Blair walked into the bull-pen feeling pretty good. It was Friday - again - and maybe he and Jim would actually get to take that fishing trip this weekend. He had all of his notes caught up for his classes, and all the tests were graded. All that remained were the research papers...but he could probably put that off for another week or two. Jim was at his desk, shoulders slumped slightly, as if frustrated or tired. Blair figured on frustrated--Jim had gone to bed early enough last night; it was himself who should be slumped with fatigue...he really needed to quit the late nights surfing the 'Net. Jim looked up when he neared his desk, and the bigger man's eyes brightened, if only briefly.

"Hey, Chief. Got your class stuff done?"

"Yeah. Got all that paperwork from the Bureau done yet?" Blair couldn't resist the tease. Jim had been grumbling for a week about the paperwork he'd had to deal with as a result of the incident involving his old Covert Ops "buddies".

"If I'm lucky I might be finished by the time I retire."

"Come on man, there isn't that much. Is there?"

"Probably not. Feels like it though. Come on," Jim heaved himself to his feet. "Simon and I have been waiting for you to get here--he's got something for us, but was waiting for you."

"Why?" Blair was curious--that wasn't like Simon. Then again, it wasn't like Simon to actually work with Blair--which he'd done last week, in their attempt to locate Jim before the rogue federal agents killed him.

Jim shrugged. "Beats me, Chief. All I know is he said, 'not until Sandburg gets here'. So, you're here, let's go."

"Right."

Simon gestured them in at the first knock. He was on the phone, so Jim and Blair took a seat, and waited. It was several minutes of listening to Simon saying "Yes...uh huh...yes, I understand" before he got off the phone. He steepled his fingers together, and looked at his detective and department advisor.

"We have a problem."

Jim looked at Blair, then raised an eyebrow at Simon. "Sir?"

"The Mayor of Cascade has a daughter who's gone AWOL. Actually, she's gone AWOL in Hawaii--and the Mayor believes it's through foul play."

"Does he have a reason to suspect foul play, sir?"

Simon sighed. "Apparently she was getting friendly with some of the undesireables in the area...mingling between rivals gangs, or groups...I'm not sure which it is. Anyway, she was supposed to contact her parents last week, and they never heard from her. She was supposed to call yesterday, and never made that one, either. Calls to the local law-enforcement offices haven't netted any results; other than to irritate the Mayor."

"So how does this become our problem?" Jim wasn't sure he was following what Simon was telling him.

"It becomes our problem because the Mayor wants your butt on the next plane to Hawaii, as a "law-enforcement laizzon", or something like that. He wants her found."

"Okay...so?"

"Here, take a look at these." Simon handed across some pictures of the Mayor and his family; one face was circled..

"How old is she?" Blair gaped at the picture.

Simon replied tersely, "Sixteen."

"Was she turning tricks?" Jim stared at the photo. There was something almost familiar about this picture...

"She's been in some trouble here...not for prostitution, but for...favors." Simon was being very careful in his wording, and Jim didn't miss it.

"She was one of the Teeney-Boppers, wasn't she?" He asked. Simon nodded.

"'Teeney-Boppers'?" Blair was staring at the picture, trying to figure out when the picture was taken. This girl didn't look sixteen. She looked more like...fourteen, maybe.

"Yeah, Chief. They were a group of teen-aged...call girls who supplied favors for out-of-town businessmen. Usually they were coerced in some way, but in this one's case--" Jim waved his hand at the picture, "--she's a wild one. I thought the Mayor was going to send her to a private school?"

"He did." Rarely did Simon's voice hold that much disgust. "In Hawaii."

Blair whistled. "Who was running the ring?"

"Oh, there were some 'businessmen' in the area that set it up, and fronted it."

"Mafia?"

"Yeah. We made a few busts, but not enough. We've heard rumours lately of another one starting up. There was someone who was connected pretty high up...we never did find out who he was, did we?"

Simon shook his head. "And I don't know if this is related in any way to her disappearance in Hawaii, but whatever it is...Anyway, you'll be working with the Mayor's personal aide on this one--" Simon gave Blair a strange look before continuing. "A Rodney Stevlen."

Jim felt his partner stiffen next to him. "Chief? What's wrong?"

Simon ignored Jim, turned to Blair. "Will you be able to deal with this, Sandburg? I plan to send you with Jim, but not if you can't be professional about it."

"Yes! That was a long time ago...How'd you know, anyway?"

"Stevlen's reaction was pretty much the same as yours."

