Title: Untitled
Author: Mackenzie
Email: ouiseriland.net
Genre: "Las Vegas"
Rating: R
Spoilers: Everything thus far
Disclaimers: I own Dr. Renée Meadows and everybody else who isn't recognizable.
Props: Allison Krauss and the Union Station

Chapter One

Jillian Deline giggled as her husband showered her lower abdomen with kisses. After almost thirty years together, Ed still knew how to engulf her body with flames. Running her hand lazily through his hair, she sat up a little. "Alright, Handsome, time to get moving."

"I am moving."

Jillian rolled her eyes as his lips went back onto her stomach. Pushing his head away, she quickly slipped out of bed, "That's not the moving I was talking about, Eddie."

Ed sighed as he watched his wife's nude form move about their bedroom. "We don't have any fun anymore."

Jillian stopped as she grabbed his discarded shirt from the day before and slipped it on, "Well, after what we just did, I'm not sure if I should smack you or cry."

"That's not what I meant, Jill..." Getting out of bed, he grabbed his pants from the night before and slipped them on. Zipping them up, he walked over to her, "I mean, we never get to just spend the entire day in bed anymore."

Jillian sighed sadly as she went over to make up the bed, "When have we ever done that, Ed? Seriously... Maybe for the first week or two of our marriage, but you were always on the go. Whether it be training seminars, or going undercover, and then we had Delinda and she took up a lot of time, and then you finally retire only to take a job in Vegas, uprooting us all from Washington and moving us here. When have we ever just wasted a day in bed?"

Ed flinched, he knew that he hadn't always been around during their marriage and that Jillian did the brunt of raising their daughter. He sighed softly as he watched her, "I'm sorry, baby... I did the best I could..."

Jillian looked over at her husband and mentally kicked herself. Walking over to him, she kissed him softly, "I'm not complaining, Eddie. I wouldn't trade the past thirty years for anything. I mean... I must really love you to put up with your shit day in and day out."
Catching her grin, he rolled his eyes and gave her a gentle push onto the bed and headed into the bathroom to wash up for work. "I'm going to take you to Hawaii."

Laughing softly as she got back up, his wife shook her head, "You've been saying that for two years now."

"I mean it, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna put in for some vacation time at work, contact a travel agent, make the plans, get us tickets and book us a room."

"Ed," Jillian said as she walked over to him and took the wash rag and washed his back, "You couldn't leave the Montecito for two days without going nuts wondering what they were doing and how things were going."

As she brought the rag around to his chest, Ed gripped his wife's hand and looked into her eyes, "I'm taking you to Hawaii, Jillian. So go and buy yourself a hot little bikini, some sun tan oil and a good pair of sun glasses."

She laughed softly despite herself, "Ed, we live in Las Vegas. I already have the last two taken care of."

He grinned at her and leaned in and nibbled her ear, whispering softly, "Than take care of the first one."

Rolling her eyes, she gave him a gentle push out of the bathroom, "Go and get dressed, Ed. You have to be there in forty-five minutes."

Walking over to the closet, he pulled out a pair of black dress slacks, a crisp blue shirt and then two ties. His brow furrowed as he looked at both ties, trying to decide which one to wear. Sighing softly, he walked over to the bathroom and knocked once before poking his head in, "Hey, Jill?"

Jillian popped her head out of the shower, "Yeah?"

"Which one, baby?" Holding both ties out, Jillian glanced at them, "The striped."

Ed surveyed the mentioned tie, "You sure?"

She rolled her azure eyes, "Ed, did you or did you not ask my opinion?"

"I did, but..."

She cut him off, "So take it. I have to shower. I have a doctor's appointment today."

Walking back into the bedroom, her last comment filtered through his ears. Doctor's appointment? Dropping the tie on the bed, he went back into the bathroom and pulled the shower curtain back, causing his wife to scream in surprise a little. Looking at her, he said, simply, "What's wrong?"

Jillian glared at her husband in annoyance as she turned off the water and stepped out and grabbed a towel, "What's wrong is you scared me half to death."

Ignoring her irritation, he pressed on, "Why do you have to see the doctor, Jillian? What's wrong?"

She sighed softly as she began to pat the towel along her body and then reach for a bottle of moisturizing lotion. "Nothing's wrong, Ed, it's just a check-up."

He shook his head, "You had your check up three weeks ago and you got a clear bill of health. You haven't had the flu, or any colds, so what's up?"

She sighed softly, damn his memory. Grabbing her robe and putting it on, she looked at him, she knew she had to tell him, softly, "Ed, I didn't say anything because I didn't want to worry you..."

Ed could feel his heart pounding deep in his chest. Sitting down on the toilet, he looked at her, softly, "Tell me."

Jillian bit her bottom lip a little as she hiked herself up onto the vanity between the double sinks, softly, "I found a lump in my breast last week. It was nothing, just a small bump. Nothing to worry about really."

Her husband looked at her, his blue eyes scanning up and down his body, softly, "If it's nothing, than why are you seeing the doctor?"

She tried to mask her fear as she gave him a soft smile, "Because it's a lump, Ed. And it's in my breast. I just want to be sure."

He sighed softly as he stood up and walked over and hugged her tightly, his voice was quiet and soothing, "What time's your appointment, Jillian?"

"1:30."

Ed nodded, "Dr. Meadows?"

Jillian nodded and looked at him, wondering where he was going. "Yeah."

"Okay... I'm gonna get Danny to cover for me and I'm going to meet you there."

Jillian stepped away from him and went into the bedroom, "Ed, really, you don't have to do that."

He sighed softly, his wife could be so frustrating. Walking into the bedroom, he watched her as she looked in her closet for what to wear, "I know I don't have to do it, Jill, but I want to. You are my wife, and I love you, and I'm worried. I'm going to meet you there."

She nodded quietly as she reached for her navy Donna Karan suit. "Thank you, Ed. I know how busy you are, what with getting things ready for fights and concerts and stuff..."

He watched her as her voice trailed off. That's what she did when she was scared and she didn't want him to know. She allowed her voice to trail off, leave thoughts unfinished just suspended in the air. She did that when she was pregnant with Delinda and she was scared she would have to go through labor and delivery without him there. When he was in training and overseas on covert missions and she was terrified he'd come back in a casket, she'd let her thoughts just hang in mid-air. Ed swallowed his sigh as he stood up and walked over to her. Placing his hands gently on her shoulders, he leaned in and kissed her neck softly and looked at her, whispering softly, "Everything will be fine."

"And if it isn't?"

That was another thing Jillian Deline did very well... expect the worst. Sometimes they would switch roles, Ed would be pessimistic and expect the worst while Jillian would just roll her eyes and be optimistic. It was that delicate balance of optimism and pessimism, combined with the unique, and at times, very helpful, ability to read each other via tones of voices, body language, mere glances, flickers in eyes and the way they carry themselves, that has been the glue to keep them together. Ed's vivid cobalt eyes remained fixed on the love of his life, reaching down, he took her hand and brushed her inner wrist against his lips, he could smell her perfume, a fragrance that has her trademark for almost ten years. Looking at her, he kept her hand in his, softly, "Than we will get through it together, Jillian. You are not alone. I'm not one of those guys who vanish at the presence of hard times. You should know that by now. We are a team, baby. For better or worse, sickness and in health... I signed up for all of that and I'll step up if that time comes. Got it?"

She nodded as she chewed her bottom lip, her pretty face twisting with emotion. Unable to stop the tears from falling she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly as her face sought out the comfort of the crook of his neck. Feeling her tears on his skin, Ed's arms tightened around his wife as he closed his eyes and said a silent prayer.