Title: When The Blues Come In From The Rain
Author: Jaxson K
Pairing: past Nick/Greg.
Rating: PG
Summary: Nick reflects on walking away from everything.
Disclaimer: I own nothing...
A/N: No sequel to this. It is a one-shot only!

***

Nick was excited about today. He was to meet the loan officer at 2 pm to sign the papers on his ranch. It was a small ranch, only 40 acres, but it would be his. He had been waiting for this day for so long, and the thought made him very happy. He knew that it would take some serious hard work, but he could do it. Granted, it would be different from what he had been used to, but he figured that it was worth it. One thing that bothered him was the fact that Greg wasn't here to see this. But Nick had given him a chance to come with him, but Greg wouldn't budge. He thought Nick was crazy to give up his job and want to leave Las Vegas. Greg couldn't seem to understand that Nick had hit the wall. The burn-out could have taken a bigger toll, but Nick got lucky. He spent six months talking to a therapist and nearly another six months trying to convince Greg to leave with him.

Nick had done some research while trying to figure out what he wanted to do, and found several labs needing CSIs in the vicinity of where he wanted to move to. He had gone so far as to have the paperwork from some of these labs sent to Greg so he could look them over and see if he wanted to set up interviews. Nick was saddened to find the paperwork ripped up in the trash can when he came home from his therapy appointment one day. Things had gotten very tense when Greg came home from the lab that day, and never really eased up. Nick tried once more to explain to Greg that he was burnt out being a CSI, and that he felt it best to pursue something different. He also went on to explain that he loved Greg and that he wanted them to be together. Greg replied that if he really loved him, Nick wouldn't ask him to just uproot his life and move.

Nick understood that Greg didn't like change too much, and he honestly didn't blame Greg for being angry. The problem was that Nick knew he had to get out of Vegas because he'd had his fill of death and destruction, and he needed something new. He tried to get Greg to understand all these things and even explained that he wanted to find a piece of property and raise horses and just live a quiet life with Greg, but it was no use. Greg wanted no part of it. Greg moved out two weeks before Nick was to leave for his new job on a ranch just outside a small town in Idaho. Nick had heard about the job from his brother and had contacted the foreman who had hired Nick immediately.

The day Nick was to leave, Greg came by to try in his words "to talk some sense into your stupid ass...". Nick did his best to plead his case one more time, but Greg refused to listen. He told Nick that he was being an ass, and that when he was ready to do right, he could look Greg up. With that, Greg turned around and walked out of Nick's life for good. Nick left Vegas with a heavy heart regarding how things ended with Greg, but he knew that he couldn't dwell on the past. He had his future to look forward to.....

***

Nick threw himself into his new job full force. He enjoyed working with the horses, patching fences, feeding livestock, mucking out stalls, and everything else about working on a ranch. While he made friends on the ranch, he mostly kept to himself and stayed at home. He went out with some of the guys from work a few times, and decided that it really wasn't for him. The men were nice enough, but they tended to get a bit nosy at times. Nick shared some of his past, but kept most of it to himself. He figured that it was safer that way.

After about a year, Nick found the property he was signing the papers on today. He went to the bank and talked to the loan officer about it. He took all the money he had saved while working at the ranch and put a down payment on the property. There was a house on the property he could fix up while he was getting started, and he threw himself into getting things ready. Nick arrived on time for his appointment, and the papers were signed in no time. The loan officer gave him the keys to the gate and the house, and he drove out to see HIS ranch.

Nick couldn't help but smile at the thought of having his own ranch. He knew that there was a lot of hard work ahead, but he was ready. He moved in the first day of August, and got settled so he could get started on the barn and fences. He knew that he was going to need to get something else going income-wise soon because he'd left the ranch the last week of July. He was thinking of applying at one of the factories in town, and that would help with the payments on his place plus fixing the place up.

Later that year, around October, Nick was enjoying a day off. It had started raining while he was at work the night before (he'd gotten the job at the factory working the night shift of all things!) and the rain hadn't let up. He was sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee while watching the rain fall. He allowed himself to think back on Vegas and finally Greg. He hoped that Greg was doing well, but had no idea since he'd cut off all communication when he left. He sincerely hoped that Greg was happy and had forgiven him for wanting something different. He decided to write Greg a letter in care of the crime lab just to say hello, and to let him know that he was still alive. He hoped that Greg would at least read it and know that Nick was finally happy.....

Dear Greg,

I hope this letter finds you well and happy. I know it's been a while, but I've been busy realizing a few dreams, and I wanted to share the good news. I finally got the ranch I was wanting. It's 40 acres not far from a little town called Sherman. I work in a factory here on the night shift and I have to admit that I'm happy.

There are times though, like today when the river runs gray and it's dark and cloudy, and the winds make the reeds and cattails bend, that I find myself looking back on all that came before. That's usually when your face pops into my mind, and the tears that come are just raindrops on the window panes. I'm not saying I'm to blame, but I still think of what we had and how it ended, and I think that we didn't know each other at all. I want you to know that I don't hate you, but I'm pretty I'm not one of your favorite people anymore. That's okay, though. I want you to know that I hope you find true happiness, and anything else you want out of life. I'm sorry I couldn't do that.

Please know that I wish you the best, and I always will. Please excuse my ramblings, but that's just how it is when the blues come in from the rain...... Nick

Nick drove to town to mail the letter and get some things from the grocery store. He thought about mailing the letter and almost didn't. He drove around for a while and went back to the post office and dropped the letter into the box of out-going mail. It wasn't a big deal anymore because he had made peace with Vegas, and with Greg. He just wanted to let Greg know he was happy.....


 

THE END

Next story in series - The Letter.