Disclaimer; see chapter 1

CSICSICSI

Nick closed the door to his truck slowly eyeing the blue Sedan across the street.

"Something wrong, Nicky?" Gil asked coming over.

"Yeah that Sedan was in the same place when I left I swear," he said pulling his phone out and dialling. Grissom looked across at the car.

"There's a driver still in it," he commented. Nick nodded and hung up.

"Brass is on his way, probably with half the LVPD," Nick told them walking up to the apartment. Rick snorted.

"Yeah well Greggo's has a lot of friends, even if he doesn't know it…" he said, digging out his badge to show the officer on duty. The cop nodded and let them past, Nick knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a young voice called.

"It's Nick,"

"Yeah? Prove it!" the voice sound light and caused Nick to laugh. Gil looked questioningly at Rick who shrugged he had no idea either.

"How would I do that and who are you?" Nick asked teasingly.

"I'm me,"

"'Yeah? Prove it!'" Nick repeated her earlier words causing a shriek of laughter.

"'And how would I do that?'" the girl tried to imitate Nick's accent, reasonably successfully causing Nick to laugh.

"What's five times twelve?"

"In what base?" came the reply, now that got the attention of the other CSIs. Nick smirked.

"Luna, open the door!" he shouted triumphantly.

"Aww, nuts!" came the reply followed by the sound of the security chain being moved. Gris looked at Nick.

"How old is she?"

"Ten - and Greg's the smart one of the family," he told them, he smiled as the door opened. Luna smiled up at him, before letting them in. Solaris appeared behind Luna and smiled at Nick and then saw the others.

"Who are you?" she asked with guarded curiosity, she wasn't too worried as they obviously knew Nick.

"This is Warrick Brown and Gil Grissom," Nick told her, he bent down to her level "He's Gecko' boss," he stage whispered. Solaris nodded with sympathy.

"You poor man," she told Gil causing them to laugh. She grinned at making the adults laugh.

"Gecko's asleep – mom thinks he took one of the pills the doctor gave him," she said told them, Nick looked at her sternly.

"Did he?"

"Oh yes," she nodded with wide-eyed innocence. "He swallowed it right down along with his juice," she assured them. Warrick covered his laugh with a cough; Nick was desperately fighting a smile.

"Now Solaris, what would you're mother say if she knew you'd slipped Gecko a Mickey?" he asked in a serious voice.

Solaris though about the question for a second before replying.

"She'd say she wished she had thought of it first!" she announced proudly. Nick opened his mouth to chastise her further the thought about it.

"You're right she probably would, but don't in future if he has takes another one, not realising that you gave him one he would be very ill, okay?" he informed her

"Nah, he'd just sleep long; between one and four would cause over sedation, five and over it's time to get dialling and he hadn't taken any, so probability was that he was going to start with the minimum dose," Luna said from behind him. Nick sighed knowing he was beat.

"Okay, where's your mom?"

"In the living room, so are Mama and Papa Michael so don't expect a warm welcome," Luna warned before leading them in. Warrick felt the temperature drop several degrees as they entered; Katy stared at each of them in turn, but seemed to be biting her tongue.

"I think that's our cue to leave," she said to Michael instead of addressing the CSIs.

"Not yet Ma'am," Nick told her.

"Why not?" she hissed angrily.

"Because I'm fairly sure that Drake is in a blue sedan parked across the street," Nick said causally as though this was an everyday thing. Katy's façade disappeared in a second.

"What? NO!" she shrieked running to the window and looking out. She turned back to the room shaking; the rest of her family seemed frozen in shock.

"Aris, come here, get the girls. Michael get Gecko…"

"Mrs Hampton, please calm down, the police are on their way, you and the girls are perfectly safe; there are officers on the door, you and the girls are safe" Nick tried to sooth her, but is had the opposite effect.

"You don't get it, he's not after us, he's after Gecko!" she shrieked at him running down a corridor, Warrick took off after here as they heard the sirens approaching fast.

CSICSICSI

Katy burst into Greg's room and barely registered what was going on. Drake Sanders was standing over the bed with a large knife in his hand. She screamed, Warrick came in behind her already pulling his weapon.

