Setting the Parts in Right. By Voracity

Jim sighed and rolled over, sitting up suddenly when the warm lump groaned and pushed him back off of it. He lifted the blanket and smiled at the picture his roommate made.

Blair had been hiding under the covers most of the night, his nightmares were gone but he still had not come out. His shirt was bunched up under his armpits, showing off all the hairy glory of the younger man's stomach and chest. Blair's boxers were pushed down around his hips by his nocturnal activities so he could clearly see not only the thin line of hair leading downward, but also what it was pointing to. The tip was just barely poking out, speaking softly to him of many nights of future pleasure and all the joys Jim would be receiving from it.

Jim shivered, dragging himself over to lay next to his love. While he waited for Blair to wake, he drank in the sights that were offered for his viewing pleasure and made many memories, ones that would last him forever if need be.

Blair moaned, rolling slightly, hitting his arm on Jim's chest. The older man thoughtfully grabbed it and started to stroke the slightly callused flesh, holding part of Blair the way he wanted to hold all of him. But when Blair rolled onto his side, placing little kisses down the center of his chest, Jim couldn't let it go on. "Blair," he said gently. The younger man wiggled his hips in closer and sighed against Jim's heart. "Blair," he whispered, kissing an exposed temple, brushing the curls further back so he could catch a glimpse of the deep blue eyes when they first opened.

Blair snuffled and opened his eyes, blinking a few times. He stared at the expanse of chest he was leaning against, feeling all the contact that was between their bodies, then placed a soft kiss where he had been kissing earlier before looking up. "Morning," he said quietly.

Jim smiled and graced another kiss on the same temple, tasting his love's morning flavor. "Did you sleep all right?"

"I think the better question would be, did you?" Jim just smiled and hugged the younger man to him. "So, then, my moving all night didn't bother you?" He looked down, righting his clothes before looking back up.

"No, not even your hiding all night bothered me." He got a confused look. "You hid under the blankets all night; never once did even a curl pop free."

Blair grinned. "Well, hmm, I don't know why I would hide when I had all this real estate to cuddle next too, being so warm and safe." He took a lick of Jim's chest. "So, I should probably go shower, huh?"

Jim brought the hand he was still holding up to take a lick across the back of it. "Not really, morning Blair tastes almost good enough to eat."

Blair groaned, shaking his head. "I'm going to go shower, you're going to do your morning things and we'll meet again at the table, okay?"

Jim bit his lip and nodded, wondering if Blair was mad at him.

"No, I just need some time to figure it out," Blair said, easily reading the older man's worry. "I liked sleeping next to you, waking up all bunched up against your body." He wiggled out of the bunched up covers, getting free just for the price of a kiss. When he stood, he grabbed his sleep shorts, holding the stretched out elastic in place, smiling brightly before walking down the stairs.

Jim watched his love, his friend, go and listened until he turned on the shower. When the water's pitch changed, he got up to get ready for his day, wishing that many more morning would start like that in the near future.

***

Simon looked up as Jim walked in to grab his paycheck, smiling and waving with his good arm. The Captain came out of his office, leaning on the door frame to look over his detective. "So, how's your arm?"

Jim wiggled the bound shoulder a little with a smile. "Not too bad." He walked over to stand beside his friend. "So, how are things here without me?"

"Quiet," Henry said.

"Yeah, no terrorists in a while," Rafe added, looking up to grin. "You'd think that they would be interested in more than you, but apparently it's just you they're drawn to."

Jim shook his head as he scowled around the room. "They didn't come when I was alone," he reminded them.

"Don't *even* try to blame Sandy," Megan said from her desk, not looking up. "We all know it's the pair of you that drive them batty."

"Is not," Blair said, poking his head around the corner. "I have nothing to do with it, they're drawn to Jim and Jim alone." He smiled and waved, going back to finish his paperwork errands.

Jim just watched, and listened, to his love go, shaking his head. "Nope, not my fault," he said quietly.

Simon laughed as he dragged Jim into his office, closing the door behind them. "So, how are things on the domestic front?" Jim gave him a shocked expression, making Simon groan and shake his head. "So, then, you've told him?"

