I was going to leave this chapter a little longer, but I decided to post it now, before you get bored of waiting for an update. I hope it doesn't ruin your holiday. Enjoy!
Chapter Eleven: Home with the Family
"Go back there and see what that guy's doin'." Nick heard his voice instructing the officer beside him. He wanted to call out to stop him, but the officer was already making his way off towards the kitchen. He heard Ray talking to their witness, but his voice was too muffled to make out the words he was saying.
Before Nick could say or do anything else, a loud gunshot noise echoed through the room. Nick couldn't stop himself or change what he was doing. He instinctively reached for his weapon and followed in the officer's footsteps off towards the kitchen.
"Clark! Clark, situation?" He shouted out to him, but the officer was down. He wanted to run to him to help him, but a man suddenly ran out holding a shotgun, aiming it directly at him. Nick wanted to move, he wanted to run, but it was too late.
He heard the shatter of the bottles behind him, followed by the sharp pain in his shoulder as he fell down.
"Whoa, whoa baby, it's okay." Greg's voice soothed him, as he tried to calm his shaking lover. "It's just a dream, baby. Come back to me, it's just a dream."
Fluttering his eyes open, Nick looked around at his surroundings, realising he was in his bedroom, wrapped in Greg's arms. The younger man was gently rocking him in his embrace, while he touched his lips to his sweaty temple.
"It was just a dream, Nicky. You're okay." He assured him in a soft whisper, clutching his trembling body tightly in his arms. "Shh baby, you're safe."
Nick heaved a huge breath of relief, then relaxed back into Greg's arms, feeling the pain in his shoulder starting to subside. "How long was I out?" He queried, as he didn't actually mean to fall asleep after he returned home from his flight.
"Not long. You were exhausted, so I let you sleep." The younger man whispered, sliding his arms around his lover's chest. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have let you sleep. You always have nightmares when you're this exhausted."
"It's not your fault." Nick assured him, leaning up on his elbows to press a kiss to his lips. "I can't wait to leave here... when you're ready. I'll never have to think of it again." As he rubbed his tired eyes open, Nick caught sight of the surprised expression on Greg's face. "I meant... if we move. I'm cool if we stay here."
"You don't have to settle here just for me, Nick." Reclining back against his partner's body, Greg stared up at the ceiling above them, as he entwined their fingers together across his stomach. "I do wonna move, Nicky. I really do. A place out in the country with you and the kids seems perfect. But there's a lot to do. We have to get the kids into a good school. We'll need jobs. We still have to get the puppies into good homes. We have to quit our jobs at the lab. To tell you the truth, I'm terrified to move. What if it doesn't work?"
"What doesn't work?"
"Between us." He spoke softly, looking into Nick's eyes. "You know that even if we do move, the nightmares won't just go away. Maybe you should think about..."
"I did my time in therapy G, I'm not goin' back." The older man interrupted him, resting his head against the side of Greg's soft hair.
He hated shrinks, therapists and psychiatrists, the whole lot of them, all trying to judge him and help him with his problems, from just an hour long meeting. They weren't inside of his head. They didn't know what was really going on, and there were some things that just couldn't be explained. Nick knew that. He also knew that he was better off trying to deal with this problem himself.
"It was mandatory after I had the... supposed break down. I don't need therapy; I just need a break from it all." He touched a kiss to the side of his partner's head, giving him a smile. "And you shouldn't be worried about anythin' happenin' between us, Greg. I've never had a relationship like this before, so I know it's gonna last." He pressed another kiss to his head, whispering, "I've missed holdin' you."
"That works out nicely then, because I've missed you holding me." Greg chuckled softly, before getting back to his point, "And I wasn't even suggesting the therapy, but you think that this move is suddenly gonna make everything better."
Nick shook his head, "I don't think it's suddenly gonna make everythin' better. I just think it'll be easier than constantly worryin' I'm gonna get shot or worse... that you're gonna get shot."
