Chapter 9

AN: I know you guys have been reading! Please leave a review! Any little tid bit would be great… love it hate it… I just wish CSI guys would open up their eyes and see the Nick and Mandy pairing. Too cute. Anyways… back to reality... Oh there goes gravity… uhh…

Life was finally getting back to normal. Or as much as it could with Warrick gone. Nick had made his peace with it, well at least more than before. He wasn't OK with it, but he was at peace with it.

Days turned into weeks, and soon turned to months. It wasn't long before their one-year anniversary approached. Well one-year since the infamous bowling night. Neither of them had the night off, nor did they remember it. They weren't the types to celebrate relationship milestones like that. Their biggest milestone since moving in together was when Nick met Mandy's family. She had met his folks a long time ago when Nick was buried alive. And she saw them again when they made a trip to Texas for Thanksgiving. They loved Mandy, and knew that wedding bells were in their future. Nick had never brought a girl home to meet them. They knew he had no problems finding girls, but never a serious girlfriend. She loved his parents, and was shocked to find out that he had never brought a girl home. It made her feel special, and also a little scared. Maybe he wasn't the marrying kind?

Mandy was originally from Chicago, and they flew out for a holiday break around Christmas. Mandy had to beg the dayshift print technician to cover her shifts, and Nick had to promise two shift covers to Greg. But they both managed to make the vacation happen. She had only brought home one other guy to her family, and that was in college. It was her college boyfriend, who at the time was the only thing on her mind. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't the only thing on his mind. So many years had passed but she hadn't forgotten about him, and how she felt about him. She had been so blinded by love that she didn't see what was in front of her. It was the only demon that she had with Nick. He was gorgeous. Girls at the lab, and almost anywhere were always staring at him, eyeing him, wondering what a mousy girl was doing with him. It was never really fighting, but it was closest thing to it. She would complain that he was too hot for her. She knew it was a good problem to have, but it really was an issue for her. She thought part of it was rooted in her ex's behavior, but part of it was her lack of self-confidence. He tried to convince her that he was the lucky one, but she usually rolled her eyes. He didn't understand it; she was beautiful to him.

They had arrived a few days before Christmas, and were staying until the day after. The initial meeting of her brothers and her parents went very smoothly. They were all curious about the guy that had swept their precious daughter/sister off her feet. They were worried about her in Vegas, and were hoping that she would transfer to the Chicago PD. It wasn't until this past year that they realized she was out there to stay. She had told them that Nick was a criminalist, and they were impressed by the cases that he solved. Mandy talked to her family at least once a week telling them about the cases. She found herself talking more about Nick on the phone than her. She just always had him on her mind, and her parents never minded. They were happy that she found someone special.

Her parents had bought a large amount of land outside of the city of Chicago, and built a house big enough for their children to come home and stay anytime they wanted. Nick was impressed by the size, but also by its warmth. He could really feel the love in the house. He saw how Mandy's parents doted on her and her brothers. He knew that one day they would be just like her parents. They had talked about their future briefly, but nothing was ever really decided. Both of them were scared of saying the words forever. They had already promised they would be there for each other, but saying those words in front of other people. That was something that scared both of them.

The whole family had dinner their first night in town. They all sat around a large table making small talk before Mandy's larger older brother Sam started interrogating Nick.
"So Nick. You're a cop right?"
"Well criminalist."
"OK. But you carry a gun right?"
"Yeah, we are all required to carry a gun during investigations. I hardly ever shoot it"
"I see. Well here is the thing. I'm going to make this easy to understand."
"Sam!" Mandy interrupted him.
"I'm just giving it to him straight" Sam told her waving his hand at her.
"I think I can handle it" Nick told Mandy placing his hand on hers. He knew it would calm her.

"He knows what's good for him. He's already getting in the good graces." Jason piped up, Mandy's younger older brother.
"Smart man" Mandy's dad added before winking at his daughter.

"Anyways, do you see how large this plot of land is right Nick?" Sam continued.
"I do, its gorgeous by the way," Nick told him knowing where this was going. He had been threatened by so many perps that this was hardly scary, but he played along.
"I will make it look like an accident. If you hurt my sister, I will make it look like an accident, and Jason here will put in a hole… out there"
"I understand" Nick said smiling obligingly playing along with this hazing.
"You say that. But we aren't afraid of your gun. We have lots of friends here. Lots of people who want to protect our little sister" Sam asked Jason.
"OK. Lets talk about something else" Mandy's dad interrupted finally.

