Life Goes On by Kathy S Part 2

[oescahro]

Life Goes On Part 2

Megan reached for the deck of cards and dealt out the hand. “Simon said you had left town,” she finally said.

“Yeah I know. He has a hate on for me and I don’t understand it,” Blair answered picking up his cards, fanning them in his hand and sorting them.

No one spoke as they all sorted and organized their cards.

Joel threw his ante into the centre of the table. “Blair, we know what you did for three of the five years you were gone. What about the other two?”

Blair smiled conspiringly at them. “I got my doctorate on sentinels.”

“What?” they all shouted at once, H choking on his drink.

Blair slapped him on his back and waited for him to breathe again before he continued. “The tribe I found or found me had two sentinels. I spent the three years with them learning all I could. The next two years I spent in Canada getting my doctorate and writing my thesis on sentinels because this time I had two sentinels and their guides for reference. When I found out Rainer was looking for an anthropology professor I applied and was shocked to find out they would hire me. I accepted and here I am.”

“It’s great to have you back in Cascade. Now its time to win some money.” Rafe said finally throwing his ante in. The clink of the rest of chips followed and they started to play some serious poker. The bantering just like old times and Blair felt like he was home.

Megan asked, “I’ve been thinking about that note Sandy. Simon could have taken it but that doesn’t make sense. How could he make Jim suffer so much and say he cares about him?”

“I don’t think Simon would have kept the note from Jim if he found it,” Blair said.

“Jim hasn’t made any effort to contact you since you got back?” Joel asked.

“No, but then to be honest I don’t think he knew I was here. How come none of you tried to find me after the first day?”

“Simon said you had left town and there was no reason we shouldn’t believe him,” H said, the truth dawning on him as he talked.

Blair rolled his eyes. “What is it with all you people? Simon says something and you all just take his word for it? Megan, you of all people.”

No one spoke. They all looked down ashamed. Finally Megan said, “you know when you left we all hated what was happening to Jim in front of our eyes and Simon was the strong one who held us all together until the hurt from what you did became less. We just never thought of questioning him after that I guess. I never realized until now how much we relied on him.” She finished quietly.

“That makes sense,” Blair said understanding, “That doesn’t mean I’m going to forgive Simon so easily for what he is doing because he does know what he’s doing. In the long run this is going to hurt Jim a lot worse than trying to protect him with lies.”

A week later Megan called off a lunch with Blair because she had research to do on an old case and didn’t have time, so Blair brought lunch for both of them, saying he would help her with her research while they ate.

Then suddenly Simon yelling broke into the silence of everyone working. “Sandburg, get out of my bullpen.”

Blair choked on his sandwich and dropped the file he was reading and Megan, who was reaching for her soda, missed and knocked it over all over the files.

“Sandburg, look at the mess you’ve made. Clean that up and get your ass out of here and don’t let me see your face in here again. Got that?” Simon stood glaring at Blair.

Blair leaned down to picked up the papers he had dropped on the floor and put them back in the folder, still coughing from the sandwich that had gone down the wrong way. He put the file on the desk, stood while taking a drink and looked at Simon. He put his cup on the desk. “What the hell is your problem? I came to have lunch with a friend and help while I was here. You can yell all you want but I’m not going to stay away from my friends because you have issues. Go see someone about them, but don’t you ever yell at me like that again, you got that?”

Before anyone could say anything Simon hauled off and punched Blair in the eye and he fell into Megan’s desk causing all the files to slide onto the floor and Blair with them.

Joel walked in just in time to see the punch land. He hurried over and pulled Simon into his office and closed the door.

“Simon what was that about?” Joel asked in disgust.

“That little weasel thinks he can just come in here and I’m not going to stand for it,” Simon said with clenched teeth.

“What did he do that has you so upset? Did he let a prisoner go? Tie himself to a desk and protest?” Joel said as he glaring at his long time friend.

“You’re not funny, Joel, he hit me a few weeks ago,” Simon said hands on his hips staring out into the bullpen as he watched everyone help clean up the mess on Megan’s desk. Sandburg was nowhere in sight.

