As Nick was heading back into the house after playing football with the
other guys, Ashley intercepted him with a sheepish expression on her face.
"Nicky, can I talk to you?"
He nodded and followed her out towards the stables. They stopped in front of the open doors of the stable. "What's up, Ash?"
Ashley smiled tentatively at the use of her nickname. "I wanted to apologize to you. I guess, I just keep thinking of you as my baby brother and I'm really sorry. I've been acting like a bitch."
"No argument there." Nick raised an eyebrow and rested his hands on his hips.
She bit her lower lip as she continued. "I don't know what else to say except sorry, Nicky."
Nick let out a deep breath and leveled a gaze at his sister. "You know, if you would just give Sara a chance, you'd love her." A hint of a smile played at his lips.
Ashley lowered her gaze and rested her forehead in her hand. "I'm really sorry about walking in on you like that. I'd understand if you'd want to kill me."
Nick chuckled softly. "Unfortunately, I'd probably leave some evidence behind, so I don't think I'll kill you, unless you do it again."
Ashley glanced up and noticed the amused expression on Nick's face. "Will you forgive me, Nicky?"
He nodded. "You need to apologize to Sara. You have no idea how much what you and Amanda said hurt her. If you ever do that again, I might not forgive you. I love her more than anything."
Ashley nodded, her eyes were downcast. "I know you do and I'm really sorry about bringing Tiffany by. I'll talk to Sara, Nicky. I'm really sorry."
Nick pulled his older sister into a hug. "One more thing, Ash. Don't ever come in my room again. You're lucky all you saw was my ass, next time you might get more than you bargained for."
Ashley chuckled softly. "Don't worry, Nicky. If anything could convince me that you've grown up, that did it."
"Just talk to Sara, ok?" Nick whispered as he released her from the hug.
"I will." She smiled as they walked back to the house.
Sara's Room:
Sara had just finished changing her clothes when she heard a soft knock at her door. She walked over to the door and opened it, a little surprised to see Ashley standing there.
Ashley looked nervous as she studied Sara. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Sara regarded her warily, unaware of the conversation that Ashley had just had with Nick. "Yeah, come in."
Ashley shut the door behind her and shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other. "I wanted to apologize to you. I've been an absolute bitch to you since you got here, and I'm really sorry."
Sara raised a curious eyebrow, wondering where this sudden change of heart came from.
Ashley continued. "I know that Nicky loves you, and I guess I tend to be a little overprotective."
Sara scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Ok, I'm a lot overprotective." Ashley conceded.
Sara nodded.
"I didn't give you a chance or try to get to know you, and I was wrong. I'm really sorry, Sara. I'd like to start over. Do you think you can forgive me?" Ashley looked sincere.
Sara wasn't quite sure what to think. "You know, Ashley, Nick is an adult. He can make his own decisions. You need to stop treating him like he's a baby. If you hadn't noticed, he's a grown man who I happen to be in love with."
"I know, Sara. I'm sorry, I really am. And as for this morning, I wouldn't have busted in like that if I had thought you guys were, uh, I mean." She couldn't quite bring herself to say Nick and sex in the same phrase.
Sara chuckled. "Having sex?"
Ashley nodded and started laughing. "I'm sorry, it's just a little shocking to think of your baby brother doing the nasty."
Sara laughed in spite of herself. "I'm an only child, so I can't quite relate, but I can imagine."
Ashley smiled at Sara. "Will you forgive me, Sara? I'd really like to start over and get to know the woman that Nicky's in love with."
Sara studied her for a moment and then nodded, a smile forming on her lips. "Yeah, I'd like that, Ashley."
Later, In the Living Room:
"How much longer until that turkey is done, Audrey?" Bill Stokes bellowed good naturedly over the football game he was watching with Nick and Sara.
"Honey, you can keep asking, but it's not going to make this bird cook any faster." Audrey called back with a hint of amusement in her voice.
Nick leaned over to Sara and whispered. "They do this every year."
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before standing up. "I'm going to go see if they need any help in the kitchen." She grinned at him over her shoulder as she disappeared down the hallway.
"Ok." Nick grinned back.
Bill chuckled. "She's a neat gal, Nicky."
"Yes she is." Nick chuckled with a twinkle in his eye.
"Think maybe she's the one?" His dad queried seriously.
Nick nodded. "I don't think, Dad, I know she is. It's just a matter of time."
