Title: Closet Evidence
By: gnr_lab_rat
Pairing: Gil/Nick
Rating: PG-13
Summary: He gasped as Grissom yanked his arms behind his back clicking a pair of cuffs tightly over his wrists.

***

He'd reached the crime scene as soon as could after receiving the call from Grissom saying that he needed his help. A small tinge of pride went through Nick as he grabbed his kit and walked towards the yellow tape. It wasn't often he felt like Grissom noticed or appreciated his efforts and having the man call specifically for his help made a smile spread across his face that he hoped wasn't too obvious.

"Grissom?" he called as he slipped under the yellow barrier on the doorway.

"In here Nicky," he heard the responding call from down the hallway.

Quickly surveying the house as he went he glanced in each room searching for his boss. Stopping abruptly he caught a glimpse of Grissom's foot sticking out of a hall closet. The lingering smell of death assured him he was in the right place. "Gris?" Opening the door he frowned as Grissom waved a hand over his back.

"Just a second." Climbing to his feet Grissom turned to Nick his brows knit together in concentration. "How much do you weigh?"

"Excuse me?" Nick gaped, thrown by the question.

"Just humor me, how much?"

"Uh—bout 155, why?" Nick asked curiously.

"155...that sounds about right." Grissom muttered to himself as he gave Nick a quick once over, leaving the younger man blushing slightly at the attention.

"You wanna tell me what's going on?"

"Put your kit down and come here for a minute." Grissom snagged Nick's sleeve, the younger CSI dutifully placing his kit outside the closet and stepping farther into the dim recesses within. "Sit down."

Nick frowned as Grissom pushed him towards the wooden chair pushed against the back of the closet, but knowing better than to interrupt Grissom in the middle of one of his experiments, Nick complied, sitting stiffly on the chair provided.

He gasped as Grissom yanked his arms behind his back clicking a pair of cuffs tightly over his wrists. "What the hell are you doing, man?" he protested, trying to pulling his wrists free.

"An experiment Nicky, my boy," Grissom said with a grin. Sliding to his knees Grissom slid a leather strap around each of Nick's ankles, securing him snuggly to the chair legs.

"Well do you think you could speed it up? Or at the very least loosen the cuffs," Nick growled as he glared at the man in front of him. That feeling of pride at being the one called out to help Grissom was quickly dissipating as he realized he wasn't here to help, he was here to play guinea pig.

He had no doubts that Grissom had probably already figured the case out, just wanting to go that one step further, re-enacting it as he so often did.

"Now, the closet door is heavy oak, but is still ajar. The perpetrator having taken care to secure the victim wouldn't have been so concerned about locking him inside the closet." Grissom rambled on more to himself than to Nick. Quickly turning around to face Nick he smiled. "Okay, stand up Nick."

"What are you nuts? You've got me tied so damn tight to this chair the blood is barely making it through!"

"Just try...stand on your toes." With a deep and thoroughly frustrated sigh Nick struggled to tip the chair enough forward to be able to stand on his toes.

"Now according to the suspect he said he had simply tied the victim to the chair, leaving the closet opened while he made his get away with half the vics belongings."

Grissom stood back watching with a gleam of amusement in his eyes, which quickly turned to alarm as Nick tilted too far forward, losing his balance and hitting the wall causing the slightly ajar door to slam shut.

Grissom muttered to himself, "Well that would explain the vic being on the floor. If he tried moving to get out of the closet..."

In complete darkness Grissom reached a hand out searching for the doorknob. Slight panic rising as he realized the door was stuck.

"The door slamming shut..." Grissom knew now what the suspect and the evidence were telling him.

Hearing a slight groan he spun around eyes seeking the direction of Nick's distress. "Nicky, you okay?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," came a muffled and pissed off voice. "Hey Gris you wanna give me a hand here?" Grunting Nick tried to right himself, ignoring the carpet burn on his cheek.

"I'm sorry, here...where are you?"

"Right...OW!! Son of a bitch!" Nick swore as Grissom's wandering hands accidentally twisted the chair and in turn Nick's body painfully.

"Sorry, sorry...you okay?" Hands reach for the chair pulling him back into a sitting position.

Sighing loudly Nick wiggled his fingers. "Yeah, but can you open the door and untie me?"

"Uh, little problem there."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when you fell and the door slammed shut it...well it's stuck."

