Wow! I can't believe I've finally got this monster posted. It is the first story I've ever written (outside of school courses) and it took me forever to finish it.
I have to thank Sue Pokorny for giving me invaluable help and being my Beta. She definitely helped fine tune this story. I also have to thank EJKatz who encouraged me practically from the beginning to keep writing when I wanted to give up.
This story would not have made it without their help.
Unfortunately, I don't own them. They belong to Pet Fly and Paramount. No copyright infringement is intended.
The story itself belongs to me and permission is given to Wolfpup's Den to archive.
Rating: R. Violence, angst and maybe a little tiny bit of mildly coarse language.
Feedback is always welcome: paulineanderson@nf.sympatico.ca
About Me: My name is Pauline and I am a 31 year old first time writer. I am definitely not a writer, but really wanted to get my own version of how I wanted 'The Sentinel' to proceed after the finale. Even though it was a lot of work, I really enjoyed the process of writing this story and I hope people enjoy reading it.
Pauline A.
CHAPTER ONE
9:00 am -- Somewhere in Cascade
Mitchell Strand wanted to reach across the seat of his Ford truck and slap the grin off his cousin's face. The kid was getting more annoying as each day passed. Here he was trying to put his plan into play and the idiot he was cursed to be related to, was repeatedly tapping his hands on his legs to a beat only he could hear, and was now telling him to 'chill out and relax Cuz, everything's gonna be OK'. The only reason Freddy was even involved was because the sneak eavesdroped on him and the guys as they were making their plans.
Strand was an ex-con who was just fed up with not getting what he wanted. He thought that after the life he had, he should have everything handed to him on a silver platter. He got out of the 'joint' five months ago and against his better judgement, tried to lead an 'honest' life but it just wasn't for him. He couldn't stand sucking up to anyone and if he had to be pleasant to one more idiot just because he happened to be his boss, he would go insane. He should have known not to expect much, after all he was born to an alcoholic mother who drank herself to death when he was four, and a father who decided that he'd use Mitchell for batting practice. After leaving home (if that's what you could even call it) at the age of thirteen, he lived on the street and joined a street gang called the 'Spades'. It was only at that point that life began for him. The Spades were his family and they took care of each other.
He'd been in and out of 'juvie' for small crimes like shoplifting and petty theft. As the years went by, the crimes began to get bigger and more elaborate as he started using his head and planning his crimes more carefully so that he wouldn't be caught. He had been successful at it until eight years ago.
It was a stupid mistake when he thought back on it. He let his emotions get the better of him and that is what got him in trouble. He fell for a girl that turned on him and squealed to the cops. That little mistake cost him seven years of his life in jail. One of the first 'crimes' he planned while still in the joint was her death. If he waited until he got out, he would no doubt be the main suspect, so through a member of the Spades, the plan was set in motion and the poor girl was killed in a horrible accident. The police had suspicions about the death, but there was no evidence of foul play at the scene. The girl's blood alcohol level came back three times the legal limit and everything pointed to an accident while driving under the influence.
Strand came up for parole eight months later and since he had been the 'model' prisoner, and she wasn't there to make a protest like she had when his parole came up the year before, he had been granted parole and released into society.
Now he was back to his old life and loving every minute of it. This hit would be his last and should provide enough of a payoff to last him and the guys their entire lives on some tropical island filled with lovely, scantily clad ladies. This time, only the Spades knew the plan, well the Spades and Freddy. The members of the Spades were the only people he trusted. Freddy was a liability who would need to be disposed of as soon as he was no longer needed.
The last details were being put in place. He just had to wait a few more hours, then he could get rid of the annoying burden sitting just a few feet away from him in his truck. He wasn't leaving any witnesses this time, he learned that the hard way, and he just couldn't trust his 'dear' cousin.
Strand nodded as everything came together in his head. His plan was going into action tomorrow and before the day ended, the last obstacle would be out of the picture. He looked over at his cousin and slipped a grin on his face.
"Yeah Freddy," he responded to his cousin. "Everything's going to work out just fine." He popped another one of those 'natural sugar' candies he loved into his mouth as he continued to drive down the street. Yeah, everything will be fine in just a few more hours, he thought to himself.
Several hours later
Jim Ellison took a deep breath as he pulled his truck up in front of the crime scene. He'd just met his father for lunch when Simon called requesting him at a crime scene, a murder scene.
His father had wanted to discuss Jim's senses a little more. At times it seemed like William wanted to tell him something that concerned his senses, but whatever he was holding back he had yet to reveal to Jim. William insisted that he wanted to continue their conversation as soon as possible, so Jim unhooked a spare loft key off his keychain and made arrangements to meet his father there in a few hours. With Blair at the Academy, William could wait in peace.
When Jim stepped into the house, he was met with a gruesome scene. The victim's body was lying in the living room, surrounded by a pool of drying blood. The man's hands were both missing and massive bruising was evident on the exposed skin.
Captain Simon Banks broke away from the officer he was speaking with and joined his best detective who was kneeling beside the body.
"Jim," Simon said as he squatted down next to Jim.
Ellison looked at his captain. "What's the story here, Sir?"
"That's what we were hoping you might be able to tell us." Simon nodded towards the opposite end of the room where paramedics had just finished administering something to a distraught young woman. "The young lady over there came to see her boyfriend and this is what greeted her when she walked in. The neighbours called in when they heard hysterical screaming coming from this place. When the officers arrived, they found the door open and the body right here." He glanced at the girl in sympathy. "She was curled up in the corner still screaming. The paramedics got her calmed down only a few minutes ago."
Jim glanced at the girl before turning back to run his enhanced eyesight over the corpse. "Yeah, well, anyone would freak out if they saw their loved one like this."
Simon looked closely at Jim and when he realized that Jim was using his senses, he placed a hand on Jim's shoulder to ground him.
Jim finished looking over the corpse and suddenly realized there was a warm hand on his shoulder. He glanced over at his captain and friend with a small grin on his face.
"Been taking lessons from Sandburg, Sir?" Jim teased his captain.
"Yeah, well I just didn't want to have your partner tearing into me if I had to call him out of the Academy to bring you out of a zone," Simon responded grumpily.
"Why were we called in instead of Homicide?" Jim questioned as he glanced around the room.
Simon sighed and gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "Seems half of Homicide is out due to the food poisoning from Clancy's retirement party last night, so we're picking up the slack."
Jim nodded and turned back to the body. "Lucky us."
"Did you find anything Jim?" a voice spoke up behind them. Jim was startled at the unexpected voice, having not heard the person come up behind him. He turned around to see Detective Brian Rafe standing behind him. "I mean with your senses, you know?" Rafe finished.
"I don't know, Rafe," Jim replied in confusion as his heartbeat settled back into its normal rhythm. He looked back at the body. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary, but there's a smell. It's something I can't quite place." Jim paused as he screwed up his face. "It's not any kind of aftershave or anything like that. I'm not sure what it is, but it smells sweet. I've never smelled anything like it before."
Jim slowly walked over towards the kitchen where he could also smell the faint scent. It was coming to him from two different directions. As he passed by the counter he spotted a candy wrapper rumpled up on it. He called out for an evidence bag, gently picked up the paper with his latex gloved hand and put the paper into the bag, handing it off to a cop for evidence gathering. He then walked over to the body to do another 'scan'.
As he knelt next to the body, he reached out with his sense of smell, trying to pinpoint the scent he had smelled on the paper wrapper. It was on the body, he just had to narrow it down to where. "The smell that's on the body is also on that wrapper we just bagged." Jim glanced around in confusion. "If the smell is from whatever was in that wrapper then someone else was eating them because the smell is definitely not coming from the victim's mouth." He looked up at Rafe to see him nodding his head. It was still a little strange when he remembered that the gang from Major Crime knew about his senses.
After the mess with the dissertation and Zeller had calmed down, Jim and Blair decided to let their friends in on 'the secret'. After all, they were their friends and they all stood by them through a lot over the past few years. He knew they all suspected there was something more going on regarding Jim and his partner and none of them believed that Blair was a fraud or that he would lie about his work, it just wasn't the Blair they all knew.
Blair also wanted the MC Gang to know about Jim's senses because he wanted Jim to have the proper back-up while he was at the Academy. He wouldn't be there to keep him from zoning, or to pull him out of a zone, so it was decided by Jim and Blair, with added support from Simon, to let their closes friends and co-workers in on the whole story. Many at the PD suspected there was something to Blair's dissertation, but only the MC Gang, as well as Serena Chang and Dan Wolf, knew the extent.
Several weeks earlier:
Jim and Blair walked out of the kitchen carrying the drinks into the living room for the crowd that congregated there at their request. Joel, Simon, Megan, Henri, Rafe, Rhonda, Serena and Dan had all accepted the invitation to the loft when Blair had asked them earlier that afternoon.
Both Jim and Blair were pretty nervous about this meeting. They had decided to tell their co-workers the truth about Jim's abilities. They didn't know whether to expect shock, anger, understanding, disgust, fear or rejection. The last few being their biggest fear.
After everyone had their drinks in hand, Blair sat down in the chair next to the balcony and Jim stood behind him, leaning on the back of Blair's chair. Jim placed a hand on Blair's shoulder in silent question and Blair answered by reaching up and squeezing the hand, signalling to Jim that he was OK.
Blair took a deep breath and opened his mouth to start the explanation, but before he could start he was interrupted.
"It's true."
It was more of a statement than a question and it came from Henri, Joel, Rafe and Serena all at the same time. Jim and Blair were shocked into silence.
Joel Taggart looked at each of the guests assembled for encouragement. Each one nodded at him to continue, so he looked up at Jim and said what they all knew was true. "The Sentinel thing is true. Jim is a Sentinel," he looked over at Blair and continued, "and you help him with it." Everyone in the room focussed on Blair. "Sort of like a guide or something."
Blair started to panic at this turn of events. His first instinct was to deny it and protect Jim, that is until his mind caught up with him and he remembered that the reason for everyone being here was to tell them the truth.
Henri started to laugh after a few seconds. "I can't believe Hairboy is actually speechless." Everyone in the room laughed at this and it helped Jim and Blair to relax a little.
"It's alright guys," Rafe explained. "We know the truth about Jim's senses. We wouldn't be able to call ourselves detectives if we didn't see the clues all around us." Everyone nodded in agreement.
Blair glanced over his shoulder at Jim and they both let out a breath of relief. As soon as he trusted himself to speak again, he turned back to their group of friends. "We weren't quite sure how you guys were going to take this."
"There was no way we were going to believe Blair was a fraud," Joel smiled apologetically as Blair visibly flinched at the term 'fraud'. "You're too honest to even think about anything like that, Blair, and we all know it. We've never met a more honourable, courageous and supportive person and we are all proud to call you our friend." Joel reached over and squeezed Blair's hand. Everyone nodded their agreement and Blair had to lower his head to hide the sudden appearance of moisture in his eyes. Jim grasped Blair's shoulders with his hands and lowered his head until his forehead rested atop Blair's curly hair.
"I should have known this couldn't have been hidden from my detectives for very long," Simon spoke up with pride.
"OK now," Henri started. "We've known for some time that something was going on with Jim and Blair, and we suspected that the Captain was in on whatever it was."
"Yeah, H, you're right," Jim went on to explain about the onset of his senses and what he was going through before he met Blair, then Blair jumped in to explain what a Sentinel was exactly and went on to describe the dangers to a Sentinel and what his role was in the partnership. They admitted that Simon had known from the beginning and that Megan had accidentally found out after the 'Barnes' incident. Everything about Sentinels and Guides was explained to the group of friends, even touching a little (very little) on the spiritual side of it (the Spirit Guides and Blair being a Shaman, passed on to him by Incacha).
Everyone took in the information and several of them asked questions about Jim's abilities and Blair's responsibilities. Then they all started pointing out circumstances in the past that they had no explanations for at the time, but did now.
"That's what you meant at the fountain when you asked Jim if he heard Blair's heartbeat?" Rafe asked Simon. Simon nodded his head in answer.
"That's also how you can practically do my job without even using the equipment!" Serena Chang, the forensic specialist exclaimed.
"Jim is like a walking forensic laboratory," Blair responded with enthusiasm and continued explaining all the different ways Jim was able to use his senses to speed investigations and reach conclusions so fast that normally wouldn't be reached without the senses. Everyone listened in awe at Blair's commentary and as the night came to a close everyone agreed to keep Jim's abilities a secret and to protect the Sentinel and Guide any way they could.
Present time:
Jim was brought back to the present when Serena Chang arrived and knelt next to Jim. "Not doing my job again are you Jim," she whispered with a smile on her face.
"Trying not to, Serena," Jim leaned over to her and continued in a whisper. "My guide doesn't like it when I show off in front of the professionals." He smirked as Serena swatted him on the arm, then stood up and glanced around to see who was within earshot. As the detectives, captain and forensics officer huddled together, Jim explained the scent he had smelled on the body to Serena. "I couldn't see anything on him. No hair or prints anywhere. The only thing I found was the smell. I think it might be on his skin somewhere around his face or neck but it doesn't smell like something that's supposed to be on skin."
"OK, Jim," Serena nodded thoughtfully. "It's not that I don't believe you, but I still have to go through all the normal procedures. I don't know if I will be able to come up with anything on the smell, but I'll definitely give it my best."
"Never expected anything less." Jim patted Serena on the arm and followed Simon away from the body. As Simon kept a grounding hand on Jim's arm, Jim made a brief scan of the room with his senses, but could find no other clues.
"I can't wait until Sandburg finishes at the academy and can get back to this guiding thing," Simon complained. "I don't know how the kid does it. He makes it look so easy, Jim, but it's not. It just looks so natural for him and if truth be told, I don't have a clue what I'm doing."
"You're doing just fine Simon," Jim answered his captain. "You're not Blair, but then again nobody's like Blair." The comment brought a chuckle from both men. "In just a couple of months you'll be able to retire your 'temporary guide' title."
"Thank you, God," Simon exclaimed. He looked around at the scene then back at Jim. "I guess there's not much left to do here now. The uniforms are doing a house-to-house trying to find out if anyone saw or heard anything. Forensics have taken over the scene." He looked over at Jim as an evil thought popped into his head. "You can go back to your daddy now, Jim."
Jim's head twisted around to face Simon so quickly, he thought the detective would have whiplash. When he saw the ghastly look on his detective's face he had to quickly turn away from Jim as he burst out laughing. He placed his hands in front of him to ward off his detective's ire. "Just kidding Jim, relax will you. I couldn't let that opportunity pass."
Jim glared at his captain, then rolled his eyes. "Well if you'll excuse me, 'Captain', I have someone waiting for me." Jim punched his friend in the arm to let him know that he understood that it was just a joke and started to walk out of the house. "See you later, Simon."
"Later, Jim," Simon called out as Jim walked out the door towards his truck. Simon exited the house as well and headed toward his own vehicle parked on the street. "Wish I had someone waiting for me at home," he said wistfully. "Someone preferably of the female persuasion." He let out a laugh and shook his head as he reached his car and got in.
Naomi Sandburg grinned as she thought of Blair and Jim's reaction when they would open the loft door to see her sitting on the couch in the living room. They didn't know that she had a key to the loft, which she had made by borrowing Blair's key during her second visit to her son after he moved in with Jim Ellison. At first she'd been sceptical about the detective. After all, he was a cop and she'd had plenty of bad experiences with cops in her protesting days, which weren't exactly behind her since she'd sat in on a protest against animal testing just last month with a bunch of friends.
Her excitement grew as she approached 852 Prospect Avenue. This was her first visit to Jim and Blair since she'd left after the 'Dissertation Fiasco' three months ago. She had spoken to Blair several times since then, even had several long conversations with Jim those times she had called and Blair had not been home. She'd been afraid that her relationship with her son would be strained after what she'd done with his dissertation, but she should have known her loving and forgiving son wouldn't hold a grudge, especially against his only family -- well, blood family anyway. She knew Blair considered Jim part of his family, like a big brother and she had to laugh when she thought of Jim being her 'adopted' son! She did care a great deal about Jim and considered him family as well, even though, as far as she was concerned, she was way too young to be his 'mother'.
She started making plans for her stay in Cascade as she entered the complex where her son lived and made her way up the stairs to the third floor apartment. She was wondering if she had enough time to meditate before the boys got home. Blair had started at the Academy three weeks ago and only had another twelve weeks to go before he became an official police officer. She still had mixed feelings about her baby boy becoming a pig -- er, cop -- but it was Blair's decision, she reminded herself countless times, and if he was happy, that was all that really mattered.
As she entered apartment number 307, she took a quick glance around to see what, if anything, had changed since her last visit. There were a few noticeable changes as she looked around the place. Blair's books were absent from the coffee table. Each time she had visited her son in the past, there had always been school books on the coffee table, but since Blair was no longer at the University, there was no need for school books to be lying around. That brought a little sadness to her heart. Her little boy was all grown up and working towards achieving a profession he loved and one he was good at, even if it wasn't her first choice for him.
She walked over to the couch and sat down, picking up an Anthropology magazine on the coffee table to glance through while she waited. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the toilet flush, then a few seconds later the bathroom door opened and an older man walked out, stopping on the spot when he spotted her.
Both froze where they were, unable to speak for a moment and just stared at each other. Their expressions changed from 'surprised' to 'confused' and finally to one of recognition and shock.
"Nona?" William Ellison gasped when he finally was able to make his voice work.
Naomi looked at him in confusion at first until suddenly her face burst into a look of shock and fear. "Billy?" Her voice shook slightly with trepidation.
"Oh my, God," William responded in shock as he finally confirmed that the woman before him was his Nona. "I can't believe it. What... where have... what are you doing here?" he managed to stutter.
Naomi started to panic and as she looked over towards the front door, the only exit available since the back door was behind 'Billy', but William slowly placed himself in a position that put him in between her and both exits.
"How did you find me?" she demanded. "Couldn't you have just left me alone and gone on with life with your family?"
William recoiled at the hatred expressed in Naomi's tone.
"You didn't really expect me to just forget about you did you?" William asked. "I spent years looking for you. Searching all over the country for you. I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life Nona. I loved you!"
"How can you say that when the whole time we were together was a lie," she demanded. "You made me believe we had a future together. I gave you my heart and you broke it. How could you tell me you loved me while the whole time you had a wife and children waiting at home for you in another city."
"I tried to tell you that night that it was over between me and Grace, but you wouldn't calm down enough to listen to me. I wanted to tell you that I was going to ask Grace for a divorce when I went back. I wanted to be with you and only you, but you wouldn't listen to me." William held out a hand, pleading with her to listen.
"Why would I listen to more lies from you?" Naomi backed away, her face hardening as she stared at him defiantly. "I didn't know if anything you told me that summer was true or not. I let all my defences down when you came into my life. I fell fast and I fell hard, but I never let that happen to me ever again after that. I made sure that no man would ever tear my heart apart like you did, Billy."
"I'm so sorry, Nona," William responded taking a step towards Naomi. "I never meant to hurt you."
Naomi took another step away from William and stretched her arm out in front of her, signalling William to stop. "Don't come near me Billy, please."
William froze where he was. He was in an absolute state of shock. He had spent years looking for Nona. He'd come so close to finding her several times, only to have her slip through his fingers each and every time. He had finally given up looking after a decade of searching.
William thought back to that time when his life with Grace had become unbearable. Grace's 'episodes' were occurring more and more and their relationship had deteriorated to the point where all they did in each other's presence was fight about anything and everything. It had been an awful, depressing time for William Ellison until he'd gone to San Francisco on a business trip in 1968 and met a beautiful, young, energetic angel protesting in the park. He had been immediately drawn to her and suddenly he had to meet this amazing person.
1968, San Francisco:
He introduced himself as 'Billy Ellis' and proceeded to spend practically every available moment of the rest of that week with this beautiful woman introduced to him as 'Nona Saunders'. He was physically drawn to this wonderful woman. He felt a serenity whenever he was near her that he had never felt before in his entire life. It was as if he was truly alive for the first time in his life.
When he flew back to Cascade at the end of the week, Nona was all he could think about, so he arranged to take a secret 'leave of absence' from the office and began arranging another 'business' trip to San Francisco, or at least that is what he told Grace. This 'business' trip would be for a longer period of time and he explained to Grace that it was very delicate negotiating so it could take several weeks to iron out the details. Grace wasn't very broken up about his extended absence, he figured she would be glad to have him gone for a while since they hadn't been getting along for several months now.
He went on his 'trip' to San Francisco, met up with Nona and spent every moment of the next four weeks with her. He had never felt more free and loved in his life. But the time inevitably came that he had to return home to Grace and the boys. He and Nona parted and he told Nona that he would be back again in a few weeks. He went back to Cascade, already trying to come up with a way to get back to San Francisco to be with Nona. He was only back in Cascade a few hours when everything was blown to hell. He greeted Grace with a kiss on the cheek and hugged Jimmy and Stevie telling them how much he missed him. After the boys went upstairs to get ready for dinner, Grace turned on William and asked him how stupid he thought she was. She tore into him about how she could smell her on him and that if he wanted to keep the boys in his life, he better dump the 'tramp' and forget she existed. William was shocked at this outburst, especially since fidelity wasn't one of Grace's strongest values.
It lead to a horrible screaming match between the two of them that continued as the boys slowly walked downstairs with frightened looks on their faces. Grace was absolutely out of control at that point. She had been having 'fits' for the past year and their frequency had been increasing as the year progressed. It was like she had finally snapped and she lashed out at the first thing that she came into contact with, which unfortunately, were Jimmy and Stevie. William had to pry her away from the boys, fearing for their safety and for Grace's sanity.
William brought Grace to a nearby hospital for tests to find out what was causing her odd behaviour, but whatever it was, he knew he couldn't abandon the mother of his children when she was in such a condition. Several weeks later, he flew back to San Francisco to see Nona and explain to her how he couldn't see her for a while, at least until they found out what was happening to Grace. He still didn't know how much he was going to tell Nona when she opened the door of the apartment and her face lit up when she saw him. She pulled him into her arms and hugged him to her as if her life depended on it.
William's heart almost broke with the burden of what he was about to do to this wonderful person. If he told her the truth, would he lose her trust and her love forever? If he lied to her, would he ever be able to look into her eyes again without feeling like he betrayed her?
He listened as she said how happy she was that he was back, how she had some wonderful news for him and that everything was going to be perfect. That they would have a wonderful life together with their child.
Child!
William couldn't have heard her properly. As he pulled away from her she went on talking about how wonderful it was that they were going to have a baby. That they would raise him or her with love and nurture the spirit, teaching him or her to live life with a free spirit.
That was when he lost control of his brain and blurted out that he was married and had two small boys at home where his wife was in a hospital waiting for him.
The look on Nona's face was one of absolute devastation. There were several minutes of complete silence as both digested the news they had just been given. Suddenly Nona pushed William out her apartment door pleading for him to 'go away'. William stood outside the apartment for half an hour trying to figure out what to do, what to say to her to make things better, but he was so tired from dealing with the hospital and then travelling to San Francisco so suddenly, that he couldn't think straight. He made his way to a nearby hotel. He had a lot to think about. He'd try to figure things out tonight and come back the next morning and sort things out with Nona.
When he arrived at Nona's apartment the next morning, she didn't answer the door after he pounded on it for ten minutes. Finally, Nona's next door neighbour, who happened to be the landlord, came out yelling at him to go away, that 'the girl' was gone.
When William asked what she meant by gone, the woman replied that Nona had packed up her few belongings during the night and informed her that she was leaving. She left no forwarding address and told her she would not be returning.
William was devastated. How could she leave like that without talking to him. My God, she said she was pregnant with his child and then disappeared. What about the child, who would take care of it, who would provide for her and the child.
William spent the next ten years searching for Nona and their child. A search that never produced any results for the heartbroken man, who as time passed, allowed his heart to harden to the world around him.
Present time:
All those years of searching for her and suddenly here she was, right in front of him and he didn't have a clue what to say to her. She believed that he had lied to her, that he never cared about her, but nothing could be further from the truth. He had loved her so much, still loved her, though he was angry at the way she left, he still loved her.
She stood before him looking like a frightened deer about to flee at the slightest sound or movement. He had to get through to her. He had to make sure she knew how he felt about her back then, how he still felt about her now.
"Nona," he whispered. "Please, listen to me for just a minute. I did love you Nona. I have loved you every day since then."
"What about your wife?" Naomi demanded of him. "Were you tired of her and decided you wanted a new one? How long before you would have done the same thing to me?"
"No!" William shouted at her. "What I felt for Grace was completely different from what I felt for you. I cared about Grace, but I never did love her. I loved you, Nona. I have never loved anyone like I loved you. We could have worked things out. We could have been together, raised our child together, been a family."
"You already had a family," she threw back at him. "A family I knew nothing about!"
Jim pulled his truck into his parking space in front of the loft. It had been a long day and he just wanted to relax until he realized that his father was probably at the loft waiting for him. He knew that his father was only interested in learning more about his senses since William was only aware of the basics so far. They had managed to explain the whole Sentinel thing to the MC gang. He supposed he owed his own father the same courtesy. He only hoped to get the same support.
Things were getting better between himself and the old man, mostly thanks to Blair who always encouraged Jim to accept whenever his father reached out to him. There was still a tension between them, a distance that Jim wasn't sure they could ever cross. They would never have the father/son relationship that he had always seen on TV, but at least they were talking to each other now.
Jim made his way into 852 Prospect and took the elevator up to the loft on the third floor.
As he approached the door to the apartment he reached out with his hearing to see if his father was still there. He told his father he could wait for him in the loft and he would be back as soon as he could. As he focused his hearing he picked up two rapid heartbeats. One he knew as his father's, the other was... he automatically turned up his sense of smell until the scent of sage struck him and he sneezed.
Naomi!
As he paused outside of the door in an attempt to stop the oncoming barrage of sneezing, he managed to cue into the conversation inside the loft -- if you could call it a conversation. The voices were quickly escalating into a screaming match almost like the ones his mother and father used to have before she left.
"...You made me believe we had a future together. I gave you my heart and you broke it. How could you tell me you loved me while the whole time you had a wife and children waiting at home for you in another city."
"I wanted to tell you that night that it was over between me and Grace, but you wouldn't calm down enough to listen to me. I wanted to tell you that I was going to ask Grace for a divorce when I got back. I wanted to be with you and only you, but you wouldn't listen to me."
"Why would I listen to more lies from you I didn't know if anything you told me that summer was true or not. I let all my defences down when you came into my life. I fell fast and I fell hard, but I never let that happen to me ever again after that. I made sure that no man would ever tear my heart apart like you did Billy."
"I'm so sorry Nona...I never meant to hurt you."
What the hell was going on in there? Jim felt like he had just stepped into the Twilight Zone! His father knew Blair's mom from before. Why didn't his father tell him he knew Blair and his mother, why didn't Blair tell him that his father knew them!
Jim felt anger flicker inside him and he moved another step closer to the door, listening carefully.
"I cared about Grace, but I never did love her. I loved you Nona. I have never loved anyone like I loved you. We could have worked things out. We could have been together, raised our child together, been a family."
"You already had a family," she snarled back at him. "A family I knew nothing about!"
Jim let out a startled gasp as he realized what was going on inside his home. His father... Naomi... their child... BLAIR!!!!!
"I didn't purposely set out to deceive you, Nona," William tried to defend himself. "My marriage was already over, I just hadn't faced that fact until you came into my life."
Naomi rolled her eyes at William and opened her mouth to respond but William quickly closed the distance between them, grasped her by her arms in a firm grip and stared into her eyes with a look of determination.
"I've been wanting to explain all this to you for 30 years, Nona, and you are going to listen to me because you are not leaving this room until I've had my say." When Naomi didn't immediately respond, William continued. "First of all, I have always loved you, Nona. I have never stopped loving you. I know I hurt you by deceiving you about Grace and the boys that day. I know I should have told you about my life here in Cascade, but after spending time with you that first day, I didn't want it to end. If you had known I was married, you would have ended things right then and I didn't want that to happen. I was falling in love with you!"
Naomi pulled out of William's grasp and turned her back to him trying to hide her watering eyes.
"You were my world, Billy," Naomi stated. "You were the 'love of my life'. You were the first, and only man I have ever considered settling down with. I could actually imagine us married, raising our two or three children. I thought you were a person I could grow old with and I could actually picture you bouncing our grandchildren on your knee. I never wanted that with anyone else, not before you and especially not after you. I was not going to let myself get hurt like that again." Naomi lowered her head as a tear slipped down her cheek.
William stepped up behind her and gently laid his hands on her shoulders.
"I am so sorry, Nona." He let the pain he was feeling come through in his voice. "Hurting you was something I never wanted to do. I handled everything wrong back then, but please don't think that my loving you was ever wrong or a mistake because loving you was one of the best things that ever happened to me."
Naomi unconsciously leaned back into his touch and taking that as a positive sign, William leaned his head forward until his forehead rested on the top of Naomi's head.
"Please, Nona," he pleaded. "Please tell me that we can work through this. God help me, but I still love you. I feel the same now as I did then and I don't want you to walk out of my life after I've finally found you. I want us to be together, I have always wanted us to be together. Can't we try to get past this?"
"I don't know, Billy," Naomi responded. "I don't know if I can open my heart to you now like I did then. So much has happened in my life. I have had other relationships, but I have never allowed my heart to love again after what you did. I learned to 'detach with love' before it could be taken from me. The only person I kept in my heart was Blair."
"Blair?" William asked suddenly confused. Surely she couldn't mean...
"Yes, Blair," Naomi responded. "Our son."
William backed away from her as his mind fully grasped what she was saying. He was at Jimmy's place. Jimmy and Blair's place. Blair!
"Blair Sandburg?"
"Yes," Naomi answered, looking confused at William's response. "Blair lives here. I thought that was why you were here, that you had found Blair and you were here to see him!"
William couldn't speak for a few moments as the enormity of what Naomi just said crashed in on him. Blair Sandburg was his son! His and Nona's son! The son he'd been looking for was right here for the past four years living with his other son! William stumbled back a few steps until the back of his legs hit the couch and he collapsed onto it.
Blair!
His son!
Naomi moved over to sit beside him on the couch, reaching out and touching William's arm gently. "Billy!" she exclaimed. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"
Jim stood outside the loft frozen as he listened to Naomi and William's conversation inside the loft. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Naomi and William had been lovers when his parents were still married! William was Blair's father! Blair was his brother! Jim's head was spinning and he placed his hand against the door to steady himself. Suddenly he heard a loud gasp and his father's heartbeat suddenly became erratic.
Jim quickly pushed open the door and rushed to his father's side. William was pale, his eyes slightly unfocussed and was taking short quick breaths. Jim feared he was having a heart attack!
"Jim!" Naomi moved aside as Jim rushed over to the couch.
"Dad!" Jim crouched down in front of his father. "Dad, it's Jim, can you hear me?" Jim placed his hands on either side of his father's face and turned William's face towards him. "Dad?" Jim repeated.
"Jimmy?" William voice was soft and thready. "Can't breath."
"I thing he's having a panic attack, Jim," Naomi stated. "I've seen Blair have them."
Jim quickly nodded his agreement and gently forced his father to bend forward until his head was between his knees. He gently rubbed William's back, softly telling him to relax and breathe easily. After a few minutes, William's breathing evened out and his heartbeat steadied. It was still elevated but not to a dangerous level like before. William reached up and grabbed onto Jim's arm as he raised himself back into a sitting position and leaned heavily back against the cushion of the sofa.
"I'm OK, son."
Jim took a deep breath to get himself under control then looked over at Naomi. She was kneeling down beside him looking at William with concern. It was at that point that he saw a look come over her face. The look of someone finally putting some pieces of the puzzle together. She turned to Jim and looked at him in shock.
"Dad!" she exclaimed. "Jim, you called him 'Dad'?"
Jim took a moment to glance over at his father and gently rub the older man's back.
"Yes, Naomi," Jim replied, turning to look at her. "This is my father, William Ellison." He then looked over at his father and continued "Dad, this is Naomi Sandburg, Blair's mother."
Both William and Naomi looked at Jim. After a moment William reached out to Jim, laying his hand on Jim's arm.
"Son, how much did you hear?" William asked.
Naomi dropped her eyes to the ground, knowing full well Jim's sensitive hearing could have picked up their conversation from the parking lot.
"I heard pretty much all of it, Dad." Jim responded. Jim slowly got back to his feet and walked over to the patio doors, looking out over his city. Why did it suddenly feel so much smaller?
CHAPTER TWO
Blair Sandburg laughed to himself as he thought about his life. Here he was on the firing range at the police academy. He was wearing the cadet uniform, well the exercise uniform anyway, and he was shooting a gun and actually hitting the targets. God how his life has changed drastically in the last four years.
Four years ago he was an energetic student searching for, and never really expecting to find, a true Sentinel -- an extraordinary man with five heightened senses, a tribal guardian! He had been fascinated with Sentinels ever since he read about them in a book when he was only 10 years old. He had already spent years studying people who had one or two heightened senses. At one time, he thought he'd found someone with three enhanced senses. But after testing, the third sense only turned out to be a little better than normal, but not enhanced.
His life changed forever when he met James Joseph Ellison that day at Cascade General Hospital. As he had approached the hospital room where Jim was waiting for some test results, he'd felt this 'sensation' begin to develop deep in his gut. He didn't know what the sensation was at the time and had put it off as nerves. Now as he looked back he knew that it was the beginning of the Sentinel/Guide bond that has continued to strengthen every day since then.
Blair tried to find any information that might be available about a Sentinel's Guide, but all he was able to find were obscure writings that didn't delve much into a Guide's role, other than to say he was a Sentinel's companion that aided and grounded the Sentinel in using his senses. He knew that there was more to being a Guide than that, and even though he was no longer an academic (or at least a practicing academic) he would never stop searching for any and all information regarding Sentinels and Guides.
He brought his attention back the present and pushed the button that would bring his target sheet to him. As the sheet approached him, he lifted off his earmuffs and placed his gun down on the counter after ensuring the safety was on. He had already made that mistake once, accidentally setting off his weapon and hitting the target sheet dead center, even if it was the target sheet two rows over from his!
He glanced up as the target sheet stopped in front of him.
"Alright!" he exclaimed. He got four of the six rounds inside of the 'target' this time and one of the shots was only a couple inches away from the center! He was improving with his shooting, but he knew he would never feel completely comfortable with a gun. At first, every time he shot the thing all he could picture was hitting an innocent person and killing them, but he kept up with the practice telling himself that it was so he could protect Jim. If it came down to protecting Jim by shooting a perp, he truly wanted to believe that he would be able to pull the trigger.
That was his greatest fear at the moment. When the time came and he was 'forced' to use the gun to protect his partner -- would he actually be able to do it? He prayed that he would, after all, there's nothing he wouldn't do for his best friend, partner and Sentinel. He had proved that already when he gave up his academic life a few months ago to protect his Sentinel.
He still deeply missed his academic life and probably always would. After all, he spent half of his life at Rainier University taking and teaching classes. He loved teaching. He loved the spark that students got in their eye when they finally discovered something interesting, discovered something that they didn't even know they wanted -- a thirst for knowledge. He had given that up, and most times he missed it to the point that it hurt. But he was happy with what he was doing now -- becoming Jim's full time partner.
He wasn't sure at first if he really wanted to become a cop. He had thought long and hard about what he wanted. It was then that he realized that for the past four years, his life had been dedicated not only to Jim, but to police work as well. That realization shocked him.
He always thought that it was helping Jim that kept him at the station all that time, but he came to realize that along with helping Jim with his senses, he helped several of the other detectives on different cases and actually helped make some progress in several of them.
He had almost laughed when he finally realized that he loved the police work as much as the other detectives did. He didn't even mind the long, boring stakeouts when nothing happened. If he didn't mind those, then he really must love police work!
The ideal situation for him was what he had prior to his dissertation about 'The Sentinel' being released to the public without his consent, but that was no longer an option since he had declared his work as fraudulent in order to protect his friends and help catch a killer. If he couldn't have that life, he would settle for becoming a cop full time since it would keep him as Jim's partner. After he made that discovery, he had set his mind on becoming a cop and entered the Police Academy.
The next session of the Police Academy started two months after Simon made the offer to Blair in the bullpen, in front of all their friends. He grinned at that thought -- the Major Crimes detectives weren't only Jim's friends, they were his as well and they had proved that to him by supporting him through that whole mess. Not one of them believed Blair was a fraud and they all told him so, telling him that they would be there for him and if there was anything he needed, all he had to do was ask.
It touched Blair deeply to realize that he had many 'true' friends. He had never really had friends he could depend on growing up. He and Naomi moved around so much, and when he started at Rainier he was so young that not many people wanted to socialize with him. Blair used to spend all his time in the Library or talking with his professors, especially his mentor Dr. Eli Stoddard. The man was like a father to Blair and Blair couldn't have asked for a better role model.
Growing up never knowing who his father was, Blair had secretly made Eli his adopted father, and to a certain extent, Simon Banks. Joel Taggart came close, but he was more like a favourite uncle. Blair had always hoped his father was a strong, good, courageous and moral man. One who stood up for what he believed in and truly cared about people. Eli and Simon fit into that category very easily. He respected both men immensely and was truly honoured to know them. With Eli, it was so easy to talk about anything. He could tell Eli his thoughts and feelings without fear of recrimination or disgust. With Simon, there wasn't a man on earth, well other than Jim, that he would trust with his life or the life of someone he cared about. He was always in awe of seeing Simon with his son, Daryl. Simon was always tender, yet firm, and always expressed to Daryl how much he loved him. Blair found himself always seeking Simon's approval and nothing meant more to him than the few times that Simon had told him that he was appreciated, respected and that he did want Blair 'hanging around'. I guess if you combined Eli Stoddard and Simon Banks together, you'd have the world's most perfect father, and Blair would imagine that person as his father.
Blair unhooked the target, picked up his gun and walked out the door, up to the wicket outside.
"Hey there, Burg, did you hit your own target this time?"
Blair mock-glared at the older man behind the wicket, then let a big grin spread across his face. "I'm getting closer Marty. I actually hit the target in the row next to mine this time."
Blair laughed along with the big man. Martin 'Marty' Saunders was the shooting instructor and was also in charge of the ammunition stocks at the Academy. He used to be a member of the S.W.A.T. team before he was shot in the knee during an operation. His knee couldn't be repaired, at least not to the point that he could remain a police officer, but the Police force was his life. When they offered him the job at the Academy, Marty had gladly accepted it.
Blair had only been tagging along with Jim for a few weeks when he met Marty and they hit it off right from the start. Blair had learned that Marty started out his career in the Military then progressed from there to being a cop in Seatle. Blair found that hysterical and exclaimed that maybe everyone who became Military eventually ended up in law enforcement. Blair later found out that Marty had moved to Cascade only ten years ago and that Marty's only family, a wife and son, had been killed seven years previous in a car accident. The son was just six years younger than Blair, and from what people told him, he and Marty's son Mark, had a lot in common. For instance, both were academics and both had more energy than they knew what to do with.
Blair smiled as he turned back to his previous thoughts. Another Father! Blair laughed at the thought. For a kid that grew up without a father, he now had more 'fathers' than he knew what to do with.
"You're doing good in there, Burg", Marty broke into Blair's thoughts. "Before you know it, the S.W.A.T. team will be after you."
