Title: Happy Anniversary!!
By: Rhardin
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Warning: character death
Summary: Today is there 4 year anniversary. But this is not what Nick had in mind. There should be out having a nice dinner, not in a cold wet storm drain!
Beta'd by the sweet Lady Heather

No. This was not what he had planned. But when a call comes in and Gil sends you out, what can you do?; they would have been off an hour ago.

No. This place was a nasty, cold, wet storm drain, where someone said they had seem someone fall in and never come up. No. Not a candle light dinner with wine and a nice and warm over priced restaurant; they should be eating shrimp and sipping on wine, not breathing this god awful smell.

Or maybe they wouldn't have gone out and would have spent the whole night in bed making love all night long, then head out for breakfast. Hell, Taco Bell would be better than this!

No. When Nick planned their four year anniversary this was not what he hand in mind at all.

He could hear Greg humming. God, he was always happy, nothing seemed to bring his husband down.

"Why are you humming? This is so nasty," Nick said as Greg turned around to face him. He smiled at Nick.

"Why in the world are you smiling?" Nick asked, walking up to him.

"Because I'm with you. Just trying to make the best of this. So, we'll just go out for dinner later. We could be out on separate cases and not even see each other," he said, smiling again.

Nick nodded. That was true, he thought; he could have been sent out with Warrick.

"Ok, cheer up," he told himself. If Greg was making the best of this nasty place, he'd just have to try himself.

"I think we're at a dead end," Nick said as the tunnel came to sudden stop; a nice brick wall was in front of them.

Greg sighed and turned towards Nick. "What a waste. Well, at least we don't have to process anything. We'll head back, take a shower and the night is ours, baby," he said, pulling Nick close to him.

"You'd find a silver lining in just about anything, wouldn't you babe?" Nick said, slowly pulling away. "Let's go; I'm getting cold," Nick said as they headed back the way they came.

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Officer Stevens sat on his patrol car. He sighed and hopped off the car.

"What the fuck are you guys doing? It's been an hour!" he shouted. "It was a prank call, there is nothing here. Lets head back," he said, walking to the entrance of the tunnel. "Okay, now it's starting to rain!" he yelled, running back to his car. His radio beeped, making him jump.

"Stevens," he said

"It's Jim. Where are the CSIs? I can't reach them."

"Oh, they're right out side. They are working on something."

"So, they arn't in the tunnel?"

"Nope, right there. I see them both," he said.

"Good, tell them it was a prank call and to get out of there. A lever broke a few miles up and you guys are going to get flooded in five minutes or so."

"Okay, over," he said. He got out of his car and walked to the tunnel. He shined his flashlight down and tried to see them.

"Hey, guys! Hurry up!" he shouted. He could feel the ground starting to shake. He ran back to his car and jumped in. He watched as the tunnel got flooded with water. He reached for his radio, then stopped. He turned the car on and drove off.

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"I think we turned the wrong way," Nick groaned. "Shit," he said, seeing a gate in front of them. It was very old and had many pieces broken and sticking out on the left side.

"Dead end. Damit! Who made this fucking place?"

Greg sighed. "Looks like we'll get a fancy breakfast," he said, turning around.

"Baby, is it just me or is the water getting deeper?" Greg asked as it was now ankle deep.

"We better get a move on if we want to get out," Nick said. They both started to run. Greg suddenly stopped.

"What is that?" he asked. Everything around then started to shake. Nick swallowed hard and shined his flashlight ahead into the darkness.

"Oh, my God," Greg screamed. They both turned as the water knocked the two CSIs off their feet. Greg tried to swim above the water, but he hit his head.

The whole tunnel was flooded. The water pushed them both forward, their bodies came to a sudden stop as they both slammed into the gate.

Greg tried to push back away from the gate, but the water was much stronger than him. He held on as tight as he could. His body was begging for air. Pleading with him. Then the water level dropped and Greg gasped for air. He took in a few deep breaths and looked around.

"Nick!" He screamed. There he was in the lower left corner. Greg climbed down and pulled Nick's head out of the water. Nick gasped as well, filling his lungs with much needed oxygen. He then screamed out in pain as Greg tried to help him up.

"Nick? Are you ok? What's wrong?" Greg asked. He held Nick's head up by holding him behind his neck. Nick looked very pale.

"Baby, where does it hurt?" Greg asked.

"Something is in my side. I can feel it," Nick said in a weak voice.

He tried to free himself, but again yelled out in pain.

Greg let his neck go and reached down by Nick's side. His left arm seemed to be trapped as well. Nick's head fell back and Greg again lifted his lover's head out of the water.

