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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
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- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 8-8
- 9-9
- 8
- 9
Chapter 9 � Del�s
Bombshell

Lynne chose her moment very carefully. The confrontation
with Del was bound to be explosive, but Lynne was determined that this time she
was going to get some answers. After a long talk with Jim, Lynne decided to
wait until after Del had written her exams. Jim had canvassed nearby pawn
shops; very discreetly, of course, showing the pictures of the locket that
Lynne had taken for insurance purposes. No one had seen the locket; meaning
that it was likely still somewhere in the house, hidden but not sold.

The day finally arrived; Del was finished her exams. It was
Saturday and Jim was doing some yard work. Lynne had warned him that the feces
was about to hit the fan, and he wanted to be available but not directly
involved. Lynne was reading when Del emerged from her room, wanting to watch a
movie in the living room. It was show time.

�Del, Sweetie, come talk to me for a minute. Seems we don�t
talk to each other much any more, and I miss that.� This was very true; their
frequent, long conversations had dwindled away to nearly nothing.

�Want to watch a movie with me? We kinda stopped doing that,
too. I�m thinking of �Air force One.� Great movie, lots of sexy guys in the
cast.� Del flopped down beside Lynne on the couch.

�Good choice, lots of eye candy in that one. Especially that
Paul Guilfoyle guy, very hot. But, first I just want to talk a while. I�m a
little concerned, is something bothering you?�

�Oh, hey, like, don�t put me on the spot or anything. I mean
really, Mom, I�m fine.�

�That�s good to know. I just wonder from time to time if
you�re happy, that�s all. And, I hope you know you can talk to me about
anything.� Lynne touched her daughter�s arm.

�I know you always say that.� Del fidgeted, played with her
hair.

�But, you don�t believe it?�

�I don�t know. I mean, what if I had done something really
bad, like I got pregnant or something?�

�I�d want you to tell me, Del. Oh, I�d probably hit the roof
at first, but then I�d be there for you. I�m human, too. If you gave me bad
news, I�d have an emotional reaction; but I�d still help you. With whatever you
needed.�

�But, what if you didn�t. What if I told you something so
bad it made you hate me. Would you still help me, or would you just throw me
out?�

�You�re not trash, Del; I�d never just throw you out. No
matter what. Nothing could ever make me hate you. What�s happening to you? What
can�t you tell me?�

�Nothing. I�m just talking.� Del�s body language betrayed
her, she wasn�t just talking.

�Really? You mean to tell me that you have absolutely no
problems, no issues, no worries? That everything is completely perfect in your
life?�

�Well, I wouldn�t say that exactly. Why are you doing this,
Mom? What do you want me to say?�

�I have reason to believe that you�re very unhappy, Del. And
I want you to know I�m there for you; because I love you, and nothing will ever
change that.�

�But, I said I�m okay. Let�s just watch the movie.� Del
stood up and approached the entertainment center.

�Del, tell me the truth. Where�s my locket?�

Spinning around, Del angrily faced her mother, �Oh great,
here we go again. Read my lips, Mother, I. DON�T. KNOW. How many times to I
have to say it? I have no idea where your freakin� locket is. Just because you
were careless and lost it is no reason to keep nagging me about it.�

Del headed back into her room, Lynne followed. �Oh, no you
don�t. Not this time. Running away never solved anything. Del, give me back my
locket. I know you have it.� Del stopped at the threshold of her room.

�No, I don�t.� She tried to close the door. Lynne held it
open.

�Prove it. Let me search your room.�

�Search my room? Why, don�t you trust me?� Del blocked the
doorway.

�I�m coming in, Del, I want my locket.� Lynne was just as
strong-willed as her daughter; she pushed past Del into her room.

�You can�t do that. I have a right to my privacy, you know.�

�For you, privacy is not a right, it�s a privilege. And,
until that locket is in my hand, you no longer have that privilege. I am going
to do it, Del; I�m going to find my locket.� Lynne glanced around the room,
thinking about possible hiding spots. Unlike many teens, Del kept her room very
clean and tidy. Messiness upset her.

�Get out of my room, Mother. You have no right to treat me
this way.� Del shouted.

�Give me my locket, and I won�t have to toss your room. Your
choice.� She stood her ground. She and Del were both very stubborn.

�I don�t have your bloody locket.� Del started crying.

�Fine. You just made your choice. Time to start tossing. I
think I�ll start with the closet.� Lynne wasn�t yelling, but the strain was
showing in her voice.

�You�re bluffing. You won�t really do it.�

�Does this look like a bluff to you?� Lynne opened the
closet doors and pulled out a military foot locker.

�Oh, my. This brings back memories. This foot locker
belonged to my Dad when he was in the Royal Canadian Air Force back in the
50�s. When he gave it to me, I packed all your special baby things in it.�
Lynne opened it and lifted the lid. Seeing Del�s pretty baby clothes made her
heart ache. �Is my locket in here, I wonder? Only one way to find out.� She
started to tip the foot locker, like she was going to dump it out on the floor.

