Chapter Thirteen – Letting it Go

"Nick," Rushing for the door to her lab, Wendy threw it open, chasing the man round the corner to share her results with him. "Hey, I got a match to the blood found on the shirt from the bath tub. When he joined the lab a few months back, Grissom made him donate a pint of blood just like the rest of us, so we had his DNA on file." She handed him the file. "The blood on the shirt is the same as the bloody handprint from the door. It's all Floyd's."

"Thanks." He felt bad for feeling a little relieved that it wasn't Greg's. "Have you heard anythin' yet?"

"Sorry no," Wendy shook her head. "Burges hasn't turned in any evidence from her scene to me and I haven't seen Grissom in a few hours. Warrick and Catherine are due back any minute now. They're working the crime scene of your suspect's mother's house."

"Yeah, Warrick called when he got there. He found Greg and Floyd's phones in pieces in the front room." Glancing up as he heard some commotion, Nick watched Ecklie and Grissom stepping off the elevator, arguing about something as they approached his office. "Gris," He hurried towards the man. "What is it? Have you found him? Is he…?"

The two older men exchanged a look.

"What?" Tired of being kept out of the loop, Nick hissed, "Can one of you please just tell me what's goin' on?"

"Gil." Ecklie gave him a stern look.

"He has every right to know. Nick, you're off the case." Grissom grabbed his jacket from behind his office door. "Greg's in the hospital. He has Floyd with him. Brass has already sent a few of his deputies ahead of us. Peter Copeland is still in the wind."

"He can't work this case." The older man protested, pointing an accusing finger at Nick.

"He's not working the case. I took him off the case." Grissom reminded him, ushering Nick towards the door. "I'm heading to the hospital anyway. I'll drive you."

"Is he okay?" Nick felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. His head was swimming already with all the worst case scenarios.

"He didn't say much."

"Greg?" Nick knew something was wrong if he didn't over talk his ears off. "What happened?"

"We'll find out when we get there. Burges is meeting us at the hospital to collect the evidence. Greg confirmed that they were being held in Peter Copeland's mother's house. Catherine and Warrick are going through the basement now." Grissom led him to the elevator, seeing the blood draining from Nick's face. He knew there was nothing he could say to make it right, he just had to get him to Greg before he flew off the rails.

"Whoa," Recoiling away from the man coming at him with a needle, Greg raised his hands in a surrender pose either side of him. "Is that really necessary? That's a big needle. I'm not exactly looking for anything else to take the edge off." He was trapped on a hospital bed in a side cubicle, so he didn't exactly have anywhere to run.

"Give it to me." Doctor Skyler appeared beside the nurse. She dismissed the man, while she gloved up to tend to her fussy patient. "I see you're enjoying the pain killers we gave you earlier." She giggled softly. "C'mon, don't be such a baby, Sanders. It'll numb the area so we can stitch you up. Unless you want to leave those wounds open to infection much longer. Do you want me to start with your hand or head first?"

After a moment of thought, Greg sighed out a deep breath, "Hand. Be careful."

"Don't be such a baby." She approached him with the needle in her hand. "You'll be pleased to know that Floyd came through his surgery okay. He lost a lot of blood, but the blade didn't puncture anything major and no damage to his kidney. He's going to be out of it for a while, but he should be alright thanks to you. You may have saved his life."

"Cool." Greg sucked in a sharp breath as the needle poked into his skin. "How many stitches do you recon it'll take?"

"For the hand? I don't know," She examined it a little closer. "It's pretty wide. You're lucky you didn't tear anything when you pulled that shard of glass out. We'll have to check the nerve damage later, but I can already confirm there's no glass left inside."

"Next time I'll remember to leave it in."

"Good. It could save your life." Skyler positioned a pillow beneath his hand to prop it up, before she poked him with something sharp. "Is it working yet?"

Greg shrugged his shoulders together, relaxing back against his pillow. "I didn't feel anything."

"Alright," She got started on stitching it up. "Let me know if it hurts."

"Okay," Giggling softly, Greg slurred, "For the record my safe word is ouch. It's pretty direct."

