CSI: Live and Love: chapter 14

A/N: This is the part I've been dreaming of writing all along... however, I must warn you that this chapter is not nice. At all. It's harsh. It gives new meaning to the line "You had me at anal swab" and it's so not pretty. sigh abusive boyfriends never are. Also, just so you know there are two chapters left! And don't forget to review on your way out! I hope you like it!

Nick stood at the sink washing the dishes from dinner while Greg got the Rent DVD ready to play in the livingroom. A nice quiet night it was going to be. After Greg had told him everything that had happened to him because of his boyfriend the day before, they deserved a nice quiet day before the week was up. Yes, tomorrow they would have to go into work and explain everything to Grissom. Nick was expecting a phone call sometime during the night to remind them of this. Though he wasn't expecting it quite so soon as the phone began to ring.

"Stokes and Sanders residence," he answered again.

"Cute Nick," Grissom's voice came over the line.

"How come no one likes the way I answer my phone?"

"I didn't say that. It makes perfect sense if Greg's staying with you."

"Yeah. So, you're just calling to remind us that we have to tell you everything tomorrow night. We already know."

"Um...actually, no. That's not why I'm calling."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Desert Palms Hospital sent you a package. At least, I'm assuming it goes to you. Apparently they didn't get your name. It says "to the CSI on the Sanders case" and it's marked urgent. Would you know what that's about?"

"I've already got the x-rays, Griss...I...I don't know what else they would have..."

"X-rays?"

Nick hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. Had he actually said that out loud? He silently cursed himself.

"Um, yeah. That is my case."

"Since when did our Level I CSI become a case? And when were you going to tell me this?"

Nick lowered his voice and moved to the far wall, so that Greg couldn't hear him as well.

"Since the night I took him to the hospital. They asked if I was the CSI on the case because they needed to show me some things. I said yes so that I would know what was going on because it was obvious Greg wasn't going to say anything. I can't say more than that. Not without Greg here, not without his permission."

"I really don't like the sound of this, Nick. But I'm going to stick to what I originally said. You've got until the end of the week, and that's in exactly twenty-four hours. Don't be late."

"I won't. Hey Griss, you don't happen to know what's in that package do you?"

"No. It's addressed to you. I can't open your mail."

Relieved, Nick moved back to the dirty dishes.

"Right. Good. Thanks. Um, I'll be in to pick it up in a few minutes."

Nick hung up the phone, and leaned over the sink. He wouldn't be gone long. Just long enough to pick up the package. But could he leave Greg home alone? Greg had asked him to leave him alone just the night before. But when he'd said he couldn't do it, Greg had said 'ok' in a way that made him almost sure he wouldn't ever think about committing suicide again. But could he be sure? He knew he would always worry every time he had to leave Greg alone. It would do neither of them any good.

He sighed, and went out into the livingroom. Greg was curled up on the couch, the blanket wrapped around him. The DVD was all set to go. He turned from the tv and looked up at Nick with large eyes.

"You're leaving?"

"Just for a little bit. I need to pick something up at the lab and it's very important."

"But I thought we were going to watch Rent together?"

"I promise I won't be gone long. No more than half an hour. And when I get back we can watch it. Ok?"

"Yeah, ok."

Nick handed him the cordless house phone.

"I'll call you if I'm going to be longer than I anticipate. And you call me if you need anything."

Greg only nodded.

"Will you be ok while I'm gone?"

"Sure."

Nick went to grab his jacket, wallet, keys, and cell phone before he headed for the door. He stopped and turned back to Greg who was staring mindlessly at the tv as the song "Seasons of Love" wrapped around again for the millionth time on the menu. Walking back to the couch he fell to his knees in front of Greg.

"Greg, I'm going to keep telling you this until you tell me to stop. Because it's true."

Greg looked at him with questioning eyes though he stayed silent.

"I love you. I always have, and I always will. No matter what."

He leaned in and kissed Greg gently on the forehead. When he pulled away he thought he saw a smile flicker across his face for a split second, but then it was gone.

Upon entering the lab Nick found Grissom in his office, the package for him sitting on his boss's desk.

"What's going on? I see the Feds are here?" Nick asked, reaching for the large padded vanilla envelope.

