I do not own CSI.

This is a response to JustMeForNow's competition although I've had this idea rolling around in my head even before writing The Bottle. It is slightly based on the eppy Suckers...but not really...just a springboard more than anything.

Ex Malo Bonum is translated: From bad comes good

(You will see why it is called this later) :)

There were lots of weird cases. Come to think of it, almost ALL their cases were weird, this was Vegas afterall, but a bunch of people this delusional? It was just plain annoying, actually. There would be more than enough crime to solve without people running around playing pretend vampire, deciding to stab someone in the jugular so they could "steal they life."

Neither Warrick nor Catherine had slept much in the past few days as they were both pulling a double, so the usual ease at which they conversed while processing had reverted to nothing more than necessary communication. Now, only an hour or so away from getting off shift and falling into a warm bed, they had received a phone call about a lead at some underground club on the Strip. Reluctantly, the two CSI's drug themselves out to Catherine's SUV, where they were just too exhausted to even notice the awkward silence en route.

Once inside the club, Warrick immediately spotted their guy over at the bar. As they approached, they could see his was clearly doing absinthe and that he was clearly...um...vampish.

"Warrick Brown. I'm with the crime lab and this is Catherine Willows." Warrick stuck his hand out.

The man did not offer a return hand but simply said, "Lazarus Cain. Something I can do for you?" He eyed Catherine, "Or you?"

Warrick did NOT like the way this man was looking at Catherine. Sure, she wasn't his to worry over or be jealous about, but he sure as hell had enough feelings for her to be his. It was all too clear to him, though, that it wasn't likely to ever amount to anything. Even if there wasn't the co-worker hurdle, or the age difference hurdle, both of them had just been through so much that all that baggage wasn't likely to make for an easy relationship. Plus, he had felt this way so long now, he wouldn't know where to begin telling her, and what of her return feelings, if there were any. Warrick snapped himself back out of the clouds and tried to focus on the interview at hand.

"Yes. Yes you can. Do you know this girl?" Warrick held up a pic of the DB that had been brought in hours earlier: bled out with two puncture wounds on her neck.

"Yeah, I know her..."

An hour later, with the discovery this man's fingerprints were in the system and that they did NOT match those found at the scene, Warrick and Catherine were forced to try and talk to as many people at the club as possible, hoping someone else knew her and could give them information on her death. Warrick began to notice Catherine's slow response time and suggested she go on home.

"No, no, I'm fine. We need to finish up here and then I'll go home." She replied.

"Catherine, I'm almost finished, it will take me an hour tops. Plus, I have tomorrow off and you don't."

She smiled wearily, "You're RIGHT, you do have tomorrow off. How will you get back to the lab though?"

"I'll have Greg come pick me up. It's always fun to rile him up."

Catherine laughed, "Ok, well, call me when you get finished up here and let me know if you did or didn't find anything else out."

And to check and make sure you got home ok. Warrick thought.

"You need a walk out to your car?"

"No, I'm fine. You go ahead and finish here. I'll see you later."

Catherine walked through the darkened lot to her SUV. She had a feeling that she was being watched and quickened her step. This didn't necessarily mean anything as she ALWAYS felt she was being watched and always hurried to her vehicle. She was relieved when she made it to the car and opened the back door to put her kit inside. As she turned around to get in the front seat, she was startled to see Lazarus Cain just standing there in front of her.

"What are you doing? You scared me half to death!" She yelled as she quickly got in the front seat and locked the door, unrolling the window just enough to hear his reply.

"You are a beautiful woman." He said with more creep factor than anyone she'd ever met.

"Whatever." She began to roll the window up.

"Wait!" He started. "I just wanted to tell you something else about the case." This intrigued her and she rolled it back down a little.

"What? What do you have to say now that you couldn't in there?" She spat at him, annoyed.

"Just that you'd make a wonderful vampire."

"What?!" Catherine thought she might have misunderstood him.

"Beautiful, sexy, intelligent, strong...and quite the natural hunter...for criminals now...but we'll see..."

Catherine rolled her eyes at this idiot pretender, "Thanks so much for the compliment. I really do appreciate you telling me that I'd fit in nicely with all those fake, clip-on fang, goth bimbos in there. I've never been told I'd make a great fake vampire before. Thanks." She finished, dripping with sarcasm.

Lazarus Cain reached for her door handle and whispered, "Who said anything about fake?"

Reviews are nice and most welcome. If anyone else is interested in this challenge/competition, go to JustMeForNow's homepage...there is still lots of time to enter.

Thanks!