Privacy by SLynn

Disclaimer: It's all mine, because yeah, this is what I'd do with my free time if I actually owned these characters.

Chapter 11: She's on Time

Betty accosted Sara before she'd even made it out of her car. Came right up to her and just started talking.

"I saw you pull up and I wanted to give you this," she said holding out several letters.

"Oh," Sara said taking them. It looked like a phone bill and the standard junk. "Thanks."

"They got delivered to our house by mistake. Happened all the time to the Bakers."

Sara figured that was true enough, their houses being exactly across the street from one another were only one number off. Still, Betty could have just put them into their mail box and been done with it.

"How is Greg doing, the poor dear?" Betty asked with implied concern catching Sara a bit off guard. "I saw that horrible article the other day. That man should be fired, printing those things."

Sara nodded slightly, not wanting to talk about it. Betty however took this as her queue to continue.

"When I saw the last name on the bill I realized where I'd seen him before, the news. Just awful. I can imagine he doesn't want to talk about it."

And Sara could imagine that Betty was just dying to asking Greg all about it.

"No, he doesn't," she said as forcibly as she could, bordering on rude.

Betty gave her a tight lipped smile.

"Well, you can trust that I'll never bring it up."

"I knew I could," Sara said with her own forced smile. "Now if you could excuse me, I need to get inside."

"Of course you do," Betty said backing up and out of her way, "We'll talk later."

Sara just inclined her head some, fake smile in place, and headed inside.

"You didn't sleep."

They were the first words out of her mouth on finding Greg in the living room sitting in front of the couch playing some ridiculous video game.

"Nope," he answered without turning around.

"It's after ten."

This time he said nothing, just kept staring at the screen.

Sara did the only thing she could do; she stepped in front of him and the television.

"Greg, I'm trying to talk to you."

"Later," he said leaning down to peak around her, "I'm kind of in the middle of this."

Sara stepped out of his way before walking over and pulling the plug out of the wall. That got his attention.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked dropping the controller and finally looking her way.

"Why didn't you go to sleep when you got home?"

"Because," he said as he slowly got to his feet, he'd sat way too long. "I work nights. I'm not throwing my whole sleeping schedule out of whack because Ecklie is an asshole."

"It hasn't been night for four hours now."

Greg shrugged and said nothing to it. He looked beat.

"How long have you been doing that?" she asked pointing at the television.

"I don't know, a few hours."

She just looked at him and waited. There was more to this story and she knew it.

"Okay," he said rubbing his eyes, "I tried sleeping when I got home but I couldn't. I tried the whole warm milk, hot bath, counting sheep deal and still nothing. I wrote it all out, everything, just like Dr. Jennings suggested and I still didn't feel any better. I just couldn't stop thinking. This was mindless; I needed something mindless to do to keep me from thinking about it, all of it. I just lost track of time."

Sara frowned, mostly at herself, and looked away.

"Do you think you can sleep now?" she asked in a much calmer tone.

"Yes," he nodded, "with you here, yes."

And that was the point of the matter. The real issue. Greg had gone home with every intention of sleeping. He was exhausted, beyond exhausted. And he got there, got into bed and found he couldn't.

He'd started thinking instead. Mulling it all over, from the cancer to his suspension and everything in between. If Sara had been there it wouldn't have happened. She'd of seen the wheels turning in his head and stopped it immediately or he'd of found better ways to occupy his time and hers making thinking a non-option. But she'd been at work and he hadn't had anything to do but think. It was the closest he'd come to actually calling Dr. Jennings after hours.

Sara took it just the way he'd meant it, as a compliment. Smiled at him and told him to 'come on'. He followed her back and lay down on the bed, not needing to change. He'd been in his pajamas, sweat pants and a t-shirt, since he'd gotten home around three. Instead, he watched her get undressed. It was just light enough for him to see her blush, which she always did when he'd watch her do anything like that, but for some reason never asked him to stop.

"Any news on Marsha Jones?" he asked as she crawled under the covers.

"She died two hours ago," Sara said softly, "The doctors said there wasn't anything they could have done no matter when she'd been found."

She hadn't wanted to tell him yet, not now. He didn't need something else to worry about.

"Anyone call Nick?" he asked after a pause.

"I think Grissom was going too."

Greg nodded silently and Sara laid her head on his chest. He squeezed her shoulder once before feeling his body relax. Sara smiled listening to his heart beat beneath her but after several minutes of silence she knew he was still wide awake.

"Do you want to talk?" she asked.

"No," Greg answered, moving his hand from her shoulder to her back, rubbing it affectionately.

Sara had looked up at him like she didn't quite believe him. Greg caught her eye before kissing her. It didn't hold the usual urgency his kisses seemed to have just for her, it was much calmer. Steady even. He needed her but not the way he normally did.

Greg knew he'd feel guilty about it later, but couldn't stop himself. He had to have one moment of peace apart from the thoughts that had racked his brain all day and night. As he pulled her closer to him, kissed her deeper, ran his hands along her body he knew what he was doing. He was using Sara. It wasn't about love right now, it was about forgetting.

Nick was a lot more nervous then he'd expected to be. He'd gotten to Amy's place on time, early even, only to find that Jennifer wasn't ready. Amy was, of course she was. Amy was punctual to a fault and tonight she looked stunning.