"I doubt that will ever happen, Marty, but if it ever did, how could I ever live up to the shadow of the Great 'Bingo'." Blair gave the older man a sly smile. Marty was somewhat of a legend on S.W.A.T. and Blair always liked to tease him about it. Marty never bothered with all the stories of what a 'great' S.W.A.T. officer he was. To him he just did his job, a job he loved.
Marty picked up a towel from behind the counter and threw it at Blair hitting him in the face. "Smartass."
"Better than a 'Dumbass'," Blair defended.
Marty let out a big laugh as he grinned at Blair.
Blair was like a breath of fresh air to the old ex-S.W.A.T. officer. His energy and intelligence, not to mention his enthusiasm was seldom experienced in the police world, where the crime and pain an officer experiences in everyday life on the job can bring a person into a depression. Blair was one of the first people to come see him at the hospital after he was shot. If he was ever in a bad mood when he met up with 'Burg', he would be in a good mood by the time they departed.
Marty referred to Blair as 'Burg' because he thought of Blair as an unstoppable force that if it hits you, will just take you along for the ride, just like an iceberg. Marty knew there was a lot more to Blair than meets the eye. When you first glance at Blair you see only the tip of the iceberg, the true depth of him is hidden below the surface, but you don't see it until you get up close and really look.
The nickname is also a little play on his name, but it was a name that only Marty used for Blair. Someone once referred to Blair as 'Burg' in his presence, but the glare Marty gave the man made any ideas of using the endearing name in the future vanish from the man's mind. Everyone soon knew that only Marty called Blair 'Burg', just like only Jim Ellison called him 'Chief' and only Megan Connor called him 'Sandy'. He had more nicknames than he had years of age.
"No, I'm serious, Burg," Marty continued. "You really are improving with your aim. You still got that little jump when you shoot, but if you keep up with your practicing, you'll get over that pretty quickly. You've improved 200% from what you were like when you first started on the range a week ago." Marty paused as a grin slowly appeared on his face. "At least now you're shooting with your eyes open".
Blair mock-glared at the instructor again.
"Watch it, Marty. I now have a gun and I'm learning how to use it!"
Marty let out another big laugh and tapped Blair on the arm. "Keep it up kid. I don't know what will kill me first, your shooting or your jokes."
"I guess it is a toss up isn't it?" Blair threw at him. "I gotta go, Marty, my self defence class starts in ten minutes."
Blair waved at the big man, who waved back with a smile on his face. Marty was another person who stuck by him when his dissertation was accidentally released a few months ago. Blair never realized just how many friends he had, but if he thought about it, he had more than he ever thought he'd have.
As he approached the gymnasium he thought about what he and his partner would do this weekend. Blair was staying at the Academy residence during the week since the Academy was a two hour drive outside of Cascade and his days were pretty long here, but he went back to the loft for the weekends. It was now Thursday and he found himself looking forward to spending some time with his best friend this weekend.
William Ellison put his head in his hands as he tried to absorb all that had happened in just a short amount of time. In less than one hour, he found the love of his life, found out where his long lost son was only to realize he had been right in front of him for years. He also discovered that he had once again hurt his eldest son. Will he ever do right by Jimmy, it seemed no matter what he did he always ended up hurting his firstborn.
He wished Jimmy had never heard the discussion he had with Nona... Naomi, he corrected himself. He had always known her as Nona, it was going to be hard to think of her by another name. He glanced over at the woman in question. She was in the kitchen fixing some tea for the three of them.
Jimmy was still in front of the balcony door looking out over the city. At first he was afraid that he was in one of those zone things that Blair had explained Jim sometimes goes into when his senses act up.
Blair.
He still couldn't believe that the young man living with Jimmy was his son! What did all this mean for them now? His relationship with Jimmy and Stevie was tenuous and shaky at best. How was this revelation going to affect his relationship with his sons in the future?
Naomi came into the living room and set the tray with a teapot and three cups down on the coffee table. She glanced over at Jim with concern. Jim was just standing there and hadn't said a word for the past 15 minutes. Of course, they all needed a few moments to collect themselves and process what had happened. She was going to definitely need to meditate for a while tonight. She might even break her all time record of time spent meditating while trying to process this.
She glanced over at Billy... or rather William. He was a little pale but he smiled at her when he caught her eye. The smile she fell in love with thirty years ago! How could he still make her feel like a schoolgirl when he smiled at her. She had spent years trying to protect her heart from being hurt again. She had many relationships with different men after Bil...William, but she never let herself really fall in love again. She always left before any of those relationships could get any deeper, she always detached with love. She knew it wasn't really fair to Blair to pack up and leave just when he was getting settled and opening up to a new 'uncle', but she couldn't let what happened with William happen again, and she was not going to allow something like that to happen to her son either. She knew that if she allowed herself to love someone again they would only hurt her, but they would also hurt Blair and she was not going to let that happen. She did what she thought was best not only for herself, but for Blair as well. She couldn't have done too bad of a job because Blair turned out to be a wonderful, caring son of whom she was very proud.
Jim tore himself away from the balcony door and slowly walked over to a chair to sit down across from his father and Naomi. He didn't know quite what to say, but he knew that they had to say something to each other and try to put everything into perspective. Blair would be home tomorrow afternoon for the weekend and if he didn't get some answers, or some things settled first, his guide would know right away that something was wrong.
All three looked at each other, not knowing who should start. Jim decided that he would go first.
"So I take it you two know each other pretty well." Jim knew it was lame, but he had to start somewhere.
"Yeah, we do, or did," Naomi replied. She looked over at William for some help.
"We met back in the summer of 1968 in San Francisco," William continued with the story. "I went there on a business trip and saw her protesting in the park. She was beautiful, full of energy, she just glowed and I think I fell in love with her at first sight, if that's possible."
"What about Mom?" Jim asked tersely. He was trying to keep any emotion out of his voice, but he couldn't help the hurt that crept into it.
"Jimmy," his father continued. "I want you to know that I always did care about your mother. I did love her, I just was never 'in love' with her." He paused, trying to come up with a way of explaining what he had to say to his son. "Your mother and I met when we were barely teenagers. We became friends, not close friends, but friends nonetheless. Our fathers pressured us into marriage. Status in the community was very important to my father."
At this Jim grunted. William looked over at his son upon hearing the sound. "I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree did it son?"
"Sorry," Jim responded. "I didn't mean to interrupt your story. I want to know what happened, the whole story, Dad... the truth. Can you do that for me?"
William dropped his head down for a moment then lifted it back up to meet his son's gaze. "I want to tell you the truth, Jimmy. You may not like it though."
"As long as it's the truth, I'll just have to deal with it."
"OK then," William took a deep breath and continued on with his story. "Like I said, Grace and I were friends and pressured into marrying by our fathers. My father wanted the Social Status Grace's family provided. Even though they were not a rich family, they were a well respected family. Grace's father wanted to connect to a family with money which my family had plenty of. It was beneficial to both families if we were joined in marriage."
"Grace was dating a friend of ours, Carl, at the time and he fell deeply for her. We were under constant pressure from our fathers and Grace and I didn't have the strength to fight them any longer. Since we did care about each other, we agreed to be married and Grace had to break Carl's heart."
William paused in his story to study the faces of the two people sitting with him. Naomi's face held an expression of sympathy. She always could feel when he was hurting and she was obviously aware of what William was feeling at the moment as he opened up about a private, and painful, time in his life. He looked over at his son. Jimmy's face could have been carved in stone. He knew that look well. Blair once told him that Jim would sometimes 'check his emotions at the door'. It was something Jim had to use as a police officer because of the awful crimes he witnessed each day as a detective in Major Crimes. Jimmy wasn't allowing himself to feel anything yet. William didn't know if this was a good thing or not He didn't know his own son well enough to even guess!
William looked up at the ceiling as he collected his thoughts together enough to continue with the story that he had to tell his son, and Naomi.
"We were married, we had two beautiful children," he looked over at Jim as he said this. "You and Stevie were loved, Jimmy, never think otherwise. You were wanted and you were loved by both your parents right from the start." Jim nodded for William to carry on with the story.
"After Stevie was born, Grace started having 'episodes'. We didn't know what was happening at the time. Now I know it was because she must have had enhanced senses like you, Jimmy, but we didn't know anything about enhanced senses or Sentinels back then. Grace's uncle had already been committed to an asylum because of similar, but more severe episodes, even though that was not public knowledge. He used to rant and rave about all the voices he heard. Grace became frightened when she began losing short periods of time."
"Zone-outs," Jim commented.
"Yeah," William replied. "Again, Jimmy, we didn't know what was happening at the time. I took Grace to doctors but no one could tell us what was wrong with her. All they said was that it might be the onset of Schizophrenia. I never told Grace what the doctors said, I didn't want to frighten her any further. They started her on medications and after a few months, it seemed as if the 'episodes' disappeared and everything went back to normal. By that time, Grace had grown distant towards me. It was like she didn't want me anywhere near her anymore and I started to spend more time at the office. After a year of that, we were just two people living in the same house. We stopped sharing a bedroom and just spoke to each other about you and Stevie."
Jim lowered his head as his father's words hit home. He and Carolyn had grown apart to the point that they were strangers at the end of their marriage. It wasn't until after they had been divorced that they had become better friends than they ever were before or during their marriage. Jim couldn't believe it, but he understood where his father was coming from.
"It was at this point that I went on a business trip to San Francisco and met Nona... Naomi. I don't know what to say to you Jimmy. I really did fall in love with her. I had never felt more alive in my life as when I was with her. I had feelings for her I had never felt before. Naomi took all my worries away, if only for a little while. You will never know how that felt for me Jimmy, to just feel for a little while and not have to worry about all my problems with Grace. When it came time for me to return home to you boys and Grace, I felt like I was leaving my heart behind in San Francisco."
Naomi hesitantly reached her hand and gently squeezed William's shoulder. This was the first time she had heard William's side of the story and she felt ashamed at how she had reacted in the past. It was no excuse for hurting her like he did, but she could understand the agony he must have gone through in his life.
William reached up, placing his hand gently over Naomi's. She was still one of the strongest and most caring people he had ever known. He never did deserve to have her in his life. If things had worked out differently, would she still have survived 'William Ellison'? Would he have changed into 'Billy' or would he still have still become the well-known, cold 'William Ellison' even if she was in his life? He shivered at the thought of denying her spirit like he did with Jimmy and Stevie.
"When I got back to Cascade, Naomi was all I could think about. I missed her so much!" William stated. "Grace started becoming cold towards me and we started arguing more and more. Just about every time we saw each other, we would argue... about everything and nothing, all we did was argue. After a few weeks of this I had to see Naomi again. I couldn't stand my life the way it was. I missed Naomi! I arranged a leave of absence from my office and told Grace that I had important business in San Francisco and that I would be gone for several weeks. Things were so bad between us she wasn't too concerned with the thought of me being away for that length of time. I went to San Francisco and spent four weeks with Naomi. They were four of the most wonderful weeks of my life and by the time I had to return home to Cascade I knew that I had to divorce Grace. I couldn't stay with her and I wanted to be with Naomi for the rest of my life."
At this point William stood up from the couch and slowly walked over to the balcony door. He looked out over Cascade for a few moments before he continued on with the story. "When I got home, Grace became furious and just lost it. She twisted her face in disgust at me when I greeted her after returning from the airport. I was confused and startled and I didn't understand how she could have known about Naomi. Thinking back, I believe she smelled Naomi on me, but I didn't know that at the time. She started calling me names and telling me that she knew about my 'tramp'." He glanced over at Naomi with an apologetic look on his face.
Naomi nodded at him, understanding that this is what Grace felt about her, not William.
"She started screaming at me that if I didn't forget about 'that woman' that she would leave with you and Stevie and I would never see you again! I tried to talk to her, to calm her down but she was just uncontrollable. She would scream whenever I touched her. She'd cringe whenever I spoke to her. She kept pulling at her hair and screaming that I was hurting her, that I was killing her. I was so scared that she had finally lost her mind."
William walked back over to the couch and sat down. He turned so that he was looking at both Jimmy and Naomi.
"I brought her to the hospital. I couldn't think of anything else to do. They kept telling me that she was schizophrenic or that she had some other mental condition. The drugs weren't working and she kept slipping in and out of the fugue states more often."
Jim looked at his father as his mind latched onto the truth. "Her zone outs got worse?"
"Yeah, I think so," his father replied. "After staying like that for a few days, I realized that no matter how I felt about Naomi, I couldn't leave Grace when she was like this. I took another trip back to see Naomi, to explain to her that even though I wanted to be with her and wanted a divorce from Grace, that I couldn't do it right now. I was hoping, however naively or I should say stupidly, that Naomi would understand and would just say 'It's OK darling, I'll wait and we'll be together after Grace gets better'." William shook his head as he let out a short laugh. "I really was lost in my own little fantasy world wasn't I?"
Again William paused as he tried to sort through all the memories and feelings that were flooding his mind.
"I went to Naomi, not really sure what I was going to say to her. She welcomed me with open arm and a big smile. She hugged me so tightly and for just a moment I thought everything would be all right. That's when she told me that we were going to have a baby. My brain just completely shut down because what I ended up saying was not what I wanted to say. I just blurted out that I was married and my wife and children were waiting for me at home."
William reached over and gently lifted Naomi's hand in between both of his. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She was lost in the memories just like he was. How much he must have hurt this beautiful creature with his sudden and blunt revelation. She never had any clue that he was married. He had never mentioned anything about his life in Cascade. As he looked once again at the pain on Naomi's face, he cursed himself again for the fool and idiot that he was.
Naomi squeezed William's hand and briefly closed her eyes as she addressed the two men before her.
"I was so happy to see you. I had just found out a few days before that I was pregnant and I wanted so badly to tell you the good news. At least I thought it was good news." She paused for just a moment, still clasping William's hand. "I had already started planning our life together. We would be married and we would have several children." She glanced over at Jim and smiled. "I wanted to have all boys!"
Jim grinned at her and let out a brief laugh at that statement.
"I had the perfect life planned out for us and when I heard what he said, it was like everything just fell apart. I was shocked at first. I didn't know what to say and when he just stood there looking at me with this blank look on his face, I became furious and just had to get him away from me. I threw him out of the apartment. After a few hours had passed, I came to the conclusion that I couldn't have what I wanted. The man I loved was married with a family and the last thing I wanted to be was a homewrecker. I packed up as much as I could and left San Francisco that same night. I decided that I would raise my child by myself and that I would love him or her with all my heart. That I would love my child so much that there would be no more of my heart left for anyone else to hurt."
William cringed at what Naomi said. He never truly realized the damage he had done to Naomi until now. She could have had such a wonderful life filled with love if she had only never met a bastard by the name of William Ellison. "I'm so sorry, Nona. I'm so sorry I hurt you. If I could go back I would do so many things differently. I was blessed with having so many wonderful people in my life and I just about destroyed each one of them. You, Grace, Jimmy and Stevie. God, I probably hurt Blair too and I wasn't even physically a part of his life. I destroy everything I touch, maybe it was for the best that Blair grew up without me in his life because I probably would have destroyed him as well." William lowered his head as the tears began to fall.
Naomi reached over and hugged William to her. "Don't say that, Billy! It wasn't you, it was the circumstances. There was no way that things really could have worked out the way we wanted them to. I never understood before, but I do now. It doesn't erase the pain we all felt but it does explain things that I didn't understand before, especially since I know about Jim's enhanced senses and how devastating they could be when not controlled."
Jim knew how hard it had been for everyone around him when his senses came on-line a few years ago. He knew that he had pushed everyone's patience to the breaking point. How could he fault his father when he knew the pain these damned senses could inflict not only on the person who has them, but the people around them! And his father's affair with Naomi, he couldn't wish it had never happened because then they wouldn't have Blair... he wouldn't have his best friend and Guide and he would be locked in some looney bin right now, probably trapped in some sort of deep zone-out. Suddenly his thoughts flew back to his mother.
"Dad?" he asked, "what really happened to mom?"
After a few moments pause to collect himself, William went on to give his son the explanation he asked for.
"She kept going in and out of those fugue states," William explained. "It kept up for months after I came back from that last meeting with Naomi, but they gradually started getting a little better until Grace could eventually be released from the hospital. She came back to live with us for over a year but we just couldn't make it work, so we decided she would move in with her mother."
"I remember visiting her there a few times, but what happened later when she 'disappeared' from our lives?"
"I had gotten a lead on where Naomi might possibly be," William continued. "I arranged for a trip to check out this information. It was only for one, two weeks tops, to see if the information panned out. I had been searching for Naomi for several years at that point and had just about given up. It seemed like my last chance to find her."
William had to stop at this point to get a hold of his emotions. Telling this story to his son was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do, but he had to give Jim the answers he deserved.
"I phoned Grace to ask her to look after you and Stevie for a couple weeks while I went on this trip and she flipped out on me. I think she sensed I was lying to her at the time and I guess she couldn't handle it."
William reached over and gripped his son's shoulders. He knew this was going to be hard for Jim to hear, especially since Jim had the same senses that seemed to take his mother from him. He kept hold of Jim as he continued his explanation.
"I couldn't bear to tell you and Stevie the truth about her mental state, so I told you that she had left us."
Jim was stunned as more pieces of the puzzle fit together.
"I heard that phone call," Jim stated.
"What?" William Questioned. "You couldn't have, you were at the park at the time. I know for a fact you weren't in the house."
"I had just gotten back from the park and met up with Stevie in front of the house," Jim explained. "I asked him if you were going to join us for dinner and my hearing tuned into the house where I heard you on the phone with mom. You mentioned something about Alimony and you told her it was an important conference you had to attend."
William lowered his head in shame at the knowledge that his young son had heard him lying to his mother.
"It was around the time Carl Haddish was killed!" Jim exclaimed.
William's facial expression became strained at the mention of Carl Haddish. "Yeah, Jimmy," he confessed. "It was around that time. It was only a week or so after that call that Grace slipped into a permanent zone.
William braced himself to deliver the devastating news to his son. "She was in that zone for months. Her system just couldn't handle it. She died a little bit each day. After about five months, her heart just couldn't take the strain anymore and she just slipped away." William went over to his son and knelt down in front of him placing his hand on Jim's knee. "To this day I don't know if she was ever really aware of what was happening to her. I pray to God that she didn't." At the look of pain that appeared on Jim's face, he reached up and pulled his son into his arms and embraced him as hard as he could.
Jim placed his arms around his father and let out all the emotions he felt as a child when he discovered his mother had left him, and the emotions he felt now that he knew the truth about the pain his mother and father went through. Now that he knew his mother didn't leave because of him and his senses.
He grabbed onto his father as the tears fell down his cheeks. Naomi quickly came over to them and enveloped the two men in her own arms. Jim immediately pulled Naomi into his grasp as they released all their pent up feelings of the past years.
CHAPTER THREE
Wham!
Blair hit the mat for the third time in as many minutes. As he gazed up at the familiar sight of the gymnasium ceiling, a face came into view.
"Blair, I hope you aren't toning down your moves because I'm a woman." A woman hovered over him with a light brown pony tail slipping off her shoulder and swinging back and forth in front of Blair's vision.
"Who me?" Blair questioned. "Would I do a thing like that, Herc?"
Carrie Simms tilted her head as she studied her training partner lying on the mat in front of her. "Yes, Cass," she responded. "I think that you would, especially since you're one of the last remaining gentlemen I know." It was this very idea that prompted her to call Blair 'Cass' which was short for Casanova. She stretched out her hand and Blair reached up to grasp it as she helped pull him back onto his feet.
"Thanks," Blair said as he straightened out his T-shirt. "I think I'm getting way too familiar with the view from down there. Do you think you can give an old man like me a break and stop throwing me down every chance you get?" He said this with a smile so that Carrie would know he was only joking with her.
Carrie Simms was 24 years old and very determined to become a cop. She was only 5 foot 5 inches tall and weighed about 125 pounds, so she got a lot of teasing about her being 'too small to be a real cop'. She and Blair started to hang out together after the first few days at the Academy. They had a lot in common, especially since neither one of them were really welcomed by the other cadets. Only a few cadets gave Blair a hard time about the 'fraud' issue. Most of them just pretty much ignored him, but there were a few, like Carrie, who were actually friendly.
"Now, Cass," Carrie said with her hands on her hips. "You know that if I give you a break, then I'll have to give everyone else a break as well." She tried hard to keep the smile off her face, but just couldn't do it. She burst into a big grin then laughed at the look of mock horror on Blair's face.
Blair and Carrie got along like they had known each other their whole lives. The only other people Blair got along this well with, were the gang from Major Crimes. A few of the guys in their Academy class tried to hit on Carrie, but she was strictly there to become a cop and would not let her attention be distracted from her goal.
Carrie's father was a cop who had been killed in the line of duty when she was only 10 years old. He had spent every minute of those ten years spoiling his daughter rotten and she was the typical 'Daddy's Girl' with her father absolutely doting on her. She was devastated when he was killed and ever since then, she was determined to follow in her father's footsteps. Carrie's father had loved being a cop and was proud of his chosen profession. He always told his little girl that he felt he was 'out there making a difference', and that is exactly what Carrie wanted to do. Blair really admired her determination and conviction in her training to become an officer.
The coach blew the whistle that proclaimed the training session to be over. Blair let out a relieved breath. This was the last activity of his day. It was now 8:30 pm and he was exhausted. All he wanted to do was go back to his dorm, take a shower and become unconscious real quick. Tomorrow was Friday and he was looking forward to spending some time with Jim.
"What are you and Jim planning to do this weekend?" Carrie asked as she walked out of the gymnasium alongside him.
"I'm not sure yet. When I spoke to him a couple days ago, he mentioned that he may be able to get tickets to the Jag's playoff game on Saturday night. He didn't promise, but he said he'd try."
Carrie grinned up at Blair. Blair spoke quite often, and quite fondly, of his best friend Jim Ellison. At first, she thought they might be 'involved', since Blair really was too good to be true, but now that she knew Blair 'ladies man' Sandburg, she knew that they were just two guys who happened to have a rare, true friendship. She had never had a friend like that and she was a little envious of the relationship between the two men, but she could see how someone could easily become Blair's friend. He was a very rare breed of man. She had only known him a little less than three weeks and already she felt a deep friendship towards him, not to mention a fierce protectiveness towards him as well. Her anger flared when she heard a couple of the other cadets taunting Blair about being a 'fraud' only a couple days after she met him. She never had many male friends growing up, but she and Blair just really connected from the start and she was very proud to call him her friend. Even when he was being harassed by other cadets, Blair always handled himself with dignity, making Carrie feel so proud to have such an amazing person in her life. Her father would have loved him.
"Well, I hope you two have a great time this weekend," Carrie yelled as she ran towards her own dorm. "I'll see you tomorrow morning before you leave."
Blair waved at the petite girl as he turned to enter his own dorm. They had only two classes scheduled tomorrow and he would be on the road back to Cascade by 11:30 am, noon tops. He jogged up the stairs to his second floor room. His shower and bed awaited.
Jim woke up the next morning feeling emotionally drained. He never thought it was possible to feel every single human emotion in one evening, but he did -- last night. After Naomi and his father's relationship, his mother's 'sensory' problems and the revelation of Blair being his brother was bombarded onto him one after the other, Jim felt like he was going to enter into some sort of an emotional zone-out.
Unbelievably, the revelations seems to have strengthened his need to reconcile with his father. He could now understand his father's fear of his Sentinel abilities when he was a child, and he also understood why his mother had 'left' so suddenly. He wasn't abandoned! It didn't ease all of the pain he felt growing up, but at least now it had some sort of logic to it.
They had finally decided to call it a night at about two o'clock in the morning. It then took Jim an additional hour to get to sleep. After the emotional evening, he kept searching for the comforting heartbeat from the bedroom below.
He had offered Blair's bed to Naomi, knowing Blair wouldn't mind, but she had refused saying that they all needed some 'private time' to process all that had been revealed and discussed this evening'. She was right. Jim knew that it would have been awkward walking downstairs in the morning and greeting each other before they've had a chance to think about everything that had happened the night before.
Jim took a deep breath as he pulled himself out of bed. It was 7 am and he had to get ready for work. He was only working half a day today. Since Blair was due to be home somewhere around noon, Jim had asked Simon for the afternoon off. Simon had given him his OK and told him to have a good weekend catching up with his guide. At times, Simon may not have liked all the 'Sentinel stuff' but he did understand, more than anyone, the deep connection between Sentinel and Guide and always supported them when they needed their 'connecting time'.
Jim had mixed emotions about his guide's return today. He was anxious to see his best friend, but he was nervous about how he was going to react when he saw Blair, knowing that he was his brother! He didn't know what to say or how to act towards him.
The night before, he, his father and Naomi had all agreed that they should not reveal any of this to Blair yet until they had gotten it all straightened out between them. They figured that Blair would need the support of all of them, especially Jim, and it would be better for Blair if they all had 'absorbed' this information themselves and had their heads together so that they could concentrate on Blair and his feelings when they told him.
They all agreed that this weekend was too soon to be springing this information on Blair. They needed this upcoming week to come to terms with everything, then they would probably be ready next weekend to tell Blair the truth. Jim would feel too uncomfortable keeping this secret from Blair any longer than that. After the dissertation fiasco, they promised each other that they wouldn't keep anything from each other again if they wanted this partnership to work. Their trust in each other had been greatly shaken during the past year and Jim didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize his relationship with his guide ever again.
Jim didn't like the thought of hiding this from Blair, even if it was only for a week. He was still in a daze and knew he wasn't in any condition to be able to give Blair the kind of support he knew Blair would need once this information was revealed to him. No, it would be better if they waited until everything had settled down a little before throwing this at Blair. Then they had to reveal it to Steven.
Jim entered the bathroom for his shower. He knew he had to try to settle down before he saw Blair or else Blair would know something was bothering him.
Jim relaxed as the hot water hit his skin. He could do this. He had to do this, for Blair and for himself.
Mitchell Strand laughed at the joke his best friend and 'second in command' Jason told him. It was the kind of joke he liked, cruel, dirty and twisted, and he felt some of his nerves settle. Today was the day that he and the gang had been planning for weeks.
He was so relieved to know that the burden of his annoying cousin was lifted from him.
Mitchell and Monk had confronted Freddy the night before. Monk had bound and gagged Freddy as Mitchell had listed all of Freddy's faults one by one. After pointing out Freddy's lack of loyalty and respect for his own cousin's privacy, he had spit on Freddy's face, then let Monk loose on him. Monk had beaten Freddy to death, chopping off his hands post mortem, which seemed fitting since Freddy's incessant hand-drumming drove them all crazy. He'd felt a twinge of guilt when that was done, but he quickly let that go. As of now, all obstacles were out of the way.
Freddy had the computer program finished that would help bypass the security system. All their equipment and men were getting into place, and every contingence had been taken into consideration. Everything was going according to plan so far. He thought back on how they came upon this golden opportunity.
***Flashback -- Three months ago***
Wally Burton walked into the Cascade Savings and Loans Bank. He had to see his brother Joshua who was the manager there to ask him for a loan of some money. A loan, Wally grinned at that because Joshua would never ask for it back. After their security guard father died when Wally was only eight years old, his 17 year old brother helped his mother raise Wally. He would stop into the bank every now and then to get a bit of cash from Joshua to tide him over for a little while.
He walked across the lobby of the bank over to the door to his brother's office. He turned the doorknob and opened the door just an inch or two, but fortunately for him he never yelled out his usual greeting of 'what's up' once he heard his brother on the telephone. He paused where he was and just listened a moment. What he heard peaked his interest and he carefully closed the door until it was only opened a crack so he could continue to listen to the conversation.
"You don't need to worry about the printing plates sir, we've added extra security measures to both bank vaults to ensure that they'll be safe once they arrive at the bank in three month's time." Joshua's voice floated across the room.
There was a brief pause and then Joshua continued, "We've added some pressure sensitive tiles to the flooring leading to both the main bank vault that will hold the plates as well as the vault in the basement that will hold the printing paper. We've also added five extra surveillance cameras which are highly concealed in the hallway leading to the vaults. As an added precaution, only myself and the Assistant Bank Manager are even aware that the printing plates and paper are going to be arriving here. Our employees aren't aware that they will be here for those two weeks."
Wally's eyes grew large as he realized what he was actually hearing. Printing plates! Printing paper! Oh my God. He had to find out more about this.
"I'm aware of what the consequences could be if something were to happen to either of the items once they are in our possession, but I assure you that we are doing everything absolutely necessary to ensure they are kept safe until they can be transferred. I've got all the details in my personal log which I'll bring over to your office after work this evening. If it would help ease any apprehension you may feel, you can keep the book in your own personal safe until the transfer is completed. I already know the details frontwards and backwards, so it's not necessary for me to keep it here in my office. It would probably be more secure in your office anyway."
Immediately a plan formed in Wally's head. If he could just get Joshua out of his office for a few minutes, he could get his hands on that book and photocopy what he needed to show the guys. The photocopy machine was just in the room next to Joshua's office, so he could be quick as long as Joshua was distracted. Now if only he could think up something to distract him.
Suddenly he heard a commotion in the main teller area. He walked down the hallway and glanced around the corner. There was a well dressed man at one of the tellers kiosks demanding that he be treated better than what he was. He started throwing around phrases like 'Do you know who I am young lady' and 'I could have your job for this' and then finally he exclaimed, 'I demand to speak to the manager young woman, I have never in my life been treated with such disrespect'.
Wally grinned and started back towards Joshua's office. Today must really be his lucky day. As he approached the office door he heard Joshua's phone ring and his brother answered it as Wally knocked once on the door then opened it to let himself into the office.
"OK Linda," Joshua replied into the phone. "I'll be right there." Joshua hung up the phone and looked at his brother. "Bad time here, bro! Can you come back later?"
"Man, I really need to talk to you, I won't be long," Wally responded.
"OK," Joshua replied. "Just stay here in my office, I've got something to take care of. I'll be back as soon as I can." With that Joshua left the office, closing the door behind him.
As soon as Joshua was gone, Wally ran over to the wall safe behind the desk and quickly opened it. Joshua was always transparent with his pass codes, apparently he was the same with the code to his office safe. Wally bypassed the papers in the safe and went straight to the book that was almost hidden beneath all the papers. It was only a small book and when he flicked through it he noticed that there were about 15 or 16 pages full of information about the security for the printing plates and paper. Even the codes to the vaults were included in the book. He slipped out of the office to the room next door and as quickly as he could photocopied all the pages. He put the photocopies in his inside jacket pocket and returned to Joshua's office to place the book back into the safe in the same place he got it from. He closed the safe and then went around the desk to sit in one of the available client chairs to wait for his brother to return. It was only a couple minutes later that Joshua returned complaining about 'big shot know-it-alls who thought they were God'.
Joshua sat down behind his desk and turned his attention to his younger brother. They talked for a few minutes and then Wally asked Joshua for some money. Joshua, of course, took out his wallet and gave him some. After a few more minutes of talking, they said their goodbyes and Wally left 'Cascade Savings and Loans' with the security plans in his jacket pocket.
***End of Flashback***
It took a lot of planning to get the 'operation' started. One of the gang, Matthew, the only one of them that didn't have a criminal record, got a job as a night cleaner at the bank. Freddy, Mitchell's computer expert cousin, got involved when he eavesdropped on his cousin and wanted 'in' on the action. It was fortunate for the gang because even though Roan was pretty good at computers, having spent some time in the joint for minor computer hacking, it would have taken a lot longer for him to design a program to bypass the security of the bank. Freddy designed and completed the program in a fraction of the time it would have taken Roan, and this gave them the extra time needed to go over every detail of the plan and taking every consideration into play. Once the security bypass program was completed, Mitchell decided to let Freddy develop a sense of security before he got rid of him. He just couldn't trust someone who was only included in the plan because of his sneaking around.
With everything in place, all they had to do was wait until nightfall. Roan would put the security bypass program into play, then he would monitor the security cameras and deal with any problems there. Because of his janitorial job, Matthew would be able to get them into the bank, Mitchell would crack the safe holding the 'plates' while Jason took care of the 'paper' in the basement of the bank. Monk and Wally would have the van running in case they needed a quick getaway, with Monk at the wheel and Wally at the rear van door ready to open and close them for a quick pick up of the guys and a fast getaway while Bruce was preparing a distraction for the police. Bruce could take that chance since he only had one strike against him and it wasn't a serious offence. He trusted the guys to be there for him and that he would have access to the money once he got out if he had to face any jail time for his 'distraction'.
The Spades contained a strange, eclectic group of people, but they were his family. They weren't the usual 'thug' gang, but a gang that used their heads, although it didn't always keep them out of trouble. They had participated in a couple turf wars always fighting for the right to have a place to call their own. What each member of the gang really wanted was their own place where they can do what they wanted without the added violence of the other, more violent gangs trying to take it away from them, a home none of them ever had. Mitchell was the most violent of the group, except for Monk who really enjoyed inflicting pain. Whereas Mitchell had to psych himself up in order to participate in killing Freddy, Monk hadn't needed any encouragement. He'd hated Freddy more than Mitchell and could barely keep himself from killing Freddy earlier than they did. Monk took great pleasure in killing Freddy. Mitchell thought of himself and Jason as the leaders, Jason being the smarter one, but Mitchell knew how to lead and to get them to do what needed to be done. Monk was the enforcer who protected the 'weaker' ones who were smart, but definitely needed guidance.
Mitchell had numerous opportunities to join other gangs, but he was brought into the Spades at an early age, and even though he, Monk and Jason were the only ones from the original gang who were still alive today, this gang was his family, his home.
After this job, they would set up down in Miami until the heat settled, then they would print the money and using the brains of the younger gang members, set themselves up so that they would never want for anything for the rest of their lives. They would resettle into their very own territory and no one would be able to take it away from them.
Just a few more hours and he can give the 'green light' for the plan to begin.
Jim finished up the report on his desk and went to Simon's office to hand it over to him. It was his initial report on the crime scene Simon called him in on yesterday. Jim had all his paperwork updated so that he could leave as soon as Blair got back in Cascade.
He glanced at his watch, it was 11:50 am. Blair should be here within the next half hour. He hoped Blair wouldn't sense that something was on Jim's mind. This morning, Jim had thought a lot about last night's revelations and finally decided that he was going to put it temporarily on hold until Blair's 'visit' was over, then he would sit down with his father and Naomi and they would straighten everything out so that by next weekend, they would all be able to sit down with Blair and tell him everything.
He knocked on the office door and waited until he heard Simon's 'come' shouted before he opened it and walked inside.
"I've got that report you wanted on the murder from yesterday," Jim said as he seated himself in the chair in front of Simon's desk.
Simon took the report from Jim and glanced at it briefly before he put it aside to read later.
"Jim," Simon started. "What's going on with you. I can't remember the last time I saw you so distracted and you've been like it ever since you got here this morning."
Jim glanced at his captain and friend. "It's just my father sir," Jim obfuscated. It wasn't exactly a lie. "We had a conversation last night and got a lot of things out in the open. I just have a lot to think about right now so I'm a little distracted."
"I'm glad Sandburg is coming back today. He can probably help you sort through some of it," Simon confessed. "Lord knows he's the only one that can settle you down."
Jim grinned at this. Blair was most certainly the only person who could settle him down. Whether he used his voice or just a simple touch or a look, his guide always did have a calming affect on Jim.
"He should be here soon, Simon," Jim pointed out. It was at that moment that he felt his hearing automatically focus until he heard the comforting heartbeat of his guide as Blair entered the building. "As a matter of fact, he's just coming up in the elevator."
"How did you..." Simon started to ask but stopped himself shaking his head. "Never mind, I don't want to know."
Jim laughed at his boss as he heard Blair enter the bullpen. He turned his head to see his partner's grinning face looking back at him.
"Alright Jim," Simon began. "Take your partner and get out of here. Make sure the kid has a good time Jim, my contacts at the Academy tell me he's been working hard and is doing really well despite a little bit of harassment from a few cadets."
Jim's brow furrowed at that. Who was giving his partner a hard time and where could he hide the body when he was finished with them.
"Now Jim," Simon continued when he saw the look on Jim's face. "Blair's alright. If he wanted help he would ask for it, let it be. If he asks for help, then you can go pound some hapless cadet." Simon finished with a knowing grin.
Jim looked at Simon in shock. Sometimes it was uncanny how well his captain knew him. It seemed there were times Simon could almost read his thoughts, of course those times always dealt with his partner and Simon knew how protective Jim was of his best friend and guide.
Simon got up from behind his desk and went over to the door. He opened it and proceeded to shout "Sandburg."
Blair waved to one of the officers in the PD garage as he headed for the elevator to take him up to Major Crimes.
He'd gone straight to the Police Station once he got back into Cascade after his last class this morning. He was a bit early, but he knew that Jim was probably already aware that he was here.
His Sentinel had told him months ago that he automatically focussed in on his Guide's heartbeat the moment Blair stepped foot in the same building Jim was in. Blair reasoned that it was probably due to the fact that the Sentinel needed to be aware of where his guide was at all times and that he was unconsciously always searching for his heartbeat.
The elevator door opened and Blair flew into Major Crimes. Jim wasn't at his desk and when he took a quick glance around, he noticed that he was in Simon's office talking with the Captain.
Jim automatically turned his head toward his partner and they grinned at each other.
Blair decided to wait over by Jim's desk until he was finished with Simon. As he approached Brown's desk, H lifted his head from his paperwork and shouted out "Hairboy! The Academy let you out to play for the weekend did they?"
Blair stopped alongside Henri Brown's desk. "Hey H, How's it going."
"Not too bad, Hairboy, but we'll all be pretty glad when you come back here," Brown answered.
"H, my hair is short now, when are you going to stop calling me 'Hairboy'? And I'm sure Jim hasn't been that unbearable that you guys are wishing me back here so soon."
"You'll always be 'Hairboy' to us, Sandburg. Whether your hair is long or short, it's still longer than anyone else's around here and if I know you, I'm sure it won't be long before it's back to it's pre-academy length," Henri quipped.
It was at that point that Blair heard Simon's office door open and his soon-to-be Captain's bellow.
"Sandburg!"
"I've been summoned, H," Blair pointed out to Henri. "See you later, man." With a quick wave, Blair crossed the bullpen to Simon's office.
"Sandburg," Simon demanded. "Take your partner and don't let me see his ugly mug in this bullpen before Monday morning."
"No problem, Sir," Blair responded with a quick eyebrow raise from Simon at the 'sir'. Turning to his partner, Blair continued. "Come on, Jim, our weekend of freedom awaits."
Jim laughed at his partner as Blair bounced up and down. Blair was full of energy and raring to go. Jim and Blair said goodbye to Simon and exited the bullpen.
"Oh, Jim," Blair exclaimed as the elevator doors began to close. "I heard about this new exhibit at the Cascade Museum of Natural History that you're just going to love..."
Simon lost the rest of the conversation as the elevator doors closed completely. He chuckled as he realized he was actually starting to miss the kid when he was away at the academy for entire weeks. Tomorrow night's poker game at Jim and Blair's was going to be a lot of fun, he mused as he turned back into his office and closed the door behind him.
William opened his front door to see the face of the woman he loved, the woman he had always loved.
"Nona!" William exclaimed. "I mean, Naomi. Come on in."
Naomi entered the house and took a quick glance around the foyer before turning back to face William. "I thought we would need some more time to talk, especially after last night."
