CSI: Ghost: Chapter 2

A/N: I was making spaghetti sauce when the idea hit me for this chapter opening. You'll understand when you get into it, what gave me the idea. However, since this is my favorite food of ALL time, and this is the BEST spaghetti sauce recipe, and since it gave me the idea for this chapter, you will find this authentic Italian recipe at the end of this chapter! So, enjoy, both the new chapter and the recipe, and please don't forget to post a review at the end!

"But Grisson, Greg's cooking up this amazing spaghetti dinner and you know how often he cooks. I just think it would be cruel to make him drop everything right now."

"Nick, I need you both. We've got twelve dead bodies at the scene."

"Twelve?"

"Yes. Twelve. I need you there. No more than half an hour. Got that?"

Nick sighed. "Yeah, yeah, we'll be there."

He hung up the house phone and went to the kitchen doorway. Greg was standing at the counter, holding the large knife in his hand, his face pointed upward toward the ceiling, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Greg? You ok? You didn't slice your finger, did you?"

Nick walked over to him, praying he wouldn't have to take him to the emergency room.

"Give me your shoulder!" Greg demanded, as he opened his blurry eyes.

"Greg?"

The younger CSI dropped the knife on the counter, spun around, and quickly buried his face in Nick's sweatshirted shoulder.

"What's going on, hun?"

Nick was still confused.

"I hate onions!"

"Oh Greg," Nick grinned, wrapping his arms around him in a warm hug.

"Thanks, I don't now how it does it, but your shoulder always makes everything better."

Greg pulled away and wiped the rest of his tears away on the back of his hand, the front of which were still covered in bits of onion.

"So? Was that Gil?"

"Yeah, on our first night off in weeks, we're being called in."

"You did tell him about the spaghetti, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did. But there's twelve bodies at the scene."

"What? Twelve?"

"Yup."

"Great. Let me just get this all put away and get changed. We can continue this tomorrow I guess."

"Too bad though, cause I was really looking forward to having a real dinner with you. And I'm hungry."

"Settle on take out then. McDonald's is on the way to the lab."

"Right."

The two men hurried to get changed and grabbed their kits. As they were half way out the door the house phone rang again.

"I'll get it," Greg said, setting his kit down and rushing over to the phone in the livingroom. "Sanders-Stokes," he answered.

Nick sighed again and went back inside to wait for Greg.

"Oh, hi Mom! Actually we were just headed out the door... yeah, I know it's our night off... we did get called in. So, I really can't talk long... Nick?... ok...yeah, alright I'll ask him. But I really don't know. You know we never know until the last minute... and of course you know I can't wait to get away from here for a few days of relaxation..."

Hearing only Greg's half of the conversation, Nick wished he could at least have the chance to guess who's mom he was talking to, but he never had to guess. He was just glad the whole Stokes clan had adopted Greg without hesitation, giving him the family he'd lacked for so long.

Greg hung up the phone and was back by Nick's side, picking up his kit again in no time.

"So, how's Mom?"

"Same as always. She wants to know when we're coming down for Christmas. You know, the specific date we'll be there."

"She never gives up. Someday she'll learn not to ask this early," Nick said with a smile.

After stopping off at the lab to pick up one of the lab vehicles they finally arrived at the crime scene. Nick closed his eyes for a moment.

"Shit," Greg breathed, taking in the scene before them.

"Murder in the twelfth degree, guys, get out here!" Grissom called.

They both sighed heavy sighs and got out of the Denali. Their boss was kneeling on the ground looking at something intently.

"What have we got?" Greg dared to ask.

"Spent shell casings everywhere. Twelve dead bodies. David hasn't even arrived yet."

"Bobby's going to have a field day," Nick commented.

"Where's Catherine and Warrick. Shouldn't they be out here as well?"

"They're working another case."

"Ok, where do you want us?"

"Nick, you take the perimeter, find out how they got in here and where. Find out how everyone got in here, those dead, and those not dead."

"So, you're thinking this was done by more than one guy?" Greg asked.

"It's possible. In fact, that's probably the case. Unless the guy was Superman. He took out twelve guys and it doesn't look like any of them fought back. Greg, you work with me and these bodies."

"Right, will do."

Nick headed away from them toward the farthest building on the abandoned property while Greg knelt next to one of the victims. Opening his kit he began collecting more of the spent shell casings and photographing the pools of blood.

"It looks to me as if they all just died right here," he commented awhile later. "I mean, this blood is only pooling around their bodies. It's not going anywhere, and it never had the chance to."

"You're probably right. Which means they didn't have time to get away."

"This one looks scared," Greg pointed toward one of the DBs and snapped his picture.

"What would be going through your mind when you realize you're about to die and you don't have time to runaway? You're frozen to the spot and the barrel is aimed at you..."

"I'd feel pretty scared myself, sure."

"So, what does that tell you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's a time line here. Not all of these men died scared."

"Oh, right. I'm on it."

