A/N: Sorry for the long wait, folks. My flash drive died, and I've had very little time to regroup since, until around now. :) I don't own CSI, CBS, or any known entity. I do, however, own Mia. I hope you enjoy the story, and please review. :)

Chapter 1: Hopes and New Beginnings

"I don't know," he said, looking at her. Every day, they were in the same position for at least three hours, though those were broken up. "I don't know what to tell you anymore."

"That's okay," she reminded him gently.

"Doesn't feel like it."

"Why not?"

"Because I feel like I should have something to say. I should know what to say. And I don't. I'm more lost than I can ever remember being. And this is with your help and guidance."

"Is there something you can think of that we can do to possibly help you out?"

"I don't know if anything can right now, you know? I'd love to see some of my friends, but I haven't been here long enough to get privileges." She nodded. "I'm sure Nick would come, you know?"

"He sounds like a good friend."

"He is. Him and Grissom were the only two people who didn't hate me when I drove Mia away. Which was kind of surprising, because Warrick and Catherine never liked her that much. At least, not that they ever showed. She was kind of hard to get along with. She'd been through a lot in her life, though, so it made things a lot harder. She's a sweet girl, though."

"I'm sure she is."

"I don't know if she'll ever forgive me, though. I wouldn't blame her if she didn't, but I don't know if she will."

"What makes you say that?"

"She doesn't forgive easily, you know? She's been burned a lot, so she doesn't just forgive and forget. I guess the fact that her father brainwashed me kinda would lean in my favor, but I don't know if that's enough. I really wish I hadn't screwed up that bad. I wish I could go back."

"You can always move forward."

"Yeah, but I don't think she'll still want me."

"You won't know until you try, Greg."

"I know, but with all due respect, you don't know her."

"You're right. I've never met her. But if she loved you and trusted you as much as you've told me that she did, she'll come back to you."

"Again, you don't know her."

"I have a good idea about her from some of your stories." He sighed, shrugging.

"You probably do. And maybe you're right, but from where I'm sitting and what I know, I think you're wrong." She nodded, taking a few notes.

"You still love her, right?"

"Yes. And I probably always will, because even when I hated her, I still loved her."

"I see."

"That's why losing her hurts so much."

Nick stretched on the armchair, shifting as he shook off the sleep. His gaze averted to the couch, where Mia was curled up. She had yet to find her own apartment out here, and rather than wasting all of her money on a hotel room, Nick had offered up his place for her to stay for a while. The two of them had fallen asleep watching a movie.

Nick stood up slowly, quietly stretching his taut limbs. As comfortable as his armchair was, sleeping in it was never a good idea. Mia would probably be even worse off, being that his couch was lumpy and older than he could remember. He walked over to the couch, covering Mia with the blanket hanging on the back of it. She muttered words of thanks in her sleep, and he smiled softly.

He walked to the window, staring out as the sun rose above the horizon. Since they had the night off, the two of them had decided to try a movie marathon. They had made it through "The Departed" and were starting "The Boondock Saints" when they had fallen asleep. Now, his TV displayed the menu screen, and he watched as one of his neighbors rode by on their bicycle.

Never did he think that Mia would actually listen to him. He thought for certain that no matter what he said, she'd never come back to Vegas. Never in a million years. Yet, here she was, sleeping on his couch until she got a more permanent place to stay. The thought excited him as much as it cut him. The only reason she was here was because Greg needed her. Chances were, she didn't care about the rest of them. Nick supposed that in the end, it would be something he could live with, but it sucked right now.

She began to stir on the couch behind him, and he turned in her direction. When she simply shifted her position and fell back asleep, he sighed. Another thing he never thought would happen would be the two of them coexisting under the same roof in a friendly manner. The day he first met her, almost two years ago, he thought she was the biggest bitch he'd ever met. She was rude, inconsiderate, and someone he could never see himself getting along with. And now, he couldn't imagine her not being around. She had become a good friend to him, someone he deeply cared about.

"Stop staring at me," she muttered in her sleep. Nick arched his eyebrows, wondering if Mia was actually awake and watching him, or if she was dreaming. When he saw her swatting at the air, he knew she was dreaming.

"Mia, no one's there," he replied quietly.

"Get away from me."

"I'm across the room."

"Stop touching me! Please, stop!" Nick knit his brow together, wondering what she was dreaming about. "Don't!"

"Mia, wake up," he said, moving forward toward her. From where he stood, he could see her shaking.

"No," she whined to her internal demons.

"Mia, honey, wake up." Nick reached out from a distance, touching her shoulder gently. She whined, swatting at him and missing. "Mia, it's okay, you're safe. Please, just wake up." He shook her gently, and she snapped awake.

"Holy fuck." She sat up quickly, realizing where she was and what had just happened. She took a deep breath, calming herself almost instantly.

"You okay?" he asked, voice full of concern. She sighed, nodding. "Nightmare?" She nodded again.

"Hodges," she told him softly. He nodded his understanding, sitting next to her.

"How often do you have nightmares about that?"

"I usually don't. I honestly haven't had one in a while. Just, I guess, the stress of everything and being back here probably triggered one, you know?" He nodded empathetically.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, fine." He rubbed her shoulder tenderly, and she gave him a small smile.

"C'mon, let's have some breakfast." She nodded, standing and walking with him into the kitchen.

"It's got a great view of the city," the landlord said, looking at her clients. Mia turned her head to Nick with a sadistic smirk.

