A/N: Alright, Yay for reviews!! Wow...I said so much in my last author's note there's nothing for me to say... –ignores the reader's cheers of her finally shutting up- Okay, okay...read the darn chapter already and read what our little couples get involved into next... Oh! And, the second scene has GOT to be absolute most favorite out of this entire chapter...wanna hint? SPOILER ALERT (wow, that's really sad; when you give yourself your own spoiler alert...) Anyway...who's missed Riley's gang?!?!? Well they're baaaaack!
Alright, I have to apologize, as most of y'all know...I forget A LOT...and I have searched both of my books high and low looking to see if Warrick already knew about Nick and Riley...I thought that I already wrote him in as finding out...but I couldn't find it ANYWHERE...my friend and I search for like 20 minutes, and still came up empty...if, by some random turn of events, I actually DID write it, and I just managed to overlook it a hundred times...then I apologize for the scene where Warrick finds out (again?) I know, I know, it's sad that I don't know my own book...but mind y'all...Me and My Gang was a big sexy beast! And I've got another chapter book running (one on hiatus) and then a few one-shots in between...plus I have life, family, school, and chores...-sigh-...it's exhausting...
Okay, so I'll stop complaining now. Read the book...and the Disclaimer so you know who I do/do not own. (And warning: The CSIs are kinda OOC in this chapter...I promise they'll be more realistic later...it's just that I haven't written them in a while, so I have to adjust)
Disclaimer: I don't own Nick, Greg, Grissom, Jillian Stokes, Bill Stokes, Catherine, Warrick, Tina, Mandy, Wendy, or Sara...everyone else belongs to me...SO DEAL WITH IT!!! lol...JK JK...but not really.
Chapter 4
Presidio, Texas
Presidio Palms Medical Center
Emergency Ward
August 23, 2006
4:53 p.m.
Nick groaned as he shifted slightly to become more comfortable on the hospital bed, no use. He sighed and reached over to drink the cup of water they had given him, but winced in pain as he moved. Now dealing with the repercussions of the fight, he was feeling all the pains of the battle, including his gun shot wound to the side...
But it was damn well worth it... Nick thought, remembering how the first words out of his lips when he entered the hospital room were: 'Is Riley okay?' The doctor had smiled slightly and told him she was going to be fine. In fact, the first thing Riley had asked was if Nick was alright. Nick smiled at the memory and sighed as he laid his head softly back against the pillows. He wanted nothing more than to get out of the damned hospital bed and figure out where Riley's room was and hold her in his arms. After the police had taken the men away they quickly brought an ambulance for Nick and Riley.
So there he sat, lonely, and wanting to ask Riley if she was alright, though he already knew what her reply would be. He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, when a shuffle from behind the curtain closing him off to the rest of the room drew his attention. He opened his eyes and searched the shadow for any hint of recognition, but found none.
Suddenly the curtain was pulled back, and a nurse pushing a wheel chair entered his precinct. Nick gave a worried look to the red head sitting in the wheel chair, affectionately named Riley, (lol, is it just me, or does that sentence make you laugh for some odd reason...?) as she was pushed up to his bed. He struggled to sit up, and was quickly aided by the nurse who had wheeled Riley in.
Riley raised a brow at the nurse's hurriedness to aid her boyfriend, and flash him a flattering smile. Riley gave her a skeptical look as she passed, but couldn't help smile at Nick's obliviousness. He was blind to any woman but her. (Aww! Fluff-fest!) Nick settled in comfortably and looked up to see the nurse, and then several others, gather around his door. He secretly wondered if they were waiting to deliver a show-stopping-number, song and dance. "Can I get you anything else?" The brunette nurse asked shyly and Riley turned around to shoot them all a 'you've-got-to-be-kidding-me' look.
"Anything at all?" A smaller Asian nurse called from the back, and Riley silenced her with a glare.
Nick furred his brows and looked at them confused. "...Um...no, I'm fine." He flashed a polite smile, practically melting everyone in the room, Riley included.
"Well...um...alright..." The 'head' nurse said, reluctant to leave, but was quickly rushed away by Riley's solid glare. After they had cleared out she turned back to Nick as he shook his head confused. "Man them nurses are bothersome...they keep comin' in here every ten minutes to see if I need anythin', and then they constantly walk by my door, and come in here even if I don't call 'em!" Nick replied exasperatedly. Riley pursed her lips and shook her head. "What?" He asked.
She laughed. "Baby...they wanna get in your pants..." She replied bluntly, and Nick looked at her and blushed. "And if they'd let me outta this damn chair I'd kick all their asses..." Riley threatened and Nick chuckled.
"How're you feeling? Why are you in a wheel chair?" Nick asked, changing the subject.
She shrugged. "Twisted my ankle, and my shoulder's dislocated so they wouldn't let me use crutches..."
"Would you use them even if they'd let you? Wouldn't that hurt?"
She shrugged. "Eh, probably. But you've seen the beatin's I've taken at home; I could play through the pain." At the mention of her home Nick raised a brow.
"Did you call them? Home, I mean."
"Nope."
"Are you going to?"
"Nope."
"Alright." Nick nodded and dropped the issue, searching his brain for a change of conversation. "What's your total damage report?"
