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Bedtime Stories
by ljc
5/07
Summary: Missing scenes and epilogues unfold 'loosely' as “Bedtime Stories”. They are from various POV's in chronological order by tv episode. Originally written as dues for the SentinelAngst List.
Note 1: This probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done. I seem to have slipped into 'obsession' long ago with this little writing project. There are 65 episodes so there are 'at least' 65 missing scenes and/or epilogues.
Note 2: Many thanks are owed to Becky's Transcripts for the listing of episodes and for jogging my memory when I needed it. (After reading so many transcripts, I have to believe Becky was laughing her head off when she was transcribing them. Jim DID lose his gun so many times (I was just looking at #48, when Chapel started shooting at Jim and Jim lost his gun when his hand hit the railing, and later Chapel rolled down the stairs at the loft and 'still' had his gun in his hand
http://www.kelesa.net/index.html
Note 3: I know that some people haven't seen all the episodes and I didn't want them to be totally lost so I've left in my own little reminders beside the titles. There's a full list at the end if you want to find a particular show's scene, or if you just want a list.
Note 4: Some of the stories were done from memory, but it's been a long time since I've seen the episodes so please tell me if something's wrong. The mind is the first thing to go ... I think.
Warnings, Ratings: Most are angst or smarm, but a few are humorous. Fan Rated Suitable for Teenagers, Profanity.
Disclaimer: All characters, places, and objects from The Sentinel belong to Pet Fly Productions, UPN, Paramount and the SciFi Channel. No money is being made. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was written by ljc with the love of the show in mind.
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Episode #1 Pilot (Switchman)...Veronica Sarris
Epilogue to 'The Switchman'
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Jim stood on his balcony, staring out at a view only a ... sentinel ... could appreciate. Well, he'd wanted to know what his problem was, and now he had a name for it at least. He turned slowly back to his apartment and got ready for bed.
This grad student, soon-to-be-observer, seemed to have some answers he badly needed. He'd placed a lot of trust in this kid. Maybe trust wasn't the right word yet ... maybe hope. He hoped it would turn out to be true. He hoped it wouldn't turn out to be a very big mistake.
He slowly climbed the steps to his bedroom, his thoughts never ceasing. He reflected on the events of the day. Sandburg had done well. They'd caught The Switchman, Veronica Sarris, but it had been close ... if not for Sandburg ... //if not for the senses,// he thought wonderingly. Maybe the kid was right. He hoped he was right.
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Episode #2 Siege...Kincaid
Epilogue for Siege
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Simon sat in the dark. He wasn't normally the type to brood on events of the day, but this was an exception. Seeing Kincaid dangle his son out of the seventh floor window ... well, it wasn't a sight he'd be forgetting any time soon.
When the siege was over, and Kincaid had been hauled away once again, all he'd wanted to do was hold his son. Which he did, and he didn't care who saw them. But the reunion had ended way too soon.
Joan.
She'd shown up in a righteous fury and taken Daryl away. From him.
Maybe she was right in a way. Maybe it was best for Daryl to leave the scene. She'd been quite indignant that one the officers on the case had insisted that Daryl give a statement first. But it 'was' procedure. She knew that. It was just another point of contention that she could be obstinate about.
And he really couldn't complain. She had custody of Daryl. Simon had visitation rights, but she could make that extremely difficult for him.
He wanted to call him again, but Joan would be ... well, she wouldn't appreciate it. He wanted to 'tuck him in' even though he was a teenager now. He wanted to sit down and quietly talk to him, knowing that 'talking' about it would help them both. He wanted to check on him during the night, like he had every night while he was still married and living with Joan.
His clenched hand pounded the arm of the chair in firm, steady, and unheeded strokes. He wanted ... but he couldn't claim those rights tonight ... and he was beyond comforting.
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Episode #3 The Killers...Choi, Juno
Missing Scene for The Killers
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Blair thought about this Juno, twin to the other Juno; a stone-cold killer ... actually, both of them probably. Blair had suggested they rig up a remote controlled wheelchair to fool the other twin into believing this one was alive. Blair was just waiting, with the body, to try to pull this deception off.
It was a macabre situation but it didn't really bother him. The Junos had been responsible for Danny Choi's death. He hadn't known Danny personally, but Jim had, and he'd really been torn up by his death. 'That' had bothered Blair ... seeing Jim's raw grief, knowing that there was so much more grief in his past, and also knowing he couldn't ease any of it.
So, here he sat ... huddled in the cold ... in the middle of the night ... remote control in his lap ... dead guy strapped to a wheelchair ... because the only thing he could think of to help Jim was to catch this guy.
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Episode #4 The Debt...Warehouse explosion, Larry the Barbary Ape, gangs, Gaines, Mrs. Lila Lacroix
Epilogue for The Debt
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It was dark out here, he was cold, and he was all alone. He didn't like being alone. He liked watching the action. He reached out to jiggle the lock on the balcony door. It should work ... just ... like ... that, and he was in.
Now what? He was hungry so he looked high and low, but when he finally found the popcorn bowl it was empty. He pushed it aside, and the resultant noise spooked him so badly that he accidentally scattered utensils, papers, and books everywhere. The noise of that sent him careening around the loft. Now he sat tucked into a corner by the kitchen island, panting heavily, after that last mad scramble.
He looked around again. He remembered that! He liked it, and he was smart enough to know how to make it work. As soon as the tv came on, Larry curled up on the couch and settled down to watch.
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Episode #5 Cypher...Lash
Missing Scene from “Cypher”
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Blair cracked one bleary eye open. Jim was starting to thrash on the other couch. “It's alright, Jim,” he whispered. “I'm safe. You found me, and Lash is ... dead. You can sleep, man. I'm here. Shhhhh.”
Jim looked like he was listening, even while asleep. He had that cocked-head pose he always got when he heard something Blair couldn't.
Blair slowly relaxed when Jim's breathing evened out. Jim had found him. He hadn't known how incredible that had been until he'd heard the story in bits and pieces from Jim, Simon, and Carolyn. It was just amazing that his sentinel did that for him.
He smiled as he remembered some earlier times; days when they were newly acquainted. Throwback. Holy Grail. No wonder Jim had reacted the way he did. Why hadn't Jim just decked him? That was a question for the ages!
