Chapter Nine: Danger

Nick woke up with a Cheshire grin on his face that he couldn't seem to shake. Stopping his obnoxious alarm clock, he closed his eyes to once again picture Greg's face when he kissed him again, feeling those heavenly warm tingles in his stomach. He felt like a gooey teenager once again, all warm with love bubbling up inside of him.

Climbing out of bed, Nick rushed off down the hall to take a quick shower before he was expected at the lab. Today felt like any other day, but today was the day that Nick awoke with a smile on his face for the first time in a long time.

Quickly stripping his pyjamas, Nick stepped under the warm spray of the shower, beginning to wash his hair and body. The bathroom started to fill with warm steam the longer he was under the spray. He wanted to stay in there forever thinking about Greg, but he knew he had to get back to work to solve this murder case that wasn't getting any easier.

Nick brushed his teeth then carefully shaved his jaw line, taking pride in his appearance for the first time in a while as he knew he'd be seeing Greg again today.

Nick rushed back into his room to get dressed, taking a moment to look at the various jeans and shirts that housed his wardrobe before he picked out something suitable to wear to work and to see Greg in too.

Nick picked out some dark faded jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt in black. He checked his appearance then heard a noise coming from his bedside table. Nick reached for his cell phone as he realised that was making the beeping sound. He opened up a message from Greg, reading:

You're so delicious; I could eat you up Nicholas Stokes. Have a good day!

Nick sighed dreamily, biting his lip as he composed a message back.

Greg pulled his fourth change of t-shirt on, looking at himself in the mirror. He was nervous about his first real day in the crime lab and excited to see his new boyfriend again after the heavenly kiss they shared the night before in the most romantic setting that he had ever kissed anyone in.

That and it was the best kiss he had ever had.

Greg decided to stop with the wardrobe change and start on his hair before he made himself late for his first day. Glancing round at his phone he caught sight of a new message coming through from Nick, reading:

Good Morning Gorgeous! I will. You too. Talk to you later Greg.

Greg grinned widely then stuffed his phone in his pocket, quickly grabbing his jacket and keys as he made his way off out the door. On the car drive to the lab Greg received a message from Grissom telling him to meet Warrick and Nick at his first crime scene of the day. After working with Catherine all day yesterday, Greg was glad to be working with the men of the team.

Not that he didn't like her; she just seemed annoyed to have to be babysitting him on his first day of work.

Pushing the car door shut once he arrived, Greg made his way off towards the house he was sent to process, pocketing his keys with his newly stocked kit in hand. He ducked under the tape as Mitch lifted it for him, smiling over at Detective O'Riley in the hallway of the entrance hall. "Hi."

"Hey Sanders," O'Riley looked at the young deputy who was out of uniform and holding a kit in his hands. "You got the job?"

"Yep." Greg grinned widely.

"Bodies through there," He pointed through to the front room. "CSI Warrick Brown is upstairs, he told me to tell the next CSI to start on the body."

"So, what have we got?" Usually Greg was the one to be answering that question, now he was glad to be the other side gathering all the evidence instead of guarding the tape.

"There's one DB, Caucasian male. Names Malcolm White, he's a bank teller." O'Riley told him as he referred back to his notes. "Looks like a home invasion." Greg nodded looking around at the signs of struggle. "The neighbours heard screams, they called 9 – 1 – 1. Keep me posted okay Sanders." Greg nodded as O'Riley made his way off out the door to go and take some more witness statements, asking them all whether they heard or saw anything.

Placing his kit down on the floor in the doorway to the front room, Greg snapped some gloves on his hands then made his way over towards the body on the other side of the coffee table. He took a picture of the body's position. The man was face up. As far as Greg could tell it looked as though he was shot and fell straight to the ground before he bled to death as the man was lying in a pool of his own blood, leaking from his head wound.

Greg took another few pictures; one to ones and close ups before he smiled up at the officer stood guard in the room. As he looked up he noticed the officer looked as though he was about to hurl.

