by Lady J
Thursday evening:
The Cascade Waterfront Marketplace was lit with hundreds of tiny white lights, giving the revitalized area a golden glow in the twilight.
Jim and Blair walked slowly down the thoroughfare, enjoying a well-deserved evening out.
It had been a rough two weeks for both Sentinel and Guide. Nothing too earth shattering; just the usual strangeness that passed for normal in the city of Cascade. But the cumulative effect of working long hours and seeing very little of each other or Simon had taken its toll on both men. Finally, the world seemed to take a collective breather and now here they were.
Sandburg cast a quick look at his friend and lover. There was a thoughtful look on the older man's face, soft and introspective. "Whatcha thinking about, big guy?"
"Hmm?"
The anthropologist guided them to an empty bench and sat down. Jim stood, resting a foot on the bench. "You were a million miles away, man," Blair said with a smile. "What's turning in that beautiful noggin of yours?"
Jim chuckled. "Noggin, Chief? All those years of academia and that's what you come up with?"
"I was hoping you'd focus on the beautiful part."
"Touche." Jim sobered a little. "I was just thinking about Simon," he said. "And us, of course." Blair relaxed against the bench and trailed his fingers along Jim's ankle. "And your conclusions?"
"Did you realize that Sunday is our anniversary?"
"When you say ours, you mean the three of us, right?"
Jim nodded. "Yeah." He finally sat down next to his lover. "It hit me a couple of days ago. We made a major commitment to each other six months ago and had a lot of stuff happen emotionally in between." Jim shrugged. "I just feel like I want to mark it somehow."
Blair smiled. "You never fail to surprise me, man." He laughed at the older man's look of astonishment. "What? I hadn't even thought about it and I'm sure Simon hasn't either. You, on the other hand, have had a thousand things on your plate lately and you still remembered."
"Actually, I started counting from the day you seduced Simon in my hospital room."
"Me?" Blair said indignantly. "You helped, big guy."
Jim tapped him playfully on the cheek. "Gotcha, Professor." He was rewarded with a patented Sandburg smile (at least a thousand watts and 6.5 on the Richter scale).
This was good, their relationship with Simon. To have his love reflected back to him twofold opened up an entirely new world to the sentinel. Jim couldn't remember when he felt more complete or loved in his life.
Blair stood up and Jim joined him. "So what do you want to do?" Blair asked.
Jim slipped his hands into his pockets. "I'd like to get something for Simon from the two of us, if that's okay with you."
"I'm with you there. Anything specific?"
"Mmm, I think we'll know it when we see it."
An hour and a half later, the two had gone through at least seven stores and still hadn't found anything that they liked, although Blair nearly lost his mind in a store selling Native American crafts; "Can you say cultural exploitation, man?" Blair lobbed at the proprietor as Jim dragged him out of the store.
"I'm okay, Jim," Blair said ruefully, as he straightened his jacket.
"You're sure, Sandburg?" Jim asked, his eyes betraying his amusement. "You looked like you were about to start foaming at the mouth."
"Aren't we the comedian?"
Checking around for prying eyes and seeing none, Jim stole a quick kiss from his surprised Guide. "I love it when you're righteous," he said. "You just get so excited."
Blair wiggled his eyebrows and grinned. "Just wait till I get you home, and I'll show you excited."
"Can't wait, Chief." Jim turned and stopped in his tracks. Immediately, Blair was at his side.
"Jim?"
The older man made his way across the courtyard to a small store with the legend "Kilamanjaro" painted in gold on the widow. Tucked amongst the skin shields and trade beads were several statues. Each one portrayed some facet if the black experience but there was one that caught Jim's eye immediately.
"Which one, big guy?"
Ellison started. He very nearly forgot that Blair was beside him, that's how entranced he was by the statue in the window. "That one," Jim said, pointing to the centerpiece.
Perfect white wings rose from the back of the angel to shelter two children at his feet. The angel's face was lifted heavenward, his eyes closed and his lips curved in a beatific smile. Bare-chested, he was clothed only in a pair of billowing white pants that contrasted with his dark brown skin.
"Whoa, that is Simon all over," Sandburg said reverently.
"Yeah," his partner agreed. "You want to take a closer look?"