“He what? Sandburg, never!” Joel registered disbelief as he stumbled over his words.

“He did,” Simon replied walking around his desk and sitting down behind it. “I’m Captain and I say who comes into my bullpen and Sandburg isn’t going to be setting foot in here again, you got that Joel?”

“Oh I got that, but what is wrong with you? How about you take a week off and do some fishing, come back a little more clear headed, while I take over for you.”

Simon nodded. “I could use some time off. Jim and I haven’t been fishing in a while.”

“Doesn’t Jim have a business to run?” Joel asked, concerned at Simon’s assumption that Jim would go with him.

“That’s the beauty of having your own business - he can go fishing whenever he wants,” Simon declared reaching for his jacket on the back of his chair.

Joel looked worried as he watched Simon leave.

Megan was fuming as she squatted and picked up all the files and put them back in order. It seemed to take forever and the longer it took the angrier she became. Finding the correct folder for the loose sheets of paper was not easy.

Everyone stayed clear of Megan as she mumbled to herself while she worked. Every so often someone would find a stray piece of paper and bring it to her. No one said a word. There were no words that could help.

Finally she had them all and with a sigh sat down heavily and almost slid out of her chair as her foot slid on one more piece of paper under her desk. “Bugger.” Righting herself in the chair she pushed it back and reached to pick up the small piece of paper. She looked at it and as she read what it said her eyes got bigger. Simon hadn’t taken Blair’s note because here it was. Jim must have been working on one of the cases and the note was slipped inside somehow.

Simon got home and called the campground he and Jim liked and reserved their favorite camping spot. He was packing when Jim came home that evening.

“Hey Simon what’s this?” Jim asked when he saw the tent and fishing poles by the front door.

“We’re going fishing,” he said. “I’ve packed for you.”

“I can’t go, I just landed that estate I mentioned the other day.”

“Call and tell them something came up and you’ll do it in a week,” Simon cajoled. “How long has it been since we’ve gone fishing?”

Jim contemplated for a few seconds. “It’s been too long since we’ve been fishing, I guess I could. Sure, let me make that call, I hadn’t said I would do it this week,” Jim said laughing.

Jim made his call and they piled the gear into Simon’s SUV and left.

Blair had gone back to the University and applied ice to his eye and carried on the best he could considering how angry he was. With the anger came the resolution. He would just call and invite Jim out for a beer and work it out from there. Blair smiled evilly to himself. He would mess with Jim’s senses as often and in as many ways as he could think of and that was plenty. He would show Simon who Jim needed.

That night he called and when no one answered at the apartment he left a message, fully aware that if Simon collected it he would erase it. Not a problem. He called Jim’s office and got no answer there either, but he left a message there too. He felt better having made up his mind.

The next morning when he didn’t hear from Jim he called Jim’s office again and found out he’d gone fishing. So that’s how Simon was going to keep him away.

Knowing Simon was gone Blair went to Major Crimes three times that week. The first day everyone was shocked to see the extent of his taking Simon’s punch to the eye. The white of his eye was blood red and the darkness of the skin around the eye looked as painful as it was.

Joel had welcomed him and invited him out to lunch the first day.

“Sure Joel, I’d like that.” It made him feel good that Joel wanted to spend time with him especially since he was a good friend to Simon.

“I just have to sign a few things for Rhonda then we can go.”

“No problem,” Blair answered but as he waited and his mind started to wonder and it headed straight for trouble. He started doubting Joel’s motive for the lunch. Joel had been fine with him being in the bullpen while Simon wasn’t there but what would happen when Simon was back? Would Joel defend him? He worked himself into dreading the lunch when he had so looked forward to it a moment ago. He second-guessed himself when he saw the smile on Joel’s face when he emerged from Simon’s office.

“I know this place that you’ll love once you’ve tried it.” Joel led him out of the bullpen and into the waiting elevator.

Once in the elevator Blair said, “Tell me about this restaurant.”

Joel laughed. “Oh no, you have to wait and experience it. It’s been open for about a year and as soon as I read the flyer I thought of you and went to try it and now I go a couple times a month. I took Jim there once and he said it reminded him too much of you and as far as I know he’s never been back.”

