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Title: Up in Smoke
Chapter: 9/?
Rating: PG13
Genres: angst, romance, drama
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: Not mine… Though a girl can dream...
Summary: Action is taken.
A/N: I’m really sorry that this took so long to get out. The day after I posted 8, I went to Warp Tour. There was a small tornado (literally) and most of the stages were destroyed. Warp let everyone from that show go to another one. So, I ended up working on all 3 of my days off so I could get Wednesday off to go to Warped (it was so worth it though, I got to meet my favorite band!).
Now I have some good news and bad news. Good news first, because y'all have been so patient here is an extra long chapter! Bad news, I won’t be able to post CH 10 for at least 10 days. I’m going out of town and will have no internet access.
NOW BETA'D! Thanx jayceepat!
OK now here it is! Read, Review, Enjoy! 8)
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x
Nick woke up early in the afternoon.. He was surprised to find himself alone in bed. He looked around the sparsely decorated room for the clock, spotting it on top of the TV, in easy view of the bed. Greg would have to get up to turn it off. Nick smiled; Greg had told him how difficult it was for him to wake up in the morning.
It was only 4.00 pm. They hadn’t managed to get to sleep until 10.00am. They should have had at least a few more hours of sleep. The longer the better. Being a CSI had taught Nick to get as much sleep as possible whenever given the chance.
His hours may have been 12AM-10AM but 75 of the time, he was called in early and worked late. The city gave them a maximum of 55 overtime hours a month; usually everyone on the team was maxed-out before the month was over. Sara and Greg were usually maxed-out half way through the month. Greg was still learning and jumped at any chance to learn or practice his skills. Sara had no life.
Nick climbed out of bed. He slowly stretched before pulling his pants back on and going is search of Greg.
It had taken Nick nearly an hour to get Greg calm enough to fall asleep last night.
After Nick had agreed to stay the night, they had climbed into bed and settled in for the night. Greg had settled as far from Nick as possible as if afraid that a touch would send Nick bolting.
After ten minutes of watching Greg struggle to resist the urge to rollover or move, at all, Nick had enough. He grabbed him by the waist and dragged him across the bed until they were laying next each other, hip to hip and shoulder to shoulder
“Relax; I’m not going to run screaming from the room if you touch me,” Nick said softly.
“I don’t want you to leave.” Greg’s voice was so soft Nick had to struggle to hear him.
“I’m not going anywhere,” He said reassuringly. “The only reason I was leaving before is I didn’t think I’d be able to resist you.”
Greg rolled onto his side and leaned up on his elbow, “I’m irresistible huh?” He smiled down at Nick.
Nick grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him down for a quick kiss, “Oh yeah.”
Nick wrapped his arms around Greg pulling him to rest against his chest. “Sleep.” He ordered and then began to tell Greg about a special he had just watched on animal planet a few days ago. He rubbed Greg’s back slowly as he described the efforts to save the Giant Catfish from extinction. After 45 minutes and a new topic, the mating habits of Sharks. Greg had fallen asleep and Nick had soon followed.
Now less than 6 hours later Greg was up and if the cold sheets told him anything, had been up for awhile.
Nick padded into the living room looking around for Greg. He spotted him sitting at the bar that separated the living room from the kitchen.
He was hunched over half a gallon of Ice cream and frowning. Nick tried to make noise as he walked over but still ended up frightening the troubled man. Greg jumped his frown deepening and eyes narrowing into a glare.
“I’m sorry G. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Nick apologized giving one shoulder a quick squeeze.
Greg sighed before forcing the frown from his face, “It’s ok I was thinking too hard. What are you doing up?”
“I was worried about you, how long have you been up?”
“Not long.” He sighed going back to staring at his melted ice cream
“Really?” Nick raised an eyebrow.
“Less than an hour.” Greg amended.
“You need to sleep.” Nick ruffled Greg’s hair loving the feeling of the soft strands running through his fingers.
“Yeah, well I needed ice cream more.” Greg responded in an irritated voice and tilted his head away from Nick.