That night while lying in bed Nick rolled over snuggling up against her.
"So did your brother's ever do anything to Brian?" he asked her
"Oh nothing. They are all talk, no action." She said laughing.
"I see. I'll still make sure to follow their advice though. By the way, do you know if Brian is in town?" Nick asked her know this topic would cause a little distress.
"I have no idea. I hope not"

"OK" Nick said to her as he ran his hands through her hair. "What an idiot he was"
She shrugged, "the past is the past. I should have seen the signs, but I didn't"
"What signs?" Nick asked her.
"Getting ideas?" she responded.

"What! No! I'm just curious"
"I'm kidding" she told him, "It was the little things. Girls smiling at him, other people telling me that he was a party when he said he was studying, or just that feeling"
"That feeling?"
"You know that feeling you get when you know something is off?"
"Yeah I know what you mean. He was and is an idiot," Nick told her holding her close
"Thanks" she told him as she snuggled closer to him. After being with Nick, she wondered what she could have possibly seen in someone like Brian. When she was feeling really bad about herself she thought about what she did wrong. Was she really that easy to take advantage of?

"Are you ok?" Nick asked her after she stayed silent
"I am" she said smiling as she rolled over to face him. She kissed him on the cheek.
"What about you?" she asked him.
"What?" he asked her curiously.
"How many hearts did you break?"
"What!" he said protesting, "Why do you assume that it's me breaking hearts"
"Um. Seriously Nick, do you look in the mirror ever?"
He smiled shaking his head, "You are crazy." he told her before kissing her lips avoiding the question. He felt bad. His heart had never been broken before. You have to be in love to get your heart broken. He was taking a really big chance with Mandy.

The next day Nick and Mandy headed into town to run some errands for Mandy's mother Jackie.

They walked into Target hoping to find some final items. They wandered up and down the aisles picking up various things before she saw him. The guy that broke here heart over 10 years ago.

"Oh my god" she said not realizing she said it out loud.
"What?" Nick asked concerned looking around surveying the scene.

"Nnnnothing" Mandy said stuttering and pulling Nick in the opposite direction of Brian.
"Hmm" Nick said looking behind him, "Who is that?"
"Damn you Nick Stokes and your investigative skills"
"What I can't help it, who is that?"
"Brian" she said reluctantly, "C'mon on, we got to get back."

She tried to pull him the opposite way but Nick shook his head and walked over to Brian who was looking to buy some beer. Mandy reluctantly followed him dreading talking to Brian. She had so many times thought about what she would say in this very moment, but right then all she thought about was getting Nick away from him.
"Hey. Brian right?" Nick asked the guy.
"Yeah? Who are you?" Brian asked after he picked out a case of beer of his liking.
"I'm Nick, I'm a friend of Mandy's."
"Uh OK?" Brian said confused before eyeing Mandy who was standing behind him.
"Yeah, we were curious. Would you like to come over to Mandy's for dinner? She would love to catch up with you." Nick told him while Mandy gave him a look of bewilderment.

"Oh. I don't know." Brian said reluctantly still a little confused.
"Mandy wants you to come right?" Nick said as he pulled Mandy in for a squeeze.

"Yeah, it would be great to catch up," Mandy said reluctantly not wanting to be rude.
"Yeah, OK, cool" Brian said and Mandy told him to stop by around 6.

"What do you think you are doing?" Mandy asked when they got into the car, "why did you ask him to come to dinner?"
"I thought it would be fun" Nick said, "and now I can find out what your brother's are willing to do for you."
"You are bad." Mandy said shaking her head. "You know they really did like Brian until everything went down."
"Oh really? Well that's too bad" Nick told her as he started the car. They drove back in silence; Mandy did not know what Nick was planning.

The drove up to her house and unloaded the items from the car.
"You'll never guess who Nick and I ran into" Mandy told her mother while cleaning some vegetables in the sink.
"Who?" she answered watching as Nick was helping Mandy's dad John with the grill.
"Brian"
"Brian Jackson?" Jackie asked making sure she heard correctly.
"Yeah, we saw him at Target"
"Wow, that is a blast from the past. He was such a nice boy. I mean before he…"
"Yeah. Well, I'm glad you feel that way. Nick asked him to dinner tonight"
"What!" Jackie said surprised, "Your brothers are coming to dinner. They won't be happy"
"That's what I said, but Nick insisted"
"He's up to something isn't he" Jackie said giving her daughter a sideways glance.
"He is" Mandy said smiling to herself as she scrubbed the potatoes. Jackie smiled at herself knowingly.

