Author's notes:J/B are only 'out' to Simon at this point. Angst, m/m sex but hey what else is new. Not beta'd, all mistakes are mine. Feedback appreciated but not required.

Family Gathering

By

Jessica L. Blackstone

Authors Note: # 7 in the Love and Friendship Series. Takes place the morning after the events that transpired in Mister Sandburg. Entire story listing for the series in order that they should be read can be found at the end of the story.

The sound of sizzling woke Ellison. Bacon. Confusion wrinkled his brow as he did a full body stretch in the large bed. 'Sandburg was suppose to go into the Station this morning. I wonder what happened?' Jim thought as he got out of bed and started down the stairs.

Blair shook his head in amusement as his very naked lover walked down the stairs into the living room to stand in front of him on the other side of the island stove. He always knew that Jim had no qualms about nudity but it still embarrassed him how easily Jim had dropped all pretense of propriety around the loft since they started having sex. Not to mention how distracting it was to have a prime example of physical masculine perfection walking around gloriously nude. Prudishness be damned, it was self-preservation.

"Ready for breakfast?" asked Blair as he cracked an egg on the side of the frying pan.

Jim's gave a brief nod as he spoke, "Weren't you suppose to go into the station this morning?"

"Already been. It's 9:40" replied Blair as he began scrambling the eggs. "I only had Murphy scheduled for today and that was at 8" he continued saying as he picked up the bacon slices and placed them on a plate.

"Damn. I must have been tired to have slept this late even on my day-off" said Jim as he turned and walked to the bathroom giving his lover a delicious view of his muscular butt.

Blair continued the conversation knowing that the Sentinel could hear him, "Yesterday was stressful...what with meeting Brackett again and all."

"Yeah, I guess" said Jim as he walked out of the bathroom while tying the belt of the navy blue robe that he had put on. Jim's intense blue eyes focused on the man who had just placed his plate on the kitchen table, along with a cup of coffee. His eyes taking in the black dress slacks and purple long sleeve shirt. "How did you sleep?" Jim asked focusing on the faint shadows underneath his lover's blue eyes.

"Great. But then again, I have found the cure for nightmares."

"Oh? And what's that?" asked Jim as he sat down and started to eat.

"A dose of a certain 6 foot tall blue-eyed detective taken nightly" Blair said with a smile as he sat down at the table on Jim's right.

"Cute Sandburg. You're just real cute this morning."

"I thought so" replied Blair who was still smiling as he picked up an orange slice off of Jim's plate and ate it. He was pleased that Jim hadn't eaten breakfast yet as he really enjoyed their times together in the morning. Even though he had eaten before going to the station he had placed the orange slices on Jim's plate specifically for himself to eat since he knew how Jim hated to eat alone.

"So how's Murphy?" asked Jim.

"He's doing okay considering..."

"It was a righteous shooting. The kid pulled a gun. I hear it is only a formality until IA clears him."

"Even still" Blair sighed as he remembered Murphy's distress during this morning's counseling session.

"Has the perp died?"

"Still critical. I had Simon call the hospital. They're giving him less than a 30% chance."

"Damn. Murphy's going to take it hard."

"Hmmmm" Blair said as he ate another slice of orange.

"So how was Simon?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Blair asked at the change in subject.

"How did Simon act towards you?"

"Fine. Business as usual. Like you saw last night. He's fine with you and I being together."

"I can't believe it. I always thought that Simon would lose it when he found out" Jim said with a disbelieving shake of his head.

"Well yeah, he was surprised but nothing has really changed for him. I mean you and I we've always been closer than most partners because of your senses and its not like he's going to see us having sex or anything."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Sherlock," Jim said with a curious smile as he watched his lover take a drink of coffee. "I made love to Caroline twice in the conference room."

Jim closed his eyes to avoid the splatter of lukewarm coffee that Blair spit out in surprise.

"You....what???" Blair managed while he grabbed Jim's napkin and wiped the coffee dripping down his chin.

"You heard me."

"Damn. Which conference room?"

"The big one at the end of the hallway past Major Crime. The one that hardly ever gets used."

Blair continued to wipe up the coffee off the table with a wry smile on his handsome face. Jim wasn't as straight-laced as he thought. There were some unexplored depths to Ellison. He couldn't wait.

"Not as dull as you thought, eh Chief?" mocked Jim as he stood and walked to stand by Blair.

Blair's smile widened as he looked at Jim as he gracefully fell into a kneeling position by his chair.

"Stop cleaning" Jim's ordered in a low husky tone as his hands reached out and grasped Blair's thighs gently turning him in the chair so that he faced Jim. He nudged the legs apart as his hands slid up the muscular thighs until they gripped Blair's hips. With one aggressive pull Blair's groin was pushed against his stomach and his legs surrounded Jim. A groan escaped Jim's mouth as Blair's tongue delved into his mouth in a starving kiss.