Riley chuckled and sighed as she reclined slightly in the wheel chair. "Alright...you ready for this...?"
Las Vegas, Nevada
The Universal House
Kiersten's Room
August 24, 2006
2:12 a.m.
"What!?!?" Kiersten screamed into her cell phone. Several loud thuds, which could only be constituted as the men falling out of their beds and scrambling towards her room, sounded. Her door ruptured open as Shaun, Pot Roast, Jabari, CJ, and Deven plunged into her room, all of them wielding bats, tennis rackets, lighters...and Shaun holding a rolling pin in one hand and a neon green squirt gun in the other.
"What!? What?! Who!? Where?!" Jabari asked.
"Who's there!?!" Pot Roast screamed.
"Get the Hell outta here you Bastard!!" Deven ordered.
"What's there?! Who is it?!" CJ hollered.
"Get ready to meet your maker!!" Shaun warned and pulled the trigger of the squirt gun twice, spraying the foot of Kiersten's bed. Deven gave him a 'what-the-fuck-is-wrong-with-you?' look and slapped him upside the back of the head.
Kiersten shushed them all and tried to listen to the person on the other end of the phone. "Yes...Oh my God! What happened...?! Well are they alright...?!" She suddenly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, her mouth seems to be working just fine..." She shook her head and tried to suppress a chuckle. "Yeah...no...make sure they get better...yes...uh huh...thank you Mrs. Stokes." Kiersten hung up her phone and looked at the guys.
"Whose Mrs. Stokes?" Jabari asked.
"Is it Riley? Did she and that hunky cowboy elope!?" Thomas asked as he appeared from behind Shaun and Kiersten shook her head.
"That was Nick's mother..."
"You screamed because Nick's mother called you...no wait, correction...you woke us up because Nick's mother called you?" CJ clarified.
"No wonder, if his mother is as horrible as he is, I'd scream too." Deven grumbled and Kiersten shot him a look.
"Nick and his mother are both very nice people...I was screaming because of something else..."
Thomas grinned wickedly. "I'd like to have that man make me scream..." He thought out loud and everyone cringed and screamed in horror, Kiersten threw pillows at him, while Shaun slapped him in the face with the rolling pin.
"Good Lord Thomas I did not need those homo-erotic images in my head!" Jabari screamed and covered his ears.
"Why did you have to say that?!" Pot Roast grumbled.
"...Shaun where'd you get a rolling pin?" Deven asked and looked from Shaun to the cooking utensil. Everyone turned to look at Shaun's weapon of choice and he blushed.
"Um...uh...well...I was um...this one time..." He stuttered and everyone screamed in horror and backed away from Shaun's 'cook utensil/sex toy'. Thomas took the squirt gun from Shaun's hand and proceeded to squirt his face where Shaun had hit him with the rolling pin and scrub the germs away. Shaun looked around confused. "I don't get it...Andrea liked it..."
"Good Lord I'm glad I don't live here anymore..." Deven replied and Kiersten looked at him oddly.
"Yeah...you don't live here anymore...why are you here?"
"...I fell asleep here..."
They all groaned again and CJ shook his head. "I swear to God you all have ADD...why were you screaming in the first place?"
Kiersten looked at them and sighed. "...Riley and Nick are in the hospital."
"WHAT!?!?!" Everyone shouted in unison.
She nodded. "They got into a fight..."
"He HIT her?!" Deven boomed and Kiersten shook her head.
"No! Calm down testosterone boy, they were at a street fair down on the border of Mexico and Texas and they were cornered in the alley by a gang..."
"What?! Are they okay?" Thomas asked.
"Are they all dead?!" Jabari questioned.
"Oh! By the beard of Zeus...!" Deven gasped.
"Holy sheep shit Batman!" Shaun screamed.
"Who was it?! What gang?" CJ asked.
"...The Diamondback Rattlers..." She relayed and everyone's eyes widened.
"Oh my God...please tell me she's okay." Deven begged and Kiersten smiled and nodded.
"They're both fine. I'll tell ya what though, from what Mrs. Stokes told me, Nick and Riley did quite a number on 'em...Nick even took a gun shot wound to the side."
"What?!" They all screamed and Kiersten nodded.
"Well, technically it grazed his side, but there was still a lot of blood loss and he can barely move."
"Is Riley alright though? Did they touch her?" Deven asked, knowing the Diamondback style. He had once had a run-in with them when he was younger and stupider...(if that's even possible).
"No, no, she's fine. Nick kept her safe...but they're both still recovering so they're going to have to stay in Texas a few days longer. Mrs. Stokes said they'll probably leave around Wednesday."
The group was shocked silent...until Shaun spoke.
"I really think we should invest in that protective bubble for her..." Shaun said, breaking the silence. Kiersten chuckled.
"Nick said the same thing."
Suddenly a noise from the bathroom down the hall attracted their attention and all the guys turned around to see an unknown man wearing nothing but tattoos and boxers walk into Kiersten's room. His tattoos went all over his upper torso, chest, back, arms, and shoulders, stopping at his neck. The men all raise their weapons of torture again, all screaming random threats to scare the man away...
"Get outta here!!"
