Not mine, although Aly lets me play with them in the basement on weekends sometimes.
All standard disclaimers apply. Pet Fly Productions and UPN own the characters and the series. No copyright infringement intended. No money was made in writing or sharing this story.

Many thanks go to Lola who keeps me from embarassing myself.

An experimental PWP. Came to me while driving to work on Friday.

"So what was he saying?"

Jim frowned at his fellow detective, Henri Brown. "I beg your pardon?"

"Come on. He was standing there tapping up a storm. I mean, I figured the only way you could keep him quiet for that long was to let him communicate in another way. I just want to know what he was saying. Did you get a load of his eyes? He was certainly excited about something."

"Brown, what in the hell are you talking about?" Jim asked in exasperation.

"The Morse Code."

Jim stared at him blankly.

"Oh, man," Henri said, shaking his head in amusement. "How can someone as dense as you win the best detective award two years in a row?"

"Henri..."

The dark detective smiled widely, shook his head and held his hands up in supplication. "Forget I said anything." He turned, chuckling under his breath, and whispering something about finally understanding why he hadn't won the pool yet.

Jim focused on the building across the street, trying to hear if their suspect had arrived by the warehouse's back entrance, conscious of the fact that Blair's hands were fluttering over his leg, grounding him.

P*R*I*C*K*

Jim blinked in surprise.

S*E*L*F*C*E*N*T*E*R*E*D*A*S*S*H*O*L*E*

A small smile curved on his lips. Apparently Blair wasn't as over their argument as he thought. He turned his head slightly. Blair was staring absently at the darkened warehouse, as if trying to extend his own senses. No trace of anger touched his features, and Jim was stunned by the younger man's ability to repress his emotions. He marveled how the tapping on his leg wasn't harder given the obviously suppressed emotions.

S*H*O*U*L*D*H*A*V*E*L*E*T*Y*O*U*D*O*T*H*I*S*Y*O*U*R*S*E*L*F*

He concentrated for a moment and realized that the reason he hadn't picked up the pattern before was because Blair wasn't using just one finger to tap out his message. He was using them all, as if typing.

Jim leaned back in his seat, silently indicating that he was no longer scanning. Blair withdrew his hand as he had a thousand other times.

"Chief."

"Yeah, Jim."

"I'm sorry about dinner."

"Pardon me?"

"Well, I honestly did forget you promised to come with me tonight, but I should have called to make sure you had eaten. It was my turn to cook after all."

"That wasn't necessary, Jim."

"Maybe not, but we're friends, and I should have done it. I'm always giving you a hard time about not eating enough. Not much of a blessed protector in the gourmet areas, I suppose."

Blair chuckled. "Yeah, but you do a good job in the areas that matter."

"Your well-being matters to me, Chief."

"Thanks, Jim."

Jim leaned forward again. Not really concentrating on the warehouse, just wanting to see what Blair had to say.

The hand automatically moved to his leg as he knew it would.

T*A*K*E*I*T*A*L*L*B*A*C*K* T*A*K*E*I*T*A*L*L*B*A*C*K*

Jim smiled.

"Jim. Jim. You need to wake up."

D*O*N*T*D*I*E*D*O*N*T*D*I*E* D*O*N*T*D*I*E*

Jim groaned, feeling as if his brain cells were trying to escape his head by expanding exponentially and breaking out of their bony prison.

"You with me, buddy?"

I*M*S*O*S*C*A*R*E*D*

"I could really use your help here, man."

Jim groaned again, trying to gather enough strength to open his eyes.

D*O*N*T*D*I*E*D*O*N*T*D*I*E* D*O*N*T*D*I*E*

"Can you picture your pain dial, Jim? Right now, I'm sure it's pretty much off the scale. I need you to slowly turn the dial down."

S*T*A*Y*W*I*T*H*M*E*

"I know it hurts, Jim, but you can do it."

Jim did as instructed and felt the muscles in his face relax.

"That's right. You're doing great, Jim."

T*H*A*N*K*G*O*D*

"That's right. Try turning the knob down to a two."

Jim grunted.

"I know I usually tell you not to put it down that low, but we really need to get out of here."

I*V*E*B*E*E*N*S*O*S*C*A*R*E*D*

"There you go. Are you with me?"

"Yeah, Chief. I'm here. How are you holding up?"

"Well, other than the dankness and the dark, I'm thinking that abandoned wells might be the next thing in exotic skin care. Lord knows I won't have to worry about moisturizing for months."

Jim chuckled. "What do you say about climbing out of this joint?"

"Do you think your head is up to it?"

"I'll manage. Is Williams still up there?"

"No, man. He left over an hour ago."