Tongues tasted each other. Jim was about to pull Blair off the chair and down to the floor when he felt his hair pulled backwards drawing him away from the wonderful warmth of Blair's mouth.

"As much as I'm enjoying this. We don't have time. Allison's party starts at 12:45. Its five after 10 right now."

Jim just groaned as he leaned his forehead against Blair's chest as he got his breathing under control. Blair loosened the hold his legs had around Jim's back and dropped them to the ground as Jim got to his feet.

"Have you wrapped the present, yet?" Blair asked as he grabbed Jim's plate and the coffee cups before walking into the kitchen.

"No, I'll go do that now" Jim said as he smoothed down his hair. He got the medium sized box down from the bedroom and was placing it on the coffee table as he said, "I hate agreeing with the bastard, but you really do look sexier than hell in this picture."

Blair dried the last cup and put it into the cabinet as he tried to control his emotions. 'Of course Jim picked up the picture that he had deliberately left at the restaurant' Blair bitterly thought as he walked over to Jim. He barely glanced at the picture which was lying on the edge of the coffee table, instead watching Jim as he meticulously wrapped his niece's birthday gift perfectly.

A rueful laugh escaped Blair as he sat down on the couch and said, "I always found it ironic that it was when I looked my most conservative that I received the most hell from men."

Jim's head shot up sharply at the sad anger underlying Blair's statement. Concern filled his light blue eyes as Blair got a far away look in his eyes.

"It bugs me to say it, but men can be real assholes. Much worse than women. Even Samantha and you know what she was like."

"You're not talking about Thornton are you?" Jim cautiously asked, feeling like he was walking in a minefield where any misstep on his part would end in disaster.

"Thornton's pass was only memorable because it was made in my bedroom," said Blair as he reached over and picked up the picture of him with short curly hair. 16 years old. His eyes looked huge and so fucking blue.

"Hard passes?" Jim casually queried.

"We're talking aggressive with a capital A and that was from both sexes. But guys can be real jerks about taking 'no' for an answer. It almost became a real problem."

"Oh..?"

"Yeah, until I realized what I needed to do."

"Which was?"

"You tell me, Detective Ellison. What do you have to be careful of when trying to identify a perpetrator with long hair?"

Confusion filled Ellison's light blue eyes until they narrowed as he took in his lover's long curly hair and expressionless face.

"Age. Longer hair makes people look older."

"Exactly. A girl friend of mine was the one who suggested it to me when I mentioned my problem. I started growing out my hair that same day. Just three inches made a big difference in how I was perceived. I couldn't believe it, the longer my hair grew the less men were interested in me. Girls on the other hand really like guys with long hair. Now you know the real reason behind why I don't like the idea of cutting my hair." A bitter laugh punctuated the sentence. "I just look too damn young, and innocent with short hair" Blair finished as he tossed the picture in Jim's direction.

Jim slid the picture casually into the pocket of his robe. "Help me out here, Chief." Amusement at Ellison's intense concentration on completing Operation Gift Allison according to the ex-military man's standards rapidly displaced the anger Blair had felt at seeing the picture. Jim's mouth formed a small smile of triumph at the amused expression covering Blair's face as he held the wrapping paper in place for him while he got more pieces of tape. Jim was finishing tying up the silver ribbon into a bow on top of the present when Blair asked, "do you still want me to go with you?" as he sat back on the couch.

"Of course" replied Jim without looking up from the card he was addressing to his niece from him and Blair.

"Its going to look a little odd bringing a friend from work to an intimate family gathering, Jim" Blair said pointedly. "Your Father especially isn't going to be too happy to see me. He's still furious about the dissertation business."

"That's precisely why you have to be there, to keep me from killing the---"Jim began in a reasonable tone before being cut off by his lover.

"Jim!"

"Stop looking at me with those puppy dog eyes Sandburg, you're going." Jim gave his lover an uncompromising look as he finished his task and stood. "In fact, I think I'm going to tell Steven about us."

"Whoa! Wait a minute there Jim. Don't let Simon's reaction to the news go to your head, buddy. Not all the reactions are going to be positive, especially from family. Some of them are so bad that people have committed suicide as a result. In any event today's Allison's day. It might mess up the party."

"Hmmm" Jim said as his eyes met Blair's and took in their anxiety. 'Why is Blair always against telling even those close to them, that they were now sleeping together?' "Yeah your right, today is not the day for disclosure but I am going to tell Steven soon," Jim said as he headed towards the bathroom for a shower.

"Have you told your Mom?" he casually tossed over his shoulder before shutting the door. The barely audible, "no" stopping him in his tracks. Jim turned around and stalked out until he was facing his lover still seated on the couch.

"Why not Sandburg?" Jim asked with a warning growl. "Thinking about cutting and running?" he asked harshly.

