AH! So many reviews! I BEAT MY TARGET! My new target is 300 reviews at least by the end. I hope you guys'll help. I was literally so happy that I danced in the rain :-) thanks so much guys. Funny, no one seems to want Nicky to die. Me included, but oh...will it be necessary for the plot? Could I be that evil? You will just have to read on :P

I really hope this chapter's up to your standards! I HAVE THE BEST READERS EVER!

Read (Thank you). Enjoy (I hope). Review (I beg you!)

Chapter Thirty One # Skyfall #

Tali shifted slightly in her sleep. Something was wrong. The left side of her face was soaking. She drifted out from unconsciousness wondering if she'd been crying.

Before she opened her eyes she remembered where she was, pictured every detail of the room and the past rooms she'd been in. She wished her sister was here, or Ari. They would know what to do. She sighed and froze.

A familiar metallic smell filled her nose. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring down Nick's chest. She frowned and pushed herself up tiredly. Musty light was filtering through the window and it fell upon Nick's pale face.

Tali's heart stopped beating and her blood froze within her veins. Her fingers moved towards a long gash in Nick's throat which was bleeding steadily.

"Nick?" She whispered. "Nicky?" She shook his arm.

Nothing.

"Nick!" Her voice grew slightly louder. Was he breathing?

Oh god, was he breathing?

She dropped her cheek above his mouth, praying to feel something. Fifteen seconds later she took her head away and screamed a long loud wordless scream. The others instantly woke up to Tali desperately shaking Nick's shoulders.

"Wake up Nicky, wake up, wake up! Please wake up please!" She sobbed.

"Nick!" Greg cried in horror. "What happened?"

"I don't know, I just woke up and he was like this."

Sara gasped in horror and dragged herself over. "Nick, you gotta wake up!"

"You need to stop the bleeding." Catherine walked past, pulling off her top. She pushed it up against Nick's neck, gently removing him from Tali's grip.

When pressure was applied to the wound, searing, blinding pain shot through Nick's body. His eyes flew open in desperation but his vision was blurred. He tried to scream, to beg, to cry but the only sounds to escape his mouth were soft whimpers, like the noise made by an abandoned kitten.

Jesus Christ, I don't want to die!

"Nick! Thank god! Hold on Nicky, you're gonna be okay...you gotta be okay." Tali urged with a sob.

Nick could just about make out her words and tears sprung to his eyes. He shook his head and strained to say two very important words.

"D...don'...cry."

She sobbed again and Catherine tied the top around his throat much like Tali had done only hours before. The Israeli stroked the side of his face gently.

Now he was struggling to keep awake. He reached up with a faltering hand. Tali's eyes and hands were on his face so she didn't see, but a warm hand made its way into each of his. Warrick and Sara both took a hand and squeezed it gently. Greg's hand rested gently on Nick's knee, just to let Nick know he was there. Similarly Ryan put a hand on Nick's shoulder and Morgan stroked his hair. Tony and Catherine hung back to give the others a sense of privacy. Archie didn't move from the position he woke up in. He was too shocked.

"We need to move. Now." Tony heard footsteps.

"How?" Morgan cried softly.

Warrick crouched. "Sorry bud." He apologised to Nick.

"Don'...'eave...leese..." The Texan whimpered.

"I'm not." Warrick soothed. "But this might hurt a little." He slid his arms under Nick's legs and neck and Nick moaned softly. Then he lifted Nick up. "Let's go." He said strongly.

"Sara." Tony held out his arms. She used them to help herself stand and she slid back onto his back. Morgan's hand found Greg's and they all set off. They could hear the footsteps coming closer and closer and they sped up, but with Nick and Sara effectively immobile Azrael easily caught them up.

"Hello." They turned. "I see you found my gift." He gestured to Nick. Anger stirred in all of the teenagers. Tali lurched forward but Archie grabbed her. "Your parents were very happy to see what was going on, by the way. I heard the Elise Sanders had to be sedated."

Greg swallowed. He glanced at Nick's weakening form. Shit, they didn't have much time.

