Chapter Thirty Seven: Family Affairs

"Gregory you look awful." Jean observed as she assaulted her son in a bone crushing hug. "You should have stayed in bed sweetheart."

"Where's Nick?" Greg groggily asked, gulping for air from his mother's tight embrace. "Mom can't... breathe." He choked, pulling back from her arms.

"Oh." She giggled softly, releasing him from her grasp. "Nick's gone out to get your prescription honey, sit down." She instructed, guiding him over to the sofa.

"Mom, I don't feel too bad."

"You look like death honey. Just sit down." She pushed her reluctant son onto the sofa, placing her hand on his forehead. "I'll go get you a glass of water and a cloth, stay right there." She instructed, running off through the house. Greg lay back on the sofa, holding his hand over his head. He closed his eyes then jumped as he heard Jillian's voice.

"I'm not gonna tell them." Jillian whispered to her husband. "You tell them, these are your issues." Greg remained on the sofa as they were behind it, coming in from the garden and they hadn't seen him yet.

"You don't agree with me on this? Your youngest son is goin' to be a big joke, not only is he gay but he's marryin' a lab dork..."

"Shh." Jillian hissed at her husband. "Greg is not a lab dork, he's a sweet boy and he loves our son Nicky, I don't have a problem with them bein' together, or the weddin'."

"Your son is gettin' married to a man Jill."

"So, it's no big deal."

"No big deal? Your son is a fag and you say no big deal?" The Judge asked in his commanding voice. "Jillian, they're gettin' married. Do you realise what effect this would have on the rest of our family?" Bill asked, following his wife out the other door towards the staircase.

Greg sat up once they were gone, completely shocked by what he had just heard. He wondered if perhaps he should tell Nick about it or keep what he heard to himself. "Here we go." His mother cheerily announced, re-entering the room. "What's wrong honey?"

"Nothing." Greg shook his head taking the glass of ice water from his mother's hands. Jean sat down beside him, holding the cold cloth to his moist forehead. "Mom, do you think we're making a mistake getting married so soon?"

"No baby . . . you can be engaged as long as you like you know. I was engaged just over a year before I married your father. You don't have to rush it. I think you two are perfect for each other anyway. Nick loves you very much."

"I love him too."

"I know you do sweetheart, anyone can tell you two are perfect for each other." She smiled softly.

"Nick's dad doesn't think so." Greg blurted. Jean looked at him confused. "He called Nick a fag . . . in front of his wife... no mother." Greg quickly grabbed her hand, pulling her back on the sofa before she stormed off to find him. "You can't say anything. They don't know I heard them."

"I'm not having you two being bullied in my house sweetie." The overprotective mother shook her head in anger. "How could he say that about his son? That's an awful thing to say."

"Mom, don't cry." Greg pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her. "We don't care what other people think of us. We're spending the rest of our lives together, that's all that matters."

"Oh, you're so romantic honey." She chuckled, drying the tears from her face. "I can't wait for you kids to get married." The supportive hug from his mother put all doubts out of his mind. "I love you honey."

"Love you too mom." They both looked up at the door as they heard someone clearing their throat. "Hi Dad." Greg smiled in his direction.

"Hi." Dan smiled walking into the room. "Feeling better son?" Greg looked at his mother then nodded. "What's wrong?" He asked the two of them as they both had tear stroked cheeks.

"Nothing." Greg shook his head.

"Get down here Daniel." Jean instructed. He sat down the other side of Greg, being pulled into the tight family hug. "Our little boys growing up." Jean sighed happily, pressing a kiss to Greg's moist forehead. "Our little families finally growing, soon we'll have..."

"Jean, don't start with the babies talk again." Dan warned her, being thanked by his son. Jean smiled at him innocently, clutching her little boy close. "The Stokes's are gonna think we're a bunch of emotional wrecks if they see us all crying." Dan chuckled.