He was so proud of Jim. He'd been through so much and still he was out there doing his duty as he saw it, protecting his tribe, protecting Blair. He did his best to back Jim up, but he was just an observer. He hardly felt worthy to back up a Sentinel. But he knew it's where he wanted to be.
He looked back at Jim in the dim early morning light. Jim had saved his life tonight, when no one else could have. Someone had to look out for Jim, and if Blair had his way, it would be him.
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Episode #6 Night Train...'SenQuil' cold medicine
Epilogue for Night Train
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Blair climbed the stairs. He had to check on Jim again before he could try to sleep. That cold medicine had really affected his senses, and not in a good way. He hadn't planned on getting too close, but he couldn't see anything from the top of the stairs in the darkened loft bedroom so he approached as cautiously and soundlessly as he could.
Jim seemed to be sleeping soundly, but he still moved a little closer. Blair decided that Jim looked okay, and his breathing didn't sound labored. That was good, because Jim needed the rest.
Feeling better about his friend, Blair turn around and head downstairs. He didn't think Jim would appreciate his presence up here. He'd just turned away when he sighed deeply in relief. He quickly clapped a hand over his mouth and glanced at Jim. Then he backed slowly away.
“Sandburg?” Jim muttered sleepily.
“Sorry, Jim. Go on back to sleep,” Blair whispered in vain.
Jim breathed deeply and squinted at him, “What are you doing up here?”
“I - I just wanted to make sure you were sleeping good.”
“And for that you woke me up ...?”
“I didn't mean to wake ... I was just worried about your cold ... and the SenQuil ... you know.”
Jim relaxed back on the pillow, “I'm fine, Chief. Go get some sleep. Thanks for checking on me, but I really need to get back to sleep.”
Blair grinned, “Yeah. I think I can sleep now, too.”
Jim watched as he went down the stairs. He grinned and shook his head, then turned over and was quickly asleep.
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Episode #7 Rogue...Brackett
Missing scene from Rogue
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Carolyn was luxuriating in her bath. She didn't often have the time ... well, take the time, to just relax. But today was different. Today had been too close. She'd been stiff and sore when she'd climbed out of her car tonight, and she'd just wanted to pamper herself a bit.
Joel had done everything right. He'd defused the bomb ... the fake bomb. But Brackett was always a step ahead. Joel had been shaken. She didn't blame him. They'd both had to run for their lives and still had been thrown to the ground by the blast.
She wondered why Bracket had left the warning. Was it all just a convoluted game to him?
She yawned and suddenly found herself fighting to stay awake. She knew she'd better get out of the bathtub before she fell asleep. It wasn't long before she crawled into bed. She'd intended to read for a while, but nixed that idea quickly. Too many thoughts flitted through her head tonight.
Even after all the excitement with Brackett, and the bomb and everything ... her thoughts turned to her ex, Jim Ellison.
She had definitely been feeling a bit jealous when Jim was talking to Dr. Price. But then the good doctor had deserted Jim and practically jumped Sandburg when he came into the room. Then Dr. Price had asked Blair out.
Carolyn knew she hadn't hid her grin well enough from Jim, but she had been surprised both at Price's choice of Sandburg over Jim, and that Jim had taken it so well.
She chuckled, rolled over, and turned out the light. Jim Ellison in competition with Blair Sandburg for a ladies' attention ... and Jim losing. Yeah, that was a good memory to end the day on.
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Episode #8 Love and Guns...Maya
Epilogue for Love and Guns
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Maya leaned back in her seat. She stared out the window of the plane but the darkness was not what interested her. She'd found a young man she cared for deeply enough to give herself to him, but he had betrayed her. But she knew in her heart that he was not the real problem. She knew that he was a good man, trying to do a difficult job, helping the police.
But because of Blair she now knew the scope of her own father's betrayal. Now she hated her father, and Blair was the one to make her see him for what he was. How had she not seen? Had he ever really cared about her? About her mother? His man, Vargas, had admitted to murdering her mother. Was it even remotely possible that her father didn't know, perhaps had even ordered it?
Maybe she should have waited. Maybe she should have stayed with Blair. She did believe that he loved her. He had refused to take advantage of her when she'd gone to him that night. He at least had not dishonored her.
But her thoughts and feelings were so confused. One man, her father, she had loved more than any other. Yet he had betrayed her, made her whole life a lie. Now she was left to consider a lifetime of lies balanced against a love of a few days ... her need for revenge for her own hurt and her mother's death weighed against a love now distant.
It didn't take her long to decide what she really wanted. She wanted to hurt her father as much as he had hurt her, and if she had to leave Blair Sandburg behind to do it, then she would.
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Episode #9 Attraction...Pheromones
Epilogue for Attraction
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Sandburg was snoozing on the couch. Good. He'd had enough talk about pheromones for now.
How could a sane ... well, if being a sentinel was sane ... civilized ... well, if being a throwback was civilized ... damn, how did he get so caught up in a woman's pheromones that he risked ... everything?
He knew he had to talk to Blair, seriously, about this ... if he could get Sandburg to talk seriously about the subject, because it usually deteriorated into a talk more about hormones than pheromones ... and the reaction of Sandburg to hormones was legendary to anyone that knew him for any length of time.
He couldn't let himself get sidetracked like that again, and not just because of his job. He was a man, damn it! He wouldn't let the sentinel part of him rule his life! But what if he couldn't help it?
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Episode #10 Vow of Silence...Brother Marcus
Two Missing scenes for Vow of Silence
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How had Sandburg talked him into this? He was sleeping in a monk's cell ... on his vacation. No television. No phone. No gun. Not even any music. For that matter, how did Sandburg stand it? This wasn't his thing either. Right?
... Why did Sandburg come here? What was the story behind that? He seemed very friendly with Brother Marcus. They'd even kept in touch. What had drawn Sandburg to a monastery when he was still a college kid?
Well, there wasn't anything else to do here. Maybe he could pry some of the story out of Blair. But the trouble was, Sandburg never 'stopped' talking. Jim should know his story from the cradle on up to meeting him that first day, yet his background was still a puzzle. He was the great 'obfuscater', so, what was he hiding?
