Chapter Thirty Six: I love my Son

Author Lolly4Holly / Beta NickandGregNumberOneSlashFan

"Oh No." Greg rolled his eyes, looking out the side window. Nick leant over Greg to see Jean jumping up and down holding a large banner reading 'I love my son!' "Shoot me please." Greg whimpered, sinking lower in his chair with embarrassment.

"Relax baby." Nick laughed softly. "We'll slip through the crowd like we don't know her. No one will know you're related." He chuckled.

"She'll chase me down." Greg rolled his eyes, covering his face with his hands.

"C'mon baby, you've lasted 31 years of her torture."

"But she said she'd behave." Greg groaned, pulling his hands from his face.

"She just loves you." Nick smiled, poking Greg in the stomach. "I don't blame her for goin' crazy for you." He smirked.

Greg rolled his eyes at him, folding his arms across his chest. "You keep your parents busy while I rip it from her hands."

"No G." He chuckled. "Suck it up." Nick climbed to his feet, grabbing the bags from their overhead storage. He dragged a reluctant Greg towards the doors of the plane, leading him down towards his family. Greg's Nana and Mother immediately threw their arms around him, hugging and kissing him tightly. While Nick stood back with Dan waiting for Nick's parents to come down the steps.

"Nice flight?" Dan asked turning to Nick.

"Yeah, except Greg's moanin'." He smirked knowing Greg would moan again.

"I almost choked on that fish bone then the heating broke and then the air con wouldn't work and I was sweating buckets, and I have a splitting headache." Greg retorted to him. Dan nodded thinking how Jean always does the same thing when they're on a long flights together.

Nick gulped hard as his parents walked down the flight steps. Dan saw the tension suddenly change in his face, noticing the posh looking tourists climbing off the plane together.

"Best behaviour mom." Greg whispered to his mother, hiding the sign she was holding behind his back. She nodded to him innocently, pretending to zip her lips shut. Greg rolled his eyes at her, smiling towards Nick.

"Mama, Dad this is Daniel and Jean Sanders and this is Greg's Papa and Nana Olaf." Nick introduced them. "This is my dad Judge Bill Stokes and my mother Jillian." Nick stood back while they all shook hands, giving each other warm smiles.

"Welcome to the family Jilly and Billy." Jean snickered to herself at the rhyming names. Greg rolled his eyes, clutching his head in his hands. "Well come on then, let's get everyone back for some lunch. Gregory, don't just sand there. Take their bags!" She scolded her son, embarrassing him already. Nick and Greg helped Nick's parents with their bags, off towards the cars.

Jean and Dan drove back with the Judge and Jillian in the back of their car while Nana and Papa Olaf drove back with Nick and Greg in the back. Greg was nervously biting his lip, gripping his fingernails into his seatbelt, watching his parent's car in front of them through the middle of the seats anxiously.

"Greg, why are you so worried?" Nick asked him.

"Have you met my mother?"

"We made her take a Valium before she left the house Greggy." Papa Olaf informed him.

"After one Valium I get giggly and talkative though . . . even more talkative than usual. She's already calling them Jilly and Billy. God knows what she's torturing them with now."

"She had two." His Papa Olaf corrected. "Relax Greggy, we've all told her not to embarrass you or over talk."

"I'll relax when she isn't telling Jillian how to climax properly or asking about her first time." Greg said, nervously chewing his fingernails again.

"G." Nick pulled his hands away, placing them in his lap. "Relax baby; I'm sure it will be fine."

"I'll relax when your parents are on the flight home."

They arrived at the Sanders residence shortly after, unloading everyone's luggage. While Dan and Nick showed Bill and Jillian around the house, Greg rushed off to find his mother in the kitchen. "Mom, where are you putting them?"

"The guest house, that way they'll have their own privacy and bathroom. I moved Papa Olaf back upstairs, while you and Nick can take the games room again." She smiled at him.

"You didn't say anything incredibly embarrassing in the car did you?"

"No, I was on my best behaviour." She promised. "Oh and your realtor sent these over." She presented him with some housing booklets from under the cabinet. "Why's there one book here for New York?" Greg shrugged innocently. "Gregory!" She scolded in her tone of voice that he hated.