Jim thought about lying, but he knew his friend deserved the truth, would only want them to be happy. "Yeah, a while ago. We just got down to talking about it the other day."

"I'm glad you're happy, I just want to make sure that you know things will be different now. People might look at you different, treat you differently." He waited while Jim thought about it.

"The only people whose opinion matter to me in this whole building are in this room and the next one." He looked out, seeing Blair leaning over Rafe's desk to look at something. "All of them." He looked back at Simon. "I don't think they'd have a problem, do you?"

Simon considered the people in the next room, thinking about what he knew of their personal feelings. "No, not that I can think of. Well, except for the muffin lady that's been hitting on him heavily for the last few months."

Jim shook his head. "She's got to get her own." He stood up, tucking the paycheck into his pocket. "I'll be available next week sometime, according to the doctor, but I'm not working Christmas." He yawned, tired from the inventory they had finished late last night. "We're staying open till two and I need to be there for him." He walked out, tapping Blair on the shoulder. "Ready?"

"Almost. Guys, major sale at the book store and we'll be open real late on Christmas Eve for those last minute gifts." He grinned and waved, walking out beside Jim, just like always.

Megan waited until they were very well on their way down the elevator shaft before looking at the guys around her. "It's nice that they finally figured it out."

Henry Brown sighed. "I know I lost the pool now." He looked down at his papers. "I had Christmas for a first kiss."

Simon smiled. "I said New Year's Eve, don't feel bad." He looked at his lone female officer. "So, when?"

"Few days, nothing but talking," she said, bending back to her report. "A woman always knows these things."

"Isn't that the truth," Rhonda said from her desk.

***

Jim parked the truck outside the bookstore, turning off the engine. "Looks like she hasn't blown the place up yet."

Blair shook his head. "She's not that bad. She's even begun to bring back the books she's been borrowing." He started to get out, but Jim's hand on his arm stopped him. "What?" He turned to look at his partner.

"I just wanted you to know that I'm very proud of the way that you've been handling all this." He laid a gentle hand on Blair's shoulder. "You've been stronger than I ever could."

Blair smiled, a bit on the damp side. "Thanks man, you don't know how much that means to me." He patted the hand, then removed it. "We agreed, not outside the loft."

"Yeah, we did. But pretty soon, I'm going to forget that and have to have a kiss." He smiled. "Come on, time to go make cookies and money." He got out, checking traffic carefully before stepping out.

Blair met him at the door. "I make the cookies and you make the money?"

"Well, I count it so I ought to, but we all know that you've put out the word and called in all those favor's you're owed to get the whole college in here."

Blair grinned as he opened the door. "Who? Me?" he asked innocently.

***

Jim counted the till again, trying to see where he had screwed up. "Blair," he called finally, not wanting to tell him but having too. "We've got to talk."

Blair walked in, dropping down into the other desk chair. "What?"

"We're missing money from the drawer." The younger man hissed. "I don't want to have to say it but..."

"Wasn't her," he said. "She left early today, before you counted it the first time." He shrugged, settling down. "Let's see. I worked that drawer, Missy worked it, Calvin worked it." He saw Jim wince at the name. "Problems?"

"I just smelled stuff on him this morning."

"Such as?"

"Drugs." Blair nodded. "Not Pot drugs, Chief, drug drugs."

"Crack? No, he wouldn't be able to work if that was it. Meth? No, he's not been acting jumpy or paranoid."

"Acid, saw the blotter in his pocket, and a small bag of crack vials." He shrugged. "I looked after I smelled it." He looked back down. "We're short almost sixty dollars."

"Okay, so we fire him?"

"Want me to? I know you like him."

"No, it'll sound better coming from me." He got up, going back out into the store. "Calvin, I need to talk to you." He sat himself down in one of the distant reading areas, well away from everybody else. The young man, a fellow college student, sat down beside him. "I've heard rumors and I want a straight answer. Are you dealing?"

The younger man hung his head. "I had to make ends meet and I can't dance." He looked up briefly. "Not everyone's found a sugar daddy like you did."