He ripped it open as Grissom began to speak but he didn't hear a word as he saw the results of a test: a Sexual Assault Examination the hospital had done on Greg while he'd still been passed out. His heart stopped beating for what seemed like an eternity and he stared at the paper in front of him, reading the nurse's words, "positive for repeated rape over a long period of time. Not just a one time incident...Sorry we weren't able to talk to him or hold him until you came back. But we were able to map out his injuries for you and collect a sample of..."

"Then...that day you took me to the hospital...before I got to work...he...he..." Greg stopped for a moment.

"What did he do to you, G?"

Nick pulled away to let Greg talk more freely.

"He...tied me up...and it...it hurt...so much," Greg whimpered and more tears fell from his eyes. "All...all afternoon...he...he...forced me..." sobs struggled to escape his mouth but he held them in. "I told him no...but he wouldn't listen..."

"Oh God, Greg... it's going to be ok," Nick felt tears filling his own eyes and running down his own face now as he pulled Greg closer again, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Everything's going to be ok. I promise."

Nick had never heard Greg whimper before and he prayed to God he would never have to hear that again. It had sounded so pitiful, so sad, and painful. And to think it was all because of the man who was supposed to love him. His boyfriend. His boyfriend had abused and raped him for almost a whole year. The words seared into his skull as if they'd been put there by a hot branding iron.

"What's with the tragic look?"

Nick looked up to see Catherine, Warrick, and Sara in the doorway.

"You're not gonna keel over and die on us are you?"

Nick ignored them and looked back into the padded envelope to see a container nestled in the bottom. He cringed, knowing exactly what it was. Pain scorched his heart and if he'd been alone, he just might have done as Catherine thought. But Derek was still alive, still free, and Greg needed him. He couldn't leave him now. He could only thank God that although he hated the thought, the hospital had been smart enough to do a test and gather evidence for him. Now he just had to find Wendy to make sure it was Derek's DNA, if the guy even had a profile.

"Uh, Nick? You ok?"

"I need to find Wendy. And then I need to go home."

He started to walk out the door as Catherine leaned over to read the paper in his hands.

"Why do you have results from an SAE?" she asked. "You haven't been working and you don't have a case."

He couldn't even think about Greg, the man he loved, as a victim, let alone a rape victim. How could he be expected to talk about it?

"Please, just don't ask. I can't talk about it," Nick managed.

Warrick jumped in and changed the topic of conversation. If only slightly.

"How's Greg doing? Is he coming back any time soon?"

"Yeah, it's been way to quiet around here without him."

Nick turned to face them mere inches from the lab that had once been Greg's before he'd moved to the field. He relaxed a little bit, and his face softened.

"Yeah, he's doing fine. I'm sure he'll be back soon," he assured them before ducking into Wendy's lab.

"Hey Nick. Long time, no see. Heh, long time no work for me to process either."

"What do you mean?"

"You been listening to the new lately? It seems like the whole city's taken a break from crime during the night except this one guy. Serial killer, who leaves no evidence."

"Damn. Look, I've got something I need you to process."

"Oh! Work! Whoever thought I'd be happy to hear someone say that was correct tonight! So, what've you got?"

"I need you to keep this between you and me. Got that? I mean it. No one else can know about this."

"Sure thing," she said, skeptically.

He took out the sample the hospital had sent over.

"This is a sample from an SAE kit," he cringed again at the words. "I need to know who's DNA it is."

"Yeah, I'll get right on it."

"Thank you. Call my cell when you figure it out."

"Will do."

Wendy got right to work on the sample and Nick left the DNA lab, preparing to go home. He pulled out his cell phone to call Greg and tell him he'd be home soon when Warrick was suddenly walking beside him.

"Nick, if you've got a moment, I could really use some help on that case you gave me. I just need your opinion."

Nick looked at his phone and sighed. He hadn't been there a full half an hour yet. He could spare a few more minutes.

Warrick ran down the facts of the case they had so far, as he steered Nick in the direction of the break room where everyone else was lounging around.

"Why aren't we in the layout room or something?"

"The Feds are in there. They're trying to take over the case. But they've got squat just as much as we do."

"Ah. Well, I'd say you're right with a message like that. The people he's choosing to kill are chosen on purpose but still randomly. I mean, any random gay couple could be a target," Nick shivered and thought of Greg as he spoke.

"So, you think this guy wants his boyfriend back? Or is it a father angry because he found out his son is gay? Or what?" Warrick asked, handing Nick a coffee mug before sitting beside him.

"More likely the first. But what other evidence do you have?"

"Collars."

"Collars?"

