Title: Early Arrival
By: nancy
Summary: Nick delivers presents only to get a surprise along the route.
Rating: NC18
Warnings: slave!fic, mpreg.
author's note: this picks up a few months after the whole situation with Sara, which I've glossed over in here tremendously. NC18 Slave!Fic, mpreg

Whistling ‘Frosty the Snowman’ as he walked down the hall burdened down by presents, Nick stopped first at ballistics.

“Fire in the hole!” Bobby called out.

Nick didn’t even flinch at the loud gunshot that filled the area, not after seven months of working at the lab. After the trip to Italy, his life had been filled with love and friendship and a dizzying array of disciplines to apprentice at while he read up furiously on the educational materials. This was the life that he knew he’d been fated for, working with these people and belonging to Gil Grissom. It was everything he could ever have wanted.

Bobby turned and caught sight of him, grinning broadly. “Well hey there, Nick! Whatcha got?”

“Just call me Santa,” Nick quipped. “Yours is on top.”

Bobby reached to the top of the substantial pile and exclaimed, “Thanks, man! Hey, I thought Gil was an atheist and you were Olympian?”

Nick winked at him. “Any chance for presents, right?”

Chuckling, Bobby agreed, “Definitely. Should I open it now, or…?”

“Office party end of shift. All you get to do now is stare and wonder,” Nick teased.

“Aw man, that ain’t fair!”

Nick grinned and headed out of ballistics and over to Hodges area. Gil had been dead set against getting the man anything, he’d claimed that it wouldn’t do anything but encourage Hodges, but Nick had insisted. It would be mean for everyone to get something except Hodges, even if he did give Nick the creeps always hitting on Grissom in that sly way of his.

“Hey Hodges,” Nick greeted as pleasantly as he could. “I’ve got something for you.”

Hodges looked up from his microscope in surprise. “For me? Are you sure?”

Nodding, Nick said, “It’s right on top. Can you get it? My arms are kinda full.”

Hodges jumped to his feet and walked over to him, taking the top present and repeating, “Are you sure it’s for me?”

Feeling bad about his earlier thoughts, Nick smiled genuinely and nodded again. “Yep! Don’t open it ‘til the party, okay?”

Hodges actually smiled at that and agreed, “Of course. Thank you, Nick. This was thoughtful of Grissom. Not that I expected any less from a Master of his caliber.”

Nick grit his teeth through the smile and left before he could say anything about who had picked out the gift. Wendi and Archie were both in the prints area, which made it a bit easier. He smiled for real as she rubbed his shoulder and thanked him.

Archie joked a bit as he took the box, saying, “Do we have to worry about bug spray or egg laying?”

Laughing, Nick answered, “I don’t know, Archie, Grissom did pick it out.”

“That, I doubt,” Archie replied, winking. “Thanks, Nick!”

Heading for the door, he said, “See y’all later at the party.”

Sara was working intently on something in one of the side labs. Nick waited until she noticed him, thinking not for the first time that being Catherine’s slave not only agreed with Sara, but had given her a glow and a purpose that she’d been lacking as a freewoman. Not that the first month she’d been back in the lab hadn’t been excruciatingly awkward, and the next couple very tentative on all their parts, because it damn sure had been.

The new friendship that had developed, at least between him and Sara, was something Nick felt grateful for. He couldn’t say that he trusted her completely yet, and Gil was still fairly formal with her, but they were all working on it.

Smiling his way once she noticed him, she greeted, “Hey, Santa, how’s it going?”

“More like the elf, but pretty good. You want to take yours and Cath’s presents here?” Nick asked, walking forward.

She met him halfway and stood on tiptoe to find the right boxes; both were fairly small, being jewelry. “Thanks, Nick. Catherine’s out in the field, but I’m sure she’ll love this. We both will.”

He warned with a smile, “Well don’t open them ‘til the party.”

Nodding, Sara set them on a side table and asked, “Think Grissom’ll make it more than an hour?”

Chuckling, Nick replied, “I’m not taking any bets on it. Been a long week.”

And it had been. It had seemed as if the criminals had all gone on their own kind of Christmas spree, not to mention the jump in suicides. The lab had been kept on double shifts all around for the last nine days. Nick had barely seen Grissom, since his Master was constantly in the field with Sara and Warrick. When the other man had made it back to the lab, Nick always made sure that he ate and got some sleep, even keeping guard at the door to glare people away for a few hours.

Jim wasn’t in his office so Nick just set his present on the desk and went to the last two on the list, Greg and Warrick. Greg was at his lab with the music set to unusual sounding Christmas Carols, his rounded belly leading the way as he danced from one side to the other. Laughing, Nick asked, “Are you supposed to be swinging Junior around like that?”

Greg grinned and answered, “Music’s good for the soul, Nick! So’s dancing. Combine them both and what do you get?”

“Shaken baby in utero?” Nick guessed with a smirk.

Wagging a finger at him, Greg replied, “An artistic baby! Grinch.”

