Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or anything to do with it.
Warning: This story contains adult languages, themes, and violence.
This first chapter starts the story's plot right away with a lot of information right off the bat. The following chapters will have twists, turns and all the angst imaginable.
Nick had absolutely no way of knowing that something like this was capable of actually happening to him. Sure he'd been through his fair share of awful moments and hellish days, but this really took the gold medal. He literally felt his heart stop beating for a few seconds and his lungs screamed for air that he was forgetting to give them. Everything around him seemed to start spinning extremely fast, and he didn't know how to stop it. All he could do was pray that it was a mistake and that this wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. Hed spent the last thirty years of his life telling himself it wasn't true and that it couldn't happen, but now it seemed like it was. And he knew that if in fact it was true, that it was going to be worse than just the case he was working. It would turn into something much bigger, something that had been waiting for thirty years to come out.
Nick stared at Wendy for several more moments before finally speaking. "What? Are you sure?" he managed to say.
Wendy nodded slowly. "Yeah, I ran it three times. The blood at the scene near the curb wasn't from the vic. It's male, and has seven markers in common with you. Your dad is in the system because he's a judge, and it doesn't match him. It's your brother's blood Nick."
"I gotta go find Grissom," Nick said as he turned and left Wendy's lab quickly.
Nick finally found Grissom in his office with Brass, which would save him the trouble of explaining this whole thing twice. He shut the door behind him, not caring at all that he was interrupting a conversation between the two men that seemed to be about something other than business. Nick stood at the closed door, unsure of what to do or say. He didn't know how to explain this, especially since he didn't know everything for sure himself.
"What's wrong Nicky?" Grissom asked, seeing the horrified look on Nick's pale face.
Nick walked over to Grissom desk slowly and sat in the chair next to Brass. "We have a problem," he said. "Well, I have a problem."
"What is it?" Brass asked.
Nick took a deep breath. "I found some blood at my crime scene, and it didn't match the vic's. But seven markers matched mine. It's my brother's blood."
Grissom nodded slowly, staying very professional. "Alright. You'll have to be pulled from the case, and we need to find Jason," he said. They had all met Nick's older brother several times and had become friendly with him. Neither Grissom nor Brass believed he would have committed the murder, but they had to follow procedure anyway.
Nick shook his head quickly. "But he didn't do it," he said.
"Does he have an allibi?" Brass asked. "
Nick nodded. "Yeah. He's not my real brother."
Brass and Grissom exchanged shocked glances. "He's adopted?" the supervisor asked.
Nick shook his head slowly. "No, I am. That's why you can't go question Jason."
"I don't follow," Grissom said.
"He doesn't know," Nick said with a sigh. "No one in my family knows I'm adopted except my parents, obviously. I'm not even supposed to know."
Grissom frowned in utter confusion. "Nicky, what the hell is going on?"
"I'm not supposed to know I'm adopted. My parents never told me because they weren't supposed to. I was never supposed to know."
"Then how do you?" Brass asked.
"Because I remember. I wasn't suuposed to because of the accident, but I do."
Grissom took his glassses off and rubbed his eyes. "You're not making any sense. Start from the beginning, and explain this with every detail, okay?"
Nick nodded. "Yeah, sorry." He took another deep breath. "I was adopted by who you guys know as my parents when I was six. I was taken away from my real parents because there was some kind of fight at my house. I don't remember all of it except there was gunshots, and a ceiling fan somehow fell on my head. I don't remember much about the fight or whatever, but I remember living with my real parents. After I got out of the hospital, I went and lived with the Stokes' in Texas. The doctor said I wouldn't remember anything, but I did. I just pretended I didn't. I don't know how none of my sisters or Jason don't know I'm adopted because they were old enough to remember a new six-year-old, but I'm almost positive none of them do."
"Okay," Grissom said. "Why can't you or your siblings know you're adopted?"
"Because my real father is James Sparazza," Nick answered.
Grissom and Brass stared at each other before looking back at Nick. "You mean the James Sparazza? Jimym Sparazza? The mob boss that the FBI's been after for fourty years?"
Nick nodded weakly. "Yeah."
Brass laughed slightly. "You're kidding me, right?"
"I wish I was."
Grissom put his glasses on his desk. "You're telling me that the most dangerous man in America is your father?"
Nick nodded again. "Yeah."
"How can that be? He's committed almost every crime in the book and paid off or killed half the people he's ever met. The other half works for him. He's a multi-millionaire and a celebrity, even though everyone knows he's the biggest crook in history. How does he have time to have a family?"
"I don't know," Nick said with a shrug. "I don't remember much of what he did when I was younger. My mom was barely ever home and I didn't know I had a real brother until Wendy told me. They took me away to try and save me I guess. I'm not supposed to know. No one is, for their own protection."
