Title: Breaking Point
Author: Mara
Pairing: Warrick/Gil
Rating: NC-17-Language, Violence, and M/M Sex
Category: Hurt, Comfort, And Romance, Established Relationship
Spoilers: None
Summary: Warrick and Gil have a fight, then Warrick gets attacked at work, Gil feels guilty and tries to make it up to Warrick.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters

Warrick was standing three feet away, legs slightly apart and arms folded across his chest. This was the most ridiculous fight they had ever had. Gil couldn't begin to fathom what had gotten into Warrick. There was just no explanation for it. It was bad enough that the sheriff had been in his face all night, now he had his best friend and lover in his face as well. Tonight had been crazy. It was a very high profile case and Gil was under pressure to get it solved. It was now nine o'clock in the morning and Gil was bone tired. All he wanted to do was hit the sack, preferably with Rick on top of him, but that didn't look like it was going to happen anytime soon.

"Rick, What's going on? I don't understand where this is coming from. Did something happen at work?"

"You could say that. Brass asked me why you avoid me at work and how come you never talk to me anymore. I didn't have an answer for him, so I just shrugged and walked off."

"Rick, that's not true. You know Brass loves to push your buttons. I don't avoid you. Remember, we agreed to be discreet."

"I didn't think discreet meant treating me like I didn't exist anymore." You don't even say hello to me half the time. People are starting to notice. Cath, especially, she thinks there's something serious going down between us."

"Well, sometimes Catherine is too observant for her own good. I didn't realize I'd been doing that. I'm sorry. I promise I'll do better. I know it's difficult sometimes but we have to protect our careers and ourselves."

"I know that. I ‘m just so tired of hiding. You won't even be seen with me unless we're thirty miles out town. If we go somewhere together, you insist we take separate cars. Then if you see someone you think you know, we have to leave. It's getting old rapidly. Then of course there's Nicky."

"What's Nick got to do with this?"

"What, you don't think I notice the way you're always checking out his ass. Even though he's on swing shift now, you deliberately go looking for him and every time he's got a problem, you go running. All he has to do is give you one of those kicked puppy looks and you just about melt. I'll bet all you'd have to do is ask and he'd fall into your bed so fast, it would make your head spin."

"That's the craziest dam thing I've ever heard! What the fuck -- are you thinking? You look like a God and are the best lover I've ever had. Why would I want anyone else? You're also forgetting the fact that I love you, damn it! I know I don't say it all that often, but I do. This past year is the happiest I've ever been and that's because of you."

"Yeah, I know you say that but sometimes your actions say something different. Look, I got to go pay some bills and get some stuff done and then I'm going straight into work. Cath and I have got to try and make some headway on the db they found in the alley. We'll talk about this tomorrow. I think maybe we need to reexamine this relationship. We need to discuss what it is you really want. I'll see ya."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Gil was left standing in the hall with his mouth hanging open as the door slammed shut. Gil thought, ‘What the hell just happened here‘? He couldn't believe this. He'd never seen Rick like this before and it came out of nowhere. Gil had never been so completely in love with anyone until Rick. So this was devastating. He had thought that things were going great. How could he have been so blind? Gil couldn't imagine life without Rick. The thought of losing him was so overwhelming, he felt sick.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Halfway down the road Warrick thought, ‘What did I just do‘? Rick knew that he was being, completely irrational about this. Gil had never given him any indication that he wanted someone else and the hiding was wearing on his nerves but not bad enough to make him react like this. Everything had been fine up until about three days ago. It started with the nightmare, which had woken him and left him dazed and shaken. He kept trying to remember it but it was just fragments. Small glimpses of it would come back to him but he never could assemble the complete picture. His mood had deteriorated since the dream and he just couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom. Rick had, had dreams like this before on occasion and when he did, something bad usually happened. It's like there's a dark cloud following overhead and no matter which way he turns, he just can't escape it. Warrick thought, ‘Well this is crazy. I can't let a nightmare screw up my relationship with Gil‘. He decided to apologize for his behavior as soon as he saw Gil and hope that Gil would forgive him.

Warrick had finished up the last of his business and was headed to work, when his cell rang.

"Warrick Brown."

"Hey Warrick. It's Cath."

"What's up? "

"We've got a hell of a mess. I'm at the Holland Trailer Court. You know where it is?"

"Yeah, I know it. What's going on?"

"At last count there are six dead, three adult females, three children, two boys and a girl. Ages approximately ten, six and three. Adult females range from, early sixties, late twenties to mid thirties. All were shot. It looks like a shotgun was used. One victim tried to escape. The body was found in the front yard, shot in the back. The sheriff and Brass are on the scene and Nick is about ten minutes out. The sheriff said he's calling in night shift for extra help. I think we're going to need it. This is bad. Really bad! How fast can you get here?"

"Holy shit! I'm on my way. I'll be there in about fifteen minutes. Does this ever end?"

"No. See ya when you get here. It's the last double wide on the left. You can't miss it. There are about twenty cops out front."

Well now, that feeling of impending doom had just tripled itself and that dark cloud opened up and shot Rick with a bolt of lightning. An image flashed in his mind but he couldn't quite see it clearly. Whatever the thing was, it was big and dark and it was coming for him.

When Rick arrived, Catherine was out front to meet him. Nick was already there, taking pictures of the db sprawled face down on the walkway. Catherine looked pale and Nick was green around the gills. Even Brass looked like he was about to lose his lunch.

"Warrick, I need you inside with me. The bodies are everywhere. Print everything! We need to find out who belongs here and who doesn't. Mind you now, it's not pretty. Night shift is on their way and Gil should be here sometime soon."

"Great! I'm on it. You coming?"

"Unfortunately."

The scene inside the house was worse than Rick had imagined -- if that was possible. In the living room an older woman sat slumped in a recliner across from a TV set, with a shotgun blast through her chest. In the entrance to the kitchen lay a woman; late thirties maybe, face down with a shotgun blast to the back of the head. Brains and blood were splattered everywhere. Down the hallway in the first bedroom were the bodies of two children. The girl was approximately age six and the boy was three at the most. They had both been shot front on through the chest. In the second bedroom on the right, lay a boy about ten, face down with a shotgun blast to the head. He looked like he had been trying to hide under the bed. His legs were still half under it.

At this point Warrick went on autopilot. He blocked out all the horrific imagery and started dusting for prints. Al and David were both there. They were waiting for Gil to arrive before they released the scene. Catherine was taking pictures and talking quietly with Brass. It was now about five in the afternoon and Rick looked up in time to see Gil enter the trailer. Gil flashed him a disheartening look before crouching down next to Al. Rick felt like he was about to burst into tears and this really wasn't the time or the place to be doing that.

Gil had gotten the call just before four. He hadn't been able to sleep. So he was wide-awake, when the call came in. He really didn't need this on top of everything else but he had no choice. The argument with Rick had been weighing on his mind. He knew some of the things Rick had said were accurate, but not the part about Nick. Gil had absolutely no interest in Nick beyond friendship. Gil knew things were going to have to change, if he had any hope of saving this relationship. He had to stop worrying about what other people thought. Rick was his life and that's all that mattered. Gil vowed that as soon as he saw Rick, he would tell him that things would be different from now on. Gil knew that deep down Rick loved him and would give him another chance.

When Gil arrived at the scene all thoughts of talking to Rick went completely out of his head. He knew it would be bad but this was almost beyond belief. Sara and Greg arrived shortly there after. Gil thought Sara was going to lose it. The look on her face made his blood run cold. Somehow she managed to pull it together and started collecting evidence along side Greg, who hadn't said a word since he entered the trailer.


Brass had gone outside a few minutes ago and reentered, stating that there was an eyewitness to the shooting in the front yard. Apparently, the neighbor across the road had heard the gunfire and opened his front door in time to see the suspect shoot the woman in the yard and then get into his truck and speed off. According to the neighbor the shooter was the husband. A Mr. Jake Ellis. Brass got the license number from the neighbor and an APB had been issued immediately.

The bodies had been removed and all evidence collected. Pictures and Id's were retrieved from the scene and it was now about eleven at night, so all parties involved were meeting back at the lab. The APB hadn't elicited any results yet, so the team assembled in the lounge to go over what they knew while the evidence was being processed. Catherine started off with the list of victim's names, ages and relationships.

