hungry."
"Yeah, me too," Lindsey added.
"Me three," Krista chimed in.
Nick laughed. "I was going to wait until everyone else was here, but they're late, so I guess we could start without them. What do you want: burgers or dogs?"
"Burger!"
"Hot Dog!"
"Cheese!"
The three girls shouted out requests animatedly, and everyone smiled.
"Okay: That's a burger for Lexi, a hotdog for Krista, and a cheeseburger for Miss Lindsey," Nick confirmed. "Got it. And what about you lovely ladies?"
"I'll have a cheeseburger," Lori said.
"Same here," Catherine added.
"Cheese dog?" Carrie requested.
"Should have guessed," Nick commented with a teasing glint in his eye, "You always had a weakness for those."
Carrie smiled. "Among other things."
Nick laughed. "Some things never change."
"Ahem," Sara caused, obviously annoyed with their banter, "I'll have a Veggie Burger. You should remember THAT one."
Nick immediately cringed at Sara's harsh words, and followed her as she headed towards the kitchen.
"Trouble in paradise?" Lori asked, looking back and forth between the two women seated near her.
"I blew it again, didn't I?" Carrie said. Catherine offered a half-smile but didn't say anything.
"Sara wait!" Nick called, and Sara paused, her hand on the door. "I'm sorry."
Sara crossed her arms across her chest. "You don't get it, do you?"
"Sara, I-"
"Do you realize what she did to you?" she snapped, keeping her voice hushed.
"I know, but-"
"She used you, Nick. She used both of us. And here you are flirting with her!" she exclaimed almost in a whisper, "We haven't been married for a week and already you're flirting with another woman. But no, not any woman," she continued, "Carrie! God, you're disgusting!"
Sara turned the handle on the door and walked into the kitchen, Nick close behind her.
"Honey, I'm sorry." He grabbed her arm and turned her so she was facing him. Her face softened when she saw the sincerity in his eyes. "I love you," he said, kissing her cheek softly. "And I wasn't flirting. Not intentionally."
Sara dropped her head against his so their foreheads were touching. "I know," she said in resignation, "It's just that goddamn Texan charm of yours." Nick laughed and pulled her to him in a kiss.
"You ready to go back out there?" Nick asked.
Sara nodded. "Just stop trying to act like everything's normal, okay? We can't ignore what she did."
"I know."
"Okay." Sara gave her husband a quick peck on the lips and grabbed the salad bowl from the counter, walking through the doors and onto the patio, Nick following her.
When they arrived outside, Grissom, Greg, and Warrick had arrived, and Warrick was standing by the grill, spatula in hand. Grissom was seated next to Catherine, and Greg had been roped into a game of ultimate Frisbee with the three giggling girls, he and Lexi against Krista and Lindsey.
"Hey guys," Nick greeted when he saw his friends.
"Hey, man," Warrick replied, handing Nick the spatula, "Cath wasn't sure how long you two would be in there, so she stuck me with grill duty. But seeing as how you're back, I guess I can enjoy the party."
"Thanks," Nick said sarcastically, taking the spatula and swatting his friend with it, who merely laughed.
"Hey Warrick," Sara said, wrapping her friend in a hug.
"Hey Sar."
"Everything looks great," Grissom said, rising to hug Sara.
"Thanks, Griss," Sara said, "I'm guessing everyone's been introduced?"
"Yeah, Catherine did the honors," Carrie said, "Listen, Sara, about that-"
"Don't worry about it," Sara said as Nick came over with the tray stacked with burgers and hotdogs, some smothered in cheese.
"Food's done!" Nick called to the girls, who quickly ran over, Greg chasing after them.
~*~*~*~
Lexi sat cross-legged on her chair, her lavender dress now covered in dirt and her hair blond hair tangled from hours of running around, surrounded by birthday presents.
"This one's from Lindsey and Catherine," Sara read, handing the card to Carrie, who was making a list of the gifts to send thank-you's.