"Good. We like her." His dad grinned.
"Did I just hear what I think I heard, little brother?" Dan had walked in just as Nick and his dad had begun talking about Sara.
Nick chuckled as he glanced over at his older brother who sat down on the couch to catch the football game they were watching. Nick didn't say a word, he just grinned.
"When are you going to ask her?" Dan quizzed Nick.
Nick glanced at his brother. "We're not quite there yet, but we talked about it a little bit last night."
Dan waggled his eyebrows at Nick. "Oh, is that what they're calling the horizontal mamba these days in Vegas? Talking?"
Nick chuckled and slugged his brother in the arm. "This was before that."
Thanksgiving Dinner:
Eating Thanksgiving with the Stokes clan was a production to say the least. Ashley's husband Chuck, whom she was separated from, showed up at the last minute with their three kids, Michelle, Brad, and Seth in tow, wanting to reconcile. Amanda was in a bad mood and ended up storming out over something that Ashley said to her during the salad course in defense of Nick and Sara. Natalie and Jake's oldest son Aiden asked Nick if he and Sara were doing it, and his younger brothers Austin and Zach asked what 'it' was? Celia, Lauren and Sam's oldest daughter, piped up saying that she thought that Nick should marry Sara, that her mommy, Aunt Maddie, and Aunt Natalie had said so. Their other three children Ashton, Michael, and Lacey, nodded in agreement while smiling at Sara. If that wasn't enough, Maddie and Peter's twins Jenny and Josh, started throwing green beans at each other. Throughout the meal, Nick held Sara's hand and they grinned at each other wondering what the rest of the nightshift crew would think if they could see this.
Audrey and Bill Stokes exchanged a knowing glance, fairly certain that Sara Sidle would soon be joining the Stokes clan on a permanent basis.
CSI Lab Las Vegas:
"Have you heard from Nick or Sara, War?" Catherine queried as they processed samples from the scene of a drive by shooting.
Warrick shook his head. "Nope. I just know that Sara was a little nervous about meeting them all."
"Think they'll scare her away from Nick?" Catherine asked curiously.
"I guess we'll have to wait and see, but I have a feeling that those two have it bad for each other, so I doubt it." Warrick chuckled in response.
He nodded and followed her out towards the stables. They stopped in front of the open doors of the stable. "What's up, Ash?"
Ashley smiled tentatively at the use of her nickname. "I wanted to apologize to you. I guess, I just keep thinking of you as my baby brother and I'm really sorry. I've been acting like a bitch."
"No argument there." Nick raised an eyebrow and rested his hands on his hips.
She bit her lower lip as she continued. "I don't know what else to say except sorry, Nicky."
Nick let out a deep breath and leveled a gaze at his sister. "You know, if you would just give Sara a chance, you'd love her." A hint of a smile played at his lips.
Ashley lowered her gaze and rested her forehead in her hand. "I'm really sorry about walking in on you like that. I'd understand if you'd want to kill me."
Nick chuckled softly. "Unfortunately, I'd probably leave some evidence behind, so I don't think I'll kill you, unless you do it again."
Ashley glanced up and noticed the amused expression on Nick's face. "Will you forgive me, Nicky?"
He nodded. "You need to apologize to Sara. You have no idea how much what you and Amanda said hurt her. If you ever do that again, I might not forgive you. I love her more than anything."
Ashley nodded, her eyes were downcast. "I know you do and I'm really sorry about bringing Tiffany by. I'll talk to Sara, Nicky. I'm really sorry."
Nick pulled his older sister into a hug. "One more thing, Ash. Don't ever come in my room again. You're lucky all you saw was my ass, next time you might get more than you bargained for."
Ashley chuckled softly. "Don't worry, Nicky. If anything could convince me that you've grown up, that did it."
"Just talk to Sara, ok?" Nick whispered as he released her from the hug.
"I will." She smiled as they walked back to the house.
Sara's Room:
Sara had just finished changing her clothes when she heard a soft knock at her door. She walked over to the door and opened it, a little surprised to see Ashley standing there.
Ashley looked nervous as she studied Sara. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Sara regarded her warily, unaware of the conversation that Ashley had just had with Nick. "Yeah, come in."
Ashley shut the door behind her and shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other. "I wanted to apologize to you. I've been an absolute bitch to you since you got here, and I'm really sorry."
