Title: The Last Mountain
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Nick Stokes
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Rating: PG-13
Table: 1drabble
Prompt: 5. Memory
Author's Note: Post-ep for the S11 CSI: Vegas episode "Cello and Goodbye," and a sequel to the Greg/Nick fic "Survivor's Guilt." Completely unrelated to the other Greg/Nick series that I write.
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Greg Sanders or Nick Stokes, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***


Greg stood at the front door of Nick's house, looking out over the front yard as the sun rose and the world gradually changed from darkness to light. He watched as the sun rose, getting higher in the sky, throwing light and warmth over the world.

He wished the sun could take away his memories, as well. But it couldn't.

No, he didn't want to lose those memories, Greg corrected himself. He didn't want to forget about Jonah, or the time they'd spent together. But he didn't want to go on as he was now, feeling that he couldn't move forward, somehow feeling that loving Nick would betray Jonah.

It wouldn't, and deep within his heart, he knew it. But he couldn't stop feeling guilty every time memories of Jonah crowded unbidden into his mind.

Those memories were something that he would always hold close to his heart; he had truly loved Jonah, and he never wanted to forget their time together. But at this point, those memories -- and his own survivor's guilt -- were holding him back from getting on with the rest of his life.

Jonah would have wanted him to be happy -- and to be with Nick. He knew that. They'd talked about his past relationship with Nick a lot, and Jonah had pointed out that Nick would always be in his heart. Greg had known that Nick would always be a part of him.

He had loved Nick, even while he was with Jonah. He couldn't deny it.

Maybe that was a big part of why he felt so guilty now, Greg thought with a sigh. He had given Jonah his heart -- but his boyfriend had known that he didn't have all of Greg. He'd always known it, even when Greg had tried his best to deny that he still carried a torch for Nick.

He had to stop feeling guilty over Jonah's death -- and he had to let Jonah become a memory. If he didn't, then he would never be able to move ahead with Nick. He would always be stuck looking at the view from the last mountain, because he would never be able to climb the next one.

It was past time that he put the time he'd spent with Jonah into his memories, and concentrated on living the rest of his life with the man he had always loved.

He and Nick would never be perfect, but he didn't want perfection. It would be deadly dull. What he wanted was a life with someone he loved, someone who loved him back just as much. He and Nick weren't to where they needed to be yet, but they were getting closer every day.

Memories were the past. It was time for them to build a future.

***

Next story in series - Thinking of You.