The very first thing that Nick noticed when he opened his eyes was the pain he was in. His chest felt like it was collapsing in on his lungs, threatening to crush him to death. His head was spinning as it steadily throbbed painfully. The bright lights of the hospital room did nothing to ease this either. He blinked several times, waiting patiently as his vision cleared. When it finally did, he took the opportunity to look around at his surroundings.

He instinctively looked to his left, where he saw his left wrist handcuffed to the hospital bed he was laying in. That quickly became the least of his worries when he looked up at Brass, who was sitting in a chair beside him. His expression was something Nick had neither expected nor ever seen before directed at him.

"Did you get what you wanted?" Brass asked coldly.

Nick shook his head slightly. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice raspy and strained.

"Did you get what you wanted?" Brass repeated. "Because I sure as hell didn't. I got to arrest you, again, after I almost killed you. You made me almost kill you. And for what? What was this for Nicky?"

"I can explain," Nick said.

Brass sat back and crossed his arms. "I'd love to hear it."

Nick sighed heavily. "Let me apologize to begin with."

"For what?"

"What I'm about to say," Nick replied. "Trying to be genuine was harder than it seemed. I got caught up in between who I was and who I was trying to be. Trying to be someone else was harder than it seemed. Trying to regain your trust was harder than it seemed. I got caught up in between my pride and my promise. I got caught with my lies and how the truth gets in the way. I had to do what I did, it was the only way."

"Why?" Brass asked simply.

"James was out there," Nick explained. "He called in to you guys where I was and about the chips and said that he saw me kill Mike. I heard him, he wasn't far behind me."

"Why didn't you just tell me that when I got there?"

"Because he would have killed me right there on the spot. I had to make it look like I was still trying to not give in and quit. I had to find a way to give you the disk in my pocket without telling you about it in front of him. He was watching. He would have killed me, then you. I couldn't let that happen," Nick said.

"We could have faked it," Brass said. "You almost died Nick. I almost killed you."

"I'm sorry," Nick said honestly. "But there was no other way. I had to make it look like I wasn't trying to give up."

"But you weren't trying to give up."

"I know that and you know that, but to him, it would look like I was. He's suspicious enough. I needed him to think I was still against you guys until you got what I had," Nick explained.

In response, Brass' cell phone rang. He answered it with a "Hello?", followed by an immediate, "Yes, of course." He hung up, then turned toward the door, where right on cue Grissom walked in with a large manila envelope in his hands. He sat down next to Brass, holding the envelope as if it were a bomb. No one spoke. Brass and Grissom stared down at the box while Nick stared at them.

"This is just a little bit sketchy guys," Nick finally said. "What's going on?"

"We found this at Jack's house," Grissom said. "Inside was a picture of the zip disk you gave us with 'for the cops' written on it. Then there was this folded piece of paper," he said as he withdrew the paper, "with 'for Nick' written on it."

Grissom handed Nick the paper, but Nick didn't open. He waited, and Grissom continued. "I just spoke with Archie. The information on the disk isn't information. It isn't anything. The links and codes for the documents don't make sense, and Archie has never seen anything like them before. As for the audio, it's all incomprehendable gibberish. It's nothing probative."

Nick shook his head slowly. "It has to be. Jack was killed over it. He wouldn't have given it to me if it wasn't of any use."

"Maybe he made a mistake," Brass offered. "Archie tried, he couldn't make anything out of it."

Nick shook his head again. "There's gotta be. Jack wouldn't have spent all those years compiling it all. It's important, I know it is."

"He could have messed up," Grissom said.

"Jack doesn't mess up," Nick said. "I mess up, not him."

Nick opened the paper in his hands as Brass and Grissom watched silently from beside him. Nick felt weird at first when he saw Jack's messy but yet neat scrawl spread out over the page in his hands. He ignored the burning in his chest and read the words Jack had written for him.

Nicky,

You reading this means I'm not around anymore, which believe me, is for the best. Don't blame yourself for whatever happened to me, it wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done. This was many years coming and only a matter of time. With that said, stop feeling so guilty, would ya? Hopefully you got whatever plan you had in your head accomplished without getting yourself hurt. If you did, I'm glad I wasn't around to see it. I can't stand to see you hurt or in pain. There's a lot I never told you, and if and when you find it out, just remember that there's a reason I didn't tell you. Even if you don't know what that reason is, there is one. I wouldn't lie to you if I didn't have to.

