thank you for all those very nice reviews you gave my story. they're very encouraging and they make me feel good about myself. what inspired me more was the fact that Jorja and George are back on the show!!!!! isn't that great?!
well, that's all for now. i'll leave you with no cliffhangers but with a happy chapter ending..... ciao!
You told me that you'd love me if I'd ever change
Welcome me into your arms again
Come on in out of the rain, hey
The first page of the album held her ultrasound photos when she was 6 ½ months pregnant. Little blue and pink name tags were at the bottom of the page. Nick did not register what he was seeing at first but when he saw the name on the tags, he knew. Baby boy/Baby girl Sidle. Then the inevitable question came out, "Are they mine?"
In the smallest voice she could have, Sara replied, "Yes." Nick continued to flip through the picture filled pages. Pictures of the twins on their first time to see the world, first smiles and… first everything. He was speechless as the pictures of HIS children smile back at him. Then she pointed, "This is Samantha Bernadette… Sammy. She's born five minutes after…" she paused and Nick looked at her lovingly. That was enough for her to continue, "Sammy was born five minutes after Nicholas Bernard… Nicky." The look in his eyes was priceless. He kissed her and poured all the love he has for her in that kiss. "You're not mad?"
"Mad? Sara no," he said tears pouring freely from his eyes. "No, I love you… And now, I love them," he indicated the twins. He picked up the pink album and marveled at Sammy's pictures. She has Sara's eyes and hair… "Gorgeous. Like her mother." Sara then blushed at his comment. She thought that was sweet, him smiling at every shot she took of Sammy. But it became more intense when he saw his carbon copy. "Oh my goodness!" he cried the moment he saw Nicky in his cowboy Halloween costume. He felt as if he was looking at his two-year-old self on the picture.
"He looks just like you," Sara chuckled amongst the tears. Nick mumbled a little "mm-hmm". "Beautiful." They stayed like that, proud parents just looking at the pictures of THEIR twins. It has a nice ring to it… their kids. Not just her twins. Theirs.
"When did you find out about them?" he asked cautiously after another sigh when he saw the twins with fingerprint brushes and red goggles.
She shifted to be more comfortable and answered, "A few weeks after my promotion, I realized I was late. I wasn't one of those who had morning sicknesses and nausea and being all moody. Being temperamental is somewhat natural of me." Nick chuckled and held her hand as she continued. "I had myself checked out and 3 home pregnancy tests and an official check-up later, it was confirmed. I was pregnant. Then when I started showing, I found out I was with twins."
"And you were… okay with that?" he asked again still gazing at the twins' pictures.
"Are you kidding me? Of course, I was terrified!" she said in a dignified way. "There I was, Sara Sidle… not good with kids let alone infants, an anti-social vegetarian crime fighter and most of all… single," she looked at Nick for signs of dejection but she found none, "to have twin children in six-and-a-half months. Good thing I have my friends to help me."
He gave her a slight kiss. "You're doing a great job raising them. They're beautiful, Sara." He paused to take a good look at the woman in his arms. "Do they know? I mean about me?" Sara shook her head. "Makes sense. I understand," he immediately said when she started to apologize. "Do the others know?"
"Warrick and Catherine are their godparents," she explained. "Grissom, Greg, Brass, and Archie are the only others who know about them. I'm sorry… I told them to hide Sammy and Nicky from you for more than a year now. I…"
"Sara, Sara… I understand. But please… I want to be a part of their lives now that I know about them. I might not be the one on their birth certificates or that someone they call 'daddy' but I want to be there for them no matter what. Can you give that to me, Sara?" She nodded as fresh tears sprung from her eyes.
"Want to meet them?" she whispered.
"Would you like me to? I mean, they're asleep," he muttered. Sara kissed him and pushed his coat off his shoulders. "I want you to get them ready. I can't just barge into their lives. I mean… what if they won't accept me?"
"Don't belittle yourself," she reassured him with another kiss, another piece of clothing discarded. "They've been ready for a long time."
"When do you want to tell them?" he said now reciprocating her actions.
"Whenever you want…"
Good thing they locked the door! The next morning, a Saturday around 9am, the twins woke up. Nicky checked on his sister and they went to find their mother. Their grandmother left early to meet with their grandfather. Sammy was walking with closed eyes with Nicky practically dragging her. They reached Sara's door and knocked.
