Title: Coaxing
Author: Alysia
Category: Alternate Universe, hopefully a little entertaining.
Couple(s): Nick and Sara.
Summery: This is a challenge I accepted by Dreamsingr. Sara has some news for Nick, but before she can tell him, the rest of the group starts to suspect something.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters familiar to CSI.
Author's Note: This is set during season five, I'm thinking after Nesting Dolls (just imagine that King Baby or any of the others following that episode haven't taken place).
"You know...I have to say that you have been looking very...well these past few weeks," Greg Sanders admitted as he met Sara Sidle in the locker room before their shift started.
Instead of saying anything else, Sara simply raised her eyebrows.
"I mean it," Greg clarified. He couldn't explain what it was, but she had a glow about her. Ever since her vacation that summer, her mood had improved, but for the past few weeks, the only way to describe her mood is that she was in pure bliss.
Trying to down play it, Sara shrugged. "Whatever you say Greggo." The two set out towards the break room, and stopped short at the sight of Warrick Brown reading "What To Expect When Expecting."
Greg's brows raised in amusement. "Is there something you like to share with the class?"
Warrick dismissed the news with a roll of his eyes. "It's not for me, it was sitting here when I came in."
Nodding, Sara smiled at him. "Broadening your horizons? I just can't imagine that you would get much out of that book."
"Funny," Warrick grumbled. He handed the book off to Greg who had walked over to him.
"So...who do you think it is that's pregnant?"
At that moment, Gil Grissom and Sophia Curtis walked in. At hearing the end of Greg's question, Grissom spoke up. "Who's pregnant?"
Warrick shrugged. "Don't know," he allowed. "This book has been sitting on the table at least since I started my shift..." He looked to Sara and then to the blonde woman standing behind her.
At the imploring stare that Warrick was giving, Sara smiled thinly. "Uh..." She coached herself to think of something quick, but she drew a blank.
Greg rolled his eyes. "Not you," he dismissed as he looked at Sara. "We meant Sophia. We know you aren't pregnant, that would require dating...and we all know you haven't had one in a long time."
Sara stopped all movement, not sure if she should be relieved or insulted at the way that Greg passed her over.
Holding her hands up, Sophia shook her head emphatically. "Don't look at me. It's not mine."
The five were interrupted when Warrick's shift mates, Nick Stokes and Catherine Willows walked in. "Uh...what's goin' on in here?"
Without missing a beat, Greg turned to the newly appointed swing shift supervisor. "Are you pregnant?"
At the more then unamused look on Catherine's face, Nick looked away from her as a smile broke out over his face. Clearing her throat, Catherine crossed her arms over her chest. "Excuse me?"
"Just narrowing down possibilities," Greg excused back handedly.
Shaking his head at the younger man's antics, Grissom sighed. "Can we get to work now?"
"My thoughts exactly," Catherine tagged on.
Next to her, Nick tossed Sara a small smile and she smiled back. She didn't even listen as Grissom gave Sophia and Greg their assignment. "Sara?" At the name of her voice being called, Sara turned to her supervisor. "You've got a simple case...a B and E."
Sara nodded as she turned away.
Crime Scene Investigation Crime Scene Investigation Crime Scene Investigation.
Pausing at that door frame of the layout room, Nick took in the appearance of his wife as she stared out over the various photos from her crime scene. "Hey," he greeted softly as he walked over to her and kissed her cheek.
Smiling, Sara closed her eyes to soak in the moment of his lips against her skin. "Mmm...hey." Nick pulled away, and Sara forced herself to stay turned away from him. "Staying late?"
"Yeah...turns out that mine and Catherine's case has something to do with Grissom's. So I got your note..." he said as he thought back to the small paper she slickly slipped in his hands as she left the break room earlier that night. "You sure you can't tell me now?"
Tossing the handsome Texan a saucy look over her shoulders, Sara waggled her eyebrows. "And ruin all your eagerness? Why would I spoil that?"
Stepping closer to Sara's body, Nick pouted. "You know how I am about surprises..." he tried to remind her, hoping that he could get her to crack. Smirking, Nick leaned flush against her back. "Is there anyway I can..." gently, he pulled her hair to the side of her neck as he laid a feather light kiss on it, "possibly coax it out of you?"
Leaning into the embrace and thinking of the way that kiss felt, Sara almost caved. Nick had such a way of taking the most innocent of things turning them damn near erotic. "You can coax all you want...I won't complain, but you aren't getting any information."
Locking his arms around Sara's waist, Nick's lips concentrated on her neck. He smiled when he heard her small moan, it only spurred him to try harder. "Well, the coaxing should be fun."
Sara nodded. "Yes, you've coaxed me quite a few times."
In a bold move, Nick moved his hands down to her hips and began rubbing the area as he pulled his lips away from her neck once again. "I'll coax you anytime."
Before either could continue with their naughty game, a voice cleared from the doorway behind them. Nick pulled away from Sara so fast it was as if her touch had burned him. He cleared his throat and Sara refused to look at whoever was in the doorway.
