Say Hello to the Past (CSI fanfiction)

Welcome Back

(AN: Takes place the night before Season 6; Episode 1 "Bodies In Motion.")

"Are you sure you're ready to go back to work tomorrow?" Emma Grace held the phone on her shoulder and to her ear as she stirred the pasta she was making.

"Gracie, I've been out of work almost three months. The doctors say I'm all healed, and I'm just ready to move on." Nick held the phone to his ear with his right hand as he put a plate of leftovers in the microwave to heat up.

"I just worry about you, Nicky. I don't want you rushing into things like you normally do."

"Gracie, you've only been back in Vegas for a month, and you're already worrying. I'm not rushing anything, and I'm going to be fine. I promise." Nick couldn't help but smile at Emma Grace's concern for him. Since Nick had been recovering from being buried alive the two of them had fallen into a pattern of having an on again, off again relationship.

Nick wouldn't allow himself to tell Emma Grace he loved her because he still felt like he was damaged by what had happened, and he was terrified he couldn't be the type of father Maggie, Kaitlin, and Marie deserved. He didn't want to give Emma Grace his broken self, but his whole self; he still wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But until the emotional scars of being buried alive healed, he couldn't do that.

It had taken Nick being kidnapped and buried alive for Emma Grace to realize she had to tell him that she had always been in love with him. She had told him, at his brother's wedding. Nick had told her he loved her too, but he couldn't make any promises. Emma Grace had decided to accept that but, his rejection had still stung. However, Emma Grace wasn't running away this time. She was determined to be patient and give Nick the time he needed to heal. She, Maggie, Kaitlin, and Marie would wait on him. 

"How's motherhood going for you?"

"Maggie and I are figuring things out day by day. Thankfully, your mom and sisters have a lot of experience and are willing to help me."

As Emma Grace said these words, a baby's soft cry came through the baby monitor she had sitting on the kitchen counter.

"Is Maggie up from her nap?" Nick asked with a smile. He had heard the soft cries through the phone.

"Yep. It seems naptime is over." Nick could hear the smile in Emma's voice.

"Go ahead and get her Gracie. I'll call you later tonight, or tomorrow. Promise."

"Okay. Nick, be careful. I'll talk to you later."

"I will Gracie. Bye." With that, both Nick and Emma Grace hung up the phone. Nick retrieved his plate of leftovers from the microwave and sat down at the table to eat before he had to start getting ready for his first day back at the lab.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I can tell by your voice that something's bothering you. You might as well tell me now, we both know it will come out eventually." Emma Grace was sitting in the living room feeding five-month-old Maggie a bottle while talking to Nick on the phone. It had been a couple of days since they had last spoken to each other, but Nick had kept his promise and called her after he and the team had solved the case they had been working on.

A defeated and somewhat frustrated sigh came from the other end of the phone. "Sara and I were at the crime scene collecting evidence. Sara went to get some food, but I wanted to continue working. I was logging some evidence, and I felt something crawling on my arm. Gracie, I just froze, it felt like being back there all over again! All it was, was a tiny, harmless bug, and I freaked out!"

"Nick, after what happened that's understandable." Emma Grace tried to use a soothing voice in an attempt to calm Nick down.

"Gracie, I'm a crime scene investigator. I'm probably going to come in contact with bugs on a regular basis. I can't freak out over every bug that might get on me!" Nick was frustrated with himself and that he couldn't escape the emotional trauma being buried alive had caused him.

"Nicky, you are going to have to allow yourself time to heal emotionally. I know you don't like telling strangers how you feel, but maybe you should think about seeing that therapist again. You know it was helping, and you know that with what you went through you are going to have post-traumatic stress. Please, Nicky, just go three or four times and see if it will help. Please." Emma Grace wanted to cry. She knew that she could do nothing to heal the emotional scars Nick had, he had to decide to get help on his own. But she hated being far away from him where she couldn't hold him and comfort him.

"I'll think about it," Nick promised. Then he changed the subject, and the two of them talked about how Amelia was doing and how work was going for Emma Grace. When Nick hung up the phone, he still felt bad though. He had heard the unshed tears in Emma Grace's voice and knew that she was trying to be strong for him, but hurting with him too. He also knew that she was right, but he didn't know how he felt about letting a stranger see his vulnerability just yet, after all, he didn't trust easily.