Three months.
They had been fun. Well, to a degree. Conrad Ecklie had never been on any kind of extended vacation before, so driving up Highway One from San Diego to San Francisco had been a huge difference in his past life style. But it had shown him one thing: he could be someone else, he could interact with people other than criminalists or bow to the tide of politics; he could be just Conrad.
It was a revelation.
San Francisco had been his final destination so far. He liked the city and had rented himself a hotel room for two weeks, getting a good rate. After two weeks he would see what he wanted to do. Maybe go all the way up to Seattle and then cross the border to Vancouver. Maybe go even further North.
It was all open to him now.
An amazing feeling.
Ecklie took his ordered drink from the bartender and turned, when a solid body ran into him, spilling his drink all over his shirt. He suppressed a curse and groped for a handkerchief.
“Sheesh, I’m sorry. Let me give you a hand.”
Looking up Ecklie gazed into a pair of sea deep gray eyes, regarding him with a mild concern. Whatever he had wanted to utter, it froze in his throat – until he felt the hand of the other man taking the handkerchief and taking care of the mess he had caused. He was dapping at the dark stains on the blue shirt, standing impossibly close. Closer than his personal space was comfortable with.
What the …? This might be San Francisco, but this wasn’t a scene bar, so … not to mention it caused something to stir.
“Thanks, but I can take care of that myself,” he finally managed, grabbing the handkerchief back.
The incredible eyes were back, in addition to a smile. Damn.
“Of course. How thoughtless of me. I’m Franklin.”
“Conrad,” Ecklie answered automatically, putting the 'kerchief away.
Before Ecklie could think twice he found himself taking the outstretched hand. Direct skin contact. Not a good idea, a part of his mind and body screamed at him when his skin started to tingle with a long forgotten sensation. It didn’t help that Franklin was holding it a little too long than seemed appropriate in such a situation, or that these eyes were watching him, appearing to pierce through all the walls he had erected in all the years, shove away every single barrier and look directly into his soul that he had buried twenty years ago. And then the contact was gone and Ecklie felt a sudden dullness, like an anesthesia. It would start to hurt later.
“Look, Conrad, let me buy you another drink. It’s the least I can do.”
And he nodded.

* * *
 
Ecklie had returned to his hotel and had laid on his bed ever since, sleep evading him. Closing his eyes he saw a pair of gray eyes, felt a warm hand gently touching him, stirring something deep inside him, awakening something he not only thought he had send to sleep but buried forever.
He remembered only too vividly another pair of laughing gray eyes, similar yet different, an excited voice when Thomas had told him about his outstanding job offer, how he had listened over and over again until he had laughed and caught the flailing arms in a tight embrace, shutting his young love up the most effective way. Thomas had melted into him after protesting oh so slightly and the following night had been… well, outstanding.
Thomas couldn’t resist to give him a goodbye kiss in the morning when Conrad had left his room, and he had thought he saw a movement out of the corner of his eyes. After that things had gone down the drain. He remembered how the light in those beloved gray eyes had died, how he could read from his lover’s stiff body language every time something new had happened. First Thomas had laughed it off as ‘just an episode, man, tomorrow they find someone else to pick on.’
They hadn’t, and it had become worse instead of better.
Then he had called to pick up Thomas from the hospital for the first time. Gay-bashing, it was called. ‘No big deal, man, just some bruises. They just shoved me around a little’. Conrad had discussed, argued, even begged his lover to tell the Dean, a teacher, the police, SOMEone. He hadn’t known Thomas already had. And then the young man withdrew from him, grew silent, avoided every contact.
The rare occasions Conrad got him to talk Tom had been rather cryptic. Ecklie clenched his fists at a special memory. He had been allowed to cuddle with Thomas, they had lain on his bed together, enjoying a moment of comfort, when Thomas had turned into his arms.
‘Conrad?’
‘Yes?’
‘Promise me something?’
“Whatever you want.’
‘If something… happens… leave. Okay?’
‘What do you mean? What should happen?’
‘Just promise me, okay? Don’t stay here. Please?’
‘Tom…’
‘Please. *Promise* me!’
Conrad had looked into his lover’s eyes, not quite understanding, but getting that this was important to him.
‘I promise.’
A rare broad smile had been his reward, as Thomas had bent over to kiss him deeply, almost desperately, hand running over his body in a needy way, and Conrad had soon given in to that need.
The next time he had seen his lover had been the moment his body had crashed into the pavement only three meters away.
And Ecklie had left for another U, just like he had promised, not even attending the funeral ceremony.
The pain washed over him like a tidal wave, realization and guilt, grieve  and loss all mingled together into a large black vault. Thomas had known. Known that somebody had been after him, for goodness sake, and he hadn’t told him a single word, had protected him even then. And he hadn’t bothered to question, to look behind the obvious, had assumed like everybody else, and had went on. Well, in a way. He had become the man he was now, cynical and hard, not very likeable – hell, he didn’t *want* to be liked. Being liked just didn’t get you anywhere, being liked just caused… caused…
And twenty years of grieve and remorse crashed his barriers.
It left him exhausted to the core – and with a longing that mixed with the image of a pair of dancing storm-cloud eyes.

*

Still he came back. Not the next night, but the one after that. Ecklie sat at the bar, surveying the patrons, hoping to get a glimpse of the man who had flirted with him two nights ago.
"Looking for someone?“
The sensual voice touched a place inside him that had Ecklie thrum with anticipation. He turned to the blond, took in the dancing eyes, the casual outfit that hid nothing of the lithe figure underneath, and he tried to control his reaction to this man; this stranger.
"Hello again, Conrad,“ Franklin greeted him, leaning against the bar top, closer than a casual encounter should be.
"Franklin.“
"Can I invite you to a drink?“
"Sure.“
It had been so easy and Ecklie wondered why. He had never dated for real, had never flirted, never again after becoming who he had been up until a few weeks ago. His job had eradicated his private life. He had been too cautious – he had missed out on life…

