New
Arrivals
Author-Maj
Titles
Greater Love 6 - It's Good For Your Elf
by Maj
Summary: Socks crime. Rated PG-13 for language.
Disclaimer: All characters and plots associated with The Sentinel belong to Pet Fly, UPN and Paramount. No infringement is intended.
The door to Major Crimes flew open and crashed against the wall. In the doorway stood Detective James Ellison with murder in his eyes. A deafening silence fell as everyone turned to look at the object of his ire.
"Hey Jim, welcome back. Nice tan, you don't see that often at this time of year in Cascade. How was Hawaii? Did you have a good flight?" Blair Sandburg babbled nervously as he carefully edged his way round the desk, placing it between him and his glowering partner.
"You went too far this time Chief." Jim practically growled.
"Hey, where's your sense of humor? It was just a little welcome home, to show we'd missed you. Remember it's the season of goodwill to all men, Jim." Blair swallowed and smiled nervously.
Jim started prowling towards his desk as Blair backed away, carefully maintaining a barrier between them.
"Oh I can take a joke with the best. The dish soap in the toilet cistern, I laughed, even when I was up to my knees in soap suds at 2 am." Jim's eyes never left his intended victim.
"Wow, you flushed after ten o'clock? That was Rafe's idea." When Jim growled, Blair shamelessly tried to divert the attention away from himself.
"And the whoopee cushions under the mattress, real mood killer by the way, but we laughed." Jim had reached his desk and was edging around it towards his intended victim.
"That was Henri's doing." Blair's giggle had a slightly hysterical edge.
"But then you went too far. You did the one thing no man should do to another. You interfered with my sock drawer." He made a lunge for Blair and missed as the smaller man scrambled away, putting the desk between them again.
"I was just trying to bring a little color into your life man." Blair grinned and started inching backwards towards the door.
"Color! I nearly zoned when I opened that drawer and saw what you'd done. Where are my socks Chief? My nice WHITE socks. Have you seen what I had to put on this morning to come to work?" Lifting the hem of his pant leg he showed a sock of luminous lime green, bright enough to make your eyes bleed.
"Chill Jim, your socks are safe, and I can guarantee they'll stay that way, if you calm down." He reached down and picked up his backpack and pulled out a pair of neatly folded white socks.
"Sandburg." Jim growled and suddenly darted round the desk catching Blair off guard.
In a moment of sheer panic, Blair threw the socks to his friend and, in the same movement, turned and ran for his life. He shot through the open door and could be heard clattering down the hall.
Distracted by the socks, Jim missed his opportunity to grab his tormentor.
"I'll get you." He called after the retreating form. "You can't hide forever, I know where you live."
Turning, he was met with the grinning faces of his work colleagues. Simon stood in the doorway of his office wiping the tears of laughter off his face.
Jim drew his shoulders back and glared at everyone, doing his best Simon impression, he bellowed. "Don't you people have work to do?"
Everyone returned to what they had been doing, but the smiles remained. Unable to maintain the pretence of being angry, Jim's face was split by a huge grin. Sitting at his desk he proceeded to change his socks.
"It's good to have you back Jim; it's been too serious around here without you and that crazy partner of yours. In my office when you've finished dressing." Simon turned and went back to his desk.
Jim followed his captain into his office and sat in his usual chair. "So, what's been happening while I was gone?"
************************
Around lunchtime Jim headed to the break room for a cup of coffee. As he stood looking out of the window he became aware of a familiar heartbeat on the other side of the door. Turning he saw the door open and a white flag was waved through the gap. Looking closely Jim noticed it was made from an old ruler with a white sock pinned to the end.
"Come on in and bring the other sock with you." He called out to his guide.
Blair popped his head sheepishly round the door. "Hi! Are you sure it's safe for me to enter?"
"Get in here you nut." Jim grabbed him by the coat and pulled him into the room.
"I swear I put them back. Your sock drawer is a veritable ocean of white socks. Serena thought it was funny, by the way. Said your face was a picture." Blair wriggled out of Jim's grasp.
"Oh, I'm glad I amused everyone." Jim smiled. "Where did you get all those socks from? I didn't know they made them in colors that hideous."
"Ah, you just need to know the right people." Blair heaved a sigh of relief as he realized that Jim wasn't really angry with him.
"So, what are you doing back here? Don't you have classes to teach?" Jim poured coffee for both of them.
"Nah, I'm finished for Christmas now. Free until New Year. Megan's in court most of this week so I'm gonna take Connor Christmas shopping and get everything set up for Christmas dinner. You and Serena are still coming, aren't you?" Blair asked.
"As long as Megan's not cooking." Jim joked
"I'll tell her you said that." Blair threatened. "Oh! I just remembered I got a letter from Brother Marcus. They're back from Peru. They're helping out at a church run orphanage. Some of the kids from Peru are there."
Pulling the letter out of his pocket he waved it at Jim. "Actually they've asked if we can do them a favor, or rather if you can. It seems the man who was going to be Santa for the kids Christmas party fell and broke his leg. They can't get anyone at such short notice and Brother Marcus noted that you're about the same size, so the costume wouldn't have to be altered."
"NO! Absolutely not! I am not being suckered into this. Why can't you do it?" Jim shook his head vehemently.
"It's too late to get the costume altered or I would. I sort of promised you would do it. I knew you wouldn't let all those poor little children down. All the kids from Peru keep asking about you." Blair turned his best puppy dog eyes on Jim.
Jim groaned as he felt his resolve crumbling. "Ok, but on one condition."
"Anything, you know me, I'll help if I can." Blair was all smiles, knowing he had won this round.
Jim smiled, and Blair knew it was going to be bad. He'd seen that smile before. Jim used it to break the toughest perps. It meant he had you right where he wanted you.
"I'm gonna need a little elf to help me hand out the presents and you look to be about the right size."
It was Blair's turn to groan. He'd walked right into a trap. "No, please. I'll never hear the end of it from the guys if you dress me up as an elf.
"Too bad Sandburg, you promised to do anything to help." Jim's smirk grew. "I think you'll look cute in green tights. Megan will enjoy the view."
Blair muttered under his breath about devious underhanded sentinels and skulked off back to the bullpen. Jim smiled a smile of satisfaction at a job well done.
"Ahhhh, payback."
************************
Two days later Jim found himself, in the office of the orphanage, being helped into his Santa suit. All the padding had been strapped in place and Brother Marcus was helping him to do up the buttons.
"I can't thank you enough Jim, we were so relieved when Blair told us you'd agreed to do this. Father Jeremy was at his wits end." Brother Marcus tightened the belt around his padded middle. "And getting Blair to dress up as an elf was a stroke of genius. He's a natural for the part."
Jim grinned at his partner, who was sitting rather sullenly in the corner. Blair, knowing Brother Marcus had his back to him, poked his tongue out.