The elevator stopped at the garage and they both got out. Joel led the way to his car. Neither spoke as they put on their seatbelts and Joel drove out of the underground parking. When they had entered traffic Joel broke the silence.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought up Jim.”

“No, it’s fine, I don’t want anyone to walk on eggshells because Jim and I are having a little trouble connecting.”

“It doesn’t help that Simon is making it difficult between you two. To be honest I have no idea why he is doing what he’s doing. He hasn’t talked to me about Jim in the years you’ve been gone.”

“Never?” Blair asked, stunned by the revelation. “I always thought you and Simon were tight.”

“We are good friends but when it came to Jim after you left he was tight lipped and no amount of prodding got anything out of him so we all gave up,” Joel said unhappily.

“I never knew how many people were affected by my decision but Joel, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” Blair turned to look at Joel as he said it.

Joel took his eyes off the road for a couple of seconds as he slowed down for a red light. He felt that Blair was trying to send him a message with the look but had no idea what or why and not sure he should ask or even wanted to know. He looked back to the road and turned on his signal to turn right.

“It’s just a few blocks down here. As soon as you see the sign you’ll know it.”

Blair started looking for it and laughed when he spotted it. “Oh yeah, Joel, sounds like my kind of place. Simply Organic.”

Joel laughed. “I thought you might like it.”

Joel parked in the lot for the restaurant and they both headed towards the entrance. “Blair you’re going to love the décor too its all natural - nothing synthetic from the wall decorations to the dishes you’re served on.”

Blair walked in and smiled as he was reminded of life on the communes his mom used to live in periodically. This had the same relaxed easygoing atmosphere.

They could choose to sit at one long table in the middle of the room or one of the smaller booths around the edge. Blair looked at the camaraderie at the long table but decided he and Joel needed to talk and chose a booth.

They both watched the long table as a single person came in and chose to sit at the table, the hostess encouraged everyone to introduce themselves and just like that he was part of the group.

“What a great idea,” Blair said as he opened his menu.

After they ordered and were served their drinks Blair looked at Joel. “You had a reason for this lunch?”

“Yes as a matter a fact I did.” Joel started, but stopped to take a deep breath. “That day that Simon hit you in the bullpen he said you had hit him. First off I find that hard to believe but I also know Simon wouldn’t lie. Since when does pacifist Blair Sandburg hit someone, let alone Simon.”

“When Simon started acting like a selfish bastard, that’s when!” Blair said heatedly. “You know from the minute I saw him on my first day back he has let me feel his disappointment and it just seemed everywhere I went I ran into his angry face. When Jim took me to his apartment or their penthouse to talk, we hadn’t even gotten started when Simon showed up his with usual expression of hatred and I saw red and hit him. Joel, I have never been that angry in my life.”

“He hasn’t talked to me about it so I have no idea what is going on. I also didn’t know he saw you before you came to the precinct.”

Their food arrived and they didn’t speak for a few minutes and then Blair started. “The two of them going fishing is bothering me too. I assumed Jim would want to catch up since we hadn’t seen each other for five years. It kind of hurts he’s not interested.”

Joel put his fork down and wiped his mouth. “I didn’t know Jim went. I was hoping he would have to stay because of his business.”

“Yep and I can’t help but think that Simon made sure he went so we couldn’t get together.”

“From what I know about Ellison no one gets him to do anything he doesn’t want to.”

“No one tells Jim Ellison the detective what to do but Jim Ellison the sentinel is another matter altogether. Simon has been taking the place of his guide so the sentinel will not easily challenge him.”

Joel contemplated that for a few moments while Blair ate.

“I need to get some time with him because this is ludicrous since he has his senses turned off,” Blair declared emphatically.

“He does?” Joel asked bewildered.

“Joel, why do you sound so surprised?”

“I just assumed he was using them. I asked Simon about Jim and his senses and he said he had figured it all out.”

Blair mulled over what he had just heard while he finished his lunch and pushed his plate away.

Joel looked at his watch as the server came to remove their plates and asked if they needed anything else, saying she’d bring the bill when they declined.