"Robber!"
"Think you can break into our house?!?!"
"Begone Ruffian!"
"Ahhh!! Kibbles and bits!!!" Shaun screamed and squirted his gun a few times, misting the man in the face, causing everyone to stop and look at him oddly, again, as if to say 'what-the-fuck-is-wrong-with-you?'
The man took a few steps back and stared at them all in shock. "Um...Baby...?"
"Uh...yeah Hon...sorry about them..."
The men all turned to look at her. "He's with you?" Jabari asked and Kiersten blushed and nodded.
"...Damnit!" Thomas cursed and stomped his foot and stormed back to his room.
The tattooed man watched him go, then turned back to Kiersten. "Um..."
"Yeah, Michael, this is The Gang minus a few. Guys, this is Michael Miller."
They all turned to look at him skeptically and Shaun sighed... "And so it begins again...so...you're not gonna call her for two months then randomly turn up and force her to diner with you, then sweep her off her feet and steal her away only to break her heart, have her get into a car accident, then get back together only to freak her out by saying a dirty-four-letter-word, break up with her again, make her sleep with Deven, get back together because a television show makes y'all talk, then get a bird and a dog, sweep her off her feet again, and take her to Texas and get yourself shot, too...?" Shaun asked as everyone turned to him to deliver his well deserved 'look' again, then turn to Michael for his answer...
"Maybe..." He replied in a slightly teasing tone causing everyone to laugh.
Dallas, Texas
Stokes' Ranch
Guest Room
August 24, 2006
8:02 p.m.
Nick sighed and waited for the phone to stop ringing and his boss to pick up. "Grissom."
"Griss?"
"Nick?"
"Yeah..."
"Are you on your way back to Vegas yet?" Grissom immediately asked, and Nick sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then scratched the back of his neck and rubbed his chin, where his overnight stubble had grown.
"Um...not exactly."
"Why not?" Grissom asked exasperatedly.
"Well...you see...long story short, Riley and I just got discharged from the hospital. I'm still recovering from a gunshot wound and lots of bruises and cuts, a sprained wrist, and a nasty gash in my bicep. Riley's got a twisted ankle, badly bruised body with lots of cuts, a dislocated shoulder, and we've both got minor concussions..." There was no reply from the other end of the phone. "And we missed our flight cause the damned hospital wouldn't let us leave." Nick admitted sheepishly, hating that he had to disappoint his boss. "...Grissom?"
"...Didn't you go to Texas to relax?" Grissom asked confused.
Nick scoffed. "Texas had other plans..."
Grissom raised a brow and shook his head. "How bad is your gun shot wound? Are you going to be alright? What about Riley? Is she alright?" Grissom asked worriedly.
"We'll both be fine...she's pretty shaken up though..."
"What exactly happened?" Grissom asked as Nick sighed and began to tell him the events that landed them BACK in the hospital.
"I swear Grissom, this woman is in the hospital more than anyone I've ever met..."
"Including you?" Grissom and Riley asked in unison from opposite ends of the phone, and Grissom couldn't help but smile as he heard Riley scold Nick about bad-mouthing her to his boss. Nick chuckled. "Oh you think I'm funny?" Riley demanded only half angry.
"Seems like her mouth is working..." Grissom replied and Nick howled in laughter, and then cringed as he felt soreness in his lower left abdomen, off to the side more than in his stomach. He quickly recovered and told Riley what Grissom had said. Grissom couldn't help but laugh when he heard her get all worked up because everyone had been saying that so far... "So when are you coming back Nick?"
"The earliest flight is Wednesday."
"I'm not worried about the earliest flight, I want you two to be okay when you get back here."
"Wednesday will be good for us, we'll be healed by then..."
"Nick. You've got a sprained wrist, your girlfriend has a dislocated shoulder and twisted ankle, you've both got concussions, and you were shot..."
"The bullet just grazed me."
"Nick..."
"I'm fine Grissom. I'll see you Wednesday." Nick said hurriedly, not wanting his boss to worry about him anymore, or his mother to come in and find him on the phone when he was supposed to be resting. She had been so fraught for him to get rest that she contemplated putting Nick and Riley in separate rooms so they could essentially sleep without fooling around, or having one of their ever so recent chat-a-thons...until Riley and Nick had convinced her they were too tired to do anything and pledged to get rest.
Grissom sighed and massaged his temples. "Get back here Wednesday, we'll see you Thursday night for work."
Nick sighed and rolled his eyes, too tired to fight with his boss. "Alright, fine. I'll see you Thursday." Nick replied and Grissom sighed. "Bye Grissom. Good luck with shift later..."
"Bye Nick. Good luck with Riley..." The men shared a laugh and Nick stole a quick glance at Riley to see she was hobbling out of the bathroom with a cane to help her walk.
"Thanks. Now I gotta go help her before she falls and breaks her neck." Nick joked and hung up with his boss to agonizingly swing his legs over the rim of the bed and wince at the pain sweltering through his side.
