Secrets of a Past Life (LV/NY Crossover)

racefh853629

racefh853629

Pathologist
This is something I started on a whim. It's set in New York, as will be obvious as the story goes along... haha. I don't own anyone or anything just yet... I'll explain later. I hope you guys enjoy the story. :)

*~*~*~*

Prologue

He felt it. Something deep inside of him told him there was a big problem, that one of his friends was in trouble. When his cell phone rang, and it was a number he didn’t recognize, he had a feeling something was really wrong. “Adam Ross,” he said nervously.

“Adam,” Greg said. Adam heard the smile in his old friend’s voice, and the feelings of there being something wrong went away.

“Hey, Greg. Get a new phone?”

“Yeah. The last one had an unfortunate accident with a bathtub crime scene.” Adam laughed at his friend’s story.

“I’m sorry to hear about that. They wouldn’t let you keep the old number?”

“Nah. Department issue phone. Number really doesn’t mean anything. Plus, it’s their punishment for me killing the old one.”

“Man, LVPD sucks.” Mac walked into the locker room, finding Adam sitting on the bench on his phone. He awkwardly smiled at his boss, who gave him a questioning look.

“LVPD?” he asked. Adam shrugged.

“One sec,” he said into the phone.

“Okay,” Greg replied. Adam covered the phone receiver and turned to Mac.

“My buddy Greg is a CSI for Vegas,” he explained. “His phone broke, so when they gave him a new one, he got a new number. So I didn’t recognize it when he called.” Mac nodded, not really saying anything.

“Okay,” he said.

“He’s been out in the field for a few years now.” Mac nodded, thinking.

“He’s the one that got into that accident, right? The one that became a media circus?”

“Yeah,” Adam said with a sigh.

“How’s he doing?”

“He sounds okay, but he’s got a lot going on right now.” Mac arched his eyebrows.

“Such as?”

“I’ll talk this over with you later.” Mac nodded.

“Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow, Adam,” he said, grabbing his coat out of his locker and walking out. Adam sighed away his nerves before putting the phone back up to his ear.

“Sorry,” he said. Greg laughed.

“Mac?” he asked.

“How’d you…?”

“You’re still nervous.” Adam shook his head, chuckling.

“Sorry. I just, thought he was gonna get on my case about being on the phone and everything.” Greg laughed.

“Mac’s not that mean.”

“You’ve never met him.”

“That’s a lie. I went to visit you out there a couple years ago and met him then.”

“Yeah, true. So, what’s up?”

“Not much. I just wanted to let you know that I’m heading out there soon.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I haven’t seen you in a few years. Miss you, man.”

“Yeah, I know. You haven’t called in a while. How you doin’?”

“Man, it’s been rough.” Adam sighed, leaning against his locker.

“What’s going on?”

“When did we last talk?”

“The Mini Killer was still around. I heard you guys solved that.”

“Yeah. She almost killed Sara, though.”

“That was the one you wanted to screw for about four years, right?” Greg snorted.

“You have such a way with words.” Adam chuckled.

“I know. I said it that way to get a reaction out of you. Okay, so, she’s okay though, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“What’s going on?”

“She left.” Adam frowned.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Look, we’ll talk more about this when I get out there. I kinda have to go. I’m about to head into work.” Adam looked at his watch.

“Dude, it’s only 5 where you live.”

“Yeah, but we’re tapped now that Sara’s gone. Grissom needs us to come in early.” Adam snorted.

“And he’ll let you fly cross-country for vacation?”

“Conference. Pre-approved vacation.” Adam nodded, even though Greg couldn’t see it.

“Fair enough,” he said. “When is that?”

“Next week,” Greg replied.

“Got a place to crash?”

“Actually, I do. My dad still owns that loft.”

“That works. Let me know when you get here. We’ll, uh, get a drink together or something.”

“That’d be awesome, man. Take it easy. I’ll see you soon.”

“Take care, Greg.” The two hung up, and Adam remained leaning against his locker. He felt the bad feeling creep back into his gut as Danny came in.

“Hey, man, you alright?” he asked. Adam shook his head. “What’s up?”

“Greg’s coming out here,” he said. Danny furrowed his brow.

“Your college friend?”

“Yeah.”

“Why’s that a bad thing, man?”

“I don’t know. I just have a bad feeling about it.” Danny shrugged.

“It’ll be fine, man. Your friend’s gotta be a good man if he hangs around with you.” Adam smiled. “You’re a good judge of character.”

“Thanks. Are, uh…”

“No, smartass. I’m just bein’ nice.” Danny playfully shoved him over as Adam chuckled.

“Okay, good.” Adam stood up, grabbing his coat. “I’m gonna take off. Have a good one, Danny.”

“You too, buddy. See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see ya.” Adam left, shaking his head. Try as he might, he couldn’t help be worried about Greg returning to New York. In fact, every time Greg said he was coming back, something inside Adam clicked, and not in a good way. Greg had left a lot of shadows when he went to Las Vegas ten years ago. One of these days, those shadows would catch up with him and until they did, Adam would always worry about Greg coming to visit.
 
