He threaded his fingers through the long curls, reveling both in their softness and in his freedom to do so. The man in his arms shivered with pleasure and pressed himself closer.

"Happy to be here, Blair?"

"Oh, man. I can't believe how lucky I was to meet you, Timmy"

*****

Earlier that day.

"Excuse me?"

The rich, unfamiliar voice made Tim Bayliss look up from his book and right into a big pair of blue-green eyes. Those eyes were set like jewels in a purely masculine face that would have rivaled any angel's, and that face was framed by a fall of long, soft curls. Tim thought he could drown in those eyes. He was stuck dumb by this vision of male beauty.

"Excuse me? Are you Detective Bayliss?"

"Uh...uh, yeah. I'm Tim...Tim Bayliss."

Oh, God, that smile was blindingly lovely. The vision stuck out a hand. Tim took it. It was solid and real. "Hi. I'm Blair Sandburg. This is my partner, Detective Jim Ellison. We're from the Cascade PD. We called you...that bomber?"

Tim managed to look beyond Blair and focus on the man standing far too closely next to Blair - Ellison. He was a vision all his own...a human sculpture with piercing blue eyes who towered over his smaller partner.

*Oh, God, Timmy. You are seriously smitten but no way could you compete with this god.*

Both men were wearing jeans and brightly colored plaid shirts that not only brought out their eyes, but made them stand out even more among the dull suits in the squad room.

"You couldn't *pay* me to live in Cascade." Munch grinned sardonically from his desk. "I'm surprised you have any buildings standing in your city at all. What are you? Bomber central?"

Ellison turned to him. Tim could hear volumes of menace in his quiet voice. "Well, detective, it looks like at least one of our bombers has found a home right here."

"Detective Munch. And please, take him back."

Ellison looked at him again. "We will, Detective Munch. You can bet on it."

To Tim's surprise, Munch backed down.

Then he took a look at Ellison's eyes.

He'd have backed down, too.

"Detective Bayliss..."

"Tim."

Ellison nodded. "I'm Jim. Perhaps we should report to your shift commander? We need to explain some things to him."

"Uh...sure." Tim fumbled to his feet, dropping the folder he was studying on the floor. Blair immediately bent to help him. Their hands met, and there was that smile again. Maybe he *could* compete?

He led the pair (were they a pair? Ellison walked only inches away from Blair, but Blair...Blair was practically flirting with him. Oh, God, he was touching Tim's arm...) to Gee's office.

"Lieutenant Giardello, these are our colleagues from Cascade, Washington, Detectives Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg." He was very proud of himself for keeping his voice steady.

Neither man blinked an eye when they saw that the Sicilian name came attached to someone the color of espresso. But they did seem nervous about something.

"Actually..." Both men spoke at the same time. Ellison looked at Blair and deferred to him with his own brilliant smile. If this was the type of man they grew in the Northwest, Tim wondered why Ballard ever left Seattle.

"Actually, lieutenant, I'm not a detective." He laughed nervously. "I'm not even a cop. I'm an anthropologist."

"Then why are you present in my office, Mister..."

"Sandburg. Blair Sandburg. Uh...that's not so easy to explain...It's sort of complicated."

"I'm all ears, Mr. Sandburg."

"Sir, if I may? He's my partner. We've been working together for three years now. We have the full knowledge and support of my captain. Sandburg's been with me on this case since the beginning."

"Lieutenant, I assure you...."

"What is your captain's phone number, Detective Ellison? Would I find him in his office at this hour?"

Ellison fished card out of his pocket. "Captain Banks is waiting for your call, sir." He and Blair shared another grin.

"Captain Banks? This is Lt. Giardello of Baltimore Homicide. Yes, they're right here, decorating my office. Tell me about this 'anthropologist.' All right...well...Yes, I understand, captain. Yes, very well. Thank you for your time, Captain. Yes, I'll keep you informed."

He looked at the pair. "Your captain informs me that while Mr. Sandburg is not a police officer, he is indeed Detective Ellison's partner. He also informs me that you are an effective team in the field, and that you, Mr. Sandburg, can handle yourself in a dangerous situation without either losing your head or getting in the way."