"It was just an idea. Nick's always wanted to live there and so have I."

"Why's there one for Philadelphia too?" She asked, stuffing her hands on her hips. "You already live in Vegas which is four hours away from me . . . why do you want to live all the way out there?"

"Because we're thinking of starting of a family together mom. We want to live in a safer environment."

"Do you really want to though sweetie? You're not letting him push you into it are you?"

"He didn't push me into anything. We made the decision together. Just to look though . . . we'd have to find jobs over there too."

"Gregory, you live four hours away as it is. I can't handle you moving over to New York."

"I said it was just an idea." Greg informed her again. "I've lived in New York before."

"I know and I hated it."

"You are gonna have to loosen the umbilical cord eventually mom. I'm getting married soon. Did you want your parents around when you were married?"

"Yes . . . not all the time though, but they always made me check in daily, just like I do with you."

"Did they freak when you missed 2 out of those 365 days?"

"Don't get smart with me boy." She slapped him upside the head, while preparing their lunch. "I can't bare you living too far away..."

"Well it's not about you mom!" He snapped. "It's about me and Nick, spending our lives together."

"Gregory, I just worry about you."

"Well you don't have to; I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself." He huffed, dropping to a bar stool, holding his head in his hands. Jean looked at her son a moment, returning to the fridge for some salad things.

"You know I want you to be happy honey. Nothing would make me happier then to see you happy sweetheart. I'll try and back off as much as I can."

"Just don't smoother me in front of the Stokes's or embarrass me in anyway and we'll be good." Greg smiled at her.

"I'll do my very best." She smiled back, walking round the counter to press a kiss to his cheek. "But I can still smoother you when they're not here, right?" She teased, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"Only to a level that's acceptable in normal society though mother." He giggled, pulling out of her arms.

"You telling me mothers don't love and kiss their sons still?"

"Not as much as you do when their son is 31 years old." He teased her. "Most mothers stop the constant cuddles and kisses when their boys hit puberty."

"I'll never stop loving you baby." She pulled him tighter into her arms, smothering him with kisses. "I'll love you forever and ever..." She continued as he squirmed in her arms.

"Mom stop," He laughed. "I love you too, but you're suffocating me."

"Sorry sweetheart." She ruffled his hair then returned to making lunch. "What?" She asked looking up at him.

"What, what?" He said back.

"You've got that look in your eyes like you wonna tell me something but you're not sure how I'll react." She smiled looking up at him.

"I don't have anything to tell." He slyly smiled. "Unless you wanted to know that Nick and I danced together, in a romantic setting, shared back massaging techniques, rode horses in the sunset, sat in Nick's thinking spot, one of those porch swings and he showed me his tree house where we..."

"Okay, I get it." She interrupted laughing. "How are you going to top all that for the honeymoon?"

"We've still got plenty to do." Greg beamed a smile up at her.

"You're adorable when you're in love sweetheart." She giggled, ruffling his hair then walked round the breakfast bar to give him another hug. "I love you sweetie, I hope everything works out. I know it will, Nicky's a good boy. That reminds me..." She pulled back grabbing some things from the cupboard. "I've got some wedding portfolios for you two to go through." She watched him roll his eyes. "Come on Gregory, you have to start planning. Do you even know when you want to get married yet?"

"Not exactly."

"See exactly, you have to start planning. Are we talking a year or a few months?" She walked towards one of the cupboards in the hall, grabbing more stacks of wedding magazines along with a large white book.

"What's that?"

"It's a wedding planner book. It's empty; you and Nicky have to fill it with your ideas. I've talked to some wedding planners and they all suggested this." She pulled out a piece of paper pressed between the front pages. "Here is a list of wedding planners for LGBT marriages."

"LGBT?" He asked confused.

"Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals sweetheart. Gotta brush up on your lingo." She smirked at him.

Greg rolled his eyes, reading down the list of names. "Dick Banger? Why's he highlighted?"