"Okay, I'll try to remember that one." She smirked at his flirtatious remark. "Just try to hold still. We don't want it to leave too big of a scar." The doctor glanced over her shoulder as the curtain swept open, seeing another familiar face. "CSI Stokes, we haven't seen you here in a while." She ushered him in. "Are you here for this one?"

"Yeah," Nick pulled the curtain behind him, a look of relief on his face. "Flirting with the doctors already, G?"

"This one hardly counts as flirting." He defended himself. "Besides, Skyler's into the ladies. She got herself hitched four months back." He held up four of his fingers.

"Really? Congratulations." Nick took a step closer. "Who's the lucky lady?"

"I don't kiss and tell. Unlike this one," Skyler got to work. "He hasn't stopped talking since we got him in here. Most people are in and out of it with a concussion, but I don't think Greg has stopped talking since he woke up."

"He's unique like that. Is he doin' okay?"

"He will be as soon as I can get him to sit still long enough to stitch him up." She reached for his hand again. "The cuts are superficial mostly. They look worse than they actually are. We were a little worried about the head wound after he passed out, but the scans showed no signs of swelling or bruising to his skull. He might be a little headachy for the next few days, but it's nothing a little bed rest and plenty of fluids can't cure. CSI Burges already came by to get his clothes. I think she's upstairs with Floyd now if you want to join her."

"No I… I'm not actually here on business." Nick stuffed his hands into his pockets, trying to control his nerves. "He's more… personal."

"This may come as a surprise to you Sky, but I have friends." Greg waved to the man with his other hand. "This one happens to be my very best friend. I'm even going to marry him one day."

"Is that right?" Skyler returned his smile. "You're lucky you didn't lose your ring finger when you pulled that glass out then. Do you think you could hold your hand still while I stick this needle through it for me?" She waited for him to stop moving, before she pulled it through the skin on the other side. "There we are. One down."

"Take one down and pass it around, ninety eight more stitches to go." Greg sung out loud.

Nick couldn't help but chuckle, feeling a sense of calm seeing a more familiar side to his fiancé. "Is he stoned?"

"Oh no," Skyler giggled softly, "He's just on pain killers. We gave him the good stuff after he gave his statement to the police. They should wear off soon."

"Yep, that'll do it." The Texan cracked a smile. "He's kind of a lightweight."

Noticing how calm and still Greg had become, Skyler ushered the other man closer, "You're more than welcome to sit with him. I've just got to stitch his head wound after I'm finished here. It shouldn't be too long. He has a mild concussion so he's going to have to take it easy for a while. We'll give you a list of things to look out for later, but he should be fine."

"Alright," Approaching the other side of the bed, Nick perched himself on the edge, giving Greg a smile as he instinctively reached out for him with his good hand. "I've never seen you so out of it before. Do you even know where you're at right now, G?"

"Of course," Greg flashed him a smile. "I'm fine, Tex. I actually feel alive. Since the alley way and the beating, I felt like I was hopeless or trapped. I was always on edge, worried about every little thing going on around me. Tonight… I was scared, but I wanted to live. Floyd was scared too which kinda made me just want to fight harder to get us out of there."

Nick gave him a proud smile, tightly gripping his fingers between his own. "You had me worried, G."

"I'm fine. Honestly, I feel great." He raised his arm, looking at the drip still connected to it. "Can you give me another shot of that stuff?"

"No." Skyler giggled softly. "No more pain killers for you. That's just to keep you hydrated. You don't need any more pain killers right now. You'll be begging for some later when that wears off though. You'll need plenty of rest to get over this concussion."

"Yeah, they're not fun." Nick spoke from experience. "I think I felt severely hung over for a few weeks, before my head started to feel normal again."

"Ouch. Easy with the needle, doc." Greg suddenly winced. "Are you almost done?"

"Yep, it's the last one." She tied it off. "Alright, I'll go get something to bandage that up then we'll get started on your head. Be right back." Skyler snapped her gloves off, disappearing out the curtain behind them.

"Do you think I could pass it off as a bear attack?" He held his hand out, admiring the scar it could form.

Nick shook his head. "I doubt it. And why would a bear attack you?"

"Because it sounds cooler than just a piece of glass." Greg tilted his head to the side, giving his partner a smile. "I missed you. You're more beautiful than I remembered."