Reallyinteresting start! Loved it! Keep going! Wonder what shanigans the pair get up to?!

_____________________________________________________________

"The thrill is in the chase. Never in the capture."
 
Hmm... I never even knew Adam's last name before. :lol: Adam and Greg being friends... that's cool! I'm sure they'd get along great! And I do remember Greg saying he spent some time in NY. :)
 
:lol: Mac and Brass meeting would be really interesting... haha

Their shenanigans will be interesting... haha.

I remembered that as well, and I think that was part of the reason for this story. The other part was I just thought Adam and Greg being good friends would be amazing. ;)

Glad you guys are enjoying the story. As this is a work in progress, updates may be kinda slow, but I'll try to at least get one up every week. :) Here's the next chapter.

*~*~*~*

Chapter 1

The phone rang at an ungodly hour, and Adam groaned. “Eff off,” he informed it, before realizing that it could be work calling. He picked it up quickly. “Adam Ross.”

“Adam, we need you at a scene,” Lindsay said. He sighed.

“Alright, be there soon.” She gave him the details, and he hung up. He threw some clothes on as quickly as he could before driving to the scene.

“All hands on deck,” Hawkes said as Adam ducked under the tape. “Big scene. Lots of casualties. Lots of evidence.” Adam nodded slowly.

“Alright.” Hawkes watched Adam quietly before furrowing his brow.

“You alright?” he asked his colleague. Adam nodded.

"Yeah. Just tired.” Hawkes nodded, watching as Adam walked away with his kit. He walked over to where Mac was crouching over a body. “Hey, Mac,” he said nervously. Mac looked up at him.

“Adam, good,” he said. “We’ve got six dead, at least. Few more critical, few more serious. Drive by. We need your help processing the scene.” Adam nodded.

“Where should I start?”

“Start down the block. Lots of bullets and casings. We could be here awhile.” Adam nodded.

“Okay.” He started to walk away when Mac stopped him.

“Adam.” Adam turned around to look at his boss. “These guys could be around the corner, so be careful.” Adam nodded, turning and walking away. Mac went back to recovering evidence from the body in front of him.

As Adam reached the end of the crime tape, his phone rang, catching him off guard. He scooped it out of his pocket as he put his kit down. “Adam Ross,” he answered, putting the phone between his shoulder and ear as he snapped on his gloves.

“Hey, man,” Greg said. Adam sighed.

“Do you know how early it is?”

“You’re already up anyway, what do you care?”

“Why are you up?”

“I just got into New York.” Adam furrowed his brow as he placed a marker down around a casing.

“Already? What’d you do, get a flight midway through your shift?”

“Actually, I did.” Adam shook his head. “Where are you?”

“I’m at a scene. Big shootout.”

“All hands on deck, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Need some outside hands?” Adam laughed.

“You’d have to talk to Mac about that one, not me.” Greg laughed.

“Dude, I think Grissom would get mad at me for getting involved when I didn’t have to.” Adam laughed as Mac walked over to him.

"Adam,” he said warningly. Adam swallowed.

“Mac, hey,” he said. Greg chuckled.

“Dude, you want me to let you go?” he asked. Adam didn’t answer, focusing on Mac.

“Who’s on the phone?” Mac asked, concerned.

“Greg,” Adam replied. “Just got in for a conference. He’s a lecturer at it. He offered his services if we need them. Heard about the shootout on the news.”

“Dude, come on,” Greg said into the phone. Adam continued to ignore Greg, and Mac shook his head.

“Tell him that’s alright, but we’ve got it covered,” Mac said. “And then get off the phone.”

“Yes, sir,” Adam replied nervously. “I mean, boss.” Mac shook his head, walking away.

“Sorry to get you in trouble,” Greg said.

“It’s fine. I’m fine. I have to go.”

“Alright. Tell you what, I’ll drop by the lab with breakfast?”

“Try lunch.”

“Okay. Lunch it is. See you then, man.”

“Bye, Greg.” Adam snapped the phone shut, sighing softly. He looked over at Mac, who was busy processing another area of the scene. Adam hoped Mac wouldn’t be mad at him after that, but he figured Mac didn’t care too much. Adam had no control over that. He went back to processing the scene, being as thorough as possible while trying to keep up with the others. Processing wasn’t something he did often. Only when CSI was backed up and busy. At this rate, today was going to be a long day.

*~*~*~*

After what felt like days, Adam and the team were back at the lab with massive amounts of evidence to be sorted through and processed. As he was starting, his phone rang again. “Adam Ross,” he answered.

“Hey,” Greg said softly. “Listen, about lunch…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m sorry, man. Something came up.” Greg sounded nervous, something that Adam wasn’t used to.

“Everything okay?”

“Uh… yeah. It’ll be fine.”

"Is fine or will be fine?” Greg hesitated for a moment.

“Is.”

“Listen, if something’s up, let me know.”

“Nothing. It’s nothing. Trust me. If something seriously happens, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay, fine. I gotta get back to work.”

“See you later, man,” Greg said as he hung up. Adam sighed, getting ready to start his work again. Before he could, Mac walked up to Adam.

