Chapter
5 – Vacation II – Playtime
*Las Vegas*
“Welcome to another sunny day.” Nick’s voice filtered through Don’s consciousness
a second before bright sunshine hit his face and for a moment he wanted nothing
more than hide under the covers. Then he remembered where he was and with a
smile he opened his eyes. Nick stood at the window letting the sun stream over
his naked chest. It was a wonderful image to wake up to, Don thought though he
would still have loved to sleep for just a minute longer.
“Hey there.” Nick grinned and sauntered back to the bed. Don watched
his lover approach their bed, when realization suddenly hit him and he
swallowed hard. This was their bed, their hotel room, not Nick’s or Don’s,
theirs and for the first time since they had gotten together they could go out
in the sunshine and didn’t have to hide, didn’t have to pretend to be just
friends. The thought was both slightly scary and incredibly freeing.
Nick stopped next to the bed waiting for Don to get up, but right now
Don had other ideas and reaching out, he pulled Nick down until his partner
came down willingly and lay down next to him. “We need to get up.”
Don smiled at Nick’s half hearted complaint and shook his head. His
hand caressed Nick’s chest, moved along the contours of the defined abs and
then up to play with Nick’s nipples. “We’re on vacation love, we don’t need to
do anything.”
“But the others expect us down for breakfast.”
Nick sounded breathless and despite his words he arched into the caress. Don
smiled at the cat-like movement and swiftly moved on top of his lover. Nick
gasped as he was pressed into the mattress, and Don reveled in the feeling of
being this close to Nick.
It was only now he realized how long it had
been that they really had had time to enjoy each other, to just lie in bed and
tease, caress and love. Too often lately their touches had been hurried and
their love making had sometimes had an almost desperate quality of both of them
trying to forget what they had seen on the streets.
“They can wait.”
He let his hand travel over Nick’s torso, down
to the navel and circled it with his finger. Nick shivered and pressing closer,
Don could feel that their closeness had affected Nick just as much as it had
affected himself. Moaning slightly, Don leaned down and captured Nick’s lips. A
soft moan escaped Nick as he finally gave in and let himself enjoy Don’s
caresses. Don smiled as he felt the tension leave his partner’s body and slowly
followed the path down with his lips.
“Just enjoy ok, just let me do everything.”
Nick looked up and smiled. “Everything?”
Nipping his partner’s tight belly gently, Don
shook his head. “Almost everything.”
Nick moaned at the bite and Don licked and
kissed his way further down, loving the way Nick moved under his caresses, the
way his lover moaned and whimpered at his touch. Nick was trembling with need
by the time Don reached his cock and Don himself could feel his own blood rush
through his body. He looked at the man below him, looked at the tight body, the
leaking cock, the expression of want in every pore of Nick’s body and it all
turned him on beyond belief.
It was intense he thought as he looked up and
got caught in Nick’s passionate eyes. His partner’s eyes were burning with lust
and love. “Turn around.”
Nick’s voice was rough with passion and a
shiver ran through Don at both the words and the implication, and he complied
without saying anything. The sight of his cock right next to Nick’s lips made
him thrust instinctively when Nick reached out and caressed the head, Don
sighed.
His own lips closed over Nick’s cock at the
same time as Nick’s tongue licked over Don’s cock and they both moaned. Don
loved the taste of Nick on his tongue, loved the feeling of Nick’s thighs
trembling under his touch and then Nick sucked him in and all thought fled his
mind.
It was intense, wild and full of love. Don had
a feeling of being caught in a feedback loop, it was as if every emotion he
felt was taken and magnified by Nick’s reaction. Nick who now tensed beneath
Don’s hands, just as Don felt his own body starting to tingle.
He wanted to shout, but concentrated on sucking
harder even as the sunlight started to spin in front of his eyes and he had to
close them because it all got too much.
“Don, you alive?” Nick’s hand in his hair
brought him back and he looked up from where he’d rested his head on Nick’s
thigh to his lover. Nick smiled softly, his eyes sated and full of love, but
there was a good portion of mischief too.
Don grinned. “Barely, I think I’ll need some
mouth to mouth to survive.”
Nick laughed at the comment and shook his head,
before he leaned down and kissed his partner quickly. “I need coffee and food.”
Don shrugged, but at the same moment his
stomach rumbled and Nick grinned. “Another country heard from.”
Don pulled Nick close once more and gently
kissed him. “Love you.”
Nick’s eyes were full of love as he looked up.
“Love you too.”
---
“Look who decided to join us.” Tony grinned as
Nick and Don sat down next to him and Danny. “Couldn’t find the breakfast
room?”
Don glared at him and catching Danny’s grin,
Tony looked at Nick. He immediately noted the hickey that was barely hidden
underneath the open polo shirt that Nick was wearing. Tony grinned at his
friend. “I see, you got lost on the way to the breakfast room and were attacked
by vampires.”
Nick snorted; his blush though, spoke volumes
but then he grinned. “Very dangerous vampires.”
This time it was Nick’s words that earned him a
glare from Don. Don couldn’t hold the look when his eyes met with Nick’s and
Tony smiled inwardly as he watched how Don literally melted. The big bad NYPD
detective really was a pussycat when it came to his lover. But then, Tony
thought, sending a look towards his own big badass boss, that was nothing new.
The waitress arrived and informed them that the
buffet was included in their price. She took their drinks order and when she
left Tony looked again at Nick and Don.
“Just fruit for you guys? You already had your
protein for today, didn’t you?”
The head slap wasn’t unexpected and while he
glared at his lover, Mac interrupted the teasing smoothly by looking at Nick
questioningly. “So what have you planned today?”
Nick was still blushing from Tony’s comment,
but he recovered and Tony smirked at the look of gratitude Nick sent Mac,
before he started to explain what he had planned. “I wasn’t sure if you guys
want to gamble or not, and since Don said that he would like to see Death
Valley, I organized a trip out there. We’ll drive out there, have a lunch in an
old silver rush town and then come back around 4ish. But of course, if you’d
rather stay here...”
Tony could see that Nick really felt responsible
for their group. It was typical of Nick, he thought as he noticed how Nick felt
insecure on whether his plan was acceptable for the rest of them. It was, at
least to Tony who had no real interest in gambling anyway.
He’d been to Vegas before with friends and of
course with his frat brothers and he had enjoyed the drinking, the gambling and
the girls. But this time it was different, this time he wasn’t here to score,
wasn’t here to let off some steam. This time he was here to spend some time
with his friends and especially to spend some time with Jethro.
“Sounds great to me.”
Nick looked almost thankfully at him and Tony
mentally shook his head at his friend’s insecurity, but before he could say
anything he caught Don’s eyes and saw how the other man shook his head
slightly. Don’t mention it, the look said, I’ll take care of it.
Tony smiled and looked at Danny. “You wanna
gamble?”
Danny snorted and looked at Mac. “As if I had
the money for that. Nah, Death Valley and ghost town sounds great to me.”
“Great, so now that we’ve sorted that out.
Nick, can Tony and I take a rain check for anything you’ve got planned
tonight?”
Tony stared at Jethro and was about to say
something, when Nick smiled easily. “Actually I haven’t made any plans for us
together and well, I’ve got a surprise for Don, if you don’t mind.”
Tony was still staring at his lover when Danny
laughed. “Great minds think alike, I’ve got something planned for Mac and me
tonight too.”
Now what’s with all those surprises? Tony
exchanged a look with Mac and Don and saw that the other two men were just as
surprised and curious as he was. Looking at his lover, Tony slid a hand
underneath the table and caressed Jethro’s thigh.
“So what are we doing exactly?”
Jethro looked up, grinned and shook his head.
“Wait and see and stop groping me in public unless you want to get in trouble.”
“Trouble?” Tony had barely finished saying the
word when he felt Jethro’s hand moving over his crotch, resting right above his
cock and slowly starting to draw little circles. He shivered and barely
suppressed a moan at the feeling.
Jethro simply grinned again and nodded.
“Trouble.”
---
For someone who had spent most almost his
entire life in New York City, the vast openness of the desert was simply
breathtaking. Danny wasn’t sure what impressed him more, the emptiness or the
fact that he could see as far as his eyes could see and yet see nothing but
desert and air.
“I’m not sure if I’m fascinated or scared.”
Nick turned around at Danny’s words and smiled.
His eyes were shining with happiness and instinctively Danny smiled back. He
could see that Nick was at home here, that he felt free in the wide open space
and a thought suddenly occurred him. “You don’t really like cities like
Nick laughed. “No, I do actually.
Danny frowned for a moment and shook his head.
“Heavy thoughts here. You ok?”
“Sure, don’t worry.” Nick smiled and Danny
looked at him for a moment. His friend really seemed to be alright and relieved
that he hadn’t put Nick in a sad mood, Danny turned around and walked to the
edge of the cliff. From where he stood he could see for miles over the open and
rugged land. It was beautiful and he took a deep breath of the fresh and
unspoiled air when he suddenly felt arms sneak around his body. He smiled and
leaned back against Mac’s chest. “It’s beautiful.”
Danny could feel Mac nod against him and then
felt his lover place a kiss on top of his head before he pulled him closer.
“Nick wants to move on, else we’ll never get to that silver rush town.”
For a moment, Danny just wanted to stay here
and watch the scenery together with Mac, but the rumbling of his stomach told
him that moving and finding some food might not be a bad time. Mac chuckled
lightly. “Breakfast was only a couple of hours ago.”
Danny turned in Mac’s arms and grinned. “I’m a
growing boy.”
---
Lunch at the former silver rush town had been
fun and Death Valley amazing, but now as they drove back towards Vegas, Tony
was simply tired. Not the bone deep tiredness he often felt after a hard day at
work, but the satisfying exhaustion of a day well lived. Closing his eyes, he
leaned against Jethro and smiled as he felt his lover’s arms go around him.
Jethro held him gently and Tony sighed as he felt
how Jethro’s hands caressed the skin on his arms. The tender movements made him
even sleepier and he snuggled closer.
“Comfortable?” Jethro’s dry amused voice made
Tony smile sleepily. He opened his eyes and met his partner’s blue eyes.
“Very, you really make a good pillow.” Jethro
grinned at Tony’s comment and leaned down to kiss Tony’s eyelids. Tony shivered
not only at the tender gesture but also because Jethro showed his love so
openly even around their friends. It was a beautiful feeling not having to
hide, Tony thought and smiled.
“Rest for a while, you’ll need your strength
tonight.”
Tony had relaxed at the first words, but
hearing the remainder of the sentence, he tensed and glanced at his lover.
“What have you got planned?”
Jethro smiled and repeated his words from the
morning. “Wait and see.”
Tony wanted to growl at his lover, but he was
too comfortable and too tired so he simply shrugged and leaned back. It didn’t
really matter what Jethro had planned, he suddenly realized, because whatever
it was, it was them together and that was mattered.
---
“Nick, why are we going to the roof?” Nick
smiled at Don’s question as they followed Mary up along the smaller stair. He
didn’t reply though and didn’t have to either as they just stepped out onto the
roof and Don saw the helicopter.
“What? Nick, what’s going on?” The look of
complete confusion on Don’s face made Nick smile.
“We’ve got dinner reservations at the
Don turned around at his words and Nick could
easily read the joy and the love in his partner’s blue eyes even as Don shook
his head. “You organized? Nick that’s too much...”
Nick smiled and holding out his hand, he took
Don’s hand into his own before he walked towards the helicopter. Immediately
they were surrounded by the noise and wind of the rotors. He knew that Don’s
protest hadn’t been serious and as soon as they wore their head sets, he
answered Don. “In the almost six years that I was in Vegas, I always wanted to
do this and never got a chance. Now I have time and I have someone to enjoy it
with. I want to share this with you, Don, and only you.”
Their eyes met and Nick shivered at the love in
Don’s eyes. Even after a year together he hadn’t gotten used to the love and
devotion he saw whenever Don looked at him; even after a year he sometimes felt
as if he was living in a dream.
“Ready for takeoff?” The pilot’s words
interrupted his thoughts and he nodded. “Yes, let’s go.”
The man smiled at him and they were off flying
over
---
---
“Mac, are you ready?”
Mac looked up from the book he had been reading
and gasped at the sight of Danny in tight black leather pants and a white
shirt. His lover looked indecently good and for a second, Mac lost the ability
to speak. His blood had gone south and right now he wanted nothing more than to
pull Danny towards himself, tear his pants off and sink into his partner’s hot
body.
“Mac?”
Danny’s hand on his shoulders made him jerk
back and he looked up to meet Danny’s amused eyes. “You ok?”
Seeing the grin on his lover’s face, Mac
growled and pulled Danny down into the chair with him. Capturing Danny’s lips,
he kissed him full of passion and love, cupping Danny’s ass, kneading it
through the tight pants until Danny gasped into his kiss.
