Note: Believe that this takes place between seasons seven and eight. Without info from the season 7 finale...considering that at the time this is written, there's still two episodes to go (sob) and I, uh, haven't seen it. I'm not really sure of how many people begin talking about children before they're even married, but my own parents had my oldest sister before they were married (same case with my grandparents). Granted, my parents are split up. But hey, there's hope for these two yet; my grandparents are still happily married:D Anyway, before I tell you my entire life story, just wasn't too sure of how out of reality that subject is. Though, five years...Enough for children? I know they should technically already be married, considering the odds or whatever, but...you know, the whole gay marriage thing being a problem, and also Greg's pay cut and not being able to afford to head out to Fransisco to see his parents, it's not like they could really head out to Canada, and...I'm babbling. Anyway, point being, Nick, Greg, marriage, kids (equals) the whole package. The ending is an ending, though...I'm thinking of doing another piece for it...Enough babbling, read on.

The case had been a horrible one. Not only because it had been the first case that Nick and Greg had ever worked on alone, completely alone, just the two of them. Not because they had kept bumping into each other, not used to having the other with them on a crime scene. But because of what had happened.

Two AM. There was a call on a hate crime, one person dead, the other seriously injured. Being that Nick and Greg were the only two still left without a case, they were set to work, processing a guy who had been killed only because he was in love with another man. Nick, sensing that the case was ruffling Greg's feathers in a horrible way, gave him a comforting smile and said that nothing like this would ever happen to them.

Evidence led to a Malcolm Warner, who had immediately given up, laughing manically when brought in for interrogation and accused of killing the couple. He told them why he had done it, and an excruciatingly detailed walkthrough of how he had killed them, though the CSIs already knew that. But nothing was like seeing a mutilated body in your mind, even if you had seen one - in their case, more than one - in real life...

"Malcolm, you've already said that you didn't like homosexuals, didn't you?" Grissom said softly, calmly. Nick felt the sudden need to punch the suspects lights out, as well as hit Grissom. How could he possibly be so calm around this guy?

"What of it?"

"We found evidence of you downtown, where the couple was killed," Greg gave him results from the skin samples underneath the live victim's fingernails. "Found your DNA under the victim's fingernails. How are you going to weasel your way out of that one?"

Malcolm laughed, loudly, jolting Nick, Greg, and Brass. Grissom seemed unphased, almost like he had been expecting it. "So you caught me. I killed 'em. So, you CSIs like the who as much as the how and why, right? I'll tell you why first, it's less complicated. They were fags. I. Hate. Fags. They're unnatural, unclean. Abominations," Nick shifted, glancing at Greg, knowing that Malcolm would catch on. He clenched his jaw, keeping thoughts of murdering this guy as far from his line of action as he could. The one thing that would push this entire case over the edge would be Nick killing this guy in front of his lover and his supervisor. "I killed them. How? Well, I'm sure by now that you know most of the neighborhood..."

Nick blocked him out and stared at him, wondering why Grissom was still letting him speak, but realizing it as soon as he wondered. Grissom enjoyed the hows, though he knew that this was a little much. Brass suddenly stepped in.

"You know, Warner, it's great that you're running your own personal KKK, here, but these guys have got other cases to run, so, let's just book you and go, alright?" he gave a pleading look to the three CSIs, who nodded. Brass, realizing Malcolm wasn't completely finished, sighed and raised his hands in defeat.

Malcolm turned his gaze to Nick and Greg. "Don't think you're lucky. You're next. You'll get what all faggots get. The same death that punk got," Greg resisted giving a glance to Nick, hoping that Malcolm wouldn't get to the Texan.

Instead of letting it bother him, Greg flashed a grin and nodded his head at Brass. "It's a shame you won't be able to do it yourself, considering you'll be in prison for murder for the next twenty five plus years," at Malcolm's dropped jaw, the blond continued, smile replaced with a solemn expression. "Karma sucks. Doesn't it."

And he was being hauled away, Grissom picking the file up and leaving the room, Nick and Greg the only two left. Refusing to meet Nick's gaze, he began pushing chairs in and picked up the murderers coffee from the table. "Greg..." came his lover's voice, soft, knowing that the man had gotten to him.

