A/N: So, here we have the final real chapter to this story. Hopefully all of the loose ends are tied up. If not…well, damn. After this is just the epilogue folks. I want to take this time to apologize, since I haven't updated since August. Not my worst length of time, not by a long shot, but still…so, I am sorry.

Onwards to…chapter 9! Enjoy!

The waiting room was full up and Grissom was watching the doors with a pensive look on his face. No matter what anyone said, or what he said himself even, he thought very highly of Greg and next to Nick and Maddy, he was the most worried person in there.

Nick felt his pocket vibrate and pulled his phone out, sneaking a glance around to check for nurses. Satisfied he was in the clear, he answered, "Yeah?"

/Have you heard anything about Sanders yet?/

"No, not yet. What have you got?"

Grissom and the rest of the CSI's in the room all turned to look at him and Nick mouthed Brass at them.

/First thing is that Kastner is dead. Shot, by the looks of it. Probably by Sanders in self defense, given the wounds Sanders had. Second, I got a call about twenty minutes ago. Two bodies found, OD. We compared the samples from the cabin with what was found in the pockets of the bodies. De Luca's stamp was present and it looks like the concentration is the same./

Nicks heart skipped a beat. This was a good thing. Great even, the more he thought about it. With all of this happening, Nick had been starting to worry about what would happen to Greg now that De Luca knew about him staying with Nick. There would be no way the detective could have kept him safe and they would always be looking over their shoulders. Especially since Greg had had a hand in the killing of two of De Luca's agents.

"So, we can get him on murder along with the drug trafficking?"

/If everything goes through correctly, he can get put away for life./

Nick sighed. Thank god, "That's fantastic. Keep me updated?"

/Will do./

Nick shut his phone and looked around the congregation of CSI's, "There were two bodies found, OD on De Luca's drugs."

The tension in the room deflated like a balloon at the news and Nick came to the realization that he wasn't the only one who was worrying about what could have happened to Greg after he was released from the hospital. It was heartening, especially since he had been almost positive that most of Greg's fellow CSI's could barely tolerate him.

"There is one thing I still don't get," Sara said, looking around, "What was up with the house?"

Grissom looked at the doors then glanced at Nick, his eyes flickering down to Maddy, before he answered the woman curled up in the chair next to him, "It was a diversion. De Luca needed Jeremy back into the fold and what better way than to make it look like he had been kidnapped as well. It worked, even though we were all suspicious about it. Whoever it was dropped Jeremy into that room after the fire had been put out and the firemen gone. If you remember, there was an hour gap before we were allowed into the house."

"So they went in the back door, up the back stairs, dropped Jeremy off in the room, locked the door and then left, taking all the protective material with them? There had to have been an easier way, one that didn't look so suspicious," Catherine said, a frown on her face. Despite being in charge of second shift, she had always had a soft spot for the new CSI and had kept appraised of the case, even allowing Grissom to commandeer Warrick and Sara.

Grissom shrugged, "While I understand the how's, the why's still allude me. We may never find out now that Jeremy is dead." His head snapped to the doors as they slid open and a doctor wearing white, blood spattered scrubs walked out, "Sander's party?"

"I wouldn't call it a party but that's us," Catherine said, standing up, "How is he?"

"He'll be fine. He won't be walking for awhile, the bullet really shattered his knee cap and physical training will be long and hard. Couple of broken ribs, most of the rest bruised. The swelling in his face has gone down some but he'll still be black and blue for a week or so," The doctor paused, "I did find something strange. There was a pinprick in the carotid artery on his neck. Small, about the size of a little hypodermic needle. Rather new, there was some dried blood around it."

"Was he drugged?" Catherine asked.

The doctor shook his head, "He didn't have any symptoms of drugging, but until the tests come back we don't know for sure."

Grissom turned a thoughtful look to his team, "Greg and Jeremy had a case a few months back where the victim was killed by an air bubble to the heart. Greg has been terrified of needles since. It's probable that Jeremy tried that before resorting to the gun."

"In order for an air bubble to kill that way, the needle has to be large and the syringe needs to be completely full. The size of the needle used on Mr. Sanders was too small to have any effect even if the syringe was full." The doctor looked around, "He's in recovery now. You will be able to see him in an hour, only two at a time however. A nurse will let you know his room number when he is moved."

Grissom shook hands with the doctor, "Thank you."

Nick swallowed thickly as the doctor turned and went back through the triage doors. Greg was going to be all right.

Greg looked down at Maddy with amused eyes as she snuggled deeper into his side, before letting out a huff of air and falling deeper into sleep. Nick and Maddy had been the last into his room to visit, and really they were the only two were he was more than semi-coherent for as a fight with a nurse had broken out just before hand and woke him the rest of the way up. Apparently, kids weren't allowed in the rooms. Nick had managed to get around that by informing the nurse of what had happened. Sadly, it wasn't that that had won over the nurse, but Maddy's tears at not being allowed to see Greg.

"She refused to sleep until she saw you. I don't think I have ever seen her as quiet as she was when we were in that waiting room," Nick said from his spot on the edge of the bed. He had his fingers wrapped up with Greg's, a reassurance that the doctors hadn't been wrong, that Greg was alive.

Greg looked up at Nick, his eyes soft and clear despite the pain meds flowing through his body, "You should have seen her Nick. She was so brave…" He trailed off and looked back down at the dark head that was nestling under his arm, "She was so helpful, even though she knew she could have gotten caught. She even conned Kastner into taking her to the bathroom so he wouldn't get suspicious about her helping me."