"No of course not Jim!" Blair shot to his feet facing Ellison, "Damn it to hell! You always jump to that shit! I still feel like we are in our honeymoon phase, okay? Yeah it has been rocky but I don't want to deal with the outside world just yet. As much as I love Naomi and even as "open" as she is, I don't think she is going to be pleased that the person I plan on being with the rest of my life is a cop who deals with hitmen, bombs, and psychotics on a regular basis! Not to mention bringing her son along for the ride."

Ellison laughed and then tried to stop at Blair's offended expression.

"Honeymoon...Chief? But you haven't even proposed."

Blair pressed his lips together as he tried not to smile but failed miserably with a dismayed chuckle. "Alright, alright! I admit my romantic side is showing but don't go looking for trouble Ellison, it will find us soon enough."

"Sounds like something I would say, Chief."

"Well then listen to yourself and let it go, man. Okay?"

"Okay."

Jim was back at the bathroom door when he heard Blair mutter, "And stop smiling, damn it! Steven is going to wonder where I hid the body of the real Jim Ellison."

Ellison was still smiling as he got under the water. 'Blair plans on staying the rest of his life with me' he thought to himself as he began to softly hum.

Blair shut the passenger door of the truck as he walked around to join Jim who was carrying Allison's present.

"Man oh man, I still can't believe you baked! When did you have the time and where the hell was I?" Blair amusedly asked his lover as he gazed longingly on the pecan, M & M and chocolate chip cookies that both him and Allison absolutely adored.

Jim gave a deep laugh as he noticed the hungry look Sandburg was giving the batch of cookies. "Don't even think about it, Kid. Those are for Allison. Yours I left at home" Jim said as he stepped up close behind Blair as they waited for Steven's front door to open, his lips slightly grazing his lover's left ear-lobe as he bent down slightly and whispered, "where I plan on feeding them to you one at a time...in bed."

Blair just stood in aroused shock as the door finally opened and Jim brushed by him into the house, leaving him outside cursing Ellison's perverse sense of humor and lousy sense of timing. He smiled at the man holding the door open and hurried in to catch up with Jim vowing to make his lover pay dearly for teasing him. Just as he caught up to Jim, a blonde tornado whirled into the room, screaming "Uncle Jim" as it collided with the tall man.

"Hey squirt! Careful or you are going to make me drop your Birthday present and then where will you be?" greeted Jim as he returned his niece's hug with just one arm and balanced the present in the other. Jim sat down on a nearby settee placing the gift down beside him as he gave a real hug to his favorite person in the world, after Sandburg of course. "So how does it feel to be eight? Are you having fun?"

"Yes lots!" The blond head bobbing a most definite affirmative. "Hey Blair what do you have there?" asked the blond bombshell as she rushed over to see what her Uncle's cool friend had in his hand. "Cookies! Did you make them or...?" confusion filled the young blue eyes as she tried not to get too excited and yet not hurt Blair's feelings since she didn't like his cookies as much as she liked Uncle Jim's.

Blair smiled wryly knowing the disaster he had made the last time he tried baking, "no these are made according to Ellison's secret recipe and as such were made by your paranoid Uncle."

"Great!" The plate of cookies suddenly disappeared from Blair's hands and flew from the room in the hands of the Birthday girl as she whirled through the French doors out to the backyard screaming, "Ashley! You have to try these cookies. They're delicious!"

Jim was shaking his head in pained amusement at the volume as he stood when he noticed the figure who had been watching the entire exchange between the little girl and the two men from just outside the doors.

"Jimmy. I'm so glad you decided to come."

Jim frowned at the usurpation of the host duties, Steven knew he was going to be here. "Hi Dad. How are you?" he asked politely as he walked over and shook his Father's hand.

"Fine Jimmy. I'm just fine. You look good with a child, son. So when are you going to have some of your own? Give me some more grandchildren to carry on the Ellison name."

Annoyance filled Ellison's blue eyes as his Father once again managed to irritate him within seconds. But before he could say anything, the whirling devilish was back and dragging him by his hands outside into the bright sunlight.

"Uncle Jim! Uncle Jim! Come see what Dad bought me for my birthday."

Before crossing the threshold Jim turned side-wise to look behind at Blair who gave a 'go ahead' gesture with his hands before picking up the present he had left on the chair.

Blair knew picking up Allison's gift was a purely defensive gesture as he faced William Ellison for the first time in months. Only the second time since Jim and him started sharing the same bed.

"Mr. Ellison."

"Mr. Sandburg, I'd like a few words with you. About my son."

"What about Jim?" Blair asked in a cautious tone knowing full well he wasn't going to like the answer and praying to all that is holy that Jim had his hearing dialed down to normal.

"What is the exact nature of your relationship with my son?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Mr. Sandburg, that according to Jimmy you were helping him with his senses in return for data for your dissertation. Well it's been almost a year and you are still squatting in my son's apartment, interfering in his life..."

