Holidays at the Stokes Place
Pairing: Nick and Sara (Of course! I wouldn't have it any other way)
Nick and Sara take some of their nieces and nephews to the Dallas Zoo.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Sara, Nick or any other mentioned character on CSI. If I did own Sara and Nick, they would have been hooked up and hitched already! (Writers of the show: take notice!) I also don't own the movie "Fierce Creatures". However, I do own Nick's family.
Dallas Zoo
Sara was waiting for her credit card transaction to finish processing. She had a husband and ten of her nieces and nephews waiting to gain entrance to the zoo. The little ones were becoming increasingly impatient. Nick did his best to calm ten kids ranging from ages three to ten down. So, this is what Sara and I have to look forward to in the future, Nick thought. Sara rejoined the group and they entered the zoo. She had taken two maps of the zoo, one for her and the other for Nick. It kind of defeated the purpose in giving him a map since he probably visited when he was growing up. He might have visited whenever he came to visit Dallas after he moved to Las Vegas.
"Okay kids, here are the rules," Nick said. "You are to stay with Aunt Sara and myself at all times. If you need to use the bathroom, girls, go with Sara, boys, go with me. If you get lost, go to information and ask if they can page Sara or me. You have our pager numbers. I also don't want to get an earful from my sisters, your mothers, if you get lost and we can't find you! Now, let's have a good time looking at animals!"
"First, let's sit somewhere and figure out the game plan," Sara said. "I don't think we have the time to see everything. We are going to see a few animals and a possible demonstration. Oh, Nick you forgot one more rule, maybe two. Don't feed the animals and stay on the human side of the enclosures!"
Nick smiled when she added those two rules. It would be another five minutes plus ten jumpy and eager kids before they were on their way to see the first enclosure. Some of the kids were running ahead of their siblings, cousins, aunt and uncle.
"Hey, what did I say a few minutes ago?" Nick shouted. "You stay with us! Now, wait here until the rest of us have caught up with you!"
Sara couldn't believe her eyes and ears. Here was a man that sometimes acted like a kid around his nieces and nephews. That moment he was more of an authority figure than a 33 year old kid. They caught up the kids who chose to violate Nick's first rule. Luckily, none of the kids were reprimanded. They were all heading out to first see the kangaroos and wallabies.
"Why are they jumping around like that?" Emily, one of Heather's daughters asked.
"That's how they move from point A to point B," Nick said. "Just like we take one step at a time when we get around. Fish swim in bowls, tanks, rivers, lakes, oceans and seas."
"What is that thing in that one's tummy?" Jeffery, Sabrina's son asked.
"It's a joey, a young kangaroo," Sara said. "After it is born, it stays in its mommy's pouch for until it is ready to be on its own."
"I see," Jeffery said.
Damn, where is Grissom when you need him? Sara thought. I know that his expertise is in bugs, but maybe he might know how long a baby kangaroo remains in its mother's pouch after it is born. Nice going, Sidle-Stokes.
They admired the kangaroos and wallabies for a few more minutes before moving on. The kids waved goodbye to them. Nick and Sara found that really cute. Everyone walked over to see the primates. Sabrina's boys were making fun of the gorillas sitting in their enclosure. Nick rolled his eyes in frustration. He loved all of his nieces and nephews, but sometimes they do or say things that piss everyone off. He was a kid himself when he became an uncle for the first time when Kathleen had her first child.
"Guys, don't tease the gorillas," Sara said. "I don't think you would like it if they made fun of you."
"Sara, I bet you they are looking at Sabrina's sons and wonder what kind of monkeys these are," Nick said.
"Nick, I don't believe you!" she was on the verge of anger that was clouded by laughter.
"Oh, come on, Sara," Nick said. "Boys will be boys. Let them have some fun with the gorillas. Just as long as they don't go into the enclosure, they are fine."
"I'll give you that," Sara relented. "As memory serves me right, some boys do grow to be men."
"Do you want to see proof?" Nick said about to pull her into an embrace.
"Nick, not right here," Sara said. "Nick, we have to keep an eye on ten children. There are children and gorillas staring at us."
Nick kissed Sara, but not in a passionate way. It was a short and sweet kiss.
"Eeeeeew, Uncle Nicky just kissed Aunt Sara!" Ashley, another daughter of Heather's said when she saw them kissing.
"Ashley, Uncle Nicky and I are both adults," Sara said giving Nick a light slap in the arm.
"Sara, that hurts," Nick said.
"I am sorry," Sara said sharply. "Nick, we cannot behave like this here. We are chaperoning ten kids around a zoo. I am not sure if your sisters are going to mad at us for corrupting the minds of minors."
"Sara, I doubt my sisters would mind that," Nick said. "I know that these kids won't tell on us."
"You better hope they won't find out" Sara said.
"Sara, we are both 33 and we are married," Nick said giving her a wink. "They can't yell at us for misbehaving."
