Part 8

It was Sunday afternoon now, and Nick didn't realize fully how much of an impact Renee had had on him in the last thirty six hours, until she said that Greg was on his way over to pick them up to drive her to the airport. He didn't want her to go, and he thought this with more then a little sadness. True they'd already made plans for her to come back in two weeks time, but the thought of being away from her even that long made Nick want to pout.

As they sat waiting for Renee's boarding call, Renee tried to take stock of the weekend. Surely there was no other place in the world that a murder, a sordid love triangle and a near fist-fight could all fall under the umbrella of work.

"So what did you think of Vegas?" Greg asked wryly.

"I still can't believe all this went down. I mean I know it did, but…still."

Greg nudged her in the shoulder. "Oh come on, you got to see the maestro at work, got involved in a crime case-"

"Had my big brother threatening to beat the crap out of yet another boyfriend, and threatening to kick my own ass because I wasn't a hermit crab," Renee finished for him.

Greg's ears pricked up at the phrase boyfriend usually this wouldn't have made much of a difference, but what was even stranger was that rather then going red and looking away embarrassed, Nick simply grinned. Then, Renee's boarding call was announced over the PA system. The trio stood up, with Renee and Nick looking at each other.

"Well," she began.

"I don't usually end my dates at the airport."

"Me neither."

As Renee felt her spine nerves begin to tingle, knowing what was coming, she glanced over at Greg. "Do you mind?"

Not cluing in, Greg continued to stand there. "Oh, no go ahead."

"Greg?"

All it took was one word from Nick that made him realize all he was missing was the popcorn. Muttering under his breath about finding coffee or poison, Greg retreated, giving Nick and Renee as much privacy as they could have in a crowded airport terminal.

"I wish you didn't have to go."

Renee smiled. "Hey, I'm back in two weeks, and this time I'll be herefor a full two weeks. We can have a real date, no big brother, no crime tape or late night visits to the morgue involved."

Nick laughed as he drew her close to kiss her. She was warm and welcoming, that same sweet sense of finding the piece he didn't realize had gone missing. When he broke the kiss, he whispered in her ear, "Te quiero, mi noruega encantadora."

Renee whispered back, "What does that mean?"

"I'll tell you in two weeks."

With that, Renee kissed his cheek again, shouldered her bag and walked through the gate.

Back at the car, Greg was waiting with two steaming Starbucks moccacinos. "So a boyfriend huh? Didn't think you did that whole relationship thing, Nick."

Nick took his coffee from his friend. "I don't but…" he trailed off, the taste of Renee still on his lips. "There's something about her that I can't pin down, man."

"Yeah well…look about what happened Friday night."

Nick waved him off, walked around the side of the car. "Did it ever occur to you in all your fraternal insanity that had I not been with her, she could be on the slab in Robbins' fridge?"

"Yeah, I did, but uh…" Greg flexed a muscle. "I could have taken you."

"With those chicken wings?" Nick laughed.

"I work out."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"No way."

"Yes way."

"Greg, little girls in fifth grade say 'yes way'."

"Oh, and just one more thing," Greg added as he started the car.

"Oh yeah what's that?" Nick sipped his coffee.

"My folks are starting to get antsy for grandkids." The muscles in Greg's jaw twitched as he held in laughter, watching Nick gag and splutter on coffee at this last statement, then turn a chalky white colour. When his colleague looked at him, a look of horror on his face, Greg simply shrugged. "Told you I could take you."

The End