Title: Nicky's Daughter
By: Belladonna
Pairing: Gil/Nick
Rating: NC-17
Permission to archive: yes
Warnings/Spoilers: AU, Gum Drops
Summary: In CSI episode 'Gum Drops' we met Cassie McBride, tough survivor of her family's massacre, and how Nick found her..this is what happened next.

***

Nick buttonholed the social worker in the hallway. "What's going to happen to her?" he jerked his head towards Cassie's room.

 

Linda Flores shrugged. "She has no family, so she'll go into the foster care system. After the usual waiting period then she'll be adoptable, but not many people adopt older children. Especially ones that have undergone a trauma such as this."

 

Nick swallowed over the lump in this throat. He knew that Sara had gone through the foster care system, and it hadn't been very pretty. "Um, can I, do you..." he trailed off, wondering what in the hell he was thinking.

 

"Why Nick, if I didn't know better, I'd think you want her," Linda said, astonishment in her voice.

 

"Well, why not? I have a home, a good job. I'm stable," he grinned. "Well, mostly."

 

Linda shook her head. "You need to get pre-qualified to even become a foster parent, Nick. They dig into your background and everything."

 

"Hey, I got a job with Grissom. And if I had anything to hide, he'd have found it," Nick said positively.

 

The social worker stared at him for a long moment. "You're serious."

 

Nick went to the glass and looked in on the strongest little girl he'd ever had the pleasure of knowing. He knew it would be hard, but he had a huge family to back him up, and he knew Catherine and Sara, even Rick would help. "Yeah, I want her."

 

 

 

*

 

Grissom hung up his phone and shook his head. "Well, when I thought I'd seen everything..." he trailed off and Brass raised an eyebrow.

 

"What?"

 

"That was Linda Flores," Grissom said as he pulled out a notepad. "She just informed me that Nick wants to adopt little Cassie McBride."

"Huh." Brass looked non-plussed. "Well, girls are supposed to be easier than boys but you couldn't prove it by me," he said, remembering his own ill-fated relationship with his daughter.

 

"That wasn't your fault, Jim," Grissom said with compassion. "She was an adult and made her own choices."

 

Brass shrugged. "The therapist keeps saying the same thing, but as a parent, you tend to shoulder the blame of your children's failures."

 

"I'll take your word on that," Grissom said dryly.

 

"So, are you going to recommend him? I think he'd do a fine job."

 

Grissom stared at the pad of paper. Nick was a survivor and Gil knew why he was so pulled to Cassie McBride, another ultimate survivor. He knew that the younger man had a heart full of compassion, and he'd been very good with kids on other cases.  It didn't hurt that he was the youngest of a large family and would have no end of back up from them, and from his co-workers.

 

Meeting Jim's eyes, Grissom nodded. "I might even be convinced to babysit."

 

Brass barked a laugh. "Oh, Gil. You've got it bad."

 

Grissom rolled his eyes. "I never should have told you how I feel about Nick."

 

Grinning wickedly, Brass stood up and leaned close to Grissom. "Hey, you'd make a cute family." And he left Gil's office, cackling madly.

 

"Putz," Grissom said fondly under his breath.

 

*

 

Sara stared at Nick. "What?"

 

"I'm going to try and adopt Cassie McBride," Nick said evenly, standing his ground in the face of her disbelief. "First I need to get approved as a foster parent and I was hoping for a recommendation from you,"

 

Warrick smiled. "A kid. Well, congrats, Nick. I'm in. I think you'd make a great dad."

 

Sara found herself seated on the bench, staring at Nick. Boy, what she would've given to have someone like Nick in her corner when she was in foster care. She knew he was a fighter, he'd proven that when he survived being buried alive, and when he'd gone toe to toe with her, so sure that Cassie was alive. Without his persistence the little girl might not have made it.

 

"You need to make sure you're gonna see this through, especially when it gets tough. Getting a kid's hopes up, then having you fade in the seventh inning will destroy her. You got that?"

 

Nick looked into Sara's fierce eyes, and smiled. "Yeah, I've got it. So, you wanna baby-sit sometime?"

