Title: Counting the Hours
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Steve McGarrett
Fandom: CSI: Vegas/Hawaii Five-0
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Greg Sanders or Steve McGarrett, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Steve looked at his watch for what felt like the hundredth time before the looked ahead of him at the darkened hulk of the warehouse. He had been sitting here for a good part of the night, waiting for Wo Fat's thugs to show up, bringing Greg to him.

He'd done what Wo Fat wanted; he'd gotten one of his top men out of jail, knowing even as he did so that he was making a mistake. But when Greg's life hung in the balance, he didn't feel as though he had a choice, even though he knew that everyone would think he was doing the wrong thing.

Including Greg himself, Steve thought with a sigh. Greg wouldn't want this man running rampant on the island; he was almost as dangerous as Wo Fat himself. But when it came down to making a choice between this and losing Greg forever, Steve knew that he had no choice at all.

He could catch this man again, put him behind bars for the rest of his life -- and have him sent to some place where it would then be beyond his jurisdiction to get him out again. That might not be the easiest thing in the world to do, but he would manage it somehow.

It was either that, or risk losing the man he loved. If he had done what everyone would more than likely say he should have done and given Wo Fat a resounding "no," then Greg would already be dead. He couldn't be entirely sure that he wasn't already gone.

Steve's heart clutched in his chest at the thought; he had to hold back a sob that rose to his lips before he could stop it. Losing Greg wasn't an option. If he lost Greg, then he'd lose his heart and soul -- and nothing in the world would be able to make him whole again.

Wo Fat had known exactly where to strike at him so it would be the most effective, Steve told himself, his hands curling into fists as anger rose in him again. The bastard must have been watching his house, seen him with Greg, known what the other man meant to him.

His nemesis didn't care what happened to Greg; he was sure of that. He was only being used as a pawn to manipulate Steve; if Wo Fat thought for even a moment that Greg couldn't be used in that way any longer, he wouldn't hesitate to kill Steve's boyfriend.

He had been told to meet the men who were holding Greg captive here; Steve had gotten to the meeting place before the time specified, and he hadn't told anyone where he would be. He had been told to come alone, and he wasn't going to disobey that order.

If he did, then it could mean Greg's life -- and he wasn't going to take that chance. He didn't like the fact that he'd had to deceive the other members of his team, but he didn't want to drag them into this. If anyone had to face danger, it was going to be him, and him alone.

And Greg, a voice in the back of his mind piped up. Greg's the one who's in the most danger here. He could already be dead. Steve shook his head, trying to block out the voice, to stop the thoughts that crowded into his head, thoughts that he didn't want to contemplate.

Greg wasn't dead. He couldn't be. Steve was sure he would know if the man he loved was no longer a part of this world; he would feel a hole in his heart, an emptiness that nothing and no one would ever be able to fill again. He would know if he'd already lost Greg.

He had counted the hours since Greg had been abducted, with the sinking feeling that as each moment passed, another grain had slipped through the hourglass of Greg's life. He had tried not to think like that, to be more positive, but it had been impossible.

All he'd been able to think of before the first contact had been made was that his life would be over if he lost Greg. Oh, he would still walk around as though he was a normal human being; he would still head the 5-0 team, and he would still look like a functioning person.

But the emptiness inside him would only grow larger; he would never be able to replace Greg in his heart and soul, and he wouldn't even try. He had found the one person he wanted to spend his life with, and if that person was snatched away from him, his life would lose all meaning.

Now, he was counting the minutes until he expected to see a car or a van pull up. He knew that he had the right place; Wo Fat had left him in no question of where he should be. And he had assured Steve that Greg was alive and unharmed -- at least when they had spoken.

Wo Fat could have done away with Greg since that phone call had been made -- but Steve was sure that he hadn't. He simply knew that he would feel it in his heart and soul if Greg was gone. That emptiness wasn't there; he was still whole, still intact, and his lover was still in his heart.