“Come back to bed.” Nick asked ignoring Greg’s obvious bad mood.
“Don’t be offended by this Nick…” Greg spun around so he was facing Nick, “But I need to be alone right now.”
“Umm O.K.” Nick was slightly hurt but tried not to show it.
“This sounds incredibly selfish and rude but I don’t want you to leave just too… Just go away for a little while.” Greg bit his bottom lip and looked up at Nick with big pleading sad eyes. Nick could not say no.
“No worries G. I’ll go back to bed, you need me you know where to find me.” He gave Greg a bright smile and headed back toward the bedroom.
“I think I’m going to go for a jog.” Greg yelled after him.
“Alright,” Nick turned, “I’ll see you when you get back.”
“Yeah” Greg darted forward and gave him a quick and unexpected kiss before pulling on running shoes and heading out the door.
Nick smiled softly and continued on to the bedroom.
He wished Greg had not left. While Greg was there, he could focus on him; on trying to make him feel better. Now that he was gone, he began thinking of the promise he had made the night before.
A promise he did not think he would be able to keep.
Nick saw how much Greg was hurting and he hated that he would be hurting him more. He knew that if he broke Greg’s trust, especially now, Greg would never forgive him and most likely, never trust him again.
“Probably won’t ever trust anyone again.” Nick said to himself and punched a pillow in frustration.
On the other hand if he did not push this with Grissom, give him all the details, Bender could get away with it, he could molest another kid, another Greg. Nick didn’t think he could live with that.
As heartless as it sounded he could live without Greg. It would hurt like hell, he would miss the lovable ex lab tech, but he could survive it. What he could not live with was damaging Greg further. Hurting him and making him unable to trust anyone ever again. Making it impossible for him to find someone to settle down with and live a happy life. That he could not live with.
No matter what Nick did, someone ended up hurt. ‘Damned if I do, Damned if I don’t’
Nick sighed and picked up his cell phone, flicked it open, dialed Grissom's number and pressed send.
Before the call had a chance to connect, he closed the phone. The second he called Grissom his relationship with Greg was over.
He paused wishing he had more time, just a little more time. He didn’t though; it was now or never.
He hit redial and when Grissom answered, voice rough with sleep and irritation, Nick almost hung up again.
“Grissom, it’s Nick.” He paused not sure how to continue or if he should continue. “We need to talk.”
“Is everything alright” Grissom sounded worried and for some reason that surprised Nick.
“Yes…” He said slowly.
“…” Grissom’s silence told Nick he didn’t believe him.
“No. Everything is not alright.”
“What’s up Nick?” Grissom sounded more alert now. More like he did at a crime scene.
“Greg told me everything last night, then he made me promise not to tell you; but I can’t, not when it could get Bender off the street; when it could stop him from hurting another kid.”
“Alright.”
“But if I tell you, when I tell you, we’re going to lose Greg.” Nick hated having to do this. He didn’t want to hurt Greg but he had no choice.
“What do you mean lose Greg?” Grissom sounded alarmed and confused.
“He told me what Bender did to him. What his parents made him say and do.” Nick felt a sting of guilt. “He told me that everything in his life was spinning out of control and he had no one he could trust.” A lump developed in his throat when he remembered the way Greg had clung to him earlier that day, “I told him he could trust me Grissom and not 5 hours later I’m about to break that trust. What do you think I mean when I say we’ll be losing him?”
“Yet, despite that, you are still going to tell me.” Grissom sounded calm once more and Nick could hear papers rustling in the background. Nick was positive Grissom had used his slight tirade as a chance to get settled in his office.
“Yes I am.”
x
Gil Grissom’s many years of being a criminalist had desensitized him to many of the horrible things people could do to each other. Strangers killing strangers over miniscule amounts of money; lovers scorned seeking revenge of the deadliest sorts; serial killers and serial rapists. Almost nothing shocked him anymore.
Almost nothing. Every once in a while something snuck through his armor; like
seemingly loving parents renting out their children.
