Notes. This piece of fic was inspired by the group Whitesnake's song Here I go again. Yeah... I know, I'm nuts, but that's how my single braincell works (it's true!). This is my first Sentinel story 'ever' (though I've posted two already but I wrote this one first), that means it's my first time so please... be kind <g>. I want to dedicate this one with lots of love to my brother Andy-boy (Andríccoro) "I'm not Worthy, Ohhhhh, Talented One"! And to Suzie, a really great friend. Smile, mi amiga! This one's for you!
Warnings. Spoilers for The Rig (small ones),
Rated PG. for Strong language.
Still unbeta'd exept for grammar, spelling and other stuff by 'The
guilty One'. Without her help this story would really be unreadable.
("Gracias mil, Oh, Madre querida!" ... So, without further ado: here "I" go again (when will I ever learn? I wonder...))
And here I go again on my own
Goin' down the only road I've
ever known
Like a drifter I was born to
walk alone
An' I've made up my mind
I ain't wasting no more time
('Here I go Again', Whitesnake)
A huge sting operation was being prepared and every single police officer at the Major Crimes Division seemed to be excited about it. This particular case had been, as Blair referred to it, 'The case from Hell'. A great deal of tears and blood had painted the pavement before anyone had managed to find a single clue to solving anything. The perpetrators were too good and the crimes, too perfect. It seemed like Destiny had put the good police men and women in Cascade P.D. to a test, and they had barely passed. But they did it, and with flying colors.
Two months and hundreds of misfired bullets later, they had found the bad guys. The nightmare was coming to an end in one humungous, well organized, seize-and-arrest operation, and Jim Ellison wasn't going to miss it.
So, Henri's question was a rhetorical one.
"Jim?" the detective asked again.
"Well, of course I'm going, H!" exclaimed Jim a little irritated, his enhanced senses had been acting up on him and he had the beginnings of a headache. "I want to see those animals put away just like every cop in Cascade! It's just that..." He stopped, rubbing his temples. The Sentinel didn't want his headache to keep him from the immense joy of putting those s.o.bs in jail but he knew he couldn't go hunting if he wasn't 100 percent fit either. Nobody could afford to take any risks on this one.
"What is it? You have no one to take care of Sandburg?" Henri smiled in understanding. "Don't worry about it! Johnson will be controlling the back-up team and he'll keep an eye on the kid. He already offered..."
"Brown!" Jim interrupted, amused. That thought hadn't even crossed his mind. Blair didn't need anyone to 'keep an eye on him', the 'Kid' had been in dozens of similar operations before. And he hadn't been injured THAT often, had he? Not that Jim was for letting Sandburg get hurt, but the young anthropologist had proven, over and over again, that he could manage being in the middle of the action with a clear head and still be useful. He'd done it for more than two years. Hell! Even Simon reluctantly agreed on that one. For Henri to talk about his partner as a five-year-old, after all this time, was odd to hear, even for Jim.
Henri didn't know what was going through Ellison's head, he only saw a myriad of thoughts inside the blue orbs... and something else. "What?" he asked, confused.
Jim, on the other hand, knew exactly what his detective friend was thinking and, as strange as it sounded, he didn't like it. It wasn't normal for him to argue in favor of Sandburg but, this time, he felt he had to. "Come on! It sounds like you're getting him a baby-sitter". The Sentinel vowed for his friend.
"Well, yeah" Henri said casually, like it was perfectly natural. "Jim, you know how the kid gets in trouble all the time, we thought it would be better if we arranged for him to be protected, out of the line of fire, you know? And then this raid, being as important as it is..."
We?, What's this 'We' stuff? "He's not a child, Henri, he's a grown man!" Jim interrupted, still amused. One good thing was coming out of this conversation, the headache was going away.
"I know that..." Henri seemed a little disarmed but he knew he had a point. "And the grown man also attracts random gunfire!" He continued as he put his gun back in it's holster under his arm.
"I know, Blair attracts trouble," Ellison began, trying to reason with his friend. "But he's not helpless, and most of the time he's useful ... I mean, he's done a lot of good things! I certainly wouldn't be here if he hadn't followed me into the lion's den a time or two, and I am the one who usually runs after the bad guys while he stays and calls for back-up!"
"I know that, Man!" Henri flinched. He hadn't missed the 'usually'. "He is a helpful hand, yeah, but still, he's not a cop. I'm not trying to cut Hairboy out of this one because I want to, Ellison, I do it because I care about him!"
The Sentinel clearly understood. Hell! Ellison himself had had the same problem at first! But now, after having Sandburg beside him for so long, he had a different opinion. His friend was quite able to keep his cool even in the worst situations, he'd proven that over and over again, hadn't he? Henri had seen it too! Why was he exaggerating so much?
Ellison leaned forward as he tried to keep reasoning. "I care about him too, man, you know I do! But H, you are overprotecting a guy who's been by my side for years now! I mean, it's okay that he stays in the car, out of harm's way, but a baby-sitter..."
"Sandburg needs to be looked after, Jim" Brown's tone was louder now. The detective had seen Blair in lots of bad situations and was genuinely worried.
"Sandburg can look after himself, Henri," exclaimed Ellison, still calm yet a little more decisive. He didn't want to argue about it but the issue was getting out of proportion.
"Jim," Henri wouldn't give up. "He's a civilian!"
"He's my partner." An icy glare accompanied the statement. That was it. Brown didn't like it but it was clear that the discussion was over.
Jim stood up and grabbed his coat from behind his chair. "And I trust him." he finished.
No argument there.
Fortunately for everyone involved, Blair's classes had run late and he couldn't get to the station on time. He called Jim and they agreed to meet later at the loft, but the earlier conversation with Brown had left Jim thinking. It wasn't the first time such a problem had arisen. Lots of people in the department felt the same way. The fact that his young friend was both a trouble magnet and a civilian, who happened to look like a lost teenager among all those violent detectives, was always problematic.
'But nobody knows Sandburg like I do.' Jim kept thinking.
At first, Captain Banks never allowed Sandburg to be anywhere near the most dangerous situations. Then the kid found ways to get there without permission, and Ellison had to accept that on many of those occasions Blair had been there just in time to save the situation... or his partner's life.
It was true, the hyperactive anthropologist was always more an asset than a liability. The only problem was his safety. Blair had hardly any self-preservation instincts. He would wrestle and tackle Death itself in an instant, disregarding threats to his own earthly existence, if it meant protecting the Sentinel, his friend; and not only him.
Take the rig incident for instance. Sandburg had been free to jump ship and get to safety before the whole place blew up, but he had stayed. He had stayed, risking his life, because he knew innocent people would die if he left. He'd stayed, he'd fought and he hadn't cared.
Jim had been so scared for him then, and so many other times before and after. He couldn't remember how many long lectures he'd given his young friend on Safety and Procedure and Following the Rules. One time he even threatened to break up the partnership for good because he cared so much about Blair. But the young man had disarmed him instantly with his best weapon: words.