Lexi pulled a pink short-sleeved shirt with silver embroidered flowers along the neckline and a pair of white Capri pants with the same floral print from the bag.
"They're so pretty!" Lexi exclaimed, holding the outfit out for everyone to see.
"How cute!" Lori commented, reaching for the shirt.
"I love it, Lex," Sara said with a smile.
"What do you say to Catherine and Lindsey?" Carrie prodded, and Lexi turned to her friend and Catherine.
"Thank you!"
"You're welcome," Catherine said with a smile.
"I picked them out!" Lindsey announced proudly. Lexi grinned.
"This one's from me, Lexi," Grissom said, handing the little girl a small wrapped package with a Toys R Us gift card taped to the front.
"Wow! Thirty Bucks!" Lexi shrieked, tearing the gift card from the top and handing it to Sara. She quickly tore into the paper, and held out a hardcover copy of 'Harriet the Spy' by Louise Fitzhugh.
"Harriet the Spy," Catherine commented approvingly, "Nice choice."
"Thanks Mr. Grissom!"
"What did I tell you about that, Barnes?" Grissom teased good-naturedly, "Just Grissom."
Lexi blushed and stood to give him a hug. "Thanks, Grissom."
Lexi opened the rest of her presents and received an Easy Bake Oven from Warrick, "Jacqueline told me that her niece loved hers," he had explained, referring to his girlfriend, who had been touring the country for the past month to promote her recently published bestseller, 'Crimes of Indecency', and a Game Boy from Greg. Krista and Lori bought her a copy of 'The Master of Disguise' on DVD. Carrie had chosen to give her daughter her present in private, and was saving it for when the guests left.
"Is that it?" Lexi asked slowly, knowing that Nick and Sara hadn't given her their present yet.
"I think so," Nick teased, "What do you think Sara? Do you think we forgot anything?"
"Hmm," Sara said, playing along, "I don't know. I think that's it."
"Daddy! Sara!" Lexi whined, "What about the one from you? The one you said I had to wait until today to get?"
"You sure you want that one?" Nick asked, gaining a look from Lexi that clearly stated that she was tired of the games. Nick laughed at his daughter's expression. "Okay, okay. Let me go get it." He retreated into the house and came back a moment later with a huge gift bag, placing it at Lexi's feet.
Lexi flung the tissue paper out of the bag and pulled out a huge stuffed fish.
"It's Dori!" she exclaimed happily, "From 'Finding Nemo'!"
"Do you like it?" Sara asked. "It was the last one at the Disney Store on 5th Avenue."
"I love it!" she exclaimed. "What's this?" she asked, spotting an envelope in the bottom of the bag.
"That's a gift certificate for F.A.O Schwarz," Sara explained, "It's the biggest toy story in the world."
"We got you that so we can go to New York together sometime, and you can get whatever you want," Nick said, grinning.
"Thanks, Daddy. Thanks, Sara," Lexi said, giving them both a hug and a kiss.
"That's not it," Nick said with a glint in his eye.
"It's not?"
"Nope," Nick said, his smile growing, "Sara, do you want to go get it?" Sara nodded and headed for the house, not able to suppress her grin.
"You have to close your eyes, Lex," Sara called over her shoulder, "No peeking!"
Lexi did what she was told and covered her eyes with her hands. Everyone gasped as Sara walked out with a full-grown dog. "Open!" Sara called as she let go of the dog's collar and he rushed towards Lexi, licking her face and wagging his tail excitedly.
"A dog!" she squealed, scratching behind his ears and petting him. "What kind is he?"
"He's a mutt," Nick said, "We got him from the shelter yesterday, and Warrick let us keep him at his place until this morning," he said, smiling as Lexi, Krista, and Lindsey all pet the excited dog at once. "They said he was a pitt mix, but he's the calmest, most well-mannered dog I've ever seen. He hasn't barked once since we've had him, and he's been in his crate in the basement until now."
"What's his name?" Lindsey asked.
