DISCLAIMER: Don’t own anything associated with the show… I just like playing with the characters in it from time to time. Dance Monkeys! Dance!

RATING: T for Teen

SPOILERS: Through Season 9 US Aired Episodes

WORD COUNT: 8846

SUMMARY: Jim Brass finds a new love for life.

A/N: This was born of re-watching old episodes. And the idea just wouldn’t leave me be. It took me a little longer to complete than I would have liked, but it is finally done. Thankfully, my wonderful beta rescued me from the ending, or I would still be picking at it. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Thanks in advance for giving it a chance.

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.

Grabbing the Brass Ring

Chapter 1

If Jim Brass lived to be a hundred he would never, ever understand going to the mall. Yet, there he was, standing in line at the food court after spending the morning being pulled through store after store. And while he would never admit it, he enjoyed every single minute of it. It had nothing to do with the mall, and everything to do with the company.

She was absolutely beautiful; soft brown hair, sparkling amber eyes, a devilish smile and a wit that rivaled his. She was perfect in every way, right down the tiny little eight year old finger he was totally wrapped around. It was Spring Break in L.A., and Jim volunteered to keep his granddaughter for the week. Ellie wasn’t able to get away from work and Sasha was tickled to get a whole week with her grandfather without Mom around to spoil her fun.

Jim had missed out on all the good parts of Ellie’s childhood for all the wrong reasons. With Sasha he had a fresh start, and he had no intentions of missing out again.

When Ellie called to tell him she was having a baby, it shocked him, but it also signaled a shift in their relationship.

She had straightened out her life shortly after his last visit to L.A., but she was still struggling with a lot of things when he was shot. It was good to see her at the hospital, but her hasty departure had him more than a little concerned. As he recovered from his wounds, he did a little investigating. It didn’t take long to find out what Ellie had been up to. She cleaned up, and she did it the hard way. Somewhere along the way, Ellie learned she possessed a knack for the recovery process. Before it was all said and done, she was actually working at a rehab center and halfway house as a counselor and administrator.

Ellie might not have been his flesh and blood child, but she had managed to pick up Jim’s luck with relationships. Even before Sasha was born, Ellie was on her own again. When she began struggling under the burden being alone and pregnant she did the only thing she ever knew; she called her father. There was only one incontrovertible truth in Ellie’s life; if she needed him, he would always be there. All she had to do was call. And when she called, he was there.

It wasn’t easy giving up the countless years of conflict between father and daughter, but for that precious little girl they did it. And somewhere along the way their relationship healed in ways Jim never expected. He was not only blessed with a beautiful, healthy granddaughter, but also with the daughter he once feared was lost.

And that’s what brought him to a line of other haggard shoppers, waiting to buy a couple Pepperoni Pretzels made by a pimply faced kid in a polyester uniform. They had started off the morning with a trip to a place that reminded him of Doc Robbins’ autopsy room more than a stuffed animal store. Sasha managed to turn a longhorn bull into an oddly glamorous beat cop in just under an hour, and then had the nerve to name it Porkchop. The kid definitely had a wicked sense of humor.

The rest of the morning was spent at every store in the place with a toy or clothes for girls. Jim was just about pasteled and sparkled out by the time Sasha declared she just had to have a Pepperoni Pretzel or she would die. Wanting a break from what Jim could only describe as a waking nightmare, he gladly gave in to her very dramatic demands.

After giving their order to the juvenile delinquent behind the counter, Jim moved down the line and waited for the food. Sasha was busy getting the necessary condiments and utensils for the meal as he carefully kept watch when someone behind him spoke. “Keeps you on your toes, I bet.”

Jim turned at the sound of the strangely familiar voice. He was trying to work out in his head just who the woman was as he responded. “That’s for sure. But at least I get to spoil her rotten and send her home to Mom.”

The woman’s face took on a sad smile. “I bet.”

He still couldn’t put a name to it, but he was certain they had met before. “I’m sorry, my memory isn’t what it used to be… Do I know you from somewhere?”

“It’s okay. It was a long time ago, and I wouldn’t expect you to remember.” The sad smile grew deeper as she continued. “And I wasn’t exactly myself the last time you saw me. I had just lost my daughter.”

At the mention of her daughter it all flooded back to him. Talking in front of the vending machine, the casual flirting and then… And then they found her daughter dead in the waiting room. “Sue Latham.”

“You do remember. I’m impressed.” She gave him a warm smile and he returned it.

“How could I forget?” It was true, that case stuck with him for a long time. Four kids’ lives ruined in a flash of bad judgment and revenge, two died, one paralyzed for life, and the other still sitting in prison, taking the heat for the girl next door. “Those are the ones that never leave you. Especially that many young lives wasted.”

“Yes, a waste indeed.” The sadness threatened to take hold of her once again, but she shook her head and smiled. “But it looks like you’ve done well for yourself.” She pointed at Sasha, who was walking up to them.

“My granddaughter.” Sasha took his hand and looked up at the woman. “Sasha, this is Mrs. Latham.”