"Uh, I have the video together," Archie explained. "You ready?" He asked as he looked to Sara, all the while swallowing his smile. He knew it wasn't really his place to say anything, plus, at the way that Sara seemed to be on edge all of a sudden, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of her blow up.
Nodding jerkily, Sara turned around and headed to the door. Nick cleared his throat. "Sara forgot to put underwear on this morning..." Nick offered weakly, trying to explain why he was leaning against his wife. The two had yet to say anything to their co-workers. Just outside the door, Sara stiffened and hung her head down in embarrassment at Nick's lie.
Turning his confused gaze from Sara to Nick, Archie nodded dumbly. "What did I ask?" he inquired, more to himself then the others.
Crime Scene Investigation Crime Scene Investigation Crime Scene Investigation.
An hour later, Sara sat at the break room table. Her case had tied up very neatly and she had time to spare. Sipping on a bottle of water, she concentrated on the book in front of her. So invested was she, that she didn't notice anyone walking into the break room until it was too late.
"It's you. You're pregnant," Archie breathed out as he stopped short of the sight.
Smiling guiltily, Sara nodded. She felt relieved to finally admit that news to someone. It had been eating her up inside. "Yes, but you can't say anything. He doesn't know yet." An anxiousness settled over Sara and she put down the book before she stood up.
Smirking, Archie just shook his head. How was it that no one had noticed the changing relationship of Nick and Sara? "You and Nick huh? How long...?"
"Eighteen weeks," Sara admitted, smiling at the thought of her husband. "I mean we started dating then, and then we..."
"What?" Archie asked, wondering why she paused.
Making a face, Sara stepped up to the younger man. "Can you keep a secret?"
Archie nodded.
"We've been married for thirteen of them," she replied. She knew that it was completely out of character to divulge so much information to someone, but she was just so exited that moment, she felt as though she would burst.
"Married? How? What? Why didn't you guys say something?" Archie asked, finding it ironic that no one in the building had noticed it.
Sara shrugged. "We started dating and then...we realized that we had wasted enough time so we decided to elope," she explained, feeling some what down at the way that she had cheapened her one and only wedding day. It wasn't as bad as being married by an Elvis impersonator, but it was a far cry from the flowy white gown she had once imagined. "We wanted to tell everyone soon after it happened, but when Ecklie was promoted we didn't want to give him any ammunition."
"Let me be the first to congratulate you," Archie said as he stepped closer to her and gave Sara a brief hug.
Smiling, Sara pulled away. "Thanks Archie. You have no idea how long I've been dying to tell someone." She moved to the door frame, but turned around when Archie called out to her.
"How did you get away with no one finding out about the marriage?" He asked, shouldn't there have been paperwork that Grissom needed to see?
Sara laughed a little. "Luck, I guess. Grissom never takes care of his paperwork," she explained. "He asked me to go through it and that's when I saw my information...I took care of it without anyone finding out." She smiled one more time. "Uh, if you could...not mention to Nick about," her brows furrowed as Archie began motioning hand gestures, but she continued on anyway, "me being pregnant, that would be greatly appreciated. I haven't had the chance to tell him yet." Her smiled died when she heard the sound of glass breaking from behind her. In alarm, Sara spun around. And spotted her husband standing in his place. He coffee mug was at his feet and his facial expression had taken on one of awestruck.
"Nick!" Sara moved closer to him. "You okay?" Still, her husband hadn't said anything. "Nick...?"
With some recognition, he looked to Sara, but his eyes were still void of any emotion.
Forcing a bright smile, Sara nodded at him. "Hi. You okay?"
"You're pregnant?" Instead of giving a verbal reply, Sara only nodded. "We're having a baby?" Sara nodded once again.
Sara winced. She'd been worried about how Nick would react. They never really talked about children. She assumed that they would have at least one in the future, but she never imagined that she would be pregnant so soon after their marriage. "Are...is that okay?"
For the first time since walking in on Sara's statement, Nick allowed himself to smile, tenderly, he stepped up to his wife and laid a hand against her cheek. "Give me a daughter that looks just like you and I'll be the happiest man in the world."
Emotion welled up in her eyes, and Sara had to blink to keep the sting away. "Really?"
Sweeping Sara up in his arms, Nick stared at her. "Are you kidding! You're having my baby! I'm going to be a daddy!" In delight, he started to spin around, all the while the two began laughing and exchanging chaste but emotional kisses. Settling her back down, Nick leaned in to kiss her again, but stopped shortly at the way that Sara's eyes bulged. He watched her body as jerk as she threw a hand over her mouth and she ran out of the room. Nick winced at the being cause of her nausea.
Chuckling, Archie walked up to Nick. "Congratulations man."
"Thanks man," Nick replied and then turned his attention to the direction that Sara had run. "I...excuse me."
Laughing in mirth at the way that Nick had taken off, it only added when he heard the man calling out for Sara. A moment later, Greg walked into the room and over to the coffee pot.
"Anymore coffee left?"
Archie shrugged. "I came in here to get some, but I started talking to Sara and I forgot all about it."
Praying that the pot was still good, Greg poured some in his cup and smiled when he tasted it. "Want some?" He asked looking at his coworker.