"Don't do that Blair, it sets a bad example for the children. We try to discourage that sort of behavior." Brother Marcus winked at Jim. He didn't need to turn round to know that there was a stunned expression on Blair's face.
"Damn, he's as bad as Megan." He muttered under his breath.
"Language Sandy." Megan came through the door carrying Connor. "I thought Santa could use all the help he could get so I've brought you another elf."
She pulled off Connor's coat and underneath was an exact replica of Blair's outfit. She plopped a pointy hat with a bell on top of his curls to finish the effect. Connor muttered gibberish under his breath, but the tone said it all. He was deeply unhappy with his mother's choice of clothing.
"I know how you feel little buddy." Blair raised his foot and rattled the bells on the curly toes of his shoes. "This sucks!"
"Blair!" Three voices chorused together. Megan whacked his arm.
"Not in front of Connor. You know how he keeps picking up bad words at the moment." She glared at him.
"Hey that was an accident. I dropped a heavy pan on my foot, and I thought he was asleep. How was I to know he would practice his 'new word' on the phone to your mom?" Blair tried to defend himself.
"Yeah, well it's a good thing she has a sense of humor." Megan smiled at the memory of her mother's howls of laughter.
"So, are we all ready?" Blair asked, wanting to change the subject.
Jim nodded and Brother Marcus popped out to prepare the children. Jim opened the door and stepped out ho ho hoing for all he was worth. More reluctantly followed Connor and finally Blair. Just as he exited the office he felt a familiar tweak on his behind.
"Ohh Tiger, you can stuff my stocking any day!" Megan giggled.
************************
The party was in full swing. Megan and Serena stood over against the wall watching their husbands have the time of their lives. Despite all their moaning, both were good with children and enjoyed spending time with them. Blair's mood had lifted the moment he was surrounded by children, and Connor, once he had dumped the hat, was quite happy to join in.
Megan noticed a boy, of about 10yrs old, sitting away from all the others, watching them play with a wistful look on his face. As the presents were handed out the noise level increased. The boy's face took on a pained look. He covered his ears and seemed to curl up on himself. Then a familiar blank expression crossed his face.
As she moved toward the boy she realized she was not the only one to notice his predicament. Father Jeremy, who had been standing at the back of the room keeping an eye on the boy as if expecting trouble, moved forward.
Before either of them could reach him, Connor stepped up with a puzzled expression. He patted him gently on the cheek, all the while jabbering to him in a low tone. The boy seemed to snap out of his spell almost instantly, but seem disoriented.
Father Jeremy helped him to his feet and started towards the office. Confused, the boy reached out and grabbed Connor's hand as if reluctant to leave him behind.
"Let Connor go, Nathan. He has to stay with his mother." Father Jeremy spoke quietly.
Nathan looked at Megan with something akin to panic and reluctantly let go of him, but Connor was having none of that. He took Nathan firmly by the hand and pulled him towards the door.
"No! Me stay Nafan." He said determinedly
Father Jeremy was stunned. He turned to Megan who was as equally surprised. Megan nodded her consent for Connor to go with them.
"You go on ahead, I'll get Blair and Jim. I think we need to talk."
Hurrying back she asked Serena to fetch Jim while she found Blair and explained what she thought was going on. Together the four of them made their way to the office.
When they got there they found Nathan asleep on the couch with his head on Connor's lap. Connor was gently stroking Nathan's hair and blissfully munching on some cookies that had been left there earlier. He raised a finger to his lips.
"Shhh. Nafan seep." He admonished.
The adults gathered on the other side of the office. Megan explained again what she had seen.
"I swear Jim, he looked just how you do when you zone. It was as if the noise became too much for him."
"Has Nathan had these attacks before?" Blair asked Father Jeremy.
"Yes, they've become more frequent of late. He's suffered from allergies ever since he came here and there have been behavioral problems too. He's prone to lose his temper easily, especially after one of his attacks, and has trouble concentrating, easily distracted by the smallest thing. I suppose it's not surprising though, considering the circumstances in which he lost his parents."
"What happened?" He looked over at the child asleep on the couch.
"His parent's plane crashed in the Cascade mountains last summer. It took search and rescue a week to find them. They were both dead. He stayed with the plane, living off the supplies on board. Apparently, before the crash he was a normal happy boy. We've tried placing him with foster parents, but there always seems to be a problem." Father Jeremy spoke quietly.
"That would screw anyone up. Has he seen anyone?" Jim asked
"He's seen psychologists and psychiatrists who say there's nothing wrong with him. He's been investigated to see if these attacks he has are epilepsy related or an attention deficit disorder. Again they can find nothing wrong. The psychologist suggested that it could be attention-seeking behavior. If he had seen how distressed Nathan is by these spells he wouldn't have said that, and I told him so."
Father Jeremy's voice was raised somewhat with indignation and the noise disturbed the sleeping boy. He sat up shakily and looked around.
"Mommmmm?" He called in a small voice and he began to sob.
Serena, who had lost her parents at a young age, walked over and gathered him into her arms. She knew all too well what it was like to wake up wanting mom and to realize she wouldn't be coming.
"Shhh. It's all right you're not alone. We're here to help you." As the sobbing subsided and Nathan calmed she asked. " Would you like a drink of water and to wash your face?"
Nathan pulled back, slightly embarrassed to be caught crying for his mom at his age.
Serena wiped the tears off his face. "It's alright to cry, I used to cry for my mom and dad when I was much older than you."
"Did your mom and dad die in a plane crash too?" He asked quietly.
"No, a car accident. I was in the car too, but I didn't even have a scratch. I used feel bad because they were gone and I was still here. I was lucky; my grandparents took me in and showed me it was all right to go on with my life. It's what my mom and dad would have wanted."
Nathan nodded. "My grandparents are all dead. No one wants me." He burrowed his head back into her shoulder and started crying quietly.
Serena looked over at Jim with tears and pleading in her eyes. She and Jim had discussed starting a family, but they hadn't thought about it being so soon. In her heart she had made a decision. She wanted this boy as part of her family, now she just had to convince Jim.
For his part, Jim looked back and saw the conviction in Serena's eyes. He nodded in answer to her unasked question.
"Why don't you take Nathan out and get him freshened up. We'll talk to Father Jeremy when you get back." He called quietly.
Connor perked up at the idea of escaping the office, the cookies had run out and he knew there were more goodies to be had in the other room.
"I come too. We go eat. My name Connor. You my fwiend?" Connor jabbered away, all the time dragging Nathan towards the door.
Jim grinned, as the stunned boy was lead from the office. "He gets more like you every day, Chief."
************************
Once Serena had escorted the children outside Blair turned back to Father Jeremy.
"Father, do you remember when I came to you before we went to Peru. I explained then about Jim and his abilities."
Father Jeremy nodded. "I believe you called him a...'Sentinel'?"
