Title: Animal Planet - Nick and Greg chapter 5
By: Serenity
Rating: PG 13
Summary: Nick's POV of the 5th chapter of anmani's Animal Planet.

Nick followed Grissom and the rest of the group towards the entrance to the lab. He wasn't sure what Grissom had planned, but he hoped that it was something to end this nightmare. He'd had enough of being a dog.

Greg was sticking close by him, watching him closely after his indiscretion with Sofia. He couldn't blame the pup for feeling jealous, he knew he would feel the same if it had been the other way around. The guilt stirred in his gut, and he tried to shake it off and concentrate on what was happening around them.

He could feel the fear and tension in the air as they approached the doors. Would the outside world also be changed? If so, how could they survive out there? They wouldn't be able to stay together, he knew that much. He turned and looked at Greg, trotting along beside him. Would Greg want to stay with him out there? A more worrying question was would he want to stay with Greg? The memory of being attracted to Sofia's scent haunted him again.

His thoughts were interrupted by a searing pain in his paw. He let out a scream that came out as a screeching yelp, and pulled back away from the source of the pain. Bright red blood was dripping from his raised paw onto the tiled floor, and a tuft of his black fur was stuck to a sharp object protruding from a wastebasket. The group turned to look at him, their eyes full of concern. Greg was whimpering beside him, so he put the paw down and tested his weight on it. It was painful, but could still support him. He didn't want anyone worrying about him, so he pretended to be fine.

Once everyone had turned away, he let Greg sniff over the injured paw to satisfy him that he was OK. He gave him a nuzzle and they continued towards the door.

Grissom hesitated at the glass door, watching the outside world. Finally they saw signs of normal human life out there, and Nick breathed a sigh of relief that came out as a huff through his wet nose.

Suddenly there was a flash of brown and white fur streaking past him, as Greg rushed towards the doors. The automatic sensors picked up on the movement and the doors whooshed open. Greg didn't stop, hurtling through them. "Greg, don't go out there!" Nick barked frantically, speeding after him. Before he could follow Greg through the doors there was a blinding flash and an almost unbearable ringing in his sensitive ears.

"Greg!" he screamed in a high pitched yelp, running through the doors. He could just make out the outline of Greg's human body lying on the sidewalk before he was engulfed in another flash.

He collapsed on top of Greg, the pain in his body incredible. He opened his eyes and looked down at the naked body beneath him, realising that he was also completely naked. He was acutely aware that anyone who passed by would see them lying there, nude, but he was in too much agony at that point to care.

Greg was stirring underneath him, trying to sit up. He moved awkwardly off him, trying to get used to the strange sensation of controlling human limbs again.

Another flash went off in his peripheral vision but he didn't look towards it to see who had followed them through as Greg had turned to face him, clearing his throat. "Are you OK Nick? You're pretty beat up. Jeez, what the hell happened to us?"

Nick could only mumble an answer of "I don‘t know". He still didn't quite know what he was feeling. Greg nodded his head to indicate that they'd been joined by someone.

Grissom was standing naked in front of them, his hands shielding his genitals uneasily.

"Are you guys OK?" he asked, his voice dry, as if he was talking through dust.

Nick looked up at his boss. The movement caused intense pain in his neck and he let out a choked sob of "No."

Greg answered strongly. "We'll be fine."

Grissom raised his voice so the animals still inside the lab could hear. "I think I know what happened." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I read out loud a letter I had received and then there was a flash and I became a dog."

Nick could hear Greg laughing "You've been reading too much Harry Potter.", but it seemed distant as he was swallowed up by the ache in his body. He couldn't hold back the tears, not caring who was watching him. Grissom was asking him if he was OK. "It hurts all over." he managed to stammer between sobs. He could feel Greg caressing him gently, letting him know it was going to be OK.

"It feels like I've dislocated every joint in my whole body." he explained. Grissom was looking him over, and Nick felt very exposed under the gaze.

"Well a dog has the joints a bit different from us. I guess that why we feel dislocated."

"Were you serious about that letter?" Greg broke in.

"I can't really see any other explanation, but there's no science to confirm the possibility of such events." Grissom sighed and shook his head.

Nick was so caught up in his own pain that he didn't notice Greg moving until he was already walking towards the lab again. There was another blinding flash, and Nick tried to run after him, shouting "No Greg!" His joints gave out and he landed in an clumsy heap on the pavement. Grissom told him to stay down, patting him on the shoulder.

Nick couldn't hold back the sobs of pain and bewilderment. He looked into the lab and saw the Cavalier pup once again standing by the doors. He could hear Grissom giving orders to the remaining animals, but he couldn't focus on what was being said. His hand went up to rub at the tender skin of his neck.

"You attacked me…." he said quietly, almost as much to himself as to Grissom. Grissom looked down at him, his blue eyes full of regret.

