By Sunglow66

*~*~*

Rating: G

Author Notes: This is for Elaine22459 who suggested the plot in her feedback for Easy Come, Easy Go 2. Thank you to Moonglow11066 for the beta.

*~*~*

Jim pulled the yellow comforter over his exhausted lover and tucked it securely round him. He smoothed the hair out of his face and dropped a feather-light kiss on his forehead before turning out the bedside light and limping down the stairs.

He took a bottle of water out of the fridge and moved slowly across to the balcony. Resting his forehead against one of the panes he closed his eyes and sent up a prayer of thanks that he'd been able to persuade Blair not to leave him; not that he would blame him if he did, the way he'd been treated by Jim since Naomi had visited and sent Blair's dissertation to her publisher friend Sid Graham.

The resulting fiasco had nearly torn their new and fragile relationship apart. It was Megan who, from her hospital bed, gave Jim a metaphorical kick up the ass and told him not to let the best thing that had ever happened to him get away. They had both watched in shock as Blair had given the press conference that had destroyed his credibility and his career.

When Blair had joined Jim at the hospital he was shaking and it was all Jim could do to stop himself from taking him in his arms there and then and begging his forgiveness. He didn't get the chance to do that until the early hours of the next morning when he came home from the hospital against doctor's orders.

As the pain in his leg made itself known, he automatically dialled down. Taking a sip of water he wondered what the hell they were going to do now.

*~*~*

Cascade Country Club - Earlier that evening

William Ellison sat in one of the wing-backed chairs by the open fire nursing a brandy. He looked up when he heard someone sit in the chair opposite and nodded a greeting to a long-time business associate and friend.

"I hear you've had a busy week, Bill." Charles Benedict the Third took a sip of his own brandy.

"Hopefully that's all over now." William leant his head back against the soft leather.

"Yes, I caught the press conference given by Blair."

"You know Blair Sandburg?"

"I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of months ago. I find it difficult to reconcile the Blair I met then to the man who admitted to fraud today."

"One meeting doesn't mean you know the man." William was noncommittal.

"Ah, but it wasn't one meeting, Will. He spent the day with my grandson, daughter and myself at the dinosaur exhibition showing us around. He isn't a young man who lies." Charles looked up from his brandy. "Is he, Bill?"

William sighed.

"The only time he lied, as far as I know, is today on the podium in front of Cascades' press." He admitted.

"I always knew there was something special about Jim, Bill."

William laughed bitterly. "Special. Yes, there is something special about Jimmy. Pity I didn't realise it all those years he was growing up. I was too concerned about appearances and I was too hard on him. We'd been estranged for years before a certain long-haired young man came into our lives and made us realise what family is all about."

"So, what are you planning to do about Blair?"

"I've already spoken to Jim. Blair's refused our help, says it's his own fault for not protecting his work properly. Jim wants to sue Rainier; Blair had already had his change of subject approved by them before all this happened. Blair just wants to put it all behind him though."

"You mean Rainier didn't support Blair? When they knew this wasn't his real dissertation?"

"Yes. They saw dollar signs and the Nobel Prize. They didn't see the lives they were destroying in the process."

"You know, Bill, my Jeannie married one of the best lawyers in the state."

"I know. I'd hoped your Jeannie and my Stephen would make a match, seeing as how they were the best of friends once."

"Would have been nice, but I guess a lawyer in the family comes in handy once in a while." Charles grinned. "Who do you think we should start with?"

*~*~*

It was late afternoon when Jim woke to the smell of coffee. He made his way carefully down the stairs and into the bathroom and came out ten minutes later to find Blair in the kitchen putting together macaroni and cheese.

"How's the leg? Not dialled down too far, I hope."

"No, I've got them set to just below normal." Jim wrapped his arms around Blair from behind and buried his nose in the soft curls. Blair relaxed into his embrace and smoothed his hands over the robe-clad arms around him.

"What am I going to do, Jim? Where do we go from here?"

"I don't know, Chief. One thing I do know though; we'll be doing it together."

The phone ringing interrupted them. Jim let Blair go and reached for it while Blair put their dinner in the oven.

"Dad. Hi, what's up?" Jim came back to Blair and leaned down so that Blair could hear the conversation.

"Turn the television on, Jimmy, Channel 9."

"Why?"