“Now more than ever I need to talk to Jim and see how he’s doing,” Blair said as he took out his wallet.

“I wish I could have been more help,” Joel said as he put his money on the tray.

They both stood and walked out to the car.

“When are Simon and Jim back from their fishing trip?” Blair asked once the car started moving.

“I’m not sure, I told Simon to come back when he felt better and knowing Simon he’ll be back in a few days. Week tops.”

“Thanks for lunch and since Simon’s objective is to keep me and Jim apart Simon will try and keep him away as long as he can.”

Joel nodded in agreement. “You’re probably right.”

“You know Joel, I’m not the same person I was when I left. You can’t spent three years in the jungle with a tribe living in the tough environment they do and not change.”

“I understand that but somehow I don’t think Simon will give you a free pass if you hit him again.”

“I didn’t get a free pass, Joel.”

“No, I guess you didn’t, and I’m assuming that when Simon gets back you won’t be coming by the station.”

Blair looked out the window and not at Joel when he answered. “No, I won’t.”

Joel nodded his head. “I’ll talk to Simon.”

Blair answered sadly, “No, don’t, it wouldn’t help. Just leave it alone - I’ll take care of it.”

“Want me to drop you at the University? Seeing as how we’re close.”

“Sure, Joel, thanks.”

Joel pulled to the curb and Blair got out, closed the door and waved to Joel. He watched as Joel pulled away from the curb before he turned to go inside.

The next night he had a beer and wings after work with H and Rafe. It was great being one of the guys. They flirted with the girls, played darts and discussed things in general including Simon and his hitting Blair and what they thought Megan would do with the pictures she had taken of Blair’s black eye. They did concede that Jim would be furious if he knew.

Simon walked into Major Crimes relaxed and smiling.

Megan frowned. Then she smiled as she thought of his first clue at her unhappiness.

Simon saw the look and knew the Aussie was going to give him trouble but he wouldn’t admit to anyone that he regretted what he had done to Blair.

Blair knew when Jim was back because he called him as soon as he got to his office and heard Blair’s message and yes he would love to meet him for dinner at O’Leary’s pub and grill.

Blair was seated in a booth and saw Jim arrive. He watched him closely as he squinted when he came in from the setting sun outside, to the dimly lit interior. When Jim not only squinted but closed his eyes for a moment Blair started getting a little worried but just as he was about to go help him, Jim opened his eyes and headed straight for him, a big smile on his face. Blair smiled - Jim had closed his eyes to sense him.

“Hi,” Jim said as he sat.

“I wasn’t sure if you would get away from Simon and actually come,” Blair said.

Jim scowled. “I know you’re pissed at Simon but stop maligning him. It’s not like you, Sandburg.”

Blair felt a little humiliated at Jim’s words but he knew he was right. “I guess we’ve both changed over the years. I’m not going to apologize, Jim, because I am angry at him and he needs to apologize to me - and we both know that isn’t going to happen.”

The server came they ordered and they looked at each other wondering where to go from here.

Jim finally broke the silence. “I get your point, but I’m not here to talk about Simon. I want to hear about what had you so busy you stayed away for five years.”

“I didn’t stay away for five years because I was busy, I stayed away so you would be safe.”

“I can take care of myself,” Jim said succinctly.

“You know I’m not talking about physically, the media could have destroyed you and your life.”

“Simon took good care of me then.”

Blair looked at him unhappily. “I’m tired of everyone blaming me for everything. You oh great detective,” he said sarcastically, “didn’t look for me and don’t tell me you did. I started off the grid but I surfaced two years ago. In Canada, but I surfaced and you didn’t bother. I wasn’t ready but you have the abilities, no pun intended, to find me and you didn’t. I didn’t dare contact you incase the government had you under surveillance. You were in the Rangers so I know if you wanted to you could have come to see me undetected but I couldn’t do the same. I’ve been in Cascade a month and you didn’t bother.” He stopped himself from mentioning Simon but his glare said it all.

“I - uh - deserve that.”

