Disclaimer: I still do not own CSI or Angel. I do not make any money from my stories, they are all just for fun.
Monsters Do Exist
Grissom was seated at the head of the conference table. Catherine, Sara, and Nick were on the right side of the table, Warrick, and Greg on the left. The room was so silent Grissom almost wondered if he was losing his hearing again. It was clear that everyone was still in shock. They were waiting. Waiting for Brass to return with the Sheriff Atwater. He had shown up moments after Angel, Spike, Gunn, and Wesley had left. Brass was with him now in the A/V room showing him the tapes of the roller coaster scene and the security tapes from the hallway outside the interrogation room.
The room may have been silent but the thoughts running through each CSI's mind were deafening. Nick was still brooding about the fact that Kate had left with Angel. Greg had his head resting on the table, he had seen some messed up things in his time, but nothing like this. Catherine stared at her fingernails. Sara stared at the clock, as though her mind could make the minute hand move faster. Warrick stared blankly at the wall behind Catherine. He had heard of some disappearances in his old neighborhood, he couldn't help but wonder if this was the cause. Grissom just stared at some files in front of him. His stomach was in knots over what the Sheriff would say. The door to the conference room opened and Brass entered with the sheriff behind him. The Sheriff just stood there a moment, trying to collect his thoughts.
"Grissom, I really have no idea what to say. Please explain to me how something like this could happen."
"Sir, I honestly have no idea."
"Well you're a scientist. Tell me how this is scientifically possible. I mean, are we sure this isn't just a bunch of freaks on drugs?" Of course, after viewing the tape the Sheriff knew that wasn't possible.
"Even freaks on drugs don't turn to dust upon being stabbed."
"What am I supposed to tell the mayor? Or the general public for that matter. We're going to look like fools. Vampires…" he scoffed. "What's next, werewolves and boogie men?"
"I honestly don't know. What I do know is we need to meet with Angel and his team and come up with some sort of plan. They are willing to help us with this stuff."
"That's another thing. I want to meet this Angel fella and his whole gang. Set up a meeting ASAP. Now excuse me, I need to go meet with our fallen officer's widow. I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to tell her."
With that the Sheriff shook his head, turned and walked out the door. The room was even tenser then before.
"Well that went better then expected," Brass quipped.
"How was the tape viewing?" Grissom inquired.
"Not so good. I had no idea there were that many curse words in the English language."
"So what makes y'all think we can trust this Angel guy? I mean, he is a vampire." Nick said with both concern and disgust.
"Right now, Nick, he's all we got. Do you think we can handle this on our own? Everything that we have ever told ourselves to be false, is now in fact true. Monsters do exist. There are things hiding in the closet and under the bed. That bump in the night isn't only the wind. Lock up your children because…"
"Oh god, Lindsey!" Catherine exclaimed as she jumped up to use the phone.
"Grissom," Sara started, "I think you have to make a call."
Grissom nodded as he took out the business card Angel had handed him. He dialed the phone. It rang a few times before a cheerful voice on the other end answered.
"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless!" The other voice belonged to Cordelia.
"Uh..hi…this is, well, um, this is Gil Grissom from CSI. Is Angel there?"
"No, he's playing catch up with Kate Lockley." Cordelia tried to hide the annoyance in her voice. "But he said you might be calling. I'm the office manager, Cordelia Chase. How may I help you?"
"Well, perhaps, uh…we would like to schedule a meeting with your entire team. We need…well, information and education on…uh, vampires, and that hellmouth thing."
"Certainly, we can provide that. I suppose we should come to you, as our place is kind of well, small. Would tomorrow be okay, say just after sundown?"
"Yes, that works for me. See you then." Grissom hung up the phone. "Tomorrow, around six, everybody meets back here. I don't care about your cases or anything else. This is now our number one priority. Brass, you may want to get as many officers as you can in here tomorrow."
Brass nodded in agreement.
"So what do we do until then?" asked Greg.
"Go home and try to get some sleep…if such a thing is possible."
"Remind me to stock up on some garlic on the way home," Greg said to Nick.
The team split up and went out to their cars. The sunlight made the air warm and gave the team a strange sense of comfort. But they knew it would be dark again when they came back to work. Suddenly their work time became one of dread.