"She is a great kid," Nick said, choking up slightly. Greg had filled in the blanks that Maddy hadn't known, and Nick was shocked about what had gone down in so little an amount of time…and the fact that Greg had been unconscious on the mountain for nearly an hour. How had his little girl not gone into shock? He knew he would have to find a therapist for her, once they got out of here. The nightmares alone from the ordeal would be enough to traumatize her.

"I'm sorry."

Nick's eyes show up to meet Greg's, "What? Why?"

"I got your daughter kidnapped Nick and you're asking why?" Greg sighed and leaned back on the pillows and looked away, "This whole mess was my fault. I broke Kastner's cover without realizing it, got Andrea killed, and then got kidnapped with Maddy in tow because Kastner wanted to use her as a scape goat."

"I'm not angry at you Greg. This wasn't you're fault, not the way you're thinking it is," Nick shook his head and squeezed Greg's fingers, "I am pissed as fuck at Kastner and De Luca and everyone else in their stupid little drug ring, but you? No, I am so not mad at you."

"How can you not be?"

Nick chuckled, "Well for one, you are beating yourself up more than enough for the both of us. While I really wish you would stop already, I know you won't. Not yet, anyway. Two, you saved my daughter's life, Greg? How could I be angry at anyone who was willing to sacrifice their own life for my daughter?"

Greg's eyes were wet with tears as he looked back at Nick, "Jesus, you're just completely set on making me fall for you, aren't you?"

Nick's grin was brilliant, "Not my best work and I wish the circumstances were different, but…yeah, I am completely set on making you fall for me," he leaned in close, "Over and over again, if I have to."

Greg's smile was small, but just as brilliant as Nicks as he said, "Oh, that is so not a hardship."

Greg sat in his wheel chair, staring out over the hospital grounds as the door to his room clicked closed. He sighed and closed his eyes, wishing he could be out of this place already. Thankfully, the hospital therapist said he was pretty much ready, having spent a week working through what had happened on the mountain as well as his missing week. He wasn't healed mentally, not by any long shot, but he would continue his therapy lessons. Nick would happily kick his ass if he didn't. The plus side to seeing the therapist was that he pretty much had back all of his memories of that week…and he was sure he knew the reason he had blocked them in the first place.

Andrea had been one of his closest friends, outside of Jacqui, since coming to Las Vegas. Seeing her get killed followed by a week of torture, well, he hadn't been surprised when the therapist mentioned that that was probably what caused him to block the memories. That week had been hell. He had been held in a small room with no light, no food and a can to use when he had to shit or pee. There had been a small opening in the door that had had bars in it, and he had used that to talk to the kid locked up across the hall from him.

David.

That poor kid had only been sixteen and hadn't even used drugs which was the whole reason he had been taken. De Luca had wanted to test some of his new batches on someone who wasn't already a junkie. It was a horrible thought but one that was all too common. Then David had disappeared three days into Greg's stay and was never brought back. Greg knew that he had either been killed for refusing to take the drugs or he had OD'd, which was the more likely scenario. Now, Greg was wishing he had known a last name. Or maybe, he could have Nick check missing persons. He knew what had happened, and while telling David's parents that he was dead wasn't ideal, Greg knew it would give them closure.

The door to his room clicked again and Greg blinked and turned his head to see who was visiting. He smiled when Maddy burst into his room at full tilt and carefully climbed onto his lap, knowing to avoid the side with the broken ribs.

He hugged her, burying his face into her dark brown hair, "Hey chicka-roo. How was school?"

She giggled, just as she did every time he asked the rhyming question, especially since she was in daycare, "Good! We got to watch Peter Pan today."

"Wow, that was like my favorite movie growing up," Greg said, sitting up straight and looking at her, "Tinkerbell is just awesome," he was playing on her love of the fairies, especially since his favorite from the movie had been the lost boys, who were probably a little too violent for Maddy to like.

"Totally."

Nick, who had been watching the now familiar play-by-play with a fond smile, cleared his throat, "Just talked to your doctor G."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, you ready to go home?"

Greg's eyes widened and he looked around Nick at the door, where his favorite nurse Sharon was standing, waving a pile of papers and wearing a huge smile, "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Nick said, stepping to the side as Sharon stepped fully into the room, "I have clothes for you down in the truck. I'll run and get them," He pressed a kiss to Greg's forehead before turning and heading out.

"You just need to sign the papers, Greg and you'll be free to go," Sharon set them and a pen down on the rolling cart, moving it to his side.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed the pen, quickly jotting his name down where she indicated, "I could have rolled over there myself, you know."

"Please, you're leaving. This gave me one last chance to actually do something for you, small as it may be. You stubborn bastard."

Greg's eyes widened and he gasped jokingly, "What I wanted, you wouldn't offer."

Sharon laughed and punched his shoulder lightly before gathering up the papers, "What have I told you about flirting with me? It would never work between us…not to mention we each have very strong men who get jealous easily."

"Bah, they wouldn't have to know," Greg said, eyes twinkling. This is what he loved about Sharon, the fact that he could completely be himself and she didn't take him seriously. In fact, she enjoyed playing along.

She gave him a watered down version of Maddy's stink eye, "My house, tomorrow, six PM. You and Nick better bring Maddy along to keep Jack company or I'll smack you."

Nick walked in at that moment and took an involuntary step back at the look on Sharon's face, "What did he do now?"

"They were flirting again," Maddy said, before her eyes widened, "Oops! They didn't want anyone to know!" She whipped around to look at Greg, "I'm sorry!"

Nick took one look at Greg's and Sharon's horrified faces before busting out into laughter

TBC…

Whoo! Just the Epilogue left, folks. Again…I am so sorry. RL is hell, and if it weren't for Lily riding me about this I probably would have let it fall to the wayside. So, let me know what you all think…and until next time…ciao!