…Sitting in a Tree…
Jimmy slammed the door on his gym locker then spun the combination lock. I'd like my clothes to be here when I get back. Not in the nearest mud puddle. He picked up his football helmet and headed toward the field.
He passed the cheerleaders warming up on the track. Jimmy put on his helmet and stole a quick glance at Carolyn Plummer just as she did a high kick. He noticed her smooth, tanned thighs exposed as her skirt flipped up and down. Suddenly Jimmy was glad he'd put on his helmet, it would help hide his blush from everyone.
His cup protector got a bit more uncomfortable and he trotted over toward his coach as he tried to get himself back under control. Girls were a fascinating and slightly scary experience for the teen. Jimmy liked watching them, but he was never quite sure what to say or how to act around them.
His only experience with females was Sally, his housekeeper/substitute mom. She had been with his family since his mom left. Sally gave great hugs. As long as his dad wasn't around to see. Employees were not supposed to fraternize with employers… at least according to his dad. Sally wasn't just an employee, even if his dad did pay her. As far as Jimmy was concerned, Sally was more family than his dad would ever be.
Jimmy's eyes tracked back to the cheerleaders one last time
as they made a pyramid. She seems really nice… and pretty. Then he tuned back in to the coach's instructions.
~~~~
Months later Jimmy finally mustered the courage to ask Carolyn if she'd like to get a drink at the soda shop after the football game. She said yes. Her friends thought he was hot… and rich. He was shy around her and Carolyn thought it was cute. The soda date went well and led to other outings. As fall turned into winter and winter into spring, Carolyn started to see Jimmy exclusively. She figured that if she played her cards right, he'd take her to the prom. Everyone knew that a proper 'date' for the prom meant cute boy in a tux, a corsage, and a hot car. Jimmy was good for all three. Carolyn was sure that he'd look really hot in a tux. And showing up at the prom in a limo would make Sandee Tate green with jealousy. Serves her right. Carolyn thought with a sniff. Just because I'm acing science class doesn't mean I can't hack it with the MRS set.
~~~~~
Jimmy thought that Carolyn had looked like a princess on prom night. He had the picture in his wallet to prove it. He really liked her… even thought she might be 'the one.' He wouldn't tell her that or make any promises. Jimmy didn't like making promises he wasn't sure he could keep. He'd spent too many years living with the results of broken promises.
Jimmy was going to join the Army next month, right after
graduation. It had either been that or
kill his dad. The Army seemed like a
better choice than jail… you could get out faster for one thing. And the Army would pay him to be there. Jimmy had thought long and hard on the
subject. He got accepted into
~~~~
Carolyn sat out on the porch swing at her parent's house next to Jimmy. She held his hand and promised that she'd wait for him. She kissed him good bye and walked back in to her house. Carolyn was going to go off to college in the fall too. She planned to be a scientist. Having a boyfriend/fiancé back home gave her the best of both worlds. She could use Jimmy as an excuse to ignore the annoying boys… but… he wasn't going to be around….. Times change. She was sixteen and a woman now. A woman of the 80's, well able to make her own choices and stand on her own two feet, with or with out a man. Besides, it seemed stupid to just throw all that money back into his dad's face. Maybe in a few years he'd change his mind. We'll see.
~~~~
Carolyn had been talked into going to the football game. She went, even though she needed to be studying for a test, because she didn't want to be seen as a dweeby science nerd. She tuned out the game and spent most of her time talking to her friends and watching the crowd. Wish it was basketball season. At least they play indoors. Just then the visiting Army crowd went wild. Carolyn turned in time to see a receiver with the ball running toward the end zone. "And that was number 86, Jim Ellison with the touchdown," the announcer said. Oh my, Jimmy. Her friends noticed her preoccupation with the football player and bet her a round of drinks that she wouldn't go meet him after the game. Carolyn never turned down a bet.
It was easy enough to get access to the player's area. She just had to wait for the media traffic to die down enough that the players started to relax. Carolyn observed the changes that had occurred in Jimmy over the past two years. He seems more confident, more muscular too. Yummy. Wonder when they are heading back. She smiled when he saw her.
~~~~
Jimmy stood at ease in front of his football coach waiting for the man to finish his current rant. He let him mind wander a bit. It had been really nice to see Carolyn at that football game. Maybe next year the game will be here and I can… The slamming of the phone snapped Jimmy's attention back to his coach. Jimmy was stunned when he left the coach's office. No longer playing football…noticeable performance drop in self defense classes on Mondays… football is for a season, the Army is forever… I should have expected it. Nothing's really changed. I wonder if I'm ever going to get a say in what I want to do with my life.
