Replaced
Prompt for: feelingspolsion: Can you make one after Warrick, and Nick is grieving, and then they get a new agent that makes Nick happier and helps him slowly get over Warrick's death, but then he starts to abuse Greg (for whatever reason, jealousy, a crush, idk), but Greg doesn't want to tell anyone, especially Nick, because he made him so happy all the time? Please have a happy ending with team comforting at the end! Thanks :)
A/N: Super sorry for the long wait, I barely have time to write anymore since I've been getting more hours at work. But school is coming and then I won't be working as much. And for the guest that wondered why I only update once a month whereas my other hurt series I update more: I've said before that I still work fulltime and that plots for some stories come to me faster than others. I'm sorry that I don't update faster, I try my best.
Hope ya'll are still reading!
Everyone was grieving, but Nick had it the worse. Warrick was his best friend, his brother and even though the man's funeral had been a week ago, the news was still fresh in his mind. Warrick was murdered. Greg tried to cheer him up, but that just seemed to make it worse. Nick would act cold to him for no reason and his fuse was short; anything could set him off. So the blonde just stayed away on the days that were considered "bad." However, nothing he did made the Texan happier. He thought they were friends, brothers even, but maybe he was wrong. He was mourning, too, but his sadness was pushed to the back in order to be strong for the team. Other people's feelings mattered more than his.
Greg stared at the picture in his locker with a sad sigh. It was of him, Nick and Warrick at a bar on his twenty-seventh birthday. It had been a complete surprise, actually. He had been working three days straight and almost forgot it was his birthday until Nick had basically dragged him out of the lab. He begged to just go home since he was exhausted, but the Texan wouldn't let up…and after the surprise and the drinks, he was glad he didn't. Now everything had changed…especially since they already hired a replacement for Warrick. Elliot Ward. No one liked him at first, especially Nick since he said no one could replace Warrick. But as the days went by, Nick started to warm up to the guy…which really hurt Greg, because no matter how hard he had tried, Nick seemed to completely shut him out. He understood it, though. He knew that Nick no doubt wished he was dead instead of Warrick.
Wiping the wetness from his eyes, he gathered his things and stood up to go home. Just as he was exiting the locker room, Elliot came in and purposely pushed him into the wall. He didn't know why, but the man hadn't been nice to him from the start. He decided not to say anything and be on his way.
"You know, Nick wishes it was you."
Greg stopped in his tracks and turned around. "W-What?"
"He said he wished it was you and not Warrick," Elliot smirked. "He would never say it sober of course, but you know how people are when they're drunk. They speak the truth. And the truth is, Nick hates you. He would rather you be dead…and to be honest, I think the whole team would rather it had been you."
Greg swallowed back the tears. "Y-You're lying."
"Have you noticed how Nick is acting towards you? It's almost like he's treating you like you murdered Warrick. He hates you. And you'll never be his brother. In only a couple weeks, I've managed to become that…his best friend. You'll never be that. Everyone is happier with me here."
Greg's face screwed up as he looked down and quickly headed for the exit. He was so occupied on trying to get out of the building before he started crying, that he didn't hear Catherine calling his name. He only stopped when she grabbed his arm.
"Greg? I called your na- whoa. Are you okay?" She forced Greg to look up and she gasped. He was almost crying. "What's wrong?"
The blonde wanted to tell her everything, but he thought about what Elliot said. Everyone is happier with me here. And it was true. Elliot was the new Warrick. And if he told Catherine what was going on, then he would get fired and everyone would be sad again…especially Nick and he couldn't have that happen.
"N-Nothing. I'm fine…I mean. I'm not feeling very well."
Catherine frowned and placed a hand on his forehead. "You are a little warm. Go home, sleep it off. I'll see you tomorrow."
