Chapter Fifteen: Rollercoaster of Emotions

Watching the new mother holding her gurgling baby in her arms, Greg teased, "Wow, look at that, he's scowling at me, just like Grissom does." He giggled as Grissom responded by scowling towards him, just like his son. "Can I hold him? I swear I won't drop him." He promised.

"Sure." Sara lifted her son a little higher, watching Greg carefully putting his arms around him, before she let him go. "This one's Benjamin. William was the first one out. Vivian's still in the incubator. Maybe Grissom can take you to see her before you go."

"Vivian, William and Benjamin? You went with more traditional names, rather than the new hip names, like Greg." He grinned at the new parents.

"Why would we wonna name one of our son's after you?" Grissom looked towards him, handing William over to his wife.

"Maybe 'cause I'm gonna be their favourite uncle."

"Would you settle for god parent?" Sara asked him, looking towards her significant other for approval. "After what you said about us all going off and having babies, leaving you alone, it got me thinking. Nick and Catherine already have their families, Warrick's still cheating on his wife, that he hasn't yet divorced... and you're the most reliable, single guy at the lab."

"God father... to all three?" Greg looked at her surprised, feeling a warm swirl in his stomach, as someone finally saw him as a reliable adult. "I'd love to. Are you okay with this?" He looked towards Grissom. The older man looked at the mother of his children a moment, before he gave his youngest CSI a nod. "Cool. I've never been anything important in my life."

"Not true." Grissom shook his head, going for a compliment, but he didn't quite know what to say next. "So, did Nick get back okay?" He changed the subject. "He came back last night, right?"

"Early this morning actually." Greg corrected him, handing the fussing baby over to his father. "He's home sleeping. I think he's okay. He said he was gonna go see his daughter later."

"He say when he'd be back at work."

"Gil." His significant other glared at him. "Don't you think he could use a little more time?"

"Time the lab can't afford. Unless he actually books some official time off, I'm gonna have to find someone to replace him." Grissom pointed out to her, having been hassled by Ecklie for the past few days, from his lab being understaffed. "Speaking of the lab, I'm going over there later. Greg, you're still on call, right?"

"Uh huh, I fully charged my phone, so I won't miss it this time." He assured him.

"Good." Grissom set down his son in the crib, before grabbing his jacket from the chair across the room. "I'll call you later, keep me posted on Vivian." He warned his significant other, leaving the room without a proper goodbye.

"Can he ever get away from the job?" Greg asked, perching himself on the edge of Sara's bed. "Keep me posted on Vivian." He directly quoted him. "Sounds like he thinks she's a case."

"I think it makes it easier for him to deal." Sara spoke softly; rocking her son in her arms, unaffected by the way he left. "This job really screws things up. We've seen so much, so we always expect the worst, even with our own families."

"With Nick it really happened."

"How's he doing... really?" Sara lifted her gaze to Greg's, watching her pseudo little brother giving him a shrug. "So, you didn't talk to him?"

"Not so much. I drove him home, then I fell asleep. I don't think he really wanted to talk about it anyway, you know Nick."

Sara gave him a nod. "What actually happened with Bradley? I know he OD'd..."

"I think you should ask Nick." He interrupted her. "If he wants to tell you that is."

"Is he taking it pretty hard?"

"Considering the circumstances, anybody would take it hard." The younger man pointed out to her, brushing his fingertip across the little boy's forehead. "I can't believe how little they are. When I first saw Willa, I thought she was tiny, but she's huge compared to these two."

"They are newborns." She giggled softly. "That's the thing about kids, they grow fast."

Thinking about the baby growing inside of Molly, Greg gave her a nod, realising that his baby girl or boy would be here in just a few short months. He still couldn't believe that he was going to be a father; especially to a baby with a woman he could no longer stand.

Kneeling down in front of Willa, Nick smiled as the little girl batted her hand at the toy above her, while she wriggled about on the squeaky mat beneath her. "She definitely looks healthier." He looked towards Angela across the room. "She eatin' okay?"