Greg smiled softly to him, gently brushing his fingers through his hair, before he joined their lips for a delicate kiss. "I love you, Nicky. But you really have nothing to worry about. We're gonna be fine." He assured him, playfully bumping their noses together. "I really wonna leave Vegas too. Before my dream was my job and my career . . . now it's this life that we have with our amazing children."
"You're growin' up, G." Nick grinned widely at him, pulling his body closer against him, as he deepened another kiss to his lips. "Speakin' of growin'," Moving his hand down to Greg's hip, Nick held his hard body against his own, smiling against the younger man's lips from the feeling running through his body already. "We've got a couple of hours left before we have to pick the kids up from school. We haven't had an afternoon quickie in a while."
"I don't really feel like it." Greg removed Nick's hand from his crotch, resting his hands behind his head.
"You?" Nick looked at him surprised. "Since when are you not in the mood?" When his younger lover pulled away from him, Nick felt a shiver running down his spine. Everything had always been so perfect with Greg, they could tell each other anything and they always had time to be intimate with one another. So this made him especially worried, having never seen Greg act like this before. "What's wrong?"
Greg inhaled a deep breath, looking down at Nick's hands over his chest. "While you were away, AJ asked when you were gonna be in a box . . . like Auntie Kayla." He spoke softly, gently running his fingertips over the top of Nick's. "You were shot Nicky, then you were almost blown up at that funeral I told you not to go to in the first place." He pointed out to him, looking up into his eyes. "Anyway, I didn't know what to tell her. I almost cried right there in front of her . . . at the thought of you..."
"Greg, I'm not gonna die." Nick whispered against his ear, hearing his voice breaking with emotion. "I'm here to stay. Maybe we should all go away for a bit? Get away from here for a while." He suggested, giving Greg a gentle tickle. "Get a tan on that pale little figure of yours."
Allowing a smile to spread across his lips, Greg lifted his gaze to meet Nick's, seeing an equally wide smile across the older man's lips too. "Where?"
"I don't know. The kids have got summer holidays comin' up soon, right? Cooper's never been outside of Vegas, and AJ loves those pictures of the sea you're always showin' her from your childhood. We could go somewhere by the sea, any place but here."
"When do we leave?"
Nick chuckled softly, capturing his partner's lips between his own for a quick kiss. "As soon as the kids break for their holidays. The puppies should be old enough by then, so we can find homes for them. If it's not too far, we can take Dallas with us. I'm sure Catherine will let you take some time off work."
"What happened with Millie?" Greg queried, sensing Nick was trying to escape something by planning their holiday together so quickly.
"She's still with my sister Ronnie, and I'm really sorry about how I acted... before, when you told me about Mallory and my sister . . . but I don't believe for a second that she loved my sister as much as I love you." Blanketing his boyfriend's body with his own, Nick explained, "She doesn't even care enough to find Millie a decent home. She's actin' completely selfish."
"Didn't you say she had a tumour or something?"
"Yeah, but even if I was dyin', it's still my duty to find a decent home for my children, so I know they're well looked after when I'm gone. Parentin' doesn't stop, just 'cause you're dyin'." Nick looked into his partner's eyes, asking, "Do you think I'm wrong for thinkin' that?"
"No."
"Then what's with the third degree? You didn't hear her Greg, she was more concerned about herself then she was for Millie. She was leavin' her child's fate in the hands of the vultures of my family." As Greg remained silent in deep thought, Nick groaned, "She doesn't need your sympathy, Greg. She doesn't deserve it."
"I can't help it." Greg gently pushed Nick off him, onto the empty space beside him. "Different circumstances, I could be her."
Nick shook his head. "Not a possibility. If my sister loved Mallory as much as you think she did, why would she keep her relationship a secret for this long? I get that she was scared or ashamed to be outted as a lesbian in front of our family, but the second I fell for you, I wanted to tell the world. I knew my family wouldn't accept it. But I didn't care, because I had you." He explained to him. "Tell me, if I was dead, would you fight for the custody of our kids?"
"Of course I would." Greg assured him. "They'd be the only thing I had left of you. And I love those kids, more than I've ever loved anything. I never thought I'd be able to love something this much. I wouldn't stop fighting until they were back in my arms."
