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The Foolish Corner	By : librarylady61 Category: CSI > General Views: 980 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-The Foolish Corner
- 2-2
- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 8-8
- 9-9
- 1
- 2
The Foolish Corner
By library_lady61

Rated PG-13, for now. Becomes NC-17 later.
Disclaimer: I own Lynne and Delanie Whitney, and
Rachel Shields. I don�t own anything else.
A/N: This is a sequel to �Chocolate Covered Kisses.�
The story continues.

Chapter 1 - Brass�s Bombshell

Nick Stokes was in a good mood, a
very good mood. His long losing streak with the ladies finally seemed to be
over. He and Rachel had been on two dates together, and in ten minutes the shift
would end and he�d be on his way to date number three. Yeah, he knew what
people said about the third date, the �make-it-or-break-it� date, but he was
too happy to care. He thought he might be falling in love.

Smiling goofily, and humming under
his breath, he walked into the locker room, opened his locker, and started
changing his shirt. He just couldn�t stop thinking about Rachel. She was so
perfect for him. She was a grad student at WLVU; she already had 2 advanced
degrees in zoology - marine biology and entomology - and was working on a third
in ornithology. It was so cool; he could actually talk to her about birds
without being told to stop watching so much TV. Rachel had grown up in
Nashville, and adored country music and dressing like a cowgirl whenever the
opportunity arose. She was also a total babe; tall, slim but curvy, with long,
wavy brown hair and large, expressive hazel eyes.

As Nick put on his clean shirt, he
heard the sound of someone emerging from the shower area, and glanced over his
shoulder to see Jim Brass with wet hair and a towel wrapped around his lower
torso. He nodded in acknowledgment of the older man�s presence, then looked
away.

�Hey, Nick. Yea don don�t usually
shower here, but tonight there was an altercation at a scene, and I ended up
wearing the evidence. So, here I am. Say, are you planning to come to my little
get-together?� Jim spoke to Nick without looking at him.

�Yeah, about that, is it okay if I
bring someone?� Nick kept his eyes focused on his shirt buttons.

Jim, ever perceptive, replied, �You
mean a female someone, don�t you? Sure, bring her. I�d like to meet your
friend.�

�Okay, I will. And, thanks. Well, I
gotta go. See ya.� Nick closed his locker and moved towards the door.

�Yeah, Nick, see ya.� Jim quickly
finished dressing, then he ran a comb through his hair, and brushed his teeth.
Nick wasn�t the only man with a date this morning, and the necessity of an
emergency shower had put Jim behind schedule. Lynne wouldn�t mind; she was
remarkably understanding of the realities of law-enforcement work, after all.
But, Jim minded; anything that interfered with his time with Lynne Whitney was
an irritant to him.

~~~~~

Lynne was helping Jim set up for the party. The house had been
thoroughly scrubbed, the living room furniture rearranged, and extra chairs
situated at strategic locations. There weren�t any decorations as such,
although sprays of fresh flowers had been placed here and there.

�So, Jim, do I understand you correctly? This party is so Del and I can
meet your gang, but none of them even know you�re seeing someone?� Amusement
shaded her words; being a playful person, she appreciated the humour of the
situation.p>

�Yeah, Baby, you got it. Of course, we have our little announcement to
make, too.� He grinned.

�Come here, you sexy man.� Lynne reached out and was about to kiss her
lover wheneenaeenage whirlwind burst into the room. Delanie Whitney, who
preferred to be called Del, was a tall 15 year old. Early puberty, a trait in
Lynne�s family, meant that she looked far older than 15.

�Ooh, nasty. Get. A. Room.� Del was not known for her tact. �Hey, Mom,
can I check my email? I�m expecting something from Sam.� Samantha Bellamy was
Del�s best friend.

�Can you? Yes, you do know how. May you? Alright, you have permission.�
Lynne corrected Del�s grammar and answered her question at the same time.

Del rolled her eyes at her mother, �Oh, Mother, I really wish you
wouldn�t do that. Good grammar is just so over-rated. You always know what I
mean, even if I choose my own way of saying it.� Del glanced at Jim, who was
trying very hard to keep a straight face. �Jim, can I use your computer? Mine
isn�t unpacked yet. And, please, don�t do a Mom and tell me I said it wrong.�

Barely containing his laughter, Jim simply said, �Wouldn�t dream of it.
My computer is all yours, it�s still set up in your room anyway. Just, no porn
sites, okay? Your mother would kill me.� Del�s room had been his den until just
a few days earlier.

Del smiled at Jim as she headed out of the room, speaking over her
shoulder, �Why would I need to look at porn sites, when I live with you two?�
She noted the blushes her comment raised, and hurried away.

�Oh, Jim, I�m so sorry. That�s a horrible thing for her to say. I�ll go
have a talk with her.� Lynne was very embarrassed by her daughter�s behaviour.

�Nah, don�t bother. She�s mouthy, that�s a given, but take it from me -
she�s a good kid. She only said that for the reaction she�d get. So, let�s not
give it to her. Now, where were we?� he kissed Lynne before she could say
anything else.

�Lynne, some day, when I�m feeling up to it, I�ll tell you all about my
daughter, Ellie. Then you�ll know how lucky you are to have Del. What a great
person she is.�

�Okay, Jim. I already know both those things, but thanks for reminding
me. As for Ellie, whenever you�re ready to talk about her, I�m ready to listen.
You get so very sad whenever you mention her, I can tell she broke your heart.�

�Yeah, she did. You�re very perceptive. Ever considered a career as a
CSI?� He kissed her again.

�No, thanks, I�m happy being a library technician.�

~~~~~

The guests started arriving precisely on time. Gil Grissom, always
punctual, was the first to ring the bell.

Jim opened the door, and greeted his friend. �Hey, Gil, come on in.
Have a seat.� The words were hardly out of Jim�s mouth when the doorbell rang again. He opened the door again
to see Sara and Greg standing there.

�Welcome to Casa Brass.� He greeted them, and showed them into the
living room. Sara�s eyes immediately found Grissom�s, but she chose a chair
across the room from him. Greg spotted Jim�s high-end stereo system; he
bee-lined over for a closer look.

About 20 minutes later, everyone had arrived. Nick, the last to get
there, happintrintroduced his date the the others. �Hey, y�all, I�d like you to meet Rachel Shields.� He toured the
room with Rachel, introducing her to everyone. There was a ripple of mirth when
Greg and Warrick both chose the exact same moment to stand up and offer Rachel
his seat, a scene made more comical by the fact that several of the chairs
remained unoccupied. Rachel politely declined both offers, and sat down beside
Nick. He held her hand.

Jim quietly slipped out of the room, returning seconds later. He called
everyone to attention. �I�m glad you�re all here. It�s not often we get a chance
to kick-back together. Now, as it happens, Nicky isn�t the only one to bring
someone new to the party.� As he said this, Lynne and Del entered the room,
feeling all the eyes upon them. Jim continued, �May I present Lynne Whitney and
her daughter Delanie.�

�Call me Del. Delanie�s what Mom calls me when she�s mad at me.� Del
was a show-off, and she enjoyed being in the spotlight. She grinned at the
laughter her words provoked. She approached a younger, blonde girl, �You must
be Lindsey, Jim said you�d be here tonight. Let�s go do some girl talk.�
Lindsey, glad to have an excuse to get away from the adults, eagerly followed
Del to the spare bedroom.

Lynne, meanwhile, greeted Gil. �It�s really nice to see you again,
Gil.� She shook hands with him; he seemed
very surprised to see her. They had met several months ago during Lynne�s first
visit to Vegas. She turned to Sara. �You too, Sara. It�s good to see you.� She
shook Sara�s hand. �We can do our own girl talk later.�

�Okay, the rest of you I haven�t met before. Let�s see if I can guess
who everybody is. Oh, wait, I do know you, Doctor Robbins. Glad you could
come.�

�Call me Al.� was all the astonished man could manage to say as he
shook Lynne�s hand.

Lynne, thoroughly enjoying herself, looked around the room, choosing
her next victim. �Greg Sanders, right?� The young man, an accomplished flirt in
his own right, actually blushed to be singled out like this.

