"Love Is Not A Crime"

Disclaimer: See Chapter One if it really matters to you.

Chapter Seven: Case Solved

Date: November 1, 2004

Nick entered the Crime Lab, ten minutes late that morning. He walked down the corridor and saw Grissom and Sara in the interrogation room with a suspect in their case. Nick's hands were in his pockets, he could feel the invitation, his keys, a pen, and a small vial of Tylenol. The one thing is job was good for was a headache. Nick noticed a replacement in the DNA lab, Greg wasn't able to come in for at least another two days, and that was depressing Nick.

Nick found his partner, Catherine, in the Breakroom.

"Hey Catherine, what's up?"

"Not much Nicky, You know how we both printed the bat?" she asked.

"Yeah, it was inconclusive."

"Well, the new DNA guy, while Greg is out, and I found that the bat was washed after it had been used, but, there was epithelials on the handle, which we used to extract DNA from."

"And?" Nick said happily, the case finally had a breakthrough.

"Not our victims, or the counselor." she said.

"But who, that's the only samples we got, unless you ran it through CODIS."

"Didn't have too. The DNA shared seven markers with the victim."

"A family member." stated Nick.

"Yeah, Brass is getting the warrant now."

Nick was happy, the case would be over soon, then he could ask for some time off, and go to Texas for the wedding.

"Nick, what's wrong?" the blonde asked.

"Nothing. I got an invite in the mail this morning."

"An invite to where?" she asked intently.

"My sister Paula's wedding. The RSVP date was in August though. They forgot to send me one on time."

"That's horrible. Where is this little soiree?" she asked in a mock French accent.

"Texas. I'm thinking about taking Greg with me."

"So, you going to tell your parents?" she pressed.

"No, a gay Texan is a disgrace to the state, and a gay Stokes is worse than a murderer. My cousin Alicia was a lesbian, she was ostracized by the family, and she killed herself two days later."

"Oh my God, that's horrible." Catherine said as she placed her hand on Nicks.

"Yeah, I'm going to bring Greg and say he's my roommate. I just need the time off."

"Grissom will give it to you. You haven't had a day off since that stalker incident almost two years ago."

"Yeah, and thanks for reminding me." he laughed.

"I got the warrant." Brass said as he poked his head in the Breakroom.

"Let's go." said Nick as he got up and headed out.

"What are you doing here again?" demanded Mr. Stevens as he opened the door to see the criminalists and the detective.

"We found DNA on the bat used to kill your son. Seven of thirteen markers matched." said Nick .

"What does that mean?" he asked rudely.

"That means that a family member killed Alex. We have a warrant to collect DNA from you, your wife, and your daughter." Catherine answered.

Mr. Stevens grunted again, and let them in to collect the DNA.

Greg laid in his bed looking up at the ceiling. Boredom was filling his veins furiously fast, he hate not being able to go to work. He had already watched a movie and two talk shows.

He looked at a picture on his night stand of Nick and him at the water park. The exact same picture that was in Nick's house. His eyes shifted to another picture, a picture of his family at the Sanders Family Reunion that was held in January of each year.

His dad, step-mom, mom, step-dad, brother, a step-sister, and a half-brother. His parents divorced when he was fifteen, his younger biological brother was only six at the time. Both of them remarried people younger than they were. His mother married again and had another child. While his dad remarried and adopted his new wife's daughter from a previous marriage. He hated his family dynamic. They were all so into themselves. They all lived in California, and he was the only one not in that state. He had pledged to himself after college that he would leave California. Which he was successful in doing.

His parents and family knew he was gay. He had told them when he was twenty-two, that was seven years ago, and it didn't feel like that long has past. He remembered how he figured it out, he fell in love with a fellow student, who was straight. He wouldn't have homosexual relationship for another year after coming to terms. His memory skipped to the time when he and Nick first kissed. It was at a party, and Nick was stressed and needed to talk. That talk led to Nick admitting he had feelings for another guy. Greg could remember secretly hoping it was him, and Nick admitted that it was Greg, and that made him really happy. Nick was very new to the gay lifestyle, and Greg was there to help Nick through it. He wanted Nick to tell his family, but he wasn't ready and he was scared. Greg understood, and didn't pressure Nick.

"I love him so much." Greg whispered to himself as he looked at the picture of himself and Nick.

"We have a match." the replacement DNA tech said as Catherine and Nick entered the lab.

"And?"

"The epithelials match Christina Stevens." the tech said.

"The sister!? Why would she kill her brother?" Nick said in a curious tone.

"That's what we need to figure out. I'll have Brass get a warrant for her arrest." Catherine said as she reached in her pocket to get her cell phone.

"She did after all have access to the school's locker rooms." Nick said, as Catherine turned her back to talk on the cell phone.

"We'll meet you there." she said as she flipped the phone shut, and grabbed her keys, "Let's go arrest a killer."

"What are you doing back here?" demanded Mrs. Stevens in an angry tone.

"We have a warrant. Christina Stevens, you are under arrest for the murder of Alexander Stevens." Brass answered.

Mrs. Stevens' head did a 180 and turned at her daughter, pissed.

"I didn't kill him!" she argued furiously.

"Forensics tell us otherwise." Catherine responded as an officer entered the house and placed cuffs on Christina.

Brass read her rights, as Catherine and Nick gave Mr and Mrs. Stevens an explanation, and their condolences.

Grissom was walking down the corridor of the Crime Lab, when he heard a familiar voice call his name. That voice belonged to Sara.

He turned around and headed in the direction of her. She was in the layout room.

"Hey." he smiled as she pulled him into a kiss.

"Hi." she said in a very girly voice.

Grissom smiled, and reached in for another kiss.

"We need to talk." Sara interrupted him.

Grissom knew that phrase all to well. He had been told it, and he had said it several times in his forty-eight years.

"The other night, I enjoyed it very much, but I need to know. Are we a couple or are we just a one night stand?" she asked.

Grissom paused.

Sara looked at him.

"We are." he said and smiled as he kissed her once again.

"So? Why did you kill your brother?" Brass asked in a subtle manner in the interrogation room.

"I didn't kill him." she responded nonchalantly.

"Okay. Then explain to us, why your DNA was on the murder weapon." Brass pushed on.

"I can't." she muttered, as her lawyer sat there.

"You knew about your brother didn't you?" Catherine interjected.

"I suppose I did." she responded.

"Did it disgust you? The fact that your brother liked other boys?" Nick asked.

"Highly. I saw him looking a nude men online, I saw him masturbating to those images. It made me sick."

"Sick enough to kill him." Brass asked.

"Don't answer that question." responded the lawyer.

"Fine. Yes I killed my brother because he was a faggot. There you fucking happy now! My parents never paid attention to me. You would think that their daughter dies her hair pink, they would notice me, but no. it was always Alex." she yelled.

"Well, Christina, your being charged with murder one." Brass said as he directed the other officer to arrest her.

"There's your attention." Catherine said rudely.

The case was finally over. Nick could rest easily at night now.

"So, you going to ask Grissom now?" Catherine asked Nick as they left the interrogation room.

"Tomorrow. Right now, I want to go home and see Greggo."

Catherine smiled.

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Another case will rear its head soon, most likely after Nick returns from Texas. Review please!!!

-Damien455