By: Carina Scott
Rating: FRAO
Summary: The truth behind Warrick's narriage to Tina.
Characters: Warrick/Gil; Nick, Tina
Original Characters: Stacy Warner, Brian Carter, Katie Carter(mentioned)
He had to explain. He really had no choice. If he didn't do it now, his friendship could be ruined. He had meant to do it before it came to this. Every time he tried, it hadn't come out right. His friend had dealt with so much, he wasn't sure if he could deal with more. But he had no choice, it was now or never.
"Nick, Wait!!" Warrick called as Nick hurried out of the locker room.
When Nick didn't stop Warrick knew he was beyond pissed. He had to go after him. But first he had to do something else.
Turning around quickly, Warrick looked into blue eyes, shocked beyond belief. ‘My feelings exactly', thought Warrick.
Sighing he said "Its okay, babe. I'll go after him and explain everything. Are you gonna be okay?"
Trying to regain his composure, Gil looked up into Warrick's emerald gaze, "I'll be fine. I don't know about Nick, though. It will take a lot of explaining to get him to calm down. The way he ran out of here… I don't know."
"Well, if you walked in on your best friend…correction, your married best friend, kissing his very male former boss, you might be a little surprised too," stated an exasperated Warrick.
"To say the least," replied Gil, still quite stunned.
Looking at his lover with concern, Warrick asked, "Gil, are you sure you'll be okay? You look a little pale."
"Let me just sit here for awhile. You go explain things to Nick. I'll be fine," replied Gil replied sitting down on the bench.
"Okay, babe. I'll see you later tonight." Warrick said softly.
Hearing the question in his voice, Gil said, "Sure Warrick. I'll see you later at home."
And with that, Warrick walked out of the door, leaving a still shell shocked Gil alone in the locker room.
He pulled the Tahoe up to Nick's apartment. This was not going to be an easy conversation. He just hoped that Nick would open the door when he realized who was on the other side.
Slowly, he got out of the Tahoe, and walked up to Nick's apartment. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He heard footsteps, and then the door opened. The face staring back at him was anything but happy to see him.
Nick stood back, not saying a word, and let Warrick inside.
The silence was unbearable as they walked into the living room. They sat down on Nick's brown leather couch, one of them on each end.
Deciding to break the silence, Warrick finally said, "Nick, I can explain everything, if you just give me a chance."
Nick didn't even look at him. ‘Okay, this is gonna be harder than I imagined' Warrick thought dejectedly.
"Look Nick, I understand that you are upset, but please look at me."
Slowly nick looked him in the eye. ‘Ouch' thought Warrick. The anger was there, but it was underscored by pain.
"Nick, I know what you walked in on. But it's not what you think."
"Not what I think! I think I just walked in on my best friend making out with his ex-boss in the locker room. You tell me I am wrong!" Nick said with anger flashing in his brown eyes.
"Okay, so it is what you think. But there is more-"
"How could you Warrick!?! You haven't even been married to Tina that long! How could you do this to her? And on top of it you bring Gil into it! What's wrong with you!?!" Nick interrupted.
"I didn't do anything wrong. I haven't done anything Tina doesn't know about. I didn't drag Gil into anything. I love him and he loves me. There is nothing wrong with me."
Seeing the disbelief in his eyes, Warrick continued, "Nick if you will just calm down, I will explain everything. I am not going to argue with you. So if you can't settle down, I will leave and we can talk about this later"
As he was about to walk out the door, Warrick heard a soft, "I'm listening," from behind him.
Turning around, Warrick saw Nick studying him. He slowly walked back to the couch and sat down, a little closer this time. He looked at Nick and took a deep breath. He needed to steady his nerves before continuing.
"Nick, I know you probably have a thousand questions running through your head right now. I don't know if I can answer them all, but I will answer the questions you asked me earlier."
Upon receiving nothing but a silent stare from Nick, he rambled on.