"Yeah, this guy's good. All he left us was that message, and on each victim he puts a dog collar around their necks. The first one was plain, but after that, he got fancy. Each one is black with dark red blood drops tooled into them. We got a description of the guy from the guy who made the collars, but all it got us was a bad description of another guy he was seen with a few times about a year ago."

Nick's mind felt like a light bulb with a child learning how to turn it on and off. This case reminded him so much of something, something he was close to. His mind blanked, then came alive, this was so familiar, then went blank again...

"Describe this other guy for me."

"He's thin, not very muscular, sandy brown hair, and he's got a gorgeous smile that can light up the whole room," Catherine read Brass's notes.

"Greg," Nick said.

"What?"

The others sat up straighter.

"He fits that description to a T and you've never payed attention to him when he's truly happy. His smile can turn your world upside down in an instant."

Everyone stared at him.

"What else have you got?" Nick said, a little unnerved by their stares and the description of Greg.

"One other collar. He bought this one a year ago at the same place. You sure it's Greg? That's a vague description. And what would he have to do with this guy anyway?"

Warrick showed Nick the picture of the black leather studded collar with the word 'Bitch' tooled in hot pink.

Without warning Nick was transported to a night at work not that long ago...

Sitting down on the bench in the locker room Nick's heart was pounding and there seemed to be no way to calm it down. Standing only a few feet away with his back to him, was Greg. Nick had been pretty quiet when he'd come in, so he figured Greg didn't even know he was there as he began to take his shirt off to change into something clean. There was his creamy white skin laced with scars from the lab explosion...and a...bruise? Yes, there was a large fading bruise on Greg's right side greeting him. But whatever it was from it was going away, so Greg was ok, and all Nick wanted to do was wrap his arms around Greg's waist and hold him tight, kiss his neck... But what was that? Something not creamy white skin. A... necklace... no... collar... dog collar... black leather... silver studs... hot pink letters... spelling... 'Bitch'... but what was Greg doing wearing that? It wasn't...of course in his past he'd always worn odd clothing, and gone a little Goth on occasion, but this? This wasn't him. He would never wear something that proclaimed himself a Bitch. Would he?

Greg reached into his locker and came out with a clean shirt and slipped it on. It was a collared shirt, similar to the one he'd just taken off. Similar to all the shirts he'd been wearing for the past few months Nick realized. And he was confused by this, and unsure what, if anything, he should do about it. Should he say something? Ask what was up with the odd collar? No. No, that was Greg's private life and he wouldn't intrude. It would be wrong. Greg obviously liked the collar, otherwise he wouldn't be wearing it. Duh.

Nick turned away from Greg and stood up to open his locker.

"Hey Greg," he greeted, as if he'd only just walked in.

Greg turned around, buttoning his shirt up fast.

"Oh, hey Nick."

And the collar was hidden from view once again.

But Nick wasn't stupid anymore. Never again would he make such a dumb mistake when he knew he should have said something. Now, it all made sense. Perfect sense. Crystal clear. He'd known. Deep inside, that night he'd known something was wrong. But he hadn't done anything. He'd stayed silent, letting Derek keep control of Greg, letting him hurt him over and over and over again. Never again, Nick vowed.

"Nicky? You ok? You're not yourself tonight. What's going on?" he vaguely heard someone ask.

"It's Derek," he said.

"Derek? Derek who? What are you talking about?"

A phone rang and everyone checked theirs.

"Grissom...a name?"

Everyone turned to face Grissom but his eyes were on Nick.

"Yes...yes, he's right here...keep the scene...we'll be there ASAP." Grissom hung up. Still looking at Nick he said, "He's mine. If I can't have him neither can Nicky."

The other CSIs turned to look at Nick, their eyes wide.

"Thank God the Feds aren't here," Warrick whistled. "This is too personal. What's the ID?"

"Just like all the others," Grissom said. "A random member of a gay couple."

Nick felt like his whole body had shut down and he didn't know what to do. Derek was after Greg, he'd been killing people to let Nick know about it...and...he'd left Greg alone for the first time.

He lifted his phone, almost in a daze, to call Greg when it rang, startling him out of his daze. He blinked. The number on the screen was his home phone number. He hit the answer button and put the phone to his ear, turning away from the crowd in front of him.

"Greg?"

"Hey Nick."

He relaxed when he heard the casualness in his friend's voice.

"What's going on?"

"I'm still on the couch, waiting for you. I'm sorry. I got a little lonely."

