DISCLAIMER:Don't own anything associated with the show… I just like playing with the characters in it.
RATING: T – Teen (language and adult issues)
PAIRINGS: GSR & Yo!Bling pre-established in previous fics of this timeline.
SPOILERS: Sequel to "Displacement" and "Transitions"
SUMMARY: Everything is changing around Nick Stokes. Can he deal with it, and how it will affect him in the end?
A/N: With my state of mind before leaving last week, I had a tough time getting through this one. But it is finally done! Oh yeah, and all that airport time I had? I spent it starting a new story. :O I swear fanfic should be a registered disease. :p
REVIEWS: Reviews are the way I know if people are enjoying the work or not. So, if you leave one, THANKS! And if not, I hope you found at least a little something to brighten your day, and thanks for taking the time to read.
Chapter 21
18:15 – 2006.12.09
Grissom/Sidle Home
"Okay, Uncle Gil… Table's all set up." Thomas and Carter stood back from the newly assembled great table and waited for the man to come out of the kitchen to inspect their work.
Wiping his hands on the towel draped over his shoulder, Gil strolled into the dining area after being called. "Looks good. Thanks for doing this guys."
"Anytime, Dr. Grissom, anytime." Carter patted his friend's shoulder and started for the door as he nodded at the older man.
Thomas called down the hall, "Hey Steph!"
She and Sara came walking down the hall as she said, "Oh, quit your yellin'." She walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "You need to go home and get cleaned up."
He chuckled at her comment. "I was just about to say the same thing… Come on, let's go." He took her hand and tried to tuck her arm under his to lead her out.
She brought his hand up to her lips, kissed it and then let it go. "Nah, I'm gonna stay here and help Sara finish getting ready."
Sara watched the two as she crossed into the kitchen and brushed past Gil. It looked to her like a dance, the way the two younger people interacted. The careful smile and the little nod she got from Gil told her that he saw it, too.
They were speaking with low voices as Gil turned and came back into the kitchen. Putting a hand on the small of Sara's back, he got her attention to whisper, "Know anything about that?"
She quietly shrugged, glancing over her shoulder to catch sight of them once more and shrugged, "Maybe." She was rewarded with his screwed up, sideways smirk and a near chuckle.
When Stephanie finally joined them in the kitchen she found the two with a matching pair of conspiratorial smirks. "I don't even want to know… Just gimme the plates." Gil feigned a hurt expression and Sara simply handed the woman a stack of plates, while she took the other one.
As they worked setting the table, Sara accidentally bumped into Stephanie and she noticed her wobbling a little. "You okay?"
Stephanie cast a searching look to see where her uncle was before she turned back to Sara and sighed as she answered. "I'm fine, really… Just trying to get over this stomach thing."
Sara pursed her lips and as she walked passed Stephanie into the kitchen, but she left her with something to think about, "So, from bad food, to not sleeping, to a stomach thing… But it's nothing, right?" Sara could hear the younger woman gasp as she walked away.
Returning with the silverware, Sara found her with her hands planted firmly into the table. "You're as bad as my mother."
It was Sara's turn to gasp that time. "Bite your tongue."
Chuckling Stephanie felt compelled to explain, "No… I mean about the not being able to get anything passed you."
Sara scrunched up her face and asked, "You know what I do for a living, right?" She watched as Stephanie hung her head at the question. "So, you wanna spill it now, or wait a little longer?"
Stephanie's expression changed into an impish glare and she said, "You're the investigator… You figure it out." The younger woman thought she could string her along a little longer, but when her uncle came up behind them, she was proven wrong.
He stopped beside her and looked up and down before he shrugged at Sara. "Before long, everyone'll have it figured out." Sara laughed at the shocked expression on Stephanie's face as Gil walked away from them, and then he called over his shoulder from the hallway, "Listen for the timer on the oven, please… The buns are still in there."
Sara enjoyed the stunned expression on Stephanie's face a while longer as she finished setting the table for their big dinner. Stephanie was only able to break herself from the shocked stupor by the sound of the doorbell. "Ah, do you ah, want me to get that?"
Laughing at her obvious discomfort at having been found out, Sara cut her a break, looked down at her watch and answered, "Yeah, go ahead… Probably just Warrick and Cath… Gil wanted them to come by early."
Stephanie looked back at the woman as she asked, "You mean he hasn't told them anything either?"
