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: Sorry about taking so long with this one, but my other story kind of took over for a little while. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

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 32
06:15 – 2006.12.14
CSI Lab: Layout Room

With Grissom's words playing over and over again in his head all night long, Nick worked to put the finishing touches on his notes for the case file. The more he thought about what the man said, the more he realized he might have a point. He had been coasting on auto-pilot for a long time, ever since that night.

Nick did need to get his house in order, and he needed to get his head on straight. He decided in that moment he was going take his boss' advice and go on vacation. He was also going to follow some advice he had been given a long time ago; when you get lost at the end, the best thing to do is go back to the beginning. For Nick, that beginning would be waiting for him back home in Texas.

Once the decision was made, Nick started gathering all of his notes and files together so that he could submit the case as closed. As he put them all together, he realized he was missing a couple of pathology reports. He was about to pick up and head down to the morgue when he looked up at the door and found Stephanie standing there.

"I was just gettin' ready to look for you."

She held up a folder and said, "I bet you were looking for these." She tossed the folder down onto the table. "Sorry, I had to get some copies, since I'm gonna write this one up. Those exposure wounds are something that seriously needs to be added to the knowledge base."

"Oh yeah? Does that mean I get a mention in one them journals you got piled up on your desk?" Nick gave her a sly smile with his question.

"Keep dreaming, buddy… We don't use names like bribery in the pathology journals. And besides, since you didn't see the body where it was found, I wouldn't even be able to use you for a presentation." Stephanie motioned for the chair on the opposite side of the table.

"Yeah, sure, have a seat." Nick made a move to get up, but she shook her head to show him he was okay.

"Sorry, been a long week already." Nick could only assume that Stephanie was still dealing with the affects of her recent brush with death. He had noticed that she seemed to be a little run down lately, and then there was that thing with the food poisoning, so he figured she must have been running on empty. "And I've been feeling kind of bad about giving you the business last week. Nick, I know tha-"

"Hey, don't sweat it… Really. I know you and Sara were just being honest. And as much as I was being jerk at the time, I think it was just the kick in the butt I needed." Nick tried to show the woman with his expression just how true those words were.

"Well, either way, you didn't need me coming down on you like a ton of bricks, and I'm sorry. Sometimes I just get carried away… And I think you caught me on a bad day." He watched as Stephanie appeared to get a faraway look in her eyes. "Hopefully those are almost done, but I won't make any guarantees, yet."

Nick decided that humor was probably the best way to diffuse the situation. "Yeah, well, you think maybe you could put up a sign or somethin'? Or some kinda warning system? Ya know, green for okay, yellow for a mild tantrum, orange when it's gettin' dangerous and red when stuff's gonna fly through the air?"

Stephanie laughed and it made him feel a lot more secure about the situation, "Sure thing, but only if you use the same system." She slowly got up from the chair and nodded at him. "Thanks for listening, Nick."

As she left the room he smiled and said, "Anytime, Stretch."

Nick reached for the folder and added his case notes to each of the reports and arranged them into the final file. He was signing the final summary when another visitor dropped into the Layout Room. "Hey, Nicky… You ah, got a minute?"

Nick looked up from his full report and found Jim Brass standing in the doorway. "Ah, yeah sure, Brass… I was just filling out the last of the forensics reports for the desert case."

"Good, good… That's ah, actually what I came here for." Brass was obviously not happy about having to be there, so Nick decided to wait it out and get the whole story. "I wanted to let you know that Vega has two of your suspects in custody right now. Went to question the dealer at the Tangiers and the guy caved so fast, poor Sam couldn't even keep up."

Nick chuckled at Brass' description. "Yeah, I had a feelin' he'd be your weak link."

"That's an understatement… Anyway, with what we got from that idiot, we were able to set up a stakeout for the next drop. Managed to get your other set of prints when he got his chute tangled up in the trees, but ah, it looks like we missed the main guy. Took off on a dirt bike, and there's been no trace of him since they lost him."

"Man, that bites, huh?"

"Yeah, and better yet, the park service guys tell me if he's got supplies, he could hold up out there for a month, or slip past us without even a trace because of the size of that place." Nick could tell that Brass was leading up to something, and he knew he was not going to like it. "They also tell me, there's only one person that can help us find the perp and/or the stash."

"No, there's no way, Brass… I am not-"

"Look, if there was any other way, I'd do it, Nick, but she's all we got to take these clowns out. We only picked up the lackeys, and without the main guy, we'll never shut that operation down." Brass took in a deep breath and gave Nick his last ace. "These guys are bringing in more raw smack than I've seen in my entire career, Nicky… You got any idea what kind of volume that's gonna create on the streets?"

Nick hung his head, Jim's words had hit him right in the heart. That much heroin on the streets would be a tragedy, and Nick knew that no amount of abuse or pain would stop him from doing what needed to be done. "Yeah, yeah, I get it Jim… Problem is she's out of town right now. She too-"

"She's back, but she ain't answering her phone. Rangers said she gets like that sometimes, and won't talk to people she don't know, so I figured if-"

Nick laughed at that assessment. If she was not about to talk to strangers, how would she feel about talking to the guy she seems to despise the most. "Look, I'll give it a try, but I'm not making any guarantees, man. I don't exactly have the best track record with her, ya know."

"Yeah, I know, but I wouldn't be doin' my job if I didn't ask." Brass nodded at Nick and then left a map on the table showing where they had lost the suspect. "Thanks, Nick."

"I'll do my best." Nick nodded as Brass started to walk out of the room.

"All I've ever asked."