Title: Second Thought
By: flipflopadd1ct
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG
Summary: Greg Sanders wasn't a religious man, and he hadn't been for several years, but it was never too late to have a change of heart. Spoilers for "Grave Danger".

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Greg Sanders wasn't a religious man, and he hadn't been for several years.

He grew up in a Lutheran home. It was mostly influenced by his mother's side - his father only pretended to believe to please her - but as a kid he attended church and Sunday school every week, went to the Christmas Eve and Easter Vigil services, took Communion, got confirmed. But rebellion bloomed in his adolescent years and he lost faith in faith. He stopped going; his parents stopped trying, letting him choose his own path in life.

As an adult, Greg still didn't bother with church. He didn't pray - he saw no point in it. After all, he could think of better reasons to get on his knees, and why talk to "God" when "God" never talked back? He didn't pray when his mother fell sick, he didn't pray after the explosion brought him to the edge of death. In fact, he viewed the explosion as an example of why the idea of God was senseless: what kind of loving God would let something like that happen?

So Greg resolved himself to atheism. And he was just fine with his decision. Worrying about religion would be nothing but a waste of his time.

Then Greg's world fell apart in a sudden whirlwind of events: Nick's kidnapping.

Greg didn't know where to turn. Didn't know to whom he could vent his fear and anxiety, because he kept his feelings for Nick hidden well.

Greg felt powerless. Utterly helpless as he stood by Sara's side, watching the silent video feed of Nick struggling, screaming inside the glass coffin. There was nothing he could do and he hated it.

He began to lose any hope of Nick's survival, and the last straw was the warehouse, when he and Warrick and Cath thought they were so damn close when in fact they couldn't have been more wrong. That's when Greg cracked. He didn't show it, but he became completely numb. Showed no emotion. There was nothing more he could do.

Greg had returned to the lab, his back to the webcam when a voice seemed to awake inside his head. It said one word: pray.

Greg ignored the nagging thought, at first. But it grew and grew while Greg had reached the point of desperation. He was willing to try anything, even if he didn't believe in it at all.

So for the first time since his confirmation, Greg prayed. He felt awkward and stupid as he closed his eyes: God had never helped him before, why the hell would he step in now?

God, if you're really there, help me. Help Nick. Don't let him die this way. Nick loves You; why would You let something like this happen to him? Please, God, if you really exist, let Nick come out of this alive...

Greg opened his eyes, whispered the last word.

"Amen."

He waited for a second or two, but he wasn't sure what he was waiting for. And nothing suddenly miraculous happened.

However, it wasn't long until Sara broke the case. Barely two hours later, they pulled Nick - alive - from the shallow grave.

Next Sunday, Greg stepped into a Lutheran church for the first time in seventeen years.

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