InsaneJournal

Blair woke to the sound of the loft door closing. Rolling over he read his clock and saw that it was nearly 8am. He rolled out of bed, tossing his covers back after him in a semblance of tidying up. Stepping out of his room, he looked around for Jim, realizing that the detective had already left, and had in fact woken him on the way out.

 

“Damn,” he muttered as he walked into the bathroom and began his morning shower. He had only one class to take today and two tests to proctor in the afternoon. It was not likely he would be up at the station. He sighed yet again, “Damn.”  

                                                                                                                             

Squeezing the water out of his freshly washed hair, he dried quickly and moved on to shaving, all the while composing a report to leave for Jim. He had obfuscated successfully around Maya all through the drive home, asking her about her father and telling a little about his mother. A story of the Kombi tree people had her giggling as she turned onto Holly Street headed for Prospect.

                                                                                                                                     

In the end, it wasn’t very fruitful in the way of finding anything about Maya’s father. He knew that the man spent time in the greenhouse often. Presumably working on his orchids.

 

With his hair dry, his face shaved and his body dressed, Blair wrote his findings and left them on Jim’s bed for him to find when he got home. By then there was a knock on the door. Opening it, he smiled as Maya waited for him. “Do you have time for breakfast before your first class?”

 

Blair tilted his head back in thought before nodding happily. “Sure thing, let’s go.”

 

He closed the door, checking to be sure it locked before heading down the hallway with the young woman. He missed the twin stares of the spirit animals sitting in the dining room next to the table. Had he seen them, he might have been rather confused by their glares.

 

o-O-o

 

Blair hadn’t said a word when Maya drove them down Holly St to Lakeway Dr, and finally onto Interstate 5 south past the university. He did, however, ask what was up when they left the highway in one of the sparser areas of town, barely in the city limits. “Ok, what gives?”

                                 

Maya shrugged as she turned onto another street, this one named Oro Blvd. Blair fought hard not to roll his eyes at the obvious translation. Turning to face her, he leaned against the passenger door and cocked an eyebrow. “Right, where are we going?”

 

Maya grinned. “There is a wonderful place I wish to take you for breakfast, but I remembered that I get cold easily there. So I thought we should go back to my place so that I might get a sweater.”

 

Blair blinked. He was being conned. She knew they were coming back to her place. Amazingly enough, this played perfectly for him to get a chance to size up her father. Suddenly Blair’s chest felt heavy as he put that thought together with what he had been told by Jim and Simon. He was going to the home of a suspected gun runner. Oh Gods.

 

Taking a few deep, even breaths, he turned back to stare out the windshield as they crested a hill and turned the corner into the driveway of the estate. The paved road led up to a stately hacienda with a small path leading around the side that presumably ended out at the greenhouse.

 

Maya parked at the front door and she and Blair climbed out to walk inside. A shrewish woman in a maid’s outfit met them in the foyer. She harshly spoke to Maya for a moment. Blair pretended not to listen, but his ears heard and his mind supplied translation perfectly, much to his astonishment. *||”Maya, what are you doing here? Your father is expecting company momentarily.”||*

 

Maya ducked her head, blushing in embarrassment. *||”I’m sorry, Blanca, I forgot my sweater. Where is Papa?”||*

 

Blanca inclined her head and an older gentleman came from the side, obviously an office. Blair focused his attention on the piece of art he pretended to study. The older man walked up to Maya, concern evident on his face. “Maya? You are home early?”

 

Maya smiled as she tugged her father over to Blair, who turned dutifully and extended his hand during her introductions. “Father, this is Blair Sandburg. He's a grad student I'm working for at the University.”

 

Carasco nodded as he shook hands with Blair. “Welcome, Mr. Sandburg.”

 

Blair nodded back, “Thank you, you have a lovely home, sir.”

 

Carasco waved a hand in the direction of the painting that Blair had been admiring. “Tell me what you think?”

 

Blair knew this was a test; he was more than up for the challenge. “A Benitez. When I was in Brazil, I saw some of his works at an exhibition at the National Museum. He claims he collects plants from the rain forest to make his colors.”

 

Carasco raised an eyebrow before going on, “And that's why no one has ever been able to match his vibrancy. Not many Americans know Benitez.”

 

Blair shrugged, “I have seen many others in my travels.”

 

Maya left, saying something about heading upstairs as Blair engaged Carasco on a talk about South American artists. It was another minute or two before Carasco was interrupted by a bodyguard who whispered in the man’s ear. Carasco sighed and grimaced as he turned back to Blair. “Please excuse me. I'll only be a few minutes.”

