Fic: Surfing the Gravity Waves (TS), (J/B)
A little TS fic that is finally complete. I work for those muses now. Without pay, too.
TITLE: Surfing the Gravity Waves
AUTHOR: Maigret
CATEGORY: Alternate Reality, Romance
PAIRING: J/B
RATING: PG13
DATE: 8-26-2006
STATUS: Complete
ARCHIVE: Please do not archive anywhere
DISCLAIMER: I don’t own them, Pet Fly does. But if I owned them, TS would still be on the air. Since I don’t, TS is off the air.
SPOILERS: Tiny spoiler will be found at the end of this story.
SUMMARY: There is a saying in The Sentinel fandom. Everyone has a PostTSbyBS story in them. This one isn't mine. This is a left turn into the Sandburg Zone.
Notes: Thanks you so very much Maggie aka Delilah. I tinkered after you did a superlative beta job. All mistakes are mine. Mine, I tell ya!
Surfing the Gravity Waves
by Maigret
Jim signed the last of the paperwork and put it in his outbox. His signature on that last incident report marked the end of what he called 'The Sentinel by Blair Sandburg' incident. He was free for the next ten days. Now if only he could make his escape before-
"Ellison!" Simon barked loudly from behind his closed office door.
Sighing, Jim pushed away from his desk and grabbed his cane. Simon was going to ask him a question he didn't have an answer to and he was going to have to lie. The last thing he wanted to discuss was what course his partner planned. Although Blair had accepted the badge he had not made a final decision to attend the academy. They were planning a visit to St. Sebastien which would serve a threefold purpose: it would give Blair time, time with no pressure to come to terms with recent events, personally and professionally, it would give him time to make decisions about his future, personally and professionally, and finally it would give them time together. Hoping that only poking his head into the door would preclude a long conversation, Jim was stymied when Simon's door swung open and the tall captain navigated his way into the bullpen.
Simon was still walking with a cane and was not happy about it. In fact he was honing his sarcasm to a near perfect level during his convalescence.
"Did you not hear me, Detective?" Simon asked silkily. "Ears not functioning? Or could it be you were trying to escape my bellow?"
"Uh…Simon," Jim mumbled, "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
"Where's your sidekick?"
++++++++++++++++++
Blair opened the door a moment before Jim inserted his key in the lock. Grinning at Ellison's surprised expression, he said, "Now you know how Simon feels when he comes to the door."
Jim was so pleased to see Blair in a good mood that every muscle in body relaxed and he let out a relieved sigh. Maybe things would be back to normal now. A tantalizing aroma teased him and he looked toward the stove where a large pot sat atop one of the burners.
"Your Chicken Cacciatore? OK, what do you want and how soon after dinner do you want it?"
Blair's laughter was a bit forced but he responded anyway. "You don't believe my motives are pure?"
"No way, the last time you prepared this, you wanted me to attend that physics lecture with you."
Jim leaned on his cane and then lifted the cover of the pot and drew in a deep breath of the fragrant aroma. "Mmmm, good. By the way, Simon says and I quote, "If you get yourself into any trouble at St. Sebastien, he's going to make you repeat basic training…twice."
Blair sniffed disdainfully and changed the topic. "Remember that physicist?
"Yeah, it was an interesting lecture but I wondered what interest an anthropologist had in the string theory."
"I was checking to see how close he was."
"Huh?"
"Damn! How does one start this discussion?"
"What's going on, Chief?"
Blair inhaled, visibly calmed himself and then pointed to the dining table where he had already set two places. "Give me a minute, Jim. We'll eat then talk."
"I'll wash up."
Passing Blair's small room, Jim noted that Sandburg's duffel bag was packed. For the first time in the four days since Blair had denounced himself as a fraud, he felt disquiet. He knew Blair was leaving tomorrow morning to spend some time at St. Sebastien and recharge. Jim planned to join him on the weekend.
