Here's a new story about our lovely CSI's! This is a slash-story with Nick and Greg as the pairing. Hope you'll like it!
Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, they belong to CBS. Wish I did, man I would have some fun then! And there'd be a lot of male/male kisses! I just adore those guys!
"Get the hell out of here! I'm so fucking sick of you CSI's hovering over me all the fucking time. I'll page you when your damn sample is done. Now; get out!"
Nick Stokes was walking along the hall when he heard a shouting emit from one of the labs. He looked puzzled around just in time to see Warrick Brown charge out of the DNA-lab; looking quite dazzled. Behind him an angry Greg Sanders turned his back against the men and went back to work.
"What on earth was that? What did you do?" Nick looked quizzically at the dark man.
"I have no idea man. I just went in there and asked if my results were done, and well; you saw what happened." Warrick looked like the sky was falling down. "I mean; what's his problem?"
"Yeah, I hear you man. Last night he went ballistics on me when I asked him if he wanted a cup of coffee. He's been like this for a week now."
The two friends started walking towards the break room. Greg's bad mood had affected the whole lab, making everybody snappy and slightly hostile against each other. The level three CSI's spotted Sara sitting at the table and sat down beside her. She looked up from the journal she was reading and immediately saw their concerned looks.
"What's up with you two? You look gloom."
Warrick was the one to answer her. "Greg just kicked me out of the lab. Man he's moody tonight. Do you know what's wrong with him?"
"Nope. Why should I know?"
"Well." The darker man shrugged. "I just thought you are the one closest to him of all of us. He always seems to respond better to you, that's all."
"I guess close is a little exaggerated. We talk, but only about professional things, you know. Never about personal things; and I think this angriness Greg has now, it's gotta be related to something bad happening in his life."
The two men nodded and looked at each other. At last Nick voiced their consent suggestion.
"Can you talk to him Sara? I think you might be the only one able to penetrate his angry defence right now."
The brunette sighed, not looking forward to this task at all. But at the same time, she silently agreed with the Texan.
"Fine. I'll talk to him. Can't make any promises though. He's not an easy person to get in on."
"Just do your best Sara. Before the whole lab goes mad."
The three CSI's stayed in the break room and talked some more, making guesses of what could have happened to the normally happy-going lab-tech. Sara decided to try to talk to him when she was getting her results. When her pager went off, saying 'done', she paled a bit before she got up and walked towards the DNA-lab.
-----
As she reached the door to the lab, Sara knew that she wouldn't get anything out of Greg this night. Rage Against The Machine was blasting inside the lab, the words making her face go paler.
Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
Come on!
Yeah! Come on!
Fuck you; I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you; I won't do what you tell me…
Sara quickly entered the room and turned the volume down. Greg snapped his head up in her direction and looked at her with angry eyes.
"Why'd you do that?"
"You can't play this song, you'll get fired."
"No I won't. Grissom doesn't care what music I play as long as I do my job, so stop making excuses. You just don't like the song."
Sara couldn't believe the way he sounded. It was like he was another person, not even close to his normal self.
"You're right; I don't like the song, have you listened to the lyrics? And what the fuck is wrong with you? You've been acting strange all week."'
"I happen to like the lyrics, makes me feel better. And what do you care? Am I not allowed to have bad days? Do I always have to be happy and goofy, just so you can feel better? Get over it, and stop acting like you actually care, you and I both know the truth. Here's your result, it was nice talking to you."
The tech went over to the printer and gave the paper to an earth-stricken Sara, turning the volume back up and starting the song over as he went back to work on the next sample.
Killing in the name of!
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Huh!
Killing in the name of!
Killing in the name of!
Sara hurried out of the lab, not entirely sure what had happened. When she looked down on the paper and saw that the semen-sample didn't match her suspect she groaned. 'Damn this is a shitty night.' When she came back to the break room Nick and Warrick looked at her expectantly. She just shook her head.
"Sorry guys, it's no use. He's bad. I mean, really bad. I gotta go, need to find myself a new suspect."
Sara said good bye to the two men and went back to the scene to see if she had missed anything. Nick and Warrick looked at each other and silently wondered what they could do to make a certain lab-tech's mood better.
-----
Later that night Nick was walking along the hall looking for Grissom, he had checked his office and every lab, but the supervisor was nowhere to be seen. When he closed in on the DNA-lab he was surprised by the silence. There was no music blaring from the room. Curious to why this was Nick peeked through the window; what he saw surprised him even more. Inside Greg was sitting on his chair with a sad, not angry look on his face. In front of him Hodges was crouching, his hand stroking the other mans arm. It was obvious the two men's conversation was a serious one. Suddenly it hit Nick; 'Hodges knows what's wrong with Greg. Man, I need to talk to the guy soon.'
Ten minutes later the Texan found himself standing in the trace-lab, getting really angry at the tech; who refused to tell him anything.
"Come on Hodges. All I want to know is what's wrong with Greg?"
"Well Stokes. I don't gossip, if he doesn't tell; I don't tell. I won't betray a friend like that."
