Title: One Eye Open

Spoiler: CSI up to season 3

Summary: It's been a year since Nick had a stalker. Nick's scary brush with death comes back in a terrifying manner when he finds out that his stalker has kidnapped his sister. Nick and the Las Vegas Crime Lab race against the clock to find Nick's sister before it's too late.

Disclaimer: I only own what you do not recognize. CSI Belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer and all of those smart people who created these fine CSI series.

My Note: I'm trying to get better about updating in a quicker manner, but between this story and Lips of Pink, plus my original writing, life itself, and my royalty blog, I've been really busy. But nevertheless, here is chapter 2!

Chapter 2: Tonight

Donna's first day in Las Vegas went well. She and Nick spent some time together and were able to do some talking, though he didn't say much about work other than it was 'good'. Then he was called back to work. Once they had settled into their pizza that night, Nick calmed down and became the brother she remembered, not this guy that looked over his shoulder. Donna wondered about what he was dealing with at work that would have him so worried.

She couldn't think of a time when she had seen him like this. Donna assumed he dealt with some pretty terrible things at work, but she couldn't remember him ever looking over his shoulder so much before. Her problems just didn't seem as important.

So some guy had called her a few times? Wrong numbers happened. For years she had kept getting calls and mail for the people who lived in her apartment before her. No matter how many times she told people that the couple didn't live there anymore, they didn't listen.

Nick saw death every day. What right did she have to complain? Donna just didn't want to put her problems on his shoulders. He had enough to deal with.

Donna didn't sleep well the first night. She was worried about Nick and she was in a new place. She never slept well in new places. Most of the night, she tossed and turned in a fitful sleep. When she woke in the morning, Nick was still at work.

She was used to this when she visited. He was never able to get much time off work and she didn't like to ask him to take days off. She was fine with him working while she visited. She did her thing while he worked and when he had time, they hung out.

Donna was the youngest of seven kids born to Bill and Jillian Stokes. The identical twins Cherie and Danielle were the oldest, being 12 years older than Donna. Next was Tabatha, born two years after the twins, Jeff came two years after that, and Cathy came a year after him. Nick came six years after Cathy, as a surprise. Donna followed 15 months after him.

Nick always looked out for Donna, like a typical big brother. But he never seemed to be annoyed by her presence. He was always including her in things and she loved him for it. They had always been close friends.

Their interests had always been similar. They grew up in a Judge's home. The sense of law and justice was always around. While Nick gravitated towards being an investigator, Donna preferred to be a teacher. She loved the law, but she also loved history. Out of the seven kids, only Donna wasn't involved with the law in some way. They were crime scene investigators, lawyers, judges, and law professors. Except for Donna.

She liked being the odd one out.

It made family gatherings interesting.

While Nick worked, Donna did some shopping. Las Vegas had some great stores that she didn't have in Killeen. Killeen was a small area in Texas. It sat next door to an Army base, Fort Hood, so most of the people in the area were military. Things had been tense there ever since 9/11. Donna loved the area, but sometimes she wished for more. She had been teaching at the high school just off base when 9/11 happened. It changed everything in that area. And the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had made things worse. But what did she have to complain about? None of her family was risking their lives in war.

They were just on the streets trying to get justice.

Donna returned back to Nick's apartment after her morning of shopping. She found him asleep on the couch. She smiled and covered her older brother with a blanket.

She took her bags back to Nick's room and shut the door behind her. After putting her new clothes away in her suitcase, she pulled out a book and began to read. Despite her deep love of history, she was instead reading a crime book. The Less You Know by Jenny Ashley. It was a good quick read that Donna had read three times already. It was the suspense that drew Donna in.

A sound outside the window caught her attention. Donna put her book down and sat up, her eyes watching the window intently. Nick's new apartment was on the third floor of the building. There wasn't even a tree next to the window. Just air.

Donna took a deep breath and stood up from the bed. She walked over to the window slowly, taking deep breaths as she tried to steady her nerves.

"There's nothing there, Donna. It's just air," she whispered to herself. Once at the window, she pulled the curtain back and pulled up the blinds. She let out her breath at the sight. There was nothing outside. She had nothing to worry about.

She shook her head and turned around. She considered going back to reading, but her nerves were still wrecked.

So she left the bedroom and went into the kitchen to make her lunch. She moved about the kitchen quietly, looking for the things she needed. She sat at the table in the kitchen, eating her lunch and trying to think of something other than the sounds outside of the apartment.

Get a hold of yourself, she thought. If you're not safe with Nick, where will you be safe?

As Donna was finishing her lunch, Nick woke up.

