Officially Scared

[anmani.livejournal.com]

Title: Officially Scared
Chapter: Catherine, chapter 10 out of 14
Author: anmani
Pairing: Nick and Greg
Rating: NC-17
Genre: AU, Future-fic, established relationship, drama, angst, romance.
Warnings General spoilers for seasons 1-5.
Disclaimer: They belong to the CBS and not me.
Summary: Nick's night begins all perfect.
Beta: serenity151979

Previous chapters:
Officially scared, I know I am whipped, chapter 1
Officially scared, Tread carefull, chapter 2
Officially scared, Every shitty thing, chapter 3
Officially scared, The phone rings, chapter 4
Officially scared, He is the sun in my solar system, chapter 5
Officially scared, Await my call, chapter 6
Officially scared, I'm fine, chapter 7
Officially scared, Anything you want Sunshine, chapter 8
Officially scared, Lorraine Hansen, chapter 9


A/N: The plot for this story was conceived when I’d seen about half of season 5 and only heard rumors about ‘Grave Danger’. Therefore I have marked it as an AU. Tina never happened, but many other things did. The story is set in 2011.

I also wanted to try and tell it from first person and present tense. Not my usual style and it has taken me 5 months to complete it. The POV will change for each chapter.
This is told by Grissom:


I can’t believe the nature of the phone call that I just had with ‘Hans’. Greg has never mentioned her before and I really don’t blame him for not wanting anybody to know that kind of stuff about him. At least she gave me something to go on.

Now all I have to do is find Mattie Holmes’ hiding place.

If I’m lucky Catherine will be sober enough by now to remember more than just names. Sara is going to be more than pissed after being stuck with her, but then again Greg wouldn’t have asked Sara to find Catherine if he didn’t think she could handle it. My brain is already listing all the possible buildings that fit the description she gave me, as I make my way to the interview room where the ladies are.

I don’t want to barge in, so I go into the viewing room and find a broken Warrick in front of the window. He turns and his green eyes have faded behind the tears. Have I ever seen him cry?

“Should you even be in here Warrick?” He shrugs his shoulders and I know that look.
“What was your call about?” He doesn’t even try to explain and had Nick or Greg been in my shoes they would have been holding him tight trying to sooth the pain. I can’t.

“Mattie Holmes. He and Greg lived together once.” If Warrick is shocked he doesn’t show it, just nods.
“Anything else?”
“Yeah, the woman I called is the one who got Greg out of the relationship. Mattie used him as a punching bag.” I hate having to tell him, but Greg’s life is no longer private, it’s a case.

Sometimes Warrick can really surprise me and his knowing nod makes my blood freeze.
Until now I hadn’t looked in on the interrogation. Catherine is strapped down in a chair with two IV’s in her left arm and hooked up to a heart-monitor. Sara is sitting in front of her fighting to keep her cool. I know them both so well and the scene before me makes me shot out any feelings.

“Nick told me about Greg having been in an abusive relationship a long time ago.”

I snap for my next breath and I pinch my nose to refocus.

“She said to look for a fairly big room with no windows. Holmes is an interrogator for the army. She thought that he probably wouldn’t have moved Nick more than a few miles. Might even have walked off with him. Drugged him in some way.”

I can barely focus and though the audio is switched off, the insults coming from Catherine makes my skin crawl.

“I’ll get some maps going with Archie and hopefully we can narrow it down to a few buildings.” Warrick rubs his hands over his face and takes a deep breath before looking one more time through the window.

“It’s not your fault!” What else can I say?
“It feels like it.” With that he leaves the room.

I turn my attention to the two women. Sara is suffering mentally and Catherine physically. If only I could go in there and remove all the pain. Sara would want me to; she has always believed that I alone can make things better for her, but how?

I’m not an affectionate man and no woman should ever suffer from my lack of affection.

Bracing myself I walk into the lions den or in this case; the lionesses. Catherine gives me a mean stare and I hold it, regretting it; when I see the emptiness there. She does her best to appear intimidating, but lost is the only word I can think of. My Catherine is lost.

“Whadda ya want?” She drawls and I have to confirm her question with reading her lips.
“To find Nick.” I rarely speak without thinking and when I do; it is disastrous.
“Oh you’ve lost your little Nicky again, too bad that he’s all Greg’s.” The snide remark hits deep.

“Catherine, what do you remember about Thomas Grierson and Mattie Holmes?” Deep down I don’t want to know, but for Nick’s sake I have to find out.
“Always so cold and professional, huh Gil Grissom, best way not to get hurt.” She spits the words out and a spray of saliva is visible in the air.

“This is not about me, but Nick. What do you remember?” Only years of training enables me to keep my voice neutral.
“I wrote it in the report, why don’t you just look it up?!” Her anger is evaporating slowly but steadily. Sara sighs and I guess that they have been over the red tape more than once.
“Catherine please.” The plea has her lifting her head again and a flicker of understanding crosses her face.

“The chem teacher Grierson, was a right prick. I remember Nick getting really worked up over the bastard…. Holmes was a has-been lover.”
“Did you talk to Holmes?” I can see glimpses of he old Catherine and it gives me hope.
“Nah, he was off somewhere with the army.” She stops, searching for the next word and I catch Sara’s gaze for a moment. The brown eyes are sad but also determined in a scary way.

“Grierson was an abusive bastard and I think Holmes was one of his first ‘victims’. Some of his past lovers were adamant that he was a good guy.” Catherine sags further down in the chair.
“Holmes was in a relationship with Greg.” Both women stare at me in disbelief and I clench my jaw to strangle any emotions.
“The abused becomes the abusive…” At least Catherine’s logic still works.

“Grissom, Nick was molested as a child.” I close my eyes and hold my breath, Nick has never told me and suddenly there are quite a few things that add up.
“No.” Sara barely whispers the word and yet it echoes in the room like she shouted it.
“Catherine do you have any idea where Nick could be held captive here in Vegas?” Not the most clever question, but it’s all I can manage.

“Not really, except there is that old industrial area not far from their house, if they still live in the same place that is.” The fight has gone out of her and so has the drugs, because she starts to shake.
“Thank you Cath.” I leave and the doctor that Sara had on standby enters.

I decide it is time to call Greg and like Hans I don’t beat around the bush.
“Greg listen, Grierson apparently did to Holmes what he did to you.” Greg inhales sharply.
“Right, when we come in with the kid you interview him and you gotta play it cool.”
“Ok.”
“Thanks Grissom.”
“Bye.” I know that saying more to him now is futile, we simply need to find Nick.

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