Title: The Ins and Outs of Life: A New Life
Author: ktattoo
Pairing: Gil/Nick/Greg
Rating: NC-17
Series: 1) The Ins and Outs of Life
Warning: WiP
Summary: Takes place nearly a year and a half later. Life sure has changed for the guys.

***

17 Nov. 2008
1 am


It's been nearly a year and half since I last had time to write. The boys and I have been constantly busy- work has bogged me down, and now that sweet little Pauley is here, she soaks up whatever time, live and energy we have left. She has become our life.

Nick, Greg and I adopted little Pauley a year ago. Her mother was a young woman who's rape was a case we had worked nine months previously. The young woman went to Nick for help, and since she did not want the baby and since the boys and I wanted to adopt, we took her. All three of us fell in love with Pauley, and we couldn't be happier.

Tomorrow we are celebrating her first birthday, and somehow Conrad was willing to give the entire team the day off. He said we "deserved some time with family." I guess it's because none of us have taken a break since Warrick died.

I still don't know what to think of Riley. The boys and I haven't told her of our relationship. Everyone else knows. We finally let everyone know (well, everyone but Cath and Warrick) and we were generally accepted. Even Conrad was okay with it. But after Warrick was shot, we knew we had to let everyone know; just in case something happened to one of us.

When Sara heard, she went crazy. I knew she had come back not just for the Warrick and the team, but to try and get me again. She finally left me alone once she realized just how serious I was.

But tomorrow is the party for our beautiful little girl. She has brought so much love and life to us, and she has enlarged my capacity to love even more than the boys have. We named her Paula Ann-Marie after each of our mothers, and Greg came up with her nickname, Pauley, after one of his favorite actresses. Nick and I agree the name was perfect.

And she calls. The boys are working tonight, so I'm off.


Gil

***

19 Nov. 2008
3 am

Yesterday was Pauley's first birthday and it turned out great. Around noon, Catherine arrived and she immediately gathered Pauley in her arms and cried. We all knew why and even Greg knew to let her have her time. Since Warrick died, she has clung to whatever she can, and since 'Rick was Pauley's godfather...

Soon after, I was out on the patio in the backyard grilling everything from tofu burgers to brats. Ever since Greg has gone vegan... Anyway, I was outside grilling when Gil walked outside with Ecklie. What really made my jaw drop was the fact that Ecklie was holding Pauley, feeding her a bottle. It was great to see him relaxed. By one, everyone was outside and Greg was attempting Pauley some of her baby food. He didn't do so well; Pauley was more interested in everything else that she made more of a mess than she ate.

We had her gifts open by two, and by 2:30, she was out cold. We all sat outside with the baby monitor, catching up and just enjoying a day off together. Ecklie had left to go back to work, so talk flowed freely. Hodges and Wendy sat close to each other near the pool having a heated discussion while Mandy and Henry were nearly in each others lap as they whispered amongst themselves.

I couldn't help but smile as I watched the four of them. Hodges and Wendy refuse to admit they love each other, and it's funny to watch the innocent way Mandy and Henry dance around each other. Greg was playing some sort of geek game with Archie, and Gil and Catherine were talking about Lindsay. Riley has left just before Ecklie – no one really noticed.

Around six, everyone began to leave. Pauley was awake by then, and I was beginning to wear down. Catherine offered to baby-sit so the three of us could go out. I readily accepted and soon after, Gil, Greg and I went to a movie and out to dinner. It was great to just go out with them again, and it felt great to just talk and spend free time together.

We got home around midnight and as soon as Cath left, the three of us fell right into bed. We made love like we hadn't been able to in nearly a year. Right now Gil and Greg are spending some time together, and I'm about to join them again.

Till next time,

Nick

***

27 Nov. 2008
4 pm


Since Gil and Nick are writing again, I guess I should, too. With tomorrow being Thanksgiving, mom is coming in to see Pauley and she is bringing my cousin along. Nevyn is twenty-one now and I can't believe it. That means I'm getting old, and I don't want to think about that. So while Gil, Nick and I are at work tonight, mom and Nevyn will take care of Pauley.

