We're Not All Crazy Are We?
Sara had started to walk to her car when she realized she had forgotten her keys inside. She walked back towards the locker room. On her way she passed the A/V lab. She stopped at the door, staring inside at the back of Grissom's head. The roller coaster scene played on the big screen, Grissom was entranced by it. Sara was entranced by it was well. A voice from behind her snapped her from her fog.
"He's keeps watching it over and over again," said a concerned voice.
It was Archie, everyone's favorite A/V technician. His cheerful manner and high intellect made him a lab favorite. If Sara wasn't so obsessed with Grissom she might have even thought he was cute.
"Hey Arch. Are you okay? I heard things didn't go very well with the Sheriff."
"Sara, I studied every inch of those tapes. The sheriff is the least of our problems." Archie paused and shook his head. "You know, I've played a ton of video games that were just like what happened on those tapes. I just can't believe it's all real."
"None of us can, Archie," Sara said, putting a reassuring hand on Archie's shoulder. She walked into the A/V room and stood behind Grissom. She put her hands on his shoulders. Grissom jumped a little in surprise at being touched.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Sara, now's maybe not the best time to walk up behind people and grab them."
Sara looked at Grissom apologetically. "Yeah, sorry about that," she paused. "Archie said you keep watching these tapes. Are you alright? I mean, Grissom, you saw some pretty scary stuff tonight."
"Sara, I keep watching this footage over and over again. I keep rerunning the memories in my mind, and I still can't believe this is real. I feel that if I keep going over the footage I will find something, some little clue that this is all a hoax. But I can't find anything. I feel like I am forcing my mind to accept something I just doesn't make any sense."
"Grissom, you're not alone. We all saw the same thing in that hallway, we all watched these tapes, If it helps any, we're all feeling the same way."
Sara took Grissom nodding his head as a sign of encouragement. "Griss, you wanna go grab a beer or a bite to eat and talk about it?"
Grissom sighed. He really didn't know how to act around Sara anymore. After she asked him out, and he shot her down, things had become strained between them. Their friendship had been compromised. It was as much his fault as hers, he just couldn't give himself to her, as much as he wanted to. There were even some rumors that she was drinking too much lately, but he didn't know if he should talk to her about it.
"Sara, I don't know. I mean there is a lot going on, maybe…"
"Grissom, chill out! Geez, I was just asking for a conversation, about this stuff that's going on, not a marriage proposal. It's just a sandwich and a conversation. That's all."
Grissom looked up at Sara, her face was so sincere. How could he say no?
"I know a great little sports bar, they have terrific veggie burgers," he answered with a smile.
Sara smiled back at him and nodded her head in approval. She started to walk out, then turned around to face him again.
"Hey Grissom, we're not all crazy right?"
"The evidence is right in front of us, Sara," Grissom had frozen the screen on a vamp turning to dust as Angel staked him. Grissom and Sara both stared at the screen for a moment before heading to the bar.
***********************************************************************************
Sara and Grissom drove separately to the bar, she followed him. They walked inside and sat at a high top in the back. Grissom knew this place from watching baseball games with Nick and Warrick, on the few occasions he fraternized with his employees. It was kind of a hole in the wall, but the atmosphere was just right for the kind of mood he was in. The room was small and dark, a far contrast from most of the bars and clubs in Las Vegas. The only neon light here came from the numerous beer lights hanging around the bar.
"Wow, um…interesting place." Sara said unsure of the scene. Hank had always brought her to little out of the way places like this. It turned out it was just because he was cheating on his real girlfriend with Sara and didn't want them to be seen together. "Oh well," Sara thought, "that was ages ago. And Grissom isn't Hank. And this is business."
The waitress approached the table and asked for an order. Grissom ordered for them both.
"Yeah, the lady will have a Miller Lite and the spicy veggie burger. I will have a Michelob and the buffalo wings. Hot."
The waitress went to get the beers and put in the order. Grissom turned from watching the waitress to face an obviously irritated Sara.
"What did you do that for?"
Grissom didn't realize what he had done. "What?"
"You ordered for me."
Grissom sighed, "Sara, I have known you for many years now. Whenever we go out, you always order the same thing. I just thought I would save us sometime."