*

It turned out to be a pleasant evening. Franklin seemed to be known in that bar, at least by some of the clientele, because he was greeted by at least two women and three men. He just waved at them, his attention coming back to Ecklie immediately. It was an amazing feeling to see this handsome man turn down the obviously flirtatious behavior of two of the greeters to talk to him.
"So you’re on a sabbatical?“ Franklin inquired, munching on some snacks on the table.
"Kind of. I needed some time to get the world back into perspective again. Work… started to smother me.“
"So you just left everything behind, family and friends, and cruised the coast?“
Ecklie smiled. "Yes. And there’s no family and not many friends to begin with.“
"No wife, no children? I find that hard to believe.“
"Believe it. It’s the truth.“ Ecklie shrugged. "So, what about you? Family?“
"Yes and no. I… lost my children a few years ago.“ It was clear to Ecklie that he didn’t really want to talk about it, but he neither encouraged nor stopped him. "My daughter… was mentally unstable. She killed her brothers. Apparently to get back at me for being the father I had been.“
A humorless smile graced Franklin’s lips. Ecklie looked at the other man, shocked at what had been revealed. He had never heard anyone so casually relate something so painful to a virtual stranger. But his mind was also working in leaps. Franklin’s daughter had killed her brothers and nearly her father? The man looked no older than maybe mid-thirties! That meant a teenage daughter at best… It also meant a wife of ex-wife.
"She must have been young…“
Franklin smiled. "I’m older than I look, Conrad. Alicia wasn’t a teenager.“
Ecklie was stunned. If the other man was his age… time had been good to him.
"It must have been hard.“
"Yes, it was. I lost my children, except the one I had never known, and he hated me.“
"Your wife?“
"No wife,“ was the calm answer.
"Oh. Sorry.“
Franklin’s smile was back. "It’s the past, Conrad.“
"What about your surviving son?“
"We haven’t been on speaking terms for a long time. It only just recently got better.“
"How come?“
Franklin shrugged. "I never knew I had him until the day we met accidentally. When he asked about us, I had to tell him. He… was an accident.“
Ecklie nodded, understanding in his eyes. "Not the best way to start a father-son relationship.“
Franklin laughed wryly. "No, not really. He told me back then never to show my face in Salt Lake ever again. It’s where he lives.“
"I see. Must’ve been hard.“
"Knowing I have another son, who’s alive? Or knowing he’d rather want me dead than as a friend?“ Franklin’s gray eyes were filled with pain. "Both, Conrad. Both.“
"You never tried to talk to him again?“
"Not really, no. I wasn’t that suicidal.“
Strangely enough, it sounded like more than a joke. It sounded like Franklin was actually afraid he would end up dead.
"But we found a common base of understanding in the last years. I think it had a lot to do with his friends. They kinda knocked his head right in that regard. I regret what happened in the past. If I had known…“ Franklin sighed. "Water under the bridge. It’s the past and nothing can change that.“
Sensing the painful topic and aware that the words reminded him a lot of his own past, Ecklie changed the topic.
"So, what do you do for a living when you're not entertaining strangers in a bar?"
Franklin laughed. "You're not a stranger. I know your name."
Ecklie snorted with humor.
"As to what I do, I'm running an advertising company."
"Sounds like fun."
"It is, when the deadlines don't prematurely age you."
Franklin shot him a youthful smile that Conrad envied him.

*

They left the bar together, Ecklie not quite sure what was to happen next, only that they had looked at one another at a certain point in their conversation and both had known it was time. For what his mind didn’t want to wrap itself around.
Ecklie had no idea why, but he went with the other man. He had come here to forget; forget who he was, what had happened, everything. So it was time to shed the old skin and be someone else.
Someone who would enjoy what was freely given; someone who didn’t give a damn about who saw him with whom.
Outside the cool night air hit him hard – he seemed to have been drinking more than he had thought – and he felt a strong arm wrapped around his waist, steadying him. Glancing at his companion he found those piercing gray eyes looking into his soul again, whirling like a summer storm. He felt the grip of the arm tighten, pulling him closer to the hard body at his side. He still tried to deny the obvious – hell, he was a balding, middle-aged guy, not even barely describable as good-looking, and this man, tall, strong and handsome wanted him?
He felt a pair of lips brush over his neck, causing a shudder, and a hoarse voice whispering into his ear
“Where to?”
“Hotel?”
“’kay.”
And then those lips were back.

* * *

He had had no illusions as to what this was: a one-night stand. Ecklie knew he was nothing but a brief interlude. His last relationship had been with Tom and ever since, encounters had been far and few. After joining the criminalistics bureau over fifteen years ago, his career had been the primary objective in his life; relationships were secondary. And after rising in the ranks, it had been too dangerous, too.
Letting go for this one night had set something inside him free and he was actually thankful for Franklin to have released it, but he knew he’d never see this man again. No surprise there either that the blond was gone when he woke the next morning, though the scribbled note was.
'Thank you for a wonderful time.'
Ecklie smiled wryly. Sure. Right.
And he threw the piece of paper away.
 

It came as a kind of shock when he ran into Franklin two days later. He had been cruising around San Francisco, for the first time in his life enjoying the role of a tourist, of someone without obligations, time tables or schedules. The hotel restaurant had offered a good deal on dinner and later he had retreated to the hotel bar.
It was where he met his one-night stand again.
Ecklie was shocked, to say the least, when the younger man smiled at him and took the seat opposite.
"You look surprised,“ Franklin commented, ordering a cocktail from the waitress.
"Pleasantly,“ Ecklie managed. "What are you doing here?“
"I thought I’d drop by, see if you wanted to go out, do something, anything.“
"I… hadn’t planned to.“
"Okay. So we enjoy the music and the drinks.“
Franklin gave the waitress a brilliant smile as he paid for the cocktail, which was returned. Flirting, Ecklie realized. Heavily.
Then that smile was directed him, but with an ounce more flirtation to it.
"Sorry I had to leave so quickly last time. I had an appointment to keep in the morning.“
He was sorry for leaving? Ecklie mentally shook his head. Why? There had been no obligations.
"And I’d like for us to have a chance to… repeat the night. If you want to,“ Franklin added.
Hell, yes! part of Ecklie cried in joy. Another immediately searched for the deeper reason. Why would a handsome guy like Franklin want to even think about having him again?
What the hell, he decided. Stop thinking, just act!
And he did as he gave the younger man a slight smile.
"I’d love to,“ he answered, convinced it wasn’t his voice.
"Good.“
Fingers brushed over his hand and the contact made him tingle. He hadn’t felt like this in a long time, Ecklie mused. And he would enjoy it as long as it lasted.