"Hey, are you okay?" Greg asked him as he turned a little greener. "Clarkson, do you feel okay?"

Officer Clarkson nodded slightly then shook his head as he looked down at the body again. "I-I feel a little..." He gulped hard, inhaling slow deep breaths. "I feel a little sick."

"Your first body watch?" Greg asked him. The young officer nodded, cringing as he looked down at the body. Greg had worked a few times with him tape guarding, but he had never worked with Clarkson on a body watch and he clearly wasn't taking it too well. "You need some air? I'll be fine... Go!" Greg quickly ushered him out as he saw he was going to throw up and he didn't want him throwing up all over his first crime scene.

That would put a big black mark on his record.

Officer Clarkson quickly made his way out of the house, making it to the bushes outside before he started retching his guts up.

Greg smiled softly at the rookie then made his way off towards the kitchen as the back door was still open. He pulled his flashlight from his vest pocket, looking at a bloody handprint on the kitchen counter. He stepped around the counter, finding a broken fingernail by the sink. Unfortunately he couldn't get DNA from it as it looked to be acrylic. He picked it up with his tweezers, stuffing it into an evidence bag in case it was useful to his case or just someone's laziness to put in the trash can that was three feet away.

Suddenly a dark figure burst out of the closet beside him. Greg put his hands up to defend himself, but he was quickly forced against the counter by the stronger man. Greg used the only thing in his hand, the flashlight to smack the guy over the head.

"Suspe..." He was about to shout as he got out of his grip, but the suspect gave him a hard thump to the mouth forcing him against the other counter. Greg continued to fight against him, trying to make out his face but he was wearing a ski mask so he could only see was his bright green eyes.

Greg was about to yell out for help as he pulled away again, but the suspect pushed him back with a great force, making Greg stumble back and smack the side of his head against the counter. He fell back against the floor, feeling dizzy and queasy as he started to pass out.

"Hey Nick," O'Riley waved as he came up the path towards the house. "DB's inside."

"Where's Greg?" He asked as he pulled his sunglasses off, hanging them on his vest pocket.

"Inside." O'Riley pointed before he started talking to one of the witnesses again.

Nick made his way into the house, almost tripping on Greg's kit sat on the floor. He pulled his flashlight out of his vest to look down at it, noticing the body across the room, but no Greg.

Nick set his kit down beside Greg's, raising his flashlight as he looked around the room. "Greg?" He shouted as he made his way over to the body. He looked down at the bodies position then noticed a dark figure in the kitchen and Greg's flashlight rolling across the floor. "Suspect on location!" Nick shouted to alert the attention of the other officers as he pulled his gun from its holster, making his way off towards the kitchen. "Aye!" He shouted making the suspect turn.

The suspect dropped Greg onto the kitchen floor deciding to leave him as he run off out the back door.

Nick was going to chase after him but he saw the blood down the side of Greg's head, deciding he was his priority. The officers outside heard the commotion and ran into the house with their guns drawn.

"Out back!" Nick pointed off out the back door as he knelt down to check on Greg. "Hey Greg, hold on." He spoke softly as he saw his eyes faintly opening. Nick pulled his cell from his pocket, quickly hitting his speed dial for Control. "This is CSI Nick Stokes, I need an ambulance on location . . . hold on Greg."

Sandra walked up the stairs to her father's room with a dinner tray in her hands. Peering round the door she saw the bed was unoccupied, which was odd as he hadn't left the bed in days other than to go to the toilet.

Sandra set the tray down on the side noticing all of his clothes were gone too.

Quickly making her way off down the stairs, Sandra head straight out to the lab down the end of the garden as she feared that her father might have taken him to do his memory wipe on him.

Without even thinking Sandra pounded her fist against the lab doors then folded her arms across her chest as she waited to confront her father about the missing green eyed man.

"What is it Sandy? You know I'm busy and must not be disturbed." Doctor Nelson snapped as he pulled open the doors.

