Challenge Piece
This is for the Metmorphosis Challenge.Unbeta'd. I admit I'm not completely happy with it, but considering my extended creative dearth, I'm happy to have finished something longer than a drabble. Not much longer, but still.
Love and Guns
“I think I’m falling in love here Jim.”
Jim remembered Blair’s words as he stared into crazed brown eyes over the barrel of a gun. He really didn’t see why it was that everyone thought he was the one with bad judgment in the romance department. Sure the women he picked might be criminals, but they weren’t crazy-well, not usually.
Blair had Sam, Cassie and now Maya to cop to. Of course Maya had been first, but she wasn’t crazy back then. At least Jim didn’t think she was. Watching her now as she paced back and forth mumbling under her breath while randomly grabbing things and throwing them into a duffle bag ‘packing’ for Blair, he’d pretty much bet the farm that had changed. Of course his first clue had been when she’d shown up at their door in the middle of the night, pulled a gun and handcuffed them to chairs.
“It’s simple really. If I get rid of you, Blair will belong to me again.” The gun was once more pointed in his direction, and Jim could see that the safety was off. He supposed it was too much to hope that a gunrunner’s daughter wouldn’t know how to use one.
“I never belonged to you Maya.” Blair’s voice was sharp, directing her attention back to him.
Jim shook his head, trying to shush Blair; a near impossibility even in the best of times. Blair’s nervous babbling and frequent obfuscation could sometimes be a benefit, and Jim had always admired the fact that Blair never let himself be cowed when he was held hostage, which was way, way too often for Jim’s peace of mind. This time though, he had a feeling antagonizing Maya was the wrong tact to take.
“You did! You were mine when I left. You cried for me not to go. You think I could not tell when I came back with Francisco that it was different? That you were with him-your detective?”
“Jim and I aren’t together.” Softly stated, and Jim could swear he heard regret in the words, or maybe that was just wishful thinking.
Jim had his hearing turned slightly up, and he could hear the sound of sirens coming closer. He figured one of his neighbors must have called the police. The raised voices, loud thuds and breaking glass from Maya’s mini rampage had disturbed someone enough to get a unit called out, even if it was just for a noise complaint. Jim was confident that once the address came through dispatch Simon would have been notified.
She shook her head. “Do not lie to try and save him. YOU LOVE HIM!” Jim’s hearing was stilled turned up, and the last-delivered in a loud screech caused him to flinch in pain.
Blair looked over at him worriedly. “Are you okay Jim?”
”Don’t talk to him! Don’t!” Suddenly her voice softened and took on a seductive tone that was just as scary to Jim as the shouting had been. “Look at me Blair.” She walked closer and straddled Blair’s lap. “After he’s gone it will be like it was before. You will love me again Blair. I promise.” Blair twisted his head away as she leaned down, pressing kisses over his face.
“Maya, this is"
Jim swallowed hard. Please don’t say crazy.
“crazy.” A hard slap in the face was his reward.
“Basta! It’s not enough that you prefer him to me, but you call me crazy because I know what I want and I’m willing to fight for it? You say you are not together, but I know that he wants you. I could see it in his eyes when he watched us together. I know that you would have forgiven me for what happened if it wasn’t for him. He kept us apart. He doesn’t deserve you Blair, can’t you see that?”
Jim sighed. Blair knew there was nothing that set crazy people off more than that actual word or a variation there of-nuts, insane-anything like that would work. Anybody that ever watched a movie or t.v. show with a crazy person in it knew that. It was Blair’s ex, and his show, but if Blair had a plan other than getting them bothkilled he wasn’t seeing it. He could only hope Simon managed to make it there in time.
“Maya, listen to me. It just wasn’t meant to be, and it’s not because of Jim. I know you don’t want to hurt anybody.” Blair’s voice was soft and coaxing, and Jim breathed a sigh of relief as the gun wavered slightly and then was slowly lowered.