"You are right. Tina and I haven't been married long. I haven't even known her very long, but she is my wife. I do love her. You may not believe it but it's true. We have a bond that can't be broken. But you are wrong about something else. I have done nothing behind her back. She knows about me and Gil. My relationship with Gil is what makes my marriage to Tina work. Actually, it is how we ended up getting married."
Seeing the confusion on Nick's face Warrick went on.
"I met Tina a few days before "the incident". That's what they called Nick's little stint underground. It didn't seem to capture the real horror it had been in Warrick's opinion, but that is what they had agreed to refer to it as.
Sensing Nick's tension at the mention of his ordeal, Warrick continued, knowing Nick would rather handle it himself. He knew he hated been worried over. "Anyway, after everything that happened, Tina and I started hanging out more. You know going to movies, restaurants, etc. To me it was like hanging out with a kid sister. She might have felt more, but she didn't let on. But I digress. One day, while I was accompanying her on one of her numerous trips, we met an old friend of Tina's."
Thinking back to that fateful day in the mall
~*~
"You bitch!!"
He had been eyeing the belts, but upon hearing that defamatory language, Warrick's head shot up. Sensing that someone was in trouble, Warrick walked over to where he remembered leaving Tina. As he rounded the corner, he saw a tall, muscle bound guy, holding Tina's arm tightly.
"Hey, let her go!!" He yelled to the burly man.
"And who the hell are you", replied meathead.
Detecting the fright in Tina's eyes, he stated the first thing that came to his mind, "Warrick Brown, and if you don't get your hand off of my fiancé, I will beat you to within and inch of your life!"
Looking at Tina with disgust, muscle head released Tina quickly. "I knew you were a whore. Always was one and always will be." As Warrick stepped forward, the man turned towards him, with hands up in surrender "Hey man, she's used goods. Take her if you want her."
As Warrick heard Tina's scream, he felt his fist connect with the other man's jaw. He hadn't even realized that he had punched the guy, until it was over.
"Warrick, let's go," stated Tina.
As a crowd began to gather around the man lying on the floor, Tina quickly ushered him out of the store and to the car.
They rode in silence all the way to her apartment. Once they reached it, they quickly went in. Tina went to the kitchen to make coffee, while he went into the bathroom to find some bandages for his knuckles.
He returned to the kitchen as Tina was sitting down at the kitchen table with her coffee mug. She handed him a mug as he sat down and eyed her from across the table.
"What was that all about?" he stated calmly as he took a long drink from his coffee.
"He was my boyfriend before I came to Vegas. That's all." She said, trying to avoid his eyes.
"Seemed like a lot more than that to me. He seemed to feel like he owned you." He said, trying not to let any anger show in his voice.
"He did at one time." Seeing the surprise in his eyes, Tina continued. "When I met Brian, I was young. I was in high school. He was 20 and I was 16. I thought he loved me, and I just knew I was in love. I wanted to see him and, of course, my parent's disapproved. We snuck around seeing each other until I was 18. When I graduated high school I moved out and started living with him. He was a drug dealer, and I was naïve. To make a long story short, I got hooked on drugs. I began prostituting for him so I could get drugs." Looking up at Warrick, she was surprised not to see any disapproval in his eyes.
Continuing, "I had been doing so for about a year when an old friend of mine from high school saw me walking the streets one night. She paid to have me for one night. I was so strung out I didn't even recognize who she was. She took me back to her place and kept me there for a few days as I came down from my high. Once I was sober enough to realize where I was, she begged me to check into a rehab center. Not wanting to disappoint her, I agreed to give it a try. When I first checked in, I resisted all help they tried to give. On one of the weekly visits I was allowed to have, Stacy Warner, my friend, asked me why I was in rehab if I wasn't going to try. I told her that I was doing it for her. She told me that if I was only doing it for her, it would never last. She said I had to do it for myself, if I wanted to beat it. I eventually realized that she was right. At my group and independent sessions with my counselor, I began to reveal more about me. It took me two months to finally feel confident enough to leave. When I did she was right there for me."
