A/N: Heyy people! Sorry it's taken so long, had a bit of writers block and the usual with college, Urgh. Anyways, I hope you likey :) Obviously I made up the bit about Greg when he was 12 (you'll see when you read) but I wanted to add it for the story. A strong bonding moment, and some more from the rest of the team , I hope you like the little bit with Warrick and Sara in particular :)

Thanks for the awesome reviews so far! I would love more :) xx

Chapter 9: More Surprises

Warrick and Sara arrived at Seth Falkner's house to find Brass already there waiting. The detective had put everything else aside, no case was as important as this for as long as it took to find Nick and Greg. He had been Nick's mentor for a while, seen him progress, and although he did not no Greg well, he had a soft spot for the kid just as everyone else did at the lab.

"We've cleared the place" the detective explained as they walked towards to door "It's…hard to explain, it kind of looks like a horror movie in there." As they stepped through the door, the two CSI's could see exactly what the detective meant.

There were dead and tortured rabbits, birds, cats, hanging from the ceiling like some weird ritual. It made Sara remember why she was a vegetarian. Practise she thought as they walked into the living room this is how serial killers usually start. It looked like the animals blood had been used to write various eerie words on the wall. Death. Vengeance. Pay. It sent a shiver down the CSI's' spine.

"Looks like some kind of shrine" Warrick said walking over to the mantel piece. Pictures and various ornaments of Seth's sister surrounded it "this guy is not mentally stable" he added with a sigh "although I think we already knew that."

Sara picked up a photo "Hey look at this, it's Seth with the Dawson's….and if this shrine is to his sister…" she said looking at all their childhood photos "that makes him the Dawson's relative, uncle and brother-in-law."

"Of course… Molly Faulkner" Warrick said with a sudden realisation "I remember day shift working her case a few weeks ago, suicide."

"You reckon Seth blamed them for his sister's death?" Sara asked. It was tragic how families could so easily turn on each other… a tragedy the female CSI knew all but to well.

Warrick nodded "and he blames us for trying to find out why and messing with his plans"

"What the hell happened to this guy that made him this way" Sara said looking up at the animals once more. She felt no sympathy for him of course, he'd kidnapped her friends, but she was just curious as always.

"Right, we need to try and find clues of where he took Nick and Greg" Warrick said bringing the focus back to the task at hand. "And we know that Grant and Marshall are helping him."

"Ok, you stay down here and I'll take upstairs" Sara suggested and turned to leave, but Warrick grabbed her arm.

"No, we stay together. Last time I suggested we split up…it didn't go well for Nick" Warrick said looking down at the floor and Sara gave him a sympathetic smile "I won't lose you too Sara" the male CSI said, revealing his fears, a rarity for him.

Sara put a gentle hand on his arm "Alright, I'm not going anywhere" and with that the two CSI's got to work.

He was dreaming. He had to be.

Nick was back in the lab, he walked past Grissom's office to see his supervisor reading a book about bugs, and the Texan smiled and rolled his eyes. He walked past the break room where he heard Sara and Catherine's laughter and he smiled as he walked by, observing them share some funny story over a coffee. He walked past Trace where he saw Warrick leaned back against the desk tapping his foot impatiently as Hodges rambled on about something, the taller CSI turned to Nick and shook his head in disbelief at Hodges, and Nick laughed.

He headed down the corridor towards the DNA lab and the air changed, literally, it smelled like burning. Why did it smell like burning? Greg! Was Nick's only thought as he ran the rest of the way. He froze in the doorway.

Greg was tied to his chair, slumped forward from loss of consciousness and his face covered in blood and bruises. Seth was stood over him laughing, a lighter in his hands. A fire had been started in the corner of the lab. Nick opened his mouth to scream, to tell them to stop, but for some reason no words would come out and his feet seemed to be frozen to the ground. He looked round frantically for help, but everyone else seemed to be carrying on like nothing was happening.

It was then Seth noticed the CSI's presence. He smiled sadistically and then dropped the lighter to the ground. The world seemed to slow as Nick's eyes grew wide and he watched the fire make contact with some clear liquid on the ground he hadn't noticed before. Greg and Seth were both engulfed by flames as fire started to creep up the walls around them. He watched in horror as Greg slowly lifted his head, their eyes met, and all the Texan could see what hate, Greg's hatred for him at letting this happen. The fire grew wider and then they truly disappeared. Then Nick screamed.

When he woke up, Nick was going to find he wasn't that far from the truth.

Catherine and Grissom arrived at the builder's yard in Henderson along with Detective Vega; they went straight to the office wanting to immediately talk to the owner, Sam Smith.

"About time!" the man said as soon as Grissom had explained why they were there "I called in a stolen van about two days ago!"

"I don't remember that call" Vega said in his stoic tone. "And no offence, but we've had far more important stuff to deal with then some dodgy building business."

"Which of your employees usually use this van?" Grissom asked before a fight broke out.

"Well that would be Grant and Marshall" Smith said studying the picture he'd been given "You don't think they stole it do ya? Loyal workers they are"

"Mister Smith I'd like to have a look at Marshall and Grants work station" Catherine said. The man grunted and gave her some directions before the female CSI left the room and Grissom and Vega continued to question the unreasonably angry owner.

Catherine ended up in an old, shack like room with all sorts of power tools and DIY supplies. She pulled out her torch, not really sure what she was looking for, any kind of clue would be good. As she steeped further into the room, the redhead heard something shuffling behind her, she spun round in time to see a shadow move behind a shelf stacked high with barrels of tar.

"Hey!" she called darting forward and drawing her gun, but the shadow ran, pushing the shelf as it did so, and sending its contents plummeting towards Catherine.

