CSI: Sanctuary: Chapter 17

Warrick was pissed off. And, unfortunately, Greg couldn't really blame him. Here he was, his best friend buried alive, for no other reason than revenge on the lab as a whole, and another coworker had a "crush" on said best friend. But did Warrick really have to kick the container halfway across the room? Was that really going to get them anywhere? They'd already been working on the case around the clock and hadn't found anything that would help them yet.

As the plastic container rolled to a stop Greg watched it's liquid contents spill out onto the concrete floor and disappear.

"Guys! Guys! I think I found something!"

Catherine and Warrick came running over and he showed them what he'd seen.

Together they began digging up the floor and then scraping away the dirt beneath, all the while calling out Nick's name. They had him! Dear God, they had him!

Greg's heart leapt into his throat, threatening to spill tears of joy down his face. In just a few minutes he would be wrapping his arms tight around his boyfriend, without a care in the world who saw them.

The sound of Nick's coffin broke the hurried frenzy. Everyone paused. They had him, and he was the one who'd helped them find him. He'd contributed in a huge way and it felt damn good. Maybe now people would believe he could get things done.

Dirt was brushed away. Plexiglass. Nick had been trapped in plexiglass, forced to stare at the dirt surrounding him.

"A dog?" Catherine's upset, hoarse voice brought Greg back to the present.

Beneath the plexiglass was a dead Dalmatian. Not Nick.

His heart plummeted faster than a bowling ball falling out of an airplane. He turned away, shielding his face from his coworkers as he struggled to keep his tears at bay.

Shit. Nick was still out there somewhere. Buried alive.

Would they ever find him?

Nick had shot out the bright light in his coffin, and the resulting cracks in the plexiglass let in the ants which were now eating him alive, biting him anywhere they could find fresh skin. The image lodged in Greg's head, even though he hadn't seen it on the big screen. It made him worry that much more and he struggled to hold in his emotions, keeping his stony gaze locked in place.

As Hodges looked over the dog's coffin after the team had done their preliminary work, they poured over maps of the desert area surrounding Las Vegas. They narrowed down their search to two nurseries which were known to have the very ants that were biting Nick.

Sara disappeared down the hall at a run, and returned with renewed vigor pointing at one of the nursery locations on the map. The kidnapper's daughter had worked with plants there before she'd been sent to prison.

Hope bloomed in Greg's chest as they all rushed for the door, Grissom hurrying to call Brass on his cell phone.

Warrick stopped him in the parking garage, holding him back. "You're not going anywhere."

"Get out of my way!" Greg pushed past him, tired of the threats, and forced himself into the back of an SUV.

The trip passed in a blur, Greg wringing his hands together, praying they wouldn't be too late. He needed to see Nick. He needed to find him so he could press a kiss to his lips, let him know how much he was loved.

"I love you," Greg sent, as if through a mind-link he sadly didn't have with Nick.

Arriving at the scene, the large search party spread out, though it wasn't long before Catherine started yelling that she'd found him. People came running from every direction and started digging. Someone yelled through the pipe to Nick that they were there, that they'd found him. Hopefully just in time.

Warrick had estimated that Nick's time was just about up. The digging stopped when his watch started beeping. Everyone knew what that meant. Greg silently urged them to keep digging until they did.

And it was Nick. His boyfriend with his gun to his chin. But before Greg could get down into the hole, Warrick was already there ordering Nick to put the weapon down. Greg's legs were shaking so hard he wondered how long he had before he collapsed.

It was Catherine who delivered the worst news Greg ever wanted to hear. The coffin was set to explode. Explode. Like his lab had a few years earlier. He didn't want that. No. No. After everything Nick had been through, this couldn't be the end. No!

Breaking him from his harsh thoughts, Grissom called for the fire extinguisher and he made a run for it, happy to be doing something useful. When he leaned over the top of the box with the red can, he saw Nick glance up at him and register who he was and the fact that he was there, before Greg sprayed the extinguisher over him.

Everything happened in another blur. The box was opened, the carabineer was hooked to Nick's belt and a load of dirt readied. Everyone pulled and the dirt fell. Nick went flying through the air as the box exploded just like Hodges had predicted.

As the dust settled, Greg could see Nick on his stomach, fingers and mouth twitching. He started to go for him, to pull him into his arms and hold him close, but Warrick held him back as Grissom and a team of EMTs moved in. His blood boiled now. They'd found Nick. He'd kept his distance from the man's parents. He'd done just about everything Warrick had asked of him, but now he just wanted to be with his lover, thankful that he was still alive.