Blair snorted. "Man, Jim is so not one of those. I pay rent and part of the bills and most of the food budget. If it's true, then I can't keep you. I won't allow that to besmirch this place." Calvin nodded. "And there was something else too. Jim said there's money gone from the drawer. Was it you?"

He looked up, shocked. "No, man, it's not me Blair. I'd never steal." He emptied out his pockets on the small table between the chairs. "You can check if you want."

Blair looked down at the piles of things, the small bags showing him what he'd been selling. "Okay, so do you know who it was?"

Might have been Missy, but I doubt it. I think it might have been Marsala, but she's usually to spaced to care about making ends meet." He looked back down. "I don't know. When do I have to leave?"

"I'll have Jim cut you a check before you go today." He patted the younger man's arm. "I like you Calvin but I can't let the drugs in." He stood up, going back to the office. "Wasn't him that took it, but you need to cut him a check. He's leaving after today." He flopped back down into the chair. "I saw his bags, Jim," he said, kicking the door shut with his foot. "Fifteen of them, meth, crack, acid, pills." Jim started to get up, but Blair stopped him. "No, in here you promised me you wouldn't be Detective Ellison." He leaned his head back. "He's trying to make ends meet on financial aid and it's not working."

Jim snorted. "There's always work." He shuffled the papers around, bringing out the checkbook.

"Why work for minimum wage and kill yourself when you can work three hours a day and make a grand." He looked back over at his partner. "You'd be surprised how many students do things like that to make ends meet."

Jim frowned. "Was that an admission?"

Blair didn't look at him. "You don't want to know, drop it."

"No," he said quietly.

"Jim, I used to strip, okay?" He looked back over. "Nothing illegal, but I had to do something to earn money to eat and buy books with. Out of state students pay more tuition."

"I know that."

"I worked at a now defunct place over on Hister St." He shrugged. "Not too bad, good tips, decent pay for three days work. Basically worked four hours a night and made almost five hundred a night in tips." Jim whistled. "Yeah, it was a decent place. Not like where we went on that assignment."

Jim leaned back in his chair. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

"Because you woulda freaked." He grinned. "I can just see you that first day in the hospital. Hi, I'm Blair and I stripped while getting my undergrad." He snorted. "You wouldn't have trusted me at all. Ever."

"Chief, you know I'm not like that." He grinned. "It might have been a while longer, but I would still have trusted you."

"Eventually." He smiled. "So, back to the drawer. Could it have slipped out?"

"I can check later, that and the twenty box." He pulled up the drawer. "Never mind, I found it. You reminded me that I had seen Missy pulling the drawer up to put something under it." He pulled out the cash, counting it to make sure. "And this makes up for what was missing yesterday too." He laid it in with the other money. "I'll point it out to her later."

Blair nodded but didn't move. "What are we doing for Christmas for them?"

"Bonuses?" Jim guessed. Blair gave him a dirty look. "Did you want to throw a small party?"

"Maybe. I was thinking of bringing it up at the next meeting." He held up a hand while he answered his cellphone. "Hello?" He listened, then tossed it to Jim. "Simon."

"Yeah?" He stood up. "Okay, we'll be there." He hung up, handing it back as he grabbed their jackets. "Come on, your mom's at the hospital."

Blair locked the money in the safe, then followed Jim out to the truck. They made it to the hospital in time to see her being wheeled upstairs.

"Mom!"

"Oh, sweetie, how are you?" she asked, very groggy.

The attendant pulled him away. "I'm sorry sir, but you can't bother the patients."

"She's his mother," Jim said, pulling out his badge. "I think he has the right to talk to her." He frowned until the big man stepped from between them. "Thank you." They continued up to her room together, Simon joining them on the floor. "What happened?" Jim said, pulling his boss aside.

"She started to bleed in the squad room when she came up to talk to me," he said quietly. "The doctor doesn't think she's miscarried yet, but it's a possibility." He rubbed his face, moving his cigar to the other side of his mouth. "Said it was stress."

"She and Blair have been fighting, but he's been avoiding her." Jim shrugged, sitting down to give them some privacy. "Is it yours, sir?"

