After the Siege

Jim could hardly believe it when he heard the report on the siege. Sandburg had not only taken out two of the guys himself, he'd offered himself up as a hostage and probably saved a few lives. He'd jumped out a window onto a narrow lift, and held a helicopter pilot and terrorist at gunpoint while flying over Cascade with two people hanging off the helicopter. And he'd come out wanting more.

Why the hell had he ever thought the anthropologist would be fragile? Sure the night before when they'd been discussing ways to approach the captain, he's come across as an over- educated putz, but what was the kid really made of? If he could indeed call him a kid.

"That was some work you did out there yesterday," he said to Blair when he picked him up at his apartment the next day.

"Yeah, you think?" God, the kid's eagerness was enough to make anyone feel older than they were.

"You kept your head, that was good. That's what I need in someone working with me." He watched Blair rub his wrists lightly. "Those still bugging you?"

Blair shrugged, "Not used to having my wrists duct taped together. So, after such an auspicious beginning, what should I expect today?"

"Oh, I don't know. A couple of bomb threats, a firefight in the parking garage, maybe a small nuclear explosion in the greater downtown area."

"You're kidding, right?" Jim was silent, managing to keep a straight face. "Jim, man, tell me you're kidding!"

"Okay," said Jim, "no nuclear explosion." Blair fiddled with his fingers in his lap, and Jim wondered if he'd ever get used to the younger man's fidgeting. "So how long you think this is going to take, this controlling my senses thing."

"I don't know," said Blair with a shrug, "This is new to me too, man. For all I know it'll take forever." Forever with Blair Sandburg. Why didn't that bother him nearly as much as he thought it would?

"Forever? You've got to be kidding me."

"Well think about it, man. Even when my doctorate is finished, there's always going to be new stuff to learn. And for all we know, these senses change over time, become more acute, develop new attributes..."

"I see your point," interrupted Jim. Blair talked a lot, but then Jim didn't so it worked out rather well.

"There's so much we've got to talk about," said Blair excitedly, "So much we've got to learn, I hardly even know where to start. Let's see, your control has got to come first man, maybe I should teach you some meditation or something. You know, something to keep you centered."

"Now hold on a second there, Chief, let's get a grip here. What, you expect me to sit down and meditate every time I need to use one of my senses? I don't think so."

"No, no, that's not what I meant. The meditation will allow you to learn control in a...in a peaceful environment. You know what I mean?"

"I have a peaceful environment," said Jim, "I call it home and it suits me just fine."

"Whatever, man, but don't come crying to me when your senses wack out on you."

"Fine, I won't," said Jim, pulling into the station's underground lot.

"So what do we get to do today?"

"The most exciting work of all," said Jim patting him on the back, "Paperwork."

"Paperwork? Aw, you've got to be kidding me, man. My whole life is paperwork."

"If you want to work with me you'd better get used to it." Well, he didn't say no. That's definitely a point in his favour. And damn that kid has a nice ass, too. Better not let him get wind of that little observation just yet. He watched as Blair got out of his truck and started walking towards the elevator. He's a whole lot more that I imagined. Maybe this partnership will work out a lot better than I thought. A whole lot better.