The Things We Do For The People We Love

'This is my alternate ending of CSI season 8 finale: 'For Gedda'

Al's Diner, just 2 miles off the strip, was bustling with hungry, unsatisfied customers. The place was filled with laughter and small talk between friends, among those people were the remaining members of the Las Vegas Crime Labs Nightshift team. It had been a very eventful two days for these Law Enforcement Officers. Not only was one of Las Vegas' biggest, meanest and oldest Mob members, Lou Gedda murdered but one of their own was accused of it. Warrick Brown had unfinished business with Gedda, he had a stripper killed and blamed it on Warrick, and he just couldn't let go. Warrick had Gedda followed by a P.I everywhere he went hoping to get a confession and he did, well as good a one as he'd ever get anyway, that's when Gedda decided to settle it face to face and called him but what neither Gedda nor Warrick knew was that the dirty cop Gedda had working for him would kill Gedda himself framing Warrick in the process but Warrick's friends, his family weren't about to let that happen. They proved his innocence and identified the rouge cop. It was over and they were celebrating.

~CSI~

"Look at the state-it's black!" Catherine Willows blurted out through laughter, "What does it take to get them to serve decent turkey-bacon in this place?" she asked waving a piece around in the air.

"Eatable turkey-bake is not gonna make the food any better here." Nick Stokes replied, shaking his head.

"Well, fortunately we don't come here for the food." Gil Grissom added pointing his finger at his plate.

"No, no we don't." Catherine agreed sipping her coffee, Warrick and Greg shaking their heads in silent agreement.

"Well as far as I'm concerned there's no place I'd rather be." Warrick stated looking around the table smiling at each person in turn.

"Awww, that's so sweet." Catherine cooed looking across the table at him and smiling back.

"Yeah bro I bet!" Nick laughed as he patted his friend on the back.

"You'd rather be anywhere right now as long as it's not jail Rick." Greg Sanders laughed taking a bite of his over-cooked sausage and then grinning at his friend.

"Oh! You think that's funny?" Warrick stated trying to sound hurt but failing.

Greg just nodded his head in confirmation. Catherine, who was sitting next to him, smacked him on the back of the head playfully but clearly in warning at the same time. This caused massive amounts of laughter to erupt from their table once more at the look of shock on Greg's face.

"Oh come on Greggo." she teased, "You know I love ya really." then ruffled his hair.

Everyone laughed again as Greg leaned over and kissed Catherine on the cheek saying, "I love you too Cath." and kissed her cheek again. Causing more laughter from the table.

"Anything else?" their waitress asked as she placed their bill on the table.

"No we're done thanks." Nick replied flashing her, his Texan grin.

"Okay see ya next time." she answered with a smile glancing at Nick before turning and walking away. A chorus of thank yous and thanks sounded around the tabled before turning their attention back to each other, except from Nick that is who watched her walk away.

Warrick chuckled as he pulled the bill over to him before asking, "You still with us?"

"Huh?" Nick asked not taking his eyes off the waitress, "What? Oh yeah I'm still…" he trailed off as he started laughing, shaking his head slightly embarrassed.

"Uh-huh." Warrick nodded grinning, "I got this." he said referring to the bill.

"Thank you Warrick." Grissom said smiling, placing his wallet back in his pocket.

Greg and Nick smiled their thanks as Warrick nodded his head reaching for his own wallet out of his back pocket and throwing the money on the table.

"Thank you." Catherine said gratefully with a smile.

Warrick looked up and locked eyes with her before she broke the gaze and finished the last of her coffee. He watched her a few seconds longer, his smile wider than before as he caught her eye again and she smiled.

"Okay I'm going home." Grissom announced rising from his chair.

"Yeah me too." Greg agreed, "I got a plane to catch." he added patting Warrick on the shoulder.

"Get some sleep tonight." Grissom ordered Warrick as he placed a hand on his other shoulder.

"Yeah I will." Warrick assured them with a firm nod.

"Thanks for breakfast!" Greg called as he followed Grissom out the door.

"No problem man! See ya later!" Warrick answered as Catherine came around the table and placed one hand on his arm and the other around his shoulders.