William took the sweater that Naomi had draped over her arm and hung it up in the closet. "Please, let's go sit in the living room."
Naomi followed William into a room off the foyer and sat down in an obviously expensive sitting chair. William sat in the chair on her left, perpendicular to her own. William reached over and clasped Naomi's hand.
Naomi let out a soft gasp as she felt William's hand gently squeeze her own. "Billy," she said softly as she let her eyelids close and concentrated on the touch of William's hand on her own. "It's been so long," she started, but was stopped as William interrupted her.
"Naomi, I want you to know right now that I did love you." William looked deeply into Naomi's eyes as she opened them to look over at him. "Please, don't ever think otherwise." He looked down at their clasped hands. "I can't believe you're really here. I spent several years looking for you, but I could never find any 'Nona Saunders'."
"It's been years since I've gone by that name, Billy," Naomi replied. "My name is actually Naomi Saunders, but I went by Nona when I was younger." She paused for a moment, collected her thoughts, then continued on. "After we parted, I had no where left to go. My father was sending me money to help pay for my apartment in San Francisco, and he used to stop by every two months to check up on me. He told me when I wanted to move out and become independent that I would come crawling back to him sooner or later.
Naomi squeezed William's hand just a little tighter before continuing. "Suddenly I was pregnant at eighteen..."
William gasped at this announcement. "Eighteen?" he questioned. "You told me you were twenty-two!"
"I guess both of us had a problem with telling the truth back then," Naomi replied with a nervous half grin.
William was shocked. He knew that he had fallen in love with -- and had an affair with -- a younger woman, but to find out that she was practically a child, barely legal, he felt like one of those 'dirty old men' even though he, himself, had been the relatively young age of 29 at the time.
Naomi gathered her thoughts back together and continued on with her story. "Anyway, I was eighteen, pregnant and alone. My father was bound to find out, so I decided that I would go back home to Seatle and hope that he would help me and my baby."
A single tear fell down her cheek and William reached over and gently wiped the tear away, cupping her cheek for a moment to give her comfort and support in telling him about a part of her life that was obviously painful for her.
"Daddy was furious!" She forced herself to gain control over her emotions and once again clasped William's hand for support. "He yelled at me, calling me a tramp and that I was an idiot to let this happen to me. He told me that I was not going to keep this baby, that I was either to abort it or give it up for adoption. I would then be welcomed back to live in his house, under his rules."
Naomi gave a short, humourless laugh before continuing on again. "I told him to 'go to hell'. That I was not going to give up my baby and that if he didn't like it, then he didn't have to be a part of my life."
"Oh Naomi," William's voice dripped with sympathy. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I wish I could have been there for you."
"I think I know that now, but back then, I believed you didn't really want me in your life because you already had a family. I believed that I had only been a distraction or a fling." Naomi moved back from William but still held onto his hand. "Daddy stormed out of the house, but not before he demanded that I be gone before he returned and that from that moment on, he no longer had a daughter."
Naomi gently let go of William's hand and got up to move over to the window. She had to move around to dispel some of the nervous energy she felt building up. "My mom spent the next hour helping me pack as many of my belongings that I had and put them into her car. She handed me the keys to her own car and gave me a piece of paper with the name of a good friend listed on it. She asked me to stay with her friend for a few days until she could take care of a few things for me before I moved on anywhere else."
Naomi turned around and looked over at William with a big smile on her face. "A few days later, my mom showed up at her friend's place. She sat me down and told me that she had put her own trust fund that she had received from her own parents, into a special account in my name and that I had access to it whenever I needed any money."
She walked over to William and once again sat down in the chair she previously occupied, next to him. "The trust fund was quite significant, but it wasn't until later that I found out that she had placed her entire trust fund into this account. She had left nothing for herself. She told me that she wanted to make sure that the baby and I were taken care of and that we never found ourselves homeless or hungry. She told me that I had better take care of her grandbaby, that she loved me and my big brother more than anything and that I was to keep in contact with her through her friend that I was staying with at that time. We parted the next day, but we saw each other several times over the next couple years whenever I visited her friend. I never saw Daddy again until Mom's funeral three years later. He wouldn't even look at me through the entire service and when I approached him after the service, all he said to me was that now he had no family left. He said that he was all alone now and handed me a letter then turned and walked away from me without another word."
William wanted to say something to Naomi to comfort her, but he didn't know what to say. "Naomi, I'm so sorry, I just can't express to you how sorry I am that you had to go through that all alone. I wish I had been there for you."
"The worst thing is that I didn't read the letter until I had gotten home later that day. It was written by Daddy and in it he..." Naomi stopped briefly to try and compose herself enough to continue. "He wrote the letter like he was writing to a stranger. He told me that my brother had been killed in Vietnam. They had only been informed about this a month before and had a private funeral for him only two weeks ago. He said he forbid Mom to tell me this because as far as he was concerned, I was not a part of the family anymore," her speech hitched as a tear slipped down her cheek. "They never had a body to bury so there isn't even a place I could go to say goodbye to my own brother." William pulled Naomi into a strong hug and Naomi put her arms around the only man she had ever loved and soaked up the love she felt emanating from him. William gave her the strength she needed to continue on with her story. "I never really had any closure with my brother. There was no grave, no goodbye. Nothing to really help me put that part of my life to rest. For years afterwards I had hoped that it was all a mistake and that someday I would turn around to see my big brother standing behind me and he'd tap me on the nose like he used to do when we were younger and say 'it's OK Nonie, you'll always have me, I'm sorry I was away for so long'."
Naomi gave William a comforting smile and a quick squeeze of his hand. He loved it that she felt comfortable enough to touch him like this. She had held his hand several times throughout the story and it filled his heart each time she had reached for his hand, or when he reached for her hand and she didn't flinch away from him.
"After I left home, I changed my name from my nickname 'Nona' back to my actual name of 'Naomi' and I took my mother's maiden name of 'Sandburg'."
"I hate to think of you being alone, trying to raise our child and without any emotional support," William said with a lowered head.
Naomi reached over and gently lifted William's head until he was looking her in the eye. "I did have emotional support the first few years after we 'separated', honey," she responded. "My mother was there when our son was born."
William got to his feet and slowly walked over to the fireplace, placing a hand on the mantle and looking into the empty hearth. "I was never a good father to Jimmy and Stevie, especially after Grace died, and I didn't even know if my third child was a boy or a girl." He lifted his head up and looked at the ceiling. "I guess I won't be winning any 'father of the year' awards will I?"
Naomi swiftly left the chair she was seated in and hurried over to William, placing a hand on his shoulder and turning him to face her. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the tears running freely down his face. "Oh William," she exclaimed, drawing him to her in a crushing hug. "We can't change the past, no matter how much we might want to, but we do have a say in our present and in our future." She pulled away from William, holding him less than an arm's length away from her and looked up into his eyes, trying to stress how important what she was telling him was to them. "We are both here now, we are aware of each other's circumstances. We can go on from here, release the past and build on our future, wherever it may lead us."
"No matter what happens in the days and weeks to come," William stated. "I never want us to lose contact with each other again. I want you to stay a part of my life in whatever capacity you feel comfortable with, whether it be an acquaintance, a friend, or something more." William looked at Naomi with hope in his eyes, almost pleading with her not to disappear from his life again.
"I promise you, William." Naomi responded more to the pleading look in his eyes, than to the words he was saying. "I won't disappear from your life. Whatever relationship we end up having, I don't want you out of my life anymore than you want me out of yours."
They reached for each other and shared a warm hug. They stayed like that for a few minutes, finding comfort and even healing in each other's presence. Finally, they released each other, wiping tears from each other's faces.
"If only people could see me now with tears streaming down my face, they'd never believe it was me." William managed a wane smile.
"I don't believe that for a moment William," Naomi returned the smile with more enthusiasm. "You were never afraid to express your feelings and emotions to me all those years ago."
William looked deep into her eyes, seeing all the love he saw in those same eyes years before reflected back at him.
"Oh, Naomi," he began, shaking his head. "You were the only person I could ever truly express any feelings to. You were the only person to whom I could tell what I was feeling, the only one I could let see me cry, the only person I could let see me be vulnerable or afraid." He took a breath and continued. "You were the only person I could be myself with and not feel like I had to put on a show or put up a front for."
They were quiet for a few moments, then Naomi spoke up, "I'm glad that you were able to do that with me. It makes me feel like we really did have something special".
"That we did, Naomi. We most definitely did have something special."
William collected himself, taking a deep breath to put himself back together. "My housekeeper, Sally, has the day off, but I'm sure I can find something in that kitchen to fix for lunch." He gave her a smile. "And if I can't, we can always eat out."
Naomi laughed heartily at that and entwined her arm with William's. "Let's see what we can find in your fridge first, shall we."
A huge grin spread across William's face as he lead Naomi from the living room to the kitchen. He felt something inside that he hadn't felt in years. It was hope, and a belief that he had a chance for happiness in his life, all because of this wonderful and extraordinary woman at his side.
Mitchell and the rest of the Spades put their plan into motion at 10:00 pm.
Roan hooked his computer up to the bank's line and hacked into the security cameras. After a short time he had the cameras on a 15 minute time loop that would make it around three times, giving them 45 minutes free from the security cameras. They hoped that that was enough time, at lease they estimated that it would be.
Once that was done, Matthew met them at the rear entrance to the bank and let them in. Roan immediately went to the computer station and hooked up to the bank mainframe, starting their own program.
Mitchell headed towards the back vault which held the printing plates while Jason headed downstairs to the second vault to retrieve the printing paper. As they approached the corridors leading to their perspective vaults, they listened in on their headsets for the OK from Roan that the pressure sensitive floor tiles had been turned off. It was only supposed to take five minutes, but ended up taking Roan 13 minutes to get the job done. Finally the floor sensors were off and Mitchell and Jason headed for the vaults.
It also turned out harder than they thought to get the vaults open. It was supposed to take 10 minutes but it took Jason 15 minutes and Mitchell 19 minutes.
Roan started to panic because now they only had about 10 minutes to get the job done and out of there.
Jason was just coming up from the basement with the printing paper and Mitchell was exiting the vault with the printing plates when all hell broke loose...
Jim and Blair had just left the movie theatre after viewing the latest flick starring Al Pacino. They were going over the contrasts in movie-cops compared with real-life cops when they got a call of a silent alarm at the Cascade Savings and Loans that was only three blocks away. Immediately Jim called in giving their position and stating that they were two minutes away. Blair slapped the light on the dash board of the truck and they sped two blocks, turning the light and siren off when they were one block away.
Jim pulled into the side alley next to the Savings and Loans and parked.
"OK, Chief," Jim began. "I want you to stay..." he never got any further when Blair laughed at him.
"Jim, I'm trained for this stuff now, I don't have to stay in the truck. I can help you." Blair gave him a sincere look. "You need me partner. I'm your backup."
Jim thought about that for just a moment then came to a decision. "Chief, first of all, you are IN training for this stuff. You're training is not complete."
"Semantics, man," Blair returned. "I've been at these kind of scenes for four years now, Jim. You can trust me to back you up now."
Jim winced at the words. He wished he had never said that phrase in the bullpen a year ago during the Alex Barnes fiasco. Saying 'I need a partner I can trust' that fateful day was one of the worst choices he had ever made in his life and he deeply regretted it everyday since then. He looked over at his partner. Blair was looking at him with determination in his eyes. Jim knew he wasn't going to win this one.
"OK, Chief." Jim relented. "But I want you to stay close, and take this." Jim reached into his glove compartment and took out his backup revolver, handing it over to Blair.
Blair took the gun with only a trace of hesitation and quickly checked it to see if it was loaded and then checked the safety. It shocked Jim to see his peace loving guide handle a gun so comfortably.
"Alright, Jim." Blair glanced over at his stunned partner. "Let's go."
The partners crept over to the side door and paused there. Blair automatically placed a hand on Jim's back and guided him to filter through the surrounding sounds and listen to see how many were inside.
"Four heartbeats, Chief," Jim stated as he focused on the perp's locations. "One is almost next to this door, the second one is almost in the middle of the bank, the third is towards the back where the vault is and the fourth..." Jim paused as he tried to distinguish where exactly the fourth heartbeat was coming from. It was underneath the bank. "The fourth one is in the basement, Chief."
Blair was about to suggest something when Jim held up his hand. "The one by the door." Jim paused as he focused his hearing on the man just feet away from them. "His heartrate is speeding up." Jim paused for a moment then turned to Blair and whispered, "He's heading away from the door, come on."
Jim carefully pulled on the handle, but it wouldn't move. Blair looked at the almost hidden keypad on the right hand side of the door.
"Come here, Jim." Blair pointed to the keypad. "This must unlock the door."
"That doesn't help us much when we don't know the combination, Chief," Jim chided his partner.
"Smartass," Blair stated. "Put your fingers over the keypad and use your sense of touch to punch in the combination."
Jim looked at Blair like he had finally lost his mind. Blair breathed out in exasperation.
"Jim, think man," Blair chastised him. "With keypads, you usually exert different amounts of pressure on the different numbers in the code. People generally put the most pressure on the last digit, the second most pressure on the first digit, third most on the third digit and least amount of pressure on the second digit." Blair looked up at Jim's face as the realization dawned in the big man's expression.
"Let's give your theory a try, Darwin," Jim responded. This could work as long as there weren't more than four or five digits in the code. He ran his fingertips over the keypad. "It feels like there are six numbers that are more worn out that the others, Chief."
"Ok, Jim," Blair quickly replied. "That must mean that there's six numbers in the code. Lets go through which numbers have what amount of pressure usually pressed upon them. It only took the Sentinel and Guide less than one minute to get the proper code punched in and the lock mechanism released. At this point they had been there for less than four minutes and by the responses he heard when he answered the call of the alarm, their closest backup would be there in less than five minutes.
Jim eased the door open and listened for anyone hiding near the other side of it. When he found the corridor to be clear, he stepped inside and motioned Blair to follow behind him. They crept along the hallway towards the main area of the bank where the man that was stationed next to the door they entered was whispering to another man whose heartbeat was increasing steadily. Jim tilted his head and stretched out his hearing to listen to what the perps were saying. He immediately felt Blair's hand on his back, grounding him so that he could freely use his senses.
"I don't like this Roan," the first guy confessed. "It's taking a lot longer than it was supposed to. I thought we only had 45 minutes before the camera loop ended."
"We do," the second guy, Roan, replied. "Don't worry Matthew, Mitchell has it covered." The second voice didn't sound as confident as his statement professed.
"I'd still feel a whole lot better if we could get out of here, like NOW!" the first voice proclaimed.
"It won't be long now," the second voice responded. "Relax, buddy, everything will be OK. You'll see."
Jim turned back toward his partner and whispered to him, "There are two of them in the main area just beyond this corner." Blair looked over towards the corner in question, then turned back toward his Sentinel.
"OK, partner," Blair whispered. "What's your plan?"
Jim turned back towards the interior of the bank for a moment then quickly turned back to look behind him at his partner.
"Shit," Jim exclaimed. "He's coming back and there's nowhere to take cover."
Jim and Blair pressed themselves against the wall on the corner that the perp would walk around in just a moment. It was fortunate for them that the perp was distracted as he came around the corner muttering something about 'it's just taking too damn long'. Jim reached out and wrapped one arm around the young man and placed his other hand over the man's mouth. He quickly repositioned his arms to that of a sleeper hold and in just a few seconds, the young man's body became slack in his arms. Jim lowered the man to the floor and laid him against the wall.
"One down, three more to go," Blair stated with a grin.
Jim had to laugh at his partner's enthusiasm. How much did he miss having this man beside him everyday on the job. He couldn't wait until Blair was finished with the Academy and was Jim's official partner. He would always be by his side then and no one could threaten to have his 'credentials pulled' anymore.
The two of them just started around the corner when a loud siren blared throughout the bank.
Jim clutched his hands to his ears, unable to block out the extremely loud sound piercing through his skull. Blair was immediately next to his Sentinel to offer his help when he heard shouting behind him. Blair placed his hand on Jim's shoulder, hoping the contact would give Jim something to focus on and therefore aid him in lowering the dial on his enhanced hearing. Blair glanced behind him as the shouts grew louder, giving the alarm a run for it's money.
"I didn't do anything, man," one of the perps shouted. "Freddy set us up, man. He made us think we had more time than we did."
It was at that moment that one of the perps caught sight of Blair and pulled out a gun.
Blair grabbed his partner and pushed him around the corner as gunfire erupted towards him. Blair grunted in pain as they slammed into the wall just around the corner. His first thought was for his partner and when he looked at Jim's face, he realized he was in a zone-out. Another thing he noticed was the pain in his arm where the bullet had hit.
"Shit." Blair noted his injury but forced himself to ignore it and focus on the more pressing problem.
"Come on partner, you have to come back to me now. I need your help buddy."
Blair heard frantic footsteps heading toward their position. They must be heading toward the side door, Blair thought as he hauled his practically catatonic partner towards the door. There was nowhere to take cover, and with Jim in this condition, they were sitting ducks. Blair's first instinct was to get his Sentinel out of there ASAP. They reached the door just as the perps rounded the corner. Without time to think about what lay outside, Blair pushed his partner out the door and rushed out behind him.
As soon as he stepped into the alley, Blair heard the reving of an engine and turned around to find a van barrelling down on them. Blair only had a second to think and in that second he launched himself at his partner, pushing him out of the way of the speeding van. The van's brakes squealed as it slammed into Blair, who rolled up over the front then off the driver's side to crash onto the pavement. His body rolled a few times before coming to a stop against the wall of the building on the opposite side of the alley.
After the van stopped, the doors flew open allowing the three perps to jump in carrying their fourth man between them. The van door slammed shut and the van bolted away only to slam into a squad car as it came screaming around the corner with a second and third squad car behind it. Immediately the officers in the second and third squad cars exited their vehicles with their guns raised and quickly descended on the van and its occupants.
As the officer's attention was focussed on the van, a huge explosion suddenly ripped through the night just down the street. The officers from the second squad car called out that they were going to check on the explosion and then ran back to their car to speed off down the street towards the area of the explosion, calling for additional back up, which was almost behind them.
It was the combination of the siren sounds, flashing lights and the smells of the alley that finally brought Jim out of his zone-out to find himself lying in the alley outside the bank. How the hell did I get out here, he thought. He then realized that Blair wasn't near him. He frantically searched the alley for the familiar heartbeat and gasped as his sight fell upon his bruised and bloodied partner lying 12 feet away from him. He quickly got to his feet and ran to his partner's side.
"Medic," Jim shouted with authority. "We need a medic here, NOW!" Jim placed his hands on his partner's neck checking for a pulse, his frustration rising as his senses refused to co-operate properly at the moment. He breathed in a sigh of relief when he felt a pulse. It was weak, but it was there.
"Hold on, buddy," Jim begged. "Don't you dare go anywhere without me."
Jim shouted out to the cops for a medic again as he looked over the cuts, bruises and blood that covered Blair's skin. "How could this happen?" he asked himself as he placed his right hand in Blair's thick curly hair as his left hand clasped one of Blair's hands hoping that would be enough to keep his partner with him. "What did I do?" he whispered. "What have I done to you?"
The medics finally arrived, but they couldn't get Jim to relinquish his position at Blair's side, so they had to work around him. They worked hard to stabilize their patient, but they couldn't wait any longer, they believed Blair was bleeding internally and had to get him to the hospital and into the O.R. as soon as possible.
The paramedics placed Blair on a back-board and loaded him onto a gurney which was wheeled into the ambulance. Jim went to get into the ambulance when one of the paramedics grabbed his arm and looking at him in sympathy, told Jim that there was no room in the ambulance for him without compromising the patient's care. Jim protested that he had to be with Blair, that as long as Jim was with him, his partner would not 'leave'.
The paramedic looked apologetically at the detective and simply said "I'm sorry detective" as he closed the back of the ambulance and they sped off towards Cascade General Hospital.
Jim felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped at its sudden appearance. He quickly turned around expecting a struggle, but found Simon Banks holding his hands out in front of him in a sign of surrender.
"Hey, Jim, calm down."
Jim relaxed slightly as he reached out to grab his captain's arm. "Simon," he said with a pleading look in his eyes. "Blair..."
"I know Jim," Simon responded. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital."
"Thanks," Jim was able to choke out as he turned away from the departing ambulance. His eyes momentarily took in the action of paramedics working on the perps from the van and the officers working to secure the prisoners and the crime scene. Jim felt his fear for his partner turn to hatred as he caught sight of the people responsible for Blair's condition. He took a step towards them prepared to beat each and every one of them to a bloody pulp, to cause them as much pain as they had caused Blair.
Jim found his way blocked as his Captain grabbed onto his arm to prevent him from going any further.
"Don't," Simon barked. "Your partner needs you right now, Jim. You're not going to do him any good in a holding cell."
Jim's eyes flicked over to Simon he saw the truth to his statement in his eyes. Blair needed him right now, he would deal with the scum responsible later.
Simon pushed Jim towards his car so they could head directly to the hospital.
The whole way to the hospital all Jim could think about was 'how could he have let this happen'. He had failed his partner, his guide, his BROTHER! Please, God, he prayed. Please let him be alright, please.
CHAPTER FOUR
"Jimmy!"
Jim looked up from his study of the tiled waiting room floor to see his father and Naomi rushing towards him. He stood up to greet the couple and suddenly found his arms full of one Naomi Sandburg. It was the last straw for him and he lowered his head onto Naomi's shoulders as he let the tears flow.
"Oh God, Naomi," he gasped, squeezing the woman tightly. "I'm so sorry. I should have been able to protect him... I let him down and now he might..." Jim couldn't bring himself to finish that statement.
"Don't say it, Jim," Naomi pleaded. "You know Blair, he'll be back to his normal self telling us that he 'can't believe we thought he'd give up so easily' and he'll never let us live it down."
"How is he really, son?" William asked his oldest son. Hoping that things weren't really that serious, that Jim was just overreacting.
"He's in surgery right now." Jim pulled out of Naomi's embrace to face them both. "The doctor said there was internal bleeding and they rushed him into surgery before I could even get a chance to see him."
Jim had practically been greeted at the Emergency Room entrance with a release form for surgery that was needed for Blair who was already being prepped. They had to get him into the O.R. as soon as possible.
Naomi gently pushed Jim back down into the chair he had just vacated. She nodded to Captain Banks who was standing just off to the side. She knew that Simon had stayed with Jim to offer his support and she was grateful for his concern and friendship. Simon smiled at her and moved over to a chair on the opposite side of the room, picking up an outdated magazine as he went.
William sat on Jim's right while Naomi sat on his left, firmly clasping his hand. Jim wrapped his other hand tightly around his and Naomi's joined hands. Naomi may not always be around, but when she was, she automatically knew what those around her needed and he appreciated that attribute at the moment. For a quick moment, he wondered what it would have been like growing up with Naomi as his step-mom and Blair as his brother. How different would his life be?
There were no more words spoken while the small family waited for news on their loved one. They supported each other with touches, albeit brief touches between Jim and his father, but for the Sentinel -- for whom personal contact was so important -- those touches brought more comfort than any words could ever bring.
It was a waiting game now for the family, and the steady stream of friends who continued to arrive, while Blair was in surgery.
The soft murmuring came to a sudden stop as the doctor entered the almost full waiting room. Dr. Sean Mullins quickly glanced around and, spotting Jim Ellison, made his way over to him. He was quite familiar with the Ellison/Sandburg team and often treated one or the other of them. He understood their protectiveness towards each other and was the only person in the medical profession who was aware of Jim's hyperactive senses. He had known that there was something different about Jim Ellison when he first treated him. As Jim's visits became more commonplace -- along with Blair's visits -- the partners took him into their confidence. He still remembered the time last year when an overenthusiastic young doctor, who was trying to prove himself in his new position, decided to perform a new procedure on Jim after misdiagnosing his 'catatonia'. The 'doctor' had felt it was unnecessary to look up the medical history on his patient since he 'knew what he was doing' and yelled at the nurses for daring to tell HIM, the DOCTOR, what to do. He then proceeded to inject still experimental drugs into Jim, which normally wouldn't have had a serious effect on the patient exhibiting Jim's 'symptoms', but with Jim's 'sensitivities' it had a detrimental effect and almost killed the sentinel. That doctor had since been fired, his medical license taken from him, and was lucky to get away without criminal charges.
Blair didn't want to take anymore chances with his sentinel and since both he and Jim knew Dr. Sean Mullins, they told the doctor all about Jim's senses and his sensitivities. Now, whenever Jim or Blair came into the hospital, Dr. Mullins was always called in on the case.
Jim stood up as Dr. Mullins approached him, wearing his surgical scrubs. He had performed the surgery on Blair and that thought provided Jim with some comfort.
"Jim." Dr. Mullins held out his hand as he came to a stop in front of Jim.
"Sean," Jim responded. "How is he? He's going to be OK, right?"
Mullins glanced over at Naomi and William who stood next to Jim and Jim realized that the doctor didn't know his and Blair's parents.
"I'm sorry, Sean," Jim apologized. "This is Blair's mother, Naomi Sandburg and this is my father, William Ellison."
Dr. Mullins quickly shook Naomi and William's hands and proceeded to guide Jim back into his chair and sat down in the chair next to Jim and looked at him sympathetically. "I'm not going to lie to you, Jim and tell you that everything is fine. Blair was seriously hurt tonight." He paused to let the statement sink in, taking in the anxious expressions on the faces in front of him. "It looks pretty bad at the moment and his chances are about 50/50. The next few hours will determine that.
"He had some serious internal bleeding that took us a while to get under control. There was also a lot of bleeding around his spleen, but, fortunately, we were able to repair that damage and not have to take out the spleen itself. There was some serious damage done to both of his kidneys and his kidney function is very low right now. We have to watch him very carefully for possible kidney failure. We have a dialysis machine on standby in case that happens."
He turned to Naomi as he continued, "Actually, Ms. Sandburg, it's good that you are here. We should probably test you, and any other blood relatives Blair may have, in order to see if there are any matches in case Blair does suffer kidney failure and requires a kidney transplant." He glanced around at all of the fearful looks on the surrounding faces and rushed to put them at ease, at least a little. "This is only for the worst case scenario. There is no way we can determine the outcome, but I would feel better if this was accomplished in advanced, just in case it MIGHT be needed, so don't panic because there's really no need to yet.
"We also have to watch Blair carefully for the next few days for any sign of infection." There was a moment of hesitation before the doctor continued on. "His pelvis was badly bruised as well as his left leg from the impact of the vehicle, but there were no breaks to any of the bones in those areas which really is a miracle considering. We will have to perform surgery on the left arm to set it with pins when Blair's vitals are stronger and he is ready, physically, to go back into surgery.
"He also has two cracked ribs and some painful bruising covering his torso. Besides the bone breakage in the left arm, he was also shot in that same arm. The bullet went clean through with only minimal damage, but he did lose a lot of blood. But, our main concern right now, besides his kidneys, is the injury to his head."
Jim heard Naomi's heartbeat suddenly speed up as she spoke, "Do you think there might be some sort of... of brain damage?"
"It's too soon to tell," Dr. Mullins replied. "There is some swelling on his brain right now, but we will be monitoring him very closely over the next 72 hours and if the pressure increases any more than it has, we'll have to relieve the pressure."
"Another surgery!" Jim exclaimed. "But you just said that Blair wasn't up to another surgery right now."
"Jim," Dr. Mullins rushed to alleviate Jim's concerns. "We're only talking about possibilities right now. There's no sign yet that there will be any increase in pressure on his brain. I only wanted you to be aware of the possibility in case it happened and we had to bring him back into surgery."
Jim nodded his head, as did Naomi.
William sat as still as a statue while the doctor recited all the injuries to his youngest son. A son he had yet to face since learning the truth. The last time William had seen Blair, he was just 'Blair Sandburg -- Jimmy's friend' and now he lay in a hospital bed in ICU and he didn't even know if he would get a chance to know Blair as his son. He didn't even know if Blair would even survive or wake up, and what if there was brain damage?
William never had the chance to provide for Blair when he was growing up, but he would make sure that his newfound son would get all the medical help and the best treatment that could be provided. He would get whatever specialists Blair needed, it was the least he could do for Blair.
After finishing his rundown on Blair's injuries, Dr. Mullins squeezed Jim's arm and gave a reassuring smile to Naomi, before heading off to make sure that Blair was being settled into ICU. He told Jim that Blair could have visitors after he was settled into his room in ICU but preferred they only be family (which Jim was considered as being), and only for five minutes of every hour.
It was now a waiting game. Sitting in the hospital waiting for his guide to get settled into ICU, waiting 55 minutes of every hour to see his best friend, waiting to see if his partner's condition would worsen, waiting to see if his brother would live or die.
They had some time before they were going to be allowed to see Blair at all, so they decided it was a good time to go and get tested as a possible match for Blair in case the 'worst case scenario' happened.
Naomi sat next to William in the hospital cafeteria. They came down here to get small snack of juice and muffins after returning from the lab. She, William and Jim had testing done to see if either of them were a suitable match to donate a kidney in case Blair needed one. Jim had returned to the ICU waiting room to await his first five minute time allotment visiting Blair.
William and Naomi needed a break away from the waiting room. Since Jim was spending the five minutes of this hour with Blair, they had another hour before she could get a chance to see her son. When the doctor informed them that only one person could go in at a time to see Blair and that it would only be for five minutes of each hour, Naomi immediately suggested that Jim be the first one to see Blair. Jim protested saying that she was Blair's mother and that she should see him first but she shot down that idea after seeing the expression on Jim's face. He NEEDED to see Blair, his guide.
She never fully understood their relationship until the dissertation was prematurely released by 'yours truly', but since then she'd seen the symbiotic relationship between the two men. Naomi always knew Jim and Blair's relationship was not a sexual one, but a spiritual one. Jim filled a hole in Blair's life that Naomi never knew existed. She had tried her best to be mother, father, and friend to her son. She wanted to show him the world and all its wonders, but she never realized the damage all their 'wandering' had done to Blair. Now she realized that Blair craved security, a home, a family -- and these were things she was never able to provide for him. She also knew that Blair filled a similar hole in Jim's heart, giving Jim the love and acceptance that Jim had craved, but never properly received.
She looked over at William who was picking apart his muffin piece by piece, not a single one of those pieces making its way into his mouth and only a third of his juice was gone. She had seen the hurt on his face when Jim suggested that she see Blair before him because she was his mother. She couldn't help but feel William's pain at not being included in the conversation of 'who would get to see Blair and in what order'.
"You know Jim didn't mean to exclude you when we were discussing who would go in and see Blair," Naomi said as she nudged his hand that was preparing to crush another piece of the muffin.
"I know," William responded. "I'm aware that the revelation of me being Blair's father is something that is going to take some time to sink in for all of us. It's just that I was thinking of all the times that Jimmy told me that Blair had been hurt and admitted in the hospital, and it finally clicked that all those times I came so close to losing my son and I didn't even know it!" William squeezed his eyes tight as he tilted his head back. "God, Naomi. I just thought what if this time we really do lose him and I never get a chance to know my son or even see him as my son. I can't lose him when I've only just found him, I just can't."
Naomi quickly grabbed onto William's forearm startling the man. When she had his full attention, she said with a determined voice, "We are not going to lose our son. He is strong, stronger than anyone I've ever met, and he will fight with everything he has to come back to us... and he WILL come back to us, so I don't want you thinking anymore of those negative thoughts. Blair needs only positive vibes around him right now, not negative ones."
William smiled at those words. "You really haven't changed much, have you?"
"Well, I've gotten older, and last month I think I actually found a gray hair!"
William laughed at her after seeing that wonderful smile spread across her face. Oh it was so good to have this woman back in his life. He had missed her so much.
"Now, Mister." Naomi nodded toward the pastry he was abusing. "Are you going to continue to mutilate that muffin or shall we go for a short walk before we head back upstairs to see how our son is doing?"
William glanced down at the table and noticed that what started out as a muffin was now just a pile of crumbs in front of him. He looked up at Naomi who was still wearing that smile. "I wasn't hungry anyway," he grinned at her. He quickly drank another sip of his juice before standing up and hooking his arm with Naomi's. They departed the cafeteria with a little bit of a lighter step than when they had entered.
Across town at Central Precinct, Mitchell and his bruised buddies were being placed in their cells after being booked . Mitchell was fuming, he had everything planned so perfectly. What the hell had happened, and how did it happen so fast! It was as if the cops were RIGHT THERE the very second trouble began!
Roan was placed in the cell across from his, while Monk was in the cell next to HIM. He didn't know what had happened to Matthew, Wally, Jason or Bruce and what the hell happened to the distraction Bruce was supposed to provide.
He looked over at Roan who was lying on the bunk. He had his right arm in a sling after dislocating his shoulder when the van crashed. Monk had a deep cut on his forehead from where he hit the steering wheel. He needed five stitches to close the cut. Mitchell got out of it with just minor cuts and bruises.
He paced the cell trying to think of all that had happened that evening. "What went wrong?" he asked to no one in particular.
"It was that cousin of yours," Roan responded. "He had some sort of alarm set up in the computer program. He never mentioned it to me so he must have been using it as a safeguard against getting him off this job."
"The little shit," Monk cursed. "If the bastard weren't already dead, I'd kill him again, only slower this time."
Mitchell shook his head. "I should have known he'd have some sort of backup plan. Of course he had to make sure we would include him in the entire deal. Putting that little snag into the program guaranteed that we would keep him alive and included in the plan at least until after the job was done. If we didn't include him and we still used his program, he had a little surprise for us as a payback! The bastard was smarter than I gave him credit for. Too bad he never mentioned the booby-trap, he might still be alive if he did."
"Well, it's all fine and dandy that we now know what happened. But we need to figure out is what to do now!" Roan spoke up from his cell.
"Don't worry, Roan." Mitchell leaned against the bunk. "Dear cousin Freddy isn't the only one who can come up with backup plans. I've got something that should be in the works right now as we speak. Just relax and don't freak out on me. If we all stick together and keep our stories straight, we'll be OK. Once we're out of here the cops will never find us. All we need is just a little more time."
Mitchell jumped up onto the top bunk in his cell. "Let's get some rest boys, we're going to be quite busy when we get out of here."
Jim ran his hand down his face as he stood in front of the hospital window looking out over a rainy Cascade -- was there any other description for Cascade besides 'rainy'. He gave a little chuckle as he thought of the expressive 'NO' that Sandburg would give. Cold and wet. That was what Sandburg once used to describe his world.
It had been raining ever since Blair was brought into the hospital two days ago. It almost seemed like the heavens were crying for the young man lying so still in the hospital bed.
"Come on, Chief," Jim whispered as he walked over to the bed and sat in the chair next to it. "You've been asleep long enough. It's time to come back now." Jim continued to look at the bruised and scraped face of his guide, looking for any sign that Blair heard what he had said to him. He quickly checked Blair's vitals, just like he did every 15 minutes or so. His vitals were getting stronger each day, but especially in the last few hours and he suspected that Blair was fighting his way back towards consciousness. His vitals had stabilized enough that they took him into surgery a couple hours ago to repair the damage to his arm, which was immobilized against his chest.
At least Blair was out of ICU and into a private room. William wanted Blair placed in the most private and secured section of the hospital, which was a small private wing on the back of the hospital usually occupied by Cascade's rich and powerful.
Blair was not in any danger of kidney failure right now since his renal function had increased steadily over the last 24 hours. That was of much relief to the tired and frightened family who have been waiting for what seemed like forever for Blair to be out of danger and on his way to recovery. The only problem was that the doctors couldn't explain why Blair hadn't woken up yet. By all medical accounts there wasn't anything to keep him unconscious -- unless there was some sort of brain damage that the doctors couldn't detect with their equipment. Each hour that passed by with Blair unconscious was providing more concern and evidence to the doctors of possible brain damage, but Jim knew, he just knew, that there was no serious damage done to that genius brain.
Sandburg's room was filled with flowers, stuffed toys and cards. Most of these were from the guys at the station, some were from people at the academy and a few were even from some of Blair's university friends, students and colleagues -- the ones that didn't abandon him after the whole dissertation mess. There was a gigantic arrangement from Eli Stoddard who was out of the country on an expedition.
Jim looked over at the door as he heard the nurse approach the room. It was time for another 'official' check of Blair's vitals and a notation in his chart. As the nurse entered the room, Jim instantly recognized her and pasted on a small smile as she glanced over at him with concern.
"Jim, you really should go home and get some rest. You've hardly left Blair's side since he was brought in. You're going to frighten the poor boy when he wakes up and your scruffy face is the first thing he sees." Although her tone was teasing, Jim knew there was a bit of truth behind her words.
Marjorie was a wonderful and caring nurse. She was an older woman who was part of the 'Jim and Blair care staff'. It was a joke (of sorts) in the hospital about how often one or the other of these two end up here. They've dubbed the usual caretakers of these unique men the 'Jim and Blair Care Staff'. Blair and Jim were aware of this and it brought a sense of warmth that the staff here could always be counted on to give whoever the current injured party happened to be, the best care any hospital could offer.
Jim moved away from the window and walked over to Blair's bedside. He picked up his guide's limp hand. When Blair was in a hospital bed, he always looked so small and helpless, even more so with the shorter curls. He looked like an innocent child and it always brought a spark of anger to Jim's heart that these things could keep happening to such a kind, caring and giving human being as Blair Sandburg.
"Now I wouldn't want to scare him like that, would I?" Jim inquired of the nurse. He winked at Marjorie when she glanced over at the police detective.
"Go home for just a couple hours, Jim," she spoke up as she adjusted the bed sheets up around Blair's shoulders to keep him warm. "His vitals are getting stronger and he's out of immediate danger, so you can leave his side." She looked at Jim with a mischievous look on her face then continued, "and then you're going to need all your energy just to keep him here until the doctor says he's well enough to leave. You know how much he loves this place."
Jim laughed out loud at that. "Yeah, he loves this place almost as much as I do. If it weren't for the great staff here, we wouldn't keep making reservations for this place every couple months."
Marjorie reached across her patient and gently slapped Jim on the arm. "Now you just get out of here before you get yourself in trouble and I have to kick you out."
Jim looked down at his guide's face. He knew that he needed some rest before Blair woke up which would probably be sometime later on tonight, if he could trust his senses and he knew he could trust his senses because Blair was the one who taught him to trust what his senses tell him. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 1:20 pm. He could just take a quick run back to the loft for a shower, a shave and maybe a short nap and be back here by five o'clock or so.
"If you're worried, Jim, his mother just arrived a few minutes ago with that charming father of yours." Marjorie hoped that knowing Blair wouldn't be alone would give Jim incentive to leave his vigil and take a little time for himself, which he really needed. "They're talking with the desk duty nurse until I come out from Blair's little check-up."
Jim nodded his head. If he was going to leave for a short time, this was the best time to go. Blair wouldn't be alone and he would be back before Blair woke up. "You win Marjorie," Jim responded. "I'll go for a shower, shave and nap and be back again in a couple hours. Take care of our boy here won't you!"
"You don't even need to ask my dear. This one is precious to all of us here on the JBCS." She knew that the partners were aware of the 'Jim & Blair Care Staff' and never failed to tease them about it.
Jim laughed as he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on top of his brother's curly topped head. "I'll be back before you can even miss me, partner."