Finally convinced that Lynne was deadly serious, Del knew
that there was only one way to stop her from ransacking the room. Hating
herself, and fearing the repercussions, she relented, �Wait, stop! Don�t do
that! Okay, you win. I�ll give you back your locket. It�s right here.� She
opened a dresser drawer and lifted a pile of neatly folded clothing. Underneath
was the locket.

�Here it is. Take it, I never want to see it again.� She
handed it to Lynne. �So, you have it back. Are you happy now?�

�Oh, Del. How could I possibly be happy when you�re not?�

�What makes you think I�m not happy?� Del spoke through her
tears, sniffling.

�Because I know you. I�m your mother, no one else knows you
as well as I do. You must be miserable, or you wouldn�t have stolen this from
be. You wouldn�t have been able to. Am I wrong?� Lynne�s heart broke as she
spoke.

Del stood where she was, still crying. Finally, like a dam
breaking, she gave in. �No, you�re not wrong. I have tons of stuff going on
that I don�t like. But, you and Jim, you guys are so ... so happy it�s just
weird sometimes. I didn�t want to say anything, you know, I didn�t want to make
trouble for you. Well I did, but only so you�d notice me.�

�Sounds like we have a lot to talk about. Are you ready to
do that?� Lynne wanted to comfort Del, but right now is was more important to
just listen to her.

�Yeah, I guess I have to be. I don�t want you acting like
this any more. But, I gotta say, you aren�t going to like what you hear.� She
wiped her face with her hands; she looked utterly defeated.

Closing the foot locker and returning it to its place in the
closet, Lynne said, �Maybe not, but I promise you I�ll listen to it. All of it.
Let�s go back to the living room.�

~~~~~

Now that Del was talking, Lynne could have kicked herself
for not noticing Del�s unhappiness much sooner. It turned out that Del had many
issues, in many areas of her life. Of course, Lynne knew what a little drama
queen Del could be; but even taking that into account, the kid was still a
mess.

After a while of listening to Del talk about all kinds of
little irritations, Lynne still had not heard anything that would explain why
Del had swiped the locket. True, everything Del described was stressful to a 15
year old girl, but her mother could sense that there was something else.

She asked Del, �What did you mean when you said that Jim and
I are weird sometimes?�

�You sure you really want to go there?�

�Yes, Del. I�m sure.�

�I really don�t want to talk about it, and I�m not sure I
can even explain it.�

�Please try, Sweetie.�

�Okay, if you insist. Um, well, it�s just that since you met
Jim, you�re different. You act all, well, all silly now. And, now that we live
here, you�re like �all Jim, all the time�. I�m not stupid, Mother. I know that
you guys have only one bed in your room, and I know what you do there. But,
honestly, talk about TMI; I totally DON�T want to know about it. You look at
each other all goofy, you�re always touching each other, even when other people
are in the room. I mean, really, why do people your age even want all that?
I�ve seen teenagers who control themselves better than you guys do. That�s why
I spend do much time in my room, it�s just too ... too yucky. I hate to say it,
but it�s gross. But, you want to know what really bugs me? Why is it okay for
you and Jim to sleep together, and I�m not supposed to even think about having
sex? It just isn�t fair.�

�Are you saying you�re embarrassed by the way Jim and I
behave?� Lynne was not going to be sidetracked into a discussion of the perils
of teenage sex.

�Oh, hey, let me think about that. The answer is, I guess
that�s a good word for it.� Del�s flippancy was a front, she was actually very
uncomfortable with this conversation.

�Want me to explain it to you? Why we behave like that?�

�No way. Don�t even think about it.�

�Is there anything else bothering you?�

�Like I don�t have enough problems now.�

�That doesn�t answer my question, Del.�

�What do you want me to tell you?� Her voice was getting
loud.

�Why did you steal my locket?�

�Whoa, steal is a pretty strong word.�

�It�s the correct word. You stole it and you lied to me and
to Jim about it. I want to know why.�

�I don�t have a reason.� Del avoided her mother�s eyes.

�That�s a cop-out. Sorry, that�s 70�s talk. I mean, you�re
evading the issue when you should be dealing with it.�

�I don�t want to talk about this anymore.� She tried to
stand up, Lynne stopped her.

�Why do you keep running away, Del. That never solved
anything.� Despite her resolve to keep her voice neutral, Lynne found herself
shouting now.

�It works fine for me. Let me go.�

�I�ll let you go when you answer my question.� Lynne was
being very insistent.

�Man, did you take bitch pills today or something? You�ve
never treated me like this before.� Maybe a little shock-talk and a guilt trip
would win her freedom.

�You never gave me reason to until now. You still haven�t
answered my question. Why did you steal my locket?�

�I can�t tell you.�

�Yes, you can. You can tell me anything.�

�You won�t understand.�

�Try me.�

�You�ll hate me.�

�Never. Not possible.�

Del said nothing.

�Tell me, Del.�

Her face showing pain, Del reluctantly admitted, �Okay, you
asked for it. You and Jim sleeping together is wrong. And, I don�t mean because
you�re not married. I mean because ... because what if Daddy comes back? How
can we be our family again when you and Jim are goin� at it every chance you
get?�

This was something Lynne had never expected, but a few
pieces were still missing from the puzzle. �Del, Darling, I know how hard this
is for you to hear, but your Daddy is not going to come back. He just isn�t. He
made that quite clear when he left, and he has proved it by not even allowing
us to know where he is.� Her voice was quieter now.

�That�s not true. Daddy loves us. He just had some stuff to
sort out, that�s all. He�s coming back, I just know it.� Del sounded very
desperate.

�Oh, Del. Every child of divorce dreams of his or her
parents getting back together again, but that�s all it is - a dream. Most of
the time, the parents don�t get back together. Very often, they move on and
remarry. Think about it, how many of the kids you know have step-parents and
step-siblings?�

�I don�t want you to be with Jim. I mean, he�s a nice guy
and all, but you shouldn�t be together with him.�

�But, he and I love each other; and we make each other
happy.�

�You don�t need him. You need me and Daddy. We�ll love you
and make you happy.�

�Why did you take the locket? You still haven�t told me.�

�Fine. Alright. I�ll tell you. You have Jim thinking you�re
all perfect, but you aren�t. I wanted to show him just what a bitch you are.
So, one day when both of you were at work, I got this idea. If that crappy
locket just disappeared, he would have to think you were careless. That you
didn�t care enough to look after it. Then, he�d see how pathetic you really
are. I figured you�d have this big fight, and he�d throw us out. We�d go home
to Canada, where we belong, and find Daddy. Then, we�d be a family again. A
real family.�

�Tell me one more thing, Del. Why am I a bitch?�

�Oh, puleese. Don�t even try to pretend you don�t know. How
can you not be a bitch when you are cheating on my Daddy? I bet that�s the real
reason he took off, because you�re such a slut. You made him leave by cheating
on him, didn�t you?�

�So, you think it was my fault he left?�

�Well, it sure as hell wasn�t my fault. That�s what all the
shrinks say, right? Divorce is never the kid�s fault. We just get stuck with
it. We just get left to deal with it while you so called grown-ups go out and
sleep around. It just isn�t fair.�

�Newsflash, Del. Life isn�t fair for anybody. Deal with it.
And anyway, what do you want me to do?� As sympathetic as she was to Del, Lynne
had just about had it with her daughter�s unreasonable behaviour.

�I want you to take me home to Calgary. I want you and Daddy
to act like grown-ups and deal with your problems. To get back together. That�s
what I want.�

Speaking without thinking, Lynne angrily shot back, �Well,
that�s just NOT going to happen.�

~~~~~

Hours later, Lynne and Jim were back at the coffee shop, and
this time they ordered a meal. �Jim, I don�t know what to do. I don�t have a
clue. Ever since John walked out on us, I�ve been trying to help Del get over
it. I�ve tried to help her understand that he�s not ever coming back, but she
just can�t hear it.� Lynne picked at her salad.

�I thought she was okay here. She seemed so happy to come to
Vegas. We talked about it for months before we actually did it, and she was
included in all that. She had lots of opportunity to tell us if she had a
problem with it. If I may say so, she�s quite a piece of work.� Jim was nervous
about Lynne taking that the wrong way. He also needed to know something,
�Reassure me, Baby, you aren�t thinking about going back to Canada, are you?�

�Yes, Del is a real piece of work, and no, I�m not thinking
about leaving you. Period. I�m staying right where I am.� Lynne had a new
thought, �Wow, that clarifies the situation for me. I�m staying here with you.
Del will just have to learn to live with that. It�s too damn bad that she built
up this huge dream of getting me back together with John, but it�s never going
to happen. I hope you know that, Jim.
Even if he were to walk into this restaurant right now, I�d still be all yours.
Maybe some day Del will see him again, have some sort of a relationship with
him again. That�s probably what she really wants.�

~~~~~

Del was lying on her bed, flat on her back and staring at
the ceiling. She had been crying, but now she had no more tears. Her insides
were saturated with that strange half-empty, half-numb feeling that comes after
a crying jag; that almost calm stillness that descends after an emotional
storm. As quiet as she appeared on the outside, however, in her mind she was as
active as ever. She was reviewing, pondering, deciding. Delanie Whitney was
planning her next move. Moving with deliberate slowness, she went to her
computer and began searching the Internet for a certain name and address. A few
clicks later, she sat back and smiled - she had found what she needed.
- 8
- 9
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The Foolish Corner