Sara was a little taken aback. "Wow, am I really that predictable?"
"Sometimes," Grissom was desperate to change the subject. "So, we have a meeting in about nine hours with Angel and his crew. What do you think about these guys?"
"I don't trust them." Sara and Grissom were both a little surprised by her quick response.
"They saved our lives. Why don't you trust them," Grissom asked more out of curiosity. He could see why this new group of crime fighters may not be trustworthy, but he wanted to hear what Sara had to say.
"Yeah, but why? Why is this happening? Grissom, everything was fine a few weeks ago. Just your run-of-the-mill rapes and murders. Suddenly we have corpses drained of blood by vampires. And then these superheroes, two of them vampires themselves, show up, and save our lives? And this is just supposed to be a coincidence?"
"Sara, I don't know what it is. This is new ground for me too. Do you have any idea how frightening this all is for me? I know evidence, I know science, I know bugs, and blood, and crime, hell I even know about human nature. This is something that can't be explained with any of that stuff, and it scares the hell out of me."
Sara was a little surprised by Grissom's show of vulnerability. He's one of those people that you normally can't get a read on. He is mysterious and keeps his emotions well hidden. To hear he proclaim fear bewildered Sara. It was as if Grissom could read Sara's mind.
"Sara, I'm sorry, I know that isn't the answer you wanted. But honestly, I don't have the answers."
Sara 's voice was almost childlike, "Well who does?"
"Nick?"
"Nick?! Come on Grissom, he doesn't know any more then we do."
"No, Nick over there, at the bar!" It was then Sara noticed Grissom staring over her shoulder. She turned to see Nick sitting at the bar next to the blond vampire, Spike.
Sara was worried, "What the hell is he doing here? And with that…vampire? Grissom what should we do?"
"Sara, it's none of our business who Nick hangs out with. Just let him be."
Sara shook her head. She may have resented the fact that Nick got the promotion over her, but this was just not right. They were friends and she didn't want Nick to end up another victim with two holes in his neck. Before Grissom could stop the headstrong woman Sara got up and marched over to the odd pair at the bar.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Both Nick and Spike spun around to see where the angry female voice had come from.
"Who the bloody hell are you?" "Sara!" Spike and Nick respectively exclaimed.
"Oh, so this is the Sara you were telling me about?" Spike directed at Nick, as if Sara wasn't even there.
"What were you telling him about me?"
"Nothing."
Grissom walked over to Sara.
"Sara, our food is here. Come on, let's leave Nick and the nice vampire alone." Grissom gently took Sara's arm to lead her away. Sara had a hair trigger temper and the uncanny ability to offend just about anyone. The last thing he needed was Sara making Spike angry, not now, not until he knew more about these new characters and what was going on.
"Grissom, what are you doing here?" Nick was a little surprised to see Grissom and Sara together. It was no secret that he had rejected her advances and their friendship had suffered for it.
"Um, we're getting a bite to eat." Grissom immediately regretted his choice of words. "Good one Gil," he thought, "let's give the vampire ideas."
"Oh do they have those onion blossom thingies?" Spike asked excitedly. "I love those."
"I believe so," Nick answered. Both Nick and Grissom were a little surprised at Spike's enthusiasm for bar food. Suddenly Grissom was intrigued by Spike and wanted to know more about him.
"Would you two like to join us?" Grissom offered, much to Sara's dismay.
"Sure, Spike wants a blooming onion and I could use some food, haven't eaten since dinner yesterday."
"Grissom!" Sara couldn't believe that Grissom wanted to be within 50 feet of a vampire, but Grissom ever the scientist saw this as his way of studying a new subject.
"Sara, our food is getting cold." Grissom led Sara back to their table with Nick and Spike in tow.
A little while later, Sara had barely touched her burger, but Grissom was chowing down on his buffalo wings as Spike filled him in on his history as a brutal vampire, until a top-secret military operation put a chip in his head so he couldn't hurt people anymore. He told them about falling in love with Buffy and getting his soul back for her. Then he how he died saving the world and was sent to Angel first as a ghost, then was made corporeal.
