"Excuse me." Jillian said during dinner when the phone rang. "Jillian Stokes… Thanks Brett for letting me know… Okay bye."

"Everything okay?" Nick inquired.

"That was Brett Owens your father's clerk. His plane has a technical problem and is going to be delayed for about an hour."

"Why didn't Dad call?" Nick asked.

"He's on the plane, they're just unboarding now. Brett always makes sure he takes off before he goes home. Just like he picks him up at the airport when he lands. Besides your father will call."

"Is Dad home late a lot?" Nick inquired.

"It depends on his docket."

CSI

Sara yawned.

"Sorry. I guess I'm more tired than I thought." She apologised.

"Why don't you go to bed?" Jillian suggested. "You can meet Bill in the morning; I'll wait up for him."

"Are you sure Mom?" Nick asked.

"All the rooms are made up so take your pick. Although some of them are the kid's rooms but Nick knows which are which."

"Thanks Mom. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight Jillian."

"Goodnight Sara."

"So what do you think?" Nick asked once they were in bed.

"I like your Mom and Maggie." Sara replied.

"And Texas?"

"Well I haven't seen enough of it to draw any conclusions." Sara replied.

"We'll rectify that in the morning." Nick kissed her forehead before they settled down.

"It's so quiet here." Sara said after a few minutes.

"You get used to it." Nick told her. "It's when you get back to the city it's those sounds really get to you."

"I'm just used to living in the city."

"Wait until five thirty, six am."

"What happens then?" Sara inquired.

"Cockerel. Sammy is very loud."

"Sammy?"

"Zoë had a thing for Yosemite Sam when she was little. She was about four when we got Sammy; it was her turn to name something."

"And Zoë is?" Sara prompted.

"Carrie and Leland's daughter, she's twelve now."

"Your family is very interesting." Sara said.

"Oh we could hold a whole trial on our own."

"How exactly?" Sara asked.

"Dad's a judge, Mom is a public defender, Andy is a criminal defence lawyer, and Carrie is a prosecutor for the DA's office. Carrie's husband Leland is a court bailiff. That's the legal side of it. Then for law enforcement we have Maggie's husband Gibson is a cop, Maggie works part time in dispatch, Heather's ex-husband Bobby, which is on again off again is with the FBI. Clint is a PI. Rebecca is a Forensic psychologist; Erin is Dallas's version of Doc Robbins."

"Are you missing some people in there?"

"Heather is a High School guidance counsellor. Jack is with NASA and Emily writes crime novels."

"And you're a CSI. If you're ever in trouble in Dallas you basically call the Stokes family." Sam smiled.

"Pretty much."

"How did your parents put seven kids through college?"

"Most of us got at least partial scholarships. It's also why most of my sisters waited until they were in their late twenties before they started having kids."

"Do you want kids?" Sara asked.

"Kids would be nice eventually. What about you?"

"I guess." Sara yawned.

"Go to sleep we have plenty of time for this." Nick told her.

"Okay goodnight."

"Goodnight."

TBC