It was a few hours later when Brian pulled up into the drive. He had bought a bottle of wine for dinner, and he changed into something descent. It was a long time ago that Brian realized how much he messed up with Mandy. He had dated lots of girls since her, but hadn't found a girl yet who could match up to her. She was smart, funny and cute. It was a killer combo that most girls lacked. They were either in the smart category or the cute category. Never both. Especially not with the humor Mandy had. He wasn't sure why the guy with her was asking him to dinner, but there was a part of him that was hoping for a reprieve. Maybe this was her gay friend setting them back up. Maybe she had forgiven him, and missed him. Her family always liked him, and he was going to use that to his advantage.
"Mrs. Webster" Brian said as the door opened.

"Brian Jackson, how are you?" she asked while ushering him in.
"I'm doing great. You look great," Brian told her as he handed her the bottle of wine, "I wanted to bring something for you guys"
"Thanks Brian" Jackie told him before calling Mandy and Nick to the door.
"Mandy, Nick, Brian is here!"
"Hey Brian" Nick said as he shook his hand.
"Hey Brian" Mandy said smiling at him, he hesitated but opened his arms for a hug. She awkwardly allowed him to hug her while giving Nick daggers, he just pursed his lips a little.
"Thanks again for inviting me" he told her as he pulled away.
"Thank Nick. It really was his idea" Mandy told him before walking towards the kitchen.
"Oh. Well thanks anyways," Brian said smiling at her retreating figure.
"So, Mandy tells me you used to date in college?" Nick asked as he lead him out on the patio where Mandy's dad and brothers were hanging out and grilling.
"Yeah we knew each other since about 3rd grade. We grew up together, but didn't start dating till our freshman year at DePaul."
"Wow, so you knew her since she was just a little gal."
"Yup, pulled her pigtails even. How cliché is that?"
"Ha! That's cute," Nick said as he opened the sliding door. "Hey Jason! Sam! Look who I found!"

Sam and Jason looked up to see Brian standing there.
"Hey guys" Brian said meekly.
"Brian. Hey" Jason and Sam said walking over to him and shaking his hand tightly, enough to make him wince.

Nick smiled to himself, obviously Mandy's brother's wanted to pummel him, but had the decency to hold it in.
"Brian!" John said shaking his hand genuinely. Mandy's brothers knew about Brian's missteps, Mandy was way too scared for Brian's life to tell her father.

"Mr. Webster, it is great to see you. Those ribs smell amazing"
"Old family recipe" John told him as he clapped his hand his back. Brian smiled to himself; he thought John was the way into Mandy's heart. Mandy was a daddy's girl, and anyone who got along with her father gained access to her heart.
Nick watched as Brian got comfortable before shaking his head and walking back inside to see the girls.
"Hey ladies, anything I can get you? Wine? Beer?" he asked.

"I'll take a large drink, red wine please," Mandy told him pointedly. He was afraid of that, and wanted to make sure to stay on her good side.
"Coming right up. And for you guys?" he asked Jackie and Mandy's sisters-in-law.
"Oh a glass of wine would be great Nick," Jackie told him smiling and the others agreed. When he walked away she asked Mandy, "Any idea what he is planning?"

"No clue," Mandy asked.
"He seems to be on a mission"
"Yeah. I don't know why he asked Brian here. And I don't know why Brian came" Mandy told her mom, "I have no desire for him to be here"
"Well I know why he came. But I'm sure you don't want to hear it." Jackie said.

Soon dinner was ready and the whole family sat down. Brian sat across from Mandy while Nick sat next to her.
"So Nick, how did you meet Mandy?"
"We work together in Vegas," Nick told him.
"Oh yeah Vegas! Man that must be a constant party. I bet you can meet lots of … guys there," Brian said while Mandy almost choked on her wine.
"Yeah. Vegas never sleeps that's for sure." Nick responded unsure why Brian said guys.
"Are you a print analyst like Mandy?" Brian asked.
"No, I'm a criminalist…" and when Brad gave him a confused look he continued, "I'm a crime scene investigator."
"Oh OK" Brad said.
"What about you?" Nick asked him, "Mandy never mentioned what you did."
"Oh I work at Ernst & Young as an auditor in the city"
"Thrilling" Sam piped in from the other end of the table.
"Sam" John said sternly, which shut him up quickly.
"Ah no worries John, it's not thrilling but it pays the bills. I'm hoping to move into private equity soon, just waiting to be promoted to manager," Brad responded.
"Wow, that's interesting." Nick said nodding his head slightly.
"Mandy have you thought about coming back to the Midwest?" Brad asked her giving her his best smile.
"You sound like my parents," Mandy said smiling at him for the first time, "I don't know if I am going to move back. I really like it out there."
"Really? I thought you were always a Midwest kind of girl. Don't you miss the snow?"
"Nah. Plus I can always come home to enjoy it."
"Remember that snowstorm junior year?" Brian asked her, "Classes were actually cancelled and we had that huge snow fight in Wicker Park."
"Yeah that was a blast. It was crazy how the city completely shut down," Mandy said remembering how much fun they had.
"Yeah, it was such a great memory" Brian said smiling at her hoping to bring back memories of the good times they shared.

