By Moonglow

*~*~*

This is dedicated to all of us out there.

*~*~*

Jim Ellison made it a policy not to listen in on colleagues' conversations, but it was the almost guilty way that Megan Connor slipped the disc onto Rhonda's desk that caused him to pause. Rhonda looked up and slid the disk into her draw and gave Megan an imperceptible (except to a Sentinel's eyes) wink.

Thoroughly intrigued, he sat down and made busy with paperwork until he noticed both women missing. Scanning the floor, and hoping they weren't in the powder room, he finally caught the sound of their voices in the break room.

"Thanks for this, Rhonda, I really appreciate it." Megan's voice sounded embarrassed.

"No, I think it suits you..." The thump of Blair's bag hitting the side of his desk distracted Jim and he scowled up at his partner. Now he'd never know what they'd been talking about.

"Hey Jim, what's up?" Blair, the quintessential student, was wearing one of his usual colourful outfits and it struck Jim that here was a person that would know about possible underground groups, or whatever Megan and Rhonda had got themselves into. Jim rationalised that it was a Sentinel's prerogative to protect them from possible danger.

"Paperwork mostly, but now you're here I've got a question for you." Jim leaned back in his chair and kept an ear and eye out for the two women.

"Yeah?" Blair perched on the edge of the desk, inordinately pleased to be of service.

"Does the name 'Nightfox' ring any bells?"

"What is it, a new case?"

"No, I just caught a bit of conversation and I was curious.." Jim trailed off as a shit-eating grin spread across his partner's face.

"You eavesdropped!"

"No! I just.."

"Happened to overhear a private conversation. So, Jim, spill it."

Blair rubbed his hands together in anticipation of some juicy gossip. Jim heard the break room door open and stood up suddenly, grabbing his coat.

"Come on Sandburg, we need to check this lead." He picked up a random piece of paper and strode out of the bullpen.

"Hey! Wait up, Jim!" Blair scooped up his backpack and caught him just as the elevator door opened.

Jim waited until the third floor before broaching the subject.

"Look, Sandburg, I may be out of line even discussing this with you, but I think this needs investigating."

"What? What?" now Blair was worried.

"You're better at research than me, so can you check that name on the web for me?"

"What are you going to do?" if it meant Jim was going to put himself in the line of fire, then Blair wasn't going to agree.

"I'm just going to do a bit of surveillance. No, it's not dangerous, at least I hope it isn't."

"You'd better tell me everything." Blair folded his arms and Jim realised from the stubborn set to his chin that he wouldn't be satisfied until he'd been given all the facts. By the time they reached the truck Jim had filled him in and Blair was as concerned as he was.

"Look, I'll head back to the Loft while you make some excuse to Simon and meet me there." He shouldered his bag and strode to the Volvo, determined to get the work started.

Thirty minutes later, Jim pulled up outside the loft and tuned his senses in to his Guide. What he heard had him racing up the stairs and slamming the door open in his haste. Blair was in his room, and from the sound of it was in full panic mode.

"Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Shit! Holy bloody hell!" the glass panes rattled as Jim flung them inwards, gun drawn.

"What?!" Jim scanned the room for intruders, but Blair was alone.

"Shit, Jim, I thought the name rang a bell, so I checked something out." Blair was sitting cross-legged on the futon, his back against the wall. Holstering his gun, Jim sat down next to him and craned his neck to see the laptop screen.

"What have you found?"

"Uh, let's just say that I don't think they're in any danger."

Blair cleared his throat and shifted slightly, his leg pressing against Jim's knee. "You really want to know?"

"Of course I want to know!"

"Okay, but it took a lot of digging, and from what you told me, I think I've worked it out."

"Worked what out?"

"Just..don't think any less of them, will you?" Blair glanced up from what he was staring at on the screen. Jim stared back; what the hell were they into, naked mud wrestling? Stripping for extra cash? Offering an on-line escort service? The mind boggled. He grabbed the laptop and swung it towards him, wondering what had Sandburg so fascinated. The page bookmarked had a soothing blue border with a stylised moonlit scene, with a montage of transparent images of different animals. Names were laid out over the page and Blair clicked on the toolbar at the bottom of the page where windows were minimised. Jim's eyes widened as he scanned the page and his mouth dried out. He cleared his throat and glanced at Blair, noticing the flushed cheeks and quickened breathing. His eyes were drawn back to the page, still not quite able to believe it. Rhonda; sedate, ladylike Rhonda, did this in her spare time?

"But she's married, Sandburg!" he blurted out.

"I hate to say this, Jim, but I spoke to a friend who did some research on this, and most of them are married. The best ones are in their late thirties, early forties." Blair murmured, fascinated by what he was reading.

"Yeah?" Jim leant sideways, all the better to see the screen by.

"Oh yeah…"

*~*~*~

"Well?" Rhonda dragged Megan into the break room and shut the door, leaning against it to prevent anyone coming in.

"It was brilliant, Rhonda! I can't thank you enough." Megan was ecstatic and hugged her friend, beaming.

"Hey, I knew you could do it." Rhonda grinned and hugged her back. "So when are you doing it again?"

"Oh, I'm not sure. Can we discuss it over lunch?"

"Sure." Rhonda grinned again and pulled the door open just as Jim put his hand on the handle. He almost fell into the room and Megan stifled a snort of laughter. Piercing blue eyes pinned her with a look and she became worried when a knowing smile spread over his face.

"Ladies.." he stepped aside and waved them through, "Have a good weekend?" his smile became a full-blown smirk. Now Megan was really worried. She looked past him to see Blair enter the bullpen and head towards them.

"Megan! Rhonda! Have a good weekend?" Blair had an almost identical smile to Jim's on his face.

"Yeah, thanks, Sandy." She glanced over her shoulder at the two men now standing in the break room.

"Oh, Megan.."

"Yeah, Sandy?"

"Or should we call you 'Firefox'?" Jim smirked, his hand on Blair's shoulder. Megan went white and then red, her face clashing horribly with her hair.

"Jim... Sandy..." she turned back to them, mortified.

"Don't worry, Megan, yours and Rhonda's secret is safe with us," Blair reassured her, grinning.

"I was just going to say that if you need any tips..." Jim slid his hand down Blair's arm and ghosted over his ass. Blair's blinding smile flashed up at him.

"I think I need to sit down." She said faintly, leaning on Rhonda's desk.

"Rhonda?" Blair called and she looked up. "Thanks." He winked and closed the door.

Fin

Send feedback to Moonglow

Go back to Home Page