CSI 1. Chapter 1

Hello! This is the Sequel to 'To Make a Family' I hope that you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Please let me know if there are any mistakes and let me know if you like it. Thank you.

Once again this is Nick and Greg slash, if you do not like it please do not read. And if you read it not heading the warning dear God do not comment with unpleasant words. I will not be happy.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The kettle on the stove began to whistle and Tabitha got up from the floor. "Time to make coffee, are you coming?" Aidan laughed and continued working on his puzzle.

"Yeah, yeah I know you don't like coffee. But it's my sweet nectar and I need it." She ruffled his hair and made her way into the kitchen, making a mental note to ask if they wanted her to cut his hair before the weekend. In the year she had worked for them they'd learned she could bake, sew, fix the broken dishwasher, and cut hair. She turned voluntarily from Nanny to house keeper and handy girl.

"Your momma taught you well, too well. Whoever gets you is gonna be a lucky one." Nick had told her several times after her would come home from shift to find she had in their words 'out done herself.' They had raised her pay after the first month and insisted she accept it if she was going to insist on helping around the house.

Tabitha set the timer on the stove for the French press and moved to the cabinet pulling out two cereal bowls. "It's cereal Friday bud!" She called over her shoulder to the living room. A crash came instead of his usual reply of a giggle or one of the few words he had in his small vocabulary. "Aidan? Are you alright?" Tabitha set down the cheerios box and made her way to the living room. "Bud?" she called out as she walked through the doorway of the living room.

A loud pop rang out and she felt herself fall against the wall and pain ripped into her side. She grabbed at her side as she slid down the wall. She looked up at a masked man standing in the living room, his gun still pointed at her and Aidan tucked under his arm.

Aidan kicked out against the man and bit him hard and the man hollered out, dropped him and he came running over to her. Tabitha wrapped her arms around him painfully tight and started to scream. The man came over and put the gun to her head.

"Shut your mouth." He growled. "Give me the boy."

"NO!" She yelled and continued to hold Aidan as tight to her chest as she possible could. She could feel his little fingers digging into her shirt, crying hard.

The man pulled at him several times before pushing the gun hard against her temple. "Let him go."

"NO!" She yelled again and started to scream for help. The man turned his gun around in his hand and started to hit her with the butt of his gun.

She knew he wasn't going to stop; he was going to take him. "It'll be okay. Your Daddies will find you, I promise." She said to Aidan before letting him go and she grabbed at the gunman. Her one hand was on his hair the other on his arm digging furiously in with her nails.

The man cried out and hit her hard, knocking her to the floor. Her eyes crossed and Aidan was picked up off the floor. The man put something over his mouth and she watched as he fell limp in his arms. He coddled him like a sleeping child and left through the side door.

Tabitha fought the tears and the pain and pulled herself over to the coffee table where her purse was. Digging around she found her phone. Her eyes were beginning to blur.

"_911 Whats your emergency."_

"Someone just took Aidan."

"_Ma'am? Are you hurt?"_

"Yes. I-I was shot. But he took Aidan, a man, he kidnapped the boy I watch."

"_What is the address you are at ma'am?"_

"1347 Walnut Lane," The phone fell to the ground and her hands grabbed at her side. The room was spinning darker and darker and she could hear the woman's voice on the phone calling out to her over and over until nothingness enveloped her.

0o0o0o00o0o0

Greg tapped his fingers across the desk waiting for the printer to finish his report. The last thing of the day always took so much longer than any other of the projects he had before him. The others had already gone to the lockers to change. He watched as the documents made their way to the tray counting down with only six more to go. Greg looked up as the doors to his lab opened expecting to find Nick. Instead he found two officers entering through the doors.

"Whatever it is boys the day shift will have to take care of it, I am done as of right….." the last page finished and slid on top of the pile. "Now." Greg looked up and smiled at them but let his smile fall away when he saw that they were not sharing in his end of the day happiness.

"Mr. Sanders, I'm Officer Martin, and this is Officer Rayes. There has been an incident at your home."

Greg dropped the papers that were still hot off the printer. "Are Aidan and Tabitha alright?"