"Margaret Long age 63, found in the living room. She's believed to be the first one shot. Tracey Ellis age 38, found in the kitchen. Laura and Brian Ellis ages 6 and 3, found in bedroom one. Jake William Ellis Jr. age 10, found in bedroom two. Emily Long age 27, found in the front yard. She's believed to be the last one shot. Margaret Long was the mother of Tracey Ellis and Emily Long. Tracey Ellis was the mother of Laura, Brian and Jake Jr. and the wife of Jake Ellis."

"What do we know about the husband?"

"We found some Army records in the master bedroom that indicate Mr. Ellis was discharged six months ago on a section eight. It stated that Mr. Ellis had severe emotional and psychological problems as well as depression. The records also stated that he had become increasingly aggressive and counseling had not helped the situation. He has been unemployed since his discharge from the army and the family has been receiving Government assistance."

"Great! We got a military trained nut case on the loose. God only knows who he'll kill next."

"Nicky, save your comments until we get all the facts."

Warrick shot Gil an irritated glance. Apparently, Warrick didn't like Gil calling Nick, Nicky. Why hadn't Gil noticed this before? He was a crime scene investigator after all. He should have been able to pick up on this sort of thing. Gil filed that bit of info for later use. No more Nicky.

Brass entered the lounge and everything else became a mute point.

"We got him! It took six cops to bring him down. They had to run his truck off the road. Then he tried to escape on foot and when he realized he couldn't get away, he put up a hell of a fight. One officer got a broken arm. They were lucky no one got killed. This guy is big! He's about six four and at least 285 pounds of solid muscle. He fought like he was on drugs. We got the shotgun. It was in the back of his truck. It's been sent to ballistics. They've taken him to interrogation room 3. Gil and Rick, your with me."

Everyone followed Brass down the hall. They all wanted a look at this guy in the observation room before the interrogation began. Peering through the one way mirror, they thought, Brass wasn't kidding when he said this guy was big. He looked like he should have been a pro wrestler but it was the eyes that caught their attention. They were staring and devoid of all emotion. He wore his hair in a buzz cut, like he was still in the army. He had on a black leather jacket, black motorcycle boots and he was wearing an old blood soaked Grateful Dead t-shirt that had several holes in it. His hair was dark brown and his eyes were almost black. He was rocking back and forth in his chair, muttering to himself. He was an imposing sight..

On first sight of Jake Ellis, Rick's mind clicked on something from his nightmare. The image was huge and dark and it was towering over him. Sheer terror momentarily took control before Rick was able to regain his composure enough to enter the interrogation room. Brass gave Rick a worried look and asked if he was all right. Rick just nodded as they walked into the room. Gil looked concerned as well, but didn't say anything.

There were three uniformed officers in the room with Ellis and a public defender that had just arrived. Ellis's hands were still cuffed behind his back as he sat rocking in the chair. They didn't dare take the cuffs off for fear of what he might do. Brass sat down at the end of the table nearest the door. Gil sat at the other end and Warrick sat directly across from Ellis. The attorney was seated next to Mr. Ellis.

"Mr. Ellis, I'm Captain Brass, Las Vegas Homicide. We need to ask you a few questions regarding your family. Something very bad has happened to them. Your wife, mother in-law, sister in-law and your three children have all been killed. A shotgun was used in the killings. We found a shotgun in the back of your truck. We have an eyewitness that places you at the scene during the time of the murders and then there's the matter of your shirt. Did you know it's covered in blood?"

"I've advised my client not to answer any questions until I have had an opportunity to speak to him privately. There's also a court appointed psychologist on the way. Mr. Ellis is obviously under a great deal of stress and we need a psychological evaluation immediately."

"Agreed. We're just trying to learn if Mr. Ellis might be able to shed some light on the situation. We also have a warrant for Mr. Ellis's shirt and we're going to test his hands for gun shot residue. Do you think you can get your client to cooperate? We'll have to remove the handcuffs in order to do this."

The Attorney paled at the prospect of having his clients handcuffs removed but he turned toward Mr. Ellis and spoke to him in a quiet, calming tone. Through all of this Jake Ellis had not shown any type of response. He hadn't even blinked, not once.

"I believe it will be alright to remove the handcuffs now."

Brass nodded to the officer standing behind Ellis and the officer moved in slowly and removed the cuffs.

"Mr. Ellis, would you please remove your jacket and then your shirt."

Jake Ellis remained seated, staring straight ahead but he did slide his arms out of his jacket and then pulled his shirt over his head in one fluid motion. He dropped the shirt on the floor where the officer behind him reached down and picked it up. The shirt was passed off and taken to the lab. Another shirt was provided for Mr. Ellis to put on and when he was fully clothed again Warrick asked him to hold out his hands palms up.

&&&&&&&&&&&&
The roaring in his ears was intense and his head was throbbing. He could only make out bits and pieces of what they were saying. He knew they were cops but they didn't look like MP's. They had to be civilians but why was he in a civilian police station? The guy next to him was obviously a mouthpiece and he was certain the cop in charge had mentioned something about his family. For some strange reason they had wanted his shirt and the black guy was doing something to his palms and he had been in handcuffs. Why? Then the roaring began again, louder this time and he heard nothing at all.
&&&&&&&&&&&&

Nick and the psychologist entered at the same time. Nick handed Brass the printout from ballistics. They had a match to the gage, so the same shotgun was probably used in all six killings. This coupled with the bloody shirt and the GSR found on Ellis's hands, it was enough to hold him. The psychologist and the attorney asked if they could speak to Mr. Ellis in private. Brass told them to make it quick; they needed to resume their questioning ASAP. Brass, Gil and Warrick stepped into the hall and about fifteen minutes later the psychologist came out and gave them his preliminary evaluation.

"Mr. Ellis is completely unresponsive. He gave no indication that he could even hear us. I believe that he is in a catatonic state. My recommendation is that he be hospitalized immediately. He needs further evaluation and medication. He may also need to be restrained at some point."

"If he couldn't hear us, how did he know to give us his shirt and then show his hands to CSI Brown?"

"Part of his mind may still be functioning on some level, but I need him in a clinical setting, to establish how deep the psychosis lies."

"We'll take that under consideration, but right now we're going to try one more time."

"All right. But I must insist on being present for the questioning."

"That's fine."

They filed back into the interrogation room. Everything was the same as they'd left it. Ellis was still rocking and staring. The officers and the attorney still looked nervous. They took up their seats with the psychologist standing to the left of the door. Brass gave Gil a look that meant it was his turn. So Gil started in that melodious voice -- the one he saved for the bad guys.

"Mr. Ellis, my name is Gil Grissom. I'm with the crime lab. We know this must be difficult for you but we're just trying to get to the bottom of things. No one is going to harm you. We just want you to tell us anything you might remember about the deaths of your family. Any information would be helpful. Maybe you could start at the beginning. I'm a very good listener, Mr. Ellis and when you're finished we'll take you to a place where you can get some rest."

Nothing, no response, not even a flicker of recognition. Gil just looked at Brass and shook his head. While this was going on, Warrick had been thinking about the killings. He had begun to put together a theory in his head. The murders had looked to him like an act of rage, mixed with desperation. So Warrick decided it was his turn to give it a shot.

"Mr. Ellis, I'm Warrick Brown. I'm also with the crime lab. I promise you everything will be all right. We'll figure this out. I can emphasize with your situation. It must have been hard for you after your discharge from the army. It's not always easy to find employment. Sometimes skills learned in the military aren't always useful in civilian life. It probably didn't help matters to have your mother in-law living with you. I can imagine that between her and your wife they were probably constantly urging you to find employment. Then of course there was your sister in-law dropping by on a daily basis, adding fuel to the fire and it must have been nerve wracking with three young children in the house. It's hard to cope with incessant screaming, yelling, and crying, always craving attention. You were probably very frustrated by the fact that the Government was supporting you and your family. It's understandable that you would become angry. All we want is for you to talk to us. Give us your side of the story."

Halfway through Warrick's speech, Jake Ellis's eyes began to focus and right now they were focused intently on Warrick Brown!