Sammy said to her brother, "Why wake up Mommy? She needs to sleep very long today. She's probably tired from yesterday." Nicky looked at her and shrugged.
"You're prolly right," he answered and they walked down to watch Spongebob. In no time, they were laughing and chewing on the garlic bread their grandmother left for them.
Nick slit his eyes open because of the faint knocking he heard. He looked down and saw Sara cradled in his arms looking all contented and rested. She started to stir and greeted him with a smile. "Good morning. What time is it?" she asked.
"I kind of missed this, y'know," he said. "Waking up with you in my arms every morning. 9:05a.m. Why?" He was unanswered because she shot up and struggled to get into her robe and slippers. "Where's the fire, Sara?" he asked sitting up on the bed.
"The kids! They wake up by 8-9 and my mom's out," she stuttered. "Oh I forgot to leave their cereals out." In two seconds, she was out the door. Nick put on his pants and pulled on Sara's Harvard sweater ("I hope she wouldn't mind") and followed her to a yellow green door with neatly painted S and N.
"Nicky, Sammy, you awake?" she called out. No answer.
"Uh… yeah, they are," he said as the matter-of-factly. "The TV downstairs roars Spongebob. And I don't think your mom watches that."
"Yeah, my mom screams soap operas and Food TV," she joked back as she heard little chuckles from down the stairs. She stopped at the top of the stairs and gave a heavy sigh, "You ready?" He just nodded.
Down the stairs they went, hand-in-hand just as their little kids did earlier. Sammy and Nicky were arguing about whether Squidward is a squid or an octopus. So far, Nicky was winning with the octopus. "Sammy, he has 8 leggies. A squid has…" he counted with his fingers, "TEN!" She was close to tears. Then they spotted their mother.
"Mommy! G'mornin'," the little girl bounced up and gave Sara a huge hug. Then she realized she was not alone. "Oh… hi. Good morning, sir."
"Good morning, sir," Nicky said politely standing up and smiling. Nick's breath caught in his throat as he saw the smiles. "Who are you?"
"Hi there," he managed to choke out. "I'm…"
"I know who you are!" Sammy cried out. "You're Nick Stokes! Mommy's friend in Las Vegas." Her eyes lit up and jumped from Sara's arms to his. "Hello!"
Nick could just breakdown. He held her daughter for the first time ever and she was happy. Then he felt another set of arms surround his neck. "I'm Nick, too. Nicky! This is Sammy. My twin sister." They each gave him a peck on the cheek.
Their mother could just stifle a sob. This was the best thing she has ever scene ever. "Um, Nicky, Sammy. This is Nick Stokes. He's your um…" she thought twice, "Uncle Nick." She thought his face would fall but it did not. In fact, he smiled more.
He carried both of the twins in his arms and sat them on his lap on the sofa. He motioned her to sit beside him. Sammy snuggled closer to his chest. "No, not Uncle Nick. Call me Nicky."
"How about me?" the little boy asked laying his head on his 'uncle's' shoulder.
"Then I'll call you Little Nicky." He ruffled his hair.
"Like the movie!" Sammy cried out. "Hey, that's nice. You even look alike so it's just right that you have the same namey. Isn't that right, Mommy?"
Sara was unusually silent. She was still absorbing what was happening in front of her. Her world's changing by the second. "Uh? Oh yeah… they uh… do look alike," she said slowly. For this very moment, her life was complete.
They had breakfast together and Nick marveled at HIS twins. He felt it through and through in his heart, mind and soul that he is a father. And he loves these kids and their mom. The twins, on the other hand were really interested on knowing Nick more. Sara remained quiet for most of the time but occasionally, she would laugh along and share her part of the story.
Nick had to go back to his hotel and change. He half-heartedly said goodbye to them and promised to play with them later with the others. Back at her house, Sara received a phone call from Hannah. She just got back from somewhere and she was granted the week-off. "If I know…" she thought when Hannah told her she was out cold and too drunk to drive home so she stayed at the hotel.
The twins bathed and changed into their SpongeBob shirts and got their little backpacks of toys. They were getting ready to meet up with the others. Sara freshened up and prepared the gifts they've chosen. The kids had Sara make a special wallpaper of their pictures for Archie. For some particular reason, she felt light that morning. She felt that somehow, one way or another… everything's going to be alright.
well, that's all for now. i'll leave you with no cliffhangers but with a happy chapter ending..... ciao!
