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Dating Advice	By : RikuRocks Category: CSI > Slash - Male/Male Views: 5865 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to CSI, nor am I making any money from this work of fiction.

Chapter List
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Nick and Warrick had grabbed lunch at a nearby diner after they had dropped off all the evidence and spoken to a few people of interest. They had dropped off some surveillance footage with Archie, in hopes of confirming or disputing an alibi before heading out. The taller man could not wait to hear about how Judge Stokes had reacted to Nick�s confession.
Warrick looked slightly uncertain as Nick finished filling him in. �So that�s good, right? I know it�s better than him cutting you off, but it sort of sounds like a non-answer to me.�
�No, its cool, man.� Nick smiled as he chewed another bite of his burger. �If he couldn�t handle it, he wouldn�t beat around the bush. We�re good�and I can see where he�s comin� from. Hell, I needed time to come to terms with all this and I�m the one feelin� it. The only thing that has me wonderin� is what he said about callin� him if I decided I could name what I feel for Greg.�
Warrick looked at his friend oddly, as he took a sip of his cherry coke. �So he wants to know if his son�s in love; that doesn�t sound strange to me. Did he ask your brothers and sisters anything like that when they started getting serious with anyone?�
�Yeah, all of �em�after they�d been seein� their current spouses and fiancée for a while.� Nick stuffed the last bite of his burger into his mouth and looked thoughtful as he chewed it. �I don�t get why he�d ask me about Greg so soon though; he isn�t even sure how to handle me bein� with a guy yet.�
�Did he ask any of them to tell him this when they were with someone else before they found the person they were gonna make the leap with?� Warrick asked, looking thoughtful as well. He arched an eyebrow at the Texan and added, �Did he ever ask you this about any woman you�ve dated?�
�No,� Nick frowned lightly and shook his head. �At least, none of �em ever mentioned him askin� about anyone else. This is definitely the first time he�s brought up feelings with me.�
Warrick smirked, �Maybe he knows something you don�t.�
The Texan stared at his friend doubtfully. �You�re sayin� my dad can tell I�m in love -before I�m even ready to call it that- after one quick phone call? I barely even talked about Greg, Rick.�
The taller man shrugged lightly and looked unaffected by Nick�s disbelief. �He did watch each of you grow up after all�and he didn�t get where he is today by being stupid or unperceptive.�
Nick shrugged lightly and nodded. He had to admit that Warrick had a point. Before he could comment, however, his phone indicated that he had a message. �Tox results are in,� he commented.
�My turn to scare the ass in tox, then;� Warrick wore a small smirk as he stood and reached for his wallet.
Nick waved him off, �Don�t worry about it, man; I�ll take care of this one.�
�Cool,� Warrick nodded his thanks as he grabbed his jacket. �I�ll get the next one.�
�I�m gonna hold you to that.� Nick grinned as he motioned to the waitress. �Catch you back at the lab.�
Warrick was already walking away; he tossed a brief wave over his shoulder before he sauntered out of the diner. Nick smiled at the waitress when we came over and asked for the bill. He made a conscious effort not to cross the line between friendly and flirting as they chatted for a minute before he left.
Nick�s phone rang as he headed to his truck and he answered it without bothering to look at the caller ID. �Stokes.�
�Nicky!� Jennie practically squealed into his ear. �I can�t believe you called dad already! How�d it go?�
�How the hell did you hear about that already?� Nick frowned, realizing what time it must be in Texas if his sister was calling him in the middle of his shift. ��And why are you calling me at the crack of dawn?�
Jennie released a sound somewhere between a sigh and a scoff. �Mom told Jules, who told Ronnie, who told me. I just woke up and I knew you�d be out of bed so why wouldn�t I call? It�s my day off; I don�t have to be anywhere.�
�I do,� Nick quipped, deciding it wasn�t worth commenting on the rest. Once he thought of it, he really should have known that most of his family would know he�d told his dad by now. �I happen to be headin� back from lunch.�
�Good, then you�re still off the clock,� Jennie responded cheerfully. �So, how did it go? What did dad say? What did you say?�
�I�m not givin� you a blow by blow, Jennie.� Nick rolled his eyes as he heard his sister snicker while he hopped into his truck. �I told him I�m bi, he told me we�re alright but he needs some time to reckon with it. He also knows about Greg.�
�Yeah, weirdly enough, mom told Jules that hearin� you talk about Greg made it all easier for dad to accept.� Before Nick could question that, or even really begin to ponder it, Jennie continued speaking excitedly. �So I�m sending Greg an invitation to my wedding! I�m gonna overnight it, so he should have enough time to get a few days off. Do you think-�
Nick had been about to start his truck when his sister starting talking, but he ignored the keys hanging in the ignition now. The brawny Texan doubted he wanted to have this conversation while driving, and he wasn�t due back at the lab yet. He had a hard enough time keeping up with an excited Jennie when her latest plot didn�t involve outing him to their entire family at a wedding.