“We need to go, we’ve got reservations.”
For a moment Mac was tempted to keep Danny
locked in their room especially in this outfit, but on the other hand he was
too curious as to what his lover had planned for them and so he released Danny
from his grasp and got up.
“Where are we going?” Danny smiled at Mac’s
question as they walked through the lobby towards the waiting taxi.
“Delinda recommended a nice restaurant for
dinner and then we’re going to a very special place for some entertainment.”
The way Danny spoke made Mac look at him
closer. “What kind of entertainment?”
Danny laughed and shrugged. “Wait and see,
Mac.”
---
“Ok, you said that I’d need my strength and now
we’re going to the Circus?” Gibbs couldn’t help the amused chuckle that escaped
him as he heard the indignation in Tony’s voice. He knew that his partner had
expected a night of passion and that Tony was feeling off balance now. That was
good, Gibbs thought, that was exactly how he wanted Tony this night.
“Not just to any circus, Tony, we’re going to
see the Cirque du Soleil.”
Tony shot him a glare and shrugged while he
pretended to pout. “Clowns are clowns.”
Gibbs didn’t answer and simply smiled to
himself as he remembered what he had read about the program they were about to
see.
Zumanity, the Sensual Side of
Cirque du Soleil, is a seductive
twist on reality, making the provocative playful and the forbidden
electrifying! Leave all inhibitions at the door and let loose as this
adult-themed production takes you on a sexy thrill ride full of sensational
acrobatics and naughty fun.
The cab stopped in front of the hotel and Tony
laughed. “We fly all the way from DC to
Pulling Tony towards his body, Gibbs nibbled at
his partner’s ear as they waited to get into the audience. “The show will be
worth it, believe me.”
---
The sight of the sun slowly setting over the
Nick leaned back against him and turned his
head. “I wanted to show you something special, to take you somewhere special.”
Don saw the love in Nick’s eyes and with a
smile he captured his partner’s lips. “I love you.”
Nick responded eagerly to the kiss and Don
forgot all about the sunset as he urged Nick to turn around and lay down next
to him. “When are they picking us up again?”
Nick glanced at his watch and smiled. “We still
have over an hour.”
Looking at his lover, Don pulled him down so
that Nick was blanketing him and then moved them around. “I want to make love
to you. Want to see you naked in the sun, kiss your skin and love you.”
Nick shivered at Don’s words, but he didn’t
object as Don slowly opened his shirt and then pushed it off Nick’s shoulders.
Don swallowed hard as his lover’s tanned skin glowed in the warm light of the
sun. “You’re so beautiful.”
He kissed the soft skin and licked along Nick’s
collarbone tracing the bone from Nick’s throat to his shoulder. Nick moaned
lightly and Don looked up to meet his partner’s eyes. “Beautiful.”
Nick’s hands pulled him up and they shared a
kiss full of passion and love. Don felt his body tighten and he moaned lightly
into Nick’s mouth. Nick shivered and as they separated, Don could saw nothing
but desire and love in Nick’s dark eyes.
“Make love to me.”
The whispered words made Don smile and he
nodded as he quickly undressed himself and then grabbed the small tube that he
had hidden in one of his jacket pockets. Nick saw him and grinned. “You’re such
a boy scout.”
Don didn’t answer instead he leaned down and
blew some hot air over Nick’s cock making his lover shout in surprise and
delight. Holding Nick’s hips down, he licked over the head, tasting the liquid
gathered there and then he looked up.
"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? You’re golden with
the sun caressing you, beautiful and strong."
Don shivered as he moved up and covered Nick completely. Nick moaned at
the feeling and Don leaned down to kiss his partner. "I want to show you
how much I love you. How much I want you every day, forever."
Nick trembled at Don’s words and slowly Don moved away and stared to
trace kisses over his chest. Nick’s skin was soft but underneath the softness
Don could feel the muscles ripple at his touch. Sliding down along the slender
body, Don kissed Nick’s foot tickling it with his tongue making Nick giggle and
squirm. Slowly kissing along the leg, Don was amazed how soft the skin was on
the inside of Nick’s thighs and as he nibbled at the soft flesh Nick gasped and
Don looked up.
His lover was still bathed in sunlight and for a moment he was
transfixed by the sight. “Love you so much.”
Nick smiled and reached out to comb through Don’s hair with his fingers
and Don arched into the gentle touch. “Don, please don’t make me wait.”
Nick’s voice was husky, strained almost and Don felt the tension in
Nick’s body and with a smile he finally reached for the lube. He positioned
Nick’s legs on the blanket and with a last smile he bent down and started to
lick at the small opening he’d just exposed.
“Don!”
The sharp, hoarse exclamation made him double his efforts and coating a
finger with lube, he pressed it in while he bathed Nick’s balls with his
tongue. He felt Nick relax around him and slowly added another and then a third
finger. Nick trembled around him and looking up, he met his lover’s almost
desperate eyes.
“Now, Don, please.”
The mix between command and plea made Don grin
but he was too far gone to resist Nick’s pleading eyes and slowly he slid into
Nick. Nick was so tight, so hot, so perfect. Don moaned as he realized again
how perfectly they fit together. Moving over Nick, he captured his lips and
kissed him passionately.
Nick trembled underneath him and he moved
again, with his next thrust he knew that he had found Nick’s prostate. His
lover gasped and Don’s body tightened in response to Nick’s fingers tracing
over his back. For a moment their eyes held each other captured and then Don
cried out as the waves of pleasure became too much.
He felt Nick’s scream more than he heard it and
he clutched his lover close to his body as they both trembled and shook through
their release. Sinking down, Don revelled in Nick’s tender caresses and looking
up, he kissed Nick softly.
“I love you.”
Nick smiled sated and happy. “Love you.”
For a moment they rested together, but then
Nick grinned at Don. “We should get dressed unless you want to give the pilot
an eyeful.”
---
Halfway through the show, Tony was breathless
and Jethro was chuckling silently. The performance had an incredibly sensual
vibe and the movement of the beautiful bodies together with the music and the
lightning all wove a spell of seduction around Tony.
“You still think a clown is a clown?”
Jethro’s voice was close to his ear and Tony
felt the words more than he heard them. The warm breath on his skin made him
shiver and unconsciously he leaned back against the almost there touch. Jethro
laughed tenderly and only then did his words filter through Tony’s mind and he
looked at his lover. “You could have warned me.”
“Well you either have a clown fetish, or this
circus isn’t just a circus.” Jethro looked pointedly at the bulge in Tony’s
pants and Tony flushed. Before he could answer though, the music changed and
two men stepped out into the stage. Tony gasped. They both were beautiful,
their bodies sculpted and gleaming in the light. The music stopped and for a
moment they stood on the stage, a few feet apart. Then suddenly the music
started again and this time it was a tango. The two men danced and their dance
told a passionate story of love and anger. Again and again they attracted each
other, came close only to retreat again in intense conflict until the magnetic
energy between them seemed to become too strong.
Tony shivered at the pure sexuality that this
dance exuded and yet it was more than arousal, it was almost a recognition, he
thought dazedly. This was not just the story of these two men, this game of
attraction and rejection, this fight between two strong men. It was also his
and Jethro’s story.
Deeply immersed in the show, Tony almost jumped
when he felt Jethro’s hand caress his thigh. Turning his head, he felt Jethro’s
eyes locked on his face with an intensity that made him tremble inside.
“Do you know that I can read every emotion in
your face right now?” Jethro’s words were soft enough not to be overheard, but
loud enough for Tony to hear them clearly. Smiling again, Jethro slid his hand
up along Tony’s thigh and again he looked at his partner with a smile. “I can
see how much this show arouses you, and that despite all these attractive
people on the stage and around you, you want me.”
Tony stared at his lover, mesmerized by the
lust and love in Jethro’s eyes while on stage the dance ended in a crescendo of
love and passion. He spared a look at the men locked in a passionate embrace
down on the stage and then again at the man next to him, the man he loved so
much.
The audience started to applaud and in a split
second, Tony made his decision. As fun as the show was, he wanted, needed
something else right now. Grabbing Jethro’s hand, he pulled his lover up and
started to squeeze past the other people in the row they were sitting while
constantly mumbling excuses. Jethro followed him slowly, willingly until they
stood out in the lobby.
“What are you doing, Tony?” Jethro looked at
him both amused and aroused and it was that look that made Tony pull him close and
capture his lips in a heady kiss. They stood there, locked in the kiss
completely unaware of where they were until the need for air made them step
back.
“Let’s go back to the hotel.” Tony’s words made
Jethro’s eyes light up, but before he could say anything, Tony pressed close
again and whispered in Jethro’s ear. “And let’s stop at that shop that Nick
told us about.”
A shiver ran through Jethro, but as he didn’t
object, Tony grinned and sauntered out of the hotel to get a cab.
---
Dinner had been fantastic and Danny made a
mental note to thank Delinda for the suggestion. It had been more than just the
food though, it had been the entire atmosphere and the fact that Mac had barely
let go of his hand during the entire meal. It had been the loving looks and the
fact that they didn’t have to hide all those things. And now that they were
waiting outside for their limousine to arrive, Danny felt both mellow and
excited.
He only hoped that Mac liked his surprise.
“Hey, you’re in deep thought. Everything alright?”
Mac pulled him towards his body and Danny smiled at the tenderness that the
gesture spoke off. He melted against Mac and smiled.
“Just a bit nervous about my surprise.”
Leaning down, Mac secretly nibbled at Danny’s
ear before he whispered quietly. “As long as it has something to do with you in
a bed, then I’m pretty sure I’ll like it.”
By the time Mac had finished speaking, their
car had arrived and Danny gave their driver the address of the Domain. The man
didn’t even blink. Instead, he smiled and nodded before the tinted panel slid
silently in place leaving Mac and Danny alone in the back of the car.
“You gonna tell me where we’re going?”
Danny thought about it for a moment and then
grinned. “No, you’ll see when we’re there.”
Mac shook his head and affectionately pulled
Danny close before he gave him a soft head slap. “And where is there, honey?”
Danny glared at Mac, but couldn’t hide the grin
that threatened to split his face apart at seeing Mac so relaxed and playful.
He wanted to answer, but just in time their car stopped and their driver opened
the doors.
“Gentlemen, we have arrived.”
Standing in front of the mansion, Danny
shivered lightly at how intimidating the stone walls looked like. The path was
lit with torches and for a moment, Danny wanted to run away, when Mac’s hand on
his back grounded him again.
“Danny where are we?”
He could hear that Mac felt just a tad insecure
and that in turn boosted Danny’s confidence. He swallowed once and then turned
towards Mac.
“This is my surprise, Mac. I’ve booked a room
for the night for us here. A room just for us and our fantasies.”
---
Our fantasies…
Danny’s words still echoed through Mac’s mind as he followed the dark
haired woman up to the room that Danny had booked for them. She had introduced
herself as Lady Heather and had smiled at them with a knowing and yet fond
smile that graced her features now as well as she opened the door.
“Welcome to our Roman Suite.”
Mac swallowed as he was about to step through but before he could walk
into the room, a manicured hand on his arm stopped him. “I think you should
give your partner time to set up the scene and to prepare himself. Why don’t
you come with me and have tea?”
Mac’s eyes met Danny’s for a moment and when he saw no objection, he quickly
smiled at Lady Heather before he pulled Danny towards his body and kissed him
gently. “Never forget that I love you.”
Never forget that I’ll do anything for you, that you don’t have to do
this to make me love you... Never forget that if you ever use your safeword,
I’ll still love you...
Mac didn’t say all those things, but he knew that Danny could read them
in his eyes as his lover smiled and caressed his face. “I love you too Mac and
this is not just a gift to you, it’s one for me too.”
Reassured, Mac left the room and followed Lady Heather to a nice seating
area. It was quiet in the house, no screams, no sounds of pleasure and as if
she had read his mind, Lady Heather smiled. “It pays to have good sound
proofing in a place like this, don’t you think?”
Mac laughed and nodded, before he accepted the tea with a smile. “Why
did you want to speak with me?”
She looked at him for a long time and then nodded slowly. “Because I
need to know the dominants that play in my Domain, I need to know that they respect
their submissives and that they respect the rules of the game.”
Understanding where she came from Mac nodded. “I would never do anything
to hurt Danny.”
Lady Heather smiled again. “I know, but not all men are like you Mr.
Taylor. Now, please let me show you your changing room.”
Mac followed her again and once in the elegantly decorated room, she
pointed towards another door. “This will lead you into the suite that your
partner has rented. Enjoy your time.”