"Exactly my point." The Texan pointed out to him. "Mallory doesn't give a shit about Millie. She couldn't give a crap about what happens to her, so she doesn't deserve your sympathy, baby. Millie's with Ronnie and Jason for now, just a temporary custody thing, but she could get bumped to foster care if no one else wants her. I'm not allowed her and she's gonna be all alone, because Mallory won't stand up for her."
Greg sighed softly, "Why do you always have to be right about everything?"
Nick chuckled, leaning closer to the younger man for a kiss. "That's just me, baby; you should know that by now."
"It's the only reason we ever argue too." The younger man smiled back, "Because you always have to be right about everything."
"Speakin' of, I wanted to ask you somethin'... that hopefully won't start another argument."
Greg turned his head to face him, giving him a soft smile. "Ask away."
"Well... how would you feel about takin' on another kid fulltime?" Nick looked at Greg's surprised reaction, quickly explaining, "You don't have to decide right away. It's likely that we won't even win the custody case. My mother... I mean grandmother was tryin' to get custody of her too, but the courts frown upon single grandmothers livin' in small apartments. They prefer to award the child to a stable home environment."
"Don't they frown upon cousins adopting cousins too?" Greg thought out loud, wishing he hadn't, as he saw the look on Nick's face. "I'm just saying, you have to be prepared, Nicky. Your father used the rapist father thing against in you in the custody case for AJ, who's to say he won't use the fact that you and Millie are technically cousins against you too?"
"You have a point, but I just thought I should run it by you first." Nick sighed softly. "Sometimes I really wish I had been born a girl. Everyone uses everythin' against me, just because I'm gay, the son of a rapist and stuff like that. If I were a girl, I'd at least be somethin' normal in the laws eyes."
"Your gender has nothing to do with it. And if you were a girl, you'd have never of had AJ." Greg pointed out to him. "Everybody is discriminated in one way or another. There's no such thing as normal. You can't help who you love. You can't help where you come from, and you can't choose your family."
"So..." Nick got back to his original point, "If Millie really doesn't have anybody, how would you feel about takin' her on?"
"A teenage girl? They usually think I'm... dorky."
"You're not dorky." Nick smiled at him. "And she's only just turned thirteen. She's still wearin' overalls, stylin' her hair in braided pigtails. She's still a little girl, and she doesn't have anybody else."
"You know I want to. But we really don't have the space. AJ and Cooper are still sharing. They're gonna need separate rooms as they get a little older. We've only just got Cooper settled in." He pointed out to him, fearing the look in Nick's eyes. "Don't look at me like that, you're making me feel bad. I just... don't want us to take on too much. I had to re-explain Cooper's situation to the Principal again today. She was concerned because Cooper wrote a story about his parents being butchered by wild animals in the middle of the night."
"Us?"
Greg shook his head. "His real parents. I had to retell her the story of how Cooper and his mother put up with all that shit from his father for years, before his mother finally decided to kill him, and herself. The Principal was looking at me as though I was telling her about a Stephen King novel or something."
"You know, it's really none of their business." Nick leant against his elbow, brushing his fingertips through his partner's hair. "He's not havin' so many nightmares now, and that child shrink..."
"Maggie." Greg giggled, as he always forgot her name.
"Right, well Maggie said that he's doin' okay too. AJ's settled in fine, and she really likes you. If you don't like the house in the country, we can always find another place here with more rooms. It's not like we can't afford it, so why can't we take on another kid?"
"You." Greg spoke softly, gulping hard as he knew Nick wouldn't take the truth too well.
"What do you mean me?"
"I love you more than anything in the world, Nicky, but you're not yourself. These last couple of months, it feels like you've shut yourself off from us. I know you've had a lot on your mind, but it's more than that." Greg struggled to explain, "Millie just lost her mother, do you think the best thing for her is moving all the way out here to a man who's detached from his life?"
"You're worse than my sister." Nick suddenly snapped, forcefully pushing Greg away from him. "Does everyone have an opinion of me all of a sudden? I'm still the same man I used to be."