�Whoa, whoa, hold up a minute Jen. I don�t think dad�s gonna be ready to meet Greg by then, let alone have him at a family event�and you and I both know our grandparents aren�t gonna take that well. I�m not lookin� to start that kind of drama. Besides, the day�s supposed to be about you and Ed.�
�Our grandparents are going to put poor little Greg through the ringer no matter how they�re introduced to him. At least at a big event they might show some restraint�and if you�re with him, then the odds are he isn�t one to bawl in public and make a scene.� Nick had no idea how Jennie expected any of that to be reassuring, but he had no opportunity to ask because it seemed she was not finished. �And you�re right, it�s my day -and Ed�s, of course- and we want my baby brother to be there with someone who makes him happy.�
Jennie sighed heavily and the younger man knew his sister was rolling her eyes at him. �Just promise you won�t be a jerk or anything and discourage Greg from comin� if he can, okay?�
Scowling at his windshield, Nick answered his sister as honestly and concisely as he could. �Jennie, I�m not sure how to react to all of this, okay? Why don�t you forget about sendin� Greg an invite and if I decide I�m willin� to try this insanity, I�ll bring him as a guest.�
�Because you�ll take too long to decide and even then, you�ll probably chicken out if you don�t have to face Greg and tell him you don�t want to bring him,� Jennie answered immediately, sounding frustrated. The thought of actually having to tell Greg that he did not want to bring him to meet his family stunned Nick long enough for her to continue before he could react. �Besides, I want to make sure Greg knows that we want him there, otherwise he�d never even consider tellin� you if he wants to come.�
Jennie�s tone was slightly less frustrated and gained a hopeful edge as she added, �And hey, when else is he gonna have the opportunity to meet the whole family in one shot when they have to be at least a little hospitable?�
�Calling Greg any number of hateful terms and walkin� out on your weddin� in a huff isn�t what I�d consider hospitable, Jennie,� Nick countered, his tone growing angry. �And we both know that�s the best we can hope for if we try this. I�m not puttin� you, Ed, or Greg through that. So I�m sorry, but the answer is �no�; we�re not doing this.�
�If they walk out on my wedding, then its their loss, Nick, not mine,� Jennie answered resolutely. �Grandma Beatrice won�t let Grandpa Bud make a scene -it wouldn�t be proper- and I promise you, Ed couldn�t care less if Grandma and Grandpa Stokes weren�t there. He�s only nice to them for me and because of their standin��he thinks they�re too old-fashioned.�
Nick snorted, �That�s an understatement.� The Texan sighed in aggravation. �Jennie, I mean it. Dad isn�t comfortable with the idea yet; mom�s bein� supportive, but that�s not the same as havin� him wreck her daughter�s wedding; and Beth hasn�t talked to me since she heard the news. Anyway, we haven�t even been datin� a week yet�it�s too soon to meet the family.�
�Nick, you�ve known him -and cared about him- for years. Everyone else in the family wants to meet him or will be happy to once they find out who he is. Do you think me, Will, Jules, Ronnie, RJ and all of their families would rather have a quiet wedding than have you there with someone you care about? Can you actually imagine any of our aunts or uncles turning away someone who makes their little Nicky so happy?�
Jennie actually had Nick wondering if the situation would not be as bad as he feared. Unfortunately, she did not stop there. �Even if someone does say something to Greg, it�s not like they�re gonna beat him at my wedding, Nick, and I cannot believe that he�s sensitive enough to be scared off by some cruel comments. I�m inviting Greg and that�s that.�
Nick�s brows narrowed; he never took well to being pressured or commanded. �No that�s not that, damn it. You need me to get the invitation to Greg and I don�t think it�s a good idea. This just isn�t gonna happen, Jennie.�
His sister sounded uncharacteristically harsh when she answered. �Do I have to remind you that I work in a crime lab too, baby brother?�
Nick�s eyes narrowed further. �You�re a ballistics technician, Jennie, and other labs� employee records aren�t open to just anyone. Just drop it, okay?�
�I know people, Nick; remember, I�ve been doing this longer than you have. I already have Greg�s home address.� Nick was simultaneously angered and frightened by Jennie�s words. It should not have been so easy to locate the youth with the information she had, and she should have known better than to go behind Nick�s back to contact his boyfriend.