Greg forced a smile and left the lab and the second he got into his car, he placed his head on the steering wheel and let the tears flow. How was he gonna get through this? The next shift Greg was quiet and kept to himself. He only talked when he was asked a question. He was glad he was paired up with Sara and not Nick; he didn't think he could be near the Texan and see the hatred in his eyes. Sara seemed to notice something was up and tried to get him to talk at their crime scene, but he didn't say as much as three words before separating himself from her and going to the second floor of the house to look for more evidence. He didn't know why she was trying to talk to him in the first place. Didn't she hate him like everyone else? Didn't she want him dead?
He and Sara had driven separate cars and when Greg pulled into the parking garage at the lab, he took a deep breath. Maybe he should just quit. Everyone would probably be better off without him anyways. Besides…it was Warrick they wanted. Scratching his head, Greg got out of the car and went around to the trunk to get the evidence. As he was, he heard footsteps behind him before something hit him over the head, sending him to the ground.
"Oof!"
He didn't even get a chance to look at his attacker who started kicking him repeatedly in the stomach. He couldn't breathe and his body pulsed in agony; he cried in pain, curling in on himself and soon the beating stopped. He glanced up through his blurry vision and saw Elliot standing over him. Great.
"W-Why…are you…doing this?" He gasped.
Elliot didn't say anything, he just glared down at him before disappearing as quickly as he came. Greg shivered and lay there for a few moments until he heard someone else's enter the garage. Pulling himself together and wiping his face, Greg grabbed the evidence and headed into the lab, dropping them off with Mandy and then rushing off to the bathroom. After making sure he was alone, Greg stood in front of the mirror and tenderly lifted up his shirt to see huge dark red bruises forming all over his torso.
"Shit." He was gonna be in so much pain for the rest of the day. Letting out a shaky breath, he splashed water on his face, erasing any evidence of
crying and then going to his locker to get some pain pills. And Greg had made up his mind. He was going to quit. He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't pretend to be okay because he was far from it. He was done trying to be strong for the rest of the team; the weight on his chest was just too much to bear. And not to mention Elliot was basically trying to kill him off. He just wanted to go home and that's what he would be doing first thing tomorrow morning. He wouldn't have to find a replacement either…Grissom could easily do that on his own.
He pushed through the day, having to continuously take more pills when the pain flared up every five hours. He steered clear of Elliot and most of the others and when the day came to an end, he went into Grissom's empty office and began writing his resignation.
Dear Grissom,
I regret to inform you that I will be resigning from my positon as Level 3 CSI of the Las Vegas Crime Lab. I loved this job and I have been eternally grateful for getting this far in my career, but I can't do this anymore. I can't take it anymore. I've tried to be strong for everyone after Warrick was murdered, but as the weeks go by, I can slowly feel myself breaking apart. I'm weak and you don't need a weak person on your team anymore. Elliot is a better friend to everyone, especially Nick than I'll ever be. You deserve better. Thank you for everything. Goodbye.
Sincerely,
Gregory H. Sanders
When he was finished, he grabbed his things from the locker room and left the building for the last time. The road was pretty much empty besides him and a couple other cars, but that was probably because it was nearly eleven at night. He was glad though, because he was more occupied on figuring out what he was going to do now that he didn't have a job. He would have to find one in California. Maybe another crime lab. He was quitting his job, not his love for science and catching criminals. He came up to a stoplight and sighed. He was gonna have to start all over. When the light turned green, Greg pressed on the gas he pulled forward, but failed to see the large SUV coming at him from the left and barreling into his small car, pushing him through the guardrail. Greg's car rolled multiple times, jolting him around until he finally came to a stop upside down. He groaned, his body stinging, blood dripping down his face, out of his nose and his right eye already becoming swollen. His head pounded furiously and he knew he most likely had a concussion. Who the fuck would hit him? Maybe it had been a drunk driver. Greg stiffly unbuckled his seatbelt and fell to the roof before he sorely crawled out of the smashed window and then collapsed on the ground, resting his cheek in the cool grass in the ditch he was in. He closed his eyes for a minute, trying to breathing through the ache, when he heard crunching footsteps getting closer until they stopped right next to him.
He pried open his eye that wasn't swollen and glanced up at the figure looming over him. He prayed to god it was help.
