Author's Note: So I've been craving CSI fiction lately, especially of my favorite pairing Nick and Greg. I've missed reading and writing about them. I had an idea pop in my head that's not complete but it's coming along nicely. Some updates might be slow but hopefully I will finish it. I hate to leave people hanging on an unfinished story. I know I try not to read unfinished ones since sometimes they never get finished. I don't think this one will be quite as dark as some of my previous ones. It's a bit A/U, taking off from season 7 and the Demetrius James storyline. I was always unsatisfied with how they carried out the story in the show. This is definitely an resolution I didn't want to see happen on the show, but I thought it would make for an interesting twist. I hope you enjoy the nice taste I give you in this first chapter. Enjoy!

It had been six years, 272 days, and 13 hours since he last stepped outside of these block walls out towards freedom. It felt much longer than that to him but he was lucky. He was getting released earlier than expected. He had been a model prisoner the last four years and kept out of trouble and out of the way of others. They seemed to leave him alone after the incident for the most part. That enabled him to become stronger.

He spent his time keeping up with recent studies and procedures, even though he knew he would never be able to go back to that life. He was still a scientist after all and his constant reading and studying kept him from taking drastic measures again.

He looked over to his left were the guard nodded for him to go ahead through the gate that just opened for him. He walked through and waited for it to close and lock securely behind him again. The armed prison guard told him a car would be on its way to pick him up.

He had not told anyone he was getting released today. He had not spoken to anyone in a few years, even though they tried to reach out to him. He turned down all visitors but his lawyers and psychiatrist. The psychiatrist was court ordered visitations anyway, so he could not deny him. He was grateful to his court ordered psychiatrist, Dr. Muller. He helped him survive the last four plus years in prison. He had to talk to someone about everything that happened or he would have been dead by his own hands, by now.

He reached up and ran his fingers over his neck. The memory of that day would stay with him forever, as would many other painful days.

He sighed heavily and dropped his hand to his side. He walked out closer to the road and saw a car coming in the distance. He hoped it was his taxi so he could get off of these grounds once and for all. He never wanted to look back on that place again.

A black Dodge Charger pulled up. The windows had dark tint on them, making it hard to see who was inside. He felt his heart race as his fears of some kind of retaliation outside of the prison walls was still possible. He knew this was not a taxi and was not sure what was about to happen.

The window rolled down and he half expected to be shot dead right there in front of the prison gates. Instead a face peered out from the driver's side, a face he never in a million years expected to see at this moment.

"Get in, Greg," the man said to him. Greg stood still, not sure what to make of the others man's presence there.

"How did you know?" Greg asked the man in the car. The man took off his sunglasses and offered a sympathetic look.

"Did you honestly think I didn't keep up with what was happening to you, even though you cut all of us out of your life? I never stopped caring, Greg. You're the one who shut us all out when you probably needed us most. Now get in."

Greg was still hesitant. So many emotions were swirling around in his head right now, seeing Nick there for him as he was released from prison. He had wanted Nick and all the others to forget about him, to just write him off. Now here he was, like he was over six years ago, but instead of watching him being taken away off to prison, he was picking him up from there.

Nick saw his hesitance and could understand it. They had not seen each other in almost four years, even though Nick tried sending him letters and any method he was able to reach out to him but never a response. Nick knew Greg dealt with the serious stuff by shutting out those closest to him. Nick at least had updates on him and knew he was doing okay.

"You know, I will come out there and threw you in here if I have to, although you might be harder to do that with these days by the looks of it." Nick marveled as he looked at Greg's more muscular frame.

Greg looked down at himself. Yes, he had done what so many others tend to do in prison and lift weights. Now he was not huge by any means but he had put more definition on his body and had been practicing tai chi more.

He looked down the road to see if a real taxi was coming and did not see anything. He then looked up at the darkening sky.

"It's going to storm soon. I'm the only ride you got coming. What are you going to do?" Nick finally told him.

Greg shook his head, knowing this was going to be a bad idea but started walking towards the car. He saw Nick smile as he opened the door.

