Set after Season 2; Episode 14 ("The Finger")
After the case of the fake kidnapping, Nick had gone out to breakfast by himself. He had been thinking about the one time he had liked peanut butter ever since he had told the team he hated peanut butter.
It was in the Winter of 1995; twenty-four-year-old Nick had been out in the yard with his dad, brother, and one of his brothers-in-law. The four men had been chopping wood and waiting for most of the Stokes sisters to show up with their husbands and children.
Twenty-two-year-old Emma Grace was over at the Stokes house like usual. She was in the house with Nick's mom, Jillian. Jillian Stokes and her daughter Sandra were getting the decorations for Christmas out, so the kids to decorate the house. Emma Grace was in the kitchen with Sandra's three children, and they were baking something.
Nick walked into the house with an arm full of wood and could hear little kid giggles and Emma Grace laughing from the kitchen. He smiled to himself and carried the wood to the fireplace. Nick kissed his mom on the cheek and then his sister Sandra, then he headed for the kitchen while the two Stokes women shared a knowing look.
"What are yall making?" Nick asked walking into the kitchen and kissing each child on the head.
"We're making fudge Uncle Nick!" Ashley, Nick's ten-year-old niece, told him proudly.
"Yummy, I can't wait to eat some of it," Nick said and noticed the sly smirk Emma Grace gave him.
"Andrew, do you want to tell Uncle Nick the bad news?" Emma asked Nick's seven-year-old nephew.
"Uncle Nick you can't eat any of the fudge," Andrew said sadly.
"Why's that?" Nick asked getting amused with the kids and wondering what Emma Grace had put them up too.
"Because this is peanut butter fudge," Anthony, Nick's four-year-old nephew informed Nick as he crawled up onto Nick's lap.
"Oh no! You only made peanut butter fudge? But-" Nick began but was interrupted by the four other people in the kitchen; "You hate peanut butter," they said and then started laughing.
"It was Aunt Emma's idea," Ashley informed Nick. Before anyone else could say anything, the door opened, and footsteps and voices were heard.
"Kids come in here and see your cousins!"Sandra called from the living room, and the kids left leaving Nick and Emma Grace alone in the kitchen.
"So," Nick began as he walked toward Emma Grace with a sly smile on his face.
"So, what?" Emma Grace asked smirking and keeping eye contact with Nick.
"You decided to make peanut butter fudge?" Nick asked. Emma Grace went to go around Nick, but she wasn't fast enough. Nick wrapped his arms around Emma Grace's waist and pulled her to him. Emma Grace was giggling and rested her hands on Nick's biceps.
"Well, we can't have you getting slow because you ate too much fudge when you're a police officer and need your strength to catch bad guys," Emma Grace said teasingly.
"Oh, you think a bad guy can get the best of me just because I eat a couple of pieces of fudge during Christmas time do you?" Nick asked teasingly. Emma Grace moved one of her hands from Nick's bicep and reached for something. A few seconds later she popped a piece of Peanut Butter fudge in her mouth and just smirked at Nick.
"You're mean Emma Grace," Nick said trying not to grin at Emma's tactics.
"You can handle it, Nick. If you can't maybe you shouldn't be a police officer anymore," Emma Grace said giving Nick a serious look.
Nick knew where this conversation was going. He and Emma Grace had talked about this issue a couple of times since he had been shot at and she had found out. Nick didn't want to fight with her, but he wanted to calm her worries at the same time. He lightly tightened his arms around Emma Grace and said,"Emma, we've had this conversation before. It's okay, and I'm safe."
"Nick, you were shot at! That's not being safe!" Emma Grace exclaimed. She was keeping her voice low so she wouldn't upset the other family members who were talking in the living room.
"Ems, it's okay," Nick said resting his forehead against hers.
"I hate that you have this job, and I have to always worry about losing you. I can't lose you, Nick, not ever," Emma Grace said, and before Nick could say or do anything else, Emma Grace walked away from Nick and took the plate of Peanut Butter fudge with her into the living room.
Nick sighed and then followed Emma Grace. The whole family spent hours decorating the house for Christmas and eating plates of fudge. Emma Grace was staying away from Nick, though, and the family was getting suspicious.
When dusk came, Emma Grace excused herself from the family festivities and went back into the kitchen for a few minutes. She returned to the living room and whispered something to Nick's niece Ashley. Ashley smiled and headed to the kitchen and Emma Grace headed outside.
Nick wanted to go after Emma Grace but decided to give her her space for a little while. He was brought out of his thoughts when Ashley came back from the kitchen wth something behind her back and walked up to him.
"Uncle Nicky, I have a surprise for you," Ashley said smiling.
"What is it kiddo?" Nick asked giving all of his attention to his niece.
"This," Ashley said pulling a plate of chocolate fudge from behind her back and offering it to Nick.
"Ashley, did you make this for me Sweetie?" Nick asked smiling and taking the plate of fudge from his niece.
"No, Aunt Emma made it, but I helped her. Aunt Emma thought it would be funny if we told you we didn't make any of your favorite fudge and then gave it to you," Ashley said grinning from ear to ear.
"Thank you, Ashley," Nick said kissing his niece on the cheek. He sat the plate down beside the Peanut Butter fudge and grabbed one chocolate flavor and one peanut butter flavor. Then he headed for the door.
Nick saw Emma Grace standing against the railing of the porch. He walked up and wrapped one of his jackets around Emma Grace. He wrapped one arm around Emma Grace and pulled her to him. He rested his head on her shoulder and whispered, "thank you for the chocolate fudge." He then offered Emma Grace a piece of the Peanut Butter fudge.
Emma gave him a tiny smile and accepted the fudge. Then she said, "You're welcome and thanks, Nicky. But, I'm still mad at you." The two ate their fudge in silence and then Nick gently turned Emma Grace around to face him.
"Ems, I'm so sorry that you're scared. I was scared too when I got shot at, but I love this job, Emma. I've always wanted to be in law enforcement, and you know that. After all, when we were little I would always get you to play cops and robbers, and I was the cop," Nick said smiling at the memories of them as kids.
"Nicky, I know this is the job for you, but I can't lose you. You and your family are all I have left; I can't lose anyone else I love," Emma Grace said with tears in her eyes.
"Gracie, you are not going to lose me. I'm not going to let you ever be by yourself. This job comes with risks, but I promise you that I take all of the safety percussions that I can. I want to get back to you and my family after each day of work, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure I do," Nick explained and gently wiped away Emma's tears.
Emma Grace wrapped her arms around Nick's neck and hugged him. Nick hugged Emma back as tight as she was hugging him. When the two friends broke apart, they kept their foreheads together and stared at each other. Then Nick did the one thing he had wanted to do since he came home for Thanksgiving that first year he was at college. Nick tilted his head and leaned in closer to Emma Grace. Their lips connected and they shared their first kiss.
The couple broke apart, and Nick licked his lips and chuckled. "What?" Emma Grace asked smiling up at him.
"I think I've finally found a way to like peanut butter," Nick said smiling at Emma Grace. Emma Grace let out a laugh and then leaned up and kissed Nick again. They were interrupted when someone else came out on the porch and said, "Uncle Nick, Aunt Emma, Grandma said you two need to come in before you turn to icicles!"
The couple broke apart and looked at Ashley. They looked back at each other and laughed. Then the three of them went back into the house.
Nick smiled at the memory and then paid for his breakfast. He left the diner and went home to get some sleep. His dreams were filled with peanut butter fudge and kisses in the winter time.