He gave in as one of Nick's hands touched his shoulder, and turned to look at him, wishing to fall into his arms and cry, but then the team would know and then...who knows what would happen? "Jesus, Nick...he's right. We can't keep doing this, we'll...it'll happen to us. Or one of us. Even if it's not a hate crime, the both of us have had brushes with death so many times..."

"Shh..." Nick grabbed the younger man's chin and pulled it up to meet his gaze. "You think if we were supposed to die, we'd be given so many close calls?" Greg shook his head, unwilling to let the sobs and tears come from his body; he was already the pegged as the "wuss" of the team because of his age and everything that had happened, though he had gained points for the Demetrius James thing..."And if we weren't supposed to be together, something would've come up by now, G,"

Greg nodded again, a feeling of emptiness replacing Nick's hand. He felt like he should be able to just sink to the floor and let Nick soothe him back into composure, without anyone noticing. They'd kept their relationship a secret for five years, throwing in fake dates to please their ever interrogating friends, telling them that they'd find the right person when the time was right. Greg finally gave in after two years, after him and Nick had moved in together, that there was someone, really, and that they were living together. The team wanted to meet the lucky girl, but Greg knew that if they did, Nick would skyrocket back to Texas as an attempt to keep his pride and dignity and he'd never hear from him again.

He realized that Nick had been silent for the entire time he was remembering. "Come on," Nick said, seeing Greg focus back on him. "Back to work. There's a case that may be related to this one..." the younger staggered from the room awkwardly, Nick wishing that he could help his lover, though he knew he could do nothing.

---

"Nick! Greg!" Catherine ran up to them after shift, holding a tape player in her hand. "Archie made a copy of this, said you guys might want to listen to it," she handed the player to Nick, who was holding the door open, trying to help Greg into his car, seeing as he knew Greg wouldn't be able to drive home alone. He took the player with a sigh.

"This better be good, Catherine..." he muttered, turning the volume up high enough for Greg to hear and pressing the play button.

"Malcolm!" Nick recognized Grissom's voice, which sounded a little more raspy over a tape. "What you said back there...about my CSIs..."

There was the sound of someone laughing and Nick could only assume it was Malcolm. "Are you telling me you haven't noticed it? I've been in this business for two months, and I already know when there's attraction or a relationship. You're one of those CSIs. Shouldn't you notice before anyone else?" pause. "Look, they're always touching. Invading personal space. Seeking the other one out when another CSI is right next to them. I didn't get to see them interact in the lab very much, but I'm sure it's just as much touching if not more. They're faggots. They're in love. It's so obvious, and they deserve to die," there was a hollow laugh from Malcolm and a cough. "Jesus Christ...listen to me, telling a CSI that two of his employees are screwing each other. Want me to analyze the relationship between you and--,"

The tape cut off. Nick was staring at the player, afraid to move. Greg, however, had a different plan, and groaned.

"Goddammit..." he moaned, laughing sarcastically. "Are you kidding me?" Nick glanced up at Catherine, who had her arms crossed. Greg's babbling continued on as background noise as Catherine met his gaze.

"Was Malcolm right?" she asked, eyes soft. Nick turned to Greg, who was now quiet and glared at the tape player.

"We may as well tell her the story, Nick, she pretty much knows now anyway," he snorted, letting Nick tell the blonde still standing outside of his car. Nick handed the player back to her and sighed, admitting defeat.

"How long?" Catherine asked, her head now tilted to the side.

"Five years," Nick said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. He hadn't expected this to be so impromptu; Greg was planning out something magical to let the team know, waiting until he was a level two in order for it to be more accepted.

"Five years? Jesus, why didn't you tell us?"

"We didn't know what you'd take of it," Greg said, leaning over the seat and engaging in the conversation, afraid Nick might freeze, might deny anything was happening. It hadn't happened yet, but when Greg brought him home to Fransisco to meet his parents, he froze whenever a question was pointed at him about his relationship with Greg. Or about his job, for that matter. Texas wasn't necessarily a good subject either.