It all happened in a split second. One minute Ellis was rocking and staring and the next he was on his feet The table separating him from Rick was knocked over and both the attorney and Grissom were shoved to the floor. Brass was on his feet and moving but Ellis backhanded Jim, before he could throw himself in front of Rick. The officers behind Ellis were momentarily stunned by what was happening and thus were slow to react. The psychologist had managed to make it through the door and was yelling for help and by the time the officers' realized what was going on, Ellis had jumped the table and body slammed Rick against the far wall. All the breath was knocked out of him as he slid down the wall onto the floor and when he looked up Ellis had him by the shirt collar. One officer had jumped on Ellis' back but was thrown off, like he was no more than a rag doll. Brass had regained his feet and was moving toward Ellis and the other two officers' were coming at him from the left. The attorney had crawled into a corner and stayed there. Gil was now up and moving as well. His only thought was getting to Rick. Gil launched himself at Ellis' back, temporarily knocking him off balance. Ellis, still holding Rick by the shirt collar whipped around dragging Rick to his feet. He propelled Rick out in front of him and now he had Rick firmly in a chokehold. Ellis's back was pressed against the wall and he was using Rick as a human shield. Brass and the officers had their guns drawn and were yelling at Ellis to release CSI Brown and get down on the ground. Rick was trying to break free but he was still dazed and in pain and the chokehold seemed to be getting tighter and tighter. Rick's vision had begun to blur and if Ellis hadn't been holding him up, he probably wouldn't have been able to stand on his own. By this time several other officers had entered the room, including Nick and they were advancing on Ellis. Ellis realizing he had nowhere to run slammed Rick face first into the wall. Rick could feel himself falling forward and the last thing Rick heard before total blackness ensued was Gil's voice yelling, "Oh God, Rick!" Ellis lunged toward the nearest officer and wrestled the gun from his hand before knocking the officer to the floor. Ellis aimed the gun directly at Brass and was about to pull the trigger when at this point Brass and the other officers opened fire. It took twelve shots to bring Ellis to his knees and another five shots to finish the job and when the smoke cleared, Jake Ellis lay dead on the interrogation room floor.

Gil was on his knees beside Rick. Gil was shaking so bad, he was almost unable to check for a pulse. He somehow managed to find his voice and was screaming for a medic. Gil finally established that Rick had a pulse and his breathing was steady. Brass was now kneeling beside Gil and he said that the paramedics were on their way but Gil didn't seem to notice. Gil just kept stroking the side of Warrick's face and repeated the same words over and over.

"Baby, please, please. Open your eyes. Talk to me. Sweetheart, everything will be all right. Baby, please. Come on. Open your eyes. I'm going to take care of you. I promise."

Catherine had entered the room and was kneeling next to Brass. She was in tears with her face buried in her hands. When the paramedics arrived they almost had to psychically pull Gil away from Warrick. Brass and Catherine both had a hand on Gil to keep him out of the way and when Rick was finally loaded on the Gurney, they practically had to hold Gil up to keep him from passing out. Gil was saying something about riding in the ambulance but the paramedics wouldn't allow it. Brass told Gil that he would take him. Catherine said that she was going as well and Nick was right behind her nodding his head.

"We can't all go. Catherine, I need you and Nick here to take care of this Ellis mess. Someone's got to be in charge. Please, I'll call you as soon as I hear something. Right now I've got to get Gil to the hospital before he loses his mind. No arguments. Take care of Sara and Greg. They don't look so good. I'll call, ASAP!"

Brass ushered Gil out the door and into his Tahoe, leaving a pissed off Catherine standing in the corridor. Gil had finally stopped shaking, but was frighteningly silent. Sometime during the drive to the hospital the fog began to lift from Jim's brain.

"Baby, sweetheart. What the hell?"

Gil gave Jim a sideways glance. Tears were still rolling down his cheeks and Jim thought Gil was the most pitiful sight he had ever seen.

"Oh my God! I never even imagined. How could I not have noticed? Gil, say something -- please. You could have told me you know."

"We were trying to be discreet and really, it's no one business but ours."

"I thought we were friends. How long has this been going on?"

"Almost a year and I do consider you a friend. I just didn't know how to tell you. What was I suppose to say, how's it going? By the way, I'm sleeping with Warrick."

"Well I'll be damned. I just can't believe it. You think you know someone. Almost a year and I never had a clue. I feel like a first class idiot."

"Please Jim, don't be angry with me. I just don't think I can take it right now."

"Gil, I'm not angry. Jealous as hell, but not angry."

"I'm sorry, Jim. I didn't realize you felt that way about me."

"Um, that's not exactly what I meant."

"Oh, you meant Warrick. That's surprising because most of the time I couldn't tell if you even liked him."

"What's not to like? He's brilliant, gorgeous and so damned sexy, it ought to be a crime."

"You got a funny way of showing it."

"Yeah well, I'm pretty good at covering my feelings."

"Obviously. So does this mean I have competition?"

"No way, man. I'm not about to invade someone else's territory but if he ever decides to leave you, you can bet I will make a move."

"That's good to know. You might get your chance sooner than you think. Warrick's not too happy with me right now. We had an argument before work this morning. Warrick is tired of all the hiding and he thinks I've got the hots for Nick. I didn't get a chance to talk to him before all this craziness happened."

"Do you, have the hots for Nick?"

"Certainly not! Rick is everything to me. I'd give up this job in a heartbeat to keep him. I had already made the decision to tell people about us after the argument this morning but things didn't go quite as planned. I'm just so damned bad at dealing with people. I'm not always sympathetic to other people's feelings and I'm sometimes too critical of their flaws. I haven't been in a relationship in a very long time and I'm not sure how to act. Please, give me a little help here. I have no idea what I'm doing."

"You want advice on relationship's from me? Are you serious? I couldn't hold a relationship together to save my life."

"Well, just tell me what you would do if you were in my situation. You must have some thoughts on it."

"Ok, if you insist. If Rick were mine I'd be so undyingly grateful that I'd probably tell the whole damn world. I'd be there when he had a hard day to listen to him vent and love him when he needed to be loved. I'd praise him when he did well and console him when he fucked up. I wouldn't give a shit what other people thought and I'd let him know that he was the center of the universe, everyday for the rest of his life."

"I thought you said you couldn't give advice. It sounded right on target to me."

"I just told you what I would do. How you deal with it is entirely up to you."

As they pulled up in front of Desert Palms Gil began to shake again. Brass laid a hand on Gil's shoulder and told him everything would be all right. The nurse on duty was on the phone when they got there. She looked stressed out. It must have been a busy night at the Palms. When she finally hung up the phone, Brass went into his song and dance.

"I'm Captain Jim Brass, Homicide and this is Dr. Gil Grissom with the crime lab. We're here about CSI Warrick Brown. He should have been brought in a few minutes ago. Is there any word on his condition?"

"Mr. Brown is in exam room two. The doctor is in with him now. I'll have the doctor give you an update on his condition as soon as he finishes. You can have a seat in the waiting area. The doctor will be with you as soon as possible."

"Any idea when we'll be able to go in and see him?"

"Are either of you an immediate family member?"

Without missing a beat Gil said, " I'm his domestic partner."

The nurse gave Gil a sympathetic look and said, "It shouldn't be to much longer."

Brass mumbled something under his breath and gave Gil a raised eyebrow. Gil ignored it and headed for the waiting area. Brass sat down and proceeded to watch Gil pace around the room for almost twenty minutes before he couldn't take it anymore.

"Gil! Please sit down. You're making me dizzy. Rick's going to be fine, he's strong and I don't think his injuries were that serious. Just try to be calm until we hear what the doctor has to say."

"I'm calm, really. I just don't feel like sitting down."

"Right, Perfectly calm. You're wearing a hole in the floor and you're about to hyperventilate. Sit down before you pass out."

Gil finally walked over and sat down next to Brass but he was still nervous and twitchy. They sat in silence and the waiting seemed interminable. After about forty-five minutes the doctor appeared around the corner. Gil's heart went immediately into his throat and Brass put his hand on Gils arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm Doctor Thomas. You're here about Mr. Brown?"

"Yes. I'm Captain Jim Brass, Homicide and this is Dr. Gil Grissom with the crime lab. What is CSI Brown's condition and when can we see him?"

