A/N-Sorry I am taking so long to post this story but I guess this is going to be how it is. My time is less and less lately. Warning, this chapter is pretty graphic with some details and you will see why I say that. Thanks for everyone who is still reading, even with my very slow updates.


Nick walked into Dr. Smith's office. He sat in the reception area until a nurse called him in. She took him into an examination room and took his blood pressure and temperature. "Everything looks good. Dr. Smith will be in with you in a few minutes."

After she left, he had a feeling of what Greg must have felt like waiting for the doctor because he was feeling it right now. Although he didn't think he had contracted HIV from Greg but there was still that underlying fear. He didn't want HIV; he didn't want to live with that constant fear of full blown AIDS developing someday.

"God," he sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. He fully realized what Greg had to be feeling now and wondered just how he had been so calm throughout the evening while working. Perhaps focusing on the case was good for him.

He was startled out of his thoughts by Dr. Smith entering the room. "Hello Nick. I see you are here to take an HIV test too. How is Greg dealing with the news?"

"Hi Dr. Smith, yeah I am here to take the test. Greg insisted. He's dealing in his own way, I guess. I think he's throwing himself into work but he is taking the medication. I'll make sure of that," Nick said with certainty.

"Well it is not easy news to deal with. I am sure working helps keep his mind off of it, as long as it doesn't make him forget to take his medication. Now as for you, I'll do the rapid test first. If that comes back positive, we will run the full blood test like I did with Greg, but if what Greg said is true, and you two have been practicing safe sex, your chances of contracting it are less. But you still need to be careful." He started opening a rapid test kit. "I'll need to prick your finger and then there is a twenty minute wait for the results. I'll give you the same information I gave Greg while he waited. Even if you don't have it, knowing this information will be beneficial when dealing with Greg." Nick nodded but remained unusually quiet while the doctor took his blood and then handed him the pamphlets.

"I'll be back with the results." Nick watched him walk out of the room and looked down at the HIV pamphlets. He saw the same ones lying on the kitchen counter just a couple days ago. He couldn't believe it had been two days already since he found out Greg had HIV. He never did really look at them before so he supposed now was as good a time as any to read them.

He had been reading the pamphlets cover to cover and before he knew it Dr. Smith was returning with the results. He looked up and saw a poker face on the doctor's face. "So is it good news or bad news for me?" Nick finally asked.

Dr. Smith looked down at a paper he held and then raised his head with a smile. "You're HIV negative, Nick. You're clean. Now that doesn't mean you shouldn't keep up with regular tests now every six months since you are living and having sex with someone who does have HIV. Unfortunately condoms are not 100% fallible and as long as you are with someone who has it, you will need to be careful and have regular tests. I am sure Greg will be happy to know that for now you are negative. I know he expressed to me his concern about passing it onto you."

Nick had been breathing a sigh of relief and was very grateful he tested negative. "So this test is enough to prove I don't have it? I mean shouldn't I still have a regular blood test?" Nick asked, knowing Greg would wonder.

"If you really want, I can run a regular test, but I'm sure it will come out the same."

"Just as you are pretty sure Greg's will come out the same when his results are back," Nick frowned.

"Yes, unfortunately in that way," the doctor admitted.

"I think I still should take the full thing this time just to calm Greg's nerves," Nick said to him.

"Fine. Let's go ahead and do it then."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Greg couldn't sleep until he knew Nick was back from the doctor, so he played on his laptop instead. He was doing some research on the current BDSM scene in Vegas when he got an email notification. He opened his email account and looked at the subject line of this new incoming email. "Greg in action" read the subject line. His curiosity got to him and he opened the email. Inside was a video attachment. In the email it read, "Something to remind you of the good times." He looked at who sent it and it said . Suddenly he became nervous as he looked at the email address again. The JM reminded him of his brand on his lower back, given to him by Jasper to remind him that he was his slave. The whole thing sent a shiver down his spine. He looked at the title again and prayed that this was some sick joke. He nervously moved the mouse to click the attachment. He waited a moment for his video player to open. He prayed he had just not let a virus loose on his computer. Later he would wish it had been just a virus he had set loose.