* * *

Franklin wasn’t exclusive. Not that Ecklie had expected anything else. His lover was bi and he enjoyed it to the fullest. The former CSI accepted it; it was common in the scene to pick your partners as you wanted, and Franklin moved through it all like a predator – but he ended up close to Ecklie most of the times.
After two weeks of meeting most evenings, Ecklie had decided that he liked San Francisco enough to move out of the hotel and into an apartment building. He found a nice place that was airy, had a spectacular view, and the apartments looked more like small houses than anything else.
"Nice place,“ Franklin murmured into his ear.
Ecklie smiled. "Yes, I liked it, too.“
His lover rested his chin on Ecklie’s shoulder and pulled him even closer.
"What’s the bedroom like?“ he whispered.
Ecklie smiled and turned in the embrace. "How about we find out?“

* * *

Ecklie studied the man at his side, the lithe body lying naked on the bed. Completely unconcerned with his nudity and deeply asleep. It had been the first time in a very long time that Conrad Ecklie had allowed himself to feel more than the satisfaction it brought to have sex. He hadn’t known Franklin for long, but something had developed between them.
It was more than casual.
A lot more. At least for him.
Maybe it was because the other man reminded him of Thomas. The eyes, the smile, the sheer energy. It was what had attracted him to Tom. They had been best friends and lovers, had shared everything.
He closed his eyes and sank back into the pillows, not giving in to the tempting illusion that this wonderful man saw more than just a chance encounter in him.
What did he have to offer? He was at least ten years older, balding, and currently out of a job. He knew he could get back into the criminalistic work easily, but somehow, he didn’t want to. He had a lot of personal problems to work through and while having sex helped, it also confronted him with ghosts of his past.
Ecklie sighed. But still, he needed distance from his past, and if distance included a brief time of enjoyable sex with a handsome guy, so be it. He might move on in a day or two; he might just wait until Franklin tired of him.
Movement to his left alerted him to his lover waking, and he suddenly found himself pulled down and met the tender kiss of the other man.
"Hello,“ Franklin purred, gray eyes warm and full of an emotion Ecklie refused to acknowledge.
"Hey.“
Those lips shot fire through him and despite his earlier thoughts, he felt that special feeling once more. It was rising like a tidal wave and while he tried not to drown in it, it was impossible to escape. Ecklie let himself be pulled in, his hands roaming over the athletic form of his lover, and he lost himself in the warmth that rose with it.

* * *
 
Weeks passed and Ecklie had started a part-time job. Nothing fancy. It brought in some money and that was always a good thing. He had a good-sized savings account and his home in Vegas brought in rent, but the job was also to keep him occupied. He was no longer a tourist and the days grew too long when there was nothing to do.
But he still had time to think about his relationship with Franklin, which had developed. The predator had become exclusive. For a while now, Ecklie had seen his lover turn down very obvious offers, staying with him, the casual touches that showed others that they were an item, and an expression in the gray eyes that sent shivers down his spine.
Something was happening here, and Ecklie was panicking. His mind was going through flight plans, how quickly he could leave his place, his job, this city – while another was warm and content with the status quo. He hadn't been content for a very long time and Franklin had made it possible for him to relax. Las Vegas and the CSI were forgotten, but the fear of rejection remained. The longer he let this go on, the deeper the pain would be when Franklin finally tired of him and chose another partner.
And out of this panic, he made a decision.
"I think we should stop this now."
Franklin looked at him, slightly flabbergasted. "Stop it?" he echoed.
Ecklie inhaled deeply, gathering his shields around him. "This won't work, Franklin. I know it's nice; it feels good. But it can't go on."
"Why do you think that, Conrad?“ Franklin asked, gray eyes serious as he looked at him.
"Because I’m a realist. This was fun, but it’s not going to last. Just look at what’s for offer.“ Ecklie made a sweeping gesture.
"I’m not interested. I found what I want.“
Ecklie fought the lump in his throat, the pain rising inside him.
Please don't do this to me! he begged silently.
"After just a few months?“ he asked, mouth feeling numb.
"Yes,“ was the simple answer.
"I’m not such an optimist.“
Franklin gave him a warm smile. "Then maybe you need more time to convince yourself.“
Ecklie struggled with the implications. "Franklin..."
The blond man closed the distance, warm gray eyes regarding him openly. "I'm not going anywhere any time soon," he said seriously. "Not without you anyway." A smile graced the handsome features.
"You can't be serious."
"I am."
"Franklin..." Ecklie tried again.
Franklin cupped one cheek and Ecklie fought the wonderful wave of warmth rising inside him. "I want to be with you, Conrad."
As simple as that. The former criminalist drew a shuddering breath. Nothing could be as simple, but he wanted it to be. He wanted to be with Franklin.
"Just give us a chance. It's all I ask for," Franklin went on.
All he asked for? He was asking him for this? Ecklie nearly laughed out loud. He would have thought he'd be begging this man not to leave, but it was the other way around. Now he had given him the chance to end this, let Ecklie end it, but Franklin wasn't about to let go. He wanted… his mind stopped. He couldn't want this for real, could he?
But what if…?
"Conrad, please?" the blond whispered.
Taking the slender form into his arms, he enjoyed the way Franklin leaned into him, how his lips found their counterparts, how his mouth welcomed him. It was answer enough for both of them. Ecklie knew he was setting himself up for a soul-deep pain when Franklin finally came to his senses, but somewhere deep inside part of him was coming to life again.
And it felt good.