"Oh, I liked the name." She chortled getting back to making the food. Greg rolled his eyes again. "And one of the P-FLAG members fully recommended him. They hired him for their son's wedding. This week's session she's bringing in their photos from the wedding and their planning book for me to look through." Greg raised his eyebrows as he started to flip through the stacks of wedding magazines. One of the covers caught his eye of a gay couple holding hands, both in tuxedos. He flipped it over to see another couple; one of the men was in drag, being carried in his husband's arms. "You and Nicky should start looking through these."

"I thought we were going for a small wedding?"

"Small weddings need planning too honey, you have to plan the catering, suit rental, whether you're going to have ice sculptures and flowers. You need to pick out your ushers, bridesmaids, best man . . . or men." She giggled.

"We're having bridesmaids and best men now?" Greg leant on his elbow as he flipped through one magazine. "I suppose you want us to have flower girls, ring bearers and have dad give me away."

"Oh that's a good idea." Greg glanced up at her through his long eyelashes, wondering if she was serious. "But it's completely up to you and Nicky." She smiled, getting back to making the salad.

"You've really been planning all this?"

Jean nodded. "Since you first started dating I always had a plan how your wedding was going to be. But now you're getting married to Nicky..."

"Are you still squicked I'm with Nick?"

"Oh No sweetheart, I was just gonna say now that your with Nicky it seems more real . . . and right."

"Thanks mom . . . you know gay marriage is legal in New York, we'd have more rights there."

"You said it was just an idea." She snapped at him.

"Just an idea . . . that we might end up doing. In the very distant future." He assured her.

"Why are you so desperate to move away from me?"

"It's not about moving away from you. You have to let me grow up some time mom. I'm 31, about to get married and planning my future with someone that actually wants to spend it with me. You've gotta let go a little."

"Can't I at least plan your wedding?" She pouted. "It's every mothers dream to plan their children's wedding."

"Here I thought it was every mothers dream to finally be rid of their children." He smirked, ducking as she tried to slap him round the head again.

"Oh, that reminds me. What did he propose with?" She bounced up and down, grabbing her camera.

"Do you always keep a camera handy?" He laughed at her, raising the key necklace from under his t-shirt.

"Oh my gosh!" She squealed with excitement, pulling it closer to examine it.

"Yeah it's attached to me yah know." He winced.

"Wow . . . so are you exchanging rings at the ceremony?"

"Probably."

"Have you talked about your wedding at all?" She asked glaring at him.

"No, but we've got the honey moon planned." He chuckled, getting slapped upside the head again. "Ouch, would yah quit doing that."

"Quit being a smart mouth then." She laughed, poking him in the ribs. "So what have you planned for your honeymoon then?"

"We're going to relive our first date and ride horses up the beach in the sunset."

"This is a honeymoon, not a fairytale." She laughed at him.

"My life with Nick is a fairytale." He retorted, climbing off the stool.

"Where are you going?"

"To lie down, I feel a little dizzy."

"Take the wedding planner and magazines with you." She waved it to him.

Greg grabbed the heavy book, stacking the magazines on top of it. "Do I really have to look through all of these?"

"Yes sweetheart, make sure Nicky does too. You two need to decide everything together." She smiled to him, heading back to the fridge for the salad dressing. Greg huffed loudly, carrying everything upstairs to the games room while his dad was showing the Stokes family around the garden.

Greg dropped the books onto the side table, rolling onto the sofa bed where his relationship with Nick all started. He gazed up through the skylight above at the clear blue sky above, slowly drifting off to sleep.

"Okay everyone! Lunch is served." Jean cheerily announced, setting up the spread on the table in the garden. Bill and Jillian took their seats with Papa and Nana Olaf while Dan helped his wife out with the food.

"Where's Greg?" Nick asked from the doorway.

"I think he's upstairs sweetheart." Jean smiled to him then returned to the table, taking her seat.

Nick ran up the stairs, trying not to get lost as he made his way through the maze like halls to the games room. He stopped at the doors as he saw Greg fast asleep on the sofa bed where they spent most of their time together. He crept towards him, trying not to wake him then leant over Greg to kiss his forehead, deciding to let him sleep as he was exhausted since their flight over.

Nick returned downstairs to eat lunch with everyone else, leaving Greg to sleep.

"This is a lovely spread Jean." Jillian smiled, trying to be polite.