While washing his hands Jim thought about yesterday’s events. Blair had been too silent after accepting the detective's badge from Simon. At first Jim had ascribed it to Naomi leaving town this morning to process after sharing her changed views on the pigs with anyone who was remotely touched by the mess she created. And though Blair had agreed to attend the police academy and become his partner, Jim was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Calling himself all kinds of a fool for not sharing what was in his heart, Jim decided then and there to open up. He had planned to do it on the weekend, but with their luck there would be something criminal that would come up this weekend and once again prevent them from talking. He needed to share before the next roller coaster ride pulled into their lives. Well as much as he was able, he corrected himself. It might be the only way
Somehow over wine and conversation, Jim relaxed. Blair had him laughing about the latest salvo in the off-and-on rivalry and love affair between Colette and Antonio. Colette, owner of Colette's specialized in airy, light French confections. Around the corner, Antonio who hailed from the robust Tuscan region of Italy specialized in heavy, hearty Italian pasta and sauces. World War Two had nothing on these two chefs. Blair maintained that they were actually in love hence the fierce rivalry. Jim scoffed and reaped the benefits every time he entered one establishment carrying a bag from the other.
As the laughter died away, Jim squared his jaw and said softly, "Thanks."
Bright blue eyes, with lashes that would be proud to grace any woman's face swept upward and Blair blinked. "Why?" Taking a deep breath, the young man continued animatedly, "I broke the first rule. I barged into your life and-"
Waving his excitable partner to a stuttering stop, Jim said in all seriousness, "You, Blair Sandburg, saved my life. You continue to save my life and we need to talk about this partnership." Staring into the unblinking orbs, the detective released his words in a rush. "Iwantustobecomecloserbutifyoudon'tI'llunderstand."
"Dammit, Jim. You have the timing of a kumquat."
"Whaddaya mean?"
Pushing away from his soon-to-be-lover, Blair railed, “Could you not have done this a while ago? It would've made a lot of difference."
"I care…ummm…love you, Chief. I admit it was rotten of me to spring it on you now but I dunno, I felt that you might not believe that being my partner was enough to make up for giving up your doctorate so I…."
Looking deeply into the blue eyes in front of him, Blair murmured, "I love you too. But your timing still sucks. And for the record I have my doctorate already."
"What? Chancellor Edwards relented?"
"No." Blair ground his teeth. "Where I come from, that woman would've been turfed out on her behind already."
"Where YOU come from?"
Fascinated by Blair tugging on the fall of curls near his chin, Jim missed the response, or that's what he told himself.
"What'd you say Sandburg?"
"I said the eighth dimension from this one."
Jim blinked, pulled his sight back from the intriguing mole he had just discovered on Blair's ear and asked, "You want to run that by me again, Chief?"
Pushing away from the table, Blair took the three steps that put him next to Jim. Framing his roommate's face in his capable hands, Blair said, "Jim, I am an anthropological physicist. In my world John F. Kennedy only died five years ago, we have settlements on Mars and I traveled on a gravity string to come to this dimension to find a sentinel. I received permission from our Science Council to do so as part of my postgraduate studies."
"That's not funny, Sandburg."
"I'm not trying to be funny, man. I come from an alternate dimension of earth which is eight dimensions over."
Instead of bursting into speech, Jim regrouped. He had dealt with ghosts and saints - a being from the eighth dimension was not going to throw him. "How'd you get here? Blinked? And is Naomi also from this eighth dimension?"
"Jim I'm human just like you. I don't have any special gifts. Our worlds are the same; we occupy the same earth. Except mine is in better shape than yours." Blair sat up from where he had fallen and took the hand Jim automatically extended to him. Hiding a smile at how his sentinel was predictable, he continued, "Remember the string-theory lecture we attended a couple of months ago?"
"Yes?"
"Your dimension is finally on the right track albeit quite a few years away from being able to apply the theory to anything practical. I wanted to attend to check up on the most recent theories and give a report to Professor Burbash."
"You do have a zone all of your own don't you?" Jim marveled.
"Our world is built on scientific laws. As far as our theoreticians can determine, at key points in our history we diverged from you. So our worlds are the same and yet, not."
Very deliberately Jim closed his eyes and pinched himself, hard.
"Yeoch!"
Sitting up in the darkness, Jim pushed the sleep mask off his face. Looking around wildly, he ascertained he was in his bed and-
The rounded lump next to him shifted and muttered, "Whaz'zup?"
-his lover was next to him. All was right in his world, at least in his dimension of the universe.
Patting the lump softly, Jim murmured, "I'll be right back."
