Laws of Motion – Book 3
Written by: Ms. Maggs/Edited by: KJT
Chapter 48
Thursday – November 24, 2005
The Grissoms
2:21 pm
"How's the arm, Son?" Ron inspected the bandage while waiting for Flash to fetch.
"It looks much worse than it is," Gil lied, since it was still throbbing after a full dose of Vicodin.
"True love is accidentally getting a second degree burn from your spouse and pretending it doesn't hurt." Ron snatched the tennis ball from Flash's mouth and launched it across the yard. "Remember when you assured me that you'd never lie to your wife? And I said you would if it was the difference between making her feel bad or not?"
"Yeah, I'm so glad we managed to work in the 'I told you so, Son' speech, even if it's forty years late."
"Sara's a bit of a danger to be around, huh?" Ron chuckled, making light of the situation. "First Tawny's mother falls down the stairs and now this burn. Hey, how's Tawny handling the loss?"
"Well, when I saw her in the hall at the lab yesterday, she was quite bubbly telling me all about a new maternity place at the mall, saying I should go there to get a surprise for Sara. What does that tell you?"
"I love that girl's resilience." Grabbing the slime-covered tennis ball from Flash's mouth, Ron said, "No offense to Greg, and please don't repeat this, but I think she and Drew would have made a fantastic couple. Very Donald and Melania. Most people assume Melania is a vapid sex kitten, but she's classy and extremely intelligent."
"I'd say if she got Trump to marry her, she'd have to be pretty smart."
"Yeah, that was one hell of a wedding."
After a pause, Gil released a chuckle. "I forgot for a moment that you actually were speaking from personal experience."
"Impressive, huh? You're one degree of separation from The Donald."
"Funny, I was just thinking The Donald should be impressed that he's one degree of separation from the nation's top Entomologist."
"He'd disagree," Ron laughed, "but he'd appreciate your attitude."
"Appetizers are ready!" Sara shouted from the backdoor. "Lina made them, so you can lose the terrified expressions."
Drew's House
2:30 pm
"Hi, Sean." Seeing his sweet, goofy smile only intensified Lindsay's dread. He was the nicest guy, loyal to a fault, smart, cute…geeky, but in an attractive way like Greg, not Grissom. As much as she wanted to not to like Colin for simplicity's sake, and for Sean, she couldn't. Ever since the dance, Colin had been on her mind and in her heart. It was his lips she wanted to feel pressed to hers…his arms holding her tight. To make matters worse, he wasn't a jerk. He was a straight A student, a jock and an all around nice guy.
"I have a big surprise, Lindsay." Focusing his unpatched eye on the girl of his dreams, Sean readied to share the big secret. "As of this coming Monday, I'll be attending Trinity with you!"
"No!"
Sean's smile melted. "Why is that a bad thing?"
"I mean no way!" Lindsay pushed out a fake grin. "That's so cool! We'll get to see each other…a lot." And you'll see Colin holding my hand. Now I have no choice! I have to tell him the truth.
"When my mom enrolled me, she asked if I could be in the same classes as you, except for math and science of course, because I'm working so far above grade level."
"Great." She felt the first, of what she assumed would be many, stomach flops that day.
"Did Sean tell you the exciting news?!" Wendy Blake asked when she stepped onto the patio.
"Yes, Mrs. Blake." You just stopped hating me for what I did to Ryan. I can't imagine what you'll think of me once I tell Sean my news. Actually, yes I can. You'll think I'm scum. Now I lost my nerve.
"Great, now I can tell your parents about the addition to the car pool." Wendy winked at her son, who she was happy to see smiling after he had been so depressed recently.
The Sanders Home
2:55 pm
"Doing okay?" Tawny asked as she rounded the kitchen counter to check in on her husband.
"Are you asking about my stuffing preparation or my mental state?"
"Both." After dropping a kiss on his cheek, she leaned against the counter. "Our company will be here soon and I didn't think you'd want to discuss it in front of Hodges and Celeste, or Danny's boyfriend."
"Yeah, Hodges and Celeste just got back on track, so the last thing I want to do is bog them down with the latest episode of The Psycho Sanders Hour. I'm really fine though. I think it went great with my Mom."
"That's exactly what scares me." Tawny stared out the window. "I keep expecting her to pop back up like Michael Myers in Halloween."
"No, I called the clinic in Malibu and they verified she called to say she'd be checking in today."