"Oh thank you Jilly . . . has Gregory eaten at all today Nicky?" Jean asked concerned.

"He had half a fish meal on the plane . . . not since then though."

"Maybe we should save him some." Jean panicked.

"He'll be fine, don't panic honey." Dan calmed her down, turning back to Bill and Jillian to get to know them a little more. Nick sat back smiling as their parents were talking as though they've known each other for years. He and Greg never imagined their parents meeting would go down this well.

"So Nicky, do you have any plans how you want you're wedding to be?" Jean asked, changing the subject back to the wedding.

"Well we haven't really discussed it that much; I want us to exchange rings so it feels more real..."

"Will they allow you to do that? Surely not in a church though?" Jillian asked confused.

"Oh there are churches that accept homosexual relations Jilly; they can do the whole ceremony in a church if they wanted to." Jean explained. Nick looked at his parents seeing their disapproval.

Dan obviously caught on as he raised the jug of lemonade. "Anyone for more lemonade or can I get you something stronger?"

"Lemonades fine." Nick's father smiled. "So they actually allow homosexuals to marry in churches now?"

"Oh yes Billy, they're finally allowed to marry, within a few years I'm hoping they'll be allowed the same rights as heterosexual couples. God forbid something happened to Nicky or Gregory, what if they had children, the other one wouldn't have any rights," Jean rambled. Nick watched his parent's eyes widening as Jean continued to ramble about them having children.

"Nicholas, you're not thinkin' of bringin' kids into your setup are you?" His father asked with an accusing glare.

"Well I-I..." He nervously stammered trying to think.

"What do you mean by setup?" Jean asked, turning it around on Nick's father. "You think there's something wrong with Nicky and Greg's relationship?"

"No . . . just, committin' yourself into an abnormal relationship is one thing Nicholas, but forcin' children into it is selfish." The narrow minded father replied, still staring angrily at his son.

"Abnormal?" Jean shrieked.

"Honey, why don't you go get some more..." Dan looked around the table, trying to think of something. "Bread, yeah? Who wants more bread?" Papa and Nana Olaf nodded, they had managed to keep their mouths shut the whole lunch, besides eating of course, watching the banter between the parents, reminding them so much of when Jean announced to them she was getting married. It was very different to see it all from an outsider's perspective.

Jean climbed to her feet, heading into the house to cut up some more bread as her husband pleaded her to go with his eyes.

"Excuse me." Nick climbed to his feet, leaving Dan to talk business with his father. He returned to the kitchen to help Jean with the bread. "Jean, do yah need any help?"

"Oh, hello Nicky." She smiled round at him. "I can manage, don't worry about it."

"Okay, I just wanted to talk to you a sec. I know my parents are a little narrow minded..."

"Little? They called your relationship abnormal Nicky."

"I know." Nick sighed heavily, leaning on the counter to look into her eyes. "My parents are very traditional Jean. They still want to believe my sisters are still virgins even though they've had kids of their own. They even believe that the men should work while the women stay at home to take care of the house and look after the children."

"Oh." Jean sighed, looking into the garden at his parents.

"Can we just keep the marriage and baby talk quiet for a little while? They've only just accepted my sexuality . . . and barely my relationship with Greg; I don't think they're ready to start thinkin' about us raisin' a kid together and gettin' married in a church."

"Okay Nicky . . . I'll be on my best behaviour." She smiled. "You know I could always bring them along to the P-FLAG meeting?" She suggested.

"That's very thoughtful, but I don't think they're ready just yet."

"Oh but it's exactly what they need. There's this very Christian couple there that just found out their daughters a lesbian, they're very narrow minded people, but they love their daughter so much that they agreed to come along. I'm sure after a few sessions with other concerned parents with their outted children, it really could help."

"Okay . . . but just for this weekend though . . . can we try and keep the talk minimal?" Nick requested again. Jean looked into his puppy dog eyes giving him a wide smile.

"Of course sweetheart." She smiled, pecking him on the cheek. "I'm so glad my son found you." She stepped past him, heading out into the garden with a fresh batch of chopped bread. Nick sighed heavily then returned to his seat, listening to Dan talking about his boat with his father. Nick's father loved fishing so they finally found a subject they could both talk about and enjoy.