�Warrick Brown, that�s an easy one. Your green eyes are a dead
give-away. How do you do?�

He stood up and shook her hand. �I do just fine. Pleased to meet you,
Lynne.� He smiled and sat down again.

�Nick Stokes, by the way, I�ve never met a Texan I didn�t like. Lovely
people. And Rachel Shields, I overheard Nick introduce you before. I�m glad to
meet both of you.�

�That leaves Catherine Willows, mother of the beautiful Lindsey. Good
to meet you. And, now you know why Jim insisted that you bring Lindsey tonight.
Del didn�t want to be the only under-age person here.�

Lynne sat down beside Jim. He had watched in quiet amusement as the
woman he loved worked the room. But now it was time for him to fill in a few
blanks. �I guess I have some �splaining to do. As some of you already know, I
met Lynne almost a year ago. She was in Vegas for the first time, and was a
witness in a case that Gil, Sara, and I were investigating. After the case was
closed, Lynne and I started dating. She�s Canadian, by the way. We�ve been
doing the long distance relationship thing, but it isn�t easy. Fact is, we�ve
grown very attached to each other, and being separated from each other was
getting harder and harder. That�s all about to change. With my help and
sponsorship, Lynne now has a work permit, and is well on her way to a green
card. She�s been offered a job in the local public library system. She and Del
have just moved in with me.�

At first, a stunned silence filled the room as people absorbed Jim�s
announcement. Then, talking erupted as everyone reacted to the bombshell.
�Welcome to Vegas!� �Jim, you old dog! Who�d have guessed?� �I had no idea you
were seeing someone.� �Lynne, you really lucked out.� �Congratulations!� �Why
didn�t you tell us sooner?�

~~~~~

�Sara, I�m sorry I didn�t keep in touch with you. I thought it might be
awkward, trying to be friends when you had to ask me such personal questions
during that investigation.� Lynne had taken Sara into the kitchen, on the
excuse of replenishing the buffet table.

�Yes, well, I don�t expect witnesses to keep in touch with me.
Especially after that kind of case. So, you and Jim? I never would�ve guessed,
although I can see how much you care for each other.�

�I love him, Sara. He�s a good man, and he was very lonely.� Lynne
confided in her new friend. She was about to say something more, when Catherine
entered the room.

�Lynne, I know we just met, but we gotta talk. Mother to mother. Your
daughter has a foul mouth, and she told Lindsey some very inappropriate jokes.
I overheard her.� Cath was angry.

�I�m sorry to hear that, Catherine, but I need to know - what jokes?�
Lynne didn�t like the way Cath was talking about Del.

�Dirty jokes. Jokes I don�t want my child hearing.� She told Lynne what
she had overheard. �What I want to know, where would a teenager even hear such
filth?�

�Many places. TV, the Internet, school, friends. Teens telling dirty
jokes is nothing new, Catherine, it�s a stage most kids go through. Just like 4
year olds and their potty-talk; it�s unpleasant, but it�s a normal part of
growing up.�

�So, you�re okay with your kid being a gutter-mouth?� the red-head was
not backing down.

�That�s pretty strong language. No, I�m not okay with it, but I know
there�s not much I can do about it. I will, however, remind her that Lindsey is
younger and therefore should not hear that kind of joke.� Lynne was finding it
increasingly difficult to keep her temper in the face of Catherine�s
aggressiveness. She didn�t want a quarrel with any of Jim�s friends.

�Too little, too late. I�m taking my daughter home before she gets any
more corrupted.� Willows stomped out of the room, calling for Lindsey.

Lynne looked at Sara, who had witnessed the exchange. Jim came in,
looking very upset. �Cath�s on a rampage. What happened, Lynne?�

�Del happened. Seems she told Lindsey some dirty jokes, and Cath took
exception to it. Called Del a gutter-mouth. I know, Jim, I know it�s true, but
I still don�t appreciate Catherine saying it. I�m sorry, Honey, I gotta go talk
to Del.� She squeezed his arm as she passed him.

After Lynne left the room, Jim saw Sara standing there. She told him,
�I saw the whole thing. Catherine was aggressive and belligerent, like she is
with uncooperative suspects sometimes. Lynne kept her head, tried to reason
with her, but Cath didn�t want to hear it. And, don�t worry, what happened here
stays here. Nobody will hear about this from me.�

�Thanks, Sara, I know I can count on your discretion. I gotta go
salvage my party.� He returned to the living room. Sara, working alone,
replenished the buffet table; it gave her something to do.

Knocking on Del�s closed bedroom door, Lynne was alarmed to hear
masculine laughter. She opened the door to see Greg, his hand on Del�s
shoulder, pointing out something on the
computer screen.

�I hope I�m not interrupting anything.� Lynne announced her presence.
�By the way, Greg, Del probably didn�t mention this, but she�s only 15.
Jailbait, if kno know what I mean. Please excuse us, I need to speak to my
daughter.�

Stammering an apology and blushing brightly, Greg fled the room. Lynne
closed the door behind him.

�Way to go, Mom. Spoil my fun. He�s not trying to seduce me, you know.
He�s nice, and he�s fun.� Del yelled at her mother.

�First of all, I make no apology for protecting your virtue. Secondly,
I want to know what you said to Lindsey. Catherine claims that she heard you
telling dirty jokes.�

�Oh, so that�s why she pulled Lindsey out of here at the speed of
light. Yeah, I told a couple of jokes, but so did Lindsey. It was her idea, and
hers were way dirtier than mine. Wanna hear them?� Del had stopped yelling, but
Lynne could tell she was still angry.

�If you think it would help, then yes. Tell me the dirtiest one.� Lynne
braced herself. Del recited the joke mechanically.

�That�s it, Mom. That�s the kind of jokes Lindsey was telling.�

�Del, Sweetie, do you even know what that joke means? Do you get it?�
Lynne had a hunch.

Del hesitated, finally saying, �No, I don�t. And, don�t explain it to
me, it sounds totally gross. I don�t think Linds gets it, either. She didn�t
laugh, and she was bright red when she said it. She had to whisper the last
part. Couldn�t even say it out loud. Mom, do American kids get sex ed in
school? I think she was looking for info, wanting to ask questions.�

Lynne thought about that, �Wow, Kiddo, that�s a deep insight. I think
you may be right. That�s often the reason for kids telling dirty jokes. As for
sex ed, I honestly don�t know if that�s been part of Lindsey�s school life or
not. Unfortunately, what Catherine overheard was your jokes. She went
ballistic. Maybe in time she�ll calm down enough for me to talk to her about
this, but we can�t count on that. As it stands, it seems we made an enemy
tonight.�

�Yeah, I know. Mom, I�m very sorry. I know this party is really
important for you and Jim, and I didn�t mean to mess it up for you guys.� Del
had tears in her eyes; whatever her flaws, she was basically sweet-natured and
she had a big heart.

�Del, my darling, I know you�re s. I . I am, too. Don�t cry. Oh, and my
next stop will be to apologize to Greg. I think I really freaked him out. Just
remember, please, we do have a rule. No human males in your bedroom. No matter
how nice they are. Or how cute.� Lynne hugged her daughter.

�Yeah, I know. You know you�re a total party-pooper, don�t you?� Del
smiled.

�Yeah, so I�ve been told. That said, I�d better go poop the party.
People might be wondering where I am.�

As Lynne reached for the doorknob, Del got the last word, �I never said
Greg was cute, you know. That was you.�

Lynne left Del�s room, and found Jim hovering in the hallway.

�Everything okay at teen-central?� he was clearly very worried.

�Yes, Jim, everything�s fine. I�ll tell you about it later. Right now,
I have to mend a fence with a certain lab rat.�

�Sanders? What�s up with that? He burned out of Del�s room like the
devil himself was chasing him.�

�I caught him in there with Del, door closed, major parental red flag.
I pointed out to him that she�s only 15, but I guess I overdid it. It seems I
can be rather intimidating. I�ll go talk to him.� She paused, then kissed Jim
on the cheek. �I�m sorry, Jim, this seems to be my night for �How to lose
friends and alienate people�, like I�m the anti-Carnegy or something. The only
one of your friends I seem to be getting along with is Sara. And, she�s the one
who knows all about my rather sordid past.�

Jim was tactful enough that he refrained from reminding her that both
he and Gil knew it, too. �Baby, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing.
Sara Sidle is a very forgiving and non-judgmental person. You could do a lot
worse than her for a friend. But, don�t tell her I said that.� He smiled at
her.

�Thanks, Jim. By the way, she likes you, too. Let�s get back to our
guests, shall we?�

~~~~~

The rest of the party passed without incident. Lynne apologized to
Greg, which lead to a long talk. They ended the evening as friends. Lynne also
spent time with each of the other guests, becoming acquainted with them. She
caught Nick and Rachel making out in the kitchen, but left before they realized
they had been discovered. They left soon after. Finally, all the guests had
departed; none of them were too drunk to drive. Lynne and Jim started in on the
clean-up.

�We could just leave this till morning, you know.� Jim was tired. As
conditioned as he was to being up all night working, the party had exhausted
him. �I mean, later in the morning. After a few hours in the horizontal
position.�

�Perhaps a compromise is in order. How about we deal with the food, get
one load washing in the dishwasher, and call it a night? And, as to positions,
let�s address that question later.�

�Great plan. You do the dishwasher thing and I�ll start on the food.. I�ll be thinking about positions,
too. That�s the best part of the plan.� He winked at her.

�Somehow, I thought you�d say that. Okay, can we be done here in 15
minutes?� she grinned at him, and started loading the dishwasher.

They chatted as they worked. �Lynne, I gotta hand it to you. You were a
great hostess tonight. Well, except for the bit with Ms. Willows. And, about
that, Sara told me you stayed calm and clear-headed. You tried to reason with
Catherine, but she refused to hear you. Anyway, don�t worry about it. It�ll
blow over.� He started dumping the buffet table left-overs into the trash.

�I�d like to think so, Jim, but I�m not so sure.� She told him about
her conversation with Del. �Del definitely had the feeling that Lindsey was
looking for some answers. In any case, I don�t believe that tonight was
Lindsey�s first exposure to dirty jokes, not if what Del said was true.�
12.0pt'>�You believe Del. Well, I do, too. I know her well enough to realize
that she�s very insightful about people. As for Catherine and Lindsey, there�s
really nothing we can do. You saw what Cath is like, any perceived threat to
Lindsey sets her off. Like a mother bear, she is. If there are issues there,
and I�d bet my badge there are �cause every family has issues, Cath will have
to recognize it and deal with them. But, we�ll never know because she�s not the
type to confide in her friends, might make her look weak.�

�Except Warrick. I bet she confides in him. There�s a real strong vibe
between those two. They�ll end up as lovers, if they aren�t already.� The top
rack of the dishwasher was full; she started loading the bottom rack.

�Oh you caught that, did you? That�s not news to those of us who work
with them. What else did you learn about my coworkers tonight, oh perceptive
one?�

�You mean besides the fact that Gil and Sara are totally hot for each
other? So hot, in fact, that I�m surprised they didn�t set off the smoke
detector. You know, after apparently ignoring each other for the entire evening
- and, they really weren�t ignoring each other at all, they stayed within
sight, if not within arm�s length, of each other nearly the whole time - they
had a covert, whispered conversation just before leaving. True, they left 10
minutes apart, but that means little if they had plans to rendezvous later.�

�Yep, I got all that myself. Gil left the house first, but he was still
just sitting in his car when Sara left. Then, he followed her. Oh yeah, they�re
together right now, her place or his. Got anything else?�

�Let me see ... well, Gil and Rachel already knew each other. They
spent quite a long time out on the patio talking about bugs. Sara was far less
than pleased about it. In fact, she was quite distressed.�

�Okay, I missed that one. What else?� Jim found Lynne�s commentary both
delightful and informative.

�Not much. Greg tried to hi Rac Rachel when Nicky was in the bathroom.
She very politely but unmistakably brushed him off. Oh, and Nicky and Rachel
made out here in the kitchen.�

�What is it a thi this kitchen that effects people like that? And, eww.
Do I need to wash my floor again?� he looked around.