Nick woke up with a groan. His head and eyes still felt heavy, like he'd been a sleep for 100 years, and he wished he could sleep for 100 more, because it was far better than facing his new reality. He smelt burning, just like in his dream, so that part was real… he sat up abruptly and found his hands tied behind his back as he was strapped to a chair.

About 10 foot in front of him sat Greg in a similar position, but he was still unconscious. The difference being, surrounding Greg was 5 candles, flames burning bright as they cast an eerie silhouette on the young lab tech. It reminded Nick of some weird sacrifice or ritual you hear about in stories. He didn't like that one bit.

"Greg" the CSI hissed as they appeared to be alone. How the hell had they even got here? Those bastards must have done something to them when they were sleeping. "Come on man please wake up. I know you don't want to, but I need you"

"Mmm…" the lab tech groaned as he started to open his eyes.

In the back of Greg's mind he had heard someone calling for him, he thought whoever it was were angry because he'd fallen asleep in his lab and they were waiting for results, but then he remembered. He didn't want to remember.

"Greg, are you alright?" Nick asked. Of course not you idiot! He expected the younger man to yell, but Greg gave a weak nod of his head.

"S'burnin'" Greg mumbled "W's burnin'

"There are candles surrounding you" Nick informed him gently, he needed the kid to stay calm.

"W-what?" Greg said looking around him as he slowly came to his senses "No, not fire, oh God not the fire, not again…" he shied away from the flames sitting as far back into the chair as possible.

"Greg what are you talking about?" the worried CSI asked. He knew it was bad because the younger man had started to shake beyond control yet again. Nobody liked fire really, he just wondered why Greg's fear was so strong.

"I was in a house fire when I was twelve" Greg confessed much to Nick's surprise. Why was this the first time he'd been told? "And my back…I have really bad b-burn scars on my back" he continued, his voice hitching a little. "I just remember the smoke…the smell…my mom screaming for me….the fear" his eyes glazed over with tears as he remembered the trauma.

"Oh Greggo, why didn't you tell us?" Nick said giving the frightened man a sympathetic look.

"You didn't ask" Greg said with a small smile in an attempt to calm himself down "I just… didn't think it was anything to you, I thought you wouldn't care. It happened a long time ago and I should be over it by now… but fire still scares me and that makes me feel weak. God I'm so embarrassed" he said lowering his head in shame.

"Greg, you can't expect to get over stuff like that so quick" Nick comforted him "Childhood traumas are the worst…" he paused; wondering now would be the time to tell Greg. But if they was going to die, Nick felt he should get it off his chest and maybe the tech would find solace in knowing he could relate. "When I was nine, I had this babysitter who I thought I could trust…but then one night, she…did things to me that I didn't really understand back then." Greg's eyes widened in horror. "And I still think about it sometimes, what you went through was obviously terrible and it doesn't matter how much later it is, talking about sometimes will help."

"Nick I'm so sorry" Greg said, for some reason he felt guilty but that was just part of his natural instinct "I can't even imagine what that must have been like. Now my problem just seems stupid" he said with a frown.

"It's not a contest Greg, anything that's happened to you which has scared you is bad not matter where it is on the Richter scale." Nick explained. It wasn't normally like him to be so profound, that was Grissoms job, but he needed Greg to keep it together and he'd been doing well so far.

"Well thanks for telling me, I know it must have been hard for you" Greg said with a comforting smile, which Nick returned as if to say you too. "But Nick… there's only one possible thing these candles are for…." Greg's eyes traced over each individual flame, the way they danced like they were teasing him "he's gunna burn me" the scared young man whispered as a tear trailed down his left cheek.

"No, no I won't let that happen" Nick said, he'd already been trying to break the binds on his wrists the whole time they'd been talking. He felt the bad rope burn on his wrists which had made his skin go pink, but it was worth it if it meant getting free and helping Greg.

"Hey, its ok" Greg told him quietly "You'll only get yourself hurt. I know I might moan and cry, but I rather it was me than you."

"No" Nick said shaking his head "No, no, no!" he was getting angrier as he kept yanking at the bindings harder and harder. "No I won't let you down anymore" he protested "I can't, I just can't" then it was his turn to cry. "It's killing me to see what they're doing to you."

"Well you can't feel like that because that's what Seth wants" Greg told him "don't give him what he wants. You have not let me down ok. You're not Superman Nick, you're not the one doing this to me, Seth and his stupid sidekicks are. I know you want to help me, and just knowing that is enough, that's what helps me through the pain. Because I know I can't leave you here with them"

Nick wondered when the kid had become so brave, not that he thought Greg was a wimp before, far from it, but he couldn't help but think about how Greg got nervous just from talking to Grissom. And now here he was, facing torture…death, and he was telling Nick everything was going to be ok. Nick opened his mouth to say something in return but the door crept open and in came Seth, smiling sadistically as always.

"Hey boys, nice to see you've managed to get dry" Seth said walking over to Greg "I hope the candles helped, but of course that's not their only purpose." He said stroking the side of Greg's face with a gentle hand. Greg was surprised at himself for what happened next as he spat in Seth's face. Seth recoiled in disgust "Why you dirty little…" he slapped Greg hard.

"Don't act like you don't deserve it, I'm surprised I haven't done it already" Nick growled behind the kidnapper, earning the CSI a slap across the face too.

"And I was thinking about going a little easier on you, but now you can forget it" Seth said through gritted teeth as he wiped his face. "You stay quiet!" he yelled pointing at Nick. "You're just here to watch, that is your torture." He turned back to Greg. "Each one of these candles represents one of your friends" Seth said pointing at each candle, now they understood why there was five. "They have not yet had to burn for their sins, and so you will burn for them" Seth whispered in Greg's ear. The young man whimpered and turned away.