Inevitable Series 01 The Inevitable Read online

  He closed his eyes. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Sandburg. Just stick to your original plan. Finish your dissertation, get your Ph.D. and put as much distance between yourself and Cascade as you possibly can.

  It was a good plan, solid. Only one problem. He hadn't written word one of his dissertation and didn't see that changing in the near future.

  A light knock sounded at his door. Blair opened his eyes, checking his watch. Office hours were up but some of the students still tried to slip in if he was around. Oh, hell, what did it matter. "Come on in."

  Joel Taggert stuck his head around the door. "Hey, Blair, up for some lunch?"

  A grin cut across his face. "Joel." He stood, automatically extending his hand. A moment later, Rafe and Henri stuck their heads in. "Hey, guys." The smile increased. God, he hadn't realized how much he missed them until they walked through his door. How's Jim? he nearly blurted out. But he didn't want to ask that. There was just too much that came with it. Hope. Disappointment. Frustration.

  Instead, he said, "I've got some free time. Let's head over to the deli and see what the specials are today." He grabbed his jacket and led the three men out of his office. He had never expected to see any of them again. Had thought that once he left the station, they would forget he ever existed. But here they were, showing up at his office, asking him to lunch, laughing when he told them about the guy he'd had in class this morning that showed up dressed as an aborigine tribal leader hoping to get extra credit for the outfit.

  He knew Simon had probably sent them to this lunch. The Captain had called him several times to see how he was doing, never mentioning Jim in the process. This was just another way for the man to check up on Blair. But today it didn't matter. He needed the company and he'd take it any way he could get it.

  Naomi had thought about it all week, ever since the day Blair had taken her to the airport. She knew he had told her the story about the backpack in confidence, never expecting or wanting her to call Jim and share it with him. But how could she not? She knew what was wrong with her son. Knew the only thing, only person who could fix it was Jim Ellison.

  She didn't like the idea of her son going back to the police station, following the detective around as he investigated crimes. But Blair wasn't getting any better and she had to do something before it was too later and the Blair she loved was lost forever.

  She listened to the phone ring for the fourth time and was just beginning to think he wasn't home when the line was answered.

  "Hello?" Jim's familiar voice came through the line.

  "Hi, Jim. It's Naomi." She waited, expecting him to tell her she could just go to hell. After all, their last visit together hadn't been exactly pleasant. But he said nothing. Instead, she simply heard him let out a low, sad sigh. "Jim, I need to talk to you about Blair."

  "Is he all right?" Concern laced each word. "Did something happen to him?"

  "No, no. Blair's fine. I just think...well, I think he needs you Jim."

  Silence. She could not even hear him breathing on the other end of the line and for a moment, she thought she might have lost the connection. But then he spoke, his voice low, almost inaudible.

  "I need him, too."

  She closed her eyes, relief spreading through her. She didn't exactly understand why Jim Ellison had allowed her son to become a part of his life. But now that he had, she was determined to do everything she could to bring this man that Blair had come to think of as more of a brother than a friend back together. "Jim, I have a story to tell you about a backpack. I want you to listen carefully and help me figure out a way to make my son get rid of the damn thing again."

  Jim steered his truck into the parking lot of Rainier University. No other cars were in sight. No other cars! His gaze shifted across the empty lot. Where the hell was Blair's car?

  After his phone call with Naomi two days ago, he had finally realized exactly what he needed to do in order to fix everything that had gone so horribly wrong. It had taken him longer than he thought to get all his preparations together. But if Blair wasn't even here...

  No. He had to be. This was his day off. And Joel had told him that Blair was sleeping in his office. He and the others had seen the evidence when they took him out to lunch. So he had to be here.

  His car's just broken down somewhere. Again.

  Jim held on to that thought, needing it to be true. He pulled the truck to a stop and turned his attention to the anthropology building. The custodian stood at the entrance, waiting. Jim had arranged to be let into the building before classes began, so that he and Blair would not be interrupted. Grabbing the manila envelope from the seat beside him, he exited the truck and jogged the short distance to the building.

