Title: Unbreak My Heart
Author: Mara
Rating: FRAO
Pairing: Warrick/Gil Gil/Sara Warrick/Jim Nick/Greg implied
Summary: Warrick and Gil are dating. Gil is also dating Sara unbeknownst to Warrick. Sara knows about Warrick and does everything in her power to oust Warrick. It works and now Warrick is heartbroken, alone and depressed. Someone notices and takes matters into his own hands. How will it all play out?
Category: Angst, Partner Betrayal and H/C
Disclaimer: All characters herein are owned by Jerry Bruckheimer and CBS. No copyright infringements are intended.
Word Count: 6790

Sara smirked as she watched Warrick's playful banter with Gil. The poor fool didn't have a clue what was going on, but he soon would. If she had her way he'd know tonight, but Gil had already said that he wanted to be the one to break the news to him. She had taken a backseat to Warrick Brown for far too long. Gil was just procrastinating and delaying the inevitable. In the back of her mind, she didn't really believe that Gil would ever break the news to Warrick. He just didn't have those killer instincts. It's a good thing she did.

Warrick left the break room smiling. It had been almost a year since he and Gil had started dating. Warrick had finally found the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Warrick was certain that Gil felt the same way and all that was left was the final step--move in together. Warrick was the one to mention it first and Gil seemed to agree with the idea, but in the last couple of months, something had changed. Warrick didn't know what it was, but something was definitely different. Now whenever he suggested their living together Gil always changed the subject. Sometimes he outright avoided him. They had been spending less time together, too. Four or five times a week had dwindled to once a week. Warrick blew it off as a very hectic schedule, but still--they should have been able to make some time for each other. Hell, lately Warrick had been spending more time with Nick and Jim than he had with his so-called lover.

Tonight seemed like old times. Gil was in a good mood and he'd been flirting outrageously with Warrick all evening. He'd even invited him over tomorrow evening. They were both off and Gil said he'd cook dinner for the two of them. Warrick was elated! Maybe he could get a straight answer about their living arrangements now. God knows, Warrick was ready to make it permanent. He just couldn't understand Gil's reluctance. It'd been extremely difficult to have a conversation with Gil at work lately. Sara was always hovering around. Warrick noticed a self-satisfying smirk on her face every time they encountered each other. No matter how hard he tried Warrick never trusted her. Truth be told, he never liked her either.

*****

Gil was in the kitchen preparing dinner for himself and Warrick. However, his mind had been on other things. He was hesitant to break off his relationship with Warrick. They'd been together a year and he cared deeply for Warrick. It was desperation and the complete fear of a long lasting romance that had pushed him into the arms of Sara Sidle. She'd been chasing him for years, but he'd always managed to dash her hopes. Until recently, that is. One night when Warrick was working and Gil was home alone, Sara showed up on his door step. It was a last-ditch-effort on her part to bed the man of her dreams. It was also the day after his conversation with Warrick about moving in together. Fear made Gil do something incredibly stupid. He'd taken Sara to his bed that night and now she would never let him go. He knew if he didn't stay with her it could mean the end for all of them. Sara had a cruel streak sometimes. He'd witnessed if first hand in her initial dealings with Warrick. She'd taken an instant dislike to him and Gil surmised, that even over time, her feelings had never really changed.

Gil was roused out of his thoughts by the doorbell. He was really looking forward to spending the evening with Warrick. They hadn't been intimate in almost two weeks. Gil was going through withdrawals. His body craved the warmth, the well defined muscles, the intense green eyes and the throbbing cock of his lover. Gil was shaking with desire by the time he reached the door, but his passion soon faded upon finding Sara standing there.

"Um, Sara. You can't stay. I'm expecting Warrick."

"I know, sweetheart. But we'll be fine. We have some time. Warrick hasn't left work yet. He's tied up on a case."

"How did you get off work and why is Warrick at work? He's off tonight."

"I told Catherine I really needed to go home. I can act really sick when the need arises."

"And what need was that?"

"Why the need to see you, of course."

