Chapter 2
Chapter List
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April
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Greg finished rinsing the last bowl and placed it into one of two practically over-filled dishwashers. He heard his mother walk into the room but ignored her for a moment as he shut the washer door and turned it on. He turned to her once the task was completed and asked, "Where is he?"
Jan laughed and leaned against the island, "He is upstairs with your grandfather, attempting to get him to jump on the bed with him."
Greg groaned, "Dear God, that can only end badly."
"It's your fault for doing things he wanted to do, you know. It makes him act younger than he should."
"You don't think he's actually going to attempt it, do you?" Greg asked, ignoring his mother's jibe. It still pissed her off that he had taken up surfing in high school, something that had made his grandfather somewhat jealous, and she wasn't one to let any sort of grudge go.
"I hope..." A thump and a wild string of Norwegian had both Greg and Jan staring up at the ceiling in resignation, "Not." She finished. Jan shook her head and looked back at her son, "Listen. Your father is taking us out to eat. Well, he will be as soon as we get dad moving again."
Greg groaned again, this time in unhappiness, "Aw, mom, do we really have to go?"
"You're not invited."
"What? Why not?"
Jan stared at her son for a moment, not sure how to take Greg's sudden shift in attitude, "Do you really want to go?"
"Um, no, no I don't." Greg said, shaking his head wildly. If his dad was taking them out, then it was most likely to a casino. His parents and grandparents didn't do much by way of gambling, but they did enjoy the shows, "Maybe I'll take Elijah to a movie or something. You guys have fun."
Jan nodded and went upstairs, leaving Greg alone in the kitchen. He started scanning through the newspaper that was on the kitchen table, left over from that morning, looking for a movie that his son would be able to watch. He had just reached the movies page when his cell phone went off. He reached over to grab it, flipping it open without even glancing at the caller ID, "Sanders."
//Greg? It's Nick.//
Greg smiled, "Hey man, what's up?"
//I was just wondering if you had any plans tonight?//
Greg shrugged to himself, "No, not really. Was thinking about taking Elijah to the movies since my family is going out. You want to tag along?"
There was a pause//What movie?//
Greg looked down at the paper and scanned the titles, "Either Ice Age or Snowdogs. Only two playing that are age appropriate."
//Why not? What time?//
"Uhm, I don't know. Are you working tonight?" Greg asked, scratching the bridge of his nose. He was trying like the dickens not to just give in and cheer that Nick was going to go along. This past weekend had given him much hope into starting something with the extremely sexy Texan and any opportunity to spend time with him was welcome with wide open arms.
//Nah. I've got the night off and I'm not on call for a change. So whenever you want to go.//
"Well," Greg glanced at the clock, "It's six now so how about we meet for seven? Unlike you, I do have to work tonight and Star Time is over there. You can take Eli home for me."
//Is that the one just down the road from the lab?// Nick asked.
"Yeah."
//Okay, that works. Have you and Elijah eaten dinner yet? We could go somewhere before hand?//
Greg almost dropped the phone in shock, "I, uh, sure. We haven't eaten yet. Any place in mind?"
//McDonald's?//
"Okay. Fifteen minutes?"
//Sounds good.//
Greg snapped his phone shut and let it drop to the table. He stared at it a moment with a silly grin on his face before turning and heading upstairs, using the main staircase for a change. When he reached Elijah's room, the rest of his family was no where in sight, but he did hear a couple of doors shut from the rooms across the entryway.
He peaked in at Elijah and smiled when he saw him hanging half off of his bed and waving his toy flashlight at the glow-stars attached to his ceiling, "Hey sproglet."
Elijah looked at Greg from his upside down position and smiled, "hi daddy."
"You wanna go see a movie with Nick?" His son was always up for outings, but he injected Nick's name in just in case. His son had an unusual attachment to the man, one he was grateful for but wary of at the same time.
"yeah!" Elijah turned over onto his stomach and slithered onto the floor, pulling his sweat pants halfway down his legs in the process.
Greg stood him upright and tugged the pants the rest of the way off. After checking Elijah's pull-up, he grabbed a pair of jeans out of the closet and quickly dressed the bouncing three-year-old. After mentioning to his mom where they were going and that he was going to work right after, in case Nick and Elijah got back to the house before them, they were off.
Greg's left leg started to bounce about five minutes from the fast-food restaurant and he began to wonder how he was going to make it through this. It was closer to a date type scenario than he was particularly comfortable with, especially since he didn't know what Nick was thinking of this as. By the time they parked in the parking lot and Greg had Elijah out of the car, he was a nervous wreck. He managed a calm facade for his son, who picked up on his emotions easier than he would prefer, but inside he was shaking like a leaf.
