A/N: Ahh...here we go, another Thursday...and ANOTHER CSI!!! Too bad they're screwing it up and taking Grissom off the show for the rest of the season. The good news: He'll be back next season. The bad news: Everything will have changed...ha. Kinda reminds me of this book that I read by another author, Isawin Malfoy called Returning Home. It's a kick ass book, and I would DEFINITELY read it...I think it's in my favorites if you wanna check it out.
But. for the mean time, you can read my chapter and see what's going on with our gang...
Disclaimer: Brain and liver has been fried by alcohol from New Years Eve (I had a KILLER hangover to start the New Year off with...fun) and isn't working enough to think of something funny...(imagine how weird the chapter's gonna be!) And I also don't own Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Tee hee, I love the song, though.
Chapter 7
Las Vegas, Nevada
Stokes Residence
Bedroom
August 28, 2006
6:03 p.m.
Riley turned slightly in Nick's bedroom and yawned while stretching and groaning at the pain in her shoulder. Nick looked up from the bottom of the bed and slid his jeans on the rest of the way, chuckling as he did so. "Try not to kill yourself while you sleep Darlin'." Nick advised.
Riley moaned and opened an eye to look at him. "Take off them jeans and come back to bed with me Cowboy." She drawled and Nick grinned.
"As appealing as that sounds, I can't. Work beckons." Nick pulled on a green shirt and sat down on the bed to put on his boots, careful not to bed too much so that he didn't make the wound on his side more palpable.
She huffed. "That's it, I'm becoming a 'beckon call girl' so that you come to me when I say..."
Nick chuckled and crawled up the bed to hover over her. "You've got it backwards Sweetie, if you were a 'beckon call girl', you'd come when I say..."
Riley thought about it then frowned, realizing he was right. "Shut up." She grumbled and Nick chuckled and kissed her softly. He began to pull away when she caught him and pulled him back down on top of her to kiss him more passionately. He chuckled and pulled away, making her growl. "What good is laying in your bed if I can't fuck you?"
Nick scoffed. "Thanks, I don't feel cheap." Nick groused and she smirked and rolled to her side, careful to avoid her shoulder. "If you hate it so much then why don't you go back to your place?"
"Because Emma's using my room so that everyone can keep an eye on her..." Riley replied and sat up in bed and crawled to the end of the bed to wrap her arms around him from behind, whispering in his ear. "And I miss you too easily if I'm not with you at night." She replied and pecked his cheek. "Even when we're not having sex." She kissed his cheek again. "You're not my cheap piece of ass." She reassured and Nick smirked and turned to look at her and kiss her softly on the lips.
She pulled away and flashed him a smile before sitting back and taking her warm embrace with her to the bathroom to get ready to greet the 'day'. She crossed into the hallway and went directly across the hall to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
So move in with me... Nick thought and sighed as he looked away from her, not having enough courage to ask her to live with him yet. He knew she liked her space, and could get quite crabby about it if she didn't have a certain amount of time to herself everyday. Plus, she still had yet to drop the L bomb... Oh who cares if she hasn't said she loves me yet. She's already come pretty damn close to saying it, and she's admitted she misses me at night...I'm just gonna ask her.
"I was thinking..." Nick began and Riley turned around and stepped into the hallway, still brushing her teeth.
"Huh?" She asked and moved her hair to the side as she stepped back into the bathroom to spit. After she wiped her mouth she wandered back into the bedroom.
Just do it... Nick told himself as she came up to him and put her hands on his shoulders as she stood in front of him, waiting for him to speak. "Maybe..."
"Maybe what?"
"Maybe you could...uh," The phone rang. "Answer the phone." Chicken.
She quirked her brow. "Either your psychic or you chickened out of what you wanted to say." Riley accused.
Damn she's good... "I'm psychic." He turned her around and slapped her butt as he nudged her towards the phone. "Go answer the phone."
She rolled her eyes but went into the living room to pick up the phone. "Stokes Residence, Riley speaking." She greeted and wandered into the hallway so she could watch Nick while she spoke on the phone.
Nick rolled his eyes at the formal greeting. "We're not a hotel sweetie, add some warmth." He whispered and she made a face and flipped him the bird as she smiled and greeted the caller, blushing at who it was.
"Hey Mrs. Stokes."
Nick burst out laughing at her having been caught flipping him off while talking to his mother. Riley flung her scrunchi at him and he ducked to avoid it.
"Yeah...he's getting ready for work." She laughed, making Nick's heart swell at her smile. Dumbass, you should've asked her. He thought. "Yeah, he's right here. Hang on." She extended the phone towards Nick.
"Who is it?" He asked, playing dumb and she chuckled and shook her head.