"Wait a damn minute Mr. Ellison! Jim is my best friend! And until he asks me to leave, I am staying right where I am!"

"Fine. I'll just have to show him what kind of opportunist 'man' he has let into his home" William Ellison said with a confident expression on his handsome face.

"What are you talking about now?" Blair asked in exasperation.

"I know about Chicago."

"You had someone investigate me..." Blair angrily realized, knowing that if Jim found out what his father had done or just about this conversation that patricide was a real possibility. It would effectively end the reconciliation between Jim and his father that Blair himself had been diligently working towards because Jim loved, needed his father no matter how much he tried to deny it.

"I wonder how Jim would feel about knowing that you were thrown out of the University of Chicago for sleeping with a woman whose husband was on the Board."

"I wasn't thrown out, I left. With a Master's degree I might add. And just to satisfy your prurient little mind Mr. Ellison. The reason why I left was precisely because I refused to be a pawn in the sexual games that rich women like to play with their husbands.." as you of all people should understand, finished Blair silently in his mind.

"I suggest that if you value what little of a relationship you currently have with your eldest son that you will not mention this conversation or anything else to Jim," Blair said firmly as he walked through the doors to join the party.

Jim had let himself be dragged outside, smiling benevolently down at the blonde munchkin.

"Isn't it great?!" the little girl said with a bright smile at the new western style saddle that had her initials engraved on it. "Its going to be so much better than my old one."

"Hey Jim! Jamie are you still bothering your Uncle" said Steven with a teasing smile for his daughter.

"She's no bother and besides it's not the first time that I have had a blonde tag-along. Like Father, like daughter."

"Ha ha! Jim. Very funny" Steven replied as said subject was running off with a group of giggling girls.

"Nobody calls me that but my Daddy and Uncle Jim. Jamie's my middle name dummy!" cried Allison as she disappeared behind a row of rose bushes.

"Well bro, tell me the other guy looks worse?" Steven asked as he noticed the small cut on Jim's lip. "Funny. It's so rare that anyone gets a punch in. Are you getting old Big Brother?"

Jim's laughed good-naturedly at the jibe as his steel blue eyes sought out and found the person who had succeeded where so many criminals resisting arrest had failed. Sandburg was just stepping out on to the patio, blinking in the bright sunlight, his eyes searching for him before he started striding in his and Steven's direction.

"Hi Blair! Glad you could make it. Here let me get that" offered Steven as he reached out for the present that the anthropologist was still holding.

"No Steven just tell me where they're putting the gifts..." refused Blair before Jim cut in.

"Let me, Chief" Jim said as he took the gift from Blair and walked towards the large gazebo where the tables were set up.

"How are you doing, Blair? It's been awhile since we've gotten together for lunch. How's the new job going?" Steven pleasantly asked his brother's best friend. The one he knew was instrumental in his reconciliation with Jim. Without Blair's help and influence, his estrangement with his older brother would no doubt have lasted until their deaths. It was too bad Jim was still having problems with Dad but at least now they were talking, again thanks to the wild-looking young man standing next to him.

"Great, man. It's really great to be back at the Station with the guys and Jim. How are you doing, man. How are you surviving 14 eight year olds who are gobbling up everything with sugar in sight?" Blair asked with a wide smile.

Steven groaned, "Oh man. And they say girls are easier to deal with. If that really is true thank God, that Deidre and I didn't have anymore."

"You love it and you know it, Steven" Blair said as he slapped him on his back good-naturedly. "Your doing a good job raising Allison. It's tough raising a child alone."

Steven snorted. "Like Father, like son" he said sadly referring to his brief marriage to a woman who just like his mother preferred high society parties and the jet set to ordinary things like raising children.

"Speaking of fathers, how is Jim getting along with Dad?" asked Steven as he spotted his Father making his way over to him and Blair.

"Uh, you'll have to ask Jim. Look I'm going to go get a drink, can I get you anything?" quickly asked Blair as he too spotted Mr. Ellison.

"No nothing" Steven replied to Blair's retreating back, his handsome face filled with confusion at the young man's hasty departure. His eyes narrowed suspiciously at his father as he walked up to him. "Alright Dad, what's going on between you and Blair?" angrily asked Steven.

"Stay out of it Steven. This is between me and...that man" Mr. Ellison ordered as he accepted the cup of fruit punch one of the waiters was serving.

"Dad whatever you are thinking of doing. Don't. The only reason Jim is even talking to you is because of THAT MAN. Don't start interfering in Jim's life or you'll just lose him again" warned Steven knowing his father and his manipulations all too well.

"Humph" snorted William Ellison as he dismissed his youngest son's concern. "Where is my grand-daughter?"

Blair caught up to his lover as he was leaving the gazebo. Jim was precariously balancing two cups of lemonade and a plate filled with little finger sandwiches between his two hands.

"Here let me" said Blair as he reached for the cup that was about to be dropped. "Jim you just ate, man."