"How are you not dead?" A familiar voice spoke and Greg's heart nearly stopped. He blinked a few times and sure enough…it was Elliot.
"Oh god." He really was trying to kill him. He let his forehead rest on his fist and tears burned his eyes. "You g-got what you wanted…I'm quitting. H-Happy?"
"No. I'll only be happy when you're dead, Greg."
The blonde flinched when he heard a gun cock.
"W-What are you doing?" He sobbed weakly lifting his head again.
"If you quit, the team will wonder why and ask you questions which you'll break and end up answering. Because you're weak."
"N-No. I promise…I won't t-tell them. I'm…g-getting on a plane t-tomorrow morning. N-No one will…ever see me…again." He coughed violently, blood splattering onto his palm. He needed a hospital.
"I can't risk that Greg."
"They'll find out it was you," Greg snapped.
"Not if I destroy the evidence. And as in the evidence, that means you. I was thinking of throwing you into a tub of hydrochloric acid once you're dead, get rid of your car and pay for a plane ticket with your credit card. Everyone will think you left and that will be the end of it. We're all happy without you Greg, no one will care if you leave."
"Y-You're sick."
"So I've been told," Elliot smirked.
He was about to pull the trigger when sirens were heard in the distance. Someone had called the cops or the ambulance or maybe even both. Thank god.
"You got off lucky, Sanders. But I'll see you again soon."
Greg shuddered as Elliot ran off and drove away. He wasn't safe and he never would be. Maybe dying would be the only way to escape. His last ounce of energy dissipated and he exhaled heavily before submitting to the darkness.
~+CSI+~
Two Hours Later
Nick rushed frantically into the waiting room, the others following until they reached the nurse's station. All he could hear in his mind was the phone call and the grave voice on the other end of the line. Greg was in a car accident. Greg was in a car accident. Greg was in a car accident. And that was all they left with him. They never said if he was okay, if he was awake, if he was…dead. It fucking scared him; he couldn't lose the kid. Not after Warrick. Not ever.
"Greg Sanders," he breathed when he reached the desk. "I got a call he was brought in because of a car crash?"
"Right. Mr. Stokes, correct?"
"Yeah, is he okay?"
"I'll page the doctor out here and he can fill you in."
Nick nodded and tried to take a deep breath. Greg had to be okay. Please let him be okay.
They waited for a few minutes before a man with brown hair speckled with gray emerged from the double doors. "You're here for Gregory?"
"Yeah, is he alright? Is he…"
"He's alive and stable. Actually, he's was conscious and awake twenty minutes ago."
"He is? But I was told he was hit by a car. It rolled his own car over."
"Luckily the airbag deployed and he was wearing his seatbelt, otherwise I don't know if he would've survived. He does have a moderate concussion, a broken nose and a bruised, cut face. A couple of his ribs were cracked, but bed rest for the next week or so will help heal them. He also has a low grade fever, but we've got him on antibiotics to take care of it. Other than that, he'll definitely be sore, but he's gonna recover."
Nick sagged in relief. "Thank god. Can we go see him?"
"Sure. He may be knocked out, though, from the pain medications or at least loopy. Oh and another thing, there are some old bruises on his chest and a rib that was previously cracked before the crash."
"How do you know?" Elliot piped up.
"It was already showing stages of healing as were the bruises. It looks like he was attacked or abused. The bruises look like shoeprints."
"Oh my god," Sara said. "Are you sure?"
"Unless there's another explanation, yes I am. I would talk to him and keep a close eye on what's going on. I would hate to see him end up in my ER again in worse condition."
Nick thanked and shook hands with the doctor before sharing a worried look with Catherine.
"He'll be okay man," Elliot said, patting him on the back. "And we'll get the bastard who did this."
"Wait, this wasn't a hit and run," Nick frowned. "Why are you saying that?"
"I'm just assuming that maybe that's what it was. Greg's not that careless is he?"
Nick tightened his lips, becoming a little suspicious of the CSI. "Yeah…I guess he's not."
