Title: Burns Like Fire

Summary: A different perspective on Fahrenheit 932

Pairing: Nick/ Ecklie

Rating: PG

AN: I was watching Fahrenheit 932 and I saw something that I had to share.

Warnings: Spoilers for Fahrenheit 932

Grissom came in yelling, “You son of a bitch.  You swept my crime scene.  You sent clean up.”                                                                              

Conrad rolled his eyes in his mind.  Grissom was always meddling, “I didn't send anyone.  It's been on the books for months.”

Grissom glared, “So you knew it.  And did nothing about it.  Even with a man's life on the line.”

“If you'd checked the docket, like everybody else, you'd've known what happening.” ~Why the HELL does Grissom have to mess?  Damon was obviously guilty.  He killed his family just lik- NO Conrand!  You will not go there now!  Focus on the present.  Focus on the fact that Damon killed his family.  Nothing else matters, not Grissom, nothing else.  Don’t let him get to you.~  Conrad held up the pot of coffee and couldn’t help but let a sneer slip into his voice, “Coffee?” Grissom slaps the pot from Ecklie’s hand causing it to shatter against the door.  It took all of Ecklie’s control to not flinch, “Guess you don't want cream with that.” 

 

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Nick found Ecklie on the roof, the sun was just setting.  “Conrad?”  Nick asked quietly.  Nick knew how sudden movements could startle him sometimes.  Conrad turned to face Nick, the sun hitting his face making it light up red and bright, but the other half was hidden in shadow.

 

“I was really going to let that man go to trial.  I let my feelings get in the way of the evidence.”  They stood in silence, Nick didn’t want to push, Conrad would speak in his own time.  “My father was fond of fire.  He was deep in debt and I came home from my after school hob to find the house burning.  The bastard had locked my mom in and burned it to the ground.  Between the insurance on the house and on her he had some money to spare and just split, leaving me homeless and at the mercy of a system that didn’t care.”  A tear trickled down his cheek burning red with the light of the sun.  “I try so hard to streamline cases, get them in so that criminals can pay and families can have closer, but this time I was wrong.  All I could see when I looked at Damon was my father.”  Nick soothingly rubbed Conrad’s back.

 

“It happens to the best of us sometimes.  You just have to realize that it can happen to you too.”  They spent the rest of Conrad’s shift watching the sun set.