However, Nick had gotten better the more he saw Greg's parents and the more he became comfortable with him and their relationship.

Catherine just stared at them, mouth open, looking back and forth to one another with a new light. "That's...that's what the flirting was!"

Nick, now landing back in reality, shook his head and gave her a look. "What?"

Catherine, giddy but unwilling to show too much of it, laughed. "You guys were flirting! For a reason! I knew it!" Greg glanced at Nick, who then leaned against his vehicle, confused. "Greg stopped flirting with everyone, but you seemed to still be pretty close to Nick. Which led someone in the lab to believe you were interested, which brought me to thinking that you were already dating,"

Nick crossed his arms and glared at his coworker. "You guys were betting on us?" he asked, voice stern. Catherine didn't even cringe, still giddy with excitement.

"Oh, this is wonderful! Are you guys going to get married?" Marriage. Nick didn't dare look at Greg, who he knew was probably very interested with the ripped part of the seat. In all honesty, they hadn't even discussed marriage. Mostly because the US didn't allow it and they couldn't afford to go to Canada or...anywhere else, for that matter. They couldn't even afford to go to California anymore; it'd be a cold day in hell before they could go to another country to get married.

Catherine now sensed the awkward tension after her sentence and coughed. "Sorry. Shouldn't've asked," she turned the direction of the conversation. "Are you going to tell the rest of the team?"

Nick, frozen once again, let Greg answer. "I dunno. Guess it doesn't matter anymore, I mean, you know now...you'll probably tell Warrick, who'll tell Grissom, who'll tell Sara, and Doc Robbins'll overhear, who'll tell David, who'll tell Bobby, who'll tell Wendy, who'll tell Mandy, who'll tell Henry, who'll tell Archie, and then it'll get around to the glory whore and he'll throw it back in our faces," Greg, though he had a little bit of respect for Hodges, couldn't help but speak with a little bitterness. He was a smartass, after all.

Catherine held up her hands. "Alright, alright, I won't tell Warrick," Greg noticed the twinkle in her eyes and pointed a finger.

"Don't think you'll get away with that, missy. You're not to tell a soul. Not even Lindsey," Greg raised an eyebrow at his coworker, who sighed.

"Alright, kid. I won't tell anyone. You better get Greg home, Nick, he looks like he's going to pass out any minute," Nick nodded, once, as Catherine turned her back and went back to the crime lab. Nick was silent as he slid in next to Greg, still stuck on marriage. Was it too early to say anything? Would Greg freak out? Was Greg even ready? Nick was sure of where he stood, sure that he wanted to at least acknowledge to others they were lovers, somehow, but marriage...was that out of the question?

Nick thought so.

They were halfway home when Greg's voice cut through the silence. "Just so you know, Nick, I'm...not expecting anything,"

His comment brought Nick from his thoughts of marriage and how crappy of a wedding it would be if they even made it to Canada. "What?"

"I'm not expecting a ring or anything," he repeated. Nick glanced at him before turning back to the road, gripping the steering wheel harder. Was Greg just doing this all for the sex? Just messing with Nick to make things harder for him when he finally did ask the question?

"So you don't want a ring, then? Just in it for the good times, huh?" he couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth, automatically regretting it. He saw Greg staring at him, that look on his face.

"Yeah. Yeah. You bet. I'm in it for the good times..." he laughed and shook his head. "Just not in the same way you think."

"What am I supposed to be thinking, then?"

"I'm in for the good times, yeah...the good times with you," his comment made Nick feel like a jackass, but really, hearing Greg say he wasn't expecting a ring kind of drove him overboard. Nick, though he was kissing, living with, and making love with another man, was still old fashioned and believed one should settle down and get married.

But Greg was still young. Younger than him, at least. It was no wonder that Greg wanted to wait a while before marriage and children...

Nick shook his head. Wait, children? When had they come into the picture? He pinched his nose as he stopped for a light and sighed. Children. With Greg. Nick hated how the sound of that, the image that was projected into his mind, made him feel. That jittery feeling in his stomach, that 'I can't wait to make a family with him' coming to mind.

