I love writing, so even though I try to have space between the chapters I just can't seem to do it! All reviews (i.e. any reviews at all that people could possibly spare the time to write!) would be greatly appreciated. You get to see Warrick's past through my eyes in this chapter (still deals with racism issues).

"We've all got skeletons in the closet Nick, I've got mine the same as everyone else."

"You gonna share them with me?"

"How long have you got man?"



"I've got all the time in the world man."

"I knew you'd say that."

"Well."

"I grew up in a rough neighbourhood, I was always in scuffles and my mom always warned me not to get too involved. I started hanging with a bad crowd. Anyway to cut a long story short."

"No way I want the whole story." Nick interrupted.

"Fine. This crowd one night got dosed up on pills; you know 'e' and all that. They went round smashing up cars and beat up a guy pretty bad. I didn't go with them that night but the police came knocking on my door all the same. I had to ship them in, there was no way they could prove that I wasn't there and if I didn't clear my name I'd go down with the rest of them. In the end they all got off, there was no proof or evidence to say that they did it and they knew who had grassed them up. They came looking for me one night. Lets just say I ended up like the guy that they beat up before."

"But that wasn't a racist attack Warrick."

"That one wasn't but that's when it all started. See, my mom and I, we had to move and we ended up in a white-neighbourhood. I got more black eyes in the first week than I'd got in the whole of my life. Just because I was different to them they made it their business to beat the crap out of me all the time. One night I was coming back from a date, I'd dropped off the girl and I was nearly home. I remember them calling my name; they surrounded me and started taking the mickey. Being young and therefore inevitably stupid, I tried fighting my way out of it. They just started calling me a troublemaker and then they just all laid into me. If you can believe it I was worse then than I am now. One of the gang got a pen ."

"A pen?"

"Man, do you ever let anyone finish a story?"

"Sorry,"

"Anyway, like I was saying, one of them got a pen and wrote 'nigger' on my forehead. Sick eh?"

"Man what did you do?" The shock was plain to hear in Nick's voice. His expression said it all.

"Nothing, I was in hospital for a long, long time. I was in a coma for 5 days."

"But didn't you tell the police?"

"I didn't. But my mom did. She knew who it had been. She shipped them in. But that meant moving again. We moved to New York, and I started college there and then once I'd qualified I came to Vegas."

"Geez man, I never knew."

"Well you weren't expected to. Its just history repeating itself now though isn't it?"

"I am gonna hunt these bastards down Warrick. I promise I will not let them beat you ever again. But there's one thing you have to do for me."

"Give you details yeah?"

"Yeah, you got it man."

With that the doctor entered the room once more. "I thought I said time was up. Mr brown here needs his rest."

Nick smiled at the doctor and turned once more to his bedridden friend. "I'll be back tomorrow, you can tell me then ok?"

"That's cool with me. Just don't tell anyone just yet ok? I don't want them to all feel sorry for me."

"Ok but they're gonna find out some time or another."

"I know, but just not yet. There's no need to get everyone's backs up."

"Ok, it's not my place to say anyway, it's yours so I'm leaving it up to you when you think the time is right."

"How did I know you were gonna say that?"

"Cos I'm always right!" Nick winked at Warrick and exited the room. Warrick sighed. He hadn't told anyone about his past before and although it felt good to get the weight off his shoulders, he felt exposed. Nick was a good mate, even his best mate, but somehow he just felt uneasy sharing such personal details about his past. Everyone had skeletons in the closet but that's what they are meant to stay as, aren't they? Warrick didn't have long to think about it though; soon he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Nick wandered back to his SUV and drove quickly to the CSI HQ. Too many thoughts were going through his head for him to concentrate fully on driving. Too many thoughts to be feeling easy. How could he keep this from the others? They had a right to know so that they could search for . search for what? The sick bastards who did this? The racists. Racism always made Nick mad. People of any colour, gender etc are just that people. Just because they're different doesn't make them anything other than equals. He thumped the steering wheel in his obvious frustration. If anyone was going to figure out that it was a racist attack, it was going to be Grissom. Sara and Catherine would try to believe it was just some men out drunk, starting trouble and getting into loads of it. Nick now knew it wasn't and he didn't know where the hell to start about stopping it.

Once arriving at the labs, Nick quickly made his way to the locker rooms. He wasn't ready to confront anyone just yet. They'd all want to know what Warrick had said after they'd left and he wasn't going to be the one to tell them. That was indeed Warrick's job. However, there were certain leads he could go on, he just had to disassociate himself with the case, even if it was Warrick.

Whilst Nick got changed, the break room was a centre of chaos. There was shock, anger and determination all making an appearance. Grissom was, as per usual, the voice of reason to all of the remaining people in the office. Sara was angry as hell; Greg was quiet in the corner with Catherine who was gloomily devouring a cup of cold, stale, coffee. Brass was pacing the room in opposite directions to Sara and his face was a picture of pure determination.

"I am going to get the SOB who did this."

"I'm gonna kill them. How dare they do that to Warrick?" Sara's veins protruded out of her neck.

"To them, our Warrick was just another person. Another victim. He wasn't any specific person." Grissom said calmly. They'd been like this for most of the morning and now as afternoon was coming around they were all still feeling the same emotions that they had been for the past few hours. Grissom was upset as well. He just didn't show it. Someone had to be strong for the rest of them. He just had to wait until Nick got here so that he could confront him about something, just not in front of the rest of the team.

As if by magic, Nick appeared and padded his way in to the break room. "Hey Nick,"

"Hi Grissom,"

"We need to talk, lets go to my office."

Nick gulped, he knew. Grissom knew exactly what had happened to Warrick. And now Nick was going to have to face the music. Why couldn't life just be easy? Grissom opened the door to his office and ushered Nick inside. "Sit down Nick."

"Thanks." He sat down and tried not to give away anything.

"I know why Warrick was attacked. But it's alright I don't want you to tell me because after you hung back at the hospital I presume he told you not to tell me why. Am I right?"

Nick nodded the affirmative.

"Ok then, well we better start getting some work done, the others are just sorting their emotions out at the moment. We should leave them to finish that and then they'll come back to work, agreed?"

"Agreed."

"And I also presume you're going to go see Warrick again tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"I'm coming with you, I want all the details. No one hurts a member of our family and gets away with it."

Nick nodded. He knew Grissom was coming to the hospital tomorrow whether he liked it or not. It was just Warrick now to deal with.



Please please please review! I love reading all feedback (hint hint!) Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next time ladies and gentlemen =) XX