I do not own CSI or it's characters.

Rated T - for language.

Seriously? Only 2 or 3 reviews? You guys are killing me!

I write better with reviews and encouragement.

Don't cry to me when the ending of this story sucks. Just sayin'.

Ok, ok, the boys are still in the lab.

I am sure you all know what Greg will be telling Nick and Warrick once the machine beeps and CODIS spits out the results of the next set of prints.

Oh Boy.

Will write for Reviews! Will write for reviews! Will write for reviews...long ones are especially appreciated ;o)

Chapter 51: Unbelievable

Nothing but the whirl of machines and low beeping could be heard in the lab as all three men stood at the table. Greg didn't know what to say so he kept quietly working. Nick and Warrick were out of their minds with shock and could barely think let alone talk. Greg silently rolled his chair back over to the computer and scanned in the next print they lifted into CODIS. The computer beeped loudly as the print got a hit nearly instantly.

'HOLY… FUCKING… SHIT!" Greg nearly shattered the glass walls of the lab from his scream.

Nick jumped and Warrick yelled, "What the fuck is wrong with you, man! Scared the fucking shit outta me!"

Neither Nick nor Warrick were expecting the sudden outburst.

Greg ignored the reprimand. He was too shocked and horrified about the results staring him in the face. He also knew that if his friends were blown away about Jolene Parker, then this would send them over the edge for sure.

"Ok, both of you…no, now I mean it…both of you need to find a chair and sit in it," Greg advised putting his palms up facing them.

"Sanders? Just tell me what you got? How much worse can it be, man, really?" Nick said feeling weary from the last discovery.

"Don't fuck with me Greg…" Warrick glared unsure of what bomb could be dropped, "You got a hit and I wanna know who it is!"

"I got a hit," he said swallowing very hard.

"Well, yeah, we figured that out already…care to share it with us now?" Warrick probes impatiently.

"Ok, I can run it again but…" he starts slowly.

"GREG, PLEASE!" Nick yells.

"The prints…um…they uh…the prints belong to James Cole," he winced as he said it knowing the eruption that would take place.

Warrick silently and calmly walked over to the door, placed his hand on the door frame and leaned over with his other hand braced on his thigh. Every part of him wanted to start smashing things, but he just couldn't move.

Greg Sanders didn't know whether to run or duck for cover just from the look on his friends' faces. Instead, he just got up from his chair and rolled it back over to Nick.

Nick slowly took the seat…and he sat down feeling completely… immobilized.

After breathing out a loud, slow breath of air, Warrick stood upright.

"I don't get it, man, that dude is in jail!" Warrick said before finally walking back over to the table. "He's not out, right?" he said nervously.

"No, no way, he's still in there. I'll be notified when he is up for parole," Nick said confidently as he continued to shake his head slowly in disbelief.

Jimmy Cole caused so much pain in their lives already and it sickened Nick to think that he could actually still be able to cause so much damage even behind bars. Nick didn't think Cole could be any more mentally unstable than he already showed himself to be, but apparently Nick was wrong because the man was still hell bent on making their lives miserable. He had some kind of sick obsession with Jules that he wouldn't let go of. It was absolutely insane. He and Jules have been married for nearly five years and still Cole had this obsession. Nick thought for sure after everything that happened, including Cole being sent to prison, combined with Nick and Jules' marriage, and the birth of their daughter that those things alone would make Jimmy know it was never going to happen for him and Jules. She had moved on. She had made it clear. She married Nick and began a family with him.

Greg watched as Nick obviously was deep in thought. He felt horrible for his friends.

"Do you want me to run it again?" Greg asked sympathetically.

"Nah, Greg. We know it ain't wrong, thanks, man," Warrick nodded looking absolutely sick.

Nick sighed loudly before looking over at Warrick.

"Do you believe me now or do you still think this was a drunken hook-up?" he stared at him.

Warrick closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "I believe ya, man. No doubt. Those two scumbags are in this mess…man…I don't even know what to say," he ran his hand over his face.

Nick breathed in a large breath of air and let it out slowly feeling relieved. He couldn't blame Warrick for not believing him. He absolutely looked guilty to anyone looking at the evidence. You would have to be crazy to question something like this. The proof was right there in pictures. Who would ever think that someone would purposely frame someone in this way? He shook his head slightly thinking how all the cheating men in America would be using the "framed defense" if they ever heard about this insanity.

"This is unbelievable. I don't know whether to be thrilled that you are innocent and didn't betray my sister, or insane with rage that Jolene and Cole won't leave Jules alone."

"So what do you do now?" Greg asked looking over at Nick.

"Million dollar question, Greggo, million dollar question," Nick rubbed his face hard with both hands.

Sitting in the Break Room drinking a cup of coffee and sitting silently, Warrick and Nick finally began to have a conversation.

It was Warrick who spoke first.

"He didn't break the law, you realize that. I mean we miiiiighhtt be able to get him technically through the Permanent Restraining Order but trying to prove that will be a joke," he concluded.

"I know. I know," Nick shook his head as it hung down, "Same with Jolene. Can't touch that bitch. We have nothing on her," he added.

"Nick, I hate to say this to you man, I really, really do because I know how much damage she did but…unless we can prove that Brooke drugged your ass, we have nothing to charge her with either. Harassment at best. That's about it," Warrick said feeling heartsick for his brother-in-law. "And even still…I doubt that would pan out."

