The Day Before You
By: MsMaggs / Edited by: KJT
Chapter 29: Family Business – Part 1
It was just after 8am when Nick pulled his truck into the Sanders's driveway. "G, I saw you get choked up listenin' to Skin. Admit it, you're a Rascal Flatts fanboy."
"It had nothing to do with Rascal Flatts. The song is about an innocent teenage girl with cancer whose boyfriend shows up bald on prom night so she'll go even though she doesn't have hair."
"The boyfriend shavin' his head is the best part."
Greg muttered, "I got choked up because the sad storyline caught me off guard."
"Uh huh." Nick yanked the keys out of the ignition while coughing 'fanboy'.
Rolling his eyes, Greg opened his door. "Dude, I listen to music to chill out." He waited for Nick to join him in front of the truck. "Thinking about cancer-stricken little girls makes me sad. Why would I want to listen to music that makes me depressed?" He stood with his arms folded across his chest. "I have to cope with enough depressing crap on the job."
"Aww, you missed the point of the song, honey." Still buzzing from exchanging rings twenty-eight hours earlier, the romantic placed his hand over his heart and educated his spouse, "It's about unconditional love. Sara Beth is afraid she'll die without knowin' what it's like to fall in love and experience life with someone special. I felt just like her when I was six feet under."
Suddenly feeling like the Grinch, Greg stopped protesting.
"Sara Beth's stittin' home at rock bottom when her prom date shows up, but then she finds out that he doesn't care what she looks like on the outside, because he loves her for her inner beauty. Later, in his arms at the prom, she's so happy, she even stops bein' scared. I can relate to that too, because I was alone and scared before you came along and made everything okay."
The sentiment melted Greg's disdain for hillbilly tunes.
"That's why I love country music, it's about life and the words and the emotions in the songs are relatable. There are dozens of songs that remind me about us." Nick pointed at his now-smiling partner, "I'm gonna make you a mix tape to show you what I mean."
"I've always wanted someone to make me a mix tape." When he saw Nick's smile fade, he said, "What's wrong?"
"I just realized we don't have a tape player or recorder."
"No one's ever made me a mix-CD either, so you're good, Cletus."
"I feel so married," Nick remarked, both thrilled and surprised by the revelation.
"Me too." Greg snickered, "And I can't wait to break the news to Jan, so let's…"
"Hello there!" Suzie Perkins cheerily yelled as she trotted from her front yard across the street.
"Who's she?" Nick asked.
"A neighbor I guess." Greg waved at the approaching stranger. "She looks like Bree Van de Kamp from Desperate Housewives but ten years older and twenty pounds plumper, doesn't she?"
Nick snarked, "Like I've ever wasted my time watchin' that stupid ass show."
"Hi, I'm Suzie Perkins, I live across the street." Eyeing the handsome dark-haired stranger, she extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you, ma'am." Nick returned the handshake.
"Is everything alright?" she whispered. "The people that live here just moved in and they haven't been very social. I'm hoping you Forensics boys aren't responding to something grisly."
Greg pointed to his partner. "Forensics is on the back of your sweatshirt."
"Ah." Nick flashed a disarming smile. "We're LVPD Forensics guys, but we're off duty."
Extending his hand, Greg smiled, "I'm Greg Sanders, aka the son of the new people who live here and haven't been very social."
"Oh my gosh." Suzie covered her mouth. "Forgive me, I was worried and I wasn't thinking before I spoke. My husband says I do that all the time, maybe he's right."
"Don't worry," Greg assured the woman, "my mom has been really busy with moving and getting my sisters settled, but once she has a little free time on her hands, I guarantee she'll be social."
"I'll have to invite her to join our Book Club. We mostly eat and gossip, but eventually we mention the book."
Greg assured the sunny homemaker, "My mother loves reading, cooking, and meddling, so she will be a great addition to your club."
"Aren't you funny." She chuckled with the guys before asking, "So, are you two partners?"
"Is it that obvious?" Nick blurted, surprised that their love was suddenly apparent to total strangers.
"See, marriage agrees with us, Cletus." Greg tossed his arm around his spouse and told the open-minded neighbor, "We only tied the knot on Saturday night. We haven't even told…" When he saw Suzie gasp and cover her mouth he removed his arm. "You meant police partners, didn't you?"
Thinking of his own nasty neighbor, Nick defensively informed the woman, "Don't worry, we don't live here."
"No, it's okay," Suzie smoothly recovered, "I love gays. Tim Gunn is my favorite one. Do you know him?"
"Yeah, he's a great guy," Greg enthusiastically replied, "I sat next to him at last month's gay meeting."
Nick choked on his laughter.
"Hey, boys!" Tawny came bounding down the front walk. "Good thing you're here, because Jan's inside cursing you for being late for breakfast. She made strata."
"Strata, it's not even Christmas!" Greg whooped. "She must have sensed it was a special occasion."
While slipping one arm around each guy, Tawny smiled at the silent stranger. "Are you hitting on my boys?"
Suzie was too mesmerized by the petite woman's DD boobs to hear.
"She's staring at the girls." Tawny sighed, "Now do you see why I'm getting the reduction next week even though I won't need to make breast milk for our babies for a while? No one will take me seriously until I have my B's back."
"Babies?" Suzie uttered.
"I'm not one of the adopted girls, I'm living here to go to college and be the surrogate mommy for these guys."
