Title: 2010-2020
Author: Dee
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2217
Pairing: Gil/Nick
Characters: Gil Grissom, Nick Stokes, and a few other familiar and unfamiliar faces along the way!
Warnings: AU and fluff!
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: In my dreams they are like, totally mine!
Unbeta-ed: All mistakes will be mine
A/N 1: An occasional series about ten years in their life.

***

2010

It was Catherine who let the cat out of the bag...

When he was shot...when he killed a man it was like Walter Gordon and Warrick's death and Nigel Crane and every other fuck-up in his life rolled into one and he would be the first to admit that he was floundering around in a sea of shit.

Billy took care of him and kept a low profile and Nick was grateful for that.  He understood trauma and he understood Nick.  They'd been together for four years and had lived under the same roof for two...it was good.  They were still low-key...LVPD wasn't the most gay friendly place on earth...but neither were they a flamboyant couple.  So low-key suited both of them.

Catherine told him, ordered him, to see the departmental shrink and he did.   Twice.   He couldn't relate his feelings to the man...he just couldn't.   He could talk more to Billy than anyone else...and he had his work.  Every other shit that had been thrown his way over the years he'd worked his way through it and had moved on...and that had worked.  He fancied that he had repaired himself and he felt better for doing it his way.

There was only one thing he really missed this time around and that was, strangely enough, Gil Grissom.  Grissom didn't do anything any other time, he didn't order him to see the shrink, he hadn't wanted or needed to talk to Nick about it and after Kelly Gordon's death had said, ‘well it's over', or something like that and Nick had thought, ‘yeah, it is.'  Grissom seemed to accidentally discover the right way to do things and it worked...except for Sara anyway.  But then nobody could win with her...

Like Billy, Grissom was low-key.  He didn't talk about what had happened and sympathise like Catherine.  Cath was great...but she was a woman and liked to talk feelings.  A least he should be grateful that Sara didn't do the same.  Ray and Greggo were okay...although Super Dave had gossiped that the Doc had been a shoulder for Ray to cry on...or not, depending on whether you believed Dave.  But come to think of it Dave was always accurate and didn't spread unnecessary stuff around.  So it was probably kosher.

So the weeks turned to months and Nick felt better and recovered.  The strange thing was he hadn't thought about Grissom for weeks when out of the blue he turned up.  Nick had his head down in a file when he felt as if someone was watching him and he slowly raised his head and there he was, standing in the doorway of Nick's office...his old office.

"You were concentring hard."

"Yeah.  Can't afford to be sloppy, my old supervisor taught me that.  How you doing, Gris?"  Nick grinned and stood and walked to meet Grissom with his hand outstretched.

"I'm doing good, Nicky.  Real good.  Got work when I want it and I'm travelling the world to do it.  Can't be better.  You?"

"Yeah, I'm good.  I got work...but I just travel around Vegas.  Like always."  He chuckled.

"How's your injury?  I heard about it...Jim.  You've been doing some good work, I hear."

"Jim's a gossip."

"Of course.  He always kept me well informed...and still does.  But seriously, Nick.  You look good so I'm presuming your shoulder has healed okay."

"Yeah, it has.  I'm back working out and everything.  Anyways, that's enough about me, what brings you back to the metropolis?"

"A court case.  The defence want me on the stand to dispute some evidence.  A stabbing...I think you were on leave; I was with Greg and Sara.  How is Sara?"

"Okay.  Why?"

"No reason."  But Nick could see that Grissom had suddenly changed and his previously relaxed demeanour was gone and replaced with a slightly nervous, almost wary, stance.  He thought it was interesting that he'd asked about Sara.  "I was looking for Catherine, and trying to avoid Hodges...is she out?"

"It's her day off.  You want me to give her a call?"

"No, that's okay I can call her.  I have to go and change I can hardly wear this..."  He indicated his jeans and polo shirt.  "...to court.  I retrieved a suit from Mom's apartment but it desperately needed freshening...so I had it expressed cleaned on the way over.  I have a suspicion I will die a horrible chocking death when I put on my button down with a tie.  I think the last time I wore one was for a court appearance.

"I'm with you; if giving evidence wasn't bad enough slowly chocking to death adds an extra frisson to the nerves."

For some reason Grissom looked at him funny.  He didn't know why and he smiled at Grissom almost questioning the look.  Grissom's reply was so typical of the man that Nick had to admit to himself that he missed the logic and sensible outlook.  "If you've done your job right and got your facts right, giving evidence should not make you nervous."  But then he smiled.  "The get-up can do that all by itself."

Nick smiled back and felt somehow reassured and warmed by the mere presence of the master.  Grissom's little asides and stories and homilies were what made Grissom special.  He'd missed him more than he'd realised until that moment.

"I'll go get dressed.  See you later?"

"Sure.  Call Catherine, maybe we could all go out for a drink?"

"Good idea; I'll see what she says."

Nick was packing up his work to go home when Jim Brass appeared at his office door.

"Hey, Jim."  Nick groaned.  "Not another case?"

"Not a case; your pleasure is requested at the Caramel Bar at the Bellagio at seven sharp...Gil says he's buying the first round...at their prices it might be the last round.  Catherine chose it...she has expensive tastes now she has the bank balance to back it up."

"That so?  I'll be there."

All the way home Nick was unusually happy.  It was like he'd arrived...cocktails with Gil, Jim and Catherine. It wasn't until he pulled up on his driveway that it struck him that the rest of team was probably going to be there too.  Oh, well, he thought, it was a good feeling while it lasted.   Billy was due home about six, six-thirty, and they were going to get pizza take out and watch Avatar. But he'd understand; it wasn't often that Nick went out on a social evening for business.

