Ecklie's Corner

Chapter 2



Sara had yet to have a drink, so she had to blame the flush that stung her cheeks to

the dancing. She was beginning to really enjoy dancing with Ecklie and that scared her.

Maybe he wasn't as bad as she had previously thought. Maybe she was just prone to

see him as an ass because her instincts had been to side with Grissom. The only time

she and Ecklie had had words was when he suspended her. And even she had to admit

that she had that one coming. She had been out of line with both him and Catherine. The

words that she had hurled his way that day had to have been hurtful. So what he wasn't Gil

Grissom at least Conrad knew how to charm a girl. He had been nothing but a gentleman

tonight. Ecklie interupted Sara's thoughts by suggesting that they step outside for some

fresh air.



"Yeah, it is getting warm in here," Sara agreed.



"I'll just go grab us a couple of drinks and meet you on the balcony."



Grissom was seated at the bar when Ecklie went to place his drink order.



"Conrad," Grissom said the name with his usual disgust.



"Gil, why so sour? It is a lovely evening."



The bartender made his way over to the pair. "What are you having sir?"



"I'll have a bourbon and my lady friend will have a Long Island Iced Tea," Ecklie informed the

handsome young gentleman behind the bar.



Grissom snorted at Conrad's description of Sara, "Since when are you and Sara friends?"



"Since tonight, Gil, Spring is in the air, miracles can happen." He winked at Gil as he took

the spirits from the bartender and made his way to the balcony.



Grissom was absolutely fuming. He wanted to go ask Sara what the hell she was up to with

Ecklie but he knew he didn't have the right. He had had plenty of chances to stake his claim so

to speak and he had been nothing but inactive. He tried to tell himself that Sara was only being

political but dammit she looked like she was having a nice time. The gentlemanly thing to do would

be to accept that he couldn't give her what she needed and just move on. Maybe he should ask Catherine

to dance, at least he would have something to do. He looked her way to see that she was just taking Judge

Wilson's proffered hand and decided that now would not be the best time to interrupt her.



"Hey Boss," Nick greeted as he motioned for the bartender.



"You seem to be enjoying yourself, Nicky."



"Could I get a beer and a glass of champagne?" Nick asked the bartender and turned his attention back to

Grissom. "I am having a fantastic time, actually. Her name is Courtney. Do you want me to see if she has

a sister. Or maybe her mother is free," Nick couldn't resist the jab.



"Ha, Ha, don't quit your night job." Grissom retorted.



"Hey, Grissom did you see Sara with Ecklie? better be careful that your young padawan learner doesn't get

seduced by the dark side. We don't want one of ours in Ecklie's corner." Nick gave Grissom a look to let him

know he was only kidding with him as he headed back to the well endowed, Courtney.



Grissom thought about what Nick had said. Albeit, he was taking it more seriously than Nick had. He couldn't

stand losing Sara to anyone, but it would kill him if he lost her to Conrad Ecklie. He began to have an irrational

fear that his star pupil might forsake him for his arch rival. To hell with being a gentleman, it was time he let Ecklie

know that Sara belonged to him. He would need some courage, "Bartender, give me a double shot of Jack," Grissom requested.



The amber liquid burned on its way down but it was giving Grissom the kick in the ass that he needed. How dare

her come and publicly flaunt herself all over Conrad Ecklie in front of their collegues. What in the hell was

she trying to prove? Grissom knew he was becoming more irrational by the second. But his nerves were strung

out anyway. He had had a hard last few months. First he had to cope with Ecklie almost firing Sara, then he

discovered some of her hidden truths. Deep inside of himself he knew there was more to the story. He told himself

it would have been an intrusion to ask more but he knew that he didn't want to know more. He had been too much

of a coward. Then as soon as he came down from that stressful situation, no sooner did they end up with the

case at the mental hospital. Damn, he had almost lost her and he had done nothing. Nothing but go home and

cry himself to sleep. Grissom emptied the second shot and decided he wouldn't be sleeping alone tonight. He was

going to find Sara.



