Title: Grave Danger, AU
By: Biddle7832
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Nick has to go to this crime scene, it has been a stressing day, he and his partner had an argument earlier that day and it had caused some stress between them. But does something happen to make Nick fear that he might never see his partner again?

***

Chapter 1

Nick walked along the corridor, he hit into the man who strolled past him. He was in a bad mood today and wanted to go home as soon as possible. He stormed past the staff lounge and stormed up to Catherine, who was talking to Warrick.

"I want a case, I don't care where and I don't care how bad it is," Nick said, crossing his arms over is chest. "I just want it to be quick."

"Nice timing, Nick," Catherine said smiling. "I was just saying to 'Rick that I have two cases today and was hoping you would do one each. However, one of the cases is pretty tough and will need more than one person."

"Why don't you send Greg, he's here already," Warrick said, signalling towards the staff lounge. "If the case really is simple and he could use the practice."

"That's a good idea," Catherine replied. "I will have to ask Grissom but I'm sure he will say yes. I'll go ask him now," she said walking away from Nick and 'Rick.

Nick hit a Warrick on the arm, angry. "You know I don't like Greg going out on the field, especially when he is on his own."

Warrick signed as Nick pushed past him, and then stopped at the window of the staff lounge door. "This is way you are so grumpy, it's because of Greg, isn't it?"

"No," Nick said, smiling softly at something through the window. "It's not about him at all," Nick turned to Warrick with a frown on his face. Warrick stared at Nick, who held the gaze, until he looked away to the floor. "It is about him, we had a fight early. I'm worried about him; he's changed so much once he began a level one CSI."

"What do you mean changed?" Warrick asked, ambling towards the staff door, which was next to Nick. "He acts a little different from before; less strange."

Catherine strolled over to them from one of the lab rooms. "He's allowed, as long as he does his own shift as well." She walked into the to the staff lounge and talked to Greg.

Nick turned to the window and puts his hand to the glass. "I love him, I don't want him to get hurt."

Warrick smiled, but hid it quickly as Catherine and Greg came out the room. Greg was smiling as he walked towards the door to his and Nick's car. "I guess I'm driving then?" 'Rick asked pushing Nick towards the car.

Chapter 2

Nick and Warrick made their way into the lab, they had collected all the evidence that could form the crime scene and was now coming into the lab to ask the DNA lab rat to analyse it. As they walked past the staff room, Grissom came out and stopped them.

"Do you know where Greg is?" He asked, looking from Nick to Warrick and back to Nick, who shook his head. "It seems he has disappeared, it was at the crime scene one moment, then the next gone."

"Maybe, he went and got some ice cream," Warrick said. "He is a pig when it comes to ice cream."

"He wouldn't walk out on a crime scene for ice cream unless there was someone else there and he was hungry," Nick said, worriedly. "I'll call him on his cell," he offered, walking a distance away from the other two and pulled out his phone. He found Greg's name and pressed the call key. There was no ring, no signal, he closed his eyes, sadly, then opened then blinking back the tears that were beginning to fall. He turned to the other two, seeing them watching him, he shook his head and put his phone back in his pocket.

Grissom sighed and walked towards Nick, slowly. "Go home Nick, rest, I'll call you when Greg gets back in." Nick shook his head and walked into the staff lounge and sat down on one of the chairs. Grissom and Warrick followed Nick and sat down as well. Gil turned to 'Rick, "Go give that evidence to the lab."

Warrick nodded, stood and started his way to the DNA lab. "Nick, keep me in touch on Greg, ok."

Nick forced a smile and nodded his head, "of course, I will, mate." He turned to Grissom and said, "But I'm not leaving until Greg gets back."

Chapter 3

"EVERYONE GET IN HERE, NOW!" Grissom shouted out of the room, everyone ran from their rooms into the monitor lab room. They saw Grissom standing by the computer and all slowly walked towards him. "We have a problem," he paused as he picked something off the table and bought it in front of him. "This is a letter that was sent to us with a website download. I have stolen one of your C.S.I.s. You must use you 'skill' to bring him back before his time runs out, I want 1 million dollars in 12 hours or he dies.' And that's about it."

"Who do they have?" One of the lab rats asked.

