EVENING THE SCORE

by Chopec

This is my first story. At least the first part of it. I hope everybody likes it. I'm not much of a writer. I also hope this covers my dues for a while. By all means let me know if you like it. Please. I know that Jim and Blair don't belong to me but I would love to have them to play with for a while. This is as close as I will probably get. I promise to return them when I'm done. No real warnings. This is pretty tame. It probably falls under a G rating. Well, on to the story.

EVENING THE SCORE

by Chopec

"Nooo!" Blair Sandburg screamed as he bolted upright in bed sweating and trembling from the vivid nightmare he'd just had.

In a matter of seconds Jim Ellison was at his side, "Chief! Chief! It's ok, it's just a dream." His friend said in a calming voice. He put his hands on Blair's shoulder keeping him from getting out of bed. He kneaded the younger man's shoulders trying to calm him.

Blair blinked a couple of times and realized where he was. Jim's reassuring touch and strong voice brought him out of his sleep fogged state. He took a deep breath and relaxed a little. His deep blue eyes met Jim's lighter ice blue ones and he smiled shaking his head, "I'm sorry man, I gotta stop doing this or you're not gonna get any sleep either."

"Was it the same dream you've been having the past couple of days?" His friend asked with a concerned look. Jim waited as Blair took another deep breath and finally shook his head in confirmation. He changed his position on the bed so he could wrap his guide into a strong embrace, "Chief, you didn't do anything wrong. You can't keep blaming yourself for what happened. There was nothing else you could have done. Not to mention saving my life."

One day before:

The two men exhaled loudly as they walked out of the restaurant into the light rain that had started to fall. Blair stretched and smiled; "I am so stuffed man. Don't ever let me eat that much again. I feel like I'm going to explode."

The Sentinel smiled at his friend and guide. He loved seeing his friend so happy. Sometimes Blair seemed to glow from the inside out. Jim felt a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach." Yeah, well next time don't flirt with the waitress and maybe she won't bring you all those free appetizers."

Blair slapped Jim on the arm; "I wasn't flirting. I can't help it if she just found me irresistible." He added puffing his chest out like a peacock and smiling.

"You're incorrigible Chief." The Sentinel replied with a shake of his head and a smile. "Come on let's get home before this rain gets any worse." He added looking up at the low hanging clouds in the sky.

As they started to walk to the truck something caught Jim's attention. He stopped and cocked his head in that familiar way that Blair recognized. "What is it Jim? What do you hear?"

Jim held up his hand for Blair to be quiet for a minute. Focusing his hearing he heard a gruff voice say, "Just put the money in the bag old man before you get hurt." He then heard scuffling and something heavy hit the ground. "Stupid old man." Then a shot rang out.

Shoving Blair behind the truck he drew his weapon. They watched as a very large man came running out of a small grocery store across the street. "Freeze! Cascade Police!" Jim yelled.

The man turned toward them and fired a shot at them that grazed the hood of the truck as Jim and Blair ducked for cover.

"Call for backup and stay here." Jim said as he headed off across and down the street after the criminal.

Blair grabbed his cell phone from his jacket pocket and called Captain Simon Banks. "Simon? This is Blair." Before waiting for a reply he continued; "Jim just took off after a guy that robbed and possibly shot someone. It's the grocery store on the corner of 1st and Vine. Jim headed south on Vine. We need backup ASAP."

Blair was talking so fast that Simon couldn't seem to get a word in edgewise. "Ok, Blair. Just stay put and we'll be there as fast as we can." The Captain said.

"I've got to back Jim up Simon. I can't let anything happen to him. I've got to go."

Simon heard the phone click off.

"Damn that kid. Doesn't he ever do anything that he's told?" As Simon hung up the phone he started barking orders to his men and grabbed his coat. Knowing the reputation of his best team for finding trouble he had better get down there as fast as he could.

Blair took off down the street in the direction that Jim had gone. "Jim and Simon will probably both kill me but I know Jim is gonna need me on this one. I really have a bad feeling about this one."

As he neared the entrance to an alley he heard the sounds of a fight. He peeked around the corner just in time to see the large man hit Jim with a solid right hook. Jim flew back and hit the wall of the alley bumping his head. He slumped to the ground dazed. The man turned around and scanned the dark alley for something. Blair realized that the man was looking for his weapon, obviously dropped during the scuffle. Finding what he was looking for the man picked up the gun and turned and aimed it at the detective and laughed.

Frantically searching for some way to help his friend he spotted Jim's gun lying at his feet by the mouth of the alley. He picked up the gun and aimed it at the man. He took a deep breath and tried to sound as calm and authoritative as possible. "Freeze. Don't move or I'll shoot." His voice didn't sound as sure as he'd hoped even to his own ears. And on top of that his hands were shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.

