A New Addition
Pairing: Nick and Sara
Jason Watson, Nick's childhood friend, and his family are in for a conference. They visit Nick and Sara and meet Abigail for the first time.
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.
Reunion of Friends
"Wow, she is cute," Jason Watson said. "I just hope that Sydney and Nicole play nice with Abigail."
"Jason, where are the twins?" Nick asked. "Where is Haley?"
"Haley is just leaving a workshop and she is picking up the girls from that makeshift day care center the conference organizers had set up," Jason smiled. "I am sure Sara is at the hotel waiting for them."
"I just hope that they don't take long time," Nick chuckled. "We have plans for today. When are you leaving for Dallas?"
"Tomorrow," Jason replied. "I know that we should have gotten together earlier in the week, but we were busy with this conference."
"Don't worry about it," Nick said. "At least you and Haley are visiting us and meeting Abigail for the first time. I am glad that you fit us into your week in Vegas. Did you manage to go to the casinos?"
"Haley and I played at the casino at our hotel," Jason smiled. "I won 500 dollars and Haley won 400 dollars. We have opened an account for the girls on their first birthday. The winnings are going towards their college education."
"That's great!" Nick smirked. "Sara and I were planning on doing that for Abigail, but we aren't sure if we should do it right away or a little later."
"The sooner you and Sara open an account for your daughter," Jason said. "The less she might have to ask for in student loans. If you and Sara plan on having more kids, you should also save for them in the same account."
"Well, it's good to know," Nick said. "Thanks, man."
"You're welcome," he said. "Talk to Sara!"
As if on cue, Sara and Haley arrived at the apartment. Each woman was holding a 20 month old twin. Both Sydney and Nicole were looking at the infant on Nick's lap and wondered who it was. Jason got up from the sofa and approached the women and toddlers. He kissed Sara on the cheek and she did the same.
"Haley, how was the workshop?" Jason asked. "How were the girls? Were they on their best behavior at that makeshift day care center?"
"The workshop was interesting, but I thought the speaker was a pompous ass," Haley said. "She had this holier than thou air about her and that will cost her some points in my evaluation. The girls were well behaved considering they were left with strangers, but they had a good nap."
Nick cradled Abigail in his arms and got up from the couch. He approached the group. He saw Haley and the twins and greeted them with a kiss. Haley kissed him on the cheek three times, one from her and the two on behalf of the twins. Haley saw the infant cradled in Nick's arm.
"You must be Abigail Melanie," Haley cooed to the infant. "I'm Haley Watson, a friend of your parents. Actually, my husband is a childhood friend of your daddy's. I have known him since we were in high school. We've known your mommy for more than a year. These two little girls are my daughters Sydney and Nicole, they're twins. I am sure they will be your friends, too!"
Abigail looked at Haley and made some gurgling and giggling noises. She tried to reach her tiny hand out to touch Nicole's, but she couldn't. Nicole started babbling for her mother to come a little closer so she could reach Abigail. Haley took a tiny step forward so the two little girls could reach out for each other. Nicole reached her hand and touched Abigail's. Abigail was smiling while Nicole was giggling.
"It looks like you have a friend in Nicole, Princess Abby," Nick smiled at Abigail.
"Yes, she sure does," Haley beamed. "What about Sydney? I don't want her to get jealous of her sister."
Sara approached her husband and friend still holding Sydney. Abigail wanted reach for Sydney hand, but Sara sensing what her daughter wanted to do and stepped closer. Sydney, like her twin sister, reached out her hand and touched Abigail's with hers. The reaction was the same as before. Their parents smiled at the interaction.
"Nick, Sara, I think our daughters will be great friends," Jason said. "It seems that it doesn't matter that Abigail lives in Vegas and my daughters live in Dallas. They all learned that bonds of friendship know no distance and no state lines at such a young age."
Haley immediately handed Nicole to Jason and ran to the nearest bathroom.
"What's wrong with her?" Sara asked.
"I'll tell you when she gets out," Jason said. "She's not sick."
Haley returned a few minutes later and was met with Nick and Sara's concerned faces.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Haley asked and gave them a funny look.
"We were waiting for you to make this announcement," Jason smiled and almost chuckled at his friends' confused faces.
"Sara thought you were sick," Nick said.
"Sara, you were going through this about a year ago," Haley said.
"Haley, are you pregnant?" Sara asked after receiving the clue.
"I am six weeks along," she said. "Jason and I are hoping for a boy this time. We love our girls dearly, but we would like a son to carry on the name."
"Even if we have a third daughter," Jason said. "We'll still love her as much as we love Sydney and Nicole."
"That's the spirit," Nick beamed. "We are going to check out the Southern Nevada Zoo and Botanical Garden. Those are probably two of the most kid friendly places. We'll go for an early dinner at our favorite Japanese restaurant. I made reservations already for four adults and three children at 5:30."
