Gustavo Wallace

Gustavo "Gus" Wallace
Vital statistics
Name	Gustavo "Gus" Wallace
Profession	Army Veteran Waiter Chef
Gender	Male
Notability	Mariana Wallace's brother Boyfriend of Rusty Beck
Played by	Rene Rosado
First appearance	“Hostage to Fortune”
Latest appearance	“By Any Means, Part 4”

Gustavo "Gus" Wallace is the older brother of murder victim Mariana Wallace, aka Alice Herrera. He is currently dating Rusty Beck.

History

Gustavo, or Gus as he prefers to be called, grew up with two younger sisters, Mariana and Paloma. Living in Baltimore, his father and grandfather owned two hair salons and while not rich, the family was comfortable. When Gus was fifteen and Mariana was eight, their father and grandfather died in a car accident and their mother couldn't handle the business alone. Needing help, Gus' mother found a boyfriend named Greg who was supposed to help run the business. Instead, Greg ran through their money and sold the salons and house. Greg also abused Gus and his siblings, leaving burn marks on at least Gus and Mariana. As soon as he was old enough, Gus joined the Army to escape the abuse, leaving Mariana angry at him for not being there to protect his siblings.

After serving in Afghanistan, Gus returned home to find his family gone. Gus eventually tracked his family to Las Vegas where they had moved into a not-so nice one-bedroom apartment. Gus found Mariana and Paloma gone and while asking his mother where they were, Greg, now his step-father, kicked him out and attacked his mother. To save her, Gus broke in and smashed his step-father in the head with a cutting board, resulting in him being arrested for breaking and entering and assault with a deadly weapon. Gus eventually learned that Mariana and Paloma were taken to a church for rehoming after a particularly vicious assault on Mariana, but the woman Paloma was with took her and some other children to LA. Gus was able to contact Mariana in a Las Vegas homeless shelter as the church had given her a pre-paid cell phone and wanted to put their family back together. However, due to Greg, Mariana feared this and ran when Gus visited the homeless shelter looking for her even though he gave up the idea of putting their family back together. Gus soon after leaves a voicemail for Mariana, calling her Alice and apologizing for looking for her at the shelter. Gus promises that Mariana can trust him and tells her that he just needs to know where she and Paloma are and that they're safe before asking Mariana to call him. Afterwards, Mariana's voicemail box was full and Gus was unable to leave any more messages. Mariana never deleted Gus' message before her death however.

Gus begins a search for Mariana and Paloma, only knowing that Mariana went to Los Angeles to try to find Paloma. A couple of months after Mariana fled Las Vegas, she is murdered by a homeless man named Slider. While the LAPD is able to solve her murder, they are unable to find her true name, only knowing her as Alice Herrera and "Jesse". As such, while they learn of several things about her, including Gus' visit to the homeless shelter, they are unable to identify her. They are also unable to identify Gus as the person who had been looking for his sister. Slider had also destroyed Mariana's cell phone, preventing the police from finding Gus' voicemail or any other clues pertaining to her identity.

Months after the death of Mariana, aspiring journalist Rusty Beck began a search for her real identity. His search led Rusty to Mariana's cell phone number and, through deducing her passcode, he was able to access her voicemail. In Mariana's voicemail, Rusty located Gus' message and saw him as the key to identifying Mariana as his message and Mariana's actions after his visit showed that Gus knew Mariana and who she really was. After giving the messages to DDA Andrea Hobbs, Rusty deletes a few of Mariana's old messages and leaves a new outgoing message asking for anyone looking for Alice to leave their name and number so he can contact them in hopes that Gus will call back and leave another message. Shortly after Rusty does this, Gus calls Mariana's cell phone and leaves another message, identifying himself as Gustavo Wallace, Mariana's brother and asks about Mariana and Paloma, stating "I need to know where everyone is." Rusty realizes that Gus could be his big break given his obvious knowledge of Mariana, but is left uncertain of his motives given Mariana fleeing Las Vegas after his visit to the homeless shelter. He runs a background check on Gus and discovers his assault charge which worries him that Gus could be Mariana's abuser. Rusty eventually contacts Gus who offers to fly out to meet with Rusty about his sisters, but refuses to answer any of Rusty's questions about himself first or to meet him at the airport. Given Gus' criminal record and the fact that given the choice between Gus and the streets of LA Mariana chose the streets, Rusty is left suspicious of Gus' intentions but recognizes that he needs Gus to identify Mariana and thus sets out to find a safe place to meet with him to inform him of Mariana's death.