"Hey, it's ok."

"Did you get what you went to get? You've been gone awhile."

Nick looked at his watch and realized talking about the case had taken longer than he'd anticipated.

"Um, yeah, yeah, I did. And I'm coming home right now."

"I'm getting better," Greg blurted. "You should stay...catch up with everyone. You haven't seen them in awhile."

Nick thought about that, unsure how he should take Greg's words.

"Is...is everything ok?" he asked hesitantly.

"You stopped me the other night for a good reason, though I wish you hadn't. I would have stopped you for that same exact reason," Greg said quickly, his words ending in a soft whimper. "Please stay, I'll be fine here for awhile longer without you. You must have a lot to catch up on."

"Ummmm..."

"Yeah, I'm sure Warrick would love a beer after work. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

And the line was dropped.

Nick stared at his phone...something was wrong. His words, he wanted Nick to stay at work and take Warrick out for a beer? That signaled an attempt to commit suicide again. And his other words...He'd stopped him from committing suicide but Greg hadn't wanted him too, they too said the same thing. But the first time he'd attempted it Nick had been there, and he hadn't made a sound. He'd been happy, not distressed over it. This time, he'd whimpered. That sound Nick hadn't wanted to hear ever again. He thought over Greg's words again...and a small smile crept across his face. Greg would have stopped him from killing himself for the same reason he'd stopped Greg. The same reason... The smile disappeared. Greg wasn't going to kill himself. He'd wanted to go out earlier while he had the chance to be in control of how he went. He wasn't in control now. Derek was.

"That's a good boy," Derek's rough voice crooned into Greg's ear as he took the phone and set it down on Nick's coffee table next to his lock picking tools.

He sat beside Greg on the brown corduroy couch, his right arm resting easily around Greg's shoulders with a hunting knife in his hand, pressed up against his boyfriend's neck. Greg sat still as a stone statue, his hands clasped in his lap, breathing shallowly. He made sure to keep his eyes on his lap and as far away from the scene in his own apartment, in his own bedroom, on what was not his own bed, taking place on the tv screen in front of him. Derek brought his other hand up to Greg's neck, running his fingers against the smooth silky skin.

"You're missing something here. You know that, don't you?"

Greg gulped.

"Don't you?" Derek asked with more force in his voice.

"Yes," Greg squeeked.

"Do you know what it is?"

"My... my collar."

"And what is the purpose of said collar?"

"To show... to show I'm... taken."

"Hmmm taken by whom?"

"You."

"And what does that mean?"

"I belong to you," Greg whispered.

"Good boy. Now, why didn't you remember that when you ran away?!" Derek's voice roared into his ear and he struggled not to flinch against the knife.

"I'm sorry."

"Heh. Not as sorry as you're gonna be."

Derek's hands left Greg's neck but he didn't move an inch. The man pulled out a dog collar from his pocket. Black leather, silver studs, and hot pink letters tooled into the leather. He unhooked it and placed it around Greg's neck carefully, as if he were placing an expensive diamond necklace on a woman.

Greg could only hope Nick had taken his hint about getting a beer with Warrick so that he would stay away from the apartment while Derek did whatever he had planned to him. He also prayed Nick understood his other words. But he would never really know as he'd be long gone before Nick got back from work and his beer.

"You disobeyed me, Greg. And you know what that means."

Greg slowly nodded. "Pain."

"That's right. See, you do know some things. But that won't help you now."

Derek stood up and grabbed Greg's wrist and pulled him to his feet, dragging him towards the bedroom. Greg stumbled after him, willing his emotions to stay down, to not show Derek how much fear he actually carried at that moment. Without warning Derek rounded on him and punched him in the face. Greg stumbled again and fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Nothing can help you now, Bitch. You belong to me and you ran away. You misbehaved too many times and now your time is up."

Derek reached down and grabbed Greg's shirt, pulling him back up onto his weak legs. He punched him in the face again, harder this time. He let his shirt go and watched as Greg tripped backward into the corner where he finally landed in a heap. Carefully he looked up at Derek, expecting another hand to his body, but none came.

Instead, his boyfriend now carried a hammer, a long length of heavy chain, and a large U shaped nail. He watched as Derek, clad in a pair of loose jeans and a white t-shirt, climbed up onto the end of Nick's bed. He reached up toward the ceiling, looped the two ends of chain over the nail and began to hammer it into the ceiling above the bed.

