Chapter One: Tough Love
Greg rubbed the sleep from his eyes glancing at the flickering clock beside him. It took him a few moments to realise it wasn't the clock that was flickering, it was his phone. He sleepily reached for it, snapping it open without even looking who it was.
"Hello?" He mumbled with his eyes closed.
"Hey G." Nick's voice rasped through the phone.
Greg's eyes snapped open; goosebumps tingled up his arms and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
He completely froze up unable to speak.
"Greg? I lose you?" Nick asked after a long pause.
Greg's lower lip quivered hearing Nick's breathing down the line. "No." He finally replied in a low whisper. "I'm here."
"Did you make it to your parents house okay?"
Why is he talking like nothing's happened? Greg asked himself. Hello, you threw me out your front door telling me to go to hell less than 14 hours ago, now you're calling to check if I made it to my parents okay?! What the hell is wrong with you!?
Greg bit his lip unable to answer as a tear rolled softly down his cheek.
"G, you still there?"
Why does he persist on using my nickname? Greg asked no one in particular. He looked at the time seeing it was three in the morning and he knew Nick had the day off so he'd be spending it in bed. "What do you want Nick?" He sounded annoyed.
"Look Greg..."
Greg suddenly found his courage. "Don't look Greg me, asshole. You called me. What the hell do you want!? Or did you just wonna make sure the knifes still stuck in my heart and give it a good twirl around?" Greg shouted then snapped his phone shut tossing it onto the bedside table with a loud crash.
The crash alerted Greg's mother, who come bounding through the door with a baseball bat in hand.
"Gregory, are you all right? I heard a noise." She clicked on the light then saw her son in tears on the bedspread. "What's the matter sweetheart?"
"I hate Nick." He mumbled between sobs. "Why did he do this to me? I only said I loved him."
"Oh honey." Jean dropped the bat then climbed onto the bed, pulling her son into her arms for a hug.
"I love him so much mom. What did I do wrong?" He sobbed onto her shoulder.
"Oh baby, it's nothing you did." She softly ran her palms down his back. "It's nothing you did." She repeated as she tried to sooth him.
"Nothing I did?" Sara shouted down her phone.
"Sara, I don't know what to tell you..."
"How is it last night you love me . . . now you don't have time to talk to me because you're going to some meeting in the middle of the night, when it's your day off?"
"Sara . . . I do have a meeting. I'm not lying to you. Look I can't really talk right now. I'll call you later."
Before Sara could answer the line suddenly went dead. "Grrr." She screamed angrily dropping onto her sofa. "Why does he keep doing this to me?" She shouted, clutching her head.
Sara wandered back over to her fridge looking for a beer, only to find an empty fridge. "Damn it." She stomped her foot. Sara looked around her big empty apartment then grabbed the pizza menu off her fridge, reaching for the phone for yet another meal to be endured alone.
Nick hugged his pillow close to his chest staring at the phone sat on the middle of the mattress. Greg's words had rattled him, making him break down in tears for the fourth time that night. The anger in Greg's voice wasn't something he was used to or liked to hear.
Could Greg really hate him that much over this? Was it all really over between them?
Yes, of course it's over. There's no way we would work out. Nick rolled his eyes then reached for the phone dialling Greg's number again. I'm gonna make him listen to me if it's the last thing I do.
"You've got some nerve calling here." A voice boomed down the phone startling Nick. Nick nervously bit his lip. It wasn't Greg's voice, it was his mothers. "Haven't you messed my son about for one life time, Nicholas Stokes? You wonna make sure he's still crying because of the things you said to him? I don't know how you sleep at night. My son has been nothing but loyal to you. You're always throwing it back in his face, like a worthless piece of trash, when you're the one who came onto him in the first place!"
Nick forgot how much she could ramble on. "Please, I just need to talk to him."
"Save it Nick, we've heard enough of these apology's over the years and I've memorised each and every one, I know your game mister. The truth is you're not ashamed of Greg; you're ashamed of yourself for being gay and you're taking it out on my son! I really feel sorry for you. You're gonna end up a very sad, lonely, miserable man."
"Please Jean..."
"First names are for friends!!!" She shouted down the phone, making Nick clutch the pillow in front of him tighter.
"Mrs Sanders . . . please, can I just to talk to Greg. This is between us..."
"Tell that to the fat end of my baseball bat!" She shouted then snapped the phone shut, hanging up on him.
Nick stared blankly at the phone in his hands then tossed it across the bed. He felt like he was going to throw up.
The truth is Jeans Sanders was 100% right. He was ashamed of himself and he already was sad and lonely, but it was all his own fault and he knew it.
"So?" Greg asked from the doorway. "What did he say?"
"He was trying to apologise again sweetheart. You don't need him, you'll be fine."
"Mom, I'm not fine . . . I love him..."