  "You're late," the man grumbled, fumbling with the locked door.

  Jim absently checked his watch. 6:03 am. Three minutes late. "Sorry," he muttered, following the man into the building. They stopped outside Blair's office. Jim watched as the man unlocked the door but he stopped him before he could open it.

  "I'll take it from here," he said softly, not wanting to wake Blair before he was ready to.

  He waited until the man was gone, then reached out and gripped the doorknob before him. Only then did he notice how badly his hands were shaking. He clutched the manila envelope he carried tightly to his chest.

  This was it. Either his plan would work and Blair would come home with him or...

  No. There was no 'or'. He would not let himself think about any other possible outcome.

  Gripping the handle before him, he pushed into the office. Blair lay sleeping on a cot shoved against the far wall. Jim stood for a moment just listening to his soft breathing, the familiar heartbeat. Sounds he had missed so desperately for the past month. That he prayed would become a part of his life again.

  Crossing the room in three long strides, he knelt down beside his Guide. Hesitantly, not wanting to wake him, he reached out and pushed Blair's hair back from his face. A large bruise marred the young man's left cheek. "What the hell?" Jim breathed. He pulled back the covers. Bruises darkened his friend's left shoulder and part of his chest. His gaze shifted back to Blair's face. Deep blue eyes stared confusedly into his.

  "Jim?" Blair's voice, whisper soft, unbelieving, drifted over him.

  "Blair, what the hell happened?" Jim tried to keep the anger from his voice but failed miserably. If someone had hurt him, so help him God, he would find them and--

  "What are you doing here, Jim?" Blair sat halfway up, gritting his teeth at a sudden flare of pain.

  "How did you get hurt?" he asked, ignoring Blair's question.

  "A tire blew on the Volvo. I lost control of the car and slammed against the steering wheel when it finally came to a stop."

  "Blair, I told you you needed new tires for that thing two months ago."

  "I know but I couldn't afford them--"

  "I said I'd pay. I owe you at least that much for all the time you put in at the station." Jim's words cut-off abruptly as he realized what they were doing, falling back into the easy banter that defined their relationship.

  "What are you doing here?" Blair asked again, this time more insistently.

  "I came to see you."

  "I figured that much." Blair pushed up from the cot, unable to hide the cringe of pain the simple movement caused. "How did you get in?"

  "I'm a cop. I have connections." Jim had to hold back from helping him, supporting him as he made his way stiffly across the room to the pile of clothes beside his desk. "I have some papers I need you to sign."

  Blair stopped and turned slowly, finally noticing the envelope in Jim's hand. Something flashed behind his eyes so fast Jim nearly missed it. Nearly but not completely. Jim thought, just briefly, that he had seen regret in those eyes. And that, more than anything else, gave him hope.

  "Whatever you brought, just leave it and I'll read it when I have time." Blair's voice was short, curt. He went back to rummaging through his clothes.

  Jim was bein
g dismissed. He knew it but chose to ignore it. "Sorry, Chief, need your signature on this stuff and Simon wants it back today."

  Blair's gaze shifted to the clock on his desk. "Listen, man, I have to get cleaned up before the students start to arrive."

  "I thought you had the day off?"

  "I do but the head of the department said I could only stay in my office if the students didn't find out about it. Which means I can't have them catch me in the men's room shaving and brushing my teeth. Kind of puts a damper on the whole student / teacher relationship if you know what I mean."

  Jim nodded. "I can wait."

  Blair sighed, shaking his head. "Fine." Gathering up his clothes and toiletries, he headed out the door. Jim listened to him as he retreated down the hallway, waiting for the usual mutterings that so often accompanied Sandburg. But there was nothing today. Just the echo of his footsteps down the empty corridor.