“Hello.” The girl smiled wide and put her hand out to the woman. “How do you know my Pops?”

Sue Latham grinned at the girl’s question and politely answered. “Well, he was trying to help my daughter a long time ago.”

Sasha pressed her brows together and asked, “Suspect or victim?”

“Sasha!” Jim quickly chastised the girl.

“What?”

“That’s no way to talk to someone you’ve just met.” He turned to Sue and apologized. “I’m sorry, but unfortunately she’s spent too much time at her mother’s work, and she’s got the manners of a street thug.”

Smiling, Sue let them both off the hook. “It’s okay, really. She’s merely trying to size up the situation.” She looked down at Sasha and said, “To answer your question, I suppose she was a little of both. But she’s gone now, so I guess we’ll never really know which one she really was.”

Sasha squeezed Jim’s hand and looked down at her feet. “I’m sorry.”

“Brass?” The pimply faced kid called his name and interrupted any further conversation.

As Jim turned with his hand raised to signal the kid, he called out another name. “Sue?” Ever the gentleman, Jim picked up both orders before Sue had a chance to object.

Giving her the third pretzel bag, he shrugged, “It’s the least I can do.”

“Thank you, very much.” Sue forced one last smile and then said her goodbyes. “I should get back to the store. I hope you two have a wonderful day.”

Sasha gave her best smile and said, “Thank you, and have a good day.”

Jim nudged her a little and smirked, “Good recovery, you little monster.”

With an impish wink, the little girl returned, “I learned from the masters.”

They quickly found a table and Jim enjoyed the respite from retail terror. Sasha regaled him with tales of her favorite music group between bites of pretzel. Bubble-gum pop was never high on his list of things to listen to, but Sasha’s excited stories were at the top.

“Mom says if I can keep my grades up this year, maybe we can go to the show at Coliseum this summer. But I don’t know how she’s gonna get us tickets.” Jim just smiled and nodded as she went on a roll. “They sell out so fast, and she’s never on time for anything. And I really wanna go, because Dylan is soooooooooo cute and-…” She stopped suddenly and the rhythm of his nodding was broken. “Pops! You aren’t listening.”

“No, I was listening. I promise.” She cocked her eyebrow in an expression Jim had seen before, on a very similar face. “Don’t give me that look, Missy. I was listening.” His face split in a grin when he admitted, “I just wasn’t really paying attention.”

Shaking her head, Sasha chided him, “Mom does that, too. It’s the same thing, ya know?”

“I’m sorry, kiddo, but the old man is not exactly up on all the hip new music out there.” Jim started picking up their trash as he explained, “So, you’ll have to cut me some slack if I drift off a little, okay?”

“Okay, Pops. But no more smile and nod. Just tell me when you don’t care anymore.” The little girl was far older than her eight years as she called him to the carpet for the tactic.

The smirk on his face and the sparkle in his eyes showed his pride in the girl’s reasoning. “You got it.” He took a glance at his watch and then asked, “Are we ready to blow this popsicle stand?”

“Only if we can stop in that first store we saw on the way in this morning…pleeeeeeease?” Sasha exaggerated her please to the point that her voice was singing in his ears. But it was the glassy eyes and not so subtle pout that really did him in.

“Okay, okay… Just don’t make those puppy dog eyes at me anymore.” Jim was rewarded for his indulgence as Sasha jumped up from her seat, kissed him on the cheek and took the trash from his hand to drop in the can.

“Thanks, Pops! You’re the best.” She grabbed her sequin drenched police cow and took his hand to pull him out of the seat.

With mock reluctance, he slowly rose from his seat and followed behind her with another bag in his grasp. He continued to play the unwilling shopper, but truth be told, he was enjoying every minute of time with his granddaughter. She was a good kid who never really asked for much, and it made him feel good to spoil her just a little. Becoming a grandfather had been good for his soul.

After he got the call from Ellie giving him the news, Jim finally had the incentive to turn in those retirement papers. His daughter needed him, and the streets of Las Vegas would be left in younger hands. Taking his cue from an old friend, he packed everything up and left the desert behind. Except in his case it was a short lived departure. Ellie had some trouble with the pregnancy and was forced to stop working. His pension would only take them so far in L.A., and they returned to his empty house in Las Vegas.

He and Ellie managed to make it an entire year living under one roof before it started to become strained. It took her six more months before she found another counselor job at an L.A. halfway house. The day Ellie and Sasha packed up and were ready to head out on their adventure, Jim finally knew what it felt like to be a true father. There were a million reasons why he didn’t want to let them go, but there was only one reason to wish them well, and it was the only one that mattered. He had to trust her, to trust that he had given her everything she needed to succeed, and that she always knew who to call if she needed a hand.

Just before Ellie pulled away from the house, she took his hand and said, “Thanks, Dad…for everything.” Jim stood out on the sidewalk and watched the car drive out of sight.

He managed to keep the tears from falling…until he went in the house and found the package Ellie had left for him. Opening it up, he found a leather-bound, hinged picture frame. On one side was his favorite picture of Ellie as a girl, and on the other was a picture of him holding Sasha the day she was born. There was also a note which read, “So you can always see your girls, Dad. Remember that no matter what, we love you. You’ll always have a place in our hearts. And be sure to come visit us as often as you want.”

