Thanks for all the awesome help Holly, you freaking rock!
~Back at Nick and Greg's apartment~
Greg entered his and Nick's apartment. The door was abruptly closed once everyone was inside. Toby pushed Greg, making him stumble forward, crying out from using his bad leg. When Greg turned around there was a gun in his face.
"You have five minutes to pack some of your belongings and since it is clear that I can't trust you. Michael will keep an eye on you." Toby informed him.
Michael stepped forward with his own gun out, forcing Greg to turn around and start walking towards his and Nick's bedroom. He entered the room and walked over the closet to get his old duffel bag. Greg dumped the bag onto the bed, unzipping it then walked over to the dresser to get some of his clothing.
While he was pawing through the drawer, he looked at the mirror in the bathroom and was able to see Michael standing in front of the door with his gun in hand watching Greg. When they made eye contact, Greg quickly looked down bringing out a small bundle of clothes over to the bag and dumped the pile inside.
He hurried away from Michael, walking back over to the closet, looking at the row of his and Nick's dress shirts. He reached out and ran his hand down one of Nick's shirts; it was the tight black short sleeved one that showed off his muscular chest and arms perfectly. This was Greg's favorite shirt, for obvious reasons.
Taking the shirt off its hangar, he discreetly inhaled his lover's scent; bringing tears to his eyes. This was probably the last time he would inhale his scent that smelled of his cologne, coffee and another smell that was purely Nick.
Folding the shirt up, he placed the shirt at the very top of his duffel. Hopefully Nick wouldn't mind that he had taken it.
He froze when he felt a presence behind him.
"How can you do it?" Michael asked curiously, not caring that he was in Greg's personal space.
"Do what?" Greg asked without turning around, wishing that Michael would take a few steps back.
"Give up your life to do something you don't even believe in." He answered, truly wanting to know why.
Greg was curious about Michael's motives behind these questions, but answered truthfully anyway.
"Because if I don't, George will kill my mother and the love of my life. So, the only way to keep them safe is by working for him. Then I will. My life would be meaningless without them."
"But why don't you use your ability? You could easily overpower George and his men then you could be with Nick and your mother. Then Nick would be safe." Michael persisted.
Greg finally turned around to face Michael who was just a few inches taller than him and looked at him suspiciously. "Why are you asking me all these questions? What are you trying to gain from this?" Greg demanded, wondering if his motives were dark.
"Just answer the question. Why can't you overpower them?" He asked again.
"I'm too weak. George has been using his ability longer than I have and if he wanted to he could make me turn a gun on myself and also because it wouldn't do any good! The injuries I got from the roof falling on me took away a lot of my strength, so even if I did try it would most likely kill me." Greg explained.
"What if you had some help?"
~Back inside the sanctum~
"Tell me where Greg is!" Nick demanded, aiming the gun at George's head.
"Now Nicholas there's no need for that unnecessary weapon. Why don't you put that gun down?" George calmly requested, staring at Nick intently.
A sudden pressure built up in Nick's head and he scrunched up his brow in pain. His vision got a little hazy and the hand that held the gun began to quiver. He blinked a few times to try and make it better but it did no good.
In the end he was forced to drop the gun and cradle his aching head.
"Nick?" Korey looked away from Nick and over at George who was smiling smugly. She immediately knew what George was doing, so she stalked over to George and kept the gun trained on his heart.
"Let him go George or I swear to god I will kill you!" She threatened.
George looked away from Nick who was now on his knees with his eyes pinched closed and cradling his head, groaning in pain. He looked innocently at Korey and smiled.
"I would be more concerned about yourself if I were you; after all I'm not the only one with a gun aimed at them." Korey was about to ask him what he meant, but the words caught in her throat when she heard the clicking of the gun behind her and the barrel of a gun resting against her head.
"Lower the gun Korey. I would hate to have to have Nicholas kill you." He said with a sickening smile.
The gun Korey was holding fell limp at her side and she stood stock still.
