All right, all right,
so I finally got around to doing something. I saw this challenge
and this thing came to mind.
All those pesky disclaimers
apply here . Just be warned guys, I'm doing this at 8:15 in the
morning and am not completely awake yet.
Thanks to a very talented
writer named Tate, I got this idea and decided to write it down.
If you haven't glanced at 'Remebering the Silences' you might
want to in order for this to make any sense. Sorry about that.
Summary: One night after
a long and tiring day at the station doing paperwork, a cops favorite
thing, yeah right.
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Just Thinking
By
Red Falcon
**This day was too
long, way too long.**
Jim Ellison thinks to himself as he stretches his long, overly
stressed body out on the couch and tries to relax.
He opens his senses up
and hears his partner and best friend typing furiously away on
his computer mumbling to himself. He has to smile to himself and
wonder at his friend's energy. Both men just returned to the loft
from one of the most boring days for either of them, a day when
all they did was paperwork.
**Well, no matter how
dull the routine, Sandburg would find even that interesting.**
Jim says to himself and smiles again at his luck or was it in
fact destiny.
After all a Sentinel does
need a Guide and a man does need a friend every now and then.
A friend, that is an interesting way to look at it. How could
a strong willed veteran cop and ex-Special Forces operative even
consider someone like Blair Sandburg a friend. Much less let this
strange little man into his life so far that life without him
around seems too painful to even consider. Jim listens again as
Blair tries not to make too much noise grading his papers and
making notes for some lecture the next day. Then he listens to
the entire world around them and marvels, once again, at everything
he can hear and feel, about this same world that up until three
years ago was cut off to him.
**That's the first
reason I let him into my life. I know that I would have gone absolutely
nuts without him. Now that he is here, I don't want to deal with
the thought of him ever leaving. If I really think about it, life
before Blair Sandburg was lonely. I don't think he even knows
how much his being in my life has changed me but it has. There's
plenty to be said for being a loner but there is more to life
than that. No matter how long Blair is around and how much he
sees because of it, he has this zest for life and all it has to
offer that can't be beat down, I like that.** Jim
thinks once again at his fortune at finding such a loyal partner
and trusted friend.
These thoughts do much
to relax him as he lets the tensions of the day drift away. He
lets his thoughts slide in and out of conscious reach and slips
into a light relaxing sleep to the sound of Blair's chattering
and scribbling.
The next coherent thought
in Ellison's mind wasn't really a thought but the smell of breakfast.
Somehow between the last thing he could remember thinking and
the smell of food, he managed to go up stairs to his bed and get
a good night's sleep and also managed to oversleep. No big deal
really, nothing important waiting at the station for him. With
nothing earth shattering to do or think about Jim walks to the
bathroom and takes a nice, long, hot shower. He wants to linger
under the hot spray but the smell of Blair's cooking is too enticing
so he quickly finishes and returns to his room to get dressed
then back downstairs to eat.
**At least it's not
some weird concoction like the other night that made me gag.**
"Not bad, Chief." he comments.
Blair looks over at his
friend and wonders at his good mood but says nothing least it
vanish.
"What's the lecture
about this morning?" Jim asks.
Blair looks up at him
wondering how he knew. "You were mumbling about it all night.
I didn't listen too close but ......." he let the rest drop
as he watches for a reaction.
"Just more on island
tribes and continental tribes, nothing too dramatic. I should
be done around 11:30 though." Blair says.
"Sounds good to me,
how about lunch afterward?" Jim says around a forkful of
eggs.
"That's great. Maybe
something outside, I am so sick of being cooped up. I don't know
about you but that paperwork session yesterday was for the birds.
I'm still bouncing off the walls." Blair says laughing at
himself.
**If I'm bugged at
being stuck inside what is it doing to Jim with his heightened
senses.** Blair
says to himself.
Jim laughs and heartily
agrees, "We'll get something takeout and go over to the park.
Are you sure you're gonna be able to deal with the lecture after
yesterday?" Jim says with a twinkle in his eyes.
Blair nearly chokes on
his food trying not to laugh. "I walked into that one didn't
I? Don't answer that. Yeah, it's a short one this time. The whole
thing is a series of mini-lectures so they don't get too bored
with the subject." he says settling down some.
