DISCLAIMER:Don't own anything associated with the show… I just like playing with the characters in it from time to time. Dance Monkeys! Dance!
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: Now this chapter... It was just plain fun to write. :D
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 41
20:30 – 2006.12.24
Stokes & Wheel Ranch (Stokes Family Ranch)
The air had simply become too thin inside the house for Nick, and he started to feel the walls closing in after yet another grueling dinner with the Stokes Clan, en masse. He struggled to endure it for as long as possible, but when his sister-in-law started talking Texas politics, he quietly and quickly excused himself, saying he had a few phone calls to make before the holiday.
While it was true that he wanted to call his friends and wish them a Merry Christmas before all hell broke loose at his parent's house in the morning, he knew his real motives would not be lost on a few of those present. In an effort to keep from having lied to his mother, Nick immediately withdrew his phone and dialed the first number in his speed dial.
The noise that followed the phone picking up was enough for Nick to have to pull it away from his ear for a moment. "Greg! Turn it DOWN!... Chaos Central, how may I help you?" Sara's voice was filled with the mirth that Nick wished he felt at the moment.
"Hey Sar." Nick smiled into the phone.
"NICK!" He could tell she had pulled the phone away, and then he heard her yell to everyone else. "Hey! Nick's on the phone!"
That was when he heard the most pitiful, unorganized, and incredibly loud chorus of "MERRY CHRISTMAS, NICKY!" coming from the speaker of his phone. Well, at least they haven't forgotten me.
"Hold on a sec, let me step outside…" He waited patiently for her to reach a quieter spot, and when the din of noise finally ceased, she exhaled into the phone. "Now I know why I always skipped the holidays before… It's just pure insanity in there."
"Sounded like it… You guys decided to have everyone over?" He was a little disappointed about not knowing anything regarding the obvious party.
"Ah, no, actually. We're over at Steph's. Gil's Mom wanted to bring them some dinner, and apparently Cath and Warrick had the same idea, and then Doc Robbins and his wife dropped by with something for them, and the same with David and Sandi, and before we knew it, there was a serious party going on." Nick had to laugh, because of the situation and because he was still jumping to conclusions. One of these days, he was going to have to do something about that problem.
"Well, who else is there?" He tried to keep her talking about her own holiday, in the hopes she would not question him about his trip.
"Ah, well, Wendi and Greg took Beth out to dinner for the holiday and they joined in when they came by to drop her off, and Carter, of course, is here." She paused and he could tell she was replaying the scene in her head, as she did so often when they were working. "OH! And Stephan just got here. Apparently, he had gone to a party with the folks in homicide as Sofia's date."
"That's still going on?" Nick was surprised by that turn of events.
"Occasionally… At least, that was the way Stephan put it… Steph's right, the guy's a serious man-whore." Sara's good humor helped to lighten his spirits a little.
"Well, then I guess that works out perfectly, huh?" The two shared a little private joke in their laughter. "So, I just wanted to call everybody and tell them Merry Christmas, since I know what it'll be like over here tomorrow."
"Something like it is here tonight?"
"Worse! I got a mess of rug rats stompin' the dirt out here ta boot." His words were met with Sara's careful chuckling. "What?"
"You've been there too long."
"I don't get it. Why?"
"Because you sound like one of those guys in those bad movie westerns right now." Nick squeezed his eyes shut when he realized that Sara was talking about his re-emergent accent.
"C'mon, Sara… I'm swimmin' in sagebrush and saddle soap, it was bound ta happen." Nick hoped he would be able to shake most of it before her wedding, when he met up with everyone again. The last thing he wanted was to get the business from Warrick and Greg about his cowboy ways again.
"I'm sorry, but I've never had the pleasure of the full-on Texas drawl. You'd been in Vegas a while when I got there." That was when Nick realized she had never experienced his accent, so he decided to forgive her amusement at it.
"Jes keep it ta yerself, awright?" He threw in a little extra twang in an attempt to elicit a giggle from his friend.
He was not disappointed. "Oh man! You have got to cut that out, or I'm gonna bust a gut here."
"Okay, Sara… Hey look, I just wanted ta wish everybody a great day tomorra, and since they're all there, could ya pass it along for me, please?"
