Chapter Three – Relationships
"Warrick!" Catherine waved for him to join her. It had been a rubbish night at the lab, so she opted for some cheering up with a good friend at their all time favourite steak house. She noted his expression as he made his way towards her, giving him a curious look. "What's up with you? Is everything alright with Tina and the baby?" She feared he was only here to turn her down. "What happened?"
Warrick sat himself down, anxiously licking his lips. "I uh… I saw something." He spoke in a barely audible whisper. He wasn't quite sure how to get the words out.
"What did you see?" She matched his voice, lowering herself to the table a little. She felt like they were on an undercover mission or maybe even conducting a secret affair. It was true she still had feelings for the man. Knowing he was married with a baby didn't change how she felt, but she knew that he wasn't the kind of man to break a vow.
"I… I uh…"
"Warrick?" Catherine furrowed her brows. "If it was Jackie and that new guy from Ballistics, I'm going to kill her. She was right there when I called dibs."
"No… it wasn't Jackie." Warrick gave her a frown. "Ew… not the guy with the curly grey nose hairs?"
"What?" She shrieked. "Ew, no. Marvin has been there for years. I meant the new guy. He's kind of Nick's build with greasy blonde hair. He's probably half my age but he did say to Jackie he had always had a thing for cougars."
"No." Warrick shook his head again. "That's not what I saw."
"Then what did you see?" She continued to wait in suspense.
"I… I'm not entirely sure."
Catherine cracked a grin, before she gave him a confused look. "Well… would explaining help?"
"Nick kissed Greg." He decided to blurt it right out like ripping off a band aid.
"What?" She snapped, loud enough for the other early morning goers to look their way. She lowered herself a little more to the table, sinking lower in her seat to continue gossiping about their friends. "Why on earth would he do that?"
"I saw them pull in. I was gonna say hi… but then I saw them… kiss." He felt his stomach churning. "You know, suddenly I'm not very hungry."
"Wait," She grabbed his hand, stopping him from getting up. "What kind of kiss was it?"
He glared at her. "Is that really the issue here, Catherine?"
"No… I guess not." She giggled softly. "I was just… curious. Was it a peck on the cheek? Did he blow a kiss to him as a joke or…"
"Full on French kiss." Warrick cringed as he relived the memory of it.
Catherine straightened up, looking for a window to spy on them. "Well, where are they now?"
"They got theirs to go. I watched them leave before I got out my car. I didn't want to make awkward small talk with them."
"They left together? I didn't even see them."
"Well they came in together. It's not like Greg would buy the man dinner then ditch him." He slumped back in his seat, trying to wrap his head around it. "It's gotta be a joke, right? Nick would never kiss the lab rat. Nick's a ladies man. He has a rep for love 'em and leave 'em. He wouldn't kiss Greg if his life depended on it." He tried to rationalise the situation, but the kiss just kept spinning round and round inside his head. "I mean… what the hell is he thinking? Greg?!"
"There must be an explanation."
"What if Greg's taking advantage of him?" Warrick jumped to conclusions.
"C'mon Warrick, he's hardly some fifteen year old virgin in the back of her boyfriend's car for the first time." The woman giggled again, but her partner still wasn't seeing the funny side of it. "This is Nick we're talking about. If he really did kiss Greg then maybe he likes him."
"I doubt it." Warrick shook his head. "Like I said, Nick's the love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy. There's no way he'd settle down with someone like Greg."
"I know it's really far, but it's completely worth it. Trust me." Nick assured the driver. "The further away from the city we move, the cheaper it gets. I know it's not ideal for work, but… wait until you see the place. It feels like the perfect place for us to live together. I'm excited to start decoratin' it and buyin' new furniture together. It feels like we've been lookin' for weeks, months even but I can't wait for you to see this place. It looks big, but it's really homely inside. It's like my dream house. You're supposed to wait until you find the man of your dreams before you buy your dream home, right?"
Greg couldn't help but laugh, looking at his adorable boyfriend in the passenger seat. "Did you have coffee today by any chance? You're so cute when you're hyper."