Nick was waiting for them at the doors and Greg followed him inside, holding tight to Elijah's hand to keep from losing him to the play-room before they had eaten. Nick took their orders and went up to the counter while Greg went to find a place to sit. With it being just after six, the restaurant was fairly full and the lab-rat was lucky to find a small table inside the play-room itself.
He sat on the outside, blocking in the toddler, who was leaning around his dad and staring at the indoor playground with wide, brown eyes. Nick joined them less than ten minutes later and passed out the food, "What movie did you decide on?" Nick asked, after taking a bite of his sandwich.
Greg shrugged, "Ice Age. It looks better than the other if the advertisements are anything to go by."
Nick nodded and looked at Elijah, who was inhaling his fries faster than a vacuum, "Can he make it through a full movie?"
"Uhm, sure?" Greg laughed at the look on Nick's face, "Relax man. Ice Age has been out for about a month now. There aren't going to be that many people there that he can annoy if he gets bouncy. Especially since it's playing on two screens at Star Time." He took a bite of his burger and then looked at Elijah when the toddler tugged on his sleeve, "Yes?" he drawled out, lengthening the word.
"done. I pway?"
Greg looked at the mess in front of Elijah. He had managed to eat most of the fries and two of the four chicken nuggets. Certainly not enough to fill the toddler, but Greg was planning on buying popcorn at the theater anyway, "All right." He stood up and let Elijah scramble past.
He followed Elijah over to the padded mat that covered the floor and removed Elijah's shoes, slotting them in one of the shoe holders before returning to the table. He and Nick talked about work mainly after being left alone, a safe topic in Greg's mind. He was still unsure of what was going on and it wasn't helping that Nick kept smiling broadly at him, revealing his amazing dimples.
"There's one thing I'm curious about. I meant to ask about it Sunday, but it slipped my mind."
Greg raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of his soda, "Okay?"
"Why do you call your grandmother 'nana Olaf' when her name is Krista?"
"That's...the first time someone ever asked me that." Greg said, eyebrows drawing together in thought, "I don't know. It's just something I've always done. I think it's because when I was Eli's age, Olaf was easier for me to say then Krista. Instead of saying papa Olaf and nana Krista, I just went with papa and nana Olaf. It kinda stuck after that."
Nick tossed his empty fry container onto the tray, "Makes sense."
They managed to pull Elijah away from the playground about twenty minutes later, which left them with enough time to just walk down to the theater. The wait in the ticket line was short and Nick bought three tickets for the show before Greg even had time to pull out his wallet. He just shook his head and turned to the candy counter while trying to pull his wallet from his back pocket and keep a decent hold on Elijah, who was sitting on his hip, at the same time.
He almost had a grip on the errant leather tri-fold when Nick dropped a hand on his shoulder, "I'll get the snacks, G."
Greg looked at Nick, a lost expression trying to make its way onto his face, "Nick..."
"Don't worry about it." Nick said, smiling.
Greg shook his head again and followed Nick into line, deciding it would be a better choice to try and keep a grip on a squirming Elijah then argue with Nick over who was going to buy the food. When their turn at the counter came, Nick ordered his soda and a jumbo popcorn, making Greg's choices smaller, figuring Nick ordered that for all of them instead of just himself, "A large root beer, a small Sprite, a bag of Reese's Pieces and a box of cookie dough." Greg said, before stepping away. If Nick was going to buy, he could carry.
They walked into the room, which was as empty as Greg had predicted, leaving them with a myriad of choices on where to sit. Both men shrugged at each other before Nick took the lead and led the way down to the fourth row from the back, seating them in the very middle. Greg almost placed Elijah in between himself and Nick, but that would leave them with either he or the Texan reaching over the small toddler for the popcorn, a sure way to obstruct Elijah's view.
Instead, he dropped into the seat beside Nick and just left Elijah on his lap. When the movie started, Nick shifted and Greg had to stifle a gasp as a knee settled against his own. He tapped his fingers against Elijah's leg while wondering what to do about the knee. Giving up, he just flexed his leg enough to bump Nick's knee.
Nick bumped him back and it escalated into a war of who could knock the others knee the furthest away, until Elijah twisted around and glared at them. Both men whispered 'sorry' to the toddler and Nick tapped his knee softly against Greg's again shortly after. This time, Greg ignored him and Nick's knee stayed pressed firmly against his.
Greg reached for his soda to take a drink when he heard Nick yawn next to him. He paused with the straw halfway to his mouth and wondered if Nick was actually going to pull the clichéd move. When the presence of an arm appeared behind his neck, he realized that Nick had indeed planned to pull the move. He sighed mentally and just decided to go with the flow, leaning into Nick while hoping he wasn't being too obvious about it.