"Only a couple pieces…" The doorbell sounded again, along with some impatient knocking. "The major bomb is happening as soon you answer that door." Stephanie's pace picked up.
Sara's suspicions were confirmed the moment the door was opened as she heard Catherine's exasperated voice, "About time! I was gettin' ready to knock it down."
By the time Catherine emerged from the hallway, Sara was laughing at the whole situation. "I'm glad you think this is funny… I'm about to lose my mind over all this." She turned back to see why Warrick was tapping her shoulder, only to find him asking for her coat. After she handed him the coat she was ready for war. "Now, where's Grissom?" Her hands were planted firmly on her hips and the battle was on.
"Don't be so dramatic, Catherine." Gil emerged from the back of the house with her flamboyant entrance.
"Uncle Gil, you might as well tell the wind not to blow." Stephanie's sarcastic remark earned her a steely glare as she passed Catherine on her way to the kitchen.
Gil shook his head at his goddaughter's sense of humor, but he had business to deal with, so he motioned for Catherine and Warrick to walk with him to his office. "Could I speak with you both for a moment?"
Catherine stomped forward and said, "There better be some explaining in that speaking." Warrick followed quickly behind her and just shook his head. They may not have been a couple for very long, but he had known Catherine more than long enough to know when to keep his mouth shut. No one survived for very long without learning that all important lesson.
As Gil followed them into his office, he shut the door behind him and then gestured for each of them to take seats. Instead of sitting in his normal seat, Gil simply sat on the top of his desk, facing the pair. He took a deep breath and blew it out sharply before he started to speak. "Between the two of you, you know more about what's happening tonight than most everyone else; Sara and Stephanie obviously have other information."
"Obviously," was Catherine's only response, as her jaw was already set. Warrick only sat in silence, fearing what was to come.
"I spoke with Undersheriff McKeen yesterday morning, and he is certain that my recommendation has been approved. They wanted to get that through before Ecklie's promotion, to be certain of impartiality. Well, that's what McKeen wanted, anyway." Gil turned his focus on Warrick, "Warrick, I hope you understand that I spoke with McKeen about your relationship as part of my recommendation. By making it a pre-existing condition, neither he, nor Sheriff Burdick could find any issue with it, so please don't worry about it. It would appear that in this respect, Sara and I may have cleared the way for such things."
"Thanks, Gris… I was a little worried that it would-" Warrick looked from Grissom to Catherine with relief in his eyes. "Well, that it would keep them from choosing Cath for the job." Catherine took his hand in a gesture of reassurance.
"Not an issue… Of course, they were also in something of a bind when I not only refused the position, but-" Gil paused for a moment while he prepared for the real bomb. "But with me leaving, they really didn't have a choice."
In unison, they both exclaimed, "WHAT?"
Outside the office, in the dining area, Stephanie and Sara chuckled as Sara remarked, "Well, at least there wasn't any swearing."
"It's Cath, there will be swearing… Just as soon as the air makes it back into her lungs." With that they both had to struggle to stifle their fit of laughter.
Gil waited for his ears to stop ringing from the voluminous burst of sound and then attempted to continue. "I should explain a little more."
"You damn well better, Mister!" Gil smirked at her response, knowing that it was probably the mildest thing she had been thinking at the moment.
"I am quite certain you've been aware of how unhappy I've been with the situation at the lab, as of late. I am a man without a politic bone in my body, and it seems to me that the lab and the department as a whole, has become rife with politics." His deep sigh let them know he was being totally honest with them. "I am a scientist, Catherine, and while working in the crime lab environment was once a perfect field laboratory for my theories and experiments, it has become a place I dread with every fiber of my being. I know you've seen it Catherine." He waited for a response from her and it was received in the resigned nod of her lowered gaze. "I have worked very hard my entire career, only to find myself at a crossroads in the practical field that I simply could not subject myself to; stagnate or move to administration. As you are both well aware, I am no administrator, and I was barely a supervisor."
Warrick chuckled a bit at his analysis of his own limitations, "You are a great teacher, Grissom, but I could tell the other stuff was really gettin' to you lately."
"Yes, it has… And it doesn't have to. Like I said, I have worked very hard throughout my career and now I find myself in a position to dictate my employment, to a certain degree. Also, I have other things in my life now, besides my work." They both looked at each other and smiled, realizing the man had finally figured it all out. "As a result, when I simply mentioned to a colleague that I might be looking elsewhere, I had a rather prestigious offer dropped into my lap. And then apparently the word got out, because I've had other offers since then."
