Fiona could still be heard screaming as Nick and Sara watched Chelsea pull back out of the driveway. The three year old had thrown a major fit when Chelsea tried to get her back into the minivan after dropping Nick and Sara and their luggage off at the house. Chelsea had spent ten minutes trying to reason with Fiona that she couldn't stay with 'Unca Nicky' and Sara, and then finally gave up and took her kicking and screaming back to the van.

As Sara watched the vehicle retreat she turned to Nick with a smirk. "She was so cute earlier."

Nick laughed. "She comes by it naturally, technically she's still two for another week and a half."

"Oh, I get it now." Sara commented as if something had clicked.

Nick looked at her curiously. "Get what?"

"Terrible twos." Sara replied with a chuckle.

Nick tried to restrain his laughter. "You really just got that?"

A slightly embarrassed Sara nodded her head. "What? I'm not around kids very much."

"It's a good thing Chels and Kevin have the mother-in-law apartment in their basement then." Nick still looked amused.

"Why?" Sara wondered out loud as they carried their bags into the small attached apartment.

Nick bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Have you ever been woken up by a couple of kids staring at you?"

Sara shook her head. "No, why?"

Nick couldn't hold his laughter back any longer.

Sara raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Just be glad we're staying down here then. If we weren't, I'm sure Fiona would be up before dawn standing right next to your bed waiting for you to wake up. When Conner was her age, he almost gave me a heart attack one morning. I woke up with his face about two inches from mine." Nick emphasized the point by putting his hand in front of his face.

Sara couldn't help but laugh at the image forming in her mind. She glanced around the small apartment and as she turned back toward Nick, she raised a curious eyebrow. "So, Nick."

Without missing a beat, Nick answered her unspoken question. "You're sleeping in the bedroom, I'm sleeping out here. The couch folds out." He smiled. "That was what you were going to ask me, wasn't it?"

She grinned. "You know, it scares me that you do that sometimes."

"What? Finish your sentences?" Nick chuckled.

Sara nodded.

Nick just shrugged. "I just know you, that's all. Hey, I figure we have about a half an hour until Chelsea gets back with all the kids, do you want to go for a walk or something?"

"Sure." Sara smiled at him.

They strolled along the sidewalk in the modest suburban neighborhood. Sara glanced over at Nick and chuckled. He looked so at ease here in Dallas.

Nick looked at her curiously. "What?"

Sara shook her head. "Nothing."

Nick elbowed her. "What?"

Sara smirked. "You just seem more relaxed, like you fit here."

"I did grow up around here. That might have something to do with it." Nick quipped.

"I don't always feel relaxed when I go home." Sara confessed.

"Well you did say you grew up in a bed and breakfast. It sounds like you'd be working when you went home." Nick offered.

Sara considered his words. "I suppose. It certainly was a challenge to study when I lived at home. There was always something that needed to be done and my parents didn't really understand why I found science so fascinating."

"I can relate." Nick chuckled.

"I guess with a family of lawyers, you did sort of throw a monkey wrench into things." Sara smirked.

"No, Michael did that first by becoming a doctor. But I know my parents weren't thrilled when I decided to go into law enforcement. I think when I decided to become a CSI they were relieved that I wouldn't be a patrol officer anymore, but they still don't really understand why I moved to Vegas." Nick smiled at Sara.

"Why did you move to Vegas?" Sara queried him. She had worked with him for over three years and had never asked him why he was the only member of his family who didn't live in or near Dallas.

"A lot of reasons. Fresh start. I got a chance to work with Grissom." Nick replied being somewhat evasive.

"Something tells me that there is more to your story." Sara observed.

Nick grinned. "There is. I'll tell you about it sometime, just not here."

"Fair enough." Sara silently wondered what would have driven Nick to move three states away when the rest of his family was here. She supposed that when they left Dallas for the Gulf Coast later that week that they'd have a chance to talk then.

Nick turned to her. "We should head back. If we're not there when Chels gets back, I'm sure Fiona will throw another fit."

Sara furrowed her brow. "Nick?"

"Yeah?" He looked at her curiously.

"Uh, how old are the rest of your nieces and nephews?" The thought occurred to her that if she had to spend a week with small children she was going to be in trouble. Outside of a little girl she'd watched on a case a couple of years back, she'd never babysat a day in her life. She just didn't know what to do with kids.

Nick had to laugh at the panic that registered on her face. "Don't worry. Fiona is the youngest, at least until Susan has her baby in April."

"Just how many nieces and nephews do you have?" Sara wanted to mentally prepare herself for how many people she was going to be meeting.

"Eight nieces, and ten nephews." He was grinning in amusement at her.

"Wow." Sara managed.

They neared Chelsea's house and as they walked up to the front door it burst open and two boys nearly tackled Nick. "Uncle Nick!"

"Hey, Conner, hey, Aiden." Nick had caught the boys each in a headlock with his arms.

Sara looked thoroughly amused.

Aiden glanced at Sara. "Hey, Uncle Nick, is that your girlfriend?"

Nick let the boys go and shook his head. "No, this is my friend Sara."

Conner studied Sara for a moment and then looked at Nick. "Uncle Nick, mom says you're in love with her. Are you in love with her."