-- Chapter Three: Viva Las Vegas --

Disclaimers: Refer to Chapter One: Breathe

Author's Note: Oy, I feel horrible for confusing people. Chapter Two is an automatic trip to the past, so pack your bags because it's going to be a funky ride. To clear things up, Chapter 1 was in the present, while Chapter 2 is a jump back in time, way before the 'drama' of chapter 1. I hope that helps, I'm really trying to update this soon so everything flows better. *fingers crossed*

NOTE: Cause and effect. The effect is Chapter One and the cause or back-story is the rest of the fic. Then of course, if you still want to continue, what happens in the future.

~*~

"Wait, can somebody grab my phone," Sara exhaled and stood still as her mother-in-law, Catherine and Kate fussed over the dress. Emily jumped off the couch, with her dark faded red dress and wavy blonde hair; she walked towards the ringing cell phone and handed it to Sara.

"Hello," she answered, gently brushing a strand of hair away from Emily's face.

"Hi," Nick answered. He glanced at his surrounding and walked out of the room and onto the balcony, leaving his father, brother, and Warrick inside.

"Hi," Sara breathed, a warm smile washing over her face.

"Ready," Nick pried.

"Well, the dress is on. But it will take the jaws of life to get me out of this dress," Sara smiled; she glanced around to watch the figure that the dress had taken.

"Jaws of life, huh?" Nick smirked. Sara beamed - what would she have done if Nick hadn't called.

"My sentiments exactly." A mischievous grin crept upon her face. On the other end, Nick arched an eyebrow,

"Kinky," he smirked.

"Are you ready?" Sara chuckled.

"Yeah, I've been ready for a long time," he answered. Sara sensed the double meaning behind his tone.

"And I've been waiting for a long time," she replied.

"I love you. I'll see you in… 30 minutes and 45 seconds," Nick replied.

"Actually, more like 30 minutes and… 40 seconds, but, I love you anyway," Sara smiled. Kate was motioning for Sara to hang up the phone; exaggerated hand movements in the air - Sara took the hint.

"Bye," she whispered.

"Bye," Nick replied softly. This was it - the moment was nearing.

~*~

The day had started early, shortly after dawn; and Sara was the first to wake up, double checking details as she ran down the list she had meticulously put together. However, as the morning progressed, she found nothing to do - an unusual wedding occurrence that made her the more anxious. Much to her surprise, the florists did deliver, earlier than expected, actually. The tent was the first to be set up, next were the tables and chairs. Sara sat back as the various elements of the wedding came together. By 10:00, Sara began her transformation from Sara to 'Sara - the bride. Sara began her transformation upstairs, in the house, with help from Catherine's multitalented sister. It was a surprise to everyone that Sara, for the most part, looked calm. She was gleaming; her smile was permanent, her eyes bright, and her skin radiating an almost mystic aura.

Nick, on the other hand underwent a minor nervous breakdown of sorts, his nervousness mixed with excitement was forcing him into a mess. The morning began with his suit being a size to small, before he finally realized that he had grabbed the wrong one from the closet. Next, he 'misplaced' the wedding bands, which after much anguish were actually located under Warrick's jacket. In addition, he failed to recognize his hunger, nor remember where he had left his CD player when he went out for a run. Never, could he recall being so nervous; then again, he had never been married before. But, like numerous times before, he was lucky that Warrick, Jack, and Matt arrived to keep him sane.

The ceremony was ready to begin: the minister had arrived, and the guests were filing in, and the place was wonderful – it had a simple setting, immersed by white with hints of deep red tones. As expected, Sara's parents were running late, along with her brother, who was a groomsman nonetheless. Sara's calm demur was ultimately because she was unaware of her parents' tardiness. Catherine, along with Nick's family had conspired to keep the 'problem' a secret, hence keeping the couple from having emotional breakdowns.

The time was 10:50 am; only minutes before the ceremony's commencement. It was then that Sara and her mother reunited for the first time. Both fighting tears as each minute passed. In anticipation, everyone made their way down the staircase and waited by the doors that led out into the yard.

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," Kate interrupted. Sara pulled herself away from her mother to double check her attire. Something old, was the simple antique pendant that her mother had sent her via courier several days earlier. Something new was the dress; something borrowed was the silk flower crown that Catherine lent her.