"Yes, but why is Warrick at work?"

"Mm, not sure. I think Nick called him for some help. He's working on a case he and Warrick processed together. As soon as I saw Warrick there, I knew you'd be here all alone and in need of some lovin'."

"I see, but I don't think we have time. What if Warrick shows up?"

"I'll be quick and besides, he and Nick looked pretty involved. I think he's still going to be awhile."

Sara backed Gil toward the bedroom. He knew better than to fight her. She had a nasty temper. So he let himself be maneuvered into the bedroom with relative ease. She pushed him down on the bed and straddled his hips. She began to slowly unbutton his shirt, but his hand stilled her movements. She frowned at him.

"Sara, wait. I don't think you locked the front door."

"Oh, you're right. Lay back and relax. I'll take care of it."

Sara slid off of Gil and sauntered back into the living room. Gil didn't see the evil smile that graced her face as she left the bedroom.

She went to the front door, but didn't lock it. Instead, She opened it and left it ajar. Warrick would certainly notice the open door. She just hoped he wouldn't call out for Gil when he entered the condo. Smiling again, she turned and headed back to her oblivious lover.

*****

Warrick was struggling to keep on schedule, but he kept stopping to recheck his appearance. Finally satisfied that he looked hot, he left his house and headed out for his long anticipated reunion with his lover. It'd been far too long since he'd held Gil in his arms. He was determined to remind Gil exactly how good the sex between them could be. Warrick was already hard and throbbing. He just hoped he could make it last. Oh well, they had all night. If they came quickly they could just rest a bit and then go at it again and again and again. Warrick had an image of he and Gil fucking all night in every room in the condo. At this rate, he might not even make it out of his car.

Warrick parked in the driveway and headed up the steps to Gil's door. Sara was as smart as she was evil. Her car was parked on the next block over, well away from Gil's place. As Warrick approached he could see clearly that the door was open. A jolt of fear shot through him. Gil Grissom would never leave his front door open. He entered silently, looking around cautiously, he considered going back to the truck for his gun, but Gil might be in trouble and need him now. This was time he was not willing to take.

A sound from the direction of the bedroom caught his attention. It sounded like a low moan. Warrick turned toward the sound and in three long strides reached the bedroom door, which like the front door was also ajar. Warrick put two fingers on the door and pushed it open further.

His heart stopped beating for a split second and the world around him began to spin. As his eyes started to focus again, he clearly saw Sara Sidle naked, astride his lover, riding him for all she was worth. Her tits flopped up and down like two shriveled fried eggs. Her head swung from side to side and she growled like a lioness in heat. Another moan escaped his lover's lips and Warrick slowly backed away from the door. He bolted from Gil's condo, gasping for breath as he reached his Tahoe. Starting the engine with shaking hands he disappeared into the night.

*****

Gil heard what he thought sounded like a gasp, but that wasn't possible. Warrick didn't have a key. Then again, neither did Sara. Gil flipped Sara off him and staggered to his feet. He hastily pulled on his boxers and ran into the living room. He stared dumbfounded at the open door. Sara, wearing only her shirt, followed close behind him.

"Damn it, Gil. What's the matter?"

"The front door is open." Gil answered absentmindedly in monotone.

"It can't be. I locked it. There's no way it could be open."

"Look."

Sure enough, the door was thrown wide open. Sara was behind Gil, so he couldn't see the radiant smile displayed all over her face. It was a look of triumph, satisfaction and cruelty all rolled into one.

"I don't understand, Gil. I locked it. How in the world did it get open?"

"I don't know, but you'd better go. It's getting late."

"Right. I wouldn't want to be seen when Warrick gets here. You are going to tell him, aren't you?"

"Yes, Sara. I'll tell him." But Gil knew that Warrick had seen everything. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach. He could feel it burning in his soul. His lover was gone and he wasn't coming back. Gil felt sick and as soon as Sara left he spent an hour in the bathroom emptying the contents of his stomach. He thought about calling Warrick, but knew it would do no good. Warrick wouldn't answer.

