~*~ Two years and three and a half months later ~*~
"Ainslee, honey, don't touch that." Sara gently chided her daughter who stood on a chair next to the counter where Sara stood preparing dinner.
Ainslee tilted her head slightly. "Why, Mommy?"
Sara smiled. "Because I said so, baby."
"Why?" Ainslee was clearly not satisfied with Sara's answer.
Sara raised a single eyebrow at the nearly two and a half year old. "Ainslee Rose, do you want to join your brother in time out?"
Ainslee's brown eyes went wide and she shook her head vigorously. "No, Mommy."
A shout came from the couch in the family room just off the kitchen. "I done, Mommy! Can I get down?" Caleb was sitting on the couch waiting for Sara to tell him he was done being in time out for dumping a potted plant on the carpet to search for bugs. Ever since 'Uncle Grissom' had shown him his collection of insects, Caleb had been searching for them everywhere.
"Caleb baby, you still have three minutes. Mommy will let you know when you're done." Sara hoped that Nick would be home on time. It was their third anniversary and much had changed in their lives since the twins had been born.
Initially, Sara had planned to be on maternity leave for a couple of months, but that had turned into almost a year. She didn't realize how tired she would be at first and then how much fun she would have being a mom to the twins, although it had its moments, and so after talking it over with Nick they decided to make some significant changes to their lives.
Nick and Sara had discussed their careers at length and had come to the conclusion that they wanted to focus on their children first for a while and when the kids were older, they might consider furthering their careers beyond Vegas. So Sara decided to resign her fulltime status at the lab and just consult on a limited basis instead. Nick put in for a transfer to dayshift when Conrad Ecklie left Vegas to head up a lab in Louisiana and Catherine was promoted to dayshift supervisor.
"I done!" Caleb yelled from the couch again.
Sara smiled. "Ok, baby, you can come back now."
Caleb wandered into the kitchen and looked up at Sara. "Is Daddy gonna be surprised?"
Sara smiled at her son. He looked so much like pictures of Nick at that age that she wondered if he would look like him when he was older too. "I hope so, honey."
"Can we watch Blue's Clues?" Caleb shot her a pleading expression.
"Oh, Mommy, Blue's Clues!" Ainslee clapped her hands together and started to jump up and down on the chair.
"Ainslee, careful." Sara reached over and picked Ainslee up and set her on the floor before she tipped the chair over.
Ainslee looked up at her with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, Mommy."
Sara chuckled. "I just don't want you to fall off the chair, honey."
"Can we watch Blue's Clues? Can we? Can we?" Ainslee was joined by Caleb in her chant.
Sara settled the twins on the couch in front of the TV and put a tape of Blue's Clues in the VCR. She had just put the eggplant parmesan that she had prepared into the oven when she heard the front door open. Before Nick had even had a chance to close the door, Caleb and Ainslee had slid off the couch and had ran towards the front door shouting. "Daddy!"
Nick scooped Ainslee up and smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "How's my girl?" In the same move he had picked Caleb up by the back of the waistband of his jeans so that he seemed to be suspended in mid-flight.
Ainslee giggled. "Caleb's silly."
Nick feigned surprise. "Caleb? Where is Caleb?"
"I down here, Daddy." Caleb and Nick played this game every night when he got home.
Ainslee giggled again. "You know where he is, Daddy."
The expression on Nick's face changed as if something had suddenly dawned on him. "Oh, no wonder my arm feels so heavy."
Caleb was laughing.
"Daddy, Mommy has a surprise." Ainslee spoke in a loud whisper.
Nick raised his eyebrows at her as he walked into the kitchen carrying both children. "Oh, she does? Well I have a surprise for her too."
Sara glanced up and smiled as Nick walked in. "Hey, baby."
Nick grinned. "Hey."
"Blue's Clues!" Caleb shouted realizing that the tape was still running.
"Daddy, down please." Ainslee pleaded.
Nick kissed her forehead and set her and Caleb down and let them make their way back to the couch. He looked over at Sara who seemed to be watching his every move. "What?"
She grinned. "Oh, nothing, I just love watching you with our kids."
He walked over to where she stood and slipped his arms around her waist. "You do, huh?"
She nodded, looking in his eyes as she slid her arms around his neck. "It's very sexy."
