Title: This Time It's Personal
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Spencer Reid
Fandom: CSI: Las Vegas/Criminal Minds
Rating: PG-13
Table: Un-themed 7, mission_insane
Prompt: 1, Crime
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Greg Sanders or Spencer Reid, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Greg wrapped the blanket he'd dragged off his bed more tightly around himself, glancing at the tv screen. He wasn't really watching what was on; he hadn't felt much like watching tv lately -- or really doing much of anything, he thought with a soft sigh.

It was a good thing he had Spencer here with him; if he didn't, then he would probably just burrow under the covers of his bed and refuse to come out again. Spencer hadn't let him do that; Spencer had pushed him into life, instead of watching him try to hide away from it.

He was slowly recovering from his encounter with Foyet, but the memories still assaulted him -- especially when he slept, and dreams came to him unbidden, teeth and claws extended, ready to slash into him with the crystal-clear sharp edges of the hours he'd spent in fear for his life.

Greg shuddered at the thought, pushing those memories away and slamming a mental door on them as hard as he could. He didn't need to think about what had happened; it was enough that he'd survived, and that he would be going back to work soon.

He had wanted to go back to work right away, but he hadn't been able to. Russell had told him sternly that he needed to take time to recuperate, and that he couldn't be expected to jump right back into CSI work after what he'd been through. But that left him with a lot of time on his hands.

And Spencer had been here for every moment of that time, Greg told himself, smiling at the thought. His boyfriend hadn't gone back to DC, as they'd planned for him to do; Spencer kept coming up with reasons to stay here in Vegas, to be right by his side.

Eventually, his boyfriend would have to go back; Greg knew that. But for the moment, he wanted Spencer to stay for as long as he could. He was just glad that the BAU said they could spare him for a couple of weeks; at least he could be here for a while.

It had only been three days, and he was already used to having Spencer's constant presence in his home. Their home, he corrected himself. Spencer was paying part of the rent now that he was a CSI and wasn't making as much as he had when he was a lab rat.

Was it worth being a CSI, having had to go through all the subterfuge of his second job? Greg thought it had been, but at least he didn't have to do that any more. It had all come out into the open, and he hadn't lost his job at the crime lab over it -- though there had been a few raised eyebrows.

Being an escort hadn't been that bad, not really. He'd only slept with the guys who he'd wanted to be with; he'd never been forced into anything until the night that Foyet had him in the cross-hairs. That one night had been enough to make quitting the escort service a relief.

Now he was well out of that life -- but he couldn't regret having been there. If he'd never been an escort, then he wouldn't have met Spencer, he thought with a smile. His boyfriend meant more to him than anything in the world, and he couldn't imagine not having Spencer in his life.

Oh, they might have met if the BAU had been called in to one of their cases, but it wouldn't have been the same. They might not have been able to take their relationship to a more personal level; they could have been left with unfulfilled desires that would never be assuaged.

Greg looked up as Spencer entered the living room with two steaming coffee mugs, smiling as he reached for one of them. Spencer sat down beside him as he sipped at the hot liquid, only taking a sip before setting his mug aside and sliding one arm around Greg's waist.

Greg closed his eyes as he rested his head against Spencer's shoulder, trying to make himself relax. That was hard to do, even this long after his experience with Foyet was over. He was still nervous and jumpy, every muscle tensed any time he was touched.

He had to stop that, Greg told himself sternly. Spencer wasn't going to do anything to hurt him; his mind knew that, but his body was still cautious. He had to push himself past the point of thinking that any kind of touch meant pain. That was part of what Foyet had wanted.

That bastard wanted to destroy his relationship with Spencer. The attack hadn't been about him; it had been about destroying something good in Spencer's life, hurting someone who was a member of the BAU. He'd just been collateral damage.

"Do you ever think Foyet is going to have to pay for all the crimes he's committed?" he finally said, his voice barely a whisper. "He's gotten away with so much, Spencer. And he could have killed me, too. Just to get to you and your team. He could have another murder to answer for."

"But he didn't kill you," Spencer murmured, raising one hand to stroke Greg's hair. "I don't know why he left you alive -- I'm just glad he did. That's one crime that I'd make sure he paid for, Greg. And I'll make sure he pays for what he did to you. I swear it."

"Anybody who commits a crime should have to pay for it," Greg said, his voice gaining strength. "We both deal with criminals every day at work. I just .... never had to deal with a crime that was this personal before. I've never been caught right in the middle of one."

Spencer shook his head, his voice sounding choked when he spoke again. "Neither have I," he said, taking a deep breath before he spoke again. "But this time, it's gone way beyond personal. He's going to pay for this crime, Greg. There's no way he'll get away with this."

"How can you stop him?" Greg asked with a soft sigh. "Nobody knows where he is. He's gone to ground, and until he commits another crime, you guys won't have a clue as to how to find him. Maybe not even then. He's way too good at covering up his tracks."

"We'll find him." Spencer's voice sounded more grim than Greg had ever heard it; he raised his head to look at his boyfriend, shocked by the expression on Spencer's face. His lover's visage looked as hard as granite, a steely look in his eyes that Greg had never seen before.

"We'll catch him eventually," he said softly, wishing that he could take that look away from Spencer's face. Seeing his boyfriend look so implacable almost scared him; it was as though there was someone else inhabiting Spencer's body, a stranger looking at him through his lover's eyes.

"I know we will," Spencer whispered, his voice breaking on the last word. "I just want to be sure that he pays for this crime, Greg. All the others, too -- but this one hits too close to home for me to just lump it in with the others. This time, it's personal."

Greg raised a hand to turn his boyfriend's face towards him, gazing into Spencer's eyes. "We'll catch him," he said again, keeping his voice strong and firm. "He'll end up behind bars. I know it, Spencer. Your team -- and mine -- are too good to let this guy get away."

Spencer nodded, the hard, implacable look gone from his face. He looked just as vulnerable as Greg felt; the change made Greg's heart settle back into its normal rhythm again. He rested his head on his boyfriend's shoulder again, closing his eyes and leaning against the other man.

Yes, this time it was personal -- for both of them. This was a crime that neither of them were going to walk away from, or shuffle into a file along with other crimes. They would both go out of their way to bring Foyet to justice -- no matter what it might take.

They would find Foyet -- and he would be brought to justice for his crimes. It might not happen tomorrow, or next week, or even in a few months -- but Greg was sure that between them, the CSI team here in Vegas and the BAU would achieve that objective. And the sooner, the better.

***