"Dumbass." She accused and Nick grinned and swatted her butt as she walked back into the room. She cried out in pain and sank a little as his hand hit her at a certain angle on her butt, barely covered by her underwear. "Quit doin that!" She yelled and Nick laughed, not having meant to hurt her, but getting a kick out of it as she flipped him the trusty bird again.
"Hey Mama...yeah, I'm going to work...no it's not too early." Nick replied and Riley grinned and whispered:
"Ha! Told ya."
Nick rolled his eyes and turned away from her a little, only to turn around in time to see her take her top off. Nick stared and subconsciously licked his lips, until he realized he was on the phone with his mother and looked away. "Yeah...they've got me in the lab for a week or so, but I should be back out in the field once the wound heals." Nick dared steal a glance at Riley, and wished he hadn't, now getting to see her shed her underwear and bend to pick them up so she could fold them and put them on the bed along with her shirt.
Nick sucked in a breath and looked up at the ceiling, trying to picture anything besides that. Damn Riley and her aptitude for walking around naked... Nick thought, then realizing this was the only time he'd ever regretted her inclination to 'dawn her birthday suit' around the house. Now if only I can get her to do that all the time... "Yeah mom, I'm still here." Nick said, forgetting his mother momentarily. "Look, something just came up." Nice choice of words, Nick. "I'll have to call you back." He hung up the phone and looked to see Riley grabbing a towel and heading for the bathroom. Nick caught her arm as she passed him and pulled her to him for a kiss.
She was slightly taken aback by his kiss, remembering his opposition to it earlier in bed. She pulled away a little. "You have to work."
"I know..." He mumbled as he moved to kiss her neck.
"You're going to be late." She smirked and closed her eyes, tilting her head back ever so slightly to give him a tiny bit more access to work his magic.
Nick scoffed. "Quickies are a beautiful thing Darlin'."
"You're not in the best physical condition to take your time when 'doin' it'." She replied, knowing her high school like term for it would earn her a chuckle, which it did. "I don't think quickies are an option."
"You brought this all on when you did that little strip tease in there."
She gasped and pushed him away playfully. "I did not do a strip tease! You were supposed to be on the phone with your mother, not watching me."
"I'm always watching you."
"That's creepy...it's like a cheesy line in a mediocre romance novel just before the Dude dies..." Riley pointed out and Nick couldn't help but laugh and rest his forehead on her shoulder, causing her to grin. "C'mon Cowboy, go get ready for work."
He smirked and moved his hands to grip her bottom and squeeze, causing her to jump and let out a squeal. "I need a shower...you need a shower...there is only one shower in the house..." Nick winked and she laughed and slapped his shoulder and walked back into his room.
"You are worse than a teenage boy on prom night, you know that?" Riley scolded as she slid into Nick's bathrobe that seemed to swallow her, and Nick laughed at her remark.
"Yes I know that. You have told me a number of times."
"So you think you'd make an effort to contain yourself."
"I would...if I saw it as a bad thing."
"You know, lust is one of the seven deadly sins. And pre-marital sex is also against my religion."
"Bad girl...hey, is that why your father hates me? I mean, I know any man isn't exactly a fan of the guy doin' his daughter, but I mean since it's against your religion...?" Nick asked turning around.
She tried to hide her eyes as she answered, knowing the real reason her father had a problem with Nick. "Well, yeah, I guess partially. He didn't really have a problem with Tom when he and Paige...ya know...I mean sure he was pissed, but he eventually got over it." Riley said trying to assuage Nick's fears.
"Oh good. He just hates me then..."
"He doesn't hate you...he just..." She looked away again. She was actually a very good liar...when she wanted to. She hated lying to Nick.
"What?" He gave her a suspicious look. "What do you know that I don't?"
"Lots of things..."
"Ry..." She turned and walked out of the doorway and away from Nick. He went after her. "Riley...Riley, what do you know?"
"I know that I don't want to talk about this."
"Riley..." He growled as she stuck her head in the fridge, looking for food.
She sighed and slammed the door, pissed that he wouldn't leave it alone. "What?" She snapped.
"Why does your father hate me?"
"He doesn't hate you." She replied, walking past him to go back into the bedroom, he sighed and followed her.
"Well why does he extremely dislike me?"
"Nick..."
"Damnit Riley answer the question!" Nick demanded and she whipped around to face him.
"It's because your age and some of the things you do! Okay?!"
"...What?" Nick asked softly and she sighed and took a few steps closer to him.
"He's not a fan of the age difference...and he thinks that you treat me..." She sighed, not meeting his eyes. "He thinks that you treat me like I'm inferior to you...which," She took a steadying breath. "I have to admit..." She looked up to meet his eyes. "You do. Sometimes you treat me like I'm supposed to be this...subordinate, little woman...and my Dad doesn't approve of that."