Grissom sat down on the chair at the computer and clicked the mouse. A screen came up. On the screen was a face Nick knew all to well.

"Greg!"

Nick closed his eyes, only to open them two seconds later. It wasn't a nightmare, this was real. Greg had been taken captive, he had been kidnapped before Nick could say sorry for being a prick and ask him to forgive him.

~*~ Flashback ~*~

"Greg, can we talk?" Nick nervously asked. Greg nodded. "I love you but ...um ... I think we should go on a break, just for a few weeks, to see if there isn't anyone better."

"What?" Greg said, eyes filling with tears, he started to back away from Nick and put his fingers in his ears. "NO! Not listening to you, you're joking. We've been together for roughly six... Leave me alone!"


"I'm so sorry, Greg," Nick said walking towards Greg, who was still backing away from hit. Greg hit into the sofa behind and stop still, Nick reached him and pulled his fingers from his ears. "I still love you but I want to see if there is someone else I love more. Then if there is no one, we can get back together."

Greg shook his head, pulled away from Nick and pushed past him, "no, no, if we break up then that's it. You say you love me but how can you love me when you want to find someone else. So if you want to break up then fine, but that's it, no second chances."

"I don't want to slit up forever Greggy, I just want a break."

"Well, you're not getting one, unless you want to break up for good!" Greg shouted nearing the door. "You're a scared little man, who has no feelings for people around you." He yelled slamming the door behind him.


Nick stood there and stared, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of his and Greg's car pulling out the driveway. He swallowed, walked towards the phone and angrily dialled Warrick's number asking for a lifted to work for later that night.

~*~ End of Flashback ~*~

"Nick, are you ok?" Catherine questioned, waving her hand in front of his face.

"Is Greg back yet? Is he here in my arms?" Nick replied, forcing his way to the door way. Catherine shook her head, looking down sadly. "No, then I'm not fucking bloody alright."

"Nick, calm down," Grissom said, rising his hands in the air in front of himself. "We are all up set about Greg."



"Ya, well, you didn't make the most stupid mistake in the world, have you? You didn't break up with someone because you are scared that your life will come boring because you are with someone you love more than the world, and now you realise that it was the person you love that was making your life interesting and you're the boring one. .... And now ... now that person is missing and you can't do anything to help find them." Nick paused, wiping the tear from his cheeks. "I'm going to go to the toilet and freshen up, then I'm going to come in here and sit at this screen and watch the person I love more than my whole family put together." Nick said walking out the room in tears.

Chapter 4

"Hi honey, I'm back," Nick said to the screen in front of him as he sat down. "He hasn't woken up yet?"

"No," Warrick said, down next to Nick. "He is starting to move about more. He might start to wake up soon."

"He always likes to sleep in," Nick said, smiling sadly.

As if listening, Greg began to raise his arms in front of his eyes. He opened his brown eyes and grimaced as the light at his feet blinded him. He lowered his arms and looked around. Nick could see Greg was trying to remember what had happened. Greg's arm moved to something next to him and he brought it to his face. It's was a gun. Greg quickly put the weapon back down and tried to turn away from it.

"What is he doing?" Warrick asked leaning closer to one of the screens.

"He's scared of guns," Nick replied. "Has been his whole life, a family member found one in his granddad's house and accidentally shot it at Greg's left hand. It wasn't very bad, just a graze of the skin. But he has been afraid of them since. I'm not allowed to have a gun showing in my house when he comes over.

"Why is he so calm," Warrick said. "I would be screaming up a storm by now."

Nick sighed and put his hand on the monitor that was closest to him. "He's in denial, it will wear off in a minute. Then it will get bad, he doesn't like closed spaces."

Nick frowned as Greg put his hand to the glass wall on his right side and started to push. "Here we go," Nick said, trying his best to look away. Greg began to hit the walls with his hands, arms, feet, legs and head. He had opened his mouth like he was screaming. The camera in the coffin was shaking with the force of Greg's out burst. Then Greg's body started to calm and then it started to spasm as he went into a fit.

"Oh god," Warrick and Nick said both standing up and watching the camera in fear. Greg's head hit the walls and then stilled. Nick moved forward into the desk in front. Greg slowly opened his eyes, started to turn to his face and top half to his left and throw up.