Nick smiled. "Well I think you're very sexy." He leaned in and kissed her long and deep. When they pulled apart, they were both a little breathless. "Happy Anniversary, Sar."
She grinned. "Happy Anniversary." She leaned in and kissed him again, allowing herself to get lost in the moment until she felt someone pulling on her pant leg. She pulled away from Nick and they both glanced down to see Ainslee and Caleb staring up at her and Nick. "What is it, babies?"
Caleb pointed toward the TV. "The tape's done."
Nick chuckled and kissed Sara's cheek. "I'll take care of it."
Sara watched as Nick found another tape to put in the VCR. She just couldn't seem to get over how good he was with their kids and she didn't want to. She marveled at how one decision had changed the course of their lives. If she hadn't knocked on his door that night, she would have missed out on so much that life had to offer. "Hey, I've got a surprise for you." Sara grinned.
Nick glanced up at her and smiled. "So I heard."
She leaned her arms on the counter and raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to know what it is?"
Ainslee and Caleb started chanting. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Nick grinned. "I guess I do."
Sara had a mischievous expression on her face. "Ok, it's in the garage."
Nick looked at her a little perplexed. "The garage."
Sara nodded trying to look innocent. "Uh, huh."
Nick headed towards the door that led to the garage through the laundry room.
"What is it, Mommy?" Ainslee and Caleb really wanted to know what surprise Sara had gotten for Nick. The fact that she'd managed to keep it a secret from the kids she found pretty amazing herself.
"No way!" Nick yelled from the garage. As he came back into the house, he held a squirming golden lab puppy in his arms. He looked at Sara incredulously. "You got me a dog."
"Happy Anniversary, baby." Sara walked over and kissed Nick.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Several hours later, Ainslee and Caleb were asleep and the puppy that Nick had decided to name Maverick was settled on a cushion in the laundry room for the night.
Nick glanced over at Sara as they finished up the dishes. "I still can't believe you got me a dog."
She smiled as she looked at him. "I know how much you've wanted one. I just thought we were ready for a dog."
Nick slid his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. "I love you, Sara."
She put the last dish into the drying rack and turned to face him, resting her hands against his chest. She smiled as she looked up into his eyes. "I love you too, Nick."
He leaned in and kissed her softly, pulling away and smiling at her. "Did you find the gift I left you this morning?"
She chuckled. "I did. Although I'd have to say that at least part of it seems like it's more for you than for me."
He grinned. "Can I help it if I like to see my wife look even sexier than normal?"
"I did like the earrings though." She leaned up and kissed him softly.
Nick smiled at her as they pulled apart. "I noticed that you had them on." Nick leaned in and kissed her.
Sara murmured against his lips. "I could model the other part of your gift if you want."
Nick pulled apart and grinned. "I'd really like that."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later they lay tangled together under the covers; Nick trailed his fingers up and down Sara's back as she rested against his chest. It occurred to him that he was going to tell Sara something earlier, but he'd been distracted by the dog. "Hey, hon?"
Sara glanced at him. "Yeah?"
"I almost forgot I've got a little surprise for you." There was a hint of amusement in his voice.
She propped herself up on his chest. "What?"
He chuckled softly. "Well, it's just some news actually; I was so distracted by Maverick that I forgot to tell you."
"What is it?" She sounded curious.
"Well, I've been offered a promotion to dayshift supervisor." Nick began.
"Nick!" Sara was incredulous. "That's great, baby! But how? What about Catherine?"
Nick chuckled. "Well, Catherine asked to be demoted."
"What?!" Sara sounded shocked. "Why the hell would she do that?"
Nick was having a hard time not spilling the entire story. "She eloped."
"Eloped? Who the hell with?" Sara clearly was having a hard time fathoming this.
"Greg." Nick wanted to let this little bit of information sink in a little bit.
"Greg Sanders." Sara's voice was thick with disbelief. "You've got to be kidding."
"No, I'm not." Nick continued, knowing that he'd saved the best for last. "Apparently it's been going on for quite a while. And that's not all."
"What? She's not pregnant is she?" Sara was clearly shocked.
Nick chuckled in the darkness. "As a matter of fact she is."
~*~ The End ~*~
Author's Note: Thanks to all the readers and reviewers. Each and every one of you is appreciated for your opinions and the time you've taken out of your day to read my thoughts.