"If you ever need someone to talk too, you know how to get a hold of me huh?" she asked pointedly looking into his eyes.

"Yeah." Warrick confirmed smiling as he took her hand, "Thanks."

"Okay." she nodded, leaning down and kissing his cheek.

He kissed her back lingering close to her before releasing her hand and watched her punch Nick's arm for some cheeky remark, before walking to the door.

"Later Cath!" Nick called winking at her.

"Behave Nicky!" she warned with a smile, "Talk to ya later Rick!"

Warrick nodded "Definitely!" he grinned after her retreating form before telling Nick he was heading home too and that he should stay and get the waitresses phone number.

Nick laughed and agreed straight away.

"Hey!" he called stopping Warrick before he walked away, "I'm really glad you're okay Warrick."

"Yeah me too Nick." Warrick answered before leaving the diner thinking to himself, 'I'm one lucky guy!'

~CSI~

Halfway round to his car Warrick's cell phone rang. "Brown." he answered, his usual greeting.

"Hey Warrick, it's me." came a very familiar voice through the other end.

"Hey Cath." he answered a smile appearing on his face hearing the woman on the other line.

"Hey, um, I need a favour." she started slowly, "My car won't start and I was wondering if you could give me a ride home?" Catherine asked sweetly, "If it's not to much trouble of course." she added quickly.

"No, no of course not Cath, I'd be happy to, my car's round the side of the diner." he assured her quickly.

"Okay, thanks." she said sincerely, "See ya in a few." she finished before she hung up.

Warrick smiled 'Why does she always do this to me?' he wondered as he continued to his car before the sound of another familiar voice stopped him before he put his keys in the door. "Sheriff?" Warrick said slightly shocked.

"Warrick hey." Sheriff McKeen greeted, "Just wanted to congratulate you in person." he started, "You sure made a believer outta me."

"Thanks." Warrick answered sincerely.

The Sheriff took a breath, "I don't wanna fire you Warrick, I just need to know that you're done running the streets on your own looking for bad guys?" he queried raising his eyebrows.

"Look, I'm telling ya.." Warrick began, "...my days of being a rouge cop are finished. But this one son of a bitch is still out there, Officer Pritchard, and I promise you we're gonna get him."

The Sheriff nodded and said, "Grissom taught you well."

"I like to think so." Warrick replied.

"You never give up." the Sheriff stated knowingly and Warrick shook his head, "That's what makes you a great CSI." he stated pointing his forefinger at Warrick. He took a step back and reached into his suit pocket.

Warrick watched, suspicious of what he was doing. Warrick was about to unlock his car when the Sheriff pulled out a gun and aimed it at him.

Warrick dropped his keys and froze.

~CSI~

Catherine flipped her cell shut and started towards the alley round the side of the diner smiling to herself. 'Why does he always do this to me?' she wondered.

As she approached the alley, Catherine could swear she heard voices one she recognized as Warrick's and the other very familiar but she couldn't put a name to the voice. When she rounded the corner she saw that it was Sheriff Jeffrey McKeen. He had something in his hand but she couldn't make out what it was.

"Warrick?" she called approaching cautiously, that's when she saw the gun. Her breath caught in her throat and she instinctively reached for her gun holster on her right hip which was empty.

"Catherine." Warrick breathed now fearing for her life instead of his own.

"Sheriff? What's going on?" Catherine questioned evenly looking from him to Warrick to the gun and back to him.

"Just tying up some loose ends Catherine." McKeen answered calmly, "That's all and I'm sorry you had to get dragged into this but that's life you know?" he shrugged his shoulders and turned the gun on her.

Catherine's hands shot up and her eyes widened her breathing becoming quick and uneven. His eyes were the eyes of a madman.

"Sheriff don't! What are you doing?" she demanded tensely, eyes trained on the gun now directed at her chest.

Warrick who had been moving closer towards her was now only centimeters away wishing he was in her position instead.

"Believe me when I say it was hard enough knowing I would have to kill Warrick, I was neither expecting nor prepared for having to kill you Catherine." McKeen informed her sadly still completely calm.