Nick wished he had thought to cover her mouth. "We've probably given Mrs. Perkins more than enough to mull over for the morning." He motioned for Greg and Tawny to start walking. "It was lovely meetin' you, ma'am. Have a good day."
"You too," Suzie robotically replied while trying to decide which of her neighbors should hear the gossip first.
"Sorry," Tawny apologized as they walked into the house. "I shouldn't have talked about boobs and babies."
"No," Nick gently scolded, "we don't want to make things difficult for Cassie and Jenni, we want them to fit into the neighborhood."
"There you are!" Jan exclaimed as she hurried into the living room wiping her hands on her floral apron.
Watching his mother's apron strings flapping in the breeze as she bitched, Greg lifted his left hand and waved. "Hi, Mom, sorry we're late, but your neighbor cornered us."
Tawny scurried out of the room before they could say she blurted private information.
"Greg!" Shaking her head, Jan grabbed her son's left hand. "You put your ring on the wrong finger after washing up."
Nick shot a warning look at his spouse to remind him that they agreed he would handle the reveal maturely.
"No, it's on the right hand."
Jan laughed in her son's face, "Some genius you are, you can't even tell your right from your left."
"I meant it's on the correct hand." Smiling uncontrollably, Greg shared, "We were so in love and sure about the future on Saturday night, we got married in the privacy of our hotel suite."
Seeing Jan's shock, Nick assured her, "We're still gonna have the wedding ceremony, that's not changed."
"What?!" The disappointed mother lashed out, "How can there be a ceremony to exchange rings when you've already exchanged them?"
Greg calmly replied, "We're going to hold hands and have the minister bless our rings at the ceremony while confirming our commitment to one another in front of our families and God. It'll be great, trust me. Nick came up with everything. He'll tell you the details over breakfast."
Pissed that her plans were changing, Jan huffed, "What makes you think you're still invited to breakfast?"
"Mom…" After a calming breath, Greg pleaded, "Please just be happy for me, because I've honestly never been happier. Nick went above and beyond to take me on the best date of my life. I can't wait to tell you guys about it." He snickered, "I'll give you the PG version since there will be minors present."
"Still not enthused," the frustrated mother grumbled.
"Jan, maybe this will help." Taking Greg's hand, the anxious son-in-law explained, "Havin' that gun pulled on me at the scene last week was a wake up call for us. It's the reason we worked with your husband's lawyers to finalize the Domestic Partnership in California ahead of schedule, so we're set in case something bad happens." Glancing at his partner, Nick sweetly said, "On Saturday night we decided we wanted a little more than pieces of paper, we wanted to be married in our hearts too." He met his mother-in-law's eyes. "I waited decades to find love, Jan, and even though it seems silly that I couldn't wait another seven weeks after all that time, I couldn't, I'm sorry. I just love your son that much."
Greg laughed to himself. Once a ladies man, always a ladies man.
Tearing up over the sentiment, Jan replied, "When you put it like that, Nicky."
"Congratulations," Dave merrily declared from his position in the living room doorway. "That was very touching, Nick." His love and acceptance of the man doubled. "My son's a lucky guy."
"Hey, Nick's lucky too," Jan added in defense of her son. "My boy's a great catch."
After listening to Mandy dreamily recount the details of her romantic Saturday night with Henry for twenty minutes, Wendy couldn't wait to grab her stuff and bolt from the locker room. "I'm really happy for you," she sincerely told her pal before breaking into a colossal yawn. "Sorry, I'm coming off ten exhausting hours and I still haven't solved my case."
"The first one's always the toughest," Mandy laughed, "except for Greg, he did great with his first two and almost blew it because he couldn't get number three."
"Thanks for planting that in my head." Sighing, Wendy popped open her locker. "What's this?" she curiously remarked when she saw a brown envelope with the words 'READ ME' on it in black marker.
"Ooh, mystery envelope. Someone must have slid it inside." Mandy motioned for her friend to open it. "I hope it's not nude photos of you that an old boyfriend is trying to use to blackmail you."
"Since I can't remember the last time I was nude with a boyfriend, I don't think so."
Mandy teased, "Okay then, nude photos of you that a one-night stand is using to blackmail you."
"Keep going and your murder will be real easy for me to solve." Opening the envelope she saw a note. "Photo 141, evidence bag 62, put it together and follow the clue."
"Ooh!"
"Hodges."
"You think so?"
Wendy's reply was a smile.
"Give me everything." Mandy carefully snatched it. "I'll dust it and see if we can bust him."
"You have to eat a waffle, you carb-fearing freak." Greg pulled his latest one from the waffle iron and placed it in front of his spouse. "Nana Olaf's waffles are legendary. They were the only reason I could get kids to come over my house for play dates."
"Aww," the girls sang as a trio.
"Sad but true, ladies," Greg looked at his mother. "You should show them my dorktastic 3rd grade photo to erase their doubts."
"I wanna see," Nick announced, already picturing the snapshot in his mind.
"If you eat the waffle," Jan snickered.
With the entire family razzing him, Nick succumbed to the pressure. "Okay, okay, I'll eat it, but only 'cause we just got married and the waffle looks romantic with the five little hearts."
Jan educated her son-in-law, "If it's not shaped like that, it's not an authentic Norwegian waffle."