"Sure, Nick… Hey, is everything okay with you?" There was the question he had hoped to avoid.
"Would ya believe that I'm workin' on it?" He cringed, hoping against hope that she would buy the story.
"Tell ya what… I'll take that as answer, for now… But when I pick you up from the airport, you and me are gonna have a talk, got it?" Nick smiled again. Leave it to Sara to find a way to pin him down on the subject the way few ever could.
"Deal… Now, you get back in there and be festive, dangit." Her giggle told him he had made the right choice in calling her.
"Fine! But I am NOT singing Christmas Caroles and I swear if Greg comes near me with that stupid mistletoe hat one more time, I'm gonna turn Grissom loose on him." They said their goodbyes through the laughter and Nick felt much better about what he would be going home to in a few days.
"Home… Huh, who would've thought that?" Nick was truly surprised that he honestly thought of Vegas as home. More surprising was the fact that he truly believed it was the first time he had ever done that.
As he closed up the phone and put it in his pocket, he realized that he had made his way back to the stables, yet again. They seemed to have some kind of pull on him, but he was not exactly unhappy about it. One of the many things that bothered him about his hours was the fact that he rarely got an opportunity to just get out into it and relax. And if there was one thing he knew about riding a horse, was that it certainly was relaxing for him.
His father's new Palomino had wandered into the outside corral again and he found his attention drawn to it. The horse was yet to be broken, so his father had given it the greatest freedom at the stables with shelter from the elements, but also a fair sized corral for greater movement. When it came to his horses, Judge Stokes was an unusually sensitive man, and he did everything in his power to minimize an animal's anxiety. Nick only wished the same held true for his children.
When he told his mother that his fear of the Judge guided many of his decisions in life, he had not been exaggerating. The fear of seeing that disappointment in his father's eyes always weighed heavy on Nick for everything he did in life. He knew he should not base his life on his father's approval, but old habits did indeed die hard.
As his attention drifted away from the horse and thoughts of his father, Nick caught the faint sound of something rustling overhead. He looked up and thought he noticed a slight bit a light coming from the hay loft that should not have been there. His natural curiosity got the better of him and he went in to investigate.
Just as he was about to step onto the first stair leading to the loft, a head leaned over the opening and he watched as his eldest niece released a lung full of smoke and breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's just you."
Nick chuckled at her reaction and started up the stairs. "Well, a fine how d'you do, ta you, too."
"Whatever, I was only worried if it was Gramps. He comes out here most nights to check on the new Pally." When he reached the top of the steps, Nick saw that his niece was laying back against a wool saddle blanket, spread over a few hay bales, and it looked like a fairly regular resting spot for her.
"Comfortable?" She shrugged and took another drag off of her cigarette. "Livin' dangerously, aren't 'cha?" He leaned against the safety railing above the stairs.
Neeley regarded the butt with little interest and said, "It's the forgivable sin. And besides, how else do ya expect me ta put up with that…" She pointed toward the house with disdain in her voice, "without a little help?"
Nick had noticed that things were obviously tense between Neeley and her parents, but decided it would be best to wait until she was ready to talk about it. Maybe this was her way of bringing it up. "Yeah, I noticed things have been a little chilly between you and the folks… You wanna talk about it?"
He watched as she tried to play it off, if only for a moment. Better judgment quickly overrode her need to keep the peace and she motioned for him to take a seat. "Mom's pissed and Pop's without a clue 'bout what ta say."
"Now, Daniel's never been one for bein' short on words, so I find that a little hard to believe , kiddo." Nick sat down on the bales directly opposite her to get the full story.
"Yeah, well, I guess findin' out yer only daughter isn't exactly gonna have the comin' out party ya wanted will do that to ya … Well, at least, I ain't never heard of a cotillion for announcin' yer daughter's a dyke." Nick nearly choked on what little air remained in his lungs after her declaration.
"WHAT?" It was the only thing Nick was able to muster in his state of supreme shock.
Neeley gave him a confused look and asked, "Didn't Grams tell ya?" All that she saw in response was his blank expression and it became obvious that she had not. "Huh, I would've thought fer certain she'd told ya when y'all had that little talk the other night."