"Of course it is. Well uncuff me then and we'll see if we can get it opened," Nick replied, calmly.

Grissom untied the leather straps, giving a quick rub to Nick's ankles to get the circulation moving again. Then he stopped. Biting his lip he wondered how best to break the news to Nick. Figuring getting it out quickly would be less painful, his mind flashing back to his mother telling him the same thing while reaching for the band-aid on his arm, he took a deep breath. She hadn't been right, and he doubted that it would be any less painful in this situation.

"Grissom, come on man what are you waiting for? I can't feel my hands."

"The key is in my coat pocket."

"Then get it out and unlock these cuffs."

"My coat is with my kit."

"And your kit is...?"

"Beside yours...outside the closet."

Nick wished desperately that he could reach up to pinch the bridge of his nose to try and hold off the headache forming.

"Then let's just yell to the cop outside and get him to unlock the door."

Silence answered Nick and he took a deep breath telling himself that none of this was really happening. Closing his eyes, he let his breath out. "What now?"

"I told Vega that as soon as you got here he could take off. He's been here since six this morning." It sounded reasonable, Nick thought—they did it all the time. Once another CSI was on site and after the cops had cleared the area making sure the perpetrator was no longer on the premises they rarely kept the cops on site. That however did nothing to calm down the panic rising in his chest.

"Tell me you brought your cell phone," Nick demanded.

"I always bring my cell phone with me," Grissom answered a little defensively, sending a wave of relief throughout Nick's person. They'd just call someone to come let them out and everything would be fine. He thought he could handle a little while longer, didn't think his hands would fall off, though he did wish Grissom hadn't cuffed him so damn tight.

Waiting patiently in the dark Nick strained to hear Grissom dialing—someone. Hearing only quiet, he turned to where he thought Grissom was. "Why aren't you dialing?"

A sigh came from the darkness as he could hear Grissom sitting on the floor beside him. "Because my cell phone is in my coat pocket with the key to the cuffs."

"What?! Jesus, Grissom why would you leave everything in the hall?" Nick ground out, again flexing tingling fingers.

"Well I didn't expect you to slam into the wall and cause us to get locked in here, did I?"

"You're saying this is MY fault?!"

"Of course not..."

"Cause I sure as hell didn't ask to be dragged from the lab to get tied to a chair and locked in a closet!"

"Nicky..." Grissom's calm voice stilled Nick's outburst. It wasn't his fault anymore than Nick's. "How are your hands?" He felt Grissom's rough fingers gently squeezing his numbed wrists, hands and fingers trying to massage the circulation back into them.

"They're alright," he sighed. "Sorry—I know it's not your fault." Nick felt a slight squeeze of his hands, a gesture accepting his apology. "So, now what?"

Grissom shrugged releasing Nick's hands. "I guess we wait until someone starts to wonder where we are."

"Right, well that shouldn't take too long." Nick tried to ignore the nagging feeling that it could take a hell of a lot longer than too long. "So, what do we do while we wait to be rescued? We could play charades." Nick grinned as he heard Grissom chuckle beside him.

"I've never been good at charades."

"Me either." Nick grinned again. He, in fact, hated the game, but was getting increasingly uncomfortable with his arms fastened tight behind his back and therefore was grasping at anything that would take his mind off the fact that he and Grissom were locked in a closet, in the dark. He denied the thought trying to worm its way into his mind telling him that he looked like he was taking part in some kinky sex game.

"Nicky?" Damn. He'd let his mind wander and Grissom had obviously been saying something that he totally missed, but he couldn't miss the way Grissom kept massaging his hands to keep feeling in them.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was asking if your shoulders were alright. I know being stuck like that isn't very comfortable."

"Nah, I'm okay. Can't be much longer till they realize we're missing huh?" he asked desperately. The more he thought about, and the more Grissom asked, the sorer he got and the more his muscles contracted painfully in protest. He refused to let Grissom think he couldn't hand a couple hours like this.

Grissom sighed rising to his feet. "Truthfully, Nick I'm not sure how long it will take. " Placing a hand on Nick's shoulder he gave it a slight squeeze before beginning to pace the small space they were currently trapped in.

"Pacing won't help, unless you plan to create a hole in the floor we could get through," Nick said, voice laced with amusement.