Nick had to leave at six-twenty sharp to be on time but Billy hadn't come home.  He called his cell and it went to messaging so he left a message and then left their home.

He was pleased to have dressed correctly.  A good shirt in pale blue and his black pants and dress shoes. He was even more pleased to find Jim and Gil seated in a corner in fancy leather chairs.  He was extraordinarily pleased to see that there were only four chairs around the coffee table.

"How the case go, Gris?"

"I was telling Jim that try at they did the defence attorney could not make me change the evidence.  It is what it is.  Not what it could have been or might have been.  I think even the Judge got pissed off...old McCurry, remember him?  Not the most patient of men at the best of times, but always fair.  I've got to stay around a couple of days but that should be it and then of again."

"Where to this time?"

"I'm taking a vacation..."  Jim interrupted with a wry laugh and even Nick grinned. "...seriously.  Spain.  I'm doing a train journey across the country stopping off and sightseeing."

"Bug hunting?"  Jim enquired

"Not specifically...but you never know.  Ah!  The fair lady graces us with her presence.  You're late, Catherine."

"It's my prerogative, quit moaning and give me a hug."

All the men stood as she arrived at their corner and Gil gave Catherine a hug.

They drank cocktails and talked about all the things that had happened over the years.  Warrick.  Jim's brush with death and, of course, Nick's interment.  With the benefit of hindsight they wondered if anything could have been different.  They decided it couldn't have.  Especially with Warrick; it was his way.  A dog with a bone and he wouldn't let go...cost him his life but his death cleaned up LVPD...with a vengeance.  Even if there were men that got away with it at least they'd left the department and melted into the ether.

As the evening progressed they drank more and after about five Sea Breeze vodka cocktails Nick definitely knew he'd have to get a taxi home and leave the truck.  He didn't feel drunk but he knew he'd be well over the legal limit.

It was Catherine who brought up the subject after her Sapphire Martinis.

"Did Sara hunt you down, then?"  Jim chuckled and Gil looked pissed.  Nick tried to look as if he knew what they were talking about.

"Ecuador.  In the jungle camp.  I was just sitting down to lunch with the rest of the guys and she appears like a...like a..."

"What?  A bad penny?"  Jim continued to chuckle.

"A vision in chiffon."  The three men all laughed out loud.

"What?  Can't you imagine Sara floating into camp in a little number from...from Yves Saint Laurent?"  Catherine could hardly contain herself and nearly choked on a sip of her gin drink.

"It wasn't funny.  She threw her arms around me in a most demonstrative fashion...and the guy I'd been seeing for a couple of months jumps up and screams, ‘if she's your long lost fucking wife I'm outta here.'"  Gil imitated a voice of a camp gay man.  "He pushed me aside and says straight...although that is the wrong word for him...at her, ‘I'm Jerry and I'm his boyfriend, how do you do?'"  Gil shook his head and shrugged.

"She stayed two days.  Tried to make light of it.  Jerry, whom I'd never seen behave in an overtly gay manner turned into a simpering girl in the blink of an eye.  I dumped him...after she'd left, and then I left the project a week later.  Jim told me a couple of months ago she'd come back here."

Nick felt completely sober despite the alcohol.  Gil Grissom was gay and Catherine and Jim knew so how come he didn't when he was gay right alongside him?  Warrick had never mentioned it and he surely would have done if he'd known and Greggo...he wouldn't have been able to keep anything like that to himself.  And then Gil turned to him and spoke.

"Catherine tells me you've moved in with your boyfriend?"

Nick nodded because he couldn't quite speak at that moment.  He took a gulp of his drink.  "Yeah.  Yes."  He cleared his throat.  "Two years now, good."  Christ, moron, he thought.  "Billy's a firefighter."

"You like your men muscled?"

"No.  Not particularly.  I like Billy.  He just happens to work out...we met at the gym."

"Good.  That's good.  Nick."  Nick was convinced that Gil was staring at him but even as he started to blush the conversation had moved on to a fire at the Tangiers.

They called it a night just before midnight and Gil did pick up the bill.  Jim was particularly pleased not to be paying and he walked out ahead of them to visit the restroom.  Catherine said the night was young and walked off through the hotel after hugging Gil once more.

"I'm staying at Mom's place.  You want to share a taxi?" Gil asked Nick.

"Yeah.  Good idea."

They waited in line in the windy heat of the evening; after sitting in a cool air conditioned room all evening it was refreshing.  When a taxi arrived they sat together on the back seat.  Gil's Mom's address was before Nick's.

They were quiet for some minutes and then Gil spoke, very quietly.  "Sometimes I miss the old team.  The camaraderie...but the time was right for me to leave.  You seemed surprised to learn I was gay."

Nick could feel Gil's blue eyes boring into him even though he couldn't see them in the dark of the taxi.  "Yeah.  I keep a low profile...we both do....me and Billy."

"Life's good with Billy?"

"Yeah...yeah.  It's okay.  We have ups and downs, I suppose, like any other couple."

"Really?"

"Yeah."  Nick's mouth was dry again and despite Billy he knew that he was reacting like a blushing boy under the scrutiny of Gil's gaze and softly spoken voice.

He thought he'd jumped out of his skin at the time but later, when he closed his eyes and remembered, he hadn't moved at all when Gil had picked up his limp wrist from where it lay across his thigh.  Gil had gently rubbed the back of Nick's hand with his thumb and used his short fingernails to scratch the palm of his hand.  Nick was almost instantly hard in his pants.   He whispered so quietly that Nick had to close his eyes to hear.

"I have the apartment to myself.  Do you want to come up?"

‘YES.  YES.  YES.'  He wanted to scream out but he took a deep breath and whispered hoarsely.  "Yes.  But I can't do that to Billy."

"I understand."

End of 2010  

Next story in series - 2010-2020: 2011.