Tawny was still reluctant to believe it, but dropped the subject for her husband's sake. "Terrific."
Upon hearing the doorbell, Greg said, loud enough for his father, Lily and Daniel to hear, "For the sake of our guests, let's pretend we're a normal family for the next few hours. After that we can go back to our regularly scheduled insanity. Sound good?" When they all agreed, Greg sighed, "Who would have thought the day would come when Hodges was the most normal person in the room?"
"Hopefully he and Celeste will show pictures of their ferrets wearing Star Trek costumes and order will be restored to the universe."
Regional Hospital – AZ
3:00 pm
With their family and holiday in an upheaval, Marge and Dennis Vartann stood in the parking lot at a loss for words. They had walked outside with Becca and Tony, who were on their way to the house to get some rest before Janey dropped off Sierra. Matt was inside with Reggie, so they could take a break from watching their youngest son beat himself up.
As a cop, who spent his life trying to identify the guilty, the situation was particularly difficult for Dennis, who always preferred answers that were black or white. From the details he had to go on, it was clear the disaster was not the result of one person's actions, but a culmination of many issues and problems that had been avoided or compounded over time.
"You know what I found very scary today?" Marge remarked breaking the silence. "I mean, there was plenty, but outside of the Reggie/Gina nightmare." Catching her husband's eyes, she said, "Becca's reaction after she slipped about Reggie's infidelity. Right in front of me she went from a grown woman to a terrified little girl and if Tony had reacted differently, if he had shouted at her, or blamed her…I'm certain she would have shattered into a million pieces. She's that fragile, Dennis, and from her reaction to Tony's absolution, it's very clear that our son holds all the cards. If he told her to go to hell tomorrow, he'd walk away with half her money in a divorce settlement and she'd probably slit her wrists."
"What are you getting at, Marge?" Dennis was already in a haze, the last thing he needed was another puzzle to solve.
The exhausted mother dabbed her eyes and nose, struggling to maintain the composure of a Police Captain's wife. "My point is, as bad as I feel about Reggie's infidelity, today I'm thrilled to know I have a boy out there, who could use his power for personal gain, but instead he's wearing moose pajamas and singing 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light' at the top of his lungs to make his emotionally scared and troubled wife smile. As bad as today is…it's good. As parents, we did something right. Reggie's actions in that brothel were an anomaly, much like Tony's were when he dabbled with those horrid parties to satisfy Amy. We're good parents of decent boys who as grown men aren't perfect, but they're not evil or vicious even. As bad as it is today for Reggie, I have hope that he'll pick up the pieces like Tony did, never make the same mistakes again, and find a happily ever after."
Drew's Guest House
3:10 pm
"I think we owe it to Marta to find out if this is her fairy tale." Betsy Muller stood in front of and up to her husband, who had been passing the time staring at a football game he cared nothing about. "You're making assumptions about her actions, but the truth is…she's been away from our control for years. She and I, we talk every day, but I doubt I hear about everything she's doing or thinking. I do know she loves romantic stories. As a little girl her favorite one was Cinderella, which as I'm sure you remember is all about a hard working girl being seen as the perfect match to a wealthy prince."
"I also remember that the prince respected Cinderella enough to marry her before taking her to bed."
"Honestly, we don't know what happened in between chapters, Hon."
Ed rolled his eyes on the way to the fridge for his next beer.
"The man said he'd take her to a chapel today to prove how much he loved her. I believe him."
"With or without one of those pre-nuptial agreements rich folks always get trophy wives to sign?" Ed tilted the beer and guzzled.
"He didn't specify if…"
"Okay, then…" He polished off the bottle and sharply set it on the counter. "I'll go ask him."
"So, we're going to Thanksgiving?"
"Yeah, we're going." Ed hurried for the door. "Don't get comfortable though, 'cause I think the odds of him not pissing me off are slim."
"Wait!" Betsy felt awkward about showing up for holiday dinner empty handed. "I don't want everyone to think we have bad manners. We should bring something."
"Are you kidding me?! The bastard already took our daughter's innocence, and she's the most precious thing we've got!"
"Good point." Betsy hurried out the door after her husband.
From the kitchen window, Carrie saw the Mullers leaving the guest house and squealed, "Marta! Your parents are on their way! Maybe they had a change of heart about you and Drew!" The two of them had been drinking wine and heating more appetizers while everyone else watched the Dallas game on Drew's massive plasma TV.
"Oh my gosh!" Marta hurried to take off her apron.