The tears were streaming down his cheeks as he carried the picture to his office, only to find the frame Ellie’s picture used to be in filled with a new picture; he and Ellie at a Kings hockey game when she was pregnant. He would have stayed in his office staring at those pictures for days if not for Ellie’s voice breaking through his thoughts from the answering machine. “Dad, quit your weeping and get on the phone. Sasha needs you to sing her to sleep. She’s fussing, so I’m pretty sure she’s already missing her Pops.”

That began his nightly ritual of calling Sasha to sing her to sleep. Long about the age of seven she informed him that he could stop singing, because he sounded silly. Instead, she just wanted to talk to him about her day and find out what he was doing. Even when he was visiting in L.A., they had their little moments before she went to bed every night. Being a grandfather had been very good for his soul.

Sasha shook him out of his thoughts as the neared their final shopping destination of the day. “Come on, Pops! I wanna see if they have those super cool jeans I wanted.”

Jim chuckled as she rolled her eyes at him, showing just how much she was yanking his chain. “Whaddya need with another pair of pants?” They both knew this was nothing but a futile exercise, but they didn’t care. It was just something else for them to do before the end of the week.

“I’m a girl, Pops… Don’t you know girls need clothes.” She stuck her tongue out at him to punctuate her statement.

“Like I need another hole in my head.” He smirked as she handed him the incredibly effeminate bull and started pouring through the racks of clothes in the little boutique shop. Jim looked down and shook his head. “Are you sure you don’t want me to hold your purse, too?”

Her eyes nearly rolled out of her head as she tossed her answer over her shoulder, “Don’t be silly… I don’t need a purse. I’ve got you and Mom?”

As he laughed at Sasha’s joke, he noticed a salesperson walking up to him in his peripheral vision. Before he could turn to meet her she was said, “Sounds to me like she has your number.”

“You have no ide- Hey…” Jim turned to find Sue Latham smiling at him. He gestured around the shop and asked, “What’re you doing here?”

Her smile widened, “It’s my shop.”

Jim looked around the place and found it to be alive with vibrant colors and a welcoming atmosphere. The shop was filled with modest clothing for young girls, but from the way his granddaughter was flipping through the racks like a pro, he knew they were also stylish enough to garner her attention. “It’s quite a shop. How long have you been here?”

Sue took in a deep breath and he watched as she mentally counted back the years. “Almost ten years now.” She smiled with the thought and said, “After my daughter died, I was a mess. But I saw Sheila’s friend Megan about a year after, and she said something that really clicked for me.”

“What was that?” Jim asked the obligatory question to keep her story going.

“Megan told me that Sheila always said she hoped I would follow my dreams once I didn’t have her to worry about all the time.” Jim gave her a puzzled look and she explained. “I used to work in fashion before Sheila was born, and she always wanted me to go back to it. This…” She gestured around the boutique and finished, “is both of our dreams come to life.”

“That’s great. Really…” Jim tried to keep his tone even and calm. “It’s great you were able to find something good from all of that.”

“It is great. I work with a local designer on my specialty line, and I’ve been able to start a scholarship program in Sheila’s name. It’s been a very good thing.” Jim’s smile grew to match hers as she relayed the tale.

Before he could say anymore, Sasha was there pulling on his hand. “Pops, we’re gonna be late if we don’t go now.”

“Let’s pretend we have some manners, huh? I was talking to Mrs. Latham here.” The girl shied away from his admonishment.

“Sorry.” Sasha flashed a subdued smile to soften her grandfather’s anger.

He shook his head and looked down at his watch. “Oh wow.” The time had gotten away from him. “I hate to cut this short and run, but-”

“But you have somewhere else to be… I understand.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a business card. “If you ever need some fashion advice for this one, please don’t hesitate to call.”

Jim took the card and saluted Sue with it. “I just might have to take you up on that one. Good seeing you.”

With Sasha gently pulling him out of the store, Jim returned her smile all the way out into the center of the mall. He looked back at the sign over the door and grinned. Sheila’s Closet had just made it onto his shopping list.

Chapter 2

“So, let me see if I’ve got this right…” Ellie spoke to her father over the speakerphone in her office as she continued to shuffle through the mounds of paperwork on her desk. “You bought her the jeans that I specifically told you not to get her, because…and I quote…‘they looked really cute on her.’ Seriously?”

“Well, they did look cute, and she had this big smile on her face, and…” Her father wound through his rationalization and it made her laugh out loud.

“Okay, where is my father and what did you do with him?”

She could hear the soft chuckle in his voice when he said, “I’m so wrapped around that little finger, huh?”

“Totally!” Father and daughter enjoyed a comfortable laugh together, and it felt good. Ellie didn’t often think about the past, because it wasn’t her favorite subject, but whenever she shared one of those moments with her father thoughts of the past always slipped through. And those thoughts really made her grateful for all they had been able to accomplish in the years since that time.