 

Blair nodded his understanding as Carasco left with his body guard. As soon as they were out of the room, Blair noticed Nunie standing in one corner of the room. Blair went to stand by the animal and was astonished to find it the perfect nook to hear all parts of the house.

 

To his left, Blanca was in the kitchen… Above him, in her bedroom, was Maya. She was still looking for the perfect sweater, it seemed. And Carasco had gone with his man out the back and to the greenhouse. With deft steps, Blair headed for the back patio and the greenhouse. Nunie stayed behind him, and when he looked out the window, he saw Bagheera stalking towards the greenhouse.                                                      

 

That was enough for Sandburg and he was slipping out the door, leaving it open enough to go back in without any noise if someone came back before he was ready. Cautiously making his way towards the greenhouse, he stopped exactly where Bagheera was, his back against the wall and his ear up against a crack in the window beside him. He could hear two voices talking to each other.

 

 “So, this is my insect problem.” This voice sounded like Carasco, and Blair wondered what exactly that problem was. He wanted to peer into the window, but Bagheera’s shoulder hit his shin and kept him back.  Holding his impatience back, he listened to the voices continue.

                                                

“He was at the docks, asking questions about guns,” Vargas relayed. Blair didn’t know who ‘He’ was, but most likely it was someone they were not happy with. Asking about guns… a snitch maybe? An informant? Carasco spoke again and Blair figured he was looking directly at the man they were discussing.

 

“You're shaking my friend. Are you afraid? You should be.” Whimpering came from an unknown source and Blair held his breath as he heard Carasco turn to his man and pronounce judgment. “Make sure he tells you all he knows. Then, remove him from my house, and kill him."                                                                                   

 

Blair needed to hear nothing else. He was back inside the house in a shot and staring at the pottery on the shelving in the foyer. Maya skipped down the stairs with a sweater now wrapped around her shoulders. “Where is Papa?”

 

Blair affected a nonchalant attitude as he answered, “He had a pest problem to deal with. Ready to go now?”

 

Maya nodded and they were soon on their way. Blair glanced in the mirror to his right, gazing back at the house and wondering just what it was that Carasco’s man would find from the man before he killed him. The shaman sighed silently to himself as he realized that Maya’s father was indeed a very dangerous man.

 

Blair's focus in the mirror shifted from the house they were driving away from to the backseat of the car that had suddenly acquired two insubstantial passengers. His eyes met theirs and he couldn’t help but feel bad for Maya. When this all comes out he doesn't know what she is going to do.

 

o-O-o

 

Blair begged off breakfast, citing the need to catch up on some grading, and was grateful when Maya took him directly to Hargrove Hall. Entering the building, Blair immediately called Jim’s cell phone.

 

*#”Ellison”#*

 

“Jim, it’s me. Look I need to talk to you as soon as possible. What are you doing right now?” Blair wasted no time asking, this was important. What he had seen was too important to wait around on. That man… gods. Jim faded a bit before coming back fully on the phone.

 

*#”Hey, yeah Chief, I just got a call… I need to go check on something… a snitch of mine… Can it wait?”#* Jim sounded distracted. This would never do.

 

“He’s dead, Jim… and I need, I really need to talk to you, man. In person.” Blair had reached his office by this time and was inside with the door locked. He tossed his bag on a nearby chair and leaned a hip on his desk. Jim had fallen silent at Blair’s words, then must have said something to someone else before returning to Blair.                                                        

 

*#”Okay, Chief. Can you skip your classes and everything?”#* Jim sounded concerned. Blair finally felt his Sentinel was getting with the program. He nodded, even though Jim couldn’t see him, and acknowledged him verbally.

 

“No trouble man, I’ll meet you out front.”

 

*#”10 minutes, Sandburg.”#* Jim ordered.

 

“If I’m not there when you get there, it’s cause I’m being cautious.” Blair hung up the phone, then turned to his office phone. He called one friend to take notes in the class he was supposed to take, asked two other TA’s who owed him big to proctor his tests, and was out the door ten minutes later, headed for the main street.

 

Jim drove up a minute later with a dark haired, light skinned African-American woman in the passenger seat. Opening the passenger side door, he made a shooing motion with his hands, ordering her to scoot over. She frowned as she did as ordered, re-buckling herself in the middle seat.

 

Once he was inside with the door closed, Jim drove off. Blair was only too happy to be moving. As long as he was with his friend, he knew he was safe. He didn’t know if he had been seen by Maya’s father or the other man, but he didn’t want to take any chances. Jim leaned forward a bit to look at him and Blair simply waved him on. He glanced at the woman beside him.

 

“Blair Sandburg.” He introduced himself, holding out a hand. She glared at him a moment as if trying to figure out what he was before answering.

