A New Addition

Pairing: Nick and Sara

Nick and Sara bring Abigail to work with them. How will she react to meeting Ecklie?

Spoiler: A hint of Stalker

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.

Bring Your Daughter to Work

Nick was pushing the baby carriage down the hallway while Sara was talking to Catherine about a case that the two women were working on the night before. As Nick pushed the carriage, he gave his three and a half month old daughter a tour of the lab. He wasn't sure if she'd understand all the technical stuff, but he wanted her to get a head start on learning sciences. Abigail made some happy gurgling noises. They were joined by Sara.

"Isn't she too young to know these things, Nicky?" Sara asked.

"This coming from a woman who tells Janine to let Abigail watch Sesame Street," Nick chuckled. "Didn't the pediatrician tell us that a baby's brain can absorb information from his or her surroundings?"

"Oh, so you want her to be a baby genius?' Sara asked.

"No, I want to provoke her curiosity," Nick smiled.

They were about to head to the locker room when they saw Conrad Ecklie. He walked towards them and saw the baby carriage. Both Nick and Sara had an uneasy feeling about this pending encounter with their shift's enemy.

"Isn't it a little too early for 'Bring Your Daughter to Work', Stokes and Sidle?" Ecklie asked.

"We don't think it is," Nick sighed. "How do you know about her?"

"There were copies of a flier announcing her birth circulating around the lab," Ecklie smirked. "It said, 'It's a Girl, Abigail Melanie Stokes. Born October 31, weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces.' It was also mentioned in the Crimestoppers newsletter."

Nick cringed at the mention of the department newsletter. He didn't need nor want to be reminded of the last time he was featured in an issue. Greg was distributing that issue around the lab. Sara and Warrick were reading it and laughing at his inventing toys. He grabbed all the copies and trashed them. He should have shredded them. While processing the plastic bag that was used to kill Jane Galloway, Nick was pissed at Greg for 'invading his privacy'. Nick and Warrick visited Nigel Crane's place to ask him some questions about Jane Galloway and his whereabouts during the murder. Warrick had to take a phone call while Nick was alone to investigate a trail of red drops. As he tried to find the source of the drops, he found the stained glove. Nigel Crane saw him and threw him out of second story window rendering him unconscious after landing on his back on the bushes. He suffered a concussion, two cracked ribs, a sprained wrist and he got five stitches to his forehead. When he was trying to recuperate at home, all hell broke loose as Nigel was in his attic. The psychic who visited Nick was killed and his body came crashing down the ceiling. Nigel had Nick's gun pointed at his face, the second time it ever happened to him. Nick was thankful that Sara took him in while his place was processed as a crime scene.

"Hey Stokes, are you okay?" Ecklie asked seeing Nick spaced out.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Nick said snapping out of it spaced out state.

"Can I hold her?" Ecklie asked.

"Sure," Sara said while mentally debating if it was a good decision or not.

After Ecklie picked up Abigail, she had a look at him and started to fuss and cry loudly. Nick and Sara knew that she didn't like the guy.

"Can you make her stop crying and screaming like that?" he asked with a whine in his voice.

Grissom, hearing the cries, left his office to see what was happening in the hallway. He saw Ecklie holding Abigail and she was screaming and crying. He knew the opportunity to tease his nemesis was too good to let pass.

"Ecklie, I see you've met little Abigail Melanie Stokes," Grissom chuckled. "Be careful, she's been known to spin her head around and spew up green stuff."

"Very funny, Gil," Ecklie responded. "You've been watching 'The Exorcist' too many times."

Ecklie put her back in the carriage and walked away. Nick and Sara finally released a laugh they were trying suppress. Grissom just smiled and picked up Abigail. This time she was happy and giggly.

"Thank you for saying that," Nick grinned.

"Sara, you gave birth to another enemy of Ecklie's," Grissom cooed. "She inherited the Ecklie hating gene from both of you."

"Grissom, I didn't know there was such a thing," Nick chuckled.

"Hey guys, what's the commotion?" Catherine asked. "Is Abigail here?"

"Yes, she is," Grissom said still cradling the baby. "Ecklie was here a while ago. He held her and she freaked out."

"You told him that her head will spin around and she'll spew out split pea soup," Catherine assumed. "Just like that girl from 'The Exorcist'."

"I'm guilty as charged," Grissom proudly grinned.

"What's this about the Ecklie hating gene?" Catherine asked.

"I think Nick and Sara passed that to their daughter," Grissom said.

Warrick and Greg walked down the hallway to see the small group laughing and joking. They both wanted to know what the laughter and jokes were all about before Warrick called Desert State and have the parents of his goddaughter and their colleagues committed.

"What's my little goddaughter doing here?" Warrick asked. "Did something just happen that was this amusing?"

"Ecklie was here a few moments before," Sara tried to calmly explained. "He picked her up and you know how she doesn't like to be held by complete strangers. She was screaming and crying. Grissom rescued her by tricking Ecklie into thinking that Abigail was a baby out of The Exorcist."

"Who has her now?" Warrick asked noticing the baby carriage was empty.

"I have her," Catherine said. "She's fine and not spinning her head and spewing things out. Warrick, do you want to hold her for a while?"

"Sure, she's my goddaughter," Warrick said.

"Just for a few minutes," Grissom said. "I still have to hand out tonight's assignments."

Warrick cradled Abigail in his arms. She smiled at him and he gave her a small grin. Ever since the day she was born, she was happiest in the arms of her godfather.

"Okay, I have your assignments," Grissom said. "Catherine, Sara and Nick, you have a 404 at the Mirage. Brass is already there. Greg and Warrick, you are with me on a 419 at Caesar's Palace. Vega will meet with you soon. Abigail, you are going to the departmental daycare room. You might get a visit from our lab techs. Nick, Sara, the staff will take great care of her, just do you job now."

"We don't doubt them," Nick smiled. "Sara and I almost enrolled her there until my cousin offered to take care of her while we were at work."

Catherine accompanied Sara and Nick to the daycare room. They brought Abigail inside and a staff member immediately took her in. She assured the nervous couple that their child was in good hands. Catherine led Nick and Sara away after they were reassured by the women a few more times.

"Come on, kids," Catherine said. "We have a crime scene to process that can't wait. Abigail is in very good hands."

Their 404 turned out to be a double homicide. An elderly couple was stabbed to death in their hotel room. After Nick, Sara and Catherine returned with a collection of evidence to be processed and case notes. The suspect was caught in a really idiotic way. He tried to return to the crime scene and told police that he was the killer. The evidence backed his confession and he was promptly arrested.

Nick and Sara were exhausted from this relatively easy case. They first went to daycare to pick up Abigail. A staff member told them that she had been asleep since she was brought in. Nick approached the crib that Abigail was sleeping in and gingerly lifted her up. Without waking her, he placed her in the carriage. They left the crime lab and went to the parking lot. When they got to the Tahoe, Nick gently transferred Abigail to the car seat and made sure she was securely buckled in. A few moments later, they were on their way home to rest.

TBC