Chapter One: Stranger

"Rise and Shine."

A familiar voice echoed into Nicks head. He opened his eyes, looking round the apartment. He wasn't at his place that was for sure. Nick looked up seeing Greg's smiley face holding a glass of water in his hands. My god he looks beautiful in this light. Nick gasped. He slowly reached up for the glass in Greg's hands, feeling a warm shiver as their fingers brushed against each other.

"Thanks." Nick leant against the arm of the sofa slowly chugging the water. "Where am I?"

"My apartment, you were completely wasted and I didn't want to leave you alone." Greg said sitting on the coffee table beside Nick.

Oh my God he's cute and adorable, I so love him. Nick thought to himself as he sipped the water slowly. Get a hold of yourself Nick.

"Thanks Greg." Nick said softly hearing his own voice echoing inside his head much louder then he thought he'd said it. Greg gave him another cute grin. Stay down, please stay down. Nick begged seeing the adorable grin. It was like kryptonite to him.

"You're welcome Nicky. I made some breakfast if you want..."

"Mmm, I can smell it." Nick interrupted sniffing the air. Pancakes! Yummy, my favourite.

"Yep, I made you some pancakes as I know they're your favourite. You want it here or at the table?" Greg asked holding the empty glass for Nick.

"Um... can I use the bathroom first?" Nick queried feeling as though he needed to release all the alcohol he drank last night in one load. Greg nodded pointing towards the bedroom then ran off to the kitchen to finish preparing breakfast.

Nick swept the covers off himself seeing he was still fully clothed except for his shoes. He sighed in relief, then walked off towards the bedroom, which had a bathroom right off from it. Nick looked around at the surprisingly tidy bathroom looking for any signs of anything that would prove Greg was gay. Like that would help? He moaned to himself. I'm gay and I don't have any gay stuff in my house.

I'm not gay! He started arguing with himself.

Nick rolled his eyes at the stupidity of the situation, then flushed the toilet washing his hands with Greg's cinnamon smelling soap. Yum, that's what he always smells like. Nick remembered as he sniffed it. He looked around for a label then found one in the trash. He tried to memorize the name of it saying it over and over again in his head. Ranchman's cinnamon sensation, Ranchman's cinnamon sensation, Ranchman's cinnamon sensation.

Nick dropped the wrapper back into the basket then headed out to the kitchen where Greg was pouring out some of his blue Hawaiian coffee. Thank God I was hammered or I wouldn't have been treated to this. Nick thought as he sat down.

"Coffee?" Greg asked.

"Please." Nick took a deep whiff as the coffee that was placed down in front of him. Greg handed Nick the syrup for his pancakes then sat down opposite him digging into his own breakfast. "Thanks Greg."

"You're welcome Nicky." Greg smiled taking another bite of his pancake. Nick bit his lip trying to stifle a moan as he saw some syrup trickling down Greg's chin.

God I wish I could lick that off for you Greg. He felt flashes of desire, watching as Greg wiped his chin with the back of his hand.

"Nick you okay?" Greg asked seeing the glazed look in his buddy's eyes.

"Um... Yeah, headache is all." He covered returning to his own pancakes. He found it hard to even concentrate on eating with Greg just inches away. His fork nervously clattered against the edge of his plate as he watched Greg licking his lips.

C'mon Nick focus. He instructed himself gripping the fork at another angle trying to scoop up a piece of pancake he'd managed to cut. Now lift, c'mon. He shouted inside his head, slowly lifting the fork to his mouth. He forgot to chew once it was in his mouth, forcing it down at an angle down his throat, causing him to choke.

"You okay Nick?"

"Hot." Nick covered patting his chest, feeling the pancake lodged in his throat. He was a complete wreck. He could almost feel Greg's knee just a centimetre in front of his own making matters even worse.

Nick couldn't go on like this.

He had to tell him, he had to, it was just too much to bare.

"Sorry what was it called?" The young girl with a long brown ponytail asked. Nick looked at her blankly trying to think. "What does it smell like?" She queried.

"Um... Cinnamon." He thought back to how Greg smelt. The girl smirked at him looking at the shelves in front of them. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." She chuckled unable to control her laugh anymore. "I just think it's cute."

"What's cute?" Nick asked confused.

He had only asked her where the soap was, how could she know anything or think that's cute? Is buying soap suddenly cute now? Oh get over yourself Nick. He rolled his eyes at himself then studied the girl as she searched the shelves. She only looked about 16 or 17. She had very beautiful young features and a slender figure. He noticed a scar above her right eye and a purple bruise badly covered up with makeup on her chin. "What's your name?"

"Jamie . . . why?" She asked standing up straight to face him. She only came up to his elbows.

