(Five senses, five days) The Sentinel, Jim/Blair pre-slash, rated PG

[sid]

This story was written on Saturday, and I have three more Sentinel stories that were published in an e-zine that are ready to post.  So I'm going with "Five Senses, Five Days" as a theme and a plan.  Now I just need something to post on Friday. *g*

Written for the OMC/OFC challenge over at sentinel_thurs, 1,580 PG rated words.
An old friend of Blair's turns up in the middle of an investigation, and Jim is not pleased.

AN UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENT IN THE FARADAY CASE

 

“Detective Ellison, I resent your implication. No one who works for this company is involved in any sort of illegal activity whatsoever.”

 

“Mr. Fielding,” Jim replied, “I’m not trying to imply that at all. I’m conducting an investigation, and your company’s name came up.”

 

The irate man across the desk was obviously far from convinced. “In connection with Faraday Construction. Whose CEO has disappeared.”

 

“No one is accusing you of anything, Mr. Fielding.  Except maybe a lack of cooperation.” Jim heard a faint sound from Blair, seated beside him. “I apologize, sir. That comment was out of line. It’s perfectly natural for you to be concerned.” Fielding looked slightly mollified, and Blair was nodding at him sympathetically. “If you’ll just let us look over whatever documents you have relating to your dealings with Faraday Construction, we’ll get out of your hair as quickly as possible.” Jim tried to project reasonableness.

 

Fielding grudgingly picked up his desk phone and dialed an extension. “I still don’t like it,” he muttered. There was a brief pause. Jim could hear a phone ringing about three offices away. It was picked up midway through the second ring. “Phil? You still have the Faraday folder? All right, bring it to my office right away.” Fielding hung up. “You’ll have it in a minute. I hope that satisfies you. I’d be well within my rights to insist on you getting a warrant, you realize.”

 

“Thank you very much,” Jim said placatingly. He could hear footsteps approaching out in the hallway. 

 

“I can’t let you take it out of the building. If you want to do that, you’ll have to give us time to make copies.”

 

“If there’s an empty office or conference room available?” Jim suggested. The office door opened behind him.

 

“I’ll have my secretary set you up,” Fielding said, reaching out his hand to receive the folder. “Thanks.”

 

The blond man passing it to him, presumably Phil, turned to leave. His eyes swept over Jim casually and moved on to Blair, who was scrambling to his feet. “Blair?”

 

What?

 

“Philip!”

 

Jim was trapped in his chair as Blair stepped in front of him to shake hands.

 

Phil looked stunned, but not unpleasantly so. “Are you… are you here to see me?” he asked.

 

“No, man, I had no idea you worked here!” Blair was smiling.

 

They were both smiling, but Jim was getting a nervous vibe from each of them.

 

“Well, it’s great….” Phil let go of Blair’s hand and gave Jim a quizzical look. “What does bring you by?”

 

“Police business,” Jim inserted curtly.

 

“Oh!” Phil blinked. “Oh, Faraday. Sure. Blair, don’t tell me you’re a policeman?”

 

“Come on,” Blair laughed.

 

Jim pushed himself to his feet, making Blair sidestep quickly. “Mr. Sandburg is a consultant to the department,” he said smoothly. “And you are?”

 

“Uh, Philip Dorman, Detective…?”

 

“James Ellison. If you’ll excuse us, Mr. Dorman, we have some work to do.” Jim heard Blair huffing indignantly behind him.

 

“Yes, of course, sorry. It’s just such a surprise… it’s really good to see you, Blair. It’s been too long.”

 

“Likewise,” Blair said, leaning around Jim.

 

Dorman made an apologetic gesture towards his boss and left the room hastily.

 

Fielding called out before the door closed. “Doreen!”

 

Fielding’s secretary re-opened the door a few seconds later. She gave Jim and Blair a meaningless professional smile. “Yes?”

 

“Find these gentlemen an empty conference room, would you? Use the board room if you need to.”

 

“Of course. I’ll just check the schedule.” Doreen disappeared, leaving the door open.

 

Fielding rose to his feet and handed the folder to Jim. “She’ll take care of you,” he said dismissively.

 

“Thank you,” Blair said brightly. “We appreciate all your help.”

 

Jim held back a snort as he followed Blair into the outer office. Doreen was at her computer. She looked up at them. “Conference Room B is open. Are you ready?”

 

Jim gestured. “Lead the way.”

 

Doreen escorted them out of her office and down the hallway. Towards Phil’s office, Jim noted, remembering the footsteps he’d heard. And he could smell the guy’s aftershave. Subtle and expensive, like the well-tailored suit he wore. Jim kept his eyes straight ahead as they passed Phil’s open door, and was happy to observe that Blair wasn’t looking around as they walked.

 

He was less happy a few seconds later, when familiar-sounding footsteps began to follow them.