"Absolutely, Lieutenant. I am *not* hero material."

"That's not strictly true, but Blair doesn't look for trouble and he's good when it finds him. He's the best partner I've ever worked with."

"Mostly, I stay by the car and call for back up. I do *not* carry a weapon or a badge."

"That, too, your captain informed me of. I will accept this partnership, but you are to take all precautions and you will not forget you are not a police officer."

"I never do, Lieutenant."

"Very well. Normally, with a bomber like this, it would be what we call a redball, with the media clamoring and politicians making speeches, and everyone working on the one case, but this bomber seems to be different. He seems to like *little* booms. The buildings stay up, and so far, only one man had been killed - the security guard in the first building bombed in Baltimore. That's where my department comes in. We want to keep it out of the media as much as possible."

"I understand, sir." Jim nodded.

"Dismissed. And get that bomber out of my city."

"Okay, Tim, where do we begin?"

"Did you bring your files with you?" The three men left the office together.

They sat down at Tim's desk, who made damned sure that Blair was between them. They spread out their combined case files, Blair taking theirs from his backpack.

They worked together for several hours, picking apart leads and evidence and trying to figure why he might have moved to Baltimore and started bombing there. Tim was quite impressed with Blair's knowledge of explosives. Blair just grinned and called it an occupational hazard.

Partway through, someone else called out for lunch orders. To Tim's surprise and delight, his and Blair's were the only vegetarian orders.

"I'm not a vegetarian precisely, Tim, but I try to watch my diet. I'd eat less meat than I do, but caveman over there doesn't think it's a meal unless some animal died for it. Preferably one with fur or feather, not scales." He shot Jim a grin.

"You know I liked that lasagna you made when your mother was visiting, Chief."

Tim blinked. Were they living together? It sounded that way. Hell, it sounded like they were married. But if that was the case, why was Blair's foot pressing against his?

Experimentally, he moved his own foot. There it was again. More than just the foot. That was Blair's knee. This didn't make any sense. No one in their right mind would cheat on Ellison, and Blair was clearly sane.

Tim stole a look at him. Blair gave him a wink, and Ellison, who was poring over a photograph, seemed utterly oblivious.

Then Blair slipped on his glasses...which made him sexier, if anything, and leaned over Ellison's arm and began talking to him in this even, measured voice.

Tim checked...it was an aerial view of an unfamiliar city. Must have been Cascade. Pretty place.

"What are you guys doing?"

"Oh...Tim...we're retracing the course of the bombings in Cascade. See the pattern? This is the Richardson Building right here, then two blocks over and one down is the First Cascade Bank Building. Two more blocks over and one up is the Rainier Insurance Building - great bomb insurance, by the way - and all were bombed three days apart, starting with the Richardson Building.

"Then, four days later, he bombed this building...then four days later this one, four blocks away, until he made a square."

"Did he make any threats?"

"No. That's the surprising part. He asked for no money, made no threats at all. Most bombers, even those who enjoy it for its own sake, ask for money or leave notes or something. He just bombed." Ellison looked honestly confused.

"Okay. We have two bombings in Baltimore, and it's the same signature. They were five days apart, and tomorrow is the fifth day. Where is he likely to strike next?"

"Do you have an aerial view or a building map of the city available?"

"I can buy one."

"I'll go with you, Tim." Blair smiled at him.

"Good idea, Sandburg. I need some coffee, anyway. Bring me back a cup?"

"Sure thing, Jim."

Tim and Blair stood up and Tim stretched. Blair looked up at him, the afternoon light glistening off his soft curls. Tim became grateful for loose suit pants.

*Timmy, Timmy, you could be taking your life in your hands. If these two aren't a couple, something doesn't make sense.*

But the man was so beautiful and he obviously didn't care what Ellison thought. Tim walked very close to Blair as they descended the stairs to the street.

"There's a bookstore that sells decent maps not too far from here. Why don't we walk?"

"Sounds good to me, man. I could use some exercise."

