Pick up the Pieces

By JadeRyan

J/B PG-13

Disclaimers: Okay I'm a newbie and EVEN I know this.... They don't belong to me (although if there were any justice in the world then they would...imagine the possibilities....).... This is just an obsession and I'm not making any money. I promise to play nice and put the boys up when I'm done.... in other words, Jim, Blair, Simon, and everyone else you recognize are owned by UPN and Pet Fly Productions and are used without their permission. This story is not intended to infringe upon any copyrights, nor is any profit being made from it.

Notes: I have another series that I am working on but I’m blocked on it right now so I started this one…..Lyrics from Gold Dust Woman are off the Rumors album by Fleetwood

Mac ... Comments welcome, same with suggestion, and criticisms.

Summary: Conclusion to the Gold Dust Woman series.

Warnings: Not much…some language…and a REALLY Pushy redhead with a bad attitude.

Is it over now -- do you know how

Pick up the pieces and go home.

"What did you say?" Blair felt the color leave from his face.

Jim noticed it as well as the increased heartbeat. "I asked you who Ryan was?"

Blair tried to process a plausible explanation. //Okay. Last night was a dream. I didn’t see Ryan. She’s dead.//

"Ryan was a friend of mine. A long time ago."

 "Is that all she was?"

"Now? I think that she was. At the time, I was convinced we were some kind of soulmates or something." Blair shook his head. "Why are you asking?"

Jim ignored the question. "When was the last time you saw her?"

Blair fidgeted. //Well technically, I guess it was last night. But there is NO way I’m going to say that. He’ll think I’m nuts. And then I’ll never get out of this place.//

"Four years ago. At the Airport. She was on her way to see her parents. She never made it. The damn thing blew up. The plane I mean. I still don’t know why. Jim, why are you asking all this?"

"What does, did , she look like?"

"Jim! What the hell is going on?"

"Please just answer me?"

Blair sighed. "The last time I saw her she had really short reddish hair. About five foot seven, I don’t know maybe a hundred twenty pounds. And Liz Taylor kind of eyes…."

"Huh?"

"She had eyes like Taylor….kind of a purple.."

"Shit."

"Okay Jim, I think you really need to tell me what is going on here." Blair said quietly.

Jim looked at him for a second, before deciding to come clean. "I had a dream last night. Or maybe it was a vision. Beats the hell out of me. In any case, I was sitting by the bed and all of a sudden I hear this really obnoxious, brassy voice basically telling me I’m a moron. I look up and there is this redhead standing next to the Panther.."

 "What? As in your Spirit guide?"

 Jim nodded. "Yeah. Anyway, they look as though they know each other and then she says that she wants your happiness and tosses me this damn coin. Tells me that you and I are two sides of the same coin." He shook his head. "You have any idea what she meant?"

Blair shifted uncomfortably. The problem was that he did have some idea. //She always said that she knew me better then I knew myself. But how can I tell him? How can I tell Mr. Straight America that I love him?//

 "Oh good lord!" Both men turned to see Ryan standing there by the door. She angrily stubbed the cigarette out on the ground. "You two are beyond stupid. Blair, just tell him already! And you, Bubba," she looked at Jim, "Are just as bad. I can’t believe that you need a dead woman to tell each other that you are both gonzo about each other!"

 Blair and Jim looked at her in amazement then looked at each other, fear and questions in both of their eyes.

 "Whatever. I am going now. With any luck at all, you all will wake up and remember all this and get your acts together so I can get some damn sleep. Color me gone, Peaches."

 Blair and Jim both woke up suddenly.

"What the hell.." they both said at the same time. "Did you just….." Blair laughed and motioned for Jim to finish.

"Were we just dreaming or did that really happen?"

Blair thought for a moment before answering quietly. "Does it matter?"

Jim saw the fear in his eyes. //No.//

"No Chief. It doesn’t matter.’’ He said moving closer to the younger man, and sliding his hand into Blair’s.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She sighed and looked down at the Panther.

"Well all I have to say is it’s about damn time. I was beginning to think they would never get it. Can I go now?"

The panther gazed at her patiently before blinking slowly, giving tacit permission.

In moments, the woman was gone, leaving a white tiger in her place. She stretched lazily, and with a flick of her tail, was gone.