Rusty eventually locates a coffee shop he finds to be safe to meet with Gus and sets up a meeting with his friend TJ watching from nearby to ensure his safety despite TJ's being angry at him (in fact, TJ leaves as soon as they decide Gus isn't a threat). Gus meets Rusty at the coffee shop and is surprised to find out that Rusty is a journalist doing a story on his sisters and needs proof Gus is who he says he is. When asked for permission to record the meeting, Gus agrees. Rusty asks him about Mariana's name, telling Gus he knows her as Alice Herrera. Gus confirms its not her real name and tells Rusty its Mariana Wallace. Rusty asks about how Gus lost track of Mariana and Paloma and Gus explains about his abusive step-father Greg and running off to join the Army. Gus tells Rusty he understands about why Mariana is angry with him and asks for the chance to make his case to her. Rusty asks about the abuse Mariana suffered and how he can know Gus wasn't the abuser. Gus proves his innocence in the abuse by showing Rusty his own burn marks from Greg and tells him he had a cause to go and asks to see Mariana and if Paloma is still with her. Satisfied that Gus is not a bad guy but unable to bring himself to tell Gus that his sister is dead, Rusty takes him to the Major Crimes squad to meet his mother, Captain Sharon Raydor, telling Gus that the squad was the place to find more information on his sister. Along the way, Gus gives Rusty some background information on Mariana. Rusty introduces Gus to the Major Crimes squad who are proud of Rusty for locating Gus and identifying Mariana. After learning that Gus is the brother of the girl they know as Alice Herrera, Sharon pulls him aside into her office to officially inform him of Mariana's death.

Following the official notification, a DNA test is performed to confirm Gus' relation to Mariana and he then officially identifies his sister's body. He asks for a moment with her, but Doctor Morales is unable to give him one. Gus asks for aid with burying Mariana as he doesn't have money and with finding Paloma so he can take care of her. To this end, he attempts to make a deal with DDA Hobbs with Rusty's help in exchange for his testimony in the trial for Mariana's murder. Hobbs and Lieutenant Andy Flynn tell him that they can file an official missing person's report for Paloma and start an abuse investigation into his parents, but if Paloma is found, she will be moved to a foster home in Nevada with his allegations as his parents are there. When pushed, Gus tells them about how Mariana ran because he wanted to put their family back together and she feared it. Finally, Hobbs and Flynn make him an offer: in exchange for Gus providing Hobbs background on Mariana for her murder trial, Flynn will search for Paloma unofficially which will prevent her from immediately going to a foster home in Nevada when found. Rusty encourages this as he searched for Mariana's identity unofficially and located Gus and he lacked the resources Flynn has as a police officer, and having told Flynn that Rusty needs him to be making a serious promise. Gus agrees to the deal and starts going into Mariana's background with Hobbs. He later allows Rusty to interview him for his vlog Identity so he can get more Mariana's story out there.