Grissom was amazed, "So, you've died twice? This is your third life? What are you – part cat?!"
"You think that's something? How old do you think I am?" No one says anything. "Well, go on, guess!"
"Um…I don't know…forty?" Grissom answered tentatively.
"Oh puh-leeze! I was at the bloody Boxer Rebellion for chrissakes! Hell, I made it the *bloody* Boxer Rebellion. I even killed a slayer there."
Sara's face twisted in disgust, "Okay, I'm done eating now."
"Oh, good want those fries then?"
Sara pushed her plate towards Spike who immediately started chowing down on the fries, they would tide him over until his onion bloom came up. Grissom, Nick, and Sara stared curiously at the vampire as he shoved food into his mouth.
"So…how old are you?" Grissom asked curiously.
"Well, let's put it this way, I was made in 1880."
"You were born in 1880?" Nick asked incredulously.
"No, I said I was made, into a vampire, you know, sired…"
"Well how old were you before that?"
"Mmmmm…I don't like to think about that. Actually I guess it's fair to say that I was indeed born in 1880."
Grissom was astounded. "So that would make you over 124 years old. You must have seen some pretty amazing things in my life."
"Yes, and no, things come and go and just when you think you've seen it all, done it all, something new comes along." Spike just shrugged and lit another cigarette.
Nick, Sara, and Grissom sat quietly pondering this. The waitress brought Spike and Nick's food and another round of drinks. After a little more conversation Sara almost forgot that Spike wasn't human. He seemed so normal, in a weird way. After Nick and Spike finished eating, Grissom looked at his watch.
"Oh, wow, it's almost noon, I should go if I want to get in a nap before work."
Sara and Nick agreed. Even Spike thought it would be best to get back to the office and see what Angel and the others were doing. Everyone tallied up and went their separate ways. Spike went to the back of the bar, snuck into the storeroom and down into the basement where there was a door that lead to the tunnels. Grissom, Sara, and Nick all felt strangely better having talked to Spike. He had been honest with them about what he was and how the vampire world works. The three CSIs got a few hours of sleep before work.
Sara had started to walk to her car when she realized she had forgotten her keys inside. She walked back towards the locker room. On her way she passed the A/V lab. She stopped at the door, staring inside at the back of Grissom's head. The roller coaster scene played on the big screen, Grissom was entranced by it. Sara was entranced by it was well. A voice from behind her snapped her from her fog.
"He's keeps watching it over and over again," said a concerned voice.
It was Archie, everyone's favorite A/V technician. His cheerful manner and high intellect made him a lab favorite. If Sara wasn't so obsessed with Grissom she might have even thought he was cute.
"Hey Arch. Are you okay? I heard things didn't go very well with the Sheriff."
"Sara, I studied every inch of those tapes. The sheriff is the least of our problems." Archie paused and shook his head. "You know, I've played a ton of video games that were just like what happened on those tapes. I just can't believe it's all real."
"None of us can, Archie," Sara said, putting a reassuring hand on Archie's shoulder. She walked into the A/V room and stood behind Grissom. She put her hands on his shoulders. Grissom jumped a little in surprise at being touched.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Sara, now's maybe not the best time to walk up behind people and grab them."
Sara looked at Grissom apologetically. "Yeah, sorry about that," she paused. "Archie said you keep watching these tapes. Are you alright? I mean, Grissom, you saw some pretty scary stuff tonight."
"Sara, I keep watching this footage over and over again. I keep rerunning the memories in my mind, and I still can't believe this is real. I feel that if I keep going over the footage I will find something, some little clue that this is all a hoax. But I can't find anything. I feel like I am forcing my mind to accept something I just doesn't make any sense."
"Grissom, you're not alone. We all saw the same thing in that hallway, we all watched these tapes, If it helps any, we're all feeling the same way."
Sara took Grissom nodding his head as a sign of encouragement. "Griss, you wanna go grab a beer or a bite to eat and talk about it?"
Grissom sighed. He really didn't know how to act around Sara anymore. After she asked him out, and he shot her down, things had become strained between them. Their friendship had been compromised. It was as much his fault as hers, he just couldn't give himself to her, as much as he wanted to. There were even some rumors that she was drinking too much lately, but he didn't know if he should talk to her about it.