“I’m sorry. I just…I’m so tired of being alone Blair, and I know you loved me.” It was a defeated whisper, and tears filled her eyes.
Blair nodded. “I did.”
“But you love him more. I knew that even then.”
Jim heard footsteps in the hall seconds before there was pounding on the door. “Ellison! Sandburg!”
Maya flinched and her eyes widened with panic.
“Simon, we’re okay. Just give us a minute!” The pounding ceased abruptly at Blair’s shout. “Maya, put the gun down okay?”
She nodded and laid the gun down on the counter. She crossed behind Blair and unlocked his hand. As soon as he was free, Blair stood up and wrapped an arm around her, rubbing her back soothingly. Jim gritted his teeth as she leaned into him, sniffling slightly.
“Am I going to jail?”
“We’ll explain to Simon what happed. It’ll be okay sweetheart, I promise.”
Jim could just imagine how well that would go over with his captain. He knew he should probably feel sorry for her, but the truth was he wanted her under the jail and as far away from Blair as possible. At least he was pretty sure her latest escapade had effectively snuffed out any lingering romantic feelings Sandburg might have had.
Simon was just as unhappy as Jim predicted once Sandburg went to let him in, carefully grabbing the gun on the way to the door.
Once he was assured they were both all right, he reluctantly agreed to leave Maya in the hands of immigration.
“Ah hello? Still handcuffed to the chair guys.”
Blair held up the keys, dangling them from one finger. “Don’t worry about it Simon, I got it.”
He looked at the two of them and shook his head. “The two of you are more trouble than Daryl and he’s a teenager. Why is it romance turns into a national disaster with the two of you?”
Blair gave him a slightly sheepish grin. “We’re working on it Simon-really we are.”
“I hope so gentlemen. I’ll see you two at the station in the morning.” He reached out for Maya. “Ms. Carasco.”
Maya looked up as Simon took her arm. “Are you coming with me Blair?”
He looked at her sadly. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
She nodded, and casting a resigned look between him and Jim, let Simon lead her out of the door.
When the door snapped shut, Jim’s resolve to let Blair handle it his way melted.
“What the hell did you think you were doing Sandburg?”
Blair glared at him as he headed back over to Jim’s chair. “Trying to keep her attention off of you man.” His expression softened. “I hated lying about us Jim, but I wanted her angry at me, not you. I knew she wouldn’t hurt me.”
Jim reluctantly conceded the point to Blair, but couldn’t help but slip in some advice. “Next time though, don’t be so hostile, and never, never call them crazy Blair.”
Blair grinned. “Fine, next time I’ll use my winning charm and gorgeous body to distract them.
“You’d better not. All that belongs to me.” He waited a moment for Blair to agree, but the younger man was staring at him with a gleam in his eye. “Sandburg are you going to uncuff me or what?” Jim eyed him warily as Blair slowly circled him.
“Hmm, maybe.” He inserted the key in the lock, but didn’t turn it.
“Maybe?”
“Yeah. I wanna conduct a little interrogation first.” He straddled Jim’s lap much the same way Maya had straddled his.
Jim swallowed. “What the hell are you doing Chief?”
“When you lured me upstairs to have your wicked way with me right after Karen asked me out, was that really just a coincidence?”
Jim thought of the sweet and vulnerable blonde who worked in records-she was the white picket fence and two point four kids type. He’d overheard her asking Blair out and decided he’d waited long enough to stake his claim. “Completely a coincidence.”
Light teasing kisses covered his mouth. “Were you in love with me way back then? Was Maya right?”
“She was crazy.” Jim’s voice cracked slightly as Blair leaned in and began to nibble down from his earlobe to a spot on his neck that left him gasping and hard. A grinding wiggle told him Blair had definitely noticed.
“Did you try and keep us apart when she showed up again?”
“She was ah…obsessed with you.” The nibbles had turned to a delicate gnawing.
“Hmm.” Blair reached around and turned the key, freeing Jim’s wrists.
