A/N: I'm going to try to focus on this story until I get to a reasonable end. I'd love to know what questions you all have that you'd like answered, so I know where to go from here. I don't want any more un-finished projects on my profile. And, this was a fun way to try to get back into the game.

This one was harder to write than you'd think, I just hope I captured Greg's reaction the way I should have. Enjoy. And, please review.

May 15, 2008. 7:14 PM; PST.

Greg snapped his phone closed slowly and rubbed both hands over his forehead several times. For a moment time slowed and then it picked up again at a rapid pace. He rubbed his hands over his head again and stood, in a complete daze. If he'd been nine shots into an evening with Adam ten years ago, he'd probably be thinking more clearly than he was. He pawed around him for his belongings, not sure what he was looking for nor if he cared what he found.

"Sir," a woman's voice and gentle touch interrupted his numbness. "You need to take your seat, the flight will be leaving soon."

"Warrick's dead." It was the only sentence he could form. When he was met by a confused look, and the concerned glances of the passengers near him he repeated himself. "Warrick, he's dead."

"Sir, is everything okay?" The attendant asked.

"No," Greg said, slipping a little bit more out of his daze, and a little more into shock. "I have to get off the plane."

"Sir, I'm afraid you can't do that," the attendant told him gently. Then with more firmness added, "You need to take your seat."

"No," Greg said, forcefully. He dug through his pockets until he found his badge and showed it to the girl. "I just got the call that my partner-my friend-was murdered. I'm going to get off this plane and I'm going to go help my team figure out who did this to him. Now, please get out of my way and let me off."

There were no more arguments and Greg, not for the first time in his life, was glad to be a member of law enforcement. Fifteen minutes passed and he'd reclaimed his car from long-term parking and was en-route back to the lab. Two hours ago Warrick had wished him luck with meeting with the publisher, now-he couldn't believe it. Unable to think and with nothing else to do, he grabbed for his phone and dialed Tess' number.

"I thought you'd be in the air already," she answered. "Tell me you didn't chicken out."

In a cold and slow tone he said, "something happened."

"Oh," he heard her voice fall. "Greg, what is it?"

"It's Warrick," he said. He sucked a few deep breaths before finishing. "He's dead."

"No!" Tess cried loudly. "That's impossible. You just saw him. What happened. How? Why?"

"Nobody knows yet." He ran his hand through his hair again, and feeling overcome for a moment almost pulled his car over but a sense of wanting to find the person responsible won out. "We'll find out though."

"Oh, I know you will." She paused for a moment. "What can I do?"

"Nothing," Greg said, knowing it wouldn't be a good enough answer. "I mean, honestly I'm still in shock. I only found out about a half hour ago."

"Damn," Tess commented slowly. Greg heard young Jamie's voice in the background asking what happened, and heard Tess tell her she'd lost an uncle. After another moment of listening to noise at Tess' end, she returned. "Jamie wants to say hi."

"Put her on," Greg said, smiling only quickly. The kid always made him feel better, and he needed her almost more than Tess at the moment.

"I'm so sorry Uncle Greg," he heard her tiny young-but-so-grown-up voice.

"Thanks kid," he said. "I love you."

"Try not to be too sad okay?"

"I'll try," he smiled, trying to keep his promise. "Can I talk to your mom again?"

"Yeah, love you uncle Greg." He heard the phone pass between hands.

"I just thought of something," Tess said much in her abrupt style. "How's Catherine taking it?"

Catherine. He felt a sensation in his chest like hitting a brick wall at full force. Catherine. He hadn't thought about her yet but she must be going through, well he couldn't actually imagine what she was going though.

Again, he felt like he should pull over and re-group... but also again, he felt an overpowering need to catch the bastard responsible for causing so much hurt and for taking Warrick's life. Instead of pulling to the side of the road he simply pressed the accelerator to the floor. Regardless of his own safety, he knew no cop would hold him if he was pulled over.

"I..." he stammered. "Don't... know. I haven't talked to her. Grissom's with her, I'm sure she's as okay as possible."

"She's really going to need a friend," she pointed out. Greg wanted to tell her that so was he, but he knew she was right. "You know I've always said that there was something there... between the two of them."

"I'm not blind," he said, shortly. Warrick might have been special to Catherine, but he'd lost a friend too. "We're all going to have a tough time with this. We lost a part of our family today. I lost a brother."

Thanks for reading this time!

-LLK