Title: Lock and Key

Author: Griffin Maxwell

Fandom: CSI

Pairing: Greg/OMC and Nick/Gil later Nick/Greg/Gil

Rating: R

Summery: Something's wrong with Greg.

Warnings: Abuse, as usual.

Notes:

Disclaimer: Dude, if CSI belonged to me…mmm…let's not get into that now.

Dedication:

lj-cut

Greg sat quietly at the table in the break room, nursing a cup of coffee. He wasn't actually drinking it, knowing that caffeine would be a bad idea, even if without it he would probably fall asleep at a crime scene. He was so busy staring at the mug, he didn't notice Nick come in.

"Hey, man." Greg jumped a little in his chair. Nick went straight to the coffee machine. "No Blue Hawaiian?" Greg shrugged. "Are you alright, G?" Nick asked as he sat down across from the ex-lab-rat.

Greg was saved from having to answer by the rest of the night shift coming in, including Grissom, who was holding that night's assignments.

"We're all still on the Amber case. Nick and Warrick, you two go to this club," he handed Nick a sheet of paper, "and ask around. He has a VIP card there, maybe you can get an ID. Sara and Catherine, you two get to go around and talk to the neighbors again, maybe they remember something. Greg, you're with me here."

"But-"

Grissom turned and stared at the youngest CSI. "I need you here tonight, Greg. And from the look of it, you need to be here. We have a truck to process."

Greg's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Yes, sir."

The other CSI's filed back out of the room, Nick sparing a look of concern at Greg.

"Finish your coffee, Greg. We need to get started."

"I…I'm done," Greg said quickly, throwing out his still full cup. The two walked silently to the garage, quickly changing into the blue jumpsuits and starting on the truck. Greg picked up the fingerprinting powder and started dusting the door handles. "So, we think the missing girl was here?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out." Grissom answered.

"Of course…" Greg muttered, and tried to stuffle a yawn.

"Greg, I think you need to take a week off. You never take any days off, and it's obviously taking a toll on you."

"No!" Greg blurted, before calming himself down. "I mean…no…I'm fine. I'm just…tired. Nothing to worry about. I can still work.

Grissom looked up from the glove department and straight at the youngest CSI. Greg suddenly felt naked. "Is there something going on at home that I should know about?"

"No-of course not! I-I would have told you if there was!"

It was obvious that Grissom didn't believe him, but he didn't say anything.

An hour of processing and the car had yielded nothing. Greg thought about just giving up when Gil's phone went off.

"Grissom…are you sure?...okay, we'll be right there." He hung up the phone and turned to Greg. "419. They think it might be our missing boy."

The two meet Brass at the edge of a road in what felt like the middle of nowhere. "He was found by a truck driver who stopped to take a piss. He matched the description of the missing kid."

Grissom looked at the dead boy. "Yeah that's him." He scanned the scene. "No blood anywhere but on the victim."

"So this is probably not where it took place," Greg filled in the unsaid sentence.

"Body dump. Greg, photograph the scene."

All they found at the scene were some shoeprints and car tracks. Grissom had sent Greg home the minute they were done with the scene, but was unable to convince Greg to take even the next day off.

When Grissom got back to the lab, he found Nick in the break room reading over some files. "Come into my office. We need to talk."

Nick followed Grissom to his office. As soon as the door was shut and locked Grissom stepped right in front of the younger criminalist and gave him a light kiss. Nick smirked a little as Grissom moved back and sat at his desk. "I thought you said no public affection at work?"

"I did. I needed that, though."

Nick sat down in the chair closest to the desk. "Gil? What's wrong?"

Grissom stayed quiet for a moment before answering. "Have you talked to Greg lately?"

Nick shook his head. "No, for the last few months he's seemed to hide himself whenever he isn't needed. So I haven't had time."

"Something's wrong. I know he's changed a lot since he got out of the lab…but this is different."

Nick nodded this time. "I haven't been able to contact him any time he's home, either. I was gonna bring him out drinking for his birthday like I do every year, but he wouldn't even answer the phone."

Grissom sighed and closed his eyes.

"Migraine?" Nick didn't really need an answer. "Com'on. Let's just go home, shifts long over and there is nothing else we can do tonight."

The supervisor looked like he wanted to argue, but just didn't have the energy. He grabbed a few things he needed off his desk before letting Nick lead him out.