The night sky was losing it's light and as Grissom and Sara approached the scene Jim came up to them. A smile on his face and a spring in his step, he virtually bounced down the walkway. Looking at each other and back to Jim, Gil and Sara grinned.
"Let me guess, you had a good morning?" Sara commented
"No, I'm still flying from last night." he replied
"Well, she must be really special." Grissom said, looking to the scene
"Yeah, well, she's unique, that's for sure." Jim stated
"No? Its not ADD, is it?" Sara growled
"Yeah, what of it"
"Oh, nothing..." she replied
"Ok, enough about Jim's love life, can we get back to the scene?" Grissom snapped
Entering the small apartment, the scene was all too familiar, in that it was exactly like the last three. As Grissom and Sara put on their booties Jim opened the front door and stood to the side as his colleagues passed in front of him. Leaving them to do their thing, Jim waited outside and handled the press, who at this point, had developed their own theories of what happened and who was responsible.
Looking into the crowd of on lookers, he noticed a familiar face. Smiling, he made his way over to the throngs of people that had gathered. Jim had figured that she would be at work right now, but much to his pleasure, he was wrong. Watching her talk to the person next to her, he wondered why she was even here.
"Hey, you." he said, smiling
Turning to see him standing behind her, Cyan gave a broad grin.
"Hey, Mr. Brass. So, is it true, another murder by the same guy?" she asked
"You know I can't answer that. What brings you here"
"Well, as you know, I live right over there." she said, pointing down the street
"Oh, yeah. So, you do." he replied
"Well, I'd better get back to work. Mr. Braun sent me on some errands. You know, legal pads, index cards, post its and pens" she said, looking at her watch
"Oh, ok. Hey, I'm off on Sunday; how bout' a real date? You know, me in a suit and you in a dress. Maybe some dinner and dancing." Jim asked, a bit nervous
"Sounds good, but if you get to pick dinner, then I get to pick dancing. Fair?." she asked
"Fair. As long as its not a rave; I hate those things. Besides, I'm too old for them." he replied
"You're only as old as you feel. Look at me; I'm 28, but I've got the heart and body of an 18 year old"
"That you do." he said, trying to push the naughty thoughts from his head
Jim watched as Cyan walked away and climbed into her car. Her last comment left him wondering just how young she did, in fact, feel. Somewhere in his mind he couldn't help but think her last comment about her picking the dance venue was a trap and that they'd end up in some dark basement club, moshing to Metallica, Danzig or Black Sabbath.
Returning his attention to the crime scene, he noticed Sara coming out of the house with a great big grin on her face. Rushing up to her, Jim couldn't help but smile as well.
"What's got you grinning?" he asked
"I could ask you the same question. I saw you chatting her up. You really like her, don't you?" she asked "There's just something about her, I'm not sure what it is, nor can I put my finger on it; she just appeals to me" he explained
"Yeah, you're not the only one"
"No!?!" he gasped
"One guess." she said, chuckling
Thinking for a moment, Jim tried to figure who else might be smitten with Cyan, when suddenly, it dawned on him.
"Sanders!!" he said, in raised tones
"Give this man a prize." she exclaimed
Not surprised that it was Greg, Jim wondered if she might have more in common with Greg than she would have with him. As he turned the issue over and over in his mind, she realized that she probably wouldn't have accepted his invitation for a date if she wasn't interested in him. Deciding that he would give the issue more thought later, he returned his focus to the job at hand.
"So, I ask you again, what's got you grinning"
"Oh, Grissom found something; the only thing we've found at these scenes." she said, fishing through the boot of the truck
"Really? What"
"A calling card of sorts. At least that's what the general consensus is." she replied
Walking back inside, Jim saw what Sara was referring to. On the floor was what looked like tan sand granules and drawn into them was only what Jim could describe as a logo or symbol in the shape of an all seeing eye. Hunkering down beside Grissom, Jim commented.
"So, what do you make of it"
"It is what it is. It evidently holds some meaning to the perp; all we have to do is figure out what meaning that is, then we'll be one step closer to capturing him." Grissom explained while snapping photos
Friday 9AM
As Jim drove home from work, he was tempted to go by Cyan's place, but thought otherwise about it when he realized that she most likely did not have the same schedule as he did. He could call her, but didn't want to seem desperate, so he just continued on home. As he pulled into his drive he rubbed his eyes and stepped out of his car.
