Catherine was about to grab Sara and tell her the picture was on her purse when Greg grabbed Sara's arm and pulled her into the Lounge and she was greeted with a warm welcome back.
Warrick was next to pull Sara into a warm embrace and whispered that it was about time she came back for a visit and that there was a job if she wanted it.
Brass was next to give her a small hug and kiss on the cheek and told her she looked as beautiful as ever, then whispered to her so you going to tell Nick? She looked at him with a concerned look and he whispered "John Marken in SFPD is a good friend of mine, had to make sure you were ok up there."
"Jim, come on stop hogging her we all want to get our hugs in." With that Grissom gave her a large hug and whispered "glad to have you back. We need to talk more later, ok?" Sara said as she nodded and then turned and saw him.
Nick was standing in the background he was watching her it was like she had hardly been gone. She was as beautiful as ever. He was not sure if he wanted to give her a hug and welcome here in front of everyone, he could feel as his love and hurt emerging at the same time.
"Hey now it is my turn, I brought you in and did not get a hug." Greg said as he pulled her into a large hug.
Then Nick saw the picture on her purse, it was a picture of Sara and a child. Then no more than he saw it Greg turned her around and she greeted Sophia.
"Hey Sara nice to see you again." They shook hands and complimented each other.
"Hey what about the old man here?" Doc Robbins said as he entered the room. "Sara you look great we really missed you around here" he said as he gave her a gentle hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Well, I guys I am speechless. Umm I really missed you all… ummm I.. umm I guess I am speechless." Sara said she hated to be put on the line.
"Well, why not let us update you on all changes around here." Warrick offered as he motioned her toward the couch.
"Well I am now the night shift supervisor. Catherine is dayshift supervisor and Nick is the swing shift supervisor." Warrick told her, he watched as her face showed some look of surprise.
"I am now the Director of the Lab" Gris said with evident pride.
"Well, you all have done well, congratulations to all of you." Sara offered.
"What about you?" Nick asked from the other side of the room?
"I uhh I am the dayshift supervisor , at the lab I am at it means I work just 8am till 5pm and very rarely do I get overtime, and only occasionally go to crime scenes. I really enjoy it as it gives me more time for..umm home." Whew she almost had said Andy, and caught herself. Though she knew her friends would wonder why the overtime workaholic would want more time for home.
Nick now wondered more about that picture. Maybe Sara had moved on, maybe she had got that husband and family she and her had talked about before.
"Ohh wait Warrick is that a wedding ring?" Sara noticed on his left finger.
With that Catherine reached her hand out and showed the matching ring.
How had Sara missed Catherine's ring. Well, then again she had her own surprise that had distracted them both.
"Yes, Catherine and I have been married just two years now." Warrick said with a warm grin.
"So any other surprises?" Sara asked.
"Well, I have 3 year old twin boys with my wife Ann" Offered Greg.
"I am engaged to Beth, you will get to met her later she is a professor at UNLV." Gris stated.
"That just leaves Nick and I as being the old maids here." Laughed Brass.
"Sophia who are you with?" Sara asked.
"Ohh, that is right, well about a week after you left I met my husband Mitch we got married 4 years ago and we have a 2 year old son." Sophia said.
"Wow, you all are busy; I can not believe….wait a second…. Ummm Hello hey, I will be home soon I promise. Wait one second. Guys I will be right back." Sara said, she needed to talk to Andy and she did not want to create questions just yet.
"Hey baby, are you ok?"
"Mommy I miss you, Lindsey said I could call you. We are going to go to Mc Donald's. I wanted to make sure it was ok to go."
Sara laughed to herself; she had forgotten to tell Andy it was ok to go but had told Linds she could take him.
"Sweetie it is ok, you can go, and you can have a chicken nugget happy meal. Remember do not talk to strangers and stay with Linds. Ok?"
"Ok Mommy, I love you."
"I love you too" Sara smiled then headed back into the lounge.
Sara saw him still in his spot against the wall on the other side of the room, he had been the only one not to give her a welcome back. Maybe he felt like her, that if they touched it would open a flood gate of regret. However she had much more to regret than he would ever have.
They all continued to talk then Sara realized an hour had passed and she started to think about how Andy was doing was he having fun?
Just then Nick and Sophia's pager went off there was a MVA with multiple injuries and a fatality.
"Well duty calls we will be back" Sophia said.
Nick finally stopped and looked in Sara's eyes "I am glad your back, really I am, maybe we can chat more later, alone." He said just loud enough for her to hear.
Then he walked off, she wanted to just reach out and grab him and show him the picture and say this is our son. She wondered if he had noticed the picture. Nick and Sophia both went to there individual cars and headed out to the accident. A car had run into a Mc Donald's play land and several kids were hurt. So far the only person reported dead was the driver that had drove into the play land. At least that would save some tax money on the trial.
