Hey, this is rated M for later chapters, I own nothing except Jessie. hope you enjoy please drop me a review if you think its worth me continuing. Enjoy.
Twenty two years ago
Rain pounded down on the small concrete block building. The sheriff placed the phone down and rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. Pulling a double shift was always hard, but when your close to clocking off and a suicide is called in, that makes it all the more difficult. Add to the fact the call in had come from a twelve year old girl, the dead guys daughter. The sheriff was thirty four, Sheriff James Barton, a man with a slightly spreading beer gut who had two sons and a baby daughter and would kill for them. When he'd arrived at the apartment the shocking sight was nothing compared to the girl hunched over waiting for him on the steel steps of the apartment block.
She was ten, but was as small as an eight year old; she was all skin and bone, her bones sticking out of her skin as her skinny arms and legs stuck out from her ratty top and shorts. Bruises and welts dotted her alabaster skin and she was hunched over making her appear smaller than she was. But she was very pretty, a heart shaped face, light blonde hair streaked, oddly, with white, her large almond shaped eyes were a startlingly clear blue, but that wasn't the most shocking part, her eyes were knowing and older than her years and when she looked up at the sheriff, instead of seeing shock and sadness all he saw was relief. "You a cop?" she asked her voice strong but musical in only a way a child's could be. He nodded and crouched beside her. "Let me see your badge"
Barton held out the badge to her and she nodded not reaching out to take it, he tucked it back into his pocket and levelled his gaze at her "what's your name sweetheart?" he asked
She looked him in the eye, her chin held up in defiance "Jessie May Grissom" she said "my daddy's in there, the bathroom, the doors locked"
Barton was shocked, how she could be so calm about this, as if sensing his thoughts Jessie spoke again "it's okay, my daddy was ill, ill in the head, always drinking, it's better that he did this, he's at peace now he said he was going to be okay" the words seems to strange coming from such a young person.
"Have you seen him?" Barton asked and she shook her head. "Good, okay Jessie, any family we can call for you?"
Jessie smiled for the first time "yes, my uncle is a Crim...Crim...Criminalist, a Criminalist in Vegas, he's just back from Peru!" she said with pride
"Is he honey? And what's his name?" he asked with a small smile as lead her over to the police cruiser.
"Gilbert Grissom, Uncle Gil" she said her eyes lighting up "I missed him"
The Sheriff looked over at Jessie, the young girl was sat crossed legged in front of the fish tank he had in his office, a can of pop clutched in her hands as she watched the exotic fish swim in circles. Barton had called the crime lab in Vegas , knowing it could have been a long shot but had been surprised to have been connected to a Gil Grissom, a grade one CSI who had been very shocked to find out his niece was all alone in Henderson but hadn't seem surprised his brother was dead.
After assuring the sheriff he would be there as soon as possible, Barton watched as Jessie drained her can and sat back. There was a knock at his office door and a tall man walked in, he had kind brown eyes, the beginnings of salt and pepper hair and had a handsomely boyish face that was now creased in worry. "Uncle Grissom!" Jessie squealed happily throwing herself into her uncle's arms, he swept her up into a hug and then held her at arm's length and his eyes widened.
"Jessie, what happened to you?" he breathed, the last time he had seen his niece she hadn't looked like this, she was painfully thin and covered in bruises, she looked away but kept a grip tight on his arms and buried her face in his chest. Gil looked up at the sheriff with questioning eyes. Jessie moved her head so she was looking at her uncle full in the face.
"Please take me back to Vegas" she asked quietly