'You can't get rid of me that easy, Jim! I'm here because I want to. I've been to hell and back already, and I'm still alive. It's not about your job, man, it's my destiny. Even a civilian's life is too complicated. Face it, Big Guy, if I'm destined to die tomorrow, there's nothing you or anyone else can do to prevent that, Police work or Not.'
Ah!, the kid was right, again! Jim had done everything in his power to make him see things through his "worried Blessed Protector" eyes. No use. Sandburg liked the hard life, and though it seemed that every psycho in cascade and beyond had a tendency to go after Blair, they hadn't succeeded. They hadn't killed him. 'Thank God!'
Jim had seen his partner suffer torture and abuse because of "his "police work, and yet Sandburg was still with him because he wanted to. That made him feel very lucky. No matter how ugly things got, the pair always found a way to survive, together: Guide and Sentinel. After years of partnership Jim had learned a valuable lesson: nobody could change the future just as no one could take out Blair Sandburg before his time.
'I'm here because I want to'. Who could argue with that? The kid's soul was untouchable. He was alive and well and, most importantly, he was happy.
The boy was a man. He made his own decisions. Ellison knew it. But how to let the others know?
The question still ringed in his
sensitive ears long after the historic, humungous operation was over.
A strong, loud voice was heard all over the building as a huge, furious mass of muscle stormed down the corridor. Many pairs of eyes turned to see who was disturbing the peace... and quickly turned back again. Bad news.
The big ugly form screamed in anger once more:
"Sandburg! I'm going to kill you!"
Some good souls said a small prayer
for the unfortunate 'Sandburg', whoever it was.
The Sun was about to set in the horizon making large shadows on the grass in the green fields of Rainier University.
Blair Sandburg left his office for the weekend and got his car keys out, more than ready to go home. Tired wasn’t the right word to describe how he felt. Exhausted beyond belief didn’t even come close to it. “One step away from comatose.” He said softly to himself as he walked toward the parking lot. "Time of death?... 6:03 p.m., Doctor Greene... Too bad. Exceedingly handsome boy... Showed a lot of promise... oh well..."
Blair chuckled, his brain cells were acting up on him again. His gaze locked on his shoes, he didn’t want to look up to see where he was going. The lot seemed to be hundreds of miles away. Measuring the remaining distance only took away his energy, so he focused on the grass passing below his feet.
Five days with barely enough sleep, exams, essays, classes, student counseling, meetings, all that PLUS his work at the station had done the young anthropologist no favors. Only his natural hyperactivity and good disposition had helped him get through the ordeal. But his last reserves had been emptied in the final hour and he had run on impulse through the last hundred yards.
Now that the torture was finally over,... Well, over in a way. He still had three exams in the next week, but only one of them was really difficult and even that one wasn't that bad. Blair was a good student, so he tried to forget about it and pushed himself a little more to get home. At this point Sandburg could only think of one thing: his bed.
The kid’s only goal in life, right then, was to get home, into bed and sleep. Sleep like a baby. Sleep for hours and hours. Just sleep. Easy, right?
Of course not. Things are never as easy as they seem in Sandburg Land.
A dark shadow crossed Blair’s path, interrupting his daydreaming.
“Professor Sandburg,” said the voice.
One might think that it was obviously one of his students, but the sarcastic, disrespectful tone in which the voice had said: ‘professor’ gave him away. It wasn’t a student. It was bad news: Buzz Blane, a classmate, a bully and a pain in the ass.
‘Oh, Man!’ Whined Sandburg, silently as he continued walking without looking up. ‘Why now, God?, Why?’. Blair wanted to get home, badly. “Not now, I’m in a hurry,” he said tiredly and without looking up. He wished he could go faster but the energy just wasn’t there.
“Professor Sandburg!” said the bully again, this time grabbing Blair by the backpack forcing him to stop. “I’m talking to you!”
‘Shit!’ was the mental whine again. Reluctantly, he looked up... to immediately regret it. A seven foot wide, steroid-filled fist was right in front of his face. 'Yikes!' Good thing he didn’t have his glasses on.
“What?” asked Blair in a flat tone, pretending not to be impressed. He was really getting tired of dealing with this bozo but the fact was... the man was BIG.
“I want an explanation, professor” said Buzz menacingly. “I’m not happy, right now!”
“Sorry to hear that.” said Blair, still tiredly. “Can’t we talk about this tomorrow?”
“I don’t like it,...” Buzz grabbed Sandburg by the collar, and brought him closer to his own face. “...when people don’t pay attention to what I say, ‘professor’!”
He wanted to sound fearsome but Blair had been in the company of crooks and criminals a lot, lately. Besides, he was too tired to rationalize the possibility of being Sandburg-pudding in a few seconds. No, this beer-based-carbon-life-form didn’t scare him that much at this point, ‘it’ only annoyed him greatly.
The ‘professor’ took a deep breath and looked straight at his attacker with icy blue eyes as he spoke. “Any idea when you’ll be getting to the point, Buzz?” Blair replied. He was doing a great job looking unimpressed. “I have things to do.”
The bully lifted the anthropologist a few inches off the ground as he yelled. “My sources tell me, Anita has been visiting you in that dungeon you have for an office!”
Sandburg winced at the pressure but kept his cool. “So?”
“So?” A frustrated look covered Buzz's face in a flash. “What do you mean ‘So’?" he shouted angrily.
‘Great, Sandburg, piss him off, make him hit you. Maybe then you'll get some sleep’ The thought came into his mind as he realized he was doing it again. Talking back to the bad guy. That habit usually got him into serious trouble, badly hurt or just a little damaged, but the kid still did it. He couldn't help it, it was like a natural reaction. Bad ass people tended to drive him mad.
Blane went on yelling. “I know how you use your ‘professor’ status to get girls! I ain’t stupid, you know?”
Blair bit back a retort. ‘Shut up, Sandburg!’
Buzz continued as he lifted Blair
a little more. “She isn't free for a worm like you to even look at! She's
mine, you can't touch her, talk to her or even think about her! You understand,
professor?”
Now, the threat was right there,
implicit. The bully was big and strong and he certainly had lots of experience
beating people up. But the collar his huge hands were grabbing belonged
to Blair Sandburg. A Neo-Hippie Flower child for whom school fights were
no strangers. Blair had fought his way to class more times than he could
remember. Sometimes because he was smaller than average, sometimes because
of his way of life, his words, his clothes, his mother... the boy had been
abused by bigger and uglier bullies than Buzz dozens of times. He really
wasn't scared, he didn't have the energy. He was exhausted and he wanted
to go home.
So he took it easy, trying to get out of this one fast and painlessly. He grabbed Blane’s wrist with his free hand and looked at him in the eye. “Listen, man.” He used his soothing guide-voice, the very same he had developed to help Jim with his enhanced senses. “I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about.”
Buzz's eyes burned with fury. Sandburg continued quickly. “I get dozens of student visits every day, maybe a hundred, just today, and I never saw her! Honest!” He added a lost puppy look then, to make his point. “I don't even remember some of the stuff I did this week... But listen, if you tell her not to come anymore...”