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Well, maybe this 'wasn't' the best idea he'd ever had. Blair sighed and tried to find a comfortable position on the bed in his cell. He knew Jim wasn't asleep yet, but Ellison wasn't in any mood for talk. Blair'd had such hopes for this trip. Jim had needed to get away to someplace calm and quiet. A place where Jim's senses could get a break, too. But Jim still wasn't in a good mood, especially after Brother Jeremy took Jim's headphones. He really should have prepared Jim a little better for the realities of life here.
Blair shifted again and tried to calm his mind. That process of invoking calm reminded him of the reason he'd come here in the first place, years ago. He'd needed to find himself and he'd needed a place that would give him the peace he needed to accomplish that. He'd found the peace, and with a feeling of gratitude, he acknowledged that he'd found guidance as well. He'd wanted to help Jim by coming here, but he also wanted to reconnect with the friends he had made.
Remembering the situation that brought him here stirred up so many memories. He'd been so unhappy, so lonely and disillusioned when he'd first arrived. He'd been depressed, and sullen. He'd rejected the Brother's overtures at first, until Brother Marcus had asked for his 'help' one day. He'd spent that day and part of the night with Marcus, repairing a stained glass panel for a church. It had taken hours, and he was exhausted ... and he'd hardly spoken a word but he'd felt unburdened somehow. As if some of the weight was gone from his shoulders.
His freshman year had just ended, and it had almost ended his academic career. He'd arrived at Rainier with such high hopes. He'd always felt different, the odd man out, all his life. He'd never fit in. He'd never been totally accepted. He'd never had a best friend. He'd never had a home for more than a few months at a time.
All that had left it's mark. Arriving at school, where he would be spending the next four years ... well, spending that much time in one place was an idea that he couldn't really grasp. But what he hoped was that he would find a kindred spirit, a friend or friends of like mind. Peers, or near peers since he was only sixteen, that would share his love of learning. Friends that would accept him for himself.
But that hadn't happened. Instead he'd found himself snubbed, ridiculed, the butt of jokes and on the receiving end of various forms of harassment. And he'd done what he'd always done, he'd survived, all on his own. He'd walked his own path ... until it just got to be too much and he'd despaired of ever fitting in anywhere, of ever being accepted for himself. At this point he made a terrible mistake, he decided that if they didn't like him for himself, then he would be like them.
It got him into all sorts of trouble. Trouble with academics, since his grades slipped during the second semester. Trouble with Campus Security, since he partied and played pranks with the rest of his 'peers'. Trouble with the cops finally, when a bust went down. He'd had a drink or two at parties before, but he'd managed to stay away from drugs so far. Luckily for him, that night he'd arrived at the party late, since his slipping grades had worried his advisor enough to lay down the law. Blair had done extra credit papers in several classes, and the last had been due that Thursday night, his only evening class. And so, he'd joined the party late, which he decided much later, was the best bit of luck he'd had all semester. He didn't avoid being taken downtown though, but when a blood test came back negative, he was released.
Since he was still only sixteen, and his mom was out of the country, a cop drove him back to his dorm. Officer Pendergrast had been stern-faced and he'd given him a lecture all the way back to Rainier, and Blair had listened. Blair later admitted, at least to himself, that he'd deserved it.
He'd pondered on that lecture. He'd finished his semester with more than adequate grades, but he knew he was still in trouble. He went to talk to Officer Pendergrast again, and he advised Blair to seek out a counselor, someone he trusted. Blair asked 'Jack' for advice, and Jack had sent him to his own priest. Blair had talked to the priest several times before he'd told Blair that his church was affiliated with a monastery called St. Sebastian. It was a place that accepted people in need of a spiritual retreat.
Blair's mother, Naomi, had been on several spiritual retreats, so it was a concept that Blair was well familiar with.
He'd spent several weeks with the Brothers, talking often with Marcus and Jeremy. He'd come here to find himself, but he'd found more than that. He'd found people that accepted him for himself. It was a gift that he cherished.
It was a gift he hoped to share with Jim.
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Episode #11 Flight...Simon, Daryl, Peru
Epilogue to 'Flight'
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Daryl stared into the glowing embers of their campfire, immersed in his own thoughts. Even with one side toasty warm, he shivered in the chill of the jungle evening. He could hear Jim and Blair talking softly as Jim stood guard. Blair seemed to be too wound up to sleep, too.
Daryl could understand that. He looked over at his father, lying beside the fire, sound asleep already. They'd gathered some leaves to keep them off the ground and to cover themselves with, built the small fire when it was still light, and let it die down to embers so it wouldn't give their position away at night.
He'd be asleep, too, but his thoughts were keeping him awake. He worried about all those village kids and their parents. He worried about the drug runners catching up with them. He worried about his dad and his friends that still had to get all of them back safely. No wonder he couldn't fall asleep.
He'd never thought of himself as a worrier before. He wondered about that. It came as a sudden revelation to him that it might be like that for his dad. That he might be worried about the same things. Maybe he'd even be worried most of the time, being a cop and all. He knew that his dad had been in some tight spots back when he was in uniform, and he knew he handled some pretty gruesome cases nowadays, too. To be honest, he knew that his dad worried about him.
Daryl wished he hadn't given his dad such a hard time about coming here. He looked over at his father as he softly snored, and he smiled. His Dad had protected him every step of the way. He could have been hurt or ... or killed. Daryl sniffed and tried to swallow past the lump in his throat.
“Daryl, you really should get some sleep if you can. It's going to be a long day tomorrow,” said Jim gently.
Daryl looked for Blair, but he'd finally fallen asleep near Jim's feet. Jim looked out for Blair, and Blair looked out for Jim, like friends do, and like family.
Looking back at Jim, he nodded, then went to lay down next to his father. It felt good to hear him breathing. It felt better to feel his warmth as he tucked himself up against his back. He was glad he was here with his Dad.
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Episode #12 Out of the Past...Angie Ferris, singer
Epilogue for Out of the Past
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Jim had brought Angie back to her apartment after their date. It was late and Jim would have to leave soon, but Angie snuggled into Jim's arms and said, “So ... Weston's back in prison.”
Jim decided that she could use a little reassurance so he said firmly, “Where he'll stay for the rest of his life.”
She sighed, then remembered promising Captain Banks that she'd sing at a Benefit concert. She grinned up at Jim, “I hope you and Blair will be at the Police Benefit next month.”