 

Doreen rounded a corner, and halfway down the next corridor she threw open a door. “Here you are. I’m extension 715 if you need anything.” She flicked on the light switch.

 

“Thank you,” Jim said absently, turning to eye Dorman, who was hovering near the end of the hallway.

 

Doreen saw him. “Phil?”

 

“I just wondered if I could have a minute of Blair’s time.”

 

Blair inhaled, looking up at Jim with raised eyebrows.

 

“Why not?” Jim said flatly. “Keep it short, Chief.”

 

“Sure,” Blair said, patting Jim’s arm and giving him an inscrutable look before moving quickly down the hall. Doreen nodded at Jim and followed Blair.

 

Jim stayed in the doorway, turning his head to survey the conference room. It was quiet out in the hallway. Dorman was waiting for Doreen to get out of earshot before he spoke to Blair. Jim looked and saw Dorman’s hand on Blair’s sleeve as they watched Doreen walk away. Jim went into the conference room and over to the window. He stared down five floors to the street below.

 

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw you. You look fantastic.” Dorman’s voice was soft and intimate. Jim turned his hearing up another notch.

 

“Thanks.” Blair laughed a little. “Quite the surprise, huh?”

 

“A nice one. I’ve missed you, Blair. You and I had some good times together.”

 

“Yeah, we did,” Blair agreed quietly. “It’s been a long time.” Jim couldn’t decide how Blair sounded. Nostalgic? Wistful?

 

“I’d love to catch up,” Dorman said eagerly. “We should have dinner.”

 

Jim stopped eavesdropping and let the sounds of the traffic outside fill the room.

 

~~~~

 

When Blair came into the conference room a couple of minutes later, Jim turned away from the window, trying futilely to school his features. Blair shut the door and leaned back against it, surveying Jim’s expression and nodding to himself as though a suspicion had been confirmed. “Were you listening?” he asked aggressively.

 

“I heard enough.”

 

“Didn’t like what you were hearing? Were you good and shocked?”

 

Jim was silent.

 

“Well?” Blair pressed. He threw his arms wide. “I’m out of the closet, here. You got anything you want to say to me?”

 

“Yeah, I do,” Jim answered, starting to get pissed off at Blair’s attitude. “Don’t make any dates with your old boyfriend until this case is closed.”

 

Blair gaped. “What?”

 

“I’m not saying he’s involved, or that anyone here at Fielding Cooper is involved with this Faraday mess. But until we can rule it out, you need to keep your distance. For the sake of the investigation as well as for your own safety.”

 

Blair stared at him, the flush of anger fading from his cheeks. “So, for professional reasons.”

 

“Exactly,” Jim snapped. He pulled out a chair and slapped the Faraday folder onto the conference table. “Can we do some work now?”

 

“Sure,” Blair said after a few seconds had ticked by, sounding suspiciously amiable.

 

 Jim gave him a narrow-eyed stare as they sat down.

 

Blair flipped the folder open. “You didn’t listen to the whole conversation, then,” he said thoughtfully.

 

“What? No. I didn’t.”

 

“So you missed the part where I turned him down.”

 

Jim felt a wave of relief. “Guess I did.”

 

“Mm-hm.” Blair was dividing the contents of the folder into two piles, one apiece.

 

“I guess I owe you an apology, Chief. I should have realized that you’d know better than to get involved during a case.”

 

“Actually, that reason never even occurred to me,” Blair said, pushing his hair behind his ear as he bent over his stack of documents.

 

Jim waited for more, and when nothing was forthcoming, he said, “Huh?”

 

“I just told him that I had someone in my life.” Jim could hear Blair swallowing without using Sentinel abilities. “Somebody special.”

 

Jim had never felt so tongue-tied in his life. “That a fact?” he finally managed to say. Blair wasn’t seeing anybody. Blair hadn’t so much as been on a date in over a month. Blair had been spending uncharacteristic amounts of time home at the loft. Jim had bitten his tongue more than once, wanting to ask what was going on, but not wanting to risk driving Blair away with questions. Not wanting to burst the bubble of his own fantasy.

 

Blair was obviously trying to appear calm, but Jim could hear his scurrying heartbeat, and he couldn’t quite mask the anxiety in his eyes as he looked over at Jim. “Yeah, it is.”

 

“That’s…that’s terrific, Blair.”

 

Blair looked hopeful but wary. 

 

Jim laid his hand on top of Blair’s. “Best news I’ve heard in a long time,” he said softly.

 

“Yeah? Jim, are you sure that you know what….”

 

“Yeah,” Jim breathed, and they were suddenly smiling at each other. “Remind me to tell you about my somebody special, okay? Later? At home?”

 

Blair nodded enthusiastically. “I will. I so totally will do that.”

 

“Good.” Jim squeezed Blair’s hand and let it go.  He took a deep breath.  “Now, we’re looking for invoices, check copies, anything on letterhead….