"What are you going
to be doing till I'm done?" Blair asks.
"Nothing much. We
got caught up yesterday and there's nothing waiting for us. I
thought I'd just relax and wait for you. I am staying far away
from the station today least Simon comes up with something for
me to do. I do not need another round of desk work for a while,
I'm in too good a mood to deal with anymore work." he says.
Blair smiles in agreement.
He cleans up the breakfast mess and gathers his stuff for the
day and Jim drives him to the university.
Blair heads for the lecture
hall after saying good bye to Jim. He has to wonder at his unlikely
friendship with the man.
**We are so opposite
it's not even funny. A tough ex-soldier and cop hanging around
a neo-hippy grad student. Oh man what would Freud say about this?
No, I'm not gonna go there. I always manage to analyze this to
death and get absolutely nowhere. Jim Ellison is my friend and
I don't need to know why. He's the best friend I'll ever have.
That feels so good and so right I don't want to even know why
it is. Who would have believed it, not only did I find this research
subject but that he would turn out to be a true and loyal, and
maybe a little over protective friend. Damn if I'm not doing it
again. Enough with the analysis of all this.**
Blair says to himself as he sets up for the lecture.
Students begin to file
in and take seats. Blair doesn't notice that at the back of the
lecture hall in the shadows a familiar pair of eyes watch him
with a smile of appreciation on his face. He settles in to listen
to the latest in the lecture series even though the subject matter
is so beyond his own experience to make it boring but he likes
watching his animated partner. Somehow Blair manages to take the
most boring topic and make it at least tolerable.
True enough, Blair is
ready to leave his office at 11:30. As soon as he reaches daylight
he sees his friend lounging on one of the benches enjoying the
sun.
**Sometimes I have
to wonder what the sun feels like for him.**
Blair thinks as he watches.
"It feels great.
It's like a comforting embrace only better. I've got an idea.
C'mon, let's go find a less crowded place where we can talk."
Jim says.
He has been trying to
come up with a way to show Blair just how much he values having
him around when he remembered what his friend had said after the
second incident with Veronica Saris. When he remembered that Blair
had wished he had been in a better frame of mind to truly experience
what Jim's senses were like, he decided that today would be the
best time to show him and maybe get a little testing done without
the young man even realizing it. They find a place that is not
only sunny but out of the way behind the Student Union.
"Sit down. I've been thinking about something you said a while back when I had to use my senses through you to find where Veronica was keeping you." Jim says as he watches his friend for any sign of distress but there isn't any.
All Jim is seeing is curiosity
and above all trust.
"I remember how it
was overwhelming at the time but you didn't know who you were
and of coarse you were in pain." Jim continues.
"Yeah, I had wished
I was in my right mind at the time to . . . . . . ." Blair's
voice trails off as the implications hit him.
"If you don't want
to try this I'll understand. I just thought I would give you an
opportunity to fully experience this without any distractions
like crazed kidnappers or death threats or imminent death"
he says.
"If you're sure.
This is incredible. I have always wondered what it's like having
senses like yours." Blair says excited.
"Are you sure about
this? I don't want to do anything that will hurt you." Jim
says.
"I know, I just never
expected this. What do you want me to do?" Blair says as
he looks up at his tall friend with a smile on his face.
Jim relaxes and sits down
infront of him. He says nothing at first but then Blair feels
the thread of their link come to life and his sense of touch starts
to expand. It's all Blair can do not to get overly excited as
he fully experiences the sun's warmth for the first time. All
the tension from the last few days melts away as the sun penetrates
his tired bones, he sighs mentally and Jim smiles.
**This is the perfect
way to see how much he can handle and not put him at too great
of a risk. This screwy link of ours is dangerous enough as it
is being so unpredictable. It's too dangerous to try and force
a danger connection but maybe this way we can test it and have
a little fun while we're at it.** Jim
says to himself as he watches his partner enjoy the feel of the
sun.