The video started with blackness then suddenly the next image that came on the screen made him freeze. He saw himself, on his hands and knees, on the dirty mattress that he spent about four months sleeping on. He saw his bloodied and bruised up body like he never had before. He never had looked at any photos of himself after they found him. He never really saw the condition he had been in, he only knew how he felt. Now he was seeing just now horrible he had looked. He looked like he should have been dead already at that point. He noticed the dreaded collar around his neck and subconsciously rubbed his hand on his neck, still feeling some of the light scarring that was left from the months of it digging into his neck.

Suddenly on the video, Jasper came into view and walked in front of him. He lifted his head up and looked at him. "Greggy, can you hear me?" He said in his sing-song type voice that Greg hated hearing. Greg witnessed himself nodding, but his movement was sluggish. Jasper then told him to open up. Greg had gone ahead without any fight, opened up his mouth. Jasper laughed. "Dude, this drug totally fucked him up. He's never been this easy to obey." There was a moment of silence and then laughing by Jasper. Rex walked into the camera view wearing jeans and nothing else. He was holding a bottle of what looked like Jagermeister. He took a swig. "Let's fuck this bitch," he slurred.

Greg involuntarily shivered just hearing him again. He watched Rex come up behind him and unzip his pants. Greg turned his eyes away from the screen. He couldn't watch, more like relive that type of stuff again. He could still hear the video though and hear his own whining as Rex must have entered him. Jasper's voice came through next. "Open up again, pretty boy…that's right. Oh work that pretty mouth of yours."

Greg couldn't take anymore; he got up and barely ended up making to the kitchen sink, where he threw up. He threw up twice before wiping his mouth. He stayed leaning over the sink, noticing he was starting to shake. He looked at his pill bottles and quickly grabbed his Xanax and took a pill. He swallowed it without any water. He trembled as he looked up and saw the video still playing on his laptop that sat on the kitchen table. He was about to look away again when he noticed another man join the assault on him. It was the man in the black mask. He went over shakily and saw back down, staring at the man's build and a better look at the mask. It was a hood really and it did cover everything but his eyes and his mouth and his space for his nostrils. The man looked fairly tall and had a build similar to Nick's. He wished he could see him better and wondered why he hadn't ever revealed himself. He had to be hiding his face for a reason, but why if he never thought Greg would get free.

He saw the man bring out a whip and bring it across his back, causing Greg to buckle. He flinched seeing himself take the abuse. He wondered what drug it was that they gave him that he didn't remember this instance. He watched as the hooded man brought the whip across his back again. He saw Rex pull out of him and then walk over and take the whip from the hooded man. Jasper had been holding his head back, placing some bottle of liquor down his throat again. He watched himself spit it up as the hooded man entered him without warning or protection.

Greg's eyes opened wide when he realized that perhaps the hooded man gave him the HIV. He thought he always wore a condom, but he had not this time. Heck, Greg didn't even remember this whole thing, let alone any video being taken. The next thing he saw Jasper handed the bottle to Rex, laughing his head off. Rex smelled the contents of the bottle and pulled it away very quick. "Aw shit, he drank that? That's fucked up man. I wouldn't even have thought of that," Rex said in his slurred voice, laughing himself now. He unzipped his pants again and then tried urinating in the bottle. "Let me add some of my own for him to drink up."

Greg felt his stomach lurch at what he had said and wasn't quick enough this time to get up before he threw up again right on the floor. He started hyperventilating. He quickly shut the laptop as he started gasping for breath. He felt like it might be better right now if he did pass out from hyperventilating and then maybe he could forget he ever saw this video.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nick put his key in the door and opened up. He walked in, closing and locking the door behind him and setting the alarm. He came out from the entranceway and walked into the living room which was connected to the kitchen and ran once he saw Greg gasping for air.