"Have another sip of wine!" Carrie, the connoisseur, rushed to fill her glass. "Mmm, my father was right about this 2002 Fife Vineyards Rosé, it's fantastic. I remember reading that the 2002 harvest had no complications."
"I wish I could say the same for my life." Marta took a swig. "Then again, at least I have a life to complicate now."
"Don't worry, I'll help your case." Giddy from happiness and excess wine consumption, Carrie slurred, "I'm a very, very, good lawyer, so let me do all the talking."
Willing to try anything, Marta popped a mint into her mouth to hide her alcohol breath from her parents and said, "I'll just suck on this lifesaver while you save my life."
"No problem, sistah!" Carrie set her glass on the counter and put on her game face. "You must be Mr. and Mrs. Muller." She rushed forward for a handshake. "I'm Clark County Assistant District Attorney Caroline Blake, but please call me Carrie."
Betsy shook the pretty woman's hand, happy to meet someone in such a high profile position. "Nice to meet you, Carrie, I'm Betsy."
"And I'm Ed, Marta's father." He shook the cheery woman's hand. "Are you a friend of my daughter's?"
"Yes! A very good friend, yes!" Carrie slung her arm around Marta's shoulders. "I'm also Drew's future sister-in-law."
Ed's smile morphed to a frown. "Oh."
"I'm engaged to Nicholas Stokes, a Supervisor at the County Crime Lab…a bonafide hero actually, but I might be a teeny, tiny bit biased." After an infectious laugh, Carrie began her attack, "I can't wait to officially become part of the Stokes clan. They're such a civic-minded family. Jillian Stokes, my future mother-in-law, retired from the Public Defender's office a legend, and Nick's father is still tearing it up on the Supreme Court of Texas. His sisters are all lawyers, except for Barbara, who is a very reputable OB/GYN, and of course Drew is working tirelessly to get the charitable organization, BPAC off the ground…and he's only getting paid a fraction of what he could be making in a Corporate position of similar responsibility, but he took the job to give the needy a fighting chance."
"Really? I heard he took it because he got canned when his ex-wife told his employer he was screwing around with a girl here in Vegas on the company's dime?" Ed stared at the woman who obviously thought she was wiser than him. "Just 'cause I'm from a farm, don't mean I'm a clueless hick who can't recognize a snow job when he hears one."
"But I really am that excited about marrying Nicky and I really do love his family."
"What's not to love?!" Nick whooped when he sailed into the kitchen, thinking it sweet that Carrie was telling Marta how in love she was. "Dallas scored, Darlin'! You know what that means." Before he could reply or notice the Mullers blending into the far wall, he pulled his fiancée in for a lusty lip lock. "I'll stop there since Marta is here," he joked. "Then again, she knows all about the problem us Stokes boys have when it comes to controlling ourselves around the women we love, so maybe she'll just go about her business while I…"
"Nicky!" Carrie plucked his hands off her ass. "You haven't met Mr. and Mrs. Muller yet."
"I can't, Darlin', they've locked themselves in the guest house to mourn the loss of Marta's ch…" When Carrie covered his flapping lips with her palm, he groaned, "They're in back of me, aren't they?"
"Yes!"
After clearing his throat, Nick turned around wearing his famous good 'ol boy grin. "Gotcha! I was just jokin' around." He held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Muller. I'm Nick Stokes, the youngest of seven Stokes kids, and the family clown. I hope I didn't offend you and please don't hold it against my brother if I did, 'cause he'll beat the living daylights outta me. There I go kidding again. Well, uh…welcome to Vegas. If there's anything I can do to make your stay more pleasant, don't hesitate to ask."
"For starters, you could tell your brother to stop bedding my daughter until he slips a ring on her finger, although I have my doubts he was serious about that, because in my experience, once a man's gettin' his milk free, he doesn't bother buying the cow."
Carrie wasted no time getting in the man's face. "What a hypocrite! You're standing there all worried that Drew is hurting Marta, but then you call her a cow. Sure she's a little chunky, but she's gorgeous! She has a beautiful smile and… "
"Carr!" Nick gave her the time out sign to his tipsy fiancée. "He's a farmer, I'm sure he meant it metaphorically. Right, Sir?"
"Hell, yes." Ed looked to his daughter. "Sorry, Marta Jean if you thought otherwise."
Nick decided to make a plea on his brother's behalf, "With all due respect, Sir…"
"Could you stop calling me 'sir', you're like five years younger than me. Call me Ed."
