A/N: So...last chapter. I know, I know, it's sad. But hopefully this chapter will cheer you up. Anyway, the song used is "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge, the vows are from my church's book-thingy, and the verse from Corinthians is curtesy of my mom's ancient Revised Standard Version Bible. Oh, Nick's father's and mother's names are taken from the official CBS website (woo) and Nick's middle name is...made-up. I coud find no mention of aforementioned middle name anywhere. If someone knows what is actually is, let me know, ok? In any case, usual disclaimer applies. Now, for the last time, read on.

Epilogue

"Oh, we're halfway there
Oh-oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand
We'll make it I swear
Oh-oh, livin' on a prayer"

Two weeks after Greg got home from the hospital, Nick sat on his couch, staring at the phone and trying his best to delay calling his parents. He had woken up early so he call them before work, but he desperately did not want to. Instead, he sat, having a staring contest with the telephone.

Greg stumbled out of their bedroom, rubbing his eyes blearily. "Hey," he yawned, squinting at Nick as he shuffled into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee. "Did you call your parents yet?"

Nick gave him a look. "I'm trying," he grumbled, turning away. "And when did they become my 'folks'?"

"I don't speak coherently without coffee, and you know it," snapped Greg, taking a sip. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'm sorry, I know this is hard for you. I'm just tired."

Looking at him concernedly, Nick asked gently, "Are you sure you want to go to work tonight? Grissom'll be more than happy to give you another night off."

Greg glared at him. "I've been off the past two weeks. I'm so bored I tired to take up knitting. I am not taking tonight off."

Nick shrugged. "Your funeral."

Crossing down to sit on the couch, Greg raised one eyebrow and said calmly, "It'll be yours if you don't call your parents."

Groaning aloud, Nick rubbed his eyes and said desperately, "Do I really have to tell them? I mean, it's not like it does anyone any good."

Greg picked up the phone and handed it him, looking at him impatiently. "Call them," he commanded simply.

Still groaning, Nick dialed the number and held his breath, praying fervently that they weren't home. After two rings, his father picked up. "This is the Stokes residence, Judge Stokes speaking."

Nick forced a smile onto his face. "Hey, Cisco, it's me."

"Pancho!" exclaimed Roger, favoring his son with the special nickname he had for him. "How're things up in Sin City?"

"Um, they're fine," said Nick, his eyes pleading with Greg to put him out of his misery. "Look, can I talk to Mom?"

Roger sounded surprised as he answered, "Sure, Pancho, I'll get her." There was a muffled sound as he covered the phone and yelled, "Jillian! Nick's on the phone." He told Nick, "She's coming. Just give her a minute; she's gonna get the upstairs extension."

Jill Stokes came on the phone then. "Hey, Nick, what do you need, sweetie?"

"Hey Mom. Um, is Dad still on the phone?" asked Nick, rubbing his forehead.

There was a pause and Jill said slowly, "No, he's off the phone. Nick, honey, what is it? You're scaring me."

Nick sighed heavily. "Mom, I have something I need to tell you." He took a deep breath…and chickened out. "I'm getting married."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" exclaimed Jill. "Your father will be so excited!" She covered the phone and yelled, "Roger! Nick's getting married!"

"No, Mom, don't—" started Nick, but it was too late.

Nick's father came on the telephone. "Pancho! You're getting married? Why didn't you tell me? Who's the lucky girl?"

Feeling his heart drop, Nick groaned aloud and said angrily, "Hold on a second, will you? Give me a chance to explain the situation."

There was an awkward pause until Jill said stiffly, "Well, at least tell us who she is, will you?"

"Did you knock her up?" demanded Roger accusingly.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Nick almost started laughing. The picture of Greg pregnant was quite comical. "No one's pregnant, alright? Just let me explain."

He paused as he racked his brain for a way to explain it. He finally decided to subtlely hint at the truth. "The reason why I didn't tell you is because we wanted to keep it quiet. Dating a coworker isn't exactly smiled upon."