"I can't help it. I'm excited." The man grinned widely. "I hope you like it too."
"I'm excited because you're excited. Your excitement today is contagious." He followed the direction of the lady on his GPS called out, turning into a homely little neighbourhood that actually had kids playing in the streets. "Wow, those are tall palm trees. It's like Hollywood back here."
"Keep drivin' to the end. We're in the cul-de-sac at the top."
"A cul-de-sac? I'm surprised you didn't go for a gated community."
"Oh I looked." He smirked. "The house I liked there was way out of our price range, even if your Dad did chip in. This place is still top notch. Low crime, a joggin' trail for me, plenty of kids parks, dog parks. There's a little school within walkin' distance from us and they've got a neighbourhood watch system in place."
"You know technically it's the money they saved up for my college fund." Greg reminded the man. "When I got the scholarship, it kinda just sat there gaining interest. My Dad wanted to give it to me when I got married or something, but when I told him we were buying a house together, he said it's mine if I wanted it."
"It still feels kind of awkward buyin' a house usin' your parent's money. I don't want them to think that I'm with you for the money."
Greg pulled his car up to the curb of the cul-de-sac, examining the very modern houses around them. He never exactly pictured himself living in a place like this, but he never exactly pictured having a boyfriend like Nick either.
"Wait, wait," The Texan leapt out of the car like an excited puppy, running around the front. He popped open the driver's side door for his partner, reaching his hand out to him. "Okay baby, close your eyes. C'mon, trust me." He grabbed the keys to lock up the car for him, before he stepped up behind his boyfriend, covering his hands over his eyes. "Okay, walk forward. Slowly."
Extending his hands out in front of him, Greg blindly followed his boyfriend's lead, putting his complete trust in him. "Did I mention I'm not big on surprises?"
"Who are you kiddin'? You love surprises." Nick chuckled, turning him in the direction of their new home. "Okay step up. That's it. Hold there one second." He reached in front of him to open the little gate to their front garden, letting it creak open. He quickly covered his hands over Greg's eyes again, leading him forwards to the front door. "Okay, wait for it."
"You're not walking me into a pool of acid or something, are you?"
"I'd never hurt a hair on your head, baby." Nick pecked a kiss to the side of his head, unlocking the door with the keys the realtor had let him borrow. He reached out for Greg's hand, carefully leading him inside. "Okay… open your eyes." He took a step back from him, letting him get a full view of the entrance to their house. "Well, what do you think? Don't judge it based on these colours. We'll paint over the roses and fill this place with our own furniture."
"Did an old lady die in here?" Greg cringed at the sight of the pale pink wallpaper with large roses randomly printed everywhere.
"Like I said, don't judge it based on these colours. There's a floral theme runnin' through the whole house, but we can paint over it." Grabbing the younger man's hand, Nick led him through to the kitchen, pointing out the utility room, before he turned his attention towards the kitchen counters. "It's all just been redone. The counters, the cupboards, the island, the oven is only two months old. Brand new fridge/freezer with ice maker too. You always said you wanted a big kitchen like this."
Greg took a step forwards, smoothing his hand across the black marble island in the middle of the beautiful kitchen. He opened the door to one of the pristine white cupboards, surprised the shelves inside were spotless of any dust.
"Did you see the floors?" Nick pointed his attention towards the ground. Black marble tiles with white flecks. No scuff marks, signs of wear and tear or evidence that anyone had even walked across them. "All brand new. The utility room is a bit bare, but we can easily pick up a washer and dryer of our own. There's room for an ironin' board in there, maybe even a dogs bed if you come around to the idea of gettin' one."
Greg opened the cupboard for the concealed dishwasher, giving his boyfriend a smile. "Okay, I admit. This is an amazing kitchen. But that out there is going to take more than a bit of paint." He pointed to the floral pattern creeping past the doorframe of the kitchen.
