Rating: m just to be safe (for language only at this point. And sexual references I guess)

Beta: The amazing Jayceepat (Lot's Of Hugs)

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or any of its characters.

Spoilers: A little bit of most seasons

A/N: Most of season 7 and season 8 hasn't aired here in Australia so forgive me if anything seems a little off (I do know Sara changed shifts but I've ignored that for this fiction lol)

Chapter 7: Sundown

"You've been good lately" Sara said to Nick. They were sitting in a small diner having breakfast after their shift.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked Sara.

"Greg said you've been giving him the space he wanted" Sara said as she had another bite of toast.

"Yeah, I've been missing him like crazy but It's all for the best, or so everyone says" Nick replied.

"Nick, why did you two breakup?" Sara asked him. "I know Greg dumped you and that he is really hurting but that's all he has told me."

"Why must every conversation I have lately revolve around mine and Greg's relationship?" Nick asked. He was feeling frustrated with this particular topic. Every time he managed to stop thinking about Greg someone went and brought him up again.

"Because it's a big deal; we all thought you and Greg were the real deal. Hell we thought you two would get married it ever became legal. Even me and I'm a cynic by nature" Sara explained to him.

"I would have liked to marry him one day. I thought about it a lot. I'm not sure if Greg would have been into it, he's such a free spirit. Most likely would have thought it was a waste of money. But I'm a traditional person I think marriage would be great" Nick told her.

"Really you thought about it. That's sweet" Sara said with a small smile. Her normal response to something like that would have been a scoff but for some reason, Nick and Greg seemed right for marriage.

"Can I tell you something without you telling anyone else? Especially Greg" Nick asked her seriously.

"Of course you can. Greg's a close friend but so are you" Sara told him.

"I even bought a ring. I saw one that I knew he would love and I couldn't stop myself from buying it. I wasn't planning on giving it to him for a long time. Greg's young at heart I think if I had proposed he would have ran screaming from the room. But I had it there for when the time was right" Nick said with a sad smile. It felt like so long ago that he had found that ring but it was only three months ago. Nick couldn't believe how quickly things changed.

"For what it's worth I don't think he would have run screaming. I think he would have said yes" Sara told him.

"The way you guys saw us wasn't how it always was Sara. We seemed happy, and for the most part we were. But we had some issues and trust me when I say a proposal wouldn't have helped" Nick told her with a bitter laugh.

"Explain what you mean" Sara told him getting sick of all the little half comments and never knowing the story behind them.

"Greg told me not long before we broke up that he felt as though he was losing himself in our relationship. When someone tells you that, asking them to marry you is not a solution" Nick replied.

"I don't think Greg was losing himself because of you two. I think it's the job; he changed a lot after he left the lab. Which is completely understandable, we see a lot of things in our line of work that you just can't forget no matter how much you want. It changes you and there isn't really anything you can do about it. But no matter how he's changed, he's still Greg."

"I don't think it was just our relationship, or the job. I think it's everything. Especially with what happened last year, the beating and all; I think the stress is really getting to him" Nick told her.

"I think the stress is getting to everyone, it's been rough the past few years for all of us" Sara said with a sigh.

"How are you doing?" Nick asked. After being kidnapped himself he knew what Sara was going through.

"I'm doing okay. It all feel's surreal to be truthful, like it's all a bad dream or something" Sara told him.

"At least your still here with us" Nick smiled at her.

"I'm grateful that we're all still here" Sara replied.

"Greg, are you coming?" Wendy yelled from his living room. Catherine had invited everyone over to her house for a Bar B Q to celebrate Lindsey's birthday. For some reason Greg's car wasn't starting so Wendy offered to pick him up for the event.

"Yeah I'm just trying to find my belt!" Greg called back. He'd been looking everywhere for his favorite and only belt but it was no where to be seen, it was as though it had disappeared into thin air.

"You don't need it. Hurry up" Wendy said as she walked into his bedroom. "Good lord Greg, have you done any un-packing at all?"

"I haven't really had the time" Greg told her as he looked around the room. The boxes were all open but none of his stuff had been placed around the room in their appropriate spots.

"Make time" Wendy said with a screwed up face. "I don't know how you live like this."

"With great difficulty trust me" Greg replied with a small laugh.

"Well come on box boy or we'll be late."

"No thanks I'm working later on tonight" Nick replied when Archie offered him a beer.

"Lucky me has the night off" Archie smiled.

"Same here" Warrick said as he grabbed the beer that had been offered to Nick out of Archie's hand.

"Is it suitable to have beer at a kid's birthday party?" Sara asked Catherine.

"Teenager." Catherine corrected her "As long as she and her friends don't drink it then we're fine."

"I see there are no teenage boys here" Grissom commented.

"And I'm more than happy with that fact" Catherine replied with a smile.

"Sorry I'm late but a puppy followed me here, can I keep him?" Wendy joked as she patted Greg on the head.

"Only if you feed and bath him" Warrick replied with a grin.

"I like that plan" Greg laughed as Wendy playfully swatted him across the head. "Don't mess with the hair."