“Adam,” he said. Adam grew nervous as he looked over at his boss.

“Yeah, boss?” he replied, trying to remain calm.

“Come to my office for a moment.” Adam nodded, following Mac through the doors.

“What’s up?”

“Have a seat.” Adam sat down cautiously as fear rose in him. Mac sat down behind his desk. “Is everything alright with you, Adam?” he asked finally. Adam furrowed his brow.

"Yeah,” Adam replied. “Fine. Why?”

“You’ve seemed off the past week. Even more so today. I wanted to make sure.”

"Actually, boss, uh, it’s really that I get nervous when Greg comes into town.” Mac arched his eyebrows.

“Why?”

“Greg lived here, about ten years ago, in this beautiful loft. We both lived there, you know? He was working in the city and I was going to grad school. Anyway, uh, he ended up doing some things that he doesn’t quite know the consequences of yet.” Mac nodded.

“What kinds of things?” Adam sighed.

“It’s, uh, it’s kinda hard to explain. He kinda made enemies where he should have made friends. And when he did, uh, the, uh, the guys he pissed off ended up becoming big time criminals. Gang members. Guys we’ve arrested for assaults and stuff.”

“Does Greg know about this?"

“No, not that I know of. So far, he’s been lucky enough that this hasn’t affected him.”

“You think it will?” Adam sighed.

"When he came here a few years ago, I barely recognized him. He’s changed a lot since then. And, well, they didn’t know what he looked like either. But, uh, now that, you know, his face has been everywhere after the whole Demitrius James thing…”

“You think he’s in danger.” Adam shrugged.

“He could be. He helped bring some big people to justice while he was here. Pissed off some old friends, broke a few hearts. He’s not a bad guy. He did the right thing every time. But, you know, they ended up being the wrong people.”

“So, that’s why you’re worried about him.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think he’s in danger?”

“I don’t know. If he gets threats, I would say yes. But until then, I don’t know.”

“Would he tell you if he was?”

“Yeah. We’ve been friends for about 16 or 17 years. Went to college together. Lived in the same hallway freshman year, then roommates the rest of the time.” Mac nodded.

“You guys are close.”

“We both majored in chem. Phi Beta Kappa, both of us. When I came here for grad school, he came for the experience and the job. Got a call two years later to go work at the Vegas Crime Lab as a DNA tech for the graveyard shift. Now, he’s become one of their CSIs.” Mac nodded.

“Let me know if things change for him, okay? He’s one of us.” Adam nodded.

“Sure thing, boss.”

“In the mean time, don’t worry about him.” Adam nodded.

“Okay,” Adam said, standing. “I’m, uh, I’m gonna get back to work.”

“Okay,” Mac said. “Keep me updated.”

“Will do.” Adam walked out, sighing softly to himself. The nervous feeling in his stomach just wouldn’t go away. It kept growing, solidifying, and Adam was afraid of what was behind it. Deep in his mind, he knew that something was going to happen with Greg this time. He just wasn’t sure what.
 
uhoh I kinda hope it doesn't.

I thought of another fun combo...Brass and Flack. They both seem to like being snarky...
 
Good chapter. Hope Greg stays outta trouble.

:lol: Mel, you and your combos. hehe. I like them though. :D
 
:lol: Flack and Brass would be pretty funny...

Glad you guys are enjoying the story. :) Here's the next chapter.

*~*~*~*

Chapter 2

Adam kicked on the door of the loft, his hands full of pizza and beer. Greg opened the door a moment later, and found himself getting the paper bag holding the beer shoved into his hands quickly. “Hey,” he groaned.

“I’m gonna drop something here!” Adam countered, pushing Greg out of the way and walking in. Greg laughed.

“Man, come on.” He followed behind where Adam had walked, still chuckling to himself.

“Everything still where it was?”

“Yeah. Dad said they didn’t move anything, just that Trish cleans every once in a while.”

“That’s the new step-mom, right?”

“Yeah. She’s younger than me.” Adam laughed, pulling out the plates.

“Your dad likes younger women.” Greg shook his head, grabbing a bunch of napkins.

“Younger than his oldest son, apparently.” Adam shrugged.

“How’s your mom?” Greg sighed.

“She’s okay.”

“Is she still with Dave?”

“Nah, they broke up last year.” Adam saw the sorrowed expression cross his friend’s face.

“Why?” Greg snorted.

“Differing opinions.”

“On?”

“Well, Mom supported me 100 percent on the Demitrius James incident. Dave, on the other hand…”

“He didn’t have your back?” Greg shook his head. “Why not?”

“He questioned a lot of the same things I did. Mom said she couldn’t be with someone who was calling her son a murderer.”

“Yeah, I can imagine. She got someone new?”

“Not right now. It’s hard because she’s still working with me.”

“Right. Like your therapist.”

“Yeah,” Greg said quietly as they moved to the living room.

“How is therapy going?” Adam asked.

“It’s going,” Greg replied honestly. “Some days, I want to strangle her.” Adam laughed.

“Yeah, that happens.”

“She’s really nice, though.”

