Disclaimer: UPN and Pet Fly own all "The Sentinel" characters. 
Original folks are mine.  I didn't get paid for this, and I'm not trying to
infringe on anyone's copyrights.  Just sharing a story with friends.

Author's Note: "For Better or For Worse" is the sequel to "The Ellison
Reports".  You could probably figure this out without reading that, but
if you want to know how the guys got to this point, you can check out
installments I & II of The Diary Series on this site (The Sandburg Chronicles and The Ellison Reports).

This story is an AU of sorts, as I am picking up at the end of the second
season, as if the third is not happening.

Rating: MAO for m/m.  Some violence and language.

Archive: Please!

Comments: blair_lady@yahoo.com

Thank You: To Virginia Call and Emily Brunson, my dynamite beta-readers, 
and all the wonderful people who sent comments on my previous stories, and
those few brave souls who came right out and asked for this one!

Enough.  On with the show...


For Better or For Worse

by Candy Apple


     Blair wiggled his nose, vaguely aware of something soft
brushing beneath it.  Unwilling to give up the peace of closed eyes, he
snuggled further under the covers, groping around for Jim.  All he got
was the tickle under his nose again, and the very distinct scent of roses. 
With a spreading grin, he opened his eyes.  

     Jim was kneeling on the bed, leaning over him, brushing a
single red rose under Blair's nose.  Having been unsure how his male
lover would react to a dozen red roses, Jim had taken the risk and had
them delivered to the loft the previous afternoon.  Blair had set the day
aside to work on his dissertation at home, so it was the perfect time to
catch him off guard.  

     The kiss in the car in front of the Cascade P.D. had caught them
both off guard.  Jim still had mixed feelings about "coming out" at
work, but he couldn't let those misgivings make Blair feel he had any
doubts about the "rightness" of their relationship.  That was right,
perfect, and meant to be, in Jim Ellison's opinion.

     A couple of the roses had been sacrificed the night before when
Jim had the inspiration of sprinkling his beautiful, naked lover with
rose petals while he lay on the bed, waiting.  Then he had taken Blair
with a gentleness he didn't know he was capable of, prolonging their
pleasure, tasting as much of his lover's body as he could while they
were joined.

     "Good morning," Blair greeted sleepily, still smiling, capturing
the hand that held the rose with his own.  "Come back to bed?"

     "Thought you'd never ask."  Jim discarded his robe and quickly
slid under the covers.  Winter was coming early to Cascade, with these
October nights and early mornings dipping into the 20's.

     With a warm bundle of Blair in his arms, it didn't take long to
warm up again.   He handed the other man the rose, and then kissed his
lips gently.

     "Last night was beautiful, sweetheart.  Thank you."  

     "For me too.  I love you, mine."  Blair reached up and caressed
Jim's face.  "I'll always love you, no matter what."

     "Sounds kind of ominous, baby."  Jim captured the hand and
kissed it, then held it against his chest.

     "I mean, even if things get difficult...nothing could ever make
me leave you--unless you told me to go."

     "Then you're here for the duration, Chief."  Jim pulled Blair
firmly into his arms, squeezing him just tightly enough to make his
point, but not to leave bruises.

     "I'm glad Carolyn was such an idiot."

     "Come again?"  Jim pulled back.

     "Gee, thanks, Jim.  I probably will in a little while."

     "Smart ass," Jim chided, laughing.  "You know what I meant." 
He leaned forward and kissed the end of Blair's nose.

     "I said that I was glad Carolyn was such an idiot.  She let you
get away, so then I could have you."  Blair busied himself kissing a hot
trail down Jim's throat to his chest.  Then he snuggled back into the
warm nest of Jim's arms and the heavy comforter, seeming content to
rest there, settled tightly against his lover.

     "I'm glad for whatever chain of events brought us here."

     "Did anything happen yesterday when you went in?"

     "They hadn't painted my desk pink or anything, no."  Jim kissed
the top of Blair's head and let one hand rub lazy circles on the smooth
skin of his back.

     "I'm serious, man."

     "I know."  Jim was quiet a minute.  "Nothing major.  Things
were a bit chilly in the break room when I ran into a couple guys from
Vice."

     "Not the same two who saw us?"

     "No.  Patterson and Miller saw us.  This was Hank Andrews and
some new guy."

     "News probably travels pretty fast."

     "Well, within Vice, I reckon they pretty much know.  Since
most of the people who work at the P.D. are reasonably busy, it'll take
the news a little bit of time to make it to all the departments.  That is,
to all the people who have any real interest in who their co-workers are
sleeping with."

     "Did you tell Simon?"

     "Is that okay with you?"

     "You did?  Yeah, I think that's great, Jim.  Hey, I would've taken
out a wedding announcement in the Cascade Herald if I could have."

     "Wedding.  You know, that makes me think...we still haven't
really said all those words to each other yet."

     "Jim, about Simon--"

     "Well, I told him that I wanted to be the one to tell him, because
I figured he'd be hearing about it pretty soon.  I said that you and I were
in love, that we were committed to each other, and considered
ourselves a couple."

     "What did he say?"