As Greg cowered in the corner, He hoped against all hope that this was only a dream and that Nick would wake him up in a few minutes, He could easily see the scar he'd left on Derek's left cheek several months ago. It went from his eye down to his jaw and gave him an evil look.

Derek jumped down from the bed, dropping the hammer to the floor with a loud bang. Greg flinched and his boyfriend smirked at his fearfulness as he marched over, and hauled Greg to his feet again, pushing him roughly onto the bed. Lying on his back next to a pair of handcuffs, Derek straddled him, keeping him in place as he slid his hands underneath his shirt.

"Mmmmmm... I've missed you for too long, Greg. How could you do such a thing to me, to deny me the body I want?"

"I'm sorry."

"No, you're not. But you will be when I'm done with you. It's too bad we can't have a little fun first."

Derek slid his shirt up to his chin and pinned his arms by his sides. He examined Greg's naked torso, running his hands over the yellowing bruises that were left.

"I see my marks on you, my claim to your body, are going away. But don't worry. When I'm done with you, you'll have fresh marks, new marks, of a different breed. Marks that will never go away. Not even after you're dead."

Greg's mind had gone blank. He couldn't think about what was going to happen to him. He couldn't think about Derek's words. He blanked it all out and let Derek roughly guide him. He felt the sweat pants he'd still had on loan from Nick slid down his legs, while Derek kept his arms pinned to his body. Now, he was only dressed in his t-shirt and boxers. He felt a whimper coming up his throat, trying to escape his mouth, but he valiantly held it down and blanked everything out again.

Derek leaped off him, and pulled him to his knees on the bed, so that he was facing the painting of the horse herd running over the dry Texas earth, stirring up a cloud of dust. He stared at it, memorizing every detail, as he felt his arms being raised high above his head. Cold metal handcuffs encircled his wrists and Derek let his body go. Greg swayed gently as if he was a flag in a breeze, but he stayed upright.

Derek bounced off the bed and came around to face Greg, the knife in his hands again.

"So, what happened to your arm?" he asked, laughter in his eyes, as he gripped Greg's left arm in his hand.

Greg whimpered at the rough touch to his still painful arm.

"I tripped and fell?" he tried.

Derek sneered and laughed out loud before hooking the end of the knife underneath the white bandage and slicing it open. He studied the long slice for a moment, seeing the fresh scar tissue beginning to close over it.

"You tried to get out of your punishment! You little bitch! Maybe I should be thanking your little friend for saving your life so that I can take my time in dispensing your punishment."

"What the fuck are you telling me?!" Warrick exploded at Nick. "You're telling me this fucker was after Greg the whole damn time?!?! And I didn't know it! It was Greg, all along, who had that collar?! He was the first person I thought of and I cleared him!!! I cleared him! It's not supposed to be one of our own! Never one of our own!"

Catherine jumped to her feet and quickly stepped between the two men, facing Warrick.

"Calm down, Warrick. Just calm down."

"No! I can't calm down, Cath! I had the key the whole time! I should have known it was Greg!"

Wendy poked her head inside and looked at Nick.

"I tried to page you, but you're not answering. And I heard the shouting."

"What have you got?" Nick was beside her in seconds.

She handed him the print out.

"Derek Eaterman. I checked his last known address too." She pointed further down the page.

Nick glanced at it, and realized it was Greg's. But he knew that's not where they were. Greg had called from his own home phone and had begged him to stay at work. That meant they were staying there. Otherwise, why call?

"Griss, I know he's there, I know Derek is going to hurt Greg!" He felt the fear rising within him. "I have to go home!"

"You're absolutely sure about this? Without a doubt?"

Nick nodded.

"Alright, everyone, move out!" Grissom called, picking up his cell phone and dialing a number. "Brass, leave a uniform at the scene, we need you at Nick's!" he shouted as the CSIs ran down the hall of the lab to the parking lot. "Catherine, you're driving! Nick, you're going to tell me EVERYTHING! Now! I don't care what Greg says!"

Everyone piled into a Denali, Catherine at the wheel, Nick riding shot gun, and the other three in the back seat.

"Talk," their boss ordered Nick as Catherine eased the SUV out of the parking space and speed out of the lot. "I need to know how you know this is true."

"He's been in an abusive relationship with Derek for almost a year and I saw him with that collar once. When I took him to the hospital, that was the night you gave me the first crime scene of this guy. The message clearly wasn't supposed to continue. But it did when I went to Greg's and got him out of there."