"Nothing just wonderin' . . . so what's so cute?" He asked curiously.

"You're buying a soap that a girl or guy you fancy is wearing right?" She queried. Damn this girl is good. Nick frowned looking at her. "Believe me I'm no stranger to this. I've had hundreds of people in here trying to explain what their date smelled like to me." She chuckled. "So is it a guy or a girl?" She asked standing to face him. Nick frowned at her again nervously biting his lip.

"Does it matter?" He sheepishly asked.

"Not really . . . not to me anyway. I just mean there's a masculine Cinnamon or a feminine one."

Oh God if I say the masculine one she's gonna know for sure. Nick worried.

Jamie grabbed two bars of cinnamon soap shoving them in front of him. "Which one smells right?"

Nick took each bar of soap in his hands taking a big sniff of each, then looked at the smiley girl stood before him.

"This one I think." He took another sniff to make sure then nodded. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"What are you a cop?" She asked walking with him to the counter.

"CSI actually." He said proudly then pulled out his badge to show her.

"Awesome." She smiled looking at his picture. "Cute pic." She winked making him blush. "And for the record no. I dropped out."

"Why?" He asked thinking she seemed so much smarter the hookers he had to deal with on the job that did go to High school, but still ended up in their profession.

"Had to support my family." She said simply, handing him his receipt.

"How old are you?" He queried as there was no one else in the store so he wasn't holding anyone up.

"17 . . . why?" She asked adjusting her ponytail.

"Why's it your job to support your family?" He knew that most kids her age in this city were on the streets or working up to be strippers or hookers.

"Would you support your family if you had to?" She asked shoving her hands into her pockets. Nick looked at her a moment then nodded. "Then that's why I do it."

"Don't your parents care about your education?" He pried, picking up his shopping bag. Jamie shook her head looking up at him. "Okay . . . Goodbye... Jamie."

"Goodbye CSI Stokes." She grinned. "Good luck."

Nick nodded then head off out the store. He could still smell the cinnamon in his nostrils as he walked off back to his car to return to the lab for work constantly thinking about Greg.

"You smell different." Catherine remarked leaning over Nick in the layout room.

"Good different or bad different?" Nick asked self consciously. Damn it, I shouldn't have worn this soap to work in a lab full of CSI's.

"Just different." She sniffed again. "So made any progress yet?" Nick shook his head going through the files on the table. Catherine tucked her hair behind her ears reading through the case files.

Why can't I love Catherine? She's perfect, great hair, gorgeous lips, slender figure . . . Perfect. Nick's eyes slowly cast down her figure. Great rack, what's wrong with you man? How can you not find that attractive?

"Stop looking at my rack." She barked snapping him out of his thoughts.

"I wasn't..." Nick awkwardly shuffled the paperwork on the desk making Catherine laugh at him.

"All right Nicky what's up?"

"Huh?"

"You've been acting all skittish all day, I saw you duck under the desk as Greg walked by."

Oh crap why did I have to do that? It's not like he was coming in there anyway. I just didn't want him to see me.

"Nicky." Catherine waved her hand in front of his face snapping him out of it. "C'mon what's going on?"

"Nothin..."

"Nicky I know you, something's up." Catherine pulled up a chair and sat beside him gently placing her hand on top of his. "You and Greg have a falling out or something?"

"No nothin like that." Nick prayed it was that simple.

"So why are you avoiding him?"

"I'm not..."

"Nicky the second time I saw you, you ducked under the tables in the AV lab then the third time you ducked into the locker room. What's going on?"

Nick scowled again. C'mon Nick you've got to tell someone, this is driving you insane. Nick nodded looking up at her, he didn't even realise he was doing it half the time.

"Is it something else . . . more personal?" She asked raising her eyebrows.

"What?" He asked shocked at the accusation. "I don't know what you're talkin about Cath." He avoided the subject trying to get back to work.

"Okay I can see you're busy. But if you ever want to talk." She stood up slowly heading for the door. "You know where I am."

Nick watched her leave then dropped his head heavily onto the table. He wasn't hiding it as well as he thought he was after all. The young shop girl thought he might be gay and now Catherine's suspecting he is. But you are Nicky. No I'm not. He argued. I'm as straight as they come, hell Warrick used to say I got more ass then a toilet seat.

"Nick?" Nick jumped at the sound of his own name scattering photos all across the floor. Damn it. He looked up seeing Greg stood at the door wide eyed as the photos scattered across the floor.

"Hey G what's up?" He climbed off his stool collecting up all the photos from between the table and chair legs.

"I wanted to ask your advice." Greg said watching Nick scrambling across the floor.

