Borrowed: Over the Rails & The Last Great Hollywood High-Remy Zero
-------------
When Cyan woke it was around noon and as she looked over to the man sleeping next to her, she grinned heavily. Jim had a way of looking completely and totally at peace when he slept, and this was a sight that she enjoyed seeing. It was in sharp contrast to the "Go, go, go" Brass that he was at work. When he was at home, he was kicked back and relaxed like he was on some sort of vacation. She liked to think that she might have something to do with this, but she knew better. A person doesn't all of a sudden exhibit new behaviours, they just let dormant characteristics surface, and it seemed as though this was what Jim was doing.
Cyan carefully climbed out of bed and made her way to the living room to do some work. Standing at the kitchen counter, she made a fresh pot of coffee and as she waited for it to finish, she got an idea. She knew that she still had some stuff from her move out here to Vegas and that maybe there was something in the boxes in the attic of her house that might help Grissom et al with their case. Slipping into a pair of Jim's trainers, she scribbled down a note and left it on his bedside table. Looking down at Jim as he slept, she kissed him softly on the head and left for her house.
Standing in the open doorway, Cyan felt a chill run up her spine as she gazed at the remains of her crime scene. Remnants of the broken vase were still on the floor as well as the dried blood in her bedroom. Standing in the hall, she pulled down the retracting stairs and climbed into the attic. Turning on the dangling light bulb, she looked around for the boxes she thought of earlier. Finally, in the far corner of the area, she saw them; four boxes, taped up and sealed. Taking a flashlight in hand, she crawled over to the boxes and with a lock back knife, she slit the tape.
Inside, she could see some of her old military paperwork as well as some photos of her in uniform as well as other photos of her on various posts. There was England, Germany, Japan, Australia and a vacation she had taken to Ireland a few years back. Pictures of her and some comrades in several pubs and her favourite photos; her and some of her girlfriends at Castle Neuschwanstein. Closing this box and sliding it towards the stairs, she watched as it disappeared from sight and came to a thud on the floor beneath.
Opening another box, she sat Indian style and sifted through the contents. As before, this box had paperwork and other photos, including one group from when she snuck a digital camera onto the artillery range. There was also one from the confidence course when they were using the element of scorched earth. There was dirt and leaf litter flying everywhere and at the top of a very high stilt post, there she stood, training weapon in hand and a very large grin on her face. Thinking back, she loved her time in service and as she sat, spacing out in the attic, she allowed herself to drift.
(MEMORY)
"Go, go, go. Run, Yanni, kick em' up"
"Yeah, easy for you to say, you don't have a 75lb radio strapped to your back."
Cyan and some of her colleagues ran through the forest and as dirt flew everywhere, they ducked, rolled and evaded. The reason; the capture the flag ritual. They had already taken five members of "red" team prisoner and as they shuffled along through the dense underbrush, Cyan spotted something off. One of the prisoners had managed to free themselves. Dropping her radio, she gave chase and as the escapee ran down a hillside, she took the higher ground and leapt off a rock face, landing on her target. With her prisoner on their belly and she on their back, she pulled out a pair of flexi cuffs and secured them. Yanking them up, Cyan prodded them until they were all back with the group.
After the "flying incident" as it would later come to be known, they all gathered close and posed for a photo. They all stood, weapons at the ready, pointed at the camera and just before the flash went off, they fired. The effect of smoke emanating from the hot barrels in the cool December air was almost like a fantasy. It was one of the happiest times of her life, now almost forgotten.
(END OF MEMORY)
She was snapped back to reality by the sounds of footsteps from within the house. Knowing that she had a gun up there, she rifled through the open box and pulled it out. Cocking it, she sat and waited while the footsteps got closer. Suddenly, they stopped. She could hear shoes landing on the rungs of the ladder and as the shadow drew near, she readied herself. Seeing a hand, she called out.
"You're trespassing, leave now, or you get a new orifice."
Having heard the hammer cock, the visitor spoke up.