"Okay, Ed…uh…I respect people who make the decision to wait until marriage, but once the deed has been done, it can't be reversed. Pardon me for sayin' this, but…we're burnin' daylight on a moot point, and since Marta is happy with my brother, not claiming he robbed her of her innocence, why can't we all just move on? My brother told me about your discussion, and I just want to say that even though my brother's past isn't squeaky clean, if Marta left him tomorrow, there'd be dozens of women clamorin' for her spot, because he's a great catch."
ADA Blake cringed at the lawyer-wannabe's argument. "Nicky, uh…"
"Excuse me, Nicky…" Ed folded his arms tight. "Are you saying my daughter should be lucky a guy like your brother wants her in the first place?"
"No, I'm sayin' the opposite." Nick matched the man's stance. "You act like my brother isn't good enough for your daughter and I'm sayin' he's a great guy and a good catch compared to some of the guys Marta might have married if she had stayed on the farm."
Carrie started looking for duct tape to seal her man's mouth.
"And what exactly is wrong with farmers, ranch boy?"
"I never said anything was wrong with farmers. What I mean is…look at this place. My brother can provide for your daughter and…"
"I hate to disappoint you," Ed huffed, "but not everyone thinks material goods are the cornerstone of happiness. Look how many times that Trump guy has been married."
Nick quickly countered, "Ask my fiancée, I'm not a materialistic guy at all. I'm practical to a fault."
"Cheap actually," Carrie stated while vehemently nodding. "He gets tweaked if you use too much toothpaste or run the dishwasher before it reaches maximum capacity."
"See!" Nick continued his plea, "I'm not talkin' about my brother buyin' Marta six hundred dollar shoes, I meant he can provide a nice home in a decent neighborhood, good educations for their children, medical insurance and…" When Marta and her mother gasped in horror, he stopped. "What did…"
"You son of a bitch!" Ed lunged forward, landing a solid punch to the insensitive bastard's face.
"Nicky!"
"Daddy!" Marta rushed over to her father. "He didn't mean it as a dig!"
As Nick rubbed his mouth, Carrie whispered, "Remember! The whole reason Marta took the job was to pay for her brother's medical bills because her father didn't have decent insurance or cash."
"Uh…no, obviously I forgot that." As a man with considerable pride, Nick knew he hit the man below the belt. "Ed, I'm real sorry. I never would have said…"
"Shut up!" the insulted father barked as his wife held him back. "I get it! You and your family with the Supreme Court Daddy are all laughing that I should have the nerve to think Drew is undeserving of my little girl. You think I should be buying cigars for hitting the jackpot, right? That's what you're thinking."
"No!" Nick took off his gloves. "I'm thinkin' that for a man who sadly knows first hand that life is too short and full of surprises good and horrible, that it's friggin' ridiculous to argue about a relationship when the two adults who in it are happy as hell and in love with one another! Jesus Christ, if a bomb went off in here two minutes from now and Marta was on the floor dying from her injuries, would you still be yelling at her about Drew because he's divorced and screwed a bunch of women in the course of his lifetime, or would you be grateful that she got in a couple months of bliss before her death? Marta's experienced the rush of a first kiss. She knows what it's like to hear someone say 'I love you' and mean it! She's been out dining and dancing, having a grand old time. Hell, that's more than some people get in a lifetime, and I'm pretty sure your son would agree with me if he could weigh in. Honestly, other than your pride, why would you rather she still be lonely and miserable waiting for a man you think is right, instead of lovin' life with someone who's not your ideal guy?" Wiping the blood from his split lip, he calmed down. "That's what I was thinking."
"Wise words from a man who was seconds away from dying not too long ago," Ken Blake said from the kitchen doorway. He had come to get napkins, but got much more. Walking over to his future son-in-law, Ken patted him on the back. "Well said, Nick, and that's coming from the hard-headed fool who used to hate you for stealing his little girl."
"Thank you, Sir." Nick's face lit up. "That means more to me than a Cowboys' win today." Lowering his voice, he asked, "Uh…did you happen to catch the score before you came in here?"
"Still the same."
Carrie threw her arms around her father. "I love you, Daddy."
"Save yourself a lot of grief," Ken educated the stunned father while his daughter smothered him with affection. "Once they fall under the Stokes spell, there's nothing you can do. Your time would be better spent shopping for a wedding gift."
Marta walked to her father with teary eyes. "Please…just stay and give us a chance to show you it's the real deal."
