God Hates You

Summary: When Greg's friend comes to town, tragedy strikes. Sara tries her best to keep Greg stoic after an awful hate crime tears an old friendship apart. Sandle.

Author's Note: This is what distracted me from Las Plagas but I promise I'll finish both. This is a short one for me, as it was originally intended to be a one-shot. So enjoy. (There's a dedication, but I'll list it at the end). Please note that there are some political themes and controversial issues addressed in this story. Thank you.


On the day Adam Webster called to tell Greg that he was coming to Las Vegas, Sara thought that she had never seen Greg look so excited. And to her great surprise she found herself to be a little jealous. The day had been going so slowly and she had been trying to make him laugh all day, but he was so frustrated with work it was no use. He had looked so bored, until his cell phone rang, and his face lit up, succeeding where Sara had failed. Afterwards, he had leapt up and ran right past Sara to beg Grissom for the whole next week off, which surprised his boss, considering it was such short notice, and so the request was denied. He was, however, granted Wednesday and Thursday off. Adam arrived on Tuesday.

So that Tuesday, Sara found herself once again fighting for Greg's attention as he daydreamed about his friend's visit.

"... spatter patterns indicated that he was shot at close range, so I was thinking maybe..." She trailed off as she saw Greg's eyes were on the ceiling and he was muttering to himself. "... Mutated zebras with opposable thumbs escaped from his zoo and killed him in retaliation for locking them up and doing experiments on them all these years. What do you think?"

He blinked. "Yeah, that sounds good," he said.

She rolled her eyes and put the file down. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Zebras," he said, then frowned, blinked again, and looked at her. "I mean... Wait, zebras?"

"Were you even listening to me at all?" Sara asked.

"What were you talking about zebras for?" Greg returned.

"You're daydreaming again, aren't you?" Sara demanded. "Can you focus at all?!"

Greg flashed her his trademarked grin. "Sara, I don't think you understand. Me and Adam go way back. Like dinosaurs way back. And I haven't seen him in fifteen years! I mean, we e-mail from time to time, but I haven't actually seen him since... a long ass time, OK? I think I have a right to be excited."

"Damn right you do!" came a voice from the door.

Greg pushed his chair back so fast he knocked it over. He scrambled to his feet and ran to the door. Sara allowed herself a quiet chuckle.

"Adam!"

The newcomer seized Greg's hand and pulled him into a bear hug. "Greg, man, good to see you!" He pulled away to look at Greg. "Your hair! It's so... normal!"

"And yours is as crazy as ever," Greg noted, grinning at the jet black curls that hung over his eyes and ears in a very unruly fashion, with random blue streaks. "Aw, damn, it's good to see you! How's Jeff?"

"Doing swell at UNLV," Adam replied. "It's why I'm here, actually, promised the little guy I'd come to his graduation, help him move out of his apartment, you know." He looked over Greg's shoulder at Sara, who gave him a begrudging lopsided smile. "It's the brotherly thing to do after all. How do you do, ma'am?" He tilted his head and winked at her. She scoffed.

"Fine," she said. "And yourself, cowboy?"

"Cramped airplane," was his reply as he stretched out, unsubtly showing off the muscles in his arm. Sara rolled her eyes. "I'm Adam. I don't know if Greg's mentioned anything—"

"Believe me, he's mentioned plenty," Sara said flatly.

"Then you already know how awesome I am!" Adam threw his arm around Greg's shoulders and gave him a squeeze. Adam waited a moment, but no one spoke, Greg looking from Adam to Sara with a dopy grin on his face. So Adam prompted her. "And you are..."

She rose to her feet and gathered up the file. "Leaving," she said.

"She your girl, Greg?" Adam asked. "The one you been talking about?"

Sara stopped gathering up her files and looked up at Greg with a cocked eyebrow. Greg looked awkward as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Nah, you're thinking of..." He looked at Sara. "Some... other girl..."

There was a tense silence as Greg's gaze lingered on her. Sara shook it off and went back to gathering her files. "Right. Well, I have a big case I'm working on. And if I recall, Greg, you don't get off until four tomorrow."

"Ruin my fun, why don't you?" Greg exclaimed as Sara walked past him.

But she winked at him. "I've got this under control," she told him. "Go have fun with your friend."

"Hey, yeah!" Adam exclaimed. "I'm meeting Jeff at ten at this bar, you wanna roll with us, G-man?"