The rest of the lunch continued peacefully, talking about everything but the upcoming wedding. Jillian and Jean retreated to the front room with a glass of wine each, flipping through some of Greg's childhood pictures while Dan took Bill down to the docks to show him his boat.

Nick relaxed back on a deck chair by the pool, playing 'Go Fish' with Nana and Papa Olaf. He laughed every time they bickered between themselves, showing each other their cards as they argued to prove they didn't have any of the cards requested.

Greg fluttered his eyes open to a series of butterfly kisses to his face, seeing Nick sat beside him. "Hey." Greg smiled.

"Hi sleepy head." Nick softly sucked Greg's lower lip, teasing his lips open for a deeper kiss.

"Have you been eating seafood?"

"Well done CSI Sanders." He chuckled. "You've been asleep over four hour's baby."

"Oh." Greg gave out a wide yawn then rubbed his eyes open to look at Nick more clearly. "How was lunch then?"

"Good, your parents and grandparents behaved themselves. Your mom did however invite my parents to the P-FLAG group and bring up the baby stuff."

"Oh, how'd they take it?"

"Awkward silence, just like when Jean was runnin' through the weddin' plan list. I don't think they're completely on board with that part of our relationship yet."

"They'll come around Nicky."

"I hope so." Nick trailed one hand up the side of Greg's body, making him shiver slightly.

"You sure you wonna leave your parents alone with mine?" Greg groggily asked, holding his head with one hand.

"They're gettin' on fine." Nick said, softly kissing the nape of Greg's neck. Nick's hands slowly crept their way under Greg's shirt, caressing his slender figure beneath the fabric staring down into Greg's gleaming eyes.

"What are you looking at Nicky?" He smiled up at his fiancé.

"You, you're gorgeous." He smiled. "Are you okay honey?" Nick placed his hand on Greg's forehead, looking into his eyes. "You feel hot, do you have a fever."

"I feel fine." Greg smiled up at his concerned fiancé.

"You're really hot though." Nick checked Greg's forehead with his other hand. "What other symptoms do you have?"

"I don't have any symptoms." Greg protested.

"You do, you have a loss of appetite, you have for the past few days and you complained of a headache yesterday and on the flight. You could have caught somethin'." Nick panicked.

"Where are you going?" Greg shouted after him.

"I'll be right back, stay there!"

"Thank you Jilly." Jean smiled as she brought in the rest of the plates to wash up. Jillian gave the woman an evil scowl. She was trying her best to get on with yet another mother in law, but this woman was seriously pushing her. Talking about her son's relationship with her freely like it was normal and constantly calling her Jilly. None of her friends or her husband had ever given her that nickname, and so far she really hated it.

"So Jilly, how are you doing?"

"Excuse me?"

"With your son being gay I mean."

Jillian widened her eyes at the woman as she dried the plates being handed to her. "Well . . . I don't know."

"It's perfectly natural for you to feel it's your fault Jilly, but trust me. It's not your fault. Nicky was born this way. There was nothing you could have done to change him."

"Does your internet research prove that? Or do you have hard facts?" She snapped at her.

"Why don't you come to the P-FLAG meeting with me Jilly? They can help you to understand your son better. They all experienced the same confusion as you when their son's or daughter's came out to them. Believe me, I'm no different. I despised your son when he first came over here. I thought he was corrupting my child."

"My son?" She almost shrieked at her. "Nicky would never do such a thing. If anythin' it's your son who's changed mine."

"Jilly . . . I understand what you're going through. Nick was the one who came onto Greg."

"My Nick?"

"Yes dear." Jean smiled, handing her another plate. "Greg was absolutely distraught when Nicky first kissed him. He came rushing home immediately. But Nick must really love him to come all this way to convince him they were meant to be together." Jillian gripped the counter behind her. All along she had been thinking Greg was the one who tempted her son into the gay lifestyle. "Jillian are you alright dear? You look a little pale."

"I can't believe my son lied to me."

"He's been lying to himself a lot longer dear. It's never easy to tell your parents about your sexuality. It's hard enough to tell your parents you're pregnant or getting married, let alone gay."