~~~~
Jimmy graduated with honors two years later. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and heading straight to Ft Benning for nine weeks of Ranger school. Well straight by Army standers… he had a three week airborne school to attend first. Jimmy didn't bother to invite his family to graduation. Although, if he could have figured out a way to invite Sally with out letting his dad know, he would have. Carolyn couldn't make it because she was graduating this weekend too. So there was no one up in the stands cheering him on. It's probably for the best, the flight out tomorrow leaves really early… and I should be getting extra sleep while I have the chance instead of celebrating.
~~~~
Carolyn was sad that she'd missed Jimmy's graduation and
commissioning ceremony. She did love a
man in uniform. Now the whole summer
loomed before her. Grad school didn't start until the fall… and Carolyn hated
to be bored. Where was it that Jimmy was
going next?
~~~~
Jimmy Ellison was no more.
He didn't survive Ranger training, but Jim did. Jim Ellison powered through the endurance tests
in
Jim was going to call Carolyn, but got sidetracked by a buddy talking about a Cuban restaurant, he was heading out to find. Food… any food… and lots of it. Jim had lost over 20 pounds during the nine week course. He would call Carolyn later, after lunch or maybe dinner. He was on the East coast and she was on the West coast, the time difference worked in his favor.
~~~~
Carolyn finished grad school, with honors, of course. After thinking about what she wanted for a
while, Carolyn decided to leave
Carolyn was a little worried about her sister Wendy. She seemed to be married to a real loser and their parents were worried he may be abusing Wendy. Carolyn wanted to be close enough to keep tabs on him. Working for a police department couldn't hurt if that turned out to be the case.
~~~~
The Army loved Jim Ellison… or at least what he could do for them. He spent most of his time in other countries doing thing he could never admit, and he did it well. In turn, the Army promoted him as fast as possible, heaped awards, citations and other commendations on him, basically, they tried to keep him happy. As soon as Jim made Captain, a team was assembled and they were put to work. Jim's team became the go to team for the difficult jobs. Everything worked well until someone got nervous.
A few orders laced with deliberately faulty intel, add in some 'luck' with a surface to air missile launcher and one colonel was minus a big headache. The fact that seven men lost their lives was incidental. That the eighth man survived… well that's for another story.
~~~~
Carolyn cried when she heard Jimmy was MIA and presumed dead. She cried when her pregnant sister, Wendy was almost beaten to death by her husband. She cried again when Wendy delivered a healthy baby girl four months later. Carolyn decided two things right then… life was precious, and she was through crying.
So she didn't cry when she had to shoot and kill her ex-brother-in-law. She didn't cry when she got promoted to the head of the technical support division. She didn't cry when Jimmy came home. And she didn't cry when they got married.
~~~~
Jim had a hard time acclimating after being rescued in
Not sure what else to do, or where to go, Jim went back to Cascade. He joined the police department and married Carolyn. He started out in the Narcotics division, but that only lasted a few months. Jim and the division captain didn't get along and it became easier for everyone if he transferred. His tour through Vice went smoother, well at least with the other captain. He was a good undercover officer… too good. The captain kept putting him under for month long assignments and then only gave him a few days off before sending him out again. Jim and Carolyn's relationship suffered during this time. They didn't have much time together and it took Jim almost all of the time off he had to finally shed his cover then he had to put a new one on and off he went.
~~~~
Carolyn began to complain about his emotional distance. She was tired of Jim never being home and being remote or abrupt with her on the few days he was home. They both had stressful jobs. Jobs that were too closely entwined to give either of them the down time or support they needed from each other.
Carolyn heard about an opening in the Major Crimes Unit. She asked Simon if he'd be willing to consider Jim for the spot. He was willing and Carolyn convinced Jim that this was a chance for their marriage to survive.
~~~~
Jim transferred into Major Crimes and was partnered with Jack Pendergrast. His work life improved, but his marriage hit the rocks. Carolyn asked for a divorce. Jim said okay and then sought comfort in the arms of Emily Carson, Jack's girlfriend. They both felt guilty and never saw each other again, but it haunted Jim for the next four years.
Jim became something of a legend in the department. He refused a partner, took crazy chances, and
managed to survive it all. Then someone
started blowing up parts of
~~~~
Carolyn watched at first in disbelief and then despair. She watched for six months and decided she'd
watched enough. She accepted the job
offer in
The end.
Feedback is always welcome. Cheryl