Sitting at the head of the table, Dave quietly took in the family scene. It was hard to believe that his empty nest had become fuller than it had ever been. His wife was happier than she had been in the ten years since her parents' deaths and Greg moving out of state. Some women were born to be doctors and lawyers, but the only thing Jan ever wanted to be was a nurturer and a mother. Intense and controlling as she was, he knew it was never for nefarious purposes. Her heart was full of love and her actions were always rooted in good intentions. Jan had felt compelled to overlove Greg, because he was underloved by the world, but now that Nick was loving him just right, he could tell she was stepping back as much as she could. At 33, Greg was a saint for still putting up with her antics, but like father like son, the boy knew the truth and couldn't deny the one person who had always unconditionally loved him during the hardest of times and on the saddest of occasions.
"What are you grinning about down there?" Jan asked her husband from across the table.
"My family," Dave replied, smiling at all of them. "I'm crazy about every dysfunctional one of you and I'm hoping that if you take a bunch of dysfunctional people and make a family out of them, you get a functional family, as opposed to a family that starts out under normal conditions and becomes horribly dysfunctional."
"Like my family," Nick remarked while scraping his last piece of waffle in a pool of syrup and melted butter. "I like that theory, Dave, and I love bein' part of this family, assuming you were including me."
"Absolutely." Dave teased his son-in-law, "What would a family of dysfunctionals be without an uptight, gay, jock control freak with PTSD, OCD, and Daddy issues? We need you for balance, son."
"Yeah," Tawny jumped to agree, "you balance out my Mommy issues, low self-esteem, child of an alcoholic, and abandonment issues real well."
"Ditto." Jenni raised her glass of OJ. "But it's good to have things in common too. Like Greg knowing what it feels like to have people hate you for something you didn't cause, but to the outside world, you're the one to blame. My mom caused the bus crash, but everyone said it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't missed the bus, but I wouldn't have missed the bus if my mother hadn't been drunk and breaking the law. All I was trying to do was get to school. Greg was just trying to do his job when Demetrius James broke the law and did something wrong." She breathed and smiled at her progress, "My therapist told me last week that we shouldn't feel guilty because of wrong things other people did."
"Easier said than done," Greg replied, still trying to do the same, "but in theory I know your therapist is right."
"How's the firearms certification going, son?" Dave would rest easier once he knew his boy wasn't unarmed in the field.
"Oh, um…" When Nick patted his thigh, Greg confessed, "I was doing pretty good at the range with Nick, but after my actions at the hospital last week, my request for certification was put on hold until I undergo a Psych Eval. Something about not wanting to give a loaded gun to a guy seemingly still loaded with rage."
At odds with LVPD policy since the lab explosion, Dave snapped, "What about the cop who put stitches in Nick's head? I sure as hell hope they're taking away his gun too."
Nick answered. "He's suspended through next week, but then he's on desk duty for six months while he completes community service, anger management, and sensitivity training obligations."
"But you guys are so backlogged that Greg has to keep going out in the field unarmed." Dave rolled his eyes.
Greg warned his sisters, "This is usually when I get the 'you should tell them to shove it and take a corporate research job paying you six-figures' speech."
"No, I'm not going to say it." Dave pushed past his urge to spew some tough love. "You're 33 and married now, son, your life is not mine to meddle in anymore." He shut up and ranted in silence. If you want to be underpaid, underappreciated and repeatedly shit on by the County that's your prerogative, but I'll be here if you need me to pay for a quality plastic surgeon a third time. "I love you and support your decision to hang tough."
"Thanks, Dad." Greg knew his father was silently ranting. "Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself. Save your strength for protecting the youngsters."
"I'm sure you see the problems with parading around a homo-hero." The Governor's PR rep grimaced at the Mayor and the Sheriff. "It would have been nice for one of you to mention Stokes was gay before our office selected Cassie McBride's essay as the winner. We would have picked the boy who wrote about his mother's heroic battle with cancer."
"We didn't know at the time," the Sheriff droned. "I thought we were going to get a shitload of positive PR out of Stokes being picked, not a fucking political nightmare."
"You mean like the racial uprising one of your CSIs caused?" The mayor snapped at the Sheriff, "I'm still getting hate mail over Sanders and the Demetrius James bullshit. As if it wasn't bad enough that the gangster lowlife piece of shit cost us two million, he's been dead for eight months, but his ghost is haunting my re-election campaign on a daily basis."
The Sheriff decided to let the other shoe drop. "There's something else you need to know." He tensed in his chair, "Stokes is partners with Sanders."
"Since when do you partner up your CSIs?" the Mayor quizzed. "I thought they were assigned to shift teams."
"Not that kind of partner."
"You mean they're romantically involved?" the Mayor asked in shock.
"I don't find the idea of two guys screwing each other romantic, but for the sake of brevity, I'll say yes. They have matching rings and are having a commitment ceremony next month."
"Son of a bitch!" The mayor paced the room like a caged tiger. "We're honoring the gay lover of the CSI who caused a frigging race war?! So not only will the homo-haters protest, we'll have every pissed off black in the city screaming injustice."
"Gentlemen, I have an idea." The PR Rep calmly stated, "I'm sure they can't afford a decent honeymoon on the pissant salary you pay them, so how about we change the award format to a monetary prize instead of presentation and a reception. To placate the girl, give her scholarship money and just to be safe, a gift card to the mall – tweens love that shit."
"Buy them off?" the Sheriff clarified. "Like we haven't paid off enough people to shut up in the last year."
"Stokes and the orphan aren't greedy bastards like Mrs. James; one's a working class hero and the other is a messed up foster. Give them five grand each and they'll be ecstatic." The PR Rep smiled. "End of problem."