You told me that you'd love me if I'd ever change
Welcome me into your arms again
Come on in out of the rain, hey
The first page of the album held her ultrasound photos when she was 6 ½ months pregnant. Little blue and pink name tags were at the bottom of the page. Nick did not register what he was seeing at first but when he saw the name on the tags, he knew. Baby boy/Baby girl Sidle. Then the inevitable question came out, "Are they mine?"
In the smallest voice she could have, Sara replied, "Yes." Nick continued to flip through the picture filled pages. Pictures of the twins on their first time to see the world, first smiles and… first everything. He was speechless as the pictures of HIS children smile back at him. Then she pointed, "This is Samantha Bernadette… Sammy. She's born five minutes after…" she paused and Nick looked at her lovingly. That was enough for her to continue, "Sammy was born five minutes after Nicholas Bernard… Nicky." The look in his eyes was priceless. He kissed her and poured all the love he has for her in that kiss. "You're not mad?"
"Mad? Sara no," he said tears pouring freely from his eyes. "No, I love you… And now, I love them," he indicated the twins. He picked up the pink album and marveled at Sammy's pictures. She has Sara's eyes and hair… "Gorgeous. Like her mother." Sara then blushed at his comment. She thought that was sweet, him smiling at every shot she took of Sammy. But it became more intense when he saw his carbon copy. "Oh my goodness!" he cried the moment he saw Nicky in his cowboy Halloween costume. He felt as if he was looking at his two-year-old self on the picture.
"He looks just like you," Sara chuckled amongst the tears. Nick mumbled a little "mm-hmm". "Beautiful." They stayed like that, proud parents just looking at the pictures of THEIR twins. It has a nice ring to it… their kids. Not just her twins. Theirs.
"When did you find out about them?" he asked cautiously after another sigh when he saw the twins with fingerprint brushes and red goggles.
She shifted to be more comfortable and answered, "A few weeks after my promotion, I realized I was late. I wasn't one of those who had morning sicknesses and nausea and being all moody. Being temperamental is somewhat natural of me." Nick chuckled and held her hand as she continued. "I had myself checked out and 3 home pregnancy tests and an official check-up later, it was confirmed. I was pregnant. Then when I started showing, I found out I was with twins."
"And you were… okay with that?" he asked again still gazing at the twins' pictures.
"Are you kidding me? Of course, I was terrified!" she said in a dignified way. "There I was, Sara Sidle… not good with kids let alone infants, an anti-social vegetarian crime fighter and most of all… single," she looked at Nick for signs of dejection but she found none, "to have twin children in six-and-a-half months. Good thing I have my friends to help me."
He gave her a slight kiss. "You're doing a great job raising them. They're beautiful, Sara." He paused to take a good look at the woman in his arms. "Do they know? I mean about me?" Sara shook her head. "Makes sense. I understand," he immediately said when she started to apologize. "Do the others know?"
"Warrick and Catherine are their godparents," she explained. "Grissom, Greg, Brass, and Archie are the only others who know about them. I'm sorry… I told them to hide Sammy and Nicky from you for more than a year now. I…"
"Sara, Sara… I understand. But please… I want to be a part of their lives now that I know about them. I might not be the one on their birth certificates or that someone they call 'daddy' but I want to be there for them no matter what. Can you give that to me, Sara?" She nodded as fresh tears sprung from her eyes.
"Want to meet them?" she whispered.
"Would you like me to? I mean, they're asleep," he muttered. Sara kissed him and pushed his coat off his shoulders. "I want you to get them ready. I can't just barge into their lives. I mean… what if they won't accept me?"
"Don't belittle yourself," she reassured him with another kiss, another piece of clothing discarded. "They've been ready for a long time."
"When do you want to tell them?" he said now reciprocating her actions.
"Whenever you want…"
Good thing they locked the door! The next morning, a Saturday around 9am, the twins woke up. Nicky checked on his sister and they went to find their mother. Their grandmother left early to meet with their grandfather. Sammy was walking with closed eyes with Nicky practically dragging her. They reached Sara's door and knocked.
