Tttle: Animal Planet - Nick and Greg
By: Serenity
Pairing: Nick and Greg (surprise surprise!)
Rating: PG13
Warning: AU, Overtones of slash
Summary: This is a missing scene from the wonderful 'Animal Planet' fiction by anmani it's Nick's POV of the 'transformation', so please read that fiction first.

Nick climbed into the back of the silver jeep he was processing, carefully sweeping the ALS across the fabric interior. The orange goggles were making his forehead itch, but he resisted the urge to scratch at it. "Hey Greggo, it looks like we've got semen in the backseat. Hand me a swab, would you? I'll take a sample."

Greg came up behind him, handing him the piece of kit he needed. "You know, I'd love to sweep this ALS across your backseat. It would be lit up like Christmas." he teased, running his hands across Nick‘s back.

Nick turned, trying to be stern, but couldn't stop the smirk playing on his lips. "Not at work G', remember? We have rules for a reason."

Greg pouted. "You're no fun, you know." but he laughed to show he wasn't being completely serious.

Nick shook his head at his young lover and opened the sterile swab, carefully taking a sample of the semen. He was just about to cap the swab when a flash like sheet lightning blinded him, even through his orange goggles, and an overwhelming ringing dominated his hearing. Acting on pure instinct, he screwed his eyes shut and brought his hands to his ears.

After a couple of seconds the ringing subsided. He cautiously opened his eyes, his first thought being that some sort of explosion had occurred. He opened his mouth to call for Greg, but all that came out was a thick growl. I must have dust in my throat or something he reasoned, and attempted a cough. Satisfied that his throat was clear, he tried again. His brain was calling for Greg, but still all he was hearing was a growling.

I'm injured! he panicked. He looked down at his body to check for blood or wounds, but he wasn't prepared for what he was going to find. His body was gone! All he could see was black fur. He licked his lips like he always did when he was worried, or thinking. His tongue felt overly large, and he could move it all the way around his mouth, tasting fur as he explored.

OK, what the hell is going on? he thought, turning around in the backseat, which was easier than he expected. He'd seemed to have shrunk to a third of his normal size.

"Greg!" he screamed. But all he heard was a dog's bark echoing around the jeep. "Greg, where are you? Something's happened!" Still all he could hear was that infernal barking. He looked up to the rear-view mirror and let out a yelp. Staring back at him was a Border Collie dog, fur as black as coal save for a snow white patch on it's chest. It's mahogany brown eyes shown back at him. With a start, he recognised the eyes as his own.

It's OK, I'm having a nightmare. He tried to pinch his arm to wake himself up, but his fingers and thumbs had been replaced with a furry paw tipped with claws. He moved closer to the mirror, opening his mouth. The dog opened it's mouth to match. He turned his head to the left. The dog again matched his movements.

I'm a dog? he wondered, still trying to outwit his reflection with sudden movements. Am I dead? I don't believe in reincarnation but…. I'm a freaking dog!

He jumped out of the car and landed in an awkward bundle on the garage floor. He'd forgotten that he wasn't used to walking on four legs. He stood up carefully and got his balance, his whole centre of gravity was different. He knew that he needed to find Greg and somehow make him understand that he was Nick.

He walked slowly across the floor, taking small steps until he got himself into a good rhythm. He suddenly caught the scent of Greg's hair gel, but it was overwhelming, as if he was sniffing it directly out of the jar.

"Greg!" he barked, following the scent. He couldn't see him anywhere, and he stopped to see if he could hear him. Suddenly his ears felt strange, as if they were moving of their own accord. I don't know what I'll do if something's happened to him he thought as he searched.

Suddenly a small furry head popped up from a box of rags. Nick jumped and let out a yelp. A puppy jumped enthusiastically out of the box and ran over to him, his tiny paws making a skittering sound on the floor. Nick recognised the breed as a Blenheim Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, his Aunt had kept one when he was young.

The pup jumped around him, his huge brown eyes gleaming. Nick sniffed experimentally at the bundle of fur. A million smells flooded his senses, but he definitely made out the scent of Greg's gel and Blue Hawaiian coffee. He instinctively felt a deep connection and an overwhelming need to protect the pup, and he knew in his heart that it was Greg. That made an odd sort of sense. If he was a dog, why shouldn't Greg be one? And Greg had somehow seemed to recognise Nick straight away, and was obviously having a much easier time coming to terms with being a canine that he was. But then, that was Greg. Everything's an adventure.

He barked a greeting to his boyfriend, but Greg didn't seem to understand. And when Greg barked back, he couldn't decipher what he was saying either. But he knew just by looking into those chocolate eyes that Greg was telling him it was going to be OK.

"I love you Greg." he whimpered, nuzzling the other dog. Greg nuzzled him back, then nipped at him playfully before taking off running as fast as his little legs could carry him. Nick tried to give chase, but still wasn't used to having four legs and fell over again. He snorted in disgust with himself as Greg came running back and playfully lowered his head and shoulders, before dashing to the left. Nick bounced after him and tried to follow as he suddenly changed direction and zipped to the right. He couldn't turn his body in time and went crashing into the toolbox they had been using earlier, sending it crashing to the floor. He yelped and felt the strangest sensation in his back as his tail dipped between his legs.

Suddenly a wealth of new scents assaulted his nose. He looked up to see a menagerie of animals standing in the doorway, watching them. One of the group, a dog Nick recognised as a German wire-haired pointer, walked towards them and circled around, sniffing at them. Greg let out a high pitched yelp and hid behind Nick, who was trying to stand firm, but his quivering legs gave away his nerves. The pointer returned to the group of animals still congregated in the doorway, and Greg suddenly bounced after it.

Nick was very confused. He sat down on the ground and watched as the animals, who under normal circumstances would have been tearing each others throats out, now seemed to be working as a team.

Greg barked at him, running back to where Nick was sitting. He looked deep into those reassuring brown eyes, and decided that if Greg was set on going with these animals then he would follow. He wasn't going to let him out of his sight until he knew what the hell was going on.