*****

The following evening Warrick was late for work. Gil had already handed out assignments. He paired Warrick with Nick because he knew that Nick would be able to keep Warrick calm. He just hoped that Warrick hadn't done anything stupid. Maybe, just maybe, he could talk his way out of this mess, if he could get his lover alone. There wasn't much of a chance, but he had to try.

"Nick, have you seen Warrick?" Gil asked.

"No. I don't think he's here yet."

"Um, well, when you see him, please tell him I'd like to see him in my office after shift."

"Sure, Gris."

*****

Nick was starting to worry. It wasn't like Warrick to be late. He was too organized for that. Nick looked in the lounge, but it was deserted. He then started toward the locker room. On his way, he ran into Jim.

"Hey Jim. Have you seen Warrick? We've got a case and I can't find him. He's late."

"Hmm, It's not like Rick to be late. Have you tried calling him?"

"Nope. I was gonna check the locker room first."

"Well, go do that. If you don't find him, call him. If you still can't reach him come and get me. I'll help you look for him." Jim said worriedly.

"Ok. Thanks, Jim."

Nick had a sneaking suspicion, as he headed for the locker room, that Brass had a thing for his partner. His attention to Warrick in recent months had been unparalleled, especially after the shooting. Warrick had spent a lot of time at the hospital and their relationship had grown even closer. Nick thought it was kind of cute and he would've like the feeling to be reciprocated, if it weren't for the fact that Warrick was dating Grissom. This relationship had been going on for almost a year now and in the beginning it seemed to be great for both of them. They were really happy for awhile, but the last couple of months seemed to be strained. Nick also noticed a change in Sara's behavior. She seemed more confident, more calculating and even more condescending to Warrick. He didn't know why, and it worried him.

Nick entered the locker room and saw his friend sitting on the bench, head in hands.

"Damn, Rick. Are you ok? I've been looking all over for you."

"Oh, hey, Nick. Sorry, but I haven't felt well since yesterday."

"Then you need to go home. I can handle this alone."

"No, man. I not leaving you by yourself. I think it's just a stomach virus. I'll be ok."

"I don't know. You don't look so good. Did you call a doctor?"

"Nah. It ain't that bad. Really, Nick. I'm gonna be fine. What've we got?"

"Well, if you're sure, but try and take it easy. If there's any gore, I'll handle it. I don't want you puking on me." Nick said with a smirk. "It's a drive by shooting--one dead, one wounded."

"Ok. Let's get this over with."

"I'll drive, bro. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Gris wants to see you in his office after shift."

"Um, ok."

Nick immediately saw the crestfallen look on his partners face and knew at that moment it was not a stomach virus. Something bad, very bad had gone down between Warrick and Gris. Nick said nothing. The look on Warrick's face was enough to stop him in his tracks. He'd just have to wait and try and get Warrick to open up later. In the meantime, Nick had to let Jim know that Warrick was ok. On their way out of the locker room Nick pulled out his cell and quietly texted Jim. All it said was, "Found Rick! Call off search."

Nick did most of the work at the crime scene. Brass showed up after awhile and hovered around Rick the rest of the evening. Nick was glad. Jim seemed to pull Warrick out of his dazed state. Warrick seemed more like his old self with Jim close by.

Just before Warrick and Nick were going to head back to the lab, Jim pulled Nick aside.

"Ok, what's wrong with Rick?" Jim's tone was enough to ensure complete honesty.

"He said he has a stomach virus." Nick replied.

"I don't think so."

"I don't think so either, Jim. But that's what he said."

"And what do you think?"

"I think he had a fight with Gris. Grissom told me to tell Warrick to come to his office after shift and when I relayed the message Warrick looked like I'd just slapped him in the face. Gris looked nervous when he asked me if I'd seen Warrick. Something's not right."

"No shit! Rick is out of it. He completely lost his train of thought several times tonight. It was all most like he was on drugs or something. I caught him just staring into space more times that I can count. If they really did have a fight, it must've been a humdinger. I've never seen Rick this despondent. What the fuck?"

