(AN: short chapter to bring Nick's biological family and work-family together. Takes place after season 4; episode 19 "Bad Words.")
It was Spring Break for the Stokes grandchildren. Nick's small home was overflowing with nieces and nephews. Eighteen-year-old Ashley, who was in her first year of college at UNLVU, was sleeping on the pull out couch with fifteen-year-old Emily. Eleven-year-olds Jessica and Jennifer were sharing a blow-up mattress that was on the living room floor. Nine-year-olds Michael and Matthew were sharing the other blow-up mattress. Sixteen-year-old Andrew, fifteen-year-old Joshua, and twelve-year-old Anthony had sleeping bags scattered throughout the living room.
Nick didn't mind the mess that the sleeping arrangements caused. He enjoyed every moment he could have with his family. Lisa and Robert were the adults who had come to Vegas with all of the kids. Andrew and Anthony had wanted to visit their sister, Ashley, so they had tagged along to Vegas with their aunt and uncle. Emily and Joshua had been to Vegas last year during Spring Break and had begged Lisa and Robert to let them come back to Vegas with them. Joshua wanted to rechallenge Greg to a chess match. Emily wanted to explore more of Vegas. Jessica, Jennifer, Michael, and Matthew were excited to be in Vegas finally after hearing all of the stories their cousins told them about the place.
Greg, Warrick, Catherine, and Grissom came over to Nick's house for dinner one night while his family was in town. Catherine brought her mom and daughter over, and someone convinced Sara to show up. Jennifer, Michael, Matthew, and Lindsey, Catherine's daughter, played together while Joshua and Greg started a chess game. Sara, Ashley, and Emily seemed to become instant best friends and were talking about everything they could think of. Andrew and Anthony were talking to Warrick about his favorite sports, and Lisa, Robert, and Nick were talking with Catherine's mom. The four adults were also watching Grissom and Jessica compete in a game of Scrabble.
What amused Warrick, Catherine, Sara, and Nick was that Grissom had apparently met a challenge in the form of Jessica. Greg was getting beat at chess by Joshua, so he wasn't paying much attention to the other board game happening beside him.
Joshua ended up winning the chess game, and an hour later Grissom won at Scrabble with the promise to play against Jessica again before she had to go home.
"How's Emma Grace?" Greg was the one to ask the question a few minutes after everyone had sat down to enjoy the dinner Lisa had prepared with the help of the girls.
"She's been busy. When she's not at work, she's studying ways to make the group home here in Vegas work. If she's not working on the idea of the group home, she's got some of the kids, and they get into all kinds of mischief."
"I really appreciated her coming here for a few days after Eddie died. Emma sort of took over at my house, and that made things so much easier on all of us." Catherine had been surprised to find Emma Grace on her doorstep two days after Eddie had died. Emma ended up staying with the family for three days. In those three days, she cleaned, cooked, and held both Lindsey and Catherine when they broke down crying. Catherine had needed a friend during that time, and she was so thankful that friend had ended up being Emma Grace.
"I was honored that she helped me after the lab explosion." Greg had gotten to know Emma Grace very well while she kept him company in the hospital. Emma Grace had even helped Greg research the history of Vegas mobsters to pass his time in the hospital. They had continued to email information and ideas back and forth to each other when Emma went home, and Greg had been at home recovering.
"Gracie's always been something else." Nick had a content smile on his face as he listened to his friends talk about how amazing the woman he had known for twenty-six years truely was.
"It sounds like she's one of a kind." The comment came from Grissom as he addressed everyone sitting around the table. However, he kept eye contact with Nick, and Grissom had a look on his face that seemed to say he knew something Nick didn't.
Nick didn't ask Grissom about the comment even when he had plenty of chances to. Nick saw more of his work family at his house in the week than he usually did in a month while his family was visiting from Texas. During that spring break, week memories were made that Nick would always be grateful for. He just wished that Emma Grace hadn't been so busy with work, and could have come to Vegas with Lisa, Robert, and the kids.