I don't own CSI.
I haven't forgotten my "Coffee Break" and Jim Brass stories, and I'm kind of surprised myself that I didn't come up with a post-ep for "Code Blue Plate Special" sooner. I always imagined Jim and Sofia meet at Frank's diner, so I thought it was only fair that I wrote a story for them after this episode. Does contain spoilers! Please read and review!
Jim Brass sat at his desk and looked at the report of the killings at Frank's Diner. He still couldn't believe that someone he thought he'd known would be capable of such a massacre. He'd always thought Vincent was a pretty cool guy. Even though he didn't know him that well, he always thought Vincent was a good guy. Now, as he looked at the report of the murders, he felt his heart sink.
A knock at the door brought him out of his thoughts. He glanced up to see Sofia Curtis smiling, holding a bag from a local fast food place.
"It's not Frank's, but it'll do." She smiled softly to her old friend.
Jim sighed wearily. "I don't think Frank's will ever come back to life."
Sofia sighed and walked into Jim's office. "I still can't believe it. Eight dead, Vincent's in jail...poor Edie." Sofia looked away, remembering the waitress who often served her and Jim when they came in for coffee.
"Yeah," Jim agreed. "You know, Sara was so sure Basderic was guilty. In a way, he was. I mean, he had her so damn scared she couldn't leave when she was supposed to."
"If she'd been able to leave, maybe she'd be alive," Sofia said. She opened her hamburger and took a bite. "How is Sara, by the way?"
Jim took a bite of his burger. "She's okay. She confronted Basderic after...everything. She's one of the strongest people I know. She'll be okay."
Sofia nodded. She remembered hearing that her former colleague had been kidnapped and almost killed by a serial killer several years ago, and how she left to get her head together, married Grissom and returned to the team. "She's a fighter. She will be fine," Sofia agreed. "So what about Vincent?"
Jim sighed. "He's being charged with two counts of murder plus six counts of solicitation to commit murder." The detective shook his head. "I just can't get my head around it. I mean, I thought I knew Vincent. Not well, certainly, but I never thought he'd be capable of anything like this."
Sofia smiled at her good friend. "All because of greed."
"He and his brother had the chance to put a Frank's Diner in the Mediterranean," Jim said with a weary sigh. "And Owen said no. So..."
"Vincent wanted to get back at his brother," Sofia said when Jim trailed off. "Then the guy Vincent hired had his mask come off...and six other people had to die." She shook her head sadly. She, too, had enjoyed meals at Frank's Diner. She'd seen and spoken to Vincent several times over the years. Vincent and his brother Owen ran the diner after their father had passed away. "You know," Sofia said softly. "I guess I took for granted that Frank's would always be there. How corny is that?"
Jim chuckled sadly. "Doesn't sound that corny to me. I mean...I have had more meals there than in my own house. Even had Thanksgiving dinner there my first year in Vegas. I always thought they were stand-up guys, you know?"
Sofia nodded. "And when I think of how many times I've seen Edie...whether I was picking up dinner or a cup of coffee..."
Jim smiled thoughtfully at his friend. "Yeah, they had good coffee...but I liked the company better."
Sofia smiled and looked away. "We always seemed to be taking coffee breaks at the same time."
Both friends shared a soft laugh and smile. "Now I guess we'll have to find somewhere else for a coffee break," Jim said.
"Yeah," Sofia replied softly. "Of course, I wouldn't mind dinner once in a while."
Jim smiled and raised his cup in a toast. "Well, then let's find somewhere else."
Sofia smiled and clanked her paper cup against Jim's, chuckling as their drinks swished in the cups. "To somewhere else."
"To somewhere else," Jim said. "Now let's have dinner." Both friends smiled as they enjoyed the rest of their dinner, looking forward to future dinners together.
The End.