The man looked at him and laughed. "What? Are you gonna shoot me kid? I don't think so. Look at the way your hands are shaking. Now you just wait a minute and let me finish with him and I'll take care of you too." He turned back and pointed the gun at Jim again.

"I can't believe this is happening." Why did everybody refer to him as kid? Blair thought to himself. I've got to do something. I can't loose Jim this way. Not before I tell him I love him.

To Blair it was like being outside his body watching everything happen from someone else's point of view. He pulled the trigger. He watched as the man turned his head and looked at him with amazement in his eyes. Blair watched in horror as the man fell in slow motion to the ground and lay there motionless.

The next thing he knew Jim was beside him talking to him in a quiet reassuring voice. "Chief? Are you all right? Why don't you give me that gun now." He felt Jim's hands slowly cover his and he relinquished the weapon to his friend.

Blair looked up at Jim with confusion in his eyes. The kid's going into shock. He thought to himself. He took Blair gently by the arm and led him over to some crates close to the entrance of the alley. Sitting his friend down he squatted down in front of him. "Blair? Are you all right? Talk to me, baby." He didn't even realize he had used the endearment.

Blair was looking at the ground now. He didn't know if he could look his friend in the eye. He killed someone. Then it hit him. Like a ton of bricks. " Oh God! Jim are you all right?" He grabbed Jim in a bone- crushing hug. He was starting to hyperventilate. He couldn't seem to catch his breath. "He was going to kill you Jim! Then he was going to kill me! He said so! He laughed at me! I couldn't let him kill you, not before I told you. Jim…?" the rest of what he said was so muffled that even Jim's sentinel hearing couldn't pick it up.

"Chief! Sandburg! Calm down. It's ok. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm ok and you're ok. He didn't kill either one of us. Just slow down and take a breath." He could hear Blair's heart racing. If the kid didn't breath he was going to pass out. Jim wrapped his arms around his guide and held on. They had both come so close to loosing each other he didn't know if he could ever let go again. He began rubbing soothing circles on the younger man's back and placed a light kiss on the top of the curly head under his chin.

He waited while Blair did as he was told. After a few minutes Jim could hear Blair's heart rate slow to almost normal. This was going to be one of the hardest things for his friend to deal with. Jim was used to having to deal with something like killing a man. You never got used to it but you dealt with it. You learned to live with it and move past it. It wouldn't be that easy for Blair. He had too much heart and soul for that. He did know one thing though. He would be there for his friend and partner. For the rest of his life if Blair would have him.

Blair finally looked at Jim again. "I killed him Jim." It was a statement. He had a lost look in his eyes that Jim had never seen before.

"Yes Chief, you did, but he didn't give you any other choice. He would have killed both of us. You didn't do anything wrong. Did you call for backup before you followed me?"

"Yeah. Simon said he was on his way. Jim? I don't feel so good."

About that time he leaned to the side and lost everything he'd had for dinner that night. Jim held his hair back for him. He could also hear the siren's of the police cars coming down the road. Just after Blair sat back up a spot light hit them and a car stopped at the end of the alley. Simon got out of the car and walked toward them.

"Jim, are you two ok? What happened?" The Captain asked.

Jim took Blair by the arm again and stood him up. "Come on Chief. Captain can we walk back to the truck?" He gave Simon a look that said follow me because it's for your ears only.

"Sure." They walked back down the street. When they got to the truck Jim put Blair into the passenger side and strapped him in. "Stay here while I get things straight with Simon and we'll go home ok?" He asked Blair.

The young anthropologist just shook his head.

Jim walked over to Simon. He sighed and rubbed his hand through his shortly cut hair. "We came out of the restaurant and I heard that guy in the alley robbing the store over there across the street." Jim saw the paramedics carrying out a stretcher with an old man on it. At least he wasn't dead. "We heard a gunshot and the perp came running out. I identified myself as a police officer and he shot at us." Jim pointed to the mark the bullet had left on the hood of the truck. "I told Blair to call for backup and stay put." He turned and looked through the windshield to check on his partner. Even though he had been keeping track of his friend with his Sentinel hearing the entire time. "Anyway, Blair followed me to the alley. The perp got the upper hand on me. This damn rain makes the street so slippery." He could feel the soreness in his jaw where the guy had hit him. "I lost my gun. While I was down Blair showed up. I heard Blair tell the guy to freeze or he'd shoot. The guy just laughed at him Simon. It was like he thought he was indestructible or something. He didn't think Blair had it in him. Damn, why did he have to push him Simon?"