Nick shook off a laugh, adoring seeing the man like this. "You know, I don't remember flyin' this high when I had my concussion. In fact all I could think about was fightin' the urge to throw up as they wheeled me out of here."

"Really?" Greg raised an eyebrow at him. "When did you have a concussion?"

"You don't remember? Nigel Crane. He threw me out of the window." He jogged his memory. "I cracked a couple of ribs, broke my wrist and hit my head. I got out of the hospital a few hours later and he attacked me again at my house."

"Oh yeah," Greg shuddered at the thought. "And we're still living in that house."

"Not for much longer," Nick remained positive. "I was tryin' to find you earlier. I got a call from our realtor today. Things are runnin' a little smoother on the sellers end now, so we should be gettin' keys to our new place by next week."

"Next week." He whistled. "It feels like it's been forever since we looked around it." Closing his eyes, Greg tried to picture what it looked like, but he couldn't focus right now. His brain was too wired and he could feel Nick shaking beside him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm not the one in hospital here, G." He cracked a grin.

"Yeah, but I'm still allowed to worry about you. The last time I was hurt on the job, you went and punched a punk in the guts." He gently stroked the other man's hand with his thumb. "The thought of you kept me going more than anything. I kept thinking the last time I saw you would really be the last time I ever saw you. I couldn't even remember if I said goodbye or told you I loved you."

"You did." Nick nodded slightly. "You said all of that before you kissed me on my way out the door. I almost didn't want to leave you after that kiss." He raised Greg's hand, pressing his lips to the back of it. "I don't know what I'd do without you, G."

"Lucky for you, you won't have to find out for a long, long time." He pulled him closer, loving the look in his big brown puppy dog eyes. "Did you really think I'd skip out on you before we got married? There's no way I'd leave you with both of our mothers and half our wedding already planned. You didn't tell my Mom about…"

"No," He shook his head. "I've been avoidin' her calls since I found out. She's gonna know somethin' is up the next time I talk to her though. Even if I don't say anythin', she'll know."

"Leave her to me. If she even wants to talk to me anymore."

"With you still doped up to your eyeballs?" Nick chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I don't think that's the best idea there, boss. She'll be able to tell within a few seconds that somethin' is wrong. That's just askin' for trouble, G. I'll call her back later; try to come up with an excuse about work. Hopefully by then she'll have a few glasses of wine in her and she won't be able to tell I'm lyin'."

"You know my mother so well." Greg gently tapped the man's thigh. "I hope you know that you have the easy job there."

"I know… I'm sorry they've made you jump through so many hoops. My father really likes you now and I think my Mama is really startin' to come around to this whole weddin' thing. She really wants it all official and everythin'. She won't let your mother turn it into a joke. She's even invitin' her sister which is a huge step for her." Suppressing a smile, Nick admitted, "I'm actually kinda nervous knowin' they're both goin' to be there, along with their extended family. Goin' home for the holidays was complicated enough. Havin' all of them there on one of the most important days of my life…"

"Are you getting cold feet?"

"You're kiddin', right? I wouldn't be doin' any of this if it wasn't for you. Marryin' you is the one thing I'm completely sure of. I'm just sayin' if this thing gets any more complicated, we're takin' a ride down to an Elvis chapel to get hitched."

Greg cracked an adorable grin, "You'd really take Elvis over a big family get together?"

"Hey you're the most important part about this day. I don't need the stress of my family on my back on a day I want to remember for the rest of my life."

"Alright," Greg nodded softly. "As long as you're happy that's the most important part for me." He reached for Nick's hand, entwining their fingers together. "I love seeing you smile. The whites of your eyes sparkle when you're really happy."

Nick smiled widely, trying to remember the last time he saw Greg this playful. "I think this is the first twenty minutes alone together that we've gotten in the last… three weeks." He bent to press a kiss to Greg's forehead, smiling as he looked into his eyes. "You really don't have to do stuff like this to get some attention from me, baby."

"I wish you told me that before." He teased. "Hey, did you check on, Floyd?"

"No not yet. I heard he's out of surgery. Grissom is on his way up there now. He's doin' okay." He assured the younger man. "I was gonna go with him… but I needed to see you."