Like a mother, forcing her son to finish out a weekend stay after he admits to being molested.
Like a family profiting from the suffering of a kid…
Like a 35-year-old man doing anything remotely sexual with a 10-year-old boy.
While things like that snuck through his armor, they blasted through Nick’s.
Grissom wasn’t surprised that Nick had spilled Greg’s secret. Not when the man who had hurt Greg, who could still be hurting other kids, was free.
“Here is what we are going to do; I’m going to pass the case off to NY, before Greg has a chance to try and stop it.”
“O.K.”
Nick sounded weary and Grissom felt for him. “I won’t tell him you said anything. He’ll never know.”
“No, I’m not going to lie to him.” Nick sounded resolute and Grissom knew he was going to have to work to change Nick’s mind.
“Nick you said it yourself; we’ll lose him when he finds out.”
“I refuse to lie to him,” Nick snapped.
“Fine. Don’t lie to him; just don’t tell him right now.”
“What?”
“Catherine often tells me that there is a time and a place for things.” If the situation weren’t so serious, Grissom would have been amused that he was quoting Catherine. “Now is not the time to tell Greg. Tell him later when he isn’t as upset by the case, after he has recovered a bit from this latest blow.”
Nick was silent and for a moment, Grissom had thought he had hung up until he heard him breathing slowly into the phone.
“Nick, I think that if you tell him right now you won’t just lose him, you’ll break him.”
“I know that” Nick snapped his breathing speeding back up. He was quiet once more; the soft sound of his breath Grissom’s only clue he hadn’t hung up. “I’m sorry Gris… It’s just that not telling him is just lying passively… It’s what his parents did.”
“His parents whored him out. You are trying to help. The two are completely different.” Grissom said surprising himself with his angry tone.
“It just doesn’t feel right. He might forgive me for breaking my promise to him, but he won’t forgive me for lying.”
“Then we will have to make sure he never finds out.” Grissom said using his best ‘Boss’ voice; the one that always caused Nick to jump and do as he ordered.
He hoped it worked.
x
As a kid Greg’s favorite thing to do was run. Maybe it was because you didn’t need a lot of expensive equipment to do it. Maybe it was because running was about as athletically talented as he got. Maybe it was because he could run circles around all the football players in high school. However, it was probably because when he was running, he could forget everything else that was going on in his life.
He loved the burn of his muscles and his lungs as he pushed himself to the limit and beyond. He loved the tired shakiness after a long run that let him drift into a deep dreamless sleep. He loved the feeling of freedom and peace he got after an early morning run after shift. He loved seeing the other runners, male or female, scantily clad and sweaty.
Next to work, running was Greg’s favorite way to pass the time.
In high school, he joined the cross-country team, he hadn’t been the best in the state, but he had been good enough to get a scholarship to a prep school in his area. A prep school that, in turn, had helped him get his full scholarship to Stanford.
Running had changed his life. Probably saved his life, it kept him focused with his eye on the prize; a life independent of his parents.
He had continued running in college though not on any sort of team and it had been his break from studying and the drama of the dorms and later his flat-mates.
Even now, at 28, running was still a huge part of his life. It was his therapy.
He ran after tough cases, he ran when he was frustrated with his training, he ran when he was excited, he ran to keep his trim waistline.
All his coworkers at the lab, techs and CSI’s alike, thought that he was extremely unathletic. This was partially true. He had horrible hand eye coordination; he couldn’t throw, catch or kick a ball to save his life. Running was his little secret his private time.
At the moment, Greg was running to forget; to drive his body to exhaustion.
When his legs and lungs began to burn, in that not good way, Greg knew he had reached his limit, he slowed to a jog and then to a walk. By the time, he got to his front door he began to wonder if he would be able to make it to bed.
He snagged a bottle of water from the fridge and staggered toward the bedroom. He plopped down on the bed next to Nick who appeared to be studying the ceiling intently.
Greg felt a smile stretch across his face, “3,468.”
“What” Nick said a sleepy confused look on his face?
“There are 3468 of those little pointy-drip things on my ceiling.”