 

Sara stood and punched him in the arm. "We're on the same shift, dork. But if you ever need to go on a date with Gris then I'm your woman."

 

Warrick watched with amused interest as Nick went red, then white. "Man, you think we didn't know how ya felt about him? Give us ~some~ credit, we are CSI's," he laughed and looked at Sara. "What does Grissom always say?"

 

"Follow the evidence," Sara and Warrick chorused while Nick buried his very red face in his hands.

 

"Ohgod, am I so obvious?" Nick's voice was muffled.

 

Warrick slapped his friend on the shoulder reassuringly. "Only to those that love and know ya, man."

 

*

 

Nick sat in the chair, his spine straight as he answered the questions, nervous as hell with his palms sweating so much that he wanted to wipe them on his pants. 

 

Linda glanced up at him and smirked. "Relax, Nick. We're not going to tazer you or anything."

 

"How is Cassie?" he asked quickly, willing himself to relax, 'damnit.'

 

The social worker leaned back in her chair. "She's fine. Her throat looks much better after the plastic surgery. The scar will always be there but with time and luck it will fade. She's doing well in school, but she's still having nightmares."

 

"I can relate," Nick said softly. 

 

"I know you want to see her, but let's get all of this official stuff out of the way so we can give her some good news," Linda said softly.

 

"I'm bi-sexual," Nick blurted, and blushed.

 

Taken aback, Linda had to grin at the look of panic on Nick's face. "Oo-kay. That was one of the later questions, but I'll fill that in now."

 

"Is it gonna be a problem?"

 

Linda stifled another smile. Nick's Texas accent came out quite strongly when he was stressed. He was so damn cute. "No, the laws have changed a lot in the past few years, and Nevada's are more relaxed than most. Well, except maybe California and New York."

 

"Thank god," Nick said quietly, his eyes far away.

 

*

 

Grissom watched with amusement and not a little awe as Nick plunged fearlessly into impending fatherhood. He found himself, along with their other co-workers, buying furniture and figuring out what a little girl would want.

 

"You know, Nicky," Grissom began one evening while the team worked in the lab. "She's eleven, and she'll be in middle school next year. I think you'll be dealing with boys and makeup issues rather than doll storage space."

 

Nick glanced up from the microscope and scowled. "Damn it Gris, that's not funny."

 

This made Greg snort, then laugh. "Oh man, you have no idea what you're getting into. When my sister turned twelve, we thought she'd been possessed."

 

Catherine snickered. "Same for Lindsey, they should call it the terrible middle school years. Just like the terrible twos. They want to stretch their wings at that age." She winked at Warrick, who only shook his head and smiled.

 

"Thanks so much for your support," Nick said sourly, going back to the microscope.

 

Grissom chuckled. "So, how's it going?"

 

Nick pressed a button and printer began to spew paper while he carefully replaced the slide. "Well, the interviews are over, and tomorrow is the house inspection. Oh, and thanks for the good recommendations, guys."

 

"No problemo," Greg said cheerfully. The other's chorused the same sentiment.

 

"I had no hesitation, Nicky. You're going to be good for her," Grissom said quietly. He didn't notice Warrick nudge Catherine, who rolled her eyes at Nick's and Grissom's obliviousness. Catherine caught Greg's eyes, and he smiled back wryly.

 

*

 

At his house, Linda walked around, peering into closets, pointing out that poisons for bugs and things needed to kept out of reach, and checking out the neighborhood. She finally turned to a visibly nervous Nick and smiled.

 

"Everything looks great, Nick. You'll have our decision by next week."

 

"I don't know if I can handle not knowing," Nick groaned. He was sure they'd say no. He was bi-sexual, he had emotional problems, he was a single guy....

 

"Hey, Nick." Linda placed a hand on his arm, her eyes sympathetic. "I've seen nothing, nor heard anything that raises any red flags. Yeah, you've had problems, but so has everyone else on the planet. You've also gotten help, which is a big plus. You'll know how to respond to Cassie's needs. Relax."

 

Nick's stomach unclenched. "Thanks, Linda. For everything."