"Do you mind my asking what offers?" Catherine was curious, but mostly she was afraid that she would be losing her friend to some faraway place.
"I have accepted a position with the Jeffersonian as their at-large entomological fellow. It means I can live wherever I choose, and that I will be granted a great deal of time and some resources for my research." He was practically beaming as he revealed the information to his friends, and Catherine decided in that moment that any reservations she might have were inconsequential in comparison to seeing her friend so captivated by the notion of his new life.
"That's amazing, Gris… How'd you come about that?" Warrick was smiling brightly, in response to the man's revelation.
"A colleague, a former student actually, works there and has been after me for some time to make the switch. When she heard I was beginning to look at options, she immediately informed the director of the chance to, as she said, 'grab me up before anyone else had the opportunity.'" Grissom was smiling to himself at the recollection.
Catherine's face immediately went white when a realization passed through her mind. "When does this take affect?"
"My position at the Jeffersonian begins in February, but my 'vacation' starts the first of January." There was something in his tone that worried Catherine even more.
"You mean your honeymoon, right?" She eyed him with a suspicious glare and Warrick's attention was suddenly riveted by the inference.
"No, I have three months of vacation time built up, and I am using it." He paused, trying to gauge their states of mind before he launched into the next phase of his tale. "At least, that's what I told McKeen and Burdick."
"Oh no… You aren't-" Catherine's breath caught in her throat with his cryptic explanation.
"I'm afraid it was the only way I could insure a successor for the graveyard supervisor position, what with you going into the assistant director's chair. It's already been arranged… Warrick will be the acting shift supervisor during my extended vacation. That is, if you want the job?" Grissom waited for a reaction from the younger man, but all he saw was the color completely drain from his face.
Catherine reached over and put her hand over his forearm, hoping to bring him back into reality, or at least check for a pulse. "Warrick? Are you okay?"
"You gotta be fuckin' kidding me?" His outburst was unexpected, especially coming from him.
"Wow! I really didn't think 'Rick would be the first to drop the F-Bomb." Then Stephanie nodded her head and winked at Sara, "Been around Catherine too long." Their laughter was incapable of being stifled that time.
Warrick held up his hands, Catherine was thrown back in her chair from the shock and Grissom was blinking back from the surprise outburst. "Sorry, but what the hell are you doin', Grissom?"
"Here's the deal, if they thought I was leaving right now, they would look for a shift supervisor from outside sources. By telling them that I am taking an extended vacation, I can name my own acting shift supervisor, and by the time I turn in my official resignation, you will have proven to them your ability to handle the job, and they will have no choice but to make the position permanent." He looked to Catherine for confirmation of his logic and she gave him a slight nod, "I'm sure Catherine would agree… And besides, it would also take the burden off of her, having to recommend you for the position herself, and thereby giving Ecklie ammunition to threaten both of your positions. This was the only way I could arrange it so that everyone wins."
Catherine took Warrick's hand and squeezed, "He's right… Any other way would give Ecklie too much sway over the decision. This way, the shift doesn't suffer, and neither of us is put into an awkward position down the road."
Warrick first looked at Catherine, and found encouragement in her eyes, then he looked to Grissom and had to ask a tough question. "But what about Sara? I mean, she and I are at the same level and-"
"Warrick… Sara doesn't want it. Well, not yet anyway… And we both agreed you were the best CSI for the job. I'm sure Catherine feels the same way, and I know Brass does. He's the only other person aware of all that's going on, as he's the one that enlisted McKeen's assistance in this whole thing." Grissom noticed that Catherine's face had just lost all color, and he knew what to say. "Don't worry, he only knows about the slipping past of you into the assistant director position, and choosing Warrick as the interim, so that we can groom him for future success. You see, the regular swing supervisor is getting close to retirement in about a year. McKeen is big on promoting from within, so he was all for the notion of getting Warrick ready for more responsibility in the future. He just doesn't know how soon that future will arrive."
"So, you are planning to tell the whole shift about this tonight?" Catherine was always one to get to the point.
"I am, as long as Warrick says yes." Grissom regarded him with a raised eyebrow.
Warrick blinked a few times, took in a lungful of air and said, "You make it hard for a guy to say no, Grissom… I just hope I can live up to your expectations." Grissom extended a hand to the younger man in congratulations.