Gus is eventually called to meet with Flynn, Rusty and DCFS caseworker Cynthia, learning to his surprise of Rusty's time in foster care with Cynthia as his caseworker. Flynn informs them that he has possibly located Paloma in a foster home that Cynthia tells them is a good one and she has personally checked into it as the caseworker assigned to the home. The foster parents are also interested in adopting her. Flynn and Cynthia bring Gus a picture of the Paloma Flynn has located, but inform him that once Gus identifies her, the search turns from unofficial to official and Paloma will be either returned to her parents or sent to a foster home in Nevada, thus destroying the new life she has built. Gus looks at Paloma's picture and tells them that it could be her, but refuses to officially identify her until he sees Paloma in person. Sharon later tells Rusty that if Gus meets with Paloma and she recognizes him, it would be exactly the same as if he identified her. Finally, the squad offers Gus a deal he reluctantly takes: in exchange for not visiting Paloma until she's eighteen and thus not destroying her new life, the state pays for Mariana's funeral. Mariana is buried in a Los Angeles cemetery with the Major Crimes squad, Gus and Rusty in attendance. Gus expresses his gratitude for everything the squad and Rusty has done for him and his sisters, but is dissatisfied with not being able to see Paloma. The squad tells him that its the deal he has made and beyond that, he has been able to lay Mariana to rest and know that Paloma is safe which is more than most people they work with can be told in the end, that their loved one is safe. Rusty suggests that this is what Mariana would've wanted for Paloma, a chance to live a new life with a new beginning as Mariana was willing to give everything up to protect her. After the burial, Gus stays at his sister's graveside for awhile as the squad and Rusty leave.

Following Mariana's burial, Gus returns to Las Vegas and over the next few months before Slider's trial texts Rusty who only "mostly" replies. At some point following their first meeting, Gus becomes romantically interested in Rusty and admits that some of his texts may have been "too forward" as a result. Rusty eventually stops replying, both due to Gus' interest in him and because he has started a story on Slider himself, something Gus is unaware of as he doesn't keep up with Identity following Mariana's burial and Rusty doesn't tell him out of fear of his reaction to the news.

When Slider's trial for Mariana's murder starts, Hobbs flies Gus out to testify to Mariana's past and witness the trial of his sister's murderer. Gus gives an emotional testimony on Mariana and how Slider killed her. Slider's lawyer, Bobby Munroe, brings up how Gus doesn't remember the night that Mariana was murdered and tries to make it seem like Gus has a temper and thus may have murdered Mariana himself. To this end, Munroe brings up Gus' assault charge. Questioned by Hobbs about the charge, a tearful Gus tells everyone how he got it protecting his mother from his abusive step-father. His story earns him sympathy from everyone in the courtroom including Judge Grove and Bobby Munroe. He later approaches Rusty who had been avoiding him to not have to tell him about his story on Slider and admits to being surprised to see him, having thought Rusty moved on when he stopped texting him. Rusty assures him he is still very involved and when Gus brings up his too forward texts, lies that he's bad with his phone. Rusty allows Gus to sit beside him and Gus narrowly misses Slider waving to Rusty and Rusty waving back. During Flynn's testimony on how Mariana was drowned by Slider, Gus silently starts crying and takes Rusty's hand for comfort, leaving Rusty uncomfortable. Rusty continues to avoid telling Gus the truth, planning to do so after the verdict. After about a day of deliberation, the jury returns surprisingly fast with a verdict for Slider: guilty on all charges including that of Mariana's murder. While Gus is relieved that Slider has been convicted, he knows it will not bring Mariana back and its still not over as Slider has yet to be sentenced. As Rusty goes to tell Gus the truth about his connection to Slider, Bobby Munroe serves Rusty to testify on Slider's behalf at his sentencing hearing. Gus is shocked to learn that Rusty is Slider's only friend on Earth and believes that Rusty is not the good guy he'd believed. Not giving Rusty a chance to explain, Gus storms out, believing Rusty had only been there for Slider and not Mariana and Gus as he'd believed.