"What?" Catherine exclaimed exasperated, staring at the gun and the man holding it.

"It's a shame to do this to Lindsey, make her an orphan but it has to be done." he continued with an affirmative nod.

"Sheriff no! Warrick!" she called desperately looking at him, begging for help.

"Sorry Catherine but you're a witness now and I can't have any witnesses." McKeen answered with a shake of the head, "You're next." he directed at Warrick distractedly.

"NO!" Catherine screamed, her blood running cold.

"CATHERINE!" Warrick yelled as the Sheriff pulled the trigger.

BANG!…..BANG!

~CSI~

Nick had just left the diner after talking to the waitress, Ashley, with her phone number and a date on Saturday night when he heard what he thought were gunshots coming from his right.

'I must be hearing things' he thought to himself but when the two uniforms previously inside the diner came speeding out nodding to Nick and then to the right, he knew he had heard correctly.

Rushing out in front of the officers-despite knowing that CSI's were to stay behind uniforms until the scene was cleared-he lead the way, gun in hand knowing that was where Warrick had parked his car earlier.

Nick turned the corner too see Warrick and Catherine on the ground and the Sheriff standing above a 9ml pointed at them ready to fire again. Nick raised his weapon, aimed and fired. All his thoughts on his family and protecting them, especially Catherine.

His round hit Sheriff McKeen on the shoulder of his right side. The gun in his right hand going off only seconds after impact, changing the direction of the bullet with the force.

Catherine cried out, as the bullet meant for her head sliced through her arm, blood oozing quickly from the wounds. As soon as the Sheriff went down the officers ran over to hold him as Nick ran to his family.

"CATHERINE! WARRICK!" he yelled as he came closer.

Catherine's head snapped up, "NICK!" she yelled back, "CALL AN AMBULANCE, NOW!"

"Are you okay?" Nick questioned extremely worried, as he finally reached them, "Did you get hit?" knowing that that was the third shot.

"No! No! I'm fine." Catherine assured him, lying through gritted teeth to hide the pain shooting through her left arm and trying to ignore the blood leaking from the two holes, "It's Warrick!"

Nick looked down at his best friend who was lying on Catherine's lap, blood seeping from the two gun shot wounds in his chest, his eyes wide, his breathing labored gripping Catherine's hand like she was going to disappear if he let go.

"He's been shot Nick!" she stated frantic, "THAT BASTARD SHOT HIM!" she screamed glaring at the Sheriff now up against the wall, the officers intentionally twisting his injured shoulder causing him to cry out in pain, receiving no sympathy.

"Oh God Warrick!" Catherine cried looking down at him again.

"It's okay Cath." Nick reassured just off his phone, "The ambulance is on it's way and this is an officer involved shooting." he pointed out, "They'll be here in a flash, it's gonna be 're gonna be fine bro." he said to Warrick who did nothing but stare blankly, still gripping Catherine's hand and gasping for air.

"God damn it!" Catherine exclaimed, "Why do you have to be a fucking hero with me all the time, huh?" she demanded of Warrick, her eyes welling up with tears waiting to be shed, "Those bullets were meant for me you idiot!"

"What?" Nick questioned confused.

Catherine ignored him, "God you're so fucking stupid Warrick Brown!" she cried the tears silently and slowly falling down her cheeks, "So stupid…" she whispered shaking her head.

"An-and I'd…do-do it…ag-again…in a-a…heart…beat…Cat-Catherine." Warrick choked out through gasping breaths, staring her straight in the eye as he said it.

"I-" Catherine was about to reply when she was cut off as Warrick was consumed with heaving coughs.

'Oh God! Look what he's done Rick! I'm so sorry!' she thought as she watched the man she loves fight for his life.

"Wow there!" Nick exclaimed as Warrick fought to regain control of his lungs.

Warrick fought to stay awake and not pass out from the pain tearing through his whole body. His lungs were searing, his head spinning and it felt like his chest was caving in on pain was unbearable.