"Sara, I don't know. I mean there is a lot going on, maybe…"
"Grissom, chill out! Geez, I was just asking for a conversation, about this stuff that's going on, not a marriage proposal. It's just a sandwich and a conversation. That's all."
Grissom looked up at Sara, her face was so sincere. How could he say no?
"I know a great little sports bar, they have terrific veggie burgers," he answered with a smile.
Sara smiled back at him and nodded her head in approval. She started to walk out, then turned around to face him again.
"Hey Grissom, we're not all crazy right?"
"The evidence is right in front of us, Sara," Grissom had frozen the screen on a vamp turning to dust as Angel staked him. Grissom and Sara both stared at the screen for a moment before heading to the bar.
***********************************************************************************
Sara and Grissom drove separately to the bar, she followed him. They walked inside and sat at a high top in the back. Grissom knew this place from watching baseball games with Nick and Warrick, on the few occasions he fraternized with his employees. It was kind of a hole in the wall, but the atmosphere was just right for the kind of mood he was in. The room was small and dark, a far contrast from most of the bars and clubs in Las Vegas. The only neon light here came from the numerous beer lights hanging around the bar.
"Wow, um…interesting place." Sara said unsure of the scene. Hank had always brought her to little out of the way places like this. It turned out it was just because he was cheating on his real girlfriend with Sara and didn't want them to be seen together. "Oh well," Sara thought, "that was ages ago. And Grissom isn't Hank. And this is business."
The waitress approached the table and asked for an order. Grissom ordered for them both.
"Yeah, the lady will have a Miller Lite and the spicy veggie burger. I will have a Michelob and the buffalo wings. Hot."
The waitress went to get the beers and put in the order. Grissom turned from watching the waitress to face an obviously irritated Sara.
"What did you do that for?"
Grissom didn't realize what he had done. "What?"
"You ordered for me."
Grissom sighed, "Sara, I have known you for many years now. Whenever we go out, you always order the same thing. I just thought I would save us sometime."
Sara was a little taken aback. "Wow, am I really that predictable?"
"Sometimes," Grissom was desperate to change the subject. "So, we have a meeting in about nine hours with Angel and his crew. What do you think about these guys?"
"I don't trust them." Sara and Grissom were both a little surprised by her quick response.
"They saved our lives. Why don't you trust them," Grissom asked more out of curiosity. He could see why this new group of crime fighters may not be trustworthy, but he wanted to hear what Sara had to say.
"Yeah, but why? Why is this happening? Grissom, everything was fine a few weeks ago. Just your run-of-the-mill rapes and murders. Suddenly we have corpses drained of blood by vampires. And then these superheroes, two of them vampires themselves, show up, and save our lives? And this is just supposed to be a coincidence?"
"Sara, I don't know what it is. This is new ground for me too. Do you have any idea how frightening this all is for me? I know evidence, I know science, I know bugs, and blood, and crime, hell I even know about human nature. This is something that can't be explained with any of that stuff, and it scares the hell out of me."
Sara was a little surprised by Grissom's show of vulnerability. He's one of those people that you normally can't get a read on. He is mysterious and keeps his emotions well hidden. To hear he proclaim fear bewildered Sara. It was as if Grissom could read Sara's mind.
"Sara, I'm sorry, I know that isn't the answer you wanted. But honestly, I don't have the answers."
Sara 's voice was almost childlike, "Well who does?"
"Nick?"
"Nick?! Come on Grissom, he doesn't know any more then we do."
"No, Nick over there, at the bar!" It was then Sara noticed Grissom staring over her shoulder. She turned to see Nick sitting at the bar next to the blond vampire, Spike.
Sara was worried, "What the hell is he doing here? And with that…vampire? Grissom what should we do?"
"Sara, it's none of our business who Nick hangs out with. Just let him be."
Sara shook her head. She may have resented the fact that Nick got the promotion over her, but this was just not right. They were friends and she didn't want Nick to end up another victim with two holes in his neck. Before Grissom could stop the headstrong woman Sara got up and marched over to the odd pair at the bar.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Both Nick and Spike spun around to see where the angry female voice had come from.