"Oh yeah about what G?" Nick asked not really listening just counting the minutes until he left.

"I can see that you're busy."

"No now's good." Nick shouted from under the table hoping, it wouldn't be something major, requiring a deep conversation.

"This girl I'm dating..." Nick shot to his feet colliding his head with the edge of the table.

"Ow." He yelled wincing in pain.

"Oh my God are you okay?" Greg hurried over helping Nick to his feet. Friggin idiot. Nick cursed himself as he held his head in pain. "It's not bleeding do you want some ice?" Nick nodded loving the feel of Greg's hands on his head. Greg quickly ran out the room heading for the break room where he was sure there would be some ice in the freezer.

Meanwhile Nick dropped onto his stool holding his head in agony. He wondered what would cause him to suddenly stand up like that when he knew he was under the table. Then he remembered Greg saying. "This girl I'm dating." I can't give him advice! I want to be dating him. What the hell am I goin' to do?

Greg quickly returned holding some ice in a cloth. He carefully placed it on Nick's head watching as he flinched.

"How's it feel?" Greg asked after a few minutes.

"Painful." Nick winced adjusting the ice into a new position. "So you were sayin..."

"Are you sure? You wonna do this now?" Greg asked still holding his hand on the ice cloth right beside Nick's.

"Now's as gooda time as any." Nick nodded flinching as he did.

"Well this girl I'm dating . . . She's really nice and all . . . we just have nothing in common."

Oh that's a relief. Nick sighed suddenly feeling like his head was getting better already. "So I wanted to ask you the best way to dump her, you know without hurting her feelings."

"Well it's gonna hurt her either way G. Best thing is just to be honest." That's terrible advice. He scowled to himself.

It's better advice then my brother would give. Nick corrected himself. God I sound like such an idiot.

You still do. A second voice in his head scowled. Nick rolled his eyes wincing as his head started to tingle.

"Thanks Nick . . . and sorry about your head. I shouldn't have distracted you."

"My own fault." Nick chuckled then watched as Greg walked away. His head felt a lot worse now Greg's hand wasn't there. Oh just tell him you love him yah pussy. The voice in his head hissed at him.

If it were that easy you would do it. "Oh God what's wrong with me?" Nick asked out loud. He rolled his eyes seeing there were still some photos on the floor he had missed. God I woulda loved to see Greg on his knees picking these up. "Okay enough." Nick shot up from his chair heading for the break room for some water.

"Nicky what happened to your head?" Catherine asked.

"Oh I . . . hit it on the table." He chuckled as he said it out loud. "I'm fine really." He smiled.

"You sure?" She asked lifting the iced cloth to see a bump forming on his head.

"Yeah I'm fine." He grinned. "So what's up?"

"We got a 420, take Greg." She said placing it in his hands.

Oh no. Of all the people why did she have to pick Greg?

"You sure you're okay Nicky? I could easily drive for you." Greg suggested.

"Now I'm fine, barely hurts." Nick smiled grabbing his baseball cap. He slammed it down on his head so hard it felt like a hammer. Nick bit his lip feeling tears welling up in his eyes from the intense pain in his head.

"Nick?"

"Yeah?" Nick asked looking at Greg. Greg pointed towards the lights that were now green. "I knew that." Nick smiled, putting his foot on the gas.

"You're gonna wonna make a right up here." Greg gestured.

Nick nodded, still feeling the burning pain in his head. It was like the time he was trying to impress a girl back in school. He had never ridden a skateboard before, but she loved skaters, so he borrowed one of their boards, attempted to do a trick, but landed flat on his face sinking his teeth into his tongue. Only this time he wasn't trying to impress someone, he heard Greg use the word 'dating' and totally freaked out.

"We're here, stop here. Nick." Greg shouted.

Nick slammed his foot down on the break as he was about to hit Brass. Nick and Greg were both lunged forwards being pulled back by their belts. Greg sighed in relief climbing out the car quickly to check on Brass.

"Are you out of your mind Stokes? You could have killed me." Brass shouted at him. Nick gripped the steering wheel tightly not wanting to move from that spot. "Hey Nick." Brass tapped on the window trying to get his attention. "Nick, you okay?" Nick slowly nodded then pulled his belt off climbing out the car.

"Nicky maybe you have a concussion." Greg slowly inched Nick's cap off checking his head.

"Ow that's a nasty bump." Brass said looking at it. "You need a medic?" Nick shivered as Greg's fingers ran through his hair. "Nick?"

"No I'm okay." He nodded.

"Still best to get checked out." Brass grabbed his radio calling over the medic that was on site.

"Nicky you may have a concussion." Greg said shinning a torch light in his eyes.

