Settled

It was an eerie feeling walking into Warrick’s apartment for the three of them, Emily had to admit that she was always curious as to what Warrick’s apartment looked like.

Sara and Greg looked around aimlessly with Emily as they noticed Warrick wasn’t finished moving into his new apartment.

“I’m gonna go find some clothes,” Emily finally said, walking straight into Warrick’s bedroom that was the cleanest of the entire apartment.

Emily chocked up as she looked inside, the bed was made and everything was in it’s place as Emily turned to the dresser.

There were pictures of everyone on his dresser, but only one caught Emily Sanders eye.

Warrick had framed an entire photo booth strip from Emily’s earlier years. Warrick, Emily, and Nick Stokes were making funny faces at the mall strip camera which made Emily smile just a little.

Emily took the frame and sat across the dresser on Warrick’s bed as Greg and Sara walked into the bedroom.

Sara sat down next to Emily as she looked at the picture, Sara softly stroked her hair before kissing her forehead.

“Y’know, before I always used to take out the trash and make the bed before I left, just incase I never came home…” Sara said.

Emily wiped a tear away and placed the frame back on the dresser as Greg opened a drawer

“And now?” Greg asked.

Sara opened the closet “I don’t do that anymore,” she said.

Greg found a manila file beneath Warrick’s socks as he pulled it out, he opened it up and tried to read the text before Emily softly took it out of his hands to read it.

“Oh my god,” Emily whispered. Both Greg and Sara turned to Emily as she looked up at the both of them “Warrick had a son.” She said.
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Emily and Grissom stood next to each other with Sara watching the tape of Warrick’s psycho evaluation, the feelings were strong as they watched closely.

Grissom’s eyes were tearing up as he finished with the evaluation, but it was becoming too much for Emily as she swiftly left the room.

She walked down the walkways of the Las Vegas Crime Lab, everyone looked as solemn as Emily did as she walked into the familiar DNA Lab that Wendy was then occupying.

Wendy sighed as she softly turned to Emily as she sat in the stool across from the Lab Rat.

“I don’t know--” Wendy said before trailing off.

Emily shook her head “Nobody does…” she said, letting another tear fall down her pale cheek.

Wendy smiled softly at her friend “It’s good to see you,” she chocked out, trying to resist the urge to cry that Emily had given up already.

“It’s good to see you, too.” Emily whispered, reaching out to hug Wendy.

The Lab Techs hugged it out for what seemed like forever before, out of nowhere, Hodges joined in on the hug.

Emily just let a small giggle out as she let Hodges hug her, it just seemed right at the moment to keep things pleasant between everybody.
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Emily was ignoring the chase of Warrick’s killer, Under Sheriff Jeffery McKeen, while Archie, Catherine, and Grissom kept track of McKeen’s cell phone signal.

Grissom’s office was empty and dark as Emily sat in his chair, remembering better days with Warrick Brown, Emily didn’t know what she was going to do without him.

“Emily?” Greg asked, walking into his office.

She looked up to see her separated better half in front of her, his hands in his hoodie pockets as he looked at her concerned “You alright?” he asked.

Emily shook her head “What am I gonna do?” she asked, letting an uncontrollable sob escape her “He was my best friend! He saved my life!” she said, unable to control herself at that point.

Greg sat across from her “I don’t know,” he muttered.

“That’s all anybody can say now-a-days…I hope Nicky rips him apart!” she said, leaning back in Grissom’s chair.

A tear ran down her cheek and fell on Emily’s chest, Greg could only watch from the dim light as the silhouette of the tear fell off her cheek.

Greg knew that if Warrick was still alive…if Warrick was still alive…if Warrick was still alive, none of this would be happening…Emily wouldn’t be back.

“Gee, thanks, man!” Greg told himself sarcastically as he looked at his wife, knowing he couldn’t touch her or reassure her of anything.

Emily sighed as she looked at Greg, he returned the concerned look before Emily took another deep breathe and teared up again.

“I’m sorry, Greg…but I don’t think it’s gonna work out.” She whispered.

At that moment exactly, Greg felt his heart break entirely in half.
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They both put their faces on for the crowd at the funereal, Lenni was in Emily’s arms tightly as they sat in the front row with the rest of the Nightshift CSI’s.

Emily sat in between her furthermore separated husband and her other best friend, Nick Stokes, as they waited for the funereal to begin.

Both Greg and Emily had avoided Grissom, not wanting to be confronted with unnecessary emotions of conflict. He still had no idea.

Greg turned to Emily, she looked at him while hiding her distain with sorrow as she looked into his brown eyes.

“Have you filed yet?” Greg whispered.

Emily shook her head “No. Have you?” she whispered back.

Greg shook his head “No.” he muttered, looking away from his wife.

“Why can’t we just talk about this?” he whispered, leaning closer to Emily.

Emily shook her head “Because, you’ll do it again…” she muttered.

Greg shook his head “I would never…”

“They always say that.” Emily said, turning away from Greg and looking at the coffin that was in front of her, this was going to be a long day.

Grissom walked up to the podium and looked at all the people staring at him, he put on his reading glasses and took in a deep breathe.

“I was with Warrick on his last day. All the qualities that defined him, his tenaciousness, his deep sense of loyalty, his courage to risk his life for what he knew was right, all those traits were with him on that last day…” Grissom said.

The CSI’s took in a deep breathe, holding each others hands as Grissom went on with his eulogy.