Sammy said to her brother, "Why wake up Mommy? She needs to sleep very long today. She's probably tired from yesterday." Nicky looked at her and shrugged.
"You're prolly right," he answered and they walked down to watch Spongebob. In no time, they were laughing and chewing on the garlic bread their grandmother left for them.
Nick slit his eyes open because of the faint knocking he heard. He looked down and saw Sara cradled in his arms looking all contented and rested. She started to stir and greeted him with a smile. "Good morning. What time is it?" she asked.
"I kind of missed this, y'know," he said. "Waking up with you in my arms every morning. 9:05a.m. Why?" He was unanswered because she shot up and struggled to get into her robe and slippers. "Where's the fire, Sara?" he asked sitting up on the bed.
"The kids! They wake up by 8-9 and my mom's out," she stuttered. "Oh I forgot to leave their cereals out." In two seconds, she was out the door. Nick put on his pants and pulled on Sara's Harvard sweater ("I hope she wouldn't mind") and followed her to a yellow green door with neatly painted S and N.
"Nicky, Sammy, you awake?" she called out. No answer.
"Uh… yeah, they are," he said as the matter-of-factly. "The TV downstairs roars Spongebob. And I don't think your mom watches that."
"Yeah, my mom screams soap operas and Food TV," she joked back as she heard little chuckles from down the stairs. She stopped at the top of the stairs and gave a heavy sigh, "You ready?" He just nodded.
Down the stairs they went, hand-in-hand just as their little kids did earlier. Sammy and Nicky were arguing about whether Squidward is a squid or an octopus. So far, Nicky was winning with the octopus. "Sammy, he has 8 leggies. A squid has…" he counted with his fingers, "TEN!" She was close to tears. Then they spotted their mother.
"Mommy! G'mornin'," the little girl bounced up and gave Sara a huge hug. Then she realized she was not alone. "Oh… hi. Good morning, sir."
"Good morning, sir," Nicky said politely standing up and smiling. Nick's breath caught in his throat as he saw the smiles. "Who are you?"
"Hi there," he managed to choke out. "I'm…"
"I know who you are!" Sammy cried out. "You're Nick Stokes! Mommy's friend in Las Vegas." Her eyes lit up and jumped from Sara's arms to his. "Hello!"
Nick could just breakdown. He held her daughter for the first time ever and she was happy. Then he felt another set of arms surround his neck. "I'm Nick, too. Nicky! This is Sammy. My twin sister." They each gave him a peck on the cheek.
Their mother could just stifle a sob. This was the best thing she has ever scene ever. "Um, Nicky, Sammy. This is Nick Stokes. He's your um…" she thought twice, "Uncle Nick." She thought his face would fall but it did not. In fact, he smiled more.
He carried both of the twins in his arms and sat them on his lap on the sofa. He motioned her to sit beside him. Sammy snuggled closer to his chest. "No, not Uncle Nick. Call me Nicky."
"How about me?" the little boy asked laying his head on his 'uncle's' shoulder.
"Then I'll call you Little Nicky." He ruffled his hair.
"Like the movie!" Sammy cried out. "Hey, that's nice. You even look alike so it's just right that you have the same namey. Isn't that right, Mommy?"
Sara was unusually silent. She was still absorbing what was happening in front of her. Her world's changing by the second. "Uh? Oh yeah… they uh… do look alike," she said slowly. For this very moment, her life was complete.
They had breakfast together and Nick marveled at HIS twins. He felt it through and through in his heart, mind and soul that he is a father. And he loves these kids and their mom. The twins, on the other hand were really interested on knowing Nick more. Sara remained quiet for most of the time but occasionally, she would laugh along and share her part of the story.
Nick had to go back to his hotel and change. He half-heartedly said goodbye to them and promised to play with them later with the others. Back at her house, Sara received a phone call from Hannah. She just got back from somewhere and she was granted the week-off. "If I know…" she thought when Hannah told her she was out cold and too drunk to drive home so she stayed at the hotel.
The twins bathed and changed into their SpongeBob shirts and got their little backpacks of toys. They were getting ready to meet up with the others. Sara freshened up and prepared the gifts they've chosen. The kids had Sara make a special wallpaper of their pictures for Archie. For some particular reason, she felt light that morning. She felt that somehow, one way or another… everything's going to be alright.