“I wouldn't miss it, especially if you're going to sing.”
“Even if the last group worth listening to was Santana?”
“Who told you that?”
Angie just snuggled closer to hide her grin.
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Episode #13 Deep Water...Jack Pendergrast
Missing Scene for Deep Water
AU connection with one of ep. 10's scenes
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Blair puttered around the semi-dark kitchen, fixing a mug of tea to take to his room. He could hear Jim tossing and turning but he knew it wouldn't do any good to try to talk to him. IA was on his back; his missing partner from four years ago, Jack, was believed to be a crooked cop; and Jim's gun turned up connected to the murdered kidnap victim. Jim had given the gun to Jack as a gift for his birthday, but now it tied Jim to the case as a suspect. What a mess!
And Jim had never told him. Not about Jack. Not about Emily, which Blair could understand. Not about the untraceable back pay he got from the army, which IA was so hot about.
But Blair was Jim's partner now, and there was no way he'd give up on him or this case. And Blair owed Jack, too. Blair regretted that he and Jim hadn't gotten a chance to talk back at St. Sebastian's.
Blair settled down at the table and sipped his tea, and listened to Jim toss and turn.
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Episode #14 Reunion...Simon's high school reunion
Epilogue for Reunion
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Simon lay quietly in the hospital bed. Jim and Blair had gone to a motel for the night. They'd be back tomorrow since the doctor said he'd probably be released then. He didn't know what he'd done to rate friends like those two, but he counted himself very lucky. And there was Billy ... and dear Peggy ....
Simon sighed deeply before reaching out and turning off the light. She'd been the only reason he'd come ... the only reason he hadn't ducked out with Ellison and Sandburg and gone kayaking. In a way, he wished he had but because he'd stayed, at least Peggy's death wouldn't be in vain.
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Episode #15 Payback...Akiko, Japanese Yakuza
Epilogue for Payback
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Jim puttered around the kitchen putting things right before heading up to bed. He was alone with his thoughts tonight, and they were keeping him awake.
Jim remembered, and regretted, that he'd watched her walk away. He'd just let her go. A life lived undercover was no life at all no matter if you made a hell of a difference doing it. He hoped he'd see her again ... but he didn't count the odds to be good.
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Episode #16 True Crime...Wendy Hawthorne
Epilogue for True Crime
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“Date at 8:00. News at 11:00,”* That's what Sandburg said.
Maybe Blair had a point. After all, wasn't Jim still angry about Wendy and her cameraman rousting them out of bed and filming them in their boxers? And lets not forget that they'd interfered with a case while harassing him.
What was Jim doing getting involved with a reporter anyway? And why did Wendy decide to stay on in Cascade? Maybe it would be better to end it before it starts. Damn.
... Or was that just Sandburg's way of cutting out the competition?
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Episode #17 Iceman...Amber, Klaus Zeller
Epilogue for Iceman
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“Chief, don't you think you should go to bed? It's getting late even for you.”
Blair looked up toward the loft bedroom. Jim stood at the top of the stairs. “I tried already, man. Too much to think about, and every time I move, my ribs hurt.”
“Maybe I should check the bandages.”
“No. No, they're fine. I was just tossing and turning, thinking about Amber. You know.”
Jim walked slowly down the stairs.
“Hey, Jim, you don't need to sit up with me.”
“Blair, Zeller hit you with two slugs. You're alive only because you were wearing kevlar. I'd be surprised if it was only Amber that was keeping you awake.”
Blair softly grunted agreement. He sighed as deeply as he could and looked at his friend. “She was right you know. People do judge. I did judge her.”
“That's normal, Chief. Everyone does it.”
“I was trying to be all cool about it, but it made a difference. I always told myself, that if people just knew 'me' that they wouldn't judge me.”
“Who judged you, Chief?”
“Are you kidding? Everyone,” and softly, “Even you, Jim.”
“Well ... I think it went both ways.”
Blair looked at him and a small grin appeared, “Neanderthal.”
“And throwback.”
“And Joe Friday.”
“And uh ... I seem to remember calling you a 'neo-hippie witch doctor punk.'”
Blair sat up straight as he said semi-seriously, “The drug thing was out of line though.”
“And pinning you against the wall.”
Jim walked silently over to sit beside Blair. He said softly, “The things I judged you on ... I was wrong.”
“I had a few preconceived notions, too. That's a bad thing for an anthropologist.”
“I guess we both need to work on that then.”
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Episode #18 The Rig...Oil rig; bomb
Two Epilogues to 'The Rig'
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Blair padded about the loft as quietly as he could. He was trying to keep a surreptitious eye on his friend. He'd made sure that Jim had washed off after getting dunked in the oil, and again when they got home. But you never knew, delayed reactions could happen. He planned to keep checking on Jim throughout the night to make sure he really was alright. If he had swallowed any of that junk or if it irritated his skin or eyes or something ... well it wouldn't be good if he had an allergic reaction to it. The possibilities just made him shudder.
He thought back to just before they left the rig. They'd just reached 'C' Deck, and Blair was going to show them where the bomb was so the Coast Guard team could dismantle it.
Blair had no reason to think there was a problem, but that was when Jim had started vomiting. He'd been terrified that Jim was having some reaction, but Jim had done his best to brush him off. Maybe Jim was right because there'd been no further evidence of illness, in the hours since they'd left the rig. But he couldn't forget his fright. Jim was his friend. He couldn't lose him. He just couldn't.
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Jim jolted from sleep once again and looked for his partner. He needed that reassurance ... that he was still with him ... still alive, but Jim's memories crowded out his search. He'd been too far away to hear the bomb's timer counting down, but he'd known in his head, in his heart, just how close it had been.
After they'd gone back to the oil rig to wrap things up, he'd actually seen the timer. He'd been in such a state of shock that he'd reacted physically. He'd grabbed his stomach and doubled over, dry heaving painfully.
He'd known what Sandburg had thought; that it was a reaction to the oil he'd been immersed in ... but it was actually the realization of just how close it had been for Blair. Only one second left. One. He couldn't look at it again. He couldn't. He looked franticly around the loft once again ... where was Blair?
