Title: Murphy's Law
Author: Carina Scott
Pairing: Warrick/Jim
Rating: FRM
Summary: It's just a date, what could go wrong? Hmmmm...... everything?
Author's Notes: This is for Brenda, I hope you like it.

~*~

Just my luck. I finally gather the courage to finally out on a date and everything that could go wrong does. It was an ordinary morning at the lab, if ever there was one. And I had just stopped by Gil's office to discuss a case, as I wrapped up I decided to stop by the break room to see if I could snag a cup of coffee. Sure the precinct's coffee did the job, but the labs coffee, Greg's coffee, was actually pleasant to drink. So anyway, I was walking down the hall when I saw Nick and Warrick standing close together having a rather heated conversation. I could hear only a few words hear and there since I didn't want it to be obvious that I was listening.

"So what are you gonna do?"

"Would you stop asking me that? I already told you I don't know."

"Well, are you still coming over?"

"I don't know, I'll let you know."

"Fine. Whatever."

As I watched Nick walk away in a huff, I couldn't help but be concerned. I had never seen Warrick and Nick argue in public about anything that wasn't somehow case related. And I really doubted that the argument I had just witnessed was case related. If anything I would think it was a lover's spat. Shaking that thought from my mind, I walked over to Warrick, who hadn't moved an inch since Nick had stormed off.

"Hey, Rick. You okay?"

Obviously startled, Warrick nodded, "Hey Jim, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You and Nick looked pretty intense over here."

"So you heard?"

"Just a little, but I still don't have a clue as to what the argument was about. Is it about a case?"

"No, not a case. Look, I don't mind talking, just ..... not here. You hungry? I could make breakfast if you don't mind coming to my place."

"Sure. Are you ready to go now?"

"Yeah, let me grab my jacket from my locker. I'll meet you in the parking lot."

Watching as Warrick hurried to the locker room, I couldn't help the surge of excitement that surged through my heart. I was gonna be alone with Warrick Brown in his apartment. Anything could happen. 'Yeah right Jim, he's not interested in guys. And if he was, he wouldn't be interested in you.'

Sighing, I hurried to his car.

~*~

Warrick was a great cook. He made the best blueberry pancakes I had ever tasted. I even asked for seconds.

We had been sitting there for a while when I noticed Warrick was fidgeting. He was obviously thinking about his argument with Nick, and from the looks of it he was rather uncomfortable.

"So, do you wanna talk about the argument? I mean, I'll understand if you don't, but if you do..." I trailed off with a shrug.

"Thanks Jim. I don't not wanna tell you, it's just kinda embarrassing."

"If I promise not to laugh, will you tell me?" I replied trying to ease the tension. In all honesty, I had never seen Warrick embarrassed, and it was kinda cute.

"Ha, ha. Real funny Jim." Warrick replied with a smile. "I'm gonna tell you, but I swear, if you laugh, I'll never tell you anything else."

"Scouts honor."

"Somehow, I doubt you were ever a Boy Scout. Anyway, Nick was upset because I told him that I'm not coming to a party he had planned for Saturday. Everyone there is gonna be in couples, and I am not going to be the only single guy there."

"That's understandable."

"Yeah, well Nick doesn't think so. I told him that my date cancelled, and I told him why, but he doesn't believe me. I really can't blame him."

"Why doesn't he believe you?"

"Because I told him my date was in the hospital with a severly broken foot."

"Okay, that doesn't sound like it would be hard to believe. Why doesn't he believe you?"

Warrick mumbled something, but I couldn't make it out, "What did you day?"

"I said he thinks I'm lying because I told him my date's foot got broken when an elephant stepped on it."

I had to try my hardest to keep my promise not to laugh, which was considerably hard. And the fact that I could feel my face turning red probably didn't help matters.

"See, I knew you would laugh."

"I'm not laughing. It's an odd thing to have happen, but after all my years on the force, it doesn't surprise me."

"Well, it sure as hell surprised the shit outta Todd. When he agreed to go to the circus with me I'm sure that's not what he had in mind."

"Who's Todd?"

"My date. And he was screaming his ass off until the paramedics got there and gave him something for the pain."

I was too dumbfounded by the fact that Warrick had just admitted to dating a man that I couldn't focus on the rest of the conversation.

"Jim? Are you okay?"