"Sir your nanny was shot, and your son has been kidnapped."

Greg just looked at them.

"Sir?"

"Where is she?" Greg asked grabbing onto the back of his chair.

"They took her to Haven Medical Hospital."

"Okay." Greg nodded and started to walk towards the door. "I need to find Nick." He said more to himself than to the officers who followed him as he made his way dazed towards the locker rooms.

He could hear laughter coming from the locker room echoing down the hall and he pushed the door open walking in. Everyone looked over to see who had come in and Nick stood up from the bench as soon as he saw his face. "What's going on Greggo?"

Greg opened his mouth and then shut it putting his hand to his face rubbing it flat against his forehead. "Somebody shot Tabitha, and they took Aidan." When the words came from his mouth the tears that had been threatening to fall escaped from his eyes. He brought his other hand up to his face and covered his eyes. "Oh my god, someone took Aidan."

Nick was across the room and had Greg tight to his chest in three strides. One arm was wrapped around his waist holding him up the other behind his head, curled into his shoulder. "It's okay babe, I got you." He said to Greg before looking at the two officers. "What happened?"

"As far as we know a man broke into your home and shot your nanny when she tried to interfere. She is at the hospital receiving help; we need to go to your house and see if anything is missing or out of the ordinary."

"Alright." Nick kissed the top of Gregs head. "It's going to be okay." He let him go and moved to his locker grabbing his jacket and keys.

"Nick what's going on?" Catherine asked finding her voice.

"Who's Aidan?" Sara asked.

Nick had made his way to Gregs side.

"Nick?" Catherine said loudly. "Who is Aidan?"

He turned to them, his eyes cast on the floor before scanning his friends in the room. "Aidans our son." He said quietly before turning, his arm going around Gregs shoulders and they followed the officers out.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Well there is chapter one! Look for chapter two within the week. Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

So I definitely said look for this chapter within the week completely forgetting that I was leaving the country for the next two! I am back so here is chapter two! Sooo sorry about that.

0o0o0o0o0o

Every crime scene was different and told a different story, but as they pulled up to the small house on Walnut Lane the night shift CSI team knew that this was going to be unlike any other crime scene that they had ever encountered. Catherine had gone straight to Ray the moment that she had recovered from shock and demanded they be the team to handle it.

The house was in the middle of family neighborhood, quiet streets except for the present police presence. They entered the house and looked around silently. It was not Nicks house, or Gregs, but Nick and Gregs. Their house where they had a son, evident by the small shoes, jackets, and hats that were mixed in with Nick and Gregs things they recognized at the door, and the small bloody handprint that was on the living room wall. There was a larger pool of blood against the wall with drag marks leading to the coffee table.

"Catherine and Sara, you two take this room." Ray said to them. "I'll take the outside and the door he entered through. We treat this like every other case."

An officer approached him. "The only thing this man was interested in was the boy. Nothing else in the house was disturbed."

Ray nodded.

"There is hair, blood, and skin on the coffee table. It looks like she fought him pretty hard." Sara said from where she standing over the table taking pictures.

"I'm sure she did."A voice said and they looked to where Nick was standing in the doorframe of the hallway. "She loves him about as much as we do." He looked a wreck and ran his hand over his face. "Guys I don't know what to tell you, we just didn't, we didn't want…"

Ray walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "No need for explanations right now Nick. Let's just focus on getting your boy back."

Nick nodded. "Thanks."

"Nicky, are these Aidans?" Catherine held up a few pictures and Nick nodded at her. "How old is he?"

"Just turned five last month."

"Five?" Catherine looked at the pictures again then back to Nick. "Really?"

"Aidan is autistic and he excels in art and puzzles, things that don't require speech." Nick smiled. "You think that's something, follow me." Pride had filled his voice as he turned and beckoned they follow him down the hall.

On the left there were two doors, one open showing a bathroom the other closed. Across from the closed door was another that Nick opened and motioned for them to go in.

"That is very impressive." Ray spoke looking at a puzzle picture that was on the wall.

"Only took him an hour."

