Title: Greg Goes to College
Author: ktattoo
Pairing: past Nick/Greg
Rating: R
Warning: WiP?
Summary: When Greg's life goes to hell, he visits a relative in college.

***

Greg Sanders stood in the doorway of his boss' office, a thin, rough hand running though his light brown hair. He was there, not to chat like he normally would, but to request time off. His job was beginning to wear him down, as was his personal life. All Greg wanted to do was get away for awhile.

"Can I help you, Greg?" Gil Grissom looked up at Greg over the rim of his glasses before motioning the young CSI in. The young man had been through more than most CSIs Gil knew, and he respected Greg for his continued dedication to the job.

"Griss, I need to get some time off. I know I have at least two weeks that I can take, so I want to take it."

Greg shoved his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet as he stood before his boss.

"May I ask why you want to take your vacation? Is there anything the lab can help you with?"

The lab. Greg mentally snorted. The lab can't help me – not with this.

"No," Greg shook his head, "nothing you or the lab can help with."

Gil slowly removed glasses, gazing at his subordinate, almost trying to read the young man's mind. "I see no problem in you taking your vacation right now. Once off the clock for the night, you can go."

Greg nodded his thanks and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Greg," Gil called out just as Greg was out the door, "running away isn't always the answer."

Greg just gave a small smile that never reached his sad brown eyes that devoid of their usual light.

"I know."

*~*

"Greggie! You're here!"

Greg grinned down at his 20 year old cousin, who pulled him down into a welcoming hug.

Nevyn Callum Sanders was Greg's mother's brother's only child. The girl stood at no more than 5'3'' and couldn't have weighed more than one hundred pounds soaking wet. Like Greg though, 'Nev' as her friends called her, made up for her small stature by having a big personality.

Leaving the door to her dorm room open, Nevyn bounded onto her bed and gestured for Greg to sit beside her.

"Okay, big cousin, you know I am happy to see you and I am glad you are here, but what's the deal? One minute you are happy out in Vegas, and the next Papa Olaf is calling me, asking me to talk to you."

The small girl frowned at the cousin she respected so much. "What happened Greg? Why isn't Nicky here?"

Frowning, Greg looked around his cousin's dorm room, hoping to stall for time. He didn't want to talk about what had happened in Vegas. He didn't want to talk about Nick. That's why he left Vegas and went there, to a small town in Middle America, where no one would think to look for him.

"Greg? Talk to me."

With a sigh, Greg stood and began to pace. "Nick and I got into a fight. I couldn't deal with it, so I left. He doesn't love me anymore, and I don't want to be around him right now."


~*~

It was Saturday, the first day Greg and his partner of three years, Nick Stokes, had gotten off at the same time in over two months. Greg sat on the overstuffed sofa in his and Nick's living room, the sweet smell of carrots, onions and beef wafting through the house; the smell was coming from the oven, a roast in it. Nick was due to be home any minute- he had gone to play basketball with his friend and co-worker, Warrick Brown.


All day, Greg had had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, so he spent the day cooking to distract his self from the foreboding feeling. The thirty-two year old knew he would feel better once Nick got home.

By 5:30, Greg had the roast out of the oven, and was now pacing – Nick was half and hour late. Was he alright?

Nick came stumbling in at six o'clock, tripping over his own two feet before falling onto the couch. Greg's worry ceased when his lover came in the door, but fury began to take residence.

Nick was obviously drunk – he reeked of alcohol, cigarette smoke, and something else he just couldn't place...

As he got closer to the older man, Greg recognized the other smell. Nick smelled of alcohol, stale cigarette smoke and... sex.

"Nicolas Stokes!" Greg nearly cried as he fell to the floor in disbelief.

"How could you, Nicky? How could you do this to me? To us? Damn it Nick!" His tears streamed down his face, causing small rivers to form in the hollows of his pale cheeks.

Nick stirred from his drunken stupor; his head pounding as the sound of his young lover's sobs rang through his ears.

"Greg? Greg, baby, what's wrong?" Nick shook the smaller man, trying to rouse him from his tears.

"Jumping to his feet, eyes red and blotchy, but filled with hurt, dislike, hate, and a range of other emotions; Greg pointed a shaking finger at the other man.

"What's wrong?! You come home, reeking of booze, cigarettes, and SEX, and you have the audacity to ask ME what's wrong!" Greg grabbed Nick's keys and threw them at the dark haired man he had loved.

"Get out! You can come back tomorrow 'cause I won't be here!"

"Greg, wait, I can..."

"Explain?! I don't give a damn about what you have to say. You slept with someone else; probably some sleazy whore, and then come home expecting me to forgive you? Fuck you, Nick! Get out and don't come back!"