Stripping down to his underclothes, he climbed under the covers and immediately fell to sleep. He slept like a rock until, about four hours later, he was awakened by the sound of sirens from police cars and ambulances. Throwing on a pair of sweats and t-shirt, he jumped into a pair of flip flops and stood out on his front porch. Down the block, at the end of his street, the rescue vehicles had stopped and he could see paramedics and police all over the place.
Waiting inside the tape, his cell phone in hand, Jim called Gil and as the phone rang, he spoke with Ecklie.
"What's going on, Conrad"
"Oh, it would seem as though Grissom's mystery murderer decided to switch from the nightshift to my shift. I guarantee you we'll catch this guy because it seems that Gil can't." Ecklie boasted
"Well, its not for lack of trying; the guy's left us nothing to go on." Jim explained
Listening to his cell that was still ringing, Jim cursed aloud. Just then, Grissom picked up. In a sleepy voice, he answered.
"Grissom, here"
"Gil, its Jim. It looks like your mystery killer struck during daylight, so that rules out vampire, at least." Jim joked
"Where's the scene?" Gil asked
"About four houses down from my place." Jim replied "Ok, I'll be right there."
Having overheard the conversation, Ecklie took offense.
"Hey, this is my case; it happened on my watch." he growled
"The originating case happened on night shift; we've got three or four DB's to your one. He's ours." Jim snapped
While waiting for Grissom to show up, Jim absorbed everything he could from this new scene so he could relay the details to Grissom. He wasn't able to go inside the house, but he sweet talked some of Ecklie's people enough to find that no symbol was found. As Jim watched Ecklie leave the scene, he called Grissom again and swore as the line kept ringing and ringing. Finally, when Brass was ready to toss the damned thing, Gil showed up. Jumping out of his truck and virtually running towards Jim, case in hand, Gil pulled his cell out of his jeans pocket and began speed dialing Sara, with the intent of asking her to call the rest of the team in, but there was no answer.
"Gil, are you sure you wanna do this. I mean, its not even your shift." Jim commented
"They'll live, besides, we've got seniority on this case." he explained
"What did you see"
"Well, everything's the same as the last scene, but no sand and no eyes. You think maybe he's saving the clues for you" Jim asked
"So, it was the same as the first few scenes?" Gil asked
"Yeah, as far as I can tell. Ecklie kept his trap shut, but his people don't exercise the same restraint"
"Thank God for small favours." Grissom sighed
Back at the lab, Grissom was going through the case files for the previous three nights when he got a call on his cell. Not recognizing the number, he let his voice mail pick up and checked it after a few minutes. Flipping his phone open and dialing his voice mail, he listened to this new message.
"Mr. Grissom, I've left you another present. I'll give you one hint. Are you ready? The total of numbers is 10 and the last four numbers are 4000."
Listening to this message over and over again, Grissom took notes and when he was done, he went to see Archie in the A/V lab. As he was walking down the hall, he ran into Jim, who had decided to forgo sleep for the evening and hang out at the lab.
"Hey, Gil. Whatcha got"
"A message." he replied
"He wrote you a letter?" Jim asked
"No, he left me a voice mail message." he explained
"Wow, that's either really bold or incredibly stupid." Jim commented
In the A/V lab, Grissom handed his phone to Archie, who made a digital recording of the message for his listening pleasure. Looking up at Grissom, he signaled for him to wait a minute and when he was done listening, he took off his head phones and smiled.
"They're using a voice distortion device..." he said
"What else, Arch?" Grissom prodded
"What sounds like a fountain in the background and it sounds like slot machine bells, too." he said, smiling
"Great, that could be, like, a hundred places" Jim said, confused
Looking down, Grissom consulted his note sheet and did some quick calculations. Scratching his chin and rubbing an open hand across his beard, he grinned. Jim, who had been reading over Gil's shoulder, had an epiphany.