"An hour?" Sara went up to it and ran her finger over it. "It has to have over a thousand pieces."

"It has two thousand pieces. We didn't help him once." A proud smile took over his face again. "You see the way his brain works he can look at all the pieces spread across the floor and pick out the top right and then work his way across like a typewriter. Its nuts to watch. And those," he pointed over at the small desk. "He did with a water color set." His smile faulted as he looked fondly at the pictures. "I'll let you guys get to it. I need to check on Greg, he's, well he's physically acting out the way I feel. "

He turned and walked out of Aidans room into their bedroom shutting the door behind him. Greg was sitting at the end of the bed holding Aidans lion on his knees just looking at it.

"I found it in between the bed and the nightstand." He sniffed and Nick sat next to him wrapping an arm around his waist. They had taken a family outing to the zoo and Aidan had picked out the lion. After their next shift they found it hidden in the living room and the game of hiding the lion was born. Greg shook his head. "He must be so scared." He whispered. "He must be wondering where we are, and what's going on, what if he thinks we aren't coming for him?" Greg shook his head. "What if he thinks we abandoned him?"

"Now stop it." Nick said gently. "He knows we love him, and that we are coming for him." Nick pulled Greg against his chest feeling Gregs silent tears soaking into his shirt. "We are going to get our son back and get the bastard who did this. You hear me?"

Greg nodded against his shirt. "What did they say? The team."

"That we would talk about it when Aidan is home."

"Were they angry?"

Nick shook his head. "It didn't seem like it." They heard a knock on the door. "Yeah?" Nick called out.

"Its Officer Rayes the hospital just called. Your nanny is stable and should be waking up sometime soon. We are sending someone to talk to her."

"Wait." Greg stood setting the lion next to Nick and wiped at his face before opening the door. "We are going to."

"It might be best if you wait here."

"No, she's not just our help she's our friend. And she fought like hell to keep that bastard for taking our son. We are going."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Tabitha looked up as the Officer walked in Greg and Nick close behind, and no Aidan.

"Hey." Greg said.

"Hey." She replied, tears instantly filling her eyes. She moved her hand to her face to hide it from them.

"Now don't start that." Nick said. "I just got him to stop."

She couldn't help but laugh. She shook the tears from her eyes then looked at them. "I am so sorry. I didn't hear him come in. Something broke and I went to check on Aidan and the guy shot me." She pushed her lips together in a tight line. "I couldn't see his face. He had a mask on."

Greg sat down on the bed and took her hand. "You did fine. We, we saw the hair and skin on the coffee table. You did a real good job getting his dna."

"When he started hitting my head it was either pass out with nothing or scratch the hell out of him." Her face contorted and she started to cry. "He was so scared, and I couldn't hold on to him any longer. I told him you would come for him. I told him it would be okay." Her free hand wiped her face not doing much justice.

Being careful of her side Greg slid beside her and put his arm around her shoulder pulling her against him. "It's going to be okay." Greg choked out. He looked up at Nick while he spoke, silently asking with his eyes if it would be okay. Nick walked over to the bed sitting down in front of his husband laying his hand on his knee, but said nothing.

0o0o0o0o0o

So these are really small chapters I've noticed. Its not a super long story, just something in my head! Hope you enjoyed. Reviews fuel my words. Hehehe.


	3. Chapter 3

Recently I have been getting a lot of traffic for this story and I have to admit it was something that I had given up on. This morning however I woke up and realized that I couldn't do that to you, it would be irresponsible of me as a writer to do so and as a reader I hate it when it was done to me. I cannot say that it is my best work, but I sat down at 8:30 this morning and I finished at 5:00 this evening. The middle is mostly dry dialogue but I needed it to carry the story. I will try to wrap this story up before the New Year for you. Thank you to those who have been waiting for this. I hope you enjoy it.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It was only once Tabitha's mother had arrived that Greg was willing to leave the hospital and head home. Their friends had gone back to the lab leaving their house empty, crime tape cutting off their living room and the back porch. Nick watched Greg as he avoided looking anywhere but at his feet and nowhere else as he headed up the stairs. Nick could hear the door to Aidans' room shut quietly before the door to their bedroom slammed shut rattling the pictures on the walls.

