Disclaimer: CSI is not mine and I make absolutely no money off of this story. Gracie and Simon however do belong to me so neener, neener! :P

A/N: Gracie is much older in this One-Shot and there is talk of Greg once being in mortal peril.

oOoOoO

"Dad?"

"Hm."

"When did you know when you were...you know, in love?"

Nick's head shot up and he looked at Gracie over his newspaper, eyes wide and a smile playing at his lips.

"Are you saying you might be in love with someone?"

"Maybe...I don't know." Gracie sighed and put her coffee cup back onto the table, turning it in her hands every so often, "So how did you know you were in love with Pops?"

"I didn't."

"What?"

"He told me I was in love with him, I didn't believe it at first because up until I had met your father I was as straight as an arrow."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"Well what happened that made you realize Pops was right? That you were in love with him?"

Nick folded his paper and put it on the table top, smiling a little sadly as he faced his now grown-up girl.

"Gracie, I'll tell you since your older now, but please understand that your Father and I hoped you might never find out about some of our past. So please promise me that you won't be mad with us for never telling you?"

Gracie furrowed her brow and looked into the sad, pleading face of her Dad, "I promise."

The young woman watched as her father drew in a couple of breaths.

"The moment I met your Dad, I couldn't help but like him. He was always happy, always moving, always talking, a forever optimistic kind of guy. It was refreshing, considering our line of work."

"Wait, you liked that he talked so much?"

"Yeah, he was just a bundle of energy and besides, I hope you know your just as talkative as he is." He gave her a pointed look and she grumbled, smiling as she did so.

"Your father and I had been working together for a couple of years and hanging out practically every night we were off. Then one night we were hanging out in Greg's apartment, watchin' a game and he made a joke about one of the players, I don't remember what, but I do remember turning to him and smiling this big, stupid, goofy grin. That's when he looked at me, eyes wide, smiled and said he knew it."

"Knew what?"

"That I was crazy for him."

"But how could he know just by your smile?"

Nick laughed and took a sip of his own coffee before continuing, "I wondered the same thing and I asked him where his crazy mind had come up with that idea and he just kept smiling. He said he had all of my smiles memorized and that he had been waiting a 'damn long time Stokes' to see that particular smile on my face."

A small bubble of laughter escaped Gracie, "Sounds just like Pops."

"Yeah, just like Greg to call me on it, even if I refused to admit it to myself at the time."

"So what happened next?"

"Well, I told him he was crazy and he told me 'yeah, crazy about you' then he kissed me."

Gracie smiled, her eyes wide in amusement, "He kissed you?"

"Yeah and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it, love it, really."

"So..."

"So...I kissed him back and it was awhile before I realized what I was doing and that it was with another man. I pulled away from him and ran as fast as my feet would carry me."

A surprised yelp from Gracie was all the warning he had before she pinched his arm.

"Hey!"

"You deserved it, leaving Pops like that, so not cool."

"Yeah I know, I know."

"Well...what happened? A couple days later you realized you loved him and rode off into the sunset together right?"

"I wish. It was actually a couple months, a very strained relationship, and a near death experience later that I realized how I truly felt."

"Oh my god." Gracie squeaked out surprised, eyes wide, "Near death experience!? Dad?"

"Now comes the hard part of the story." Nick sighed and ran his hand over his eyes before continuing, "After that night, I kind of stopped talking to him outside of work, if it wasn't related to a case I avoided Greg at all costs. I was being a coward and I knew it, but you have to realize the way I was brought up it was considered a sin to love him."

"See now I don't understand that. How can love be a sin?"

The Texan smiled fondly at his daughter, "It's not and I'm so glad I realized that before it was too late. We had just finished a case and one of the Rookies working left himself open, the suspect knocked him down and took his gun, then grabbed the closest person and threatened to kill them. It was Greg. He held a gun to Greg's head and swore that if no one let him leave he would kill Greg, then himself."

Gracie's small hand found it's way into Nick's larger one and squeezed it firmly in support, Nick squeezed back in silent thanks.