“You counted them?” Nick looked shocked.
“No.” Greg snorted. “I counted a square foot of them and then, based on the measurements of my room, I estimated the rest.”
“3,468.” Nick repeated the number a hint of a smile on his face.
“Yup”
Nick suddenly rolled over so he was half pinning Greg to the bed and leaned down for a kiss. It was quick and Nick pulled back in a hurry. “You’re all sweaty and you smell.” He declared wrinkling his nose.
“No shit Sherlock I just got back from a run.” Greg rolled his eyes.
“Go take a shower man.” Nick rolled of Greg plucking at his now damp shirt disgustedly.
“Can’t; too tired.”
“But you smell.”
“Think of this as practice for the next time you get a decomp” Greg smirked laughing silently at the look of outrage on Nick’s face.
“You don’t smell that bad” Though from the way he was wrinkling his nose you would thing he did.
“Awwww, thanks babe.” Greg smirked before rolling half way over and beginning to rub his sweaty hair and face against Nick shoulder and neck.
“Ewe Greg, sick now I have to shower… “Nick rolled out of the bed and headed toward the bathroom. He paused half way there turning around slowly a grin on his face. “Want me to help you shower? We could kill two birds with one stone.”
Greg blushed at the thought of a wet naked Nick. He knew Nick was joking… at least he thought he was joking…
“I was just kidding.” Nick said seeming to read the confusion on Greg’s face.
“I know…” Greg sat up on the edge of the bed. He studied his hands for a moment. “It’s just, despite my actions last night I want to take this slow.”
Nick moved to sit next to him on the bed. “We can go as slow as you need.”
“I haven’t done this kind of thing before…” Greg admitted looking up at Nick.
“Done wha- Oh… Ohhh. I’m glad you told me.” He squeezed Greg’s hand.
Greg was confused, he wasn’t even quite sure what he had meant but Nick seemed to know. “What exactly do you think I’ve told you?”
“That you’ve never, you know done itwith a guy,” Nick blushed.
Greg’s mouth fell open in shock and it took him a second to recover, “WHAT! No! I’ve done it. I’ve done it tons of times!” There was an awkward pause for a moment and Greg realized what he’d just shouted out. “No that’s not right what I mean is I’ve done it you know an uh normal number of times... and I’ve always used a condom. Not that I’ve been having sex with strangers or anything. I had at least gone on a date with all the men I slept with.”
“So you slept with them on the first date?” Nick’s mouth was twitching slightly.
“No… well sometimes but not always…Usually not…Most of the time not.” Greg nodded as if agreeing with himself.
Nick burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Greg asked relieved Nick wasn’t running out the door.
“You.”
“I’m glad you find my apparent slutiness funny.” Greg smiled.
“Relax G. I know you’re clean, we get tested every 3 months at work and the last testing was 3 weeks ago.”
“I could have slept with 5 guys since then.”
“Have you?”
“No.” Greg really didn’t know why he’d brought that up.
“Then why bring it up? You're clean right?”
“Yes! Of course I am.”
“So am I, I don’t care if you sleep with a ton of guys before me, as long as from now on it’s only me.”
“No worries there, I only want you.”
“Good we’re agreed then.” He leaned over for a sweaty kiss. “What did you mean earlier if it wasn’t about sex?”
“I’ve never done a relationship before.” Greg explained, “I’ve dated men and women, but I’ve never had a relationship.”
“Never,” Nick looked surprised.
“Never! Four dates is my limit. I want more than that with you, that’s why I want to take it slow. I don’t want to mess this up.” Greg wanted Nick to understand how serious he was about him. Despite how he had acted the night before he wanted more than sex from Nick.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you.”
The moment was suddenly getting to serious for Greg. “Why don’t you go shower I’ll hop in when you’re done, hopefully the feeling will have come back to my legs by then.”
Nick smiled understandingly before clapping Greg on the back and standing up and heading into the bathroom closing the door behind him.
Greg was damned lucky to have found someone like Nick. He was damn lucky to have found Nick.