"Where is he?" She demanded, her voice full with hurt as her only friend was gone.

"Where's who?" He cluelessly asked.

"You know who I mean daddy, the man that you rescued. Where is he? What have you done with him?" Sandra pushed past her father, hastily making her way into the lab to go and look for him.

"Sandy stop!" Doctor Nelson shouted as he rushed off after her. "Sandy!" He shouted again but she wasn't listening. She walked round the large machinery that she had seen before; making her way round to the chair where Ellie was sat the other day, but today it was empty.

Doctor Nelson quickly caught up to his daughter, stopping her from going any further.

"Stop this Sandy; you're behaving like a child. He's not in here, he must have gone home."

"But he didn't know who he was, and he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to me. You said you were going to wipe his memory, so what have you done with him?"

"Master, it's done." A voice cut through the buzzing of lab equipment.

Sandra whirled around to see the green eyed man and the woman known as Ellie stood behind. The green eyed man was holding a gun in his hands and Ellie's blouse was covered in blood splatter. Sandra slowly turned back to her father with an evil glare on her face. "You lied to me daddy."

"I did it for your own good!" He defended himself then turned to the man in the room. "Did you get the CSI?" The green eyed man shook his head. "So you failed me, again?" He hissed at him. "You know he's vital to my plan. Did you at least get Mr White?" Ellie and the green eyed man nodded robotically, scaring Sandra as they weren't behaving like normal human beings.

"Daddy I demand to know what's going on!"

"You don't need to know!" He shouted back at her then scratched his stubbled chin as he tried to think what he was going to do with her. "You." He pointed to the green eyed man. "Get her into the machine, I have a plan."

"Daddy no!" She shouted, but he ignored her cries as the man and Ellie dragged her away kicking and screaming. "Daddy stop this! Please daddy! I didn't do anything!"

"Ouch." Greg winced as Nick swabbed the cut on his knuckles.

"Sorry." Nick gave him an apologetic look, snapping the lid shut over the swab he took from Greg's knuckles. Greg turned his head to the side as Nick raised his camera to document the wounds on the side of his head.

Nick tried to keep his cool as he saw the blood trickling down the side of Greg's face. More than anything he wanted to get out there with the other officers and find whoever hurt Greg, but O'Riley wouldn't let him so he stayed with Greg trying to gather the evidence they needed to arrest his attacker. "Did he hurt you anywhere else?"

Greg slid off the back of the ambulance, rolling his t-shirt up his chest. Nick looked at the reddish bruise beginning to form on his chest. He looked into Greg's eyes, feeling bad for being late now as he could have been here to stop this from happening to him.

He snapped a picture of the injury, supporting Greg's weight as he pulled himself back onto the ambulance.

Nick nodded round to the paramedic, taking a step back as they checked Greg over again, shinning a flash light into his eyes to check if he had a concussion or not.

Right then Nick's cool snapped and he immediately turned his attention towards the officers by the tape. He set his camera down on top of his kit, charging over to them like a man on a mission. "I wonna know why there wasn't an officer inside!" Nick demanded, shooting accusing glares at them all. "How many times do us CSI's have to be attacked on a crime scene before you get the message through your thick skulls?"

"Calm down Stokes." O'Riley tried to settle him.

"Calm down? Catherine was attacked on a crime scene because one of you guys stepped out of the room. I was kidnapped and buried alive. Greg coulda been killed!"

"Nick! Cool it!" Warrick shouted as the angry Texan lunged for them. He held Nick back, trying to pull him away from the other officers. "What are you doing man?"

"I'm so sick of em Warrick. Why don't they ever follow the fuckin' protocol?"

"I dunno man. C'mon, it's not worth it." He pulled Nick off towards his truck, looking round at Greg sat on the back of the ambulance. "Now take a deep breath and talk to me Nick." He spoke softly to Nick once they were away from the crime scene.