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Episode #19 Spare Parts...Naomi's first appearance; carjacking
Epilogue to Spare Parts
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Naomi handed Blair her glass of wine. She smiled as she listened to her son and Jim as they joked together. Their interactions seemed different somehow than Blair's usual friendships. It seemed warmer somehow, almost like family.
Yes, family. Blair had found his home. She smiled at her next thought, that if Jim was going to be a sort of step-son then she'd really have to stop flirting with him. She slipped the wine glass deftly out of Blair's hand and sipped then handed it back at his noisy protest. Yes, big brother, certainly not father figure. She grinned as the thought crossed her mind that Simon would fit that role better.
She chuckled along with Blair and Jim at something she hadn't really been paying attention to, since her thoughts had strayed so far afield.
So, Simon Banks trusted her son. She had to wonder what the story was behind that trust, because both he and Jim cared for Blair. She would never have thought to place Blair in their company, much less their ... family.
Hmm. Should she be concerned? She hadn't exactly been kidding about the “blue uniform and jack boots” comment. She knew Blair didn't have the wanderlust like she did, as much as she'd tried to pass that on to him. He was the kind that craved roots, a home, family ... for all his interest in other cultures. She always thought he was just trying on those other cultures, hoping that one would fit him ... or that he'd fit in.
She sighed softly and when Jim glanced questioningly at her, she forced a smile. She could see it was not enough to fool him, but he let it go. He seemed a good man. Maybe Blair ... fit ... here. She hoped so. She did.
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Episode #20 Second Chance...Maya again
Epilogue for Second Chance
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“How's your head?”
“It aches ... in two places.”
“Ah-huh. I'll wake you every couple of hours just to be safe. But you need to rest. You look beat.”
“I'll get some ice packs.”
“You go to bed. I'll get them.”
Jim returned from the kitchen to find Blair sitting on the side of his futon. “You okay, Chief?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. I just can't believe it ... Maya and Rivero cooked that whole thing up. I mean, I believed her when she told me that she really didn't know he was a worse crook than her father, but she was in this from the beginning. She set out to set me ... well, us ... up.”
“She knew you'd be easy ...”
“... yeah, that's me ... easy!”
“... you'd be easy ... because you cared for her.”
“Yeah. I do. But having to let her go again, probably never to see her again ... it still hurts.”
“Yeah.” Jim juggled the ice packs uncomfortably for a moment, not knowing what else to say, but knowing he couldn't say what he really felt, //Chief, she isn't good enough for you.//
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Episode #21 Black or White...bombings of black churches
Epilogue for Black or White
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Joel finished up the dishes and turned out the lights. It was late. He needed to get to bed. Maybe he could even sleep tonight. It had been a long time since he'd slept without nightmares.
He walked through the house turning off lights and checking the locks. A sudden noise outside had him peering out the window until he was satisfied that it was the neighbor's cat. He could see it crouched by their back door, near a broken plant pot.
Joel continued up to his bedroom, with his thoughts on one particular person tonight: Blair Sandburg. Joel wondered at his own ease tonight. It was because of Blair. He'd stuck his nose into Joel's problem, and had talked him through it. It might have been a 'lie', but the kid's intentions were all to the good.
He chuckled at Blair's 'embellishments' ... and whatever the heck 'obfuscations' were. Ellison certainly had his hands full.
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Episode #22 Blind Man's Bluff...drug Golden
Missing Scene from “Blind Man's Bluff”
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Jim and Margaret were chatting quietly on the couch when Jim heard the elevator arrive on their floor. He listened for a moment, and realized that Blair was back. The keys in the lock alerted Margaret.
Blair came in slowly. He looked exhausted.
Jim and Margaret glanced at each, both knowing that the date was over.
Blair hung up his coat, and stopped to look at them. “Hey, Jim, Margaret. I thought ... well, I hope you don't mind that I came back early. I need to hit the sack. I'm bushed.”
“You look exhausted, Chief. No problem. You just got out of the hospital. You probably shouldn't have gone out tonight anyway.”
Blair rubbed his face tiredly and yawned.
Margaret leaned over and kissed Jim on the cheek. She whispered, “I think I'd better go. I don't want to keep Blair up.”
Jim grinned and whispered back, “I don't think a siren would keep Blair awake. He's practically out on his feet.”
“How about we meet for lunch sometime this week?”
“Sounds good. Call me tomorrow.”
Jim walked Margaret down to her car. He took the stairs, mostly two at a time, on the way back up to the loft. He was still smiling when he entered the loft. He saw Blair at the sink, filling up the teakettle.
“Hey, I thought you were going to bed?”
Blair glanced over his shoulder and blinked slowly, “You ever been too tired to sleep? I had a couple of coffees trying to stay awake, so I thought I'd try something to negate all that caffeine. You want some?”
“Nah, I'm good.”
“How'd it go with Margaret?”
“Good. Really good.”
Blair turned from the sink and turned on the stove, adjusting the flame.
Jim grabbed their glasses from the coffee table and walked into the kitchen saying, “We're going to meet for lunch sometime this week.”
Jim put the glasses into the sink and turned to Blair. Blair was still standing in front of the stove.
“So, Chief. What did you do tonight besides drink ....” Something about Blair's stillness seemed wrong to Jim.
“Sandburg?”
Jim stepped over to Blair, “What's wrong, Chief?”
Blair's voice was soft, dreamlike, “fire.”
Jim fought to stay calm, “Chief ... can you look at me?”
“the fire ... it's alive,” and Blair reached out.
“NO,” Jim shouted and wrapped his arms around Blair. He pulled him away from the stove, away from the fire.
Blair struggled half-heartedly though he soon became quiescent in Jim's arms. He sagged heavily against Jim, but he still seemed held in a surreal state.
Jim tried to calm the distress he felt, thinking that Sandburg could pick up on his anxiety, “Sandburg? You hear me?”
Blair shifted his face into Jim's shoulder, but gave no answer.
“Okay, buddy. We'll just take it slow.” He stood for some minutes just rubbing Blair's back and arms gently, all the time speaking softly, asking for an acknowledgement that Blair heard him, that he understood him. Finally Blair yawned deeply. He turned his face away from Jim's shoulder, but still leaned heavily on him.
“Jim?” he asked softly, curiously.
Jim sighed in relief, “Yeah. You with me?”