Tim was amazed at how easy it was to walk next to him, even though he was decidedly short for a man. And, as they began to chat, how easy it was to talk to him.

Blair did not make fun of his Zen beliefs. In fact, he was both supportive and knowledgeable. Tim watched his expressive face as he talked about his experiences all over the world, his hands dancing in the sunlight.

And when those hands weren't dancing, they were touching him...his arm, his shoulder, his back, his waist. And his eyes glowed and his smile outshone the sun.

Tim had never seen a man like him before, and while he was now comfortable in his sexuality, he'd never felt quite so much...simple lust as well as so much...liking. He wasn't going to call it love, not yet. But he definitely felt desire.

They found the bookstore and a map with buildings, and managed not to get lost in the Eastern religions section.

Then they stopped at the Waterfront for Jim's coffee.

"You own this place, Tim?"

"Yep. Well, me, Munch, Meldrick Lewis and the bank."

"That is *so* cool. No cop in Cascade owns a bar."

"We have a great kitchen, too."

"Maybe Jim and I should try it while we're here."

"Absolutely. First meal is on the house. Unless..."

Tim took a deep breath and looked around.

"Yes, Tim?"

"Maybe...maybe...would you join me for dinner tonight? Just you, not Jim?"

"Yes! It's a date...right?" He smiled even brighter then.

"It's a date, if that Neanderthal you're with let's you go."

"Jim has no say in my social life." Blair grinned at him. "I know what we look like, but we are *not* together. I have my own room. Man will not get a clue."

"Okay. Okay. Okay...seven o'clock?"

"Sure. Pick me up at my hotel."

They walked back across the street, determinedly *not* holding hands. Tim wasn't exactly in the closet, but there was no need to advertise it.

When they got back to the squadroom, there was Jim, looking perfectly happy. Someone had already found him an aerial map of the city and he was ready to start tracing patterns.

They spent the afternoon tracing polygons on the photographs and the buildings map, and comparing them with the shapes on the Cascade photograph. Tim was amazed at how sharp Jim's vision was. He didn't even need a magnifying glass to see tiny details.

They finally got the distances and angles and types of buildings satisfactorily defined so that they could figure out where it was most probable he'd strike next. The bombs were tiny, so it was likely he'd just carry it in.

"Or she, Tim."

"What?"

Blair grinned. "We've had female bombers. In fact, our first case was a female bomber. Remember the Switchman, Jim?"

Jim smiled. "I'll never forget her, Chief." He turned to Tim. "I think we got a lot done, Bayliss. Maybe we should go talk to your lieutenant?"

"That's probably a good idea." Tim looked around. The night shift was filtering in and the day shift was clearing things away.

Giardello was also pleased at their progress, and promised them as much back up as they required the next day.

"Excellent work, gentlemen. I must thank your captain. However...there is one matter. I'm sure it hasn't escaped your notice that Homicide has a dress code?"

Jim and Blair looked at each other. Tim had to turn away to hide his laughter.

"No, sir."

"No, it hasn't, or no, it has?"

Ellison shrugged. "I noticed most of the men were wearing suits, but I thought it was an East Coast custom."

"I cannot ask you to fully comply, since I'm aware you are living out of suitcases. However, if you have any pants other than jeans available to you, I would be most...gratified if you wore them. I would be still more gratified if you wore ties, but I know that might not be possible."

Ellison and Blair nodded. "No problem, sir. We understand."

"Then depart, my guests and my true soldier. Tomorrow, we shall catch a bomber."

Tim led a bemused pair out of the office, and walked them to their rental car. He winked at Blair before he drove off.

*****

Jim stared at Bayliss as his car disappeared. He didn't understand his reaction to him at all. He was a nice enough guy, if somewhat intense, and clearly a good cop. Yet, there was something about him Jim just didn't like. He couldn't place it. Hell, Sandburg seemed to like him just fine.

"Jim, we should get to the hotel room."

He nodded, and gestured to the rental. "We should be there in a few minutes."

As soon as they got to the room, Sandburg jumped out of his clothes and into the shower. He came out freshly shaved, dried his hair so it curled and put on a pure blue silk shirt over Dockers.

