----- ----- -----
Chapter 8: To Stay or To Go
----- ----- -----
"Just a little longer?" he begged as she began to gather her things gathered around the room.
"I can't, Warrick. I'm sorry."
"Come on, girl!" He cornered her near the bed.
She smiled. "I wish I could, but unlike some people, I have to go to work tonight."
It had been two weeks since she and Aidia had arrived, and though Fayre knew that her stay was probably only temporary, she was loathe to leave so quickly. She held on as long as she dared, breathing in the scent of the man she had come to love, before reality set in and she loosened her arms from around his waist.
"I have to go."
Fayre managed to pull herself from his hold on her, and though she immediately felt the void left by his absence, she continued to back away, the smile spreading from her eyes to her lips as he followed. She was caught off guard when the bedroom door impeded her escape.
Warrick chuckled and leaned forward, putting his hands against the door on either side of her head so that she was trapped. She giggled at his crooked smile and sighed.
"Warrick…"
"Shhh… We have time," he whispered, silencing her with one passionate kiss that, when her stared into her eyes, soon became two… which led to three, quickly followed by four and five… When their hands began to roam and the passion turned to desire, Fayre moaned and dropped her head to his shoulder.
"Why do you have to make this so hard?" she whispered.
"What's wrong?" he asked, lifting her chin and seeing sadness in her hazel orbs.
"I have to go…" She slipped under one of his arms and once again started collecting her things. "I should be packing the apartment."
"Wait, packing?" He turned, panic evident in his voice. "You not thinking of leaving, are you?"
"Well, honestly, I don't know," she said, opening the door and heading to the living room. When he followed and looked at her with fear in his eyes, she sighed. "Come on, Warrick… You and I both knew that this wasn't permanent."
He looked at her in amazement and huffed, "But don't you want to stay?"
"Of course I want to stay, but after everything that's happened, I can't think of a single reason why I should. It was wrong from the beginning, from my very first day… After everything that happened in the morgue…"
"That was not your fault," he stated emphatically.
Fayre shook her head. "Of course it was. I hadn't been in a morgue in three years. I wasn't prepared, and after talking to you, I certainly wasn't focused…" She sighed. "My best hope is to go back to New Orleans and see if they're still holding my job."
"But you have a job here!" Warrick shouted in desperation.
"That's just it, Warrick! I don't know if I do or not!" she barked back, matching his exasperated tone. "Haven't you been listening? Tonight Grissom makes his final recommendation to Carvallo as to whether Aidia and I stay or go… What did you think I was talking about?"
When he looked down and blushed in embarrassment for his faux pas, she gasped as her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes widening with sudden understanding. She ran to his side and threw her arms around him.
"Oh, Warrick, no… I didn't mean, …" she sputtered. "Oh, God forgive me…"
"No, Fayre, that was my fault… I totally misunderstood," he managed, pushing her back and cupping her cheek to reassure her. "I get it now. You should go."
"No, Warrick, listen to me. I want you to promise me that no matter what happens today, you'll go to New Orleans with me on the next flight out, okay?"
His brows furrowed in confusion. "Okay… Mind telling me why?"
"Well, if I get the job, I'll need someone to help me move all my things here and get it into storage until I can find a place of my own. And I'll need to say goodbye to Gwynneth."
"And if you don't?"
"Then I can see if they're still holding my job for me and get settled again. You could take vacation time and stay for a while, see how things work on my turf…"
He gave her a sad smile. "And what happens when I have to come back to Vegas?"
She dropped her gaze to hide the lone tear trailing down her cheek. "Then at least I can pretend that you're leaving me… and not the other way around."
It was his turn to stare wide-eyed in sudden understanding. He pulled her close.
"Fayre, you know better than that! I would never-"
"No, you don't understand," she sniffled, breaking free of his hold and bringing herself to her full height. "That I could handle. I've dealt with people leaving me all my life… But to knowingly inflict that pain on someone else… I couldn't do it." Her now misty green eyes pleaded with him to understand.
