HEART OF BRASS

Author: Lapsus Stili (aka: Slip-of-the-Pen)

Rating: Teen

Pairing: Brass/OC

Wordcount: 2971

Spoilers: Slight reference to "Way To Go"; story takes place right about now in the CSI timeline.

Prompt: Venice

Summary: Very belated entry for the Summer 07 Ficathon for the Brass Love LiveJournal community – Jim plans a trip for two with interesting results.

Disclaimer: Doesn't seem to matter how much I've begged… I still don't own CSI or anything related to it.

Jim Brass is in a relationship. Yep, that's right. Tough-guy James Mason Brass has got himself a little lady. A nurse. He met her late one night at the Las Vegas General Hospital after he managed to get his hand stomped on by a suspect during a chaotic drug bust. Her name is Melanie Peters – his girlfriend, not the drug dealer. She's a 54 year old widow with 3 grown boys in their thirties – all of whom are none too thrilled about their Mom's new "friend". They have yet to accept her dating again since their father died of cancer only 7 months before Jim Brass walked into her ER.

Regardless, the two have been seeing each other for almost 5 months now. This is pretty impressive for him considering his recent track record. It's been an awfully long time since Jimmy, as Melanie has taken to calling him, has had more than a couple of dates with a woman before she tired of his gruffness or he'd come up with some kind of lame excuse to pull away. This budding romance, though, has been different from the start – Mel, as Jim has taken to calling her, is sweet as pie with just the right amount of sharp wit to contend with his own, and her delicate touch the first time she held his hand made him mourn it's loss when she let go. Granted, it had only been to check for swelling and possible fractures that first night in triage, but still… it felt good. Her hands were incredibly soft and it made him suddenly aware of how long it had been since he'd been touched by someone, other than shaking hands or slapping the cuffs on some perp. He was smart enough not to ask her out right then and there, even though that's exactly what he wanted to do. No, he knew full well that nothing uttered under the influence of pain-killers was likely to be taken seriously so he came back to the next night, bandage and all, and made his move.

The pair hit it off right from the get go, marking the start of a regular schedule of meals and wine, dancing and laughter, and late-night pillow talk of dreams, desires, and sometimes even regrets. Jim wished he could go back in time and be a better dad to Ellie, whether he was her biological father or not. Mel loved her boys fiercely but had always hoped for a girl in the mix. Jim had always wanted to be a geography teacher and had been working towards that it in college before he changed his mind and switched to a career in law enforcement – not that he didn't love being a cop but he wondered aloud how differently his life might have been had he stayed on his initial path. Mel had known seemingly from the time she could walk that she wanted to be a nurse, so that was not so much a dream but a foregone conclusion as far as she was concerned.

Eventually their discussions got a little deeper. One evening Jim wept as he told her how badly he felt about the whole Holly Gribbs situation. Even though there were a slew of factors that contributed to the tragedy, in the end she was his responsibility and he had failed her. There was nothing she could say to take away that pain in him so instead she wrapped herself around him, stroking his back until he drifted to sleep.

When they awoke hours later, still a long while before dawn, Melanie gently kissed him softly then snuggled back into the crook of his neck. Then she brought up Venice. Glorious, romantic Venice, Italy – the City of Bridges, the Queen of the Adriatic. She knew it well from years of daydreaming and drooling at posters in travel agency windows. That was a destination she'd always dreamed of jetting off to. Touring the canals in a traditional gondola taking in the sites and shops may sound cheesy to some but Mel thought that would just be the bee's knees. Of course, raising the three boys and putting them through college meant there wasn't enough money for such an extravagance but her husband had always told her "Someday sweetheart." Unfortunately, what started as a strange cluster of lumps under his right arm last year swiftly changed that phrase to "I'm sorry we'll never get there honey." She had tried to keep her husband thinking positively about the future, assuring him that together they'd beat that cancer and finally take that trip overseas come hell or high water. Six weeks later she stood, flanked by their children and surrounded by loved ones, as his casket was lowered into the harsh Las Vegas soil.

This sad admission nearly broke Jim's heart. It was a greater loss than he had ever experienced, but he felt her pain just the same. Her shattered dream stuck around in the back of his mind. Some time later Melanie mentioned she had 3 weeks of time off coming up in August; she had no plans for it yet but was looking forward to the break no matter how she ended up spending it. On hearing this, the cogs started churning away in ol' Jimmy's noggin. She'd been getting quiet lately so he figured the long hours and stress of work were dragging her down.