"What's going on here, Chief? We're just going to order room service, right?"

"Uh, maybe you are, Jim, but I have a date for dinner."

"Fast work, Casanova. Should I wait up for you?"

Blair thought for a moment. "I don't know. I'll call if I won't be back."

Jim controlled the wave of jealousy that crashed over him. Another evening where Blair would be spending his time with someone else, another night when his Chief might be holding someone else in his arms.

Jim damned himself for a coward once again.

*Jimmy, you idiot. You could have said something in the hospital, or when we came back from Sierra Verde, but no, and he's found some woman again.*

"When's your date?"

"I'm being picked up at seven. Oh, my God, it's seven now. How do I look?"

*Perfect. Beautiful. Too good for her.* "You look just fine, Chief. I'll walk you down."

Blair stood still a moment. Then, "Sure. I think that's a great idea."

"Who is your date? We spent the entire day with that Bayliss..." Blair bit his lip.

"Well, uh, Jim..."

"You're dating *Bayliss*? You're dating a *man*? Since when do you date men?"

Blair looked at him in confusion.

"Since *always*, man. I thought you knew I was bi. I mean, that remark about the table leg sort of implied it. Granted, I mostly date women, but there's been a couple of guys since we met."

Jim just stood.

"Jim, I gotta go. We'll talk later, okay? I'll go down by myself."

Blair grabbed his room key and his wallet and left the room.

*Okay, big guy. Now what are you going to do? You've completely run out of excuses, and he's off with another man. Your Chief, your Blair, is out with a guy and you're stuck with room service.* No wonder he didn't like Bayliss.

Jim sat down on one of the beds and played with the remote, trying to find a sporting event of some kind, but not really seeing the screen.

**********

Blair looked absolutely incredible. His hair was clean and shining, and his blue shirt brought out his eyes. If only he were smiling.

"Blair? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Timmy. Jim figured out I was going out with you. He's sort of in shock."

"He doesn't know you're gay?"

"Bi, actually. I thought he did." Blair got into Tim's car, and leaned over to nuzzle at his neck.

"So, Timmy, where are we going?"

**********

Jim watched the door close behind his partner and listened first for the elevator and then for the sound of car doors. Sandburg was gone on his date. His date with a *man*.

How did he miss that? He certainly knew the difference between men and women's scents. He thought about it.

After Lash, Blair almost never brought a date home. If it didn't work out or something, he'd go home early and there'd be nothing to smell except for maybe cigarette smoke or perfume. If it did, he might well not see Blair until the next day, by which time all scent would be gone. If he'd ever cared to notice, which he'd never did.

And now he was out with that local cop.

*You are such a fool, Jimmy.*

*********

"Tim! It's been a long time. Who's this?"

"Chris Rawls, this is Blair Sandburg. He's from Cascade."

Chris held out his hand. "Hi. Welcome to Baltimore."

"Nice to meet you. This is *your* restaurant?" Blair's eyes were wide. Chris grinned at Tim.

"Yep. Jared!"

A waiter popped up. "Yes, Chris?"

"Take good care of my friend Tim and his friend tonight."

Jared nodded his dark head and led them to a table. All eyes in the predominately male crowd were on them - on Tim's date - as they passed by. Tim felt ten feet tall.

After the waiter left them with menus and water, Blair leaned close to him. "So, Tim...do you and Chris have a history?"

Tim nodded. "Actually, he was my first guy. We dated for a while, but, well...we did stay friends."

Blair smiled. "I could tell. This place is amazing."

"You're amazing, Blair."

Blair grinned and ducked his head.

The evening was even more special than Tim had imagined. They talked about everything, from sports to police work to Zen Buddhism. Blair knew everything, could speak at fascinating length about anything, his hands dancing and his eyes sparkling all the while.

"What's so odd about me being into Zen?"

"I've been hanging out with cops for a few years now. You're the first I've known who was into it. Any special reason?"

Tim took a deep breath. Sometimes what he was about to say bothered people, although he couldn't see how it could possibly bother this man. "I...well, I died a few months ago. It was an incredibly profound experience."

