Disclaimer: The characters we all know and love - Jim, Blair, and Simon - aren't mine. Cause if they were, we'd have been watching them last night!!! Anywho! I'll return them when I'm done - VERY dry, thank you.

Notes: This was supposed to be a companion to "Ducks in a Row." I kinda got Moose Bashed - nasty things those moose bashes (said in ridiculous swedish accent) - and this is what came out. No warnings here. This is, after all, my little TS Universe!! Um, Gabby B and Daydreamer, this is a "thanks for the reiminder" kinda thing. It might help to have read "Ducks" and "Sandy Get Your Gun." Any comments: wnnepooh@erols.com

CAPTAIN BANKS to you.

by Wnnepooh

"SANDBURG!"

*What'd I do NOW?* Blair thought to himself, opening his eyes and blearily searching the room for his captain, finding the man standing next to the bed. "Captain Banks..." The pain in his shoulder stopped his attempt to sit up.

"Take it easy, Blair." Simon said with no little concern. Looking over the hospital room, Simon said a quick prayer. Once again, Blair Sandburg, generally mild-mannered anthropologist and police observer, had saved his partner's life. Only this time, he'd done it the hard way. "That shoulder isn't gonna heal overnight." While on another of the pair's unusual cases, Blair had thrown himself at Jim, forcing the man out of the way of a sniper's bullet. A bullet that had found itself embedded in the kid's shoulder. Ellison had been occupied with shooting out the tires on the escaping felons' vehicle. His sight had focused so intently that his hearing had been blocked off. In the few minutes before Blair had passed out, he'd told Jim that he'd seen the sniper's shadow, looked up, and then shoved Jim out of the way. Only his timing wasn't as good as he'd wanted it to be, and Blair had ended up with the hole in his shoulder.

"SIMON?" Blair said with more energy than he really had. Between the pain killers and the lack of solid food, he'd never felt so tired. Sometimes even breathing was enough to weaken him. Then again, it could be the fact that the bullet had damaged the muscles in his shoulder and they'd had to bandage his arm to his side. He looked up at his friend, noting the concern plain on his face. "Captain Banks!"

"Huh? Sorry. Just running through my "to do" list." He smiled, hoping Blair wouldn't pick up on his mood. *Last thing the kid needs is more pressure.* "Speaking of things to do...Here, from Legal." He handed the packet to his young friend and smiled. "You need to fill these out ASAP. I want to make sure the Legal department gets them processed before you're released." As soon as Jim had called in that Blair was down, Simon had decided enough was enough. If the kid was gonna take all the risks as one of his other officers, more sometimes, then the kid was gonna be protected. The minute the doctor had assured them Sandburg was out of danger, Simon had gotten on the phone - to hell with the fact that it was nearly midnight - and called every council member he could, and the mayor as well. If she didn't recall Sandburg's service record, then he'd refresh her memory, gratis!

The anthropologist looked at the documents in the large envelope. Payroll documents, Insurance and Retirement, Background Check authorization? "Simon? What is all this? I've already filled out most of this stuff for my Consultant's position. Why more?" The smile Simon gave him told him not to worry. "What's going on?"

"Well, Sandburg, it's become clear that not only are you a walking, talking trouble magnet, but you're also a threat to MY sanity. Not to mention your partner's." Simon didn't want to tell the kid that during the 6 hours of surgery, Jim had wondered how the hell he'd ever be able to manage a funeral. Banks remembered the comment Ellison had made - it rang clear in his mind, now, even two days after the incident. "It'd be a damn expensive funeral, Simon." Jim had said casually. "If I ever have to burry Blair, YOU'd end up burying me too. Cause I'm just not that strong, Simon."

"SIMON!" Blair called out, reaching his free right hand towards the man. "You're getting as bad as Jim, man. You got a secret too?"

"Yeah, Sandburg." Simon smirked. "I'm Immortal." When he saw his young friend smile, he pulled up the chair and sat, removing his over coat. "Look, Blair. It's become very clear that no matter what happens to Jim, you're gonna be there. And I don't want to see anything happen to you that, well, that maybe Jim couldn't handle. Or you for that matter. Jim let it slip the other night, when you were in the OR, that the University had started charging you for your insurance. It only reinforces the issues at hand."

"And those are?"

"Detective Ellison works nearly 65 hours a week, more sometimes when he's on stakeouts. And you're usually right there with him. I've checked your reports, too. You've logged as much time in training classes and workshops as the rest of Major Crimes. And that doesn't even cover the couple classes you've GIVEN on observation techniques. I never realized how much Criminology and Anthropology overlap."

The two chuckled at that. After all, Blair had commented to Jim on that very fact - "Hey, part of your job is going into a scene and figuring out what happened. So is mine!"

"Go on, Simon." Blair said, searching for a pen.

Banks reached into his pocket and handed Blair his lucky pen, then continued. "It has been brought to the attention of the City Council and the Mayor that even though you haven't completed Academy Training, you've earned more citations and commendations than most veterans on the force. And," Simon said with a smile, watching his friend feverishly completing the documents. "There are plenty of departments that do NOT require academy training to get a badge. Add to that the fact that you benefit the entire Major Crimes department, and not just one Detective James Ellison, the recommendation has been made for you to become a duly sworn officer in the employ of the Cascade Police Department."

