On Your Way Out

Walking into his home, Warrick dropped his suitcases at the door and turned on the lights. Walking straight to the kitchen to grab himself something to eat, he opened the fridge but he looked from the corner of his eye at his counter. He spotted things out of place; the coffee maker was moved and there was a small amount of coffee in the pot…he knew instantly why.

"Son of a bitch came here? He came herrrre? Ohhhh he has balls!" he growled angrily.

Warrick slammed the refrigerator door without grabbing food, and stormed out of the kitchen, through his living room, and took the stairs two at a time. He went directly to his sister's old bedroom. Sure enough, although the bed was made, he could tell it had been recently slept in and a back suitcase was on the floor by the bed. Warrick went into the room, picked up Nick's neatly folded clothes that were on the chair and threw them into the suitcase haphazardly and zipped it up with force.

He brought it with him downstairs and tossed it next to his own bags.

Warrick was absolutely exhausted from his flight, but he refused to go to sleep. Instead he sat on the couch with his head resting against the back cushion and waited…

Nick pulled up to Warrick's house with the hopes he could get in there quickly before Warrick came home from vacation. He knew he was coming home today but he wasn't sure what time. So he managed to blow out of work a half an hour earlier to grab his stuff and go. What he didn't know was Warrick was already home and already inside waiting for Nick's arrival.

Nick yawned as he opened the front door to Warrick's home. He walked in slowly and spotted his suitcase next to Warrick's immediately, and he knew he was too late. Not only did he know Warrick was home, but by the sight of his suitcase packed up and by the door, it meant Warrick also knew about Brooke.

Nick tried to mentally prepare himself for the wrath he was walking into to. Sure enough, he wasn't two steps into the living room when he heard a voice from the dimly lit room.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't hop this couch and punch you in your face?" Warrick said slowly.

Nick looked over at him sitting on the couch looking worn out.

"Hey, Rick…I, uh, I didn't realize you were coming home this early," was all he could say.

"I said give me one good reason I shouldn't hop this couch and take you down?" Warrick repeated to Nick coldly.

Nick took a large breath and sighed loudly.

"A reason? I dunno…maybe you're too tired from your flight?" he tried to lighten the tension.

"Think it's a joke, Nick?" the anger started to brew.

"Actually, I think it's none of your business," Nick was shocked by his words. He didn't even mean them.

"REALLY? You made my house your business after you got thrown out of your own for getting it on with your old college honey behind my sister's back though, didn't ya!?" Warrick glared angrily as he got up from his couch and headed toward Nick.

"C'mon, man. I could use some help here! I don't remember even being with that broad, Rick. I swear to God, man…how about you help me find out what happened instead of getting in my face?" he negotiated.

"Do I look like an asshole? Really...do I look like a fuckin' asshole to you? You know I how many time I have used that same bullshit on a chick of my own?…'oh honey, it ain't like that…it wasn't me'" he mocked. "Just spare me, Nick, that shit might work on my sister but I know exactly what it reallllly means!"

"You really don't know shit, Warrick! How can you if I don't even know!?" he tried to explain.

"Nick, get the fuck out of my house and out of my face!" he pushes Nick in the chest.

Nick stumbles back a couple of steps and shook his head. He wasn't about to slug his brother-in-law.

Nick stood staring at his best friend.

"I said get your fucking shit and get out, Nick!" he yelled and pushed him hard causing him to fall backward into the little narrow table in the hallway.

The candlesticks to fall over and make loud clanking noises.

Nick regained his balance and straightened out his shirt trying to shake off the anger that was beginning to build in him.

Warrick got in Nick's face and yelled at him... egging him on for a fight.

"Was it worth it? Way to go, Nicky Boy! Good job!" he yelled, "So let me guess... Nick Stokes's dick gets hard and he has to get himself a fix? You proud of yourself?"

Nick rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, you're a great guy, Nick…ya ever think about that little girl of yours? Ya ever think about how you being a fucking dog is gonna affect HER?"

"YOU ARE OUT OF LINE, RICK!" Nick finally got in Warrick's face and yelled at him.

"Out of line? You fuck around on my sister and I'M OUT OF LINE?" he yelled back.

"She may be your sister, Warrrrrick, but this is my WIFE, man….my marriage, My FAMILY!," Nick pushed Warrick out of his personal space.

Warrick stumbled back a couple steps, but he didn't take a swing at him.

Instead he stared at him for a second.

Strangely Warrick understood what Nick meant.

He knew because, while he was sitting on the couch waiting for Nick to come home, he had been wrestling with the realization that Nick and Jules' marriage problems were really not something he should be involved in regardless of what happened. That was hard for Warrick to accept… After all, it was his Baby Girl.

As hard as that was to accept and swallow, he remembered something his Grams used to say, "Now Warrick, there are two things you don' t never get yourself involved in... a sibling rivalry and marital strife. You just mind your business because they will get back to lovin' again and you'll be left holding nothin' but your bag of exposed opinions."

He never exactly knew what she meant as a kid, but now, as he thought about it, he hated to admit that this was no longer about his baby sister as much as it was about Nick's marriage…NICK'S wife...NICK'S family.

Warrick wanted to kick the shit out of Nick for fucking around on Jules, but he took a deep breath and a step back.

He would back away from a fight, but he still didn't have to look in his face.

"Okay, okay," he nodded slowly, "But I still need you to get out of my house and find somewhere else to crash. Right now, I can't look at you," he began walking to the stairs, "I am tired and I came back from a dream and into a nightmare. I am gonna go to bed and in the morning I gotta see what the fuck happened and clean up your mess.

Until then…lock the door on your way out."