Ed nodded and took his daughter into his arms. "You know I can't stand to see you crying. I'll uh…I'll give the Texan a chance to convince me he has good intentions."
"You know what this totally reminds me of!" Carrie started tapping her feet. "Oklahoma!"
"Oh no." Nick knew just where the showtune lover was headed. "Darlin', don't…"
"Territory folks should stick together!" She belted out the Rodgers and Hammerstein tune with wine-infused glee, "Territory folks should all be pals! Cowboys dance with the farmer's daughters, farmers dance with the ranchers' gals! Dance with me, Nicky!"
"Only because your daddy is here." Nick started leading her in a crazy stomp, whistling the tune.
"Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends…"
Marta explained in a laugh, "They have really tough jobs, so when they finally have a chance to cut loose, they really go for it."
Rounding the kitchen island, Carrie squealed with delight, "Yee haw!"
The Sanders Home
3:21 pm
"Here is a picture of my little babies in cowboy hats." Celeste couldn't stop herself from sharing her ferret photo collection with Lily. "Do you have any pets?"
"No." Lily saw Tawny mouthing 'humor her' and smiled, "But these little guys are adorable."
"I don't have kids, so they're my babies. I know it may seem a little silly, but…"
"No, not at all," Lily lied with ease. "It's very sweet."
Sitting on the love seat next to Daniel, Wade whispered, "But people label us abnormal because we're gay. Dressing your ferrets in chaps for fun? That's messed up."
"Appetizers are ready!" Greg proudly presented two trays. "Bacon stuffed mushrooms, Artichoke crostini, assorted crackers and cheese, fresh veggies and a variety of dips. Dig in, but save room for dinner."
"These look fabulous." Lily couldn't believe the goofy boy who used to love spinning in her desk chair pulled off such an amazing spread…or that he was a CSI…or married…to a woman anyway. "You've come a long way in the last fifteen years."
Greg sheepishly replied, "Most of it happened in the last six months actually."
"Just imagine what he can do in the next fifteen years," Tawny remarked, building up her man.
Hodges rabidly began filling a small plate with snacks. "Provided he doesn't bite it in the field."
"David!" Celeste shrieked. "What a terrible thing to say!"
"Oh…oh my God…did I say that out loud?" Clearing his throat, Hodges explained, "I just miss him in the lab and that's me subconsciously wanting him back there, out of the field. Uh…can we watch the Cowboys game?"
"Since when do you follow football?" Greg asked, still shaking off the creepy remark.
"I don't, but our boss is a fanatic and I need to be able to shoot the breeze with him on Monday."
"You mean suck up to him."
Hodges looked to Daniel and Wade for support. "With all those burly men bending over in tight pants, I'm sure two want to watch it and drool."
"Forgive him," Celeste made apologies for her date. "He was born without a verbal filter."
"Or a personality," Greg added while grabbing the remote, hoping the game would occupy Hodges enough to keep him quiet. "Here you go, Jocko."
The Vartanns
3:30 pm
"The Cowboys game is on, Tony." Becca smiled at her husband, who had just returned from showering in the bathroom down the hall. "Wanna watch?"
"It's probably half over."
"You look refreshed." Hugging her knees as she sat on the bed in her comfy white spa robe, she studied Tony's face, trying to gauge his mood. "Feel better now that you have all that disgusting dried blood off you?"
"Much." Shutting the bedroom door, Tony tossed his toiletry bag on the dresser and dropped to the edge of the bed in his towel. "What's the score?"
"Tied at fourteen. Halftime just started." After a deep breath, Becca found the courage to share what had been plaguing her mind since the hospital, "Did you see the horrified way everyone was looking at Gina in the ER when she lost it? Did you hear what they were saying about her? They were totally freaked."
"Since she was screaming in my face and digging her nails into me, it was a little hard to focus on what was happening elsewhere."
"Tony, be honest…from everything you've learned about me, am I that bad at my worst? I mean when I'm off meds for a while, like when I set fire to my professor's house, or what I did to Hoj, when I was trying to stop his wedding, by drugging him or…then again, now that I'm saying it out loud, I can't imagine the answer is anything but yes."
"Honey…" Pursing his lips, he struggled for words to make her feel better.
"I really am sick, aren't I? You think I am, right?" She waited impatiently for an answer. "Say it."
With his eyes locked on his worried wife, Tony took her hand. "Yes."
"As bad as Gina?"
