Title: As I Lay Me Down
By: it-glitters
Pairing: Greg/Nick
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: violence, rape/non-con
Series: 1) Bewilderment, 2) Take Me Home, 3) Cynics, 4) Blood Spatters, 5) Hello Mr. Sanders, 6) Hitting The Wall, 7) Capable Of Murder, 8) The Good Boy, 9) Crying Shame
Summary: Greg's rescued, but a little to late. Non-graphic

***

Grissom broke the silence that had taken over the room and helped Catherine to her feet. Warrick handed her a paper towel.

"Guys, we need to work even harder now. Greg may not have much time." Grissom chose his words carefully, as not to upset himself or the team any further.

Hodges burst into the room, impervious to the tension that hung over the room. I grabbed the DNA results on my way over – hair in the first envelope is a match to-"

"Robert Cohen," Gil broke in.

"How do you know the things that you do?"

"Hodges, now is not the time. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Yeah. The sample you gave me earlier was developed the same way as the first photo and was done Monday – as far as the tests show."

Nick shot a look to Gil. Gil responded by walking up to him and whispering, "Nicky, it was just a corner, I promise you no one saw."

Nick let out a sign of relief. He didn't want anyone to see Greg like that; especially not Hodges.

"Gil, was there any other trace or fingerprints on the new photo or envelope?" Catherine asked, still dabbing away tears. She was aware that Hodges was staring at her.

"Thank you, Hodges. You can go now." Grissom gave the tech a look, and Hodges quickly left the room. "No, Cath, I didn't find anything on it. The envelope was useless since it was transported through the post office. I'm going to get Brass to canvass the area that the envelope was postmarked from with pictures of Kelly and Cohen. Meanwhile, we are going to go over every piece of evidence and we are going to connect all the dots. Are you all ready?"

Everyone nodded weakly.

....

Greg wanted to sleep, but he was afraid to turn off the light. Every time he closed his eyes, he thought he was blindfolded again. His skin would crawl as if the man was still touching him. He could never get warm and sleep came in fitful bouts, and always ended with him shooting awake, covered in a layer of cold sweat.

He could hear fighting from beyond the wall. It had been getting more severe with each passing day. Greg carefully wrapped himself in his sheet so that he could leave the bed and press his ear to the wall. He still couldn't make out direct words, but he knew they were nearby and they were yelling. Something glass broke and Greg noted the scurrying of feet toward his door. He ran back to the bed. Kelly unlocked the door and came in. Her lip was bleeding and there were cuts and bruises over her arms.

"I'm sorry Greg." She really did sound sorry. "I need you to lie down and put you hands over your head."

Greg felt the tears spring to his eyes and his heart flutter in his chest. "No, Kelly. Please, I've been good. Can't you do something?"

"Greg, do it, please. It will be worse if you don't."

"Can't you just kill me?"

"Lie down Greg, he's waiting."

He did what he was told and made one last plea as she locked the handcuffs into place. "I won't fight – just put your hands around my throat and push on my windpipe. It doesn't take much force and I won't fight you. It'll be really quick." He was babbling hysterically, tears running down his face as she tied his feet. "Kelly, please!" he screamed at her as she clicked the door shut behind her.

....

/CSI Stokes, you have a call on line four/

Nick looked up wearily from his computer screen. He glanced to his left and saw the blinking light on the office phone. He picked it up.

"Nick Stokes."

"Nick, it's Kelly Gordon." She was crying.

"Kelly, where are you?"

"I tried not to take it with me. I really tried. But I got out and then Robert decided to make me his. His sister was my cellmate."

Nick remained silent as he motioned for Warrick to come in and put the phone on speaker.

"Guess you didn't know that. He set this up." Her voice filled the room.

"What about Sylvia Mullins?" Nick asked.

"That was all me." Her voice was shaky now and there was the distinct clicking of a gun being cocked.

"Kelly, what are you doing?"

"He has Greg – at the warehouse just south of my apartment complex. You'd better hurry – he's got terrible plans for Greg." The gun went off and was followed by the clear sound of a body hitting the ground.

....

CSI and LVPD circled the warehouse. The large storage rooms were empty, but they found a small living area down a hallway. They moved in silently, but they could hear grunting and the quiet creak of bedsprings from beyond a closed door. Sofia kicked in the door. Greg was blindfolded, gagged, and being raped by Robert Cohen.

"LVPD – Get the fuck off that bed!" Sofia screamed.

Robert Cohen began to move for something and Sofia pulled the trigger – shooting him three times in the chest. The force of the blast blew him off the bed and off of Greg. Sofia ran to Cohen and checked for a pulse. "He's dead."

Nick ran up to be with Greg. He pulled off the gag and blindfold. "Greg, I'm here. Greg, it's okay."

Greg struggled against his chains. "Stop touching me! Don't touch me!"

Nick stepped back, and Catherine grabbed him. "It's ok, Nick. I've got it."

"Greg, Greg – it's Catherine." Greg's eyes had glazed over and become unfocused. Catherine took a blanket from an officer and covered Greg. "Whoever doesn't need to be here, has got to leave!"

The room emptied of all but the necessary people. Nick stood in a corner, unable to let Greg out of his sight. Catherine searched for a key – it had fallen next to Cohen's knife. She undid Greg's handcuffs and the bindings on his feet and he crawled into her. She held his shaking form in her lap until the paramedics insisted that they take him to the hospital.

....

Catherine was waiting for them when the got to the hospital. Only she, Sofia, Nick and Gil had seen the full scene at the warehouse.

"How's he doing?" Nick asked nervously.

"He won't talk to anyone. He hasn't said a word – he just keeps staring at the ceiling. The doctors won't let anyone in."

"Did you call his folks?" Warrick asked Gil quietly, watching the comings and goings of the hospital staff; trying to search for his wife.

"Yes," Grissom answered, looking at nothing in particular. "His parents made some sort of homosexual comment and asked that I never call so late again." The team watched as Gil's hands tensed up.

A nurse came out from behind Sara. "Mr. Sanders is asking for Catherine."

***

Next story in series - Stoic.