"Would someone like to let me know what's going on here?" Jim was beginning to feel like he'd just surfaced in an alternate universe...Blair and Simon were speaking English, but he had no idea what was going on.

Simon looked at Blair, then nodded. "Your call, Sandburg."

Blair sighed and turned to Jim. "I know Rodney from several years ago, when he was in the grad program at Rainier."

"So?"

"So, we had a...relationship. It didn't work out. And he wasn't happy about it."

"A relationship?"

Blair sighed again. Was Jim dense, or what? "Yeah, a *relationship*--get it?" He rolled his eyes. "We were lovers, Jim. Okay?"

"Oh." Jim didn't say anything else. He didn't know what to say to that.

Simon picked up the thread of the conversation. "So, will you be able to work with him?"

"Yeah, Captain. It was a while ago, after all. Can he work with it?"

"Well, I told him that Ellison was the best detective I have on the force, and you two are a package deal; he'll have to, I suppose. The mayor wants the best."

Blair snorted. "What's he doing with Rodney, then?" He quickly lost the smirk on his face when Simon glared at him. "Sorry, Captain. Won't happen again."

"It better not. Remember, I don't *have* to send you with Jim."

They got the rest of the details from Simon, then went up to the department's finance/admin department to make their travel arrangements. After a 45 minute wait, Jim got frustrated with the wait, and told Blair that he was going back downstairs to contact Stevlen, while Blair finished up with the travel. Blair nodded, watching Jim thoughtfully as his friend left the room. Something wasn't quite right...and Blair suspected he knew what it was.

The day dragged on, endlessly. Jim was uncommunicative, and grouchy by turns, and Blair was tired of it. He followed Jim down to the truck at quitting time, glad to get away from the station. What had happened to his good mood? Down the drain, like their plans for the fishing trip...again.

"We're on the six-thirty am flight tomorrow morning." Blair was tired of Jim not talking to him, and decided to say the first thing he could think of, other than the 'what-in-the-hell-is-your-problem' question that came to mind.

"That's fine. Guess they didn't have anything tonight?"

"Nothing that was non-stop. We'd have ended up over-nighting in L.A.--I figured this was just as easy. We still have to change planes in L.A. - but it's just that. No lay over, or whatever they call it now."

"Mmm."

Blair mentally threw his hands up. "What's with you, man? You've been like the grinch all day today. Spill--what's the problem." Jim turned to look at Blair. How was he going to say what he wanted to...ask what he needed to? Blair beat him to the punch though, flushing with anger the longer Jim took. "It's what I told you this morning, isn't it?"

There was an awkward silence, then Jim asked, "Why didn't you ever tell me you were bi?" He watched his partner's face as Blair considered his words.

"It's not like it came up in conversations, man. Besides, what difference does it make? Leave it alone, Jim."

"Well I was just--" He stopped. Just *what*?

Blair sighed. "Look, man. It's obviously bothering you. What's the problem? The fact that I've slept with men before, or that now you *know* that I've slept with men before? You know I've had girlfriends...why doesn't that bother you, too?"

"I don't know...it just seems strange, to find this out about you now."

"Why? Because we're friends, and that'll make it harder to kick me out?"

"What?"

"Isn't that where this is going?"

"No." Jim shook his head. "I'm just trying to sort stuff out in my head."

"Well, let me help you, Jim. I don't bother with labels, okay? 'Bi', 'Het', 'Gay'...whatever. I sleep with who I want, when I want; if the *person* is someone I want to get close to. I'm careful; I take precautions. No unprotected sex, or any of that shit. Okay? I just kind of do my own thing. If you want to call me bi-sexual, be my guest." Blair turned his face toward the window then, ignoring Jim.

It was quiet in the truck for a minute, then Jim spoke softly, "I'm sorry Chief. I was out of line for that one."

"No biggie, man. I'm sorry too. It just bugs me, you know? People always have to label... It's *so* uncool to judge someone like that...which is why I don't broadcast."

"I know, Blair. I'm sorry."

Blair waved his hand. "S'okay, Jim. Just leave it be, okay?"

"Sure, Chief." Quiet for a minute, then, "Why are you so angry? Defensive?"

Blair rolled his eyes. Jim was going to pick this to death yet. "Maybe because I feel like I'm being judged here. By my best friend, no less. I'd always kind of thought you were more open minded than that, Jim."

"Than what, Chief? I'm not judging...it just took me by surprise."

Blair laughed, a short harsh sound. "I'd have never guessed, man."

