AN: Don't own 'em, just love 'em.
"Happy Birthday, Nick!" Sara called out as she entered the break room ten minutes before the graveyard shift started. Nick was sitting at the table nursing a cup of coffee and staring off into space.
He turned towards his grinning co-worker and smiled. "Thanks, Sara."
"How's it feel to be thirty-five?" she teased, crossing the room to get a cup of coffee.
Nick growled in response. "Thirty-three, Sara. You know that. Don't make me any older than I am."
Sara chuckled. "You're only as old as you feel, Nick. Of course, unless you've been hiding things from us, you're not 'feeling' anybody these days." She smirked over the rim of her cup.
He shot his dark-haired, sometimes-partner a dirty look and stood to rinse out his cup in the sink. "Not any of your business, little miss. Haven't heard about you having much of a life outside of this place lately either."
Nick could tell she was resisting the urge to stick out her tongue when Warrick, Catherine and Grissom walked into the room behind her.
"Happy Birthday, man." Warrick said, as Catherine crossed the room to give Nick a hug.
"Thanks," he said to Warrick and Catherine, as he gave the red-head a tight squeeze.
Warrick tossed a plastic-bagged package towards Nick. "Sorry, I didn't get it wrapped," he said with a shoulder shrug.
"No worries, man," Nick replied, opening the bag and pulling out a video game. "Hey, this one just came out. Thanks. We'll have to get together and try it out."
"I was hoping you'd say that," the green-eyed man said with a smile. He walked over to the coffee pot to top off his travel mug, and then turned to watch the presentation of the other gifts.
Smiling, Grissom walked closer and handed Nick a flat package wrapped in brown-recycled paper. "If you already have this one, I was told you could exchange it," he said as Nick opened the gift to find a book on birds of the western United States.
"Naw, I don't have this one. Thanks, Gris."
Grissom just continued smiling and nodded his head, as Sara stepped forward and placed a small package on the table. "I could have sworn you were going to be thirty-five this year," she said with a grin.
Nick grinned back. "I can be thirty-five if you want, Sara. Just remember, I'm only three years older than you," he replied, effectively ending the age conversation. He opened the small package and pulled out a CD and started to laugh. "Really, Sara?"
She grinned. "You need to broaden your horizons, Nick. I'm getting tired of Johnny Cash on the call-outs out of town."
He shook his head. "The driver picks the music, Sara. You know that. Get used to it."
"Nicky." Nick looked towards Catherine, who was standing in the doorway practically vibrating. "I've saved the best for last."
Nick looked around the room at his co-workers, but all of them looked as clueless as he felt. He turned his gaze back to Grissom's second-in-command and watched as she stepped out of the doorway and returned moments later, leading someone who was shuffling along in bare feet.
"I've been worried about you always being alone, Nicky, so I decided you needed a companion," she said, smiling at how pleased she was with her choice of a gift.
The silence in the break room was palpable. Nick finally broke the silence, as the young man dropped to his knees in front of him, "A companion?"
Catherine smirked. "Well, I was visiting Sam and told him I had to leave sooner than I had planned because I still hadn't gotten your birthday gift. He told me that just this afternoon he had gotten in a new shipment of companions for his casino, and told me I could have first pick for your present. So, happy birthday, Nick. I hope I made the right choice. There was just something about this one that told me he was the right one for you." Everyone in the room looked down at the still form kneeling on the ground, forehead touching the floor.
Nick swallowed heavily, "Catherine, I never…."
"I'll take him, if you don't want him." Warrick spoke up quickly. "Always wanted one, but can't afford it on the salary they pay me here."
Nick saw the huddled form on the floor appear to shrink in size, as the young man folded himself into even a smaller space. Quickly glancing up at Warrick, Nick looked at his friend and co-worker with surprise and a feeling of unrest. "No. I mean, I guess I'll…."
"Shit Catherine, you only got me a gift certificate for the day spa for my birthday. Too bad you weren't visiting Sam then," Sara snorted, allowing Nick a moment to collect his thoughts.
Grissom cleared his throat and garnered the attention of his team. "As much as we'd all like to stay and continue celebrating Nick's birthday, we do have work to do." He passed out slips of paper to Sara and Catherine and sent them out into the hallway to gather their kits. Crossing over to the remaining CSI's, he handed Warrick a slip of paper. "You and Nick are together tonight, go out and wait for him." As Warrick stepped out of the room, Grissom turned to Nick and gestured to the form on the floor. "Get him settled somewhere where Ecklie won't see him if he wanders in tonight." As he turned to leave the room Nick could hear him mutter, "What was she thinking?"
Nick knelt down and rested a hand on a shoulder of the prostrate young man. He could feel the tension therein and his breath hitched. "What's your name?" he asked softly.
"Greg, Master." The voice was so quiet that Nick caught himself leaning forward to catch the words.
