Author's Note: I can see that I've worried some of you, thinking that now this is going to get angsty or something. I can assure you, it won't. I'm actually hoping one or two of you might get a laugh out of it. As always, thanks to everybody who reads and reviews this story so faithfully. You truly are sometimes the reason I get up early in the morning to post a new chapter.

To MollyMKS: In real life, I like to embarrass guys. It's so fun to talk about PMS or something in front of them and watch their faces turn red. I'm glad you like the stories about Nick, there are plenty more where those came from! I agree with you, cliffhangers make life so much more interesting. Thanks for reviewing!

To CSI-wanna-be23: Keep reading to find out what happens! Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check it out and keep it in mind! Thanks for the review. (And thanks for reviewing Head Over High Heels!)

To snickers: Nick looks good, actually great, in (and out of) anything, I just used black to further my story. Thanks for reviewing!

To Your Spell-Binding Lover: Yeah, yeah. Oops. Apparently, you got the meaning anyway, so there's really no need for me to go fix it now, is there? Wow, you reviewed with magic? You mean like Harry Potter? (Bother!) Just keep reading, you'll find out where Maddie is in this chapter! I, too, love fluff. Stokes shrug, Stokes shrug, Stokes shrug, Stokes shrug, Stokes shrug! Thanks for reviewing!

To Allie: Don't worry, nothing bad happens, I promise. I love the Stokes and Michele especially, and I can assure you that there will be more embarrassing stories to come! Thanks for reviewing!

To olivia wall: Sorry, I already have a spell-binding lover…and she does deserve it…but you can have an Alan Rickman Christmas… "Other stuff" can wait? What "other stuff"? Homework? Which is kind of important, considering I'd really like to get into university in the near future. I do my best, sista. Thanks so much for your review that rockeths!

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: (I'm running out of disclaimer ideas, so I'm going back to my personal favourite so far.) If CSI was mine, Nick would either be with Sara or me and Warrick would always be shirtless.

"Okay," said Michele, trying not to panic. "She can't have gone far. Let's keep looking."

"Michele, Steph isn't going to be in labour forever," Nick pointed out.

Michele interjected, "Well, let me know if you still think that next time you're in labour."

"Yeah, I'll do that," he said with a chuckle. "Look, why don't you go; we'll keep looking," he said, gesturing towards himself and Sara. "Steph probably won't want me there anyway," he said, chuckling.

Michele laughed a little. She glanced from Nick, to the door, to Sara, and back to Nick again for a few minutes. Finally, she grabbed her keys off the table and ran out the door with her husband and other kids close behind.

The house was suddenly very quiet. Nick turned to his wife. "You know, Mrs. Stokes, we have the whole house to ourselves…" he growled, taking her hips in his hands and peppering her neck with kisses. She giggled.

"Stop it, Nick, we have to find Madison," she said, although she liked his plan much better.

He stopped. "You're right, we do."

They searched high and low for the next half hour, when Sara ran to the bathroom, having to, as usual, throw up. She urged Nick to keep looking in the meantime. After she was finished, she leaned back on her heels and noticed a photo of the outside of the house on the back of the toilet. Leaning in to get a better look, she counted six kids and one very pregnant Jillian. Sara smiled a bit. She could relate. Sara scanned through the rest of the photo and noticed something in the background. She was struck with a realization.

She walked out of the bathroom to the kitchen, calling Nick as she went. She was a woman on a mission. She stopped at the rack of keys near the door and scanned through the labels until she found the one she wanted. Just then, Nick caught up to her. He saw the label on the key she'd taken and said, "You think – "

"Red hair and twins aren't the only things that run in your family," she said, going through the sliding glass door and marching in the general direction of the silo.

They opened the door to the silo and each sighed in relief. Nine-year-old Madison was asleep inside. Nick approached her and shook her shoulder gently. "Maddie, sweetie, wake up. It's Uncle Nick."

Sara thought one of the most telling signs of a man was the way he woke up a child, and in her book, Nick passed with flying colours. Any shadows of doubt she had hidden in the back of her mind about if they were truly ready for kids melted away instantly.

Madison opened her eyes slowly and focussed on Nick. "I fell asleep," she explained, half to them, half to herself.

"We know," Nick said. "Look, Auntie Stephanie is having her baby right now. We're going to go see her at the hospital, okay?"

She nodded sleepily, and Nick bent down and scooped her up. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and nestled her head in the crook of his neck.

He loaded her into the car his parents had left for them to use. She'd already fallen asleep, apparently more tired than she was interested in the prospect of getting a new cousin.

As Nick slid into the driver's seat, Sara asked if finding Madison was as exciting as finding Silo.

"I don't know," he explained. "I wasn't born yet. Mom popped two days after, actually."

" 'Popped' is such a minimizing term," Sara said. "I'm pretty sure that if men could go through labour, it wouldn't ever be called 'popping'."

"Well, normally I'd totally agree with you, but in my case it was actually true. Her water broke and I was born fifteen minutes later. They say labour gets shorter every time, and by kid number seven, I think it would be pretty short."

Sara laughed. "Fifteen minutes? I'm not even sure I can last that long! We both know that I'm going to be screaming bloody murder at you when I have these three troublemakers."

"Oh, believe me, I'm looking forward to it," Nick said sarcastically, to which Sara just punched him in the arm.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, Stephanie had already had her baby, a very healthy boy who they named Kiefer Ryan. Apparently, Nick was right and labour got shorter each time. With five girls already, it was bound to be relatively quick, and it was quick, only an hour long. The hospital room was packed, and it was only Bill, Jillian, and Nick's siblings and their spouses, as well as Stephanie's five other kids. All the other munchkins had to wait outside, and they got more than a few curious glances from passers-by.

Sara cooed as she took Kiefer from Stephanie and bounced him around gently. Nick couldn't help but look on and think how perfect a mother she was going to be. Sara laughed when Nick took him. Kiefer woke right up, took one look at him, and started crying. He turned red, as he was the only person to make him cry so far, and quickly passed the baby back to Stephanie.

Eventually, the families with younger kids started to leave, and there was more and more room, until Stephanie's family, Michele's family, Nick and Sara, and Bill and Jillian were the only ones left. Somehow, they managed to squeeze everybody inside the tiny room, and those who were big enough were all taking turns holding Kiefer. He was a big boy, eight pounds, fourteen ounces, twenty-two inches long. But he was healthy, and that was all anybody really cared about. It was then, while she had four or five turns holding Kiefer, that she truly realized how badly she wanted to have her babies. And it wasn't just because she hated being pregnant, it was that she wanted to have her own little people to love, her flesh and blood. And the best part was that they were Nick's babies too. Sara felt so special, so privileged, that she was the one carrying their triplets, nourishing them, protecting them. Nick noticed that she'd been happier ever since they'd found out she was pregnant. Her skin almost had a glow to it, too. She was positively radiant. Nick couldn't wait until she started to show. He thought that pregnant women were the most beautiful women ever.

Finally, Sara let out a big yawn. "I'm tired," she said. "All of a sudden, I feel like I'm going to topple over."

Stephanie spoke up, "I felt like that while I was pregnant too. Sometimes you have random bursts of energy, and other times you feel as though you'll fall asleep on the spot."

Sara nodded and said energetically, "That's exactly how I feel!"

Nick, Ryan, Magnus and Bill exchanged a glance. They could sense some girl talk coming on, so they excused themselves and went to go hang out in the hallway while the ladies of the Stokes clan began chatting up a storm.

Author's Note: Okay, I think that's the last Texas chapter. I don't know yet. Maybe one more. Let me know if you think they should stick around a bit longer or go back to Vegas!