Nick sat there with ten million things going through his mind at once and none of it was helping him to come up with a response to the news his niece had dealt him. Nick was at a complete loss for words. When she saw his vacant stare, Neeley's expression immediately turned to sorrow. "Wow… I never thought you'd be like that, Uncle Nicky. I'm kinda disappointed."
Nick was shocked back to the conversation by his niece's saddened statement. "Wait a minute, now. You can't jus' drop a bomb like that on a guy and expect him ta have all the answers, right up front."
Neeley shook her head and answered, "I didn't expect ya ta have any answers, but I at least thought you wouldn't look like I jus' killed yer hamster, or somethin'."
He had no idea where it came from, but all of a sudden, he felt an undeniable urge to laugh his ass off. And so he did, much to the initial dismay of his niece. However, when he did not stop laughing, and only laughed harder at the incredulous expression on her face, she was unable to resist joining in. Before long, they were both clutching their sides and breathing in heaving gasps between laughs as they tried to calm down.
"Oh God! I'm sorry," he managed to squeak out between laughs. "But that was the one thing missin' from this whole horrible month."
She looked at him through tear filled eyes, her own laughter having rendered her nearly speechless. "What's that?"
"The trifecta of twenty first century women… I've been attacked by militant feminists, new age equality freaks, and now; a lesbian." He worked to put himself upright again as he spoke.
Neeley's mirth seemed to die with his statement. "Please tell me those aren't your only categories for women? Not that you should lump anyone into categories, mind ya." She saw something in his expression that appeared to frighten her and she sighed, "Damn, Uncle Nicky… I thought if anybody'd escaped the family curse, it had ta be you."
The last of his laughter was silenced by her words. "What curse?"
"The ridiculous stereotypes and behavior patterns that this whole family…hell, the whole damn state, and maybe even the entire South puts on gender roles. Women are only this and men are only that. Separate social clubs, and separate careers; if they even let the woman have a career. And believe me, it takes a helluva woman to pull that one off without a string of divorces as long as my arm." Neeley shook her head at the notion and then continued. "I know you've seen it. I mean really, y'all are in there watchin' football, bein' waited on, hand and foot, by women with advanced educations, so it's not like it isn't obvious, or nuthin'."
Nick was about to say something, but Neeley was on a roll at that point. "And don't you dare come into that parlour when they're in there squawkin' about somethin', 'cause that's womenfolk territory, little man. Hell! I don't even know what they're doin' in there, because my skin crawls listenin' to them talk about babies, and stretchmarks, and recipes for this or that like they weren't lawyers and executives. The whole thing jus' makes me sick."
He waited a moment to see if she had any steam left and when he could tell that she had indeed run out, he spoke again. "Man, girl… This been botherin' you fer a while now, or what?"
"Somethin' like that… Look, I'm sorry fer jumpin' down yer throat like that, it's jus-"
"Yer still tryin' to figure out where you fit into the whole thing, and don't see too much in the way of wiggle room in those models?" Nick tried to get his niece to crack a smile, but it seemed to only sadden her more.
"And it sucks, big time." Nick saw that Neeley truly was fighting to find a place in their terribly conservative family.
He moved closer to her, put an arm around her shoulders and drew her into his embrace. "Well, kid, welcome to adulthood. Most of it sucks." That was the first chuckle he had gotten since she started her tirade.
"Ya know, ya could've told me this before hand?"
"Nah, then who'd I have ta commiserate with in this glorious mess we call a family?" That was the right thing to say, because she immediately wrapped her arms around his midsection and gave him a solid hug.
"So, if yer the prodigal son and family hermit, what's that leave fer me?"
Nick took a deep breath and thought about that for a moment, then blew the air out through his nose. "I got it… Yer the butch sheep… I mean, black sheep." She looked up and saw his careful wink and then they both laughed at the sheer humor of the situation they were both in at that very moment.
"Awright… How many more ya got ta get it out of yer system?"
Nick shook his head and said plainly, "Oooo, none that I care to repeat, and certainly NOT in mixed company."
"Can't be any worse than the one I heard about the little boy who had his fin-"
Nick instantly cut her off and said, "Heard it, and DEFINITELY don't want ta hear it from the little girl whose diapers I changed."