Nick laughed and set the last two presents on the desk. “We’ve got some pink baby stuff at home just waiting for this little girl to make an appearance.”

Greg rolled his eyes and countered, “I keep telling you it’s a boy.”

“Hey, I have never been wrong yet,” Nick informed him. “Five for five, Greg-o. Just wait. That’s a sweet little girl waitin’ to make an entrance.”

Shaking his head, Greg opened his mouth and then gasped, hand going to his stomach. “Ow. Okay, that wasn’t very nice. Just ask when you want me to change the music.”

Nick frowned, worried, and asked, “You okay?”

Greg waved it off as he rubbed the lower part of his belly. “Peachy. He’s just been giving me attitude this morning. And after ruining my girlish figure, too! Ungrateful child.”

Snorting, Nick was about to say goodbye and see if Grissom was back when Greg gasped again and staggered. He rushed forward and caught the smaller man, supporting him carefully around the back and under his shoulder. “Easy there, Greg-o, come on and sit down. I think Junior wants to make her appearance.”

Worried and pained blue eyes looked up at him as Greg protested, “It’s a month early!”

“Babies like to keep their own schedule, man, hang on. I’ll call Warrick,” Nick told him, pulling out his cell.

Warrick answered on the fourth ring with, “This better be good, I’m in the middle of something here.”

Nick couldn’t help grinning as he countered, “I don’t know, you think being a Dad is good? Greg’s in labor.”

“Labor? Are you serious? He’s not due for another month!”

“Archie and Wendi are here. We’ll drive him to the hospital and meet you there,” Nick said.

The sound of a car door slamming came over the phone and Warrick said, “And I’ll call the doc to let him know.”

Hanging up, Nick looked at Greg and said, “Time for a car ride!”

Greg glared at him and said through breathing exercises, “I hate you.”

*  *  *  *

Four hours later, Greg was in a c-section operation and Nick kept Warrick company in the waiting area. They’d been with Greg up until about thirty minutes ago, Warrick breathing with Greg and giving him ice chips when his mouth dried out. Nick had just stayed out of the way, waiting until the medical staff took Greg for the c-section.

Then it was just them and a couple of other worried soon-to-be dads. Not that the black man paid him any attention as Warrick alternately paced and stared anxiously down the hall. Nick read his way through the entire magazine offerings and then pulled out his phone to play solitaire. He was just as worried as Warrick, but had spent most of his life waiting in one way or another and so was more used to being able to focus on other things.

Gil showed up just after six-thirty that morning, along with most of the night shift. Nick smiled in relief and walked right up to him, sliding his arms around his Master’s waist and leaning on him. Kissing his temple, Gil questioned, “Nothing yet?”

Nick shook his head. “They didn’t start the c-section until about a half-hour ago. There was a backup in maternity and he was deemed least likely to explode, I guess. No signs of fetal distress at the time, so that was good.”

Rubbing his back, Gil repeated, “That is good, Nicky. And in this case, no news is good news, I’m sure.”

Right after he said that, a nurse came out calling, “Warrick Brown?”

Warrick practically jumped on her and exclaimed, “That’s me! What’s going on?”

“Your slave’s just fine, sir, as is your little girl,” she said, smiling broadly. “A little small, but perfectly developed. They’re just cleaning her up now. Six pounds, three ounces, and thirteen point three inches long.”

Looking stunned, Warrick said, “Ah, thanks, thanks ma’am. Where do I…can I see Greg?”

Shaking her head, the nurse explained, “He’s going to be in recovery until the anesthesia wears off, which probably won’t be for another half hour. Why don’t you go to the baby viewing room and see your little girl? She should be there in a few minutes.”

Nick joined in the congratulations, patting Warrick on the back as they all walked down the hall to the viewing area. He leaned on Gil as they waited outside the glass and Warrick entered the room to talk to a nurse. Moments later, Warrick was dressed in a smock and held a red-faced baby swaddled in pink, bringing her over to the glass for them all to see.

“That brings back memories,” Catherine sighed, one arm over Sara’s shoulder and the other hand on Lindsey’s.

Wendi exclaimed, “She’s so cute! Oh my God, I just can’t believe she’s finally here!”

Lindsey giggled and said, “Her face is kinda smooshed up. Should she have a smooshed face like that?”

Catherine snorted and tugged on her hair, scolding, “Don’t say that to Warrick or Greg. And you looked just like that.”

Nu uh!” Lindsey exclaimed.

Nick chuckled and squeezed Gil sideways. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

Gil didn’t answer right away, which prompted Nick to look at the other man and smile fondly. There was a combination of wonder and confusion on Gil’s face, as if he couldn’t quite conceive that the baby in Warrick’s arms was real. He finally nodded and said, “She’s lovely.”

Feeling full in his heart as he listened to everyone chatter about the newest ‘team member,’ even Hodges, Nick sent a prayer heavenward that life would be as good to Warrick and Greg’s baby as it had to him.