“I don't have to tell her anything, ‘professor'!” So the look didn't work. ‘Rats!’
The big boy brought Blair’s face even closer. “She belongs to me and that's it! I don't want to see her around you or your office... not in this lifetime, get it?”
Now, If it had been a student, then Sandburg could have failed him, but unfortunately he wasn't... he was a huge classmate with bull-biceps. No help there.
“Get it?” He asked again.
‘Could it be?’ Hope began
to surface in the anthro’s young tired mind. ‘Could it be that he's
about to let me off with a warning?’ A mental smile threatened to make
way to his lips but Blair knew better. He kept a stern look and spoke softly.
“I get it.”
For a second, Buzz debated whether to believe the words or not. Then the moment passed and Blair knew he was off the hook. “Good!” he concluded. The matter was over.
The bully let him go and turned to walk away. Blair thanked all the Anthropologist's Gods, silently, as the possibility of sleeping ‘till noon, returned to his immediate future.
Blane disappeared into the depths of the Campus. There was no one around, so there had been no witnesses. That was good, though it could have turned out bad... But enough of that! He was too tired.
Sandburg fixed his collar with a loud sigh, and smiled as he made his way to his car.
Buzz was such an idiot! His strength was proportional to his lack of common sense. Blair thought about it: How the man had made it out of college and into grad school was beyond him, but the kid didn't want to explore that mystery now, he wanted to go to bed.
'And who the hell is Anita?'
Blair did sleep 'till noon and then a little more. On that bright Saturday morning neither Guide nor Sentinel had to work, but they were also equally exhausted. A couple of days off were just what the doctor ordered and the pair took this medicine without complaint.
Jim got up earlier and found his roommate still snoring, so he got the paper and sat to watch a football game, silently as only a Sentinel could. He had a light lunch prepared for when the young man came back to the land of the living and an entire afternoon of NOTHING planned. Sit and vegetate, that's the 90's way! Although Jim's body was in complete serenity, his mind wasn't as relaxed. He hated to admit it but the conversation with Henri Brown had upset him a lot more than he had expected. Why? That's what he couldn't figure out.
If he'd had that particular discussion
a year ago, he would have put the leash on Sandburg's neck himself, but
last night... something had felt different. Jim didn't have a clue what
it was, but something had upset him too much. Like he suddenly realized
that people looked at Blair as kindergarten material and him as Blair's
nanny. That wasn't right! Blair was way over 21. He was old
enough to be a father himself, why was it that difficult to see him as
an adult. Was it the long hair, the clothes, the attitude? What?
He sat there, half watching the game, half lost in hard thought, until a loud yawn brought him back to reality.
"Morning" Said a half awake, feet dragging Sandburg.
"Afternoon's more like it, Chief," teased Jim as he pointed to the kitchen. "There's coffee and breakfast, or should I say dinner?"
"Oh, give it a rest, Jim!" Blair yawned again pouring coffee in his favorite mug. "I could go back to sleep 'till tomorrow. My neck is sore from all the desk work and my body in general is yelling at me. And that's just for starters, I do not want to see another classroom again... ever!"
"That bad, huh?" empathized The Sentinel.
"You have no idea." Blair sat down on the couch and took a section of the paper. "So, what's new around the planet, Clark Kent?"
"A workless weekend, Chief. That's all you need to know." Jim smiled at his young friend.
"Cool." The anthropologist smiled back. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
A workless weekend it was. Well, not entirely. Blair still
had to study for his exams but even that he could do in peace. Without
the past week's load of pressure he was able to put the books down at an
acceptable hour. After lunch he decided to forget about school and drown
himself in fantasy. It would have been easy... had it not been Sandburg
Land.
"Out with it, Ellison!"
"What?"
Blair had been sitting in the living room, a big science fiction novel on his lap. He'd been trying to read for the past hour but a nagging feeling on the back of his neck wouldn't let him. He couldn't place the origin of the feeling until he started to observe Jim. Sitting outside on the balcony, his roommate was absently watching the afternoon's blue sky, the beer he was holding long forgotten, clenched jaw, blue eyes drowned in thought.
Blair sighed, a twinge of worry settling in his gut. Something was going on and Jim wouldn't share. So what else is new?
The ex-ranger never fully let go of his loner-cop ways. He wouldn't ask for help and he wouldn't let people into his little Ellison world. At least not just anyone. But Blair knew how to deal with Captain Ellison, so he turned into his General-Shaman Sandburg persona and became a no nonsense 'give me the facts' guide before he stepped outside.
"Who do you think you're kidding with that beer-holding, horizon-watching attitude? You are worried about something and you are driving me crazy, so out with it!" he ordered.
Jim couldn't do anything but chuckle. He liked Blair when he tried to act like an Ellison, kind of like watching a kid brother emulate you. His guide was very perceptive and his point of view would've been good help if he had something else in his mind, but the current problem wasn't open for discussion with anyone, especially not with Blair. He had to work this thing out by himself, the anthropologist already had enough difficulties with 'belonging' at the station, and this was an old problem, it wouldn't do any good to bring it up again. Unfortunately, Blair wasn't the type to let go, he was his friend and his partner, and he was worried. Ellison knew him well enough to know he'd never give up. So Jim sat there in silence, looking for a decent way to redirect Sandburg's concern.
"Listen, Chief," he tactfully began. "It's nothing to be..."
"No." Blair interrupted.
"No?" asked the Sentinel, surprised.
"No, Jim," continued Blair. "Don't tell me it's nothing, I've been watching you all afternoon. Your face says a lot when you're not trying to mask it, you know?" Anyone else would have gotten his butt kicked right then, but this was Blair.
Rule # 5: No kicking the Guide's butt in the loft.
"I was going to say," Jim continued calmly, "...that this is nothing to be concerned about today. It can wait until Monday!"
"Right!" Blair wouldn't be fooled that easy.
"Sandburg, It's a work thing. I don't want to talk about it!" The loner-cop mode threatened to come back. Jim knew it was a mistake.
"But, Jim..."
"Leave it until Monday, will you, Chief?" Said Jim, back in a softer, thankful tone.
That disarmed Blair. He threw his hands in the air. How could anyone argue with Jim Ellison and win? Thousands of mortals wish they knew.
"'Kay. But just remember, I'm right here." Blair gave up and went back in.
"I will, Chief," smiled Jim.
"And Jim," continued Blair from inside.
"Yeah?"
"Will you stop pondering out there? I want to finish my book!"
Jim smiled to himself. Blair was
right. The worrying could wait until he was faced with the problem again.
This was his weekend off and he'd better enjoy it. God knew it would be
a long while before he saw another one.
"Stay down, Sandburg!" Ellison's shout cut into space as he ran behind a bad guy down the street and into an alley.
Monday morning had welcomed Jim and Blair with a bang! They hadn't finished parking the truck at the station when a loud gunshot had traveled through the air and into Detective Ellison's exceptional hearing. Two minutes later a shoot-out from both sides of the street had turned the entrance to the Cascade Police Department building into a war zone. Jim located one of the shooters and fired. One down, four to go. Then he ran after another one.