"Oh, so she's a coworker?" interjected Jill. "Is it that nice Sara girl I met last time? I liked her."

"No, Mom, it's not Sara," sighed Nick. He decided on a different tactic. "Do you remember meeting Greg?"

Jill thought for a moment. "Oh, yes, wasn't he that nice boy with the spiky hair?"

Nick smiled in remembrance of Greg's crazy hair. "Yes, Mom, that was him."

"Well, what the hell does he have to do with any of this?" asked Roger impatiently.

Sighing heavily, Nick said softly, "Because he's the one I'm marrying."

There was a long pause before Jill started giggling nervously. "Oh, you're so funny, Nicky. Don't you think he's funny, Roger?"

Nick sighed again. "I'm serious, Mom. Greg and I have been dating for quite some time now and we've decided to get married."

"No," said Jill faintly. "No, no, no, no, no. This is not happening. This is NOT HAPPENING!"

"Mom—" started Nick, but his father cut him off.

"That's enough, Nicholas," he said stiffly. "You've made your choices and God will punish you for that. But you will not drag this family down with you." He paused before saying resolutely, "Do not contact us again until you get this fool notion out of your head."

Nick stared at the phone in shock, oblivious to the dial tone that sounded. Greg took the phone out of his hand and hung iut up. "Nicky?" he asked worriedly. "Nick, what happened?"

Shaking his head disbelievingly, Nick muttered, "They disowned me." He turned his face to Greg, tears coursing down his cheeks. "My family. I have no family."

"Oh, baby," murmured Greg, gathering Nick in his arms. "Sweetheart, I'm your family now. We're a family, together."

Nick just shook his head again. "It's not the same," he sobbed quietly, not meeting Greg's eyes. "It's not the same."

Greg closed his eyes and swallowed hard, pressing his cheek against Nick's. "It'll all be ok," he murmured fiercely, eyes burning. "I will make it ok."

That weekend, Greg took Saturday and Sunday off, leaving without telling Nick where he was going. He hopped the first plane to Dallas, not even pausing to consider the ramifications of what he was about to do. This was far too important for him to second guess himself.

Greg took a taxi from the airport to the Stokes house, ignoring the impossibly huge fee. Stepping out of the cab, he gaped at the huge house. He knew Nick had a lot of siblings, but still. This was impressive.

Pausing to gather his resolve, Greg went to the front door and rang the bell. A few moments later, a small woman Greg recognized as Nick's mother opened the door. She looked vaguely at him. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, ma'am, I'm hoping you can," said Greg earnestly. "I'm Greg Sanders."

Jillian Stokes' eyes flickered as she glanced at him. "I suppose you had better come in," she remarked. "Roger's not home at the moment."

Greg followed her into the immaculate kitchen where he stood uncomfortably, hands in his pockets as she poured herself a cup of tea. Jill glanced up at him and smiled wryly. "You can have a seat," she said. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Though Greg sat down, he did not relax. "Ma'am—" he started, but she cut him off.

"Please, Greg, call me Jill," she said, sitting across from him and handing him a teacup. She smiled shyly at him. "Especially since we're going to be family."

Greg blinked at her in confusion. "I thought…" He trailed off, unsure how to finish his thought.

Jill looked down into her mug of tea. "My husband," she said slowly, "is having a very hard time with this. And I don't blame him. It's difficult reconciling the image of your football-playing, frat-boy, police officer son with that of a gay man. I, however, had some previous indication that Nick was…well, gay." She paused and smiled sardonically. "Mother's intuition, you know?"

"So you're not angry with him?" asked Greg tentatively.

Shaking her head, Jill mused aloud, "How could I be angry with my son for being what he is?"

Greg nodded slowly. "I just wish your husband felt the same way." He paused. "Nick's really upset about all of this."

"I assumed he must be, if you came down here behind his back," she said gently. "As upset as he may be, Nick's also far too stubborn to try and make amends on his own."

