~*~

Gil loosened his tie and leaned back in the chair. His award for ‘Excellence in the Forensics Field' sat in the middle of the table next to Lt. Horatio Caine's ‘Community Service' award. Horatio looked as enthused about his award as Gil felt about his. Another award was added to the pile as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs sat down. Gil tried not to snicker at the growling ex-Marine. He guessed Agent Gibbs didn't like the award for ‘Years of Service in the Forensics'. Gil wasn't surprised when the fourth award joined the pile. Mac Taylor had looked a bit perturbed when accepting his ‘Advancement in Forensics' award.

"Thank God that's over," Horatio sighed, undoing his tie as he sipped his drink. "I hate these things."

"I still can't believe that the Director forced me to come. I never accept my awards," Jethro growled. "That's Tony's job. He keeps them all in a drawer for me. Though I'm not supposed to know about it"

"One of your agents accepts and keeps your awards for you?" Mac asked. "Why didn't I think of that? Hmm wonder if I can get Stella or Danny to do it."

"I like that idea," Gil agreed. "I hate public gatherings. Especially these events, where the big wigs who sit behind a desk need to prove their power and existence by handing out awards to the ones they think are doing a good job."

"Politics," Horatio grinned. "You have to love it."

"Can't we just shoot them?" Jethro asked.

Mac grinned. "Well, we do know how to hide the bodies."

"I think you would find plenty of help." Horatio looked over the scattered tables checking on his team. "My team doesn't get along very well with the politicians."

"But you do well with them." Gil pointed to the award.

Horatio sighed. "Unfortunately."

Mac looked over to see Stella chatting excitedly with Calleigh, Catherine, and Ziva. "Should we be worried?" Mac asked the men at the table.

All four looked over at the table. "I would be more worried about how well Greg and Abby are getting along." Jethro turned and eyed the two at a separate table.

Horatio grinned at the MEs, who sat at another table talking quietly. Next to them Warrick was talking with Sheldon, McGee, Ryan and Eric. But it was the last table that had him worried. "Actually, gentlemen I think we should be more concerned at what's being discussed at that table."

Gil followed his motion towards the table across the room. He groaned. Nick was chatting with Tony, Danny, and Speed. That couldn't be good.

"So Gil," Mac smiled.

Gil eyed the New York CSI. "Yes?"

He nodded towards a table off to the side where Sara and Lindsey were chatting. "How often do you have to stop Nick from killing Sara?"

Gil laughed. "Nick is very easy going. He can attract psychos from a ten mile radius, but he's still very laid back. Most of the time he ignores it, though one day I think he'll lose it." Gil grinned over at Nick. "I can't wait to see it."

"Hope he's not getting tips from Tony," Jethro groaned. "He practically jumped me in the bull pen just to get the point across to my ex."

"Which one?" Horatio asked.

Jethro glared. "The one that's the Director now."

"That's got to be awkward," Mac cringed. "I swear as good a CSI as Lindsay is, she's blind to what's in front of her."

"Your team knows?" Gil asked.

"You can't get anything past Stella," Mac pointed out. "Sheldon figured it out and Flack caught us."

Horatio laughed. "Awkward moment?"

"Slightly," Mac said. "How about your team?" he looked over at Gil.

"Catherine knew from the beginning, but that's like keeping things from Stella." Gil looked over at the snickering woman. "Warrick figured it out when Nick had been…" Gil paused, even after a year the thought still scared him. "After he had been kidnapped, Nick wanted to tell Greg and Sara."

"So Sara knows?" Jethro asked, a bit surprised.

"Nope, she never got what Nick was trying to say." Gil shrugged. "She just thought I had been helping him through this rough moment in his life."

"How long have you been together?" Horatio asked.

"Since the first time he got a gun pulled on him." Gil shook his head. "Did I mention he's a magnet for trouble?"

The other supervisors snorted. "Danny found trouble while locked in a panic room with a dead guy."

"Tony caught the plague in the 21st Century," Jethro pointed out.

They all looked at Horatio. "What? My guy doesn't attract trouble, okay, except for the fact he rides that death trap. He'll tell you I get into more trouble than he does."