"Are we going to the one that they cook the food at your table?" Jason asked.
"Yes, it is," Nick was enthusiastic with his response. "This place also has a sushi bar and a room for tea ceremonies. Sara and I went to a tea ceremony before she became pregnant with Abigail."
Both Sara and Haley laughed at their husbands' near childlike enthusiasm for a restaurant that Nick had been to many time, but it was Jason's first time there.
"Let's go before the zoo and garden close," Sara said. "We need to get to the restaurant before someone steals our reservation. Little does the potential thief know that the party has two happily married criminalists. Nick and I will process the evidence and track him or her down without mercy."
Nick, Jason and Haley laughed at Sara's remarks about what will happen if someone stole their reservation. The four adults with the three little girls went to Sara's Tahoe. Haley and Jason each strapped their twins to their car seats while Nick put Abigail in hers. Sara and Haley sat in the front while Nick and Jason sat with their daughters. The twins' strollers and Abigail's baby carriage were loaded in back behind the back seat. As they drove the zoo and garden, they were listening to some CDs from a few popular hair bands from the 1980s. Nick, Sara, Jason and Haley were singing along to some of the songs. Abigail, Sydney and Nicole were looking at their parents and wondered what they were doing. When they arrived at the Southern Nevada Zoo and Botanical Garden, Sara parked the car in a parking spot. There was extra time taken to remove the carriage and strollers and put each girl in the carriage or stroller. The group immediately went to admissions where Nick paid for admission for four adults, but Abigail and the Watson twins got in free because the three girls were under the age of 2. The employee gave Nick four copies of the map of the zoo and garden as well as some leaflets.
"Is this Abigail's first time at the zoo?" Jason asked.
"Yes, it is," Sara smiled. "I am not sure how she will react to seeing the animals."
"She will likely be curious about them," Jason said. "I remember when Haley and I took the twins to their first trip to the Dallas Zoo. They were four months old and both girls were in awe over the various animals. I doubt Abigail will cry or freak out over the strange and unfamiliar creatures."
"If she does cry or freak out," Sara said. "Nick or I will take her to a calming area and soothe her until she's calm again."
"She'll be fine," Jason reassured her.
"Are we ready to go?" Nick asked. "First, let's see which animals and plants to look at since we aren't going to visit every single flora and fauna on site. We have early dinner reservations and three kids under the age of two."
After two minutes, they decided what they wanted to see and were on their way to the exhibits. Nick was pushing Abigail's carriage while Jason and Haley each pushed one of their twins' strollers. Suddenly, Abigail started fussing and crying causing Sara to spring into action. She gingerly picked her up from the carriage and rushed her to the ladies room for a diaper change. Nick, Jason and Haley understood and waited for Sara and Abigail to return. A few moments later, Sara returned with a happily changed Abigail. They resumed their journey to the first creature they planned to see – some parrots.
"Nick, why are we seeing the parrots first?" Sara asked with a hint of whining in her voice.
"I think the girls would like to see very colorful creatures first," he smiled. "I think Abigail would enjoy seeing it the most."
"I just hope that some punk teenager didn't teach them to say curse words," Sara said. "I don't want those squawkers to teach Abigail or the twins those words. I know they will learn them somehow whether we like it or not, but I would rather have humans teach her than some squawking bird."
"Sara, I thought that parrots made the best teachers of cuss words," Nick chuckled and got a swat in the arm from Sara. "Hey, that hurts!"
"Stop joking about it," Sara hissed. "You know that my obnoxious parents have that evil parrot 'Fowl Mouth'. That bastard bird learned a slew of curse words from a very eccentric relative."
"Oh, I am so sorry, Sara," Nick said. "I forgot all about that psycho bird from Hell."
"Nicky, don't worry about it," Sara sighed. "I don't like to think about that parrot either."
Nothing more was said until they saw the parrots. Nick gingerly lifted Abigail from her carriage and held her so she could see the colorful birds. He was right about showing his infant daughter and his childhood friend's twins those beautiful yet obnoxious birds. Abigail let out a tiny squeal of delight seeing the strange creature in the enclosure she raised her tiny arms up and down.
"Hello!" one parrot said.
Abigail made some gurgling noises and the twins said something sounding like 'hello'. Their parents were amazed at the curiosity and enthusiasm the three girls were showing for nature at such a young age. After a few moments, their parents put them back in the carriage or strollers and were on their way to see other creatures and plants that Nick marked on the map. They saw chimpanzees, various reptiles (venomous and non venomous) and some big cats as well as some bamboos. The girls showed the same awe when they saw the flora and fauna. However, when they saw the lions, Abigail started fussing and crying when a lion opened his mouth. Sara and Nick politely excused themselves and took Abigail to the designated calming place. They allowed her to calm down for a few moments.
