A/N-Sorry I was out of town for a few days and busy the other days with work. I do have a new rather short, chapter ready for you. This one deals with some hateful language but was necessary for the point to get across. You will get a bit more insight into Greg's past (the one I created.) LOL
A couple of days went by and Nick and Greg's mother noticed he had been sleeping more again and seemed more lethargic.
Nick was pulling a double at work due to a multiple shooting case they landed. He was at the scene when his cell phone rang. He saw it was Greg's mother calling.
"Monica, what's wrong?" He asked since she rarely called him while he was on the job.
"I don't want you to worry but I had to take Greg to the hospital. He fainted in the living room this morning. Dr. Rob thinks he probably had a low blood cell count again. We'll know for sure in a bit. So he might need another blood transfusion. I just thought you should know but he should be okay. I'll keep you updated."
Nick sighed with worry. "Yes, please do. Unfortunately I have a few more hours left here and I can't leave early. Give him my love," he told her.
"I will, Nick. Bye."
Nick closed his phone and rubbed his forehead with worry. He had a feeling something was wrong with Greg again when he left for work. The last few days he seemed to have no energy and when Nick even tried making out with him, he said he did not feel like it. Nick just hoped that anemia was all it was and not that the cancer had suddenly spread. It was going to be hard for him to concentrate on work for the next few hours, but Catherine needed him right now. At least Greg had his mother there for him. He was confident she would notify him if it was worse than they thought.
A few hours later Monica Sanders was driving her son back home. He was given a blood transfusion for his anemia. The doctor said he could go home as long as he rested. Greg did not want to spend another night in the hospital. He had been very quiet the whole day. His mother was still very worried about him, even though his doctor said he should be okay.
She parked the car at his apartment complex. She looked over at him. He was still a little pale but not like he had been earlier. "You feeling well enough, honey?' She asked.
He looked at her, dark circles under his eyes. "Yeah, I just want to lay down."
"Okay, let's go then." She watched him carefully as he got out of the car and headed towards his apartment. She noticed him stop suddenly. She had been paying such close attention to him; she did not see the man waiting outside his door.
She suddenly stormed past Greg and headed straight for the tall, brown haired man standing by the door. "What the hell are you doing here?"
He looked at her briefly but then his brown eyes went back on Greg's, who stood rooted on the spot with trepidation. "I tried talking to you but we kept missing each other. Then I decided to give up."
"How dare you come here after all you said?" She yelled at him.
"I…I've thought about what I said and how I've acted. I wanted to try some sort of middle-ground peace offering. Greg?" The older man said to him with questioning.
Greg was still in shock. He had not seen this man in person in almost 11 years. "Dad," was all he said.
Monica saw her son trembling slightly. She went over to him and put her arm around him. "Let's get you inside so you can sit down." She started guiding him to the door and took the keys from his hand and unlocked the door. She ignored Daniel Sanders and helped her son inside.
Dan Sanders walked in after them. He watched as she led Greg to the couch, where he sat down to rest. His eyes fixed on those of his father's again, some anger coloring them now. "What do you want? To see if I am near death so you can be rid of your faggot son?" Greg said bitterly.
His father flinched at seeing just how much he had hurt his son. Suddenly his ex-wife was in his face again, fuming. "This boy does not need your shit right now. I just got him back from the hospital where he had to get a blood transfusion because the chemotherapy keeps killing his blood cells. But do you even care?"
He took a deep, calming breath before he would say something he would regret again. "Look I'm sorry I said those things to you about the cancer being punishment. I was wrong to say that. I truly don't believe that," he said looking past his ex to his son.
Greg shrugged. "So? You still hate me for being gay."
Mr. Sanders shook his head. "No, I don't hate you. I could never truly hate you."
Greg laughed sadly. "You could have fooled me. I've heard a lot of hate come out of your mouth."
Dan Sanders stepped forward but Monica Sanders stood like a barricade between father and son. He sighed in defeat. "I've…I've been seeing a psychologist about my feelings. I'm trying to work on it."
Monica put her hands on her hips. "Since when?"
"Since you told me about his cancer," he said.
Greg looked at him incredulously. "So did you tell this doctor about how you told me I was sick because I was gay? How did he take that, huh?"
"That's one of the reasons I am here, to try to work on this, on us."
Greg felt his emotions running high and hard to keep in control. "So what is this then? Because so far I haven't heard any sort of apology for calling me a faggot and a mortal sinner all the times you have in the past?" He could not control the tears that suddenly sprang to his eyes from the hurt he felt.
Dan Sanders looked at his son, never seeing him look as vulnerable and fragile as he did at that moment. It was as if he said the wrong thing he might shatter into a billion pieces. He was about to respond when the door opened behind him. He turned around and saw a dark haired man come running in, who went straight to Greg. He watched cautiously as the man embraced his son, who suddenly seemed to break down. He started sobbing in the other man's arms. He felt a bit awkward but tried to keep his ground.