Blair thought for a long moment, “Why are you hugging me?”
A shaky grin lit Jim's face, “Do you want me to let go?”
Blair thought for another long moment, “I think I'd fall down. Is that why you're hugging me?”
“Partly.”
Blair considered that then asked, “And?”
Jim hugged him harder, “You were going to make tea. Do you remember?”
“... Did you want coffee?”
Jim snorted softly, “No. You had too much coffee already. Remember?”
“Oh. Then why?”
Jim took a moment to think.
“Jim, you okay?”
“You turned on the stove.”
“I'm allowed to make tea, Jim. You haven't made that a Jim - uh, house rule yet.”
Jim muttered, “Might have to for a while, Chief.”
Blair lifted his head off Jim's shoulder and stared up at him, “Huh?”
Jim kept him wrapped in the hug, but shifted them both so Blair could see the flame.
Blair blinked several times, trying to understand what Jim was trying to show him. “... oh. I - I ...” He buried his face in Jim's shoulder again as his arms came up around Jim and gripped his shirt in his clenched fists.
“Do you remember reaching for it, Blair?”
The face never lifted but after a few moments Jim felt a nod. Jim reached out and turned the stove off. “It'll be okay, Blair. It will.”
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Episode #23 Hear No Evil...Sheila, IA, cop dropped from chopper; white noise generator
Missing scene for Hear No Evil
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Jim sighed in resignation as he contemplated a long, sleepless night ahead of him. He'd been so sure that he had decent control of his senses. He'd really begun to hope that most of the pain of spikes was behind him. But what if ... it wasn't just his hearing?
All the doctor had done was to clean the wax out of his ears! What if there was some quirk that affected his other senses, too? He knew a cold could mess with his senses. What if there was something out there that they weren't even aware of yet? That's really what was keeping him awake ... fear ... of his own senses; of how they might surprise him in the future.
Right now he was tired and his hearing was spiking even with the earplugs back in them. Blair had taken him through the dials again and it had helped, but they still felt like they were set near ten. Blair said it would just take time to get used to the new settings, but 'he' didn't have to try to sleep through all the noise that got through. He knew Sandburg had tried to help, but although he wasn't in pain now, he still couldn't seem to sift through all the 'chatter' and tune it out.
Jim was trying not to complain. He told himself he was tougher than a little noise. But what he wouldn't give for another run through on the dials. He'd just decided to wake Sandburg up to do just that when a chopper flew low nearby.
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Episode #24 Light My Fire...arson, Debra Reese
Missing scene for Light My Fire
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Jim was actually speechless for a moment, and even though he was a sentinel he couldn't quite believe his own eyes. What was that 'thing' on Sandburg's head? Jim's thoughts raced ... he had a camera in the glove box. If it was a long uneventful stakeout maybe Sandburg would fall asleep. A Fargo hat?! Blackmail was criminal ... but so was that hat!
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Episode #25 Secret...Col. Oliver
Epilogue to Secret
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Jim entered the loft, exhaustion evident in every move, and in the pale face and clenched jaw. Blair watched Jim out of the corner of his eye. When Jim stopped to stare at the damage Blair jumped in, “Sorry, man. They really shot the place up. You go on to bed. I'll see if I can finish cleaning it up.”
“They ... shot it up. Oliver's men? You were here?” he asked, then swung his gaze around at the crime scene tape and the damage.
“Well, yeah. When you didn't come back when you said you would I called Simon. That's when Oliver's men broke with in gun's blazing and I took off. They chased me down to the street. Man, that bus driver is never going to let me ride with him again. See, I had to give him a hard time so that he'd call the cops ... which he did ... and Oliver's men took off. Simon was NOT happy having to come rescue me from the lockup.” Blair shivered in memory.
Jim saw the shiver. “It sounds like you had a busy night, Chief,” Jim shook his head in disbelief at the turn of events that had put Blair in such danger. His past had caught up to them both, and it sounded like Sandburg barely got out alive. “Leave it, Blair. It's going to need repair anyway. I'll take care of it tomorrow. I - I'm glad you're okay. This should never have affected you. I'm sorry.”
“No way, man. It's not your fault. Jim ... I know you told the doctor you were okay, but did that drug do anything weird to you? Any bad reaction?” Blair asked.
Jim slowly shook his head, “No. The doctor said it was a sedative. I just did my best to stay awake.”
“But how did you manage to stay awake? Maybe it didn't have as much effect on you as it would have on someone else.”
“Sandburg, right now I feel like I could sleep for a week.”
Blair couldn't let it rest there, “Then maybe you should have stayed overnight. Maybe the only bad reaction is that it takes longer to get out of your system. But how did you stay awake?”
Jim shrugged a shoulder, “Just an old trick.”
“Covert ops stuff?” asked Blair with blatant curiosity.
“Yeah. You remember that the doc bandaged my thumb. I just used a nail I found to press into it. Pain is a natural distraction. If you have to, it can keep you mind focused on what's necessary, and ignore what you can't do anything about.”
“Pain? You used pain as a distraction?” Blair asked in horror.
Jim looked at Blair, “Well, you weren't there, Chief. At the time, I was just glad you were 'safe'.” Jim looked around the loft then back at Blair before he added softly, “But you weren't so safe, were you?”
“I wish I'd been there for you, man. I'm sorry.”
Jim saw his distress and had to wonder at the friendship bestowed on him by Blair Sandburg. More than once, he'd wondered if he'd been right in involving Blair in his life, in his problems.
“If not for everything you taught me about controlling my senses, I'd never have been able to do it. So, believe me Sandburg, you 'were' there, coaching me in my head like you do whenever we can't work together. You're the reason I made it, Chief.”
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Episode #26 Dead Drop...Galileo, elevator
Epilogue for Dead Drop
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Blair bolted upright. Again.
Jim heard him from upstairs. //Come on, Chief. Breathe.// Finally a gasp that Jim would have heard without his sentinel hearing. Jim decided that was it. Enough was enough. He took a deep breath himself and sat up, grabbed his robe, and headed down the stairs. He put the teakettle on and grabbed the Sleepytime stuff. He put enough water on for two. He was having his own problems tonight.
“Hey, Jim. Sorry.”
Jim glanced at Blair, and turned away to hide his grin. 'Bedhead' just didn't describe that ... that ... 'nest' on his friends head.
