A/N: So...I finally got this chapter up. Fantanstic. It's a long one, sorry. Just one more after this. Usual disclaimer applies. Please read and review! Thanks.

Chapter Ten

"Take my hand
We'll make it I swear
Oh-oh, livin' on a prayer"

Nick awoke with a start and rubbed his eyes wearily. It had been his fourth night in row in Greg's hospital room, and it was beginning to get to him. Grissom had given him a leave of absence until Greg woke up. Neither Nick nor Grissom had mentioned that it may turn into an indefinite leave if Greg lingered in his coma. Nick didn't even want to think about that, but doubts closed in with every hour that passed.

Luckily for him, none of the hospital staff now protested his seemingly perpetual presence. And the staff was friendly enough, chatting with him as they took Greg off to his daily MRI. Nick in turn was cordial to them, even when they interrupted his watching of the brain wave monitor. He watched it religiously, looking for one spike, just one, that indicated that Greg knew what was going on around him. Thus far, no indication had been given, but Nick didn't give up hope. Nick couldn't give up hope.

A nurse bustled in and Nick pasted a smile on his face. "Good morning, ma'am," he said cheerfully, trying not to sound as strained or tired as he actually felt.

"Good morning, Mr. Stokes," she said happily back to him. She smiled at Greg. "And good morning to you, Mr. Sanders. Are you going to wake up today?" She waited patiently, almost as if she expected him to answer. She sighed when he didn't. "Ah well, maybe tomorrow."

Nick stood up, hands in pockets, as he watched the nurse fuss with Greg. "Um, ma'am, if you don't mind me saying so, you seem awfully optimistic that Greg'll wake up, even when all the other doctors aren't."

The nurse smoothed one of Greg's blankets, suddenly serious. Her eyes had a soft, faraway look as she said slowly, "My son was in a car accident ten years ago. He's been in a coma even since." She paused, fluffing Greg's pillow. When she spoke again, her voice was full of a weary hope that had been tried by every force of nature and still managed to hold on. "So I have to believe that he's going to get better, just like I have to believe your Greg's going to get better."

Reaching across to her, Nick took her hand and squeezed it. "I hope you son gets better too, ma'am. Just like I hope Greg gets better."

"He will," said the nurse gently, patting his arm. "He will."

Suddenly, the brain wave monitor gave off a series of high-pitched beeps. The nurse ran over to it, calling over her shoulder, "Call for Dr. Skura!"

"Why, what's wrong?" asked Nick, panicking.

The nurse turned back to him, eyes shining. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong. It's great. He's entered the R.E.M. stage of sleep. He's waking up."

Greg's hospital room was suddenly awash in a flood of activity as everyone prepared for Greg to awaken. Nurses bustled in and out, unhooking him from machines and taking various measurements, leaving Nick alone as they worked around him. Nick felt lost, like a lifeboat bobbing aimlessly in the sea of commotion around him. He wanted to do something, anything instead of just sitting there, but he was afraid he'd ruin something and Greg would go back into the coma.

So he sat back and held Greg's hand tighter than he ever had before, intently watching Greg's face, hoping and praying that those beautiful chocolate eyes would open soon.

Dr. Skura strolled in. "Good morning, Mr. Stokes," he said calmly, shaking Nick's hand. "I hear that Mr. Sanders has decided it's time to rejoin the living.

"Yeah," said Nick, grinning widely. "Yeah, he has. Is he going to wake up soon?"

The doctor checked on Greg and conferred with a nurse. "Yes, he should wake up within the hour, I'd think. It's really up to him now." Dr. Skura paused and gave Nick a long look. "Mr. Stokes, we need to talk."

Nick's smile faltered and he looked at Dr. Skura anxiously. "Why, what is it? What's wrong?"

Sighing heavily, Dr. Skura said gently, "I believe you and Mr. Grissom have already had this discussion, but it's time that you and I discussed Mr. Sanders' potential condition. As you know, his substantia nigra was severely depleted by the poison. It should be rebuilt in time, but brain damage extending from that and his lack of oxygen when his heart stopped is possible if not probable."