He was gorgeous, a gay mans wet dream; tall, dark and handsome, with a toned body and eyes that melted you from the inside out.
He was also one of the kindest and most understanding people Greg had ever met. He never gave up on anyone, always believed the best in people and he forgave everyone. If Greg had inherited his Nana Olaf’s psychic abilities then Nick was an empath. He was able to empathize with everyone, victim and criminal alike. Nick also managed to come off as charming and caring, not condescending, while he did it.
He worked hard and was dedicated to his job; loyal to the lab and his coworkers.
He also liked Greg.
At that moment Nick came out of the shower with just a towel around his waist, water droplets still clinging to his chest and abs. Normally Greg would pounce right about now, and he, and his freshly showered mate, would have hot sweaty sex. They might not even make it to the bed…
However, this was not a normal situation; Greg was trying to take this slow, that meant no sex. Well, at least for now. He licked his lips and looked Nick up and down.
“That’s quite the look you’ve got on your face sunshine.” Nick smiled knowingly.
“Just admiring the view.” Greg leered.
“Well when you’re done, do you think you could loan me some clothes?”
Greg stood up on somewhat shaky legs and crossed the room bending over to a drawer that contained his sweats. He searched the drawer for a pair big enough for Nick. When he stood back up, he turned to find Nick standing directly behind him, a half smile on his face.
“Just admiring the view.”
Greg smiles fondly. Yup he is one lucky guy.
x
Nick is an Ass Hole.
A complete and utter Ass Hole.
He’s laughing and flirting with Greg; making plans with him about their relationship.
Not an hour ago, he broke his promise to Greg.
He was going to tell him…
He was planning to tell him...
Then he came in sweaty and smiling from his run and Nick just couldn’t do it.
He couldn’t lose this playful flirting.
Couldn’t lose those perfect soft lips, even though they taste salty with sweat.
Couldn’t lose those lingering looks.
Couldn’t lose the feeling that he is the luckiest guy on earth because he thinks he might have found the one.
He wasn’t ready to lose Greg.
So he smiles and flirts; he checks out Greg’s ass and all the while feels like the scum of the earth.
“We going in to work today?” Greg asks walking out of the bathroom a pair of low-slung jeans clinging dangerously to his hips and a towel hanging around his shoulders.
“Ummmm s’up to you…” nick mumbles once again ‘admiring the view’
Greg apparently decides to ignore his blatant staring, “I can’t sit around here all day I’ll go crazy. Besides we need to talk to Grissom.”
“We do? About what?” Nick asked nervously. He wouldn’t be able to go with Greg to talk with Grissom about not passing the case on, not when he knew it was already too late. He wasn’t that good an actor.
“Yes, I want to let him know about us. Not everyone else, just him. I know Grissom will be OK with it” Greg’s voice became muffled for a second while he pulled a shirt on over his head, “and if anyone finds out and reacts badly it will be good to have him on our side. Unless you really don’t want to?”
“No. No. That’s fine, I wanted to let him know eventually and the sooner the better.” Nick hastily agrees and tries not to look relieved.
“Good.” Greg smiled giving Nick a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out of the bedroom.
Nick was an Ass Hole.
x
Grissom got to the office early, 6 hours early, which was a bit much even for him.
However, he knew if he was going tot get a hold of his NY counter part and fax him copies of the file he was going to need to be early.
Grissom got the case file and picked up the phone dialing the NY number
“Taylor.” Mac answered on the second ring.
“Hi Mac, its Gil Grissom, from the Las Vegas Crime Lab.”
“Grissom, hello, how are you?”
“Good, yourself?”
“I’m doing well, How’s your team?”
“They’re doing well.”
“Good Good…. So what can I do for you?” Mac said cutting to the chase.
“I’ve got a case for you. The crime took place in NY and all three of the suspects are NY resident.”
“Fax us what you can overnight the rest.”
“I would appreciate it if you could be as discreet as possible.” Grissom requested.
“We always are. Is there something I should know?” Mac sounded intrigued.
