Stolen Innocence
Chapter 3: Fatherly concerns
A/N: Two chapters in one day!!!
"Before anybody starts talking can we go inside?" Greg pleaded and gave his boss a weak smile. Grissom looked the young man over quickly before agreeing and helping Greg up the steps. Nick walked behind Greg so he could catch him, should he fall. "It's getting kind of cold out."
"Nick, why don't you make some hot chocolate?" Grissom told his CSI once Greg was settled on the couch. Nick knew that tone and knew not to mess with is boss when he used that tone so he went to make hot chocolate. After Nick left Grissom turned back to Greg and smiled slightly at Greg's suspicious expression. "It'll be real hot chocolate this time Kiddo. It won't put you to sleep.
"Now what were you thinking, running off like that? When I came out of my room and you were gone I didn't know what to think. I went to the lab because you had been wanting to do work but you weren't there so then I came here. When you weren't here either I really started to worry. You can't just run off like that, especially not on Christmas. I was about to call the cops when I got a call from the hospital. They told me that Nick was bringing you to his house because you had been in an accident. You scared me half to death Kiddo."
"Sorry," Greg said meekly. He saw the lines of worry on his boss' face and felt guilty for causing him to worry. He could also hear Nick rummaging around in his kitchen and knew he had worried Nick too. That just made him feel even guiltier. He felt like he couldn't do anything right anymore.
"Don't do that Kiddo," Grissom scolded gently. Greg looked up at him, confusion written on his face. "Don't blame yourself for this. The doctor told me what happened. He said that a drunk driver caused a pile up. You just happened to be in the wrong place and the wrong time, that's all. This is in no way your fault. And don't you dare say that you're ruining Christmas Greg, because you're not."
"But," Greg began but gave up when Grissom gave him a stern glare. He still felt incredibly guilty that his best friend and his boss were taking care of him and not spending time with or talking to their families. His stomach grumbled and caused Grissom to smile.
"That'll teach you to run away before supper," his boss laughed then took pity upon the lab tech. "What would you like to eat? I don't know what you have in your kitchen but I'm sure Nicky or I could whip up something. What do you say? It's better than going hungry."
"There's a frozen pizza in the fridge," Greg gave his boss a weak smile as Nick came into the living room with a tray of mugs. Greg could see the steam coming out of them and knew it was the hot chocolate. He accepted the one Nick held out to him. "Thanks Nick. Thanks to you too Grissom."
"It's no problem Kiddo," Grissom replied, not noticing Nick's surprised look. Greg did however, and quickly explained while Grissom put the pizza in the oven. He then rejoined the two younger men in the living room. "Now you just have to stop feeling guilty. You're not ruining our Christmas. I'm actually enjoying this."
"So am I," Nick spoke up and Greg smiled. He was enjoying it too. Nick looked over at his best friend, curiosity in his eyes. "What happened to the uncle you usually spend Christmas with Greg? You usually can't wait to get over to his house and open your presents."
"Do you really want to know?" Greg's voice took on a serious tone. His eyes held fear and something else, but Nick couldn't figure out what it was. Whatever it was, it had been shattered. Both Grissom and Nick could see that.
A/N: Two chapters in one day!!!
"Before anybody starts talking can we go inside?" Greg pleaded and gave his boss a weak smile. Grissom looked the young man over quickly before agreeing and helping Greg up the steps. Nick walked behind Greg so he could catch him, should he fall. "It's getting kind of cold out."
"Nick, why don't you make some hot chocolate?" Grissom told his CSI once Greg was settled on the couch. Nick knew that tone and knew not to mess with is boss when he used that tone so he went to make hot chocolate. After Nick left Grissom turned back to Greg and smiled slightly at Greg's suspicious expression. "It'll be real hot chocolate this time Kiddo. It won't put you to sleep.
"Now what were you thinking, running off like that? When I came out of my room and you were gone I didn't know what to think. I went to the lab because you had been wanting to do work but you weren't there so then I came here. When you weren't here either I really started to worry. You can't just run off like that, especially not on Christmas. I was about to call the cops when I got a call from the hospital. They told me that Nick was bringing you to his house because you had been in an accident. You scared me half to death Kiddo."
"Sorry," Greg said meekly. He saw the lines of worry on his boss' face and felt guilty for causing him to worry. He could also hear Nick rummaging around in his kitchen and knew he had worried Nick too. That just made him feel even guiltier. He felt like he couldn't do anything right anymore.
"Don't do that Kiddo," Grissom scolded gently. Greg looked up at him, confusion written on his face. "Don't blame yourself for this. The doctor told me what happened. He said that a drunk driver caused a pile up. You just happened to be in the wrong place and the wrong time, that's all. This is in no way your fault. And don't you dare say that you're ruining Christmas Greg, because you're not."
"But," Greg began but gave up when Grissom gave him a stern glare. He still felt incredibly guilty that his best friend and his boss were taking care of him and not spending time with or talking to their families. His stomach grumbled and caused Grissom to smile.
"That'll teach you to run away before supper," his boss laughed then took pity upon the lab tech. "What would you like to eat? I don't know what you have in your kitchen but I'm sure Nicky or I could whip up something. What do you say? It's better than going hungry."
"There's a frozen pizza in the fridge," Greg gave his boss a weak smile as Nick came into the living room with a tray of mugs. Greg could see the steam coming out of them and knew it was the hot chocolate. He accepted the one Nick held out to him. "Thanks Nick. Thanks to you too Grissom."
"It's no problem Kiddo," Grissom replied, not noticing Nick's surprised look. Greg did however, and quickly explained while Grissom put the pizza in the oven. He then rejoined the two younger men in the living room. "Now you just have to stop feeling guilty. You're not ruining our Christmas. I'm actually enjoying this."
"So am I," Nick spoke up and Greg smiled. He was enjoying it too. Nick looked over at his best friend, curiosity in his eyes. "What happened to the uncle you usually spend Christmas with Greg? You usually can't wait to get over to his house and open your presents."
"Do you really want to know?" Greg's voice took on a serious tone. His eyes held fear and something else, but Nick couldn't figure out what it was. Whatever it was, it had been shattered. Both Grissom and Nick could see that.