"So, how do you know he's there now, with Greg?"

Grissom was the only person with a professional air left. Everyone else had shocked looks on their faces at Nick's words.

"His last words... he wanted me to stay at work, take Warrick out for a beer later. He wanted me to stay away. Stay away from my own apartment."

Nick sighed, relieved that he'd managed to come up with a good enough reason that was true but didn't include Greg attempting to kill himself to get away from Derek.

"I shoulda seen this!" Warrick exclaimed. "Damn it! I'm not a CSI for nothing! And I couldn't see he was being abused?! What the hell's wrong with me?!"

"We've been over this before," Catherine commented. "None of us saw it."

"He was good at hiding it," Nick said quietly, remembering the night he'd hung up from talking with Catherine to find Greg with the knife in his hand, and blood dripping from his arm.

"What are you not telling me?" Grissom asked, his voice still calm.

"Nothing! Cath, can't you drive any faster! I'm not losing him to that bastard!"

"Not in this traffic, Nicky. We'll get there, don't worry."

"I am worried!"

"Nick!" Grissom shouted. "What are you not telling me?"

Nick looked back into the calm eyes of his supervisor and he could feel his barriers breaking inside.

"He tried to kill himself the other night."

Catherine nearly slammed on the breaks as she whipped her head to look at him for a second before turning back to the road. Everyone else stared at him, even more in shock now.

"So, he told you to go have a beer with Warrick so that he could kill himself while you were gone," Sara said with a cold edge to her voice.

"No. No, that's not it."

"You left him alone! Didn't you think this would happen?"

"Sara," Grissom scolded. "Don't jump to conclusions. Nick, continue."

"I stopped him. He was fine. Shaken, but fine. He just wanted to be in control of the way he went out of this world. He didn't want Derek to do it for him. When he called... he said... he said... he wished I hadn't stopped him but that he would have stopped me for the same reason I stopped him. He wished I hadn't... because Derek's there, with him, and he's going to kill him. I know it. He was upset on the phone, but he wasn't when he tried it the other day. He was... happy... to have control over his life. But not tonight."

Catherine broke in, "And you were gone from home long enough already that he could have easily done it already if he had a mind to."

"Yes."

Everyone else was silent. Nick thought about his reasoning for saving Greg and Greg's words and the thought made him both happy and angry. He would find Derek, even if he had to track him to the ends of the earth and beyond to dispatch him into the next world just so that he could find out if Greg really meant what he'd said. He prayed while Catherine maneuvered around a dozen cars, that Greg had been telling the truth and not just trying to make him happy.

A short clip of a police siren behind them made everyone turn in their seats. Brass was there. Cath sent a signal back as they raced along the street, the heavy traffic finally having thinned out a little.

"What reason did you have for stopping him?" Grissom finally asked.

But they were already pulling into the parking lot of Nick's apartment building and he was already jumping out of the Denali as Catherine brought the vehicle to a stop. Nick didn't even look back at the others. He dashed through the front door and up the stairs to his front door. Trying the door knob and finding it locked he didn't think twice before kicking it in.

In the livingroom a stack of homemade videos littered the floor. The tv was on and he was repulsed by what he saw there, wanting to be able to shut his ears so he couldn't hear Greg's pleading for his boyfriend not to hurt him anymore. He ground his teeth together and clenched his hands into fists, ready to deck the guy the first moment he saw him.

Moving on to the bedroom, Nick stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him. Greg's wrists had been chained to the ceiling, holding him in a kneeling position on the bed. His shirt had been sliced open down the front and the bandage that had covered his left arm was lying on the floor. In one corner a small video camera on a tripod sat covered in blood, facing Greg.

Derek, an ugly man sporting the scar Greg had left him with, was standing before him, brandishing a hunting knife while he studied Greg's chest as if he was contemplating what type of pattern he could cut that would look best there.

"Once they find out you're nothing but a disobeying Bitch that's not even good for a fuck anymore no one will want you," Derek was saying before he slowly turned to face Nick in the doorway and smiled.

Greg looked over at Nick too and his eyes went wide with fear when he saw who it was.

"What are you doing here? I told you to stay away," Greg said in a quiet voice before the rest of the team and Brass arrived behind Nick and took in the scene.

Nick saw Greg flinch away from everyone, turning his head away, as if that would stop them from seeing him at the mercy of his abusive boyfriend.