But Greg was watching Sara with polite, if feigned, reluctance. "Nah, Sara, I couldn't leave you all on your own to go over those files, not without—"

"I'll make Nick help me," she interrupted, telling him what he wanted to hear. "I think he just got off a case recently anyway..."

But he and Adam were already half-way down the hall. "Thanks, Sara, you're the best!" Greg exclaimed over his shoulder, before he disappeared out the door.


If Greg had to guess, he'd say that Jeff didn't look too thrilled to see that he had tagged along. While his face had lit up at the sight of his brother, it had immediately dimmed upon recognizing the man his brother had brought with him. The kid was much different than Greg remembered, now that he was all grown up. He had a much lighter frame than Adam, and was almost on the verge of being scrawny, but his brown eyes were fierce and his dark hair, just like his brother's, fell in a mop over his eyes.

"Little brother!" Adam declared in his loud, exuberant manner as he pulled the younger Webster into an eager embrace. "I've been looking forward to coming out here ever since you moved into your freshman dorm! So, how do you feel? Graduation is in two days! Are you psyched? I know I am. My little brother, the college graduate!" He seized Jeff in a headlock and gave him a noogie. The younger brother didn't seem to appreciate it very much.

"Yeah, I'm real stoked," he said breathlessly, when Adam had released him. "And I've got my tickets to Lima with my girl, Lisa."

"Right!" Adam exclaimed, as if he'd forgotten. "You're gonna climb the Andes with Sherpas and llamas that spit and everything!"

"Sherpas are Nepalese, Adam," Jeff corrected with a loving smile.

"Ain't that where you're goin?" Adam asked. "Ah, it doesn't matter! Lemme buy you a beer. Your girl, Lisa, you say? Mom'll be thrilled. You've never brought home a girlfriend, and she's been nagging me about grandkids... She's worried she'll never get any!"

They sat down at the bar, and Greg, beginning to feel like a third wheel, hailed the bartender and ordered a round for the three of them as Adam, absorbed in his brother, kept pestering Jeff with questions.

The younger Webster shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, Adam." He cast a fleeting glance at Greg, then looked nervously at Adam. "Adam, can we talk? No offense, Greg," he added hastily.

And that was when Greg knew, without a doubt, that he definitely was a third wheel. "Hey," he said, getting to his feet and taking his beer. "I understand."

"Wait, Greg!" Adam cried. His eyes were wide with anticipation as he watched Jeff. "Don't tell me. You already proposed to her, haven't you?"

"No," Jeff said with a sigh as he stared at his beer. "I just... can I talk to you alone, please?"

"Come on, Greg's known you since you were in diapers, he can handle it," Adam said.

Greg recognized Adam's common disregard for privacy or boundaries. Modesty and humility was just something he didn't understand, being so open and loud as he was about everything. With Adam, there was no such thing as a secret.

So Greg intervened. "Adam, it's cool, I'll just scope out the room, see if I can find some ladies—"

"Does Mom know?" Adam demanded of Jeff. "She'll flip a lid."

"Yeah, Mom knows," Jeff said, exasperated as he rolled his eyes. "So does Dad. You're the only one who doesn't."

"I know now," Adam said with a dopey grin.

"No, you don't," Jeff said sternly, turning to glare at his brother. "Lisa's not my girlfriend." He interrupted Adam before he could say anything. "Or my fiancé. Or my wife. She's just... a really good friend. And what I want to tell you has nothing to do with her. So can I just...do it please, Adam?"

Adam's face fell and Greg knew that was definitely his cue to leave. Unnoticed by either of the Webster brothers, he slipped away towards the other end of the bar and sat down next to a bubbly blonde.

"Hey stranger," she said, and with those words, he was thoroughly distracted for the next ten minutes.

What he talked about with her, in the greater scheme of things, didn't really matter because after the next morning, Greg would have forgotten her entirely. Her name, her anecdotes, even her face would be lost to him. But what he would always remember was the screeching and jolting crash of splintering glass that made him whip his head in the direction of the two brothers.

Adam was on his feet now, and Jeff was covered in spilt beer from his brother's drink. He had fixed Jeff with a searing gaze which his brother was desperately trying to escape. "Adam, I didn't mean it that way..."

"What way could you have meant it, huh, Jeff?" Adam roared, his voice filling the bar. Greg winced, embarrassed in empathy for Jeff. Adam was loud in general, but when he was angry...

