Title: Understanding
Author: sarcasticsra
Summary: Jealousy blossoms with a lack of understanding.
Pairing: Ecklie/Grissom
Claim: Conrad Ecklie
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Theme: Set one, theme #36: jealousy.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: [Insert witty/sarcastic disclaimer here that otherwise says I own squat.]
A/N: This is weirdly/stylistically formatted. Bear with me. Thanks for the beta, Kelly.

It’s not a competition, Grissom thinks. It’s a competition, Ecklie thinks.
It’s about the evidence—about truth, about getting the guy who committed the crime. Ambition has no place; neither do politics. It’s about getting ahead—that’s the only way to make any changes, only way to help. Cliches don’t help; neither does mystery.
That’s appropriate when running for class president. Those belong on fortune cookies or with fake psychics.
Gil Grissom (Ecklie thinks playing is key. It’s survival. He)
(doesn’t play along, doesn’t get caught up in politics. He stays focused on cases.) is needlessly stubborn. If he really cared, he’d play the game just a little.
(Grissom thinks focus is key. It’s work. He) Conrad Ecklie
is needlessly obsequious. If he really cared, he’d play the game a little less. (knows that everything is a competition, and you need to win to stay in control.)
Grissom needs to figure him out. Ecklie needs to study his opponent.
*
*
They’re working They're competing
(with each other) (against each other)
on a case. on a case.
They’re looking at the evidence. It’s a homicide, and it looks to be pretty straightforward. Ecklie speaks first.
(Here it comes, that annoying assumption.)
“It’s purely domestic,” Ecklie says.
(He mentally cringes.)
“Not hard to figure out that the husband did it.”
Grissom gives him a look.
(Here it comes, that annoying cliche.)
“Let’s follow the evidence,” he responds.
(He mentally groans.)
“Assumptions won’t get us anywhere.”
“It’s not an assumption. It’s instinct.”
“Evidence can’t be wrong. Instincts can.”
He sighs.
“Something wrong, Conrad?”
“Evidence isn’t everything. Instinct is crucial.”
“You sound bored.”
Ecklie gives him a look. “Wonder why.”
“Why don’t you tell me?”
“We’ve had this argument before.”
Grissom frowned. “We have?”
(Is this part of his act?)
"Conrad."
“Several times.”
(Is this part of his game?)
He rolled his eyes. “We had it last time.”
Grissom studied him.
“I’m not one of your bugs, Gil.”
(No, he isn’t. And that’s the problem, isn’t it?)
"Gil."
“I know, Conrad.”
(Of course he does. He knows all.)
“Let’s get back to the case. There’s something missing.”
"Right. The case."
(It’s a safe topic. And I know he won’t argue with me about it. He wants to win.) (That’s what he does when he’s worried. He throws himself into work.)
*
*
Case solved. As they found out, the husband did do it.
The husband was being abused. Instinct counts for something.
Evidence is absolutely crucial. Evidence has no direction without it.
Instincts are meaningless without it. (Grissom had a point.)
(Ecklie did lead us in the right direction.) (Not that I’ll ever tell him that.)
(I can’t mention it. It’d go straight to his head.) (He wouldn’t believe me.)
(And I don’t want to validate him.) (And I don’t want to validate him.)
*
*
(Why is he here?) (Can I never escape him? Maybe be hasn’t noticed me.)
“Conrad.”
(CSIs always notice.)
“You’re here alone?”
“Yes. Have a seat.”
(He offered? What’s he up to?)
(Why’s he hesitating? Is it more cryptic?)
“Thank you.”
“We run into each other a lot, Gil. It’s a little odd.”
“Yes, we do seem to.”
(Even I know this is awkward.) (Well, this is pleasantly awkward.)
Silence. Silence.
(Why don’t I just say it?) (I should get this off my chest.)
(What if he treats it as part of his game?) (Though he’ll probably use it to fuel his act.)
“I don’t understand you.” “I don’t understand you.”
Grissom stares. Ecklie stares.

They finally look at each other.

And then they understand a lot.



-End