Chapter Rating: Strong PG13/R
Chapter Title: Circles – Inspired by the five, the only...INCUBUS!
Author's Note: *sniffles* PAUL! LOL! What do you guys think so far? Thanks again to my reviewers, I couldn't do this without you...

~~

Greg looked comfortingly at the cold, emotionless, Marah, who was checking the shoulders of Bonnie's jacket, for epithelials left behind by Paul's assailant. He had never seen someone's eyes filled with such pure hatred and pain at the same time. He looked over at Bonnie, who was sitting with Sara, Harmony and Neleh being comforted, and told it wasn't her fault. This was the one thing Greg hated about being a crime lab analyst. Seeing people's faces like this destroyed him. Especially people he loved. He walked up behind Marah, and set his hand on her shoulder, trying to bring comfort to her apathetic state.

Marah looked up at Greg, smiled very slightly, but then went back to work. With every bit of passion in side her, she hated James. Did it matter to her that he was her father? To her, it didn't. So he helped give birth to her...did he have to ruin every breath she took from then on? She again glanced up at Greg, the one breath of fresh air she had left until they found Paul. For the first time in hours, pure emotion filled her eyes, and she started to cry again.

Greg had never felt like that about someone else before. Seeing her cry absolutely tore his heart in two. Every last ion inside him now was hell bent to make her happy. He lifted her onto her feet, out of her seat, and hugged her tight, placing her head on his shoulder. "Paul's gonna be ok...I promise..." he told her, unsure of the truth in his statement.

~~

Paul sat in the corner of the room, trying to be as calm as possibly could, given the circumstances. Inside, though, he was dying. Worry about Marah, Bonnie...everyone, really...filled his head. What would Marah do if something did happen to him, though? He knew Marah loved him, so she would absolutely freak out. She'd probably go insane, and threaten to hurt herself, or others. James hurts you through the ones you love...he's doing this mainly to hurt Marah, isn't he? He looked up to the sky. Why did we get cursed with such a demonic father?

James entered the room, this time with a sidekick. He glanced at Paul, staring at the sky, pensively. "Saying your prayers, son? Put one in for Marah, ok?"

"And possibly the other investigators?" the other man hissed with laughter.

"Who is that?" Paul asked, glaring at James' sidekick.

"This? This is my friend, Nigel Crane...I'm responsible for his release from prison..." James grinned at Paul. "So, put in the good word for the other CSI's, ok? He has some gripes with a couple of them."

Paul's eyes narrowed. "Leave them alone! You've already made Marah's life miserable enough!" he cracked his knuckles.

"What are you going to do, son...fight me?" James snickered. "For your sister? Are you insane? Just let me get her, and then you can keep her safe here!"

Paul stood up laughed out loud. "Right! What do you think I am, stupid? Leave Marah alone! I swear it!"

James shook his head. "As you wish, Paul...but if I can't have Marah..." he was interrupted.

"Nicky?" Nigel asked, grinning.

"No, imbecile...be patient!" James snapped. "As I was saying...if I can't have Marah..." he mumbled as he left the room.

"What? Whoa, James...wait...what are you gonna do? Leave them alone! Come on!" Paul yelled after James. "JAMES!"

~~

Greg sighed. He was off for the night, but unsure if he wanted to go home for the first time ever. He walked up to Marah, still inexhaustibly plugging away at the James Stenbeck case. This was Marah's personal vendetta, and he knew that no one, not even Grissom, could take her off the case. He was worried about leaving her, but then looked beside her, and saw that Bonnie was there, following every direction that Marah gave her. "Hey, guys..." he walked into the room, and peeked over their shoulders.

Bonnie glanced up at Greg, and nodded a hello. Her expression had a little more emotion than Marah's, but still was basically emotionless. Greg could see that she was immensely hurt, and was also on a vendetta against Stenbeck. "Hey, Greg...what's up?"

Marah didn't glance up from the computer, but nodded a 'hello' to Greg. "What's up?" she asked. "Your shift is over, isn't it?" she removed her hands from the keyboard and cracked her knuckles, then pushed some hair behind her ears.

Greg nodded, and mumbled a, "Yeah..." then sat down beside her, and turned her face to his. "But before I go anywhere, I just wanna be sure you're gonna be ok..." he stared deeply into her eyes.

Marah's eyes held no emotion; but, when looking into Greg's they overflowed. She nodded. "Bonnie's here with me...and, don't worry, I'll call you in the morning, ok?" she forced a smile, to make Greg happy.

Greg could see right through the lie, but then looked to Bonnie, and realizing that she was there, knew that Marah would be ok. "Are you sure that you don't want me to stay? Because I can if you need me here..."

Marah kissed him on the cheek, thanking him for offering. "I'm fine, but thanks for asking...I'll call you, ok?"

Greg nodded, and kissed her on the cheek. "See you later, then..." he sighed, and looked at Bonnie. "Later, Bonnie..."

"See ya, Greg..." Bonnie waved goodbye, and went back to what she was doing.

Greg left the lab, still worrying deeply about Marah. If she gets too personal about this...wait, what am I saying? She already is too personal about this. I'm so glad I followed her home that night...what would she have done if it was just her and Bonnie? Oh, man...ok, she's safe, Griss, Sara Harmony and Warrick are still there. Oh, and here come Nick and Neleh...at least she'll be in a big group. So, I can go home. "Hey, Nick..." Greg waved. "Hey, Neleh..."

"Hey, Greggo..." they chimed in unison.

"How's Marah?" Neleh asked, looking around, and seeing that Marah's car was still in the parking lot.

"She's holding up...she and Bonnie are working the case together...I'm shocked that Griss actually let Bonnie help..." Greg laughed a little, then sighed. "Watch after them, would ya?" he asked.

"You betcha..." Nick nodded. "With Nigel on the loose, too? Definitely...that poor girl is as unsafe as they come. We all are, for that matter..."

Neleh nodded. "Nick and I have decided to stick together at all costs...you probably should be traveling with someone, too..."

"Nah...my wussy stature is deceiving..." Greg laughed. "I can defend myself..."

"Just...be careful, ok?" Neleh begged Greg. "If anything happened to you, Marah would go off the deep end..."

Greg grinned, but then went back to seriousness. "Sure thing..." he told Neleh. "See you guys later, ok?"

"See ya, Greg..." Neleh and Nick groaned in unison.

Greg got into his car, and immediately got to thinking. Was Marah really gonna be ok? Or, was she just saying that so he could leave with a clear head? If she was, it didn't work. He was more worried than he was before. He started his car, and pulled onto the street.
"I hope we don't have a Sara-two on out hands..." he laughed to himself, hitting the breaks for a stoplight, but then realizing that they weren't working, went into a panic. "My breaks..." he cleared his throat, and reached for the emergency break, but when that didn't work, started to panic more. Seeing the truck coming through the intersection, he did the first thing that came to mind, which was swerving to the right, and going off the road into a ditch. "What the fuck?" he got out of his car, luckily only slightly injured.

"Watch your mouth, young man!" a chillingly deep voice came from the woods.

"Huh?" Greg looked around, and started to really panic. "Who was that?" he asked, suddenly feeling a hard blow to the back of his head, and falling to the ground.

~~

Hey, what would it mean to you
To know that it'll come back around again
Hey, whatever it means to you
Know that everything goes in circles yeah