"Right this way, please," the doctor said, leading them all down the hall. When they got to the man's room, the four CSI's stepped inside the room. Greg looked like shit, but considering that he was in a car accident, it wasn't too bad. His face was pale, littered with cuts, scrapes and a ton of bruises. His face appeared sweaty and his breathing sounded harsh and all in all, he looked like he was in a lot of pain.
"Greg, sweetie?" Catherine whispered softly in case the kid was sleeping. She sat on his bed and carefully grabbed his hand. "Greg?"
Nick swallowed and glanced at Elliot who was standing by the door. It seemed reasonable to stand back since he only knew Greg for a couple of weeks. And in that couple of weeks, Greg became distant, jumpy, and quiet…but he only heard that from Catherine, because he had been a shitty friend and barely talked to the blonde after Warrick.
Greg moaned hoarsely before peeling open his fever-ridden eyes, scanning the room for a threat.
"Greg, it's alright, buddy," Nick said, taking a seat next to the bed. "You're okay now. You're in the hospital."
"H-Hospital?" He coughed, his ribs burning like hell.
"Yeah," Sara said. "Do you remember what happened?"
Greg blinked a few times, looking around at his team and then he saw Elliot…and it all came back to him like being hit by a train…except he wasn't hit by a train, he was hit by a car…driven by Elliot who was trying to get rid of him. But obviously he wasn't going to tell anyone. He couldn't. Elliot was there for one, plus no one would believe him. The man was Nick's new best friend…new brother and he didn't want to ruin that.
"Uh, kind of. I guess I was really tired and didn't see the red light." He looked down at his hands so he wouldn't have to see the judgmental eyes of his colleagues or let them see that he was lying. Elliot had looked satisfied though.
"Well, be more careful next time," Catherine sighed, squeezing the blonde's hand. "And if you're that tired, call a cab. This was too close a call."
Nick bit the inside of his cheek. Something was up; Greg had a tell when he lied and he was definitely lying right now. He knew more than he was letting on. He was about to bring up the subject of him being attacked when Greg cleared his throat.
"Umm, can I…can I be alone? I'm kinda tired anyways."
The team looked confused, but respected the man's wishes. "We're glad you're okay, Greg," Sara said.
Greg smiled forcefully, but still wouldn't meet their eyes.
Nick gave him one last wary look before following the others out the door and once they were gone, Greg slumped in the bed, tears welling in his eyes. He had to get away from here. It was the only way to be safe. The only way for this all to work; Nick would still have his new best friend and he would still get to live…hopefully.
Everyone went home after visiting Greg in the hospital. They were all worried about the kid, but no one was more worried than Nick. Even the next morning at the lab, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Greg…mostly because he had lied and Elliot was right. It had been a hit and run. The second car had disappeared and there were no cameras around the area of the accident.
"Hey Nick?" Grissom spoke as he stepped out of his office into the hallway.
"Yeah?"
"Do you know anything about this?" He passed a piece of paper over to the Texan so he could read it. And after he did, his heart dropped to the floor. "What? He's quitting? When was this?"
"I found it on my desk this morning, so I'm assuming he put it there last night before his accident."
"Jesus," he rubbed the back of his neck. Ever since Elliot came, Greg wasn't acting himself. "What's going on with him?"
"I don't know. But go to the hospital and talk to him. Maybe this is still about Warrick."
"Maybe." It could be possible. Greg was holding in all the emotions while being strong for the rest of the team…for him. It didn't leave him time to mourn himself. God, he should've known.
When Nick arrived at the hospital and made his way to Greg's room, he saw that it was occupied by someone else. Horrible thoughts invaded his mind and he numbly went over to the nurse's station.
"Um, excuse me. Where…were is Greg Sanders?" He can't be dead. Please don't be dead.
The nurse typed into her computer before speaking. "He checked out this morning."
The warmth began to seep back into his body, but he was still confused. "He was in a car accident and you just let him go?"
"He signed out AMA, it was his choice. We tried to make him stay, but he was insistent on leaving."
