Hey guys!
To make up for making you wait soooo long for the last chapter of my previous story, I upload this new story today! I hope you'll enjoy it! :)
Big Love,
pikapikatchu
"Nah, he won't get off my back anytime soon." Greg gave Nick a soft smile as the two were standing in the locker room. He had made a pretty big mistake at a crime scene three days ago, so Russell was supervising him on every scene for the next few days. He looked at his watch as he quickly slammed the door of his locker. "...and I'm running late again!" He ran off.
Nick shook his head chuckling as he opened his locker. While doing so, he noticed a folded paper lying on the floor in front of Greg's locker. "Hey Greg, does this belong to you?" he asked while taking a few steps outside the locker room, but the young CSI was already gone, so Nick decided to take a look at it, hoping to find out who it belonged to.
Greg was able to get away from Russell at their scene. While the supervisor was working the interior of their murder scene, Greg was outside looking for evidence. He tried to focus real hard on his work, trying to avoid another mistake. His concentration quickly broke as he saw Nick walking up to him. "Hey. What are you doing here?" He smiled at his colleague.
Nick was holding the folded paper in his hand with a serious and concerned look on his face. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"
"What is it?" Greg asked confused. He didn't recognize it at first. "Wait... Were you in my locker?!"
Nick shook his head. "Of course not. It was lying on the floor in front of it."
Greg walked over to grab it out of Nick's hand. "...You didn't have to drive out here to give it to me."
"That's not why I came here. I asked you a question."
"It's no big deal, that's why."
"When did you get the letter?"
"...I don't remember exactly."
"Three days ago, maybe?"
Greg sighed annoyed as he bended down to pick up some cigarette butts. "Maybe, but the mistake I made had absolutely nothing to do with it."
"Well, who is this guy and what does he want from you?"
Greg gave Nick a look as he got up again. "Like you don't already know."
"I don't. I just read a few lines until I realized what this was about. I'd rather hear it from you."
Greg looked a bit nervous as he watched Russell walk up to them. "I can't talk right now, Nick. ...Neil Novak has a son."
Nick was anxiously waiting in the break room for Greg to come back from his crime scene. When he walked in, Nick got him a cup of coffee. "Everything went well at your scene?"
Greg nodded as he sat down. "You know, I was contemplating telling you about it."
"...So why didn't you?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I wanted to go on with my life as soon as possible."
"So what's written in that letter?"
"Well, Novak's son just heard about it all, you know? That he'd been arrested and that he's in a coma and... He wants to apologize to me."
Nick nodded. "And?"
Greg shrugged again. "I didn't read much further."
"Why not? Aren't you curious?"
"I don't need his apologies, he didn't do anything wrong. What could he tell me that I needed to know, anyways?"
"You just don't care?" When Greg nodded, Nick went on. "Alright, hand it over."
"Why?"
"Because you don't care, but I do."
"Nick, come on. It's none of your business."
"I need to read it because I know you care. Otherwise you would've thrown it away already."
Greg sighed annoyed. "Maybe I want to read it someday, but not now."
"Where is the letter now?"
Greg got it out of his pocket to show it to Nick. "...Right here..."
Nick got off his seat while giving Greg a look. "I think you do want to know what's written inside, you're just scared to read it." He walked out of the room, leaving Greg with a thoughtful look on his face.
Greg spent the next week contemplating reading it, but couldn't quite bring himself to do it. Instead, every time he tried to read it, he ended up staring at it for minutes before putting it away again. Nick didn't ask him about it, though. He knew that if Greg had read the letter and wanted to talk about it, he would. The two were on their way out to a crime scene, walking towards the elevator of the lab.
"Mr. Sanders?" a man, walking away from the receptionist's desk, walked up to them with an insecure smile on his face, nervously sweeping his wavy brown hair out of his face.
"Yeah." Greg shook the hand the man had reached out to him with a confused look on his face. "Can I help you?"
"I'm Charlie... Novak."
The surprise was very clear in both Nick's and Greg's face. "Hi."
"I should probably..." Nick whispered to Greg while trying to walk away, but Greg grabbed his arm with his shaky hand to keep him from doing so.
"...What are you doing here?" Greg asked bluntly. He was too shocked to mind his manners.
"I'm very sorry to drop in so unexpectedly on you. I know this seems inappropriate to you but I just had to meet you." Charlie Novak was quite a good-looking man, about Greg's height and built, but behind his bright blue eyes seemed to be nothing but hurt and pain.
"...Why?"
"Is there anywhere we could talk in private for a moment?"
"I'm sorry, now's not a good time. Why don't you leave your phone number at the desk and I'll ca..."
Charlie interrupted him. "You already have my number in the letter. I was hoping you'd call me, you know?" There was a litte despair audible in his voice.
"Look, I appreciate the effort, but there's no need for it. I'd rather be left alone."
Charlie gave Greg quite a desperate look. "But I need this. There's only two of Neil's victims that are still alive, you know, and you're one of them. I need to talk to you so I can find some closure."
"Hey, I think you're a bit out of line here..." Nick tried to chime in, but Greg cut him off.
"I'm sorry I can't help you with that." Greg walked past Charlie.
"Wait, you don't get it. I'm the other victim."