Monsters Do Exist
Grissom was seated at the head of the conference table. Catherine, Sara, and Nick were on the right side of the table, Warrick, and Greg on the left. The room was so silent Grissom almost wondered if he was losing his hearing again. It was clear that everyone was still in shock. They were waiting. Waiting for Brass to return with the Sheriff Atwater. He had shown up moments after Angel, Spike, Gunn, and Wesley had left. Brass was with him now in the A/V room showing him the tapes of the roller coaster scene and the security tapes from the hallway outside the interrogation room.
The room may have been silent but the thoughts running through each CSI's mind were deafening. Nick was still brooding about the fact that Kate had left with Angel. Greg had his head resting on the table, he had seen some messed up things in his time, but nothing like this. Catherine stared at her fingernails. Sara stared at the clock, as though her mind could make the minute hand move faster. Warrick stared blankly at the wall behind Catherine. He had heard of some disappearances in his old neighborhood, he couldn't help but wonder if this was the cause. Grissom just stared at some files in front of him. His stomach was in knots over what the Sheriff would say. The door to the conference room opened and Brass entered with the sheriff behind him. The Sheriff just stood there a moment, trying to collect his thoughts.
"Grissom, I really have no idea what to say. Please explain to me how something like this could happen."
"Sir, I honestly have no idea."
"Well you're a scientist. Tell me how this is scientifically possible. I mean, are we sure this isn't just a bunch of freaks on drugs?" Of course, after viewing the tape the Sheriff knew that wasn't possible.
"Even freaks on drugs don't turn to dust upon being stabbed."
"What am I supposed to tell the mayor? Or the general public for that matter. We're going to look like fools. Vampires…" he scoffed. "What's next, werewolves and boogie men?"
"I honestly don't know. What I do know is we need to meet with Angel and his team and come up with some sort of plan. They are willing to help us with this stuff."
"That's another thing. I want to meet this Angel fella and his whole gang. Set up a meeting ASAP. Now excuse me, I need to go meet with our fallen officer's widow. I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to tell her."
With that the Sheriff shook his head, turned and walked out the door. The room was even tenser then before.
"Well that went better then expected," Brass quipped.
"How was the tape viewing?" Grissom inquired.
"Not so good. I had no idea there were that many curse words in the English language."
"So what makes y'all think we can trust this Angel guy? I mean, he is a vampire." Nick said with both concern and disgust.
"Right now, Nick, he's all we got. Do you think we can handle this on our own? Everything that we have ever told ourselves to be false, is now in fact true. Monsters do exist. There are things hiding in the closet and under the bed. That bump in the night isn't only the wind. Lock up your children because…"
"Oh god, Lindsey!" Catherine exclaimed as she jumped up to use the phone.
"Grissom," Sara started, "I think you have to make a call."
Grissom nodded as he took out the business card Angel had handed him. He dialed the phone. It rang a few times before a cheerful voice on the other end answered.
"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless!" The other voice belonged to Cordelia.
"Uh..hi…this is, well, um, this is Gil Grissom from CSI. Is Angel there?"
"No, he's playing catch up with Kate Lockley." Cordelia tried to hide the annoyance in her voice. "But he said you might be calling. I'm the office manager, Cordelia Chase. How may I help you?"
"Well, perhaps, uh…we would like to schedule a meeting with your entire team. We need…well, information and education on…uh, vampires, and that hellmouth thing."
"Certainly, we can provide that. I suppose we should come to you, as our place is kind of well, small. Would tomorrow be okay, say just after sundown?"
"Yes, that works for me. See you then." Grissom hung up the phone. "Tomorrow, around six, everybody meets back here. I don't care about your cases or anything else. This is now our number one priority. Brass, you may want to get as many officers as you can in here tomorrow."
Brass nodded in agreement.
"So what do we do until then?" asked Greg.
"Go home and try to get some sleep…if such a thing is possible."
"Remind me to stock up on some garlic on the way home," Greg said to Nick.
The team split up and went out to their cars. The sunlight made the air warm and gave the team a strange sense of comfort. But they knew it would be dark again when they came back to work. Suddenly their work time became one of dread.