Chapter 11

When Greg let himself into the apartment, he found Nick on the couch, enthusiastically playing a video game on the Play Station 2.

Sinking wearily down to the couch, Greg watched as Nick paused his game and turned a near blinding smile in his direction. The dread Greg felt must have been mirrored on his face, because Nick's smile disappeared. To Greg, it was like a cloud had covered the sun.

"Did I do something wrong, Greg?"

Turning to face Nick, putting what he hoped was a reassuring smile on his face, but fearing it looked more like a grimace, Greg said, "No! Never! I- shit! There's no easy way to tell you this, Nicky!" Greg fought to contain the tears that suddenly threatened to fall.

"Greg?" Nick's voice was suddenly small and scared, almost child-like.

"I- I had my boss look into what you told me yesterday morning. Nicky," Greg carefully took Nick's hands in his own, "I have some bad news about your dad."

"Dad?" Nick's voice was a strangled whisper.

"He-" Greg had to clear his throat in an attempt to get past the lump rising in it. "He died last year, in prison. Prostate cancer."

"Ah, no!" Nick doubled over on the couch. He managed to pull his hands free of Greg's grasp, wrapping them tightly around his stomach. He began to rock back and forth, murmuring, "No! Cisco! No!" between sobs.

Scooting over so he was only inches from Nick, Greg put a tentative hand on the other man's shoulder. Nick nearly knocked Greg over, when he abruptly turned and buried his head in Greg's chest, arms wrapping tightly around Greg's waist.

Of their own volition, Greg's hands rubbed up and down Nick's back soothingly. "It's okay. Sh... It'll be okay," Greg murmured into Nick's short hair, before brushing his lips across the stubble.

When his sobs subsided into broken hiccups, Nick finally pulled back. Through his pain, Nick managed a sheepish look, as he realized how he'd broken down. "Sorry. I-" he trailed off, gazing down at his arm, where Greg's hand rested on it.

"Don't worry about it. I would have reacted the exact same way!"

"Did you... I mean, was there any information about my mom? My sisters and brother?"

"I- I don't know. Grissom didn't say anything about the rest of your family. Were they taken, too?" Greg's concern filled gaze locked on Nick's fear filled one.

"My mom was taken to the station for questioning. I don't know what happened to her after that. My sisters and brother are older than me, so they had already moved out of the house. I don't think they were even questioned."

"Do you remember any of their phone numbers? That would at least give us a place to start. Who knows, maybe one of them has kept the same number, even after all these years."

"I- I don't know. Maybe," Nick closed his eyes as he thought. Then opened them and turned to look at Greg. "The only thing that's kept me going all these years was the thought that maybe I'd see my family again someday." Fresh tears pooled in Nick's eyes.

Greg grabbed his cell and handed it to Nick. "Call."

Flipping open the phone uncertainly, Nick punched in the numbers with trembling fingers. After hitting send, he held the device to his ear and listened as it rang. One, two, three times.

Finally, "Hello?" Greg could hear the voice very faintly.

Nick didn't speak immediately, which elicited another, "Hello?"

Then, "Deb?" it was a hoarse near whisper that Greg wasn't sure the woman on the other end would hear. In a slightly louder voice, Nick croaked, "It's me, Nick!"

"Nicky? Nicky!" Greg could hear the woman better this time, as she nearly screamed into the phone. "Oh, my God! Nicky! We thought you were... I mean... Oh, my God!"

"Deb!" Nick sighed out, a huge smile spreading on his face.

Patting Nick on the knee, Greg stood. He murmured, "Talk as long as you want!"

Before he could turn away, Nick latched onto his hand, briefly twining their fingers together, and mouthed, "Thank you!" before releasing Greg's hand and trying to answer all the questions his sister had. Trying to ask questions of his own.

After slipping into bed, Greg quickly drifted off to sleep, as emotional and physical exhaustion overwhelmed him.

A/N: The next chapter will be the reason this story is rated M. So, if you are below the age of 17, or you just don't like reading that kind of thing, skip the next chapter, and go to the one after that!

You have been warned!