Title: Just Another Scar
By: X_LabRat
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG
Note: My first fic. Written months ago but then forgotten about. Un-Beta'd, all mistakes are my own.
Summary: Greg is attacked, Nick comes to his rescue.

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"He was looking down on the ceremony, all his friends and family had gathered to say their final goodbyes. Nick was there, he could see the despair and sadness on his face, and Cath tears streaming down her face, cradled in Warricks arms who was telling her that everything would be fine. The Priest finished speaking and everyone turned and walked away from the wooden box in the ground. He could see a gold coloured plaque that read "Gregory Hojem Sanders, Rest In Peace".


Greg awoke in a cold sweat. "I'm ok" he said to himself, "It was just a dream". He touched the healing wound on his side and grimaced in pain. But pain was good. Pain meant he was still alive. He looked at the wound on his abdomen. "Just another scar" he thought. He carefully moved nicks arm out of the way and made his way towards Nick's kitchen. He got a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water and sat at the table replaying the past week through his mind.



It had been the end of shift and was heading out to the parking lot to go home when he spotted nick in the break room. He stuck his head round the door
"Hey Stokes?"
"Yeah?"
"You've got tonight off right?
"Yeah."
"Well there's this new club called Pure just opened down the strip, fancy going along?"
"Nah, I'm shattered, I'm just gonna' go home and sleep for 24 hours straight."
"Ah well, your loss! See ya' tomorrow then."
"Yeah, see ya'."
Greg continued out to the parking lot and climbed into his Jetta and made his way home. He didn't know why he even bothered asking nick out anymore, whenever he asked him it was just as friends with Rick or he turned him down. He really should move on. Greg decided he'd still go to the club with some other friends to try and get Nick off his mind.

It was a warm evening in the desert so Greg decided it would be easier to walk to the club, that way he could have something to drink and let loose a bit. He met up with Tanya, Brian, Jess and Nat outside the club and they all went in. Throughout the night he danced with various guys and girls but one guy caught his attention. He was having a break by the bar when the guy came over,
"hey cuteness, can I buy you a drink?" the guy asked, he looked a little less attractive in better light, but he was still a human, and he seemed interested.
"Sure. I'm just going to the bathroom, be back in a second." With that Greg stalked off towards the bathroom. On his way back to the bar he bumped into Tanya, Jess and Brian, who all looked a little more than drunk.
"We're gonna' piss off now Greg. You comin'?" Tanya slurred.
"Nah I've got a rather cute guy waiting for me at the bar!"
"Wooooh! Get in there Greg. Just forget about Nick, you deserve better! Well call me ok?"
"Ok then see ya's." With that they wobbled out of the club. Greg didn't know if he wanted better than Nick, didn't even know if there was anyone better than Nick but maybe this as of yet un-named guy could be the answer even for just one night.

He headed back over to the bar where the guy was sitting waiting with two drinks.
"Started to think you'd done a runner!" the guy said cautiously.
Greg laughed a little nervously. "Nah I'm not that kinda' guy!"
"the names Aaron by the way" the man outstretched his hand, Greg took the hand and shook it. "Greg." He answered and took a sip of his drink. He'd never been a big fan of cocktails but it was alcohol nonetheless.
"So you from around here?" Aaron asked.
"Well was born in LA but live here now. You?"
"Just passing through." They carried on chatting but not long after Greg started to feel dizzy and weak. He assumed he'd had too much to drink or that the cocktail had gone straight to his head and decided to call it a night.
"I should really get going, got work tonight, need sleep." He slurred his words a little, had he really had that much to drink?
"Want me to drive you home?" Aaron asked kindly.
"Nah I'll be ok its not far from here" Greg didn't really care about taking this guy home. Especially when he felt crap like this.
"ok well I should go too, gotta' flight tomorrow don't wanna' miss it, I'll walk you out the club" Aaron got up walked with Greg out of the club.

As soon as they got outside Greg stumbled and fell against the wall. Aaron quickly grabbed his arm "Steady there!" he kept a hold of Greg's elbow and kept walking, his grip tightened and he steered Greg down the alleyway beside the club
"Hey where are you taking me? That hurts, Let go!" Greg said loudly starting to realise that something was not right. Aaron slammed him against the wall behind the dumpster and put one hand over Greg's mouth and with the other reached into his coat and pulled out a knife and held it to Greg's exposed throat.
"One word and I won't hesitate to embed this into your neck." His voice was deeper, more violent and almost a whisper. Greg's mind went blank when trying to think of something to do. His attackers' legs were separated like a triangle shape and Greg's were together, he lifted one knee up and as hard as he could kneed Aaron in his crotch. Aarons face grimaced but his grip on Greg became tighter.
"You'll pay for that, faggot!" And with that he plunged the glinting knife into Greg's side. The pain was like no other he had felt before. He looked down at the red stain growing across his abdomen. When he looked up again he saw The attacker round the corner and disappear. Greg's legs gave way and he slumped to the ground, back against the cold brick wall. He reached for his cell phone in his pocket and dialled the only number he could think of.
"Stokes" nick answered.
"N-Nick" Greg stuttered.
"Hey Greg, er, are you ok? You don't sound too good?"
"Help m-m-me" Greg croaked, his voice beginning to waver.
"G, What's wrong? Where are you?" Nick was getting worried.
"P-P-Pure."
"You're at Pure? Ok man wait there I'll be there as fast as I can. Hang on in there G"