"I've got an idea; follow me." Jim said, taking Gil by the wrist
In Jim's office, he sat at his desk and pulled up the "Scenic Las Vegas" web page. Looking under spots, he took a shot in the dark and landed on a hotel reservation page. Smiling heavily, he turned his lap top around and showed Grissom the monitor.
"If this guy's as smart and bold as he thinks he is, he might try to push his luck. Looking through this list of hotels, The Luxor has the last four digits of 4000. But this could be bad; if he did kill in a public place, he's escalating." Jim said, extending his hand "Gimmie your notes."
Gil handed Jim his notes and as Jim read over them, his smile got bigger and bigger. Slamming the paper down on the desk, he patted himself on the back, literally.
Flying out of Jim's office and rushing down the hall to his own office, Grissom called Catherine and told her what was up. It was her day off and she was ill, so he called Sara. When she picked up, Gil could hear the sleep in her voice and immediately felt bad for waking her up, but since she insisted that it was no big deal, he filled her in.
"You feel like a little trip" He asked
"Um...do I have a choice?" she replied
"Of course, but trips are always more fun with company; Jim's coming, too." he said, voice full of energy
"If you swing by and pick me up, I'm in." she countered
"We'll be there in ten minutes." Gil said, snatching up his coat and motioning to Jim
9pm
At the Luxor hotel and casino, Jim, Gil and Sara entered through the front door and went immediately to the concierge. Setting their kits on the floor at their feet, Sara and Grissom rang the little bell on the counter and waited for someone to come to them. Moments later, a short, plump red headed woman appeared. A broad smile on her face, she greeted them.
"Is there anything I can do for you ?" she asked
Showing their ID's, Grissom, Sara and Jim stated their business and asked to speak with the hotel manager. As the little woman tottled off into a back room, the three of them theorized.
"You don't think that this guy offed someone in the hotel? But if he did, at least there are cameras all over the place. With any luck, he's been caught on security tape." Jim said, feeling rather brilliant
"Yeah, there's lenses all over the place. But at the same time, we have no idea who we're looking for or what they look like, besides which, this place has over 6700 rooms. What are we gonna do, check every one of them?" Sara replied
"We'll have to look at the register and see if anything jumps up at us." Gil commented
Just then, the hotel manager came up and introduced himself. He was a tall and slender man, well groomed and he smelled of Polo cologne. As he extended his hand in greeting, Grissom took it.
"My name is Brad Matthews; hotel manager. How can I help you?"
Showing his ID once more, Gil introduced himself.
"I'm Gil Grissom and I'm with the Las Vegas Crime Lab. We may have a situation in your hotel and I was wondering if we could take a look at your register." he explained
Gesturing for them to follow him, Brad walked behind the desk and into a door right behind. In a small office with no windows, Gil sat across from Brad's desk and waited while the occupancy ledger came up. As Brad moved away from his desk, Grissom sat in his chair. Scrolling through the entire list, Gil came across something curious.
"Aye See, in room number 1444." Gil thought, out loud
"You've got to be kidding me." Jim said, sighing
"Griss, this guy's playing games with us." Sara said, stifling a yawn
"Well, there's only one way to find out." Gil said, picking up his case and heading for the door
Seeing Brad at the service desk, Grissom requested an escort with a room key so that they could view the room. Offering his personal services, Brad showed them to the lift and as they climbed in and rose up, the floor beneath them got farther and farther away. Gil reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, calling David.
Standing in front of room number 1444, Gil stood back as the door was opened. Putting on his laytex gloves and flipping the lights on, they were not wholly surprised to find a dead body on the floor, crumpled like a ball of discarded paper. The room was clean and everything was in it's place, and as Grissom approached the body, he readied his camera. Snapping a few cursory photos, Grissom stood up and looked around. Shining his light, he saw something under the body. So, carefully using his tweezers, he removed the object and placed it in a mini ziplock bag. Handing it to Sara, Grissom continued his sweep.
It was very fortunate that Grissom had been alerted to this new body by the killer, rather than having the police called or anything like that. They had an advantage and could conduct their business without gawkers interfering. Out in the hall, Jim wondered why the killer would do something like call someone and alert them to what has just happened, but hey, as long as there's a few less dealers in the world, things couldn't be all bad.
Seeing David coming down the hall followed by a gurney, Jim wondered why the young man was smiling.
