Author's note: :) You've all been waiting very patiently for some more Jimel action, well, here it is! Go nuts!

Melinda put her key in the lock to the door of her antique shop. She struggled to get it in the keyhole because she still had shaky hands. The key slipped out of her hand and onto the floor and she grunted out in frustration. She held the bottom of her stomach and struggled to bend down and get it. Before she could pick it up, another hand reached down and grabbed it. She looked up and saw a very familiar face.

"Don't worry...Keys are my worst enemy, too." The stranger said, handing her the keys. She took the keys and gave the man an unsure look.

"...Thanks...Uh-"

"Jim...Jim Clancy."

"Melinda Gordon." She turned away from him and opened the door.

"Uh...I stopped by here earlier, but you weren't here...so I assumed you weren't going to open up."

"Oh no. I'm always here. I'll be working here until I'm dead." She said, walking inside.

"Oh? You love your job that much?" He asked, following her inside.

"Well...not really. Yeah, I love my job, but I gotta get paid, too. If I don't, I can't support my baby."

"Right...because...your fiance can't."

Melinda froze. "H-how did you-"

"Sorry, uh...I work at the fire station across the square and-"

"-Wait...I know you...you...you saved my fiance's life." She said, pointing to him.

"Well, I don't think it mattered...he died the next morning." He said, putting his hands in his pockets.

"You heard?"

"...Yeah...look the reason I came down here... was to give you this." He pulled his right hand out of his pocket and held his hand out to her, revealing two golden, soot-covered rings. Melinda's eyes began to water. "He had them in his hand when I found him. I had to...pry his fingers open to get to them. He-he kept telling me that you have to have them...that you have to see them." She slowly put her hands out to grab them. "What are they for?"

"They...these were the rings...for our wedding..." She said, her voice breaking. "We...we made a deal that...I wouldn't see the rings until the wedding, and he couldn't see my dress until the wedding." She wiped away the tear that was about to fall from her eye. "You came down here for this?"

"...That...and I gotta get a present for my mom's birthday...And she's always wanted to buy something from here...but I have no idea what to get."

Melinda nodded. "Okay." She closed her hand and put the rings in her pocket. She motioned for him to follow her to the back of the store. "Here is some stuff that I just did in inventory, but haven't put on display yet."

He looked to his left and saw Melinda's dress hanging up.

"Is...is that your wedding dress?"

"It was, but I guess I'll just sell it...or return it, or something..."

"...Look, I'm sorry."

"For?"

"For prying? For getting myself involved in your business...for...putting myself in places I don't belong."

"...I...it's fine...I have to vent...that's part of grieving...and to be honest, I have no one to talk to anymore...so...pry away."

"...Really?...You have...no one?"

"Not until Alice is born."

"...Is...is this your first time dealing with a loss?"

"No...my grandmother died when I was in high school...A-and my dad...never mind."

"No...what?"

"...He...left...when I was nine." She said, lowering her head. "He would leave and come back every once in a while for about two years...and one day...he just...never came back."

He walked closer to Melinda and put his hand on her shoulder to console her. "My...my dad died...a couple years ago.." He said, to get her to relate with him. "We were really close."

"...I'm sorry."

"Don't be...I just...I know what it's like...to feel alone."

After a few long seconds of silence, Melinda broke the tension. "Um...What about this?" She said, holding up a necklace. "Antique: Art Deco platinum. European cut diamond and pearl necklace. Elegant, lustrous spheres, strong between diamond clusters with a perfectly formed tear-drop pearl just hanging from the strand."

"Wow...you know you're stuff." He said, not in the least bit surprised.

"I get around." She said, teasing him.

"It's perfect."

"How so?"

"My dad gave one to my mom about...Twenty years ago, for Christmas. She wore it everywhere...Anyway, one of the jewels came off a couple years ago...she took it to the jewelers...and the place was robbed...they never found it. She was real devastated...I know it's just a necklace, but my dad gave it to her...and it meant a lot."

"That's so sweet."

"...Anyway... How much?"

"No charge."

"What?"

"I-It's the least I can do for you...after you saved Lee."

"...No...I was just doing my job."

"No you weren't...I heard that other guy you were working with...He said you weren't allowed in...So what was that?"

"I know loss...And I didn't want anyone else to go through that...especially not you...not now."

"...Thanks."

"I can't just take it...let me...pay you in some way, please."

"You don't have to."

"...1,100? 1,800? How 'bout a place to stay?" Melinda's eyes opened wide. "...Just...till the baby's born? I know I probably shouldn't be doing this now, but...Please...take my offer...as it stands." Melinda said nothing. "You said it yourself, you have no one left...and to be honest..." Jim trailed off.

"What?"

"I..I shouldn't-"

"Shouldn't what?"

"I...find myself...very attracted to you, Melinda...and I know I shouldn't be doing this with all that's going on for you right now, but...Please...Just till you get back on your feet?"

Melinda was stunned. She didn't know what else to say. "I...I can't pay rent." She whispered, trying to make excuses from her own fear.

"You don't have to. I can manage us both." Jim tried not to push it. He already felt bad enough about opening his mouth. He didn't want to put Melinda through any more pain.

"...I...I need to think about it." She said, trying not to hurt Jim's feelings.

"...Okay."

"Please...just take it and go?"

"...Yeah..." He picked up the necklace, and headed out the door. "You know where to find me." Melinda said nothing. Melinda looked back at her wedding dress and started to cry.

"Oh, my god...What do I do now?"

Author's note: Keep an eye out for Chapter 5...It's a real heart-breaker...Big shocker at the end. Try and guess what it is. You won't find out till Chapter 6. Review. :)