Work Text:
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Pet Fly, not me!
AN: This has only been spelled checked, so all errors are mine!
Blair looked down at the patch of recently laid sod. The edges of the new patch of grass were still slightly above the rest of the well cared for lawn. He needed to talk and here was the only place he felt he could express his deepest feelings, his deepest thoughts. He stood there in the warm, August sunshine. Such weather was to be treasured, enjoyed, but all the grad student felt were the shivers that radiated down his back. He did not want to be standing at this spot. He did not want to remember why he even needed to be standing there. But his loyalty and duty demanded that he stand there and talk to this one person.
"I just want to thank you," the usually robust police observer began, "but that sounds pretty lame when you come right down to it, doesn't it man?" A half smile formed on his lips, which quickly disappeared as he continued. "I mean, how do I thank you? You give," Blair stopped, corrected himself shaking his head slowly at the error, "...gave me so much. I, uh, I remember just a couple of years ago we met. It was so good to get to know you."
Blair knelt down along the long side of the rectangular piece of sod. Slowly he ran his hand across the tall, soft blades of grass. He closed his eyes, trying to keep the flood water of tears at bay. He looked back at the car, parked along the curb of the quiet cemetery. The lone figure in the car looked out at the grad student as if trying to pass a message along to the distressed, young man. Blair sent back a wavering grin, turned back to the grave, and continued to speak to the resident of that space.
"You know, if you had just stayed on the sidewalk, you would be just fine right now," he stated abruptly. "You would be just fine," he repeated softly. "Your Dad...oh man, your Dad would be so happy. He misses you so much. You and your brother finally reconciled, were doing things together...."
The usually talkative teaching fellow could not find the right words to say. He gathered his waning courage to speak to the spirit of the man he would never see again. Blair felt he needed to articulate his feelings and emotions, before he could move on in his life. Taking a deep breath, once again stroking the soft blades of grass, he began.
"Ok, I just want you to know what you did was so totally unselfish! You saw that car coming; I had my back to the street while we spoke. You just ran out there and pushed him out of the way the best you could. Oh God," he gasped, "I can still hear the sound of you hitting the windshield and of your brother being clipped by the front fender. I ran out there after the car stopped. Do you remember me holding you? You told me to check on your brother. I'm not sure who called for the ambulance. It seemed like it was suddenly there. They treated you there then put you on the gurney. The paramedics carefully loaded you into the ambulance...then...you were gone. That was the last, oh God," Blair shuddered as he replayed the memory of that day. "They took you to the hospital, but by the time I arrived, man oh man oh man," he breathed out, "...by the time I arrived, you, well, you just couldn't wait. You were in so much pain. We all know you are in a better place now, but it hurts, inside me, knowing how much you gave of yourself for the sake of your brother."
The tired grad student looked back at the car. The lone figure appeared to have fallen asleep against the headrest. Blair knew he must return him to the Ellison family home. It was felt he would receive more care there from Sally and his father, so it had been decided that he would recuperate there instead of his own home. Turning his head back to the patch of grass once more, he focused his thoughts on the Ellison that gave his all to protect his brother.
"I will miss you. I enjoyed everything we did together. The camping, the Jags games, even the poker nights. I was glad you came into my life," Blair paused, considered his next words then, "...came into our lives. Steven, you saved Jim's life. That means the world to me. He still tires easily, and can't walk unaided for more than a few steps. That's why he is in the car. He will come here someday, I hope soon, on his own. But until then, I just wanted you to know..." tears flowed freely from the tired, young police observer, "...that we will keep you alive in our hearts. I don't know what else to say. You gave your all. How do I thank you for that?"
With that and one last stroke along the blades of grass, Blair Sandburg, rose up and turned toward the car that held the man that he had long ago accepted as part of his family. The brother that lived still had a long road of recovery in front of him, but he would live. Together, the guide and the sentinel, would continue to protect the tribe due to the sacrifice of one man, Steven Ellison.