Defeated, Nick didn't bother to argue – just grabbed his coat and keys, shutting the door behind him. Greg fell to the floor, his heart breaking with every tear that fell to his face.

***

Eyes red and swollen form crying, Greg looked up at his cousin and gratefully accepted the hug the girl pulled him in to. He was glad to have someone to comfort him; he knew his mother would dote on his until it became annoying, while his father told him it should have been expected – gay men could never commit.

"Thanks for this, Nev. I know you don't need any more stress, but I really appreciate you letting me visit." He stood, wiping the tears from his eyes and looking around his cousins' room.

Nevyn had (by some stroke of luck), obtained her own room, so she had two of everything; two beds, desks, wardrobes, bookcases, mirrors and lamps. She had transformed the room – the second bed was lowered and set up as a couch and the extra desk was covered in a rainbow sham with a dragon chess set and un-finished puzzle on its surface.

Both bookcases were filled to overflowing with books of all shapes, sizes and topics- many spilling over into one of the wardrobes that contained all the extras; books, movies, games, towels, cleaning supplies, art stuff, and a mass of other junk.

Greg smiled as he looked at all of the pictures on the walls – Nevyn had put up (and completely covered the walls in) posters of bands, movies, Broadway shows, television shows and pictures of family and friends. There was also hand-drawn artwork all over the room; many Nev had drawn herself, and several Greg had drawn for his cousin.

"I can't believe you still have these," he smiled as he touched a self-portrait he had done several years back.

"You know I can't throw anything away. Besides, they are really good." Nevyn in the doorway, keys in hand.

"You wanna get outta here? I have play practice in an hour and I would like to eat first."

With a nod, Greg followed the girl out of the room and waited as she wrote on her dry erase message board and locked the door.

"We're outta here."

~*~

"So what play are you doing?" Greg leaned back in the passenger seat pf Nevyn's Toyota Yaris, his eyes drifting closed now that the jet lag began to take its toll.

"We're doing 'The Laramie Project.' I doubt you've heard of it."

"That's where you're wrong baby cousin. I took Nick..." Greg trailed off, forgetting for a second that Nick was the reason he was in pain.

Understanding Greg's silence, Nevyn bounced in her seat. "Well, our production will be the best you've ever seen. I am Romaine Patterson – Matt's best friend. I also get to play a few other roles since there are only thirteen of us in the play. Wanna sit in on rehearsal?"

Greg smiled and nodded, glad to see his cousin so happy. It wasn't too long ago that the girl had gone through a terrible ordeal, and he was amazed she had bounced back so well – but maybe he shouldn't have been; she is his cousin after all.

~*~

The Sanders cousins entered the theater of the college, and Nevyn immediately ran to the stage, jumping into the arms of the girl that was on the stage and pulling her into an embrace.

Greg blushed, than joined his cousin on the stage.

"Greg, this is my girlfriend, Em. Em, this is my cousin, Greg. You know, the cute one I was telling you about. He is going to be here in the area for a couple of weeks to visit. You two play nice – I have to go see Dr. Morgan for a minute." Nevyn quickly kissed Em on the cheek, smiled at her cousin, then bounded off the stage in search for the director of the play.

An awkward silence filled the room as Greg and Em stood waiting for Nevyn to return. It was Em that broke the silence.

"Nev didn't say why you're here. She talks about you all the time, you and your boyfriend. Did something happen? You showed up on short notice and all, but if you don't want to talk about it..."

Greg forced a grin. Em and Nev were a lot alike. Both them talked too much... just like himself. "Yea, I don't really wanna get into it, but Nick and I had a fight, so I took some time off work to come out here. Nevyn and I haven't seen each other in a long time, so I thought this would be as good a place as any to get away.

"How long have you two been together? Nev didn't tell me she had a girlfriend... or any kind of significant other."

"We've been dating for about six months." Em shrugged as she sat down. "She talks about you all the time, you know. Nevyn couldn't be more proud of her older cousin, the CSI from Las Vegas that was in his lab when it exploded and survived. She wants to be just like you."

Greg grinned as his heart swelled. He and Nevyn had always been close since they were the only Sanders children, but he had no idea how much she looked up to him. Joining his cousin's girlfriend on the floor, Greg shrugged.

"I'm the one who looks up to her. I don't know what she has told you about her past, but that girl has been through a lot and she has bounced back. We both deal with things the same way, but if I had been in her situation, I don't know what I would have done."

"She hasn't told me much, but I hope to stick around long enough to find out."

Greg smiled and began to stand as Nevyn came rushing back toward the stage, hair flying and a grin on her face as she was closely followed by an older man, presumably the play director.

"That's good. I think you're going to be good for her."

***