Sara Meets The Stokes
Pairing: Nick and Sara
After Nick tucks in an exhausted Sara, he wanted to watch some Discovery Channel in his parents' living room. His siblings have a meeting at one of the Stokes Manor's guest houses to discuss something with him.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CSI characters. I only own Nick's family.
Stokes Sibling Council Meeting
"Good night, Sara," Nick said. "I know you are very tired, so I am going to let you sleep."
"Nick, aren't you going to your room to sleep?" Sara asked getting very comfortable in bed.
"I am not really tired," Nick said with a small smile. "I am going to the living room to watch some Discovery Channel."
Sara gave him a glare.
"What about Comedy Central, BBC America, Cartoon Network and ESPN?" Sara asked.
"There is show about forensics," Nick said. "I missed one episode and it is being aired tonight. Don't worry, if I am bored, there are other channels I can watch. You get some rest! I love you, Sara!"
"I love you, too, Nick," Sara said as Nick pulled the covers up to her neckline and they kissed.
Nick turned off the light of his sister's room that Sara was staying in now. He left and quietly closed the door. He went downstairs to the living room, sat comfortably on the couch and turned on the television with the remote control. His eyes were glued to the show on the Discovery Channel. Without warning, Sabrina came in and turned off the TV. Tom followed her and helped pull their little brother off the couch.
"Hey, what's the bigidea here?" Nick protested. "I was watching that show!"
"Nick, we have been asked to bring you to Guest House A," Sabrina said. "Kathleen, Wendy, Heather and Marissa are already there."
"Why?" Nick asked as he was being dragged out of the house by his brother and one of his sisters.
"Marissa told us not to tell you until we get your ass over there," Sabrina said.
Tom and Sabrina each took one of Nick's arms. They led him out of the house and into the larger of the two guest houses on Stokes Manor. When they entered the place, Sabrina and Tom took their seats. Nick just stood there looking at his older siblings and wondered why they wanted to talk to him like this.
"Is Sara with you?" Kathleen asked.
"No, she was very sleepy and I tucked her in," Nick said proudly.
"Aw, that is so sweet," Marissa said. "We wanted to talk to you alone about you and Sara."
"Is this about the pool incident?" Nick asked as he sat down on the sofa. "It was a very innocent thing."
"No, we aren't going to bust your ass for that," Tom said. "This is something totally different."
"You've known Sara for nearly three years," Heather observed. "Why did it take you so long to finally start dating her?"
Nick felt like he was on trial for his love life. He just wanted to leave the guesthouse and return to the house. He wanted to continuing watching that show on the Discovery he was watching before he was disrupted. He would rather be with Sara at this time. He took a few deep breaths and thought about what he was going to say.
"We started off as very good friends and flirted with each other constantly," Nick said with great calm in his voice. "She was dating a guy called Hank that she met while we were picking up a decomp in a duffle bag."
"What's a decomp?" Sabrina said but rued the moment she asked her question when she saw Nick cringe. "Never mind, I really don't want to know."
"He turned out to be the biggest jackass in the entire world," Nick said. "He had a girlfriend and was cheating on her with Sara. I just wanted to punch him in his face several times. Then there was an explosion at the lab that injured Greg, our lab rat and Sara. She was an emotional wreck and did some crazy things including asking our boss out to dinner. He turned her down for reasons unknown. I wanted to ask her out, but I chose to give her some space for a while. However, I was there for her as a friend until she was ready for to be something more."
"Nick, you should have stopped Sara from dating Hank the jackass," Tom said. "You should've taken that chance and pursued her more aggressively."
"Hey, I have her now!" Nick protested. "Are you happy for me? Don't you like her?"
"Nick, we are very ecstatic for you," Wendy said. "We adore Sara, but we are concerned that it took you nearly three years to go from friendship to a romantic relationship."
"Weren't mom and dad college friends before they got seriously involved?" Nick asked.
"Yes, but they didn't wait as long as you did to take the next step," Wendy said.
"Everyone is different," Nick said. "And so are the circumstances."
There was a brief silence.
"Sara and I are taking things slowly," Nick said knowing what his siblings would ask next. "If you think I am going to buy an engagement ring right away, you are crazy. I want to marry her and I am sure she'd marry me. I know you want her as a sister-in-law and a member of the Stokes family, but that would have to wait until we are both good and ready."
"Nick, of course we'd love for her to be a part of the family," Kathleen said calmly. "We were concerned about your relationship with Sara and where it is going. I don't think any of us want you to rush things. We just want both of you to be happy at your own pace."
Nick breathed a sigh of relief.
"So is the persecution over?" Nick asked.
His six siblings just laughed and that made Nick grin.
"Nicky, this isn't a crucifixion," Tom said attempting to reassure his baby brother. "It is a sibling council meeting."
"I can't remember the last time we had one," Nick said.
"It was before you moved to Vegas," Heather said. "I don't think we can remember what it was all about. It doesn't really matter anyway! Nick, you look like you need to get something off your chest."
"I just want you to know that if and when Sara and I get married," Nick said. "It will be at the same church that mom and dad got married in. I refuse to get married at some whacky or bizarre chapel in Vegas."
"Mom would get a heart attack if you ever get married at some weird place," Wendy said with dark humor in her voice. "Besides we all got married at that same church as mom and dad. I think it would be awesome that you intend to continue that tradition."
"Thank you," Nick said. "Are we finished?"
"Yes, you can get back to the house and watch the Discovery Channel," Sabrina said.
"Actually, I think I may want to watch something else before going to bed," Nick smiled. "I can always watch the Cartoon Network."
"Nicky, you're 32 years old now," Marissa said. "You're too old to watch them without a child present."
"Hey, you are never too old to watch them," Nick said. "South Park is a prime example of a cartoon for adults and older kids."
"I know," Kathleen said. "I have two college aged daughters and three teenagers who watch that show religiously. I have been known to sneak a peek when they are too absorbed to notice anything else."
There was a brief silence once again as they went their separate ways, but not before they exchange their 'good nights'. Nick went back into the house and watched something on Animal Planet, but didn't care for what was there. With the remote control, he changed to the Cartoon Network. An hour later, he felt a little sleepy and turned off the television. He went to his room, crawled into bed and fell asleep.
TBC