"His name's Simba," Sara said, "But you can change it if you want, Lexi."
Lexi shook her head. "No, I like it." Simba rolled over and the girls scratched his belly.
"You're a good boy, Simba," Krista said as the dog squirmed in the grass, relishing in the attention he was being given.
Nick wrapped his arms around Sara's shoulders as they watched the girls playing with the dog. Suddenly Sara turned to Nick, eyes wide. She motioned him with her finger a few paces from the group, whose attention was on Simba.
"Nick, we forgot a cake," she whispered.
"What?"
"I didn't get a birthday cake. Did you?" she asked frantically.
"No, I thought you did," he said.
Sara rubbed her temple. "Look, go run out to the bakery and pick something up," she said, "They're preoccupied with the dog right now; they won't notice you're gone. Just hurry."
"Okay," Nick said, checking his pocket to make sure the keys to his Tahoe were there, "I'll be back in twenty."
Sara watched as he quickly exited the yard through the gate and rejoined the group, where Greg had grabbed the Frisbee from earlier in the afternoon and was throwing it to Simba, who happily chased after it while the rest of the guests watched.
She noticed Carrie holding her head up with one hand, her face looking pale as she tried to stand up and join everyone playing with the mutt. She saw the other woman sway and reach for the arm of the wheelchair and Sara rushed towards her, but it was too late.
With a thump Carrie fainted and fell to the ground.
"Call 9-1-1!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N~ Not too many reviews for the last two chapters. Are you guys losing interest? I promise: this is the beginning of the end. I think there may only be two chapters left, but I didn't write them yet, so I'm not sure. Possibly three.
Simba is based on my dog, Boomer, who is the calmest, quietest, most easy- going dog I've ever met. And I've met a lot. Most people can't believe that he's a pitt mix, because he's so laid back.
I apologize to Trace-Element for Greg giving Lexi a Game Boy, but I couldn't think of anything that would "Greg-like" for him to give her. Sorry. And I wasn't sure if Grissom should give her 'Harriet the Spy', because she's only seven, but my six year old cousin is halfway through the 'Little House on the Prairie' series, so I think Lexi can handle 'Harriet the Spy'. lol And I know that 'Harriet the Spy', 'LH on the P', 'Finding Nemo', and 'Master of Disguise' should be italicized, but whenever I save my documents as .html it always gets these huge gaps in between paragraphs, so I try to avoid it. Sorry to all you grammar people out there. ^_^
Please read and review!!
~Emily
Author's Note: I forgot to mention in my last author's note that Chapter 17 and it's 'Eminem line' were for my fellow Snickers. I couldn't resist putting that in. lol Also, this chapter is another shameless plug for my wonderful beta, Jacqueline, and her brilliant 'Crimes' series. Jacqueline, this chapter's for you!
Also, just in case you haven't guessed, I changed my name. I was just tired of having the '8' attached to it. And to whoever nominated this story for Best Drama and Made For Each Other for Best AU Fic, THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I'm so flattered.you have no idea how happy you made me!
~*~*~*~*~*~
Sara and Nick made their way through the throngs of people in the airport, their eyes looking through the crowds to find Catherine. Finally they spotted her sitting on a bench, Lexi and Lindsey holding up a sign that read "Mr. and Mrs. Stokes".
They pushed their way through people until they finally reached the bench. When Lexi saw them she left Lindsey with the sign and ran towards them.
"Daddy! Sara!" she cried, hugging them both. "Did you have fun on your honeymoon?"
"We had a lot of fun," Nick said, smiling suggestively at Sara, whose face was tinged with pink. In lieu of a real honeymoon, the couple had spent the weekend in New York, and planned to go to Hawaii in a few months once things had settled down.
"What did you bring me?" she asked.
"What did we bring you?" Nick asked, feigning shock, "What makes you think we brought you anything?"
"Come on, Daddy," she whined, grabbing his sleeve, "You had to bring me SOMETHING."
"Okay, maybe we did bring you something, but you have to wait until tomorrow to get it," Nick said.