"Well, I suspect that Nathan my well have the same abilities and they are what's causing his problems. The attacks he has are what Jim calls zoning. It's when they become too immersed in one of their senses, to the exclusion of all the others. It can look like daydreaming or petit mal seizures. The time spent in isolation after the crash probably caused his senses to come on line fully." Blair turned to Jim.
"That's how my senses first consciously manifested themselves. I was in a helicopter crash in Peru. I would say from what you're describing that his senses are out of control and he's experiencing sensory spikes, causing him to zone out." Jim explained. "Blair helps me deal with my senses, he's my guide if you like. He's taught me how to control them and use them effectively in my work."
"Could you teach Nathan to control his senses? If you could, we might be able to place him again. If we don't find somewhere soon the church will move him to a facility for older children and children with special needs." Father Jeremy seemed distressed by the idea.
"Anyone who takes Nathan on would need to be aware of his abilities. It would take someone who knew what they were doing." Blair looked speculatively at his partner. "Maybe even someone who'd experienced it first hand."
There was a knock and Serena popped her head round the door. "The children want to stay out here and play with the toys." She told them.
"Megan and I will go out and help keep an eye on things. Why don't you and Jim have a chat with Father Jeremy?" Blair suggested.
Serena beamed at him and opened the door wider to let him out. As Megan passed, she smiled and winked. "Good luck. " She whispered and patted her friend on the shoulder.
************************
It was over an hour, and several phone calls later, that the office door opened and Father Jeremy came out. He looked over at Nathan who had, somewhat surprisingly, joined in a noisy game of Lions and Tigers with Connor. It mostly consisted of Nathan growling and pouncing on a gleefully squealing Connor.
It brought a smile to the old monk's face to see Nathan at last acting like a normal boy instead of the withdrawn stranger that had been there before. He hated to break it up, but he needed to speak to Nathan.
"Nathan." He called. "Could you come into the office for a moment?"
The two children looked over with matching expressions. Connor voiced the thoughts for both of them.
"Uh-oh. Wun." He was on his feet and running before anyone could draw breath. Nathan went to follow, but was brought up short by a hand on his shoulder.
"It's nothing bad, I promise." Megan spoke quietly.
Nathan nodded solemnly and turned back. Across the room the escapee had been apprehended by his father. Turning, he saw Nathan enter the office.
"NO! Mine!" He yelled and started crying and trying to follow his new friend. Blair and Megan tried to explain that Nathan would be back, but Connor was distraught.
Eventually Blair crossed the room and knocked on the office door. Jim opened it and ushered them in. Nathan was seated on the edge of the couch in what appeared to be another zone out.
"I think the stress of today was too much for him. He zoned as soon as he got in here." Jim moved back to the couch. "I can't seem to bring him out of it."
"Connor brought him out of it last time." Megan informed them. "Maybe he can do it again."
Connor, who had calmed back down, wandered over and climbed on Nathan's lap. Placing a hand either side of his head he looked him straight in the eyes.
"BOO!" He shouted and giggled when Nathan shot about a foot in the air, only just managing to catch Connor before he fell off his lap.
Jim and Blair looked at each other in astonishment.
"'Boo?'" Jim said with amusement. "Well, I suppose if it works..."
"Yeah, maybe I should try that on you next time you zone." Blair grinned at the idea.
Jim snorted. "I swear if you climb on my lap like that I'll kick your a--"
"Jim!" Serena, Megan and Father Jeremy all shouted together.
Jim blushed and Blair smirked at his discomfort. Since they were all facing Jim, Blair took his chance and poked his tongue out again. "Yeah Jim, behave."
"Blair, you've been asked not to do that." Serena said.
"It sets a bad example for the children, Blair." Father Jeremy spoke with a disapproving voice.
"I'll thank you not to teach our child any more bad habits." Megan declared.
Blair was dumbfounded. Not one of them had even glanced in his direction.
"That is sooo spooky. How do you all do that?" He asked no one in particular.
The children giggled at the adult's antics and the atmosphere lightened.
"Nathan, there's no need for you to worry. We've asked you in here because Mr. and Mrs. Ellison would like to have you go live with them. If you all get along they'd like you to stay with them permanently. Would you like that?"
Nathan looked up at them and the hope in his eyes was heartbreaking.
"What about my...problems? Do they know about them? The other families didn't want me when they found out."
"Jim here is a very special person. He had attacks just like you do, but he learned how to control them and he wants to help you learn how to control yours." Blair crouched beside Nathan. "We'll explain all about it."
Nathan looked up at Jim in awe. "How did yours start? Were you in a plane crash?"
Jim smiled and sat down next to Nathan. "No, it was a helicopter crash, but that's not what caused them. Come on, let's go and get you packed and we can explain everything at home."
Nathan's face split into a huge grin. "You still want me?" His excitement was contagious. "Come on, I don't have much to pack. Can Connor help me? Does he live with you too? Do you have any other kids?"
The questions come one after the other, without pause for breath. He jumped off the couch and was half way out the door dragging Jim with one hand and Connor with the other. His voice could be heard echoing up the hall, which lead to the stairs.
"I can show you my room. I have a poster of a lion on my wall. Do you have any posters on your walls?" His voice faded into the distance, chatting and asking questions without giving Jim a chance to answer.
The adults left in the room all burst out laughing at the stunned expression that had been on Jim's face as he disappeared up the stairs.
"I don't think Jim knows what's hit him." Blair laughed. He thinks I talk too much. Nothing has prepared him for an excited 10 year old."
************************
The rest of the day was spent getting Nathan settled into his new home. Jim had kept Blair's old room as a guest room after Blair moved out. It was pretty much as he had left it and he offered to remove the few artefacts that were still there.
"Would you mind if I kept them here. They're so cool. I promise I won't mess with them." Nathan stared in fascination at the collection of tribal figures that stood on the shelf over his bed."
"I tell you what, if you promise to be very careful with them, you can have them to keep as a 'Welcome Home' present. You must take care of them, they were given to me by a tribe I stayed with when I was a student, they're copies of the figures they keep in their temple." Blair lifted one down for Nathan to look at.
Nathan's eyes shone with gratitude. "Thank you Mr. Sandburg. I'll take real good care of them."
"Call me Blair. Mr. Sandburg makes me feel old." Blair smiled.
"Finish unpacking and come out to the living room, we've a lot to talk about and I think it's best done over pizza." Jim patted him on the shoulder.
Nathan's face fell. "I'm not allowed to have pizza. Last time I did it triggered off one of my attacks."
"Well, that's part of what we need to talk about. We may be able to help you control the attacks. Come on you can try a bit. " Jim smiled encouragingly.
It was a much happier Nathan that rejoined them all ten minutes later. Connor bounced over, still on a sugar high from the Christmas party, and took hold of Nathan's hand, dragging him over to sit on the couch.