At Slider's sentencing hearing, Gus testifies about how he searched for Mariana for a whole year in hopes of hearing her voice again only to find that Slider had drowned her and threw her in the trash like she didn't matter. Gus tells the jury that while he doesn't think himself or Mariana is that important, they were important to each other and Slider killed his sister without a second thought. After being let off the stand, Gus storms out past Rusty without a word, still furious at him. When Rusty goes on the stand, Gus is initially still very angry at him, but starts to soften as Rusty's testimony goes on. Gus is shown to be surprised that Rusty was on the streets at fifteen like Mariana and listens as Rusty makes it clear that he sees Mariana as the victim, not Slider. Following Rusty's testimony, he looks at Gus who no longer looks angry, understanding that Rusty is on his and Mariana's side and he was wrong. Gus watches Slider's testimony in his own defense in which Slider blames the drugs he was on for his actions and only cares about Mariana as she's the reason he's in jail. To Gus' horror, Slider agrees with Gus that Mariana dying was the worst thing to happen to him though in his case as it put him in jail, not because he cared about her at all and is sorry for Gus too. Gus continues to watch, upset, as Slider shows no remorse for killing Mariana, in fact stating that he's not sorry and proclaiming his innocence despite all the evidence against him. After the hearing, Gus waits for Rusty outside the courtroom and apologizes for having lost his temper, having caught up with Identity and now finally understanding what Rusty was doing with Slider. Gus suggests that he let his feelings for Rusty get mixed up in what was going on between them and figures he got "crossed signals." Rusty tells Gus that Gus doesn't really know him and would be better off not caring about him so much. Gus agrees that it probably would be better, but he does care about Rusty a lot which he sees as his problem, not Rusty's. Gus tells Rusty he will be gone in a week or two and they never have to see each other again after that so Rusty no longer has to worry about Gus' feelings for him. Thanking Rusty for "being nice about it", Gus pats him on the shoulder and walks off, leaving Rusty conflicted.

Gus attends the hearing where the jury sentences Slider to death for murdering Mariana. Gus worries about Slider getting a lighter sentence after Judge Grove plans to take a week to review Slider's sentence, but Rusty reassures him that he has discovered that Judge Grove never vacates death penalty verdicts. Rusty warns Gus that the case won't end there as Bobby Munroe will keep filing appeals, but Gus is willing to wait it out for Mariana's sake. As Gus starts to leave, Rusty asks him to lunch, but Gus refuses, stating that he has somewhere else to be that afternoon. Rusty extends Gus an offer to come to the Major Crimes squad's Christmas party after Rusty tells him everyone would be happy to have him come, but Gus tells him he'd hate to disappoint "everyone", but he's not in the Christmas spirit and leaves a disappointed Rusty behind. That night, Rusty has a nightmare where Slider suggests that Rusty hustles people and drops them after he gets what he needs. Slider suggests that Rusty did that to Gus and Slider though Rusty insists he never did that to Gus. Rusty is left disturbed by the dream and the idea that he may have unintentionally treated Gus as his dream Slider suggested.

Despite refusing Rusty's offer initially, Gus ends up going to the Christmas party after all. Once they're alone, Gus asks Rusty if he's at the party as Rusty's date, but Rusty tells him while he's considered dating Gus, he thinks there's too many hurdles for a relationship between them to work out. Rusty points out that Gus lives in Las Vegas while Rusty lives in Los Angeles and Gus tells him that he's moving to Los Angeles. When he told Rusty he couldn't have lunch with him as he had somewhere to be, Gus hadn't been blowing him off but seeing about a job he was starting the next week. When Rusty asks if Gus is moving to LA to be near Rusty, Gus explains he's doing it to be near Paloma in case her new family ever decides to let Gus be a part of her life. Rusty tells Gus that another reason is he has to focus on college now, but Gus has no problem with it, telling Rusty he might someday go to college himself. Rusty admits he doesn't actually know how to date someone, but Gus doesn't see it as a problem as no one likes dating and they already know each other so they have a big edge and doesn't see a problem occurring even if a romantic relationship between them doesn't work out. After seeing just how much Gus cares for him, Rusty finally admits to the real reason he's hesitant to date Gus: he's afraid that once Gus gets to know him, Gus won't like him anymore. However, Gus doesn't think that will happen. A few minutes later, Gus and Rusty emerge from the break room, smiling and everyone greets Gus gladly. Telling Sharon he's putting himself "all in", Rusty asks if he can invite Gus to join them for Christmas since he'll be alone in LA with no one. Both Sharon and Andy agree and Sharon is happy Rusty considered Gus so closely as Gus has been through some difficult times. Rusty agrees and tells Sharon that "maybe something good's about to happen" and smiling and laughing, goes to rescue Gus from a conversation with Amy Sykes. After Sharon learns of Sharon Beck's apparent life change, she joins Rusty and Gus and the three joke around and laugh together, enjoying the Christmas party together.

