Un-Professionalism 3: Broken Home

Disclaimer: don't own them!

Please Review!

Ch12: Lighter Note

When Nick went to pick up Finn she could already tell that he was in a not so good mood and she didn't like that. She was excited and he looked nervous and disappointed almost like he didn't want anything to do with anything. This was almost a complete turnaround on how he had been acting, Finn feared that they were back at the beginning, when last night seemed all right.

"Are you alright?" she asked worried, Nick just clinched his jaw and nodded. Finn sighed, she hated that Nick was so stubborn about his feelings. She remembered Nick's confession from a couple months ago.

"When I was younger…" Nick said looking off as if still looking for courage. "I was hurt… I was hurt in a real bad way." Nick stuttered, Finn's eyes went wide realizing what Nick meant. "I never told my parents and… let's just say that that wasn't easy for me and my parents sent me away to live with my aunt who sent me to her parents. My parents and I's relationship is just about nonexistence and I couldn't care less about that. And I'm…" Nick said getting emotional. "And I don't want my son to ever feel like that. I'm scared to death of that happening all over again. I wouldn't wish my childhood on anyone let alone my own boy." Nick said fighting tears.

"You don't have to do this?" Finn said looking at Nick. Nick gave her a confused look unsure of what she meant. "The shower? If all of this is going to be too much for you…"

"I'll be alright." Nick said smiling at her briefly holding her hand. His voice shook as he was searching for all the strength he ever had and use it today. He didn't want to falter or appear weak in front of his parents or siblings.

They pulled up to the big beautiful hall that Nick's sister Helen had rented for the shower. Nick shook his head knowing that his sister would go above and beyond for the shower but it wasn't genuine. They walked inside and were greeted by what felt like a gazillion flashes of the brightest lights. After only a few shots Nick covered his eyes and then realizing that it was someone taking their picture.

"Oh baby brother!" Helen squealed hugging Nick tight. Nick gave her a pad on the back hoping she would let go.

"This is Finn." Nick said putting his hand on the small of Finn's back. His sister gave him a confused looked when Nick said Finn. "Erm… Julie Finlay." Nick introduced properly he was already starting to feel nervous.

"Hello Julie, I am Helen. Nick's oldest sister." Helen said shaking her hand. Then the assembly line of Stokes greeted and introduced themselves. The only genuine hug Nick gave was to his sister Jackie.

"Hey Poncho." Jackie said hugging him tight.

"Hey Jackie." Nick said smiling a little.

"Listen, I have a surprise for you." Jackie teased playfully punching her brother in the stomach.

"What is it?" Nick asked eager.

"Nuh-uh, I'm not telling you will have to wait and see. Hi Finn." Jackie said hugging Finn.

However besides for the initial introductions Nick had little to none for interaction with his family or anyone else for that matter. Finn didn't even nowhere Nick had went off to, but she hadn't seen him for awhile now. She didn't know how long because she was off talking with Jackie and learning about the wonders of having a boys. She was talking with the team and was ecstatic that they were all able to show up. Then she grew frustrated that Nick was missing all of this but she knew that if she yelled at him he'd shut down and possibly leave, but that she needed to be his support system.

Finn went outside and so Nick sitting on a rock with Helen sitting next to him. Her face fell almost she prayed that Helen wouldn't upset him but she knew it was destined.

"So how long have you known Julie?" Helen asked sipping her drink. Nick rolled his eyes he knew that someone was going to start asking questions and when his mother did that's when he found comfort on the rock but now Helen has come.

"Long enough."

"It's just weird because I don't ever remember hearing you talk about her that's all…"

"Because we talk all the time, right?" Nick chuckled, Helen this time rolled her eyes at Nick.

"You know Nick, I'm trying to be a good older sister by throwing you guys this baby shower. I don't feel like I'm overstepping my boundary by asking a few questions?"

"Note this… Finn is a wonderful woman. And I'm sure you have already made your own assumptions about her some. So it doesn't matter what I see you."

"Nick…" Helen said annoyed.

"Please just leave me alone. Finn, has been really excited about this and I don't want to ruin this for her." Nick said throwing his drink away leaving. Nick stopped and saw Finn standing on the patio outside of the hall. Nick walked up to her.

"How are you feeling?" Finn asked.

"I'm alright, just come outside to clear my head." Nick said looking at Finn. Things between them were really awkward especially now. Nick and Finn were together, they almost felt obligated to be but it didn't feel right.

"Are ready to join me back inside?" Finn asked, Nick smiled and nodded. Nick and Finn comingled with the guests Nick staying clear of his family the best he could except for Jackie.

"Nicky!" Nick heard from the entrance of the hall. He turned and saw Catherine, Lindsay, and Catherine's mother Lillian. Nick smiled widely and swollen Catherine in a tremendous hug.

"Hey Cath," Nick said putting Catherine back on the ground. Seeing Catherine instantly lifted his spirits, because she already knew everything Nick didn't have to tell her. "Hey Lindsay." Nick hugged Lindsay, someone who was always like a niece to Nick and then last but certainly not least was Lillian, or Miss Lily as Nick said. "Hey Miss Lily." Nick said hugging her but Lillian squeezed him tight she seemed to be the most excited out of everyone there.

"Congratulations, Nicky!" she said hugging him again. "If you ever need a babysitter just give me a call, I'd love to watch the little guy." Lillian said she by far was the most excited person there.

"I will keep that in mind." Nick said smiling.

"Gregory!" Lillian said running to Greg hugging him too. Nick shook his head Catherine's mother was always flighty like this.

"How are you doing, Nicky?" Catherine asked squeezing Nick's arms.

