Nick was released from the hospital a week earlier than Greg. It was a strange and uneasy circumstance at times; he went back home to Texas for two weeks, to see his sisters and brother, nieces, nephews, cousins. All the people who never thought that they would see him again, got to see him again. Being surrounded by his family was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He was overjoyed and part of him never wanted to leave. But part of him was struggling with day to day life without Greg by his side. They had spent seven months together, night and day, never out of each others sight, and in each others arms more often than not. Nick had trouble sleeping most nights because he was so used to having Greg's warm body pressed up next to his. When he did sleep, he would wake up with a start, unsure of where he was and what was going on. Every time he opened his eyes, he thought for a brief moment that he was back on the island, in the cave, and was going to look over and see Greg's lifeless body next to him on the sand.

Greg's parents were by his side the week he remained in the hospital after Nick left. They talked to him on a few occasions, when they could while Greg was sleeping, and expressed their gratitude for helping to get their only child off of that island alive. Nick smiled warmly and said that it was Greg who had saved him; nobody but Nick understood that. Greg also went home with his parents, but only for a week. He was overly anxious to get back to Vegas. He returned, and moved in with Sara until he could move into his own apartment at the start of the next month. Until something opened up at the lab, he would work on call mostly, as would Nick when he returned from Texas. A month after the plane crash, DB had been left with no other choice but to hire replacements for his two missing CSIs. It wasn't fair, and Nick and Greg agreed, to let them go now that they had returned. But their services were still needed and wanted nonetheless, and they knew it wouldn't be long before someone would leave on one shift or another and they would be back full time.

Nick didn't get to see Greg in the hospital. It was too hectic, and then before he knew it he was back in Texas. But now he was on the plane, headed back to Vegas, and would speak to Greg for the first time since they got off of the island. He couldn't even remember what the last thing they had said to each other had been. He was thinking of what he was going to say to the younger man the whole flight, and was still thinking as he was on the escalator headed to the exit to catch a cab. He was thinking right up to the point where he walked straight into Greg.

The younger man couldn't help but smile as Nick banged into him. "Watch where you're going man," he said lightly. Nick just stared at him in disbelief. "I'm here to pick you up," he clarified.

Nick was unable to reply. All he could do was follow Greg out to his new car, some sort of Volkswagen SUV that Nick didn't pay any attention to. He got into the passenger seat and buckled himself in for what he knew was going to be a long ride.

"I volunteered to pick you up so that we would have a chance to talk," Greg explained as he started the car and pulled out of the parking garage. "I haven't seen you since, well, I don't really remember much of the last few hours on the island."

Nick swallowed hard. "What do you remember?" he asked, not entirely sure that he wanted to hear the answer.

Greg glanced over at the older man briefly. "I remember a lot more than I let on to everyone else. Didn't want to deal with their questions until I got to talk to you."

"What do you remember?" Nick asked. He was now shifted in his seat and looking directly at Greg.

Greg kept his eyes trained on the road. "I remember everything. The day I woke up to you shaking me. The shark that almost ate you. The day you kissed me. Every single time we had sex. When you told me about Jenna, and what happened when you were nine. Every conversation we had, even the ones about Hodges. I remember jumping off the rocks on the first day, and then falling off of them on one of the last days. I remember you doing everything you could to save me. I remember you telling me I was going to die."

"I thought you were going to," Nick stammered. "I didn't want you to, but I didn't have anything to fight the infection-"

"I know," Greg interjected. "I'm not blaming you for anything, and I'm not mad at you. Not anymore. After everything we've been through, it seems like a complete waste to be mad at you for stuff that might as well have happened a lifetime ago. Because that's essentially what happened to us. We have to start over, almost. It's not going to be easy, so why make it worse by being mad at each other?"

Nick was having trouble comprehending what Greg was saying. He was still in shock from the fact that he had picked him up at the airport, never mind the fact that he seemed to be saying Nick was getting a pass on everything that had happened. They rode in silence the rest of the way. They were well into Vegas by this point, and Nick was looking out the window as the lights for the casinos and hotels were beginning the light up the slowly darkening sky. He felt like a tourist, seeing the bright lights for the very first time. They drove through the strip and eventually came to a stop light in the residential part of town. Greg slowed the car to a stop, and looked over at Nick.

"I go straight to get to Sara's," he said, as if Nick didn't already know that. "And I go left to my new place. Sara's only half expecting you. I told her everything; it just kind of came out one night. She could tell something more was bothering me...you know her. She pries shit outta you."

Nick breathed a laugh, but kept his eyes ahead. He didn't think he could look at Greg without slamming him up against the driver's side door and kissing him.

Greg sighed slightly. "So the choice is all yours. You can stay at Sara's, like you'd planned, until you find your own place. Or you can come home, with me, and we go from there."

Before Nick could say anything verbally, the light changed to green. Greg flicked on the left turn signal, and headed towards his new apartment without another word. Nick finally looked over at him, fighting the smile that was tugging at his lips. He shook his head slowly at the younger man.

"How did you know that I was going to say go left?" he asked.

Greg smiled. "I spent seven months on an island with you Stokes," he replied. "I can read you like a fucking book."

A shorter chapter again. I'm trying to feel out how many people are still interested in this story before investing a lot more time into it. May wrap it up soon; may continue. I hate to keep neglecting my works, but life tends to get in the way.

Thanks to those who are still reading and reviewing!