"Nick, you've just been shot, lay your beautiful ass back down and relax." Riley ordered lightly and Nick sighed and hissed in pain once more as he brought his legs back up on the bed. Riley grabbed the cane she had left by the door and used it to help her make her way back to the bed. "I swear to goodness, I'm so close to havin' my bladder removed so I'm not usin' the bathroom every two minutes." Riley twanged as she lowered herself into the bed and Nick chuckled.
"Lemme see your ankle..." Nick replied and she removed the wrap around bandage, holding the icepack in place. "It doesn't look as bad as before. The swellin's gone down."
"Yeah, that's about all this ice pack is good fer, I can still feel every step when I walk." She drawled.
Nick sighed. "So why didn't you take the wheelchair when they offered it to you?"
"'Cause if I don't beat the pain out now, it'll be twice as hard when we have to go home...I want to be semi decent when we leave." A small smile played on Nick's lips when he heard her say 'home' in reference to him...technically she was referring to her house as well...but she still thought of his house as her second home. "I miss everyone...and my job." She replied and Nick chuckled.
"You do realize there will be no bartendin' when you get back...right?"
"Why?!"
"Because you drink when you work...and you can't drink while you're on your meds. And you can't dance and prance around on the bar with your cute little self while you've got an injured leg." Nick lectured and Riley growled angrily and rolled her eyes as she wrapped the bandage back up. When she was finished Nick reached for the blanket and pulled it up their bodies. They both hissed and groaned in pain as they situated themselves on the bed so that they could lay comfortably.
"God we're a mess..." Riley chuckled.
"Yeah..." Nick replied, too tired to really say anything else. He could feel his eyelids drooping slightly and his breathing begin to even out, until he felt Riley shift slightly next to him.
"Hey Nicky...?" He opened his eyes and rolled his head to look at her. "I uh...I don't think I actually told you this yet, ya know, with the doctors and nurses bein up your ass constantly and what not..."
"What is it?"
She gave a soft smile. "Thanks...thanks for what you did back in the alley...I don't think either of us would have made it out if you hadn't..." She gulped slightly and nodded her head back and forth. "Gotten my stupid ass outta that jam...I'm sorry I put you in that position, but thanks for gettin' me out of it."
Nick gave her a tired smile and pulled her a little closer, trying to be conscious of the injuries both their bodies were entertaining, and kissed the tip of her nose, everywhere else on her seemingly too bruised to be touched. He secretly wondered how she was even laying down comfortably, with that nasty bruise and gash to her back and all. "I'd do it again in a Texas gun-shot baby...anytime, any place..."
She smiled sadly, knowing it was true, and thankful for it in a bittersweet kind of way. She knew she was damn lucky to have Nick love her like he did, and be willing to lay his life and safety down for her...but that upset her in more ways than one. Nick was willing to do just about anything to keep her safe, and given Riley's accident-prone nature, that posed as a detriment to Nick's safety. He didn't seem to care about himself when it came to her well being. That scared her, knowing he'd do anything for her.
Whereas it would make most women swoon at the thought of having a hunky, Texan, stud do almost anything you asked, Riley's assertive, blunt side couldn't quite accept that. She wouldn't exactly call herself a bigoted feminist, more like an assertive, strong woman. And Nick's 'let-me-help-you-with-that-lil'-lady' nature, though at times sweet, could be down right annoying.
But what she adored about him was, when she had brought this up to him no more than a month ago, he had quickly branded it into his brain, and tried to remind himself to lay off a little more, and let her be her half of the whole. She had to snap at him a couple times for small things, like always holding her hand and helping her out of a car, never letting her carry her own bags, and not letting her do 'men's work'.
She wanted a lover, not a mother, and a somewhat sexist one at that.
Riley was never really one of a nurturer, often said to have the maternal instincts of a shark and the comfort level of a string of barbed wire, she wasn't really sure how to be the uber feminine/nurturing part of the couple. But...I guess if Nick made a change...then I should too. She reasoned and sighed as she realized Nick was asleep, and this conversation would have to wait until morning.
Las Vegas, Nevada
CSI HQ
Break Room
August 24, 2006
9:13 p.m.
The familiar noises of his team congregating merrily in the break room drew a smile onto Grissom's tired face. He spotted them through the glass before they saw him, they were too busy goofing around and laughing happily to notice anyone else.
Greg had the lampshade on his head and was doing 'The Twist', causing Catherine and Sara to double over laughing while Warrick shook his head and laughed as he threw M&Ms at him. Mandy sat at the table, flipping through her magazine while sipping coffee, trying not to laugh, and Wendy proceeded to steal some of Warrick's M&Ms and toss a few at Greg while saving a few for herself.
Grissom stepped into the room and cleared his throat, causing everyone to hide their smirks unsuccessfully and jump to attention. Grissom looked around the room at his 'troops' and had to chuckle as Greg stood up straight, in perfect posture, hand up at his forehead in a 'salute' position...all the while still wearing the lampshade.
The team laughed and Greg slowly pulled the lampshade off his head, blushed when he saw it was Grissom, and carefully put the cover back on. "What's up Grissom? Do you have the assignments?" Catherine asked and straightened her appearance somewhat while looking more professional. Grissom took on a somber mood and looked down as he shook his head.
"No...not yet...this is about something else." Grissom replied and everyone looked around worriedly. He only used that tone when... "Nick is in the hospital."
