Title: Shattered
By: girlnorth
Pairing: Greg and Sara friendship, Nick/Greg
Rating: R for language
Author's Note: You can blame geekwriter143 for this because her wonderful fic Absolute Zero left me feeling morose and angsty (in a good way!) Of course she does angst right, whereas mine always turns sappy, so let's not even compare the two fics, mmkay? In fact, if you've only got time to read one of them, ignore the rest of this post and haul ass over there. If you do decide to read this, please don't go running for the hills after reading the first couple of paragraphs, it's not what it seems.

***

Sara shifted in bed, squinting as a sliver of light blinded her.

"Christ," she mumbled, throwing her arm over her eyes.

"You need new drapes."

"Shit!" Sara said, bolting upright. Right, Greg. Greg was in her bed. Sleep draining away, she began to remember the morning when he'd shown up at her door, drunk and depressed.

"I'd better get going," he said, sitting up. He rested his head in his hands as Sara suspected the room began to spin for him.

"You okay?" she asked, gently rubbing his back. She was talking about more than his head, remembering the state he'd been in when he'd broken down on her sofa.

"He's a motherfucker, Sara," he said, squeezing his eyes shut and trying not to cry.

"What happened?" she asked, sitting next to him with an arm wrapped around his waist.

He didn't answer for a long time, grinding his palms into his eyes.

"I don't fucking cry," he said. "Look at me crying like a fucking pussy."

"Greg," she said, "everyone cries. Don't hold back on my account."


"I'm fine," he answered, his voice gravelly.

"I'm not going to let you bullshit me now, Greg, not after this morning."

He looked over his shoulder and gave her a weak smile. His eyes were red and puffy, and his skin blotchy.

"You haven't gotten enough sleep," she said. "You can stay if you want."

"Nah, I've got to go home sometime. Besides," he said, glancing at the clock on her night stand, "it's almost a quarter after three. He'll have left for work by now."

Greg still hadn't told her what had happened, and she had a feeling he wasn't going to. Whatever it was, it was bad, and she wondered if he just didn't want to talk about it, or if he was protecting her friendship with Nick, not wanting her to think less of him for whatever it was he did. So she just sat with him, comforting him and letting him cry. And when they both started to nod off on her sofa, she went to her room and grabbed him a pair of plaid pajama bottoms and an Oakland A's t-shirt.

"I'm a Giants fan," he said.

"I know," she said with a wink.

He smiled, and she was grateful that she'd given him a reprieve. But it was brief, his pain rushing back and causing a new round of tears.

"Hey," she said, pulling him up off the couch and into a hug. "Come on, change into the pajamas and come to bed."

She knew he really wasn't himself when he simply nodded, forgoing the off-colour remark he usually would have made. She could have parked him on the sofa, he'd slept there before. But she felt that he needed her near him, needed a little human contact. The fact that he didn't argue or even look at her funny proved her right.


"You wanna grab a shower?" she asked. "You smell like a brewery."

He nodded and started to get up, but turned back to her. "Sar?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "Any time."

He got up and went to the bathroom. Sara considered lying back down and catching some more sleep, but knew she wouldn't be able to. She got up and made some coffee, knowing that Greg could use some before he headed home. When she heard a knock on the door, she knew who it was.

"Hey," she said, opening the door.

"Hey," Nick said. He took off his sunglasses, revealing bloodshot eyes. It didn't look like he'd gotten any sleep, and at least Greg had that on him. He'd worn himself out and nodded off with Sara's arm around him.

Sara moved aside to let Nick in. "I thought you were working," she said, closing the door behind him.

"Warrick's covering."

"He's in the shower," she said. "You want some coffee?"

Nick nodded and sat down at the breakfast bar.

"You okay?" she asked, pouring the brew into his cup.

Nick shrugged. "Been better."

The bathroom door opened and Greg walked out, wearing the jeans he'd been wearing that morning but a clean t-shirt Sara had lent him. He stopped when he saw Nick sitting there.

"Hi," Nick said.

"Hi," Greg said. Then "What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you."

Sara excused herself, giving Greg's shoulder a little squeeze as she passed him on her way to her bedroom. She curled up on the bed with a book and read until she heard a little knock on the door.

"Everything okay?" she asked when Greg opened the door and peeked in.

"Yeah, I think so," he said. "It will be."

"Good," she said, getting up off the bed. He came over and hugged her.

"You're the best," he said into her hair.

"I know," she said with a smirk, pulling back to look at him. She followed him out of the bedroom, and waved at Nick as he left, Greg following behind him. She collapsed on the couch and turned on the TV. She still didn't know what had happened between the two of them, and it was really none of her business. She was just glad that it seemed like things were going to be okay, or were at least headed in that direction.

Sara's cell phone rang and she sighed as she looked at the display: Warrick.

"Hey... yeah, I can come in early and cover for Nick... no problem."

END

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