Disclaimer: I don't own CSI. I am just a humble fan and writer.

A/N: There is lots of drama in this one. A sort of A/U "what if" for the Snicker fans; What if Sara becomes pregnant with Nick's child and leaves Las Vegas? This ficlet shows takes place a little while after she has her child and comes back to Vegas. What will happen when she confronts her old team? Can she even confront them, especially Nick? Read on.

Ficlet 34 (ch.1): Returning Home

It was two years, five weeks and four days since she left the Las Vegas lab.

Now that she was coming back, she had no idea what she was going to say. They would have many questions. Especially about her daughter.

When she first found out she was expecting, Sara nearly fainted in disbelief. Two home pregnancies and a doctor's confirmation later made her come face to face with the fact the she was going to be a mother.

It was an overwhelming and stressful secret that nearly drove her to a mental breakdown. When she took her leave of absence she realized she needed time to think things over and deal with the fact that her daughter would have no father.

No father… Sara smiled scornfully. Emily did have a father; he just didn't know about it. How could he know? Sara never even told him. He wasn't there for Emily's birth, her first steps, her first words.

Sara felt tears running down her cheek as she remembered the terrible, lonely nights when she cried along with her daughter, unable to handle the pressures of being a new mother.

Despite everything, Sara felt blessed. When she looked into her daughter's eyes, she knew that it was worth it. Sara loved this baby girl more than words could say. The only thing she would've changed was telling him about it. If only to know how he would've reacted.

"Here you are ma'am. Las Vegas Police Department, North Trop Boulevard."

"Thank you."

Sara quickly paid the cab driver and grabbed her luggage from the trunk. It wasn't too heavy, so she hauled it into the building with relative ease.

"Hello… oh! Sara Sidle!"

"Hi Judy," she managed a smile to the bespectacled receptionist.

"I didn't know you were coming! My goodness, this is quite a surprise!"

"Is Nick around?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. The graveyard shift went out to celebrate this huge case. They're at

the diner. The usual place, I think they said."

"Thanks." Sara started to go.

"May I ask about that little girl with you?"

Sara turned around, and simply said, "She's my daughter. Good bye."

Judy was left with her mouth open.

The diner was warm and comforting but Sara still felt goose bumps on her arms and legs. She was nervous, scared, and sad all at the same time. They were all there. Nick, Catherine, Warrick, Greg. Well, almost all of them. She managed a small sigh of relief.

"Mommy, where are we?"

Sara looked down at her little girl. She didn't expect her to wake up already.

"We're in Vegas, sweetie. Remember I told you we were coming here for an important meeting?"

The little girl yawned, "Where's the white tiger?"

Sara kissed her on the cheek and smiled, "We'll see the tiger. I promise. Right now, I want to visit some old friends, so be a good girl and be on your best behavior."

Little Emily nodded.

Slipping into a booth, she let herself gaze at him. He still looked the same as ever. He had that same grin that made her knees go weak. His twinkling eyes and muscular physique reminded her of the one night they shared together. She felt her body ache as she recalled him practically dragging her to his bedroom. They didn't use protection, but at the time, she was feeling too good to care.

Sara started to feel depressed as different thoughts flew around in her head.

'What if he already has a girlfriend? I just got up and left for San Francisco with no warning. He probably hates me. They all probably hate me.'

She was starting to lose her nerve. Maybe coming back was not such a good idea.

"Mommy, can I have waffles?"

Sara swallowed the lump in her throat and scooped up Emily.

"Yeah. But the room service in our hotel makes them much better. Let's go."

She ducked out the door clutching the small girl close.

"Are you crying?"

Sara quickly sniffed, and hastily wiped away a few stray tears.

"No. I... I've just got something in my eye."

Once again, she was running away. She was always running away from things that confused and scared her. She knew it was stupid to be afraid of true love, but that was who she was. She had bad luck with love, and maybe her gut was telling her something.

""""""""

Their hotel room was nice and cozy, but all she could think about was Nick. She missed him, and she wondered if he even thought about her. It was almost six in the morning but Sara hardly slept at all. She looked over at her daughter. Smiling in her sleep like an angel. Sara sighed softly, and walked outside to the terrace.

She took out her cell and dialed his phone number, letting out a small breath when she heard his sleepy voice.

"Stokes."

"…."

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Hi Nick."

"Sara? Is that you?" He sounded wide awake now.

"Yes. I'm at the Excalibur."

"You're here!? In Vegas!?" His voice rose up a few decibels and she couldn't tell if he

was angry or just surprised.

"Yeah. I just got in, and I need to talk to you. Can you come over? I'd like you to meet someone."

"Who?" He sounded confused and apprehensive.

"Our daughter."

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Cue the dramatic music! Yes, I know it's kind of open ended but doesn't that makes it all the more angsty? Okay, okay, there will likely be a follow up to this but not too soon. Review and tell me what you think.