"What!?" Came the collective gasp from the room.
"What happened?"
"Is he alright?"
"Oh my God! What happened?"
"Is he back in Vegas yet?"
"When did this happen?"
"Is it severe?"
Grissom held up his hands to silence them all. "Nick's fine...he actually should be getting out of the hospital now, but he and Riley are both fine...sort of."
"What?! Riley was hurt too! I've got to call Emma and Kiersten!" Greg replied and everyone else looked around confused.
"Who are Riley, Kiersten, and Emma?" They all asked Greg, but he darted out of the room to make the call to his girlfriend.
Grissom winced as he realized what he had said. Oops...uh oh...oh well, at least Nick can't get me...he's in Texas...oh crap, he's coming back on Thursday...eh, I can be in Canada by then. Grissom joked internally (See, Grissom's funny on the inside...lol).
Suddenly Warrick's eyes widened. "Whoa, whoa, wait...Riley, Kiersten, and Emma...as in Tina's Riley, Kiersten, and Emma? What is Riley doing in Texas with Nick without Kiersten?"
"Whose Emma, Kiersten, and Riley?" Sara asked.
"Isn't Emma Greg's girlfriend?" Wendy asked.
"How do you know Emma?" Warrick asked and Wendy turned to him.
"I don't. I caught Greg talking to her on his cell one day and I forced him to tell me who it was..."
"Wait, so how do you know everyone?" Catherine asked. "I knew you asked Nicky about Kiersten one day after shift, is that his girlfriend?"
Warrick nodded, still oblivious to the fact that Nick was in fact dating Riley. "Yeah. I guess they hooked up when Tina and I got into a fight about a month back, then she called a 'women's night' or whatever-"
"You mean a 'girl's night'..." The women corrected and Warrick blinked a few times.
"Sure...anyway, Riley, Emma, and Kiersten went to Tina and they...well, basically plotted my death-"
"I'll bet ya they ate chocolate." Wendy interrupted.
"Godiva...and martinis." Mandy added.
"Nah...Tina seems more like a margarita kind of girl..." Sara replied.
"Did they watch any chick flicks?" Catherine asked and Warrick furred his brows.
"I don't know...can I get back to my story now?" When all the women settled down he continued. "Alright, so...I guess he dropped Riley off at her house or somethin cause he, Kiersten, and Riley all peeled outta there about the same time, and they accidentally left Riley's dog at our house...so Nick called the next morning and said Kiersten called looking for the dog-"
"I thought it was Riley's dog..." Sara replied.
"It was."
"Well then why did Kiersten call?" Wendy asked.
"Apparently Riley called her and Kiersten called Nick-"
"But if Kiersten and Nick hooked up she would have still been with him...are you sure she wasn't there?"
"No...well...she might have been, I thought I heard some noises. But I thought it was just the bird or the television."
"Nick has a bird?" Grissom asked confused, finally speaking up.
They all looked over at him and Warrick nodded. "Yeah. He got him about two or three months ago..."
"You mean when he was going through that 'depressed phase'?" Catherine asked and Warrick nodded, causing Grissom to stifle a laugh. Ooh...he tried to replace Riley with a bird...no, no, no Nicky...believe me, pets, including birds and tarantulas, cannot fill the empty space in your heart like your woman can... Grissom thought.
Catherine and Sara shared a look, and then turned to Wendy and Mandy to see them giving each other the same look. Something just didn't add up. "So let me get this straight...Nick met Kiersten at the fight/girls' night, hooked up, got a call from Riley about where her dog was..." Mandy stopped to think. "If Riley is friends with Tina and she had her phone number, why would she call Kiersten...?"
"Unless she didn't call Kiersten." Sara supplied.
"So that would mean that Riley called Nick." Wendy stated.
"And she got his number that night..." Catherine replied, putting one of the last pieces of the puzzle together. All the women shared a knowing look, and then turned to Warrick, whose eyes widened.
"...So Nick had a threesome?" He asked obliviously and all the women rolled their eyes and slapped him upside the back of the head.
"No! Nick and Riley hooked up that night! Not Nick and Kiersten..." Catherine explained.
"Good job Ladies..." Grissom complimented and they all turned to look at him in mild shock.
"You knew about this?!" Sara asked.
"Yes. I accidentally ran into them at the super market a few months back and promised I wouldn't tell."
"Whoa whoa wait! A few months back...? How long have Riley and Nick been seeing each other?" Warrick asked, and Grissom winced, realizing he spilt the beans again.
"Well...they're kind of on and off...but in my knowledge, they met last October...apparently at some club...Club Spike or something..."
Suddenly it all started falling together; Catherine looked up at Grissom curiously. "What color hair does Riley have?" She asked and Grissom smirked, she had it.
"Red...very red hair."
"Oh my God! Riley is the red head Nick met at the club we forced him to go to last October? She's the girl that got Sara and me twenty bucks!" Catherine replied. "They've been dating since then?"
"On and off." Grissom repeated.
"Well that explains his slumps every few months...and his mood swings." Warrick grumbled.
"Wait...that's the girl I met at the hospital that one time! Her friend was in a car accident. I thought I noticed sexual tension between her and Nick." Sara realized.