"We are emotional wrecks!" Jean chortled. "Who gave you the right to grow up, Gregory?" She asked, pulling him tighter into her bone crushing hug.

"I'm not that grown up." Greg laughed.

"True." Jean teased him by ruffling his hair. "But you are growing older honey."

"Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional." Greg joked.

"I'd like it if you stop now baby." She whispered, clutching him tighter.

Nick walked into the room looking at the three Sanders family members engaged in a tight family hug with Greg sandwiched in the middle. He smiled softly to himself looking at them all together, before he loudly cleared his throat to alert them that he was there.

"Nicky." Greg immediately cheered.

"Hi." Nick smiled at the adorable smile across his lovers face.

"We were just looking after the patient for you." Dan chuckled, climbing to his feet.

"I feel fine." Greg mumbled.

"You don't look fine Greg." Nick added with concern in his voice.

"See, listen to your fiancé." Jean smirked, patting her sons arm. "Drink plenty of fluids and lots of rest." She ordered as Dan pulled her to her feet. "Want me to get you some soup?" She asked from the door.

"Nana's chicken soup?" Greg requested.

"Of course honey." Jean smiled, walking out the room with her husband dragging her to give the boys some peace and quiet.

Nick set down the prescription medicines on the coffee table, sitting down beside Greg. "Do you feel any better?" Nick asked, pulling Greg into his arms, resting his head softly against his shoulder.

"I'm not sick Nicky." He mumbled.

"You had a temperature of 102 Greg and you really do look like death." Nick opened the bag of the prescribed medication, reading the instructions before he gave it to Greg.

"Nicky, I love you." Greg whispered, clutching him tightly.

"I know you do, I love you too baby." Nick looked into Greg's eyes, sensing he wasn't telling him something. "What's up?"

"Nothing."

"You can't hide anythin' from me Greg."

"Okay." Greg sighed heavily, leaning back against the sofa cushions with the cold glass of ice water pressed to the side of his forehead. "I overheard your mom and dad talking."

"About what?" Nick turned to face Greg.

"Us . . . your dad called me a lab dork and he doesn't want us to marry because of the effect it will have on the Stokes family."

"He actually said that?" Nick asked shocked.

Greg nodded, watching the hurt in his lover's eyes. "Your mom likes me though..."

"W-Wait, my dad doesn't like you? He said he was okay with us." Greg wrapped his arms around Nick, pulling him against his own chest. "So he was lyin' when he said he was okay with us? What about my mom?"

"She's okay with us." Greg softly soothed his hands up and down Nick's back. "I love you Nicky, my family loves you and you said we'd get married and be together no matter what anybody else said."

"I did and I meant it." Nick circled his arms around Greg's waist, listening to his heartbeat. "You're not a lab dork Greg." He whispered softly.

"Kinda am."

"Yeah?" He looked up into Greg's eyes. "But you're my lab dork."

Greg pulled back before Nick kissed him. "Wait."

"What? What's wrong?"

"You can't kiss me . . . you'll get sick too." Greg groggily answered.

Nick grinned advancing closer to his lover's lips. "I don't care." He cupped Greg's face in his hands, kissing him passionately. As his forehead touched Greg's he felt his hot forehead again, he quickly pulled back remembering the medicine he hadn't given to him yet.

Greg looked at him shocked as Nick pulled back. He watched Nick going for the bag of medicine again, reading the directions one more time. "Now G, you have to take this so you can get better. You still feel really feverish." Nick opened the medicine, giving Greg the correct dosage then held the cold cloth to his forehead for him. "Do you have any other symptoms?"

"My throats kinda sore and I've got a headache still." Nick repositioned himself against the arm of the chair, pulling Greg against his body so he was laying flat on top of him. "Nicky, you don't have to stay with me."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be." He admitted to him.

"Soups here." Jean cheerily announced, bringing it over to the coffee table. "Careful it's hot." She warned him.

