Sara Meets The Stokes

Pairing: Nick and Sara

Sara goes horseback riding again with Nick.

A/N: I am sorry I didn't update this story as frequently as I should have. I had ideas for my other story 'A New Addition' that I had to run with them. Again, a million apologies!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CSI characters. I only own Nick's family.

Sara and the Horses II

Nick sat at the dining room table alone, but didn't touch his lunch. He didn't care if it was getting cold, he could always reheat it. Sara went with Cynthia shopping at a local mall. He was waiting for them to come home, especially Sara. She expressed an interest in another ride with the horses and Nick promised that she would have her second ride before returning to Vegas.

He got up from his chair, took his food and put it in the fridge. He went to the living room and turned on the TV. He sat on the couch and did some channel surfing before settling with BBC America. 'Keeping Up Appearances' was on at the time. Nick couldn't help laughing at the misadventures of Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet) trying keep up appearances and embarrassing her long suffering husband. Although his own family is upper middle class, at least they behaved like normal people. If his mother and sisters behaved like Mrs. Bucket, he would have had all six women committed to a psych ward.

Nick was lying on the couch and almost fell asleep out near boredom and loneliness. He immediately woke up knowing that Sara would kick his ass if she caught him sleeping. He still had the remote control in his hand and changed the channels until he found something of interest in the Discovery Channel.

When we get back to Vegas, Nick thought. I'll buy Sara a beautiful, yet simple engagement ring and figure out how I am going to propose to her. Wait, Stokes, you are going to scare her away. Consider waiting about four months or so.

The sound of the front door opening thankfully distracted him from his sudden thoughts. He saw his mom come in with a shopping bag. When Sara wasn't behind her, he immediately grew concerned.

"Nick, how have you been holding up by yourself?" Cynthia asked.

"Mom, I am now 32 years old," Nick smiled. "I can take care of myself! Where's Sara?"

"She is bringing in more stuff we bought at the mall," Cynthia said.

"Mom, you are turning my girlfriend into a mallrat!" Nick chuckled.

"Not really, she tagged along," Cynthia said. "We had a lot of fun and did some shopping."

"I can see that," Nick said. "I should go help her."

Before he could get off the couch to help Sara, she entered carrying two shopping bags. She placed them on the sofa and approached Nick. He got up, pulled her into an embrace and planted a kiss on her forehead. She gave him a kiss in the neck.

"Did you miss me while I was out at the mall?" Sara asked with a smile.

"Of course, I missed you," Nick said. "I was watching some crazy pseudo rich woman avoid her working class relatives. She was also making her poor next door neighbor very neurotic."

"Ah, you were watching 'Keeping Up Appearances'," Sara said as Nick nodded. "That Bucket woman is truly something else!"

"You know about that show?" Nick asked.

"I had seen it when I used to live in San Francisco," she said. "I felt sorry for Richard Bucket since he had to live with that woman."

Nick looked stunned. He couldn't believe that his girlfriend could defend a male victim of mental and emotional abuse. He wanted to tell Sara of his observation, but decided against it.

"Sara, are you hungry?" he asked.

"I am starving," Sara said. "The only thing I ate at the mall was a scone I shared with your mother at Starbucks. She had some hot chocolate drink and I had a tall chai latte. What about you?"

"I was going to eat lunch alone," Nick said. "I let my food get cold and decided to wait for you to come back."

"You didn't have to wait for me," Sara said. "I could have had lunch with your mom."

"Then I would have to start riding without you," Nick said. "I wanted to eat with you so we could go to the stables together."

"Yeah, I'd like that," she said.

"Would you like some leftover macaroni and cheese?" he asked.

"Sure," she said.

"I'll heat up some for you," Nick said as he went into the heat up his lunch and hers. "Do you want iced tea or raspberry flavored sparkling mineral water?"

"Sparkling water would be nice," she said. "You're the iced tea man."

Nick chuckled as he prepared lunch for himself and his girlfriend. When he brought in the two plates and put one in each of their places on the table. He returned to the kitchen to get an iced tea for him and the mineral water for Sara.

"Nick, could you please bring me some basil?" Sara asked. "It gives the macaroni and cheese an interesting flavor."

"Sure, I'll bring some," Nick smiled, went to the kitchen and brought some chopped fresh basil.

"Thank you," she said as she mixed the basil into her macaroni dish.

