Well, I just survived the worst April blizzard of the 
century here in Winnipeg, and luckily never lost my power or 
phone.  Therefore, in the grand ol' tradition of senad 
(dating back to at least March) I wrote my way through the 
storm.  Be gentle, this hasn't been seen by anyone else yet.
I promise to send a better copy for archiving as soon as I 
fix it up.

Disclaimer:  No, they're not mine.  No, I'm not making and 
money.  No, I don't want to give them back. <G>


Covert Operations
by R'rain

	Jim heard the phone ringing and tried to rouse himself 
out of his deep sleep.  "Hello?" he said into the receiver 
once he'd managed to grab it.
	"Hey Jim," came Simon's voice on the other end, "I know 
it's late, but--"
	"It's very late Simon," said Jim.
	"But I need a really big favour right now."
	Jim sighed and sat up higher in the bed, careful not to 
wake Blair with the motion.  "What is it?"
	"My place just got a little, well, shot up.  No, no, 
don't ask me now, I'll explain later.  I just need a place 
to crash tonight."
	Jim thought about that for a moment, then sighed again, 
"You need a ride?"
	He could almost hear Simon smiling, "No, I got my car.  
No wallet, no ID, but I still have the car."
	"When?"
	"I got a few things to wrap up here before they seal 
the place off.  Maybe forty-five minutes?"
	"That'll be fine, Simon," said Jim, "I'll see you 
then."
	"Thanks, Jim."
	"No problem."  Jim hung up the phone, then rolled over 
and shook Blair's shoulder.  "Blair.  Blair, honey.  Wake 
up, we've got company coming."
	"Huh?"
	"Blair, Simon's on his way over.  We've gotta get you 
set up in your old room."
	"Huh?"
	"Blair, wake up, damn it!"
	"Jim, why is Simon coming over?"
	"Problems at his apartment," said Jim shortly, "Come 
on, we've got to get you downstairs."
	"Why?"
	"Didn't you hear me?  Simon will be here in less than 
an hour.  Do you really want him to find us sleeping 
together?"
	Blair bolted upright in the bed, "Oh shit!"
	"My sentiments exactly," said Jim, flipping the covers 
off and standing up next to the bed, stretching, "What kind 
of shape is your old room in?"
	Blair shook his head, "Oh, man, you do *not* want to 
know."
	"All right Chief, you get started down there, I'll grab 
some of your stuff from up here, okay?"
	Blair dragged himself out of the nice warm bed and went 
down the stairs.  One look into his old room had him 
shouting up the stairs, "Jim, he's never going to believe 
that someone's been living in here.  I might have to do an 
excavation just to find the bed!"
	"Do your best," said Jim, "Just dump the stuff on the 
floor--I'm sure Simon isn't expecting anything less."
	"Let me get this straight," said Blair, "You're 
*telling* me to dump things on the floor?"
	"No time for jokes," said Jim, "We've only got maybe a 
half an hour now.  You want me to grab some of your 
clothes?"
	"I guess.  At least enough to get me through tomorrow," 
said Blair, resigning himself to spending the night alone.  
He walked back into the spare room and starting stacking 
books on the floor as neatly as possible.  There was 
definitely a bed under there somewhere.
	"Here you go," said Jim, walking up behind him and 
handing him a change of clothes, "I'm really sorry, Blair."  
He put his arms around his lover and kissed the top of his 
head.  "You know I had to do this."
	"I would have done the same thing, Jim," reassured 
Blair.  He turned around and kissed Jim's lips, "though I'm 
really going to miss waking up to this."
	"Me too, Chief, me too." Jim sighed, "We've got a lot 
of stuff to take care of and not much time."  He clapped his 
hands together, "Let's get to it."
	"You think maybe we should put some clothes on?"
	"Nah," said Jim with a grin, "We were supposed to be in 
bed when he called, we may as well look the part."
	"What time is it anyways?"
	Jim glanced at a clock, "almost 1 in the morning.  He 
damn well better not be expecting me into the station early 
tomorrow, I'll tell you that."
	"We'll wait until he leaves and then cuddle for half 
the morning."
	"Wouldn't that be nice," sighe Jim, "Well, back to 
work."  Jim combed his loft and the kitchen while Blair 
tried to make the room look lived in.  When he was finished 
it still looked like a junk room though Jim decreed it 
passable.  They were about to get sheets and blankets 
from upstairs when there was a knock at the door.