When the coughing subsided the pain still remained and his world was still spinning. The last thing he saw before everything went black was the terrified, tear stained face of the woman he loves staring back at him willing him to stay with her. Seeing that she was okay he let the darkness take him knowing it would take the pain too just for a while, thinking to himself, 'Catherine's okay. I saved her. She's okay…that's all that matters.' and then his world went black.

"Warrick?" Catherine questioned with a light frown when she noticed him staring at her with a slight smile before his eyes fluttered closed, "Warrick? Warrick can you hear me?" she called urgently "WARRICK!"

"Warrick bro? Come on stay awake." Nick begged, "Stay with us Rick. Come on!" he tried again.

"Please Warrick! Open your eyes please! Come on!" Catherine pleaded desperately, crying loudly now. "Come on Warrick! Please!" she begged as she pressed her hands down harder on his chest attempting to stop the bleeding but the red liquid continued to seep through her fingers covering her hands.

"Don't leave me! Not like this. I need you! Please stay. Come on! COME ON!" nothing.

Warrick wasn't answering. He wasn't moving. Nick and Catherine looked at each other thinking the exact same thing. 'He can't be dead!'

~CSI~

Nick was right. The ambulance showed up minutes after Warrick lost consciousness and Captain Jim Brass and Detective Sofia Curtis were right behind it, sirens blaring all the way.

As soon as the ambulance came to a stop the paramedics came rushing over and loaded Warrick onto a stretcher and into the ambulance where they hooked him up to a heart monitor, placed an oxygen mask over his mouth and started a saline drip into his left arm. They also hooked him up to another monitor to watch his pulse-ox, vitals and BP.

While they were doing this Brass and Sofia approached Catherine and Nick.

"What the hell happened here?" Brass demanded-seriously pissed off-looking around the alley and between his two friends and colleagues.

"We heard there was an Officer Involved Shooting and that we were to respond?" Sofia took over before Brass took his rage out on their friends.

No officer of the law is very nice to be around when one of their own is injured, "What happened and why is Sheriff McKeen in cuffs?" she asked noticing him for the first time and looking very puzzled.

Catherine and Nick looked at each other, silently deciding who should break the news that a man they all trusted just shot their friend twice.

"Um…" Nick hesitated stepping forward, "Sheriff McKeen is our perp."

"What?" Sofia asked completely shocked.

"Who's the victim?" Brass asked looking towards the massive blood pool on the ground meters from them and then to the ambulance, where the medics were trying desperately to stabilize their patient before transfer, unable to see who it was.

Sofia was doing the same.

"It's Warrick." Catherine revealed shakily staring down at her blood soaked hands.

"What?" Sofia asked again this time in disbelief as she caught site of Catherine's hands.

"Our victim is Warrick." Catherine replied her voice stronger this time as she looked up.

"Oh my god." Sofia breathed shaking her head, "Um…is he gonna be okay?" she asked her eyes fixed on the figure in the ambulance unblinkingly.

"We…we don't know." Catherine admitted, "It's…it's too early to tell but it doesn't look good." she continued looking over at Warrick and sighing, "He doesn't look good." she whispered.

Brass who had been silent the whole time was glaring daggers at the Sheriff, his hands balled into fists.

"Brass you okay there?" Nick asked slightly worried at his silence.

"Jim?" Catherine asked putting a hand on his shoulder after wiping them on her pants, "Don't do anything stupid." she warned, knowing all to well what he was thinking as she was thinking the same.

Right after she said this Brass looked at her decidingly before storming towards the cuffed Sheriff.

"You Bastard!" he growled"You fucking Bastard!" Brass grabbed McKeen's suit collar and shoving him against the wall.

Nick, Catherine and Sofia immediately sprang into action and ran after him. Nick and one of the officers tried to get Brass off the Sheriff while Sofia and Catherine tried to talk him down but it was no use. Jim Brass was fuming.

