milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Grissom is in the bar, once again reading up on the rites of the summer solstice.

He is humming under his breath, a song he heard several times in the lab. If one listens closely, one would recognize it as "Somewhere Only We Know".

He is keeping a casual eye out for Jack, but is open for conversation.

[Summary: Grissom welcomes his dear friend Catherine to Milliways. They discuss the loss of Sara for the Vegas lab, and whether or not the Bar could manage to get weirder. (Answer: Definitely) Grissom also meets Lt. Naraht for the first time, prompting a discussion on the origins of forensic science. Asar-Suti rounds out the afternoon with a discussion on popular names.]

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He chuckles a bit. "Yes, she is touchy and does not care for those who would insult her or not take her seriously."

"As for whether or not this place could be stranger, I believe the safest answer would be yes. Sara told me a few days ago that Vegas is starting to seem tame by comparison."

"How do you even begin to talk to a bar?" Catherine rubbed the back of her neck. "I wonder if it gets tiring for her, delivering drinks all the time..."

"Not the version of Vegas we see all the time, in the lab," she retorts with a wry grin. "Are you still doing your work here?"

"You simply speak, requesting whatever it is you need, and leaving money on top. The bar absorbs whatever currency it is." He shrugs slightly.

"I do what work I can, but I am periodically Bound here, meaning I cannot leave until I am let go. Each time I do leave, no time passes back in Vegas. It can be disorienting."

Catherine shrugged, resolving to try it some time. "How are you not able to go?" she asked curiously, one eyebrow raised.

"The Bar has the power to take away the door. Those I have spoken to here believe it is so a lesson can be learned--though what the lesson might be, I do not know."

Catherine looks at him thoughtfully. "When Sara was fired--" her voice catches over the words, "--did the bar Bind her here, too?"

His face softens at her tone. The relationship between Catherine and Sara had been tense at times, but they always respected each other.

"As far as I know, it did not. I believe she stays here by choice."

Catherine shook her head, biting her lip. "I found out... it's not fair. She's one of the best CSIs we have."

"Ecklie is a fool." His tone chills considerably. "Already the solve rates overall are dropping--not many can match her persistence and precision. His decision will come back to haunt him."

He is silent for a moment. "I do not believe she would return, though, even if given the opportunity. She was very close to burn out."

Catherine swallows a sudden lump in her throat. "If only there was some way to persuade her back--"

"I miss her too, Cath, but she has other reasons to want to remain," he says quietly, "that go beyond just what happened professionally. She has found love here, and a family of sorts. Things that she never had. I doubt she would want to give that up."

"However, I will see if she would consent to being a consultant for the lab. The director would accept that, and she could choose the cases she would work."

Catherine ducked her head, smiled shyly at her hands. "I never thought I'd miss her this much," she admits with a slight laugh.

He smiles gently. "I never doubted you cared for her, Catherine, even if it didn't seem like it at the time."

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