"I solved it," Wendy sweetly announced as she snuck up behind Hodges in the Break Room.
"Solved what?" The confused Trace Tech asked, trying desperately not to offend his dream girl with one of his customary snarky replies.
"You not taking immediate credit for something?" She burst out laughing. "Cats and dogs must be frolicking in the streets."
"Sorry, I'm exhausted from putting in an extra ten hours."
"Come on, Davey, fess up." She gave him a playful nudge. "I came here all prepared to be sincere and thank you for being my friend, even though you're not in favor of me becoming a CSI."
"Friend," he stated, surprised to hear her use the word. "You think of me as a friend?"
"After what you did," she grinned, "I'll even go as far as to say you're on your way to becoming a good friend."
"Really?" His spirits soared. "H…how good? Like having coffee and chit-chat together kind of good friends, or going out to dinner together good friends, or…"
"Stop there before you say something that kills the mood."
As Wendy stepped closer, Hodges took her advice and clamped his lips shut.
"How about I take you to dinner to thank you for being a nice guy?" Immensely grateful for his silent devotion, she leaned against the countertop and stared into his eyes. "I've been pretty harsh with you and while some of it…a lot of it, was justified, I'm ready to give a dinner date a chance."
"Date?!" he blurted.
"Let's not advertise, okay? Not that I don't want people to know, but you know how the gossip goes around this place. They'll have me pregnant after one date."
"Mandy really did get pregnant after one date."
"Yeah, well, I won't be getting pregnant on our date, because unlike Mandy, I won't be getting drunk or naked." When she saw him wince, she backpedaled, "Not that I'm saying that a woman has to be drunk to sleep with you."
"Actually, aside from the ones I've paid, they all have been drunk." After thinking about his statement, he said, "The hookers were probably wasted too now that I think about it." When Wendy covered his mouth with her palm, he took the hint and shut up again.
"Will tonight work for you?"
Hodges tried not to squeal with excitement while nodding.
"Nine o'clock at Sakura sound good?"
Since Burger King with Wendy would have been heavenly, he happily nodded.
"I'll meet you in the bar at nine then." Just as she turned to leave, she saw Mandy rushing in waving a piece of paper. "What's wrong with you?"
When Hodges strolled by her whistling a happy tune, Mandy knew that Wendy had gone ahead and asked him out as a thank you. "I have the information you were supposed to wait for." She handed it over rolling her eyes. "Your print results, Ms. Intuitive CSI."
Grinning, Wendy glanced down to confirm what she already knew. "What?! Greg sent the note?"
"Good thing you won't be allowed to guess whodunit when you're a CSI."
"You're sure?"
"His prints were all over the tape used to seal the envelope."
"But I already asked out Hodges," the DNA Tech lamented.
"And what would Freud say about that?" Mandy pushed up her glasses. "Maybe there was a reason you didn't wait."
"Sorry to eat and run," Jan announced while saying goodbye to Nick and Greg in the kitchen. "But I'm sure two CSIs will be great at cleaning up the scene." She was taking the girls shopping to keep Cassie's mind off the end of year school party she opted not to attend because it was being held at the lake.
"We have it covered, Mom." Greg pecked her cheek. "Thanks for not getting pissed about re-doing the ceremony."
"For the record, if you had come here to say you were cancelling it, I would have disowned you." Smiling, she patted his cheek. "Your father is in his office on a conference call, don't forget to say goodbye to him before you leave."
"We won't," Nick assured her while bringing plates to the sink.
As soon as his mother was gone, Greg flipped on the countertop radio. "I'm feeling generous, so I'll put on your favorite hillbilly station, Cletus."
"Aww, that was Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy that just ended." Nick winked, "I'd love to sing that one to ya…in bed."
"Don't make me think dirty thoughts under my parents' new roof." Opening the dishwasher, Greg snickered, "I spent a decade spanking the monkey under their other roof and I'm trying to turn over a new leaf."
When Nick heard Keith Urban's Making Memories of Us start playing, he burst into a smile, "This is one of the songs I planned on puttin' on your mix tape."
"I'll actually listen to it now that I know it's mix tape worthy."
"Good, because the words in this song are exactly how I feel."
Rinsing dishes, Greg pondered the opening lyrics I'm gonna be here for ya, baby. I'll be a man of my word – speak the language in a voice that you have never heard. I want to sleep with you forever and I want to die in your arms in a cabin by a meadow where the wild bees swarm. "Dying in a meadow full of bees sounds like Grissom's ideal death scenario, doesn't it?"
"Ha! I thought that the first time I heard the song."
"Great minds think alike."
"I'm flattered you put my mind in the same league as yours, genius." Setting another pile of plates on the counter, Nick sang the chorus, "And I'm gonna love you, like nobody loves you. And I'll earn your trust making memories of us."
"Reminds me of Saturday night," Greg said with a smile.
"Exactly." Nick wrapped his arms around his partner from behind and tenderly continued to croon, "I wanna honor your mother, and I wanna learn from your pa." He growled the next line while swaying their bodies, "I wanna steal your attention like a bad outlaw."
Greg shivered with pleasure when a juicy kiss landed squarely on his neck. "That move will always get you my full attention."
"I wanna stand out in a crowd for you, a man among men." Feeling the sentiment, Nick snuggled up close, "I wanna make your world better than it's ever been."
"The job's all yours, Cletus."