"Greg, you don't have to call me Master. Hell, I don't know anything about being a Master." Nick exhaled deeply. "You need to stand up so that we can find someplace for you to stay while I'm out on a case." The white-clad figure gracefully rose to his feet, but his eyes remained lowered to the floor.
Nick began talking to himself out loud, "Maybe Mandy…"
Just then he heard a loud rumbling coming from Greg's stomach and turned to look at the embarrassed man. "Greg, when did you last eat?" he asked.
The answering whisper came hesitantly, "I'm not sure, Master. Maybe yesterday, or the day before. The trainers didn't want to waste food on those that were being shipped out to new owners."
"Son of a bitch!" Nick responded slamming his hand into the door frame. "I don't have time…. Come on." He started off down the hallway and Greg scurried to keep up with his long strides. Nick stopped in front of a cache of vending machines and turned to his charge. "I know this isn't the greatest food in the world, but I'll ask Mandy to be sure to get you something later." He put several single bills into the machine and turned to Greg impatiently. "What do you like?" Nick paused upon seeing the stricken and panicked look in the brown eyes across from him and changed his tone quickly. "I'm sorry, Greg. It's just that Warrick is waiting for me and I really need to get moving. We'll have more time to talk about things later. Could you please make a selection, or tell me what you'd like?"
The young man lowered his chin slightly and hesitantly pointed toward the machine. As Nick pushed the buttons, he asked, "What else?" Greg pointed once again and quickly pulled his hand back to his body. Nick punched the buttons for the second selection and realizing there was still money in the machine, pushed the buttons for the second selection one more time. He turned to another machine that contained beverages and slipped in money. As he raised his hand to make a selection he heard Greg's timid voice, "Water, please."
Nick soon added two bottles of water to Greg's small supply of foodstuffs. "Anything else?"
"No, Master."
Nick wanted to clear up the whole 'Master' thing, but knew he was short on time and Warrick would be chomping at the bit to get to their scene, so he ignored the title and began walking down the hallway again, Greg trailing slightly behind him.
As he stopped in front of the fingerprint lab, Nick eased into the doorway. "Mandy…," he began in his most cajoling voice.
"It may be your birthday, but it ain't gonna happen, Stokes," Mandy responded, without turning to face him. "Your evidence goes into the rotation, just like all the rest." When he didn't respond to her words, she turned to face him.
"It's not evidence, Mandy. I need you to help me out here. Grissom said I needed to find a safe place to leave something. It has to be 'Ecklie-proof'."
Mandy smiled and shook her head. "Are you trying to get me into trouble, Nick?"
He gave her a wry smile and moved into the room, reaching back to gently pull Greg in behind him. "It's a long story, Mandy, but I haven't got time know. Can you keep Greg safe for me? Maybe let him sit in that little blind spot between the cabinets, please?"
She looked at him with wide eyes. "Nick, what's going on?"
He sighed. "Catherine gave me a companion for a birthday present, I certainly didn't expect it. I …. If I leave money would you be sure he gets a meal later? I guess he hasn't been fed for a couple of days."
Mandy took in the figure before her. The young man was rail-thin, barefoot, and dressed in simple white cotton drawstring pants and shirt. His head was lowered and she could see little of his face due to the longish hair that hadn't been cut or styled in a long, long time. She gave Nick a hard look and lifted her chin slightly. "Give me a call if you have to work overtime and I'll take him home with me."
She moved closer to the still form and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Let's get you settled. Greg, isn't it?" As she steered him further into the room, she turned to Nick, "We'll be fine. Give me a call later and we'll touch base."
Nick nodded and backed out of the room. Turning, he almost ran down the hallway knowing Warrick was waiting, but almost as important as getting to the scene was the idea of getting away from the young man sitting in Mandy's lab. Nick needed time to think.
Mandy led Greg to the small alcove between the tall, doored-cabinets and gave him a smile. "I have to get back to my work, but you give me a yell if you need anything. Okay, Greg?" He nodded hesitantly and as she turned back to her counter he slowly sank to his knees.
A couple of hours later David Hodges waltzed into Mandy's lab with a grimace on his face. "You'd think there would be birthday cake in the break room with it being the golden boy's special day, but noooo. I really was hoping for a nice piece of chocolate cake tonight."
Mandy swung around to look at the disgruntled trace tech and they both were startled by a loud growling noise. She looked quickly to the alcove where Greg was kneeling, Hodges' eyes following her gaze. The young man was folded up as small as he was able in the tight space, the snack food and water bottles setting beside him.
The fingerprint tech moved quickly over to Greg and knelt in front of him. "Sorry Greg, I got caught up in work and forgot about you over here. Hey, why didn't you eat the snacks Nick got for you before he left? I know he said you were hungry, that you hadn't been fed for a couple of days."