     "Before or after he passed out?"

     "Jim, dammit, I'm serious," Blair declared, completely
unsuccessful at not smiling back at the sappy, lovesick face looking
down at him.

     "He sat there for a minute and looked kind of dazed.  I kind of
thought the shock had killed him at first, but then he moved again--"

     "Jim, I swear to God, I wanna hear the serious version."

     "Okay.  Sorry.  He did reel a little, and then he asked me how
long.  I said a few months now, since early summer.  He nodded, like
he had known all along, and then he said he hoped I knew what I was
getting into."

     "Gee, remind me to thank him for that one."

     "He didn't mean you, baby."  Jim cuddled his lover a little
closer and kissed him, this time poking a little with his tongue until he
was finally admitted.  Blair was almost always responsive, but next to
sex, talking was one of his favorite pastimes.  He wasn't thrilled to be
interrupted in the middle of either one.  Jim released the soft lips
reluctantly.  He'd have much preferred to spend the early morning
hours making love.  "He meant the attitudes of people at the station,
society in general, etc."

     "What did you say?"

     "That I had never been happier, and no archaic social prejudice
was going to take that away from me, and that I didn't see it as any
problem in our working relationship.  I also pointed out to him that
even in the brief time when Carolyn and I were actually getting along
in our marriage, we were able to behave professionally around each
other at work, and still collaborate without ducking into the nearest
closet for a quickie.  I assured him you and I wouldn't be any less
professional when we were together in the bullpen, or doing police
business."

     "Guess we can't make out during stakeouts then, huh?"

     "Just the dead end ones."  They shared a little chuckle, and as it
faded, Jim continued.  "Seriously, he was pretty calm about it.  He just
told me to be prepared to take some heat, and not to be surprised if the
powers that be tried to make things a bit dicey for me at times."

     "You don't think that the other guys would ever...you know...not
back you up or something like that?"

     "I like to think I work with professionals.  My significant other's
gender shouldn't be a basis for whether or not I get back-up."

     "It shouldn't be, but Jim...God, if anything happened to you
because of us--"

     "It won't.  Don't even worry about it."  Jim held the smaller
body close.

     "I'd die if I lost you."

     "No you wouldn't.  It might feel like it at first, but you'd survive. 
Because I'd want you to.  That would be your tribute to me--to survive
it, and live, and be happy.  Besides, I'd be waiting for you on the other
side so we could pick up where we left off when you got there--many,
many years later when you were old."

     "I hate this conversation, Jim.  I don't want to talk about that. 
Ever."

     "Shhh."  Jim felt a little tremor run through Blair's body.  "I'm
not going anywhere.  Not now--not when I finally have the sexiest lover
on earth."

     "What did Simon really say to all of it--after he'd said all the
captain stuff, what was the friend stuff?"

     "That he knew we were in for a long, hard road, bucking the
tide, but that he hoped we were happy together, and he wouldn't be
giving us any hassles.  He said he'd support us as much as he could."

     "I kind of hoped that's how he'd react."

     "You know, all this talking is nice, but we've got a whole
Saturday to ourselves, and I can think of things I'd rather do."

     "Do you really want to say the words?"

     "What?"

     "What you said about weddings--and that we hadn't said those
words.  Do you want to?"

     "Yes."

     "Maybe we could plan our own.  I mean, a marriage is between
two people anyway, so why do we need for it to be legal or sanctioned
by anyone?"

     "We don't.  There are a few things we need to do legally--I want
to be sure you have my power of attorney for business and medical
situations in case I'm down for the count.  Otherwise, you could run
into taking a back seat to Stephen, if they could even track him down."

     "Good idea.  I want that too."

     "What about Naomi?"

     "You think tracking Stephen would be tricky?  Man, I'd be dead
three times over before they could find her."

     "Are you feeling okay, sweetheart?  I'm getting the feeling
you're keeping us talking."

     "No, I wasn't doing that at all," Blair responded, a little too
defensively.

     "Sore from last night?"  Jim asked gently, kissing Blair's
forehead.

     "Kind of," Blair admitted quietly.

     "I wasn't thinking about doing that again, baby.  It's too soon."

     "I seems like I ought to be able to do it more than once a week,
Jim.  I guess I'm just uptight or too small or something."  Blair exhaled
in frustration.  "It feels good when we actually do it, but it hurts
afterwards."

     "It's my giant, throbbing rod of manhood that's the problem.  It's
just too damned huge for you."  Jim smiled as Blair laughed out loud,
for quite a few seconds.  "It's not *that* funny, Chief."  He reached
around and swatted Blair's rear end.  

     "Hey!"  Blair started a little, but Jim stifled the protest with a
kiss as he stroked the offended cheek.

     "It'll take your mind off your asshole for a minute."

     "You're such a poet, man."  Blair was smiling again, snuggling
back into Jim's arms.

     "We'll get used to everything eventually," Jim responded.  "If
this is truth time, after the last time you topped, I walked around like
the Hunchback of Notre Dame most of the next day.  Man, it killed my
back."

     "You're the one who wanted to be on your back and folded up
like a pretzel."

     "You're heavier than y