"Nick listen to me, you can fight him Nick! You don't want to do this." She stated, keeping her gaze on George.
~Back in Greg and Nick's apartment~
"Are you volunteering?" Greg asked, shocked and a little suspicious.
Michael put the safety of his gun on and put the gun in the waistband of his jeans.
"I've been trying to take George down for six years now, but he's more powerful than me and it wasn't until I saw what you were capable of that I started to believe that together we can stop him and his men." Michael said, his eyes lighting up at the thought of taking down George finally.
"Why should I believe you? For all I know this is just some trick to get me killed." Greg questioned.
Taking his gun out of his waistband he held the gun out for Greg to take. Greg took the gun and stared down at the cold object in his hand with a confused frown.
"That's the only weapon I have; I have no other ability besides shifting. As of right now you are the most powerful person in this room." Michael stated, taking a step back.
Greg looked down at the gun in his hand then back up at Michael who was waiting for him to say something.
"All right, but if I find out this is some kind of trick. I'll kill you." He warned him. He fingered the gun in his hand then held the gun out for Michael to take back.
"If we're going to be working together you're going to need something to protect yourself with." Michael took the gun back and took the safety off.
"We're going to have to take Toby out. So we're going to have to make a plan...grab your duffel and follow my lead." Michael said, taking charge of the situation. Greg was going to protest but thought better of it because fighting wouldn't solve anything.
Greg zipped up his duffel and slung the strap over his shoulder then followed Michael out of the room and down the hall into the living room. When they entered the living room Toby was lounging on the couch flipping through the channels.
"'Bout damn time! What were you two doing, giving blowjobs to each other." He crudely joked, giving out a horse laugh.
While Toby was too occupied laughing at his own joke, Michael looked at Greg and nodded. Michael raised his gun and whistled at Toby.
Toby looked up from the floor and was a little startled when he saw Michael with a gun pointed at him and was sporting a smug grin.
Reacting quickly Toby made a move to grab his gun off the coffee table, but Greg saw what he was doing. Using his telekinesis Greg flicked the gun off the table and onto the floor where it clattered across the floor and under his bookshelf. Even that small act weakened Greg so he dumped the duffel that now felt like it weighed a ton and leaned against the nearest wall.
"What are you doing man? I thought we were on the same side!" Toby protested, outraged at this betrayal. Michael and him had been best friends for years. They had fought together, killed together and even helped nurse each other's wounds.
"No, we haven't been on the same side since you helped cover up Tina's murder, but even before that all the killing and the needles violence, it got to me Toby and I'm sick of it man! I'm sick of the nightmares and seeing the blood on my hands of everyone that I've hurt over the years. So I figure that the only way to stop all of this and bring justice to Tina is by taking down George! I know I've committed horrendous acts too, but I'm going to repent for them for the rest of my life. You're in my way of doing that so...goodbye Toby." Michael took aim and fired.
The bullet whizzed straight through the air towards Toby. Greg watched with a transfixed glare as the bullet encased itself into Toby's head. A few seconds of shock flashed across Toby's face before his body caught up with him and he fell backwards, crashing on the couch with his eyes staring up at the ceiling and a thin line of blood traveling down from the bullet hole.
Michael walked over to Toby and stood in front of his dead body. Brain matter and clumps of hair were splattered across the couch, floor and the walls behind Toby. The only thought that crossed Greg's mind was that he needed to get a new couch, or possibly a new apartment.
"That was for Tina." Michael stated, raising the still smoking gun, firing two more rounds into his heart. "And that was for me." He added.
Greg just stood in shocked silence. He had just witnessed Michael kill Toby and completely destroy Nick's sofa.
Greg knew he should have felt some kind of relief, but all he could feel was shock. He had just witnessed a murder and if he had been on the job he would have called the murder in, but this time he was simply going to walk away.
"We have to get out of here, your neighbors have probably already called the cops and I don't intend to stick around long enough to get cuffs slapped on." Michael turned around and walked over to Greg who was still in shock over what happened.