"Does anybody have anything blue," Sara asked, a sense of panic overwhelming her. Everyone paused to look around the room, and eventually in their purses.

"What's the hold up," a woman asked, moving towards the doors. It was Nick's grandmother. The woman wore a simple cream color dress, along with a medium sized hat that sat on her silver hair.

"Grams," Kate called out.

Sara had taken a liking to the Stokes matriarch. Again, another person she met while at Michelle's wedding. Her stern look and 'tough love' attitude was what Sara loved about the woman.

"Well…you're holding up a wedding," she smiled.

"We're looking for something blue," Sara explained. She looked into the woman's eyes; her eyes seemed to calm Sara's frantic eyes.

"Why aren't you lucky, I came to give this to you," she smiled lovingly as she handed Sara a small ring. Sara gasped.

"I-" Sara whispered.

"Each of my granddaughters received a ring just like that on their wedding day, and I wanted you to have one - just the same," the grandmother confirmed. The ring was simple, with a small sapphire gem that crowned the band.

"Thank you," Sara smiled sincerely, again tears, but she fought hard against them. They all stood there, speechless.

"What are you waiting for, isn't this a wedding," the grandmother drawled, the Southern accent flowing through her lips.

~*~

"I, Nicholas Stokes, take you, Sara Sidle, to be my wife and my one true love. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love you faithfully and to cherish, to laugh with you and to cry with you, till death do us part. Come what may come I will always be there for you."

"I, Sara Sidle, take you, Nicholas Stokes, to be my husband and my one true love. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love you faithfully and to cherish, to laugh with you and to cry with you, till death do us part. Come what may come I will always be there for you."

The vows brought the crowd to an emotional high, Sara in particular, who was shaking nervously, with droplets of tears descending her cheeks. Nick wiped a tear from her cheek as they commenced to say their closing vow, in unison.

"Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you. Together, we will go forward and together we shall face life. To guide each other, to support each other, and to have trust and faith in the vows we take, and our love for each other."

~*~

'CLINK' 'CLINK' 'CLINK' 'CLINK' 'CLINK'

The crowd silenced as they saw Tim at the front.

"As the best man, well, a portion of the best men, I was suppose to give Nick a great stag party, some great advice, and to make a total fool of myself in front of everybody," he began. The crowd laughed. By portion of the 'best men', he meant the group of men who Nick had chosen to participate in the wedding, since he could not pick a singular man for the title of 'best man'.

"I'm going to make this quick. Dear brother," he began,

'Oh boy, here it comes," Nick thought.

"It's about time," his brother asked. Nick smiled.

"Better late than never," Nick joked.

"And to my new sister-in-law, may you have enough courage to listen to his distinct type of music, enough humor to laugh at my brother's lame jokes, enough patience to put up with his love of sports, and enough hope to think that he'll ever give up the television remote," he paused.

"May you both have enough love to seek happiness and all the worldly things that life has to offer," Tim summarized.

Nick and Sara looked at each other, their eyes full of hope, love, and faith; they just smiled.

It was late and the night was winding down, it was time for the bride and groom's first dance. Nick and Sara took to the middle of the temporary dance floor and danced to the soothing sound of a jazz ballad. They glided across the surface as they thought about the future ahead; Sara placed her head on Nick's shoulder and danced. Nick wrapped his arms around his wife tightly, wishing that they could always stay this way, surrounded by friends and family and in the company of each other.

- FLASHBACK –

"Hi, can I just borrow her for a minute?" Nick requested.

"Sure, you are the best man," the man glared, hesitating to let Sara go.

"I thought you'd need some relief, are your toes ok?" Nick asked, concerned, and looking at her red toes.

"I'll be fine, he's been stepping on them throughout the whole song," she smiled. He held her in his arms, wrapping them protectively around her, she didn't object, allowing him to take the lead. Slowly, they swayed to the music, and Sara watched the other people dancing around her. She spotted Kate at the edge of the dance floor, dancing with a boy. 'She did it,' she smiled, happy that Kate had taken a chance on life.

"What are you smiling about," Nick asked wonderingly.

"Nothing," she replied, placing her head on his shoulder. It fit perfectly, it felt natural.

He was caught off guard, but he continued to dance. He simply smiled.

"He's really not that great," Nick changed the subject.

