Disclaimer: I no own CSI, even though it's super amazing.

A/N: Back story to Bad Day and Say What? Can be read alone. I couldn't help myself :)

I don't want to spend my life jaded,

Waiting,

To wake up one day and find,

That I let all these years go by,

Wasted,

Oh, I don't want to keep on wishin'

Missin',

The still of the morning, the color of the night,

I ain't spendin' no more time,

Wasted.

-Wasted-

..Carrie Underwood..

x3x

They had actually started out as friends.

See, The lab rats had a very special relationship with one another. They bonded over their collective geekiness and the ingratitude they felt from the CSIs. It was rare that they even received even a quick 'thanks' from the team, let alone a feeling of acceptance, even when it came to the "Fastest Lab Tech in the West."

So they stuck together. They formed their own bonds and their own love for each other. And for some of them, that love became more than just friendly.

Greg wasn't really sure when his relationship with David had shifted, wasn't sure when Hodges had become David in the first place. All Greg knew was that the snarky attitude and sarcastic comments were starting to grow on him. And he was, of course, utterly terrified of doing anything about it.

So the ever-faithful lab rats did it for him. They weren't blind to what was in front of their faces,as many of the CSIs were. They could see that Greg's ears got pink every time Hodges touched him, they could see that David seemed to have an issue insulting Greg as he normally did. And it had only gotten worse after the lab explosion. Archie had pointed out the fact that David could hardly tear himself away from Greg's side while he was in the hospital, and Greg's slight anxiety attacks quelled whenever Hodges was close to him

And so they pushed. Jacqui had come up with the plan to invite Greg to Hodges' place, tell him that everyone else was going to be there. They let David be surprised.

After the initial awkwardness, Greg and David expressed their feelings in sarcastic jibes and caffeine buzzes. But at least their feelings were out there. That's when they started dating, when they were happy with each other. When Greg could laugh at every insult thrown his way. And he was happy, because he finally had someone to lean on, someone to talk to about everything, especially the explosion.

He had everything he needed.

And Hodges, believe it or not, seemed just as happy. He smiled more, he kissed a little less asses, and he certainly seemed a little less insulting. He even asked Greg to move in with him…Eventually. Which he did.

But it was one day, as David watched Greg dance around his lab with a smile on his face, teasing Nick with a romping round of Name That Chemical Compound, that he realized it wouldn't last. Greg was going to get tired of him eventually.

It seems as though he's already choosing his next target too, Hodges thought as Nick's smile grew larger as his eyes followed Greg's wild hand movements. David smiled slightly, watching his lover. The smile quickly turned to a frown as he thought about how much it was going to hurt to fall completely only to be left in the dust for the younger, better looking cowboy currently crowding in his boyfriend's personal space.

So he acted.

It had started with the usual cold and biting comments, the one's Greg had learned to laugh off, and it had gone steadily gone downhill from there. David closed himself off, leaving Greg hurt and confused, and nobody knew what to say to him. The lab techs could only watch as their friend destroyed the best thing in his life. They watched as Greg closed himself off from the world, as the light died from his eyes. The could only watch as Hodges did something stupid to himself. Again.

They could see Greg was no longer happy, but he wasn't listening to them. They see that Hodges rarely meant the things he said, and often regretted them after he said them. But they couldn't stop him. It's not as though they hadn't tried. Jacqui's voice had reached a new level of shrill, Archie had bashed Hodges over the head with a few VHS tapes, Bobby had even threatened to bring out the "big guns." But nothing they said had any affect. They could only watch, helpless, as two people destroyed themselves. Greg, by staying, and David, by starting the whole mess in the first place.

The insults only seemed to intensify as Greg worked on his transition from the lab to the field. While everyone one else could see that Greg was suffocating in the lab, practically waiting for another explosion, all Hodges could see was another excuse to be close to Nick. They had come to a stand-still when Hodges had accused Greg of cheating on him with Nick, and Greg had punched him in the face.

x3x

Nick had noticed these things. It wasn't as though he were blind.

At first he had just thought that Greg was having trouble getting over the explosion. But it was when he noticed Greg spending more time in the Trace lab that he suspected something else. Then Nick noticed the bruise on David's face, had noticed that their fights had more heat in them, that their insults were personal with every intention of hitting where it counted. He had really noticed when Greg's eyes seemed to die out and his smiles became less and less frequent. He noticed when no one did anything about it. So he did it himself.

"What's up with you and Hodges?"

Greg looked up, startled, from the layout table, where photo's from their most recent B&E were resting.

"What're you talking about?" he asked.

"You two seem to be going at it more often lately," Nick said, raising an eyebrow. "Or, maybe it's more like, Hodges seems to be going at it while you just stand there and take it."

Greg quickly lowered his eyes back to the photos, trying to hide his flush of embarrassment .

"Hodges is just an ass, which is well known," Greg hedged, trying to get off the subject. "Aren't you supposed to be teaching me something about how 'even the smallest out of place detail counts' or whatever?"

Nick smirked as he carefully positioned himself in front of the only exit, "Don't try and change the subject Greggo, we're gonna talk about this eventually, might as well do it now."

Crap, Greg thought, I'm toast.