"I know this isn't the first time you've seen a dead body, now suck it up and follow me." Michael waited a few moments, but when it became clear that Greg wasn't going to comply as he was still too shocked. He grabbed Greg's arm and dragged him out of the apartment.
As they were walking through the building, Michael still had his gun out in plain sight and the tenants that were out in the hallway panicked at the sight of the gun and ran inside their apartments to call the police.
They reached the door and bounded down the stairs to the back parking lot, over to the black van. Michael unlocked the doors and pushed Greg into the passenger seat then ran around in front of the van to climb into the driver's seat.
"Buckle up man because if we get stopped because you weren't wearing a seatbelt then I'm going to kick your ass." Michael put the key in the ignition, turning it to start the engine. Putting the van in drive, he whipped out of the parking lot, almost clipping an extremely luck pedestrian.
Greg hastily yanked his seatbelt on and held onto the safety bar for dear life. "Where are we going?" Greg shouted over the roar of the engine.
"The sanctum. Your dad stuck around in case any 'unwelcome visitors' came by and he wanted to greet them properly." Michael turned a sharp left corner and Greg's shoulder rammed up against the window and he grunted in pain.
~Back inside the Sanctum~
"Put the gun down Nick." Korey pleaded, her voice quivering with fear.
George continued to look at his work with pride and pulled a chair up behind him and sat down. He even had the audacity to pull out a cigarette and light it up. He inhaled the toxins and puffed out a line of smokey O's.
"I can't." Nick grounded out, his finger quivering over the trigger.
"Go ahead Nicholas, shoot her." George goaded, reclining back in his chair.
Nick began to panic when his finger gently started to push on the trigger and in an act of desperation he tried to think of different ways to save Korey's life. He came up with only one option that would insure Korey's safety.
"Shoot me!" He practically shouted, trying to slow his finger's descent.
"What?" Korey said, hoping she hadn't heard him right.
"Shoot me now! I can't hold back forever!" He repeated desperately.
Taking a few precious seconds to mull over her thoughts, she quickly and regretfully twirled around and shot Nick in the right shoulder. Nick cried out in pain and fell to the floor, crying out again when his wounded shoulder banged against the concrete floor.
The gun clattered out of his hand and across the floor. Instinct crept in and Nick applied pressure to the wound.
George was a little taken aback with the events that just transpired. He stood up from his chair and a rare moment happened, George was lost for words.
Korey turned around and once again aimed the gun at George's head.
"No one's here to save you now George, face it, it's over!" Korey stated smugly.
"Not quite my foolish girl, I still have one resource left...you." The smug smile returned to George's face as in one millisecond Korey's own gun turned on her.
"I always did love an ironic ending." George cheerfully smirked, sitting back down in his chair and going back to smoking.
~Greg and Michael~
The van came to a screeching halt and Greg would have gone flying through the windshield if he hadn't of had his seatbelt on. Greg looked up from his lap and saw his co-workers huddled around the doorway to the sanctum banging on the door while Grissom was on the phone and by the looks of it yelling to whoever was on the other end.
Greg quickly unbuckled himself and leapt out of the car then dodged over to his friends. In their state of mind they hadn't even noticed the screeching of the van so they were surprised when Greg was suddenly by their sides.
"Greg? Where the hell have you been? We've been worried sick about you!" Sara practically screamed at him, going over to Greg and embracing him in a crushing hug.
"I can't explain right now." Greg looked around at his friends and noticed that his lover wasn't among them. Now panicked his breathing sped up and he grabbed Sara by the shoulders. "Where's Nick?" He asked, his heart picking up at every second that Nick wasn't with him.
Sara looked down at the ground and the others looked away from him as well, a distinct look of regret crossed their features.
Grissom had overheard Greg's question and when he didn't make a move to answer his question Greg knew that something was wrong, deadly wrong.
"Tell me where he is!" He shouted, shaking Sara by the shoulders.
She finally looked up at him and she had tears in her eyes.
"He's inside." she said, barely above a whisper.