"Does that happen a lot?" Warrick asked as Nick fell on to the chair behind him. Nick shook his head, sadly. "Has it happened before?"

"No," Nick said, and then thought back. "Wait, yes, but when he was a young boy."

"Was it bad?" Warrick asked, sitting back down as well. Nick shook his head and went back to watching the monitor. "Has anyone called his parents?"

"No," Nick replied. "But I think Catherine is going to."


Nick walked out into the corridor and sighed. He couldn't watch Greg anymore, it was becoming too much to bare. As he walked along the hallway he came across a couple in their late forties and an elder man in his mid seventies. The elder man weakly smiled his way, and waved him over, Nick smiled back and went over to him.

"Hi Nick," the man said, giving the young man a hug. "How are you holding up?"

"Not very well," Nick replied. "He had a fit, a couple of hours ago. I can't watch him at the moment; it's getting too much for me." Nick said, sighing as he saw Catherine and Grissom making their way to them. "How are you holding up?"

"Not very good, it's been hard coming to terms with it. It doesn't help the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Sensitivity over there keep fighting. I don't know why your guys called them, they hate each other."

"Are these Greg's parents?" Nick asked, looking at the other two from a difference. He looked back at Papa Olaf, who nodded. "They do look like him. . . . Do they even know who Greg is?"

"Not really," Greg's granddad replied, "Alex only spent five weekends with him when he was six, and that did make Greg happy, those sailing weekends were the only times Greg spend with his father. That's why I don't know why they called them. They won't pay the million, they don't love him enough."

Grissom and Catherine slowed and came to a stop by Nick and turned to the couple, who were arguing again. "If you would all like to follow us," Catherine said as Grissom started towards the interview room. Once inside, Greg's 'family' sat down, including Nick, on one side of the table and the two bosses sat on the other.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Sanders and Mr Hojem," Catherine said, shaking hands with Olaf but being refused by Alex and Emily.

"I'm not a Sanders, I'm called Mrs. Emily Henderson," the women said, frowning at Catherine. "We were married for 5 months, had Greg, then divorced, we both didn't want Greg so we dumped him at my dad's house. I'm sorry, but I don't want to be here, I have to go home and get ready for a date." Emily rose from her seat and walked out the door.

"She's right, we dumped him," Alex said standing up. "That obviously means we don't really want anything to do with him." Alex left with a scowl on his face.

"Sorry about them," Papa Olaf sighed, looking down. "They were always like this even when they were dating . . . . . what are we going to do about Greg? I only have $5,000; I could sale the house, the car, my wife. I just want my Wacko back."

"Wacko?" Catherine asked, not even realising it.

"He was always a crazy child," Greg's grandfather replied, smiling sadly. "Always changing his hair and wearing the worst shirts."

"I have $15, 000," Nick said, sighing. "Greggy and I were saving it."

"You don't have to, we'll find another way," Olaf sighed and closed his eyes. "What contact have you had with the kidnapper?"

"Little," Grissom replied.

"How do you know Greg is still alive?" Olaf said, opening his eyes, and looking from one C.S.I. to another. Grissom and Catherine glanced at each other and Nick looked down.


Papa Olaf looked away when he saw Greg laying on his back, trying to curl from the light. "Oh, Wacko, what have you gotten yourself into, now?"


Chapter 5

Nick watched as Catherine carried a huge bag in the direction of Grissom's office. Nick followed her into his office and stood at the back of the room. Catherine put the bag on Grissom's desk in front of him.

"I got the money," Catherine said, stepping back into Nick, who was looking over her shoulder at the bag. He gave her a small smile, grabbed her around the middle and started whispering 'thank you' over and over.

"From where?" Grissom asked, opening the bag and looking into it.

"Where do you think?" she replied, patting Nick's arm before unlatching his arms from around her. She turned her head to look at his face and whispered; "you're welcome. He'll be back soon and in your arms." At this Nick smiled more, stepping backwards and sitting down on the edge of a cupboard.

"Catherine, if the press finds out about this, it'll look like Sam Braun bribed the lab," Grissom said, closing the bag and standing up.

"It doesn't matter," Nick said, staring at Grissom as if he had just said he was having a sexual affair with Ecklie. "If it gets Greg back, then it doesn't matter."

