I Do Not Own CSI

"YOU'RE DATING ELLIE," Greg said louder then he intended. That got everyone's attention and made Ellie drop her drink. Warrick Brown received a look that could kill from an overly protective Jim Brass.

"Excuse me," Jim said as the crowd went quiet.

"Daddy, I can explain," Ellie said, looking at Warrick for help.

"Yeah Jim, we can explain."

"Well, you better start talking," Jim said, the crowd all still silent, shocked to find out that Warrick was dating Ellie and all waiting to see what happened next.

"Daddy, can we come out now," Jack and Wyatt yelled, breaking the silence.

"I'll go get them for you, Gil" Ellie said going inside, Warrick following her and Jim following them both, wanting answers.

"Greg, man, you weren't supposed to say that aloud," Nick said.

"Yeah, I realized that after the dead silence. I blame the sleep deprivation. Plus that was a little bit of a shock, don't ya think, Warrick and Ellie?"

"How come none of us knew about this," Catherine asked.

"Well, I just found out today but I know Griss knows, which means Sara knew as well," Nick said with a raised eyebrow.

"So did I," Laura added.

"How come you three knew and none of us did," Greg asked.

"They didn't want you to know, Greg. Plus the only reason Gil and I knew was because we caught them on a date the same night we went out. Plus, Ellie and I talk a lot and Mom is around a lot when our conversations happen," Sara said, picking up a fussing Charlie and watching as her two boys came out the door, forgetting to shut it on the way out and letting everything that was being said inside heard outside

"You two want to explain to me what this is," Jim said looking at Ellie as she gravitated towards Warrick.

"It's…." Ellie said, unsure how to qualify their relationship.

"Its getting to know someone, friendship, dating, we're just having fun being together, Jim."

"Don't you think it's a little early to be dating, Ellie? I mean you just got clean, getting your life back on track. No offense, Warrick, but you have your own addictions and problems and putting your addictions together doesn't sound like the best idea."

"Dad! I am a grown woman who can make her own decisions, I do not need my dad telling me who I can and can not date," Ellie said, her voice rising.

"And you've only started making good choices in the last seven months, Ellie."

"Hey, hey, hey guys, let's keep our voices down. This doesn't need to get out of hand here."

"Warrick, you better stay quiet at the moment. I have a few words to say to you about dating my daughter behind my back."

"Dad, it was not behind your back! We just weren't ready to say anything yet. This is still new for us."

"How new? I know you have been going out a couple times a week for the past while. Come to think of it, it started just after new years, is that how long this has been kept secret?"

"Sort of, Warrick was helping me though some stuff."

"I bet he was," Jim said rolling his eyes.

"Jim, do you really think that little of me? You think that I would use your daughter for sex? I wouldn't do that to any woman, let alone Ellie. Your daughter.If you had noticed, was having a rough time and besides Laura and Sara, I was there giving her extra support when she needed it."

"I know addictions as well, you could have come to me."

"As much as I wanted to, Dad, I couldn't. I needed to talk to someone who wasn't quite as close."

"Then why Sara and Laura?"

"Because I barely knew them and they went through the same things I did," Ellie said, covering her mouth, knowing she said to much and running off up the stairs, Warrick right behind her.

"Ellie, stop, let's talk this through," Warrick said, knocking on the door.

"Jim," Laura said, walking in the door with Sara right behind her, shutting the door this time. Seeing Torin, with the baby, poke her head out from the study, Sara motioned for them to go outside, to be out of the line of fire.

"What did Ellie mean when she said you three all shared similar experiences?"

"That's not our place to say, Jim," Sara said with hard looking eyes, making Jim squirm a bit.

"Still haven't lost your CSI eyes, Sara."

"Good, cuz I have a few words I want to say to you."

"First of all, you should be happy that Ellie is happy and healthy and finally in an adult relationship. Second of all, you have no say in who she dates, and you should be happy that she chose Warrick, he's a good man. Yes he may have some problems but who doesn't, Jim. Look at me I had a whole trunk full of problems, and Gil helped me through them, just like Warrick is doing with Ellie. And can you honestly say that you to this day don't have many serious problems of your own?