"Hey, how was your morning?" he asked as he pulled a water out of the fridge.

"Good, I got some shopping done," she answered.

Nick laughed and sat at the table across from her. "As if you don't have stores in Texas," he teased.

Donna chuckled and shook her head. "It's not the same bro. You don't get it."

"Nah, I don't. So, I've got to work tonight, but then I'm off tomorrow. We'll be able to hang out, I'll take you to some of my favorite places, it'll be great," he said.

"You mean the same favorite places you take me every time I come to Vegas?"

Nick frowned. "Hey now, those are great places."

Donna stood up, laughing. She ruffled Nick's hair and headed to the sink to wash her plate. "I'm joking bro. Those places will be fine. Don't worry about me, I can entertain myself. I've got lesson plans to do anyways."

They spent a few hours talking at the table, mostly about Donna's classes. She taught European History and took pride in being able to teach more than just World War I and II. She tried to be a good teacher in an area that people needed to know. History was important.

After dinner ended, Nick took off to return to work. Donna sat on the couch and flipped through the channels. He had so many, but he seemed to hardly be there to watch them.

She chose a movie and settled in for the night. As the movie was ending, she heard the noise again. Donna sat up and looked around. Suddenly the apartment was dark and foreboding with sounds coming from every corner.

"Get a fucking grip," she scolded herself.

Donna turned off the tv and folded the blanket. She turned off the living room light and headed to the bedroom. Her heart beat sped up as she made her way down the long hallway. The dark hallway seemed to grow longer as she gazed down it. Every sound was magnified in the dark. Or at least her brain thought so.

It's just your imagination, she thought.

Donna swallowed hard and shook her head. Get a grip, indeed. She headed into the bedroom, shut the door behind her, and locked it. Noticing that the blinds were still up on the window, she walked across the room to the window. As she neared, she realized with a terrible start that the window was open.

Her mouth went dry.

And then the world went black.

Sleeping in the living room hadn't been easy for Nick. He woke up every so often, swearing that he had heard something.

While Donna was visiting, he was trying his hardest to keep the focus on her. He was afraid if he began to talk about work, he might spill the beans about Nigel. Nick didn't want to face those feelings again.

He looked over his shoulders and he feared, but he said nothing.

"So, how is your sister?" Grissom asked him.

Nick glanced up from his work. "Donna's good. She seems to be a bit anxious, but she always gets this way before a school year. She won't say why she flew up though. It's weird."

Grissom leaned against the door, a pensive look on his face. "You're an investigator, what does your gut tell you?"

Nick leaned on his forearms, looking down at the pictures in front of him. He looked back up at Grissom after a moment. "She's on edge about something. Maybe a student harassing her or another teacher. She lives by a military base, so maybe something there is getting to her. I don't know Gris. It could be one of a million things."

Grissom nodded and stood up. "Why don't you just ask her, Nicky?"

Nick smiled and shook his head. "Good question, Gris. Maybe I will."

Grissom left Nick to his work and his thoughts. Now Nick couldn't stop thinking about it. What was bothering Donna?

Nick shook his head and tired to focus on his work. He would talk to Donna later.

After an hour, Nick pulled himself away from the work, stretching. He needed a quick walk and a cup of coffee.

He left the room and began heading towards the lounge. Once inside, he found Sara pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Ah, you read my mind," he said.

Sara smiled and moved out of the way to let him pour himself a cup of coffee. "You getting anywhere?" she asked

Nick shook his head and leaned against the counter, sipping his drink. "You?"

"I've hit a wall. There's nothing there."

Nick grimaced. This case was killing him. He closed his eyes and rolled his neck, hearing the pops. He was just so tired.

Nick opened his eyes just as Grissom walked into the room.

"Nick, come with me," he ordered. His tone was serious.

Nick put his cup of coffee down and hurried after Grissom. They headed to Grissom's office where Det. Vega was waiting. Grissom shut the door behind Nick after they entered.

"What's going on?" Nick asked. "Is it the Thompson case?" His eyes darted between the two men in front of him.

"It's Donna, Nicky," Grissom started.

Nick felt his heart drop to his stomach and his mouth went dry. "No. Oh God." Nick fell into a chair, his head dropping into his hands.

"Nicky listen." Grissom pushed on Nick's shoulders to get the younger man to look at him.

The tears had already begun to spill from his eyes. "Gris, tell me she isn't dead," he begged.

"We don't know. All we know is she's missing from your apartment. A neighbor found your door open and Donna gone, but all of her stuff is still there, including her cell phone."

Nick let out a choked sob. "Somebody took her?"

"It looks like she's been kidnapped, Nick."