Title: Don't Fence Me In
By: kennedy
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: NC-17
Note: Don't Fence Me In, music and lyrics by Cole Porter
Summary: A follow-up to The Return of Old Crazy Hair, in which Greg takes up the Stokes' offer of Christmas at their ranch.

***

High in the air, 30 000 feet off the ground to be precise, Greg Sanders stuck his tongue out at the little girl who was hanging over the seat in front of him.

Giggling, she mirrored the gesture. Her Supergirl barette glinted in the sun coming through the window which Nick Stokes sat against, absorbed in the book on extinct bird species which Greg had given him as an early Christmas present (despite his protestation that all presents had to remain unopened until the actual Big Morning itself).

Upping the ante, Greg stuck his fingers in his mouth and stretched out his lips as far as he could and gave her a garishly elongated grin.

She looked at him blankly, not knowing whether to be amused or horrified; then smiled slyly, stuck her own fingers in her mouth, and gave him the same evil smirk back.

Greg laughed, and she laughed back while waiting for him to make the next move.

He pushed his thumb under his nose to squash it flat and waggled his fingers. She clapped appreciatively and hung herself slightly upside down to send it back to him.

The challenge was on, although it wasn't a fair one seeing she was much smaller than him and therefore capable of twisting herself into strange positions while still seated in economy class. Aware of her inquisitive eyes upon him, Greg shifted about in his seat, while wondering if there was any way in which he could get his head below his knees without accidentally kicking his partner in the head.

Finally distracted by Greg's wiggling and the little girl's laughter, Nick tore himself from reading about the dromaius novaehollandiae diemenensis, or Tasmanian Emu, to raise an eyebrow at Greg's antics.

"Uh, G, what are you doing?"

Slightly flushed, Greg sat upright. "Playing."

Nick smiled at the little girl, then looked back at Greg. "Somehow, I don't think a tin can five miles up in the air is the best thing to use as a playground."

"He's such a spoilsport." Greg sighed theatrically to the girl.

"I'm not!" Nick said defensively as the kid sized him up, as if she was confronting a moustache-twirling villain. "Believe me, he'd thank me if there happens to be air marshals on this plane."

"Nick," Greg whispered to him, "that line of argument is not going to work with someone who's under five."

"Oh." Nick opened his book again.

"And you're the one who has nephews and nieces. You should know how to deal with kids."

Sensing that her new friend's attention was now taken by someone else, the little girl frowned and disappeared back behind her seat.

"Well, you know yourself I haven't had much experience with them." Nick admitted, sorrowfully. "I live in a different state to them, so I really only see them on the holidays I make it back for. I'm really just some strange guy they see occasionally who looks kinda like one of their parents."

Greg leaned back in his seat, his knees hurting from the pressure forced upon them by having to fold his long legs into unnatural positions in order to fit in their seating. "And you've missed half of the holidays ever since we got together."

"Well, that happens to anyone in a relationship, doesn't it?" Nick shrugged. "You have to divide the families up so nobody gets hurt."

They both fell silent as they thought of their past couple of years together. Where Greg's family had opened up their homes and lives to Nick, his own fear had stopped him from returning the favour with Greg. The fact that their first couple of Christmases had been spent away from each other tore him apart on reflection; their first proper Christmas together only came when they both decided to plead work duties and stayed in Vegas, holing up in Greg's apartment for the duration of the season. Then it was only a matter of months before Walter Gordon had come along to disrupt their lives, and in a strange way also improve it dramatically.

So much so that the Stokes now knew about them as a couple, and extended an invitation to Greg for Christmas as they did with all their children's partners. They had already been mulling over going to Greg's parents in San Francisco, but this invitation was too much to decline. In fact, it had been Greg's parents who had told them to not even consider turning them down.

"You have both been here for Easter and for Greg's birthday." Greg's mother had told Nick on the phone one night. "As much as I would love to have you for Christmas, let your family see you and Greg together and accept him into it."

Both he and Greg knew she was right. So Texas it was, and now they were on their way.

"You're nervous." Nick said matter-of-factly, as Greg chewed on one of his fingernails.

"You following the evidence, Stokes?" Greg raised an eyebrow.

Nick smirked. "If you were a cartoon character, your knees would be knocking together and a river of sweat would be forming around your ankles."

"Ha ha, Mr leaned in too far to shake my father's hand and almost knocked him unconscious with your big lunk head."

Nick laughed at the uncomfortable memory. "Well, now you know what not to do." He reached down and took Greg's hand.

It still surprised Greg when Nick showed such overt public displays of affection. Although they never wildly and passionately kissed each other or were all over each other like other couples could be in public places, Greg knew that it was just because that was the way Nick Stokes was; and that even if his partner was a woman he would still be pretty reserved. But ever since Nick's parents had visited them in Vegas (the same disastrous time he had dyed his hair a bright red to prove an argument that he was still the same old Greg), Nick had been much more comfortable holding hands, hugging outside the privacy of their home. He had even once surprised Greg with a kiss at the airport to welcome him home when he had returned from a conference in New York.

"I have more to be worried about." Nick continued. "I mean, being the baby of the family, I always get most of the ribbing. And now I've brought someone home... they'll all be on the warpath to embarrass me."

Greg smiled. "You're lucky."

"Lucky?" Nick snorted. "They're going to humiliate me."

"Because they love you." Greg reminded him. "I always wonder what it would have been like to have siblings. I mean, I'm lucky in so many ways... but then I think about how you would have grown up... it would have been mad and insane and yet so cool."

"Well, when you're a Stokes, you're a Stokes for life." Nick smiled down at him. "There'll be no getting away from them once they take you in. Ask all my brothers-in-law and Sally."

Greg bit his lip. "I hope so."

"They'll love you. And if they don't, I'll beat the crap out of them."

Greg finally laughed. "That sounds like a family Christmas to me!"

"The only ones to really worry about will be Gray and Laura." Nick said, his face momentarily darkening. "I mean, you've already spoken to the others on the phone."

Although Gray had visited Vegas while Nick was still in hospital, he was only able to stay two days because of work. Greg had only seen him from a distance as he left Nick's room one night on his way to the elevators. He had immediately guessed who he was as he looked like Nick, except taller and with more angular features. When Nick had finally told his parents about him and Greg, he hadn't heard from Gray and only managed to speak to his machine except for the one time when Gray had actually picked up, only to be fobbed off with a promise that he would call him back later.

It had hurt Nick deeply, as he idolised his older brother. He wasn't hurt on exactly the same level when he received the cold shoulder from Laura as well. It was a good sign at least that both of them had confirmed to come back to the ranch for Christmas, even while aware that it would be Greg's first visit.

"Shall I call him Graham when I first meet him?" Greg suggested evilly.

"Only if you really want him to hate you. He's been Gray ever since he was five."

"Well, he better be nice to you, that's all I'm saying. I've been learning Muay Thai, remember."

Nick chuckled, and tightened his grip. "Lucky me, to have you on my side."

"If you're being snarky, I am going to bust some moves on you when we get off this plane."

Nick leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Oh, then I'm definitely being snarky."

Greg's resulting smile could have been seen from the ground.

---------------------------------


Their flight was delayed in a holding pattern over the airport, which only added to their nervousness. By the time they collected their bags and headed out to the concourse to look for Nick's parents, it was an hour past their scheduled arrival.

"I can't see them anywhere." Greg said, looking around and over the crowd of people who were meeting, greeting and farewelling in a noisy throng.

"They would have waited for us. They must be here somewhere."

White Christmas was being pumped through the airport speakers, an ironic choice that Greg mused upon especially as Texas hadn't seen a white christmas since 1926 (he had been googling Texas on the net in an effort to try and find out more about his destination).

Nick's attention was drawn to a tall man in sunglasses who had folded himself into a row of chairs. His long legs were sprawled in front of him, and people were having to step around them to continue on their way.