"I don't know, Jim. I've been afraid to question him too much, and I don't think we should let him go see Gris after shift."

"How are we supposed to stop him? Besides, Gil is the boss. If he doesn't show up Gil's gonna be pissed."

"I know, but I can't wait for Warrick tonight. I've gotta be somewhere. I guess I could call and cancel."

"Forget it, Nick. Tell ya what, I'll hang around Gil's office. Discreetly, of course and when Rick comes out I'll gage his mood. If he looks like he's about to lose it, I'll take charge and make sure he gets home ok."

"Are you sure, Jim?"

"Yeah, Nick. I'm sure. Trust me. I'm not going to let anything happen to Rick-ever."

"Hey, Nick! Can we go, please? I'm tired." Warrick shouted from the truck.

"I'm coming." Nick shouted back. "Thanks, Jim. I really appreciate this."

"No problem, Nick. I'll call you if I need any help."

Nick nodded and headed to the truck. He felt better knowing that Jim Brass would be looking out for his best friend. There wasn't any force on earth that could hurt Warrick with Jim around. Nick really liked Brass and he felt that he and Warrick would be good together, if Warrick would just give it a chance. Nick still felt bad though. He thought he should be there in case of trouble, but he'd promised Greg weeks ago that he'd take him paragliding. Greg would be waiting for him and Nick didn't want to disappoint him. Their friendship had evolved over the years and Nick thought it was about to become intimate. At least, he hoped it was.

Upon returning to the lab, Warrick's mood had gotten decidedly worse. By the time shift ended, he'd become completely silent. Nick tried to engage Warrick in conversation, but to no avail. Warrick didn't even respond most of the time.

As they cleaned up and were getting ready to leave, Gil showed up.

"Hey, guys. How's it going?"

"Were done here. Just getting ready to leave." Nick replied. Warrick only stared.

"Good. Um… Warrick… could you come to my office… if you have a moment?"

Warrick blinked and followed Gil out of the lab and down the hall. Nick watched as they entered Gil's office. Then he got on the phone and called Jim. Jim made it at breakneck speed and hung close to Gil's office. He waved Nick on, indicating that he should go.

Nick did, but with reluctance.

*****

Warrick could feel his anger rising the longer he had to look at Gil, but he promised himself that he was not going to lose control. He couldn't afford that, not at work. He'd just have to keep his cool and hope that this didn't take long.

"What did you want to see me about, Grissom?"

Gil noticed Warrick's formal tone. He didn't have any doubt now that Warrick had been in his condo last night.

"Please, sit down." Gil pointed at the chair and then sat down behind his desk. Warrick sat, but Gil noticed that he looked very tense.

"I was worried about you. We were supposed to have a date last night, but you never showed up and you didn't call. I was just wondering what happened. It's not like you not to call."

Warrick took a deep breath and tried to keep his tone even. "I'm Sorry. I wasn't feeling well. I still don't feel well and I was too sick last night to call."

"I see. You should've taken tonight off. You've got plenty of sick time. I hate it that you're sick. I wish I'd known. I could've come to your place last night. I could've taken care of you."

"You could've called. I might not have been able to answer the phone right away, but I would've gotten back to you eventually."

"You're right, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to talk to me."

"Why wouldn't I want to talk to you?" Warrick asked.

"Ah… I… I don't know. I thought maybe you were angry with me."

"Why would I be angry with you?" Warrick's tone was getting just a decibel louder with each passing question and his hands were now clenched into fists.

"Well, I don't know, but you know how I get sometimes. It's just me. I really am sorry you're not feeling well. Would you like me to come over and make you some soup?"

"No thanks. I don't think I can eat anything. I just want to go home and sleep."

"Ok. Um, maybe tomorrow if you're feeling better we could go to breakfast and then we could spend sometime at my place?"

"I don't think I'm going to be feeling well enough by tomorrow."

"How about the day after?"

"Doubt it."

"Ever?"