"What the hell is this?" Rafe asked crouching behind a police car beside Henri Brown, gun in hand.
"Beats me!" Henri answered. "They just started shooting. I guess it's cop season again!"
"There!" shouted Rafe. bang "Got him! Three to go!"
Brown was looking at something beyond his partner.
"What?"
"Sandburg. He's behind that trash container. I guess Ellison went hunting."
"You think he'll get out of cover?"
"I hope not. We can't get to him without becoming easy targets ourselves."
"There!" Rafe shouted again. Another shooter, dressed in red, was hiding inside a store and threatened to come out.
"Where?"
"He's out... bang ... Missed! Damn!" cursed Rafe, unbecomingly.
"Where is he?" asked Brown turning to scan the street.
"I lost him."
"Well, I see another one, keep an eye on Hairboy, I'll go get'im," he instructed as he prepared to run.
"Okay."
Rafe turned to cover his partner. Then, when Henri was safe again, he turned back to watch Sandburg. Only the anthropologist was gone.
"Shit!" cursed Rafe under his breath.
"Where the hell is that kid?"
That kid was following the shooter in red that Rafe had lost, down the street and into the very same alley Jim had entered before. When Blair saw where the shooter was going, he instantly knew what his partner was in for: Two against one.
So the Guide did exactly what he wasn't supposed to do and didn't stay put. Jim needed him.
Blair followed the man in red hiding behind the parked cars and praying to every deity he'd read about in his studies that the guy wouldn't turn around. As it happened, the guy didn't and Blair found himself in the right spot once again.
The alley was empty except for Jim and the shooter he'd been following, who was already unarmed and clearly attempting to go over the wall that made this place a dead end. The guy in red came from behind and pointed his Uzi at Jim.
"Stop it right there!" The man in red shouted. Jim froze, assessing the situation. The other shooter quit his attempt to escape when he saw the odds change in his favor and climbed back down.
Jim flinched.
The guy in red flinched.
Jim lowered his weapon, still trying to come up with something.
The guy in red had no intention of giving Jim any time to think. He prepared to fire... He aimed...
...and a long haired anthropologist knocked the Uzi from his hands with a large piece of wood. (Those things are everywhere when you need them, especially in dark alleys.)
Ellison took this opportunity to knock the other assailant senseless while Blair used the piece of wood on the head of a very confused ex-shooter in red. Both bad guys went out cold.
"Wheew!" said Jim, regaining his balance. "Good timing, Chief!"
Blair only nodded, he was trying to catch his breath.
"You followed this scum?" asked Jim, cuffing the man in red behind his back.
"Uhhuh," nodded Blair. "Somebody had to.... He was.. full of bad vibes!"
"Right." Jim cuffed the other man before turning into mother hen. "Didn't I tell you to stay down?"
"Yeah." Blair was starting to breath properly again
"And?"
"I did!" replied a composed Blair with an innocent grin. "I crouched all the way over here!"
Jim wanted to laugh but he knew better. The things this kid would come up with! "Chief," he insisted, "...one of these days..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know... don't lecture me man, I haven't had coffee yet."
"Right!" Jim knew when to let it go. "Uh, Blair?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks partner!"
"No problem, big guy."
Brown and Rafe arrived running to the alley. A couple of men in blue were already taking the two shooters into custody and Jim was examining the guy in red's Uzi. Blair was by his side, leaning against the wall.
"Are you okay, Hairboy?" were Henri's first words.
"Sure." replied Blair.
"You need an ambulance?" asked a breathless Rafe in turn.
"No! Why?" Blair was getting the old overprotective-cops-in-the-house vibe... again.
"We lost sight of you for a minute there," answered Rafe, checking Blair over as he spoke. The kid didn't seem to have anything broken, no bullet holes, no blood. Good!
"Hey, guys. I'm fine! Those two have bruises and bumps, why don't you go check them out?" He teased, pointing at the two arrested felons.
"Very funny, Hairboy!" replied Brown, annoyed. "What if he had shot at you? What if Jim hadn't been here to stop..."
"Actually" came a familiar Sentinel voice behind him. "Blair was the one who stopped them."
A big smile adorned the kid's handsome face.
"What?" exclaimed Rafe and Brown in unison.
"He stopped that ugly one," he said playfully, still checking the Uzi, referring to the guy in red. "...from shooting me dead."
"How?"
"With great force" finished Blair, not wanting to go into detail. He knew he was a civilian and the last thing he wanted was a review of the 'Stay-Down' rule. "I don't know about you guys, but I need some caffeine." He tried to change the subject as he started towards the station.
Jim suddenly felt the pangs of four accusing eyes right on him. He looked up to find Rafe and Brown scolding him in silence. Shit! What was this? A conspiracy? The kid WAS telling the truth! Now it was Jim's fault? Jeez!
Brown stopped the fleeing Blair by the arm. "Hairboy!"
"Henri?" there it was. The lost puppy look. Damn, that kid was good!
"Don't you go doing it again!" Brown ordered with a serious look.
"No, Sir!" Blair answered with another serious look.
Of course, no one in the alley believed
him.
A dozen curious ears turned to
the biggest office in Cascade PD's Major Crimes Division. The stormy weather
started inside and, quickly, everyone found something else to do.
"Damn it, Jim! What in the world is going on with all of you?"
"Well, Si..."
"Don't talk to me, Ellison." Captain Simon Banks paced his office floor trying to stay focused. "You know why I'm so pissed off?... First, I get the usual 'Sandburg got too close' report again... No injuries? Both of you are fine?" He suddenly asked, changing his tone.
Jim nodded.
"Good!" Banks resumed the yelling. "Then, I get this strange visit from two of my best detectives, I believe you know who they are?" He went on without waiting for an answer. "And they have the nerve to come and bother me with the oldest issue in this department: Blair Sandburg's safety. Strange topic for a Monday morning I might add. Are you following?"
"Yes Sir." Said a reluctant Sentinel. He had expected this moment to come since the day of the argument What could he do?
Simon kept pacing. "I'm not happy with this, Ellison. I don't want this issue to come up again, especially now that the Chief is reviewing our behavior as a group. The man has been all over MY UNIT for the past week, breathing down my neck just looking for the slightest mistake... and I hate that!" Banks stopped to look at Jim's blue eyes. Ellison stood still and faced forward, this felt just like his days as a Ranger, another 'straight and no nonsense' superior officer reprimand. He almost answered with the "Sir, Yes Sir!" he hated so much as a trainee.
Simon went on, unaware. "How would you like it if the Chief suddenly decided to review and reform the department rule book? The first thing he would 'reform' would be your highly irregular partnership with a civilian? Good bye Sandburg! Would you like that?" He asked needlessly.
"No Sir. I wouldn't" Said Jim quickly, as he felt an odd 'sharp little pain' in his gut. 'Fear'?
