Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!
I'm offering a little contest for you! Since I suck at writing summaries, how about this? Write a better summary for my story and I will name the mayor of the city after you!
Today is Sunday, January 2, 2011, you have until Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at midnight eastern time!
Send me a Private Message with your idea and the name you want used for the fictional Mayor of Las Vegas. Good luck!
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You are the Woman that I've Always Dreamed Of…
CHAPTER 9:
Jim and Gil sat at the kitchen table, map of the house laid out before them.
"So," said Jim, "Seems like Jacob's place might have been a good idea!"
"Yeah," replied Grissom. "I'm sure he's laughing up there somewhere that his house is being used just as he had planned!"
"I agree," Jim replied. They looked at each other and chuckled.
"Do you remember when he rebuilt this place?" Grissom asked.
"Yes, he was so sure that he would need it, but we were very lucky that nothing ever came of that last mess he got into!" Jim replied.
"So, if I recall, the panic room is under the fireplace, let's see if we can still access it." Gil stood to go look.
They both walked through into the living room, and lifted the small rug in front of the fireplace. Sure enough, the door was there, concealed by the wood panels of the floor.
They pulled up the panel and found what looked like a combination lock.
"Remember the code for this one?" Jim asked.
"*666" Griss replied. They laughed. That was always Jacob's favorite number. Ironic.
The combination lock responded and opened to reveal a furnished room with a full satellite radio, small fridge, and two video monitors – one inside and one outside the house.
"Let's make sure its all still working," Jim said.
They checked the phone, Internet, cameras and monitors, plugged in the fridge and microwave, and made sure that the lights worked. They also check the place where Jabob had been known to keep his gun. Still there. One handgun, one semi-automatic, a gas mask and a bullet proof vest. Jacob was predictable when it came to safety. Its what made him such a great CIA operative.
"You know, you are going to have to tell her," Jim said seriously.
"I know." Griss replied. "I'm sure it will be fine."
"Do you think she has any idea?' Jim asked.
"No." he replied.
"Do you want me to help?" Jim questioned.
"Yes" he replied, "She'll be up soon and we can tell her together."
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When Sara woke up, she called for Grissom to come help her.
"I'm ready to move to the crutches," she said. "I'm bloody tired of having to be moved like an infant."
"Just a couple more days," he replied. "And for now, I'm enjoying taking care of you!"
Upon returning her to the bed from the bathroom, she asked him if he could set her up in the living room so that they could talk with Jim.
She was taken to the living room where Jim was already, sipping a cup of coffee.
She looked at the fireplace and noticed the door open from the floor.
"What in the world have you two done?" she asked in surprise. "That looks like a panic room!"
"How do you know about panic rooms Cookie?" Jim asked.
"You know, that movie with Jodie Foster. It was IN-tense," she replied.
"Well, yes dear, it is a panic room and it's a secret." Grissom said.
"OK I think its time you guys put me into the loop on this place," Sara responded.
The two men both sat on the couch and chair opposite Sara's place on the couch.
The story began to unfold.
Jacob Royal had been a friend of Jim's mother. Lois Brass had been a cop's wife. She had also been a cop's daughter. When Jim's father had been killed in the line of duty, she had been looked after by all of his friends. James Brass had a lot of friends and a lot of contacts within the Trenton NJ police force. He had done many special projects and was well respected within the law enforcement community.
Only as an adult had Jim discovered that his father was known to have worked with the CIA on some special drug enforcement projects.
Lois Brass had taken to the friendship of Jacob Royal. Jacob was a senior CIA agent, slightly older than Lois, but they found so many similarities between their lives. Jacob looked out for Jim as a young man, but as Jim had already moved out of the family home by the time his father had died, he really did not understand how close Lois and Jacob had become.
Jacob always knew that his chosen career would prevent him from having a normal life and family. He and Lois had never moved in together, but they saw each other frequently when he was home.
When Lois died, about 5 years later, Jacob retired and moved to Vegas. He had heard that Jim had done well for himself there, and as he had no family, he felt that Vegas would be a good place to enjoy his retirement.
When he arrived in Vegas, he looked Jim up, and one day appeared at the LVPD station.
Brass was meeting with Gil Grissom that day in his office. Jacob knocked on the door and was motioned in. Jim shook his hand energetically.
"Jacob Royal, this is Gil Grissom," they shook hands. The three men sat in the office and talked as if they had all been friends for many years. Jacob told Jim that he had bought a house in the foothills and was making some upgrades. He also mentioned that he was thinking about teaching Criminal Justice at UNLV.
Grissom enquired as to Jacob's specialty and was told that Jacob Royal had received a PhD from the City University of New York and had worked with "The Company" for thirty years. Grissom, reticent to reveal too much about himself even at that time, allowed Jim to present his credentials as a PhD in Entomology.
Jim had laughed about being surrounded by geeks in his own office.
Grissom and Jacob had hit it off. They had a friendship based upon mutual respect; the ability to have deep philosophical conversations and Jacob became a mentor to Grissom in his law enforcement practice. Grissom never admitted to needing help; ever since he was a kid, he had been a loner. But this friendship had been based on mutual respect, and offered assistance with the cases that were troubling Grissom.
When Jacob began teaching at UNLV, he often consulted Grissom on best practices.
At the end of the 2nd year teaching, Jacob took a leave of absence and disappeared with very little advance warning. Jim suspected that he had gone back to "The Company" and told Gil not to think too much about it.
However, when Gil received a package with the keys to the house and the title signed over to him, he became extremely worried about his friend.
About a year later, Jacob appeared again, looking old and haggard. Jim insisted that Jacob go to a local Doctor for a check up. Jacob subsequently was diagnosed with liver cancer and died about 6 months later.
Jim and Gil made sure that he was well taken care of while he was in hospice. Between the two of them, he had company every day.
Before he died, Jacob had a serious conversation with Grissom, making it clear that he wanted Grissom to keep the house in Vegas. He also left his home in Trenton to Jim. He wanted Jim to leave the house to his daughter Ellie when he died.
Grissom was told, in no uncertain terms, that he should pursue the young woman he was in love with, not to allow his job to interfere with his life, not to allow his career to prevent him from having the family that he always wanted.
He wanted to make sure that Gil had the life he missed out on.
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Sara sat on the couch stunned by the story she had just heard. She knew she loved Jim but had never learned so much about his past. He, like Grissom, was very conservative in how much personal information he revealed.
She wanted to hold him and take away the pain from revealing the loss of his parents, but she respected his personal space.
"So where did Jacob go while he was away?" she asked.
"We never knew for sure, but we suspected he was involved in a Mexican drug operation because the postmark from my package was from Guadalajara," Grissom responded.
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Thank you all so much for the kind reviews! Please continue to send your feedback! I love hearing from you and I do my best to answer every comment!
So now you know about Jacob. But do you and Sara know everything?