Disclaimer: Even though Joy says I "own" Warrick when I write him, I really don't. Unless she can supply me with some sort of certificate of ownership? That would be wonderful! I'd have to frame the sucker. Alas, I don't have that certificate, so I guess I dont' own anything 'cept the badguy.

A/N: It's Thursday and here's your story update! Yeah! another new reviewer! Once again, by faithful reviewer is keeping me motivated. Those of you non-Highlander fans, am I making this concept clear enough? I hope I am. As always, see you again on Sunday unless I get enough reviews to inspire me to update sooner.

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"Where is Nick?" Grissom demanded to know as soon as Warrick walked into the lab. His anger was oddly out of character for the normally impassive man, that it caused Warrick to pause. "I went to the hospital only to find that he'd checked out without the doctor's consent! I checked his apartment; he's not there. I even checked yours and Greg's places. Where is Nick? In addition, where is Greg? He's supposed to be here, and I hear that he's called in sick?"

"Nick is somewhere safe. You're insisting that I come in to work, so I made sure that I don't have to worry about Nick. As for Greg…..he's a big boy-"

"Don't you dare attempt to tell me you had nothing to do with Greg not showing up!" Grissom growled. Warrick was amused to see a little vein attempting to pop out of the man's temple. That was very un-Grissom-like, indeed. A little frustration and emotion would do him some good. "Quit that damn smirking and start explaining yourself!"

"Look, there isn't much to tell you except that I don't like Nick being out in the open, unprotected. He had no problem with going with me to somewhere safe. He's being well cared for as well as protected." Warrick shrugged. "I didn't kidnap him. You weren't willing to let me stay with him, so I did the next best thing."

"Where is he?" Grissom demanded to know.

"With friends." Warrick repeated, his tone warning Gil that he would not be telling him anything more than that. Gil frowned in irritation.

"What about Greg?" Gil decided to switch topics, hopelessly hoping to trip him up. He knew Warrick was too smart and too stubborn to fall for it, but he tried anyway. "He's not at his apartment and he's not answering his cell. I'm going to have to suspend him for insubordination."

"Suspend me. You've already admitted that you know I'm behind this." Warrick demanded, angry at the threat.

"He's a grown man. He has a mind of his own. Unless you have him chained up, he has no reason to obey you. I'm his boss, not you." Gil answered smoothly, the true Grissom coming back to surface as all emotion left, replaced by a mask of indifference. Warrick smiled at the chameleon-like ability that was so Grissom.

"Look, I warned you that something was coming. I begged you to let me stay with both Nick and Greg. You didn't listen to me. YOU put Nick out there and Nick got hurt. Now, I'm not giving you the chance to do the same with Greg! He's staying out of the spotlight until the coast is clear."

"Warrick, just tell me what's going on. Who is this guy? Why is he after our guys? What makes you think you can predict what's going on?" Grissom demanded.

"Look, Gil." Warrick heaved a heavy sigh. "You know I won't explain. You know I can't explain. This is just one of those mysterious things about me that you like. I'm a big puzzle to you, that's why you keep me around. Yes, this all has something to do with me. I brought this on us and I will finish this. I'll get our guys out of this, I promise."

"Warrick-" Gil shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as if to ward off a headache. "I can't allow this. You and I both know this."

"Don't punish Greg. I'll take the heat for this. Just let me protect them in my own way." Warrick pleaded but his eyes were hard, promising that he wouldn't back down on this. Gil knew him well enough to know not to try.

"I'll give you today. Greg is back on the schedule tomorrow. Is that clear?"

"That all you can give me?" Warrick growled, irritated.

"I don't have to give you anything, Warrick." Gil informed him woodenly. "Take it, or leave it."

"Okay. I'll get Greg back in here tomorrow." Warrick agreed. "Any chance that he can be lab-bound?"

"No."

"Okay, okay. I gotcha." Warrick sighed.

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Warrick Brown had returned to work. Where were Nick and Greg? Why the disappearing trick? What the heck was going on? This Watcher was getting a headache. It was all too new and too confusing.

Things were happening too fast for this part-time Watcher. It had been too quiet for too long and he'd become complacent and lazy.

He watched the big man stride through the hallway after a confrontation with Grissom. The Immortal Warrick had returned in replace of the calm, cool CSI Brown. Gil was staring after him as if he didn't know what to make of him.

He glanced at his watch, wondering how long until Joe Dawson contacted him. He needed advice from an expert. He didn't know anything about tracking an active Immortal.

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Angry eyes watched as Warrick got into his vehicle with the brunette woman. He had returned to the CSI building without either of his friends. He had them in hiding, damn him. He wanted that kid! The other warrior was probably acting as their bodyguard while Brown searched for him. How dare he? Actually hunting for him! He was the Hunter!

