Title: Conversation 10: Schemes

Author: Tayla

Fandom: The Sentinel

Pairing: Jim/Blair pre-slash

Rating: R

Category: Drama

Status: Completed December 5, 2002

Archive: Yes to WWOMB/Peja. All others please ask

Feedback: Yes, please. All constructive criticism will be graciously accepted

Series/Sequel: The "Conversations" Series

Disclaimers: The Sentinel and its characters belong to Pet Fly Productions and Paramount Network Television. No copyright infringement is intended. The author makes no profit and exists solely on the accolades from fellow fans.

Authors Notes: You know, it's difficult to come up with authors notes for every one of these.

Summary: Blair and Jim plan make a plan.

Warnings: None really. Just some language and brief discussion of sex.

Conversation 10: Schemes
By Tayla

"Hey Chief. I didn't know you were coming in today."

"I needed to talk to you and Simon."

"What's wrong?"

"I heard something at the Academy today."

"I heard something here at the station, too."

"You first."

"Just a bunch of shit about how you got into the Academy."

"On my knees? Or on my back?"

"Knees. Good to see you taking this so well."

"Everyone that matters knows it's not true. Let me guess. The rumors started in Homicide?"

"How'd you know that, Chief?"

"Because Captain Wilkins and Lieutenant Jennings sons are in my class."

"Are they the ones that have been harassing you?"

"Yes."

"I thought you weren't being harassed."

"I lied."

"You lied?"

"Sorry Jim."

"Don't do it again."

"Okay."

"I mean it, Chief."

"I promise. I thought I could handle it. But then I heard today that they're trying to stir up trouble here at the station, too."

"What exactly did you hear?"

"Wilkins and Jennings are going to try to block my promotion to detective and my assignment to Major Crimes. They're also going to try to stir up a lot of anti-gay sentiment."

"Damn it."

"Sorry Jim."

"It's not your fault. It's those jerks in Homicide. I don't know why they're doing this. What the hell did we ever do to them?"

"Some of its jealousy. You have a very good solve rate. That looks good for Major Crimes and consequently bad for Homicide."

"But why the personal attack on you? And by the way, that's 'we'."

"Huh?"

" 'We' have a good solve rate. I couldn't do it without you, Chief."

"Jim, you're a good detective. You don't need me."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't. Maybe it would be better if . . ."

"Shut up. Blair, I do need you. I need you to help me with the senses, but I also need you because you’re my best friend. You are going to be a cop, you're going to be a detective and you're going to be my partner. I'm not going to let anybody get in the way of that, no matter what their rank or position."

Blair gazed up at Jim but didn't say anything.

"So are you going to help me figure out what to do?"

"Um . . . sure Jim."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"What do we do?"

"Don't you have any ideas?"

"Chief, you're the brains in this partnership. I'm just the muscle."

"Now that's not true."

"I know. But I don't have any ideas. And you're really good at coming up with stuff off the top of your head."

Blair sighed. "Okay, let me think a little. What, exactly, are the rumors going around about me?"

"Oh . . . Chief . . . you know."

"No I don't know."

"They're just rumors."

"Jim, just tell me."

"Well, they call you my boy-toy."

"That's an accomplishment. I'm almost thirty. That's a little old for a boy-toy."

"Yea, and like I'd really be able to snag a hot guy like you for a boy-toy."

Blair was silent for a moment. Then he said, "That was kind of a weird thing to say, Jim."

"Yea, I kind of got off track there a little bit."

"Um . . . well let's get back on track. What else are 'they' saying?"

"You sure you want to hear this?"

"How bad can it be? Let me guess. I got to ride along with you for so long because I'm putting out. You let me observe if I suck your dick. Something like that, right?"

"Yes. And Simon, too."

Blair was nodding. "Okay, that makes sense. He had to sign off on the observer pass, so I must be blowing him too. What else?"

"You're doing the Chief, too. That's how you got into the Academy."

"The Chief? Chief of Police Harding, that Chief?"

"Yes, that would be the one."

"That's it, Jim."

"That's what?"

"That's how we nail them. It's one thing to question my integrity, but they're maligning the Chief. I don't think he would appreciate that too much."

"I doubt that he's heard them."

"Exactly. Somehow, we make sure that the Chief hears the rumors."

"That might backfire on us."

"It can't get worse for us. Look, the rumors are about me, you, Simon and the Chief. The four of us know it's not true, but me you and Simon could protest until we're blue in the face and people will say that we're just trying to cover it up. Then there's the Chief. Fine, upstanding family man. Never a hint of any kind of scandal in his whole career. And now there's this rumor that he recommended an unsuitable candidate to the Academy in return for some illicit gay sex."

"Sounds pretty far fetched to me."

"I'm telling you, Jim. If the Chief hears the rumors and where they came from, he will put a stop to them and Wilkins and Jennings will be lucky to keep their rank. What are you grinning at?"

"I told Brown this afternoon that you were a sneaky bastard."

"And that's a good thing?"

"That's a very good thing. I like that in a partner."


End