Greg glanced at what was distracting Nick, and immediately felt his stomach drop when he recognised the man he had seen briefly at the hospital almost a year before.

"Isn't that?" Greg asked, not even completing his question.

"Yeah." Nick said stiffly. "It's Gray."

***

The two brothers paused before each other, both undecided on what was the best physical response to give after eight months of not speaking. They were almost mirror images – except Gray was taller and did not have the square jaw Nick shared with their father. Almost as if they were boxers in the ring, they sized each other up. Greg was beginning to think he might have to put down his bags and separate them, when to his relief Nick stuck out his hand.

Gray looked at it for a moment, then drawled, "Is that all you've got for your brother?"

Nick looked perplexed. "Well, I wasn't sure..."

"C'mere." Gray pulled him into the awkward yet heartfelt hug that men often shared, a barely-touching embrace accompanied with a slap on the back that would have felled lesser-built people.

The bear hug over, Nick stood back and Greg noted that he still didn't look completely happy. Eight months of bad blood could not be resolved with a simple hug and a punch in the back.

"I thought Mom and Dad were coming to get us?" Nick had defensively placed his hands on his hips.

"I volunteered." Gray replied, just as defensively.

Nick snorted. "You mean, Mom forced you."

"No. I mean I volunteered." Gray shook his head, and then turned away from his brother.

Like a rabbit in the headlights from a car, Greg found himself the subject of Gray's attention. "You must be Greg."

"Er, yeah." Greg leaned in and stuck out his hand, hoping that Gray wasn't going to attempt to be so forward and crack his ribs in an embrace as well.

"Is he not sure?" Gray asked of Nick.

Nick's jaw was set. Obviously his brother's attempts to soothe the situation were not having the desired effect.

"I'm sure." Greg said firmly. "Greg Sanders."

"And I'm Gray Stokes." There was a faint mocking tone in his reply as he shook his hand in a firm grip.

Now it was Greg who felt the hairs on the back of his neck hackle. "Short for Graham, right?"

Nick would have given a small groan had his throat not been so dry.

Gray's jaw set, and the mirror image returned. "Shall we go to the car?"

----------------------------------

The walk to where Gray had parked was a long, practically silent one. Even Nick and Greg did not speak to each other, both of them pushing a trolley on which their heavy suitcases bulged with multitudes of Christmas presents for the obscene amount of family members that would be at the ranch over the holidays.

Gray strode ahead of them with an easy pace, his hands jammed in his jacket pockets. It was cold once they had left the confines of the airport; not exceedingly cold, but still a brisk fifty-five degrees. Gray began whistling to himself, a jaunty tune that sounded familiar to Greg although he couldn't really place it. Nick shot him a look, rolling his eyes. Greg smiled at him, trying to placate him through look alone.

It wasn't working. Greg was reminded of what he had said earlier about siblings, and thought that this was one of those times that made him glad he was an only child.

"I borrowed Mom and Dad's truck." Gray said as they reached the lot, activating the alarm on the keychain so that it opened for them before they even reached it.

"It's a good truck." Nick admitted gruffly.

Greg shook his head to himself. It was like the two brothers were speaking a foreign language. Stokesian - the language of the emotionally repressed siblings.

Nick started swinging the bags into the back of the truck, and Greg wheeled the trolleys back to the return bay. He coasted on them like a skateboard the last fifty minutes, allowing himself a few precious moments of fun before he would have to re-enter the war zone.

He jogged the short distance back, in an effort to keep warm. Nick and Gray were standing by the driver's seat, and their stances were combative once again.

"Eight months!" Nick was saying. "You couldn't have called once in eight months?"

Greg groaned to himself.

"I didn't have anything to say!" Gray kicked listlessly at the tyre, as if he was checking the pressure.

"You never have anything to say!" Nick countered. "You usually get on the phone, we discuss the weather, how Sally is, how the Rangers are doing, all the usual brother bullshit, then we repeat the process two weeks later."

"You could have called me."

"I did! And you brushed me off a few times, and I gave up! Oh, Sally called me once in a month and let me know what you were doing, and she always made good excuses for you..."

Greg cleared his throat, to let his presence be known.

Both Stokes men turned to look at him, and Greg felt the withering heat of their glances fall upon him as if they were laser beams. "Do you two just want to skip the arguing and go straight to punching each other out?"

"Leave it, G." Nick said snottily and Greg wondered if he had just gotten a glimpse of what his partner would have been like at twelve years old, especially when he stomped off to the front passenger seat and slammed the truck door after him as if it was his bedroom that he had flung himself into.

Gray gave him an inscrutable look – Greg figured it was either contemptuous or apologetic. He decided not to push it, and got into the seat behind Nick.

The airport speakers were strung out through the parking lot as well. As Gray started the engine, Greg could hear Have yourself a merry little Christmas... let your heart be light... from now on our troubles will be out of sight...

If he had been packing heat, he would have shot them into silence.

----------------------------------


"You hungry?" Gray finally asked to break the silence.

Nick stared at his feet for a moment, then decided to take the offered olive branch. "I could eat something. What about you, G?"

What Greg really wanted to do was scream What is wrong with you people? Can you not SPEAK to each other in any sentences more than four words long? Maybe I SHOULD have just let you beat each other up!

What he actually said was "Yeah, I could eat something," in an uncanny impersonation of mumbly-Nick.

Nick recognised the dig, but let it go. He shot a glance at Gray, and noticed he was grinning. "Don't." he growled.

"Do you still like Krispy Kreme?" Gray asked.

"Who doesn't?" Greg said jovially.

Nick was silent.

"I love Krispy Kreme more than life itself." Greg imitated mumbly-Nick again.

"Okay, Nick, if you say so." Gray said lightly.

As he turned into the parking lot, Nick's right hand slipped into the space between the seats and lightly thumped Greg on the knee. Greg thumped his hand back, and then held onto it with both hands, affectionately rubbing it. Nick smiled to himself.

They trudged into the store, where Gray ordered six dozen mixed boxes.

"I guess you weren't kidding when you said you were hungry." Nick smirked, as Gray ordered an original glazed and a coffee to go as well.

"You know everybody's going to be coming and going this morning to see you, so there might as well be something to feed them along with coffee."

"You don't think Mom has food in the house?"

"Well, I just thought it would be nice if she didn't have to worry about coming up with food for whoever comes over." Gray frowned as he realised how big the six boxes were. "Do you mind putting them into bags for me?" he asked the guy at the register.

"Aren't you sweet?" Nick asked, edgily.

Gray frowned. "Well, if I wasn't always sweet, things change, don't they?"

Nick bristled slightly. "Maybe things don't change, they just cover up certain aspects of themselves in order to survive."

"Bear claws!" Greg announced suddenly, before things could get more heated. As he felt the laser-beam attention of the two brothers again, he dropped his gaze towards the display counter. "Nice!"

As Gray stubbornly collected all six bags, his coffee and his glazed, Nick stepped up to the counter. "Two bear claws, and two coffees to go, thanks."

Greg watched Gray stomp off back towards the truck, and turned to Nick who was digging some notes out of his wallet. "This is going well, huh?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"I wish I was." Greg grabbed one of the coffees and drank the contents in one long, slow steady gasp. "You better order yourself one." he said, taking the other cup.

Nick sighed, and did so. A sullen brother, and an over-caffeinated Greg, in a confined space. This was going to be one long drive.

***

There was no further communication between the two brothers on the rest of the drive. Nick would occasionally point out landmarks to Greg, and Greg would make the appropriate oohs and aahs in reponse. Then Gray would sometimes do the same thing as Nick, and Greg would have to repeat the process. He was all oohed and aahed out twenty-three minutes away from the airport, and who knew how much longer there was to go?