Smiling slightly, Greg asked quietly, "Do you think I'll be able to change his mind? Your husband's, I mean?"

Jill shrugged. "He's judge and jury with this one, so you're going to have to make a pretty convincing case." She paused and shrugged again. "All I can say is, good luck."

Suddenly, the front door slammed. "Jillian, I'm home!" called Roger Stokes.

Greg turned back to Jill and gulp. "Thanks," he whispered. "I think I'm gonna need it."

Roger walked into the kitchen. "Jill—" he started before stopping when he saw Greg. "Mr. Sanders," he said coldly.

"Judge Stokes," said Greg cordially, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt. "It's good to see you again."

Looking at Greg as if he was something foul he has stepped in, Roger said calmly, "I only wish the feeling was mutual."

Greg looked as if he had been slapped, and even Jill scowled at Roger. Swallowing hard, Greg said slowly, voice shaking, "Look, Your Honor, I don't want to cause trouble. I'm worried about Nick." Some hidden sympathy in Roger must've surfaced because he let Greg talk. Greg continued, "I know you may not approve of us, but I love your son, and we're getting married, no matter what you think."

Roger said icily, "Good for you. I don't really give a damn. As far as I'm concerned, there is no queer in my family. Nick could rot in hell for all I care, and he will."

Greg stood angrily, eyes flashing. "This is your son, Mr. Stokes," he said furiously. "Your son. Regardless of how you feel about us, he is still your son, and you are supposed to love him no matter what."

"Oh, you're a fine one to lecture me on love," snapped Roger scathingly. "You're in love with a man."

Now Greg was really livid. "At least I love him unconditionally. As least I will never judge him on something so stupid." He pulled an envelope from his pocket and slammed it down on the table. "Here. Two tickets to Canada, where we're getting married." Pausing, he added quietly. "You don't have to agree with him. Just be there for him."

He turned to Jill. "Mrs. Stokes, it was very nice to see you again. Mr. Stokes…" He trailed off. "Your son still loves you in spite of everything, and I only hope that somewhere inside you, you still love him as well." Nodding once to Jill, he added, "I'll let myself out."

And he did, shutting the door behind him. Only then did he allow himself to cry, full sobs that shook his body. His heart ached for Nick. If only Nick's parent's had been like Greg's, happy and supportive of their son. Greg shook his head and wiped his eyes. He only prayed that he had helped and not made matters worse.

Wedding arrangements had all been made. The ceremony would be held at Papa Olaf's cabin in northern Newfoundland. The ceremony itself would be a simple affair. Though Papa Olaf had been pushing for traditional Norwegian vows, the vows would be in English (much to Nick's relief). Papa Olaf would be giving Greg away since his parents couldn't make the ceremony, and Grissom would be giving Nick away.

As the big day approached, both Nick and Greg got increasingly more nervous. Greg would call Papa Olaf and have conversations with him for hours in rapid Norwegian. Nick obsessively called everyone at odd hours to make sure they had their tickets, dresses, suits, etc.

It got to the point where Brass threatened to haul them both in for obstruction of justice. By that time, however, it was close enough to the wedding where Nick and Greg were too busy packing to concern themselves with bothering everyone else.

Finally, everyone headed to the airport. It only took forever to get through security, and by the time they landed in St. John's and drove all the way out to Papa Olaf's cabin, it was almost midnight.

Nick and Greg stumbled into their room in Papa Olaf's cabin. Greg groaned aloud and sank onto the mattress. "I know the time difference isn't that much, and I've made this trek a million times, but the jet lag still gets to me." He looked up at Nick and pulled him down next to him. "How're you feeling?"

"Uhh," groaned Nick, burying his head in Greg's shoulder. "I feel like death."

Greg grinned and kissed the top of Nick's head. "You'll feel better in the morning, after we get some sleep." He stood slowly. "I should go make sure everyone's settled in."

Nick pulled him back down. "They're fine. Just lie here with me." He looked at him with puppy-dog eyes. "Please."