"Spoil sport." She let go of him and reached down for her cigarettes again.
Nick grabbed hold of her hand and asked, "Do me a favor, please?"
"I know… Don't smoke, right?" She picked up the pack and tossed it into the garbage pail near the stairs. "Happy?"
Nick gave her a suspicious glare and asked, "Empty?"
She smiled at his guess and nodded her head. "Sorry, but I had ta try. Anyway, ya can't blame me… It's been a VERY long weekend with my mother walkin' around in a snit the whole damn time."
Nick hugged her again and then kissed her forehead the way he had when she was little, and it reminded him that sometimes it was good for a few things to never change. "Look, squirt… I don't know what ta tell ya about yer mother, because quite frankly, she baffles the hell outta me, too. But yer old man'll come around, eventually. He may have a little trouble at first, but I happen to know fer a fact that the man loves ya more than football." He looked down into her waiting eyes and delivered the final blow. "And we both know how much that is in this family."
"God, Texas, Family and Football… Unless the Aggies make it to a bowl game, and then all bets are off." Their comfort seemed to snap right back into place with their shared joke.
As they leaned back against one of the hay bales, Neeley rested her head on her Uncle Nick's shoulder and asked, "So, why're you havin' a shitty month?"
Nick shook his head at Neeley's choice of language, but he knew it was a losing battle. The girl had spent her lifetime fighting against everything her mother stood for, and the single best way she could get under the woman's skin was to use "unladylike language." So, Nick tried to shrug it off as he answered her question. "Oh, nothing big… My two best friends are in these great relationships, with my two bosses-"
"Yeah, Gram's told me yer friend Sara was gettin' hitched at the end of the month." Neeley's interruption reminded him again why he liked talking to her more than anyone else in the family; Neeley actually listened when he talked. "She's the one that can do algebra in her head and keeps yer butt in line, right? The one you said was hung up on some guy that didn't have a clue what to do with her?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
"So, who's she marrying?" Her question seemed innocent enough, but Nick was about to shock her.
"That guy who finally pulled his head out of his butt and figured out what to do with her is my boss."
She looked up and saw his devilish smile. "Damn! That guy was Dr. Grissom?" His nod told her all she needed to know. "Well, I guess it just goes to show… Don't matter how smart ya think ya are, you can still be a dumbass."
"What do you know about Grissom?"
"Puh-lease! He's only one of the most respected men in forensic science right now." That surprised Nick and he had to get a good look at her to see if she was serious.
"Since when've you been interested in forensics?"
She immediately shot back at him, "Ever since I chose biochemistry as my major."
"Well, it would've been nice if you'd have told me."
"And it'd be even better if ya called me once in a while. I haven't really been able ta talk ta you in like two years, Uncle Nick, so don't go blamin' me fer being outta the loop." Her words hit home, and hard. "Hell, if it weren't fer the internet, I wouldn't have even known what happened to ya when Grams and Gramps took off fer Vegas in the middle of the night."
"Aw man… Neeley, I jus-…" The words caught in his throat and he knew he had some explaining to do. "Look, I'm sorry about all that, but honestly, I don't talk ta anybody about that stuff, kid. It's a part of my life I'd just as soon forget, okay?"
"Yer not just sayin' that 'cause I'm a girl?" Nick looked into her eyes with that comment and found a pure jokester staring back at him. "Gotcha."
He smirked and then waggled a finger at her. "And that's the other reason I'm havin' a rough go of it lately… You women and yer insane need to hyperanalyze everything a poor guy does, until he don't know if he's comin' or goin'."
She shrugged him off. "It not just guys… We pretty much do that with everyone. For some strange reason, we like to understand what makes people tick before we decide anything about 'em." She ended her jab with a wink, but Nick was serious.
"What do you mean?"
Neeley had not expected a question from that statement, because she thought it was self-explanatory. "Just that… I don't like making assumptions about anybody on account of appearances or first impressions. It's tough sometimes, especially when yer first impressions end up right, most of the time. But take my friend José, most people see him and the only thing that they see is a drugged out Mexican. Fact is, José's from Columbia, his parents were in the diplomatic corps and were both killed by the Medellín when he was a baby, and came to the states to live with his Aunt and Uncle, who worked in the State Department as interpreters. He also happens to have Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, but nobody can ever get past his appearance to find out what he's really like. They just see what they want to, because the truth is a lot harder to work out, and who wants to cross those pre-set societal boundaries, ya know?"