Warrick was the one who spoke next, voicing what else they were keeping from him.
"Greg...we heard a gunshot and...Nick's scream." Warrick said, failing at keeping at the tears at bay.
When he had heard that gunfire and the heart stopping cry of his best friend he had practically emptied his gun shooting at the door, trying to make a way in. He probably would have kept firing if Catherine hadn't pulled him back and told him that he had to stop or else he could risk hitting Nick, Korey or the bullets could ricochet off and wound one of them.
But Warrick already knew that Nick had been hurt and he had no way of knowing if he was still alive or not. It was like Nick's kidnapping all over again, not knowing if his friend was alright and if he would ever see him again.
He hated feeling so useless.
Greg let go of Sara's shoulders and stumbled back. He didn't even feel the pain when he stepped on his injured leg.
"No." he shook his head in denial and felt the hopelessness build up within him.
Michael was now at Greg's side and since the others didn't know who he was they raised their weapons and ordered him to step away from Greg.
"No, he's okay, he's on our side. He helped me escape." Greg explained to them. His friends cautiously lowered their weapons and returned to trying to find a way to get into the building, not even bothering to ask the guy his name.
Greg turned to Michael and in a burst of irrational anger, which he knew was really directed at his father. He grabbed Michael by the collar of his shirt and a look of shock and fear came over Michael's features.
"You and I both know there's a way inside!" Greg said with a crazed look in his eyes.
Michael immediately knew what he was talking about and looked over at the wall beside them. He turned back to Greg and voiced his objections.
"There are security walls in there that will electrocute anyone who shifts through; we'll be lucky if we aren't fried to death!" Michael objected, trying to wrench Greg's death grip off his shirt, but Greg's surprising strength held on.
"You said you wanted to stop George? This is your only shot at it! And I sure as hell am not going to allow Nick to die by that sadistic bastard's hands!" Greg screamed, determination building up inside him, he let loose a roar and propelled both him and Michael through the wall, barely giving enough time for Michael to shift.
As soon as their bodies shifted into the wall they were met by extreme forces of electricity that shot through their bodies, making them cry out in pain and agony as burns painted themselves on their skin.
Greg closed his eyes and prayed that his insane plan would at least give him enough time to make sure that Nick was alright.
After what seemed like hours, but was really only seconds Michael and Greg tumbled out of the wall, their flesh literally sizzling, their clothes had long jagged cuts in them from the electrical shocks and they were panting from the pain their burns were causing.
Greg heard Michael groan and he managed to lift his head high enough to see that Michael was clutching at a particularly bad burn around his throat. Greg knew that half of the reason that Michael was feeling so much pain was because he was putting pressure on the burn, but he didn't have the time to tell him. He needed to find Nick and kill his sadistic father.
Rolling, painfully onto his stomach he held in the gasp of pain that wanted to erupt from his throat as he put all his weight on his arms and shakily lifted his upper body up from the ground until he could see his father standing in front of Korey who had her gun pointed at herself. Greg looked around further and his eyes widened in horror when he saw Nick lying on the floor with a small puddle of blood around him, leaking from between his fingers from the wound in his right shoulder.
"Nick!" Greg scrambled to Nick's side, ignoring the pain emitting from his jerky movements and immediately took Nick's hand off the wound to see how bad it was. By seeing how deep the wound was he completely forgot about Korey's problem.
"Ah damn it Nick, what did you do?" not being able to do anything else for him he applied pressure to the wound and in a déjà vu moment Nick hissed and cracked his eyes open. When his vision became a little clearer his eyes widened when he saw Greg kneeling over him with long strips of burns, which were still sizzling along his arms, neck and face not to mention that his clothes had been ripped up.
"Greg..." he tried to speak, but couldn't because he was overcome by a coughing fit that rattled his wounds, causing him more pain.
"Shh, don't speak. I'm going to get you out of here, I promise." Greg leaned down and planted a passionate kiss on Nick's lips, but pulled away before Nick could respond.