"Mr. Brown is stable. He regained consciousness soon after he was brought in. He has a concussion, three cracked ribs, abrasions around the neck area and several other minor scrapes and bruises. He should make a full recovery. We're going to keep him here over night for observation. Mr. Brown will probably be able to go home tomorrow. He's been asking for Gil. I assume that's you, Dr. Grissom. You may go in but only for a few minutes. He needs to rest. We will be moving him to a private room shortly."

Gil let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath. Brass looked visibly relieved as well. The doctor guided Gil down the hall toward the exam room and warned Gil again not to stay to long. Warrick's eyes were closed and Gil could see that the side of his face was swollen from where he'd been slammed against the wall. Gil began gently stoking Rick's arm and whispering softly to him.

"I'm here, baby. Everything's going to be all right. I love you so much. I've been out of my mind, with worry." Warrick's eyes began to flutter open and he managed a very weak, "Gil."

"Yes, sweetheart. I'm right here. The doctor said that you're going to be just fine. You can even go home tomorrow and I'm going to be right there to take care of you. How do you feel? Are you in much pain?"

"I've been better. I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Although, I think the drugs are kicking in because I feel kind of spacey right now. It's hard to keep my eyes open."

"You were pretty close to being hit by a truck, but you don't have to worry, they were forced to kill Ellis. He left them no choice. The doctor said that I couldn't stay long. They're going to move you to a private room in a few minutes. You need to get some rest. I just had to see you for myself, to make sure you were going to be ok. Rick, I'm so sorry about our argument this morning. You're the most important thing in the world to me. I wanted to talk to you, but everything went crazy and I never got the chance. I promise you things will be better. I think we should tell people and get it all out in the open. That is… if you still want me. The way I've treated you, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't, but please know that I love you more than anything."

"Gil, it was my fault. I was being paranoid. I know that you love me and I love you to. I had a nightmare a few days ago about something coming after me and it has been clouding my judgment ever since."

"A nightmare about this attack?"

"I think so, but it was never really clear. I only know that it was big and it was trying to hurt me."

"Have you had dreams like this before?"

"Once in awhile, but not very often. When I do have them, it's never a good thing."

"Please promise me next time you'll tell me. I'd rather be forewarned. I really don't think I could go through this again."

"Gil, I thought you didn't believe in stuff like that?"

"I'll believe anything right now, just as long as you're safe."

"Is everyone else ok? Please tell me they are. I don't remember much after being body slammed."

"Everyone's ok. They're just worried about you. Catherine's angry because Jim wouldn't let her come to the hospital. Someone had to take care of the Ellis case and Catherine got stuck with it. There is something you should know. I told Jim about us. I hope you don't mind. I mean I pretty much had to. He kind of guessed it after seeing my reaction to your being hurt."

"Ha, that must have gone over well. How mad was he?"

"Believe it or not, he wasn't mad, just jealous."

"Damn, do I have to fight everybody to keep you?"

"Ah, I don't think you understand. He's not interested in me. It's you he wants."

"Please, I know you're not serious."

"Oh yes I am. He wasn't kidding."

"Picture that! You tell Jim, only in his dreams."

"Don't worry. You can count on it."

The orderlies and nurses arrived to move Warrick to his room. They gave Gil the room number and said he could come back in the morning. Warrick was almost asleep anyway, so Gil held his hand for a moment longer and whispered I love you in his ear. That brought on a sleepy smile from Rick, who tried to reciprocate but was too far-gone. Gil understood though and said "I'll see you first thing in the morning. Get some sleep, Baby."

When Gil returned to the waiting area, he found Jim laughing with someone on the phone and Jim looked a lot less tense. "I'll bet that was Catherine."

"You'd win. How is he?"

"He's going to be just fine. He's very groggy from the drugs but he's in pretty good spirits."

"I take it he was happy to see you? Everything all better?"

"Well, I'm working on it, but yes he still loves me. Thank God. Catherine's not mad anymore?"

"She was, up until I told her Rick was going to be fine. Then she decided to forgive me."

"Good. She's not fit to live with when she's angry."

"That's for sure. Come on, let me take you home. You need to get some rest."

"All right. There's nothing I can do here anyway. They said I could come back first thing in the morning. I guess a little sleep would do me some good. Aw, you should know I told Rick that you know about us. He asked how you took it."

"Oh God, please say you didn't tell him?"

"Ok, I won't say it and by the way Rick says, in your dreams!"

"You're a son of a bitch!"

"Thank you."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Everyone took the news about Gil and Warrick pretty well, except Sara, but that was to be expected. She pouted for several weeks, but eventually came around. Of course they didn't tell Ecklie or the sheriff because they knew the two of them would hatch some sort of plot to get rid of them, but then again they didn't try to hide it from them either. Gil suspected that Conrad knew, but for some reason Ecklie wasn't pushing the issue. Gil even went so far as to schedule their vacations, so they coincided.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The beach house Gil rented in LA was tranquil and secluded. Warrick had never felt so relaxed and all the attention he was getting from Gil was almost worth being attacked for.

Lying next to his lover as the breeze blew in from the ocean, Gil thought, how lucky he was to have been given a second chance with Rick. The feel of Rick's skin under Gil's fingertips set his blood on fire. Gil gently ran his hand down Rick's side, eliciting a soft moan from his lover. Gil thought: how beautiful, truly a bronze god with the eyes of an angel and a scent that was so intoxicating, Gil could stay drunk on it for days at a time. Rick was truly breathtaking.

Gil leaned in closer and showered Rick's neck with delicate kisses and watched him writhe in pleasure as he rolled a brown nipple between his fingers. Rick's eyes began to glaze over and almost took on an emerald hue as the passion started to build. Gil thought that he might come just from looking into his lover's eyes. Rick pulled Gil on top of him and rewarded him with the most luscious, sinful, heart-stopping kiss he had ever experienced. Gil recovered enough to slide down and take a now hard nipple between his teeth while gently caressing the other with his fingertips. Rick's moans were becoming louder and more insistent and Gil didn't disappoint. He ran his tongue all the way down Rick's chest, to his navel. He slid his hand in between Rick's legs and began rubbing the spot between his hot throbbing member and his balls with his thumb. This always sent Rick into orbit and Gil delighted in that fact. Rick, by this point was reduced to whimpering as Gil wrapped his mouth around Rick's shaft and took him in all the way to the root. Rick let out a gasp and began to beg. "Oh God, Gil, please, please."

"Tell me what you want, baby. I want to hear you say it."

"Please, Gil. I want to feel you inside me. I need you, please. I love you so much."

It was all Gil needed to hear. He grabbed the lube off the nightstand and slowly began rubbing, his lovers opening. When he felt it give, he inserted two fingers and started to move them in and out until he found his prize. He knew he'd found it when Rick arched his back and almost threw him off the bed. Gil had to grab onto Rick's leg with his other hand to keep him steady. Gil removed his fingers and proceeded to lube his shaft as Rick complained that it was taking to long. Gil took pity on him and shoved in with one long stoke.

"Jesus, Gil! Oh God, that feels incredible! Oh baby, give it to me, please!"

"Your wish is my command." With that, Gil started pounding into him--pulling almost all the way out and then thrusting in again, hitting Rick's sensitive prostrate with every stroke. Gil's breathing had become erratic and he was babbling non-stop. "Love you! Love you so damn much! Love you more than anything!" Gil had just enough presence of mind left to grab hold of Rick's shaft and start pumping it in time with his thrusts. Rick was moaning incessantly now. He reached up and twisted both of Gil's nipples. Gil let out a strangled groan and Rick slammed his hips forward to meet Gil's thrusts. Rick's orgasm, hit like a tidal wave crashing upon the shore and moments later Gil's own savage cry reverberated through the beach house. Gil collapsed on top of Rick and let out a shaky breath. He finally managed to roll onto his side, kissing Rick thoroughly in the process.

"Oh baby. That was amazing. I should get the shit beat out of me more often, if you're gonna love me like that."

"That's not amusing. Don't even jest about a thing like that. I honestly don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you."

"Shush honey. It's ok. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here for as long as you want me to be."

"Promise me, till the end of time?"

"I promise!"

They fell asleep wrapped in each other's arm both safe and content, without a nightmare in sight.