Nick shook his head and asked, "You sure yer takin' chemistry? 'Cause that sounds an awful lot like Sociology ta me."
"Kid all ya want, but ya know it's true. In fact, Momma practically had a hissy fit when she saw me talkin' to José after school the first time. Actually told me ta 'be careful 'round them Mexicans, honey. I wouldn't want you gettin' inta any trouble now, ya hear?' I nearly choked, Uncle Nicky." Neeley still looked shocked that her mother had said something like that.
"Well, I don't think yer mother is exactly the best person ta reference when it comes to social tolerance, ya know. She wouldn't let you go to the park out by yer old house with me if I was going to toss the ball around with my buddy Sam, after all."
"Which one was he?" She scanned her memories to come up with a face for the name.
"The one who was an All American Running Back for Grambling?" Nick gave her a knowing look and then it dawned on her.
"OH! The black guy. Isn't he the one in the U.S. Attorney's office out in D.C.?" Nick was amazed once again with just how much she really did pay attention to him when he talked to her.
"Yeah, same guy. But yer mother thought it was 'just askin' fer trouble.' I was only seventeen, but I still wanted ta brain her for that one." Nick was still shaking his head when Neeley spoke again.
"Yeah, well, that's just another one of those things on the list that makes me wish I'd have gone to school outta state." He could see she was serious, but he was forced to admit that he had been absent when she was making that decision and it made him feel worse. "But I got a great advisor up in College Station, even if there's this one professor that is constantly holding me up to the standard set by the family."
"Aw, man… Yer not gettin' the Stokes treatment, are ya?" Nick cringed at the thought. It was one of the things that he always hated about being in Texas. There was a lot to live up to being a Stokes in Texas.
"Nah… I'm gettin' the 'well, I never heard your Uncle Nick complainin' about my readin' assignments' or my personal favorite, 'I don't seem to recall Nick ever startin' a campus protest, maybe you should try one of the athletic programs for all that extra energy.'" Nick realized that it was not the Stokes family curse she had incurred, but it was the careful prodding of one Dr. Cecil Abernathy, professor extraordinaire and world class joker.
"Lemme guess… Dr. Abernathy?" She nodded in eager affirmation at his guess. "I knew it! That old buzzard used the same garbage on me. 'Mr. Stokes, I seem to recall that your mother never questioned any of my assignments.' He's just yankin' yer chain, Neeley."
"That mean ole bastard! I shoulda known he was playin' me, but you gotta admit, he does make the game fun." The two shared another private laugh, and settled into more tales of life in the Station.
However, there was something bothering him about what his niece had said regarding making assumptions about people. And so, he carefully steered the conversation back around until finally he was able to ask, "What d'you think about me, in that respect?"
She scrunched up her mouth and then asked, "You want honest, or the party line?"
"Do yer worst."
"Well, honestly, I know yer not as bad as every other male in this family… Well, except for Michael, but he's married in and he still has time."
They both looked at each other and then simultaneously said, "Not married to Connie."
"Anyway, yer not like most guys, and you do try…most of the time. But, you still fall into those comfortable patterns a lot, and I bet it's been gettin' you in a lotta trouble lately, huh?" Nick rolled his eyes at her question. "Yeah, I had a feelin' with that comment about women from earlier. So, which ones are the rabid feminists and which one is the hippie child?"
Nick laughed to hear his niece make such an amazingly accurate assessment of his recent strife. "Well, you know about Sara-"
"Oh right, the one gettin' married is a rabid feminist. Whatever, try again." Neeley had quickly shot down his first example, but Nick was not yet ready to concede.
"Awright, so she's an enlightened feminist, but she still packs a helluva punch."
"Truth hurts… Move on." She was not going to let him off easy, at all.