Archie nodded his head as he grabbed a new cup. "So...how's your case going?"
"Slow," Greg replied. "We have to keep meeting up with Catherine and Nick to exchange information. Sara's lucky that she's on her own for the night. Speaking of Sara, what was up with her and Nick running out of here?" Greg asked as he placed his cup down on the counter.
Chuckling, Archie picked up the pregnancy book, making sure to hide the cover from Greg as he walked over. "Sara's not feeling very well." He lightly hit Greg on his stomach with the book, knowing full well that the lab rat turned CSI would catch it. "Well, I'm off to finish my work..." Archie excused as he strolled out of the room.
Greg's brows knit together in confusion, wondering why Archie was acting like that. Looking down, he took in the title of the book that Archie handed him and gasped over dramatically. Running to the door, her made a beeline for Grissom's office. Of course, if he were thinking clearly, he would have taken the shorter way, but he went around and pushed himself to reach the man's office in a shorter amount of time, meaning his running was even faster. Breaking through the threshold, he took a deep breath. It was then that he noticed that Sophia, Catherine, Warrick, Jim Brass and David Hodges were in there, all conversation stopped at his entrance.
"And..." Hodges trailed off, wondering what was wrong with Greg.
"Wail know," Greg breathed out, stopping to gulp in some air. One of Warrick's eyebrows was lifted in amusement as Grissom wore a similar expression. The women wore expressions of curiosity as the other gentlemen just looked bored. "Shea bay bay..ah."
That was when a few snickers were torn out from the people in the room. David's brow's raised in waiting as a smirk twisted his lips. "It's like he's trying to say something..."
Greg rolled his eyes at the ribbing and held the book out. "Baby," he said simply, still trying to get his breathing in order. His thoughts were jumbled and he couldn't string together Sara's name.
Catherine looked to Warrick and began giggling. Not understanding what was so funny, Jim finally spoke up. "Good for you Greg, you know what a baby is."
Shaking his head frantically, Greg pointed to his brown hair. "Hair." Looking across from him, he turned to Brass who had brown eyes. "Eyes."
"O...kay?" Turning around, Warrick looked at Grissom. "I can't believe you didn't promote this guy sooner."
"I think what Greg's trying to say is...I'm," Sara began as she announced her and Nick's presence to the room.
Pulling Sara closer to his side, Nick looked at the inhabitants of the room, "we're," he corrected.
Looking up at her husband and smiling for the support, she placed an arms around his waist. "We're going to have a baby."
Crime Scene Investigation Crime Scene Investigation Crime Scene Investigation.
Instead of walking to the front door is the crime lab, Catherine took an alternate way to Grissom's office. She knocked on the frame and gave him a small smile. "You okay?"
The older man nodded, "of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
Catherine shrugged as she stepped inside his office and took a seat in a chair in front of his office. "I don't know. After Sara and Nick's announcements you quieted down after your well wishes," she pointed out.
Grissom let out a weary sigh and removed his glasses. "It just...feels like something's ended. I know that Sara and I never really had anything to end, but the feeling is still there. I..."
Smiling sympathetically, Catherine picked up his words. "Feel like a possibility has ended."
Grissom nodded. Placing his glasses back on, his attention was brought to the hallway right outside his office. Sara was beaming with jubilation as she stood talking with Mia. A reminiscent smile graced Grissom's lips. "Look how happy she is." To himself, he admitted that he felt as though even if things had worked out for them in the end, that he would never be able to make him smile as brightly as she was smiling in cause of Nick.
Catherine nodded as she followed his look, knowing that was about as much information as Grissom would be willing to divulge on the situation. "Well," she stood up. "I'm going to head home. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I will be," Grissom allowed. "Have a good day Catherine," he bid. He watched as his former subordinate congratulate Sara one more time before she left the building. Warrick and Nick, with much insistence from Sara, left an hour earlier.
Crime Scene Investigation Crime Scene Investigation Crime Scene Investigation.
Closing the front door behind her, Sara stepped delicately through the house. She didn't want to make too much noise in case Nick would be sleeping. She walked into their bedroom and spotted her husband lying in bed, flat on his back, his head resting on his hands. "Hey," Sara greeted. "I thought you'd be asleep by now..." Even as she spoke, Sara began undressing herself. She couldn't think of anything better that moment then to lay in husband's arms.
"I was tired earlier," Nick confessed, "but all thoughts of sleep went out the window when my wife admitted that she was pregnant."
"And you've been too excited since then..." Sara surmised. She crawled into bed and laid against his side, leaning over she gave him a long and languid kiss. "I love you."
Kissing her back with as much emotion as he could muster, Nick pulled away when air was becoming an issue. "I love you back darlin'."
With a wicked smile, Sara climbed up on top of her husband. "I could always...help you...tire out."
Bracing his hands against her naked hips, Nick's eyebrows waggled. "I like the way your mind works."
Smiling in a haughty manner, Sara leaned down and kissed his quickly. "What can I say? You aren't the only one good at coaxing."
Fin.
I hope you guys enjoyed it, feel free to leave a review!