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Auro- Does this earn me a reprieve from the plushie penguin? ;)

Part 7

It was a long night for both Nick and Greg. Nick could hardly sleep while Greg tossed and turned restlessly in his sleep. At one point, Nick almost woke Greg up, except the younger man woke up on his own…with a start.

Greg was sitting up, breathing very heavily, sweat pouring down his face. Nick raced to his side, to make Greg aware that he was there and as safe as could be.

"It was Crane all over again. Except I couldn't stop him this time," Greg explained. "I couldn't help you at all."

Greg's immediately covered his face with his hands and his body shook as he sobbed. Nick pulled Greg into his arms and cradled him as he cried.

"It's going to be all right, Greg," Nick soothed. "It'll be over soon."

Soon, the sobs quieted down and Nick noticed Greg's body relax, his breathing slow and even. Nick carefully laid Greg back into bed, pulled the blankets up to his shoulders and went back to his own bed.

Taking a cue from his friend, Nick fell into an uneasy slumber. Morning came quickly and woke both men. Nick was up first, in the shower before Greg moved. Nick took a long, hot shower, using the time to relax before another tense day of watching out for Nigel Crane. By the time Nick was dressed and ready for the day's programming, Greg was just getting out of bed. While Greg got ready, Nick went downstairs and made a copy of their itinerary for O'Reilly.

"How is everything?" O'Reilly asked when he 'bumped' into Nick in the hallway by the front desk.

"Peachy," Nick answered dryly.

"I'll keep an eye out," the burly LVPD detective replied.

"Me too," Nick said before heading back upstairs.

Nick came into the room to find Greg staring at him, wide-eyed and startled.

"Just came from seeing O'Reilly," Nick said softly.

Although Nick was scared to death of what Nigel Crane might do, his concern for Greg outweighed it. Nick had to be strong, more for Greg than for himself. He realized that he needed to be careful how he acted around Greg and how he talked to the young man. What Greg needed right now was some sort of comfort, not being frightened by every sound.

"You hungry?" Nick asked.

"Not really," Greg mumbled. His face was down, staring at his hands.

Nick was shocked for a moment…Greg didn't want to eat. That worried Nick more than anything.

"C'mon Greg, let's go to the café. They'll have something you'll like. And remember, O'Reilly's here," Nick prodded.

Greg slowly stood up, reluctantly following Nick to the door. They made their way to the elevator, making sure *he* wasn't in it before getting in.