Nick Stokes works for the CSI in Las Vegas, Nevada. His team is his family, and he loves his family back home in Texas. Everyone says that Nick is a ladies' man, but what if there was a girl back home in Texas that no one knows about? What if this g...
(AN: A short chapter that takes place toward the end of July in the Stokes home as they adjust to some new changes before the beginning of season 7 of CSI.)
Nick and Emma Grace were running on no sleep and a lot of coffee. Amelia had been born six weeks ago, and the two adults had to learn how to juggle life with four children. Nick's mom and dad stayed for a week after Amelia was born. The next week Nick's sister Sandra and her husband Kevin showed up to help out. Andrew, Anthony, and Ashley helped keep Maire, Kaitlin, and Maggie busy.
When Amelia was three weeks old Nick's sister Donna, her husband James, and their two kids, Emily and Joshua came into town. Emily and Joshua would drive Marie and Kaitlin to soccer and their play dates, which helped Nick and Emma Grace a lot.
The fourth week with a newborn baby found Lisa, Robert, and their kids in the house. Ashley and her boyfriend Jake would take Marie and Kaitlin to the park along with Lisa's twin boys, Matthew and Michael. Catherine would stop by and pick up Lisa's twin girls Jessica and Jennifer so that they could hang out with Lindsey. Nick also bought an orthopedic dog bed for Gladiator because the dog turned nine-years-old that day, and the vet had informed the couple that Gladiator had developed arthritis in his old age.
For the fifth and sixth week of Amelia's life, it was just Nick and Emma Grace with the girls. Ashley still helped out by taking Kaitlin and Marie to dance, gymnastics, and soccer practices. Nick's sisters Gina and Kimberly were waiting to visit the family of six because they had young children themselves.
Everyone from the crime lab had been by the house at least two or three times. As for Jim Brass, he had stopped by the Stokes house almost every day. Jim was still healing from the gunshot wound he received back in May. He would go into work for half a day, but he was only allowed to do paperwork.
The girls loved having Brass over at the house. Kaitlin and Marie had started calling him 'Granpa Brass' and fifteen-month-old Maggie Hope called him 'Ampaw' much to the amusement of Nick and Emma. Amelia seemed to be fascinated by Brass, and just as he had been able to get Maggie to sleep easily when Nick had been in the hospital, Brass seemed to have the magic touch to get Amelia to go to sleep when she was fussy.
Emma Grace had learned that Brass was a lot like her dad had been before he was killed. Emma found it easy to talk to and get along with Brass. Nick had no problem moving from a working to a more personal relationship with Jim Brass. He had known the older man for years now, but even Nick was learning new things about Brass.
Nick and Emma Grace were listening to Brass talk about some of the things he had experienced while working as a cop in New Jersey when Ashley, Jake, Kaitlin, and Marie pulled into the driveway. The four of them had taken off early that morning for what Ashley referred to as an adventure.
"Okay, so please don't kill me." Ashley had an apologetic look on her face as she came through the door.
"What did you do, Ash?" Nick gave his niece a questioning look.
"I didn't do anything. It was Kaitlin and Marie." Ashley pointed toward the door where the girls were outside with Jake.
"What did my daughters do this time?" What Emma Grace really wanted to know was what Ashley had allowed the girls to get away with.
"See for yourselves." Ashley motioned for the girls to come into the house.
"What-" Emma began to say.
"You've got to be kidding me," Nick said at the same time.
Marie held a small kitten in her arms that had orange and black spots and lines all over its body. Kaitlin also carried a small kitten. Her kitten was gray with black lines and spots all over its body.
"Mom, Dad, look! I named her Tiger!" Marie exclaimed while she held the kitten up for Nick and Emma to see.
"And, guess what Grandpa Brass! I named mine Smokey!" Kaitlin had walked over to Jim who was holding Maggie so that they could see her kitten.
"Ashley?" Both Nick and Emma Grace questioned calmly.
"We were eating ice cream as we window shopped and the girls spotted this lady who was giving away kittens," Jake explained for his girlfriend.
"The lady said that if she couldn't find all of the kittens a home she was going to have to take them to the shelter. She only had two kittens left." Ashley sounded as if she were just stating facts, but she was begging Nick and Emma to let the girls keep the pets with the look on her face.
"I don't know Ashley. You know it's been crazy around here lately." Nick didn't want to add any more stress to Emma while she still recovered from giving birth to Amelia.
"Jake and I can help the girls train Tiger and Smokey." Jake nodded his head in agreement with what his girlfriend had to say.
"I can help teach the girls how to take care of a pet too. Plus, it seems these cats already get along with Gladiator." Jim motioned to the living room floor where Gladiator was laying on his new bed as he let the two small kittens climb on him.
"As long as Ashley, Jake, and Brass help I think it'll be fine. What do you think Nicky?" Emma Grace looked at the love of her life.
"If it's okay with you, then it's okay with me." Nick smiled as he kissed Emma's forehead.
The rest of the summer was going to be interesting with a newborn baby and two new pets. Thankfully, Nick and Emma had a lot of family members that were willing to help them.
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