A/N: Hey guys! I know I only posted a story yesterday, but I got such a great response and I reached the 200 reviews mark! So, thank you so, so, so much to every single one of you, and to everyone who has read, alerted and favourited so far, it means so much :) So, here is another story to say thanks! This is for Konri Kari who requested some Nick and Greg Bromance, my favourite! ;) So, I hope you enjoy!

Summary – After Warrick died, Greg made a promise to Nick, but now Nick has threatened to leave, and Greg feels abandoned.

Feeling Alone

Greg Sanders was walking down the hall reading a file in his hand, when he spotted his friend, Nick Stokes, sat alone in Grissom's office. He wondered why Nick would be in there when their supervisor wasn't around. With a curious frown, Greg snapped the file shut and let it hang by his side as he entered the office.

"Hey, man" Greg said as he leant against the doorframe with legs crossed and file held to his chest. "Are you okay?"

Nick looked up at his younger friend with sad eyes; he didn't need to respond to the question. It had been only a month since Warrick had died, and Nick hadn't been himself ever since. The Texan had become uncharacteristically quiet, although his temper fuse had grown a lot shorter, and he didn't seem to be eating or sleeping much either.

Greg had taken it upon himself to try and be there for Nick as much as he could, but really now that Warrick was gone he felt kind of second rate. He would take Nick out for breakfast, or visit him to just to hang or, and once went to a therapy session with him. However, Greg couldn't help but feel whatever he did wasn't adequate enough.

"Should I get Catherine? This feels like a Catherine thing" Greg said a little nervously and turning to leave the room.

"Greg…" The voice that responded was so lost, so broken, that Greg really didn't have the heart to leave as he turned to look at his friend once more.

"Since when did you acquire the Puppy dog look?" Greg teased and Nick gave him a small smile.

The younger man went over and threw the file on the table before pulling himself to sit up on it. Greg clasped his hands together and swung his legs a little, looking at the floor, maybe hoping it would give him answers as to what to do. He waited for Nick to talk, although maybe the Texan just wanted someone to sit with, but Greg Sanders was not one to sit in silence.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on in that head of yours?" Greg questioned. Nick just looked at him a little blankly, before staring past him at the wall. Greg sighed. "Listen, I just want to help you as much as I can, Nick. I know you rather it was Warrick sat her than me but…"

"No, that's not it at all, Greg" Nick interrupted him. "I mean, I want Warrick back, of course I do, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate everything you've been doing for me, and I don't like you any less than Warrick"

Greg gave him a small smile "Then why do I feel like you've been distancing yourself lately? I mean, you seem fine with Grissom, Catherine and Brass…I feel like it's just me" he added sadly.

"I'm sorry Greg, I didn't want to make you feel like that" Nick said looking at his younger friend, who could see the tears beginning to stir in the Texan's brown orbs.

"Hey, Nick, don't get upset" Greg said with a sad frown as he went to sit by his friend and placed a comforting hand on his back. "I just thought I might have done something to piss you off…"

"No, Greg" Nick said, his voice beginning to crack. "How could I be mad at you now? After everything you've done for me…and I've been such a shit friend to you!" with that the Texan rest his elbows on his knees and begin to cry.

"Hey, come here" Greg said, pulling Nick into a one armed hug and rubbing his arm "You have not been a 'shit' friend to me. You just haven't been yourself lately, and I understand. You miss Warrick and so do I…"

"Exactly" Nick said as he looked at Greg with tears streaking down his face. "You're still grieving for Warrick too, and I haven't been there for you like you have for me. I'm so sorry Greg; I didn't want to push you away. I care about you so much….and now I'm scared."

"Scared?" Greg said in confusion "Nick, what are you scared about?" The Texan remained silent, except for the slight sniffing as he wiped his eyes. "Come on man, you can tell me anything"

"I'm scared…I'm scared you're going to leave me too" Nick confessed looking into Greg's worried eyes.

"What? Why would you think that?" the younger man asked.

"Well, you know…first Sara went away, and I felt that was partly my fault because I wasn't there when she needed me" Nick explained. "And then Warrick…because yet again I wasn't there when he needed me… and now you…all I wanted to do was to protect you" he looked into Greg's eyes before starting to cry again.

The young man couldn't bear to see his normally strong and controlled friend be like that, and so Greg pulled Nick into a tight hug "Ssh, it's okay, none of that was your fault, how could it have been?" he tried to reassure the older man.