"Anything for you," Nick said. "Since we are going horseback riding, do you still want to ride on Sakura?"

"I would love to," Sara said. "Are you going to ride on Comet III?"

"No, I am planning to ride on Apple Blossom," Nick said. "Tom has taken Comet III for a vet's appointment. Don't worry, it's nothing serious."

They continued to eat their lunch and talked about going back to the botanical garden the next day. Sara suggested they go for lunch at another vegetarian friendly restaurant his mother recommended afterward. Nick smiled and agreed to take her to that place. When they finished with lunch, Nick took the dishes and silverware to the sink and threw out the used napkins. He washed and dried the silverware and dishes and put them away. He opened the pantry door, took out a cookie tin, opened it and took out two brownie-like treats.

"What is that?" Sara asked looking at the bar Nick gave her.

"That is Wendy's specialty," Nick said. "It's a turtle brownie. Sara, she would never put actual turtles into a brownie. She got the inspiration for this brownie from eating a chocolate confection called the turtle. She was home on intercession break from school and tried through trial and error to make one that we like and eat. Guess who she used as a guinea pig?"

"I don't know," Sara said.

"She used me as a guinea pig," Nick smiled. "Try it! I am sure you will like it."

"Nick, your sister does have a talent for this," Sara said after eating two bites of the brownie. "This is the best brownie I have ever eaten. Can I have her recipe?"

"Nice try, Sara," Nick smirked. "Wendy had written down the recipe, but she refuses to share it with anyone. You have no idea how many times my mom had begged her for it. I think her children will be the only ones to get it. However, I could try to gently twist her arm and ask nicely. I will tell her that I was a test subject when created this delicious treat, I should be entitled to the recipe."

"Let me know how it goes," Sara said with a soft chuckle.

Nick and Sara rested for about fifteen minutes after they finished their brownie treat. They left the house and walked toward the stables. Once they arrived, Nick saddled up Sakura and did the same for a brown horse.

"Sara, this mare is Apple Blossom," Nick said. "She is as sweet and gentle as Sakura."

They led their horses out of the stable and stopped.

"Sara, I want to see if you remember how to mount a horse," Nick said. "I'll let you go first."

She put one foot in a stirrup, pushed herself off the ground, straddled her other leg to the other side and put that foot in the other stirrup. Nick, satisfied that Sara remembered how to mount on Sakura, mounted himself on Apple Blossom. Nick and Sara gave their horses a very gentle kick to start a slow trot. Although Nick focused on riding Apple Blossom, he checked to see how Sara was doing with Sakura. It seemed to him that she was doing well for her second ride on a horse.

"Nick, I would like to come here more often," Sara said. "Not just to visit your family, but to ride the horses."

"I have a good feeling you will be here more often than you think," Nick said.

"What do you mean?" Sara asked almost losing her grip on Sakura's reins.

"I had spoken to my mom last night," he said. "She wants to invite you for Christmas and New Year's Eve. She told me that we better clear that one up with Grissom."

"What about Thanksgiving, Stokes?" Sara asked.

"I told her that you may want to be with your family in Tamales Bay," Nick said quietly. "She didn't push that issue any further, but you are coming here in December."

"Your mom has gotten herself a guest for the Holidays," Sara said. "Of course you are bringing me here!"

"Of course, I will bring you," Nick said in shock. "You are going to be my guest!"

"Just don't buy anymore first class tickets," Sara said. "I swear you are going to either go broke or declare bankruptcy one of these days!"

"Come on, Sara," Nick whined. "I won't go broke! You enjoy getting spoiled by me. Admit it!"

"Okay, I admit I enjoy it when you spoil me," Sara said laughing.

"I love you, Sara," Nick said.

"I love you, too, Nick," Sara said.

They rode on the horses for another half-hour. Nick dismounted from Apple Blossom and checked on Sara to see if she needed help dismounted from Sakura. She managed get off her horse without any difficulties. They both led their horses back to the stables. Nick removed both saddles and replaced them where he found them. He and Sara took the horses to their stalls. He decided to show Sara how to brush a horse, gave her a brief demonstration on Sakura before he let her take over while he brushed Apple Blossom. Sara found it fun and relaxing. After they finished with grooming their horses, they left the stable. They were holding hands while walking to the house to rest for at least an hour, stopping once in a while to embrace and kiss.

TBC