Quite frankly, he was feeling like a ping-pong ball being whacked between two silent gladiators. Or, not to give them too much credit, like two sullen adolescents at the family dinner table:

Greg, will you ask Gray to pass me the salt?

Greg, will you ask Nick to pass the potatoes?

Greg, will you ask Gray to stop stealing my walkman?

Their one-upmanship was beginning to annoy him, much like any pissing contest. He saw enough of those at work, so he gradually closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

The only sound for another forty-five minutes was the drone and hitching of the engine every time it changed gears.

It was getting ridiculous, and not a great start to this holiday that was meant to be all about reconciliation.

So, maybe it was going to be a normal Christmas after all.

The road they were travelling on gradually became more uneven, and they dropped speed. He heard Nick shift in his seat, and felt his hand softly shake his leg.

"Babe, we're here."

Greg opened his eyes. Nick was shooting a look towards Gray to see if there was any reaction to his brother calling another guy such a term of endearment. There wasn't any change in Gray's countenance, as he focused on the road ahead.

Greg gave a realistic-sounding yawn and leaned forward to stare out the windshield. His jaw dropped as he took in the vista before him. He felt small in his surroundings of rolling hills where no other trace of civilisation could be seen, bar the ranch-house and barns to their left.

"This... all of this belongs to your parents?"

Nick turned around to face him, and gave him a big smile. "It didn't used to be. They bought out adjoining farm lands over the years so they could increase their stock. But, yeah, it now does belong to them."

"Holy crap." Greg breathed, impressed.

"You can say that again." Gray grinned.

"Holy crap." Greg said immediately.

Nick rolled down his window and stuck his head out. "Smell, that, G." he said appreciatively.

Greg leaned in and sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything."

"Exactly!" Nick crowed. "It smells like Texas. Clean, pollution-free. Pure."

It was the first real smile he had given since stepping off the plane, and Greg was glad to see it. Gray let the car roll under the canopy of a huge tree near the front porch, threw on the handbrake, and turned the ignition off.

"Prepare for the parents." he announced.

Nick ignored him, and jumped out.

Gray's eyes met Greg's in the rearview mirror as he pulled his sunglasses off. Greg offered him a conciliatory smile and threw open his car door. He felt that Gray was trying as much as he could, and he had certainly done nothing but try to act pleasant, even in the face of Nick's hostility. But he could also understand why Nick was so upset as well, and he was not looking forward to the conversation they would have to have later in private when Nick would be told to chill out a bit and meet his brother half-way. He was already imagining accusations of side-taking, when all Greg wanted to do was help play the peace-maker for a situation he couldn't help but feel partly responsible for.

The porch door was already swinging open, and Jillian and Bill emerged. Greg felt a new wave of nervousness return to him, which he knew was stupid as he had seen them only a few months before and all had gone well.

Jillian swooped upon her son, and while she was occupied Bill sought out Greg and shook his hand. "Good to see you again, Greg."

"You, too, sir." Greg said truthfully.

"I told you last time to stop it with the sir." Bill said gravely.

Greg smiled. "All you can ask is that I keep trying."

They looked back to where Nick was still unable to escape his mother's grasp. She ran her hand over his scalp, pleased. "You cut your hair. It doesn't make you look as old now."

"Thanks, Mom." Nick muttered, beginning to blush. "We can always count on you to be brutally honest."

"She told me I looked like a junkie." Gray offered.

Nick opened his mouth as if to agree, but sensing this Jillian pushed her son aside and focused upon Greg. "I'm so happy to see you, dear. And if you call me Mrs Stokes, I will stick you in the oven with the turkey."

"Okay!" Greg moved in to hug her, and avoided naming her anything at all.

She stepped back after an affectionate hug, then frowned. "You look thin."

"He's always thin, Mom. Leave him alone." Nick rolled his eyes. He gave his Dad the same hug and back-slap he shared with Gray. "Hey, Cisco."

"Good to see you, Pancho."

"He looks thinner." Jillian reiterated.

"He's been working hard."

Jillian shook her head. "I'll just have to fatten you up over the week."

Gray opened the back of the truck, and they moved around to start unloading the luggage.

"From what Nick's told me, you like to put on a feast."

"Oh, doughnuts!" Bill said gratefully, eying the boxes.

"I think Greg started in on them on the car ride." Nick laughed.

"I was hungry." Greg grabbed a case and a backpack.

"Are any of the others here yet?" Nick asked of his parents.

"You're the first." Jillian said cheerfully.

"I'll be going to pick up Sally later." Gray told him.

Nick gave him a curt nod.

"Have those two been fighting?" Bill asked Greg.

"Not physically."

"Give it time." Bill sighed.

"We're right here!" Gray reminded them.

Jillian started to lead Greg towards the house. "They're both extremely stubborn. It's a Stokes trait. Certainly doesn't come from my side of the family."

Greg was sure he could hear three male snorts come from behind them, which Jillian pointedly ignored.

"I'm pretty sure Greg could use a coffee, Mom." Nick called from the rear. "I mean, it's only been an hour since he last had one."

"I just brewed a fresh pot." Jillian said over her shoulder.

"Sounds great." Greg replied.

"She really likes him." Gray said as an aside to Nick.

"Why wouldn't she?" Nick replied wryly.

"Boys." Bill warned them simply.

"Yes, sir." they both replied automatically.

As both of them tried to follow their parents and Greg up the front steps, Nick elbowed his brother roughly enough so that he lost his balance and fell into the railing. Swearing under his breath, Gray retaliated by doing the same thing back. Nick sprawled to the porch floor on his stomach, and looked up to see Greg and his parents staring down at him.

"Did you forget about that larger step, honey?" his mother asked.

"Sure did." Nick lied. They continued on into the house, and Nick felt Gray's shadow fall over him. Gray sighed, and offered his hand to help him up. Nick ignored him and got to his feet, picked up the bags he was carrying and walked inside.

***

The house smelt of coffee, and Greg took a deep appreciative breath. Although it gave an air of an empty nest, where children had long grown up and moved away, it was a well-lived in and comfortable home. Greg liked it immediately, and tried to imagine a younger Nick running around with his gang of siblings.

"You're both in Nick's old room, of course." Jillian said. "Nick, you and Gray take the bags up while I get some coffee into Greg."

"The blatant favouritism begins already." Gray smiled. "Nick, do you remember the way?"

"I made Mom fax me a map beforehand." Nick started making his way up the stairs.

Jillian watched them disappear, shaking her head. "I can't tell whether that's friendly banter, or them preparing for Round Two."

"If I were a gambling man, I'd put my money on Round Two." Greg sighed.

"They'll sort it out eventually." Bill said, although he was still casting a concerned look up to where his boys had disappeared. "Gray's been a fool, but it's lucky for him Pancho never holds a grudge for long."

Greg felt that flush of pride people experience when someone speaks warmly of the person they love. Although it was true that Nick's parents had probably always thought highly of him, it still didn't stop the feeling from occurring, particularly in light of all of Nick's previous fears about finally letting his defences down and showing his parents who he truly was.

Jillian cocked her head. "Well, it doesn't sound like they're killing each other, so I think it's safe to start serving the coffee."

Greg followed her into the kitchen, while Bill excused himself to go and make some phone calls.

"Wow!" he cried out.

"You like it?" Jillian asked, amused.

"It's... unbelievable!"

"My favourite room in a house has always been the kitchen." Jillian moved over to one of the counters where a large coffee-maker that immediately made Greg start drooling was situated. "I hate cooking, truthfully, but I love the smells and the warmth. Especially in winter. So I made this my room, and the best room."

"I think you succeeded." Greg took in the large space before him, that also branched off into a dining area and a sunny breakfast corner.

"I know I succeeded." Jillian said proudly.