She left him alone then and Mac saw for the first time what Danny had
chosen as his or their fantasy. Stunned, he stared at the dress that was laid
out on the chair in front of him. “You have got
to be kidding me.”
---
Waiting for Mac,
Danny shivered slightly. He wasn’t afraid but wearing nothing but a silk
loincloth and a white collar, kneeling in the middle of the room, he could feel
anticipation rise in his body. The room’s decoration exceeded any of his
expectations, but some of the items made him not only nervous but also slightly
scared.
He heard the door
opening and closing again and held his breath. Mac was here.
“Look at me.”
Mac’s voice was deeper than usual, sharper too and Danny felt the trembling
increase as he obeyed the command and saw his lover standing in the doorway
dressed in a white tunic. Mac stared at him with an unreadable look and then
suddenly smiled coldly. “I didn’t expect the Senator to have such good taste.
But for once I actually appreciate his gratitude.”
Danny shivered as
he realized what Mac meant and trembling lightly he started to speak when Mac
made a gesture with his hand. “If I want you to talk I’ll tell you. Now stand
up, I want to see you.”
Standing up, Danny
felt heat coil in his stomach and cock at the way Mac looked at him. It was
possessive and at the same time almost as if he was looking at merchandise. The
realization came as a shock then to him that for this moment, in this scene, he
was nothing but merchandise.
Mac’s hand moved
up on his flank and Danny trembled as the strong hand caressed his skin. Mac’s
hands touched his neck and Danny swayed. Mac laughed. “You’ve either been
taught well or you’re afraid of me. Which is it, slave? Will you submit to me
or will I have to tie you down? Will you do anything I say, simply because I
say so, or will it be a struggle? Do you want to please me or fight me?”
Danny felt his
world tilt slightly at the words, felt how his head started to swim and
immediately fought it. He felt vulnerable under the cold, calculating look of
his lover. A shiver ran through him at the unusual sensation, but before the
emotion could get a hold on him, soft hands encircled his wrists.
“You want to
please me, don’t you? Fall for me.” Mac’s voice was almost hypnotic and his
eyes were warm with love and passion. Danny sighed and let go of the last bit
of anxiety. He swayed again and Mac quickly pulled him towards his body and
held him for a moment. “Nothing you don’t want, Danny, I’ll do nothing you
don’t want. I love you.”
The soft
reassuring words made Danny sag against his partner and he understood. “I can’t
do this, Mac.”
Shivering
uncontrollably now, Danny burrowed closer towards Mac and Mac lifted him up and
carried him over to the large bed in the middle of the room.
“What is it Danny?
Talk to me.”
Mac’s voice was
tight with concern, and as Danny looked into his eyes he saw fear there. It
calmed him enough to speak and still shivering he tried to explain.
“I can’t do this
without you.”
Confused Mac
looked at him and Danny searched for words to make him understand. “You looked
at me like a stranger, you weren’t Mac before, you weren’t my lover, the one I
trust with all my heart. You were a stranger.”
“That’s what
role-playing is all about, Danny. I thought you wanted that.” Gently Mac
caressed his hair. There was no censure in his voice only a need to understand
and Danny sighed.
“I thought so too,
but I can’t let myself fall unless I’m with you.”
He was so sure
that he’d just ruined their evening, that he’d disappointed Mac, that he was
surprised at the look of love and surprised joy in Mac’s eyes. “I am honored.”
Mac spoke solemnly
and Danny trembled at the promise in his voice. Mac still held him and Danny
leaned against his lover relaxing slowly.
“It’s a pity about
the reservation.” Mac’s words made Danny take another look at the room and
suddenly his desire rose again.
“Who says that we
have to be Romans in the Roman Room? We could just be Danny and Mac...”
Mac’s body
tightened underneath his and within seconds Mac had turned them around holding
Danny’s wrists above his head and smiling wickedly. “You’re absolutely right,
Danny.”
Leaning down, he
kissed Danny’s neck and shoulders. His hands were sure and confident as they
moved along Danny’s arms and pulled him up. Mac led him to the middle of the
room and Danny moaned as his hands were lifted over his head and secured in the
cuffs that were hanging from the ceiling.
---
Seeing Danny
freeze up had been terrifying for Mac, and to watch now how his lover let
himself fall as soon as the cuffs were around his wrists affected him deeply. Danny’s
freely given trust, the consciously made decision to completely trust him was a
gift that Mac treasured immensely. It was different today though, it went
deeper, stronger and the knowledge that Danny trusted him so much that he could
do things with him he couldn’t do with a character that Mac played shook Mac to
his core.
He swallowed hard
and looked at the beautiful man in front of him. Danny trusted him to take care
of him and Mac would never do anything to abuse that trust.
“Let’s see what
toys they have here.”
Danny shivered
lightly at those words and he smiled. There was an eclectic and wide range of
toys and Mac felt his body tighten as he picked a few of the items and turned
back towards Danny. Kneeling down, Mac removed the silk cloth and bared Danny
to his gaze before he reached for the leather string that he had selected and
methodically tied the leather string around Danny’s balls and cock.
A low moan escaped
Danny and Mac smiled. “You don’t have to be silent. I want to hear you.”
He considered
tying Danny’s legs and feet to the ground, but decided against it and got up
instead. He had found a pair of golden nipple clamps which he was sure would
look beautiful against Danny’s skin. Almost absently he played with Danny’s
nipples and leaned down to suck them into hardness. With a swift gesture he put
the clamps on and Danny moaned in a mixture of pain and pleasure.
“Yes, beautiful, I
want to hear you. I want to know it’s me making you moan.” Danny whimpered as Mac
threaded a chain between the two clamps and added two weights dangling from the
chain.
Stepping back, Mac
looked at his lover and a shiver ran through him at the sight of Danny. His
cock was already leaking against the dark leather and his nipples where adorned
by golden clamps. His eyes met Mac’s readily and there was no fear in them only
lust and passion.
“You look
beautiful.” Mac watched how the praise seemed to make Danny melt into the bonds
even more and he smiled. “I don’t need role-playing from you. I don’t need
anything but what we have together. You’re the one that matters Danny, not the
games we play.”
Danny looked up at
those words and smiled. “I love you.”
Relaxing
completely, Mac smiled and pulled Danny against his naked body. The feeling of Danny’s
muscular body against him hardened Mac, and brought back the desire to make
Danny moan for him. His lover had gone to considerable lengths for him and even
though the role-playing was out, Mac wanted to give Danny a night to remember.
Slowly he began to
caress Danny’s bound body with his hands and lips and soon Danny moaned and
whimpered at every touch and his body trembled whenever Mac touched him.
“Please Mac,
please.”
Mac looked up at
the barely coherent man and smiled. “What do you want, beautiful?”
“Anything, Mac, I
need you, please take me.” The words were a plea and yet they were spoken
almost like a command and Mac pulled at the clamped nipples in reaction.
“Patience is a
virtue, love, and I’ll take you when I’ve had my fill of your skin and your
body.”
Danny moaned and
then cried out as Mac licked at his cock head. Mac smiled at the sound and
moved away completely. Danny whimpered at the loss of contact and Mac turned
away quickly to grab a plug and some lube. He lubed the toy and slowly moved it
over Danny’s cock before he slipped a lubed finger into his lover’s body and
found it relaxed enough. He inserted the plug and stepped back.
“You look gorgeous
like that Danny, now why don’t we have some desert?” There was a Roman couch in
the room with some wine and fruit on a small table in front of it. Mac released
Danny from his bonds and gently led him over to the couch where he positioned
Danny so that he was lying in front of Mac with his back pressed against his
lover.
Reaching out for the
wine, Mac took a sip and then leaned down to kiss his lover, sharing the sweet
tasting wine.
“Just relax Danny,
just relax.”
---
Just relax…
Danny almost
snorted at Mac’s words. Here he was, nipples clamped, cock bound and a huge
plug up his ass with Mac’s body constantly pressing against his sensitive skin
and his lover told him to relax?
Mac put the glass
back on the table and started to caress Danny’s body, every once in a while
plucking at the chain that held the nipple clamps sending a shot of pain
through the haze of pleasure that had engulfed him.
“If only you could see yourself right now,
beautiful.” Mac’s voice was soothing, gentle. “You feel so good, beautiful.”
Danny gasped when
his lover removed the plug, hating the sudden emptiness, but before he could
process the feeling completely, Mac slid into him with one thrust. Pressing his
body back towards his chest, Mac licked his ear making Danny moan even more.
“I’ll remove the string, but you are not allowed to come until I say so.”
It was a hard
order to follow. Danny could feel his entire body throb with desire. Still he
held on, and to his surprise he found strength somewhere inside him to obey.
Mac’s lips were back to his ear against and Danny tensed as he felt another
small bite on his neck.
“Let go.”
The command to let
go and come was followed by the blinding pain of blood rushing back into his
nipples and Danny fell apart. He felt nothing but pain and pleasure, and he
shattered between the two emotions and even as he flew on the high of sensation
he knew that he was about to lose himself. Then he came back and met deep blue
eyes, they grounded him, and he let himself fall again safe in the knowledge
that Mac would keep him whole.
---
The lights of the
Strip filtered through the window, painting funny shapes on the ceiling and
onto the white duvets. They weren’t too bright, and yet provided enough light
for Jethro to be able to watch his lover sleeping.
Tony was smiling
in his sleep, and Jethro slowly reached out to caress his face.
Looking around the
darkened room, Jethro’s eyes fell onto the plastic bag on the table and he
smiled. They had indeed stopped at the adult store, but in the end they had
been too excited and too riled up to use any of the items they had bought.
Tony moved in his
sleep, mumbling quietly and Jethro felt his heart constrict. This weekend
together, these days where they didn’t have to hide, where they were among
friends... It was a gift for him. But he couldn’t get Jen’s ultimatum out of
his head and pulling Tony even closer, he wondered if he could survive watching
Tony on a different team.
---
*Los Angeles*
“Wake
up sleeping beauty.” Calleigh groaned as sunshine filtered through her window
and batted at the hand that caressed her face tenderly. It was Sunday, so there
really was no need to get up, was there?
“Come
on, else we’re going to be late for brunch with your friends.”
Brunch?
Sighing, she opened her eyes and frowned at David who watched her with fond
amusement in his eyes. Brunch, she thought again and then it clicked and she
almost jumped out of the bed. “Oh shit, brunch.”
Now
David really laughed and grabbing her arm, he pulled her back into bed and in
his arms. “Calm down, we have a bit time left. Just remind me again, why dinner
and drinks became brunch?”
Melting
against her boyfriend’s body, Calleigh shrugged. “Cause the love birds already
had plans for yesterday night, apparently Danny had something special organized
for Eric. I’m sure they’ll tell us all about later.”
While
Calleigh tried to wake up completely, she reveled in the feeling of David’s
arms around her, his strong body against her back and the completeness she felt
when she was in his arms. “Eric’s going to be so surprised about us.”
She
didn’t realize that she had spoken loudly until David tensed behind her and
immediately she realized her mistake. Turning around she met David’s eyes and
immediately saw the anxiety in them. “Not because of you, but you know how fond
I was of the FBI when I moved to LA.”
He
relaxed only a bit and when she saw that none of his anxiety had disappeared,
she frowned lightly. “What’s wrong, Dave?”
“Will
he mind?” Not understanding, Calleigh shook her head. “Mind what?”
Closing
his eyes for a moment, Calleigh suddenly realized that David had a hard time
saying the next thing and as he spoke she understood why. “That you’re with a
black guy?”
Shock
and surprise ran through her at the seemingly innocent words and she shook her
head. “No, never. Eric would never have an issue with that. He’ll grill you and
tease you and probably tell you that he knows how to hide a body, but that’s
just because he’s like a brother to me.”
She
could see that she hadn’t convinced him and silently wondering who had hurt her
boyfriend so much, she pulled David closer. “Eric’s with a man, David. He’s
part Cuban, part Russian. Believe me, he’s the last person who has any kind of
racist tendencies.”
Slowly
David relaxed and finally he smiled. “Unless you’re FBI.”
Calleigh
smiled in response and shrugged. “Hey, some of the guys we dealt with in Miami
were real jackasses. So you can’t blame us.”
David’s
hand combed through her hair and snuggling closer Calleigh enjoyed the tender
caress. Then looking at the watch on David’s night stand, she groaned and
nudged David. “We have to get up.”
David
laughed. “And by we, you mean I should please head over to the shower, so that
you can lie in a bit longer.”
Smiling
widely, Calleigh looked at her boyfriend. “I always knew that there’s more than
muscles to you.”
David
simply sent her a dirty look and got up. Happy Calleigh snuggled back into the
duvets, she looked forward to seeing Eric again.