"Let's just keep an eye on our nieces and nephews," Sara said. "Let's save the horseplay until we are on our own."
"Okay, Ms. Prude," Nick said with a chuckle and a pout.
"Nick, I am not a prude," Sara said. "There are some things that I don't think kids should be exposed to now. So let's shut up and continue to look at the primates."
There was silence, but that didn't last long. They were looking at the chimpanzees, orangutans and mandrills. The kids were asking about various questions about them. Sara and Nick did their best to answer the questions and screen out the inappropriate ones. Often they enlisted the help of a zookeeper working with the primates if needed. The zookeeper was more than happy to help the couple and kids. They thanked the person and walked towards a table so Nick and Sara could consult with the maps to figure out where are the next animals to check out.
"Kids, have you ever seen lemurs before?" Sara said with a childish enthusiasm in her voice.
"No!" all ten of them shouted.
"I have seen them when Sara and I went to the San Francisco Zoo during our Thanksgiving holiday," Nick said. "They are interesting animals."
They walked to the location where the lemurs were located. The kids were singing a song about gross things. Nick and Sara couldn't help but laugh at the song. Nick became reminiscent about when his elementary school teachers had to hear the songs he and his friends sang during field trips to the Dallas Zoo and other places. The teachers had to give them numerous warnings about their behavior.
"Speaking of lemurs," Nick whispered to Sara. "Do you remember that movie called 'Fierce Creatures'?"
"That was the first DVD we rented after we started dating," Sara said. "That lemur was so cute. However, I didn't like it when the put banner ads on the animals"
Some of their nieces and nephews got a little ahead of the rest of the group.
"Kids, what did we say before we entered the zoo?" Nick asked loudly. "We stay together! Just wait and let us catch up!"
Sara shook her head in frustration.
"Now I know how Mr. Kaplan felt," Nick said.
"Who's Mr. Kaplan?" Sara asked.
"He was my second grade teacher," Nick said. "We went here on a field trip. It wasn't just Mr. Kaplan's class, all the second grade classes of my elementary school went. Jason and I were teasing some of the girls in our class. There was one girl that was very ugly and we told her that she would marry a gorilla or some reptile before she would marry a man. She told on us and Mr. Kaplan sent both of us home with a note to our parents."
"Nicky, you didn't say that!" Sara said in disbelief. "Didn't you?"
"I was a kid once, you know," Nick said. "I had a phase in my life that I thought girls had the cooties and they were yucky. Sara, I was born with the Stokes charm, but when I was a little boy, it was dormant."
"I am glad that you grew up and thought of women as smart and beautiful," Sara said.
"I married the smartest and most beautiful woman in the universe," Nick said with a boyish grin on his handsome face. "You don't have cooties! You definitely aren't yucky!"
"Thank you, Nick," Sara said. "Now, let's go see those lemurs!"
The kids were in awe when they saw the lemurs. Some of the creatures were up on some trees that were in the enclosure. A few others were chasing each other.
"Uncle Nicky, what those things on that one's tail?" Alexis, a daughter of Heather's asked.
"That's a ring-tailed lemur," Nick said knowing that his addiction to the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet would pay off and without criticism from Grissom. "Those black circles around that critter's tail are rings; hence, the name ring-tailed lemur."
"I think they are the cutest of all lemurs," she replied.
"Alexis, all lemurs are cute," Nick said with a smile. "Just ask Sara about them. It is highly likely that she would agree with me."
"Yes, I would," Sara said sneaking up behind him making him jump.
"Sara, don't ever sneak up like that again," Nick said.
"Sorry, I thought you were asking me something," Sara said.
"No, I was telling Alexis that all lemurs are cute," he said. "I told her that you would likely agree."
"They really are cute and funny," Sara said as she looked at her watch. "Nick, I think it is time we should go for lunch. Some of the kids are getting very restless and complaining of hunger. I am getting hungry myself."
"Sara, I want to eat, too," Nick said. "I just want to take a few pictures of the lemurs for Lindsey. She always wanted to see them in person. I am going to give her the next best thing."
"She still wants to see one in person," Sara said. "I don't think a photo could be the next best thing. Catherine and Grissom will never hear the end of it if you don't give her what she wants."
"If Catherine let's us," Nick said. "We can take Lindsey on a trip to Dallas, San Francisco or San Diego. We'll go to the zoo there and maybe she'll see a lemur in person."
"Uncle Nick, Aunt Sara, we are hungry!" some of their nieces and nephews shouted and a few cried. "We want to eat now!"
"I think the kids are getting mad at us," Sara said. "We should find a café or food court. Afterwards, we could check out the reptiles. No, I don't mean Conrad Ecklie."
Nick laughed at her Ecklie comment.
The kids followed Nick and Sara to a café. They were looking at the menu and figuring out what they wanted to eat. Sara didn't have any trouble finding vegetarian fare. She had a vegetarian burger, onion rings and bottled water. Nick had a cheeseburger, French fries and iced tea. The kids either had hot dogs and French fries or pizza with their choice of soda. Nick paid for lunch despite Sara's protest. She paid for zoo admission, he offered to pay for lunch. The found a few tables, put them together and settled in.