Greg moved with his camera to snap pictures of all the victims, marking down which ones were scared, which weren't, which ones had fallen face forward, and which were on their backs. When he reached the edge of the carnage closest to the first building he saw it. A trail of blood lead into the building. He swabbed it, and began taking pictures as he followed it inside. He found blood transfer on a set of nearby steps by a hand, and more blood drops. Working his way up the stairs slowly he looked around briefly, to make sure the room was empty. Following the blood again he found a dead man with a pleading look stuck on his face, even in death. One gun shot to the head, though Greg suspected most of his blood had left his abdomen where his hand was still holding on tight, dried blood dribbled over his fingers.

"Grissom, I've got one more body upstairs in the building," he radioed his boss.

"Great. You process up there. David just arrived. I'll send him up as soon as he's done here."

"Ok."

Greg got to work, taking notes, pictures, and grabbing up any evidence he could find from the man. He was so into the zone of a CSI working a crime scene that he wasn't even aware that someone else had come up the stairs behind him until he heard a quiet "Hey."

Without thinking he spun around, unclipping his gun and aiming it at whoever was standing behind him.

"Greg!" Nick's eyes went wide, and his hands flew to the air.

"Oh, my God. Nick, I'm so sorry!" Greg lowered his weapon and put it away.

He got up off his knees and went to Nick, his arms outstretched. But Nick backed away.

"Don't touch me. We're at a crime scene. Remember?"

"Right. Right."

"Hey, I'm sorry, I should have warned you I was coming. You were in the zone, and I had a feeling you would be. Don't worry about it. But gosh, for a guy who doesn't like to even carry, you sure do draw pretty quick."

"So, what are you doing up here?"

"Grissom sent me to check up on you. Just thought I'd see if you needed any help. You haven't done the rest of this room, have you?"

"Nope. Just finished him. He seemed important, so I spent extra time on him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, whoever followed him up here wouldn't have unless he wanted him dead for sure. I mean, the guy was already bleeding out, he would have died anyway, but then he got capped in the head, just to make sure."

"And how do you know it didn't happen the other way around?" Nick paused. "Just to... you know, make it look like what you just said?"

Greg smirked. "Right. Now I don't feel like such a bumbling idiot anymore, hubby o' mine."

"What's going on up here?" Grissom asked, walking in.

"Drug dealer got popped," Greg commented.

"How do you know he was a drug dealer?"

"Found a wad of large bills in his pocket and a stash of powder in his pocket. Couldn't tell you what it is though. Have to take it back to the lab. But at least I can tell you this wasn't a robbery."

"Alright. Well, David's still working outside. I want both of you to take all the evidence we've got so far back to the lab and start processing it. I'll finish up around here."

Nick was at the wheel as he and Greg made the long trek back to the lab in silence. Neither of them had said a word since getting into the SUV and leaving the crime scene. He had to admit he was a little worried. Never had Greg ever pulled a gun on him like that, not even when he'd been startled. Sure, Nick knew he got into zones where he blocked everything else out of his mind, but this had still never happened before. He knew he should have been scared. Somebody would tell him that. Greg was his husband, of all people, and he'd just pulled a gun on him, even if it was by accident. But he wasn't scared. He knew Greg hated guns. He wouldn't even carry one himself until Nick talked him into it for his own safety when they got married.

No, he was more worried about how this would affect Greg. Especially since he hadn't said anything yet. He had to say something. He had to be the one to break the ice before it grew too thick, especially while they were at work.

"Greg?"

"Look, I'm sorry, ok. I didn't mean to do it."

"I know you didn't. It was just an accident. I get it. I just wanted to make sure we were still cool with each other before we got back, that's all."

"You know what could have happened..."

"But it didn't. And that's the point."

"I realized it was you and... I did my best not to freak out that I almost shot you. I mean, you're the most important person in my life, in my entire life, and I almost killed you."

Nick pulled the vehicle to the side of the road and switched the engine off before turning to face Greg. Under normal circumstances he figured Greg would be in tears by now over something of this magnitude, but maybe it was the fact that they were still on the clock that made him hold the salty drops at bay. He had a mask over his face, though his eyes were cloudy as he looked out the side window, as far away from Nick as possible.

Nick took his chin in his hand and brought his head around so he could look him in the eyes.

"Greg, don't beat yourself up over this. I love you, and I trust you, completely. It was an accident. Nothing more."

He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his lover's lips. "Ok?"

Greg smiled a little. "Yeah, ok."

A/N:

This is an easy to make recipe that includes slow cooker and stove top instructions, so choose whichever you like. It goes well with angel hair or elbow pasta, at least, that's what I love to eat it on... and now I'm hungry! Enjoy!

Spaghetti sauce recipe

1 pound hamburger

1 large can tomato puree

2 small cans tomato paste

1 medium onion chopped

1 green pepper chopped

2 bay leaves

little more than pinch oregano

little more than pinch garlic powder

pinch salt

pinch ground pepper

Brown the meat, onion, and pepper together. Once browned add in puree. Take empty can and fill with water. Add water to meat, onions, and pepper. Add paste, 2 bay leaves, shake in oregano, shake in garlic powder. Add a pinch of salt, and a pinch of ground pepper. Stir everything, and simmer for three hours, stirring occasionally. (6-8 people)

Or for a slow cooker: After adding everything into the pot, bring to a boil before putting it all into the slow cooker and keep on low for three hours.