Super quick update before my parents find out im not asleep! Thanks so much for the reviews, I'm aiming for 200 total in the next two chapters, please help, even if its bad. Sorry for any mistakes!

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Chapter Twenty Five # Nicky's Memories #

"Nick! Shit! Nicky, wake up, man...come on!" Warrick felt in his pockets for his phone, only to find it missing. "Damn it! Nick!"

He tapped the side of Nick's face but his friend didn't stir.

"Help!" Warrick called, starting to panic slightly. "I need help!"

A hooded figure on the other side of the road jogged over. Warrick stiffened, but when the figure took down his hood he recognised Eric Delko.

"What's wrong?" The Cuban frowned. "What happened to him?"

"I have no idea!" Warrick confessed. "I think I was knocked out." He absent-mindedly rubbed the lump on the side of his head. His fingers came away tacky with blood.

"Nick, can you wake up? Come on, buddy..." Delko tapped Nick's shoulder. Nick groaned softly, and Warrick sighed.

"That's right, wake up now, Nicky..." he murmured.

Nick coughed and his eyes opened, quickly finding Warrick's. "Wha...oh." he closed his eyes again.

"Nick!" Warrick called.

"I'm awake." Nick mumbled in a broken voice. Then his eyes flew open. "Are you okay?"

"Me?" Warrick asked. "Just a bump on the head."

"Possibly concussion if you were knocked out." Delko said quietly, and Nick acknowledged him with a nod.

"How you feeling?" Warrick asked Nick, who struggled into a sitting position. Blood was smeared all over his cheek, still seeping from a deep gash.

"Sore." Nick coughed again. "I'll live."

"What happened, Nick?" Delko asked softly.

"We were mugged. They got my phone, its all I had on me. The guy had a gun."

Warrick frowned as if Nick was missing something but he didn't say anything.

"Okay, you two should get back to school, see Peyton. You might need stitches." Delko nodded at Nick.

"Why aren't you in school?"

"Went running." Delko gestured to running gear.

Nick nodded, pressing a hand against his cheek with a wince.

"You okay?"

"Burns." Nick said tightly.

"Shit!" Warrick picked up something from the pool of blood where Nick had been lying. "Is this a bullet? Damn it Nicky, you've been shot!"

Nick nodded slightly, squeezing his eyes shut to try and blocked out the pain that both cut and burned.

"Let's get you to Peyton." Eric's voice was calm but firm, and he and Warrick helped Nick to his feet, only to have him double over, clutching his stomach.

"Nick?" Delko asked.

"Hurts." Nick muttered with his eyes closed, determined not to cry in front of his brothers friend. This wasn't happening, this wasn't happening...

Nick struggled to stand up straight, but the pain doubled. He stretched out regardless and hung his head, limping slightly as he tried to walk without furthering the pain to his bruised stomach.

"C'mon..." Delko murmured and the three boys walked the couple of blocks to the school, entering by the front gate.

"Everyone else is in class, we've been gone a while." Warrick remarked. They made their way into the first aid hall.

"Peyton!" Eric called.

"Just wait for a minute please, Delko. Now hold the bridge of your nose, tilt your head forward, there we go-"

"Peyton!" Delko called again with increased urgency at the loss of colour in Nick's face, causing the nurse to come out of her office, hands on hips.

"What? Oh my god..." She brought Nick and Warrick straight into the first aid room, and Delko leaned on the wall just inside of the door next to where Adam Ross sat holding what seemed like a whole box of tissues up to his bleeding nose.

"What happened to you?" Warrick asked.

"I tried to play baseball." Adam grinned, his smile fading when he saw Nick. "Oh my god!"

"Right, what happened." As Nick quietly explained about being mugged, beaten and shot, Peyton began wiping the blood off of his face gently with antibacterial wipes.

"Okay..." She said softly. "This is pretty deep; we may have to get you to a hospital." Nick moaned softly, half as a protest and half in pain as her freshly gloved hands probed the deep gash. "Or I could stitch it up here? I am qualified if you like."

