CSI: LV Fic - Ribbons and Bows - Ch.1/?
Title: Ribbons and Bows
Chapter: 1 / ?
Author: caffeinified
Fandom: CSI: Las Vegas
Characters/Pairing: Gil Grissom
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI. It's just for fun.
Summary: Casefile: Australia. This is AU post Gil’s leaving the Vegas crime lab. Warning for adult themes in case details.
“Dr. Grissom, so good to see you.”
In the lobby of the convention center, Gil held out a hand to shake the older man’s hand in greeting. “Silas, I think we’ve known each other long enough to forego formalities and titles, don’t you?”
Gil had known Silas Garner for years upon years. The man was a respected forensic analyst, known around the world for his work on numerous high profile cases. The man had a receding hairline of silver hair, a light dusting of a mustache and old spectacles that had seen better days.
Silas emitted a low chuckle and nodded his agreement. “I think we do. But all of these young’uns here want to meet the infamous Dr. Grissom. You’ve earned your respect in the science community. How does it feel to be unemployed?”
“It’s growing on me. I have to admit that it takes some getting used to.” Gil lifted a corner of his lips and shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. “Thank you for inviting me to speak at the conference.”
“Don’t patronize me, Gil. I know you’ve gotten too many offers to list. Everyone wants a piece of you now that you finally cut ties with the Las Vegas crime lab.” He put a hand on Gil’s shoulder and they began to walk through the lobby. “Walk with me. I know you’re highly sought after. And I know you didn’t have to accept my offer to come here. So thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Silas.” There wasn’t an argument for the truth, and Gil was too attached to the truth to try to argue it anyway. He had only come here for Silas. He was an old friend and a good man.
“I know that I called on old favors to get you here… blackmail between friends.” The corners of Silas’s eyes wrinkled with crow’s-feet as he smiled. “But it got you to Australia, didn’t it? Much of the bush land here can lend itself to your entomological studies.”
Gil nodded slowly, just realizing that he still had his sunglasses on and taking them off to slip them into his pocket. “This was on my list of places to go anyway. But why do I feel as if there’s something you aren’t telling me, Silas? I think that I deserve your candor at this stage in the game.” He had a sinking feeling in his gut, something that told him that giving a lecture had just been the lure to get him here, it hadn’t actually been the complete end game of the invitation he had been extended by his old friend. His stomach uncharacteristically tied in knots momentarily.
“That you do. And you’re still a perceptive son of a bitch, you know that?” Silas joked, his features colored with amusement as he lightly shook his head. “I have a case.” He held up a hand to stop any protests from Gil before he could voice them. “I know, I know. You’re retired. But word on the street is that you’re up for consultation on cases you deem worth your time.”
“When you put it that way you make me sound somewhat elitist.” Gil glanced to Silas and back ahead of them. “I’ve never been an elitist, Silas… contrary to popular opinion. I did enjoy my job until it took over every aspect of who I was. Talk to me about the case.”
“Well, as you know I’ve been in the same boat you are for years now. Traveling around, only working cases I’m requested to look into. I’ve come across this case that’s been haunting me for almost a year now. Everyone tells me to let it go, but how can you let something go when the guy who killed a little girl is still out there?”
Silas opened a side door and Gil walked into a hallway with him. And Gil already felt himself being drawn in. The ill feeling had subsided, settling into only a slight feeling of discomfort that he had become used to in his last months at the Las Vegas crime lab. “How little of a little girl? What were the circumstances? And why would I be able to find something you didn’t?”
“I’m telling you the file on this case has maybe a dozen papers in it. She’s a Jane Doe, approximately five to seven years old… tiny little thing. Full head of red hair, freckles, green eyes… tossed on the side of the road like she was nothing to nobody.” Silas paused in the hallway and waited for Gil to turn and look at him. He saw that same pained look in his own eyes mirrored back at him through Gil’s. It was a mutual understanding and yet Silas felt a pang of guilt. Gil looked tired, not physically. Gil looked the kind of tired that went deeper than the physical. “We’ve got a little documentation of the conditions she was found in, corpse was already rotted…”
“Which means there was active bug life. The cycle had already begun.” Gil nodded, tapping one index finger against the bag that was flung over his shoulder. “I’m not promising anything, Silas. A year old case on a Jane Doe and case file of maybe a dozen pages? That doesn’t sound promising.”
Silas shook his head. “I’m not asking you to work miracles, Gil. I’m asking you to look into it. That’s all. If anybody can find anything with what we’ve got, it’s you. And if you don’t find anything… I’ll let it go.”
The corners of Gil’s lips twitched just barely. “You’ll try to let it go, you mean.”
A low chuckle escaped the older man as they started walking again. “Takes one to know one, Gil Grissom. So what are you gonna speak on today?”
“The migrating patterns of the Nemophora Panaeola… the Australian longhorn moth.” Gil explained.
“Alright, I’ll try not to go to sleep.” Silas only half joked. He may be retired but sleep still didn’t come easy for him. And he was pretty sure that it was the same for Gil. Men like them could physically detach themselves from the job, but mentally and emotionally it never really happened. “So Gil, I have to know. Will you look into it?”
This was the moment of truth. Gil didn’t know how he felt about working his first case outside of his old lab. He didn’t know if it was too soon. He didn’t know if his psyche could take it yet. There were too many things that he didn’t know. He could reason his attentions to the case away. He wasn’t actually working the case yet. He was just looking into it to see if he could see anything that Silas hadn’t.
Thoughtfully, Gil bit down on the inside of his cheek. He took a deep breath and nodded slightly. “I’ll look into it.” A simple lecture had suddenly turned into something more. It was something he should have suspected would happen. When he looked at Silas he saw much of himself and once a case got under your skin it was difficult to let go of. The job never really did go away. On occasion it just went to the back burner.