"So…what are you trying to say?" asked Nick, brow creased and eyes dark. "That Greg's going to be retarded for the rest of his life?"

"I'm saying you have to be realistic," said Dr. Skura sharply. "Greg could wake up and not know who you are, where he is, or even with the mental capacity to vocalize his feelings."

Nick's shoulders were tense as he replied shortly, "Look, I don't care. I love Greg, and that will not stop, no matter what."

"So you're prepared to give up your life to care for a five-year-old child in a thirty-one-year-old's body?" asked the doctor dryly.

"If that's what it takes," said Nick quietly.

The doctor nodded slowly. "Then you have more courage than a lot of people, Mr. Stokes."

Nick looked up sharply. "Courage has nothing to do with it," he said harshly. "Courage was Greg having to go through this and him never once complaining. Courage was Marty Resner dying for someone he had never met before. That was courage." Nick looked down at Greg and shook his head. "No, this has nothing to do with courage. I have to do this. I have a responsibility to Greg, to Marty, because they were courageous for me. Besides," added Nick, brushing Greg's cheek with his hand, "I love Greg, and I know that somewhere inside him, no matter how far he's regressed, he loves me too." He paused, mustering all the courage he could, and said, "Greg will be fine. He's a fighter, and he's going to get through this. We're going to get through this, together."

For once, the doctor didn't even try to deter him, instead looking at Greg. Suddenly, he sat up straight and leaned over Greg. "Mr. Sanders! I'm Dr. Skura. How are you feeling?"

Nick looked down at Greg, eyes drinking in the sight of him with his eyes finally open. Greg blinked once, slowly, before yawning. "Tired," he murmured in a voice scratchy from disuse, blinking against the bright light.

The doctor motioned to the nurse to dim the lights. "Mr. Sanders, I'm going to ask you a few simple questions, and I want you to answer them honestly, ok?"

Greg's eyes looked over at Nick, and Nick swore he could see a flicker or recognition before Greg looked back at Dr. Skura. "Ok."

"Mr. Sanders, do you know who the man sitting next to you is?"

Once again, Greg's eyes flickered over to Nick. "Of course. That's Nick Stokes. He and I work together."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Nick's breath caught in his throat as the doctor asked patiently, "Mr. Sanders, what year is it?"

"That's easy, said Greg, yawning. "It's 2001."

Nick froze, sharing a worried look with the doctor. His heart seemed to stop. Had Greg forgotten everything that had happened between them? Suddenly, Greg's face broke into a weary grin, and he said cheekily, "Just kidding. It's 2006."

Nick almost cried in relief, but settled for reaching down and hugging Greg fiercely. "You're back, you're really back, poor sense of humor and all."

Greg held him tightly as if he'd never let go, burying his face in Nick's shoulder. "I really am back," he whispered, leaning back and kissing Nick gently on the lips. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," said Nick gently, stroking Greg's cheek with his thumb, tears of happiness dripping down his face. "I love you."

The doctor cleared his throat and said quietly, "I'm going to leave you two alone for a bit while I go check on some other patients." He got up from the edge of Greg's bed and squeezed Nick's shoulder once before leaving, taking the nurse with him.

Nick found himself just staring into Greg's eyes, so amazed that they were finally open, that Greg was really ok. He started to cry harder, finally able to release all the anxiety and fear that had haunted him the past few days. "Hey, it's ok," said Greg concernedly, reaching up to wipe Nick's tears. "I'm here, and it's ok now."

"I thought…I thought I had lost you forever," sobbed Nick, "and all I could think about was how I'd never get to hold you again and never get to tell you I loved you again."

"And never get to screw me through the mattress again?" joked Greg lightly. His expression softened and he pulled Nick down beside him on the bed. "Shh, baby, don't cry. None of that matters now." He kissed Nick's forehead and murmured soothingly, "It's ok now, Nicky. It's ok."