Rusty and Gus start officially dating and Gus aids Rusty when his biological mother is in danger and Rusty has Gary Lewis following him. In “Hindsight, Part 5”, Gus attends Provenza and Patrice's wedding with Rusty.

In “Present Tense”, tensions rise between Rusty and Gus when Rusty freaks out when Gus takes his hand in public during an outing in Palm Springs. Rusty later slips an apology letter to Gus who visits Rusty and tells him that it upsets him that Rusty is uncomfortable with being gay. However, Gus doesn't push the subject and simply tells Rusty he missed him. After agreeing not to go any further than that with discussing their feelings, Rusty and Gus go on a date.

Gus later visits Sharon and Rusty in “Foreign Affairs” and “Moral Hazard”, cooking them dinner and briefly offering his perspective on the situation with Rusty's pregnant biological mother. Gus tells them that he is working on a promotion at the restaurant he works at and is trying to get Paloma's new family to let him see her. Gus also takes Rusty on a date to see the new Star Trek and prevents him from letting his new Identity story consume him.

In “Off the Wagon”, Gus listens as Rusty and Sharon discuss how things are developing with his biological mother. After Rusty eventually decides to support her in raising the baby with Gary's parents, Gus sees them off and leaves Sharon Beck with a present. Before leaving, Rusty turns back and tells Gus he loves him for the first time, stating that his life changed when Gus entered it and he can't imagine a future without Gus. While momentarily stunned, Gus tells Rusty he loves him too and has wanted to tell him for a long time. They kiss briefly, and Gus promises to hold Rusty to his words and cheers as Rusty and Sharon drive away.

In “White Lies, Part 2”, Gus comes to spend his day off with Rusty and watch the first Die Hard movie with him, but Rusty focuses on Buzz's case. Gus expresses worry that Rusty is showing no reaction to the death of Doctor Joe as Rusty is unable to tell him that Doctor Joe is still alive. Rusty finally agrees to put his work aside and watch the movie with Gus, who lies that it is not violent.

In “White Lies, Part 3”, Gus accompanies Rusty to watch from a distance as Buzz arrests Bill Jones, his father's killer. Gus records the scene with a video camera and later congratulates Buzz after he tells them that Bill confessed and took a deal of life without parole. However, Buzz tells Gus and Rusty that for him, its not over yet.

In “Heart Failure”, Gus visits his mother in Las Vegas and texts Rusty that he wants to discuss their future with him face to face. Rusty is left worried Gus wishes to break up with him, but instead, Gus asks Rusty to move in with him.

In “Cleared History”, its revealed that Gus broke up with Rusty after Rusty refused to move in with him even after Gus said he could pay for everything due to his new promotion. At the end of the episode, Rusty visits Gus at work and explains that he'd spent two years letting other guys pay for everything for him and he needs to be able to pay his own way, or at least his half. After Rusty tells Gus that he didn't have the words to explain before, Gus sits him down to have a drink and talk things over, feeling that while it sucks they have to deal with these sorts of things, he's willing to do it for Rusty who he greatly missed.

In “Dead Drop”, Rusty enlists Gus' help with Andy's plans to propose to Sharon. Gus is able to get Andy a reservation at Serve where Andy and Sharon had their first date, but a murder investigation derails the plan. Instead, Rusty and Gus set up Sharon's condo in a recreation of Andy and Sharon's first date for Andy to use for his proposal.