Greg coughed, reminding Nick of his presence. "I'm not saying that I never want to get married."

"I never said th--,"

"But you were thinking it. So shut up and let me explain," when Nick opened his eyes to glare, Greg sent one back and gave him a stern look. "I'm not saying that I don't ever want to get married. I just don't want you to feel, you know...pressured. To do anything you don't want to do. I don't want to push you too fast, because I know this is your first experience with a guy..." Nick heard him shift, felt his own muscles tense as Greg referred to this time as Nick's first experience with homosexuality. Not that it wasn't, because it was, and not that he didn't enjoy it, because he did. Just that it made him feel inexperienced, especially when Greg knew that. "And I just don't want you to do anything you regret..." he finished, feeling the blush warm his face.

Nick sat silently, nodding his head to let his lover know he understood. He didn't dare bring up anything else in the car (children. Grandchildren. I love you and want to make a family with you) afraid that it would be much more awkward than it had been.

---

Noon. Nick should be sleeping. Instead, he's outside their bedroom, sitting on the couch and listening to the daytime noises going on around him. He knew Greg was sleeping, afraid to go in and wake him up, but he needed to see him...wasn't ready to sleep, but needed to see him. Sleeping. Hopefully peaceful sleeping.

He creeped to the door, opening it softly, feeling breath catch in his throat as he saw Greg laying on his back, light from the cracks in the door to the bathroom landing on him. Nick leaned against the door frame, smile crawling onto his face. He was...Greg was everything. Nick shifted his weight onto his other foot as he stared in, watching his lover, recalling the day.

Yes, he wanted Greg. It had taken him two years to finally get him hooked, but it had worked out for the best. Things went fast for the first two years of their relationsihp, Greg moving in with Nick at the end of that time period. Greg was what he'd always wanted, even through the years that it didn't seem like it.

Yes, he wanted to get married. He wanted that band on Greg's ring finger, announcing to the world that he was taken, that things had most definitely been tied together with someone. He wanted to tell the world quietly, just through that gesture, that Greg and he were married.

Yes, he was willing to tell the team entirely, without waiting. He wanted the world to know that he loved Greg, that nothing could stop that, and the team was an obvious first step. Well, second considering that Greg's parents already knew.

He was willing to risk everything with Greg. He didn't care if his parents didn't like Greg, or if his family wouldn't accept him, or if he'd lose his job over loving him. He only wanted Greg, and he was pretty sure that no matter what happened, things could work out.

And, yes. Yes, Nick wanted children. Yes, Nick wanted grandchildren. Yes, Nick wanted both. With Greg. He wanted a family. He wanted to be a picture perfect family, minus the mother. But, he figured if they ever needed help in that area, they could always ask Catherine. He was positive she'd be willing to help out.

Rustling from the bed brought Nick from his future. "Why're you staring at me?" came Greg's question, voice heavy with sleep. Nick smiled again, knowing that Greg didn't even open his eyes.

"Because you're beautiful when you sleep," Nick said, blush creeping onto his face.

"Romantic mush," he watched as Greg yawned and let out a sigh. "Why aren't you in here, next to me? You could at least be keeping me warm while you stare," Nick chuckled before moving to the bed and crawling next to his lover, circling his arms around him, pressing Greg's back to his chest and taking a deep breath of Greg's scent, laying a hand over Greg's. "What were you thinking about?"

"Things." Nick muttered, nuzzling Greg's neck.

Greg laughed lightly. "Thanks for the insight, Sherlock. What kind of things?" Nick was silent, lost in Greg's smell. "...Oh."

"Oh what?" Nick asked sleepily, pulling Greg closer.

"You were thinking about what Cath said, weren't you?" Nick nodded.

"So much more than that, G..." he kissed the blondes neck before laying his head next to Greg's.

"Yeah? Like what?"