Looking at the picture of the girl smiling back at her from her computer monitor, Ellie realized that much of the healing between she and her father happened because of that little girl.

Up until the moment she found out she was pregnant, Ellie was convinced she could do everything on her own. Everything, but being responsible for the tiny life that was growing inside her. The very thought scared her so much her first and only instinct was to call for her father. And that scared her even more. After their last confrontation, she wasn’t entirely sure he’d be very receptive to a call for help from her.

She didn’t have anything to be afraid of. All it took was a phone call, and he was right there. As much trouble as they had been through, and yet she somehow knew he would always be there if she needed him. Of course, that also meant he was always there even when she didn’t want him, but those days were mostly in their past.

Her father’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Well, I know they were a little more than you’d spend, but I am the grandfather, and I think it’s part of the job to spoil her just a bit.”

“And the drag queen cattle cop?” She raised an eyebrow at man who couldn’t see her, but the image of her daughter’s newest prize still gave her cause to shudder.

“That’s all on you, Missy. She sure as hell didn’t get her sense of style from this old man.”

Ellie laughed again, knowing that her father was absolutely right. “Yeah, okay. I’ll take the blame for that one. But can we try to move her closer the boring side of the street from now on.”

“Never worked on her mother.”

Shaking her head, Ellie accepted her defeat. “All right, this was supposed to be about me giving you grief for spoiling my kid. How’d it turn into ‘Ellie was a difficult child’ so damned fast?”

“It’s a talent you develop when they become teenagers, that’s why you don’t have it, yet.” The happiness in her father’s voice sounded good to Ellie. “But anyway… I need to get moving.”

“Don’t tell me…the world traveling geeks are back in town and you’ve got a hot date for another slide show?” Ellie enjoyed teasing her father about his friends just to get a rise out of him.

Only this time it was his turn to get a rise out of her. “You’re only part right. And it’s got nothing to do with slides. Have a good one, El.”

The sound of the dial tone blaring in her office wasn’t nearly enough to break Ellie’s astonished stare.

Sasha bounded into the office, her flamboyant longhorn in tow, and finally broke Ellie’s shock. “Hey, Mom… I think they hung up.” The girl reached over and pushed the button to silence her mother’s phone.

“Sorry, kid.” Ellie held open her arms and waited for the girl to walk into them. “Your Pops just surprised me a little bit.”

“Pops is good like that, huh?” Sasha hugged her mother and then plopped down in the chair beside her desk.

“He most certainly is.” Ellie shook her head and cleared the fog as she reached out for the girl’s newest prized possession. “What did you and Porkchop here do to your poor grandfather to make him crazy last week?”

“It wasn’t us, Mom, I swear.” Sasha quickly took the flaming bull from her mother’s grasp. “But that lady at the store where we got the cool jeans sure made him smile a lot.”

Chapter 3

In a quiet corner of an unassuming restaurant, far from the Las Vegas strip, a pair of locals enjoyed a good meal and even better company. Two grownups out for a nice dinner on a school night wouldn’t cause any heads to turn, but for anyone who knew them, it was monumental.

“So, why didn’t you just go to L.A. for the week? It just seems like it would make more sense to me.” Sue questioned the reason for having his granddaughter fly out for a week by herself.

“Kinda silly, huh?” Jim shrugged and went on to explain. “I guess I just thought it would be easier on Ellie to hand off the kid for a week, instead of coming home to a live-in babysitter. And Sasha’s getting older now, so she wasn’t real thrilled about it being called babysitting either. I figured a trip to spend a week with her Pops in Vegas was a much cooler story for her friends back at school.”

Sue nodded to show her understanding, but then she had another question. “And she’s okay flying by herself like that?”

Laughing at the notion of Sasha being anything but fearless Jim tried to explain it to his dinner date. “Better than me, even. That kid’s got globe trotter in her veins or something. She’s been trying to talk me into taking a trip to Central America this summer.”

“Wow! That’s really ambitious. Why Central America?”

“I’ve got these friends who live down there part of the year doing research. Sasha sees all the pictures and videos and stuff they bring back and she’s dying to see it first hand.” Shaking his head, Jim reminded himself that he needed to give Sara a big thank you for planting that little seed during their last visit. “Gil and Sara have a little place in Costa Rica near the coast and Sasha really wants to learn scuba diving.”

With a big smile on her face, Jim knew that she understood just how much that little girl owned him. “Sounds to me like she’s doing a pretty good job of wearing you down.”

“Sad, but true. She’s got me wrapped around that little finger of hers so tight, it’s scary.” They both laughed at his admission. “But what else am I gonna do with all this free time?” Ellie and Sasha had basically become his life with his retirement.

“I have to wonder why you’ve stayed in Nevada with them in L.A. though.” Sue’s question made him laugh again.

“Ellie and I have come a long way in the last nine years, but we aren’t that far yet. And I don’t think we ever will be. No, we get along much better when there’s some distance between us most of the time.” Jim was still trying to figure out how they lasted more than a year together when Sasha was born.