"He's a casino owner," Catherine responded. "A leader of industry, never convicted of any crime, and right now, I don't care about the integrity of the lab at the moment. I care about Greg."

"Yeah, well, so do I, but nonetheless ..." Grissom started, but didn't finish.

"Well, you're sitting here like Jack Handy with your deep thoughts, staring at a coffee cup. You got a better plan, I'm all ears," Catherine stated, turning to see Nick staring at something in his hands.

Grissom, seeing this as well, sighed and uttered; "All right. But I make the drop. You're hands off."

Nick jumped up from his resting place. "I want to come with you."

"That's my money," Catherine said, raising her voice over the noise Nick was making behind her.

Grissom turned to Catherine and asked, "You can't be seen anywhere near this money. It was given to the lab anonymously. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Catherine answered, looking at the money, then at Grissom and then at Nick. "Is Nick coming with you to the drop off site wherever that is?"

"Yes," Grissom replied, glancing at Nick.


Gil and Nick stared at the monitor as the words of the drop of point came on to the screen.
4672 CARNEY LANE - BOULDER HWY
BE THERE IN 20 MINUTES
OR DON'T BOTHER COMING.


Grissom and Nick made their way into the building. Once inside the building, they see a Ford parked inside. Grissom takes his sunglasses off and Nick sighs holding the bag tightly in his hands. He puts the leather bag on the floor near the door and takes out a flashlight, Grissom does the same. He looks around the sparse building. Nick turns to his left and sees a dead dog and thought back to Greg's kidnapped scene; 'the organs'.

"Las Vegas Crime Lab," Grissom yelled into the darkness.

"Through the door," shouted a voice from another room. Nick picked up the bag and he and Gil made their way farer inside, to a door on their right.

Inside the next room, a man was sitting behind a desk appeared to be watching something on the monitor in front of him. "Pretty quiet outside. Almost sounds like you two are alone."

"We've got your money," Grissom said, taking the bag out Nick's strong grip.

"So, gave us back Greg," Nick shouted, appearing to think about how he should act to this man. Should he run at him and kill him now or should he wait and see if he was really going to tell them where Greg was. . . . . Wait.

"Hold on, cowboy," the man said, smirking at Nick, he turned to Grissom. "Put it down." Grissom put the bag down on the ground. The man walked around the desk and stood in front of it. "Slide it over." Grissom kicked the bag over to the other side of the room. The bag stopped a couple yards away from the man. The man walked up to the bag and turned on his own flashlight. "You're telling me there's a million dollars in here."

"Yes," Grissom said, watching as the older man knelt down next to the bag.

"Along with some cute little booby traps? Which is it -- a tracer, a dye pack?" the man asked, pulling the bag closer.

"Normally, you'd be 100% right, but this time, you're 100% wrong. We want Greg back, no tricks," Grissom interrupted, barely hearing the common Nick was muttering; 'I wish we did do tricks'.

The man zipped the bag open; he reached inside and pulled out a pack of 100 bills. He smiled, threw it back into the leather bag and chuckled. "This looks real."

"It is real. Where is Greg?" Nick shouted, starting towards the man, but being held back by Grissom.

"You know, I was under the impression it was against departmental policy to negotiate with terrorists," the guy stated.

"Are you a terrorist?" Grissom asked, pulling Nick behind him.

"Depends," he said, he shined his flashlight on Grissom's face. "Are you terrified?"

"Look, I really don't want to talk to you. Where is my guy?" Nick asked, raising his voice higher.

"Oh, so ... he is 'your guy', huh?"

"Yes, he is."

"Where is he buried?" Grissom asked.

"Are you two close?" the man asked, ignoring Grissom and turning to Nick, who was now standing next to Grissom not behind.

"That's none of your business," Nick snapped back.

"What does Greg Sanders mean to you? How do you feel when you see him in that coffin? Does your soul die every time you push that button? How do you feel, knowing that there's nothing you can do to get him out of that hell? Helpless ... useless ... impotent?" Nick and Grissom don't say anything, but their looks answered his question. "Good. Welcome to my world." The man unbuttoned his jacket and showed the two red bars of High Explosives / Semtex hooked up around his waist, his thumb over the detonator. "Uh, if I were you, I'd back up a little."