Standing at the end of the hallway, Dave watched the romantic moment play out. After worrying about Nick's controlling behavior, the tenderness brought sweet relief. It was also undeniably nice to see that the physical relationship wasn't only about sex. I'm appreciating you a little more every hour, Nicky. Just as he was about to back away, he saw his son-in-law initiate a slow dance. Curiosity getting the best of him, he continued to watch.
"My hands are wet and soapy."
"I don't care." Nick winked, "We'll follow the rainbow, wherever the four winds blow…"
"A country song with gay subtext? I didn't see that coming." Greg chuckled as Nick subtly tried to give him dancing lessons.
Completely in love with the man in his arms, Nick softly sang as they swayed in perfect harmony, "I'm gonna be here for ya from now on, this you know somehow." He caressed his partner's cheek. "You've been stretched to the limits, but it's alright now."
Hopelessly swooning, Greg whispered, "My life is much, much more than alright now."
It was exactly the response Nick was hoping for, so he continued his musical vows, "I'm gonna make you a promise…if there's life after this, I'm gonna be there to meet you with a warm wet kiss."
"Give me a preview," Greg urged.
Nick filled the request by caressing his lover's lips with a slow, burning kiss that quickly took a passionate turn.
As uncomfortable as it was to watch his son share a torrid kiss with a man, it was nice to know his boy was finally seeing some quality action after many lean years.
Breaking the kiss, Nick resumed the dance, belting out the last chorus, "And I'm gonna love you, like nobody loves you…"
When Greg heard his dance partner's cell phone obnoxiously interrupt the perfect moment, he grumbled, "Don't they know we're on our honeymoon?"
"You better answer that," Dave announced upon approach. "I have a feeling it's the Sheriff's office."
Feeling awkward about dancing in the kitchen in front of his father-in-law, Nick jumped back and grabbed his cell. "How did you know…"
"Because Mama Evelyn just called me to say that the Sheriff called her in regards to Cassie's hero essay and the award presentation. He wanted to know if she could meet with him today. Evelyn was Cassie's guardian at the time the essay was written and I guess they haven't heard she was adopted."
"That dress is perfect for the ceremony, Cassie." Savoring every motherly moment, Jan smoothed her hand over the girl's hair. "What do you think, Sweetie?"
"I feel like I could be in a fashion magazine," the 12 year old honestly replied while looking at her reflection in the trendy coral and white dot-print charmeuse dress. "Do you think Nick will like it?"
"Totally," Tawny confidently answered, "because it has Southern charm."
"Did you fart again, Cletus?" Greg rolled down the truck's window and stuck his head out of it like a dog enjoying the breeze.
"You made me eat that damn waffle."
"Nice try, but waffles don't make people fart."
"They do if you're not used to eatin' one."
"Uh huh."
Pulling into the driveway, Nick chuckled, "Hey, if you have a problem with my ass's behavior, then you don't have to come near it ever again."
"Fortunately I'm a very forgiving person."
"I figured you would be." Nick grabbed his keys from the ignition and hopped out of the truck. "Do you want to come with me to this meeting?"
"To hang with the Sheriff who said things would have been so much simpler and economical if I had died after killing Demetrius James?" While walking to the front door, Greg pretended to ponder the idea. "It's tempting, but I think I'll get a double root canal without Novocain instead."
"I figured you'd say somethin' like that." When Nick opened the door and heard the distinct sounds of Cowboy Troy's I Play Chicken with the Train blasting through the house, he cringed.
"I hope this song isn't going to be on my mix tape."
"No." After tossing his keys on the entry table, Nick started for the family room to turn the music down. "I hope the windows aren't open or we'll be hearin' from Mrs. Kravitz again."
"Yeah, and then she'll…oh shit." Smack in the middle of the family room floor was Roy, who was wearing a black cowboy hat and a grimace of ecstasy as Bobby Dawson thrilled him. "How about we just tip toe out of here and they'll never know we…" When he saw his partner's blood boiling, he knew that wasn't an acceptable option.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Nick's voice boomed over the blaring music, startling the lovers whose eyes had been clamped shut.
Bobby gasped when he saw that they were busted. As much as he couldn't imagine staying where he was, he couldn't imagine disengaging in front of spectators, especially one who was probably going to kill him. Luckily Roy had his wits about him and tossed a nearby blanket over them, so they could have a little privacy as they parted ways.
"It's not what it looks like," Roy explained to his seething cousin.
Bobby knew that answer wasn't going to fly.
"Really?" Nick fired back, "It looks like you're havin' sex with my co-worker in my house when I've made it clear that you're not allowed to bring people here. Which part do I have wrong?!"
"You said I couldn't bring strangers home," Roy quickly clarified. "Bobby's not a stranger, he's your friend."
"That's up for debate now," Nick narrowed his gaze on the Ballistics Tech. "I guess I know why my cousin rushed me out of the bathroom at the Tangiers the other night. He didn't want me to find out you were one of the guys in the stall."
"I um…" Bobby gulped the lump in his throat. "I don't know what you're talking about.
Greg calmly whispered to his partner, "Don't jump to conclusions, let Roy explain."
"He wasn't at The Tangiers," Roy stated, reminding himself that his cousin wasn't very worldly. "That was me partyin'. This is different."
"Did you hustle my co-worker?" Nick replied, suddenly feeling nauseous. "Or did he approach you?" If it was Bobby's idea, he feared what he'd do.