"Ouch." Greg rubbed his sore chest, feeling as though Nick had bruised him. "You're not the same. You never used to be so violent." He climbed off the bed, hurrying for the bathroom, before Nick could stop him.
"Greg!" Nick called out to him, dropping his head to his pillow. "I didn't mean it." He tried to apologise, wishing they had just stuck to the sex, rather than trying to talk to each other. "I only just got back from Texas. I took a load of shit from my family; I don't need it from you too."
Greg ignored the man's weak attempt at an apology, lifting his t-shirt in front of the bathroom mirror, so he could look at the redness on his chest.
"Greg." Nick made his way over to the door, gently tapping his knuckles against the frame. "Please baby, open the door." He whispered. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to hurt you."
"What do you care?"
"Greg, don't be like that. I'm sorry, okay. Please baby, I'll do anythin'." He started to grovel, hoping to get through to him.
"No, it's not okay." Greg opened the door to him. "I'm sick of this. You're... different. You can't sleep. You have constant nightmares. You even act different. You're jumpy, anxious and showing real signs of depression. And now there's these constant anger outbursts that I have to put up with. I love you, but I'm not an idiot. If all you're gonna do is take everything out on me, then I want out." Greg immediately felt his heart pounding as he finally got the sentence out. He fearfully looked at Nick's expression, waiting to see what his reaction was going to be. "Did you hear me?"
"I heard you." Nick nodded slightly, placing his hands at his sides. "You want out?" He hated the taste of the words in his mouth. They made him feel as though he was going to throw up. "Because of me?"
"No, I don't." He leant against the other side of the doorframe from Nick. "I wonna be with you forever. You're my everything . . . but this is the second time you've hurt me." Watching Nick suddenly sliding down the doorframe, dropping his head into his hands, made Greg feel even more guilty for what he had said. He dropped to his knees in front of him, looking at the tears starting to roll down Nick's cheeks. "Baby, don't cry."
"I'm not." Nick wiped his hands across his eyes. "How bad did I hurt you?"
"You're doing it again." Greg rolled his eyes. "Every time you almost start to feel what you're really feeling inside, you change the subject like this. Can't you just open up to me? Why do you have to be so scared all the time?" Gently pulling Nick's knees away from his body, Greg leant closer, cupping the man's cheeks in his hands. "It's gonna follow you wherever you go, Nicky. This... it's in your head. You can't escape it by pretending that everything is okay. Tell me, what's honestly so bad about seeing a professional about this? Because whatever it is, it's getting worse." He shifted himself closer, wrapping his arms around Nick's shoulders. "Please baby, for me. I don't wonna lose my Nicky."
"You think I'm worth savin'?" Reaching for the hem of the younger man's t-shirt, he gently lifted it across his chest, looking at the tender red spot beneath it. "I hurt you, how can you still love me?"
"Because I know that you didn't mean it." He tugged his t-shirt back into place, pressing a kiss to Nick's forehead. "And that's not me being in denial, thinking that I deserve to be loved like that. I know that you don't mean it. Just promise me that you'll at least try to get help for this. I can't deal with you like this. It hurts me to see you like this, and I feel so helpless because I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do for you."
"If I hurt you again," Nick touched his hand to Greg's cheek. "I want you to leave me."
"I don't think I can."
"Why?"
"Because I love you too much, yah big dope." He grinned at him. "Please Nicky, I'm begging you here, you have to get help for this. I know that you think you can deal with it on your own, because that's what you're used to, but it's not working. You've got two little kids depending on you to give them a great start in life, and you can't do it like this. They need their Daddy Nicky back." Resting their foreheads together, Greg whispered, "You and me, we're forever. You promised me that, and I'm always gonna be here for you. Always." Bringing their mouths together, he moved his thighs to straddle Nick's hips, pulling him into a more seductive kiss. "Please talk to me, Nicky. Tell me what's on your mind." He slid his hands through Nick's hair, looking his lover in the eyes. "Let me into that big beautiful head of yours."
