Nick is Mikayla's brother instead of uncle. Wow, I so did not see that one coming. Good twist. I loved his reaction. :lol:
Poor Greg and Mia.
Poor Greg and Mia.
The Beaten and The Damned
- Thread starter racefh853629
- Start date
racefh853629
Pathologist
Thanks. 
Here's the end... Hope you've enjoyed it!
*~*~*~*
Epilogue: Meet Up With Me
Nick sighed, clicking his fingers on the mug as he watched the minutes tick by. His boredom and nerves grew with each revolution of the second hand, as well as the stares from the other patrons. He kept thinking about how this was a bad idea, a feeling that grew the longer he waited for her. The patrons had a feeling he was being stood up, one that he was starting to share until he saw her walk in. He smiled, waving at her. She nodded, striding over to him as he stood up.
“Hey,” he said, hugging her tightly. Mia smiled.
“Hi,” she said quickly. They both sat back down.
“How’ve you been?”
“I’ve been okay.” It had been three months since she had left Las Vegas without a word to anyone. She sighed softly, still smiling slightly. “You?”
“I’m livin’.” She nodded.
“How’s Mikayla doing?”
“Great. She’s doing fine. She’s due in a few months.” Mia nodded.
“That’s good to hear, that she’s doing fine. And, I remember that.”
“Yeah.” The waitress poured Mia a mug of coffee, and the two of them placed their orders. She walked away, and Mia watched her for a moment in silence.
“I have to admit, I was surprised to hear from you,” Mia finally said. “I thought you’d all leave it alone.”
“Yeah,” Nick replied. “You made it sound like a suicide note. Most of us knew you’d just left, though.” She shrugged.
“I did what I had to do. I couldn’t live out there anymore.”
“I understand. I just wish you’d stayed.”
“I couldn’t.” Silence fell over them for a moment before curiosity got the best of her. “Why’d you track me down?” she asked.
“Because, I knew you were still alive,” he said.
“So?”
“Look, you may not have liked me that much, but you’re still my friend, and I care about you. I wanted to make sure you were okay. So, I followed the evidence and found you.” She nodded, thinking.
“Do the others know you did this?”
“No.” He took a sip of his coffee as the waitress delivered their orders. They thanked her, and fell silent, allowing the food before them to serve as a momentary distraction.
“What’d you tell them about going to L.A.?”
“I didn’t. I don’t have to tell them where I’m spending my vacation.”
“So, this was a secret trip.” He nodded. “Why?”
“You left like a ghost for a reason. Did you really want them knowing I found you in L.A.?”
“I guess not. But tell me why you’re really here.”
“Because I wanted to see how you were doing.”
“If that was the case, you’d talk to me on the phone.”
“But that wouldn’t give me the visual confirmation that I was going for.”
“Nick,” she said, her tone warning. He sighed.
“I, came to talk to you, and ask you to consider coming back,” he said eventually.
“Why?”
“Because we need you, Mia.” She snorted.
“Nick, you guys were fine before I got there. You’ll be fine without me.”
“No, we won’t. Mia, Greg’s a wreck without you.”
“Tell me why I should care. He hurt me, Nick. He got me to love and trust him, and he turned against me.”
“Mia, your father brainwashed him into thinking you’re the devil. He made Greg believe the check you gave him was for Greg’s kidnapping, not to help him out.”
“How do you know about that?”
“Greg.” She nodded, sighing. “I’ve been having to pick him up at bars, pick him up off the floor, stay with him to make sure that this time, he didn’t overdo it.”
“What’s he doing?” she asked.
“Drinking,” he replied, sipping his coffee. She sighed.
“Tell me why I should care.”
“If not for him, then for everyone else who’s watching him self-destruct.”
“Nick, you know as well as I do that half of you guys didn’t give a crap about me.”
“Mia, Catherine and Warrick always had your back, whether you realized it or not. Do you know what it’s like for them to watch him go down that road? And to know that we can’t stop him?”
“What do you want from me?” she asked, growing angry. “You think if I come back, things’ll suddenly be better? Do you really think that he’s going to stop because of me? I’m not the reason he’s doing it.”
“Look, don’t get mad, okay?” Nick said calmly. “I’m just telling you what you left behind.”
“You’re guilt-tripping me, Nicholas.” He sighed.
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“Then why’d you bring up Greg? Why’d you bring up the others? If you didn’t mean to guilt me, then why the hell did you do it?”
“I’m sorry. It’s been hard on us.”
“And if Catherine and Warrick cared so much, wouldn’t they have tried to find me like you did? Grissom, too? Or are you just the good Samaritan, acting for everyone else? What is it, Nicky?”
“They all figured you needed your space, and that was why you left.” She sighed.
“So why’d you follow me?”
“Because, I know better.” Mia sighed, looking out the window. “I know you still love Greg. I know you liked being in Vegas more than you hated it. I know you actually cared about this team.”
“You’re right,” she said quietly after a moment.
“I know,” he replied, watching her. She turned back to him.
“But I’m sorry, Nick. I don’t know if I can go back there.” He nodded.
“I understand.” She nodded, looking back out the window as the tears threatened to pool in her eyes. “I hate to drop this on you and run, but I gotta go. I got a plane to catch.” She nodded again, not looking at him. “I’d love to be able to see you again sometime, maybe even in Vegas, but only when you’re ready, okay?” She nodded again as he grabbed his coat and put down enough money to cover both of them. He leaned over and hugged her gently. “Call me if you need anything, honey.”
“I will,” she said softly, giving him a sad smile. He nodded, squeezing her shoulder before leaving her alone to stare out the window and contemplate the rest of her life.
The End.
Here's the end... Hope you've enjoyed it!