By the time the pizza arrived, and had been consumed, Blair had explained the basics of dial control to Nathan, who proved to be a quick study. While he didn't understand everything about his senses, he knew that with time he would be able to control them.
"It's a lot to take in all at once. We'll talk some more tomorrow and if you have any questions you can ask me or Blair and we'll try to answer them for you." Jim patted Nathan on the head. "Now I think its time for bed. Say goodnight to everyone."
"Goodnight." Nathan looked over at Connor. "Can we play again tomorrow?" He asked.
"Sure you can." Blair smiled. "Megan's court date was postponed so she's taking Connor shopping tomorrow, would you like to go with them?"
Nathan nodded and whispered. "I'd like to get something for Mr. and Mrs. Ellison. To thank them for helping me and letting me stay for Christmas. I've been saving my allowance."
"I think that's a lovely idea." Blair whispered back, knowing full well that Jim could hear what they were saying.
Nathan's grin was huge. "Goodnight Blair. Goodnight Mr. Ellison, Mrs. Ellison."
"You can call us Jim and Serena, if you like." Jim offered.
Nathan thought for a moment and nodded. "I'd like that." He wandered over to Megan, who was sitting with a sleepy Connor on her lap. "Goodnight Connor. I'll see you tomorrow."
Connor drowsily lifted his hand and patted Nathan's cheek. Leaning forward he landed a sloppy kiss there.
Nathan pulled away and wiped the saliva off his cheek with a vaguely disgusted look on his face. "Eww gross! Does he do that all the time?" He asked plaintively.
"I'm afraid so, Connor's big on sloppy kisses." Jim grimaced, having been on the end of a few himself.
"Ok, time to get this young man home to bed." Megan stood. "I'll see you tomorrow, Nathan. We live on the floor below. Jim can tell you where, come down when you're ready."
Blair and Megan left and, after checking all the doors and windows, Jim went to check on Nathan. When he opened the door he found Serena sitting on the edge of the bed watching Nathan sleep. Hearing the door open, she turned and made a shushing gesture. She stood and walked back into the other room pulling Jim behind her and shutting the door.
"He's just dropped off. It's been a big day for him, for all of us. Are you sure about this, I feel as though I put you on the spot. We hadn't really even discussed having our own children, never mind adopting one." Serena's brow was wrinkled anxiously.
"Yeah, I'm sure. I could no more have left him there than you. So we started our family a bit sooner than anticipated. If we have any more children they'll have a big brother, he's a great kid." Jim smiled and smoothed her brow with his thumb.
"Yeah. Let's get to bed. Some of us have work tomorrow." Serena took his hand and led him upstairs. In his room Nathan opened his eyes and smiled in contentment having overheard the whole conversation.
************************
Serena and Jim were dressed and preparing breakfast when Nathan finally surfaced the next morning. Stepping out of his room, clutching a somewhat threadbare towel in his hands he cleared his throat timidly.
"Is it alright for me to use the bathroom? I'll be real quick."
"Sure, you don't have to ask. This is your home now, you can use the bathroom when you like. " Jim was quick to reassure him.
Serena looked at the towel in his hands. "Would you like a new towel? There are plenty in the linen closet. They've been washed in detergent that won't irritate your skin."
Nathan looked relieved. "Could I? The orphanage couldn't afford new towels and this one is…itchy."
Jim took Nathan to the bathroom and showed him where all the supplies were kept. He went out and got a fresh towel. Leaving him to wash he returned to the kitchen.
"It makes me ashamed when I see how grateful he is for such small things. I gave him a new toothbrush and he asked me if I was sure, his was so old and ratty looking. From the expression on his face you'd have thought I'd given him gold. When I was a kid I never took any notice of things like that. A new one would just appear in the bathroom every couple of weeks."
"Yeah, I know, but that's all gonna change for Nathan now." Serena patted him on the arm. "Come on, before breakfast gets cold."
Nathan returned from the bathroom and, after quickly dressing, joined them at the table. Jim smiled as he watched him polish off a big plate of eggs, and several slices of toast, with gusto.
"You about ready to go? I'll drop you off at Megan's; I've got to pick up Blair anyway. He's coming in to help me get all my paperwork finished so I can get away early tomorrow, being as it's Christmas Eve."
Nathan got up and started to clear the table while Jim grabbed their coats and looked for his keys.
"Go on, I'll finish here." Serena took over the clean up. "I'll see you both later."
Nathan ducked back in his room and grabbed the box with his savings in and transferred the contents to his pocket. He hurried back out and they set off down one flight of stairs to the Sandburg residence.
************************
The door to 204 opened and they were hit by a wave of sound. Connor was bouncing around in his usual excited state, chattering away to himself, and wearing more of his breakfast on his face than was on the plate.
"Jim, I'll just be a minute, Mini-me has been more than a little excited this morning. Megan will be out in a moment. I've just got to scrape off the breakfast that's wearing my son and I'll be ready to go."
"I could do that if you like." Nathan offered. "I used to help with some of the younger kids at the orphanage."
"Thank you, that would be great." Blair smiled.
The bedroom door opened and Megan came out. Looking around she noticed the sudden lack of noise.
"Where are the boys? I thought I heard Nathan's voice."
"They're in the bathroom. Nathan offered to do clean up on our walking food disaster." Blair indicated the closed bathroom door.
Jim pulled Megan aside and spoke in a quiet voice. "Could you get Nathan some new clothes while you're out today. He didn't bring much with him. Something smart for over Christmas and some play clothes." He pulled some money out of his wallet and gave it to her. "If it comes to any more, let me know."
"Sure Jim. I'm sure that'll be enough. Now get going you two, the sooner you get to work the sooner you get done." Megan shooed them towards the door.
As she closed the door behind them, the bathroom door flew open and a squealing Connor came flying out, pursued by Nathan who was carrying a towel.
"No more, I clean now." Connor ducked behind Megan's legs.
"I did the best I could, but he's a real wriggler." Nathan exclaimed breathlessly.
"You did fine. " Megan took the towel and dried Connor's face. "Ok, you ready to tackle Cascade mall? There's ice cream out there with our names on it."
With no further ado they bundled out the door and headed for the unsuspecting crowds of shoppers.
************************
The morning passed quickly for the three hardy shoppers. Nathan took great pleasure in picking out some new clothes and shoes. Connor was in the mood to be distracted by every sparkly thing in the store, which meant Nathan was kept busy helping to stop him from wandering off. Finally there was only on thing left to get.
"I want to get something nice for Jim and Serena. I've saved my allowance." Nathan pulled $10 in dog-eared notes from his pocket.
"Have you seen anything you'd like to get?" Megan asked.
Nathan nodded enthusiastically. "I saw an ornament in the cabinet over there. It's a Lion. They're my favorite. My mom took me to see The Lion King when I was little." His eyes filled with tears.
Megan's throat tightened and she gathered him into a hug. "Come on, let's go get it, it sounds perfect."
