Chapter 20
Lucy looked over to where Nick and Warrick were playing air hockey and watched them for a moment. "I see you took my advice. He looks happy…..and very relaxed."
"Yes. He was pretty fried when he came home." Gemma nodded, blushing as she realized what she was admitting too. Lucy turned her gaze landed on her, causing the blush to deepen. "I'm not going into the details….but… I fixed him."
"Believe me; I don't need to know the details." Lucy glanced back over at the guys as she took a drink of her soda. "I know enough already."
"What? What do you know?" Gemma recognized the look on her friend's face. Lucy knew something important. "Lucy, Tell me."
"Let's just say, I know the repercussions." Lucy shrugged, unsure of what she should divulge.
"Lucy, tell me." Gemma ordered insistently.
Lucy glanced back to the guys, making sure they were where they should be, leaning forward towards her friend. Gemma leaned forward too, eager to hear what Lucy had learned. "I really shouldn't tell you this…."
"Lucy!"
"Alright….It's just that….we created new lives last night. Our sons will share a birthday. They'll be the best of friends." Lucy admitted in a hushed whisper.
Gemma swallowed roughly, glancing over at the four-month-old baby that was peacefully sleeping in the stroller beside her. Her hand went to her stomach. "I'm pregnant?"
"We are." Lucy nodded. "Three lives were created last night in the CSI family. Three sons."
"Three?" Gemma gasped. "Which one of us is having twins?"
"Neither." Lucy looked up pointedly as Catherine Willows entered the pizza parlor.
"Cath?" Gemma whispered, watching the approaching woman. "Who?"
"A good man. He'll treat her right." Lucy declared sagely in a hushed tone. The conversation ended as they greeted Catherine. Lucy scooted over to make room for Catherine to slide into the booth beside her. Catherine smiled brightly at the two friends.
"Uh." Gemma coughed, shooting a conspiring look at Lucy. "Where's Lindsey?"
"Oh, she's coming with Sean and his girls. She spent the night with them." Catherine saw the probing looks the two women were aiming her way and decided to avoid looking either of them in the eye. "Remember? Lizzie stayed there too."
"Mommy!" Jessica ran up with Kelly right on her hears. "We hungy."
"Hun-Gree" Gemma automatically corrected her. "Let's go get you girls some salad while the pizza is cooking." Gemma eased out of the booth, scooping up two salad plates for the girls.
As the girls walked back to their table, Warrick came up behind his wife, taking the plates from her and placing a kiss on her cheek. Placing the plates in front of the girls, he pulled his wife into his arms for a kiss.
"This isn't mine, Uncle Rick." Kelly interrupted his kiss.
"Daddy!" Jessica complained.
Warrick released his wife, switched the plates and returned to what he had been doing.
"Hey, Bro! Save that for the privacy of the bedroom." Nick pecked him on the shoulder as Warrick was slightly carried away by his passions. "You're in public."
"Leave them alone Nick." Lucy cut in.
"I don't remember asking for your opinion." Nick snapped.
"Just shut up and leave them alone." Lucy rolled her eyes, sliding out of the booth. "They're married. They're passionate. There is nothing wrong with-"
"Lucy, Could you just butt out of my business just once." Nick snarled.
"Just because you are a stick in the mud and can't possible even hold my hand in public, doesn't mean that everyone has to be a prude too!" Lucy growled back.
"Hey now," Warrick released his wife and put his hands up in surrender. "We'll stop! No need to draw blood over a little kissing."
"Shut up Warrick!" Nick and Lucy snapped at him in unison.
"Oh….Kay." Warrick slowly maneuvered himself and his wife around the irate couple to the safety of the table. The bickering couple moved off to fight in private.
Catherine gave a helpless shrug. "I've never seen Nick argue so much."
"If they don't kill one another, they'll have a great life together. Warrick chuckled as he sat down and scooted over to make room for Gemma. "There are the girls." He nodded his head in the direction of the entrance as Sean came in with the girls. Lizzie and Lindsey were giggling with Sean's daughters as they made it to a booth across from the adults. Sean approached the table slowly and Warrick couldn't resist teasing him. "Looks like you survived the slumber party."
"Slumber? There was hardly any slumbering involved!" Sean grinned. "I'd call it a giggle party. It was after two when they finally quieted down."
"It's good to see Lizzie smiling." Gemma looked over to where the girls had gathered. "It's not something we see often."
"She's tough. She'll come out okay." Catherine stated as she moved over to make room for Sean who sat down, making faces at the Jessica and Kelly across the table.
"Guess you don't want to hear how early these girls went to sleep." Gemma smirked. She motioned to the couple across the way. "They're done fighting."
"Hey!" Warrick gasped. "I was less expressive then they are!" The group looked across the way to see the newlyweds deeply involved in making out.
"They're Newlyweds. They can get away with more." Catherine declared.
Sean glanced at the couple, and then turned his attention back to Lizzie as she followed the others to the salad bar. "So….what's wrong with Liz?"
"A lot of emotional baggage." Catherine answered, watching the girl.
"From what?"
"Aside from her mother trying to kill her….not a thing." Nick grumbled as he and Lucy rejoined the group. Glancing down at Suzie, he grinned and crooned at the baby. "Hey Peanut."
Suzie gurgled happily back at him. Nick could not resist scooping her up into his arms. Now that she was bigger, he didn't feel so nervous about holding her. "Ya know, she's got a Macy Gray thing going on here." Setting her in the crook of his arm, he patted her wild curls.
"She keeps pulling her bows out." Gemma held up her hand, displaying the bows wrapped around her pinky finger. Nick snagged the ties, then adjusting Suzie into his lap, he started to attempt to style the infants hair.
Everyone chuckled as they watched Nick struggle to put the ties in as Suzie suddenly became an octopus. She was yanking the ties out faster then he could get them in. Finally seeing that Nick was growing frustrated, Warrick leaned over and captured a chubby hand. Blowing raspberries into the palm to distract her.
Catherine shook her head in disbelief, seeing the two big tough CSI's brought down by a twenty-pound baby. She looked at their respective wives and gave them a wink. "A couple of pushovers!"
A few minutes later, the pizza arrived. Warrick reclaimed his baby daughter who was now sporting a pair of lopsided bows that had semi-captured her wild hair.
"Let's eat!" Nick declared.
"Where are the others?" Sean looked around, noticing that the crowd was smaller than normal.
"They're sleeping, getting ready to go to work. We pulled the night off." Warrick explained as he accepted a plate of pizza from Catherine. "One of the benefits of having a considerate father-in-law for a boss. He tries to get those of us with families a day off after a big case like what we had."
"Well, you did go in on your day off." Gemma added, picking the sausage off her pizza and placing it in Warrick's plate. "You were supposed to have the time off to spend with Sean."
"I've enjoyed visiting with you." Sean told her, reaching for the sprinkler of pepper. "The girls and I have had a lot of fun with you ladies."
"You know….."Nick frowned, looking around the table and then at the table the teens were seated. "We've really become outnumbered by the womenfolk."
"I've noticed that too." Warrick agreed. "We've got like, three to one here."
"Well, that's got to change." Nick stated, too busy devouring his pizza, he missed the look his wife exchanged with Gemma. The look clearly said, "If only they knew!"