End

Title: Breaking Point
Author: spikesgirl36
Pairing: Warrick/Gil
Rating: NC-17-Language, Violence, and M/M Sex
Category: Hurt, Comfort, And Romance, Established Relationship
Spoilers: None
Summary: Warrick and Gil have a fight, then Warrick gets attacked at work, Gil feels guilty and tries to make it up to Warrick.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters
 

Warrick was standing three feet away, legs slightly apart and arms folded across his chest. This was the most ridiculous fight they had ever had. Gil couldn't begin to fathom what had gotten into Warrick. There was just no explanation for it. It was bad enough that the sheriff had been in his face all night, now he had his best friend and lover in his face as well. Tonight had been crazy. It was a very high profile case and Gil was under pressure to get it solved. It was now nine o'clock in the morning and Gil was bone tired. All he wanted to do was hit the sack, preferably with Rick on top of him, but that didn't look like it was going to happen anytime soon.

"Rick, What's going on? I don't understand where this is coming from. Did something happen at work?"

"You could say that. Brass asked me why you avoid me at work and how come you never talk to me anymore. I didn't have an answer for him, so I just shrugged and walked off."

"Rick, that's not true. You know Brass loves to push your buttons. I don't avoid you. Remember, we agreed to be discreet."

"I didn't think discreet meant treating me like I didn't exist anymore." You don't even say hello to me half the time. People are starting to notice. Cath, especially, she thinks there's something serious going down between us."

"Well, sometimes Catherine is too observant for her own good. I didn't realize I'd been doing that. I'm sorry. I promise I'll do better. I know it's difficult sometimes but we have to protect our careers and ourselves."

"I know that. I ‘m just so tired of hiding. You won't even be seen with me unless we're thirty miles out town. If we go somewhere together, you insist we take separate cars. Then if you see someone you think you know, we have to leave. It's getting old rapidly. Then of course there's Nicky."

"What's Nick got to do with this?"

"What, you don't think I notice the way you're always checking out his ass. Even though he's on swing shift now, you deliberately go looking for him and every time he's got a problem, you go running. All he has to do is give you one of those kicked puppy looks and you just about melt. I'll bet all you'd have to do is ask and he'd fall into your bed so fast, it would make your head spin."

"That's the craziest dam thing I've ever heard! What the fuck -- are you thinking? You look like a God and are the best lover I've ever had. Why would I want anyone else? You're also forgetting the fact that I love you, damn it! I know I don't say it all that often, but I do. This past year is the happiest I've ever been and that's because of you."

"Yeah, I know you say that but sometimes your actions say something different. Look, I got to go pay some bills and get some stuff done and then I'm going straight into work. Cath and I have got to try and make some headway on the db they found in the alley. We'll talk about this tomorrow. I think maybe we need to reexamine this relationship. We need to discuss what it is you really want. I'll see ya."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Gil was left standing in the hall with his mouth hanging open as the door slammed shut. Gil thought, ‘What the hell just happened here‘? He couldn't believe this. He'd never seen Rick like this before and it came out of nowhere. Gil had never been so completely in love with anyone until Rick. So this was devastating. He had thought that things were going great. How could he have been so blind? Gil couldn't imagine life without Rick. The thought of losing him was so overwhelming, he felt sick.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Halfway down the road Warrick thought, ‘What did I just do‘? Rick knew that he was being, completely irrational about this. Gil had never given him any indication that he wanted someone else and the hiding was wearing on his nerves but not bad enough to make him react like this. Everything had been fine up until about three days ago. It started with the nightmare, which had woken him and left him dazed and shaken. He kept trying to remember it but it was just fragments. Small glimpses of it would come back to him but he never could assemble the complete picture. His mood had deteriorated since the dream and he just couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom. Rick had, had dreams like this before on occasion and when he did, something bad usually happened. It's like there's a dark cloud following overhead and no matter which way he turns, he just can't escape it. Warrick thought, ‘Well this is crazy. I can't let a nightmare screw up my relationship with Gil‘. He decided to apologize for his behavior as soon as he saw Gil and hope that Gil would forgive him.

Warrick had finished up the last of his business and was headed to work, when his cell rang.

"Warrick Brown."

"Hey Warrick. It's Cath."

"What's up? "

"We've got a hell of a mess. I'm at the Holland Trailer Court. You know where it is?"

"Yeah, I know it. What's going on?"

"At last count there are six dead, three adult females, three children, two boys and a girl. Ages approximately ten, six and three. Adult females range from, early sixties, late twenties to mid thirties. All were shot. It looks like a shotgun was used. One victim tried to escape. The body was found in the front yard, shot in the back. The sheriff and Brass are on the scene and Nick is about ten minutes out. The sheriff said he's calling in night shift for extra help. I think we're going to need it. This is bad. Really bad! How fast can you get here?"

"Holy shit! I'm on my way. I'll be there in about fifteen minutes. Does this ever end?"

"No. See ya when you get here. It's the last double wide on the left. You can't miss it. There are about twenty cops out front."

Well now, that feeling of impending doom had just tripled itself and that dark cloud opened up and shot Rick with a bolt of lightning. An image flashed in his mind but he couldn't quite see it clearly. Whatever the thing was, it was big and dark and it was coming for him.

When Rick arrived, Catherine was out front to meet him. Nick was already there, taking pictures of the db sprawled face down on the walkway. Catherine looked pale and Nick was green around the gills. Even Brass looked like he was about to lose his lunch.

"Warrick, I need you inside with me. The bodies are everywhere. Print everything! We need to find out who belongs here and who doesn't. Mind you now, it's not pretty. Night shift is on their way and Gil should be here sometime soon."

"Great! I'm on it. You coming?"

"Unfortunately."

The scene inside the house was worse than Rick had imagined -- if that was possible. In the living room an older woman sat slumped in a recliner across from a TV set, with a shotgun blast through her chest. In the entrance to the kitchen lay a woman; late thirties maybe, face down with a shotgun blast to the back of the head. Brains and blood were splattered everywhere. Down the hallway in the first bedroom were the bodies of two children. The girl was approximately age six and the boy was three at the most. They had both been shot front on through the chest. In the second bedroom on the right, lay a boy about ten, face down with a shotgun blast to the head. He looked like he had been trying to hide under the bed. His legs were still half under it.

At this point Warrick went on autopilot. He blocked out all the horrific imagery and started dusting for prints. Al and David were both there. They were waiting for Gil to arrive before they released the scene. Catherine was taking pictures and talking quietly with Brass. It was now about five in the afternoon and Rick looked up in time to see Gil enter the trailer. Gil flashed him a disheartening look before crouching down next to Al. Rick felt like he was about to burst into tears and this really wasn't the time or the place to be doing that.

Gil had gotten the call just before four. He hadn't been able to sleep. So he was wide-awake, when the call came in. He really didn't need this on top of everything else but he had no choice. The argument with Rick had been weighing on his mind. He knew some of the things Rick had said were accurate, but not the part about Nick. Gil had absolutely no interest in Nick beyond friendship. Gil knew things were going to have to change, if he had any hope of saving this relationship. He had to stop worrying about what other people thought. Rick was his life and that's all that mattered. Gil vowed that as soon as he saw Rick, he would tell him that things would be different from now on. Gil knew that deep down Rick loved him and would give him another chance.

When Gil arrived at the scene all thoughts of talking to Rick went completely out of his head. He knew it would be bad but this was almost beyond belief. Sara and Greg arrived shortly there after. Gil thought Sara was going to lose it. The look on her face made his blood run cold. Somehow she managed to pull it together and started collecting evidence along side Greg, who hadn't said a word since he entered the trailer.


Brass had gone outside a few minutes ago and reentered, stating that there was an eyewitness to the shooting in the front yard. Apparently, the neighbor across the road had heard the gunfire and opened his front door in time to see the suspect shoot the woman in the yard and then get into his truck and speed off. According to the neighbor the shooter was the husband. A Mr. Jake Ellis. Brass got the license number from the neighbor and an APB had been issued immediately.

The bodies had been removed and all evidence collected. Pictures and Id's were retrieved from the scene and it was now about eleven at night, so all parties involved were meeting back at the lab. The APB hadn't elicited any results yet, so the team assembled in the lounge to go over what they knew while the evidence was being processed. Catherine started off with the list of victim's names, ages and relationships.