"I've still got her on formula. She likes a few pureed vegetables, and she tried oatmeal the other day. Mashed up bananas too." Angela took a seat on the sofa, smiling as the little girl between them made happy gurgling noises. "I know you just got back from... but do you know what you're going to do yet?" She queried, patiently waiting for his answer.

"I was gonna set up some things for her today." He indicated towards Willa. "I can take them both back home tomorrow, unless you want me to take them today."

"No, no... tomorrow is fine. I have a friend in the department who can help us out on getting a court hearing scheduled for the temporary custody." She smiled at him. "And if you need any help with the school run next week, just ask, okay? Tony takes our kids to the school gate; he wouldn't mind taking Tayla too."

"Thanks." Nick smiled back, watching her leaving the room, before he turned to look at Willa beside him again. She was still wearing her pink pyjamas, sprawled out beneath her activity gym, entertaining herself with the various toys that hung over her head.

Angela and Tony didn't have to worry about her bumping into the various tables and things around her yet, as she still hadn't figured out how to crawl, leaving her stranded on her back.

Lying on his side beside her, Nick shook the little lion above her head that had a rattle in its tummy, making her smile at the sound. Willa reached her hand out for the toy, trying to pull it towards her to put it into her mouth, but it didn't quite reach. The frustrated little girl gave out a whimper, looking as though she was about to cry, until Nick placed his thumb in her little hand.

Willa gripped it tightly between her little fingers, studying the little bumps and creases in his skin, before she tried to put that in her mouth too. As she opened her mouth, Nick noticed that she had a few more teeth in her mouth, since the last time he saw her.

"Hi, honey." Angela greeted her husband at the door, ushering the children into the house. She pointed Tayla straight through to the front room, where Nick was still lying beside Willa.

"Daddy!" Tayla hurried into the room, crashing into his arms.

"Hi, baby girl." He wrapped his arms tightly around her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Tayla responded, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Are you staying?"

"Yeah, I'm not goin' anywhere else." Climbing to his feet, Nick lifted her into his arms, carrying her towards the back door, so they had some privacy from Angela and her children. Nick took a seat on the bench in the middle of the patio, sitting Tayla down on his lap.

"Daddy look, that's Goldie." Tayla pointed towards her Aunt's golden retriever, rolling around in the sun. "Uncle Tony let me hold her leach, when we took her for a walk yesterday. Could we get a dog?"

"I don't think we can afford one, honey." Nick playfully ruffled his hand through the dog's soft coat, giving her a smile as she pushed her nose into his hand.

Tayla gently brushed her hand across the dog's head, tilting her head back against her father's chest. "I wish we had more money." She sighed, making her father smile. "How come Aunt Angela has more money than us?"

"Because Aunt Angela and her husband, Uncle Tony are both lawyers." He pointed out to her. "Lawyers make a lot of money, and your Aunt and Uncle have to make a lot of money. They have five kids, mortgage payments, utilities, cars... and the dog." He gently brushed his daughter's hair back behind her ear, giving her a curious look. "What's the matter, honey?"

"I miss Mommy."

"I miss her too." Nick wrapped his arms tighter around her, while Tayla gently stroked the dog in front of them.

"Do you think she can see me?"

"Yeah." He looked down into her eyes. "She can see you all the time now, and she loves you, just as much as she did when she was alive."

"That's what Mommy used to say, after Grandma died."

"Then you know it's the truth."

Tayla playfully ruffled her hand across Goldie's head, before she looked round at her father again. "Greg told me that when somebody dies, it's only their body that dies."

"That's true too."

"Does that mean that when I die, Mommy will still be the same age when I see her again?"

