Major, major thanks goes out to Jenny. There would be no chapter here if it wasn't for her. Seriously. She helped me so much on this chatper that I've been stuck on for what seems like forever. Maybe I can get this story moving again. Reviews would certainlly help :D

Chapter Twenty-Six: Tell me How

So the conversation with Ecklie hadn't gone as planned, Nick for once being completely astounded by the man's decision. A month ago the creep would have been more than eager to find a reason to cut Greg loose. Now he wanted to keep him?

Okay, so maybe he had exaggerated a little, but the truth remained that Greg was slowing everyone down more than helping them. Even so, all Nick was asking was to work with someone different. The Texan doubted he could work the other man even if he wanted.

He had spent most of last night by himself constantly worrying about Sara. Where would she go, who would she stay with? What would she do? There was depression in her eyes, sorrow in her heart, something she could not mend on her own. But what was there left to do when she simply refused to let anyone in again?

There was no doubt about it, Greg had scarred her, purposely or not, there had been permanent damage done. And if that wasn't enough to force him to want to ring the man's neck, it was the simple fact he had disappeared. He should have been waiting for him, ready to process the car.

The conversation hadn't lasted that long with Ecklie, and a maddened Nick had left in defeat, only to arrive at the garage to find it empty. Sure, it was already an hour past the start of their shift, but that wasn't anything to fret about. Greg himself had been later even still on several occasions. It came with the job sometimes, arriving late, leaving in the same fashion, if at all. Greg knew this, so there was no reason for him to have headed off. It was a petty reason, but one good enough to rebuke him for.

Searching the hallways had left him empty-handed, but then again what was he expecting? To find Greg hanging around, shouting cat calls to the female technicians as they walked by? The Texan shook his head at this thought, grumbling under his breath. With his luck Greg was probably off 'talking' with Sara, continuing the very conversation he had interrupted the previous night. It made his blood boil, the simple thought of the man going behind his back to finish up what was started before.

Then again Nick did not own Sara; they were not…together, even as much as he hated to admit it. There was a time, long before Greg and Sara grew closer, that he thought that maybe, just maybe there was something between them. It was the small things that really stood out, the way she would listen to him, understand him even sometimes. Nick found himself able to talk to her about his most private moments and fears.

He had never been able to gather up the courage to ask her out. When they became a couple, Nick knew for certain that nothing ever was going to happen between them. But now…now that Greg had turned away, maybe there was room for that fire to grow once again. Nick knew it was unreasonable, trying to prey on someone who really wasn't in the right state of mind.

Surely Sara wasn't ready for another relationship, seeing that her sights were still set on Greg. This only infuriated Nick more, sometimes it just wasn't fair. Greg had everything he could possibly want, and he was just throwing it all away. Sara loved him…actually truly loved him, and Greg wasn't able to see that.

With all the time he had spent looking for the younger man, it was in fact him that had run into Nick. It happened while rounding the corner, and if Nick hadn't been as quick as he was, they quite literally would have run into one another.

"Where have you been?" Nick questioned almost snapping. Even as angry as he was he still had to maintain some sort of professionalism while at work.

"Working," Greg muttered quietly, pushing past him. Nick was quick to step in front of him again, blocking his path.

"You can't be working, because you were supposed to team up with me on the car. And since you can't work solo, and I haven't started, it's physically impossible for you to be working."

Greg let out a shrug, continuing past him. "I'm doing work that I'm capable of."

Nick came to a stop, even though he had been following the other man. "Ah…I'm gathering you heard then?"

It shouldn't have been a question; it was obvious that Greg had. For a moment he felt guilty, but let it slide by when he remembered why he had gone to Ecklie in the first place.

"I'd like to say that I'm sorry…but I'm not," he added, his voice quiet.

"So am I," Greg replied, growing tense as he did so, "I'm sorry that you think I'm incompetent, I'm sorry that I'm such a chore to work with."

Nick scoffed, both amazed and appalled at his reaction. "You don't know what I think. I do know that everything's changed. You're not the Greg we know, you can't do the work like you used. I hate having to watch over my shoulder all the time, but more so, I hate working with someone who puts themselves above everyone else."

"Funny, you should be used to it by now," Greg commented. "You know what really bothers me though? Everyone talking about me behind my back, about this and about that, like I'm not even there. I may not be the 'the Greg' you all know, but I'm still human, I still have feelings."

"You need to stop jerking people around," Nick warned him. "You can't pretend like your fine one moment, and then expect pity from us."

"I never, once, asked for your pity, Nick," Greg snapped, "I never asked anything from you. I am trying, I am doing the best I can to fit in, to make everyone else happy, but you know what? I can't, I just can't do it anymore. I'm sorry if that sounds selfish."

"Selfish?" Nick shook his head, "You are past selfish, after everything Sara's done for you…"

"Is this what this is about?" Greg asked, astonished. "I never took her for granted, and I never meant to hurt her. If you're so worried about her then why don't you try talking to her instead of wasting your time with me? Obviously I'm too stupid to do anything about it."

He didn't give Nick a chance to answer, turning on his heel and heading down the hall. It was unfair of Nick to judge him in such a way, despite how he may have acted earlier. Was it his fault he couldn't remember anything? He was beginning to get tired of playing these games, waiting to judge emotions, waiting to see how the others would treat him. He was simply tired of everything.