Nick looked at her in shock. She had mentioned to him a few times before that she was independent and he was annoying her sometimes when he was trying to help her...but he had no idea it was this bad. That even her father, who couldn't see a hand if it was pressed against his face and only spent three days with them, avoiding them most of the time, saw it clearly. God, what did the rest of her family think? What did she think? He sat down on the bed and stared at the floor.
He looked up at her and shook his head, showing he didn't quite understand. She sighed and licked her lips and looked down. "You have a tendency to tell me what to do, and make me feel like I'm not capable of most things..." She sighed and forced a smile that came out unintentionally bitter. "I know I'm a ditz sometimes...and I say and do a lot of really stupid things...but I'm not dumb. My family used to always call me dumb and say I wouldn't make it on my own...they didn't really believe I could handle myself out in the real world no matter how independent I was...and as we got further into our relationship..." She shook her head and looked up at him. "I realized you thought it too-"
"I never thought you were dumb." She gave him a disbelieving look and she smirked bitterly yet again.
"You say it a lot, Nick-"
"I haven't..." He shook his head, interrupting her.
"Think hard, Nick." She said, a little more forceful than she intended. As he sat there and forced himself to evaluate their past, he realized he did say and think it...a lot.
"I was joking."
"Not all the time..." He looked down ashamed. "You were right about my Dad being territorial..." He looked up and she sighed. Dude, he is gonna be so upset by this...Damnit Riley just tell him! "You act like my father a lot of the time." His face held disbelief and disgust. She chuckled dryly and nodded. "Yeah. I know..." She took a steadying breath and knelt down in front of him. "You can't be my lover and my father-figure." He cringed at that. "I've got enough father-figures. I've got enough uncles. I've got enough brothers..." She caressed his cheek. "I don't have enough 'Nicky's..." She hinted, a small smile on her lips, but she got nothing out of him. He licked his lips and looked down.
"What else?"
"What do you mean 'what else'?"
"What else do you have a problem with?"
"You act like I'm just a 'little woman' and you try to handle me...it's 2006, not 1800..."
"I don't...I don't do that. I wouldn't do that to you."
"Everyone sees it..."
Nick dropped his jaw. "Everybody...?"
"Everybody whose seen us. Kiersten's asked me about it several times, so has Emma. The guys try to ignore it, but every now and then they'll draw straws and someone will have to talk to me about it..." She licked her lips nervously. "Your mom said something..."
His head snapped up and his eyes bulged. "My mother?"
She nodded a little. "She mentioned something about you not letting me do anything on my own...and not really thinking about me when you made some of our decisions." God I hate this...please let his cell phone ring so I can stop talking...either that or I can get laryngitis... "It's nothing big...I just..." She sighed. "Well that's a lie. Itis kinda big..." Nick looked up at her as she stood. "Nick, I can't live like that...I can't be this little plaything for you-"
"Plaything?"
"Huh?"
"What do you mean 'plaything'?"
She looked at him, mouth open a minute, frozen in her words before she shook her head. "I didn't...I didn't mean anything it just slip-"
"Well then your subconscious was at work..." He frowned. "You think you're just a 'good fuck' to me?"
She shook her head and knelt back down quickly and grabbed his hands. "No, no, no. Nick, I didn't-" He removed his hands from her grasp and stood, causing her to stand as well.
"Yes you did. That's not what I think about you, okay. I love you." She cringed. Damn you! Ugh! He had to bring up the 'L' word in the fight...damn!
"Nick-"
"Riley-"
"Stop! Stop! Right there, that...you interrupt me constantly..."
"What?"
"You muffle me and don't let me throw my opinion out there by interrupting me...it's a great way of 'putting me in my place'."
"Riley...I don't..." He shook his head. Oh my God...what the Hell...no wonder she hasn't told me she loves me yet. "I didn't...mean to..." He bit his lip. "I'm sorry."
She shook her head. "It's good that you're sorry Nick...but I need you to do more than 'be sorry'...I wasn't kidding when I said I couldn't live like this. I can't do this every day. Trying to speak over you and prove myself to you...I can't, and I won't."
Nick felt his heart beat and blood pressure raise. Oh God no...oh Lord she's talking about leaving. Oh please don't leave. "I don't..." He shook his head and looked down.
"Just..." She sighed. "You have to figure out what you're going to do about it." She licked her lips in the nervous gesture once again and reached out to cup his face, but he moved his face from her touch. She sighed in half exasperation and dropped her hand. "I didn't mean to upset you." He huffed and she narrowed her gaze a bit. "I'm not gonna make myself feel bad about this Nick..." She warned and he looked up at her.