 

“Drennan. ATF.” Blair raised an eyebrow in her direction. So this was the source of Jim’s irritation of late. It was a safe bet that, after this case, if Jim ever spoke of her again it would go no further than speaking of a colleague. Although right now, Jim’s countenance spoke of mild irritation.

 

Blair shrugged and turned away, checking the mirror for cars following them. Jim must have noticed his distraction as he snapped his fingers to gain Blair’s attention. Blair leaned forward and frowned at the big guy. This was not something he wanted to discuss in front of the woman. Jim shrugged and continued driving until they reached the bay, and the crowd of police and rescue vehicles waiting for them.

 

Jim parked and they all exited the vehicle. Drennan headed off for the knot of officers, but Blair reached out a hand and snagged Jim’s arm instead, leading him back towards the truck. Jim gripped Blair’s arms, leaning in to hear him clearly. “Chief, you’re shaking. What happened this morning?”

 

Blair sighed and tried to calm himself. “Maya picked me up for breakfast. She took me out to her home and I met her father…”

 

“Okay, so you met Carasco, that’s good Chief, good work!” Jim praised. He must have caught sight of Blair’s sickly appearance as he stopped praising and returned to his concerned look. “Not good, I take it?”

 

Blair ducked his head. “I think I know what you are going to find down there, man. When Maya went upstairs to get a sweater, Carasco got called out by one of his body guards. I happened to listen in on their conversation. Someone had been found at the docks, asking too many questions.” He stopped to catch his breath as he looked up at Jim and finished his story, “Jim, they called him a ‘Pest Problem’ and killed him.”

 

Jim swore loudly, “Does Maya know?”

 

Blair shook his head, “No man, we got out of there right after and I told her I had to get to the school early. I called you as soon as I could.”

 

Jim nodded and motioned for Blair to stay with the truck while he went off to see where Drennan had gone. One of the officers moved a bit closer to Jim’s truck obviously at the behest of his friend, and so Blair felt a little better about climbing back  inside to wait.

 

It was a short wait as Jim and Drennan soon returned to the truck and climbed in on either side. Blair climbed into the back, taking yet another measure of comfort in being blocked from enemies by his protector and the ATF agent. At his enquiring look Jim nodded. “Yeah Chief, it’s him… looked like he’s been hacked to pieces with a machete.”

 

“Oh man,” breathed the young shaman. Drennan sat stiffly, lips pressed tightly together. Jim didn’t look at her, instead choosing to twist around enough to get a look at Blair.

 

“Do you need to get back to the University? Or anywhere else…?”

 

Blair shook his head. “Schedule is empty as of now, man.”

 

Jim smiled in sympathy, “Good, then you wouldn’t mind coming in with us and maybe helping with some computer searches?”

 

“What?” interrupted Drennan, she glared at Jim piercingly and snarled, “Just who is this guy anyway? He’s not a cop, yet you’re feeding him all this information?”

 

“Pipe down, Drennan, this is my partner.” Jim snarled back at her, “Blair’s a consultant with the department, an Anthropology student working on his Ph.D. He’s helped us on several occasions, and he’s been tapping Carasco’s daughter for information. Unfortunately he heard something unsettling that has to do with our suspect and I want to keep him some place safe for a while.”

 

Jim turned and started the truck, reversing gear and pointing back towards headquarters. “And right now, at this moment, that’s as close to me as possible.”

 

Blair sighed in relief and settled back for the ride. It was another half hour before they reached the station and Blair was only too glad to exit the truck and head for the elevator. He only hoped he didn’t have to actually ride up with the ATF lady as Jim all but dragged her over to the side to speak to her. He was indeed lucky, hopping into the nearest car with another officer, and riding to the eighth floor.

 

Reaching Jim’s desk, Blair started off by firing up the computer and dropping his pack behind the extra chair he had appropriated from a nearby desk that was not using it at the time. Simon stepped out and glanced Blair’s way, stepped back in and grabbed something, then reached around and showed his coffeepot to Blair. The young man immediately headed his direction, Jim’s and his cups in hand. “You are the man, Captain.”

 

Simon snorted and poured coffee. “I thought you had University work today?”

 

Blair shuddered, “There’s been a complication. I have to file a report on an overheard conversation involving Hector Carasco and his body guard.”

                                 

Simon raised both brows in surprise, “Something I need to know?”

 

Blair started to explain when the elevator opened and Jim stalked through the bullpen. Drennan came in as well, her head held stiffly and her eyes shifting back and forth. Obviously the talk had not gone over well. Blair sighed and turned to hand off Jim’s coffee to him. To Simon he replied, “Later, Captain. Jim and I need to get work done.”