"How many guns do you have?" Jim asked
"Ugh, its just you." she replied, setting the gun down next to her
"You don't sound too happy to see me." he said, chuckling
"I was just reminiscing a bit, that's all. There are some great memories in these boxes." she explained
"Well, let's load them up and get back home. This place gives me the creeps. Doesn't it, you"
"Not really." she said, sliding a box to him
Jim had driven there in the BMW that she had signed over to him. It was a secondary vehicle and since she liked her little Toyota more than the brand new BMW 740 she just gave it to him. It was black with tan leather interior. Truth be told, the car was a bit extravagant and since she was not one to keep expensive gifts, she gave it to the one person she knew would appreciate it the most, also, it was a gift from Sam Braun; an attempt to get her to stay on with him full time. She had accepted the position and said that she didn't need anything, save for a paycheck, health benefits and an unspecified number of vacation days, to all of which Sam agreed on the condition that he be given ample notice when she would be taking said vacation days. Jim was glad she took the position as it would allow them to keep seeing each other and maybe, he thought,
she was the one; the one he would spend the rest of his life with. As they loaded up the back seat with the boxes, Jim grinned.
"Have I told you how much I love this car"
"Yes, Jim, you have. Have you named it yet?" she asked
"No, and I don't intend to, either"
"Ok, fine. Let's get back to your place." she said
"I wish you would stop calling it "your place". Its our place." he growled
"Jim, your hospitality not withstanding, which I appreciate, I agreed to stay with you while I healed up. I think its time I got back to my place. After all, personal space is an integral part of any healthy relationship. No matter the feelings, people still need their space." she explained
"Ok, then." he replied, simply
Back at Jim's house they went through all the boxes and when they came to the last one, Jim stopped. Lifting a strongbox from the larger box, he huffed. Setting it on the floor, he patted it.
"Its locked. You got a key"
"Yeah." she replied, pulling a key ring from her pocket
Opening the box, she smiled. There were more pictures as well as her most prized possessions; her Sig Sauers. They were beautiful. One was silver, nickel plated with a black rubber grip and the other was flat black and had notches dug into the grip. Seeing the guns, Jim's jaw dropped and he stared. Removing the clip, she handed Jim the black one. Carefully taking it, he turned it over in his hands and trained the sight on his fish tank and Felix and Oscar, his angel fish. Switching the side arm from one hand to the other, he grinned.
"These are the perfect weapons. You know the Navy Seals use these"
"Yes, I do. If its good enough for the Seals, then its good enough for me." she replied, holding her hand out
Reluctantly, Jim handed over the weapon and watched as she replaced the clip and handed it to him.
"Here. You want it?" she asked, handing the gun back to him
"Are you serious? These are really expensive." he said
"Well, I've got two of them as well as the Baby Glock and a Pistole null acht.
"A what?" Jim asked, confused
"A P 08"
"Huh"
"A Luger."
At the very bottom of the box was a sealed manila envelope that had a rubber stamp on it that read "Eyes Only". Picking it up, she turned it over in her hands and opened it. Pulling several sheets of paper out, she looked them over. Briefly reading them, she sighed and handed them to Jim.
"This is what I was looking for. I knew I had something on him." she stated
"You ran a check on him?" Jim asked, stunned
"Well, not until he pulled out the "crazy card." she replied
"Did you run a check on me, or need I ask"
"No, I didn't need to. I could tell about you from the get go. You're not crazy, you're perfect."
Blushing heavily, Jim smiled.
"I'll take that as a compliment"
"As it was intended." she stated
Looking over the papers, Jim grinned heavily.
"Do you mind if I take these to the lab and show them to Grissom?" he asked
"Not at all, that's what I was hoping you'd do"
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
In his new car, Jim pulled out his cell phone and dialed Grissom. After a few seconds, he picked up.
"Gil, where are you"
"I'm at home. Catherine is playing Napoleonic Power Monger. She sent me home, but I've got news for her. I've got a whole stack of paperwork right here in front of me." Gil replied, chuckling
"I'm on my way. Cyan has a file on this guy"
"She does? How'd she get it"
"She said she did a search on him after he started getting all crazy. I'll be there in a few minutes."
Fiddling with the radio, Jim settled on a station that would compliment his new car, so he turned the volume up and sang along as the sounds of one of Cyan's favourite groups played loudly.
television is the condition of my connection to the machine
and in its warm glow we watched the flames grow till the bones show
till it stripped you clean well I had it bad we were barely on the screen
with the trips I had swallowed everything except for you
Sitting at a red light a few blocks from Gil's, Jim marveled at how comfortable and utterly stunning his new car was. He thought about the enormous generosity that had been present in the giving of this gift and how Cyan had selflessly given him a 70k plus car. Truth be told, he was a bit unsure about any strings that may have been attached, but in recent days, she had made it clear that if he didn't accept it, she would have just sold it.
