Sudden Truths
by Rhiannon-Jehane

It had been a long time since Carolyn had visited Cascade. But here she was, walking into Major Crimes for the first time in years. A quick glance around the bullpen told her that Jim wasn’t around. She looked hopefully at Simon’s office, but his door was closed.

She decided to get a cup of coffee from the break room and wait for Jim and Simon there. It would be nice to see Jim again. Maybe she’d take him to lunch. Of course, he’d probably insist on bringing Blair. She’d never understood why Jim let him hang around all the time, and after last year’s disastrous press conference, she had been surprised that Jim hadn’t thrown Blair right out of the loft. Judging from Jim’s occasional email, though, the two of them were still the best of friends.

Carolyn still couldn’t figure out how someone who had declared himself a fraud on national television had gotten into the Cascade Police Academy.

She stopped just before the doorway of the break room. Photographs were scattered all over the table, and there was Jim, looking intently at a Polaroid he held in his hand. Blair was perched on the table next to him. Their focus was so intent that neither man noticed her presence.

Blair looked at the photo and then at Jim. “Anything in that one?”

“There’s something…” Jim’s voice trailed off and he got very still. Carolyn saw his eyes narrow as he concentrated on the picture in his hand. She took a step forward, intending to tease him about his intensity. But there was something odd about his stillness. She suddenly thought of a cousin of hers who occasionally had petit mal seizures that made him stare into space for a few minutes and then snap back to reality as if nothing had happened. Could Jim have epilepsy?

“Ahh, shit.” Blair’s curse was so quiet it was barely audible.

Carolyn stopped in mid-step and watched as Blair gently plucked the photo from Jim’s hand and placed it on the table with the others. Then he covered Jim’s hand with both of his own. She watched Blair’s strong fingers as they stroked her ex-husband’s hand and suddenly had the distinct feeling that she was intruding on something private.

“Jim, man, come on back. Jim. Listen to the sound of my voice. Concentrate on touch, feel my hands.” Blair’s voice sounded different, somehow. It seemed suddenly deeper, more compelling.

Blair continued his soft patter, but there was no change in Jim’s expression for a long moment. Then he blinked twice and looked up at Blair.

“Thanks, Chief. Sometimes this senses thing is a pain in the ass.”

“Yeah, I know.”

The two of them sat there in silence, hands still clasped, and all at once, everything neatly slid into place and Carolyn realized two things. One, her ex-husband was in love with his partner. And two...

Blair had lied at that press conference. Jim really was a—whateveryoucallit—Sentinel. The implications made her dizzy.

As quietly as she could, Carolyn stepped away from the break room. She’d come back later, after she had a chance to think about things.

The End

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