I hold no rights to anything CSI except to look upon them lovingly every Thursday night.
I have to give thanks to Peggy who keeps my writing on the up and up. She's my proofreader, my editor, and my friend.
A/N OK, this is my slightly twisted idea of how to get myself on the show. Yes, sadly, I'm an actor as well as a writer but a dreamer most of all. I would play Gwen. Please, R&R!
Family, Like It or Not
Chapter 50
"What are you going to do?" Gwen asked her husband.
Shaking his head, Jim answered, "I don't know. With everything that's going on at the lab and my pending retirement, it wasn't really on my mind."
"Well, I'm at the daycare center all day. Having you around for part of that would be nice." Gwen left him on the sofa and went into the kitchen.
"I would be able to meet you for lunch, and we could drive together. It would be nice." Jim rose to join her in the kitchen. "But, it would mean less time at the cabin."
"Jim, we already decided that until the boys are out of high school we couldn't move to the cabin. We've discussed my not retiring until I'm 55, so that's two and a half more years at the daycare center. We'll still have weekends at the cabin." Gwen winked at him and filled the teakettle. "Would you like the usual?"
"Yes, thank you." Jim paused before continuing. "You haven't told anyone, have you?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his chin on her shoulder.
She turned to look back at him. "You just told me about the Sheriff's offer, how could I have told anyone?" She slipped out of his arms, placed the kettle on the stove, and turned to face him.
"I meant about the 'usual'." Jim sheepishly nodded at the kettle.
Gwen smiled at him and pulled him to her. "I wouldn't dream of telling anyone that you take a cup of chamomile tea before bed."
"I think that's great, Gwen!" Sara said as she joined her sister-in-law on the deck.
Taking the glass Sara offered, Gwen said, "Thanks. I think so, too. It was such a surprise. He'd finally gotten used to the idea that he would have to retire at the end of the summer, and then this happens."
"Has he decided if he's going to take it?" Sara asked as she sat down in the lounge chair.
Nodding, Gwen answered, "He's at the Sheriff's office now. There will be some rearranging of things. First, he'll have to officially retire from the department. They are insisting on a big ceremony and announcement, especially, with all that's going on. Jim hates the idea, but politics are what they are."
"I can't believe they were going to make him retire in the first place. He's only 65." Sara threw Rex's ball hoping he'd want to play.
"I know. He thought so too, but I'm kind of glad. I want more of him to myself." Gwen sipped her iced tea. "With me at the daycare center during the day and him working graveyard, it was pretty hit and miss."
Sara smiled. "Sure, but I bet when you hit, it was a real hit!"
"You have no idea." The two women laughed. Bruno lifted his head slowly and observed the ladies.
Gwen noticed Bruno's interest. "You understand don't you, Boy." She rubbed his tummy. "I guess he misses Bianca?" Gwen asked Sara.
"I think so. Dan said Abby was really broken up about it, but he had no choice. He said that the kidney cancer caused her great pain." Sara threw the ball again now that Rex had finally decided to play.
"I think Max misses her too. Abby had Bianca and Buffy at our house almost every weekend," Gwen said.
"I know. I think Rex misses her, but he's so busy trying to get Bruno up off the deck he doesn't have time to be sad." She throws the ball again.
"Yeah, poor Bruno. I can't imagine what he must feel like. One day Bianca's here, and then he never sees her again." Gwen rubbed Bruno's tummy again.
"So, how did you finally work it out?" Sara asked him as they cleaned up the dinner dishes.
Gil shook his head. "I'm still not sure myself. Ecklie knows the law and was smart about where he went. He went to brothels outside of Clark County. So he didn't break any laws."
"What about the domestic dispute charge?" Sara asked.
Gil shrugged his shoulders. "I spoke with the officers. When they entered the house, Evelyn was beating the crap out of him. So technically, he was the one being abused. Still, he'll lose his job. The Mayor doesn't want this to affect his re-election campaign. Evelyn will divorce him for sure. Not that I blame her. I don't know what he'll do after it's all said and done. An Embarrassing discharge from his job and two divorces; I think he should just lay low for a while."
"I thought you said he wasn't hurt. He just had some small cuts and bruises. What'd she hit him with? Sara asked.
"I think they said she was using a Cabbage Patch doll." Gil tried not to smile.
"What?" Sara looked at him in shock.
"Apparently, Evelyn collected Cabbage Patch dolls. Conrad gave her one every year for their anniversary. Most recently, he chose a doll named Sophia." Gil moved into the living room and sat on the sofa. "She's met Sophia, and I guess when he…you know and called out her name, Evelyn put two and two together and started beating him with the doll."
Sara was now laughing outright. "So, let me get this straight. They are doing their thing, he calls out Sophia's name, and she figures everything out. She grabs the doll and starts beating him with it?" Gil nodded in agreement with her facts. "When the police get there, she's still beating him with the Sophia doll. Are they still naked? I mean, Ecklie had to know that with the noise someone would call the cops."
"I guess he didn't have time to grab his robe." Gil grabbed her and pulled her down onto his lap.
He kissed her softly and she moaned. He whispered in her ear, "Hmmm you smell so good, Sophia…"
Sara jumped off his lap and started beating him with the throw pillow. "You…" whack, whack, whack "are so lucky…" whack, whack, whack.
"That you have an incredible sense of humor?" Gil said through his arms, as he held them up to protect himself.
Sara stopped beating him with the pillow. "That I don't have a Cabbage Patch doll."
Gil pulled her back down onto his lap and the kissing resumed.