Chapter: 1 / ?
Author: caffeinified
Fandom: CSI: Las Vegas
Characters/Pairing: Gil Grissom
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI. It's just for fun.
Summary: Casefile: Australia. This is AU post Gil’s leaving the Vegas crime lab. Warning for adult themes in case details.
“Dr. Grissom, so good to see you.”
In the lobby of the convention center, Gil held out a hand to shake the older man’s hand in greeting. “Silas, I think we’ve known each other long enough to forego formalities and titles, don’t you?”
Gil had known Silas Garner for years upon years. The man was a respected forensic analyst, known around the world for his work on numerous high profile cases. The man had a receding hairline of silver hair, a light dusting of a mustache and old spectacles that had seen better days.
Silas emitted a low chuckle and nodded his agreement. “I think we do. But all of these young’uns here want to meet the infamous Dr. Grissom. You’ve earned your respect in the science community. How does it feel to be unemployed?”
“It’s growing on me. I have to admit that it takes some getting used to.” Gil lifted a corner of his lips and shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. “Thank you for inviting me to speak at the conference.”
“Don’t patronize me, Gil. I know you’ve gotten too many offers to list. Everyone wants a piece of you now that you finally cut ties with the Las Vegas crime lab.” He put a hand on Gil’s shoulder and they began to walk through the lobby. “Walk with me. I know you’re highly sought after. And I know you didn’t have to accept my offer to come here. So thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Silas.” There wasn’t an argument for the truth, and Gil was too attached to the truth to try to argue it anyway. He had only come here for Silas. He was an old friend and a good man.
“I know that I called on old favors to get you here… blackmail between friends.” The corners of Silas’s eyes wrinkled with crow’s-feet as he smiled. “But it got you to Australia, didn’t it? Much of the bush land here can lend itself to your entomological studies.”
Gil nodded slowly, just realizing that he still had his sunglasses on and taking them off to slip them into his pocket. “This was on my list of places to go anyway. But why do I feel as if there’s something you aren’t telling me, Silas? I think that I deserve your candor at this stage in the game.” He had a sinking feeling in his gut, something that told him that giving a lecture had just been the lure to get him here, it hadn’t actually been the complete end game of the invitation he had been extended by his old friend. His stomach uncharacteristically tied in knots momentarily.
“That you do. And you’re still a perceptive son of a bitch, you know that?” Silas joked, his features colored with amusement as he lightly shook his head. “I have a case.” He held up a hand to stop any protests from Gil before he could voice them. “I know, I know. You’re retired. But word on the street is that you’re up for consultation on cases you deem worth your time.”
“When you put it that way you make me sound somewhat elitist.” Gil glanced to Silas and back ahead of them. “I’ve never been an elitist, Silas… contrary to popular opinion. I did enjoy my job until it took over every aspect of who I was. Talk to me about the case.”
“Well, as you know I’ve been in the same boat you are for years now. Traveling around, only working cases I’m requested to look into. I’ve come across this case that’s been haunting me for almost a year now. Everyone tells me to let it go, but how can you let something go when the guy who killed a little girl is still out there?”
Silas opened a side door and Gil walked into a hallway with him. And Gil already felt himself being drawn in. The ill feeling had subsided, settling into only a slight feeling of discomfort that he had become used to in his last months at the Las Vegas crime lab. “How little of a little girl? What were the circumstances? And why would I be able to find something you didn’t?”
“I’m telling you the file on this case has maybe a dozen papers in it. She’s a Jane Doe, approximately five to seven years old… tiny little thing. Full head of red hair, freckles, green eyes… tossed on the side of the road like she was nothing to nobody.” Silas paused in the hallway and waited for Gil to turn and look at him. He saw that same pained look in his own eyes mirrored back at him through Gil’s. It was a mutual understanding and yet Silas felt a pang of guilt. Gil looked tired, not physically. Gil looked the kind of tired that went deeper than the physical. “We’ve got a little documentation of the conditions she was found in, corpse was already rotted…”
“Which means there was active bug life. The cycle had already begun.” Gil nodded, tapping one index finger against the bag that was flung over his shoulder. “I’m not promising anything, Silas. A year old case on a Jane Doe and case file of maybe a dozen pages? That doesn’t sound promising.”
Silas shook his head. “I’m not asking you to work miracles, Gil. I’m asking you to look into it. That’s all. If anybody can find anything with what we’ve got, it’s you. And if you don’t find anything… I’ll let it go.”
The corners of Gil’s lips twitched just barely. “You’ll try to let it go, you mean.”
A low chuckle escaped the older man as they started walking again. “Takes one to know one, Gil Grissom. So what are you gonna speak on today?”
“The migrating patterns of the Nemophora Panaeola… the Australian longhorn moth.” Gil explained.
“Alright, I’ll try not to go to sleep.” Silas only half joked. He may be retired but sleep still didn’t come easy for him. And he was pretty sure that it was the same for Gil. Men like them could physically detach themselves from the job, but mentally and emotionally it never really happened. “So Gil, I have to know. Will you look into it?”
This was the moment of truth. Gil didn’t know how he felt about working his first case outside of his old lab. He didn’t know if it was too soon. He didn’t know if his psyche could take it yet. There were too many things that he didn’t know. He could reason his attentions to the case away. He wasn’t actually working the case yet. He was just looking into it to see if he could see anything that Silas hadn’t.
Thoughtfully, Gil bit down on the inside of his cheek. He took a deep breath and nodded slightly. “I’ll look into it.” A simple lecture had suddenly turned into something more. It was something he should have suspected would happen. When he looked at Silas he saw much of himself and once a case got under your skin it was difficult to let go of. The job never really did go away. On occasion it just went to the back burner.