Blair became very quiet, and he nodded. "I know. This is not going to sound believable, man, but I had the same experience. It changes everything."

While Jared served them coffee and dessert, they compared notes. Blair's story of drowning and rebirth was very different than his of being shot and having surgery. He also seemed to be leaving things out, such as why the woman tried to kill him and what exactly Ellison's role was. Tim decided to respect that...for now.

"Everything's different now, isn't it? The way things look, the way they taste, smell...feel." Tim began to stroke the blue silk covering Blair's arm.

Blair shivered. He touched Tim's face. "Everything's...magnified, almost as though our senses were...enhanced...I want to know everything, do everything, and I want to do it tonight with you."

**********

"You're spending the night there? Okay, Chief. Thanks for calling." Jim barely restrained himself from banging the hotel phone down.

He could hear Bayliss' laughter clearly. They were laughing, they were having fun. Together. And here he was in this hotel room, all alone.

*Real brilliant, Jimmy. You had a chance but you just let it go.*

He got into bed and channel surfed for a while, but all he could think about was Sandburg and Bayliss. Finally, he gave up and turned off the set and the lights.

*What do you see in him, Chief? God knows I know what he sees in you. The guy started oozing lust the moment he saw you. What is he doing with you now?*

He could see them. He knew.

There was Bayliss reverently undressing Sandburg, caressing him with those sensitive hands, those sensitive eyes. And there was Sandburg, naked and perfect, in the image he'd built from the rare glimpses he'd been granted all those years.

And Bayliss was on his knees in front of Sandburg, himself shamelessly naked. And Sandburg was allowing Bayliss to take him in his mouth.

Jim groped for his own penis in the dark and began to stroke.

*********

"You're insane, Timmy!" Blair could hardly speak through his laughter as they tussled together on Tim's bed.

"Yep."

"A coffin is just too morbid...and *stop* tickling me." He was trying to tickle back, but Tim wasn't having any of it.

"Uh-uh...I can give, but no one can tickle me. And it was morbid, but it was also a major kick. I can't afford one anyway. So we just have a plain ordinary bed. Stop that! Those are my toes!"

"Hmm-hmmm. And I'll bet you're ticklish here!"

Tim laughed. "Nope, not even there."

"Then I'd better find some place that is." Oh, God, Blair was licking him...on his feet, behind his knees, between his thighs. Tim finally let go when Blair pushed him on his stomach and began to rim him in earnest.

"Oh, God, oh, no...Blair, you aren't..."

"Yep. Just relax, Tim...you're in for a ride..." And that tongue went back to work as Tim writhed on the bed.

**********

Jim was hard as a rock as those images swam in his mind.

Candles. That room would be lit by candles. Sandburg would glow by candlelight. He'd seen it...like an angel. *His* angel, who was being touched by another man.

Sandburg was pulling Bayliss to his feet now, and devouring his mouth. Jim could feel those full lips on his, could taste his mouth. He knew how Blair's arms felt. He felt them now...strong and gentle and always supportive.

No, it was Bayliss in his arms and they were kissing harder and harder.

**********

"Why are the lights so bright in here?"

Bayliss, who was currently exploring Blair's chest with his own tongue, looked up. "I like to see who and what I'm doing or being done by."

"Oh...that feels soo nice...makes sense to me...Oh, yes..."

"MMM, sensitive nipples..."

"Yeaahhhh...let's see what I can find...oh, yes..."

Tim gave a little jerk as Blair touched his testicles.

"Little sensitive..."

"You little..."

"Who you calling little?" Blair was quivering with repressed laughter.

"Not you, Blair. You are anything *but* little...look at that monster."

"All for you, Timmy, all for you."

**********

Bayliss was lying on the bed, surrounded by those candles, face down, faceless. And there was Sandburg erect and ready for him. He had scented oils in his hand, and he was preparing his supplicant.

Jim stroked himself harder as he imagined Bayliss/himself being filled with oil, being stretched by that strong, knowing hand.

***********

"Lube and condoms are in the night table."

"Got'em. Timmy...purple? Where did you get purple condoms? And flavored lube?"