* * *

They had made a date for tonight and Ecklie had been early, so he had ordered himself a beer and settled down at one of the empty tables. The bar was one he and Franklin had frequented lately and he liked it. It was small but not stuffy and not a scene bar. He had never hung out at one in his past and he wasn't planning on going to one in the future.
"So you're ol' Frank's little plaything. Not much to look at."
The voice belonged to a large, muscular man in his early thirties, who now towered over Ecklie, a disdainful look on his square face. Ecklie looked up, surprised by the venomous words, but before he had a reply, the man grabbed him by his shirt and tore him off his seat.
"Wonder what he sees in you," the other went on. "Good fuck? Maybe I should try it out."
The attack came so fast, it took Ecklie's breath away. He was thrown against the wall, which knocked the wind out of him, and a pair of strong hands grabbed him by his shirt again. Ecklie was tossed from the wall onto the floor, where he lay, gasping. He felt blood run down his chin from where he had accidentally bit his lip.
"What do you have I don't, huh? Why did he choose you?"
Ecklie looked up as his attacker approached, but before he could touch him, something -- no, someone -- slipped between them.
"Brad!"
The hiss was barely even human, but Ecklie recognized the voice. And then his eyes widened as the much slighter Franklin grabbed the other man and simply tossed him into the wall -- hard enough to leave a dent.
"Hands off!"
Ecklie's mouth fell open when he discovered the possessive expression on his lover's face -- and the eerie light glowing in the normally so warm eyes. Now they flared with a silver fire, inhuman, predatory... not Franklin.
"You don't want to share, vamp?" Brad laughed as he pushed himself off the wall.
Franklin growled and it was a menacing noise. "You're about to cross the last line."
"You think I'm afraid of you?"
"No. You're actually too stupid to feel fear."
Brad roared in indignation and attacked, but Franklin was too fast, and the next moment Brad was a groaning heap on the floor, holding his obviously broken, bleeding nose.
"Want to try again?" Franklin asked pleasantly.
"You're dead, man!"
"Very observant, Brad. But I prefer 'undead'. So much more fun than a corpse."
The muscle man snarled. "Think you're so big?"
Franklin shot him a calculating look and smiled slowly. Brad growled, looking grotesque with his broken nose and bloodied face. He was just about to lunge at his opponent again when one of the onlookers finally intervened. It was a woman, brunette, slender and rather petite in appearance, but she easily held the other man.
"That's enough, Bradley! Leave! Now!"
Bright blue eye stared the much larger man down and he suddenly lowered his eyes.
"Now!" she repeated. "This was the last straw. You're out!"
"But..."
His protest died a quick death and he staggered away.
Franklin reached for Ecklie and pulled him to his feet, a possessive-protective arm around his waist. "You okay?" he whispered.
He could only nod, too stunned by the revelations.
Franklin was... he was...
He swallowed.
"Franklin," the brunette woman addressed his lover.
"Thanks, Reggie."
She smiled slightly. "Brad is a disturbed young man. I knew he'd break one day."
Franklin snorted. "He's an asshole who thinks I'll turn him. That's what he is."
"As I said... he's disturbed. You better get out of here now."
He nodded and tugged Ecklie along, who went willingly, mind still reeling. He was in shock; enough that he didn't resist Franklin's guiding hands until they were out of the bar.
"I'm sorry, Conrad," Franklin brought him out of his shock, hands rubbing over him as he tried to ascertain himself that no serious harm had been done. One hand suddenly held a handkerchief and wiped away the blood.
"Who was that?" was Ecklie's first question, taking the 'kerchief.
"Bradley. Asshole. He's been after me for a while."
"Why?"
Franklin shrugged, unwilling to answer.
Ecklie briefly closed his eyes, then inhaled deeply.
"You're not human, right?"
Franklin looked thunderstruck. "Conrad…"
"I saw what happened in there. I saw your eyes." Ecklie held the suddenly apprehensive gaze.
"A trick of the light."
Ecklie frowned angrily. "Don't shit with me, Franklin! I know what I saw. It's my job to be observant and a few months out of it don't make me a dimwit!"
Franklin didn't say anything, but he looked torn, and Ecklie remembered another time he had seen eyes glow. Just as a demonstration in a closed bar in the Shaman Hotel back in Vegas.
"You're a paranormal," he murmured.
The expression on Franklin's face was priceless. His mouth dropped open in surprise, his eyes widened, and he was clearly searching for words.
"Yes, I know about them," Ecklie went on, anger rising. "I know some back in Las Vegas, among them someone who had the same eye problem. I was given a demonstration once to convince me that there is such a thing as the paranormal!"
"I'm a vampire," Franklin finally confessed, looking unwell with the revelation.
Ecklie ran a hand through his thinning hair, shaking his head. "Damnit! And you think you can just dump that on me? Like it’s nothing? After sleeping together for months? After lying to me!“
"I know it’s something big, Conrad. I was a fool to deceive you all the time… but I didn’t want to scare you off.“
"Scare me off?“ Ecklie snarled. "That's the weakest excuse I've ever heard! You told me everything else! Fuck, I nearly spilled my soul to you!"
Franklin watched him calmly. "There’s no excuse for how I acted. I just didn’t want to lose you.“
"Why? Can’t find another fuck buddy? Well, look around you, Franklin! They’re dying to get into your pants! Like Brad!“
Ecklie pushed past the other man.
"But you’re the only one I want to let in,“ Franklin answered softly. "I’m not interested in them. Him. Anyone. Not since I started to feel there's more to us…“
"For how long? Till you tire of the old guy and look for new blood? I’ll tell you something, Franklin: I’m not in the mood. I don't like games! I don't like being a toy for someone who has all eternity and needs something to pass the time for a few months! It was nice, but that’s about it.“
And with that, he stalked off, not looking back.

 
Franklin stood like rooted to the spot. Inside of him, something screamed in denial. He had known that Conrad might be disturbed by his nature, but he hadn't counted on that much anger. It was an emotion stemming from something other than just the revelation of who and what he was; it ran deeper.
Just like Franklin's emotions ran deeper.
The argument hadn't been about the fact that he was a vampire, it had been about something else. Conrad was afraid, but of the creature he was but of what he suddenly meant in his life.
"Shit," he whispered.