"What's got you smiling?" Jim asked
"We used the freight elevator." he replied
In the suite, David took the liver temp and when he pulled the thermometer, he frowned. Seeing this, Grissom commented.
"What's wrong"
"Well, this reads 98 degrees. He's been dead for less than an hour." David said
Jumping up, Grissom called to Sara.
"Sara, call Nick and both of you get down to the security room and check the tapes. This guy was here less than an hour ago" he ordered
Continuing to process the scene, Grissom shut off the lights and turned on the ALS. As the blue light bounced off everything in the immediate area, Grissom growled.
"Damn, apart from this all seeing eye, we've got nothing. This is really pissing me off"
"We only see what this guy wants us to see. He controls the flow of information." David mused
Looking over at the young coroner's assistant, Gil couldn't help but give him an evil look. Seeing this, David recoiled a bit and stood up as the medics took the body and placed it on the gurney. Taking one last photo, Gil placed the cap back on the lens and set the camera on the floor beside his kit.
Saturday 9AM
Exhausted from a very stressful few shifts, Gil was off and Jim was heading back home to a big, warm bed. As Jim drove home, he thought about the down comforter and the flannel sheets that waited for him. Stopping at a 4 way stop sign, he looked around to make sure it was safe to proceed and just as he gassed the engine, he saw Cyan in his rear view mirror and she appeared to be on her skateboard. Recognizing Jim's car, she waved wildly and he rolled his window down, waiting for her to catch up with him. As she came to a stop, he leaned out his window and smiled.
"You skated to the casino"
"Yeah; its not too far, besides, its a hell of a workout." she replied
"Get in. I'll run you home." he offered
Opening the passenger door and sliding in, Cyan set her board at her feet and buckled herself in. Turning right onto North Walnut , Jim looked around and noticed that Cyan seemed to be a bit preoccupied. She was biting her fingernails and had a pensive look on her face. Sensing that something was wrong, Jim enquired.
"What's wrong"
"Oh, nothing. Its just that working with Mr. Braun is all well and good, but there's no one to chat with. At least, when I was working for Mr. Grissom, there was good conversation, but over at the casino, there's nothing. I can honestly say that I miss Mr. Grissom and all you wacky guys; I long to discuss something more than the house advantage or coolers, you know" she explained
"Well, I think some of the team misses you, too. Grissom, for one, has been moping around like a kid that just had his favourite toy taken away from him." Jim quipped
"I'm thinking about having some of you guys over for a bbq or something." Turning to Jim and pouting, she continued. "I need input!"
Thinking about the symbolism in her last comment, Jim decided not to voice his thoughts that leaned towards the naughty side. "Yeah, I can give you some input" he thought to himself. Looking to Jim for a response, all Cyan saw was a really big, goofy grin on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. Although she had not known Jim for that long (less than a week) she did know that she loved his smile; the smile that showed off his prominent canines and the dimples that presented themselves , as well as the laugh lines around his mouth and crow's feet at his eyes; those, she thought, were some of Jim's best features. She also loved his eyes and their brilliant shade of blue. She had day dreamed about his eyes and they way they sparkled when his face lit up.
As they pulled up in front of her house, Cyan invited Jim in for some coffee or tea; to which, he had to decline, reluctantly. As she climbed out of his car, she realized just how tired she was and as Jim waited for her to get inside, she turned and waved to him with a great big yawn.
Saturday 9PM
Cyan sat in her office, going through Sam's ledgers and receipts for the current tax season. As she scribbled down facts and figures, a knock came at the door and as she picked her head up from the stack of papers on her desk, she saw Sam standing in the doorway. Gesturing for him to come in and take a seat, she put him on finger hold while she finished her current calculations. Looking up at him, she smiled.
