Sorry for the delay in updates. I've been stuck on where I was going to take this story. There is going to be a lot of both Nick and Greg angst coming up, that I can promise you.

Chapter 12

As they continued to sit down in the musty old cellar, Nick continued to sit with Greg while the others waited patiently for rescue to come. As Nick looked at Greg, he saw bruises beginning to form around Greg's neck. "Greggo, are you alright?"

"What?" asked Greg with still a slightly raspy voice.

"You're neck is covered in bruises, man."

Greg slowly brought his hand up to his neck and began to press down on the skin. Sure enough, when he touched them, it hurt. "Huh, I do, don't I? Grissom's gonna have a field day when he sees these," laughed Greg.

With this comment, a smile began to creep across Nick's face. It was amazing how Greg could keep a sense of humor in the worst possible scenarios. "How do you do it?" asked Nick.

In confusion, Greg turned his head and looked at Nick. "How do I do what?"

"How do you manage to keep a sense of humor even when there are two guys who want to kill us all?"

"Ah, so the master wants to learn from the grasshopper, does he?" laughed Greg.

Nick shot Greg a cold look. "It's simple. I just ignore what is happening at the moment and think it's a normal day. You should try it sometime. You're always up-tight at work, you need some humor in your life."

"Yeah, well try to pull off being happy when you have a dark past," explained Nick.

"Everyone has a secret in their past they never want to talk about. For instance, the man I thought was my dad was really my kidnapper and my best friend's parent's murderer. How am I going to explain THAT one to the team?"

Again, Nick felt a smile spread across his face. "Thanks G."

"For what?"

"For being my friend and cheering me up."

"I'm not only your friend man. I'm your brother."

"Yeah, that's true. But it won't matter. If Grissom and everyone doesn't show up soon, we're all as good as dead," sighed Nick.

As Nick sat there, wallowing in his sorrow, Greg looked down at the floor with sorrow in his eyes. Then, suddenly, a light bulb went on over his head, causing his eyes to light up. "I've got it," he muttered.

"What?" asked Nick.

But Greg didn't answer him. Instead, he walked up the stairs towards the door. "Greg! What are you doing?" shouted Nick.

Then, out of no where, Greg began banging on the door shouting, "Is anyone out there? I got to go to the bathroom!"

"What is he doing?" asked David as he walked up to Nick.

Nick just shrugged at David and watched as the door opened to reveal Chad Jacobs. "What do you want boy?" he asked.

"I need to go to the bathroom."

Everyone in the cellar laughed at Greg's meticulous plan. "Alright, you got five minutes," he said as he took Greg by the arm and led him into the house.

As Chad closed the door, everyone walked up to Nick and asked, "What is he doing?"

"How should I know? From the moment I met him, he has been so unpredictable. But, really smart…and stupid at the same time," explained Nick.

Everyone nodded and just stared at the door, wondering what Greg was doing.

As Chad closed the door behind him, he shoved Greg forward. "Let's go," he bellowed.

"Alright!" replied Greg as he walked through the house with Chad close behind. As they walked up the stairs, Greg began to look around, hoping to catch something. Finally, they had reached the bathroom and Greg managed to see a chair in the room across the hall. "Make this quick," ordered Chad as he pushed Greg into the bathroom.

As soon as the door was closed, Greg opened the window of the bathroom and made it look like he had made an escape. After making sure everything was in place, he hid behind the shower curtain and waited. After five minutes, Chad walked in and began to say, "What the hell is…SHIT!"

Greg quietly peered around the curtain and saw Chad looking out the window. Siezing his moment, Greg quietly walked out from behind the shower curtain, removed his shoe, and hit Chad over the head, knocking him unconscious. Smiling at his handiwork, Greg shut the bathroom door and placed a chair underneath the knob. "There, that should hold him," he muttered as he quietly ran down the stairs.

As Greg was about to open the door to the cellar, he saw Thomas Sanders fast asleep on the couch. Smiling to himself, he quietly opened the door to the cellar.

Everyone was sitting around the cellar when the door opened. Everyone looked up and saw Greg quietly motioning for them to follow him. As they ran up the stairs, Nick turned to Greg and asked, "What did you do?"

"I'll tell you later. For now, let's get out of here," whispered Greg.

Everyone began to run out of the house, but Greg took another look into the living room. Thomas was still sleeping on the couch. Thinking of something, he tip-toed into the room and grabbed the phone cord. Nick saw what Greg was doing and whispered, "Greg, let's go."

"It will only take a minute," replied Greg as he began to tie Thomas's wrists together.

As Greg was about to finish the knot, Thomas's eyes shot wide open and he brought his hands up and around Greg's neck. "GREG!" shouted Nick.

Nick watched as Thomas began to strangle Greg and Greg gasp for air. "Nick, come on!" shouted David from the door.

Nick took a look at David and freedom and then at Greg and losing a friend and brother. "Nick!" shouted David.

As David continued to shout at Nick, Nick stood glued to the spot, thinking of whether or not to save himself or to save Greg. "Nick, let's go!"

TBC…

Oooohhh, cliffhanger. Please leave a review!