Illumination

Bekkah roused Jeff Tracy from his sleep with her phone call. He in turn roused the lawyer he had hired, and together they went down to the police station to bail Brains out. Bekkah waited for them outside of Brains' room.

"Oh, your poor face!" she exclaimed when she saw the bruise that covered half the right side of his face.

"It's okay, Bekkah," he mumbled, his jaw sore and lip swollen. "I'll be okay."

"Rashid will probably press charges," Jeff said wearily. "He'll say he smacked Brains as self-defense."

"Hiram was provoked, Jeff. I can, and will, testify to that," Bekkah said stoutly. "What happened to Rashid? Did they let him go?"

"No. He had some sort of fit when he got to the station. A really violent one. They sedated him and took him to the hospital," Jeff answered. He turned to leave. "Try and get some rest, both of you. I think I may pull us all out of here tomorrow if the law will let me. I'll at least send the boys back with Grandma; she's not much for traveling these days. And I don't like leaving Scott and Virgil without back up for long."

"Okay, Jeff. Good night." The door closed behind Jeff, leaving Bekkah and Brains alone. Brains lay down on his bed, hands behind his head.

"Hiram K. Hackenbacker, man of action," Bekkah quipped.

Brains snorted. "I think I'd better join you for those self-defense classes Scott has been teaching."

"Not a bad idea. I wonder what he would say if he knew you took on someone twice your size."

"He'd probably say I was an idiot and should have just shot him." He smiled lopsidedly, his swollen lip making him grimace instead. The skin split open and it began to bleed.

Bekkah went into the bathroom and came out with a cool, wet cloth. "Here, let me." She sat on the edge of the bed and put gentle pressure on his lip to stop the bleeding. Blue eyes met brown. He reached up to caress her face, and she didn't flinch at his touch. He raised himself up on one elbow, cupped one side of her face in his free hand, and kissed her gently. Once. Twice. He was startled when his third kiss brought an equal reaction from her. One more, and then he tore himself away, shaking his head.

"I can't do this." He got off the bed and began to pace. Bekkah put her fingers to her lips, then brought them away, staring at the spot of blood on them. Why did I do that? she asked herself.

"What's wrong?" she asked, quietly, looking up at him again.

"This is wrong. Here I am, in love with two women, and I can't have either of them!" His frustration was evident in his voice.

"Two....?" Bekkah questioned, confused.

"Yes. Two."

"I knew you were in love with Tin-Tin...." He spun around to face her.

"You did?"

"Yes. It was evident every time you looked at her that you worshiped the ground she walked on. But it was also clear that you didn't think you had a chance against that blond hair and those baby blues."

"I didn't think it was that obvious."

"Well, it was obvious to me. Especially once I started working with you." She hesitated, unsure of what to say next. She was still very surprised by her reaction to Hiram's kiss. It had felt... right.

"Do you mean to say you're in love with me, Hiram? Brains?" She blew out a big breath. "I don't even know what to call you any more. Hiram is an assumed name and Brains is a nickname. What is your real name, anyway?"

"I can't tell you. I don't know it. You might as well call me Brains." He sat down in the chair again, chin in his hands. "Yes, Bekkah, I'm in love with you, too. And I don't have much of a chance against a handsome someone with copper hair who adores your kids." He got up and went to the door, opening it for her.

"I think you'd better go. We both need some rest and neither of us will get any sitting around here tonight."

Numb with shock, Bekkah got up. She handed Brains the washcloth as she left his room. When the door closed behind her, she leaned against it for a moment.

What is wrong with me? I don't understand why I kissed him back, she thought, shaking her head. She pushed off from the door.

"Why am I always the last to know?" she asked aloud before getting the elevator back to her room.