"Please, stop." Greg stepped in front of Nick. "We're not at work, this isn't an interrogation. Let Roy explain without interrupting him, please." He whispered, "You're reminding me why I used to get so pissed off at my father when he'd misinterpret a situation and blast me without hearing anything I had to say."
"Okay, fine." Nick stuffed his hands on his hips. "Start talkin'."
"Bobby and I met at Greg's birthday party and hit it off. We're together."
"Except when you're at The Tangiers," Nick interjected much to his partner's dismay. "So I guess Bobby just found out you cheated on him? And you," he scowled at his co-worker, "you didn't think I might have a problem with you sleepin' with my 20 year old cousin?"
"Nick, come on, it's not like he took my cherry," Roy couldn't stop the chuckle rising. "Bobby knows I party with whoever I want, but I only have sex with him. We're really happy with the arrangement and each other."
"Huh?" Nick couldn't get his head around the concept. "What exactly are you getting in return for letting a guy almost twice your age have unlimited access to your ass?"
"How about we give you guys five minutes to pull yourselves together?" Greg took his partner by the arm and led him down the hall. "We'll be back."
"I can't believe this," Nick huffed as he marched into the home office. "I don't know which of 'em I'm more pissed at."
"Neither would be a good choice." Greg shut the door and then leaned against it. "Is this how we're going to parent? Me asking you to calm down and listen and you managing it for thirty seconds? Because I'd like to remind you that neither of us had good relationships with our dads, so how can we expect our kids to have good relationships with us if we act just like either of our fathers?"
"So I'm just supposed to condone that shit under my own roof?" Nick stood his ground. "Sorry, that's my little cousin out there with a guy older than me."
"Roy isn't little anymore, he's twenty and he's already more worldly than I'll ever be." Greg cut to the heart of the matter, "How many chicks had you slept with by the time you were Roy's age?"
"G…"
"Admit it, if Roy was straight and we had come home and found him with a 37 year old babe, the old Nick would have said atta boy and given him a cigar."
"Hey!" Nick's frustration soared, "He said he was sick of bein' nothin' more than a piece of ass in San Francisco, so I gave him a safe place to live and paid for his college tuition, so he could have a normal life again."
"And what's so abnormal about horny Texas college boys looking for as much action as possible?" As Nick paced the room, Greg calmly said, "Roy not wanting to be exploited and Roy not fooling around aren't the same thing. I think you just want Roy to have the same type of relationship you and me do, but he's not that kind of guy, at least not yet. It took you until thirty-five to be that kind of guy."
"So you think I'm a hypocrite."
"No, I think you're worried about your cousin and want him to find happiness like you have." Greg walked over and slipped his arms around his partner's waist. "And like any good parent, you don't want him to make the same mistakes you made."
"Yeah, that's definitely part of it," Nick confessed. "Sleepin' around for years didn't do much for my peace of mind."
"Roy's on the fence. He wants stability, so he's in relationship with Bobby, but he's not ready to stop partying, because he's young, used to the lifestyle, and meeting hot guys all the time."
"Wait a sec." Nick's investigator sixth-sense finally caught up with him. "You're talkin' like you knew about their relationship."
"Yeah. I told them that they had to come clean with you, but they've been putting it off." Smiling, Greg said, "But since I didn't want to keep a secret from my husband, I called Roy yesterday and said they had to tell you when we returned from The Tangiers or I would tell you. I'm guessing that's why Bobby was here…among other reasons. I told them we'd be back two hours from now, so they weren't expecting to get caught in the act."
After a couple of deep breaths, Nick said, "I think you're gonna be a better dad than me. I'm gonna be the hothead whose kids hate him."
"I'm gonna be the geek dad who can't coach football, or baseball, or any sport."
"You'll teach 'em chess."
"Won't that make me supercool."
The sound of his partner's geeky laugh finally brought the smile back to Nick's face.
"You okay with everything?"
"Yeah," Nick whispered, "It was a little weird for me to see two guys goin' at it who aren't in a movie. Even weirder because I'm related to one of them."
"At least you didn't find your grandparents doing it in the kitchen."
"No, really?"
Greg shivered at the thought of the trauma. "Twice."
"I can't believe I got pregnant on the first try," Sara remarked as she lazed on the couch flipping through the first of six pregnancy books Gil had brought home for her. "That's only supposed to happen to virginal teens."
"And Mandy according to the watercooler set." Washing strawberries in the kitchen, Gil said, "Want to hear about the break we may have in a cold case?"
"It would be a violation of department policy to discuss case details with a civilian."
"I'm willing to trust that you won't gossip since you rarely leave the house."
"I walk Bruno twice a day."
"I stand corrected," he politely replied. "Your friends keep asking me when you're going to return their calls."
"I should be taking vitamins."
Gil took the shift of subject as a hint. "Yes, you should be taking vitamins."
"Can you pick some up for me on the way home tomorrow?"
"No."
Sara glanced over the top of the book.
"If you're not going to talk to your friends, I want you to at least make human contact with the sales clerk at Hi-Health."
"I talk to people when I walk the dog." When her husband shot her a look, she relented, "Okay, okay, I'll buy the damn vitamins, so your kid isn't born with three arms."
"I'm sure our child will thank you for that."
"Thank you for clearing your schedules to meet with me," the Sheriff robotically remarked as he glanced up from his paperwork. "Nick, I…where is Evelyn?"