"I can do it. Don't worry your pretty little head. Come on, I'll show you the master bedroom." He grabbed the younger man's hand, leading him through the rather sickly peach hallway, covered with blue and pink tulips. Greg wished he had kept his eyes closed just a little longer, but then Nick led him into an all white bedroom with black borders, floor to ceiling windows across one wall with a view of their garden and a double door walk in closet.
Greg made his way over to the closet first, seeing individual compartments on either side for shoes, shirts, trousers and jewellery drawers. He pushed open the double doors on the either side, smiling at the sight of their master suite bathroom.
"Walk in shower, a tub big enough for two, his and his sinks, and the toilet of course." Nick rushed past him, clicking a switch beneath the mirror. A thin white light lit up all around the mirrors, reflecting off the black mermaid scale tiles on the other wall. "See, it's beautiful, right? This is my dream home, G. Plus it's all on one floor like you always wanted."
"I… love it." Greg stepped up to the vanity mirror, examining the tile a little closer.
"But?" His boyfriend joined his side, giving him a curious look. "I can strip out all the ugly wallpaper in one weekend. We can make our own mark on the place. I'm sure Warrick will even help out."
"I wouldn't count on it. He was pissed about that sandwich."
"Yeah, I should probably tell him that I'm datin' you before I ask for his help to decorate our place." He smirked, sliding his arm around the younger man's waist. "You haven't seen the fire place in the front room yet. And wait until you see our back yard. It's closed in away from pryin' eyes. No pool, but we've got a community centre right around the corner from us. Complete with gym and coffee shop."
Greg smiled at the man's attempts to sell him on the place. "Do we have a garage?"
"Yes, big enough for three cars. It's right next to the back door of the kitchen."
"And how many bedrooms does it have?"
"Well three technically, but only two for what I have planned. The guest bedroom is across the hall from ours. It has its own bathroom. I figured we could use it for your Mom's visits or maybe even my folks if they come around to the idea of us livin' together."
"Or if we ever have a kid." Greg gave him a smile, pulling away from the mirror. "What's the third bedroom for?"
Nick's excitement continued to burst. He grabbed both his boyfriend's hands, leading him out the other door of their bathroom. He skipped on ahead towards another mysterious door, leaving the younger man in suspense a moment, before he pushed it open. "This… this is the real surprise I wanted to show you. This… will be your office."
"My office?" Greg stepped through the door, looking around the room. It had all white walls like their bedroom, but the floor was carpeted rather than wood tile. He made his way over to the window, looking out at the view of their enclosed space, complete with an outdoor grill and a seating area.
"You're always sayin' how much you've always wanted your own space. This is yours. I figure we could put your desk here by the window. Maybe a bookshelf over there. Along with a chair or a sofa for you to crash out on when you do your readin'."
"Nick, we can't possibly afford something like this."
"Yes, we can." The man stepped up behind him, slipping his arms around his waist. "It's in our budget and it has everythin' we want. This will be good for us. A new start for both of us."
"I wasn't aware we needed a new start."
Chuckling softly, Nick planted a kiss to his neck, whispering, "A new start as my husband. This will be our first place together. A fresh start for us." He gently swayed their bodies, breathing in the younger man's delicious scent. "So, what do you think of the place?" He playfully nibbled his earlobe.
Greg giggled softly, rolling his head back against his shoulder. "Well, I think I should see the other rooms before I say yes for sure. But I love it so far. Besides the ugly wallpaper, this place really isn't so bad."
"See, I told yah. There's still the dinin' room and family room to see. The ugly wallpaper continues, so you have to use your imagination a little." He warned him, taking his hand to lead the way. "There's one more surprise for you."
"Oh no, you didn't hide my mother in one of these closets, did you?" He pulled back a little, fearing she might pop out at him at a moment's notice.
"No." The man chuckled, leading him through to the front room. "This."
Greg stayed positioned in the doorway to the bright white front room, realising he had been deceived into thinking he would see more flowers. Unlike the other rooms, this one was furnished with a long L shaped black sofa against the wall. A glass coffee table with a mini cactus sat in a flower pot and a very large tinted black glass fireplace that served as a room divider to the dining room next door. He could see right through to the all white dining area, complete with a long black glass table and four black leather chairs.