"What's tomorrow?" Lexi asked curiously.
"Only the biggest birthday bash of the year," Sara teased.
"You mean you're throwing me a party?" Lexi squealed, and Sara and Nick nodded, "Can Uncle Greg come?"
"Yup," Sara answered, "Everybody's coming. Greg, Warrick, Grissom, Catherine, Lindsey, and your friend Krista's flying in with her mom tomorrow morning."
"Wow!" Lexi exclaimed, "You guys are the best!" She turned to Lindsey, who was walking towards them with Catherine. "Lindsey, you're coming to my birthday party tomorrow."
"I know," the other girl stated, "I was supposed to keep it a surprise."
"So everybody knew except me?" The group nodded. "No fair!"
Catherine laughed. "Well, we'd better get going. We have to be at work in a few hours."
Nick and Catherine each took a bag, and Sara grabbed the hands of both girls as they walked out of the airport.
~*~*~
Sara tied a yellow ribbon around the last balloon and attached it to the fence post. She stood back and admired the work they had done all morning in decorating the yard.
Balloons were scattered around the yard, attached to the fence, chairs, and tables, and a 'Happy Birthday!' sign was hung on one side of the fence. Lexi was sitting at the picnic bench with Carrie, putting chips in baskets. She was wearing her favorite dress: a sleeveless sundress with a white top and lavender checked skirt, framed at the waist by tiny tulips.
Nick walked into the yard and up to Sara, two bottles of soda in hand. "It looks good," he commented, "Two parties out here in less than a week," he said with a smile, putting the bottles down on the table next to his wife.
"Yeah," Sara said, "Thank God we started unpacking before the wedding, or we never would have had time to get this ready."
"Plus the fact that Catherine and everyone unpacked some more when we were away," Nick added.
"Yeah, that helped a lot." Sara glanced down at her watch. "They should be here soon. We told everyone two o'clock."
Their heads turned at the creaking sound of the gate opening. A woman they had never seen before popped her head in the backyard, followed by a little girl with raven black hair.
"Krista!" Lexi called, abandoning chip duty to greet her friend. She pulled the other girl into a hug. "I missed you so much!"
"I know," Krista said, "I missed you too. Happy Birthday."
Lexi grinned. "Thanks. Come on. You can meet my Daddy and Sara." Lexi led her across the yard.
"Daddy, Sara, this is my friend Krista," Lexi introduced, "Krista, this is my Daddy and Sara. Sara's my other mom."
Sara was touched by the young girl's words and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Krista."
"It's nice to meet you too," the girl said shyly.
Nick and Sara walked across the yard to where Carrie had wheeled her chair and was now talking to the other woman.
"Hi. I'm Lori Donavan. I'm Krista's mother," the woman in her mid- twenties introduced, "Thank you so much for inviting us."
"We're glad you could come," Nick said, "I'm Nick Stokes, and this is my wife Sara." He smiled at how easily the phrase rolled off his tongue.
"Carrie's told me a lot about you," Lori said, smiling.
Nick glanced briefly at Carrie before motioning to the picnic table. "Why don't you and Carrie go sit down while I get the burgers?" Nick suggested, and Sara glared at him, "Don't worry; there are some veggie burgers for you," he said, setting off for the kitchen.
Sara stood awkwardly as Lori and Carrie began walking towards the picnic table, chatting about what was going on in Dallas. "I'll, uh, go finish setting up," she stammered, "Lindsey should be here soon."
"Lindsey?" Lori questioned.
"Lexi's friend. She's a little older, but they've really hit it off," Carrie explained, "Lindsey's mother works with Nick and Sara. She was Sara's maid of honor."
"How nice," Lori commented, and Sara forced a smile.
"I really should finish getting ready," she said, grabbing two baskets of chips from the picnic table and walking towards the kitchen.
"Why do I feel like a third wheel in my own home?" Sara asked Nick as he passed her on the patio. He merely laughed.