"The food's for you, Sandburg. I could hear your stomach rumbling all the way out here" replied Jim with a fleeting smile as he handed over the plate filled with food that he thought his partner would like.

Blair gave a sad smile, what Jim had probably heard was not hunger but the stirrings of the acid in his stomach irritating his ulcer during his little 'talk' with William Ellison.

"What's wrong, Chief?"

"Nothing" replied Blair as he took a bite of a tuna salad sandwich.

"Let's head back to the house" Jim said as he began leading Blair back towards the main house. "I don't feel like being mauled by all the single women here" explained Jim as he spotted a couple of women who had made outright sexual proposals while he had been dropping his niece's gift off. It wasn't until they made it into the cool dark confines of the house, in presumably what was Steven's study that Jim relaxed.

Blair placed the plate down on the desk and began eating while he talked. "So what was the big gift that Steven got for Allison?"

"Oh...a new saddle. Western style this time. Jamie hated riding side-saddle" Jim spoke distractedly as his eyes focused on the tiny bit of mayonnaise at the corner of Blair's delectable mouth.

"These are really good, Jim. Here try one" Blair said as he extended a finger sandwich to his lover.

"Thanks, Chief. I think I will" Jim murmured as he stepped closer and bent down to lick the corner of his lover's mouth clean.

"Uuuum delicious" he whispered against Blair's cheek causing a shiver to run down Blair's spine.

"Jim" Blair begged softly, the desire to be with Ellison suddenly too much to deny. Blair parted his lips to allow Jim to take possession of his mouth.

Jim's tongue ruthlessly took advantage of Blair' invitation, quickly entering and hungrily tasting every millimeter of Blair's moist mouth without allowing Blair any control over the depth or intensity of the kiss. Nothing existed for Blair except Jim's tongue as it sucked, glided and thrust within his mouth and throat.

"Uncle Jim you're going to miss the horseback riding!" yelled Jamie as she stumbled into her father's study and stopped abruptly at the sight before her.

"Jamie! I can explain this.." began Jim as his lips unlocked from Blair's.

"Are you going riding or what?!" Jamie demanded her bright blue eyes switching between the two men standing transfixed before her.

Blair was the first one to recover. "This doesn't bother you, Allison?" he gently asked the girl who was brimming with childish impatience.

"No why should it. You and Uncle Jim always smell like each other. Now come on we're leaving for the stables right now!" Jamie yelled before disappearing as abruptly as she appeared.

Both men expelled shaky breaths, realizing how close their secret had been to being revealed to the entire Ellison clan. If anyone other that Jamie had walked in.

They nervously began laughing until Jamie's exact words filtered through their brains. "She smelled...." Jim gave a horrified look which matched Blair's.

"Damn it!" Blair cried as he hurried out of the room to catch up to the little girl who had just thrown a major wrench into his and Jim's life. Ellison just shook his head in disbelief praying that he didn't get called into the Station today. 'Blair would kill him if he left him alone to deal with this new crisis' Jim thought to himself as he followed his lover.

"Are you all right?" Jim asked as his partner dragged himself into the passenger seat of the truck with a groan.

Blair only grunted in response. His body crying out in agony from the horseback riding. He bent his head down to accommodate Jim's wonderful right hand which was massaging the tense muscles in the back of his neck. Blair sighed in pleasure.

"So Jamie is a Sentinel?" asked Jim as he drove them home.

"No, not a full one anyway. From what I could gather during the ride she has sight, hearing, and smell. She doesn't have taste or touch" replied Blair with a hint of amazement in his tired voice at the discovery of Jamie's sentinel abilities.

"I guess it might be hereditary" Blair said as he leaned back against the palm of Jim's hand and turned to look at the strong profile of his lover. "You know Jim you might want to think about.."

"Don't even go there, Blair. I am not going to have children with someone I don't love. And until men can have babies that is that. Unless you are the one who wants to have children? Chief? Your young, I'm sorry I should have realized that you wanted children. I'll understand if..."

"No Jim," Blair cut off the crazy talk this time, "it's you that I was thinking about. Your Father was right. You would make an excellent father. I am not only talking about Jamie but how you interact with all the babies, toddlers that we encounter on the job. They all trust you and you have a real infinity with them that is utterly amazing" said Blair as he pulled Jim's hand from his neck to hold in his left hand.

"I'm happy with my chance to parent Jamie, Chief. If you want a child later or if I do, we'll look into getting a surrogate mother because I don't ever plan on not loving you."

Blair sighed as he looked out into the night through the passenger window softly caressing the hand he still held in his hand.

"Sometimes love gets killed."

Jim stiffened at the barely audible words from Sandburg.

"What's the matter, Babe? It's not just Jamie" Jim asked determined to find out what was going on in the mind of his intelligent lover.

"I'm just waiting for the next shoe to drop" said Blair.

"What are you talking about?" asked Jim in utter confusion.