Jennie�s voice interrupted his thoughts again. She sounded calmer now. �Are you honestly going to tell me that you don�t want to bring Greg? Because if you can, then I won�t bother�otherwise, he�s gettin� invited.�
Nick�s jaw clenched. In truth, he wanted to bring Greg back to his family home, show the quirky blonde where he grew up, introduce the youth to his family. He knew it was not that simple though; Greg would stand out in Texas like blood spatter on white walls, he would not be welcomed with open arms. It was one thing for Nick�s brothers and sisters to accept his sexuality�it was quite another for him to expect the rest of his friends and family back home to react to such a shock with the kind of grace Jennie expected.
�It�s not that easy,� Nick replied with a sigh. His phone indicated he had received a message and considering the time, the Texan knew it was the lab. Nick�s voice hardened when he spoke again. �I have to go back to work now; we�ll talk later. Don�t make this any harder than it already is, Jennie.�
�Don�t screw up a good thing just because you�re scared, Nick,� his sister replied levelly. �You can�t please everyone.�
The brawny man gripped the steering wheel tighter than was necessary. �Bye, Jennie.�
�Bye, Nick; I love you.�
The Texan sighed, �I love you too.� With that, he ended the call and started his truck. As he drove out of the lot, he checked his messages and saw that Archie had paged him while he was talking to Jennie. He tried to turn his thoughts back to work as he drove to the crime lab.
Once he returned to the lab, Nick stopped by the A/V division to hear what Archie had found. The A/V technician was smirking when he arrived. Nick wondered if the expression was due to some lab rat shenanigans, his current case, or if he had been a little obvious about checking Greg out as he passed the DNA lab.
�Man, you missed the show.� Archie explained when he noticed the curious yet cautious expression the CSI was gracing him. �I�m not sure exactly what happened, but it was pretty clear that Warrick was laying into Vincent. About time someone put that smug bastard in his place�now we just need someone to call Hodges on his ass kissing and we should be set around here.�
Nick snorted, �Yeah, good luck with that one.� He stood beside the tech�s chair and looked at the monitor ahead, which was paused on a scene that appeared to take place in a crowded, low-end casino. �Did you find anything worthwhile on the surveillance footage?�
Archie rolled his eyes. �Unlike certain lab rats, I don�t relish in your presence enough to page you here when a simple page will suffice.� The younger man began typing as he added, �I don�t know how much you�re going to like what I have though.�
The brawny CSI frowned at that, and the A/V tech explained as he started the paused footage. �Your suspect�s alibi checks out. He wasn�t on camera during the time of the burglary, but he comes back way too soon to have gotten to your crime scene and back.�
Sure enough, as Nick watched, he saw the footage speed up; the time showed that their suspect remained in the casino until just two minutes prior to the time their victims� alarm indicated the event had started. Less than ten minutes later, the suspect returned on film. He remained in the casino for the next two hours.
�Yeah, there�s no way he could have done it,� Nick admitted grudgingly. He thought for a moment before adding, �But that doesn�t prove he wasn�t involved. I�ll go see what Warrick got from Vincent. Thanks, Archie.�
The A/V tech offered the CSI a smile and a nod as he called out a quick �later� while pulling up some phone records for another case he was working. Nick halted before leaving as he recalled his earlier conversation with Warrick. He turned to look at the A/V tech again. �Oh, one more thing�can you recommend a good online translator?�
�For languages...?� When the Texan nodded, Archie pulled up a site on another monitor in the lab, one facing away from the glass walls. �Here you go. This one is usually a little better at grammatical conversions than most. What languages do you need to translate to and from?�
Nick hesitated; he was not that close to Archie, however, he knew Greg and Archie were friends. He also considered that Archie, Andrews, and Hodges all had probably guessed what was going on between them anyway. In any case, the Texan wanted Greg to be able to talk to his friends about them the way he had been able to talk to Warrick and his siblings.
�English to Norwegian,� he responded confidently, and ignored the grin that crept onto the tech�s face as he selected the languages on the site.
Nick leaned forward and typed in what Greg murmured before falling asleep the previous night and while assuring him after he called his father. There were no exact matches, but the site suggested an alternate spelling for the first two words. Once he selected the correct words, the site was able to translate jeg elsker deg into English.
Nick was somewhat shocked to read the words, �I love you� on the screen. Somehow, he knew he should not be; Greg had showed what he was obviously afraid to say aloud in countess looks and actions. The Texan glanced at Archie and saw the younger man smiling genuinely.
Nick returned the smile. �I hate to ask, but please don�t tell anyone about this.� At the A/V tech�s sudden frown, the brawny CSI hastened to explain. �Look, aside from general discrimination and issues that might pop up, law enforcement is still a �don�t ask, don�t tell� profession. I don�t want to make this job any harder than it already is for either of us. Besides, with the lab�s policies�I don�t want Greg to have to choose between me and his dreams of gettin� out in the field.�
Archie�s smile slowly returned, with an oddly relieved tint. �In that case, I won�t tell anyone.� The Texan nodded as he understood; while Archie wasn�t as vocal as Jacqui or Bobby, he was just as concerned for his friend�s well being.