After the teachers dismissed their classes for the day, the children excitedly hurried towards the exit to find their parents, eager to get back home after another long day of school. AJ waited for her little brother beside the steps, watching the older kids from the fifth grade starting up a fight on the grass.
"Boys! Boys!" Principal Adler shouted, struggling to separate them. "Your parents are waiting." She ushered them away, making sure they didn't start up a fight again, before they reached their parents. "Amber, don't pull Katie's hair." She separated the second graders. "AJ, getcha thumb out of your mouth. Do you have any idea how many germs are on your hands?"
AJ shook her head, keeping her thumb firmly planted in her mouth.
"Well, it's a lot. That's a very nasty habit, and you'll screw up your teeth." She cautioned her, watching the little girl slowly removing her thumb from her mouth. "That's better. Don't even get me started on what it does to your nails."
"My Daddy said I can suck my thumb as long as I like."
"Well your Daddy will seriously be regretting that statement once the dentist bill comes in." Principal Adler warned her. "Silvia Martin, don't make me call your father." She caught the girl out of the corner of her eye. "Don't run down those stairs, Cooper. You'll hurt yourself. You two better get going." She tapped her watch. "And it looks like your Daddy's back today." She pointed their attention in the distance.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Both of his children excitedly exclaimed, rushing towards him.
Nick grinned widely, kneeling down to their level to welcome them both into his open arms. "I missed you guys so much." Their father hugged them both tightly in his strong arms, pressing kisses to each of their foreheads. "Did you miss me?"
Both of them eagerly nodded, wrapping their tiny arms around him.
Principal Adler smiled at the three of them, then turned towards the stairs. "Get off the wall Harry. Madison, skipping ropes are for outside. Not inside." Continuing her journey around the school building, Principal Adler sighed softly as she looked around at the screaming little monkeys that inhabited her school. "Lord, give me strength. Timothy Holden, your mother would not want to see you behaving like that. Paula Charles, if I see you do that one more time."
"Principal Adler." Nick flagged her down.
"Hi, Mr Stokes. Nice to see you again." She smiled widely at him. "What can I do for you?"
"I was wonderin' when the kids break for summer." He checked over his shoulder to see where they were, before he turned back to the Principal beside him. "We wanted to take them away with us. We're not sure where yet, but I just wanted to know..."
"In a week, they start again after labour day. I believe I sent out letters at the beginning of the year with all the important dates on it. You are coming to parents evening, right?" Nick gave her a slight nod, as this was the first he had heard of it. "I'll see you there. Wednesday." She giggled, seeing the look on his face. "I'll send a letter home with them on Monday, just to remind you."
"Thanks." Scoping his children up into his arms, Nick carried them both off towards his truck, listening to their stories of what they had been doing for the past few days without him. "Next week." He reported to Greg, helping the kids into the car. "They start again after labour day. Did you know they have parents evenin' next week?"
"Uh huh, Wednesday." Greg nodded. "You're working though, unless you decide to..."
"I'll talk to Catherine." He cut him off, starting up the car. "Who wants to go out for pizza?" He looked round at the kids on the back seat.
"Me!" They both eagerly raised their hands.
"You want pizza, baby? My treat." Nick turned his attention towards Greg, watching the younger man giving him a nod. "What time you gotta be at the lab?" He started the car, diving off towards their favourite pizza place.
"Eight." Greg checked his watch, feeling exhausted after his long discussion with Nick earlier. "Hours away yet."
"Daddy, why'd you ask Principal Adler about our holidays?" AJ curiously asked him.
"Well, Greg and I are plannin' on takin' you guys away on holiday somewhere." He watched the smiles immediately spreading across their little faces, telling him they were just as excited as Greg. "As soon as you guys break for holidays next week, we're gonna find somewhere to go." He pulled into the parking lot of their favourite pizza place a few minutes later, helping Greg to get the kids out of the car.
Inside, Greg slid into the booth first, sliding right round the other side, so that AJ and Cooper could sit between him and Nick. "I'm starving." Greg groaned, reaching for a menu off the table. "Are we gonna get one big pizza or...?"