"You always have, Warrick." Seeing his mentor's broad smile gave Warrick's heart a warm and abiding respect for the man.
The quick knock on the office door was quickly followed by it cracking open on the face of the grizzled, veteran detective. "Hey… I just wanted to be the first to congratulate the new bosses." Catherine smiled at his entrance and immediately stood up to greet him.
"Jim!" Catherine embraced the man as he stepped inside the room. "I can't believe you didn't spill this one!"
"Hey, I gotta reputation to protect… Besides, I knew it would be a helluva lot more fun this way." He kissed the woman on the cheek and then held out his hand in congratulation to Warrick. "I'm just sorry I didn't get here sooner, so I could see the looks on your faces when the bugman dropped the bomb." He shrugged and then added, "Oh well, at least I'll be able to watch Sanders have his stroke." When their laughter filtered out into the dining area, they quickly found the door crowded with the house's other two inhabitants.
Looking over the top of Jim's head, Stephanie queried, "Well, I don't see any blood splatter… So, am I to assume everyone survived unscathed?"
Grissom got up from his desk and motioned the others to move, "All's well, for the moment… Now move it so I can check on my dinner." As if on cue, the buzzer went off, signaling a need for the cook's attention. "Come on, out of the way, please?"
They all filed out into the main living area as Grissom made a beeline for the kitchen, with Sara fast on his heels. The guests decided to take the time to congregate in the living room and take their leave to sit down for a little while.
Jim was the first to break the companionable silence with a question for Stephanie, "So, where's that no-good husband of yours, missy?"
Stephanie sat in the overstuffed chair, propped her feet up on the ottoman and said, "He and Carter spent an hour putting the table together and he was kind of gross, so I made Carter take him to the house to hose him off."
The older man shot back with, "Do you need a ladder for that or-"
She winked and lobbed it right back, "Special attachments for the hose… Best thing for cleaning that pesky undercarriage."
"Ohhhhh… I didn't need to know that." Jim was wincing from the mental images her joke had created as Sara came into the living room.
"I think Steph's middle name should be TMI." Sara came to sit on the arm of the chair, right next to Stephanie.
The voice called from the kitchen, "Just be glad she's finally developed a filter."
"My God… You mean she used to be worse?" Catherine was having a hard time believing that one.
"Oh come on… I wasn't that bad." Stephanie crossed her arms over her chest and was wearing a pout as Gil came walking into the living room.
"Oh really…" Gil tilted his head forward and raised his brow as he asked, "So, who was that little girl that asked our cooking instructor if she was going to try and suck on her uncle's tongue after class again?"
"Hey! I was only nine… And besides, you were the one who'd explained French kissing to me after I walked in on you with that Biology profes-" Stephanie held a hand up to her mouth as soon as she saw her uncle's pained expression and realized what she had just done. "Ooops?"
Gil was turning several shades of red as the howls of laughter erupted. He turned back for the kitchen with Stephanie calling out, "Sorry, Uncle Gil."
Before anything else could be said, the sound of the doorbell rang through the house. Stephanie had her head in her hands and was deeply regretful for her slip, but Sara put a hand on the younger woman's shoulder to reassure her as she stood up. "Don't worry about it, kid… He's got more important things to worry about right now." Sara walked away from the mortified younger woman as the others gathered around her enjoyed another round of hearty laughter at her expense.
When Sara re-entered she was busy scolding Thomas for ringing the bell and making her get up, "Seriously, we all knew you were coming back, and it's not like you aren't welcome."
"I know, I know… But I'm not interested in surprising the one couple capable of knocking me off and hiding the body where no one would ever find it again." Thomas nodded to the others in the room as he took his seat beside Stephanie on the arm of the chair.
Catherine raised an eyebrow and asked, "The one couple?"
Stephanie chose that moment to come out of her embarrassment to comment, "Yeah, you'd never get away with it… It would involve not gloating about it."
Jim and Warrick both reeled back from the cut, while Sara struggled to hold back her own laughter and Catherine's face showed her shock at having been bested. Shaking his head, Jim had to add, "The kid's got a point, Cath."
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As everyone began to slowly trickle into their home Gil's sense of dread began to rise. He was making the last of his dinner preparations when Sara came up beside him and nudged him slightly to get his attention.
"Are you doin' okay?"