*~*~*~*
Epilogue: Meet Up With Me
Nick sighed, clicking his fingers on the mug as he watched the minutes tick by. His boredom and nerves grew with each revolution of the second hand, as well as the stares from the other patrons. He kept thinking about how this was a bad idea, a feeling that grew the longer he waited for her. The patrons had a feeling he was being stood up, one that he was starting to share until he saw her walk in. He smiled, waving at her. She nodded, striding over to him as he stood up.
“Hey,” he said, hugging her tightly. Mia smiled.
“Hi,” she said quickly. They both sat back down.
“How’ve you been?”
“I’ve been okay.” It had been three months since she had left Las Vegas without a word to anyone. She sighed softly, still smiling slightly. “You?”
“I’m livin’.” She nodded.
“How’s Mikayla doing?”
“Great. She’s doing fine. She’s due in a few months.” Mia nodded.
“That’s good to hear, that she’s doing fine. And, I remember that.”
“Yeah.” The waitress poured Mia a mug of coffee, and the two of them placed their orders. She walked away, and Mia watched her for a moment in silence.
“I have to admit, I was surprised to hear from you,” Mia finally said. “I thought you’d all leave it alone.”
“Yeah,” Nick replied. “You made it sound like a suicide note. Most of us knew you’d just left, though.” She shrugged.
“I did what I had to do. I couldn’t live out there anymore.”
“I understand. I just wish you’d stayed.”
“I couldn’t.” Silence fell over them for a moment before curiosity got the best of her. “Why’d you track me down?” she asked.
“Because, I knew you were still alive,” he said.
“So?”
“Look, you may not have liked me that much, but you’re still my friend, and I care about you. I wanted to make sure you were okay. So, I followed the evidence and found you.” She nodded, thinking.
“Do the others know you did this?”
“No.” He took a sip of his coffee as the waitress delivered their orders. They thanked her, and fell silent, allowing the food before them to serve as a momentary distraction.
“What’d you tell them about going to L.A.?”
“I didn’t. I don’t have to tell them where I’m spending my vacation.”
“So, this was a secret trip.” He nodded. “Why?”
“You left like a ghost for a reason. Did you really want them knowing I found you in L.A.?”
“I guess not. But tell me why you’re really here.”
“Because I wanted to see how you were doing.”
“If that was the case, you’d talk to me on the phone.”
“But that wouldn’t give me the visual confirmation that I was going for.”
“Nick,” she said, her tone warning. He sighed.
“I, came to talk to you, and ask you to consider coming back,” he said eventually.
“Why?”
“Because we need you, Mia.” She snorted.
“Nick, you guys were fine before I got there. You’ll be fine without me.”
“No, we won’t. Mia, Greg’s a wreck without you.”
“Tell me why I should care. He hurt me, Nick. He got me to love and trust him, and he turned against me.”
“Mia, your father brainwashed him into thinking you’re the devil. He made Greg believe the check you gave him was for Greg’s kidnapping, not to help him out.”
“How do you know about that?”
“Greg.” She nodded, sighing. “I’ve been having to pick him up at bars, pick him up off the floor, stay with him to make sure that this time, he didn’t overdo it.”
“What’s he doing?” she asked.
“Drinking,” he replied, sipping his coffee. She sighed.
“Tell me why I should care.”
“If not for him, then for everyone else who’s watching him self-destruct.”
“Nick, you know as well as I do that half of you guys didn’t give a crap about me.”
“Mia, Catherine and Warrick always had your back, whether you realized it or not. Do you know what it’s like for them to watch him go down that road? And to know that we can’t stop him?”
“What do you want from me?” she asked, growing angry. “You think if I come back, things’ll suddenly be better? Do you really think that he’s going to stop because of me? I’m not the reason he’s doing it.”
“Look, don’t get mad, okay?” Nick said calmly. “I’m just telling you what you left behind.”
“You’re guilt-tripping me, Nicholas.” He sighed.
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“Then why’d you bring up Greg? Why’d you bring up the others? If you didn’t mean to guilt me, then why the hell did you do it?”
“I’m sorry. It’s been hard on us.”
“And if Catherine and Warrick cared so much, wouldn’t they have tried to find me like you did? Grissom, too? Or are you just the good Samaritan, acting for everyone else? What is it, Nicky?”
“They all figured you needed your space, and that was why you left.” She sighed.
“So why’d you follow me?”
“Because, I know better.” Mia sighed, looking out the window. “I know you still love Greg. I know you liked being in Vegas more than you hated it. I know you actually cared about this team.”
“You’re right,” she said quietly after a moment.
“I know,” he replied, watching her. She turned back to him.
“But I’m sorry, Nick. I don’t know if I can go back there.” He nodded.
“I understand.” She nodded, looking back out the window as the tears threatened to pool in her eyes. “I hate to drop this on you and run, but I gotta go. I got a plane to catch.” She nodded again, not looking at him. “I’d love to be able to see you again sometime, maybe even in Vegas, but only when you’re ready, okay?” She nodded again as he grabbed his coat and put down enough money to cover both of them. He leaned over and hugged her gently. “Call me if you need anything, honey.”
“I will,” she said softly, giving him a sad smile. He nodded, squeezing her shoulder before leaving her alone to stare out the window and contemplate the rest of her life.
The End.
Good ending... even though it was angsty. :lol: I was a little worried that she would try to hurt herself. Glad she didn't. Loved that Nicky was the one to track her down. Also that he's the one having to take care of Greg. I always thought Greg and Nick seemed like brothers. :lol: Greg always kind of aggrivated him in that little brother way and Nick always acted like a big brother toward him... so I was glad to see that you had Nicky taking care of Greg.
racefh853629
Pathologist
I agree... Greg and Nick really are like brothers... hahaha. Glad you enjoyed it.