Title: All's Fair

Author: Tayla

Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Pairing: Nick/Greg

Rating: PG13

Category: Romance

Status: Completed August 7, 2003

Archive: Yes to WWOMB/Peja.

Yes to GSAS/Lovely. All others please ask

Feedback: Yes, please. All constructive criticism will be graciously accepted

Series/Sequel: no

Disclaimers: CSI and its characters belong to Anthony Zuiker and CBS broadcasting company.
The author makes no profit and no infringement is intended.

Authors Notes: In response to Peja's "Monsters Under The Bed" challenge.

Spoilers: "Playing with Fire"

Summary: Greg has monsters under his bed. Nick helps.

Warnings: None

All's Fair
by Tayla

"You've got to help me! They're gonna get me, man."

The ringing telephone had woken Nick Stokes from a dead sleep, and now the voice on the
other end of the phone was pleading for help. He thought he recognized the voice but he wasn't sure.

"Greg, is that you?"

"You've gotta help me. They're under the bed."

Greg had just been released from the hospital this morning. The two men were very close, and
truth be told, Nick wouldn't have minded one bit being even closer to the younger man. Nick had
wanted to drive his friend home himself, but Catherine had been in full mother mode since the
accident. She felt that she was responsible for Greg being hurt in the lab explosion, so she had
insisted on taking care of the young lab tech herself. Now Greg had awakened him in the middle of the day. He sat up, flicked on the light and looked at the clock. Two in the afternoon. The equivalent of the middle of the night for him.

"Is Catherine still there?"

"No, she had to go home and take care of Lindsay. I told her I would be alright." The other man whispered into the phone. "I think there's some in the closet, too."

"Who's in the closet? Who's going to get you?"

With a gasping sob Greg said, "The monsters."

"Monsters?"

"Please Nick. You have to help me." Greg was almost crying. But there was something else. His
voice sounded...fuzzy. He was slurring his words.

"Greg, are you on some kind of medication?"

"What? Oh yeah, yeah. The doctor prescribed some pain medication. I'm still getting headaches from the concussion."

"Have you taken any?"

"I took two earlier, but they didn't work so I had to take two more."

"Damn it." Nick swore under his breath. Greg was high on pain meds, and hallucinating. He could picture the other man, huddling on his bed, frightened by unknown noises and conjuring up boogeymen because of his altered brain chemistry.

Not the image he usually got when he pictured Greg in bed. He usually imagined Greg sprawled out nearly naked, his black boxer-briefs doing nothing to conceal his hard-on as he waited for Nick to join him....

"It's okay Greg. Listen, I want you to stay right where you are, okay? Stay in bed."

"But they're gonna get me!" the young man wailed. God, it was like dealing with a five-year-
old.

"Greg, they can't get you if you stay on the bed."

"Really?"

"Trust me. Just stay on the bed. I'll be there soon."

"Hurry Nick, I need you." Greg whispered.

Nick was up and dressed and headed out the door, almost before the other man had hung up.

*