"Probably." He shrugged, not used to talking about death with children. The people he dealt with everyday on the job were usually old enough to understand death. They didn't ask what came after or when they'd meet them again, because they understood that they were gone. "She'll be watchin' over you for the rest of your life though. She's gonna watch you grow up to be a beautiful young woman. She's gonna see you go to prom, get married... all in the very distant future though." He quickly added.

"Will you be there?"

"Of course I will, someone's gonna have to keep all the boys away from you." He playfully tickled her, making Tayla giggle in his arms. "So, are you ready to move back in with me tomorrow?" He whispered, watching her nodding her head slightly. "I'm gonna get your sister's things set up today, unpack your room, then move you both back in tomorrow... for good."

"For good?" She questioned, tilting her head back across his chest.

"Yeah for good. I'm gonna look after both of you now." He promised her, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "I'm gonna take you to school, feed you, tuck you into bed, read you stories, give you baths, everythin' I used to do when I lived at home with you."

"You promise?"

"I promise." As he rested his chin on the top of her head, Nick watched her little fingers weaving through the dog's soft fur, deciding that now was probably the best time to tell her what was going on. "Remember I told you that Bradley was in the hospital?" He whispered softly. "Well, he's almost better now, and Bradley wants to come here and live with us."

"Where will he sleep?"

"In his room, you're gonna sleep in yours, and I'm gonna put Willa's crib in my room for a while, until she's old enough to share with you." He explained to her. "Do you remember Bradley's mother, Samantha?"

"Uh huh." She nodded.

"Well, she's gonna stay with us for a little while too. Bradley's flyin' over with her, as soon as he's better. You don't mind if she stays with us too, do you?" He asked her, watching her shaking her head against his chest. "That's good, so... whatcha been doin' without me?"

Struggling against his restraints, Bradley anxiously looked towards the door of his room, feeling his chest beginning to ache from his short choppy breaths. His mother had been with him since his father left for his flight back to Vegas, but he didn't feel as safe without his father at his side, especially now that his mother had left him to continue packing, leaving him alone in the hospital.

"Hey there, sweetie." A nurse poked her head into the room, checking on the monitors beside his bed. "What's the matter? You know, this call button is supposed to be for emergencies." She pointed out to him, prying it from his grip.

"I want my Dad. I wonna go home."

"Well, I can't letcha go home just yet, but I can call your father for you." She suggested, dialling the man's number, as she had kept his card in her pocket. As she heard the familiar ring in the background, she gently unstrapped one of Bradley's wrists, handing over the phone.

"Hello?" Nick answered, just getting in the door of his house, after spending the afternoon with the girls.

"Dad." Bradley answered him, waiting for the too nice nurse to leave the room, before he spoke again, "I wonna come home."

"We talked about this bud; you can't come home with me, until the doctor releases you." He reminded him, ushering Greg into the house, so he could close the door behind him. "You don't want to move from one hospital to another, do you? Where's your mother?"

"She went home to pack."

Nick immediately pulled his cell from his pocket, texting Samantha to get back to the hospital. "Honey, I told you that he can't hurt you anymore, you're perfectly safe. I'd be there in a heartbeat if I could, but you'll be home with me before you know it. If you really need me, I can grab the..."

"No." Bradley cut him off, feeling guilty for wanting his father back already.

"Are you sure, 'cause I can..."

"I'm okay, Dad." His son assured him, feeling a little less terrified, just from the sound of his voice. "The police came today." He remembered. "They were askin' me all sorts of questions."

"They were?" Nick leant back against his kitchen counter, looking at the pictures of his children on the fridge. "Was your mother there when they were askin' you these questions?"

"Uh huh, she made them go away when they asked... what he did to me."

Nick suddenly started to wish that he hadn't come home so soon, as he knew how invasive some of their questions could be, especially to a child. He looked down as his phone started to vibrate, reading a message from Samantha, telling him she was on her way back to the hospital now.

"You don't have to answer any more of their questions, darlin'. You never have to see him again, and they don't exactly have to build a case to put him away, so they don't need to talk to you at all really."

