SquidgeWorld Archive

He had fallen asleep on the couch again.

It wasn't the first time, it wouldn't be the last, but twice in one day, that was a record. Then again, he had been on his feet for almost twenty-four hours by now. Nick Stokes blinked his gritty eyes, his vision slightly blurry. From the turned down lights he figured it was between shifts. Graveyard had ended but day was yet to really take over. It was that hour between shifts that found the lab almost at peace.

Aside from the fact that Internal Affairs was still haunting the building, had just grilled him, Sara and Greg over the lost evidence. Gil had been there, helping, supporting, a silent shadow. As supervisor he had to be here, had answered IAB's questions, but he had stayed on as a friend.

Nick yawned.

His body ached from the uncomfortable couch and he knew he would regret dozing off. There would be complaints from all over his body, especially his back and neck.

He faintly wondered where Grissom was. Had he already gone home? Not likely, really. Grissom would have woken him. So he was probably either still with IAB or in his office.

As Nick turned his head to check out the break room, he became aware of a silent figure sitting in the chair not far away. There was the faint smell of coffee.

"Gone for a day and look what happens," a quiet voice said.

Nick blinked again, sitting up with difficulty. He was exhausted, needed to sleep, and his mind was like a swamp.

"Ecklie?"

They were alone, he saw. No one but them. When had Ecklie gotten here?

"Uh, what are you doing here? Aren't you in LA?"

The Assistant Director's face broke into an open smile that told Nick that he was currently facing Conrad, not the AD, and that they were in private.

"I received a call from the undersheriff, detailing what happened, Nick. I just came back."

So it wasn't some kind of dream or hallucination. Ecklie had been in LA and for him to be back at... Nick checked the clock and found it was 5 am.

What?! It couldn't be. He remembered... well, not much when it came to telling time. His whole perception of time was totally screwed. Nine hours of evidence collection at the crime scene, fourteen waiting for IAB, then more hours of answering questions...

"They called you back for this?" he asked, still not thinking too clearly.

Damn. Ecklie had to have been driving all night. What had he been doing in LA again? Something about taking a day or two off, right? Nick tried to focus.

"No, I came back. This is my lab, Nick. This happened at my lab. I'm responsible for this institution, and the people working here."

Two pairs of dark eyes met and Nick knew he wasn't just facing the Assistant Director of the Crime Lab. He was also looking into the eyes of the shaman. Shamans were protective by nature and Ecklie had exuded that protection in different ways. It was invisible for those who didn't know, but the ones who did saw. Like Nick saw it right now.

Stokes ran a hand through his hair, massaging his scalp. Damn, he was tired.

"I already have IAB's prelim on what happened," Ecklie went on. "I read the interviews, reviewed the case file, talked to Greg and Sara."

So it was 5 am and Ecklie had done all of that already? When the heck had he come back? And where could Nick get some coffee.

He caught a whiff of something ripe.

Scratch that. Where could he get a shower? He really did smell...

"You've all been cleared," Ecklie could be heard.

"Oh?" Cool.

Had IAB already left? And what day was it anyway? Nick tried to get his brain working.

"Sara and Greg are on their way home. You should be, too."

Nick yawned again, fighting the exhaustion. "I was. I think I kinda dropped off."

Ecklie chuckled. "I can see that."

Nick could see him more clearly now, startled by the fact that the other man was dressed in jeans and t-shirt. It was rare to see Ecklie without a suit when he was at the lab. There was also a slight beard shadow and he looked red-eyed from not enough sleep. Nick didn't want to know what he looked like.

"Go home," Conrad repeated.

"Is Gil still here?"

"I suspect as much. I tried to kick him out, too, but he disappeared into his office." Ecklie shrugged. "I think he's waiting for me to round you up."

"Okay."

Find Gil, head home, shower, sleep. Maybe some food, too. But right now sleep outranked everything else.

"All four of you are off duty for the next twenty-four hours," Ecklie added.

Nick felt himself tense. "Because of IAB?"

"Because you are dead on your feet, Nick," was the reply. "I don't have to look at your aura to tell you're about keel over in a dead faint. Go find Gil. Let him do the driving. He looked slightly better than you."

He smiled weakly. "Yes, sir."

Ecklie grimaced. "And if I see either of your faces here before the twenty-four hours are up, you're on suspension till you can walk a straight line without hitting a wall because you fell asleep halfway. Got that?"

"Got it." Nick walked toward the door. He stopped before leaving. "Uhm, Conrad?"

"Yes?"

"Sorry about the whole thing."

Ecklie looked rather calm. "It wasn't your fault some idiot tried to steal your car." Then he added with a smirk, "I saw the result in the garage. Nice new paintjob. Think it'll take?"

Nick groaned at the amusement in the shaman's voice. "Any chance insurance can take care of that?" he wanted to know.

Ecklie chuckled and rose from the chair. "I'm not sure 'car stolen and repainted' is covered."

"Great."

Ecklie followed him outside. As Nick started to walk down the corridor, the other man grabbed one arm and turned him to face the corridor off to the left.

"Gil's office is that way, Nick."

Nick felt embarrassment rise inside him. "Uh, yeah..."

It got him an eye roll and Ecklie as an escort to his partner's office. The door was open and Grissom was behind his desk, glasses perched on his nose, reading something. When Nick entered, he looked up. A frown appeared on his forehead as he took in Nick's shadow.

"Take him home, Gil," Ecklie only said. "Within the next five minutes. Or you'll have me kicking your ass out of here."

And with that he was gone.

Grissom raised his eyebrows and Nick looked sheepish. And then he yawned again.

"Sorry," he muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face. He was so very, very tired. "I dropped off in the break room. Uhm, Conrad found me..."

"I'm set," was all Grissom said, rising from his chair. "And I'm driving."

"No argument from me."

Nick fell asleep the moment they were out of the garage. He was woken by Grissom's gentle shake and his soft voice. He almost sleep-walked into their home, took a shower on automatic, and the last he remembered before sleep finally took him for good was Grissom coming out of the bathroom and heading for the bed.

* * *

Ecklie watched both Grissom and Nick go, shaking his head. Gone for a day, he thought again. And Franklin had been teasing him about this, too. Not that the vampire had clairvoyant senses, but he had dropped hints left and right that the moment Ecklie left for two days, taking time off in LA, something or other would happen at the lab.

"I was right, wasn't I?" a soft voice intruded into his thoughts.

Silent as a mouse, the blond in question had appeared behind him. Ecklie wasn't really startled or surprised. Shamanic senses were great in that regard.

"It was all coincidence," Ecklie replied.

Franklin grinned. "Sure."

He scowled. The vampire smiled more.

"So, what'll we do with your second day off?" Franklin asked cheerfully. "It's 6 am, the sun's about to rise, and I hear Mandalay Bay has a great breakfast buffet."

"On you," was all Ecklie replied as he walked toward his car.

"You wish, but I don't think they're into that kind of stuff over there," his lover teased. "We'd have to go into the LadyQ for that."

Ecklie shot him a dark look. Gray eyes danced with amusement.

The car left the garage not much after Grissom's SUV, heading for The Strip.