�He�d pick you, if it came to it,� The A/V tech suddenly stated confidently. �You know that, right?�
�Of course,� Nick answered honestly. �That�s why I don�t want to put him in that position�I don�t wanna do that to him.� With that, the brawny man realized that he would need to call his father sooner than he expected.
Greg was not the only one in their relationship who had been speaking without words.
Nick exited the A/V lab quietly, still deep in thought. He found Warrick looking over a file in the break room a moment later and forced himself to concentrate on their case.
Warrick saw the sable-eyed man enter the room and only nodded a greeting before he started filling Nick in on their trace results, �The black threads were a nylon-cotton blend. The dye used indicates they came from a pair of black BDUs, but that isn�t the only possibility, just the most likely. The weird white thing that looked like a really thick hair was a cat whisker, probably shed naturally. The yellow stuff on the walls and the purple �fibers� were biological; Vincent kicked them over to Greg.�
Warrick frowned and leaned back in his chair, but his gaze held Nick�s and it belied his casual posture. �I don�t know what that guy has against Greggo, man, but I wouldn�t expect him to pass any chance to knock the kid down. After your reaction to him earlier and the warning I just gave him, I suspect he�ll be more cautious about who he shoots his mouth off to, but I don�t trust him any further than I can throw him�and Sanders can�t even pick him up.�
Nick had been standing with his arms crossed and his eyes tight as he listened; now, he sat down across from his friend. �Greg doesn�t trust him either.�
I know,� Warrick answered, watching Nick curiously. �He said as much in the diner the other day.� The green-eyed man frowned thoughtfully at Nick before asking, �What�s got you so distracted all of a sudden?�
Nick glanced about, making sure there wasn�t anyone else around before pointedly stating, �It isn�t work related.� Warrick nodded and Nick just wanted to unload on his friend, but he knew he should probably be discreet. �My sister wants to invite him to her wedding�she�s pretty adamant about it, actually.�
Warrick�s face scrunched slightly, �She some sort of optimist or does she like starting shit?�
The Texan frowned slightly, �Neither really. She just thinks the ones who matter won�t care and the ones who�ll have a problem with aren�t worth missin� if they decide to bail. She figures they won�t make a scene at her wedding, which is probably true, but that doesn�t mean they won�t make their opinions known�loud and clear.�
�That�s a tough situation,� Warrick commented with an understanding expression. Nick was relieved to hear his friend say that after Jennie�s reaction. His relief must have shown, because Warrick smirked slightly and shook his head at his friend once again�Nick had grown far too accustomed to being on the receiving end of that look.
�You know he�ll understand your reasons for thinking he should sit this one out.� Green eyed glanced toward the hall before Warrick continued, looking as laidback as ever, despite the seriousness of his tone. �Sanders might be a little�innocent, but he�s not stupid and he knows what life�s about. He knows this isn�t an easy situation, no matter what your sister thinks.�
�He loves me.� The words were out of Nick�s mouth before he could stop himself. He sighed heavily, noting the complete lack of surprise on Warrick�s face.
Nick lowered his voice despite the lack of people nearby. No one who passed the room so much as glanced at the two CSIs. �That�s what he�s been doin� with the Norwegian; lettin� me know how much he loves me�and now I have to tell him that I don�t want him to come to my sister�s wedding, even though she and most of my other siblings want him there. I�m a jackass.�
Warrick laughed quietly. �Man, even I can tell you love the idea of taking him home to meet the folks. You�re just playing it careful and we both know he won�t blame you for that. If your brothers and sisters want to meet him, they can come out here where it isn�t going to start a small riot. Even ignoring the boy toy aspect, I can�t imagine Greggo in Texas.�
Nick had to smile at that. �I don�t know, I think G�s the type of guy who can make friends everywhere and find something to enjoy anywhere.� Nick relaxed as his friend nodded; they were both right. Greg was smart, understanding, and easygoing -and he had shown remarkable patience with Nick so far. �I guess I�m worryin� over nothing, aren�t I?�
�I�d say so,� Warrick replied with a small smile. �Don�t worry about it, man, Greg knew you weren�t the brightest when he gave in.�
It was Nick�s turn to smirk at his friend. �I�m bright enough to land me someone even <i>you</i> called a catch,� he stated smugly. �How�d your last few dates turn out again?�
�Oh, you�re asking for it now-� Before Warrick could complete was likely to be an interesting if good-natured threat, he received a page. �You owe Jacqui, man; she just saved your ass.�
Nick chuckled to himself as Warrick headed out of the room. He stood and headed out afterwards; deciding that we would get started on identifying the shoeprints Warrick had collected at the scene.
...And maybe he would stop in on DNA�just to see that everything was coming along well.
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