Out of a Dream & Into a Nightmare

She could barely hear the hustle and bustle of the many people that flooded in and out of the airport because her thoughts were racing in her head. What the hell was she supposed to say to her brother? Here he was coming from the trip of his dreams into his sister's broken ones. She dreaded having to tell him, but she knew it had to come from her.

She waited silently at Gate 17B. She thought about listening to her I-pod but just didn't think she could hear the music through her wickedly loud thoughts.

"What's the point?" she thought silently.

She had to figure out what she would say to him about the pictures she saw. She grimaced at the memory of Nick's hands caressing Brooke's bare breasts and felt as her stomach literally churn when she remembered Brooke straddling him. She thought for a minute she could actually throw up from just the memory of the pictures. Jules thought for a minute and knew she couldn't bear to show Warrick, which was fine since Nick had taken them with him anyway.

Jules rested her head back in the seat. How was she going to tell him about Nick and Brooke and then turn around and tell him she still wanted to believed in him. That she still let him back into her heart and her bed. She stared out thinking about that afternoon, when she threw a coffee mug so hard at Nick's head she swore it would have given him a concussion had it hit him. Jules ran her hand over her face. She took a deep breath and continued remembering how much pain she was in seeing Nick's cell phone bill. How she kissed him through her tears and let it go even further. She absolutely would be too ashamed to admit to her indiscretions.

Jules stood up and smiled a genuine smile when she saw Warrick walking out of the gate wearing a Hawaiian shirt and several pink, flowered, leis draping around his neck. He looked adorable. And he looked happy.

They hugged tightly for a few minutes before saying anything. Finally after letting go Warrick looked around and asked the question Jules knew would come eventually.

"Where's Nick? Why are you here?" he asked confused, "Don't tell me Grissom wouldn't give him LT!" he frowned. "And who's with my Tiny Girl?"

"Which question do you want me to answer first?" she grinned, "And you say I'M a question box!" she raised her eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, yeah, just answer them," he said smiling.

"Nick isn't here because I didn't tell him to get you. I wanted to get you myself," she pressed her lips together before swallowing hard.

"Well, that's dumb…it's the middle of the night!" he argued, "You needed to get me at 3:00 in the freakin' morning when Nick can just take some Lost Time and swing by here during his shift? That's just really dumb, Baby Girl," he rolled his eyes and shook his head at her.

"Well, I missed you," she said.

"Nick's working though…or is he home with Tiny?" Warrick pried.

"Trista is there," she answered.

As Jules and her brother walked to Baggage he glanced over at her a few times feeling like there was something off about his sister. Warrick squinted and turned his lips thinking about what she was saying. He had an uneasy feeling about it. "It must be CSI paranoia kicking in," he thought, "what else could it possibly be…it's Nick and Baby Girl we're talking about here." Something just seemed strange about Nick not being there at three o'clock in the morning when he could easily have done it.

Jules felt the lump in her throat form. Partly because she knew she was gonna drop a bombshell on her brother about his best friend and brother in law. No matter how she told him it was not gonna be good.

As they drove home in Jules' SUV Warrick told her all about his trip… the beach, the ladies, the hotel. He was so excited and Jules was genuinely happy for him. She listened to everything he described, she was excited to hear about all of it. It was actually a nice opportunity to think about something other than the shit going on in her life.

"Why are you so quiet, Baby Girl," he asked suspiciously, still staring straight ahead, " I gotta tell ya, I am getting a feeling something is wrong…Emma okay?"

"Oh yeah, she is fine, don't worry," she said assuring him about his niece, "It's not her. I just, um, well," she paused, "Nick had a one night stand with his old, college, girlfriend and I threw him out," she blurted it out before she could say it tactfully.

Warrick's head spun toward her and his hand slapped against the passenger window.

"Whhhhat the fuck did you just say to me?" he frowned with his face looking horrified.

"Do I really have to repeat that?" she said looking straight ahead at the road.

"Let me get this straight…did you just tell me that Nick, your husband Nick, the dude I work with, screwed around on you?" he said slowly. "Sorry…don't believe it," he chuckled.

"Fact," she said bluntly.

"Nope. Not true. I know how pathetic he is with you. Nevvvver happen," he continued to laugh blowing off even the idea.

"Would it help you to believe it if I told you there are pictures to prove it? She said coldly.

"Pictures? What do you mean?" he said confused.