He held her gaze for a moment, looking into her bright blue eyes, then frowned and walked away. "I'm sorry." He said over his shoulder and she sighed and looked down. She stood there for a moment before she heard him enter the room again. She turned around to see a not too happy Nick Stokes at his door, hands on his hips as he looked at her. "What about the age thing?"
Shit...I thought I escaped that one. She sighed. "It kinda goes hand in hand with the father figure thing...you think just because you're older than me, you know better than I do. Which is true for some things...but not all things. It's just...we grew up in different times, with very different people...and we had different ways of living and learning. You don't have to help me grow up Nick. I've grown up. Even if you don't think so."
"You don't always act like it."
She set him with a look. Oh Hell no, I know he did not come back in here just to pick a fight with me. "It's called a sense of humor."
It's called immaturity. He thought, and said nothing. She read his thoughts and glared at him. "I don't want to fight about this." He replied and walked away. She dropped her jaw and chased after him into the living room.
"Alright, don't do that."
"What?" He asked, turning around.
"That! You pick fights with me just because you know you can, and you know I'm easily ticked! Then I feel bad for yelling at you so you get your way! You walk away and leave me with the mess and I won't do that anymore! You wanna be a big man and start a fight with me, be a man and finish it! You can be the one left standing feeling like an asshole!" She shouted, getting in his face before finally storming off, leaving him baffled.
He followed after her into his bedroom as she threw off his robe and began putting her clothes on. "Oh so I'm the big asshole now?! You don't think you pick fights with me?!"
"I know I pick fights with you! Six times outta ten, its because you provoked me! You know my buttons and you push them to get your way! You guilt trip me into submission and I will not be your doormat!"
"I have never treated you like a doormat!" Nick shouted, offended that she would accuse him of something like that.
"And I'm not gonna stick around till you do!"
She stormed out of his room, carrying her shoes and ran into the living room. "Oh, so you're just gonna walk away now!?"
"Yep, figured you do it so damn much it must be fun." She whipped around to face him. "Tell me Honey, is it fun being in my place?" She started to walk towards him. "Is it fun standing there watching the person you care about storm out after they've made you feel like shit!" She continued walking towards him, making him take steps backwards so that he was walking backwards down his hallway. "Is it fun to get your heart torn out continuously just because someone who supposedly loves you didn't get their way?! Does it feel nice Baby?!" She shouted and saw the emotions of betrayal, hurt, agony, and guilt roll across his face...
They mirrored her own when she was in that position so many times before. She felt her eyes well up with tears of anger and sadness and she shook her head. "And it sucks that I had to become something I couldn't stand in order to get you to open your damn eyes to see what you were doing..." She scoffed. "And they say I'm the thick skinned one." She muttered and exited the house.
The thought of her leaving him terrified Nick to the very core, and he ran after her. "Riley!" he called as she slammed the door. He opened the door and ran after her, following her down the driveway. "Riley!" he called again, attracting the attention of several neighbors and kids on their bikes. When she didn't turn to face him he reached out to grab her arm, unknowingly grabbing her injured arm, jerking her shoulder in the process.
She cried out in surprise and pain and startled Nick. He hadn't expected that reaction, and he let go of her arm, causing her to stumble. She caught herself in time so she didn't fall, but looked at him anger. "Get bent!"
He gasped as she began running and he took off after her. "Wait! Riley-"
"Don't follow me! Don't call me! Just stay away!" She shouted angrily as she reached for her car door handle. Nick got there first and placed his hand in front of it so she couldn't get it. She wheeled around. "Let go!" She demanded.
"No! We need to talk about-" She slapped him hard across the face. The sting was enough to make tears spring o his eyes. It was the type of slap that a mother gave a child, the hard, quick, stomach turning slap that shocks you silent.
"Get the fuck off my door and leave me the Hell alone!" She demanded.
Damn she's feisty when she's pissed! Nick thought even thought he arleady knew that and immediately removed his hand from the door and took a step back, letting her get into her car. She did so and quickly sped off. Nick watched her go and felt his stomach turning. Oh God...oh please...oh God... "Damnit!" Nick cursed, then realized he was outside, and his horrified neighbors were watching. Nick sighed and began the walk of shame back to his house.
He thought dragging his sorry ass back in the door the morning after a wild night was the walk of shame, but he was now learning that dragging his sorry ass back in the door after a serious fight with his girlfriend was much worse. Oh great...crazy vampire man that only comes out at night and wears black all the time had a fight with the pretty lady and drove her away...they're gonna commit me. Nick thought and cursed himself for buying a house with a long driveway.
He could feel the eyes burning holes into his back as he walked up his driveway and thanked God for the solitude of the other side of his door.
Las Vegas, Nevada
The Universal House
Driveway
August 28, 2006
9:18 p.m.