"Good because I missed you." When tears started falling from Nick's eyes, Greg gently pulled him closer, holding him tight against his shoulder. "You're so adorable. I hope you're off shift because I don't want you working like this." He kissed his neck, gently smoothing his hand across his shoulders. He loved the warmth of his body against his own, the feel of his heart pounding heavily and his wispy breaths against his bare skin. "Seriously, I'm okay. I told you, I feel fine."

Nick shook his head, gripping him tighter. "I thought I lost you."

"You're not going to lose me." Greg clutched the man's shoulder, trying not to wince too loudly as his partner held him in a bone crushing hug. "I promise you that I'm not going anywhere. I love you too much to leave you like this. Your happiness means everything to me." He breathed in his familiar scent, falling even deeper in love with him. "Mm, you smell so good."

"I haven't showered in almost two days and I've been rummaging through burnt out buildings and trash."

"Yeah, well you still smell amazing." The younger man chuckled softly, pushing him back to look into his bleary eyes. "How's your heart rate?"

"Would you stop monitorin' me?" Nick protested, pushing his hand away from him. "You said I sounded like your mother the other day, well you're startin' to sound like mine. Only she never bothered to monitor my heart rate and breathin'."

"It's because I love you so much and I know you wouldn't tell me if you were on the verge of a panic attack otherwise. You never tell me. You just hide it and pretend it's nothing."

"Well there's no need to worry because as you can see I'm fine." He forced out a smile.

Greg gave him the all too familiar bullshit detector look, before he dropped back to his pillow with a sigh. He wanted to break through that hard exterior that Nick always put up when he was feeling vulnerable, but he really didn't have the energy to do it right now. "I hope you brought me some clothes. Burges kinda took all of mine away into evidence." He broke the silence. "I'm so glad I wore clean underwear today."

"I didn't," The older man suppressed a smile. "But I can quickly go and grab some stuff. The lab is closer. I always keep some spare clothes in my locker. Sara said she's gonna swing by and see you after she's finished up, so I could get her to bring them in."

"You can't ask her to run errands in her condition."

"Condition?"

"Doh," Greg realised he had spilled a secret that he wasn't supposed to. "I guess the cats already out of the bag now, no way we can put in back. She's pregnant."

"What? Since when," Nick gave him a confused look. "Why didn't she say anythin'?"

"She told me on New Year's." He continued to blurt out the secrets. "You'll never guess who the father is."

"Not that paramedic guy that cheated on her." He feared what she had gotten herself into.

"Nope," Greg shook his head. "Someone a little closer to home."

Nick knew it couldn't be possible, but it was the only man he could think of. "Greg, do you have somethin' to tell me?"

"Not me." He couldn't help but giggle. "Do you really think I'd cheat on you with Sara?"

"I don't know. You used to have a thing for her."

"I wouldn't do that to you. You know that I would never do anything to hurt you. Not intentionally anyway. And you and I both know that Sara only sees me as a friend or a little brother that she needs to protect. I always get stuck in the friend zone with girls I like. My flirtatious attempts towards her were nothing more than a joke to her."

Nick gave him a confused look. "So if it's not you then…"

"Grissom." He blurted it right out.

"Grissom? As in our supervisor Grissom?"

Greg giggled softly. "Unless you know of any other Grissom's in her life."

"Wow, I didn't think he had it in him. I know he's popular with the ladies. There's that Teri Miller and the dominatrix lady Heather, but I never thought Sara would be into an older guy like him."

"Yeah well, older men are sexy." Leaning forwards, Greg stole a kiss from the man's lips, giving him a smile as he pulled back. "Certain older men. Only certain older men are sexy." He corrected himself. "That cuts out Hodges and Ecklie, right? We should get a cat."

"Huh?"

"A cat." Greg realised he had lost him in the midst of another one of his long winded explanations. "Little furry four legged creatures that most people consider cute or adorable. I've never had one."

"Yeah I heard you; I just wasn't sure where that came from. Your near death experience made you want to get a cat?"