He wanted to surprise her with something special so he did some Googling for a few days, then stopped into a travel agency the following week on his dinner break and got things all set up. Two first-class airline tickets – check. One confirmed booking at the Hotel Bellini for 9 days – check. A handful of maps, and brochures – check and check. Everything was organized in no time at all. It was easy arranging to have to same weeks off from work himself. Other than his medical leave after getting shot last Spring, Jim hadn't taken more than a day or two sporadically for the last several years, so he had accumulated more than 6 weeks of leave that his boss was bitching at him to take. For once he found he actually wanted to go on vacation, and for Brass that was saying something.

Feeling rather smug for coming up with this romantic surprise, Jim swung by the hospital that night to meet Mel when her shift ended at midnight. Knowing she'd be exhausted, he greeted her with, "Can I take you home for a quick nightcap, m'Lady?" The brief ghost of a grin that she responded with was followed up with a sigh as she looked at him casually leaning against the tailgate of her pickup.

Sensing he was about to be turned down he quickly beat her to the punch. "On second thought, how about we forget the drinks tonight. You look like you're about 30 seconds away from falling asleep – hell, you'll never make it out of the parking lot, let alone get all the way home in one piece. Tell you what… leave your truck here and I'll give you a lift to your place and tuck you into bed instead, ok?"

There was a slight hesitation but in the end she agreed with a nod and a quick peck to his cheek. She was tired and she knew the man well enough to know that despite his rough exterior he really was a true gentleman. If he says he's putting her to bed then that's exactly what he'll do, with absolutely no pressure for more.

Mel's eyes slid shut sometime between the time Brass had closed the passenger door for her and when he climbed in on his own side. "Sorry I'm not very good company tonight, Jimmy," she mumbled. Forget tired – she sounded downright weary.

"Nonsense. Even half-conscious you're better company than most of my friends," he deadpanned. This earned him a soft snort and something closer to a smile than she'd worn earlier, so he was glad for that. "You just rest there and you'll be home in a jiffy."

In the eighteen minutes it took for them to reach her driveway little else had been said. Jim was content to listen to the even flow of her breathing and sneak brief glances at her from time to time. He'd always had a penchant for brunettes but this petite woman with a long mane somewhere between blonde and silver had snuck into his heart and blindsided him.

When he turned off the engine the dozing woman stirred a bit but didn't wake, just nestled back in the seat more, her head tilted a bit his way. Jim reached across and ran a feather-light finger down the length of her nose. The tickle made her scrunch up her face and give it a little bunny-like wriggle. Amused, he did it again, adding a quiet, "Rise and shine, Beautiful."

This time she drew in a deep breath and her eyebrows climbed far up her forehead until it finally pulled her eyelids open. Melanie met his gaze and for a brief moment Brass was sure that there was a spark of confusion there, or maybe it was something else. Whatever it was quickly morphed back into that hollow look that he'd noticed more and more lately.

Sensing that she could use some cheering up, Brass leaned into the back and snagged the large envelope sitting on the seat. "Before we go in I've got something for you," he said as he handed it to her and flicked on the dome light overhead.

The sleepy woman, now somewhat intrigued, dumped the contents on her lap and squinted at the jumbled mess of papers. "What's all this?" she queried even as she picked up a small cardstock folder that caught her attention. Flipping it open she was shocked to find it contained plane tickets. Looking closer she gasped as she noted the destination, followed by an, "Oh my God."

Since he was expecting squeals of delight, the tears that began trickling down her cheeks instead caught Jim off-guard. They didn't look like happy tears. When Mel swept the paperwork to the floor and scrambled out of the car mumbling, "I can't Jimmy," he was left gaping after her completely bewildered.

Quickly she made her way up the front walkway. Halfway there her keychain dropped when she finally managed to fish it out from the depths of her handbag and it clinked to the pavement. By the time she scooped them up and straightened Jim had recovered from his initial shock, snagged his keys, and hauled his ass out from behind the steering wheel. He caught up with her quickly and grasped her elbow.

"Melanie, what's going on? Why are you so upset? Did I… did I do something wrong?"

Without responding she shook him off and continued on, bound and bent for the front door. She was barely holding it together and wanted to get inside before she completely lost control, but she was quickly losing the battle. Her hands were shaking badly as she fumbled with the deadbolt. Just as the key slid home and she swung the door open Jim begged one last time, "Mel… honey, please…"

Bracing one hand against the framework she finally turned to look at him. There he stood, right where she had left him, hands upturned looking lost and confused. The hurt look he wore was enough to start her crying in earnest. Melanie hung her head as the sadness overtook her.

