A New Addition

Pairing: Nick and Sara

Nick's cousin Janine has settled into Nick and Sara's apartment.

Disclaimer: I don't own Nick, Sara or any other CSI character. I do own Nick and Sara's families and any other non-CSI character.

Janine's New Responsibilities

"Okay Janine, here is your room," Nick said showing his cousin the guestroom that his mother occupied for a few months. "This is until you can find a place to rent that's close by."

"Nick, where is that baby girl of yours?" Janine asked. "Where's Sara?"

"They went out for a walk," Nick said. "My daughter has a name and it's Abigail. I don't want an incident similar to when my in-laws came unannounced and screwed up their own granddaughter's name. I am not sure if you remember her name."

"Of course, I do," Janine protested. "Your daughter's full name is Abigail Melanie Stokes. Aunt Cynthia, your mother, told me over the phone when we last spoke."

That brought out a smile in Nick's face. He took some comfort knowing his cousin was nothing like his idiotic in-laws. He put her empty suitcase in the closet and went to the kitchen to get a glass of mint iced tea. The front door opened and Sara with the baby carriage entered. Nick immediately ran towards them and gingerly picked up Abigail.

"Hey, Princess Abby, how was the walk?" Nick asked.

"It was awesome," Sara said. "Abigail is getting some fresh air and so am I. I am so close to getting back my pre-pregnancy figure. I think I have like about five pounds of baby weight left to lose."

"I told you many times you are beautiful regardless of being pregnant or not," Nick said.

When they heard someone's throat clearing that Nick and Sara nearly jumped. They turned around and saw the woman that was standing in front of them.

"Sara, I'm not sure if you remember me," Janine said. "I'm Janine Stokes, Nick's cousin. I believe we met at your wedding."

"Oh, I remember you now," Sara said. "Cynthia told me that you have taken a sabbatical leave to help us."

"I'll watch her while you are at work," Janine said. "I can also help with some housecleaning, laundry and cooking. Some days, I might do some research for a paper that I might publish."

"We aren't going to stop you from publishing work," Sara said. "Just we don't want it to interfere with your obligations to us."

"Sara, I can assure you that I won't let it interfere with my responsibilities here," Janine reassured her cousin by marriage. "Can you introduce me to Abigail?"

"Abigail, this is your cousin Janine Stokes," Nick said. "She is staying going to take care of you while mommy and I are at work. She was born in Dallas, but her dad, my uncle, got a job in Hartford, Connecticut when she was two years old. She doesn't have a Texas drawl, but a New England accent, not a Bostonian one though. She grew up in East Hartford and currently lives in Amherst, Massachusetts."

"Can I hold her?" Janine asked.

"I am not sure if she would be comfortable with having people she doesn't know hold her," Nick said. "She screamed and cried when my annoying and inconsiderate mother-in-law held her. You can still hold her, but if she started fussing, just give her to Sara or myself."

Nick gently placed his daughter in his cousin's arms and hope that she would be calm. Much to his and Sara's surprise, Abigail was relaxed and making gurgling noises. Maybe she didn't like her maternal grandmother much. Nick wondered if that two and a half month old infant knew which relatives posed a threat to her or not. Janine Stokes, in the eyes of Abigail Melanie Stokes, was a calming site.

"Aw, she likes you!" Sara beamed.

"She's so cute," Janine cooed. "She looks a little bit like the two of you, but she looks more like Sara than you, Nick."

"That's what everyone tells us," Nick smiled as he folded the baby carriage and put it away.

"I hadn't held a baby since my youngest sister had her second child," Janine said. "That was three years ago. Abigail is so sweet!"

"She really is a good baby," Sara beamed. "She has her moments, but overall she's brilliant."

A few moments later, Abigail started to fuss and cry. Sara immediately knew that Abigail needed to be changed and fed.

"Janine, can I take my daughter to her room?" Sara asked. "She is wet and hungry."

"Sara, what kind of a silly question is that?" Janine asked. "Of course, you can take her to her room. She is your daughter!"

Nick chuckled at the question his wife asked, but stopped when he was on the receiving end of her glare. He stood in the living room while the two women and the infant disappeared into Abigail's room. A moment later he, sat on the couch and turned on the TV to the Food Network. 30 Minute Meals was on and he wanted to see what Rachael Ray was cooking. As soon as the first commercial break arrived, Nick decided to find out what his wife and cousin were talking about behind the closed door of his daughter's room.

Abigail's Bedroom

"My Aunt Cynthia and Cousin Nick have told me that you went to Harvard," Janine said.

"Yes, I did," Sara smirked as she cleaned Abigail and prepared a clean diaper. "I got my BS in physics and I used to work at the San Francisco Crime Lab for a few years."

"How did you wind up in Vegas?" Janine asked.