Sliding out of bed, Jim padded downstairs. After using the bathroom, he did a perimeter check while marveling at how he had managed to put together a NOVA special on television and the horrible events of a month ago into a dream where Blair was a human from another dimension. Blair would probably tell him something about repressed anxieties and fear when he told him.
Blair was sitting up in bed, curls askew, waiting for him when he made it back up the stairs. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just a dream. I think your Cacciatiore didn't agree with me."
"Ha!" Blair punched up the pillows in their bed. "Most likely it was the three helpings you had followed by the chocolate cheesecake from Colette's that you actually believed you could slip by me."
Getting back into the bed Jim sank back onto the pillows while his partner settled onto his chest, head just beneath his chin and curls tickling his nose. 'Yeah, all was right with the world,' Jim thought.
"So, what woke you?" Blair yawned around the words, almost fully asleep already.
Breathing deeply, Jim mumbled, "You. Alternate dimension. String theory."
When Blair spoke again, all trace of sleep disappeared from his voice. He said crisply, "Actually I am."
"Wha-?" Jim sat up in bed his heart pounding wildly. "Sandburg!" he bellowed.
Blair's laughter was gleeful but unrepentant. "Sorry. Jim. You deserved that for maligning my cuisine."
Grabbing hold of his sanity and his lover, Jim spoke firmly, "We're going to sleep now Blair and there will be no more words like dimension used in this bed tonight."
Once again, Jim settled and cuddled his partner close.
Snuggled on his muscular pillow, Blair lips quirked into a crooked smile and he considered his life. He and Jim had opened a security consulting service. Business was booming as they received referrals from many of the people they had helped while Jim was on the police force. He, Blair Sandburg, was in school again at the University of Washington albeit working on his thesis for a doctorate in Psychology. It has been a tempestuous summer and early fall which had culminated in many positive changes in his life. Thanksgiving was less than seven weeks away and he was feeling a need to be home this year to celebrate. Thank the stars he had received all the clearances for Jim to travel with him on his last visit home.
Maybe, just maybe, his lover was ready for the truth.
THE END.
Spoiler: Apologies to Brian Greene but if any one is interested, he has written a fascinating book about superstring theory and hidden dimensions called The Elegant Universe.
TITLE: Surfing the Gravity Waves
AUTHOR: Maigret
CATEGORY: Alternate Reality, Romance
PAIRING: J/B
RATING: PG13
DATE: 8-26-2006
STATUS: Complete
ARCHIVE: Please do not archive anywhere
DISCLAIMER: I don’t own them, Pet Fly does. But if I owned them, TS would still be on the air. Since I don’t, TS is off the air.
SPOILERS: Tiny spoiler will be found at the end of this story.
SUMMARY: There is a saying in The Sentinel fandom. Everyone has a PostTSbyBS story in them. This one isn't mine. This is a left turn into the Sandburg Zone.
Notes: Thanks you so very much Maggie aka Delilah. I tinkered after you did a superlative beta job. All mistakes are mine. Mine, I tell ya!
Surfing the Gravity Waves
by Maigret
Jim signed the last of the paperwork and put it in his outbox. His signature on that last incident report marked the end of what he called 'The Sentinel by Blair Sandburg' incident. He was free for the next ten days. Now if only he could make his escape before-
"Ellison!" Simon barked loudly from behind his closed office door.
Sighing, Jim pushed away from his desk and grabbed his cane. Simon was going to ask him a question he didn't have an answer to and he was going to have to lie. The last thing he wanted to discuss was what course his partner planned. Although Blair had accepted the badge he had not made a final decision to attend the academy. They were planning a visit to St. Sebastien which would serve a threefold purpose: it would give Blair time, time with no pressure to come to terms with recent events, personally and professionally, it would give him time to make decisions about his future, personally and professionally, and finally it would give them time together. Hoping that only poking his head into the door would preclude a long conversation, Jim was stymied when Simon's door swung open and the tall captain navigated his way into the bullpen.
Simon was still walking with a cane and was not happy about it. In fact he was honing his sarcasm to a near perfect level during his convalescence.
"Did you not hear me, Detective?" Simon asked silkily. "Ears not functioning? Or could it be you were trying to escape my bellow?"
"Uh…Simon," Jim mumbled, "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
"Where's your sidekick?"