"I have friends in Vice." Both were laughing again. Hearing that rich laughter only made Tim more aroused.

"I'll bet you do. Okay, Mr. Vice, lay back and let me have at you."

"My pleasure."

"It will be."

Tim lay back on his pillows and spread his legs. Blair was still laughing at the flavored lube, but he was also gentle and thorough as he got Tim ready - and Tim was very ready. He moved against Blair's invading fingers as they stretched and filled him, moaning instead of laughing.

********

Jim moaned as his hand moved faster on his shaft.

The Sandburg in his mind was coating himself with the oil. Now he was kneeling behind the faceless man in the bed.

Now he was entering him, burying himself deeply in the other man, and moving, faster and faster and faster, harder...to the rhythm of Jim's hand...

**********

Blair rolled on the purple condom and lubed himself. Before Tim could tense, Blair was at him and then pushing inside, gently but insistently. Oh, God...he'd never been so filled...

He knew how to move, and he knew where to go...oh...God, that was the spot. He moaned out loud.

"Like it? You'll like this more..." And Blair began to move faster, reaching in front to grab Tim's penis and pulling it to the same beat...

Faster...faster...faster...

*******

Harder...faster...Jim's hand moved...the dream Sandburg gasped as Jim exploded over the bed and himself.....

**********

"ohhh, Blair..."

"Timmm....oh...God...oh....."

********

Jim cleaned himself up. It was so clear to him now, now when he probably lost him, how he felt about Blair.

*Truly an idiot, Jimmy. Now what are you going to do?*

Not really thinking, he picked up Blair's discarded T-shirt and wrapped it around one of the pillows on the other bed. He curled himself around them as the best Blair approximation he could get.

*Not just an idiot. Pathetic, too.*

With that cheering thought, he drifted into a restless sleep.

**********

"This is one of those times I really miss smoking, you know?"

Blair, who was lying on his side and idly stroking Tim's chest, smiled. "I wouldn't know. The stuff I smoked...well, I gave that up before I started hanging around a cop. This was so good, Timmy."

Tim stroked the soft curls again. "Yeah. It was. I haven't had so much fun in a long time...sex can be such a serious business."

"Timmy..." Blair stopped smiling.

"You don't have to tell me. I know. I could tell, you know."

"He wasn't here. I was with *you* all the time. I never closed my eyes."

"I know. Your mind was here, and your body was very, wonderfully here...and at least part of your heart. But not your soul."

"I'm sorry."

Tim shook his head. "I knew it coming in. It was fun, Blair, and that's what I wanted tonight. Fun." He leaned over and kissed him gently, and then turned off the lights.

Blair gathered Tim into his arms and they both fell asleep.

******

Blair looked *good* in Tim's shirt. Oh, it was too big for him, but that didn't matter. They'd decided that the blue silk was just not right for work.

Ellison, who didn't look too bad himself in a sweater and khakis, seemed to notice the same thing. And he didn't look happy about it.

*Tough, Ellison. You'll have him for the rest of your life, if you only get a clue. Let me have this little piece until I find someone who loves me as much as he loves you, you blind idiot.*

"Hey, Ellison, why are we standing here in plain sight of this building?"

"Because, Bayliss, I've narrowed the suspects down to a couple of men, and neither will be skulking in. This way I can see them coming."

Bayliss blinked. "If you had an idea of who it could be, why didn't you say so last night?"

"Because I didn't know until this morning, when I called to find out which of our odder bombers were out of town. Two are missing."

"Odder bombers? As opposed to your more normal ones?"

"I'll take Cascade's explosions over your murder rate, Bayliss."

The two men glared at each other over Blair's head.

"Guys...guys...hey, Jim, is that a Jags jacket coming this way?"

Tim could barely make out the distinctive colors. He noticed Blair was also rubbing his eyes under his glasses.

"Chief! It's Heshy."

"What's Heshy doing here?"

"Who's Heshy?"

"You'll see. I wish it weren't him. Damn." Ellison looked truly upset.