It was totally modern, unique and utterly amazing. He was in awe.
"Surprise!" Nick chortled, pointing out the fireplace in case he hadn't noticed it. "The moment I saw this, I knew you would love it." He led Greg around the whole thing, adoring the look in his eyes as they stepped into the dining room on the other side. "The furniture doesn't come with, but we can easily recreate this. I thought we could have the livin' room on the other side. My plasma screen would fit better against that wall over there and we wouldn't get the glare of the windows."
Greg beamed a bright smile at the man, falling even deeper in love with him. "How is this even possible with a hallway like that out there?"
"Well, the realtor told me the guy fixin' up this place bought it off his ex mother in law. I guess she really liked flowers. He's an interior designer. He was plannin' on movin' in here with the new wife once the place was all fixed up, but she's got her heart set on somethin' bigger in the city."
"A man or a house?" Greg smirked, making his way to the fire place. The base of it came up to his knees with just enough room to sit down. The black marble was almost the same as the kitchen counters and the fire inside almost looked real. He tapped the glass surrounding it, turning to look at his future husband. "I want it. This is… amazing. I want it."
Nick gave him a smile, adoring the excitement in his voice. "The realtor should be here any minute. We can put our offer in then." He perched himself on the edge of the fireplace, tugging Greg down beside him. "Are you sure that this is what you really want?"
"Yes, I'm sure." He beamed a smile back to him. "You're right; we can easily strip out the ugly wallpaper and make it our own. I would love a sofa like that in our front room. And my office overlooks the garden so I can watch you mow the lawn shirtless while I'm working." He shared the dream with him. "You realise now I'm gonna be seriously disappointed if we don't get this place."
"I'll get it for you. Whatever it takes." Nick assured him, leaning forwards to steal a kiss from his lips.
"Well," The realtor appeared at the door, smiling as the two of them broke their kiss. "That's a good sign. Hello, I'm Clare." She extended her hand towards him as he got up. "You must be, Greg. Nicky's told me a lot about you. He had his heart set on finding a dream home for you. I hope we've done it justice. So, what do you think?"
"I love it. I feel like I'm dreaming."
"We'll pay the askin' price." Nick added.
Greg bubbled with excitement. "How long until we can move in?"
Clare giggled softly, relieved to see a happy customer. "Well, if you're paying asking price the buyer will be very happy. I'll give him a call in just a moment. After that it's just a matter of waiting for escrow to close. Shall I give you the grand tour before we get down to the paperwork?" She tapped the file in her hands. "Did I mention that the buyer is also willing to sell the furniture set?" She pointed out the sofa.
"Seriously?" Greg jumped in excitement. "We'll take em." He glanced round at his future husband to make sure it was okay.
"Whatever you want, baby." He cracked a grin.
This really was the best time to be alive.
"I've found her!"
Jillian Stokes shook herself awake, taking a moment to clear the cobwebs from her eyes. She yawned as she rolled herself over, shielding her eyes from the harsh glare of the laptop monitor on her husband's lap. He wasn't much of an early morning riser these days, so she was a little surprised that he was even awake. "Bill, what are you doing?" She couldn't even see the time through her bleary eyes.
"I said I've found her." The Judge repeated himself. He was retired but he still had a little bit of influence in the police department. That and his daughter taught him how to use FaceBook to find old contacts. "Detective Norton couldn't find any criminal record based on the first name you could remember. Too many variables. We didn't know her surname, she could have married, divorced, changed her name, moved out of state… but I've found her." He turned the harsh glare towards his wife. "She only lives a couple of miles away from us. Look."
"Oh," Jillian covered her eyes. "Bill, it's too early in the morning for this. What are you even talking about?"
"The babysitter." This obsession of his was starting to get on her nerves. "That monstrous bitch who ruined our son's life. Look at her. This is her, right?"
