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Author Topic: A Visit to Las Vegas  (Read 37020 times)

trishj

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #15 on: March 08, 2009, 10:42:22 AM »
I say he was in love with her from day one, hey that is just me.   LOL   Great story, more when you can.

Butterfly114

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #16 on: March 08, 2009, 11:08:33 AM »
I agree love from the beginning, poor Catherine she won't rest until she knows.
Look forward to the next update.

Offline sarapals

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #17 on: March 08, 2009, 03:36:12 PM »
?The next morning, he waited patiently as two lawyers shuffled papers and showed him financial statements, money going out each month, and several special requests for expenses. Grissom never refused a request from Tina, but he did have doubts that she spent all the money on Eli. Finally, two attorneys and their client arrived. For the next hour, the six people sat around a large table as the reason for the meeting became apparent.

Tina Brown had married; her husband had an assignment in Asia. The first request was for Grissom?s approval?a formality that could have been done with a phone call. The second was for additional funds to support the three-year old. The lawyers balked, the monthly outlay was already generous. When asked for an itemization or explanation, Tina hesitated. Her lawyers became quietly busy with their paperwork.

Grissom remained quiet, watching, realizing something else was at stake in this exchange of requests and denials.

Tina was restless, eager to leave the room but her lawyers stalled. Grissom caught the quick eye contact between lawyer and client, and rapidly, papers were pulled from a briefcase.

The lawyer spoke directly to Grissom. ?Mr. Grissom, Mrs. Stephens knows she will be out of the country for six months. During that time, she and her husband will be traveling on business, staying in hotels?potentially creating an environment of instability for the child. Her request is that you take temporary custody of the child, Eli William Brown, for the months she is away. All financial benefits would stay with the boy. At the end of this period, she would return for the child. Are you willing to consider this request??

Air left Grissom?s lung. He made himself breathe. In three years he had been around Warrick?s son for a few hours at most, never alone with the boy.

?When do you want my decision?? He asked knowing there was only one decision to be made.  Warrick had no relatives; if Tina had family, he felt certain she would be making arrangements to leave Eli with them.

?We?we want to leave at the end of the week. He is ready to go.?

?Of course, he can stay with us.? He turned to his lawyers who looked as stunned as he felt. ?Draw up the papers.? He turned back to Tina. ?You do know my wife and I live in California now.?

She nodded. ?I know you will treat him as a son.?

One of the lawyers slid papers across the table. ?We?ve already drawn up papers for the temporary custody.?

Grissom?s lawyer took the papers, glancing at each page, said ?We will look over these and meet with you?tomorrow. Dr. Grissom, will this be okay??

He managed a ?yes? before everyone left the room. He sat in his chair?Warrick?s son, he thought of the green eyes in the face of the baby he had first seen at the funeral. There was no doubt who his father was. Within days, Tina learned she was not the beneficiary of Warrick?s will or his life insurance policy or his department death benefits. He had just agreed to take this child home with him. Sara?he had to call her. His hand wiped his face before he reached for his phone. He left a message for her to call him.

The lawyers returned; they assured him the guardian forms were standard copies used by many people who left children with others.

Grissom had twenty-four hours in Las Vegas without appointments, without an agenda or plan. He left the office and called Jim Brass. He knew Brass would not be asleep and, if he was, he would be awake in minutes?

?Tell me I haven?t done something stupid.?

Brass sat across from his and grinned. ?As long as you won?t be in trouble with Sara you are probably okay.? He gave the waitress a silent hand signal. ?What have you done??

Grissom told him the results of the meeting.

A chuckle broke from Brass as he said, ?I just wish I could be in the Grissom house for one day?it?s not two babies under two you will have, you are going to have two under three and a pregnant wife!? His chuckle turned to quiet laughter. ?You sure you are ready for this??

?What was I to do? Let her give the boy to someone else? She had no intentions of taking him with her?new husband with a traveling job.?

Coffee appeared on the table and both ordered food. While eating, Brass would abruptly laugh and shake his head.