Simon saw the anguish in his best friends face face. "So Blair shot him? I didn't think the kid had it in him either Jim. But I'm glad he did. Listen, why don't you take the kid home. I know this is going to be hard on him as well as you. Take tomorrow off and stay with him. Don't let him do anything stupid ok?"

"Yeah. Ok Simon. Call me when you get an I.D on this guy ok?"

"Will do Jim. Just take care of the kid." Simon could see the distant look in Blair's eyes. The kid was going to have a rough time dealing with this. Jim was the best person Simon could think of to help him through it though. He watched the truck pull away and then headed back down the street to the alley.

Present:

Blair slowly awoke to the smell of coffee and bacon and eggs. It smelled so good. He stretched and yawned remembering last night. He suddenly realized where he was. In Jim's bed. He remembered Jim being there when he woke up from the nightmare. Probably heard my heart rate skyrocket. Then Jim had led him upstairs and tucked him into bed with him. He felt so loved wrapped up in those strong arms. Just knowing his Blessed Protector was watching over him had kept the dream from returning. He smiled to himself as he got out of bed and padded down the stairs.

Jim was just finishing putting eggs onto two plates. "Morning, Chief. Feeling better?" Jim asked cheerily.

"Yeah, a lot better. Thanks man. Maybe that'll be the last of those dreams." He replied.

"Well, breakfast is served. Have a seat partner." Jim said as he set the plates on the table. There was toast and juice to go with the bacon and eggs.

"Wow", Blair said with a smile, "I guess I should save your life more often."

"Don't push your luck, Chief." Jim replied with a twinkle in his eyes. He was glad that Blair had bounced back from this better than he thought he would. It was nice to see that sparkle back in his partner's eyes. "By the way, Simon gave us today off, but he called and wants us to come down to the station for a little while. He said that they have an I.D. on our man from last night. But, if you don't want to go Chief, just let me know. I don't want this to bother you anymore."

Blair looked up from his breakfast and smiled. "No, I'll go, Jim. Maybe it'll put some closure on this for me. I mean maybe it'll help if I know this guy had a record a mile long. I mean, I know he was going to kill you and that makes a difference. I would probably do the same thing again in the same situation. I just knew I couldn't let him kill you man." He looked at Jim hoping that the older man would understand what he was trying to say. Come on Sandburg just spit it out he chided himself. He hoped that he hadn't read Jim's actions differently than his friend had intended them.

"Thanks, Chief. I just want you to understand that he gave you no other choice. And if you start to feel uncomfortable rehashing this let me know. You know, you can't fool me by saying you're ok when you're not. I'll know better." He told Blair with a slight smirk.

"Yeah, I do." Blair said smiling back. "If anybody does, I do."

"Jim? I think we need to talk. I mean, I don't know about you, but there's something I need to say. I guess that it just took what happened last night to make me see that I couldn't wait any longer to say this, and I'll understand if you don't feel the same…"

"I love you too Chief." Jim said cutting Blair off mid-sentence.

At first Blair didn't even register what Jim had said. He just kept babbling on, "And if you want me to move out…then that's ok too. It might take me…what did you just say?" Blair was looking at Jim like he was an alien that had just landed and told him to take him to his leader.

Jim smiled and replied, "I said that I love you too. And if you think I'm going to let you move out then you're sadly mistaken. I plan on keeping you barefoot and pregnant if I can help it, Chief." As Jim spoke he had reached out across the table and taken Blair's left hand in his right. "I know you almost lost me last night Blair. But, I almost lost you too. I've had feelings for you for a long time now. I just didn't know if you would feel the same way, but I saw it in your eyes last night when you realized what had almost happened. I want this to be forever, Blair. If you'll have me?"

Blair just sat there with his mouth hanging open. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Maybe he'd hit his head last night and he was dreaming. Jim laughing pulled him out of his contemplation. "You know Chief, you're going to attract flies if you leave your mouth hanging open like that."

All of a sudden Blair couldn't see for the tears in his eyes. Jim jumped up and pulled his partner out of his seat into a warm embrace. "What's wrong sweetheart? Talk to me." Jim asked quietly.

"I…I just didn't think that you'd want me that way. Nobody else ever has. I don't know what to say." Blair said a bit muffled as he pressed his face to Jim's strong chest.

"Just say yes, Chief. I promise you'll never regret it." Jim stuck his nose into the curly mop that was Blair's wild mane of hair. God he smells so good Jim thought to himself.

"Yes." Was the reply that made his heart sing with joy.

THE END...?