Nick threw on some jeans and a tee shirt grabbed his car keys and ran out of his house, into his car and headed towards the strip. "Damnit" he said to himself angrily. He raced towards the strip and the club which he had been contemplating going to earlier that night. He always backed out when Greg asked him out, and now he may never have a chance to say yes. He didn't care about the speed limit, he only cared about reaching and finding the man who he loved. He'd always denied it. Could never face the fact that maybe, just maybe, he was attracted to men. But now he didn't care if the whole world knew, he'd give that just to find Greg alright. He stopped his car in front of the closed club. Greg couldn't be inside, it was locked. He ran to the alley at the side and saw two leather clad legs and black converse poking out from behind the dumpster. Greg's leather clad legs and black converse. He flung himself to the ground beside the unconscious Greg.
"G, G! It's Nick, come on G wake up!" he pulled Greg into him and lay Greg against him, checking his pulse. Relieved that he was still breathing he reached for his own cell phone.

Within minutes Greg was being bundled into an ambulance and crime scene tape was begin put up at the front of the alley way. Grissom and Sarah turned up and Grissom told nick to follow the ambulance to the hospital. Somehow he seemed to realize that there was more than meets the eye to this but he'd work it out later, now he had to find the person who had attacked one of his staff.


Greg knew where he was before he opened his eyes. The smell of disinfectant told him he was at the hospital and upon opening his eyes he confirmed that. The sun was streaming through the blinds reflecting off the many cards and flowers that lined the windowsill. Scanning the room his eyes rested on the image of a sleeping Nick slumped over the chair in the corner. His attention turned to the nurse who had just entered the room, she was rather small with grey curly hair, a cheery smile and tired eyes.
"Good morning Mr. Sanders, how are you feeling?" She inquired. Greg tried to sit up but a sharp pain in his right side restricted him.
"Not too good" he replied. He felt drowsy, from the medications he guessed. He looked back over at Nick who looked so peaceful yet so worried.
"This young man has hardly left your side while you've been asleep, he must care about you a lot!" She said with a knowing smile.
"Yeah" Greg mumbled under his breath "He must."
"I'll let the doctor know you're awake and get him to come and see you when he has a spare minute. Ok?" And without waiting for an answer she turned and left the room.

Greg continued to stare at Nick for a further 5 minutes until he opened one eye and looked across at Greg
"Do you always stare at people when they're asleep?" Nick questioned happily.
"Sorry, It's just you looked so peaceful yet worried." Nick smiled and yawned.
"I've been so worried about you, they had to take you in for surgery as soon as you got here, you lost quite a bit of blood! But doctors say you're gonna be fine and you'll be out of here in no time at all."

Nick was right. The next day the doctors gave him various tablets and gave him instructions on which ones to take when and how and sent him home. "You need a lift?" Nick was there when he was released.
"Yeah thanks." Greg smiled, Nick could have just been being a friend but Greg suspected that there was something deeper to it. On the drive back to Greg's apartment they sat in silence, Greg still feeling a bit drowsy due to the drugs. "Hey man, are you sure you're gonna be ok by yourself? I mean you can always crash at my place if you want?" Nick asked sounding worried. Greg was in no state to cope by himself. He wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"Would that be ok? I mean I dunno if I could cope what with all these pills and stuff." Greg knew that Nick wanted him to stay at his, and that he wanted to stay there.
"Sure. We'll go by your place and pick some stuff up first then go back to mine." The rest of the drive was spent in silence. When they got to Greg's, Nick stayed in the car. Greg was 2 minutes maximum and then they were headed towards. Nicks place.

When they arrived it was late. Nick offered his room to Greg and said he'd sleep on the couch. Greg flopped onto the bed and as Nick went to leave the room Greg propped himself up on his elbows "No don't go. Stay here. We need to talk." Nick turned back round and Greg patted the bed beside him. Nick climbed onto the bed and lay down facing Greg, who had done the same.
"Look Nick, if you hadn't realised by now I fancy the pants off you. I don't care if you don't feel the same I just need to know if you do and if not if its gonna change anything between us, cause I don't wanna lose you, you're a great friend, hell you're probably even the best friend I've got. And if you don't feel the same way about me as I do abou-" Nick placed his index finger against Greg's lips and then pulled it away again. He leaned towards Greg and paused with his lips only an inch away from Greg's. He'd wanted to do this for so long but had kept denying it, lying to himself. Trying to run away from the truth in fear of disappointing others. But now he realised that it wasn't what others thought that cared. It's what he wanted. And he wasn't gonna let Greg go. He'd almost lost him this week and he wasn't prepared to let all these feelings stay locked away. After what seemed like an eternity of staring into those deep brown eyes he closed the remaining space between them. There were fireworks before his eyes and his heart was pounding so much he could swear it was echoing around the room. After an age of just lying attached to Greg's lips he pulled away and opened his eyes to see Greg sporting the biggest grin he'd ever seen. "Does that answer your question?"

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