?I?ve got to tell Catherine,? he said.

His remark got a laugh from Grissom. ?I called Sara over an hour ago and haven?t heard from her.? He checked his phone again as if he believed some silent message had been delivered without his knowledge.

?You mean Sara Sidle no longer carries a cell phone everywhere, on duty twenty-four seven??

?She?s on duty twenty-four seven but not with a cell phone.? Grissom said as he scooped fruit into a spoon. ?Jim, you should be around her. She is such a good mother?Bizzy is such a happy baby; we smile all the time.? He paused several minutes. ?I?m not sure I ever believed this life was possible.?

?When?s the next one due??

?Seven months.?

?Well, if you have Eli for six months, he should be gone before the new one arrives.?

Grissom cut pancakes, saying nothing for a full minute. ?I don?t think she?ll come back, Jim. She?s found a new man, new life?I think she means to leave him with me.? He stuffed pancakes into his mouth as a look of disbelief came across Jim?s face. ?She may be back, decide a little boy with access to some money is better than the husband, but I don?t think so. I saw it in her eyes. She wants to start over without another man?s child.?

?And you are willing to take on the boy??

Grissom reached for his phone and flipped it open, seemingly ignoring Jim?s comment. ?I thought I would hear from Sara pretty quickly.? He closed the phone. ?You know Sara would kill me?or worse?if I did not agree to this. We?ll work things out. Right now, it?s temporary and I?d rather have Eli with us than with someone who never knew his father.?
"Long long afterward, in an oak I found the arrow, still unbroke..." (Longfellow & Sara Sidle, Ending Happy, 2007)

trishj

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #18 on: March 08, 2009, 04:33:46 PM »
That was not want I expected but great story.  I am torn between her wanting Warricks money and not wanting the boy in the way of her new life.  More when you can. 

caz

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #19 on: March 08, 2009, 05:33:27 PM »
Another great story


GSRLOVER34

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #20 on: March 08, 2009, 09:46:52 PM »
Great chapter! Eli is better off with Grissom and Sara.

Butterfly114

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #21 on: March 08, 2009, 10:45:31 PM »
Another great chapter, concerned about Sara, why hasn't she returned Grissoms call, Eli with the Grissoms that is going to be a busy home.
Update soon!!

Offline sarapals

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #22 on: March 09, 2009, 08:30:44 AM »
An hour later, Grissom called another number trying to locate Sara. He learned his daughter was there, with their neighbors but Sara had gone into town on some vague errand or appointment. He tried her cell number again, leaving another message. An unexpected errand did not worry him as much as the unanswered phone. He should have talked to his mother-in-law or one of the older women.

He drove to The Strip of Las Vegas, parking and walking down the street. Not much had changed since his last walk, early one morning after closing a case. He kept hands in his pockets as he wandered, acting like a tourist, not for the first time trying to remember why he had remained here for so many years. Work, he reasoned. It was for the work, second rated lab in the country, solving and closing more cases than any other lab, and a team that grew better each year. He smiled remembering an occasion of standing on this same corner. He walked to the fountains and watched with others as music played and water danced. Sara always scoffed at the use of water in a desert for such a display. He checked his phone and tried her number again. He needed to talk to her, tell her what he had agreed to do, that he would not return until tomorrow, and he would have a little boy with him.

As he held the phone, it chirped a special ring?Sara. Quickly, he answered, ?Hi, Honey.?

?Gil.?

By the sound of her voice, he knew something had happened. ?Are you okay??

?Yes, yes,? quickly her voice lifted. ?I?m fine. I didn?t mean to worry you. I?I couldn?t answer my phone earlier.?

?Is something going on? I called the farm trying to find you.?

?I?m sorry, I should have called you.? She was quiet for a moment. ?Do I hear music? Are you on the Strip? At the fountains??

He laughed. ?I am?acting like a tourist. I can?t return until tomorrow. Something has come up here.?