"Don't worry about them," Nick said, "Everyone else will be here soon, and it won't be so awkward."
As soon as the words left his mouth they heard the creaking of the gate as Lindsey bounded into the backyard, followed by Catherine.
"Lindsey!" Lexi called when she saw her friend arrive, "Come here. I want you to meet my friend Krista." Lexi took the older girl's hand and led her to the other side of the yard to introduce her to Krista.
Catherine placed a large gift bag on the white table next to the gate and walked over to give Sara a hug.
"Hey, Sar," she greeted. "The yard looks great!"
"Thanks," the brunette replied, turning to the other guests. "Cath, this is Lori Donavan. She's Lexi's friend Krista's mom. And you know Carrie. Lori, this is my friend Catherine."
"Nice to meet you," Lori said, rising to shake Catherine's hand.
"Likewise," Catherine said, shaking her hand. "And it's nice to see you again, Carrie." Carrie nodded.
"Lindsey's been having a ball with Lexi," Catherine added with a smile, "She just loves her."
"I know. Lexi talks about your daughter all the time," Carrie said.
Catherine smiled and sat down on one side of the picnic table. "Where's everyone else?" she questioned.
Sara shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. They should be here soon, though."
Nick walked over to the group with a smile. "Hey Cath," he greeted, wrapping the woman in a hug.
"Hey yourself," the blonde replied, "How's married life treating you?"
Nick grinned. "Couldn't be happier."
Lexi and her friends rushed over to the group, out of breath and with red faces from running. "When are we eating?" Lexi asked. "I'm hungry."
"Yeah, me too," Lindsey added.
"Me three," Krista chimed in.
Nick laughed. "I was going to wait until everyone else was here, but they're late, so I guess we could start without them. What do you want: burgers or dogs?"
"Burger!"
"Hot Dog!"
"Cheese!"
The three girls shouted out requests animatedly, and everyone smiled.
"Okay: That's a burger for Lexi, a hotdog for Krista, and a cheeseburger for Miss Lindsey," Nick confirmed. "Got it. And what about you lovely ladies?"
"I'll have a cheeseburger," Lori said.
"Same here," Catherine added.
"Cheese dog?" Carrie requested.
"Should have guessed," Nick commented with a teasing glint in his eye, "You always had a weakness for those."
Carrie smiled. "Among other things."
Nick laughed. "Some things never change."
"Ahem," Sara caused, obviously annoyed with their banter, "I'll have a Veggie Burger. You should remember THAT one."
Nick immediately cringed at Sara's harsh words, and followed her as she headed towards the kitchen.
"Trouble in paradise?" Lori asked, looking back and forth between the two women seated near her.
"I blew it again, didn't I?" Carrie said. Catherine offered a half-smile but didn't say anything.
"Sara wait!" Nick called, and Sara paused, her hand on the door. "I'm sorry."
Sara crossed her arms across her chest. "You don't get it, do you?"
"Sara, I-"
"Do you realize what she did to you?" she snapped, keeping her voice hushed.
"I know, but-"
"She used you, Nick. She used both of us. And here you are flirting with her!" she exclaimed almost in a whisper, "We haven't been married for a week and already you're flirting with another woman. But no, not any woman," she continued, "Carrie! God, you're disgusting!"
Sara turned the handle on the door and walked into the kitchen, Nick close behind her.
"Honey, I'm sorry." He grabbed her arm and turned her so she was facing him. Her face softened when she saw the sincerity in his eyes. "I love you," he said, kissing her cheek softly. "And I wasn't flirting. Not intentionally."
Sara dropped her head against his so their foreheads were touching. "I know," she said in resignation, "It's just that goddamn Texan charm of yours." Nick laughed and pulled her to him in a kiss.
"You ready to go back out there?" Nick asked.
Sara nodded. "Just stop trying to act like everything's normal, okay? We can't ignore what she did."
"I know."
"Okay." Sara gave her husband a quick peck on the lips and grabbed the salad bowl from the counter, walking through the doors and onto the patio, Nick following her.