"Aunt Sara, Uncle Nicky, are we going to see any crocodiles and alligators?" Jeffery asked.
"I don't think this zoo has any," Nick said. "We could find out, but I doubt they have any here."
"Does the Crocodile Hunter work here?" Emily asked.
"No, he runs a famous zoo in Australia," Sara said.
"Where is Australia?" Ashley asked. "Is that near Austin, Texas? Is it in between Texas and Arizona?"
"Australia isn't in Texas," Nick said gently. "It's not a state in this country. It's both a nation and a continent."
"Where is it?" Joshua, Marissa's son asked.
Nick and Sara wondered how they were going explain this one. They were both good with geography, but to explain where Australia to young kids was a little difficult to do. How they were going to do it in a way that a child could understand?
"It is between southern Asia and South America in the South Pacific Ocean," Nick said immediately ruing his response. "One of its closest neighbors is New Zealand."
"It's about an 18 hour nonstop flight from Los Angeles," Sara added. "I went with a few friends to Sydney, Australia for two weeks when I was in college during winter break."
"Sara Margaret Stokes, why didn't you tell me this one before," Nick said feigning shock. "To think you know someone well and they spring new information about herself."
"I didn't want to burden you with a whole lot about me at one time," Sara said.
Nick couldn't help chuckling and smiling.
"So, did you return to San Francisco with an Australian accent?" Nick asked.
"Not really," Sara said. "For a week, I faked one around my brother since he told me that I would come back to the States sounding like a girl from Australia."
"Sara, I can't believe you did that to your brother," Nick said. "Did your parents make you stop?"
"I stopped that charade on my own when it got too stale," Sara said.
Everyone finished eating lunch and helped clear off the tables. Nick and Sara put the tables the way they found them. They gathered the kids and went to see some reptiles at the reptile building. The kids had various reaction to seeing snakes, geckos, lizards and turtles. Most of the kids were terrified of the snakes, but were in awe of the other reptiles. Some of them forgot all about the alligators and crocodiles that couldn't be found in this zoo. Nick and Sara took more photos and admired the scaly and sometimes scary creatures.
"Nick, do you think they are up to checking out some birds?" Sara asked. "One of Heather's daughters and Marissa's son and daughter are already tired."
"I think we should look at the birds and go to the gift shop," Nick said. "Then we will call a day. Sabrina, Heather and Marissa are probably at Stokes Manor already waiting for their kids."
"Yeah, I think looking at the birds will be the last exhibit we will look at today," she agreed. "Any more and we will have to deal with ten cranky kids!"
As they passed through the area of the birds, they were greeted by songs, chirps, squawks and shrieks. Some of the kids were talking to any of the parrots, macaws and cockatoos. A peacock showed its beautiful tail feather display and Sara took a picture of it. Nick was looking at a bird that was brought from South America and tried to figure out what it was. Sara saw a blue parrot that reminded her of a past investigation. She snapped another photo for Grissom and Warrick. Nick and Sara looked at their watches and rounded their nieces and nephews together and left the area.
They went to the gift shop where Nick and Sara bought various gifts for their colleagues and a stuffed animal for Lindsey. Nick paid with his credit card and asked the cashier to wrap any fragile item since he and his wife have to fly back to Vegas soon. She told his that it wouldn't be a problem and wrapped each item with three layers of paper. Afterwards, she packed the items in two bags. Nick and Sara thanked the cashier for her assistance and left the shop with all ten of their young nieces and nephews.
"Sara, did you have a good time today?" Nick asked after they boarded a bus.
"Of course, I did!" she replied. "I enjoyed looking at those animals. Did you have fun?"
"I love going to this zoo," Nick said. "Don't forget I went to that zoo as a kid."
"I know you did," Sara said with a smile. "Some of the kids are sleeping."
"We have to wake them up real soon," Nick said. "We have to get off in about five stops to transfer to another bus."
About an hour later, Nick, Sara and the kids were already at Stokes Manor. There was a melee of Sabrina, Heather and Marissa asking their children about the zoo and if they had fun. Despite their tiredness, the ten kids were responded with enthusiasm. Eventually, they all went home leaving Sara and Nick alone with Cynthia.
"I take it you had fun with your nieces and nephews, my grandchildren," Cynthia said.
"Mom, we had a wonderful time," Nick said. "The kids just adored the all animals we saw."
"It looks like you and Sara are both exhausted from the excursion," Cynthia said. "I am sure that taking ten kids to a zoo will do that to you. Why don't you take a nap while I fix some dinner. You can talk about then."
"Sure!" Sara said as she and Nick went upstairs.
Once they were in their room, they removed their shoes. They laid down on the bed and fell asleep in each other's arms immediately after their heads hit the pillows.
TBC