* * *

The following days were hard. He barely saw much of the outside world, holing up inside his apartment and wondering where to go from here. He could leave San Francisco, try to forget what had happened, but that would be close to impossible. He had come here to deal with what Grissom and Nick had told him, handle the truth about what was really out there. Now he had been thrown right back in, and he couldn’t swim.
Ecklie looked out the closed glass doors, across the bay, and he wondered what to do. He had come to terms with his guilt concerning Tom’s death, but could he deal with Franklin and what the other man meant for him?
No. He couldn’t.
He had allowed himself to feel, he had opened up, and suddenly all that trust had been betrayed. Franklin was a paranormal. Not just any kind, no. He was a vampire. He had died, he had come back as a blood-sucking undead, and he avoided the sun. Only now, looking back at his time with the other man, did he realize that they had never met throughout the day. In the evenings or at night – or inside. Having lunch, sharing a coffee, but always inside.
Ecklie closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the cream colored couch.
What now?
He couldn’t turn off his feelings for the other man, but he also couldn’t ignore his 'condition’. He was close to immortal, or at least he aged slowly, as Danielle had explained to him. So what was Conrad Ecklie to him? A way to pass a decade, if at all that much time? A toy to amuse himself with.
Past insecurities rose and he shoved them away.
Maybe he had put too much of Tom into Franklin, had built up a dream that had now burst. Maybe he had hoped to find what he had been missing – only to have it shatter into a million pieces.
The door bell roused him out of his thoughts and for a moment, Ecklie thought about just ignoring the world outside, but then he got off the couch and walked to the front door. When he opened it, shock and surprise warred for dominance.
Blond hair highlighted by the midday sun, Franklin stood on his door step, without an ounce of shade anywhere, and his gray eyes held an open, almost pleading emotion.
"Hey,“ the vampire greeted him, sounding unsure. "Uh, can I come in?“
Sunlight. Two p.m. Vampire. In the friggin' sun!
Ecklie grabbed the other man and pulled him inside.
"What the fuck are you doing outside?“ he demanded.
"I needed to talk to you, Conrad. I doubt you’d have picked up my calls and you weren’t going out any more,“ Franklin explained, voice still unsure.
And he looked pale, Ecklie noticed. Paler than normal. Slightly gray around the edges.
"How did you get here?“
"I drove.“
"In the sun?!“
Franklin shrugged. "The bus takes too long.“
"Are you nuts?“
"No, just… Conrad, I wanted to apologize for dropping the bomb on you, so to speak. I never meant to tell you like this.“
Ecklie fought for composure. His lover had come here, in bright daylight, risking his life, to apologize?
Then something else registered.
"You wanted to tell me anyway?“
"Yes. You mean a lot to me, Conrad. I wanted you to know how much by trusting you with this. It just… it came across wrong. I never meant to scare you off. And… I’m not sure how much you know about my kind, but all the movie clichés are wrong.“
"I told you, I met someone in Vegas. She’s a vampire. She told me a few things,“ Ecklie replied, voice softening. "It just… took me by surprise.“
"I guess.“
They looked at each other, Ecklie lost for words. Finally he reached out and touched the too-pale skin. Franklin leaned into the touch, smiling hesitantly.
"You look wasted,“ Ecklie said calmly.
"Sun does that to you.“
"I guess the cliché about vampires needing blood to restore themselves is true.“
"Yes.“
"Got any with you?“
Franklin chuckled weakly. "I never go without it.“
"In the car?“
A nod.
Ecklie pushed him toward the couch and made the other man sit down. "Keys?“
"Conrad, you don’t have to…“
"Keys,“ Ecklie demanded.
Franklin sighed and handed over the car keys. Ecklie took them and went out to the car. He found a electric cooling bag on the passenger seat, unplugged it and carried the whole thing inside.
Franklin rose unsteadily and came over as Ecklie opened it. "You don’t have to do that, Conrad. Let me.“
Ecklie caught the hand reaching out for the bag and pulled his lover closer.
"If you want this to work, you gotta trust me, Franklin,“ he said softly. "With everything.“
"I just don’t want you to think it’s… freakish. I mean, it’s blood.“
"I’ve seen enough in my time as a criminalist.“ Ecklie flipped open the bag and looked at the contents.
Three unmarked cans that looked like thermoses.
"Different flavors?“ he joked.
It drew a smile. "No.“
Franklin took one and unscrewed the top. He hesitated briefly, meeting his lover’s eyes, then started to drink.
Ecklie watched the other man swallow the contents, the blood, and strangely enough, he wasn’t as freaked as he would have believed. It was strange to know that this man was living off blood, was drinking it before his eyes, but he wasn’t running scared.
Franklin put down the empty can and licked his lips, the last specks of red disappearing.
"Second helping?“ Ecklie offered.
"No. I’m fine. I just want to get some rest.“
Ecklie nodded and took his lover’s hand, pulling the unresisting man over to the couch. He made him sit again, then pulled down the blinds until the room was cast in twilight.
"Conrad?“ Franklin asked, a bit perplexed.
The former CSI sat down next to him, then pulled him closer as he laid down on the broad, comfortable couch. Franklin didn’t protest, just went with the flow. Soon he was spooned up next to Ecklie.
It felt wonderful; natural. And Ecklie felt his body relax into the familiar weight and form of his lover.
"That’s nice,“ the vampire murmured.
Ecklie kissed the top of his head. "Yes, it is.“
It was perfect.
"I... was afraid you wouldn't want this any more."
"Why? Because you're a vampire?"
Franklin nodded.
"I still want it," Ecklie said simply. "Still want you," he added, voice dropping.
It was the truth. What he felt ran deep, which was why it had hurt so much. He wanted this man, no matter who or what he was.
The vampire smiled and snuggled closer. He didn't fall asleep. He just lay next to him, wrapped around Ecklie, and the two men enjoyed the silent pleasure of each other's close presence. Now and then Franklin would stroke his palm over Ecklie's flank.
"Why me, Franklin?" he asked after a while.
"Do you need a reason?"
"I'm a scientist. It puzzles me. All the equations are wrong."
"What equations?"
"You, me, us. It doesn't fit."
"I think it does."
"Among everyone, in all your long life, why me? You're a free spirit, Franklin. I saw that. You like to sample what's offered."
Franklin raised his head and gray eyes looked seriously into dark ones. "You want to know about me?"
"If you're willing to share…?"
The vampire let his head sink back against his lover. "It's been a while since anyone really asked."
He was silent for a moment and Ecklie waited patiently.
"I'm about one hundred and eighty years old," Franklin finally began. "I wasn't sick or anything; dying, you know. I just… said yes when my future sire asked me if I wanted to share this life with him. Don't get me wrong; we weren't involved. Never were, never have been. Anyway… it fascinated me. I wanted to live this long, see every corner of the world. All the drawbacks were… minor details."
Ecklie nodded, keeping his silence, despite the first questions rising in his mind.