"Poor Princess Abby, the lion's open mouth scared her," Nick said softly.
"It was the fangs," Sara said to Nick, then to Abigail. "Sweet little Munchkin, it's okay, you're safe with us. That lion wouldn't dare hurt you."
After a few moments, Abigail was calm enough to bring back to the group. Haley and Jason looked at Nick, Sara and Abigail with concern.
"How's she doing?" Jason asked. "She appeared to be upset by that lion."
"She's calmer and doing better, thanks," Nick said. "I think the big fangs scared her. I doubt she'll grow up fearing the lion's fangs."
"I don't think so," Jason said. "Do you remember when we were in the 7th grade and we took my younger sisters and brother to the Dallas Zoo?"
"Yeah, Kim was just a year old and she saw the reptiles," Nick said. "She was flipping out when we looked at a really creepy looking lizard. Now, she is study zoology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Get this, she wants to specialize in reptiles."
"Are you saying that Abigail could become fascinated with lions and other big cats?" Nick asked. "What if she wants to become a zookeeper instead of following her parents' footsteps and become a criminalist?"
"Nick, I'm just saying that she probably won't remember freaking out over the site of those fangs," Jason said.
"Oh, I get it now," Nick said.
"I hope Abigail isn't afraid of that lion's distant cousin the domestic cat," Haley said. "I wouldn't want her to freak out over a gentle blue gray angora, like our Samantha."
"How is that cat doing?" Sara asked. "I remember she sat on my lap and Nick took some pictures."
"She doing great and being a sweet cat," Haley said. "We brought her to a kitty hotel near our home and she is being pampered."
"It seems she deserves the very best in pet care," Nick chuckled and looked at his watch. "Guys, we have to leave now so we can get to the restaurant with some time to spare."
The small group left the zoo/garden to go to Sara's Tahoe. Haley and Jason put their twins in their car seats, folded the strollers and place them in the back. Sara placed Abigail in her baby car seat while Nick folded the carriage and put in the back near the strollers. Sara closed the rear door. The seating arrangement was slightly different. Jason sat with the twins, Haley was with Abigail and Nick sat with Sara in the front. The CD that Sara played was by a New Age artist so she could allow the girls to sleep. The ride was in silence otherwise.
An hour later, they were seated around the hibachi table. The twins were on booster seats while Abigail sat in a highchair. Their parents already placed their orders as well as kid dinners for the twins. Haley asked the waiter if the chef could cut the food into smaller pieces for the girls. Both Nick and Jason order filet mignon cooked medium well. Haley had chicken with shrimp and ordered two kids' chicken dishes for Sydney and Nicole. Sara ordered the vegetarian special entrée and something very lukewarm for Abigail to play with until she would feed her. The waiter had brought them the soup, cups of green tea and glasses of water. The four adults ate theirs and now Jason and Haley fed the twins theirs. Abigail sat in her highchair looking at the other people and the chef cooking at another hibachi table. When she saw her mother finishing up her soup, she started to cry. Sara got up, gently lifted the barely three month old infant, grabbed the diaper bag and headed towards the ladies' room. There, she changed Abigail's diaper. She was thankful that the restroom had a small lounge with a couch and two chairs. She sat on a chair and nursed Abigail. A few moments later, they returned to their table and Sara put Abigail back in the highchair. Nick looked at them and smiled.
"I was wondering where my girls went," Nick said. "The salad was just served with dressing on the side as you like it."
"Yummy!" Sara said as she sat on her seat and started eating.
"We waited for you to return to eat our salad," Haley said. "The soup is delicious. Now I know why you and Nick like to come here."
"The food here is good," Sara pointed out. "There is another restaurant that Nick and I like to go to that meat eaters and vegetarians can peacefully co-exist. That is criteria that we consider when we pick a restaurant. We have quite a few favorites whether chain or not."
"There is a Brazilian restaurant that our friend/colleague Warrick Brown took us to," Nick said. "Sara and I were concerned that they wouldn't accommodate her dietary needs, but she was rewarded with a delicious dinner. The next time you come, we'll take you there."
"Nick, when are you, Sara and Abigail coming to visit your family?" Jason asked.
"We are planning a trip in about two or three months," Nick said. "We hope to be there for a week to ten days. Why do you ask?"
"There is a new restaurant that opened a few blocks away from our house six months ago," Jason replied. "Haley and I went there a few times and the food is awesome. The cuisine is very eclectic and the desserts are delicious. Don't worry Sara, it's vegetarian friendly. When you visit us, we'll have dinner there. The owner is a friend of ours."
"We'll take up that offer," Sara beamed.