"Margaret Long age 63, found in the living room. She's believed to be the first one shot. Tracey Ellis age 38, found in the kitchen. Laura and Brian Ellis ages 6 and 3, found in bedroom one. Jake William Ellis Jr. age 10, found in bedroom two. Emily Long age 27, found in the front yard. She's believed to be the last one shot. Margaret Long was the mother of Tracey Ellis and Emily Long. Tracey Ellis was the mother of Laura, Brian and Jake Jr. and the wife of Jake Ellis."

"What do we know about the husband?"

"We found some Army records in the master bedroom that indicate Mr. Ellis was discharged six months ago on a section eight. It stated that Mr. Ellis had severe emotional and psychological problems as well as depression. The records also stated that he had become increasingly aggressive and counseling had not helped the situation. He has been unemployed since his discharge from the army and the family has been receiving Government assistance."

"Great! We got a military trained nut case on the loose. God only knows who he'll kill next."

"Nicky, save your comments until we get all the facts."

Warrick shot Gil an irritated glance. Apparently, Warrick didn't like Gil calling Nick, Nicky. Why hadn't Gil noticed this before? He was a crime scene investigator after all. He should have been able to pick up on this sort of thing. Gil filed that bit of info for later use. No more Nicky.

Brass entered the lounge and everything else became a mute point.

"We got him! It took six cops to bring him down. They had to run his truck off the road. Then he tried to escape on foot and when he realized he couldn't get away, he put up a hell of a fight. One officer got a broken arm. They were lucky no one got killed. This guy is big! He's about six four and at least 285 pounds of solid muscle. He fought like he was on drugs. We got the shotgun. It was in the back of his truck. It's been sent to ballistics. They've taken him to interrogation room 3. Gil and Rick, your with me."

Everyone followed Brass down the hall. They all wanted a look at this guy in the observation room before the interrogation began. Peering through the one way mirror, they thought, Brass wasn't kidding when he said this guy was big. He looked like he should have been a pro wrestler but it was the eyes that caught their attention. They were staring and devoid of all emotion. He wore his hair in a buzz cut, like he was still in the army. He had on a black leather jacket, black motorcycle boots and he was wearing an old blood soaked Grateful Dead t-shirt that had several holes in it. His hair was dark brown and his eyes were almost black. He was rocking back and forth in his chair, muttering to himself. He was an imposing sight..

On first sight of Jake Ellis, Rick's mind clicked on something from his nightmare. The image was huge and dark and it was towering over him. Sheer terror momentarily took control before Rick was able to regain his composure enough to enter the interrogation room. Brass gave Rick a worried look and asked if he was all right. Rick just nodded as they walked into the room. Gil looked concerned as well, but didn't say anything.

There were three uniformed officers in the room with Ellis and a public defender that had just arrived. Ellis's hands were still cuffed behind his back as he sat rocking in the chair. They didn't dare take the cuffs off for fear of what he might do. Brass sat down at the end of the table nearest the door. Gil sat at the other end and Warrick sat directly across from Ellis. The attorney was seated next to Mr. Ellis.

"Mr. Ellis, I'm Captain Brass, Las Vegas Homicide. We need to ask you a few questions regarding your family. Something very bad has happened to them. Your wife, mother in-law, sister in-law and your three children have all been killed. A shotgun was used in the killings. We found a shotgun in the back of your truck. We have an eyewitness that places you at the scene during the time of the murders and then there's the matter of your shirt. Did you know it's covered in blood?"

"I've advised my client not to answer any questions until I have had an opportunity to speak to him privately. There's also a court appointed psychologist on the way. Mr. Ellis is obviously under a great deal of stress and we need a psychological evaluation immediately."

"Agreed. We're just trying to learn if Mr. Ellis might be able to shed some light on the situation. We also have a warrant for Mr. Ellis's shirt and we're going to test his hands for gun shot residue. Do you think you can get your client to cooperate? We'll have to remove the handcuffs in order to do this."

The Attorney paled at the prospect of having his clients handcuffs removed but he turned toward Mr. Ellis and spoke to him in a quiet, calming tone. Through all of this Jake Ellis had not shown any type of response. He hadn't even blinked, not once.

"I believe it will be alright to remove the handcuffs now."

Brass nodded to the officer standing behind Ellis and the officer moved in slowly and removed the cuffs.

"Mr. Ellis, would you please remove your jacket and then your shirt."

Jake Ellis remained seated, staring straight ahead but he did slide his arms out of his jacket and then pulled his shirt over his head in one fluid motion. He dropped the shirt on the floor where the officer behind him reached down and picked it up. The shirt was passed off and taken to the lab. Another shirt was provided for Mr. Ellis to put on and when he was fully clothed again Warrick asked him to hold out his hands palms up.

&&&&&&&&&&&&
The roaring in his ears was intense and his head was throbbing. He could only make out bits and pieces of what they were saying. He knew they were cops but they didn't look like MP's. They had to be civilians but why was he in a civilian police station? The guy next to him was obviously a mouthpiece and he was certain the cop in charge had mentioned something about his family. For some strange reason they had wanted his shirt and the black guy was doing something to his palms and he had been in handcuffs. Why? Then the roaring began again, louder this time and he heard nothing at all.
&&&&&&&&&&&&

Nick and the psychologist entered at the same time. Nick handed Brass the printout from ballistics. They had a match to the gage, so the same shotgun was probably used in all six killings. This coupled with the bloody shirt and the GSR found on Ellis's hands, it was enough to hold him. The psychologist and the attorney asked if they could speak to Mr. Ellis in private. Brass told them to make it quick; they needed to resume their questioning ASAP. Brass, Gil and Warrick stepped into the hall and about fifteen minutes later the psychologist came out and gave them his preliminary evaluation.

"Mr. Ellis is completely unresponsive. He gave no indication that he could even hear us. I believe that he is in a catatonic state. My recommendation is that he be hospitalized immediately. He needs further evaluation and medication. He may also need to be restrained at some point."

"If he couldn't hear us, how did he know to give us his shirt and then show his hands to CSI Brown?"

"Part of his mind may still be functioning on some level, but I need him in a clinical setting, to establish how deep the psychosis lies."

"We'll take that under consideration, but right now we're going to try one more time."

"All right. But I must insist on being present for the questioning."

"That's fine."

They filed back into the interrogation room. Everything was the same as they'd left it. Ellis was still rocking and staring. The officers and the attorney still looked nervous. They took up their seats with the psychologist standing to the left of the door. Brass gave Gil a look that meant it was his turn. So Gil started in that melodious voice -- the one he saved for the bad guys.

"Mr. Ellis, my name is Gil Grissom. I'm with the crime lab. We know this must be difficult for you but we're just trying to get to the bottom of things. No one is going to harm you. We just want you to tell us anything you might remember about the deaths of your family. Any information would be helpful. Maybe you could start at the beginning. I'm a very good listener, Mr. Ellis and when you're finished we'll take you to a place where you can get some rest."

Nothing, no response, not even a flicker of recognition. Gil just looked at Brass and shook his head. While this was going on, Warrick had been thinking about the killings. He had begun to put together a theory in his head. The murders had looked to him like an act of rage, mixed with desperation. So Warrick decided it was his turn to give it a shot.

"Mr. Ellis, I'm Warrick Brown. I'm also with the crime lab. I promise you everything will be all right. We'll figure this out. I can emphasize with your situation. It must have been hard for you after your discharge from the army. It's not always easy to find employment. Sometimes skills learned in the military aren't always useful in civilian life. It probably didn't help matters to have your mother in-law living with you. I can imagine that between her and your wife they were probably constantly urging you to find employment. Then of course there was your sister in-law dropping by on a daily basis, adding fuel to the fire and it must have been nerve wracking with three young children in the house. It's hard to cope with incessant screaming, yelling, and crying, always craving attention. You were probably very frustrated by the fact that the Government was supporting you and your family. It's understandable that you would become angry. All we want is for you to talk to us. Give us your side of the story."

Halfway through Warrick's speech, Jake Ellis's eyes began to focus and right now they were focused intently on Warrick Brown!