"She's no longer Cassie's foster mother, because my wife and I legally adopted Cassie a couple of weeks ago. I have the paperwork with me if you need proof." Dave didn't offer a handshake. "You might remember me from when we encountered each other outside my son's hospital room. Dave Sanders."
"Right." Shit! "It's good to see you under better circumstances."
"I wish I could say the same," Dave grumbled as he took a seat in a guest chair next to Nick.
Deciding to stick to the agreed upon plan, the Sheriff popped on his politician's smile and forged ahead. "Congratulations, Nick, the department was very excited to learn that your heroics were the subject of an award winning essay from a schoolgirl."
"Thanks," Nick humbly replied. "I was just doin' my job and what other people did for me when I went missing. I don't need any more recognition than I already got with the commendation ceremony last year, but I'm real psyched for Cassie's sake that she won the contest. She's been lookin' for a way to pay me back since I found her, so she's finally at peace."
"I think she'll be more than at peace when you hear what I have to say." The Sheriff held up a $5,000 check and a $500 gift card for the mall. "We were able to acquire some donations and are going to give her this scholarship check and a little shopping spree."
The aroma of bureaucratic bullshit filling his nose, Dave remained silent.
"That's great!" Nick whooped. "She'll be over the moon."
"And there's more," the Sheriff merrily assured the easily pacified worker bee. "You're getting a $5,000 bonus and you're getting promoted to 'Senior Forensics Specialist'."
"What does that get him?" Dave queried while Nick beamed with pride. My guess is 'a nifty title, extra responsibility, and no pay increase'.
"Besides the prestigious title, which he'll be the first in LVPD history to have, he'll be Grissom's go-to guy and supervisory backup."
Dave nudged his son-in-law, "Aren't you going to ask him what the pay increase is?"
"I didn't even think about that," Nick chuckled, "it just felt nice to have my efforts finally recognized."
Dave smiled and nodded, That's what the manipulative asshole is counting on, Nicky.
"I'm glad you feel that way, Stokes." The Sheriff grinned at the dedicated sap. "After the bonus, there wasn't any room in the budget to give you much of a raise this year, but next year…"
"I understand," Nick didn't want to seem ungrateful for the promotion. "I appreciate you callin' me down here to tell me in person too. Between this and the award ceremony, I'm gonna get a swelled head."
While he was certain his politically tone deaf son-in-law didn't think there was more, Dave, a seasoned businessman used to dealing with government blowhards, was waiting to hear the real reason they had been called there.
"About the award ceremony, gentlemen." The Sheriff relaxed in his premium leather desk chair. "There are some insurmountable logistics and scheduling issues with the Governor and Mayor's schedule, so we've had to change things a bit. We're going to have a very nice ceremony at a lovely restaurant where your families and guests can attend and enjoy a delicious dinner with me. Better than having tea and cookies with the Governor, don't you think?"
Before Nick could agree that it sounded swell, Dave said, "Here's exactly what I think. The Governor and Mayor didn't know Nick was gay when they picked Cassie's essay and the idea of lauding a gay hero gave all of you a case of the 'Re-election Shivers', so you called us down here to buy your way out of the mess." He enjoyed watching Nick's shock and the two-faced bastard's aggravation build. "Am I close, Sheriff?"
"Look, if this is about what happened to your son…"
"No, it's not about my son, it's about my daughter." Dave stood and loomed over the man. "Trust me, if I was the kind of man who interfered in his adult son's life, I would have told you to fuck off long ago." He pointed to Nick. "If he wants to take your offer and skip out of here whistling a happy tune, that's none of my business, but as a tax-paying citizen, I feel compelled to ask why a guy who keeps the streets a little safer and just saved two of LVPD's finest is only worth five grand and a bullshit promotion, when the mother of a coldblooded killer got 2.4 million dollars to get out of your hair!"
Nick wondered why it didn't dawn on him to ask that question.
"There's no reason to shout, Mr. Sanders."
"Right, I'll follow your example." Dave pulled out his key ring and yanked off two gold keys. "Here you go, Nick. Those are the keys to The Freyja. You can either take the five grand and bullshit promotion or you can have The Freyja." He grinned at the Sheriff, "The Freyja is my 40 foot Sunray sport yacht. It's valued at $475,000."
His head spinning, Nick stared at the keys that represented 8 years of take-home pay.
"Right, right, it's Vegas, you think I'm bluffing, don't you, Sheriff?" Dave gave an edgy chuckle, "Just because my son is an underpaid city employee, doesn't mean I am. I'm more of the self-made millionaire type. My company deals heavily in government contracts, that's why I was able to recognize your sleazy politician moves so easily." He tapped the jerk's computer screen. "Google my name and seismic retrofitting."
"Let's cut through the bullshit, shall we? We both know it will be a media circus if word gets out that we're honoring a gay hero, so what do you want from me, Sanders?"
"Hold up a minute." Though he felt increasingly foolish for falling for the Sheriff's con, Nick pushed beyond his ego and said, "The only thing that matters to me is Cassie's happiness, so I'd like to have some time alone with Dave to discuss her needs."
Grateful for the break, the Sheriff stood and pointed to his office door. "Go, I'll be here when you're done chatting."
"Nick barely said two words to me before he left." Roy therapeutically ran his finger's through Chico's coat as he sat on the family room floor talking to Greg. "Bobby's totally freaked. He's probably at home thinking I'm not worth this BS."
"I really doubt that," Greg countered while stretching out on the couch and yawning. "You really care about him that much?"