"Oh man. He's my friend too; I just want to know how I can help him."
"Friend eh? Does he know that? Do you ever talk to him outside of work? Do you even know where he lives? Or what he does on his free time? Drop the act Stokes; if you really want to know what's happened to Greg come to club Retro at nine o'clock tonight. You might actually learn something."
Nick looked at the trace-tech with wide eyes. 'What the fuck is he talking about? Of course I know where Greg lives; after all I dropped him off once when his car conked out last year. Okay, so maybe we don't hang much outside of work, but that's not all my fault. I mean we work all the damn time. And I don't know if I can keep my act together if I spend too much time alone with him.' As he walked out of the room his thoughts again wandered off to the sexy tech that he had fallen for the first time he saw him. He really wanted to be the man to make Greg happy again, but even if the tech wasn't straight (Nick had yet to decide on that matter); he would never fall for a boring guy like himself. Greg was young and adventurous, while to him a romantic dinner at a fancy restaurant was the most adventurous thing he'd ever done with a boyfriend. Not that he'd had that many. Well; two to be honest. One was in college and the other here in Vegas. Both ended because they thought the Texan was too dull.
Nick was a romantic. He wanted to take his love-interests out on dates, he liked the idea of snuggling on the couch, drinking wine and watching a nice movie. He wanted to take his significant other home to introduce him to his family. He was out to his family and they had accepted it. He knew his parents weren't too happy about it, but they never said anything.
He wasn't in to clubbing or bondage or whatever was funky nowadays. So he had been quite surprised when he fell in love with Greg Sanders. Greg was almost the polar opposite of himself; young, daring, energetic, free-minded and out-going. He had many times wondered how Greg would be in bed; he guessed he was a talker, a tease, and that he could go on for hours. 'Ooh, don't think about that; remember you're still at work, not a good time to get hard.'
In the break room he found Sara, Warrick and Catherine sitting, talking about their cases. Nick told them what Hodges had said and they all decided to go to the place, just to see what the tech had meant.
-----
Nick, Warrick, Sara and Catherine entered the loud club at 8.55 pm. The club was packed with people; dancing, drinking and flirting. They all looked around trying to see a familiar face. As they made their way towards the bar, Warrick nudged Nick in the side.
"Hey man; isn't that Archie sitting over there?"
Nick turned to look at the table Warrick pointed out.
"Yeah it is. And I think that's Jacqui and Bobby sitting with him. Let's go over and see if we can sit with them."
The CSI's bought some drinks at the bar and carefully made their way over to the table where the three techs were sitting. Nick got there first, the others waiting in line behind him.
"Hey guys. Can we sit with you?"
The lab-techs looked surprised to see the CSI's standing there but quickly nodded and four chairs were moved over to the small table. Nick got seated between Archie and Jacqui, and soon found himself interrogated by the print-expert.
"What are you guys doing here? Who told you to come?"
"Well, Hodges told us. What are you doing here?"
"Man, Greg's gonna kill him." Jacqui said under her breath. "We're here cheering for our guys of course."
When Nick opened his mouth to ask more questions he was soon hushed by the tech.
"Ssh. It's starting."
Nick had no idea what the woman was talking about, but followed her gaze towards the stage where a man had entered and started talking into the microphone.
"Hello everybodyyy! I hope your evening has treated you well!" The crowd was cheering and whistling as he spoke. "It's time, for the ones you've all been waiting for. Give a loud scream foooor… THE RATS!"
The crowd screamed louder as four men entered the stage. And 'What the fuck?' Nick couldn't believe his eyes. There, on the stage, in front of him were none other than Greg Sanders and David Hodges. The two other men were slightly familiar too, he was sure he'd seen them somewhere before.
"Hey Arch; Greg and Hodges are in a band? Together? And who are the other guys?"
"You didn't know? I thought everybody knew about the band, I mean; they've been playing together for more than a year now. The drummer is Neal, the ballistic-day-tech, and the guitarist is Martin, trace-tech on day."
Archie quickly shut up when Jacqui turned to give him the eye. The band was done strumming, and Greg had now moved up to mic. Nick moved his attention that way again.
"Hello Retro! You doin' fine?" The crowd roared as Greg beamed down at them. "So this has been a really shitty week for me, but the good thing about shitty weeks is that they produce some great songs! So we're starting with a new song, and Archie, Jacqui, David and Bobby; I'm sorry for being an ass these past days. Thanks for being there for me, and I promise to get back on track soon!"
The crowd went silent as they saw Hodges get ready on the bass. When Greg started singing everybody started to sway and nod to the music.
I want you to know, that I'm happy for you
I wish nothing but the best for you both
An other version of me
Is she perverted like me?
Would she go down on you in a theatre?
Does she speak eloquently?
And would she have your baby
I'm sure she'd make a really excellent mother
'cause the love that you gave that we made wasn't able
To make it enough for you to be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me you'd hold me
Until you died, till you died
But you're still alive
And I'm here to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know
Nick felt a nudge on his shoulder and looked back on Warrick seated behind him. He leaned back as the other man leaned forward to talk to him.