"Drop the knife!" He ordered the convict, aware that now Nick and Gil were coming in behind him. Drake sneered at them, he grabbed Greg's shirt yanking him in front as a human shield. Warrick sneered, it was impossible to get a clear shot; it was a standoff. Warrick glanced down at Greg, who should be still out from the sleeping tablet but he noticed that Greg's eyes were slightly open, before any of the CSIs could react, Greg moved, using his cast to block the knife, he surged up, knocking Drake off balance and slamming him into the wardrobe, while Greg scrambled the other way toward Warrick, keeping low so that they still had a clear shot if needed. Gris grabbed Greg and pulled him out of the way as Warrick and Nick restrained Drake until the police came in. A few moments later the officers from the door burst in and led a still resisting but now cuffed Drake away. Greg was leaning heavily on Gil and breathing hard, he was still fighting the drugs even with the adrenaline rush.

"Rick, give me a hand" Gil commanded breaking the silence. Warrick secured his gun back in the holster but instead of helping Gil he put an arm under Greg's knees and the other across his back. It took little effort for him scoop he lab tech into his arms. Greg's eyes opened immediately. He made eye contact with Warrick's, the CSI smiled at him.

"Hey man, what's with the shaking? You're safe, okay?" he spoke gently to the young lab rat and was pleased when Greg smiled and nodded before leaning against his shoulder. Warrick tried not to let anyone see how happy he was that Greg trusted him as he carried the smaller man into the living room. Arissa was sitting with her head leaning against Nick's shoulder in one of the chairs. Katy had Solaris on her lap, next to her Michael had Luna.

"I guess this place is a crime scene now, huh?" Aris pondered to the room in general.

"I'm afraid so, I guess it's a good think you were leaving anyway," Gil replied eyeing the pile of bags in the corner of the room.

"It won't be for long, we just need to work out how he got in. He's going back to prison anyway," Nick reassured her. Katy looked at the three CSIs that were sitting around the room. Her daughter leaning on one, and Gecko being held by another and sighed.

"I owe you and most of your department and apology. Not to mention a thank you! I guess I just assumed that you were a threat to Gecko, we're a little protective…" she laughed at herself "I guess I should know by know to trust his judgement. I'm sorry," she said sincerely, Michael ducked his head.

"Yeah, what she said…" he muttered causing them to laugh.

"That's very kind of you Mrs Hampton…"

"Katy or Cat,"

"-Katy- but I understand that you have been in a difficult situation, past experience has taught you not to trust local law enforcement – especially when it comes to the safety of Arissa and Greg. Let me assure you that my whole team is working on apprehending the people responsible for hurting you," Gil said formally, sounding a little awkward. Katy smiled.

"Wow, you must be a ball at parties," she said teasingly, causing Gil to freeze whilst Warrick and Nick tried not to laugh. It was the first time that any of them could see any resemblance between Katy and her younger ADD brother. Katy sighed and squeezed Solaris, who was falling asleep.

"I guess we better get going," she said more to Michael then anyone else. He nodded causing the girls to get up and find their shoes. As the girls got themselves ready, Katy said something in Norwegian to Arissa which made the girls pause what they were doing whilst waiting for a response. Arissa just rolled her eyes. Michael said something else, apparently backing his wife up. Arissa sighed heavily but nodded. Michael noticed that Greg had woken up and repeated the phrase to him.

:Yeah, yeah: was the response. Whatever had been going on seemed to reassure the Hampton's, and they left, each taking one of the girls by the hand as they led them from the apartment to the dismayed cries of:

"We're ten we're not going to run into the road for pity's sake!" Arissa laughed at her daughter's indignant wails.

"We can leave too, the cops are going to stay and secure the scene. Greg you awake enough to walk?" Gil said retrieving the bag Arissa indicated was his. Greg nodded and got off Warrick, he managed to stand but still looked shaky; it was a bit like watching a foal taking their first steps. It caused the others to grin, Warrick shook his head affectionately, unaware that Arissa was making note of his every reaction to her brother. He stood and scooped Greg back up before he could fall over and hurt himself.

"You get the bag's, Gris, I've got the lab rat," he said lightly, he sent a smirk at Nick which was more of a gauntlet being thrown down. Nick grinned never one to back away from a challenge.

"HEY!" Aris squawked as he picked her up.

"What? I can't be out done," he said reasonably, grinning back at Warrick. Gil rolled his eyes at them and grabbed the other bag as well, following the CSIs out.