“I’d imagine that.” The two sat down, and Greg kicked his feet up on the table in front of them. Adam followed his lead, relaxing as Greg turned on the TV for background noise.

“So, what’s been going on with you?” Greg asked, looking over at his friend. Adam shrugged.

“Not much,” he replied. “Just hangin’ out.”

“You with Kendall yet?” Adam laughed bitterly.

“No.”

“Come on, man. You need to work on that.” Adam shook his head.

“She’s with someone else.”

“I’m sorry, man. That sucks.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Adam rested his head against the back of the couch. “What about you? You said there was a lot going on.” Greg shook his head.

“Man, it’s crazy.” Adam took a drink of his beer, and Greg bit into his pizza. “I told you Sara left, right?”

“Yeah.” Greg nodded, chewing the bite.

“Well,” he said, swallowing. “Warrick got himself into some trouble with this mob guy. Girl was killed in his car.” Adam’s eyes shot open.

“What?” he said.

“Yeah, exactly. He was cleared, so he’s cool, but he’s got the wrong group of people against him, you know?”

“Yeah.”

“Other than that, you know, it’s been kinda coming back together.”

“What about the James family?”

“Haven’t come across them again.” Adam arched his eyebrows.

“Expect to?” he asked.

“Every time I turn around,” Greg admitted. Adam nodded. “Came out here for the conference and also to see my Dad.”

“How’s he doing?”

“He’s doing well. Trish, too. I think she’s pregnant.” Adam arched his eyebrows.

“You’re gonna have another half-sibling? From another mother?”

“I think so.”

“How many would that make?” Greg sighed, thinking.

“Seven, I think. From four women.”

“Holy… wow, man. Your parents divorced when you were five, right?”

“Yeah, and I’m 32 now.” Adam sighed.

“That’s somewhat sick.” Greg shrugged.

“My dad’s life is his life. He was always good to my mother, even after the divorce. Always took care of us.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“So, whatever he did, was doing, it didn’t matter. He was happy. Still is. Trish makes him whole again.”

“I bet he’s said that about every woman he’s been with.” Greg laughed.

“Yeah, just about.” Adam laughed, eating his pizza. The two sat back, watching TV for a few minutes before Adam’s phone rang. He grumbled, and Greg laughed. “Popular man.” Adam shot him a look as he answered the phone.

“Adam Ross. Hey, Mac.” Greg arched his eyebrows. “Yeah, I’m with him.” Adam looked at Greg, whose eyes went wide. “I’ll do that. See you soon.” He hung up the phone and turned to Greg. “We gotta head down to the station,” he said soberly. Greg looked scared.

“What’d I do?” he asked. Adam sighed.

“Mac didn’t explain. He just said he needed me to bring you in.”

“I swear, Adam, I didn’t do anything.” Adam sighed again.

“I know. We gotta go in anyway.” Greg stood up, nervous. Adam put his hand on Greg’s upper arm, and felt the younger man tense underneath him. “It’s gonna be okay, Greg. You know that.” Greg sighed.

“Yeah. Just, you try having your best friend get a phone call to haul him in to his boss.”

“Sorry.”

“Not your fault.” Adam nodded, walking Greg out of the loft and to the car.
 
Yeah... I figured I'd play a little with Greg's family, make his parents divorce and all. He's still his mother's only child, however.

Here you go, guys. :) The story Greg tells Adam is from "Crow's Feet."

*~*~*~*

Chapter 3

Adam walked Greg into the lab, and into Mac’s office. The younger man looked worried, and Adam tried to keep his cool as they entered the office. “Mac?” he said softly. His boss looked up from the file in his hand. “This is Greg Sanders.” Mac nodded, standing.

“Mr. Sanders,” Mac said, extending his hand. Greg took it, shaking it firmly. “Please, have a seat.” Greg sat down, and Adam leaned against the wall. “Mr. Sanders…”

“Please, call me Greg,” he said softly. Mac nodded.

“Greg, I’m Detective Taylor. I know we’ve met before.” Greg nodded.

“Yeah. What’s going on?”

“Greg, we found something of yours at a crime scene earlier today.” Greg knit his eyebrows together.

“What was it? Fingerprints? I swear, I wasn’t there.”

“No, not fingerprints.”

“Well, what was it?” Mac leaned back against his desk.

“Greg, were you aware you had children?” Greg’s eyebrows shot up.

“What? I have kids?” Mac looked at Adam, who bit his lip. Greg looked over at Adam. “And you knew about it?”

“Audrey called me after you left,” he said reluctantly. “Asked where you were. I didn’t know. I hadn’t heard from you.”

“But even when you had, you didn’t tell me?” Greg asked angrily.

“I forgot. I’m sorry.”

“How the hell did you conveniently forget to mention Audrey was pregnant?!” Adam flinched.

“I don’t know, okay?” he said, scared. “She asked me not to tell you, that she wanted to tell you herself. I figured when you were ready, you’d call her.” Adam was still flinching, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Mac. Greg sighed, calming down.

“Sorry.” Adam shrugged, trying to work off his fear. “I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“It’s alright,” Adam said. Greg shook his head.