"Who the bloody hell are you?" "Sara!" Spike and Nick respectively exclaimed.
"Oh, so this is the Sara you were telling me about?" Spike directed at Nick, as if Sara wasn't even there.
"What were you telling him about me?"
"Nothing."
Grissom walked over to Sara.
"Sara, our food is here. Come on, let's leave Nick and the nice vampire alone." Grissom gently took Sara's arm to lead her away. Sara had a hair trigger temper and the uncanny ability to offend just about anyone. The last thing he needed was Sara making Spike angry, not now, not until he knew more about these new characters and what was going on.
"Grissom, what are you doing here?" Nick was a little surprised to see Grissom and Sara together. It was no secret that he had rejected her advances and their friendship had suffered for it.
"Um, we're getting a bite to eat." Grissom immediately regretted his choice of words. "Good one Gil," he thought, "let's give the vampire ideas."
"Oh do they have those onion blossom thingies?" Spike asked excitedly. "I love those."
"I believe so," Nick answered. Both Nick and Grissom were a little surprised at Spike's enthusiasm for bar food. Suddenly Grissom was intrigued by Spike and wanted to know more about him.
"Would you two like to join us?" Grissom offered, much to Sara's dismay.
"Sure, Spike wants a blooming onion and I could use some food, haven't eaten since dinner yesterday."
"Grissom!" Sara couldn't believe that Grissom wanted to be within 50 feet of a vampire, but Grissom ever the scientist saw this as his way of studying a new subject.
"Sara, our food is getting cold." Grissom led Sara back to their table with Nick and Spike in tow.
A little while later, Sara had barely touched her burger, but Grissom was chowing down on his buffalo wings as Spike filled him in on his history as a brutal vampire, until a top-secret military operation put a chip in his head so he couldn't hurt people anymore. He told them about falling in love with Buffy and getting his soul back for her. Then he how he died saving the world and was sent to Angel first as a ghost, then was made corporeal.
Grissom was amazed, "So, you've died twice? This is your third life? What are you – part cat?!"
"You think that's something? How old do you think I am?" No one says anything. "Well, go on, guess!"
"Um…I don't know…forty?" Grissom answered tentatively.
"Oh puh-leeze! I was at the bloody Boxer Rebellion for chrissakes! Hell, I made it the *bloody* Boxer Rebellion. I even killed a slayer there."
Sara's face twisted in disgust, "Okay, I'm done eating now."
"Oh, good want those fries then?"
Sara pushed her plate towards Spike who immediately started chowing down on the fries, they would tide him over until his onion bloom came up. Grissom, Nick, and Sara stared curiously at the vampire as he shoved food into his mouth.
"So…how old are you?" Grissom asked curiously.
"Well, let's put it this way, I was made in 1880."
"You were born in 1880?" Nick asked incredulously.
"No, I said I was made, into a vampire, you know, sired…"
"Well how old were you before that?"
"Mmmmm…I don't like to think about that. Actually I guess it's fair to say that I was indeed born in 1880."
Grissom was astounded. "So that would make you over 124 years old. You must have seen some pretty amazing things in my life."
"Yes, and no, things come and go and just when you think you've seen it all, done it all, something new comes along." Spike just shrugged and lit another cigarette.
Nick, Sara, and Grissom sat quietly pondering this. The waitress brought Spike and Nick's food and another round of drinks. After a little more conversation Sara almost forgot that Spike wasn't human. He seemed so normal, in a weird way. After Nick and Spike finished eating, Grissom looked at his watch.
"Oh, wow, it's almost noon, I should go if I want to get in a nap before work."
Sara and Nick agreed. Even Spike thought it would be best to get back to the office and see what Angel and the others were doing. Everyone tallied up and went their separate ways. Spike went to the back of the bar, snuck into the storeroom and down into the basement where there was a door that lead to the tunnels. Grissom, Sara, and Nick all felt strangely better having talked to Spike. He had been honest with them about what he was and how the vampire world works. The three CSIs got a few hours of sleep before work.