Title: Happy St. Patrick's Day Nicky!
Author: Rpgirl
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG
Summary: Nick forgets about St. Patrick's Day and relies on Greg to give him his hat. Greg and Hodges double up and explain to him the importance of St. Paddy's Day.

***

Nick Stokes walked around the halls of the lab, looking in each window. He noticed one thing, everyone was wearing green. Did he not get a memo about wearing green or something? He saw his long time boyfriend Greg Sanders walking towards him, wearing green Chuck Taylors, a green leprechaun hat, and a green shirt.

"Greggo, why is everyone wearing green today?" Nick asked, hugging the ex-lab tech. He jumped away when something pinched his ass.

"It's St. Patrick's Day Nicky." Greg said, smiling evilly.

"And you DIDN'T remind me."

"And miss the chance of pinching your ass." Greg said, as Nick glared.

"That's not a good reas—OW." Nick yelled, turning to see Warrick dressed in green also.

"Hey Nick, why aren't you wearing green?" Warrick asked.

"Because I wanted to get pinched today." Nick said sarcastically.

"I didn't tell him." Greg said as Warrick laughed.

"Even Grissom is wearing green!" Nick said outraged, watching his boss walk past him.

"Nick, Greg you two have a DB over on the strip. You're going to be with Brass." Grissom said, then lightly pinching Nick's arm.

"Greg don't you have anything else green?" Nick asked.

"Nope." Greg answered simply, grinning at Nick.

"Can't I wear your hat?" Nick pleading.

"No, I spent an hour getting it on my head without messing up my hair." Greg said, walking past him to see Sara and Catherine who were also wearing green.

"SARA'S WEARING GREEN?!" Nick said, looking at Greg who started laughing.

"This isn't funny Greg, this is mean. Gimme your hat." Nick said, lunging for the hat.

Greg dodged him, running into Hodges lab.

"David! Save me!" Greg said, hiding behind Hodges.

"Um whatever spat you two are having, I don't want to be involved."

"He wants my hat, cause he was to stupid to remember it was St. Patrick's Day."

"But your hat is awesome. Sorry Nick, but you can't pull off the leprechaun hat." Hodges said as Greg nodded.

"But I don't want to get pinched all day." Nick whined.

"To bad babe." Greg said, as Hodges snickered.

"Besides that who the hell is St. Patrick?" Nick asked.

Greg and Hodges gasped.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHO ST. PATRICK IS?" they both yelled.

"Ow! No I don't."

"You poor uneducated person. It's probably because he doesn't like the holiday." Greg said to Hodges.

"I agree, so let's tell him."

"Many stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, include the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling." Greg began, as Nick sat down.

"When he turned sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian." Hodges continued.

"Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. He used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also imposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that admiration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish." Greg added.

"The Irish culture centered on a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. So when he came around, more people converted. Irish were usually pagan before his ideas. So it's no wonder why the story of his life is so exaggerated." Hodges finished.

Nick nodded his head.

"Oh I get it."

"That's why we celebrate St. Paddy's Day." Greg said, taking off his hat, kissing Nick on the cheek.

"Happy St. Patrick's Day Nicky." Greg said, putting the hat on Nick.

"Love you G." Nick said, kissing Greg gently.

"Love you too Nick." Greg said, smiling widely.

"Now you two go to your crime scene." Hodges said, as the two men left.

***