“The victim is one of my CSI’s. He doesn’t know I’ve passed the case along, he just wants it to be dropped.” Grissom knew that Mac, as a supervisor, understood where he was coming from. The desire to protect his subordinate but at the same time, solve the case.
“Alright,” Mac said slowly, he probably hoped Grissom would give him more.
“You’ll understand better once you have read the report.” Grissom didn’t want to have to repeat the details even one more time, Mac would have to settle for the report.
“I’ll call you after I’ve finished reading it.”
“I’ll send it now.” Grissom hung up the phone and headed to the fax machine.
An hour later Grissom’s phone rang
“Grissom”
“I’ll handle the case myself.” Mac growled out, Grissom smiled; he’d known he would.
“Thank you.”
Mac let out a half hum, half grunt and then the line went dead.
Grissom smiled. Mac Taylor was on the case.
x
Nick and Greg headed over to Nicks apartment around eight so that Nick could get clean clothes and because Greg had no food; at least, none that Nick would eat..
Nick made a gigantic breakfast: omelets, bacon, toast and pancakes.
“Man Nicky I didn’t know you could cook.” Greg said as they climbed back into the truck and headed to the lab a few hours early.
“Only breakfast, do you think Gris is going to be there?”
“It’s almost 10 so yes, that’s when he normally gets in right?”
“Yeah, that’s about right.”
They argued over the radio station as they normally would if they were on their way to a scene.
By the time they pulled into the lab parking lot they were listening to an oldies station. It was the only station in Las Vegas they could both agree on. They both hated it, and were waiting for the other to break and ask for the channel to be changed. Most of the time neither one broke.
“You ready for this?” Greg questioned smiling brightly.
“Yeah let’s head in.” Nick smiled though his stomach was in knots.
x
“Hey Griss. Can we talk to you?” Greg asked from the doorway.
Grissom looked up from a cold case he was working on. “Sure come on in.” Greg and Nick both looked nervous and Grissom wasn’t quite sure why they were there.
Nick and Greg sat down on the other side of his desk. “What do you need?”
“We wanted to let you know that we, Nick and I, are umm” Greg stumbled blushing.
“We’re dating” Nick squeezed Greg’s hand a small smirk on his face.
“Congratulations” Grissom smiled glad that they were here for a happy reason.
“It won’t affect our work.” Greg added looking between Nick and Grissom pensively.
“I know it won’t and if it does you’ll hear about it.”
“Yes sir.” Nick and Greg rose and headed to the exit
“Greg,” Grissom called; he knew that he should talk to Greg about passing the case on as soon as possible. Though, he did hate to ruin the moment. “I’d like to discuss the Bender case with you.”
Greg froze in the doorway he shared a brief look with Nick before nodding and moving back into the room. Nick stood on the doorway for a second before heading out and shutting the door behind him.
“First of all, how are you doing?” Grissom asked.
“Truthfully? Horrible, I just want this to all be over.” Greg sent a pleading look his way. Grissom knew what Greg wanted him to say and do, but he couldn’t.
“Well it will be soon.”
“Really?”
Grissom knew what Greg wanted him to say and do, but he couldn’t. “Yes. I passed the case onto NY already and…”
“WHAT!” Greg jumped up out of the seat.
“I passed the case on.”
“Nick said you were going to wait for me before you did anything.” Greg began pacing back and forth across the room.
“I changed my mind.” Grissom said taking on an air of nonchalance.
“Don’t lie to me. Why?”
“I reread your statement. I don’t like the idea of letting Bender continue to roam the streets.”
“It wasn’t that bad," Greg mumbled looking at the floor.
“He made a 10 year old boy touch him intimately and watch him masturbate I think it’s pretty bad.”
Greg froze mid-step, "What did you say?” His voice was low and dangerous.
Grissom replayed the words in his head instantly spotting his mistake. “I said he made a 10 year old boy touch him intimately and help him masturbate. “
Greg’s jaw tightened he spun around and threw open the door.
Nick had better watch out.
x
In the last few days, Greg had been on an emotional roller coaster.