“No, it’s not. It’s not your fault. I’m sorry.” Adam relaxed, and Greg turned back to Mac. “Where are they?”

“Your daughter’s downstairs with Detective Flack and Detective Bonasera,” Mac answered. “Your son is in the hospital.”

“Why, what happened?” Greg asked nervously. Mac sighed, looking at Adam.

“Audrey was murdered today.” He looked back to Greg, who bit his lip.

“Suspects?”

“One. Audrey’s boyfriend. Kids came home from school, found him stabbing Audrey. Your son tried to stop him while your daughter called the police. He was injured.” Greg frowned.

“How do you know they’re mine?” Mac sighed again.

“Your name was on their birth certificates, listed as the father. We’re gonna need a DNA sample to confirm, of course.” Greg nodded.

“Yeah. LVPD has it on record. I can have them fax it, if you want. Grissom should be there by now.”

“That would be fine.”

“I’m gonna call him. I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Take your time.” Greg walked out of the office, and Mac turned to Adam. “You guys okay?” he asked, looking over at Greg’s back. Adam sighed.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “I guess.”

“What was that all about?”

“What?”

“You flinched when he yelled at you.”

“I always flinch when I get yelled at. I don’t like being yelled at. It bothers me.” Mac nodded, not pushing it.

“Why didn’t you tell him?”

“It wasn’t my place to, Mac. She wanted to tell him herself. What was I supposed to do? Call him up and say, ‘hey, Greg, call your ex-girlfriend who broke your heart when she refused to go to Vegas with you because she has some important news for you, but I can’t tell you’?” Mac shrugged.

“I don’t know, Adam.”

“I did what I thought was right, Mac. I thought they’d talk, work things out. He never spoke to her again. I wasn’t going to try and make him. I was her friend too. The kids know their father wasn’t any of Audrey’s boyfriends.”

“So, they knew?” Adam sighed, looking at Greg.

“They had more of an idea than he did.”

*~*~*~*

Greg stood in the hallway, sighing to himself as he listened to the line ring. Finally, the phone picked up. “Grissom,” Grissom answered, slightly out of breath.

“Run to the phone?” Greg asked, mildly amused.

“Yeah. What can I do for you, Greg?”

“I need you to fax my DNA profile to me.”

“Where are you?” Greg could hear the confusion in Grissom’s voice.

“New York Crime Lab.”

“What happened?” Shock registered in his voice this time, and Greg swallowed.

“They need a comparison of my DNA profile.”

“Why?” Greg sighed.

“I can’t really explain right now, but I’m not in trouble, if that’s what you’re afraid of.” Grissom chuckled, making Greg smile.

“Okay, fair enough. I’ll fax it over. To whose attention should I bring it?”

“Detective Mac Taylor.”

“Alright. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, I think I’m okay.”

“Okay. Let me know if you do.”

“I will.”

“Take care, Greg, and enjoy New York.”

“Thanks. Later, Grissom.” He hung up, taking a deep breath and sighing before walking back into Mac’s office. “Grissom is faxing it over to the lab, directed to you,” he said, walking in. Mac nodded.

“Great,” he said. “That’ll save us time on creating a profile. Excuse me for a moment.” He walked out, and Greg turned to Adam.

“I’m really sorry, man,” Greg said, sighing. Adam shrugged, sitting down next to him.

“It’s alright,” Adam replied, leaning back. Greg shook his head.

“No, it’s not. I know what you went through in your life, with your father, everything, and I still was an ass.”

“Greg, it’s fine. I should get over it.” Greg shook his head again.

“I’m your friend. I shouldn’t scare the crap out of you.” Adam chuckled.

“You’ve been doing it for years, every time I got in the car with you.” Greg laughed.

“I’m not as bad a driver as you.”

“Oh, come on!”

“I’m not the one that hit the telephone pole.”

“It was raining!”

“Dude, you were speeding.” Adam laughed.

“Yeah, I know.” The two fell into a comfortable silence, sitting on the couch in Mac’s office.

“So, are we cool?” Greg asked after a moment.

“Yeah, we’re cool,” Adam replied.

“I just have one question, though. How come Audrey never told me? Called me? Why didn’t you tell her my number or my address or anything?”

“I wasn’t sure what to do. What you wanted. You were upset, heartbroken. What did you want me to do? You told me you never wanted to see her again, never wanted to talk to her again. I was supposed to give her your cell?”

“You knew she was pregnant.”

“I’m sorry. I just… didn’t know who to protect.”

“How old are they?”

“10.”

“So, for 10 years, they’ve been on this earth and they have no idea who their father really is.”

“Actually, they do. Audrey was honest with them. She couldn’t get in touch with you, and I lied and told her I wasn’t either.”

“I bet she knew you were lying,” Greg said matter-of-factly. Adam laughed.

“Oh, yeah,” he replied. Greg laughed.

“She was smart. I can’t believe she’s gone. Killed by her boyfriend.” Adam shrugged.

“Amazing what people do to each other, huh?” Greg laughed.

“Man, you have no idea. Did I ever tell you about the guy who killed the homeowner because the guy got caught robbing the old man’s house?” Adam nodded. “That’s ridiculous. And we see stuff like that every day in Vegas.”

