Say Hello to the Past (CSI fanfiction)

Surprise!

"Oh, by the way, happy birthday baby brother." Gina smiled as Nick placed Amelia in her arms.

"Happy birthday Nicky. Now give me a hug so I can go and drool over my niece," Kimberly said walking up to the group and hugging Nick.

The round of greetings and wishes of happy birthday continued as Nick and his girls moved farther into the house to claim their bedrooms and take a nap.

Later that night, everyone was at the dinner table celebrating Nick's birthday along with Donna and James's nineteenth wedding anniversary, even though it was two days early. The couple was leaving on the twentieth to celebrate their anniversary with a vacation to Colorado. 

"We have something we want to tell Y'all." Chris was standing up with Maya by his side while everyone else was sitting at the dining room table.

"We found out two days ago that we're pregnant!" Maya had tears of joy in her eyes.

Chaos followed the announcement. Different members of the family jumped up to congratulate the couple while other family members had tears of happiness running down their faces. The family continued to celebrate the news while the annual Stokes family game night took place when all of the Stokes were together. Chris and Maya's baby was due in April, and everyone was excited about the new family member.

The day after Chris and Maya had announced that they would have a baby in April, Kimberly, Gina, and Maya had brought Emma Grace to the local nail salon for them to have a girls' day out. Molly, Brittany, Lauren, and Lexi got to come along with the adults to get their nails done as well.

"I need some parenting advice. So, lay it on me." Maya informed the group as they walked through the door. 

Kimberly was the first one to offer Maya some advice. "Coffee is going to be your best friend."

"Enjoy sleep while you can. Maggie Hope started sleeping through the night at seven months old. Nick and I had gotten reacquainted with sleep for six months before Amelia was born. Now, we don't know what sleep is anymore." There were a few giggles and agreements with Emma Grace's statement.

"Enjoy every moment because they grow up fast," Gina said looking to where Molly, Brittany, and Lauren were sitting getting their nails done.

Back at the Stokes house, there was a lot of excitement going on. Sandra and Lisa were hanging balloons and streamers up to celebrate Lauren and William's seventh birthdays later that night. Donna was untangling some clear Christmas lights before she took them outside.

Ashley, Emily, Jessica, and Jennifer were out in the barn making sure the decorations were perfect. Nick was making sure Marie and Kaitlin knew what their jobs were for later that night.

That evening everyone enjoyed a great meal that Bill, Chris, and all of Nick's brothers-in-law helped fix. For dessert, the family had three cakes to chose from. Lauren's birthday cake was strawberry. William's cake was red velvet with cream cheese frosting, and Nick's birthday cake was chocolate.

"Mom, will you take us to the barn to see the horses?" Marie and Kaitlin cast hopeful expressions up at Emma Grace.

"Of course." Emma picked up Maggie who was following her and followed the two girls out to the ranch yard.

"What in the world?" Emma was shocked. There were flowers and lights decorating the barn.

"Mom, let me hold Maggie." Kaitlin held out her hands, and Maggie reached for her. Emma was in shock because of the decorations, so she sat Maggie down so she could waddle over to Marie and Kaitlin.

"I take I managed to surprise you," Nick said as he came from a stall holding Amelia in his arms.

"Nicky, what is all of this?" Emma's voice only came out as a whisper.

Nick walked over to the hay bale where Marie, Kaitlin, and Maggie were sitting. Nick gently placed Amelia in Marie's arms. Then Nick walked back over so he was standing in front of Emma Grace.

"Emma Grace, nine years ago in this barn you reminded me that I loved you. But, I screwed that moment up because I was afraid. But, you were right. I loved you then, and I love you now. Emma Grace, I have loved you since before I knew what love was. That's why twenty-seven years ago, at the age of eight, I made fun of your pigtails."

Emma Grace was crying while Nick spoke. Nick motioned for something behind him. Emma's nine-year-old dog Gladiator walked over and sat down beside Nick. He reached for something on Gladiator's collar.

"I asked you this a few months back. I understand why you wanted to wait back then, but I told you I would be asking you again." Nick got down on one knee and held out an engagement ring.

"Emma Grace Morganton, will you marry me?" Nick was freely crying now along with Emma Grace.

"Yes," Emma said nodding her head. "Yes, yes, yes!" Nick stood up, and Emma Grace jumped in his arms. The couple could hear the joyous laughs of their little girls. August 19th would forever be one of the couple's favorite days.

The day after Nick proposed to Emma Grace the enormous Stokes family traveled to Victorville, California to help Emily and Joshua move into their dorm rooms before their college classes started. Twenty-year-old Ashley was helping Emily decorate her dorm room with the help of Donna and Sandra. Eighteen-year-old Andrew was helping Josh set up his dorm room while Kevin, James, Nick, fourteen, almost fifteen-year-old Anthony, and Bill Stokes unloaded Emily and Joshua's bags to the right rooms.

Jillian Stokes and Emma Grace were organizing all of the drawings the younger cousins had made for Emily and Joshua. Jillian was watching sixteen-month-old Maggie Hope while Emma kept an eye on two-month-old Amelia Jill, who was asleep in her car seat. The eleven other Stokes grandchildren were back in Texas with four other siblings and their spouses.

After Emily and Josh were moved into their dorms, Ashley, her boyfriend Jake, and Andrew left for the airport because they had to be back at college in Las Vegas the next day. They took a late-night plane home.

The day after getting the twins moved into their dorms found Emily and Joshua starting classes while their parents, Donna and James caught a plane to Colorado to celebrate their nineteenth wedding anniversary. Nick, Emma Grace, Katlin, Marie, Maggie Hope, Amelia Jill, and Gladiator headed back to Las Vegas. When Nick, Emma Grace, and the girls returned to Las Vegas and shared the news with the team, they all celebrated together by going out to dinner.