Nick grit his teeth and resisted the urge to start kicking things. Never in his life had he been so angry and felt so useless. He wanted to scream and cry and smash anything within his grasp until the pain in his chest went away. His hands were curled into tight fists, nails digging into his palms as he stood still, listening to the childless house. The silence was loud and sounded like heartache. Stifled sobs came from upstairs and Nick unwound his hands, forced himself to breath, and let his feet carry his heavy heart and clouded mind up the stairs.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Catherine was graced with a mumbled curse as she opened the door to Saras' lab. She looked, her lips turned into a tight lipped frown.

"What is it?"

"It's the dna. All her hard work was for nothing." She passed the printout over to Catherine who looked it over before putting it down on the counter. "What about the ballistics on the gun?"

Catherine shook her head. "Nothing. The gun wasn't registered." She sighed. "This sucks normally, but this is so much worse than usual."

"Tell me about it." Sara grumbled before sitting down in her lab chair in a huff, raking her hand through her hair. "So, Nick and Greg."

Catherine leaned back against the table. "Nick and Greg." She pursed her lips nodding her head in thought. Her mind wasn't fully around the idea and she had spent a fair bit of time thinking on it. All the evidence was there in retrospect. The changes in their relationship at work with each other, and their colleagues, subtle enough over time that it had gone completely unnoticed by everyone around them. It made Catherine feel like a horrible friend. It was one thing for them to be secretly dating, but marriage and a child made her feel like a stranger to two of the people she thought that she knew best. "Is it just me or do you feel incredibly horrible about all of this?" She turned and watched Sara scrunch her face in disgust.

"I feel like an idiot. Like, like I've had my head up my ass or something to be able to miss that." She scoffed at herself. "How long do you think it's been going on?"

"I have no idea. Nick said something about having Aidan for a year or so, so longer than that."

"I just don't get it Cath, why didn't they say anything?"

"Maybe their families don't know?" Catherine shrugged. "Maybe they just wanted some privacy?"

"Do you think that they didn't want us to know they are gay?"

"I don't think that would be it, but I don't really much right now." Catherine sighed in frustration. "We can deal with it later. Right now let's just focus on getting their son back. I'm going to check in with Ray and see how he is doing with the shoe prints they found."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oooo0

"Thanks Ray." Nick put his phone on the charging dock before rolling back over to wrap his arms around Gregs waist.

Greg turned his head to look at him. "What did he say?"

Nick ran his hand up along Gregs chest resting his hand on Gregs collar bone squeezing lightly. "The dna wasn't a match to anyone in the database, the gun is unregistered." Greg let out a groan. "I know babe." Nick held him tightly pressing a kiss to the back of Gregs head. It was a small relief knowing that it wasn't a convicted felon, which was a very real fear in the back of their minds, but that left them with nothing. Gregs hands curled into fists and he rubbed them against his face.

"I'm going to kill him." Greg murmured. He raised his hands a few inches from his face and flexed his fingers. "With these hands, I am going to kill him."

"Now that is not a smart idea. I can't raise Aidan on my own. I'd be a horrible single parent."

Greg turned onto his side giving Nick a small smile. "Thank you." He spoke quietly. "It has to be hard to remain so calm and level headed while I keep falling apart."

"Somebody has to." Nick smirked at him.

"Oh stop it." Greg shoved him lightly. "I mean it."

"I know. I just hate it when you are upset." Nick watched as Greg started to smile and then ended up crying instead. "I'm sorry. Nicky I'm sorry." He said curling tightly against Nicks side. "Tell me we're going to get him back. T-tell me it's going to be okay."

Nick sat up pulling Greg along with him taking his face between his hands. He wiped the fresh set of tears that were falling on raw cheeks and he locked eyes with his husband. "Greg, we will get our son back." He spoke mustering more conviction in his voice than what was in his heart. Truth be told, he was terrified. His soul was shaken and he wasn't sure of anything, but for Greg he would be strong.