A whisper came from the huddled form, "I wasn't told I was allowed to eat, Mistress Mandy."
Mandy's eyes widened and she gasped, "Oh Greg, I didn't realize you needed permission. I've never had experience with a companion before." She turned to Hodges with a look of pain. 'Help me,' her face spoke silently.
The tech stepped over to the couple and held a hand out to his fellow lab rat, helping her back on her feet. He moved into the space she had just vacated and knelt down. "Hey, my name is David and I heard Mandy call you Greg. Greg, why don't you find a more comfortable position, the floor has to be hurting your knees if you've been kneeling here two hours into Nick's shift."
Greg lifted his eyes and looked quickly from Hodges to Mandy, as if seeking permission from the person his new Master had left in charge of him. Mandy felt her eyes begin to tear. "It's okay, Greg. David is a friend and co-worker of Nick's. He won't be upset if you talk to him or follow his suggestions."
"Come on, buddy. My knees are already killing me. Let's both sit in a more comfortable position," Hodges said, waiting until the young man in front of him began to shift before doing so himself.
"It's not so bad. I've had to kneel on hard surfaces for a lot longer than this," Greg said softly.
"That doesn't make it right," Mandy choked out before bolting from the room.
Hodges tilted his head and gave a little shrug. "Some people don't understand the whole companion thing. They don't associate in the same social circles as those who keep companions. It makes it difficult to comprehend how it works." He reached forward and opened the package of peanut butter-filled crackers setting beside Greg's thigh, handing it to the hungry man. "You may eat all of this and drink all the water, if you wish. It's your decision, Greg."
The slight man smiled, "Thank you, Master David."
Hodges watched as Greg quickly, but neatly ate the package of crackers and opened a bottle of water. "Greg, I heard Mandy say that you hadn't eaten for a couple of days. Hasn't Nick been feeding you?" his voice took on a hard quality.
Greg looked at Hodges in surprise. "Nick only received me as a gift a couple of hours ago. He bought me this food when he learned I was hungry. Please don't be upset with my Master," he said earnestly.
Hodges nodded his head. "Okay then, Greg, who didn't feed you?"
Greg lowered his eyes and traced a finger around the open top of the water bottle. "My trainers. They knew I was being purchased and that I would get a meal upon my arrival at my new situation. Mistress Catherine selected me for Master Nick before a meal was served."
"Were you often left unfed, Greg?"
Hodges watched as Greg's knuckles turned white while twisting on the bottle cap. "The trainers told us that owners prefer slender companions. Sometimes we would go many days without being fed."
The trace tech heard a gasp from behind him and realized that Mandy had returned to the lab just in time to hear the last comment from the young man in front of him. "So you're fresh from the trainers, then? Aren't you a little old to be newly trained?" he asked, trying to keep the information coming.
Greg nodded. "I wasn't born into companionship. I only went into training a year ago."
"What happened?"
Greg closed his eyes while answering the question, not wanting to see the faces of the couple in front of him as he told his tale. "I had just graduated from college. Top of my class in chemistry. I came home to spend the summer with my family before beginning my internship in New York. When I got home the mortgage agents were already there. My father's business had folded and the assets didn't cover the mortgage. They were taking my fourteen year-old-sister as payment for the remaining debt. I stepped in and took her place." He opened his eyes at Mandy's choked sob. "It's okay Mistress Mandy, Adele's safe. I covered the debt adequately."
Hodges placed a hand on Greg's arm. "She was lucky you were there, Greg." He was treated to a sad smile in response.
Greg lowered his eyes and spoke softly, "Master David, is it alright if I eat the chocolate bar, too?"
"Of course it is, Greg. You may eat everything that Nick left with you, if you wish." Greg smiled and reached for the candy bar. "Greg," Hodges began, "do you like Italian food?"
Greg looked up quickly and nodded.
"I'm planning on ordering out for my mid-shift break. Would you like to join me for a meal? Mario's does a really great lasagna." Hodges was rewarded with a huge grin.
"It would please me very much to share your meal, Master David." He looked at Mandy. "Is it permitted, Mistress?"
Mandy smiled, "Only if he orders enough for three. I love Mario's lasagna."
Hodges looked back and forth between Mandy and Greg. "I'll call it in." He looked at Greg intently. "I need to get back to work, but if you need anything at all I want you to ask Mandy." He leaned forward and asked softly, "Do you need a bathroom break before I leave?" He felt awkward asking, but knew it was something that would be hard for the young man to request.
Greg shook his head. "Not now, Master David, but maybe later. After I drink the rest of my water."
Hodges nodded. "Okay then." He rose and walked to the door. "I'll see you both in a little while."
Greg went back to his chocolate bar, leaning against the cabinet in a more relaxed pose. Mandy looked away from the young man, but knew that she wouldn't forget about him sitting in that tiny alcove for a second time that night.