"You can't take him back. You've done that too many times. I won't let you do it again. I'm sick of picking up the pieces of your broken heart." She warned him, holding his phone hostage. "You'll find someone new sweetheart. You're still only 29; you can't expect to settle down now."
"You married dad when you were 19." He retorted.
"Well I was more mature then you, and Daniel loved me back." She sniffed looking over at her son. "Sweetie you'll get through this, and your dad and I will help you. We can even get Nick fired if yo..."
"No." Greg quickly interrupted her. "I don't want him to lose his job." Greg dropped onto a stool, resting his head in his hands. "I just want him to admit to me that he loves me . . . or even to himself." Greg looked up at his mother. "How am I supposed to go back?"
"Sweetie you don't have to. I'm sure we'll find you a much better, risk free job." She assured him.
"But I love my job at the lab..."
"Honey, I almost lost you from that lab explosion."
"That was almost a year ago . . . plus . . . I was thinking of going into the field..."
"No way."
"But..."
"No but's mister." She cut him off again. "I worry enough about toxic fumes or STD's you could catch, I don't need to worry about you being shot, stabbed, beaten or all of the above."
Greg gave his protective mother an angry scowl.
"I may not be able to protect your heart from being broken and trampled on, but I'm damn sure going to take every chance I can get to protect your physical well being. I forbid you to go out into the field." She said then kissed him on the forehead. "Now get some sleep, you look haggard."
"Night mom." He smiled, watching her walk away. Once she was gone Greg slipped off the stool reaching for his phone on the shelf with the spices. As he snapped his phone open he saw the screensaver picture of Nick light up. Nick had a wide smile on his face with his gorgeous laugh lines by his eyes.
Greg could remember every detail of that moment...
"G, what are you doin'?" Nick laughed. He had just woken up finding Greg perched on his hips with his camera phone in hand.
"Well its exactly 6 months today Nicky, so I wanted something to mark the day." Greg laughed showing Nick the picture.
"You're a tease Sanders." Nick pulled Greg closer to him joining their lips for their first morning kiss of the day. "How about I give you somethin' better to mark the occasion?" Nick rasped, sliding his hands under Greg's boxers. Greg gasped at the touch then found himself being rolled under Nick's body so he was sandwiched between the mattress and the Texan jock.
"No hickey this time Nicky, it was embarrassing enough last time when Catherine asked if I was wearing foundation." Greg laughed. Nick seductively raised his eyebrows then started to kiss and mark Greg's neck as his younger lover squirmed beneath him. "Nicky." Greg giggled.
"I'd love to hear your excuse for it this time." He laughed, marking the other side of his neck.
Greg sighed heavily looking at the photo, feeling another tear coming to his eye. "Why'd you do this to me Nick?" He asked the picture. He angrily snapped his phone shut heading back to his room, where he dove under the covers to release the rest of his pent up tears.
"Hey." Sara smiled to pizza delivery boy, who looked more like a man.
"Hi." He smiled back.
Steady on Sara, you're not nearly drunk enough to have a one night stand and especially with the pizza . . . man. Sara handed over her money then took the pizza from his hands.
"Well bye." She awkwardly smiled as she couldn't think of anything to say. The man absently nodded then turned to walk off down the hall. Sara kicked her door shut then rolled her eyes angrily. "God I'm such a dateless loser." She groaned heading over to the sofa with her pizza in hand. As she opened the pizza box she looked around at her once again empty apartment, feeling completely hopeless.
She didn't even feel like eating anymore.
Sara threw the pizza box onto the coffee table then threw herself back on the sofa. "God I hate myself."
Her moment of self loathing was interrupted by her cell phone. Better not be Grissom. Better not be Grissom. She repeated as she scurried for it through the sofa cushions. She finally seized it reading the screen 'Greg.'
"Hey sweetie, what's up?" She answered in a cheery voice.
"You're happy." He remarked. "Someone get lucky?"
Nope, Zero, Zilch, no such luck. "No, I'm just happy to talk to you Greg. So what's this text message I got a few hours ago? 'I'm on a plane back home'?" She recalled. "What's that about?"
"Oh, well I kinda had a bad break up . . . I needed some air, so I went all the way back home. Crazy huh?" Greg's sweet laughter echoed through the phone.
"Okay, I'll bite . . . what's up Greg?"
"Is it possible to love somebody and completely happy?"
"If you find out let me know." She meant it as a joke, but neither of them laughed as they were so down on love. "So you're in love? Or were? Who's the lucky guy or gal?"
"Guy . . . and they're not so lucky."
"Why not? What happened?"
"You busy?" Greg asked.
I wish. "Nope, free as a bird . . . c'mon sweetie, what's up?"
"You promise not to tell anybody . . . not even in light conversation?" He cautiously asked.
He thinks I don't know. She smirked. "Sure, go ahead Greg. Not a soul." She promised.
"I-It's Nick."