"And don't forget to add eating to that list, Mister," Marjorie scolded as Jim headed for the door.
With a smile and a shake of his head in amusement, Jim left the room. He had just left when the wall buzzer went off signalling that the nurse's desk was trying to get through to the room. Marjorie reached over and pressed the button. "Yes, Sarah, what is it?"
Marjorie let go of the button as she waited for Sarah's response.
"Mr. Jennings was just moved into room 505 and Dr. Yonger would like for you to get him settled, Marjorie."
"OK, Sarah," Marjorie responded after depressing the button once again. "I'll be right there." She let go of the button as she used her other hand to gently move Blair's IV stand closer to the top of Blair's bed. She never noticed that the faint light on the intercom remained on, or that soft corridor sounds could be heard over the intercom as she turned around and rushed out to settle Mr. Jennings into his room.
Nobody was aware of the flickering of Blair's eyes as he began to regain consciousness.
Naomi and William moved over to the nurse's desk as they heard Sarah request Marjorie to settle another patient into his room. When the conversation was over Naomi asked Sarah how Blair was doing this afternoon.
Sarah smiled at Blair's mother as she lifted her finger off of the intercom button, not noticing that the button stuck and remained in the 'speak' position. Sarah held up a finger to sign that she'd tell Naomi about Blair's condition as soon as she took care of the ringing phone.
Naomi watched Sarah walk over to the phone to quietly pick up the receiver. At that moment Jim came down the hall towards her and William. Jim looked so tired and worn down. She hoped she could convince him to go back to the loft for the evening and get some well deserved sleep.
Jim looked up as he approached Naomi and his father. "Hi guys," he said. "I'm going to head to the loft for a shower, shave, a quick nap and maybe something to eat. I'll be back around 5 o'clock or so."
Naomi was stunned. Obviously someone else had convinced the stubborn man that he needed to take care of himself. "Well, it's about time you decided to do that, Jim. I was beginning to think that we'd have to admit you soon for exhaustion." She looked at him with concern in her eyes as she continued on, "I have some wonderful herbs at the hotel that I was going to get you to take. It does wonders for rejuvenating an exhausted body without the effects of added stimulants." She knew how much the talk of 'natural herb medicines' drove Jim crazy.
Jim gave her a strained smile. "Thanks, Naomi, but I think I'll stick to the more conventional means and get a couple hours rest. Call me if he wakes up or if it even looks or feels like he's waking up, OK."
She saw the urgent need for Jim to be reassured that he would be called at the slightest change in his guide's condition. "You don't even need to ask that Jim. Of course I'll call if anything changes." She reached over and gave him a kiss on his cheek and squeezed his shoulder in support. Jim gently reached out and squeezed his father's arm as he backed up and continued down the hallway to go to the loft for a few hours.
After they were sure that Jim was well on his way, William looked at Naomi and breathed out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad he's going to get some rest. He has barely left Blair's side in the last two days and he's nearing a state of exhaustion. I was beginning to really worry about him."
Naomi nodded as she reached up and gently cupped William's cheek in her hand. "You are such a caring father, William. I'm so sorry you and Blair never got a chance to explore the father/son bond and form a relationship like you have with Jim."
William almost laughed in Naomi's face when he heard that. "Naomi, I know you mean well, but I have never been the model of what a father should be. I really hurt Jimmy and Stevie while they were growing up. I didn't know how to handle the business and be a single father of two small boys. I thought that if I had to concentrate on one, it should be the business so that I could provide my family with whatever they needed. Little did I know that what they needed most was me, not money." He looked away from Naomi as he continued, "In a way I'm glad that Blair wasn't exposed to that. He's a wonderful boy, Naomi and you did an extraordinary job raising our son. If I could go back, I would change so many things, but one thing I would never change is having fallen in love with you and having a child with you. I was blessed with three wonderful sons, and I barely know any of them." He looked back at Naomi with a pleading look in his eyes. "I'm hoping that I still have time to remedy that. I want to have all three of my children in my life and I want to know them as the wonderful men that they are. I want to get to know Stevie, Jimmy and Blair if not as my children, than as friends."
Naomi reached her arms around William's shoulders and pulled him into a hug. "Don't worry, Billy. You'll have lots of time to get to know your boys. They aren't going anywhere, and soon, Blair will be on the mend and we can tell him that you're his father. I know he'll be shocked at first, but after it sinks in, I'm sure he'll want to get to know you."
They broke apart as Sarah returned from her telephone call. "I'm awfully sorry about that Ms. Sandburg, but I thought that might be an important call I'm expecting from a specialist in Los Angeles."
"Oh, don't worry about that, Sarah," Naomi answered. "We were just wondering how Blair was doing this afternoon. We're on our way to see now unless there's a doctor in his room with him?"
"No, nobody is in with him at the moment," Sarah replied. "Marjorie checked on him just before Jim left and she's moved on to another patient now, I believe."
Naomi and William said their goodbyes to Sarah at the Nurse's station and headed down the hallway toward their son's hospital room. As they approached his doorway, they almost walked into Marjorie as she was exiting the room after returning to retrieve the pen she left there earlier.
"Oh, Naomi!" Marjorie exclaimed. "I'm so sorry about that. I should be paying more attention to where I'm going."
"No problem, Marjorie." Naomi smiled warmly at the motherly nurse. "I was just anxious to see my son."
"Well, his vitals are getting stronger and the doctor thinks he might wake up tonight or tomorrow," Marjorie announced to the couple.
"That's great!" William beamed at the news. His boy really was going to be alright. For the first time since Naomi got that cell phone call from Captain Banks while at his house, he was able to breath freely again, without fear for his youngest son.
"Yes it is great news, but I never doubted that boy wouldn't return to us." Marjorie leaned closer and lowered her voice conspiratorially. "He just enjoys flirting with the nurses too much to stay unconscious for too long." She nodded for the couple to go on into the room. "I'm just heading back to the nurse's desk to adjust Blair's intercom, I believe the button might be malfunctioning." With that, Marjorie scurried off down the hallway towards the work station.
Something about the conversation niggled at the back of William's mind but he quickly pushed it aside as Naomi took his hand and pulled him into Blair's room.
Blair Sandburg was alone in his room when he finally regained consciousness. He tried to get his eyes to focus on his surroundings, but couldn't get them to cooperate. He thought he heard voices, but he couldn't see anyone near him. He turned his head to his right as he thought he heard his mother.
Mom, Blair thought. Are you here. He thought he had said that out loud, but he didn't hear anything come from his mouth.
Suddenly he heard Jim's father. What's going on, Blair thought as he continued to search the room for the elusive voices. After a moment he settled back and just decided to listen. He heard his mother and William talking but it took a moment for what they were discussing to sink in. What the hell...? Blair thought as he felt consciousness start to slip away from him. I must be dreaming -- I can't be hearing this right, Blair thought as the darkness finally descended on him and he drifted back into oblivion.
William studied his son's pale, bruised face and picked up the limp hand, careful of the IV that was attached to it.
Naomi had left the room a short while ago to replenish her aura, or something like that. He dearly loved the woman but he couldn't quite grasp the meditation talk.
It took him half an hour to work up the courage to take his son's hand into his own. He knew it was silly, but he was afraid that once he touched Blair, he would hurt him or do something to cause more problems for the injured man. As he now held his son's hand, he knew that it was silly to think such thoughts.
He reached out with his other hand and gently stroked his fingers across Blair's forehead, pushing a flyaway strand of his short curls out of his face. This was the first time he saw Blair as his 'son'. He felt overwhelming feelings of concern, protectiveness and love come over him as he gazed into the pale, lax face. He wanted desperately for Blair to open his eyes so that he could look into his son's soul for the first time.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he gently, and carefully, squeezed Blair's hand. When he opened his eyes and looked back at the patient he found two dark ocean blue eyes staring back at him. For just a moment, father and son just stared at each other.
William was so startled that he unconsciously let the word 'son' slip from his lips.
A look of confusion and then panic passed over Blair's face.
The void was broken by periodic visions of Incacha telling him that his duty as Shaman to the Sentinel was not yet finished and that many great challenges were to be faced by the Sentinel and Guide in the years to come. Incacha told Blair to rest, that he will know when the time is right to return to his Sentinel.
Now, Blair had felt the pull of consciousness and knew it was now time to fight his way back to Jim, to his Sentinel.
The first he was aware of was a slight pressure on his hand and a gentle touch against his forehead as he fought the fogginess that threatened to pull him back into the dark abyss.
Next came the sounds and scents that Blair knew came from a hospital. If he was in a hospital, then that must be Jim holding his hand. He fought harder against the darkness and finally his eyes slowly opened to see the pre-dusk light filling the room. He focused on the figure standing at his side and as his eyes adjusted to the light, he realized that it wasn't Jim... it was Jim's father!
Now Blair was confused. What was Jim's father doing here? Why did he have that expression of concern (and was that hope!) that he saw on William's face? Where was Jim?
It was at that moment that the events leading up to his hospital visit flew across his mind and his heart nearly leapt out of his chest as he concluded that if Jim wasn't here then something had happened to him... and if Jim's father wasn't with Jim... the look on William's face
It was at that point he heard the soft word come from William's mouth. He said the word 'Son' and it was said so softly and with pain that Blair jumped to the only conclusion he could think of.
OH MY GOD! JIM'S DEAD! I FAILED TO PROTECT MY SENTINEL AND HE'S GONE BECAUSE OF ME!
Blair's breathing became stressed as he tried to push himself out of bed and search for his sentinel
"JIM!" Blair croaked as William tried to force Blair back into the bed. "NO... I HAVE TO GET TO JIM," Blair continued in a heartbreaking cry as tears streamed down his face.
There was a sudden banging noise as the hospital door burst open and one anxious Sentinel ran into the room and rushed over to the distraught patient.
Jim had to admit that he did feel 100% better after having a shower, shave and just three hours rest. He even had a quick snack before he left the loft. He felt refreshed and calm as he walked through the door of Cascade General Hospital and turned toward the elevator to bring him up to his guide's room.
He knew that tonight was the night that Blair would finally wake up. He couldn't explain it. Maybe it was the Sentinel/Guide connection, but he knew deep down inside that his guide and brother was coming back to him.
As he stepped off the elevator and headed down the corridor, he automatically focused his hearing, listening for that familiar heartbeat that he knew better than his own. He heard the comforting sound and it brought a smile to his face. He knew that William was in the room with Blair by the second heartbeat he could hear, but Naomi wasn't in the room.
He strode around the corner and saw Naomi sitting in the lotus position on a sheet on the floor in the small lounge area. Jim had to stifle a small laugh, he never expected to ever see Naomi meditating in a hospital lounge.
Naomi stretched out her arms over her head as she finished her meditation and looked up to see Jim approaching her. She held up a hand for Jim to help her up. Jim pulled her to her feet and she reached over to pick up the sheet the nurses were kind enough to let her use.
"Jim, you look so much better." Naomi hooked her arm in Jim's and they headed for the nurse's station to return the borrowed sheet.
"I actually feel a lot better after having that little nap," Jim admitted. "But, I really think it was the shower that did the most in rejuvenating me." They stopped at the nurses desk and Naomi handed the sheet to Marjorie who was manning the station.
"Why, Jim," Marjorie perked up. "I almost didn't recognize you without those bags under your eyes. Is this what you look like when you aren't here worrying about that partner of yours?"
Jim grinned at the gentle woman. "We only save our scariest faces for you and the rest of the JBCS," Jim responded as the caring nurse let out a hearty laugh that did wonders for Jim's spirit. Blair had a laugh just like that and soon he would be hearing that same laugh coming from his best friend.
"You better get on in that room so that partner of yours can quit playing possum and finally wake up for us," Marjorie stated with a smile on her face.
Jim and Naomi returned Marjorie's smile and started down the hallway toward Blair's room. They were halfway there when Blair's rapid heartbeat registered with Jim.
Jim froze for just a moment as Naomi jolted to a stop with him. She looked at Jim and upon seeing the expression on Jim's face, she immediately became concerned for her son. "What is it, Jim? Is it Blair?" She never got to say anything else as Jim bolted down the hallway and burst into Blair's hospital room.
The scene that met his eyes upon entering the room shocked and scared him.
His father was struggling to get the panicked and frightened patient to lay back in bed without causing him any further pain. William was trying to comfort Blair, who kept calling out for Jim, but the harder William tried, the more panicked Blair became.
When Jim caught the look of absolute devastation on his guide's face, he rushed over to him and pulled his frightened guide into his arms. He squeezed him gently as he murmured words of comfort that everything was alright, that he was here now and he wasn't going anywhere.
Blair reached up and placed his hand against his sentinel's face. "Jim?" he asked.
"Yeah, Chief," Jim replied. "It's me, I'm here now, everything's gonna be OK."
Blair reached his arm around his partner and squeezed him as tight as he could until the pain in his torso became too much and he had to release his friend.
Jim eased Blair back onto the hospital bed and resettled him. The door once again opened to admit a harried looking Naomi followed by Marjorie and Dr. Mullins who had been alerted by Naomi that something was wrong with her son after witnessing Jim's reaction in the hallway.
All three stopped suddenly as they saw their patient awake and staring at Jim like he was going to disappear if he looked away from him. Naomi walked over to her son's bed and let out a sigh of relief upon receiving proof that her son was indeed awake.
Blair grasped onto Jim's hand before breaking eye contact with him to look at Naomi, then finally at Marjorie and Dr. Mullins. He was suddenly feeling weak, and relaxed back into the mattress. His body hurt all over and he felt like he had just gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson! He let out a soft moan as the pain finally caught up with him.
Dr. Mullins rushed over to the bed and began the routine of checking his newly awakened patient. He didn't bother to ask his audience to leave the room because he knew it wasn't going to happen. He ordered morphine to be added to Blair's IV since he knew Blair was going to be feeling a lot of pain now that he was awake. The incisions had not opened, despite Blair's little escape attempt and his vitals were slightly elevated, but once Blair calmed down and the morphine took effect, his vitals would steady out.
Marjorie re-entered the room after retrieving the ordered morphine and Dr. Mullins injected the first dose into Blair's IV.
"Hi, Blair, it's Dr. Mullins. Do you know where you are and what happened to you?"
Blair looked over at the doctor with pain-filled eyes. "Hey, Sean. Wha's 'apning?" Blair's voice was slurred, but he was cognizant.
Dr. Sean Mullins grinned at one of his favourite patients. "You decided the staff here at the hospital must have missed you, so you thought you'd give them the pleasure of your company for a little while."
Blair gave a lopsided grin at this as he responded to the teasing. "Can't le' you do all de flirting wit de nurses," he slurred as the morphine began to take effect. "Took pity on 'em." Blair smiled as he drifted off into a healing sleep.
Everyone had huge grins on their faces as Blair fell asleep. He sounded like their Blair! There couldn't be any brain damage if he sounded like their Blair, could he? No! He was the same old Blair and he was going to be perfectly fine.
Jim held Blair's hand tightly between both of his as he sat down in the chair next to the bed. William pulled Naomi against his side and wrapped his arm around her as they grinned at the positive sign that Blair was going to be OK. Marjorie smiled and pulled the blanket up, tucking it underneath Blair's chin, and Dr. Mullins made some notes on Blair's chart, grinning like a fool. He was beginning to fear that there was a real possibility of brain damage, but then again, this is Blair he was talking about. He should have known that if anyone could beat the odds, this man lying in the bed before him could do it.
Carrie's face lit up as she peeked around the door to see Blair awake in his hospital bed, a woman with auburn hair was sitting on the bed next to him.
"Enough of this lying around, Sandburg," she broke out in a grin as he turned to face her. "It's just not the same throwing the other cadets on the mat."
Blair laughed, clutching at his mid section. "Please, Carrie, don't make me laugh. It hurts to laugh."
Carrie approached Blair and her expression grew into one of concern. "Are you alright, Cass?" She reached out and gently laid her hand on Blair's hand.
Blair gently squeezed Carrie's hand. "Yeah, I'm going to be OK. Still a bit sore but I'm still here." He looked from one woman to the other and realized that introductions were needed. "I'm sorry, ladies," he said. "Carrie, this is my mother, Naomi Sandburg." Carrie reached her hand out to grasp Naomi's hand as Blair continued the introductions. "Mom, this is Carrie Simms, she's a friend from the Academy."
"Nice to meet you, Carrie," Naomi greeted her warmly. She looked over at her son and gently squeezed his leg. "I'll let you two visit. I'll come by later this afternoon, Sweetie."
"You don't have to leave on my account," Carrie spoke up.
"No, it's OK," Naomi quickly replied. "I think Blair needs a break from me anyway, and I have a few errands I need to attend to." With that, Naomi kissed her son's cheek and headed out the door.
"I'm sorry, Blair. I didn't mean to run your mother off." Carrie turned to him with a concerned look on her expressive face.
"It's OK, Carrie," Blair reassured his friend. "Besides, no one can 'run off' my mom. She needs a break from this place anyway." He looked at Carrie then smirked as he continued, "Don't worry about it, Carrie. You have enough to worry about when I beat your scores and graduate from the Academy at the top of my class."
Carrie mock glared at her friend. "You won't graduate at the top of the class because I'm going to. You can graduate second if you want to, but the first place spot goes to me."
Blair let out a small giggle which he quickly stopped when it put pressure on his injuries. "We'll just see about that, Herc." Blair saw Carrie's face go back to the look of concern and he rushed to reassure his friend that he was OK. "Hey there, I'm OK and I'll be back at the Academy before you know it, assuming they let me back in."
"Word is that Captain Banks already spoke to the Academy Officials and your spot will remain open." Carrie assured him with a smile. "Must be nice to have friends in such high places."
He winced as he thought of the added scorn he would get from the cadets already giving him a hard time when they found out the Captain of Major Crimes was securing his position in the class. The rest of his training was going to be so much fun, NOT!
He appreciated Simon going to bat for him, he just wished that Simon had let him talk to the Academy Officials first and maybe settle things between them before the Captain decided to intervene. Sometimes it really sucked having so many protectors who were ready to defend him at the drop of a hat. He just wished they would let him at least try to handle things on his own. He wasn't completely helpless!
Carrie looked at Blair as he winced again in pain. "Or you can take the rest of this class off and join in the next class when it starts in a couple months."
Blair hated to give up all the hard work he'd done the past few weeks at the Academy. He liked this Academy class, well most of them anyway, and he wanted to graduate with the class he started with. If there was one thing Blair hated to do, it was giving up on something he had already started.
As if reading his mind, Carrie spoke up, "I know you can't bear to go through the academy without me there to brighten up your day."
Blair laughed at this, prompting another bout of pain. "Carrie," he gasped. "You're killing me here."
"Sorry." She pulled up a chair and took Blair's hand back into her own. Suddenly she felt this overwhelming 'warm' feeling come over her. Blair smiled at her and she felt her heart miss a beat. What on earth is happening? she asked herself as Blair squeezed her hand and gave her a big smile.
"You OK there, Herc?" Blair asked as he saw his friend's face flush a little.
"Yeah, Cass," Carrie reflexively replied. She shook her head to try and clear it a little then focused back on her friend. "Yeah, I'm fine, just got distracted there for a minute. You have my complete attention now."
They smiled at each other then continued on with their visit.
CHAPTER FIVE
He hummed along with the song playing on the radio as he cleaned the gun laid out on the coffee table. It belonged to his father back when he worked as a security guard in the warehouse district. It had been a while since he had touched the gun, but now he had to make sure it was in working order, because now he needed to use it.
His life had been completely turned upside down in the last two weeks. His family life was in turmoil, his work life was now non-existent and he had lost everything.
His mother had to be hospitalized after the death of his younger brother, unable to take the strain and heartache. She was practically comatose in the hospital, absolutely distraught over the loss of her youngest child.
When his boss found out that Joshua's brother had been involved in the bank heist and that the only way he could have possibly gotten the codes was through Joshua, he was lucky he only lost his job and wasn't charged with aiding and abetting.
It wasn't like he had willingly given Wally the codes or the information about the printing plates and the printing paper, and besides, they had gotten both back safe and sound.
He couldn't believe that his baby brother had used him like that. Wally had always been impulsive, but he was a good kid, at least until he hooked up with those pricks. His anger flared as he thought of the useless pieces of scum that had turned his little brother from a young, impulsive man with a promising future, into a stupid, greedy punk who got caught up into something he shouldn't have been near, and got himself killed because of it.
He should have kept a closer eye on Wally, or at least found out whom he was hanging around with. He thought Wally was smarter that that, to get hooked up with some street gang. All Wally had been after was some attention he hadn't gotten at home, with both his mother and brother working hard to keep the family going financially. Their father had left the family in debt when he died and their mother hadn't been working full time since having her hours cut in half two years ago, so the family really depended on Joshua to support them.
Wally just got lost in the work shuffle.
Joshua didn't blame Wally. He blamed those leaches that he hung out with. They took a good boy and turned him into a criminal and they were going to pay for that.
These punks were going to pay for what they did to his family. They ruined his life and now he was going to pay them back that favour. He didn't think he could go as far as to kill them, but he was going to make sure that they did suffer -- painfully, too.
Joshua was now unemployed and, with a severe black mark on his record, he didn't think anyone would hire him for any decent job. Who would want to hire someone who had suspicious connections to a robbery at their previous place of employment?
The only thing he was thankful for right now was that he wasn't sitting in a jail cell with charges against him, but that was only because his boss took pity on him after giving him the boot from the bank -- after all, he had worked hard and was an asset to the bank for many years before this mess happened.
It did help that his boss had known him since he was a teenager and was somewhat of a mentor or father-figure to him and knew in his heart that Joshua didn't have anything to do with this mess. It also helped that after going back over the surveillance tapes, that they could actually see what Wally did once they did a little fine tuning of the tapes.
Joshua picked up the gun after he was finished cleaning it. He pointed it at a picture hanging on the wall and gently squeezed the trigger. The unloaded gun clicked reassuringly. He placed the weapon in its case, making sure that there were plenty of bullets in there with it.
Now all he had to do was track down the losers who destroyed his life and make them pay.
Mitchell and his boys were in a Cascade Police van being transferred from the precinct jail to the courthouse jail to await the primary hearing. If everything went OK, they would be free soon -- then Mitchell had a score to settle.
He had learned that Jason, Wally and Matthew had been killed when the van crashed. Jason was pronounced DOA when the ambulance arrived at the hospital. His head had struck the windshield extremely hard and there was nothing that could be done for him. Matthew, being unconscious when the accident occurred, had not been able to brace himself and was slammed into the passenger seat. His neck twisted at an awkward angle and was snapped. He was dead before the cops descended on the vehicle. Wally, being next to the rear door, was thrown out of the van when it collided with the police car. He had a serious head injury and had died the next day in the hospital.
It took him a while to find out what happened to Bruce, but he finally did discover that the explosion he was supposed to provide as a distraction backfired and he was caught in the blast. Four of the seven were dead.
It was supposed to be such a simple job. They had it all planned out, but Freddy's 'surprise' tore everything apart. He never thought he'd lose any of the guys doing this job. He didn't have Freddy around to be angry at, so he transferred that anger onto the cops who foiled the theft of the printing plates and printing paper.
He found out that it was actually a detective and a cadet. A CADET!!!!! He couldn't believe how bad things had gone down.
Mitchell had a buddy (he was actually his cellmate while in prison) who had a smooth talking lawyer who got him out of prison on early release. Mitchell had used his sole phone call to contact his 'buddy' setting into motion one of the many plans that they had discussed while in prison.
They watched each other's back while in prison where you really needed someone to watch your back and not stab you in it themselves.
They had vowed to back each other up if they ever needed help and Mitchell thought there was no time like the present to collect. The plan was to help get them out of police custody and then they would flee north to Canada and straighten out their future plans from there. He had hoped he would never have to put this plan into action, but there was no choice now.
The plan had to be amended a little due to the fact that there were three of them instead of just himself.
He couldn't just leave once he was free. He had to get a little payback and he knew just who to make his target. The police will regret the day they foiled Mitchell Strand's plans, especially 'Detective Jim Ellison and his cadet buddy'. Yeah, he was going to hit the police good and to be perfectly honest, he didn't care if he survived it or not. As long as they paid for robbing him of the fortune the printing plates and printing paper would have provided him. But most of all, he wanted them to pay for killing four of his boys, especially Jason.
A crooked grin flicked across his sullen face as the police van pulled up behind the courthouse for their hearing and the van's front doors slammed shut. He looked over at Monk and Roan and quietly whispered, "Get ready boys, this is it."
As the rear door of the van was opened, Mitchell glanced at the officers who had transported him and said with a sadistic grin, "Nothin' personal, just wrong place, wrong time."
The two officers looked at Strand in confusion, then they heard a noise behind them, but were too late to get their weapons out of their holsters. Pain filled grunts broke the stillness in the alley as the officers were killed by guns with silencers. There were several more grunts heard through the grated window that connected to the front of the van. Suddenly three men appeared at the back of the van.
"Yo, Mitch," one of the men greeted with a satisfied grin on his face.
"Hey, Marcus," Mitchell responded. "Glad you could join the party."
Monk and Roan looked at the strangers in confusion and then turned to Mitchell.
"These gentlemen would be our backup plan, guys." He loved the look of shock that was spread across the faces of his two companions. He jumped out of the van and Marcus took a pair of large wirecutters from one of the other 'rescuers' and cut apart the chain connecting the handcuffs on Mitchell's hands.
"Sorry, Mitch," he apologized. "The cuffs will have to wait a little longer to come all the way off. We'll take care of them when we're safely away from here, but at least you can move your arms around."
Mitchell looked back into the van at his still shocked friends. "Well," he asked. "Are you two coming or are you gonna wait for the cops to show up?"
Roan and Monk quickly leapt out of the van and Marcus cut the chains off their handcuffs. All six men jumped into the van that suddenly stopped in the alley and sped away from the courthouse leaving behind an empty police van and four dead officers.
Blair sat staring out the hospital window as the rain beat against the panes. He would be released in a few days and he finally had a few minutes to himself to think things over. He had only regained consciousness two days ago and still had a long way to go for his injuries to heal.
He was glad to finally get some time to himself to think.
Ever since he woke up, there had been a steady stream of visitors coming through the hospital room door. It seemed like one well meaning visitor would leave, and another would show up. He was thinking it was a conspiracy on Jim's part so that Blair wouldn't be left alone.
All the gang from Major Crime had showed up. Carrie and Marty had visited from the Academy, both ensuring Blair that his spot was being held for him and he would be able to graduate with his class as long as he passed the physical and the weapons test at the end of the program. Simon had indeed spoken to the Commissioner as well as the Academy Officials and they all decided that Blair could do a couple exemption tests later on that would help Blair deal with his missing time. He could have done these tests at the beginning of the Academy course, since he already had many of the procedures and course material down pat from his four years working with Jim. He already knew police procedures, report writing, and crime scene procedures, but he didn't want to get further harassment by not participating in the same courses as the rest of the cadets.
Circumstances had changed now and, since he was facing missing a couple weeks of class, he agreed to the testing to be exempted from the courses he already knew, as long as he passed the exemption test. That just left one or two courses which he could do from home and the physical component of the program, and of course -- weapons training.
He thought back to the visitors he'd been getting. Jim, the Major Crime detectives, Simon and Naomi he expected, but William Ellison -- that was bothering him for some reason and he couldn't figure out why.
William had visited him several times in the last two days and waking up and seeing William's face when he expected to see Jim's had absolutely scared the shit out of him. He thought that Jim had been killed and William was there to blame him for his son's death. He couldn't explain the look he saw on William's face each time he visited, it was like he was truly concerned about Blair's health and recovery. Blair couldn't understand why on earth William insisted Blair have a private room during his hospital stay. If it was Jim in the hospital bed, he'd understand, but he was nothing to William Ellison!
A vague memory kept nagging at the edge of Blair's mind as he thought this over. He was remembering something that happened, no it must have been a dream because he had vague memories of hearing William and Naomi talking, but he couldn't see them. They were discussing his son.
Blair found himself wondering why they had been discussing Jim and why he couldn't actually remember seeing them. It must have been a dream, but it really nagged at him. He kept remembering parts of the conversation.
father/son bond (Naomi)... I really hurt Jimmy and Stevie... needed most was me (William). That could have been an actual conversation. He already knew of the history between Jim, Steven and William. He tried to think of what else he heard. As he concentrated, he remembered the slight buzzing noise that continued throughout the conversation he heard, or dreamt. Bits and pieces came back to him.
...in love with you and having a child with you... to know Stevie, Jimmy and Blair not only as my children (William)... and soon, Blair will be on the mend and we can tell him that you're his father (Naomi).
Blair shot straight up in his hospital bed, wincing as pain shot across his stomach and leg forcing him to lay back against the mattress again.
That must have been some dream, Blair mused to himself. Why on earth would he dream that!
He was shaken out of his reverie when the door opened and Marjorie entered for her regular check up with her favourite patient.
"How's my boy doing today?" she asked with a big bright smile spread across her kind face.
Blair automatically smiled at the caring nurse that always took such good care of him and his sentinel whenever either of them were having a brief stay at the hospital.
"Marjorie!" Blair exclaimed. "I just asked God to prove to me that angels exist and 'lo and behold, an angel appears before me."
Marjorie actually blushed at the comment. All the nurses in the hospital knew what a flirt Blair Sandburg was, but he could tug at Marjorie's heart and play it like a violin. She adored this boy, just like he was one of her kids. If only her own boys could be as charming as Blair. Marjorie pointed her finger at Blair and shook it at him.
"Don't you think you can distract me from checking your vitals young man," Marjorie scolded as Blair put on his best 'whipped puppy' look. "That may work for the younger nurses, but not with me. I'm immune to the sad puppy looks. I've been dealing with those looks from too many patients over the years to fall for it now, sugar."
Blair broke out in a smile at the nurse's comments. He really enjoyed Marjorie's visits during the day. She was a really wonderful woman who lost her husband several years ago to a heart attack and was left to raise her two boys and two girls on her own. Many of Blair's stays at the hospital were filled with Marjorie telling him stories of her kids ranging in age from 11 to 20.
Marjorie started checking her patient, updating his chart as she went along. She went over to his IV stand and noticed that the IV was much lower than it should be. When she checked it more closely, she found that there was a small puncture in the bag and drops of fluid was slowly leaking out and pooling on the hospital floor. She went into the bathroom and grabbed a towel to soak up the liquid. As she placed the towel down she reached up and pressed the intercom button to call the nurses station. A moment later the intercom buzzed on and Sarah asked what was needed.
Marjorie went on to tell Sarah about the need for another IV bag, but Blair's mind froze as he heard the same buzzing noise come over the intercom with Sarah's voice as what he remembered in his dream... was it a dream???
Blair quickly reached out and grasped onto Marjorie's arm, startling her with his suddenness.
"Marjorie!" Blair exclaimed as he felt a twinge of pain at his sudden movement.
"Blair," Marjorie responded with concern. "What is it, sugar? Are you in pain?"
Blair shook his head as he tried to settle himself down. "No, Marjorie, I'm OK. I just have a question to ask you and it came to me suddenly, that's all." Blair tried to reassure the nurse that he was indeed OK before he pressed on with his question. "Marjorie, before I woke up, was the intercom used much?"
Marjorie looked at Blair in confusion. She never expected that question. "Well, it was used periodically, but only for a few seconds like I just used it." She stopped as she saw an unrecognizable look come across Blair's face. It was almost disappointment and confusion rolled into one expression. Suddenly she remembered something else. "There was that one time when I was checking on you just before you woke up and we realized the intercom button at the nurses station was stuck in the 'speak' position because I could hear talking at the nurses desk." She looked over at her patient and saw him visibly pale right in front of her.
"Oh my God!" Blair exclaimed in a state of shock. "It can't be true, can it?" He looked up at Marjorie as if she could answer his question for him.
Before anything more could be said, the door opened and William Ellison stepped into the room. His eyes connected with Blair's wide, shocked eyes. William was immediately alarmed at how pale Blair was and the look on Blair's face was one of shock.
"Blair, are you OK?" William asked as he walked over to his son's bed. He reached out to place a hand on Blair's shoulder when Blair flinched away from him.
"Is it true?" Blair asked in a soft voice.
William was confused by Blair's question. He was suddenly concerned that Blair's head injury might have been more serious than they had thought. His heart started to beat fast as his fear grew for his youngest son. He noticed that Blair was becoming agitated and rushed to try and calm him.
"Is it true, damn it, tell me the truth," Blair yelled, wincing as the yelling put pressure on his damaged ribs.
Jim rushed into the room having heard his partner's accelerating heartbeat as he was coming up in the elevator.
"Hey, Chief, settle down." Jim tried to calm Blair down by gently holding onto his shoulder and urging Blair to face him. "Calm down, buddy, and tell me what's wrong."
Naomi entered the room to see Jim trying to calm her agitated son. She had hurried down the corridor when she saw Jim running towards Blair's room, automatically thinking the worst -- that something was wrong with her baby. Blair's eyes focused on her .
"Mom, please tell me. Is it true?"
Naomi glanced over at Jim, then at William. She didn't know what Blair was talking about and by the confused looks on their faces, neither did they. She looked back at Blair as she approached the bed. "Is what true, sweetie? You know you can ask me anything. I've always answered all your questions, baby."
"Not all of them," Blair retorted. "You never answered one question no matter how often I asked it, you never answered it for me and I have to know the truth, mom. I have to!"
"Shhh, sweetie. Settle down now, just relax and ask me whatever you want to. I promise I'll answer anything you want, just calm down, sweetie."
Blair settled back against the raised mattress and took a deep breath. He looked directly at his mother as she encouraged him to take deep breaths and relax. He gathered up all the courage he could find within himself and asked the question he both dreaded and craved the answer to. "Mom," Blair paused, briefly closing his eyes to compose himself. Once he was in control, he forced himself to look directly into his mother's eyes and finally asked the question. "Mom, who is my father?"
Naomi let out a gasp, and William flinched as they heard Blair's question. Jim closed his eyes tightly for a moment. This was it, he thought to himself. They couldn't hide this from Blair, not anymore.
"Blair," Jim said gently. He looked at his guide to see that Blair was ignoring him completely. Blair didn't even hear him, he was staring at Naomi intently waiting for his answer.
Naomi looked into the eyes of her beautiful baby boy. This was a question she had avoided for so many years. At first it was because she had been so hurt by what had happened between her and Billy that she couldn't face the many questions she knew Blair would ask about him, so she just told him that she didn't know who his father was. She knew it didn't paint a pretty picture of herself, but she just couldn't reveal the truth and she feared it even more as Blair got older. She was afraid that if Blair found out, he would look for his father and then all the hurt would be brought back and Blair would find out his mother had an affair with a married man.
Now, Blair was here before her, asking that damn question once again, but something she saw in his eyes told her that he already suspected the answer and just needed confirmation from her. She froze for a moment then broke her gaze away from Blair's eyes to look at William.
Blair gasped when he saw his mother look over at William. It was true. What he thought he had heard... he did hear it. It wasn't a dream. It was real. That meant... he started to panic as the realization dawned on him that his father was standing right next to him.
Jim reached out and took Blair's head in his hands, forcing Blair to look at him.
"Breath, Chief," he demanded. "Come on buddy, deep breaths. Just relax." Normally when Blair had a panic attack he would place his head between his legs, but Blair's injuries prevented that right now, so he just pushed Blair forward until he was leaning over just a little and gently rubbed his back as he waited for Blair to regain his breath.
It had no effect on the young man and his panic attack intensified. Nothing anyone did could calm the young man down and he was gasping desperately for air. Marjorie rushed from the room and a moment later Dr. Mullins burst into the room clearing the visitors away from his patient. Marjorie came in a moment later with a syringe. The doctor turned around and took the syringe from her and quickly inserted it into Blair's arm, bypassing the IV immediately.
A few moments later, Blair's breathing began to ease as the drug took effect. Dr. Mullins settled Blair back down on the bed fixing the blankets around his patient. Blair's eyes grew drowsy and then closed as consciousness slipped away from him. Dr. Mullins turned around and glared at the three visitors.
"What the hell happened here people?" he demanded.
William turned away from everyone and retreated from the room with slumped shoulders. It was what he feared, Blair knew he was his father and the thought obviously devastated the boy. Apparently his fears were warranted.
Naomi rushed out to comfort William and Jim just stood near his brother's bed staring down at the sleeping figure. Oh, Chief. I was hoping you would be better before we told you, he thought. He knew his guide was hurting, finding out the truth after so many years. It was too much for his brother to handle right now. He looked over at the furious doctor whose eyes were fixed on him.
"I'm sorry, Sean," Jim responded. "Blair just found out something we've been keeping from him and it upset him."
Sean didn't know what this 'something' could be but if it upset Blair this much, he didn't want any more surprises for his patient. More surprises like this and his patient's recovery could be compromised.
"Jim," Dr. Mullins started. "The last thing Blair needs right now is to be upset."
"I know that, Sean," Jim yelled. He looked away from the doctor and his eyes wandered over to his sleeping friend. He lowered his voice as he continued on. "We never meant for him to find out yet. We were going to tell him once he recovered. I don't know how he found out."
Marjorie reached out to touch Jim and get his attention.
"I don't know if it means anything," the concerned nurse explained. "But just before his panic attack, Blair was asking questions about the intercom unit and I had told him that it had been stuck at one point just before he regained consciousness. I could hear the noises and voices at the nurses station."
The doctor relaxed a little before walking over to the detective and placing a hand on Jim's shoulder.
"He's going to be asleep for a couple hours," Sean stated. "Why don't you all go and take a break, run some errands or something. He'll be calmer when he wakes. If it doesn't upset him and he is willing to discuss it, you can try to calmly talk to him about this 'information'."
Jim nodded his head as he reached out and squeezed his partner's hand. After a few moments he nodded at Dr. Mullins then turned around and walked out of the hospital room. He, Naomi and his father had a lot to talk about in the next few hours. They had to come up with an explanation for Blair that wouldn't upset him like before. They had to because he would not allow his guide go into that state of panic again.
Simon walked out of the elevator to be greeted with the angry voices of Jim, Naomi and William. The first words he could pick out were from William and what he said shocked Simon down to his core.
"I didn't tell Blair that I'm his father," William defended. "I don't know how he found out."
Jim turned around at the sound of his Captain's gasp. Simon had a look of surprise on his face and Jim closed his eyes and tightened his jaw as he realized what Simon had heard. His emotions had distracted him from monitoring his surroundings and he was lucky it was Simon that had come off the elevator and not someone he didn't trust. Jim frowned at his father as he reached out and grabbed onto Simon's arm, guiding him over to the lounge just down the hall. Naomi and William followed them.
Once they were all in the lounge area, Jim let the door close behind him then turned to face the other three occupants of the room. The 'secret' had just been exposed to Blair and he couldn't get a grasp on all the feelings and thoughts flowing through him. He never expected Blair to react the way he did to the news.
Jim neither wanted nor planned for it to be revealed until Blair was able to handle it, but now it was out in the open and they all had to deal with it. Blair was physically in a fragile state and he really didn't want Blair facing this emotional turmoil right now, not when he had to focus on getting better.
And now Simon knew the truth!
He hated the idea of keeping secrets from his Captain and friend. Simon had been in on the 'Sentinel' secret from the beginning and had been a source of strength and support for the Sentinel and his Guide. They never would have come as far as they had without Simon's support and both he and Blair knew that to be the truth.