"Now, I don't want to have to put a continuous backup team on you two because of your partner, is that clear?" Banks continued. He was on a roll now.
"Yes, Si..."
"And, although I almost 'like' the kid, I wouldn't have a problem keeping him INSIDE the office while he does his 'research'. That means, grounding The Subject of his research inside the office as well. Are you paying attention, detective?" He said as he stopped pacing to look into Jim's sensitive eyes.
Oh, that was low!.
"Yes, Sir..."
"So, you WILL keep your shadow safely away from harm until the Chief gets off my back and then,.... do you know what's going to happen next?" Banks insisted with what he knew was his scariest stare.
"No, Sir."
"You are going to continue keeping him away from harm's way until HELL...FREEZES...OVER!" Simon finished, accentuating each word with his cold... cooold look. "Any questions?"
"Just one."
Jim Ellison was either incredibly brave, or he'd been hit on the head one too many times.
Simon leaned against his desk and crossed his arms, dangerously. "What?"
"What happens if 'harm' finds him... as usual?" Jim asked, not impressed with Simon's stare. He'd been in the company of worse looking creatures in the jungle.
Captain Banks leaned quietly against the desk... his face unreadable... his arms crossed. He said nothing.
Jim waited patiently with his arms crossed as well.
Simon stood up straight again and reached for a cigar from his pocket. He looked at his detective once more before ending the meeting.
"Pray, Ellison. For both your sakes, pray."
The battle was over. The Sentinel
knew he had lost.
Jim didn't know it but, just as he was losing his battle, another one was being fought inside the coffee room, and it wasn't pretty.
"What?" Blair asked, confused and angry. He absolutely hated it when people started getting overprotective with him. For God's sake, he had been in worse jungles than this one with far more dangerous animals loose around. Why did this have to happen on a Monday?
"I said..." Rafe repeated. "You are going to use a Kevlar bullet-proof vest while you are on duty with Ellison."
"Yeah," Brown confirmed. "We already cleared it with the Captain. It's a precaution, Sandburg. You have to understand."
"I don't believe you, guys!" Blair exclaimed, feeling adrenaline, and something else, building fast inside his chest. "Why?"
Of course he knew the answer, but if he kept talking maybe he could think of something to calm these two down.
"Hairboy" Henri started, softening his voice. "It's for your own good, kid. You get it trouble too easily and, well,... Ellison doesn't..."
"What?" The young man flinched at the implicit accusation. What ABOUT Ellison?
"Oh, well..." Brown tried to change the subject. "The point is that..."
"No. No, no. WHAT about Jim?" Blair wasn't about to let it go. It was his best friend they were talking about, not to mention his partner. He was absolutely not going to let this thing fall on him.
"Well, Blair." Rafe picked it up, unsure. "Lately, we've all noticed that,... well..."
"Ellison doesn't seem to care about it." Brown finished abruptly.
Sandburg couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Excuse me?"
"Calm down, Hairboy. I'm sure he cares," Brown tried to reason. "He just... well, he doesn't do anything about it anymore. He has gotten careless, you know... like he's not really interested in your safety, Blair. He's even left you unprotected, even though you tend to get in the line of fire... He doesn't watch you to protect you, he acts as if you were a real cop, trained to defend yourself and all that. And we all know you are not...."
"Oh, man!" Blair finally exploded. "I don't believe you!" He felt the anger flushing his face. Let them say anything they wanted about him but they should never... ever... talk like that about Jim. He knew how much his friend worried about him. He knew it. Blair was fully aware of how difficult it was for Jim to trust his partner. How painful it was for him when things went wrong and Blair got hurt, how guilty Jim always felt, even if it wasn't his fault. The young man would never forget the dozens of sleepless nights Jim had spent beside him in a hospital room, or taking care of him at home, or just holding vigil... looking after the young, inexperienced anthropologist who had trouble fighting away the nightmares. He knew it. Blair did know it. What did Brown and Rafe know? What did anyone know?
"Oh, man!" He repeated waving his arms and walking around the little room. He couldn't bring himself to say anything else, he was furious.
"Hairboy" Brown said softly. "We understand what you're feeling..."
"Understand?" Blair couldn't take it anymore. "How in the world can you understand?" The young man ran his hands through his hair as he tried to summon the right words. "My God, Brown, how can you say that?"
"Blair, I..." Henri tried to talk.
"Do you know how Jim feels? Have you ever asked him?" Sandburg suddenly asked.
"I know that he's concerned about you, just not as much as he should..."
"Henri" Rafe interrupted. "Maybe we shouldn't..."
"Yeah, that's right, Rafe, you shouldn't! You shouldn't say anything about Jim because he is the one who worries the most, and I feel really lousy about it. I wish he wouldn't do it, I wish I were a different man sometimes... I wish I were taller... I wish..." Blair's voice trailed off with thought, his emptiness filled the space between him and his friends and grew along with his anger. How could they possibly understand?
Rafe's heart sank. He'd never intended to hurt his friend and he tried to come up with something to make it right Nothing came to mind.
Henri tried to reason with the kid again, this wasn't going the way he'd planned it either. "Believe me, Blair, I've been there. I know..."
Blair blazed with fury again. "You know?" He exploded once more. "You've been there?" How could he say that?
Rafe tried to intervene. "Blair..."
"Tell me Henri, have you ever been accused of being nothing BUT a liability?" Blair interrupted. He was really burning now. "Have you?"
"No, but..."
"Have you ever been ridiculed in front of everyone in the department, just because of your size, your appearance?" Blair went on, enraged. "Have you ever found it difficult to make people listen when you knew you had something important to say? Did anyone ever look at you and then just ignore you, when they came inside the office? Have you ever been put down and humiliated, just because you weren't what they expected?" He stopped to stare at the two officers, they were speechless.
"Have you ever been attacked first, because you were the weakest?... Do you know how it feels to be labeled?... How it feels to find yourself depending on your partner because he's stronger and taller?" Blair continued lowering his voice and increasing the fire in his blue eyes. "Do you have any idea, how it feels to be treated like a defenseless child, no matter how many times you have proven to be a man?"
Rafe and Henri were silent. Their eyes wide open. They had never seen this side of Sandburg and they were too surprised to talk.
Blair lowered his voice even more, the words now sounded painful and sad. "Have you... ever been scared? Scared of becoming what everyone expects of you? Scared to think that your partner risks his own life to protect you when he doesn't have to? Scared to death of the day he gets hurt or killed because he couldn't rely on you? Because they thought you weren't strong enough? Because everyone thought you couldn't handle it? Have you, Henri? Have You, Rafe?"
They stayed silent. They young man had never spoken like that and, although they imagined it, they had never heard Blair expose his fears to anyone. Not even Jim. Not that way, anyhow.
Blair was almost whispering now, and his voice reflected all the frustration and anger he had stored inside. "Have you ever felt too unworthy to be your best friend's partner? Unable to do anything about it? Have you ever gone through life alone because nobody will go with you? Because nobody thinks you are going to survive it? Have you?"