When they reached the half way point of the movie, both men were steadily chomping away on the dwindling amount of popcorn. Greg figured this time he would be the one to pull the clichéd movie-date move and he knew he'd have to time it just right. He watched Nick from the corner of his eye as he slowed down on grabbing for the popcorn, making sure that the older man wouldn't notice.
He didn't and Greg started to time his reaching with Nicks, making sure that he was just a bit off from the grasping fingers. Finally, he let his timing slip just a bit so his hand was still in the bucket when Nick's went in. He bit the inside of his cheek when Nick jumped at the unexpected contact and he finally smiled when Nick glanced at him before taking hold of his hand.
It was an awkward position for Nick, who was reaching across himself with his left hand as his right was still behind Greg's neck on the back of the chair, but for a few minutes, neither did anything to change it. Finally, Nick dropped his hand and pulled his own from the bucket. Greg was slightly grateful, as his fingers were starting to get uncomfortably greasy, but he was also a bit upset that the hand-holding hadn't lasted all that long.
That was, until Nick's hand dropped to his shoulder. Greg gasped out loud and whipped his head around to look at Nick. Nick gave him a broad, dimpled grin again and Greg smiled in response as the fingers curled around his shoulder tightened. He couldn't believe Nick was blatantly flirting with him like this. While he'd be the first to admit that they did do their share of flirting while at work, it was usually subtle and instigated by himself, not Nick.
While they were having their flirt-fest, Elijah had lost interest in the movie and was finding watching his father and his friend much more entertaining.
At the latest move, he piped up while looking at Nick, "daddy 'ikes you."
Greg blushed and looked down at his son, "Elijah, we've been over this. Daddy likes everyone at work."
Elijah shrugged and grinned as he rubbed his nose, "'ike nicky mostest!" he said with a giggle and leaned back against Greg's chest, turning his attention back to the movie.
Greg looked at Nick again and gave a nervous laugh before clearing his throat and turning his attention to the movie as well, trying to ignore the quiet chuckles that were causing the chest he was leaning against to shake.
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Greg sighed as Warrick walked out of his lab. Despite what Warrick had just said, he really didn't have anything to do with the stuff printed up in the newsletter. He had just distributed them, even though he knew that over half of what was written in the article was completely false.
He stood up and dropped his magazine on to the counter before heading out and down to the room Nick had ensconced himself in since his return from the scene. Hopefully, Nick would let him explain before jumping all over his ass about the falsified paper.
He knocked on the open door, "Heard you were looking for me?"
Nick raised his head and looked over at him, "Greg, come here. I want to talk to you for a sec." Greg hesitated. That so did not sound good, but he chose not to say anything when Nick noticed his hesitation, "C'mon." Nick continued, waving his hand to get him to move closer.
Greg walked up to Nick, pausing less then a foot away. This whole situation was weird. Between the last few days, the newsletter, and how Nick was acting now, he wasn't sure how to handle himself, "What's up?"
Nick threw an arm around Greg and his fingers clasped the t-shirt, lab coat and some of the skin at the crease of his neck and shoulder. He tugged Greg over till their heads were inches apart and said, "Stop invading my privacy, man. I don't like it. I'm just trying to do my job around here. I don't need the extra attention."
Greg nodded a bit as his eyes started to widen. That certainly sounded like any headway they had made towards a relationship this past weekend and prior few days had fallen back a few steps further than they had been previously, "Okay b-but, I mean, you are the one who's doing the Forensic Spotlight i-in the d-department newsletter." He replied. Nick's grip had tightened as Greg spoke, causing Greg's eyes to narrow into slits and his words to stutter slightly as pain erupted from his shoulder. His reply was made in hope to divert the blame away from him. He really didn't have anything to do with them before the printing. If only he could figure out how to explain that to Nick.
Nick dragged him a bit closer and lowered his voice slightly, "I didn't do anything, man. Someone from the community wrote a letter of commendation. Public affairs ran it. Cool?"
"Cool." Greg replied with another nod. Anything to be let go of. He was going to have a bruise on his shoulder for sure after this. Nick nodded as well, dropped his arm, and walked around the tank while patting Greg on the back. Greg looked down through the smoke in the fume hood, "So, uh, what are you fuming?"
"Plastic bag from the crime scene. I'm trying to get lucky, see if I can get any prints off it." Nick said, as he pulled the top of the hood open a bit and started fanning away the fumes with his metal clipboard.
Greg narrowed his eyes and dipped his head a bit as he looked into the case, "Did she die of suffocation?" He asked as he caught sight of the bag. He looked up after a few seconds to see Nick staring at him, a look of surprise on the Texans face. He glanced down at the tank in emphasis and then looked back up.