"Maybe a dog is more your thing. It'll give you that manly edge when you boast about it to all your guy friends. We can wait until we get our new place obviously, but I've always wanted a pet. My Papa Olaf used to tease me with the reward of a hamster or a gerbil to look after if I got good grades but my Mom was allergic to all kinds of things, so I never got the chance. Her whole jaw swelled up once just from walking into my Aunts dog lover condo."

"Manly edge?" Nick's smile spread a little wider. "You are completely out of your mind, Greg. So you want to get a cat?"

Greg brushed his finger over the ring Nick had returned to his finger. "I love you more than anything. I care about you so much and I think you do too, which is you don't always tell me everything. Honestly, I feel like I have to protect you from certain things too. Things that could hurt you or break your spirit…"

"Greg…"

"Just give me a second," Greg cut him off. "I'm trying to tell you that I trust you with my life and you can trust me to keep you safe. I'm not going anywhere. I'm in this for the long haul and every moment that I spend with you, just makes me love you more and more. You can trust me, Nicky. I'll love you no matter what."

"Greg," He spoke in a barely audible voice. "I'm fine. I do trust you. We don't need a cat for you to prove that you're devoted to me."

"If you do trust me then…"

"I'm not havin' a panic attack!" Nick insisted, wishing he would just drop it. "I was worried. I ran up two friggin' flights of stairs to find you, but I'm okay. You're the one we should be worried about here. You're in a hospital bed doin' all this crazy talk that you keep doin'."

"Butt naked beneath this thing too." Greg lifted the itchy gown away from his chest. "I think I flashed my butt to like five people walking back from x-ray."

A fresh smile graced the older man's lips. "You're so baked. Is this what you were like in college?"

"No… that didn't come until later. But I mean it."

"Which part?" Confusion twisted Nick's brow, "Gettin' a cat, your Mom's allergies or your butt?"

Greg threw his head back in laughter, feeling the pain rattling through his skull once again. "Ow… don't make me laugh." He raised his hand to his forehead, blocking out the bright lights above them. "I feel the whirring pain coming back. Do you think you can turn on your Texan charm and get one of the nurses to top up my pain relief?"

"No, you don't need another dose." Nick slid a little closer towards him on the bed. "For the record, I wouldn't be completely against the idea of gettin' a cat or a dog. I practically grew up with them. We had this one cat for fifteen years that used to sleep right next to me on my bed. He'd wait for me at the bottom of the driveway to get home from school."

"Fifteen years?" Greg moved his hand away from his eyes. "Whoa… that's a big commitment."

Nick heard a very loud gulp coming from the younger man. "Gettin' any pet is a big commitment. You really didn't know that?"

"I told you… I've never had one to know that. I thought maybe five or six years. Fifteen?" He whistled. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of commitment."

Nick chuckled softly. "How long are you gonna be married to me then?"

"I don't know." He shrugged his shoulders together. "I figure maybe seven or eight years before you trade me in for a younger model."

"That's all you give me. Eight years of loyalty before I move onto the next one?" Nick playfully jabbed his sides. "You're the first man… person that I've ever let in completely. As far as I'm concerned, I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

"Get a room you two." Skyler gave the two of them a smile, closing the curtain behind her.

"We kinda did have a room until you barged in."

"This isn't a room, Greg. It's a cubicle and you have six other patients all around you who can hear everything you say." She enlightened the younger man, snapping on a fresh pair of gloves. "How are those drugs working out for you Greg?"

"I think they're starting to wear off. Can I have some more?"

"No. I just need to stitch your head then you're free to go home." Skyler set down her arm full of supplies, giving him a smile. "I never knew you were so sentimental, Stokes." She gave him a smile. "I adopted my rescue dog four years ago now and he's the best friend I ever had."

"A dog is your best friend?" Greg raised an eyebrow at her, receiving a playful swat from his fiancé.

"Yes, my four legged friend has been with me through a lot. We look out for each other." She defended herself. "He's very loyal and loving. All I'm saying is the commitment is worth it. Now let's get this head sorted out." She moved round the other side of the bed. "Do you mind switching sides, Stokes?"

"Sure. I uh… I'm gonna call Sara real quick. I'll be right back." Nick wiped away his tears with the sleeve of his shirt, reluctantly leaving his fiancé behind a moment. He waved to him before he disappeared outside the curtain, searching for the nearest exit for some air.

