Once the epidural took effect, the pain that Sara was experiencing lessened somewhat. She was thankful that Chelsea was there to help keep Nick calm, because despite all of his training as a CSI he looked as if he might pass out.

"Nick, why don't you take a walk for a moment and get some fresh air. The doctor said it's still going to be a little while. Besides, when was the last time you ate?" Chelsea shot him a knowing glance.

Nick looked at Sara with panic on his face. "I don't want to leave you alone, honey."

Sara tried to keep her breathing steady as she felt the drug dulled pressure of another contraction. "Baby, Chelsea's right. Go get something to eat." She would have laughed at the irony of having to remind Nick to eat if she hadn't been in labor. The man seemed to always be hungry.

Nick raised an eyebrow doubtfully. "Are you sure?" He remembered some of her earlier words before the epidural had taken effect. He didn't think he'd ever heard Sara say things quite like that in his life.

Chelsea chuckled. "Nick, go before she changes her mind."

Sara nodded. "Just bring me back some ice chips."

Nick leaned down and tentatively kissed Sara on the forehead. "I won't be gone long." He glanced back once before he disappeared through the door of the hospital room.

Chelsea couldn't help but laugh. "Sara, he is so afraid of you right now."

Sara chuckled. "I don't think I've ever yelled at him like that before."

Chelsea reached over and took Sara's hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze. "Trust me, childbirth can make the most timid woman curse like a sailor."

"I think I gave some sailors a run for their money then." Sara smirked, wincing for a moment as she felt the pressure of another contraction. "Damn, how did women do this before they gave you drugs for the pain?"

Chelsea smiled. "We're tougher than men. You should have seen Kevin when I had Aiden. He actually did pass out."

Sara looked at Chelsea in disbelief for a moment and then started laughing. "You have got to be kidding."

Chelsea shook her head. "Nope. Something like a tree falling in the forest. He just went right over. Conner and Fiona went a little better."

Sara rubbed her belly and glanced at Chelsea. "It's still hard to fathom that I'm having twins. I never thought I'd be a mom."

Chelsea smiled. "I saw you with Fiona when you and Nick were in Dallas. I think you're going to be a great mom, Sara. I'm really glad you married my brother."

"Me too, Chelsea." Sara grinned. "Me too."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The nurse had been right, as soon as Sara saw the faces of her babies, she wasn't even thinking about the hours of labor she had gone through. Nick sat next to her on the bed and they each held a child, completely awed by the miracle that each little life was.

Nick glanced at Sara with a smile on his face. "I suppose we should have decided on names."

Sara laughed softly. "Well, I think we both thought we had a little more time. I like your idea though."

He grinned. "Good because Baby Stokes One and Baby Stokes Two don't really sound quite right."

She smiled. "Can you believe how tiny their fingers and toes are?"

"Well they are a little early, hon." Nick teased.

She looked at him holding one of the babies and she felt a tear slide down her cheek.

Concern flickered across Nick's face. "I'm sorry, babe."

Sara shook her head. "No, I'm fine." She looked into his eyes. "I was just thinking that you're holding our child."

Nick cradled the baby in one arm and reached over with his free hand to brush the tear from her cheek. "You look pretty amazing holding our child too." He leaned over and kissed her softly, glancing at the sleeping infant in her arms.

Sara chuckled softly. "I had this thought right after the nurse handed them to me. I was thinking 'where is their mother?', but then I realized that I'm it."

Nick couldn't help but laugh. "I know. I just seems so unreal that we're actually parents."

"When did Chelsea say that your parents were going to be here?" Sara asked softly, not taking her eyes off of the child sleeping in her arms.

"About noon. She was going to take them by the house first and get them settled in before they came to the hospital." Nick replied, trying to stifle a yawn.

Sara studied Nick for a little while. "I think we should do it."

He glanced up at her perplexed. "Do what?"

She smiled. "The names that you suggested. I think that's what we should name them. I think they're perfect."

"You're sure?" Nick asked, a smile beginning to spread across his face.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Nick leaned in and kissed Sara softly, searching her eyes as he pulled away. "I love you, Sara."

"I love you too." She grinned at him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shift had seem particularly long for the nightshift CSIs. Once shift was over, they made their way to Desert Palm Hospital to meet the newest members of the Stokes family.

Catherine softly tapped on the door of Sara's room and a few moments later, a smiling Nick opened it with a sleeping baby still cradled in his arms. Catherine couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she looked at the peaceful face of the sleeping infant. "Oh, Nicky."

Nick motioned for the rest of them to come in.

Sara glanced up and smiled. "Hey, guys."

"Wow, they're small." Greg remarked.

"They're slightly premature, Greg. Lower birth weights are normal in multiple births." Grissom informed him in a succinct manner, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he looked at the twins.

"Are you going to introduce your children to their Uncle Warrick?" Warrick couldn't hide his smile.

Sara glanced at Nick. "Do you want to do the honors, Daddy?"

Nick sat on the bed next to Sara smiling and turned his attention to the baby in her arms. "Everyone, this is Ainslee Rose." He grinned at his tiny daughter and then kissed Sara's cheek before touching the hand of the baby in his own arms. "And this little guy is Caleb Nathaniel."