"Jim," he said warningly. Then he sat down, relaxing totally. "It stays here?" Jim nodded. "Yeah, it looks like it. It's got the same blood disease my sister had, though Naomi admitted there were three other candidates."

Jim patted his shoulder. "I know Blair already accepts that it's yours, and it's not a problem with him." He looked up as the doctor came down the hall. "Are you Naomi Sandburg's physician?" he asked her.

She stopped in front of them. "Yes, actually. And you are?"

"Jim Ellison, Blair's partner." He shook her hand. "He's in there with her now."

"So I'd been told." She smiled, heading into the room.

Simon looked at him. "You say that so well," he teased.

"He should," Blair said, coming out to sit on the other side of Simon. "We've been working together now for three years." He smiled at his love. "Everything else belongs elsewhere."

Jim nodded, keeping silent. He had told Blair that Simon knew, and was okay with it, but they were still keeping it under wraps for now.

Simon looked at the young man. "Yeah, I remember that day a little too well." He shook his head. "Who would've thought that with you came the problems." Blair hit his arm. "Oww, those books have been building you up. I'll have Jim make you stop lifting them."

Jim shook his head. "Guys," he said. "Doctor."

She smiled down at them. "She'll be fine. We got the bleeding stopped in time and the monitors show the baby's fine." She looked down at Blair. "She asked for you again."

He shook his head. "I'll let her sleep. The things we've been arguing over would just make it worse."

"All right, I can understand that." She walked back in briefly, then headed off to another room.

Jim looked at his mate. "I'll support you in whatever you decide," he said softly.

Blair smiled, nodding. "Thanks man." He patted Jim's hand, leaning back to wait.

***

Jim looked around at the decorations Blair had finally put up, he thought they looked old, but they were his father's and tradition demanded that some of them go up. He pulled out the beads he had bought, visually measuring the areas he wanted to put them.

When Blair came in, finally, for the day, he stopped, staring at the things Jim had done. The older decorations were side by side with newer, more decorative ones. "Jim?" he called. "Why does it look like Martha Stewart visited us with her decorating wand?" A customer nearby started to laugh. "Well, it does," he said.

Jim came out of the office, frowning. "I didn't think it was that bad."

Blair smiled. "No, I just never realized that you were that decorative." He pointed up at the strings of colored beads. "I didn't even think that you knew what those were."

Jim shook his head, stopping next to him to look up at the banister. "Not bad, and I've always known what they are. I used to help decorate for Christmas every year."

"Sorry man, couldn't help it," he said quietly. "But why no Nature things? No boughs, no plants, no holly, no candles?"

"Candles cause fires, holly is upstairs, as is all the other stuff, near that section." He shrugged. "I had put some of that stuff down here but some mothers kept giving me funny looks."

Blair nodded. "Go get a few. I'll make the display." He handed off his jacket to the cashier. "Missy, want to help me decorate a real Solstice themed piece?"

Jim came back down with a few books and some of the left over boughs. "I had some left and wasn't sure what you would want to do with them." He handed the whole pile over, going to the cash register while he watched Blair work.

Pretty soon, the younger man had a tasteful display set up that incorporated all major religions that had a holiday near Christmas, including the Christians. He lit the candle, putting the guard on it, before stepping back to look at it.

"Candles and books don't mix," Jim said, handing a mother with a baby her sales receipt. "Thank you, have a nice day," he told her.

Blair nodded. "That guard will prevent it from burning down but so fast. There's a dish to catch the wax and it won't hit the books." He watched as the flame went out. "And that's going to be the major problem with the display."

Jim handed over the electric candle. "Try this?"

"Oh, if we must." He took the burning candle, replacing it with the electric one. He left the others though, their not being lit making them safe. "How's that?" He stepped back again. "Not as good, but until we can solve the candle problem, good enough."

A young woman came over to tap him on the shoulder. "There's a simple solution for that," she said, nipping the wick down and relighting it before putting it back. "There, now it's correct." She patted Blair on the arm. "Professor, you should know better than to fudge on a cultural ritual, symbolic or not."

