A/N: Here goes the last chapter. Thanks to all who reviewed:-)

Deceptive Intentions

by Nicol Leoraine

Chapter 15

Nick hissed in pain as the paramedic applied the bandage to his arm. He was still confused by what happened inside the building, but the presence of the girl was a relief in itself. As long as nobody was seriously hurt, Nick thought they were pretty lucky today. Brenda had an ugly laceration on her neck and several bruises on her body, but that was all. Although scared, the girl was much calmer. She let the paramedics take care of her injuries, but when they wanted to take her in, she refused, fearing she wouldneed to ride in the same car as Dummont. One of the EMT´s assured her she could ride with Nick and she relaxed, making herself comfortable on the passanger seat next to the driver.

„Will he live?" Nick almost jumped off the stretcher when he heard the question. He didn´t saw Grissom approaching and the man´s voice was anything but cheerful. Nick gulped, trying to prepare himself for the lecture.

„Yeah. He was lucky he didn´t break his neck in the fall. We are taking him in for some x-rays just to be sure there are no hidden injuries."

„And the girl?"

„She will probably need a plastic surgeon to look at that cut, but it´s nothing life threatening." The medic finished bandaging Nick´s arm.

„Okay, if you don´t need us hereanymore, we´re ready to get these two to the hospital."

„Just a second - I need to talk with Mr. Stokes." Nick winced at the cold tone and the medic looked at Grissom questioningly.

„It really won´t take long. Please, can you leave us alone?"

The EMT knew Grissom, as he happened to be called to several scenes, but more than that he knew the man´s reputation. With a sigh, he nodded and climbed out of the ambulance.

„Call me when you finish."

Nick looked at the retreating EMT with resentment, but that quickly vanished as he looked at Grissom. The man climbed into the ambulance and seated himself on the vacated place of the EMT. What made Nick shiver though was the eeriesilence. Grissom´s jaw was clenched and his look distant, but Nick could still tell he was enormously pissed.

A minute passed and neither of the men said anything. Nick was getting nervous and the headache and the throbbing in his arm didn´t help any. He squirmed and rubbed at the bandage, wincing.

„I could´ve killed you today." A simple statement, uttered in an unemotional voice.

Nick blinked, confused, and Grissom pointed at his arm.

„That was my bullet."

Nick gulped. He replayed the scene on the stairs and grimaced as he remembered the exact moment when Dummont´s body jerked and pulled him down. He pictured the horrified look on Grissom´s face, felt his own surprise at seeing him there, at the bottom of stairs.

„Damn," he mumbled, not aware of what the word meant to Grissom. As if struck by lightning, Grissom stood and was about to climb off the ambulance, when Nick grabbed his arm, stopping him.

„No, I didn´t meant it like that," Nick quickly spoke, startled by the reaction. „I just... I am sorry. I didn´t know you were there." He thought it would calm Grissom, but he got the opposite reaction.

„Yes, you should be sorry!" Grissom said, his voice cold and angry. „I told you to stay outside and wait for us. But you didn´t listen. I aimed that gun at Dummont because I thought you werefar away from him! You weren´t supposed to be there at all."

Nick wanted to say something, anything to wash away the guilt he knew Grissom was feeling, but he wasn´t prepared for the next words.

„Dammit Nick, if you have a death wish, don´t make me be the one to pull the trigger!"

Nick blinked, unable to hide the shock and hurt from his face, but it was anger that allowed him to reply.

„That was low even for you," he said, not louder than a whisper, but it showed Grissom he wenttoo far.

„I didn´t disobey you just because of some fancy idea I got. I knew Brenda didn´t had time and I was right. Maybe it wasn´t the brightest thing to do, but I did it, and I won´t apologise for that." Nick´s eyes were spitting fire as he continued.

„I don´t have a death wish, Grissom. Whatever made you think that, you thought wrong. While it was your bullet that hit me, it was my choice to jump at Dummont, and I reckon if you wouldn´t have been there, it would´ve been the only one. Now if you´re finished, my head is killing me and I would really like to get this over so I can return home." Closing his eyes, Nick leaned back on the stretcher, his good arm raising to his head, trying to rub away the soreness behind the eyes. He waited to hear Grissom climb out, but the man didn´t move.

The soft voice surprised him.

„I´m sorry. I shouldn´t have said that. It´s just... you scared me today, Nick." Grissom, never one who easily showed his emotions, shrugged uncomfortably, but determined to impress upon Nick how terrified he had been throughout the whole situation and how it had affected him when he realized he had shot Nick.