"Dammit." Now he had no idea where the kid had disappeared to. He left the hospital and was about to call him when he remembered the phone was smashed from the accident. He just prayed that Greg would be at his apartment. And if he was, he would haul him back to the hospital. Unfortunately, Greg's apartment was empty, too. Now Greg was really missing. Breathing heavily, fear of losing another brother, he dialed Grissom's number and told him to news.
"Gris, he wasn't at the hospital and I'm at his place now. No one is here. I'm really worried something bad happened."
"Alright, come back to the lab. I'll let everyone know what's going on and we'll find him. We're gonna find him, Nick."
"I hope so." He hung up and wiped his face. "Where are you Greggo?"
~+CSI+~
"You have anything Archie?" Catherine asked. The second Grissom told them all that Greg was missing, she went into mother mode. She wasn't going to rest until he was found and she knew Nick was feeling the same way. When he returned from the hospital, that's all he was focused on…to find the kid.
"Nothing yet. We've flagged his card, so if he makes any purchases we'll- hang on. Something just popped up."
"What?"
"His credit card was used to purchase a…one-way ticket to San Gabriel, California. Where is he going?"
Catherine sighed. "Home." She rushed out of the room and went to go find Nick. Why was Greg going home? The flight was at one and it was quarter of. She prayed they would make it in time to stop him. Grissom and Elliot stayed behind to try and delay the flight while Nick drove Sara and Catherine like a madman to the airport, determined to stop Greg from getting on that flight and forcing him to give them answers. Greg was being abused and once he found out who the hell was doing it, he was going to wring their necks. He almost forgot that Greg was Warrick's friend too. Once they reached the airport, the three flashed their badges to get through security and find the waiting area for the California plane. They ran up to reception, out of breath, startling the gate attendant named Charles.
"The one o'clock plane to San Gabriel. Is it gone yet?" Nick gasped, waiting impatiently for an answer from Charles.
"I'm sorry, you just missed it."
Nick slapped the desk in frustration. "Dammit!" He turned around, running his fingers through his hair. Greg was gone. Now they…wait. The crowd seemed to disperse and Nick saw familiar blonde hair sitting in a chair by the window, back to them. When he got closer, he could see the bandages on the person's hands and the bruises on his face. It was Greg. And he was crying.
"Greggo?"
The blonde flinched but didn't look up, instead hastily wiping the tears from his cheeks.
"Greg." Nick went over and took a seat next to the younger man, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. The kid was trembling violently and it broke the Texan's heart. He glanced up at Catherine and Sara who remained quiet.
Greg sniffed. "I didn't miss the plane," he spoke in a soft shaky voice. "I just couldn't make myself go. I didn't want to."
"Then why are you?" Nick replied and Greg looked up. His black eye was turning an ugly shade of green and yellow as was the other bruises and his eyes, normally bright and happy, appeared haunted and dull. "Greg, what's wrong? Why are you trying to leave?"
"He makes you happy, Nick. I don't want to get in the way of that. I don't want to ruin it for you. He…He made you slowly get over…Warrick's death; something I couldn't even do for you. He's a better friend than I'll ever be."
"Who Greg?" Catherine said.
They watched in silent confusion as Greg looked around the area as if looking for danger. When he was finished, he looked Nick in the eyes. He decided it was time to tell them what happened. Maybe Nick would hear him out. As long as Elliot wasn't around, he'd be safe…hopefully. Taking a deep breath, he told the three what had been happening from start to finish.
"That's why I had to quit," he said. "That's why I have to leave this place. I'm…I'm really scared what Elliot's next move is. I can't keep living my life in fear."
"That son of a bitch," Nick growled. He knew something was off with that guy and he failed to see it…and failing to see it got Greg hurt. Almost killed. "Greg, man, why didn't you say anything?"
Greg wiped his nose. "I didn't…I didn't think you'd believe me. Actually, I wasn't sure you would want to believe me. You all liked him so much and I didn't want you guys to hate me because you think I was jealous."
"Greg, we would've believed you," Sara said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Elliot isn't part of our family, but you are."