"Greg, baby, what's wrong? You need to slow down your breathing, you know this. What happened to trigger this?" He yelled in panic. He almost slipped in the vomit on the floor before going to his other side and pulling a chair up to him. He grabbed his hands and rubbed them in his. "Baby, it's okay. Just ease down on your breathing. It's okay."

He saw Greg shake his head that it wasn't okay. "Baby, come on, you can do this," he told him worriedly. He looked like he was about to turn blue. He suddenly went limp and passed out. Nick caught him before he fell off the chair. He picked him up and laid him down on the sofa. He felt for his pulse and it was fast.

"What caused this suddenly?" Nick whispered as he sat on the edge of the sofa next to Greg. His rapid breathing had evened out and his eyes began to flutter open.

His brown eyes opened up and he stared at Nick, who was looking down at him in concern. "Did I pass out?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Yeah, just briefly. What's going on to make you have a panic attack?" Nick asked him, full of worry. "Were you worried I come back HIV positive?"

Greg's eyes opened wide, fearful. "Oh God! You didn't, did you?"

Nick shook his head. "I'm fine Greg. The rapid test came back negative and just to be sure he took my blood to run a full test."

"Thank goodness," Greg sighed in some relief at that news.

"So was that it?" Nick asked him again.

Greg closed his eyes and shook his head. He felt nauseous still and knew he couldn't watch it again. He pointed to his laptop on the kitchen table. "It's on my computer. It's an email I got." He opened his eyes, which had sprung fresh tears. "I didn't know."

"What didn't you know?" Nick asked, still lost as to what he was talking about.

"I didn't know I was filmed. I don't remember," sobbed the man he loved. Nick didn't want to leave him in this state, he wanted to stay by his side, but he wanted to know what he was dealing with.

"I'll still don't understand, so I am going to check out your computer," Nick said to him in a soft voice. He got up and went over to sit down at Greg's laptop. He opened the lid and punched in Greg's password. They knew each other's passwords ever since Greg had come back from being missing. Nick had to have Archie break into his laptop, thinking Greg might have left a clue on it as to where he had disappeared to.

The screen opened to the desktop. He opened the Firefox window where the email was. He saw the subject line and the email address from which it was sent and clenched his jaw. He switched to the other screen and played the video. When he saw the video focus on the subject, being Greg, he felt a fury in him that he thought had died with Jasper. He wanted to rip them all apart for what they did to Greg. Seeing his battered lover on all fours made him sick. He glanced over at Greg now and saw that he had changed positions on the sofa and now was huddled into himself in a sitting position, with his head down between his knees. He noticed he was rocking ever so slightly. He turned his head away back to the screen and watched as they raped him. Tears came to his eyes as for the first time he witnessed just a little of what they did to him. He couldn't imagine dealing with that treatment for four months. He didn't know how Greg ever survived it.

Then he saw the thing that must have thrown Greg into the panic attack. Nick had to hold down the bile that rose in his throat. The video seemed to end right after that point. He quietly put down the laptop cover and looked at Greg, as tears blurred his eyes. "My God," was all Nick said.

Greg seemed to pull into himself tighter at hearing Nick's statement. Nick stood up slowly and walked cautiously over to him. He went to sit next to him and Greg leaned away. "Don't pull away from me now, not for this. This doesn't change anything for me. If anything, it makes me wish Jasper was still alive so I could rip his throat out." He looked at the man he loved, seemingly shattered again. He worried all the progress he had made was going to fall away now with the emergence of this video. He didn't need this on top of learning just a couple days ago he had HIV.

Greg couldn't look at Nick. He couldn't face him knowing he had seen it for himself, what they did to him. He had talked about it to him before but talking is one thing, seeing is another. Worst, he saw him obeying pretty much anything that had been asked of him. How could he ever face the man he loved again knowing he had seen all he had seen.