“Couldn’t have anything to do with being a bachelor for so long, could it?” Jim couldn’t help it; he had to blush at her conclusion. He knew that was at least a small part of their trouble. He had a certain way of doing things and anything that upset that order was quick to rattle his nerves. But worse yet, Ellie was exactly the same way. They might not have shared any blood, but she was most definitely her father’s daughter.

“Yeah… That, and both of us being a little too hard-headed and stubborn probably didn’t help.”

“Most fathers are proud when their daughters are like them.” Sue was trying to make him feel better with the sly look she gave him as she spoke.

“Most father’s aren’t veteran cops who’ve seen too much of the bad in this world. My greatest failure is that I wasn’t able to protect her from that.”

“I think every parent experiences that failure in some degree.” The sadness in her voice made him sorry having mentioned it. Sue knew more than he when it came to the evils of the world. At least Jim still had his daughter.

He was spared from any further embarrassment as the waiter arrived to remove their salad plates and set their entrees down in front of them. It was just enough of a pause to allow for a comfortable change of topic as they began to eat.

“This is really nice. Two adults, sharing a good meal and just talking. I can’t even remember the last time I did something like this. Probably why my daughter was taken totally off guard today when I told her I had a date.” Jim shook his head and chuckled as he tried to explain the call with Ellie while he cut another piece of steak. “I would’ve paid good money to be a fly on her wall when I hung up today.” His companion held a hand over her mouth as she laughed at the expression on his face. “Seriously, Ellie is never speechless, and I would like to have seen that one.”

“I’m willing to bet it was strangely similar to the look my sister had when I told her I had a date.” Sue sipped from her wine with a shy smile playing over her face.

“Oh, I doubt your dance-card is as empty as mine.” Jim shook his head in the negative and gave her a smile of his own. “There has to be at least one shoe salesman, not to mention that memorabilia dealer from mall ready to dance the night away with you every weekend.”

Giving him a disapproving glare, Sue answered his joke, “Not hardly. They’re far too busy ogling the girls at Abercrombie & Fitch, or trying to get into the leotards of those legal age babes at the dance studio.”

“Foolish mortals, the lot of ‘em.” Jim tried to laugh off the suddenly tense moment. He wanted to keep things light and easy, but it was made difficult because he was sitting so close to her.

“I’m afraid that the real world is still very ageist. It’s all about the new, the pretty, the shiny, the fast. A well seasoned, independent, graying woman of a certain age is just not in high demand.” Sue quietly returned to her meal and Jim looked for the right words to answer her.

“I think you’re confusing the ‘real world’ with the Vegas marketing machine. There are plenty of us out there who don’t buy into that myth.” He reached across the table to cover her hand with his. “And we know real beauty when it’s sitting across from us.”

Sue demurred as she looked down at their hands, “That’s very sweet. Thank you.”

Smiling once more, Jim said, “Just calling it like I see it.”

With the tension finally abating, they settled back into casual chatting as they continued to enjoy their meal. Jim told her all about Sasha’s new stuffed animal, and her less than typical sense of style. Sue told him all about her business and the strange path that led her there.

As they were finishing up their desserts Sue brought the conversation around to just how they wound up on a real date. “I will have to admit, it was a little hard to believe that in a mall where I have spent nearly every day of the last ten years and never once saw you, to find you ‘just stopping by to say hello’ every day for over a week was just a touch suspect.”

Blushing a little, Jim confessed, “Well, I guess subtlety has never been one of my strong suits. And it doesn’t help that I’m really out of practice for the whole dating thing. So, it took me a while to work up the nerve.”

“I’m not complaining in the least. It was nice to have a companion for lunch again. And I have my own confession to make…” He looked deeply into her eyes as she tried to tell him her secret. “I am so clueless when it comes to hints and flirting, that if you hadn’t been so obvious and awkward about it, I never would’ve figured it out on my own.”

Seeing the truth of her words dancing in her eyes, Jim chuckled at their awkward confessions. “Then we should raise a toast.” He picked up his cup of coffee and said, “To awkward old men and clueless beauties. Without them we’d never have anyone to eat with.”

Sue brought her coffee up to meet his and clanked them together. “Here, here.”

With a comfortable grin firmly ingrained on his face, they finished up the meal and decided to take a walk through the park across the street. It was staying light later in the day on this side of equinox, and the park was well lit for all the night games played there. Vegas wasn’t an easy place for families, between the extreme weather and the even more extreme gambling business, but they worked it out. The outdoor ball games were played with the sun going down in lighted parks and family time was spent well off the neon hum of the strip.

Passing a pickup game at the basketball courts, Jim had to stop a stray ball from hitting Sue. When one of the players recognized him from one of his better cases, he lingered a while to talk with the younger man. He went on to let Jim know that his older brother was doing well, and how grateful their family was for the help that they received from the old detective. When he was done, Jim congratulated him, and thanked him for the information.

When they walked away, Sue had a curious grin on her face as she shook her head.

“What?” Jim asked.

“Oh nothing, really.” As she looked into his face, it became obvious he was waiting for a real answer, and Sue caved in. “It’s just that it’s good to know you weren’t just being nice to Sheila on my account. You seem to have made helping kids your main goal.”