"Really?" Warrick asked with interest.

"Yes. But either way I'll have to call your parents and the police. You were shot."

"Warrick has concussion." Nick mentioned.

"I don't!" Warrick protested.

Jenny Shepherd came out of her adjoining office at that. "Would you like me to check?"

"Please." Peyton nodded, picking up the phone to call the Nick's mum. "He was knocked out for about three minutes or so."

Half an hour later the police arrived at the same time as Jillian Stokes and Warrick's grandmother, just as Peyton finished Nick's stitches.

"Oh lord, what will it take to keep you out of trouble?"

Warrick half grinned sheepishly at his grandmother. Nick explained the same thing he had told Peyton to the police.

"Did you get any descriptions?"

"Not really." Nick turned away.

"About 6'1, 6'2 maybe." Warrick chipped in. "White guy, wearing a dark hoody, I didn't see his face."

"Did you, Nick?" Jillian asked, making her son look her in the eyes. "No, ma."

"Are you sure? You said he dragged you behind the bus stop, and he shot you in the face but you didn't see his face?" The policeman asked.

Nick could feel all the eyes in the room on him but he shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." The policeman didn't sound as if it was. "The crime scene has probably been compromised but we'll have a look around. So your phones are all that the guy took?" Both boys nodded. "Okay, we'll follow it up. Thank you for reporting it, please feel free to call the station if you remember anything."

They nodded again as the police left.

"I would take them home." Peyton told the guardians quietly. "Warrick has slight concussion and Nick is probably in a fair amount of pain. I gave him some light painkillers to do the stitches, so I'd recommend some Neurofen or Paracetamol when he gets home, nothing more."

"Okay." The two women nodded.

Jillian glanced at her watch, her face torn. "I have to be in court in twenty minutes, I'll have to call my boss-"

"Nick can come to ours." Warrick's grandmother insisted. "It won't be any trouble."

"I just wanna go home." Nick interjected quietly. "But thanks."

The old lady smiled and nodded.

"I'll call your father, explain what happened, he'll talk to Joe for me." Jillian trailed off as Nick shook his head.

"Rosa can look after me."

Jillian sighed, trying not to show how much she regretted what Nick just said. "Okay, I'll drop you home." She ran a hand through Nick's hair.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, without really specifying who to, leaving without looking at anyone. Jillian glanced apologetically at the others before following her son out of the door. He wordlessly slid into the front seat of the car as his mom sat in the driver's seat. His mom looked at him and started the car and he gazed out of the window.

"Who was it, Nick? Why did you lie to the police?" Nick didn't show any sign that he heard. "Nick?"

His mom slammed on the brakes suddenly and Nick jolted in his seat. He stared at her as she stopped the engine.

"God dammit, Nick, talk to me! We are not going anywhere until you explain to me what the hell is going on. You told the police that you had a fight with Greg and ran out of school. You never fight, not with Greg."

"You don't know me." Nick looked back out of the window.

"Nicholas James Stokes! I try, I really, really try-"

"I know, I'm sorry mom." Nick looked at his mother regretfully. "I just wanna go home." His voice broke on the last word and a tear leaked out of his eye.

"Okay, I understand. But you were holding something back from the police, I'm your mom, Nicky, I could tell."

"I didn't..." Nick hung his head. "I was just...just...I was really scared, mom."

Jillian swallowed. "Okay, Nick. You know that you can tell me anything, right? Anything."

Nick nodded.

"I love you." Jillian started the car.

"I love you too." Nick replied automatically.

Using the Bluetooth and phone in the car, Nick's mom called Rosa ahead so that when she pulled up outside the house Nick just jumped out.

"Nick!" He turned and his mom smiled. "I love you."

"Love you too, mama."

Nick swore, realising that his bag was still in school but he walked into the house anyway. Rosa came out of the kitchen, her face contorted with worry.

"Nick..." Something inside Nick broke when he saw his long suffering nanny. She held out her arms and he stumbled forwards, tears falling freely from his eyes as she he'll him. "Its okay, Nick...its okay." She stroked his hair softly.