"Wow, really?" She tried her best to sound surprised.
"You knew?" He suddenly shouted.
"Only . . . for the last two years."
"That's how long we've been having sex for..."
"Whoa, you went all the way?" She asked surprised. Crap, I've known Grissom way longer than that, we've never even got past first base. She scowled. "Well I knew you guys had a thing for each other. I never knew you actually went all the way."
"Yep, we went all the way the first night he kissed me."
"He kissed you? Wow, I'd never of thought that would have happened. I thought you would have kissed him."
"Nope, I was the kissy."
"So why are you skipping town?" She pondered.
"Because . . . I told him I loved him . . . then he kicked me out."
Sara bit her lip nervously. "You told him you loved him?" Now I feel bad for freaking out over Grissom telling me he loved me.
"Yep . . . I wish I never did. It ruined everything." Greg could feel his tears starting up again.
"What a jerk." Sara suddenly shouted. "I mean here you are one year past almost dying and he goes and throws your love back in your face. I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind..."
"Sara, please don't. If he finds out I told you, he'll only get madder. He owns a shotgun yah know."
"Greg you can't be scared of Nick, your relationship won't work if you're always trying to protect his feelings and play by his rules." She told him. I'm such a hypocrite; I don't even follow that advice.
"We don't have a relationship . . . not anymore . . . I feel so used, like a doormat."
"Believe me, I know how you feel." Damn it, why'd I say that? "I just meant, I've been through a similar kind of relationship, yah know. It gets better, try alcohol, avoid the drugs and crying route . . . doesn't help. Or even eating pizza . . . alone in your apartment."
"Are you okay Sara?"
"No, yeah, sure, I'm fine." She smirked. "It does get better . . . it has to right?"
"I don't think it can get any worse." Greg mumbled.
"True." Sara sighed. "So out of curiosity . . . who's the..."
"Do you really have to ask?" He interrupted.
"Right." She laughed. "So what's Nick like in bed?" Oh yeah, that doesn't sound desperate.
"Perfect gentleman . . . he's sweet, broad, strong..." Greg cracked up into tears again. "He's the best I ever had . . . when I'm with him . . . or when I was with him, it felt like the world just tumbled away . . . just him and me."
Sara could feel tears in her own eyes. "What the hell is wrong with him? I mean it's just three little words; it's not some big commitment. I once told my doctor I loved him, in passing I didn't mean it and I was only 14..."
"I thought over talking was my thing?" Greg asked curiously.
"Right, sorry . . . my point is . . . there's no reason to over react. It's just three little words, he uttered them first, but sure as soon as I wonna say them back, he has a sudden meeting emergency." She rambled, voicing her own relationship.
"Um... Sara, who are you talking about?"
"No one . . . you sure I can't talk to Nick? I bet I could make him change his mind? I'll even do it subtly. I could brag about my boyfriend, which I don't have, making him feel lonely and hopeless." Like me.
"No thanks . . . I'm not taking him back..."
"What?" The words hit Sara in the face. "You're not taking him back? What the hell's wrong with you Greg? You can't just tell someone you love them then never speak to them again, what's wrong with you?" She shouted at him, voicing her own circumstances again.
"Sara, he threw me out the door and I'm talking literally here..."
"Boo hoo, you can't just give up on him coz of one freak out. You have to give him a chance to get his head around it. You can't just expect him to suddenly go with it. Nick's from the tough love state . . . he heard those little words once every century back him." She yelled at him. "Believe me; I know what that's like, when you come from a background of no love at all . . . it's hard to get your head around someone loving you suddenly. What's wrong with you Greg?"
"Why are you yelling at me? I told Nick I loved him and he told me to go to hell."
"He what?" She shrieked.
"Sara, are you okay? You're acting a little strange."
"I'm fine . . . so he told you to go to hell because of that? How dumb is that . . . tough love my arse, that boy has serious problems."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you." Greg laughed.
"Sorry, I guess I'm just a little tired and dealing with my own stuff. So how's home?" She asked trying to change the subject.
"It's okay." He sighed heavily.
Sara looked over at her front door hearing a light knock.
"Parents surprised to see you?" Sara climbed to her feet then looked through the spy hole of her door seeing a teddy bear.
"Yeah, my mom's over the moon."
Sara laughed, opening the door. "Well she always did love having her . . . holy crap." Sara gasped.
"What?" Greg asked.
"Sara, I'm sorry. I'm such an asshole. I shouldn't have told you I had a meeting when I didn't and I really do love you." Grissom said to her, holding the box of roses and teddy in hands.
"No f-ing way." Greg gasped from the other end of the line.
"Call you back." Sara snapped her phone shut, completely surprised.
Sorry it took so long. I re-wrote Nick and Sara's scene's so many times, but I think I finally got it the way I want it.
Please Review if you want more :D
Thanks to Tish for beta-ing