Sara touched Catherine's shoulder. "We have to tell Nick about Greg's secret."

"No." Catherine looked out the windows of her office. "We have to let Greg tell him that. Nick doesn't need to know. The trial's beginning soon and Greg's in good enough condition to start his interviews with the lawyers."

Sara nodded and looked towards Greg's vacant lab. "You think we should be worried about Nick?"

"You mean his breakdown?"

"Yeah. What if something happens like this again?"

Catherine smiled at Sara. "Remember when he got beaten up real bad?" She looked up, closing her eyes. "I remember having to walk with Greg to and from his car. He was afraid of the moonlight because he felt like they'd jump out and hurt him at any time. Nick helped him through it by always waiting for Greg at the entrance and to always walk him outside and half way to his car."

Sara remembered what she'd done for Greg before.

Greg had the explosion to deal with and she'd helped him ease back into the daily life. She'd been the first to help him come one step closer to normality he'd missed. Nick had been the first to make him laugh after that.

Greg's emotions had always been off cue for someone who was supposed to be distant from the cases. But Sara had always known how to draw him back.

Catherine touched her shoulder, drawing her out. "C'mon. Greg's suffered enough. Let's put this sucker behind bars."

-Nick-

He finally opened his eyes and smiled.

Greg was sleeping peacefully and his monitors were still beeping just a little at a time. He slowly got to his feet. Being in and out of sleep was taking it's toll on his shoulders and back, but it was worth it to wake up holding Greg's hand. To see the person he wanted most sleeping away was worth every sore and ache.

He suddenly noticed Greg's eyes flutter under his lids.

Nick was about to reach out when he heard a single, solitary knock on the door. He darted to the door, hiding behind it as it eased open. He breathed deep when the door stopped short of him. He heard the footsteps approach the bed and slowly moved around the door.

Ivan was standing at the foot of Greg's bed.

Greg's open palm flexed and his eyes fluttered again.

Nick slowly approached behind Ivan, slowly easing the hammer down to fire the gun. He held it to Ivan's back, but waited to see what Ivan wanted. He had to have something good to use in court. If Ivan tried to hurt Greg, that would be proof that mother and son worked together on this.

Ivan reached down and slid the blanket up Greg's shins. His fingers brushed against Greg's exposed skin, waking him.

Groggily, Greg turned his head so his mostly healed eye could see whatever woke him. He gasped and slowly raised himself. "Ivan."

"Greg." He was slowly leaning forward and Nick had to bite his lip. Ivan's fingers slowly worked on the muscles on the shins. "I guess it's good you're alone." He was sliding to the side and Nick had to follow so his shadow wouldn't show. But that also meant Greg wouldn't see him until Ivan moved closer. "I want to make you suffer. I wanted to make you feel pain. You should be dead."

Greg's eye spotted Nick, but he acted like he was turning his head away. "They released you, didn't they?"

"They had to. It's Alexis being charged. I'm free to do as I please. After all, I escaped that restraining order you tried on me." He leaned down and his hand moved up Greg's torso to his throat. His hand slowly clamped down. "Now, I'm going to make you suffer so nobody will want you but me. I know how beautiful your body is and just how sweet your blood tastes."

Nick had to act then.

The monitors beeped.

Nick pressed the gun into Ivan's neck. "Back off." He waited for a response. He noticed Greg's hand clenched into a fist and took that as a sign that danger was coming.

He ducked as Ivan went for a swing at him. Nick fired the gun at the ceiling to alert the changing officers. The two coming in to the shift came running in as Nick was punched in the face, pretty hard. He went down, but got back up. He wrestled with Ivan as Ivan picked up his gun.

Greg had turned away and was coughing nastily. The female officer used her body to keep Ivan from hurting him. The male officer dashed forward to help Nick.

Nick got a nice whack with the back of Ivan's head. He was about to let go when he noticed Ivan had a weak base. Nick checked his memory.

He put Ivan's right arm over his shoulders and pushed Ivan's head down before the spring motion got Nick into a suplex. The impact hurt both of them, but Nick had braced for the impact on the moving table and it's metal pieces. Nick hissed with a bit of pain before he twisted Ivan's arm so he was face-down on the floor.

A small trail of blood escaped Nick and got into his eye.

"NICK!" was all he heard as Ivan turned and the side of Nick's head collided with the wall.