"Yeah." Roy smiled at the dog. "Bobby is my front porch swing."
"Your front porch swing?"
"Whenever life would get too crazy or stressful back home, I'd head out to the front porch and sit on the swing. I'd stay there until I chilled out."
"I thought the fresh air might do us both some good," Dave commented as he led the way across the street to the city park. "Do you want a bottle of water?" He pointed. "There's a vendor."
"No, thanks." Nick's stomach knotted as memories of agonizing lectures from his father surfaced.
"How's this bench?" It was in a semi-private spot.
Nick answered by taking a seat and beating Dave to the punch. "I realize I looked like a clueless idiot in there, so you don't have to bother pointin' it out. I missed every ounce of bullshit he was serving and you must think I'm the least intuitive CSI on the planet at this point. I fell for it all, and I bet you're wonderin' how your genius son is even compatible with a guy that slow on the uptake or how he could be content with someone who will never afford the stuff he grew up with."
"Is that what your father would be telling you right now?"
"No, the judge would have used a hell of a lot less words to make the same point."
"Look at me, Nick," Dave waited until he made eye contact. "You got conned by the Sheriff because you don't think like a self-centered prick. In the business world, I wouldn't hire you for that reason, but as far as son-in-law's go, I'd rather my boy be married to someone with a Texas-sized heart, not ego." Patting him on the back, he smiled, "If it weren't for you, and the work you do, we wouldn't have to discuss what's best for Cassie, because she would be dead. Yeah, I'm wealthy, but I'd argue your life is richer than mine in a lot of ways. Okay?"
"I…" Nick momentarily lost his words. "Wow, you looked out for me in the meeting and you didn't rip me to shreds for bein' dense. Thank you, that's more than I ever got from my own father, who would have sympathized with the Sheriff for having to deal with an unwanted gay issue."
"Anytime you need a father's opinion, help, love, money, anything, please know you can come to me."
His eyes welling, Nick glanced at the grass. "Thank you, I really appreciate it." The mention of money reminded him that he still had the keys to The Freyja. "Before I forget." He dangled the keys.
"Hold onto them, it's your wedding gift. I just didn't bother to mention that detail earlier."
"What?" Nick looked up. "I can't accept a half-million dollar boat as a gift. That's too much, way too much."
"We don't need it. Cassie is never going on it, not after what she's been through on a boat on a lake. She wouldn't even go to the big party her classmate's family is having at the lake today. It's not like it's leaving the family if I give it to you and Greg." Dave smiled, "And The Freyja is a sentimental place for the two of you since it was the location of your first time…" he winked, "on vacation together."
"Yeah," Nick glanced away chuckling, "I'll never forget that first vacation."
"That's one thing settled, but what are we going to do about Cassie and the ceremony?"
"I don't want Cassie to miss out on what she was promised, but I also don't want the whole thing to turn into a political circus, because I know from dealin' with my sister that things can turn ugly when you incite her kind. Greg and I have made some real progress at work since the incident at the hospital, I don't need it to get uncomfortable for us again."
"Those are all very good points."
"Yeah, but that thing you said about the payoff to the James family compared to 5,000 bucks for riskin' my life, that really hit home. That payoff did so much damage to Greg's peace of mind, so it really pissed me off when you put it all in perspective. Kind of like today when you said they won't let Greg take his firearms test, but they'll let him keep going into the field even though he's supposedly dangerous. We are underpaid, overworked fools, and that's hard to reconcile, even though I love my job and don't want to stop givin' a voice to victims like Cassie. Maybe you're right, maybe Greg and I should quit and get better, safer jobs."
"You don't have to do that," Dave counseled. "If you love what you do, you're not going to be happy working in a corporate lab for money-hungry CEOs like me. What I'd like to suggest is this...knowing you have me as a financial safety net, don't be afraid to speak up and get demanding. If they fire you, which they won't, because the last thing those people want is a discrimination lawsuit, you know you have a soft place to land. You've never had that before, now you do."
"I'm new to this," Sara told the health store sales clerk, Belinda, after several agonizing minutes. "And while the graphic details of your childbirth experiences, including the average number of episiotomy stitches you endured, are very informative, they're a little more than this newbie can handle right now. So, if you could just give me a bottle of pre-natal vitamins and take my money, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks."
"OH! I get it." Tucking her bouncy blonde hair behind her ears, Belinda smiled at the squeamish woman. "You get nervous around blood, huh?
"Yes," Sara lied, "I've been known to faint at the sight of a paper cut."
Walking to the appropriate shelf, the clerk tried to allay the woman's fears. "Don't worry, they'll put a sheet over you and you don't have to watch. I asked for a big mirror because I wanted to enjoy the miracle of my child's birth right along with my husband. Is your husband squeamish too? Or will he be up to snapping pictures of the whole thing?"
"No, snapping photos of blood and guts isn't really my husband's thing." Hoping to avoid the bubbly baby goddess in the future, Sara handed over her Visa card. "Give me enough vitamins to last the entire pregnancy."
AN:
Thanks for waiting for the chapter : ) I know the last one was all romance and that's not everyone's cup of tea, so hopefully the drama fans enjoyed the Sheriff scenes, Roy and Bobby caught in the act, and the Dave and Nick chat. The upcoming chapters will be moving some plots along and tying up loose ends.
The next one will post around March 7th. For those of you who have asked for a particular Nick and Cassie scene, Chapter 30 should do it for you.
Thanks for reading,
Maggs