"I'm sorry Nick, but I had some very powerful Alpha instincts. I just couldn't let you… mate with her." Nick knew that he was talking about Sofia.

Nick nodded. "And I'm a Beta. I get it, but why didn't Greg…?"

Grissom sighed. "He is probably an Alpha in the making."

"Yeah I guess so. I'm sorry." Nick cradled his arm. His hand was badly swollen from the horse's hoof and the cut from the wastebasket was still bleeding. He felt a little dizzy, disorientated from the injuries and the transformation. He could hear Grissom saying something about excuses and instincts and being sorry, but he could only focus on a few words at a time.

His body was beginning to tremble with cold and shock, the cooling Vegas air nipping at his naked skin. He was aware of commotion all around him, but he was concentrating on staying awake, his eyelids were growing heavy. He wanted Greg, but he knew that human Greg was gone again. He looked up towards the door to find him, his shivers becoming more intense. Suddenly the feeling of a coarse blanket engulfed his body, and he pulled it tighter around him.

"I guess that I need to read that letter out loud again with everybody in place." Grissom mused.

Nick felt despair at the thought. "I have to go back?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Grissom looked at him with pity, confirming he did.

Another flash announced the arrival of Hodges into the outside world, and he and Grissom began to discuss how to go about reading the letter inside the lab. Nick let them talk, concentrating on watching Greg, who was moving back and forth around the lab, as if testing the invisible barrier. He only drifted back to Grissom and Hodges' conversation when he heard his name. Grissom was telling them to get back inside the lab.

Nick swallowed down hard. The last thing he wanted to do was go through the pain of becoming a dog again, he was in enough agony as it was. He didn't know if he had the strength to go through yet another transformation. He watched as Hodges disappeared in the flash of light, and the grey rabbit hopped back into the lab to join the others.

He could see Greg standing as close to the door as he could, waiting for him. Grissom noticed his hesitation. "Nicky, you can do it and you have Greg to love you." Nick looked at him, reassured to have the blessing of his boss for their relationship.

He pulled the blanket tighter around him and muttered "This is so weird." He carefully tucked his body into a ball and rolled through the border with another flash. When he opened his eyes, Greg was frantically licking him. He shook off the blanket and they made their way to the garage, where they had been when all this madness had started.

Nick gave Greg one last lick, then jumped through the still-open back door of the jeep he'd been processing. He could hear Greg give a final bark as he closed his eyes and put both paws over his snout, waiting to see if Grissom's plan would work.

There was the same blinding flash, which he could see even through closed eyes and the same ringing in his ears. He opened one eye gingerly and reached out a hand. He was relieved to see fingers instead of a paw. He flexed the fingers experimentally. He still felt pain, but it seemed more bearable somehow.

"Nick?" he heard Greg's voice behind him. He shifted out of the backseat and turned to see his boyfriend lying naked on the floor. He grabbed the jumpsuit he'd been wearing before the transformation and quickly shimmied into it before helping Greg up off the floor. Greg quickly dressed as well.

"Let me see your hand?" Greg asked softly. Nick held the swollen hand up and let Greg check him over. "You sure you're OK? I saw the bruises all over you."

Nick sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm OK Greg. Are you OK?" He was aware of the awkwardness of the situation. He wanted nothing more than to pull Greg in for a kiss, but he wasn't sure how the young CSI was feeling about Nick's dalliance with Sofia. As if reading his mind, Greg broached the subject.

"What happened back there, with Sofia?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

Nick shook his head. "I don't know what happened, to be honest. My brain was telling me no, don't do it, but my body wasn't listening. I would never do anything like that normally. I guess it was the canine instincts. I am really sorry."

Greg nodded. "It just…. It hurt to see you act like that around her. I didn't know if it was because you're actually attracted to her. You know, in real life." He looked to the floor, waiting for Nick's response. Nick's heart broke in two to see the pain in his face.

"I swear, it was all canine hormones." he answered truthfully. "Come on, you're telling me you didn't do anything as a dog that you would never do as a human?"

Greg couldn't stop the cheeky grin that spread over his face. "Well…. There may be some puddles… in some places." he admitted.

Nick laughed, relieved that Greg believed him. He put his good arm around Greg's shoulders and leaned in for a much wanted kiss. When they broke apart, Greg nuzzled at him. "I guess old habits die hard." he laughed as Nick made a whimpering sound.

"Grissom knows about us." Nick said softly. "He's cool with it."

"I know." Greg smiled, hugging him carefully to avoid the bruises. "So I guess we can be open about everything now, yeah?"

Nick nodded. "I guess so. I wonder if we'll ever know what caused this?" he wondered.

Greg shrugged. "I don't know. As long as it's over, I don't care. We're safe, that's all that matters. I love you, Nick."

Nick kissed him again. "I love you too, Greg."