In “Shockwave, Part 1” and “Shockwave, Part 2”, Gus is offered a job as a sous chef at his boss' new restaurant in Nappa and wants Rusty to transfer to Berkley so he can take the job and maintain their relationship. Rusty refuses, frustrating Gus due to their relationship being all about Rusty who rightly suspects Gus' boss of having romantic intentions towards him. After a talk with Gus' boss who confirms his suspicions, Rusty realizes he is being selfish and encourages Gus to take the job though Rusty will remain in LA. While Rusty assures Gus they can maintain a long-distance relationship, he seems to think it will be the end for them once he is no longer there to tie Gus down.

In “Sanctuary City, Part 1”, its revealed that Gus has not responded to Rusty's phone calls or texts in four days. While following Gus's boss Aiden on Instagram, Rusty found a picture of them dancing at a club together. Rusty later looks wistfully at Gus' Instagram in “Sanctuary City, Part 2” which is full of pictures of meals Gus has presumably cooked and Gus holding a glass of wine out to the camera. Rusty appears to believe that their relationship is over at this point, telling Sharon in “Sanctuary City, Part 3” that he is going to send Gus a letter via regular mail saying "no hard feelings" and expressing doubts that he will attend Sharon and Andy's wedding in “Sanctuary City, Part 4” despite the fact that Gus has RSVP'd.

In “Sanctuary City, Part 5”, Gus attends Sharon and Andy's wedding. Besides a brief glance in Gus' direction, Rusty appears not to acknowledge Gus' presence. In turn, Gus looks worried, especially after seeing Rusty's reaction to his presence.

In “Conspiracy Theory, Part 1”, its revealed that Gus had an affair with his boss Aiden and he and Rusty have broken up. Gus returns Rusty's things to him, including a book he gifted to Gus. After learning that Phillip Stroh is likely back and that Rusty has a protection detail and a gun, he is concerned but Rusty is too hurt by Gus' actions to care. Gus reveals that he ended the affair as he still loved Rusty which led to Aiden firing him and refusing to let Gus use him as a reference. Gus tells Rusty that this has basically ruined his life, relegating Gus to waiting tables at a diner and having changed apartments. After Rusty asks how many times Gus cheated, he departs in a huff, leaving behind Rusty's gift.

After learning from Sharon that what Aiden did to Gus was illegal, Rusty, though still hurt, approaches Gus outside of his new apartment about it. Rusty urges Gus to sue Aiden, but Gus refuses to stand up in court and admit what happened. When Rusty asks if Gus had been in love with Aiden, Gus leaves without a word. Despite Gus' refusal to cooperate, Rusty attempts to get Aiden to give him a reference and a severance package and learns that Gus may not be the only one Aiden has done this to.

In “Conspiracy Theory, Part 2”, Gus visits Rusty at Major Crimes and is given the settlement Rusty negotiated out of Aiden. Rusty reveals to Gus the fact that Gus was not the only person Aiden victimized and the two clearly have a hard time dealing with Gus' affair and the breakup. Before Rusty leaves, Gus tells Rusty he only slept with Aiden twice with the second time being only because he didn't know how to say no.

After Rusty ignores Gus' texts and calls, Gus returns to the PAB and confronts Rusty outside. Though Rusty's efforts will help get Gus' life back on track, Gus is desperate not to lose Rusty too. Gus reveals that Aiden told him about how Rusty knew his true intentions for taking Gus to Nappa, forcing Rusty to explain himself. Rusty makes it clear that while he still loves Gus, he feels that Gus is not the same man he loves. Gus admits he still loves Rusty too and tearfully begs Rusty to fix things, but Rusty makes it clear that he doesn't know if he can trust Gus. Rusty finally tells Gus that if he could forgive what Gus did, he would, but Rusty just doesn't know how.

In “Conspiracy Theory, Part 3”, Gus corners Rusty in a crowded elevator at the PAB in an attempt to get Rusty to talk to him. Gus tells Rusty that though he has been asked out, he has turned down the offer as he still wants to make things right with Rusty. However, due to still being hurt and the pressure he is under, Rusty rebuffs Gus' attempts at reconciliation.

