Still Love Me
Aug. 14th, 2006 11:30 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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nickngregFinal Chapter.
Warning: CHARACTER DEATH
PG13
A/N: I'm so sorry, but I really want to thank everyone that has stuck with the story. This was the hardest thing that I have ever had to write.
“You ready to go buddy?” Nick asked as helped the little five-year-old into his new backpack.
“Yep,” Tyler replied as he wiggled his arms into the straps.
“It’s a big day… are you sure you’re ready?”
“Daddy!” Tyler whined as he nervously eyed the other children hustling around the busy schoolhouse.
“Give me your hand,” Nick commanded as they started to cross the street with the other parents and children. Nick spotted Tyler’s new teacher, Ms. Breky, who was already starting to gather a small group of kindergartners around her.
“Mr. Stokes!” she called out to him and waved.
Nick walked to her and put out his hands. “Nice to see you again,” he said politely. The once brave Tyler was now clinging to his leg.
Ms. Breky squatted down to eye level with the brown-eyed blonde. “You must be Tyler Sanders. I’m Ms. Breky – I’m your new teacher. Do you want to come in and play with the other children? We’re going to be playing with finger paints today,” she said kindly, motioning to the other children. There were a pair playing with action figures just like the one Tyler had in his backpack. Tyler looked to his dad.
“Go on, buddy. Have fun.”
Tyler gave Nick one last squeeze before running over to the other children. Nick thanked Ms. Breky and promised to be back at the appointed time. Walking back to the car, he thought about just how much little Tyler looked like Greg.
Nick got back into the truck and steered it toward the work.
….
He waited nervously at the fax machine, waiting for conformation from Arizona. It had taken nearly two years, but the lawyers promised him that today would be the day the verdict would finally be passed down on the drunk driver that had killed Greg and nearly taken Tyler as well.
He sat down and put his face in his hands. He knew it had to be guilty – there was no other way. The guy had been at twice the legal limit, he had a prior DUI on his record, and he had killed someone and put a small child into a coma for a month.
Waiting for the fax, he remembered that fateful night; Greg’s last words to him – the sound of the accident – the dial tone when the phone went dead. There was the helicopter that took him to the hospital in Arizona, only to get there just in time to see the last beat of Greg’s heart, to hold his hand as Greg took his last breath – being with him as he bled out internally.
And then somehow gathering the strength to make the decisions as power of attorney for Greg and the executor of his estate. When Megan disappeared, leaving nothing more than the legal documents for her comatose son, Nick had to come together and take care of him.
Six months after Greg had died – and 5 months after Tyler finally struggled his way out of the coma the doctors thought would claim his young life, Nick became Tyler’s legal guardian.
Watching the fax with tears in his eyes, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see the nightshift team that he had left in order to take better care of Tyler. Catherine removed her hand and took the seat next to Nick.
“Today’s the day, isn’t it?” she asked gently. The other members of the team silently filled the room.
“Yeah,” he responded softly.
“He’ll get life.”
“I know. Doesn’t change the fact that Greg’s dead,” he said with a tear sliding down his face. It was the first tear that he had cried since the funeral – the same day that he finally told his coworkers that he and Greg had been partners. Catherine had held him that day until the shaking finally stopped.
Greg’s parents had understood – they had known about Nick from the beginning. They had thanked him for being the beacon in Greg’s life – making it happy, if only for a moment. They were an active part of Tyler’s life, which helped Nick immensely.
He didn’t want to break down in front of the team again, but he felt it welling inside him when the fax beeped that a transmission was imminent. He closed his eyes.
“Nick?” he heard Grissom call to him, and then felt the presence of his former boss move in closer. “Life in prison,” he said softly.
Nick released the breath that he didn’t even know he had been holding. It wasn’t going to bring Greg back, but at least someone would be punished. He wept in Catherine’s arms, as the team shared in his pain and tears.
….
They had sent him home early. It was just too much for him to deal with. Nick waited outside for Tyler and listened for the school bells. Then Tyler came screeching from the building, with just as much energy as Greg, and being chased by a gaggle of small girls. He screamed and jumped into Nick’s arms.
“Daddy! They were going to give me cooties!” he screamed.
“Tyler, shhhh. I’m two inches from your face. What did we say about yelling?”
“Not to,” he said sullenly, with the pouty mouth just like Greg’s. Nick sighed and placed Tyler on the ground.
“Honey, daddy needs to make a special visit today, and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me,” he said with tears in his eyes.
“To see Papa?” Tyler asked, touching Nick’s face.
“Yeah, baby. To see Papa.”
“Can we bring Papa flowers?” the little boy asked, toeing a rock with his shoe.
“Of course,” Nick sighed, stood up, and wiped the tears from his eyes. “Hand,” he said reaching out for Tyler as they crossed the street.
….
Placing flowers on the grave, Tyler reached over and hugged the headstone.
