Chapter 4:
Hailey hadn't moved since she came home. She sat on the floor afraid to look at the results. She spent hours sitting with her back to the tub, she couldn't bring herself to look. She glanced at her watch, she had to leave in five minutes in order to make it to work on time. She stood up and realized it was now or never. 'Well technically if you are, you would know in a few months when you started to show.' "Shut up." she yelled at the little voice.
Hailey and Warrick had come back from a crime scene, and Hailey offered to do the drop off to Greg. Greg said he would page her but she didn't move. He looked back up, "Something wrong?"
Hailey decided she had to tell someone, and she also needed her best friends advice. "You have to promise you won't tell a single soul, or so help me I will murder you." She said glancing around, making sure no one was coming in.
He knew whatever it was she had to say was something serious. "You have my word Hail."
She was still ranting out of nervous habit. "And if you even hint to Grissom about this, I will castrate you with my bare hands."
Greg subconsciously put a hand to his lower region. "I promise, I promise." he said gulping down the lump in his throat. He knew she wouldn't but when Hailey put her mind to something, she followed through.
"Ok," She said taking a deep breath. "I need some advice and you're the only person I can trust with this." She continued to ring her hands. "Nick and I have been going steady for three years now, and well, we kind of..." She was looking down avoiding his eyes. "I'm pregnant." She whispered. Greg had that look telling her 'why didn't you use protection.' "I know." She said. "It was our anniversary and he ran out, and I just got off my period..." she faded off.
Greg was in total shock, he grabbed the stool next to him and sat down to steady himself. "Does Nick know?" Hailey shook her head. "You gotta tell him." He thought for a minute. She trusted him and needed his support. He stood up and pulled Hailey to him. "It's ok." He said as she began to cry. "It will all work out don't worry."
"I've got to tell Nick, but I don't know how to approach him." She said feeling Greg's embrace tighten.
"Just take him someplace quiet and tell him. You and I both know he's a nice guy, no matter what you two will come up with something."
He was right, she had to find Nick and tell him. "Have you seen him today?"
"He just brought back some evidence back, I think he went out side to look for Sara."
"Thanks." She gave him a small kiss on the cheek, and walked slowly towards the front of the building, getting her thoughts together.
Nick walked out and found Sara about to light a cigarette. "Hey." He called out.
Sara took the lighter away and looked up. "Hey." She called back taking the unlit cigarette out of her mouth. "What's up."
"I figured you'd be out here, I just thought we could run through the scene mentally, see what we come up with." He said as they sat down on a bench a few feet away from the front doors of the Crime Lab.
Hailey got to the front door and took a deep breath as she opened the door. She didn't see him so she walked down the stairs looking left and right for Nick. She spotted him standing by the bench a few feet away so she began walking toward him.
Sarah continued her thought and then placed a hand on Nicks shoulder emphasizing her finish. "You're really tense. Everything ok?" She asked noticing the tense muscles in his shoulder.
"Work's just been stressing me out lately." He said.
"I could work them out for you. My ex used to have this muscle problem in his back, I got pretty good at it." She said as she began working on the muscles for him.
"Wow, you are really good." He said enjoying the tension going away. He began to feel Sara's breath on his neck and he stood up. "Look Sara, I appreciate it, but I can't, sorry." He said.
She stood up close to him. "Just trying to help." She locked eyes with him and she leaned closer. "I've got what you need." She said before locking lips with him.
Hailey couldn't believe what she was seeing. Nick was standing there kissing Sara, her boyfriend was kissing one of the people she despises. How could he do this to her. She felt the tears begin to sting the back of her eyes. She quickly ran back into the lab.
"Whoa." He said putting his arms out to separate them. "You can't be doing things like that Sara, I'm in love with Hailey."
Sara pulled back, determined to get through to him. "I guess it's just to bad she doesn't return it then." She said lighting a cigarette.
"Sara you don't know what goes on between Hailey and I so don't assume you do." He said.
"You're right, I don't. But I do know one thing. The way she's been acting around Greg, is a little more friendly then I would be acting if I had a boyfriend. As a friend, just watch your back."