This secret, however, wasn't his to reveal. It was a part of Naomi and William's past. He knew he was just looking for excuses, but how could he even think of telling Simon about this if Blair didn't even know the truth!
He did want Simon to know the truth once everything had been revealed to Blair and things had settled after the shock of the news had worn off. Jim was more than pleased with the concept of Blair being his brother. He was in no way ashamed of this, in fact, he wanted everyone to know but it had to be dealt with carefully or else a real mess could be the result.
After receiving a nod from William and Naomi, Jim explained the situation to Simon, giving him the condensed version of William and Naomi's past. Once he was finished with the story he looked up at the astounded look on his captain's face. He knew exactly how his captain felt, he felt the same way when he first found out. It was a lot to take in such a short time, and it was so unexpected that you couldn't help but be shocked.
"And Blair knows about this now?" Simon asked once he finally got a grasp onto all the details.
"Yeah," Jim responded. He looked over at his father and Naomi then decided to tell them what Marjorie had just told him. "We were all in the room and he was in a state of panic. He just asked Naomi straight out who his father was."
William thought about the incident in question, then remembered how it had nagged at him at the time, when Marjorie had exited Blair's room stating something about fixing Blair's intercom.
Jim looked up at his friend's face. "He already knew, Simon. He already knew."
Blair looked over at the door as he heard it slowly being pushed open. The head of his Blessed Protector popped around the edge of the doorway and their eyes met. Blair let out a soft exhalation and nodded for Jim to come on in.
Blair had only woken up a few minutes ago and his thoughts were all jumbled. He didn't know what to think. Maybe it was all a product of the drugs the hospital gave him. Things were just so fuzzy at the moment, he wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't.
Jim pulled the chair over to the bed and sat down, his gaze never leaving his guide's face.
"How are you doing, Chief?" Jim asked anxiously.
"OK, I think," Blair replied. "Things are kinda fuzzy right now."
"Drugs," Both partners said together, then let out a laugh.
"Jim," Blair started after the silence became too much. "Did it really happen... I mean, was it real or did I..." Blair stumbled over what he was trying to say.
"You mean finding out about your father?" Jim asked. It was out in the open now and he told Naomi and William that he was not hiding it from Blair any longer. If Blair asked him anything about it, he would tell his guide whatever he wanted to know.
Blair looked startled at Jim's response. Half of him expected Jim to say it never happened, or at least try to deny that it happened.
"How long have you known?" Blair almost dreaded the answer. He hoped that his best friend hadn't been keeping this secret from him for too long. He didn't know if he could handle that.
"The night before you were hurt," Jim answered.
Blair let out a sigh of relief. Jim grinned at his recovering friend knowing exactly what his partner was thinking.
"I wouldn't have kept something like this from you for very long, Chief. It killed me to keep this from you for just that short of a time, but Naomi and Dad just found out about each other Thursday."
"What!" Blair looked at Jim with a look of total shock on his face. Blair wasn't sure what to make of that statement!
"They knew each other 30 years ago, but under different names," Jim continued with the explanation. The story tumbled out of Jim until Blair knew everything that Jim did.
"Oh my God!" Blair exclaimed. He really didn't know what to make of this. His mother got involved with a married man, albeit unknowingly, but still. William was his father! The man hardly ever gave him the time of day whenever he saw him, of course Blair thought that was probably because he was taking some of Jim's attention away from William during his brief father-son visits.
Blair had been encouraging Jim to reconcile with his father for months now and it was just getting to the point that Jim would meet his father without dragging Blair along with him to act as a buffer. Jim had felt more comfortable having Blair at these meetings and it was obvious that William didn't. To find out that this man was also HIS father -- was unbelievable.
He suddenly realized that this must have been quite a shock for his partner as well. My God! To find out your father cheated on your mother, that a child came from that union and that the relationship might have contributed to his mother's breakdown and subsequent death.
Suddenly he couldn't face his Sentinel and he lowered his head. Jim must hate him right now. Jim must blame him for what happened to his mother and his family thinking that Blair was part of what ruined his family. There was just too much confusion and mixed feelings inside of him and he suddenly felt tears slip down his cheeks. He struggled to keep himself composed. Damnit, why was he suddenly so emotional? It must be the drugs.
Jim looked over at his injured guide, injured because of him, and realized that Blair's heartbeat had increased dramatically and his breathing was becoming hitched. Blair had his head turned down and away from him so he reached over and gently caught hold of his best friend's chin, slowly turning his face toward him. The emotional hurt and pain he saw in his brother's eyes hit him almost like a physical punch. He put his hand behind Blair's head and slowly pulled his friend to his chest to provide any comfort and stability he could for his guide.
"I'm so sorry, Chief. I know this is a shock to you, but it's not really that bad is it little brother?"
Blair looked up at Jim in astonishment. "L...L...Little B...Br...Brother," Blair stammered. "You mean you would want me as your brother?" He half expected Jim to want him out of his life, to kick him out of the loft again, but here he is saying he accepted him not only in his life, but as his brother!
"Blair, you've been like a brother to me for years in everyway that matters except in blood." Jim grinned at that. "Now we find out that we're brothers by blood as well. I still love you, Chief. Whether you want to be my brother or not. I know this is a shock for you and you may not..."
"Jim, man, you know there's nothing I want more than to be your brother for real," Blair gasped as his injuries reminded him of why he was in the hospital.
Jim gently helped settle Blair back in the hospital bed and wiped the wetness off of Blair's cheek. He brushed the short curls away from his brother's forehead as exhaustion settled into the small body. The combination of his injuries, drugs and the emotional roller coaster was wiping Blair out, and his body was finally succumbing to the sandman's magic. Jim placed a quick kiss on top of Blair's head as he drifted to sleep.
"Sleep now little brother, we have a lifetime ahead of us to get used to all this."
He paused in front of the door with his hand outstretched. He had been trying to work up the nerve to enter the room, but he couldn't do it the first time he tried, or the second, or the third...
He didn't know if he could face the occupant inside the room.
The recent past had been filled with so many changes that he just couldn't grasp the full effect right now. He never had a chance to think while everything was happening. Even if he did have the chance, he really didn't know how to come to terms with all that had happened. He didn't know if he could go into the room and disappoint the person inside. He deeply respected and admired the person just on the other side of this door and he knew that once he faced him and told him how he felt about all that had happened, told him what he had decided about his future, he knew that there would be a lot of harsh words said and things would never be the same again.
How could he do this to the man inside who had become a part of his family?
How could he not?
He couldn't let things go on like they have been. He had to let him know how he felt and that he wanted things to change. He knew better than to think the person inside this room would understand where he was coming from.
He took a deep breath and pushed the door open, entering the small room beyond it.
Blue eyes looked up at him as he entered.
"Hey!" the room's occupant said as a greeting to his visitor.
He smiled in greeting and nervously looked everywhere in the room trying to avoid eye contact with this person he was about to disappoint. He slowly moved further into the room until he was only a few feet away from the man. He looked into his eyes, seeing the intelligence within them. He knew this man was smart. He had seen this intelligence displayed several times over the past couple years and he heard the stories about him from other people.
Well, he said to himself, it's now or never. He took another deep breath to settle his nerves, or more like gather his nerve.
"I need to talk to you for a minute."
The man took a long look at the new arrival then put down the paper he was reading and gave the man his undivided attention. "I'm listening. Go ahead."
He closed his eyes for a moment and then proceeded to tell the man what was on his mind.
"I can't go through with this plan," he blurted out. He studied the man's face, seeing the eyes grow cold at the news. He had a sudden shiver as the eyes bored down on him.
"Roan, Roan, Roan," Mitchell repeated with a hint of disappointment in his voice. He stood up from the chair he was sitting on and went over to the nervous young man. "Talk to me buddy, tell me what's bothering you."
Roan relaxed just a little as Mitchell's arm came up around his shoulders and he was guided over to the couch in front of the window. They sat down turning towards each other, both prepared for a long discussion.
Mitchell looked at the young man facing him. He knew that Roan had been a little skittish about the whole plan from the beginning, but after a couple talks with him, playing on the 'loyalty' they should feel towards each other, he had calmed the young man down and thought that he had accepted the plan. He was doing fine during the job, doing everything he could possibly when Freddy's computer surprise had activated, causing their plan to crumble before their eyes. Roan was a smart kid, but intense most of the time. The kid thought too much.
"Mitch," Roan began. "I don't know if I can do this anymore?"
Mitchell squeezed Roan's shoulder as he asked, "Why not. What's going on inside that head of yours, buddy?"
"It's just that the plan with the plates and the bank wasn't really a problem for me, man." Roan's hands were moving as he started to work himself up. "I know the job was serious stuff and I knew we would be in a load of shit if we were caught, but I had accepted that. I mean, it was a harmless job and nobody was supposed to get hurt, let alone killed. I never thought that any of us could be killed on that job!"
"I know, buddy," Mitchell answered. "None of us expected what went down, but we just have to put things back together and proceed on to our next plan."
Roan looked at Mitchell. He really did look up to this man, even though he was afraid of him. "That's what I have a problem with, man. I don't think I can do this. Robbing a bank is one thing, but we're talking about murder! I don't think I can be involved in that, I really don't think I can do it."
"It's a little too late for that isn't it," Mitchell stated. "Or have you forgotten what happened to Freddy?"
"Man, you know I never knew that was gonna happen," Roan replied in panic. "I thought you were just gonna scare him and he'd run away. I didn't know that he would end up dead!" He looked into Mitchell's eyes and suddenly he saw the truth. "You planned to kill him from the start, didn't you?"
"He wormed his way into something he had no business getting involved with and caused us to change our plans to include him when he threatened to expose us," Mitchell responded to the slightly shocked man.
"But he was your own cousin?" Roan stated. "I thought Monk just got caught up in his eagerness to teach Freddy a lesson?"
Mitchell reached up and took Roan's chin in his right hand. "You know I don't take threats to my 'family' lightly. Freddy threatened us all and I was not going to put up with that. We have to always stick up for each other. That's part of being a family, kiddo." Mitchell shook Roan's head gently before he released it.
"I understand that, Mitchell, I really do. I just don't think I can do what you want me to do. I really don't think I can... k...kill someone," Roan stuttered.
"You can, and you will, if you want to remain a part of this family," Mitchell demanded.
"A family of three..." Roan's statement was cut off when Mitchell slapped his face hard. Mitchell then grabbed Roan's chin and viciously turned his head around until his face was just inches from his own.
"Don't EVER demean the members of this family SLAUGHTERED by those cops. Don't you DARE back out on helping to provide justice for our 'brothers' whose lives were TAKEN from them. It is our duty to avenge their deaths, and we WILL AVENGE THEM. You will follow the plan we have been discussing and you will do it to HONOUR our 'brothers' memories and their devotion to our 'family'. YOU GOT THAT!!!"
Roan stared, wide-eyed at the furious man in front of him. Mitchell pushed him away and stormed out of the room, leaving Roan in shock. Mitchell had been losing it since this last job got blown to hell. He took losing Jason especially bad. Roan understood that, he really looked up to Jason and Bruce, too. But Mitchell was really, really losing it and Roan was starting to feel some really bad vibes whenever he was around Mitchell.
He understood getting back at the cops for what happened to Jason, Bruce, Wally and Matthew, he really did, but MURDER. Monk and Mitchell were planning some really disturbing stuff for Detective Ellison and his partner. He really didn't want to be involved in this, but he didn't know how to get out, especially after how well that conversation with Mitchell just went.
What was he going to do now?
"Oooowwwww," Blair quietly whimpered as Jim helped him into the wheelchair. He was so glad to be leaving the hospital today and just hoped that little slip wouldn't change his sentinel's mind about allowing him to go home.
He still had a way to go before his injuries were healed, but if he had to stay in the hospital one more night they would have to just transfer him directly to Conover after he suffered a psychological breakdown.
He had been in the hospital for eight days and as far as he was concerned, that was at least four days too long. The first two days were OK since he was unconscious and fighting for his life at that point, but he was ready to leave a couple days after he woke up. Lying in that bed, all he could do was think, and to be honest -- he was tired of thinking.
Thinking about what had happened at the bank and how close he came to losing his sentinel.
Thinking about his various injuries and how much worse it could have been.
Thinking about what would have happened to Jim if Blair had been killed -- who would watch his sentinel's back.
Thinking about how far behind at the Academy he was getting. OK, not really that far behind, but still he hated missing his classes.
Thinking about his mom and... Dad!
Thinking about William Ellison being his Dad! About Jim and Steven being his brothers!
Thinking -- and worrying -- about how this revelation would change his life.
He was thinking all the time and his brain was worn out from trying to dissect every little detail that was his life. He needed to get out of the hospital and back home to the loft and try to put his life back into some sort of order.
After Jim had him settled in the wheelchair, he reached over and with his hand, lifted Blair's face up until he was looking into his Sentinel's eyes.
"Are you sure you're ready to leave, Chief?" Jim asked with concern.
"More than ready, big guy," he sighed at the look of concern that he was beginning to believe was a permanent fixture on Jim's face. "I'm OK, Jim. I just want to go home where I can get some peace and quiet, and not have someone poking and prodding me every hour of the day and night."
Jim studied him for several seconds and Blair knew what Jim was really doing was running his own 'scan' of Blair's vitals to make sure he was actually OK. Apparently Jim was satisfied with what he found because he nodded his head and then walked behind the wheelchair to push Blair out to the main entrance where Simon was waiting with his car.
With the injured ribs and pelvis, Jim didn't want Blair reaching up to get into the truck and possibly causing further pain or injury. Simon had volunteered his private Taxi Service when it was finally decided that Blair could go home and Blair was only allowed to go home if he had constant care (translation: babysitter) for the next week until he was able to move around the loft more comfortably.
Jim had taken the next two weeks off work to look after his injured friend and at first Blair really appreciated the gesture, but again after spending the last 14 hours 'thinking' about it -- he wasn't sure if he could survive two weeks of 'massive blessed protector syndrome'. Jim had really taken that role very seriously since he'd been in the hospital, but Blair was anxious to get his body back on track and get himself moving and exercising so that he can get his life back to where it was.
Blair grinned as they approached the exit of the hospital. Just a few more feet and he would be free. He couldn't wait to feel the sunshine directly on his face, and to feel the wind blow through his short, unruly, curly hair. He closed his eyes and took as deep of a breath as his injured ribs allowed as they went through the doorway and into the 'free world'.
After a few more breaths, he opened his eyes to see Simon's car in front of them with Simon leaning against the front of the car talking to a man who's back was to them. As they got closer, Simon noticed them and immediately stood away from the car to greet his two friends. It was at that moment the man Simon had been talking to turned around and Blair came face to face with... his father!
Jim had told Blair that William was upset about the way in which his paternity had been revealed to him and that he was embarrassed and ashamed about not being a part of Blair's life. That William was convinced that Blair didn't want anything to do with him and had avoided entering Blair's hospital room ever since Blair had found out the truth.
Jim, Naomi and even Simon all told him how William was constantly stopping by the hospital to check on the status of his youngest son and was always asking for progress reports from each of them. Naomi told him how much William wanted to visit Blair, but was too ashamed of his absence from Blair's life and was terribly afraid of being rejected by his new-found son.
Now, here he was. Finally face-to-face with his father after having some time to think about everything he had found out regarding the circumstances of his paternity.
Jim stopped the wheelchair next to Simon's car and put the hand brake on. He walked around the wheelchair and knelt down in front of Blair. "You doing OK, buddy?"
Blair rolled his eyes and responded for the 1000th time that day, "I'm fine, Jim. Really, I am."
Jim stood back up and reached around his guide to lift him carefully from the wheelchair. Blair was finally standing up... outside of the hospital. It felt great! He took a step towards the car and winced as a sharp pain shot through his pelvis and abdomen. Jim rushed to steady him by putting pressure on his back and hip. Since he was on Blair's left he couldn't grab onto Blair's injured shoulder. Blair felt another set of hands securely grab onto his right arm.
"Chief?" Jim conveyed his concern with his tone.
Blair nodded his head towards his partner and gave a weak smile. "I'm okay," he responded. "Just took things a little fast there for a moment. I'm alright now." At the expression on Jim's face, Blair added, "Honest, Jim. I'm OK."
Jim settled down just a little at Blair's words and Blair looked over to his right expecting to see Simon holding his right arm. He was a little surprised to find that William was the one with the death-grip on his arm. William had a look of concern, fear and anxiousness on his face. Blair hesitantly smiled his thanks, then allowed the Ellisons to guide him into Simon's car.
After getting Blair settled into the back seat, Simon moved around the car and got into the driver's seat. Jim climbed into the back beside Blair after securing Blair's wheelchair in the trunk. William gave a small smile to his two sons in the car then looked at Jim and almost as if asking permission said, "I'll call you later to... to see if you need anything." William was getting ready to shut the back door of the car when Blair suddenly called out.
"William!"
William froze his motion of closing the door as soon as he heard Blair's voice. "Yes, so...Blair." He had almost said 'son' but was able to catch it in time, unsure of Blair's reaction to the word.
"Why don't you come over to the loft tomorrow so that we can... talk a bit," Blair said. "I mean, if you want to." Blair suddenly felt very unsure of where he stood in William's eyes.
William's face lit up at Blair's suggestion. "I'd love to come over tomorrow. I'll call in the morning to see when is the best time to visit." The smile made William look years younger and Blair couldn't help but smile in return.
"Okay, then," Blair responded. "We'll talk to you in the morning."
William nodded his head and then proceeded to close the back door. He slapped his hand on the roof to signal that the door was secured and then stepped away from the car as it pulled out into the street to take its passengers home.
William stood on the sidewalk for just a few more moments until the car was out of sight. He pulled back to himself as a tear of joy slipped down his cheek at the happiness he felt in receiving that invitation from his son. Maybe, just maybe, things could really work out and he could finally have his entire family in his life.
CHAPTER SIX
The scent of lavender greeted his sense of smell as he approached consciousness. That was immediately followed by his sense of touch kicking in with a vengeance and the pain registered in his mind. Uhhhh Gawd, how does Jim handle this? Blair silently asked himself. It was times like these in which he did not envy his partner his Sentinel gifts... well maybe he could handle having a pain dial to turn down -- or off.
He slowly opened his eyes. There was light shining around the curtains in front of his bedroom window. He groaned as he slowly turned towards the doorway and he jumped when he saw someone standing there.
"I'm sorry, Blair. I didn't mean to startle you," Carrie said, unsure as to whether to enter the room or not.
"Hey there, Herc," Blair replied, a smile immediately appearing on his face. He struggled to sit up a little as he motioned Carrie to come in for a visit.
Carrie made her way over to Blair's bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress, placing a hand on Blair's leg. She grimaced at the expression of pain that flitted across Blair's face as he fought against his own muscles to get his body upright.
"Believe it or not, you look a lot better than the last time I saw you," Carrie stated with amusement.
Blair laughed at that. "Then I must have looked like hell when you saw me before, because I know I don't look my best right now."
Carrie tried to keep a straight face, but lost that battle quickly. She let a giggle escape her lips, then she out and out laughed. "Yeah, when I first walked into your hospital room I thought I had walked into the animal hospital."
Blair rolled his eyes at Carrie's unusual sense of humour. "Never let it be said that you help boost my ego!"
"Don't want that brain of yours to swell," Carrie retorted, then gasped as she realized what she had said.
Blair saw the look of disbelief and guilt on Carrie's face and tried to calm her fears. "As recent events clearly show, my brain does not swell that easily."
They looked at each other in a moment of shocked silence, then burst out laughing at the comment. Blair's right arm went around his stomach as his laughing aggravated his bruised torso.
"I'm sorry, Cass," Carrie said. "Sometimes I can be really stupid and my mouth disconnects completely from my brain."
"Yeah, I know, often more than sometimes," Blair responded cheekily, waiting for the statement to sink into his friend's brain.
Carrie's head suddenly snapped up and she let out a gasp as Blair's 'insult' registered with her. She began to blush and reached out to gently smack Blair on his left arm but was thwarted when a hand grabbed onto her wrist stopping the movement. Carrie jumped and quickly turned around to see a very serious Jim Ellison holding her wrist and looking at Blair with concern.
"You OK, Chief," Jim asked. He had heard some grunts of pain coming from his partner and was on his way to check on him when he saw Carrie's hand ready to slap Blair on his left shoulder -- the injured shoulder.
Carrie looked over at Blair's pale face and suddenly realized what she almost did. It seemed like lately, every time she visited Blair, she unintentionally hurt him.
"I'm fine, big guy," Blair responded.
"I'm so, so sorry," Carrie interjected as she shot off of the bed in embarrassment. "Blair, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize what I was doing. I always tap you on the shoulder when you tease me. I wasn't thinking. Oh god, I could have hurt you, I'm soooo sorry, Blair."
Blair reached out and grabbed hold of Carrie's hand. "I know, Carrie. I know you wouldn't hurt me. It was just reflex and I should've known better than to tease you and not expect to slip into our regular teasing routine." He looked up at her with big blue puppy dog eyes. "Can you please forgive me?"
"Forgive YOU?" Carrie asked incredulously. "I should be the one asking you for forgiveness, not the other way around."
"OK, then," Blair stated. "In that case, I forgive you."
Carrie looked at Blair as if he had just grown a second head. Then she shook her head and said, "What did I do to deserve you?"
"I don't know, Herc," Blair responded with a smile. "But it must have been something real special to get the privilege of my friendship."
Jim shook his head at his friend's humour. He did a quick scan of Blair's vitals then squeezed Carrie's shoulder. "I'm sorry if I startled you, but if everything's OK now, I think I'll leave you to visit with the comedian here."
With that said, Jim exited the room to leave the two cadets to their visit. Blair enjoyed Carrie's visits. She was one of the few friends Blair had outside of Major Crimes and Blair's spirits always seemed to brighten after she visited him.
A half hour later Jim was seeing Carrie out to the door when the phone rang.
"It's OK, Jim," Carrie said. "I can show myself out, just take care of our guy in there, OK."
"No problem there, Carrie," Jim responded. "Thanks for visiting him. He looks forward to your visits."
Carrie pulled the door shut behind her as Jim answered the phone on the fourth ring, just before the answering machine cut in.
"Hello," Jim answered.
"Hi, Jimmy," William Ellison said after hearing his son's voice. "I was just calling... umm... I was calling to see if... you know, if it was still OK if I came over today?"
Jim's heart ached at the hesitant tone to his father's voice. He knew his father was really nervous and unsure of his place in his and Blair's lives. He sounded quite different from the confident and outspoken father Jim and Steven had growing up.
"It's OK by me, but if you hold on a second, I'll check and make sure Blair is up to a visit. He just had a friend from the Academy visit him so he might be tired, but hold on and I'll check." Jim laid the phone down and walked over to the doorway to his guide's room. He looked in to see Blair looking at him with eyes wide open. Jim smiled at his friend as he told him who was on the phone.
"Yeah, sure Jim," Blair responded. "Tell him to come over anytime he's ready -- if that's OK with you?"
"That's fine with me, Chief," Jim answered. "I'll go tell him."
Jim went back to the phone to speak with his father. After another minute of talking, they signed off and hung up. It had felt good to give his father news that made him sound genuinely happy.
Jim went back to his friend's bedroom to check on his 'patient'. When he walked through the doorway, Blair was staring up at the ceiling with a pensive look on his face.
"Don't think too hard there, Chief. You could hurt that noggin of yours again."
Blair smiled at that comment then looked over at Jim standing just inside the door.
"Jim, what are things really like now between you and your father?" Blair asked.
Jim took a deep cleansing breath as he stepped over to the bed and carefully sat down next to his injured guide.
"I can't say that things are all peaches and cream, Chief. If I said that everything was fine between us, I'd be lying and that's one thing I never want to do to you, Chief. Never."
Blair looked intently at his sentinel and saw the truth of that statement in Jim's eyes. "I know that, man. I know you wouldn't lie to me if you had any say in the matter."
"Listen, Chief. I know you think that I was trying to keep that information from you, but I really wasn't." Jim knew that Blair would understand what 'information' he was referring to. "I had only just found out that Thursday evening and I was trying to get a grasp on it myself. I didn't think it would be fair to you to load this all on top of you without you having someone you can talk to about it. I guess I just wasn't ready to face it all yet."
Blair nodded his head. He really did understand what Jim was saying, but it still didn't ease the hurt that he felt knowing that Jim, William and Naomi were holding this 'secret' from him. He thought that after the whole mess with Alex Barnes last year, and his dissertation a few months ago, that he and Jim had come to some kind of understanding about how much damage secrets and omissions can cause to their relationship. He wanted to believe that Jim would have told him sooner rather than later, but he really didn't know how long Jim would really have 'sat' on this bit of information, after all, Jim was the 'King' of repression.
Jim saw the hurt expression fly across Blair's face, even if it was only for a moment. He felt the sadness in his heart increase with the knowledge that he had given his friend cause to doubt him. Blair's friendship was the single most important relationship in Jim's life. He had other people he cared about, but he honestly believed that Blair was the one and only person that he truly couldn't 'live' without. If he lost Blair, then Jim would be lost himself. He experienced this briefly last year at the fountain, but their friendship and their 'bond' had only gotten stronger since then, especially in the last few months since the dissertation.
"It was a shock to me also, Chief," Jim paused for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "I had no idea that my dad had been involved with anyone other than my mom and when I heard Dad and Naomi talking about this, I really didn't know what to think. I was in shock myself at the news." He looked into his guide's deep blue eyes, pleading with him to understand exactly where he was coming from. "It really blew me away at first, Chief. I was mad, shocked, surprised, and also hurt." He paused for just a moment as he reached out to grasp onto his guide's hand feeling the warm sensation that symbolized their Sentinel/Guide Bond flow through him at the contact. "But mixed in with that was happiness and even a little wonder at the fact that you were my brother!"
Blair closed his eyes to keep the sudden moisture he felt appear in them from escaping. He was unsuccessful as a tear trickled down his cheek.
Jim reached out with his other hand to wipe the tear away from his guide's cheek. He didn't know what emotion was behind the tear and was almost afraid to find out, that is until Blair opened his eyes and he saw the love expressed in them.
"You're still having a hard time with the news aren't you?" Blair asked him.
"The only part of this I have absolutely no problem with is the part about you being my brother. That part elates me. I've thought of you as my brother for such a long time now that it seems only natural to find out that you really are my biological brother."
Jim squeezed his guide's hand before he continued with what he wanted to say.
"I'm not really mad at my Dad or Naomi either, at least not anymore. I'm still a bit confused about the whole situation and I can't quite wrap my head around the concept of Naomi and my dad ever having any kind of relationship. I am hurt that I didn't know any of this, but what could my dad really have told me, or better yet, when 'could' he have told me. Could he have told a six year old that he had been involved with another woman who was having his baby, but unfortunately he will never meet this sibling. Or could he have told an angry teen that he had an affair while still married to his mother who had suddenly 'disappeared' from his life years before. Or could he have told an adult, estranged son about the missing family out there somewhere." Jim's voice sounded more and more resigned to the fact that his father really couldn't have taken any other path than the one he had taken, regardless of whether he wanted to or not. It's not like that was what William chose to do, it was the only option available. "I think you know as well as I do that nothing good would ever have come out of my father telling me this years ago and my head knows that, but my heart is still having a tough time reconciling it."
There weren't that many choices in William Ellison's life that he could have made once this situation appeared. Jim couldn't have any regrets about his father having an affair, because Blair came from that affair. He couldn't have any regrets about his mother's leaving, because now he knew that it wasn't his fault that she left, that she really had no control over it because she was a Sentinel like him, only she didn't have a guide. He couldn't blame her for her own senses working against her to drive her insane and ultimately to her death, and that really scared him because he knew that he was already on that road when he met Blair.
There was really nothing that could have been changed about the entire situation. And Jim knew that if Naomi had stayed in the picture, there would have been a lot of resentment towards her (and maybe even towards Blair) from himself and Steven for the woman who took their mother's place, and that would have meant Jim and Blair being estranged probably just as badly, or worse, than he and Steven were. That was a thought he did not want to even contemplate.
So here he was with all the information on the subject. A subject which affected the lives of so many people, but if it had been acknowledged before the time was right, could have had drastic consequences to the lives of all involved.
Jim could now look back at the early periods of his life. So many things that he never understood before, seemed a lot clearer. Things like how often his father was away when he was a child, especially after his mother left -- or rather, died. His father had already explained to him that many of those trips throughout those first few years had been in search of his missing child and the child's mother. He could now even understand his father's need to force Jim to suppress his abilities, especially after witnessing the worst that these abilities could unleash on a person -- seeing it's effects on his wife. He knew now that his father did the best he could with the grief and losses that he suffered.
He understood it, but it still didn't ease the hurt about all the 'could have been's' or all the 'what if's', and he knew that game could drive him insane if he continued with it. He decided to just try and deal with the people in his life now, as they are now, and not to dwell on the past and all the mistakes made -- there was nothing that could be done about that now. It wouldn't be easy to forgive and forget, but there was so much to gain if he did, and too much to loose if he didn't.
He had his father and brother, make that 'brothers', in his life now and he wanted to keep it that way. He wanted to build on those relationships and now he had a sort of step-mother in the picture. He had always liked Naomi and could see what his father had found so attractive in the beautiful, wild and fancy-free woman. He could finally have the 'family' that he had always craved as a child, if he wanted it -- and he did want it, desperately. The only way for that to happen was to let go of the past and focus on the here and now.
Jim wasn't a fool, he knew it wouldn't be easy. He knew that there would be times in which the past would probably sneak up and bite them on the ass, but he was willing to take that chance because he was getting more out of this new expanded family, then he ever would without them.
"I wouldn't have listened to my old man back then, Chief," Jim continued with the conversation in question. "I wouldn't have been able to handle it back then. Not like I could now." Jim smiled at his newfound brother. "I think I'm better prepared to handle it all right now, and the reason for that is mostly you."
Blair blushed a little at this and was preparing to deny having any part in Jim's stability.
"No, Chief," Jim cut in before his guide could speak. "It's the truth. Before I met you, I would never have been able to handle this kind of information. I would have just shut everyone out. I just couldn't look past my own feelings to see the bigger picture. I couldn't really care about anyone else for fear that I couldn't trust them to stay a part of my life. You changed that for me, Chief. You made me realize that there are other people in this world to care about, and there are people who could care about me, if I will only let them."
Blair shook his head. "No man, you had that inside you all along, big guy. You just needed a little help in bringing it out. If it wasn't me, it would have been someone else. You're giving me way too much credit for something that you would have found with or without me."
"That's where you're wrong, Chief." Jim leaned forward putting his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together. He glanced over at one of the wall hangings until he could collect his thoughts. He had to make sure that Blair fully understood what he was about to say. Sitting up straight, Jim briefly rubbed his suddenly sweaty hands on his pant legs. He didn't do this 'touch feely' crap. He felt uncomfortable discussing feelings, especially his own, but he knew that he had to make Blair finally understand his importance in Jim's life. Resting his hands on his thighs, he looked at Blair with determination. "I was at a point in my life where I had had enough of letting people in, only to have them leave me sooner or later. I had closed my heart to anyone and everyone who even tried to connect with me. You broke through that and I don't know if it's a Guide thing, or maybe somewhere inside I sensed that your were my brother..." Jim shook his head at his partner when he saw Blair about to protest again to his confession. "I had forgotten how to open up to people. You forced your way into my heart and took up residence there. And there is where you'll stay until the day I die. I have never cared about anyone like I do for you. I search for your heartbeat when I wake up in the morning. When you were at the University, I looked forward to when you would drop by the station after class. It was like I had finally found a connection that completed me as a person, and that connection came in the form of one Blair Sandburg."
Blair closed his eyes once again as they became misty. Jim was never one to express his emotions, but man was he ever expressing them now.
Jim reached over and gently placing his hand below Blair's chin, lifted Blair's face up so that they were looking into each other's eyes.
"You're not only my brother by blood, but my brother by spirit, by heart, by choice and by soul. I am so glad you came into my life little brother because I know that my life has definitely been the better for it."
Both men leaned forward until their foreheads touched. Each taking strength from the other. After a few moments, Blair broke the warm, fuzzy spell and leaned back, wiping the tears from his cheek.
"I think I need to get cleaned up before your dad gets here and sees me bawling like a baby."
Jim rose off of the bed and was heading for the bathroom to get a face cloth for Blair when Blair's voice halted his movements.
"Jim."
"Yeah, Blair," Jim turned around to face his guide.
"You know that I feel the same way, don't you?"
Jim nodded at his best friend, unsure of what to say to him. Blair noticed this so he continued on before Jim left the room.
"I love you too, Jim," Blair said softly. "You've been my best friend, my brother, my confident and my protector. I am so happy to have you be a part of my life and I know that my life is better now, only because you are in it."
Now it was Jim's turn to look embarrassed by Blair's statement.
"You have given me what I have craved for my entire life. You've given me a home, and I don't mean the loft either. I mean a place where I feel welcomed, where I feel safe and loved. A place where I belong because I am wanted and needed there. I have never had that my entire life and you have given it all to me and so much more. No one has ever meant as much to me as you do. Don't get me wrong now, I love my Mom, but I don't need her in my life like I need you." Blair shook his head at his best friend before he continued. "Does that make sense to you, because it sounded so much better in my head."
Both Jim and Blair laughed at that. Jim quickly walked over to his guide's bed and took Blair into his arms, giving his brother a heart felt hug, careful of his injuries. After a few minutes, they broke apart and Jim stated that he'd be right back with a face cloth for Blair to clean up a little before their Dad got there.
Blair smiled at that statement. 'Their dad' was on his way there.
Blair nodded his head at Jim, who finally left the room to retrieve the face cloths. Blair leaned back into the pillow as he heard the water come on in the bathroom. How did he ever get so lucky to have Jim Ellison be a part of his life, and now a part of his family!
William Ellison was exhausted.
He couldn't remember a time in his life when he had ever felt this tired and drained. For almost the past two weeks, he had been on an emotional roller coaster and his emotions were all over the place. He never knew that a person could get so run-down from their emotions.
He was standing outside of his son's loft trying to find the courage to face not one, but two of his estranged sons.
How did his life ever get to this point? How could he have ever allowed it to get to this point?
He had made such a mess of things and the ones who paid the most for it were his children. The three people he loved most in this world, yet hardly knew. He thought about the irony of how the only reason he and Jim were even on speaking terms right now was because of Blair.
He's definitely inherited that kindness and giving nature from you, Naomi, William thought as he stopped directly in front of the loft door. Thank God he's had your wonderful guidance all these years. William stopped his internal conversation with Naomi when the loft door suddenly opened to reveal Jim.
Jim smiled at his dad and nodded for him to come into the loft.
"Jimmy," William said with a nod to his oldest son.
"Dad," Jim responded gently squeezing his father's shoulder. "How are you doing?"
"I'm OK son," William replied, overwhelmed that his son was concerned about his well-being at this point. He looked over at his youngest son lying on the couch, and slowly walked over to greet the young man. "Blair," he spoke as he held out his hand to his son.
Blair was a little shocked when he saw William's hand being held out to him. After a moment, he reached out and placed his hand in William's, giving it a firm shake. He was almost overwhelmed when he thought about the fact that he was holding onto his father's hand. How many times when he was a little boy did he wish he had a father who could take him by the hand and go for a walk with, or go play ball with. Here he was, almost 30 years old and his heart almost stopped beating from the mere thought that finally, his father was holding him by the hand. His eyes moved to William's face and the expression of concern on that face forced Blair to snap out of his daze and respond to the man's greeting. .
"Mr. Ellison," Blair replied.
Jim saw his father cringe at Blair's formality. It was obvious Blair hadn't noticed William's reaction, but to Jim it was painfully obvious.
"Please," William spoke up. "Call me William, or even Bill if your prefer."
"OK," Blair responded timidly. "William."
They released each other's hands and William went to sit down on the other couch. Jim walked over and sat down on the chair next to the couch Blair was on. Jim reached over to his guide and gently squeezed his shoulder. It was one of Jim's patented moves to show his support.
"I'm so glad to see you on the mend, son," William said to Blair once he was settled comfortably on the couch.
Jim noticed the slight flutter in his guide's heartbeat when his father said 'son'.
"Yeah," Blair responded. "I'm getting a little bit better each day. Soon I'll be back at the Academy finishing my training so I can become Jim's official partner."
William nodded his head at Blair's response. Two of his sons had obviously been bitten by the 'law enforcement' bug. He laughed at that idea.
Blair saw William trying to stifle a laugh and decided to ask what was so funny.
"What? What's got you laughing?" He paused for a moment then continued defensively. "Do you think I'm not cut out to be a cop or that I'm not good enough to be your son's partner?"
William's head shot up so fast, Jim thought he'd have whiplash.
"NO!" William shouted. He took a couple seconds to gain control of himself then answered Blair. "No, I don't think either of those things. I think you would make an excellent cop and there's no one who would protect Jimmy better than you. I know that you will back him up with everything you have and there's no doubt in my mind that you would be the best partner for Jimmy, especially with his senses and all."
"Oh," Blair mumbled as he made himself relax a little. "What was it that you were laughing at then?"
"I was just thinking how two of my sons are cops and that I should keep my eye on Steven and squelch any interest he might have in becoming a cop before the profession over-runs my entire family."
Blair was a little shocked at William's open expression of him being his son. Still he felt a little defensive, wondering if maybe it was the cop profession that William didn't approve of. William must have read the expression on his face because the man rushed to explain himself further.
"That is by no means a slight against being a law enforcement officer. It's just that being a cop is such a dangerous profession to be in, especially in today's world, and now I not only have to worry about Jimmy, but I have to worry about you as well. I don't think I could handle it if all my children were out there facing down criminals whose focus was probably to take any and all cops down with them."
Blair was once again overcome with that strange fluttering feeling inside of him. He couldn't quite put a name on it, it felt sort of like anxiety, joy, pride and confusion all at the same time. It was a feeling he had never experienced before and he was curious as to whether it was a 'paternal' feeling that people felt for their fathers. He had never had a father before, but it was somewhat similar to how he felt for Simon or Joel when either of them showed fatherly concern for him. It wasn't a feeling he understood, but the feeling wasn't unpleasant.
"You don't need to worry about us, Dad." Jim shifted in his seat. "Blair and I know how to look out for each other. There's no one I'd rather have watching my back than Blair."
Blair looked at his Sentinel with bright eyes. Lately it seemed like it didn't take much to make Blair emotional. He couldn't ever remember having his feelings so close to the surface before. Then again, he never had a family before and the concept of that alone was almost overwhelming.
"I feel the exact same way, Big Guy," Blair responded with a grin. "No matter what happens, I know you'll keep me safe like no one else can."
Jim smiled and reached over to gently squeeze Blair's shoulder.
William lowered his head at the show of affection between his two sons. He wished Steven could be here and that all three of his sons were as close as Blair and Jimmy were.
He still had to have a conversation with Stevie. He didn't know what to expect from that meeting. He didn't want to hold the truth from his middle son much longer, fearing that somehow, Stevie would find out from someone else. He already saw the damage that could do after Blair had found out before he and Naomi had a chance to sit down and tell him. Even though Blair didn't outright dismiss him, it really could have been so much worse and the only reason he believed it wasn't worse was because he knew Blair was a kind hearted and forgiving person. Naomi did such a wonderful job raising him, but he knew that Jimmy and Stevie would have different reactions than Blair just because of their raising.