In “Conspiracy Theory, Part 4”, Gus sends Rusty a bouquet of flowers in an attempt to make up for his insensitive actions in the elevator. After Sharon Raydor collapses, Rusty calls Gus who leaves work early to rush to the hospital to be at Rusty's side. Before leaving, Gus apologizes to one of his customers with whom he has discussed Rusty. Gus informs the man that Rusty's mother is in the emergency room and the man suggests that he might see Gus again "before I go." Unknown to Gus, the customer is Phillip Stroh, the serial killer that is after Rusty.

At the hospital, Gus learns of what happened from an emotional Amy Sykes. A tearful Rusty thanks Gus for his coming moments before the doctor arrives with news. After telling Rusty and Andy in private, the doctor announces to everyone gathered, Gus included that Sharon has died. Along with everyone else, Gus is left grief-stricken by the news.

In “By Any Means, Part 1”, Gus cooks for the Raydor family alongside Patrice Perry to do his part to help take care of the grieving family.

In “By Any Means, Part 2”, Gus cooks food for Rusty from his grandmother's recipe on his day off and brings it to Major Crimes. While in the murder room, Gus spots a picture of Stroh on the murder board and is shocked to recognize Stroh as a patron of the restaurant that he works at. Gus' eyewitness testimony provides the first verifiable proof to the LAPD that Stroh has returned. However, Stroh's accomplice Dylan manages to edit Stroh out of the restaurant security footage.

Due to the possible threat against Gus, Provenza attempts to get Gus a security detail from Leo Mason. Provenza finally offers a compromise where Gus and Rusty will share a detail and Gus will stay at the condo with Rusty. Due to their relationship problems, Rusty is reluctant but agrees that Gus needs protection. Gus is clearly unhappy by Rusty's reaction to the suggestion and during the meeting, there is clear tension as Rusty and Gus sit next to each other.

Andy later tells the two that they must stay together at all times and cannot split up to go off on their own. Gus is pleased by the news that they can't split up and reaches out to Rusty who doesn't outright reject him.

In “By Any Means, Part 3”, Gus discusses the case with Rusty, Tao and Andy at the dinner table. One of Gus' comments gives Andy and Tao an idea on how to proceed with the case. Later, Gus takes notes for Rusty when he contacts Mary Wellington's mother Alice after discovering that Stroh's new victim Elizabeth Dunn is Mary's sister. Gus reminds Rusty that Sharon didn't want him to play detective and watches as the Major Crimes detectives call Gordon Ducrest's daughter. Following the revelations that Gordon was also paid off by Gwendolyn Stroh, Gus offers his own opinion on the situation based on what they have learned.

At the end of the episode, Gus asks to move into Rusty's room from the couch, having gotten Andy's permission. Gus asks Rusty to give him a chance and to at least allow Stroh's return to do something good. Rusty is shown to seriously consider Gus' request rather than rejecting him outright.

In “By Any Means, Part 4”, after Wes Nolan proves that Sharon's condo is not secure, Rusty and Gus are transferred to the PAB and their security detail revoked until the situation is resolved. Gus remains by Rusty's side as Rusty attempts to figure out Stroh's motives in relation to Tammy Bechtal. Gus realizes that Rusty understands Stroh very well which Rusty admits to but also the fact that the opposite is true. Rusty expresses a fear to Gus that if Stroh is arrested, he will go to trial and Rusty's past will be exposed and that even in prison, Rusty will have to fear Stroh for the rest of his life.

After Rusty insists on checking out Tammy Bechtal, Gus accompanies Rusty, Provenza and Buzz Watson to Tammy's house where they find Tammy murdered. After realizing that Stroh is on Jim Bechtal's nearby yacht, Rusty orders Gus to stay behind and chases after Provenza to help. Following Stroh's death at Rusty's hands, Gus sits with him as Fritz Howard assures Rusty that Stroh's death was justified. Gus expects Rusty to want Gus to go his separate way now that the threat is over, but Rusty asks Gus to stay the night. Gus offers to stay forever if Rusty wants and Rusty takes Gus' hand, apparently resuming their relationship.