"You know, Mr. Braun, you've got lots of things you can use as tax deductions. For example, there's your cell phones and computers. As long as you use them for business, you can deduct them. Each of your personal staff has a phone, no" she explained
"Yeah, some of them have two. You mean I can write off my phones, computers and other office stuff? How bout' my limo? I use that for business." he asked
"Well, if I understand correctly, its primarily for personal use, I mean, do you hop in your car just to drive down the street to your other businesses? I don't believe that'll fly. But there are loads of other things you can write off. Your credit cards, as well as some of their recorded purchases. Dinners with clients and incidentals, like flowers, gift baskets, formal wear and other stuff. As long as it goes to clients like high rollers or your business, you can write it all off" she continued
"Damn, I wish I'd had you years back." he stated
"Yeah, well, years back, would you have hired a twenty year old personal assistant?" she asked
"Good point." he replied
Thinking to himself for a moment, Sam thought that he had to have this wonder woman on his staff; no matter the cost. Organizing his thoughts, he smiled. Seeing this, Cyan smiled back.
"What? You've got that look"
"What would it take to hire you on full time? You'd have your own office, a company car, big fat salary and anything else it would take to make you mine, so to speak." he asked, hopefully
"I'd have to meditate on that one. Normally, I just hang around long enough to do my job and then I move on. This would involve a major commitment on both our parts. Oh, and speaking of commitment, I was going to take tomorrow off; I've got a dinner appointment." she explained
"You've got a date, huh? Is it with a certain police Captain"
"Yes, it is." she replied "How long have you known him"
"Only a week, but he's really sweet and fun to spend time with." she stated
"He's a bit old, don't you think?" Sam ventured, cautiously
"He's not old, he's perfect. Men my age are too immature." she said, flatly
"Ok, so finish up here and take the rest of the weekend off." he said, standing up
"Thanks, Mr. Braun"
"Call me Sam. And you're welcome."
Looking through the diminishing pile of papers on her desk, Cyan sighed and kicked things into overdrive. About four hours later and she was heading out of her office, she got a call on her desk phone. Picking it up, she answered.
"Hello, this is Cyan." she greeted
"Yes, um...I'm trying to reach ADD. Is she available?" the voice asked
Recognizing the voice as Grissom's, Cyan played like it was someone else that had picked up and said that she would get ADD. Cupping her hand over the mouth piece for a few seconds, she came back on.
"This is ADD. To whom am I speaking?" she asked, knowing full well who it was
"This is Gil Grissom." he replied "Oh, hi, Mr. Grissom. What's up"
"I was just wondering if you had some free time. I want to show you something I think you'll love"
"Sure. You've got impeccable timing. I was just about to leave for the weekend." she replied
"You're going out of town?" he asked
"No, just taking the rest of the weekend off, that's all." she explained
"Ok, I'll meet you at home in about twenty minutes. Is that ok"
"Sure. What's the dress code?" she asked, jokingly
"Warm jacket, pants and boots. Oh, and bring a flashlight, too." he said in flat tones
"Ok, will do. See you in a bit, then." she said, hanging up
At home, Cyan waited for Grissom to come by but unbeknownst to her, Jim was just returning from the market and driving down her street on his way home. Stopping at a stop sign, Jim watched as a truck pulled in front of him and drove down the road, stopping in front of Cyan's house. Staying at the cross street, he watched as Cyan came out of her house and climbed into the truck. Once she had climbed in, he passed through the intersection and drove by Cyan's house, taking a glance at the tag on the truck. He immediately recognized it as Grissom's and he wondered what Gil was doing there at this time of night. Tempted to follow them, but at the same time, really tired, Jim thought no more of it and carried on his way home.
In Grissom's truck, they drove out of town to the outskirts and after about ten minutes past that, they pulled onto a pea gravel road that ended with a metal gate. Parking and getting out, Cyan and Grissom turned their flashlights on and as she looked around, Grissom went to the boot of the truck and pulled out a backpack. Turning to Cyan, he smiled.
"Do you creep out easily?" he asked, cautiously
"No, not really, no. I used to watch "Faces of Death" during supper." she replied
"Then this will be a cake walk. You got your light ready"
"Yup." she said, lighting the gravel path
They passed under the gate and down the gravel path to a dirt path. As they entered a wood, Gil spoke up.
"This is what's known as "The Body Farm" Its how we research and conduct controlled studies in animal and human decomposition. Its cold out, so the smell shouldn't be too bad, and there will be lots of carcasses around, so don't wander off" he explained
Seeing the twinkle in his eyes and the look of wonder on his face, Cyan chuckled.