  Jim turned his attention to the cluttered office. Why was Blair sleeping here? He had been surprised when Joel first told him. He had thought he was staying in a motel. Probably just trying to save enough money for a security deposit on an apartment. Or was he planning on leaving Cascade soon and didn't have need for anything more permanent?

  Jim shook the thought away. No, Blair needed to finish his Ph.D. He couldn't do that overnight. He was just strapped for cash, like always.

  Crossing to the desk, Jim glanced down at the boxes scattered behind it. Boxes that he himself had packed a month ago. Had it been that long? A picture stuck out at an odd angle. He reached down and pulled it free. It was a photograph of himself and Blair. Naomi had taken it on her last visit, well, the last one before this one, when things were still okay. They were in the loft. They'd been trying to build a fire in the fireplace, Blair going on and on about some tribal method of using animal dung and leaves when she'd called to them. Blair had been crouched down, glasses half off his nose. Jim beside him, one hand resting companionably on Blair's shoulder. Naomi had captured that moment, that memory and as Jim stared down at the photo, his throat tightened. Would they ever feel that kind of ease with each other again?

  The door opened behind him. Blair came back in smelling of toothpaste and aftershave.

  Jim set the picture back in the box. "Did you get that checked out?" he asked, indicating the bruises.

  Blair's hand came up, covering the damage. "Yeah, on campus. Nothing's broken." He crossed to his desk and sat down, putting the large, solid object between them. Jim followed Blair's lead and, after depositing a pile of books on the floor, took a seat across from him.

  "This is official business," he began. "We need you to sign off on some papers."

  "Officially end my status as observer," Blair said, nodding his head as if he had been expecting this for some time. He pulled out his glasses and reached across the desk for the papers. "You could have mailed them to me."

  "Well, like I said, Simon wanted this all wrapped up today." Jim reached inside the envelope and pulled out the first set of documents and handed them across the desktop.

  Blair maintained his cool throughout the exchange but Jim could hear his heart racing. Could see the light beads of sweat that stood out on his brow. This was killing him but Blair was bound and determined not to let it show.

  Jim leaned back in his chair and waited.

  Blair flipped past the pages until he got to the last one, looked up and asked, "Where do I sign?"

  Jim blinked several times. He had expected him to read them. Look each page over carefully, the way Blair always did with everything he was given. "Aren't you going to read it first?"

  "No. I trust--" He dropped his gaze for a moment, then looked back up. "I'm sure everything's in order."

  "Sandburg, just read them."

  Sighing, he flipped back to the front and started scanning the pages. His brow furrowed. A small frown pulled down the corners of his mouth. He looked up, dumbfounded. "What is this?"

  Jim took a deep breath. This was the moment he'd been waiting for. His time to finally launch his plan into action. To fix everything that had gone wrong. "The department would like to change your status from observer to special consultant. The pay isn't great but it's actually better than I thought it would be."

  "Pay?" Blair flipped to the second page, scanning quickly. "Is this a joke?"

  "Of course not." The words came out harsher than he had intended. "Blair, everyone wants you to come back to work. Not just me. These papers," he leaned forward, tapping the documents, "will finally give you what you've deserved for a long time. You'll be assigned cases just like everyone else but you'll still be able to maintain your hours here. Simon's already said that he'll let you choose whoever you want to partner up with and believe me, there's already a line started." He stopped talking, realizing he was babbling. Blair sat across from him, his eyes locked on the paper in his hands, hands that were now shaking. "Blair, please sign the papers. Say you'll come back. Say--"

  "I don't want to work with anyone but you." Blair looked up. His eyes shown with a light Jim had not seen in a long time. Too damn long. And something else. A hint of the trust that had been there before. It wasn't all back, not yet, but he could see it lurking in the corners of his eyes. And for now, it was enough.

  Jim bit his lip, swallowing back the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. Okay, Blair was coming back to work. He was halfway there. But he still needed to get him to come home.