“Yes you do, and a lot more. I have asked the others and now I’m asking you - why does everyone believe what Simon says with no questions? I have a feeling I could have been in Cascade for a lot longer and you wouldn’t have made any effort to find me. Another question, you see me at Rainer and you leave to go fishing with Simon and you want to blame me for everything. Aw hell, I’m out of here, I can’t do this until you’re ready to leave Simon. Yes I said leave. I don’t like you very much the way you are.” When he was finished venting he stood up and walked out passing the server as she brought his order.

“Pack it up and let him take it home,” Blair told her.

Blair couldn’t believe he had lost it so badly, which seemed to be a trend when he was around Jim, but he was so tired of taking the blame for everything and Simon’s undermining him every step.

Jim watched as Blair disappeared out of the door.

After the server brought the packaged food he paid and walked slowly to his car.

What was wrong with Blair? There was no talking to him and why if he had wanted to be found so badly hadn’t he phoned?

A few days later Blair opened the door to find Jim standing on his porch and his jaw dropped in shock.

“Can I come in?” Jim asked.

Blair closed his mouth to answer, “Yes, come on in. I see you finally found me.”

“You didn’t give me much choice,” Jim said as he stepped inside.

Blair led him into the living room. “Can I get you a beer? I think I need one.”

“Sure,” Jim answered as he sat down in a plush chair and sunk in.

A few minutes later Blair came back with a beer and handed it to Jim and then sat across from him in another chair. “What brings you here?” he asked, taking a long pull on his beer while he waited for Jim to answer.

Jim looked at Blair for a few moments before he opened his mouth to speak. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Aw, shit Jim, come on, you can’t possibly not know what I want from you. How about you tell me why you let Simon control your life.”

“He doesn’t control my life. I do what I want when I want.”

Blair looked stunned. “When did you get this stupid? I contact you to meet and conveniently you go fishing. With Simon, who by the way knew I was in town. I was mad - no I was furious at you. Still am. So talk already or get out. I can’t take this…” Blair floundered for words to describe Jim’s attitude. “This person you’ve become. If this is my fault for leaving I’m sorry. How many times do you want me to apologize?”

“Blair, after you left I was in a bad way and Simon helped me. It was rough at first, he had all the information but he had trouble making it work and it was convenient for us to live together so he could do what you use to do for me.”

“You don’t use the senses. Why would you need Simon?”

“After you left my senses seemed fine for a while then one day they just went out of control and it took weeks with Simon’s help for me to get control of them. When I did it was because I turned them down - I couldn’t use them without you. Simon was staying at the loft and by then most of his personal stuff was there and we decided that just in case my senses flared up he should be handy and he moved in.”

“You make them sound like an infection. Jim, I’m back and we can have what we had before,” Blair said with passion.

“I can’t do that to Simon,” Jim said firmly. “You have no idea how hard he worked to help me. He’s been a great friend.”

Blair groaned. “Jim, see there you go again. Simon sure has gotten protective of you which would be fine if it didn’t look so desperate on his part.”

“Desperate? Simon is not desperate.”

“Why’d he take you fishing?”

“What’s with you and this fishing trip? Did you think he should have invited you?”

Blair stood up and all but shouted, “No, I don’t I think he should have invited me. I think you should have stayed in town and contacted me or at the least not gone, and thought about why I had come back.”

Now Jim stood and faced Blair. “You can’t stand that I replaced you.”

“What?” Blair lowered his voice. “Where did that come from? First of all sentinel, you can’t replace me - I am your guide. Your one and only guide, and yes I left you because there was no other options to protect you from crazy people who would want to use your abilities and we both know who they are.” He stopped just before mentioning things he wasn’t ready to share. “It hurt me to leave you. Maybe not as much as you and your senses hurt, but I was not in a good place either when I left.” Blair took a deep breath before he continued. “I didn’t have friends to help me through it.”

Jim just looked at him blankly. “You always had lots of friends.”

“In Cascade I gave up everything for you.”

“I didn’t ask you to and my senses sure needed you but you left anyway.”

Blair looked at him and sighed. “Get out of here and I’ll let you carry on with your life with Simon and your business and I’ll do the same as the tenured professor at Rainer.”