"Thanks mom." Jean smiled at the two boys before she head back out the room. Nick propped Greg up slightly against his chest, handing him the bowl of soup. He kissed his forehead softly, watching him eating.

"Mmm, I'm so glad we're back here." Nick smiled, snuggling closer to the warm body on top of him.

"Me too . . . but I can't wait to be home again . . . just the two of us." Greg said between mouthfuls.

"Mmm, I'd like that." Nick rasped against his lover's ear. "We can start lookin' for a place of our own..."

"Oh, they arrived." Greg remembered, turning to look at him. "The realtor sent them and my mom sorta noticed the ones to Philadelphia and New York. I left em upstairs."

"Oh . . . was she mad?"

"Kinda, she's threatening to tighten the restraints on the umbilical cord." Greg joked.

"Well we're just lookin', we don't know for sure, right?"

"I thought you really wanted to?" Greg asked, licking his fingers as some soup trickled down them.

"Well I did . . . but what about our friends and family?" Nick reached for a Kleenex tissue from the box on the table to wipe Greg's hand for him. "If we move over there we won't have anybody."

"I thought you wanted a fresh slate? A place where you're not known for being the guy that got kidnapped and stuffed in a box underground, while I'm the racist murderer."

"You make a good argument." Nick chuckled, mopping up some more soup Greg spilled down his chin. "Can you try and get this spoonful in your mouth please?" He requested as noticed more down his own shirt. "We're wearin' more than you've actually put in your mouth." Greg slowly raised a spoonful to his mouth without spilling it this time. "Better." Nick rolled his eyes, scrubbing the soup from his shirt.

"Have you changed your mind completely, I thought you always wanted to live in New York?"

"I'll go where ever you wonna go."

"That wasn't an answer Nick."

"Greg!" Nick moaned as he spilt more down his shirt. "Are you done with the soup?"

"Not yet." Greg muttered, licking his lips. "You don't wonna move to New York?"

"I said I'll go where ever you wonna go Greg. As long as I'm with you . . . I'll be happy." Nick grabbed another tissue to wipe Greg's chin again. "You know I've got a conference in New York in April I could..."

"You do?" Greg interrupted shocked, tipping the bowl slightly, accidentally pouring soup down Nick's front.

"Greg!" Nick moaned, taking the bowl of soup from him, setting it down on the coffee table before he spilt anymore.

"Opps." Nick pushed Greg off his lap slightly to mop up the liquid with some tissues. "Why are you going to New York though?"

"It's not till next year. It's only for a week and it could earn me a promotion, so more money for us." Nick climbed to his feet to mop the rest of the soup up. "Anyway what I was gonna say before you decided to drown me in soup was; I could see what jobs we could get over there, maybe the crime lab or somethin' if they've got any vacancies. I could see what the areas like too. It would be a great place for our kids to grow up, rather than sin city, if we're still plan on havin' any."

Greg looked up at him completely shocked with his jaw dropped, "You're going away for a week?"

Nick smiled at Greg's stunned expression. "I said all that and that's the only part you heard?"

"How longs a week, like a full week or working days?"

"Only five days . . . you can't cope without me for five days?" Nick chuckled, tossing all the soggy tissue into the bin. "How are you goin' to cope when your books done and you start tourin' round the world?"

Greg frowned as he thought about it. "I never thought about that . . . I wasn't engaged to be married when I started writing it. Do you really have to go?"

"You might be sick of me by April, Greg." He chuckled. "It's only August, we got plenty of time to be with each other until then baby. I'll be back in a sec." Nick grabbed the bowl of soup, heading off to the kitchen to scrub the soup from his shirt before it stained.

Greg climbed up from the sofa, following him off towards the kitchen. "I don't want you to go away for a week Nicky." Greg moaned, leaning against the sink beside him.

"I told you I'll be back in a sec. You shouldn't be walkin' around Greg."

"I'm fine." He mumbled. "Why do you have to go away for a week?"

"It's a conference. Me, Catherine and Grissom are all going. It's on body decompositions when bugs are involved. Griss thinks Cath and I should know more about it."