Sara raised a curious eyebrow, wondering where this sudden change of heart came from.
Ashley continued. "I know that Nicky loves you, and I guess I tend to be a little overprotective."
Sara scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Ok, I'm a lot overprotective." Ashley conceded.
Sara nodded.
"I didn't give you a chance or try to get to know you, and I was wrong. I'm really sorry, Sara. I'd like to start over. Do you think you can forgive me?" Ashley looked sincere.
Sara wasn't quite sure what to think. "You know, Ashley, Nick is an adult. He can make his own decisions. You need to stop treating him like he's a baby. If you hadn't noticed, he's a grown man who I happen to be in love with."
"I know, Sara. I'm sorry, I really am. And as for this morning, I wouldn't have busted in like that if I had thought you guys were, uh, I mean." She couldn't quite bring herself to say Nick and sex in the same phrase.
Sara chuckled. "Having sex?"
Ashley nodded and started laughing. "I'm sorry, it's just a little shocking to think of your baby brother doing the nasty."
Sara laughed in spite of herself. "I'm an only child, so I can't quite relate, but I can imagine."
Ashley smiled at Sara. "Will you forgive me, Sara? I'd really like to start over and get to know the woman that Nicky's in love with."
Sara studied her for a moment and then nodded, a smile forming on her lips. "Yeah, I'd like that, Ashley."
Later, In the Living Room:
"How much longer until that turkey is done, Audrey?" Bill Stokes bellowed good naturedly over the football game he was watching with Nick and Sara.
"Honey, you can keep asking, but it's not going to make this bird cook any faster." Audrey called back with a hint of amusement in her voice.
Nick leaned over to Sara and whispered. "They do this every year."
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before standing up. "I'm going to go see if they need any help in the kitchen." She grinned at him over her shoulder as she disappeared down the hallway.
"Ok." Nick grinned back.
Bill chuckled. "She's a neat gal, Nicky."
"Yes she is." Nick chuckled with a twinkle in his eye.
"Think maybe she's the one?" His dad queried seriously.
Nick nodded. "I don't think, Dad, I know she is. It's just a matter of time."
"Good. We like her." His dad grinned.
"Did I just hear what I think I heard, little brother?" Dan had walked in just as Nick and his dad had begun talking about Sara.
Nick chuckled as he glanced over at his older brother who sat down on the couch to catch the football game they were watching. Nick didn't say a word, he just grinned.
"When are you going to ask her?" Dan quizzed Nick.
Nick glanced at his brother. "We're not quite there yet, but we talked about it a little bit last night."
Dan waggled his eyebrows at Nick. "Oh, is that what they're calling the horizontal mamba these days in Vegas? Talking?"
Nick chuckled and slugged his brother in the arm. "This was before that."
Thanksgiving Dinner:
Eating Thanksgiving with the Stokes clan was a production to say the least. Ashley's husband Chuck, whom she was separated from, showed up at the last minute with their three kids, Michelle, Brad, and Seth in tow, wanting to reconcile. Amanda was in a bad mood and ended up storming out over something that Ashley said to her during the salad course in defense of Nick and Sara. Natalie and Jake's oldest son Aiden asked Nick if he and Sara were doing it, and his younger brothers Austin and Zach asked what 'it' was? Celia, Lauren and Sam's oldest daughter, piped up saying that she thought that Nick should marry Sara, that her mommy, Aunt Maddie, and Aunt Natalie had said so. Their other three children Ashton, Michael, and Lacey, nodded in agreement while smiling at Sara. If that wasn't enough, Maddie and Peter's twins Jenny and Josh, started throwing green beans at each other. Throughout the meal, Nick held Sara's hand and they grinned at each other wondering what the rest of the nightshift crew would think if they could see this.
Audrey and Bill Stokes exchanged a knowing glance, fairly certain that Sara Sidle would soon be joining the Stokes clan on a permanent basis.
CSI Lab Las Vegas:
"Have you heard from Nick or Sara, War?" Catherine queried as they processed samples from the scene of a drive by shooting.
Warrick shook his head. "Nope. I just know that Sara was a little nervous about meeting them all."
"Think they'll scare her away from Nick?" Catherine asked curiously.
"I guess we'll have to wait and see, but I have a feeling that those two have it bad for each other, so I doubt it." Warrick chuckled in response.