---
“Colby
said that you know about us.” Charlie couldn’t meet Don’s eyes as he spoke and
the obvious fear that exuded from his brother almost broke Don’s heart. He had
thought that they had mended their relationship, but right now, it seemed as if
Charlie was farther away from him than ever.
“Yes,
I know. And Charlie, I’m so happy for you.”
The
words didn’t seem to have an effect on Charlie as he continued to tap nervously
on Don’s kitchen table. He had come over early in the morning, ready to talk
about this before they would meet Calleigh and her friends for brunch. Don saw
that his brother hadn’t heard him and sighing, he reached out for Charlie’s
hand.
“Charlie,
look at me.” When Charlie finally met his eyes, the fear and pain lurking in
the dark pools hit Don like a punch in the gut. “Charlie, I’m happy for you.”
He
repeated the words again until Charlie suddenly looked closer at him. “You
are?”
Don
wanted to cry at the surprise, but he plastered a smile on his face knowing
only too well, that Charlie would not see behind the mask. “Yeah, Colby is a
great guy and you really seemed happier in the last couple of weeks. He’s good
for you and all I want is for you to be happy.”
Charlie
still looked at him closely, but the fear and tension in his eyes had been
replaced by joy and love and slowly Don allowed himself to relax a little as he
saw that he had appeased his brother’s fears. “You’re not angry?”
Sighing
Don shook his head. “Just a bit sad, that you didn’t think you could tell me.
But no, I already told Colby, I love to have him as a part of our family.”
Suddenly
Charlie jumped up and hugged Don closely. “Thanks Don, it really means a lot to
me.”
For a
second, Charlie held on, then he stepped back and looked seriously at Don. “And
I’m sorry for lying to you, it was just. Colby’s a guy and your agent. I didn’t
think either would matter, but both in one. I just... it just happened, you
know.”
Don
saw the love in Charlie’s eyes when he spoke of Colby and burying the hurt at
being deceived deep in his heart, he smiled at his brother. “Love does that to
you, Charlie, it just sneaks up on you.”
They
sat together for a while, then Charlie looked at the clock and frowned. “We
need to get going, else we’re going to be late.”
Don
followed his brother, but as they sat in Don’s car he suddenly looked at
Charlie again. “Are you going to tell the rest of the team?”
Charlie
remained silent for a moment then he nodded. “Eventually, yeah... But first I
need to tell Dad.”
Seeing
that the fear had returned in Charlie’s eyes, Don shook his head. “Charlie, Dad
already likes Colby, he’ll be thrilled.”
Don
saw that Charlie wasn’t convinced, and reaching out he touched Charlie’s hand
quickly. “If you want, I can be there when you tell him.”
Grateful
eyes met his and Charlie nodded before he frowned. “Where are we going?”
“I
told Liz that we’d pick her up on our way.”
Charlie
smiled. “So you and her are still going strong?”
Don
nodded, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to explain to his brother that
his and Liz’ relationship was worlds apart from what Charlie and Colby had. Didn’t
want to and couldn’t, because once he opened that particular door, he wouldn’t
be able to deny how much he yearned for exactly what they had.
---
Waking
up in Danny’s arms was something Eric knew that he would never get tired of,
but waking up in his lover’s arms to the sound of the waves gently crashing at
the shore and the sight of the beach right in front his window was even better.
Eric
sighed as he stretched and then smiled as he thought of yesterday. It had been
the perfect day.
The little resort that Danny had taken him
to was secluded and upscale without being too posh and they had spent the
morning at the beach, just enjoying their time off when Danny had told him that
he had organized a boat trip to sail along the coast for a couple of hours.
Danny
mumbled something and turned around with a grumble, before his breathing evened
out again and he slept on. Eric smiled at the little boy look that Danny always
had when he slept. He reached out and threaded a hand through Danny’s hair,
enjoying the way the silk strands felt against his fingers as he remembered the
moment he had seen the diving equipment.
“Danny, I’m not sure.” Eric faltered and
swallowed hard as he looked at his lover. “Diving, that’s Miami, you know, it’s
the past.”
Danny shook his head. “No love, diving is
you. I can see how you yearn for the sea, how you long to be one with the water
again.”
Shivering Eric turned away only to feel
Danny’s strong body against his back. Soft hands held his own and Eric felt
Danny pull him closer. “You don’t have to, we can just enjoy the boat trip and
watch the coast line. It’s up to you. I just want you to know, I’d come down
with you.”
Eric hadn’t known that Danny dived too and in
the end the fact that his lover would be with him was the deciding factor. He
turned around in Danny’s arms and smiled. “I’ll give it a try, ok?”
He
had gone diving with Danny and even though he’d been afraid of waking too many
memories, it hadn’t happened. The coast line outside LA was so completely
different than the coast in Miami, the water much colder, the tide much
stronger and all he had felt was the liberating feeling of being finally back
in the sea. Danny had come down with him and they had enjoyed their discovering
of corals and rock formations until the time had been up.
Back
on the boat, Eric had understood then that he had really found peace with what
had happened in Miami and had pulled Danny close to him thanking him without
words.
“Danny?”
Danny grumbled at Eric’s attempts to wake him up and Eric grinned, before he
started poking his lover in the ribs gently. “We need to get up soon.”
“Tired.”
That Eric could understand, because after the boat trip their day had been far
from over and after a wonderful dinner, Danny had led him back down at the
beach again.
Eric simply stared at the blanket in the
sand surrounded by dozens of candles. For a moment he couldn’t believe that
Danny had done this for him, but when he saw the big smile on his partner’s
face he knew that it was real.
“This is beautiful, I can’t believe it.”
Danny simply took his hand and pulled him
down on the blanket, before he reached for the basket the hotel had provided
them with. Opening it, he pulled two glasses and a bottle of champagne out and
smiled at Eric.
“I just wanted something special for you,
something to show you how much I love you.”
They
had sat at the beach until it had gotten to cold and then they had made good
use of the heated pool in their bungalow and finally of the huge bed they had.
Eric still felt the aftermath of their love making in his bones and he would
have gladly stayed in bed, had he not known that Calleigh would never let him
live it down if he overslept.
“Come
one, Danny, we need to get up, really need to get up.” He sighed as Danny once
more grumbled and with a grin, Eric got up and opened the blinds wide letting
the sun in.
“Shit,
what are you doing?”
Danny
stared wide eyed at him and Eric couldn’t help but laugh at the glare that hit
him. “It’s almost ten, we’re meeting Calleigh at 11.30, and honestly I don’t
want to be late...”
Now
Danny grinned. “Seems really important to you… Now what about some incentives
for me?”
Eric
laughed and shook his head. Life with Danny certainly wasn’t boring.
---
Pacing
outside the restaurant where he was supposed to meet the others, Colby tried to
calm his nerves. He had no reason to be nervous, had he? After all he’d seen
and done in his life, it’s ridiculous to be scared about the fact that his
lover went to talk to his boss this morning, especially because Colby already
knew that said boss didn’t have an issue with them being together.
Still,
he knew Charlie, knew what a complicated relationship he and Don had and even
if Don was happy about them, Colby knew that if anyone would manage to create a
mess out of a simple talk, it was those two brothers. Something David had said
once came to his mind and Colby smiled faintly.
Never seen two brothers more different and
alike at the same time.
It
was true, Colby thought, and interestingly enough it was the difference between
Charlie and Don that had made him fall in love with Charlie while it was the
similarities between them that made him want to work for Don as a friend and an
agent.
Within
a couple of weeks, Charlie had become the most important person in his life. He
hadn’t lied when he’d told Don that he had lost his family when he had come out
to them. His father had already been dead at the time, but neither his mother
nor his uncle who had become his surrogate father had accepted what the then
seventeen year old Colby had told him. They had denounced him and Colby had
gone to the army.
Shaking
his head, Colby checked his watch, before he got lost in memories again. Why he
had joined the army right after having outed himself was sometimes still a
mystery to him, but it certainly hadn’t changed his family’s mind. To them he
was dead...
“Hey
there.” Charlie jumped out of Don’s car and Colby’s heart lightened as he saw
the happy look on his lover’s face. The talk had gone well then.
He
didn’t hesitate and pulled Charlie close, enjoying the fact that he could hold
him in front of Don. Charlie snuggled into his arms for a moment, and then met
his eyes. There was a determination in them that made Colby wonder what Charlie
was up to, but before he could say anything, Charlie spoke.
“I
was thinking, we should tell the team. Today.”
Tell
the team? For a moment Colby was frozen, but Charlie simply looked at him.
“Well Don knows, and so does Liz and I think Megan suspects anyway… That only
leaves David...”
Liz?
Colby frowned and then groaned as he noticed the third person sitting in Don’s
car. Liz got out of the car and shook her head. “You really suck at secrecy
Granger.”
There
was nothing but friendliness in her eyes and Colby felt himself relax, before
he looked at Charlie. “You could have warned me.”
Charlie
smiled and looked at Don. “I don’t know, it just happened. I actually told Don
about ten minutes ago, that I want to wait until we tell them, but then I saw
you standing here and I... I just don’t want to hide anymore.”
Sometimes
it was so easy to fall in love with Charlie all over again and pulling him
close, Colby kissed his neck. “I love you.”
---
In
the end, David wasn’t even sure what he’d been nervous about. Eric had looked
surprised, made a joke about Calleigh dating a Fed and then had immediately
started talking to him about life in LA and how it compared to living in Vegas.
Now,
he looked around the table and smiled as he noticed Colby and Charlie holding
hands. Them coming out today had been a bit of a surprise, but one look at their
happy faces had consoled him over the fact that he had just lost a bet with
Megan. After all he had been sure that they wouldn’t come out for at least
another three months.
Larry
was talking to Calleigh, his explanation as long winded and sometimes incomprehensible
as always, but Calleigh seemed to understand a lot of what he was saying and
added her ten cents to the conversation easily. Megan caught David’s eyes over
the table and she grinned. “It really looks as if we Feds adore those geeks.”
Calleigh’s
indignant ‘hey’ got swallowed in the laughter that followed Megan’s comment and
David smiled at his girlfriend. “You’re a sexy geek, honey, don’t worry.”
---
Danny
was stuffed. Literally stuffed and if he didn’t have to move for the next
twenty years, he’d be a happy man. Sighing he rotated his head a bit to get rid
of some lingering tension from the flight and when he opened his eyes again, he
noticed Colby looking at him.
“You
ok?” He nodded at Colby’s question and shrugged. “I always get a stiff neck
from flying.”
“Yeah,
because the Montecito corporate jet is so uncomfortable.” Calleigh teased him
and Eric laughed at her comment.
“I
tell you, it pays to have a boyfriend with access to fast jets.”
Colby
grinned at Danny. “So, you’re abusing your power as the Head of Security?”
“Nah,
would never do that.” Danny laughed. “They were flying to LA to pick up one of
our whales. So we just hitched a ride. We’ll fly back commercial.”
“Danny,
how does one become Head of Security in a casino, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Megan’s
question was open and friendly and Danny shrugged. “Why would I mind? I kind of
got into casino security by chance. I grew up in Vegas and my dad had a
construction business. I guess everybody always thought I’d just follow my
Dad’s footsteps, but right before I went to university, we had a fall out and
in a fit of late teenage rebellion I joined the army. When I came back a couple
years later, there wasn’t much to do for me, but I knew people who knew people
and at first I worked at Caesars on the floors, then one day Ed Deline shows up
and asks me if I want to work for him.”
Danny
remembered the awe he’d felt at the fact that he’d caught Ed Deline’s eyes. He
met Megan’s eyes and grinned. “And the rest they say is history.”
Megan
laughed, but before she could answer, Colby looked at Danny. “What unit were
you?”
Danny
swallowed hard. “US Marine Corps”
Seeing
the understanding in Colby’s eyes he smiled suddenly. “You?”
“Rangers”
Colby’s reply was just as short and looking into the other’s green eyes, Danny
saw that Colby was just as reluctant to talk about his military career as Danny
was. Charlie however didn’t seem to notice as he immediately turned towards
Danny.
“Did
they call you in for Iraq?”
Danny
tensed as unwanted memories rose, but he nodded. “Yeah, they recalled me two
years ago, but I’m out of the military now.”
“You’re
lucky, that nothing happened to you.” Charlie’s comment was innocent and Danny
knew that the mathematician meant well, still he couldn’t help but flinch.
“I’m
the only one of my unit who survived.”
Charlie
paled at Danny’s flat words, and for a moment an almost awkward silence
descended over the table until Eric looked at Don. “You know Grissom, don’t
you?”
Visibly
relieved at the change of topic, Don nodded and smiled. “Yeah, I met him at a
conference. He’s a great guy, how’ s he doing?”