"You should have climbed up."

"Well, I would have, but last time I checked your treading water skills sort of sucked while being unconscious."

N*E*V*E*R*L*E*A*V*E*Y*O*U*

Jim braced his feet on the slick stone sides and turned to face his friend. "I appreciate that, buddy." He looked up at the opening above them. "Do you think your cell phone will work once we get out of here?"

"Yeah. I've got power. I just can't get a signal down here. Imagine that."

Jim smiled at his friend, noticing the younger man trembling. "Maybe you should climb up first and see if you can find a rope."

N*E*V*E*R*L*E*A*V*E*Y*O*U*

"I don't know about that, Jim. I don't feel right leaving you down here."

"You're not leaving me, Chief. I'm just feeling a little wobbly."

D*O*N*T*E*V*E*R*L*E*A*V*E*M*E*

"I'd feel better knowing if things got rough, you could pull me out."

Blair paused, his fingers drummed nervously on Jim's arm.

"I don't like it."

"I'll be okay, Chief. I promise."

Blair remained silent.

O*K*O*K*O*K*O*K*O*K*O*K*

"All right," Blair sighed.

W*A*I*T*F*O*R*M*E*

"I want you to talk to me. Let me know everything's okay."

"I will, Chief. I promise, you won't be able to shut me up."

B*O*R*E*D* B*O*R*E*D* B*O*R*E*D* B*O*R*E*D*

"Bored, Chief?"

"Naw. It's not that bad, all things considered."

B*O*R*E*D* B*O*R*E*D* B*O*R*E*D* B*O*R*E*D*

"Cause I'm bored out of my skull. If you weren't grounding me, I'd probably zone out on the monotony of the speaker's voice."

L*O*L*

"He's got good information."

H*E*S*A*D*U*D*

Jim tried not to laugh out loud. "Right now, a running gun battle is looking pretty good."

D*O*N*T*Y*O*U*K*N*O*W*I*T*

"He's really not that bad."

"What say we slip out during the next break?"

D*E*A*L*

"Simon wanted us to know this stuff, man."

"We got all the handouts. We've stayed through three quarters of the presentation. Come on, Blair. Live a little," Jim whispered conspiratorially.

H*O*O*K*E*Y* H*O*O*K*E*Y* H*O*O*K*E*Y*

"There's dinner in it for you."

T*H*A*I*

"What? We're gonna play hookey for Wonderburger. I don't think so."

Jim leaned forward. "I was thinking more along the lines of Thai."

"Seriously, man?"

"My treat," he whispered seductively.

"Deal."

"You missed a great game, Jim. The Jags did one of their famous come from behind wins."

D*O*N*T*L*E*A*V*E*M*E*

"All you had to do was open your eyes, man. Not that monumental of a task."

I*M*S*O*S*C*A*R*E*D*

"I mean, it's the Jags after all. "We could have done the whole beer and taco thing."

D*O*N*T*D*I*E*

"I mean, Stella owes me a favor. I'm sure I could have slipped the beer in."

N*O*T*U*N*T*I*L*I*T*E*L*L*Y*O*U*

"And hell for a beer, Rodney would have stayed mum."

I*L*O*V*E*Y*O*U*

"Jim, you're scaring me."

P*L*E*A*S*E*W*A*K*E*U*P*

"You know, if you make me do the grocery shopping by myself, I'm going to buy a week's worth of tofu and sprouts. I need someone to ride herd on me so I don't go crazy. Ya know?"

I*P*R*O*M*I*S*E*N*E*V*E*R*T*O*S*A*Y*I*T*O*U*T*L*O*U*D*

"Blair."

"Jim. Jim, is that you?"

"Blair."

"What, Jim? What?"

"Never leaving, I swear."

"Okay. I mean good. I can live with that."

I*L*O*V*E*Y*O*U*

"I love you too, babe."

"What?"

"I love you too.

"Speechless, lover?"

Y*E*S*

"Nice to know I haven't lost it."

U*N*L*I*K*E*Y*O*U*R*H*A*I*R*

"Cracks like that will not get you a massage."

L*O*V*E*Y*O*U*

"Damn straight you do."

I*D*O*

"You know people are talking. They're worried about your not talking."

W*A*N*T*M*E*T*O*S*T*O*P*

"Hell no."

G*O*O*D*

Jim looked down at his lover and smiled gently. "Your words have always touched me. I just never realized how much or how deeply."

Y*O*U*O*N*L*Y*N*E*E*D*E*D*E*A*R*S*T*O*H*E*A*R*

"And love to understand."

--End--

End Feeling Blair by Dolimir: Dolimir@aol.com

Author and story notes above.

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