"Gregory son, so pleased you could join us. Though I have to say I was not informed you would be bringing a guest." George said, looking over at a withering Michael.
Greg made a move to stand up. Nick mustered up enough strength from his depleting supplies and grabbed Greg's right forearm, trying to keep him from getting up.
"Don't." he whispered, desperately trying to keep Greg away from the mad men.
Greg looked away from his father and down at Nick who was pleading him with his eyes to stay with him.
"You're going to be fine." Planting another kiss on Nick's lips, before he could protest Greg was easily able to remove Nick's limp grasp and shakily stand up from the floor.
"Greg!" Nick whimpered, reaching out and grasping air. He was forced to watch helplessly as Greg made his way over to Korey and George.
"Hello father." He took a moment to glance over at Korey who was shaking with fear. "I see you've been keeping yourself busy." He took his eyes away from Korey and back over at his father who was calmly smoking his cigarette and reclining back in a chair, a position that Greg had seen his father in many times growing up.
He would walk into the living room as a small boy and ask his father to play a board game with him, but his father would decline and say that he was busy. Now that Greg thought about it he wondered what had made his dad a hero in his eyes. He never did any outstanding good deeds like helped an old lady cross a street or teach him how to ride a bike, his mother had done that and it was definitely not because he wanted to grow up to be just like his dad, who was a supervisor at a paper factory, or so he had thought, but come on, who wants to supervise paper making all day? Definitely not him.
"I take it since you managed to get here; Toby is no longer in the equation." George summarized, puffing a stream of smoke out of his mouth as he talked, revealing yellowing teeth that made Greg want to gag.
"Let them go dad, this is between you and me." Greg pleaded, using the corner of his eyes to check how Korey was holding up. He saw a small, almost unnoticeable tear track down her cheek and if it hadn't of been for her puffy eyes and the way her skin glistened from the tears he wouldn't have noticed.
"No Greg, you brought them into this, so technically they are a part of this. A big part. Korey was the one who helped you escape the first time and gave you information. Nick is a part of this only by the fact that you love him and therefore I have strong suspicions that you've told him all about shifting and finally Michael who I'm guessing helped you escape and most likely killed Toby. What a shame too. I actually sort of like the big guy, but no use crying over spilled milk; there are more important things to discuss like how you plan on walking away from this one." George stood up from his chair, dropped the cigarette and stamped the ambers out with his foot.
"Are you threatening to kill me dad?" Greg asked, already knowing the answer.
"You've proven to be too much of a...menace and I can't risk shifting secrets being revealed to the world and technically you did threaten to kill me, so yes I guess I am going to kill you, not threatening mind you because well I guess I'm sick of only threatening and never actually going through with the threat." George said, now standing directly in front of his son. He was so close that Greg could smell his fowl smoker's breath and had a perfect view of his yellow teeth.
Greg was silent for a few moments, contemplating his next move. He looked over at Korey then back at his dad.
"I'll make you a deal. If you allow Nick, Michael and Korey to walk out of here unharmed then they are right now. I'm willingly to get down on my knees and let you kill me anyway you want to." Greg bargained, speaking quietly so that the only people who could hear him was Korey and his father.
"Greg please don't do this, just get Nick and get out here!" She pleaded, more tears cascading down her face.
George seemed to be thinking over Greg's bargain before coming to a decision.
"Sorry, but I can't trust them to keep their mouths shut." George replied, looking back at Korey as she began to sob even louder when her finger started to press down on the trigger.
"Wait! Wait please! Think about it! They go talking about shifting to the world. People are going to think they're insane! So please, the only person who you have any reason killing today is me. Now I'm begging you, let them go!" Greg pleaded, praying that deep inside that dark hole of a heart his father could do the right thing.
A few moments of intense silence filled the room and Greg held his breath, preparing for whatever decision his father would make.
"Alright Gregory, we'll do things your way. As a last request." George finally said.
Without even looking at Korey he released her from the hold he had on her and she gasped in relief as her finger backed off the trigger and the gun dropped out of her hand. She stood in relieved shock, sighing in relief.
