Right, I've been having issues with this site lately...that being in the reviews I receive in another fandom, so...hopefully I won't receive any like that here XD
I apologize right now for the mistakes...I'm aware of the run-ons and tense changes...but the story seems to flow better like that...hopefully you understand.
I don't claim any rights over the show or characters.
Oh, and the title, I can explain that, you see, my original title is way too long for this site, so I shortened it up.
On with the story
The three time Nick's father didn't accept their relationship
i.
It was Thanksgiving when Nick decided to introduce his lover to his family.
Of course, it was filled with the possibilities of him being rejected, but it didn't matter to him; he was sure that even if his father didn't accept Greg, then at least it would be off of his chest and out in the open.
When Thanksgiving finally came around, what was suppose to be a simple meeting of his parents and Greg, turned out to be different.
While Nick had the rest of the week off, Greg had to work that Tuesday night, and wouldn't be able to catch a plane out to Dallas until that Wednesday morning early.
It threw his plan off a bit, but he would still get to spend the weekend with his family and Greg.
That Tuesday was filled with preparation for the coming Thursday, as a large dinner, such as Thanksgiving at the Stokes', would need.
By Wednesday evening late, Greg had arrived, and Nick immediately went outside to greet him.
After introducing Greg to his brothers, who took an immediate liking to him, and his sisters, who felt that he was too skinny, Nick went off to his father's study.
Knocking on the door, he waited for his father to acknowledge his presence and carefully opened the door.
"Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?"
The old man smiled at him, "Sure Poncho. What do you want to talk about?"
Nick walked into the room, Greg behind him, "Cisco, I'd like you to meet someone," he stepped aside, allowing Greg to come up beside him. "This is Greg Sanders. We...uh...work together."
"Nice to meet you Mr. Sanders."
He cleared his throat, "Also, Dad, we're partners."
His smile widened, "Ah, I see, do you two watch each other's backs?"
Nick looked confused, "What do you mean?"
"You just said that you two are partners, wouldn't it be normal for two members of the same team to look after each other?"
Looking over at Greg, for support, he continued, "No Dad, you see, we're not that kind of partners, what I mean by that is, we're uh...involved; with each other."
It took all of three seconds for the Judge to realize what Nick had said before the room grew quiet, uncomfortably so.
Clearing his throat, Nick went forward slightly, "Now, Dad, look, I know that this isn't exactly what-"
"Get out."
Stepping back, he stared at the man wide eyed, "What?"
"Get out. I'm not repeating myself again."
"But Dad-"
He stared up at Nick with that hard look in his eyes, and suddenly he's reminded of the days of his childhood, when he'd bring home a less than perfect grade on one of his tests, and have to clean out the barn by himself.
"Right. Bye." he muttered and turned around, ignoring Greg's concerned look, and walked out the door, pulling the other out behind him.
When he got back to the kitchen, he noticed his mother's concerned looks, "Nicky-"
He put on a strained smile, "Sorry Ma, looks like we're going to spend Thanksgiving in California this year."
ii
Nick doesn't expect any visitors, neither does Greg, so they sprawl out on the couch, and watch T.V., which then turns into a slow make out session, but it really doesn't get any farther than that, because all of a sudden, the front door to their house opens and it's his parents.
Surprise filters across Nick's face before he pushes Greg off of him, and sits up, desperately trying to fix his shirt, and hoping like hell that they didn't see it...
That changes all too soon when his father starts yelling at him, and he's trying to get through to him, but it doesn't work because all of a sudden the Judge has turned to Greg and is yelling at him, blaming him for the giving "it" to his son.
When his mother finally calms her husband down, she looks at Nick and he's relieved that at least one of his parents understand.
When he turns the door, he gives Nick a choice, "If you give up this charade now, you can come back to Dallas...if not, then you can forget that you were ever a part of the family."
When the door closes, it takes Nick all of two minutes to snap out of his stupor and rush out the door after them.
Greg never sees him again after that.
iii
Nick talks to his parents regularly and he likes to update them on what's happening around Vegas; if he's eating right, resting correctly and been getting regular check ups.
So, when they bring up the topic of him seeing someone, he wonders whether he should tell them or not, but instead, he decides to be the child his parents raised and tell them.
It starts off awkward, he's barely talking loud enough for the receiver to pick up, and he can't keep the nervousness out of his voice.
"Mom, Dad; I'm seeing someone."
He hears his mother's cheerful voice ask him who it is, and his father's gruff voice ask if she's marriage material.
He takes a deep breath, and he doesn't want to ruin their happiness, but he can't lie to them, so he tries to do it in the easiest way possible.
"Well, you see, she's my co-worker..."
"Is it that Sara girl that you work with a lot?"
He takes a deep breath, and doesn't mention that she's dating Grissom, because it's something else his father wouldn't approve of.
"Not exactly, she works in the lab sometimes, and sometimes in the field, and we've been through a lot of stuff together, we comfort each other..."
There's a pause on the other end, "Nick." It's his father this time, "Are you talking about that one who was blown up in the lab?"