 

Turning away from the Captain, Blair went back to Jim’s desk, settling in behind the computer and typing in commands. Jim stayed in the Captain’s office while Drennan stared around her, obviously vaguely lost. Blair turned his focus to the computer, not exactly ignoring the woman, but not drifting off on focus either. He wasn’t surprised when, a minute or two later, Drennan came and sat in his normal chair.

 

“So what exactly is it you do here?” she asked dryly. Blair smirked briefly before typing in more information for his report.

 

“I help out where I can give advice… I’m really working on my doctoral thesis on closed societies… using the police and other law enforcement agencies as the focus. Since Jim is one of the best Detectives, works with all aspects of the business, Captain Banks thought it best to pair me up with him.” Blair grinned at Drennan’s snort.

 

“I’m surprised you get any study going on around him. He doesn’t strike me as one to answer questions easily.” She sighed and stretched a bit, obviously attempting to relax in the cramped space. Blair had noticed that, even without heels, she was easily almost as tall as Jim. He canted his head to the side and answered her unspoken question.

 

"Oh, he answers questions easily enough, you just have to know how to ask, and when. That can be really important.” He paused for a moment, giving her a sidelong glance, testing to see what her reaction could be. She didn’t appear to be taking offence so he turned back to the screen and continued. “See Jim, he used to be an Army Ranger and so to him knowing when to do something is almost as important as knowing what to do, and why. Guess that might be 'cause he worked his way up through the ranks and learned that if you had the ability to lead then by gods, you should.”

 

Drennan never interrupted Blair, so when he looked over his shoulder and caught her perplexed look, he figured he had a little explaining to do. He turned away from the computer and met her gaze full on. “Miscommunications in the field tend to end in disaster after all, and if he thinks he has the best grasp over anyone sent to 'help' - well, they should just step back and take their cues from him shouldn't they? He does tend to have the 'home-field' advantage in any investigation conducted here in Cascade, wouldn't you agree?"

 

Drennan eyed him warily; it looked like she was weighing the actual content of what he had said against the tone and delivery he had used. His method of informing her might have been offbeat, but then again so was he. Eventually she nodded decisively and said, "You really are his partner, aren’t you. It's not about this study you are doing, you are there to watch his back and he watches yours."

 

Blair shrugged and turned back to his report.

 

“Yeah, Jim and I, he calls us partners. I call us friends. It all translates out to the same thing, right? We are there for each other when it counts.” Blair returned his focus completely to the computer screen, putting Drennan out of his mind. He really needed to get this report done for Jim. He didn’t notice when Drennan stood up and walked away in thought.

 

o-O-o

                                    

After finishing the report and running a few searches on various information that Jim had wanted to follow up on, Blair ran out of things to do. So he started to tackle some of the paperwork that Jim had been struggling with. After reading the first page, he understood the problem. Jim was no good at obfuscation. Blair chuckled lightly as he turned back to the computer and started making new reports.

 

He didn’t know where Jim was, or Drennan for that matter, but he knew that Simon was still in the office, so he felt safe for the moment. So he was woefully unprepared when madcap hooting and hollering sounds started to resound from the Captain's office. Leaping to his feet, he raced to the Captain’s office, knocking once and letting himself inside.

 

Simon was doing some odd jig behind his desk as he held the phone. He motioned with the receiver, "Your partner here is a genius! He did it! Granted, it's not exactly how I would have done it, but...”

 

"That's Jim on the line?" Blair interrupted the Captain’s jubilant spiel. Simon nodded and Blair asked, "Put him on speaker?"

 

Simon shrugged and did so. Blair nodded his thanks and then leaned against the conference table, his arms folded across his chest.

 

 "So you guys want to explain what's been going on? If you haven't noticed, I’ve been a little in the dark since Jim dropped me off. Starting to feel a real kinship with mushrooms here, and I gotta admit I'm not liking it much."

 

Simon raised a brow, and Jim on the line huffed a bit. Simon explained, "Jim was out at the docks, following up on a lead. He and Drennan found guns being smuggled in on a ship from Columbia, under the disguise of coffee beans. Dogs can’t sniff past the smell.”

 

"Dammit Jim!" Blair exploded, but then he quickly reined himself in and continued in a much calmer tone he was rather proud of. "You’re lucky Jim, that you could handle it, but man - what would have happened if you had zoned out there?”

 

Simon opened his mouth and Blair rounded on him too, "Don't Simon, just don't. You think I haven't noticed how you two have been leaving me out of the loop? It was like after the two of you found out I wouldn't seduce some young woman to gain information about her father I became a liability or something! Then you send Jim off partnered with some ATF person to a bust where he needs to use his senses, when you *know* he can't use his senses effectively without me. What am I here for then?"