Jim sighed as Blair’s tongue came out, lapping gently at the spot like a cat. He brought his arms forward and wrapped them around the man in his lap. “I may know the feeling.”
Love and Guns
“I think I’m falling in love here Jim.”
Jim remembered Blair’s words as he stared into crazed brown eyes over the barrel of a gun. He really didn’t see why it was that everyone thought he was the one with bad judgment in the romance department. Sure the women he picked might be criminals, but they weren’t crazy-well, not usually.
Blair had Sam, Cassie and now Maya to cop to. Of course Maya had been first, but she wasn’t crazy back then. At least Jim didn’t think she was. Watching her now as she paced back and forth mumbling under her breath while randomly grabbing things and throwing them into a duffle bag ‘packing’ for Blair, he’d pretty much bet the farm that had changed. Of course his first clue had been when she’d shown up at their door in the middle of the night, pulled a gun and handcuffed them to chairs.
“It’s simple really. If I get rid of you, Blair will belong to me again.” The gun was once more pointed in his direction, and Jim could see that the safety was off. He supposed it was too much to hope that a gunrunner’s daughter wouldn’t know how to use one.
“I never belonged to you Maya.” Blair’s voice was sharp, directing her attention back to him.
Jim shook his head, trying to shush Blair; a near impossibility even in the best of times. Blair’s nervous babbling and frequent obfuscation could sometimes be a benefit, and Jim had always admired the fact that Blair never let himself be cowed when he was held hostage, which was way, way too often for Jim’s peace of mind. This time though, he had a feeling antagonizing Maya was the wrong tact to take.
“You did! You were mine when I left. You cried for me not to go. You think I could not tell when I came back with Francisco that it was different? That you were with him-your detective?”
“Jim and I aren’t together.” Softly stated, and Jim could swear he heard regret in the words, or maybe that was just wishful thinking.
Jim had his hearing turned slightly up, and he could hear the sound of sirens coming closer. He figured one of his neighbors must have called the police. The raised voices, loud thuds and breaking glass from Maya’s mini rampage had disturbed someone enough to get a unit called out, even if it was just for a noise complaint. Jim was confident that once the address came through dispatch Simon would have been notified.
She shook her head. “Do not lie to try and save him. YOU LOVE HIM!” Jim’s hearing was stilled turned up, and the last-delivered in a loud screech caused him to flinch in pain.
Blair looked over at him worriedly. “Are you okay Jim?”
”Don’t talk to him! Don’t!” Suddenly her voice softened and took on a seductive tone that was just as scary to Jim as the shouting had been. “Look at me Blair.” She walked closer and straddled Blair’s lap. “After he’s gone it will be like it was before. You will love me again Blair. I promise.” Blair twisted his head away as she leaned down, pressing kisses over his face.
“Maya, this is"
Jim swallowed hard. Please don’t say crazy.
“crazy.” A hard slap in the face was his reward.
“Basta! It’s not enough that you prefer him to me, but you call me crazy because I know what I want and I’m willing to fight for it? You say you are not together, but I know that he wants you. I could see it in his eyes when he watched us together. I know that you would have forgiven me for what happened if it wasn’t for him. He kept us apart. He doesn’t deserve you Blair, can’t you see that?”
Jim sighed. Blair knew there was nothing that set crazy people off more than that actual word or a variation there of-nuts, insane-anything like that would work. Anybody that ever watched a movie or t.v. show with a crazy person in it knew that. It was Blair’s ex, and his show, but if Blair had a plan other than getting them bothkilled he wasn’t seeing it. He could only hope Simon managed to make it there in time.
“Maya, listen to me. It just wasn’t meant to be, and it’s not because of Jim. I know you don’t want to hurt anybody.” Blair’s voice was soft and coaxing, and Jim breathed a sigh of relief as the gun wavered slightly and then was slowly lowered.
“I’m sorry. I just…I’m so tired of being alone Blair, and I know you loved me.” It was a defeated whisper, and tears filled her eyes.
Blair nodded. “I did.”
