Fan Flashworks
Title: Bruises
Fandom: The Sentinel TV
Rating: Teen
Prompt: Bruise
Length: 2129
Content notes: Angst with a happy ending.
Author notes: I love to do angst with happy endings. I hope you enjoy.
Summary: Rafe and Brown see bruises on Blair and are mean to Jim, thinking Jim did it.



Jim was out on a call with Joel and Blair had been working with Rafe and Brown. So, it was a little surprising to have Rafe and Brown treat him like shit when Jim got back from the call.

Jim walked in and looked for Blair. Not finding him he asked Brown, “Have you seen Sandburg?”

“What difference does it make. You think you’re really hot stuff don’t you?”

“What are you talking about, Henri?”

“Don’t act innocent with us. Rafe and I both saw Blair and know you did it.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Would you like to start at the beginning?”

“Blair delivered a baby today and when we got back, he wanted to take a shower and change his clothes. Rafe and I both saw the bruises, while he was showering in the locker room. Don’t even try and make excuses.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Brown. Where is he?” Jim barked.

“Find him yourself…” Brown walked off in a huff and Jim wondered what was happening.

Jim needed to see Blair. He hurried downstairs to the locker room and saw Blair doing up his laces on his shoes. Jim could tell that something was hurting Blair and Jim needed to check him out.

“What’s wrong, Chief?”

“Nothing is wrong, why?” Blair answered.

Rafe and Henri said they saw bruises. What happened?” Jim wondered aloud.

Blair stood up, pissed off at Brown and Rafe. “They should mind their own business, man. It’s none of theirs or yours either.”

Blair stormed out of the room and waited for the elevator.

“Well, Chief, it sort of is my business since Brown just tore me a new asshole for hitting you.”

Blair just looked shocked and then laughed. “They are so stupid. Why didn’t they ask me?”

“I’m asking. Where did you get the bruises?”

“Promise you won’t be mad?”

“Depends on what you tell me,” Jim replied.

Blair sighed loudly and said, “I’ve been going to a self-defense class, so that I would be able to help you more. I felt a little out of my league. Please don’t be mad.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? As it is, Brown’s telling everyone that I hit and punch you. Jesus Christ. I can’t believe they believe that I would do that to you. I haven’t seen any bruises, or are they new?”

“You even asked me why I was wearing a tee shirt to bed each night. I didn’t want to tell you about the bruises. Today, I delivered a baby and got pretty messy. I needed to take a shower. Shit, I never even thought about the bruises. I’m done with the classes finally.”

“Is that why you wouldn’t shower with me in the morning’s? I thought you were sick of me or something.”

“How horrible that you thought that. Why didn’t you talk to me? I would have fessed up to you. I swear. I’ll talk to Brown and Rafe. Come on…”

“I’m leaving. Tell Simon that I’m having a reaction to something. I want to kill Brown and Rafe for thinking I would do that to you. I need to stay away from them for a day or two.”

“Jim, wait in your truck. I’m going to tell Simon that you’re ill and I’m driving you home. He’ll believe me and let me do that. Okay?”

“Okay. Hurry it up.” Jim left to go to the parking garage and Blair rode up to the fourth floor getting madder and madder.

Blair walked into the bullpen, walking over to Brown and poked his finger in Brown’s chest as he said, “Where was your brain? I’ve been taking self-defense classes to surprise Jim and you accused him of hitting me? What the fuck is wrong with you. You’ve known him longer than me. Does he strike you as an abusive person?” By this time, Brown was backing up all the way to his desk. And Blair was getting louder and louder. “You broke his heart, you moron. Now think about that. You had better not have told anyone else, or I will bring charges against both of you for spreading lies. And don’t even try and deny it. I can’t believe you hurt the nicest man I know. That you know. I have to tell Simon that Jim is going home. I wonder how many days he’ll need off to mend a broken heart. Also, he’s mad at me now for not telling him about my surprise for him. You’ve ruined everything.”

Blair went to Simon’s office and barged in.

“Don’t you knock?”

“Simon, Jim is downstairs right now and is ready to quit the force. I’m taking him home to calm down. I would appreciate it if you asked Brown and Rafe about it. I need to get downstairs and deal with a broken-hearted man. I’ll call you later.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get to the bottom of this now. Go!” Simon followed Blair out of his office and yelled, “Brown, Rafe, get in my office.”

They both hurried into Simon’s office. “Sit down and tell me what the fuck is going on.”

Brown did the talking and when he was done, Simon said, “Did you take a stupid pill today? How often have you seen that man be mean to Blair?”

“We figured it had to be. How would we know that Sandburg was taking self-defense classes? We saw the bruises, what would you have done, Sir?”

“I would have asked him first and then went to figure it out. I can’t believe you thought Jim hurt him. Blair said you broke Jim’s heart. He might be leaving the station because of you. And before I forget, did you mention this to anyone else?’’ Simon asked, still fuming.

“We told Megan and she said she would talk to Sandburg later tonight. But she’s the only one that knows besides us,” Brown admitted.