"That's true." She agreed. "How did you take it?"

"Not too well . . . I may have said some things to Gregory that I didn't mean. But I can't change who he likes and to be honest with you . . . I don't want to. I've never seen my son this happy before."

"Me either." Jillian agreed. "You know before he came home I was so worried about him bein' all alone in that city, wishin' he could find happiness like my other children." Jillian looked up at the future mother in law she was starting to like now. "Now I realise he is happy. Although I do wish he had found a better way..."

"He can't, he was born this way. He's probably been wishing he could be normal like your other children for years . . . he is normal though. He's just in love with his own sex. It's tough to deal with, but it's perfectly natural Jilly."

"How is it perfectly natural? He's..." She stopped midsentence watching her husband laughing with Dan Sanders outside. "He's not normal though..."

"Nicky is perfectly normal . . . probably more normal then me." She laughed trying to lighten the mood.

"There's nothin' normal about him. A man and a woman were built to love each other and make babies . . . two men is completely unnatural."

"Nick and Greg are healthy young men . . . completely in love. They do everything a normal couple would do; sharing a home, bed, kissing . . . they want to spend every waking second together, just like any other young couple in love. What's not normal about that?" Jean saw she was starting to get through to the conservative woman, so she continued. "I know what you're feeling Jilly, don't you want your son to be happy?"

"Yes, but why with a man? I must have done somethin' wrong..."

"Did you choose your son's eye colour?" Jean asked, turning completely to face her as she dried her soapy hands on a towel.

"No, but that's completely different."

"It's not. When you were pregnant with little Nicky, you couldn't choose his eye colour, hair colour, personality or any of that. Children are born hard wired. I never expected Greg to turn out the way he did, he was born hard wired to be a little monster." She giggled softly. "You couldn't have done anything differently to change Nick. The best thing you can do for him right now is to love and support him, just as you always have done."

"I'm tryin' . . . I just don't know if I can support this marriage of theirs."

"You think they don't have a right to it?" Jean asked, trying to keep her cool. "Your Nicky and my Gregory have as much right to marry as every other couple who love each other unconditionally. How would you feel if you were denied the right to marry your Billy?" Jillian sat down on one of the bar stools, trying to think about it.

"They really are happy aren't they?" Jillian asked, looking up at Jean.

"Yes they are." She nodded then saw Nick running down the stairs. "What's wrong sweetheart?"

"Um... do you have a thermometer?" He awkwardly asked, knowing how panicked Jean could get.

"Yes . . . what do you need a thermometer for?" Jean asked confused. Jillian turned to look at her son with the same confusion.

"Um... for Greg . . . he feels a little hot."

"How hot?" Jean panicked.

"Just a little. Do you have a thermometer?" He asked again. Jean nodded, pulling open a cupboard full of medical supplies, presenting him with a thermometer.

"Does he have any other symptoms?" Jean asked, pulling out some books.

"Well he's had a loss of appetite the past few days, headaches yesterday and he's really tired all the time." Nick told her as Jean flipped through one of her medical books, looking up the symptoms.

"You go take his temperature, if it's above 100 let me know." Jean instructed. Nick nodded running back up the stairs to Greg. "Sorry Jilly, I worry because Greg always get's the worst of colds."

"Don't worry; I panicked if my children even had the slightest sniffle." She chuckled. "I'm sure he's fine, Nick will take great care of him. He was always a big help whenever anyone got sick back home. He stayed in hospital with his sister Kayla all night when she had her tonsils out."

"Aww, he is a sweet boy." Jean smiled as Nick came running back down the stairs, reporting the temperate to her.

"102." He informed her. "Is that bad?" Jean held her finger up silencing him as she read through the book in front of her.

"Okay, start him off on some paracetamol." Jean instructed, handing the box over. "I'll call his GP for a prescription." Nick grabbed a water bottle from the fridge then ran upstairs, returning to Greg. Jean reached for her cell phone, hitting the doctors speed dial.

Jillian sat on the bar stool feeling as though she might actually get on with this mother in law, more than the others, for a change.

Please Review, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it. :D