a/n Dear friends, I apologize profusely for my tardiness. I was stumped. I rewrote this chapter seven times. I'm still not in love with it. Oh, and by the way, I still don't own anything.

What Did You Do, Mr. Stokes?

Chapter 10

A few hours later, Greg was suitably saturated with morphine to be rendered mostly incoherent, or at least irresponsible for his ramblings. Jillian had agreed to stay with him as Nick checked back in at the lab. She sat in the reclining visitors chair, feet tucked under her and the book she'd snagged from the gift shop open and resting upside down on the table. The morphine lowered Greg's inhibitions enough to ask Jillian everything about Nick he'd ever wanted to know, though somewhat groggily. Jillian, for her part, had no problem keeping Greg company and talking for hours about all the mischief her only son had gotten into growing up around the ranch. She was suitably impressed that Greg could name all of Nick's siblings and most of his nieces and nephews. Despite his goofy incoherence, she found she could easily see what her son saw in this man. He was warm, generous, brilliant, and if it wasn't just the painkillers, terribly amusing. Inconveniently, Jillian had tears of mirth rolling down her face when Bill had hobbled in leaning heavily on an ugly, hospital issued cane.

Jillian looked momentarily guilty, but quickly recovered and moved to her husband's side to lead him to a chair. He looked mildly irritated as he huffed at the inconvenience. Jillian smiled fondly at her husband and rested her hand briefly on his cheek, before asking after his knee.

Bill grimaced and huffed again, before responding. "I'll be fine, Jillie." He took her wrapped wrist gently in his hand and looked up to her face. "I'm so sorry Jillie. I just, I did the best I could to snatch you out of harm's way. I didn't mean to hurt you, sweetheart."

Jillian's smile lit her face. "I'll be fine, Bill. So will you." She smiled again. "I feel like quite the rescued damsel in distress, with my knights in shining armor here," she said, looking back and forth between Greg and Bill.

Bill cleared his throat as he surveyed Greg, trying to find the right words.

"Greg, I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate what you did." He smiled grimly as he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You saved Jillie," he began, taking her hand in his. "I owe you everything."

Greg smiled at the couple in front of him. "Happy I could be of assistance." He moved cautiously to lay on his side facing them, resting his right cheek on his hand. He grinned mischievously. "Now, I need to ask you a favor, a favor you can't refuse."

Bill cocked an eyebrow. "That's the worst Brando I've ever heard, but name your favor."

Greg looked from one to the other before settling to rest on his back again and closing his eyes for a moment. He rubbed his hand over them before rolling them open again. "I want your blessing," he allowed his unfocused gaze to wonder to the window. "It doesn't really matter to me, honestly, but it would mean the world to Nicky," he finished, focusing on the couple again.

Bill crossed his arms. "Blessing for what, exactly?"

"He wants to marry me. He wants to adopt my kids. He wants us to be a family in every way possible and to know that if anything ever happened to me, the kids would stay with him." Jillian and Bill shared a look. Greg rolled his eyes. "I know the marriage wouldn't be legal in most states, but I guess in a weird way, Nick's very old fashioned." He looked at his lap, a shy smile on his face. "I guess in a way, I am too. I will no matter what, but I'd rather do it with your blessing."

Bill Stokes frowned, stroking his chin thoughtfully before sharing a look with his wife. "Mr. Sanders, I've been doing some checking on you, while I was waiting for that infernal doctor to process my x-rays."

Greg cocked an eyebrow, nibbling on his lip nervously as Jillian gave her husband a curious look.

"It would seem that you have quite the reputation 'round these parts."

Greg went wide eyed and swallowed.

"Everyone I spoke with had nothing but good things to say about you. Other than the fact that sometimes you can be a bit, um what's the word he used? Oh, yes. Goofy. But everyone said you were a hard working, genuine, good guy. They all said you would lay down your life for your children or my son."

Mr. Stokes ran his fingers absently over his cane. "And today, you laid down your life for me and for my Jillie." Bill took a deep breath and swallowed hard, not comfortable with the emotions running through him. Jillian squeezed his hand in hers reassuringly.

Bill sniffled inelegantly before taking another deep breath to regain his composure. "I would be proud to be able to consider you family."

The smile that cracked Greg's face in half was contagious, Nick mirroring it curiously as he walked into the room and took a seat on the other side of Greg's bed.

"What are you all smiley about? They up your pain meds?" Greg responded immediately by sticking his tongue out and crossing his eyes, everyone in the room chuckling.

"Yes, but that's not why I'm smiling. I've been welcomed into your family! They gave us their blessing, Nicky."

Nick smiled softly at his mate, leaning back in his chair and lacing his fingers together over his abdomen. "You know you didn't need their permission to be my family though, right?"

Greg reached out and waggled his fingers for Nick to take his hand, squeezing when they were laced together. "I know. But I know it's important to you, even if you try to make me believe it's not."

Nick smiled and squeezed back, before looking up startled when his father cleared his throat. "Well, as touching as this all is, we need to work out some logistics. I need to be back in Texas tomorrow. The hotel is putting us up for another night. The hotel's insurance company has also assured me it will be replacing your car, Greg." Greg goggled at him, Bill returning the look with a smirk. "Jillie's a very powerful attorney, Greg. And I'm a judge. When I explained that to the insurance representative, he was more than willing to settle out of court. The event happened on their property, making them at least partially liable, and Jillian and I could have been killed. As long as they cover hospitalization and replace your car, I think we can let it drop."

