A/N: My first Hallowe'en based one shot. Sorry it's a day late. Bobby has an encounter at a busy bar one night. The character of Bobby Goren belongs to Dick Wolfe et al. Eloise is my own. Thoughts as always, are appreciated. Apologies for any and all errors....always unintentional. Belated Hallowe'en wishes!!
Interview with a…
Pale skin the colour of alabaster, it attracts his attention. In a society that prizes a sun tan above all else, the pallor really stands out and it entrances him for a second. He wishes that he could get closer to her to see whether it's really as smooth as it looks. As it is, seeing her from where he's sitting is enough. Her hair is a dark fiery red and something tells him that it's not from a bottle or a packet or whatever. It seems to be the real deal. He wants to get closer to check her out. She intrigues him.
She's sitting by herself but she's internal. She's not here to meet someone and she's not looking for anything. The drink in front of her gets her undivided attention and for a moment he's envious. He wonders what colour her eyes are.
They're green.
He starts when he hears the voice in his head as clear as his own thoughts. His eyes widen marginally.
No. You didn't imagine it.
Now he's starting to feel a little freaked out. He picks up his glass and takes a swallow of beer. He replaces the glass on the counter and shifts slightly in his seat. He's an intelligent man, while not exactly a man of science; he tends to see the world in black and white with the occasional shade of grey mixed in.
You should open your eyes wider, and then you'll see the colours.
He freezes again. The bar is busy. It's a Saturday night and it's filled to bursting with revellers as well as regulars. Who the hell could be doing this and how?
You wouldn't believe me if I told you.
Damn there it is again. Is this is the start of it, did his mother start off like this? He had been seven years old when he had become aware of it happening to her but he'd been too young to understand.
You're not losing your mind. It's really happening.
He barely contains his gasp. He takes another mouthful of beer and as he swallows it down, he decides to experiment.
My name is Robert Goren. What about you?
The following silence makes him seriously question his sanity but hell, he's curious.
Eloise. Nice to meet you. Do you answer to Robert or Bobby?
Well he'll be damned. He lifts his head slightly and he scans the faces at the bar. No one is looking at him. He turns his head and does a sweep of the surrounding tables. More of the same and now he's baffled. He frowns. He's baffled but he's also very, very intrigued.
Who are you and more to the point, where are you?
He feels stupid doing this, Eames would call it mind melding, Lord knows she's teased him about it a few times when they've worked cases and come to the same conclusion at the same time.
That doesn't matter. I'm having fun.
Well he's glad someone is enjoying themselves. He concentrates on the voice and it occurs to him that the voice is female.
Well done. Now you can eliminate half of the population of the bar.
He sits back in his stool and scans the faces again. The fact that he can't pinpoint her frustrates him. He directs his attention to the redhead with the beautiful skin. She's drinking what looks like red wine and she still isn't looking at him. The voice had been female, had told her that the eyes he'd wondered about, her eyes were green. Excitement flared inside of him. It was her; it had to be her.
Are you sure?
Her voice makes him freeze.
It's you. How would you know otherwise?
There's another silence. He waits for her to look at him, to acknowledge him. He's certain that he's got the right person. It's then that he sees the blonde approach the redhead, whom he's certain is Eloise, and slip into the vacant seat beside her. The redhead looks at her but doesn't acknowledge her. The blonde looks at him and his heart just about stops in his chest.
Not so sure now are you?
He watches the bar tender approach the blonde. He observes how she leans forward to speak to him. The bar tender nods and moves away. A glass of white wine materialises in front of her a couple of moments later.
You didn't answer my question before. Is it Robert or Bobby?
He's thoroughly unnerved now and he looks down at his beer. How many has he had tonight?
That's only your second beer. You're not drunk. Answer my question handsome.
His head snaps up. Handsome?
Well you are. You should lighten up; I bet you have a wonderful smile.
He was being chatted up by a disconnected voice. Wonderful. Could this night get any freakier?
Depends on your definition of freaky.
Alright, enough is enough. He's beyond weirded out and way past freaked out. Has he dropped into an episode of the Twilight Zone without realising it?
Aww, don't be scared. It's Hallowe'en.
He takes a deep breath.
Stop it.
The silence is so long this time. Of course it's Hallowe'en. Now he sees the decorations…the carved Jack o'Lanterns, the grinning skulls, the rubber vampire bats. How the hell had he not noticed them earlier?
Because you weren't paying attention Bobby. I hope you don't mind but you look like a Bobby to me.
Oh God…he's hallucinating, losing his mind or in the middle of a really weird, awful dream.
You know you're not. You're not hallucinating, losing your mind and you're certainly not asleep. Look across the bar.
Automatically he does.
The redhead is watching him now. The blonde has left. He watches her smile.
He sees her eyes change, become lighter, almost luminescent and he swears he sees…fangs?
The change is subtle, fleeting and gone so quickly that he's not sure whether he's just imagined what he's just witnessed. He blinks.
What the…
His spine snaps straight as a chill floods through him.
Happy Hallowe'en Bobby. It's been fun.
He slides off his stool and pushes his way through the crowds. His heart is hammering in his chest; his knees feel a little rubbery. What the hell has he just witnessed? He tries to keep his eyes on her. She's still seated at the bar, for all intents and purposes just enjoying a solitary drink in a crowded bar. Someone bumps into him and momentarily knocks him sideways and he is forced to look away.
He reaches her seat and is disappointed to see it vacant. The glass is on the bar and it's empty. He turns his head and looks for a redhead but he can't see anyone, he can't see her. He frowns in confusion and heads towards the exit. He forces his way through the crowds unapologetically but it's too late, she's nowhere to be seen.
Where are you?
All around him people are celebrating. The sounds fill his head but he ignores them and listens for one voice, her voice. He waits almost expectantly.
He doesn't hear her and he's disappointed.
Talk to you again soon handsome.
Her voice echoes loudly inside of his head and this time, instead of feeling unnerved, he just smiles.
FIN.