"They asked me if you did anythin' to me again." Bradley spoke softly. "Mom almost bit his head off." He chuckled at the memory.

"Good." Nick smiled into his phone. "You know I'd never hurt you. I love you, kiddo."

"I love you too."

"He okay?" Greg handed his best friend one of the coffees from his hands, as he continued to stare at his phone. Nick remained silent though, looking as though he was in deep thought. "You can't go blaming yourself again. You know that this has nothing to do with you."

"The police seem to think it does. They asked my son if he was sure that I didn't do anythin' to him."

Greg shook his head, gently cupping the man's face in his hands, "They don't know you. They don't know anything about you."

"And you do?"

"Uh huh, I've seen you naked. I know every inch of you." He cheekily grinned at him. "And I know that you'd never do anything like this. You can't even live with yourself, knowing what happened to him. You're not capable of something like that. Your hearts too pure."

"Maybe I should get you to talk to my father." He smirked, realising he had never told Greg about what went on between them. "It's a long story, but I bet you could convince him that I'm not some... devil worshipper, like he thinks."

"He has no clue who you are either. He spent so much time trying to make you into something that you're not, that he never actually got to know the real you. Making him a dumbass, because you're the most amazing person in the world." Greg beamed a wide smile at him. "He's a fool to try and change you."

"Damn, Greg." He wiped his eyes. "You're gonna have me in tears at this rate."

The younger man giggled softly, wrapping his arms around his former lover's shoulders. "I'm sorry. But it's the truth."

"We better get started on this crib." Nick suggested, pulling away from Greg as he felt his body responding to Greg's seemingly innocent hug. "Where'd you go earlier?" He queried, making his way towards his bedroom. "I fell asleep with you beside me, then when I woke up, you were gone."

"I went to the hospital, to see Sara." Greg carried their coffees through to bedroom, setting them down on the top of Nick's dresser. "Their twins are adorable. I think I held William... or maybe it was Benjamin, and Sara wants me to be their god father. I saw Vivian too, she's really tiny. She was covered in all these wires and tubes, head to toe."

"She gonna be alright?" Nick pulled his pen knife from his pocket, cutting the tape sealing the box shut.

"I think so. I hope so anyway. Sara said that Grissom is trying to keep his distance from her, so he doesn't get too attached. He's afraid the worst is gonna happen or something."

"Babies do give you a whole new perspective on life." As Greg suddenly burst into tears, Nick quickly climbed to his feet, gently wrapping his arms around him. "Hey, hey, what's the matter? Are you worried about Vivian, because I'm sure she's gonna be fine. Look who her mother is. Sara's the toughest woman I know." He whispered, gently smoothing his hands up and down the younger man's hitching back. "Was it somethin' else I said? Greg, talk to me, baby. You're scarin' me."

Greg pulled back from Nick, looking at him through the tears in his eyes. "It's not about that . . . I-I'm in trouble." He stammered.

"Trouble?" Nick feared what kind of trouble he was going to be in, not sure he could take anymore drama this year from the people he loved. "Greg... whatever it is, you know you can tell me anythin'." Leading Greg back to the bed, he sat him down, taking a seat beside him. He gently brushed his thumb across the tears on Greg's cheek, looking him in the eye. "There's nothin' you could ever tell me that would make me think different of you."

"I don't wonna bother you with it." He shook his head, wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands. "I feel so stupid for even crying about it."

"Don't. And you couldn't ever bother me. You're important to me." He looked deeper into his eyes, as if he was trying to read what was on his mind. "C'mon Greg, I can't bear to see you like this. I've never seen you burst into tears over somethin' before. Just tell me what it is."

"You're gonna hate me." Greg shook his head, feeling Nick's arms slipping around his waist. He closed his eyes as Nick pulled him closer against his chest, holding him tightly in his warm embrace. "You're gonna think I'm stupid."

