Nick arrives home late from work. He parks his car in the driveway. It took him a long time to even leave the parking lot at the crime lab. The case of Pete McCrone reminded Nick of what happened to him. Nick had just sat in his car for what had not felt like that long but when I finally turned on his car and looked at the car clock saw it had been nearly 2 hours. The thoughts of how McCrone's experience was so similar to Nicks but how wildly different their lives turned out had made his head spinning, which had made him just sit there in his car thinking of all the what if's that could have changed his life and ended up the same way as Pete McCrone by one wrong split decision.

Nick pulls into the driveway. He still has a lot of thoughts in his head. One thing that got stuck with him about Pete McCrone's story is that Pete McCrone had the bravery to tell his parents about what Bruce Grady did to him. Nick never dared to tell anyone when he was a kid. It was not until he became a CSI and worked a case nearly 15 years ago with a boy killed by a therapist that Nick finally confided in one person about it. He could really need speaking with that one person right now. He takes out his phone and looks up her number. He takes a moment while looking at her name on the screen but ends up deciding against it and puts his phone away in his pocket again.

Nick takes a deep breath before he steps out of the car. As he slams the car door, he notices someone sitting on the doorstep in front of his front door. He pulls his weapon and his flashlight.

"LVPD, Identify yourself." He orders as he points the flashlight towards the individual sitting in front of his door.

"easy stranger." A familiar female voice says as the individual stands up with hands raised over her hands. Nick lowers his weapon as he recognizes the voice. "Catherine?" he asks, surprised, and lights her right in the face. She blocks her face for the very bright light. He lowers the flashlight to not blind her and chuckles apolitically.

"Sorry, Cath." He says and walks up to her. to his big surprise, it really is her.

"you know it is a federal crime to threaten a federal officer?" she asks, nodding towards his now holstered service weapon.

"you know trespassing is a crime also, right?" Nick asks, joking while he unlocks his front door.

"Just wanted to stop by since I was in town anyway," Catherine explains as they enter his house.

"so, what brings you to vegas?" Nick asks as he grabs two old beers from the fridge while Catherine walks around in his living room, indicating a single man living here.

"I am here to see Lindsay," Cathrine explains and accepts the beer handed to her by Nick.

"how is Lindsay?" Nick asks, trying to divert himself from his rough day.

"she is fine. Yeah, she is studying forensic sciences at LVU. So she is doing really great." Cathrine explains while she is looking around Nick's apartment.

"Nicky." Cathrine suddenly says and turns around to look directly at him. she has noticed his odd behavior since he arrived home. He was sitting in his car for a long time. Nick seemed on edge when coming home. He hasn't said hello to his dog. She has known Nick for a long time and can tell when something is off with him.

"what, Cath?" Nick asks with an obviously fake smile.

"what is going on?" she asks, honestly concerned. Nick avoids her eye contact and looks down at the floor.

"rough day." He finally admits and releases a deep breath he did not realize he was holding.

"tell me about it." Catherine orders with a sweet smile. Nick takes a sip of his beer and then drops down on the couch. Cathrine remains standing.

"do you remember a case… 14 years ago… 14-year-old kid… Dylan Buckley… was suffocated by his therapist while he was in his underwear."

Catherine vaguely remembers the case. She sits down next to him. She does not speak but let Nick tell her why he is bringing up a case they worked together 14 years ago.

"a child that was abused by a trusted adult in his life. Someone who was supposed to take care of him and protect him." tears start falling down the cheeks of Nick's face. "today… I worked a case from the county jail. a young man, Pete McCrone, was abused by the janitor of his school when he was 9 years old…." Nick wipes a tear off his face before he continues. He is not looking at Catherine while he speaks. "his life was ruined when he was 9 years old by a man he was supposed to be able to trust, and now just a split moment decision has ruined his life for good." His voice breaks, and he starts crying. He isn't even trying to hide it. "McCrone killed the man, Grady, who molested him when he saw him again. He never forgot the man who molested him, and got the justice he didn't get from the system. He made a split moment decision."

"We all make split moment decisions, Nicky. Every day. In our job… split moment decisions are sometimes what defines who lives and who dies."
"it ruined McCrone's life." Nick says, looking down at his hands. "it could have been me, Cath." Nick says after a while. He finally looks at her. "it could have been me whose life was ruined by a split moment decision."

"but it wasn't Nicky," Catherine says, comforting.

"I think I would do the same if I ever saw the person who did it to me again."

"no, you wouldn't, Nicky," Catherine says, comforting. Nick looks over at her.

"How can you know? Pete did not think he was capable of doing it. I don't think I am, but what if I am. What if…"

"Nicky…" Catherine starts to interrupt Nick's train of thoughts of what-ifs. he takes a deep breath to take a moment for chose her words. "You are right that we never know how we will react when confronted by ghosts from the past."

"I nearly shot McKeen," Nick tells her while whipping a tear off his face.

"But you didn't." Catherine reminds him. "That is the difference between you and McCrone. He did it. you didn't." Catherine takes Nick into her arms. "You are right, Nicky. Sometimes it is the split moment decisions we make the defines our lives."

"I might not make the right decision next time," Nick says while tears are falling down his face.

"yes, you will, Nicky," Catherine says and takes her friend into a big comforting hug.