"Ainslee, honey, don't touch that." Sara gently chided her daughter who stood on a chair next to the counter where Sara stood preparing dinner.
Ainslee tilted her head slightly. "Why, Mommy?"
Sara smiled. "Because I said so, baby."
"Why?" Ainslee was clearly not satisfied with Sara's answer.
Sara raised a single eyebrow at the nearly two and a half year old. "Ainslee Rose, do you want to join your brother in time out?"
Ainslee's brown eyes went wide and she shook her head vigorously. "No, Mommy."
A shout came from the couch in the family room just off the kitchen. "I done, Mommy! Can I get down?" Caleb was sitting on the couch waiting for Sara to tell him he was done being in time out for dumping a potted plant on the carpet to search for bugs. Ever since 'Uncle Grissom' had shown him his collection of insects, Caleb had been searching for them everywhere.
"Caleb baby, you still have three minutes. Mommy will let you know when you're done." Sara hoped that Nick would be home on time. It was their third anniversary and much had changed in their lives since the twins had been born.
Initially, Sara had planned to be on maternity leave for a couple of months, but that had turned into almost a year. She didn't realize how tired she would be at first and then how much fun she would have being a mom to the twins, although it had its moments, and so after talking it over with Nick they decided to make some significant changes to their lives.
Nick and Sara had discussed their careers at length and had come to the conclusion that they wanted to focus on their children first for a while and when the kids were older, they might consider furthering their careers beyond Vegas. So Sara decided to resign her fulltime status at the lab and just consult on a limited basis instead. Nick put in for a transfer to dayshift when Conrad Ecklie left Vegas to head up a lab in Louisiana and Catherine was promoted to dayshift supervisor.
"I done!" Caleb yelled from the couch again.
Sara smiled. "Ok, baby, you can come back now."
Caleb wandered into the kitchen and looked up at Sara. "Is Daddy gonna be surprised?"
Sara smiled at her son. He looked so much like pictures of Nick at that age that she wondered if he would look like him when he was older too. "I hope so, honey."
"Can we watch Blue's Clues?" Caleb shot her a pleading expression.
"Oh, Mommy, Blue's Clues!" Ainslee clapped her hands together and started to jump up and down on the chair.
"Ainslee, careful." Sara reached over and picked Ainslee up and set her on the floor before she tipped the chair over.
Ainslee looked up at her with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, Mommy."
Sara chuckled. "I just don't want you to fall off the chair, honey."
"Can we watch Blue's Clues? Can we? Can we?" Ainslee was joined by Caleb in her chant.
Sara settled the twins on the couch in front of the TV and put a tape of Blue's Clues in the VCR. She had just put the eggplant parmesan that she had prepared into the oven when she heard the front door open. Before Nick had even had a chance to close the door, Caleb and Ainslee had slid off the couch and had ran towards the front door shouting. "Daddy!"
Nick scooped Ainslee up and smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "How's my girl?" In the same move he had picked Caleb up by the back of the waistband of his jeans so that he seemed to be suspended in mid-flight.
Ainslee giggled. "Caleb's silly."
Nick feigned surprise. "Caleb? Where is Caleb?"
"I down here, Daddy." Caleb and Nick played this game every night when he got home.
Ainslee giggled again. "You know where he is, Daddy."
The expression on Nick's face changed as if something had suddenly dawned on him. "Oh, no wonder my arm feels so heavy."
Caleb was laughing.
"Daddy, Mommy has a surprise." Ainslee spoke in a loud whisper.
Nick raised his eyebrows at her as he walked into the kitchen carrying both children. "Oh, she does? Well I have a surprise for her too."
Sara glanced up and smiled as Nick walked in. "Hey, baby."
Nick grinned. "Hey."
"Blue's Clues!" Caleb shouted realizing that the tape was still running.
"Daddy, down please." Ainslee pleaded.
Nick kissed her forehead and set her and Caleb down and let them make their way back to the couch. He looked over at Sara who seemed to be watching his every move. "What?"
She grinned. "Oh, nothing, I just love watching you with our kids."
He walked over to where she stood and slipped his arms around her waist. "You do, huh?"
She nodded, looking in his eyes as she slid her arms around his neck. "It's very sexy."