The ambulance only had room for two passengers and Nick's team from swing shift jumped in before anyone else even had a chance. He forced himself to calm down. Nick was ok. He would live, and that was a good thing. Greg could meet up with him at the hospital later.

"I want my guys back," Grissom told Ecklie as the ambulance drove away.

Greg was reminded of the wish he'd made to be back on the same team with his boyfriend. He just hadn't wanted this to be how it got done.

A few hours later Kristy still hadn't answered her cell phone or the house phone. However, Nick's parents had been reached and were at the hospital along with Warrick and Catherine.

Grissom was beside himself, wondering what to do about his wife when Greg remembered the phone number Nick had left on his refrigerator. He told his supervisor he had an idea how to find Kristy and ran home to get the number.

While he was there, he grabbed a backpack and filled it with some of Nick's clothes from his dresser drawer, his deodorant, tooth brush, and other essential items. The last thing he grabbed was the phone number.

Surprisingly, even at midnight, the phone was answered on the first ring, as if the other person had been expecting a phone call.

"Hello?"

"Diana?"

"Who's this?"

"It's Greg Sanders. I'm a coworker of Nick Stokes. I believe we met once on Cara's birthday?"

"Oh, yes. Do you by chance know where Nick is? It was his turn to pick Cara up and he never showed up. I can't reach him or his wife. And the police aren't being very helpful."

Greg sighed. "It's a long story. I don't know where Kristy is, but Nick's in the hospital."

"Oh, gosh. Is he alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah, he'll be fine. Thankfully. Do you mind if I come pick her up. He wants to see her."

"Not a problem. I'll wake her up for you."

"Thanks. And thanks for looking after her, even when you didn't have to."

"It's not a problem Mr. Sanders. She's a delight to have and I wouldn't want anything to happen to her."

On his way out the door, his eye caught sight of a dark hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with Rice University's logo. He stopped, reaching out to finger the fabric, emotions washing over him. He pulled it to his face, hugged it, smelling the thick scent of his boyfriend. Tears finally descended his cheeks and he let himself cry for a few minutes, getting everything out. Nick was ok. He'd survived. They would be ok.

He arrived at the daycare center not too much later, remembering he didn't have a car seat with him.

"Sure, you can borrow the car seat again," Diana said when he'd asked. "Also, I meant to tell you on the phone, but I don't have a coat for her and it's a little chilly out. I can lend you something..."

"Don't worry. I've got something in the car for her."

Diana handed him a sleepy child and he took her in his arms. She looked good there, the way she looked up at him, smiled as she recognized him, and rested her head on his shoulder, trusting him completely.

"Are you ready to go see your Daddy?"

She nodded, eyes half closed.

When he got her in the car be took out Nick's sweatshirt and pulled it over her head. It was so big it was almost as big as she was, but it would keep her warm. She snuggled into it, a dreamy smile on her face.

"Why do you have Daddy's sweatshirt?" she asked, sitting up, her eyes clearing.

"Ummmm..." She knew something was going on between them. She had to. But it wasn't necessarily his place to say anything. "He accidentally left it at my place."

"He leaves a lot of stuff at your place. Do you love my Daddy?"

Greg did a double take. God she was smart. And she didn't seem scared by the thought of another man with her father. That was a good step in the right direction. One person down. How many more family members did Nick have?

There was no way he would lie to her. Eventually she would be his own little girl, and he wanted a good relationship with her. He was also sick of keeping the biggest thing in his life a secret, and he'd been so scared for Nick, that without anyone to talk to he couldn't hold back now,. "Yes. I do love your Daddy," he said, buckling her into the car seat. "I love your Daddy very much."

"More than my Mommy?"

"Yes. But you have to promise not to tell anyone. Alright? Can you do that for me?"

She nodded. "Mommy would get mad if she knew."

Greg gave her a kiss on the forehead before he got in the driver's seat and headed to the hospital.

Nick lay in the hospital bed, listening to his one time supervisor tell him they hadn't located his wife yet. What the hell did that mean? It was after midnight. She should have been home asleep with Cara. Right? Where the hell was she? Where was his daughter? He needed to know she was safe.

"I'm sorry Nick. I just don't have an answer for you. I wish I did."

"Please... don't let anything happen to her!" Nick pleaded, tears filling his eyes.