"It was you wasn't it?" Jim demanded getting right in the Sheriffs face, "You did all of this!" he continued his voice dangerously low, "You're the one Officer Pritchard answers too! You're the one pulling all the strings!" he declared tightening his grip on the Sheriff's collar, "You ordered Pritchard to kill Lou Gedda and frame Warrick for it because he was getting too close to the truth, you had to destroy his credibility. That way no-one would believe a word that came out of Warrick's mouth." Brass paused to take a breath before continuing on, "But when that didn't work, when his friends cleared him and ruined your little plan you moved on to plan B didn't you!" Brass spat, nothing but hatred in his voice, "To shut Warrick up once and for all! You make me sick!" he seethed before loosening his grip and backing away shaking off Nick and the officers hold on him.

"Put him in the car!" Sofia ordered the officers forcefully glaring in disgust at a man she once trusted.

"I only did what I had to do Jim!" Sheriff McKeen defended, "You understand right?"

"Understand?" Brass repeated, "Understand? Are you kidding me!" he yelled lunging forward.

"No!" Catherine exclaimed standing between the Captain and the Under-Sheriff, "He's not worth it Jim!" she said glaring at the Sheriff, "Warrick wouldn't want you too."

Brass glared at the Sheriff before turning on his heels and walking away.

The Sheriff chuckled as he called after him, "There you go again Jim! All you do is follow orders! Pathetic."

This time it was Catherine who reacted, spinning around sharply before striding over and slapping the Sheriff hard across the face.

"You are pathetic!" she spat hatefully pointing a finger at him, "You are a disgrace and an embarrassment to the shield and Law Enforcement itself and I am so glad that you are gonna rot in Jail for the rest of your miserable life!" she finished as Nick grabbed her good arm and her waist pulling her over to the ambulance and Warrick.

"If you last that long that is." Catherine smirked evilly, "You're not the only one with connections Jeff!" she threatened, "My father was Sam Braun after all." she concluded harshly, "And yes before you ask; that is a threat!"

"Who is riding with us?" the female paramedic asked the two men and two women standing before her all just as scared as the other, "I only have room for one!"

Everyone traded glances before Nick said to Catherine, "You go. I'll follow in my car."

"Yeah and we'll take the Sheriff in for booking," Sofia added a smirk on her face.

"That's about all we'll be able to do." Brass started, "Ecklie is gonna make sure no-one close to Warrick is on this case." he finished glancing at Warrick again.

They all nodded in agreement before Sofia turned to Nick and placed a hand on each arm gently, "He's gonna be okay." she assured, "We just have to stay positive."

"Yeah, yeah." Nick answered taking her hand "Thanks So.!" he smiled at her.

'It should be you I've got a date with Saturday night. Not Ashley.' he thought to himself bitterly.

"No problem." she smiled back. 'I really wish you'd ask me out to dinner Nicky.'

She smiled again then turned to Catherine and pulled her into a tight, comforting hug which Catherine happily returned, "He's going to be fine. Don't worry okay?"

Catherine nodded still in the embrace, "Yeah. Of course he is." she lied unconvinced.

Sofia pulled out of their hug and squeezed Catherine's hand, "You stay strong."

After saying goodbye to Brass and kissing him on the cheek Catherine climbed into the ambulance closing the door behind her as Nick jumped in his car and sped off after them. Brass and Sofia got in the car with the Under-Sheriff and took off towards the police station.

~CSI~

The ambulance was almost at its desired destination before it's passenger in the back took a turn for the worst. Machines were bleeping all over the place and the medics were shouting all this medical mumbo-jumbo that Catherine couldn't comprehend in her present state. What she did know was that Warrick was running out of time and if he didn't receive the help he so desperately needed soon, he wasn't going to survive.

She sat there helplessly, holding his hand, unable to do anything but whisper words of comfort in his ear, "You're gonna be okay Rick. Just hold on." as two strangers tried everything they could to save the love of her it was not enough as Catherine heard the terrifying sound of a flat line echoing around the ambulance.

CPR was started immediately after intubation but it wasn't working. Soon enough the De-fibulator paddles were brought out. The medic used them multiple times while Catherine watched in horror as Warrick's unconscious body was jerked up and down. Bolts of electricity shooting through it. All this was in vain however as the heart monitor continued to show no signs of life in Warrick Brown.

~CSI~

'Is Warrick Brown really dead or will the doctors save him?'

'If they do what will be left?'

Please review :) they make me smile.