"I don't think so. Let's face it, you really don't need me. I thought we were happy, but I was completely off base. Hell, I wasn't even in the ballpark. I don't know where we went wrong and I'm not even going to try to analyze it. All I want is to put this behind me and get on with my life. I hope you don't regret your decision, but you made your choice. Now you have to live with it. Take care of yourself. I'm going home."

With that Warrick got up and walked out of Gil's office and out of his life, forever.

Gil felt hollow inside. He'd just lost the best thing that'd ever happened to him. He had no one to blame but himself. He couldn't even bring himself to cry. No one would care anyway.

Brass ducked behind a doorway and Watched Rick leave. He looked ok, but his face was like stone. Jim hadn't heard any yelling, but that didn't mean anything. He was still worried. Rick just didn't look right. He looked like a ticking bomb about ready to go off. So, he decided to follow him.

Jim got in his car and followed Rick around Vegas for about three hours. Rick kept pulling up in front of casinos, but he just sat there in his truck and stared at them. He finally made his way to a liquor store. Jim saw that when he came out, he had a brown bag in each hand. The last stop was home. He exited the truck with one bottle in hand and the other one tucked under his arm. He fumbled with his keys, but finally managed to get the front door open.

Jim sat and watched. No light came on. That was strange, but then again, maybe not. Jim had spent many a night in the dark trying to find comfort in a bottle. That only temporarily dulled the pain. The next day the pain was back again full force or worse. He couldn't stand the thought of Rick having to go through that. Jim was getting angry. His anger was directed at Gil. What the fuck had he done? He couldn't begin to believe that Gil had dumped him, but what else could it be? Jim remembered back to his drinking days and the main cause of it was his wife's infidelity. The mother fucker had cheated on Rick! That had to be it. It was the only logical explanation and Jim had a pretty good idea of with who. Sara Sidle. She'd been so full of herself recently that it'd been almost intolerable to be around her. Jim was seeing red by this point. He'd really worked himself into one hell of a frenzy. He got out of his car and slammed the door. He crossed the street and stomped up the steps to Warrick's house. When he reached the front door he laid on the doorbell and when that didn't work he resorted to banging.

Warrick finally open the door, red eyed with bottle in hand.

"Jim, What's going on?" Warrick asked with unabashed surprise.

"You tell me?" Jim replied as he pushed past Warrick, flipping on the lights as he went.

Warrick covered his eyes to avoid being blinded by the sudden burst of light. "What the hell? Jim, please calm down and tell me what's wrong."

"I'll tell you what's wrong. Sit down."

"What?"

"Sit the fuck down." Jim shouted.

Warrick just looked at Jim, but went to the couch anyway. Warrick didn't want to piss Jim off anymore than he already was. Jim grabbed the bottle out of his hand on Warrick's way by and sat it down on the coffee table. Warrick was getting nervous. Jim seemed really angry and he had no clue what he'd done to make Jim angry. He'd just talked to him a few hours ago and everything seemed fine. Warrick sat down and stared at his friend, confusion clearly etched on his face.

Jim took a calming breath and sat down next to Warrick. What ever happened was not Rick's fault and Jim tried to keep that in mind. He was here to give comfort--not frighten the man silly. How he knew it wasn't Rick's fault was anybody's guess. Never the less, he did know with out a doubt that Gil was the one at fault, because it couldn't possibly be Rick's fault. No way in hell!

Warrick finally mustered the courage to speak again.

"Jim, I don't know why you're angry with me. Please, tell me what I did?"

Jim sighed and placed his hand on top of Warrick's. "You didn't do anything and I'm not angry with you." His voice was soft and gentle when he spoke and he could see Rick visibly relax.

"Then what happened?"

"Well, you might get mad at me, but I'm going to have to risk it. Nick and I were worried about you. He thought that you and Gil had a fight. So when you went to his office I waited outside. I've been following you around for almost four hours."

"Why in the name of God would you do that?"

"I told you. I was worried and by the look of it, with good reason. You know, that's not going to help." Jim stated as he pointed to the bottles of liquor sitting on the coffee table."