For Greg he would do anything.

"Do you hear me? We are going to get him back. Alright?"

"Okay." Greg sniffed back his tears taking a shaking inhale. "Okay."

Nick leaned forward and kissed him hard before pulling him into his lap, and Greg quickly melted into a sobbing mess.

0o0o0oo00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00

The next morning neither of them had slept and Nick had to spend a fair amount of time convincing Greg that he needed to shower if they were going to head into the lab. They didn't want to stay in the house, it was too painful.

The amount of eyes on them as they made their way to Rays office was oppressive and had it been any other day, any other situation it would have been addressed, but neither of them had the energy to bother with it. Ray was talking with Catherine when they walked in.

"Hello." Ray said when they walked in.

"Hey." Nick said back.

Sara came in before the door had a chance to shut. "Hey, I heard you were here." She said shutting the door behind her.

Greg smiled lightly at her and then silence encased the room. Uncomfortable silence that caused Greg to shift on his feet nervously. It was there on their faces, the questions everyone had running through their heads, so much so that Greg found it easier to stare at the floor then to face his friends. Nicks hand reached out finding Gregs giving it a reassuring grab before threading their fingers together.

"It's been five years we've been together." Nick spoke quietly. "We trust you with our lives and we wanted to tell you, but there was too many outside factors that kept us silent. I'm sorry, we are sorry that this is how you had to find out. We just hope you understand that."

The room fell into silence again and Greg felt his chest constricting, even more so when Catherine started to speak. "What I don't understand," she started and Nick could feel Greg tense beside him "is how the hell you two have pulled off raising a kid without anyone catching on. I mean, really, you should write a book."

Nick laughed equal parts shock and relief and soon had everyone else in the room joining in.

"Come here you." Catherine said and moved grabbing Greg in a hug. "We are going to find him alright?"

Greg nodded and moved back to lean against Nick.

Ray spoke next. "I'm glad you came in, I was going to call you. I know you don't want to hear this but there was nothing to go on the dna, the gun, or any of the tracks found outside your home. I think it would be best to issue an amber alert."

Greg turned his head up to look at Nick who responded "We'll do it."

"Nick." Greg said quietly putting his hand on Nicks forearm. "It will cross state lines."

"I know."

"They will find out."

"It's alright hun. They don't matter." Nick sighed his eyes sliding shut. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'll do whatever it takes." He opened his eyes looking at Greg giving him a small reassuring smile before turning to Ray. "How long until the press can get here?"

"I can have someone here in ten minutes."

"Alright. Call them."  
>"Nick," Greg tightened his hold on Nicks arm. "I can do it by myself."<br>"Greg, our son needs us, and you need me. I am not gonna hide from them anymore."  
>"What's going on?" Sara cut in.<p>

Nick sighed turning to look at her. "My family doesn't know about Greg and I, or Aidan." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter." He turned his attention back to Greg. "I'm going to call them; I want them to hear it from me first."

Greg nodded and wrapped his arms around Nick fiercely. "No matter what happens," he spoke so only Nick could hear him, "I love you. Always I love you."

"I know." Nick said back. They held for a few moments until Nick spoke again. "I'll be back in a bit."

They pulled apart and Nick turned and left before Greg could see the fear in his eyes.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

The phone seemed to ring for an eternity in which time Nick found it hard to breath. The click of the phone being picked up off the receiver was deafening and his mothers' voice was sweet and made him feel very small.

"Nicolas, I've been meaning to call you. I was just talking about you with Mrs. Winterson down at the bakery and,"

"Ma," He spoke quickly, "is Cisco there?" His abruptness caught her off guard and her reply was cautious.

"Yeah, yeah hun. I'll go get him. Is everything alright?"

"No, It's not." He couldn't say anything else.

"Okay, hold on. I'll be right back." She set the phone down and he listened to her footsteps as they left the room and then returned minutes later followed by the click of his fathers' boot heals. The phone was picked up roughly from the counter and his fathers voice spoke gruffly into the phone.

"What's going on poncho?" He spoke, straight to the point as always.