"G, what's wrong? Bad news from the doctor?" Nick asked Greg as he held him tight through the wracking sobs. When he got there his first and only thought was Greg. He did not even see the other man in the room.
Greg shook his head and whispered in his ear. "My dad is here."
Nick turned his head and saw the man who looked like an older version of Greg. He had only seen one photo of him from when Greg was a child. He had never met the man and now he gritted his teeth at him.
He was letting go of Greg and was about to pounce on the older man when Greg caught his arm. "Don't Nick."
He turned around and looked at him. "Why shouldn't I pound him for saying such hateful things to you?" Greg's father became a bit alarmed at the anger he saw in Nick's face.
"Please Nick, for me. Just stay here by me. I want to hear what he has to say," Greg sniffled as he wiped at his eyes.
Nick wanted to pummel the guy but if Greg wanted him, he would be there for him. "Okay. I'll stay put."
"Thanks," Greg said to him and then placed a kiss on his soft lips. He quickly looked at his dad to see his reaction. He saw him flinch a bit and then look down.
"That's what I thought, still grosses you out," Greg sighed sadly.
Mr. Sanders looked into his son's large sad eyes, noticing how the cancer had taken its toll on him. "It is a work in progress, Son."
"Don't call me that. You disowned me years ago," Greg replied harshly.
Mr. Sanders lowered his head and was beginning to think this was a huge mistake coming there like that. "I'm sorry, Greg. I'm sorry for calling you all those names I called you over the last eleven years. I'm sorry I said you are no longer my son. You will always be my son." He looked up at him again. "I mean anyone can see we are father and son. I helped create you."
"Its just DNA. In my job I know that does not always mean everything," Greg said smartly.
"Up until eleven years ago I thought I was a good father to you? Wasn't I? Didn't I support you in everything you did?" Dan Sanders asked him.
"Yeah but then one day I decided to tell you the truth. Mom was supportive but you…you turned on me. You said I was disgusting and a sinner and you wanted to never see me again. I remember that day so much. Do you know how much you really hurt me? I almost drove myself off a cliff because I did not want to live anymore."
Greg's mother gasped. She had not known that. Nick held him tighter; never realizing just how hurt Greg had been at that time.
His father did not know what to say. He had no idea his son thought of killing himself. He realized just how much damage he had really done to his son.
"I …I wanted to open the door back to you by giving you your inheritance now that I took it away from you back then."
"I don't want your money," Greg scoffed at him.
"Greg, it's rightfully yours. Your Grandfather wanted you to have it. I had no right to take it away from you. When you turned 25 you should have got it. You're the only Sanders grandchild. Grandpa Sanders wanted you to have it," his father told him.
Nick had no idea about Greg's supposed inheritance either. He realized he hadn't known everything about his breakup with his father. He guessed it was too painful for him to talk about.
Greg looked at his mom with questioning of what to do. "He's right, you know. It is rightfully yours. It's one of the other reasons I divorced your father because as executor of Grandpa Sanders' Will he took that away from you. You wouldn't have to worry about your hospital bills anymore," she suggested to him.
Greg rested his head back against the back of the couch and closed his eyes. His head was beginning to spin and he felt a bit nauseous. "Okay, I'll accept it but I can't do this anymore today. I need to lay down before I get sick again." He opened his eyes and looked at his dad again. He made sure the hurt was still very evident in them.
"Okay. I'm in town for another couple of days. I have some business contacts here in town I was planning on visiting too. Can I stop by tomorrow?" His father asked.
"Fine, fine. Just go now, please if you really still care," his son told him.
"Sure, I'll let myself out." He nodded to Monica before he walked out the door.
Nick looked at Greg. "Let me take you to the bedroom so you can sleep." Greg nodded. He let Nick help him stand since he felt a bit dizzy. Nick led him into the bedroom. He helped him get out of his jeans and into bed. "I'm going to take a quick shower and then I'll be with you." Greg nodded again and then closed his eyes. He was feeling worn out and ready to sleep.
Nick wondered about this inheritance Greg never spoke of. He mostly only talked about his mother's side of the family, the infamous Papa and Nana Olaf. Come to think of it, he did not even know what his father did for a living. He knew his mother worked from home via her computer as a Medical transcriptionist. That was the one reason she was able to care for Greg. As long as she had her laptop with her she could do her work.
As he crawled into bed next to Greg, he wondered why he never asked him about his father's side of the family before.
He gazed upon his boyfriend who was all curled up, as though he was protecting himself from someone. He was sound asleep, however. Nick was glad he was off for the next 24 hours, so he could be with Greg and make sure everything would be okay.