Jimmy took the news hard, but still there were aspects of it that he understood and could reconcile with due to the knowledge of his abilities. Steven wasn't fully aware of the extent of Jim's abilities, therefore he didn't fully comprehend the relationship between Jim and Blair. William really believed that Steven would be the one to take this news the hardest. He only hoped that Steven didn't push Jimmy and Blair away when he needed them most.
William stood up from his seat and slowly approached his youngest son. As he got nearer, Blair's eyes shifted from Jim to William and he saw some hesitation in them. When he reached Blair, he knelt down in front of him, gently placing a hand on his younger son's leg.
"Son," William hesitated unsure if Blair would appreciate him referring to him as his son. "Blair, I just want you to know that I have always wanted to be a part of your life. And I would be so proud to be included in your life right now in whatever facet you want me to be. If you want me to be a friend, I can be one. If you want to be my son, nothing would make me happier. If you want nothing to do with me," William's voice wavered a bit. The thought of losing his son so soon after he had found him was one he could hardly stand to think about, but this was about what Blair wanted, not him.
"If you want nothing to do with me," William repeated. "Then I will respect your wishes and your feelings. Just know that if you ever need me for anything, I will always be here for you. I wasn't there for Jimmy and Stevie in the past but I hope we can change that now and maybe finally have the family we all should have had."
Blair moved his hand towards William's, hesitating briefly before laying his hand on top of his father's hand.
"I don't really know what kind of a relationship I want with you right now. I haven't had a lot of time to sort out my feelings on the subject," Blair paused for just a moment, then took a breath as he continued. "I do know that I want you in my life," Blair looked at his father with a hopeful expression.
William, who had been focused on the joining of his and Blair's hands, looked at Blair's face upon hearing this statement. Blair saw the hope in his father's eyes.
Blair let out a short laugh, startling the two men watching him. At their confused expressions, he went on to explain. "I just thought how strange it is that the two of you have shown more emotion to me in one day than in all the time I have known the both of you!"
"Before I met you, I didn't know how to show my emotions," Jim replied. "I was married for goodness sake and I still couldn't express to Carolyn what I was feeling." Jim looked at his roommate and best friend. "You're the only person I ever felt wouldn't mock me if I expressed how I was actually feeling. I think it's because you are truly the only person in this world that I would trust with my true self."
"I worked like a dog to get you to open up to me, so don't make it sound like an overnight thing, big guy," Blair joked to his roommate with a sly smile.
"Don't I know it," Jim responded to the ribbing and added a little tease of his own into the conversation. "Nag, nag, nag... until there was nothing to do but give in to your demands."
Blair shook his head with a small grin on his lips, accepting the comment in the good nature in which it was meant. He looked at Jim, then at William. "I'm going to be in a lot of trouble as a member of this family, aren't I?"
Jim glanced over at his father, then back at Blair before responding. "Oh yeah, Darwin. You thought I was a lot of work, now you not only have me to work on, you have Dad, and then there's Steven!"
Blair burst out laughing only to clutch his arm to his body as his injuries demanded he acknowledge them. Both Ellison men jumped to help him through his pain. Blair moved his arm out to hold them both back.
"Stop!" Blair demanded. They both halted what they were doing and looked at the younger man.
Blair looked from one man to the other, then groaned as he realized the trouble he was in, because now instead of one mother-hen blessed protector, he had two.
"I'm OK," Blair said to the two men. "Just forgot about my injuries for a moment, I'll be alright."
Both men relaxed slightly and sat back onto their respective seats.
The silence continued for several moments, neither man knowing what to say to the others. Finally Blair spoke up.
"I don't know about the two of you, but I'm a little hungry. How about we order out, then we can continue to talk a little more after we eat."
Both Ellison men agreed to that and Jim asked what everyone wanted to eat after which Blair and William responded at the same time... "Thai."
Blair grinned at his father. There was at least one thing they had in common, and before the night was over, maybe he'd find many more."
Naomi smiled at the gentleman in the hallway as she handed him a very good tip. She closed the door of her hotel room with the package held under her arm and turned back to her visitor on the couch in the sitting room.
It was perfect timing.
The package she had asked a dear friend to post to her had finally arrived and she was so excited about showing the package to William.
She walked over to the couch and sat next to her former lover. She handed him the parcel that was just delivered.
"What is this?" William asked in puzzlement.
"Why don't you open it and find out, silly." Naomi grinned at him.
He couldn't help but grin back when Naomi was in such a mood. Her smile always could brighten up the day, no matter how dark that day was.
He turned back to the parcel sitting on his lap and began to open it. Once he got the brown paper off, there was a box inside. He opened that as well and was confused by what he found inside.
The box contained a baby's blanket, a teddy bear -- or rather a teddy rabbit -- a photo book, a tiny hospital bracelet, a lock of brown, curly hair, a photo book, and several slips of paper which looked like school report cards and awards. It suddenly dawned on him what it all was.
Blair's childhood was contained inside this box. He was looking at the many things that made up his son's childhood. A childhood he had missed out on.
"Oh, Billy," Naomi gasped as she saw the tears slip down William's cheek. "I'm so sorry, I thought this would be something you would be happy to see. I didn't think it would upset you this much. I'm sorry, let me put it away."
"NO!" William exclaimed suddenly, grabbing onto the box as if his life depended on it. He looked into Naomi's shocked eyes then forced himself to calm down.
"No, Naomi," he continued. "It's alright. I really do want to see this, it was just a shock at first, that's all. Just seeing my son's childhood placed in a box and I didn't have any part in it." William reached over and held onto Naomi's hand as he continued with his explanation.
"I just wasn't expecting to see something like this. Please, will you tell me about each of these items. Tell me about our son."
Naomi reached over and pulled William into a big hug. "I'd be happy to tell you about every single item in this box. I hope it will make you feel a little closer to Blair."
Naomi started first with the little hospital bracelet that had been placed around Blair's ankle only moments after he was born. She continued on from one item to the next, telling William stories about Blair's first tooth, first haircut -- which he hated to have done (big surprise!) even at the tender age of 11 months.
"Blair was always a friendly, happy and carefree child," Naomi explained to William. "If someone needed help, he was always there. I remember one time when he was five years old, we were leaving a grocery store and I had two bags in my arms so I had to keep a close eye on Blair. Blair saw an older man walking with a cane in one hand and two grocery bag in the other. He looked like those bags were either going to drag him down to the ground or tip him over. Blair wanted to help him so he marched over to the man and said 'Let me help you sir!' and the man smiled down at him and..." Naomi laughed at the memory. "You should have seen this little five year old trying to carry a bag that was obviously too heavy for him. By the time we got to the man's car, Blair's face was all red and sweaty. He was so adorable." Naomi's head lowered as an expression of pain flickered across her face.
"What," William asked. "What is it Naomi, what's wrong?"
"It's just..." Naomi paused as she tried to express her thoughts to William. "It's just that Blair's always been such a gentle and kind hearted person and he adored Anthropology and teaching. It's just so hard sometimes to think that I took all that away from my precious baby..." Naomi began to cry and William pulled her to him and hugged her tightly to comfort her.
"Naomi," William responded. "You can't blame yourself for something that was out of your control..."
"But it was my fault that the dissertation was released without Blair's permission," Naomi explained. She looked up at the shocked look on William's face then rushed to explain. "I only meant to help him. He's always so critical of his work and he's such a wonderful writer, William. He writes so beautifully and he's so articulate. It's always wonderful to read something he's written. I have always been so proud of him and I only wanted a friend of mine to check over his rough draft to help him get an objective perspective on his work. I never expected Sid would do what he did."
Naomi looked into William's eyes and the pain he saw nearly broke his heart. He pulled Naomi to him again to help calm her down.
"I know you wouldn't do anything to purposely hurt Blair, Naomi," he explained. "And Blair knows that, too."
"But, Billy," Naomi exclaimed. "I can 'see' how this whole mess has affected our baby, and he's never going to be the same without having anthropology be a part of his life. It has been his life since... since as long as I can remember."
"He'll have a new life now as a police officer with Jimmy and he'll still be helping people..." William said.
"You don't understand, Billy," Naomi tried to explain. "There's a part of him that he's buried deep inside now that he no longer has Anthropology. His integrity and honesty has always been important to him. I know he kids around about obfuscating things but honesty and the truth are very important to him."
"Well, those are good qualities to have as a cop..."
"You still don't understand what I'm saying, Billy." Naomi paused for a moment as she turned to fully face William. "What happens when he's first called into court for a case he's worked on. How long before one lawyer or the other calls his honesty and integrity into question and tears his credibility apart."
William looked at Naomi as what she just told him sank into his brain. He recalled a time when a friend of William's had been in the court room and witnessed Jimmy being torn to shreds on the stand for apparently 'seeing' something from a distance that he couldn't possibly have seen. The criminal ended up being released at that time and he just knew that that must have eaten at Jimmy. He immediately had a picture of Blair on the witness stand trying to defend his own values to prevent a criminal from getting released. He knew it would kill his young son each time his word was questioned, and there was no way to prevent it from coming up again and again in the law enforcement profession.
William took Naomi's face into his hands and tried to smooth away her tears.
"Listen to me, Nona," he spoke. "Let me have my lawyer look into a few things and see what he can come up with. Maybe he can find a way to help clear up some of the questions concerning Blair."
Naomi smiled at her love and hugged him tightly.
After a few moments they pulled apart from each other and William made the call to his lawyer. After he was finished with the call, he sat back with Naomi in his arms and asked her to tell him more stories about Blair when he was growing up.
It was several hours later when the stories stopped.
Naomi had covered stories of Blair as a baby, a toddler, a child, a teenager and even as an adult. Even though all the stories had occurred without William's presence, the way Naomi described them to him in such detail, he almost felt like he was there.
"Thank you, Naomi," William stated. "That is the best present you could have given me right now." William leaned over and kissed Naomi on the cheek. Just as he was pulling away, Naomi took his face between both her hands and gave him a passionate kiss.
William leaned into the kiss and gently opened his lips to taste the woman he had dreamt about all these years. The kiss deepened and before either knew it, they were panting for air.
William looked at Naomi with a stunned look on his face and Naomi put her finger to William's lips to keep him from saying anything.
"Please, William," she began. "We've been apart for way too long. Every man I have ever met since you, I couldn't help but compare to you. They never measured up. You were my first love, my only love, and so help me God, I love you now as much as I did then. I can't be near you any longer and not want you. Not want to kiss you and hold you and make love to you."
"Naomi," William gasped. "I feel the same way. I have never loved anyone as much as I loved," he paused for a moment then looked deeply into her eyes before correcting his last statement. "As much as I LOVE you."
"You mean you still love me?" Naomi looked at him with joy and happiness in her eyes.
"I never stopped loving you, baby. And I never will stop loving you."
William pulled Naomi to him as he pressed his lips against Naomi's. Her body felt so good pressed up against his and for once, he felt hope that maybe, just maybe, he could find happiness in his life again.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jim hung up the phone after having a short conversation with Steven.
It had been decided among all of them, that it was time to tell Steven about Blair, William and Naomi.
It had now been two weeks since Blair had been injured during the bank robbery and they all felt that they had to tell Steven before he found out some other way. Jim would be returning to work on Monday and he wanted this to be over with before he went back.
Jim had invited Steven to come over to the loft tonight to have dinner with Blair, William, Naomi and himself. Steven was a little surprised that he had been included in the plans, but accepted the invitation none-the-less.
Naomi was in the kitchen just getting started on her lasagne. Jim could tell she was nervous, her heart beating much more rapidly than her actions let on. He was amazed that Naomi could appear to be so calm on the outside, while scared out of her mind on the inside.
Naomi had only briefly met Steven during one of her previous visits. He was coming to see Jim while she was leaving the loft last year heading for her next destination.
"He'll be here at 6:00," Jim announced to the loft's other two occupants.
Blair closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He hadn't seen Steven since he had found out the truth. He was really nervous about this meeting. Any number of things could go wrong.
Jim walked over to the couch and sat next to his roommate.
"Don't worry, Chief," Jim said. "It will be alright."
"You don't know that, Jim," Blair shot back. "I know that Steven needs to know, but I really don't know how he will react. I mean, he only tolerated me before..."
Jim rolled his eyes at his partner before speaking up. "That is not true, Chief. Steven likes you just fine."
"No he doesn't, Jim," Blair continued. "Don't forget, my area of expertise is human behaviour and I think Steven only tolerates me because he knows that I'm a big part of your life."
"That's ridiculous, Chief," Jim stated. "We have all had a great time the last few times he's been here."
Blair shook his head at Jim's naivety. Jim was usually one of the most cynical and straight-shooting people Blair had ever known, but when it came to his own family -- Jim didn't have a clue. He had even less of a clue when it came to what other people were feeling. Jim didn't usually do 'feelings' very well. He mostly just ignored them.
Jim reached over and gently pulled Blair over against his side. "Listen to me little brother. Steven will get here, we'll have a nice dinner of that wonderful lasagne your mother is slaving over out there in the kitchen, then we will all sit down and talk everything over." Jim reached up and physically turned Blair's head until he was facing him. "Before the end of the evening, Steven will know the truth and he will understand. Trust me."
"I do trust you, Jim," Blair responded. "But you're fooling yourself if you think that by the end of the night we're going to be one big happy family."
Jim hugged his brother, but he wasn't sure if he was trying to comfort Blair, or himself. He wanted to believe that everything would be alright, and he really hoped it would, but he had this tight feeling deep in his gut and it wasn't going away. In fact, it was growing with each passing minute.
They had about an hour before William would be there, and Steven was due to arrive half an hour after that, so he thought that now would be a good time to help Blair get cleaned up, then get a nice relaxing shower himself before the fireworks began.
Steven looked at each of the people in the room before settling his eyes on Blair. The shock of the revelation that Blair was William's son was clear on his face. Jim watched as the look of shock turned to anger. He heard Steven's heart rate increase and his breathing begin to quicken. A red tinge appeared on Steven's cheeks and it turned brighter with each passing moment.
Steven walked slowly over to Blair who was too nervous to sit down despite his healing injuries. Jim tensed up, unsure of what was about to happen. He knew that he didn't like the look on Steven's face, so he slowly approached his brothers, standing just behind Steven.
"You finally got it all, didn't you," Steven vehemently spat at Blair.
Blair jumped a little at the anger behind the words, but quickly composed himself.
"Steven," Blair said gently. "Maybe we should just sit down and talk this..." before he could finish, Steven shoved Blair, knocking him backwards into a chair which tipped over and sent Blair sprawling onto the floor.
"STEVEN!"
"SWEETY!"
"BLAIR!"
William, Naomi and Jim cried out as Blair was thrown to the floor.
Naomi rushed over to her son, squatting down next to him to make sure he was alright. She glared up at Steven as she saw the pain etched on her son's face.
Jim had grabbed hold of Steven and abruptly shoved him up against the nearest wall. When he saw Blair fall, his instincts told him to protect his guide. He never thought he would have to protect him from his own brother, but at this moment Steven was not his brother -- he was a threat to his Guide and Shaman.
William placed himself between Steven and Blair, unsure of what to do. Events had really gotten out of hand and this was the one reaction he never thought Steven would have to the news.
"Not only was it bad enough you took my place with my own brother, but now you're trying to take my place in my own damn family!" Steven yelled at Blair. "I'll never accept you into my family you hippy-reject bastard. You hear me!"
Jim pushed Steven away from him at those words. He was shocked that his own brother had said such hateful words to Blair.
"Well, I guess that means you don't want to be included in 'MY' family then," Jim snapped at his brother. "Blair is a large part of my life and that isn't going to change. You either accept it, or stay the hell out of my life little brother!"
"Jim, NO!" Blair yelled trying desperately to get up off the floor and stop this from getting any further out of hand. Naomi helped him up and he pushed away the pain shooting down his arm and torso to get himself over to Jim. "No, Jim," he pleaded with his friend. "Please don't do this, man. Steven is just upset. He hasn't had time to deal with the news yet. He doesn't know what he's saying right now, he needs time to absorb this, man."
"Don't you tell me what I need you little punk," Steven yelled. "You planned this from the beginning, didn't you." He glared at the younger man but couldn't get any closer to him as his father had conveniently placed himself between Steven and his other two sons.
"I don't know how you suckered them into believing this rubbish, but it's not true and I will not sit by and let you weasel your way into my family..." Steven paused as if a thought had suddenly appeared to him. He looked at Blair with contempt. "You're after the money aren't you? You saw a chance to get access to the Ellison fortune and you've already sucked my father and brother into your scheme." Steven then looked over at Naomi with a glare.
"I don't know how he got you involved in this, or maybe it was your idea." Steven nodded as if he were putting the pieces together in his mind. "It probably was your idea to begin with to scam money out of my old man. Pretend to be some tramp he screwed years ago and claim that HE," he nodded his head toward Blair, "is his bastard son, well you are not going to get away with this, neither of you are going to get anything from us, you hear me."
"Steven, that is enough," William snapped as he slapped his son across the face.
Steven stumbled back from his father, his hand up to the cheek William had just slapped. He couldn't believe that his father had just hit him. His father had never won any father-of-the-year prizes, but he had never, not even once, raised his hand to either Jim or himself. Most of the abuse he and Jim received from their old man was verbal.
"Don't you dare talk to Naomi or Blair like that ever again, or so help me God..." William paused in his anger.
"So help you God -- what Dad?" Steven pleaded. "You just going to accept this without question, welcome him into the family with open arms and play Daddy-of-the-year! Well, I'm not going to sit around and watch you be the doting father to him while you treated Jimmy and me like dirt!"
Blair couldn't believe how bad things had gotten in such a short time. Just half an hour ago, they were all sitting at the table laughing at stories over dessert and coffee. Now you could cut the tension in the room with a knife.
"Steven, please listen to what we're saying here," Blair pleaded. "It's the truth, tests were done while I was in the hospital and the results support what we have told you tonight." He knew that the man in front of him was angry and hurt. He knew that Steven would probably strike out in anger, but this had already surpassed every possible outcome that Blair had spent the afternoon thinking up. Damn the Ellison 'fear based responses'.
"No," Steven cried out in denial, shaking his head at Blair. "This can't be happening. You're taking everything away from me just when I am finally starting to get it all back. How can you do this to me? I know we aren't buddies or anything, but I thought that you were sincere when you told me that you wanted me and Jimmy to reconcile with each other and our father and become a family."
"I did mean that, Steven," Blair reassured as he cautiously stepped around Jim to get closer to his other brother, still separated from him by their father. "I still want that to happen because you need each other, all of you." He looked at Jim, then William, then back at Steven. "I grew up with Naomi being my only family, so I know how important family is. You, Jim and your father all want to try and patch things up so that you can be a real family, one you have never really had before." Blair painfully pulled himself past William until he was standing in front of Steven, reaching out his hand to his brother. "I don't want to replace you in this family, Steven. I want to be an addition. No one will ever replace you. I promise you this, man."
Steven looked at Blair with a blank look. He didn't know what to think. His anger was ebbing slowly, but his fear and confusion still had a tight grip on him.
"People always tell me that families get better with each new welcomed member that joins it," Blair continued. "I just want to join it man. I want my brothers -- both of them -- in my life, because I gotta tell you man, I've really missed not having big brothers growing up."
Blair's hand touched Steven's arm, but Steven flinched away from the contact.
"Don't," Steven responded to the touch. He looked at Blair, then at his father and Jim. He was so confused right now and the only thing he knew for sure was that he needed space. He had to get away for a little while and think about everything. "I can't right now," Steven continued. "I have to be alone for a while. I just got to... I gotta leave." With that Steven headed for the door, snatching his coat off the hook before almost running out the door into the hallway.
William took a step towards the door to go after his son, but was stopped by Blair's hand on his arm.
"Don't," Blair stated. "He needs some time alone."
William looked from Blair to the open doorway, then back at Blair. He nodded his head at his youngest son and hoped he was right, then reached out to grab onto Blair as he saw him succumb to the pain caused by his injuries flaring up after his recent fall.
Both Jim and William practically carried Blair to the couch and gently eased him down. The younger man was pale and sweat had broken out on his face. His eyes were squeezed shut, but he nodded his thanks as he sank into the cushions. Jim quickly excused himself to retrieve his friend's pain meds.
Blair looked up at the devastated look on William's face. "It will get better once he has time to think," Blair stated.
"I hope you're right, son," William responded. "I hope to God you're right, for all our sakes."
Steven woke up with a pounding headache.
After he had left Jim's loft last night, he just started driving around town. He couldn't unwind that way, so he parked his car and started walking, hoping to walk off some of the stress. He walked for two hours when he came across a nearly deserted bar where he spent the next three hours drinking.
He finally crawled into his home, drunk, after his cab dropped him off at 3:00 in the morning, then proceeded to pass out in the bathroom after twice emptying his stomach into his porcelain shrine.
He slowly pulled himself up off the floor amid grunts and groans and looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't recognize the person staring back at him with red bloodshot eyes.
There were lines criss-crossing his cheek from the floor that his face had been pressed against all night. He was pale, his hair was practically standing straight up and he suddenly smelled an awful stench coming from his clothes. He looked down to discover that at least once last night, he had missed the toilet bowl and vomited on his shirt and pants.
Screwing up his face in disgust, he rushed over to the toilet as his stomach expressed its protest against the memories of last night's drunken binge.
After a few moments of dry heaving, he stripped out of his clothes and turned on the water in the shower, stepping in almost immediately, unconcerned if the temperature was comfortable or not. He just wanted to get clean as soon as he could.
He hadn't gone out drinking like he did last night since his college days when the guys would go on a bender. Not that his group of friends did it often, but every now and then they would, mostly to celebrate grades or completion of major projects.
Last night had been no celebration. He had a bombshell dropped on him and he didn't know how he was supposed to react to it. How are you supposed to react when you discover that the person who has suddenly wormed his way into your family's life is suddenly your long lost brother and that he gets along better with your family than you do?
Up until last night he really thought Blair was alright. He knew that Blair was the one who had encouraged Jim to re-connect with him and their father. After a while they had gotten to know each other a little, at least enough to call each other by their first names and not by any of the various nicknames Jim or anyone else referred to the both of them. He never would have believed that Blair would pull a scam like this -- he still really didn't think Blair was capable of hurting him on purpose. It just wasn't the Blair he had grown to know over the last few months.
He had to admit that it took quite a while to warm up to the guy because he perceived him as a threat to his place in Jim's life, or at least the place in Jim's life where he wanted to be. Blair was so different from himself and Jim and had a different way of viewing things, mostly because he grew up with a totally different lifestyle. Blair ad been raised not only to be his own person, but to be the person he chose to be. He and Jim didn't have that. They were always pushed to be successful in the business world or you were labelled a failure. His dad would have freaked if he or Jim came home one day and said 'Dad, I want to be an archaeologist, anthropologist, or whatever'. His father would have freaked and disowned him if he had done that. Now, suddenly, here comes Blair Sandburg, who miraculously happens to be the great 'William Ellison's' son and his father suddenly discovers his long suppressed paternal instinct? A long haired (we were sent to the barber if our hair was more that two inches long), free spirited (we had rules piled onto us and were punished if they were broken), hyperactive (we had to sit quietly through countless dinners and social events) wildly dressed (we wouldn't literally be allowed to be seen dead in those clothes) hippy and Dad is accepting him like he's found the lost family jewels.
He jolted to a stop as he suddenly realized what he sounded like. A jealous, spoiled brat! Oh my God, he thought to himself. I'm jealous of Blair because he lived a life filled with love, joy, freedom, and most importantly acceptance and Jimmy and I never had any of that. It irked him to think he could be that petty. He had accepted Blair as a friend, had even admired him, before last night. But that was when he thought that at least he had something that Blair didn't -- Jim as a blood relative. Even though Jim and Blair were as close as brothers, they weren't brothers. Jim was his brother and nothing could change that, or at least that's what he thought.
Now, not only does Blair have Jim as his best friend, but he's also Jim's brother as well -- where does that leave him. Does that mean Jim doesn't really need him anymore?
Suddenly Jim now has the brother he's always wanted and gets along perfectly with, and Blair has the perfect big brother. My perfect big brother! Not only does Jimmy not need me, Blair doesn't even need me!
He suddenly went from angry to depressed. It was bad enough trying to find his place in the Ellison family before last night. Now where the hell did he fit in?
He slowly walked over to his bookcase where there was a picture displayed in a frame of him and Jim.
Blair had taken that picture only a few months ago after he and Jim had spent the day doing some brotherly bonding.
He clearly remembered the visit he got from Blair.
***Flashback***
It had just been after a case that was especially hard on Jim where he had been betrayed by two people he thought of as friends. Blair told Steven that he was concerned about Jim's state of mind and that he couldn't do anything to help him. He told Steven that Jim needed him now more than ever.
Steven had immediately gone over to the loft to see his brother. What he found was a deeply distraught man about to drink himself into oblivion.
He sat down with his brother and Jim opened up to him for the first time in what seemed like forever. Jim told him about his feelings for Veronica and about his feelings of betrayal at being used by both her and her husband, Alan. They had talked long into the night until Jim finally fell asleep on the couch, totally exhausted.
As he was getting ready to leave the loft, Blair returned and, seeing Jim peacefully asleep on the couch, he smiled at Steven and said that he knew what Jim had needed was his brother. Steven had been stunned by this and asked Blair what he meant. Blair explained it to him quite clearly.
"There are times in your life when not even your closest friend can help you get through the pain. The only person who can help is a loved family member. Someone with whom you have a strong connection with from way back, someone who can show you that there are connections from the past that can survive anything and come out stronger than ever."
He went on to explain that even though Jim and Steven had been estranged for many years, they shared a childhood of being brothers and each of them knew deep inside that when push came to shove, they could always depend on each other.
That revelation had totally blown Steven away and Blair had obviously noticed his surprise because he playfully punched Steven on the arm and said, "Jim doesn't express himself too well in words but you have to know that he loves you, Steven. You're his brother and believe it or not, Jim takes that connection very seriously."
It was a couple days after that that Jim showed up at his apartment wanting to spend a day with his brother. They had a wonderful time that day and really connected with each other. Jim told him that it had actually been Blair's idea. That Blair believed that he and Jim needed to reconnect and spend some quality time together. They eventually met up with Blair for dinner that evening. It was a real turning point in his and Jim's relationship and just before they said their goodbyes, Blair pulled out a camera and said that he needed to catch the moment on film.
***End of Flashback***
Steven looked at the picture again as he suddenly realized something. He had to compete most of his childhood for his father's affections and now he realized that after the revelation yesterday, he had immediately felt as if he had to now compete for his brother's affections. Looking at the picture he saw how both he and Jim looked so relaxed and genuinely happy. They had their arms around each other's shoulders and you could see a deep affection on both of their faces. Blair had captured the moment perfectly and Steven had been stunned when two days later he walked into his office to find a package on his desk. Inside the box was the picture matted and framed and it had brought tears to his eyes. It was now one of his most treasured belongings, and he owed it to Blair... his brother, Blair.
Blair had never wanted to compete with him when it came to Jim's affection. Not once did he ever feel unwelcome at Jim's place. Blair always made him feel comfortable during his visits, even plotting for him and Jim to spend quality time together.
He lowered his head to gently bang it on the shelf. How could he be so stupid!
He didn't have to compete for anyone's affection anymore. Both Jim and Blair had offered it freely.
Blair not only gave him a chance to finally get his big brother back into his life for good, but Blair was now presenting him with the option of having a little brother and an even closer relationship with his family. A real family of people who genuinely cared about each other!
And he blew it!
Looking at the picture one last time he then headed for the door, grabbing a jacket (and an aspirin) as he went.
Joshua tapped the end of his cigarette to flick off the ash. He hadn't smoked since he was a teenager but it seemed to sooth his nerves as he waited for the time to come for his payback. He had followed the police transporting his targets to the courthouse, just wanting to make sure that the trash was really gonna end up in jail. He had witnessed the murder of the police escorts and the subsequent escape of the prisoners. There were too many of them to do anything without getting himself killed so he just followed them to where they were now hiding out.
He had been watching the place ever since, following the leader -- that Mitch guy -- whenever he left the hideout. It seemed like they were watching or keeping track of something or someone. Joshua never slept for very long. He was afraid they would leave while he was out. He hardly ate either and his diligence was wearing him down, having an effect on his health and his mind.
All he kept thinking about was vengeance, retribution and most importantly, justice.
He still didn't know what he was going to do to them, but he'll bide his time until something presented itself. He had a feeling that it would happen soon. He hoped so, anyway.
The door opened before he could knock on it and Jim Ellison loomed in the entranceway with an agitated look on his face.
"May I come it," Steven Ellison asked.
"Depends," Jim replied. "Are you here to beat up on my roommate again?"
"I'm sorry about that Jim," he responded, hanging his head in shame. "I sort of lost my head there for a little while. I was hoping to talk to you and Blair and maybe get some things straightened out between us."
Jim looked at him trying to determine if he was telling the truth or not. Finally Jim stepped back and gestured for him to enter the loft.
He walked in and immediately looked around for Blair only to find him nowhere in sight.
"Where's Blair?" he asked his brother, surprised that Blair wasn't sitting or laying on the couch.
"He's still asleep," Jim replied a bit sharply. "He had a rough night. It happens when you're trying to recover from serious injuries and someone throws you over a chair onto the floor."
"I'm sorry about that, Jimmy," he said guiltily.
"I'm not the one you need to apologize to, Steven. Blair is."
"Do you think he will be awake soon so that I can apologize to him?"
Jim tilted his head towards Blair's room apparently hearing his partner begin to stir, because he then nodded his head at Steven. "He'll be out soon."
Steven was amazed at seeing Jim use his senses so comfortably in front of him. Jim must have seen the expression on his face because he smiled a little at it.
"Blair has given me the confidence I need not to be ashamed to use my senses in front of family and close friends who know the truth. He's made me believe in myself and trust that some people won't turn their back on me because of my senses, or as Blair refers to them, 'my gift'. Have a seat, Steven."
They both went over to the living room and sat on chairs opposite each other. He noticed that Jim automatically placed himself between him and Blair.
"I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday, Jimmy. I don't know what came over me."
"I still can't believe how you acted out yesterday, Stevie," Jim replied. "I never would have believed you could be so cruel and such a bully."
"I can't explain what happened, Jimmy. It was like I was watching from the side and had no control over what my body was doing. I do like Blair, but maybe it was just the shock of the news, and seeing you all supporting Blair... I just snapped. I thought that you all had replaced me with him and I couldn't handle it. We were just starting to act like brothers after so many years and I..." He ran out of excuses and didn't know what else to say.
"I understand," came a voice from across the room.
They both looked over to see Blair leaning against his bedroom doorway.
Blair slowly walked over to them. Jim placed some pillows at the end of the couch to make it more comfortable for his guide and helped ease him onto the couch without further aggravating his injuries. Jim gave Steven a warning glare telling him to 'behave' before settling himself in the chair next to Blair.
"I know what was revealed to you yesterday was a shock and I didn't even stop to think of you feeling ganged up upon. I'm sorry that you felt that way. It's not what we meant to do to you," Blair said with sincerity.
Steven just hung his head down, ashamed of his actions of yesterday.
"Steven," Blair called out to him. As Steven's head raised to look over at the younger man, Blair continued. "We all wanted to be here when you received the news so that you could get all the support you needed from all of us, as well as have any questions that you might have had answered. Jim and I found out about this in a round-about way and we didn't want you to find out like that as well. We wanted to give it to you straight and not hold anything back from you. I guess we didn't really think it through as well as we thought and I'm sorry about that."
"No, Blair," Steven countered. "I'm the one that's sorry. I didn't exactly react to this news as well as I could have and I took it all out on you and for that I want to apologize."
Blair shifted a little to get more comfortable and suddenly gasped in pain. Jim was immediately out of his seat and kneeling next to Blair.
"Chief," Jim asked in concern. "Do you need another pain pill?"
"Not yet, Jim," Blair replied. "You know I can't stand to take those darn pills. They make me sleepy and I can't focus on anything after I take them."
Jim looked over at Steven before explaining.
"He had a rough night last night. The fall re-aggravated his injuries and I had to talk him into accepting some painkiller."
"I'm so sorry, Blair," Steven apologized again. "I can't tell you how sorry I am for any pain I've put you through." He got up from the chair, causing Jim to tense up immediately. "Don't worry, Jimmy," he assured his brother. "I'm not going to do anything to Blair."
Steven stood up and moved slowly over to the Balcony doors. He stood there with his arms across his chest and stared out over Cascade. Blair had to smile at that. It was a familiar stance that he's seen his Sentinel do on numerous occasions. Maybe it was a family trait!
"I've done a little bit of thinking today," Steven said.
"Must have been hard with the headache and all," Jim responded.
Steven looked over at his brother in confusion. How did he know he had a headache?
"I could smell the alcohol on your breath, Stevie," Jim responded to the questioning look on his brother's face.
"Oh, yeah. Right," Steven replied. "Anyway, I've done some thinking and all I kept coming back to was how Blair had brought us back together as brothers, Jimmy. I know it's only because of him that Dad and I are now in your life. He's brought my family back to me and I realized how truly grateful I am for that." Steven returned to his chair. He clasped his hands together, laid his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, studying the floor in front of him.
"I truly appreciate all that you have done to bring Jimmy and I together, Blair." He hesitated for a moment trying to come up with the words he really wanted to say. "If you still want to, I would like to, um, see if we all can be like... kinda... you know, be a family... or something." He finished the sentence unsure of himself. He wouldn't blame Blair if he said he didn't want that anymore, or if Blair needed time to think about it. After a few seconds he looked over at Blair with expectation and was genuinely surprised to see Blair smiling at him.
"I don't know if I can handle another Ellison brother, man," Blair responded with a smirk. "I have my hands full with the one I already have and two of you would just drive me absolutely insane within a matter of days."
"Watch it, Chief," Jim retorted. "I resemble that remark."
With that, Jim and Blair burst out laughing and Blair had to struggle to stop laughing because of the strain it was putting on his ribs. He looked over at Steven and suddenly became serious when he saw the shocked look on Steven's face. "Oh, man. Ellisons really have a hard time connecting with their sense of humour." He glanced over at Jim. "Help me up will you, big guy."
Jim was at Blair's side in and instance and gently helped him to his feet. Blair slowly made his way over to Steven and sat down on the coffee table in front of the shell-shocked man. He reached over and grabbed onto Steven's hands to get his attention.
"I'm just kidding with you, Steve. I'd be honoured to have another brother if you'll have me as yours."
A small smile appeared on Steven's face and steadily increased until it spread across his entire face. He couldn't believe he was getting a second chance. "Thanks," he said in a low voice as he returned the squeeze on Blair's hands. "Thanks, bro!"
"Now this is more like it," Jim stated. "Now I have TWO little brothers to push around and do my bidding." Jim puffed his chest out with a deep breath. "Life is suddenly looking REAL good."
Steven and Blair looked at each other, and grinned.
"Watch out big brother," Steven said. "I think I've finally got someone to help gang up on you." He looked over at Blair and held out his hand to him. "Little brothers need to stick together against the older bully brother," he said with a smirk.
Blair smiled at this and grasped onto Steven's hand. "Between the two of us, I think we might have a chance against him."
Jim looked from one brother to the other and the smile immediately dropped from his face.
"Um, I think I liked it better when you guys didn't like each other... can we go back to that because I'm getting a BAD feeling here!"
Steven helped Blair to his feet and they both advanced on their big brother.
"Oh, Jim..." said Blair.
"Hey there bro..." said Steven
Jim took one look at the two of them ganging up on him and took off for the front door, slamming it behind him as he ran out of it.
They laughed out loud as Steven helped Blair back to the couch.
Blair looked over at the door and smiled. Jim was giving them a chance to bond a little as newfound brothers, and for the first time since he had found out about his paternity, things were finally looking up.
Dr. Mullins was seriously confused by the reports he was reviewing. He distinctly remembered when Blair Sandburg was brought in with serious injuries and that Blair's mother, father and brother (that had been a surprise!) had each gotten tested for compatibility for a possible kidney transplant in case Blair's kidneys failed as a result of his injuries. Thank God that was unnecessary since Blair was well on his way to recovery, but the test results in front of him concerned him deeply. Not because Jim and Blair were his patients, but because he thought of Jim and Blair as his friends as well.
After Blair had stabilized and his kidney function had improved dramatically, he had put aside the test results since a kidney transplant was no longer needed. When he first viewed the test results yesterday, he believed that the lab had made a mix up and he ordered the tests to be redone to be sure the results were correct. Even though Blair's condition had started improving and the results were now longer needed, he wanted to be sure that the correct records were on file, which was why he ordered the second set.
Now he was viewing the results of the second testing and they matched the results of the first testing!
The results had him confused and very alarmed. He knew what he had to do, and there was no need to put it off. This family had to be told the truth in case, God forbid, something else life-threatening happened to one of these people (most likely to Jim or Blair) and decisions were made in error due to preconceived beliefs.
He reached across his desk for his personal phone book and quickly found Jim Ellison's phone number. Picking up his receiver, he immediately pressed the button for an outside line.
Jim stepped into the loft after opening the door and waving his white handkerchief in a sign of surrender.
Steven and Blair had spent the last hour talking and they both laughed at Jim's antics.
"Coast is clear, big guy," Blair called out. "You can come in. We won't hurt you."
Jim stepped into the apartment with a grin on his face.
"Since the two of you are still in one piece, I take it you guys had a good talk?" Jim observed.
"Yeah," Blair responded. "I think we're going to be just fine." He smiled over at Steven, who smiled right back at his little brother.
At that moment the phone rang and Jim quickly picked it up.
"Ellison," he answered. "Oh, hi there, Sean. I hope this is a social call..."
Blair quickly looked over at Jim after hearing Sean's name, curious as to the reason for the doctor's call. Blair grew concerned as the smile left Jim's face to be replaced by one of confusion.
"Sure, Sean. I can get everyone together, but can you tell me what it's about? There's nothing wrong with Blair is there?" Jim responded.
Steven's head shot around to look at Jim upon hearing that. Oh, God, he thought to himself. Please don't let anything be wrong with my brother. I only just got him into my life.
"Ok, Sean," Jim replied. "We'll be there in half an hour... see you then... OK, bye" with that Jim hung up the phone. After a brief moment Jim picked up the phone again and started dialing.
"Jim, what did Sean want?" Blair asked.
"There's nothing wrong with Blair, is there?" Steven asked at the same time as he grabbed onto Blair's arm, concern expressed on his face.
"Just a second," Jim replied holding up a hand to forestall his brothers. "I have to get... Dad, Jim here," Jim stated as his father answered the phone in the middle of responding to Blair and Steven's questions.
"I'm good. Listen, Dad, the reason I called is because I just got a call from Dr. Sean Mullins... yeah he is the doctor who treated Blair... no he didn't specify what was going on but he said he wanted to meet with the family in half an hour to discuss something."
Steven looked over at Blair as a knot formed in his stomach. Blair kept his eyes trained on his partner trying to see if he could decipher any of Jim's body language to give him a clue about what was going on.