Eric
laughed and started to tell some anecdotes of working with Grissom to the
table’s amusement and slowly Danny relaxed again. He felt Eric’s hand on his thigh
and the touch both grounded and calmed him and with a deep breath he pushed
those unwelcome memories away. A hand touched his and looking up, he saw that
it was Charlie who looked at him apologetically.
“I’m
sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”
Danny
smiled faintly and shook his head. “It’s ok, I shouldn’t have snapped at you
like that. You didn’t know.”
Charlie
smiled in return but his eyes were serious as he sent a quick look towards
Colby. “No, I didn’t, but I should have learned by now that war stories aren’t
good dinner conversations... or brunch for that matter.”
There
was an innocence to Charlie’s words that made Danny smile and silently wonder
how someone who was a professor of mathematics and a consultant to the FBI
could still maintain this air of innocence. It was refreshing and somehow it
reminded him of Mary who despite her horrible experiences as a child still held
onto her romantic dreams and hopes.
“Danny?”
Eric’s hand tightened on his leg and shaking his head, Danny suddenly realized
that his lover looked at him. “You alright?”
“Yeah,
sorry I was just lost in thoughts.”
Eric
grinned and leaned closer to Danny, his lips touching his ear. “Next time you
drift off, at least drift to what I plan to do with you tonight.”
Swallowing
Danny nodded, and looked up only to meet Colby’s eyes. The other man grinned at
him. “Falling in love with a geek, man I tell you, it never gets dull.”
---
Ten
people, five couples, two gay and three straight. In a way it was your normal
Californian brunch crowd. Liz smiled at her thought, but her smile faded as she
watched the interaction at the table.
From
where she sat, she could see how Eric whispered something in Danny’s ear that
made him blush and meeting Eric’s eyes she smiled at him. She could see how
close to Calleigh David was sitting and was sure that his hand was on her thigh
and she noticed Colby had moved his chair back and rested his arm casually on
the backrest of Charlie’s chair.
Megan,
on the other hand, covered Larry’s hand with her own as the professor tried to
explain something to Calleigh and for a moment Liz wasn’t sure if Megan did it
to prevent any glasses from breaking or because she wanted to touch Larry, but
when Megan simply held on, Liz assumed that it was the latter reason. There was
so much tenderness in the simple gesture and instinctively Liz smiled at Don
and reached towards his hand too. He looked confused for a moment, but when she
took his hand he tensed.
Liz
sighed and looked away. Ten people, five couples, two gay and three straight,
but also four real and one a sham.
---
Chapter 6 – Vacation III – Confession time
*Las Vegas*
“Hey,
handsome, what are you doing here all by yourself?” Don looked up from the book
he was reading and smiled at Delinda.
“Enjoying
the fact, that I can lay in the sun in my shorts in the middle of winter. And
of course, the scenery isn’t bad either.” Now he grinned as he pointed to the
three gorgeous girls had just passed by his sunbed. Delinda laughed.
“Yes,
I agree on both accounts, but what I meant is where is everybody? “
Don
shrugged. “Nick went to see Grissom, he thinks that they need to talk without a
third man being present, and I agree, there is still a lot of unsaid stuff
between these two. Tony and Jethro were at breakfast, and Tony said he’d come
down, but maybe he got side tracked. Mac and Danny said they would try their
luck at the tables...”
Trailing
off, he nodded towards the pool area entrance. “Seems as if that project was
cancelled.”
Delinda
followed his look and laughed, before she immediately called over a pool
attendant and asked for four more sun beds to be put next to Don. Don looked at
her. “Four?”
Shrugging
Delinda grinned and started to pull her top over her head. “Tony is on his way
from over there and I need a break, so if you boys don’t mind.”
Don
simply stared at her for a moment and then shook his head. “No, we certainly
don’t mind.”
Delinda
sat down and sighed happily while Don smiled as he noticed some of the other
men looking envious. “I think you just made me the most hated man at this
pool.”
For a
second she seemed shocked, then she laughed. “Well, that’s a change normally
Warrick is the most hated one. But then I just lie next to you, with Warrick, I
usually disappear in one of the cabanas.”
“What’s
that about cabanas?” Danny had come closer and sat on the end of Don’s sun
chair forcing his friend to move his legs. Don growled good humouredly and
pushed at Danny.
“Get
your own chair, will you?”
Danny
simply smirked at him and got up to the next chair. Still looking at Delinda he
frowned. “So what’s about cabanas?”
She
smiled. “They are for our more discreet guests or those that don’t want to be
in the sun too much. And sometimes they are for those that just want to have
some fun...”
Mac
had joined them too and Danny looked at him with a grin. “Fun, yeah we had that
last night...”
Remembering
that Danny had spoken about a surprise for Mac, Don wanted to ask them about
their night, when Tony walked over and looked at Delinda. “Are you the one that
suggested Zumanity?”
Delinda
shook her head. “No, that was Mary. I’ve seen it though. It’s sizzling...”
A
lazy grin spread over Tony’s face as he nodded. “Yeah, and afterwards I was
sizzling, I tell you. That show really is smoking hot.”
Turning
around he looked at Mac. “And what was your surprise?”
To
Don’s astonishment, Mac blushed a little, before he looked at Danny who
shrugged. “Just tell them, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
The
comment made Don frown, but as Mac started to explain, he understood. “We went
to a place called Lady Heather’s Domain. It’s...”
“I’ve
heard of it. Must be great, they have a wide assortment of playrooms, I’ve been
trying to get Warrick there, but apparently Grissom had a fling with Lady
Heather and Warrick is kind of spooked of her.”
Don
saw the grateful look that Mac sent Delinda at her interruption and with a
smile he noticed that the beautiful blonde knew exactly when and how to
interfere. She certainly had the people skills to match her looks. Now she
looked at Tony with a question in her eyes. “Where’s your other half?”
Tony
sighed. “He’s hiding somewhere trying to figure out how to tell me that the
director wants to offer me my own team.”
Before
anyone could answer, a gasp was heard from behind Don and as Don turned around
he saw Jethro standing there staring at Tony.
“You
know?”
---
“Nick?”
To say that Gil was surprised to see Nick walking into his office was an
understatement. He hadn’t expected to see his friend again until later this
afternoon when the group would fly back.
“Hey
Gris. I thought I come by to say hi to some of the guys in the lab, but it
looks that apart from Archie everybody is gone.” Nick sat down in the chair
opposite Gil’s desk and sighed for a moment. “And I wanted to talk to you.”
Seeing
concern and almost fear in Nick’s eyes, Gil tensed. “Is something wrong?”
Nick
hesitated for a moment, then he nodded. “Gris, I didn’t want to snoop around in
your flat, but yesterday when I went to the bathroom there was no toilet paper
and when I searched for some, I opened the cupboard.”
For a
moment, Gil didn’t understand what Nick was trying to say, but with yet another
sigh, Nick continued. “Since when have you been taking these pain killers and
why is the bottle that’s supposed to last for six months almost empty after not
even three?”
Shock
froze Gil, and forgetting all about the concern in Nick’s eyes, he glared at
his friend. “What are you trying to imply?”
“Gris,
you’ve changed since I last saw you. You’re more withdrawn, you’re paler and
you just don’t look happy. What’s wrong?”
He
wished he could get angry at Nick, would shout at him for interrupting his
privacy, but he was tired and already felt like another head ache was
threatening him. A part of him wanted to get up and leave while another part
realized that Nick might be the only one who was really willing to listen and
help or more accurately the only one that Gil was willing to give a chance to
listen and help.
“It’s
migraines. They... I’ve always had them, maybe once a year or so, but lately
they are almost constant. Sometimes it’s like I can’t think anymore. I’m tired,
Nick, really tired.” He trailed off and stared at his hands not sure if he
should tell Nick the complete truth or not before he continued almost silently.
“I can’t go on like this. I don’t sleep unless I take the pain killers, I don’t
eat because the pills make me sick, I can barely function at work... I feel
like I’m on the verge of a burn out.”
Again
he trailed off and this time he didn’t know what to say. It sounded so pathetic
when he phrased it as he had, made him sound so weak, but instead of mocking
words, Gil felt a soft hand on his and looking up he realized that Nick leaned
over the desk to cover his hand in a comforting gesture. “Gris, you’re not on
the verge of one, you’ve got a burn out.”
The
soft spoken words made him shiver and shake his head. The word burn out scared
him, because it implied that he needed to change his life, needed to do
something else than work, only what?
“Something
that interests you.”
Gil
looked up in shock as he realized that he had spoken his thoughts out loud.
Nick still held his hand and smiled but his eyes showed his honest concern.
“Gris, you’ll break down, if you don’t take a time out. I fear for you.”
Gil
could see the fear that Nick talked about in the dark eyes and he felt like a
heel for scaring Nick, but before he could say anything, Nick shook his head.
“No, Gris, don’t apologize. It’s what friends do, ok? They get concerned and
scared because they care, because you matter.”
For a
moment Gil felt almost overwhelmed, not sure what to say, when he realized that
Nick didn’t expect an answer.
“Have
you ever thought about a sabbatical?”
Nick’s
question made him look up and with a start he suddenly remembered the letter he
had gotten only last week. “I’ve been asked to teach a class at Williams College in Williamstown,
Massachusetts.”
Surprised
Nick looked at him before a blinding smile crossed his face. “What are you
waiting for? Isn’t that exactly what you need? Some time away, some time to
reconcile your life, to understand what you really want to do?”
It
was eerie, how Nick could read him, Gil thought and yet even as the thought of
leaving Las Vegas and the lab for a while excited him, at the same time it
scared him. He couldn’t leave Greg alone, what if something happened to him
while Gil was away?
“Gris?”
Nick’s hand was on his again and the dark eyes were concerned. “What is it?”
The
temptation of telling Nick about his unrequited love was there, but he
repressed it immediately. Instead he shrugged. “I don’t think that the sheriff
will accept a sabbatical.”
“Try
it at least, please?”
Nick’s
eyes were compelling and honest and after a moment Gil nodded. “I’ll call him
tomorrow.”
---
“He’s hiding somewhere trying to figure out
how to tell me that the director wants to offer me my own team.”
Tony’s
words had frozen Gibbs. He had indeed been hiding, had indeed been trying to
find a way to come clean to Tony, but the fact that his lover already knew both
relieved and scared him.
“You
know?”
Tony
turned around and smiled softly, his eyes were loving and tender as he reached
out and pulled Gibbs down on the sun chair next to him. “Cynthia told me. It
pays to be liked by the back office, you know.”
“How
long have you known?”
Tony
pulled him closer, but Gibbs was too shell shocked to react and holding himself
rigid, he didn’t give into Tony’s coaxing until Tony sighed and shook his head.
“For about ten days. Cynthia called me and told me about it, and before you say
it, I know that she isn’t supposed to do this, but hey, it was a favor.”
“And?”
Gibbs
had forgotten about their friends around him, but apparently Tony hadn’t as he
looked at Delinda. “Those cabanas you mentioned, is one free?”
Delinda
nodded and called a pool attendant over. She smiled friendly but Gibbs could
see the concern in her beautiful eyes and he knew that he would see the same
concern in Don’s, Mac’s or Danny’s eyes. These were their friends, he reminded
himself, these were people that cared for both him and Tony and still right now
he was glad that Tony had gotten them some privacy.
Inside
the cabana it was colder and a soft breeze made the fabric rustle gently. It
was a romantic setting, but Gibbs had only eyes for his lover. Tony sat down in
one of the love seats and pulled at Gibbs’ hand until Gibbs sat down next to
him.
“What
did Jen tell you?”
Thinking
back to the conversation he’d had with Jen, Gibbs shrugged.
“She said that in your previous jobs, you left because
you didn’t have a future, that you had no career opportunities. And that she
doesn’t want to lose you. She wants to offer you a team.”
Tony’s eyes were unreadable as he nodded. Whatever
Cynthia had told him seemed to be consistent with what Gibbs had just said.
“Did she say where?”
“DC, she wants to have a fourth investigation team at
Head Quarters and she wants you to lead it.”
Tony nodded again, then he looked at Gibbs and Gibbs
felt the power of his lover’s eyes as they bore into his own. “And what do you
think?”
That was the hardest part, Gibbs thought. He had
practiced what he wanted to say, but right now he didn’t remember any of the
smart sentences anymore and so he simply told Tony the truth.
“You’d be a great team leader, but the thought of not
having you in my team, the thought of not being able to watch your back... It
kills me.”
He shivered at the thought of Tony going out without
proper back up and even knowing that he was being irrational didn’t really
help. “I...”
“Shh.” Tony’s hands caressed his face and looking up,
he realized that Tony was smiling. “It’s ok, Jethro. I won’t take the job. It’s
ok.