"We couldn't have that" Wendy giggled as she ruffled Greg's hair some more.

"Hey" Greg said defensively as he moved away from her.

"This is the thanks I get for giving you a lift" Wendy replied.

"What happened to your car?" Sara asked Greg as he and Wendy both sat down at the large picnic table Catherine had set up. Lindsey and the other teens had their own area set up away from the adults.

"It wouldn't start" Greg grumbled.

"Why not?" Catherine asked him.

"I have no idea" Greg replied with a shrug.

"You should take it back the garage. It only got serviced a month ago" Nick said. It was the first time Nick had spoken up since Greg's arrival. Normally they went to these occasions together and Nick wasn't sure how uncomfortable it was going to be now that they weren't a couple any more'.

"No It didn't" Greg said confused.

"I told you last month that it was due for its service. I reminded you several times. Are you telling me you didn't take it in?" Nick asked.

Nick was giving Greg the look that Greg hated. The look that said I'm older and wiser than you and I can't believe you didn't do what I told you. It was amazing how much Nick could express with just a look.

"It was running fine. It didn't need it" Greg replied as he looked away from Nick.

"Well apparently it did" Nick retorted with an annoyed tone.

"Sorry mom" Greg said sarcastically.

"Boys cool it" Catherine interrupted before their little tiff escalated. "We're here to have fun remember."

"Sorry" Nick told her as he took another sip of his soda and ignored the looks he and Greg were getting from everyone else. 'So much for laying low' Nick thought to himself.

"Man Warrick you make a good burger" Archie told him later on in the afternoon. Warrick had manned the grill for Catherine since she wasn't the best cook.

"Thanks" Warrick said happily as he had a sip of his beer.

"How did you rope Warrick into cooking?" Jacqui asked Catherine.

"By using my womanly charms" Catherine smiled.

"No, she reminded me of the time I tasted her food and no offence, but it's an experience I never wish to go through again. I was happy to be the one cooking and you all should be to" Warrick said with a laugh.

"I'm not that bad of a cook" Catherine said.

"Right" Nick said sarcastically. "She almost killed us."

"It was bad" Sara agreed.

"What is this, pick on Catherine night?" Catherine asked.

After a bit more talking and joking Wendy got up and said, "Hey I have to get going. But I'll see most of you tonight at the lab."

"Thanks for coming" Catherine told her.

"Thanks for inviting me" Wendy replied and then turned to Greg, "You need a lift?"

"Yes please" Greg said with a smile.

"Give me a call after your shift tonight and I'll come over and take a look at your car" Warrick told him.

"That would be great. Thanks Warrick."

"Not a problem man, I'll see you later."

Greg sighed as he reached his door and dug into his pockets to find his keys. He was feeling tired after Catherine's. It was exhausting pretending to be happy and smiling all the time, when in reality, being near your cheating ex-boyfriend was driving you insane.

It was easy to not let it get to him when he was at work. Most of the time he barely saw Nick, Grissom hadn't put them on a case together. So they only saw each other in passing and even then they were both usually so busy with whatever case they were working on that it was easy to not think about things.

But today had been different, it was the first social event in two years they had gone to and not been together. And the tension was killing him. Everybody had assumed they were no longer together now but were tactful enough not to say anything, or at least not say anything directly to him. He was sure they were all gossiping about it when he wasn't around. He knew that their mini fight about the car would be the talk of the whole lab by the end of the night. But it didn't really bother him as long as everyone left him alone.

Greg walked into his living room and threw his keys and wallet on the small table near his door. He headed into his kitchen to grab a bottle of water but stopped when he noticed a few of his CD's sitting on the kitchen table. He hadn't left them there, when it came to his CD's he was slightly OCD. They had to be in alphabetical order in the CD shelves at all times.

He picked them up and then looked around to see if anything else was out of place. Most of the boxes looked like they had been rummaged through but they always looked like that and he wasn't sure if he has left them that way or not. His favorite coffee mug was in the sink which wasn't where he had left. It was the only cup in his cupboard last time he checked.

"What the hell" Greg mumbled to himself as he headed down the hall towards his bedroom to see if anything was missing or moved from in there.

He opened the door and stepped back immediately when he saw someone standing in the center of his room.

"Greg!" The person said surprised. Realization dawned on Greg when he looked closely at the intruders face. It was Ron, the bartender Nick had fucked. But instead of his usual mop of black hair it was now blonde and very similar to Greg's. He was also wearing Greg's shirt, jeans and his belt. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Greg repeated Ron's question as he looked around to see if he had any sort of weapon near by. "I live here. What are you doing here?"

"I live here, not you" Ron said as he looked at Greg like he was an idiot.

"Ron you need to leave" Greg said slowly as he reached into his pocket to get his cell phone.

"Don't do that" Ron said in an icy voice as he pointed a gun at Greg's head. Greg quickly put his hands out to show that he wasn't holding anything. It was times like these Greg wished he had listened to Nick's nagging about him needing to carry a gun.

TBC

A/N Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)