After a long wait at the counter, they finally got the attention of a sales clerk.
"How can I help you?" She smiled
"We'd like to look at the lion in the cabinet please." Megan pointed at the ornament.
"Very nice choice, this is new in store this week." She placed the ornament in front of them.
"It looks like Simba when he grew up." Nathan whispered, his eyes never leaving the lion.
"It certainly does. Do you like The Lion King too? It's my grandson's favourite movie." The sales clerk smiled down at him.
Nathan nodded and asked shyly. "How much is it please?"
The clerk checked the price tag. "It's $25.00 and comes in a gift box."
Nathan's face fell in disappointment. "I only have $10. Thank you anyway."
Megan couldn't bear it. "Tell you what Nathan. Why don't I give you the rest? You've helped me out with Connor all morning and you can help me wrap presents when we get home. Call it payment for services rendered."
The smile that got her was worth every penny. The sales clerk carefully wrapped the ornament in tissue before placing it in a gift box. As an extra touch she added some Christmas ribbon and a sprig of holly.
Saying their goodbyes they left the shop and made their way to the car park. Megan loaded the shopping into the car while Nathan strapped a tired Connor into his seat. She had just closed the trunk when she heard a noise behind her. There was a sharp pain at the back of her head and, as she fell to the ground, she was aware of a large man looming over her before everything went black.
************************
The morning had passed less quickly in the bullpen. Case notes had been written up, reports checked and corrected and everything was filed, as it should be. Blair stood and stretched.
"Man, I'm glad that's done. Do you want to drop those into Simon while I phone Megan and see how they're doing?" Blair indicated the last few files on the desk.
"Ok, Chief. I'll check that he's still on for Christmas Dinner." Jim made his way to Simon's office and sat down. He had barely started on the first report, when he became aware of Blair's accelerated heart rate. Looking out into the bullpen he could see his ashen-faced partner seated at his desk listening intently to whoever was on the phone.
"Simon, something's wrong with Sandburg. I gotta go." They rushed out of the office as Blair hung up the phone.
"I phoned Megan's cell phone, it was answered by a nurse at Cascade General. She passed me along to a police officer who told me Megan was brought in unconscious following an attack at the mall." Blair's face crumpled. "Whoever it was, they…" He swallowed hard. "They took our children."
Jim's stomach clenched. The children, their children. It amazed him how quickly he had come to think of Nathan as his son.
"Come on, Chief. I'll take you to the hospital. Simon, could you try to find out what happened and let us know. I'll get Serena and we'll be at the hospital."
"Jim, you know you won't be allowed to work this case, you're too involved. I'll send someone to the hospital to get a statement. We'll start investigating here." Simon waved over to Rafe and Brown to indicate he wanted them in his office.
Jim said nothing, he gathered up his shattered partner and headed out.
************************
Nathan came out of his zone with a start. After being bundled into the trunk of a car, and having a blanket thrown over his head, he had attempted to track where they were going by using his senses, this had proved to be a mistake. He was still too inexperienced and soon slipped into a zone. Now he was awake, aware of Connor's frantic patting of his face, and had no idea how long they had been traveling. He threw off the covering and tried to calm his growing panic.
The car drew to a stop and he heard the occupants get out. Voices approached the rear of the car, the trunk opened and large hands reached in for him. Next to him, under the blanket, Connor started to growl in the back of his throat, as a second pair of hands reached in Connor attacked. He flew up and sank his teeth into the large man's hand.
"Ow! Son of a..." The man tried to pull his hand away, but Connor was having none of it. He shook his head, like a dog worrying a bone, and refused to let go.
"Get off!" The man finally shook his tormentor free. Connor landed back in the trunk with a plop.
Nathan took his chance, while the second man was distracted; he struck out with his foot, catching his assailant on the nose. This was their only chance. As the two goons danced about holding their injuries, Nathan scrambled out of the car, grabbed Connor and started to run.
He hadn't gone far when a woman stepped out of the shadows ahead of him. He ran up to her.
"Please, you've got to help us. We've been kidnapped. Please call the police." Nathan asked breathlessly.
The woman smiled down at him, it wasn't a pleasant smile, and grabbed him by the collar.
With his arms full of Connor he couldn't fight back and he found himself being dragged back to the car.
"What the hell is the meaning of this?" She yelled. "I only told you to grab the Sandburg brat."
"The other kid got hold of him and wouldn't let go. People were starting to look, we had to get away quick." Goon number one whined.
"Take them inside. We'll discuss this later." She thrust Nathan towards goon number two.
Connor started growling again and the man backed off.
"Keep him under control kid, or I'll have to hurt him." The man still rubbed at his hand.
"Connor, you have to behave. I've got to keep you safe until your dad and Jim come get us." Nathan was sure it was only a matter of time before they were rescued.
"Oh, how touching." The woman sneered. "Don't hold your breath waiting for them to find you. They don't even know who has you. And even if they work it out, they'll never find you. Let's see how they like loosing everything that matters to them."
"They'll find us and put you all in jail!" Nathan yelled angrily.
The two men herded them through a large doorway and down flight of stairs. At the bottom they turned right and passed through what appeared to be a maze of corridors. Nathan tried to keep track of where they were going but soon had to give up.
They ended up at what looked like an old storage room that had been set up as a cell. There was a cot bolted to the floor at one end and a bucket in the corner. There were no windows or vents since they were underground, which meant there was little chance of escape. They were pushed roughly inside and the door was locked behind them.
Walking over to the cot, he set Connor down and sat next to him. Connor looked up with big trusting eyes.
"We go home now?" He asked, showing his first sign of fear, as his bottom lip began to quiver.
Nathan put his arm round Connor's shoulders and tried to comfort the younger boy.
"Soon, Connor. Soon." He said and tried to believe it.
************************
Across town, at that very moment, a harassed young doctor was trying to persuade Megan to stay in hospital for the night. He had tried every argument he could think of, but she was determined.
"I appreciate your concern, but I'm not laying here doing nothing while some mad man has my baby. I'll sign any waivers you like, but I am getting out of here. Blair pass me my clothes or I swear I'll walk out of here like this."
Blair scrambled to gather the flapping edges of the gown, which were threatening to show his wife's….assets.
"Dr Francis, I promise she'll take it easy. We'll keep a close eye on her. She'll be under constant supervision at home." Blair turned his best sincere expression on the hapless medic.
Sighing in frustration he turned and left, muttering under his breath about troublesome foreigners.
A short time later they entered Major Crime and made straight for Simon's office. He waved them in and closed the door.
"Megan are you sure you should be out of the hospital? Don't take this the wrong way, but you look terrible." He sounded concerned.
"I feel terrible but I couldn't stay there and do nothing. Have you found anything? Any ideas as to who has the children?"