He’d been happy.
He’d be depressed.
He’d been scared.
He’d been confused.
He’d been hurt.
He’d been numb.
He’d been angry. Very angry.
Greg did not think he had ever been more angry in his entire life.
The focus of his rage? Nick fucking Stokes.
The second of hesitation before Grissom had “repeated” his words had given Greg all the answer he had needed. Nick had broken his promise.
Greg stormed through the crime lab in search of Nick. He spotted him sitting in the break room, a pensive look on his face.
He slammed the door to the room open startling Nick and the few members of swing shift in the room.
“Did you tell Grissom?” Greg demanded.
“W-what?” Nick stumbled out the look on his face giving him away.
“You heard me.” Greg snapped
“Yes.” Nick answered.
Greg slammed his fist down on the counter top.
“Uhhh we’ll leave you two alone.” A woman from swing shift said dragging her two curious coworkers behind her.
“I’m sorry” Nick reached for him but Greg stepped back.
“Shut up,” Greg ordered. “Don’t tell me you’re sorry. You’re not. “
“Yes, I am.”
“If you felt bad you never would have done it.” Greg turned his back to Nick, “When?”
“While you were out on your run,” Greg’s shoulders sagged at Nicks answer. “I do feel bad G. I didn’t want to tell him but I had to. I’m incredibly sorry.”
“Stop saying that. If you were sorry you would have told me.” Greg turned back around, “If you were sorry you wouldn’t have sat in my bed room joking around with me like nothing was wrong. If you were sorry you wouldn’t have let me walk in there,” He pointed toward Grissom’s office. “Without any clue what was going on.”
“I wanted to tell you.” Nick admitted.
“But?” Greg took a step toward Nick.
“You came back and you looked happy and I didn’t want to ruin that.”
“So you let me make a fool of myself in front of my boss? You let me sit there and talk about how I wanted to make this work?” Nick was silent and after a minute, Greg grew tired of his silence, “Well”
“What do you want me to say?” Nick was beginning to sound frustrated.
“I don’t know!” Greg snapped.
“I was going to tell you… Eventually, just not then.” Nick sent a penetrating glance his way, “I shouldn’t have promised you I would stay quiet.”
“Why?” Greg asked though he was already sure of the answer.
“Because Bender could hurt another kid, I couldn’t let that happen.” Nick’s voice took on a professional tone.
“This was all a case to you wasn’t it...” Greg felt like someone had sucker punched him.
“No Greg not at all.” Nick looked hurt by Greg’s accusation but Greg blocked it out.
“Yes it was… You used me to get what you wanted.” Greg paused swallowing the sudden heartache. “The second you had the chance you called Grissom and told him what I’d said.” Greg shook his head ruefully, “I can’t believe I was so stupid.”
“It wasn’t like that.” Nick pled.
“I don’t want to hear it. I need to get out of here. Tell Grissom I’m taking his offer up on the day off.” He turned and hurried out of the building, ignoring everyone and everything just focused on getting to his car and out of the parking lot.
He managed to make it a few miles from the crime lab before he had to pull over. His entire body was trembling and he felt nauseous. He rolled down the window breathing in the cool night air.
He was at a total loss. This last blow was just too much for him to handle. He just wanted it to all be over. He couldn’t handle it anymore. Every time he thought it couldn’t get any worse, fate proved him wrong.
He must have been a very bad person in a past life.
Every time he got his life back together, something destroyed it again. He couldn’t take it anymore. He didn’t have the strength to put himself back together. Not anymore, not alone.
Nick had promised to be there for him. Another broken promise, what did it matter anymore? Why bother to pick it all back up?
He was alone and he was tired, so tired.
His cell phone rang suddenly startling him from his morbid thoughts. Greg glanced at the caller ID ‘Papa Olaf,’ Greg let out a desperate giggle. That man always knew when he was feeling low.
“Hello Papa”
“What is going on my Boy?” Papa Olaf asked. He sounded very worried.