"That is true." Mac looked at Horatio. "I've heard from Danny how much Speed complains about your ‘whims'."

"It doesn't scare you that those two chat?" Jethro asked.

"You do realize they are also talking with Tony," Mac pointed out. "After that case with NCIS a few months ago."

"I didn't." Jethro glared at Tony. Tony turned in his seat and grinned at him. "Though all four of them together, now that is a scary thought."

"They probably formed a support group," Gil added. "It can't be easy being with us."

"No, it can't." Horatio sighed. "But I will never get the image of Speed lying on the floor bleeding out of my head." Horatio looked over at the dark haired CSI. "All because I wasn't paying attention."

"How is he doing?" Mac asked, his eyes following Horatio's stare. He remembered the call from Horatio after Speed had been shot the fear he had heard in the other man's voice.

"Good." Horatio turned back towards Mac. "We have good days and bad days. But if I ever get hold of his parents…"

"If I help you with his parents, will you help me with Tony's?" Jethro asked seriously. "When he was laying there suffering from the plague they didn't even acknowledge him. Kate…" Jethro paused. "Kate told me that she called them to let them know what was going on. His father said ‘let me know if he dies.'"

Mac shook his head. "It's amazing how parents can mess a kid up." He glanced over at Danny, who was laughing over something with Speed. "The Messers did a number on him, doesn't help they still like to reach out and poke at him."

"Nick's lucky." Gil shook his head. "His family supports him and our relationship."

"He just attracts psychos from a ten mile radius." Horatio said.

"Don't remind me," Gil groaned. "He's the only CSI I know that has had a gun pulled on him so many times I've lost count, been tossed out a window, stalked, and buried alive."

"How do you handle it?" Mac asked. "I mean I watch Danny like a hawk since we got together. If I'm not working a case with him ,I have him with Stella or Don."

"He's with me or Warrick," Gil said. "He called me on it, but considering his past reputation he accepted it. He's still hesitant sometimes in the field. Not a lot but on those dark nights, in a dark alley he gets a bit freaked."

"How do you handle Speed?" Jethro asked Horatio.

"I trust him out in the field with no problems," Horatio shrugged. "Over the past year we've dealt with the gun issue. He's actually a crack shot now. Part of me hates that fact."

"He doesn't seem to be the type to like guns," Mac observed.

"No, he doesn't." Horatio agreed. "But there was a lot more going on than him not cleaning his gun."

"Let me guess." Mac leaned back. "Doesn't talk about his past. Holds things in. Puts himself down. Doesn't take credit when it's deserved, but craves any he can get."

"Yep." Horatio nodded. "Danny?"

"Oh yeah," Mac sighed. "I'm telling you, one day I'm having a long conversation with Papa Messer."

"Tony hides behind the fun loving playboy image. Sometimes it hurts watching it. I see some digs Ziva gives him and there's a pain in his eyes right before the mask comes up," Jethro said.

"It amazes me the strength they have." Gil sipped his drink. "All four have had something in their pasts that have made weaker men turn towards a life of crime. Yet, they didn't. Danny didn't follow in his family's footsteps. Speed didn't fall into a world of drugs. Tony could easily have been a playboy taking whatever and whoever he wanted. Nick could have followed the pattern of abuse."

"Yet they pulled themselves out and made a good life for themselves," Jethro agreed.

"With a little help from you." Tony stood nearby grinning. "Now if you are all done talking about us. I would like to drag this old Marine dog upstairs and put his ‘Years of Experience' to use."

Jethro grabbed his award. "Night all." The three laughed.

Nick sat down in Jethro's seat. "So if I make out with you on the table, do you think Sara would catch on?"

"No." Speed shook his head, taking a seat next Horatio. "She would figure you were drunk and Danny and I dared you to do it."

Nick laughed. "That's not funny."

"The sad thing." Danny plopped down next to Mac. "I could do a striptease and get Mac to jump me and Lindsay would still tell me ‘he's humoring you'."

"I'm so glad we're out to our team," Speed grinned at Horatio.

"Like we had a choice," Horatio snorted. "Alexx threatened my life in front of the lab when you came in with a black eye."

"Well you did hit me," Speed smirked at him.