Nick calmed down under Greg's gentle ministrations but made no move to separate himself from Greg. He finally wiped his eyes and sat up, glaring down at Greg. "Don't ever scare me like that again, ok?" He softened and whispered, "I don't know what I'd do without you, Greg. I really don't."

"I don't know what I'd do without you, either," said Greg quietly, his dark eyes reflective. They brightened as he teased, "Maybe I'd move back to California, get married, have some kids—"

"Hey!" said Nick, mock-hurt as he punched Greg in the arm. "I'm trying to have a serious moment here and you're ruining it."

"We don't need to be serious," said Greg, rolling his eyes. He paused and added softly, "We have all our lives to be serious, and we've said all the serious things we need to say."

Nodding slowly, Nick took Greg's hand and wove their fingers together firmly. "Alright, Mr. Funnyman, if you don't want to be so serious, what do you propose we do?"

Greg's eyes twinkled. "Let's call Grissom," he said, smirking evilly at Nick. "I think it's time he got a call from a comatose man." He picked up the phone and started dialing. Suddenly, he paused. "You didn't call Grissom to tell him I was waking up, did you?"

Nick shook his head. "No, I was so caught up in the fact that you were waking up that I completely forgot to." He grinned at Greg. "You, Greg Sanders, are the epitome of evil." Pausing and shaking his head again, he said, "Just remember, he's not as young as he used to be."

Greg stuck his tongue out at Nick and finished dialing, hitting the speakerphone button when he was done. Judy's chipper voice said cheerfully, "Las Vegas Crime Lab."

Nick took over before Greg could say anything. "Hey Judy, it's Nick. Can I talk to Grissom, please?"

"Sure, Mr. Stokes, I'll put you right through," said Judy. Greg stuck his tongue out at Nick again and mockingly mouthed, "Hey Judy, it's Nick. Can I talk to Grissom, please?" Nick smacked him on the arm.

Grissom's voice crackled over the line. "Hey, Nicky, can you make this quick? I'm late for a meeting with Ecklie and the Sheriff."

"Sure, Griss, this won't take long," said Nick, sharing a grin with Greg. "There's just someone here who wants to talk to you."

Nick looked over at Greg, who was struggling to keep a straight face. "Hey Grissom," said Greg casually, his face turning red from the strain of not laughing.

"Hey Greg, what—" started Grissom, before he stopped, fully realizing who he was talking to. "Oh my God, Greg! You're awake! Are you…are you ok? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Greg, grinning. "Or, well, I think I'm fine. The doctors need to run some tests to make sure, but I'm ok."

Suddenly, Nick and Greg could hear Catherine in the background. "Hey, Griss, who's on the phone?"

"It's Greg!" said Grissom excitedly to Catherine before saying, "I'm going to put you on speakerphone, ok? So everyone can say hi to Greg."

And everyone did say hi to Greg: Warrick, Sara, Catherine, Archie, Bobby, Jacqui, even Hodges. Warrick went so far as to call Doc Robbins on his cell phone and hold the phone up to the speaker so Doc and David could hear Greg.

Nick listened to the whole exchange with a huge grin on his face until he noticed Greg's eyelids start to droop. "Alright, everyone, that's enough for now," said Nick loudly over the din of everyone speaking. "Greg's falling asleep over here and he's still not one hundred percent yet."

Greg didn't even protest as he said good-bye with a giant yawn. Nick hung up the phone and turned to Greg. "Time for you to go to bed," he said briskly, standing up and smoothing the covers. He paused and looked Greg in the eye. "Just wake up in a timely fashion this time, alright?"

Nodding and grinning widely, Greg pulled Nick to him and kissed him gently on the lips. "Good-night," he whispered.

"Greg, it's eight o'clock in the morning," said Nick patiently.

"Doesn't matter," yawned Greg, closing his eyes and leaning against his pillow. "I'm going to bed and that automatically qualifies it as night." He paused before saying gently, "I love you."

Nick grinned, still amazed to be able to hear those words from Greg again. "I love you, too," he said, kissing Greg on the forehead. "Now go to sleep."