Simon picked up some files off his desk. "We've been over some of your old cases to see if anyone stood out. Alex Barnes is still in Conover and isn't likely to ever leave. I called in some favors and found out that Lee Brackett is still in custody. He's had no visitors so I can't see him being responsible."
"So we know who it isn't. Any ideas on who is?" Blair was getting very anxious. The children had been missing for hours and still no contact from whoever had them.
"Well, we have two main suspects. Brad Ventriss is still inside. Appears to be behaving himself so far. Only visitor is his father, who got out about two months ago. We know they have the money to set this up so they may be involved. The last on our list is Lydia Edwards, formally Chancellor Edwards. She was released about a month ago and appears to have disappeared."
"What! Why weren't we informed she was out? She made threats against Blair after her arrest. We should have been told she was on the loose!" Jim was angry.
"We're looking into that. It looks like a simple oversight on the part of the prison service, but there will be an investigation. I've put an APB out on Edwards and sent Rafe and Brown over to talk to Ventriss senior."
There was a knock on the door and Rhonda popped her head into the office." There's a call for Blair on line two. Some woman, she won't give her name. I've started a trace."
"Good work. Transfer it in here, we'll take it on the speaker phone." Simon moved to his desk.
He switched on the speakerphone and nodded to Blair. "Try to keep her on as long as possible."
The call was transferred through and a woman's voice came clearly over the speaker.
"I want to speak to Blair Sandburg, put him on." The voice was instantly recognizable to Jim. Their worst fears were confirmed; Lydia Edwards had their children.
"Blair Sandburg speaking, who is this?" Blair didn't want to tip her off that they already knew her identity.
"Please, Mr. Sandburg, I'm not stupid. You know who this is and you know why I'm calling. How does it feel having your life turned upside down? To lose the most important thing in your life?" She gloated.
"Where are the children, if you've hurt them there's nowhere you'll be safe from me. I hunt you down like the mad bitch you are and put you out of our misery." Blair's anger and frustration boiled over.
"Temper, temper Blair. You forget I hold all the cards, or should I say kids." She tittered at her own joke. "Don't worry they're safe for now, but somewhere you'll never find them. It's your turn to suffer. I'll be in touch." The phone went dead.
Blair swore and hit the wall, his emotions written all over his face. He was close to breaking point. Megan took his hand and started rubbing the reddened areas.
"Stay calm for me Sandy. I need you to be clear headed, that's the way we'll beat her, by using our brains not our fists."
"Blair nodded but didn't feel able to speak.
"Ok, now we know who has the children, let's start checking out her known haunts. I'll get someone to check her last known address. You two get over to the university and see if she's been hanging around there. Serena, could you stay here with Megan and man the phones." Simon decided to take charge.
"I'm not being relegated to phone duty." Megan started to protest, only to be brought up short by Simon.
"Megan, you've just got out of the hospital. You have a concussion and are supposed to be resting. You're not up to running around at the moment. If there's any progress you'll be kept informed and, if we find them, you'll be the first to know. Right now we all need to concentrate on finding Connor and Nathan, we can't give it our full attention if we're worried about you keeling over at any moment." Blair reasoned with her.
For a moment it looked as if she would argue, but then she seemed to deflate. Nodding in agreement she leaned back and rested her head on the couch.
"Ok. I'll stay here, but I want to know everything that's going on." She sighed.
The phone on the desk rang again. Simon snatched it up. "Banks. Where? Ok, thanks. That was the trace. She was using a cell phone; best they can tell us is that it's somewhere within a half mile radius. I still think the university is a good place to start. It makes sense that she might go somewhere she's familiar with, especially with the university being closed, there's less chance of her being spotted. I'll organize some people to help with the search."
"I'll get on to campus security, they'll help I'm sure and they'll know if anything unusual is going on." Jim reached for the phone.
*************************
Nathan sat up with a start. He hadn't meant to fall asleep but, with everything that had happened, the day had caught up with him. He checked Connor and found him still snoring quietly under the thin blanket they had been given. Nathan's stomach rumbled reminding him they hadn't eaten since breakfast. Getting up he wandered over and banged on the door.
"Hello, is anyone out there? We're getting hungry. Can we have some food?"
There was a scuffling outside and the sound of the key turning in the lock. The door swung open and goon number two, who Nathan had discovered was called Jake, stood in front of him.
"Keep the noise down in here. I've sent Mickey out for some food. If you behave we'll let you have some."
Nathan nodded and went to wake up Connor
Ten minutes later the door reopened and Jake called out. "Come and get your food and be quick about it. Ours is getting cold."
They hurried out to the table which had been set up outside. On it there were two Wonderburger bags, one containing two super-sized Wonderburger Supreme meals and one containing two Tiny Tots meals. Connor eyed both bags and assessed their contents, his eyes narrowed and Nathan knew there was going to be trouble. Connor had worn the same expression the previous evening when he and Jim had faced off over the last slice of pizza and it had not been a happy outcome for Jim. With a speed that surprised even Nathan, Connor grabbed the bag of Supreme burgers and darted back into their room. By the time the goons realized what had happened all that could be seen of Connor were his feet disappearing under the bed.
"You little..." Jake tried to grab Connor, but the bed was too low and he was unable to move it as it was bolted down.
"You give that back." He reached under the bed in an attempt to grab either the food or Connor. There was a low growling noise along with the rustling of paper.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Mickey warned, rubbing his hand where Connor had bitten him earlier, but it was too late. With a yelp, Jake sprang back away from the bed, rubbing his own hand, which now had a matching bite mark.
"That's it. I'm gonna go get a set of pliers and a screwdriver. When I get back, I'm gonna take this bed apart and then I'm gonna yank your teeth out one at a time and wear 'em as a necklace." Jake yelled.
There was a further rustling of paper and a loud burp under the bed and a screwed up burger wrapper flew out and landed at Jake's feet. He stormed out of the room followed by his cohort.
Nathan sat on the bed and listened to the two men outside talk. Jake had continued to rant about what he would do to Connor and stormed off to get more food. He felt something nudge his leg and looked down as a small hand held a wrapped burger out to him.
"You can come out, he's gone for now." Nathan couldn't help smiling as an extremely dusty head of curls popped out and Connor grinned mischievously up at him.
"We need to get out of here before Jake gets back or you're in serious trouble" Nathan looked around for a means of escape but saw none. His eyes came to rest on the bucket and a plan started to form.
************************
Jim and Blair were just leaving Major Crimes when a commotion drew their attention to the lift area where Rafe and Brown had just arrived, with a surprise prisoner in tow. Standing between the two detectives, handcuffed and screeching like a banshee, was Lydia Edwards.
"Look who we bumped into. Ventriss admitted that she had been in contact but denied having anything to do with the kidnapping. We believed him he seemed genuinely upset. She phoned while we were there and he persuaded her that he wanted to see her to talk. When she arrived we were waiting." Henri looked pleased with himself.