He had to do something. Someone had to die soon. If Warrick wouldn't supply the mortals, then he would have to go after Warrick. He would follow Warrick today; he would lead him to the mortals. He would watch and wait for the right opportunity. He would kill someone today, he couldn't wait any longer.

His smile was one of pure evil gleefulness as he pictured it. He would kill them in a surprise attack; they wouldn't know what was coming! He suddenly enjoyed the challenge they had presented him with. It was going to be fun to destroy them, one by one!

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Someone was going to get hurt, Nick Stokes was guaranteeing that! Here he was, recovering from a near-death experience and they were giving him a headache? His head felt like it was being squashed in a vise grip and someone was pounding….chopsticks? Or was it silverware?

Struggling to open his eyes that felt like they were four hundred pounds each, Nick finally managed to open them a crack. Fear rushed through him momentarily, as he didn't recognize the ceiling above him. He had a phobia about waking up in strange places, it always led to no good. His heartbeat slowed as he remembered Warrick dragging him and Greg to what he termed his "lair".

Nick took a moment to get his bearings and listened to the sounds around him. There were two distinct sounds; the pounding of wood on wood and the pounding and scraping of metal on metal. Gathering what strength he had, he forced himself to rise up on his elbows. He wished he hadn't made the effort. He blinked, unable to believe his eyes.

Greg was across the room, attacking another man with a long stick, thus making the sounds of wood pounding together. The man with him was deflecting his attacks and countering with some of his own. Nick frowned, unsure what to make of that. A little farther into the room, Mac was acting similarly with a tall man, but they were the ones making the other sounds. The metal was, in fact, swords.

Nick continued to watch the four men in a daze. Perhaps it was the drugs he had been given? Why would Greg be playing with sticks? As he watched, Greg stumbled, falling to the ground with a heavy thump. The other man advanced on him, knocking the stick out of Greg's lax hand and bringing his own stick to Greg's throat.

"Never lose your weapon!" The man yelled at him, shoving the stick farther into Greg's Adam's apple. Nick grew worried, struggling with the heavy covers; he attempted to get out of bed to aid his friend. He didn't care how injured he was, he wasn't about to let his friend get hurt.

"Relax. Richie won't hurt him." A gruff voice spoke up from beside him. Turning, Nick found that a man was sitting in a chair close to his bed. "He's training him." The man told him, motioning for Nick to look back at Greg. The man was pulling him to his feet, offering the stick back to him. "He's teaching him how to survive."

"Who are you?" Nick demanded to know. He didn't like this feeling of constant confusion. Life used to be so much easier, back when he was just a simple CSI, barely starting out. Back then, the thrill of the chase was all he worried about. That, and not screwing up in front of the boss.

"Ah, yes. You weren't conscious when the introductions were made. I'm Joe. Joe Dawson." The man gave him a friendly smile. Nick frowned. Was the name supposed to mean something to him? It didn't. Right now, Nick didn't care if this guy was richer than Bill Gates.

"And that's supposed to explain who you are….how?" Nick was in no mood for trivia games.

Joe could see that the invalid didn't have the patience, so he explained softly. "I'm a friend of MacLeod's. We all are. Duncan called us to help train you and Greg."

"You're going to help train us?" Nick quirked a brow at the cane that leaned against Joe's chair pointedly. He hadn't meant for it to sound so offensive, but he didn't apologize.

"Okay, Richie and Adam are going to help train. I'm going to help Warrick find the man that did this to you. He doesn't trust me much, but he'll need my help." The man didn't seem to have taken any offense to Nick insinuating that he couldn't be of much usefulness. He seemed to take it in stride.

"Nick!" Greg came trotting over to him, hot and sweaty but looking cheerful. "Good to see you back to the land of the living!"

"Where's Warrick?"

"At the lab. Most likely getting his butt chewed on my Grissom." Greg dropped on the end of the bed. "He had me call in sick and stay here with you and the guys. You haven't met them have you?"

"I met Joe." Nick shot a look over at the older man. "He tells me that they're here to help get us prepared for battle."

"Well, not battle….yet." The man that had been sparring with Greg cut in, approaching with a towel wrapped around his neck. "We just want you guys to be able to protect yourselves. Later, after you become an Immortal, then you worry about the battles."

"And you know this from experience….how?" Nick narrowed his gaze at the young man with the reddish blonde hair. He looked friendly, but Nick wasn't going to judge this book by it's cover.

"I'm just about the same age as you are. Don't be deceived by my boyish good looks." He grinned. "Take advantage of not having to worry about the next man to come for your head, while you can. It doesn't last long, enjoy it."

tbc...for like...16 more chaps! LOL