"I'm British by birth. My sire was a Frenchman. We stayed in Europe for a while. Just a few years until my body had adjusted enough for me to travel brief distances in daylight. Very brief distances. We came to America."
The hand still caressing his side stopped briefly and Ecklie felt the man in his arms tense.
"It's where I made my fatal mistake. I was young, cocky, so sure of myself that I could control the vampire that I left my sire. It was an error in judgment, but I was too young to realize it. I killed a man, and accidentally sired my son of whom I didn't know until recently."
"You never killed before?" Ecklie asked softly.
"No. We don't kill. We take, but we give pleasure to the donor." A wry smile danced across the blond's lips. "That much about the legend is true; vampire feeding is… erotic."
Ecklie chuckled, then grew serious again. "What happened afterwards?"
"My sire was… livid, to say the least. I had gone off on my own, I had killed a man, I had endangered us… I was in a lot of trouble. For the next fifty years I was under constant observation, by either my sire or someone else."
"Pretty harsh."
"Very mild, considering I could have been killed for it," Franklin countered. "Well, as you can see, I wasn't killed. I served my time, so to speak, then moved around freely, taking what I wanted without trespassing on any rules. I never amassed fortunes like many of us do; I was content with what I had. I liked the stock markets and made my money there, buying and selling companies, papers, options, whatever.
I sired my own children, I rose in my position within the community, and I stayed mostly in San Francisco. I've been with this community for a long time.
Then my sons were killed by my daughter and I discovered I had accidentally turned the man I had killed into one of us, too. It more or less broke my neck. The community found out, of course. Ezra is a high ranking individual and it was an uproar here in Frisco to find out he was sired and left alone, to fend for himself, and that I was the one responsible."
"What happened?"
"I was stripped of rank. I lost my position here. I'm just one of many now, no rank or privileges, or the possibility to rise higher."
Franklin delivered his speech so matter-of-factly that Ecklie wondered if he felt anything at all. He tightened his old and suddenly felt a little tremor run through the man. Here went all his ideas about Franklin's past and his life as a vampire. Nothing like the movies or TV shows. Yes, he went through life taking what he wanted, but he had paid a high price.
"I'm lucky neither Ezra nor anyone from here killed me for it. Siring a child without consent of a community is bad enough, accidentally siring a child and leaving him to fend for himself is punishable by death. Ezra could have turned out a crazed mass murderer. He had no one to guide him, to curb his instincts, to teach him about his new self." Franklin laughed slightly. "I'm very proud of him. He turned out to be more than I could ever have expected, more than I could ever have been myself. He found a partner and friends, he has a community who he leads, and he wields a lot of power. You know, he's connected to Vegas as well."
"Ah."
Ecklie mentally shrugged. Vampire power structures and politics were something he couldn't wrap his mind around so far.
"Now to answer your original question…. Yes, I like to take what I see and want, Conrad. There are no longer any consequences as long as I'm careful when it comes to human partners. I like my life as it is now, but I was missing something. I found physical beauty in my partners, but I never found what touched me when I met you."
"Cynism, tiredness, anger and pain?"
Franklin looked up again, the gray eyes so very serious again. "No. Something else. I know you think I'll leave you for a pretty face, but that's just… beauty is transitory."
"Not if you're a vampire," Ecklie countered.
"Even then. I told you I'm old. I know. What you see is not always what you get. I like to look and touch and take, but I never got much in return. And it got me into a lot of trouble in the past. When we first met, I sensed your attraction to me and when we shook hands, it was like…" Franklin stopped, looking a bit embarrassed.
Ecklie gave him a curious look. "What?"
Franklin fumbled for words. "Vampires… we don't really have lifemates. I mean, we live so long, it just doesn't… fit. But sometimes, between two partners, there's this feeling. I never felt it before, obviously; I just know someone who found his lifepartner that way."
"Franklin?"
Ecklie was confused.
"When I touched you, it tingled. It was this electric feeling, like… touching a low current, live wire."
Ecklie frowned more. He remembered the feeling, too. It had been weird, almost like a sexual spike, but he had blamed it on his neglected emotional side.
"You want to tell me that you can touch someone and what? Bind them?"
Franklin pushed up, wide-eyed, pale face looking down on him. "No! No one can force the connection. It's mutual. I didn't force anything on you. It's not some kind of spell… Something with you spiked my interest and every passing day, that interest was rekindled anew." Franklin sighed and shook his head. "I don't know what attracts me to you, Conrad, I only know that I want you by my side. I want to be at your side."
Ecklie gazed at the handsome blond, touched by the words, and the truth behind them, but the revelation that there might something else involved still niggled.
"I'm human."
"I know."
"You're close to immortal."
Franklin's gray eyes held a hard to interpret expression. "Yes."
"I'll die."
"I know that, too. It doesn't matter, Conrad."
"It does to me. In ten or twenty years, there won't be a relationship. There will be me, looking for a place to spend my golden years. And you… looking young enough to be my son. Unless you plan on changing something about that particular equation."
The vampire swallowed and, if possible, grew even paler. "Conrad…"
"Would you?"
"I'm not sure I could," was the soft whisper.
Ecklie regarded him steadily.
"I told you… we need permission, me even more so than anyone. And I can't change my lover, Conrad. A sire and a child can't be lovers."
"Would you even want it?"
"God, yes, I want to be with you!" Pain spoke from the other man. "But don't force me to choose. I couldn’t."
He leaned forward and gently captured the vampire's lips, kissing him tenderly. "I won't force your hand. I'm not sure I could live with that choice either."
"I love you," Franklin whispered.
He swallowed. "Franklin…"
"I know it's an intense emotion," the blond stopped him, "and I understand that you can't give it freely. You carry a lot of pain. Just… let me stay?"
Ecklie pulled him up into a lingering kiss. "I'd love to have you stay, Franklin," he whispered, skirting around the declaration of love.
His feelings were one thing, his mind another.
"Conrad?"
"Hm?"
"Tell me about the pain?" Franklin inquired softly.
Ecklie felt himself tense for a moment, then he exhaled slowly. "It's been twenty years," he murmured, never stopping his caress of the body at his side, chin resting on the blond head. "His name was Tom. Back then I didn't know it, but he was a paranormal."
"Not a vampire, I guess?"
"No. A Trigger."
"Heard about them. Magic-users."
Ecklie nodded. "I loved him a lot. He had to die because of what he was."
And the story poured out of him, all the good times and the bad, all the pain, and Franklin listened silently, ensconced in Ecklie's arms, a reminder of what he could have, what his future might hold for him if he could let go of the past.