"Toss your bag in the back seat," Nick told him. Greg did just that and then got in the passenger seat next to Nick. He looked at him seriously before closing the door.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Greg asked him. Nick went to touch his knee, but noticed Greg flinch so he pulled back. "I'm sure."

"Okay," Greg said and then pulled the door shut. He pulled on his seat belt and just looked straight ahead. He could feel Nick's eyes on him and it made him uncomfortable.

"You look good, Greg, tired but good. I'm proud of you," Nick told him.

Greg sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "Just drive."

They drove in silence for several minutes. Greg could not bring himself to look at Nick, not after everything that had happened.

"I suppose the others know I'm out too, then," Greg finally spoke after a long silence.

"Maybe, I'm not sure they all do but they don't know I came to get you. That I know for sure. Unlike the others, I have not written you off as you wanted to be," Nick told him. "You meant more to me than to give into your insanity."

Greg chuckled a little. "Insanity, is that what you are calling it?"

"Well, you do have a court ordered psychiatrist, don't you?" Nick followed up.

"You got me there, I guess," Greg mused. He stared out the window, watching the trees start to disappear into the more desert land of Las Vegas.

Nick noticed him staring out the window and knew he had to be enjoying being free again to see the world. "It hasn't really changed much," he said to him.

Greg turned his head to him. "Huh?"

"Vegas, it has not changed much," Nick said to him. Greg finally looked at Nick and noticed the lines were a little deeper in his face. He also looked tired.

"No, perhaps not, but I know other things that have." Nick glanced over at him and they seemed to share the same understanding.

Greg had to turn away and clear his throat. "So um, you haven't asked me where you are taking me?"

"You have a place to stay?" Nick asked him, surprised.

"Well, not exactly. I'm just going to house up at some cheap, weekly rental on Fremont," Greg told him.

"I don't think so," Nick replied quickly.

"Look, I've been given a living stipend until I find a job. I'm not living with you," Greg said defiantly.

"You lived with me before this all happened. Why can't you live with me now?" Nick asked him.

Greg looked at him incredulously. "Are you being serious right now? I mean we have not been together in over six years. I've changed a lot since then. I assume you have to."

"Yes, but I don't want to see you living in some rat hole, like some common criminal."

"But Nick, a jury thought I was just that, a common criminal. NO worse than that, a murderer."

Nick shook his head and pulled over to the side of the road. He put the car in park and turned to face Greg. Now they he really looked at Greg closer, he could see how prison had aged him. He had a deep scar over his left eye. He lost his innocent look and it hurt him to see that.

"That fucking jury was wrong. You should have never ended up in prison. You should have never accepted that plea bargain. You were fucking defending yourself. You didn't purposely kill Demetrius James. That's fucking bullshit and you know it! I will never understand why you accepted prison time instead of fighting."

Greg looked at him sheepishly. "I was tired Nick, tired of trying to prove myself in the right. Tired of the media and the public slamming me. Tired of all the crazies coming after us. Everyone ended up happy once the plea bargain was made."

"That's bullshit too and you of all people know it. You aren't happy. Hell, you fucking tried to kill yourself in prison," Nick reminded him.

Greg looked down and played with the edge of the seat. "It doesn't matter now; it's all in the past. What's done is done."

"Yeah that is in the past now. You can at least try to make your future brighter." Nick ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "I…I just want to try to make your future brighter."

"Look, I know you mean well, but I need to do this on my own. I got through these last four years pretty well, don't you think? I can do this on my own. If I need help, well I know who to go to," Greg told him, hoping he would understand.

Nick looked towards the road again. The rain was starting to fall on the windshield. "Fine, but I'm here for you if you need anything. That's why I came to pick you up. I want you to know you still have someone here for you." He put the car in drive and pulled out onto the road again.

Greg chewed his bottom lip, thinking about what he said. "Please tell me you have not held out for me all this time."