�No, they didn�t go that far. Just necking and groping. And, no
unauthorized use of chocolate syrup. Then, they left. Nicky tried to hide it, but
he was tenting.� She pushed in the bottom rack, filled the detergent cups,
closed the dishwasher and turned it on.

�Just the sort of thing you�d notice. And, not the sort of thing your
man wants to hear you talk about. I mean, in relation to other guys.� He tried
to not sound jealous. He tied up the full trash bag, and set it aside. Then, he
brought the stack of empty plates and bowls to the sink and rinsed them while
she took a dish cloth and washed off the table and counter tops.

�Relax, Honey, I�m not interested in Nicky, or his �physiology�. It�s
all you, Jim. You�re my man, and you know it. Well, we�re all done. Let�s go to
bed.� She took his hand, to lead him to their bedroom. He pulled her in close,
his arms encircling her waist.

�Lynne Baby, have I told you recently how much I love you?� he kissed
her passionately.

�Jim Sweetheart, yes you have. But, tell me again. I�ll never get tired
of hearing it.� She kissed him back with equal fervour.

�Lynne, I love you very deeply, very passionately, very intensely. I
love you completely.�
cla class=MsoNormal style='mso-pagination:widow-orphan'>
�Jim, I love you, too, very deeply, very passionately, very intensely.
I love you completely, too.�

With no further delays, they went to bed. They made love. Eventually,
they fell asleep.

~~~~~

Lynne awoke several hours later to the sounds of Del clattering around
in the kitchen. Mindful that Jim needed more sleep, Lynne quietly got up, got
dressed, and got out of the bedroom. She joined her daughter, �Good morning,
Sunshine.�

�It will be if you stop calling me that. Maybe it was cute when I was
2, but - newsflash - I�m not 2 anymore. Anyway, where did you guys hide the
coffee?� Del was in one of her moods. Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

Lynne tried to be patient. �Del, the coffee is right here in this cupboard,
the filters, too. We use the bottled water. I�ll do it, if you like. We�ll need
a full pot since all three of us are coffee addicts.�

�I CAN make coffee, Mother. I make good coffee. Hey, here�s an idea ...
you go and jump Jim�s bones again, and leave me alone.� Del�s bad mood was
getting worse. She proceeded to make the coffee.

�Del, you�re really pushing your luck with that kind of talk. What Jim
and I do in private is just that - private. That means it�s none of your
business. You have no right to make any kind of comment about it.�

�Yeah, whatever. The �leave me alone� part is still on the table.�

Lynne was nearly at the end of her patience, but she wanted to know,
�Do you want me to make you something to eat?� her voice was tight and strained.
But, she knew that at least part of Del�s black mood was blood sugar related.
Eating would help her to mellow-out. �You need to stabilize your blood sugar.�

�No, Mother. All I need is for you to get out of here and leave me
alone. What part of that don�t you understand?�

�Alright, Delanie, I�ve reached my limit. I�m pulling rank. Get a cup
of coffee, go to your room, and stay there until you�re prepared to behave like
a civilized human being.�

�But, I was in here first, why do I have to leave?� Del shot back.

�You want me to leave you alone. It will be easier for me to do that if
you�re in your room - you know, your private space - than if you stay here in
the kitchen. The kitchen is a public room, and some of us do want breakfast,
which I need to prepare. Here, in the kitchen. Have I made myself quite clear?�
Lynne�s anger was rising, but her voice was becoming very quiet. Del knew if
she pushed her mother past this point, she would be the one to regret it.

�Oh, look, coffee�s ready. I�m out of here.� She poured a cup, stirred
in milk and sugar, and beat a hasty retreat; each word and each motion a study
in teenage surliness.

The fireworks in the kitchen woke Jim up. He stayed in the bedroom
until Del was in her own room, then waited an additional 5 minutes, to allow
Lynne time to pull herself together again. When he did enter the kitchen, he
found Lynne standing over the sink, crying.

�Hey, Baby, you okay? I know, I heard the fight. She really knows how
to push your buttons.� He turned her to face him, holding her, �I know you love
her. She loves you.�

�Jim, I hate fighting with her. I always feel so guilty after. Oh,
I know, eventually she�ll come out and
say she�s sorry, and we�ll kiss and make up, but it should never happen to
begin with. It just shouldn�t.�

�Lynne, listen to me. Stop beating yourself up over this. Fights
happen, they�re just part of life. We deal and move on. Baby, it�s all going to
be okay. Take my word for it, you and Del have a remarkably healthy
relationship.� He lovingly brushed the last few tears off of her face. Then, he
kissed her.

�Thanks, Jim. You�re a good man, a very good man. To me and to Del.
You�re her �acting step-father� you know. She respects you. And she loves you.�

�I love her, Lynne. Like my own daughter. Which reminds me, I feel like
telling you about Ellie today. I think you need to know that story. But, I�ll
make breakfast first. I�ll even cook some bacon for Del. I know it�s about the
only thing she�ll eat for breakfast. And, she really does make good coffee, but
so do you. Go grab a shower while I get to work here.�

~~~~~
12.0pt'>�That�s the last time I saw her. She turned her back on me and walked
away. Wouldn�t even let me take her to the airport. Since then, every time I
get anywhere near that stupid fountain, I can feel her there. I miss her,
Lynne, I miss her so much. I want my little girl back.� Jim had told Lynne all
about Ellie. It was a painful story; it had both of them crying. Lynne was
holding him.

�Jim, I had no idea. How awful, to reach out like that and be refused.
I can�t imagine Del and I ever being in thlacelace. Of course you miss her. You
still love her, Jim. She�s part of who you are. She always will be. Someday,
she�ll remember how you reached out to her. She�ll remember how you tried to
take care of her. Someday, Jim, she will come back to you.�

�Yeah, that�s what I keep telling myself. In the meantime, I have you
and Del. My new family. Maybe this time, I won�t screw it up.�

~~~~~

p>

Later that afternoon, Lynne was reading in the once-again clean living
room when two things happened. Del, in a good mood and having long since made
her amends, had just asked if they could all go do some sight-seeing when the
phone rang. Jim, not scheduled to be at work for another few hours, had been
called in early. The criminals of Las Vegas simply had no respect for a guy�s
time off.

�Ladies, as much as I would love taking you on a tour of this fair
city, duty calls. I gotta go to work.� He rapidly changed into his dark grey
suit, Lynne�s personal favourite. He gathered up his Glock, ammo, and badge;
then he kissed Lynne, playfully winked at Del, and left the house, saying his
good byes over his shoulder.

�Well, that was rather abrupt. Does this happen a lot?� Del grumbled.
It was her first time in Vegas, therefore her first experience with Jim
suddenly being called to work.

�It happens frequently. If he�s needed, he�s called in, and he has to
respond quickly. It happens with the CSI�s, too. We just have to be patient.
Jim gives us as much time as he can. And, when he�s at home, we have his
undivided attention.�

�Whatever.� Del was already bored with the discussion. �So, what
happens now? Do we just sit here staring at each other until Lord Jim gets home
again?�

�Hey, watch your mouth. There�s no need for you to talk about him that
way. But, no, we can go out. I�ve gotten to know my way around Vegas. How would
you like to make a teddy bear? I know just the place.�

Del always had to negotiate. �What if I wanted to make a bunny? Or a
cat? Or a frog? Does it have to be a teddy bear?�

Lynne didn�t want to play the game, �Del, Sweetie, let�s just go there,
and you can choose whatever animal you want from the available selection.
Okay?�

�Well, okay. Hey, I�m hungry. Can we stop for food?� This was her other
game, take whatever was promised, and try to get even more. Lynne secretly
thought of her as the �one more kid� because no matter how much or how many she
already had, she always wanted one more. It was very challenging.

�Delanie April Whitney, you just never stop pushing, do you? No wonder
I�m going grey. However, it just so happens that I was planning to buy us a
meal anyway. So, yes, we�ll stop to eat. Not because you asked, mind you, but
because I was already thinking about it.�

Lynne got the reply she expected, the teenager�s favourite word,
�Whatever.� Del knew she had won.
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