Seeing the relief in his eyes, she continued, "Stacy was my first real love. Brian wasn't really a person I loved. I was infatuated with him. You know the forbidden fruit. But Stacy was different. She was sincere, loving, and trustworthy. At that time she was exactly what I needed. She was there for me without judging, and I will always love her for that."
Sensing her pain, Warrick hesitantly asked her, "What happened to Stacy? Where is she now?"
Looking at her, she replied, "I don't know. Not to long after I checked out of rehab, Brian found me. He tried to get me to go back to that lifestyle. I refused and told him that I didn't need him anymore. He told me that if he didn't want me, I had no one else. I told him I had Stacy. He got so furious. He resented that I would choose anyone, especially a woman, over him. A few days later, Stacy found a bullet on her dashboard. We knew it was him. She told me not to worry about her. I couldn't help it. She had done so much for me, how could I place her in danger? In the middle of the night, a few days after that, I left and moved to Vegas. I haven't been back to Miami or seen her since. I think about her all the time but, I refuse to place her in any more danger."
Staring intently into Warrick's eyes, Tina said "Warrick, we have had a lot of fun over the last few months, but I can not put you in any danger. If I did, Gil would never forgive me. Now that Brian knows where I am, he will not let up. I will not put you in danger. This is my problem and I will handle it."
Laughing Warrick said, "Yeah, like I'm gonna let that happen. Look, Tina, I am a cop…okay CSI. But the point is, it is my job to protect you from people like Brian. Not only that, but you are my friend. I don't abandon my friends. So put that out of your head. We will figure it out together."
Realizing he was not to be argued with she simply smiled and said "Thanks, Warrick."
~*~
Nick was silent for a while trying to take it all in.
"Okay so you helped Tina by marrying her. How does that keep her safe?"
"Brian is a two-bit hustler, so I knew that he wouldn't dare go after a cop's wife. So I agreed to marry Tina. That's why it was so sudden. We got married a week after the mall incident"
"I see why that makes sense; however, you don't think there was another way to help her?"
"Sure there were, but this arrangement had mutual benefits."
"Mutual benefits?" asked Nick.
"Yeah, as you know, interdepartmental relationships are frowned upon. I have been in love with Gil Grissom, for a long time now. When we decided to try at a relationship, we had to do a lot to keep it under wraps. Over the months, it was getting harder and harder to hide. We feared we would be found out. My having a wife made it easier. So now, we can be together without feeling like we will be discovered. Normally, I wouldn't take the secretive approach. But knowing how much Gil values his privacy, I am willing to go along with it. But we don't have to worry anymore. No one will dare question us as long as I am a married man." Warrick stated proudly.
Realizing that he was alone in his celebration, Warrick looked up at Nick. He was taken aback at the amount of anger he saw in his eyes. "What did I do now, Nicky?"
Infuriated, Nicky jumped out of his seat, "What did you do? What did you do!?! I can't believe you, man!" Sitting down on the chair opposite the couch he continued, a little more calmly, "Warrick, not only did you not tell me about Tina, you also kept me in the dark about Gil. I thought we were best friends. Why didn't you trust me enough to tell me the truth?"
Noting the sadness in his voice, Warrick forgot to be angry at Nick's outburst. "Nicky, man, we are best friends. You are the best friend I could ever have. The only reason I didn't tell you about Tina is because I didn't feel it was my story to tell. And to be honest, I wasn't sure how you would react to the news about me and Gil."
"I understand that you didn't feel you should tell me about Tina. You are right it wouldn't have been your place. However, I am glad you finally told me. It answers some of the questions I have been asking myself for months now. But as for Gil, do you really think I am that blind Warrick!?! We have been friends for a long time now. I have known you were in love with Gil for a long time, probably before you even realized it."
Seeing the surprise on Warrick's face, Nick smirked, as he continued, "I noticed how you looked at Gil whenever he was around. You thought no one noticed, but I saw. I thought it was kind of funny to be honest. I mean, here we have Warrick Brown, "Mr. Ladies Man", falling all over himself for Gil Grissom, of all people!"
"Yeah, I did fall hard for Griss! Why didn't you ever say anything?" Warrick asked.