When they arrived outside, Grissom, Greg, and Warrick had arrived, and Warrick was standing by the grill, spatula in hand. Grissom was seated next to Catherine, and Greg had been roped into a game of ultimate Frisbee with the three giggling girls, he and Lexi against Krista and Lindsey.
"Hey guys," Nick greeted when he saw his friends.
"Hey, man," Warrick replied, handing Nick the spatula, "Cath wasn't sure how long you two would be in there, so she stuck me with grill duty. But seeing as how you're back, I guess I can enjoy the party."
"Thanks," Nick said sarcastically, taking the spatula and swatting his friend with it, who merely laughed.
"Hey Warrick," Sara said, wrapping her friend in a hug.
"Hey Sar."
"Everything looks great," Grissom said, rising to hug Sara.
"Thanks, Griss," Sara said, "I'm guessing everyone's been introduced?"
"Yeah, Catherine did the honors," Carrie said, "Listen, Sara, about that-"
"Don't worry about it," Sara said as Nick came over with the tray stacked with burgers and hotdogs, some smothered in cheese.
"Food's done!" Nick called to the girls, who quickly ran over, Greg chasing after them.
~*~*~*~
Lexi sat cross-legged on her chair, her lavender dress now covered in dirt and her hair blond hair tangled from hours of running around, surrounded by birthday presents.
"This one's from Lindsey and Catherine," Sara read, handing the card to Carrie, who was making a list of the gifts to send thank-you's.
Lexi pulled a pink short-sleeved shirt with silver embroidered flowers along the neckline and a pair of white Capri pants with the same floral print from the bag.
"They're so pretty!" Lexi exclaimed, holding the outfit out for everyone to see.
"How cute!" Lori commented, reaching for the shirt.
"I love it, Lex," Sara said with a smile.
"What do you say to Catherine and Lindsey?" Carrie prodded, and Lexi turned to her friend and Catherine.
"Thank you!"
"You're welcome," Catherine said with a smile.
"I picked them out!" Lindsey announced proudly. Lexi grinned.
"This one's from me, Lexi," Grissom said, handing the little girl a small wrapped package with a Toys R Us gift card taped to the front.
"Wow! Thirty Bucks!" Lexi shrieked, tearing the gift card from the top and handing it to Sara. She quickly tore into the paper, and held out a hardcover copy of 'Harriet the Spy' by Louise Fitzhugh.
"Harriet the Spy," Catherine commented approvingly, "Nice choice."
"Thanks Mr. Grissom!"
"What did I tell you about that, Barnes?" Grissom teased good-naturedly, "Just Grissom."
Lexi blushed and stood to give him a hug. "Thanks, Grissom."
Lexi opened the rest of her presents and received an Easy Bake Oven from Warrick, "Jacqueline told me that her niece loved hers," he had explained, referring to his girlfriend, who had been touring the country for the past month to promote her recently published bestseller, 'Crimes of Indecency', and a Game Boy from Greg. Krista and Lori bought her a copy of 'The Master of Disguise' on DVD. Carrie had chosen to give her daughter her present in private, and was saving it for when the guests left.
"Is that it?" Lexi asked slowly, knowing that Nick and Sara hadn't given her their present yet.
"I think so," Nick teased, "What do you think Sara? Do you think we forgot anything?"
"Hmm," Sara said, playing along, "I don't know. I think that's it."
"Daddy! Sara!" Lexi whined, "What about the one from you? The one you said I had to wait until today to get?"
"You sure you want that one?" Nick asked, gaining a look from Lexi that clearly stated that she was tired of the games. Nick laughed at his daughter's expression. "Okay, okay. Let me go get it." He retreated into the house and came back a moment later with a huge gift bag, placing it at Lexi's feet.
Lexi flung the tissue paper out of the bag and pulled out a huge stuffed fish.
"It's Dori!" she exclaimed happily, "From 'Finding Nemo'!"