++++++++++++++++++
Blair opened the door a moment before Jim inserted his key in the lock. Grinning at Ellison's surprised expression, he said, "Now you know how Simon feels when he comes to the door."
Jim was so pleased to see Blair in a good mood that every muscle in body relaxed and he let out a relieved sigh. Maybe things would be back to normal now. A tantalizing aroma teased him and he looked toward the stove where a large pot sat atop one of the burners.
"Your Chicken Cacciatore? OK, what do you want and how soon after dinner do you want it?"
Blair's laughter was a bit forced but he responded anyway. "You don't believe my motives are pure?"
"No way, the last time you prepared this, you wanted me to attend that physics lecture with you."
Jim leaned on his cane and then lifted the cover of the pot and drew in a deep breath of the fragrant aroma. "Mmmm, good. By the way, Simon says and I quote, "If you get yourself into any trouble at St. Sebastien, he's going to make you repeat basic training…twice."
Blair sniffed disdainfully and changed the topic. "Remember that physicist?
"Yeah, it was an interesting lecture but I wondered what interest an anthropologist had in the string theory."
"I was checking to see how close he was."
"Huh?"
"Damn! How does one start this discussion?"
"What's going on, Chief?"
Blair inhaled, visibly calmed himself and then pointed to the dining table where he had already set two places. "Give me a minute, Jim. We'll eat then talk."
"I'll wash up."
Passing Blair's small room, Jim noted that Sandburg's duffel bag was packed. For the first time in the four days since Blair had denounced himself as a fraud, he felt disquiet. He knew Blair was leaving tomorrow morning to spend some time at St. Sebastien and recharge. Jim planned to join him on the weekend.
While washing his hands Jim thought about yesterday’s events. Blair had been too silent after accepting the detective's badge from Simon. At first Jim had ascribed it to Naomi leaving town this morning to process after sharing her changed views on the pigs with anyone who was remotely touched by the mess she created. And though Blair had agreed to attend the police academy and become his partner, Jim was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Calling himself all kinds of a fool for not sharing what was in his heart, Jim decided then and there to open up. He had planned to do it on the weekend, but with their luck there would be something criminal that would come up this weekend and once again prevent them from talking. He needed to share before the next roller coaster ride pulled into their lives. Well as much as he was able, he corrected himself. It might be the only way
Somehow over wine and conversation, Jim relaxed. Blair had him laughing about the latest salvo in the off-and-on rivalry and love affair between Colette and Antonio. Colette, owner of Colette's specialized in airy, light French confections. Around the corner, Antonio who hailed from the robust Tuscan region of Italy specialized in heavy, hearty Italian pasta and sauces. World War Two had nothing on these two chefs. Blair maintained that they were actually in love hence the fierce rivalry. Jim scoffed and reaped the benefits every time he entered one establishment carrying a bag from the other.
As the laughter died away, Jim squared his jaw and said softly, "Thanks."
Bright blue eyes, with lashes that would be proud to grace any woman's face swept upward and Blair blinked. "Why?" Taking a deep breath, the young man continued animatedly, "I broke the first rule. I barged into your life and-"
Waving his excitable partner to a stuttering stop, Jim said in all seriousness, "You, Blair Sandburg, saved my life. You continue to save my life and we need to talk about this partnership." Staring into the unblinking orbs, the detective released his words in a rush. "Iwantustobecomecloserbutifyoudon'tI'llunderstand."
"Dammit, Jim. You have the timing of a kumquat."
"Whaddaya mean?"
Pushing away from his soon-to-be-lover, Blair railed, “Could you not have done this a while ago? It would've made a lot of difference."
"I care…ummm…love you, Chief. I admit it was rotten of me to spring it on you now but I dunno, I felt that you might not believe that being my partner was enough to make up for giving up your doctorate so I…."
Looking deeply into the blue eyes in front of him, Blair murmured, "I love you too. But your timing still sucks. And for the record I have my doctorate already."
"What? Chancellor Edwards relented?"
"No." Blair ground his teeth. "Where I come from, that woman would've been turfed out on her behind already."
"Where YOU come from?"
Fascinated by Blair tugging on the fall of curls near his chin, Jim missed the response, or that's what he told himself.
"What'd you say Sandburg?"