"No I won't. Would you save the judgements for me?" He rested his head on Greg's soft hair, listening to the younger man's soft breathing that brushed against his neck. "C'mon, tell me."

Without a second thought, Greg spilled his guts, telling Nick all about the drama queen ruling his life, threatening him with rape charges, unless he agreed to marry her.

A few minutes later, Greg lifted his head from Nick's chest, looking up into his eyes. "I can't believe I cried." He felt embarrassed by his outburst, wondering what Nick was thinking of him. "I told you that you'd think I was stupid."

"Greg, she threatened you with rape." Nick brushed his fingertips across the younger man's forehead, before he touched his lips to his tear stroked cheek. "You can't honestly believe that any of us would ever believe her though. We know you better than that." He assured him. "This doctor's appointment you had, did you have a blood test done? Or a hair sample, you can easily prove that she drugged you."

"Don' touch the hair." Greg pushed his hands away from him, suddenly realising how stupid he had been. "Some DNA expert I am."

"You were a little preoccupied." Nick pointed out to him. "Even if she didn't tell you how she had done it in the first place, she's blackmailin' you into marryin' her. She's keepin' her love child, as she calls it. She was the one who announced it to the lab that she was carryin' your baby, and she was the one who announced your fake engagement, right?"

"Yep." He nodded. "Warrick thinks I'm cheating on you, he even threatened to put me in the hospital if I hurt you, and the others are just as surprised as me."

"You're bein' played, Greg. By an amateur." He whispered, tightening his embrace around the man's fragile body. "And he can't touch you. If he even tries, I'll be the one puttin' someone in hospital. Are you even sure she's pregnant?"

Greg shook his head, slowly lifting his gaze to meet Nick's. "Do you think she's faking that?"

Nick gave him a shrug, gently brushing his fingertips across the younger man's jaw line. "Call her bluff. Break up with her. Tell her the weddin' is off. Or kiss me in front of her."

Greg giggled softly, rolling his eyes at the older man. "How will that help?"

"It'll make me feel better." He grinned. "She's just a bully, Greg. She's got nothin' on you. She can't have, because you're the most amazin' man in the world. You have a heart of gold." He whispered, touching angelic kisses to each of Greg's puffy eyes. "The dozy bitch even told you what she drugged you with. She can't prove that you allegedly raped her, and even if she did cry rape, no one would believe her. If a woman is raped, she wouldn't start plannin' her future with the very man who did it... unless she's seriously delusional. No one's gonna believe her. She's a loon."

"That's my fake fiancé you're talking about." Greg smiled at him. "See how stupid I am without you."

"You're not stupid. You haven't been yourself lately, and she took advantage of that, makin' you into a victim."

"I hate that word." Greg cringed, breathing in a deep breath of his ex-lover's familiar scent. "I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"Dumping my problems on you, when you've got all this to deal with." Greg indicated towards the empty house, that would soon be full of children, all needing Nick. "Thirteen, seven and a baby. You're gonna have your hands full, and then here's me, crying over... nothing."

"It's not nothin'." The older man assured him. "You're a part of my life too. And this stuff is scary; you were scared that you'd lose everythin', just from the snap of this little queen's fingers. It's not your fault, but she wrapped you around her little finger, gettin' you right where she wanted you. Don't fret it, baby. I'll sort it out for you."

"What about the baby? If she is really pregnant with my baby, what do I do?" Greg asked, grateful to have a guy like Nick in his life, even though he usually hated it when people fought his battles. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I can't make that decision for you, Greg. That's your flesh and blood." He pointed out to him, looking the younger man in the eye. "Kids are the most important thing. You shouldn't let your feelin's for the mother of your child get in the way of your relationship with your little girl or your little boy." He paused to brush his fingertips through Greg's hair, giving him a small smile. "My Greggo's growin' up. If she is . . . that means you're gonna be a father too."