For a moment Gibbs was elated, happy, but then he
looked at his lover closer and he saw the glint of resignation in Tony’s eyes.
Gibbs felt as if a bucket of cold water had been emptied over his head as he
understood. Tony wouldn’t take the job, because he loved him. His lover would
give up a fantastic chance because of him. Even more though, he could see that
Tony wanted this job and that more than anything made him shake his head.
“Tony, no, if you want this job, take it. I... this fear
is irrational. Just tell me, do you want to be a team leader?”
Tony blushed and nodded shyly. “If you think I can do
it, yes. I’d love to. And it’s not because I don’t like working for and with
you, it’s just it would be a challenge and it would be...”
Gibbs kissed Tony stopping his babbling gently. Their
kiss was soft and as they separated Gibbs smiled. “Then take it. You’ll be a
wonderful team leader and I’ll be so proud of you.”
Tony
smiled and blushed even more. His eyes were shining with love as he pulled
Gibbs closer again. “Thanks so much. And I’ll promise, you won’t lose me.”
Gibbs
nodded with a smile even though his heart was constricting slightly. “I’ll hold
you to that promise.”
---
Nick
was in deep thoughts as he walked through the corridors of his former
workplace. His talk with Grissom was still in his mind and his concern and fear
for his friend had not lessened. The fact alone that Grissom had admitted to
being burned out had shocked Nick. Cursing silently, he wished he could give
Grissom a nudge towards Greg, but he knew only too well that Grissom was too
afraid of rejection to ever do anything.
No,
Nick thought sighing. He would have to nudge Greg and not Grissom, but that was
for another day and not today.
He
had lied when he’d told Grissom that he’d come here to visit some former
co-workers. He’d driven to Gris’ place and when he hadn’t been home Nick had
come to the lab knowing that he would find Grissom here. On the entire way
Nick’s only concern had been Grissom and he hadn’t really noticed the lab or
how familiar everything felt, now though as he walked through the empty lab, he
suddenly noticed the glass walls, the familiar corridors and a chill ran
through him. It was too familiar, too much and instinctively he walked faster.
There were too many memories here, too many feeling buried in these walls.
It
wasn’t until he was outside that he took a deep breath and for a second leaned
against the building to compose himself. His fears were irrational, but that
didn’t make them less potent and somehow he had felt as if the walls in the lab
had been closing in on him.
“Nick?”
Nick
startled as he heard someone call his name and looking up he tensed immediately
when he saw Conrad Ecklie walk towards him. “Conrad.”
His
voice was carefully bland, but Ecklie didn’t seem to notice it as he smiled
openly at Nick. “Gil told me that you were in town, but I didn’t think I’d see
you here. How are you doing?”
Grissom
had told him? Nick remembered Grissom telling him that Ecklie had become more
bearable, or as Grissom had put it ‘we have come to an understanding’. Still
the thought of Grissom sharing something like Nick’s visit with Ecklie
surprised him. He was aware that his face gave away his surprise as Ecklie
laughed lightly. “Things have changed quite a bit here. Hey, do you need a lift
somewhere?”
Nick’s
first instinct was to say no, but there was something in Ecklie’s eyes, in his
laughter that made him accept. “That would be great, we’re at the Montecito.”
To
Nick’s surprise Ecklie laughed again. “It pays to have connections like Eric,
doesn’t it?”
The
easy comment once more took Nick by surprise, but he didn’t answer, until he
sat in the car next to Ecklie. “What happened? I mean, you’re suddenly best
friends with Grissom and the night shift?”
Ecklie
was silent for a while and Nick could see that the other man seemed to fight an
internal debate. Swallowing hard, Ecklie seemed to come to a decision and
shrugged lightly. “You know that Jim Brass was shot a while ago, don’t you?”
The comment
seemed at odds with Nick’s question, still he nodded, as he remembered the
phone call and the fear he had experienced when Warrick had told him about how
serious Jim’s condition was. “He’s doing better now, isn’t he?”
“He
is doing much better. He’s out of the hospital, but not back at work. He’s
recuperating and generally complaining about everything especially about being
bored out of his mind. But he’s healing, he’s good.” There were many emotions
in Ecklie’s voice, emotions that Nick recognized yet would have never expected
to hear while Ecklie spoke about Jim Brass. “Gil had Jim’s power of attorney.
His decision saved Jim’s life.”
Still
Nick felt like he was missing a connection here and confused he looked at
Ecklie who smiled at him. “Jim and I are together.”
“Together?”
Ecklie
smiled gently and Nick was stunned on how the tender emotion transformed the
stern face. “Lovers.”
“Wow.”
Speechless Nick processed the information and then couldn’t help but laugh.
“Isn’t there anyone straight in the lab anymore?”
Ecklie
looked at him stunned and then laughed loudly. “Well evidence says that Warrick
is, and I’d put my money on Catherine too..”
---
The
warm sun on his skin made Mac sleepy and the soft breeze felt almost like a
caress. He couldn’t remember when he had felt so relaxed in a place this
crowded and a part of him realized that it was the clever setting of the
Montecito’s pool area. Although the area was large, there were many alcoves and
hidden places so that no one was on display unless they wanted to display
themselves of course.
Sighing
happily, he stretched his legs and closed his eyes only to open them again when
he heard Danny chuckle. His lover smiled tenderly at him, making Mac frown
lightly. “Something wrong?”
Danny
shook his head and reached out to touch Mac’s hand. “You purr.”
Purr?
Mac tried to glare at Danny, but only his heart wasn’t in it and so he smiled
almost sheepishly. “Don’t tell Stella.”
Now
Danny laughed loud and Don threw in his own five cents. “Can I tell her?”
Truly
glaring at Don now, Mac turned around. “Don’t you dare.”
Don
pouted and shrugged. “Depends on what you offer, cause I know she’ll offer to
make some cookies.”
“No
cookies for you.” Nick had walked up behind his lover and Mac smiled as he
watched Don mock glare at Nick and then pull Nick down towards his sun bed.
“You’re
back. Everything ok?”
Nick
sighed and shook his head. “Not really, but nothing that I can really change.”
That
sounded far too serious and Mac looked concerned at Nick. He wanted to ask the
other man what the problem was when Delinda suddenly interrupted their talk.
“Dad.”
As
Mac watched the man walking towards their group he remembered Eric’s
description of Ed Deline.
“Imagine your Mac
and Tony’s Gibbs mixed together with a lot of CIA experience and the necessary
skills and then you’ve got Ed.”
Medium
sized, stocky in a way that spoke of a trained body, grey haired and sun
tanned, Ed Deline looked like the average middle aged manager until he moved or
looked at anyone. That’s when the intensity and the almost blunt force of the
other man’s personality really came through and Mac could see why half of Las
Vegas seemed to live in fear of this man.
Delinda
though clearly didn’t, she got up and kissed the smaller man on his cheek before
she introduced Ed Deline to their group. Mac shook Deline’s hand and for a
moment their eyes met and held.
Blue
eyes bore into his and Mac immediately knew that he was being assessed and
after only a second Deline smiled friendly. “Good to meet you.”
He
had looked them all up, had run background checks on all of them. A part of Mac
bristled at the thought, but another part knew that he would probably do the
same if he were in Deline’s position.
---
In
the end the three days had gone way too fast, Nick thought, as he hugged
Warrick at the airport. He hadn’t had enough time with his friend, but Warrick
had already told him that Delinda and he planned to visit Delinda’s mother in
New York in March, so Nick knew that he would meet his friend again soon.
Still
he hated saying goodbye to the people he considered family and as he hugged
Sara, he noticed that she looked sad too. “Call more often, ok? I miss you.”
Her
honest words made him swallow hard and he nodded. “I promise.”
She
smiled and hugged Don, whispering something in his ear that made Don blush and
Nick grinned. “What did you just tell my boyfriend?”
Sara
laughed and looked at Don. “That stays between him and me.”
Meeting
Don’s eyes, Nick saw happiness and amusement there and with a shrug turned
around to Greg and hugged him too. “Greggo, you really have to come and visit.
Promise ok?”
Smiling
Greg nodded. “I’ll come, promise.”
A
quick glance around told Nick that everybody was talking and with a swift
movement he pulled Greg a little away from the group. “Greg, talk with Grissom.
He’s not well and I think he needs someone. Someone who makes him understand
how important he is.”
Greg
blushed deeply and shook his head. “I can’t Nick, he’s my boss.”
“That’s
exactly the reason why any advance has to come from you. He can’t make the
first move, ok?”
Nick
could see that Greg wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t want to break Grissom’s
trust and so he simply looked at Greg again. “Talk to him, be a friend.
Please?”
Sighing,
Greg nodded and then grinned. “Stop looking like a kicked puppy, I’ll talk to
him.”
Nick
grinned and then went over to Warrick and nudged his friend gently. “Tell Eric
and Danny that we had a wonderful time and that they are welcome anytime in New
York.”
“I’ll
tell him. He is a good guy, not you, but the next best thing.” Nick swallowed
hard and instinctively hugged Warrick once more. “I’ll really miss you.”
Warrick
smiled and nodded. “Me too, buddy, me too.”
And
then it was time and they went through security control where they had another
40 minutes before they had to say goodbye to Tony and Jethro and Nick sighed.
“I
hate saying good bye.”
Tony
grinned. “Hey, want to join NCIS? I need good people in my new team.”
“Don’t
you dare.” Mac growled before Nick could say anything and Nick grinned. “I like
New York.”
“But
you really need to come to DC, it’s just a quick jump. Plan a weekend in
Spring. Really, Nick, I mean it.”
Sharing
a glance with Don, Nick nodded. “We’ll go through our schedule when we’re
back.”
“Coffee
anyone?” Jethro’s question made Tony laugh and after a moment everybody joined.
Nick loved the friendship and harmony that was between him and his friends and
as he sat down in a chair and watched his friends do the same, he understood
that their bond had gotten even stronger. This trip had been a good idea, but
even as the thought entered his mind another joined it and Nick laughed.
Tony
looked at him. “What’s so funny?”
Nick
grinned. “I’m really glad we didn’t decide on road trip beards.”
---
Chapter
7 – Home sweet Home
*New York*
“And the boys are
back in town.” Nick grinned at Lindsay’s words and hugged her quickly. She
laughed and looked at him. “You look good, relaxed.”
Her fingers
nestled a bit at his collar and again she grinned. “But you should have worn a
turtleneck today.”
Now he blushed as
he remembered Don and him making love at the canyon and then later on in their
room. It had been a wonderful weekend, and to his utter surprise none of the
dreaded memories had ever come up. He had been surrounded by friends and love
all the time. It had been good to meet his old friends, he had loved to show
Las Vegas to his new friends and in the midst of all the action, he had never
even thought about being afraid.
Smiling he
shrugged at Lindsay’s comment. “Too tired.”
She frowned a bit,
obviously not getting the connection between being tired and wearing a
turtleneck and Nick shrugged again. “I didn’t know where they are, and was too
tired to look for them.”
Now she laughed.
“You need a closet organizer.”
A what? Seeing her
grin, he simply shook his head. “Please don’t tell me that a job like this
exists.”
Laughing again,
she shrugged. “I don’t know, but if it exists, then in New York.”
“What’s in New
York?” Stella had come around the corner, and smiled at Nick. “Hey, nice having
you back. Where’s the rest of the group?”
“Don’s at the
precinct, Mac’s in some meeting with Denton and Danny’s somewhere around.” He
looked at Stella and noticed the sparkle in her eyes. “So, how’s Stabler?”
She blushed and to
Nick’s delight the sparkling in her eyes got even stronger as she smiled. “He’s
good. We’re going ice skating on Wednesday.”
“That’s so cute.”
Lindsay’s comment made Nick laugh.
“Cute?” He saw her
glare as he grinned again. “Believe me Lindsay, that’s not an adjective that a
guy wants to hear in connection with himself.”
She laughed and
put an arm around his shoulders. “But Nicky, you guys are cute if you’re in
love and trying to impress the girl of your dreams.”
He simply looked
at her sideways and she shrugged. “Or whatever.”
Saying nothing
more, he followed Stella to their office and powered up his computer. They had
no pressing case and he still needed to finish some reports as well as some
evaluations. Sighing he looked at Danny’s notes from the last case.
“Chicken scrawl.”
He mumbled only to hear Stella laugh. Looking up he noticed that she leaned
over and looked at the handwriting. He shook his head and shrugged. “Why in the
hell does he have to compress everything into one page? He’s got a complete
notebook to fill.”
“No idea, but I’m
sure a psychologist could tell you a lot about what it means.” She looked at
him and Nick saw how she turned serious. “How did it really go?”
Knowing what she
was asking, he smiled. “Good, there was one time when I got anxious and that
was when I visited Grissom in the lab. But apart from that, I think it was a
different Las Vegas that I saw this weekend than when I worked there, you know.
