Disclaimer: (is still locked in battle with the pesky hero)
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Chapter 17
Instead of freaking out, as Grissom would have expected, Alex just raised an eyebrow at her mother.
"Right, and yesterday I saw a flying donkey," she responded.
Kitty sighed. It as going to be a long day. Not laughing, she looked steadily at her daughter.
"I've lived with guilt every day of my life, sweetheart," she whispered. "The fact that your father forgave me made things so much easier. He loved me then, he loves me now…I was a fool." She glanced at Gil to see how he would take that, but Grissom kept his face impassive.
She knew the moment Alex finally realized she was telling the truth. Her eyes widened in horror.
"I…you…" she sputtered. "Daddy told me you had had an affair once – he just didn't tell me who you had it with, and I thought I didn't want to know…"
Kitty waited patiently, as Alex worked out the math in her head. "27 years ago, Mom?" she repeated.
"Yes, sometime around the beginning of the year," replied her mother.
"January 3rd," Gil's voice broke in. "We met at a conference your mother attended on your father's behalf, at the Rampart hotel. She was wearing a blue dress, pearl necklace, and black heels. I couldn't have resisted her if I tried."
The young woman stared at him, too zonked to wonder how exactly Gil remembered that day down to the smallest details.
"But that would mean that Adam couldn't possibly be my biological father…" she said in a strange voice that told Kitty she was only just trying to accept this.
"Yes, honey," she said. "That's correct. Gil is your father…biologically."
"But…didn't he know about me?" asked Alex, clearly hurt.
"I did, your mother wrote to tell me I had a daughter." Gil's gaze was steady, though apologetic. "I just…I was afraid. I didn't know how to handle it. It took me a long time before I finally got the courage to hire a PI. He found you…shortly after you joined CSI."
Well, he didn't hire me because I'm his daughter, thought Alex, numbly. That's something, at least.
"I need a nap,' she muttered. And she hadn't said that since she was five.
Neither her mother nor Gil protested.
It wasn't until she reached her room and moped for a while that she realized it wasn't a nap she needed…what she needed right now, was Nick. The man whom she loved, who had become her rock in the churning waves of the storm that was her life.
Getting up, she climbed out the window, slid down the tree outside so fast that she scraped at least ten layers of skin off her hands, and headed for her car without even noticing the pain.
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Nick's house was right where she remembered it, thankfully. If she had somehow driven all this way only to find Nick had moved or something, Alex would probably have headed for the nearest cliff next. Were there cliffs in Vegas? Or maybe she'd get lucky and drown in the desert.
"Alex?" Nick answered the door. "What's wrong?" he asked. Catching sight of her wrists, he exclaimed, "You're bleeding."
Turning her gaze to her torn wrists, Alex suddenly realized she was in pain. And bleeding, like the man said – hey, Nick hadn't gotten to CSI3 by being lucky. Although, if they judged careers by how many times one stated the obvious, he might have had a few problems.
"Come in," Nick ordered, taking her by the arm. For once, Alex was glad that someone else was taking charge of her life.
While she sat on the sofa staring at nothing, Nick got the first aid kit out of the bathroom. His house was so…Nick. The furniture arrangement was manly, but he obviously kept things neat, and the taste in décor spoke of an artistic side that Nick kept hidden.
Plus, he had Luna cable – a hundred and fifty channels, dude, which was heaven right here on earth.
"Pity you can't heal yourself," said Nick, offering her a gentle smile. He obviously knew something was wrong, but he wasn't going to push just yet.
Alex winced at the sudden sting as he applied antiseptic lotion, but it was gone by the time he wrapped bandages around her wrists and kissed them into place.
To top things off, he then got up next to her and let her fall on him, snuggling her in his embrace.
It was enough to make the dam burst – Alex started crying.
Nick held her, waiting patiently until she stopped.
"You wanna tell me what happened or do I have to search for evidence and then interrogate you?" he teased lightly.
She gave him a watery smile, and hiccupped as he handed her a tissue. Blowing her nose, she proceeded to bring him up to speed on what had happened.
"I just couldn't take it anymore, Nick," she whispered. "I had to see you."
The CSI himself was asorbing everything she had just told him, but now he hugged her.
"Well," he pointed out, "Grissom did make an effort to come clean today, didn't he?"
A sniff. "Yes."
"And you thought of Grissom as your father before this anyway, right?"
Another sniff. "Yeah…"
"And you really don't have any reason to be crying other than you got a shock, right?"
"Huge shock, yes," she agreed, and managed a laugh. "I don't deserve you," she said, punching him lightly on the nearest leg.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," he murmured. "While you're here, do you want to stay over?"
She smiled at him. "I don't have any clothes here, Nick."
"That's not a problem…okay, it is," he amended as she gave him a look. "You can borrow one of my shirts?"
She considered that. Briefly. Very briefly.
"How big's your bed?" she asked at last.
Grinning, Nick scooped her up and carried her to his bedroom. "How about I show you?"
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Right, to all my loyal reviewers, I wish to apologize profusely for the long wait between updates. You see, I was striken with the terrible diesease that all writers fear - writer's block.It took me quite a while to get over it, and now...I am BACK!
So, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and here are the shout-outs as usual:
SpectralLady - At least you get some episodes. I have to rely on my DVD and VCD collection, since I don't have the cable channel, which is where s5 is currently airing. (hands SpectralLady a Grissom plushie) Sh. Don't tell anyone I gave you this, these are really rare... Go hide it in your room or something!
CatherineLouise - Uh...all my reviewers get shout-outs. i do that so people don't think that I don't notice when they put effort into reviewing. I always thank all my reviewers, even if they flame me to the seventh hell. Then again...i don't really notice flames. (ponders) In fact, I usually laugh at them.
love N/S - I love you! You've been with me for so long, and you're still here! (gives George Eads plushie to love N/S)
gelf - I'm GOING TO defeat him. You just watch. I'm the Dark Wolf, remember? (slashes at pesky hero with claws)
CSIcrazy - (is rendered speechless by the terrific review and almost gets stabbed by the pesky hero...) Wow, glad you like the fic! You must have enjoyed it, you reviewed twice!
For that, you get a Nick plushie. (hands one over) Enjoy! All my plushies are life-sized and anatomically correct too! >:)
Okay people. I've just figured out the only way for me to defeat the pesky hero is for you guys to help me by pressing the purple button down there and giving me reviews! Yes! Then i can get rid of him. Help me, guys! Please review!
RK9.