"Things always happen in three's, Jim. Have you ever noticed that? Well they do. Yesterday it was Brackett showing up, today it was Jamie, I'm just wondering what the hell the third thing is going to be" Blair explained.

"Whatever it is, we'll handle it" Jim said confidently as they pulled up to their place.

"Jamie really liked the mini-stereo system we got her, didn't she?" commented Jim as he locked the truck and they began making their way across the street.

"I would think so, considering its the one she mooned over for an hour when we took her to the mall last month" Blair replied with a snort. "The hit of the party though was your cookies, man" Blair laughed at Jim's expression. "How many parties did you promise to bake a batch for?"

"Laugh it up, Sandburg. You were suppose to be backing me up and instead you threw me to the wolves."

Sandburg only laughed harder as they walked into the elevator.

"So how is Jamie doing with her senses?" Jim asked in concern remembering how overwhelmed he felt when his heightened senses came back on-line as an adult.

"Instinctive control. Similar to what you had when you were a child" Blair said.

'Before my father made me feel like a freak for having them' Jim bitterly thought.

"We'll have to tell Steven, of course but I don't think she will have any problem with them" continued Blair as he anxiously took in the brooding expression on Jim's face.

"Didn't you say something earlier today about saving some cookies for me..." Blair whispered in a seductive tone as he stood in front of his lover, resting his hands on Jim's hips. Blair got the response he wanted as Jim's hands roughly came up and pulled his head forward to invade his mouth with a deliciously vicious tongue.

Jim pushed Blair back against the side of the elevator as he stepped between the legs he had come to know so well. Without turning he hit the emergency stop button of the elevator as he continued to explore the warm moist haven of Blair's mouth. He rubbed his groin against Blair's stomach in growing frustration. Jim's hands dropped down to cup and then lift his lover's buttocks making it natural for Blair's legs to encircle Jim's waist. Jim gave a satisfying moan as his cock now thrust against the equally hard surface of Blair's groin. After a few frenzied thrusts both men were moaning in frustration for something more. The long day of not being allowed to touch one another openly making them frantic.

"I want to fuck you Blair" Jim harshly whispered against the sweaty neck of his lover.

"Oh yes..." begged Blair. Jim was usually so uptight when it came to having sex. This would be the first time they would make love in a semi-public place.

Both men separated from each other. Jim unfastened his slacks to roll the condom he had taken from his wallet onto his aroused dick while Blair dug through his backpack for the lube that he had thrown in ever since he and Jim started sleeping together. The sight of Jim standing there in his suit with just his pants unfastened and his hard cock ready to fuck him turned on Blair like never before. Blair quickly unfastened his pants and shoved his underwear down as Jim took the tube from him and turned him to face the left side of the elevator.

The sound of the gel being squeezed from the tube caused shivers to run down Blair's spine as he anticipated the first cool finger thrust into his anus. When it finally came he gasped. The soreness from the earlier horseback riding gave his buttocks a heightened awareness. Jim's touch felt so different yet familiar, it made him even more impatient to have Jim's cock inside of him. Unconsciously he sent the message to his body.

"Well well, Sandburg. It looks like you want something a little bigger than my finger in you.." Jim teased as the muscles in lover's butt loosened suddenly after only a few stretching motions by his forefinger.

"Yes damn it!" cried Blair as his hips rocked impatiently in need.

"I want to hear you say it" whispered Jim against the damp curls covering Blair's neck as he stepped into position behind him. Jim let his cock brush teasingly against Blair's buttocks letting the anticipation build even more. Blair glanced at the skewed reflection of Jim and him on the side of the elevator and almost came. Their clothing and position broadcast one purpose; to fuck and be fucked to anyone who might happen to see them.

"Fuck me hard, Jim" Blair demanded in a low voice.

Blair had barely felt the head of Jim's cock at the outer edge of his anus before the full length was suddenly inside his body. He cried out at the abruptness. He barely had time for that thought before Jim was pulling out and slamming back in with a long deep stroke. The next stroke was even deeper until the thrusting became a hammering where individual strokes were indecipherable, the presence of a large cock merely felt. Blair's hands were spread against the wall holding his body still under the onslaught of the fierce pounding Jim was giving him. Blair's pants became sobs as Jim slightly changed the angle of his thrusts, brushing against his prostrate.

Jim knew that neither he nor Blair were going to last long. The heightened excitement he could sense coming off Blair was incredibly hot to him. 'Having sex in public seemed to really turn Blair on' Jim distractedly thought as he roughly thrust into Blair's tight butt. Jim loosened his control, letting his baser instincts take dominance. His hands settled in a vise-like grip on Blair's hips as he thrust quickly and as deeply as he could into the warm body trembling below him. Rational thought fled before the overwhelming need to come. Strangely enough it wasn't the friction he felt surrounding his cock within Blair but his lover's purple silk shirt now hanging halfway down just enough to caress his cock as it continually thrust into Blair that finally drove him over the edge. He drove into Blair one final time remaining still as his cock began to brutally spasm deep within its tight sheath.

