A/N: I don't own CSI, CSI:NY, CBS, or any other known entity. This is another one-shot within the "Secrets of a Past Life" realm, and while I do have a follow up chapter story planned (which would fall before all these one-shots), this is kind of a stand alone. Because reading the others aren't necessary. This story takes place around the episode "Shock Waves" (CSI season 11 premiere). I hope you guys enjoy this one, and please review. :)

Blow Me Up

He was just walking through the front door when his phone rang. He yanked it out of his pocket, avoiding glancing at the caller ID in preference to answering it with a quick, "Sanders."

"Oh, so you do know how to answer a phone," a miffed voice replied.

He rolled his eyes as he dropped his keys onto the table. "You're my friend, Adam. Not my mother."

"Yeah, and you almost got blown up twice in as many days."

Greg shook his head, though he knew Adam couldn't see. "Not twice. Only the once."

"I thought there was more than one."

"There was."

Greg didn't even have to be standing in front of Adam to know he was confused. "Wait…"

"I wasn't at the funeral," Greg explained.

"I thought most of LVPD was there," Adam replied.

"Not me. Well, at least not until after the bombs went off. I was at the hospital waiting for news on Ray."

"Oh, right. How is he?"

"He lost a kidney, but he'll be alright."

Adam paused, and Greg could practically see him nodding. "And, you?"

Greg scoffed lightly. "I'm fine."

"Not answering your phone is not fine," Adam retorted.

"I've been busy getting blown up."

"Not funny."

Greg smirked.

"Seriously, though," Adam said. "Why weren't you answering your phone?"

"Because Mom's been calling me every five minutes since the first explosion," Greg replied. "I'm trying to avoid her phone calls."

Adam chuckled through the phone. "You happened to forget to screen this one?"

"Well, I just got home, so I figured if it was her, I'd just tell her to come over." Greg plopped onto the couch.

"So, back to my question. Are you okay?"

"I'm sore, but I'm fine," Greg replied.

"Sore?" Adam ventured.

"Well, I kinda made Vartann hit the deck pretty hard. And most of the explosion got me. But I got hurt worse when the lab blew up, so I guess that's a bonus."

"Getting blown up is never a bonus."

Greg shrugged. "True."

"But you're really okay?"

"I'm really okay."

Adam sighed, and Greg could tell he'd been holding that in for a while.

"You got really worried, didn't you?" Greg asked.

"Well, I heard about it, and you weren't answering my calls," Adam answered. "What was I supposed to think?"

"It never dawned on you to call my office? Or the crime lab?"

"They wouldn't tell me anything."

"You don't have Catherine or Nick's numbers?"

"No."

"Remind me to give them to you before we hang up today, so that the next time I get blown up, you'll have someone to call who'll tell you something."

"Ha-ha. You're real hilarious."

Greg smiled at Adam's sarcasm.

"You wouldn't be laughing if you'd really been blown up," Adam added.

Greg shrugged. "No, I'd probably be dead," he conceded.

Adam breathed out slowly.

"Adam, if anything happens to me…"

"Do we really need to have this talk right now?" Adam interrupted. "I don't wanna hear this right now."

Greg nodded, though Adam couldn't see. "Yeah, I guess," he replied instead. "But, just so you know…"

"Yeah, me too."

"And…"

"Yeah, I know that too."

"And please…"

"Don't worry. I will."

"…let me finish a sentence?"

Greg could tell Adam was grinning when he said, "you and I both know that was not the end of that sentence."

Greg chuckled softly. "No, it was not," he admitted.

"They'll be safe with me. Hopefully, though, they'll be grown and on their own before they ever become orphans."

"Yeah, hopefully." They fell silent for a moment before Greg finally said, "You don't think things always come in threes, do you?"

"It's numerology and patterns," Adam replied.

"That doesn't answer the question."

"Does it matter what I think? I thought it'd matter more what you think."

"I'm thinking that this was number two. And I'd really hate for number three to be the charm, as they say."

"Adages don't mean anything," Adam attempted.

Greg rolled his eyes. "Even you don't believe that," he pointed out.

"True. But hey, if you think about it, this was already your third near-death experience, and you made it out alive. So, maybe you've got at least, like, two more attempts before you gotta worry about the real one."

Greg shook his head. "You're so hilarious."

"Hey, you do the same for me. And seriously, sarcasm? I was giving you optimism, not a joke."

Greg shrugged, shifting his position on the couch. "I'm sorry. I'm tired. Being blown up can do that to you."

"Understandable, but not really funny."

"Not a joke."

"Okay then." Greg could hear someone talking behind Adam over the other end of the line. "Listen, man," Adam said. "I gotta get going before I get into trouble with Mac. Call me later, though, before you go back on, and we'll talk some more."

"Sounds good," Greg yawned. "I'll talk to you later."

"I'm glad you're alright, man."

"Thanks. Me too."

"Have a good night."

"Have a good day." The two hung up, and Greg, feeling the full effects of the earlier blast, stretched out across the couch. As he closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep, his phone rang again. Checking the screen briefly, he muted his phone after recognizing his mother's number. After all, she'd just come over in a few minutes anyway…

The End.