"I'll try to make a long story short," Sara said. "There was a young CSI name Holly Gribbs who was shot on her very first night on the job. Nick's best friend Warrick Brown was supposed to shadow her, but he left her alone so he could place a bet for his judge acquaintance. The suspect returned to the scene of the crime and shot Holly several times. My friend Gil Grissom recruited me out of the San Francisco crime lab to investigate Warrick. Little did I know when I went to meet up with Grissom, Nick was standing on the rooftop tossing dummies off it and checking out the brunette talking to Grissom. I went to confront Warrick at a casino to account for his actions and to tell him that Holly died on the operating table. After I handed Grissom my report which recommended that Warrick got terminated, but Grissom didn't listen to it. Now I am glad he ignored my report. If he didn't, I wouldn't have Warrick as a great friend and Abigail would probably have to settle for some other guy as her godfather."

"So, how did you and Nick fall in love?" Janine asked.

Sara had already finished changing Abigail and now was nursing her on the rocking chair.

"We were flirting with each other for a few years," Sara said. "I was dating this loser of a jackass named Hank for more than a year. He is a jackass because he had a girlfriend and he was cheating on her with me. Nick and I finally got together and started dating. We got engaged November of 2003. You know we were married on May 28, 2004. This past Halloween, this sweet and adorable little Munchkin was born."

"I can't believe the nerve of that Hank guy doing such a thing to you," Janine gasped. "I am so glad that you have fallen in love with and married my Cousin Nick. He is very good for you."

"He is a loving husband and father," Sara pointed out. "You should see how he interacts with Abigail. Whenever he kisses her forehead, almost always, she touches or grabs his nose. One time she grabbed his left ring finger and tried to remove his wedding ring."

"Nick is a very good man," Janine observed.

"He is," Sara smirked. "He so is!"

When Abigail felt satisfied, Sara got up and gently placed her in her crib so she could sleep for a while. Sara fixed her bra and blouse before she could go out and talk with Nick. There was a knock at the door and Janine opened it.

"I just wanted to see how you're doing," Nick smiled. "Is Abigail taking a nap?"

"Janine and I are fine," Sara smirked. "We were talking about a few things. I changed and nursed Princess Abby. She is now in the crib sleeping."

"So, what were you talking about?" Nick asked with a childlike curiosity in his voice.

Sara and Janine were laughing at the way Nick asked the question.

"Oh, we're talking about my educational background," Sara beamed. "How I wind up here in Vegas. Of course, how we met and fell in love. I also mention that human cockroach and thorn on my side Hank."

"Sara, don't ever mention that asshole's name again," Nick whispered. "I know that he was a part of your life, but he made it more miserable and he was a fucking headache. Sara, think of the good things in your past and present. You now have a wonderful husband and beautiful baby daughter. Don't think about that jackass anymore. Chances are Elaine dumped him and he is screwing around with some other girl who'll do the same thing."

"Nicky, stop whispering so much," Sara chuckled. "You're tickling my ear."

"Oh, I intended to tickle more than your ear," Nick whispered. "Just now right now, I can wait!"

"It looks like you are both crazy for each other," Janine observed.

"We are," Nick and Sara said in unison.

"Why don't the two of you go out to lunch," Janine said. "I'll keep an eye on Abigail."

"Where do you want to go?" Sara asked Nick.

"Let's go to California Pizza Kitchen," Nick smiled. "Just don't ask our server for chocolate sauce to put on your pizza like you did when you were seven and a half months pregnant with Abigail."

"Nicky, it was also my 34th birthday," Sara protested. "Besides, I will only ask for extra chocolate sauce for the chocolate soufflé cake we are going to share."

"I take it the chocolate sauce on your pizza was a pregnancy craving," Janine looked at Sara and then Nick. "I had been through it twice when I was pregnant with my daughters. I was craving M&Ms and Nestle Crunch bars with sardines."

Nick almost left the living room in disgust. He thought that the talk about pregnancy cravings would end after Sara gave birth to Abigail and begin again the next time she became pregnant. However, he didn't leave the room because he would get scornful looks from the two women and that he and Sara were about to leave to have lunch.

"Sara, let's go now," Nick said. "I'm getting hungry and I guess you are, too."

"Guys, just go and have a great lunch," Janine politely insisted. "Abigail is in good hands. I am going to take very good care of her, I promise."

"Come on, Nick," Sara whispered. "Besides, she raised two daughters. You can trust her, she's family."

With that, Nick went to the master bedroom and brought out their jackets. Sara went to the bathroom to do a quick fix up of her hair. She met Nick by the front door and he put her jacket on. Nick told Janine that he and Sara will be back in about three hours. Janine told them to take their time. Sara and Nick left their apartment happy that Janine embraced her new responsibilities and Abigail was in very good hands.

TBC