It was the feel of the cock continuously brushing against his prostrate as Jim came deep within him that made Blair orgasm. He screamed as the semen shot from his dick, splattering the wall of the elevator.

He was only capable of taking shaky shallow breaths as he felt Jim begin to pull out. Blair shivered at the purely physically sensation of Jim's cock sliding along the walls of his rectum as it was gently withdrawn. He vaguely felt it when Jim carefully cleaned him up and pulled up his clothing so that he was decently dressed again. Blair's wits finally caught up with reality as he noticed Jim cleaning the wall of the elevator below the spot where he was leaning.

Blair straightened up just as Jim finished wiping up the last of his lover's semen and stood to face him.

"Are you back now?" Jim teased as he kissed Blair's sweaty forehead.

"Yeah, sorry I left you to clean up. And I thought sex couldn't get better, THANK GOD I was wrong" Blair tiredly joked with a grin as he rested his forehead against Jim's muscular chest.

Jim chuckled softly against the damp curls as he reached behind to the right to punch the emergency stop button. The elevator began its halted rise with a lurch that made Jim wince. Blair stepped away from the heat exuded by Jim's body and picked up his backpack just as the elevator reached their floor. Blair was one stride behind Jim as they exited the elevator and walked toward their apartment.

"You're not going to have to wait, Chief."

"Huh, what are you talking about, Jim." asked Blair, hating when Jim made cryptic comments about something they discussed previously, the damn man remembered everything.

"The third thing" Jim said as he shot a wry grin in Sandburg's direction as he turned the knob and pushed the door open while he moved to the side giving Blair a clear view of the person inside their home.

"Hi honey!" greeted Naomi with a bright cheerful smile covering her attractive face.

"Mom! What are you doing here? It's so late" Blair brightly stammered feeling as if the rug had just pulled out from under him. He was very aware of Jim's amusement at the current situation. Blair hugged his Mom wondering what the hell he was going to do now.

"My plane got diverted due to inclement weather, so I thought I'd take advantage and drop in to see my beautiful son" Naomi explained as she kissed her son's right cheek.

"Are you all right, honey? You seem feverish."

Jim covered his laugh by turning it into a cough as he approached the couple.

"Naomi" greeted Jim before he hugged the slim auburn-haired woman. "It's so nice to see you."

Naomi laughed somewhat nervously. "I didn't know exactly what reaction to expect considering the mess I made the last time I was here" she said referring to her part in the inadvertent public exposure of Jim's sentinel abilities chronicled in her son's doctoral dissertation.

"All is forgiven" said Jim with a bright open smile on his chiseled face as he looked at Blair, "Right, Chief?"

"Of course, Mom" said Blair as he looked around for his Mom's bags, "You've made yourself comfortable in my room?"

"Uh huh, sweetie. At first I was actually concerned that you had moved out. The room doesn't seem to be occupied and then I saw your clothes in the closet" Naomi said as she and Blair sat down on the couch together. Only Blair saw the smirk Jim gave him behind his mother's back as Jim made his way into the kitchen.

"How about some tea, Naomi? Wasn't there a new blend that you wanted her to try, Sandburg?" casually asked Jim subtly getting the idea across that he wanted a private talk with Blair.

"Oh yeah, let me get that for you. You'll never find it" replied Blair as he quickly rose and joined Ellison in the kitchen.

"Well Chief, it's the moment of truth. Unless of course you plan on sleeping on the couch..." whispered Jim his face intent on his lover's face.

Blair shut his eyes to avoid seeing the pain threatening to fill Jim's eyes. He took a deep breath before speaking. "Of course not, Jim" assured Blair knowing full well that if he or Jim ever willingly slept apart when they could sleep together it would be the beginning of the end of the sexual part of their relationship. It would be the first wedge between them.

Jim expelled the breath he had been unconsciously holding. He continued the tea preparations, accepting the bag that Blair handed him to use. Jim gave a reassuring smile and whispered "good luck" to Blair before he made his way back to his mom in the living room.

Blair settled sidewise on the couch, his left leg folded under his body as he faced his mom. He gently held Naomi's hands in his own, his disheveled appearance making Blair feel even less confident than usual.

"Honey, are you sure you're okay?" gently inquired Naomi.

"Yeah, Mom. I'm fine. In fact I'm better than fine" Blair assured her, his eyes dropping down to look at their hands.

The nervousness coming off from her son in waves was so adorable. "Oh honey, you're in love...you've met someone special. What's her name? When can I meet her?" Naomi asked in a pleased rush of happiness at her son's good fortune.

"You already have...it's Jim" said Blair, a bright shy smile breaking out on his handsome face.

"Jim...?" Naomi repeated, turning her head to look at the dark figure staring intently at mother and son.