Warrick sighed and met her gaze, at a loss for words. To see this unbelievingly beautiful and equally strong woman break down for the second time since they'd met frightened him like nothing else, especially since both times she was grieving for the sake of someone other than herself. Yet, as much as it scared him, it also only made him love her more.
Acting on instinct, he took her in his arms and simply stroked her hair in an effort to comfort her. When she finally let go of her pride and leaned into his body, he whispered calming words until her silent tears dried and her sniffles dissolved into sporadic hiccups.
"There… All better?" he asked as she pulled back to grab a tissue from the nearby countertop.
She nodded and looked to her watch. "Oh, God's toes! I need to leave… Where did I put my things?"
"Look, don't worry about it. You don't even know the results yet, so just go in and let me know as soon as you find out."
She stopped in her tracks. "But what if-"
"Fayre, Grissom would have to be a complete idiot to let either one of you go, and I think by now you've figured out that he is by no means an idiot. So go in and find out what's going on, and if he proves me wrong then I'll pack your suitcases myself."
She smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek before grabbing her purse and heading toward the front door of her apartment.
"Ta, Warrick. I love you."
----- ----- -----
Assignments were passed out quickly that night, with no preambles and no embellishments. It was evident that the whole team was aware of tonight's significance; sad and anxious glances were exchanged when it was announced that Fayre and Aidia were on standby until further notice and were to report to Grissom's office as soon as possible.
As expected, Grissom was the first to leave the conference room. The others stayed behind, sitting at the table in awkward silence. Sara was the first to speak.
"Where are you going to go if…?" She couldn't seem to finish the thought that was in the forefront of everyone's mind.
"Back to New Orleans for me," Fayre managed, her throat tight with emotion. "I have some unfinished business there… but after that, I'll probably head back to Ireland. I haven't been home in nigh ten years. It's time I went back to my roots."
Eyes turned to Aidia as she stared into nothingness, apparently lost in thought.
"I'm not sure what's in store for me. Life is a roller coaster, but I'm not sure whether I'm ready for another one of its surprises…"
Just then, she felt a buzzing at her hip and looked down to see Grissom beckoning her to his office. She glanced Fayre's direction and watched as she looked down to her own pager.
Looking to the others with uncertainty, they rose to leave. Receiving wishes of luck as they went, Aidia was lively enough to respond,
"Hey, she's already got all the luck she needs… She's Irish!"
Lightening the mood a bit, they smiled and headed down the hall. Reaching their destination and taking a deep breath, they knocked on his office door.
----- ----- -----
"Come in," came his voice from within.
When the two had closed the door behind them and sat in the chairs across from his desk, he looked up from his paperwork.
"I paged you ten minutes ago," he stated calmly, no trace of emotion on his face.
"We had something to take care of first," Aidia said firmly, determined not to be intimidated.
"Are you always going to put your emotions before your work?" he continued unflinchingly.
"When it involves people we care about and they're hurting, aye," Fayre huffed. "Unlike some people, I won't close myself off for the sake of the job. There are other jobs."
Aidia nodded her agreement.
"I'm glad you feel that way," he said. "Nick and Warrick will be relieved."
----- ----- -----
Ten minutes later, Warrick's phone rang.
"Brown," came the worried answer.
"Pack our suitcases, Warrick," Fayre sniffled through her still streaming tears, sitting in a borrowed Denali in the CSI parking lot. "I already booked our flight. It leaves in two hours."
"Fayre? What is it? I thought-"
"I'll be there is a few minutes," she interrupted. "I love you."
With that she hung up and looked out her car window to see a department Tahoe pull up. No sooner had the vehicle stopped than Nick and Sara tumbled out and ran to embrace Aidia in a bought of excited laughter. Smiling at the happy reunion, Fayre put her own SUV in gear, heading toward a future which she hoped would turn out better than her past.