Riley had been sitting in the driveway of her home for almost two hours now. She was tired and hungry and angry and sad all at the same time...not to mention she really had to pee. Figuring wetting her car wasn't an option, she finally pulled her sorry ass out of her car and walked up the steps to her home, stopping at the door to put on a façade.
She opened the door and gave a smile. "Hey guys."
"Hey Riley. Whacha doin' back?" Jon asked and Riley shrugged.
"Getting some clean clothes and stuff..."
"Running out of clothes at Nick's house?" Shaun wiggled his eyebrows and she forced a blush and laugh that seemed genuine.
"Shut up..." She climbed the stairs and let the façade drop, then gasped when she saw Deven and put the façade back on. But she hadn't been quick enough.
"Are you alright?" He asked and she nodded and gave a small smile.
"Really tired."
The thought of Riley not getting enough sleep while she was at Nick's made Deven sigh and nod. He continued down the stairs and Riley sighed, hating lying to her friends, but not wanting to deal with any of them right now. She knew she took the fight further than she should have, and slapping Nick wasn't the best move, but she was pissed...
Even still, that was no excuse. She sighed and thought about how she told him to not contact her. But that was a good ting. At least then he'd be forced to think about what she said and hopefully try to change them, or at least have a plan...she didn't want to loose him.
Las Vegas, Nevada
CSI Crime Lab
Break Room
August 28, 2006
11:37 p.m.
Grissom walked down the hall towards the break room fridge where his experiment of pig's blood awaited him. His nose was buried in a case file, as usual, and he almost didn't notice Nick sitting at the table...lost in deep thought. Grissom finally noticed him and stared at the younger man, and followed his line of sight to a wall. Grissom quirked a brow and looked back at the wall that had Nick so mesmerized and sighed.
"Nick?"
Nick jumped and yelped as if Grissom had shouted his name instead of softly spoken it. Grissom gave him a confused look and Nick blushed and ducked his head. "Yeah?"
"Why aren't you on your 410?"
"My reckless driver? Solved it..."
"And the mass of 419s he caused?"
Nick smirked softly and shook his head. "What we thought was a mass murder by an insane person reported by a foreign anonymous caller saying a 'bad man backed up into her lot of bodies'...turned out to be a four year old little girl reporting that her 'dad's van backed up into a lot of Barbies..." Grissom dropped his jaw and Nick's smirk grew. "She was playing in the driveway and went inside for some water, her father came home, and she went out a few hours later, saw her dolls, freaked and called 911..." Nick chuckled. "She's fine, the parents are embarrassed, and we need to fire that Tracy girl. She can't take notes for crap. When is Judy comin' back?"
Grissom shrugged. "I don't know, I've never had a baby." Nick gave something of a chuckle, and Grissom looked over at him. "Nick..."
Nick sighed. "Yeah?"
"Are you alright?"
"Nope." Nick answered honestly, not meeting Grissom's eyes. Grissom momentarily forgot his experiment and sat down next to the Texan he considered a son. "Just...Riley's being..." He sighed. "Right."
Grissom chuckled. "Women are most of the time...and even when they aren't, they are." Nick shook his head.
"I used to think I understood women so well."
Grissom shook his head. "You understood the anatomy of women so well..."
Nick looked up at Grissom and bit his lip. "Hey Griss, level with me." Nick requested, leaning forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees and gesturing with his hands.
"I'm always up for leveling."
"You've seen a lot of my relationships..." Grissom nodded. "Do you think I was..." He bobbed his head. "A little too domineering with any of the women I was with?"
Grissom thought about it and leaned back in his chair. "Yes. You were. But they didn't seem to mind. Your women always went with the flow. Why?"
"Riley basically said I was an old-fashioned, chauvinistic, semi-sexist man who kept trying to handle her..." Nick said as if it was so absurd.
Grissom winced slightly. "I can't...necessarily...argue against that." Grissom replied and Nick dropped his jaw.
Okay, this is not good...even Grissom, Mr. Wouldn't-notice-true-love-if-it-proclaimed-itself-from-atop-of-a-mountain, knew that I was 'handling' her...damn...guess I was the dumb one in this case. Oh shit, dumb one... Another idea struck Nick and he groaned a bit. "Would you say that I treated her like she was beneath me? Like...she wasn't as smart as I was."
Grissom gave him a 'do-I-really-need-to-answer-that' look, and a soft smirk, making Nick rub his eyes and groan loudly as he plopped back in his seat.
"Shit...she was right."
"What happened?"
Nick sighed and moved to massage his temples, hating the fact that he had lived 36 years of his life like this, and treated his girlfriend as if she was so beneath him. "I asked why her father hated me..." Grissom pursed his lips to hold in his laughter, thankfully Nick didn't see. "She told me basically everything that's wrong with me..."