 

Simon glared at the younger man but Blair didn't flinch. He did shut up.

 

"You done?"

 

Blair nodded.

 

"Good. Now, let me tell *you* a few things. You weren't left out of the loop - not intentionally - Jim improvised, it's something he is good at if you recall."

 

*#"Hey! It worked!"#*

 

“I’m not saying it didn’t Jim, but if Sandburg’s right you were damn lucky tonight. You shouldn’t have been mucking around with the Sentinel shit without him. But what’s done is done.” Simon sighed and rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses. To Blair he said, “It was never our intention to shut you out, kid. We trusted you with the daughter and didn’t want to step on your toes.”

 

Blair dropped his eyes, and stared at said toes for a moment. When he looked up at Simon again it was to find the man's warm brown eyes staring back at him. Assessing his state of mind no doubt. It wouldn't do any of them any good if he went off the deep end would it? Seeing that Blair was back and rational Simon chided, “Next time, son, don’t go jumping to conclusions without all the facts.”

 

Blair sighed and nodded reluctantly. Then Simon turned to the speaker and spoke up just a little louder, although it wasn’t needed. “Jim, no more cowboy stunts like this. Learn to play nice with everyone on your team.”

 

*#”Yes, sir.”#*

 

Simon nodded, accepting the clipped response and turning to other things. “Now get your ass back here and finish out your report, Detective. Then you can take your ‘Partner’ home, hear me?”

 

*#”Understood, Simon... I’m on my way, Chief.”#* He clicked the phone off and Simon cut the connection from his own side. He looked back at the sullen expression still on Blair’s face.

 

The Shaman moved to leave the office, his eyes not meeting Simon’s. He paused in the act of opening the door, his last words soaked in misery, “Drennan said that Jim and I were partners... gotta admit, I don't feel much like his partner right now, Simon.”

 

o-O-o

 

 

Home was more silence as Blair hung up his coat and removed his shoes before moving off to the kitchen to make his tea. It had been a very long day, and most of it had happened only that morning. He wasn’t sure what he was going to tell Maya about her father, but hopefully it would come to him before he saw her again.

 

Jim remained somewhere behind him, but Blair didn’t say anything to him yet. He was still processing what had happened tonight. First the death of the snitch, then the being left behind, and to top it off, Jim found that huge shipment of guns obviously bound for the U.S. Yakuza clans. Blair didn’t want to think about any of it.

 

“My turn to cook, right?” asked the Shaman of his Sentinel. Jim might have nodded, he didn’t know.

 

“Yeah, if you don’t mind,” came the answer a moment later. Blair nodded, but he didn’t know if Jim saw it. He didn’t really care either. His silence must have been unnerving for the big man. He had been silent all the way home from the station. Not a word spoken about any of it. Not even to ask if Jim’s senses were okay.

 

It wasn’t meant as a punishment, it was a statement he was making. He would know when he had succeeded when Jim made the first move. The silence was deafening in the loft, but Blair didn’t mind. He pulled out the casserole he had frozen a few days before and began to cook it in the oven while he took a quick shower. Jim sat in the living area, sipping a beer, and said nothing. The stalemate continued.

 

Jim ended it after he had cleaned up from dinner, taking two bottles of beer and joining Blair on the couch. He reached over and took the Anthro journal Blair was reading, laying it on the table and turning comfortably to stare at him.

 

“Chief, I’m worried about my sense of smell... those coffee beans didn’t bother me, but Drennan’s perfume was *way* over the top, you know?”

 

Blair turned to look at Jim... and smiled. “Sure man, tell me where your dial is right now.”

 

And so it went for an hour, testing every sense until Jim’s headache (which he had not mentioned) was gone and through the form of work, their bond was soothed. In the end Jim apologized, Blair accepted it, and they went on. When they had settled for the night, Blair asked Jim the one thing he had been dreading.

 

“How do I tell Maya?”

 

Jim sipped his beer before grunting, “I have no idea... she’s a nice girl, but I think she’s going sweet on ya, Teach.”

 

Blair sighed, “I noticed. She’s going to have seen the News report tonight on the bust. She’s going to think I set her father up. She knows I work with the police.”

 

Jim reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “If nothing else, you can tell your side and let her make up her own mind. You didn’t lie to her, set out to deceive her or take advantage of her.”

 

Blair looked up at his friend, “She’s going to hate me, isn’t she?”

 

Jim shrugged, “Only if you give her a reason to do so.”