"Uh, you know, the kind you get when you use a camera," she shook her head.

"Huh? You mean you saw pictures of him messing around with the chick? No way. Still say no way."

"Warrick, go in my purse…look in the side zippered pocket and you'll find a folded piece of paper inside. It's a print out of the pictures that were plastered all over my FaceBook wall. I printed them before I deleted it," she explained.

She dreaded showing him the proof. It broke her heart. She was embarrassed even though she did nothing wrong and shouldn't be.

Warrick reached over and grabbed her purse. Placing it on his lap he opened it and looked around.

"Look in the zipper compartment I said!" she told him with annoyance when he wasn't finding it.

Warrick unzipped the side pocket as she instructed and pulled out a folded paper. Opening it out quickly he saw six different images of Nick with a hot, blond, chick.

Jules could feel her calm and cool act starting to crumble. She was trying to hold it together and act tough. Her face began to give her away. It started to furrow and her lip quivered a little bit.

Warrick looked over at her and saw the pain in her face. He could feel the horror rising. The last thing he could stand was seeing his kid sister looking beaten down. And at that very moment, his sister was indeed looking beaten down.

"STOP THE CAR!" he yelled. "Stop this Goddamn car, Jules!"

She pulled over and he hopped out of the car and paced back and forth on the side of the road. Warrick always paced when he is upset, angry, or worried. She had to decide now which one of those he was.

Jules bit the inside of her cheek, took a couple of deep, shaking breaths and waits a second before getting out of the car. She could see Warrick's mouth moving, but had no idea what he was saying and she wasn't sure she wanted to hear his wrath just yet. Finally slipping out of her vehicle she walks slowly, with her head looking down, to the side of the road and leans against the truck with her arms folded in front of her watching him and waiting.

Warrick finally stops pacing and looks at her.

"I just don't get it. I really don't. I saw that man sit by your bed for a month! I saw the way he looked at you and I tell him all the time how disgustingly in love he is with you and how sickening he is," he admits.

"Hmmm, gee thanks," she gives him a weak smile.

"How can you be so calm? When did this happen?" he looked at her still with shock across his face.

"Two weeks ago today," she said looking down, "And I have no more tears left, Warrick." she gulped not completely sure that was true since they hadn't actually stopped.

"WHY didn't you call me?" he asked startled, "HOW many time do I tell you to call me when you need anything!"

"What good would that have done? I mean really? And anyway, I'm a big girl…I can handle this."

Warrick nodded knowing she was strong but he was absolutely sick for her and his niece.

"So, what are you going to do, do you need a name of a lawyer? I know a great lawyer…" he said beginning to pace again.

Jules didn't say anything. She remembered telling Nick she had a lawyer and his reaction to that news. She remembered punching him in the face when he grabbed her and then she remembered making love to him and feeling like everything was gonna be okay while he held her. She took a deep breath remembering their kiss in the hallway; his kiss could still take her breath away. But every time she started to weaken, she looked at that printout of the pictures. She carried it in her purse for just that reason.

She knew that making love to him…kissing him…that was a fantasy…just a moment of weakness and a lapse in good judgment. She kept her eyes to the ground and saw one tear escape. She quickly wiped it. Warrick frowned. He saw it.

"I wonder if he is off of work now?" he looked at his watch. "Probably not yet," he answered his own question when he saw it was only a quarter after four.

"Where is he? Where is he staying?" he added with an urgent tone.

"You know, I never actually asked him," she looked up, "I'm gonna guess with Greg."

"I need to talk to him. I just can't grasp any of this, really I can't, Jules," he shook his head back and forth.

"I know exactly how you feel," she told him, "Now can you just get in!"

Warrick was silent as they drove. Jules would look over at him from time to time but he would just press his lips together and shake his head.

"You want to come to my house or drop you off at home?" she asked him.

"Please, take me home, I will come by to see my Tiny Girl later. Tell her I brought her the shells I promised," he smiled at the thought of her.

"You got it," she tried to sound upbeat.

Pulling into Warrick's driveway she leaned over and hugged and kissed him.

"It'll all be all right, Baby Girl, " he whispered when he saw her lip begin to quiver again.

She swallowed back her emotion and simply nodded.

"We'll figure this all out; I promise you," he reached over and lifted her chin to look her straight in the eyes, "…I'm here now," he said.

She knew he meant it. He had always been there for her all her life.

He wasn't about to stop now.