"I know, but it still makes me feel bad. I've already lost two people I care about like a brother and a sister. You can't leave too Greg, you're my little brother, the only one I have left, you can't leave me too"

"I won't" Greg said, feeling highly upset himself now as he tried to fight his own tears. "I'm not going anywhere, Nick. I'm not going anywhere"

"Promise me" Nick said, his grip on Greg tightening a little as if he feared the younger man might just slip away. "Please, promise me you won't go away"

"I promise" Greg whispered. "I promise"

4 years later…

The team had just put an end to Mckeen's dealings, having rescued Katelyn and knowing that Ecklie was going to make a full recovery. Greg was at the lab finishing off some paper work at his desk, when Nick entered their office and gave the younger man a small smile. Greg just looked up at him blankly, before slamming his file shut and abruptly standing from his desk before brushing past Nick and into the hall.

"Greg!" Nick called after the younger man as he jogged to catch up with him "Come on man, you can't avoid me forever!"

"Yeah, well I'm gunna try damn hard" the young man snarled as he stormed out the lab.

"Greg please, I'm sorry okay!" Nick called as he stopped walking. Greg turned to look at him expectantly. "I know that I let you guys down…"

"You left Nick" Greg said plainly "You left when we needed you the most! When Russell and Morgan needed you to be there for them! I tried to understand, I really did, but…"

"I came back!" Nick retorted angrily.

"Yeah, only after you got arrested for being drunk and starting on some cops, and then Sara had to make sure you pulled your head out of your ass!" Greg yelled and started to walk away once more.

Nick stood in shock for a moment; he'd never seen Greg get this angry before. He felt guilty that he was the one to make the younger man feel that way, and he wasn't willing to let Greg walk away over this.

"Greg!" he called once more, catching up with the younger man and gripping onto his arm.

"Get off me!" Greg exclaimed a little fearfully as he pulled away. Ever since the beating, he didn't like being manhandled at all.

"Greg, I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt you" Nick said his voice more calm and controlled now.

"Yeah, well you already did" Greg said looking at the older man. Nick could see the spark was missing from Greg's eyes, and it was replaced by anxiety. "You don't remember what I promised you 4 years ago, after Warrick died?"

"Yes of course I do" Nick said sadly. He wanted to comfort the younger man, hug him maybe, but he felt Greg would push him away.

"Well, all these years I guess I just assumed that when I promised I wouldn't leave, you were promising the same think to me" Greg said, his voice cracking a little. "I guess I was wrong about that"

Nick was shocked for a few moments his mouth moved but no words came out, although the high frequencies of guilt were beginning to build in his stomach. "I didn't plan for this to happen Greg, it's just…Mckeen coming back…it brought up a lot of stuff for me and I didn't think I could cope anymore."

"You think it was easy for me, huh? Warrick was my friend too you know. "Greg reminded him.

"I know, I know" Nick said looking at the floor "I guess I just thought that you guys would be okay without me. You don't need me to protect you anymore, Greg"

"I never asked you too…" the younger CSI started.

"I know, but, I wanted to" Nick confessed. "You know that you've always been a little brother to me and…the thought of something happening to you like it did Warrick has always scared me. But I see now how much you've grown and…you just don't need me anymore. Sara's back now and you've got Morgan too, new bosses you get along with. "

"Okay, first of all, whether I need you around or not should be for me to decide" Greg said sternly. "I've always felt safe around you Nick and I knew you were always there for me. Secondly, I love Sara and Morgan to pieces but…their girl's! Sometimes I want to talk about and do guy stuff!" Nick couldn't help but laugh a little at this and Greg gave a small smile.

"Well erm, thanks I guess" Nick said.

"Nick, we've been like brothers for nearly 14 years now, and I want it to be like that for 14 more. It's like I said, we're a family, and where would we be without big brother Nick to kick ass for us" he said with a slanted smile and Nick smiled back. "So, don't go, okay, please. I need you, the team needs you" a tear escaped Greg's eye as he said this.

"Okay, okay I'm not going anywhere" Nick said, pulling the younger man into a hug, and Greg buried his head in the Texan's shoulder.

"I'm sorry I got so mad at you" Greg mumbled.

"It's okay, I understand and I'm sorry" Nick said "It was selfish, what I did, and I'm going to be there more for you now, I promise"

"Good" Greg said pulling away and giving him a small smile "Now come on, you can take me for a drink to make up for it"

Nick laughed "I think I'm going to stay away from the booze for a while"

"Dude, I meant coffee" Greg said with a roll of his eyes, but he still had his lopsided smile.

"Sure thing" Nick said with a grin as he slung his arm around Greg's shoulder as they walked away.

Nick had realised just how stupid his actions were, he couldn't leave all his friends behind like that, they were a family too him, and he couldn't hurt Greg – his little brother – like that, ever again. Greg had made him a promise all those years ago when Nick had felt alone, and now he was willing to promise the same, to always protect Greg, and never make him feel alone again either.

So I've had an idea for a one shot about this for a while, since I saw the season 13 premiere in fact. It's slightly AU, and Greg is probably a bit OOC, but I hope you liked it anyways :) Love writing the bromance!

Reviews and Prompts would be super! :) xx