Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of CSI. The only characters that are mine are Lexi and any other characters you don't recognize.

Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. You have no idea how much your reviews mean to me: Sam, Jacqueline, Emmy, csifan1, Sweet Jorja, csifan2000, candaceFABULOUS, Pretty Perfect, Amanda, Lil'River, Megs23, CSIaddict, MissyJane, and Nepeace. Thank you so much.

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to LynnM, who I can always count on for encouraging words about my stories. I don't think there's a story I've written that she hasn't reviewed. Thank you so much, Lynn. Your heartening words don't go unnoticed.

~*~*~*~

The keys clanged softly as Sara dropped them on the end table in the hall. Shrugging off her lightweight black jacket and hanging it up, she called, "I'm home!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, a large black and tan mutt bounded into the room, scampering around her, tail wagging and collar jangling.

"Hey, Simba," she said to the dog as she quickly scratched his ears.

"We're in here!" she heard Lexi call from the other room, and she smiled as she walked towards the kitchen.

"'Morning, munchkin," Sara greeted, kissing the top of Lexi's forehead and walking around the table to Nick, who sat at his customary spot with a mug of steaming coffee in front of him. "'Morning," she said, leaning over to give her husband a quick kiss. "Have a nice night off?"

Nick nodded with a smile as he pulled Sara onto his lap draped his arm around her shoulder. "It was great. How was work?"

Sara shrugged. "Fine. Nothing exciting."

Nick laughed. "Want some breakfast? Rosa made pancakes."

Sara shook her head. "No thanks. Where is she anyway?"

Rosa Garcia had been hired as the Stokes family housekeeper shortly after Carrie's death. They needed someone to be there for Lexi while they were working, since neither wanted to quit their jobs, or worse, switch to day shift and the wrath of Ecklie. Katie had suggested a live-in housekeeper or nanny, insisting that it would make the adoption simpler. Reluctantly they had agreed, but now all three members of their family couldn't imagine life without her.

Nick took a final gulp of coffee before answering. "Her daughter's flying in from New York, remember? She had to go pick her up at the airport. She left right before you got in."

Sara nodded as she recalled Rosa asking for the day off. "Right. I'm just gonna change my clothes and then I'll drive you to school, Lex."

"Okay," Lexi said as she took a swig of her orange juice.

"I can take her," Nick offered. "You look just about ready to pass out," he said lightly, rubbing his wife's back.

A small laugh escaped Sara's mouth. "Yeah, I am a little tired. But I can still take her," she insisted. At the look Nick gave her she laughed and put up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. You can take her."

A grin stretched across Nick's face. "Thank you."

Lexi giggled at her parents' banter. "Sara?" she began, swallowing a forkful of pancake.

"Yeah?"

"Um, me and Daddy were talking about my birthday dinner, and I decided what I wanted," she said slowly, exchanging a look with Nick. "Spaghetti."

"Perfect," Sara said, "Easy to make, and no meat. My kind of meal."

"With meatballs and sausage," she continued timidly, and Sara's face fell.

"Lexi."

"Come on, Sara," the little girl whined. "You said I could have anything I wanted, and I really want spaghetti with meatballs and sausage. You can just make the regular sauce and pasta and stuff, and Daddy can put in the meat. Please?" Lexi's brown eyes grew wide and innocent, and her bottom lip protruded in a pout.

"Come on, honey," Nick said, joining in on the act and mimicking his daughter's expression. "She really wants it."

"Fine," Sara conceded with a sigh, and Nick and Lexi exchanged triumphant high fives. "I'll make it for you, but only this one time, and only because it's your birthday."

"Thanks, Sara," Lexi said, rising and wrapping her arms around Sara's neck and kissing her cheek. She grabbed her bowl and quickly dumped it in the sink, calling out, "I'm gonna go brush my teeth."

When she was out of earshot, Sara turned in Nick's arms so that she was facing him. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?"

Nick instantly put on the innocent façade. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on, Stokes," Sara said, "I'm sure the fact that spaghetti with meatballs and sausage is YOUR favorite dinner didn't play a part in our daughter's decision, did it?"