"Hey man, did you know Sanders is gay?"
"Nope, not that it's a big surprise. I mean, I could have guessed it."
He turned back and watched the man of his dreams sing out his crappiness. He finally understood why the DNA-tech had been in such a bad mood for the past week. He almost felt sorry for the guy who'd dumped him when he heard the bashing he was getting from Greg. But only almost. 'Maybe this might be my chance. Maybe I can get what I want now.' His attention went back to the scene as the song continued.
You seem very well, things look peaceful
I'm not quite as well, I thought you should know
Did you forget about me Mr. Duplicity
I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner
It was a slap in the face how quickly I was replaced
And are you thinking of me when you fuck her?
'cause the love that you gave that we made wasn't able
To make it enough for you to be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me you'd hold me
Until you died, till you died
But you're still alive
And I'm here to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know
'cause the joke that you made in the bed that was me
And I'm not gonna fade as soon as you close your eyes and you know it
And every time I scratch my nails down someone else's back
I hope you feel it... well can you feel it
Well, I'm here to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know
The song ended with a scream from Greg, and the whole club went wild. Jacqui, Archie and Bobby were up on their feet; clapping and yelling for their friends. The CSI's fell in to the cheering as the young tech started talking again.
"Thank you! Wow; you have no idea how good it was to get that out of my system! We'll continue with a few old songs."
Nick felt himself get lost in the music. The band was great and Greg had a really nice voice. He couldn't stop the grin on his face as he watched the tech swaying to the rhythm.
-----
As the concert moved on Nick's mind went off, thinking about the same man that had occupied his mind for the last couple of years; Greg Sanders. When he had first met Greg he had felt a connection immediately, loving the way the young man was bouncing with energy and excitement. He had fallen in love at that moment, and he always had an excuse for going to the lab. If he had a bad case, or was in a crappy mood for some reason, or if he felt that Grissom treated him like a child; he would always go to the DNA-lab, just to talk with Greg. The tech had an amazing ability to lift his mood instantly.
He was sure that the tech could never fall for a man like himself, but he owed it to himself to at least try. He was sick of pining over the younger man, sick of not being allowed to kiss him and touch him like he wanted to. He knew that he was a little too touchy-feely with Greg, but he couldn't help himself. He just had to grab his shoulder or pat his chest from time to time; otherwise he would probably lose it and do something worse, like jump him and fuck him on the break room table.
He wasn't sure how to make a move towards Greg, but he was sure he would eventually come up with something. His mind started tuning in on the concert again, as Greg introduced the last song of the night. A collective "Aaaaawwww" went through the crowd.
"Sorry guys, but this is the last song. Me and Dave have to get to our other, not-so-important job in just over one hour. Now; this is a new song, and it's to show all of you that I really am fine! So Jess; this is dedicated to you."
Greg turned and looked at Martin as he started the beat.
Here's the thing; we started out friends
It was cool, but it was all pretend
Yeah, yeah, since you been gone
You're dedicated, you took the time
Wasn't long 'til I called you mine
Yeah, yeah, since you been gone
And all you'd ever hear me say
Is how I picture me with you
That's all you'd ever hear me say
But since you been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so movin' on, yeah yeah
Thanks to you, now I get what I want
Since you been gone
How can I put it, you put me on
I even fell for that stupid love song
Yeah, yeah, since you been gone
How come I'd never hear you say
I just wanna be with you
Guess you never felt that way
But since you been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so movin' on, yeah, yeah
Thanks to you, now I get, I get what I want
Since you been gone
You had your chance, you blew it
Out of sight, out of mind
Shut your mouth, I just can't take it
Again and again and again and again
Nick felt Jacqui slide over him to nudge Archie. As the A/V-tech looked at her she pointed behind her with her thumb. Nick turned around the same time Archie did and saw a tall muscular man with blond hair standing beside to door. He looked intently at the scene in front of him, eyes dilated and face pale. Nick turned back and looked at the A/V-tech with a curious expression. The other man mouthed 'Jess' back to him. The Texan nodded to show that he had understood.
Since you been gone (since you been gone)
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so movin' on, yeah yeah
Thanks to you (thanks to you)
Now I get, I get what I want
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so movin' on, yeah yeah
Thanks to you (thanks to you)
Now I get (I get)
You should know (you should know) that I get
I get what I want
Since you been gone
Since you been gone
Since you been gone
As the last note faded, Nick saw Jess slip out the door, tears evident in his eyes. He turned back towards the stage, and cheered loudly for the band, together with the rest of the crowd. Greg looked so happy up there, and it was good to see him smile again. Nick swore to himself that he would do all in his power to make that smile a permanent feature. Now all he needed was to make a move.
A/N: Lots of songs in here! First: Killing In The Name Of by Rage Against The Machine, next: You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette and last: Since You Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson. Hope you like it so far! More will come soon. Please review; I'd love to know what you think!