"Korey." Greg said looking over at her, but keeping his father in his peripheral vision to make sure he didn't go back on his deal.
When she didn't acknowledge him he spoke again, only louder. She finally acknowledged him and when she turned to face him Greg could see that her body was trembling and more tears had made their down her cheeks.
"Korey listen to me, I need you to get Nick and Michael out of here and no matter how much Nick protests or pleads you have to keep going until you and the others outside are a safe distance away from here-" Korey tried to protest but Greg kept on talking, not letting her get a word in. "Please Korey do this for me, I need to know that Nick is safe and you're the only one I trust to get him out of here and to get him the help he needs. Please Korey, as a last request do this for me." Greg begged, the tears building up in his eyes, but he wouldn't let them fall because he wouldn't give his father the satisfaction of seeing him cry.
Korey bit her lip and fresh tears sprung from her eyes. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Greg, her tears soaking Greg's collar. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back, trying to soothe her.
"You're such an asshole for doing this" She sniffed hard. "I hate you so much." She cried into his shoulder. He knew she didn't really mean it, she was just upset and he could understand that.
"It's okay shh...I promise everything will work out in the end." He pulled away from her and she wiped her eyes with the heel of her palm. "You take care of yourself okay? And don't get into any more trouble." He playfully warned her. This got a heartbroken laugh out of her and for a split second a smile appeared on her face but vanished just as quickly.
"Maybe I'll see you up there someday." She said starting to back away from him, too afraid to turn her back just yet.
"I'll be waiting at the gate for you." He replied with a sad smile. She nodded her head then finally turned around and walked over to Nick who was still on the ground, applying pressure to his wound, oblivious to the events that had just taken place.
Greg watched as Korey helped Nick up from the floor then turned back to face his father who was handling Korey's gun like it was a toy.
"You would think the most efficient way to kill someone would be shoot them point blank in the head, but I've found a method that I personally think works just as efficiently," as George spoke Greg could hear the scuffle going on behind him and he knew it was Nick when he heard his lover's anguish cry of protest, refusing to leave without Greg. "I noticed you didn't say goodbye to him." George noted as he set the gun aside and wiped his hand on his pants as if he had just touched a dirty object.
"It would have been too hard...for both of us and I know he would have tried to find a way to get me out of this, but the truth is, this is the only way I know I can protect him is by taking myself out of the equation." Greg answered.
He heard one last cry of protest from his lover before the slamming of a door came and he knew that that would be the last time he would ever hear the voice of his lover.
"That's very admirable of you Gregory. At least I did one thing right raising you." George commented, seeming almost proud which sickened Greg because it gave insight that his father thought of him as a disappointment.
"Get down on your knees." His father suddenly said, the humor now completely gone from his voice and face. He was all business now and the current business: killing his own son.
Greg complied and got down on his knees, only wincing because he had become accustomed to the pain from using his bad leg so often today. George stood in front of his son and for a split second a look of regret crossed his features before returning to his nonchalant expression.
"It grieves me that it had to come to this Gregory." George said, surprisingly actually meaning what he said.
As George went on to talk about some of the great sacrifices other father's had made, Greg's eyes wandered behind his father when he saw the gun on the chair.
Maybe he could still make it out of here alive, but he would have to act quickly.
"...I guess he was right after all." His father finished with a sigh, almost as if he was in disbelief.
"Yeah sure, can we just get on with this?" Greg said, feigning annoyance but was really concentrating on the gun. As he had told Michael before he was still extremely weak, but with the little practice he had earlier. It didn't take as long for the gun to slowly start to rise off the chair and rise up into the air until it was behind his father's head. Now came the tricky part, getting the gun to fire.
"Even at death's door you still have that smart mouth of yours." George chucked.
"Well I might as well go out with a bang right?" Greg retorted, his hands turning into fists at his sides from the heavy concentration.