"Bill, that woman has three children in that photo." Jillian struggled to sit herself up.
"That doesn't mean anythin'. You and I both know that people are capable of anythin'. Look at her. Tell me that's her."
"I… don't know." She insisted. "She doesn't even look old enough. She was in her early twenties back then. It's been nearly thirty years. How am I supposed to know what she looks like now?"
"Just look at her." Bill barked at his wife. "Look at her. It'll help jog your memory."
"Bill, just stop." Jillian threw back the covers, clambering out of bed. "This obsession of yours will be the death of you. Nicky said he didn't want to know where she is now. I don't think I even want to know. I feel like you're blaming me for this."
"I'm not blaming you. I just want you to look at her photo. It's not that hard to do."
"I looked. I told you, I don't know." She pulled on her dressing gown, tying it off at her waist. "I'm going to make some coffee. Gwen needs us to look after the children today. She's presenting her paper."
"What about this one?" Bill pulled up another random photo. "She's got to be the right age. There's something shifty about her eyes. Her profile picture looks more like a mug shot than anythin' else. Look."
"Bill," Jillian snipped. "Enough. I wish I never told you her frigging name. You're not going to find anything. You can't do anything to change what happened to Nicky either, so I don't know why you're even bothering. You're not supposed to get stressed with your heart. Do you really think we want to lose you over something as petty as this?"
"Petty?" He hissed. "This woman… this vile evil woman destroyed our son's life. How can you just sit there and do nothin'? This monster is still out there. Who knows how many lives she's destroyed since then."
"Because there is nothing that I can do to change what happened, Bill. Do you have any idea how helpless that makes me feel? He's my boy. My youngest boy and I let that woman into our house and left him alone with her. It's my fault. All my fault." Jillian shook her head, biting back her tears. "That is something that I will have to live with for the rest of my life. I can't bear the thought of losing you to it too." She turned to walk away, hearing him tapping away at his keyboard again.
She blamed herself for this state he had gotten himself into. She couldn't help but blame Nick a little too.
"You know what Bill," She stormed back into the room. "You always thought that Nicky was like me, but he's exactly like you. You're both as selfish and stubborn as each other. Neither one of you give a second thought to what you put this family through. Haven't we already been through enough?"
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" He frowned at his wife.
"Nicky didn't tell us all of that for our benefit. He told us what happened for his own selfish reasons. Honestly, why did we even need to know? We were fine not knowing. He just wanted to dig in the knife and let us know how awful we were. That's exactly why he brought Greg with him when we asked him not to."
"Jilly…"
"Oh, don't Jilly me. I am so sick of the men in this family." She angrily shoved her feet into her slippers. "You're all selfish stubborn assholes. None of you give a second thought to anyone else."
"That's not fair." He set his laptop aside, attempting to make the situation better. "Jilly, that's not the reason why he told… wait… where are you goin'?" He furrowed his brows together as she stormed away.
"To walk the dogs."
"But I was talkin'." He called after her. He waited for a response, but all he heard was the back door slamming shut as she left. "What the hell did I do?"
Stretching his arms out either side of him as he woke up, Nick cleared the cobwebs from his eyes, smiling to himself as he saw his beautiful boyfriend's face just a few inches away from him. He leant forwards to press a kiss to his forehead, noting the time on the alarm clock behind him. "Shit, Greg wake up. We're gonna be late." He prodded his side. "We didn't set the alarm."
Greg rolled himself over onto his back, keeping his eyes closed as the older man scrambled out of bed. "Hey." He complained, feeling the covers being tugged away.
"Get up." Nick playfully slapped his exposed stomach.
"G-rr-h," The younger man groaned, yawning widely as he sat himself up. He watched Nick pulling on a pair of jeans, before he raced through to the bathroom next door. He spotted the stack of papers on the chair beside his bed, smiling as he remembered touring their dream home just a few hours ago. He sprang out of bed with a grin plastered across his lips, slipping in beside his boyfriend at his tiny sink counter. "Is it too soon to start packing?"