He could only remember her ever being dressed up once before when she'd stopped by Greg's place an impromptu cancer-free celebration. Then she'd been on a date with Archie. He hadn't said anything to her then, circumstances being what they were, but she was gorgeous. Now he felt free to say it and did. Several times.

"Stop," she finally said blushing. Amy never felt comfortable receiving complements or even dressing up for that matter. She felt out of place in heels and a dress, but was doing so mainly to please her parents. If Nick liked it too, that was just a bonus.

"She shouldn't be too much longer," Amy said pointing her thumb back towards the guest room, "she's on her third dress and that one usually sticks."

Nick laughed and assured her they had plenty of time. Which they did until the third dress turned into the eighth, each modeled and rejected. Amy was pacing the floor now.

"Jennifer just put something on," she said finally walking back to the room completely frustrated, "we're going to be late."

"Okay, okay," she said coming out, to Nick's amazement in the dress he'd first seen her in, "I just want to look nice."

Amy rolled her eyes and strode across the room to Nick who then helped her into her coat. He checked his watch and thought, with luck, they might make it. But there was going to be no such thing as luck that night. Just as Jennifer got her coat on she turned and headed back towards her room.

"What now?" Amy asked.

"I forgot my earrings."

Amy looked at Nick, really sorry. She had no idea what Jennifer was playing at but it wasn't funny. Her parents would not be happy if they were left waiting for them.

Ten minutes later they were finally on their way and traffic was horrendous. They ended up at the Stratosphere twenty minutes after seven.

Amy's parents were already seated at their table, each with a glass of wine, but they'd obviously waited for the rest of their party to arrive before ordering.

Jennifer and Amy each hugged their parents as they arrived; Nick hung back a moment feeling very out of place.

"Mom, dad," Amy said feeling uneasy herself, "this is Nick Stokes. Nick, my parents Daniel and Lynn."

Amy's mom Lynn shook hands with him politely and smiled before returning to her seat nearest her oldest daughter. Daniel was more welcoming, smiled at him and seemed honestly pleased to meet him.

"It's good to finally put a face to the name."

"It's nice to meet you too sir," Nick returned before holding out the chair for Amy to sit down.

"So," Daniel began, "Amy tells us that you're a CSI. That's a very interesting line of work. I started my career as a trial lawyer and was always amazed at what the local crime lab came up with. Granted, this was years ago, thirty or more, DNA wasn't even a factor then. It's now nearly impossible to get away with anything as through of a job as you professionals do. Makes me glad I gave up criminal law."

"As advanced as its become, it still gets argued quite a bit in court. I've seen cases where the judges won't even allow DNA evidence in." Nick returned, feeling more at easy.

"I never understood that," he said leaning back, "how can they ignore science?"

Nick and Amy both smiled thinking that this might not be so bad after all.

"Sorry we're so late," Jennifer was saying now to her mother. Nick and Amy both just caught the subtle look she gave in Nick's direction.

Mrs. Chen said nothing to this, just continued smiling. Amy thought she might cry. But surprisingly Mr. Chen just laughed.

"No doubt Jennifer changed dresses a dozen times; she's like her mother that way. Never think they have the right thing on."

Amy's mom made her agreement known, laughing with him good naturedly. Jennifer looked slightly put out and said nothing more until they ordered.

The evening continued with everyone in a much better mood. Her mother was a little quieter then Amy remembered, but otherwise everything had gone better then she'd ever dreamed. Nick really did along well with Amy's father. Daniel Chen was very knowledgeable, moved easily from one topic to the next, and generally aimed to make both of them as at ease as he could. He'd always had a high opinion of his middle daughters choices in life and felt that her choice in men had always been more suitable then either of this other daughters, but it was something he'd never openly acknowledge.

Over dessert and coffee he asked Nick if he ever golfed.

"I've been once or twice," he replied making Amy wonder if that was true or not.

"How about tomorrow afternoon, three o'clock? I have a tee time at the Palms then, how about you join me. Give my wife time to take the girls out shopping."

"Sounds good," Nick answered.

After dinner was over, Nick's plans with Amy's father firmed up, he drove the sisters back to Amy's condo.

Jennifer was off into her room without another word, leaving them thankfully alone.

"That went well," Nick said hazarding to wrap his arms around her for the first time all night.

"Yes it did," Amy said with a huge smile. She was so relieved to have it over with. "My dad must really like you. He never takes anyone golfing with him. I don't think he's even taken Mark with him and he's practically family. You can golf right?"

"Yes, I can," he answered matching her smile with one of his own.

"Good," Amy said just before kissing him.

Before the kiss could evolve into something more, she broke apart from him.

"Sorry," she said feeling flushed, "but we really should just call it a night. If you keep kissing me like that I'm going to forget my sisters in the next room and that my mother, who gets up at five, has a key to this place and is going to be here cooking breakfast before the sun is even up."

Nick laughed at her outburst, but agreed with her. He'd finally gotten on some one in her families good side and didn't want to blow it. They were both adults but there was no need to advertise just how intimate their relationship was.

"Okay, I guess its goodnight then," he said, kissing her once more quickly before opening the door.

"Goodnight," she returned.

Amy locked the door behind him and sighed. Finally something had gone right.