"Worse," he replied, feeling relieved to finally speak the truth. "Gina didn't have a problem until recently, until after she suffered miscarriages and had to take hormones for IVF and experienced Postpartum Depression. I think she's off kilter from all that, like I was after finding Amy with Chad. It's like…you know how some places have a gun law requiring a seventy-two hour waiting period in case the person buying the pistol is under duress? Without your meds, the cooling off period wouldn't make a difference for you if you were thinking of ending it, but for me it would have because it was a weak moment, not a glitch in my brain chemistry. Does that make sense?"
She nodded slightly.
"You've been sick a long time, Honey. According to Greg, you've had issues since he met you at thirteen." Brushing a kiss along her fingertips, he tenderly said, "You know, I used to think that you were troubled because you didn't have family caring about you, and because you were always with the wrong guy. I honestly believed that if I made sure you ate right and exercised…if you got enough sleep, and I loved you enough, that one morning, you could wake up, throw out your meds, and everything would be fine." Sliding closer to her, he whispered, "I don't think that way anymore. I certainly believe that all those things will make life significantly better for you, but your problem isn't curable, Honey. It's manageable though, and you're finally with a guy who's not afraid of a little hard work. I've already proven that I'm not going to run out the door at the first sign of a problem, right? I didn't even leave when you tried to push me out the door."
"But what if my problem gets worse one day? Or if the meds stop working and…"
"Hey, when we renew our marriage vows at the church, and you hear me say 'I do, in sickness and in health', I'll be telling the truth. No matter how good or bad things get, I'm not going anywhere. Understand?"
"Yes." Nodding, she tearfully confessed, "I was so scared after I blurted the truth about Reggie."
"I knew you were, Honey." He swept a kiss over her lips.
"I thought for sure you were going to hate me for it, but you didn't, you didn't even yell." While he wiped her tears with his thumbs, her smile blossomed. "We started out as a joke, but we fell in love along the way and now, I really love you. I mean we've said it a bunch, and although we weren't lying, it was hard not to worry that it was all happening so fast, but today I know. Do you know?"
"I know exactly how you feel." Returning the smile, he explained, "I never would have reacted the same way if Amy had been the one who blurted the secret. I would have been jumping down her throat and over to my brother's side. But today my first reaction was to think and worry about you. So, yeah…against all odds, it's the real deal, Becca."
"You know the best part? I believe you."
"I can't believe how much I love you." He consumed her mouth with a kiss as affirming as his words and gaze.
"Show me how much." Her emotions running high, Becca fell against the bedding. "I know it's a really inconvenient time considering what's going on, tacky probably, but my libido is suddenly back, and I…" Before her plea was completed, Tony blanketed her body with his.
"Yes." Kissing his wife with reckless abandon, he prayed that the impromptu passion would give them a much needed respite from the day's drama. "Hell, yes." Plowing between the folds of her downy robe, he found a soft place to hide on a weary day.
"They say human touch is extremely restorative," Becca rasped in his ear while uncoiling her robe's belt.
The length of their exposed bodies now pressed together, he wholeheartedly agreed. "I missed you," he breathed into the nape of her neck, fully intent on savoring the experience in case her desire slipped away for a while again. "Let's take this nice and slow."
"Aww, does your head hurt?"
"Because of build up?" he asked, feeling bad that she thought he had been suffering.
"No!" Belly laughing, she replied, "I meant your actual head because of the stitches in it."
"Oh!" After laughing with her he replied, "No, the pain meds are working just fine."
The Grissoms
3:42 pm
"Three months drug free," Ellie raised her glass of cranberry iced tea in a toast to herself while sitting on the couch between Ren and her father. "No booze either. Most boring three months of my life, but…I'm not dead."
"I know your father is very proud of you, Ellie," Grissom affirmed as he sat in his favorite chair with Sara lounging like she always did, on top of its overstuffed arm.
"Me too," Ren tapped his glass against Ellie's. "Lots of people don't make it to three months, it's a great sign that you're on your way."
"Speaking of 'on your way'." Ellie's most mischievous grin emerged. "When exactly will you be moseying back to Flagstaff?"
"Are you worried you won't get enough of me?"
"No," the young woman countered, "I'm afraid I've already had too much."
"Aren't you glad I brought the Bickersons to your Thanksgiving celebration?" Jim asked his co-workers and Ron. He figured Lina was too busy in the kitchen to hear.