He didn't need this. Nearly twenty-four hours trapped underground in a small box only to come out and learn that something had happened to his daughter only no one could tell him what.

His head hurt. The doctor had assured him the meds would kick in soon, but they hadn't yet. He was thankful his parents were out at the moment so they didn't have to hear the news about their missing granddaughter. They would go ballistic.

Grissom was telling him they'd already put out a missing persons report on both Kristy and Cara. Someone would find them soon. He didn't care about his wife that much, only his daughter. But how could he tell his boss that? He hoped Kristy hadn't taken Cara and split.

"Knock, knock," a familiar voice called into the room.

"Daddy!"

"Cara?"

Grissom turned, and Nick saw the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. Greg stood in the doorway with his daughter in his arms, engulfed in his Rice University sweatshirt.

Within seconds they were alone, and Cara was on the bed beside him, burrowing her face into his arms, disregarding the ant bites that covered his skin. But Greg took everything in, naked fear evident in his eyes, even as it dissipated. He reached out and Nick took his hand, holding it tight in his, wishing Greg would kiss him, hold him, comfort him, knowing he couldn't. The tears he'd wanted to cry just a few minutes ago were now streaming down his face, relief that the team had found him and that Cara was ok.

"I missed you Daddy," Cara said, pecking him on the cheek. "I love you."

"I missed you too, sweetheart. You have no idea how much I missed you. And I love you too." He looked up at Greg, still clutching his hand. "My parents are still here," he said. "My Mom's determined to stay up all night with me just in case, no matter how many cups of coffee she needs to drink."

"I figured," Greg spoke softly. "I'm glad you're ok."

"Me too."

Greg looked like he had something to say, but whatever it was, he didn't say it.

"You want me to take care of her while you're here?"

"Would you?"

"Anything you want, remember?"

"Thanks."

Greg arrived back at the lab not too much later, Cara still wanting to be carried. It seemed, however, that he'd walked right into a nest of rattlesnakes. He heard her before he saw her, and Cara buried her face in his neck the moment that shrieking voice met her small ears.

"It was his turn to pick her up! And he couldn't do that one little task? What the hell?" Kristy was beyond irritated.

As they approached, she whirled away from the rest of the newly reunited graveyard team to face him. "And you! Who the fuck do you think you are taking my daughter? That should be Nick's job. If he falls short it shouldn't fall on someone else to do it."

"I'm sorry," Greg said, doing his best to keep calm with Cara right there. "But where do you get off telling me that? Where do you get off even thinking that? She's not some chore like cleaning the toilet you can put aside for another day. Nick was kidnapped and buried alive last night! And you never even noticed he was gone."

"I never noticed he was gone because I hardly ever see him even when he's not buried alive," she said, letting the sarcasm drip from her lips, giving air quotes to the last two words like she didn't believe the story Nick's coworkers were feeding her. "He's got someone else he'd rather see than his wife."

Pairs of eyes all around began to widen.

Seeing Bobby standing nearby, Greg turned to him and handed him the little girl in his arms. "Get her out of here," he hissed, not wanting her to witness his anger at her mother.

"Hey there, Cara. Why don't you and I go find something fun to do. Yeah?"

Greg kept his voice measured as he spoke, "He has someone else in his life because it's not like you've been taking care of him for the last four years!" His anger broke free. "He gave you everything he had, even when he didn't want to, and you gave him nothing in return!"

"And you know this how?" she asked, pointing at him as if he were just a little boy she'd like to punish severely.

"When you were too pissed off at him, when you didn't care enough about what he wanted or needed, when you tried to control every aspect of his life, he came to me."

"You?"

"That's right."

"So it was you? Another man? This whole time he was sleeping with you?"

Greg took a deep breath and let it out. "Yes." The truth was out and a weight lifted from his shoulders. Together, he and Nick would deal with the consequences, but he didn't have to seek a fortune teller to know they could handle it.

She looked stunned. "Why didn't you just take him away from me altogether then?"

"Because he has a beautiful daughter he loves very much. A daughter he would do anything for. If you cared about Nick half as much as I do, then you would understand why I stuck by him for so long like I did. Like I am." He stopped, refusing to explain any more than he already had. If she didn't understand than it was her own fault.

"How long?"

Feeling everyone's stares aimed at him, Greg swallowed the lump in his throat, and said, "Two years."