"Just do it, Jimmy. I'll call back in twenty minutes."

"You heard the man, Chief." Jim put the phone in his pocket. "Channel 9."

"That looks like one of the conference rooms at the PD." Blair commented.

The police commissioner was sitting behind the podium at which stood a man roughly the same age as Jim; his manner screamed 'lawyer'.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, thank you for coming today. Yesterday, my client Blair Sandburg gave a press conference admitting that his dissertation was a fraud, a good piece of fiction. I'm not here to refute that; it is a good piece of fiction. What I am here to say is that it was not his real dissertation. Mr Sandburg's dissertation is on closed societies, specifically the police force and he has been partnered with Detective Ellison for his research. Unfortunately his notes for a novel he has been working on in his spare time were released and purported to be his dissertation by an unscrupulous representative of Berkeley Press, generating a media frenzy which almost prevented the police from doing their job. My client did the only thing he could think of to stop the circus and that was to admit to fraud." The lawyer turned to the commissioner. "Commissioner."

The commissioner stood up and took the stand.

"Ladies, Gentlemen, I won't take up too much of your time for which you are probably very thankful." He paused as they laughed. "When Captain Banks asked me to approve an observer pass for Mr Sandburg three years ago I was dubious as to what the benefit would be. It has been proved to me in facts and figures over the last three years. The closure rate in Major Crimes has increased from eighty-six percent to ninety-seven percent in the last three years, and I think in some part this has been due to the insight and motivation brought to the department by Mr Sandburg. We, the Mayor and I, have decided to instigate a programme of civilian consultative positions in each department, starting with Mr Sandburg in Major Crimes, who has been an asset to the department and, we hope, will continue to be. Thank you."

Jim switched off the television and turned to Blair who was sitting open-mouthed in shock.

"Chief?"

"Did you know about this, Jim?"

"No. Dad must have gone behind my back and done it."

"Why? Why did that lawyer lie?"

"Probably because it was the only way we could possibly be together without leaving Cascade."

"What?"

"Think, Blair. You admitted to fraud, it would have been almost impossible for you to continue working with me in Major Crimes. People would have wondered why I tolerated you living here, then they would have wondered if there was some truth in the sentinel stuff and we would have been back to square one. You had to be vindicated and if that lawyer standing up there and lying about your sentinel dissertation being a novel vindicates you then I'm all for it."

The phone in Jim's pocket started ringing, seconds later Jim's cell phone started ringing as well. Blair leapt to answer that while Jim scrambled to pull the phone out of his pocket.

"Yeah? Dad! What have you done?"

"Interfered in my son's life."

In the background, Blair was talking to Simon.

"Blair didn't want us to do anything, Dad."

"I know. Charles and I agreed that it was the right thing to do though."

"Charles Benedict?"

"Yes, he was disappointed that Blair didn't call him for help, so he went ahead and gave it anyway. Berkeley Press and Rainier have settled out of court, Sid Graham has been fired and Chancellor Edwards has been asked to resign."

"Yes!" Jim couldn't help but be pleased. The woman had had it in for Blair for a long time and she'd been obstructive when he'd applied for the change in dissertation subject.

"I'd like you and Blair to come for dinner tomorrow night."

"Let me check, Dad." Jim listened in on Blair's conversation with Simon. He was inviting Simon and everyone over to the loft for a celebratory party. "Uh Dad, Blair's planning a party, would you and Charles like to come? I think everyone will want to thank you both."

"I'll check with Charles, if not, I'll expect you both at eight o'clock tomorrow."

"We'll be there, and Dad? Thanks."

"No thanks are necessary, Jimmy, it's what family is all about."

Jim hung up and limped over to Blair who was just finishing with Simon.

"Everyone's coming over?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'd better make a trip to the store. How's the leg?"

"Fine, Chief. How are you feeling?"

"Shocked, stunned, overwhelmed, amazed, surprised…"

"I get it, Chief. So, going to accept the consultant position?"

"I told Simon I'd think about it."

"What? Chief…"

"Jim, I may be in shock, but I'm not crazy. Of course I'm going to take it."

"You'll have to go to the Academy."

"Simon told me." Blair wrapped his arms around Jim and leaned his head against his chest. "One thing though, Jim."

"What's that?" Jim dropped a kiss on the top of the head below his chin.

"I'm not cutting my hair."

Fin

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