Jillian squeezed her husband's shoulder from where she stood behind him. "I don't have any pressing cases right now, Bill. I think I'm going to stay in town here for a few days and help the boys out. Get to know my new grandchildren a bit more." She looked over to Greg and Nick, who looked at each other in silent communication.

"That would be really nice, Jillian. Nick doesn't have a lot more leave he can take right now, and as much as I hate to be an invalid, I can't imagine being able to physically pick up the kids for at least a few days. Our daycare lady is amazing, but we abuse her enough as it is." Nick smiled and nodded in agreement. "Maybe you can put some weight on him while you're here, Momma. Greg would love your biscuits and gravy."

Twenty-four hours later found Bill on a plane back to Texas, Jillian set up in the guest bedroom and Nick sound asleep after a long shift. Greg tenderly moved around the kitchen making coffee and helping Jillian breakfast the kids, smiling when she shooed him away from the stove and taking a seat with the kids at the table. The kids seemed quite smitten with Jillian, though they missed the way she manipulated them into good behavior. Greg didn't, though. He smirked at the way she made chores sound like a treat and fondly pictured her mothering Nick and his sisters the same way. Greg could probably learn quite a bit from her on parenting, and if the kids turned out as well as Nick, it would be worth it. Greg smiled to himself as he pushed his fork through his eggs.

"Gregory, don't play with your food!" Jillian shot at him playfully.

Greg cocked an eyebrow and smirked, replying "yes mom!" cheekily under his breath. Jillian turned and smiled at him before patting the top of his head.

Once the kids had been fed Jillian escorted them to Mrs. Rivera's house for the day. She returned and poured herself another cup of Greg's coffee and joined him at the table.

"So." She started.

"So?" he queried in response.

"Do you have a date picked out yet?"

His absolute bafflement at the question was written all over his face.

"For your marriage to my son," she prompted.

"Oooooooh," he intoned in obvious relief at figuring out just what the heck the woman in front of him was talking about. He smiled at her fondly as he sipped his coffee. "We haven't really discussed the details, no. I think we sort of wanted to get past the big, Stokes shaped hurdle first." He grinned good naturedly at her.

She cocked her eyebrow and tapped her fingers on the table top. "I've been thinking…." she started, smiling mischievously at Greg's sudden apprehension, "The Stokes clan usually puts on a family reunion every Memorial Day weekend. There's fireworks, and hayrides; Bill does up a pig in the spit. All the kids are there with their families. I think Trina and the boys would have so much fun. What do you think?" she asked hopefully.

Greg stuck out his bottom lip, considering. "I'd have to talk to Nick about it, of course, but you know it's not legal in Texas?"

"Lawyer, Greg. Quite aware, yes thank you. But I thought at least a little celebration with the whole family?"

Greg's answer was delayed by a still shower damp Nick moving into the kitchen and making a bee line for the coffee maker. Greg took a sip from his own cup as he watched the muscles in Nick's back move under the tight black tee stuck to his damp skin. Greg flushed when he realized Jillian was watching him watch her son with a smirk and a raised brow. Nick turned and leaned his backside on the counter as he appreciatively inhaled the steam rising from his mug and looked questioningly back and forth between his mother and Greg. Jillian couldn't help herself. She giggled. That led to Greg chuckling, wincing as he did. Nick just assumed his "Stokes puzzled #5" look, the one that was very often directed at Greg and included a generous dose of fondness.

"Okay, what are you two up to? You're making me a little nervous."

Greg and Jillian shared a mock conspiratorial grin, before Jillian asked slyly, "Why do you assume we're up to anything, my dear?" Nick cocked a brow and waited. Greg caved, smiling.

"Alright, Nicky. If you must know, you're lovely mother is going all 'mother of the bride' on us. She wants dates and places and, I'm sure, seating arrangements and flower arrangements and guest lists and place cards…." Greg smiled at the look of confusion on his partner's face. Jillian, on the other hand, snorted.

"Greg, if you weren't injured right now, I would have cuffed you over the head for your impertinence, so consider yourself verbally chastised, young man. Stop being a smart-aleck."

Nick smirked into his coffee mug. "Sooo not going to happen, Mom."

"Which? The wedding? Or the smart-aleck?" she asked.

"Oh, there'll be a wedding. But there will not be seating assingments or flower arrangements. And Greg will always be a smart-ass. It's part of what I love about him." Greg blushed and smiled into his own coffee as Nick walked over and planted a kiss on the top of his head.

"What about the Stokes family reunion, Nick? You want to go?"

Nick smiled and rubbed a hand over freshly shave skin, a far off look on his face. "I'd love to take you guys to the ranch. The kids would love it. And I would love to see you on a horse," a grin worked it's way onto Nick's face.

"You assume I've never been on a horse?"

Nick looked at Greg, calculatingly. "Is that an incorrect assumption, Einstien?"

Greg smirked and shook his head. "Oh, Nicky. Still so much you don't know about me. You think they don't have horses in California?"

Nick shrugged. "I just always pictured you on a surfboard, not a horse back."

"So how early did these fantasies of me on a surfboard rear their ugly head, Nick?" Nick blushed and threw the rag from the kitchen sink at Greg's head, hitting the side of his face with a wet slop.

Greg narrowed his eyes as he pulled the rag off his face. "Hey! Injured man over here!"

Nick smiled broadly at his guy before turning back to his mother. "We'll see if we can both get the time off, Mom. With the whole family there, it might be a good time to, um, introduce everyone to the man in my life."

Greg grinned. "Nicky's coming out party. Outstanding. And there'll be fireworks and a roast pig to commemorate the occasion." Greg rubbed his hands together and grinned. "Can. Not. Wait."