 

"You're welcome."

 

*

 

Grissom saw movement in the passageway and looked up in time to see Linda Flores with Cassie McBride. He quickly got up and went to the door. "Hey Linda. Looking for Nick?"

 

Cassie smiled up at him. "Yeah, today's the day I get to move in with him."

 

He nodded, and couldn't help but smile back. This kid was a fighter in the best sense of the word, and he admired that. "I heard. Nicky's been like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs."

 

The girl giggled, showing that she'd lost a tooth recently. Her brown hair neatly braided and she was chewing her omnipresent piece of gum.

 


"Cassie!"

 

Cassie ran and jumped into Nick's arms, and everyone could see that the two troubled souls had found each other.

 

"How are you, kiddo?" Nick asked, his hazel eyes checking her over carefully.

 

"I'm great! Are you ready for me?" she teased.

 

Linda smiled at them. "I've got her bags in my car."

 

"I'll get them, Nicky," Grissom volunteered quickly.

 

Nick shot him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Gris. I'm gonna introduce Cassie around."

 

Grissom watched them as they disappeared down the hallway, unaware of the fact that he was staring wistfully.

 

 

Out in the parking lot, Grissom was aware of Linda's amused regard. "Linda?"

 

The social worker smirked at him. "How long have you liked Nick?"

 

Grissom winced and pulled out the two bags. "Am I that obvious?"

 

"To everybody but Nick, apparently."

 

"That's because Nick is straight," Grissom said evenly.

 

This made Linda laugh. "Oh, huh! I didn't know that," she said as she followed Grissom into the building.

 

Abruptly, Grissom's brain made the connection and he stopped dead in the hallway and spun around to look at her. "He's not?"

 

She just smiled and moved around him down the hallway, leaving the stunned man staring after her.

 

"Gil, don't you think the pink suitcases are overkill?" came Jim Brass's voice from behind him.

 

Grissom turned back around and stared at Jim for a long moment, then the words registered and he laughed and grabbed the suitcases. "Cassie's here. I'm just taking her stuff to my office."

 

Jim nodded, following his friend into his office. "So, Stokes is taking some time off to get her settled?"

 

Gil nodded. "Yeah, he's taking a week. She's already in the same school, so that's one thing they don't need to figure out."

 

"Ah, the morning routine. Get them up, listen to them whine about getting up. Make a healthy lunch that you know they're going to trade off at school, making sure that their socks match and that they didn't take that shirt out of the dirty clothes, make sure that they're actually doing their homework and that they remember to bring home their sweater and lunchbox," Jim stopped and smiled, "I actually kind of miss that part. Gloria worked and I had second shift so I was in charge of the mornings. We had it down to a routine."

 

Grissom shot Brass a smile at the humorous recitation. "Children thrive on routine."

 

Brass snorted. "I think Cassie and Nick will do fine."

 

"I know they will," Grissom said as he placed Cassie's suitcases into the corner.

 

 

**

 

 

Nick puttered around the kitchen, making hamburgers and french fries. "Do you want a bun?" he asked Cassie who was doing her homework at the bar. The situation was so normal, that it hit Nick in the heart.

 

"Uh uh. Do you have pickles?" she asked as she finished up her spelling sentences.

 

Nick smiled. "Yeah, we've got pickles."

 

"Okay. So Ms. Flores said that you were bi. Are you dating anyone?"

 

Still coughing, Nick wiped up the ice tea he'd just spit all over after this little bombshell of a question. "Um, no I'm not dating anyone, right now," he eyed her for a moment but didn't see anything but normal curiosity. "You don't mind do you?"

 

Cassie looked up at him, crayon poised in her hand. "Mind what?"

 

"Um," Nick gestured nervously with the spatula, "mind that I like men, too?"

 

The little girl snorted. "My parents had marijuana growing in the house, Nick. They taught us to be very open minded about people."

 

"Ah," Nick said. "Just so you know, I don't approve of marijuana. You know, since I work for the police and stuff."  He didn't want to criticize her parents, but wanted her to understand why he felt the way he did.