	"Shit," they said in unison.
	"You put on some coffee, I'll get the door," said Jim.
	"Jim," came Simon's voice as the door opened, "Thanks 
again.  I don't know what I would have done without you."
	"It's no problem at all," lied Jim, "as long as you 
don't mind the couch.  Come on in and have a seat.  I'll 
just run upstairs and get some blankets for you.  Blair, 
would you mind getting Simon something to drink?"
	"Blair?  Jim, you didn't need to wake Blair up..."
	"I heard him messing around in the kitchen, Simon, 
don't worry about it.  I'm a light sleeper."  He could 
almost hear Jim's choked laughter at that statement from 
upstairs.
	"Well, I'll just use the washroom then," said Simon, 
starting in that direction.
	"No!" said Blair.  At Simon's perplexed look he went 
on, "I, uh, left some towels lying around after my shower.  
Let me just pick up for a minute."
	"Sandburg, right now that doesn't *really* matter to 
me."
	"No, no, I insist."  Blair raced into the bathroom 
before Simon could protest any further.  Quickly he 
ransacked the medicine cabinet.  The condoms and the lube 
were the first to go, tucked into the cabinet behind the 
extra toilet paper and cleaning supplies.  Towels and 
supplies were rearranged into two distinct areas.  Bath 
pillow taken *out* and hidden with the condoms. //Well, I 
don't think that's a dead giveway, but oh, the memories 
attached to it!  There, that's passable.//
	"All right, go ahead," he told Simon, who was still 
giving him a somewhat confused look.  The coffee maker was 
perking along happily and Blair got out the milk and sugar.  
Simon may not want it, but he sure did.  Just then he 
remembered that he hadn't closed his bedroom door before 
Simon had gone past it. //Shit!//  He went and closed it, 
hoping it wasn't too late.
	Jim came down the stairs at the same time Simon came 
out of the bathroom and they met in the kitchen after Jim 
dumped off the load of blankets on the couch.  "While you're 
here, Simon," said Jim, "There's something I wanted you to 
take a look at, uh, upstairs."
	"Upstairs?  Jim, do you two always act this flaky 
around here?"
	"Only at one in the morning," Jim reassured him 
jokingly, leading him up the stairs.  Blair took the hint 
and as soon as they were out of view he grabbed some of the 
blankets off the couch and hastily made his bed, closing the 
door again and sauntering back into the kitchen as the two 
men came back down the stairs.
	"Looks good, Jim, though why you needed *my* 
opinion..."
	"Well, you know, you were here and all, sir...  Is that 
coffee ready, Sandburg?"
	"Ready and waiting," said Blair, taking a sip of his 
own.
	"Good," said Jim, going over to him and pouring two 
more cups.  He handed one to Simon, "So what happened at 
your place, sir?"
	Simon groaned and took his coffee into the living room, 
sitting down on the couch.  Jim and Blair sat down to either 
side of him.  "I don't even want to *think* about it right 
now, Ellison."
	"Sorry, sir," said Jim casually as Blair passed him a 
tube of lubricant behind Simon's back that he had pulled 
from the couch cushions.  Jim hid it under the magazine rack 
next to him.
	"Well, said Blair, draining his cup, "I'm heading back 
to bed.  See you two in the morning."
	He was halfway to the kitchen before Simon sighed and 
stopped him, "Sandburg, wait."
	"Yeah, Simon?" said Blair, pausing to turn around.
	"*I* will sleep in the spare room.  You may as well 
sleep upstairs with Jim like you always do."
	Jim was hard-pressed to keep from spitting his mouthful 
of coffee out across the room.
	"What???" sputtered Blair.
	"How did you--?" Jim managed to get out after 
swallowing.
	"Jim, I've known you for four years.  I'm not stupid.  
Now," he said, finishing off his own coffee, "if you two 
will excuse me, I've had a long day."  Jim nodded at him, 
still unable to get out a coherent sentence.  "By the way," 
said Simon, gesturing towards the mantle, "Nice picture."
	Jim and Blair both looked, belatedly noticing the 
picture of the two of them kissing as Cascade beach that 
they'd had a mutual friend take last month.  "We, uh, don't 
get much company here," said Blair.
	"I see that," said Simon, looking more amused than 
anything else, "Get back to bed, you two.  We'll talk in the 
morning.
	Jim and Blair just nodded as Simon disappeared into the 
spare room and closed the door behind him.

--End--