Sara stormed into the garage, her arms folded angrily across her chest as she glared at the Texan, "What the hell did you do?"

"What do you mean?" Nick asked distractedly, digging in a cabinet drawer, his back to the livid brunette.

With a loud growl of frustration, Sara threw her hands into the air, "You know what I mean, Nick, what did you to go Greg?" she spelled out to him, huffing, "He just stormed out of here angrier than I have ever seen him before. I couldn't even talk to him; he said I should talk to you about it."

Nick straightened to look at her, shrugging slightly, "We had an argument, no big deal really. If he can't handle that, than it's his own fault. After all, this wasn't the first time, and it won't be the last. All I told him was that he needs to straighten up and stop stringing everyone along. His pity act is getting old, and it's interfering with everyone's work."

"Are you crazy?" Sara cried, resisting the urge to reach over and shake the man senseless, "Do you have any idea of what he's going through? Or have you forgotten?"

Nick crossed his arms, his gaze narrowing, "The only thing I do know is what he's putting us through."

"How can you be so selfish?" Sara shouted, her hands trembling. "All you can think about is yourself, and work, and the trouble he's caused. What is wrong with you?"

Nick shook his head angrily, "No, Sara, what is wrong with you? You're still defending him, after everything you two have been through. At first I thought you were just loyal, but now I'm starting to think you're just plain stupid."

The cold silence was enough to tell him that he had crossed a line, but the slap only solidified it.

The cool air was brisk, bitter tasting as he drew in a deep breath. He figured coming outside would help him calm down, but apparently he had been wrong. The longer he spent out here, the more angry he became. What right did Nick have to sit there and judge him?

Letting out a sigh he moved further from the building, knowing that he could easily get reprimanded for leaving the grounds without signing out properly. He was still on shift, and in his case, couldn't go anywhere without supervision. Frankly he didn't care, they could fire him even, and it would only improve things. He could quit right now, and it wouldn't cause the slightest uproar. The only problem was that he was afraid to do so.

This was the only connection to his past, the only lifeline, the only possibility of triggering his memory. If he left here, than what did he have left? Nothing…

That wasn't a big step compared to what he had now. No friends, no family, no memory…he really was at rock bottom. He rubbed his head, then the back of his neck as he wandered out into the parking lot, coming to a rest against his car.

He missed Sara, but was too ashamed to ask her to move back, not after how determined he had been to get out on his own. Certainly not after all the grief Nick had given him over it either. But of course the Texan never had problems, did he?

Greg clasped his hands together, holding them against his chin as he took a few deep breaths. There was no point in getting angry, it never solved anything before, so why would it now?

"Excuse me, Mr. Sanders?"

Greg glanced up at the sound of his name, slightly taken aback by the formality. The only time his last name had been used was when he was in trouble with someone, but this wasn't the case here as a timid man came out of the shadows.

"Do I know you?"

He sounded like a broken record; new people kept on popping up in his life, and he couldn't keep track of them all. He hated sounding stupid, but it was better than trying to play a guessing game.

The man nodded towards the plastic ID tag that hung off his shirt pocket. "I read your badge when you came out…"

Greg frowned, wondering for a slight moment how the man had been able to read something so small so far away. Unless of course he had been so angry that he hadn't noticed the man when he first stormed by.

"Are you alone?"

"Does it matter?" Greg responded, crossing his arms now.

"I'm sorry," the man apologized quickly, running a hand through his blonde hair. "I just, I need to talk to someone associated with the crime lab…but I don't want to draw any attention…"

"Why is that?"

He looked around quickly, moving closer as he whispered, "I know who the killer is."

Greg frowned, studying the man before him. He was almost the same height, dressed in a light brown jacket, and a stripped shirt. "The serial everyone's talking about, I can show you…"

"You should talk with someone inside," Greg started, "I'm not authorized to do anything…"

"No," he responded sharply, before calming down. "We have to go now; we can't wait for the others. Besides, they'll just scare him off, he'll hear the sirens and everything…I just want it to stop…everyone will want it to stop."

"Exactly what do you expect me to do?" Greg questioned, curious now.

"Just come see," he pleaded. "Then you can come back here, and tell all your cop buddies who he is, where he lives…that way he'll never know who ratted him out. If I go in there, they'll have to take a report and everything…I don't want to die…do you want me to die?"

Greg swallowed, realizing what this man was asking. He knew that he should slip inside, and at least alert someone to what was going on. Then at the same time he pitied him. After all, he was just trying to be a good citizen, and what harm would it cause?

And just thinking about it, if he solved the biggest crime of the year…the others would have to treat him with respect. Nick would no longer be able to reprimand him, and he would gain favor with the higher departments. Maybe even a job change, and then he would be able to demote the Texan. Greg smiled at the idea, suddenly liking it very much.

"How long will it take?"

"Ten…fifteen minutes," the man replied, "at the most."

Greg nodded, "Alright, but let's hurry. I can get in trouble for doing this."

"Thank you," he breathed a heavenly sigh of relief. "My car's around the corner, I'll show you. You can call me Mitch by the way."

"Greg," he muttered in return, following the man down the sidewalk. He glanced over his shoulder, making certain no one was following. It could cost him his job, but the rewards would be splendid in the end.

TBC