"The whole package,"

"Not really a time to be talking about sex, Nicky. I'm trying to have an adult conversation,"

"See, you're leading me on. Telling me you want to have an adult conversation. If you want sex talk, G, just ask..." Greg hit Nick playfully, smirking as he did so.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah." Nick was silent. Should he bring it up? Greg was wondering what he'd been thinking anyway, should he just tell Greg what he wanted? he took a deep breath and went for it. "I, uh..." Nice way to start off, Stokes. "I...I want to, Greg,"

"Want to what? Have sex? Jesus, Nick, it's like, noon...can't we sleep?" Nick smiled and shook his head.

"Not what I meant, Greg. I meant that I want to..you know...do the family thing," Nick knew that his wording wasn't really working, coming from Greg's hitch in his breathing.

"You...want me to meet your family? I thought they were all homophobic and you didn't want them to know until it was unavoidable,"

"I want to marry you, Greg," he said, exasperated. Instead of getting the reaction he'd expected, he had a very confused Greg staring at him, now out of his arms.

"You want to marry me?"

"Yeah."

"Then do it properly at a different time, Mr. Hintsattheobviousalot. How stoked would my mother be if she ever found out you proposed to me at noon while I was falling asleep?" he shook his head, falling back into Nick's warm arms and sighing as Nick wrapped his arms around him again, the stiffness of his muscles telling the younger male that his lover wasn't quite finished with what he had to say.

"I, uh, know it might be a little early, but..." Greg felt Nick shift behind him and nudged him with his elbow, asking for more. "I want...I want kids with you."

Greg laughed hysterically, making the Texan think that he had made a fool of himself. "I'm flattered, Nick, but I don't think I'm ready to carry a child," his comment made Nick smile, pulling Greg closer and kissing his neck. "It'd ruin my figure," Nick let the comment slide.

He sighed, beginning to draw circles on Greg's stomach. "I'm serious, G...I want to have kids with you,"

"You know of an adoption agency that'll approve us?" came his quiet question. Nick wasn't sure if he was just trying to get out of it, or if he shared the thought, just wasn't optimistic. "We're a gay couple, Nicky. People don't exactly enjoy us adopting,"

"I know. Which is why..." Nick bit his lip, afraid to voice what his sister Carol had told him over the phone. He hadn't yet told Greg that Carol knew, nor that she had called to say she was pregnant. "My sister Carol's pregnant. She wants to put the baby up for adoption, her husband doesn't make enough money to support the two of them and a baby, and she doesn't want Mom to take care of the baby,"

"Homophobia a bad thing in your house?" Greg asked, stiffening. The thought of meeting Nick's parents scared him, considering the fact that he knew they weren't very accepting people, especially in the 'gay lovers looking for marriage and children' area. Nick had told him so.

"Yeah..." he kissed Greg's shoulder, trying to soothe him. Nick knew that he wasn't helping him much, bringing up his parents and a sister that wants to get rid of her baby. His lover now had suspicions that Nick and Carol were the least liked children out of the Stoke's family. "She didn't mention anything about us taking care of the baby...but..."

"You think she'd like that? Us taking care of them?" Nick nodded, happy Greg was finally coming down to earth. "I dunno, Nicky, I just..." Greg was silent, afraid to say anything yet unable to find anything to even say. "I don't know...If we do this all, get married and have kids, we'll...we'd have to...we'd have to tell the team,"

"I know." Nick smiled.

"Not just the team, Nicky. We'd have to tell your family," Greg's voice was quiet, reserved. "Are you ready for that?" Nick thought for a moment, weighing out every outcome. His parents could mask their disappointment. They could think nothing of it. They could help pay for the fly to Canada. They could...

They could hate him. Disown him completely. And so could his siblings. Greg squeezing his hand brought him back to the topic on mind. Nick's smile returned, realizing that he didn't need his family if he had Greg, because getting married would mean starting their own family together.

"Yeah. I am. I'm ready for anything,"

"Anything? Why?" Greg felt a grin spreading across his face, already knowing Nick's answer.

Nick hugged him tightly, closing his eyes. "Because of you."

Note: In all honesty, I started this story from the part where Malcolm tells Nick and Greg that they're next in line, that they'll get what the other guy got and yadda yadda yadda...Actually, upon finishing the story, I realized that I still hadn't gotten around to the beginning...which probably took much longer than the rest of the story. Enjoy?