Recovering somewhat, I focused my attention back on Warrick, "Umm, yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, you sorta spaced out on me for a minute. Is it because I told you my date was a man? Does that bother you?"

"Umm, no, well, yeah. No it's not that, I--"

"Look Jim," Warrick interrupted me, "I don't hide who I am, but I don't broadcast it either. I figured we were good enough friends that I could tell you, but if it makes you uncomfortable, just let me know now."

"No, Warrick, I didn't mean it that way. I'm just--"

"Uncomfortable around gay men. I understand, if you want to leave I won't be offended." Warrick interrupted as he stood and began to pace the floor.

"Warrick I don't want to leave, Please," gesturing towards the chair he had just vacated, I motioned for Warrick to sit, "Sit down and listen to me."

Waiting for Warrick to take his seat again, I realized that Warrick was really nervous about what I wasm gonna say. I wanted to assure him that I didn't care, but it was heartwarming to know that my opinion mattered so much.

"Warrick, if I was prejudiced against you, I would be being a hypocrite."

"And what the hell does that mean?"

"I'm gay Warrick. And like you, I don't exactly broadcast it. I was just as shocked that you were gay, or bi, or whatever. That's all."

"You're gay? Since when?"

"Since forever?"

"I'm sorry, dumb question. I just never imagined you were gay. It never occurred to me."

"Ditto."

We sat there in silence for a while before I finally broke the silence, "So, have you visited Todd in the hospital?"

That got a beautiful smile out of Warrick. "Yeah, I took him a fruit basket yesterday."

"Well, maybe he'll be okay in time for Nick's party."

"Maybe, but it doesn't really matter. I don't think I'm going anyway."

"Why not?"

"Cause I really don't like Todd. Well, not as more than a friend or party buddy. We met through mutual friends, but we knew nothing was gonna happen with us. We just didn't hit it off. He's a great guy, and I think we could be good friends if we tried. But there aren't any sparks between us. The freak thing with the elephant just helped with my excuse to Nick. Well, it would have if he had believed me."

"Warrick, would you like to go on a date with me?" I blurted out before I even realized what I was doing. "I'm sorry. Just ignore what I said."

"What if I don't want to ignore it?"

"What?"

"Jim, I've been interested in you for a while now. But since I thought you were straight, I didn't think I had a chance. But you obviously are interested since you did ask me out, even if you took it back. What if I say yes?"

"Are you serious? You wanna go on a date with me?"

"Yes, but somewhere private. We are around people all the time, I'd like to just spend time with you, alone."

"Well, we could drive up to Lake Mead on Friday. What do you say?"

"Pick me up at four?"

"Sure."

"Okay." Warrick replied shyly.

"Look, Rick. I gotta go. So, I'll pick you up Friday at 4, right?"

"Right. See ya Jim."

As I walked out of Warrick's house, I felt as if had just walked into another world. Did I really have a date with Warrick Brown? I did.

Oh shit.

~*~

Even when you try to be prepared, something happens to ruin your plans. That's what I kept thinking as I was sitting in traffic. Seeing that I was going to be late, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Warrick's number.

"Brown."

"Hey Warrick, its Jim. I'm running late. Got caught up in traffic. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Okay Jim, I was running a little behind my self. Just got out of the shower. I'll see you when you get here. Bye."

I closed my phone with the image of Warrick in a shower playing over and over in my head. Sighing, I settled in for the wait.

About twenty minutes later I pulled up to Warrick's condo. I was about to get out of my truck when I saw him coming out of the house, with a bag in hand.

"Hey Jim," Warrick greeted me as he climbed into the cab of the truck, placing the mysterious bag on the seat between us.

"Hey, Rick. So what's in the bag?"

"Well, I figured we might get hungry up at the Lake, and I doubt I'll want to come back to the city for a meal. So, now we don't have to rush."

"Hmm, seems like you've planned ahead."

"My Grams taught me never to be caught in a shitstorm without an umbrella. So, I try to be prepared."

Laughing outright at that, I started the car, "Smart lady."

~*~

"Are you serious?" I heard Warrick ask from the back of the truck.

"Yeah, it seems that I don't have any gas."

"How does that happen? You did fill up the car before we left right?"

"Yes, I did. I guess there's a leak somewhere."

"Well, do you have triple A?"

Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through the numbers, "Yeah, I was just about to call them." Pressing the send button, I frowned at the message that scrolled across the screen. "Umm, Rick. I don't have a signal."

"Let me try mine." I watched as Warrick pulled out his phone, and seeing the frown adorning his handsome face, I assumed he didn't have a signal either. "Shit."

"Look, we're only about two miles away from the lake. Maybe someone will have a cell phone up there. There's bound to be someone up there besides us."

"Maybe, but we can't walk there."

"Why not?"

"For one, I don't think it's a great idea that you walk two miles in those shoes. Secondly, what if we get there, and no one is up there. Then we have to walk back to the truck. I think it might be safer if we just wait here. Someone will probably come by and see us waiting. I'm sure they'll have a phone, or at the very least, a full tank of gas."

"Are you sure? We could be waiting quite a while," I asked, not wanting to inconvenience Warrick because of my poor shoe choice.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Besides, you owe me a date."

"But, we aren't at the lake."

"Semantics. I bought a blanket, and if we push the truck closer to the side of the road, I think we can sit next to it to block the sun. Plus, I brought food."

"Well, in that case. Let's get to it." I reply as I roll up my sleeves and Warrick slides behind the wheel to do the steering.

~*~

About fifteen minutes later we were both sitting on the shady side of the truck, away from the road, drinking ice cold water that Warrick had been smart enough to bring.

"Man that was so good. How the hell did you keep it so cold?"

"I froze it in the thermos last night, so it's been slowly melting all day."

"You are always prepared aren't you?"

"Yep. So, are you hungry?"

"Sure, what did you bring?"

"It's mostly cold cuts, but I did include two slices of my Grams famous chocolate cake."

Remembering his Grams chocolate cake from the times he had brought it to the lab, I felt my mouth begin to water. "Can we have desert first?"

Chuckling, Warrick began to unpack the bag he had brought along. "Now, didn't you learn that you had to eat dinner before desert?"

"Yeah, but I always thought that was a dumb rule," I replied with a smile.

~*~

After Warrick and I had finished eating we talked about a lot of things. I learned things about him that I had never learned. I learned that his mother had been somewhat of a Picasso in the making, she loved painting. He said that he had several of her paintings around his apartment. He even showed me a picture of her, the only one he still had, as the other one's had been destroyed when part of his Grams house caught on fire.

I was amazed at just how much he looked like her, even his smile was like hers. He told me that he missed her a lot, even though it had been so long ago that she had died; and it only got worse at the holidays.

I could sympathize. I told him that even though Ellie was alive, I missed her like crazy, and like him, it got worse at the holidays.

He listened as I recounted memories from Ellie's childhood; laughing as I told him about the time she thought it was a good idea to try and cook me breakfast. The pancakes she had made were done on the outside, but runny in the middle. The look of horror on her face when she saw the pancakes made me force my self to eat them. I didn't care that I was sick as a dog later, she was happy, and so was I.

After a few hours of talking I realized that I really liked talking to Warrick. It had been years since I had shared so much about my life with anyone, and then it was like pulling teeth. But I didn't feel like that with Warrick, I felt comfortable and at ease whenever I talked to him.

Breaking me out of my reverie, Warrick touched my shoulder to get my attention. "Hmm? I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I was just saying that no one has come by yet, and we've been out here for about three hours. It's getting darker."

It wasn't until he mentioned it that I realized that it was not getting dark, it was dark. And cold.

"If someone doesn't come soon, we might have to sleep in the truck," Warrick said.

Although the thought of sleeping anywhere with Warrick was appealing, I was certain Warrick didn't agree. "We can't have that. I'm sure someone will come by soon. If there was someone up at the lake, they'll be leaving soon. We can catch them as they leave."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"We should probably pack up so that we can be ready if someone does come by." I said as I stood.

Silently we packed up the remains of our dinner, and then we folded the blanket. I placed the bag of trash we had from dinner (I did say he was always prepared) in the back of my truck, and as Warrick was closing the door, we both turned and bumped into each other.

I was just about to apologize when I felt Warrick's soft lips on mine. Everything else was forgotten in that moment, because all I could concentrate on was the man that was pulling me closer and closer to him.

Moaning, I opened my mouth to the invasion, and began to kiss him eagerly. Finally my fantasies were about to come true.

At least that's what I thought before I heard a horn honk behind us. "You guys need a ride."

Shit.

THE END