A/N: thank you for the amazing reviews guys and I hope you all had an awesome Christmas! :) So, here we have not only some Greg whump as requested by McGeeklover but some BAMF Greg too! Yes I know he is very OOC in this story, but we all want to see Greg be more badass sometimes right? Sure he stopped that suspect by hitting them with a plank off wood, and he yelled at that "bitch" when Morgan was kidnapped, but it's just not enough XD Anyways although this could stand alone I might do two parts depending if you guys like it or not. Hope you enjoy!

Summary – Ever since he got beat up, Greg has been determined to prove he doesn't need babysitting, but when he meets 3 men at a crime scene, they sure don't help his case.

Proving Himself

Greg had been working the scene for nearly an hour now and still the cops had not shown up, which was a very bad omen. The youngest CSI had decided not to bring his gun as always because he felt there was no need and even having it in his possession made him feel uncomfortable and wrong. The others hoped that Greg would have learnt his lesson by now and seen that it was a necessary precaution after everything they'd been through, but still the former lab tech remained adamant. He wasn't going to be pushed into being someone he wasn't just because a suspect may or may not try and harm him.

The crime scene was in a subway tunnel under the bridge, a dead business man; Greg couldn't say he was surprised, not doubt the man was looking for a prostitute under here... The young CSI sighed and pulled his phone out of his pocket, not only was he feeling lonely but now also bored as could predict what had happened even before the evidence was processed, the empty wallet and the man's face being covered in lipstick being the indicators.

"Hello?" the familiar Texan accent answered the phone after Greg had called his number.

"Hey Nick, listen I know it's your night off and I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate but I got this DB under the subway and the cops haven't showed up yet…"

"Have you called to find out where they are?" Nick asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Yeah they said ten minutes like half an hour ago. I'm starting to think they took a wrong turn and ended up in Narnia or something"

Nick chuckled "when then sorry buddy but it just looks like you're going to have to wait it out"

"So you're not coming to help me? Jee Nick it's nice to know I have a friend I can really depend on" Greg said sarcastically.

"Ask one of the others?"

"They already have cases"

"Well I'm sorry but this is the first night off I've had all week and I don't want to spend it under some grimy subway tunnel and babysitting you. You'll just have to suffer in silence"

"You know I can't do that" Greg replied with a sigh. Suddenly he heard voices echoing from down the tunnel, he saw a group of three men heading his way laughing and shouting. They were stumbling about, obviously drunk. "Oh great" Greg mumbled with a roll of his eyes "Listen thanks for nothing but I have to go, I've got company"

"The cops?" Nick asked.

"No some drunken idiots" Greg explained "if they contaminate this scene after everything I've…"

"Don't go near them" Nick pleaded, silencing the younger CSI instantly, he didn't know Nick cared that much.

"Why, I can take care of myself" Greg said confidently.

It had been just over a year ago, that Greg had been beaten up by those gang members, and ever since then he had been striving to prove he didn't need to be looked after. His confidence in integrating suspects had only grown and he had been observing Brass extra carefully in the way he handled them.

"Do you have your gun?" Nick countered.

"What do you think?" Greg replied, he heard Nick sigh "Don't start lecturing me ago ok, Catherine already told me before I left, but since when have I done what I'm told"

By this point the men were halfway in the tunnel and Greg could see them a bit clearer, they were about the same age and height as the CSI and they all actually seemed very presentable and well off, a bachelor party maybe? Greg thought.

"Greg just walk away" Nick said.

"Oh you'd love that wouldn't you" Greg said growing slightly angry now "Don't think I don't know about what you guys say about me. Baby Greg can't do anything without supervision, what a weakling"

"Greg, I can't believe you'd even think that…"

"Whatever I have to go" Greg said bluntly hanging up the phone and approaching the three men "Excuse me guys but this is a crime scene, you can't be down here"

"Oh…oh sorry dude, we'll just…erm" one of the men hiccupped and sloshed the beer out of the bottle he was holding. Greg smiled in relief; there see nothing to worry about he thought. "Hey…hey…I know you" the man said pointing at Greg.