He cringes at how perspective his father is, "Yeah Dad, I'm seeing Greg...and he and I are really happy."
The line was quiet, then he heard his mother's voice, "I'm sorry honey, your father...he's..."
Nick sighs, "I understand Mom, I do."
"Nicky, I'm sure your father will come around..."
He sighed again, agreeing with her, even if he knows that his father would probably never come around.
The one time he actually did.
i
He sits there, in his favorite chair that he and Greg had sat in together so many times before, the old brown leather one that's been through too many moves and so much more hell than Greg's contribution to the furniture.
His mother and father sit across from him, on the couch, the dark felt couch that's really Greg's, and it holds a lot of secrets in it's darkness. It holds all those nights after a big case that had drained them both to the point where all they had the strength to do was collapse on there. It hold their first time...even if they both were drunk and Greg could barely remember where he kept the lube, it was still their first time together, no matter how awkward.
They sit there, its late, and Nick's waiting for Greg to return home, he'd worked two straight shifts, and would be tired, Nick knew, but he had to introduce his lover to his parents.
It's more awkward that what he thought it would be, and he's sure that it shouldn't be. It shouldn't be this hard to admit that you're dating someone that you shouldn't be...but it is, and Nick's not sure if it'll turn out good or bad.
The sound of a car door slamming brings them all out of their thoughts, and Nick can see excitement in his mother's eyes, she wants to meet the one who had taken her son's heart, and he can see his father's calculating gaze fixed on the front door, ready to study whatever person steps through the door...
There's a pause, then a knock on the door, and that's when Nick realizes that something is wrong with Greg, because he never knocks, and he usually bursts in the door and greets Nick loudly.
The knocking continues, although it's still faint, like the person on the other side's not really caring if the door's answered or not.
He can see the confused gazes of his parents out of the corner of his eye as he gets up to go to the door, he can tell they've gotten up to follow him, but that's not important.
When it's opened, he expects Greg to walk through, but he doesn't instead he collapses into his arms, the department issue 9mm falling to the ground, along with the cartridge that Nick guesses is suppose to be in the gun.
He can still see his parent's confused gazes, focused on them, but once again, he doesn't care, all that matters now is finding out what's wrong with Greg.
Carefully, he leads Greg through the door, and to the couch, pushing him onto it, moving back to go close the door and retrieve the gun from the hallway, he stops when he notices the way Greg's hand clenches his shirt to a point where his knuckles turn white, and he had yet to say a word.
His mother comes up beside him, she's holding out the gun and the cartridge, and his earlier assumption is right, the cartridge is suppose to be inside the gun, he looks back down at Greg, and notices that he's not in the same clothes that he had last seen him in, and that his right hand is bandaged.
Pulling Greg closer to his body, as he moves to sit on the couch, he wraps one of his arms around him, and that finally does it; he breaks down, muttering some things that Nick can only half catch, and things that he's sure aren't even in English.
Then after a few long moments, Greg finally pulls away, only to look over at the gun on the table and immediately look away, reaching up to wipe his eyes, he smiles a little, although strained, and Nick can tell he's trying not to break down again.
"Sorry." he murmurs and then he freezes when he notices who's in the room.
Nick shakes his head, "Don't apologize, everyone's allowed to break down once in a while."
Greg looks like he's about to protest, but Nick quickly stops that protest by placing a finger to his lips and shaking his head again.
Greg sniffs again and runs the back of his hand, his bandaged one, over his eyes again.
Nick sits patiently and waits for him to say something, he's almost forgot about his parents being there.
When Greg does start talking, it all comes out in a rush, and once again, Nick can only catch a few of the broken sentences but from those broken sentences he puts two and two together to get four, and from there, he finally understands that what happened tonight scared the shit out of Greg, because shooting someone on the field is always something that frightens people, even Nick.
He breaks again, this time, it's for good, and there's nothing that Nick can do but hold him until he cries himself to sleep, right there on the couch that holds all their memories.
His mother sits down beside him, and thats when Nick realizes that they never left, and had witnessed the whole thing. He opens his mouth to explain, but his mother cuts him off when he's trying to explain, and she just reaches her hand out to stroke Greg's dark hair.
Nick looks up at his father, looking for any sign of hate or disgust, but sees none, and he's so relieved that he could probably hug his father right now.
The older man smiles at them on the couch, "I think it's late. How about we all go ahead and turn in, we'll talk tomorrow."
He helps his wife from the couch, and they head off to the guest bedroom that Nick had cleaned out twelve hours ago, leaving them on the couch, where Nick shifted slightly, bringing Greg into a lying position and moving to where his feet were on the couch.
He knew that in the morning, he'll be so stiff that it'll be hell to move, but he doesn't care about that.
All he cares about right now is the man in his arms, and the fact that his parents approve of his relationship.
How was it? For some reason, I really like the last part, because I've been craving some type of angst lately, and that seems to be the only angst I can write right now.
I have nothing else to say, so please do review and let me know what you think of it.