"He planning on leaving us?"

"Don't know." Nick shrugged, scrubbing the front of his shirt still. "You'll be fine Greg. It's just a few days. I'll call you lots . . . just you try and stop me." He teased, poking Greg in the stomach.

"I can't believe your gonna leave me for a week." Greg pouted.

"I'm not leavin' you baby, it's just a week and it's not until April. We have plenty of time before then." He assured him. "You should go get some sleep baby."

"And you should put that in the wash." Greg giggled pointing to his shirt.

"Maybe I should get you to wear a bib next time you eat around me." Nick teased him. "C'mon, you gotta get some sleep. Don't worry your pretty little head about this conference anymore." Nick directed him off back to the sofa, propping some pillows at the end so Greg could lay down.

"You won't ever leave me, will you?" Greg insecurely asked.

"Never . . . I love you too much." He tucked a blanket around Greg's body, kissing him softly on the forehead. "Get some sleep, I'll be back to check on you in a bit." Greg nodded as he closed his eyes. Nick watched Greg sleepily repositioned himself against the pillows to a comfier position before he climbed to his feet, quietly creeping out the room to leave Greg to sleep.

Nick walked back into the kitchen, finding Jean cleaning up. "Hello Nicky, Oh my!" She gasped looking at his shirt. "What happened?"

"Greg got a little bit excited." He smirked.

"Well take it off; I'll throw it in the wash for you." She insisted. Nick un-tucked his shirt then slowly started to unbutton it, handing it over to her. He watched as she scrubbed some cleaning products into it before she threw it into the washing machine.

Nick headed upstairs to his suitcase, pulling on one of his dark blue t-shirts. He sat on the edge of the bed as he started flipping through the housing booklets for Philadelphia, trying to picture himself and Greg living in one of the houses there.

Daniel Sanders watched his wife tiptoeing out of the front room, carefully clicking the door shut behind her. "How's the patient?" He asked making her jump.

"He's sleeping. Nicky's not in there though." She whispered, heading back towards the kitchen. Dan looked round at her, watching as she started to clean an already spotless kitchen.

"What's wrong honey?" He asked, leaning on the counter behind her.

"Greg said Nick's father called him a fag."

"Called Greg?"

"No Nicky." She whispered over to him.

"How did he say it?" Dan asked, resting on his elbow.

"I don't know. Greg overheard them talking. I can't have people like that living in my house with me Daniel. I'm going to have to say something..."

"And how do you plan on confronting him if it was something Greg overheard?" He asked her. Jean bit her lip trying to think. "See you didn't think that one through did you honey? I'll talk to him. We're both fathers going through the same thing..."

"Except your liberal and he's very old fashioned. He loves football; he's not very open about his love for his children, let alone his wife and his work takes priority over his life. Whereas you..."

"I get your point." Daniel cut her off. "But we're both fathers of gay son's. And our son's are getting married. We have something in common." He smirked. "I think it's more difficult for a conservative man to accept the fact his youngest son is gay and marrying another man than it is for a liberal man to accept them."

"That's no excuse and that's like one out of a million things that you don't have in common!" She shouted after him. Daniel nodded closing the doors behind him as he walked off down the garden path. Jean turned back around seeing Nick coming down the stairs. "Nicky, hello sweetheart. I just checked on Greg.

"How is he?"

"He's okay. He's sleeping still. Can I get you anything?" Nick shook his head, sitting down on one of the bar stools. Jean followed his gaze towards the back garden. "What's up sweetheart?"

"Nothin'." He shook his head, but he wasn't fooling her.

"Is this about what your father said?" She dried her hands on a towel, leaning on the opposite side of the bar.

"Greg told you?"

"There's not much Greg doesn't tell me." She smiled slightly. "I think it's difficult for a conservative man to accept the fact his youngest son is marrying another man." She directly quoted her husband.

