Say Hello to the Past (CSI fanfiction)

Changes are coming

(AN: a short chapter to explain why Nick wasn't present during the whole episode of the 100th episode of CSI. Season 5; Episode 8 "Ch-Ch-Changes.")

"How's she doing?" Nick had just arrived in Texas after ending a shift at the crime lab in Las Vegas.

"She's nervous, but she's determined to see this through." Jillian Stokes had a sad smile on her face as she let her youngest son into the house.

"Has she gotten any sleep?"

"I've been able to sleep a little." Nick turned around when he heard Emma Grace's voice and watched her walk down the stairs.

Nick put his duffle bag down on the floor and opened his arms. "Come here, Gracie."

Emma Grace walked straight into Nick's arms and let out a sigh. Nick stroked Emma Grace's hair. "It's going to be okay, Gracie."

"I know. I just hope all of this ends soon." Emma Grace hadn't moved out of Nick's arms, so her answer was muffled by his shoulder.

"What time do we have to be in court?" Nick looked to his mom for the answer.

"We have about four hours before we have to be there. Why don't you two go and take a nap? Nick, I know you have to be tired, and the sleep will do Gracie some good." Jillian smiled at the couple in front of her.

"That sounds good. What do you think, Gracie?" Nick looked down at the woman in his arms. Emma gave a small nod in response, and Nick led her up the stairs toward his childhood bedroom.

The two slept peacefully for three hours. Bill Stokes, Nick's dad, came in and woke Nick up first. Nick gently woke Emma Grace up, and she started getting ready without saying a word to anyone. Everyone in the family let Emma Grace process everything in silence. They knew she would talk when she was ready to.

The entire Stokes family, all twenty-seven of them, Maya, Megan, and Megan's boyfriend David accompanied Emma Grace to court where she came face to face with the man who killed her parents and sister almost ten years ago by causing a car wreck.

As everyone took their seats in the courtroom, they all came face to face with Jackson. Jackson had been friends with Nick and Emma Grace in high school. Nick had the unfortunate chance to arrest Jackson a few times for robbery when he had been working for the Texas police station. Jackson had rewarded Nick arresting him by pulling a gun on Emma Grace when she and Nick had been out on a date one night in 1996.

The first person to take the stand was the police officer who took the lead on the case. Emma Grace started to bounce her leg up and down in a nervous habit. Nick reached over and placed his hand on Emma Grace's knee to calm her down.

The court session lasted about two and a half hours. The only people who could speak for the dead were the police officers who worked the case and the crime team who helped out. Nick was surprised when Emma Grace didn't take the stand, but he wasn't going to bring up the topic at the moment.

Another court date was set, and Jackson was taken back into custody. The Stokes family and everyone who came to support Emma left as a strong unit, just as they had come in, to begin with.

Nick drove back to the Stokes home with Emma Grace beside him in the passenger seat. Nick's brother Chris was in the backseat with his girlfriend, Maya. Nick was concerned about Emma Grace because of how silent she was being. He made eye contact with Chris through the review mirror and saw that Chris was concerned too.

The family slowly made their way into the family home. Emma Grace took everything in stride as different members of the family came up to give her encouraging words.

Nick was standing on the porch with Emma Grace when he was about to ask her how she was really doing. Before Nick could get any words out, Emma Grace turned to face him and rushed into his arms. Emma fisted the back of Nick's shirt into her hands and let her tears soak his neck and shirt where her head was resting.

Nick wrapped his arms around Emma Grace in a protective hold. He rested his chin on top of Emma Grace's head and just let Emma Grace cry.

"Nicky, that was one of the hardest things I had to do! H-how am I supposed to continue doing this? I don't think I'm strong enough to keep bringing up the pain from this."

"Come here, Sweetheart." Nick lead Emma Grace to the porch swing. The couple sat down, and Nick kept Emma Grace in a protective hold.

"Gracie, Sweetheart, listen to me." Nick gently stroked Emma's cheek while keeping eye contact with Emma. "You are so strong. You can do this, and you will not ever be alone. You have me and all of my family here for you. You'll never be alone."

"Nicky, the lawyer wants me to take the stand. The lawyer wants me to talk about the tense work relationship Jackson had with Dad. They also want me to talk about when I caught him stealing, and the time he pulled a gun on us. I just don't know if I can relive all this pain at one time." Fresh tears started to fall from Emma Grace's eyes. Nick did the one thing he could for her, he wrapped his arms around her tighter and let her cry.

"Emma, if I could do this for you I would. However, since I can't, what I can promise you is that no matter what is going on, I will be here every time for you."

Emma Grace looked up at Nick with tears still on her cheeks, but her eyes held hope. "Promise?"

"I promise, Gracie, I promise."

A small smile came to Emma Grace's mouth. "Thank you."

Emma laid her head back on Nick's shoulder, and the couple spent a few more minutes in confrontable silence on the porch swing together.

Emma Grace and Nick were with each other during every moment for the next few days that Nick was able to be home in Texas. They supported each other in the little moments of holding hands, holding each other on the couch, and placing soft kisses on the forehead, cheek, and hands.

Emma Grace was more at peace when Nick had to head back to Las Vegas to help work on a case concerning a woman whose body had been mutilated. The couple kept the tradition of calling each other every night to make sure they were both still doing okay. Those phone calls helped them grow even closer to each other.