"Of course not," Nick said, softly pushing Sara off his lap as he rose and brought his coffee mug to the sink, his wife trailing closely behind him. "But I'd just like to point out," he said as he dumped the mug into the metal basin and turned so that he was caught between Sara and the counter, Sara's hands placed one on each side of him, "That you'd make it for Lexi, but not for me."

Sara narrowed her eyes at him. "Sneak."

"Hypocrite."

"Animal killer."

"Fart face."

Sara couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips at her husband's childish comment. "Juvenile," she countered, her lips pressed against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Ahem," Lexi coughed ever-so-subtly behind the couple, her backpack slung across one shoulder. "Is someone gonna take me to school?"

Nick raised his hand up as Sara pulled away. "Meet you in the car," he said, and Lexi nodded, turning and heading out the door.

Nick turned once again to Sara. "Rain check?"

His wife grinned. "I'm counting on it."

~*~*~*~

Squeals and shouts filled the air the following Saturday, where children ran rampant on sugar-highs through the Stokes' backyard. Streamers and balloons had long since been pulled from the fences and tables, and now either lay popped and torn on the ground or affixed to the children's clothing. Sara grabbed two empty pizza boxes from the picnic table and walked toward the side of the house, where a large, black plastic garbage bag was stationed.

"You guys are insane," Warrick commented as he watched the masses of screaming children run across the grass. "I don't know how you pulled this off."

"Tell me about it," Sara said as she returned to the table, exhaustion filling her voice. "Never again."

"I'd never have the guts to throw something like this for Lindsey," Catherine said as she took a sip of Sprite from the paper 'Happy Birthday!' cup in her hand. "Never in a million years, so she'd better enjoy this party."

"The only thing I don't regret is springing for that magician," Nick said. "At least he kept them occupied for awhile."

"I don't think twenty minutes makes up for what that guy cost," Sara replied. "If you ask me he was a rip off."

Nick shrugged. "Lexi liked it. And the rest of the kids liked it. That's all that matters, I guess."

Sara merely rolled her eyes and glanced at her watch. "There's only about an hour left. Do you think we should bring out the cake and presents?"

Nick nodded. "Yeah, I'll bring out the cake. You round up the kids."

"No, I'll go get the cake, Mr. Stokes," Rosa offered. "You stay here and enjoy the party."

"It's okay, Rosa," Nick insisted, "I'll get it."

As he rose to walk into the kitchen, Lexi ran up to him, frantically screaming, and hid behind his legs. "Daddy, help me! Shane tried to kiss me!"

Nick's eyes flashed with anger and a sense of protection as his jaw clenched. "He WHAT?"

Warrick rose also, and his expression mirrored Nick's. "I'll kill him."

Sara bit her lip to keep from laughing at the protective instincts of the two men.

"And so it begins," Catherine teased.

Sara could see Nick scanning the faces of the children in the yard, searching for Shane Richter, a boy in Lexi's class, and she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You and Warrick handle this and then round up the rugrats. Rosa and I'll get the cake. Cath, you wanna help us?" The strawberry blonde woman nodded and rose to join them.

As they walked into the kitchen, they heard Nick's voice behind them. "Shane, c'mere, buddy, and we'll have a little chat . . ."

The three women laughed as they pulled open the French doors that led to the kitchen.

"Is the cake in the fridge?" Catherine asked.

"Yeah," Sara replied. "You wanna get it while I grab Lexi's presents from the dining room?"

"Sure," Catherine answered as she pulled open the refrigerator door.

"Rosa, can you grab the cake plates from the pantry?" Sara asked.

"Of course, Mrs. Stokes," she replied with a smile as she moved across the room.

Sara walked into the other room and smiled as she grabbed the three presents from the table. Two boxes contained clothes, and the other was something special that she and Nick had gotten for her two weeks before, but had saved for her birthday. Sara only hoped the little girl wouldn't be disappointed.

She walked back into the kitchen and nearly dropped the parcels when she saw the woman standing near the counter, talking animatedly to Catherine and Rosa.

"Jackie?" she exclaimed, and the blonde grinned when she saw Sara.

"In the flesh," she answered, her blue-gray eyes twinkling. "Jet-lagged, wishing I had a drink, but you know I wouldn't miss Lexi's party for the world."