Cruising along, Jim realized that Grissom had not yet seen his new car. Jim was very proud of it and had washed it as many times as there had been days since he was given it. With his Buick, he never really thought to baby it, as it was a company car, but this was HIS vehicle and he would take as good care of it as Cyan did him. She catered to him, cooking his meals and cleaning the house almost every day. She turned his bachelor pad into a home, and for this Jim was glad. In no way did she turn it into a girlie house with dust ruffles and such, but made it look like someone actually lived there, which they did.
Pulling up in front of Grissom's apartment, he was surprised to see Gil on the balcony reading a book. Hopping out and looking up to him, he could see the look on Gil's face and grinned, despite himself.
"You like it?" he shouted
"Its...certainly...new." Gil replied
"Come on up."
Climbing the stairs, Jim remembered the anti theft device. Pulling out his keys and pressing the alarm, he grinned when he heard the "blip, blip" of it engaging. Just then Gil's door opened and he stood there, cast and all. Looking down at his friend's foot, he chuckled.
"When did this happen?" Jim asked, pointing to the signatures on his cast
"Yesterday. I fell asleep in the break room and when I woke up, I had been "tagged". he replied
"Vandals." Jim stated
"No shit."
Envelope in hand, Jim entered Gil's home and sat himself down on the couch. Seating himself next to Jim, Gil asked the inevitable.
"So, you must have been very, very good this year to have gotten a new car"
"Not entirely, no. Cyan got it from Sam Braun and said that if I didn't take it, she'd sell it." he explained "Well, wonders never cease. Now, what have you brought me?" Grissom asked
Jim opened the envelope and pulled out the contents and handed them to Gil. Reading them over, he to smiled.
"Is this valid? I mean, is it current"
"There's only one way to find out." Jim stated
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Parking in his spot at the lab, Jim got out and held the sliding doors open for Grissom who was a bit slow. Not as slow as he had been, but still slower than Jim. In the halls, they made their way to the A/V lab and to Nick's "baby" as he called it. Sitting down, Grissom realized that he had no idea what he was doing, so he picked up his cell phone and called Nick.
Asleep in his bed, Nick was yanked awake by the shrill sound of his cell phone ringing. Picking it up and flipping it open, he answered.
"Stokes"
"Nicky, Jim's got a file on this Alcott guy. We need to know how to use your computer here at the lab." he explained
"He's got a file? I'll be right in." he said, hanging up
Crawling out from under the warm covers, Nick jumped into a pair of khaki slacks, a Ramones t-shirt and his boots. Grabbing his keys from the hall table, he flew out of the house and headed for the lab.
In Grissom's office, Jim and Gil talked about Christmas. Gil and Sara had spent the day together and Gil expressed an interest in making things between them more permanent. Jim told Gil about his gift to Cyan and how he thought that she might be "the one", as he put it.
"Are you sure, Jim? I mean, you've only known her for about a month or so"
"Yeah, well, she's perfect. She's bright, funny and I'm finding it hard to picture my life without her. When I think about what things were like before she came to me, everything is lacking. But since we've been together, its like she breathes life into me. When I wake up, she's the first thought in my mind and when I go to bed, she's the one I want to be with" Jim explained
"Well, it sounds like love to me. I hope you know what you're doing. I mean, given her history and everything." Gil said softly
"That's exactly what it is; history. Don't forget, I've got history, too." Jim replied
Just then, Nick came through the door and poked his head in Grissom's office. He was short of breath and looked like he had been running. Standing up, Gil and Jim exited the room and headed for the A/V lab. Sitting on his perch, Nick took the paperwork from Grissom and began tapping away at the keys. Reading aloud, Nick went over the information as the monitor displayed the results.
"Well, 90036 is the zip code for Los Angeles, California. But that's a big place. Let's see what else we can come up with" Nick said, flipping through the small stack of papers and keying in figures
Taking his glasses off, Nick brought one of the papers closer to his face. Looking from the paper and back to the monitor, he grinned.
"Ok, he's got a post office box on Crenshaw Boulevard. At least that narrows things down a bit. Let's contact the LAPD and get with them on surveillance. Next time he picks up his mail, we'll nab him." he said confidently
In his office, Jim sat at his desk and spoke with a friend of his in the LAPD. Throwing out several expletives, Jim had it out with the man.