"I'm really sorry," he choked.
"You have nothing to be sorry about, bud," Nick said, wrapping his arm around Greg's back. "None of this is your fault. We should've been there for you like you were for us." God, they were horrible friends. Greg had been carrying everyone on his shoulders plus the fear of Elliot hurting him for weeks. "We're the ones who are sorry."
Greg smiled weakly and glanced up at them. "What am I gonna do. I can't go back there."
"Don't worry, sweetie," Catherine said. "We're gonna keep you safe and assign a protective detail to you until we deal with Elliot. I'm gonna go call Grissom and let him know."
"And right now we're gonna bring you back to the hospital," Nick added. "And get you checked out. You have a concussion and cracked ribs, you shouldn't be walking around."
Greg nodded and let Nick help him stand up, leading him out of the airport and to the Denali. Greg was quiet the entire ride to the hospital, but stayed close to Nick and the Texan didn't say anything about it. The kid needed him now more than ever. After getting checked up and making sure none of his ribs were damaged more, the doctor said it was okay for Greg to go home as long as he was in the care of someone. And that was perfect, because Nick was not letting the kid out of his sight. Apparently Elliot had left the lab and hadn't returned; he must've known Greg would tell them everything.
By the time the two got to Nick's apartment, it was almost three and Greg was exhausted and ready to take a nap. After an officer had checked the rooms, Nick went into the guest room to get it ready while Greg laid down on the couch to wait.
"Okay Greg if you want to relax, the guest room is ready." When he got no response he went into the living room and smiled. The man was sprawled out on the cushions fast asleep. Poor kid. Sighing, he grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over Greg before flipping on the TV. He muted it when he reached a baseball game and sat in the recliner before glancing over at his friend. And Greg was his friend…his brother and he was going to start treating him like it again. He had been an asshole to the guy after Warrick was murdered; ignoring him, shouting at him and just being unsympathetic…he replaced a complete stranger to fill the void that Warrick left when really Greg was the only brother he needed. And worst of all, Greg was so focused on keeping him happy that he refused to tell anyone that he was being abused by Elliot.
"I'm sorry, Greg. I'm so sorry this happened to you." Things were gonna change.
Greg slept for three hours and Nick didn't blame him. Pretty soon, he let himself fall asleep as well. He just hoped that Greg would forgive him…because right now, he couldn't forgive himself.
~+CSI+~
It was nearly ten when Greg woke up slowly. At first he didn't know where he was, but once he looked around he realized he was at Nick's and everything came back to him. Sitting up and rubbing his face, he saw that the TV was on but silent and Nick was sleeping in a chair next to the couch. With a quiet grunt, he tautly pushed himself up and shuffled to the kitchen to get something to drink. He turned on the small light underneath the cupboard before reaching for glass. But before he could, he felt cold metal kiss the back of his neck. The muzzle of a gun. He froze, his back going rigid and his heart beating painfully against his chest.
"Don't. Say. A word."
Greg's body trembled and he closed his eyes. "What…what are you doing Elliot?"
"Nick is mine, Greg. You can't have him."
"So what, you're gonna kill me? Nick's in the next room he'll-"
"No. Not here at least. We're gonna leave quietly and if you make one sound, I'll blow your brains out and then I'll kill Nick. Because if I can't have him, no one can."
Greg swallowed and nodded. He wasn't gonna get Nick killed and as much as he didn't want to die, maybe it would be for the best. It would all be over.
"Walk," Elliot growled, pushing the gun into Greg's back. The blonde cooperated and headed towards the door. Elliot must've done something to the cop if they were going out the front way. Just as he was about to reach for the doorknob, he heard the gun cock and he flinched.
"W-What are you-"
"Drop the gun, Elliot and get the hell away from him."
Wait, the gun hadn't been Elliot's. It was Nick. He was suddenly spun around violently and Elliot's arm wrapped around his neck. He wheezed, his air supply being cut off and looked ahead, seeing Nick with an angry glare on his face, gun pointed towards them.