----- ----- -----
The flight to New Orleans was quiet. Fayre slept most of the way, giving Warrick time to think. Not much had been said when she'd come home, which left him feeling unsure and worried. He'd been waiting for her, and seeing her tear-stained face, he'd immediately pulled her into a hug and asked what happened.
"Not now," she'd replied. "Just hold me…"
He'd done just that, knowing that the time would come but wishing she would tell him so he could make it better. When half an hour had passed in that position, they'd gotten up and finished packing before heading to McCarran and boarding the plane.
Now Warrick looked at the woman at his side. How peaceful she looked as she sat there sleeping, the Louisiana sunrise glowing in her red waves. He was pulled from his thoughts by the announcement over the intercom reminding the passengers to buckle their seatbelts for descent. He woke Fayre, startling her out of a dream. Joining hands and intertwining fingers, they prepared themselves for a long day.
It was 8:30 am by the time they'd left the airport, drove to Fayre's apartment, unloaded their suitcases, and gotten something to eat. Now they were in Fayre's car, on the way to the NOPD and Crime Lab.
"You'll love it here," she said with a smile.
Something inside Warrick snapped. He turned in his seat and faced her. "I'll love it more when you tell me what's going on," he said in a firm and even tone.
"I told you. I want you to see how things work on my turf."
"That's not what I meant."
She sighed. "I know… Look, what did I ask you when I came home last night?"
"Fayre…"
Stopping at a light, she turned and looked him square in the eye. "Warrick, I know this is difficult for you to understand right now, but please for my sake, just answer the question."
The light changed and she turned her attention back to the road.
Warrick heaved a sigh of his own and gazed out his window with world-weary eyes. "You asked me just to hold you."
"And you did… Why?"
"Because I love you… and I knew you'd tell me eventually."
Pulling into the NOPD parking lot, she turned off the engine and faced him. "Can't you trust me now for the same reason?"
Not waiting for an answer, she gave him a kiss on the forehead, then got out and headed for the building, waiting for him at the door. When he followed a moment later, she smiled and led him to the visitor's desk to get an ID. That done, she led him back through the labs.
"Wow. Your lab is almost as advanced as Vegas."
"Fifth in the nation," Fayre boasted. "Not as good as second, but close enough to get the job done right."
Suddenly, a squeal from behind them made Warrick jump. They turned to see a young woman in a lab coat running toward them.
"Fayre! I'm so glad you're back!"
Fayre threw her arms open to embrace the chipper brunette. "Dia duit, a Casie," she crooned. "How are you?"
"Excellent. Remember that case you were working the night before you left?"
"Aye! I remember Ching."
A confused look crossed Warrick's face. Fayre turned to explain.
"If you think a frozen corpse in the desert is strange, try a Chinese dental torture victim floating in the bayous. We couldn't ID him yet, so we called him Ching." Turning back to Casie, she asked, "What about him?"
"Well, it turns out, while you were gone, they found three more victims just like him. We ID'd them last week and then yesterday, Detective Wells arrested the murderer… with Gillian's help, of course."
Warrick's eyes once again begged for translation.
"Gillian's the supervisor. A lot like Grissom, except her obsession is culture and linguistics, not bugs. Comes in handy in such a big tourist town." Turning back to her old friend, Fayre smiled. "Let me guess, Casie… You provided the case breaker DNA for suspect ID."
She grinned ear to ear. "As always! What can I say? I'm good at my job."
This brought a chuckle out of Warrick. Looking at Fayre with a sparkle in his eyes, he said, "Sounds kinda like Greg, doesn't she?"
"He speaks!" Casie feigned shock.
"From time to time," Fayre laughed. "Casie, this is Warrick Brown, A/V specialist and boyfriend from Las Vegas. Warrick, this is Casie Adler, resident DNA tech/busybody and friend of my sister's." After the two shook hands, Fayre continued. "I don't want to ruin the party, but if Gillian sees you out here instead of in that lab, she'll kill you."