Blair nodded his head in response.

Naomi suddenly stood up and walked away towards her son's room without another word.

"Mom?" Blair called out after a minute of shocked silence at his mother's reaction. He quickly traced his mother's path to find her standing still in the center of his office/bedroom. He paused at the threshold with a softly questioning, "Mom?"

Naomi turned to face her only child with a resolute expression on her attractive face, "Blair, as much as I like Jim. He's a good man. A good friend. But friendship is one thing" she began in a gentle tone, "sweetheart, he's not for you. He's from a different world." Naomi forestalled Blair's interruption as he started to speak, "let me finish, Blair. I am not talking about the cop stuff. Although I don't like the idea of you constantly around violence and guns. Jim is conservative, and from what you've told me was raised rigidly so by an emotionally cold father. Remember how unforgiving he was about your dissertation, and that was my fault not yours."

(Jim's face paled to a chalky white at Naomi's words.)

Blair shook his head in refusal, fearing what Naomi would say next.

"Sweetie, listen to me. It's not going to work. Believe me. I've been where you are. No matter how much you love him, or how much he thinks he loves you---it. will. not. last."

Blair almost laughed out loud in misery at Naomi's presumption that it was him who was more emotionally vulnerable in his and Jim's relationship. Little did she know that it was her son who would most likely end up not just breaking Jim's heart but destroying his soul. Just as he was about to speak, Jim angrily stalked into the room.

"Wait a damn minute, Naomi! I don't 'think' I'm in love with Blair, I know it" Jim said with a stone cold expression.

Blair placed his left palm against Jim's chest to halt his advance, the fingers on his right hand reaching up to smooth away the nerve twitching in his lover's jaw. "Calm down, Jim" he said soothingly, "Naomi and I are going to go for a walk. Why don't you take a shower. We'll be back in a little bit." He pushed and turned his lover into the hallway while he spoke, knowing he needed to diffuse the situation before it got out of control. A little space between Jim and his mother was just what was required. He needed to have a little talk with his mother in private. Clear up a few of the misconceptions she held about her favorite son.

STREET OUTSIDE THE LOFT

"Let's head for the waterfront" suggested Blair as he thrust his hands into the pockets of the light jacket he put on.

Naomi was silent as she walked beside her beautiful son, the previous scene running through her mind confusingly. She glanced at the young man companionably strolling alongside her, who unconsciously smiled at the pedestrians they passed. Just one more facet of the man, her very own son who just practically ordered a trained killer to go take a shower. Stranger still was the underlying emotion she perceived in those ice blue eyes. Love of such depth that she began to worry, for Jim.

By the time Blair turned to face her at the water's edge, comprehension filled her green eyes at just what level of commitment joined the two men.

She suddenly hugged her son tight while she whispered in his ear, "keep him safe."

Blair pulled back, his eyes searching his mother's in the dim light. He hugged her tightly back when he saw the understanding in their green depths. "Together we are whole" whispered Blair into his mother's hair. He was surprised when he pulled back to see tears falling from Naomi's eyes as she nodded.

"Let's go home to your husband."

A very shocked Jim Ellison accepted the hug Naomi gave him just as he excited the bathroom in his robe. His eyes searching Blair's, a smile spreading across his usually stoic face at the mischievous sparkle that greeted him from within his lover's blue eyes. Jim relaxed into Naomi's embrace.

"Welcome to the family, Jim. Feel free to call me Mom, if you wish. And don't worry, I don't plan on being a domineering mother-in-law, just a little opinionated" teased Naomi as she drew her son's husband towards the living area. She laughed at the flummoxed expression spreading across the tall man's handsome face.

"I hope you left me some hot water, man. I am dying for a shower" Blair said as he squeezed past Jim and his mom. Blair laughed at Jim's pleading expression. "You're on your own, man. You're the one who wanted to go public" reminded Blair as he firmly shut the bathroom door closed, cutting off the view of his lover being maneuvered into the living room for a long chat with Naomi.

Epilogue

"Give, Chief" softly demanded Jim as Blair settled under the covers next to him in bed. "What did you say to Naomi to get her to change her mind about you and me?" Jim asked his lover who was sleepily yawning.

"Nothing" said Blair before another big yawn overcame him.

"I don't believe you."

"It's the truth. It must have been something you did, because by the time we reached the Bay she was alright about it. What did you all talk about while I was in the shower, anyway?" Blair mumbled as he turned over on his stomach.

"How you and I finally got together."

"What?!" Blair's eyes shot open at Jim's reply. "You didn't go into details, right Jim? Jim?"

The sound of Jim's even breathing was the only reply.

Blair began to curse softly in Spanish, never noticing the grin that spread over his lover's face.

THE END

Love and Friendship
Dinner Can Wait
Jim's Bed
Destroy the Evidence
Time's Up
Mister Sandburg
Family Gathering