He sucked in a lungful of air and blew it out quickly before saying, "As well as can be expected… Though, I really do wish we could just send them a memo or something."
She smirked at his little joke and slightly bumped him with her hip when she said, "Not if you want to enjoy a long life with me."
He smirked as he put the last item into the serving bowl and said, "Then I guess it's settled… Brutal humiliation tonight, lifetime with you."
She picked up the last bowl and turned for the table when she added, "Good choice."
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Dinner was well underway with polite and friendly conversation passing between everyone assembled there. Doc Robbins was regaling Greg with tails of his time in a big city ER and some of his most bizarre cases as his wife Judy conversed with Catherine about the trouble with teenage daughters. Warrick was spouting NCAA basketball statistics with Nick as they discussed their Final four predictions with Stephanie. Thomas was deeply engrossed with Sandi's tales of trial and tribulation surrounding her Ph.D dissertation process with David piping in now and then on certain points to emphasize the severity of the situation.
Sara looked around the table and found that most everyone had nearly finished with their desserts, and the rest of the food was practically destroyed. Finally her gaze rested on Gil who was in a heated debate with Jim regarding the Spring Training prospects for the upcoming baseball season. As much as she hated to end the happy scene before her, Sara knew they had business to take care of, and she needed to get Gil's attention.
Rising from her seat, she asked, "Can I get anyone some more coffee?" Sara caught the look on his face as she turned toward the kitchen to get the coffee. He was girding himself up for the inevitable, but her subtle reminder was just the catalyst he needed.
As soon as Sara filled the few cups that were offered, she moved back to her seat. He used her return as an excuse to stand and hold out her chair, but more importantly, it was time. He needed to be standing to deliver this kind of news to his team; his people.
Clearing his throat, he began. "I know I was somewhat vague about my reasons for tonight…"
"Somewhat?" Catherine broke in, but he found it was just the distraction he needed to calm his nerves. "That's like saying the desert is kind of hot."
He looked down and he was ready. "Yes, well, while some things…" He looked directly at Catherine that time, "never change…there are others which are destined to change. That is why I asked you all to be here tonight."
Grissom took in a deep breath and forged ahead, "As you all know, Sara and I are getting married at the end of the month. My mother has informed me that everyone has replied with their attendance. At which point she decided that she was not the only one thinking this day would never come, judging by the response." He waited for their quiet laughter to die back down before continuing, "The first of the year will be bringing about many changes for all of us.
"I am quite certain everyone has heard the rumors about Conrad Ecklie being made the director of the investigations division, and I'm afraid that I will have to confirm those rumors. Effective January one, he will be stepping into that role and his replacement will also be appointed. Before anyone asks, yes… I was approached for the position, again, and once again, I refused it. As many of you are well aware, I am not an administrator, and while Conrad is not exactly anyone's first choice, he does have a knack for the more mundane aspects of the job, and ID is in need of someone with those skills. I don't expect anyone to like the promotion, but you will be required to deal with its implications." He paused and looked at each person in the room. He saw the question forming on Nick's face, even before he asked it.
"So, who's gonna run the lab then?" Nick was confused by the confession.
"I have given McKeen and Burdick my recommendations, and I have been given certain assurances that they will be taking my suggestion to the commissioners for final approval." He paused again, but this time in order to give his next words even more impact. "I have recommended Catherine for the position, and she has agreed to accept it, once the final decision has been made." There was a collective gasp in the room, and in a rare display, Catherine actually, and genuinely, blushed at the attention. "I have nothing but total confidence in her ability to lead the lab, and make it a better place for everyone involved."
Waiting for the requisite congratulations to make their way around the table before continuing, Gil knew the next parts were going to be very difficult.
Seeing that the murmurs were dying down, he cleared his throat again. "Ah, it was this development that made my next announcement much easier to complete, knowing that the lab and my team would be under sound leadership. But before I continue, I also wanted to make sure that everyone here understands that this is not up for public speculation. Nothing I speak about here tonight can be shared with anyone outside of those assembled." He saw affirmative gestures from everyone present and felt it was time to move on.