"I think they're wonderful," Ron shared. "Honestly, and I hope this doesn't hit a nerve, Gil, but…they remind me of your mother and I when I was courting her."
Gil shook his head, affected by the mention, but brushing past it thanks to a squeeze of Sara's hand.
"Are you courting me, Mister Ren?" Ellie asked in the voice of a nineteenth century lady. "I surely hope not, since it's against recovery rules to have a boyfriend for six months after getting clean."
"No, ma'am, this is not courtin'." Ren checked his watch. "Actually I have to go for a bit to make sure the Stokes' horses are gettin' on okay. Some of 'em don't transition as well as others. You said dinner's at six, right, Sara?"
"Yep."
"Okay, then." Standing up, he glanced down at Ellie, "Wanna come with me and get in a little equine therapy? Or have you forgotten everything you learned?"
"Are you kidding me? After my stint at Whispering Pines, I could brush a horse in my sleep. But it's better than sitting around here with the old farts, I mean folks." After a peck of her father's cheek, Ellie started for the front door. "The drunk is leaving! Break out the booze!"
"I'll make sure she doesn't get into trouble, Sir." Ren grabbed his cowboy hat from the coffee table.
"Then where the hell were you five years ago!" Brass barked. "Have fun, and call before you get here so we can hide the whiskey and brush our teeth."
As soon as Ellie was gone, Brass, Gil and Ron raced down the hall for the library…and the scotch.
"Should have seen that coming." Pregnant, and unable to drink, Sara couldn't be one of the boys, but watching Lina breeze about her kitchen like June Cleaver on the same day Gil received a second-degree burn, she didn't feel like one of the girls either. "Flash! Let's take a walk!"
The Basset Hound saved the day when he ambled over eager for a stroll.
"If you knew better, you'd be worried I'd walk you in front of a truck."
"Going for a walk, Sara?" Lina asked while mashing potatoes for her famous twice-baked casserole. She felt terrible taking over in the kitchen, but Sara had asked, and the gourmet cook in her couldn't tone things down once she got started.
"Yeah." Sara clipped the leash on Flash's collar. "A long one…because Flash is restless."
Lina looked at the complacent hound, who could have been sleeping on his feet. "Okay, mija."
Sara could hear the laughter wafting from the library. "The good 'ol boys are having a good 'ol time and so are we." The first thing she saw upon opening the front door was Mike Rodgers getting out of his car. "Or not." Shutting the door, she watched through its small window. "The devil has company, Flash." She intently watched. "A woman. A very tall woman with lots of hair. Looks like the Widow Rodgers is officially out of mourning in a record six days." Staring down at the dog, she smiled, "At least we know he'll be too busy to bother us while he's entertaining his next victim."
Mike Rodgers House
3:51 pm
"I'm really glad you let Schultzy talk you out of your plan, which really sucked by the way. Seriously, stick to your day job, because Mastermind of Chaos, you are not." Laughing, Mike headed straight for the wet bar. "Name your poison, Sweetheart."
"Champagne, but nothin' less than Dom. Cristal preferably."
"You're in luck." Bending down, Mike plucked a bottle of Dom from the cooler. "I was planning on drinking this with my wife on our three month anniversary." Grinning, he opened the bottle. "We'll have to toast to her instead."
"Who did your decoratin'?"
"Needs a classy touch, doesn't it?" Popping the cork, he admitted, "Yeah, I let Marlene have fun with it, but quickly learned that you can't take the trailer park out of the girl." With a chuckle, he added, "Of course that's not entirely a bad thing…she would drop to her knees for twenty bucks, which even beats the price on Freemont. Hey, just out of curiosity, what's your going rate?" When she shot daggers, he burst into a fit of laughter, "Oh, okay, we'll pretend you don't have a price. From the looks of things, I'd say if we wait long enough, you'll be giving away the store for a couple of lines."
"I didn't come here to be insulted," she huffed like the diva she believed she was.
"You can leave any time." He extended a glass of bubbly. "I'll even pay for your cab, so you don't have to spend any of your hard-earned settlement money."
Staring at the glass, she warily remarked, "From what I've been told about you, that drink could be laced with GHB."
"And GHB is so much more harmful than that white powder you snorted before coming here?" Laughing he switched glasses, "Feel better?"
Still paranoid, she gave an anxious chuckle. "From what I've been told about you, I should believe that you assumed I'd be worried and planned on the drugs being in the switched glass."