  "There's something else." He reached into the envelope again. Blair watched him, his brow creasing as Jim handed him another set of papers.

  Slowly, Blair's gaze traveled over the page before him. "This looks like some kind of deed."

  "It is," Jim stated. "It's the deed to the loft."

  Blair looked up, his expression clearly asking why am I looking at the deed to your loft?

  "You need to sign the third page." Jim reached out, trying to flip to the page himself.

  Blair resisted, his fingers tightening around the paper, holding it in place. "What is this?"

  "Half ownership," Jim said simply.

  Blair shoved the papers across the desk and stood, so suddenly that his chair slammed into the wall behind him. "No way, man. I can't accept that." He held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "That's just too much."

  Jim pushed up from his chair and circled the desk. Blair tracked his every move, his eyes wide and unbelieving. "Blair, the loft is not a home without you. I can't stay there anymore if you don't come back."

  "Then I'll come back without this," Blair said, indicating the papers still on the desk.

  Jim shook his head. "You come back that way and you'll end up stashing that backpack of yours in the closet again."

  Blair dropped his gaze, embarrassment coloring his cheeks. "My mom told you."

  "She was worried about you," he said softly. "She just wants what's best for you."

  "But this--"

  "This is something I want to do." Jim reached out and placed his hands on his Guide's shoulders. Blair stared up at him, his expressive blue eyes wide, unblinking. "Listen, Chief, I can't take away what I did or how I made you feel. But I'm trying to take steps to make sure you know it will never happen again." Blair opened his mouth to reply but before he could speak, Jim pulled him into a tight hug. For a moment, Blair stiffened in his arms, as if unsure of what to do with this unexpected embrace. But then he leaned into Jim, his own arms snaking around his back and holding tightly. They stood that way for several moments, neither one speaking, neither one moving. Just holding each other, knowing that they had finally come to some kind of understanding. Had finally taken the first steps needed to restore the bond between them. A bond that made them more than friends. Made them family.

  "Blair," Jim began after a time, "I want you to have peace of mind." He stood with his chin resting atop Blair's head. He could feel his friend's heart pounding against his chest. Could hear his soft breathing. "The loft is your home," he continued, hoping he was finding the right word
s to convey everything he needed to say, everything he needed Blair to understand. "I don't want you to ever worry again that you'll come in one day and find all your stuff packed up. I want you to know that you can stay there as long as you want." He shifted Blair away, holding him at arm's length, staring down at his stunned expression. "But you also have to understand that it goes both ways. You sign those papers and you're stuck with me. So you need to think about it before--"

  Blair pulled out of his grip, leaned down to the desk, flipped to the last page of the documents and signed his name. He laughed lightly as he stepped back, staring down at what he had just done. "This is just a technicality, so you can't throw me out again. I don't really own half the loft."

  Jim dropped a hand onto his shoulder and squeezed gently. "Whatever you say, Partner. Now can we please go home?"

  Jim looked around the loft. They had spent most of the day moving Blair back in, putting his room and then the rest of the loft in order. Transforming it back into their home. God, that word had never felt so right as it did just now.

  His gaze shifted to the couch where Blair lay sleeping peacefully. They'd shared dinner less than thirty minutes ago. A dinner Blair had wolfed down as if he hadn't eaten a decent meal in weeks, which Jim guessed was probably very close to the truth. Then they'd settled back to watch a movie. Blair was out cold before the beginning credits rolled.

  Jim closed his eyes for a moment, relishing the familiar sound of his Guide's resting heartrate and slowed breathing, knowing that he too would sleep soundly tonight for the first time in weeks. Opening his eyes, he stepped around the couch, heading toward the kitchen. He needed to call Simon. Tell him that their plan had worked. That Blair was home and everything was going to be okay. He was reaching for the phone when it's shrill cry sounded. He snatched it up, his gaze shifting back to Blair. The grad student stirred briefly but did not wake.