Las Vegas was in the middle of the season's first real heat wave. The one that comes in mid-Spring and just

kinda catches everyone off guard. The sun had been down for awhile now but as Grissom stepped out onto the

balcony he noticed a definite temperature change. But to be honest, he wasn't sure it had anything to do with the

weather. Sara was at the edge of the balcony in that sexy black dress. Her calves showed deliciously. He rarely

saw her in heels but God they made her legs look even longer than they were. She looked out over the city. Her

back to the ballroom entrance. Ecklie stood beside her. He too faced away from Grissom. His hand was splayed

across Sara's bare back. It was the first thing Grissom had noticed about the dress when Sara had arrived. The back

had an oval cut out of it that ran from where the dress clasped at the base of Sara's neck to her lower back. Grissom

knew she didn't have a bra on. But it irked him that not only was Conrad aware of this fact, he was also openly

caressing the exposed skin while he was speaking to her in hushed tones. Grissom couldn't take it anymore.



"Sara, could I see you a minute?" Grissom said it in such an authoritative tone that she almost expected him to

follow it up with an ,'in my office, please.'



She turned to face him. She hadn't even expected to see him tonight. She figured he would just not show up and

then dare Ecklie to fire him. Dammit why does he have to be wearing a suit? With a bowtie, no less. She mentally

warned herself to quit thinking how wonderfully edible he looked.



"She's enjoying a drink and getting some air, whatever it is it can wait, Gil," Conrad interjected before Sara got a

chance to respond. Sara was beginning to tell Ecklie that she could speak for herself when Grissom piped up.



"Well, I think she can speak for herself, She is a grown woman,"



"Really, word around the lab is that you've failed to notice just how much of a woman she

is."



"Surely, you haven't taken to listening to idle gossip about what Sara and I do, Conrad." Grissom's voice

was becoming elevated. He mentally added 'or don't do,' but didn't want to give Ecklie the impression that

he and Sara hadn't been intimate. No, he would rather keep him guessing.



"You don't have to listen to gossip to see how you treat her, Gil. You treat her like a dog. A dog that you won't pet

but won't let anyone else pet either. And the thing is you don't even leash her. Cause you know if she gets too close

to the gate all you have to do is throw her a bone and she'll come running back to papa's lap."



"You bastard, you haven't got a clue about Sara and me. And don't talk about her as if she were an animal."



Sara was not impressed by the pissing contest. "You are both acting like idiots, stop speaking about me as if

I weren't here," Her statement fell on deaf ears.



"Gil, I call 'em like I see 'em. You're just pissed cause your bitch is in heat and on the prowl."



That was the final straw for Sara. She knew that Ecklie's behavior had been to good to be true. He was

a fucking lizard. She extended her hand to slap him but was stopped by Grissom catching her arm mid-swing.

It all happened so fast Sara didn't really have time to process it all. But Warrick recounted the whole story for Brass.

He had come out on the balcony when he had first heard the two supervisors shouting at one another.





"So how 'bout it Rick, what happened," the detective asked as a crowd had gathered following the commotion.



Warrick answered in his sultry voice, "They were acting like rutting deer over Sara and then Ecklie started trash talkin' her.
He said the b-word, Sara went to smack him but Griss stopped her and laid into him himself. Ecklie took the first punch in the
jaw and then Griss quickly jabbed Ecklie's stomach. He doubled over and I thought that was going to be the end of it. Grissom
went to take Sara's hand but she was upset with the entire display and shook him off and started coming my way. Grissom turned
to follow her but then Ecklie grabbed up one of those patio chairs and smacked Griss across the back WWE style. Griss hit
the concrete face first and his nose started to bleed on impact. It may be broken but that didn't stop him from putting the smackdown on Ecklie. Grissom charged him and grabbed him by the waist like a sumo wrestler. He ran with him until they impacted the balcony wall. Good thing it was nearly chest high or they'd went right over it. Anyway, the collision knocked the breath out of Ecklie and Grissom just wouldn't stop hitting him. I had to pull him off."


"Thanks Rick, I'm gonna put 'em in the drunk tank. I ain't gonna press charges but I'm gonna give 'em a cooling off period so
to speak."



Later that night as the two men sat in lock up in opposite corners Ecklie laughed at the irony. His corner, Gil's corner.



And Grissom mused that he had developed ESP. He wasn't sleeping alone tonight.