"I figured you would tell me when you got ready. I also never thought Gil would go for it though." Warrick raised his eyebrow as Nick continued, "I knew Gil was attracted to you, I just figured he would never allow himself to take that chance. How did you do it anyway? Not only are you guys together, but you are married to someone else and Gil seems okay with it. You must be very convincing." Nick laughed, knowingly.
"Well, you are right. Gil resisted my every move in the beginning, but my being stubborn has its advantages. I wouldn't give up, so finally he gave in and we have been together ever since. As for him going along with the whole marriage thing, that was a different thing all together." Warrick replied.
Sensing a story coming, Nick relaxed back in to chair, ready to listen.
~/~
"You agreed to what!?!" Gil yelled.
"I didn't agree to anything… yet. I merely suggested Tina and I get married. She said she would only do it if you were okay with it." Warrick stated calmly.
"And exactly why would I go along with this asinine idea! Who in their right mind would be okay with the person they love getting married to someone else!" Gil replied angrily.
"Gil, this is not about us. I love you and you know that won't change."
"Well you have a funny way of showing it."
"Look, Griss, she needs us. And to be honest we need her."
"For what, may I ask?"
"She needs the protection, as do we. Maybe not from the same thing, but we need protection none the less. No one will question us if I am married. They may wonder, but no one will be brave enough to ask that question. Tina knows I love you. She respects that. Besides, her heart belongs to someone else." Warrick explained as he pulled Gil into his arms.
"This someone doesn't mind her getting married? He must not care that much." Gil replied, relaxing in Warrick's embrace.
"Tina hasn't seen her since she moved to Vegas. Her name was Stacy and she hasn't seen her since Brian threatened her life."
"Yeah I remember you telling me the story after you came home with the bandaged knuckles a few nights ago."
"Well, Tina never saw Stacy again. She still loves her,I see it in her eyes when she talks about her. I wish there was something I could do about it."
"Maybe I can help." Seeing the confusion in Warrick's eyes, he continued, "It's the least I can do. After all she is helping protect our happiness, I can at the very least try to help her find hers," Gil explained.
"That's why I love you, always thinking of others. Who do you know in Miami that can help us?"
"You remember Horatio Caine. I'll give him a call in the morning. But first I think we have some making up to do after our little spat." Gil smirked.
Laughing Warrick, replied "What am I going to do with you?"
Kissing him, Gil said "Love me."
"Always," said Warrick as he led Gil down the hall into their bedroom.
~*~
"So did he ever find her?" asked Nick as he leaned forward
"Yeah he found her, with Horatio's help," replied Warrick. He tracked her down and I explained everything that happened. She agreed to come to Vegas and meet with me. Of course, I didn't tell her that Tina would be there, I was afraid she wouldn't show up. So I arranged for Tina to meet me at Taqueria Canonita at the Venetian, for dinner and drinks. I pretended to be running late, and the rest as they say, is history."
"So what happened?" asked Nick, intrigued.
"Well, later Tina filled me in, after reaming me a new one for setting her up. She said it was very awkward at first, as you can imagine. But eventually they relaxed enough to talk. Of course, this is after Tina convinced Stacy not to leave. She explained everything to her. Told her about our marriage arrangement, which, to be honest, she didn't understand. But eventually she saw that it was better this way. They exchanged phone numbers and continue to talk long distance. I think they are working on a relationship. The love is there. Maybe one day soon she will move to Miami to be with Stacy. But, until then, Tina is happy to be here and we are grateful to her."
"What happens if she does move to Miami?"
"Well, we will handle it when it happens. I would never deprive Tina of her happiness. If she decides to leave, we will support her every step of the way."
"Wow that explains a lot. I was wondering how Gil would be so understanding. I mean it is obvious how much he loves you, so I can't imagine him sharing."
"Well believe me, he doesn't share. Tina and I are only married by law. My heart belongs to Gil and vice versa. I am just finally happy to be able to tell someone else, namely you, about my relationship with Gil."