“Yeah, I bet. Hey, if DNA does match up and you do get custody, what are you gonna do with the kids?” Greg shrugged.

“I don’t know. Get a bigger place, better car. Get them into a good school.”

“You work nights, though.”

“I can find a babysitter. It’s not a problem. Catherine’s got a daughter who’s always looking for something to do. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.” Adam nodded.

“And you’re okay with this?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? They’re my kids.” Adam shrugged.

“Just making sure you know what you’re doing.” Greg nodded.

“Thanks for always being my conscience, man.”

“Someone has to.” Greg laughed bitterly.

“Sometimes, I do fine with that on my own,” he said. Adam nodded.

“Yeah, I know,” he replied. Mac walked back in, carrying the DNA results.

“Greg,” he said. “If you wouldn’t mind coming with me, I have someone you should meet.”

“I guess that means DNA panned out, huh?” Greg said, standing. Adam stood up with him.

“Yeah. They’re your children.” Greg nodded as they walked downstairs. “Child Services wants to talk to you, see what your home life is like…”

“And whether or not I can support them, as well as where I’ve been. Yeah, I know the drill. I’ve seen it done before.” Mac looked at Adam, who shrugged.

“You’re from Las Vegas, right?”

“Yeah. I’m a CSI 1, almost 2.”

“Grissom’s gonna promote you soon?” Adam asked. Greg chuckled.

“He should,” he replied. Adam laughed, and Mac smiled. “You need to come out to Vegas some time, man. We could chill.” Adam shrugged.

“Maybe.” Mac looked at him. “I’ll stay out of trouble, boss. I promise.” Greg smiled.

“Yeah, you don’t need to worry about this one. He’s the good one out of the two of us.” Mac laughed.

“Yeah, I don’t doubt that,” Mac said. Adam made a face.

“I always was the troublemaker in college,” Greg explained. “Adam used to try and keep me out of trouble. If I was already in trouble, he’d stop me from making it worse.”

“What else are friends for?” Adam said, shrugging. They walked over to where Flack and Stella were sitting with a young girl. Her blonde hair was pulled into a sloppy ponytail, and her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen. The three of them looked at the group approaching.

“Uncle Adam,” she said. Adam frowned softly.

“Alexa,” he replied. She stood up, hugging him around the chest. Mac turned to Flack and Stella as the two embraced.

“Flack, Stella, this is Greg Sanders,” Mac introduced. “He’s their father. DNA confirmed it.” Stella nodded.

“Nice to meet you,” she said. “Although, I feel like we’ve met before.”

“We have,” Greg said. “I was here a couple years ago.” Flack shook Greg’s hand quietly.

“Greg?” Adam said. Greg turned. “Greg, this is Alexa. Alexa, this is your father.” Greg smiled weakly, not sure what else to do as the girl walked toward him.

“Hi,” he said quietly. She smiled weakly, sniffling and hugging him. Greg, taken aback, wrapped his arms around her tentatively.

“Mom always talked about you,” she said, starting to cry into his chest. “She told us you had no idea we were here, and that’s why you were never around. Said that she never told you about us.”

“No, she didn’t.”

“She didn’t know where you lived. She knew you didn’t live in New York anymore and that you went to Las Vegas, but she didn’t know where. You weren’t listed in the phone book.”

“For my protection. I’m a CSI out there.” She nodded, hugging him tighter. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“Are we going to live with you?”

“Yeah,” he said softly. She sniffled, nodding.

“Okay.” He kissed the top of her head gently, holding her close as he realized how much his life was about to change.
 
Well, that was totally unexpected! I thought the news Mac was gonna give him would be about Warrick. I wasn't expecting him to have ten year old kids. :lol: Good twist!
 
:lol: The story takes place during the Writer's Strike, just to give you the timeframe.

Glad you liked the twist. :) Here's the next chapter.

*~*~*~*

Chapter 4

The trip to the hospital was short and silent. Greg sat in the back with his daughter while Adam sat in the front, driving. Alexa leaned against her father, a picture that Adam had been waiting to see for ten years. Only, Audrey was dead, Caden was in the hospital, and Alexa was depressed. Not exactly the picture Adam wanted when he thought of this moment.

They reached the hospital, and stepped outside of the car. Alexa held onto Greg’s arm, and he pulled her closer to him. Adam walked on the other side of her, and the three of them entered. They went up to Caden’s room where they found Danny talking to him.

“Caden, is there anything you remember?” he asked softly. Caden sighed, looking up at Adam, Alexa, and Greg.

“Uhh… no, not really. I remember coming home, and Jack was stabbing Mom. I, uh, I wanted to stop him, so I grabbed his arm and he stabbed me. Alexa was on the phone… I don’t really know what else happened.”

“That’s alright. You did great, buddy.” Danny turned around to find Adam, Greg, and Alexa standing there. “Hey,” he said softly before turning to Greg and sticking out his hand. “Danny Messer.”

“Greg Sanders, LVPD CSI,” Greg said, shaking his hand.

“Not here on official business, right?” Greg chuckled.