As Nick's mother came running, Rosa gathered Nick into a hug and softly stroked his hair. "Ella es sola una niñera."

Nick snapped back to the present with a shudder. He broke away from Rosa slowly. "I...I'll be in my room."

"Okay... Do you want me to bring you anything?"

"No thanks." Nick couldn't smile. He curled up on his bed, clutching his knees to his chest.

The nine year old hugged his knees tightly, sobbing bitterly. They were still in his room. He still had no clothes on. He hid under his blankets, praying that they would leave.

"Nicky boy..." Jason sang. "Come and play with us."

"G-g-g-g-o-o a-a-awa-ay!" He sobbed. "Pleeease!"

Jason pulled the blanket away slightly, revealing Nick's face. Nick cringed away from the light and shrank into the blankets as Jason started stroking his hair and his neck.

"Stop!" Nick cried. "Please!"

"We should wash the sheets." Maria bit her lip as she looked at the blood. "Tell them he wet the bed."

"I didn't!" Nick protested weakly, his nine year old sense of justice flaring up.

"You take the sheets." Jason nodded. Nick gripped the blankets with all his might but they were wrenched out of his grip. Jason picked him up despite Nick's struggles, holding him close as Maria started the washing machine and re-made the bed. Nick sobbed quietly as they redressed him and tucked him into bed, Maria kissing his forehead the same way Rosa always did.

"Now... Do you know what this is?" Jason waved a gun in front of Nick's nose and the little boy started crying even harder as he nodded. Jason pressed the gun right up to Nick's lips and the room was suddenly filled with stifled sobs. "If you tell anyone, your parents, your siblings, your nanny, your teddy - I will come back, and I will use this on every single person and animal in this family. I'll make you watch, and then I'll stick this back in your mouth and pull the trigger. Understand?" Nick nodded quickly, and Jason patted him on the cheek. "Good boy."

Nick sobbed bitterly, feeling just as afraid and violated as he had back then.

"The hell I will!" Greg shouted, causing everyone to look at him. "You're my friend, Nick and I thought I was yours."

Shit. He owed Greg an apology and an explanation, but he didn't have one to give. Guilt and shame flooded Nick as he remembered pushing Greg, hard. He covered his head with his pillow and moaned softly. Elsewhere in the house the phone rang. A soft know drew Nick's eyes up from behind the pillow.

"Nick? Do you want to talk to Tali?" Nick took a deep, shaky breath and nodded, sniffing before taking the phone. Rosa slipped out of the room as Nick sniffed.

"Hello?"

"Nick! Thank god!"

"What's wrong?" Nick asked slowly, alarmed at the panic in her voice.

"Its all over school you got shot!" Tali cried. "And you weren't picking up your phone, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Nick sniffed. "Just scraped my cheek."

"..."

"Okay, it burns a little." He admitted. "And my stomachs a little bruised but I'll be okay."

"Oh, thank god..." Tali breathed. "Nick, what happened with Ms. Mitchell?"

"I..."

"She told us."

"About what?" Nick's voice rose in pitch.

"She said that you got locked in a small shed with bats or something like that. That it was an accident that brought up bad memories."

"Yeah." Nick whispered hoarsely. "That's about it."

"I don't believe her."

"Why not?" Nick breathed.

"Because you don't overreact like that, Nick. And I don't think you would be afraid of Greg standing near her."

"I wasn't-"

"You were afraid Nick. I want to help. Please, Nick. You can tell me anything. Please, Nick, what did she do to you? You trust me, right?"

Nick opened his mouth to tell the girl he loved everything. Or at least enough to keep his dignity and tell the truth. Suddenly an image flashed before his eyes, his friends, his family, shot, bleeding and dying.

"She accidentally locked me in the shed." Nick mumbled.

"Okay, Nick." Tali sounded disappointed.

"Tali-"

"Its fine, Nick. You don't have to tell me."

"I'm sorry, Tali, I am...I overreacted." He sighed. "Is Greg there?"

"Yeah." Tali said quietly.