 

She smiled and shrugged. "That's okay, they didn't want us to use it either. Mom said it was more for cancer patients than recreational use."

 

A little taken aback, Nick could only shake his head. His parents were in law enforcement, so he guessed his outlook would be different than Cassie's. Just another thing to think about.

 

"I liked Mr. Grissom," Cassie said brightly as she stuffed her papers back into her folder. "His office is so cool, and I liked his cockroaches and tarantulas."

 

Nick chuckled. He wondered if Gris would mind if he was considered 'cool'. Somehow he didn't think so. "Yeah, he's a good man."

 

"So, you like him?" Cassie asked as she sat at the table.

 

"Cassie!"

 

She grinned. "I'm just askin'."

 

"Well, stop it and let's eat."

 

**

 

2 Months later-

 

Nick looked at his watch and groaned. Cassie was due to be home in an hour and he was still finishing up testifying. Right now the court was in recess, but he needed to figure something out for Cassie. He stood. Lost in thought for a long moment, then pulled out his cell and dialed.

 

Grissom glared peevishly at his phone. Damn it, he was supposed to be off. It rang again and he sighed and picked it up. "Grissom."

 

"Gris, it's Nick. Man, I'm sorry to bug you on your day off."

 

"What's up, Nicky?" Grissom asked curiously.

 

"Well, I'm stuck at the courthouse for another couple of hours..."

 

Enlightenment. "You want me to be there when Cassie gets home?" Grissom was actually flattered that Nick asked him.

 

"Yeah, is that a problem?"

 

Grissom stood and grabbed his keys while toeing on his shoes. "Nope, I've got a key. What time does she get home?"

 

Nick glanced at his watch. "Um, about ten after four."

 

"I'll be there, don't worry about it, Nicky."

 

Nick let out a huge sigh of relief. He was pretty uptight about not being there, but there was no one he trusted more than his boss. "Thanks, Gris. She gets a snack, I try to keep it healthy. And she needs to work on her homework, she usually does it at the bar..."

 

"Nick, Nick!" Grissom broke into Nick's babbling. "I've got it, I m sure that Cassie and I can muddle along."

 

A sheepish 'Thanks' was his reward before the men hung up.

 

*

 

Cassie chattered to her friend, then waved as she turned off the road to head up to Nick's house. She frowned as she saw a car she didn't recognize in the driveway, and stopped uncertainly in the middle of the sidewalk. Then the door opened and she smiled.

 

"Mr. Grissom! Hi, what are you doing here?"

 

The happiness on Cassie's face actually made Grissom's heart squeeze. The uncomplicated love of a child. What a rush. "Hey, Cassie. Nick got tied up at court and he asked me to be here when you got home."

 

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I'm not a baby. I would've been okay until he got home," she said as she followed him into the house, dumping her bookbag onto the counter beside her before she sat down, her tanned legs swinging back and forth as she stared frankly at Grissom.

 

Grissom smiled as he pulled out some Sunny D and poured it. "He knows you're not a baby. He's just being careful." He set the cup down in front of her and rested his elbows on the bar, his blue eyes serious. "You know better than most that there are bad people out there."

 

Cassie took a drink, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "I know."

 

Now Grissom was horrified with himself. "I'm so sorry, Cassie. I didn't mean to make you sad!"

 

"I'm not sad. I'm wibble wobbly," she replied a little unsteadily and wiped her cheeks with her hands.

 

"Wibble wobbly? I don't' think I've ever heard of that," Grissom said quietly as he handed over his handkerchief.

 

She flapped her hands. "You know, sad and happy at the same time. Sad that my family died, and happy that Nick's gonna be my dad. You know, wibble wobbly."

 

"Ah," Grissom said knowledgeably. "Wibble wobbly."

 

Cassie laughed at him, and then let him help her with her homework.

 

**

 

Nick opened the door and had to smile at the sight that met his eyes. Grissom was seated Indian style on the floor, eyeing the Monopoly board seriously while Cassie moved her piece. When she squealed and snatched the money out of the middle, the older man groaned.