"He's killed about half a dozen men out here and now he's in your state. You mean to tell me that you're not in the least bit concerned?" he shouted
Nick stood by the door and listened as Jim shouted back and forth with his caller. Finally, Jim calmed down and waved him in.
"Ok, they're gonna post a man in street clothes outside and a new worker inside. When the guy comes in, they'll nab him and we can extradite. When he gets back here, he'll be prosecuted." Jim explained
"Have you spoken to Cyan about this? How does she feel?" Nick queried
"She's the one that gave me the papers. I assume she'll want this ass locked up and the key to be thrown away." he said
"From your mouth to God's ears." Nick replied
"Yeah, I know. She's a tough nut to crack; very spirited. That's what I love; a woman with spit and spirit." Jim joked
"I'll give her that much. I'd hate to meet her in a dark alley in the middle of the night." Nick chuckled
Standing up and joining Nick in the hall, Jim walked back to Grissom's office and knocked on the jamb. Looking up from his papers, Gil motioned for them to come in and when they did, they sat themselves across from Gil's desk. His hands folded in his lap, Jim relayed the details of his chat with the LAPD.
"So, then when he picks up his mail, they grab him, hold him for us and when he gets back here, we lock him up and throw away the key. Squeaky clean."
"Nothing is ever truly squeaky clean, Jim. There's always some sort of malady. So let's not count our killers before they're caught." Gil said thoughtfully
"Leave it to you to poop all over my parade, Gil"
"I'm not pooping, I'm being pragmatic, Jim"
Back at Jim's house Cyan was still working on the papers from Sam's charity event from the previous summer when the phone rang. Putting her pencil down, she answered it.
"Brass residence." she said cheerily
"Hey, hun"
"Hey, Cappie. What's up"
"I just wanted to let you know we found him. We don't have him yet, but we have a pretty good idea as to where he's gonna surface next." Jim explained
"That's good to know. Hey, what do you feel like for supper?" she asked
"Um, I don't know. Whatever you feel like is fine by me." he replied
"Ok, I'll surprise you, then."
Hanging up the phone, she walked to the kitchen to survey the contents of the fridge. Standing in front of the open door, she kneeled down and shifted around some of the contents to get a better idea as to what she was dealing with. Pulling out some ingredients, she settled on chili. Grabbing a scrap of paper, she scribbled down some things that she needed to pick up from the market and set out on her mission; to make the best chili Jim had ever had.
XxxxxxxxxxxxX
Pushing the buggy down the aisles, she deposited two cans of dark redskin kidney beans, three medium sized cans of whole, peeled tomatoes, a bulb of garlic, three small cooking onions, a pound and a half of lean hamburger meat and a packet of McCormick hot chili seasoning mix. In the freezer aisle, she grabbed a pint of Godiva Belgian Chocolate ice cream and from produce, she snatched up some fresh berries.
By the time Jim returned home the house smelled of chili, a smell Jim had grown to love over the past few weeks. He walked into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Cyan who was stirring the simmering contents of the rather large pot. Kissing the back of her neck, he smiled and let go of her, turning to go into the master bedroom. He opened his closet and picked up one of his hiking boots, tipping it over. A small jeweler's box fell out and he smiled as he opened it to see the ring within. It was a gold band studded with sapphires and emeralds. He thought the stone combination would look lovely and go well with the colour of her eyes. As much as he wanted to give it to her now, he'd promised himself that he'd wait until Christmas which was only a few weeks away. So, he closed the box and placed it back in the boot and returned it to the closet.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Weeks had passed and on Christmas eve night, as Jim and Cyan sat in front of the tellie watching some random show Jim got up and went into the bedroom for the ring. When he returned, he sat beside her and turned to face her. By this time Jim had wrapped the small box and as he handed it to her, he kissed her cheek and smiled as the clock struck midnight.
"Merry Christmas." he said, handing her the box
Slowly and methodically, she opened it and when she saw the contents she nearly passed out. After a few moments she had composed herself enough to respond to his gift.
"Jim, its beautiful but I can't accept this. I know how much cops make and this must have cost a small fortune."
"Don't worry about the money, hun. I called in a favour and got a deep discount." he replied
Looking down at the ring, Cyan scratched her head.
"So, what exactly does this mean? What strings are attached?" she asked
"The only string attached is that if you accept this ring you have to marry me. I'm getting older by the day and since you came into my life I can't imagine anyone else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with. So will you marry me?"