"Sure."
As they went into the store, a small bell alerted a clerk near the back. "I'll be right with you," she called. Blair took a moment to look around at the art on the walls while Jim leaned against the counter. After a few minutes, a young black woman came to the counter. "May I... help you?" she asked.
Jim heard the slight hesitation in her otherwise pleasant voice. "Yes," he replied politely, "there's a statue in your front window that my friend and I would like to see."
Soft brown eyes flickered over to look at Sandburg before resting on Jim again. Those same eyes hardened slightly. "Are you sure those are what you're interested in, sir?" the clerk asked.
Blair came to join him. "What's going on, Jim?"
The sentinel looked at his companion briefly before turning his attention back to the clerk. "I'm not entirely sure," he replied, voice tight. "I asked about the angel but there seems to be a problem."
Blair rested his hand on the small of Jim's back and turned his bright blue eyes on the young woman. "My friend and I are interested in seeing the piece," he said patiently.
Neither man missed the clerk's visceral reaction at the sight of Blair touching Jim. The otherwise pretty mouth pulled into a frown. "Perhaps you gentlemen might find a more appropriate item at another store," she said.
"More appropriate?" Blair said slowly, as if speaking to a halfwit.
"In what way?"
"I..."
Suddenly, another voice entered the fray. "I'll finish here, Devora."
All three turned to see an older black woman standing at the door of the stockroom, arms folded across her chest. There was no warmth in her eyes as she looked at her clerk. "There are a few things in the back that still need to be inventoried," she said coldly. "Why don't you take care of it?"
Devora looked at Blair and Jim one last time before flouncing past her boss into the back room. The older woman sighed before turning her attention back to the two men. "I'm not going to pretend that any of this didn't happen," she said quietly. "And I wouldn't blame you if you left. There's no excuse for the way you were treated."
Surprised at the bald honesty of her statement, Jim took a step back and nodded. "Fair enough." He looked at Sandburg. "Well?"
The anthropologist looked at Jim and then back at the woman. "I still want to see the angel, Jim," he said resolutely.
A small smile tugged at the edges of Jim's mouth. "Okay."
"Then I think we should start this all over again," the woman said. She held out her hand, which both men shook. "My name is Arisika Jackson, welcome to Kilamanjaro."
"Jim Ellison."
"Blair Sandburg."
"Now," Arisika continued, "I believe there was a particular piece you wanted to see?"
Jim nodded and pointed to the statue in the window. "We'd like to look at that angel up close if we could."
Her eyebrows shot up in pleased surprise. "The Blackshear? You have good taste." She walked to the front window and carefully picked up the statue. Setting it on the counter, she stepped back and pulled a catalog out a nearby hutch. "This one is called 'The Guardian,'" she said. "And according to the current catalog, it's due to be retired this year. Fortunately, we still have a couple including this one, which was signed and numbered by the artist."
Both men looked at each other. "The name fits, Chief." Jim said.
"It sure does," his companion agreed. "Simon will absolutely love it."
When he looked at Arisika again, Jim said, "The friend we want to get this for, he's, well...he's been like that for us. A guardian." He reached out a finger to touch the angel's wings, extending his senses to pick up every minute detail of the feathers. Blair's hand briefly touched the small of his back again before moving away.
"Don't zone," Blair whispered, Sentinel-soft.
Grateful for the reminder, Jim continued his examination of the figure. His eyes rested on the two black children at the angel's feet. A boy and a girl, their faces reflected their trust in their protector. That's what we've done, Jim thought. Given our trust, our love to this man and it's being returned in ways too numerous to count.
"A love like that is very special."
Startled, both men looked at Arisika. "Some people only see what they want to see," she continued. "Hopefully they grow beyond that perspective but sometimes they don't."
Sandburg nodded. "But it still hurts when they try to put you in a box."
Old pain flashed in Arisika's eyes. "True," she replied softly. "So," she continued a little brighter, " would you like a few minutes to decide?"
The pair nodded and she ducked back into the storeroom. A low hum of voices could be heard coming from the back but Jim was disinclined to tune in. He turned to Blair, face troubled. "I've never felt so..."
"White, bi or both?" the younger man asked.