"No, dad, I don't know what... he didn't mention if... Dad, listen to me for a moment, OK." Jim paused to collect himself before he continued. "All Sean told me was that he came across something in the test results that he wanted to discuss with us and that it didn't have to do with Blair's health... yeah, that's all I know... yeah, we need to find Naomi... what, she's there with you?"
Blair's entire body straightened up at that comment. What was going on between William and Naomi? They were spending an awful lot of time together lately and he didn't know what he thought of that!
"Ok, dad, we're leaving here in a few minutes and we'll meet you both at the hospital. Sean's office is on the second floor... we'll see you shortly." Jim hung up the phone and turned to face his brothers. He held up his hands again to the questioning looks he was receiving from the two of them. "You heard what I told dad. That's all I know right now, so maybe we should just go see Sean and find out what's going on."
Steven helped Blair up from the couch and over to the door where Jim was holding their jackets. After Blair had his jacket on, Jim threw Steven's jacket over to him and grabbed his own before he escorted his two younger brothers out of the loft.
CHAPTER EIGHT
"Jimmy!" exclaimed William Ellison as he exited the elevator with Naomi in tow. Both of them had concern and worry expressed on their faces.
Naomi rushed over to Blair and pulled him into a hug. "How are you doing, sweetie," she asked as she cradled his face in both of her hands.
"I'm OK, mom. Let's not worry about anything yet, OK," Blair responded.
Naomi nodded at her son then noticed the person standing just behind Blair.
"Steven," Naomi exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" She was suddenly on her guard and slowly moved herself between Steven and her son.
"Mom," Blair exclaimed as he pulled her back around him. "It's OK, Steven and I have settled some things between us."
Naomi looked her son over carefully, searching for any new bruises or injuries before she looked over at Steven guardedly.
"I guess I should apologize to you, Ms. Sandburg, for my behaviour and words from last night." He held his hand out to Naomi. "I've had some time to think and, like Blair said, we've come to an understanding between us. I've already welcomed Blair as my brother. I just hope you can accept my apologies for my appalling behaviour earlier."
William looked from Steven to Naomi to Blair. Blair caught his eye and smiled, nodding his head in concordance to Steven's statement. William let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding then reached out to take Naomi's hand.
Blair saw this movement and wrinkled his forehead in bewilderment.
Naomi glanced over at William when she felt his hand grasp hers, then she looked back at Steven, searching his face for the truth in his statement. She obviously saw something she liked because she reached out to Steven and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
Steven froze at the unexpected embrace, unfamiliar with physical expressions of one's feelings. He forced himself to relax and gently put his own arms around Naomi to complete the hug.
"Good, you're all here," Dr. Sean Mullins stated as he turned the corner to see his two favourite patients and their parents. He was unfamiliar with the other man who was releasing Ms. Sandburg from an embrace.
"Hi, Sean," Jim said holding out his hand. As Sean grabbed onto Jim's to shake it, Jim continued. "I brought the whole family with me, Sean." He turned towards Steven, "This is my brother, Steven. Steven, this is Dr. Sean Mullins. He's the doctor who usually ends up treating Blair and I when either of us are brought to the ER."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Ellison," Sean stated as he shook Steven's hand.
"Please, call me Steven. Mr. Ellison is my father," Steven responded with a smile.
"OK then, Steven," Sean replied. He turned to face everyone and pointed his arm down the hallway. "Shall we all go into my office so that we can get started."
Jim herded everyone towards the doctor's office. Once they entered the office, everyone seated themselves in the chairs provided.
Sean rounded his desk and sat behind it. He pulled a file from his top desk drawer and opened it. He pulled several sheets of paper out of the folder and spread it over the desk then he looked up at his visitors.
"First of all, I want to ease any doubts you have right now and state that, like I told Jim on the phone, there is nothing medically wrong with Blair. That's not why I called you all here today," Sean stated.
Tension left each of his visitors only to be replaced by confusion.
"If it's not about me, then why are we all here, Sean?" Blair asked.
Sean looked at Blair, then at Jim before he went on to explain the reason for the meeting.
"Jim, remember when Ms. Sandburg, Mr. Ellison and yourself were all tested to see if you were a match for a possible kidney transplant in case Blair's kidneys failed a couple weeks ago?"
"Yeah, I remember, Sean," Jim replied. "Did you find something in one of our test results?"
"I'm afraid I did, Jim and I'm really unsure as to how to tell all of you this information," Sean explained with a pained look. This news was sure to shock his visitors, but he had to proceed to prevent any future assumptions from causing life threatening problems.
William reached over and took Naomi's hand in his own. She squeezed his hand tightly as they glanced at each other before looking back at the doctor.
"Like I just said, the three of you were tested for matches," Sean continued. "I got the results back and thought something was wrong with the results, so I ordered them to be done again just to clarify things for the record. I got the second test results back this morning and they had the same conclusion as the first test results." Sean paused to pick up one sheet of paper.
"The test comparing the compatibility of Mr. Ellison and Blair came back as a positive match, actually a perfect match." He reached over for a second sheet of paper and everyone stayed completely silent waiting for answers.
"The test comparing the compatibility of Ms. Sandburg and Blair came back also as a close match, but basically not close enough for a favourable transplant." Sean reached over for the third sheet of paper and brought his eyes up to meet Blair's eyes, then Jim's eyes. "The test comparing the compatibility of Jim with Blair came back as a negative match."
Disappointment clearly showed on Jim's face at the knowledge that he couldn't possibly have donated a kidney to his brother if he needed it.
"In fact, there was no compatibility between Blair and Jim at all," Sean stated.
Everyone looked at Sean in confusion.
"What are you saying, Sean, because you're losing us here. Not all relatives are perfectly matched for organ donations," Blair stated.
"What I'm saying is that according to these tests, Blair and Jim are not related by blood."
"That can't be possible," William stated. "We had blood tests done while Blair was in the hospital and they proved that Blair is my son, so there must be some kind of mistake with those tests you have there."
"There's no mistake, Mr. Ellison," Sean defended. "These tests are conclusive. Blair is yours and Ms. Sandburg's son. It's Jim who isn't your son."
"What!" Jim gasped as he shot up from his seat. Blair got out of his chair as quickly as he could and reached over to grab onto Jim's shoulder to calm him down.
"Jim," Blair pleaded. "Please, sit down and let Sean explain."
Jim looked over at his guide and gave in to his request, sitting back in his seat.
"I know this is a shock to you all, but I had these tests done twice just to be sure. If you want, we can draw some blood from Jim and Mr. Ellison, as well as Steven if he agrees, and do paternity tests just to be sure. I'm afraid that we may get the same answer, but if you need further proof we can do another test."
Jim looked over at his father. "Did you know about this?" Jim demanded.
William just shook his head in confusion and shock.
"If you're not my father, then who the hell is?" Jim asked, his voice increasing in volume towards the end of his question.
William suddenly gasped as a realization came to him and he quickly stood up and rushed from the office. Jim quickly rushed out after him, determined to get some sort of answer to why his father had lied to him his entire life.
Jim followed his father into the mens room where his father was splashing cool water on his face. William raised his eyes to meet Jim's in the mirror.
The bathroom door burst open again presenting Blair, Steven and Naomi. Naomi saw the expressions on everyone's faces and decided to wait outside the bathroom to discourage anyone from entering and interrupting their conversation.
As the door closed behind Naomi, Jim walked up to William.
"Is what Sean said the truth 'dad'," Jim asked, putting emphasis on the 'dad' part.
"I don't know, Jimmy," William replied. "Honestly, I always thought and believed that you were mine. I never had a reason to believe otherwise. From the moment I found out about Grace's pregnancy, you were mine!" William reached out to grab a hold of Jim's shoulders.
Jim focused his hearing on his father's heartbeat. While it was beating a bit fast, Jim didn't believe it was elevated enough to indicate William was lying. If that wasn't enough, the shock apparent on William's pale face made Jim certain his father was as surprised at the news as him. "You mean you didn't have any clue about this?"
"No, son," William answered. "I didn't know!"
Jim backed away from the man he had believed was his father. Blair approached Jim and gently moved him back against a stall out of the direct sight of the others.
"Listen to me, big guy," Blair began. "It doesn't matter now. Family is more than just blood and nobody knows that better than us."
Jim gasped as a realization hit him and he reached up to grab onto Blair's arms. This meant Blair wasn't his brother! For that matter, was Steven even really his brother?
"But that means we aren't... that we're not... Blair, I'm not your brother!" Jim gently released his guide, letting his arms fall limply to his side. His expression went from one of confusion and shock to just 'blank'.
"Yes you are, damnit," Blair shouted at his sentinel. Jim was starting to shut down emotionally and he was determined not to let that happen. "You are my brother and I'm not going to let some test prove otherwise. If we aren't brothers by blood then we are brothers by choice."
Jim nodded at his guide's response then turned to face his stunned father.
"Dad," Jim said. "You have to have some idea who is... who could be my biological father. I mean it had to be someone close to mom, someone she must have cared about."
William racked his brain trying to remember back all those years. Suddenly a name sprang to mind -- Carl! His old friend, Carl!
Around the time Jimmy had been conceived, he knew that Grace had still been in love with Carl. He never would have believed that she would have cheated on him, but she must have. It was the only answer he could come up with. Carl must be Jimmy's biological father, but they couldn't prove it because Carl had been dead for 25 years or longer. William looked up into the questioning eyes of his 'son'.
"I think I know who it was, but he's dead, Jimmy," William confessed. "It's the only one I can think of. It must be Carl."
"Who's Carl, Dad," Jim asked. "Carl who? What's his last name?"
"Haydash," William replied. "Carl's last name was Haydash. He lived not too far from us, at least until he died."
"Haydash!" Jim exclaimed. The name ricocheted around his mind. That name was familiar. Where did he know that name from.
From behind Jim, Blair gasped at the name. Jim quickly turned around to face his shocked guide.
"What is it, Chief? What's wrong?"
"Jim," Blair exclaimed. "Carl Haydash, he's the body... he's the one you found in the woods when you were a kid!"
"Bud!" Jim felt ill, and suddenly everything went black as he collapsed onto the floor.
Mitchell yelled for the rest of the guys to get everything out to the van. It was now time to exact revenge for his fallen brothers and he wanted it so bad he could almost taste it.
He had spent the last few days doing 'surveillance' on the cop, Ellison, and his rookie partner, trying to come up with a way to pay them back for fouling up their plans with the bank.
It didn't take long to realize the two of them lived together. What was up with that?
He had sent Roan out several days ago to find out whatever he could on the two cops, and he came back with a truckload of information.
He was keeping an eye on Roan since their little 'talk'. He believed that all Roan needed was a little reassurance from the family which now consisted of three new players. Marcus and his two buddies instantly clicked with Mitch and Monk and had become part of the family in the few days they'd been together. One of the guys, Tully, had been busted by Ellison a few years ago and definitely wanted a piece of the cop. The other, Zeke, just wanted to be involved in anything that presented payback to the cops. They made quite the team, even if Roan seemed 'twitchy' at times.
Reading the background information on Detective James Ellison had him impressed with the man. An Army Ranger, then a cop -- he was a regular boy scout! Probably one of those 'holier than thou' people who looked down his nose at everyone else.
His partner wasn't any better -- an academic geek who was raised by his hippy mother.
He read everything about them from their education to some of the high profile cases they worked on, which lead to the question of what a college geek was doing hanging around with cops. The exerts Roan found referencing this 'Sentinel' book the kid was writing were pretty interesting, and when Mitchell thought back on how the cops had gotten inside and snuck up on them so effectively, he had to wonder if there was any truth to the story.
Other reports he read stated how the kid had declared the story to be fictional and basically called himself a liar on national TV... something didn't feel right about that. How could he possibly be accepted into the Police Academy if he was an admitted liar? Weren't cops supposed to be honest and trustworthy people -- yeah, right! They were scum, each and every one of them.
Apparently, this Ellison and Sandburg had family visiting them right now. They had tracked a woman they found out was Sandburg's mother to a hotel. They were then able to follow her and a man they found out was Ellison's father to some big house in the suburbs. This confused Mitch even more, wondering what kind of relationships all these players had. Were the parents involved with each other or something! They seemed awfully cozy at times.
Mitch quickly added the two of them to his revenge plot.
Now that the punk was out of the hospital and settled back at home, they could finally put their plan of revenge into action.
"Everything's loaded, Mitch," Monk called out, breaking Mitchell out of his reverie.
"OK, then gentleman, it's time to get this show on the road!" He slapped Marcus' back as they all jumped into the van and departed to put their plan into action.
The door closed with a quite click as the group entered the loft. It had been a long day and it wasn't over yet.
Dr. Mullins had checked Jim over after his brief 'swan dive' and gave him a clean bill of health so they all decided to return to the loft. They wanted to try and make some sense out of this afternoon's events and revelations.
Blair led a still shocky Jim over to the couch and sat down next to him. Jim's senses had been out of whack since the revelation that William wasn't Jim's biological father. Jim seemed to want Blair near him to help him get some sort of grasp on his runaway senses and Blair's protectiveness didn't allow him to be very far away from his Sentinel, so Jim's 'latching' onto him didn't bother Blair in the least.
"I'll make some tea to help us to relax," Naomi said as she went into the kitchen to put some water on to boil.
Maybe they should just skip the tea and go straight to the hard liquor!
Steven and William sat on the other couch, both stunned from the day's events as well.
It seemed like a brisk wind would be able to knock over any one of the room's occupants at the moment. They were all in a state of shock!
Everyone snuck covert glances at each other, none of them knowing what to say.
"I can't believe..." Jim whispered. It was so quiet in the loft that his whisper sounded like a shout and everyone jumped at the words. "I mean... who am I now, Chief," Jim asked looking over at his guide. "Who am I supposed to be, cause I don't know anymore, Chief. I just don't know."
Blair placed his arm around his best friend's shoulder to offer whatever support he could. His injuries protested the move, but right now he didn't care about the pain, his sentinel needed him and he wasn't going to let anything stop him from providing whatever comfort he could.
Naomi began nervously pacing, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. She suddenly let out a whimper, then ran for the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
The kettle started to whistle and at first no one moved. Jim was in a state of shock and Blair wasn't about to leave his side. William was also in a state of shock and appeared to not even hear the whistle, so after a moment, Steven slowly walked over and took the kettle off the stove. Just after he turned the stove off, there was a knock at the door, so he walked over to the door automatically and opened it revealing their two visitors.
"We're here to see Blair," said a petite woman with light brown hair. She had an older gentleman with her and they both wore questioning looks on their faces.
Steven just turned around and walked back over to the couch. Blair believed that Steven never even realized that he had just opened the door of a cop's apartment letting two complete strangers into the loft!
Carrie and Marty cautiously entered the loft, closing the door behind them and looked over at the four people occupying the living room. They both walked over to the living room cautiously, confusion and concern pulling them there.
"Blair," Marty called out as they came closer to the four individuals.
"Marty," Blair exclaimed. "Carrie, what are you guys doing here?" He sat up straight on the couch but never lost contact with his Sentinel.
"We came to see how you were doing, Burg," Marty explained. "Has something happened? Is there anything we can do?"
Blair divided his focus between his best friend and his visitors. He didn't want to be rude to them, but he thought it best if he got them to leave as soon as possible, without any bad feelings.
Blair tapped Jim's leg as he slowly got up from the couch to go over to their visitors. As he passed Jim, Jim instinctively reached out and grasped onto his guide, not wanting to let Blair out of arm's length.
"I'm not going anywhere, big guy," Blair responded as he gently took Jim's hand from his leg. Their eyes met for a moment and Jim seemed to relax at what he saw expressed in his guide's eyes. He slowly released Blair and leaned back into the couch. Blair slowly pulled himself away from his Sentinel and made his way over to Carrie and Marty, hoping they would understand when Blair asked them if they could visit another time.
"Yeah, we're going to be OK, Marty," Blair replied as he slowly walked up to his two academy friends. "This is Jim's father and brother and we just got some surprising news this afternoon. I'm afraid we aren't exactly up for visitors right now. I'm sorry guys, but could we get a rain-check on your visit, and catch up on all the Academy happenings at a latter date?"
"Sure, Blair," Carrie responded as the three of them turned to head for the door.
The bathroom door opened at that point and Naomi walked out looking calmer than she did when she had entered the bathroom.
Just as Blair was able to herd his well-meaning friends to the door, a loud thud rang through the loft as the door was kicked open. The heavy wood hit Carrie, knocking her to the floor as several men rushed into the loft, their guns levelled at its occupants.
They pushed Marty and Blair across the room towards the dining room, where Blair let out a yelp of pain as he fell and hit the floor.
Jim, hearing his Guide's distress, leapt up from the couch only to find three automatic weapons aimed at him. Steven reached out to Jim, preventing him from getting any closer to the gunmen.
Suddenly bullets were flying and the command of 'Stop shooting idiot' halted the hail of bullets.
Everything was still for a moment, then Mitchell stormed over to the man with the 'trigger finger' and punched him in the face.
"You idiot," he yelled at Monk who was now spread out on the floor. "Now the whole damn neighbourhood will know we're here. How stupid can you be?"
"I'm sorry, Mitch," Monk replied. "I though he was going for a gun or something," he explained as he pointed towards Jim and Steven.
Mitch looked around the room to see what damage was done. He wanted to 'play' with his targets for a while before he finally killed them.
Ellison's father was pressing his hand against the arm of some guy he didn't recognize, trying to stop the flow of blood leaking from where one of Monk's bullets must have hit.
Mitch continued to look around noticing that the woman, Sandburg's mother, had a cut on her forehead. He didn't know if it was from a bullet graze or from hitting her head as she ducked from the flying bullets.
There was a man, whose calf was bleeding, on the floor with Sandburg. Sandburg's mother had taken a scarf from around her shoulder and was now tying it around the leg to apply pressure to the wound.
There was a girl on the floor a little ways from the door and Mitch signalled for one of the guys to bring her over to one of the clusters of hostages where they could keep a better eye on her.
Roan walked over to Carrie and gently helped her up from the floor. Carrie snatched her arm away from him as another man came up behind her and pushed her over to where Blair, Marty and Naomi were. She immediately went over to a pale Blair who had his arm clutched around his middle.
Mitch left his hostages alone for a few minutes to try and get a grasp on what was happening. He had to think for just a minute but he knew he was running out of time because no doubt, someone heard those shots and the police would be here soon. At least he had a room full of hostages. He didn't need all of them alive, just a couple to take with them so they could get away from the cops.
"OK, then," Mitchell stated. "Now that we have your attention, I'd like to tell you all why we're here. You see, Detective Ellison and Cadet Sandburg recently barged in on me and my buddies while we were doing an important job and because of them, most of my buddies are now DEAD." Mitchell shouted the last word making several of his prisoners jump.
"So I thought that we deserved a little justice for the good Detective and Cadet's sins against my brothers here." Mitch waved his arm back to his small band of gunmen. "I may not read the Bible, but I've heard of this little phrase from it. Let me see if I can remember how it goes." Mitch put his hand up and began stroking his chin giving the impression that he was thinking deeply about something. After a few seconds he snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "I've got it, I believe that phrase is 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE'," Mitch yelled the last part and brought his gun back up to point at Jim.
Joshua had been watching them for so long that he knew something was up as soon as he saw them all exiting their hiding spot earlier that day. The excitement he could see on each of their faces set off alarm bells in his head. So he got in his car and followed them to Prospect Avenue. He watched them all get out of the van and head into the building.
Quickly, he ran over to the fire escape and began to climb up to the top of the building. Just as he passed a third floor window, which happened to be opened slightly, he heard gunshots coming from inside and quickly pushed himself down onto the fire escape until the gunshots ceased. Now aware that the punks were inside this particular apartment, he further eased the window open until he was able to sneak inside the apartment.
Once he was inside, he looked around to find himself in a small bedroom filled with books and strange looking artefacts.
He sat quietly for a few moments trying to catch his breath. He had never in his life sneaked into another person's home and he certainly didn't like how uneasy it made him feel.
He felt his jacket pocket to make sure the gun was still there. Feeling the shape of the gun still safely in his pocket he let out a silent breath of relief.
He was inside with those bastards just in the other room and he suddenly found himself scared to death.
What was he doing here? What the hell was he thinking!?
He should have just let the cops handle these criminals, but something deep inside of him was almost propelling him towards this confrontation. Somehow he felt that there was a reason he had to be here. He just didn't know what that reason was.
He wanted retribution for everything these bastards had taken from him, but then again, he had never been one to believe a person had the right to be judge, jury and executioner. If that were the case, what was he doing here right now with a gun?
He had to calm himself down and just think for a few minutes until he could clear his mind and decide what he was going to do.
He could hear grunts, groans and raised voices coming from beyond the curtained doors to the room and finally decided that he had no right to be here.
As he lifted himself up from the floor to sneak back over to the window so he could escape, he threw himself to the floor as he heard a loud voice announcing that the police were here. Damn! What was he going to do now.
He couldn't sneak back out now without the cops thinking he was somehow involved and probably shoot him before asking questions. He couldn't even call out to the police that he wasn't involved without the criminals in the next room hearing him and capturing him.
He just huddled down in the corner of the room.
Joshua, he whispered to himself. What the hell have you gotten yourself into, now?
All he could do for the moment was sit there. Hopefully, an opportunity would present itself to get him out of here or maybe even to help in bringing these criminals to justice.
Simon was startled from reading his report when Joel Taggart barged into his office.
"Simon, there's a report of shots fired at 852 Prospect, a third floor apartment," Joel gasped out.
"Jim's place," Simon stated. It wasn't a question because they both knew whose apartment was involved. Simon quickly picked up his phone and dialled dispatch. "I want all available units to report to 852 Prospect, immediately. There's been reports of shots fired at a detective's apartment on the 3rd floor of the building. Tell them not to engage until Captain Simon Banks arrives, got that?" Simon barely waited for the response from the dispatcher before he jumped up from his chair and grabbed his jacket. "Come, on Joel," Simon said. "Let's go."
They both left Simon's office and ran towards the doorway of Cascade PD's Major Crime Unit. Before they could exit, they met up with a harried looking Rafe and Brown.
"Cap, I just heard..." Brown never got a chance to finish his sentence.
"We've heard, come on," Simon countered, "we may need all the help we can get."
The four police officers ran down the steps, immediately heading for Simon's car as they exited the stairwell. Rafe and Brown got into the back seat while Joel climbed into the front passenger seat. With a squeal of the tires, they were on their way to rescue their friends.
Joel turned to Simon with concern in his eyes for his friends' safety. They had been through so much lately. Hell, they've been through so much in the last few years. They just had to be alright.
"They're going to be OK gentleman," Simon declared to his men. "This is Blair and Jim we're talking about. They have more lives than a cat."
"That may be so, Simon," Joel countered. "But eventually, even a cat's luck runs out."
There was complete silence for the rest of the trip. All of the officers lost in their own thoughts and concerns for the their friends and co-workers.
Almost ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of 852 Prospect. There were several patrol cars already there whose officers were ushering pedestrians and building tenants away from the area.
"Captain," a voice called out to Simon. An officer approached Simon and he instantly recognized the officer as being Derek Tompkins, a 10 year veteran on the force.
"Tompkins," Simon greeted. "Fill me in on what's happening here."
"As far as we know everyone not in that particular apartment is out of the building, Sir," Tompkins replied. "I was talking to the landlord and apparently all the tenants on the second floor are still at work, the tenant on the other side of Ellison's apartment is out of town until next week and the tenant from the first floor, as well as the Landlord who also lives on the first floor are behind police lines."
"Good work, Tompkins," Simon responded with a nod. "Give me something so that I can talk to whoever's in there."
"You don't want to do this," William shouted as the gun pointed towards Jim.
Mitch stopped his actions for a moment, distracted by the old man. "And why wouldn't I want to do this, old man. Because of HIM," Mitch yelled, "my brothers are dead. They're gone and I need to get justice for them."
"Killing people is not going to bring your friends back," William retorted. "It's only going to get you in even more trouble than you're already in. Just let us go before things get out of hand."
"Ah, Mitch," came Roan's hesitant voice from over by the balcony doors. "I think you better take a look outside, man." He looked like he didn't know whether to bolt out of the apartment or cry. Obviously he wasn't a career criminal.
Mitchell walked over to the balcony door to stand next to an obviously stressed out Roan and looked out to see what had Roan so nervous. What he saw were several police cars, with cops and people scurrying around the street. "Damn cops!" he cursed out loud as he watched the cops set up a road block further up and down the street.
"Mitch, maybe we should just give it up and release..." the remainder of Roan's statement was lost as he was backhanded across the face by Mitchell.
Mitchell stormed over to the TV and pushed it onto the floor, a loud crash sounding along with a string of curses from Mitchell.
"Your friend's right," Blair called out. "Come on, man. Give it up now while you still can."
Mitchell started towards Blair only to hear a growl come from Ellison. He stopped a few steps away from Blair when a voice thundered up from below.
"THIS IS THE CASCADE POLICE, WE HAVE THE BUILDING SURROUNDED. PLEASE COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP."
"You have got to be kidding me," Mitch yelled as he rolled his eyes. "They ACTUALLY say that garbage in real life?"
"THIS IS THE CASCADE POLICE. WE ARE PUTTING A PHONE CALL THROUGH TO THE APARTMENT RIGHT NOW, PLEASE PICK UP THE PHONE WHEN IT RINGS."
"And I thought the cops were lame on TV!" Mitchell exclaimed as the phone began to ring. Everyone looked at Mitchell to see if he would pick it up.
Mitchell let out a breath in frustration and stomped over to the phone. He grabbed it and shouted into the received, "What?"
"This is Captain Simon Banks from the Cascade Police Department. With whom and I speaking?"
"This is the man in charge, Captain," Mitch sneered into the phone. "I'm the man with all the guns and lots of hostages. Dead hostages if you don't back off and give me what I want."
"What is it that you want?"
"I want to get out of here you idiot," Mitch replied. "Are you really that dense?"
"OK, lets just calm down here for a minute and see what we can do for you, OK?"
"Listen, man, I'm not stupid. I know stall tactics when I see them. Just know that we already have people injured up here and they'll be a whole lot worse if you don't back off."
"What's happened up there? Can you send out any of the injured as a sign of good faith?"
Mitch slammed down the phone, frustrated with the conversation already. They were insulting his intelligence if they believed he would willingly give up hostages in 'good faith'.
"IDIOTS," he yelled as he picked up a dinning room chair and threw it across the room. He then started to pace. After a moment he went over to the windows and closed all of the blinds in an attempt to prevent the cops from seeing what was happening inside.
As Mitchell stepped away from the blocked windows he reached into his jacket pocket and took out a candy, quickly unwrapping it and popping it into his mouth.
Blair and been steadily whispering to Jim throughout the 'invasion' and it was exactly what Jim needed to help kick his senses into gear.
He could smell the fear coming off the perp by the balcony door. His body signs were all over the place, telling Jim that he could possibly be a weak link that they could use if the opportunity presented itself.
Jim senses also made him aware of the person with the thundering heartbeat in Blair's room. He even found it somewhat amusing that the guy was mumbling and chastising himself. He kept his senses turned up just a little so he could keep track of their 'visitor' when suddenly his sense of smell kicked in again, only this time almost at full force.
He smelled that sweet scent from the murder scene he had been called to before this whole mess had begun.
Jim glanced over at Blair as the scent connected in his memory, forgetting for a moment that Blair hadn't even been to the murder scene at the time and didn't know anything about the murder. Maybe he could use this to tip the scales in his favour somehow.
"You have to let us get help for..." Naomi began only to be cut off.
"Shut up, bitch, before I come over there and shut you up myself, permanently," Mitchell yelled at her.
Naomi immediately shut up and went back to helping the wounded man next to her. For the first time, she looked up and came face to face with the man she was helping only to see a pale, shocked face staring at her.
"Nonie," Marty whispered as he slowly reached out his hand to touch Naomi's face.
Naomi looked at the man in confusion for a moment before she let out a shocked gasp in recognition. "Marty!" she whispered back. "It can't be you!"
Blair looked from Marty to his mother in confusion. Did they know each other? He was starting to get a little ticked off with all these surprises popping up in his life all of a sudden.
"OH MY GOD!" Naomi exclaimed as she raised herself onto her knees.
"I said SHUT UP," Mitchell yelled as he stepped up to Naomi and grabbed her by her hair pulling her up to him, face to face. "When I tell you to do something, you better damn well do it if you want to stay alive. GOT IT!"
Marty tried to get himself up to help Naomi only to be pushed back down to the floor by Monk. A gun pointed at him to keep him right where he was.
"Yes," Naomi whispered.
"What?" Mitchell asked as he shook Naomi again. "I didn't hear you."
"I said 'yes'," Naomi replied in fear as she felt hair tear from her scalp.
"That's better," Mitchell responded as he shoved Naomi back onto the floor where she collided with Marty.
Marty let out a cry of pain as Naomi landed on his injured leg, but he quickly pushed that aside as he reached to pull Naomi to him. He couldn't believe she was here in front of him, ALIVE. His father had told him that she had been killed in a car accident the year before he got back from Vietnam. The explosion had been so intense, his father said there wasn't even a body to bury so whenever he visited his mother's grave, he would visit his baby sister as well hoping that wherever his mother and sister were, they were taking care of each other.
Marty hugged his sister to him. After believing for so long that he would never see his little angel again, he couldn't bring himself to let her out of his arms afraid she would disappear from his life again.
"Oh, Marty," Naomi whispered so low that only Marty could hear her. "I can't believe you're alive. Daddy told me you had been killed in Vietnam." Tears began to fall down her cheeks as Marty tightened his hold on her.
"It's alright, Nonie," Marty replied. "I'm here now and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you out of this." He pulled Naomi's face away from his chest and he made a vow. "I just got you back again little sister and I'm not letting you go again."
Blair suddenly started to tip to the right but Carrie grabbed him before he could crash to the floor.
"Blair," Carrie shouted as she eased Blair down to lay flat on the floor.
"Sweetie," Naomi called out, pushing herself from her brother's arms to rush to her son's side. "Blair," she said as she lightly tapped her son's cheek. "Come on, Sweetie, come back to Momma now, baby. Come on now."
"Mom," Blair whispered as he slowly came back from his daze.
Marty looked from Blair to Naomi, then back at Blair. "Mom?" he questioned.
Naomi quickly looked over at a worried William and gave him a slight smile and nod, reassuring him that Blair was OK. She could see him ease slightly at the silent message he received from her. Both William and Jim had started to move forward when Carrie had cried out Blair's name, but the second they moved, they each found gun barrels pushed into their sides.
"Don't make me come over there again," Mitchell yelled at Naomi from his position next to the balcony door. He then turned back to the blinds trying to get an idea of what was going on outside.
Everyone became silent once again as the phone began to ring.
Simon was frustrated after the first contact with the hostage taker hadn't gone as planned. He had only the basic training in hostage negotiations, only enough to tide over until an actual hostage negotiator arrived on the scene. He hated to hand over even that amount of control knowing that Jim and Blair's lives were at stake.
They still didn't know who the perps were or even if anyone other than Jim and Blair were in the loft. His thoughts were interrupted as the Hostage Negotiator arrived and was brought over to him.
"Captain," she said as she reached out to shake his hand. "It's nice to see you again."
Simon accepted her hand as he remembered working with her on another hostage case last year. She was a very affective negotiator and he felt hopeful that Jim and Blair might actually get out of this alive.
"Jessie Vickers," Simon replied. "I'm glad you're the one on this case."
"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "I knew this address sounded familiar. Don't tell me that Jim and Blair are..."
"Ok, I won't tell you then," Simon grinned, finding a little bit of much needed humour.
"Ok, then," Jessie said as she signalled to have a phone brought to her so she could do her job. "Let's get this show on the road and get those two trouble makers out of the building so they could get into some other kind of trouble."
A fully charged cell phone was handed to her and Simon gave her the number for her to call. After a couple rings the phone was answered by an agitated perp.
"Whatt!"
"Hi, I'm Jessie Vickers, can you tell me your name so we can communicate easier with each other."
"Oh, I get it. You're the head shrinker or something. You know the one who tries to get the bad guys out in the open so the snipers can shoot their HEAD OFF."
"No, I promise you that's not what's happening here. We don't want anyone hurt and that includes you. I just want to talk to you so that we can understand what's happening and everyone gets out of this with what they want."
"What I want and what you want are two different things, lady. I want revenge for what these cops did to my family, but I don't think that's what you and your cop buddies out there want."
"We just don't want anyone hurt."
"Too late for that, baby. We've already got a couple people hurt and I'm finding it really hard not to just hurt some more of them."
Jessie nodded to Simon who was listening in on a separate headset. At least they knew there was more than just Jim and Blair up there.
"What can I call you, sir."
"Sir, I like that baby. I like getting some respect. You can call me Mitch."
"OK, Mitch. Who's been hurt and how bad are that hurt?"
"Why the hell should I tell you that?"
"Mitch, you give me something here and I give you something back."
"Yeah, I give you information so you can give me a bullet in the back."
"Mitch, please listen to me here. We don't just go around shooting people. That is only a last option when lives are at stake. Please, talk to me Mitch. Let me know what's happening in there. Maybe I can help you out of this."
There was silence for a moment as neither of them spoke.
"Mitch, are you still there?"
"Yeah, I'm still here. Ok, I guess it can't hurt to tell you some stuff. It's not like you can do anything since we got these people in here."
"That's right, Mitch. You have all the cards right now. I only want to help you, honestly."
"OK." There was another brief pause as a deep breath could be heard being released over the line. "OK, the kid's mother has a scrape on her head. There's an old man next to her with a bullet through his leg and another guy here with a bullet through his arm. Unfortunately none of those are the people I came here to hurt, but I guess they must be people they care about so I must be hurting them some. The rest are just shaken up."
Listening in, Simon began writing on a sheet of paper. When he finished, he handed the paper over to Jessie. It said:
Gunshot to the leg = William Ellison???? (Jim's father)
Gunshot to the arm = ????
"Mitch," Jessie began. "The people who are hurt, can you tell me who they are?"
"Now how the hell am I supposed to know who the hell they are. All I know is the woman is Sandburg's mother. The old guy over there with Ellison and some other guy is Ellison's father and I don't have a clue who the guy with the arm wound is or the chick is."
Simon immediately scratched William's name off the 'injured' list and replaced it with another question mark and added the other captives to the list. Now they knew that there were seven hostages in the apartment.
????? man = Gunshot to the leg. Next to Naomi.
????? man = Gunshot to the arm
Jim Ellison
Blair Sandburg
William Ellison
????? woman
Simon quickly made a second copy of the list and handed it to Jessie so she could add any information she discovered while talking to Mitch.
"Mitch, do the injured need medical attention? Can you send out just the injured because they're not going to be able to help you out any. If anything they're only going to get in the way, so why don't you send them out."
"You're stupid if you think I'm giving up hostages for nothing, lady. Why don't you come on up and join us and maybe I'll think about releasing the others."
"I'm sorry, Mitch, but I'm not allowed to negotiate one hostage for another. It's a big no-no in the head shrinker handbook."
Mitchell laughed at that. "I like you, baby. You're alright."
"Do you like me enough to release the injured to get medical attention, Mitch. It's not going to help our negotiating if we lose any of the hostages."
"I ain't releasing anybody until I've had a chance to think some more, but I'll let one doctor in to look at them."
"We can't order a civilian doctor or medic to go into a hostage situation. Can we send in a medically trained rescue worker who works with the PD? And you have to promise me, Mitch, that he'll be able to leave after he's attended to and assessed the injured."
"Ok, babe. Send in the undercover cop."
"He's not a cop, Mitch. He works with the local detachment of the Search and Rescue and Fire Department. He's volunteered to offer his assistance and I hope you will listen to anything he suggests concerning the injured." There was a pause and she continued to try and get an important point across to Mitch. "Do you hear me, Mitch. He's not a cop..."
"Yeah, I hear you...Not a cop... yadda, yadda, yadda/"
"I'm telling you the truth, Mitch. I wouldn't lie to you about this. You promise me you won't take him as another hostage because if you do that, the trust between us is broken and then things will be taken out of my hands and I won't be able to help you. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"
"Yeah, OK. I promise that if nothing else -- we'll release the doc or whatever he is." There was a brief pause before he added, "Unharmed, OK?"
"I believe you, Mitch. The man's name is Doug and we're sending him in right now OK."
"OK, Send him up."
After a moment Mitch announced that the medic was outside the loft door and he ordered one of the gunmen to let him in. Jessie asked that the phone line stay open while the medic was there and Mitch reluctantly agreed.
This was very good. She seemed to have built up some trust with Mitch and he was listening to her suggestions and answering her questions willingly. He hadn't made an outburst recently and that was definitely progress. Jessie was starting to have hope that this one could end without any further bloodshed.
After a short while, the injured were patched up and the medic was allowed to leave.
When the medic exited the building, Jessie asked Mitch if she could disconnect for just a few minutes while she got a fresh battery for her cell phone. He reluctantly agreed and after assuring him that they weren't 'plotting' anything, Mitch disconnected the line. As the phone was handed to a cop to install a fully charged battery, the medic approached them. Simon's full attention was on the medic as he explained the situation inside.
"There are seven hostages inside, just like you believed, sir," Doug explained. "Ellison and Sandburg are uninjured but I did check on Sandburg since it seemed like he was experiencing some pain."
"He only recently got out of the hospital after being hit by a vehicle," Simon explained.
"Yeah, he mentioned that to me," Doug responded. "Anyway, I gave him something for the pain and continued checking the others. Mr. Ellison was unharmed as was Ms. Simms who's a cadet with Sandburg," he explained at Simon's confused expression. "The man with the wound to the leg is Marty Saunders, an instructor from the academy."
"Marty's in there?" Simon exclaimed.
"Yes, sir," Doug continued. "The bullet went clean through and I don't think it did any more than minor muscle damage. I couldn't detect any damage to bone or arteries, but if an artery had been hit, he would have died long before now, sir."
"So that takes care of Marty, Sandburg and Simms," Simon stated. "What about the rest?"
"Ms. Sandburg had a minor cut on her forehead that she mentioned hitting against the floor when the bullets started flying. Detective Ellison was with the second group on the opposite side of the room with his father and brother. Mr. Ellison seemed fine as did Detective Ellison. The other one, Steven, had a bullet graze on his arm and the bleeding had already stopped. I just basically cleaned the wounds best I could and was able to identify each of the hostages, with a little help from said hostages."
"Thanks, Doug," Jessie said. "That will be all for now."
Doug turned to leave but suddenly turned back as he remembered something. He looked over at Simon with a quizzical expression on his face.
"What is it, son?" Simon asked.
"Well, sir," Doug spoke up. "Detective Ellison said something that didn't really make sense, but I just remembered that he asked me to pass it along to you."
"Go ahead then," Simon encouraged.
"Well, he was referring to that guy Mitch when he said this, but what he said was, and I quote, 'the sweet smell from his candy is making him as nauseous as he was three weeks ago when Simon called me to the scene'. Do you know what he was trying to tell us, sir?"
Simon thought about it for a minute. There was something nagging him about the words 'sweet smell' but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"He said that at the scene of that murder a couple weeks ago," Rafe spoke up from behind Simon.
Simon jumped, startled by the sudden voice from behind. He had forgotten that Joel, Rafe and Brown had arrived at the scene with him.