"Is that the same red head that got into the car accident last January...? The one with the crazy car?" Warrick asked and Grissom smiled and nodded.
"I think I saw she and Nick making-out in the parking lot last May." Mandy replied and Catherine chuckled.
"Ooh! In the parking lot?" Mandy nodded and Catherine laughed again.
"So wait...how does Greg know her?" Sara asked.
"Emma." Grissom answered.
"Greg's girlfriend?" Wendy asked and Grissom nodded.
"Emma, Kiersten, and Riley are really good friends. Riley and Nick kind of hooked Greg and Emma up I guess..."
"Alright, I get why Greg hasn't mention Emma yet, they've only been dating a few weeks...but Nick and Riley have been together almost a year...how come we haven't met her yet?" Warrick asked, slightly offended.
"I guess they're trying to keep it quiet..."
"For a year?" Sara asked, then realized that's what she and Grissom had done, and promptly shut her mouth.
"How often do they break up?" Wendy asked and Grissom shook his head and held up his hands.
"No! I've already said too much. I wasn't supposed to tell anybody, so you have to pretend like you don't know."
"Gil, this girl's bringing out a new devious side of you I've never seen before..." Sara joked in mock-offense, causing everyone to laugh. Grissom shot her a playful look.
"Well...it happens. Just keep your mouths shut and when Nick is ready to tell you, he'll tell you. Until then, you know nothing."
"Got it..." Suddenly, Catherine remembered what had brought this all on. "Oh God! I forgot; why is Nick in the hospital?"
Grissom shook his head and sighed as he relayed the events that had landed the indignant couple back in their most frequented residence.
"Oh My God..." Sara said slowly, in shock. "How is Nick? Is he okay? Is he coming back soon?" Sara fired and Grissom nodded.
"He's fine, and he's coming back to work Thursday."
"That soon?" Wendy asked in shock and Grissom shrugged.
"It was the latest I could get him to agree to..."
"That man has a hospital fetish." Warrick said, breaking the silence that had enveloped them. Just then, Greg came back in the room.
"Alright...Emma didn't know anything about it, so I did nothing but worry her...so, what exactly happened...?"
Dallas, Texas
Stokes' Ranch
Guest Room
August 24, 2006
11:54 p.m.
Riley's eyes snapped open and she bolted upright in bed...or tried to. She winced and cried out in pain as she felt the immense amount of pain course through her body. She slowly lowered herself back down, managing to stifle her cries and groans as she did so until she hit the pillow and let out a soft whimper. Nick shifted in his sleep, causing her to turn her head slightly to look at him.
His face contorted as he rolled slightly, feeling the pain of the brawl as well. She sighed as she realized she had to get out of bed...she had to pee. She groaned and slowly and painfully dragged herself out of the reverie the bed provided and slumped to the bathroom.
A few minutes later after lots of cursing in pain and threats of murder, Riley exited the bathroom and limped over to the bed, her cane aiding her way. Her ankle hurt a Hell of a lot more than she was letting on to Nick, and the cane was absolutely necessary if she was going to walk at all. Something told her she wouldn't be returning to work as quickly as Nick would.
She had scolded him internally for being folly and returning to work so soon, but knew that arguing with him was a waste of breath...he was just as bull-headed and stubborn as she was. Truthfully she was looking forward to recovering at home with Nick, whosever house they decided to slum it at, and doing nothing other than sleeping and spending time with him...
But she knew other than him being stubborn, his work needed him. And he wouldn't deny his job.
Riley sighed as she lowered herself onto the bed and braced herself on her good arm and laid the slinged arm along his chest gently as she looked at his sleeping face. His long lashes sprawled out perfectly on his cheeks, and the reposed look on his face did nothing but soothe her. All the frustration of him being foolish and obstinate disappeared as she watched him sleep serenely, but more importantly, securely.
He was safe. He was alright. And that was all that mattered. She was prone to getting herself into jams because of her big mouth and stupid nature to piss people off, but she had always been able to get herself out. Now that Nick was in the picture, she couldn't just worry about herself anymore.
She spent her entire life looking out for mostly herself, everyone else around her didn't rely on her, the baby, to help them with their problems. But she always lend and ear and a hand, or even a shoulder to them when she could. She hadn't had many serious boyfriends, mostly because her relationships never lasted too long, being mostly 'one-of-the-guys'. Her relationship with Deven had been a serious friendship filled with lots of love, comfort, and support. But they had been friends for a long time before that, and had tons of other friends to help them along as well, so being the second half to Deven wasn't really all that challenging. That's one of the things that made it work, it was easy and comfortable.
But with Nick...Nick was a challenge. Deven had always been polite and courteous to her (otherwise everyone who knew them would pound him into the ground for not doing so), but he knew Riley's limits on being treated as a damsel, specifically one in distress. He knew how independent she was, and how she'd more than likely hold the door for Deven than have him hold it for her. He knew about all of her crazy quirks and had a chance to accept, learn-to-deal, and love them before they embarked on their relationship.