"I'm alright, how's DC treating you?" Nick asked already feeling relieved.

"It's not like Vegas. So where is she?" Catherine asked eager.

"Oh yeah, follow me." Nick said walking over to Finn. Finn looked up at Nick smiling confused to why he was in a better mood and who the woman was with him. "Finn, this is my best friend, Catherine." Nick said helping Finn get to her feet.

"Hello I'm Finn." Finn said shaking her hand. Finn had heard stories about Catherine, and Catherine and Nick.

"Catherine." Catherine said weary of Finn, she hadn't heard the best things about Finn. She had often warned Nick about her and wasn't necessarily thrilled about finding out that Finn was pregnant by Nick… or Moreno. However like a good friend Catherine would support any decision that he would make.

"Nick talks of you often." Finn said, and it was the truth.

"Nicky's like the annoying little brother I never had." Catherine joked Nick chuckled rolling his eyes. Catherine got pulled away from someone else.

"Nicky?" Finn chuckled poking Nick in the ribs.

"That's been my nickname forever." Nick chuckled.

"I've heard several different nicknames for you. Poncho, Nicky, and hermit."

"Well Nicky is my favorite." Nick said drinking her drink. Finn looked at him as he did such. "You are already pregnant with my son." Nick chuckled.

"Nick… Nick…" Jackie shouted walking fast over to him.

"What?" Nick asked confused by her sudden eagerness.

"Close your eyes." Jackie instructed, Nick went to argue. "Close your eyes!" she said covering his eyes turning him around. Everyone went quiet as an elderly woman came inside being escorted Jackie's eldest son. Finn looked around and saw the team confused, Nick's family looking almost upset, and Jackie with the biggest smile on her face. "Ready?"

"Let me see my grandson!" the woman said excited in a thick southern twang. Nick immediately pulled his head away opening his eyes. Nick engulfed his mother in a tremendous but still gentle hug.

"Grandma…" Nick said feeling like a ten year old boy all over again. Feeling safe and loved something that he always felt that had lacked at his first home. "I didn't know you were coming." Nick said wiping his eyes and his grandmother wiping the lonely tear that he had missed.

"You think I'd miss this, Nicholas?" his grandmother chuckled. "Please I want to meet Miss Finlay?" Nick smiled and nodded. His grandmother wrapped her arm around Nick's as he walked over to Finn.

"Finn, I'd like you to meet my grandmother, Beverly Stokes."

"Please just call me Bev, sug." Bev said shaking Finn's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Julie." Finn introduced herself. Bev rubbed her stomach and feeling the baby kick.

"You have a very important little man in there. Take care of him, and him." Bev said patting Nick on the chest.

"Gram…" Nick blushed trying to defend himself.

"Come on, Nicholas. I want to see this ice cream bar." Bev said winking at Finn.

Finn quickly learned that Nick got his happy go lucky attitude from his grandmother. She saw a lot of the same mannerisms between the pair. While Nick didn't want to associate with his parents he was almost inseparable from his grandmother.

"Julie!" Finn's mother shouted following her sister who both hugged her.

"Hi Mom, Kelly." Finn said hugging them back.

"Oh Julie let us have our moment I thought this day would never come." Her mother argued chuckling.

"Better late than never." Her sister added.

"So…" her mother continued.

"So…?" Finn said confused.

"Where is he? The father? We want to meet him." Her mother said excited again.

"Okay, I'll introduce but we are not together. We are just friends so please don't say or do anything weird… please." Finn instructed as she walked away to get Nick. "Nick this is my mother Bobbi, and my sister Rachel."

"Hello, I'm Nick." Nick said shaking both of their hands but getting hugged by them in return but Nick went with it like a champ. Finn had been great to his family so he could handle a couple of surprised hugs.

"Julie says you are not together, why not?" Rachel asked. Nick's face fell as did Finn's. Rachel always did stuff like this to Finn.

"Ummm…" Nick said awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

"Oh my god. Nick, can you give us a minute?" Finn said stepping in front of her family.

"Yeah… yeah… I should probably just go… you know do something over hear…" Nick said awkwardly walking away.

During the gift exchange they received more then what they needed. Their child was going to have enough clothes for the first year of his life and enough diapers for the rest of his life. The team got them a couple science posters and a science mobile. Greg got an onesy that said my other onesy is a lab coat everyone got a kick out of that.

The shower went great and Nick was thrilled as was Finn. Finn learned more about Nick at the shower then she did the entire time that they were friends or worked together.

While everyone was loading the gifts up in Nick's truck and in Greg's car. Finn sat down with Nick's grandmother, Bev. She really enjoyed the old woman's company she was very likable just like Nick. She knew that there happiness came from the understanding of hard times. Finn noticed that Bev came alone and that she had a wedding ring on.

"What was your husband's name?" Finn asked praying she didn't over step her boundary.

"Austin," Bev said smiling. "He use to joke about how his name was Austin and that's where he was from. We were married for 62 years." Bev said showing an old picture of him and Nick at what looked to be Nick's graduation of the Dallas PD academy. "When Nicholas came to live with us we moved to Belton so he didn't have to be too far away from his parents not that that had made a difference."

"Why do you say that?"

"They rarely visited. And I see rarely because I'm trying to be optimistic but rarely is an exaggeration. He's a real sweet man, please just take care of him and your son." Bev said smiling with a tear in her eye. Bev looked up at the sky knowing that Nick's grandfather should be there with her.

Sorry for the wait hopefully this made up for it. Give them a little relief from the stress. The baby is coming soon, how soon is the question? How did you like the family interactions? Bev? Helen? Rachel? What did you think about Finn's decision to retire a couple chapters? Please Review!