So I did get several requests to use Elizabeth again, and because I like her so much, I decided I would. ... Actually, it was more like this idea came and hit me upside the head like a frying pan one day. I figured that it would be better to start it as another story, as stylistically, the two are very different. Even the ideas as they came to me were different. This one came more like a single continuous thread, whereas "Not What He Expected" was more like a bunch of short bits of thread knotted end to end.

Disclaimer: If I owned... well, it doesn't matter, because I don't own CSI, or any spin-offs thereof.

Also, the title is currently a working title. It might stay.

And the rating may change, and if it does, it will go up.


Nick was sprawled on Greg's couch, one arm wrapped around the other man's shoulders, the other hand running slowly through his boyfriend's hair. Greg was tucked between his legs and was lying with one ear to Nick's chest, falling asleep to the soothing combination of Nick's heartbeat and the steady motion of Nick's fingers, despite the action of the movie they were supposedly watching with Liz. Elizabeth herself was already asleep and curled into a tight ball on Greg's enormous, overstuffed recliner.

"What'cha thinkin' 'bout?" Greg looked sleepily up at Nick, who couldn't keep from smiling at the curious expression directed at him.

"That it'll be one year since you met Liz in a few days. Seems pretty amazing we've managed to keep it together for a year already."

"A year?" Greg licked his lips in thought, Nick mirroring the action unconsciously, "feels like it hasn't been that long yet."

Nick's quiet chuckling got Greg's full attention. "Well, it has." Silence fell but for the movie playing quietly in front of them.

"We should celebrate."

"How?"

"Dinner, movie, bed." Greg wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Well, he tried.

Nick made no attempt to suppress the laugh that worked it's way up through his body. "Seems fitting, seeing as we never really went on a first date."

"Hmm, another reason to celebrate."

"Whats that?"

"What we did the first time I met Liz." A grin spread across Greg's face, which Nick happily replied to with a grin of his own and a chaste kiss.

"Alright. We'll celebrate that too." Nick resumed the steady motion of his fingers as Greg tried to snuggle further into his chest. Several hours later Liz draped a blanket over the two, wrapped in each other's arms. She turned off the tv and crept out, careful not to wake the men sleeping peacefully on the couch.


A few days later found Nick walking into a nice restaurant on the edge of the city to meet his date. Well, dates. After some deliberation, He and Greg had agreed to invite Liz, as she had become such a permanent fixture in their lives that it seemed strange to contemplate going anywhere without her. Elizabeth had laid down her own conditions, in that she would only be joining them for dinner, and would watch another movie with a friend of hers from her classes who would meet them at the theater. Nick's eyes swept over the small dining area, looking for the distinctive bleached spikes and reddish-brown hair that would indicate his boyfriend and sort-of sister in the surprisingly crowded room.

"Sir, can I help you?" The hostess, a tall slender lady with straight black hair that fell to the middle of her back stepped from behind the tall desk and took a step towards him. "Is there someone you're looking for?"

"Yes. I'm looking for my friends, They told me they were already here." Nick continued to sweep the crowd with his eyes. "Guy with blond highlights and a brunette."

"Ah, right this way Mr. Stokes." Nick startled when the young lady knew his name, but followed behind her to a slightly hidden corner. "Mr. Sanders, Ms. Clark." The two stood up when Nick appeared behind the hostess. "Mr. Stokes has arrived. The lady turned with a small grin to Liz, "And Lizzy, you were right about the Texas accent being unmistakable."

"Yeah, thanks Sandi. I'll see you at the theater later, right?"

"Definitely." Sandi leaned closer to Liz and whispered in her ear so neither Nick or Greg could hear. "You were right about them making a cute couple." She straightened as the girls laughed. "I'll be there as soon as I can." Sandi smiled at the three and left for the front of the restaurant.

Nick stepped towards the table and greeted Liz. "Giving out my name to people now? I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"Well, obviously not too bad, 'cause you haven't started squeezing the life out of her shoulder yet." Nick shot an annoyed look at his boyfriend and pulled out his chair.

Liz laughed at their antics as they sat and opened the menus. Nick carefully studied his sort-of sister over the top of his menu. She looked very different from her usual jeans and a t-shirt combo. Her hair was half pulled back, and a couple of chopsticks held that portion in a tight little bun at the back of her head. Her simple black dress was offset by the forest green jacket she had put on over it. Stones matching her hazel eyes sparkled on a necklace and a pair of dangle earrings. "What? Did you think I didn't own any dresses?"

"No. You just look different wearing a dress. You look beautiful. I just don't see you in a dress very often." Nick smiled at her, and she gave a little reluctant smile back.

"Thanks." The waiter appeared to get their drink orders and returned with the drinks shortly and they ordered their food. As they relaxed in the easy atmosphere of the restaurant their playful banter and friendly laughter filled the air around the table. Anytime Sandi showed a group to a table near theirs, she would smile at the trio.

"So I'm guessing that Sandi is the friend of yours you'll be seeing a movie with, right?" Greg motioned with a piece of steak as he asked the question, before sticking the meat in his mouth.

"Yeah, she's a good friend, and I'd trust her with my life, especially in some of our labs. She keeps me from trying to play with some of the chemicals." A sheepish smile spread across her face. "I've only tried a couple of times, but Sandi makes sure I stay in line."

"Ok, enough." Nick interrupted as Greg opened his mouth to say something. "No chem-geek-speak on our date."

"Fine." Greg and Liz huffed simultaneously, and Greg stuffed another bite of steak in his mouth.

"Y'know me too well." Greg spoke around the mouthful of meat.

"Would I be your boyfriend if I didn't?"

"I s'pose not really."

Their playful talk was quieter as they finished their meal and called for the check. "I'm paying." Nick grabbed the check almost immediately after the waiter placed it on the table.