“If you consider presenting a paper at a conference official, then yes. Not in any other capacity, though.” Danny nodded.

“Good, good.” As they talked, Alexa let go of Greg and sat on Caden's bed. The two started talking while Adam stood back near Danny and Greg. “So, what brings you down here?”

“Danny,” Adam began when he saw Greg freeze. “Greg is Alexa and Caden's father.” Danny nodded. “He didn’t know that Audrey was pregnant. He left for Vegas before she could tell him.”

“Bad breakup,” Greg added. Danny nodded.

“Yeah, I know how that goes,” he said. “Anyway, I just came down to process him, so they’re all yours. Good luck, Greg.”

“Thanks, Danny.” Danny walked out after patting Adam on the shoulder. Adam looked at his friend quietly before nudging him.

“They’re your kids, Greg,” Adam said.

“Yeah, but they know you a lot better than they know me,” Greg replied sadly. Adam sighed.

“I’m sorry, Greg. I really am.”

“It’s not your fault. We’ve been over this already.”

“They don’t want much in life. Just a place to live and someone who loves them.”

“Yeah, I know. I talked to my mom a little earlier.”

“Ooo, how’d she react?”

“She’s looking for a place in Vegas so she can help out.”

“That’s sweet of her.” Greg nodded.

“Yeah, only, she wants to live with us.”

“She means well, Greg. Just remember that.”

“I still think she scarred you the first time you met her.” Adam laughed.

“Nah, not really. Sweet woman.” Greg smiled.

“Yeah, she is.” Greg stepped closer to the twins, and Adam remained by the doorway. Alexa looked up at Greg, giving him a sad smile.

“Caden, this is Greg,” she said. “He’s our father.”

“Oh, so he’s the jerk who hasn’t been here for our entire lives?” Caden replied bitterly. Greg said nothing as Alexa sighed.

“Caden, you know Mom didn’t tell him.”

“Yeah, well he should’ve been with her anyway! Screw Las Vegas and whatever it gave him! New York’s better! And I don’t want to go to Vegas. Especially not with him.” Greg licked his lips quietly.

“Caden, I’m sorry for the way things happened,” Greg says softly. “What happened between your mother and I was very complicated. Both of us were young, and I got the opportunity of a lifetime to work with the second best crime lab in the country. Her life was here. Neither of us could’ve given up the opportunity we had at that time. I know, it sounds like a line and a really lame excuse.”

“You’re right, it does,” Caden said sharply. “And there’s no way you can possibly make up for not being here for ten years, so don’t even try. If you had been here, none of this would’ve happened. Mom would still be alive. She never would’ve been with Jack, and everything would be okay. This is all your fault!” Greg swallowed, biting his lip.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry isn’t good enough! What do you think, you can just show up after ten years and everything’s gonna be fine? We’re gonna love you?”

“I don’t expect that, no.”

“Then what do you want from us?”

“Nothing. But you’re coming home with me, so you might as well like it.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

“Child Services has granted Greg custody of you guys,” Adam said. Caden looked over at him with a frown.

“Uncle Adam, you’re gonna let him come in and take us?” Caden asked sadly. Adam sighed.

“Greg’s a good guy, Caden. One of my best friends. You’ll love him. He’s a lot funnier than I am.” Caden smiled slightly. “Give him a chance, buddy, before you hate him forever.” Caden looked back at Greg with a scowl. “Buddy, if you wanna blame anyone, blame me. I never told Greg about you guys, and I talked to him all the time.”

“You know I can’t do that,” Caden said regretfully.

“Well, don’t blame him either,” Adam said finally. Caden sighed, frowning.

“I don’t want to go with him. I don’t know him. I don’t trust him.” Adam walked in further, sitting down beside Caden.

“Trust me, Caden. He’s a good guy. He’s a police officer.” Caden smiled slightly.

“Like you?”

“Yeah, except he gets out into the field a lot more often than I do, so he gets to see all the cool stuff up close. Plus, he gets to solve the crimes and put away all the bad guys.” Caden looked over at Greg, who nodded.

“Okay, well, maybe he’s not so bad.”

“Plus, in Las Vegas, it’s always warm. Just like summer is here.” Caden smiled.

“Yeah, I know. But there’s no beach, and no snow.”

“My mom still lives in California,” Greg said. “She’s got a nice house out there, right on the water.”

“Really?” Caden asked. Greg nodded.

“Yep. She says she’s gonna keep it even though she’s moving to Vegas, so when we go on vacation, we can stay there. Plus, my dad’s parents used to live in Big Bear Lake, and he still owns the house. Any time we want to go skiing, we can.” Caden shrugged.

“Alright, I guess it won’t be too bad.” Greg smiled. “I still don’t like you, though.”

“Fair enough.” Caden looked over at Adam with a tired expression on his face.

“Maybe we should head out,” Adam suggested. “You look tired, buddy.” Caden nodded.

“Can I stay?” Alexa asked, looking at Adam before Greg.

“Visiting hours are over, sweetie. Plus, Caden needs his rest. Greg’s got a nice place you can stay in.” Greg nodded, and she sighed.