Grissom winced slightly. Uh oh... "Did you piss her off to make her tell you all this?"
"No." Nick denied then groaned, realizing that wasn't true. "Kinda...I have this thing where I don't let things drop...and I continuously pester her about the situation till she gets pissed off and tells me."
"Is this the first time you've ever heard about her problems with you?"
"Some of it...she's mentioned that I can be over protective and thinking back, she pointed out a lot that she wasn't stupid."
Grissom looked at him in disbelief. "You called her stupid?"
Nick winced. "I was joking..."
"But not all the time..." Grissom realized.
Nick sighed and leaned forward again. "She can be kinda ditzy..." But it's not her fault. Her Grandma dropped her twice and she ate paint chips...and she runs into doors a lot. Nick thought and couldn't help but laugh. He smirked a little as he relayed his thought to Grissom. "And plus she's just Riley...but, I guess I called her dumb and stupid...which is what her family did to her. She would always have to validate herself and prove that she's not stupid." Nick informed the older man.
"She's not stupid. She's book smart and street smart..." Nick continued while nodding as he thought. "Yeah, she has issues with cooking..." He chuckled and thought back to when they first got back to Vegas. "Our first day back from Texas, when we got home, I took a nap and she tried to surprise me by making me a birthday cake." He laughed and shook his head. "She was so tired from spending the night in the hospital with Emma, and being jet-lagged, she fell asleep on the couch and burnt the cake to a crisp!" Grissom joined in on the laughter. "Through and through man," Nick continued smiling but grimaced a little. "Her face was enough to break my heart...she tried so hard not to cry...and I tried so hard not to laugh." Nick chuckled a little thinking back. "She went on and on about how the cake was late anyway, and she ruined it, and how I didn't even have a birthday cake that was a week and a half late...so I ate it anyway to make her feel better. She sat there and told me I didn't have to..." Nick shrugged. "But at least I got to see her smile."
Grissom smirked. "So I take it she's not allowed to cook anymore."
Nick chuckled. "I actually requested that she not cook before that..."
Grissom laughed. "I remember once, Sara was making hotdogs, and she was really distracted, so she didn't put enough water in the pan, and the little water there was evaporated and the hot dog burned and stuck to the pan." Nick laughed and Grissom chuckled and shook his head. "Alright...so Riley's pretty much smart anywhere besides the kitchen."
"Well, I think she could do it, if someone would take the time to really help her...her mom never taught her, neither did her sister or any of her sister-in-laws. She was the baby of the family and she was always out playing with her brothers and friends...she survived on take-out, TV diners, and Sonic burgers..." Grissom chuckled at this. "But she could do it if she learned how. She's a quick learner. And she can come up with some good diners, she just can't cook 'em."
They sat in silence for a minute, each of them thinking about this before Grissom spoke again. "What other problems did her father have with you?"
Nick sighed and frowned. "My age..."
Grissom cringed, hating to think that was a problem...after all, he was 15 years older than Sara...and things weren't going so well there. "What about your age?"
Nick shot him a look. "I'm 12 years older than she is..."
Grissom gaped at him. "How old is she?"
"She'll be 25 in 3 months..." Grissom looked at him in amazement.
"Despite her looks, she seems older than that. I just figured she looked younger than she really was."
"That was never a problem when she was younger from what I hear. She's mature for her age...except when she's with her friends."
"So her Dad doesn't like the age difference?"
"No. Which is kinda hypocritical, because he's 9 years older than her mother..."
"Well did they have problems in their marriage?"
Nick winced and thought back on the explosion back in Texas. "...Yes..."
"Well, maybe he's afraid that the same will happen to Riley and you."
"I'm nothing like her father..." Then Nick grimaced as it hit him. "Oh Holy fuck..." Nick swore softly, shocking Grissom as the Texan threw his head into his hands. "Yes I am...I..." He made a disgusted face, not even wanting to say it. "I...sometimes...try to," He sighed. "Act like..." He groaned. "God this is morbid, but I act like her father..." Grissom arched a brow, wondering where this role-play took place. Nick shot him an exasperated look. "Not like that...I mean, I am like her father...we pretty much have old-fashioned, linear ways of thinking. We both like to be in control of everything, and are very family oriented...shit she was right." Nick sighed and shook his head.
"So...you and her father have a lot of similarities, your relationship is similar to her parents-"
"No..." Nick quickly denied, knowing at least that wasn't true. "No, her dad and I are alike in a lot of ways, but our relationships are polar opposites." Nick stressed. "I don't want to go into her parent's relationship, because that's personal, but I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that we aren't the same..."