"Nah," Casie played it off. "She loves me… Besides, it's nearly the end of shift. I'm just cleaning up."
"Yeah, well, you know how keen her intuition is… She can smell slacking off a mile away."
As if on cue, a voice came from a nearby office that made Warrick jump.
"Casie! Back to work!"
With that, Casie's eyes grew round as saucers, and turning pink, she scurried back inside her lab. A moment later, she stuck her head out the door.
"By the way, that favor you asked? Taken care of."
"CASIE!"
"Bye!" The door closed with a thud as she quickly disappeared into the lab to finish her duties.
Warrick chuckled. "A lot like Greg."
"Aye. She's a spitfire, alright," Fayre smiled. "Come on, I'll take you to my work station."
As they walked through the maze of a building, Warrick was amazed at how many people called out to Fayre, popping their heads out of nearly every room to welcome her back. When they finally reached a small layout room towards the back, he voiced his observations.
"You sure seem to know a lot of people."
"Oh, we're a closely knit group. We make it our business to know everything we can about each other, not just for safety reasons, but because we're a family."
"I can see that," he said, glancing around the room. It looked similar to the layout lab in Vegas, with a large lighted table in the center and cabinets lining the walls. A desk was tucked into a corner. Mostly, though, the room was bare but for some pictures on the wall featuring Fayre with different members of the lab at parties and hangouts. "Looks like you got around."
"It helps to know each other really well, especially working here. Gillian knows who would do better on each case, knowing our backgrounds and specialties."
"Grissom hasn't quite mastered that yet."
"I've noticed, but it would really serve him well if he tried it. New Orleans is a lot like Vegas: big tourist attraction. We get people from everywhere, so it helps to have a few foreigners on the team. That's why Gillian is such a help. With a specialty in culture and linguistics, she can better understand and connect with people."
Warrick shook his head. "Another of Grissom's downfalls: people."
"But he does understand culture, and that's important. Anyways, this is it. I spend a lot of time in here… Sorting out garbage from a scene, examining skeletons… that sort of thing."
"It seems a little bare," Warrick said, looking around again.
"That's because I had Casie pack most of my things in this box." She pulled a large cardboard box out from behind the desk. "I just have to take down these pictures. Could you help me?"
His eyes narrowed as she started adding the photographs to the pile inside the box.
"Fayre…"
"What? I thought they'd look nice sitting on your mantle. Unless you'd rather me stay in the apartment with Aidia-"
She was cut off as Warrick grabbed her round the middle and twirled her in the air like a little girl before setting her down and simply staring.
"You're really staying?" he asked disbelievingly, his usually somber green eyes sparkling.
She smiled, her own hazel orbs shining. "Aye. We start next week. Grissom said that Carvallo would have his ass served to Ecklie on a silver platter if he didn't keep us around."
He pulled her close and kissed her like never before, fireworks exploding behind her eyelids. He placed his hands on either side of her face, deepening the kiss further and sending shivers through her that started at the base of her neck and traveled to her toes, causing her to stumble when he pulled away.
Regaining her balance, she slowly opened her eyes and said in a low voice, "Come with me. There's something I want you to see."
Grabbing her box in one arm, she took him by the hand and led him out of the lab, saying goodbye to Casie on the way out. They got into the car, and soon they were out on the road heading toward the river and into the Louisiana sunshine.
----- ----- -----
A/N: Okay, so how'd I do? I told you if I had my way, Warrick would be mine! :-)
Anyway, for any of you wondering out there, "Dia duit, a Casie" means "Hello, Casie" in Irish Gaelic. Of course, if you wanted to say that to anyone, you would repace the name with whomever you are speaking to. The pronunciation is "DEE-uh git, uh ... ." Have fun with that tidbit! And, once again, PLEASE REVIEW!