"Is this where you take all your female friends when you go out?" she asked
"Well, no. Actually, you're only the fourth person I've ever brought here...in a non work capacity, that is." he replied
"Well, I'm flattered."
As they traveled through the woods, Grissom pointed out his favourite part; the partial burial. Kneeling down and shining his light on the half buried corpse, Cyan came up beside him, shining her light as well. The look on his face was one of wonderment and awe. She couldn't help but think that he looked like a kid on Christmas morning as he ooed and ahhed about the bugs and other critters that had obviously been at this particular body, leaving their marks. Shining his light on the rib cage, he explained.
"See these, here,..." he said, focusing his beam "They're small carnivore teeth marks; most likely a coyote or badger."
"It looks like the leftovers of a smorgasbord. What about vultures or other carrion birds?" she asked
"Very good question. We've got those, too, but they're usually present in the daylight hours." he replied
Hours later and having examined several bodies, when they were set to go, Cyan pulled out a little camera. The moon was bright and the stars were dotting the sky as Grissom returned his pack to the truck. Turning to climb in, he stopped when he saw Cyan with her camera.
"Smile for the Carpet Beetle," she said, chuckling
"For the Carpet Beetle, huh?" he asked, mugging for the camera
Having taken a couple of photos of him, Cyan placed the camera on the hood of the truck and set the timer. Rushing over to his side, she smiled wide and made rabbit ears behind Grissom's head. Both of them mugged for a couple more photos and when they were done, Cyan collected her camera and slipped it into her pocket.
Back at home, it was around 05:00hrs when she finally crawled under the covers and passed out. Her dreams that night were bizarre, to say the least, and as the sun came up in the new morning sky, the tweety birds sang loudly. She was in a deep sleep when her cell phone rang around 10:00hrs. Rolling over and reaching blindly for her phone, she switched it on, but accidentally knocked it to the floor. The caller could hear her curses as she crawled out of her flannel cocoon and retrieved her phone from the floor.
"Cyan, here"
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you"
"Cappie?" she asked, sleep in her voice
"Yeah. You want me to call you back later?" he asked
"What time is it?"
"Its around 10:00." he replied
"Can you call me back in about two or three hours?"
"Would that be a wake up call?" he joked
"You didn't tell me you were psychic, Cappie." she joked back
"I'm not; I'm just observant. 13:00hrs it is, then. Sleep well." he said, looking at his watch
Going back to sleep, Cyan dreamed sweet dreams of Jim Brass and all the wonderfully naughty things they could do, if left alone for too long.
Pulling into her drive, Jim climbed out of his car and grabbed a grocery bag from his back seat. Walking up the stone path to her front door, he rang the door bell and smiled when he heard the tune playing inside; the synthesizer opening from Lips Inc.'s "Funky Town".
Inside, Cyan was just opening her eyes and when she looked at the clock, she realized that it wasn't Jim calling to wake her, but him actually there to physically wake her. A sleepy smile on her face, she grabbed a t-shirt from the foot end of the bed and slipped into it. Padding down the hall, she heard a knock on the door. Opening it slightly, she saw Jim and opened it further. Her eyes still full of sleep and her mind not quite awake, she said the first thing that popped into her head, then walked through the living room, leaving the door wide open.
"You beautiful, magnificent bastard."
A bit stunned by her choice of words, Jim smirked and entered.
"Well, that's a different sort of greeting." he said, chuckling
Crossing through to the living room and climbing on the couch, she pulled the wool throw off the back and crawled under it, pulling it up over her head. Jim couldn't help but be amused by this little display of semi-childish behaviour, as he entered the kitchen and started the coffee. Finding two mugs and setting them on the counter, Jim emptied the contents of the grocery bag on the counter.
Looking over at Cyan, who was still hibernating on the couch, he grinned as he approached her. Sliding the copies of National Geographic and Thrasher to the side, Jim sat on the edge of the table. Resting his elbows on his knees, he leaned forward a bit.
"Um...are you gonna eat any of this?" he asked, motioning to the food on the counter
Reaching a hand out from under the blanket, she signed "no". This, Jim understood, so he got up and put everything in the fridge. Returning with a mug of coffee in hand, he set it on the table and pulled the blanket back a bit; just enough to see her lovely eyes. Opening her eyes, she gazed right into Jim's ocular smile and gave a lopsided grin.