Grissom grabbed Nick's arm and started to pull him to a farer distance, a couple of feet back. The old man presses his thumb on the bottom and explodes.


Chapter 6

Warrick and Sara were under the Ford's hood, Sara was trying to attach the computer to the black box while Warrick was at the laptop. "That's the wrong box, Sara," Warrick snapped at Sara.

"Well, pick one. There are three," Sara replied.

"That one right there," Warrick said pointing angrily at the box at the back.

"Give me a break. I haven't done this before," Sara said connecting the wires.

"All right, let's go over it again. The diagnostic unit gets attached to that black box, which gives us the mileage of his last trip. Like an airplane."

"That gives us the radius for the search area."

"Right," Warrick said nodding his head. Warrick keys something in and the laptop beeped. "Twenty-three miles, we know he was heading east on the 215."

"I'll get a map," Sara said, moving away from the Ford to get a map.


Catherine walked across the empty building, she stopped to peel a bill, which was stuck to the underside of her covered feet. She gave it to the officer as she passed by on her way to the inner room. "Somebody bag this money, please? Don't get any funny ideas, either." She walked into the inner room and sighed. "What I had to do to get this money and for what."

She walked over to David Phillips, who was examining the lump of flesh on the floor, Catherine knelt down. "There's no ID on him."

Catherine stood up and carefully walked through the bills on the floor. She looked around the floor and found something. She picked it up. "I got a thumb."


Nick walked up to Archie Johnson, who was sitting at the computer. "How's he doing?" Nick sat down next to Archie, watching the monitor.

"Hard to say, about the same, I guess," Archie said.

"I'm going to get some coffee," Archie said, as he stood up and left the lab. Nick put his cup down and watched the monitor.

Nick watched Greg's face, which had sweat all over his face from the heat. Greg turned and looked longingly at the vent. After a moment the screen went off. Nick clicked the "WATCH" button on the monitor, and Greg came back on screen. Nick watched as Greg mouthed something to the light.


Nick sat in front of the computer monitor, he picked up his cup and drunk. He reached for the mouse and clicked the screen back on. Nick watched as Greg said 'No' to the light in front of him. Nick watched as Greg looked down at the light near his feet, he looked at the light, then back to the vent. He watched as Greg reached into his back jeans pocket and takes out a pack of gum. He unwrapped the gum and pops it into his mouth, and started chewing. Nick watched Greg chew his gun. Greg put some of the gum in his right ear and some more in his left.

"What are you doing, Greggy?" Nick asked. On the monitor, Nick watched as Greg took out the gun and cocked it. Nick gots to his feet, his eyes glued to the monitor. "What are you doing, Greggy?" He asked again, alarmed. On the monitor, Nick saw Greg rest the gun on his chest, the muzzle pointed near his own head. Greg turned to the side. "Don't do it, Greggy!"

Greg looked down at the light, the tip of his gun muzzle near his chin. Nick, alarmed, stood up. Greg took a breath and aimed the gun down at the light beneath his feet. He fired.

Nick jumped back as the monitor went completely black, and started yelling at the screen, "You son of a bitch!"

A green light fills the screen and Greg's face comes back into view. Nick saw Greg moving inside the box and laughed with relief. "You're still alive. You're still alive, honey."


Nick opened his locker and looked inside. For a moment, he appeared as if he's looking for a change of clothes. But suddenly, he stopped. He appeared lost and deeply contemplative as something has just occurred to him. He slammed the locker door shut and sat down abruptly on the bench behind him. He looked at the locker next to his, he stood up, walked over to it, pulled out a key and opened the locker. Inside the locker there were two bags of Greg's favorite coffee, he pulled one of them out, got a small bag and poured some of the coffee into the bag, then placed it back into Greg's locker and slammed the door.


Chapter 7

"Hey, guys come here," Sara shouted to Catherine, Warrick and Nick. "I found something." Catherine, Warrick and Nick headed over to Sara. "Look at this." Taking the bent-out-of-shaped jug that Warrick kicked, Sara poured some of the liquid on the ground and saw the outline of something there just under the dirt. "There's something underneath there."