"Jim, I'm ok. You and Nick don't have to worry. Please, just drop it and go home. I can take care of myself."

"I'm not going anywhere. Not until you tell me what's going on or should I tell you?"

"I don't know what you think happened, but it's really none of your business. I'd like you to leave now."

"Ok. We'll do this the hard way. I've noticed recently that you and Gil haven't been spending as much time together as you used to. Gil has seemed pretty preoccupied lately and Sara's been hanging all over him for more than two months now. You were out of it at the crime scene tonight. Don't look at me like that. I know you told Nick you had a stomach virus, but if that's the case, I don't think you'd be drinking yourself into a coma. Am I getting warm?"

Warrick didn't answer, but huge tears had started to well up in his eyes. When they finally broke loose and started to roll down his cheeks, Jim pulled him into a tight embrace and just let the man sob in his arms. As Jim held Rick in his arms, he repeated a silent mantra, over and over. 'I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him.'

It had been almost two hours since Jim had arrived at Warrick's. The tears had now subsided, but Jim still sat and rocked an unresponsive and exhausted Warrick. Rick finally pulled away and sat up. He looked positively pitiful. Jim desperately wanted to kiss him and make his pain go away, but he knew better. Warrick, after a few moments, gave Jim a small smile of thanks.

"I don't know why you stayed with me. If it'd been me I would've told me to get over it and left."

"Would you leave if it were Nick?" Jim asked knowingly.

"No, smart guy. You know I wouldn't."

"Exactly and I wasn't about to leave you either."

"Thank you. I'm gonna be ok. I really will get over this. Sara is welcome to him. I'm just glad I found out now, instead of after we'd moved in together. I don't know if I could've taken it. As it is, I didn't handle it very well."

"Ah, you handled it exactly the way I would‘ve. Drive around for hours and then get shit faced. Always worked for me."

"I'm glad you approve and I'm glad you were here. Really."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else, Rick. Come on, you're exhausted. You really need to get some sleep. Will you be ok?"

"I'll be fine. Now go home and get some sleep yourself. I know you did not have a fun evening."

"Holding you in my arms--what could be better? Jim lowered his eyes and smiled shyly at Warrick."

"Warrick felt a tingle in the pit of his stomach. He knew it wasn't the alcohol. That'd worn off a long time ago. It was the look Jim was giving him.

Jim brushed up against Warrick on his way to the door. He gave him a little nudge and Warrick leaned into him. He whispered in Rick's ear. "Don't worry. It's his loss and you're better off. If you need me I'll be here, because I love you. I always have. No, don't say anything. Just think about it." And with that, Jim left.

Warrick watched him go. A feeling of calm had settled over him. Jim's admission hadn't even surprised Warrick. Deep down, Warrick knew that Jim loved him. After Jim was shot Warrick started having feelings of his own. He just hadn't been able to define them, until now. There was a bright side to this after all and Warrick just found it. It's too bad there wouldn't be a happy ending for Gil, but that was his choice.

*****

Brass felt really stupid for admitting his feelings to Warrick on the rebound, but it just slipped out. Somehow he knew that Warrick would understand and hopefully return his feelings in time. However, he wasn't going to force anything on Rick. He loved him too much and he wanted Warrick to come to him on his own. Gil, on the other hand, was another story. Jim planned to force a whole lot on Gil. His opinion was going to be heard, even if he had to knock Gil down and sit on him.

*****

The next night Jim called Rick several times to make sure he was ok and somehow Warrick didn't even mind. It was a comforting thought to know he was truly loved by someone. Jim invited him to dinner, but Warrick had to decline. Nick was on his way over, but he did make a date with Jim for the following night.

Nick arrived bearing pizza and root beer. He settled in on the couch while Warrick got some glasses and paper plates. When he returned Nick was smiling.

"What?"

"Nothin'. You look better. A lot better than you did yesterday, but I'm not sure you should eat pizza. At least, not after just getting over a stomach virus."

"Come off it, Nick. You know perfectly well--I didn't have a stomach virus."