"Tell you what, I'll go back home and you call me when you're awake." he offered
Not saying anything, but just giving a thumbs up, she watched, in a haze, as Jim left and closed the front door behind himself. Before she fell back to sleep, she couldn't help but think that this was a very considerate man; coming over and bringing food and all. Part of her felt bad for sending him away, but for the first time in weeks, she was actually sleeping, and this was something she really needed.
It was around 17:00hrs by the time she woke next and as soon as she got up, she called Jim at home. Yawning while her phone rang, she walked to the coffee machine and poured herself a fresh mug. Finally, Jim picked up.
"Cappie"
"Hey, she wakes." he joked
"Yeah, sorry about this morning. I had a late night. Mr. Grissom kidnapped me and took me to the body farm. He's a rare bird" she explained
"Yeah, well, that's all part of the Grissom mystique." Jim said, chuckling
"I'm going to shower and dress. Come over if you like. I'll leave the door unlocked." she said, yawning
"Ok, I'll be over in a few." he replied
Hanging up and heading for the shower, she ran the water and watched as the steam filled the room and formed condensation on the bathroom mirror. Stripping out of her sleep clothes and climbing into the shower, she groaned as the water cascaded off her back and ran through her hair. The smell of almonds filled the air as she washed her hair and rinsed the shampoo from it.
A few minutes later, when she had finished her shower, she wrapped a towel tightly around her chest and padded into the bedroom. She was in the middle of getting dressed when she heard the front door opening. The sound of Jim's footsteps echoed off the hardwood floors of the house and as they stopped, she peeked out of her room and saw him on the couch, remote in hand, flipping through the cable channels.
In her room, she selected a slinky little number for her underclothes and black cotton lycra for her bustenhalter. Slipping into some faded jeans and a t-shirt that read: Foxy Boxer on the front. Tying the laces of her boots, she looked in the mirror of her wardrobe and smiled.
In the living room, Jim was watching something about astronomy when Cyan plopped down on the couch next to him. Rubbing her hands together, she grinned.
"So, what do you wanna do now?" she asked
Looking over at her, Jim noticed her shirt and smiled.
"Where do you get your t-shirts?" he enquired
"Oh, at this great little place called "Random Thoughts. Why, you wanna pick up a few?"
"Yeah, that would be nice." he replied
"Ok, then. Let's to it!" she exclaimed, getting up
Grabbing her wallet and slipping it into her back pocket, she pocketed her keys and opened the front door. Hopping into Jim's car, they pulled out onto the main road and headed into town. The store was surprisingly close, and as Jim slipped into a parking spot, he saw the look on Cyan's face.
"What?" he asked
"Oh, nothing. I'm just trying to think of which shirts would suit you best." she replied
Walking through the lot and entering the store, Jim was amazed at the numbers, colours and styles of shirts available. Wandering through the store and checking out several shirts, he settled on four of them. The first one read, "Tastes Like Chicken". The second one read, "What Happens When Genetically Altered Animals Attack". The third one read, "Once Foolish, Twice Stupid" and the fourth one read, "Next Time You Want To Make An Ass Out Of Yourself, Leave Me Out Of It." Cyan had selected several shirts of her own, reading, "Nice, Quiet and Kind of Crazy", "Life's Hard; Its Even Harder When You're Stupid" and another that read, "I Was In The Hall; I Know Because I Was There." Standing at the cash register, Cyan spied a shirt that she thought Grissom would like, reading, "Mystical Vending Machine".
"Hey, you think Mr. Grissom would like this one?" she asked, holding it up
"Yeah, I think he would, but as to whether he'd wear it around, that's another question." he replied, chuckling
Having paid for their purchases and walked back to the car, they buckled themselves in and headed back home. When they arrived there, Cyan got out and leaned in the window to talk to Jim.
"So, where are we going for dinner? and what is the dress code"
"A nice little place I know of and wear something little, black and leggy." he said, grinning
"Oh, so you're looking to have a heart attack tonight, is that it, then"
"No, but as long as I'm smiling when it happens, I'll be in heaven." he replied