Nick could not help but think the entire way there about the scene the parents worried about their kids, kids crying for their parents. He hated crime scenes like this. He could only imagine what was going through Sophia's head. Her little boy was just old enough to start playing at the play lands.
Nick got out of his Denali at the Mc Donald's. Their were kids being triaged by the paramedics. Approximately ten kids and parents were in the area. Nick saw Lisa and Marc get out of there denali, two of his swing CSI's.
"Hey Lisa, why don't you start with the DB and his car. Call and have them take the car back to the lab. Marc you start with the parameter where the car went into the play land. I will go talk with the paramedics to see how many victims we have. I may call and get re enforcements." Nick spoke as he watched the parents and kids. Then he saw someone he knew.
"Linds, hey Linds." Nick called out.
Lindsey was sitting on the bench holding a sobbing Andy. Andy and Linds had just started to go inside and was almost in the door when the car came plummeting through the wall. Andy and her had been hit by flying debris and she had not been able to get her cell phone because she had acceidenlty left it on the table that was now under the car.
Andy was still holding onto Linds and his face was buried in her chest. However he turned to see who was calling.
Nick then saw the little boy she was holding he had wavy dark brown hair and brown eyes and a fair complexion. He looked familiar however he could not place where he had seen this child before.
"Nick, could I borrow your cell phone I need to call his mom." Linds asked.
"Sure, let me take him over to get checked out by the paramedics. Then I expect you to come get checked out or your mom will have me killed."
"Hey little guy, my name is Nick, can I take you to see the paramedics they need to make sure you are not hurt."
Andy knew the paramedics were safe people, and well since Nick was mommy and Lindsey's friend he figured he could go with him.
Catherine's phone rang and saw the incoming call as Nick's phone, excused herself and took the call in the hall.
"Mom, Andy and I were in an accident, we are at the Mc Donald's that had the driver crash in. Andy is fine and so am I. However Andy is really scared and wants Sara, could you bring her here."
"You are sure you are both ok/" Cath asked with worry in her voice.
"Yes, Nick just took him to be seen by the paramedics."
"Nick umm Linds Sara and I will be there in about 15 minutes, tell Nick I will bring him a couple extra hands." With that Cath hung the phone up and went to get Sara.
"Sara, ummm that accident that Nick and Sophia went to is where Linds was at." She whispered in Sara's ear.
Without thinking Sara blurted out "Is Andy ok?"
Everyone turned to look at her. Grissom could see and hear the fear in her voice.
"Yeah, he and Linds are both fine, she said the paramedics were looking him over as we spoke.
Come on let me take you there. Umm Rick you want to call in a couple night shifters and have them help out it sounds like it is pretty busy."
"Umm Sara who is Andy?" Greg asked out loud
"He is my son, come on Cath we need to get to our kids." Sara said as she grabbed her purse and headed out of the room leaving.
Well now everyone knows about her son, not really the way she wanted it to happen. She wondered if Nick had met Andy at the scene, if Andy recognized Nick or vice a versa.
"Sara?" Cath touched Sara's shoulder and startled her.
"Come on get in the car, I am sure Andy is fine."
"Yeah, probably scared, I guess I am more worried about him and Nick meeting, this is not how I wanted them to meet. I wonder if Nick has figured it out?" Sara said as they drove to the play land.
They both sat in silence for the last bit of the drive. Catherine could just hear Sara's thoughts of how should would try to explain this to Nick.
Catherine pulled up her car to the crime scene tape.
Neither of the women could believe their eyes. The car had gone through the solid steel fence and knocked over a brick corner. There was debris everywhere. More ambulances were on the way. Five children were already removed from the scene with injuries. If the kids were still talking and moving those were the ones waiting to go.
"Mommy….. " Little Andy jumped from Nicks lap and started to run toward Sara about half way to her he fell.
"Andy…" Sara and Nick both went running to the child where he fell a paramedic who had been looking him over also ran all three arrived to where Andy laid. Sara grabbed his lifeless body he was breathing however he did not answer when Sara called his name.
"Miss this way" the paramedic stated as he pulled her toward the ambulance that Andy had been at seconds before.
Sara laid Andy unto the awaiting gurney the other paramedic quickly placed the heart monitor on him while the other checked his pupils.
"We need to take him to Sunrise, are you his mom?"
"Yes"
"How old is he"
"He is 4 ½ years old, what is wrong with him?" Sara pleaded.
"His left pupil is larger than the right it looks like he may have been hit in the head. I will tell you more on the way to Sunrise, we need to go now."
Sara climbed into the squad with Andy and she barely heard Nick say he would follow.
"Andy, baby, please open your eyes." Sara pleaded.
Nick turned around to see Grissom who had followed Catherine and Sara to the scene.
"Nick you have been relieved of duty for the next week, I think your family needs you and Nick remember sometimes it is best not to bring up the past." Grissom told him.
"Catherine go with him I think they both need a friend, and get Lindsey checked out also." Grissom stated.
"Nick, come on, Lindsey is waiting in my car."
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