"What?" Sara called, her head still sitting on his shoulder

"He used to pick on girls in high school," Nick revealed, stopping Sara from uttering any words.

"And he was pretty 'friendly' on campus in college," he continued desperately.

"Nick Stokes, are you jealous?" Sara teased, picking her head up, and staring closely at his eyes.

"Me? Jealous? No," Nick denied.

"Just telling you the facts," he admitted.

"You know, in case-" he began to babble.

"Oh-my-god, you are," Sara glorified.

"No," Nick lied.

"I think he's kinda cute, pretty smart, and did you see those muscles," she winced. 'Ouch' she mouthed. Her words were probably more piercing that she had imagined, but her tone was still playful, her intent was to tease Nick.

With eyes focused on Sara, Nick's eyes voiced pain from her comments. He didn't say a word; he'll let her say whatever she wanted.

"Don't worry, you'll always be my man from Texas," she continued to tease. She titled her head back as she laughed aloud.

There was silence, as both of them smiled and proceeded on dancing.

"So you're into cute guys, sculpted muscles and a brain," Nick joked.

"Only the ones who can dance," she whispered in his ear. The fine hair in on the back of his neck, stood, 'damn' his mind whimpered.

Finally, for the last time before the music ended, he twirled her, cradling her in his arms as he dipped her for the finale. They both smiled as Sara came face to face with Nick.

- END FLASHBACK -

Sara smiled at the memory, knowing now that their harmless flirting had turned into something she had never in her life imagined. Her man from Texas indeed.

He recalled the dance that occurred at his sister's wedding, the way his jealousy had forced him to look deeper into his flirtatious liaison with Sara. Nick smiled.

"Hey Sara," Nick whispered.

"Hmm?"

"I love you," he announced proudly. She looked up and locked eyes with him,

"I love you too," she smiled.

What had once been a foreign phrase became natural now, as it rolled off her tongue with no difficulty. They drew closer to each other and gently kissed, looking at each other and smiling.

~*~

Before long, both exchanged partners, they were rotated amongst family as the day's festivities drew to a close.

"Nick, I'm happy that you found Sara," Michelle said, watching as her brother watched his new wife.

"And to think, she was right under my nose for all those years," he replied, adjusting his gentle grip around his expecting sister.

"So, when are you due," Nick asked innocently, still staring at Sara across the crowd, she was now dancing with Grissom. Her wide smile and unmistakable laugh captivated him.

"Now," Michelle replied.

"Now, that's-what?" Nick paused; he stopped dancing and turned his attention to Michelle.

"Now? As in now, now," Nick asked.

With panic and adrenaline driving through his body, he inspected his sister's condition. Michelle's face was placid, but her tightening grip on Nick's hand told him otherwise.

"Luke," he hollered. Luke looked up from the bar and locked eyes with Nick; he recognized the panic in his eyes and noticed his unmoving wife.

"Baby, I'm coming," the man replied, rushing to his wife's side.

"Kate, call an ambulance," Nick barked. The crowd had ceased dancing and had now formed a crowd around Michelle, who, at this point had commenced breathing exercises.

"I'll go get towels," Catherine stated, cutting through the crowd and rushing up to the house.

Nick stood back, unsure about what to do; Sara and Grissom made their way to the front as well.

"EMTs are on their way," Kate called from inside the house.

~*~

"You," Michelle glowered at her husband, and latching onto his arm. Beads of sweat present around her face, while her hair matted across her forehead.

"You did this to me," she breathed out. Luke didn't know whether to smile or if he should do or say anything at all.

"We'll see you at the hospital," Nick said, patting Luke on the back.

"Ahh," she groaned. Luke tensed at his wife's tight grip.

The EMT slammed the ambulance door shut and moved to drive Michelle and Luke to the hospital, only minutes away.

"Congratulations on your wedding," the EMT called out.

"Thanks," Nick replied.

~*~

Upon the ambulance's departure, the party disbanded and returned to their respective hotels. Of course, the Stokes family all made their way to the hospital. Sara and Nick stayed to change into something more comfortable before heading to the hospital.

They all sat in the waiting room, all in their nice suits and fancy dresses; each either sat on a chair or paced. Back and forth, and back and forth. Tick, tock, tick, tock. Minutes, but what felt like hours passed, and Luke emerged from the delivery room. Sweat sprawled across his forehead and his face glowing proudly. Everyone was tense.