“You’re what?” Jim asked, shocked. “I was wondering what you were doing at Rainer when I saw you but I thought you were just looking up old friends. How did that happen?”

Blair’s eyes showed his emotions and he couldn’t do this without breaking down totally and he wasn’t going to do that in front of this man. “Not now.”

“Get out Jim,” he said as he opened his front door. “Just so you know, as soon as I could get my hands on a computer I looked you up to see if you were safe.”

Jim walked out and stopped on the other side as the door closed. Blair slid to the floor on his side of the door and the tears flowed silently. He held back the sobs he felt rising from the thought that he had lost his sentinel.

Jim slowly walked to his car. He had heard Blair’s breath hitch and knew he was crying. He had carried on with his life the way he assumed Blair would have wanted but now it seemed as if Blair hadn’t wanted him to. But why and why did he have it in for Simon? Before Blair left he and Simon were friends. Why did he think Simon didn’t like him? Simon had never said anything against Blair that he knew of, but Blair wasn’t one to make up things either.

Jim went to the office and looked up Blair Sandburg. He sat stunned at his computer, Blair had his done his thesis on sentinel and guides. Now he had to go to the Rainer library and find a copy of Sandburg’s thesis.

Simon walked into the bullpen on his way to his office and stopped dead in his tracks.

There were pictures of Blair’s black eye all over the office. Taped to his office door and all the windows.

He closed his blinds and pulled them all down and put them in the garbage then he sat down at his computer and found someone had made his desktop Blair and his black eye. He changed that and sat back in his chair.

Jim pulled the copy of Blair’s thesis and sat down to read. After fifteen minutes he started sneezing and couldn’t stop. He finally put the thesis back on the shelf and headed out. He could hardly drive home - his eyes were watering and the sneezing was driving him crazy. He could hardly breathe between sneezes. He parked his car and called for the elevator. It seemed to take forever for the elevator to stop and open. He thought once he was in his own home it would stop but no such luck.

Out of desperation he ran cold water to cool his face, which felt flushed from sneezing for so long. After that it finally stopped. He sat down, relieved, but wondering what could possibly have happened. Obviously it was from the library but he’d been in a library before and nothing like that had happened. Someone must have been in there with something he was very allergic to but what? He couldn’t remember smelling anything. Sandburg had always said he could recall anything he wanted to. He tried and couldn’t come up with anything.

He went back to the library to try again, hoping whatever had bothered him before was gone.

He opened the book tentatively and waited just in case it had been the book, and sure enough he felt the tickle in his nose. He closed the book and put it back.

Blair smiled as he opened his eyes and stood to blow out all the candles and wash his face of the ceremonial paint.

“Megan,” Simon started, handing her a file. She didn’t reach for it. “I have a new case for you,” he continued still holding out the file for her. She was staring at him with fire in her eyes. “What is wrong with you? Take this file and get to work.”

She took the file and dropped it on her desk. “As soon as I get back from lunch,” she said and walked away.

Everyone in the room held their breath and waited. Then it came.

“CONNER.”

She kept on walking, taking the stairs.

Simon was taken aback as he watched her then he walked into his office without another word.

Megan met Blair for lunch at the bistro he had mentioned. They picked up their food and sat at a corner table.

“How are you Blair, talked to Jim yet?”

“He came to see me but I threw him out.”

“Blair, why?” she said flabbergasted.

Blair took his time chewing before he swallowed and answered. “His mindset about Simon is really pissing me off. He accused me of being jealous of him replacing me with Simon.” As Blair started talking he got all caught up in his frustration with Jim and as he got more excited as he spoke and louder. “I am his guide…”

Megan touched his arm shushing him.

“Sorry, he just made me so mad. Jim thinks I just walked out and I didn’t. I wouldn’t have done that,” Blair said working hard to keep his voice down.

“I found the note,” Megan said.

Blair stared at her dumbfounded. “You found the note? Where? Then you know I told Jim that the only way I could think of to protect him was to leave town.” He just stopped at that point his eyes welling up with tears he worked hard at not letting escape.