He then felt a bit of a surprise himself when Nick's eyes widened slightly and he stepped back around the fume tank to his side. Both men gazed down at the bag silently, taking in the imprint of Jane Galloway's screaming face.
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Greg sat on the couch in the living room Sunday afternoon. He had chosen this room because it was the one room Elijah didn't like to enter. It was just too boring for the active three-year-old. His parents, who had decided to stay on another week after Greg had come home practically in tears that morning, were entertaining their grandson up in the play room as well as making dinner, allowing Greg to be alone with his thoughts.
Nick had been stalked, Nick had been thrown out of a second story window, Nick had almost died twice because of some stupid asshole who had a problem. Those were the three main topics replaying over and over again in his mind like some sort of broken record.
He brought his legs up and rested his forehead on his knees. He always thought that CSI's had the safer of the job when it came to police work. Then again, he should have realized that they really didn't when just after he started, the CSI that Sara had replaced had been killed followed by another time when a gun had been held at Nick's face.
Greg let his legs drop back down to the floor as he sighed, before standing up and stretching. He grabbed his coffee off the table and walked behind the couch and into a round off-set of the living room that made up entirely of doors. It held a small baby grand piano of his aunts as well as a few other miscellaneous instruments that they had collected over the years. Greg had added his three guitars; one acoustic, one electric, and the third, an autographed bass; to the collection just after he had moved in and unpacked them.
Right now though, his attention was aimed at the piano. He hadn't played in a long while, not since before his aunt and uncle had died, but he figured it wouldn't be that hard to pick it up again and it helped that it always seemed to have had a calming effect with him.
He set down his drink on the provided coaster bar and lifted the padded seat of the bench. Greg shuffled through the music before he found a relatively easy and melodic piece that he remembered playing years ago. He sat down and did a quick scale, testing his own skills as well as checking to see if the piano was still in tune. Then he started playing.
It was almost soothing. In fact, with the piece he had chosen and the effort he had to put into it, he could actually feel some of his pain leaving him. When he reached the lighter part of the song, which was also a bit easier, his thoughts began to coalesce. He straightened and faltered on the keys as one main thought struck him. He was in love with Nick. He dropped his hands to the bench and stared straight ahead without looking at anything in particular as he tried to decipher just when that had happened.
"That was some good playing, G, but it doesn't sound finished."
Greg jumped and whirled around on the bench as far as he could. Nick was standing in the doorway closest to the front steps, the one door he had unlocked and cracked open to let some air circulate around the room, "Nick." He said, his eyes widening.
"Finish the song Greg." Nick said, stepping into the music room. He paused and then with an apologetic look to Greg, who just waved it off, he shut the door behind himself and locked it. He knew the rest of the doors were locked so he sat down on the bench next to Greg and looked over the music, humming the familiar tune as his eyes followed the notes, "Well?"
"Er, right. Sorry." Greg found a good spot to start from and took off again, trying to ignore Nick's presence long enough to finish. Soon, though not nearly soon enough, the song ended.
"I'm impressed G. I didn't know you could play the piano, let alone The Phantom of the Opera."
Greg shrugged, "I haven't in a long time and this piece sounds better with the rest of the orchestra behind it."
Nick frowned and looked at Greg, "Still good though. Look," He looked down for a moment as if collecting his thoughts, "I want to apologize for Wednesday." He covered Greg's mouth as he opened it to say something, "Just shut up for a minute. I shouldn't have jumped on you like that. It was that girl who works trace on swing shift that made all that stuff up. I'm sorry for blaming you."
Greg pulled Nicks hand from his mouth but didn't let go of it, "I shouldn't have spread it around though." He looked down at their hands, taking in the different size and textures between them, "So if you're apologizing, so should I."
"Greg..."
Greg looked up and his breath caught at Nick's face being so near. There was barely an inch of space between them and he wondered briefly which of them had moved before Nick closed the space and pressed his lips to Greg's.
Greg exhaled through his nose and shifted closer, his free hand rising to wrap carefully around Nick's neck and shoulders, mindful of the bruises covering his back and the bandaged arm and shoulder.
As they pulled apart for air, Nick kissed his cheek and forehead before resting his head against Greg's, "Been wanting to do that since last weekend."
"Mm, me too." Greg nuzzled his head into Nick's neck.
They stayed in that position for a few moments before an amused voice cut through the serene atmosphere, "Boys, dinner is ready. Should I set another place for Nick?"
They pulled apart slowly and looked over at Jan, "Yeah, mom, that sounds good." Greg replied, and smiled at Nick.
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TBC...
Chapter 3