“You had better hope no one hears about it. Understood? Because if it gets around the station, you both will be suspended. I’d like to fire you right now, but Jim wouldn’t like that because he’s a nice guy that wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”

“We’re really sorry, Sir,” Rafe said. “We’ll go to Jim’s house and apologize tonight. We won’t let this happen again.”

“On one hand, I’m glad you did what you did, defending Blair but on the other hand, it wasn’t necessary to tell Jim off. You should have told me. I would have checked it out. Now, get those reports done and on my desk in two hours. Now!”

The two men left and sat down at their desks, thinking about what they had done.

******************************

Jim was silent all the way home. Blair finally couldn’t take anymore silence and said, “Jim, if someone had bruised me up, would you have wanted to know about it?”

“I just know you’re not sticking up for them, right?”

“I think I like that they went to you to tell you what they thought. If the role was reversed, I would like someone to be mad at me, rather than letting it go.”

“I suppose so. But Chief, they know we’re lovers. They never should have thought that…”

“I agree, but how many men come into our station beat up from their lovers who swear they didn’t do it? They could have ignored it and just thought awful things about you. But instead, they confronted you about it. They were willing to take on Big Tough Jim Ellison because of me. You have to admire them for that. Right?”

Jim thought about it for a moment and said, “Okay, I’m not so mad at them. But they still owe me an apology.”

“I agree, Jim. And they will. Maybe not tonight, but tomorrow I bet.”

When Jim stopped at a red light, he pulled Blair closer to him in the truck. “I love you so much and it bothered me that they would think I could ever hurt you. Yes, I’m a jerk sometimes, but I would never physically hurt you. I’m sorry, I got so angry about this.”

“You weren’t angry, Jim. You were heartbroken. There is a difference. Everything will work out fine. I would make a bet that the two of them come by soon. Maybe in the morning…”

“Before I forget, why did you take classes and not tell me?”

“When you were teaching me self-defense, you were too gentle with me. I knew I had to have a stranger do it and they did, big time.”

“I guess so, that’s why I got into this. So how much longer, Blair?”

“I finished the class last night. It was only three weeks. But that’s why I couldn’t let you see me naked. Now, I don’t mind at all. Hint, hint, hint.”

“Raincheck, Blair. Let me get over all this first. I do love you so much.”

“I know you do. And I love you too. I’m sorry that my actions hurt you today. From now on, no surprises and secrets between us. Okay?”

“Sounds good to me. I haven’t had lunch today, could we make dinner, early?” Jim asked.

They went in and side by side started dinner, until there was a knock at the door.

Jim listened and said, “It’s Megan. Maybe she knows and wants to talk to us about it. Joy…”

“Jim, just answer the door.”

Jim opened the door and said, “Hi, Megan, what do you need?”

“I wanted you to know that Henri and Rafe were about ready to turn you into Simon, until I tore them each of them a new asshole. Why they could believe anything like that is beyond me. Anyone knows to look at you both, you’re in love. And I know for a fact that Jim is quite the pushover when it comes to you, Sandy. Now tell me where you got the bruises?”

Blair explained everything to Blair and she laughed when she thought she should. But she noticed that Jim wasn’t laughing at all.

“Jimbo, please don’t take this to heart. At least they were sticking up for Sandy. Right?”

“I told him the same thing, Megan.”

“I know. I’m not as angry any more. Did you want to have dinner with us,” Jim asked.

“No, I have a date tonight. I just had to stop by and tell you what I did to them. Then I heard Simon tore them a new one also.”

Blair smiled and said, “Good. They deserve to be knocked down a few notches. Thank you for stopping by, Megan.”

“Bye, Mates. See you tomorrow. I’m glad you’re okay, Jimbo… Off I go.”

Once she was out the door, Blair shut and locked the door. They went in to see how dinner was doing and Jim said, “Rafe and Brown are here. Just simmer dinner.”

Jim went over and opened the door. Both men looked so sorrowful that it almost made Jim laugh. Then he remembered what they had said. It wasn’t funny at all. “Come in,” Jim said.

Brown started the conversation with, “Jim, we are so sorry that we believed you had hurt Blair. I thought you would have noticed the bruises, but I guess you didn’t. I’m so sorry and we didn’t tell anyone besides Connor. We saw she was here. She laughed when we told her and she was mad at us. We should have listened to her. Again, I’m so sorry.”

“What he said, Jim. We feel terrible and Simon’s really mad at us. We never should have jumped to those conclusions without talking to you first. We should have asked questions first.”

“Thank you, guys for at least sticking up for him. I like that both of you like him enough to get mad about the bruises. He’s in trouble for not telling me about the self-defense classes. But that’s between me and Blair. Thank you for stopping by and saying you’re sorry to me. It helps, believe me.”

Blair said, “Would you both like to have dinner with us?”

Brown said, “Only if Jim is all right with us staying. Are you Jim? We understand if you’re not.”

“Blair, set two more places, they’ll be staying for dinner.”

And the evening brought much humor and laughter while eating. Things were almost better. It was close. And Jim knew he had forgiven them both.