Title: The Moment I Saw You Cry
Author: babykid528
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Characters: Greg Sanders/Nick Stokes, mentions of David Philips, Mia and Detective Vega
Prompt: 044. Cry
Word Count: 908
Rating: PG-13 due to case description
Warnings/Spoilers: Post "Grave Danger" but Pre "Gum Drops"- M/M relationship...if you're uncomfortable with that don't read this!
I don't have a beta, so sorry if I missed any grammatical things and such! ^_^ Also, this is my first ever slashfic. I read a ton of them, but this is my first attempt at writing it! So I'm excited to share!
Summary: After "Grave Danger" Nick and Greg work a case together and rediscover each other.

Nick watched as David, the assistant coroner, exhumed the decomposing body of the woman they had found. He shook slightly as he watched. They hadn't needed David to tell them the woman had been buried alive. The terrified expression on her face, her bloodied fingertips, broken off fingernails, the size of the box even. She had been buried in there and left to die just like Nicky had been. His eyes were glued to her as David examined her and prepped her for transport. His eyes remained glued to her as David loaded her into the truck and drove off to the lab.

Greg did everything he could to hold together as he began processing the scene. He swabbed and documented any kind of evidence he could in the box. He even attempted to fingerprint it, but the box was made of wood, too porous a material, and had absorbed any prints. Besides, she had been there for two weeks in the heat of the Nevada desert. Any kinds of proteins would have practically melted in the damp heat of the small box.

Nick tested the lid of the box they had dug up and got no better results than Greg had.

"Anything biological in here has become so degraded," Nick drawled to Greg and the on scene cop, Detective Vega, "The only evidence we're gonna get is from the body."

"Wait," Greg breathed out as he found what looked to be her fingernails, "We may have some epithelials on these."

He held the nail up to Nick who forcefully grinned. "Good work, Greggo," he told him as Greg bagged the nails, "There's nothing more to find here. Let's go bring this stuff back to the lab."

Greg nodded and stood. Vega told them that if they needed him to get them a warrant that he was a phone call away. Nick thanked him and Vega got into his car and drove back to the police station. Silently, Nick and Greg got into Nick's Tahoe and drove back to the lab.

* * *

Greg waited patiently as Mia processed the fingernails he had collected. He was uncharacteristically quiet. "Nick's still in the autopsy," he had told Mia when she suggested he go help Nick work on something else while she worked, "We've got nothing but the body and this DNA evidence. I'd like to just wait." His voice was so foreign sounding, Mia didn't have the heart to kick him out. She just looked him in the eye and whispered, "Okay."

When the printer finally spat out the results he didn't even jump up to rip the page from the printer tray. He stood up slowly and waited until Mia handed him the results which he read over just as slowly, lips pursed in concentration. When he was finished he handed the sheet back to Mia and thanked her before leaving the lab. Mia watched after him with concern before turning back to her work again.

* * *

Hours went by before Nick found Greg sitting on the bench by the parking lot of the lab.

"Greg!" he exclaimed as he came up behind him. The younger man jumped about a foot into the air when he heard his name.

Dammit, keep it together, Greg thought while wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. It didn't matter if he got rid of the tears, the water marks left on his dirty face would give away the fact that he'd been crying. Anyone who looked at him could tell.

"Where have ya been, man?" Nick's tone was slightly concerned and full of irritation, "I had to solve the entire case without you! The husband's epithelials were under the nails and she had bit him before he got her locked in there. Vega's bringing him in right now for us to interrogate him. Why didn't you come get me when Mia finished running the..." he trailed off as he came upon his younger friend's tear streaked face.

Nick dropped down onto the bench next to Greg. "You all right, man?" he asked. The irritation from seconds earlier was gone and Nick was now fully concerned for his friend.

Greg swallowed hard. He wanted to nod, to pretend that everything was okay, but he couldn't bring himself to lie to Nick like that. He shook his head and croaked out, "No."

Nick squeezed the back of Greg's neck soothingly as a few tears began to escape Greg's eyes once again. He sniffled before looking at Nick.

"She could have been you, Nicky," he whispered, "Then what would I have done?"

That was all he could say.

His entire body began to shake as he cried softly into his hands. Nick's arms instantly engulfed the shaking form next to him and pulled Greg against himself. Nick's chin rested on Greg's head as he fought to speak and say something, anything, to soothe the young man.

"Greg," was all he managed to choke out. Greg pulled his head out from under Nick's and looked him in the eyes. Their bodies tangled, their faces so close, all they could do was stare into each other's eyes. Nick gasped. Deep inside the teary brown eyes before him he found his forever and when he pressed his mouth to Greg's and tasted Greg's salty tears on his slightly chapped lips he knew that forever would be better than his difficult past, because he wasn't alone anymore. He had love.