"Yeah. Heshy isn't very bright, Timmy. He's pretty much a savant for explosives. Damn. This is going to be rough on him."

Why were they feeling sorry for a bomber?

The man came into view. He was a little guy, shorter than Blair. He was wearing a Jaguar's cap to match his jacket, both of which looked new. Under them, he wore a pair of worn blue pants and an equally worn light brown plaid shirt, and brand-new sneakers.

To Tim's surprise, both Jim and Blair stayed out in plain sight. In fact, Blair waved his hand.

Heshy broke into a big smile and ran up.

"Detective Ellison! Professor Sandburg! What are you doing here?"

"We could ask you the same question, Heshy." For some reason, Ellison looked like he was sniffing Heshy's backpack.

"I'm visiting my aunt in Pikestown."

"Here for some crabcakes?" Heshy looked at Bayliss in alarm.

"Heshy doesn't eat crab, do you, man?"

"No crabs, Professor." That's right. Pikestown was where the Orthodox Jews lived.

"No crabs, Heshy, but you are here for something else. You want to make buildings go boom."   Ellison put a hand on the man's shoulder.  Heshy started to run, but Ellison held him easily. "Where you going, Heshy? We just found each other."

"Come on, man. Let Jim have your back pack." Heshy stood silently while Jim took the bag away from him and opened it.

"Oh, Heshy. I could hear that clock a mile away." Tim peered over Ellison's shoulder. There indeed was a clock attached to explosives. "Heshy, Heshy, Heshy. You are in such big trouble." Ellison quickly disarmed the bomb.

"Big trouble? Why? What happened?"

Ellison and Blair looked at each other. Blair shook his head.  "Heshy, man, you hurt someone with the last bomb."

"Hurt? No, I wouldn't hurt no one. You know that, Professor. I like the boom, that's all. I didn't hurt no one!"

Blair put a hand on Heshy's shoulder. "You did, Heshy. You hurt him badly. I know you didn't mean to, but you did."

"How bad? Is he going to be okay? Professor...he's going to be okay, right?"

"He was right there when your bomb went off. Heshy...you're in big trouble. He died." Blair looked like saying that hurt him.

"No! Don't say that! I didn't kill nobody! No!"

Tim hated this, but it had to be done. "Heshy, I'm Detective Bayliss, from Baltimore Homicide. I'm a friend of Professor Sandburg...and Detective Ellison. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't."

"No! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to. I just wanted the boom. I just wanted to make a nice picture and the boom." Heshy began to cry. Blair gathered the man in his arms and let him weep on his shoulder. Tim glanced at Ellison. The look on his face was blinding. He'd rarely seen such total love.

********

Heshy had had Blair's hand in an iron grip all the way back to the station. Blair was sitting with him now in the Box while they waited for his aunt and a lawyer. When he tried to leave, Heshy got hysterical.

That left Tim alone with Ellison.

Things were damn awkward.

Finally, someone had to say something, and Tim figured it had to be him.

"He loves you."

"What?" Ellison's attention was focused on the Box.

"He loves you. And he needs to know you love him."

Ellison turned to look at Tim. "What the hell business is that of yours, Bayliss?"

"I care about Blair. God, Ellison, if I even thought I'd have a chance with him, I'd do anything...quit my job here, transfer to Cascade or Seattle or Seacouver, get a job in a security firm if I couldn't be a cop, anything."

"Are you?" Ellison's voice was dangerously low.

"Depends on you. If you wise up, I won't have that chance."

"Then why?"

"Because he'll never love anyone as much as he loves you. But, if you don't tell him this, he'll find someone who will. Maybe it would be me, maybe some other guy. Or maybe he'll find some woman. Could you stand to be best man at his wedding, Uncle Jim to his kids?"

"Blair?" That was the first time he'd heard Ellison use Sandburg's first name. "Leave me?"

"Only if you give him no other choice. Do you *like* watching him go out with all those women? Doesn't it eat you up? I promise you, if you tell him how you feel, if you let him know you love him as much as he loves you...and he loves you. His face lights up around you. Hell, it lights up when he just talks about you. If you tell him that, he will be with you forever. *I* got to sleep in his arms last night. You should have been."