Nick noticed Greg made no effort to talk to him or open up to him. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know if he should force him to look at him or leave him be. He decided to try another route. He started speaking to him again.

"They admitted they drugged you right on that video. You had no control over what you were doing, obviously. They used you; they violated you without any care. You have nothing to be ashamed of, you had no choice," he said through his own sobs.

Greg couldn't look Nick in the face but at that moment he still needed him. He suddenly unraveled and threw his arms around Nick and leaned into his chest and quietly cried. Nick embraced the man he loved tightly, crying along with him.

They remained silent for a few minutes until Greg finally broke the silence. "Why this? Why now?" was all he said.

Nick sighed heavily. "I don't know," he paused a moment. "Unless, it has something to do with the case we are working on."

Greg pulled himself up and looked blurry eyed at him. "Maybe I was right. Maybe that is the same guy in the security footage who…" his memory flashed to the video he just watched, seeing the man enter him without a condom. He couldn't think about it. He got up suddenly and walked away to the kitchen sink. He started running water in the sink and then grabbed some paper towels.

Nick watched him carefully as he went over to the kitchen table and bent down. He proceeded to start cleaning up the vomit he had left on the floor. Nick had seen the video. He knew the fourth man was in that video. He saw him violate the man he loved. He watched Greg trying to hold it together as he wiped up the mess but he could see the tears coming again. Seeing him on his knees, bent over reminded him of the image from the video too much. He suddenly got up and went over to Greg. He leaned down by him and tried to grab the towels from him. "Let me clean it up."

Greg looked up at him with red eyes, glaring. "I can clean up my own damn mess, leave me alone." He turned back to cleaning up the rest of the mess.

Nick stood back and let him do it. He didn't want to add to his emotional state anymore. Instead he sat back down at the computer to think. "We're going to need to have Archie check this out, see if he can figure out who sent it," he said quietly.

Greg finished with the floor and stood up. He walked around to the sink and threw the towels in the trash bin. He looked over at Nick, who was staring at the top of the laptop. "It doesn't matter."

Nick looked up at him, incredulously. "What do you mean it doesn't matter? It sure the hell does matter who sent this to you. It's probably your fourth guy, maybe with this video we can track him down and send him to prison, where he belongs!" He yelled.

Greg's gaze lowered, away from his partner's. He spoke softly. "I don't want anyone else to see it…please." Nick's angry look softened. Of course he wouldn't want anyone else to see the video. He couldn't blame him. He really didn't want anyone else to see Greg's suffering either.

"I understand, Greg but we have to let Archie at least try to see if he can track the email address or the IP address. He doesn't need to see the video necessarily. You and I can be there when he is looking for information. I highly doubt he would want to watch it either," Nick told him.

Greg closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He then nodded his head a little, agreeing with what Nick said.

Nick rubbed his hands over his face. He felt beat. If he was tired he knew Greg was probably even more so after all he has had to worry about. He got up and came over to Greg. He gently placed his hands on Greg's shoulders and started messaging them. Greg let his head roll back a little. "You know, we really should try to get some sleep. How about we shower together, where I can continue the message…"

"Nick, I'm not…" Greg started to protest.

"I'm not thinking anything but just getting clean and helping you feel better. I don't expect anything from you. Then we can go to sleep," he said softly.

"I don't know if I can sleep," Greg admitted to him.

"Take your sleeping pill then and don't forget your other medication. If you over sleep, I'll tell Catherine why we are running late. Don't worry."

Greg finally turned around and faced him. He shook his head slightly. "I don't know how you put up with me, I really don't," he told him, with sadness filled eyes.

Nick smiled softly. "Because I love you." He went to give him a kiss and Greg leaned back.

"Ugh, no, I'll taste like puke," he groaned.

Nick had to chuckle a bit. "I don't care." And he leaned in to give him a quick kiss. "See not so bad," he said as he pulled back.

Greg frowned and then said, "Let's get cleaned up and try to sleep." They walked off together down the bedroom hallway.

Reviews are always welcomed!