A few moments later, the chef came with the cart of food. Everyone at the table had focused their attention to the chef and the food that was about to be cooked. The chef asked them who got what and Haley asked that her daughters' chicken would be cut into smaller pieces. Sydney, Nicole and Abigail were looking at the theatrics of the fried rice being made. The three girls put their hands together, but it wasn't loud enough for an applause. However, they were enjoying themselves. Their parents laughed at the antics and their daughters' reaction. Sydney and Nicole were laughing when the chef started flipping the bowls without spilling one grain of rice. Abigail did a little squeal of amazement. When Nick and Sara received theirs, they doctored up theirs to their liking with the ginger and mustard sauces. Jason, Haley and the twins had eaten theirs without further embellishment.
"Sara, when are you returning to work?" Haley asked.
"I'm going back next week," Sara smiled. "Everybody misses me so much and they expect me to bring Abigail to the lab once in a while."
"Sara, it was Greg that told me to tell you that," Nick said. "I just hope he doesn't get her hooked on punk rock. Of course, everyone misses you, even that scumbag Conrad Ecklie."
"Nicky, don't you ever mention that piece of human slime when we are eating," Sara hissed.
"I am sorry," Nick pouted.
The chef started making the vegetarian entrée – tofu with vegetables for Sara and the vegetable accompaniment for the others. After he served Sara's entrée and the vegetables, he proceeded with the chicken with for the twins that was cut into smaller pieces. Haley's chicken and shrimp combination was next followed by Jason and Nick's filet mignon cooked medium well. All the entrées were prepared with ginger and soy sauces, sesame seeds, lemon juice and the chef's fun tricks.
That's our Texas men, both Sara and Haley thought as they ate their food.
When the chef finished with the hibachi, he turned off the heat and cleaned it by poured a huge glass of water on top making a loud sizzling sound. He wiped it with a heavy cloth. His customers thanked him and he left to return to the kitchen.
"Wow, this is awesome," Haley said. "I know that we have quite few places like this Dallas, but this is wonderful."
"Haley, there is one that my family goes to that they love," Nick smirked. "It's just as good here, if not better."
"She was just saying that this is the best one in Vegas," Jason clarified. "We now know why you and Sara love this place."
Nick and Sara looked at each other and smiled. Their entrées were eaten with sips of water and/or green tea and move conversations, jokes and laughter. There was an occasional interruption by the twins or Abigail, but any disruption was taken care of. Once they were finished with their entrées, the waiter came by to pick up the dirty dishes and if it was used, the silverware. He left to place the dishes and utensils and returned to take the ice cream order. Jason and Haley ordered chocolate for themselves, vanilla for Nicole and chocolate for Sydney. Nick and Sara were more adventurous with their choice of flavors. Sara had green tea while Nick ordered red bean. The waiter left to fill the order.
"Red bean and green tea ice cream," Jason said. "Haley and I have always wanted to try it, but we kind of chicken out when we get the dessert menu."
"You can each try a little of our," Sara said. "They give us two small scoops of the ice cream so you can have some."
A few moments later, the waiter returned and served the ice cream. True to Sara's word, she and Nick each gave Jason and Haley a spoonful as well as giving a smaller one to the twins. Both Haley and Jason smiled at Nick and Sara stating they loved the unique flavors. The twins were just happy they got a little extra. Abigail wanted a little from her parents, but they warned her that she wasn't ready to eat ice cream. She fussed a little until Sara gave her something to play with. Conversations between the adults resumed between spoonfuls of the ice cream. A few moments later, they were finished and the waiter returned to collect the ice cream bowls. Nick asked for the check and the waiter left. He returned with a tiny tray with the check and gave it to Nick. When the waiter disappeared, Nick looked at it, took out his wallet and placed his credit card signature side up. He saw Jason and Haley giving him cash to cover the Watson family dinners.
"Don't worry about it," Nick said. "Sara and I took you out for dinner, let us pay."
"Nick, we want to reimburse you," Jason protested. "I insist!"
"Tell you what," Nick smiled. "You let me pay for your dinner and you'll pay for ours when we're in Dallas."
"So, you are paying because we're in Vegas," Jason tried to understand Nick's deal. "When you are visiting Dallas, we pay for dinner. That's fair enough."
Nick smiled and gave the waiter the tray holding the check and his credit card for processing. The waiter returned with the card and a transaction slip for Nick to leave a tip and sign. Nick put his credit card back in his wallet, put generous tip on the transaction slip, totaled the amount, signed it and took his copy. He gave the restaurant's copy to the waiter. The party got ready to leave.
Half an hour later, they were at Jason and Haley's hotel to drop them off. They thanked Nick and Sara for a good time. However, when they had to take the twins out of the Tahoe, both girls and Abigail screamed and cried. Jason took out the strollers and helped Haley put a screaming twin in each one. They took out the car seats and managed to hold on to a seat and push the strollers. Nick offered to help them with carrying the car seats at least to the elevator, but they politely refused. A while later, Nick, Sara and a sleeping Abigail were on their way back home.
TBC