 

"Well, looks like you guys have been having fun," Nick said warmly.

 

Grissom looked up and smiled. "Hey, did we have fun at court?"

 

Cassie got up and gave Nick a noisy kiss while he hung up his suit jacket over a bar chair and grabbed a beer from the fridge.

 

"Um, no. But the guy was put away so it was a success." Nick sipped his beer and tilted his head to listen to Cassie's question.

 

Now, Grissom had had two months to talk himself out of approaching Nick once he found out the younger man was bi-sexual. He was too old, Nick was still recovering from his ordeal, and he had Cassie to get settled in...but one look at Nick and Cassie together made him wish that this family was his, and his heart hurt.

 

"Gris?" 

 

Snapping back to reality, Grissom looked up to see Nick watching him in concern.

 

"You okay, man?"

 

'Not really, because I'm a big fat coward'. "Yes, I'm fine," Gil lied as he pushed to his feet. "I need to get going, though."

 

"No! Nick, can Mr. Grissom eat dinner with us? I want to finish beating him at Monopoly," Cassie asked.

 

Nick smiled at Grissom. "It's not fancy, I'm just making tacos, but I'd like you to stay."

 

Every moment Grissom spent with this family, he fell more in love, and he made a decision. After dinner, with dishes put away and Cassie in bed, Nick and Grissom were on the back porch, drinking beer in companionable silence.

 

"So, um, Nicky..." he began uncomfortably. Good god, he was so bad at this...

 

Nick turned his seat to face his boss. "Gris?"

 

Taking a deep breath, Gil plunged. "Would you go out to dinner with me, sometime?"

 

Surprised, Nick froze with the beer halfway to his mouth. "What?"

 

Grissom was feeling a bit amused, now that the hard part was over. "You know, dinner? The evening meal where people eat?" he teased gently.

 

Nick was quiet long enough for butterflies of unease to unfurl in Gil's stomach. "Bad idea, huh?"

 

Nick's head came up, eyes wide. "No! It's just, I never..." he made an impatient sound and plopped his beer on the deck before getting up and kneeling between Grissom's legs. He ran his hands up the jean clad legs, enjoying the shudder before he cupped Grissom's face, enjoying the softness of the older man's beard. "Oh yeah, I'd love to have dinner with you," and he pressed his lips to Grissom's.

 

"So, are you going out?" Cassie's impish voice asked from the sliding glass door, and Nick groaned softly into Grissom's mouth before leaning back to eye his daughter narrowly.

 

"What are you doing up?"

 

She smiled widely, using her (what Nick had privately termed) 'Bambi' eyes. "I had to know!"

 

Grissom chuckled quietly. "We're going to take it slowly, Cassie."

 

"Okay, going to bed now! Good night, Mr. Grissom! Good night, dad!" and she disappeared into the house.

 

Grissom heard Nick's hitch when Cassie had called him 'Dad', and he hugged him briefly when the sliding glass door shut. "You are, you know. You're her dad in every way that counts."

 

Nick nodded, though he could feel himself shaking, what with Grissom's presence and Cassie's declaration. "Just don't let me screw this up," he muttered.

 

Grissom placed a sweet kiss on Nick's cheek. "Never," and he held on tight.

 

 

**

 

The future-

 

Cassie sat on the floor and remembered that night when she knew she was going to be part of a new family. She passed the card with its copy of their first official family picture over to her husband, her tear brightened eyes going to her dad, Nick. "Thanks, dad."

 

Nick smiled at her, then looked at his partner. "It was no problem. Your father loves messing with the computer," he signed what he'd said at the same time, and Grissom smiled.

 

"We love you, Cassie," Grissom said. His mind flashed over past events, from when he'd hired Nick as a brand new CSI, to when he'd rescued him from being buried alive, to when Nick had tenaciously not given up and found Cassie, to Nick and his adoption of their wonderful, marvelous daughter, to her graduation from Berkeley, to giving her away at her wedding, to the news that they'd received tonight that they were going to be grandfather's for the first time...

 

Cassie smiled and held up her hand in the internationally known sign of 'I love you'.

***