More silence.
"I didn't think so." Blair finished. His eyes were bright with fury, he was breathing hard and fast, and he felt all of his emotions crowding inside his heart. He couldn't remember where all this had started but he felt he was about to lose it, so he did what he always did in situations like this. He walked out.
The door slammed shut and silence filled the empty space Blair had just vacated.
"Man!" Exclaimed Rafe, after a few seconds. "He really took it the wrong way!"
"I don't know, partner." Henri said thoughtfully, scratching his chin, "Maybe he needs more protection than we first thought."
"Maybe." Rafe repeated. "But then again, my friend... maybe we have overreacted just a little bit."
"I don't think so." Brown said. "But one thing's for sure: We can't leave it like this. We have to talk to him."
"Yeah" Rafe agreed."But let's let him cool off first." However, the cloud of doubt had settled in the small room and both cops knew their case was falling apart.
"Where is Sandburg?" Asked Jim in a worried tone. Although he hadn't heard anything about the scene at the coffee room, his sixth sense was yelling at him. Something was wrong.
"I saw him leave in a hurry about ten minutes ago." Joel Taggart said, wondering why Jim had that worried look in his eyes.
"Where did he go?" Jim was confused. Blair seldom left without telling him.
"I don't know, he didn't say." Joel answered.
Jim clenched his jaw. Something inside his gut... something... a feeling he couldn't define, was bothering him. He knew it wasn't because of what Simon had said, that conversation was old. It was something else and Ellison knew it had to do with his Guide. But what?... What?...
"What is it, Jim?, Is there anything I can do?"" Taggart's concerned looked matched the one in Jim's face. The Sentinel felt a surge of affection for his friend, he was always there when he was needed.
"I'm... not sure, Joel." Jim answered simply. "It's just a feeling."
Something caught his attention in the corridor, Brown and Rafe hurried to the elevator. They were up to something. Jim cocked his head and opened his enhanced hearing to find out what it was, unaware that Joel was still waiting for a straight answer.
<<"What are we going to do, H?>> Rafe's voice sounded nervous.
Brown's strong voice sounded even more nervous, irritated perhaps. <<"We better look for him before Jim finds out. He's really dangerous when Sandburg's feelings are hurt... I think, maybe I was out of line about what I said...">>
They got inside the elevator and the doors closed. Jim turned up his hearing a bit more.
<<Oh, yeah! Why did you tell him we'd already cleared the vest thing with the Captain? You remember what Banks said this morning...>> Rafe's concerned voice sounded again.
<<I know what he said, Rafe. But how would you make Blair listen then?>> Came Henri's angry reply.
Rafe sighed nervously, his partner was right. <<It was never going to stick>> He finally said.
<<It's not the problem right now, is it?>> Brown continued, annoyed. <<We have to find him!>>
A short silence followed.
<<"You think he went home?">> He heard Rafe's clear voice again.
<<"I don't know, I don't think so, he looked pretty angry. Maybe he went to the U. We should start there.">> Brown said and Jim could almost feel the guilt in his voice. Damn!
"Why angry?" Jim asked out loud to no one in particular.
"What, Jim?" Joel looked at his friend, not understanding.
"Oh, Nothing, Taggart" The Sentinel winced at the sudden change of volume and turned his hearing down. "I just... I have to catch up with Brown and Rafe. I'll see you later, ok?"
"Ok." said Joel looking at his old friend leave, still confused. "Whatever you say, Ellison."
The man went back to his desk and thought about it. After a while he dialed Blair's cell phone number. It had been turned off. Something was definitely wrong.
Joel sighed.
"Rafe!, Brown!"
The two detectives turned around in the middle of the parking lot, to find the angry stare of the Sentinel on their faces. 'Oh, no!' Thought Henri. How did he find out so fast?
"Ellison?" Asked Rafe, innocently.
"Don't 'Ellison' me, Rafe!" Jim tried to keep his head straight but he hated it when people played dumb. "What happened in there? What did you tell Sandburg?"
Brown scratched his head. How in the world had he found out?
"We..." Started Rafe. "We don't... I mean we didn't..." He was standing on one foot and then the other, nervously. Jim was so unpredictable when Blair was the topic.
"Let me rephrase that, gentlemen" Jim started again. "What is going on with you two? Why the sudden over-concern for my partner?"
"Ellison" Henri said carefully. He remembered the last time he'd had this conversation. "We were just trying to help. We are only looking out for the boy, that's all. So he stays out of trouble. Jim, I'm actually surprised that you don't see it anymore."
Ellison frowned. What was this? Not see it? Not see what?
Rafe stepped in before he was left out. He had a few thoughts of his own. "Jim, you have to understand. Blair has been hurt too many times. This morning, it was a miracle that he walked out okay from that alley, man, it could have been very different!"
Brown heard his own thoughts repeated and remembered the previous discussion he'd had with Jim. This wasn't the way to handle the issue. "Wait, Rafe..." He started.
His partner ignored him. "We only want what's best for the kid, Jim, you mustn't forget that he's not a cop, he is a civilian, he's not a fully trained fighter. He is not you." He finished, lowering his voice a little.
Henri was in shock.
Jim clenched his jaw. What was Rafe saying?
"He can't look after himself, Jim. He's just a kid." The handsome officer ran his fingers through his hair and then crossed his arms. It was about time someone set things straight.
"Wrong!" Jim whispered.
"I know, I know. He's not actually a 'kid', but he very well could be one. Jim, we all like him, he's like everyone's little brother. We don't want to see him get hurt anymore, he's too important. We don't want to lose him." Rafe was talking like never before and the Sentinel knew he was speaking from the heart.
The anger was suddenly blown off, dispersed by a strong
wind of understanding and affection. Jim felt all warm inside, these two
were truly concerned... Who could blame them? How could they know? They
didn't live with Blair, they didn't really know him. They hadn't seen him
fight against the worst. If only they understood how much of a man the
kid really was.
Jim walked up to a parked car and leaned against it,
trying to figure out how to handle the situation. "Okay," he finally said
to his two friends. "I get your point, guys. I do."
Brown sighed in relief. "Good!"
"But that doesn't mean that I agree... completely." Ellison continued before they got too exited.
Rafe jumped back. "What? Haven't you been listening?"
Jim shot him an icy don't-start-with -me-again look. "I have. Now, You listen!"
He was about to put the facts on the table but the two disturbed faces before him cut his lecture short. What was the point? He couldn't explain in a minute what had taken himself years to learn. They were right, as far as they knew. Let it go, Ellison. You can't win.
Jim let his eyes travel to the horizon, hoping that things would work out in the end. "Just..." He started to say. "Just... give him some credit, will you, guys? You might be surprised."
The two detectives were stunned by the lack of violence. Jim was known all over town for fighting his battles to the end. Had he finally realized he was wrong? Ellison....?
Nah.
"All right, Jim." Henri bowed his head. "But it's not
going to be easy, you know? What if something happens..."
