Say Hello to the Past (CSI fanfiction)

Time for another change

(AN: takes place during season 5; episode 20 "Hollywood Brass", and episode 21 "Committed".)

Emma Grace and Megan had flown back to Texas two weeks before Megan was due with her little girl. Megan and Emma Grace had been receiving excessive threatening letters from Jackson. Megan had tried to say the letters didn't bother her, but she started getting sicker when they hit two weeks of the letters showing up in the mailbox.

Megan went into premature labor, so Emma Grace, Bill, and Jillian rushed to the hospital with Megan.

Emma Grace was pacing the waiting room when the doctor approached her.

"I'm sorry, but Megan didn't make it. The eclampsia was too severe, and the stress did not help." The doctor had a look of sorrow on his face.

Emma Grace broke down sobbing in Bill's arms. Jillian stepped up and handled the situation for the young woman she considered a daughter.

"I know that Emma Grace is the baby's legal guardian now. Will she be able to see the baby once she calms down?"

"Of course. This little girl is her child now."

"I would appreciate if you would work with me when it comes to planning the arrangements for Megan. All of her family is gone now, and we are who she has left." Jillian was fighting back her own tears, but she had to be strong.

"Of course, Mrs. Stokes." With that, the doctor walked away.

An hour later, after Emma Grace cried all the tears she had for her now dead best friend, a nurse took Emma Grace, Jillian, and Bill back to meet the baby. Emma Grace began to cry again, but they were happy tears at how beautiful Megan's baby girl was.

"What are you going to name her, Gracie?" Bill didn't try to hide his tears.

"Maggie. Her first name is going to be Maggie. That's what Megan wanted to name her." Emma Grace whispered.

"What about her middle name?"

"Hope. Maggie Hope." Those were the last words Emma Grace spoke for a while. She concentrated all of her energy on bonding with Maggie Hope and figuring out how she was going to be a mom that would make Megan proud.

Bill and Jillian Stokes stayed with Emma Grace as the police asked her questions about the letters she and Megan had received. The nurse brought a chair that laid back for Emma Grace to sleep in so she wouldn't have to leave Maggie Hope.

Some of Nick's sisters fixed the house so that Emma Grace and Maggie Hope had a place to sleep when they came home from the hospital. Gina was the one who called Nick to tell him that Megan had died.

Nick was on the next plane home to Texas. Emma broke down in Nick's arms as soon as he walked through the nursery doors in the hospital. Nick sat on the floor with Emma in his arms and cried over the loss of their friend with Emma Grace.

Bill helped Emma Grace catch Nick up on the threatening letters that Jackson had been sending. 

"Gracie, baby, you should have told me." Nick was upset with Emma Grace, but he wasn't going to scream at her.

"At first I thought nothing about them. It was just an angry man, but I know the stress of all of this caused Megs to go into labor early." Emma was starting to feel numb, and the only thing that seemed to help her was holding Maggie Hope.

"What's going to happen to Maggie?" Nick had fallen in love with the little girl from the moment he laid eyes on her.

"That's what I want to talk to you about, and it scares me to death." Emma Grace wouldn't make eye contact.

"What is it, Sweetheart?" Nick was concerned.

"I'm Maggie's legal guardian. Megan had written up a document when she found out she was pregnant. If anything ever happened to her, Maggie is mine, if I want her." Emma had tears falling from her eyes.

"And you want her." It was a statement. One that Nick made as he fell more in love with Emma Grace because of how selfless she was.

"I do. But, I know it's not fair to ask you to take on the role of a dad." Emma had an expression of raw pain on her face.

"Sweetheart, we don't need to worry about any of that now. Let's just get these letters to the police, finish up what Megan needs us to, and get Maggie home." Nick was trying his best to reassure Emma and not freak out himself.

"N-n-no, Nick-Nicky. I'm n-n-not going to as-ask you to sac-sacrifice so much." Emma Grace took a steadying breath and brushed the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm letting Ashley and her friends move into the house in Vegas. Maggie and I will be moving in with your mom and dad for a while. At least until I've gotten through the first few weeks of motherhood. After that, I don't know. But-" Emma Grace had to stop and get ahold of her emotions.

"But, I want you to really think about, and consider if you could, or even want, to be a dad. I'm sorry Nicky, but I'm hitting the pause button." Emma was crying again.

"Gracie, please don't do this." Nick was crying too.

"I have to Nick. I have to do this for Maggie, for Megan, for you, and for me. Please Nick, please don't make this any harder. All I'm asking is for us to pause until we decide if we can both be parents or not. Please." Emma was begging Nick.

"Okay. Okay, Sweetheart. I don't want to. But I understand." Nick gave in as he took Emma Grace, who was holding Maggie, into his arms. While the couple cried together, Jillian Stokes took a picture of them as her own tears fell. She knew that if the couple made it, they would be thankful for the picture in the future. If they didn't make it, they never had to know that the picture was taken.

The next few days were filled with the funeral arrangements and funeral for Megan. Emma moved into the Stokes house, and Ashley moved into the house in Vegas. Nick never left Emma's side, and he fell more in love with Maggie Hope each time he held her. But, he knew that Emma was right, and he had to take time to figure out if he could be a father or not.

On April 29th Jackson was found guilty of the murder of Emma's parents and sister, attempting to murder Emma, twice, and assisting in the murder of Megan. He was going to prison for life. 

Three days after Jackson's convection Nick had no choice but to return to Vegas. He promised Emma to really think about if he could be a father or not, but he was already pretty sure of his answer. Emma thanked him and kissed him goodbye on the cheek.

Everyone was devastated to see that the couple had taken two huge steps backward, and not all of them were sure their love would survive this tragedy.