Jim stepped forward and gathered her shuddering form into his arms, soothing her silently. He gently turned them and steered her into the house, make their way in the shadows to the sofa. After guiding her down against the plush cushions he turned in the dark and barked his shin on the corner of the coffee table while reaching for the side lamp. A soft glow filled the room and he made his way back to her, settling in beside her, ignoring the pain in his leg as he drew her into his embrace once more.

Nothing was said for a long time. Melanie cried and Brass let her, leaning his head atop hers while waiting for her to finish letting out whatever it was that she obviously needed to release. Eventually she started talking in a quivery voice.

"Did I ever tell you that Bob was from New Jersey?"

Jim parted his lips to respond but found he was at a loss for words. Instead he just frowned and shook his head, having no idea how to connect her reaction to his proposed trip to Venice to the topic of the hometown of Mel's deceased husband.

"He was," she continued. "He was born and raised in Trenton. You know I'm from Harrisburg, right? Well, that's just a couple hours away over in Pennsylvania. I met him in '72. I was all of 19 years old and had just moved to town to go into the nursing program at Mercer. He was 26 and a teacher in the Theater department there. We met when I went to one of the in-house plays and literally bumped into him on the way out. "Mum said he was far too old for me but I thought he hung the moon and stars," Mel sighed.

"I swear I wanted to run off and get married right away – A) because I loved him to pieces, and B) because it would piss off my parents. But Bob insisted that I finish college first. He was always so sweet. A month after graduation we said our 'I do's' and that was that."

Not that he wasn't interested to hear about her past, because he was, but Jim was still a little fuzzy on why all of this was on her mind right now. Still, she was becoming calmer as she spoke so he let her carry on uninterrupted to see where she was going with this reverie. Then she calmly stated, "He died a year ago today."

Well, Jim never saw that one coming but things started to make more sense now. Before he could do more than draw in a breath she went on.

"You remind me of him a bit, Jimmy. The lilt in your voice, some of your mannerisms and sayings. Like calling irritating tourists shoobies," she laughed, "I don't think I've ever heard anyone use that term other than the two of you, especially here in Vegas. I think that familiarity is the only reason I said yes when you first asked me to dinner."

"Ya?" Jim answered with a question, worried now that perhaps this whole affair was based on Melanie's memories than on him after all. "So… how much do I remind you of him?"

She seemed to understand his concern without him actually having to say the words directly. Wrapping her arms further around his torso she assured him, "Not that much, babe. Before we were through the appetizers I was quite certain that you are definitely all Jimmy and no Bobby. That's a good thing. I wouldn't have stayed with you otherwise. It wouldn't have been fair to you or my boys to treat you as some sort of replacement. I loved Bob very much. I still do and I'm sure that I always will… but I love you too, ya big lug. I've got plenty of love to go 'round, you know?"

Pressing his lips to her hair he gave her a squeeze, replying, "I sure do. And I'm one lucky SOB to have found you. You do my heart good, Mel."

"You're good for me, too. But I can't go to Venice with you."

At last they'd found their way back to the trip. He just hoped he wouldn't upset her all over again.

"Why not?" he quietly asked.

"Because, silly, that was something I had planned to do with Bobby. He was going to take me there and just like I wouldn't want someone just like him, I also wouldn't want someone to take his place on our dream vacation – that was mine and his."

Now things were becoming clear.

"I didn't tell you about my unfulfilled dream so you would fix it. No one can ever change the fact that I'll never get my gondola ride with my husband. We were just talking about dreams and regrets, and I simply regret not scrimping more and going before he got sick."

"So it wasn't the thought of spending your holidays looking at my ugly mug that got you all riled up then?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood a little.

She looked him in the eye and with a straight face told him, "Well, since it's the only face you've got I guess I'll just have to put up with it," then kissed him deeply to make sure he knew she was just yanking his chain.

So… Jim Brass is still in a relationship. Yep, that's right. Tough-guy James Mason Brass has talked things out and kept his little lady. He and his spunky nurse went back to the travel agency the next day and spent 3 hours going through brochures before making their decision. Their new vacation plan - an Alaskan cruise of all things. Neither of them had ever considered it before but one look at the pictures of the beautiful scenery and the luxury Silversea cruise ship, and they both knew this was the one for them. What better way to take a break from the dry heat of Nevada than a voyage along a northern glacier route. Sure, it might be a bit cold but there was no doubt for either of them that they'd figure out a way to warm each other's hearts along the way.

- END -