This was the Vegas for tourists, the glittery city... It was good.”
“And with your old
team?”
“That was good
too, although I didn’t get to spend as much time with them as I thought. But I
did catch up with most of them and Warrick plans to come out again soon. His girlfriend’s
mother lives in New York.”
He smiled silently
as he remembered Delinda- Warrick might pretend that he and the beautiful
blonde were just friends with benefits, but Nick had seen how his friend had
looked at Delinda and he hadn’t seen friendship in Warrick’s green eyes.
“How’s Grissom?”
Stella’s question pulled him back into reality and he sighed.
“He’s thinking
about taking a sabbatical. “
Stella looked at
him and Nick could see that she knew there was more to the story, still she let
it go and shrugged lightly. “Maybe not a bad idea.”
No, Nick thought,
it wasn’t a bad idea, it was a great idea, but the reason for Grissom to
finally consider the sabbatical still concerned him. Pushing his worry out of
his mind, he looked at Stella and smiled.
“And how was your
date?”
---
Nick was concerned
about Grissom, Stella could clearly see it, but accepted the change of topic.
Thinking about the date with Elliot made her heart beat faster. She probably
had a dreamy smile on her face, she thought as she started to talk.
“It was great, he
took me to the Gramercy Tavern and
he was, just really nice. He drove me home, and...” Trailing off she felt
Nick’s eyes on her as she blushed and shrugged. “I wanted to ask him up, but
something held me back. I was scared, you know.”
He reached out and
pressed her hand gently. “Elliot knows what happened to you, he won’t pressure
you into anything.”
Elliot did
understand, Stella thought silently, not only because he knew what had happened
to her, but also because he dealt with victims on a daily basis and as much as
she hated seeing herself as a victim, she was one. Sighing she pushed the
thoughts away and smiled at Nick.
“I’m really
looking forward to Wednesday.”
Nick grinned.
“Maybe Don and I should just happen to walk past. Now where did you say you’re
going?”
Glaring at Nick
she shook her head. “Don’t you dare?”
---
*Las Vegas*
“You’ve got to be
joking.” Sara looked up surprised at the snarky comment. The words had come
from a tall, slender, grey haired man who glared at her and the dead body next
to her. Frowning she looked around for Vartaan who came over grinning.
“Sara, may I
introduce you to Detective John Munch? He’s a transplant from New York’s SVU.”
Vartaan smiled quickly at her before he turned towards Munch. “John, this is
Sara Sidle, she’s with the CSI nightshift team.”
“You're one of Gil
Grissom's famous team, eh?” His comment sounded just as ironic as before, but
unlike before there was an undertone of respect in his voice now which pacified
her.
She smiled and
nodded. “Welcome to Vegas, Detective Munch. Hope you’ll like it here.”
Frowning he looked
at the mutilated corpse next to her and shrugged. “Human nature, it’s ugly
everywhere.”
He turned around
and walked towards the officers to start questioning the first responder. Sara’s
eyes followed him before she looked at Vartaan again. She liked working with
the detective, but she realized that he was on his way back to the car already
and as she frowned a bit, he held up his hand. “I was just here for the
introduction. I’ve got a homicide on the other side of the city to take care
off.”
Faintly
remembering that Greg and Warrick had been assigned to the case, she smiled.
“Say hi to Warrick and Greg.”
Vartaan nodded. “I
will.”
She turned around
and started to search the perimeter when she felt someone watch her curiously.
The new detective looked at her with his head slightly tilted. “You remind me
of Stokes.”
“You know Nick?”
“Yeah, I worked a
couple of cases with him and his team. He’s got the same singled minded focus
that you just had. You’re prettier though.”
He said the last
thing so offhandedly that she didn’t blush until he turned away and for a
moment she stared at his back. “Thanks, I think.”
Walking away, he
looked back and grinned. “See you soon.”
Well, he would,
she thought as she returned to collecting evidence. He’d see a lot more of her.
---
“Conrad, do you
have a moment?”
Surprised to see
Catherine standing in the door, he nodded curtly and waved her in. “Sure what
can I do for you?”
She walked into
the office and looked at him. There was something in her eyes that he didn’t
like, but he couldn’t really name the emotion. Sitting down, she sighed once
before she started speaking. “I’m concerned about the increasing connections
between the lab and the Montecito.”
For a moment he
didn’t understand what she meant and it must have been obvious in his face as
Catherine continued to explain. “Eric is dating the Montecito’s Head of
Security and Surveillance and now Warrick is apparently seeing Delinda Deline.”
Looking at
Catherine, Conrad wondered what she was really up to. “Why are you coming to me
with your concerns? Did you talk to Gil about it?”
Her eyes tightened
for a moment and Conrad saw raw anger glint in the green eyes before she had
herself under control again. “He’s not concerned about it.”
That wasn’t the
answer to the question, he’d asked, Conrad thought, and silently asked himself
why she had brought this matter to his attention. His relationship with Grissom
had improved after Jim had been shot, but they hadn’t officially kissed and
made up. Only a selected few people knew of their new understanding. Was Catherine
telling Conrad about her concerns, because she thought that he would side with
her and come down hard on Grissom?
“Why are you
concerned?”
He saw how her
posture got tenser at his question before she answered. “The Montecito is a
large casino and Ed Deline doesn’t exactly have the cleanest reputation. I’m
just concerned about the potential reputational damage on the lab.”
Reputational
damage, my ass, Conrad mused. He had a pretty good idea what Catherine’s real
problem with the Montecito was and that problem was blond, beautiful,
strong-minded and currently going out with Warrick Brown. Sighing mentally, he
knew that he had to act quickly before this charade turned really ugly.
“Do you have any
clear evidence of either Eric or Warrick disregarding policies or rules?”
Catherine
swallowed hard and shook her head. Conrad smiled coldly as he continued. “Did
either Warrick or Eric work on any cases that involved the Montecito since they
have entered into their relationships?”
Again she shook
her head, he could see her slightly distressed, but continued none the less.
“Did either Warrick or Eric use the lab or any of its equipment for purposes
serving the Montecito?”
Now Catherine
paled, but still shook her head and Conrad nodded slowly, before he summarized.
“So you have no
proof of any breach of independence or any tainting of integrity, but you come
here accusing Eric and Warrick of potentially damaging the reputation of the
lab.” She took a breath to say something, but Conrad forestalled it. “What did
you hope to achieve, Catherine? Did you think that I would fine Warrick or even
demand that he stop seeing Delinda Deline?”
She stood up
trembling with anger and Conrad braced himself for her attack. “I came here
because I was concerned about the lab; I’m appalled by your reaction. What do
you think the sheriff will think of it?”
Jackpot, he
thought as he listened to her and smiled coldly while he waited for her tirade
to finish. Then he looked at her and shook his head. “I don’t know what the
sheriff will say, but I will tell you this. Go to the sheriff and I will make
you life very, very difficult. I know you accepted money from Sam Braun when he
was still alive and I know that you used our DNA lab to determine if Sam Braun
is your father. You’ve stepped out of line several times Catherine and now I’m
warning you. Threaten me and I’ll come down hard on you.”
Pale as a sheet,
Catherine got up and walked to the door. Only when she was almost out of the
room, she turned around and glared at him. “This isn’t over yet.”
Oh joy, Conrad’s
smile was snarky as he reached for the phone and called Grissom. “We need to
talk.”
---
*New York*
“Congratulations Ralph.”
Mac meant the words as he shook his former boss’ hand. He certainly
approved that his friend and mentor had become Police Vice-Commissioner. But he
couldn’t feel a slight bit sentimental at the thought of working for someone
else than Ralph especially considering who that someone else was.
Ralph’s hand on his shoulder made him look up and he smiled politely as
he was formally introduced to the man who would replace Ralph.
“Mr. Sinclair, congratulations. I look forward to our collaboration in
the future.”
A quick smile crossed Ralph’s face, but Mac didn’t see it as he was too
focused on Sinclair’s reaction. The other man tensed slightly but then nodded
curtly. “We’ll see. We certainly have to look at the set up of your department.”
Tensing Mac wanted to question Sinclair when a fourth man joined them
and now Mac had to really hold himself in check. Deputy Inspector Gerrard
certainly didn’t think much of Mac and his team and had clearly voiced that
opinion in several cases. Now he looked coldly at Mac and greeted him curtly.
“Taylor.”
Once again, he forced a smile and nodded. “Inspector Gerrard.”
Sinclair smiled coldly as he started to speak. “I was just about to
tell Lieutenant Taylor about the changes planned for his department. I think we
will certainly start by reviewing the set up.”
Mac almost
trembled with anger, and Gerrard probably saw right through him. It was obvious
that he wanted to say something, but before he could, Ralph stepped forward and
smoothly interrupted them. “Gentlemen, can I quickly talk to you?”
Gerrard, Sinclair
and Mac nodded when Ralph turned around and smiled at him almost
apologetically. “Not you, Mac.”
It felt like a
slap in his face, but Ralph’s eyes were gentle and comforting and Mac calmed
enough to nod softly. “I should go back to the lab.”
Ralph nodded and
before he followed Gerrard and Sinclair he quickly smiled at Mac. “Don’t worry;
I still got your back.”
---
Ralph watched the
two men as they sat down opposite his desk. He knew both Sinclair and Gerrard
well enough to know their strengths and weaknesses and he was enough of a
politician to know how to use either if necessary. Now he simply let them wait
for a moment until he quietly started to speak.
“Gentlemen, can I
offer you a coffee?”
They both nodded
and while they waited for his secretary to bring the coffees over, he smiled
friendly. “Have you seen the latest statistics on police efficiency and
effectiveness? I used to be almost afraid when I read them, because you both
know how the mayor is when he sees that New York has slipped down yet another
rank.”
Sinclair smiled
and nodded sympathetically while Gerrard simply smiled as the coffee arrived.
They were silent for a moment until the secretary had left the room again and
Ralph continued cheerfully. “So consider my surprise when I got a call from the
mayor last week telling me that this year we have done a great job and that he
is especially happy that the CSI lab has achieved the almost impossible and
reached number three in the country. We’re only a few points behind the FBI and
Las Vegas.”
Sinclair and
Gerrard had gradually stopped smiling and now sat in front of him with stony
faces. Ralph himself dropped his friendly smile and looked straight at the two
men. “I think you and I know that it is primarily Taylor’s team which has
propelled the lab to number three and since the mayor knows that as well, he’s
asked to meet Lieutenant Taylor on the next possible occasion. Of course I readily
accepted and will personally accompany Lieutenant Taylor.”
Making a rhetorical
break, Ralph took a sip of his coffee and then smiled coldly. “Have I made
myself clear, Gentlemen?”
Sinclair and
Gerrard looked at each other and then nodded. “Yes sir, very clear.”
Ralph watched as
they left his office and with a sigh, he reached for his phone. He had to talk
to Mac and calm him down, and then he had to call the mayor and ask him for a
favor. What a fun way to start the week.
---
Don hummed lightly
to himself as he stirred the stew he had prepared and added another chili for
hotness sake. He had never understood why his mother would always pester him to
learn cooking, but ever since he had moved in with Nick, he had started to
enjoy it. There was something about cooking a nice meal for his lover that was
completely relaxing.
Smiling he turned
towards the cupboard and selected two wine glasses, when he heard the door open
and close. Shortly after, Nick poked his head through the kitchen door and
smiled. “Hey, you’re home early. And it smells wonderful.”
Don felt his heart
expand as Nick walked over and quickly kissed him. Looking into the pot, Nick
grinned. “You’re a star.”
Shaking his head,
Don laughed. “I’m sure that Sid would disagree.”
Nick shrugged
while he took some plates, knives and forks out of the cupboard and walked into
the living room to set the table. “Sid has a different standard in regards to
food than we do. We consider it fast food when we buy a burger from McDonalds;
he considers it fast food unless he’s even prepared the bread for the bun
himself.”
Don watched while
the stew simmered in the pot and smiled to himself. Nick was right of course, but
the mentioning of Sid’s name reminded Don of something else and he followed his
lover to the living room. “Apropos Sid, did you respond to his invitation?”
Sid had invited
the Mac’s team and some of the detectives that he worked with on a regular
basis for dinner next weekend. Both Nick and Don had received an invitation,
but had wanted to wait until after their Vegas trip. Now Don felt that the work
load was bearable, but of course he didn’t want to go if Nick had other plans.
“No, I didn’t, but
I’d love to go, what about you?” Don nodded at Nick’s question, but then
sighed. “We’ll have to behave ourselves, Angell and some others are coming
too.”
Nick smiled and
nodded. “We’ll make up for it afterwards.”
