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Notes: Xover with Inspector Morse

The men we love
by Stacy L.A. Stronach, August 1997


Blair Sandburg and Robert (my friends call me Robbie) Lewis sat
across from each other in a booth at the pub, both men quietly
enjoying their dinner. Lewis and his partner, Chief Inspector E.
Morse, were in Cascade trying to locate a witness, one who could
possibly put away a very dangerous criminal, back in Oxford,
England, where the two men worked for the Thames Valley Police.


"Blair, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" Robbie
said, looking at the younger man.


"No, go ahead," Blair replied. He really liked Robbie--he was a
very sweet man, and seemed to enjoy listening to Blair when he
talked about the various tribes and places he'd visited. He'd
even ask questions, something Blair's lover and partner, Jim
Ellison almost never did.


"Are you and Jim, um, are you two lovers?" Robbie asked, not sure how
Blair would react.


Blair smiled, and looked at Robbie, "Yes, we are Robbie. Why do
you ask?"


"Well, the way you two act it just seemed like you were, you know what
I mean?"


"Gods, I hope we aren't that obvious. I mean, we don't go out
of our way to hide it, but we certainly don't take out a
billboard to advertise it!" Blair said, a little concerned.


"I think if you're in that type of relationship yourself, you
recognize it a little more quickly in others," Robbie answered,
avoiding Blair's eyes.


"You mean you're...? Oh, gods, it's Morse, isn't it--you two are
lovers? Man..." Blair said, quietly, then frowned as noticed the
wedding band Robbie was wearing. "Are you married?"


Looking into the younger man's blue eyes, Robbie answered,"Yeah,
and she knows about Morse. Our marriage has been one in name only for
quite a number of years, and she's had a couple of affairs.
So, when this thing with Morse started, I told her, she was happy for
me. Glad I'd found someone."


"Why do you stay married, man? I mean if you divorced it'd be
easier wouldn't it?" Blair questioned.


"I guess we've just been married for so long, it's a habit. And
then there's the children. Besides, as much as I love him, I
don't know that I could live with him. I really don't think he'd
be comfortable with that. Morse has been a bachelor so long, I
don't know that he could stand to share his house with me, or
anyone else for that matter!" Robbie said, with a laugh. "Do you
and Jim live together?"


"Yeah, but when I first moved in, we were only friends, lovers
came later. He is not the easiest man in the world to live
with--he's such a neat freak. The man has all these house rules
we have to live by, although I do have to admit that he's let up
on a few of them since we became lovers. But I do love him very
much," Blair said, smiling, as he thought of his lover.


"Well, Morse isn't that bad when it comes to that, but he really
loves opera--not something I really enjoy-- and he reads all
these philosophers and really intellectual stuff. Way over my
level. But I do find it interesting to listen to him. You're like that
too, all that stuff about those different tribes around the
world, you know so much. I don't know how you keep it all in
your head, Blair," Lewis said.


"Lots of room up there," Blair joked. "Can I ask you why you
always call him `Morse'--doesn't he have a first name?"


"There's a rumour to that affect, but nobody knows for sure,"
Robbie replied, laughing. "He's never told me. Hell, I don't even think
our boss knows what it is. Morse is like that--if he
doesn't want you to know something, he won't tell you. Drives me
batty sometimes, having to poke and prod to get anything out of
him."


"Oh, I know how you feel, Robbie, Jim can be just as bad--
especially when it comes to his feelings, trying to get him to
talk about how he feels is harder than pulling teeth!"


"Yeah, same with Morse. And he shoulders more than his share of
guilt over some of the things that happen with our cases--over
things he had no control over, that certainly aren't his
responsibility. I've been trying to break him of that habit."


"Oh, my Jim does the guilt thing quite well too. When he does
that, he takes his anger out on me, yelling at me, acting like I
don't have two clues. That really pisses me off."


"Hmmm, I feel like that with Morse a lot of the time, he's just
got such a brilliant mind that I feel like the dunce in the
corner," Robbie said, smiling sadly.


"Gods, we're sitting here trashing our men, I wonder what they'd
think of that? Probably wouldn't say much," Blair laughed. "But I wouldn't
trade Jim for anything in the world, I love him so
much."


"I know, I feel the same about Morse. He may not be the most
sensitive man in the world, but he's mine, and I love him,"
Robbie replied, and looking at his watch and seeing the time, he
said, "Blair, I think I'd better head back to the hotel, it's
getting quite late, and we've got another long day ahead of us
tomorrow."


"Okay Robbie, see ya tomorrow. Oh, do you need a drive?"


"Nope, got a rental car, but thanks Blair. See you tomorrow,"
Robbie replied.


Lewis sighed as he unlocked the door to the hotel room he was
sharing with Morse. It had been a long day, but he'd had a
thoroughly enjoyable conversation with Blair. He unbuttoned his
shirt as he walked into the bedroom he was sharing with his
lover. Morse looked up from the book he was reading, a gentle
smile playing across his face as he watched the younger man get
undressed. "So, Robbie, did you and young Blair have a good
time?"


"Yeah. Did you know he and Jim are lovers?" Robbie asked as he
removed the last of his clothing and climbed into bed with Morse, as
the older man set his book aside.


"No, I didn't Robbie, but I suspected something of the sort."
Morse replied, wrapping his arms around his lover and pulling him down
for a kiss. It was a gentle, passionate kiss, mouths open,
tongues tasting, savouring each other. They pulled away from each other
after a long moment, and both yawned. Both men laughed, and as Robbie
reached to turn off the lamp, Morse said, "I think
we're both too tired for much more than holding each other, don't you?"


"Hmm, yes, I am tired, Love," Robbie murmured against his lover's shoulder
as he fell asleep.


Blair entered the loft as quietly as he could, although he knew
the sound of the key in the lock would wake Jim if he were
sleeping. He hung up his jacket and placed his keys in the
basket, then quickly made his way upstairs to their bedroom. As
Blair undressed, Jim asked, "So, did you and Lewis have a good
time, Chief?"


"Yeah, man, he's a really great guy. Get this, he and Morse are
lovers!!" Blair said, as he climbed under the covers and
cuddled up next to Jim, smiling as the older man put his arms
around him.


"I'd already figured that one out," Jim said.


"How?" Blair asked, surprised.


"This afternoon, when we reviewing the files? I suddenly heard
Lewis' heart rate increase and sensed higher pheromone levels,
and when I dropped my pen on the floor--I didn't do it on
purpose, Chief!--I looked across at them, and Morse had his hand
on Lewis' thigh. So, I figured they were lovers. Simple detective work,"
Jim answered.


"No fair, man, I can't ever surprise you," Blair whispered, as he started
to fall asleep.


"Blair, you always manage to surprise me," Jim answered, hugging
his lover closer, as they both fell into sleep.


End The men we love