"Run." He murmured out of the side of his mouth, putting Morgan's hand in Ryan's. "Run. I'll be right behind you, I swear." He waited for a moment. "Go!"

The others reluctantly broke into a run. Greg on the other hand charged at Azrael. At the last second he stopped short. "Hello."

"Hello." Azrael looked amused.

"You know what my speciality was as a little kid? My one skill?"

"No. What was it?" The man asked patronisingly.

"Well, I could make bombs out of...well, pretty much everything. I liked your kitchen by the way."

"Did you?" Azrael's tone remained condensing.

"Yeah." Greg nodded. "And little me would have liked it even more."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. Plenty of stuff to make bombs with. Bye bye." Greg started running backwards and Azrael raised an eyebrow. Then he looked down. Something was stuck to his clothes right above his groin. It looked like one of the cups from the kitchen, but it was filled with something and covered in a sticky substance. A small fuse hung out the bottom and spluttered and died as it reached the 'bomb'. He laughed, but his laugh was cut short as it exploded. He roared in pain and fell to the floor.

Meanwhile Greg caught up with the others. "Keep going! Keep going!" They suddenly heard sirens outside.

"Look!" Ryan pointed out of the window. Police were surrounding the building and Russell and Grissom ran out of the house, pointing desperately at it and pointing around.

"They're telling them how to find us." Ryan beamed. Suddenly the closest police officer to Grissom fell, and arrow in his chest.

"Oh boy." Tony swallowed.

This isn't over yet.

"Guys! I found the way out!" Archie whispered loudly. "That dude's guarding it. The one that hurt Greg."

"Leave him to me." Tali growled. Nick moaned weakly and she kissed him on the forehead. "I'll be back."

His eyes fluttered dangerously but he nodded. Tali pulled a sword off of a suit of armour and descended the large staircase slowly and purposefully.

"Aw, wanna sword fight, little girl?" The man teased. Tali pointed the sword at him. He threw away his gun and his knife and drew a large sword from his belt.

"Ah, hell." Warrick muttered as they gathered on the balcony whilst the two sword carriers began circling.

"Ya know, you kids had this coming for a long time." The man taunted. Tali just continued to circle him. "And you're never getting out." Tali didn't respond. "How long do you think it'll take your little cowboy to bleed out?"

Tali lunged at the man who was taken by surprise at the flurry of steel. He managed to smack her in the head with his sword but that was all he could do. She smashed her sword into his and within seconds she slashed at his leg. He staggered and cried out with pain and Tali swung at his other leg, her face cold. The man fell to the ground and she looked at the others.

"Quickly!" They started to run down the staircase and Tali tried to open the door. The moment it opened a crack, small, metal arrowhead like darts flew out of the star banisters. Warrick yelled as they stabbed into his legs and knocked him over, sending him and Nick flying down the stairs.

Tony stumbled but didn't fall as he descended, gritting his teeth against the barbs sticking out of legs. Ryan yelped as the metal pierced his skin and he fell into the screaming Morgan. They all fell to the bottom of the stairs and through all of it Nick lay in a still heap on the floor.

They hardly noticed as the entrance hall burst into flames.

CSIVCSIVCSIV

"Okay the police down near Jamieson have managed to set up a video feed to show you what's happening outside the manor. Now personally I'm not sure it's a good idea, but anyway, here we go." Stanton Gerrard, a local cop said.

"I don't think I want Emily to see this." Anna murmured to her husband who had met her at the police station.

"Mary-Jane, take Emily outside." Jillian muttered." Ethan you go too."

"Mom-" MJ protested but her father put a hand on her shoulder.

"MJ. Take the kid outside. Call your brother and sisters." MJ nodded shakily, taking Emily from Anna, as she left she cast one last glance at the screen that was flickering to life.

The adults held their breath as the mansion came into view. They could see the police cars, and could see Grissom and Russell trying to get back into the house. Orange danced behind the windows.

"Oh my god its on fire!" Elise breathed, gripping Andrew's hands.