Greg was going to be all right, Steve told himself firmly. He would be able to get his boyfriend away from Wo Fat's thugs, and he would find the man who he'd allowed to be released from custody and put him back where he belonged -- without any more risk to the man he loved.

He didn't mind putting himself at risk. He was used to doing that. Greg wouldn't like the idea, but he had to live with knowing that part of Steve's job was putting himself into dangerous situations. He knew that, and he accepted it. What Steve couldn't accept was Greg having to do the same.

Greg was a CSI. He wasn't supposed to be thrust into situations like this; it was his involvement with Steve that had caused this to happen. He wouldn't blame Greg if he decided that their relationship was far too dangerous for him, and if he broke it off.

His boyfriend wouldn't do that, Steve told himself, his inner voice strong and firm. Greg loved him; he wasn't going to turn his back on their relationship because of this. If the shoe had been on the other foot, Steve would gladly have faced any danger to be with his lover.

He glanced at his watch again; only five minutes had gone by since the last time he looked, but it was less than five minutes until the appointed meeting time. Steve could feel his heartbeat accelerate, worry rising in him, his stomach tightening with anticipation.

What if Wo Fat didn't intend to have his men bring Greg? What if this had all been a trick, and they intended to keep holding Greg hostage and using threats on his life to get whatever they wanted from Steve? Wo Fat was more than capable of that -- and of getting rid of Greg if he was no longer useful.

He wasn't going to think like that, Steve told himself, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He was going to keep believing that Wo Fat would hold up his end of the bargain, and that Greg would be brought to him safely. If he didn't believe that, then he would collapse in despair.

No, not despair, he thought grimly. He might collapse, but he would do that in the privacy of his own home -- after he had found a way to take out Wo Fat and everyone who worked for him. He wouldn't let any harm to Greg go unavenged. He would exact revenge -- and Wo Fat knew it.

Why weren't they here? It didn't look as though they were coming; either they had been stopped along the way, or this had been a fool's bargain right from the beginning. Steve had to resist the urge to curse aloud, to put his car in gear and tear out of here to search for Greg.

Even as he glanced towards the warehouse again, Steve saw a light flicker inside, only for a moment; it was just as quickly doused, and he had to wonder if he'd actually seen it, or if it had been just a figment of his imagination. Were his eyes playing tricks on him?

No, they hadn't been. He was sure of that. Steve's heartbeat quickened as his hand went to the handle of the car door. They probably had Greg in there -- and they were very likely setting up a trap for him to walk into, using Greg as the bait.

Well, he would take that bait, he decided, getting out of the car and slamming the door behind him. That might not be the best thing to do, but he wasn't going to sit here and wait for them to come to him. He had done enough of that. It was time for some offensive action.

The only way that he was going to rescue Greg would be to follow his instincts. They had rarely ever led him astray before -- and at the moment, they were telling him that he had to get inside that building, that Greg was in there, and that his boyfriend needed him.

The light flickered again, just for a second; Steve's breath caught in his throat when it disappeared again. It could be a beacon, leading him to Greg -- and it could just as easily be the end of them both. It was more than likely a trap, and he and Greg would both lose their lives if he fell into it.

But he had no choice other than to move towards that light, as if it was pulling him nearer, beckoning to him like some kind of ghostly hand. If it would lead him to Greg, then he would take any risk to rescue the man he loved, including putting his own life on the line.

Taking a deep breath, Steve walked towards the warehouse, expecting to have to search for a way in. His lips twisted in a wry smile when he pushed against the door and realized that it was open; he was obviously intended to walk into the place, which meant that it probably was a trap.

Steeling his nerves, he slipped through the door into the darkness beyond. He could only hope that he was doing the right thing, and that he would be able to get both Greg and himself out of here alive. After counting the hours for so long, it all seemed to come down to these last few seconds.

***

Next story in series - The Next Time.