Warrick, Catherine, Sara and Nick started brushing away the dirt from the lid. "Oh, got an edge right here. All right."

"Another over here," Sara said, dusting the last of the dirt away.

"Sara, get some crowbars," Catherine shouted at Sara, who started running to her car that was close by. Warrick, Nick and Catherine continued to brush the dirt away from the lid. Sara returned with she crowbars, she handed Warrick one. They lifted the concrete lid up and off the patch of dirt. "Greg could be under here, if he's buried him lengthwise, and who's to say he didn't ... he could be."

Suddenly, there's a very real urgency and they started to dig really fast. Catherine put her mask back on and started digging. Warrick, Nick and a couple of others dug out the area with their shovels. Catherine and Sara stood on the side just behind some lights and watched the others digging.

Warrick hit something and stopped, "I hit something!" He used the tip of the shovel and tapped at it, there was a hollow sound underneath it. Warrick and Nick put their shovel aside. Nick sat in the hole and started digging with his hands; Warrick did the same but at the opposite end. Catherine and Sara stood just outside the hole and watched.

Underneath Nick's hand a clear wall began to show as he flung the soil away. Seeing this Catherine yelled, "It's Plexiglas!" Catherine reached into the hole and helped dig out the rest of the dirt.

"Greggy!"

"Greg!"

"Greg?"

"Greg! Hold on there, Honey!" Nick shouted, brushing away the rest of the soil. "Just a few more minutes now and you'll be out of there. I'll do you anything you want, just hold on for a little longer, doll... I remember when I called you doll in the lab, remember that, the look on your face, and you being so scared anyone had over heard and found out about us. I'll look after you would you're out of there .... I love you, Greg, remember that, okay."

The soil cleared; they looked inside the box and saw a dead dog laying in the box. "It's a dog," Catherine said, disappointed. "It's a dog."

Nick shook his head in frustration, stood up and got out of the hole. He kicked some of the dirt back into the hole, as he did this his phone began to ring, he picked up the phone and held it to his ear.


"Nick! Nick!" Archie said on to the phone. "Something is happening to Greg.... I don't know what, but something is happening...... He keeps looking to his feet, it looks like he's saying something like 'no'...... Wait! Wait! The glass it's cracking, the pressure is making it crack!"


Nick watched the live feed with Grissom, Sara and Archie, as Greg picked up the tape recorder in his hand and clicked it on. Greg began to say something but only one of the four could understand what he was saying. Grissom sighed when the rest of the group looked at him.

"Alright. He is saying the following: My name is Greg Sanders. If anybody finds this tape, turn it in to the Las Vegas ... PD. There should be a reward. Papa Olaf .... Grandma .... well, this is a lousy way to say good-bye, but it's all I've got. I love you. You raised me the best you could... and I'm going to miss you. .... Do one thing for me .... Tell mom and dad ..... that .... They are the worst parents alive. .... As for the rest of you guys, I know you did the best you could to find me. ...... Nick ....." Grissom stopped his voice braking.

"What did he say," Nick said raising his voice. "What was he saying to me?! You have to tell me! You can't stop, please Grissom .... Gil .... Please."

"Alright Nick," Grissom said, "He said that he's sorry about the argument, he wishes you a happy life, that he will miss you a lot and that he loves you very much." Grissom turned his attention back to the screen, Nick sat there staring into his hands.

Suddenly, Greg looked down at his feet and appeared to lose it. He dropped the tape recorder and it fell near his head. He continued to look down at his feet. Sara and Archie watch the monitor.

"He's going into convulsions," Sara said, worriedly, her voice growing louder as she continued "He's losing it." She turned and looked back at Grissom. Grissom continued to look at the monitor. Greg indeed appeared to be in full-mode panic.

"What's going on?" Nick cried, now looking at the monitor not his hands. "Don't say it's another fit, please don't."

"What is .....?" Grissom said staring at the monitor, after a while, he saw something. "Wait a minute." Grissom enhanced the view on the live-feed, zooming the camera's focus on the wall near Greg's head. He saw it, "Ants." They all watched as Greg panicked and screamed. "My God, he's being eaten alive."

Nick watched silent tears falling on to the desk in front of him as Greg struggled in the box, his pants legs covered with ants as the insects made their way into the box. Even through there was no sound Nick could imagine the screams of pain inside his head.