Tomorrow while we are sleeping, they will make dinner so we can all have Thanksgiving dinner together. Nevyn is going to come to work with us tomorrow night so she can get a little hands-on experience before going back to school. I'm glad to see her again since it's been so long.

I really love the way life has been recently. The cats are great; we think Kaia might be knocked up by the neighbors' tabby. She has gotten fat, so I'm going to have to take her to the vet soon. Pauley has been a blessing for me. She has helped me heal after all the shit I've gone through the last couple of years.

She has just begun talking, so we are trying to coach her to say our names – or what we want her to call us. Gil wants her to call him "Da," Nick wants her to call him "Dad," which makes me "Daddy." I'm good with that, although right now she is just getting "Da" out.

I have finally finished my book about Vegas and it is in the process of being printed right now. Gil and Nick know that I have a special dedication in it for them, but I refuse to let them know what it says until they see it in print. I have special thanks to Lily, Catherine's mom, and to the rest of the team as well. I'm so excited for the release. It's scheduled for January 15th at the UNLV campus.

Time to go pick mom and Nevyn up.


Greg

***

29 Nov. 2008
6 pm


Pauley is over at Cath's tonight, and oddly enough, some how the three of us all have the night off.

Yea, something about swing needing more hours, so the entire team has tonight off.

More time for fun. And since Pauley is gone, we can be as loud as want.

Chill, Greggo. There's plenty of time for that later.

Could we go skinny dipping, too?

Okay, boys. Calm down. We don't want Pauley to find this when she gets older and read it, do we?

True.

That's why we burn this book once it's full, Gilly.

Don't call me that, Greggy-poo.

Yea, Greggy-poo! Haha! ... Oh! So not fair!

Greg's mouth comes in handy for at least one thing...

Damn you, Greg...

Haha! Gotcha! Ugh! Shit...

We'll have to come back to this later...

~*~*~*~*~

30 Nov. 2008
3 am


And we're back.

Yea, after having the greatest sex of out lives. I mean, that thing you two did to me while in the pool... makes me hard just thinking about it.

True. It was pretty mind blowing. My back aches right now. Us old men should not bend like that – ever.

It was worth it, though.

Yes, it was. Greg, that sticky cherry stuff was really good. And I can never get enough of seeing Gil tied to our bedpost.

Yeah, and I'll give you a back rub, Gilly.

Use the flavored lotion so I can lick it off him.

Oh, no....

***

13 Dec. 2008
5:46 p.m.


I told the team I was leaving the other night. No one took it, well, but at least the boys were prepared for the announcement. Leaving CSI was not an easy decision to make; Nick, Greg, and I have been talking about it for a year now. With Pauley here, we knew we needed someone we could trust to help us take care of her, and since I have been getting more and more worn out as time as gone on, we just figured I would leave.

Everyone was in shock; I even had David in tears as I told him I would miss him. And I will. I'll miss everyone there, and I'm sure I'll be back to help with cases, but I will not work a case again. The cases were beginning to really get to me; I wouldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, and I pretty much lived in the labs during the harder cases. That was no way for me to live, and it was starting to put strain on the family.

This way, I can be a stay-at-home dad with Pauley. If one were to have told me twenty years ago that I would be in a committed relationship with two other men and be a stay-at-home dad, I would have laughed, and demanded scientific proof. Yet, I couldn't be happier. I trust that Catherine will take good care of the team, she's a smart woman, and very good at what she does. I would trust her with my family's life.

Greg's cousin Nevyn arrived here today; she'll be staying with us until the second week of the New Year. One of the final things I did before I left was set it up so she could intern in the lab. She's a smart girl and very able in the lab. Some day she will have Wendy's job as DNA analyst, I just know it.

With Christmas just days away, tomorrow I'm taking Pauley out to go Christmas shopping for the boys and everyone else in the lab. I know what I am getting for Nicky and Greggo, but I still need to buy for Cath. I'll figure something out. I need to get the boys up and feed Pauley.


Gil

***