Nick studied Greg carefully, watching as he lowered his eyes once more to the crime scene photographs, studying them without actually seeing them. His shoulders were hunched, and he seemed to have shrunk five inches in the last two minutes. He was afraid, Nick realized, of what his reaction, of what he would say. He was afraid of letting anyone else close enough to figure out what was wrong with him.

Greg wasafraid. He and Nick had become much closer friends over the past few years, despite Greg being a "CSI wannabe." Greg might even go so far as to say that Nick was his best friend. And best friends did not have romantic feelings for each other. Greg knew he was attracted to Nick, and like or it not he had to deal with that. But he was almost positive Nick didn't feel the same way. Almost. Not to mention that, no matter how many issues they had, he wasn't ready to give up on David. He wasn't ready to admit that he was tired of being the man's verbal punching bag.

And Greg was tired.

He was just tired of everything. He was tired of David making him feel ten inches tall every time he walked into a room. He was tired of taking the constant abuse from someone who was supposed to care about him. He was tired of the nightmares, of waking up alone and afraid. He was tired of the fear he still felt every time he walked into the DNA lab that once been his second home. He was tired of the random anxiety attacks and shaking hands. He was tired of the CSIs looking at him like they knew he'd never make it past his proficiencies. He was tired of Archie looking at him with those sympathetic puppy dog eyes, of Bobby clapping him on the shoulder with that "hang tough" smile, of Jacqui constantly asking him if he was okay, because he wasn't. He wasn't okay and he didn't know how to fix it. His life was one shit move after another it was all steadily headed down the crapper.

Greg was lost, he was lost and he knew it wasn't going to be much longer before he forgot his way back.

"I don't know what's goin' on with you, man, but it's gotta stop."

Greg started. He had forgotten Nick was there.

Nick observed Greg as he flinched and looked up, startled. He shook his head.

"You're losin' your concentration, you been missin' key points of this crime scene for the last hour." he sighed as Greg's eyes shot back to pictures. "It's like you're not even here anymore, man. And I don't know if it's Hodges that's got you all distracted or something' else, but you gotta stop doin' this to yourself."

Greg swallowed, determined to keep his eyes down as the Texan lectured him.

"So, this is about my work ability?" Greg said quietly. "You're worried about me screwing something up?"

Nick smiled sadly, glad that he had Greg's attention again.

"Nah, Greggo." he said, lowering his voice and moving towards the table Greg was standing behind. He waited until Greg looked at him, happy to see the hint of an angry spark in the other man's brown eyes.

"Really, Nick?" Greg started, voice rising a little, "Because it kinda sounds like you're reprimanding me, or something."

Nick shrugged casually, leaning back against the table and staring Greg down, waiting for him to make the first move. "Just an observation."

"Just an observation." Greg repeated, doubtfully, before returning his attention to the table. He could still feel Nick's eyes on him, could sense that the man wasn't going to let it go that easily.

And he was right.

"I've also observed how you stopped smiling." Nick said, his voice low and caring, "And how you're jokes aren't even jokes anymore, more like random comments." He moved closer as he spoke around the layout table, dangerously close to invading Greg's personal bubble.

"And I've seen the way you act around Hodges, how you never laugh at his insults anymore, how he seems to piss you off more'n anything. I've seen the way you're jaw clenches when he so much as looks at you." Nick moved closer still, watching as Greg's hands began to shake. He was close.

"Most of all, Greg, I've seen the way you keep lookin' for a way out, but you can't find it. I've watched fall so hard, get so completely lost, that you can't find you're way back up again." He carefully placed his hands over Greg's trembling ones. "Why do you keep doing this to yourself? Why stay with him when all he's doing is destroying who you are?"

Greg shook his head, trying to quell the shaking in his hands, trying to pull away. But Nick tightened his grip, kept Greg in his sights. The two were standing toe to toe, the light of the table illuminating their faces. The southerner was close, he knew, and he wasn't going to back down now, not when Greg needed him.

"You gotta let him go, man" he whispered. "He doesn't love you. Not like I can."

Nick waited with the patience of a man dying of thirst as Greg slowly looked up, into his eyes. He watched as Greg studied him, looking for some sign of deception, some sign that Nick would end up being another Hodges. Christ, Nick thought, What's that bastard done to him?

Greg stilled at that, his heart racing in his chest. Did he just say… He didn't dare hope, but there was no denying the tone of Nick's voice, the soft care in his eyes. He was serious.

Nick smiled softly and nodded his head as he watched Greg's eyes fill and his hands stop shaking. "I love you, Greg, and no one, especially not Hodges can change that. If he can't see how amazing you are, then screw him. You don't need him, you hear me?"

Greg nodded, his eyes still glued to Nick's.

"Good."

x3x

So, no one (except Grissom and Ecklie) really paid much attention when Nick punched Hodges in the face the next day after practically being ambushed by the sour faced Trace tech.

And while there was gossip and rumor, no one was quite about the words they exchanged. It was clear Hodges must have been extra prick-y if Nick had been moved to physical violence.

What was clear was Nick's parting words as Warrick dragged him from the lab with Greg watching, just the barest hint of a spark in his eye and a tiny smile on his face.

"Leggo my Greggo."

Did I mention I couldn't help myself? "Leggo my Greggo, he's a CSI wannabe." I was insulted on Greg's behalf. Poor Greg. Review!!