"No, Adam, I just didn't think you would understand—"

"Wouldn't understand?" Adam scoffed. "I wouldn't understand. Your brother, your own flesh and blood, you think I would have abandoned you? Let you go it alone? All those years and you never told me? But you told mom and dad. Oh wow, I really feel like a part of this family."

"Adam, don't do this," Jeff pleaded. "It wasn't supposed to go this way... You know how you are with things like these. I just wanted to tell you when..." He squrimed. "Well, when you couldn't embarrass me about it."

Adam was shaking his head, looking utterly bewildered. And then, he looked around the bar and a slow, vindictive smile curled across his face. Greg braced himself. He knew what was coming. "Ladies and gentleman!" he declared like the ringmaster of a circus. "My baby brother is afraid I'll embarrass him! Like I think—or maybe, he thinks—that being gay is something to be embarrassed about!"

"ADAM!" Jeff yelled, grabbing his brother's arm.

But Adam ripped his arm out of Jeff's grip. "Don't touch me," he said, his voice a low growl. "This is Vegas. What do they care?" He rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "Look, I, uh... I need some air..." He turned to leave.

"You coming back?" Jeff called.

Adam hesitated before his shoulders slumped. "Maybe I'll call you tomorrow," he said. "But if I don't, don't call me. I'll try and make it to your grad. But get someone else to help you move out."

And with that, he was gone. Jeff furiously ripped off his beer-stained jacket and banged his head on the bar. Now that the spectacle was over, everyone slowly went back to what they were doing. But Greg's eyes lingered on the younger Webster. It seemed that both brothers had forgotten he was even there. Sighing, Greg excused himself to the blonde and took the chair next to Jeff.

"I'm sorry," Greg said.

"You didn't do anything," Jeff mumbled, not bothering to lift his head from the bar.

"For Adam. I always feel I have to apologize for him. He just... he doesn't understand people who have secrets. He has no shame himself. Which sucks, because he really should."

"Right," Jeff snorted. "He's such an arrogant asshole. He always finds a way to make everything about him." He sat up and looked at Greg. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love my brother. I always have, he's..." Jeff smiled. "I mean, he has his flaws, but I always wished I had half his confidence. But this is exactly why I didn't tell him before. Mom and Dad, I mean, Mom, she's always been cool about this thing, and Dad warmed to the idea eventually, but they both understood that I didn't want it to be a big deal. And they didn't exactly want to brag about it to all their friends. Adam, on the other hand... It's not like I was scared he'd be ashamed of me. I was scared he'd be almost proud of me. He's always proud of me. As if even my failures are something to brag about, to make him look better. You know? Like, I can see him even now, picking up some girl!" He put on a great "Adam" voice. "'Hey, baby, you know, my brother's gay, yeah, he overcame adversity, he's going against the current, but I'm not gay, you know, I'm cool, I taught him how to be strong.'" Jeff rolled his eyes and banged his head on the table again.

Greg frowned. "Well... it's nothing to be ashamed of, either. You know that right?"

Jeff turned his head on the bar and blinked at Greg. "I'm not ashamed," he told him. "But I know that some people have different opinions on the matter. It's about not making them uncomfortable. It's not something to be ashamed of, but it's not something to brag about. It's just who I am. I mean, you don't brag about the fact that you have brown eyes, do you? It's just... a fact. That's it. It doesn't dictate who I am or anything. I don't know why everyone has to make such a big deal about it."

"If you ask me, you're the one making a big deal about it," Greg told him. "Waiting all this time to tell your brother, I mean... If you'd have just told him in the first place and asked him just to not—"

"Greg, you've been friends with my brother since kindergarten, right?" Jeff asked. "You out of everyone should know that even when you ask him to, he can't keep a secret. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and sometimes that's a great thing, but..." Jeff leaned back in his chair. "I wish he didn't have to yell at me about it."

Greg smiled. "You're right," he said. "I do know Adam better than a lot of people. So I also know he doesn't hold grudges. He'll sleep on it, and he'll call you tomorrow all chipper and upbeat and demand to take you out somewhere."

Jeff smiled fondly. "Yeah, maybe. I think you're right."

Greg took off his jacket and draped it over Jeff's shoulders, picking up his forgotten beer-stained one on the ground. "Borrow this for a while, I'll get it back from you later."

Jeff nodded and put his arms in the jacket. "Thanks again, Greg."