"Yeah," Nick chuckled, grabbing his toothbrush from the pot. "You could pack up this place and move in with me though."
"My place is closer to the lab. Why don't we pack up your place and move in here?"
"Because your apartment is tiny. We're practically living on top of each other already." He playfully bounced his hips to Greg's, pushing him aside so he could get to the toothpaste. "Plus my place is on a mortgage. You just have to hand in your notice."
Greg grumbled softly, grabbing his toothbrush from the pot. "Most of your stuff is here anyway. I think I only have three pairs of underwear left at yours."
"Yeah and they're all dirty." He chuckled, letting Greg squeeze in beside him. "I think I still have a couple of your t-shirts in my dryer and your shower gel is still hangin' up in my shower." Nick stuffed his toothbrush into his mouth, giving his partner a smile as he started brushing. "Do you really not want to move in with me?"
"It's not that… it's just… fine." Greg agreed, sticking his own toothbrush in his mouth. He jabbed Nick in the hip, giggling as the older man poked him back. He brushed his teeth in record time, ditching it in the pot beside Nick's, before they shared a minty kiss. "I want to see the house again."
Nick chuckled softly, returning to the bedroom to find himself a clean shirt. "We've still got the home inspection and things to get through. It could take a while." He fished out his phone and wallet from the pair of jeans at the end of Greg's bed, noticing he had three missed calls from Warrick and two from his father. "Baby get a move on, we're gonna be so late at this rate."
"I'm coming. I'm coming. I was just peeing." Greg hurried back into the room, searching for some clothes in his wardrobe. He raced to the front door to find his keys, catching his boyfriend grinning at him. "What?"
"Your t-shirts on inside out there, boss."
Greg looked down at his t-shirt, giving out another groan. "I don't even care right now. You should probably drive though." He handed him the keys from his hand, while he took his t-shirt off to turn it the right way round. He seriously needed a caffeine fix, but he had to wait until they got to the lab to satisfy his craving.
He fell asleep in the car ride, groaning as Nick woke him up at the other end of their journey.
"C'mon, I'll get you some coffee while you sign us in." The older man grabbed his jacket, straightening out his collar as he climbed out of the car. He checked to make sure no one else was around the garage, still nervous about being seen together. "You comin', G?"
"Shoulda charged my phone. Stupid ninja fruit game." He realised the battery was dead, stuffing it into his back pocket. Greg followed the man towards the elevator, trying not to take it personally that he was walking at least ten paces in front of him and wouldn't let him catch up.
"Oh, Nick. Greg," Judy gave the two of them a nervous smile. "Hello. Oh Nick, Doctor Grissom said to report to autopsy as soon as you get in." She gave them another look as they signed themselves in.
"Okay, do I have something on my face?" Greg noted his co-workers giving them intense stares as they made their way into the lab. "It's like High school all over again."
"You're bein' paranoid." Nick whispered softly, backing away from the younger man. "I'll see you for lunch later." He made his way straight down to autopsy, completely oblivious to the looks people were giving him.
"Greg!" Sara hissed his name, motioning for him to join her with a not so subtle hand gesture.
Turning away from the looks and whispers of his colleagues, Greg made a beeline for the locker room, letting the door close behind him. "Okay, so what's going on?" He gave her a confused look, wondering if he was still dreaming.
"We really need to talk. I um… I heard something." After a quick check of the locker room to make sure they were alone, Sara rejoined the younger man by the benches. "Okay, if I'm completely off base here… feel free to stop me."
"Oh my God, you love me!"
"What?" Confusion spread across the woman's features.
"It took you long enough to finally notice me, but I want you to know that I…"
"No, Greg. That's not it."
"Really? You mean you don't love me."
Sara frowned at the joker. "You know I didn't mean it like that. Would you stop with the jokes? I'm trying to be serious here." Sitting herself on the bench in the middle of the room, Sara gave out a soft sigh, trying to find the words to explain it to him.
"Okay… now you're freaking me out." He dropped to the bench beside her. "Why am I getting the third degree out there?"