"Rick, as crazy as this sounds right now, because believe me, what they did to me and Jules is so horrific, I am not even caring about what will happen to them…right now, I am just so heartbroken for Jules," he looked up at Warrick with his eyes looking sad.

"You mean about…" Warrick began.

Nick nods slowly, "Yea, about her finding out that we lied to her…that her mother is not dead. She is gonna wanna know why we lied to her and then we will have to tell her why. We have to tell her how we had to throw her out of her hospital room because even as she lay in a coma, that bitch Jolene was trying to connive her way into her life in case she could get some money out of her," he ran his hand over his mouth with disgust. "And then once she gets over that blow she will learn that her mother wanted to hurt her again and make her life miserable. But why, Rick? WHY?" Nick was obviously getting very choked up.

Warrick sighed and shook his head. He had no answer. He couldn't figure it out himself.

Nick swallowed hard and continued, "And then we won't stop pummeling her, Rick...no, after she learns we lied, her mother is indeed alive, and the bitch continues to try to hurt her for her own gain, but then...then we gotta tell he that Jimmy Cole still is able to touch her even from behind bars,"' Nick's voice grew tight, "I can't do this to her, man. I can't kick her when she is already down... she is already reeling from this Brooke nightmare," he sighed.

"And there ain't one fucking thing we can do about it…legally, I mean," Warrick sighed, " and after we beat the shit out of him last time, not to mention he is protected behind steel bars, we can't beat him down or do a thing to him without ruining our careers or getting ourselves locked up. Oh, he would love that, man," Warrick said knowing.

"So what do we do? Nothing? That's it? Just live with the fact that they tried to ruin us? Or just hold on to just knowing that they lost and Jules and I won…again?" Nick took a final gulp of his coffee.

"I will run it past Brass. I will see what he thinks about it. But other than finding evidence of a drugging, I'm not seeing a whole lot of recourse…are you?" he asked pushing in the chair.

"Nope. None," he said regrettably. "But, Rick, seriously, we have to talk about how we throw this on Jules," he winced.

"Hey, look, all she needs to know right now is we found proof that your innocent. Tell her it was Brooke, man, that's no lie. We will both tell her about Jolene Parker and Jimmy Cole after she catches her breath from this shock, okay?" he tells Nick.

"And anyway, Rick, we have no idea what role those two scumbags played in it either…yet," Nick thought out loud. "Yeah, I agree. Let's give her something to be happy about, for now," he said.

Nick began to smile slightly and shook his head again.

"What?" Warrick asked when he saw Nick shake his head.

"Nah, nothing, I was just thinking about Jules. About how she refused to believe what was right in front of her," Nick paused for a moment. "Would I have done that for her?" he looked at Warrick, "I mean, if I saw those pictures, I would have thought like you and Trista, I would have said 'yeah likely story, you don't remember'," he shook his head slowly. "But, she loved me through it all, man. How did she do that? How did I get so lucky? What did I do in my life to deserve someone who loves me the way she does?" he asked sincerely.

"She is definitely one of a kind…the two of you together…no doubt…definitely one of a kind, I'll give ya's that," Warrick nodded.

Warrick hopped that Nick didn't notice his head jerk up when he mentioned Trista's name. As soon as he heard her name his stomach flipped. It shocked him but it was true. He hoped it didn't show on his face.

Nick didn't notice at all. He was too busy thinking about being able to tell Jules that he had been set up. He suddenly smiled wide knowing he could now tell her she didn't have to worry or wonder anymore. He could tell her that her faith in him was accurate…he never would willingly hook up with someone. He had everything he ever wanted, ever needed, ever loved this much, all wrapped up in her. Nick took a deep breath. He would never forget how she stood by him in the end. How she refused to lose hope. That she came back for him. He would never, ever forget that.

Nick was unable to describe how it felt to be loved with that kind of love. To be trusted on faith alone. It was something he would never be able to put into words. The feeling was indescribable and it only made him love her more...if that was even possible.

"Well," Nick said standing up and walking to rinse out his mug, "I don't know about you but I am going to call my wife and tell her that she needs to meet at the hotel to…"

"Oh, hey, hey, I don't wanna know about you two in a hotel room, all right?" he grimaced.

"NO, Jackass, I am not gonna tell her this kind of news on the phone. I want to meet her," he said laughing.

Warrick laughed too. "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya. I'm just playin'" he said. "And hey, Nick…again, I'm sorry…I…"

"No, listen…I would have done the same. I get it. You and Trista were just looking out for her. I get that," Nick nodded and shook Warrick's hand as a sign of a truce and gave each other a shoulder hug.

"Thanks, man, thanks," Warrick nodded. Warrick once again hid the flip that his stomach made when Nick mentioned Trista's name.

After Nick left the Break Room Warrick leaned against the counter and finished the last bit of his coffee. He stared out into space. He thought about how his Baby Girl would react to the news. He thought about what he would like to do to Jimmy Cole and Jolene Parker.

And much to his surprise, he allowed his thoughts to turn away from the horrible revelation that was uncovered at the lab this morning. Instead, as he leaned against the counter alone in the Break Room, Warrick Brown actually…

…began thinking about Trista.