"Do you like it?" Sara asked. "It was the last one at the Disney Store on 5th Avenue."
"I love it!" she exclaimed. "What's this?" she asked, spotting an envelope in the bottom of the bag.
"That's a gift certificate for F.A.O Schwarz," Sara explained, "It's the biggest toy story in the world."
"We got you that so we can go to New York together sometime, and you can get whatever you want," Nick said, grinning.
"Thanks, Daddy. Thanks, Sara," Lexi said, giving them both a hug and a kiss.
"That's not it," Nick said with a glint in his eye.
"It's not?"
"Nope," Nick said, his smile growing, "Sara, do you want to go get it?" Sara nodded and headed for the house, not able to suppress her grin.
"You have to close your eyes, Lex," Sara called over her shoulder, "No peeking!"
Lexi did what she was told and covered her eyes with her hands. Everyone gasped as Sara walked out with a full-grown dog. "Open!" Sara called as she let go of the dog's collar and he rushed towards Lexi, licking her face and wagging his tail excitedly.
"A dog!" she squealed, scratching behind his ears and petting him. "What kind is he?"
"He's a mutt," Nick said, "We got him from the shelter yesterday, and Warrick let us keep him at his place until this morning," he said, smiling as Lexi, Krista, and Lindsey all pet the excited dog at once. "They said he was a pitt mix, but he's the calmest, most well-mannered dog I've ever seen. He hasn't barked once since we've had him, and he's been in his crate in the basement until now."
"What's his name?" Lindsey asked.
"His name's Simba," Sara said, "But you can change it if you want, Lexi."
Lexi shook her head. "No, I like it." Simba rolled over and the girls scratched his belly.
"You're a good boy, Simba," Krista said as the dog squirmed in the grass, relishing in the attention he was being given.
Nick wrapped his arms around Sara's shoulders as they watched the girls playing with the dog. Suddenly Sara turned to Nick, eyes wide. She motioned him with her finger a few paces from the group, whose attention was on Simba.
"Nick, we forgot a cake," she whispered.
"What?"
"I didn't get a birthday cake. Did you?" she asked frantically.
"No, I thought you did," he said.
Sara rubbed her temple. "Look, go run out to the bakery and pick something up," she said, "They're preoccupied with the dog right now; they won't notice you're gone. Just hurry."
"Okay," Nick said, checking his pocket to make sure the keys to his Tahoe were there, "I'll be back in twenty."
Sara watched as he quickly exited the yard through the gate and rejoined the group, where Greg had grabbed the Frisbee from earlier in the afternoon and was throwing it to Simba, who happily chased after it while the rest of the guests watched.
She noticed Carrie holding her head up with one hand, her face looking pale as she tried to stand up and join everyone playing with the mutt. She saw the other woman sway and reach for the arm of the wheelchair and Sara rushed towards her, but it was too late.
With a thump Carrie fainted and fell to the ground.
"Call 9-1-1!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N~ Not too many reviews for the last two chapters. Are you guys losing interest? I promise: this is the beginning of the end. I think there may only be two chapters left, but I didn't write them yet, so I'm not sure. Possibly three.
Simba is based on my dog, Boomer, who is the calmest, quietest, most easy- going dog I've ever met. And I've met a lot. Most people can't believe that he's a pitt mix, because he's so laid back.
I apologize to Trace-Element for Greg giving Lexi a Game Boy, but I couldn't think of anything that would "Greg-like" for him to give her. Sorry. And I wasn't sure if Grissom should give her 'Harriet the Spy', because she's only seven, but my six year old cousin is halfway through the 'Little House on the Prairie' series, so I think Lexi can handle 'Harriet the Spy'. lol And I know that 'Harriet the Spy', 'LH on the P', 'Finding Nemo', and 'Master of Disguise' should be italicized, but whenever I save my documents as .html it always gets these huge gaps in between paragraphs, so I try to avoid it. Sorry to all you grammar people out there. ^_^
Please read and review!!
~Emily