"I am finally happy that you told me. I have felt so lost since "the Incident" and I thought I was losing my best friend when you got married," stated Nick, sadly.
"Nicky, I am so sorry. I just couldn't be around you and not tell you. I figured you had enough on your plate without me adding to the meal. I apologize for not telling you, I hope you can forgive me." Warrick pleaded.
"Yeah I forgive you. I hope you can forgive me for walking in on you and Gil in the locker room today." Suddenly Nick's head shot up and he screeched, "Gil! Oh my God! He must be freakin' right now. Warrick you have to go tell him everything is okay before he has a heart attack! Go, now!"
"Calm down, Nicky. Gil will be fine. He would have been pissed if I didn't come explain everything to you." Warrick replied, laughing at Nick's outburst.
"I'm fine. Go home to Gil, Warrick. Tell him its okay and your secret is safe with me," smiled Nick.
"Thanks man. I'll tell him you are okay," Warrick replied with a smile as he closed the door to Nick's apartment behind him.
~*~
"So how did it go?" Gil asked nervously.
"Surprisingly well, I told him about everything with Tina, about us, and Stacy. He finally understands, and he said he is fine with it." Warrick replied as he headed towards their bedroom.
Following him, Gil asked "Are you sure? I mean it's not everyday you find your best friend making out with his boyfriend, and former supervisor, in the locker-room."
Sitting on the bed and removing his shoes, Warrick answered, "I'm sure he is fine. Yes, he was a bit surprised to find us necking in the locker-room, but he wasn't shocked to find out about our relationship."
Unbuttoning Warrick's shirt, Gil said, "Oh really? He wasn't surprised?"
"No he wasn't. He said he had known about our attraction to each other for a while." Warrick said as he pulled Gil in for a kiss.
Breaking apart and panting slightly, Gil continued to undress Warrick. "Awhile, huh? I always new Nicky was smart. It would have been nice if he clued us in. We could have saved a lot of wasted energy trying to fight it. Good thing we finally caught on. If we hadn't, I wouldn't be able to do this." Gil said as he gently pushed Warrick back and straddled him.
"And I wouldn't be able to do this!" Warrick replied huskily.
Gil gasped as he felt Warrick begin to gently stroke his cock.
"Or hear that," Warrick said as a moan escaped Gil's lips.
"Lie down," Gil ordered as he moved off of Warrick's lap. After he was lying down, he pulled Warrick's pants and boxers off in one movement.
"That's what I love about you. Multiple talents," Warrick said as Gil stepped back and began to undress himself.
Looking into Warrick's eyes as he pulled off his pants, he replied, "You have no idea how talented."
As he pulled gil down on top of him he said in a whisper, "Why don't you show me?" before he kissed him passionately.
"I plan to," Gil replied, breaking the kiss, "all night long."
~*~
Something was wrong. He could sense it. She wouldn't look at him and she hadn't returned his phone calls. To be honest, if he hadn't just showed up at her door that night, he was certain he would not be there at all. No, something was definitely wrong. Warrick knew if he approached the subject in the wrong way, she would never tell him what was on her mind. So he waited until they were finally seated across from each other, quietly eating their dinner, before he brought the subject up.
"You've been avoiding me," Warrick stated as he ate his steak.
"I've been busy, "Tina replied, looking at her salad, trying to avoid his eyes.
"Really, too busy to talk to your husband? Tina, I know you. And I know that you have been avoiding me for some reason. What is it?" Warrick said as he moved on to his baked potato.
Finally looking him in the eye, she replied, "Okay I admit it. I have been avoiding you. I have had so much on my mind and I didn't feel like sharing."
"It will be better if you get it off of your chest. You know I won't judge you, no matter what."
"I know. That's not the problem. I am more worried about your temper than anything else."
Stunned, Warrick replied, "Tina! You know I would never do anything to hurt you! Please tell me you know that."
"I know, I know! You would never hurt me." Hesitantly she continued, "It's not me I'm worried about. It's… It's Brian."