Blair hugged her. "Mary, how have you been?" He brought her over to the register. "Jim, this is Mary. She was one of my favorite students a few years back." They shook hands. "Why are you back? I'd heard you went to Texas."

"Oklahoma and I'm only back for the holiday." She shrugged. "I'm escaping my family right now."

Jim disappeared behind the counter for a second and the low classical music started again. "Better," he said.

Mary looked at him. "So, you're Detective Ellison? The one that used to pull the poor man here away from opening up tender minds?" She smiled, holding out a hand. "I didn't think anyone could do that."

Jim took it. "Oh, yeah, he's helped me lots so now I'm helping him here."

She nodded. "I'd heard." She watched Blair explain to the child why he shouldn't pull on the cloth of the display. "So, how is he holding up?"

Jim nodded. "Okay. He's taking this semester off." He shrugged. "Everything all right?"

Blair nodded. "Yeah, I just didn't want him to pull it on his head." He watched as the mother started toward him. "Yes, ma'am may I help you?"

"Maybe you should put that display somewhere children can't touch it," she started. "And please do not correct my son again." She handed him the books she had picked out, walking out with her son.

Jim looked at him. "I didn't see a problem." He shrugged. "Are we moving it?"

"How about to the front window," Mary said. "Make a bold statement, and it has a gate."

Blair laid the books down gently. "Yeah, maybe." He shook his head. "She was more pissed because I stopped her child from hurting himself than it being where he could get at it though." He shuddered. "That's scary." He looked at the display and the windows Jim had set up. "I like it where it is, but let's put a fence around it."

Jim took out his wallet. "Here, hardware store had a cute one. Plastic, it should bend to go around the table and we'll make a sign later." Blair took it, heading out the door without his jacket. "Good thing it's only two doors down."

Mary smiled. "Yeah, he is a little thin blooded." She looked at the display. "I know she's going to cause you guys trouble, why don't I stay?"

Jim found himself nodding. "Okay, we could use the help really." He looked down at the register, then at her. "Want to work with the books?"

She nodded. "Sure, point the way."

"Up the stairs, past the herbalism books, is the door to the storage room. There are two boxes waiting to go out. Help yourself and have fun." He watched as she jogged up the stairs. "That's strange," he said. "I don't know why I said yes."

Blair came back in, beating his arms. "Don't let me go out without the coat again." He looked around. "Where's Mary?"

"Shelving books," Jim said slowly, "and I don't know why I said it was okay."

Blair patted him on the arm. "Because she's like that. That's how she became my assistant." He handed back the wallet and the bag. "You need to do this part, I didn't understand the directions."

Jim walked out to the new display, sitting on the floor as he put the new fence together.

***

Blair sat down across from the store's attorney, James Sythcon, frowning. "Hey, I need some personal advice." James smiled, closing the store's folder and setting it aside. "My mother's pregnant. I don't want her to have it."

James sat back, hissing. "That could get difficult. Is she incompetent?" He leaned farther back, grabbing a book and pulling it out so he could lay it open on the desk. "Usually you have to prove that there's a very good reason to take the child from a mother, especially since she's still pregnant."

Blair grimaced. "Would moving every three months to a new city be a good enough reason? Or how about the fact that there's four possible candidates for the father? Or that I know she's been hanging out with people who do drugs, most of which are very nice and I like, but if I have to, I will use that against her." James nodded, reading quickly and flipping a few pages. "All I know is that I can't let her do to that child what she did to me. And they think the baby's already sick. She's got some blood disease we know one of the potential fathers lost a sister to."

James looked up. "You could always ask her for custody, get her to willingly sign it over. That wouldn't take a judge's orders." He pushed across the book. "That's what I was looking up. If you can get her to willingly agree to it, you could adopt the child."

"Jim and I," Blair corrected.

"That may be a little harder. This state still isn't fond of gay couples adopting. And that may well out the two of you."

Blair slumped in the seat. "So, if I could get her to agree to it to save the child? Then it's very doable?"

"I could draw up the form and have it ready to go tomorrow when she gets out of the hospital."