“But you love him more. I knew that even then.”
Jim heard footsteps in the hall seconds before there was pounding on the door. “Ellison! Sandburg!”
Maya flinched and her eyes widened with panic.
“Simon, we’re okay. Just give us a minute!” The pounding ceased abruptly at Blair’s shout. “Maya, put the gun down okay?”
She nodded and laid the gun down on the counter. She crossed behind Blair and unlocked his hand. As soon as he was free, Blair stood up and wrapped an arm around her, rubbing her back soothingly. Jim gritted his teeth as she leaned into him, sniffling slightly.
“Am I going to jail?”
“We’ll explain to Simon what happed. It’ll be okay sweetheart, I promise.”
Jim could just imagine how well that would go over with his captain. He knew he should probably feel sorry for her, but the truth was he wanted her under the jail and as far away from Blair as possible. At least he was pretty sure her latest escapade had effectively snuffed out any lingering romantic feelings Sandburg might have had.
Simon was just as unhappy as Jim predicted once Sandburg went to let him in, carefully grabbing the gun on the way to the door.
Once he was assured they were both all right, he reluctantly agreed to leave Maya in the hands of immigration.
“Ah hello? Still handcuffed to the chair guys.”
Blair held up the keys, dangling them from one finger. “Don’t worry about it Simon, I got it.”
He looked at the two of them and shook his head. “The two of you are more trouble than Daryl and he’s a teenager. Why is it romance turns into a national disaster with the two of you?”
Blair gave him a slightly sheepish grin. “We’re working on it Simon-really we are.”
“I hope so gentlemen. I’ll see you two at the station in the morning.” He reached out for Maya. “Ms. Carasco.”
Maya looked up as Simon took her arm. “Are you coming with me Blair?”
He looked at her sadly. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
She nodded, and casting a resigned look between him and Jim, let Simon lead her out of the door.
When the door snapped shut, Jim’s resolve to let Blair handle it his way melted.
“What the hell did you think you were doing Sandburg?”
Blair glared at him as he headed back over to Jim’s chair. “Trying to keep her attention off of you man.” His expression softened. “I hated lying about us Jim, but I wanted her angry at me, not you. I knew she wouldn’t hurt me.”
Jim reluctantly conceded the point to Blair, but couldn’t help but slip in some advice. “Next time though, don’t be so hostile, and never, never call them crazy Blair.”
Blair grinned. “Fine, next time I’ll use my winning charm and gorgeous body to distract them.
“You’d better not. All that belongs to me.” He waited a moment for Blair to agree, but the younger man was staring at him with a gleam in his eye. “Sandburg are you going to uncuff me or what?” Jim eyed him warily as Blair slowly circled him.
“Hmm, maybe.” He inserted the key in the lock, but didn’t turn it.
“Maybe?”
“Yeah. I wanna conduct a little interrogation first.” He straddled Jim’s lap much the same way Maya had straddled his.
Jim swallowed. “What the hell are you doing Chief?”
“When you lured me upstairs to have your wicked way with me right after Karen asked me out, was that really just a coincidence?”
Jim thought of the sweet and vulnerable blonde who worked in records-she was the white picket fence and two point four kids type. He’d overheard her asking Blair out and decided he’d waited long enough to stake his claim. “Completely a coincidence.”
Light teasing kisses covered his mouth. “Were you in love with me way back then? Was Maya right?”
“She was crazy.” Jim’s voice cracked slightly as Blair leaned in and began to nibble down from his earlobe to a spot on his neck that left him gasping and hard. A grinding wiggle told him Blair had definitely noticed.
“Did you try and keep us apart when she showed up again?”
“She was ah…obsessed with you.” The nibbles had turned to a delicate gnawing.
“Hmm.” Blair reached around and turned the key, freeing Jim’s wrists.
Jim sighed as Blair’s tongue came out, lapping gently at the spot like a cat. He brought his arms forward and wrapped them around the man in his lap. “I may know the feeling.”