Don laughed and
went back to the kitchen where the stew was finished. He took the bread from
the oven and brought it together with the stew over to the living room. Nick
sniffed the air and smiled happily. “This is what I call a good evening.”
Hearing what Nick
wasn’t saying, Don frowned. “After a not so good day?”
Nick shrugged.
“Well I guess you heard about Denton and who’s taken his post. Mac isn’t happy
about it and Danny seems downright scared.”
Don knew more of
the history behind Sinclair, Gerrard and Mac and he sighed. “Gerrard has Danny
on his black list simply because of his name. He opposed Danny’s hiring and because
Mac brought Danny in despite Gerrard’s wishes, Mac’s on his black list too and
with him pretty much everybody who works on Mac’s team.”
“That doesn’t
sound good.” Nick sounded slightly anxious, but Don shook his head. “The way I know
Ralph Denton, he’s still going to have a very, very close eye on Mac. He’s been
Mac’s mentor for a long time and he won’t let him fall.”
Nick sighed. “I
hate politics.”
And Don knew that
his lover really did hate the office politics, but he also knew that Nick was
surprisingly good at them. He had a knack for making people do what he wanted
them to do without them realizing it. Don smiled lightly at that thought, and
Nick frowned. “What?”
“Nothing, just
that you are really good at playing the political game, if you have to.”
Nick’s eyes
darkened for a moment and he sighed. “At least something my mum and dad would
be proud of.”
Seeing the sadness
in Nick’s eyes Don reached out to cover Nick’s hand with his own. The wound
from Christmas was still raw and every once in a while, Don felt as if he could
see it festering. Sometimes he just wanted to grab the phone and call Nick’s
family, wanted to yell at them for not accepting what a wonderful son they had,
but he knew it would be in vain.
Nick smiled darkly
and Don sighed again, but then his lover’s dark mood disappeared and he smiled
mischievously. “Hey, how do you feel about going ice skating on Wednesday?”
The question
sounded so innocent and Nick’s dark brown eyes shone with the same innocence.
It made Don smile but he shook his head. “Forget it; I’m not risking my manhood
by spying on Stella’s date.”
Nick pouted, but
after a moment he grinned. “Come on, it would be fun.”
Fun? Don simply
looked at his lover and Nick’s pout slowly died. “Ok, maybe it would be fun,
but the day after wouldn’t.”
Don remained
silent and instead of commenting on Nick’s words, he got up and pulled his
lover with him towards the couch. Nick went willingly and as soon as they sat
down, he moved closer to Don. Outside it had started to snow again and with a
smile, Nick looked at the window.
“This is cozy.”
Don leaned down
and quietly kissed Nick’s head before he agreed. “Yes, it is.”
---
*Washington DC*
“I’m really glad
you’ve accepted the offer, Agent DiNozzo. Now we need to talk about the
composition of your team. “You will lead a team
of two agents, a junior agent from another team and a newcomer on a
later stage we might increase the team strength to three.”
Tony watched with
something akin to trepidation as Director Sheppard pointed towards a stack of
personal files. “These are the applications that NCIS has gotten from other law
enforcement entities in the last month. I want you to go through them and let
me know by the end of the week, whom we should invite for interviews.”
Tony nodded and
took the files while he stood up. Looking at the woman he would now report to,
he sighed and sat down again. “I always thought that you didn’t like me, and
now you offer me a promotion. Why?”
For a moment she
looked at him and smiled coldly. “You’re record is stellar and you have several
commendations in your file. There was no reason not to offer you a team,
especially since we are in need of good people.”
She hadn’t answer
his real question, but Tony knew that he wouldn’t get more even if he pressed
her on the issue. He sighed mentally and let the issue drop. He had another
question anyway. “So who will transfer from the existing teams?”
She shook her
head. “It’s your decision. I’ve sent you an email with the transfer requests.
Take your pick. It’s your team.”
Looking at her
once again, he frowned. “You letting me chose completely, you don’t want a hand
in this?”
To his surprise,
she laughed. “Agent DiNozzo, after the disaster with Chip, I’ve delegated the team
decisions to those that know what they do. Believe me, I don’t make mistakes
twice.”
Her honesty
surprised him more than anything and tentatively he smiled back. “Thanks for
the chance you’re giving me.”
She looked at him
for a long time and then sighed. “Sit down, Agent DiNozzo.”
Suddenly anxious
he did as she had said and waited for the other shoe to drop. She fixed him with
her eyes, but her gaze was friendly and after a second she smiled. “You said
before that I disliked you. That was wrong, I never disliked you. But I also
knew that you and your team’s loyalty were for Agent Gibbs and not me.”
“Not Ziva’s.” That
was incorrect though, Tony knew that over the last couple months Ziva’s loyalty
had completely changed, but there had been a time when Ziva had been the
director’s spy. He watched Sheppard now and wondered if she’d get angry,
instead though she nodded her eyes serious.
“No, you’re right.
Ziva had been recruited by me and a word from me would have been enough to send
her back to Israel, especially because she knew that Agent Gibbs wouldn’t fight
for her.”
That had changed too
and they both knew it without saying. Gibbs now considered Ziva as much a part
of his team as he considered McGee a part. Tony knew that over the last couple
of months ever since the New York case they had become a real team.
“You tested our
team and our loyalty, I understand that. But even afterwards you seemed to have
troubles accepting me. And now you offer me a team, why?”
She smiled again and
this time it was a real smile. “As I said, Agent DiNozzo, I never disliked you,
but I frown upon fraternization.”
Tony tensed and
paled, but she shook her head and held up a hand in a calming manner. “I’m not
going to reprimand you or Agent Gibbs. If I had been so inclined I would have
done after I discovered it.”
“How long did you
know?”
She smiled at
Tony’s question and nodded. “I’ve known Jethro for a long time, and I’m not
talking about the unfortunate undercover mission in Paris. Our affair was short
and ill advised, but that is not the point. What I want to say, Agent DiNozzo,
is that I have known Jethro when he was still married to Shannon. I’ve seen him
looking at her, seen him with her. The day you came back from New York, I saw
him looking at you the same way. I knew then.”
Her words floored
Tony. He had no idea what to say, but even as he struggled for words, she
continued speaking. “I watched you and Jethro closely, but you never received
any special treatment and both of your behavior was perfect. Still, I’d rather
have you not report to him anymore.”
For a second she
was silent, and then she sighed. “Not everyone is as open-minded as I am.”
He understood what
she wanted to say and nodded silently, before he looked at her. For the first
time since she had taken over from Tom Morrow, he felt a deep respect for her
and his words were from the heart. “Thank you.”
She smiled and
nodded. “You’re welcome. I’m Jenny by the way.”
Getting up, Tony
took the hand she offered him and out of instinct lifted it to his lips for a quick
kiss. “Enchantée, I’m Tony.”
---
*Las Vegas*
“I need a time
out, Conrad, and the offer from the Williams
College is exactly the kind of time out I need.”
Grissom watched
Conrad Ecklie after he had told him. He knew that he didn’t technically need
Ecklie’s support, that he could have gone directly to the sheriff, but over the
last months his relationship with Ecklie had improved and he wanted to give the
other man a chance to say his piece.
Conrad nodded and
to Grissom’s surprise, he didn’t even look surprised. “Ok.”
It was Grissom’s
turn to be surprised and openly shocked he looked at Conrad. “Ok, just like
that?”
Conrad laughed,
but it wasn’t a happy laughter. “Gil, I’m your boss. Do you really think I
hadn’t noticed how close to a break down you are? You’ve been heading to a complete
collapse for the past couple of months. I hate having to replace you for three
months, but I’d rather do that than replace you completely.”
Conrad’s openness
made Grissom swallow hard and he wasn’t really sure if what he felt was relief
or fear. A part of him had hoped that his request would be denied and he would
be forced to stay, forced to remain close to Greg. It had been that part that
had made him see Conrad first, he suddenly realized, because he had been sure
that despite their new understanding, the other man would reject his request.
“Grissom, are you
ok?”
Conrad’s eyes were
concerned and with a wry smile, Grissom admitted what he had thought. “I guess
I didn’t really expect you to say yes.”
“Which was why you
came to me.” Conrad’s reply was dry and slightly amused, but as he continued,
all amusement vanished from his voice. “I won’t help you destroy yourself. Not
because of the lab, but because despite all our differences I like you. Go,
Gil, go to Massachusetts, relax and rest and come back with new enthusiasm.”
Once again the
open concern took Grissom by surprise and he nodded slowly, before he looked at
Conrad and smiled. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.
Now about your replacement, any ideas?”
Grissom’s first
idea had been Catherine, but after Conrad’s recount of her accusations, he knew
that she would be the wrong choice. Another idea entered his mind and he
grinned. “You.”
Conrad stared at
him as if he had completely lost his mind and shook his head. “You’re crazy.”
It had been meant
as a joke, Grissom had to admit that, but the more he thought about it, the
better the idea sounded and shaking his head he looked at Conrad. “No, I’m not.
Look, my team is experienced and they don’t need a babysitter, what they need
is someone who coordinates their cases and acts as a sounding board to bounce
ideas off. They need someone to make sure that the administrative side is
covered and someone to deal with the media if a big case comes up. Bringing in
someone new for three months doesn’t make sense, but you could do it.”
There was a long
silence after Grissom’s words and finally Conrad sighed. “I have to talk to the
sheriff. What you say makes sense, but I would have to reshuffle my duties for
three months and I need his approval for that. I’ll let you know.”
Knowing that this
was the best he could hope for, Grissom nodded. “Can I tell the team?”
Conrad looked
surprised. “About your sabbatical? Of course and tell them that we’re currently
working on your interim replacement.”
For a moment, he
looked contemplative and then he nodded. “And tell them that it won’t be a
member of the current team.”
Grissom understood
Conrad’s reasoning and he nodded. “I’ll tell them.”
He got up and
walked to the door, when Conrad stopped him again. “Come back, Gil. Promise me
to come back.”
For a moment,
Grissom smiled and then he nodded. “I promise and thanks, Conrad. I really need
this.”
He left the office
feeling lighter and at the same time heavier. He reached for his cell phone and
called the college to let them know that he would arrive on February 15th.
Now if only his heart wouldn’t feel so heavy about leaving Last Vegas.
---
*New York*
“Calm down, Greg.”
Nick could barely understand his friend, Greg was speaking so fast. Finally
though he could make out a complete sentence and sighed as he understood.
Grissom is leaving.
Nick felt terrible
about having known about Grissom’s plans, hell he had even encouraged his
friend to go. Of course he hadn’t thought about Greg right then, he had been
too concerned about Grissom, and now he had a distraught Greg on the phone and
was desperately trying to calm him down.
“He’s not leaving;
he’s just going for a sabbatical.”
“It’s the same,
Nick. He won’t come back.” Greg sounded miserable and Nick wanted nothing more
than take his friend in his arms and hold him, he knew that Greg had only
recently realized what Grissom really meant to him.
“He will come
back, I’m sure. He loves the lab, loves the team. You guys are his family. “He
loves you, but Nick wouldn’t tell Greg that. Archie had told Greg once that
some in the lab thought that Grissom had fallen in love with Greg, but Greg
hadn’t believed him and Nick wasn’t going to betray Grissom.
“Greg, this is the
best moment to tell him, you know.”
Even as he said
it, he knew that his friend would balk and promptly he heard a squeak on the
other side of the line. “I can’t.”
Greg was too
intimidated by Grissom to approach the other man like this and he didn’t
understand that Grissom wouldn’t and couldn’t make the first move. Silently
Nick wondered what it would take to bring these two together. Maybe Don’s idea
of locking them into a closet had its appeal after all.
“Greg, you have to
be the one to make the first move. He can’t. He’s your supervisor.”
They had had this
conversation so many times, Nick had lost count, but this time Greg was silent
for a long time instead of immediately denying it. Then finally he spoke again.
“I can’t tell him when he’s leaving. It wouldn’t be fair, almost like emotional
blackmail. But I’ll tell him when he’s back. I promise.”
It was a start,
Nick thought, as he wished Greg good luck and hung up.
And in the end
only time would tell, if Greg would go through with his promise. Nick really
hoped his friend would. Greg needed someone in his life and so did Grissom.
“You ok?”
Stella had walked
into their shared office and Nick sighed. “Grissom is going on a sabbatical and
Greg is freaking out about it.”
She smiled
lightly. “You know when Mac and Danny were in their getting together phase, I often
wanted to lock them in a closet.”
Nick laughed. “Don
said the same, maybe it would help, but Grissom’s going to be in Massachusetts
and Greg in Vegas, so the locking into a closet will have to wait until April.”
Stella grinned
evilly. “Perfect that gives us plenty of time to plan.”
---
THE END