"For some time now, even before recent events, I have found myself questioning why I was at the lab. Politics and theatrics have become rampant in forensic work in recent years, and the science has suffered. And, despite what my mother has to say, I am first and foremost a scientist. Politics, budgets, personalities, TV sound bites, and personal bias has become the norm in forensic investigation lately and I abhor those things in their entirety. Once I found happiness in one aspect of my life, I was shown in crystal clear colors just how little happiness there was in the rest of my life. So, I started looking at ways to remedy that problem. And that was when it was dropped into my lap, literally and figuratively." He looked to Sara, who cast her glance downward at the reminder of the day the offer arrived at their home.
"It would appear that my years of faithful service to the fields of entomology and forensic science were not entirely wasted, as it now appears that I have developed something of a sought after reputation. Upon hearing that I might be interested in another position, the Jeffersonian sent me a rather substantial offer to become their at-large fellow in the field of entomology. The position involves consulting work, a lecture schedule and a certain amount of research, all of which can be done from anywhere I choose." Seeing that everyone was sufficiently mesmerized by the words he had spoken, he continued. "I have accepted their offer." There was no collective gasp or murmur of words that time, but a cacophony of sound as everyone spoke at once: none of it was positive.
He motioned for them all to settle down and continued, "Look, I know this can't come as a complete shock… You've all commented on my unhappiness on the job for a while, I just had this offer come out of the blue and quite frankly, it seemed like perfect timing for me. With Sara and I starting our new life together, I couldn't think of a better way to start the new year; with a beautiful wife, a new job and a new lease on life."
Once again, Nick was the one to speak first. "So, what does this mean for the rest of us left behind?"
"Well, officially…I'll be taking a three month vacation. I have that much time built up and for the first time in my life, I feel like using it. With Catherine's pending promotion, the brass would have been scrambling for someone to run the Graveyard shift, but with telling them my absence is to be a vacation, they are letting me name my own acting supervisor." He could see the wheels turning in a few heads and then he laid it all out, "I have asked Warrick to take that position, and he has accepted." That time there was a gasp. He was sure everyone thought Sara would be his choice.
All eyes turned to Warrick and he felt compelled to respond, "I've got the most time as a second, and I've been running weekends for almost two years now, so it was the only way Gris could keep the team together, so to speak… It made sense to me, and I was more than flattered that he thought I was ready."
Grissom nodded and then went on, "By having some time to show he has what it takes to handle the job, the brass won't have any choice but to make the position permanent when I inform them of my resignation after two months. It also removes any implication of favoritism from Catherine's tenure, and I felt it was necessary to take that burden off of them both."
Greg was the next to speak up, and Grissom knew it was out of his loyalty to Sara. "But why not Sara? She trained me, and was also running weekends."
Sara put a hand on Grissom's forearm to stop him from answering and then spoke up for herself. "Because I'm getting married, and I'd like to settle in to that before taking on any other major challenges." That comment earned her a few chuckles, with everyone knowing she meant that Grissom was challenge enough for anyone. "And because…I'll be moving to Days, come the first of the year." There was that gasp again.
"But…"
"Greg, I just can't see staying on nights if Grissom isn't there, and with him keeping a day schedule, it would just be too much of a strain for the two of us. I love working with you guys, and we'll still see each other at shift change, but I need to make this change for me." She could see the pain in the younger man's eyes, but she saw the acceptance, as well.
Doc Robbins was the first to take the step forward in the discussion, "Well, then I guess there's only one thing left to do." He stood up and slowly walked around the table to stand next to Grissom. He looked up into the man's eyes and then brought his hand out. "Congratulations, old friend…" The two men shook hands firmly, "I can't think of someone more deserving of success and happiness, Gil."
Grissom smiled at his friend's offer and said, "Thank you, Albert. That means a great deal coming from you."
The congratulations seemed to flow freely after that first step was taken, and the rest of the night was filled with talk of the wedding, the new job and the new graduate program he would be heading up at UNLV. They were just a group of friends and colleagues discussing the future, and that was a welcome change from their usually somber gatherings. Everyone seemed to be taking the news quite well, and the jokes and stories came forth with little effort for the rest of the night.
Everyone was enjoying themselves that night, everyone but Nick. He managed to slip away early, relatively unnoticed, because the whole thing was an awful lot for him to swallow at the moment. He was not sure about anything anymore after getting the carpet ripped out from under him. First, he found out what his friends really thought about him that week, and then he had his whole world being brought down around his ears. He just could not be there with everyone so happy about the events of the night without losing control of his emotions. He thought that if he just had a little time to deal with it before anything else changed, he would be better able to cope. The changes were just coming at him too fast, too often and too hard.