"Oh, shit," Nick said. Greg held his head up with one hand and felt around with the other one. He remembered the pieces that were sticking out of the gate. He turned, almost as pale as Nick, as he felt one going into Nick's side. He again cried out in pain.

"Oh, God," Greg said as he lifted his hand and watched the blood wash away with the water. "Nick, can you hold your head above water?" he asked as he loosened his hold on Nick's head. He started to go under. Greg pulled him back up.

"No, I can't," Nick said, sounding even weaker. Greg grabbed Nick's right arm and pulled it over to the fence.

"You have to hold yourself up," he said as he let go of his hand; it fell almost lifelessly back into the water.

Greg started to shake, not from the coldness of the water, but from the fear of knowing that he couldn't save Nick. He knew that if he got that piece out of his side he'd bleed out, that is if Greg could fight the rapid flow of water with the both of them. If he let Nick's head go he'd drown before he got back with help.

"I don't know what to do," Greg cried. His arms and hands were starting to hurt from holding Nick up.

Nick closed his eyes.

"Nick, no! You hold on. Don't you leave me! I need you. What should I do?" Greg pleaded as tears rolled down his face. His arms where starting to shake.

Nick slowly opened his eyes.

"The pain is gone," he said. Greg pulled Nick a bit higher as the water was starting to rise again. It was pushing against Greg even harder now.

"Oh, God Nick," Greg called out.

"Thank you," Nick said. Greg could barely hear him over the rushing water.

"For what, baby?" He asked, the water was just under Nick's chin now. Greg pulled him up a bit higher.

"For setting me free. You showed me what life was all about. I was dead before I met you. I found myself because of you. I was no longer afraid of who I was. I love you so much," Nick whispered, forcing the air to come out of his mouth.

"You saved me. I am finally happy." He again closed his eyes.

"Nicky, no! I need you. Please don't leave me. Oh, God!" Greg cried out. Greg's hand's could only manage to hold onto Nick clothes now, his hands almost burned now as he fought to keep his head above water. It took all Greg's strength to hold Nick's weakening body. He never took his eyes off Nick.

"Don't die here," Nick mouthed, his eyes still closed.

"No, I'm not leaving you here alone," Greg almost shouted. "I want to be with you. No matter where you are. You are my world. I can't go on without you. I love you so much Nick," he said again, softer now.

Nick could no longer move the air from his lungs.

"We are in this together," Greg said.

Nick nodded. It didn't take long for his body to relax in Greg's arms. Tears came and went. He kept his lover's head above the water. It finally covered him, but he still couldn't let go. He was shaking all over now. His arms finally gave out on him and he let Nick go. Watching him slide to the ground.

The water was up to his chin now. He took in one last deep breath and went under water, he wrapped his arms around Nick's body and held him as tightly as he could. He kissed him, then laid his head on his chest. He closed his eyes and took Nick's right hand into his own.

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Gil stood a few feet from the gate. Sara was a few feet behind him. She put her hand over her mouth. Warrick placed his hand on her shoulder. She turned and laid her face on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. They both started to cry.

Gil watched as they pulled Greg and Nick's hand apart. They placed Greg on the gurney and covered him with a blanket. He watched as they cut the metal pieces that had trapped Nick.

"Be careful," Gil said. He wasn't sure why he said that. They made their way up the tunnel and he watched as they took this two CSIs to the lab. He turned and looked at Warrick and Sara. He seemed to be holding her up. Gil again took a slow breath.

"Doc, I need to know what killed them," Gil said. It took him a long time to find the strength to go in there.

"Nick's bled out," Doc said in a lifeless voice. "He had three deep gashes; one almost went through him. It was just below his ribs and it broke his spine. The other two were just in his hip and the other one in his left leg going all the way through and entering his right leg. The top gash is the one that killed him. This took some time; he must have been in a lot of pain. He should have drowned. It would have been easier on him." Gil shuddered at the thought of Nick in so much pain.

"And Greg?" he finally asked.

"He, on the other hand, did drown. I found no evidence of any trauma other than the brushing on his hands. He must have been holding on to something very tight. It had been very heavy, what ever it was," Doc said.

"Yeah, it was Nick," Gil said. "So, he wasn't trapped in any way?"

"I don't believe so. There was nothing to indicate that he was. I don't see why he didn't try to save himself. It was like he gave up."

He remembered how he found them; Greg wrapped around Nick and they where holding hands.

Gil nodded and took in a slow deep breath. He looked at the two CSIs; best friends, lovers, each on a table.

Lover beside lover, one ending his life to be with the other.