"I think better when I pace," Grissom replied absently not paying attention to the teasing tone of Nick's voice. "I could try to break through the door."

"And end up with a dislocated shoulder," Nick mumbled loud enough for Grissom to hear.

"No, the door is too thick...I could try and get the pins out—if I had a knife."

Nick opened his mouth for another sarcastic comment when he gasped.

"Nicky? You okay? What's wrong?" Grissom's worried voice came closer.

"My phone."

"What?"

"I—I completely forgot, my phone! It's in my vest pocket! It's on vibrate...Gris grab it and see if you can get a signal in here."

Grissom groped blindly for Nick's chest and his vest pocket. "In the right one," Nick said, wishing yet again his hands weren't cuffed behind his back.

Finding the phone Grissom flipped it open yelling into the receiver. "Hello!? Catherine, is that you? No-no we're fine...yes I know. Yes, I'm sorry. Catherine..." Grissom ran a hand through his hair trying to get Catherine's attention and stop her rant about him not calling in and not answering his cell. "Catherine! Nick and I need some help. No—we're fine, I told you. We need some help getting out of the closet!" Grissom yelled making sure she could hear him.

Grissom sighed as Catherine's laughter filtered through the connection. "Yes, Catherine...yes that's very funny. Yes I do know what it sounded like, and what the rest of the team would say, that's why you're going to come over here and let us out without breathing a word about it to anyone."

"What is she saying?!" Nick asked suspiciously.

Waving a hand at Nick and placing his hand over the ear not covered by the phone Grissom ignored him and listened to Catherine still giggling to herself. "Catherine..." he said, a warning tone in his voice. He didn't know why he bothered; Catherine wouldn't pay attention to his warning if he paid her. Finally getting a hold on her mirth Catherine assured Grissom she would be right over.

Closing the phone and sticking it back in Nick's vest Grissom smiled. "We'll be getting out of here anytime now, Nicky. Catherine is on her way."

"Thank God! ...What did she say?" Nick repeated, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Trust me Nicky, you don't want to know."

Time seemed to slow down as they waited for Catherine to arrive, Grissom passing the time pacing and Nick flexing fingers that he was sure no longer had a drop of blood flowing through them.

"So, after all this at least tell me you have the case solved," Nick joked.

"I believe so, yes."

"And?"

"The suspect had said he left the victim tied in the closet, but that he had made sure the closet was still opened. He was after all just looking to rob the guy. After the suspect took off the vic had tried to get out of the closet, to reach the phone in the hallway and call for help.

Much like you, he must have fallen over, losing his balance and hitting the wall also causing the door to slam shut. Not only couldn't he get himself off the floor, he had no way of opening the door.

He eventually died of dehydration, an accidental death, but still set in motion by the actions of the suspect. He'll of course still be charged, regardless of whether it was his intent or not for the victim to die."

Swallowing loudly Nick tried not to think about what they would have done if he hadn't had his phone. Knowing they would have eventually been found, long before they could have died from dehydration, didn't stop the shiver running through him at the thought.

Needing desperately to change the subject he asked again, "You're sure the key is in your jacket?" knowing he was grasping at straws but grasping none the less.

"What? Oh the cuffs...yes. I took them out of my jacket and tested the key before you arrived. Stepped into the closet..." Grissom's voice died and Nick could hear rustling. "Shit! I'm sorry, Nicky!" Grissom continued rushing behind Nick to unlock the cuffs with the key he had absent mindedly slid into his pants pocket.

Nick cried out as his released hands caused excruciating pain to shoot through his arms as the blood flow returned. "Oh God!!! Shit, shit, shit!"

"Just relax, Nicky. If you move too much too fast it's going to make it worse." Grissom scolded. Just as he reached out to stop Nick from flailing his arms in an attempt to speed up circulation the closet door opened and a bright flash blinded him.

Catherine stood before them, a camera around her neck and a smirk on her face speaking a thousand words at once. Sighing Grissom just shook his head. "How much is this going to cost me?"

"Oh I think I'm just going to hold onto this little bit of closet evidence. You never know when it might come in handy." She laughed as she walked towards the front door.

"What?"

Grissom turned back to Nick a grin on his face. Ignoring Nick's inquiry, Grissom reached out to help steady him on his feet clapping him on the shoulder as they exited the closet. "Let's get out of here, Nicky. It's been a long night."

***