“Alright.” She hugged her brother gently before standing up and making her way to the door. Adam did the same, and Greg patted him on the shoulder. The three of them walked out the door and headed back to Greg’s loft. After getting Alexa settled and sleeping, Greg and Adam sat on the living room couch.

“Rough day,” Adam said. Greg sighed.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but… is it wrong that I feel bad that my kids know you better than they know me?” Adam shrugged.

“I guess that’s normal. I wouldn’t know. But Greg, it’s not your fault. You didn’t know. If you’re gonna blame someone, blame me.”

“I’m not blaming anyone, Adam. No one but myself.”

“Greg…”

“If I hadn’t gone to Vegas…”

“You wouldn’t be where you are today. And where you are is something to be proud of.”

“A murderer is something to be proud of?” Adam sighed.

“You’re not a murderer. How many times do I have to tell you that?” Greg shrugged.

“Doesn’t matter. I still won’t believe you.” Adam shook his head, chuckling.

“You never do.” Greg nodded before looking down to the ground.

“Do you think that I can do this?” he asked softly before looking up at Adam.

“Of course,” Adam replied. “Greg, I’ve never seen you fail at anything you do. Even when you think you have, you know you haven’t.” Greg sighed.

“You know, Adam, you’re not only my conscience, but sometimes, you’re my cheer squad. And that’s a little creepy.” Adam laughed.

“Yeah, yeah, shut up.” He pushed Greg off the couch, and Greg frowned.

“Hey, my house.” Alexa screamed in her room, and Greg rushed down the hall. Adam followed quickly, standing in the doorway while Greg sat next to Alexa. “Hey, sweetie,” he said softly. She opened her eyes, breathing hard. She threw herself into his arms, and he stroked her hair.

“I,” she began, shaking. “I saw him killing her. He killed my mom.” She started crying, and Greg held her tighter. “Is he going to pay for what he did?”

“Yes,” Greg said quietly. “He’s not going to get away with it.” She nodded, snuggling against him.

“I want Mommy.”

“I know, sweetie. I know.” She cried harder, and Greg kissed her on the top of the head. He soothed her gently while Adam watched from the doorway. Adam smiled slightly before slipping out of the room and walking down the hall. He sighed, sitting down on Greg’s couch and kicking his feet up on the coffee table. He closed his eyes, relaxing and thinking about Greg’s transition into fatherhood. He knew Caden wasn’t going to make it easy. In fact, more than likely, Caden was going to make it overly difficult.

*~*~*~*

Greg joined him a while later, and Adam looked over. “She’s sleeping now,” Greg said, sighing.

“Good,” Adam said.

“I can’t do this, Adam. I don’t know what to say to her when things like that happen. What am I supposed to do?”

“You did fine. You want lessons? Ask your mom. She got you through a lot of stuff.” Greg shrugged. “Dude, lighten up. I’m supposed to be the serious one. You’ll be fine. Don’t worry so much.”

“I’ve already missed so much of their lives. I can’t get that back.”

“They’ll forgive you. Alexa already does because she knows she needs you. Caden, he can hold a grudge, but he’ll get over it. He’s a kid. Don’t worry too much about it, alright? Relax.”

“You know me, I always worry too much.” Adam gave him a look like he was crazy.

“You never did,” he told his friend.

“Well, things change when you’re responsible for someone else’s death,” Greg said sadly. Adam shook his head.

“Greg, as your friend, I understand why it still bothers you. But, as your friend, I’m telling you to get over it. It was a year ago. You didn’t mean for it to happen. It was an accident. He was going to kill you. You think Catherine feels bad for killing the ‘Strip Strangler’ that you told me about? You think she did a year later? You did what you had to do, Greg. Now, move on.” Greg sighed.

“Sorry. When I’m stressed, I harp on the past. You know that.” Adam shrugged.

“Sometimes, you just need to let things go. You used to be a funny guy, you know.” Greg rolled his eyes.

“I still am.”

“Not right now. You used to joke away your worries. You shouldn’t lose that, man.”

“You sound like Sofia.”

“How’s she doing, anyway?”

“Not bad. Transferred to Boulder. Talked to her a couple of weeks ago, she’s doing well.”

“Good, good.” The two fell silent, both wrapped up in their own thoughts before Adam finally looked at the clock. “Shoot, it’s getting late. I should get going. I gotta go to work tomorrow. Or, rather, later today.”

“Yeah, I know. Thanks for everything, man.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” Greg shrugged, standing and walking to the kitchen. He came back with a bag, and handed it to Adam.

“Here,” he said. “This is for you.”

“For what?” Adam replied.

“You’ll understand when you opened it. And you can’t open it until you get home.” Adam shrugged.

“Fine, whatever. I’ll see you later, Greg.”

“Later, Adam.” Adam left, and Greg closed the door behind him. Adam reached his house, quickly closing the door so he could open the bag. Inside was a book, which confused Adam, until he flipped it over and saw that it was about sex positions. Turning slightly pink, he opened it to the first page, and a note fell to him.

For use with Kendall, was all it said. Adam laughed, shaking his head.

“Happy birthday to me,” he said to himself.
 
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