You Save Me

A story of opening yourself entirely to someone, loving someone unconditionally, and trust.

Nick/Greg friendship and eventually pairing. Characters are not mine. Lyrics belong to Kenny Chesney. Please R & R. Thanks for all the reviews! There will be one more chapter, the epilogue.

By: Animegirl1129


Chapter 15:

When I'm a bullet shot out of a gun
When I'm a firecracker coming' undone
When I'm a fugitive ready to run

All wide-eyed and crazy
No matter where my reckless soul takes me
Baby you save me

"Greg," Nick gently shook the younger man. "Come on, baby, it's time to get up. We have to get ready."

Today was the last day of the trial. The jury would be back and the verdicts would be read. Hopefully, the three men who'd raped Greg would be locked away, where they could never hurt him again.

Greg groaned, burrowing further into the warmth of the down blankets and Nick's chest, wrapping his arm around him. "Sleep…" he groaned.

Nick laughed, running a hand through the unruly hair of the man he loved. "It's the last day. This will all be over soon."

"I hope so. Will you just hold me for a few minutes? I'm not ready to get up just yet…" he closed his eyes, smiling when the Texan wrapped his arms around him, holding him tightly.

"I'd hold you forever, Greggo, if you asked me to," the older man smiled enjoying the feel of the other's body next to his for several minutes before they would have to surrender the covers and get on with the day.

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Nick sat beside Greg on the courthouse steps, waiting for the last day of the trial to begin. The younger man leaned his head against Nick's shoulder, eyes closed. He hadn't been sleeping well, going back and forth between his and Nick's apartment for the last six months.

"Greggo?"

"Yeah?"

Nick looked down at the ex-lab rat. "I have a question…"

"I guessed that," Greg teased, though he detected the seriousness in the Texans voice and looked up.

"Will.. Will you move in with me?"

Greg sat there, shocked into silence. He hated it when he stayed at his own apartment. He hated being alone, without Nick. He'd always start out at home, but, the nightmares that plagued his dreams always caused him to wake up screaming, and he would go to the elder mans house, and he'd seek refuge in his arms, being held by him. "Of course!"

Nick smiled, the nervousness he'd held about asking for this step toward something more falling away when he took the younger man in his arms.

"Guys, the jury's coming in!" Catherine called from just inside the courthouse doors.

The two of them followed her in, taking seats beside the rest of the graveyard shift.

The three defendants were brought in, and led to the defense table, Luke, Steven and Jason all drilling holes into their victim's skull with their glares.

Greg clung tighter to Nick, turning away from the three men. "I'm scared, Nicky…" he admitted, his eyes squeezed shut as the jury began to present their decision.

Unable to definitively say that everything would be okay and that he'd be safe, as the jury was always unpredictable, he simply held the younger man in his arms, comforting him as best he could.

The Judge looked to the jury, who, after a day and a half of deliberating, finally reached a decision.

"Mr. Foreman, have you agreed upon a verdict?" the Judge questioned.

The man nodded, "Yes, Your Honor. We have."

"And you say?"

"We, the jury, find defendant Stephen Scott Tayler guilty on all counts…"

Greg's grip tightened on Nick's shirt, it wasn't Stephen or Luke he was worried about. It was Jason.

"We, the jury, find defendant Lucas Ryan Tayler, also guilty on all counts…" Mr. Foreman continued.

The younger mans hand found it's way to Nick's, who squeezed it lightly, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Greg's head, calming him as best he could. "It's okay…" he whispered.

"We, the jury, find defendant Jason Anthony King…"

Greg could have sworn the jury paused for eternity before continuing the sentence, burying his head against Nick's chest, his mind once again drifting back to the reason they were here.

"I've never seen such a sick fritt, you get your kicks having hard cock up your ass fucking you into the next century, don't you, 'Greggo'?" Jason mocked, standing above the beaten and broken man.

Greg curled himself into a ball, a combination of shock, the blood loss from his wounds, and the pain causing his brain to fill with haze, barely understanding what was being said. "Please, just lave me alone," he begged, unable to hold his tears back anymore, the salty liquid mixing with the blood that streamed down his face.

"Guys, I think we fixed him good," their leader said, gabbing Greg' by the neck to make him look him in the eye. "It's supposed to hurt. It's not supposed to feel good. Maybe you'll understand that now and see the error of your sick and twisted ways."

His limp body slumped back to the ground, he didn't have the energy to fight back anymore. He was pretty sure he was dying as he watched the three retreating figures.

"Guilty on all charges." The words pulled him back to the present, tears stinging his eyes again as he Nick pulled him into his arms.

A choked laugh fell from Greg's lips as he held tightly to Nick, tears rolling down his face. "It's over…" he quietly told himself. "It's finally over." he wasn't in that alley. He wasn't worried that they would show up on his doorstep at all hours of the night. He was with Nick, in his arms, and he wasn't alone anymore.

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Nick placed the metallic object in Greg's hand, a copy of the silver key that was now his own. They stood outside of Nick's --no 'their'-- apartment, that evening, after having a celebratory lunch with Grissom, Catherine, Warrick, and Sara.

"Go ahead," Nick prompted. "Open it."

Greg smiled, sliding the key into the lock, turning it until it gave a satisfactory 'click'.

"Welcome home, love," Nick gave the younger man a quick kiss before stepping into the apartment after him.