"How long were you...with this guy?" Jim had spoken to Stevlen on the phone earlier...and the guy had done nothing but piss him off. Maybe he was projecting his feelings about what Blair had told him? Possibility.

"Not a long time. Maybe six months. I knew the first time he asked me out that it wasn't going to be a real long term thing--he's an okay guy, but way too ambitious for me. Didn't see anything wrong in using people to get where he needed to get...that sort of thing. Things that will get him far in the political arena, but don't make him a very nice person."

"What happened?"

Blair shrugged. "I really don't remember now...it's been about six years. I just got tired of being second all the time; he wasn't the kind who'd call in advance, or even apologize for being late. I knew he was involved in politics, but come on...courtesy." Blair shook his head. "I never could figure out why it was so hard for him to pick up the phone, and call to let me know he had something else come up and couldn't make it. Anyway, after about six months I'd had enough, and told him so. He didn't like it--didn't like being dumped, I guess. I suppose he was always the one doing the dumping. He called me off and on for the next several weeks before he finally got the message. I saw him once or twice on campus after that, but whenever I'd try to say hi to him he'd just get this cold, disgusted look on his face, and blow right past me."

"Did you..." Jim hesitated, this was really none of his business.

"Sleep with him?"

Jim nodded, keeping his eyes straight forward.

"Yes."

"A lot?" Why was he asking this? Why did he care?

"No...Like I said, he had trouble keeping dates. I'm not *that* easy...I don't just roll over when someone says to do so." Blair leveled a look at him. "Why do you care?"

"Just curious, I guess." Jim shrugged. *Why do I care?* He shook his head, and looked at Blair. "I really am sorry, Chief. It's not you...I'm not judging you. I don't have a problem with people having sex with the same sex...it just caught me by surprise; I guess because you haven't dated anyone *but* women since we've known each other."

"And not a lot of those, either," Blair murmurred. "Like I said--I look at the person, not the gender." He cocked an eyebrow and gave Jim an evil grin. "Pickings are pretty slim for decent people of either sex out there...gotta consider all options, man."

Jim smiled in spite of himself, and Blair laughed. Maybe this would be okay after all.

"Man, it is *way* too early to be up." Blair hadn't stopped complaining since they'd lugged the suitcases downstairs, and Jim was beginning to wonder what it would take to shut him up.

"You can sleep on the plane, Chief. I'll even let you have the window."

"You told me you didn't want the window, 'cause you need leg room."

"See?"

Blair groaned. "Bad humor at 5:30am is not cool, man. Have mercy, okay? Save the jokes for later, when I'm awake enough to tune them out."

Jim grinned and checked his watch again. "What time did you say the cab was supposed to be here?"

"Five-thirty, but they said it could be a few minutes to either side." Blair sat on his suitcase, and drapped himself over his backpack, trying unsuccessfully to doze.

"Sandburg, you can*not* go to sleep right now. Wait until we get to the airport."

"I'll be awake then. I want to enjoy the feeling of lethargy right now."

"Whine, whine, whine."

"Yeah, I'll show you 'whine'." Blair cracked his eyes open. "God, the sun isn't even up yet..."

"Hey, Chief--is Stevlen going to be on the plane with us?"

"I don't think so. Simon said he was making his own travel arrangements. Why?"

"Just curious. Guy had me all pissy yesterday--and I wasn't sure if it was him; or what you'd unloaded on me."

"Probably a little bit of both, man. But I'm willing to let Rodney claim the greater share. He's good at getting people pissed off at him."

"So what's his degree in?"

Blair sighed and shifted on his suitcase. "You're really not gonna let me nap, are you?"

"When we get on the plane, Sandburg. Not before then."

"His degree is in PoliSci. Masters. At least it was then. He may have continued, and I wouldn't have any way of knowing it. But I doubt it--Simon would've used the formal address, and I can't see anyone with a doctorate in *anything*, who has an ego as big as his is, playing aide to someone else with the power."

Jim nodded thoughtfully, then nudged Blair with his elbow. "Get up, our ride's coming."

//He's breaking his word. He said I could go back to sleep. Why won't he shut up with the questions already? I like talking to him though...Like the sound of his voice...// "Sorry, Jim... my brain took a detour. What was the question again?"

Jim gave him a funny look, and shifted in his seat slightly. "I just asked if you were comfortable, Chief. What's with you?"

"Just tired, I guess. You done with the twenty questions, man? Gonna let me get some sleep now?"

Jim smiled at him, a sleepy smile. "Yeah...I could do with a few winks myself.

(that's all on this one. Thanks for reading :))