Greg moved over to the breakfast nook, where the walls were adorned with years of family photos. Of course he couldn't help but be interested in the ones that featured Nick in every stage of development. Some he had seen before in Nick's own photo albums, some were new. Greg smiled, thinking to himself that despite how cute Nick was when he was younger, and how he probably would have made Greg's heart spontaneously combust in high school or college, he still liked him better as he was in Greg's life now.

Jillian watched him studying the photos, and smiled to herself. Her hands suddenly shook as she remembered the night she had first seen him, standing over a work bench, lost for a moment in his own world. His jaw had been set, his face was like stone, and she had just assumed it was because he was a close friend of her son and taking it badly like everybody else in the Vegas lab was. Nick had mentioned Greg to her many times before, but she had always lumped him in the same category as Warrick or Sara. Nick was always good at keeping secrets, she had only found out about his treatment at the age of nine by his babysitter when he was in college. She took a deep, silent breath and tried to stave off the feelings of that night she had left him in danger as a child; and the night he had almost been taken away from her forever. Her son was now safe. Her son was now happy.

Greg noted how the partners of the Stokes siblings started appearing in the older photos, and felt his heart stop when he came across a photo that couldn't help but stand out because of the brand new frame. It was a touristy shot that also sat on a mantel twelve hundred miles away from this kitchen. They had asked a fellow tourist to take it for them; in it Bill and Jillian, Greg and Nick stood on the walkway above the Hoover Dam, the water shining far below them. They all looked comfortable and happy, and Nick had his arm around Greg and was pulling him in close.

He felt the sting of tears wanting to form, but he managed to stop them by despairing of the fact that his hair was a terrible shade of faint orange. The night Bill and Jillian had arrived in Vegas he had dyed his hair bright red in order to prove to Nick that the crazy lab-rat spirit still lived within him. He had washed his hair about five times after their dinner together in an attempt to get the colour out, but the blonde that had been in there before meant vestiges of the red had stayed in for a couple of weeks.

His only picture on the Stokes wall, and he looked like a pumpkin.

Jillian readied a tray full of cups. "Gray!" she hollered. "Where are those doughnuts?"

She pushed Greg lightly towards a chair, and seated herself next to him.

"Before the others get here..." Greg said hesitantly. "I just want to thank you... for letting me into your home, the photo, everything..."

She shook it off. "You're family now, Greg. I'm sorry if there was a time you thought it may have been otherwise."

Greg looked at her earnestly. "Do you know how much I love you right now?"

Jillian laughed. "Where do you think Nick got all his charm from?"

Speaking of the devil, Nick entered the kitchen. He carried some of the Krispy Kreme bags, and Gray followed him with the rest. Although they still didn't look at ease with each other, they sat at the table and Bill hurriedly joined them after hearing the word ‘doughnut' being mentioned several times.

As the conversation flowed, and the sun through the window took the edge off the cold weather, Greg watched Nick happily drinking in the fact that he was with family and all seemed well.

----------------------------------


After they had socialised a bit more with the folks, Nick declared he was taking Greg on a quick tour, and dragged him outdoors. Once more Greg marvelled at their surrounds.

"Nick, this is a ranch!" he cried, open-mouthed.

Nick laughed. "Yeah, you knew that..."

"No, Nicky... this is a ranch! It's like something out of a movie. I almost expect to see the Lone Ranger riding across that hill..."

Nick was enjoying Greg's sense of wonder, glad that he was finding the beauty in where he had come from. He suddenly grabbed Greg by the shoulders and kissed him longingly. "Te quiero, mi hombre extraño hermoso."* he breathed against his neck as he hugged him tight.

Greg burst out laughing. "I think this trip is agreeing with you. Either that, or you're going crazy."

‘Well, I'm not going crazy. I'm just happy."

Greg slipped a hand under the back of Nick's jacket and rubbed at the warm skin of his lower back. "Good."

Nick snaked an arm around his waist, and they continued walking. "Come on, I want to show you the horses."

"Let me guess, your dad has one called Silver?"

Nick tried to pinch a handful of flesh through Greg's heavy coat, but was unsuccessful. "Silver was The Lone Ranger's horse, Greg. Gee, with all your superior pop culture knowledge I would have thought you'd at least know that."

"Fine, Nicky. What were Cisco and Pancho's horses called?"

"Cisco's was Diablo, and Pancho's was Loco."

"I'm betting we'll find a Diablo and a Loco in the stables, then."

"Diablo and Loco are long gone, Greggo. They died when I was still with the Dallas PD." Nick smiled at a suddenly-silent Greg who thought he had stepped on a sore subject. "However, there is a Diablo II and a Loco II. They were both sired by the original Diablo."

"Why would someone want to ride a horse named after the Devil? Just sounds like you're asking for trouble to me. Oh, please come ride my horse called Satan."

Nick laughed, his hand slipping from Greg's waist to take his hand instead. "Diablo is a honey. He won't hurt you. I suppose if you had a horse you would call him Mr Ed."

"Mr Ed's a perfectly fine name for a horse."

The sound of a car horn made them turn around, as a laden SUV roared along the dirt track. On the passenger side, another dark-haired, dark-eyed being that was obviously a Stokes hung out the window and screamed "Hello, young lovers, whoever you are!"

Nick chuckled to himself, and waved with his free hand.

"Aah, Beth." Greg said, thinking back to the worried woman he had met only once before in a darker time, and comparing her to the exuberant woman he had often talked to on the phone at great length.

"Here we go." Nick's eyes shone with love directed at a favoured sibling. "She's one of the good ones, G, remember that. No matter what she does to us."

He began to lead Greg back towards the house, his hand still firmly within his, as Beth jumped out of the car and began to run towards them.







*Te quiero, mi hombre extraño hermoso. I love you, my beautiful strange man.

***

Beth ran along the drive with her scarf floating behind her as her husband Tony got out of the car, gave Nick and Greg a wave, and continued to open up the car and start pulling out luggage. She grabbed Nick with such force he stumbled back and would have fell if he hadn't crashed against Greg.

"Little Nick!" she crooned, rubbing her knuckles against the top of his skull.

"Oww!" he protested, but laughing all the same as he disentangled himself from Greg and tried to fight her off.

"Little Nick?" Greg looked like he was going to collapse from amusement.

"Zip it, G." Nick warned.

"It doesn't matter how old you get Nick, you will always be the baby Stokes." Beth then leaned up and gave him a tender peck where she had noogied him. Greg could see sadness in her eyes as she hung onto that touch a little longer than normal circumstances would have dictated, as if she was convincing herself that he was truly there and wouldn't disappear if she stepped away. Still with her arm around her brother, she reached out to draw Greg in. "Nice to finally see you in your rightful place, Greg."

"It's good to see you again, Beth." he said truthfully, returning the hug and accepting the kiss on the cheek she gave him.

"Hey, you're even cuter than the last time I saw you."

"I get a noogie, and he gets told he's cute?" Nick protested.

"Oh, whine, whine, whine." she rolled her eyes. "You know you're cute. You're a Stokes, suck it up."

"He knows it." Greg agreed. "You should see him preening in the halls of the lab to make sure everybody notices him."

Nick stared up at the sky, and counted to ten as Beth and Greg laughed in unison. "You know, G, I told you that my family would be out to humiliate me, I didn't think you would join them."

"Sorry, man, I have to try and fit in." Greg said mock-apologetically.

They had now reached the car. Beth's husband Tony greeted them warmly, shaking hands with Greg and accepting the more casual hug-slap from Nick. Greg found his thoughts drifting. As an only child he had never had that experience of the oh-so-manly expressions of affection between men and their brothers, or men and their in-laws. He supposed in time, that he would find himself progressing from hand-shaking to one-armed hugs combined with backslaps as well with the assorted men of the Stokes clan.

"Where's Ginny?" Nick asked about his niece.

"She has her own car now." Tony grinned. "So it's an embarrassment to have to rely upon a lift from her parents."