“Don't worry about it. I'm making enough for both of us.”
“I'm really sorry, Jim.”
“No. It's not you jolting awake ... well, it's not 'just' you, anyway.”
Blair walked around the kitchen island to lean on it while he watched Jim get the cups down. “Come on.” Yawn. “Out with it.”
Jim's lips thinned as he clenched his jaw. Blair saw, but didn't understand.
“Sorry, Jim. Of course it was a bad case for you, too. Didn't mean to pry.”
Jim snorted softly, “Right. It ... was just ... hard.”
Blair's eyebrows rose, “You mean, watching Galileo dump us five floors at a time down that elevator shaft? I ... well, that had to be hard. Not like my Blessed Protector could do much about it at the time though. I hope you're not beating yourself up about that.”
Jim gripped the mugs until his fingers turned white.
“Jim?”
Jim looked up, with remembered fear on his face, “Not ... just ... that, Chief. I ... heard the bomb go off.”
Blair eyes widened. “Oh, Jim,” he whispered.
The teakettle whistled.
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Episode #27 Red Dust...Russian, uranium
Epilogue for Red Dust
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“Goodnight, Chief. Don't stay up too late, huh. Lot's of reports to write tomorrow and you know I'd appreciate your help.”
“Sure, Jim. I just have to look up a couple of things. Shouldn't take me long.”
“I, uh, just wanted to say that you were a big help on this case. You broke it wide open with that intel on the Russian forbidden cities.”
“Really? Uh, thanks. Look ... why don't you go on to bed. You look tired.”
“So do you. I mean it, don't stay up late. I don't want to have to drag your butt out of bed in the morning.”
Blair grinned tiredly and watched Jim head up to bed. It was going to be a struggle to keep his vitals steady for the search he needed to do, but he just couldn't put it off. Why had he been so damned excited that Jim could sense radioactivity! If he can sense it, then maybe ... damn it ... maybe he could also be especially 'sensitive' to it, too. The thought made his stomach roil.
“Chief, you alright?”
Blair clenched his hands then forced a steady, slow breath and a wan smile. He could do this. “I'm a little queasy. Must be the Wonderburger. I told you that food is deadly.” Well, it was just a little obfuscation between friends, but maybe it would keep Jim from suspecting anything later.
What would he do if Jim .... He pulled himself together, trying to convince himself that Jim had some odd reactions, but not everything was an oversensitivity. Sometimes he reacted more slowly or less intensely like with anesthetics. Trying to keep that thought foremost he began what he knew was probably a futile search.
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Episode #28 Smart Alec...Alec, arachnids
Epilogue for Smart Alec
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Sandburg in a crash helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and roller blades. Now that had been a sight! Jim opened the freezer and grabbed two bags of frozen peas. It was too bad he didn't have any extra padding on his butt.
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Episode #29 Private Eyes...Charlie Spring, psychic; a kidnapped girl
Missing mini-scenes for Private Eyes
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It was just a stuffed toy, but it was Gwen's. Charlie knew that the poor kid had to be scared to death. If ever he needed a 'hit' he needed one now, for Gwen.
Charlie couldn't sleep, but he didn't care. He would pace around the girl's room all night if necessary. He needed the vibes to work for him this time. He knew the parents were waiting, and the cops, too, but no matter how bad he wanted a 'hit', nothing came to him as the time slipped away.
The night passed ever so slowly for Charlie in increasing frustration, but the sun did finally rise. Maybe that was an omen, the beginning of a new day, another chance ... and finally ... a 'hit' ... a black car ... and a dog.
But what did they mean? Charlie knew what most people thought of him. Even if he could interpret them correctly, would anyone listen?
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Episode #30 Vanishing Act...Gordon Abbott faked his death
Missing scene from Vanishing Act
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Blair sat on the side of Elise Abbott's bed as he watched Joey set up the game on his mom's computer.
“Hey, Joey, this Space Enforcer is a cool game.”
“Yeah, Mom bought it for me just before we came back to see Grandma.”
“Is that why you came back?”
“Yeah. She's been sick.”
“That's too bad. I'm sure she's glad you moved home. Hey, are you okay ... you know, about today.”
Joey stopped working the controls of his game.
Blair had been watching the screen, “Hey, buddy. You just crashed.”
Joey stood and flopped back onto the bed beside Blair. He stared at the ceiling for a minute, then looked at Blair, “Are they going to come after me again? Is it because of Dad?”
Blair leaned down on one elbow, “You met Detective Ellison. He's here to prevent that. He won't let them hurt you or your Mom.”
“Mom said we had to go away, you know, before; that we'd have different names so we'd be safe. But we came back, and now I'm scared. Those men, they just pulled me into the car. I couldn't stop them.”
“Joey, they let you go. They don't really want you. I want you to promise that you'll stick close to your mom. Do what she says. Jim will protect you. He's done it for me.”
“Really?”
Blair chuckled, “You know, when we were following you in that car ... Jim took a corner really fast ... and he put his arm out in front of me, to make sure I didn't get hurt.”
Joey smiled, “Yeah? My mom's done that.”
“Yeah ... I bet she has.”
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Episode #31 Pennies From Heaven...Armored Car spills counterfeits
Epilogue for Pennies From Heaven
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Jim checked the locks and turned out the lights. He heard Blair toss and turn in his sleep. He went to check on him even though he knew he was alright, but it wouldn't hurt to see him, too.
Blair started snoring and Jim grinned. He might need the white noise generator tonight. He was about to turn away from Blair's room when he saw the envelope with the 5 twenty dollar bills; the reimbursement for the lost one hundred dollar bill that Blair had had stashed in his wallet ... for emergencies.
Jim wondered about that. He'd been flippant about it at the time, saying that Blair treated it like a security blanket. That didn't seem so trivial right now. Was it a security blanket?
Jim had also said that Blair probably kept it to impress the ladies, but the kid hadn't taken that well. Blair must have known he was kidding. Didn't he? Was he? Maybe not at the time.
So Jim was back to 'a security blanket'. The whole time down in Southtown, Blair rambled on about the social implications of the incident with the money from the armored car. About people picking it up, feeling that it was 'finder's keepers'. He'd asked Jim if he blamed them. Blair obviously didn't. Blair had a whole different perspective on the dichotomy of wealth vs. poverty than Jim. Jim knew that, but sometimes things surprised him. Blair surprised him.