Nick smiled. "Well I think you're very sexy." He leaned in and kissed her long and deep. When they pulled apart, they were both a little breathless. "Happy Anniversary, Sar."
She grinned. "Happy Anniversary." She leaned in and kissed him again, allowing herself to get lost in the moment until she felt someone pulling on her pant leg. She pulled away from Nick and they both glanced down to see Ainslee and Caleb staring up at her and Nick. "What is it, babies?"
Caleb pointed toward the TV. "The tape's done."
Nick chuckled and kissed Sara's cheek. "I'll take care of it."
Sara watched as Nick found another tape to put in the VCR. She just couldn't seem to get over how good he was with their kids and she didn't want to. She marveled at how one decision had changed the course of their lives. If she hadn't knocked on his door that night, she would have missed out on so much that life had to offer. "Hey, I've got a surprise for you." Sara grinned.
Nick glanced up at her and smiled. "So I heard."
She leaned her arms on the counter and raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to know what it is?"
Ainslee and Caleb started chanting. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Nick grinned. "I guess I do."
Sara had a mischievous expression on her face. "Ok, it's in the garage."
Nick looked at her a little perplexed. "The garage."
Sara nodded trying to look innocent. "Uh, huh."
Nick headed towards the door that led to the garage through the laundry room.
"What is it, Mommy?" Ainslee and Caleb really wanted to know what surprise Sara had gotten for Nick. The fact that she'd managed to keep it a secret from the kids she found pretty amazing herself.
"No way!" Nick yelled from the garage. As he came back into the house, he held a squirming golden lab puppy in his arms. He looked at Sara incredulously. "You got me a dog."
"Happy Anniversary, baby." Sara walked over and kissed Nick.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Several hours later, Ainslee and Caleb were asleep and the puppy that Nick had decided to name Maverick was settled on a cushion in the laundry room for the night.
Nick glanced over at Sara as they finished up the dishes. "I still can't believe you got me a dog."
She smiled as she looked at him. "I know how much you've wanted one. I just thought we were ready for a dog."
Nick slid his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. "I love you, Sara."
She put the last dish into the drying rack and turned to face him, resting her hands against his chest. She smiled as she looked up into his eyes. "I love you too, Nick."
He leaned in and kissed her softly, pulling away and smiling at her. "Did you find the gift I left you this morning?"
She chuckled. "I did. Although I'd have to say that at least part of it seems like it's more for you than for me."
He grinned. "Can I help it if I like to see my wife look even sexier than normal?"
"I did like the earrings though." She leaned up and kissed him softly.
Nick smiled at her as they pulled apart. "I noticed that you had them on." Nick leaned in and kissed her.
Sara murmured against his lips. "I could model the other part of your gift if you want."
Nick pulled apart and grinned. "I'd really like that."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later they lay tangled together under the covers; Nick trailed his fingers up and down Sara's back as she rested against his chest. It occurred to him that he was going to tell Sara something earlier, but he'd been distracted by the dog. "Hey, hon?"
Sara glanced at him. "Yeah?"
"I almost forgot I've got a little surprise for you." There was a hint of amusement in his voice.
She propped herself up on his chest. "What?"
He chuckled softly. "Well, it's just some news actually; I was so distracted by Maverick that I forgot to tell you."
"What is it?" She sounded curious.
"Well, I've been offered a promotion to dayshift supervisor." Nick began.
"Nick!" Sara was incredulous. "That's great, baby! But how? What about Catherine?"
Nick chuckled. "Well, Catherine asked to be demoted."
"What?!" Sara sounded shocked. "Why the hell would she do that?"
Nick was having a hard time not spilling the entire story. "She eloped."
"Eloped? Who the hell with?" Sara clearly was having a hard time fathoming this.
"Greg." Nick wanted to let this little bit of information sink in a little bit.
"Greg Sanders." Sara's voice was thick with disbelief. "You've got to be kidding."
"No, I'm not." Nick continued, knowing that he'd saved the best for last. "Apparently it's been going on for quite a while. And that's not all."
"What? She's not pregnant is she?" Sara was clearly shocked.
Nick chuckled in the darkness. "As a matter of fact she is."
~*~ The End ~*~
Author's Note: Thanks to all the readers and reviewers. Each and every one of you is appreciated for your opinions and the time you've taken out of your day to read my thoughts.