"She isn't coming until Christmas Eve. She wants to party with her friends until the last possible moment." Beth said, wistfully. "She's all grown up."

"Which is the reason why Beth has been sentimental and crying every night since Christmas carols began playing in the stores." Tony picked up some of the suitcases.

"Like you haven't been doing the same, you big baby." Beth shot back.

"Let me help you with those." Greg offered, leaning in to pick up the rest of the bags.

"Thanks, Greg." Tony wiped at his eye hurriedly, clearing away the thoughts of his growing daughter from his mind.

The luggage managed between them, the two men moved into the house while Beth and Nick hung back.

"He looks thinner." Beth frowned.

"Whoah, you sound like Mom." Nick shook his head.

She looked at him and smiled. "We saw you for a while as we were coming down the drive."

Her brother blushed, and kicked the dirt at his feet.

"You had a smile bigger than your face, Nick. You looked so happy." she threaded her arm through his. "You don't know how good it is to see that. Especially considering the way you were last time I saw you."

Nick saw her bite her lip as she was suddenly transported back to the hospital room; observing her baby brother traumatised, wounded, barely recognisable with swellings and ant bites. How taken aback she had been at the level of compassion emanating from his friends at the lab, and how she had resented them for feeling they could hurt at the same level of his family. But she had softened when she had seen the eyes of the younger man in the group, and how she had recognised something within them even back then; so that it had come as no surprise when Nick revealed his relationship with him and she had finally come to know Greg Sanders.

"Hey..." Nick said soothingly. "We can't keep going back to that night. Well, I can't at least. I've been there too many times."

Beth sniffed, and then turned her hundred-watt smile back on. "Sorry. But you're happy, right?"

"More than you know."

"Good. How are things with Gray?"

She felt him tense, as he stared ahead at nothing in particular. "Nick..."

He sighed. "It's... weird."

"Weird how?"

"He's trying... I know he's trying. But I'm so damn angry at him. I guess I want to make him suffer a little." He could feel her getting ready to speak, and held up a hand to stop her. "And please don't start sticking up for him, and making excuses."

Beth lightly slapped his hand down. "I have to, Nick. You think I don't do the same to him about you?"

"I know you probably do. I wish I could talk to him like I can with you."

"Boys." Beth said dismissively, blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes. "You could just pull him aside, pretend he's me, and just talk to him like a normal person."

"Come on, you know guys don't do it that way."

Beth snorted. "Oh, right. Well, take him some chewing tobacco and then challenge him to pistols at high noon. Give me a break!"

"He would probably have a fit if I tried to talk to him about feelings."

His sister stamped her feet. "Oh, for..."

The porch door swung open, and Jillian looked down upon them. "It's freezing out here! Bethy, what are you doing?"

"Trying to sort my brother out!"

"Well, I want you to come in sometime before the New Year!"

Beth whacked Nick with her free arm. "Come on, I suppose I'm going to have to go and try to talk some sense into Gray now. And then I'd like to catch up with Greg and find out exactly why he puts up with you. Oh, and I have to call Ginny. She wants more details on what you and Greg are like together. She thinks he's cute as well."

"Why does everybody have the hots for my boyfriend?"

"My boyfriend." Beth smirked. "Aww!"

"Oh, shut the hell up." But Nick couldn't help but smile as his sister ran up the steps two at a time and flung herself into her mother's arms.

***

Sticking to her word, Beth had barely enough time to greet her parents properly before she tracked Gray down. Greg had observed Gray was very skilled at trying to evade his younger sister, but her tenacity won out and she cornered him in one of the living rooms and dragged him into a study. Tony shook his head, and Greg found that after some small talk with the man that they were kindred spirits that shared an outsider status despite their ties to Stokes family members. Nick, meanwhile, helped his mother in the kitchen while Bill busied himself setting out dinnerware and cutlery.

"You haven't changed a bit, you jerk!" came a sudden yell from the study.

Everybody in the kitchen froze, and then exchanged unnerved looks when there was the sound of laughter following it.

"That's my wife." Tony grinned, proudly.

"Tony, do you mind getting drinks?" Jillian asked.

"Sure." Tony stood up and moved over to the drinks fridge.

"Is there anything I can do?" Greg asked.

"No, dear, you just sit there." Jillian smiled at him.

"Enjoy this brief time." Tony warned him, his face buried from sight. "You always get spoilt on your first visit, then after that you'll be put to work like any other Stokes."

Jillian whipped him with the tea-towel she was using.

Nick smiled at Greg across the room, and he returned it.

There was the sound of thunderous, approaching footsteps from the hall. Gray skidded to a stop just within the outskirts of the kitchen, and then was shoved forward as Beth collided with him.

"Everything alright?" Bill asked.

"They will be." Beth replied. She poked Gray in the back savagely, and he winced.

"How long until lunch, Mom?" Gray asked.

"About an hour."

"I should go and get Sally."

"You're just trying to get out of lunch duties." Beth said suspiciously, and nobody in the kitchen was fooled by the euphemism.

"Nuh uh." Gray said defensively. "Her car's in the shop, and she had to go to her mother's this morning."

"A likely story."

He ignored her. "I should be back within the hour."

"Okay, dear." Jillian walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss. "Drive safe."

Quick goodbyes were exchanged, Nick merely gave a brief nod. Beth followed Gray out the door saying "Hang on a minute..." She obviously hadn't finished with him, and followed him out the front door.

"I'm going to show Greg the rest of the house." Nick announced. "I haven't had the chance to yet. Nor the rest of the buildings, either."

"Okay, honey." Jillian nodded. "I still have these two to boss around, so go ahead."

Nick grinned as Tony and Bill shared commiserating looks, and ushered Greg out of the kitchen. As they crossed towards the stairs they could see Beth in the yard talking to Gray as he tried to start his car and escape her.

"I have to warn you," Nick said as they climbed to the second floor. "My mother... well, she's kinda kept my room the way it was when I left for college."

"Don't most mothers?" Greg asked as Nick opened the third door along the huge hallway and led him inside. "Oh..."

He concealed a laugh as he looked around the room. It was like a shrine, dedicated to an eighteen-year-old boy. The furnishings were still oddly adolescent, with various sporting paraphernalia strung up or sitting neatly on dusted shelves. Baseball gloves, an ancient football helmet, college team flags and team photographs were spread across the walls. Greg stared back at a visibly flushed Nick, who was just waiting for the teasing to start.

"Well?" Nick asked.

"I'm sorry." Greg scratched his head. "Did I have to pay for a ticket to gain entry to the Nicholas Stokes Museum?"

Nick grabbed him by the waist and drew him towards him. "Here's your ticket." he laughed, kissing him hard. He could feel Greg giggle beneath his opened mouth.

"I feel like I'm sixteen years old, macking in your parent's house." Greg said, pushing him away.

"Well, you shouldn't feel any different then, seeing you act like a sixteen year old."

"Don't be cranky, Nicky." Greg pushed him onto the small double-bed which was going to be a tight fit for them later that night. Looking down at Nick lying on what would have been his old bed made him feel a little more excited than he should have been, and he pounced upon Nick playfully, straddling him and pinning him down. "Am I the first guy you've ever had in this bed?"

"Greg!" Nick protested.

"I'm not going to let you up until you answer."

Red from embarrassment, and having the full body weight of a squirming Greg on top of him, Nick managed to grunt out an affirmative.

"Really?" Greg was surprised. He snaked his hand underneath the hem of Nick's shirt and rested it upon his belly. "Have any girls been had in this bed?"

"Greg, this isn't funny! This is my parent's house, man!"

"What, you've never fooled around in your bedroom?" Greg asked disbelievingly.

"Not to that extent, no!"

"Wow, you really are a gentleman!"