"You can all have whatever you like." Nick interrupted him, unzipping Cooper's jacket beside him, so he could get comfy against the booth seat. Smiling in Greg's direction, he added, "Just as long as you can eat it all and don't end up leant over the toilet bowl all night."
"That happened one time." Greg smiled innocently, then slid closer to AJ, so she could read the menu he was holding.
"I have to go to the bathroom." Cooper abruptly announced.
"I'll take him." Nick left his car keys with Greg then climbed out of the booth, reaching his hand out for Cooper to lead him to the bathroom.
After Greg removed his own jacket, he helped AJ with her hooded sweatshirt, brushing out her messed up fringe with his fingers. When AJ tried to do the same with his hair, Greg gently tickled her, making her squirm in her seat. "But your hairs all messy, Daddy." She teased him.
"It's meant to be messy, it's a style." He smirked, ruffling his hand through his hair. "You don't like it?"
"No." AJ teased him, giggling and squirming as he tickled her again. "Nana Jean says someone should buy you a comb for Christmas."
"Oh she did, did she? Well your Nana Jean is just jealous that I can carry a hairstyle like this off, while she's stuck with granny hair." Greg giggled. "Don't tell her I said that." He quickly warned her, knowing she'd probably kill him for it.
AJ gave him an innocent smile as she reclined back against his side, looking at the menu in his hands. "I'm glad Daddy's home."
"Me too, Munchkin." He agreed with her, still thinking over the things Nick had told him this morning. He was starting to wish that he had never let Nick go to Texas again, realising that it could have possibly screwed him up more. A few minutes later, Cooper hurried back through the restaurant towards their table, crawling straight onto the booth seat beside his sister. "Were you so hungry you ate Daddy in the bathroom, buddy?" Greg joked, as he couldn't see Nick anyway.
"No." Cooper giggled, pointing over to the front, where Nick was stood ordering them some drinks.
Nick returned to the table with juice for the kids and sodas for him and Greg. "Oh look, they have the Texas barbeque one here." Greg pointed it out on the menu, as Nick took his seat opposite him. "Or there's spicy chicken... bacon and pineapple... pepperoni... various different cheeses..."
"Greg, you can't give em too many options or we'll be here all day." Nick interrupted him with a chuckle, as he saw the expressions on their kids' faces. "What do we all love more than anythin' on our pizza?" He asked them both.
"Chicken!" AJ and Cooper chimed in together.
Smiling across the table at Greg, Nick smirked, "There you go then G, you can pick any pizza on there with chicken." Greg decided to order the barbeque chicken pizza for their first family meal together, since Nick got back. "Oh, and Grandma Stokes asked if we wanted to come round for Christmas." Nick remembered, knowing how much the kids and Greg liked her.
"Do we get lots of presents again?" AJ asked, removing her thumb from her mouth.
"Yeah, but only if you're really, really good." Greg warned the two of them, moving the menus from the table, as their waitress brought over their pizza. He handed the napkins round first, making sure the kids didn't stain their clothes with pizza sauce.
Nick watched him in awe, wondering why the younger man ever doubted himself about being a father to their children in the first place. Anyone could see that he was a natural with them. "So, what else have you guys been doin' without me?" He asked, eager to hear what they had been up to.
"Not so much." Greg shook his head, not wanting him to feel left out. "It's kinda boring without you, very uneventful." He grinned across the table at him.
"So... nothin' happened?" He asked, looking between his children beside him, who looked as though they had been sworn to secrecy or something, from the expressions on their faces. "C'mon, please tell me. I dyin' to hear what you've been up to."
Giving in, AJ excitedly announced, "Daddy took us bowling with Aunt Sara, and Uncle Grissom. And our next door neighbour is gonna adopt Coco."
"Who's Coco?" He looked at her confused.
"One of the puppies." Greg pointed out to him. "They named them. It wasn't my fault. They had already given them names, before I could stop them." He quickly defended himself, remembering that Nick said they weren't going to name them, as they would get too attached them. "Coco's the all brown one. Rosa helped babysit a few times, and she said she'd take one of them off her hands, once they were old enough..."
