Niki's request...I kinda got a bit stuck. This'll sound vaguely familiar to some...When Ryan met Greg.
Ryan and Tripp respond to a call from a store, there's a customer looking 'suspect' was all they'd been told. Ryan never rides with Tripp, but today, the one day he'd had to, there's a call. Typical! They arrive at the store and approach the clerk. He motions to a guy walking up and down the aisles looking at everything.
“Has he taken anything?” Tripp asks the store assistant.
The young guy shrugs, “boss says, anyone looks suspicious, call you guys, he looks suspicious.”
“Suspicious how?” Ryan asks dubiously.
“Well, a grown adult, walking up and down the candy aisle?! Honestly, he's got to be up to something.” The young employee tells them.
...
Tripp quietly wanders up behind the guy, who seems oblivious to his presence. He follows him for a short while, the guy doesn't pick anything up, but seemed to be getting agitated. Maybe he was casing the place out...
“Hey man, why're you following me!?” The young man had turned swiftly and caught Tripp off guard.
“Um, erm...”
“Some sort of pervert or something?”
Tripp, without thinking reaches his hand out, the guy freaks out, and pushes Tripp away. He stumbles and falls.
Ryan runs down the aisle, all he sees is Tripp on the floor and the other guy standing over him.
He pulls his weapon, “Miami-Dade PD, put your hands behind your head and get down on the floor!” He demands forcefully.
“You have got to be kidding me... this guy attacked me!!”
“Does it look like I'm joking?”
The young guy gets onto his knees and puts his hands behind his shaking head. “That guy was following me...”
“That guy is a police officer, we were called because you were acting suspiciously!” Ryan snarls.
“Suspiciously?! I was choosing candy! Check out my pocket, I have my ID in there. I work for the Las Vegas Crime Lab!”
Ryan looks at him, “Okay, stay still.” He holsters his gun and fishes around in the guy's pocket. “Greg Sanders CSI level one” he reads aloud.
“You still assaulted Sergeant Tripp here,” Ryan starts, “no matter who you are!”
Tripp has the decency to look embarrassed, “Um, actually Ryan, he took me by surprise while I was following him, I didn't identify myself. It's kinda my fault.”
Ryan already out of control of his anger disregards Tripp's confession and takes matters into his own hands “no, Frank, he assaulted you, no matter who he is.” Ryan hauls Greg to his feet and motions to the red faced Frank to follow him to the car.
...
Basically, as would be expected, after arriving at the lab Greg is interrogated and found to be innocent of all charges. Tripp once again owns up to his mistake and Ryan fumes! Horatio is informed and Ryan is called into his office.
“Mr. Wolfe, what possessed you to bring Mr. Sanders in after he'd identified himself, and after Sergeant Tripp had explained the situation?”
Ryan had no answer, he didn't even really know himself why he'd done it. Maybe the shock from seeing the slight guy stood over the well built Frank Tripp had freaked him out a little. He shrugged at Horatio.
Horatio sighs, “well, I contacted his lab, just to make sure he is on vacation, and yes, he is. You've ruined the poor guy's vacation time, so I've decided the only way to make this right is for you to accompany him on a day out.”
“You have got to be kidding me H! What am I meant to do with him... I don't even know him!”
“I guess you are gonna get to know him Mr. Wolfe, off you go. Oh and Mr. Wolfe,” Ryan turns to face him, with a sullen look on his face, “I think you need to apologise.”
He scowls in response, “Sure H.”
...
“So, Wolfe, me and you, day out, where you taking me?” The ever excited voice of Greg Sanders rings out.
Ryan turns to him, “The zoo.”
“The zoo?” Greg Echoes.
“I'm sure you'll fit right in.” Ryan smirks.
Greg looks at him, “I love the zoo, so yeah, I'll fit right in!”
Ryan sighs to himself. He was sure Greg would take offence or hate it, but no, once again, he was wrong...
The zoo was quiet, the sun was shining, most people were at the beach catching rays, or lazing by their pools. Ryan was stuck with some hyperactive tourist from Las Vegas and is hating every minute. Greg runs into every exhibit with enthusiasm, the penguins, meerkats, leopards, taking photographs of everything. Ryan lags behind, not interested at all.
“Come on Wolfe. Anyone would think you didn't want people to know you were with me!”
That comment received a few raised eyebrows.
“Um...that's the idea Greg!” He spits in reply.
Greg just shoots him a goofy grin and keeps up the fast pace.
...
“MONKEYS!!” Comes a yell from ahead.
Ryan rolls his eyes, 'YAY!' he thinks sarcastically to himself. “Yeah, your kind eh Sanders?” He calls.
“I wish, monkeys are brilliant, their arms are great, they're so agile! Honestly Wolfe do you like anything?”
“My own time, to do my own thing! And can you stop with the 'Wolfe', Ryan is fine.”
Greg shrugs, “look, look!!” Greg is pointing to a group of monkeys, swinging around playing tag.
“Get away from the edge.”
“What?”
“Away... from the edge...you're leaning in!”
Greg shoots him a look, “I'm fine Ryan I'm just looking!”
“Horatio'll kill me if anything happens to you!”
“Yeah, Ye...” Greg didn't quite finish as he tumbles over the edge and into the monkey enclosure.
“Great Greg, just great!” Ryan calls down.
“Like I did it on purpose.” Greg retorts, “get a keeper or something, before they realise I'm here...”
...
Its too late, the troop of monkeys are already headed in Greg's direction.
Ryan starts to panic, “just don't panic Greg, they'll smell the fear, stay calm, I'll get help!” He was trying to act nonchalant but deep down he was anxious as hell.
Greg stares back at him with wide eyes, begging to be rescued. He lies in the foetal position, hoping with his whole being that they'll accept him as submissive.
The monkeys quietly approach, with their dominant male at the head of the rabble. Ryan runs backwards and forwards, undecided as to whether he should head off to find a keeper, or to watch and make sure his charge is okay.
There's a crowd gathering, shocked faces and some people shaking their heads at Greg's stupidity. For some reason Ryan felt angry at these people, like he had to defend the visiting CSI. The lead monkey finally reaches Greg and slowly reaches out his hand to touch him as if to check if he's real. Greg tries not to tense, The monkey starts to make calling noises and the others join him, the help to sit him up and they start picking through his hair and sniffing him in places that Greg really didn't want sniffed. He looked up and locked eyes with Ryan again. This time Ryan decided it was time to get help.
...
Ryan and the keeper return, the guy is shocked that a full grown man could end up in the monkey enclosure! He leans over the edge, he has a net, some food and a dart gun, just in case. He looks around, a confused look on his face.
He looks back at Ryan, “I thought you said your friend fell in” still with a confused look on his face.
“Well he's not my friend, but yeah!” Ryan replies, looking over the edge.
They both look over the barrier, Ryan looking right at Greg, with his petrified face looking right back at him.
The keeper turns to Ryan and shakes his head, “nope, still can't see him.”
Just then Ryan realises what the keeper means, he just can't work out which one is Greg...