Nick saw this as his opportunity. While Greg was distracted with that thought, Nick braced a foot against the floor and used his upper body to knock Greg off himself, then flipped over so that their positions were reversed and he was now pinning Greg into the mattress.

"Hey!" Greg protested, finding that although he resented his loss of power he also liked this new turn of events.

"Not so funny now, huh?" Nick laughed, his knees pressing against Greg's hipbones.

"I take it back. You're not a gentleman at all."

"Oh, I can be." Nick leant down and kissed him.

Greg sighed, and broke away. "So, you're telling me you have never made out with someone in this bed?"

"Greg, there is something about ruining a moment..."

"I'm sorry, I'm just interested."

Nick's hands slid under his shirt and Greg shivered at the contact with his skin. "That's what barns are for, G."

"What?" Greg almost spat.

"Well, you try growing up in a house with six siblings and see how much privacy you get!" Nick started nuzzling his neck. "But you're the first one in here."

"And hopefully the last." Greg ran his hands along Nick's ribs, up to his face to bring him in further.

"You better be."

"I would like to see the barns later, though."

"I knew you would, once I told you that." Nick chuckled. He rolled off Greg and hugged him close. "This is a little strange, isn't it?"

"That I want nothing more than for you to rip my clothes off while your parents are downstairs making lunch?"

"Uh, yeah, that's strange, too. But kinda hot."

"That's one of the fun things about being a teenager, Nicky. The danger."

"We're in our thirties now. There's no danger in it."

"Yeah, I am sure you would love your parents to catch you in the act."

The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs gave him his answer as Nick went rigid.

"Oh, Nick..." Greg moaned teasingly. Nick's hand clamped over his mouth to silence him, and Greg bit it lightly.

"You are so dead." Nick hissed.

The footsteps died away, and Nick relaxed again. Greg smiled, and sat up. He took in the room again. "I can't believe I'm dating a jock."

"Ex-jock." Nick grumbled.

"Is there such a thing? Once a jock..." the smile faded. "You probably would have hated me in high school."

Nick tensed, not liking where this was going. "Yeah, because I hate you so much now." he said, trying to make light of it.

"Jocks didn't like me in my high school. Why would yours have been any different?"

"Uh, because I was in it?"

"Are you telling me you were never mean to a geek?"

"Greg, I was a science nerd too, you know."

"But being a jock would have over-ridden all that. You just would have been a brainy jock, a rarity, but an acceptable one."

There was a bitterness to Greg's tone that Nick didn't like, and he didn't know how to combat it. "I just think it's useless trying to compare us now to what we were like back in high school..."

"Okay, just try to imagine it. You see me walking in the halls, and you're with your jock buddies. What do you guys do?"

Nick was silent.

Greg slid off the bed and walked over to the window. "Yeah."

"You know what high school's like, G. You have to do things you don't like to survive."

"You don't have to. I didn't."

"Well, it's easy to say that when you're on the other side. People accept you as being different. You can't be different among the jocks."

"Why, because you then become one of us?"

"We do a lot of stupid things when we're kids! Some of us grow up and realise that. Why is this affecting you all of a sudden?"

"I guess I never saw so much evidence of what you were like before." Greg threw out his arms to encompass everything that was in Nick's bedroom.

"What I was like?"

Greg knew he had said the wrong thing immediately, and it burned him that he had started this stupid argument. He shouldn't have even opened his mouth in the first place, but as per usual his brain was two steps behind every other part of his body. "Nicky, I'm sorry..."

"You know, it was tough for me in school as well. And that's the thing about high school, Greg. Nobody's happy in it! Everybody has to pretend to be something they may not be. So don't tell me that I had it special!" Frustrated, Nick decided to leave before something was said that either of them would really regret.

Greg listened to him disappear down the stairs, rubbed his face savagely and cursed his stupidity.

***

Greg sat on the end of Nick's bed, his stomach feeling like lead. The last thing he wanted was to be fighting with Nick, when both of them had already been feeling apprehensive enough about this trip. And even though things were tense with Gray, it had all been working out pretty well until now. He didn't want to be having problems with Nick, and having the rest of the family picking up on it, so that their relationship appeared strained and melodramatic before the first night had even passed.

He knew he should get up, find Nick and get it sorted out before it got any worse. As he stood up, there was a knock on the door.

Feeling strange, because it wasn't his room, Greg called out hesitantly, "Come in?"

The door opened, and Beth stuck her head in. "Okay, what did my brother do to you?"

"Huh?" was all Greg could reply.

She settled herself on the ratty armchair in the corner by the window. "Well he passed me on the stairs with a face full of thunder, and practically knocked me down them."

"Oh." Greg said softly, dreading the lecture he was probably about to receive, and sat back down on the bed. "Actually, it was me who did something to him."

Beth's eyes widened. "Really?"

Greg nodded unhappily.

"Oh, so it's your ass I'm going to have to kick." Beth stared levelly at him, then flashed a smile. "Just kidding. Unless of course, you did something really bad."

"Older sister's privilege." Greg offered a weak smile.

"Damn straight."

"I just said something really stupid. And I didn't even mean it. I have a tendency to shoot my mouth off."

"And you worry about whether you're going to fit in with the rest of us?" Beth sighed.

"Well, Nick doesn't do it. It doesn't look like Gray does, either."

"That's just because they're not talking at the moment. Believe me, they do it as well."

"I compared him to the jocks I went to school with, that I hated." Greg blurted.

"Oh." Beth fell silent.

"What was he like as a teenager?" Greg asked.

She crossed over to the window and looked out. "On the surface, just like every other guy into high school sports. He knew how to blend, I guess. But he was always the same, sensitive Nick he is now. He's just a good guy."

"He's the best." Greg said, without thinking.

Beth turned back and smiled at him. "So, what's the problem?"

Hating having to voice it, but knowing the truth would help, he grimaced. "My own stupid insecurities. Sometimes I don't know what he sees in me. He is just... everything, you know?"

Beth snorted. "I hope you're not saying that my brother is perfect!"

"I know he's not perfect... just, well, he's good looking, kind, sensitive, loyal... everybody in Vegas loves him."

"Yeah, well I've heard him say the same things about you."

She could see him blush. "Greg, the guy he is now is exactly the same guy he was back then – just older, smarter and not as easily-led as he used to be. You're both stressed, and I don't blame you. So it's easier to get mad at each other." She walked over to him, and yanked him off the bed. "Now, stop talking to me and go talk to him. I have a headache, and I'm probably going to have to go into Round Two with Gray when he returns."

Greg gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you."

"Just go, already."

He moved out of the room so quickly that it made her laugh, and shake her head at the thought of all the problems the men under this roof could create over the next week.

-------------------------


Greg could hear voices in the kitchen as he made his way down the stairs, but Nick's was not one of them. That wasn't to say that he may not be in there, so he peeked in and made sure he wasn't; then snuck off before they were alerted to his presence.

He didn't have to look very far. Nick was sitting on the steps of the front porch, huddled into his jacket with a beer in his hands. Greg opened the door slowly and stepped out behind him.

"Me and my buddies here are just going to go ahead and ignore you." Nick said, taking a swig of the beer.

Greg sagged against the post next to him. "How did you know it was me?"

"I always know when it's you."

His heart in his throat, Greg sighed. "I know you do."

Silence fell between them. Greg's mind was racing as he tried to find the right words to say. Nick stayed silent because he felt Greg had to speak first. It may have been juvenile to act in such a way, but he still felt the sting of what Greg had said to him. Nick hated being thought badly of, and to think that of all people Greg had done so actually made him feel sick to the stomach. The rational part of him knew it wasn't truly meant, but that wasn't going to stop his mind from dwelling upon it and replaying those words when all he wanted to do was erase them from his memory.

"I---" Greg began, then faltered.