* * *

The night had passed in a haze of passion, rekindled again and again. It was the first time Ecklie had made love to the vampire, not just Franklin. There was no difference, except the knowledge. It didn't make Franklin into a monster, but it raised a few questions he had been wondering about ever since finding out that the legends were true.
They just lay together, Ecklie drawing gentle patterns on his lover's back as Franklin pillowed his head on the other man's chest.
"Your eyes glow," Ecklie murmured all of a sudden, touching a topic that had fascinated him since seeing it the very first time in Las Vegas.
Franklin smiled slightly. "Yes, they do."
"You can control it?"
A shrug. "Not always. When the vampire comes through, it happens. Emotions are another factor."
Ecklie reached out and touched one pale cheek, caressing it with his thumb. "Can you show me?"
The vampire gazed levelly at him. "You really want to see?"
"Yes."
And the silver light rose in the gray orbs. Ecklie didn't flinch back, just looked at the suddenly alien eyes, the scientist in him raising a myriad of questions.
"You said emotions?" he asked.
A nod.
"Like pleasure? Sexual pleasure?"
Another nod.
Ecklie looked thoughtful. "So you held back all the time?" he whispered.
The fire in the gray eyes died down abruptly and Franklin looked away. He started to sit up, but Ecklie caught him by one arm, aware that he was no match for vampire strength should Franklin really want to leave.
"Why?" he wanted to know. "Didn't want to scare me?"
"Something like it," Franklin murmured.
"Even now that I know?"
The gray eyes were filled with confusion.
"Franklin," Ecklie only said softly.
The vampire sat rooted to the spot, looking unsure. It was laughable, Ecklie thought. This man was nearly two centuries old, but he was as insecure and self-conscious as the next person when it came to who he was.
"How come a being so old as you is so… insecure when it comes to revealing his true nature?" he asked.
"Because of what I feel when it comes to you," was the quiet reply. "I've never felt it before. It's strong, it's incredibly intense and I want it, Conrad. I want you. I think I've been waiting for you all my life. I'm afraid what happens should you… not want me in return because of what I am. I don't want to scare you off. I'm not going to bite you or drink your blood. I'm not going to turn into a monster on you."
"I know that."
He couldn't say he wasn't scared, but it was more of his own emotions than what Franklin was. He had slept with this man for months now.  Ecklie leaned forward and brushed their lips together. No fangs, no claws, just a human being who was slightly different. When Franklin didn't pull back, he deepened the kiss and he was invited inside. Pushing Franklin back onto the bed, he straddled the unresisting form, hands, lips and tongue starting a sensual assault on the other man.
"Don't hold back," Ecklie whispered into one ear.
There was a smile on Franklin's lips as he wrapped his arms around his lover and returned the ministrations. Sealing their lips together, both men sank into a haze of sexual pleasure.
When Franklin's climax hit him and his eyes glowed with the power of the vampire, Ecklie met the hot gaze with the same power and heat, buried deep inside his lover. He sank into the waiting arms, spent, sated, warm… and he heard Franklin whisper 'I love you' into his ear.
He felt the same.
He just couldn't say it out loud.

* * *

"You want to go back, right?"
Ecklie looked up from his book. "What?"
Franklin smiled and sank onto the couch at the foot end, crossing his legs under him. "You want to go back to Las Vegas," he stated.
"What makes you think that?"
A shrug. "Just a feeling. You've been restless the past two weeks."
Ecklie laid the book aside and looked at the blond. In the last weeks, the two men had grown closer. Ever since the revelation, things had changed. It was as if the fragile balance of before had been turned into a strong bond between them. There was nothing forced about their relationship and Ecklie was starting to feel more secure when it came to this wonderful man.
Franklin was a constant in his life, he was a part of it, and everyone knew it. The vampire didn't so much as look at another man or woman, and no one approached him any more.
"I was thinking about it, yes," he finally confessed.
"So, when are you leaving?"
It hit him like a blow into the face. Franklin was actually convinced he would return to Vegas. The year he had been given to think about his career, whether to come back or leave for good, would be up in two months. He would have to make a decision, but Franklin thought he already had.
"What makes you think I'm going?" he asked numbly.
A shrug. "This isn't your life, Conrad. You need a challenge and really, your job here isn't one, right?" Franklin grinned.
Ecklie chuckled. "It earns money."
"So does being a criminalist in Las Vegas. More money, too. You still have your place there, Conrad. You know you want it."
"I also want you," he confessed softly.
Franklin gave him a warm, wonderful smile. "You've got me."
Ecklie blinked. "What?"
"Give me another month and I've wrapped up my business here."
"You want to move with me?" he exclaimed.
"Sure."
Ecklie was speechless. He knew he was staring at his lover like a complete nut, but it was hard to comprehend. Franklin would give up everything here and go with him?
The vampire touched one outstretched leg and gentle massaged it. "Conrad, I love you. I want to be with you, but you're not happy here. I'm not chained to this city. I can go wherever I want. I'll just have to wrap up some loose ends with my business connections, then I'll pack my bags and off I go to Vegas. That is, if you want me to…"
Ecklie's eyes were wide as saucer and his flailed for words. "Of course!" he finally managed.
Franklin smiled and crawled up the outstretched legs to finally meet Ecklie's lips. "Good." He kissed him gently.
Ecklie wrapped his arms around the slender man and held him tightly. "Thank you," he murmured when they parted.
"What for?"
"Everything."

* * *

Ecklie was the first to move back to his place in Vegas. Everything looked like it had before, except for a new casino that had opened just a few months ago. Potential future crime scene, the criminalist in him immediately thought. Moving back into his house wasn't difficult. The rental agreement had stated that it was short-term only. Since the man who had rented it had been looking for a transfer to New York anyway, it was actually quite simple.
Looking around the house he hadn't seen in nearly ten months, Ecklie felt strangely as if he had come back home – with just one missing piece. Franklin would be arriving in a week, moving in with him. The decision hadn't been hard to make, even if the vampire had offered to get his own place, maybe stay at the Shaman for a while. Ecklie would have none of it. He wanted his lover close. They had spent the nights together in San Francisco, always in Ecklie's apartment, and he didn't want that to change.
Well, a few things would change. Ecklie worked days, Franklin was a night owl by his very nature. His lover had told him it wouldn't be a problem, but that had to be seen. Vampires slept a lot less than humans.
Oh well… for now, Ecklie didn't worry a lot.
He just felt too good.
He felt human.
He felt alive.