"It's a girl," he proclaimed. Everyone swarmed him and congratulated him on his new family.

"Well, this isn't exactly the way we pictured our honeymoon," Nick stated as he gently nudged Sara.

"Hey, you ok," he posed, postponing his celebration to talk to his wife.

"Yeah, perfect. Just...wow," Sara managed to say, no planning in the world could have anticipated this event. Nick kissed her forehead; he was aware that Sara, in her unique way, wanted this to be a perfect day. Alas, some plans do not always run smoothly.

"Well, at least it makes our wedding the more memorable," Sara half cracked. Nick chuckled softly. Both of them stood up and joined the celebration, exchanging hugs, kisses, and bathed in tears of joy.

~*~

"Can we come in," Nick's mother whispered.

Her tone was a deviation from her usual booming voice, but it suited the room appropriately. Behind her were eager uncles, aunts, and cousins, impatient to see the family's new addition. They hovered around the door before Michelle, who was lovingly cradling her new daughter, waved them in. As they entered and first saw the girl's angelic and serene face, a chorus of 'awws' was whispered. Nick and Sara were the last to enter, not because they wanted to; but because they didn't want to risk bodily harm from overjoyed relatives. They watched as Evelyn and Robert embraced their new grandchild; then Carrie helped her daughter, Emily, hold her new cousin. Although uneducated in the art of holding a child, Kate made an effort to hold her cousin, talking to her softly. The baby was then handed to Nick, who like a pro, took her into his arms.

"Hi, I'm your Uncle Nicky," he whispered. Sara's heart melted.

"And this, is your Auntie Sara," he continued, Sara glared at her husband's tone.

"But Aunt Sara would be fine too," Sara said, leaning closer to the child. She was careful not to get too close, such a small child made her nervous, she was unsure about what to do.

"You can hold her if you'd like, Sara," Michelle called out.

"Think of it like a rite of passage into the Stokes family," she laughed.

"But I thought getting married to your brother was enough," Sara joked, trying to change the subject. Nevertheless, insistent, Michelle motioned her to do so; the family watched.

"But-" she began to say, before realizing that it would be rude not to hold the child. She looked uneasily at Nick, who was still smiling at the newborn child. At last, with care, he gently placed the child in Sara's arms; everybody could sense her unease with situation, as well as her uncertainly in holding the child.

"Don't drop her, she has a perfect head," Nick kidded, but Sara didn't take notice. She ceased to breathe, as she tensely accepted the child. The baby's warmth slowly allowed her to be more comfortable with such a small child, and the child's soft and innocent face calmed her nerves as well.

"Have you decided on a name," Sara asked quietly.

"We haven't decided yet," Luke replied, gently taking his daughter away from Sara.

"Well, we had it narrowed down to two names, Caitlin and Macy; we were going to decide after Sara and Nick's wedding. You know, after talking it out with the family," Michelle began to explain.

"But she doesn't look like a Caitlin or a Macy. So I don't know, but I have to say, she picked one heck of a place and time to be born though," she smiled; now holding her firstborn.

"Viva Las Vegas," Nick commented, wrapping an arm around Sara's waist.

"Yeah. The meadows," Sara said aloud, but mostly to herself.

Michelle looked at her sister-in-law, then at her newborn daughter.

"Meadow," she whispered, the baby batted her soft eyelashes.

"Do you like that name," Michelle asked. The baby blinked once more. She looked at her husband, and he smiled lovingly, kissing their baby.

"Hi Meadow," Michelle said softly.

"I'd like you to meet your family," Michelle continued, presenting the child to the small audience.

*--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

A/N - Las Vegas actually means 'the valleys' but 'meadows' 'valleys' same thing.

Thanks a bunch to y'all who are actually taking the time to read and review; you rock so hard it can cause an earthquake. LoL. Thanks to EmmyMik, MissyJane, Mooose, candaceFABULOUS, Katrina, Kady Rilla Wholi, PeTiTeCaT, A Bloom, SisterBear, lilybelle80538, and krisnina77.

Well, you know what to do and don't make me say it again…oh, ok. Love it, loathe it, review it. *smile* - oceanwave