"You'll never find them Sandburg. Say bye bye to your brat." She hissed malevolently.
Blair's rage exploded and he found himself being restrained by Jim. Rafe hustled the prisoner off to an interrogation room to await questioning. Attracted by noise, Simon, Serena and Megan came out of his office just in time to see her being led away.
"I'll kill her, I swear it." Blair raged, still struggling to get free. "Just let me go, I'll get the information out of her."
"You know we can't do that Blair. We'll find the children, I promise. Now calm down and I'll let you and Megan observe the interrogation." Simon reasoned.
Blair seemed to deflate. "Ok. I'm good. Lets get on with it, we want our son back."
************************
The interrogation was going pretty much as expected. Edwards sat, unspeaking, with a smug expression on her face. Her only words so far had been to ask for a lawyer. On the other side of the glass, the stress was beginning to take its toll on both sets of parents. They all knew from experience that time was running out. Simon entered the room and whispered to Henri who smiled at Edwards in a satisfied fashion. "Ms Edwards, does the name Jacob Antony mean anything to you?" He asked very casually.
The reaction was amazing. Lydia Edwards seemed to literally explode with anger. "I knew it was a mistake to trust that idiot. All he had to do was snatch the brat and keep him locked up until the time was right. He couldn't even do that, had to bring that other child as well. I should have just got rid of them both then. You'd have had nothing to connect me then."
She continued to rave in a similar fashion, not seeming to care that she was implicating herself in a very serious crime. Eventually she seemed to run out of steam and sat back on her chair rocking backwards and forwards muttering to herself.
There was a knock at the door to the observation room and Simon came in.
"Campus security spotted a suspicious character wandering around the university. They caught him sneaking around the grounds with bags of takeout and he tried to run when they started to question him. He fits the general description of one of the men who attacked Megan and they found a car nearby that fits the description of the car that was used. He didn't even have the brains to dump it."
Megan was on her feet immediately. "Did he tell them where the boys are?"
Simon sighed and shook his head. "That was a bluff to try to get Edwards talking. He's refusing to say anything. Campus security is holding him there. It's a fairly safe bet the boys are nearby, probably with his accomplice. They thought if we went there to question him, he might lead us to where they're being held.
"Then what are we waiting for? We'll meet you there Simon." Jim was already half way out the door with the others in tow.
"Ellison, you behave yourself. If you break him you can explain it to the DA." Simon called hurrying after them.
************************
Even as their parents were racing towards the university, Nathan and Connor were working on an escape plan. Nathan knew their best chance was while Mickey was alone. Connor sprawled on the floor by the cot and closed his eyes. Nathan started banging on the door and yelling.
"Quick, I think there's something wrong with him. He was making a choking noise and I think he's stopped breathing!"
The key turned in the lock and Mickey flew into the room. He knelt down by Connor and shook him.
"You better not be messing around kid. You're already on Jake's shit list. You really don't want to end up on mine too."
He was aware of movement behind him and he turned in time to see Nathan bring the bucket down and jam it on his head. Connor leapt to his feet and was out the door before the first yell echoed round the bucket. Nathan was right behind him. Connor turned to his left and started running.
"Connor, no! That's the wrong way." Nathan tried to catch hold of Connor and point him in the right direction, but he had got too far ahead of him. By the time he did catch up he could hear the yells behind them and knew their exit was blocked.
The tunnels were like a maze and Nathan knew that it would be easy to get very lost. If they could hide until Mickey had gone past, they might be able to sneak out.
"Come on Connor, we need to hide before we lose our way." He pulled Connor into a side tunnel and signaled to him to be quiet. There were no lights in this area and it was almost pitch black. Holding on to Connor, he carefully dialed up his sight until he could see enough to avoid any obstacles.
He thought they had got away with it, a flickering was visible as Mickey passed the end of their hiding place, torch in hand. Unfortunately Connor didn't have sentinel sight and his foot knocked a stack of paint tins that had been stored there. The top two tumbled down making a loud noise.
The light returned and was pointed down the tunnel. Nathan just had time to dial down his vision before the torch was shone on them.
"There you are, you little shit." Mickey hissed, menacingly. "You're gonna be sorry you messed with me. By the time me and Jake have finished with you, your own parents won't recognize what's left of you."
As he started down the tunnel towards them Nathan started backing up, keeping Connor behind him. Too late he realized it was a dead end. They were well and truly trapped. There was a noise behind them and he turned, just in time to see a large black panther bound through the wall.
"Kitty!" Connor crowed in delight, pleased to see his old friend.
The big cat gave a terrifying yowl and stalked down the tunnel towards the stunned goon. Mickey blinked twice; the animal was still there. He dropped his torch and ran with the panther in hot pursuit.
************************
Outside the university, the two cars had pulled up and the occupants climbed out. A member of campus security, who had been waiting for them, came over and introduced himself.
"I'm afraid we don't have any news for you. He still refuses to say where the children are. All he keeps ranting about is, and I quote, 'that curly headed, burger stealing little bastard', how it's his fault he got caught and what he plans to do to him if he ever gets his hands on him again."
Jim smiled at Blair. "Sound like someone we know Chief?"
Blair couldn't help smiling. "Yeah, but we still haven't found them. Let's go talk to him, see if the old Ellison stare can get it out of him."
"You won't need the Ellison stare, leave him to me and Serena, we'll get the information out of him." Megan's blood was up and she was ready to kill to get her hands on her son.
As they turned towards the security office, Blair noticed a movement across the parking lot. There beneath a streetlamp was a lone gray wolf.
"Jim! Look, I think he's trying to show us the way." He took off across the tarmac with Jim, Megan and Serena close behind.
The security guard looked puzzled. Simon took pity on him.
"I think Sandburg may have a hunch where the children are. Come on they may need help, you can radio for backup on the way.
They caught up with the rest of their party at the back of an old disused storage area behind the main building. They were standing in front of a large old door that bore signs of recent use. The lock had been forced and the hinges had fresh oil on them.
"This leads to the old service tunnels. There are miles of them under the whole campus, but they're not in use any more. Especially this area, they're in poor repair and were deemed unsafe. We were told not to go down there. We check the locks once a week, but sometimes it gets missed when the campus is closed." The security guard shone his torch down the stairs.
"You wait here for the backup, we'll go down and see if we can find Connor and Nathan. " Jim signaled for Simon to follow him.
"No way are you leaving us behind. Our son is down there too." Megan declared. "And before you say it, I am a cop too and you know Sandy never listens when you tell him to stay behind."
Jim rolled his eyes and looked at Serena. "I suppose it's too much to hope that you do as I ask and wait here."
Serena shook her head. "Sorry Jim, I'm with them although I do promise to stay back out of the way."
Jim borrowed the torch and started making his way down the stairs. He dialed up his hearing and listened for a clue as to which direction he should take.
