I don't own CSI.

I got to thinking about my story, "Doesn't Mean You Stop Trying," and I wondered what might happen when Brass joins D.B. and his family for Christmas dinner. So I thought I'd write what I think might happen between the detective and the CSI and his family. Hope you all enjoy. Please review...and Happy Holidays!

Jim Brass sat in his car outside D.B. Russell's house. As touched as he was that the CSI supervisor invited him for Christmas dinner, he really didn't know why he was there. Still, he had to admit, it was better than spending the holiday alone, as he normally did. So he got out of his car and took the pie he had bought and walked up to the Russell's door.

Barbara stepped out the front door with a garbage bag. She smiled when she saw Jim walk up to her home. "You came! Welcome!" She greeted.

Jim smiled at D.B.'s wife. "Thank you for inviting me. I stopped yesterday at Eden's Bakery and picked up a chocolate pie."

"Sounds great," Barbara said. "I just have to put this in the trash." She threw the bag in the trash can and walked back up to the house with Jim. "I'm really glad you could come."

"Well, thank you for inviting me," Jim answered. "I, uh...really didn't know if I should bring anything, but..." he smiled as Barbara took the box with the pie and led him into the house.

D.B. was on the couch watching Charlie and Kaitlyn play a video game. Maya came in and set a bowl full of mashed potatoes on the table. "Hello," she greeted the detective.

"Hi," Jim said quietly.

D.B. turned around and smiled when he saw Jim greet his daughter. "Jim, you made it." He stood and walked over to the detective.

"Thank you for inviting me," Jim said as he shook D.B.'s hand. "Really, this was very nice of you."

"Well, it's our pleasure." D.B. smiled when Barbara came back into the dining room. "My wife and daughter are fantastic cooks."

Maya rolled her eyes and smiled. "Actually, I just follow the cookbook directions. Mom's the one who can put together a meal with five ingredients."

Barbara laughed. "Really, it's our pleasure, Captain Brass."

Jim smiled. "It's Jim, please."

"All right, Jim," Barbara smiled. "Hope you don't mind a vegetarian Christmas."

Jim laughed softly. "That's fine."

Laughter came from the living room, and D.B. looked and saw Charlie falling onto the couch, faking exhaustion. "You're too much for me," Charlie told his laughing niece.

"Come on, Uncle Charlie!" Kaitlyn said. "Let's play another game!"

D.B. and Jim both laughed softly. "Don't you think we should eat soon?" he asked his happy granddaughter.

Kaitlyn ran to her grandfather, laughing and smiling. Jim smiled as the little girl told D.B. about what she'd gotten for Christmas. He couldn't help but think about his daughter Ellie, how she was always such a happy child. Jim wished he could go back and tell her how much he loved her so she would always know he was there for her. He wished he could have the kind of relationship with Ellie that D.B. had with his children.

Jim turned when Maya cleared her throat. "I wish I had half her energy."

Smiling, Jim said, "Yeah. You know, I'm glad you guys could come."

Maya looked away briefly and sighed. "Yeah. I thought about staying home...but Katie really wanted to see her grandparents and Uncle Charlie. Plus, you're supposed to face your fears, I guess."

Jim nodded, remembering how distraught she and her family were when Kaitlyn was kidnapped by McKeen's henchmen. "You know, your dad is a good man."

Maya nodded. "Thank you."

"And the team...they've become my family." Jim smiled softly, thinking of how the team had been there for him after he was shot several years ago and his friendship with D.B.'s predecessors, Gil Grissom and Catherine Willows.

"Dad told me you have a daughter?" Maya tentatively asked.

Jim nodded. "Yeah, she's about your age. Ellie."

Maya nodded. "I know it's none of my business, but you're not close?"

Jim sighed. "No. She's always been..." Jim shook his head.

"Troubled?" Maya asked.

"That's one way of putting it," Jim said with a nod. "Like I told your dad, it's like everything she can do to hurt me or herself, she does. Last time I saw her, she was hooking...working a corner in L.A." Jim rubbed his head and looked away at the memory of seeing his daughter degrading herself.