"Then I owe you two for a wonderful dinner."

"No, that's not..."

"Yes, it is necessary. I can't always be going on dates with the two of you. No, I will not be backing down from this decision. I'm paying you back tomorrow for this." Nick stared dumbstruck at Liz, who stared back resolutely.

"Ok." Nick paid the bill, left a tip for their waiter, and the three of them headed out of the restaurant together. Greg and Elizabeth got into Greg's car while Nick climbed into his own to meet back up at the theater.


"Lizzy!! Over here!" Sandi waved at Elizabeth the minute she came into view of the ticket window, where a line stretched out towards the parking lot. "Hello Greg. Good to see you again."

"Even if it's only been..." Greg turned his wrist to check his watch, "twenty minutes since I last saw you." She still wore the dress she had been wearing as hostess, but her hair was now pulled back in a low ponytail. The three stood in line while they waited for Nick to show up. They had almost made it to the ticket window when Nick walked up behind Greg and startled him by placing his hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"Thanks for waiting for me." The sarcasm was thick in his voice as his eyes flicked between Liz and Greg.

"Don't blame me, Greg was driving."

"Greggo? Wanna explain why you left me in the dust?"

"Not really. The light changed, and I wasn't going to wait for you to catch up."

The two girls smirked and turned to get their tickets, Greg getting his and Nick's after them. They continued into the lobby, laughing and chatting, Sandi falling right in with the established friends. Popcorn and drinks were ordered, and the four split and headed into two different theaters, still calling back and forth.


AN: this bit is going to be in Liz's POV.

After the movie, Sandi and I headed out to her car, Nick and Greg had already left the movie theater, and I figured they had headed to Greg's place, because it was a little closer to the theater than the apartments Nick and I live in. "Hey Sandi, could you take me to Greg's place first? I left my book there the other night."

"Well, I've really got to get home." A conflicted expression descended on her face as she tried to decide. "I've got to work early tomorrow."

"You can drop me off at the corner of his street and I'll walk down."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I think I can take on anyone who tried to mug me." Sandi laughed and agreed to drop me off at the corner of the street as we started out of the parking lot.

"Here we are. I can walk from here." I hopped out of the car and leaned down into the window to thank Sandi for the ride. "I'll see you in class on Monday."

"See ya then." I watched her drive off before setting off down the street.

Halfway to Greg's apartment, I passed an alleyway between two storefronts. There was a sudden commotion as two guys jumped out at me and grabbed my arms. My attempt to scream was stopped by a hand clamping over my mouth, the feel of a gun pressing into my stomach making me go still.


AN: back to generic

Nick was lounging on Greg's couch still fully dressed as said man went about the task of preparing some of his coveted Blue Hawaiian Coffee when a thump against the door startled both of them. "What was that?"

"Dunno. Would you check the door for me though." Greg looked at Nick, who rose from the couch and strode towards the door.

"Hello..." Nick's voice faded as he caught sight of a familiar hair stick in reddish brown hair. "Lizzy?!" She was leaning against the door-jamb, head bowed down and seeming very small. Liz looked slowly up at Nick, one arm cradled against her chest and pain evident in her eyes. "Greg! Call 9-1-1 now."

"...ni..nick." His name rasped from her lips just before she collapsed and Nick caught her in his arms. He slid down to the floor, gently holding his sister as he noticed the rip in the skirt of her black dress, now wet and sticky with what Nick took to be blood. Her blood. A gash higher on Liz's side through both her jacket and dress drew his immediate attention and he tried to stop the blood flow, now registering Greg talking to dispatch on the phone. He stared at the still-spreading darkness on Elizabeth's green jacket, even as his palms pressed down on the wound.

He heard the click of a phone closing and Greg's footsteps closing in behind him. "ETA is about 3 minutes."

"Get me some gauze." Greg whipped into action at Nick's command, producing several large gauze squares and a roll of gauze bandaging. Greg ripped opened the first gauze square and Nick lifted his hand so that it could be pressed to Liz's side. "Come on Lizzy, wake up." He muttered to the unconscious figure in his arms until the ambulance arrived. "She's my sister, I'm coming with."

"I'm coming too." Greg's voice was strong and none of the EMT's argued with the two CSI's.

Halfway to the hospital, Liz regained consciousness and began reaching out her good hand. "...nick?...g..greg?" Her voice was still raspy and barely audible over the wailing sirens.

"Here." Nick grabbed Elizabeth's hand between both of his. "We're both here." She turned to look at him, tears in her eyes.

"...they, they raped me. I couldn't stop them." Her voice broke and the tears began to flow freely down her cheeks. Greg reached out and put one hand on her shoulder.

"Did you see their faces?" She turned to look at him when he asked the quiet question.

"No. I scratched one, so he broke my arm." Liz's voice was getting less sandpaper sound and more normal, although still a lot quieter than the two men were used to.

"Do you want to get a rape kit done?" She turned back to Nick and stared at him for a moment. Her eyes closed and she took a shaky breath before she nodded once.

"They had a gun. One of them did. He used it to break my arm. The other one had a knife, and he's the one who raped me." She began to speak more freely, and both CSI realized she was detaching herself from the event and her consequent injuries. The ambulance pulled into Desert Springs and Elizabeth was wheeled away, leaving the two CSIs to deal with the paperwork.


Hmm, Neither Nick or Greg are in danger in this one. Or any of the other CSIs for that matter. And there is purpose behind this story. I think. If I can get my plot puppy to let go of it. Yes, it's a puppy, it's that big of an idea for me.

Please Read and Review!
I welcome all reviews that are constructive, as well as those that are just ego helpers.

I am looking for a beta, if you are interested, please PM me.