"I rushed out of the lab literally a moment before the guy had taken the gun and Greg had rushed after me, trying to talk about what had happened. It was one of the many times I had refused to talk about it and left him. I turned around at the shouts from nearby officers and Greg's strangled yelp. When I saw...when I saw the gun pressed up against Greg's temple, I froze. It was like my whole life flashed before me and in every single scene was Greg and that damn contagious smile of his. Everything we had ever said, every time we had hung-out, every bar we had gone too, just...everything was Greg."

Gracie had quickly moved to the edge of her seat after every word that poured from her father's mouth, "And that's it?"

"Yeah, I realized that what Greg had said months before was true, I was head over heels and by the looks of it, I was to late to say anything."

"Dad? Pops was okay right? I mean, he wasn't hurt, was he?"

"No, not a scratch on him, thank God. The guy holding him hostage was swiftly brought down and put behind bars. I don't even remember how Captain Brass and the other officers took him down, all I remember is rushing forward and grabbing Greg, I thought that if I ever let him go he would disappear, so I never did. Your Uncle Grissom, who was my boss back then, told me to take him home and as soon as we got to his apartment I spilled my guts. Telling him how scared I was at the thought of loving him, how he was right at how crazy I was about him, and how almost losing him just then made me take a serious look at what my life would be like without him in it."

Nick smiled at his daughter and patted her hand, "Look at your life Gracie and if this person is the only one you can ever see yourself with, I could safely say that you just might be in l-o-v-e."

Gracie pulled her hand away and pushed up her glasses, smiling she nodded, "Thanks Dad."

She downed the rest of her coffee and placed her mug in the sink before giving her Dad a quick kiss on the cheek, grabbing her purse, and rushing out the door. Greg had just pulled up in his car when she shut the door to the house.

"Hey Munchkin!" Greg called as he stepped out of his Pontiac.

"Pops!" Gracie rushed over and enveloped her Dad in a fierce hug, making him stumble back from the impact.

"Woah, Squirt, you haven't hugged me like that since you were little."

"I'll be sure to do it more often. I love you, Papa."

Greg smiled and held her a little tighter, "I love you too, Gracie."

She pulled back and smiled before kissing his cheek and heading off to her Volkswagen Bug, practically flying out of the driveway and down the street.

An hour later she was back in her shared apartment and crawling into bed with her best friend since forever.

"Simon," she shook his shoulder slightly, trying to rouse him from sleep.

"What is it?" He mumbled groggily and sat up, black hair all mussed from his tossing and turning.

"I have to tell you something. Something I should have told you a long time ago, but was to afraid too."

Simon sat up and reached over for his glasses on the nightstand, fully awake now, "What's wrong?"

"You know that night in College we said we would never, ever talk about because we were to afraid of ruining our friendship?"

Simon gulped, "Yeah."

"Well I want to talk about something you said that night, after we slept together you said you loved me. Is that true, do you love me?"

Simon looked down at his comforter and ran a hand through his hair, mussing it even further and making Gracie smile at the cute picture he made.

His dark blue eyes caught with her own green gaze, "I'm guessing you want the truth right?"

Gracie nodded and smacked his arm, "D'uh!"

"Ow, violent much." He smirked and rubbed his arm, "Do you want some breakfast? I could make us some eggs or--"

"Simon Thomas!"

"So that's a no on the eggs?"

Gracie narrowed her eyes and pouted, "So? Did you mean it?"

Simon knew by one look at her that the whole of their relationship probably rode on his answer and as much as he didn't want to lose Gracie, he couldn't lie to her, "Yes, I meant it. I love you Gracie Marie Stokes, I have for a very long time."

Suddenly he was on his back, his arms full of a crying woman, every man's worst nightmare. She mumbled something into his neck and he rubbed her back, "What was that?"

Gracie pulled back and smiled, "I love you too, you big dope!"

Simon wrapped his arms tight around her and rolled over so she was now under him, "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Fuck, I've waited forever to hear that." Then his lips claimed hers.

oOoOoO

So, like it, Yay or Nay? Reviews welcome, but not mandatory. ;D