Nick was a gentleman through and through, but when it came down to the facts, her and Nick's relationship had started off, and for the beginning, been mostly about sex. Things had been rushed, and strained, but they had eventually evened out and smoothed over, giving them each time to adjust. That very problem had been one of the reasons she had freaked out when he dropped the 'L' bomb. She felt like he was taking it too fast. She felt like she needed to slow down and catch her breath.
She and Deven had known pretty much every little thing there was to know about each other before they had slept together, so nothing was new. But with Nick, she could barely even remember his last name or where he worked, they had both been pretty heavily intoxicated. And while her journey with Nick was new and exciting, she couldn't help but feel scared and pressured. Everything seemed to be coming so fast, even though it really wasn't...
Riley had just always been one to take things slowly.
"Baby...you know I don't like to be watched while I sleep." Nick pointed out in a soft, yet firm voice. Riley gasped slightly, being startled that he was awake, and then looked at him. His eyes were still closed and his lips had barely moved. If she hadn't known it was him talking, she would have sworn he was still asleep.
"...Sorry." She apologized and slid fully into the bed next to him, muffling her whimpers as she did so. Her body felt like she'd been to Hell and back, hitting every bump along the way while laying in a cart of rocks.
"How're you doin?" Nick asked sleepily.
"Fine..." She paused. "Go back to sleep Nick."
"I'm not tired."
"Bull. Sleep." She said firmly and Nick gave her a look.
"Well, you're bossy this mornin'."
"It's not morning; I'm allowed to be bossy." She countered and Nick furred his brows as he continued looking at the ceiling fan.
"What time is it?"
"Twelve-ish..." She said while yawning.
"Sounds like you're the one that needs sleep."
"Go back to sleep Nick." She instructed softly while rolling over to face him, but not touching him for fear of hurting him.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm in pain...you're in pain. I'm sleepy. You need to sleep but won't admit it...so no, I'm not fine." She almost whispered.
Nick smirked and kissed the top of her head. "Bull. Somethin else is botherin you...and I intend to figure it out...just not while you're sleeping." Nick replied and sighed.
What's wrong Baby...? What is it?
Dallas, Texas
Stokes' Ranch
Dinning Room
August 25, 2006
7:43 a.m.
"This is really good Mama." Nick replied as he attempted to cut up his pancakes and struggled to get them in his mouth while keeping perfect posture...it hurt too much t slouch. Riley watched him do so with mild amusement. She herself was having trouble eating the pancakes, because her shoulder hurt too much to move, and she couldn't function with her left hand. Nick chuckled at her failed efforts and grinned as a piece of bacon was thrown his way.
Riley shot him a mock-angry look and pouted as she continuously tried to eat her breakfast. "Maybe cereal would have been a better idea..." Jillian realized and Riley shook her head.
"No! I love pancakes...this is wonderful...I just can't quite fork the flappy jacks." Riley replied.
"Sounds like a personal problem." Nick chuckled and Riley rolled her eyes and reached for another piece of bacon, but Nick beat her to it, and tossed one at her. She stuck out her tongue and tried to focus on eating her food. Nick watched her lovingly and smiled. "Want some help Darlin'?"
"No." She said defiantly. "I can do it." She insisted as she incessantly struggled. Nick and Bill stifled their laughs while Jillian chuckled openly. After another ten minutes of trying, Riley sighed and set her fork down. "I'm not that hungry."
"Let me help you." Nick instructed and reached over for her fork, ignoring the pain in his side.
"No Nick, I'm not hungry." Riley replied stubbornly, not about to have Nick feed her.
"Riley, just lemme help."
"No. I don't need it. I'm not hungry." Riley replied, and Bill and Jillian both muffled their smiles with their napkins. Riley swatted Nick's hand away as he reached over to grab her fork to help her. "Nick stop." She ordered.
"Yer so darn stubborn." Nick twanged.
"Look whose talkin'." She drawled and Jillian chuckled.
"My Dear, y'all bicker about as much as Bill an' I do." Jillian informed them and Riley sighed and pursed her lips to hide an irritated smile. "Don't worry; the arguin' never goes away...it'll only increase when y'all get hitched."
Nick about choked on his eggs, while Riley sucked back her juice too quickly and turned a funny shade of blue. As soon as she began breathing again, they both turned a deep shade of crimson and refused to even acknowledge the fact that their significant other was at the table. Riley stared at her eggs as if they held the meaning of life and tucked a stray red curl behind her ear.
"It's always about the silliest things too. I 'member once Bill and I fought for hours about what kinda cereal to buy...but y'all won't really have to worry about that until the babies come, though." Jillian continued. If Riley's eyes had bulged any wider they would have fallen out of her head. Nick looked to his father for help, who was already trying to subtly shush his wife.
"I never thought I'd have as many kids as I did. Bill and I both had our hearts set on three, but they just kept comin'!" She laughed heartily, and Nick couldn't help but cringe at the thought of his parents...making children. He valiantly stole a quick glance at Riley who looked about ready to run out the door and never return. "But I'm sure y'all will have a sufficient amount, although Riley, Nick did mention you havin' a big family, are you lookin' forward to havin' a bunch of youngsters runnin' around the house?" Jillian asked, finally looking up to gauge the kid's reactions.