Greg rolled his eyes but nodded obediently, closing his eyes and drifting off. Nick settled back into his chair, crossing his arms with a smile on his face. This time, the wait would be bearable, knowing Greg was going to wake up.

Later on that day, Dr. Skura came into Greg's room to discuss Greg's test results. "Mr. Sanders," he said cheerfully, extending his hand to Greg.

"Dr. Skura," said Nick, nodding cordially from his perch on Greg's bed.

Greg shook Dr. Skura's hand heartily. "Dr. Skura," he said, smiling. "I believe I have you to thank for getting me out of my coma."

"On the contrary, Mr. Sanders, you came out of it all on your own." The doctor paused before turning serious. "Either way, it's time we had a discussion about your future."

Nick took Greg's hand and squeezed it gently. Meeting Nick's eyes, Greg smiled slightly before turning to the doctor and nodding. "Ok. We're ready."

The doctor nodded as well. "Alright. Mr. Sanders, the good news is that 60 percent of your substantia nigra has rebuilt itself, an extraordinary number considering the circumstances. Also, there seems to be no indication of any other brain damage." He paused tactfully before continuing. "The bad news is that the 60 percent of your substantia nigra that has rebuilt itself is probably the only part that will rebuild itself. The rest has been too severely destroyed. Now, you can still fully function on 60 percent, but as you get older, you will be about 100 percent more susceptible to Parkinson's. Luckily, the signs will be much more obvious and you'll be able to get treatment much sooner." The doctor gathered up his notes and looked gravely at Greg. "All in all, I'd estimate that this entire experience took ten to twenty years off your life."

"But I'm here now," said Greg firmly, weaving his fingers with Nick's. "I'm here now, and that's all that matters."

Dr. Skura inclined his head and stood. "Alright. Mr. Sanders, you'll be able to go home in about two days and you'll need to come in about once every six months for a check-up."

Nick nodded and stood as well, shaking the doctor's hand. "Thank you for everything, doctor."

"You're very welcome," said Dr. Skura warmly before leaving.

Nick turned back to Greg. "Ok, Greggo, I have something I want to ask you."

Yawning and leaning back against his pillow, Greg shrugged in assent. "Sure, go ahead," he said. "I'm game for anything."

Clearing his throat, Nick said quietly, "I know you and I already discussed this, but I thought it was time I actually asked you."

Greg frowned, confused. "Nick, what—" he started, then broke off as Nick pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and kneeled down on the floor.

"Greg Sanders, will you marry me?" asked Nick softly, opening the box and holding it up.

For probably the first time in his life, Greg was completely speechless. He gaped at Nick and at the platinum band nestled in black velvet. When he regained the use of his voice, he whispered, "Of course I will."

He took the ring from Nick and held it up to the light, watching the light reflect off the bright platinum. He looked back at Nick. "When did you get this?"

Nick took the ring from his and slid it on Greg's finger. "I had Catherine pick it up while I was here, waiting for you to wake up." He touched it gently, then asked, "Did you read what's on it?"

Frowning, Greg held it up to the light again. What he had first taken for a smooth band actually had words inscribed on it. There for all the world to see were the simple words, "I love you."

He smiled at Nick and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Thank you," he said quietly, stroking Nick's cheek gently. "Thank you."

Nick smiled as well as he reached back into his pocket and pulled out a second ring, which he slid on his own finger. He looked at it reflectively. "There's only one thing I've gotta do before we get married."

Greg raised one eyebrow at him. "What's that?"

Grimacing, Nick said dryly, "I've gotta tell my parents."

Taking Nick's hand and squeezing it gently, Greg said reassuringly, "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, together."

Nick nodded slowly. He looked at Greg and asked, "Did you read what it says on the inside of the ring?"

Greg shook his hand and pulled it off his finger, holding it back up to the light. After he read the words, he started to cry softly and reached towards Nick, holding him tightly. Inscribed inside was the single word, "Forever."

A/N: Yay! Greg's alright! The next chapter (the last one) will feature (what else) their wedding. So...I can't wait.