"Hey, can you put it on speaker? I need to talk to you both." There was a beep before his father spoke again.

"What's going on?"

Nick took a deep calming breath, closing his eyes. His back was against the hot brick wall outside the lab and he was near sure that without it he would have fallen over.

"Nick," his fathers voice was insistent, "talk to us son."

"I love you both, so much." He started, his voice coming out as loud as he could make it, which wasn't very loud at all. "And I want you to know that. Nothing will ever change that." He took another shaky breath. "I wanted you to hear it from me, not on the news."

"Hear what Nicky?" His mother spoke this time.

Nick cleared his throat. "I've been married for the last three years, to Greg, Greg Sanders." He knew they would remember who he was. "Last year we adopted a son, his name is Aidan. Yesterday morning someone broke into our home, shot our Nanny, and they took him. Greg and I are going on the news to do an amber alert in a few minutes and I wanted you to hear it from me. And I know I should have said something sooner but I was too much of a coward to do so." Nick ran out of words.

Silence filled the phone line replaced by the sound of his father clearing his throat. "Hope you get your boy back." Then the fading sound of his boots until it was silent once again. Nicks eyes slid shut, his chin hit his chest.

"Nicky?" His mother called out to him. "Are you still there?"

"Yes." He replied with barely a noise.

"How old is he?"

"Five. His birthday was last month. The 28th."

"And where is Greg hun?"

"He's getting ready for the news."

His parents knew.

"Are you okay Nick?"

His son was missing.

"Nick, son, talk to me."

He wasn't strong enough for this. He felt his knees buckle and he slid down onto the ground fisting his free hand into his hair. "I can't do this mom. I feel so damn useless." His words caught in his throat and he fought to push them out. "He doesn't talk mom. He's autistic and he's brilliant but he can't communicate with people. What if he doesn't understand what's happening? What if he thinks we aren't looking for him, or that it's our fault?" He pushed past another sob. "And Greg is so lost I don't know what to do! I don't know how to make it better."  
>"Nicolas." His mother spoke and he knew that tone of voice. "Stop it right now." And it was like she was there pushing his shoulder back until he was sitting straight up against the wall. "It wasn't your fault what happened and if you start thinking it is you are going to lose it. I have six children of my own lest you forget and you have all at one point or another driven me to grief stricken madness. He knows, he knows you are looking for him because if he has you for a father then he has the world. Now you pull on your boot straps and go meet with the news people and when you get back my grandson I intend to come meet him and become more acquainted with my son in law."<p>

"What about dad?"

"You leave your father to me. It was a lot for him to hear at one time and we both know he was never the level headed one out of the two of us. Now go on. I love you and I expect a call as soon as this is settled. You hear?"

"I hear. Thanks ma."

"It's what I'm here for love."

He hung up his phone and let his head fall against the brick, and it felt like at least part of the world had been eased from his shoulders.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When he made his way back into the lab he found Greg and Ray talking to a woman with a camera man. Gregs gaze ran over him taking in cues as to how it had gone. Five years of being together and Greg could read him like a book. He shot him a smile trying to relay as much as he could into the one motion. Greg got enough of it to sigh in relief. He turned to the woman and motioned to Nick walking up.

"This is my husband, Nick Stokes."

She turned round and extended her hand to him. "Jacqueline Summers, this is Marty Walsh. We are so sorry about your son."

"Thank you." Nick shook both of their hands before moving along side of Greg.

Greg passed Nick a blown up picture of Aidan that Greg carried around in his wallet. "Sara blew it up for us." He said softly. "We are going to do the psa outside, is that okay?"

"Yeah its fine."

"Are you okay?"

Nick nodded. "Yeah. Cisco will need some time, ma was great."

"That's good."

Jacqueline watched their small conversation waiting until they were done to motion them outside to begin.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"When tragedy strikes in our city the men and women who watch over us snap into action to ensure our safety and they put themselves on the line for our protection. But who steps up for them when tragedy strikes into their lives? I have here two members of the Las Vegas Crime Lab who work tirelessly to put and keep people behind bars who are a threat to the happiness of our lives here in Las Vegas. Nick and Greg Sanders-Stokes were at work early yesterday morning when a masked man entered their home shot their nanny and took their five year old son. They are here with me to ask you, Las Vegas, for your help. Nick, Greg, could you tell us a bit about Aidan please?"