You're smart enough to figure out what happened with anyone having to tell you. I wish I could sit here and explain everything to you, but I can't. In time, you'll figure it out, just like everything else. You're not on your own unless you let yourself be. Remember, fear is not afraid of you. Don't be scared of anything, because everything still turns to gold. And if you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last. When all are one and one is all, to be a rock and not to roll.

I love you Nicky, stay outta trouble for me kid.

Nick read the note over three times, then went back and paid particular attention to a specific line that he had heard before. Don't be scared of anything, because everything still turns to gold. And if you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last. When all are one and one is all, to be a rock and not to roll. Mike had said that to him when he had been in the basement with him at the house. Mike had said it then, and Jack had written it in his final words to Nick. What did that mean?

Nick knew he had heard that somewhere else before. He knew that it was more important than he had first thought, he just didn't know why. He didn't know where else he had heard it and what he was supposed to do when he figured it out, but he knew he had to figure it out, and soon.

"Nick," Grissom said, getting the younger man's attention. "Unless we get something from that disk, you're still under arrest for the chips, the murder of Jack and Mike. Do you understand that?"

Nick nodded because he understood, not because he was really listening to Grissom. He was focusing more on that line and where he had heard it before. He thought as hard as he could, but couldn't come up with anything. It wasn't until he thought of his team - his friends - that it came to him.

A huge smile spread across Nick's face, puzzling Grissom and Brass. "Stairway to Heaven," Nick said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Is a good song," Brass added stupidly. "But what does that have to do with you going to jail?"

"Mike and Jack both said a line from it to me. Don't be scared of anything, because everything still turns to gold. And if you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last. When all are one and one is all, to be a rock and not to roll."

"So?" Grissom asked, not following.

"If you play that song backwards, it has a subliminal message." Grissom and Brass just stared at Nick. "So if Archie reverses the codes, links and plays the audio stuff backwards, it'll give you guys what you need."

Grissom looked skeptical. "That's kind of a stretch, Nick."

"Not for Jack," Nick said. "Just call Archie and tell him. What's the worst that could happen?"

"You could be right," Brass said as he took out his phone. He waited while it rung, then said, "Archie? Brass. I'm with Nick, and he wanted me to tell you to reverse the codes and links or whatever for the documents and play the audio backwards. I don't know, just do it please."

Brass waited patiently while Archie did what was asked of him. It took a few minutes, but soon Brass' jaw dropped, and Nick's smile widened.

"Told ya," Nick said without any indication that he was in fact right. He held out his hand, and Brass gave him the phone. "It's Nick," he said.

"Hey, glad you're okay."

"Thanks. So what do you have?"

"Everything," Archie said. "Anything you could ever want to build a case with. Dates, names, signed documents, taped meetings. This is more than enough to clear you and indict James Sparazza."

Nick smiled wider. "Greg's music finally paid off."

Nick stood in the observation room, leaning up against the wall to his right. He watched as Brass and Grissom laid out the evidence in front of James Sparazza, explaining it all in detail to him. There was no way around what was in front of him. His voice on tape. Pictures of him with other cirminals, making deals. Plans written by him to frame Nick for the business and murders or Jack and Mike.

"Your strength turned into your weakness," Grissom said. "You're very meticulate and keep track of everything. You like to write and plan things out. But that just makes more evidence for us to nail you with."

"You're going away for a while pal," Brass said.

"Do you think Nick has enough balls to tesitfy against me?" James asked.

Brass shook his head. "He doesn't have to. He did enough already."

James looked at the glass he knew Nick was standing behind. "But he still doesn't have a job. His mentor's dead, and so is his brother. He knows it's his fault. So I go away, but he has to live with all of this. He has to suffer, not me."

Nick didn't hear anything after "He knows it's his fault." He left the observation room and entered the interrogation room in less than five seconds. Brass stood quickly and grabbed Nick by the shoulders, careful not to touch his still injured chest. That didn't keep Nick from doing what he intended, though.

"It's not my fault," Nick said. "You killed them. You set this whole thing up, and you lost. Your guys sold you out, and you get to die in a cell by yourself. You're the one who gets to suffer, but keep telling yourself whatever you want."

"It doesn't bother you that you're sending your father to jail after you just me him?"

"You're dead to me," Nick said.

"Just like Jack and Mike?" James asked.

Nick shook his head. "No. I still love them and wish they were here. I couldn't care less what happens to you."

"That's not true," James said.

"Yes it is," Nick replied. I'm done lying. I wouldn't say I hate you if it wasn't true."

I didn't spend much time with Nick in the hospital because I wanted to move on and get the next part rolling. There's still some twists, turns, and angst ahead, so sit tight. It's not over yet. Thanks for the reviews.