"Wow, you're not quite as vapid as I thought." Mike guzzled both glasses, returned to the bar, grabbed the bottle, chugged, and then poured a fresh glass. "Unless you're worried about germs, now you know you're safe."
Wrapping her well-manicured fingers around the flute, she gave her sexiest look. "I do believe safe is the last thing I am around you."
Stepping closer, he whispered in the wannabe-vixen's ear, "Are you trying to use your feminine wiles on me, Ms.Lexington?"
"Is it not workin'?"
"See for yourself."
"Busted," she snickered upon feeling the rise in his jeans. "You may be a mastermind, but at the end of the day…you're just another man who thinks with his crotch."
His eyes locked on hers, he whispered, "And you may dress better than Marlene and act like a mannered lady from Dallas, but at the end of the day…you're just another whore." Catching her hand before she slapped him, Mike's smile filled his face. "I'm quick, huh? Look, I don't mind it a little rough, but I like to get to know a girl first."
"I'm leaving!" She shook her hand free.
"Was it something I said?!" he yelled while watching her huff for the door. "Is it back to Plan A now, Lissa?! Come on! You know Nicky's gonna be there! He'll have half of LVPD on the front lawn in two minutes!" When she stopped with her hand around the knob, he started walking forward. "You can't beat them alone. You can't, you know that. They'll all be laughing at you all over again. You need help. You need me." Placing his hands on her shoulders, Mike soothed, "We know who we are. Would it really make you feel better if I pretended you were something you're not? Like that French bozo Tristan you're banging back in Paris does?"
Lissa whipped around. "How do you know about him?"
"I have my sources." Placing his palms on the door above her shoulders, Mike sweetly said, "The truth hurts, I know, believe me, but it's also very freeing. All those hoops you had to go through with Drew just to make him pay your bills, come on…dealing with his annoying family alone, had to be torture. With me, it won't be like that. I'll help you, you help me. Just imagine their faces when they see us together." When her mouth jittered into a smile, he chuckled, "Yeah, now you're thinking. They'll go nuts, it'll be great. And what better way to drive a wedge between Drew and Marta than to have Drew worrying about you, the mother of his children, being with a psycho like me? See, that plan has nuance, your plan to storm the castle was crap. You're not mentally ill, Lissa, you're just pissed off because you didn't get things your way, but if you keep doing that crazy girl shit, people will start to confuse you with real head cases like Becca."
"The FAB?" Lissa laughed, "Oh please, don't lump me in the same category as her.
"When the Manolo fits…"
"I had no idea I was lookin' that ridiculous." Lofting a heavy sigh, she said, "I was just…"
"Desperate." Mike nodded. "I know the feeling, believe me. Desperation is what causes most people seeking revenge to slip up. They let it push them into action way before it's time. Patience is a virtue and the key to any successful plan. You have to stop writing your play book while watching Days of Our Lives and take some private lessons." He caressed her cheek. "I can teach you a thing or two about revenge, Sweetheart."
"And while you're tutoring me, what is it that I'll be doin' for you?"
"Nothing that will upset your wobbly moral compass, I assure you. I want you around for company and shock value. If Marlene were alive, she'd tell you it was the best job she ever had. We had a lot of fun. Not to brag, but I think you'll find life with me very fulfilling."
"And when you get tired of my company?" she asked, as he pressed his body to hers.
"I kill you." After a few seconds of dead silence, he chuckled, "The look on your face was priceless." He took her hand, leading her back to the living room. "Don't believe everything people say about me, Sweetheart."
"Uh…I'm ready for another glass of champagne," Lissa said with an edge.
"Aww, am I making you tense?" Mike filled another flute. "First dates are always a little awkward."
"Is that what this is?" She laughed at the notion while taking the glass.
"Yes, and I'm really looking forward to having sex later."
"You wish."
"You'll be begging me," he replied with the utmost confidence while raising his glass. "Here's to a very memorable Thanksgiving night."
"Oh?" She raised a brow. "Do you have special plans for the evening?"
Tapping his flute to Lissa's, Mike whimsically replied, "I always do."
Author's Notes:
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Some drama ending, some beginning. In the next one, we'll be eating dinner with the Stokes, Sanders and Grissom households and check in on Tony and Becks, as well as Vegas' newest couple Lissa and Mike.
And you thought I was going to have Lissa show up at Drew's house and cause problems in front of Marta's parents. Nope!
Next Chapter Posting – Friday, January 26
Thanks for reading!
Maggs