His chest was beginning to feel a little tight in there.

He took a moment to breathe in the fresh air, before he dug his cell out of his pocket. He had so many missed calls from his mother and mother in law now, it was though he had suddenly fallen off the planet.

Ignoring them for now, he skipped through his contacts until he found the person he actually wanted to talk to, hoping neither one of his mother's were on their way to Vegas right now.

"Hey Sara," He found himself a seat near the entrance. "Yeah, I'm okay… Greg's okay too. Can I ask you a favour?"

"Warrick," Putting his back to Floyd's room, Grissom watched the other man approaching with a file tucked under his arm. "Did you get your results back from the house?"

"Most of them." Warrick nodded, checking on the younger man first. "How's he doing?"

"Surgery went fine. They stopped the bleeding. He'll be alright. His parents should be here soon." He checked the time on his watch again, dreading what he was going to say to these people. "He's still out there somewhere. What did you get from the crime scene?"

Warrick glanced around the busy hallway they were stood in, before he dug the folder out from under his arm. "We got tons of evidence of Greg and Floyd all over the basement. Plenty of DNA evidence of our suspect in the basement and the house too." He handed the folder over to his anxious supervisor. "This is everything we got from a computer we found in the upstairs bedroom that looked recently used. He installed security alarm systems in all of arson cases. Archie found files on houses that haven't been targeted yet."

"How many are we looking at?"

"Fourteen," Warrick sighed softly, moving aside as a nurse came hurrying through the hallway. "We've already given the list to Brass. He wants to keep a lid on this before it reaches Ecklie…"

"This explains how he got in." Grissom rubbed his chin, shuddering at the thought of it. "What about Carl Davis?"

"Nothing." He knew it wasn't what his supervisor wanted to hear, but it was the truth.

"You're sure." Grissom nailed him for guilty the moment he laid eyes on him.

"Positive. There's nothing to link him. Whatever he's involved in, it's not this. Brass has security on Greg. The deputy will be up here as soon as Greg's discharged."

"They're discharging him?"

"Yeah, he's just got a few stitches. Doc thinks it's best to recover from the concussion at home."

"Good." Grissom tapped his cell on his hip. "Keep me informed. I'm going to stay here with Floyd for a while. Did you find the weapon he was stabbed with?"

"No." Warrick shook his head. "There was evidence of Floyd's blood all over the kitchen sink in his Mom's house and the clothes Nick found in his apartment, but no sign of the weapon."

"Is Sara staying?"

"Yeah, I think she wanted to come sit with Floyd for a while." Warrick checked on the man himself, relieved that Greg got him here in time. "Oh hey, did you know Sara's pregnant?" He glanced back at his supervisor.

"Huh," Grissom hoped the blush creeping into his cheeks wasn't burning too brightly. "Who told you?"

"I just bumped into Nick. He asked me if I knew. It's obvious now I know. I can't believe she hid it from us all for so long."

Grissom nodded slightly, anxiously biting his bottom lip. He didn't mind so much that people knew she was expecting. It was more the fact that no one knew about them and he was nothing to her child at this point. It stung a little, but it was his own fault for putting them in this situation. He glanced down as his phone vibrated, relieved to see Sara's name flashing across his screen.

"Sara… Nick?" He had to double take. "Why do you have Sara's phone?" The panic started to set in. "Nick… slow down, where is she?"

"What's happened?" Warrick gave him a confused look.

"Sara… she's gone into labour." Grissom lowered the phone to his hip. "I'm going to be a father."

Author's Note: Hello Readers, I've decided to speed events along a bit from here on. I had a few more chapters planned before the next one, but I don't feel motivated to write much more for this story with the lack of reader input. Reader input is always helpful to let me know where to take the story, what I did wrong or what you would like to see in upcoming chapters, but it seems like reviews are lost on Fanfiction now. Even FictionPress and Archiveofourown are severely lacking on the reader input front now...

Anyway, thank you for reading this story so far. I hope you liked this chapter, if you did maybe you could let me know and I hope you have a great weekend.

~ Holly