A/N: erm... please read and review :D and thankies to all those who have already. tis much appreciated. cheers m' dears

Disclaimer: don't own them (sob)

--

"I said… I think you need to leave." Greg's tone had changed to one Nick couldn't quite understand. The panic and desperation in the younger man's eyes was clear, but there was an edge to his voice Nick couldn't quite place.

"Greg—"

"Nick."

The Texan swallowed. This was not supposed to be happening. It was evident that Greg thought the same thing from the look on his face and for a moment the two men stood there, silently staring at one another, before "Shit man." Greg lowered the gun and Nick let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. "I'm sorry." Greg said quietly, walking away from Nick and sitting down heavily on his couch.

Nick eyed him tentatively, but relaxed considerably. "I'm gonna try and forget you just held my own gun in my face for a minute, and ask you if you're okay as though I just walked in here and found you sitting there."

Greg didn't reply, his head resting heavily in his hands as he leant over on his knees.

"Greg?"

"I really think you should just go Nick." The blonde mumbled eventually.

Nick paused before replying. "Greg… what is going on?"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter, it's too late now anyway."

"Too late for what?" Nick pressed.

"Just leave Nick."

"Greg… we got a match on the foreign prints on your mom's cell phone, and I know you know who's they are, something's going on. You've stolen my gun for God's sake and you're sat there looking like you're about to shit yourself. If you need help tell me. I can help."

Greg looked up at the Texan, giving him an empty stare. "No you can't." He said, sounding defeated, before returning his gaze to the floor. Nick opened his mouth to reply but Greg started talking again. "It's my mom's funeral tomorrow."

Nick bit his lip, unsure of what to say, flinching slightly as Greg rubbed his temples, gun still in hand. "Nick you really need to get out of here?"

"If I'm going anywhere, you're coming with me man. You're a mess. Whatever the problem is, we can sort it." Nick told him, pulling out his cell phone to call Warrick.

"Too late for that." Nick turned at the new voice behind him, barely having time to acknowledge who was standing there before something hit him round the head and everything went black.

Greg stood up wide-eyed. "Marie!" He screeched, as his younger sister stood there wielding a baseball bat, his fallen co-worker at her feet.

"What?" She asked, arrogant as ever.

"What?! What do you mean what?!" Greg's voice was high and thick with panic.

Marie rolled her eyes. "Always with the melodrama."

"Melodrama?" Greg spat, waving his arms about wildly, forgetting the gun in his hand. "Melodrama?" He repeated again. "I bet you've fucking killed him."

"Aww, is Greg's boyfriend dead?" Her voice was heavy with sarcasm, and belied the nervousness in her eyes upon noticing Greg's gun.

Greg glared angrily at her. "You better hope he's not."

"So he is your boyfriend then?" Marie laughed.

"Shut up Marie." The woman's demeanour sobered immediately with her brother's change of tone.

She raised an eyebrow and recomposed herself. "You and I have something to discuss."

Greg suddenly remembered the gun in his hand and raised it towards her. "Do we?"

Marie ran her tongue over the front of her teeth, watching as the gun pointed towards her across the room. "You don't have the balls."

Greg cocked the gun in response.

"Go ahead." His sister's arrogance covered her fear well, years of practice coming into play.

"Gladly." Greg replied but did nothing, a groan from the floor distracting them both.

Marie took her chance and stepped forwards, placing her stiletto boots on Nick's throat as he rolled over onto his back and holding her baseball bat as though it were a golf club above his head. "Give me the gun Greg." She asked pleasantly.

"You wouldn't dare." The confidence of Greg's statement was weakened by the fear in his voice, as he watched Nick's face begin to comprehend the danger he was in.

"Wouldn't I?" Marie snapped suddenly, her voice angry and her eyes blazing as she grew more and more impatient with the unfolding situation. "Give. Me. The. Gun."

Greg looked from Nick to his sister, before dropping his hand holding the gun down to his side in defeat.

"I said give it to me." Marie snapped.

Greg reluctantly handed over the weapon watching as in return she stepped off Nick. "You alright?" Greg mumbled, helping Nick to his feet.

Nick looked warily from Greg to Marie. "She killed your Mom." He said quietly.

Greg nodded. "I know… but the print won't prove it."

"How do you know she did it?" Nick asked.

Marie rolled her eyes, back to her arrogant self. "Blah blah blah. Because he didn't have the balls to do it himself." She told the Texan, surveying the room. Her eyes flitted back to Nick, and her lips opened in a grin. "You're the guy from CSI." She stated.

Nick nodded.

"Give me your gun."

"You're holding it."

Marie raised an eyebrow and looked to Greg who nodded to confirm the story. "You're an idiot." She said. Neither man was sure who she was talking to. "And you've just made my life a whole lot more difficult."

Nick risked a glance to Greg and didn't think what he saw held any bright promise for their future. "Miss. Sanders" He began.

"No Nick, don't, shut up." Greg mumbled quietly behind him.

"Yes?" Marie asked.

"Miss." Nick began again. "Why don't you give me the gun, and we can sort this whole thing out."

Marie turned her attention to her brother. "Greg."

"Yes?"

"Get in my car."

Greg hesitated. "Why?"

Marie's face turned cold. "Get. In. The. Car."

Greg nodded slightly and made to move past Nick, but the Texan's arm stopped him. "No." Nick said quietly. "Marie? Why don't we just talk about this, no one needs to go anywhere."

"Nick." Greg began again. "Nick please, just leave her, let her—"

"Greg." Marie's voice was sharp.

"Marie? Now listen to me, why don't we just cal—"

"No. You listen to me. Everything would have been perfect tonight, if you hadn't turned up here." She glared at the southerner, her voice slightly higher than normal. "So don't tell me to calm down, because my flawless plan just went to shit."

"You're plan to what?" Nick asked her, doing his best to gain some control of the situation.

"I don't see what that has to do with you."

Nick opened his mouth to reply but a noise interrupted him. There was a change in Marie's demeanour that Nick couldn't place. "What's that?" She asked.

He shifted awkwardly as his cell phone continued to ring.

"Well?" Marie asked.

"My cell." Nick told her.

Her face turned blank. "Greg, get in the car."

Greg left the room before Nick could stop him. "What are you gonna do?"

"Answer it." Was Marie's reply.

Nick did as instructed, Sarah's voice filling his ears as he did so. "Nick? What's going on? Why haven't you called?"

Nick glanced at Marie who nodded at him. "Oh uh… hey hon." Nick started. "What?" He asked, ignoring Sarah's confused questioning on the end of the line. "I'll be home 'bout ten, ten t' eight… okay, I'll see you then." He hung hoping the message had gotten through.

"That was pretty smart." Marie commented. "But I still have to kill you."

Nick seemed to choke on the air as she pointed his gun back at him. "Excuse me?"

"You know what's going on, and you know that I'm about to kill Greg, and I can't have people knowing that, it ruins things."

"You're gonna kill Greg?" Nick asked, suddenly feeling light headed, how did he always manage to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun?

"Yes." Marie nodded.

"Why?" Nick asked, hoping he could keep her talking long enough for Sarah and the others to get here.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Marie smiled as she cocked the gun.

-

Outside Greg jumped as the sound of a shot fired went off.