"Uncle Grissom is taking Barclay." AJ added.
"Barclay?" Nick chuckled at the name. "Who named that one?" As Greg pointed to himself, Nick gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry; it's a beautiful name, hun."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The younger man remarked, finishing what he was saying before, "Catherine doesn't want one, but her neighbour has been looking for a dog for a while. I asked around at the lab, but it's full of cat people. Mandy can't have a dog around her sensitive kitties. Hodges is supposedly allergic, and so is his cat. Henry's mother doesn't want pets in her house, and Wendy doesn't think she can handle a dog."
"No one at the lab wants one?"
"Nope." Greg shook his head. "Catherine's gonna bring her neighbour by the house some time to pick one out, so that's three of them. We just got four more to go. We could always put an ad in the paper or something. We could ask my brother, he's always wanted a dog, and I'm sure Meghan would love to have a dog to keep her company."
Nick nodded in agreement, knowing that Mark worked a full time job, leaving Meghan with babysitters or his parents. "How about your mother, she could use some company?"
"As if. She'd never allow a dog's paw to touch her clean carpets." The younger man giggled.
Nick smiled back at him, knowing that was probably true. "So, what did you name them all then?"
"We'll tell you at home." AJ licked her sticky fingers, reaching out for her drink. "Daddy, can you ask him now?" She asked, looking towards Greg.
"Ask me what?" Nick gave them a curious look, wondering what she wanted to ask.
"Um... well, AJ entered the Spelling Bee at school. It's this Thursday at five, and she wants us both there." Greg explained to him. "She's a little shy about standing on stage, but if we're there to support her..."
"Of course." Nick assured his little girl. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. Just don't do that." He pointed out her thumb in her mouth. "People won't be able to hear how smart you are, with your thumb in your mouth." AJ gave him a cheeky smile, resting her head back against the booth seat. "And you mister, stop pickin' your nose." He playfully poked Cooper beside him, catching him with his finger up his nose again. "You'll make it bleed like last time, if you keep doin' that."
"See, we're useless without you, Nicky." Greg added to his case, grabbing himself another slice of pizza. "Oh, and Cooper finally decided on a theme for his birthday. He wants a fancy dress, costume party."
"Oh." Nick nodded, realising they would have to start to planning that soon. "The big seven, where do you want it?" He smiled towards Cooper.
"In the garden, like Daddy's." He crawled closer towards Nick, holding out his sticky hands to him.
"Oh, lovely." Nick reached for one of the spare napkins from the centre of the table, gently wiping his son's sticky fingers for him, before he wiped the pizza sauce from his chin. "You're such a messy pup." He teased, gently tickling his sides. "You must take after your father." He smirked, seeing Greg had sauce down his chin too.
Greg quickly wiped his chin with the back of his hand, giving his lover a smile as he wiped the pizza sauce from his hand. "So, are you gonna treat us to ice cream too?" Greg asked, getting the kids all excited, making it impossible for Nick to say no.
He grabbed their jackets once they finished their ice cream, giving their waitress a little extra tip, before he escorted his family off to the car. They were all too exhausted to stay up for the film he had rented, but he didn't mind, as it had been the perfect day.
After missing his fatherly duties for the past few days, Nick gave each of his children a bath before he tucked them into bed and read them their usual story himself, sending them right off to sleep. He stayed with them a moment to watch them sleep, before quietly clicked the door shut, joining Greg in their own bedroom.
"I don't want you to go." He wrapped his arms around the younger man's waist, stood in front of the mirror to style his hair for work. "Can't you stay home? Catherine will understand."
"Yeah, but Ecklie won't." Greg pointed out to him, smiling at his boyfriend's reflection in the mirror. "I'm in the dog house as it is." Arching back into Nick's touch, Greg gave out a soft whimper, feeling completely powerless in his arms. "No Nicky, don't do this to me now."
"I can't help myself. You're my weakness."