"Fine," relented Greg, lying down on the bed. He settled on to the bed, arranging the pillow into a more comfortable position before snuggling against Nick.

Nick wrapped an arm around him and stared up at the ceiling, sighing. "I wish my parents were going to be here," he remarked regretfully.

"They could still come," said Greg optimistically, closing his eyes and yawning. "There's still time."

Shooting Greg a dubious glance, Nick asked dryly, "Yeah, but how are they going to know where we're getting married at? I didn't tell them."

Greg turned red. "Er…about that. Ah, I may have accidentally told them where we getting married at."

Nick stared at him incredulously. "How the hell do you accidentally tell my parents something like that?"

Wincing, Greg said quickly, "Look, don't be mad at, but remember that weekend when I was out of town?"

"You didn't," said Nick threateningly.

Greg ducked his head. "I did. I went to see your parents. I thought maybe if I could explain it to them, then—"

"Then what, Greg?" exploded Nick. "Then they'd welcome me back into their family with open arms? Fat chance of that happening!"

Frowning, Greg said defensively, "Hey, your mom was pretty much up for that." He softened. 'She doesn't hate you, Nick. She told me…" He trailed off and grinned. "She told me that we were family now. She accepts us, she accepts you for who you are."

Nick's eyes filled with tears and he reached out and squeezed Greg's hand. "What about my dad?"

Greg's smile faltered. "Your dad? He was a harder sell. But I gave him my best argument and left them two plane tickets, so who knows."

Pulling Greg to him, Nick kissed Greg gently. "Thank you," he whispered. "Even if it accomplished nothing, thank you for trying."

Shrugging, clearly embarrassed, Greg said off-handedly, "Hey, I'm gonna be your husband, right? That's what husbands do."

Nick kissed him again before settling back onto his pillow. "My husband," he mused aloud, closing his eyes and yawning. "I think I like that."

"Good," muttered Greg, already half-asleep, "'cause you're gonna be stuck with it for the rest of our lives."

Nick grinned and kissed Greg once more. "That's the only way I'd want it to be."

Nick sat in the little room off of the city hall's main chamber, nervously fiddling with his tie, his cuffs and pretty much everything else. He glanced at the clock and gulped. Five minutes.

A soft knock sounded on the adjoining door and Nick started. "Who is it?" he called.

"It's Greg."

Sighing, Nick rolled his eyes and said, "We're not supposed to see each other on the wedding day before the wedding, remember?"

Greg replied cheekily, "As far as I know, that only applies to the groom seeing the bride. Now I don't know about you, but I ain't a bride."

Nick grinned and opened the door. Greg smiled at him nervously before crossing to a chair and sitting down, leg jiggling rapidly. "Nicky, baby, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, we don't have to if you don't want to. It's not as if there's tax benefits or something. And it's not even recognized back home, so—"

Nick cut him off. "Greg, you're rambling."

Blushing, Greg looked down and muttered, "Sorry." He looked back up at Nick. "I'm just nervous, you know? I keep thinking…" He trailed off.

Kneeling down next to him, Nick asked concernedly, "Keep thinking what?"

Greg couldn't meet his eyes as he said quietly, "I keep thinking that you're going to leave me at the altar or something."

Nick took Greg's hand and squeezed it gently. "Hey," he said, looking Greg in the eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, alright? I'm not leaving you anywhere. You've got me forever."

"Promise?" asked Greg in a small, childish voice.

"Promise."

Greg grinned. "Good," he said, leaning forward and kissing Nick on the lips. "Good."

They had just kissed again when Catherine opened the door. "Hey, lovebirds, we're ready now."

Nick and Greg shared a look and then both stood. "Are you ready?" asked Nick.

Raising one eyebrow, Greg countered, "Are you?"

Smiling slightly, Nick said quietly, "I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

"Then let's go."

Nick and Greg walked hand in hand to the back of the Justice of the Peace's office and waited for a moment before walking into the room together, stopping in front of the desk. Greg turned to Nick and smiled shyly, taking both his hands.