Greg raised an eyebrow "I'm sorry but I don't remember meeting you before"

"Oh yeah! One of the other men butted in "You was on TV…" he slurred "Ages ago…on the news!"

The third man started laughing "you're the guy who got beat up by that group of…kids!" as soon as he pointed this out the other men started laughing too. Greg couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Yes I can tell you, when I saw them trying to kill that poor man, it was hilarious" Greg said sarcastically.

"Alright, alright chill" the first man spoke with a wave of his hand "There's no need to be all high and mighty, don't worry, I won't set my three year old on you!" the men started laughing again.

"Stop it you're scaring him" his friend said leaning on the man's shoulder and laughing.

"Ok, get lost" Greg said narrowing his eyes, he wasn't playing games anymore. "Or I will take that bottle and stick it up your…"

His two friends made 'oooh' noises as the man stepped closer to Greg, but still the young CSI did not flinch, he was determined. "You wanna go little man?" the guys asked raising his fists.

Greg scoffed "please you can barely stand, stop acting like an idiot and go back home to your child before I arrest you"

"You don't…you don't have the power to arrest me" the man said.

"I do if circumstances call for it…. And mocking a person of authority, wasting my time, contaminating an crime scene and being drunken and disorderly are pretty good reasons. Now beat it" Greg didn't let his confidence waver the whole time.

"Fight me" the man said raising his fists once more. "Come on then if you're so tough, fight me!"

"No, because I'm not a complete ass! You were obviously never taught about using brain before brawns" Greg retorted.

"Right that's it…" the man said angrily and before Greg knew it the drunken man's fist was making contact with the CSI's jaw and then his ribs over and over again. The guy's friends just stood and cheered him on.

Not again Greg thought with pure determination as he reached out and managed to catch the man's flying fists in his hands. Greg pushed the man back and kicked him in the chest sending the man plummeting to the floor. Greg sat up, his jaw and ribs aching, he was definitely going to have a bruise at the least.

"Hey…you can't do that!" one of the other men said as he pulled Greg to his feet by the scruff of his neck and pushed him up against the tunnel wall.

The CSI's head making a thud as it was bashed against the cold, hard stone. The situation was becoming disturbingly to familiar for the young CSI. Greg kicked back and hit the man on his shin, the man grunted in pain and relinquished his grip, then Greg spun round and punched the side of the man's face, he fell to the floor. Now badly bruised and bleeding, Greg still wasn't ready to give up.

It was now the third man's turn "you're mine little man" he said with a malicious smile approaching Greg from behind with his hands poised like claws.

He was bigger than the other two men, bigger than Greg. He wrapped his arm around Greg's throat and practically lifted the CSI off his feet. Greg started choking and clawing at the man as he tried to escape. The man then threw Greg against the wall. The CSI's back hit the wall and he groaned as he felt is ankle twist when he hit the floor. The man started to charge at Greg once more, but the CSI managed to scramble out the way before the man hit the tunnel wall.

"Idiot" Greg mumbled to himself.

"Come on…" the first guy said finally picking himself up off the floor "I ain't got time for this"

Just as the men were about to leave the sound of cop cars entering the tunnel form both sides made them freeze up in panic. Greg pulled himself up off the floor with much effort. He grit his teeth to stop himself crying out in pain as he stood on his twisted ankle and half the ribs on his left hand side didn't feel like they were in one piece anymore, not to mention the fact his eye was already beginning to swell closed. As he watched the cops take the three men away, there was one thing Greg knew for sure.

He could not tell Nick about this…

So what did you think? Again I'm really sorry if you don't like Greg being OOC but I just wanted to try something different :) Tell me if you want a second part! (With protective Nick ;)

Reviews and Prompts = one happy chappy ^_^ (that's me!)