"You know, you really suck at apologising." Nick stood up as if he was about to leave, then was distracted by a plume of dust on the horizon. Gray's car was bouncing along the track, returning to the ranch. He stood, transfixed, caught between his emotionally-distant brother and his gaping-like-a-fish partner. He closed his eyes and thought longingly of taking one of the horses out for a ride, just getting away from everything for an hour... but years of good-mannered rearing from his parents dictated to him that he had to greet his sister-in-law and make nice at the lunch-table before any escaping could be planned.

Leaving Greg behind him, still floundering on the stairs, Nick made his way towards the parking car.

***

Greg's introduction to Gray's wife Sally had gone reasonably well. She was pleasant and warm, but also reserved and quite happy to hang back and be an observer rather than a participant. Greg thought she was a lot like Tony, probably used to the more rowdy Stokes taking the reigns of any social situation and having learned in time to adapt herself accordingly. Greg wondered if he was coming across in that fashion as well, as that was so not like him. But, first-time nervousness with the family was to be expected and it didn't help that he and Nick were still somewhat cold with one another. He was just glad that it probably didn't look like that to anyone else. Nick had brought him over to meet Sally immediately after he greeted her himself, and there was nothing in his actions that would have indicated that they had been fighting only twenty minutes before. In fact, Nick still seemed a lot more uneasy with Gray, which hadn't gone unnoticed by Sally either.

"I had a talk with him in the car on the way here." she had whispered to Greg as Nick silently helped Gray with some bags. It was funny how the brothers still worked in unison, despite their discomfort with one another. "They'll be fine once they begin talking again, they just have to get to that stage."

The irony was not lost on Greg that she could have been talking about him and Nick at that moment.

When they entered the house, and the usual round of welcomes was under way, Beth had arched an eyebrow at Greg and he had quickly shook his head. She rolled her eyes, knowing that the two of them probably wouldn't get to speak to each other alone until after lunch; and watched as Nick deliberately seated himself a few places away from Greg at the table, although this didn't appear that suspicious to anybody else as none of the other couples were really making an effort to stay glued to each other's sides either.

Beth fixed her steely eyes upon Nick at one point, and he faltered suspiciously under her gaze while reaching for a bread roll. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing." she replied, although her tone signified it was anything but. She then subtly flicked her head towards where Greg was seated between Jillian and Gray. Nick shot her a butt-out-of-it expression, which she returned with a look that screamed yeah, right.

Conversation flowed freely, and Greg more than kept his end of it, slipping into the easy charm he displayed with almost anybody who crossed his path. Despite his annoyance with Greg from earlier and the residual hurt that was still biting him, Nick was heartened by Greg's acceptance by his family... well, at least the ones who were here so far. Even Gray seemed to be getting along better with Greg than with his own brother at the present. Allowing himself one slight unhappy moment at the fact that his siblings were more laidback with the ‘stranger' in their midst than their own flesh and blood, Nick shook away the unnecessary self-pity and chided himself for even giving in to it. That was the thing about family reunions, they brought out both the best and the worst within you. And everybody else. He found himself looking over at Greg, who was only human and undoubtedly experiencing the same range of emotions and uneasiness – hence the strange outburst in the bedroom – as himself, and Nick felt his heart lighten somewhat.

Beth smiled to herself, relieved at the look of love which was within her brother's eyes as he observed his partner laughing at the other end of the table. Even the most passionate rainstorm always passed over, and she knew that this would as well once the two got a moment of peace to themselves. She watched Greg catch Nick's expression, and he smiled with the same loving look reflected in his eyes.

There was no need to batten down the hatches, she reflected. Nick reached for another bread roll, and she met his eyes again. She smiled; and he instantly smiled back, mouthing What?

She shrugged her shoulders light-heartedly, and he offered her the bread-basket. She took a roll and attacked it with a butterknife before she started laughing.

------------------------

Once they had cleared the table, and the dishwasher was humming away with a full load within it, coffee was served. Gray disappeared, and Nick knew what was coming. It was tradition.

"Stokes Rough and Ready Touchdown!" Gray bellowed, as he jumped into the kitchen, football in his hands.

Jillian groaned good-naturedly, while Beth clapped her hands excitedly.

"What's the matter, Nick?" Gray began tossing the ball from one hand to the other. "Did being away from this last Christmas soften you up?"

Nick felt a grin wanting to force itself into existence, but he repressed it. "You're kidding, right? I've been looking forward to kicking your ass all year."

It was a barb, but to the relief of everybody present, Gray didn't react. "Well, you're more than welcome to try." he replied, neutrally. "Doubt it, though."

"Let's find out, then."

"Count me out." Sally threw her hands up in the air. Leaning in towards Nick she muttered, "Last year he must have thought I was you because he tackled me so hard I was picking gravel out of my knees well into New Year's Eve."

"Would you like me to get him back for you?" Nick asked devilishly.

"Oldest siblings, team captains!" Gray called.

"I relinquish my crown to Nick." Beth told him. As both brothers started to protest, she shook her head. "I want to catch up with Mom a little bit. I'll be out to play in about ten minutes."

"Is ten minutes all I'm worth?" Jillian asked mockingly.

"When football awaits, yes." Beth teased.

"So, Nick, you can have first choice." Gray conceded.

Without hesitation, Nick said, "Greg, of course." He was tempted to add something snarky about jocks normally never choosing the geeks and leaving them for last, but he was glad he bit on his tongue when he saw the pleased flush spread over Greg's cheeks.

"Obviously." Gray agreed. "I'll take Beth."

Beth threw her arms up in the air triumphantly, while her husband protested feebly.

"Tony." Nick pointed towards his unhappy brother-in-law.

"Aww, honey, see, somebody picked you." Beth crowed, dunking a black-and-white cookie in her coffee.

"It's just like last year all over again." Tony mumbled.

"Come on Sally, you have to play." Gray tried to persuade his wife.

She sighed theatrically, then caved in just as she knew she would.

"Mom, Dad, are you playing?" Beth asked.

"I think we're getting a little too old for football." Bill poured himself another coffee.

"Speak for yourself!" Jillian said, with a twinkle in her eye. "But, he may be right."

"Well, Beth, there's plenty of time to talk to Momma later. You need to play, or else we'll have uneven teams." Gray said, in a tone that suggested there was no other option.

"Fine." she whacked Nick on the arm. "You are going down, Baby Stokes."

"Say it like you mean it, Elisabeth." Nick retorted.

Bill leaned in to Greg so that he could be heard above the din. "You're in for an experience, Greg."

"Other people just try therapy, you know." Greg replied.

Beth pushed past his seat, grabbed him by the arm and yanked him up. "You haven't seen anything until you've seen the Christmas Day game, when all the Stokes are playing. There will be tears, bruises and bloodshed."

Nick laughed, and could see the faint flicker of dread upon Greg's face. It made him want to reach out quickly and reassure him, but Beth was already pulling him towards the back door in a familiar way – as if this was how she and Nick would have looked as kids whenever she pushed him around but in a quiet, protective manner. Greg was tucked under her wing, and Nick loved her for it.

"On the other hand," Beth looked back over her shoulder to sneak a look at Nick and Gray, "you may end up seeing that today."

***

It didn't take Greg very long to realise that there were barely any rules to the patented Stokes Rough and Ready Touchdown. He had tried asking Tony and Sally as they headed out to the backyard, but they had shrugged non-committedly.

That was never a good sign.

Jillian threw the first ball in the ‘centre' of their pitch, which was the ground lying between one of the barns and a cluster of trees that shaped the beginning of a slope running towards a dammed area. Nick and Gray launched themselves into the air to grab the ball, but only ended up slamming into each other's chests before tumbling to the ground upon their butts. Jillian wasn't sure whether to be amused or alarmed, so simply made her way to the porch and wrapped a shawl around herself so she could watch the ensuing chaos in relative comfort. Greg looked longingly to the little table she had made herself with a pot of coffee and one of the boxes of Krispy Kremes, before yelling drew his attention back to the game.