"Let me worry about that, Henri!" Jim interrupted. "He's my partner... and my best friend." The Sentinel put on his shades, began walking over to his car and paused midway. "I've never stopped worrying, you know?" He asked the two officers.
"We know." Brown replied. He did know.
Rafe nodded.
"Okay. Now go set things right with Blair. Do you think whatever you guys fought about can be resolved?" Jim asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah!" Said Rafe, with dread, looking at Henri. Neither of them wanted to discuss that anymore, especially not with Jim. "We can handle it."
"Good. You two go over to the University and I'll look for him in the loft." The Sentinel continued walking toward his vehicle. "But I think it's useless. You never know what Sandburg is going to do when he's mad."
Brown and Rafe exhaled as they walked over to their own car.
"Now, How the Hell did he find out?" Asked an irritated Henri Brown.
"Beats, me." Said, Rafe. "Maybe he heard us."
"Right! From where? Banks' office?" Replied Henri. "Nobody has that good a hearing."
Rafe turned on the engine. "Well, then who could have told him, H?"
Henri put on his shades and didn't answer.
Jim looked in the loft, and called Blair's office and cell phone. Nothing. It didn't surprise him. Once Sandburg was determined to sulk alone, he really did a good job of it.
Why hadn't he come to Jim? Weren't they friends?
Of course, Ellison knew his guide better than anyone. He wouldn't go to Jim. He never did. He fought all his wars alone. Why always alone, Chief? Jim thought, shaking his head. Why?
Of course, Blair always knew his Sentinel was going to be there for him in the end, win or lose. That was the way this friendship worked, that was the way the guide wanted it. If only the kid stopped being so stubborn, he really didn't have to prove anything. If only Jim could make his friend understand it.
He didn't have to prove ANYTHING.
A piece of paper in the refrigerator door caught his Sentinel eye. Blair's class schedule.
A smile played in Jim's mouth. So the kid wasn't childishly sulking after all?
'Great, Ellison! You've been arguing about Blair's maturity all this time and you're the first to misjudge him. Nice! Now, shut up and learn your lesson, soldier!' He thought as his handsome face lighted up with his discovery.
In the schedule, marked with a big red circle was the answer to Sandburg's whereabouts.
<Advanced Egyptology... big test. 5:00 P.M. >
It was 4:50 P.M. and Blair was running through the University's fields. He was so late. It hadn't helped that he took so long to calm down from that afternoon's discussion with Brown and Rafe. In fact his brain was still burning with anger. Who gave those two the right to say Jim didn't care? How could they say that?
But it didn't do any good to think about that now, he
had an exam, and a horrible one it was. Egyptology. Man! Who'd had
the bright idea to invent that ... science? Of all the
difficult things in life... hieroglyphs, mummies, rituals, death... pyramids.
It was an interesting topic, of course. He couldn't call himself a true
anthropologist if he didn't think so, but it was so much information...
so many different symbols and meanings... it was like math. Complicated,
difficult and fascinating... except when there was a test. Tests made the
fascination expire. That's the academic way to obliterate a student's interest.
Exams: another bright idea! Not.
Oh, well. Blair was sure he could pass this one, he'd studied enough, he'd turned up all his papers on time, he'd played nice to the teacher, he'd done everything he could and now the only problem was getting to the test 'on time'. His classroom was still very far away and he only had ten minutes. He ran a little faster.
A big shadow crossed his path and Blair tried to avoid it, but he felt a tight grasp on his arm and he was stopped violently. Blair didn't look up, he didn't have to. The humungous tennis shoes in front of him betrayed his attacker's identity. Blane.
Shit! Thought Sandburg. It can't be!
"Where are you going so fast, Professor? We have to talk!"
Buzz's voice was loud enough to attract a few passing student's attention.
Blair looked up. "I have a test... in fact," He added with a bit of hope, "WE have a test, Buzz. Egyptology, remember? Five O'Clock?"
"I don't have to do any tests, Professor, I have more important things on my mind right now, and you should be worried too." He tightened his grip on Blair's arm until it hurt. "Very worried!"
The anger that had taken Sandburg the best part of the afternoon to push away returned with a vengeance. This was just great! A big mass of brainless muscle was going to ruin the past six months of sleepless nights, drowned in books? Who did this guy think he was?
"Let me go, Blane." He snapped, forgetting the fact that this guy was a mountain. "I don't have the time!"
"Well, you are going to make the time, Sandburg, 'cause I'm not through with you just yet" Blane replied, getting angry. Of all the pitiful worms in the world...
"Yes, you are!" Blair's fury made his blue eyes look fearsome. He just couldn't believe it, why now? Why here?. "Let me go, right now! I have a test and I'm late. I'll deal with you later!" He felt his self-control slipping away.
"You'll deal with me later?" Buzz's strong laughter attracted even more bystanders. Good! Blane loved an audience, especially when he was about to kick butt. "You have to be kidding."
"I'm serious, Blane. I'm so not in the mood." Blair insisted as he literally felt the bully's fingers digging into his skin. "Please, man, be smart. What are you going to do? There's a lot of people around."
Blane laughed again. "Just the way I like it!"
Blair looked at the tower clock. Seven minutes to five.
"Now, Professor" Buzz tightened his grip even more. Sandburg
winced in pain and his fury increased. "About my girlfriend..."
"Now I remember why I didn't hate school so much." Rafe said as they walked on the grass toward Hargrove Hall, the building where Blair's office was located. A brown haired girl in a tight sweater and a miniskirt walked right by them, catching the handsome officer's eye. "You meet a lot of interesting people."
The girl turned her head playfully and smiled at Rafe.
"Thank you, God." The detective sighed.
"Rafe" Brown smiled.
"Huh?" He replied, looking at the girl's figure with a dreamy look in his eyes.
"She's too young!"
"Oh, Henri, Don't kill the moment!" his partner pouted. "You always do that."
"What's that?" Henri changed the subject as he pointed to a small crowd ahead.
Rafe frowned. "I don't know, let's go see."
Still about a hundred steps away, a small hole in the crowd opened to let them see what the show was about.
"It's Sandburg!"
They froze a second before they started running. They
never made it in time.
"I told you I don't have the time!" Blair snapped at Buzz while he tried to free himself from the painful grip.
"And I told you to stay away from Anita!" Came the equally strong demand. "But you didn't listen, did you?"
"Buzz... I don't even know who Anita is!" Blair barked
back. "Let go!" He felt a surge of rage storming inside his veins. This
wasn't right, he didn't have to take this, he didn't have time, and it
was turning ugly.
"Yeah, Right." Buzz was getting very angry too. He was
going to teach this little worm a lesson. "She sure knows who YOU are.
She's been going to your office all week long!"
"Well, It's not my fault!... I see a lot of students!... Now let... me.. go!" The young man couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so uncontrollably furious. His test was about to start and his patience-reserve was about to run out.
"I'll let you go!" Blane really hurt Blair's arm this time as he tried to lift him off his feet. "When I'm done and finished!"
