No One Else On Earth

Disclaimer: Mine no! CBS, Anthony Zuiker et al Yes! Pity :o( "No One Else on Earth" is by Wynona Judd. Please don't sue cause I don't make any money from this and I don't have any money anyway This is purely for pleasure, mine if no one else's :o)
Spoilers: None so far
Dedication: To Aby as always and you certainly know why girl! To Vividlyblue for Being my inspiration and listening to all my worries about it. Also to Clara and Angie of Graveshift and Reese of the CatsMeow for finding The lyrics for me! And to Erin for hand holding in the wee small hours
Author's Note: This is a little different from my usual. I'm not quite sure I got where I intended to go when it started but blame that on the plot bunnies :o)


Chapter 2


Warrick had been watching him secretly. He knew there was something wrong, he just didn't know what. Things had started to change about four months ago. Grissom had become even more introverted that normal, more secretive.

For a change, instead of being the last one to leave he's one of the first. It's as if he couldn't wait to get home, but when he asked the blue-eyed man what he had planned he claimed, "nothing special". That just didn't jive with what Warrick was seeing.

Then he noticed the way the older man would watch Catherine when he thought no one else could see. The look in his eyes was that of a man hopelessly in love, yet the strawberry blonde didn't even seem to notice him. What was going on?

Deciding enough was enough; he was going to get to the bottom of this before anyone else noticed. It was even starting to affect Grissom's work and Warrick didn't want the older man to suffer the indignity of being called into question for any mistake he might make. He knew that would only make matters worse.

Catherine's voice broke into his reverie. "Night all," She cried as she breezed out of the locker room, smiling at everyone. He'd heard her talking with Nick about a hot date she had that afternoon. How lucky she was to find someone with the same weird schedule she had and that he was willing to spend time with her. He'd seen Grissom's face as he overheard the conversation.

He was desolate, totally lost and Warrick finally knew what was going on. He followed the older man to his office and challenged him.

"How long have you and Catherine been sleeping together?" he asked bluntly after he closed the door.

Grissom shot out of his seat, unable to hide his dismay. Recovering quickly he answered, "Don't be ridiculous, we're just friends," he saw Warrick didn't believe him, "for God's sake Warrick, you heard her she's out on a date tonight and it's certainly not with me." He pointed to the paperwork crowding his desk.

He'd let it slip a lot lately but if Cath was going on a date she obviously wouldn't be calling him. She wouldn't require his services if she was seeing another man.

"Don't bullshit me, Gil!" Warrick exclaimed, "I'm not blind, I'm not stupid and I know what I've seen lately."

His eyes opened wide in shock as he watched Grissom wilt and collapse back into his chair. "It's not what you think." Grissom tried to think of some way to retain some of his dignity.

"You mean, it's not love?" Warrick snapped back not letting up. He had the older man on the ropes now and the only way he'd get answers was if he kept him there.

"No it's not; it's just two friends scratching the occasional itch. Two consenting adults doing what comes naturally." He wondered if he was doing a better job of convincing the green-eyed man than he was at convincing himself.

"Why haven't you told her you love her?" Warrick asked and watched Grissom's face first go deathly pale and then bright crimson.

"Who says I do?" he countered rearranging the papers on his desk, not having the courage to look the younger man in the eye.

Warrick walked over and sat in the chair in front of the desk, "It's written all over you face for those who know how to read it."

Grissom swallowed convulsively and licked his bone-dry lips. How could he explain it to Warrick? Tell him what he'd walked into willingly and now couldn't walk away from.

You could make me want you anytime you want to
You're burning me alive
I can't deny you even when I catch you
Weaving a weak alibi
Cause when the night falls
You make me forget
Your love is killing me
And it ain't over yet
How did you get to me?

I can't risk that she might just walk away," he muttered, unsure if he wanted the other man to hear him, "she's become an addiction to me and I don't think I could live without it." God he sounded so weak, but then he was wasn't he?

"Gil," Warrick broke into his thoughts, "you've got to do something about this, it can't go on like this."

Grissom sat looking at the younger man, he knew he was right. He should have some pride, some self esteem. But what if she didn't want him after she found out how attached he'd become? He didn't think he could handle the rejection, not from Catherine.

There had been so many rejections in his life, starting with his father rejecting him and his mother.

He blanched, hoping Warrick didn't notice. His father! Why did he always think of him at times like this? The man had been a bastard to them, so why did it still hurt that he'd abandoned them? The only good thing that seemed to come out of his desertion was that the beatings had stopped, or maybe they would have anyway. After all once the authorities found out there was little he could do to defend himself.

Gil still remembered waking up in the hospital bed the night his father had finally gone too far. His mother had already been an in-patient because of an accident his father had arranged, but she'd never realised that he picked on their son as well. She'd told Gil that, told him that if she'd known she'd have taken him away years ago and he believed her. His mother had never lied to him, not about anything. She was the one constant in his life, or had been until Cath and now that was all falling apart.

"Give me some time?" he all but begged the green-eyed man, "I'll do something, I promise, I just need time to accept it myself."

Warrick was unsure. He didn't know if he believed Grissom or not but he knew he'd get nowhere pushing it this evening. "I'll give you two weeks, Gil," he warned him, "two weeks and no more, if you haven't done something about it by then I will."

Grissom had no illusions that Warrick wouldn't carry through on that threat, but he'd bought himself two more weeks. Two more weeks he'd have with Catherine. Unless things with this new guy were serious? He prayed they weren't but guessed he'd find out tomorrow.