Jim shrugged and gestured for Sue to precede him across the footbridge. “I’m just glad I never got so cynical as to truly believe all these kids were lost causes. Not to say I didn’t see my fair share.” Jim was quick to correct himself as they kept walking. “But most kids just need to know there’s somebody out there who’s looking out for them. And even if I was a cop, that didn’t mean I needed to make them my enemy for nothing more than making a bad choice.”

“I just wish they knew that one bad choice could be the last one they ever make.” There was so much sorrow to Sue’s words that it reached in and squeezed Jim’s heart. “That life is so damn precious, and it takes so little to end it all in a flash.”

Softly, Jim took her hand and held it gently as he said, “Unfortunately that’s a lesson we all have to learn the hard way. My hope is that they have what it takes to be able to walk away from that lesson.”

Sue nodded again and they continued the rest of the walk back his car in quiet reflection, her hand comfortably resting in his.

Driving back to her place, they continued with the small talk as they both processed the events of the evening. The conversation stopped only long enough for Jim to pull over and have his nightly phone call with Sasha.

“Well, your Mom doesn’t have a whole lot of room to talk. Just ask her about the Hair Dye Years… Oh no, I couldn’t even begin remember all the different colors… Yeah?” Sue was careful to remain quiet during the phone call, even though his comments were definitely making her want to laugh.

“That’s great, Squirt. But how’d you do on that math test?... See? I told you all those exercises were important… Okay, I won’t gloat anymore…” Jim looked over to see Sue shaking her head at his conversation with his granddaughter.

“Yeah, yeah, I remember, the ones with the purple stripey thingies on the sides for your birthday…” He looked at Sue as he described the jeans the girl had seen in her shop, and when Sue nodded her head, he knew she would be able to help him pick out the right ones. “How can I forget when you remind me every time we talk?... Okay, it’s getting late, Sasha. Time for bed… Love you bunches right back, sweetheart. And give your Mom a hug for me… G’night, Sasha.”

Jim basked in the warmth of his nightly ritual for a brief moment before he remembered he was not alone in the car. “Sorry about that, but it’s kind of our thing. We talk for a bit every night before she goes to bed. When she was little, I’d either sing or tell her a bedtime story.”

“A hold over from when they lived with you?” When Jim nodded yes, Sue said, “That’s really very sweet, Jim. Not many men would be willing to take that kind of time, and certainly very few grandfathers.”

He shrugged as he pulled the car back out onto the road. “But wouldn’t it be nice if they did?”

“Indeed.”

After a few moments of silence, Jim had another confession to make. “I wasn’t like that when Ellie was her age. I mean, I was there, and all that. And I did right by her the best I could, but I also know it wasn’t enough. Sasha didn’t just bring me back to Ellie; she’s given me a chance to make up for being such a lousy father with her Mom.”

Sue brought a comforting hand to lay over Jim’s forearm when she said, “While I find it hard to believe you were really a lousy father, I will take you at your word. But I am glad this has given you the ability to make peace with that part of your life.”

Too overcome with emotion to speak, Jim only nodded and continued to drive until they reached their destination.

Pulling into Sue’s driveway, Jim tried to lighten the mood a little. “Well, your charity work is done. Take an old man to dinner night is over.”

“Oh yes, such a hardship.” The sarcasm was practically dripping from her tone. “Having a wonderful dinner with an intelligent, funny, charismatic man, walking through the park on the arm of a highly capable man, and getting to see him turned to putty in a young girl’s hand is so painful. I just don’t know how I managed to survive the night!” Putting the back of her hand up to her forehead in mock despair, Sue did a fantastic job of making the both of them fall out in laughter.

Walking around to her side of the car, Jim shook his head at the strange turn of events over the last week. He never imagined that subjecting himself to retail hell would bring him around to dating again. And certainly not with a woman like Sue Latham.

When he took her hand and helped her out of the car, Jim decided to go for broke. “In all seriousness, I did want to thank you for going along with my pathetic attempts at trying to be smooth. Spending time with you this last week has been great. And I haven’t felt this good since Ellie and Sasha moved back to L.A.” He was afraid the smile on his face was shining so brightly that it made him look like a half-drunk tourist at one of the chorus shows.

But he was rewarded when her smile seemed just as warm and even a little comfortable as she spoke. “It’s been good for me, too. I can’t even remember the last time I was able to have a decent conversation that didn’t involve fabric orders, marketing strategies, or all the gossip at my sister’s church.”

Sue took the arm he offered and they began walking to the door. “How sad is it when a few lunches and some idle conversation is enough to make you happy to be alive again?”

“Just a couple of worn out old folks, out for a quiet dinner and home by nine on a weeknight. Whatever happened to that girl who could stay out all night and walk straight into work the next day without a break?”

“She’s probably in the same place that guy who made the rounds to local bars after pulling a double shift wound up.” Jim looked down at their feet and then back up into Sue’s face. “Oh look, here they are.”

