Jim spoke to Blair through the closet door just after dawn the next morning. "Blair, *no*. I don't like this, it's too risky."

"Jim, we've got to find out eventually. Why not now?"

"*Why* do we have to find out? So you're nocturnal, that's not a problem."

"Jim, in case you haven't noticed, you sleep at night and work during the day. Now, disregarding for a moment the fact that I kind of miss hanging out with you; that leaves you with no backup!"

"So I'll switch to the nightshift!"

"Riiight. Like Simon would buy a detective with your seniority moving to the graveyard shift!"

"Why not? I'll tell him that daylight's too bright for me or something. He'll buy it!"

"Jim, dammit, I want to come out of this closet!"

Jim couldn't help it. He cracked up.

"Jim, are you laughing at me?" Blair's voice sounded indignant.

"No, <snort> I'm laughing at what you just <guffaw> said! Are you listening to yourself?"

"What I... Oh man! Would you be serious? Now come on. There's no reason not to test this now. We've taken precautions, it'll be fine."

"Blair, I do *not* consider a tube of SPF-50 sunscreen and a solar blanket to be precautions!"

"Sure they are. The sunscreen should slow down any effects, and the second you see anything wrong you throw the blanket over me. Those things are 100% sun proof. I'll be fine."

"That's it. You've lost your mind! I'm just going to lock you in there."

"There's no lock on the closet door, Jim."

"So I'll push the dresser in front of it."

"I've got superhuman strength, I'll still get the door open."

"The bed, too."

"I'll turn into mist and float through the door."

"I'll send Mrs. Piper from the 2nd floor up, and tell her to tell stories about her wonderful grandson to whoever comes through this door."

"Now you're just being silly!"

Jim snorted. "Like you weren't?"

"Well, we don't know I *can't* do the vapor thing. It's in all the movies."

"And all the movies show you turning into ashes the second sunlight hits you."

"Jim, come on. I'll do this without you if I have to, but I want to do it while you're here. I'll be scared to do it without backup."

Jim slowly and deliberately pounded his head against the door. "I'm out of my mind. I'm hallucinating. That's it, this is all a hallucination! So everything will be fine-"

"Jim, what are you *doing* out there?" Blair demanded.

"Losing my mind!" Jim nearly yelled back. "*Definitely* losing my mind," he muttered. Then in a louder voice, "Blair? We'll do it. But we're doing it *my* way. I'm going to slip the solar blanket through the door, and I want you to wrap yourself up in it. I'm not opening this door again until you're completely covered, you hear that?"

"Sure, no problem."

Jim opened the door just far enough to slip the pouch through, and closed it quickly. A minute later Blair called out "Ready!"

"You're completely covered?"

"Yes, I'm completely covered. Just open the freaking door already!"

"No need to get testy." Jim cracked the door open an inch. "Everything ok?"

"Of *course* everything's ok. Nothing is getting through this blanket."

"Ok, well, stick one finger out."

"Yes, sir! Right away, sir!"

"And stop being a smart ass!"

Blair's middle finger came out in a classic salute formation. Jim shook his head in exasperation and examined the skin for a reaction. "Looks ok, I'm opening the door a little further."

Five minutes later the closet door was fully open, and Blair's middle finger was showing no ill effects.

"Ok, Chief, the door's open."

Before Jim could stop him, Blair flipped the blanket open. "Well, it's about time!"

"Blair!"

Blair was amazed, he didn't know Jim could hit a high note like that. "Jim, you ever think about singing?"

"Sandburg!" Jim finally gathered his mind and slammed the closet door shut in Blair's face.

Blair shoved the door open, nearly clipping Jim's nose with it. "Ellison, what the hell did you do that for!"

"You promised to stay under the blanket, dammit!"

"You had the door open all the way, and my finger was fine so I dropped the damn blanket!"

"And then you were going to walk into the loft!"

"Well, yeah, Jim. That was part of the point of this test!"

"And you'd have been killed!"

"Jim, you've got all the doors closed and the windows covered. The rest of the loft can't be any brighter than this closet!" By this time, Blair was well into his room, nose to nose with his sentinel.

"I couldn't cover the *skylights*, Sandburg!"

Blair stopped in mid-rant and stood back. "You're right. Sorry, Jim." He looked around his room. "Well, at least I've got this much back. We won't need to run a phone line into the closet." He grinned up at his friend.

"And you'll have to settle for this. The experiment is over."

"Over? No way, man. We're finished this, or I'm doing it without you." Blair stood firm, crossing his arms over his chest.

"The *test* *is* *over*. Got it, Sandburg?" Jim jabbed a finger into Blair's chest, emphasizing each word.

In one smooth motion, Blair grabbed the offending finger, applied a little pressure, spun Jim around and had his arm locked behind his back. Then he gave a gentle shove, releasing him.

Jim was shocked. Blair had moved so fast, he almost didn't realize what was happening until it was over. He certainly didn't have time to counter the move. At the same time, it had all been done quite carefully. Jim flexed his muscles, nothing had been bruised or pulled. He turned and stared at his guide in surprise, mixed with a little fear and guilt. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"So'm I." Blair looked chagrined and spoke quietly. "But I will do it, with or without your help."

"Blair, I can't lose you."

"With your help, I won't be going anywhere. I'm sorry, Jim, that was really stupid, what I just did with the blanket. You're right, we need to do this as carefully as possible. So I'll do it exactly as you tell me, down to the letter."

Jim shook his head. "Blair, I *can't*."

"Yes you can, Jim. Come on, we'll do it together."


The End
(c) CatMoran 2000
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