"Brian! Why the hell are you worried about him!?! He is not even a part of your life anymore. You haven't seen him in months!" Noting the change in her demeanor, he asked, "Have you?"
Realizing the answer by her refusing to look at him, he pushed away from the table and started pacing the floor. "You have seen him! When? Did you tell Stacy? How does she feel about you seeing him again?" Warrick asked, the questions came tumbling out as they entered his mind.
Still sitting at the kitchen table, she looked at Warrick, "I saw him two weeks ago. I haven't been seeing him! I told Stacy and she reacted much like you. Out of the blue, Brian called me 2 days ago and asked me to have dinner with him. I told him I would think about it."
"Think about it!?! Why would you even consider going out to dinner with that asshole?!?" he asked, trying to reign in his temper.
Sitting back down at the table, he continued more calmly, "Tina, I know what he put you through when you were younger. I know what you did to get away from him. I also know what happened the last time you saw him. What I don't know is how you could do this to Stacy? I thought you guys were doing so well. Don't you love her?"
"Warrick, I do love Stacy. More than mere words can express. She helped me at a time when I needed her most. But I have unresolved issues with Brian. I think dinner is a good way to get over my past so I can move on with Stacy."
"Have you clued Brian in on your plans? I am sure he has no plans of giving up so easily. After what happened the last time, do you honestly think he has changed in this short amount of time? It hasn't even been a year!"
"I don't know what Brian thinks will happen at dinner. I don't know if he has changed. What I do know is that I have to do this so I can move on with my life. I have changed a lot in the past ten months. Between meeting you and getting to know Gil, I have went through a lot of changes. Knowing that someone cared enough about me to risk themselves to protect my safety was humbling. I know Gil didn't warm to the idea of our marriage immediately. He loves you too much. But the fact that we formed a friendship in all this is something I will always cherish. The love you guys have shown me has given me the strength I need to be able to do this. Between you all and reconnecting with Stacy, my life has changed a lot. My bond with Stacy has only deepened and I love her with all my soul. But there is something in the way. If I don't do this I can't truly move on with Stacy. She deserves all of me and I can't give her that if part of me is still trapped in the past."
"You know we love you Tina, and we will support you in whatever you decide. But aren't you afraid that Brian will go after Stacy? You remember what happened the last time you chose her over him?"
"Yeah, I remember, but Stacy needs me to take that chance. She won't admit it, but she knows that I will not move to Miami to be with her if I think she is still in danger. I have to find out if she truly is in danger before I can commit to her the way she deserves."
"What about Brian? Do you think he is willing to give you up without a fight?"
"He doesn't have me. But if he is still the same person I remember, he will not let Stacy have me either, at least not without a fight. Since he is the one that initiated this meeting, I am hoping he has gotten over the ignorance of the past. Either way, I have to do this. It's my only choice."
"Well at least tell me you are meeting him in a public place, and not some secluded little restaurant." Warrick said seriously.
"Warrick, you know me better than that. Brian did suggest a private little restaurant, ‘So we can talk' he said. I told him that if he planned on having dinner with me we would do it in a more public place. We finally agreed to meet at the Meadows food court at the McDonald's. It's a cheap date, but at least he won't try anything," Tina laughed.
"That's my girl. So when is this little dinner date?" Warrick asked as he cleared the dishes from the table and put them in the dish washer.
"Tomorrow night," she said nervously.
"Well, you call me or Gil if you need anything. And call me after it's over, so I know you are okay."
"I will," she told him as he grabbed his keys and headed towards the door.
"You better, or I will be at your knocking at your door waking up your neighbors," Warrick said as he kissed her on the cheek before heading out the door. "Good night."
"Good night, Warrick," she said as she closed the door behind him.
~*~
"So what are we going to do?" Gil asked.
Knowing what he meant, Warrick answered, "Support her. We knew eventually that this day would come. If Brian has indeed turned over a new leaf, then Tina will be heading to Miami very soon. Besides, I don't think our relationship will be as big a deal as we thought it would be."
"And why is that?" Gil asked.