„Don´t do it ever again, Nicky. I don´t want to make the call to your parents if something goeswrong."

Nick looked over at Grissom and at the expression on his face and all the anger Nick felt drained away, replaced by a weary acceptance.

„You won´t have to, Grissom," He said quietly and Grissom´s mouth twitched.

„Good. Because if you show me a repeat of this, I will kick you out of Vegas sooner than you can say ouch."

Nick snorted, looking dubious.

„I mean it, Nick," Grissom spoke, serious again. „If you want to play hero, go to the cops. We are scientists. We study evidence, and show it in the courts. That´s all. If you are looking for some excitement..."

„Nah, I think I had enough of that to last for months, thanks."

Grissom nodded and climbed out of the ambulance, letting the impatient EMT slide on his place and close the door. A minute later the ambulance was gone and Grissom was left with the unpleasant task to update the others of the recent events. With a sigh he took out his cell and turned away from a smirking Jim Brass.

Brenda Lacke was sitting in the interrogation room, her neck bandaged and the bruise on her cheek slowly fading. It was two days from the event in the hotel and she was constantly „questioned" about the matter. She had just enough of it when Brass called her in this morning, but after he assured her they wouldn´tbother her anymore until court, she relented to the meeting.

She was nervously rubbing at the bandage around her neck. Despite the words of the doctor who assured her earlier that day that the scar wouldn´t be bad and with a little surgical help it shouldn´t be seen at all, she had her doubts. But whatever her appearance might suffer, she was thankful for the fact that she could see another day.

Sitting opposite her was Nick, his face equally bruised from the fall down the stairs, but he was already back at work, although not cleared for the field work. It didn´t bother him too much, his body needed some time to heal and he didn´t feel fit for all the bending , kneeling and such on the crime scene. And even if Grissom didn´t say it out loud, he was sure the older man planned a punishment for his reckless behavior, he just didn´t know what it was and that made him quite nervous.

„I still don´t know why I'm here. I think I answered most of your questions."

„Well howabout you start from the beginning?" Brass spoke. He already knew the story, but he also knew both Nick and Grissom deserved to hear it from Brenda herself, not just read it from the report.

Brenda looked around nervously, her eyes stopping on Nick and Grissom. Somehow the nearness of those two men gave her a feeling of security and peace. They were there, saw what happened, damn they practically saved her life. Maybe she really owed them the truth.

„I met Paul Mason probably two years ago on a vacation. I was spending a week down in San Francisco with some girls from school. You know how it is - a night at the bar and I woke up in a hotel room when Paul started gathering his clothes. I gave him my e-mail address along with my phone number and really didn´t think he would call. But... he called the same day and we started meeting."

„Did you know he was married?"

„Yeah, he told me right away that he´s not looking for a long term relationship and that he doesn´t want a divorce."

„It didn´t anger you?" Nick wondered. He wouldn´t be able to start a relationship knowing that the woman he loved was already someone´s wife. But it seemed that Brenda didn´t havethose scrupules. She just shrugged, looking at Nick funny.

„I knew it wouldn´t have a future. We were from different places. It wouldn´t work between us for a long time, if you know what I mean." Brass didn´t but he nodded, because he wanted to get on with more pressing matters.

„Why did you lie to us about you two?"

Brenda shrugged, then realised it probably wasn´t the best move as her neck protested.

„Guess I didn´t wantyou to think of Paul as some cheating bastard. He loved his wife and kids, it was just all too hard on him. His wife doesn´t work and they had a mortgage on their house - he had to work hard to get the money. That´s how it all started."

„You mean his business with Dummont?"

„I knew nothing about Dummont until three weeks ago when Paul called me that he was coming to the city. Once we met at the hotel, he told me everything."

„Do you know what kind of business Mason had with Dummont?"

„They were working together as investigators in an insurrance company. They specialised in property insurance. I don´t know whatit´s called really, but Paul explained it to me. Their company made a contract with someone who wanted to cover his properties, in this case a building. The contract said that the company will pay the owner of the building if said building is damaged by fire, flood, hurricane or whatever. Paul and Dummont were supposed to get a report from the fire inspector and be sure that it wasn´t a hoax or that the fire wasn´t intentionaly set by the owner. If it was, they couldn´t pay out the insurance."

„If I'm not mistaken, this is quite legal," Brass noted, his eyebrows raised in question.

„Yeah, if you don´t work along with the fire inspector and a few other people, like the owner of the building. If said building isn´t useful anymore or if its price goesdown for some reason, the owner starts a fire, then collects the money from the insurance. He gives some percentage to all people involved and everyone is satisfied."