**Is it like this all
the time? Does the sun really feel this good?**
**Yeah, it does, Chief.
You like it?**
**Are you kidding this
is great. I could sit here all day like this.**
**Why don't we try
another one, we can come back to this in a minute, OK?**
**Sure, if you're sure
you want to do this.**
**I started this remember.
I've been wanting to do something like this for a while now. Hold
on I'm gonna tone down the touch and bring something else up,
so just relax.**
The sun's warmth tones
down to normal levels and then another sense takes over, never
really leaving him lacking. This time Jim turns up his sense of
hearing slowly so as not to scare the hell out of his young Guide.
The thread of their link is as strong as ever as Blair's hearing
gets better. Since Jim sends it to him slowly he isn't overwhelmed
like the last time. He can hear the other kids and teachers inside
the building, he can hear the myriad of cars and computers and
sundry sounds that make up campus life. It's all so confusing
but alive, Blair has to wonder how Jim is able to deal with it
and not go totally nuts.
**It's not easy, Chief.
As long as you're around I can deal with it.**
**This is totally amazing.
I never realized how alive this place really is. . . . . . What
is that? It sounds like it's coming from somewhere in the trees.**
**Birds most likely.
Wait, I hear it too. It's a hawk.**
**This is so incredible
I can't even tell you what I'm feeling right now.**
**You don't have to,
I can see it. This next one will be a little harder to deal with
here but it's a good one.**
Jim tones down his sense of hearing and concentrates on his sense
of smell.
He knows that he has chosen
these senses to start with because it is very useful in tracking
and it will, in the future if necessary, help him track down his
wayward Guide if they get separated again. That and seeing the
reaction his friend is having to Jim's heightened senses sent
through him makes this unconventional test worth it. Blair nearly
gags on the odorous assault but calms down and explores what his
nose is sending him. The first scent that comes to him is that
of Jim. He opens his eyes to look. Jim is sitting right there
in front of him watching and waiting. Then he catches his own
scent in relation to his friend.
**Is that how you
find me? Am I that distinct?**
**To me you are.**
**Now I know why I
always feel better when I know you're around.**
Blair begins to doze off, he is so relaxed.
This next one is the biggy.
To send Blair his sense of sight just may send the young teacher
over the edge no matter how calm and relaxed he is. **This
next one is going to be the hardest one to handle. I'm going to
give you my eyes.** Blair perks right up and leans forward.
**Just go slow. I remember
it was painful in the darkness of that hold.**
**Don't worry, Chief,
I'll go slow but you've got to stay calm no matter what. Let me
know if it's too much and I'll pull back.**
**OK.**
Blair keeps his eyes closed at first. When he sees the sunlight
get brighter on his eyelids he opens his eyes slowly and sees
the world in a whole new way.
His breath quickens for
a moment then settles down as he gets used to the sudden clarity.
He looks at everything trying to capture all the wonders he is
seeing. He spots movement in the trees and with Jim's help focuses
in on it. Neither man can help it when they laugh at seeing a
lizard scampering through a bush. Automatically Blair wants to
hear that critter and Jim obliges by turning up his hearing.
**We'll turn you into
a Sentinel in no time, huh, Chief.** Blair
laughs at that.
He stops and listens to
his own laughter for a moment. All this new information about
himself and his Sentinel and friend is so incredible, too incredible
for words. He just doesn't know how to express how good it feels
to have Jim for a friend and for him to let Blair experience the
wonders of his world. A content and warm feeling rushes through
him and Blair, for the first time, picks it up. Jim is watching
the play of emotion across Blair's face and body as he enjoys
the sensory experience, when he hears his stomach start to growl.
Blair giggles, "Guess
we should get something to eat before we get too lost, right."
"Yeah, we can pick
this up later. Maybe even try letting you have it all." Jim
says.
Blair looks at him in
wonder. To truly know Jim's world, the way he sees it will be
the trip of a lifetime in a lifetime of new experiences with his
Sentinel and best friend.
THE END. . . . . .
. FOR NOW
well, what did you think?? was it good for you?? i know it was good for me.
comments, questions, flames,
find me at reddragon@sprintmail.com
It's not much but it's
something, right. This is my first completed fanfic so give me
a break. It took me two and a half hours to do this and a lot
of backspaces and my backspace key is so damn small I keep missing
it.