Title: The Talk
Author: Spanky743
Rating: General
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI and blah blah blah
Summary: Pre-Ep to "19 Down"
Author's Note: Marc Vann used up his season's allotment of lines in the first episode, so I doubt Ecklie and Grissom will be having a heart-to-heart scene Thursday. I felt he needed a chance to say goodbye. Many thanks to liz00 for fixing the story.
Grissom raised his hand to the closed door and hesitated. He had made no appointment, and had never come to this office in the past; if something was important enough, they knew to come find him. With that realization, the true gravity of what he was about to do hit him. He dropped his arm, flexed his fingers as he prepared himself mentally (and, he had to admit, emotionally), then knocked.
"Come in," sounded from inside. Grissom obeyed.
Conrad Ecklie, eyes wide, quickly got up from behind his desk and sat at one of the two chairs on the other side. Grissom took the other and gave Ecklie what he hoped came across as a friendly, and not in the least bit nervous, smile.
"Gil. How are you?"
"I'm doing well, Conrad. You?"
Ecklie nodded in reply. Pleasantries out of the way, he went straight to business. "So what brings you here, Gil? You're not known for just dropping by to chat."
"No, I'm not." Grissom said with a half-smile. "I've been thinking-"
"You're always thinking," Ecklie interrupted.
"I mean, more than usual." He paused, unsure how to proceed.
He had quit jobs before; quite a few in his life. None of them, however, had consumed his life more than his time in Las Vegas. He had grown from adulthood to middle age, from a student to a teacher, from an employee to a supervisor, from single to taken to engaged and back to single again. He had made friends in Vegas that he wasn't likely to ever forget, and had observed enough of humanity at its lowest to fill quite a few books.
"Grissom?"
"Sorry. I've, um- I've had a rough year. We all have. So I've been thinking. And-" He took a deep breath. "It's time for me to go."
There was a moment of silence as each took some time to recover. Ecklie's mind immediately thought through all the ramifications for the lab. Grissom, on the other hand, marveled at how much more free he felt already, and wondered how he would feel after telling his team.
"Okay. May I ask why?"
"No you may not, but my decision has nothing to do with the lab. It's just the right thing to do and the right time to do it."
"Well, what's your exit strategy?"
The two men spent the next half hour discussing the shedding of Grissom's caseload, Catherine's ability to lead the fast-paced night shift, and qualifications needed in a new hire. It was decided that new blood was necessary to lift the spirits of the team, and that Grissom would leave the lab in a little over one month.
"So what will you be doing with yourself?"
Grisson shrugged, "I plan to take some time off. Travel, maybe. I may start a new hobby, or work on old ones. Who knows, I may even write a book."
"If you do, be sure to change my name," Ecklie said.
Grissom laughed. As he began to get up from his chair, Ecklie stopped him with an admission.
"I'm going to miss you around here."
Grissom sat back down, a look of disbelief on his face.
"I will," Ecklie insisted, "I know we've had our differences in the past when it comes to the job, but I've always respected you."
Grissom was taken aback. Not sure if he was expected to respond with a similar compliment or not, he went with a simple, "Thank you, Conrad. That means a lot to me."
Both men stood and shook hands, Ecklie grasping Grissom's right hand with both of his. "Will you be letting your team know sometime soon, or are you just going to surprise them?"
"I'm telling them at the start of our shift."
"Good luck with that."
"Thank you."
Before Grissom fully closed the office door behind him, he caught one final comment.
"For what it's worth, I hope she takes you back."
"You and me both, Conrad," Grissom mused as he gathered up the evening's assignments and headed for the breakroom, "You and me both."
FIN