"Fine, well the hippie child, as you put it, is not a hippie child, she just had these really connected parents I guess. They shared everything, straight down the line. Of course, the fact that this girl is a flippin' genius probably didn't hurt in that regard. They probably had to split it down the middle just to keep up with her." Nick regaled her with his description of Stephanie. "Anyway, she's the one who I accidentally whistled at when sh-"
"You didn't! No way!" Neeley was staring at him with her eyes as wide as he could ever remember them and he actually blushed at the notion. "Oh wow! That's worse than I thought, Uncle Nicky!" Nick hung his head with the embarrassment, all over again. "You should've been horse whipped fer that one."
"Trust me, what I got was much worse. It was almost a year ago, and I'm still catchin' hell fer that one. And it doesn't help that this girl, well, she's also kinda huge… I mean, like she's over six foot tall and played basketball in college. Unfortunately, I didn't find out about that until she kicked my a-…" Nick caught himself quickly, as he had nearly forgotten who he was talking to by that point. "Knocked me out shootin' hoops out back of the lab one night."
Neeley shook her head and laughed, "Man, you still can't cuss in mixed company, huh? Don't get me wrong, I think you deserved everything that woman dished out to ya, but I can't believe you still do all that stuff that Gramps says 'a proper Southern gentleman should never do in the presence of a lady.'"
"There's some things that are just about respect, Neeley. It's not all bad stuff." Nick was tired of that fight, and was in no mood to have it with someone in his own family.
"No, I get that, but I seriously think you may be the only one…well, other than Gramps…that actually does it fer that reason. I mean, Poppa, maybe, but most of the time he's just puttin' on aires. But you honestly think it's just about respect, huh?" Neeley was shaking her head with disbelief as she spoke.
"Well, yeah." It was a simple answer, but sometimes, the simplest answer was the best one. When you hear hoof beats, you don't think zebras. "Well, I'll be a son of a-"
"First rate defense attorney?" He looked up and saw the impish glint in his niece's eyes.
His smile started on the left side of his face, and then he gritted his teeth as he reached out and put her head in a lock and started rubbing his knuckles into her scalp. "You got way too much smart alec in ya, kid… Time for NOOGIES!" Before long, they were collapsed in a heap on the floor, laughing until their sides hurt again.
When they resumed normal breathing, Nick was surprised again when Neeley asked, "So, who's the other bra-burner ridin' yer ass?"
"Anybody ever tell you yer a little blunt, kid?"
"On occasion, but I don't pay 'em any mind."
Nick took in a deep breath and then said, "Well, you remember that desert case I was tellin' ya 'bout?"
"Yeah, the one with that lady geology professor." Neeley sat up and looked at him sharply. "Oh man! Don't tell me, you thought she was a man and made an ass of yerself, right?"
Nick cringed at the accuracy of her conclusion. His niece gave him a good punch in the arm and said, "Serves ya right, ya big goof!
He knew she was right, but he was not about to admit to anymore. Instead, he managed to wrestle her to the ground. "Who's a goof? Huh? Who's the goof?" Their combined laughter soared through the rafters of the barn.
She finally managed to wriggle her way out of his grasp and jumped to her feet. "HA! Yer too slow, old man."
Nick simply fell back into the floor and huffed. "Well, if I'm such an old man, then why don't ya help a guy up." She leaned down and gave him her hands, which he used as leverage to get to his feet, and then pushed her into the loose hay. "Not bad fer an old man, huh?"
As he approached, hands extended, ready to tickle her senseless, she cried out, "Uncle, uncle, uncle! I give." He reached out and pulled her to her feet in a single swift motion. She looked around the loft for a moment and then put her hands on her hips and exclaimed, "Man! It's a good thing Wally's gonna be up here before Gramps gets a chance to see what we did to his fresh hay."
Nick gave her a sly grin and said, "Trust me, the Judge has had a lot of messed up hay in the past… He'll just be glad not to find one of the horses munchin' on a pair of wayward skivvies again."
She slapped his arm and said, "No way! Yer such a dog, Uncle Nicky!"
"Hey, don't look at me… How d'you think you got here, kiddo?" He walked down the stairs as his niece stood, white faced and in a complete stupor at the top as she processed that little piece of information.
It took a moment, but she soon recovered her faculties and went racing down the steps after her uncle shouting. "WAIT… Who's skivvies were they?"