Who Says Timing Isn't Everything by Sammi M."Man, you do not know how good it feels to finally be away from that place! It was really starting to get to me," Blair happily acknowledged as he plopped onto the sofa. "I feel sorry for Schuy; she still has at least a week left."
Jim smiled over at his partner as he dropped the last of Blair's bags in his room. "Don't you think it was a little much razzing her about having to stay? It's bad enough she's now *aware* of being in the hospital; she didn't need you to rub it in."
"Consider it the least I could've done considering how she ended up there in the first place." He mumbled to himself while the older man went to the fridge, "Throwing herself in the path of a couple of bullets. Who did she think she was? Supergirl? I think not."
The detective casually strolled into his friend's line of sight and placed a glass of juice and several prescription bottles on the table in front of him. "You're just mad because if you'd been awake, you'd have done something equally as stupid." Watching him ignore the pills, his face twisted into a frown. "Don't even think about it, Chief. You are going to take exactly what the doctor prescribed for you if I have to sit on you and force them down your throat, is that understood?"
"Jim, I'm hurt."
"Not yet, but you will be if you don't take your meds."
With a murderous glare and a few mumbled phrases pitched low enough so the Sentinel *couldn't* hear, the younger man obediently did as he was told. After the final horse-pill had been swallowed and three-fourths of the juice consumed, he played up his gagging reflex. "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to choke me."
Jim grinned, "But, you know better, right Darwin?" He dropped down next to Blair and grabbed the remote. "So, you up for a little video?"
"Why? What you got?"
"Oh, just a little something I picked up from a couple of the guys." With an almost demonic grin, Ellison pushed the play button and chuckled when the credits sprang up announcing it was a Banks and Tolbert Production. He shook his head in amazement that the guys had been able to get the normally staid Captain of Vice to put his name on something like this. His chuckle turned into full-blown guffaws when he caught the expression on his Guide's face when one of the charming ladies of Vice turned up in college student grunge with wire-rimmed glasses, curly black wig and a backpack and proceeded to strip down to biker shorts and a Cascade P.D. T-shirt. The detective had to wipe his eyes when the next lady, also in 'Blair Curls' - though tied sedately in a ponytail, showed up dressed in a P.D. uniform with a laser pointer instead of a gun, a computer keyboard instead of a baton and fur-lined handcuffs that strangely bore the name Samantha. This lady also did a small strip while she lined up bad guys in her pointer sights and bashed them over the head with her keyboard. She finished in the requisite biker shorts and a Rainier faculty T-shirt.
By this time, Sandburg was moaning and groaning and going on and on about not believing someone hated him enough to tape something like this. Though his hands were over his eyes, Jim suspected he was peeking and was soon verified of this when his friend shrieked at the sight of the next woman. This young lady was surrounded by several 'students' who were all clamoring for her attention. She was dressed in a professor's tweeds and carrying various books and graded papers and seemed to be constantly mumbling to herself. As she ignored the students, they each tore a piece of her clothes away until she too was left in the shirt and shorts. Her T was a plain white one, but that didn't make her dance any less outrageous.
The lights dimmed and when they came back on, all three ladies were back on the desks and were joined by a fourth equally attired in T-shirts and shorts – though, her T had 'Roomie' emblazoned across her ample chest. Even though it was obvious the fourth lady was more skilled in the new dance, it didn't deter the other three from really hamming it up and getting almost as much attention. When the little show finally ended, all four women took their bows to thunderous applause, jumped off their desks, stopped before Blair and each gave him several big red kisses. The end shot showed a *very* red police observer covered with lipstick with four sets of black wigs draped on him.
Jim stopped the tape and tried to turn to his partner without laughing, but it was just too much. "Oh … Chief, … if you … could see … your … face, … you'd be … be … on … the floor … with me!"
Again, Blair glared at his roommate. "That wasn't funny, man. Something like that could have done horrible things to my psyche."
"You mean more so than usual?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, if I wasn't so well-adjusted, seeing something like that could have really changed my perceptions."
They both sat there thinking back on everything and before long twin laughter filled the loft after simultaneous, "Nyah's". They teased each other for several minutes until the younger man stood and headed towards the bathroom. "I'll be back in a minute and I expect to hear several good *cop* suggestions on how I can get the guys back."
Jim listened for a few minutes to make sure his friend didn't need any help and then he turned to other thoughts as he caught a whiff of what was essentially Blair on the cushion he'd just vacated. *It's amazing how right that scent is here. I can't remember a time when it wasn't here. I don't *want* to think of a time it won't be here. Moving his stuff back was the best thing we could have done today; he doesn't belong anywhere else.* He sighed. *This is how it should be. My Guide and I enjoying a pleasant night … at home.*
As the warm feelings that thought provoked flowed over the Sentinel, the door opened and Blair returned. He stopped and looked around the loft and the biggest smile crossed his face, "You know, Jim, I was just thinking, no matter where I've gone – no matter what I've done – nothing compares to being home."
A matching smile greeted him, "I couldn't have said it better myself, buddy. Not one bit better."
The End