„So what went wrong?" Nick asked, his interest raising. Brenda shot him a lopsided grin, then looked at Brass.

„They didn´t know that there was a person in the building when the owner set it on fire. A homeless guy, but Paul was pretty shaken up."

„He wanted to quit?"

„Yes. Already did it, but he was afraid of Dummont and the others involved, so he packed and came here, thinking he would be safe. He was wrong." Brenda´s face clouded, the emotions still painful, like the wounds she sustained.

„You saw what happened to Paul." The quiet statement brought Brenda´s face up and she looked straight at Nick. Something in his eyes caught her attention. There was sympathy and understanding and she welcomed it without words, because she needed it.

„Like I said before, I was in the bathroom. I really didn´t know what wasgoing on, until Paul called Dummont by name. Then I heard Paul scream and when I looked out, I s-saw that man, s-stabbing Paul. I didn´t know what to do, I was so scared that he would do the same to me, that I... I just locked myself up in the bathroom. I stayed there until I was sure Dummont left and then I ran out."

„That was when you called Peter Gonzales," Brass noted, taking a look into the files.

„So you dated both Gonzales and Mason at the same time?"

Brenda jerked at those words and Nick glared at Brass. The detective sighed.

„I am sorry, it was an impolite question."

„Paul Mason was my lover, that´s true, but I didn´t see him everyday. We met once or twice a year and we both knew there wouldn´t be any real relationship. Pete Gonzales was my friend. We were seeing each other, but it was sporadic."

„But you still turned toGonzales when there was a problem."

„Damn it, I was scared and Pete was the only one that could help me out!" Brenda said, getting angry.

„That´s okay, no one is judging you," Nick tried to calm her, glaring pointedly at Brass, who just rolled his eyes.

Up until now, Grissom didn´t said a word, only observing, but now he felt a need to speak, as it looked like the other two men forgot why they were truly there.

„It was Gonzales who got the idea of stealing the evidence?"

Brenda looked at him, slightly startled.

„Or it was you who got the idea to blackmail Dummont?"

„Pete needed money and thought it would be easy. He contacted Dummont, who then sent the money to pay the bail. The rest you probably know better than I."

„Why didn´t you come tus when you learned Gonzales was killed?"

„Would you have believed me then?" she asked sarcastically.

„Yes, we would´ve," came the reply and Brenda hunched her head, letting the tears flow.

It was a week later when Nick was finally cleared for field work. He walked into the lab, feeling almost as excited as he was the first day. He still pondered his luck, when he stepped into the conferrence room. If he didn´t count the chewing out he got from Grissom in the ambulance, the lectures from Catherine and Warrick, or Sara´s gibing, he came out of it without any repercussions. It was a surprise as upon his first meeting with Grissom the man looked like he would just love to issue some sort of punishment for Nick, but except for several weird glares, Grissom did nothing. Nick was waiting for the proverbial shoe to dropthe whole week while he was restricted to labwork, and by now he started to think that Grissom really did forgivehim for his rash actions.

He realised he was wrong when Grissom started giving out assigments.

„Catherine - questionable suicide in the church. Take Sara with you," Grissom gave them the file. Nick frowned as Grissom turned to him, seeing the sparks in his eyes.

„Male body found inside the sewer system. The body is still stuck there. They need to uh, cut off the leg to take it out, but before that they want someone to look there, take photos and so on. It´s all yours Nick."

Nick gaped at his chief in utter disbelief. Did he just saw a satisfactory smirk cross Grissom´s face? And what about the laughter he heard? Surely it wasn´t coming from his best friend Warrick. While Nick stood frozen with the file in his hand, trying to convince his mouth it should start moving and utter a heartful protest, Grissom and Warrick left.

Maybe this was it, the punishment for his rash actions. Maybe if he finished the case, it wouldall be over and Grissom wouldjust forget, Nick thought when his brain started working again. But remembering the spark in those eyes, Nick doubted it.

The End

A/N: First of I want to thank to my beta reader Sabrina, who helped me with corrections, sometime adding her little bit to the final text. I appreciate it and I am sure the readers do too:-)

And I couldn´t thank enough for all the reviews you folks sent me. I never thought it will be so close to one hundred. Please, tell me if you liked the ending as much as the rest of the story and help me turn it to 100:-D

PS: I will start to write the next story after New Year, I already have some ideas.

I Wish You Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Bye,

Nicol.