"It was," Mandy agreed. It wasn't until senior year that she found out about his philandering and lies.

"It was a long time ago though," Mandy said bringing herself back to the present.
The rest of dinner went by quickly and soon Nick, Mandy and Brian found themselves on the back porch enjoying an after-dinner drink.

"Mandy, I got to say, I was a little apprehensive when Nick asked me to dinner, but I really am glad I came. Maybe we could go out tomorrow night. I have this friend that I think Nick would like. I know I made a lot of mistakes when we were dating. But I have grown up a lot, and I really miss you. I know I didn't appreciate you when we were together. But maybe we could give it another shot. I could transfer to Vegas. I know we have an office out there with lots of work. I think we could make it work. I know I have a lot of making up to do, but I want to," Brian paused trying to gauge her reaction, which was unreadable.
"Nick you like muscular guys right? I have this friend at work that would be perfect. Think you are up for it?" he asked when Mandy busted out laughing.
"What?" Brian asked her placing his hand on hers, which she didn't move away due to her fit of laughter.
"Yeah, Nick… what do you think?" she asked him after she finally stopped laughing.
"Um, yeah, Brian, I'm not gay" Nick said giving him a strange look, eyeing Brian's hand on Mandy's.
"What!" Brian said confused, "I just assumed…"
"What?" Mandy said narrowing her eyes, "what did you assume?"
"I thought Nick was trying to set us back up together."
"Absolutely not" Nick said interrupting, "I wanted you to see what you were missing out on. What you threw away when you were sleeping with other girls."
"What! Dude that isn't cool." He said surprised. "Are you guys together?"
"Yeah we are, and I appreciate you taking your hand off of hers" Nick responded standing up.
"Whoa, man you were the one that asked me over there" Brian said standing up as well, "I think she liked it."

"I doubt it" Nick said scoffing at his remark.

"Dude, we have a history together. Right Mandy?" Brian asked looking at her who was just staring at the two guys. She couldn't believe that this was happening. What the hell was Brian thinking? And Nick, why did he think this was a good idea!

"Brian" she started to answer, "our history is broken. What future could we have together? I would never be able to trust you again." Mandy answered him.
"I think you should go" Nick told him.
"Yeah I think so too" Brian responded, "Mandy it was great seeing you. If you decide this guy is a jerk, like I do, I'm still open for dinner." With that he left.

"Why did you do that?" Mandy asked Nick after Brian left.
"I wanted you to get some closure. Be able to see that even though he hurt you, you are better now. Stronger now."
"Do you think that was the best way to go about it?"
"Probably not, do you still have any feelings for him?"

"Of course not" she said quickly.
"Good," Nick said smiling, "I just wanted to show you how amazing you are. Didn't you hear him regret his decisions? You are something special. I wanted you to hear it from someone other than me. Because you know I think that. And I wanted to test a theory."

"What theory?" Mandy asked.
"Whether or not your brothers would kill me if I hurt you."
"And have you reached a conclusion? Brian is still living and breathing."
"Yeah. I've decided I'd be six feet under if I did hurt you."
"Well I disagree" Mandy told him finishing her wine, "Because they would have to dig you out of the grave I buried you in."
"That's not funny!" He laughed and held her hand, "I know that I didn't like him holding your hand that is for sure"
"So after your scheming, you are the one who is jealous. Looks like the tables have turned finally."
"I'm only human Mandy!" he said laughing, "I thought girls liked their guys to be jealous."
"I'm too old for that now, I like my guys to be dependable" she responded.
"Well you're in luck, little lady"
"Oh really? Is George Clooney single?" she asked teasingly.
"Hey!" he said, "I'm reliable, I know you probably are pissed at me for asking him to dinner but I just wanted you to see how amazing you are"

"I know, but you are just lucky that my brother's didn't kill him"
"I've got connections, I could get it to be justifiable homicide," he said smiling.