He made Jim see things in a different light. Even before they'd wrapped up the case, Jim had come to an understanding that there were a lot of good people who 'might have picked up the money without thinking about it'**.
Jim turned back to Blair's room. He pulled out his wallet and swapped a hundred dollar bill for the twenties. He thought it would make Blair feel better.
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Episode #32 Survival...Quinn kidnaps Simon
Epilogue for 'Survival'
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Simon poked at the fire. He was so tired, but Ellison and Sandburg might even be worse off. He knew for sure that Sandburg was. The kid was trying to put on a brave front but Simon could see the pain lines, and sometimes the slow rocking to the pain of the gunshot.
Damn, Quinn. Damn him to hell. He certainly deserved it! He'd killed a rookie cop to get sent to prison. He shot, or maybe killed, other cops to escape, and had kidnapped Simon. Now he'd shot Sandburg in the leg. He'd thought Jim had shown great restraint in not killing him.
They had sifted through the supplies Quinn and his girlfriend had, and they'd found enough for a meal. He poured a cup of coffee for Sandburg and leaned across the distance to shake the kid's shoulder lightly.
“Coffee, Sandburg?”
Blair hitched himself higher against his rest, and Simon gave him one-handed help.
“It's hot, watch it.”
Blair grimaced but didn't say anything about the pain, just took the cup and sipped. “That hits the spot. Thanks, Simon.”
Blair peered around the camp, seeming to just realize that Jim was missing.
“Jim's checking things out. We've had enough surprises for today,” Simon told him as he took up his weapon once again. He turned to watch their prisoners, wary of them even if they were tied up securely.
Blair looked at Simon for a moment before asking, “Are you alright, Simon?”
Simon was startled by the question, but then realized that he shouldn't be. This was Sandburg, and he already knew that he looked out for his friends.
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Episode #33 His Brother's Keeper...Steven Ellison, racehorse Little Stogie
Missing scene from His Brother's Keeper
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Blair heard the door open and the keys drop in the basket. //What was Jim doing up? Where had he gone? And why didn't he tell me?//
Blair rubbed his face as he sat up. He listened to Jim pull the refrigerator open. He didn't seem to be headed right to bed so Blair decided to join him and find out where he'd gone.
“Hey, Jim. Where've you been?”
Jim twisted the cap off his beer and threw it in the bin. “I've been to see Steven.” He took a long swallow of beer and headed for the couch.
Blair followed and sat facing him. “Why so late?”
“It had to do with the case.”
“Why didn't you tell me? It's cool if you wanted to see Steven alone. He is your brother and it's been a while.”
“Chief ... leave it alone.”
“But ...”
“Look, I almost shot him, okay. I almost killed him.”
Blair sat with his mouth open.
Jim sighed, “'Someone' took some shots at me and made it seem like it came from Steven. I didn't hit him, but he had a bruise on his head where the guy hit him. But I - I shot 'at' him. I - I could have ...”
“Jim, he's okay, right? He's okay?”
“Yeah. I'm going to pick him up in the morning and take him downtown. Get his story on record, and those documents he found that sets him up for embezzlement.”
“... and a motive for murder.”
“Right.”
“I'm sorry, Jim.”
“For what?”
“He's your brother. You're worried about him.”
Jim sighed, but kept his silence. What could he say? Jim was the lead detective of this case and Steven was the prime suspect. Worried ... didn't cover half of it.
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Episode #34 Sleeping Beauty...girl in coma
Two Missing scenes from Sleeping Beauty
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Stacey slept on the couch covered by the afghan Blair had placed over her. Blair had talked to Missing Persons like Jim had suggested, but there hadn't been anything reported at the time. They said they'd call when they had something. Jim had to leave to take over a stakeout on short notice, so for now, it was just Blair and Stacey.
Blair wasn't a bit sleepy. He was still wired from almost hitting the girl when she'd run out in front of his car. He poured himself some coffee and sat in the chair. He couldn't help watching her. She'd seemed so childlike. She'd wandered the loft without a word spoken. She'd been drawn to the Haida Nation doll and Blair had been happy to let her hold it; rock it. Yes, 'childlike' was the word. What was her story?
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Stacey had heard Jim arrive and later climb the stairs to bed. She couldn't sleep so finally she wandered out into the loft carrying the doll she'd held earlier. It was still dark, but she'd slept off and on during the day. They'd told her she'd slept for eight years. She didn't want to sleep anymore. She wandered to the balcony and watched the gentle rain. She leaned against the door and watched the street, and the occasional car that went by. It was late, or very early.
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Jim watched her from his bed for a few minutes. When she didn't return to her bed, he sighed and threw back his covers. He grabbed a robe and went to send her back to bed.
“Stacey,” he said softly, trying not to wake Blair, too.
Stacey jumped slightly, but didn't say anything when she turned to look at him.
Jim looked out at the rain. “I like to stand here, too.” He grinned as he continued, “There's always lots of rain to watch in Cascade.”
Stacey smiled shyly, “I like the rain. It's pretty, and it's quiet this late.”
“Too much going on today?”
Stacey looked down, “I just don't remember. I should remember them. They're my parents.”
“It'll come.”
“I tried to answer the doctor's questions. Was he mad? Were ... you mad?”
Jim tried to reassure her, “I wasn't mad. I just want to help ... and I want to find the men that did this.”
“I want to do that, too.”
“I know. It will come, in time. And we'll get them, Stacey.”
Stacey nodded and then gave in to a yawn.
“You should get back to bed. You haven't been out of bed much. You must be tired.”
Stacey hugged the doll closer, “I - I slept for eight years.”
Jim grinned, “Yeah. I guess you could afford to miss a few hours tonight. Do you want something to drink ... water, milk?”
She shook her head. “I - I think I will go back to bed.”
She walked a few steps then turned quickly back to Jim. She flung her arms up around his neck and whispered, “Thank you.” Then she fled back to the little bedroom.
Jim was surprised by the hug, but warmed by it also. He'd find them and bring them to justice. That was a promise.
Click for Part 2: http://1sentinel1guide.livejournal.c