"I already have a view of the city, and no matter where I live, it ain't ever gonna be a good one," Mia replied. Nick chuckled.

"It's a safe neighborhood, and we have top notch security here."

"I don't think I've ever been called out here before," Nick whispered to Mia, who nodded.

"We have an opening- two bedrooms, one bath, decent size," the landlord continued. "Would you like to see it?"

"Sure," Mia said. The woman smiled, grabbing her keys to the apartment and walking out. "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Edna Smithson."

"Right. Miss Smithson, I was wondering, do you allow pets on your property?" She smiled.

"I do. As long as you clean up after them and no one around you complains."

"Great." Mia smiled at Nick, who shook his head. They walked into the spacious, unfurnished apartment, and Mia walked around. "It's nice."

"Yes, it is. It's perfect for a couple just starting out." Mia smiled sweetly at Nick, who figured out where she was going.

"Yeah, it sure is. What do you think, honey?" Nick shrugged.

"I like whatever you like, Buttercup," he said, smiling. Edna smiled at their interaction.

"Look, I'll let you kids explore, and you can fill out the paperwork when you're ready, okay? I'll just leave it here with you." Mia smiled sweetly.

"Thanks, Miss Smithson," she said.

"No problem." Edna walked close to Mia and whispered. "You got a good one there. Don't let him go." Mia smiled.

"I don't plan on it." Edna winked and left the two of them alone in the apartment. Nick shook his head.

"Every place we go, they think we're buyin' this together," he said.

"That's what happens when two unrelated people of opposite genders go apartment hunting. So, were you serious when you said you'd never had a callout here?"

"Somewhat. I think the only thing I've ever been here for was a domestic dispute gone bad." She nodded, looking around. "You like it?"

"It's a lot better than my last place out here."

"Yeah, true. Can you afford it, though?"

"It's still in my price range. Plus, I still have an account with all the money I got after my mom and Fred died." Nick's eyebrows arched up.

"How much is in there?" Mia shrugged.

"I could probably buy three houses, two cars, a pony, a stable, employ an entire cleaning crew, and put four kids through private schooling and college." He shook his head.

"What the hell did your mom do for a living?"

"She was a musician. Very famous. Everyone in LA knew who she was. And Fred was a major music producer. Hence how they met. She was to inherit everything when he died, and everything of hers went to me, so his money went to me as well." He nodded.

"So, why are you renting an apartment if you're rich enough to have a house?"

"Because I'm one person. I don't need a big place." He nodded again, walking around.

"Well, I think this place screams you. I assume you're just gonna bring your stuff out from LA." She shook her head.

"Nothing left to bring out." He furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean?"

"My landlord called me after I left. My apartment burned when my neighbor set their apartment on fire."

"Why would they do that?"

"She was trying to kill her husband," Mia explained. "No one could figure out why or what he'd done, but she'd been trying to kill him for months."

"And she was never arrested because…?" Nick said.

"He refused to press charges."

"So, did she succeed that time?"

"Only in burning down the complex. He woke up before he died. She forgot the sleeping pills." He looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"She forgot the sleeping pills?"

"She thought he would sleep until he died. If she had drugged him, he would've. Hence, she forgot the sleeping pills. Anyway, she's in jail now, but all the stuff I had in the apartment is gone."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. Anything I had that was important to me, I kept in a secure storage unit after meeting her." He chuckled. "I knew it was only a matter of time before she turned to arson. So all my pictures, memories, are all in another place." He nodded.

"Good thinking."

"I'm very good at reading people."

"I've noticed." She sighed, biting her lip in thought.

"I think this is the place." He nodded, watching her. "I think you're going to help me paint it, though." He chuckled.

"Whatever, kid." He hugged her around the shoulders, and she swatted at him playfully. He squeezed her closer, and she laughed, wriggling free from his grasp and filling out the paperwork.

"So, now I can finally stop sleeping on your couch," Mia joked, looking at Nick. He scowled.

"I thought you liked my couch," he replied.

"It's like sleeping on a sack of rocks." He laughed.

"Yeah, I need to get a new one."

"And soon."

"I usually don't have people sleeping on it, you know." She chuckled.

"True, true."

"So, now what?"

"Time to get some furniture, paint, décor… I don't wanna be living in your house forever."

"I know. I don't want you living in my house forever." She chuckled.

"You'll miss my cooking. Everyone always does."

"You do cook very well." She smiled.

"Yes, I do. I learned how to cook at boarding school in Italy. No one cooks better than the Italians, and they taught us just about everything."

"They let you guys help out in the kitchen at a very young age, didn't they?"

"Only those of us with a lot of discipline, like me."

"Some how, I don't see much discipline when I look at you. No offense." She laughed.

"None taken," she told him. "I've become worse."

"I see," he said.

"I was a good little girl. I changed when I grew up. I used to do everything asked of me, though, without a question. And I would only do what was asked unless I knew there was no way anyone could yell at me for doing it. I had a lot of self control."

"Pity you lost that." She shrugged.

"Not really. It's a lot more liberating."

"More deadly, too."

"Well, yeah, but that comes with the territory." He shook his head.

"You are an odd person." She smiled.

"Thank you. So, shall we go furniture shopping now? Otherwise, Edna's gonna wonder whether or not we're moving in." He laughed.

"I swear, she's convinced we're getting married." Mia laughed, nodding.

"It's okay, though," she said. "Everyone else thought that too."

"I didn't notice," he told her honestly. "She was more overt about it."

"Definitely."