Greg Sanders
Loving Partner and Father
May 5, 1975 – April 22, 2006
RIP
Warning: CHARACTER DEATH
PG13
A/N: I'm so sorry, but I really want to thank everyone that has stuck with the story. This was the hardest thing that I have ever had to write.
“You ready to go buddy?” Nick asked as helped the little five-year-old into his new backpack.
“Yep,” Tyler replied as he wiggled his arms into the straps.
“It’s a big day… are you sure you’re ready?”
“Daddy!” Tyler whined as he nervously eyed the other children hustling around the busy schoolhouse.
“Give me your hand,” Nick commanded as they started to cross the street with the other parents and children. Nick spotted Tyler’s new teacher, Ms. Breky, who was already starting to gather a small group of kindergartners around her.
“Mr. Stokes!” she called out to him and waved.
Nick walked to her and put out his hands. “Nice to see you again,” he said politely. The once brave Tyler was now clinging to his leg.
Ms. Breky squatted down to eye level with the brown-eyed blonde. “You must be Tyler Sanders. I’m Ms. Breky – I’m your new teacher. Do you want to come in and play with the other children? We’re going to be playing with finger paints today,” she said kindly, motioning to the other children. There were a pair playing with action figures just like the one Tyler had in his backpack. Tyler looked to his dad.
“Go on, buddy. Have fun.”
Tyler gave Nick one last squeeze before running over to the other children. Nick thanked Ms. Breky and promised to be back at the appointed time. Walking back to the car, he thought about just how much little Tyler looked like Greg.
Nick got back into the truck and steered it toward the work.
….
He waited nervously at the fax machine, waiting for conformation from Arizona. It had taken nearly two years, but the lawyers promised him that today would be the day the verdict would finally be passed down on the drunk driver that had killed Greg and nearly taken Tyler as well.
He sat down and put his face in his hands. He knew it had to be guilty – there was no other way. The guy had been at twice the legal limit, he had a prior DUI on his record, and he had killed someone and put a small child into a coma for a month.
Waiting for the fax, he remembered that fateful night; Greg’s last words to him – the sound of the accident – the dial tone when the phone went dead. There was the helicopter that took him to the hospital in Arizona, only to get there just in time to see the last beat of Greg’s heart, to hold his hand as Greg took his last breath – being with him as he bled out internally.
And then somehow gathering the strength to make the decisions as power of attorney for Greg and the executor of his estate. When Megan disappeared, leaving nothing more than the legal documents for her comatose son, Nick had to come together and take care of him.
Six months after Greg had died – and 5 months after Tyler finally struggled his way out of the coma the doctors thought would claim his young life, Nick became Tyler’s legal guardian.
Watching the fax with tears in his eyes, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see the nightshift team that he had left in order to take better care of Tyler. Catherine removed her hand and took the seat next to Nick.
“Today’s the day, isn’t it?” she asked gently. The other members of the team silently filled the room.
“Yeah,” he responded softly.
“He’ll get life.”
“I know. Doesn’t change the fact that Greg’s dead,” he said with a tear sliding down his face. It was the first tear that he had cried since the funeral – the same day that he finally told his coworkers that he and Greg had been partners. Catherine had held him that day until the shaking finally stopped.
Greg’s parents had understood – they had known about Nick from the beginning. They had thanked him for being the beacon in Greg’s life – making it happy, if only for a moment. They were an active part of Tyler’s life, which helped Nick immensely.
He didn’t want to break down in front of the team again, but he felt it welling inside him when the fax beeped that a transmission was imminent. He closed his eyes.
“Nick?” he heard Grissom call to him, and then felt the presence of his former boss move in closer. “Life in prison,” he said softly.
Nick released the breath that he didn’t even know he had been holding. It wasn’t going to bring Greg back, but at least someone would be punished. He wept in Catherine’s arms, as the team shared in his pain and tears.
….
They had sent him home early. It was just too much for him to deal with. Nick waited outside for Tyler and listened for the school bells. Then Tyler came screeching from the building, with just as much energy as Greg, and being chased by a gaggle of small girls. He screamed and jumped into Nick’s arms.
“Daddy! They were going to give me cooties!” he screamed.
“Tyler, shhhh. I’m two inches from your face. What did we say about yelling?”
“Not to,” he said sullenly, with the pouty mouth just like Greg’s. Nick sighed and placed Tyler on the ground.
“Honey, daddy needs to make a special visit today, and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me,” he said with tears in his eyes.
“To see Papa?” Tyler asked, touching Nick’s face.
“Yeah, baby. To see Papa.”
“Can we bring Papa flowers?” the little boy asked, toeing a rock with his shoe.
“Of course,” Nick sighed, stood up, and wiped the tears from his eyes. “Hand,” he said reaching out for Tyler as they crossed the street.
….
Placing flowers on the grave, Tyler reached over and hugged the headstone.
Greg Sanders
Loving Partner and Father
May 5, 1975 – April 22, 2006
RIP
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