Greg patted Jeff on the back and gave him a reassuring nod. "He's your brother, Jeff. He loves you. I think, if you ask him too, he'll be cool about it. He'd do anything for you."

Jeff didn't say anything, but he shrugged sheepishly and drained the last of his beer. "You're not a bad guy, Greg," Jeff told him. "Shame I wasn't born earlier. Could have gotten to know you better."

"Seriously!" Greg laughed. "Last I saw you, you were a bratty little ten-year-old. And now look at you. All grown up and dating men."

"Stop it," Jeff said as he punched Greg in the arm, but he was smiling.

Greg looked at his watch, then up at Jeff again. "Well, kiddo, if we're good to go here, I kind of abandoned my colleague at work, I'd like to get back to her. Do you need a ride home?"

"Nah, I've been here before," Jeff said dismissively. "And I only had one drink. I mean, it's not like we've been here long, right? I'll hang out for a little bit and catch a cab home."

Greg rose to his feet and winked at Jeff. "Don't stay out too late," he said. "If I know Adam, he'll be calling you up bright and early to take you out to breakfast, and you don't want to be hung over."

Jeff's eyebrows raised as he gave Greg a hopeful look. "You really think he'll get over it that quickly? He's never been this pissed at me before."

Greg chuckled. "Let me put it this way. Sophomore year of college, he leant me his car and I totaled it. Of course he blew up at me, so I apologized, offered to pay, and avoided him the whole day. That night he called me up, asked if I wanted to go see Twelve Monkeys as if it never happened." He put a hand reassuringly on Jeff's shoulder. "And he cares about you way more than me."

Jeff's face turned somber and he pursed his lips and nodded. "I don't think that's true."

Greg, confused, sat down in the stool again. "Why not?"

"He was always closer to you," Jeff said. "You guys always talked about stuff."

"Jeff, you're ten years younger than him," Greg explained. "When it came to general teenage guy stuff, of course he talked to me. But you said it yourself. He likes to brag about you. He told me when you made the baseball team, when you went on your first camping trip, when you flunked your first test. He was worried about you starting junior high while he was away, how he couldn't be there to show you the ropes, blah blah blah."

Jeff rolled his eyes. "OK, you've made your point. Didn't you have somewhere to be?"

Greg leapt off the barstool and nodded. "Yeah, that's right. See you later, Jeff."

"Later," Jeff called after him as Greg reached the door to the bar.

Greg made his way to his car which was in the corner of the dark parking lot and wondered fleetingly if Adam got back to his hotel alright. He decided to call him later and make sure he found a way home. He fumbled in his pocket for his keys until his fingers finally found them and he pulled them out.

He hesitated before fitting the key in the lock. It was eerily quiet for Las Vegas and a warm June wind danced across the back of his neck, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine. He looked left and noticed a group of three or so guys watching him intently. He remembered seeing them in the bar only a few moments ago. Had they followed him outside?

His heartbeat quickened. Not again, he thought.

He forced himself to look back at his car and fit the key hastily in the lock. If he didn't provoke them, if he didn't say anything to them, maybe they would just let him go. But the parking lot was empty. And if he was their target, now was their chance. They probably were after his wallet or, hell, maybe they were waiting for him to unlock the car so they could steal that. Greg didn't really care why they were observing him. His hands shook as he quickly swung the door open and leapt into the front seat of the car, slamming the door shut.

Safely surrounded by metal and glass, he relaxed for a moment and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes.

He was startled by the shattering of glass. He ducked to avoid the scattered shards raining down on him but someone grabbed him by the back of his collar and yanked him painfully backwards, knocking his spine against the door as he was pulled out of the window, kicking and flailing, desperately fighting it, thinking, Oh my god, they're going to kill me, I'm going to die.

Greg gave a start and his eyes snapped open as he stared at the windshield which was painted black with the night. He closed his eyes and fought to control his breathing. He hadn't thought about that in months. He couldn't believe these assholes made him freak out badly enough to have such a vivid flashback. He looked in his rearview mirror and saw that the three of them had gone back to talking amongst themselves, smoking their cigarettes and laughing in low, gruff tones. Greg breathed a sigh of relief and chastised himself for being so ridiculous. Those guys weren't staring at him. They'd probably just glanced at him when they came out for a smoke and Greg had overreacted. Even now, they had turned around and headed back into the bar, with goofy, drunken grins on their faces.

Finally calm and ashamed of himself, Greg sighed as he turned the key in the ignition and drove off to the lab to meet Sara.