"Let him go," Nick growled again. He had been sleeping lightly when he heard voices in the kitchen and he knew it wasn't just Greg in the apartment anymore. He got up slowly, grabbing his gun from the safe and quietly made his way out into the hallway just in time to see Elliot forcing Greg towards the door at gunpoint.
"You put the gun down, Nick. I don't want to hurt you. It's Greg that's in the way. Once I get rid of him we can be brothers."
"We'll never be brothers, you asshole," Nick seethed. "Greg is the only brother I'll ever need."
"You don't mean that Nick. What about the football game we went to last week? Or the bar? You let me stay the night here! What was that?!"
"I was wrong to use you to fill Warrick's place. Yeah, you helped me get over him, but at what cost? You nearly killed Greg…the one person who means a hell of a lot more than you ever will. Warrick cared about both of us, that's what brothers do; he took care of both of us. Something that you're failing at. Something that you could never do in a million years no matter how hard you try."
Elliot scowled. "Stop it! Stop lying!"
"I'm not lying. Now if you don't let him go I'll-"
"You'll what Nick. You shoot me, you'll have to shoot your "brother" too."
The gun wavered in Nick's hand before he tightened his grip. "Just let him go, Elliot. No one has to get hurt."
"Too late. Someone already did." Elliot cocked the gun and pressed it against Greg's temple.
Nick breathed heavily and looked into Greg's brown, fearful eyes. The blonde suddenly nodded and he realized what the kid wanted him to do. He responded back silently, his eyes saying no. He was not going to shoot through kid even though it might be the only thing to do to bring Elliot down. He would hate himself for life no matter what the outcome would be.
"Come on, Elliot. Don't make me do this," he said, his voice cracking. He couldn't bring himself to hurt Greg more than he already did. The younger man caught his eyes again and nodded, mouthing 'do it' and Nick chin trembled. There was nothing else he could do. Taking a deep breath, he squeezed his finger down on the trigger.
"I'm sorry."
Bang!
The gun went off and both Greg and Elliot crumpled to the ground. Nick was shocked for a moment before he ran over to them, fearing that he might've just killed his best friend. The bullet had gone through Greg's left chest and straight into the heart of Elliot. He was dead. But Greg was not…however he would be soon if he didn't stop the bleeding. He kicked Elliot's gun under the table before placing his on top and kneeling down next to the blonde who was gasping for air. Probably hit a lung.
"Greg? Greggo, can you hear me?" He choked, pressing down on the man's wound. He quickly dialed 911, told them the location and then hung up.
Greg's eyes flickered open and looked around. "Did you get him?"
"Yeah man, he's dead. Shit, I'm sorry; I'm so sorry." Tears slipped down his cheeks; there was so much blood. Greg suddenly grabbed his wrist weakly and he looked over to see the man staring at him sadly.
"Don't ap-apologize. I-It's okay. I know…I know this won't bring W-Warrick back, but I know you would've rather it had been me who had died and not h-him. Elliot said so."
It was a stake to the heart making all his blood run cold. He couldn't believe that Greg would think that…though he didn't do much to make him not think that. It was what he had led him to believe when he was so cold and distant when all the kid was trying to do was help him grieve. "Greg I…I would never in a million years want you to die. Don't believe a fucking word that bastard said to you. What happened with Warrick was tragic and I'll miss him like hell because he was my brother, but you are too. And you're my only one left. If I lost you…it would destroy me, Greg. I wouldn't be able to handle it. I'm supposed to be protecting you and I did a pretty shitty job doing so. But from now on, I'm gonna be a better brother to you no matter what."
Greg blinked. "You really m-mean that?"
"Of course buddy. You're my little brother and nothing and no one can change that."
Greg smiled until it turned into a grimace before he began coughing violently, blood spraying onto his lips.
"Fuck," Nick whispered, pressing harder on the wound. "Just hang on, buddy. Please hang on." There was so much blood…too much that he could staunch on his own. He leaned forward to put on more pressure and Greg whimpered, digging his nails into Nick's skin. "Sorry man. I'm sorry. I gotta stop the bleeding." He would never forgive himself if Greg died.