Chapter 8

The others watched as the ants crawled all over Greg's shoes, pants and clothes. Greg dug into his pocket and took out a latex glove. Sara was stood just behind Grissom and Nick as they both watched Greg over the monitor. They could see the ants covering Greg's face; he kept his eyes shut tight and tour off something to shove into his nose. Although he's in pain, Greg forced himself to stop moving.

"That's it, Greggo," Grissom said, approving. "Stay still," he paused. "They won't bite," another pause, "As much."

Warrick walked into the room, frowning at the screen. "Ants, as if he didn't have anymore worries, other than being in a glass box, something else happens."

"What else does he have to worry about another than being in a box underground?" Nick questioned, not taking his eyes off of the screen.

"He has 83mins before the vent stops," Warrick said, watching his friend turn shapely in his chair to look at him.

"What!" Nick bellowed, "We have one hour and twenty minutes to find Greg! We aren't even close!" Nick stood, quietly thinking of what to do, designing; he clicked something into his watch, grabbed the lap top and the connection and stormed out the room.

"Nick!" Warrick and Grissom shouted as they watched Nick go into Greg's old lab. They turned to the monitors in front of them, all of them losing their connection when Nick had taken it, to find Greg's face glowing in the green light.

"It still works, he just wants to watch it in private."


Grissom's eyes were glued to the monitor. He saw an ant walk quickly past the lens. "Oh, come on, pal," Grissom murmured encouragingly. Another ant barely walked over the lens, but not enough. "Yeah, that's it," Grissom said, sitting in front of the monitors. "Come on, little more." Sara stepped up behind Grissom and watched what he's doing. "Keep coming. Show me what you're made of. Come on, buddy," Grissom said coaxing. An ant danced across the edge of the lens. Finally, it landed dead center on the lens. Grissom hit the print button. "Gotcha!"


With the photo in his hand, Grissom rushed back to his office. He headed for his library and pulled down the large book. He flipped through the pages ... and found it. He compared the book drawing to the photo. It was a match. "Solenopsis invicta."

Grissom walked to the staff lounge calling the staff to follow him, once inside he sat down and briefed his staff. "They're fire ants, very rare in Nevada. They don't like our soil. The only places you find them around Vegas are in plant and tree nurseries," Grissom said quickly.

"There are eleven nurseries in the greater Las Vegas area," Catherine said, seeing movement in Greg's old lab. "Nick, we're close to finding Greg!" She yelled, looking at the lab. She watched Nick stand up with the lab top under his arm. He sauntered out of the room rubbing his bloodshot eyes, and joined the rest of the group.

The group took their eyes from Nick on to Archie, who had the map of the area spread out in front of him. "Okay, I've got the web cam trace down to here," he said, he drew a large circle in black ink on the map.

"And the data from the black box in Walter Gordon's truck gave us a 23-mile travel radius," Sara said, added another circle, cutting the area down even more.

Warrick walked out with the printout of the nurseries, he quickly scanned the list. "Okay, I've got two nurseries within the overlap area. Here and here." He added two 'X' marks to the map within the overlapping area.

Sara remembered something. "Wait, wait. Wait, wait. Kelly Gordon, the daughter, worked with plants. Hold on. Hold on." She ran out of the lab and down the hallway to Grissom's office. She picked up the file folder from his desk and checked the information, she ran back to the break room. "You guys, Greg is here." She pointed to the 'X' on the left of the map.



A long line of officer cars rushed down the long stretch of highway - lights flashing, sirens blaring. The lead car pulled off the road to the right, this car had Grissom driving and Nick looking at his watch and praying they were going to make it in time. They only had 10 minutes left. The long line of officer cars and other emergency personnel vehicles followed. They reach the nursery where the owner was waiting for them.


Chapter 9 - the end

"We found him!"

Nick ran over to Catherine. He grabbed a shovel on the way and began to dig, he turned and saw Warrick digging as well. They were so close when Warrick and his watches went off. Nick tensed and began to dig faster and faster.

Nick's shovel hit something, he stopped knelt down and began to dig with his hands. "I hear something! ... GREG! ... GREG! I coming, hold on." Nick came to steamed plastic, he moved the remaining soil from the plastic.

