Disclaimer: I own nothing of CSI
Edge of Your Seat
"Mama, when is grampy coming over?" Hundley asked as the family settled in to watch their favorite basketball team play.
"He's not coming tonight sweetheart." Jackie responded.
Jackie's dad normally came over to watch the games with them but he'd had minor surgery, he was fine but he needed to take it easy for a few days and the kids got pretty excitable when they watched the games so just to be on the safe side it was decided that for the time being he'd just watch the games at his own house.
Hundley frowned, she loved it when her grandpa came over to watch with them.
"Him got an owie?" Hundley asked.
"He's got a little owie, but he's ok kiddo." Jackie assured her.
"I'll watch the game with you, kiddo." Roger volunteered.
Nick's parents were in town visiting the family. Nick's mom wasn't really into basketball so she'd gone to dinner with Jackie's mom since she didn't usually watch them either but Roger had stayed at home with Nick, Jackie, and the kids.
"But Grampy, you don't know Jingles." Hundley told him innocently.
"I don't know Jingles? Yes I do sweetheart, he's right there." Roger said as he nodded at the puppy who was laying on the floor, chewing to shreds one of his chew toys, which was an improvement considering this week alone he'd chewed up a sock, a newspaper, and a banana peel which he'd stolen out of the garbage.
"No grampy." Hundley responded, looking at her grandpa as if he was completely dense.
Nick laughed.
"No, she means you don't know her favorite player, Jingles, who the dog was named after." Nick explained.
"Oh, well, I don't know him, but how about you teach me who all the players are?" Roger asked.
"Ok!" Hundley said happily.
"Ok, everybody ready to start the game?" Jackie asked.
Everyone agreed that they were.
She fast forwarded it to just before the tip off of the game.
Hundley stood up and walked over to the TV.
"This is Jingles." She said as she pointed to the player.
"Ok, that one is Jingles, got it." Roger said.
Hundley told him who the rest of the players were. When she was done explaining Roger wanted to make sure he had them all straight.
"Alright, let me see here, that's Jingles."
Hundley nodded yes happily.
Roger got all the players right, until he got to the last one.
"That one is, um, what's his name again? Ryan?" He guessed.
"No, Grampy." Hundley snapped.
Hundley not so patiently repeated his name.
Nick and Jackie sat trying not to laugh at the spectacle.
Finally, the family was ready to start the game.
Pretty soon Roger was as into it as all the rest of them, which was saying something because it got so loud in the house Roger joked that he was surprised their neighbors didn't call 911.
Eventually the game got down to 7 seconds left, it wasn't looking good, Jingles and company were down by three and they didn't have the ball.
Just when it seemed like all hope was lost Jingles got a steal, he raced down the court, they needed him to shoot a three but there was a guy right in his face, he couldn't get the shot off, instead he drove to the basket, probably hoping to make the layup and get fouled, that way he could tie the game if he hit his free throw, but his pesky defender was still right in front of him, preparing to block his shot, however, out of the corner of his eye Jingles saw his teammate, one of the team's best scorers, he was wide open in the corner behind the three point line.
He passed it to him and everyone in the arena and everyone in the Stokes' house held their breath as the ball sailed through the air. Cheers erupted everywhere as the ball made a swishing sound as it went through the net.
The game was tied.
"There is still just over two seconds left on the clock, that's too much time." Nick said.
"I know, but he had to shoot it, if he missed it, he needed to give his guys a chance to tip it in." Jackie said.
"I know, you're right, but I still wish that clock said zero." Nick responded.
"Me too." Jackie agreed.
The other team immediately took a timeout. Jackie paced around the living room like she normally did when the games were like this.
"Hey, that was their last timeout, you know what that means." Nick told Jackie and the kids.
Everyone's eyes lit up.
After the timeout was over the other team would have only five seconds to get the ball inbounded or it would be Jingles' and company's ball again, and no time would come off the clock, meaning that Jingles' team would get the ball back and be able to go for the win, and drawing a five second call happened to be Jingles' specialty. He was great at it, mostly just by being a pest.
The teams took the floor.
"Come on Jingles'." Jackie said, barely able to control herself.
"It'll be alright dear." Nick quipped, Jackie looked like she was going to pass out.
"Hush." Jackie scolded.
As the family had predicted Jingles' stood in front of the guy on the sideline who was going to inbound the ball. As soon as the player was handed the ball, Jingles moved this way, then that way, doing everything he humanly could to prevent the player from getting the ball to a teammate.
After what seemed like an hour the whistle blew and the referee indicated that a five second violation had been called.
Once again, the arena and the Stokes' house exploded in absolute glee.
Jingles' coach called a timeout so they could draw up one final play, and even the usually stoic coach rewarded Jingles' with an enthusiastic high five when Jingles made his way to the bench, impressed by his effort. Jingles per usual had a big grin on his face. He was always happy, which is the main reason everyone loved him.
"Alright, mommy, call it, who takes the final shot?" Nick asked.
"Jingles do it." Hundley declared before Jackie had a chance to answer.
"You think so huh?"
"Yeah. Or me be mad."
"You'll be mad if he doesn't take the final shot, even if they win?" Nick asked.
"Yeah." Hundley insisted.
Jackie looked at Nick and grinned, they knew that was complete bologna, if they won Hundley would be as excited as any of them.
Finally, the players took the floor for the last play. Jingles was going to inbound the ball, meaning he probably wouldn't take the last shot, there more than likely wasn't enough time for him to get the ball back after he had inbounded it to one of his teammates.
Jackie guessed that the play was drawn up for the player that had just seconds before hit the game tying three pointer because he had scored their last three baskets and had the hot hand, and as the play started it turned out Jackie was right, he raced around his defender so Jingles could get him the ball, but just before Jingles was going to throw him the ball he slipped on a wet spot and fell to the floor.
"Oh shi…no." Jackie said, catching herself before she let the curse word fly.
Luckily the team didn't panic. Another player managed to escape his defender and raced over to where Jingles' stood so he could throw him the ball instead. Jingles did, and that player had just enough time to dribble once and then shoot.
"Get in there." Jackie shouted at the ball, as if yelling at the TV would have some magical effect on the outcome.
The ball went through the net, it was over, they, by some miracle had come back and won!
Jackie, Nick, Roger, and all the kids jumped up and cheered wildly, Hundley included, already completely forgetting that she was going to be mad if it wasn't Jingles' that hit the game winning shot.
The little girl squealed in delight as Nick picked her up and spun her around in celebration.
The player that had hit the game winning shot was ironically the player that Roger had forgotten his name at the beginning of the game and as a result received Hundley's hot temper.
Jackie looked back at the TV, the players were all happily around the one that had hit the game winning shot, that's what Jackie liked most about the team, they were always unselfish, what mattered to every player was the team's success, not their own stats.
"Bet you won't forget what that player's name is again, will ya?" Nick asked Roger with a smirk, nodding at the TV as the hero of the night started an on-court interview with the announcer.
"Never." Roger promised with a grin of his own before looking at Hundley and lightly shaking his head.
Roger had always been more of a football fan but he decided that night that he was going to start following this team, he had been impressed with their hustle and their never quit attitude and watching them tonight had been a lot of fun, even if Hundley had royally chewed him out in the process.
The End!
Note: I tried to explain the plays of the game the best I could but if you aren't basketball fans and don't understand them please pm me and I will be happy to answer any of your questions!