Title: End

Fandom: CSI

Author: elfin

End
By elfin

"Nicky?"

The pain in the wonderfully familiar voice almost changed Nick's set mind.

"I'm sorry, Gil. I'm so sorry."

Gil blinked, shook his head. "Why? What... what did I do?"

Nick could barely bring himself to meet the eyes he'd spent hour after hour staring into, after kissing, after making love, after sharing their lives for over six months. Now a deep, growing hurt had replaced the love, the adoration he was so used to seeing there.

"You didn't do anything. It's not...."

"Don't tell me that it's not me!" The venomous words took Nick by surprise. "Don't insult me."

"It's not you. I'm just... I can't handle this."

"Can't handle what? This? Me... sharing your life, sharing mine? What? I have to know." He owed him that much, Nick knew. But it wasn't one specific thing, it was everything. "Please."

"It's too intense, Gil. I can't cope. I'm sorry."

Gil nodded, rubbing his eyes with his hand. "Okay."

Nick crossed the wooden boards to the door and opened it, leaving his lover's house for the last time. "See you at work, yeah?" He wasn't surprised when there was no answer.

~

They looked up, expecting to see Grissom with their assignments for the night. Instead, Brass stepped inside the Break Room.

He sighed, glancing at each of them in turn. "Gil's resigned." He told them without preamble. "The Sheriff's asked me to take over the unit until someone else can be assigned." He looked pointedly at Catherine with a sad smile. "Warrick...."

"Wait." Nick stood up, stepped toward Brass. "Resigned? Just like that? But... where is he? What's he going to do? He loves this job, this is his unit." Catherine and Warrick shared a look. "What?"

"Nick..."

Warrick started but Catherine finished.

"He loved you, Nicky."

Brass hesitated. "This is the way it is now."

~

Gil watched the lights of Vegas drop away as the plane reached for the skies. He was surprised how easy it had been to leave. Once he'd thought that nothing would take the place of his job as the highest priority in his life. How wrong he'd been.

But he was always happy to admit his mistakes and carry on.

San Francisco Crime Lab needed a nightshift supervisor and they were ecstatic to be getting Gil Grissom. A new team, new town, new challenges.

Turning in his window seat he touched his forehead to the thick, cold pane in the small window and closed his eyes as the tears streaked his cheeks.

Finally, when he could speak, he whispered, "Goodbye, Nicky."


END