He put up his fist, ready to strike. Sandburg didn't even see it. He was trying to stay focused and failing miserably. Who did this guy think he was? The guide closed his own fist.
"What? You're going to fight back?" Blane laughed, looking around and addressing his audience. "I'd like to see that! What could a weakling worm like you ever do to a guy like me?" He smiled. "You? Of all people?"
Buzz didn't realize the nerve he'd just hit. Blair was literally on fire now, all his emotions surfaced as the frustration, the anger, the unspoken words, and the pressure he'd been recently subjected to, crowded inside him and made their way to his small but very strong closed fist. His blue eyes, bright and transparent, let his opponent see the hurricane of force that was approaching. The signal never got to Buzz's brain. It was too slow.
Bam!
It was over.
All 250 pounds of Buzz Blane came crashing to the ground in a very loud thud just as Brown and Rafe got to the scene of the incident. Sandburg stood there for a second, watching his opponent with a dangerous look in his eyes. His fist was still closed.
The bully was out cold.
Poor Blane. Sandburg slowly felt the pressure diminish and disappear as he realized what had happened. The Bully had been the recipient of Blair's long overdue explosion. He'd just vented his life's frustrations on a sorry idiot who had the misfortune of pushing the right buttons. Poor Blane.
Slowly, Sandburg exhaled and calmed down. The anger was gone. The pain, the agitation... the anxiety. Everything was gone. He took a deep breath, still looking at Buzz's still form. Poor Blane.
"It was about time." A student commented behind him.
Time? The test! He looked at his watch. Four minutes. "Uh," he grabbed the backpack that had fallen to the floor. "I got to go, I have an exam, someone call the infirmary, will ya?" Without turning back he started to run again.
"What do we tell them?" asked another student.
There was no response. The anthropologist was gone.
Rafe and Henri stood there in shock with the huge bully, still knocked out in front of them. They didn't move.
After a few moments, coherent words came back to them.
"Wow!" Exclaimed Rafe.
"Tell me about it!" Replied Brown.
"Evening, Chief!" Jim greeted his friend that night from the couch, "How was your exam?"
"Good... Well, not GOOD... They never are good..." Blair replied throwing his keys to the basket and reaching for a beer in the refrigerator. He grabbed two. "But I'm sure I passed it." He was about to ask Jim how he knew about the test, when he spotted his schedule on the fridge door. Very good, detective. He thought as he passed the other beer to Jim.
He felt SO relaxed.
"Thanks." Jim asked, taking the bottle. "Did Rafe and Brown find you?"
'Oh, no!' The young man groaned mentally. 'I forgot about that.'
He looked at his Sentinel sheepishly and sat down on the couch. "Oh, Jim... I..."
"They said you guys had an argument and that's why you left the station without saying good bye!" Ellison continued, sipping his beer.
'Yeah, Right, Ellison.' Sandburg smiled to
himself. "We did." He answered. "I'm sorry, Jim. I wasn't thinking straight.
I should have called, at least."
"Yeah, you should... but I understand, don't worry... Just don't make a habit of it, okay?" Ellison smiled taking another sip of beer.
Was that that? Blair thought, No 'Let it out, Sandburg?' No 'Let's talk about it, Chief?' Who was this man? What did he do to his partner? He stood up to take his jacket off, it was getting hot.
"Jim?" He decided to press the issue himself. The sooner they got on with it, the sooner he could relax again. "About the argument... I don't know what they told you but it's not a big deal..."
Jim wasn't listening. He was standing up, leaving his bottle of beer on the coffee table and heading straight for his partner, his eyes locked on something.
Blair stepped back instinctively.
"What..." Jim asked sharply. "Is this on your arm, Chief?"
He looked at it. There was an ugly bruise where Buzz had grabbed him and it was turning an ugly purple. As he noticed it, it began to hurt. "Oh, man!"
"Dear, God!, Blair, what happened to you?" The mother hen mode was fully operational now.
"Hey, don't worry about it, Jim. It looks worse than it is." he minimized.
"That's what you think, you aren't observing it with Sentinel eyes, my friend! Who did this to you?" Jim asked, as he carefully inspected the arm, looking for more damage.
"Well... I fought a guy." Blair said, patiently letting his Blessed Protector check out the wound. He smiled. "Poor Blane"
"Blane? That seven foot monster we saw at that football game?" Jim asked, looking at his guide.
"The same. He has issues, man, he's like so in another wavelength." Blair chatted happily.
"I take it, you let him have it?" asked an incredulous Sentinel.
"Well, ... " Blair stepped back to sit on the couch again. "He caught me in a really bad moment."
Jim smiled from ear to ear. "A bad moment?" he asked, heading for the bathroom and coming back a second later with the first-aid kit. He sat down and started treating his Guide's arm.
"I..." Blair took a sip of beer and stared at the night sky through the window. "I was in a hurry... I was late..."
"And?" Jim urged.
"Let's just say I was not in the mood to give him the attention he demanded."
"And?" The Sentinel asked again, smiling even more.
"Well,... he had it coming!" Blair finally exclaimed.
"He sure did, Chief!" Jim laughed, feeling proud of his
friend. He tried to imagine his Guide knocking down that mountain of
a man. Wow! He thought. How I wish Rafe
and Brown had seen that!
After a while, another idea came to his mind. "Chief?" He asked seriously. "They have a point, you know?"
"Rafe and Henri?"
"Yeah. You have been taking too many chances lately." Ellison said, matter of factly. "I think we should calm down for a while. You know... avoid some situations? You stay in the car when I tell you, for a change?"
"Maybe you are right." Blair said, looking out the window again.
"But only so that they calm down, Chief. Only to protect our partnership." Jim continued. "I don't want it to end, you know?... You... you are the best partner I ever had."
Blair turned to look at his friend, eyes wide open. That was a great thing to say, plus... it was exactly what the kid had been needing to hear for a long time. "Thanks, Jim!" He exclaimed. "I mean it."
"I mean it too, Chief." Jim suddenly felt awkward. "Now, I'm going to bed, I'm beat. Don't stay up too late, okay?" He stood up and headed for his room. He wasn't good with moments.
Blair smiled.
Jim's sixth sense was still nagging him. "Sandburg?" he asked from the stairs.
"Yeah?"
He knew it could be a mistake but he couldn't let the kid think he didn't care. "How come you resist protection so much?"
Blair sighed and looked out the window again. "I don't think it would do any good, Jim. I tend to attract trouble, remember? I'll take what comes with no complaint as long as I have to. I told you that before. "
"Why? 'Cause you're here because you want to?" the Sentinel had been listening before, make no mistake.
"Exactly" Answered a tired guide.
"No."
"No?" He asked surprised.
"You're here because you have more good luck than you deserve, kid." Jim replied with another smile.
Blair relaxed. "Okay, that also."
"'nite."
"'nite."
Blair kept looking at the beautiful night.
"Blair? "
"Yeah?"
"I want you to be here too."
"I know."
"I'm glad."
"Me too."
Finis.
*Typos courtesy of Butterfingers INC.
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