The door moved open and Tony DiNozzo staggered out, blood pouring from his legs, Sara clinging to his back. Both were coughing and Tony flinched away as a loud shot rang through the camera. A policeman ran forward and tried to take Sara but Tony shook his head so the policeman guided them behind a police car.

The Sidle's and Tony's dad exhaled in relief.

Ryan and Archie were next to stumbled dragging Tali between them. She was bleeding heavily from her head and trying to get back into the house. Suddenly Ryan cried out, tumbling towards the floor, pressing a hand firmly to his chest. Tali instantly turned and caught him before he hit the floor. Archie ran around to the other side of Ryan and grabbed his other arm. They helped him get to the police car and flop against the side next to Tony and Sara, who were already getting medical attention.

Next out of the door were Morgan, Catherine and Warrick, all of whom were bleeding from their legs. Morgan was shaking violently and Catherine's arm was wrapped around her, her other hand on Warrick's arm. When they exited the hidden gunmen emerged, shooting at them.

Warrick and Catherine hit the deck, dragging Morgan down with them. The police shot the man down and two armed officers brought them over to the safety of the car. After that there was nothing. The camera picked up the teens hand in hand all being fussed over by paramedics, staring at the house. Jillian and Bill held hands tightly as the house burned. The roof started to cave in and no one else came out.

"Greg. Where's Greg?" Andrew whispered.

A loud groan came through the camera and something else collapsed. A fire engine pulled up but before the fire engine pulled up the house exploded.

"No!" The teenagers screamed in unison with each other and their parents.

Jillian and Elise immediately started sobbing and the men tried to console their wives.

No one's mind could process the unthinkable.

The house had blown up.

Greg and Nick were still inside.

As the firemen ran to put out the fire Morgan pushed away the paramedics and stood in front of the burning house. She staggered forwards and stopped.

"Greg...Nick..." The others all stood up, even Sara and Ryan and joined her.

"I think you all need to sit down..." Five minutes later they listened to the paramedics. Catherine was the last to turn. She froze and turned back.

"Look!" She yelled. They all turned. The parents watched holding their breath as a small figure emerged from around the side of our house. The flames drew away as Greg staggered forward, carrying Nick's limp form in his arms.

"Oh my god..." Jillian murmured. Halfway up to the group Greg fell down to his knees but as the firemen approached he stood up again and kept walking. The firemen eventually took Nick from his arms and Greg stumbled tiredly. Morgan ran forward and flung her arms around Greg, supporting him and herself. He buried her face in her hair and they fell to the floor.

"Greg, Greg, Greg, Greg!" She whimpered over and over again.

"I'm okay...I'm okay."

They were out. They were okay.

They stared at the paramedics rushing to get Nick into an ambulance.

They weren't okay.

CSIVCSIVCSIV

Nick eased his eyes open a fraction. The house was on fire, he was in pain and there was no way he wasn't going to die. He could hear his friends screaming loudly. A section of the roof fell in and separated him from everyone else. No, not everyone else. Greg was trapped with him.

So Greg was going to die too. No, please God no!

"G...Gr..eg... " he tried to speak.

The next thing he knew, small but strong arms were lifting him up off of the floor.

He was being carried out of this hell. Thank god...

Suddenly he was back in the room they had begun in, only this time he couldn't reach any of his friends.

They were all bleeding, dying.

Nick cried out as Azrael stood over Tali, a knife in his hand. He screamed as she was stabbed over and over again. Then Azrael shapeshifted into Jason Johnson. Nick's eyes opened even wider in horror as the man started to assault Greg.

"NOOOO!"

Suddenly it was Maria, beating Sara, then Morgan throwing up so violently that she suffocated. Warrick was being beaten and –

"Nick?"

And...and...and...

"Nick?"

He was...they were...dying?

"Pancho?"

He opened his eyes.

WEIVER! (Review)

Ps – Chapter title is slightly if you listen to the song Skyfall by Adele (AKA the New Bond theme song) it makes more sense!