A/N - Ok, so I am a GSR shipper, but I have always found the spark between Mandy and Nick quite interesting... and Nick has always struck me as the night in shining armor type...so this is what the story was based on... I am the typo queen, so don't stone me for it... I love reviews as I write it is incredibly helpful! Enjoy!

Disclaimer - I own nothing...

Mandy sat alone in the break room quietly eating her yogurt and occasionally sipping on her water; she had a mere ninety minutes left in her boring shift when she saw Nick walk by, she watched him head down the hall before he turned back and made a beeline for the break room.

"Hey Manders" He smiled as he came in the door.

"Stokes. That evidence bag for me?" She guessed, returning a smile.

"Yeah, just two glasses, I'm going easy on you tonight." he joked.

"I would actually welcome some work; it has been the longest shift EVER."

"You ok Mandy?" Nick asked as he watched her throw her yogurt container away with a hint of disgust.

"It's been a long week." She admitted as she let her shoulders slump.

"How 'bout some dinner? Or I suppose it's breakfast time now ain't it?" Nick asked as he glanced at the clock.

"Well, we aren't exactly on normal schedules...dinner actually sounds really nice." Mandy smiled.

"Sweet, I'll meet you out front after shift?" Nick asked as he handed her the evidence bag.

"Sounds good, I'll see you then!" Mandy tried to control the wild butterflies in her stomach as she watched Nick glide down the hallway, she was going to dinner with Nick Stokes.

The next ninety minutes dragged on, and Mandy feared she would die of boredom before her shift would be over. She slid out of sight and into the ladies room to freshen up her make up before her dinner with Nick. As she slid her mascara tube into her pocket she stopped for a moment and stared at herself in the mirror.

"Ok Amanda, pull it together. We're friends. We're going to dinner. That's all. Relax." She took a deep breath in and turned when she heard the door swing open.

"Hey Catherine." She smiled as she turned to leave.

"Hey Mandy! Heard you're going out after shift with Nick!"

"Yeah, I think he felt sorry for me...it's been a long week"

"Nick's a good pick me up, he'll take me out after a hard case, and I always feel better.."

"I can sure use a pick me up." Mandy admitted

"Have fun...oh, and ask him about college, he'll tell you some great stories! See you next shift." Catherine smiled as she disappeared into a stall.

"I'll see you tonight Catherine." Mandy smiled and headed to the locker room to rid herself of her lab coat and grab her purse before meeting Nick.

Mandy was glancing at her watch as Nick exited the building. It was 7:52.

"Mandy! I am so sorry! Grissom wouldn't stop talking! I half expected you to be gone by now!" He exclaimed.

"Oh no, it's ok, I figured you got wrapped up in something." She smiled back as she looked up at him.

"Well, we'll waste my gas then... Do you like Italian?" Nick asked as they made their way to his truck.

"I love Italian!" Mandy smiled as he opened the door for her.

"Great! I know this great little hole in the wall place just outside the city."

After twenty five minutes of talking about work, they pulled up in front of a tiny little restaurant inside of a strip mall. Mandy scanned the sign and wondered how Nick had found this place.

"It's really good, I promise!" Nick said as they got out, worried Mandy was judging the place on looks alone.

"I believe you Nick!" She laughed as they made their way to the door.

They were seated at a tiny table in the back of the deserted restaurant, and Mandy's nervousness started to take over, she showed it by spilling water onto the waiter. She apologized profusely as the man insisted it was no big deal, it was just water. Nick could see tears of embarrassment welling up in Mandy's eyes.

The waiter dried himself as best he could, and took their order before retreating into the kitchen.

"Oh my god" Mandy sighed as she brought her hands to her face. "That was so embarrassing!"

"It's ok! We've all spilled something on someone or on ourselves at some point or another in our lives." Nicked smiled as he tried to make her feel better.

"It's still embarrassing!" Mandy laughed as she tried to discreetly wipe away a tear that had escaped her eyes.

"You ok Manders?" Nick asked, growing a little concerned for his colleague.

"Yeah, like I said, it's just been a long week." She smiled, hoping he wouldn't probe any deeper. Her mood lifted when he started making jokes about Greg and Warrick.

After some great alfredo and a few entertaining college stories, Nick was ready to take Mandy back to her car, still parked at the lab.

"That was fun." Mandy smiled as they pulled up next to her tiny Toyota.

"It was, we have to do it again sometime." Nick smiled as she exited the car.

"Thank you for dinner." Mandy said as she shut the door softly and got into her car and drove away. Nick nodded back and headed for home himself.

"Hey Mandy! How was dinner with Nick?" Catherine asked as they got ready for shift in the locker room.