Grissom nodded and held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, statement is retracted...but from what I can tell so far, her father fears that may not be the case. If her parents had problems, he's probably worried the same problems will arise within your relationship." He paused. "Does Riley portray similar attitudes as her father?"
Nick snorted and nodded. "Yeah...they're pretty much exactly the same. I mean, in a few areas they're different...but she's the spitting image of him, personality wise anyway...she looks like his mother though." Nick added and Grissom nodded.
"Well...did you ever think that was your problem right there?" Nick looked confused. "The two of you are very similar...Riley and you have a lot of the same traits..."
"I always thought that was a good thing."
"It is, but maybe it's not in some ways. Maybe there can't be two similar personalities in the same relationship. You two are like aluminum and rust." Nick quirked a brow. "Alone, aluminum and rust are ostensibly safe. But when you press them together, and add heat, it creates a reaction so forceful, it can burn through steel. It's powerful, yet uncontainable...it burns and burns and burns until it burns itself out, overwhelming both elements." Grissom informed him.
Nick paled. That's great Griss, basically spell out for me that my girlfriend and I are doomed to fail...thank you. "So...what do we do?" Nick asked slowly. If you tell me to break up with Riley for good I'm killing you and me both...
"I think you need to talk to Riley." Grissom said while standing up.
Nick sighed. "She told me not to call her...I'm not allowed to see her either." Grissom arched brow. "Oh yeah, by the way, we had a fight." Nick added and cringed a little. Grissom sighed and sat back down.
"Well that sounds about right...no offense to Riley, but she can be a hot-head at times."
"'Specially with me."
"So what was it about?"
"What I just told you..." Nick partially lied.
"Hmm...sounds like that was a pretty amicable conversation..."
Yeah, except for the part when she tore my heart out of my chest by telling me what I was doing to her. "Well, it was...but we also fought about how I intentionally piss her off to get my way." God I sound so immature.
"What do you mean?"
"Like you said, she's a hot-head, and I know her buttons..." Nick regretfully relayed all that Riley had told him about the way he got what he wanted. "And I thought about it...and it's true. So when we fought, she switched our roles, and put me in her place and showed me what it was like..."
"And...?"
"It sucked. It sucked even more knowing that I was the one that did it to her. She said she hated that she had to become that part of me, the part she hated to show me how blind I was."
"What do you think about that? "Grissom asked, sounding very much like a therapist.
Nick sighed and sat back in his chair. "I think she's right. I think I do a lot of hurtful things to her. I think she must really care to stick it out for so long..." Well duh...does Nick really not see how she really feels about him? Oh God...its like looking in a proverbial mirror. Oh Holly Hell... Grissom thought as Nick continued. "And I think I'm an ass."
"Well, all that may be true, but you have to recognize that she isn't perfect either. I've seen her use her own ways to get what she wants..." Grissom replied and Nick thought about it.
"Like what?" Nick asked oblivious.
Grissom sighed, not really wanting to tell him, but doubting that anyone else would... "Now, bear in mind I don't know your relationship, but from what I've seen...she will on occasion use her sexuality to get her way with you...I have never seen her use it with anyone else, but I have seen her do it a few times with you...nobody's perfect, Nick. I'm sure there are things about her that annoy you. When you do end up talking to her, bring some of that up, calmly...don't piss her off. Don't just wheel it off at her either..." Grissom advised and Nick nodded slowly, thinking about this as he sat back in his chair.
"Alright...yeah...thanks Grissom." Nick replied and Grissom nodded as he stood up and went to the fridge to retrieve his jar of blood.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Desert Palms
Recover Ward
August 29, 2006
12:04 a.m.
"Jeremy...you're supposed to be asleep." Riley scolded softly as the little nine-year-old boy tugged on her Navy blue scrubs shirt.
"My throat hurts." He croaked softly and Kris chuckled as she pocketed her pen and replaced the clipboard at the bed after having checked his vitals and swelling.
She smirked and walked towards him, standing next to the bed while she adjusted his balloons and handed him his teddy bear. "Well, you just got your tonsils out, I imaging it wouldn't tickle."
"Actually it does a little..."
She smirked. "That's just the stitches...they'll dissolve in a few days. Until then don't mess with 'em." She warned and he grinned at her.
"You look like my mom."
"Oh really?" She asked, deciding a short break would be alright as she pulled up the chair to sit beside him.
"Uh huh. You sound like her too."
"Well, she told me she'll be in here when you wake up. She just had to work today."
Jeremy nodded. "I know."
Riley smirked off to the side of her mouth. "You did very good today...you were very brave."
"Really?" He asked, perking up a little.
"Yep."
"Do you have any kids?" Jeremy inquired and she shook her head.
"No...why?"
"Cause you seem like a mom."
"Well, I have a bunch of friends who act like they need a mom..."