"I said the eighth dimension from this one."
Jim blinked, pulled his sight back from the intriguing mole he had just discovered on Blair's ear and asked, "You want to run that by me again, Chief?"
Pushing away from the table, Blair took the three steps that put him next to Jim. Framing his roommate's face in his capable hands, Blair said, "Jim, I am an anthropological physicist. In my world John F. Kennedy only died five years ago, we have settlements on Mars and I traveled on a gravity string to come to this dimension to find a sentinel. I received permission from our Science Council to do so as part of my postgraduate studies."
"That's not funny, Sandburg."
"I'm not trying to be funny, man. I come from an alternate dimension of earth which is eight dimensions over."
Instead of bursting into speech, Jim regrouped. He had dealt with ghosts and saints - a being from the eighth dimension was not going to throw him. "How'd you get here? Blinked? And is Naomi also from this eighth dimension?"
"Jim I'm human just like you. I don't have any special gifts. Our worlds are the same; we occupy the same earth. Except mine is in better shape than yours." Blair sat up from where he had fallen and took the hand Jim automatically extended to him. Hiding a smile at how his sentinel was predictable, he continued, "Remember the string-theory lecture we attended a couple of months ago?"
"Yes?"
"Your dimension is finally on the right track albeit quite a few years away from being able to apply the theory to anything practical. I wanted to attend to check up on the most recent theories and give a report to Professor Burbash."
"You do have a zone all of your own don't you?" Jim marveled.
"Our world is built on scientific laws. As far as our theoreticians can determine, at key points in our history we diverged from you. So our worlds are the same and yet, not."
Very deliberately Jim closed his eyes and pinched himself, hard.
"Yeoch!"
Sitting up in the darkness, Jim pushed the sleep mask off his face. Looking around wildly, he ascertained he was in his bed and-
The rounded lump next to him shifted and muttered, "Whaz'zup?"
-his lover was next to him. All was right in his world, at least in his dimension of the universe.
Patting the lump softly, Jim murmured, "I'll be right back."
Sliding out of bed, Jim padded downstairs. After using the bathroom, he did a perimeter check while marveling at how he had managed to put together a NOVA special on television and the horrible events of a month ago into a dream where Blair was a human from another dimension. Blair would probably tell him something about repressed anxieties and fear when he told him.
Blair was sitting up in bed, curls askew, waiting for him when he made it back up the stairs. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just a dream. I think your Cacciatiore didn't agree with me."
"Ha!" Blair punched up the pillows in their bed. "Most likely it was the three helpings you had followed by the chocolate cheesecake from Colette's that you actually believed you could slip by me."
Getting back into the bed Jim sank back onto the pillows while his partner settled onto his chest, head just beneath his chin and curls tickling his nose. 'Yeah, all was right with the world,' Jim thought.
"So, what woke you?" Blair yawned around the words, almost fully asleep already.
Breathing deeply, Jim mumbled, "You. Alternate dimension. String theory."
When Blair spoke again, all trace of sleep disappeared from his voice. He said crisply, "Actually I am."
"Wha-?" Jim sat up in bed his heart pounding wildly. "Sandburg!" he bellowed.
Blair's laughter was gleeful but unrepentant. "Sorry. Jim. You deserved that for maligning my cuisine."
Grabbing hold of his sanity and his lover, Jim spoke firmly, "We're going to sleep now Blair and there will be no more words like dimension used in this bed tonight."
Once again, Jim settled and cuddled his partner close.
Snuggled on his muscular pillow, Blair lips quirked into a crooked smile and he considered his life. He and Jim had opened a security consulting service. Business was booming as they received referrals from many of the people they had helped while Jim was on the police force. He, Blair Sandburg, was in school again at the University of Washington albeit working on his thesis for a doctorate in Psychology. It has been a tempestuous summer and early fall which had culminated in many positive changes in his life. Thanksgiving was less than seven weeks away and he was feeling a need to be home this year to celebrate. Thank the stars he had received all the clearances for Jim to travel with him on his last visit home.
Maybe, just maybe, his lover was ready for the truth.
THE END.
Spoiler: Apologies to Brian Greene but if any one is interested, he has written a fascinating book about superstring theory and hidden dimensions called The Elegant Universe.