Nick shook his head but had a slight smile on his face. "You have to know by now that I still love you Greg, but no I have not held out for you. You made your intentions clear by cutting off all communication with any of us, but especially me. I may have had a few bitter flings due to you doing that. But you still have my heart, Greg." He took a glance at his former lover but he was looking out the window away from him.

Nick got nervous when Greg had not replied. "I guess it's not the same for you though by your silence."

Greg had been thinking. He did not know how he felt anymore. His life was turned upside down and he was still fumbling to get it turned right-side up again. "I don't know what to tell you Nick. I'm still numb inside from all the shit I went through. Each day is still a battle just to get up. Sure, I'm on pills and shit to help me feel better but somedays are just really bad. I can't tell you what my heart feels right now because I'm not even sure I have one some days. You are getting me on a good day today. You have not seen me on my bad days. You haven't seen how cold I can be these days. There were days they had to hold me back from getting into a fight for no particular reason other than I was angry with the world. And I will admit I still have days I want to end it all."

Nick felt tears prick his eyes hearing him. He knew he was right in that he didn't really know him at all anymore. He did not know what it has been like for him the last four years since he did not communicate with them. He had no idea how he was. Today he seemed fairly normal for being what he has been through but hearing what he just said made him worry.

"I'm sorry Greg. Maybe you are right, this was a mistake me picking you up, thinking I could make everything right again."

"No, it's not a mistake." Nick looked over and saw Greg looking at him with emotional eyes. "I know I seem ungrateful but honestly, seeing a familiar face. Heck, no not just a familiar face, but the face of probably the one person I needed to see the most on this day has made it that much better." He smiled.

"Thank you for saying that," Nick smiled back.

"No, thank you for not giving in to my stupidity and keeping up with my prison time."

"You're welcome!"

Greg went back to staring out the window, while Nick drove into town.

"I see a place up ahead that you can stop at," Greg told Nick as he saw a halfway decent weekly motel.

"I really wish you would reconsider my offer," Nick said to him as he pulled into the motel lot. He looked around and didn't feel comfortable leaving Greg off here.

"Nick, I've survived over six years in prison, I can handle being at this place," Greg told him.

"What kind of job are you going to try for?" Nick asked him.

"I guess lab jobs that are not in law enforcement," he shrugged.

"Technology has changed a lot in the last few years," Nick told him.

"I know, I've been studying up while in lock up. I still have access to books and online, you know. Heck, it's what kept me from losing my mind. I might be more up to date with some things than you field mice," he grinned.

Nick was glad he could joke about it. "Well, you know I wish you the best of luck. If you need anything, I put my phone number in your phone." He handed him a cell phone.

"You didn't need to get me a phone," Greg told him as he took it from Nick.

"I get it free on my plan," Nick smirked.

"Nice."

"Do you need food or anything?" Nick asked him. He didn't want to leave him yet.

"I'm good. I can get take out for now. Let me go and make sure there is a room for me. You'll hang?" Greg asked him.

Nick frowned at the term. "Yeah, I'll hang."

Greg came back a few minutes later with a room key in his hand.

"So I'll be in room 105, should you need to find me." Greg reached back and grabbed his bag of his few personal belongings out of the back seat. Greg shut the door. He looked in on Nick.

"Thanks again. I do mean it."

"Just stay in touch, please. Otherwise I will be on your doorstep," Nick warned with a warm smile.

"Okay, I promise I'll keep in touch, but with only you. Do not expect me to reach out to anyone else," Greg told him.

"I promise," Nick said with a hold up of his hand. Greg smiled and waved before turning his back on Nick.

"I love you," Nick yelled out to him. He notice Greg stop a moment but he didn't turn around.

Greg closed his eyes. He knew it but he was hoping Nick would not say it. He was not able to reply at this time. He was still too damaged and raw from his time in Prison. "Bye Nick," he said with his back still to him.

Nick chewed his on his lip as he watched Greg open the door to his room and close the door behind him. "I'm not letting you do this alone anymore." Nick said aloud.

TBC...