Nick looked up and saw the dark clouds forming, it was going to be a nasty storm. Nick didn't know what to say to her so he just shook his head and walked back to the lab as rain drops began to fall.
He decided to go to the DNA lab and see if Greg had gotten a start on anything. He pushed through the doors, and saw Greg looking down a microscope. "Hey man." He said. Greg turned the music up slightly louder and went back to work. Nick turned the music off as the sound of thunder became so loud that it was heard throughout the lab. Greg stood up and immediately got into Nicks face. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I'll tell you. There's a great girl getting her stuff together because she caught her boyfriend being a dick." He said, his blood boiling. "I swear to God Nick, if you come up to me outside of this lab, I will hurt you." He said returning to his work.
"Shit." He said. He knew what Greg was talking about and he didn't want Hailey to find out this way, and judging by Greg, she didn't see him push Sara off. He had to find her. He ran towards the locker room, and saw her about to leave. "Hailey." He said running towards the door.
Hailey heard her name and she began walking faster praying she could make it to her car before he got to her. She didn't even bother to pull the hood over her head as she pushed through the doors into the pouring rain. It was raining so hard that she could hardly see two feet in front of her. "Hailey stop." He yelled over the rain, grabbing her arm for her to turn around.
"No." She said but he held her in place.
"Hailey, you didn't see the whole thing."
"Sorry I didn't stick around for the after show, the kissing was about all I could handle." She said going halfway down the steps.
He'd be damned if he was going to loose their relationship like this. "Hailey just stop and listen. It was a mistake."
"You're right Nick," She cried out, her tears being masked by the rain dripping down her face. "It was a mistake, it was a mistake that I thought you could commit. You've never taken any girl seriously. I just fooled myself into thinking I could change that."
"That was uncalled for. I'm not a whore Hailey. I've had relationships in the past." He shook his head. "That's not what this is about. She kissed me."
"And I'm sure you didn't kiss her back."
"I didn't!" He yelled. "I was in shock, that's all, I pushed her off when I realized what was going on."
"In shock?!" She yelled back. "I'm sure you told all the girls that."
"Hailey quite being an ass, this isn't about past relationships." He said getting angry that she wouldn't listen. "I'm not the one that's doing it with a lab tech." As soon as he said it he wished he could take it back.
Hailey was now pissed off and upset, not a good mix for her. "Greg and I are friends, one of the only few I have. Do not turn this around on me, I have done nothing wrong."
"I'm sorry, I didn't -"
"I caught you kissing another woman, and you go and try to pin this on me by fabricating lies about Greg and I. I thought I could trust you but I guess not." She said taking off for her car.
He was now shedding his own tears as he watched the woman he loved walk off. He knew that she just needed time to cool off, then she would listen to him and see that he tried to stop it. But for now all he could do was cry. He fell to the steps and put his head between his knees and let it all out. The rain or the storm didn't matter to him, all that mattered was Hailey.
Hailey started the car and Mariah Carey's 'I Can't Live' came through the speakers. She sped out of the lot and got on I-15 to go home. By the time she was half an hour away she broke down. She was soaked head to toe from the rain, all the way to the bone. But it didn't matter the man she loved hurt her, and she never thought he would, she hadn't been prepared for it. She knew that Sara had made the move, it was the only logical thing, but the fact that her lips were on his was enough for more tears to come out. Her vision was blurred by the fresh tears that she didn't see the car swerving into her lane, until she couldn't get out of the way.
Nick walked back to the locker room to change clothes. He couldn't believe what he had done. He messed up the only good thing in his life. "Hey, there's a big case Grissom needs everyone ASAP in the break room." Warrick said finding Nick. Nick slipped his shirt on over his head and followed Warrick to the break room.
"Ok, most of us are here." He began. "I paged Hailey and Sara but still no word, there was a huge twenty five car pile up on I-15. Rescue is there now, so we need to get out there. We'll all take one car, the girls can meet us there, I paged them with the location." Grissom said, then they all grabbed their kits and headed for the Tahoe.