The glass slipped from Laurens hand as it came to her mouth cutting off her gasp, the glass shattering all over the floor. Her eyes were glued to the small television on the counter, top right corner showing a picture of a little boy as the news woman interviewed the couple who were asking for help. It all fell into place with a terrifying clarity, her stomach threatening to vacate her body and she bit back the urge to vomit in the kitchen sink. Instead she turned, leaving the tv on, moving with hazed determination, grabbing her keys from the hall table she left heading off towards the crime lab.

Ngngngngngngng

Alright, so there it is. Once again sorry for the wait, I hope that it was worth it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is another installment! I broke it up into two final chapters so, not done by New Years but close enough. Hope that you enjoy it!**

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After the news team left they made their way into a conference room sitting towards each other, knees touching, hands held loosely between them. They talked quietly about Nicks conversation with his parents briefly before sitting in silence, taking the moment to just be a comfort in each other's presence. Gregs hand rubbed just under the sleeve of Nicks t-shirt over the scar of the bullet wound that had finally brought them together. It was a subconscious movement and Nick wasn't sure if Greg was aware that he did it sometimes, but their eyes met and he knew, this time at least, it was done with purpose. Gregs hand curled around Nicks bicep holding on and Nick leaned forward pressing his lips to Gregs temple.

There was a soft knock at the door and they pulled apart, Gregs hand sliding down to lace with Nicks.

"Come in." Nick said and the door was pushed open by Sara.

"Hey, there is a Lauren Peterson at the front desk. She is demanding to see you Greg."

"Who's that?" Nick asked as they stood.

"I'm not sure, the name sounds familiar." They followed Sara out of the room and made their way towards the front desk. As soon as Greg saw her knew why she had sounded familiar. She looked up at them and stood when she saw him.

"Greg, Hi, I'm Lauren, I don't know if you remember me. We've only met a few times."

"Yes, I remember. You are Michaels mom, right?"

She nodded and brought her hand up to her face covering her lips softly as her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry. Its Alan, I think he took your son. He's my husband. When I got home from work yesterday I found a note." She pulled it out of her pocket to show them. '_Everything will be okay', _was written in the middle of the paper. "Some of Michaels clothes were missing from boxes, the boys were about the same size."

"Why?" The word fell from Gregs mouth and it was the only one that would have fit. He had met the man once at Pre-school pick up when Tabitha was on vacation, they had talked for less than ten minutes while they waited for the children, and he hadn't seen him since. Why would he want to take their son?

She looked at him with devastated eyes and bit on her lip before the words came out. "He hasn't been the same, since Michael died."

0o0o0o0o

They found themselves back in the conference room with a tape recorder and a box of tissues. Lauren spoke through her tears explaining of Michaels heart condition. How within a month he'd went from fine to needing a transplant that he never received. That had been six months ago. "He never recovered after Michael died. He blamed himself to the point that he lost touch with the world. Then he started to attack our friends. He called child services on our neighbors after their son fell down the stairs. He said they were abusing him. He would talk about how he was a better parent then others and how their children should be taken from them instead of his. Michael was his world." She ran her hands through her long blond hair letting out a groan of frustration. "We used to take family trips down to Hanover street park and he still goes there sometimes, I think it makes him feel closer to Michael."

Greg knew where this story was going before she had a chance to say. He had felt off the entire time they were at the park last weekend. As if they had been under some ones scrutiny.

"When he got home Saturday after he'd been at the park he said he'd seen you and started asking questions about you." She gestured to them. "I had talked with Tabitha about you enough to know you were in law enforcement of some kind and what your names were, but other than that I had only met you at pick up Greg. He was mad that I didn't know more, angry about Michael, and then he got angry because you're gay. It doesn't make any sense, his brother Carl is gay and he doesn't care about that. He feels like God took Michael because of him, so he keeps trying to find the fault in others."