Gray and Nick were scrabbling back to their feet, while Beth had managed to scoop up the ball and was trying to reach her team's goal – the side of the barn. Greg took after her, but Tony got there before he did and tackled his wife into the dirt. She shoved him off her immediately, but Greg ran by and got the ball. He could feel Gray on his heels and Nick not that far behind.

If Greg had known that the only rule to the Stokes Rough and Ready Touchdown that everybody seemed to follow was to knock the wind out of your opponents as hard and as often as you could rather than score a goal, he may have tried to stay as far away from the ball as possible. He threw a quick look behind him to see if he could offload the ball onto Tony but he was still only managing a slow process of standing.

He fumbled a throw to Nick, but it went wide.

By this stage Gray was already in the air and flying towards Greg. He tried to step aside, but Gray had him anyway. They fell to the ground, and Gray rolled over him and skidded on his stomach.

"What the hell---" Nick started to holler, and Greg could see that he was jumping to the conclusion that Gray had decided to tackle him irregardless of where the ball had been in play. As Nick started to run over to Gray, Greg groaned and slithered the distance he needed to be able to stretch out his foot and bring Nick to his knees.

"Greg!" Tony yelled in confusion. "You're not meant to tackle members of YOUR OWN TEAM!"

Flushed, Nick glared down at Greg.

"Don't." Greg warned him in a low whisper. "Stop looking for things to fight with him about. That wasn't deliberate!"

Nick started to say something, but was interrupted by a triumphant Beth, who had snatched up the ball and managed to get to the side of the barn before anybody could stop her.

"Good one, Bethy!" Jillian called out from the porch.

Gray towered over the two sprawled figures in the dust. "You both okay?"

"Fine." Nick stood and dusted his hands, while Greg did the same.

Beth threw the ball to her mother, who caught it deftly. "Ready?"

Her children and their partners assembled in a tight circle before her.

Gray and Nick were already straining against each other, and for a moment Jillian could see them as they were in their childhood – Nick trying so hard to be on the same level as his brother despite the nine year age difference. Now the age difference wasn't as apparent, but they still hadn't changed. She feigned as if she was throwing in their direction, but then sent it towards the left where Greg and Sally were standing.

Greg wasn't really concentrating, so Sally caught him by surprise as she simultaneously leapt into the air and bumped Greg with her hip at the same time. He bowled over, landing on his butt while Sally caught the ball easily. Obviously being Gray's wife had taught her quite a few tricks over years of Stokes get-togethers. She handed the ball on to Gray, but as it flew towards him Nick hurled himself across Gray and they fell in a mass of tangled limbs; this left Tony and Beth to stumble against each other as they fought for the prize.

Gray shoved Nick roughly, and Nick grabbed his wrists.

"Don't shove me." he growled.

"You do not want to pick a fight with me." Gray warned.

"You've been itching for a fight ever since I got off the plane." Nick hissed.

"No, actually, that's you, Nick."

Sally and Greg could see the interaction between the brothers getting heated. They exchanged silent looks, which in reality spoke volumes, as they staggered towards them. Beth and Tony continued wrestling each other for the ball, and Jillian found her attention batting between the two groups as if she was at a tennis match.

"Do you wanna fight?" Gray asked. He pulled his wrists out of Nick's grip, and shoved him again. Nick pushed against his hands, and Gray's back hit the ground again.

Nick felt arms grab him around the waist and yank him off his brother. He whirled around, angry to find it was Greg.

"Do we have to turn the hose on you two, as if you're dogs?" Sally demanded.

Before any of them could speak, another yell came from the opposite end of the yard. They turned to see Tony jumping up and down like a child who had been eating red jellybeans all day.

"Score! Score!" he whooped. Beth slapped him on the back, lovingly.

Tony looked at the harried group near the barn, and his face fell. "You guys weren't even watching, were you?"

"Sorry, man." Nick wheezed.

"Well, that's just great." Tony huffed to himself. "Finally score a goddamned goal in this stupid game..."

Beth rubbed his back. "I saw it, baby. You did good."

He grinned down at her. "Yeah?"

She kissed him happily. "Yeah."

"Nick---" Greg reached for his partner's hand, but Nick turned away.

"Scores are even." he said. "Tony... the ball?"

Tony threw it to him – badly – pretty much indicating his goal had been a fluke.

"Hon, help me up?" Gray asked feebly of his loving wife.

Sally shook her head, her lips pursed. "Help yourself."

Gray winced as he did so. Nick threw the ball out to his mother, and she surveyed them unhappily. Why couldn't one of her other children turn up at this moment, with their arrival putting an end to this game, before something akin to The Alamo had the opportunity to take place on the property?

"Come on, Momma!" Beth yelled. "It's high noon on the sportsfield!"

Trust Beth to voice it.

Jillian threw the ball towards Greg---

---who was stunned when Nick leapt in front of him and grabbed the ball.

"What the--- I'm on your team, Nick!" Greg yelled.

He could see immediately why Nick had done this. The war with Gray was not over. Nick was drawing his fire.

He sped off, Gray in pursuit. The pissing contest was on, Nick running in a zig-zag formation to try and throw Gray off, but Gray knew him too well and was gaining ground.

"Screw this." Greg muttered, and stalked off towards the porch, where he knew coffee and a much saner Stokes awaited.

"He has a point." Tony nudged his wife.

Beth watched her brothers re-enacting the stalk, prey and evade movements of Serengetti wildlife and nodded in the affirmative. "I could do with another coffee. Sally?"

"Count me in." Sally shook her head, astounded by the maturity her husband was currently displaying. "I'm freezing."

The three headed in Greg's wake, to where Jillian had been expecting this all along. There were already extra sets of coffee cups waiting for their use.

As the small group of dejected footballers clumped up the steps, they heard a protestation from the yard. They turned back to see Nick holding the ball, and staring up at them. "Hey, where are you guys going?"

Even Gray had stopped in his tracks, puzzled.

None of them felt the need to respond. Despite a huge lunch having been consumed less than an hour before they all gratefully reached into the box and selected a doughnut each.

"Do you think they know the game's over?" Tony asked as he greedily sized up his cruller.

Greg licked at the slight crust of glaze that had collected at the corner of his mouth. "It's not over for them, apparently"

Sure enough, Nick had sprinted to the row of trees and slammed the ball down. "We won!"

His triumphant scream floated back to those seated on the porch, who ignored it as they passed the sugar and cream between each other.

Back on the field, Gray glowered. "Who said it was over? No siren has sounded."

Breathing heavily, his hands on his hips, Nick snorted. "Since when have we ever had a siren? Besides, look around us! Our teams have retired!"

"Well, we haven't."

"Stop being so damn stubborn! It's over!"

"I'm stubborn?" Gray laughed and kicked the dirt at his feet.

"Yes you are!"

"Pot calling the kettle black there, baby brother." Gray circled around him, and picked up the ball. He started throwing it from hand to hand. "If I just head down there, it's another goal to my team..."

That was it.

Nick launched himself at his brother. Their bodies collided, the ball went flying.

Caught off guard, Gray tried to swing himself around but only succeeded in throwing the both of them off balance. Their momentum brought them to the edge of the slope, which they quickly rolled over and disappeared from the sight of those on the porch.

Noticing the sudden silence, Beth stared out into the yard, her brow furrowed. "Where did they go?"

"Maybe they've killed each other." Sally sounded like she didn't really care if they had.

"Christmas will at least be a lot more peaceful if they have." Jillian said, with a twinkle in her eye that proved she wished anything but that.

"Maybe they're actually talking to each other like reasonable human beings." Greg offered hopefully.

There was a brief silence, and the four people at the small table began to laugh - loud and heartily.

***

Next part of Don't Fence Me In.