“And showing the sins or our youth.” Sue once more tried to down play his compliments.

Jim shook his head and did his best to make her smile. “I think William James said it best. ‘How pleasant is the day when we give up striving to be young,’” He stopped and patted his midsection to emphasize the last part of the quote, “‘or slender.’”

His tactic worked when he saw the smile break out on her face. “I see, a gentleman and a scholar. I don’t think I’ve ever had a date quote William James to me before. Or Henry for that matter. Just a couple ham handed attempts of Shakespeare.”

“Pshaw… Any idiot can quote old Willy. It takes a first class idiot to quote someone almost no one has heard of anymore.” Jim did his best to hide his embarrassment, but it was lost the moment Sue leaned into him and laughed as they took the last steps to her front door.

Staring at her front door, Sue took in a sharp breath of air and stepped away from him as she said, “Well, this is me.”

Awkwardly, Jim tried to remember what he was supposed to be doing, and stumbled through the words, “Ah, yeah, I guess so.”

At first, he thought it looked like she was trying to make a hasty retreat, but when she began to fumble with her purse in search of her keys, he finally realized that she was just as nervous as he was and it made him smile. “I had a really great time tonight. Thank you very much for-” The keys suddenly sprang from her purse and fell to the ground.

Quick to react, Jim bent down and picked them up. “Allow me.” After retrieving the keys, he separated out the one that looked like a house key and held it up to her. “This one?” With her nod, he slipped in between her and the door and unlocked it.

Turning back, he gently took her hand and laid the key in her palm. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” He was sure the grin on his face completed the whole idiot look, but he just felt that good. The only left to do was to say goodnight and it would be a perfect date.

Before he could get the words out, Sue surprised him when she laid her hand on his shoulder and leaned to kiss the side of his face. “Thank you, Jim.”

“Ah, yeah… Thank you.” He turned and started for his car without thinking. Jim was halfway to the car when he suddenly came to his sense. He called back to her as she put a hand on the door knob to go inside. “Make sure your assistant isn’t late tomorrow, because I’m getting you out of that mall for lunch. And no arguments this time.”

Any doubts Jim might have had about the status of their relationship was resolved when she shot back, “I won’t make any such promise... The arguing is half the fun.”

Driving back to his place, Jim decided he was just going to have to used to people staring at him funny, because that idiotic grin was likely to be plastered on his face for a long time to come.

Epilogue

“Argh! Would you please hold still?!” The young girl with the dark curly hair got after the old man in her care. “Now I gotta start over!” She blustered as she pulled the knot out of the tie and ripped it off his neck.

“Sorry, Squirt. But it’s been a while since the old man wore a tie, ya know.” He smiled at the girl with the frustrated face.

“I know, but Mom says you gotta wear it, Pops.” Her frown broke when he winked at her. “Now hold still so I can get it right.” Shaking her head at the silly old man who was her grandfather, Sasha smiled at his playfulness. “You’re enjoying this a little too much, huh?”

Jim shrugged, which earned him a scowl from his granddaughter, and then he answered her question. “You have to admit… We never thought this day would come.”

“That’s for sure!” She pulled the end of the tie through the middle and over to the side. “I know I’d given up all hope years ago.”

“Aren’t you a little young to be that cynical?” Jim raised his brow at her answer. “And not quite old enough to have known anything for years.”

“Puh-lease! Like it’s any secret marriage and this family weren’t on speaking terms for a long time. I may only be twelve, but I’m not stupid, Pops.” Tucking the front of the tie through the final loop, Sasha pulled it down firmly and nodded at her handiwork. “But really after all this time, I just figure it’s kind of silly not to just do it.”

Jim was curious about Sasha’s conclusions, but before he could ask her about it, a head poked its way into the room. “Hey, you two better hurry it up… I think the bride is starting to get restless.”

Sasha instantly jumped into action. “Crap… Are you good now?”

“I’m fine. Get moving, Squirt.” Jim winked at her as she left the room in a flash of light.

Shaking her head, the woman allowed Sasha to fly past her before entering the room. “I swear, that kid has enough energy to power the neon on the Strip.”

“Tell me about it.” Jim turned around to the mirror to inspect the girl’s work on his tie. Upon seeing the too small knot, he immediately pulled it out.

Before he could begin retying the knot, two long arms reached around him and took over the duty. “You always did prefer the full Windsor, didn’t you?”

Jim shrugged and allowed her to continue. “The small ones make my neck look too thick.”

“Ah, so this is about vanity, is it?” She chuckled into his ear, helping him to relax.

“I need to look good, don’t I?” His wink brought another smile to her face.

“You’ll be just fine…as always.” She pulled the front through the final loop and gave it a solid tug to reveal a perfect Windsor knot. “How’s that?”

“Perfect…” He turned around slowly and smiled just before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. “Just like the lady.”

Her arms wrapped tightly around his middle as she smiled. “You keep up that smooth talking, and I might just have to marry you again.”