"Yes I suppose a man like yourself would like to go out with a 'bang' as you put it, enough with the chatter now." George was about to place his hand on Greg's head to basically put his brain in so much distress that he would keel over but the mouth of a gun against his head stopped his movement.
"As a Japanese proverb once wrote 'if you have to kill a snake, kill it once and for all' and I intend to kill the venomous snake I see before me." Greg stated, quoting the quote he had once read online that seemed very fitting for this occasion. He looked up at his father, who was frozen in shock and he could only shake his head at this pathetic sight before him. Without his armed guards protecting him, George Jonathon Sanders was nothing more than a weak minded man.
"I'm sure you and the devil will get along just fine," and without another word the trigger of the gun pressed down and a bullet spiraled through his father's head then sped out the other side and imbedded itself in a wall.
Blood and brain matter spewed forth from the entry wound and some sprayed over Greg.
George's body sunk down to the floor then crumpled to the floor with George's eyes staring up in fright at the ceiling.
There was sudden banging on the door leading into the sanctum and Greg looked behind him just in time to see the end of a battering ram from the SWAT unit busting the door down. The SWAT team huddled into the building, flashing their guns around, searching the building for any criminals but were met with only a dead body and CSI Gregory Hojem Sanders.
"Clear!" The SWAT leader shouted. After hearing this Greg heard another voice that he feared he would never hear again.
"Greg! Let me go, I need to see him!" Nick bused past the row of SWAT members and Greg saw that he had no shirt on and if this was a different situation Greg would have been drooling but the loosely wrapped bandage around the wound ruined any thoughts of jumping Nick. The bandage was so loose that it looked as if he had upped and left in the middle of the job and Greg was pretty sure that that was the case.
Coming to a halt in front of Greg he dropped to his knees and carefully cupped Greg's face, being mindful of the burns on his face that thankfully and miraculously didn't appear to be as bad as they should have been. Greg looked into his lover's eyes and he could see the tears running down his face and he could feel his own as well. He reached out with his right hand and ran his thumb along Nick's jaw.
"Don't you ever pull another stunt like that again!" Nick scolded.
"Don't worry, my daredevil days are over. I intend to spend many, many, many more years with you." Greg assured him. And he was sure as hell going to keep that promise.
A smile graced Nick's features and he leant in and captured Greg's lip in a desperate lip lock. Greg moaned on contact and wrapped his arms around Nick's neck, being careful not to aggravate Nick's wound as well as his own burns.
They regretfully had to part when air became a necessity. Nick rested his forehead against Greg's and both breathed in a lung-full of air.
"I love you." Nick panted, leaning back and tilting his head up to plant another kiss on Greg's forehead before resuming his original position.
"I love you too Nicky." Greg replied, wrapping his arms around Nick's neck and inhaling his scent.
God he missed that intoxicating smell!
They were soon joined by the others who embraced Greg in desperate hugs of relief. And in their haste to hug their dear friend they didn't notice the burns all over his body and he cried out in pain, pushing them away from him.
"Greg...? Oh my god Greg!" Sara panicked, seeing the burn marks all over his face, arms and neck. "Are you okay?" She asked, carefully putting her hands on his shoulders, now being careful of the pressure she applied to his skin.
"It only hurts if you apply too much pressure, most of its just 1st degree burns, nothing to worry too much about." Greg assured her.
"We need to get some paramedics in here!" Catherine shouted from the doorway, having hurried over to the door when she saw the state Greg was in.
"Don't worry Greg, help is on the way, you're going to be just fine" Sara smiled, affectionatley ruffling Greg's blond hair. She took her hand off Greg's shoulder and made room for the paramedics who arrived to mend to Greg's burns and get him and Nick off to the hospital.
When they tried to get Greg on the body board he refused and told them he could walk, of course he needed a little help from one of the male medics, but once he was standing Greg managed to walk on his own to the ambulance with Nick's hand in his own.
They had finally been reunited together and they didn't plan on being torn apart ever again.
A/N: Sorry it took so long but I had to have this chapter as close to perfect as possible. If you enjoyed this chapter review, please!