"I don't think I'm really father material." Greg looked down at his hands, explaining, "Ever since I found out that she was pregnant, I haven't thought about the baby once. Even while I was holding Sara's baby, I still don't want a baby. I don't even want to be a father."

"Maybe your feelin's for Molly are cloudin' your..."

"No, you don't get it Nicky. I really, really don't want to be a father." He insisted. "It works for you, because you're good at it. You've been doing it for years, and you make a great father. You're good at putting other people before yourself, but I'm not. It scared me when I found out that I loved you. The thought of having a baby is terrifying. I know I'll screw it up, even though I've never tried."

"You really don't know yourself then."

"I think I know myself pretty well. I've learnt from you and my own father, that fathers have to be strong, in more ways than one. A father has to provide for a family, not just financially, but they have to support their family. A father's the leader, but I'm not."

"You think I was always like this?" Nick chuckled softly. "When I found out that Samantha was pregnant with Bradley, I was terrified. I was only twenty one when she was pregnant, and the thought of havin' a child at that age... I had no idea what I was gonna do. I was still in college. I only had a part time job, and I barely had enough money to pay for the loan on my car that my folks bought for me. When she said that she wanted to get rid of him... at first, I thought it would be a good idea. Neither of us were prepared to have a kid, we were still practically kids ourselves, but then we saw him movin' on the monitor. I realised for the first time that he was real, and he had a right to be born."

"You coulda put him up for adoption."

"We coulda." Nick nodded, turning to look Greg in the eye. "We were plannin' on that too. We looked into all the different types of adoption, but then Samantha began to change her mind about wantin' to get rid of him. She had fallen in love with him too. After he was born, I held him in my arms for the first time, and I felt really overwhelmed. He wasn't just somethin' we had to plan for anymore, he was breathin'. I could feel his heart beatin', and he was completely dependent on us to survive. The first few months were a nightmare; we both thought that we had made the wrong decision to keep him, but we couldn't give him up after that. He was a part of us and a part of our lives. Havin' Bradley was the best thing I ever did. I just wish that I looked after him better."

"It's not all on you. Try blaming Gary, he's the... the sick one."

"You'll make a great father, Greg." Nick assured him. "Just forget about crazy Molly, and think about the life that you might have created . . . even if it was against your will. Babies can't help where they come from, but we can make their lives a little better than how they were made."

"Like Willa?"

The older man gave him a nod. "She's just a baby. She can't be blamed for her father's actions. Her father and grandfather may have been violent psychos, but babies aren't hardwired for violence. Her father grew up in that life, I'm gonna make sure that she has a better start."

Greg gave him a smile, before he blurted, "I love you."

"I love you too." Nick responded, gently brushing his fingers through the younger man's soft hair. "Everythin's gonna be alright, Greg. You'll see. It has to be after the last few months we've lived through, right?"

"Yeah." Greg nodded in agreement, looking towards the box beside them. "So, you wonna get to work on putting this crib together, so your adorable little girl has somewhere to sleep tomorrow."

"Yeah." He climbed to his feet, pulling Greg up with him. "Angela's arrangin' the temporary custody hearin'. I'm havin' my sister look into too, just to make sure there's no clause in the contract or anythin' like that."

"So she'll be yours?"

"Until I file for adoption, she'll only be in my care, temporarily." Nick nodded, handing Greg the instruction manual, while he removed the parts from the box. "Since I've been named her guardian in the last will, and there's no one against me for the adoption, it's a pretty open and shut case."

"Unlike these instructions." Greg turned them around, trying to find the English version. "How are you gonna cope with a baby around the house? Have you child proofed?"

"Does it look like I've child proofed?" Nick smirked, grabbing the instructions from Greg's hands. "I haven't actually got to that part yet. Since Willa isn't even crawlin' yet, I have some time. Angela's givin' me a few of her kid's old toys and clothes. I bought bottles, bowls, sippy cups and things today, with Catherine."