Ellison's face had gone from white to red to white again, but he said nothing.

"Come with me, Ellison." He took him to the one way mirror into the box. Blair was sitting next to Heshy, unselfconsciously holding Heshy's hand and talking to him gently. Once again, Jim's face glowed. "You don't want to lose this man. Ellison...Jim, I used to have a partner. He was married and deeply in love with his wife. I had no chance with him, and I knew it, even before I realized I was bisexual. I loved this man enough to take a bullet for him, and I never had a chance with him. I think you love Blair that much and you have him. Just let him know."

"Your partner...what happened?"

"He quit. He's teaching criminal justice by day and going to law school at night. I don't see him or his family anymore. Probably for the best."

Just then, a man and a woman entered the station. The woman looked like an older and more intelligent female version of Heshy - a short, dumpy woman in a suit and a very bad wig, the man looked like a lawyer.

Tim walked up to them. "Hello. I'm Detective Bayliss."

"I'm Bina Nussbaum, Heshy's aunt. Are you the one who arrested my nephew?"

"Yes, ma'am. This is Detective Ellison from Cascade, Washington. He knows your son."

"He's not really a bad boy, you know. He never wants to hurt anyone."

"I know, ma'am. I've known Heshy for years."

"Is he alone in there? Heshy doesn't like to be alone in strange places."

"My partner is with him. He knows your nephew and he can take care of him."

She nodded.

"We'll take you in to see him now. I've spoken to the DA already, and we think we can plead diminished capacity."

"Thank you, detective."

Heshy ran straight to his aunt...like the forty-five year old child he clearly was, and Blair left with Jim.

They had one final conference with the DA and Giardello, where the lieutenant commended them on fast action and told them he would pass that along to Captain Banks, and their official involvement with Baltimore Homicide was over.

Their return flight was all too soon. They'd left the rental car at the hotel, so Tim volunteered to drive them back. Blair invited him up to their room. Turned out, he wanted to change shirts and return Tim's.

"Sorry, man. It...doesn't fit."

Tim only nodded. He offered to help the two men pack, but Ellison made it very uncomfortable. So, he took his leave, shaking Ellison's hand and kissing Blair on the cheek, with a pointed look at the other man.

*******

Blair chattered non-stop all the way to the airport. Jim barely listened to the words. He just let Blair's voice wash over him as he navigated the unfamiliar roads and thought about what Bayliss had said.

Could he stand to be the best man at Blair's wedding? Now that he knew, could he stand to see him date other men? It nearly killed him to see him with Bayliss. For that matter, could he handle all of Sandburg's women?

Bayliss was so good with words. So was Blair. *Words never work for me. I just feel like an idiot.*

But was it less idiotic to lose his Chief? Dammit, the man had wormed his way into Jim's life. Hell, he *was* his life. More than that, he was his light. Incacha had showed him that.

There was the airport. They were early and their flight was delayed somewhat because of traffic.

Even after checking in, they were in for a wait. Jim did not need this. He could at least pretend to sleep on the plane, but now he had nothing to do but sit around and think and try to talk with Sandburg.

And Sandburg kept looking at him and glowing with something. Why did he have to be so damned beautiful? And brilliant and kind and distracting?

And why did he have to love him so much and why couldn't he just *tell* him? He knew Bayliss was right in everything. And he knew how much he loved and wanted him. Why...he was just no good with words.

*Well, you are good with actions. Act, Jimmy.*

He stood up and grabbed Blair's shoulders. Miraculously, that shocked Blair to silence. He took advantage of that and, taking a deep breath, kissed those lips.

Blair stiffened for a moment, throwing Jim into sheer panic, and then relaxed totally, returning his kiss passionately.

Then he pulled back and looked straight up at him with a brilliant smile. "Love you, too, James Ellison."

Now the words came. "Love you, Ch...Blair. I love you with all my soul."

Oblivious to the stares around them, Blair held him closely. "Just wait till I get you home, James. You'll never get rid of me now."

*Thank God for that, Jimmy.*

The End
 

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