Jacqueline Bennett was Warrick's long-time girlfriend, and nationally acclaimed writer. She had recently published two bestsellers, and spent most of her time touring the country to promote sales of her dramatic crime novels.

"When did you get here?" she asked, setting the boxes on the counter and wrapping the younger woman in a hug.

"My flight got in about two hours ago," she explained.

"Does Warrick know you're here yet?" Catherine asked.

Jackie shook her head. "Nope. When I got here, he and Nick were having what looked like an intense discussion with one of the boys, so I thought I'd come in here and see if I could help you gals with anything."

"I think we've got it under control," Sara answered, "But you can grab those extra napkins if you want."

"Anything to help the chaos," she replied with a smile as she grabbed the stack from the counter.

Sara picked up the gifts and led the way to the door, thanking Jackie when she held it open so that the three older women could walk onto the patio.

"I'm gonna go tell Nick and Warrick that the cake's ready," Sara announced when they had placed everything on the picnic table.

"Could I?" Jackie asked. "I wanna surprise Warrick."

Sara nodded. "Be my guest."

Jackie grinned and walked slowly across the grass to where the two men had just finished talking to Shane. "Hey sexy," she whispered in Warrick's ear, causing him to jump.

"Jackie?" he exclaimed. She grinned widely and he scooped his girlfriend in his arms, spinning her once before planting her firmly on the ground and capturing her lips in kiss. "When did you get here?" he asked as they pulled apart.

Jackie ran her fingers through his hair. "My flight got in about two hours ago, and I just got here about ten minutes ago."

Warrick pulled her towards him again and kissed the top of her head. "God, I missed you," he whispered into her blonde hair.

"I know," she whispered back. "I missed you too."

"Ahem," Nick coughed, his lips spread across his face in a grin. "Hate to interrupt, but.there are small, impressionable children here and I don't want Shane getting any more ideas."

"Oh, hey Nick," Jackie greeted, turning to face him, Warrick's hands still wrapped protectively around her waist.

"Good to have you back, Jackie," he said sincerely.

Jackie looked up at Warrick and smiled. "Good to be back."

"How long are you here for?" he asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Only for two weeks," she answered with a regretful sigh. "Then it's off to the east coast for a month."

"Ouch," Nick winced. "Why so short?"

Jackie shrugged her shoulders. "It was all my publicist could arrange. But two weeks is better than nothing, I guess."

Nick nodded. "I don't know how you two do it. It would kill me to be away from Sara for that long."

Jackie and Warrick looked at each other and Warrick tightened his grip on her waist as she leaned back into him. "I know," she replied. "I hate being away from Warrick, but it's my job. I gotta do it, ya know?"

"I understand," Nick answered.

"Oh! Cake!" Jackie exclaimed. "That's why I came over here. Sara wants you two to round up the kids and tell them that the cake's ready."

Nick laughed. "Okay."

"I'm gonna go see if Sara needs any more help," Jackie said, offering Warrick a quick kiss before crossing the lawn to the patio.

A few minutes later, Nick and Warrick had the kids gathered round Lexi, who sat at the head of the picnic table, while they sang 'Happy Birthday'. Soon the cake had been cut and pieces shoveled down, and it was time to open presents.

"Open mine first, Lexi!" Lindsey insisted. "You'll love it."

Lexi tore off the paper and squealed with delight when she saw the GirlTek Password Journal 2.

"This is what I wanted more than anything!" she exclaimed. "Thanks, Lindsey. Thanks Catherine."

Lexi opened the rest of her presents until there were only five left on the table. "Who're these from?" she asked.

"This one's from Grissom, and that one's from Greg," Sara explained, pointing to two of the gifts. "They had to pull a double, but they wanted to make sure you got your presents. And the other three are from me and Daddy."

Lexi pulled Grissom's card from its envelope and read, "This should help you expand your library from 'Harriet the Spy'. Hope they aren't too hard for you, but I thought you'd like a challenge. Love, Grissom."

She tore off the paper to reveal a boxed set of the first twelve 'Nancy Drew' mystery stories. "Wow! Thanks, Grissom. Even though you're not here."

She placed the books on the table and opened Greg's gift. Inside was a Mary-Kate and Ashley video game for her Gameboy. "Awesome!" she exclaimed as she read the back. When she finished, she placed it on the table next to her other gifts and reached for the ones from her parents.