The justice beamed as both of them and began, reading aloud from a small, black book in a thin, creaky voice. "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of the government of Canada to join together these men in civil matrimony." He paused, then added, "Who gives Gregory Hojem Sanders to be married?"

Papa Olaf stepped forward, followed closely by Catherine, Sara and Doc Robbins. The four of them looked at each other and said in unison, "We do."

Grinning and blushing, Greg smiled his gratitude and ducked his head.

The justice smiled as well before asking, "Who gives Nicholas Michael Stokes to be married?"

Just as Grissom stepped forward to answer, a voice called from the back of them room, "We do!"

Nick gaped as his mother and father walked slowly into the room. When he finally regained his voice, Nick croaked, "Cisco…you're here."

Roger smiled warmly at his son before reaching out and wrapping him in a hug. "Pancho, I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

He looked over at Greg and held out his hand. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you for making me realize that I was wrong." He shook Greg's hand heartily. "Take care of my boy."

Greg looked at him seriously. "I will," he promised. "I will."

Judge Stokes looked back at the justice and blushed slightly. "Right. Sorry. You can begin again."

The justice merely raised one eyebrow and looked back at his book. "If anyone has a valid why these two should not be married, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

Greg looked over at Judges Stokes and bit his lip, praying to any and every god that he not say anything. Roger bowed his head and held his tongue.

Nick let out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding. Looking over at Grissom, he nodded.

Grissom stepped forward and said quietly, "At this time, Greg and Nick have asked me to read from First Corinthians, but I think there is someone much better to do so here." He turned to Jill Stokes. "Mrs. Stokes, would you do the honors?"

Thoroughly surprised, Jill stepped forward and took the Bible from his hands. She cleared her throat and began. "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it is not selfish, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…So faith, hope, love remain; but the greatest of these is love."

Nick and Greg looked at each other, tears in their eyes. This was it—there was no going back now. The justice looked over his glasses at them before asking Greg, "Gregory Hojem Sanders, do you take Nicholas Michael Stokes to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love, comfort, honor and keep him, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him so long as you both shall live?"

Greg looked at Nick, eyes shining with love. "I do."

The Justice turned to Nick and asked him, "Nicholas Michael Stokes, do you take Gregory Hojem Sanders to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love, comfort, honor and keep him, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him so long as you both shall live?"

Nick's face broke into a grin. "I do."

Them each repeated his vows after the justice.

"I, Gregory Hojem Sanders…"

"I, Nicholas Michael Stokes…"

"Take Nicholas Michael Stokes to be my lawfully wedded husband."

"Take Gregory Hojem Sanders to be my lawfully wedded husband."

"To have and to hold from this day forward,"

"To have and to hold from this day forward,"

"For better or for worse,"

"For better or for worse,"

"For richer or poorer"

"For richer or poorer"

"In sickness and in health"

"In sickness and in health"

"To love and to cherish"

"To love and to cherish"

"Til death do us part."

"Til death do us part."

The justice motioned to Warrick for the rings. Warrick pulled the matching bands from his suit pocket and handed them to Nick and Greg.

Greg slid Nick's band over Nick's finger, repeating after the justice, "With this ring, I thee wed; all my love, I thee give."

Nick slipped Greg's onto Greg's finger and said, "With this ring, I thee wed; all my love, I thee give."

Smiling widely, the justice said, "Inasmuch as you have pledged the other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, with the power invested in me by the country of Canada I now pronounce you married." He added as an afterthought, "You may kiss…each other."

Grinning, Greg leaned in and kissed Nick, who kissed him back fiercely. Everyone erupted into cheers and even Nick's parents smiled for their son.

Then Nick scooped Greg up the way a groom would his bride and yelled, "On to the reception." Amidst Greg's protests and cheering from Catherine and Sara, he carried from the room and back to the car so they could head back to Papa Olaf's for the reception.