She saw how flushed and uncomfortable they had both become and blushed and looked back down to her food. It hadn't occurred to her that the mentioning of nuptials would make the couple so uncomfortable. "So uh, Nicky, how're yer friends doin'? I'll bet they just adore you, huh Riley?" Jillian smiled pleasantly, trying to divert away from talks of nuptials and babies, unknowingly landing in another pot hole.
"I actually haven't met 'em yet..." Riley admitted and shifted uncomfortably. Well this is going well... Riley thought sarcastically and took a sip of her juice.
"Oh...um...well, what's yer family like? I'll bet it was good getting' ta see 'em again. By the way, have you called them yet to let 'em know about what happened??"
Riley shifted again and sent Nick a pleading look, before turning back to his mother. "I uh...my family an' I really aren't on speakin' terms right now..." She said sheepishly and mentally slapped herself. Should've just eaten the damn spaghetti...
Jillian blanched and chuckled dryly. "Wow. Well, got any dead pets I could bring up? I think that'd be a perfect end to this conversation huh?" She replied jokingly and Riley winced and shrugged.
"Actually...one year ago today my baby Beagle, Roxi, was killed by a semi..." Riley replied sadly and Jillian's jaw dropped. Bill groaned and leaned back in his chair while looking towards the ceiling.
"Lawd Awmighty, please help her..." Bill prayed for his wife. Nick buried his head in his hand and shook his head while releasing a whimper-laugh.
"...Bacon." Jillian said simply and quickly fled the table and entered into the kitchen to get more bacon, even though the table had plenty. The three left looked around at each other uncomfortably and Riley forced a smile.
"...Yer house is lovely..."
Dallas, Texas
Stokes' Ranch
Jillian Stokes' Office
August 25, 2006
8:29 a.m.
"So Mama, do you absolutely hate Riley?" Nick asked from the doorway of his mother's office, startling the older woman slightly. She jumped and gasped, then clutched her heart.
"Lord Heaven Almighty! Nicholas Garret Stokes, ya scared the Sunday mornin' dawn right outta me!" She drawled and Nick chuckled and walked fully into the room. "I adore Riley, why would you think I hated her?"
Nick raised his eyebrow. "Well, you hit the perpetual nail of sorrow and angst right on the head every darn time Mama. A boy can only assume..."
Jillian sighed and shook her head as she plopped down in the forest green leather chair. "Is she extremely upset? Did I offend her?"
Nick chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, she'll be awright. It takes a lot more than that to offend her. She's pretty laid- back."
"I feel horrible..."
"Aw Mama, don't. I was only joshin' ya..." He drawled and Jillian sighed.
"Was I that bad?"
Nick thought back and sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Yeah. But rest assured in the fact that no matter how bad it was, it could never compare to the horror that was 'Meeting Miss Molly Miners'." Nick informed her and Jillian laughed.
"Oh my! I could have gone my life without ever meetin' that woman...she was definitely the worst of your 'gal-pals'." Jillian grumbled and Nick laughed.
"Yes, I know. Please, I'd rather not revisit that time..." Nick chuckled and Jillian scoffed.
"That makes two of us..."
"I really didn't mean to make you uncomfortable this mornin' Nicky...I was just tryin' ta make conversation." She apologized and Nick smiled and hugged her.
"I know Mama...you just kinda freaked us out with that. Caught us off guard, ya know?"
"How long have y'all been together?"
"Almost ten months exactly..."
"And y'all haven't talked about kids or marriage yet...?" Jillian asked disbelievingly.
"Yes...we're takin' it slow. And we've talked about it a little."
"Does she wanna get married and have kids?"
"Well, I mean...we've talked about other people's kids." Nick admitted and his mother shot him a look. "I don't wanna scare her off." Nick defended and Jillian sighed and shook her head.
"Awright...well, I need to get some work done, but I'll check on y'all later." Jillian replied; changing the subject and breaking away from her son's embrace.
Nick chuckled. "I'm not five Mama..." He joked and she rolled her eyes.
"I meant ta give y'all yer medicine." She drawled and shook her head. "Lawd knows y'all won't take 'em unless I shove it down ya'lls throats." She muttered and Nick shrugged.
"I don't like the medicine and I don't need it..." Nick said stubbornly and crossed his arms over his chest painfully and his mother smirked.
"...Not five eh...?"
A/N: Alright, so I was nice and gave y'all a nice LONG chapter...lol. It's funny, I had most of this written before I even posted Chapter 3, but the last few scenes took FOREVER to write! Whew! And I've got semester exams...-sighs- Damn high school, it's completely unnecessary. lol. Yea, I'm thinkin about quittin and writing for the rest of my life...-gasp- OMG! Like, five generations of my ancestors just rolled over in their graves! Me not finishing school is like me getting married...
If it happens, we'll all need to ice skate home...BECAUSE HELL WILL HAVE FROZEN OVER!!! LMAO!
Alright, alright, now be good little readers and review...and I PROMISE the next chapter will DEFINITELY feed the hunger for Nick-Riley-ness y'all have been cravin' for... I guarantee y'all ya won't expect it, and cookies to those who guess... lol.
Until next Thursday... (or if you review and leave me an email address or pen name to reply back to)...
-Futuremisscsi60