She grinned as she ripped the paper off one of the boxes. Inside was a pair of khaki cargo pants and a lime green peasant top, along with a pair of matching lime sandals. In the other box was a yellow sundress with sunflower heads scattered across it, as well as a pair of white sandals.

"It's those outfits I saw when we went shopping!" she exclaimed happily. "Thanks Mom! Thanks Daddy!"

Sara and Nick exchanged a glance and looked back down at Lexi, who was still admiring her gift. "What did you say, munchkin?"

Lexi looked up at them quizzically. "Uh, it's the outfits I saw when we went shopping?"

"No, the other part," Sara said softly, "You called me 'mom'."

Lexi's eyes fell to the gift on her lap. "Is-is that okay?"

Sara placed a finger under Lexi's chin, bringing the little girl's gaze to meet her own. "It's more than okay."

"Thanks, Mom," Lexi said with a small smile.

Shane sniggered behind them and Lindsey quickly elbowed him in the ribs, eliciting a yelp of pain from the child and a reprimanding look from Catherine.

"You're welcome," Sara said. "But you forgot your last present."

Lexi grabbed the final gift from the table and carefully ripped off the paper. Sara laced her fingers with Nick's and he squeezed her hand as they watched Lexi's reaction to the gift. Her eyes grew wide as she saw what it was.

"Really?" she exclaimed, and Nick and Sara nodded, grins spread across both their faces.

It was a pewter picture frame, the words 'I'm a Big Sister' spelled out in lopsided, rainbow colored letters on the top.

"We're having a baby," Sara announced, squeezing Nick's hand. Soon the couple was flooded with hugs and shouts of 'Congratulations'.

"I'm so happy for you guys," Catherine said, pulling both her friends into a hug. "Congratulations."

"Way to go, man," Warrick said as he shook Nick's hand and thumped his back. "Congrats."

"I'm so excited!" Jackie exclaimed as she embraced Sara. "When are you due?"

"May," Sara answered with a grin.

"Congratulations," Jackie said, still grinning. "You two must be thrilled."

"We are," Nick said, placing his hands on his wife's waist.

"And what about you, Miss Lexi?" Jackie asked, turning to the little girl, who was beaming next to her parents. "Are you excited?"

"I can't wait!" she exclaimed. "I've always wanted a little brother or sister. But I hope it's a girl."

Jackie laughed as Rosa walked up to the couple. "Mr. and Mrs. Stokes, congratulations. I'm so happy for the both of you," she said, her words joyful though her expression was filled with worry. "But I have to talk to you right away."

"Don't worry, Rosa," Nick said with a wink. "You'll be getting a raise once the baby's born. We wouldn't expect you to do all that extra work for nothing."

Rosa shook her head. "It's not that, Mr. Stokes. But I must talk to you."

Nick and Sara exchanged worried glances as they followed Rosa a few feet away to a quieter part of the yard.

"What's wrong?" Sara asked.

"You have no idea how hard this is for me, especially on such a happy day, so I'll just say it quickly and get it over with," Rosa began, sucking in a deep breath. "I'm moving to Florida."

"What?" Sara exclaimed. "Why?"

"My daughter's getting married, and I'm moving there to be closer to her. I'm so sorry, Mrs. Stokes," Rosa said with a shake of her head. "This past year has been wonderful, and I love taking care of Lexi, and I would love to take care of your new little baby, but my daughter needs me right now. I'm so, so sorry."

Nick ran a hand across his face. "No, no, of course, your daughter comes first." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Um, when do you need to go?"

"Very soon," Rosa said sadly. "Consider this my two weeks notice."

Sara sighed audibly and ran a hand through her hair. "Great."

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Stokes." With that Rosa crossed the lawn and rejoined the party.

Sara frowned and turned to her husband. "What are we going to do?

But Nick didn't have an answer for her.

~*~*~*~

A/N~ I just want to say that I know the idea of Sara having a baby is played out in a lot of stories, but I promise that it's not going to be the main focus of this fic. I've still got a few things up my sleeves!

Please review and let me know what you think. All constructive criticism is welcomed and appreciated.

~Emily