"Devora saw you touch me, Chief," Jim said wryly. "I don't think her brain registered we were bi. Very, very white, yes," He sighed heavily. "Whatever that's supposed to mean."
Both men were quiet for a moment before Blair said, "What do you want to do?"
"I want to go home to my lovers and pretend this never happened," the older man said. "But it did. Can't change that. I still want us to get this for Simon." He touched Blair's shoulder. "What about you?"
Blair covered Jim's hand with his own. "I won't say what happened didn't hurt but she's one person."
"There might be other times..."
"Yeah, I know," came the quiet reply. "I just never really gave any thought to it before."
"Neither did I, Chief." Jim reached out and stroked the wings of the angel once more. Blair's hand rested on top of his own, anchoring him, lending him strength. This was how Arisika found them when she stepped out of the back room.
"Gentlemen?" she asked tentatively.
Jim looked up. "We'll take it," he said decisively. Arisika nodded and smiled.
"It's a good choice. Would you like it gift wrapped?"
They nodded and watched as Arisika deftly wrapped the large box and slid it into a bag.
"Thanks," said Blair as he accepted the package. He felt Jim's arm go around his waist and gently squeeze. "Simon's going to be so surprised."
"I hope your friend likes it," Arisika replied as she stepped from around the counter to stand in front of them. "Could I ask a favor of the two of you?"
Jim and Blair looked at each other then back at the shopkeeper. "Yeah, sure," Jim said tentatively. "What is it?"
"Would you come back and tell me whether your friend liked the statue?" she asked.
The honesty of the request caused both men to smile. "We'll go one better, we'll bring him back here to tell you himself," Jim replied. Arisika's wide and generous smile lit up the room. "I would like that very much."
Saturday morning
Simon rolled over and snuggled closer to Blair. The younger man immediately curled in close to the captain, his face eased and contented.
From the doorway, Jim looked in on his sleeping mates and he savored the warm feeling in his chest. Although neither man fully woke when he left the bed, Jim made sure he kissed them both before he left so they stayed settled.
It wouldn't be long before the smell of cooking food and coffee woke both men up. Jim sauntered back into the kitchen to finish setting the table. They were staying with Simon this weekend thus Jim was able to wallow in the expanse that was Simon's kitchen. If the kitchen at the loft was an oasis, then the police captain's was a veldt. Granted, Simon had a whole house but he was just one man who didn't cook very much if he was alone. Jim was hoping that would change.
After putting the biscuits in the oven, Jim picked up his coffee and walked to the sliding glass door that led to the backyard. Opening it, he breathed in the fresh morning air, letting it fill his lungs. With it came a beloved scent just as two strong arms wrapped around his waist and a terry cloth covered chest pressed into his back.
"Morning," rumbled Simon.
"Good morning to you," Jim replied as he leaned back. His head fell back on Simon's shoulder and they shared a brief kiss. "I left you with the bed candy. What happened?"
A short chuckle greeted Jim's observation. "He's in the shower. You know how Sandburg is when he's over here. He seems to think I have an unlimited supply of hot water."
"Simon, compared to the bathroom at the loft you do."
Jim turned in Simon's embrace, slid his arms around the other man's waist and rested his head on his lover's chest. The warm, solid feel of Simon's arms around him, holding him, felt right. Briefly, he thought back to the incident on Thurday night; Devora would begrudge him this?
Some of his tension must have communicated itself to Simon because he tipped Jim's chin up so he could look at him. "Everything okay?" Simon asked.
"Mmm, yeah," Jim gifted him with a quick kiss, shaking off his brief melancholy. "We'd better get the food on the table. Sandburg is out of the shower."
"Which means the aforementioned bed candy will come cruising through here any minute."
The two men pulled apart just as Blair came into the kitchen. "Whatever it is," he began after sniffing the air appreciatively, "it smells wonderful."
"Eggs, chicken and apple sausage, hash browns, biscuits, juice and coffee," Jim replied. He pulled the biscuits out of the oven and put them in a towel-lined bowl. Once everything was served up, all three men sat down and tucked into the food appreciatively. As they ate, Simon noticed looks being passed between Jim and Blair. He even caught Jim eyeing him speculatively at least once; that set off warning bells. They were up to something.