"That's where you two went. I wondered why you looked so pale." He chuckled softly, searching for the first part of the crib that they needed to assemble. "Don't you have to be monitored by child services or something during the adoption process of a child?"

"Yeah, I think so." Nick held the pieces of the crib together, while Greg searched for the screwdriver on the floor. "There." He pointed it out to him. "I know that I'm in over my head here, G. I'm completely unprepared, and nothin's ready, but I don't think Angela wants them in her house any longer."

"You'll probably get a break, when you're like... in your late fifties." The younger man tried to comfort him, giving the man a smile as he looked up at him. "You'll still be gorgeous though."

"You recon, huh?" Nick smiled towards him.

"Yeah, gorgeous guys like you only get better looking as you get older." He complimented him, handing him the second part of the crib. "Do you have a car seat to bring her here?"

"Yeah, I got a pushchair too. Angela and Tony sold most of the stuff from Miranda's house, the kids stuff included, but Angela did pack up a few boxes of Willa's things. The clothes won't fit her now, but I can use all the other stuff."

"What about Tayla's stuff?" Greg crawled closer to Nick, holding the pieces of the crib together, so Nick could tighten the next bolt. "Have you got her stuff from the house?"

"Yep, it's still in boxes in her room. Toys, clothes... stuff like that. That reminds me, I need to find her school stuff. She starts again on Monday." He looked towards the overflowing laundry hamper, figuring her uniform might be in there somewhere. "She asked me where her mother was again today. I can't even remember what I told her, but it seemed to work. She's coping with it pretty well now. I guess she's still quite young. She doesn't really understand what it means."

"And, how are you?" Greg queried, looking into the older man's eyes. "You must have loved her at one point in your life to marry her." He spoke softly. "You don't just forget about the mother of your child, especially when you were married to her . . . and weren't blackmailed into doing it."

"I miss her." Nick admitted, trying to keep himself busy with the crib. "Can you hand me that piece?"

Greg reached for the piece beside his foot, handing it over to Nick. "I wish I could take you away on vacation or something." He spoke out loud, placing his hand over Nick's. "Get you away from all of this. Rejection from your friends and family, your daughter's kidnapping, the death of your wife, your son... it's too much for one person."

"I'm okay." Nick forced a smile towards him, but Greg could easily see right through it, from his teary eyes and trembling lip that he was trying to hide.

"You can't lie to me." Greg slid his arms around Nick's shoulders, resting their heads together. "I'm the one person you can't lie to. You're always there for me, let me be there for you." As he spoke, he watched a tear rolling down Nick's cheek, gently running in the direction of his chin, before another spilled from his other eye. Greg gently wiped away his tears with his fingertips, before he pulled his head against his chest to comfort him.

Instead of holding back like he usually did, Nick allowed his tears to flow, clutching Greg tightly as he let his emotions out.

"It's okay, baby." Greg gently smoothed his hands up and down the man's hitching chest, relieved he was finally letting it out. He weaved his fingers through the man's soft hair, holding him closer as he continued to cry. "A right pair we make, huh?" He smirked, clutching him tighter.

"This is why I always keep a box of tissues handy, whenever you come over."

"Are you suggesting that I make you cry?"

Nick shook his head against him, feeling his tears soaking into Greg's t-shirt. "No, you always get me to open up." He leant back against the side of the bed behind them, trying to stop his tears from flowing, but the harder he tried, the more they came.

"I'm here." His partner whispered, touching his lips to the man's hairline. He felt Nick's chest starting to hitch again, along with an increase in tears, soaking the shoulder of his t-shirt. Resting his head against Nick's, Greg breathed in the strong scent of his former lover's hair, wishing he could take all his pain away from him. "I really do love you, Nicky. I'd do anything for you."

I'm really sorry if I made anybody cry, but it had to be done. Nick needed to let his emotions out eventually. I'll try and get another chapter done this weekend. Things at work are really busy around Christmas time, so I never really get time to write during the week.

Thanks for reading, please review!

~ Holly