Why do you think she has been so happy lately? She's had someone other then family finally take notice and care about her!

Thirdly, she loves him," Sara said a little louder then intended. Hearing Warrick's pounding on the door stop Sara knew he heard her.

"They've only been seeing each other a little while," Jim said, raising his head to finally look Sara in the eye and see her own disappointment in him.

"So, I knew I wanted to marry Gil not long after we started dating. It was love at first sight," Sara said.

"Ellie, open up, please," Warrick said softly, seeing the door open a crack.

"Hey, can I come in?"

"Sure"

"Are you ok? Sorry, bad question."

"No, it's ok. That was not the way I imagined telling Dad about us and that wasn't the reaction I was hoping to get."

"That makes two of us."

"Look, about what Sara said."

"About you loving me," Warrick said with a slight smile.

"Yeah, I won't lie to you, I do love you, that's just the way I feel. But I don't expect you to say it back or any…" Ellie was cut off as Warrick's lips touched hers.

"I love you, too" he whispered, smiling.

"So, should we go talk to your dad again? See if we can get this sorted out?"

"Warrick"

"Yeah"

"Thank you"

"How come you two, plus I'm guessing Gil, knew and I didn't," Jim asked of Laura and Sara.

"Because we weren't ready to say anything yet, Dad," Ellie announced from the hall, Warrick's hand in hers.

"Jim, this wasn't the way we wanted to tell you, honestly, we had a bit of a plan and we were going to say something," Warrick said as Jim held up his hand.

"Are you two serious about this? Because if this goes south I don't want you caught in the crossfire, Ellie."

"Yes, Dad, we're serious about this. But you also have to realize I'm not a teenager anymore. You can't tell me who I can and can not date. Out of all the guys I have dated Warrick has been the one person I can talk to, really talk to and not worry about being judged."

"What did you mean before about going through a similar experience as Laura and Sara," Jim asked as Warrick's hand tightened and Sara and Laura came up behind Ellie.

"It's time Ellie, he needs to know," Sara whispered.

"She's right, honey. We're right behind you but Jim needs to know," Laura added.

"That night I was beaten," Ellie started.

"Yeah," Jim said, bracing himself for the worst.

"It was more than that."

"How much more?"

"I was raped," Ellie whispered out, turning her head into Warrick's chest.

"What!"

"Jim, keep your voice down and anger to yourself, that won't help the situation," Warrick admonished, getting small smiles from Laura and Sara who slowly made their way back outside.

"You could have told me."

"I didn't want you to be ashamed of me."

"How's it going in there," Gil asked.

"I think it's turning around. Hey, where did everyone go?"

"They all trickled out in the last few minutes. Al suggested that we give them some privacy, and people left."

"Except for you guys I see, let me guess you want the juicy details."

"Hey, it's our baby shower. We can consider it a gift to get insider information," Greg said smiling.

"So, those two, huh? How long," Catherine asked.

"A few months officially, unofficially, as in just going out and being friends, since just before Christmas," Sara stated.

"Well, I for one am happy for Rick and Ellie. They deserve some happiness. I know Rick was pretty heartbroken after he and his last girlfriend broke up," Nick added.

"Ellie's been through her fair share, too. They both deserve some happiness," Gil added, getting nods from everyone else.

Seeing the back door open everyone looked to see Jim come out with Warrick and Ellie behind him, Ellie holding onto Warrick's arm.

"Everything ok now," Laura asked in a tone that said 'you better have apologized to your daughter and Warrick'.

"We're ok," Jim affirmed as everyone all sat back down.

"Ahh man, did we kill the party?"

"You did but it's no problem. Now we don't have to say thank you a million times for baby gifts, we can just eat cake and open gifts," Greg said smiling, grabbing the first box to open.

Ok here's the continuatuion of the last chapter, hope you enjoyed!

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Katie