It all happened in a split second. One minute Ellis was rocking and staring and the next he was on his feet The table separating him from Rick was knocked over and both the attorney and Grissom were shoved to the floor. Brass was on his feet and moving but Ellis backhanded Jim, before he could throw himself in front of Rick. The officers behind Ellis were momentarily stunned by what was happening and thus were slow to react. The psychologist had managed to make it through the door and was yelling for help and by the time the officers' realized what was going on, Ellis had jumped the table and body slammed Rick against the far wall. All the breath was knocked out of him as he slid down the wall onto the floor and when he looked up Ellis had him by the shirt collar. One officer had jumped on Ellis' back but was thrown off, like he was no more than a rag doll. Brass had regained his feet and was moving toward Ellis and the other two officers' were coming at him from the left. The attorney had crawled into a corner and stayed there. Gil was now up and moving as well. His only thought was getting to Rick. Gil launched himself at Ellis' back, temporarily knocking him off balance. Ellis, still holding Rick by the shirt collar whipped around dragging Rick to his feet. He propelled Rick out in front of him and now he had Rick firmly in a chokehold. Ellis's back was pressed against the wall and he was using Rick as a human shield. Brass and the officers had their guns drawn and were yelling at Ellis to release CSI Brown and get down on the ground. Rick was trying to break free but he was still dazed and in pain and the chokehold seemed to be getting tighter and tighter. Rick's vision had begun to blur and if Ellis hadn't been holding him up, he probably wouldn't have been able to stand on his own. By this time several other officers had entered the room, including Nick and they were advancing on Ellis. Ellis realizing he had nowhere to run slammed Rick face first into the wall. Rick could feel himself falling forward and the last thing Rick heard before total blackness ensued was Gil's voice yelling, "Oh God, Rick!" Ellis lunged toward the nearest officer and wrestled the gun from his hand before knocking the officer to the floor. Ellis aimed the gun directly at Brass and was about to pull the trigger when at this point Brass and the other officers opened fire. It took twelve shots to bring Ellis to his knees and another five shots to finish the job and when the smoke cleared, Jake Ellis lay dead on the interrogation room floor.

Gil was on his knees beside Rick. Gil was shaking so bad, he was almost unable to check for a pulse. He somehow managed to find his voice and was screaming for a medic. Gil finally established that Rick had a pulse and his breathing was steady. Brass was now kneeling beside Gil and he said that the paramedics were on their way but Gil didn't seem to notice. Gil just kept stroking the side of Warrick's face and repeated the same words over and over.

"Baby, please, please. Open your eyes. Talk to me. Sweetheart, everything will be all right. Baby, please. Come on. Open your eyes. I'm going to take care of you. I promise."

Catherine had entered the room and was kneeling next to Brass. She was in tears with her face buried in her hands. When the paramedics arrived they almost had to psychically pull Gil away from Warrick. Brass and Catherine both had a hand on Gil to keep him out of the way and when Rick was finally loaded on the Gurney, they practically had to hold Gil up to keep him from passing out. Gil was saying something about riding in the ambulance but the paramedics wouldn't allow it. Brass told Gil that he would take him. Catherine said that she was going as well and Nick was right behind her nodding his head.

"We can't all go. Catherine, I need you and Nick here to take care of this Ellis mess. Someone's got to be in charge. Please, I'll call you as soon as I hear something. Right now I've got to get Gil to the hospital before he loses his mind. No arguments. Take care of Sara and Greg. They don't look so good. I'll call, ASAP!"

Brass ushered Gil out the door and into his Tahoe, leaving a pissed off Catherine standing in the corridor. Gil had finally stopped shaking, but was frighteningly silent. Sometime during the drive to the hospital the fog began to lift from Jim's brain.

"Baby, sweetheart. What the hell?"

Gil gave Jim a sideways glance. Tears were still rolling down his cheeks and Jim thought Gil was the most pitiful sight he had ever seen.

"Oh my God! I never even imagined. How could I not have noticed? Gil, say something -- please. You could have told me you know."

"We were trying to be discreet and really, it's no one business but ours."

"I thought we were friends. How long has this been going on?"

"Almost a year and I do consider you a friend. I just didn't know how to tell you. What was I suppose to say, how's it going? By the way, I'm sleeping with Warrick."

"Well I'll be damned. I just can't believe it. You think you know someone. Almost a year and I never had a clue. I feel like a first class idiot."

"Please Jim, don't be angry with me. I just don't think I can take it right now."

"Gil, I'm not angry. Jealous as hell, but not angry."

"I'm sorry, Jim. I didn't realize you felt that way about me."

"Um, that's not exactly what I meant."

"Oh, you meant Warrick. That's surprising because most of the time I couldn't tell if you even liked him."

"What's not to like? He's brilliant, gorgeous and so damned sexy, it ought to be a crime."

"You got a funny way of showing it."

"Yeah well, I'm pretty good at covering my feelings."

"Obviously. So does this mean I have competition?"

"No way, man. I'm not about to invade someone else's territory but if he ever decides to leave you, you can bet I will make a move."

"That's good to know. You might get your chance sooner than you think. Warrick's not too happy with me right now. We had an argument before work this morning. Warrick is tired of all the hiding and he thinks I've got the hots for Nick. I didn't get a chance to talk to him before all this craziness happened."

"Do you, have the hots for Nick?"

"Certainly not! Rick is everything to me. I'd give up this job in a heartbeat to keep him. I had already made the decision to tell people about us after the argument this morning but things didn't go quite as planned. I'm just so damned bad at dealing with people. I'm not always sympathetic to other people's feelings and I'm sometimes too critical of their flaws. I haven't been in a relationship in a very long time and I'm not sure how to act. Please, give me a little help here. I have no idea what I'm doing."

"You want advice on relationship's from me? Are you serious? I couldn't hold a relationship together to save my life."

"Well, just tell me what you would do if you were in my situation. You must have some thoughts on it."

"Ok, if you insist. If Rick were mine I'd be so undyingly grateful that I'd probably tell the whole damn world. I'd be there when he had a hard day to listen to him vent and love him when he needed to be loved. I'd praise him when he did well and console him when he fucked up. I wouldn't give a shit what other people thought and I'd let him know that he was the center of the universe, everyday for the rest of his life."

"I thought you said you couldn't give advice. It sounded right on target to me."

"I just told you what I would do. How you deal with it is entirely up to you."

As they pulled up in front of Desert Palms Gil began to shake again. Brass laid a hand on Gil's shoulder and told him everything would be all right. The nurse on duty was on the phone when they got there. She looked stressed out. It must have been a busy night at the Palms. When she finally hung up the phone, Brass went into his song and dance.

"I'm Captain Jim Brass, Homicide and this is Dr. Gil Grissom with the crime lab. We're here about CSI Warrick Brown. He should have been brought in a few minutes ago. Is there any word on his condition?"

"Mr. Brown is in exam room two. The doctor is in with him now. I'll have the doctor give you an update on his condition as soon as he finishes. You can have a seat in the waiting area. The doctor will be with you as soon as possible."

"Any idea when we'll be able to go in and see him?"

"Are either of you an immediate family member?"

Without missing a beat Gil said, " I'm his domestic partner."

The nurse gave Gil a sympathetic look and said, "It shouldn't be to much longer."

Brass mumbled something under his breath and gave Gil a raised eyebrow. Gil ignored it and headed for the waiting area. Brass sat down and proceeded to watch Gil pace around the room for almost twenty minutes before he couldn't take it anymore.

"Gil! Please sit down. You're making me dizzy. Rick's going to be fine, he's strong and I don't think his injuries were that serious. Just try to be calm until we hear what the doctor has to say."

"I'm calm, really. I just don't feel like sitting down."

"Right, Perfectly calm. You're wearing a hole in the floor and you're about to hyperventilate. Sit down before you pass out."

Gil finally walked over and sat down next to Brass but he was still nervous and twitchy. They sat in silence and the waiting seemed interminable. After about forty-five minutes the doctor appeared around the corner. Gil's heart went immediately into his throat and Brass put his hand on Gils arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm Doctor Thomas. You're here about Mr. Brown?"

"Yes. I'm Captain Jim Brass, Homicide and this is Dr. Gil Grissom with the crime lab. What is CSI Brown's condition and when can we see him?"