Blair stopped in the middle of his own signature. "On Officer? ME?" Sure he'd thought of it, but he'd never really thought it would happen. He'd even toyed with letting Jim sign him up for the Academy during summer semester at Rainier. But he never seemed to get up enough courage to actually do it. And it wasn't really the hair thing anymore - well, not entirely - he was more afraid of changing the friendship. By getting a badge, Sandburg was afraid it would affect the way Jim related to him, as well as how others would see him at the precinct. *And I don't even want to think about NAOMI!!!*

Simon sensed the fear and trepidation in the man's voice. "Look, Blair. I've had it with the unofficial status cause I'm sick of UNOFFICIALLY sitting in emergency rooms." The two were suddenly quiet, the bald truth of that statement settling between them.

Sandburg thought on that, then finished signing the documents. He looked over the Insurance paper - noting that he'd actually put Jim in as the emergency family contact. *Force of habit? Or Freudian slip.* Deciding it was neither and both, Blair placed Jim's name in as beneficiary on the Life Insurance. Grabbing some of the other papers, he filled in the Retirement papers the same way. After all, he'd done the same thing with his University paperwork. Should anything serious happen, Blair knew one James Ellison would be very well off. That's why Rainier had started charging him more than normal. Blair had increased his coverage, including an extra life insurance policy to split between Naomi and Jim. Both would be taken care of, at least financially. *Mentally would be another story.* Blair didn't know if all the money in the world would help him if anything happened to Jim. JIM! Wetting his lips, Sandburg posed the question. "Simon. What does Jim think?"

"Well," came Jim's voice from the doorway. "I think you should ask ME, that."

"You look like hell, Jim."

Trust his best friend to be able to tell him HE looked horrible. Thanks." Jim knew what Blair was getting to. "No, I haven't eaten a thing since they brought you in. I haven't showered or shaved..."

"Yeah, right." And he smiled at Jim's obviously hurried attempt at shaving that morning. "I know better. You've probably eaten at Wonderburger for every meal..." Jim shook his head, laughing. "Oh, except for breakfast from the Panda House down the street."

"I said it before, Chief. Scrambled eggs or egg foo yung. It's all the same." Coming around to the other side of the bed, Jim sat on the edge and looked over the numerous tubes, wires, and machines that let him know Blair was doing very well. The sight of the bandage restricting his left arm brought back memories of the other night's events. "You doing okay?" he asked, attempting to pick up a couple of the completed documents. Blair's quick grab let Jim know the kid was feeling better.

The grunt of pain afterward, let him know that Blair thought he was feeling better than he actually was, though. "Take it easy, Chief. That hole in your shoulder isn't gonna heal overnight."

Simon sat back and chuckled. "I think I already told you that once, Officer Sandburg."

Seeing Jim smile, Blair knew that he'd probably been as much behind this as Simon had. "Officer? I'm just an officer?"

"Getting picky, there, aren't ya?" Jim joked.

Simon leaned forward, collecting the papers Blair had stacked neatly. "You keep up the good work, get through the probation, and we'll see about getting you a gold shield too."

"Probation?" Blair whined, handing over the last of the documents. "How long is that?"

"Same as any other candidate for Detective - 90 days." Jim smiled at the serious look on his partner's face. "Don't worry, Chief. I'll be right there with you." He looked to Simon, who was putting on his coat, smoothing out the wrinkles, and searching the pockets for his cigar case. "You need me for anything else today?"

Settling a favorite smoke between his teeth, he smiled. "Your paperwork done?"

"I brought it with me," Jim started, then looked at Blair. "I needed to get my partner's signature on it."

"Well," and the Captain smiled. "Don't tire him out, too much. Blair," and the two men locked gazes. "I'll get this processed ASAP. You just relax. It's not gonna change you - or us. You're still part of the team." His smile turned up sharply. "It does mean one very important thing, though."

"Sir?" Jim and Blair said at once.

"You HAVE to call me Captain, now."

The laughter filled the room.

"I'm serious, Sandburg!" Simon said one last time, emphasizing his point with his finger. When the two men laughed even more, Simon joined them. "Get some rest, Blair. And let me take care of this. I'll check back later."

"Later," Blair said as Simon turned to leave. "Captain Banks." The smile was enough, and Blair leaned back into the pillows Jim had propped up for him. "Jim."

"Yeah, Chief?"

"Never mind." Blair said, swallowing hard.

Jim heard the kid's - *Gotta remember not to call him that anymore...* - Officer Sandburg's heartrate climb significantly. "Relax, Blair."

"Hmmmph." Shaking his head, Blair pinched the bridge of his nose trying to process the turn of events. *Like I can really relax NOW!*

"Uhm, Blair."

"Yeah, Jim?"

Two pair of crystal blue eyes met. "Thanks." Clearing his throat, Jim continued. " For being there."

"No thanks necessary, man." And Blair smiled. "I was just doing what I'm supposed to..."

"As my partner and Shaman?" Jim asked, thinking maybe his friend had figured out something more to their unusual relationship.

"Nah, man. As your friend."

~Finis~