Megan’s heart broke for the man seated across from her. How was she going to tell him she’d had the note for over a week? If it wouldn’t have been for that embezzlement case and the fact she hadn’t seen Blair. She had only remembered the note because Jim’s name had come up.

“Yes I know, I read the note and Blair, I wish I knew how to help,” She said.

“I appreciate that but I also know only I can fix this.”

“Maybe so but you know it wouldn’t be this bad if Simon hadn’t interfered and would let you and Jim reconcile but I know he’s working hard at not letting that happen. Maybe he thinks that you’ll leave and hurt him again,” Megan suggested.

“Whose side are you on?” Blair was more than a little hurt by the words.

“Yours. I’m just saying that maybe Simon is really just doing what he thinks a good friend would do.”

“He’s got it wrong.”

“He’s not being objective.”

“What do I do then, I have learned so much from the tribe I spent three years with and I want to help Jim be the best he can be. Simon should want the same if he really is Jim’s friend.”

“Yes he should, but he doesn’t know about your time with the tribe or your thesis or your being a professor at the University.”

“You’re saying I should tell him?” Blair asked, stunned. “He’s the captain of a bullpen full of detectives, that makes him the supposedly the best Detective. Let him figure it out,” Blair replied stubbornly.

Megan smiled. “I agree but realistically Simon doesn’t see it that way.”

Blair looked at Megan with mischief in his eyes.

“What have you done?” she asked, a big smile on her face.

“Nothing yet but I thought I would set off Jim’s senses and watch Simon handle them.”

Megan laughed. “No you don’t, you want to watch him to crawl back.”

“Tomato tamato.” Blair laughed as well.

“Blair, you are devious.” She said, happily. “Can I help?”

“Sure, in fact I could use some help,” Blair admitted. “It has to be subtle - after all Jim is a sentinel and a detective.”

“What is my first assignment?” she asked eagerly.

“When Jim comes to the office to see Simon do something subtle but not loudly just so he can hear it, and turn on the tap in the break room just enough to steadily run, softly stir your coffee. Things like that, something to keep his senses occupied. I’m not sure of exactly how but you can figure it out.”

“No problem.” She gave a little laugh.

“Isn’t your lunch break over?”

“Not to worry. I’m showing Simon how little respect I have for him.”

“Megan, don’t lose your job over me.”

“Not a chance of that, Simon knows what I’m doing,” Megan said.

Blair laughed and it felt good. “I think you shouldn’t push your luck with Simon.”

“You could be right, Simon’s kind of unpredictable lately.”

They waited a few seconds, smiled at each other, and got up to leave.

Simon walked in and as soon as his eyes landed on Jim he knew something had happened and he could only think of one thing - Jim had found out Blair was still in town. He knew he wouldn’t get away with his lies for long but he had hoped he had longer than this.

“Oh oh, you’ve been talking to Sandburg haven’t you? I suppose that had to happen sometime didn’t it?”

Jim was stunned at Simon’s reaction. His forehead furrowed.

“I don’t know why he came back to Cascade. You don’t need him anymore.”

“Simon I’ll always need him. I knew it the first time I saw him at the precinct and so did my body. My senses reacted to him. For the first time in years I felt good. I was just to stubborn too admit it.”

“We went fishing for a week and you were fine the whole time.”

“Why did you tell me he had left town again? You’re supposed to be my friend.”

“I was there for you…”

Jim was confused about what Simon could possibly be trying to do. He had to know Jim could tell he was not being totally honest - or maybe he didn’t Jim concluded.

“You’re not being honest with me, Simon.”

Simon looked up, deer in the headlights look in his eyes. “You’re using your senses to test me?”

“No I didn’t have to - it was obvious to a sentinel who can hear better than an ordinary person. Your respiration just increased.”

“That’s using your senses.”

“It’s what I do Simon, and you should know that. In the last few years you’ve forgotten things that are natural for me,” Jim said carefully.

“I thought you had them turned down.”

“I did, but with Blair back in town they seem to be coming on line again and much easily than before.” Jim looked at Simon quizzically. “Why did you ask me to go fishing?”

“Where is that coming from? I had a week off and you’re your own boss and could come with me.”

Part 3