Oh my god, could he be any closer to me? Nick asked himself looking at Greg's lips just inches from his own.

The medic came over giving Nick a once over confirming he had a minor concussion. Brass sent him home with one of the other officers leaving Greg to clean up the scene by himself.

"CSI Stokes, here for more soap?" She asked with a smile. Nick shook his head watching her serve a customer. "So what you here for then?" Jamie glanced under his baseball cap seeing what looked like the edge of a large red lump. Curiosity getting the better of her she lifted his hat seeing the large bump. "Ouch, well this cap isn't helping for starters what happened, your girlfriend didn't like the soap?" Nick laughed shaking his head.

"No . . . I er got distracted and smacked my head on a table. That's not what I'm here for though." He took his cap back carefully adjusting it onto his head. "I was on my way home and I saw you still workin so I thought I'd come in and say hello..."

"Lame excuse." She glared at him. "What is it really? You asking me out coz you're real cute an all, but your too old for me and my father wouldn't approve."

"Why wouldn't he approve?" Nick asked curiously, not that he was asking her out anyway. He was well aware of the age difference.

"He's a cop." She said with a smile.

"Really?" Nick queried. "Well I wasn't askin you out anyway, coz I don't do the rebound thing..."

"So they did chuck you?"

"What? No." Nick protested stunned by the comment.

"Then why are you on the rebound?"

"I never said I was on the rebound or the datin bound. I just said I don't do rebounds." He corrected. God that sounds so retarded. Jamie smiled raising her eyebrows her eyebrows at him. "So if your dads a cop, why are you providin for your family?"

"My parents are divorced. He lives in this one bed roomed apartment across town and I live at home with my mom."

"What's your surname?" He asked curiously.

"Why?"

"Coz I might know your dad..."

"Doubtful." She smirked. "You work in the LVPD crime lab doncha?" Nick nodded. "So why are you asking all these questions, am I a suspect?"

"No not at all, unless you've done somethin?" Jamie innocently shook her head. "Okay cool." He smiled at how strange this conversation was with a girl he barely knew.

"So why'd you really stop by?"

"Misery loves company."

"You're miserable? I thought you were in love?" She asked. Nick bit his lip nodding. "That how you got the bump on your head showing off or something?" She laughed.

"I didn't show off to impress someone." Nick laughed back. "And yes."

"You're very cryptic CSI Stokes."

"It's Nick, Nick Stokes."

"Jamie Vartann." She extended her hand seeing the shocked look on his face. "My hands are either really cold or you know who my dad is." Jamie remarked.

"Vartann?" He asked just to clarify. Small world after all. He smirked. "Yeah I know your dad. What is his first name that's been buggin me for years?"

"John, you never thought to ask?" Nick shook his head feeling stupid. "Nick Stokes." She repeated the name thinking. "You're not the one that got buried alive are you?"

"Yeah I'm that one."

"And you're still working the job, why?"

"I like it." He said with a smile. "Why do you work here?" He asked looking around the store.

"Free drugs." She said then saw him look at her shocked. "God I'm kidding." She chuckled. "I like it here, meet lots of nice people . . . weird, but nice." She laughed looking at him. "And it's pretty close to home. Plus I don't have to go home smelling like processed meat all the time."

"One of the perks." He chuckled. "So you think I'm weird?"

"You bought masculine cinnamon soap which you're now wearing, you have a bump on your head and you're chatting me up." She grinned. "You're not the weirdest person I've talked to though."

"Thanks I think."

"So this guy or girl that wears this cinnamon soap, you work with em?" She asked getting back to the point.

"Kinda."

"If you like em then why doncha tell them? You of all people should know that's life's too short. You have to take chances for the things you care about."

"You're very smart for a kid who dropped out of school."

"Thank you I think that was a compliment." She chuckled back. "You should tell them . . . you never know tomorrow you could be dead." Nick nodded agreeing with what she was saying.

"Jamie we don't sell dating advice." Her boss mumbled coming out of the back store room. "CSI Stokes go and tell this girl or guy you love them already and leave my employees alone." Nick nodded giving Jamie a smile.

"Thanks Jamie, I owe yah one." He winked at her then headed out the door feeling better after he had a chat with a complete stranger that turned out not to be such a stranger after all. Yessss, 20 whole minutes without thinking about Greg . . . until now. He smirked looking at his watch. How do you tell someone you love them and think about them all the time?

Just say the words Nicky. A voice deep within him said. Nick nodded, heading home for some sleep. I knew you'd chicken out.

I did not, I have a concussion. I should sleep then tell him in the morning. He told himself crawling into bed. As soon as I see Greg, I'm gonna tell him.

Please Review

Thanks to glostarz my Beta Reader for this story :D