Greg giggled softly, prying Nick's hands from his hips, so he could turn to face him. "I'm really sorry, baby. But I have to go. I can be with you tomorrow, while the kids are at school again." He suggested, stealing a kiss from the man's pouting lips. "I love you." He whispered, between kisses.
"I love you too." Nick pulled him into a hug, wishing he could stay, since it was his first night back, but he knew he had to get back to work after being off while he was away in Texas. "Thanks for listenin' earlier. You were right; it really does feel better to get it off my chest. After I told you, I actually felt as though this weight had been lifted off my shoulders."
"I told you." Greg smiled, smoothing his hands across his partner's back. "But that doesn't get you out of going to therapy, mister. You promised me."
"I never said I was tryin' to get out of it." He assured him, really starting to dread making that promise. "I'll go, but I still think that talkin' to you is better." He finally let him go, cupping Greg's cheeks in his hands for a tender kiss. "Be careful." He warned the younger man, sticking his hair up for him again. "I mean it. I need you back here."
"I know, and I will." He assured him, pecking a kiss to Nick's cheek. "G'night Gorgeous, I'll try not to wake you when I come in." Greg gave him a wave, checking Nick was okay, before he turned for the door.
As he heard the front door locking into place, Nick dropped back onto the bed behind him, staring up at the ceiling above him. Within a few seconds, the tears in his eyes started to flow, dribbling down the sides of his face into his hair. He moved his arm to cover his eyes, not noticing that Greg had tricked him into thinking he had left, until he felt him climbing onto the bed to comfort him.
"Greg?" He sniffled, removing his arm from his eyes to look at him. "I thought you left."
"No." Greg blanketed his body with his own, holding him tightly in his arms. "You think I'd really leave you when you're like this?" He smoothed his hand up and down Nick's chest, letting the older man cry against him. "It's my fault, I made you open up. But I don't regret it for a second." He whispered, clutching his trembling body tightly in his arms.
Nick closed his eyes against his younger lover, securely wrapping his arms around him, feeling grateful again to have him in his life again.
"I know, baby. Just let it out."
"Greg, you're late." Catherine tapped her watch, catching him trying to slip by her office. "You're nearly forty five minutes late, where the hell have you been?"
"I'm sorry, Cath." He stepped into her office, explaining, "I couldn't leave Nick though. He was a mess. He came home today. It musta been really rough."
"Oh, sorry Greg." She spoke softly, ushering him closer to her desk. "So, how did the custody case go?"
"Millie's staying with his sister in Texas. They wouldn't let him in the court room, then his sister gave him a hard time when he went over to see Millie. He's been great with the kids all day, but the second I left him alone, it all just came out."
"That's our Nick. He bottles everything."
"I wish he wouldn't. He's only making himself worse by bottling it all up."
"Sanders, you're finally here." Ecklie interrupted their conversation, checking his watch at the door. "I thought we were gonna have to call in some reinforcements. With Wendy away, we're gonna need you to fill in around the lab."
"Wendy?" Greg looked round at Catherine, thinking that she would have been back by now.
"Yeah, I was gonna tell you later." Catherine glared at Ecklie. "She lost the baby. She's taking some time off." Greg immediately dropped his jaw, feeling his heart pounding inside of his chest. "But we've got it covered Greg, Susanne from days is gonna fill in. I need you out in the field." She held up an assignment slip to him, ignoring Ecklie's glare. "And don't worry about it. Family are more important than work, Greg. Just call and let me know next time."
"Sure." Greg gave her a nod, taking a look at his assignment slip, before he stepped past Ecklie, making his way towards the locker room. He took a seat on the bench in the middle of the room, clasping his hands together on his lap to keep them from shaking. He couldn't believe that Wendy had lost her baby. She thought it was her last chance to become a mother, already starting to think about names for her new baby.
How could it just suddenly be gone?
Leaning forwards, Greg pulled his locker open, looking at the photos of Nick, Cooper and AJ inside. He didn't know how he would feel if he had lost either one of them, but he imagined that it would have been pure torture.
The same kind of torture Wendy was going through now.
Happy Holidays! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas
Thanks for reading, please review!
~ Holly