Hearing his grandfathers voice, the one man on earth who had always had Greg’s back was his undoing. A harsh sob forced its way out. “Everything’s a mess Papa.” He continued to sob for a minute before regaining slight control. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Hojem take a deep breath,” Greg did. “Good. Now why don’t you tell me what is going on.”
“My uh coworkers found out something about me” Greg said not quite sure what to tell his grandfather.
“What happened to you when you lived in New York?” Papa Olaf asked.
“What? How?” Greg was in shock. Papa Olaf had seemed aware that something bad had happened to Greg in New York, but he had never questioned him or even hinted that he knew.
“I’ve always known Hojem. I forced your mother to tell me. I decided to wait until you felt comfortable telling me yourself. I’d almost given up hope that day would come.” His grandfather suddenly sounded old and weary, Greg’s heart broke a little
“I’m sorry Papa… I’m so sorry… I wanted to leave but she made me stay…” Greg knew he was babbling but didn’t care, “they knew Papa.” He choked out, “they knew what he was going to do to me. What he’d done to me… “
“Oh Hojem.” Papa Olaf sounded so sad, but the use of his pet name gave Greg some comfort.
“My coworkers found out and they already passed the case on. They’re going to arrest Mom. I’m sorry Papa. I tried to stop him, to protect her, but it was too late.” Greg knew his grandfather would be upset. His mom was his only child, his last link to his long dead wife.
“Why are you apologizing my boy?” Papa Olaf sounded genuinely confused.
“I’m sending your only child to jail.” Greg explained, obviously his grandfather didn’t understand.
“I love my daughter Gregory, but if she did what you say she did then she deserves to go to jail, for a long time.” His grandfather paused and took a shaky breath “I should be the one apologizing, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, I should have insisted you stay in California with me. I’m sorry my boy, terribly sorry.”
“You helped me heal Papa, without you I don’t know what would have happened to me.” Greg owed his life to his grandfather.
“You’re strong Hojem, you didn’t need me.”
“I’m not strong Papa…” Greg whispered.
“What else is bothering you Gregory?”
“My best friend at work.”
“Nick?” Papa Olaf affirmed.
“Yes Nick. He was the lead CSI on the case, but I told him some things in friendship and he promised not to tell Grissom and he broke his promise.” Greg felt a fresh wave of anger roll through him.
“What things?”
“The truth, what happened to me.”
“You made him promise not to tell Mr. Grissom?” Papa sounded shocked.
“Yes…” Greg answered warily.
“Why would you make him promise such a thing?”
“I was trying to protect my parents. I just want to move on with my life” Greg defended.
“Gregory your mother is an adult. She must suffer the consequences of her actions; you don’t need to protect her.” Papa sounded frustrated a tone of voice Greg knew well.
“He still broke his promise.” Greg petulantly threw in, not ready to let Nick off the hook so quickly.
“A promise you must have known he would not be able to keep.” Papa argued. “Your Nick is an honorable fellow he would not have been able to stay silent, not when what he knew could get that monster off the streets.”
Greg had no response his grandfather was right though he didn’t want to admit it.
“You have told me many times how honorable and how strongly he believes in justice. You can not like those traits only when they suit you Hojem, that’s not fair to your young man.”
“He’s not my young man” Greg disagreed.
“If he’s not yet, he will be,” Papa Olaf chuckled.
“Papa!” Greg snapped outraged and slightly amused.
“Think about what I’ve said Hojem. I love you.” He hung up before Greg could get the last word.
“I hate it when he does that.”
He spent the rest of the day driving around aimlessly thinking about what Papa Olaf had to say. He didn’t want to go home half-afraid Nick would show up and half-afraid he wouldn’t.
Around 4 AM, he found himself parked in front of Nick’s house staring at the front door. His car was in the driveway so Greg knew he was home.
After a half hour of watching the house, he took a deep breath and climbed out of his car heading to the front door.
It was time to talk.
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A/N2: Hope you enjoyed that. I’ll be posting again around the end of August, unless by some miracle I manage to find an internet connection.
Review!