Blair nudged his arm and pointed; ahead of the in one of he tunnels stood the glowing silhouette of the wolf.
"I think we have our guide, follow him." He whispered.
They had just rounded their second corner when they became aware of shouting up ahead. A man came running down the tunnel, screaming and gibbering incoherently. Jim grabbed him and threw him against the wall.
"Where are our children you scumbag?" He hissed icily.
"Don't go down there." The man cried hysterically. "There are huge cat creatures, one tried to get me."
Jim looked at Blair, they guessed the identity of the phantom cat immediately and knew that the children must have been in some danger.
"Where did you leave them? Tell me now or I'll take you down there and feed you to the kitty." Jim shook the man again.
"Down there, to the end and turn right, they're in a little alcove on the left a few yards down." Mickey pointed down the tunnel.
Jim cuffed him and handed him over to Simon. "Can you take care of this please, Simon? We're going to get our kids back."
Simon nodded his agreement and started reading Mickey his rights. The rest moved off down the tunnel, following the familiar shape of the wolf.
************************
Further down the tunnel Connor and Nathan became aware of voices approaching. They were too far away to make out what was being said but there was more than one and one was a woman. Before he could extend his hearing to see who it was, Connor was on his feet and moving. He remembered the lady from the night before and he didn't want to see her again.
"Nafan, bad lady, wun." He called, and started off up the tunnel again.
Nathan made a grab for him and missed. "Connor, stop! I think it's your dad and Jim."
Connor wasn't listening. As far as he was concerned the bad people were coming back and he wasn't waiting for them to find him. He could hear Nathan trying to catch up with him and he stopped.
"Connor, it's alright, it's Jim. He's got your mom and dad with him." Nathan tried to soothe the frightened boy.
"No! Bad people!" Connor wasn't convinced. He turned to run again and found himself face to face with the panther who was blocking his path. Surprised, he took a step back and sat down on the floor with a thump.
Nathan held his breath as two more shapes, a lion and a wolf pup, appeared out of the darkness and stood with the panther. He wasn't sure about this big cat, but Connor obviously knew it and wasn't afraid.
"We need to go back. " Nathan spoke to the cat, who huffed a sigh and moved towards Connor.
************************
Jim heard Nathan's cry and, dialing up his vision, saw Connor take off. Passing the torch to Blair, he started to hurry after him, but stopped suddenly at the sight that greeted him. Walking towards them was his spirit guide, a small wolf cub yipped around its feet and a half grown lion cub strolled next to it. Behind them came Nathan, with a huge relieved smile on his face, and dangling from the panther's mouth, by the back straps of his dungarees, was a squirming Connor.
"No, kitty! Me walk." He wriggled again and the wolf pup nipped at the big cat's toes.
The procession stopped and Connor was plopped unceremoniously at the adult's feet. They all looked down, grinning at the pouting child. He folded his arms across his chest and scowled at them.
"Dis sucks." He growled. There was a moment of silence which was broken by the sound of Megan's hand connecting with the back of Blair's head.
"Ow! What did I do?" Blair asked in mock grievance.
The spirit animals turned and started back the way they had come, the little wolf continuing to bounce around the two larger animals, until the young lion pinned it to the ground and gently picked it up by the scruff of it's neck. With a brief backward glance they disappeared through the wall.
Connor was scooped up and hugged by his ecstatic parents and Serena gathered Nathan into a long hug. Jim hesitated for a moment, unsure what to do, but when Nathan turned to him, he joined the group hug and it felt right.
************************
They emerged into the watery light of dawn and were met by their reinforcements. Mickey was handed over to a couple of patrolmen to take to the precinct. Rafe and Brown joined the happy reunion and received an introduction to Nathan and hugs and sloppy kisses from Connor.
Nathan looked up at the lightening sky. "Did we miss Christmas?" He asked worriedly.
"No, it's Christmas eve today. You've only been gone a day, although it seemed longer." Jim placed an arm round the young man's shoulder. "Come on, we've a lot to do and you look like you could do with a bath and some sleep"
They clambered into the cars and headed for Prospect. Jim and Blair had agreed to go in for a few hours and help deal with the paperwork, although neither of them really wanted to be separated from their family. Leaving Megan and Serena to deal with the two sleepy children they headed back to the station, where they were met by a very relieved Rhonda and a mountain of paperwork.
It took most of the morning to tie up the loose ends. By the time the last form had been signed both Jim and Blair felt they were ready to drop from exhaustion. They grabbed their coats to head home. Before they left Blair popped his head into Simon's office.
"You still coming for dinner tomorrow? I've invited Rhonda, Rafe and Henri to join us too."
"I'll be there. Are you sure you still want to do this, you must be tired?" Simon's eyes narrowed. "Megan's not cooking, is she?"
"Hey, what's wrong with Megan's cooking?" He stopped for a moment, remembering Megan's last attempt at cooking a dinner. "Don't worry I'll definitely be cooking. A few hours sleep and I'll be fine."
"Then I'll see you tomorrow. Go home now, before something else happens." Simon waved them out of his office.
************************
It was a very festive group that gathered at the Sandburg residence the following day. Connor and Nathan seemed none the worse for their adventure. Megan was tucked up on the couch with strict instructions from Blair not to move or do anything more than eat, drink and relax. The children played happily with some of their new toys, while Blair and Jim bickered, good naturedly, in the kitchen.
After dinner had been eaten and everyone was settled comfortably the presents were handed out. Nathan shyly handed Jim and Serena his gift, smiling hugely at their reaction. It was duly admired and passed round, then placed on the mantle shelf where everyone would see it.
Blair grinned as Jim started opening his gifts with a bemused expression. Every gift seemed to also contain at least one pair of violently colored socks. By the time he had finished he had at least twenty pairs of luminous footwear. He smiled and thanked his snickering guests, all the time planning his revenge on the grinning anthropologist.
Finally Connor approached Jim carrying a brightly wrapped parcel. "Dim, here you pwesent." He looked up at him with huge innocent eyes.
Jim glanced across at his partner, saw the smirk he wasn't even trying to hide, and knew he was in trouble. Carefully peeling the paper off he found himself holding a shoebox. Inside was the most hideous pair of slippers he had ever seen. They were bright blue furry monster feet, complete with claws. Connor stroked them lovingly and lifted one out of the box.
"You've been letting watch Monsters Inc. again, haven't you." He accused.
"You wear now, Dim." Connor started pulling off Jim's nice conservative slippers and handed him the new ones.
By now the whole room, except for Connor, was in hysterics. With a warm smile at Connor he displayed his feet for the whole room. He wandered casually over to Blair and gave him a smile that froze his blood.
"Yuck it up now, Sandburg, you'll get yours. You won't know when and you won't know how, but it's coming and its called payback." Still smiling he wandered off to get a drink.
Blair's smile vanished and he swallowed nervously. "Jim...it was just a joke, man. Jim...?"
Finis