"They left the freakin' scene and Greg was attacked." Nick looked at his hands, realising he was shaking. It had been less than four months since he got out of hospital from the incident where he was kidnapped and attacked. He could still feel the ant bites under his skin, scratching against the surface of his shirt.

"C'mon man, deep breaths." Warrick instructed, noticing he was showing all the signs of having a panic attack. "Greg's okay man. See, he's gonna be fine."

"That's not the point Warrick!" Nick snapped, running his hands through his hair.

"Maybe you should take some more time off Nick?" He suggested. "Your wound so tight, you were about to hit an officer just there." He pointed out to him, watching the hot headed Texan taking a few relieving deep breaths. "C'mon man, I can handle this scene alone. You go home, I'll talk to Griss."

"No, I'm good . . . I'll go with Greg." Nick handed over the Denali keys to Warrick, making his way over to the ambulance as it was about to leave. Nick climbed into the back of the ambulance, giving Greg a smile as he took a seat beside the paramedic. The other paramedic closed the back doors then ran round to the driver's seat, driving them off towards the nearest hospital, Desert Palms.

Nick followed the gurney with Greg on it into the hospital, staying with him every step of the way. Luckily Nick still had his CSI badge on him so the doctors allowed him to stay in the room while they treated Greg's wounds.

"Nick, you really don't have to stay with me." Greg tilted his head to the side as the doctor inspected the wound to the side of his head.

"Well, I want to Greg." Nick took a seat beside his bed, watching the doctor helping Greg to remove his t-shirt. Greg winced as he strained the bruises on his chest, leaning back against the propped up pillows once his shirt was off. The doctor put Greg's t-shirt in an evidence bag before he treated the wounds to his body.

Nick waited for the doctor to leave then stayed while Greg fell asleep due to his head injury. He thought back to four months ago when he was the one in the hospital bed and his friends and family were sat where he was.

He really hated hospitals.

Grissom quickly rounded the corridor of the hospital, making his way towards his newest CSI's hospital room. Stopping outside the room he noticed Nick sat beside the bed holding the young CSI's hand as he slept.

"He's been here just over four hours." Catherine informed him as she stepped up beside him.

"Is he okay?"

"Which one?" Catherine asked as she was worried about both of them. "Greg's gonna be fine, he has minor bruises on his chest. He did get a nasty cut to his head as he hit the counter, but the doctors said it's a minor concussion. They've done all their cat scans and things, he's gonna be fine." She smiled softly at Grissom. "Gil, you assured me this wasn't going to be another Holly Gribbs."

"I'm sorry about that." Grissom gulped hard. "I didn't know. But he's okay. What about Nick?"

"He refuses to go; I think they've been seeing each other or something." Catherine glanced at the look in the young Texan's eyes. "I think he's okay though. Warrick had to calm him down at the crime scene, but we all know how hot headed he is, even before the buried alive thing." Grissom nodded in agreement. "I can stay with them if you want?"

"But it's your day off."

"I don't mind." Catherine made her way back to her seat where she had been waiting. "Lindsey's at school so I'm not doing anything."

"Okay," Grissom took one last look at Nick then turned to look at Catherine. "Keep me posted. And make sure you get Greg's statement of the suspect when he wakes up."

"Will do." She nodded, watching the fatherly concern look on Grissom's face as he checked on Nick one last time before he left.

Sandra struggled and screamed as much as she could, but her father wasn't listening. He secured the straps around her body then dragged another machine up beside her with some weird looking clamps on them. Doctor Nelson set a cold metal machine over her forehead and a metal frame on the crown of her head before he positioned the clamps in her eyes to keep them open.

Sandra screamed again from the pain when a TV screen came into focus above her.

Doctor Nelson flipped the switch sending electrical jolts throughout her body. It hurt at first but then she couldn't feel anything, she just kept her eyes focused on the screen above her that appeared to be some sort of mind control device.

Please Review

Sorry it took so long to update, I lost my notes on the case :D lol I wouldn't make a very good CSI, but I found them so I can continue where the story left off now.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

~ Holly ~