Catherine stepped up to the table. "Do you know where he would have taken Aidan?"

"I can give you a list of places he may have gone." She leaned forward onto her elbows looking between the two of them. "I don't think Alan would hurt Aidan. He has always been so good with kids, and he is a good man. I think he is just hurting and doesn't know what to do with his grief. I'm so sorry."

Nick reached his arm across the table grabbing hold of her hand lightly. "We are sorry about Michael, Lauren. Thank you for coming to us."

She nodded then took the notepad Catherine slid in front of her and started to write down the places she suspected Alan might go while Nick and Greg stood and left the room. Once in the hall Greg stood against the wall head falling back, eyes closed. Grief over the death of a child, enough for a level headed man to kidnap someone else's child, he couldn't imagine it. He felt Nicks hand on his hip and his forehead come to rest on his shoulder. Words of comfort and reassurance evaded them.

0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o

With each spot being searched they were getting reports of nothing being found. It got to the point where Greg didn't want the updates, he didn't want to hear anything, and he needed space. It was the first time in years he felt the need to have a cigarette. He opted for time alone and fresh air.

"I'm going to go outside and get some air." He said to Nick in a tone that said 'by myself,' and was pleased when Nick just nodded and motioned to his phone.

"Call me if you want company."

"I will." He replied before making his way out of the lab. He felt stifled; by the looks of their friends, from Nick, each time a phone rang, it was choking him. All he wanted was to know that Aidan was alright, to grab hold of the boy and never let go, to erase the past two days from their lives and never think about them again.

He waited for the elevator and when it opened he nearly bumped into Margot, one of the new lab girls whose main job was running down particles to find their origin.

"Oh hello Greg, have you seen Ray?"

"Hey Margot, no I haven't." He moved to go past her into the elevator when she continued talking. It was mostly to herself but he heard enough to make him stop. "What did you say?"

"He had me rush a soil sample from a crime scene the other day and I can't find him to give him the results."

"I can take it and try to find him, if you'd like?"

"Sure, that would be great. Thanks Greg." She handed the printout to him before getting back into the elevator.

She obviously hadn't been told what the case was, or she hadn't put it together with him. He quickly scanned the papers in his hand reading over the report.

'_High concentrations of strawberry and sand' _was the line that his eyes were drawn to several times, and in that moment he knew, he knew none of the places on the list she had wrote down was where Aidan was. He knew where Aidan was.

He hit the down button a few times with more force than necessary and used his time in the elevator ride down to crush the paper between his hands until it was nothing more than a tight paper ball that he deposited in the waste paper bin on his way out into the Vegas heat.

He quickly made his way to the car park finding his car that had been left there since Aidan went missing, punched in the key code and opened the door. His fingers pressed against the trunk release button and he went around opening it, digging underneath the spare blankets finding the lock box there. He took it with him, setting it on his lap as he shut the door and started the car.

He turned the code to unlock the box and opened it pulling out the spare gun he kept from its cushioned holder before slamming the magazine into place, loading the gun without a moment of thought and setting in the seat next to him.

His body ran on auto pilot, his mind playing one line on repeat as he drove, _"I'm going to get my son back."_

0o0o00o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Nick looked up when the door swung harshly open expecting it to be Greg but found Ray instead, he didn't look pleased.

"Nick, do you know where Greg is?"

Nick stood up. "He said he was going out for some air a bit ago. Why, what's going on?"

"How long ago do you think?"

"I dunno, twenty or so. What is it?"

"Margot just asked me if I received the printout she sent Greg to give me. It was on soil deposits from the shoes from inside your home. She is new; she didn't know his name was part of the file." Ray handed a copy of the printout over to Nick. "What did he see on here that made him not bring it to me and leave instead?"

Nick took the papers and let his eyes glance over them a few times before he caught the line that had gotten Gregs attention.

"I know where he took Aidan." Nick said quietly. "I know where Greg went."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**I do my own editing and I will be the first to admit that I am shit at it. If you see things that need fixed help a girl and point them out. ;) I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. One left to go!**


End file.