Kristy looked up at the ceiling tiles above them and sighed. "Another man. My husband's been sleeping with another man for two years. Holy shit."

Greg's entire body trembled. There was more he needed to say, so long as his legs could hold him steady and not give out on him.

"You know, your secretarial job is over at five. We've been trying to contact you since last night about Nick's kidnapping. As far as I know, you had no where else to be except home, with Cara. That alone, speaks volumes. I bet Nick has no clue where you were."

"We actually picked her up on Freemont, leaving a night club with another man, who obviously wasn't Nick," Catherine volunteered, her piercing gaze meeting Greg's first before settling on Mrs. Stokes.

"So you went out tonight, expecting that Nick would take care of everything for you. You never bothered to check in with him, when I know for a fact that he would always check in with you. You knew when he would be home and when he was working overtime, but he knew nothing about your schedule. That's a great way to work a relationship."

"Yeah? And just where do you get off trying to tell me how to live my life? Huh? I'm an adult, and I can do what I want, when I want. So you can just fuck off." Kristy actually pushed his shoulder a little, trying to intimidate him. "I never want to see you again!"

Little feet came running towards him, just when Greg thought he couldn't stand up any longer. Cara clung to his leg and looked imploringly up at him. "Don't leave my Daddy. When he sees you he comes home happy. And he wants to play with me. Those are good days."

Her words broke his heart, as if it hadn't had enough trauma in the last day and a half. "She shouldn't have to say that. The very least you could do is act like you care. Go see him in the hospital."

Without a word, Kristy grabbed Cara's hand, pried her off Greg's leg, and marched her out the door. Cara kept trying to look back at him and keep up with her mother at the same time. He hoped Kristy wouldn't completely abandon her daughter, but seeing her take Cara away from him like that, made him realize that she was taking his future daughter.

Turning back to the group they were all still staring at him. Bobby had arrived shortly after Cara had come running back, and he gave Greg's shoulder a friendly squeeze. He was glad someone was on his side. Catherine had defended him a little, just a few minutes ago. Now she looked thoughtful, as if she was wondering how she'd missed her coworker's two year relationship. Grissom appeared to be evaluating Greg to some unknown chart only found in his supervisor's head. Sara stared at the floor, on occasion stealing glances at Greg and the others around them.

"Wow, I can't believe you banged the heaven sent angel all women want to sleep with," Hodges commented from his lab doorway.

Catherine gave him a frosty glance and he disappeared.

Warrick, however, was still mad at him. Big surprise there. "I'm so pissed right now I could smack you, Sanders! How could you do that? You ruined Nick's marriage. How many times did I tell you to leave him alone. He didn't need to know you had a crush on him. And you went and told him anyway. And then you had the audacity to lie to me, to my face. You promised me, just last night, that you would leave him alone. And now I find out you've been sleeping with him for the last two years?"

"Warrick! Calm down." Grissom reprimanded.

"I don't know about your relationships," Bobby spoke to the group. "But I speak from experience when I say it's not easy staying in a relationship that's fallen flat. Especially when there's someone else out there who's claimed your heart."

"That's called cheating." Warrick glowered. "Nick is one of my closest friends, and to find out that you lured him into sleeping with you, and thus, cheating on his wife and his family... that's just disgraceful. It's wrong. And I can't just stand here and let it be. Because maybe if he'd been given a chance to work things out with Kristy, given a chance to be faithful, maybe this night would have gone a little differently. You know?

"Sanders, you made the team. Congratulations. But that does not mean you then get to sleep with Nick. I can't believe he let that happen. What did you do to convince him it was ok?"

"Let me educate you a little." Bobby stepped forward, aiming his words directly at Warrick. "If you were born gay and you're in a straight relationship, it's not going to work, no matter how hard you work at it."

"He was not born gay. He married a woman!"

"Maybe he was confused. Maybe he was trying not to be gay and the longer he stayed with her the more he realized he couldn't change who he was. It doesn't matter at this point. What matters is that he's in what appears to be a committed relationship with Greg and each and every one of you needs to respect that."

"That was very well said, Bobby," Grissom said. "Thank you. Everyone, I suggest you go home and get some rest. Ecklie's already mentioned that you can have tomorrow night off. I suggest you take it. Greg? Can I see you in my office please."

Greg nodded.

"Now you've done it, Sanders. Now you've really ruined everything. Nick probably just lost his job thanks to you." And with that last parting shot, Warrick walked away.