Maya sighed quietly. "I'm sorry."

Jim smiled. "Thanks," he said quietly. "I keep hoping she'll...I don't know, come around...at least talk to me without trying to hurt me." Jim looked at Kaitlyn chatting with D.B. and Charlie.

Maya smiled. "Hard to let go?" Jim nodded, smiling at D.B. with his family. "I am sorry about your daughter," Maya told him.

"Thank you," Jim said as he turned back to the young woman. "Your parents are good people...and so are you."

"Thank you," Maya said with a smile. Kaitlyn smiled at her mother, and Maya motioned for her to come over.

"Katie, this is Jim," Maya said as she introduced her daughter to the detective.

"I remember you," Kaitlyn said with a smile. "You helped find me!"

Jim smiled at the sweet little girl. "Yeah, I did. And I am so happy you're okay."

"Thank you," Kaitlyn said with a smile. "I wanted to come back when I heard that the bad people went to jail, an' I missed grandma and grandpa."

"We missed you, too," D.B. said with a smile.

Jim smiled at the family who had welcomed him into their home. "I'll bet you did. You know, Katie, you have a really great grandpa?"

Kaitlyn smiled and giggled. "Yeah!"

"He is," Maya agreed. "He didn't want Jim to be alone, so he invited him to have Christmas dinner with us."

"And I'm glad he did," Jim told the smiling girl. "This is the first Christmas in so long that I didn't have to work or be by myself."

"Why were you by yourself?" Kaitlyn innocently asked.

"Well, I don't have a big, caring family like you do," Jim told her. "I have my family that your grandpa works with, but they usually are working or with their families for the holiday."

"So, you were all by yourself?" Kaitlyn asked.

Jim smiled at the sweet girl. "Yeah."

"Well, not this year," D.B. said. "I'm really glad you could come, Jim."

Jim smiled at D.B. "Well, thank you again for inviting me."

Charlie came over and shook Jim's hand. "Thanks for coming," he told the detective.

"Thank you," Jim replied.

Barbara brought the rest of the food to the table. "Okay, gang. Time to eat!"

Jim gave Kaitlyn a plate and let her get her food first. Maya gestured for Jim to get his food. "You're our guest," she told him.

Everyone filled their plates with food and sat around the table. "Will you sit by me?" Kaitlyn asked Jim.

Jim laughed softly. "Sure," he said as he sat down next to her.

Everyone ate and talked and really enjoyed being together. Jim was happily surprised to see that he wasn't uncomfortable like he thought he'd be...he enjoyed visiting with Barbara and everyone.

"Would you like some more bread?" Barbara asked Jim as the basket of bread was passed around the table.

"No, thanks," Jim said with a sigh. "I've eaten too much already."

"Well, it's our pleasure, Jim," D.B. said.

"I gotta say, this was a wonderful meal," Jim said as everyone was getting desert.

"Yeah, doll," D.B. told Barbara. "You and Maya really outdid yourselves."

Barbara smiled. "Thank you, honey."

Jim joined D.B. and the others in the living room after dinner for some desert and coffee after dinner.

"Did you have a good dinner?" Barbara asked as she and Jim sat down.

"Very good," Jim said. "Really, this was very kind of you."

"You're welcome, and it's our pleasure."

Jim smiled as he watched Kaitlyn and Charlie try another round of the dance video game she'd gotten for Christmas.

"You know," D.B. began, "I am really glad you could come, Jim."

Jim smiled. "So am I." He watched D.B.'s family laugh and play, thinking of how he wished he could have had that more with Ellie.

D.B. sighed quietly. "I know this is going to sound simple, but I hope things work out with you and your daughter."

Jim sighed. "Thank you." He smiled and laughed as Maya, Kaitlyn and Charlie played the game and danced around. He'd really had a good Christmas with the Russell's.

D.B. smiled warmly. "Jim Brass, could it be that you're a softie?"

Jim smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Don't let it get around."

The End.