"Brat," Horatio grinned back. "Taught you not to tickle me."

"Not really, just got better at ducking." Speed picked up the award. "This is what, your fifth Community Service?"

Horatio rolled his eyes. "Something like that."

Speed grinned at the group. "It's past his bedtime. All that community service tires him out." He stood up, grabbed Horatio's hand, and pulled him up out of his chair. "Night."

They ignored the snickering girls as they walked by. Stella and Calleigh got up and joined the four men at the table. "We had an idea," Calleigh giggled.

"Where's Catherine?" Gil asked. He hadn't seen her leave.

"Lindsey called." Stella glanced over at the CSI. "The twelve-year-old not the teenager."

Danny started laughing. "Stella…" Mac glared at her.

"What?" Stella acted innocently. "Ziva said something about a cute bartender and took off. So you're stuck with us two."

"What are the two of you up to?" Nick asked.

"We had an idea." Calleigh giggled again. "Okay, the fifth margarita might have been too much."

"Idea?" Gil asked, concerned.

"If you leave with Nick and Mac leaves with Danny," Stella pointed out. "Then Sara would leave with Lindsay. The idea is that if they leave together – they'll get drunk because once again their plans of catching their man have been foiled. Then end up in bed together."

Danny got up and actually pulled Mac out of his chair. "Let's get this plan started."

Stella looked at Calleigh. "Do you think the boys would let us watch?"

Nick shook his head. "Speed warned me about you." He pointed at Calleigh.

"A girl has to try," Calleigh pouted. "Oh well let's go and torment Eric and the guys over there."

The two girls headed for the other table. Eric and Ryan both got up and ran for it. Nick laughed as he turned back to Gil. "I do not attract psychos from a ten mile radius."

Gil laughed. He grabbed Nick's hand then his award. "Let's go. I'm tired. It's been a long day and you know how I hate these things."

"Yes, you need sleep in your old age." Nick smiled at him.

"I'll show you old," Gil growled lightly. "Just you wait."

~ Next Morning ~

Horatio sat down at the breakfast table smirking. "So how was your evening?"

Jethro grinned. "Tony's still asleep."

"I was going to ask last night." Mac sipped his coffee. "How do you deal with unruly subordinates who happen to be your lover?"

Gil slipped into the seat. "Fuck them into the mattress until they stop being unruly."

"Works for me," Jethro grinned.

"Me too," Horatio laughed.

"The desk works as well," Mac grinned. "Only problem is the glass walls."

The four supervisors laughed. Having no idea their four subordinates were at the other table, listening in and plotting.

~ The End ~

~*~

The four subordinates looked over at the table where their lovers/bosses were chatting. Speed looked over at his three companions. "Oh, really?"

Tony snorted into his coffee. "I hate to burst Jethro's bubble, but I fucked him into the mattress last night."

Danny snickered. "They complain about us getting into trouble?"

"I do not attract psychos from a ten mile radius," Nick growled slightly.

"Actually Nick, you do," Speed smirked at him. "Come on, you're the only CSI I know that has been tossed out of a window, stalked and buried."

Nick narrowed his eyes at the Miami CSI. "Yeah well…."

Tony laughed. "Though I'll admit Gil is worse."

"Thank you!" Nick shook his head. "Mister ‘I just wanted to talk to the serial killer'."

"Hey, can't be as bad as, ‘I'll just give myself up as a hostage' and the second B is for bastard." Tony sipped his coffee.

"Hello!" Danny looked at the two of them. "Pissed off the mob."

"Guys," Speed smirked. "I win this one. Horatio has not only pissed off the mob, he's pissed off IAB, a few drug cartels, hell he has two hits on his head and on the lab! He ran his Hummer through an exploding building and did I mention the ‘use me as a target' to catch a sniper?"

"Well, Gibbs has pissed off every agency there is," Tony added.

"The sheriff hates Gil." Nick looked at the two of them.

"Mac's taken on the whole police force, mainly to protect me, but still…" Danny shrugged.

"Face it, our bosses are trouble magnets," Tony sighed. "And they think we are."

"Well Nick is," Speed smirked. "And so is Danny."

"HEY!" both yelled.

Speed and Tony laughed at the two indignant responses.