"What are you talking about, Rafe," Simon questioned.
"That murder scene about three weeks ago, Sir," Rafe explained. "The one where the vic's hands were cut off. Jim kept mentioning a 'sweet scent' at the scene but couldn't place it at the time."
A light dawned in Simon's mind as he suddenly recalled the incident as well. Could this mean that these perps had been involved in that murder? If that was the case, these perps were even more dangerous than any of them thought.
Jim could feel the sentinel part of himself coming forward more and more as each minute passed. He needed to protect those he cared about and being in a position where he couldn't was killing him. What hurt most was that he was separated from his guide who was still recovering from some serious injuries. He heard each and every gasp and groan that came from Blair, no matter how quietly it was made.
Blair's constant whisper over the past couple hours had been the only thing that has kept him from going crazy.
He hoped that the medic was able to get his 'message' out to Simon, and most importantly, that Simon was able to understand it.
All Jim knew was that once this was over and they were all out of this safe and sound, he was going to do everything in his power to make sure these punks went down for that murder because Jim was 100% sure they were involved.
Mitch had been following the medic from person to person listening to everything that was being said, but it hadn't taken much of the medical talk to make him lose interest. Luckily, Mitch had lost interest prior to the medic approaching Jim and he was able to whisper the message to him.
Now all he could do was wait and try to find an opportunity to get everyone out of this alive. Wait, and hope that the wildcard in Blair's room wouldn't make matters worse.
Marty leaned back against the kitchen cabinet. The blood loss was getting to him and he was beginning to feel a little weaker.
The medic had cleaned and dressed his wound, then had given him broad spectrum antibiotics. All he could do right now was sit back and let the cops outside handle everything. He knew they'd do everything they could to get all of them out of this safely, but he still worried about those he cared for.
He looked over at his beautiful sister. God, how good it was to see her again. A part of him died when his father told him that his sister had been killed. He still couldn't believe she was here in front of him alive and well.
He grimaced when he caught sight of the bump on her forehead. He wanted to wring those bastard's necks just for that alone.
He looked from his sister over to Blair laying on the floor with his head resting on Naomi's lap.
Blair. Another shock right there.
He had always felt a strong connection to Blair Sandburg from the moment he met him. He thought it was because he reminded him of his son, Mark, and in many ways he did remind him of his late son. Now that he really thought about it, he believed that he also saw a little of his dearly missed sister in him. His free spirit and new age 'talk' was what most reminded him of Naomi, but he had never made the connection until now.
He looked down at the boy he admired and cared about so much. His nephew! He couldn't believe it.
Just yesterday he had no family left in this world, no one to make life really worth living. Now he had his beautiful sister and a wonderful nephew. He had so much to live for now and he'll be damned if he was going to let these bozos take that away from him.
He was concerned about Blair. The kid had gone through so much in the past year and he knew Blair was hurting from being shoved to the floor, especially with the injuries he already had.
When they got out of this, and he was positive they would get out of this, he was going to spend some quality time with his sister and nephew and find out all about their lives. He already knew Blair fairly well but that was as a friend, now he wanted to know him as family.
Marty reached over and grasped onto Naomi's hand. She looked at him and smiled as she squeezed his hand in return. He then looked down at Blair to find Blair looking at him. He smiled at him and gave him a nod telling him that everything was going to be alright.
Blair smiled at Marty, then smiled up at his mother. After a moment, Blair's mouth began to move but Marty couldn't hear any sound coming from it. Blair had been doing that for the last little while and Marty knew what it really meant. Blair was talking to the Sentinel.
It had never been confirmed to him that Blair's dissertation material was real, but he knew Blair was too honest of a person to believe that he would lie in his own dissertation. If Blair had lied, there was a damned good reason for it and Marty knew that reason would be a justified one.
He knew all the madness that the release of the 'Sentinel' story had caused for the police and how the press had prevented them from doing their jobs. Knowing Blair was protecting those he cared for and respected, only made Marty respect Blair even more.
There wasn't a more kind, honest, caring, understanding and gentle person on the planet than his 'Burg' and he was so proud to now have him as a part of his family.
When they got out of here, he was definitely going to start making up for lost time.
Rafe met up with Simon at his car and handed him the files he had retrieved from the precinct.
Simon had sent him for the files on the Frederick Higgins murder they had been called to just three weeks previous. Apparently, the message Jim was able to send out via the medic led them to believe that these perps were also involved in that murder.
If they could find a link between the hostage takers and the murder, then once they got Jim, Blair and the rest of the hostages freed, they could guarantee to put these psychos away for life.
Henri, Rafe, Simon and Joel crowded into Simon's car and began to scan every little bit of information they could find that might help with a connection between the two crimes.
After a few minutes, Simon came across a report indicating that a very small amount of saliva had been found on the face of the murder victim. Even though it was a small a trace amount, it was enough to use for a comparison.
At the murder scene, Jim had kept coming back to the scent that was centered somewhere around the head of the victim. He hadn't been able to place it at the time, but considering his message to them, Simon believed if they were able to get a sample from each of these perps, they would probably have a match.
Now all they had to do was get the hostages out safely and get the proper tests done.
Piece of cake, yeah right!
Things had been quiet for the past hour.
After the medic had left, Mitchell had become quiet and withdrawn. He didn't menace the hostages like he had been doing all evening and that disturbed Jim.
The hostage negotiator had called Mitchell, but he told her he didn't want to talk. He'd said he had to think and told her to leave him alone for a while.
Each quiet minute that passed made Jim more nervous. Something bad was building.
"Alright, now." Mitchell startled everyone as he jumped up from the chair he had been sitting in for the past half hour. "I want to know how everyone in this room is connected, and I want to know right now."
"Well, we..."
Monk was cut off as Mitchell glared at him and snapped, "Not any of us, you idiot. I meant the hostages." Mitchell rolled his eyes at the stupidity of his friend and began to wonder for the first time if this act of revenge was really worth the effort.
When Mitchell looked back at the group of men he considered his family, he began to realise that the only person he missed, and would only ever truly miss, was Jason. The rest of them were either too smart, or too dumb for their own good.
He came to the realisation that he was only doing this for Jason, not for any of the others who had been killed, and certainly not for any of these buffoons here with him today.
He looked over towards Blair and pointed his gun at the small group of people.
"Who are all of you and what is your connection to these two cops," he asked as he swung his gun from Blair to Jim and back again.
"I'm Blair's mother," Naomi responded before Blair could stop her from making herself a target.
"I already knew that," Mitchell stated as he swung the gun over to Marty and Carrie. "So who are you two and what the hell were you doing here?"
"They're just friends of mine that wanted to check..." Blair stated only to be cut off by an irritated yell.
"I DIDN'T ASK YOU," Mitchell yelled at the cadet. "I asked them and if you butt your nose in again, I'll shoot if off, understand?"
Mitchell had approached Blair as he began his brief tirade and pressed his gun against Blair's head causing everyone to tense up, including Roan, which made Mitchell give him a warning look before turning his attention back to Blair.
"OK, sorry," Blair responded with his eyes closed, almost afraid that if he opened them it would be all the incentive needed to push Mitchell over the edge and cause him to put a bullet in his head.
"Alright, now," Mitchell said in a calm voice as he took a few steps back and looked at Carrie and Marty. "I'm ready to hear your answers."
It was Marty that spoke up.
"We're friends of Blair's from the University," Marty explained. He knew if Mitchell found out that he was a cop and Carrie a cadet, that it would probably only worsen matters, so he tried to present himself and Carrie as an unlikely threat to the wacko. "We knew that he had been hurt and wanted to check in with him. I guess we picked the wrong time to visit!"
"Yeah, I think your timing pretty well stinks on this one buddy," Mitchell laughed as he made his way back over to the chair he recently occupied and plopped himself down onto it. Once he settled onto it, he looked over at the second small group of hostages. "So, I guess now it's your turn," he said as he pointed his gun over to Steven. "Who the hell are you?"
Steven felt Jim nudge him with his foot and knew that Jim didn't want him admitting a relationship between them. All that would accomplish would be giving these guys an excuse to use him against Jim.
"I'm Mr. Ellison's lawyer," Steven replied with a straight face. If push came to shove, he was sure he knew enough about corporate law to pass as a lawyer. "I had some business to discuss with Mr. Ellison and he asked if I could meet him here rather than my office."
Mitchell nodded his head and sat back in his chair, apparently accepting the explanation.
"So, we've got the good detective and his daddy," Mitchell began as he pointed his gun at each person in order. "Then there's the good cadet and his mommy, as well as a nobody lawyer and two university geeks." Mitchell was quiet again as he tried to think about what he was going to do. He had to find a way to at least exact some of the revenge that he had come here for in the first place.
He wanted Ellison and Sandburg to suffer and he had at least two people here he could use to inflict that suffering. Too bad they were an old man and a woman. He didn't like picking on women and old men, but he didn't think that killing two acquaintances and a lawyer would have the same affect on the two men as killing a parent.
Mitchell started to feel the anger swell up inside of him. Nothing had turned out the way he had planned. He was stuck in a building that was surrounded with cops and anyone with half a brain knew that this was not a situation people got out of easily. He had said that he wanted vengeance at any cost, he just never suspected the cost might end up being his own life. Things were not looking good for getting out of here without at least prison time and he suddenly felt very uneasy about the whole situation.
He didn't think he could trust these guys to back him up, especially if they were brought downtown and the cops put pressure on them. Roan was already developing a pretty heavy conscience and Monk was probably stupid enough to let information about Freddy's murder slip out during the interrogation.
If only Ellison and Sandburg hadn't ruined the job, things would be perfect. Now he had nothing -- no money, no dependable friends, and after this fiasco, certainly no freedom.
Ellison and Sandburg were to blame for this and he would pay them back if it took his last breath on earth!
Joshua had waited inside his small sanctuary for a couple hours listening to everything that was happening outside of the building and just outside the door separating him from the hostage situation in the next room. He had spent the time arguing with himself in whispers, trying to talk himself out of, then trying to talk himself into doing something to stop all this from going any further. After a short time, he had slowly moved from the corner of the room over to the side of the curtained doors where he could peek out to see what was happening.
He attempted several times to get himself to turn the door knob and see if the door would open slightly, but he was too terrified that the door would squeak and he would be found, especially since for the last little while there had been next to no sound at all coming from the outside room.
When the voices started up again, Joshua reached up to the door knob and slowly turned it. He didn't pull the door open, but he wanted to be ready to open it in case he needed to. Something inside was pushing him to be ready.
Suddenly there was shouting from the outside room and Joshua took a deep breath and slowly pulled the door back a couple inches so he could see outside more clearly. Fortunately there was no noise from the door and he was given a clear view of the other room, but still hidden from its occupants.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the gun. He hated the thing, but that hadn't stopped him from learning to use it. His father had taught him to use it when he was 15, after a string of break-ins in their neighbourhood. His father worked many nightshifts as a security guard and wanted his oldest son to be able to protect his mother and younger brother if needed.
He lifted the gun up and quickly turned off the safety, pointing the barrel of the weapon out through the small opening in the doorway.
"Just give me a reason to blow your head off, you bastard," Joshua whispered to himself.
His finger tensed on the trigger as he waited for a moment to present itself.
Mitchell rushed over to Naomi and grabbed her by her hair, pulling her to her feet. Naomi let out a scream at the manhandling but didn't put up a fight as she was dragged away from her family.
Marty and Blair reached out for Naomi but were stopped as a man shouted from behind them.
"Freeze or I'll shoot."
Everyone froze for a moment, unsure of what to do. Jim itched to grab the gunman nearest him and just twist his neck. He glanced over at his brother and very subtly nodded his head towards the gunman standing behind Steven. Steven gave a slight nod showing he understood that Jim wanted him to try to bring the man down on his signal and prepared himself to attack at a moment's notice.
Jim then glanced over at Blair. He stared at his shocked and scared guide trying to somehow subliminally 'make' Blair look over at him. As if by magic, Blair looked over at his sentinel, and so did Marty.
After catching Blair's and Marty's eyes, Jim gave them the same signal he gave to Steven, only this time it was in reference to the gunman standing directly behind Blair and Marty.
Jim then glanced over at the door to Blair's room and looked directly into the eyes of their uninvited guest.
Joshua was a little startled when the woman was grabbed, and he cursed himself for not killing the bastard before it happened. He hated how she was being manhandled, but he didn't trust his aim to hit the gunman and not the woman.
He pulled back from the door for a moment to collect himself then pushed himself back into position, bringing his gun up to aim outside the room once again.
He allowed his eyes to roam around the room quickly and almost gasped as he found one of the hostages looking directly at him.
For a moment, Joshua just stared at the man, unsure if he actually saw him or if he was just looking towards him. After a second the hostage glanced over at the gunman standing just to the side of the doorway Joshua was hiding behind, then the hostage glanced back at Joshua once again and slightly nodded at him.
Joshua couldn't believe it! The man actually saw him, and if he was understanding him correctly, wanted him to take out the gunman near the kitchen.
Joshua nodded to the hostage and moved the gun until it was aimed at the selected gunman.
The hostage nodded once more and then turned his attention back to what was happening in the room.
Jim quickly made a tally and found he had four of the gunmen covered when they were ready, but that still left two to deal with. They weren't going to get any better odds, especially since he had gotten everyone's attention and now had them waiting for his signal.
He only hoped that once he took out his own man, he could get to the gun fast enough to stop Mitchell before anybody could get hurt.
Mitchell was getting more agitated with each second and he was pulling Naomi around by her hair like she was a rag doll.
Jim quickly made quick eye contact with each of his co-conspirators once more then after a moment he tensed and shouted, "NOW!"
Then all hell broke loose.
Marty reached out and grabbed onto a gunman's legs as he was distracted by Jim's shout. The gunman fell on his ass and Blair reached out, grabbing onto a splintered piece of broken chair and clubbed the downed gunman on the head knocking him out cold. The gun came to a rest next to Blair, who uneasily picked it up and handed it over to Marty, a little nervous with having the weapon in his hand.
Steven suddenly spun around and using his legs, knocked the nearest gunman from his feet. He quickly grabbed the gun as it dropped from the gunman's hand and used the handle to hit him on the side of the head. The gunman blinked for a moment before his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out.
The door to Blair's bedroom suddenly burst open and Joshua crouched down shooting at the gunman near the kitchen. The gun flew from the gunman's hand as he clutched his side where the bullet entered, then collapsed to the floor moaning in pain. Joshua rushed over and snatched up the gun before it could get into the hands of any of the other criminals.
Jim pushed back with his legs to roll onto his back, shooting his legs up into the air and kicking the gunman nearest him just under the chin. He quickly rolled over backwards and was on his knees instantly landing a powerful blow to the downed gunman, automatically taking him out of commission and grabbed up his gun.
Jim quickly turned around to find Mitchell standing with Naomi pulled against him holding a gun to her head.
The last gunman, stood several steps behind Mitchell next to the door. He was looking around the room almost in a panic.
Jim aimed his weapon at Mitchell, but couldn't get a clear shot. Mitchell was moving constantly and any time Jim got a clear shot, it was blocked just a second later as Naomi was moved into its pathway.
He couldn't dare risk shooting and possibly hitting Naomi. Not only would he never forgive himself for allowing harm to come to her, but he wouldn't be able to face his partner or his father again if anything happened to her.
Jim quickly glanced around the room noticing that the remaining gunmen were incapacitated and now all the hostages were the ones holding the guns.
He noticed several people looking at the man who burst from Blair's room but from his actions, they assumed he was one of the good guys, probably a cop who was able to get into the building. Jim knew better, he had been listening to the man's quiet ramblings for the past several hours.
He quickly brought his attention back to the situation at hand, directing his gaze at Mitchell who was glaring at him.
"Drop it, cop," Mitchell growled. "Everybody drop the guns or the lady gets a hole in her head."
Everyone paused for a moment, unsure what to do.
"I SAID DROP IT, NOW," Mitchell yelled in frustration as he yanked Naomi back against him, forcing a grunt out of her at the movement.
Marty, Steven, and Joshua lowered their weapons and laid them on the floor. Now only Jim, Mitchell and Roan had guns.
Jim could hear the perp standing behind Mitchell muttering about 'things going too far', and 'should have prevented this' as he slowly moved his head back and forth.
Mitchell placed his full attention on Jim then pushed the gun barrel harder into Naomi's temple causing her to yell out in pain.
Jim drew his arms back and slowly lowered his weapon to the floor.
Mitchell smiled sadistically and loosened his hold on Naomi. He had won. Now he could shoot the two trouble makers and make his escape with the woman. Roan was still standing behind him and between the two of them, they could distract the cops long enough for at least one of them to get away, hopefully him.
Wrapping his arm around Naomi's neck, he slowly lowered the gun away from her. He started to laugh as he turned around slightly so that nothing would get in the way of him shooting the cop dead. Just as he was bringing the gun up, a loud noise came from behind him bringing a searing pain in his back with it.
Mitchell reflexively released Naomi as shock began to set in. He had been shot, but the shot hadn't come from any of his hostages.
He slowly turned around to see Roan standing near the door with, literally, a smoking gun in his hand and a shocked expression on his face.
"You..." was all Mitchell was able to say before he collapsed onto his knees then fell onto his side. He took two more breaths, then gasped out one last time as he died, eyes staring blankly.
Roan slowly slid to the floor in shock. He couldn't believe he had shot Mitchell, but he couldn't let him hurt anyone anymore. He knew that Mitchell had been allowing revenge to slowly drive him to the point of insanity and after seeing everything that had happened in this apartment today, he just couldn't stand by and allow it to happen anymore, so he took the only action he could.
As Roan landed on his butt, he laid the gun on the floor then proceeded to pull his knees up underneath his chin and rock himself.
It was over.
It was finished.
No more schemes, no more hurting, no more hiding.
The next few hours after the end of the hostage situation were very hectic.
After hearing shots being fired, the police bombarded the loft and all the perpetrators were taken either to jail, the hospital, or in Mitchell's case -- the morgue.
Jim brought Blair and Naomi to the hospital after he was able to pry Naomi away from the stretcher Marty Saunders was on, while those more seriously injured were transported in an ambulance.
Once again Jim, Naomi and William found themselves in the hospital lounge awaiting word on how Blair's condition. He had aggravated some of his previous injuries during the hostage crisis, especially with his last stunt of helping take down one of the gunmen.
Due to the severity of Blair's previous injuries, they were doing some tests just to make sure that everything was OK.
Naomi's head wound had been tended to and she didn't suffer from a concussion. That was good news.
The doctor had just informed them that the surgery on Marty's leg was successful and he was in the process of being moved to recovery now. That had relaxed Naomi somewhat, now she could concentrate her worries on her son.
Steven was asleep in one of the waiting room mini couches. After the wound on his arm had been tended, he joined the rest of his family to wait for word on his brother, but he had a hard time staying awake. Jim had promised to wake him when they heard some news and had finally managed to convince him to lay down and rest. Steven had been asleep in minutes, the events of the last couple days finally catching up with him.
William joined them again after making a phone call. He had a few things he needed to check up on concerning his family and he wanted it cleared up as soon as possible.
As he stepped into the room he looked at Jim expectantly, but only received a negative nod from Jim telling him that there was no further news on Blair.
After a few more minutes the doors parted to reveal Captain Simon Banks.
"Any word yet, Jim?" Simon asked anxiously. The kid had been through so much and Simon couldn't stand the thought of him being hurt again. When he first met Blair he believed he was a flake. Someone not to be taken too seriously. No one could have that much energy and knowledge inside of them and be 'normal'. It didn't take long for that long haired hippy with 'nothing better to do since the Dead broke up' to find his own special place in Simon's heart. The only person Simon worried more about than Blair was his son, Darryl. Darryl and Blair got along so well that sometimes it seemed like Blair was another son.
He had never admitted any of this to Blair and thought that maybe it was about time he did. The kid had always been starved for any kind of praise or acceptance, and even though Simon was sure Blair understood how he felt about him, maybe it would be good to tell him verbally -- just once.
The question was, did Simon have the courage to actually say it to Blair's face. He found it hard to express his feelings to his own son, let alone to a friend, and that is what he considered Blair to be. Blair wasn't only an observer, a student, a trouble magnet or Ellison's partner -- he was a friend in his own right and Simon was proud to have Blair as a friend.
Yes, he decided he was going to tell Blair what he really thought of the kid and his friendship. That way Blair wouldn't be able to mistake where he stood in Simon's eyes.
Between the lot of them, they were really testing the durability of the waiting room flooring.
Steven woke up just moments before Dr. Mullins appeared. All of them immediately stood up at his entrance.
Dr. Sean Mullins immediately held up his hands to forestall any questions for the crowded room.
"Blair will be just fine," Sean stated as the group released a collective sigh of relief.
Jim reached out to take Sean's arm into his hand. Sean looked up at Jim as his arm was lightly gripped.
"Is there... are there going to be... I mean..." Jim wasn't quite sure what he was really trying to say. He wanted to know the answers to every question that had popped into his head as he waited for word on Blair.
Sean took pity on the distressed man and patted Jim's hand that was now resting on his arm.
"Trust me, Jim," Sean explained. "He'll be a little sore for a while, but there was no further damage to any of his previous injuries, just a few extra bruises. We tested his kidneys just to be safe and they are working just fine. Other than some soreness and stiffness, he'll be fine."
Jim let out a sigh of relief and quickly pulled Sean to him in a quick hug, then grabbed his hand in a strong handshake.
"Thanks, Sean. Thank you so much," Jim released the doctor's hand and turned around to come face to face with Steven. Steven smiled at him and suddenly the two brothers were embracing each other in a tight hug.
Naomi felt her eyes mist up at the sight of the two brothers hugging and turned to William, hugging him just as tightly.
Simon's smile could have lit up the entire city as he pounded a hand onto Jim's shoulder at the news.
Everything was going to be OK.
The Next Day
Marjorie had already been in to say her goodbyes to Blair before her shift ended earlier that morning.
Blair had been kept overnight just for observations and again, they were lucky Marjorie was on duty when Blair was brought in. She liked to spoil Blair a little, and Jim knew Blair would have the best of care with Marjorie and the rest of the JBCS there in the hospital
Blair was now dressed and anxiously awaiting his release papers. He had been up since the crack of dawn and had been making periodic paces (as much as his injured body would allow) across the room ever since.
Jim sat quietly in the chair pretending to read a magazine, but Blair knew his attention was not on the article. There was simply no way Jim could be that interested in the two page add inside of 'Home & Garden'.
Jim finally put down the magazine and walked over to his guide, who now sitting on the extended window ledge.
"It won't be too much longer now, Chief," he encouraged his anxious roommate. "Then, how about we head out for lunch at that new sandwich shop you've been trying to convince me to go to."
Blair smiled at his best friend's attempt to take his mind of the endless and mind numbing waiting game they were playing. Before he could respond to the offer, Jim tilted his head toward the door. A few moments later there was a quick knock on the door and it opened to admit the Major Crimes captain.
Simon smiled when he saw Blair dressed and ready to go home. It was a good sight to see.
"Looks like you're ready to get sprung," Simon noted as he made his way across the room and seated himself at the foot of the empty hospital bed.
"Yeah," Blair responded. "If they ever get here with the discharge papers!" Blair stood back up and made one more slow circuit across the hospital room before heading back to the bed and settling himself opposite Simon.
Simon lifted an eyebrow at his best detective. Jim just shrugged his shoulders at his boss' questioning glance and leaned back in the chair.
"He's just a little anxious to get out of here," Jim stated. As if Simon couldn't figure that out for himself.
"Well," Simon began, hoping he could distract Blair for just a short while. "The perps have all been booked, processed and questioned. They all pretty much tried to spill their guts, hoping to get some kind of leniency."
"The D.A. isn't going to accept any kind of deal, are they Simon?" Jim asked. "Because some of those guys may be killers."
"The small amount of saliva found on Frederick Higgins' face matched a sample taken from Mitchell Strand. Serena was able to prove that he was with Higgins at the approximate time of the murder. Once we stated that fact to our prisoners they started spewing all kinds of phrases like 'I want a lawyer', 'you ain't got nothing on me' and 'I had nothing to do with any murder'."
Simon stretched out a little more on the bed as he continued.
"Most of the perps booked have already spent time in prison and already have a few strikes against them. They will definitely not walk away from this as free men. There was one of them though that offered to tell us everything that happened without asking about any kind of a deal."
"The kid that took Mitchell out?" Jim asked, knowing that was the one Simon was referring to.
"Yeah," Simon replied. "He's just a kid, Jim, a kid who happened to get mixed up with the wrong crowd. He hasn't been in any previous trouble with the police other than one minor incident in which he was charged as an accessory. He was fifteen at the time so he got off lightly on that. I spent a couple hours talking to him and he's basically a good kid, Jim. Like I said, he just got mixed up with the wrong crowd and got caught up in something that snowballed to the point he couldn't get out of it."
Jim nodded at this. During the hostage situation, the kid didn't seem to be as enthusiastic as the rest of his buddies and almost seemed as scared as the hostages were, if not more so. He couldn't find it in himself to condemn the kid, especially after what he did towards the end of the situation. If it weren't for that kid, things might have ended quite differently.
"The kid's name was Roan Burridge," Simon explained. "He's a 20 year old computer genius. He told me all about what the gang had planned from the start, but stressed that he didn't know anything about any plans to kill Frederick Higgins. He had found out after the fact and by that point he was too terrified of the other guys to do or say anything. He also said that he didn't have any prior knowledge of what was planned to get him, Mitchell and that other guy, Monk, out of Police custody. He claims it was the other three co-conspirators who murdered their police escorts."
Blair and Jim both nodded. They could see how anyone could be afraid of that group of people, let alone a kid like Roan.
"What's going to happen to him now," Blair asked.
"The D.A. got the entire story from him and they are going to plea leniency for him for turning state's evidence against the others," Simon explained. "I'm not sure if he'll get any jail time or not, but it will be on his permanent record so he'll have to carry that with him for the rest of his life."
"That other guy who barged into the loft," Simon stated as he pulled his little notebook out of his jacket pocket to double check the name. "Joshua Burton?"
"The guy who came out of Blair's room and helped us with the perps towards the end?" Jim questioned.
"Yeah, that's him," Simon answered as he placed his notebook back into his pocket. "His brother, Wally, was killed in that attempted bank robbery you guys foiled and he blamed the rest of those punks for leading his brother down the wrong path."
"There was talk of pressing charges against him," Simon began, then quickly held up his hands to subdue the protests he knew Jim and Blair would make. "But the D.A. decided he'd rather settle for the real criminals and Burton is going to be a witness for the prosecution on the case. It also helps that he was a witness to the 'jail break' as well, he was just too outnumbered to do anything."
"There were also questions regarding Burton's possible involvement in the bank heist, but Roan Burridge set the record straight on that one. So his questionable record was cleared," Simon explained. He began to chuckle at the next bit of information he had to share. "Burton has actually been inquiring about employment possibilities in law enforcement. He's looking at either entering the Academy, or maybe even going to law school to become a lawyer.
"Whichever he goes with, he'll be an asset to the profession," Jim stated with a nod of agreement from Blair. "He kept his head in there and followed my directions perfectly. Maybe I can get him to teach my partner here how to follow directions just as effectively."
"Ha, Ha, Jim," Blair countered. "Very funny."
The room was quiet for a few moments. Simon decided that now was a good time to have his 'talk' with Blair. Turning to Blair, Simon cleared his throat.
"Blair," Simon began, hoping he had the courage to complete the speech he had prepared in his head. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."
Blair quickly glanced over at Jim with a raised eyebrow. Jim just shrugged at his partner and returned his attention to Simon, as did Blair.
"Well... it's just that I've never told you how important you've become... to the team, that is," Simon stated with a quick cover.
Blair shared a quick smirk with Jim, a very brief smirk, then he became serious again as Simon looked up at him.
"I just basically wanted to let you know that all the work that you've done for Major Crimes, for the Police Department in general, has been appreciated very much. We value your insight and knowledge and I think it's about time that someone acknowledged your contributions to law enforcement."
Simon paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Jim and Blair knew that Simon wasn't finished with what he had to say, so they stayed quiet until Simon was ready to continue.
"I just want you to know, Blair that I also appreciate all you've done. You've been a good friend not only to myself and the rest of the guys in the bullpen, but you've been a good friend to my son. You've given him some good advice in the past and have encouraged him not to give up on school and most importantly, not to give up on me and I want you to know that I appreciate that more than I could ever say."
Blair smiled at Simon, then reached over to squeeze his hand only to find himself pulled into the arms of the big, stoic police captain.
"Just know that... well I... well, you know..." Simon stuttered.
"I know, Simon," Blair responded as he returned Simon's hug. "I feel the same way."
Simon pulled himself away from Blair. "Ok, that's about as much emotional stuff as I can handle in one day." Simon reached over and grasped onto Blair's shoulder. "As long as you understand what I'm saying to you...?"
"Don't worry, Simon," Blair answered quickly. "I understand."
Simon turned to Jim. "I'm not saying it again, Ellison, but basically the same goes for you. Well... except for the giving Darryl advice part, because somehow I think that would scare me a little."
All three men laughed at that. It was what they needed to get them back into their normal reverie.
They continued chatting about everyday things until a knock on the door interrupted them a very short time later. The door opened to present William, Steven and Naomi pushing Marty in a wheelchair.
"We're not interrupting anything, are we?" Steven asked as he saw the three men casually chatting with each other.
"No," Blair replied. "Come on it, we're just waiting for my discharge papers to arrive which I hope will be very soon."
Jim and Simon laughed again at their anxious friend as the three new visitors made their way over to them.
"I've just come to visit my brand new nephew," Marty explained as Naomi placed his wheelchair next to the bed.
"I'm not exactly brand new 'Uncle' Marty," Blair laughed. He sobered up as Marty lowered his head.
"Hey there," Blair comforted as he got up off the bed and went over to his new-found uncle.
Marty grabbed onto Blair's hand as he looked back up at him. "I just can't believe it, Burg," Marty explained. "I've felt a connection to you ever since I've first met you. You've always been such a good friend to me and you've filled a space in my heart that's been empty ever since I lost my Mark all those years ago. I'm just so glad that I have you as part of my family and I only hope we can become closer to each other, as family rather than as friends.
"There's nothing I'd like more," Blair expressed as he hugged his uncle.
Jim noticed that William was carrying a fairly thick envelope in his hand and seemed a bit anxious and somewhat excited.
"Something going on here, Pop," Jim asked his father.
"Yeah, Jimmy," William replied. "I've got a few things here that I want to go over with my boys."
Jim's smile quickly left his face as he suddenly recalled the fact that he wasn't really an Ellison. Naomi put an arm around Jim's shoulders for emotional support.
William laid the envelope on the small table at the base of the hospital bed. He opened the envelope and pulled out its contents. He moved them around until he had them organized the way he wanted, then looked around at everyone.
Simon immediately stood up, "I think you want to have some family time, so maybe I should go..." he was cut off as Steven quickly walked over by his side and pushed him back down onto the bed.
"I think I speak for everyone when I tell you to stay," Steven explained. "Jim and Blair both consider you family, so as long as you're comfortable, nobody here has any objections to your presence."
Simon quickly looked over at Jim and Blair. Seeing the both of them nodding at him, he sat back down on the bed.
"OK, now that that is settled, we should get on with business." William picked up one group of papers from the table. He looked up at his youngest son before he continued on. "Blair, I've had my lawyer check into a few things for me on your behalf... Now, just hold on a minute son and hear me out first." William quickly explained as he saw Blair gearing up to interrupt.
"My lawyer checked into a couple of things concerning your dissertation, Berkshire Publishing and Ranier University. What he found is absolutely amazing and I think can solve some problems." William walked over to Blair and handed one of the pieces of papers to his son.
"This is a transcript from one of the PD's phone monitoring records. They keep back ups for four months before they're rotated. Fortunately they still had the tape that contained the incoming call you took from Sid Graham at the station. As you can see by the transcript, it states how you denied the publisher access to your work and how you refused to give permission to release any part of it. My lawyer contacted Berkshire Publishing about this piece of evidence and under threat of a multi million dollar lawsuit, they have reached a tentative agreement that I believe you will appreciate, but you have the final say in the matter, son."
Blair glanced over the paper in his hand, sure enough it read like a telephone transcript and it contained everything he remembered from his phone conversation with Sid Graham that fateful day. Jim came over behind Blair and leaned over his shoulder to read the paper as well.
William handed a second sheet of paper to Blair.
"This contains the proposal from Berkshire Publishing to yourself for their unlawful release of your paper."
Jim took this sheet from William and held it out to Blair so they both could read the details.
"These terms can't be real," Blair exclaimed as he read the sheet. Jim remained silent, but the raising of his eyebrows in awe showed that he felt the same way Blair did. Blair couldn't believe that Berkshire was offering such a large amount of money to him, plus the dismissal of Sid Graham from the publishing firm. There was also a term agreeing to a public apology to Blair for their inexcusable actions towards him.
"They most certainly are, Blair," William confirmed with a smile. "And if this in unsatisfactory, then I'm sure my lawyer can..."
"No, no, this is just... unbelievable!" Blair cut in as he looked up at his father. William had a smile on his face and Blair could tell that he was proud of the deal the lawyer had gotten for him.
"That's not all," William added as he passed another piece of paper to Blair. "This is an agreement my lawyer worked up with Rainier University on your behalf. As you can see, they have agreed with a quite reasonable settlement, also under threat of legal action on your unlawful dismissal."
Blair let out a gasp as he read through another page full of unbelievable terms. He couldn't believe this was happening. This sheet of paper held everything he'd ever wanted to achieve at Rainier, plus a whole lot more. Some of the terms included his full reinstatement into the graduate program with a time allotment for him to pass in his dissertation on 'closed societies', an offer of tenure (of a sort) that he only work half time due upon any schedule Blair might have with the police department. The university would pay off his student loans, he would get an office on the 2nd floor (one of the nicer offices), plus the dismissal of Chancellor Edwards for her unfair treatment in Blair's dismissal and a public apology by Edwards and another university representative. They also offered a monetary settlement as well as a very impressive salary for Blair should he accept the position offered him. Best of all, Blair didn't have to accept all of these terms, he could select whichever terms he wanted and reject those he didn't.
William reached over and grabbed a second batch of papers from the table. He presented these to Jim as Blair was still studying the papers from Rainier University.
Jim's mouth dropped open as he read the forms. Blair quickly leaned over and read the forms Jim was reading. His mouth also dropped open in awe. The police department was prepared to offer him a job as either a full or part time 'Official Consultant' to Central Division's Major Crimes after he received his doctorate. It stated that he would be available to the entire Major Crimes division, but would be permanently partnered with James Ellison upon acceptance. He didn't have to complete the academy training for this position, he would receive full health benefits, and best of all, it didn't require him to carry a gun.
Blair couldn't believe it. Here he was being presented with everything he'd ever dreamed of and the person giving him all of his dreams was his very own father! Could life get any stranger?
"I don't know what to say!" Blair exclaimed as he finished looking over the documents.
"You don't have to say anything yet, son," William answered, pleased with himself. "Take all the time you need to look over the documents and my lawyer is available to talk over any part of these documents with you and Jimmy."
Blair looked up at his father. "Thank you," he whispered as he tried to take in everything he had been presented with.
William reached out and took his young son into his arms, hugging him.
"Thank you, dad," Blair whispered in William's ear.
"You're more than welcome, son," William responded. He had to struggle around the lump in his throat to get the words out.
As William released Blair from his arms, Jim reached out and pulled William into his own arms. William tightly squeezed his first born son to him.
"Thanks, Dad," Jim whispered to him.
"You're welcome, Jimmy," William responded as he pulled himself away from the embrace. "But that's not all I have to show you, Jimmy."
William took the couple steps to the table and grabbed the last batch of papers from it, holding them out to Jim and Blair.
"Stevie and I also met with my lawyer and I've redone my will to include all of my sons."
Blair and Jim quickly flicked over the basics of the will. Blair was amazed to even be included in the will and couldn't believe that everything in the will seemed to be completely split three ways.
Jim, also quickly read over the terms of the will. He was half expecting to be left out of it completely after the revelation of William not being his father. As Jim read down the sheet, he came across something that confused him.
"Dad," he began as he carefully took the will from Blair's hand and presented it to his father, pointing to the section that confused him. "What does this part here mean about legal children? Why am I included in this?"
"Oh, I'm sorry Jimmy," William expressed. "I guess I should have shown you this other document first." William quickly passed the last document over to Jim.
Jim read through the document and gasped in surprise. It was a document of his legal adoption and it was dated today.
"You've adopted me?" Jim asked in amazement.
"Even though I am listed on your birth certificate as your father, now it's truly official," William smiled at him. "You are now legally my son. I'm not going to let a few different genes determine that you are not mine, because as far as I'm concerned you are just as much my son as Stevie and Blair are. I have three sons and I am so proud of each and every one of them."
Jim engulfed his father in another hug. He had craved acceptance his entire life and now he had finally gotten it, when he needed it most. They all had a lot of time to make up for and Jim was more determined than ever to put the past behind him and go forward, to be closer than ever with his entire family. He couldn't believe that his father not only accepted him as his son, but chose him as his son!
The jubilation was interrupted by another soft knock on the door. It opened to present Carrie Simms.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "I'm interrupting something, I'll come back later." She turned around to leave only to stop as Blair called out her name.
"Get your butt in here, Herc," Blair yelled out.
Carrie turned around with a smile on her face then proceeded into the room. She made her way over to Marty, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek wishing him well as she then continued over to Blair.
"This looks like some kind of celebration," she observed as she quickly hugged Blair and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as well.
"You can say that," Blair stated. "Take a look at these." He handed her some of the documents William had presented to him and after a moment Carrie let out a gasp and quickly embraced Blair in a big hug.
"This is everything you've wanted, and everything you deserve, Cass. I'm so happy for you!" Carrie hugged Blair tightly and as she released him, Blair leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss. Carrie didn't fight the kiss, she accepted it and gently pulled Blair towards her to make it a deeper kiss.
"Public place, Chief," Jim spoke up. "Get a room!"
Blair broke apart from Carrie with a big smile on his face.
"I've got a room and you are all crowding it," Blair retorted.
Carrie lowered her head, embarrassed at the public display she and Blair had just put on. Her feelings had been growing for Blair the last month or so but she didn't know if they had changed for Blair or if he still just considered her a friend. She found hope in that kiss that there could be more to explore in a relationship with Blair and was looking forward to the 'exploring'.
Blair looked around at each of the people in the room. How did he get so lucky to have such a family. He loved each person his eyes fell upon and because of his father, and Carrie, his future was looking very bright indeed.
"What are you thinking, Chief," Jim asked as he saw the strange expression on his partner's face.
"Just looking around at my family," Blair explained. "Five years ago it was just me and my mom, now I have a father, brothers, an uncle, great friends," he glanced at Carrie before he continued, "and possibilities."
Carrie blushed as she tapped Blair's arm to stop him from embarrassing her any further.
"Well," Jim began as he glanced at everyone. "You're stuck with us now, buddy."
Blair smiled at his Sentinel, roommate, partner and now brother.
"If I could have picked any family in the world to have as my own, I would have picked this one."
"Might not be the smartest choice, Chief."
Again Blair looked around at each person in the room.
"My family by fate, my family BY CHOICE."
The End
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