Once the breakfast dishes were cleared, all three men sat back with coffee, savoring aftereffects of their meal. Simon sipped his coffee and studied Jim and Blair over the rim of his cup. "So," he began tentatively, "what's up?"
Two sets of blue eyes were bright with amusement. "What do you mean, Simon?" Blair asked innocently. His comment was met by a muffled snort from his partner and a raised eyebrow from Simon.
"Funny, Sandburg," Simon muttered.
Jim chuckled and got up from the table. "Let's not draw the agony out here, Chief." He leaned down and kissed Simon. "Be right back."
Simon watched Jim saunter out of kitchen before turning back to a grinning Blair. "Nice view," the younger man said cheekily.
"Okay, spill it, Professor."
"What? You don't think Jim has a nice butt?"
Simon scooted his chair close to Blair's and leaned forward. "You're changing the subject, love. You two are up to something. I can feel it." He reached up and slid his hand around the back of Blair's neck, enjoying the other man's delighted shudder. "C'mon, you can tell me."
"Ohhh...Simon..."
"No fair, Simon," Jim said as he walked back in. He placed the gaily wrapped package in front of his mate. "You know Sandburg turns into a puddle of goo when you touch him."
Blair threw him a black look. "I do not," he replied indignantly only to moan again when Simon stroked the back of his neck.
Jim grinned and sat down. "Told ya, Chief."
Simon finally took mercy on Blair and directed his attention to the package. "What's this?" he asked.
"Happy Anniversary," Jim said quietly. His lips quirked a little when he saw the bewildered look on Simon's face. "It's from Blair and I."
"Wait a second," Simon said. "What do you mean 'Happy Anniversary'? What anniversary?"
"Six months," Blair said. "We've been together for six months."
Simon was astonished. "I didn't even realize..." he began slowly. He looked from one man to another and was struck by the depth of the love he saw there.
Blair pressed his lips against Simon's temple before continuing. "Actually, Jim's the one who remembered. I'm just along for the ride."
Jim blushed when the earth brown eyes of his lover turned back toward him. "It's no big deal," he muttered, looking for all the world like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
The captain slipped a finger beneath Jim's chin and tipped his head up. "It's a big deal," Simon said, "because you thought of it." He drew the other man forward and brushed his lips lightly over Jim's.
"I do love you, Tiger."
Jim smiled at the endearment then tapped the package. "Are you going to open it?"
"Pushy, pushy," Simon quipped. He pulled the package to him and ripped off the paper. Then he opened the box and pulled out a block of Styrofoam. Picking up a knife, Simon cut the tape on the sides of the Styrofoam then pulled off the top half. The white packaging dropped from his suddenly numb fingers when he saw what lay nestled below.
Both men watched as Simon reverently lifted the statue up in the air. Jim pulled the rest of the packaging out of the way, enabling the older man to settle the angel on the table. Quiet settled over the trio as Simon's fingers brushed lightly over the figure. A skipped heartbeat and small sigh immediately caught Jim's attention. His hand closed on Simon's shoulder and that's when he realized the other man was shaking.
Jim sat back when his mate turned toward him, his eyes bright with tears. "Hey, what's this?" he asked softly. He cupped Simon's chin and brushed a cheek with his thumb and Blair slipped his arms around Simon's and snuggled close.
"I...don't know what to say," Simon whispered. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he looked at the statue. "This is beautiful."
"It's called 'The Guardian'," Blair said. Simon turned and kissed the top of the younger man's head before turning back to the statue.
"That's who you are to me, to us, Simon," Jim said. "You've been there when everyone else would have cut and run. Especially for me."
Simon slipped a hand behind Jim's head to pull him close. "It's an honor to have you as my mate," the older man said solemnly, "but even more precious to have you as my friend." They kissed, soft and slow, savoring the richness of the feelings between them. Blair smiled contentedly; life just didn't get any better than this.
Disclaimer: "The Sentinel" and associated characters (Jim Ellison, Blair Sandburg, Simon Banks) are all owned by Pet Fly and Paramount, Inc. All original characters belong to me. No money is being made from this effort; it is only for the enjoyment of other fans. Please do not archive without asking.