Blair grinned. "Oh, I think I want it signed before then. I know my mother, she'll disappear." He stood up, leaning across the desk to kiss James' cheek. "Thanks, man." He left the office quickly, jogging out to the truck. "Did you hear?" he asked as he slid into his seat.

Jim nodded. "Yeah, I did. If she leaves, we may not have a leg to stand on, you know that right? Even if she signs over custody she has some time to change her mind."

Blair nodded, looking out the front windshield. "Oh, yeah, I know. But I seriously don't want another child to have my childhood." He yawned. "I really don't want my mother to raise another child like she did me. I mean, it was definitely a learning experience, but it was also lonely and confusing. I never knew what was going on, that adjustment period just became too big after the thousandth move. I never had friends. I never did the birthday party stuff. I never even went to one." He shrugged again, just a hint of movement. "I really don't want another kid to have to live like that."

Jim patted the back of Blair's head. "I'm sure you'll make her see reason." He started the truck. "Come on, let's go visit her and ask her."

***

"Absolutely *not*," Naomi yelled. "Blair, how *dare* you suggest something like that. You have no idea what I can do for this child that a man can't."

Blair crossed his feet. "Well, for one thing, I'll make sure that the child is well taken care of. No more weekends without food. No weeks of not knowing where they were sleeping, or who they were crashing with. No years of no friends, no real life because you couldn't ever fit in, and no cases of catch-up in college once you figured out that people might like you if you had stayed in one place long enough for them to get to know you." He glared at his mother. "I don't want another child to be miserable like I was, Naomi. And besides, how are you going to get care for him or her. We know the child has a good possibility of being sick."

"There are other ways then torturing them with instant hospitalization."

Jim cleared his throat. "Naomi, Blair stopped in to talk to one of the best healers in the state on the way here, one that's helped us many times. He said that there was nothing that he could do to help the child and as far as he knew no one could outside of traditional medicine." He glanced at Blair. "All we're asking for is a chance to give the child a life. You've admitted before that the childhood Blair had wasn't perfect."

She shook her head. "No, and I'll thank you to quit putting ideas into his head, Jim. He never would have suggested this if not for your influence. Blair, we need to leave this place."

"No," Blair said calmly. "I put the idea into Jim's head." He got up, heading out of the room. He smiled at the nurse. "Could you please call her doctor? I need to ask her some questions about the problem the baby has." He waited while the nurse paged her, pacing in front of the desk until she showed up. She smiled as he ran into her, literally, and he blushed. "Sorry," he said, pulling her off to the side. "Listen, I have a real problem and I need you on my side. Naomi's prone to moving, weekly, and we've heard the child is already sick. Can you help us convince her to give the child up for adoption? Jim and I would take it in gladly, but she's being stubborn and thinks that some herbs will help. I mean, I'm all for herbal medicine but sometimes it won't work."

She crossed her arms. "I think this is a drastic step. I would have to talk to Naomi about her wishes."

"Oh, we know her wishes, but I think she needs a dose of reality. We lived in sixty towns before I was a year old." The doctor winced. "And some years it was more. I'm worried about the child getting the right amount of care."

The doctor nodded. "I need to explain the precautions she needs to take anyway. Her personal life is very erratic and it's best if she calmly sat somewhere for the rest of her pregnancy. I'm not for making her give up the child though. I won't do that to my patient."

Blair nodded. "Fair enough. Just, please, make her see reality for a few minutes. It's a horrible life to live when you're a kid and you're being towed along."

The doctor patted him on the arm. "Let me go in and talk to her alone." She walked into Naomi's room, and Jim came out a few minutes later.

Jim patted Blair's shoulder. "I know this is hard, buddy, but it's for the best. Even my family would be better, at least they're stable so the child could get care."

Blair nodded. "I know, but it doesn't help that I feel like I'm betraying her somehow." He looked up at Jim. "Think we could get Simon to demand a paternity test?"

Jim nodded. "Probably. Simon's very family oriented. He'd want to know and take steps to protect the child." He pulled out his cellphone, handing it off. "You can ask. He's at the office today."

