Title: Monsters At Bay
By: Tiffany F
Pairing: Gil/Nick/Greg
Rating: FRM
Series: part of the I Swear series
Summary: ***SPOILERS*** Season 7 Empty Eyes. Gil talks with his people and recalls a special night with his lovers. Part of the "I swear" universe. I don't own CSI and am only playing around.

Grissom looked around the scene one last time. They’d all seen some bad things in their careers but these young women had been terrorized before they were brutally murdered. He knew there was a very sick man loose in his city and it was up to them to find him before he killed again.

           

He closed the door of the Denali and pulled out his cell phone. “Nicky?”

           

“Hey, where are you?”

           

“I’m just leaving the scene. How’s Greg holding up?”

           

“Fine, far as I can tell. I’m worried about Sara though,” Nick replied. “She’s taking all this way too personal.”

           

Gil sighed. “I’ll talk with her,” he said. “Can you and Greg meet me in my office in an hour? I have some bad news for him and want you there as well.”

           

“Sure thing, Gil,” Nick said. “Anything else?”

           

“Just that I love you, Nicky,” Gil said. “Both of you more than anything.”

           

“Me too, Gil and I’ll pass the message along. Drive safe.”

           

As Grissom closed his phone with a soft sigh, his eyes landed on his wedding ring. He grinned as he remembered his team’s reaction to the new jewelry.

 

**FLASHBACK**

           

“You’re sure this is gonna work,” Nick said, twisting his ring around nervously. “We’re gonna get in a lot of trouble if they don’t believe you.”

           

“Trust me, Nicky, it’ll work,” Gil said. “And you get to see me lecture.”

           

“Yeah, when we can’t do anything about it,” Greg commented. He leaned around the seat and kissed Gil’s neck gently. “You know how hot you are when you lecture.”

           

Gil smirked. “I’m looking forward to the end of shift,” he said dryly.

           

“So are we,” Nick and Greg chorused.

           

All three men watched their teammates closely as they had bet on who would notice the rings first. Gil won when Catherine, who knew about him and Nick, choked on her coffee and stared at them in wide-eyed shock.

           

“What’s wrong, Cath?” Warrick asked, frowning at the blond.

           

“I believe Catherine just noticed our new jewelry,” Gil commented. “Nick and Greg have progressed far enough in their studies to select a new goal marker. Both selected rings when they saw mine from my college years. It’s really quite fascinating how color can mean….”

           

“Gil,” Catherine interrupted, holding up her hands, “we really don’t care. Just tell us why the hell they look like wedding rings.”

           

“Because it symbolizes both the dedication and commitment to their studies,” he replied smoothly. “We’re fully aware people are going to ask questions and make assumptions. All I ask is my people not make the same mistake and follow the evidence instead.”

           

Warrick laughed. “For a minute there I thought you were all in a relationship or something.”

           

“Oh come on, man,” Nick said. “It’s just another step in helping us master and focus our minds and emotions. Get your mind out of the gutter.”

           

“More like the sewer,” Greg chimed in.

           

But Gil caught Catherine eying him closely.

 

**END FLASHBACK**

           

“Gil, you wanted to see us?” Nick asked.

           

“Close the door, Nicky.” Gil stood and joined his partners on the sofa in the corner of his office. “Greg, the city decided to settle out of court in your civil suit. They’re going to pay the family.”

           

“That’s just like saying I’m guilty.”

           

“No, Greg,” Gil said, pulling the young man into his lap and holding him close. “It’s all politics. It happens in this job and you can’t blame yourself.” He tilted Greg’s head up and kissed him gently. “Besides, now you won’t have to see the family again. We’ll get past this.”

           

“I still killed a man, Gil,” Greg whispered.

           

Nick ran his fingers through his lover’s soft hair. “You did what you had to do, Greggo,” he said. “And what needed to be done at that time and you need to stop beating yourself up about it.”

           

“Nicky is right, Greg,” Gil said. “But let’s get this case solved and when we go home we’ll focus on you. It’ll be your night.”

           

“Okay,” Greg said, a little shaky still. “Thanks for being the one to tell me about it, Gil.”

           

Gil cupped Greg’s face and leaned in for another soft kiss. “You’re welcome, Greg,” he whispered. “Now back to work before the boss gets mad.”

           

Nick stayed behind for a moment. “You want me to watch him, Gil?”

           

“Please, Nicky; I’ve got to go find Sara and make sure she’s okay.” He rubbed his eyes.

           

“Headache?”

           

“Not yet.” Gil kissed Nick and left his office, hoping some answers had been found.

                                                ********************

           

“I held his hand!” Sara exclaimed, tears running down her face. “I lost perspective.”

           

“It’s never wrong to offer someone who is injured aid or sympathy,” Gil said, handing her a tissue. “Even if they are a murderer, they’re still in pain.”

           

“How can you say that?” Sara yelled. “He butchered those women because he thought one was flirting with him. It’s sick.”

           

Gil held up his left hand. “It's what I believe,” he said. “And if it helps, Sara, your souls is cleaner for helping him than if you had turned away. You don’t feel it now and you won’t for a while. But eventually you will. Learn from this case, Sara, and move on. Don’t let the ghosts haunt you.”

           

“How?”

           

“I called Ben,” Gil said. “He should be waiting for you in the parking lot and he said he had dinner plans to make up for the other night.”

           

She sighed. “I can’t face him.”

           

“Yes you can,” Gil replied. “Don’t turn away from the ones you love because then the bad guys win. You deserve to be happy, Sara.”

           

“Are you?”

           

“Happy? Yes, I am,” Gil replied with a small smile and left to find his lovers. He had a promise to keep and a wild-haired imp to wear out to keep the nightmares at bay for one more day.