* * *

Franklin arrived at dawn. He had driven through the night and the pick-up was loaded with the few things he had taken along. Ecklie was surprised how light the vampire traveled.
"Just some clothes, books, mementos," Franklin answered when he remarked on it, standing next to the blue car.
An arm snaked around Ecklie's waist and Franklin kissed him lightly. He responded in kind, then noticed the shadows.
"Damn!" he growled and pulled his lover inside.
Franklin laughed. "Will you relax? I'm fine!"
"Don't tempt it," was the only reply and dark eyes checked the blond.
Franklin hugged him close. "Thanks for caring, Conrad." He nipped at his lips. "How about a tour of the house now?"
"It's not much. You won't get lost in," Ecklie replied.
Actually, it was medium-sized and functional. He had a large library-like room, which was actually his office, full of shelves will all kinds of titles stocked on the wooden boards. It was his favorite room where he spent most of his time. Ecklie's social life had been close to non-existent, not unlike Grissom's he mused now, and he had spent a lot of his time at work. Not unlike Grissom.
The house had two bedrooms, one which was a guest room and almost empty. The living room was home to a TV set and DVD player, as well as some art paintings. The attic was where he had once planned to have another room, but he had scrapped those plans. Franklin was actually quite interested in them now.
"I like it," Franklin said softly when they were through. "Comfy."
Ecklie shrugged. It was probably nothing compared to what a vampire was used to. Said vampire now pushed him gently against the wall, smiling.
"You think too much about what I might prefer… can't you accept that I like it? That this is what I want? That it's you I want?"
He looked into the serious gray eyes and smiled. "Getting there," he whispered.
Franklin kissed him. "Good, 'cause I'm not going to keep beating it into your thick head, Conrad Ecklie."
Ecklie wrapped his arms around the slender form, hungrily answering the kiss.

* * *

Nick was on his way to the lab when the apparition crossed his way. Staring, mouth nearly dropping open, Nick barely managed from running into the glass wall of the DNA lab. He stopped and looked after the suntanned, slender man in the so completely unusual outfit; unusual for the man wearing it.
"What the…?"
The man proceeded down the corridor and then entered one of the offices.
"Shit, I'm hallucinating," Nick murmured.
That couldn't have been… Right?
 

Grissom was surprised to discover who his visitor was; and surprise was a mild word for it.
"Hello, Gil."
He rose from behind his desk, baffled. "Conrad."
"I thought I'd drop by personally, give you a heads-up. I'll be back on duty tomorrow." Ecklie smiled slightly.
Grissom chuckled. "It's appreciated, but I heard of your return already. I just didn't expect to see you here already." He looked up and down the other man. "You look good."
Ecklie shrugged. "I needed the time I was away. A lot needed to get back into perspective again."
Grissom was still not quite over the shock of Ecklie's new looks. He was suntanned, dressed in a pair of jeans with a simple shirt and a jacket over it. He looked relaxed, balanced, completely at ease and at peace with himself in particular and the world in general. His hair was shorter and the lines in his face had eased. His eyes fairly glowed with life and the permanently cynical twist to his mouth had disappeared.
"Welcome back then, Conrad."
"It's good to be back," Ecklie replied. He smiled again. "See you around."
With that he left the office again. His presence was replaced by a very confused looking Nick, wearing his lab coat, dark eyes disbelieving.
"Was that who I think it was?"
"That, Nicky, was and still is Conrad Ecklie."
"No way. That man wears his tweed suits and shirts like a second skin!"
Grissom laughed softly. "It looks like a lot has happened to Ecklie in the time was gone."
"Yes, he acquired a sense of dress."
Grissom looked thoughtfully at the spot where Ecklie had been mere minutes ago. "And maybe more."
Nick shot him a questioning look, but Grissom just shrugged one shoulder. They might find out in time – or not at all.

* * *

Ecklie walked into his townhouse and smiled as he heard the noise of the TV. He closed the door and went into the living room, discovering his lover sprawled on the couch. Franklin twisted his head and smiled at him.
"Hey, you're early."
Ecklie noticed the closed blinds that still let enough light in without using lamps.
"It was an easy day," he replied, throwing his jacket over the back of one chair.
"Well, it was your first day."
"True. It'll take a while to get used to it again, but I think I'll be up to speed soon."
Franklin rose from the couch, still smiling, and pulled his lover into a welcome kiss. "Good. Hungry?"
Ecklie grinned, eyebrows rising. The question was rather ambiguous and he knew the vampire could mean either thing.
"I mean food," Franklin went on, smiling cheekily.
"Sounds wonderful."
They walked into the kitchen.
"By the way, I got a job."
Ecklie raised his eyebrows. "You got a job?" he echoed.
"Yep. I had some interviews in the last weeks before I moved. I'm starting the day after tomorrow."
"Starting as what?"
"Personnel manager."
Ecklie's eyes widened. "Manager?"
"Yep. The Inca was looking for one and I got the job. It was that or receptionist in the Excalibur." Franklin gave him a grin.
"So now you're the personnel manager of the Inca." Ecklie took a sandwich and bit into it. "Do managers work night shifts?"
"Nope. I've got regular daytime hours."
The CSI nearly choked on his bite. "What?" he exclaimed. "Are you crazy? You're a vampire!"
"I know that, Conrad, believe me. And my office has nicely shaded windows with wonderful blinds. I don't have to go out in the midday sun and even if I come and go in daylight, you know that vampires don't turn to dust in the sun. I'm old enough to have a high resistance to sunlight; hours actually. A shake or two will remedy the negative effects."
"Franklin, you're nuts! Why did you take that job? There have to be others! At night!"
"Sure, but that would mean all we have of each other is a hello and good-bye while coming or going, and the weekends." Franklin shrugged, looking a bit unsure. "I thought if we work the same hours, we could see more of each other, Conrad."
Ecklie counted to five and released a slow breath. His emotions were in turmoil, most of all his protective instinct. Franklin was a vampire, for crying out loud! An old vampire, part of him reminded him. A lot older than you and he survived the centuries just fine.
Still… this was the man he loved. He didn't want to see him hurt.
"I know you're right and I want to have you with me here, Franklin. And in bed at night. But the risk…"
"Isn't as great as you think. I'll be fine." He stepped closer and slipped an arm around Ecklie's waist, pulling him against himself. "I've been on this earth for a long time now, love. I know how much I can take and when to stop. I can handle it."
Ecklie looked doubtful but finally relented. "Okay," he murmured. "It's just…"
"You worry. I'm touched, Conrad. But I'll be fine. We both will."
He looked into the serious, gray eyes and smiled slightly. His fingers played across the clean-shaven jaw and cupped it. Lips brushed together and Franklin melted against him.
They would be fine. Ecklie really hoped so. He had been given a second chance here and he planned on using it to the fullest.