Stopping any further discussion, Sasha returned in an excited hurry. “Okay, I’ve locked the windows in there so Mom can’t escape, and Dr. Grissom has Dad so scared of you he’s barely breathing at the altar.” She grabbed a hand from each of them and began pulling them out of the room. “Now, if you and Sue don’t hurry up and get them in front of that JP, I’m gonna have to wait another thirteen years to get them hitched.”

After everyone was put into place by a very pushy preteen, Jim Brass stood at the back of the chapel with more pride than he ever thought possible. Seated throughout the small chapel were his friends and family. Even his brother had flown out from Jersey to attend the big event. His little girl was getting married.

Of course, in true Ellie fashion, it was thirteen years after the fact, but just like her old man, she never did anything the easy way. The man who was Sasha’s father never really got a chance to be Dad in the beginning. He and Ellie had split before she discovered she was pregnant, and she had no way of contacting him once she learned of the pregnancy.

When Davis showed up ten years later, working as a physician at the same treatment center where Ellie had been working, to say he was shocked was a supreme understatement. But even Jim was impressed with the way the man simply jumped in with both feet and tried to make it work. It quickly became clear to him that Davis was a good man, and a perfect fit for his daughter. It still took Ellie a couple years to be convinced. “Slow learners, those Brass’ are,” as his mother would always say.

Unlike his daughter, Jim had managed to give up playing the fool when it came to relationships. It took him just a few short months before he wised up and ask Sue to marry him. He recognized in her all that was missing in his life, and thankfully for him, he was that for Sue as well.

Their lives together were far from easy, because both of them had spent way too many years on their own. But they were happier together than they ever were alone, and it made everything else inconsequential. The only real hiccup to the whole thing came in the form of his daughter.

The first meeting between Ellie and Sue had not been the happy occasion Jim envisioned it to be. She seemed to be on a mission to discover some well hidden flaw, or an insidious plot that would make Sue an unacceptable mate for her father. Acting very much like the woman he had fallen in love with, Sue never backed down, and met each of Ellie’s challenges with a sincere and direct answer. In the end, Ellie bowed to the wisdom of his choice, and accepted Sue into their family. Of course, much of her decision was based in the fact that her daughter pretty much demanded she do so, or face the consequences of one seriously miffed little girl.

Unfortunately, no one had any influence over her relationship with Davis. His return was not met with open arms, and the addition of a child he was never aware of made it hard for both of them to come to terms at first. Slowly, the two managed to build a level of trust in the course of their work together. Jim received daily reports about their progress from his little dark haired spy. Sasha also kept him informed about the things Davis was doing to get to know her. So, when he first met the young man, it felt almost as though he already knew him.

Jim was impressed with his easy going demeanor, and his comfort with a daughter he barely even knew. But he was sold on the guy the moment he saw Davis seat Sasha away from a rowdy group at a restaurant. He placed himself between her and the other group, while keeping near enough to Ellie to remove her from harm’s way, should the need arise. Davis cared about his girls, whether Ellie was ready to admit it yet, or not, and that was paramount in Jim’s thinking.

It was more than a year before they would openly admit they were dating. Ellie was very apprehensive about committing to the relationship. She was not someone who was able to forgive betrayal very easily, and her trust was most definitely hard won.

They might have continued to dance around the issue indefinitely, if not for a little shove from their very opinionated daughter during one of their visits to Vegas. They were sitting around his living room after dinner and Davis was about to reluctantly leave for his hotel when Sasha reached her boiling point with their games. Getting to her feet with an indignant pose, she shouted, “Puh-lease! Like you’re fooling anybody!” And then she flounced down the hall to her room.

Six weeks later, there they stood in the Little White Chapel, about to make official what it appeared Sasha knew all along. With Ellie on his arm, wearing a dress made just for her, Jim Brass knew that his world was filled with happiness. He had friends, he had family and he had love.

“You ready, kid?” Jim beamed at his only daughter.

“As I’m gonna be.” He leaned forward and she stopped him cold. “Are you sure this is gonna be okay? I mean, marriage and all that… It does work, right?” Ellie was obviously working through some old ghosts with her question.

Jim smiled and then turned to look down the aisle at the beautiful woman waiting for him on the bride’s side. “It’s work, but it’s worth it. Every last moment of it, I swear.”

Ellie followed his gaze and saw the woman smiling back at them, admiring a lot more than the dress she had made. She could see the love between those two very special people, and it helped to ease her worry. But it was all wiped away the moment she found two sets of identical eyes staring back at her from altar. Her daughter was practically vibrating from happiness, and the man who created that beautiful soul with her seemed to match Sasha gesture for gesture, and look for look.

Taking in a deep breath, Ellie took that first step with her father. As they walked proudly down the little aisle, she looked around to find the faces of friends and family everywhere. Knowing Davis was waiting for her at the end of the aisle, Ellie finally knew what real happiness was. She leaned over to whisper in her father’s ear as they reached her groom. “Daddy, do you ever get the feeling that you could really have it all?”

With his heart so full it was overflowing, Jim whispered back, “I do have it all. Everything I could have ever wished for. Sometimes, Princess, you just have to grab that brass ring and hold on with everything you’ve got.”

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