"Does he mind talking to me?" Wordlessly the phone changed hands.

"Nick? You okay?"

"Greg, I'm sorry..." Nick swallowed.

"No, stop. Are. You. Okay?"

"I'm fine." Physically. "I'm just a bit sore."

"Are you sure?" God, Greg sounded so innocent on the phone. He had no idea what was going on.

"Yeah. Greg, I'm so, so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you or-"

"Its cool."

"No its no-"

"Nick, its fine. Honestly. You just kinda scared me."

"Shit, I'm sorr-"

"I mean that I was scared because you looked scared."

"I got locked in a shed, I'm claustrophobic, okay?"

"No. Its not. Why did you freak out when I was near her?"

"Greg..." Nick said in a pained voice. "I, I... She brings up bad memories and I freaked out. It was an overreaction and I'm sorry I hurt you."

"Its fine." Greg insisted.

"I'm-"

"If you say sorry one more time I will kick your ass! Or I'll get Sara to do it."

Nick laughed slightly. "Okay."

"You sure you're alright?" Greg's voice was low and serious.

"Yeah." Nick swallowed.

"You sound like you've been crying."

"Please, Greg, drop it. Please."

"Sorry, Nick."

"S'fine."

"I gotta go, Grissom's been turning a blind eye for like, five minutes."

"Okay, Greg. Thanks."

"I didn't do anything, but you're welcome."

"Bye."

"Bye." The phone went dead. Nick squeezed his eyes closed. At least Greg didn't hate him. But Tali knew he lied... Nick curled up even tighter, feeling nine again. He barely heard the door open.

"Nick? Can I come in?"

He nodded at Rosa.

"Nick, it wasn't just a mugging, was it?" Nick looked up into Rosa's brown eyes. He opened his mouth ready to lie, but somehow he shook his head.

Rosa's eyes mirrored Nick's pain. "What happened, Nicky?"

Nick just shook his head. "I...I saw Maria today. She's working in my school."

"Qué es la problema con Maria?"

"I...I got locked in the shed in the dark with the bats..." Nick was unable to dispel the image of Rosa's lifeless body as the lie slipped out from his lips.

"Nick..."

"I was scared and I made a fool of myself." Nick admitted wearily.

"Okay." Rosa sighed.

Nick just blinked slowly.

"Do you want some Churros?"

Nick looked up in shock. "Really? You haven't made them forever."

"You mean two months."

Half an hour later Nick snuggled up to Rosa on the couch with a bowl full of churros and a hot chocolate. She stuck on a film and wrapped her arm protectively around the boy she saw as a son.

"There. I won't let anyone lock you in any shed." Nick smiled a small but genuine smile.

When Ethan and MJ got back a few hours later, Rosa gestured for them to be quiet, pointing at their sleeping brother.

"Is he okay?" Ethan asked in concern.

"He'll be fine." Rosa didn't move.

"He freaked out when he saw Maria today. I mean really freaked out."

"I know." Rosa rubbed Nick's arm softly. "There was an incident when she babysat, with the bats in the shed, I think."

"Oh, I get it." Ethan murmured.

"Oh, god, look at his cheek!" MJ gasped. "Jesus!"

Nick moaned softly and MJ covered her mouth. "Damn it, sorry."

Nick blinked. "What happened?"

"You okay, Nick?" MJ asked. Nick blinked and looked at his sister.

His hand flew automatically to his aching cheek. He glanced at the floor. No, I'm not. Not okay, not okay, not okay!

"Yeah. I'm okay."

CSIVCSIVCSIV

Maria Mitchell slumped down on the sofa. "Nick nearly gave it away today."

"Don't worry." Jason responded. "I fixed him. He's just a kid, he's too scared to do shit."

"Some of his friends are real sweet. Greg Sanders, Morgan Brody, Sara Sidle..."

"By sweet you mean...?"

She smiled. "Yeah."

"So we're going through with it?" Jason felt a thrill race through every vein as Maria nodded. "Who first?"

Maria bit her lip, then her eyes lit up.

"Sara."