"Because most everyone knows about us, even if I am married. They all seem fine with it. Everyone, that is, except Sara. But she won't say anything. If she did, it would mean that were are really together and all her fantasies of being with you would go up in smoke," Warrick laughed, as Gil swatted him on the shoulder for mentioning Sara.
"What about Ecklie?" Gil asked, trying to change the subject.
"What about him? Look Gil, Ecklie has been so different since Nick's incident. I won't go as far as to say friendly, but he has been at the very least tolerable. I have a feeling he already knows about us. But unless it interferes with work, I don't think he cares," Warrick told him nonchalantly.
"You're probably right. Ecklie isn't the smartest person, but he isn't completely blind. He'd have to be an idiot not to realize something is going on with us, no matter how we try to hide it. He does seem to have changed, so I am sure he won't make any trouble for us. Now all we have to do is worry about Tina's little meeting with Brian."
"Don't even mention it. I have been dreading it all day." Looking at his watch, "She should be meeting with him right about now."
~*~
Across town, Tina was looking at Brian. She was trying to see what had attracted her to him in the first place. He was about the same height as Warrick, but not nearly as attractive. He was very muscular, but not in a good way. His hair was cut short and showed signs of thinning. Also, although she had never noticed before, his eyes and nose seemed a little too big for his head. How could she have missed that?
As she was making these observations, she heard her name, "Tina?" She looked up into Brian's questioning gaze.
"Were you saying something?" she asked.
"Yes, I was asking you about what you have been doing with yourself. Are you still working in medicine?"
Not trying to hide her impatience and not wanting to be here a second longer than absolutely necessary, she replied, "Look Brian, let's cut the crap. We haven't been on friendly terms for a long time, so you can stop pretending. What did you want to see me for? I have other things to do."
Taken aback by her response, Brian replied, "Sorry, I was just trying to make small talk. But since I see you would rather me not, I'll get to the point. I asked you here tonight so I could apologize."
Seeing the shock on her face, he continued, "I know, this is a shocker. But it is true. I have so much to apologize for I don't even know where to begin."
Realizing she wasn't going to offer him a place to start, he kept on, "When we were together, I treated you like garbage. I was young and thought I was tough. I realize that's no excuse. I basically drug you away from your parents and tried to keep you under my lock and key. When you got hooked on drugs, instead of trying to get you help, I chose to exploit you. When you were finally able to get the help you needed, I go and threaten the only person trying to help you. I am truly sorry that I did that to you."
"Really? Are you sure? Don't worry about me and my parents. We are fine. But as for you and me, we are as far as possible from being okay. You treated me like trash for a long time. Then when I finally find a way to get help, away from you, you basically force me to leave the only person I really ever loved, out of fear for her safety. So I move here to Vegas, trying to keep her safe, and get away from you. Only that's not enough. I run into you while shopping with my fiancé, and you grab me and call me a whore in front of the entire store!" Realizing that people were beginning to stare, Tina lowered her voice, "How the hell do you expect me to believe you or accept your apology?"
"I don't expect you to forgive me. I was just hoping you would. I know I don't deserve it."
"No, you don't. What brought on this sudden change of heart anyway?" she asked with her arms folded over her chest.
"That's fair. The truth is I didn't think I had done anything wrong until recent events opened my eyes. Someone I thought was decent treated my little sister, Katie, a lot like I treated you. She met David when they were in high school. And much like us, they thought they were in love, or at least she did. My parents weren't crazy about her dating, but she was sixteen so they figured she was old enough to date. They were both juniors in high school when they became serious. Katie got pregnant the first semester of her senior year. She had a miscarriage, complications from being so young. She was having a hard time dealing with the loss of her child. David blamed her, saying that if she had taken better care of herself, she wouldn't have lost the baby. He was so stupid and he abandoned her when she needed him most. She couldn't take the loss of her child and boyfriend, so she drifted into the wrong crowd. She eventually dropped out of school and began to do drugs. By this time, David had begun selling drugs. He didn't care about Katie, so he became her supplier. Once she was hooked, he began forcing her to prostitute herself to pay for the drugs. I knew she was out of control, but I didn't care enough to do anything. You know, doing my own thing was my number one priority. Then I saw her one day-"
"Hookin' on the corner and you thought of me, how wonderful?" Tina said sarcastically.