"Mr. Brown is stable. He regained consciousness soon after he was brought in. He has a concussion, three cracked ribs, abrasions around the neck area and several other minor scrapes and bruises. He should make a full recovery. We're going to keep him here over night for observation. Mr. Brown will probably be able to go home tomorrow. He's been asking for Gil. I assume that's you, Dr. Grissom. You may go in but only for a few minutes. He needs to rest. We will be moving him to a private room shortly."

Gil let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath. Brass looked visibly relieved as well. The doctor guided Gil down the hall toward the exam room and warned Gil again not to stay to long. Warrick's eyes were closed and Gil could see that the side of his face was swollen from where he'd been slammed against the wall. Gil began gently stoking Rick's arm and whispering softly to him.

"I'm here, baby. Everything's going to be all right. I love you so much. I've been out of my mind, with worry." Warrick's eyes began to flutter open and he managed a very weak, "Gil."

"Yes, sweetheart. I'm right here. The doctor said that you're going to be just fine. You can even go home tomorrow and I'm going to be right there to take care of you. How do you feel? Are you in much pain?"

"I've been better. I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Although, I think the drugs are kicking in because I feel kind of spacey right now. It's hard to keep my eyes open."

"You were pretty close to being hit by a truck, but you don't have to worry, they were forced to kill Ellis. He left them no choice. The doctor said that I couldn't stay long. They're going to move you to a private room in a few minutes. You need to get some rest. I just had to see you for myself, to make sure you were going to be ok. Rick, I'm so sorry about our argument this morning. You're the most important thing in the world to me. I wanted to talk to you, but everything went crazy and I never got the chance. I promise you things will be better. I think we should tell people and get it all out in the open. That is… if you still want me. The way I've treated you, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't, but please know that I love you more than anything."

"Gil, it was my fault. I was being paranoid. I know that you love me and I love you to. I had a nightmare a few days ago about something coming after me and it has been clouding my judgment ever since."

"A nightmare about this attack?"

"I think so, but it was never really clear. I only know that it was big and it was trying to hurt me."

"Have you had dreams like this before?"

"Once in awhile, but not very often. When I do have them, it's never a good thing."

"Please promise me next time you'll tell me. I'd rather be forewarned. I really don't think I could go through this again."

"Gil, I thought you didn't believe in stuff like that?"

"I'll believe anything right now, just as long as you're safe."

"Is everyone else ok? Please tell me they are. I don't remember much after being body slammed."

"Everyone's ok. They're just worried about you. Catherine's angry because Jim wouldn't let her come to the hospital. Someone had to take care of the Ellis case and Catherine got stuck with it. There is something you should know. I told Jim about us. I hope you don't mind. I mean I pretty much had to. He kind of guessed it after seeing my reaction to your being hurt."

"Ha, that must have gone over well. How mad was he?"

"Believe it or not, he wasn't mad, just jealous."

"Damn, do I have to fight everybody to keep you?"

"Ah, I don't think you understand. He's not interested in me. It's you he wants."

"Please, I know you're not serious."

"Oh yes I am. He wasn't kidding."

"Picture that! You tell Jim, only in his dreams."

"Don't worry. You can count on it."

The orderlies and nurses arrived to move Warrick to his room. They gave Gil the room number and said he could come back in the morning. Warrick was almost asleep anyway, so Gil held his hand for a moment longer and whispered I love you in his ear. That brought on a sleepy smile from Rick, who tried to reciprocate but was too far-gone. Gil understood though and said "I'll see you first thing in the morning. Get some sleep, Baby."

When Gil returned to the waiting area, he found Jim laughing with someone on the phone and Jim looked a lot less tense. "I'll bet that was Catherine."

"You'd win. How is he?"

"He's going to be just fine. He's very groggy from the drugs but he's in pretty good spirits."

"I take it he was happy to see you? Everything all better?"

"Well, I'm working on it, but yes he still loves me. Thank God. Catherine's not mad anymore?"

"She was, up until I told her Rick was going to be fine. Then she decided to forgive me."

"Good. She's not fit to live with when she's angry."

"That's for sure. Come on, let me take you home. You need to get some rest."

"All right. There's nothing I can do here anyway. They said I could come back first thing in the morning. I guess a little sleep would do me some good. Aw, you should know I told Rick that you know about us. He asked how you took it."

"Oh God, please say you didn't tell him?"

"Ok, I won't say it and by the way Rick says, in your dreams!"

"You're a son of a bitch!"

"Thank you."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Everyone took the news about Gil and Warrick pretty well, except Sara, but that was to be expected. She pouted for several weeks, but eventually came around. Of course they didn't tell Ecklie or the sheriff because they knew the two of them would hatch some sort of plot to get rid of them, but then again they didn't try to hide it from them either. Gil suspected that Conrad knew, but for some reason Ecklie wasn't pushing the issue. Gil even went so far as to schedule their vacations, so they coincided.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The beach house Gil rented in LA was tranquil and secluded. Warrick had never felt so relaxed and all the attention he was getting from Gil was almost worth being attacked for.

Lying next to his lover as the breeze blew in from the ocean, Gil thought, how lucky he was to have been given a second chance with Rick. The feel of Rick's skin under Gil's fingertips set his blood on fire. Gil gently ran his hand down Rick's side, eliciting a soft moan from his lover. Gil thought: how beautiful, truly a bronze god with the eyes of an angel and a scent that was so intoxicating, Gil could stay drunk on it for days at a time. Rick was truly breathtaking.

Gil leaned in closer and showered Rick's neck with delicate kisses and watched him writhe in pleasure as he rolled a brown nipple between his fingers. Rick's eyes began to glaze over and almost took on an emerald hue as the passion started to build. Gil thought that he might come just from looking into his lover's eyes. Rick pulled Gil on top of him and rewarded him with the most luscious, sinful, heart-stopping kiss he had ever experienced. Gil recovered enough to slide down and take a now hard nipple between his teeth while gently caressing the other with his fingertips. Rick's moans were becoming louder and more insistent and Gil didn't disappoint. He ran his tongue all the way down Rick's chest, to his navel. He slid his hand in between Rick's legs and began rubbing the spot between his hot throbbing member and his balls with his thumb. This always sent Rick into orbit and Gil delighted in that fact. Rick, by this point was reduced to whimpering as Gil wrapped his mouth around Rick's shaft and took him in all the way to the root. Rick let out a gasp and began to beg. "Oh God, Gil, please, please."

"Tell me what you want, baby. I want to hear you say it."

"Please, Gil. I want to feel you inside me. I need you, please. I love you so much."

It was all Gil needed to hear. He grabbed the lube off the nightstand and slowly began rubbing, his lovers opening. When he felt it give, he inserted two fingers and started to move them in and out until he found his prize. He knew he'd found it when Rick arched his back and almost threw him off the bed. Gil had to grab onto Rick's leg with his other hand to keep him steady. Gil removed his fingers and proceeded to lube his shaft as Rick complained that it was taking to long. Gil took pity on him and shoved in with one long stoke.

"Jesus, Gil! Oh God, that feels incredible! Oh baby, give it to me, please!"

"Your wish is my command." With that, Gil started pounding into him--pulling almost all the way out and then thrusting in again, hitting Rick's sensitive prostrate with every stroke. Gil's breathing had become erratic and he was babbling non-stop. "Love you! Love you so damn much! Love you more than anything!" Gil had just enough presence of mind left to grab hold of Rick's shaft and start pumping it in time with his thrusts. Rick was moaning incessantly now. He reached up and twisted both of Gil's nipples. Gil let out a strangled groan and Rick slammed his hips forward to meet Gil's thrusts. Rick's orgasm, hit like a tidal wave crashing upon the shore and moments later Gil's own savage cry reverberated through the beach house. Gil collapsed on top of Rick and let out a shaky breath. He finally managed to roll onto his side, kissing Rick thoroughly in the process.

"Oh baby. That was amazing. I should get the shit beat out of me more often, if you're gonna love me like that."

"That's not amusing. Don't even jest about a thing like that. I honestly don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you."

"Shush honey. It's ok. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here for as long as you want me to be."

"Promise me, till the end of time?"

"I promise!"

They fell asleep wrapped in each other's arm both safe and content, without a nightmare in sight.

End