"Great, you were right, he is a good pick me up."

"He is such an optimistic, upbeat guy, its hard for that NOT to rub off" Catherine laughed.

"True, and his stories...you just have to laugh!" Mandy added.

"Oh, and speak of the devil!" Catherine laughed as Nick walked in.

"Where you talking about me?" He demanded as his smile took over his face.

"Nope." Mandy smiled and disappeared out the door.

Nick gave Catherine a confused look, and Catherine simply shrugged and slammed her locker shut before leaving herself.

Mandy was doing back log when Nick came into the lab, evidence bag in hand.

"Not much for you tonight either Manders, this case is going to be pretty open and shut." Nick shrugged as he plopped the bag on her desk.

"Okay." Mandy said never looking up from her screen.

"Mandy?"

She looked up and the concern on Nick's face. "Yeah?"

"You ok? You don't look well."

"Yeah, just a headache." She smiled slightly, hoping he wouldn't realize her eyes were red from tears.

"Oh, ok." He gave a small smile and lingered for a moment.

"You ok there Stokes?" Mandy asked, realizing he was still there.

"You need to talk or something?"

"No, just a headache."

"Ok, well if you never need to talk, I have five sisters; I am really good at listening!" He smiled and finally exited her office.

The end of the shift was approaching and Mandy began re-filing her back long items, when she felt a wave of nausea wash over her and she headed for the locker room.

She stopped just before reaching door, her head was staring to spin and she was incredibly dizzy. She heard Nick's voice in the locker room, followed by Greg's and she stood up straight and headed in the door, she wanted to slip by them as quickly as possible and get to her locker. She made it just inside the door when the dizziness took over. She desperately reached out for something to brace herself on and found an arm.

"Mandy! Mandy?" She was sure it was Nick's voice, but it sounded like a far away echo. She felt herself get hot and she collapsed into Nick's arms. Nick gently lowered her body to the floor as Greg ran from the room shouting for someone to call an ambulance.

"What happened?!" Grissom demanded as he and the rest of the team rushed into the locker room to find a lifeless Mandy lying on the floor.

"She came in and just collapsed!" Nick exclaimed as he repositioned himself over her body.

"Ambulance is on the way! Is she ok?" Greg asked as he came back into the room

"Her pulse is weak and she is barely breathing." Nick huffed as he struggled to find her pulse again.

"She just came in and went over like a ton of bricks!" Greg told the team, now gathered next to Nick.

The EMTs arrived and starting poking and prodding at Mandy, attaching IV's and monitors. They lifted her limp body onto the stretcher and wheeled her out to the waiting ambulance.

Nick watched as they drove her away, car keys in hand; ready to follow her to the hospital.

"I'm going to the hospital..." He turned to tell Grissom, who simply nodded, and Nick was on his way.

After waiting nearly an hour, he was finally allowed back to see her. She was asleep as he came to her bedside; he took the chair next to the bed and scooted it over closer to her. That's when he saw it... a black bruise on her upper arm. He softly pulled the blankets back and revealed two bruised arms.

"Oh my god." He whispered.

"And who are you?"

Nick turned to see a doctor entering the room. He stood to great her.

"Hi Ma'am, I'm Nick Stokes, I'm a friend, I work with Mandy at the Crime lab."

"I see you discovered the bruises." She said as she came to examine Mandy's arms.

"Yeah, I noticed."

The doctor pulled back the covers to reveal two bruised and battered legs as well. Nick felt as though he might be sick, and covered his mouth with his hands.

"As you can see, her legs match the arms, and just like the arms...the bruising stops at a certain point."

"So no one will see it..." Nick said as he saw the bruises ended 3 inches above the wrist and ankle.

"I cannot show you, but I can assure you her torso matches as well, but it's far worse than the extremities. Old scars, open wounds, and what appear to be burns." The doctor said softly. Nick held back his nausea again.

"What caused her to collapse?" Nick asked as he sat next to Mandy and gently took her hand.

"Her fever is 104.5; she has a massive infection in her blood. One of the wounds on her back is abscessed, I'm sure that's the source."

"Will she be ok?" Nick muttered as he choked back his tears, the broken body that lay in front of him was nothing like the lively girl he'd just had dinner with.

"We have IV antibiotics going, she will be here a few days, but she should make a full recovery." The doctored smiled softly at Nick as she watched him stroke Mandy's hands. "You're a good friend... and it looks like she needs one."

Nick scanned Mandy's face and blinked back more tears. "Thank you, I'll be right here until she wakes up" He turned and smiled at the doctor as she left them alone.