"Oh?"

"I know all about you and Brass plotting behind my back. He told me everything last night."

"You saw Jim last night?" Nick asked with genuine surprise. Jim never called him like he was supposed to.

"Yes. He was here for several hours trying to calm me down."

"All right. What happened?"

"Gil and I have split. I caught him in bed with Sara."

"Oh Fuck! That son of a bitch. I ought to… to… to…"

"Do absolutely nothing, Bro. Are you listening to me."

"Hell No! I'm gonna…."

"Sit down and shut up, Nick. Right now."

"But… but…"

"Sit. No arguments. Do you want me to tell you everything or not. If you're gonna fly off the handle I'm just gonna go on to work."

"Sorry, man. But it really pisses me off. Somebody needs to kick the shit outa Grissom." Nick stated firmly as he sat back down.

Warrick sat down next to Nick and related the whole story to him, beginning with finding Sara and Gil in bed to Jim's admission of love. Warrick smiled when he told Nick that he had a date tomorrow night with Jim. Nick couldn't help but smile back. Maybe this was all for the best. Nick really believed that Jim was better for Rick than Gil ever could be. Now he had the proof. His worry for his friend lessened with the knowledge that Jim would be there for him, loving him unconditionally.

*****

Jim entered Gil's office and quietly locked the door. The man was pouring over his case files as usual. He never even heard Jim come in. It wasn't until a shadow fell across his desk that he finally looked up.

"Hello, Jim. What can I do for you? I haven't seen you in a couple of days. How are you?"

"Better than you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look, you don't have to play innocent with me. I know what you did to Warrick and it almost killed him. I hope you're proud of yourself. You took someone's heart and twisted it until it bled."

"Jim, you don't understand…"

"You're right. I don't understand. I considered you a friend, but not anymore. I just can't let you get off without the slightest bit of guilt."

"You think I don't feel guilty. Well, you're wrong. I loved Warrick. I still love Warrick. You have no idea. I don't love Sara. I made a mistake. A horrendous mistake and there's no way I can fix it."

"That's entirely true, because Warrick doesn't want anything to do with you. So don't even try. It'd be a complete waste of time. You know I love him?"

"Yes."

"Warrick knows it too. I told him last night. He seemed pretty happy about it."

"I'm glad for that. Warrick deserves to be happy and I know you'll treat him right."

"Hmm, You're not putting up much of a fight. I'm kind of disappointed. I was hoping you'd throw a punch, so I could beat you into the ground."

"I know when I'm beaten, Jim and I don't deserve Warrick's love. I betrayed his trust out of fear and now I'm stuck with someone I never wanted."

"I almost feel sorry for you, but not quite. Maybe you should call someone who cares. Please, give my regards to Sara."

That being said, Jim left, slamming the door behind him.

*****

Three months later Gil found out that Warrick was never at work the night Sara showed up at his place. It had come up innocently in a conversation with Nick, who by the way, was still pissed, but Greg was doing a very good job at keeping him calm. Warrick never had a key to Gil's condo. The only way Warrick could've gotten in was if someone had opened the door from the inside. He didn't do it. The last person to touch that door was Sara. Gil had all the evidence staring him in the face and two days later Gil confronted her.

Sara laughed, a very smug laugh. She never denied it. It fact she was proud of herself, much to Gil‘s dismay.

"Gil, please. You didn't love him. He was never good enough for you. We both know that. We were meant to be together. You know I'm right."

"Get out! GET OUT NOW! Don't ever come back. It's over. I'm tired of you lies, your games and your manipulations. GET OUT!!!"

Sara left and as soon as she calmed down she realized that Gil didn't really mean it. He'd come around eventually and things would get back to normal. She was positive.

With Conrad's help, one week later, Gil had Sara transferred out of there permanently. The whole atmosphere of the department changed as soon as she was gone. It was like a dark cloud had been lifted and a breath of fresh air wafted in.