"No, I didn't catch her on the corner. When I saw her she was in the hospital. My parents had called and told me she had overdosed on heroin. They didn't think she would make it, so they told me to come say my goodbyes. When I walked into that room, it was like I had traveled back in time. Although you never overdosed, suddenly it was you lying there in that bed. I could see your face as plain as if you were standing there in front of me. I realized exactly what my actions could have done to you. At that moment I vowed that if my sister was able to survive, I would do everything I could to make it up to you."
"Is…" clearing her throat "Is Katie okay?" she asked, trying to hold back her tears, thinking of the adorable little girl she remembered. She realized just how easily she could have been in Katie's shoes.
"Yes she is fine. Well on her way to recovery. After she got out of the hospital, I helped her join a drug treatment center. When I realized how much it was helping her, I asked how I could help. They needed volunteers in the outreach program geared towards teenagers. So every week I meet with a group of teenagers to discuss how they have overcome or given into the pressure of using drugs. I told them of my past as a dealer, the things I did to you, and I give them a week-by-week account of Katie's recovery. I think that hearing how hard it is to come back from being on drugs is what keeps a lot of them from trying them in the first place."
"I am glad you could take such negative experiences and put them to good use," Tina said sincerely.
"It's good therapy. They confide in me and I tell them about my feelings to. While talking about our past, my students began to ask me what happened between us. I told them about our last encounter and how I regretted what I did. They suggested I apologize. I was scared, but I knew I needed to do it, so here I am."
Looking into her eyes with sincerity, Brian continued, "Tina, I know that what I did was unforgivable. So I will not ask you to forgive me. All that I ask is for you to realize that I am truly sorry. There are no words to express how much. The things I did to you, and Stacy for that matter, are inexcusable. All I ask is that you don't let our past affect your future."
"Hearing everything you have done to make up for you past actions makes me proud. You have taken something so awful and used it in the best way possible. And though what you did to me is unforgivable, I do forgive you. The only reason I agreed to meet you was so I could get past this and move on with my life. I am glad that we decided to do this. I think it was what I needed to finally close the book on that part of my life. I thank you for that, and I hope you continue to do the great work you are doing with those teenagers," Tina said as she stood up from the table.
"Thanks for accepting my apology and offering your forgiveness. You will never know how much it means to me. I am glad this meeting could offer you as much closure as it has for me," Brian said as he gathered his jacket to leave. "Good night, Tina. Oh, could you please apologize to your husband for me. He had every right to punch me, I deserved it."
"Yes you did. I will tell him of your apology. Good night, Brian, it was actually good seeing you again," she said as she got on the escalator to leave the mall.
As she was leaving the mall, she heard her phone ring. She looked at the caller ID and laughed as she answered the phone, "I'm fine, Warrick." And for the first time in a very long while, she really was.
~*~
Gil was gorgeous. His graying hair glistened in the sunlight. He was in a simple off-white tuxedo with a blue handkerchief in the pocket, which picked up on the color of his eyes. Eyes that sparkled with unshed tears. Tina was a vision. Her dress was the same color as Gil's tux, with a low cut back. Her hair was swept into a high bun, with well placed strands of hair draping down the back. The light in her eyes was almost as blinding as Gil's smile.
Turning to Gil as he approached him, Warrick's heart swelled with emotion. He was finally were he had wanted to be. He had love Gil for so long, that some days it was hard to believe they were actually together. Good thing he had inherited his Grams' stubbornness. Otherwise he might never have seen this day. When Warrick looked into Gil's eyes he knew this was just the beginning of the happy life they would build together. It had taken a lot to get them here, but the journey had been well worth it.
Without hesitation, Warrick uttered the words that would commit his heart and soul to Gil Grissom's forever.
"I do." And they did.
The End