"I know he loves me," Danny sighed. "But the overprotectiveness is a bit much."

Nick rolled his eyes. "I wasn't allowed out of the lab for six weeks and still even now can't go to a scene alone."

"Gibbs trusts me out alone at a scene; but he doesn't trust others to back me up." Tony shook his head. "He feels only he can fully protect me."

"How do Tim and Ziva take that?" Danny asked.

"Ziva gets all irritated." Tony rolled his eyes. "McGee knows I trust him to back me up and that's all he cares about."

"Mac only sends me out with Stella or Hawkes, and if I'm with Hawks I get Don as a detective," Danny grinned. "The irony is they think we don't notice."

"How about you, Speed?" Nick asked.

"It's not the field work that Horatio hovers over," Speed sighed. "It's past issues."

"Does he check it often?" Tony wondered.

"He set a cleaning schedule." Speed smiled. "He watches me clean it and it helps me knowing he's watching."

"Honestly, if it wasn't for Mac," Danny sighed. "He helps when the ‘Messer' history becomes too much."

"Has he ever talked to papa Messer?" Nick asked. "I'm lucky my parents knew I was bi and didn't mind Gil. Though there was a fight after the buried alive situation. They wanted to take me home to Texas and Gil fought them."

"They do take care of us." Tony grinned. "I'm not supposed to know about it, but Jethro confronted my father."

"Horatio intercepted a call from my mother one day," Speed grinned. "And no I don't know anything about it."

Danny laughed. "I love how they think we don't know what they are doing."

"But that's half the fun." Mac leaned over and kissed Danny on the top of the head. "So, are you four done conspiring?"

"No," they all responded.

"You four can go back and chat about keeping us controlled while we plot." Tony smirked. "Ow." He glared at Gibbs, who had just smacked him.

"Let's go, Tony we've got a plane to catch." Jethro grabbed his lover pulling him out of the chair.

"Ohhh, mile high club boss," Tony leered at him.

Jethro smirked. "The trip out here wasn't enough?"

Tony grinned as he got up. "Can we practice in the cab?"

"Didn't I wear you out last night?" Jethro pushed him towards the door.

The other three snickered.

"Come on, Danny…" Mac pulled the young man out of the chair.

"But we don't have a plane to catch, we live here," Danny pointed out.

"Well, I was thinking we could take a walk in central….." Mac was pulled out of the restaurant.

Speed looked at Nick. "Danny did always have that kink of public sex."

Nick blushed. "So does Gil."

"Oh really…" Speed grinned.

"Nick." Gil covered Nick's mouth before he could divulge any more secrets. "Horatio it was good talking with you again."

Horatio grinned, his hand on Speed's shoulder. "We'll have to get together soon."

"Yes," Gil smiled. "It was very helpful to talk with y'all."

Nick looked up at Gil snickering. "Y'all?"

"Goodbye." Gil grabbed his laughing lover and, with a dignity only Gil Grissom could pull off, walked out the door.

Speed stood up, tossing his napkin onto the table. "Shall we?"

"I've got a surprise for you." Horatio led him out of the restaurant.

"What?" Speed asked smiling.

"We're staying for a few more days." Horatio smiled at him. "Just you and me."

~ Next Week ~

Nick grinned as he held the phone up to his ear. "Sounds like a great vacation."

"It was." Speed still couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Have you let Gil off the hook yet?"

"Hell no," Nick laughed. "I rarely get something that good."

"Did we mess something?" Tony asked over the conference call.

"Gil said and I quote ‘y'all'," Speed informed them.

Danny's laughter could be heard echoing in the room he was in. "I'm sorry I missed it!"

"It was priceless," Nick smirked.

"You know we forgot something important," Tony said between laughter.

"What?" Speed asked.

"How to Handle Stubborn Supervisors Who Happen to Be Your Lover?" Tony asked.

"Easy," Danny said. "You make them think they are handling you by fucking you into the mattress."

Speed laughed. "I see and in reality?"

"We've got them wrapped around our …." Tony's phone went dead.

"Gotta go." Speed hung up fast.

"Danny?" Nick looked at his phone then turned around. "Gil."

~ The End ~