DISCLAIMER:Don't own anything associated with the show… I just like playing with the characters in it.
RATING: T – Teen (language and adult issues)
PAIRINGS: GSR & Yo!Bling pre-established in previous fics of this timeline.
SPOILERS: Sequel to "Displacement" and "Transitions"
SUMMARY: Everything is changing around Nick Stokes. Can he deal with it, and how it will affect him in the end?

A/N: Darth Real-Life intervened on the writing, plus some other writing took up my time. Hope you all enjoy my first attempt at writing Mr. Snarky. :D

REVIEWS: Reviews are the way I know if people are enjoying the work or not. So, if you leave one, THANKS! And if not, I hope you found at least a little something to brighten your day, and thanks for taking the time to read.

Chapter 29
20:15 – 2006.12.12
Las Vegas Police Department Headquarters: Jim Brass' Office

With everything tied up in a nice and neat little package, Nick walked up to the door of Jim Brass' office to hand over the case to the P.D.. Once he turned over his findings to Brass he would be officially done with the whole nightmare. It, or more specifically, she, would be someone else's problem after that final task.

Knocking on the door, Nick found that Brass had company. "Hey, Nicky… I hear you got something good for us on that desert research case."

"Brass…" He nodded to the grizzled, veteran detective and then to the younger man in the room. "Vega… Obviously you guys got a tip on what I was bringing over tonight."

"Yeah, well, Sara might've mentioned something when we were playing cards." Jim gave him a standard smirk.

Nick shook his head and laughed as he asked, "Wait, you guys are letting Sara play cards now?"

"Not hardly… It's bad enough losing money to Gil every week, I don't need Miss 'I can calculate the statistical odds in my head and kick everybody's ass' at the table." All three men laughed at Jim's assessment of the situation. "No, she got a ride home with Cat after their double, and was conscious just long enough to give me the heads up on your case."

Dropping the report down on Brass' desk, Nick went on to explain, "Well, I got a little more done after she took off… Including nailing down your timeline."

Brass picked it up and made a face showing that he was impressed with the feat. "Not bad, Nicky… Not bad at all."

"Looks like you got a new heroin ring operating in Nevada. Two suspects, both local, and my third set of prints matches our vic. They chute in from a small commercial turbo prop to a remote part of the rec area and bike it out. Looks like our boy in the morgue was the victim of somebody getting greedy." Nick watched as Brass flipped through the pages. "You have an approximate TOD, primary crime scene, path the body took and where the body was found, trace analysis confirming heroin and aircraft lubricant, along with all the plant matter to substantiate the path of the body, prints from the bike matching a con and dealer at the Tangiers, as well as your vic. All of which brings the case to you guys tied up in a pretty little bow."

Vega waited for Brass to hand over the report when he said, "Well, I guess we'll just have to try and get this all closed up before the feds decide to swoop in and try to take all the credit. Thanks, Stokes." Brass gave the report to Vega and nodded. "Captain… Stokes… Thanks for the pass off."

"Good luck, Sam." Brass nodded at the man as he left the office.

Nick was still standing when Brass motioned for him to take a seat. "So, I hear you been getting the short end of the stick from this Doc out at UNLV?"

"What, is there some kind of interoffice memo goin' 'round I don't know about?" Nick was starting to feel like he was getting it from all sides on this case.

"Calm down there, Butch… Just friends lookin' out for friends, Nicky." Nick relaxed a little with Brass' explanation. "Talk to me, maybe I can help."

"I don't know, maybe the girls are right." Nick sunk back in the chair with his resignation.

"Well, I don't know if I'd go that far." Brass had his trademark grin plastered across his face and was unable to contain the chuckle. "So, I take it you had another run in with the Doc?"

"Run in? No, it was more like getting run over." Nick shook his head as their last conversation flashed through his mind. "I just can't seem to cut a break when it comes to that woman."

"What're you doin' to set her off?" Jim leaned back in his chair as he asked.

"You mean, besides breathing?"

"Yeah, kid… Besides that." The man's laughter actually made Nick feel a little better.

"Well, let me see if I can remember the whole laundry list… I am stuck up… condescending…self-centered…self-serving…prejudiced…overgrown frat boy… Yeah, I think that's how it went." Nick ran his knuckles along his jaw as he clenched it after completing the list.

"That certainly is a very complete list… And not a curse word in the bunch. I'm impressed."

"And for her, that's a serious feat… But she more than made up for it when she told me where to stick my ideas about how to treat people." Nick was still hurting over that last part of the woman's tirade.

"Well, all I can say is… You got off lucky, kid. Took ya more than thirty years for someone to give ya the beat down for outdated behavior towards women. Me? I took my lumps in the seventies, when they were all militant and full of fire." Jim shook his head at the memories.

"You?" Nick was shocked by the disclosure.

"Of course… I'm a fossil, Nicky my boy. Throw back to another time, but even an old dog can learn new tricks."

"Huh…" Nick sat there dumbfounded by the things Brass was telling him. "So, how d'you do it, Jim?"

Jim Brass shrugged a little and sighed, "I don't know, Nick… Maybe it was having a daughter, or maybe it was seeing a good officer taking the worst of it and still doin' her job, or maybe it was just because I realized the world had changed." Jim turned to face Nick and then added, "You gotta figure it out for yourself, kid… But I suggest you figure it out fast, because you work with some serious women, Nicky, and they'll only put up with so much." Nick looked down, knowing the man was right. "I'm actually a little surprised it took them this long to gang up on you." Nick brought his gaze back up and once again saw that sinister grin spreading across Brass' face.

"Musta been my sparkling personality." Nick smirked.

Brass winked at him. "Yeah, that's gotta be it."