Greg's face showed slightly through the wall separating him from Nick. Nick's eyes became to fill with tears as he noticed that Greg was holding the gun to his chin. His eyes were half closed and ants were crawling all over his skin. Nick started to claw at the door, Warrick did the same behind.

Nick stopped when he saw Greg shaking with fear and relief. "I'm here Greg, I'm here," Nick whispered to Greg, stroking his hand on the plastic. "We're going to get you out of there Greggy." He looked at the gun still under Greg's chin. "Put it down Greg, you don't need that anymore." Greg lowered and dropped the gun on the plastic floor.

"Someone get the fire extinguisher!" Grissom yelled to the people back him. Sara ran to the car and pulled out the fire extinguisher and ran back to the hole, Warrick and Nick lifted the corner closest to Greg's head. "Short bursts, we don't want to suffocate him." Sara followed his orders and the ants slowly died away.

Grissom gave a small smile and told Sara to stop. Grissom turned and made his way to Catherine, who was calling him over. They whispered to each other for a minute.

"We have a problem!" Nick turned in alarm to see Grissom making his way over to the hole. "Get out of the hole now!" Everyone else did but not Nick, who was looking at Grissom as if he had five heads rather than one.

"No," Nick shouted turning back to Greg. "Not without Greg." He put both his hands to the glass and quickly started whispering to Greg. It was roughly along the lines of 'sorry', 'won't leave you' and 'love you'.

"Nick, it could explode at anytime!" Catherine yelled coming closer to the hole. "We'll get him out!"

"I've got an idea." Grissom said, looking at the crane. "Get the keys to that crane and bring it closer to the hole." Grissom knelt next to the hole and gently pulled at Nick's sleeve.

Greg began to panic as Nick stood and moved away without getting him out. His eyes began to jerk at all directions, his body began to shake. He felt tears fall and could hear his dimmed screams.

Grissom came into his vision, he was saying something but it was hard to hear with all his screaming. He caught a few words; 'Calm down', 'shh' and 'it'll all be over soon'. One word he heard very well, which shut him up completely was 'Wacko'. He turned his head to Gil, watched and lessoned to what he had to say.

"We're going to get you out but you have to stay calm. Now, in a minute we are to open the box you can't move, or you will blow us all up. Wacko, when I count to two, this crane is going to pour all of its soil on you. On three the team are going to pull you out, okay, Wacko?" Greg nodded his head. "You have to promise that you are not going to move, okay Wacko? Put your hand where my hand is and promise me," Grissom said putting his hand on the plastic. "Promise me, Wacko," Greg nodded and pieced his hand under Grissom's and mouthed 'I promise'. Grissom smiled and stood up.

"Open it!" Nick yelled, as he, Warrick, Grissom and a few others pulled at the door. Once it was open, Nick grabbed Greg's hand, lowered his head and kissed it. Then let it go, stood and let everyone else make their way to a pretty good distance. The only people left was Nick and Grissom, Gil handed Nick the end of the rope and told him to tie it round Greg's belt. Once this was done, Nick and Grissom made their way to the others, but not without Nick leaning down and pecking Greg on the lips.

"On the count of two let the crane cover Greg, on the count of three pull," Grissom shouted as everyone pick up the rope. "One! Two!" The soil fell on to the grave. "Three!" Everyone pulled and Greg came flying through a cloud full of dirt and landed smack on the floor.

Nick dropped the rope, ran to Greg's side and rounded him over so that he was laying on his back. Nick smiled, through his tears, when Greg opened his eyes and smiled back. Greg pulled Nick into a hug as Nick started to say over and over that he was so sorry and will never make the same mistake again.

"I'm sorry, I realized that you are the only one I want," Nick whispered, rubbing his cheek into Greg's hair. "I love you."

"I love you too," Greg whispered back, smiling.

Nick swallowed and pulled away from Greg, he looked into Greg's eyes. "I was hoping that, once you forgive me for being an arse, that... will you marry me?"

Greg pulled back more and looked Nick in the eye, he heard a noise and turned to see the medics rushing his way. He turned back to Nick and grinned, "yes, I'll marry you." Nick beamed and pulled Greg into a deep kiss.

The End

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