Sara said, ?Something has happened here, Gil. Are you sitting down??

Chuckling, he said the same thing, ?Are you sitting down? What?s happened? Tell me.? He walked away from the fountains to find a quieter place.

?What?s going on,? he asked.

?Everything is fine, but I came in to see my doctor this morning.?

He broke in, ?Why? What happened? Are you okay?? He heard a soft laugh.

?I?m fine, really. Are you sitting down, seriously??

?No, I?m in the middle of the Strip. I?ve got something to tell you. But tell me what?s going on.?

?It?s two, Gil.?

"Long long afterward, in an oak I found the arrow, still unbroke..." (Longfellow & Sara Sidle, Ending Happy, 2007)

trishj

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #23 on: March 09, 2009, 09:10:33 AM »
"It's two"  Hummmmmmmmmm   she is having twins or the second one is a girl?   Great chapter  update when you can.

GSRLOVER34

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #24 on: March 09, 2009, 10:37:14 AM »
Great chapter! Twins would be great! lol

Butterfly114

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #25 on: March 09, 2009, 11:32:33 AM »
Relieved to hear Sara is ok, but two????  Wait until she hears Grissoms news!!
Great chapter, update soon.

Offline sarapals

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #26 on: March 09, 2009, 02:15:43 PM »
?What?s two?? Realization hit him. ?Two?? He was suddenly leaning against a street barrier. ?Two,? he repeated. ?Twins? How do you know??

?I can?t believe I?m telling you this over the phone?I guess I?m in a daze.?

?Twins? Two at one time? How do you feel? What happened? Why did you go to see the doctor? Where are you??

He heard another quiet laugh. ?Sitting in my car trying to figure out how to put three kids in here! What are we going to do, Gil??

He heard a slight trembling change in her voice. ?We?ll be fine, Sara. Take a deep breath.? He took a breath, not sure how to tell her about Eli, yet knowing he had to. ?We?ll get a van.?

She laughed. ?A van?at least you didn?t faint.?

?Did you faint? Is anyone with you??

?No, I?m alone.? He heard her sigh. ?I got up this morning and had some spotting, sort of panicked and called the doctor. Left Bizzy with my mom. The spotting was nothing, happens sometimes in pregnancy, but after checking everything, the doctor wanted to do this fancy ultrasound. That?s when two little bubbles showed up on that screen and everyone in the room got excited and I?I sort of panicked again. I?m okay now?I can not believe I am telling you all of this over a phone! What time is your flight? I can be there?I?m really fine. Mom will stay with Bizzy if you?re coming late.?

?Sara?slow down. I won?t be back tonight; something has come up and I need to stay another night. I hope to leave tomorrow?I will be home tomorrow. Are you sure you are okay??

?I am?really. Just in a daze. What?s going on? I?m so sorry to spring all this on you this way.?

It was his turn to laugh. ?Sara, it?s fine, we are fine. We?ll get the playroom fixed up?we are going to need it. Now, my news. What if I said someone is coming home with me??

?Who? Nick? Greg??

?Neither one?Eli. His mother is leaving the country for a while and asked if he could stay with us.? This time, he held his breath.

?Eli.? She said the name as a soft breath.
"Long long afterward, in an oak I found the arrow, still unbroke..." (Longfellow & Sara Sidle, Ending Happy, 2007)

Butterfly114

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #27 on: March 09, 2009, 02:22:45 PM »
Grissom driving a van with all those babies, hysterical.
This is alot for Sara to comprehend, but I can't imagine her saying no to Eli.
Great Update, more please

sixtyplus

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #28 on: March 09, 2009, 02:48:46 PM »
Oh my when I read that he was going to see tina I thought that she was going to ask them to have Eli ,dont know why just a feeling and now two more babies on the way, but i know Sara will be ok with that ,more very soon please .

caz

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Re: A Visit to Las Vegas
« Reply #29 on: March 09, 2009, 06:54:10 PM »
That would be good to see Grissom driving a van with the kids lol

great chapters