"I know that." Nick nodded, sighing heavily. "I've always wanted my dad to be proud of me though . . . I guess I'm just an even bigger disappointment now."

"Oh honey." Jean's heart broke for him. "I'm sure your father's not disappointed in you. He's here to support you after all. How could anyone be disappointed in you? Any father would be proud to call you their son. Daniel for one is so excited your joining the family."

"Really?"

"Of course . . . we all are. We've wanted Gregory to be happy and find someone who loves him for who he is for a long time. I'm so glad he found you."

"I'm glad to." Nick smiled up at her.

"I'll have you know that your mother agreed to accompany me to my P-FLAG meeting though and she's onboard for the wedding. If you and Greg don't mind we'd love to help you plan for it."

"Just nothin' too big." Nick pleaded with his puppy dog eyes.

"Of course not sweetheart. It's just going to be both of your families and any friends you want to invite . . . you're father will come around sweetheart. Just give him time." She smiled softly.

"Ready." Jillian announced, entering the room. "Hello sweetheart."

"Hi Mama, where are you ladies off to?"

"Late night shopping." Jean grinned at him, tapping her nose.

"Have fun." He smiled at them both curiously.

"We will." Jillian smiled at her new favourite mother in law. Jean grabbed her purse off the side, rushing outside to give her husband a goodbye kiss. "Sweetheart, is everythin' okay?" Jillian asked, patting her son's hand across the counter.

"Yep, I can't believe you guys are gettin' on so good."

"Jean's a very nice person and surprisingly easy to get along with, despite her quirks." She chuckled, looking out the window as Jean and Daniel were hugging. "There's a lot of love in this family and they're not afraid to show it unlike ours." Jillian smiled at her son. "I think it's goin' to take a little longer for your father to adjust, but he's tryin' his best sweetheart."

"Thank you for doin' this Mama."

"Thank you for tellin' me . . . I know how difficult this must of been, especially with all the other crap you've been through . . . you certainly deserve some happiness sweetheart. You and Greg both." She smiled, pecking him on the cheek as Jean returned through the doors.

"We ready to go?" Jean asked with a wide smile on her face.

"Yep." Jillian smiled. "See you later sweetheart."

"Goodbye Nicky, help yourself to any food or beers in the fridge. And make sure Gregory drinks plenty of fluids when he wakes up." Jean said as she pecked him on the cheek.

"I will." He smiled, watching Jean leading Jillian off out the front door. Nick waved them off then looked out the back garden to see what Dan and his father were doing. He wanted to confront his father alone about what he said, but now wasn't the time. Greg was so lucky to have such a loving and supportive family.

Nick jumped off the bar stool he was sat on, heading back to the front room to see Greg was still fast asleep. He tucked the blanket around him, gently placing his hand on Greg's forehead.

"Nick." Papa Olaf whispered, startling him. "Sorry."

"No it's okay." Nick whispered back, slowly climbing to his feet so he wouldn't wake Greg up. Papa Olaf poured himself a whisky then crept back out to sit down by the pool again. Nick followed him out, carefully clicking the door shut behind him.

"How's Greggy?" Papa Olaf asked, sitting back down on his chair by the pool, watching his wife star gazing down the other end of the garden.

"Sleepin', he insists he's not sick though." Nick smirked, sitting down in the empty seat beside him.

"He's just like his mother." He smirked. "You will look after him won't you Nicky? Even if he annoys the hell outta you?" The concerned grandfather asked.

"I will." Nick nodded. "I love Greg more than anythin' the world, even when he's annoyin' me." They both shared a laugh.

"Good." Papa Olaf smiled. "That'll hold yah together through the tough times." He said looking directly towards Nick's father. Nick followed his gaze. His father was now alone at the table with a cigar in his hand. Nick watched as a tear rolled down his father's cheek. Never before had he seen his father cry. It pained him as he realised he was the reason behind his tears.

Please Review

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it took so long to write. I hope it's worth it :D