Blair walked down the hall, dialing quickly. He pushed his hair away from his ear. "Simon, Blair. Got a second? No, it's about my mother." Short pause. "No, I wanted to know if you'd demand a paternity test? I'm going to try and get her to give up custody." Long pause. "I know, Simon, but it has to happen sometime. It's not the sixties and it's not safe to wander around like that anymore." Short pause. "No, I think she's having a reality schism." He frowned. "If you could, it'd be great." He looked startled, turning to look at Jim. "Really? Are you sure?" He nodded. "If it's yours, I would gladly back you for custody." He smiled. "You too, give my love to Darryl." He hung up, walking back to where Jim was waiting, handing back his phone. "What's going on in there?"

"Naomi's being stubborn about alternative medicine."

Blair blew out a small puff of air, moving his hair. "There are some things that it won't cure, why won't she see that?"

"Someone once told me that people see reality as they want to see it." Jim smacked Blair across the back of the head. "You'd really let Simon raise your little brother or sister?"

"Oh, yeah. He's done a *great* job with Darryl, man. If I was still young enough, I'd want to be raised by Simon. He's got that fair but tough thing going." He grinned. "There have been a few days I wanted to ask him to adopt me anyway."

Jim shook his head, smacking Blair's hair again. "I don't think he'd take you, you take a lot of work, Chief." He turned as the doctor opened the door of Naomi's room, nodding her back over. "We just talked with the most likely father, he's willing to push for custody too."

She shook her head. "Mr. Sandburg, I see what you mean now, but I still can't act against my patient's best interests."

Blair gave her his best smile. "Which patient?"

She shook her head. "If I'm called to testify, I will," she said, walking away. "Good luck. She's stubborn."

Blair headed back into the room, frowning at his mother, who glared at him. "What? At least I only want what's best for the child."

Naomi shook her head. "A mother is what's best for the child." She looked at Jim. "How did you corrupt him so easily? Just three years and he's a totally different person."

Jim shook his head. "Not that hard really. You left lots of holes for us to fill in." Blair glared at him. "Sorry, Chief, joke."

Blair rolled his eyes. "Not funny. Mom, he's not corrupted me, I corrupted him. I just remember what my childhood was like." He headed for the door. "Jim?"

"Coming." Jim waited until they were alone. "Naomi, he really does want what's best for the next Sandburg, or Banks, or whoever." He followed his partner out to their truck, sliding into his seat and sticking the keys in the ignition. "We okay?" he asked after a few seconds of silence.

"I'm just wound up. I want to give her something to knock her out until it's time to deliver the baby. Then I want to run her out of the city."

Jim reached over, taking Blair's hand in his. "Blair, listen, I know that part of this is over your father. You've got to separate the issues here."

Blair looked at Jim. "What makes you think this time will be any different?" he asked dryly. "My father wasn't a bad man. Chris' journal said how hard he looked and how many times he found me. She took me from him without listening to him plead for being in my life. She'll do the same to Simon."

"Then we'll fix it," Jim said quietly, dropping his hand to start the engine. He heard something funny and looked at Blair. "Out!" he shouted, climbing out of the truck, jogging away with Blair in front of him, covering him when the explosion started. They both looked up from the ornamental shrubs beside the hospital, watching the truck burn. Jim looked at Blair, pulling him in closer. "You okay?" he asked.

Blair nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. You?" He looked up from the safe haven of Jim's arms, seeing him nod. "We've got to warn someone."

Jim stood up, helping Blair up. He waved the security guards over. "Take him in with you," he said, pulling out his badge. "That was my truck. Only allow myself or someone from Major Crimes to get him." He headed over to where other guards were using fire extinguishers on his truck, moaning when he saw the damage. "I will stop this, once and for all," he told the burning wreckage. He looked at the nearest guard. "Did anyone call the fire department and the cops?" One of them nodded. "Thanks. Oh, and please put a watch on Naomi Sandburg's room. Her son was in the truck and I'm not sure that whoever did this won't go after her." One of the guards ran inside. "Thanks guys."

Jim turned as the sirens started up the driveway. "As usual, a little late," he told himself.

To Be Continued... Soon, Elaine, I promise, I've got the next part started.