"You've known this for thirty years and never brought it up?" Brass asked.
"I never had a good reason to. I didn't want you guys to know either unless you had to. I only told you now because they're here, in Vegas."
Grissom heard fear in Nick's voice. "Do you think Sparazza's going to try and get in touch with you?"
Nick shrugged. "I don't know. He used to go to some of my games when I was younger and in high school and stuff. But I guess my parents realized and told the police because he stopped. I saw him a few times in other places though, but he never talked to me. The only person who did was his mentor, Jack. He checked in with me all the time to make sure I was okay and that my dad stayed away from me."
"What about your brother?" Brass asked. "Do you know anything about him?"
Nick shook his head. "I don't remember him at all, but I bet he works for my dad."
"What do you think this means?" Brass asked Nick.
"I have no idea," Nick said honestly. "Maybe it's just them doing their illegal business as usual. Maybe they're trying to send a message to me or something. I don't know what to do or what they're trying to do."
"Alright, well leave that to us," Grissom said, glancing quickly at Brass. "As of now, you're off that case due to conflict of interest and the fact that we have no idea what could happen."
"Maybe it's nothing," Nick said, trying to make light of the situation. "I'm probably just over reacting."
"That's better than us not being ready for something to happen," Brass said. "All precautions will be taken, which includes this staying between the three of us, understood?"
Nick nodded silently.
"Does anyone else know about this?"
Nick shook his head. "No, I came right to you guys after Wendy told me."
"I meant that you're adopted. Other than your parents, have you ever told anyone else? Warrick?"
Nick shook his head again. "No, I never did."
"Okay," Brass said. "Good. Keep it that way for now, okay? Let's make this as simple, easy and quiet as we can."
No one in that room knew that easy, simple and quiet came nowhere near to describing what they were up against. It was already out of their hands, and there was very little they would be able to do. Nick was virtually on his own, and he didn't even know it yet. He had a bad feeling about it, but told himself he was just over reacting and that after thirty years, nothing was going to happen now. It was crazy to think that something would. But crazy wouldn't even begin to cover it.
Jack Miller wasn't proud of most of the things he had done in his life, but he was proud of the fact that he had kept Nick safe from his father for as long as he had. Jack had gotten out of "the business" years ago, but was still connected through Jimmy Sparazza. He felt as though Nick was a son to him, and he didn't want him getting mixed up with his father and brother's illegal means of life. That's why he had shown up at the Sparazza's that night and started the fight and got Nick taken away to a safer place.
Jimmy had had no choice in forgiving Jack. Even though Jimmy Sparazza was the most dangerous man in America, he was still intimidated and respectful of Jack Miller, who taught him everything he knew. He had felt betrayed at first, but deep down knew Jack was trying to protect Nick, and he appreciated that even though Jack was trying to protect his son from his own father. Jack was the only person close enough to Sparazza that could still call him James instead of Jimmy and get away with it as if nothing happened.
"It's done dad," Mike Sparazza reported to his father upon returning to the back room at one of the numerous bars his father owned across the country.
"You left no other trace, just your blood that could have been there because of anything, right?"
Mike nodded. "Right. It's all set. I'm not in the system, but Nick is. They'll bring Jason in and then it'll all come out."
Jack spoke before Jimmy could. "James, you should just leave this kid alone."
"This is my kid," Jimmy said. "I go thirty years without talking to him. You're the only one who has, and he doesn't know who you really are. We're doing the right thing Jack."
Jack fell silent and just say there, listening to Mike and Jimmy working out the rest of their plans. Jimmy said he just wanted to talk to his youngest son again, and he couldn't blame him there. But he knew that there was more to it than that and wished he could warn Nick, but he had a feeling he already knew. Jack knew that Nick knows more than Jimmy thinks he does, and maybe that'll come in handy. Or maybe it'll make matters even worse.
Jack knew that Nick didn't know Mike even existed, and when he found out he had a real brother, he wasn't sure how Nick would react. He wanted to talk to Nick in person and explain to him what Jimmy was trying to do, but he wasn't exactly sure himself. He didn't know whether more was going to come from this and what Jimmy wanted Nick for, other than to just talk to him. If there were other intentions, Jack was sure that they weren't good ones and hoped Nick wasn't in any danger.
Jack knew better than anyone that James Sparazza was a complicated guy. He never gave anything away and there was never any way of telling what he was truly thinking or planning to do, no matter what the situation was. Contrary to popular belief due to his choice in career, James wasn't an evil guy. He was just doing what he knew best and making a lot of money doing it, even if it was illegal. James Sparazza was a drug dealer, a thief, a murderer, an extortionist and con-man. But he was also a father, and maybe that was starting to overcome the criminal side of him.
Or maybe not. Only time would tell.