Ecklie knew why Gil wanted Sara gone. Gil had to tell him the whole story to enlist his help. Now Conrad had Gil over a barrel. His first order of business was going to be to ask Gil out on a date and see what happened. After all, Gil could hardly refuse. He owed him-big time, didn't he? Conrad went around wearing a very smug smile for quite awhile after that. And even Gil was quite happy in the end.

*****

Six months later, Jim entered his house and was greeted by the soft sound of jazz music coming from the kitchen. The smell of roast chicken assaulted his nose and made his stomach growl. But food would just have to wait. He hadn't seen his live-in lover in over fifteen hours. Jim needed something else a lot more than he needed food.

He crept up quietly and wrapped his arms around Warrick, who was obliviously stirring something on the stove. The younger man dropped the spoon and turned in his arms, kissing Jim passionately enough to curl his toes. When they broke apart to get some much needed air, their eyes were smoldering.

Jim leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Hi, baby. I missed you."

Warrick beamed, "Missed you, too."

"Good. Let's go to bed."

"What about dinner?" Warrick asked with a smirk.

"It can wait. I need dessert first."

Warrick reached around and turned the oven off. He grabbed his eager lover by the shirt and hauled him toward the bedroom. Once there, Jim pushed Warrick down on the bed and systematically removed each piece of clothing, sooo, sooo slowly, savoring each and every glimpse of skin he uncovered. Warrick reached up and unhooked Jim's belt. He slowly lowered the zipper. Jim was panting heavily and his eyes were glazed over. He pounced on his lover's lips, attacking like a savage animal.Warrick had managed to get Jim's shirt unbuttoned and was running his thumbs across his hard nipples. The rutting had begun in earnest and Jim didn't think he would last long enough to be buried deep inside his lover.

Warrick decided it was time to take control. He flipped Jim onto his back, pinned him and grinned down at his helpless lover.

"Something funny, baby?"

"Yeah, you. Must've really missed me."

"I did, Ricky. I did."

"Ok, but we still need to take it a bit slower. I don't want you to come until I feel your cock pounding inside me."

"Argh."

"What?"

"Please, baby. Hurry."

Warrick smiled and kissed his lover, slipping his tongue inside and savoring the taste that was uniquely Jim. He sat up and pulled off Jim's pants. He stoked Jim's cock lightly, not wanting to push him over the edge just yet. Warrick leaned over Jim and pulled the lube out of the nightstand drawer. He carelessly tossed it to his lover and presented his ass for Jim's exclusive view. The sight sent Jim in to a heart pounding tailspin and he hastily coated his fingers. He inserted one finger and worked it in gingerly. The second finger slipped in a little faster and the third went in with a vengence. Warrick was pushing back and moaning. Jim could not wait one second longer. He pulled his fingers out and positioned himself. The sight of Warrick's ass sticking straight up in the air, waiting just for him, almost sent Jim into orgasim. It was sheer force of will that stopped him from coming.

Jim shoved in with one long stroke and buried himself up to his balls.

"Oh, fuck!" Warrick cried "God, that feels amazing."

"Oh, yeah! Jim panted. "So fucking good."

His paced quickened with every trust. Soon Jim was pounding into Warrick like a freight train. Jim stroked and twisted Warrick's cock until screams filled the air. A vice like grip clamped down on Jim's cock and with one final thrust he came with a groan, shooting his seed deep inside his lover‘s body. He lay across Warrick's back for a long second just gasping for breath.

When he could move again, he pulled a pliant Warrick over and down on top of him. Right now Jim Brass was the most contented man on earth.

Warrick smiled down at his lover. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. Jim had been the one to ask him to move in and Warrick had readily agreed. This was perfect. It was all he'd ever wanted. True love, true friendship and lasting happiness. When he lost Gil, he'd thought it was the end, but in truth, it was just the beginning. The beginning of a love affair that would last a lifetime.

*****

Twenty years later, on a warm spring day, Warrick and Jim celebrated their anniversary. Nick and Greg were there to celebrate it with them. They'd been together almost as long as Warrick and Jim. Life had been kind to them and they were all loking forward to another blissful twenty years together.

The End