Trivia

• Gus played an off-screen role in “Jane Doe 38” due to his visit to Mariana in the homeless shelter causing her to run away to LA. This visit is learned about during the course of the investigation into Mariana's murder, but the police learn nothing about Gus himself due to the story being a secondhand account of the visit by someone who never saw him. Slider and Thad Cass are both briefly suspected of being the mysterious visitor but are cleared. This visit becomes a major point in Rusty's investigation into Mariana's true identity.
• Despite not appearing in person, Gus is credited in the end credits of “Snitch” and “Targets of Opportunity”. This is presumably due to his voicemails played in both episodes.
• Ironically, Rusty originally suspected Gus of being a really bad guy before they met and then later ended up dating him.
• In his final entry in The Long Shadow, Rusty reveals that Gus acted as his cameraman for the story.
• In “Moral Hazard”, Gus takes Rusty to see the new Star Trek movie, presumably Star Trek Beyond, on a date. Rene Rosado, Gus' actor, played a background bridge officer in Star Trek Into Darkness.
• Gus is the third known recurring Major Crimes character to be LGBT. The other two are Rusty Beck and TJ Shaw. Gus also shared a scene with both Rusty and TJ in his first appearance. However, unlike Rusty and TJ, Gus' exact sexuality is never stated. He is likely gay as well as besides dating Rusty and sleeping with Aiden, when he talks about turning down a date with someone else in “Conspiracy Theory, Part 3” its a male and no mention is ever made of Gus dating or showing interest in women. A further indication that Gus is gay is in “By Any Means, Part 2”, Provenza comments to Rusty and Gus that they "bat for the same team" and can at least "share a dugout" after they state that they have broken up as a reason for not being together in Sharon's condo.
• In “Targets of Opportunity” at least, Gus' phone number is 667-555-0127. According to TJ Shaw, its a burner phone that TJ's reverse phone number lookup shows as being bought in Baltimore, Maryland.
• According to the background check illegally conducted by Rusty in “Targets of Opportunity”, Gus' birthday is January 13, 1992. His adult offenses include the felony assault with a deadly weapon and breaking and entering charges in Nevada. According to the background check, Gus served a year in the county jail on the assault and got time served for the breaking and entering as a first time offender. He also has two misdemeanors from 2010 and 2012 respectively while in Baltimore. Gus got a one year suspended sentence for the 2010 charge and is marked as having served six months and was then paroled on the 2012 charge.
• While it was initially unclear how much Gus knew of Rusty's past, their argument in “Conspiracy Theory, Part 2” makes it clear that Gus knew the details of Rusty's life on the street, including the prostitution. In “By Any Means, Part 4”, when Rusty's past is brought up in a calmer situation, Gus shows nothing but sympathy and understanding for what Rusty went through.

Appearances

Major Crimes

Season 4

• “Snitch” (voicemail only)
• “Targets of Opportunity” (voicemail only)
• “Hostage to Fortune”
• “Wish You Were Here”
• “Fifth Dynasty”
• “Thick as Thieves”
• “FindKaylaWeber”
• “Penalty Phase”
• “Hindsight, Part 1”
• “Hindsight, Part 4”
• “Hindsight, Part 5”

Season 5

• “Present Tense”
• “Foreign Affairs”
• “Moral Hazard”
• “Off the Wagon”
• “White Lies, Part 2”
• “White Lies, Part 3”
• “Heart Failure”
• “Cleared History”
• “Shockwave, Part 1”
• “Shockwave, Part 2”

Season 6

• “Sanctuary City, Part 5”
• “Conspiracy Theory, Part 1”
• “Conspiracy Theory, Part 2”
• “Conspiracy Theory, Part 3”
• “Conspiracy Theory, Part 4”
• “By Any Means, Part 1”
• “By Any Means, Part 2”
• “By Any Means, Part 3”
• “By Any Means, Part 4”