"Well… there's… I don't know how to say this."
"Sara." Greg glared at her. "What's going on?"
"There's a rumour going around," Sara shot up from the bench, anxiously running her fingers through her hair. "You know me; I don't listen to idle gossip. I never really take anything Hodges or Mandy say seriously. They're the lab gossips after all; you'd be a fool to listen to them. But this one," She huffed, looking round at her pseudo brother. "It's about you… and Nick. I heard that he kissed you in a steak house."
Greg bit his tongue, trying to play dumb. "Seriously?" He snorted out a laugh. "Sara, that's ridiculous."
"Is it?" She returned to her seat in front of him. "Greg, you told me not three weeks ago that you were dating a guy who really cares about you. Then Nick and you both take time off around thanksgiving and neither of you can get your stories straight about where you went. Call me crazy but I'd say that's evidence enough…"
"Shit." Greg groaned, starting to wish he had just stayed in bed. "Who told you?"
"Mandy… wait, it's true?"
"Yes." He could already sense Nick's panic attack as he confirmed the rumour. "Honestly, I'm surprised that it took you lot this long to figure it out. You're trained to notice stuff, but you didn't notice us right under your noses. We haven't exactly been subtle this past last year."
"Year?" She squeaked, slightly confused. "Wait, how long have you two been dating exactly?"
"Uh… nearly two years now." He felt his cheeks flushing red. "We started dating just after his abduction. I've always kinda had feelings for him in one way or another. He started returning those feelings in his vulnerable state. I thought he just needed a friend to be there for him during the difficult time, but he really cares about me. He came out to his family for me. He introduced me to his parents. He proposed to me and he found our dream home. I love him, Sara."
Smiling at the love struck teen, Sara realised it was more serious than just a kiss. "Wow, Greg. When I heard… I thought it was a mistake or someone had twisted the truth… but you really are together."
"We are." He beamed a smile back at her. He ran his hands across his jeans, realising the implications of this getting out. "Mandy told you?" He turned more serious. "How many people did she tell exactly?"
"You know what Mandy is like." She gritted her teeth together. "The whole lab will know by the end of shift." She confirmed his fears.
"Shit." He dropped his head into his hands. He pushed himself to his feet, feeling knots in his stomach already. "I have to go find, Nick. He's gonna freak out over this. Hey, does Grissom know yet?"
"How would I know?" She turned defensive.
Greg gave her a knowing smile, bumping into the very man in the doorway. "Oh, hi Grissom."
"You're late." Grissom pulled back his sleeve to check the time on his watch. "You're supposed to be in court today."
"Doh." Greg hit himself in the forehead, racing for the door. "I completely forgot about that."
"Greg, you'll need a suit." The man motioned towards his tatty jeans, shaking his head as the man hurried away. He turned his attention towards Sara. "I've just sent Warrick and Nick to our second scene."
"Another attack?" Sara climbed to her feet.
"Yes, it looks like someone is on a crime spree. Both victims had their wallets and their cell phones stolen and they were both beaten in the same way. We have to catch these guys before they strike again. I need you to go to the hospital. Our second victim, Jessica is on her way there now. Catherine's still working the first scene. If we get anymore like this, we won't be able to cope."
Sara tentatively touched the man's hand, giving him a smile. "We'll get through it."
"Oh, hey, I…" Greg appeared in the doorway, gritting his teeth together as he motioned to his car keys on the bench. "Forgot my keys." He smiled as the two of them quickly separated. "If my head wasn't screwed on, right?"
"Get out of here, Greg." Grissom barked at him, waiting for him to leave. He felt his cheeks flushing, hoping Greg hadn't seen anything incriminating. "Do you think he saw us?"
Sara shook her head, knowing he'd freak out if anyone found out about them. "I think he was a little preoccupied. I'll see you for dinner tonight."
"I'm cooking, right?"
Sara returned a warm smile. "Wouldn't miss it."
Thanks so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed it.
Please let me know what you thought.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
~ Holly