"S'okay," Greg slurred, his eyes beginning to close and his breathing was shallow. His grip on Nick's arm weakened and it felt like he was slowly leaving his own body. He heard Nick's voice, but it was so far away like they were each on different ends of a tunnel.
"Greg? Greg, come on kid don't close your eyes. Come on." He slapped Greg's paling cheek, smearing blood on his face. "Talk to me."
"Tired. Hurts."
"I know, but you can't fall asleep yet." He heard sirens in the distance and he grinned. "The ambulance is almost here."
Greg blinked and looked up at Nick.
"That's it, G. Just look at me, alright? Just keep looking at me."
Greg nodded and the last thing he remembered was the door swinging open, Nick's eyes, a bright light and then nothing.
~+CSI+~
"He's gonna be fine, Mr. Stokes," the doctor smiled. "The bullet nicked his lung and he lost a lot of blood, but the lung was repaired and we transfused him a couple pints. He's breathing on his own and awake but groggy."
"Thank you," Nick sighed, wiping a hand down his face. Greg was going to be okay. Once the medics kicked down the door, Greg succumbed to the blood loss and passed out. The officer who had been standing outside his door had been knocked unconscious but was doing okay as of now. His apartment was now a crime scene and would be for a few days. Even when everything was clear, he would still want to be away from there for a while. It would bring back too many horrible memories…he would always think of it as the place where he had to shoot Greg. He would always know where there was the giant puddle of the kid's blood.
Nick walked into Greg's room and smiled. The blonde looked a lot better now even though his face was still a bit gray and there were little beads of sweat of his forehead.
"Greg?"
The man listlessly parted his eyes and when he saw Nick at the end of his bed, he smiled tiredly. "Hey."
"Hey," the Texan replied. He stared at the bandage on Greg's chest, a dot of blood seeping through the gauze. "God, I'm so sorry I shot you." He sat down in the chair feeling guilty.
"It's fine Nick. It was for a good reason. Elliot wasn't going to give up. Besides, I said that you could."
"It still doesn't make me feel any better. You could've died. Like all those other times when Elliot was hurting you. You really should've told me Greg."
"Nick-"
"No, let me finish. No matter how happy someone is making me, I'll always listen to you first over them. Always. We're brothers, Greggo. 'Rick may be gone, but we've still got each other. I was being a dick to you these past few weeks when all you did was try to help me. Warrick was your friend, too. We were all brothers and you needed to grieve as much as I did. I never should've treated you like you were nothing. You were alone and hurting and instead of taking care of your own feelings, you put them aside to help everyone else. You were there for me even though I wasn't there for you when I should've been. I've been selfish; I know you need me as much as I need you."
Greg swallowed, tears burning his eyes as he looked down at his hands. "I didn't want to say anything because…after Elliot came, in a couple days you were joking and laughing again. And once I saw that, I didn't want to get him fired and you go back to being so upset. I thought that if I did tell someone, you would get mad because you lost another friend."
"Greg, Elliot will never be my friend. You are my friend, my brother. No one can replace Warrick but no one can replace you either. I promise." He placed a hand on top of Greg's and squeezed it.
Greg sniffed and before he knew it, Nick was bringing him into a tight embrace and Greg let the dam break. He buried his face into Nick's shoulder and cried for a good five minutes. The Texan rubbed circles on Greg's trembling back, hugging him tighter yet being gentle at the same time.
"We're gonna be okay, Greggo. I'll be here for you, I promise."
Catherine and Sara suddenly came into the room and went up to Greg each wrapping their arms around Nick and Greg.
"We're all here for you Greg," Catherine whispered. She was gonna make damn sure this never happened again. They almost lost one of their own again and that wasn't okay. That will never be okay. Greg had held them all on his shoulders, being strong when everyone else wasn't and now it was there turn to be strong for him. To carry him on their shoulders for a while. They were stronger as a family after all.
FIN
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