The reception was not a fancy affair; the men loosened their ties and took off their jackets, and the women didn't sit properly despite their dresses. All of them just sat around Papa Olaf's huge dining room table, chatting and eating wedding cake. After about an hour, Greg stood up, pulling Nick up with him. "Alright, folks, it's time for our dance!" he exclaimed, dragging Nick over into a clear area. Greg nodded at Papa Olaf. "Hit it."

Papa Olaf dimmed the lights and turned on the cd player. Gentle piano strains enfolded Nick and Greg as they began to dance.

"Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
I want to vanish inside your kiss
Every day I love you more and more"

Greg pulled Nick closer, wrapping his arms around him and resting his head on Nick's shoulder. Nick smiled at him and kissed him gently.

"Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change, winter to spring
But I love you until the end of time"

Grissom looked over at Nick's parents, watching them watch Nick and Greg dance. "Your honor, Mrs. Stokes," he said quietly. "I know you may not believe me, but your being here means the world to Nick. Even if you don't approve, just your presence is enough."

"Come what may
Come what may
I will love you until my dying day"

Roger looked at his son, pride shining on his face. "Whether or not I approve is irrelevant," he said. "What matters is them. Just look at Nick and Greg. They're perfect." He smiled wryly. "It just took a bit for me to get there."

He looked over at Grissom. "Greg's a good kid, right?"

Smiling lightly, Grissom said, "Greg's a great kid. He and Nick truly love each other, and Greg makes him happier than I've ever seen him before"

Nodding once, Roger said softly, "Then that's all that matters, that Nicky is happy."

Grissom nodded as well. "He is."

"Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
It all revolves around you"

Nick leaned into Greg and captured Greg's mouth with his own. The two seemed perfectly lost in the moment and each other.

"And there's no mountain too high
No river too wide
Sing out this song I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather
And stars may collide
But I love you until the end of time"

Greg pulled slightly away from Nick and looked at him seriously. "Nicky…when we get older, what will you do if I do get Parkinson's?"

Nick frowned at him. "Hey, this is supposed to be happy, remember? Besides," he added, leaning in so that their noses just touched, "I will love you until the end of time."

"Come what may
Come what may
I will love you until my dying day"

"Until my dying day?" asked Greg, smiling slightly.

"And beyond," grinned Nick, kissing him again. "Forever and to infinity and even after the apocalypse. I promise."

"Good," grinned Greg, kissing him.

"Oh, come what may, come what may
I will love you, I will love you
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place"

Nick grinned even wider. "Besides, we have much more important things to worry about. Like what type of dog we're gonna get and when we're going to adopt our child."

Closing his eyes in utter contentment, Greg said softly, "I love you."

"Come what may
Come what may
I will love you until my dying day"

"Right back at you," said Nick, holding Greg close. "I love you, too."

They stayed that way until the end of the dance, just wrapped together in each other's love.

When it had finished, they reluctantly broke apart. Greg wove his fingers firmly with Nick's. "Come on," he said, pulling Nick toward the door.

"Where are we going?" laughed Nick, following him.

Greg just looked back at him with a grin on his face. "Papa Olaf has a couple horses," he mentioned casually.

Nick raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, so?"

Still grinning, Greg leaned in and said quietly, "Well, I've always wanted to ride off into the sunset with my white knight on a steed." He kissed Nick softly. "Now come on."

"Into the sunset, then," agreed Nick, following him out the door.

"No," said Greg, smiling. "Into our happy ending."

--FIN—

"Love never fails"

A/N: So, that's it, people. A happy ending, after all.

A huge, HUGE thank you to everyone who reviewed: csiwolfe08, try, lol, daily, Sillie, Minako Mikoto, sandersfox, Goody, Askari Knight, twenty3, gregisamazing, Xombe, Assirem, astalder27, kittykat, um..., Sazmuffin, Wolflady, Blask Sorceress, knadineg, Dark Angel's Blue Fire, and Kelticsgirl. All of you helped make this amazing!

Now that that's been said, the time has come to say good-bye. So au revoir, and I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it.