Jeremy made a face. "Where are there Mommies?"
"Some of them don't live here, some of them are really busy, like your mommy, and some of them...well, we're not sure where they are."
"Oh...that's sad."
"Yeah." She nodded and brushed the hair from his eyes and gave him a soft smile.
"Will you sing me a song?"
"What?" She asked and made a face.
"My mommy always sings to me...I can't sleep otherwise."
"Well what does she sing?" He shrugged and she sighed. "Um...alright...I don't know any lullabies."
"So sing a regular song."
"Okay...um..." She racked her brain, thinking of something soothing, then she smiled when she thought of a song.
"When I see your smile, tears run down my face, I can't replace. And now that I'm stronger I've figured out, how this world turns cold and breaks my soul. And I know I'll find deep inside me I can be the one. I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven." She took a breath and continued.
"It's ok. It's ok. It's ok. Seasons are changing, and waves are crashing, and stars are falling all for us. Days grow longer and nights grow shorter. I can show you I'll be the one. I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven. 'Cause you're my, you're my, my, my true love, my whole heart."
She continued singing softly, "Please don't throw that away. 'Cause I'm here for you. Please don't walk away, and please tell me you'll stay, you'll stay, oh. Use me as you will, pull my strings just for a thrill. And I know I'll be ok. Though my skies are turning gray. I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven. I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven."
She sang softly, earning a soft smile as he slowly dozed off. "That was nice...you have a pretty voice." He whispered sleepily.
"Thank you." She whispered back and pushed his bangs to the side again.
"What was that song?"
She smiled. "Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus."
He yawned. "What's an apparatus?"
She chuckled. "It's like equipment or machinery..."
"Where did you hear the song?"
"I thought you said you'd go to sleep if I sang to you...?"
"I will..."
She sighed. "Nick sang it to me once when I couldn't sleep."
"Whose Nick?"
"My boyfriend..." I think...eh, whatever, I'm not getting into it with a nine year old.
"Oh..." Jeremy yawned again and nestled into his pillow. Riley smiled and stood up, and quietly left the sleeping boy. She sighed and closed the door, then leaned against it and thought about how stupid her fight with Nick had been. I shouldn't have over reacted like that... She thought back to his face when they had reversed roles. Okay, that he deserved...he deserved a lot of it...but I hated doing it... She sighed. Fuck...I miss him...
She opened her eyes to see Tina looking at her skeptically. "What happened?"
Riley smirked. "Am I that obvious?"
"To me...that's your 'Damn-that-was-a-stupid-fight' face..." Riley chuckled. "So what was it about...?"
Riley sighed. "You got time for a break?"
Las Vegas, Nevada
The Universal House
Riley's Room
August 29, 2006
7:45 a.m.
Kiersten sat with Emma in Riley's room, joking lightly before Kiersten had to go to work. The shrill ring of her cell phone snapped her away from the conversation, and she shot Emma an apologetic look and answered it. "Hello." She furred her brows. "Yes...why aren't you calling her...?" She frowned. "What did you do to her...?" Kiersten listened in shock, leaving Emma in suspense of what her next words would be to the mystery caller. Several emotions ran across Kiersten's face; anger, shock, disbelief, sorrow, regret, and pain. "What the Hell made that happen?" She shook her head as she listened for a few more minutes. "So wait...why are you calling again...?" She gasped. "Oh my God Logan! It would have been good to tell me that first! Jesus Christ is she alright?!? Oh God...yeah...yeah I'll tell her...okay, bye."
Kiersten hung up the phone, her mouth open in shock. "What?!" Emma asked in apprehension. "Who was that?!"
Kiersten sighed and shook her head. "Riley's brother Logan..."
"Well what did he want? Why didn't he call her?"
"Riley won't speak to him...oh God Emma..." She turned to her friend and shook her head. "Oh God..."
"What?"
Kiersten let out a jagged breath and bit her lip, holding back the tears. "I need to find Riley..."
A/N: Bum! Bum! Bum!! Oh the joy of cliffhangers...! Y'all will have to wait 'till next week to see what the big deal is! The song Your Guardian Angel is ONE OF THE BEST SONGS I'VE EVER HEARD!!! –Smiles- My friend sang it to me one day in Geometry...lol, he still sings it to me when I'm really pissed to calm me down. –Grins- it works every time. Alright...I'm off to watch Grissom break Sara's heart, shock the Hell outta his team, piss everyone off, and no doubt make Nicky cry...
BTW, that part about aluminum and rust was from the short little informative speach Grissom gave in Daddy's Little Girl (which I don't own). My computer's being gay, and I couldn't get to the transcript site to find the exact words...but that's what I remember.
Leave me reviews to cheer me up when I get back!!!
-Futuremisscsi60